The Bristol Magazine November 2012

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The

Decadent

20’s

Party Style Special

ART ACADEMY

Preparing to celebrate 100 years of the RWA

FREE BOOZE For all our readers...

Andy Hamilton tells how

PROPERTY REPORT Bristol predicts a mini boom as commute times are improved www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

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CONTENTS November BRISTOL:Layout 2 copy

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contents

2012 November 52 14

31 14

56

ZEITGEIST

52

Five things to do and see in November

16

THE CITYIST The buzz around the city plus My Bristol

19

BARTLEBY It’s time to vote for the first elected mayor

22

26 31

56

WHAT LIES AHEAD A look at the RWA’s future ahead of its centenary next year

58

ARTS & EXHIBITIONS

66

LONDON BOUND

FACE THE MUSIC The co-founder of Lovehoney, Neal Slateford, chooses his favourite tracks

44

WHAT’S ON Don’t miss this month’s theatre and music

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November 2012

FIT & FAB The latest beauty news and product reviews

94

SCANDI STYLE Sphere Living share its style secrets

98 GARDEN COLOUR Fiery foliage to add the wow factor to your garden from Jane Moore

101 PROPERTY

A weekend break in the capital

The finest homes in and around the city THE

68

FAMILY FUN Kid’s events this month plus a round-up of this year’s pantos and Christmas shows

78

FOOD & DRINK Delicious morsels of local foodie news

40

86

Wild and unusual art on show this month

BACKYARD BOOZE Learn to forage for ingredients to make your own alcohol with Andy Hamilton

BRISTOL PEOPLE

ROAD TRIP Reasons to visit the World Heritage city of Bath in November and December

The city’s movers and shakers

A/W FASHION Roaring twenties style for this season after a spectacular year in the spotlight

36

54

ALL WRAPPED UP Christmas pressie ideas sorted

84

There’s something for everyone to enjoy this festive season around Bristol

SKYFALL PREMIERE The paparazzi were out at our glamorous party at Cinema de Lux

FESTIVE FRIVOLITIES

66

80

IRRESISTIBLE INDIAN We review Maaza Namasker Lounge

82

THE WALK Through fields and over stiles in Somerset

BRISTOL twitter#thebristolmag

ON THE COVER Navy fishtail evening gown £230, by Gina Bacconi. Marabou feather tippet £115, Biba.

House of Fraser www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

MAGAZINE

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Knight Frank November:full page

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Knight Frank

Cotham A beautifully appointed family house, set in an enclosed garden, with off-street parking and excellent storage. Drawing room, sitting room, family kitchen & dining room. Utility room. Cloak room. Family bathroom. Three double bedrooms. Bedroom 4 / study. Off-street parking.

Lovely family garden. Generous storage.

Guide Price £650,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999

Abbots Leigh A delightful detached family house, with excellent links to both Clifton village and the M5, along with access to fabulous countryside. Superb family kitchen / dining room. Snug. Sitting room. Drawing room with wood burning stove. Four bedrooms. Family bathroom, 2 en-suite shower rooms. Exquisite deep garden with far reaching views and “home office”. Garage and driveway.

Guide Price £650,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999

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Knight Frank

Chew Magna Outstanding family house in a sought after village. Galleried hall, 3 reception rooms, kitchen, breakfast room. 4 bedroom suites, 1 further bedroom. Coach house incorporating 2 bed flat and a 1 bed flat. Triple garage. Workshop & stores. Tennis court, swimming pool. Gardens & pasture. In all about 5.1 acres.

Guide Price ÂŁ2,000,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999

Siston An individual converted barn with extensive accommodation and views across the neighbouring countryside. 3 reception rooms, study. Full height kitchen/breakfast room. 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, shower room. Attached studio room with shower room. 8 open fronted bay barn, workshop/studio, enclosed gardens. In all about 0.5 of an acre.

Guide Price ÂŁ850,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999

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Knight Frank

Leigh Woods One of Bristol’s finest houses, set over three floors and comprising over 6,000 sq. ft of accommodation, finished and presented to an exceptional standard, with generous landscaped.

Drawing room, dining room, sitting room, reception hall. Utility / comms room. Bespoke circular staircase. 6 bedrooms, study, play room. 4 bathrooms (2 en-suite). South facing roof terrace. Beautiful landscaped gardens. Gated parking. PP for separate coach house and detached double garage.

Guide ÂŁ2,750,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999

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Knight Frank SOLD

Clifton

SOLD

Cotham

A beautiful family home, in a sought after residential street, with a lovely landscaped garden and generous off-street parking.

A charming period house, rich in features with a delightful garden, off street parking and situated on a quiet road close to Cotham school.

SIMILAR REQUIRED

SIMILAR REQUIRED

KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999

KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999

SOLD

Leigh Woods

SOLD

Clifton

A larger than average 2 bedroom apartment, with exceptional living accommodation, private garage and gated off-street parking.

A semi-detached Grade II Listed Georgian townhouse, in need of modernisation with gated parking and versatile accommodation.

SIMILAR REQUIRED

SIMILAR REQUIRED

KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999

KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999

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EDITOR’Sletter

I

t’s been a great year for Britain, what with the success of the Olympics, the Paralympics and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee all lifting the spirits, attracting positive global attention, and helping to remind us that we can be proud to be British. And, now, as the year slides near to its end, there’s another great British event to celebrate. I’m writing this the morning after The Bristol Magazine hosted a premiere of the new James Bond film in aid of Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal and can happily say that this looks like being another export that’s going to be good news for brand UK. Hundreds of Bristolians attended the exclusive screening of Skyfall at the Cinema de Lux in Cabot Circus where we were most definitely shaken and stirred by Daniel Craig’s dark, brooding, damaged Bond and Judi Dench’s very English authority figure M with her ramrod straight spine and calm demeanor under pressure.

Just as Danny Boyle wove in lots of cultural references to his opening night ceremony for the Olympics, so director Sam Mendes managed to bring in his own homage to the arts and to contemporary Britain, flashing up a cultural kaleidoscope which showed variously the art of Modigiliani and Turner, the poetry of Tennyson, the Thames, the Tube and the fabulous London skyline.

This is a great British film, marking the 50th anniversary since the first Bond, and it was a privilege to have been at its regional unveiling. It was also good to see the audience looking so stylish.

The men were dashing in black tie, while the women were gloriously glamorous. Judge for yourselves in our Bond picture special on Pages 22 and 23.

But back to our November issue. It may be dark and gloomy outside but we’ve got lots to bring you warmth and cheer. We’re foraging with Bristol self-sufficiency expert Andy Hamilton (Page 36), Royal West of England Academy director Trystan Hawkins talks about changes at the gallery as it approaches its 100th anniversary (Page 56), and Bristol estate agent Knight Frank has produced a property report that predicts a commuter boom for the city when the new faster rail links to London are brought in (Page 92).

It can’t have escaped your notice that the Christmas lights are going up all round the city and so you don’t miss out, our What’s On guide gives you all the key dates for pantomimes, Christmas fairs and other festive happenings so you can plan your gift shopping and leisure time accordingly. We’ve also got all our usual features, including food and drink, business, travel, gardening and a seasonal walk too.

To sum up, I hope that this issue will bring a little warmth, cheerfulness and healthful ease to your November.

GEORGETTE McCREADY

All paper used to make this magazine is taken from good sustainable sources and we encourage our suppliers to join an accredited green scheme. Magazines are now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help to reduce waste and contribute to the six million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year. Please recycle this magazine, but if you are not able to participate in a recycling scheme, then why not pass your magazine on to a friend or colleague.

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

A D VA N C E D

E Y E C A R E

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Juul & Payne Advanced Eyecare 0117 973 5929 70 Alma Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2DJ Juulpayne@btconnect.com www.juulandpayne.co.uk November 2012

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ZEITGEIST

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things to do in November

Book The Tobacco Factory Theatre and international award-winning theatre company New International Encounter join forces to bring you an enchanting Christmas show, Hansel and Gretel – a Brothers Grimm story brought to life through storytelling and music. The theatre will be transformed into a magical winter wonderland and the classic fairytale will be adapted to include fun live music, clowning and humour for all the family. It is the story of Hansel and Gretel who get lost and hungry in the middle of a cold, dark forest. But as they sit, shivering, they glimpse a tiny cottage through the trees, made of gingerbread, chocolate cake and boiled sweets, but what’s inside? The show runs at the Tobacco Factory on Raleigh Road from Wednesday 5 December to Sunday 13 January.

Book your tickets through the box office, tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatre.com.

Celebrate The Afrika Eye Film Festival comes to the Watershed from Friday 9 – Sunday 11 November, connecting many of our communities from Clifton to Saint Paul’s to celebrate the 50th independence anniversary of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago. Films from Jamaica by Jamaican directors will be shown along with those from Europe and the US, including the urban love story Better Mus Come (pictured), by Storm Saulter, which is set against a backdrop of political turmoil in downtown Kingston. There will also be workshops and community activities alongside the screenings – making the festival unique among UK Africa film festivals. For further details visit: www.afrikaeye.org.uk or to book tickets visit: www.watershed.co.uk.

CHRISTMAS CRACKER: don’t miss the Tobacco Factory’s Christmas show this year, Hansel and Gretel

Remember

Dazzle

Take the time to remember and pay your respects to those who have fallen in war. This year’s service at Bristol Cathedral begins at 10.50am on Remembrance Sunday (11 November). For more information, tel: 0117 926 4879.

It’s that time of year again so enjoy a night out as a family, as a couple or with friends at a spectacular fireworks display at Canford Park on Saturday 3 November from 6pm, to celebrate Guy Fawkes night. The evening is presented by the Bristol Round Table and The Rotary Club of Clifton and will support local charities. Tickets on the gate are £5 (under 3s free) or £4 in advance and the fireworks begin at 7pm. For further information visit: www.fireworksfiesta.co.uk.

See Just opened and on loan from the National Portrait Gallery to M Shed is an exhibition that looks at identity through fame and anonymity, reality and fiction and how people will be remembered. Real and Imagined Lives brings to life the sitters in portraits from the 16th and 17th centuries whose identities have been lost or misattributed and local writers offer their alternative insight into the people we think we know with a Bristol connection, such as Damien Hirst and JK Rowling. Themed talks and special activities accompany the exhibition which runs until 6 January, for more information visit: www.mshed.org 14 The Bristol Magazine

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November 2012

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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ist

THE CITY

One city . . . one month

The buzz

My BRISTOL We ask Sally Cookson, director of Peter Pan at the Bristol Old Vic what she’s doing this month

HOST

If you have a nice sitting room and enjoy entertaining, you could volunteer to host an opera production in your home.

Australian company Chamber Made Opera needs a space to stage a Living Room Opera as part of the In Between Time International Festival of Performance, which will take place in venues across Bristol in February 2013.

Anyone interested should contact IBT artistic director, Helen Cole at: Helen.cole@inbetweentime.co.uk or call production company In Between Time, tel: 0117 316 9955.

SHOP An evening of fun, fizz, frolics and frocks will be held at Goldbrick House, Park Street on Tuesday 27 November, hosted by sumptuous Designerwear.

The pop-up boutique offers exquisite ladies’ new and preloved designerwear at great prices. You will be greeted with a glass of prosecco and treated to a fashion show of party season frocks and gowns, which will be available to buy. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are priced at £6.50, available from tel: 07785 797904

VISIT The West Country Quilt Show at the Bath & West Showground runs from Thursday 29 November – Saturday 1 December and will feature a display of quilts accompanied by workshops, and traders who will have on offer all the supplies you will need to see you through the winter. For further information visit: www.westcountryquiltshow.co.uk

Twitterati 16 The Bristol Magazine

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What brought you to Bristol?

I got a job as an actor in the rep season at Bristol Old Vic in 1992. It was Andy Haye’s first season as artistic director. What kept me in Bristol was that I fell in love with my husband. He was the composer MD at Bristol Old Vic. He gave the actors a percussion workshop and from that moment I was hooked and never went back to London.

What are you reading?

I’m reading Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean, JM Barrie and The Lost Boys

by Andrew Birkin and Peter Pan every night in preparation for Bristol Old Vic’s Christmas show.

What is on your MP3 player?

I’ve got Keith Jarrett (Vienna Concert), Assassins and Pacific Overtures by Sondheim and Blossom Dearie, the American jazz singer. Those are my favourites and the ones I’m listening to quite a bit at the moment.

Which café or restaurant takes your fancy?

I don’t really go to restaurants very much, but any café that does a really good, scaldingly hot, very milky latte is a winner.

I’m really fussy about my coffee – I can’t stand a tepid latte...

Guilty Tiger by Chris Brown Published by FeedaRead, paperback £7.99 Guilty Tiger is Chris’s first novel, following on from his highly acclaimed autobiography Bovver. The story is set in modern day Bristol, with flashbacks to the pubs, clubs and music of the city in the 1970s, with many references to the two Bristol football clubs throughout.

There’s a new drug on the streets, a drug that is a derivative of Merck, the cocaine that fuelled the Rolling Stones tour of 1975. What’s more, it’s

Which museum or gallery?

The contemporary section at Bristol Museum on the top floor – it’s always really quiet up there and there’s always room to view the paintings without feeling rushed. I love the David Hockney picture Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy.

Film or play?

I thought the film Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson was very sweet and the play I really enjoyed was I, Caliban, particularly Jimmy Whiteaker’s performance.

What’s next?

At the moment I’m in rehearsal directing Bristol Old Vic’s Christmas show Peter Pan. This is the first Christmas show in the theatre since the big refurbishment so I’m looking forward to getting into the new space. I also have two Christmas shows opening in London; Boing! At Sadler’s Wells (which started life at Bristol Old Vic Studio and was a co-production between them and Travelling Light) and last year’s Cinderella from the Tobacco Factory is opening at St James’s Theatre in Westminster. Visit: www.bristololdvic.org.uk. ■

undetectable in the bloodstream and is already being used by sports stars. This is a story about drugs, football, violence and sex following one man having to come to terms with, and apologise for his past misdeeds. You won’t be able to put it down.

We’re following @mallcribbscauseway, for all the up-to-date news on the Christmas lights switch on spectacular with guest stars JLS who’ll be performing on stage on Thursday 8 November. Find details of how to get free tickets...

November 2012

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THE

BRISTOL MAGAZINE Editor Georgette McCready Tel: 01225 424592 Email: georgette@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Deputy Editor Samantha Ewart Email: sam@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Editorial Assistant Rosie Parry Email: rosie@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Production Manager Jeff Osborne Email: production@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Commercial Production Lorna Harrington Email: lorna@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Publisher Steve Miklos Tel: 0117 974 2800 Email: stevem@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Advertising Sales Kathy Williams Email: kathy@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Katie Larkman Email: katie@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Sue Parker Email: sue@thebristolmagazine.co.uk The Bristol Magazine, The Bath Magazine and West Country are published by MC Publishing Ltd and are completely independent of all other local publications.

LIGHTING SPECIALIST

The Bristol Magazine is distributed free every month to more than 20,000 homes and businesses throughout Bristol. Published by MC Publishing Limited

The Bristol Magazine 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath Ba1 2Ed sales@thebristolmagazine.co.uk • Š MC Publishing Ltd 2012

8 BATH STREET, FROME. BA11 1DH TEL: 01373 473555 WWW.FIATLUX.CO.UK

Disclaimer: While Every Reasonable Care Is Taken With All Material Submitted To The Bristol Magazine, The Publisher Cannot Accept Responsibility For Loss Or Damage To Such Material.

Opinions Expressed In Articles Are Strictly Those Of The Authors. This Publication Is Copyright And May Not Be Reproduced In Any Form Either In Part Or Whole Without Written Permission From The Publishers.

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THIS CITY NEEDS A WORTHY CHAMPION

T

his month one of the free world’s most important elections will be taking place. On 15 November the good people of Bristol will decide who is to become the city’s first elected mayor; whatever the outcome, nothing will ever be quite the same again. Back in 2006 I wondered aloud in this column whether or not we needed a mayor in the style of Ken Livingstone (then mayor of London) and found myself as undecided as the Bristolians canvassed in a poll.

At the time about half thought we needed a Ken, while the other half were quite happy to remain Ken-free. These days London has a Boris, who provides bicycles and made sure the trains ran on time for the Olympics.

Like his predecessor he’s something of a political loner, a maverick who isn’t afraid to annoy the government, and I think people respect that. London’s mayor has always championed the city, so is this our chance to elect someone who will do the same? What exactly are we electing a mayor for?

Looking through the various candidates listed on the BBC website and reading their statements of intent, it’s clear that we’ll be choosing between men and women of varied backgrounds who all have the welfare of the city and its people at heart. One wants to introduce Boris Bikes as a matter of urgency, another to reopen care homes that have recently closed. Each has his or her own vision of how life in Bristol could be made better, although most candidates agree that public transport needs to be improved and inequalities between different areas and sectors of the population addressed.

most candidates agree that public ❝ transport needs to be improved and inequalities between different areas and sectors of the population addressed

❞

Aside from obvious political allegiances one of the main differences between the candidates lies in the scope of their vision. Some appear to see the city as if it were still bounded by walls, as a self-contained political entity. They want to make their city more democratic, fairer, safer – a more pleasant place to live. Then there are those who perceive Bristol as part of a wider region, as a close relative of Bath or competitor to Cardiff. They are keen to ensure that our city wins business from the competition and cooperates efficiently with neighbours.

I could only see one candidate whose perception of Bristol was on a national or even international scale, whose vision was what one might call statesmanlike. I’m not going to name names, but if you follow the news it should become pretty clear who this is. This candidate may not have the strong grasp of local political issues evinced by some of the others, but he does see the city in relation to the national government and appreciates that any elected mayor will have to fight to win power from the centre.

More importantly, this particular candidate also has the experience and perspective to see Bristol from afar, from outside Britain. Here is someone, perhaps, with the connections and the chutzpah to champion the city, to entice businesses and tourists to this particular corner of the world.

Someone capable of winning column inches and TV exposure. Someone who might ensure that, if the Olympic summer of 2012 were to be reenacted, Bristol would have a part to play.

If we’re going to bother with this mayor business, we have to ask ourselves what kind of elected leader we want and, by extension, what kind of city we want. London’s identity as a city has been greatly enhanced by its punchy, characterful mayors – two men who, in different ways, have stolen the political limelight from more senior politicians. On 15 November we will be electing someone in whose personality and ambition the rest of the world will see Bristol reflected. It’s an opportunity for us to assert the city’s character on the European stage. I hope we don’t miss it. ■ www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

November 2012

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Mr Bristow PYROTECHNIC PLEASURE FOR POOCH

A

round this time of year the letters columns of local papers fill with angry diatribes about fireworks and their detrimental affects on animals. Poor Fido is still quivering and the like.

Well, when I was a kid we had a Collie-ish mongrel called Sammy who was fascinated by fire. In the winter he would lie with his nose practically in the grate and my mum would be forever shouting at him to stop staring at the flames or he’ll get wall-eyed. He would look away for a bit and then resume his baleful gazing.

What’s more, on firework night Sam would sit up at the window as if really enjoying the display outside on the frozen cabbage patch. He had a special interest in rockets and would follow their upward trajectory with what seemed to be a philosophical expression on his face. These humans do some daft things seemed to be his main train of thought. He didn’t seem at all bothered by bangers and I am sure he would have gladly joined us by the bonfire for a scalding hot jacket potato if allowed.

It never occurred to us to draw the curtains or shut him in the cupboard under the stairs on November the fifth. That I think would have frightened him much more than the fireworks. Dogs of course pick up the vibes from their owners. We were excited and happy and so was he.

At one time, our cat seemed to have caught Sammy’s pyromania and started to join him hearthside. However one day her tail, which in appearance was not unlike one of those patent brushed nylon feather

BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS FROM £10,000

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November 2012

dusters, caught fire, at which point she ran like a burning siege-arrow under the sofa. Not a good idea when living in a thatched cottage! Much shouting, moving of heavy furniture, tea towel-flapping and waterchucking later, Fluffy, no longer worthy of her name, was totally cured of her bad habit. What’s more, the conflagration revealed that Fluffy was a he, not a she, something we had been completely unaware of in his/her former cumulous state.

Being brought up in the depths of the country, I don’t remember Sammy ever having a lead, just a rather jaunty spotted necktie. He was just as happy walking obediently to heel or mooching round the farm next door completely unsupervised. He never gave so much as a second glance to a cow or sheep and knew not to chase the spiteful looking guinea fowl that prowled around the place. Sometimes he would disappear for a whole day, there was so much to explore in the fields and hedgerows around the neighbourhood. In those days no busy-bodies felt the need to call the RSPCA if a strange dog pootled by.

I can’t think where he learnt these good manners, as subsequent pooches owned by my parents were hysterical, highly strung, uncontrollable and totally obnoxious. And terrified of fireworks. One can only presume the

He had a special interest in rockets and ❝ would follow their upward trajectory with what seemed to be a philosophical expression on his face

❞

anxiety of their owners’ later lives was reflected in their pets (says a well known animal psychiatrist).

