The Bristol Magazine January 2020

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Issue 187

THE

I

JANuARY 2020

MAGAZINE

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

£3.95 where sold

20

20 ViSiONS From community and commerce to activism and the arts, Bristol folk share their predictions for the new decade

MAKING HISTORY

PHOENIX FLYING SOLO

THE CITY THAT SLEEPS

STAR PEOPLE

Olivette Otele starts a landmark new Bristol professorship

Grammy-nominated rising star Yola on reinvention and Bristol roots

Start waking up to the importance of deep rest

Local astrologers demystify the discipline

T H E C I T Y ’ S B I G G E S T M O N T H LY G U I D E T O L I V I N G I N B R I S T O L

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Bristol City huddle during a recent match against Fulham

Contents

HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

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14

Top activities for the month to come

CITYIST

Bristol singer Yola is up for four Grammy Awards this month

January 2020

REGULARS ZEITGEIST

32

Image by Alysse Gafkjen

Image by JMP UK

74

Check out the work of Bristol illustrator Owen Gent

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16

Catch up on local news and meet local antiques surveyor Toby Pinn

BARTLEBY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Big moments in Bristol’s past, influenced by the national story

TRAVEL

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92

The nostalgia, the environmental agenda, the friendly welcome: Andrew Swift recommends Railholiday for a unique Cornish getaway this year

FOOD & DRINK NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

He’s looking ahead with a certain fizzle of excitement, actually

BRISTOL UPDATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Stories from local foodies, restaurants and producers

News from local businesses and community organisations

TRENDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

FAMILY FUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

It’s a new year but is it time for a new diet? Melissa Blease investigates what will be hot and what will be dropped

Ideas for things to do in the city if you’ve little ones in tow

WELLBEING

ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC

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32

Wish her luck! Country-soul singer Yola is one of the most powerful emerging voices of British music today, and up for four Grammys

THEATRE

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34

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A cross-section of the city’s varied events scene

SPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 What’s in store for Bristol’s big teams and most promising individuals

FEATURES

78

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80

Bristol is waking up to the real importance of deep rest

LIGHT 38

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News from the sector

SLEEP

The South Park creators on their surprisingly successful musical

WHAT’S ON

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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Linda Geddes explains its importance in shaping our bodies and minds

HABITAT INTERIORS

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94

Pantone’s calming new hue has had us browsing the shops

GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

2020 VISIONS

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24

Make your 2020 garden the best yet with Elly West’s planner

Local figures offer predictions on how they see the year developing

PROPERTY

EDUCATION

News from local estate agents and developers

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28

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Meet the University of Bristol’s first professor of the history of slavery

LOCAL HEROES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Bristol Zoo’s longest-serving keeper reminisces ahead of retirement

ART

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42

Bristol illustrator Owen Gent and his powerful visual vocabulary

ASTROLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Local practitioners clarify some of the complex processes behind this ancient and mysterious system of meaning

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ON THE COVER Urban vector city map of Bristol, by Ink Drop. How do you see the year ahead panning out in the South West? Turn to p24 for the positive predictions of local figures from various sectors

104

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We love this serene illustration by Bristol’s Owen Gent – read more about him on p42

THIS MONTH WE’VE BEEN...

Soothed...

Headland with Sunlight

by Elaine Jones Beautiful work by Bristol Blue Glass

from the

EDITOR

AMANDA NICHOLLS EDITOR

@thebristolmag

12 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

thebristolmag.co.uk

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JANUARY 2020

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No 187

@thebristolmag

Image by JMP UK

Excited...

...To see Bristol Bears’ state-of-the-art new rugby training facility in Failand (see p16) as well as what’s to come for the city’s major sports teams and most promising individuals this year. Jeremy Blackmore has more on p74.

Team EDBF

Salivating... ...At the news that Eat Drink Bristol Fashion’s festival – previously held in Queen Square – is back in May. Expanding into Castle Park for a two-day celebration of Bristol’s incredibly varied food culture, EDBF is pairing up with event pros at Team Love to grow the event into 48 hours of food, fun, music and feasting (see p50).

Image by Matt Gutteridge

W

hile we start the new decade (pedants, don’t @ me) with a degree of uncertainty about how the coming year will pan out, locally there are solid foundations on which to build. The Bristol folk we spoke to – for a few predictions on how they see their sector progressing, and trends on the horizon – had some very positive things to say about 2020 in the city (p24), largely due to the valuable groundwork that’s been put in on everything from the arts and activism to community, commerce, inclusivity and diversity.