The taxi in our village was a somewhat faded but still stately vintage Rolls Royce. (North Essex was very Darling Buds of May in those days) The owner was also agent for the vet, so when poor old Sam went off to meet his maker, he went in some style, sitting up on the back seat like dog royalty, still sporting his red spotty neckerchief. Now that’s what I call cool. ■

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November 2012

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skyfallPREMIERE

Benjamin Mumford, Lauren Palmer, Isabel Willis and Chris Palmer

Julian and Sophie Cook with Ed and Jem

Jane and Steve Miklos

STARS OF THE RED CARPET Skyfall Gala Premiere - 25th October The Bristol Magazine was proud to host a glittering black tie champagne reception for over 450 guests, ahead of a special gala premiere of the latest Bond film, Skyfall, at the Showcase Cinema de Lux, Cabot Circus, in aid of the Bristol Children’s Hospital charity; Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal. After the screening, guests stopped by for cocktails and late canapés and enjoyed the after-show fundraising party with great entertainment from the Hipcats and magic and trickery from Smoke and Mirrors late into the night. Our thanks for a sensational and memorable evening go to: Showcase Cinema de Lux, HR Owen, Aston Martin, Sony Centre - Cabot Circus, Nicholas Wylde, Averys Wine, Sony Pictures, and the fundraising team at the Grand Appeal.

Photography by Charlotte Stone To see more photographs of the event visit: www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Samantha Ewart and Nick Coleman

Glamorous guests on the red carpet

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skyfallPREMIERE

On the right Nicholas and Lucy Wylde, with their guests.

Georgette and Samuel McCready

Magicians; Smoke and Mirrors

Ben Ashbee and Rosie Perry

Looking Sharp!

The Waite Family

John and Val Newman; Philip and Karen Pettemerides

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Dale and Laura Cole

November 2012

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Now do Televisions

®

“But at Bose we DON’T call this a TV

PAUL ROBERTS HIFI

NOW SHOWING @

Systems to suit your environment and lifestyle

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November 2012

31-33 Gloucester rd Bristol BS7 8AA 0117 9429370 www.paulrobertshi-fi.co.uk

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Autograph Brogues by M&S, available from The Causeway Bristol, £49.50

Tumbled and distressed oak blocks, finished with hand wax oil, by design flooring

Titanium cufflinks, available from Allium, £89

Montblanc Meisterstuck pen, available from Pravins, £535

Omega watch, as seen on Daniel Craig in Skyfall, by Omega, £3260

THE NAMEʼS BOND.

Having just won the What HiFi Awards 2012 for the product of the Year - TVs. The 40in screen sits atop a full-width plinth, at a relaxed angle. The plinth also houses the speaker system, giving the Sony an edge in sound quality over rival TVs. As a result, sound is marginally more substantial and has less of a sibilant edge here, with dialogue easier to hear.

JAMES BOND

Special edition James bond Bollinger, available from Avery’s wine Bristol, £135

BOSE VideoWave system.

One elegant unit, a beautiful picture,and sound that seems to emanate from places in your room where there are no speakers.

Available from Paul Roberts HI-FI, Bristol, £3800

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November 2012

Cufflinks by Hugo Boss, available from The Mall at Cribbs Causeway Bristol, £50

HMZ- T2 personal cinematic 3d viewer. Play movies and games in high definition in 2d or 3d.

Available from Sony, £999.00 Shape your Mo with Penhaligon’s new moustache wax, created exclusively for Movember and Sons. Available online or in Penhaligons stores, £5

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Hawthorn and bike handmade ceramics with graphic decal and gold detail, available from Made Just So, £65

Sophie Harley silver & 22ct gold plate heart necklace, available from Made Just So, £435

Silver and fresh water pearl earrings, Clifton Rocks, £65

Shimmering fire and red coral ring created by Joshua Concha, available from Rainmaker, £195

Gift Ideas...

Handmade silver rings,

by Alluium Clifton, prices from £70- £80

Candle available from Mimosa home, 34 The Mall, clifton.

Prices between £2.95- £20

Yumi birds weekend bag, available at Sweet Pea, £45

In the Night Woods fox lampshades from £75. Hand printed in Scotland on Scottish linen.

Available from Made Just So, from £75

Dream big cushion, available from Made Just So, £24

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Kemps Jewellers established 1881 9 CARLTON COURT, WESTBURY ON TRYM • 0117 950 5090

Kemps are a family business, carrying an extensive range of new and second-hand jewellery, across a wide price range, and offering you • Professional Friendly Advice • • Beautiful Gift Ideas • • Gift Wrapping Service • • Registered Pawnbrokers • • Jewellery and watch repairs undertaken • • Gold purchased - old jewellery & coins •

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November 2012

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Couture TBM takes a cue from the decadent days of the Roaring Twenties and gets set to party with a touch of Gatsby style

White evening shirt £55 Episode, beaded jacket £125 Biba, cocktail trousers £75 Linea, pendant £75 and earrings £55 both Karen Millen, slippers £75 Steve Madden: all at House of Fraser

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PARTYstyle

Oyster beaded silk ‘Aphrodite’ dress £399 by Hobbs Invitation.

Gold ‘Edith’ clutch bag £170, Wilbur & Gussie.

Silver tassel earrings £55 by Karen Millen.

Shoes Dune

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PARTYstyle

Cream metallic evening gown, £299 by Biba.

Crystal ‘Starburst’ earrings, £108 Martine Wester.

Shoes Chie Mihara.

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Black & gold sequin flapper dress £189, black marabou feather tippet £89, both by Biba. Gold crystal rock earrings £131 by Martine Wester.

Shoes by Chie Mihara.

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PARTYstyle

Black ‘Sabina’ spot dress, £160 by Coast. White faux fur gilet, £60 by Vila.

Crystal ‘Willow’ drop earrings, £108 by Martine Wester.

Black ‘Cabochon’ pendant by £125 by LK Bennett.

Bangles £27 each Mikey

The Bristol Magazine would like to thank House of Fraser for their help with this fashion shoot

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

November 2012

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FOOD&DRINK

HELP YOURSELF TO A DRINK Bristol food and drink expert Andy Hamilton shares his secrets to making free booze with Lindsey Harrad

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modern advocate of self-sufficiency, Bristolbased forager and home brewer Andy Hamilton finds that many people have misconceptions about his way of life, that it’s always some kind of reaction against a ‘mainstream’ existence or the stress of our fast-paced world. “I’m always amazed that people see self-sufficiency as a form of ‘down shifting’, as if it’s an easier choice than sitting at a desk,” he says.

Andy embraced the self-sufficient lifestyle after having a change of heart about his original career choice. “I’d moved to Bath to study English literature and psychology as a mature student, with the aim of becoming a clinical psychologist,” he explains. “I got a part-time job in a psychiatric hospital, and I could see that all the staff were really burnt out and most of them were divorced. I could see my future mapped out for me, and I started questioning whether I really wanted that kind of life.”

... self-sufficiency and growing ❝ your own is more about a lifestyle choice ❞ In 2003, Andy got an allotment and went back to his roots, giving himself a year to make his new lifestyle work. “My parents and my grandmother both had large gardens and between them they grew fruit trees and vegetables,” he says.

“Even though we lived in the centre of town, we were surrounded by an abundance of produce, and my family always made things like home brew and jam, and we went out picking blackberries and apples.”

Originally, Andy’s dream was to buy a farm and become completely self-sufficient. Working with his twin brother Dave, the pair launched their website – www.selfsufficientish.com – through which they shared their discoveries about homesteading 36 The Bristol Magazine

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on a budget. Not long after, they secured a book deal and published The Self Sufficient-ish Bible. “When we launched our website in 2004, we had something a little bit different to offer,” says Andy. “Allotment waiting lists were just starting to grow, everyone was becoming more interested in environmental issues, and the internet wasn’t so crowded back then, so our blogs about self-sufficiency tapped into a new trend.”

Andy says that nearly ten years on, he’s more of a realist these days, and understands that being completely self-sufficient is very hard to achieve, and may well be impossible for all but the most determined few. “I discovered quite quickly that it’s extremely tough, which is why there’s an ‘ish’ in the title of the book,” he says. “I can be self-sufficient for several months in the peak of the growing season, but there’s a reason we moved from being hunter gatherers to farmers, because it’s extremely hard work to forage for food all year round.”

However, Andy is self-sufficient in the important stuff – booze.

Making free alcohol has become something of a trademark and the subject of his second book, Booze for Free. “I started off on the allotment and ended up in the pub,” he laughs. “Mum always used to brew ginger beer when we were children and I just loved the yeasty smell and bubbly barrels of home brew.”

He started by dabbling with home brew kits as a student, when he made a batch of elderflower Champagne. “It was ridiculously easy to make, but we ended up with 240 pints of the stuff! It was very alcoholic by the end, it took 18 months to drink it all.”

The experimentation continued with diversions into recipes such as rosemary beer, elderberry wine and some less successful end products such as yarrow cordial. “That really didn’t work,” he says.

“But I have to try everything. I find that if a plant or fruit tastes crap as it is, the resulting wine will taste awful too. But if you leave it a couple of years it transforms and becomes delicious.”

OUT AND ABOUT: main image, Andy Hamilton explains how to make alcohol using many different combinations of foraging ingredients in his book, Booze for Free, pictured below; right, Andy on one of his foraging trips

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FOOD&DRINK The appeal of making your own booze is that you can produce an alcoholic beer in two or three days, or wait a month and you’ll have a fantastic beer. And you can make some delicious drinks from free, or very cheap, ingredients. Many people remember home brews such as sloe gin or blackberry wine from the 1970s, but while it’s easy to get nostalgic about the heyday of home brewing, there was a real financial imperative to make free booze back then, with rising oil prices, the three-day week and high food prices making luxuries such as alcohol too expensive for ordinary families.

“The recession today isn’t anywhere near as bad as it was back then, certainly in terms of food prices,” says Andy, “so selfsufficiency and growing your own is more about a lifestyle choice and the desire to understand the provenance of your food and drink. When you make something from start to finish, you own it. When you make a bottle of blackberry wine for a friend who loves blackberries, it’s personal, it’s not just giving them a generic bottle from the supermarket, it’s something special.”

The book has all kinds of weird and wonderful recipes, from horseradish vodka to pumpkin beer, but what are Andy’s particular favourites? “I love anything made with elderberries, and plums are always good in season. I also like making Himalayan balsam flower Champagne. It’s an invasive, nonnative wild plant that looks a little like foxgloves, and it grows all along the banks of the River Frome.”

Making booze for free is not all about foraging for unusual wild herbs and plants, however. If you’re not a confident forager, Andy says he also gets lots of requests for his rather less fanciful prison brew recipe, known on the inside as ‘hooch’. “It’s made with orange juice, water, sugar and a slice of bread,” he says.

“Best of all, you can have an alcoholic drink ready in three to five days.” ■ Booze for Free by Andy Hamilton, published by Transworld, £9.99. For more about Andy’s brewing and foraging exploits, visit: www.theotherandyhamilton.com

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Stay Hot this Winter with Fashion from Clarks Village We don’t know about you, but we love winter fashion! Crisp frosty days and the promise of Christmas means party season is just around the corner. So whether you’re a fan of warm winter boots and snuggly knits or desperate to become the bell of the ball, Clarks Village is the perfect place to get you ready for the season ahead.

Whoever said don’t wear horizontal stripes was wrong! Winter 2012 dictates that the bolder the stripe the better. Layer chic polo necks under this season’s fine knitted dresses, like this one from Phase Eight (left), for a look that will take you from day to night in style.

If you're an animal lover you're in luck as prints and fur is key this season. The best way to showcase your favourite furry or feathered friend is emblazoned on a fine-knit sweat. This Jack Russell jumper from Joules is a jubilant example of patriotic fashion!

Downton M’lady? To be the epitome of party perfection this winter think ‘to the manor born’ in every 1920’s way. Luxe fur stoles and flapper frills, from Coast, will make sure you’re right on trend for 2012 and a complete lady!

To make a statement at the event of the season you have to follow the designer lead and opt for a show stopping peplum. Coast has a vast selection to flatter your fabulous form. Team with heels to lengthen your pins for model worthy glamour!

Whatever your style this season Clarks Village and it's over 90 stores is ready and waiting to style you all year through. 'Like' us on Facebook at Clarks Village or 'follow' us on Twitter at @ClarksVillageUK for further hints and tips.

All images captured on location at The Swan Best Western Hotel, Wells by photographer Jon Hurst. Shoot styled by Claire Wacey at CWStyle.

Clarks Village has over 90 stores and is open Monday - Friday: 9am - 6pm, Saturday: 9am - 6pm, Sunday: 10am - 5pm, with late night shopping on Thursday until 8pm. For further information please telephone 01458 840064 or visit www.clarksvillage.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @clarksvillageuk & Facebook www.facebook.com/clarksvillageuk.

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A Gift that is Loved Beautifully crafted engagement rings, wedding rings and fine jewellery designed and traditionally handmade on the premises

stacking rings set with diamonds in yellow gold and platinum

Gold & Platinum Studio 19 N or t hum b er l an d P l a ce , B at h B A 1 5A R Tel: +44 (0)1225 462 300 www.goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk email: mike@goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk

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FACEtheMUSIC

GOOD VIBRATIONS Businessman Neal Slateford nearly set up an online cross-stitch company, but instead decided to sell sex toys to the world. It was, as he tells Mick Ringham, a very wise decision.

The co-founder of Lovehoney picks his favourite tracks 40 The Bristol Magazine

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LIFELONG PASSION: from left to right, The Bee Gees, Night Fever, AC/DC’s Back in Black, and Mud, Tiger Feet

T

hings could have been so different for Neal Slateford. After receiving a small redundancy package from a publishing firm in 2002, he sat around the kitchen table with former colleague Richard Longhurst and the pair decided to go into a business together. They came up with two ideas for an internet based company – cross-stitching or sex toys and decided on the latter. As Neal says “we just thought it was a bit more fun.” He is now co-director with Richard in the highly successful Bath-based Lovehoney and they have just celebrated the business’s tenth anniversary. The company now employs a staff of 85 and last year enjoyed a turnover of £16m.

We British are reputed to have a curious attitude to sex, from the double entendre in the Carry-On films to the full-on nudity of stage productions such as Hair, but things have moved on from then and the public’s perception of the somewhat seedy world of marital aids. Neal explains: “Over the last few years people’s attitudes towards sex have become far more liberated and the nudge-nudge wink-wink fraternity, are on the decline.

Nowadays, the public are far more open-minded in their pursuit of sexual pleasure.”

Sex toys are not a new phenomenon; the Romans and the ancient Greeks used them and the first recorded finding of one in Germany, dates back 33,000 years.

Neal still manages to retain a degree of anonymity, despite a recent Channel 4 documentary on Lovehoney. But he was just as likely to come to public prominence during the 90s as a record producer, re-mixing Suzanne Vega’s hit Tom’s Diner. It reached number two in the UK charts and number one in 11 other countries.

Always on the look-out for something exciting, he left the recording studio and entered the world of publishing and IT, which in many respects prepared him for the successful company he now runs.

Nowadays the public are far ❝ more open-minded in their pursuit of sexual pleasure ❞

I asked him the secret of Lovehoney’s success. He says: “In many respects, we’ve made sex toys respectable and commonplace, our branding, packaging and above all, service to customers, I believe are second to none.”

I wondered who he most like to meet in the entertainment world. He smiles: “I love humour and music, so maybe Woody Allen for comedy and the former Beach Boy Brian Wilson for the latter.”

Neal’s top ten: ● The Beach Boys – Do It Again I’ve loved this band since acquiring a copy of their Twenty Golden Greats album when I was seven. They have made at least www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

50 brilliant tracks over the years, so as you can imagine it’s almost impossible to pick just one. However, this particular number sums up the essence of the Beach Boys, the wonderful production and their really amazing harmonies. ● AC/DC – Back in Black You can forget The Rolling Stones, Guns and Roses and the rest of them, for me AC/DC are the greatest rock band on the planet.

I suppose it’s true to say I am a late convert as I only started listening to them about ten years ago. The energy and drive in their music is awesome and they’re brilliant live. ● The Bee Gees – Night Fever I was a DJ for several years working in local clubs, so I was introduced to a variety of music. I have so many memories of that time and in particular this track by the Bee Gees from the golden age of disco. The Brothers Gibb in my opinion are peerless and should be part of the National Curriculum. ● Fountains of Wayne – Red Dragon Tattoo I’m finding it difficult picking just ten records when really I could have chosen at least 100. Anyway, here’s another fantastic band who are a household name in their own household. Why they aren’t enormous and Oasis are, is another of life’s injustices. ● The Ramones – Rockaway Beach Unfairly categorised with the punk generation, in truth The Ramones are a rock band with at least a dozen hit singles, only nobody bought them. Their live album is the best ever with the exception of AC/DC. To me this music really hits the spot. ● Sister Sledge – He’s the Greatest Dancer I chose this because of my great regard for classic disco music.

Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards aka Chic, produced a string of brilliant records that still fill dance floors today. When the Grim Reaper calls, I want to be buried with a 12inch version of this ● Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – Sherry This is just pure pop brilliance with terrifying falsetto. Frankie Valli is still touring today and still sounds terrific. I saw the musical The Jersey Boys a few years ago and it’s fabulous, you can easily be transported to another time and place. ● Aimee Mann – Lost in Space A shockingly underrated singer songwriter who’s never made a duff album and was the soundtrack for me during the Noughties.

I love her originality, lyrics and production and this record incorporates all of them. ● Mud – Tiger Feet Proof that great lyrics don’t have to make any sense; they just need to sound good. I was nine when my Dad took me to see them at Bath Pavilion, I’m not saying it changed my life but it did turn me on to buying records by Sweet, Suzi Quatro etc. They were all produced by Chinn/Chapman. Then it dawned on me that the producer was just as important as the act. It was then that I developed an interest in how records were made. ● Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe I’ve never grown out of my love for pop music and I hope I never will. This is the pop record I like most at the moment. It was designed to appeal to people 40 years younger than me but hey, they say that age is only a number, never was a statement more true. ■ November 2012

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WHAT’Son THEATRE, DANCE, & COMEDY – listed by venue Bunnies, Tuesday 13 – Saturday 24 November, 8.15pm. Brewery Theatre

L.O.V.E. at the Tobacco Factory

This is a play concerning a farmer’s radical attempt to restore his land to its supposed former glory, and the differing reactions of his children: or bunnies (for short). Devon is being destroyed. The once beautiful land is blighted by non-native species, including the grey squirrel and the European rabbit but fortunately Stamper, a local farmer, has a solution. This darkly comic new play from young writer Kieran Lynn, mixes poignancy and satire to devastating effect. He won a Peter Brook empty space award. Contains swearing, violence and lots of taxidermy.

Lessons in love T he Toba cc o F ac to ry Raleigh Road, Southville, Bristol.

Box office tel: 0117 902 0344 www.tobaccofactory.com

strong collaborations with music, design and text. Subtext is a collection of four different pieces which investigate the nuances and rhythms of language.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum, Thursday 8 – Saturday 17 November, 7.30pm Bristol Old Vic Theatre School presents this show – a Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart bawdy tale of Pseudolus, set to music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim. Pseudolus, a slave in Rome, attempts to win his freedom by helping his master woo the girl next door. But in the ensuing mayhem, will he succeed?

Subtext, Wednesday 7 – Saturday 10 November, 8.15pm, Brewery Theatre

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L.O.V.E. Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 November, 8pm Based on Shakespeare’s sonnets, L.O.V.E. is an immoderate Shakespearean ménage à trois, with a touch of Shirley Bassey from Volcano Theatre. It is about passion, spirit, beauty, jealousy, manipulation and lust. Three lovers – recalling the poet, the dark lady and the lovely boy – perform the sonnets, bringing to the texts a vigour, passion and tenderness to match the range and depth of emotion lurking below the surface of their elegant verse.

Volcano grapples with one of the greatest collections of classical poetry in English with red-blooded entanglement.

Josh Widdicombe: Further Adventures Of...

Tuesday 27 November, 8pm

Subtext

This is a great opportunity to experience two emerging south west dance companies. Bristolbased Neshima Dance Company lives up to its name by incorporating and embodying the use and quality of breath in its repertoire, and the voice through original music scores. Swerve Dance Theatre Company, an associate of Swindon Dance performs exhilarating, varied and visual dance theatre that incorporates

Bunnies

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum

The hotly-anticipated follow-up to last year’s Foster’s Newcomer nominated debut from the star of Live at the Apollo, Stand Up for the Week and 8 out of 10 Cats visits the Tobacco Factory. Now regarded as one of the best upand-coming acts on the UK circuit, Josh Widdicombe is in constant demand at clubs and theatres across Britain. He is fast establishing himself on the live circuit supporting huge comic talent such as Kevin Bridges, Michael McIntyre and Alan Carr.