There’s been a lot of talk about the latter in recent years, and this month the University of Bristol goes beyond token gestures, having appointed Olivette Otele as its first professor of the history of slavery. She talks to Jessica Hope on p28 about her whirlwind year, the real meaning of diversity – it isn’t “just having a black person here and there” – and how she will utilise this new position of influence.

Another emerging voice commanding attention at the moment, in the musical arena, is country-soul singer Yola, who, having grown up and honed her craft in the Bristol area, is now heading to Los Angeles for the Grammy Awards, having been nominated for four.

Turn to p32 for our chat about reinvention, humility and overcoming hardship as well as favourite Bristol musicians and how it feels to count Elton John among your fans.

While the equal-opportunities offenders otherwise known as the creators of South Park discuss, on p35, their surprise at the success of their Broadway phenomenon The Book of Mormon – arriving at Bristol Hippodrome on 15 January – Jeremy Blackmore looks forward to local sporting milestones, events and anniversaries to come (p74) and later (p98) Elly West maps out a month-by-month plan for the garden. Because, again: diversity.

In the world of wellbeing, Emma Cullen urges us to wake up to the importance of deep rest and aspire to become the city that sleeps – really, really well – and, at a time of the year that can see seasonal affective disorder at its most severe, author Linda Geddes illuminates our relationship with natural and artificial light. We also speak to some of the city’s astrologers, who aim to demystify some aspects of their complex, ancient discipline.

Elsewhere, find the powerful visual vocabulary of Bristol illustrator Owen Gent, and Bristol Zoo’s longest-serving keeper, retiring this month and looking back at a remarkable career hand-rearing hippos and caring for Wendy the elephant – who remembers that lovely old girl? Melissa Blease also runs some potential new food trends past us, including ‘seacuterie’ – are we saying sí to salmon pastrami and swordfish salami? – and the continuing mass migration away from eating meat, plus new nut butters on the block, and coconut and banana flour alternatives.

May our new year’s resolutions last long enough to make us feel remotely virtuous, and we’ll see you again in Feb when normal service has been resumed...

...By Pantone’s new colour of the year, ‘classic blue’ (see also p94). “Instilling calm, confidence and connection, this enduring hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation,” says the interior tastemaker, “on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.”

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ZEITGEIST

top things to do in JANUARY

LAUGH

LISTEN The London Concert Orchestra is holding an epic concert celebrating the very best scores from two of the greatest film music composers of all time – Hans Zimmer and John Williams – on 11 January at 2.30pm and 7.30pm at Bristol Hippodrome. The orchestra will take audiences through all the drama of some of the biggest films in boxoffice history, including Gladiator, Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter. Tickets from £27.50.

Shappi Khorsandi

Slapstick Festival returns this month with a programme bursting at the seams with scintillating one-off comedy events, celebrating silent, visual and classic comedy. Events with Stephen Merchant and Rob Brydon have already sold out, but there’s still time to nab tickets for Shappi Khorsandi’s Slapstick Divas event on 23 January which showcases outstanding leading women in some of the funniest on-screen examples from the golden age of silent comedy.

And John Hewer will be bringing one of Britain’s all-time best-loved comedians to life on 26 January in his highly acclaimed one-man show hailed and endorsed by the Tommy Cooper Estate. Programme and tickets available online.

• slapstick.org.uk

VIEW The haunting Sugar Paper Theories exhibition at The Royal Photographic Society at Paintworks has now been extended until 26 January, so this is your last chance to see what everyone has been talking about. It features work by Bristol-based photographer Jack Latham, who immersed himself in the most controversial murder investigation in Icelandic history, the Guðmundur and Geirfinnur case. Drawing on everything from police files to conspiracy theories, Latham’s project plays on issues concerning the unreliability of memory and the power of suggestion. £3/£5.

• atgtickets.com/bristol

Sighting #2 by Jack Latham

WORK IT Considering signing up to the gym? Clifton College Sports Centre’s fitness room has had a complete refurbishment with the latest Technogym strength, cardio and resistance equipment. To celebrate, the centre is waiving its joining fees on monthly memberships in January. The centre provides a friendly environment for all the family, and includes a fitness room, swimming pool, squash, badminton and tennis courts. A range of flexible memberships, including annual and monthly options for individuals, couples and families, is available.

• ccsl-cliftoncollege.com

14 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

BOOK Following last year’s powerhouse debut, Irish rising star Catherine Bohart is taking her second solo show, Lemon, on a UK tour and is heading for The Wardrobe Theatre on 6 February. Fresh from a soldout, critically acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the star of BBC Two’s The Mash Report brings a hilarious show that smashes stereotypes around sex, sexuality and relationships. Book now to avoid missing out. Presented by Chuckle Busters. 8pm, tickets £11.

• chucklebusters.com

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• rps.org

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THE CITY THE BUZZ

My

BRISTOL We meet local director and arts and antiques surveyor Toby Pinn

In my late teens and early twenties I lived in France for four years as a full-time racing cyclist in French teams and represented Great Britain a few times. I grew up in Bedfordshire and saw the sea once a year, then, aged 10, moved to Cheddar with my parents and two sisters for my father’s job.

Growing up in Cheddar was like constantly being on holiday. I have lived in different parts of the country but why would you want to live anywhere else than here?

Full steam ahead for Bears’ Failand facility Bristol Bears CEO Mark Tainton says the club’s new training facility will be the best of its kind in the country, as construction of the state-of-theart site in Failand picks up speed.

The two-storey base is six months from completion and will include an indoor 4G surface, as well as two outside pitches, with the club moving into their new home ahead of the 2020/21 Gallagher Premiership season.

Tainton believes the new facility will have a massive impact on the club. “It’s going to be the best rugby facility in the UK, and we are all very excited about it,” he said. “The players are amazed at the facilities we are having built, and you can see, looking around you, the ambition we have got. We are very fortunate that the Lansdown family has invested very heavily in the Bears to provide this for us. We want to challenge in the Premiership and in Europe – and we don’t hide that. We’ve got ambitions to dominate both leagues and that’s what we see in the future.”

The CEO explained the detailed planning that has gone into the project. “We’ve been around the country and looked at training centres, and we’ve taken what we believe to be the best of those and brought it here and hopefully improved it. It’s massively exciting. If you look around this place now, it’s magnificent. You can see the walls starting to go up now where the changing rooms, medical and S&C offices are.

So, to look out and see what we’ve got up here, with the hybrid carpets pitches, it’s something the players are going to be very excited about when they get up here.

“We’ve not been shy in saying we want to be one of the big forces, and I think this will give us a good mark towards that and a magnificent tool to recruit players.”

• bristolbearsrugby.com

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One of the great things about being a valuer and auctioneer is that every day is different.

There’s the buzz on auction day, selling to audiences of live and online bidders; free valuation days with queues of people all hoping for their Roadshow moment. On other days I might be on appointments in Bristol to value the contents of a home for someone downsizing, with items they wish to sell at auction; or perhaps meeting a solicitor at a property to value the contents for inheritance tax purposes. Then there is cataloguing, creating the descriptions for the items we sell, and the research which can lead us far and wide.

You never know what you might discover in a property and being able to reveal that to the owner or their family is a huge thrill.

The most important thing though is to know your limits and recognise when you need specialist advice, which is why we have many consultants in various fields.

The most exciting item that’s passed through the saleroom recently... how about a pair of Queen Victoria’s silk knickers?

They sold for £1,000.

Sometimes one can get really caught up in the research for interesting items. We sold at auction a First World War medal group which included a Distinguished Conduct Medal awarded to a Captain Simpson who, before the war, played football for Sheffield Wednesday, scoring a hat trick against Manchester United. I took my son to Flanders to visit his grave one hundred years to the day after he was shot by a German sniper. A book has just been published about his life which I am reading.

I admire the work of Ken Stradling, a key part of the vision behind the Bristol institution that is The Guild on Park Street.

His fascinating design collection, created over many decades and situated on Park Row, is definitely worth a visit.

In my spare time I’m listening to a lot of Muse – I saw them at Ashton Gate last summer. What a show! I’m also planning to see the ‘Being Human’ exhibition at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery on Queens Road this month. I really like Wapping Wharf for its atmosphere and ethos – John Kelly stocks some cool mid-century Scandinavian designer jewellery and objets d’art too. Murrays on Hill Road in Clevedon is a favourite spot too; great Italian food and lovely people.

If I was mayor of Bristol I would instigate a kindness zone (similar to the proposed congestion charging zone). Friendly, tolerant and considerate people are exempt from the charge... n • clevedon-salerooms.com

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THE CITY Sounds of summer

UK’s greenest city

The first acts have been revealed for Bristol Sounds 2020, along with news that the event will also feature an all-day Saturday show for the first time. The concert series will return to Lloyds Amphitheatre from 23 – 28 June, with a line-up including Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Supergrass, Jack Savoretti, The Levellers and Reef.

Midsummer’s night, Wednesday 24 June, will see Noel Gallagher return to Bristol, following his headline set at The Downs Bristol in 2018, having recently released his latest single, Wandering Star. Supporting Noel is Australian indie electro-pop outfit Confidence Man. On Thursday 25 June, Supergrass will take to the Amphitheatre stage. The Britpop four-piece reunited in September 2019, with a ‘surprise’ performance at the annual Pilton Party in Glastonbury.