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WHAT’Son

B r i s t o l H i p p o d ro m e

B rist ol Ol d Vi c

St Augustine’s Parade, Bristol.

Box office tel: 0844 847 2325 www.bristolhippodrome.org.uk

King Street, Bristol.

Box office tel: 0117 987 77877 www.bristololdvic.org.uk

The Lion King, Until Saturday 17 November, please contact the theatre for times

Bristol Jam, Monday 5 – Sunday 11 November, various venues and times, please check with the theatre

Disney’s The Lion King began its first UK tour in August and these are the last few weeks you can see it at the Bristol Hippodrome. Involving 52 performers, 150 people in production and 700 costumes, the show has been ingeniously adapted from Disney’s classic film and this spectacular production explodes with colours and effects, all set to the enchanting rhythms of Africa. With impressive staging and highly imaginative costumes, masks and puppets, The Lion King uses theatrical magic to tell the story of Simba’s journey to reclaim his kingdom.

A host of incredible minds and singular talents will be let loose in and around the theatre unleashing impromptu, audience-driven, world-class live performance. Do you like watching globally-renowned string quartets perform mere centimetres from your seat? Or seeing classical theatre texts reinvented on the spot by a cast chosen by you? Bristol Jam embraces all tribes: comedians, musicians, poets, performers, dancers, actors, singers and storytellers.

The Bullet & The Bass Trombone, Wednesday 14 – Saturday 17 November, 7.30pm, Studio There’s a concert orchestra trapped in a city during a military coup. As violence erupts, with pitched battles breaking out around them, the orchestra becomes separated. The composer is left to tell the story. Performed by Bristol’s Sleepdogs.

The Al ma Ta ve rn & The at re The Lion King

La Bohème, Così fan tutte & Jephtha, Tuesday 27 November – Saturday 1 December, please contact theatre for specific days and times Welsh National Opera’s critically-acclaimed new production of La Bohème continues this season together with a return of Ben Davis’s seaside-set Così fan tutte and Katie Mitchell’s fully-staged version of Handel’s oratorio, Jephtha. Highly-praised by critics when it first opened in Cardiff, Alex Vicens returns as Rodolfo and is joined by Giselle Allen as Mimi in Annabel Arden’s 1913-inspired pre-war production of La Bohème. A young cast features in 1960s-set Così fan tutte and set in a war-ravaged 1940s Europe British tenor Robert Murray makes his Welsh National Opera debut in Jephtha.

18-20 Alma Vale Road, Bristol.

Box office tel: 0117 973 5171 www.almataverntheatre.co.uk

Cake, Monday 13 – Saturday 24 November, 8pm Sophie and Jack have parted ways after 20 years of marital warfare. Now they find themselves forced back together in the home they dreamt up and destroyed. Back in their familiar battleground they must both try to get along, or they could lose the one thing neither of them can do without.

Eddie’s as rundown as his scrapyard. Dogger’s trying to help, but he’d rather be stealing things. Holly wants to save the world, but it’s not really working out for her. In a world gone crazy over consumerism, three people learn what they value most.

A r n o lf in i

Liz Aggiss: Survival Tactics, Friday 9 November, 7.30pm

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Arnolfini presents a selection of pieces from Foster Wallace’s collection of short stories characterised by dark, dry humour, alienation, and unconventional sexuality. A cast of four actors, along with projections, live music and props are involved in the presentation of four interviews and one short story – which through a series of unspoken questions examines the possibility of complete sincerity and truth within a modern relationship.

Extreme Rituals: A Schimpfluch Carnival, Friday 30 November – Sunday 2 December A three-day series of performances, talks and more devoted to the legacy of Swiss performance group Schimpfluch – a platform for extreme and outsider artists.

C ir c o m ed i a St Paul’s Church, Portland Square, Bristol.

Box office tel: 0117 922 3686 www.circomedia.com

Testing Ground, Thursday 22 November, 7.30pm Following two previous entertaining, stimulating and extremely well-received outings in autumn and spring, Testing Ground is back at Circomedia. Offering dancers and dance enthusiasts a place to explore new works in progress and exchange ideas, it’s an unrivalled way to play an active part of developing the potential of dance in Bristol and is full of interest and surprises too.

Testing Ground

Items of Value, Monday 27 November – Saturday 8 December, 8pm

16 Narrow Quay, Bristol.

Box office tel: 0117 917 2300 www.arnolfini.org.uk

Jephtha

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace, Friday 23 November, 7pm

From a glamorous, blonde bombshell in highheels to a pigeon-toed, bow-legged oddball in big pants – Survival Tactics upturns the usual perception of the female stage body on its head.

St P aul ’s P la ye rs St Paul’s Church, Coronation Road, Bristol.

Box office tel: 0117 977 2882 www.stpaulsplayers.org.uk

Murmuring Judges, Thursday 15 – Saturday 17 November, 7.30pm St Paul’s Players of Southville presents David Hare’s Murmuring Judges. Murmuring Judges takes a three-tiered view of a single instance of British justice: the trial, conviction and appeal process of a dubiously guilty accomplice to a theft and kidnapping attack.

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WHAT’Son MUS IC – listed by date Bristol Phoenix Choir, Saturday 10 November, 7.30pm St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol. Tickets £12.50 on tel: 0117 927 6536 or 01454 880458 or email: tickets@bristolphoenixchoir.org.uk Bristol Phoenix Choir, conductor Paul Walton and organist Andrew Kirk perform Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s The King Shall Rejoice and Foundling Hospital Anthem, Haydn’s Missa Brevis in F and Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate.

programme of quintessentially English music, written during the first half of the 20th century. Holst considered Egdon Heath to be one of his finest works. Kwesi Edman, a rising star, performs Elgar’s Cello Concerto and the evening concludes with Vaughan Williams’ wonderfully romantic Fifth Symphony.

City of Bristol Choir, Exultate Singers and The Bristol Ensemble, Saturday 10 November, 7.30pm Colston Hall, Bristol. Box office tel: 0117 922 3686 or visit: www.colstonhall.org City of Bristol Choir and Exultate Singers join forces with The Bristol Ensemble to perform Sir William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast and Herbert Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi. The choir will be joined by bass soloist Jonathon Lemalu, Welsh National Opera’s Andrew Tortise and sporano Claire Ormshaw.

Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra, Saturday 10 November, 7.30pm St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol. Box office on tel: 0845 40 24 001 or visit: www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra performs a

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The Trinity Singers, Saturday 17 November, 7.30pm St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol. Tickets £10-£15.

Tel: 01934 844106.

The Trinity Singers will perform a concert in memory of Reverend John Abdy and each ticket sale will be donated to St Francis’ Hospital, Katete. Choral works by local composers including Vaughan Williams, Wesley, Holst and two world premieres by Peter Leech and Andrew Tyrell.

Bristol Choral Society, Saturday 24 November, 7.30pm

Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra

Eduardo Niebla & Carl Herring, Saturday 10 November, 8pm Colston Hall, Bristol. Box office tel: 0117 922 3686 or visit: www.colstonhall.org Brilliant flamenco jazz virtuoso Eduardo Niebla presents his passionate and exquisite musical fusion; a sophisticated mix of flamenco and Latin jazz intertwined with classical traditions, and a gypsy jazz edge.

Colston Hall, Bristol. Box office tel: 0117 922 3686 or visit: www.colstonhall.org Bristol Choral Society and New Bristol Sinfonia team up to present the beautiful and moving Requiem by Brahms. With Korean soprano Hye-Youn Lee and South African baritone Njabulo Madlala (winner of the 2010 Kathleen Ferrier competition).

Bath Choral Society, Friday 7 & Saturday 8 December, 7.30pm Bath Abbey, Bath. Box office tel: 01225 463362 or visit: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk Bath Choral Society and The Bristol Ensemble perform Handel’s Messiah under Will Dawes.

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FESTIVEcity

TIME FOR TEA: above, Clifton’s own Lahloo Pantry is providing the catering, right, mugs by designer Ella Doran, who is originally from Bristol

MADE WITH LOVE Artists, designers and makers are gathering at Bradbury Hall, Henleaze on Saturday 15 December for the traditional Christmas at the Orangery fair. Here’s a preview of what’s all wrapped up for lucky shoppers that day

CHARMING: fans of Elsie Belle’s jewellery include Holly Willoughby, Mary Portas and Fern Cotton

GIFTED: gift wrap, Rachel Goodchild

Christmas at the Orangery is organised by Bristol designer Rachel Goodchild. Entrance is £1 for adults, children free, with proceeds to Penny Brohn Cancer Care. Doors open 10am

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

BRIGHT IDEAS: above, lampshades by Ella Doran, whose designs are sold at John Lewis and Tate Modern STYLISH: above, London scarf design by Ella Blake LIGHT TOUCH: furniture and paint from Annie Sloan

Left, a rabbit wrapped in a scarf on this cheery children’s mug by awardwinning Belle & Boo

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WHAT’Son OTHER EVENTS – listed by date Sadakat Kadri: Heaven on Earth: A Journey through Shari’a Law, Wednesday 7 November, 7.30pm Watershed, 1 Canon’s Road, Harbourside, Bristol. Box office tel: 0117 927 5100 or visit: www.watershed.co.uk A Festival of Ideas talk from criminal barrister and prize-winning writer, Sadakat Kadri on Shari’a Law.

Tango West, Sunday 11 November, 7pm The Redland Club, Burlington Road, Bristol.

Six week course £48, tel: 07981 756965 or email: michele@tangowest.co.uk Tango West presents a new Argentinian tango course for absolute beginners from 7pm – 8.30pm. Improvers class follows at 8.30pm.

You can also enjoy a first class taster for £8.

Urban Fit Fashion Show, Friday 16 November, 8.30pm M Shed, Princes Wharf, Wapping Road, Bristol. Tickets on tel: 07818 587839 or 07917 870198 This is Urban Fit’s first ever fashion show with girls modelling clothes from American Apparel through to Blue Banana. The show will be a fun-filled extravaganza blending fashion with fitness and urban culture. Acts on the night will include live graffiti artists, dance acts, urban street sports stars, a bar, raffle and stalls selling clothes. Urban Fit is a not-for-profit fitness and personal development group working with young women in Easton, St Pauls and the surrounding areas – all money raised will go towards the group.

Desert Island Discs with Alison Dunnett, Wednesday 21 November, 7.30pm Performing Arts Centre, Redmaids’ School.

For further information tel: 01275 844401 Welsh National Opera’s director of development and communications, Alison Dunnett talks to Andrew Borkowski about her life, work and aspirations for the company.

Feel Good Friday: Tyntesfield Run, Friday 23 November, 10am Tyntesfield, Wraxall, North Somerset. £3 to include hot drink. Tel: 01275 461907 Blow the cobwebs away with a morning run round the Tyntesfield estate, enjoying spectacular scenery along the way. Open to all abilities – no one will be left behind. Led by members of the Nailsea Running Club.

Planting the Olympic Park, Thursday 15 November, 7.30pm

Charity Night of Burlesque, Saturday 24 November. 7.30pm

School of Biological Sciences, Woodland Road, Bristol. Tel: 0117 331 4906 or visit: www.bristol.ac.uk/botanic-garden Visitors to the Olympic Park this summer were enchanted by the 25 acres of perennial and annual meadows. Professor Nigel Dunnett will explain the designing and preparation of this landscape.

The Trinity Centre, Old Market, Bristol.

Tickets £15 on tel: 07583 858381 or visit: www.burnbrightlyevents.co.uk A night of Elvis-themed burlesque and cabaret to raise money for St Peter’s Hospice.

Featuring burlesque striptease performers, cabaret singers, interesting and quirky stalls and a raffle. Dress code is rock ‘n roll.

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CHRISTMASevents

FESTIVE DIARY A guide to some of the best Christmas and festive events around the city by Rosie Parry e all know that Christmas starts earlier and earlier these days, so make sure you don’t miss out on the fabulous events, markets and fairs across the city and beyond throughout November and December. There is set to be so much festive spirit around that perhaps even the bah humbugs out there won’t be able to resist Bristol’s Christmas charm.

W

✭ German Market, Friday 9 November – Saturday 29 December, daily 10am until 7pm The Bristol German Market returns to Broadmead Shopping Centre with more than 40 decorated chalets offering great traditional British and German food, drinks, gift shopping, a children’s carousel and an advent calendar with free gifts daily at 4pm. A key feature of the market will be the huge, 13 metre-high Christmas Pyramid, with a giant rotating Nativity scene. www.bristolgermanchristmasmarket.co.uk

✭ Christmas City Circus Double Bill, Sunday 16 December Circomedia in Portland Square will stage an end of term showcase by the junior and senior members of the after-school city circus. The Double Bill also features a special guest performance from a professional circus performer, guaranteed to wow the audience. www.circomedia.com

✭ Tyntesfield’s Christmas Food and Craft Market, Sunday 2 December, 10am until 3pm Get ready for Christmas at Tyntesfield as the upper courtyard at Home Farm turns into a hive of festive activity and colour as local food and craft producers set up their stalls and showcase their wares. Special musical cheer will be provided by North Somerset Community Brass. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield

✭ Christmas Fair at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Saturday 1 December, 10.30am until 4pm Once again the friends of Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives will begin the festive season with a fair including carols, cakes, gifts, and a tombola raffle. www.bristol.gov.uk

✭ Festive Outdoor Skating Rink, from Friday 9 November,

✭ Christmas at the Spiegeltent, Sunday 9 December

open Monday to Friday, noon-8pm; Saturday, 10am-8pm; and Sunday, 10am-5pm

Love Food Festival presents a special Christmas feasting event at the unique and magical spiegeltent on Waterfront Square, Bristol Harbourside. This 1920s-style big top tent will be include a bustling Love Food market, seasonal demonstration theatre, hot food, a café and festive-inspired children’s activities. www.lovefoodfestival.com

Glittering Christmas lights and a festive skating rink will transform Quakers Friars into a magical winter wonderland.

Bring the family and enjoy some fun skating on the rink for £6 per adult, £4.50 per child, £5 concessions or £18 per family of four. www.cabotcircus.com

✭ Meet Santa at The Galleries, Friday 9 November –

✭ An Enchanting Christmas at Westonbirt Arboretum,

Monday 24 December

Friday 30 November – Sunday 23 December, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 5pm until 8.30pm

The Galleries shopping centre Santa’s Grotto will be on offer for families to meet Father Christmas and enjoy buying Christmas presents in the three-storey shopping centre.

A spectacular illuminated trail, crafts, gifts and festive family fun will greet visitors to Westonbirt. The one mile trail highlights the striking structures of Westonbirt’s trees as they are illuminated against the night sky – a new route is created each year to take in different specimens, paths and vistas. www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt

✭ Henleaze Christmas Festival, Wednesday 5 December, 4pm until 8pm There will be stalls selling everything from mince pies to candles, shops will open late, carols will be sung and you can meet Santa.

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✭ Coldharbour Road Christmas Open Evening, Thursday 6 December, 6pm until 9pm Almost every venue on Coldharbour Road in Redland will be open and offering drinks, nibbles and a warm welcome to all visitors. Shops include Sweet Pea Clothing and Accessories, Coldharbour Gallery, Rainmaker Art and Jewellery and The Bird Table Bistro. The Split Tin Bakery will be offering freshly-baked Christmas goodies and there will be carol singers bringing festive cheer to the street.

GET INTO THE SPIRIT: from top: the Spiegeltent; the German Market selling Christmas goodies

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Something special for Christmas?

£1,400 - £1,800

£400 - £600

Clevedon Salerooms Quarterly Specialist Sale of Antiques Fine Art & Collectors Items on the 15th November has something for everyone this Christmas. In addition to the usual categories of fine antique furniture, pictures and prints, ceramics and glass, Oriental items, collectors items and silver there is a large Jewellery and watch section including offerings by Cartier, Rolex and Omega. A section of Modern Design furniture for those preferring their antiques a little younger and a large selection of fine spirits including some very special scotch to see in the new year.

The fully illustrated on-line sale catalogue can be viewed from Saturday 3rd November. Viewing in person at the salerooms is on Tuesday 13th November 2pm – 5.30pm, Wednesday 14th November 10am – 7.30pm and on the day of the sale from 9am.

The Sale can be followed live on line and bidders may bid live on line via www.the-saleroom.com.

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

£12,000 - £18,000

Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers The Auction Centre Kenn Road, Kenn Clevedon, BS21 6TT Tel: 01934 830111 www.clevedon-salerooms.com

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BRISTOLbusiness

Designs on his neighbourhood The streets around Stokes Croft are looking a whole lot brighter these days, thanks to a plethora of professionally hand-painted shop and café signs made by one-man business Dapper Signs.

James Cooper discovered his talent when a friend asked him to write a chalk blackboard menu, and this led to him setting up Dapper Signs, whose slogan is ‘good signs ain’t cheap – cheap signs ain’t good.’

Examples of his work can be seen at

Gallimaufry, The Folk House Café and Biblos in a variety of styles.

James, who was born with cystic fibrosis and had a double lung transplant in 2007, describes himself as having a geekish passion for letterforms and layout. He also takes commissions for private houses, such as this gold-leaf K and can custom decorate birdboxes, from £45, for original and witty Christmas presents. He also decorates canalboats.

News in brief Your ■ The Lord Mayor of Bristol, Cllr Peter Main has launched his Christmas appeal to help local children living in poverty.

The appeal is a year-round charity which helps children by providing their families with vouchers that can be exchanged for food, clothes and toys.

The Lord Mayor said: “Last year we raised over £46,000 and we’re setting the bar even higher this year, £66,000, to help even more families, at a time when they are struggling more than ever. We are re-starting our appeal with a delicious fundraising dinner at Maaza Namasker Lounge on 5 November and will be celebrating the festive season with a Christmas carol concert at The Colston Hall on 10 December.” For tickets to the Namasker dinner, tel: 0117 929 8276. For the Colston Hall box office tel: 0117 922 3686.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to your vote when you pick up the phone to support your favourite candidate on a TV show, you may be reassured to know that it might be a Bristolian who picks up your message. Clifton based Beyond Dispute is currently responsible for verifying the public vote for the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing series.

Managing director Olivia van der Werff said: “If viewers wonder if television shows in general are fair they can be assured that if we are involved everything will be above board.

They can be assured that their votes will count, and on game shows – that contestants will be treated fairly. Staff from Beyond Dispute will ■ The south west independent residential block and estate management company, TMS Group, now has a base in Bristol from which to expand following its acquisition by Estate and Asset Management Ltd, the holding company for the Bristol lettings business, Campions and property and estate management firm, Blenheims Estate and Asset Management. The acquisition follows the retirement of the three founding directors who set up the company in 1999.

Mimosa Home

■ Christmas shoppers browsing for beautiful gifts for the home can find all sorts of items, including candles and table lamps, at Mimosa Home in The Mall, Clifton, which sources its home fashions from trade fairs across Europe.

To mark the business’s first anniversary owner Mary Hapgood is offering customers ten per cent off on Friday 9 November and will be serving up glasses of bubbly to visitors in celebration.

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be in the studio working with the BBC team who run the phone lines.”

Votes are held on each show until the series ends on the Saturday before Christmas.

Beyond Dispute specialises in health and safety consultancy in reality television and outside events, and the adjudication of competitions, quizzes, TV shows and phone votes. It also works with ITV, Love Productions, makers of The Great British Bake Off and Endemol and makers of Noel Edmonds’ Deal or No Deal and provides construction safety advice for the Big Brother House and has verified the vote on the Eurovision Song Contest for the last three years.

TMS will allow expansion plans in the Bristol area from Campions and Blenheims in Clifton.

TMS manages more than 7,500 individual properties. TMS and Blenheims will continue to operate under their existing names and TMS’ property director, Jonathan Holmes, will lead operations in the south west with Mike Rutland and former colleague Patrick Taylor, owners of Campions and Blenheims Estate and Asset Management. Visit: www.tms-sw.com

New centre for motorbike enthusiasts Dick Lovett Motorrad has opened a new dedicated BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna dealership for Bristol.

The new facility, located behind the Bristol BMW car showroom at Cribbs Causeway, is the first in the UK to feature

BMW Motorrad’s latest interior showroom concept.

Complete with a fully fitted five bay workshop, the dealership has the capabilities to carry out all of your motorcycle servicing, warranty, MOT and repair needs; all under one roof.

As one of the largest Motorrad dealerships in the UK, located conveniently just off Junction 17 of the M5, it hopes to become a social hub for motorbike enthusiasts providing a convenient congregation area with a garden and refreshments.

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COURTING POPULARITY As one of Bristol’s most distinctive buildings, the Royal West of England Academy, prepares to celebrate its centenary next year, James Russell looks at how it’s moving with the times

N

ext year marks a centenary of which all artloving Bristol people should be proud. In 1913, after substantial refurbishment, the city’s Academy for the Promotion of the Fine Arts reopened with a new name to reflect the patronage of King George V: the Royal West of England Academy. A succession of fine painters and sculptors had lived and worked in the city over the preceding decades, from a youthful JMW Turner to John Sell Cotman and Francis Danby, and the establishment of the RWA confirmed Bristol’s status as a centre for the visual arts.

If a time traveller were to visit us from a century ago they would find the interior of the building, which stands at the bottom end of Whiteladies Road, much the same; along with the City Museum and Art Gallery and the Central Library it is one of Bristol’s loveliest municipal buildings, with a marble-lined staircase leading upstairs to the airy galleries. Outside, however, the world has changed, creating new challenges but also offering new opportunities – as director Trystan Hawkins is well aware.

When he was appointed two years ago he found an institution in a state of flux, having just undergone significant changes to its governance. He had been head of design at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, where his responsibilities ranged from devising artistic programmes, curating exhibitions and managing the Trust’s collection to fundraising, recruiting artists and arts organisations and marketing. His new role was to be, if anything, more diverse.

The first challenge was to get more people through the doors.

For all its many fine qualities, the RWA was not as well known to the average Bristol person as, say, the Arnolfini. With limited funding, the Academy has to charge for entry to exhibitions, but if art lovers either don’t know about – or are insufficiently thrilled by – the shows on offer, ticket revenues are unlikely to be impressive. So how to persuade people to make the trip to the top end of Queen’s Road?

The new director’s strategy was to reach out to people who had perhaps never set foot in the RWA before, and one of his first moves was to hold an exhibition of paintings by Jack 56 The Bristol Magazine

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Vettriano, with a ballroom dancing theme. Dubbed ‘the country’s most popular living artist’, Vettriano proved a controversial choice, but the exhibition was a great success, attracting far more visitors than anticipated. At the same time the controversy over ‘populist art’ got people talking about the RWA, which in itself was an achievement. Meanwhile, visitors to the Vettriano show could also, if they chose, see an excellent mini-retrospective of former RWA President Mary Fedden. Would they have come in just to see Fedden?

“We’re always looking for a balance,” Trystan Hawkins told The Bristol Magazine, “between being populist and retaining our identity as an Academy, supporting the best artists in the south and south west of England.”

This spring we saw exhibitions by respected 20th century

For all its many fine qualities the ❝ RWA was not as well known to the average Bristol person as, say, the Arnolfini

❞

British watercolourist Eric Ravilious and wildlife painter David Shepherd, a travelling exhibition of fashion photography from the Victoria and Albert Museum and a show devoted to the history of Penguin Books. The summer brought the marvellous Unnatural-Natural History exhibition, an early Andy Warhol that might well prove to be genuine, and costumes from hit musical The Lion King, which was playing at The Hippodrome.

The latter exhibition was held in a new basement gallery created in the course of a major overhaul of the building and its facilities, which is being carried out with a £500,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. New storage facilities have been constructed for the permanent collection, so that its 1,300 artworks are now accessible. Trystan hopes that in the future it will be possible to have both tours of the collection and a rolling exhibition of work from it in one of the smaller galleries.

LANDMARK: since Damien Hirst’s giant sculpture Charity was installed on the venerable front of the Royal West of England Academy passers-by have viewed it in a new light

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PULLING IN THE CROWDS: left to right, work by Eric Ravilious, Filthy Luker and Geza Szollosi has entertained, raised eyebrows and provoked comments

Most exciting, perhaps, is the work that has been done in the galleries upstairs, three of which are now climate-controlled. This will not only make life more comfortable for visitors, who have in the past endured winter chill and summer heat, but should enable the RWA to borrow work from the country’s best collections. Trystan said: “We want to put on shows of international calibre with work from national collections. This year we had the Ravilious exhibition, and next year we’re planning a new show of work by Paul and John Nash.”

The mission to attract new visitors continues. The children’s activities pioneered during the Penguin Books exhibition will continue and the RWA’s varied education programme is set to keep expanding. The Bristol Drawing School, which has been run by the RWA for a year or so, offers courses and workshops for all levels of expertise, from intensive sessions on anatomy drawing to the informal Saturday morning Scribble and Sketch workshops designed for anyone who wants to start drawing. A drop-in life

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drawing class is held in the main galleries, taking advantage of the light in Bristol’s best exhibition space.

Trystan is determined to see the RWA’s education arm reaching out to people who might not have had access to drawing workshops and so on before, and next year there should be free courses available for traditionally hard-to-reach groups. For news on this and on anniversary celebrations, you can either keep an eye on the website or sign up for the RWA’s newsletter; also look out for ART, the RWA magazine, redesigned a couple of years ago.

All eyes now are on the 160th Autumn Exhibition, which features hundreds of paintings and sculptures selected from the thousands originally submitted. You’ll find work by well-known Bristol artists alongside pieces sent in from London and other parts of the country, and everything is for sale with prices starting under £100. A painting for Christmas? Why not? ■ For more information, visit: www.rwa.org.uk.

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ARTSgardens &EXHIBITIONS CITY Chris Hankey, Sunset

BARRY LEWIS

Barry Lewis, Horse

Grant Bradley Gallery Number One St Peter’s Court, Bedminster Parade, Bristol.

Tel: 0117 9637673 www.grantbradleygallery.co.uk

10 November – 1 December

▲ CARL MELEGARI & CHRIS HANKEY

AUTUMN EXHIBITION

Innocent Fine Art 7a Boyces Avenue, Clifton, Bristol.

Tel: 0117 973 2614 www.innocentfineart.co.uk

TRUE IDENTITY View Art Gallery 159-161 Hotwell Road, Bristol.

Tel: 05603 116753. www.viewartgallery.co.uk

Until 18 November Carl Melegari shows a new collection of paintings for the first time at Innocent Fine Art and Chris Hankey presents his semi-abstract textural seascapes on canvas.

15 November – 26 January True Identity is a show curated to evoke intense response and seeks to raise questions about our own identity. The exhibition will showcase work from seven unique artists, both up and coming and internationally-acclaimed. Through various mediums and approaches, the investigative responses of each artist’s work explore ancestral roots, ties, shifts and ideals and beliefs within different cultures and the self.

RWA 160TH AUTUMN EXHIBITION RWA Queens Road, Clifton, Bristol.

Tel: 0117 973 5129 www.rwa.org.uk

Until 30 December The Autumn Exhibition continues, showcasing the cream of painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture and architecture selected and curated by an expert panel from thousands of submitted works.

Sculptor Barry Lewis returns to the gallery with this exciting exhibition of metal, wood and stone works titled You Are What You Eat With.

Barry uses dismantled bicycles, machinery and stone to create his sculptures of animals.

Eleanor Bartleman, Deer and Doe

Coldharbour Framery & Gallery 111 Coldharbour Road, Westbury Park, Bristol.

Tel: 0117 944 6244 www.coldharbourgallery.co.uk

November The ceramics on show are unique and great to put on the Christmas list. New in are highlycollectable porcelain animal boxes by Eleanor Bartleman and blue and white tiles combining poetry and animals by Iris Milward. Also on show are woodcuts of the north Devon seas and coasts by acclaimed artist Merlyn Chesterman.

Roger Luxton, The King

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Andy Price, Speak No Evil

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS PRESTON SINGLETARY

MIXED SHOW Nicholas Hely-Hutchinson, The Gardener

Preston Singletary, Eagle

Rainmaker 123 Coldharbour Road, Redland, Bristol.

Tel: 0117 944 3101 www.rainmakerart.co.uk

▲ DAVID SMITH RSW

Until 30 November Pacific northwest coast artist Preston Singletary is internationally recognised as the pioneer of Native American glass art. His distinctive hand-blown, sandblasted glass sculptures begin life as two dimensional formline designs. These designs, representing birds and animals in distinctive tribal style of his Tlingit culture, are the feature of his exhibition.

November – December This mixed show features gallery artists, Susie Brooks, Nicholas Hely-Hutchinson and Michael Ogden with exquisite colours, quirky images and limited editions. Also on show is work from gallery favourites Quentin Blake, John KnappFisher, Sue Brown and Veronique Giarrusso.

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

TOTTERDOWN ARTS TRAIL David Smith, Crofts and Machair Benbecula Hebrides

Various venues Various venues across South Bristol.

Tel: 07733298378 www.frontroom.org.uk

16, 17 & 18 November Totterdown’s Front Room Art Trail is Bristol’s oldest art trail and attracts around 180 artists across 60 venues. You can enjoy a wide variety of art forms including theatre, poetry, film and art as part of this three-day extravaganza.

NORTH BRISTOL ARTS TRAIL Various venues Various venues across North Bristol Tel: 0117 924 0924 www.northbristolartists.org.uk

Sky Blue Framing and Gallery 27 North View, Westbury Park, Bristol.

Tel: 0117 973 3995 www.skybluefineart.com

Lime Tree Gallery 84 Hotwell Road, Bristol.

Tel: 0117 929 2527 www.limetreegallery.com

10 – 28 November Lime Tree Gallery presents a solo exhibition of new paintings by David Smith RSW. David is an outdoorsman as well as a talented artist. A hill walker and serious mountaineer, he spends much of his time out in the Highlands and islands of his native Scotland. He works in both oil and colour and this exhibition is a culmination of a year painting outside in the Scottish Highlands. His work is kept simple, and he pushes, layers and scars the surface to capture a true sense of the subject.

Bristol’s City Museum and Art Gallery Queen’s Road, Bristol. Tel: 0117 922 3571

24 November – 17 February The Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year – the world-renowned touring exhibition from the Natural History Museum – returns to Bristol.

Incredible and thought-provoking images shine a spotlight on the beauty of the natural world.

24 & 25 November The North Bristol Arts Trail will once again be offering a spectacular array of artwork from around 100 artists displaying in more than 50 venues across the north of Bristol.

The doors of homes, studios, cafes, bars and community venues will be open from 10am – 6pm.

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David Smith

Charlie Hamilton James (UK), Treading Water

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“Autumn Woodland, Kilpatricks” by David Smith RSW

Lime Tree Gallery, 84 Hotwell Road, Bristol BS8 4UB

Tel 0117 929 2527

www.limetreegallery.com

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INDEPENDENTSday

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

WARM WELCOME ON THE STREET

A

thriving community of independent businesses and retailers, Coldharbour Road is more artisan than average; more niche than the norm. Locals know that some of Bristol’s best kept secrets can be found on this distinctive street, and on Thursday 6 December, traders will be welcoming you through their doors, at the Christmas Open Evening.

Businesses like the Split Tin Bakery, hair salon, SK109, and beauticians, Beautology, have been successfully operating here for many years and have seen the street develop and change over time.

Gingerbread men from the Split Tin Bakery

The Split Tin Bakery has long been responsible for filling the street with the delicious and tempting smells of freshly baked goodies.

Street with style

The team at SK109 (www.sk109.co.uk, tel 0117 924 7981) are all passionate about hair, and trained to a high standard to give a professional service and personal consultations. They specialise in all aspects of hairdressing and will be offering 10% off all Tigi products and Christmas gift packs on Thursday 6 December. Those who are serious about looking great head to Beautology (www.beautology.co.uk, tel 0117 950 0500) where they can receive restorative skin care treatments, laser hair removal, or enjoy a makeover.

Three years ago, fashion retailer, Sweet Pea, (www.sweetpeafashion.co.uk, tel 0117 924 5478) brought its own strand of style to the street.

Bringing the latest trends from Great Plains, Yumi, Uttam Boutique, Stella and Influence, it’s www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

the perfect place whether you are planning a lavish night out, or simply need to update your wardrobe for the school run.

Creative Quarter

Inspired by sunlit sandstone caves and turquoise desert skies, Rainmaker (www.rainmakerart.co.uk, tel: 0117 944 3101) is the UK showcase for Native North American Indian arts. Presenting contemporary works by leading artists including Tony Abeyta, Shonto Begay and Preston Singletary, Rainmaker is one of Bristol’s most unusual galleries. The selection of fine, handcrafted pieces of jewellery, Zuni fetish carvings and Pendleton blankets offers gifts to treasure. The current exhibition of bold serigraphs is by Tlinglit artist, Preston Singletary.

On the corner of Coldhardbour Road and Harcourt Road, Heart Space Studios (www.heartspacestudios.co.uk, 0117 923 2391) welcomes anybody wanting to learn and develop skills in textile arts and crafts. Heart Space is a wonderful environment in which to design, create and learn. Its varied and innovative programme offers a wide range of textile classes, knit and stitch clubs and parties. So, if you’re looking for a memorable way to mark a special occasion – whether it’s a children’s birthday, a Hen Party or Baby Shower – Heart Space offers a range of creative activities to suit you.

Coldharbour Gallery (www.coldharbourgallery.co.uk, tel 0117 944 6244) has more than 25 artists from Bristol and the south west among its regulars. The latest arrivals share something of an animal theme.

Merlyn Chesterman’s tiger woodcut provides a dramatic centrepiece for the autumn exhibition, but look out too for the new ceramics: delicate bird motifs on Mary Dearden’s black clay pots; hares, owls and dragonflies on Iris Milward’s decorative poetry panels; and Eleanor Bartleman’s exquisite collection of porcelain animal boxes.

The framery at Coldharbour Gallery is popular with local residents and artists. If you’re thinking of having something framed for Christmas, don’t leave it till the last minute – this is the busiest time of year.

North Bristol Art Trail: 24/25 November, 10 – 6pm, preview 23 November, 6-9pm A great many artists and art lovers live close to Coldharbour Road and so the North Bristol Art Trail is a fantastic annual highlight. This year Heart Space Studios is hosting textile artists Debby Bird and Jo Whiteland. The Bird Table will feature work from artists on the trail from 6 November and Coldharbour Gallery and

Rainmaker will also be open during the trail weekend. Visit: www.northbristolartists.org.uk.

Homeware and interiors

Green Woods Furniture, (www.greenwoodsfurniture.co.uk tel 0117 942 87 32) stockists of sustainably sourced furniture, beds and Organic mattresses, offers a made-tomeasure service and only uses UK suppliers.

Also priding itself on its bespoke service is Platinum Interiors (www.platinum-interiors.co.uk 0117 924 8282) which make custom-made cushions, blinds, pelmets, and curtains. Suppliers of top quality and designer fabrics, as well as tracks and poles, they can also provide a full fitting service. Along with cushions, the staff have hand-made doorstops which make great gifts.

Sofa Magic (www.sofamagic.co.uk, tel 0117 924 8282) has hundreds of fabrics and leathers to choose from and sumptuously comfy cushions which mean that each sofa is not too hard and not too soft.

Talk to them about what you want and they’ll work a bit of SofaMagic to conjure up your dream sofa. It’s that easy Interior Harmony Flooring (www.interiorharmony.co.uk 01225 483818) offers a service from concept to design and through to installation. It aims to reflect your style; be it contemporary, innovative, cuttingedge, classic, timeless or traditional. The team has more than 30 years of experience and an excellent reputation in flooring design and installation.

The Bird Table (tel 0117 909 7035) is a welcoming friendly place to enjoy freshly cooked food and good company.

It’s a hub for shoppers, mums and workers on their lunch break. In the evenings, from Thursday to Saturday, the gifted new chef, Mark Chapman, creates delicious dishes, to the delight of locals. ■

Open in the evenings, The Bird Table

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24th November 2012 At Gordano School Portishead BS20 7QR Sale no. 34

Viewing Saturday 24th November 9am-1pm Auction Saturday 24th November from 1.30pm Free Valuations and advice

For a free catalogue telephone 01275 390520 Or visit www.portisheadstampauctions.com (10 days prior) Philatelic Auctioneers’ standard terms and conditions of sale (1985 review)

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IT’S PLAYTIME IN TOWN The run-up to Christmas provides an ideal excuse for a weekend in London.

Georgette McCready samples high and low culture on a trip to the capital

W

hen we were teenagers the Athena poster was the preferred choice of artwork – the tennis player scratching her bottom being Blu-tacked to thousands of student walls across the land. I opted instead for the languid figure of the doomed Shakespearean heroine Ophelia, floating in an English stream.

That Victorian painting, by John Everett Millais, was the beginning of my long affection for the Pre-Raphaelites.

In those far-off days I used to go to the Tate at Millbank to see Ophelia in the flesh, as it were, to admire every flower and leaf in the picture. My teenage self was also fond of The Death of Chatterton, by Henry Wallis, which I didn’t know at the time depicted the lonely death, in an attic, of the 27-year-old romantic poet Thomas Chatterton, who was from Bristol.

It has become deeply unfashionable to admit to liking the PreRaphaelites, and I admit that some of their subjects are a bit, well, soppy, but I was pleased to see Tate Britain had decided to bring together some 150 works for an exhibition. This runs until 13 January, and if you’re a fan too, I’d urge you to book and go.

It’s £14 to see seven rooms of paintings and other mixed media.

For me, it was like meeting up with friends I hadn’t seen for a long time – The Last of England by Ford Madox Brown, April Love by Arthur Hughes, and Millais’ Blind Girl with Winchelsea Church in Sussex behind her, all the colours more vivid, the images more vibrant than any reproduction can show. Their philosophy was to hark back to a pre-industrial age, where craftsmen took pride in creating beautiful, individual things rather than cheap, mass-produced factory goods. These values, which carried through to William Morris’s Arts and Crafts movement, are echoed today, with the move back to home-made and lovingly made artisan goods and produce.

There was another flashback to my youth as we passed a poster on the Tube for Jesus Christ Superstar, a revival of the old

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70s musical starring Tim Minchin and Chris Moyles.

London has the ability to pull you from the present day back to the past and then to distract you with something new. We enjoyed a mooch in the sunshine along Brick Lane, where Victorian city history is juxtaposed by modern boutiques and galleries and where you can pick up all sorts of interesting bits and pieces. Much more interesting these days to my mind than Camden Market, which is just a grubby shadow of its former anarchic self.

The West End is also good for a stroll and celeb-spotting on the photos outside the theatres – ‘there’s that bloke from Dr Who in that play with the guy who married Billie Piper’ and ‘isn’t that Wayne Rooney? – Oh, no, it’s Shrek the musical’.

London has the ability to pull ❝ you from the present day back to the past and then to distract you with something new

❞

The historic Waldorf Hotel, just off the Strand, is perfectly placed for seeing a show and offers theatre packages. This grand hotel dates back to 1908 and has seen some parties in its time, with stars of the music hall drinking Champagne under its chandeliers and the steamy tango from Brazil raising a few eyebrows in the pre-First World War era as it was taught at tea dances in the Palm Court of the hotel.

You can still dance in the Palm Court, although I wouldn’t recommend while the busy full English breakfast buffet is taking place. This is a beautiful ballroom which looks much as it did when the hotel was first opened. One of the Waldorf’s proud boasts is that the designers of the Titanic’s sumptuous interiors came to the Waldorf to get inspiration.

GRAND VENUE: the Waldorf Hilton in Aldwych Top, the newly refurbished Good Godfreys bar is named after a former band leader at the hotel Below, one of the elegant bedrooms

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GOOD LOOKING CORPSES: left to right, Ophelia by John Everett Millais and The Death of Chatterton by Henry Wallis

If you’re off to see Mamma Mia!, almost next door to the hotel, you can enjoy a three course dinner in the grand surroundings of the Homage Grand Salon for £22.50. Dishes include such delights as organic salt marsh raised lamb served with mashed potato, minted quinoa and samphire, or chicken breast served with lobster ravioli. Traditionalists can enjoy an Angus beef fillet or a plate of lamb cutlets, or a creamy trifle so fine that Mrs Patmore of Downton Abbey would have been proud to have created it.

And after the show, guests can move into the sumptuously decorated dark blue Good Godfreys bar in the hotel, newly restored with a 1920s theme and where an indulgent cocktail or two can be enjoyed.

If you’re in town looking for other evening entertainment, particularly if you have young people in your party, I personally

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

recommed booking a game at the All Stars bowling alley in Holborn. Tucked away in a street just behind the British Museum, and down a steep flight of stairs, this is a great way to spend a couple of hours.

All Stars host Shake, Rattle and Bowl evenings where customers are encouraged to dress in 1950s costume. After an energetic game of bowling, to the soundtrack from the great rock and roll numbers of the 50s and 60s, there’s a good sized bar upstairs and here we watched couples take to the floor for a spontaneous jive display. Such fun, as Miranda would say. ■ The Waldorf Hilton Hotel, 22 Aldwych, WC2B 4DD, tel: 020 7759 4083. Prices around £300 for two sharing, including buffet breakfast. For The Pre-Raphaelites at Tate Britain, book online: www.tate.org.uk. For bowling in Holborn, visit: www.allstarlanes.co.uk/venues/holborn.

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FAMILYfun

Panto Season

✻ The Snowman & Peter and the Wolf at Colston Hall With narration from comedian Tamsin Greig and music from the orchestra of Welsh National Opera, The Snowman will be shown on a big screen with the orchestra playing live, and Tamsin will narrate Peter and the Wolf. Colston Street, Bristol. Tuesday 18 December.