Saturday 27 June will see an all-day programme of entertainment running from midday until 11pm, headlined and curated by the Levellers. The bill for ‘A Beautiful Day Out’ will feature Pilton band Reef, perennial festival favourites Goldie Lookin Chain, Scottish three-piece Peat & Diesel and a rare performance from Gaz Brookfield & The Company of Thieves, with more acts still to be announced. Bringing proceedings to a close on Sunday 28 June is Jack Savoretti, returning to the West Country after selling out Westonbirt Arboretum and playing for 9,000 people there Jack Savoretti is due to bring proceedings to a last summer. His recent sixth album close on the Sunday Singing to Strangers entered at number one in the album charts last year and this gig will be his biggest Bristol show to date.

“We’re really looking forward to Bristol Sounds 2020; this is our strongest line-up to date and we can’t wait to see all these acts perform in such a unique setting,” said Conal Dodds, co-founder of Crosstown Concerts. “We are very lucky to have this venue in Bristol and we’ve worked really hard to deliver this line-up. There are lots of great support acts still to be announced, and keep your eyes and ears peeled for more shows to be announced in the coming weeks.”

Research carried out by Compare the Market has resulted in the price comparison site naming Bristol the UK’s greenest city. Taking numerous factors into account, it scored the city highly for recycling and air quality and number one when it came to eco-friendly Google searches, with 47 per 10,000 people.

Named the European Green Capital for 2015 by the European Commission, Bristol has committed hundreds of millions of pounds to tackle climate change in recent years. Each of the UK’s four nations was represented in the top five, with Edinburgh coming second, Belfast taking third place and Cardiff in the fourth spot.

“It’s clear that the climate, renewable energy and sustainability is a huge focus right now – and so it should be,” said Peter Earl, head of energy at comparethemarket.com.

“Surrounding ourselves with green space and changing our actions towards energy is a way to improve wellbeing as well as having benefits for the environment and future living circumstances. One in seven households (14%) have already switched to greener tariffs, while a third are thinking of switching to one; this shows that we are progressing, but have some way to go.”

• For more information, follow @Bristol_Sounds on Twitter or visit crosstownconcerts.com Britpop four-piece Supergrass have recently reformed and will visit Bristol

• comparethemarket.com

Are you ballooning?

No, we’re not talking about post-Christmas weight gain; rather, a new way to experience Bristol International Balloon Fiesta (6 – 9 August). A new ‘Patrons of the Fiesta’ scheme will this year allow ballooning fans special access to some of the Fiesta’s most spellbinding moments, as well as help ensure the iconic Bristol event continues for years to come.

The costs of becoming a patron is £29.50 per adult and £14.50 per child per day, with perks, including getting up close to the balloons during ascents, a prime spot for the nightglow and fireworks, a souvenir programme and safety briefing card and entry into a prize draw to win a balloon flight for two.

Image by Paul Box

• bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk

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THE

B R I S TOL MAGAZINE

Hope in the face of uncertainty

Follow us on Twitter @thebristoLmag

See more online www.thebristolmag.co.uk

Contact us:

A

s this is tax month I am very busy doing other things.

The apple tree gets its annual trim. The dog gets his annual trim. Paint is sploshed here and there and light bulbs are replaced. I go through the past few weeks’ emails, to make sure I haven’t missed anything lucrative over the holidays and then, just to be on the safe side, have a poke around in the junk folder. This is, I have to admit, something I both enjoy and dread. After all, there is no better indication of your standing in today’s world than the quality of your spam.

How has the contents of my spam folder changed? Well, for one thing I now find myself the target of Silver Singles advertising. Then there are the usual phishing attacks: bogus communications from this supermarket or that online retailer, telling me I’ve ordered something and must CLICK HERE to cancel it. I’ll never forget the time, years ago, when I was working in an office and a colleague accidentally downloaded a virus cheekily named the Love Bug, and the ensuing havoc has made me wary to the point of paranoia.

But I have to say I was tempted by a recent message, offering the services of Medium Alice. At first I thought the name referred to some fictitious person’s size, but I realised after receiving a dozen of these things that the messages came from – or claimed to come from – an actual medium. By which I mean someone who communicates with the dead. Medium Alice promised to reach into the beyond and tell me what she learnt there about my prospects for the year ahead.

Given that my feelings about the year ahead are, like those of many liberal types, fairly bleak, I did hesitate for a second. Suppose I could peer into the crystal ball and find out how I’d be feeling about life a year from now – would it help? If the prognosis were good, would it make me leap into the year like a youthful, homeward-bound salmon cavorting up a mountain stream? Or might it instead make me drift?