Box office tel: 0117 922 3686 or visit: www.colstonhall.org

No matter what your age the pantomime season never fails to delight and entertain. Here’s a guide to pantos near you ... ✻ Aladdin, Bristol Hippodrome Join the Hippodrome for Disney’s romantic Eastern adventure, with genies, songs, baddies and maybe even a real flying red carpet. Saint Augustine’s Parade, Bristol. 7 December – 6 January.

Box office tel: 0844 847 2325 or visit: www.bristolhippodrome.org.uk

✻ Peter Pan, Bristol Old Vic This year’s Old Vic Christmas show brings JM Barrie’s much-loved tale of the boy who wouldn’t grow up to the stage.

When Peter Pan (Tristan Sturrock) loses his shadow, kind-hearted Wendy (Madeleine Worrall) helps him reattach it and is invited back to Neverland in return. King Street, Bristol. 26 November – 19 January. Box office tel: 0117 987 7877 or visit: www.bristololdvic.org.uk

Fun for chilly days The city has plenty of events and activities on offer for all the family to enjoy this month; use our guide to help plan quality time with your children

Stars in your eyes

Uncover the past

At-Bristol, Harbourside, Bristol.

Tel: 0845 345 1235 www.at-bristol.org.uk

Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Queen’s Road, Bristol. Tel: 0117 922 3571 www.bristol.gov.uk/museums

Family Urban Stargazing, Saturday 17 November, 5pm – 7.30pm

Archaeology Discovery Day, Thursday 15 November, 11am – 1pm

The Tobacco Factory Theatre presents another delightful interpretation of a Brothers Grimm story, brought to festive life through enchanting storytelling and live music. Raleigh Road, Southville, Bristol. 5 December – 13 January. Box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatre.co.uk

Urban Stargazing is back, inspired by the success of the adult-only astronomy evenings last April and September, but this time designed for families. As the sun sets over Bristol, head to the terrace balcony overlooking Millennium Square and begin a stargazing adventure using the provided telescopes and binoculars. See which stars are visible from the centre of Bristol, and find out what will appear when you’re away from the lights.

Handle real museum objects, bring along your finds to discover what they are or join a friendly expert for a look around the archaeology store.

Suitable for children aged 7+. Please book on the day at the discovery handling table.

✻ A Christmas Carol & Starry Night –

Musical mayhem

A Nativity Play, Redgrave Theatre Bristol Old Vic Theatre School presents A Christmas Carol (30 November – 20 December) – join Mr Scrooge and company in discovering the wonders of Christmas and Starry Night (8 & 15 December) a nativity with puppets, poetry and singing. Percival Road, Bristol.

Visit: www.oldvic.ac.uk

St George’s, Great George Street, Bristol.

Tel: 0845 40 24 001 www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Family Friendly Fireworks, Friday 2 & Saturday 3 November, 4.30pm – 6pm; and Bonfire Night Family Firecraft, Saturday 3 November, 10am – 3pm

✻ Hansel and Gretal, Tobacco Factory

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Bangin’ Brass, Sunday 4 November, 10am & 11.15am Musicians of The Bristol Ensemble and presenter Laura Tanner blow raspberries (and their own trumpets) with a fantastic introduction to the world of the brass family.

Dazzling colours Bristol Zoo Gardens, Clifton, Bristol.

Tel: 0117 9747300 www.bristolzoo.org.uk

Beautiful, low-noise fireworks will light up Bristol Zoo adding a sparkle to Guy Fawkes Night without the loud bangs that might frighten your little ones or the animals. And why not spend the day in the woodland learning the art of firecraft and outdoor cooking at the Bonfire Night Family Firecraft day.

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of Bath

more than

50 Christmases 1959 - 2012

Eric Snook’s –The Toyshop of Distinction 2 Abbeygate Street, Bath.

(Next to Marks and Spencer)

Eric Snook’s Golden Cot is nationally and internationally renowned as a quality, specialist real toy and nursery.

With fully trained staff to offer advice and so much choice - it won’t be hard to find a perfect present that will always be appreciated.

Helicopter (EVO1) £24.99 JD Bug Scooter £46.50 Grit Scooter Grit extremist pro £89.99

Hand Puppets Assorted hand puppets for play or help with storytelling From £9.99

Dolls house Roba dolls house, comes complete with furniture and figures for ages 3+ £69.99

With over 35 years of experience serving quality toys, Kathy and her dedicated team are ready to help.

Fire truck Retro style metal pedal fire truck for ages 3-5 £199.99

• GO TO OUR HELPFUL WEBSITE •

WWW.SNOOKSONLINE.CO.UK TEXT & PICTURES OF ALL TOY DEPARTMENTS

Wooden City and Centre Comes with 4 Cars and lift to top floors.

For ages 3-10 £64.99 3 Channel large helicopter with high definifition camera. £99.00

Being independent, with a love for the traditional, our buyers search European markets for quality toys, games and nursery equipment of the highest safety and standard.

ERIC SNOOK’S OF BATH - PROBABLY THE BEST CAVERN OF DELIGHT TOY SHOP IN THE UK

Tel: (01225) 464914 Nursery: (01225) 829012

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DO YOU HAVE A SPARE ROOM? FRIENDLY HOSTS WANTED FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS We are looking for welcoming, hospitable hosts to accommodate our international students.

• Long and short stays available • Great experience • Great rates of pay For more information, please contact: Elaine Sawyer Accommodation Officer 27 Oakfield Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2AT Tel: 0117 909 0911 Fax: 0117 907 7181 Email: elaine@ihbristol.com Web: www.ihbristol.com

Study Travel Exams Holidays

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News in brief AN EXPERIMENT IN TEACHING

TWELFTH NIGHT: Malvolio and Olivia, played

by Esther Haigh and Lauren Fige-Jones

■ Pupils from The Red Maids’ School performed an abridged version of Twelfth Night at The Tobacco Factory, as one of four schools putting on a performance at the Bristol theatre, and one of hundreds taking part nationally in the Shakespeare Schools Festival (SSF). The SSF charity is the largest youth drama festival in the UK. By the end of this year's festival 100,000 young people had unlocked their potential on stage.

■ Players from Bath Rugby took to the playing fields of prep school Rose Hill Westonbirt School near Tetbury recently for a coaching session with Key Stage Two boys and girls. Former Bath Rugby player and Bath Rugby Foundation manager Jimmy Deane led a Q&A session with help from two volunteer players, Joe and Faith. They talked about their involvement in Bath Rugby and why it is important to encourage young people to play sport. The girls in particular were fascinated to hear how Faith became interested in such a male-dominated sport. Dave Reeves from partner charity PROPS was on hand to recieve a cheque for £2,500, raised at the school’s parents’ association summer ball. PROPS provides services for young people with learning difficulties to promote inclusive community activity.

■ Girls from the The Red Maids’ School will be heading to the wild outdoors this month, to The Outward Bound Trust’s Ullswater Centre in the Lake District for a week of activities after winning a national competition. Survival expert Ray Mears – who the girls are hoping to meet at Ullswater – on behalf of npower had challenged pupils across the UK to put their passion and creativity to the test.

Pupils were tasked with devising a group activity that inspired their fellow teens’ sense of adventure, to encourage them to have fun outdoors. Their project, rewarding activity with pedal-powered smoothies, impressed Ray Mears and the judges with its originality and creativity.

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As a nation we are suffering from a shortage of graduates with good degrees in the sciences – essentially Britain’s economy needs people with qualifications in science, technology, engineering and maths.

A grassroots campaign is being run in schools across the country working with local industry to give hands-on experience to school pupils and excite them about what are known as the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths).

Clifton College recently hosted a STEM day for 15 other state and private schools.

College teachers ran a series of practical sessions and arranged for Bristol University, Rolls Royce, and the Bloodhound Project to give workshops, inspirational talks and careers advice to the 105 year 10 and 11 pupils who attended.

Dr Tim Green, head of science at Clifton College said: “The STEM day was a real success.

I’m optimistic that it will encourage them to continue their studies and pursue careers in these key subjects.

“It was a great opportunity for students to be able to speak to the employees of such

HANDS-ON: a hair-raising moment in a science workshop

innovative companies and see science and technology in action, and I hope that it has sparked a passion in these pupils that could see them developing similarly pioneering projects in years to come. The success of the Red Bull Stratos project with Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking skydive the following day will only have enhanced this desire, and shows them that the possibilities in these core subjects are endless.”

Students came from as far afield as Worcester and Bath to attend the day, along with a number of pupils from in and around Bristol.

Clifton College is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and has been pioneering the teaching of science since opening the world’s first dedicated science school in 1927. This year, five of the 16 Clifton pupils awarded places at Oxbridge are going on to study STEM subjects.

Choir’s Christmas CD will help young singers Young singers will benefit from Jingle Wells, a Christmas CD created to support choristers of Wells Cathedral Choir. Profits from the CD will help to provide bursaries for choristers. The CD features favourites such as Away

in a Manager and Silent Night.

Two new carols are The Voice of the Angel Gabriel written for the choir by Sir Philip Ledger, former director of music, King’s College, Cambridge and Cradle Lullaby, by Owain Park to

celebrate the birth of the first child of Matthew Owens, the cathedral’s organist and master of the choristers.

Copies of the CD at £10 each are available from the Trust’s website: www.wcct.co.uk

Students receive international education The SABIS International School UK (SIS-UK) near Bath is holding an open day for prospective students this month.

A spokeswoman for the school said: “We believe in preparing students for the challenges they may face in university and beyond by providing them with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills.”

Situated on 148 acres of the Ashwicke Hall Estate near Marshfield, the campus provides an environment in which students from the UK and abroad can form lifelong friendships while nurturing a thirst for lifelong learning and develop into young adults equipped for the future. Students follow a cohesive, motivational and exciting curriculum that emphasises a well-balanced body of knowledge, skills and experiences, backed by research and development activity.

The SABIS Educational System has been developed, refined and tested for over a century, supported by the latest software and technology.

While providing opportunities for emotional, social and moral growth, the Student Life Organisation helps students develop academic, managerial, organisational and leadership skills.

Active engagement in the SLO also gives students the chance to get involved in academic and nonacademic activities such as tutoring other students, planning sports and social events, organising community volunteering projects and much more.

Students consistently achieve above global averages at IGCSEs, A-Levels and the International Baccalaureate. They have gone on to win places at the world’s most prestigious universities and have distinguished themselves in a variety of professions across the globe.

For more than 125 years, schools in the SABIS School Network have been preparing students with the knowledge and skills required to help them achieve success in a changing world.

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THE WINE COLUMN Angela Mount, wine and food critic, chooses wines for the festive season

L

ike it or not, Christmas is no longer just in December, and November heralds the start of the party season; the fireworks of Bonfire Night seem to light the embers for the arrival of the Christmas frenzy, and seasonal conviviality sets in; the mood is set with parties in late November or early December, for friends, relatives, neighbours, office colleagues, or school parents, in no particular order. Ever one for forward planning, my wine choices this month are all about entertaining for the festive season.

First off, Mulled Wine – November and December are the only months in the year when this delicious, warming drink ever features; homemade mulled wine has so much more richness than the ubiquitous mulled wine sachet. You need a simple, soft red for the base, try the Poggio del Quercia Sangiovese. Add 1 bottle with 8oz dark sugar, 4 cloves, 3 cinnamon sticks, 1tsp allspice, grated nutmeg, some sliced fresh ginger, and my twist, 1 tsp cocoa powder, and a drizzle of honey. Add 2 sliced oranges, and a sliced lemon. Heat gently and serve; if you want to add a kick, add brandy, port or Cointreau or to spice it up further, add a tsp of diced red chilli.

El Viento Sauvignon blanc 2012, Chile £6.95 You simply cannot go wrong with this crowd-pleasing, fresh, dry white, from one of Chile’s top producers, Vina Leyda. Bristling with vibrant, gooseberry and citrus aromas and flavours, with a tangy, mouth-tingling edge, it’s a perfect, refreshing party wine, with the added benefit of being under 13 per cent in alcohol. Great with all types of seafood, chicken, and also spicy canapés.

Santa Ana Malbec 2011, Argentina £6.95 My top recommendation for a simple party red has to be this happy, fruity, easydrinking red from the Mendoza region of Argentina. It’s a lighter style of Argentina’s classic grape, Malbec – bursting with juicy, black cherry, plum and blackberry fruit, it’s got the warmth of Argentina, and the party spirit too. If the party food has a hint of spice, this is the right wine to add.

Yealands Gruner Veltliner 2011, New Zealand £11.95 I absolutely adore this wine from the South Island of New Zealand; it is so versatile and elegant. A cornucopia of honeysuckle, white peach and fresh lime scents on the nose, it is simply entrancing on tasting – intriguing, complex, full of lively citrus fruit with an edge of honey, and a steely, tangy finish. Perfect with any Asian spiced dishes, or smoked salmon.

Planeta La Segreta 2010, Sicily £9.25 Another great favourite, and one which never fails to impress. It is full of southern Italian sunshine, sweet ripe dark fruits, with a stylish, velvety edge. Lots of soft, medium-bodied flavours make it ideal with all types of festive fare, especially lamb and Mediterranean inspired dishes.

NOVEMBER’S CHOICE Wines to go with gammon: Gammon has a natural sweetness and the spices in which it is cured make the flavours even more powerful so you need a gentle and sweet wine.

Avoid tannic, heavy wines, and go for soft, juicy reds, with a sweet, red berry edge and a hint of spice. Pinot Noir is a very happy partner to gammon and Vina Leyda Las Brisas Pinot Noir from Chile is a sublime example, with its silky raspberry character and gloriously elegant style.

Great Western Wine is at Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AP, tel: 01225 322810. Visit: www.greatwesternwine.co.uk. www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

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FOOD&DRINK

Quick bites

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Ashbell McElveen

■ American chef Ashbell McElveen is bringing his own brand of soul food to the west country, as he prepares to run a series of cookery courses at the Clifton-based Devilled Egg Kitchen Academy. Ashbell, who has cooked for Robert DeNiro, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, specialises in cajun, Creole, BBQ and authentic American soul food.

■ The vaults in the historic Harveys Cellars have become a gallery space which will now be dedicated to work from the city’s most promising young artists. George Ferguson, architect and past president of RIBA is one of the forces behind the move. The first show, The Cream of Bristol, shows work by Bristol School of Art graduate Eva Freeman.

■ Westbury-on-Trym’s sibling superstars of the kitchen, Jonray and Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, have added another accolade to their already Michelin-starred restaurant Casamia.

The brothers run the only Bristol restaurant to be awarded four Michelin stars and one of only 27 in the entire country to reach this standard.

■ Daniel Moon has been appointed head chef at country house hotel Ston Easton Park in Somerset, as the hotel enters new ownership under Hamilton Bradshaw, Dragons’ Den James Caan’s business.

Hot stuff

■ The Hotel du Vin in Bristol has launched a new Sunday offering, with its Le Brunch menu. Diners can graze from the French Market Table, which includes salads, seafood and charcuterie.

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he three chefs at The Star and Dove in Totterdown, who like nothing more than delving into an old cookery book and reviving historic recipes, have found the ultimate source for their Christmas menus – the kitchen library at Henry VIII’s Hampton Court.

The trio, Tim Denny, Leigh Pascoe and Matt Duggan, spent a happy few hours at Hampton Court Palace going through old recipes. They’ve now come up with a grand Tudor feast which they’re serving up for their Christmas diners.

For £30 a head diners will be able to tuck into up to 14 courses, which will all be laid out on the table, in true Tudor

A TUDOR FEAST: try something new this Christmas

style, with the less strong flavours first, then moving towards the centre of the table where there’ll be a suitably over-the-top centrepiece known as a sublety, even though it’s not

subtle at all.

Heston Blumenthal has heard about the chefs’ historic approach to cooking and has vowed to visit Totterdown to check it out for himself.

Restaurant food brought to your home A new business, Food Couriers, is bringing restaurant food direct to Bristol homes, in a partnership with a growing number of local businesses, saving people the hassle of going out.

FoodCouriers founder Dotun Olowoporoku said: “Many people in Bristol enjoy takeaway and home-delivered food as an

alternative to cooking or eating out, but there seems to be a gap in the market. We’re aiming to open up opportunities for Bristol’s top restaurants to offer home delivery to their customers.”

Bristolians can order food for delivery from Food Couriers, either online or over the phone,

from Old India, The Burger Joint, Kathmandu, Obento, Warren’s Gourmet Burger Company, Rupsha, The Lanes, Pho Hanoi, Myristica, Salvatore Kitchen, Creole Brasserie and Filini Italian restaurant at the Radisson Blu. For more information visit: www.foodcouriers.com.

Spiegeltent is venue for food festival Festive feasting will be the order of the day as Love Food Festival hosts its Christmas special with a 1920s style big top, Spiegeltent being set up in Millennium Square, Bristol on Sunday 9 December.

The Spiegeltent, with its original stained glass windows, flooring and mirrors will be home to a bustling market, seasonal demonstration theatre, hot food, a café and festiveinspired children’s activities surrounding its very own

SPARKLY: inside the Spiegeltent

gingerbread house. The demonstration theatre, sponsored

by The Devilled Egg Kitchen

Academy, will be inspiring its audiences to try seasonal dishes prepared by local chefs. There will also be the chance to stock up on your Christmas treats, from ordering a turkey to picking up some cheese, nuts, wines and smoked fish. With clove orange making, face painting, carol singing, cracker making and other arts and crafts, children will be kept busy.

The Love Food Christmas market runs from 10.30am to 4pm. Adults, £4.50, children free.

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Lunches, Dinners, Sunday Lunch, Christmas Party Bookings, Winter Warmer Menu – Lunch and Early Bird £10 including glass of wine, Gift Vouchers Available

12- 16 Clifton Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1AF. T: 0117 973 7248 • e: eat@themuset.com

w: www.themuset.com Twitter @TheMuset • Facebook: The Muset

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

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Maaza Namasker Lounge Welsh Back, Old City, Bristol, BS1 4RR. Tel: 0117 929 8276

REVIEW

THE LIGHTER SPICE OF LIFE D id you know that a good treatment for SAD (seasonally affected disorder) is to eat a curry? I have recently established that this has basis in medical fact, since eating fresh chilli releases the same endorphins in the body as taking exercise, perking you up and generally inducing a feeling of wellbeing. Therefore making curry the ideal food to eat on cold, dark days to banish the winter blues.

You might think that going out for a curry isn’t necessarily the healthiest option, but modern Indian cuisine is light on saturated fats. Gone are the days of heavy, oily ghees, and instead, fresh spices, garlic and chilli are used to add flavour to dishes.

The Maaza Namasker Lounge on Welsh Back certainly looks modern, with its big windows and its trendy ground floor cocktail bar, where mixologists dream up all kinds of tempting drinks for partygoers. But, venture up the grand Bollywood style staircase and you’ll find yourself in a large, contemporary dining space with a soundtrack of Adele, Take That and others.

If you can, get a table by the windows overlooking the water and enjoy gazing out through the plane trees on to ever changing scenery below. And, to banish the idea that a curry house isn’t a place for a date, there is a lit candle on our table and plenty of space between tables so you can chat in peace.

Over one side of the dining room is the open kitchen, where smartly attired chefs dressed in black freshly cook each item to order. The new Namasker head chef, Arjan Khanal, has many years experience cooking in Mombai, Dubai and London.

We begin with a couple of traditional poppadoms, with accompanying lime pickle, raita and mango chutney. The unexpected bowl of spicy onion salad is a revelation. As with everything else we enjoyed during our meal, fresh was the word that sprang to mind. The kitchens use sprigs of coriander, sliced peppers and other vegetables to add texture and layers of flavour.

My dining companion, a real curry fan, tells me that a good curry should allow you to taste lots of different ingredients, to appreciate the parts of the dish as well as its sum.

We shared vegetable samosas and onion bhajiya as starters – both nicely presented with spicy tomato sauce and perky, fresh salad with sliced red cabbage. Both were piping hot, crispy and without a trace of grease. Other starters included barbecued spicy fish, tandoor or tikka dishes and an interesting sounding bowl of mogo – fried African root vegetable chips seasoned with garlic 80 The Bristol Magazine

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and chilli. Starters are priced between £3.90 and £9.90, for a shared platter of mixed barbecue dishes.

While we waited for our main courses to be cooked (we could have wandered over and watched and learned, if we’d wanted to) we learned that the Namasker has adopted the Mayor of Bristol’s charity of the year, Young Bristol, and will be hosting a fundraising dinner at the restaurant on Monday 5 November.

The menu is laid out simply. Choose the sauce or recipe you’d like first, whether it be a mild kurma or a tikka dish, or perhaps a spicier jalfrezi or kali mirch, then decide whether you’d like a vegetarian version or a dish cooked with lamb, chicken or prawns. Main courses range from £8.50 to £19.60, while rice (one portion is plenty for two) is from £2.25 and all side dishes, such as sag aloo or tadka dal, which we chose, are £4.95.

GRAND ENTRANCE: the sweeping staircase and contemporary chandeliers at Namasker, which is also a cocktail bar

on learning that ‘Namasker’ roughly ❝translates as ‘I salute you with respect’ we send our ‘Namaskers’ to the chefs ❞ I’m a sucker for good presentation and Namasker doesn’t disappoint. Some of the dishes arrive in decorative metal pots, with spoons dipped into food which is all inviting golden, spiciness to look at – and as good to taste as it appears. The chicken in the adrakh, with warming spices and ginger, is moist and perfectly cooked, and the prawn kali mirch, although a little fiery for my taste, was a crowd pleaser with the man who likes a madras. It was all delicious, and on learning that ‘Namasker’ roughly translates as ‘I salute you with respect’ we send our ‘Namaskers’ to the chefs.

The evening wound down gently as we drained the last of a bottle of Pinot Noir from the ice bucket and I indulged in a bit of sheer greed by wolfing down a cool bowl of delightful malka kulfi ice cream served with fresh pistachios and almonds. The waitress said I was welcome to take the decorative pot home, which was a nice gesture.

If you enjoy your curry, then I would recommend you take a trip to the Namasker Lounge. The staff are welcoming and efficient, the food is excellent and it’s good to be able to see your GMc dishes prepared freshly to order. ■

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Stuffed Rabbit served with Polenta and Carrot Puree

The Devilled Egg Academy runs a series of cookery workshops for home cooks and chefs from its newly refurbished kitchens in Clifton. This dish serves 2.

Ingredients: Rabbit Saddle, boned out • 100g black pudding 5 pitted prunes, chopped • 5 rashers of bacon Pickled walnuts • 100g polenta • 500ml water 50g grated parmesan • large pinch of salt 200g chopped carrots • 250ml vegetable stock 1 small onion, finely chopped • 200ml madeira 200ml beef stock • 2 tablespoon of double cream 1 teaspoon grainy mustard • seasoning to taste

Method: 1. Lay the bacon on a chopping board. Bash the saddle to flatten it and pop on top of the bacon. Place the crumbled black pudding in the middle and top with the prunes. Roll up tightly and bake on 200C for 20 minutes. Rest for five minutes and slice.

2. Bring the water to the boil and gradually add the polenta while stirring. The time depends on the type of polenta, but you can test by tasting it. When it is ready, it will not taste floury. Mix with the cheese and salt, keep warm.

3. Heat a dash of olive oil in a pan, add a pinch of chilli and fry for one minute. Add chopped carrots and fry for another minute. Add 250ml of vegetable stock, boil until softened.

Blend until smooth and season with salt.

4. Fry the onion in a dash of olive oil, season with a pinch of salt. Add the madeira and bring to boil, reduce by half. Add the stock and reduce by a half again. Stir the mustard and cream in and simmer until syrupy.

5. Assemble the food on a hot plate – as photograph – with the carrot puree and the polenta sauce on the plate, the sliced meat in the centre. Serve hot.

Visit: www.thedevilledegg.com. Courses in November range from Preserves, Pickles and Jams to A Danish Christmas.

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

November 2012

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SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE Andrew Swift sets out into the largely unspoilt countryside of North Somerset, but warns that you’ll need stout walking boots and a map to find your way

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he starting point for this walk is Nailsea and Backwell station, less than ten minutes from Temple Meads, but the gateway to some of North Somerset’s most unspoilt and little-known countryside, with high hills, ancient woodland, manor houses and lanes deep and muddy enough to satisfy the most ardent ruralist. Most of the footpaths are well walked and well waymarked, but some are a little more recondite, and one bridleway, deep in the woods, is so impassable that an extempore deviation is needed.

Arriving at Nailsea and Backwell station from Bristol, go down the steps. At the bottom of the slope, cross the road and head straight on along a path running parallel to the railway.

When you can go no further, follow the footpath to the right.

Just after it kinks to the right, go through a gate on the left and follow a footpath across a field. Go through a gate, across a lane (ST485693), through another gate and along a track beside the hedge on the right. Carry on through a gap in the hedge by a large oak. When you come to a gate, go through it and follow a waymark to a stile in the hedge on the left. Don’t cross it, but bear right to follow a path diagonally across the field.

Go through a kissing gate (KG). With the leisure centre ahead, turn left alongside the hedgerow. Cross the road and carry on up a footpath by a 40mph sign (ST489687). Go through a KG and continue along a faint track, heading for the house to the left of the church. Go through another KG and follow a waymark sign across the field, heading to the right of the church.

Go through a KG and turn left. As you go through the churchyard, look out for a memento mori gravestone on the right. Turn left out of the churchyard and right by the war memorial along Church Town. Follow the road round to the right and turn up a bridleway on the left by Church Cottage (ST493682). Keep to the left of Birchwood house and carry on up an old track. Go through a metal gate into Jubilee Stone Wood nature reserve and follow the path up past old lead workings.

After passing the Jubilee Stone (where there is a particularly fine view), don’t take the permissive path to the right, but carry straight on. When you come to the end of the wood, carry on 82 The Bristol Magazine

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November 2012

through a gate and turn right along a road. When the road swings right, bear left along a rough lane past The Hawthorns (ST498677).

After 500 metres, when the lane kinks to the right, turn left along another lane (ST495673). After 350 metres, when you come to a tarmaced lane, turn right. After another 850 metres, when the lane forks (with the right fork leading to Home Farm), bear left. Carry on down through beech woods, go straight on when you come to a cross track, and turn left at a muddy T junction (ST484666). Follow a rocky path down to a road, cross and turn right along a narrow, uneven verge downhill for 150 metres. This busy road winds through Brockley Combe, once a beauty spot praised by Coleridge and many others, but now, like Cheddar Gorge, ruined by traffic.

HIGH POINT: main picture, the view from the Jubilee Stone Wood nature reserve

once a beauty spot praised by Coleridge ❝ and many others, but now, like Cheddar Gorge, ruined by traffic ❞ Go through a gap in the fence in the lay-by (to the right of the gateway) and head straight up a path.

As the ground levels out, the path curves right, running parallel to a broken-down wall on the left. Look for a broad track coming up from the right (ST482662), and follow it as it swings away from the wall. When it forks, fork right into the heart of the woods. Follow this path as it winds through the woods for the next 1,000 metres.

When you reach some large laurels, the path forks. Take the main fork to the left. Ignoring a smaller path branching off to the left, look out for the remains of old walls, which according to old maps once enclosed a bowling green (ST472662). This is where you have to make an improvised diversion, as the bridleway shown on the OS map as leading straight on is not only blocked by barbed wire but has clearly fallen into disuse.

Follow the main path as it swings left to double back on itself.

After 200 metres, it crosses a broad ditch. Turn right along this and negotiate a fallen tree to go through a gap in a wall. A little

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OUT&ABOUT

ALONG THE WAY: left to right, a view glimpsed from a lane through woods, a memento mori (remember death) stone and the picturesque Chelvey Lane

way further on, when you come to a path, turn right along it, keeping the wall on your right. Turn right again when you reach a broad path.

Cross a stile beside a gate with a public footpath sign. Just beyond it, take the track forking right, looking out for the first of a series of yellow dots. At the next fork, fork right, following an arrow downhill and carry on past a ruined lime kiln. After crossing a stile by a gate, cross a main road, turn right and take the first left down St Nicholas Way (ST467666). After 350 metres, turn right by Brockley Court, go through a gateway and carry on alongside a fence on the left. When the fence ends, head across the field, bearing slightly left towards a gap in the hedge.

When you reach it, cross a stile and head across the field to a large house. Turn left along a lane, bear right when it forks and then right along Chelvey Lane. At the end, cross the road, cross a stile and head across a field. Cross two more stiles and carry on,

with the hedge on your right, towards a large barn. Head to the left of it (not right as shown on the OS map) and go through a gateway (ST475682). Carry straight on past the barn, through two metal gates and along a well-worn track. After going through another gate, follow a path across a field to a KG, continue to another KG and turn right along a lane. At a T junction bear left. At the end turn left to return to the station. ■

FURTHER INFORMATION Length of walk: eight miles Approx time: four hours ■ Map: OS Explorer 154 (not all paths appear on the map) ■ ■

Bespoke Kitchen Design Handmade in Bristol

Morley Grove offers a wide range ot Bespoke kitchens from the ultra modern handleless kitchen to the classic shaker.

Any design you have in mind we can accomodate all at fantastic prices to suit your budget.

Morley Grove Kitchens : 110 Coldharbour Road, Redland, Bristol BS6 7SB 0117 915 0095 : www.morleygrove.co.uk

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Open times : 9.30am - 5.30pm Mon-Fri • 10.00am - 3pm Sat

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

November 2012

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DAYSout

6 REASONS TO VISIT BATH Bath’s famous Christmas market opens this month and since the city is only a 15 minute train journey from Bristol Temple Meads, it’s worth a visit to get us in festive mood

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or a day out, Bristol’s neighbouring city Bath makes a change. It’s much smaller than Bristol, but that means you can pretty much take in all the best bits on foot. With the festive season upon us, we’ve rounded up half a dozen reasons why you might want to jump on the train, get off at Bath Spa Station and within a hundred yards be in the city’s SouthGate shopping centre where you’ll find big name stores including Debenhams, Hollister, TopShop and H&M.

❶ The Christmas Market The centrepiece of Bath at Christmas is the Bath Christmas Market, bigger and better than ever before, scheduled to run from Thursday 22 November until Sunday 9 December, magically transforming the area around Bath Abbey and the famous Roman Baths. The 18-day market boasts 140 traditional wooden chalets, offering hand crafted and unusual gifts, decorations and edible items. For the first time, additional stalls will also be located in Milsom Place and in Stall Street next to the carousel bringing the magical market atmosphere to other parts of the city. The start of the market is signalled by the traditional Lantern Procession, an enchanting parade where children can carry their handmade lanterns from the Holburne Museum along Great Pulteney Street to Bath Abbey.

❷ Independent shops Bath is very proud of its independent shops, which stretch from the riverside streets and squares of the city, such as street art gallery, King of Paint and toy shop, My Small World in Little SouthGate, right up to the top of the city, where Margarets Buildings has a host of indies selling everything from designer handbags to antiques, handmade cards and unusual jewellery.

There are gorgeous shoes and accessories from Lux in Bartlett Street, all kinds of cheese and unusual crackers at the Fine Cheese Co. in Walcot Street, cooks’ gadgets and gifts from Kitchens in Wood Street, beautiful books from Topping & Co and at Rossiters, the mini department store you can find all manner of desirable items, from bone china to children’s stocking fillers.

❸ Vintage Christmas If you’re looking for stylish, one-off pieces, Green Park Station, which hosts a regular market is a good destination. On Sunday 25 November the Bath Vintage Antique Christmas Market will be jam packed with stalls offering clothes from the 1940s, 50s and 70s and accessories too, as well as all manner of vintage items for the home, from tablecloths to lamps, and from upcycled furniture to luggage. You’ll also find an array of vintage shops around the city, including the fabulous Vintage to Vogue on Milsom Street and Scarlet Vintage on Queen Street.

And why not treat yourself to a refreshing cup of tea served in dainty china tea cups and a slice of homemade cake in Bea’s Vintage Tea Rooms next to the Assembly Rooms?

❹ Foodie Bath Bath has every kind of eaterie, from some big names of the foodie world to cosmopolitan little cafés and individual restaurants. Brunel Square, next to the station, opens in November, with a clutch of new restaurants. Carluccio’s joins Cote and Jamie’s Italian at Milsom Place as a newcomer to the 84 The Bristol Magazine

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Bath restaurant scene with its delightful deli stacked with pannettone and other seasonal deli Italian gifts. Other new arrivals include Brasserie Blanc at the Francis Hotel and the Allium Brasserie headed by Chef Chris Staines.

❺ Bath on Ice Celebrate Christmas in style on the new ice rink set in the beautiful Royal Victoria Park beneath the Royal Crescent. Skate along with friends, family, Christmas parties or even break the ice on a romantic date. Bath on Ice, which includes skate hire and rink-side entertainment, runs from 23 November until 6 January.

❻ Tranquil Bath Take a moment of calm before the frantic festive season kicks in by indulging yourself in a session at Thermae Bath Spa, the UK’s only spa with naturally heated thermal waters. Relax under the stars in the rooftop pool after a day pounding the pavements.

The spa also sells gift tokens, so you can pass the tranquil experience on to someone else. There’s also peace to be found at the shoppers’ carol services at Bath Abbey, being held throughout the run-up to Christmas, to give people a few moments to contemplate the true meaning of Christmas. ■ Download the free travel guide from visitbath.co.uk and check out all the events during the festive season at bathatchristmas.co.uk or check the official Bath App

FESTIVE CHEER: The Bath Christmas Market is at the heart of the Christmas celebrations in Bath, boasting 140 traditional wooden chalets offering hand crafted and unusual gifts, decorations and edible items

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FIT&FABULOUS

Evening elegance

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aking inspiration from the decadence of the 20s, evening makeup this season is elegant, glamorous and sultry. On beauty counters you’ll find rich coloured eyeshadows, deep red lipsticks, thick black eyeliners and golden tones of bronzer. For statement eyes, use a dark eyeshadow to create a line around the eye and you can smudge this to create a sultry appearance, and a vivid red lipstick always makes a dramatic evening look, especially if you are wearing black. To finish, use a wedge or angle brush to add extra definition to the arch of your eyebrows and add some shimmering highlights to the cheekbones, forehead, chin, neck, shoulders, and décolletage.

▲

Above, House of Fraser recreates The Great Gatsby look for the party season; left to right, Dior Diorific Lipstick, £25; Dazzling Rocks with Slanted Kabuk, The Body Shop; Baked to last Eye colours (05 Jade), £10, The Body Shop, The Mall at Cribbs Causeway

Look good, feel better • Harvey Nichols Bristol has joined forces with a leading UK cancer charity to stage its first fundraising Theatre of Beauty this month. The Cabot Circus store will host the event on Wednesday 7 November, with 100 per cent of ticket proceeds being donated to Look Good... Feel Better, the beauty industry’s charity that helps women combat the visible side-effects of their cancer treatment. Available in more than 60 hospitals in the UK – including Bristol’s Haematology & Oncology Centre – the LGFB programme provides uplifting skincare and make-up workshops to increase self confidence and self esteem. The Theatre of Beauty will run from 6pm-9pm and guests can enjoy a host of beauty demonstrations, consultations and mini make-overs from leading cosmetic and skincare brands.

There will also be competitions to win exclusive gifts and experiences as well as Q&A sessions with beauty experts on stage. Tickets cost £15 to include drinks, canapés and a goody bag. There will also be a limited number of VIP tickets available, at £25, which includes a 15minute one-to-one with a beauty editor from one of the UK’s leading glossy women’s magazines. Inside a specially created lounge, you will receive expert advice on the hottest new products, trends and beauty tips, plus a specially-created VIP goody bag filled with skincare and make-up treats. Tickets are available online at www.harveynichols.com or can be purchased in store.

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SKIN DEEP

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The latest health and beauty news and product reviews from Samantha Ewart

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▲ TREAT YOURSELF ❶ Give yourself a spa-like experience with this fiery addition to the Pink Pepper Collection from Molton Brown. The light eau fraîche is the perfect peppy wake-up call for the senses, rich in protective antioxidants. Available from Molton Brown at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway. ❷ Thomas Sabo has launched its first ever fragrance for women, Glam ‘N’ Soul. Inspired by the confident, independent woman, the fragrance offers dominant notes of bergamot, lychee and pink pepper, while delicate rose, water lily and magnolia injects a sensual and feminine touch. Available at the Thomas Sabo store, Cabot Circus. ❸ Inspired by Asian beauty rituals, the Dior Hydra Life BB Crème SPF 30 PA +++ combines the moisturising and protective powers of a skincare product with the complexion-perfecting and skinevening properties of a foundation to instantly blur imperfections resulting in a flawless and naturally radiant complexion. Available from John Lewis, £41.

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THE EYES HAVE IT

NUFFIELD HEALTH BRISTOL WELCOMES NEW CLINICAL SERVICES MANAGER Iestyn Foster has recently joined the Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital team as Clinical Services Manager, Theatres and Intensive Care. We find out about his new role.

Make a statement this autumn with runway-ready eyes.

Harvey Nichols’ Lisa Piddington offers her top tips to get perfect peepers

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eason after season, there is one make-up trend that the magazines and designers fall back on time and time again... the smoky eye. Sultry and as sexy as it gets, the look is synonymous with iconic Hollywood actresses and the world’s most beautiful super models. Black is the classic colour to opt for, while brown and grey give a fresh look. For AW12, make a statement with bold as brass shades – purples and neons are big news – to give the look a fashionable twist. Top tips: ✽ Even out imperfections and create the perfect base by blending foundation over the face then lightly dust pressed powder to set. ✽ Use an eyeshadow primer across the whole eye to keep the colours in place for longer. ✽ Apply a nude shadow all over the eye, from the lid to the brow – creams and off-whites are perfect, as are trendy taupe and pearl. ✽ Add a deeper colour to the eyelid to create desired depth and blend. If you hold your brush upside down this allows the pigment to get deep into the lash line to help build the colour upward and outward toward the eyebrow. ✽ Use a defining eyeliner brush to apply the darkest shade across the lash line and flick out at the corners. Again, blend the colours. ✽ To define this season’s more dramatic shape, take a sharpened eyeliner pencil in black or dark brown and draw a line from the inner corner of your eye out towards your temple. ✽ Choose an intensifying mascara and build up colour on your lashes by applying a couple of times. ✽ Your brows need to be in tip top shape for this look, so use a gel to get a good arch and a quality eyebrow pencil to fill in any gaps.

Tell us about your role.

Having an operation can be an unnerving experience and it’s a central part of my role to ensure that everything is prepared to help patients feel as relaxed and confident about their procedure as possible. I manage the operating department and am responsible for ensuring we have a skilled team in place for each operation, equipment and instruments are set up for each procedure and theatres are fully prepared. We work in an increasingly technical environment, with a diverse range of procedures taking place each week, and it’s my job to make sure we are delivering high quality, intimate patient care all the time, every time. By doing this, we can give patients the confidence that they really are in the best hands and that’s why our recent patient survey revealed 100% trust and satisfaction in our care.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

Knowing that what I do can have a real impact on how a patient feels about their time with Nuffield Health. I head up a dedicated multidisciplinary team of specialist nurses and operating department practitioners, healthcare assistants and porters. Whilst we are there at every stage of the patient’s surgical journey through the hospital, we are planning their time with us long before they’ve even arrived, as we prepare everything that might be needed during their time with us. During the operative phase of the patient’s journey we are the patient’s advocate, ensuring they receive premier care, safe in the knowledge that we maintain the highest clinical and infection prevention standards and I hope it gives our patients a great deal of comfort to know they have a dedicated team looking after them from the moment they walk through the door to the moment they leave.

What attracted you to Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital?

Firstly, I relished the opportunity to join and develop a premier care team.

Secondly, I was very excited by the prospect of Nuffield Health’s new stateof-the-art Chesterfield Hospital opening next year and the development of our new intensive care unit which will provide patients with highly specialised one-to-one critical nursing care. I’ve been given the fantastic opportunity to commission a new innovative department, providing the latest in critical care technology, delivering a high quality service in a five star facility.

Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, Upper Byron Place, Bristol, Avon BS8 1JU. Tel: 0117 987 2727 Web: www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol

✽ Finish off by dusting away any excess powder around your eyes and add a sweep of highlighter underneath to make your peepers pop.

Main image, the look from Dior’s Grand Bal Palette; above from top to bottom, Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, £18; Tom Ford Eye Colour Quad, £62; Benefit They're Real Mascara, £18.50, all products available from Harvey Nichols Bristol.

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

November 2012

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Readers Autumn Colour Promotion 50% off any colour service and a further 50% of a Cut and Blow Dry with a luxury treatment.

Can be used individually.

End date 30/12/12

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Knowledge about good nutrition helps everyone says Rebecca Edwards, lecturer at the College of Naturopathic Medicine

I

’ve been interested in health all my life, as my father is a surgeon and my mother a microbiologist and naturopath. However, it was not until I became seriously unwell with a nasty case of Epstein-Barr virus whilst I was at University, and recovered through the help of a naturopath, that I opened my eyes to the way that natural medicines can assist the body in healing itself, and I wanted to study naturopathic medicine myself. Naturopathic medicine is holistic healthcare. It uses food and natural medicines to help the body achieve natural balance.

Nutritional therapy is key to naturopathy, as what we put in our mouths each day provides the fuel our body needs to work, rest and nourish itself.

Some people think that ‘good nutrition’ sounds dull, but nothing could be further from the truth. My philosophy on food revolves around pleasure – enjoyment of wonderful flavours, and happiness at the knowledge that I am putting nourishment into my body. I tell my patients and students that the best food philosophy to have is to eat food in as close to its natural state as possible. The more processing a foodstuff has undergone, the less nutrition it retains. Basing your diet around fresh, organically produced whole foods is a good start.

As a practitioner I saw patients with all sorts of conditions, from IBS to hypothyroidism, ME to endometriosis, who benefitted from taking control of their diet and lifestyle. It’s amazingly satisfying to be able to help people do that I’ve been a senior lecturer in Nutrition at the College of Naturopathic Medicine since 2006, based at CNM’s central London college where they teach a whole range of natural therapies. I used to come to CNM’s college in Bristol to do occasional lectures and it was then that I fell in love with the city. My husband and I moved here when we decided to have a family, and we really feel part of the community. Since having my little boy I’ve enjoyed the benefits of having a flexible career by taking time off from practice to look after him. Jolyon has severe infant reflux disease and I’ve been using naturopathy to help him alongside mainstream medicine. I’m so pleased that knowing about Nutrition really helps me to nurture him.

Wonderful as it is to be a full time mother, I also love escaping to do CNM lectures! Being as passionate as I am about the health benefits of Nutrition, I love being able to share my knowledge with CNM students, especially when they tell me how thrilling they find our classes and how amazed they are at the impact of food on mental and physical processes. With about 80% of CNM graduates going on to practice and help others, the message about good nutrition is spreading wider all the time. With the growth of modern diet-related diseases, I feel privileged to be part of a positive approach to address the problem. www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Rebecca Edwards is a naturopath, qualified in nutrition, herbal medicine and homoeopathy

Wednesday 7th November: 6.30pm - 8.30pm FREE Open Evening Expert Training in Natural Medicine Learn about the flexible study courses available in natural medicine at CNM Bristol.

To reserve your place - call 01342 410 505 or email info@naturopathy-uk.com.

www.naturopathy-uk.com November 2012

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CENTRE4HEALTH CLINIC At Whiteladies Health Centre with Susanna Priest

Lymphatic Management, uses a light medical massage to reduce oedema and stimulate the lymphatic system, this is called Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD). For MLD Therapy patients often have, swollen limbs or ankles, lymphedema, Lipoedema, Pre and Post-Operative Shoulder, Hip and Knee replacements, Cosmetic Surgery and the need to detox. Decongestive Lymphatic Therapy combines MLD and specialist bandaging to reduce swelling and improve mobility and appearance. A Compression Hosiery fitting service if offered using attractive modern hosiery (no Norah Batty tights!) Before setting up our service in Bristol I was working in a major NHS London Hospital in the Lymphatic Departments.

ElectroMagnetic Stimulation (EMS), a gentle, effective therapy helping conditions like arthritis, back pain, joint pain, sports injuries, MS and fractures.

'M'Technique™, a hypnotic massage for stress and insomnia, which I practiced at NHS Cheltenham Hospital.

Bristol: Tuesday and Friday Whiteladies Health Centre, Whatley Road, Clifton, BS8 2PU Nailsworth: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday Suite 2, 2 Market Street, Nailsworth, Stroud, Glos GL5 5AB. Free car parking.

www.centre4health.co.uk FOR DETAILS AND TESTIMONIALS

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Tel: 07867 934677 / 01453 836230 susanna@centre4health.co.uk

November 2012

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CITYproperty

N O FT M LI .5 C £1

A E LS M E 5 H .9 C £8

THE CHELSEA EFFECT The news that rail travel times to London from Bristol will be cut to an hour and 20 minutes has led to predictions that commuters to the city will increasingly look to settle in the south west – creating a demand that may push property prices above general market trends

A

study by estate agent Knight Frank of the implications of better rail links with London predicts that Bristol may see a property price growth of up to ten per cent in the next few years, as commuters realise that west country living is an achievable goal. The £700m electrification of the London to Cardiff line – due for completion in 2017 – will result in a 20 minute reduction in journey times between the capital and Bristol.

Knight Frank has estimated that the impact of reducing the travel time between Bristol and the capital to one hour and 20 minutes, will see an increased demand which could boost property values by between five and ten per cent in some locations over and above general market trends.

Last year the Government announced that £700 million would be spent on the electrification of the Great Western Main Line between London and Cardiff, via Bristol. According to the Department for Transport, the average journey from Bristol to Paddington will be reduced by around 20 minutes, from an hour and 40 minutes to an hour and 20 minutes. Work on the electrification will start in 2014 and is due for completion by 2017.

People living in London will increasingly find that their money will go further if they decamp to the south west. They may also realise that Bristol has plenty to offer, from its vibrant cultural scene, great shopping and access to great places to spend leisure time.

Rupert Oliver, partner at Knight Frank, said: “Potential buyers looking to move to the Bristol area and commute to London, or indeed vice versa, often exclude property searches outside the city to limit the time they spend travelling to and from work each day. The rail improvements are likely to increase demand for property in the Bristol area and substantially increase the size of the property search area for those commuting to London.

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“Based on the assumption that those living in the Bristol area will be willing to travel for up to two hours each way, including getting from their home to Bristol Temple Meads rail station, we have had a look at the impact this will have on the property search area.”

For commuters willing to drive for up to 40 minutes at the start of their journey to get to the rail station, they would be looking at property in areas including Clifton, Sneyd Park, Leigh Woods, Redland, Bedminster, Southville, Failand, Wraxall and Wrington Vale.

Rupert added: “Bristol doesn’t attract as many buyers looking to commute to London as Bath does, but the shorter journey times from 2017 will change this. If you compare property prices in Bristol with those in London, the appeal of moving here becomes clear.

CITY HOTSPOTS : left, a restored townhouse in Chelsea right, a similar home in Clifton

The more affluent areas of Bristol including ❝ Clifton, Sneyd Park, Leigh Woods and Redland will certainly prosper from those who require access to London ❞ “A good example is a property currently on the market on Clare Road in Cotham. It is ideal for professional couples looking to start a family and move out of London and is on the market for £625,000. A similar house in London’s Earlsfield or Balham would cost closer to £1m.

Another good example is to compare two fine townhouses, one in Chelsea, the other just 500 metres from Clifton Suspension Bridge in Clifton. The Chelsea home, which has been impeccably renovated, has a large master suite and five other bedroom suites, a gym, garden, off-street parking, drawing room and dining room, an eat-in kitchen, study and a cinema room. It is within walking distance of the Kings Road and Kensington

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CITYproperty

DESIRABLE : left, inside Conigre Road in Fulham right, Clare Road in Cotham

and is on the market with Knight Frank’s Chelsea office for £8,950,000.

In Clifton, which like Chelsea, prides itself on its village atmopshere with bustling shops and cafés within walking distance, there is a five bedroom Georgian townhouse with an asking price of £1.5m. This has lovely views, over the green at the front and the Suspension Bridge at the back. It has a roof terrace and a small terrace garden, separate drawing room and dining room, plus a family sitting room and kitchen/breakfast room.

Rupert said: “If we compare the cost of buying in the Home Counties around London with that in the Bristol area, it is clear just how much more you get for your money in Bristol. For just an extra half an hour or so on the train – once the rail improvements take effect in 2017 – the average price per sq ft in the prime Bristol area is just £309 compared to an average of £450 per sq ft in the prime Home Counties.

“The more affluent areas of Bristol including Clifton, Sneyd

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Park, Leigh Woods and Redland will certainly prosper from those who require access to London. And while the already popular villages around Bristol are likely to become even more desirable for affluent commuters, the areas closer to the rail station such as Bedminster and Southville may become more appealing to renters and investors.

“It should be noted that the rail improvements could also increase demand from those who work in Bristol but want to live primarily in London and commute.

“This could generate demand for pied a terre properties in Bristol and would affect the market for apartments, such as these three which are currently on the market – 7 Landmark Court (£365,000), 12 Worcester Terrace (£350,000) and 28 Capricorn Place (£435,000).” ■ Contacts: Rupert Oliver, Knight Frank LLP, Bristol: 0117 317 1999, Mark O’Hara, Knight Frank LLP, Fulham: 020 7751 2404, John Waters, Knight Frank LLP, Chelsea: 020 7349 4306

November 2012

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DESIGNcity

SCANDICOOL YULE We take a look at why taking a leaf out of the Scandinavian style book means that less can be more, when decorating your home this Christmas

A

s we all prepare for Christmas while juggling the demands of our busy lives, it would not be entirely inaccurate to describe many family homes around the region as rather chaotic places. This is certainly not the case however, for one particular grade two-listed Georgian townhouse, where Matthew Ellis and his wife Sarah, a solicitor at Thrings LLP, live with their three boys, Chester, Harvey and Rory. Step inside and the classic Georgian proportions mixed with simple mid-20th century furniture make for a light and airy feel which exudes calm. “We like to keep things simple in our house when it comes to decorating and Christmas is no exception. We don’t like anything too fussy, or cluttered looking,” says Matthew.

It is not surprising to hear this sentiment coming from the man who has put Bristol on the map as a destination for genuine iconic mid-20th century and Scandinavian furniture, with the arrival of Clifton designer furniture showroom Sphere Living Design. Until Sphere launched last year, Bristol’s style hunters were faced with a trip to London-based Skandium store or The Conran Shop, to purchase genuine, original pieces such as the Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen, or the Eames lounge chair, by Charles and Ray Eames.

“I think we can learn a lot from the Scandinavians with their understated, effortless cool and the way they choose pared down classic designs that stand the test of time, over the throw away consumer culture,” says Matthew. Over the years Matthew and Sarah have invested in some key iconic pieces of furniture that bring real impact to the rooms in their home, while freshening up the look with accessories as the seasons dictate. “Sarah absolutely loves everything about Christmas,” says Matthew.

“She especially loves the constant stream of family and friends who come to visit, so the season also provides us with the perfect excuse to introduce some new items of crockery and glass ware into our home” he explains.

The other trick to nailing the pared down simplicity of the Scandinavian look at Christmas, is to keep colour really simple.

As Matthew says, “We are careful not to introduce too much colour or pattern into our scheme throughout the year, to ensure the look doesn’t end up feeling messy. This goes for Christmas too, when we try to stick to a palette of warm whites and neutrals, injecting a little red here and there for splashes of seasonal cheer.”

Sarah Ellis on what makes Christmas for her... ★ Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without… “Candle light. I love to cluster little tea lights on the mantel pieces, side boards and especially on the kitchen table for the big family Christmas lunch.”

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★ You are never too old at Christmas for… “Stockings! There would be uproar in our house at Christmas time if Santa forgot to deliver the boys their stockings. I only fill them with little things, tangerines, nuts, the usual little bits and bobs, and of course a rugby ball, but I love to wrap it all up in beautiful paper. For me, it all adds to the occasion.” ★ Christmas starts in the Ellis household… “About the middle of December, when we put the tree up. We always try to have a real Norwegian Spruce, the needles may end up getting everywhere, but the non-drop variety just doesn’t smell like Christmas! We get all our decorations out from the loft and the whole family gets involved in dressing the tree. And then I dress it again, once they have all gone to bed!” ★ Christmas decorations for me are… “Classic pieces collected over a lifetime, I like to mix and match old with new, but making sure I keep to a theme of just one or two colours, to pull the look together.” ■

DECK THE HALLS: featured in picture above, red step ladder by Karl Malmvall for Design House Stockholm, Children’s Eames Elephant in white designed in 1945 by Charles and Ray Eames at Vitra, White Eames Lounge chair by Charles and Ray Eames (1956) at Vitra, Kaiser Idell lamp in white at Fritz Hansen

Sphere Living Design, Embassy House, Queens Avenue, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1SB. Tel: 0117 929 2365 www.spherelivingdesign.com

All the above available from Sphere Living Design

Below, tea lights by iittala

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Are you looking for new lighting for any area at the home?

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November 2012

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November 2012

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AUTUMNgardens

BOLD AND BRILLIANT Jane Moore savours the glorious colours of autumn and the easy growing plants that fire up these misty days

I

t’s generally regarded that October is the month for autumn colour, particularly the third week of the month which is the one where everyone flocks to Westonbirt to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the fiery leaves. But often the colours start earlier than that and carry on making a splash well into November. I’ve always loved the carpet of fallen leaves crisped and rimed with frost, crunchy underfoot and glowing with vibrant colour.

November sees Anna and I raking leaves from the paths of the Priory virtually every morning, our breath clouding the cold air as we settle into the rhythm of our raking. As well as our habitual discussions ranging from what we cooked last night to what we’re reading we do actually talk about work quite a lot and in particular any horticultural additions to assist the Priory’s autumn show that we might need. Gaps in the colour firmament are easy to pinpoint right now and it’s the perfect time for buying and planting autumn colour shrubs and trees.

Tall and handsome

Most gardens only have room for one or two trees and medium sized ones at that so, rather than focus on the truly splendid autumn colours of magnificent trees like Liquidambar and Parrotia which will grow to epic proportions, I prefer to concentrate on the more manageable delights of cherries and suchlike. Cherries are brilliant trees for the smaller garden as they not only have magnificent autumn colour but also lovely bark and, of course, masses of beautiful frothy blossom in the springtime.

My favourite for autumn colour has to be prunus sargentii which fires up reliably every October and follows up in the spring with plenty of clear pink single flowers. However it might not be that easy to track down at a nursery whereas the Japanese cherries are perennially popular.

Varieties like the blush white flowered Spring Snow and Pink Perfection with double rose-pink flowers also have amazing autumn colours and are brilliant value for money and space in a smaller garden.

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If you have a little more room consider the Snowy Mespilus or Amelanchier which is a beautifully shaped, wide-branching small tree with small rounded leaves turning fabulously fiery autumn colours in October and holding onto those leaves well if it’s in a sheltered spot. Springtime sees the bare branches wreathed in a froth of masses of tiny white flowers.

Strong and sturdy

If there’s no room for a tree in your garden, think about a substantial shrub to give your garden that hit of autumn colour.

I can bore for England on the virtues of cotinus, the Smoke Bush, but I’ll restrain myself to highlighting three varieties for brilliant colour. First off Grace has the largest leaves and needs the biggest space as it makes a broad sprawling shrub which can be pruned to contain it and turns all the colours you can think of in autumn. Second is the daintier but just as colourful Flame and last is good old Royal Purple a lovely background shrub which takes on red notes within the deep purple leaves in autumn.

prunus sargentii, which fires up ❝ reliably every October and follows up in spring with plenty of clear single pink flowers

❞

Some of the ornamental elders are great value for their purple colouring too which seems to intensify with autumn. I love Black Beauty with broadly lobed black leaves and sugar pink spring flower heads but it does need some room. For a smaller garden Black Lace is daintier with filigree black foliage. Both look utterly fantastic when paired with euonymus alatus, my all time favourite autumn colour shrub with leaves so pink they hurt your eyes.

CHEERFUL SIGHT: main picture, cotinus, otherwise known as the Smoke Bush Top right, shrubs can give a glorious display of autumn colour

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AUTUMNgardens Choice and cherished

If you’re looking for something a bit more special – probably with a price tag to match – look no further than Japanese acers.

I love these trees but they are slow-growing and a little difficult.

My top acers from all the hundreds available are the pronounceable ones such as the dainty but oh-so-slow Garnet with finely cut purple leaves and the more robust Bloodgood with broader lobed leaves and that typical arching acer habit. I also love the less tongue-friendly Ozakazuki which has fiery autumn leaves and coral twiggy new growth but will make a medium sized tree quicker than most.

It’s only fair to say that they’re sometimes downright painful to grow. They’re prone to die back in a major way periodically, need just the right amount of shade/sun/moisture/drainage and suffer terribly from scorch in summer and cold and drying winds in autumn, winter and spring. If you’re still keen – and I am after all these setbacks – then think dappled shade, wind shelter from larger shrubs and trees and a good dollop of TLC.

Last but by no means least

Town gardens, small gardens or those with a more minimalist aesthetic need plants that will have sufficient stature to hold their own when surrounded by hard landscaping. The beautiful named and equally beautiful looking Heavenly Bamboo is a must-have and not just for its glorious autumn colour. Slow growing and extremely well behaved Nandina domestica Firepower, to give it its proper name, is a graceful plant with a bamboo-like shape and elegant leaves turning all the fiery shades you could possibly want in autumn. ■ Jane Moore is the award-winning gardener at The Priory, Bath.

Follow her on Twitter @janethegardener or read her blog, www.janethegardener.wordpress.com

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

November 2012

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The Bristol Magazine 99

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the directory

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BRISTOLproperty

B

radfords House was originally built by Neremiah Bradford, a Bristol surgeon and later became a rectory from the mid 19th century until 1958. The house is grade II listed and is one of a number of properties which form the Frenchay Conservation area. The house is three storeys high with three windows on each floor, joined by a two storey wing with a mid19th century bay. The three principal rooms are situated off the entrance hall and have period ceiling cornices, dado rails and handsome fireplaces. The music room and drawing room have wonderful views across Frenchay Common, while the dining room looks across the walled gardens. Also on the ground floor are the garden room, cloak room and the integral garage which has been converted from the former ballroom. There is a large wine cellar. The first floor has three rooms and a shower room which currently form the master suite. The half landing has two further bedrooms and a shower room which could potentially provide accommodation for staff or an elderly relative. The second floor has three further double bedrooms and a family bathroom. The gardens of Bradfords House were designed and landscaped by the renowned plants expert, Barbara Stockitt, mother of Bunny Guinness the garden writer. There are numerous specimen shrubs, topiary and over 7,000 bulbs and the rear garden is enclosed by a high stone wall providing privacy and shelter. For full particulars and an appointment to view this elegant and historic property, contact agents Knight Frank.

Knight Frank, Regent House, 27A Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 317 1999

www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk

BRADFORDS HOUSE FRENCHAY COMMON BRISTOL • Drawing room • Dining room • Music room • Master bedroom suite • Five further bedrooms • Extensive views over Frenchay Common • Delightful walled garden

Guide Price: £1,395,000 November 2012

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The Bristol Magazine 101

Bristol & Clifton’s premier Commercial Property Agents

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• Sales • Lettings • • Valuations • Rent reviews • • Acquisitions advice • Investments • • Development advice • Landlord & tenant • Keep un to date with our latest news... www.burstoncook.co.uk Julian Cook

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Please telephone Julian Cook FRICS Jayne Rixon MRICS or Andrew Oliver MRICS or David Ball BA MSc (Hons) (0117) 934 9977 Burston Cook November.indd 1

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Property Concept Nov:Layout 5

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MANAGEMENT • SALES • LETTING • CONSULTANCY

Harbourside £154,950- £249,950 Property Concept is delighted to introduce to the market a selection of one and two bed apartments in this prestigious development. Steamship House, Great Western House and Great Eastern House occupy an enviable position on the Harbourside, sitting alongside the site of Brunel’s famous SS Great Britain, and looking out on to the ever changing water vista of Bristol’s busy Harbourside. Cafes, restaurants and the recently opened M Shed museum are all within walking distance. The City Centre, Clifton Village and all major transport links are all easily accessible either by road or by water taxi. The apartments have all been finished to a high specification and reflect the contemporary finish that applicants wanting the best of urban, waterfront living would seek. All two bed apartments have secure parking included.

This is arguably one of the best locations on Bristol’s ever changing waterfront offering an opportunity for those wanting to find either a harbourside home or as they have very good rental history as an investment.

We anticipate considerable interest so early viewing is highly recommended.

Clifton £274,950

Clifton £205,000

A spacious well planned second floor apartment with a delightful southerly aspect, rear balcony and lift set in a Grade II* listed building in Royal York Crescent. The sitting room is set at the front of the property along with the second double bedroom both benefitting from a sunny aspect, there is a well equipped kitchen, the master bedroom is set to the rear with a glazed door to the small rear balcony, the bathroom is modern. The flat is sold with no onward chain.

A two bedroom top floor flat set within a Grade II listed building with views across Christchurch Green and towards the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Within walking distance of Clifton village and its mix of restaurants, cafes and boutiques the property has the added benefit of off street parking. The sitting room and 2nd bedroom are located at the front of the property, the master bedroom and kitchen to the rear with the bathroom set in the middle. This property would make an ideal first time home or investment potential.

21 Princess Victoria Street

Tel 0117 970 6119

enquiries@propertyconcept.co.uk

Clifton, Bristol BS8 4BX

Fax 0117 970 6109

www.propertyconcept.co.uk

Alexander May November:Layout 1

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Westbury on Trym branch: 01179 500 118 25 Canford Lane, Westbury on Trym, Bristol, BS9 3DQ

Long Ashton branch: 01275 393 956 50 Weston Road, Long Ashton, Bristol, BS41 9HH

W ION NE UCT R ST IN

New Charlton Way, Cribbs Causeway,

£270,000

Northern Lights, Dundry

£395,000

£375,000

Barrow Court, Barrow Gurney

£499,950

£525,000

Ridgeway Road, Long Ashton

£595,000

Three storey townhouse, flexible accommodation. Four bedrooms, two reception rooms. Upgraded features throughout, under-floor heating to ground floor, gas central heating and double glazing, garage & allocated parking space, jacuzzi bathroom & en-suite shower room, two additional cloakrooms, lawned rear garden with pedestrian access. No onward chain. Well placed for the M4 and M5 motorway links as well as an abundance of shopping at Cribbs Causeway.

This individual property is located in the privacy of Ham Lane in Dundry village and offers contemporary living in semi-rural surroundings enjoying breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside incorporating central Bristol as well as the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and the two Severn Bridges. The property has been completely refurbished to a high specification by the current owners meaning you can just move straight in. To the front of this home is off-street parking and a garage.

To the sides and rear of the property are patio areas and terracing to take in the truly magnificent view

W ION NE UCT TR S IN

Rockleaze, Sneyd Park,

Situated on the sought after ‘Rockleaze’ directly facing ‘The Downs’. A substantial (circa 1200’) courtyard apartment, grand central reception hall measuring in excess 30ft, living room 27’2’ x 14’11’ and having a marble fireplace, two well-proportioned double bedrooms, a bathroom, a separate shower room, gas central heating, period features, a garage & further parking, offered with no onward chain. Internal viewing highly recommended.

This magnificent individual mews house is set in the grounds of a private Tudor Mansion is Located on a quiet lane on the outskirts of the much sought after village of Barrow Gurney. Full of character the ground floor consists of a spacious open-plan sitting/dining room and kitchen which is perfect for entertaining, a further family room which could also be an additional bedroom and a shower room. The first floor comprises two bedrooms, a dressing room and main bathroom. Externally there are two allocated parking spaces and a private garden.

W ION NE UCT R T NS

I

College Park Drive, Westbury On Trym,

‘Blaise Cottage’. A spacious detached home situated in a cul-de-sac and offered with no onward chain. The accommodation comprises; entrance porch, entrance hall, four double bedrooms (all with built in wardrobes and a dressing table), bathroom and separate en-suite bathroom, two separate reception rooms plus a study, a large well equipped kitchen with waste disposal unit and water softening system, gas central heating, double glazing, double garage plus ample parking.

Situated on one of Long Ashton’s premier roads, this five bedroom, extended family home sits in an elevated position on Ridgeway Road enjoying superb southerly views. The ground floor comprises three reception rooms, including; a sitting room with French doors leading onto a raised sun terrace, dining room and study/family room. Furthermore there is a modern kitchendining room, utility room and downstairs WC. Well-manicured gardens, storage space in basement storage area, double garage and driveway complete this great family home to enjoy.

www.alexandermay.co.uk

www.maggsandallen.co.uk

0117 949 1888 60 Northumbria Drive, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4HW

SELL

BUY Porfolio Shuffling • Struggling with vacant properties?

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Estate Agents

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Maggs & Allen INVESTMENT Nov.indd 1

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Auctioneers

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18/10/2012 16:02

www.maggsandallen.co.uk

0117 949 9000 60 Northumbria Drive, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4HW

UNDER OFFER

UNDER OFFER

Westbury On Trym

£850,000

This distinctive 1920s detached house commands stunning views from the crest of one of Westbury-onTryms most sought after roads. It offers versatile accommodation to either cater for the larger family with five receptions and seven to eight bedrooms, the possibility of retaining the main house with an annexe for families looking to accommodate dependant relatives. The self contained annexe has, two receptions and its own kitchen, the first floor offers three further bedrooms and a shower room. The established gardens meander round the home, and are quite mature, the privacy is fitting for this grand house. The home further benefits from gas central heating, alarm system, three cloakrooms, and plenty of storage.

FOR SALE

£689,950 Henleaze

An individual modern detached house with sizable accommodation designed for modern living. Five bedrooms, two en suite along with family bathroom, large dining room that opens onto the fitted kitchen, living room, conservatory and study with downstairs cloakroom. To the front is plenty of off street parking and to the rear is a manageable lawned garden and patio. An ideal home for entertaining, perfect for those times when you simply want to enjoy all the space at your disposal. Situated on a premier road on the edge, shops are close by and Westbury-On-Trym Village is approximately 1.5 miles. There is also regular bus services to Bristol City Centre. The open expanse of neighbouring Blaise Castle Estate offers wonderful walks for children and pets and is within less than quarter of a mile walking distance. Coombe Dingle recreation ground and sports facilities are within 0.75 miles.

Maggs & Allen Nov.indd 1

£695,000

Maggs and Allen are delighted to bring to market this wonderfully spacious & well cared for detached family house. As you enter the home, the wide hallway with its wooden floor & plate rack intact confirms this homes heritage. The dining room sits to the front of the house with doors opening into the rear sitting room.

The conservatory makes a wonderful extra reception and provides access onto the rear garden. The kitchen breakfast room still has the larder & offers access onto the garden. The first floor landing is a wonderful space in itself, & here we find four double bedrooms, one family bathroom, & a further shower room to cater for growing families. This home also has a garage with utility space which can be accessed from the kitchen, a downstairs cloakroom, long wide driveway, & a 128 south west facing rear garden with patio.

FOR SALE

Coombe Dingle

Estate Agents

Stoke Bishop

Lettings & Auctioneers Management

£510,000

This 1930s natural four bedroom semi detached house is immaculately presented throughout having been completely renovated and is situated within a quiet back water of the ever popular Oakwood Road. The improved and updated accommodation comprises; spacious welcoming hallway which provides access to two good sized reception rooms plus a modern spacious kitchen and downstairs W.C. First floor comprises; Four bedrooms along with newly fitted modern bathroom. Outside the property is a mature garden with decking along with a drive and a garage. Oakwood Road is a highly regarded and neighbourly road that offers great level access to the shops on Henleaze Road along with being a short distance from Henleaze infant and Junior school.

Commercial/ Investment

Chartered Land/New Homes Surveyors

Energy Assessors

18/10/2012 16:03

www.maggsandallen.co.uk

0117 949 9000 60 Northumbria Drive, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4HW

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Landlords...

IL

SIM

Henleaze £1,495 pcm A fantastic unfurnished four bed semi detached house situated on a highly sought after road within Henleaze. The property comprises to the ground floor 2 receptions rooms, kitchen/breakfast room with built in appliances, conservatory & WC. On the first floor are 4 bedrooms, 2 family bathrooms & sauna room.

Further benefiting from double integral garage, off street parking and rear garden.

IL

IL

SIM

SIM

your investment

Lettings W ED NO T EQUIR LEAR R

W ED NO T EQUIR LEAR R

Taking care of

Residential

At Maggs & Allen, we offer flexible letting package to meet your needs at competitive rates.

Extensive and effective marketing generates a continuous source of tenants to maximise your income.

Comprehensive tenant referencing and friendly, well trained staff provide peace of mind for a hassle free letting.

0117 949 9000

www.maggsandallen.co.uk W ED NO T EQUIR LEAR R

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IL

Redland £1,550 pcm Situated within circa 0.2 miles of Redland Green School is this furnished & well-proportioned five bedroom mid terrace home. The spacious accommodation is arranged over 3 floors and comprises of 2 formal reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, downstairs shower room and utility room. To the first floor are 3 bedrooms and a bathroom (shower over bath) with a further 2 double bedrooms on the top floor.

Redland £1,400 pcm An exceptional family home in Redland ideally located for local amenities, transport routes and Redland Green School APR. This property has been stylishly improved throughout. To the ground floor hallway, open plan living room with bay window through to kitchen/dining room. On the first floor there are 3 good size bedrooms and a family bathroom with shower over bath.

TO LET

IL

SIM

SIM

Redland £1,000 pcm An exceptionally spacious unfurnished two double bedroom top floor flat situated just off Whiteladies Road, with its impressive range of shops, restaurants and bars. The smartly presented living accommodation includes a large reception hallway, spacious living room, kitchen/breakfast room, two double bedrooms (both with fitted wardrobes) and a bathroom with bath & separate mains shower cubicle.

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Sneyd Park £1,200 pcm An unfurnished duplex apartment located in one of Bristols premier locations, Sneyd Park. Within walking distance to Durdham Down the contemporary and spacious accommodation comprises kitchen/breakfast room, open plan living/dining room with access to the balcony. To the first floor are 3 double bedrooms (master with Ensuite) and bathroom (shower over over bath).

W ED NO T EQUIR LEAR R

IL

IL

SIM

SIM

Abbots Leigh

Bishopston £850 pcm Situated in a quiet backwater close to Gloucester Road is this spacious ground floor flat. The accommodation comprises 2 double bedrooms, dining room, living room, brand new kitchen (fridge/ freezer, washing machine, cooker) and bathroom (shower over bath). The property further benefits from private rear garden, gas central heating and double glazing throughout.

Estate Agents

Henleaze £1,800 pcm 4 bedroom family home situated in a very sought after location within walking distance for local amenities, transport routes and Henleaze Primary School. This property is offered unfurnished comprising large modern fitted kitchen/breakfast room with tri folding doors leading onto the enclosed rear garden, utility room & 2 reception rooms. To the first floor are 4 bedrooms (3 doubles) & family bathroom.

Lettings & Auctioneers Management

Maggs & Allen Nov LETTING.indd 1

£1,100 pcm

Detached home set within the semi rural location of Abbots Leigh. The Vicarage, located on Church Road, sits on a generous plot. The unfurnished accommodation comprises spacious entrance hall, 3 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room and 2 downstairs WC. To the first floor are 5 double bedrooms, bathroom (shower over bath) and separate WC all accessed off the spacious landing. Further benefits include garage (offering ample storage), off street parking and gardens to front, side and rear, Situated within easy reach of Clifton, City Centre and M5 motorway network. Offered strictly on a 6 month tenancy.

Commercial/ Investment

Chartered Land/New Homes Surveyors

Energy Assessors

18/10/2012 16:04

Ocean fp November:Layout 1

19/10/12

Westbury on Trym

12:32

Page 1

£425,000 Stoke Bishop

A beautifully appointed semi detached family home occupying a prime position on Stoke Lane close to the many local amenities.

This lovely offers three double bedrooms with two bathrooms, extended living room and separate dining room. The property has an integral garage and off street parking, landscaped garden.

£385,000 Brentry

A three bedroom semi detached family home tucked away in a quiet corner of Stoke Bishop with picturesque views over the Dingle. Accommodation comprises of three bedrooms, two reception rooms, an extended kitchen with breakfast bar. This property boasts a 100' rear garden with seating area.

£350,000

A newly refurbished four bedroom bungalow with large rear garden and off street parking. The property benefits from four bedrooms, large open plan living space with tri-fold doors opening on the expansive rear garden. There are two modern bathrooms and a modern kitchen with an island.

Westbury-on-trym 0117 962 1973

westburysales@oceanhome.co.uk

Westbury on Trym

£335,000 Coombe Dingle

An extended three bedroom semi detached house located within a quiet cul de sac location in Westbury on Trym. With a large reception space, modern kitchen breakfast room and integrated garage on the ground floor. Accommodation upstairs comprises of three double bedrooms, an en-suite shower room and family bathroom with access to a decorated loft room.

Brentry

£224,950 Sea Mills

This four bedroom detached family home with off street parking and 70' garden backing onto Filton Golf Course. This beautifully presented property offers a large living room, and a modern kitchen dining room. The first floor accommodation comprises of four bedrooms along with a modern family bathroom.

wills and probate

£285,000 Henleaze

Nestled within a quiet backwater of Coombe Dingle, this is a fine example of a bay fronted 1950's family home with over a 70 foot rear garden and off street parking. The living room has a semi-circular bay and the kitchen / dining room. The first floor houses three bedrooms and a separate w/c and bathroom.

£280,000

This beautifully presented two bedroom first floor apartment with a single garage. With generous proportions throughout, accommodation comprises of a spacious lounge with South facing bay window and a kitchen dining room. At the rear of the property are two double bedrooms, an en-suite and modern bathroom.

£195,000 Westbury on Trym

This three bedroom semi-detached home with a driveway and the enclosed South facing rear garden. With two light linked reception rooms and a modern fitted kitchen, three bedrooms, and the modern bathroom. The property has been tastefully decorated throughout and is ready to move straight into.

European legal services

£109,950

A mixture of 24, one and two bedroom apartments located on the northern edge of Westbury on Trym. With prices from £109,950 and £119,950 for one or two bedroom flats respectively. These apartments are available with no onward chain and would suit both investors and owner occupiers alike.

property lawyers

Ocean fp November:Layout 1

Redland

18/10/12

15:45

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£184,950 Cotham

£207,500 Redland

£209,950

Impressive one bedroom Hall floor flat with living room with high A two double bedroom top floor apartment with far reaching A characterful cottage with two bedrooms, cosy living room ceilings, fireplace and bay window, separate kitchen and off- views, living room, kitchen/breakfast room, gas central heating with flagstone floor and woodburning stove, shaker style street parking to the rear. and no onward chain. kitchen and no onward chain.

Clifton 0117 946 6007

cliftonsales@oceanhome.co.uk

Clifton

Offers over £242,500 Clifton

£274,950 Clifton

£289,950

A two double bedroom garden level apartment set in the A light and airy first floor apartment with its own front door, Substantial two double bedroom first floor flat with lounge and detached building next to the Downs with 22’ x 15’ living room two double bedrooms, two bathrooms kitchen with granite separate kitchen/diner that is set in this detached property in and communal gardens. worksurface and firs come first served parking. a highly desirable location in Clifton.

Kingsdown

£339,950 Redland

£599,950 Failand

£649,950

A fived bedroom modern house with a garage currently rented A substantial five bedroom Victorian terraced home with plenty A substantial modern detached home on the edge of Failand to students until June 2013 with living room, separate kitchen of original features and a flexible layout providing the possibility with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, two reception rooms, and good sized enclosed garden. of a separate flat on the garden level. kitchen dining room, large double garage and pretty gardens.

estate agents

letting agents

surveyors

mortgage brokers

The Apartment Company Nov:Layout 3

Leigh Woods

18/10/12

16:07

Page 1

Offers in Excess of ÂŁ265,000

Two Bedrooms | 2 Bedrooms | Living/Dining Room | Kitchen | En suite Bathroom | Shower Room | Hall | Utility Room | Built-in storage | Balcony | Garage | Visitor parking | Communal Gardens Set in over 2 acres of beautiful communal gardens this balcony apartment is presented with contemporary elements complementing original details. A lovely light apartment with well-designed accommodation, ample storage, on-site parking and a single garage with further storage above. This is a convenient location within walking distance of Clifton Village, National Trust woodland and the Ashton Court estate.

Clifton

Offers in Excess of ÂŁ360,000

Two Bedrooms | Living Room | Kitchen | Shower Room | Dressing Room | En-suite Bathroom/wet-room | Utility Room | Store Room/Studio/Gym | Courtyards front and rear | Central Clifton Location This is a lovely apartment with level access. The main accommodation is on the ground floor with living room, bedroom, bathroom and master suite with bedroom, dressing room and en-suite bathroom/wet-room. Lower floor with an open vaulted room which could be used as a studio or home gym. There is a small enclosed courtyard to the rear and south-facing private courtyard to the front.of space for outdoor dining with further storage areas.

The Apartment Company Nov:Layout 3

Clifton

18/10/12

16:08

Page 2

Offers in Excess of ÂŁ265,000

Two double bedrooms | Sitting/Dining Room | Kitchen | Bathroom | Communal Garden (on same level) | Prime location close to Clifton and The Triangle | Period Features | No onward chain This two double bedroom apartment is in an exceptionally convenient location close to Bristol University and Clifton Village with good links to the city centre. The accommodation is on the ground floor and retains many period features such as working shutters to the sash windows and ornate plasterwork to the ceilings. Ideal for investors and those wanting a central location with access to a wide range of amenities. Share of communal garden.

Sneyd Park

Offers in Excess of ÂŁ375,000

Two Bedrooms | Sitting/Dining Room | Comprehensively fitted Kitchen | Family Bathroom | Dressing Room | Shower Room | Utility Cupboard | Lift and stair access | Two allocated parking spaces | Visitor parking A beautiful apartment on the first floor of this unique development of a former Victorian property. The elegant front elevation has been retained and the property is a successful combination of contemporary elements with traditional features including sash windows and cornices to the ceilings. Detailed to a high standard with oak doors, recessed down-lighting, wood flooring and AEG appliances in the kitchen.

Montpelier

Horfield

St. Andrews

Presenting spacious accommodation throughout, is this four storey, four double bedroom Georgian style property. Boasting a wealth of original style features, this property has experienced updating over time and has been heavily extended to the ground and first floor. Benefiting from a courtyard garden, decked roof terrace and offered with no onward chain.

A substantial end of terrace property, offering extensive living space with the ground floor having been extended. Boasting four well balanced bedrooms and an upstairs family bathroom, a downstairs shower room and separate utility room. Also benefiting from off street parking, with a garage located to the rear, and being within walking distance of Gloucester Road.

Arranged over three storeys, this impressive end of terrace property offers ample living space. The property boasts a bay fronted reception room and full width kitchen to the ground floor, with a good size family room to the lower ground floor, and three generous sized bedrooms to the first floor.

Located a stone’s throw from Gloucester Road and St. Andrews Park.

£335,000

£350,000

£370,000

Henleaze

Henleaze

Henleaze

A substantial unique detached family residence positioned within a 45m x 20m plot.

Four individual reception rooms, kitchen and downstairs WC. Five family size bedrooms with en-suite WC to master, family bathroom, separate WC and office. Private driveway and garage to rear. Positioned adjacent to Henleaze Infant and Junior School.

A semi-detached Victorian style family home arranged over three levels with two receptions, kitchen/breakfast room and utility/ kitchen area. Two upper floors offer six family size bedrooms and two family bathrooms. 15m level practical garden, garage, and private driveway. Positioned within close proximity of Henleaze high street shops and amenities and Durdham Down. Marketed with No Onward Chain.

This modern detached extended family home now offers significantly increased ground floor living accommodation including conservatory with triple aspect and additional extension to side incorporating utility area and converted garage. Four family size bedrooms, en-suite shower room to master and bathroom. Within close proximity of Henleaze Infant and Junior School. No Onward Chain.

PRICE: £700,000

PRICE: £685,000

PRICE: £435,000

CJ Hole November.indd 2

18/10/2012 16:00

Sneyd Park Guide Price £550,000

Spacious four bedroom detached house situated on the popular Glenavon Park development.

Extended ground floor with 3 reception rooms, kitchen, utility & cloaks. Master bedroom en suite, 3 further bedrooms and family bathroom. Double garage, parking and manageable gardens.

Stoke Bishop £440,000

A delightful detached house with garage and garden for al fresco dining situated at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Stoke Bishop. Beautifully presented accommodation mainly comprises kitchen, 2 reception rooms, conservatory, 3 double bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Sneyd Park £350,000

A delightful Victorian two double bedroom terraced house presented to an exceptionally high standard in desirable Sneyd Park only a few hundred yards from Durdham Downs.The current owners have completely refurbished the property retaining period features and creating a desirable home with the wow factor. Secure rear garden with space for al fresco dining. No onward chain.

Leese & Nagle November.indd 1

Redland £650,000

A fine early Edwardian 5 bedroom period townhouse with elevated balcony and generous accommodation over three floors on a popular Redland Road. Two reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room and shower room. The upper floors provide five double bedrooms and family bathroom.

Westbury-on-Trym £500,000

Extended Five bedroom 1930’s semi-detached house positioned on a quiet side road off Abbey Road. The house can if desired provide a self-contained annexe or have the annexe incorporated within the main house. Three reception rooms, conservatory, kitchen/breakfast room, utility, 3 bath/shower rooms. Manageable gardens, garage and plenty of parking.

Clifton £339,950

This is a beautifully appointed 2 bedroom garden flat with two allocated parking spaces, taking up the entire lower ground floor of this substantial Clifton townhouse. Situated in an ever popular road within easy walk of Whiteladies Road, The Downs and Clifton Village. The property combines elegant features with modern fittings creating a most enjoyable living environment. Offered with no onward chain.

18/10/2012 16:01

SOFA Library Nov 2012 fp:Layout 1

22/10/12

16:53

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TRADITIONAL OR CONTEMPORARY HAND BUILT SOFAS READY IN 1 TO 3 WEEKS

The Sofa Library make beautiful hand built bespoke upholstery in three weeks at our Bristol factory.

Over 60 styles - ranging from period and historical pieces through to the most contemporary shapes and in all sizes from chair to four seater and above.

Size alterations to fit your space exactly cost about an extra £50 Express Range sofas in three different styles ready in 7-10 days - hundreds of fabric choices and presently half price from £799 for a two seater We also fabricate hand made curtains and every type of blind in about two/three weeks and make made to measure cabinet furniture in either solid oak or other timbers Up to 25% off wardrobe orders 180cm wardrobes from £350

5 metre corner robes from £1300

56/60, Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2PY

Just past Clifton Down Shopping Centre Mon-Sat 9.30 - 5.30/Sun 12 - 5

TEL: 01173 292746