Oh everything’s going to be fine. All I have to do is the bare minimum and the universe will take care of the rest. This was, in fact, the policy adopted by a certain youthful inhabitant of Bartleby Towers when it came to his GCSEs, and it worked for him frustratingly well.

But suppose the predictions are bad? Suppose I were to learn that 2020 is actually going to be worse than 2019 (not a stellar year for your correspondent)? Might I be tempted to pack it all in, sell up and move to a bothy in the Highlands (my father was Scottish which I hope will qualify me for citizenship north of the border)? Or could a grim forecast actually have the opposite effect? Could it, indeed, be exactly the kick-in-the-behind required by a man who has started to be targeted by the Silver Singles team?

No, I didn’t CLICK HERE to see what Medium Alice would say, but all this provided food for thought as I replaced the brake pads on my bike. What do I think the year ahead is going to be like, for me personally and for my family, city, country and world? Logically, I’m inclined to the ‘dark days lie ahead’ school of thought. But curiously this isn’t how I feel. Despite all evidence to the contrary I can’t help but look ahead with a certain fizzle of excitement. There’s a particular project I’m looking forward to starting, and numerous schemes I will try and get off the ground. Will I succeed? I don’t know.

Or, rather, I do. I know that some things will go wrong, and that others will exceed expectations. At every scale of life there will be advances and crises. That’s just the way of things, as I’m sure any Silver Single will tell you. ■

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Publisher Email:

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Jane Miklos jane@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

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Email: sales@thebristolmagazine.co.uk The Bristol Magazine is published by MC Publishing Ltd. An independent publisher.

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THE

BRIST OL MAGAZINE Bristol and Exeter House, Lower Approach, Temple Meads, Bristol BS1 6QS Telephone: 0117 974 2800 www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk © MC Publishing Ltd 2020 Disclaimer: Whilst 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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‘Oh the weather outside is frightful’

Antoine Blanchard oil

Ferdinand Preiss bronze

Chateau Gazin Pomerol 1989

Rare Symphonium

£13,000

£8,500

£280

£8,800

‘Let it snow’ was written in Hollywood during a heatwave in the summer of 1945 by Sammy Cahn. You may not want it to snow, and the risk of a heatwave is some way off, but these winter warmers sold at Clevedon Salerooms certainly brought joy to their vendors and buyers alike during the long winter nights.

Clevedon Salerooms next Quarterly Specialist Sale is held in March when the bulbs will be poking through the soil. Consignments are already being accepted and if you would like to benefit from our free advice please do not hesitate to attend a Free Valuation day at the Salerooms, or if it is snowing outside, why not send us images of items you may be thinking of selling from the comfort of your home for a free no-obligation auction estimate.

Free Valuation Days in January 7th & 8th and 21st & 22nd January At the Salerooms 9.30am – 1pm & 2pm – 5pm No appointment necessary – Ample free parking Alternatively for a free no-obligation valuation, email images to info@csrauctions.com

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Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers The Auction Centre Kenn Road, Kenn Clevedon, BS21 6TT

Tel: 01934 830111 www.clevedon-salerooms.com

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HISTORY,TRADITION & QUALITY since 1881

Kemps is a fourth generation family jeweller offering a beautiful selection of both new and pre-loved pieces

KEMPS J EWELLERS

1881

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FUTURE CITY GARDENING

2020 VISIONS

We can see much more clearly now that the festivities are over, and the future looks bright in Bristol. We asked a few local figures for their predictions on the way they see their sector panning out this year

T

he past 12 months have seen some tumultuous times on the face of things but a great many positives have come out of them in Bristol, with scores of stars having aligned to enable constructive change in the city. We discussed what could come next with a few of the local figures we’ve enjoyed speaking to over the last year.

Economy & community: Mayor Marvin Rees

“Bristol is a city of opportunity. A home of creativity, vibrant business and world-class universities. But looking ahead to 2020, I want to see Bristol become a more inclusive economy where everyone can flourish.

Today, low pay affects thousands in Bristol and denies people the dignity of being able to heat their homes or feed their children. Around a fifth of jobs in the city region still pay less than the real living wage.

“We aim to lead by example at Bristol City Council which is why we became an accredited living wage employer. However we cannot tackle issues such as low pay alone. We have been working together with employers to become a recognised Living Wage City in 2020, where decent pay is the benchmark, not the aspiration. This year, we’ve reached out to more than 100 employers based in Bristol and have an action group dedicated to making it happen.

“But our vision for Bristol goes beyond 2020. The collective power of people and organisations across Bristol led to the launch of the One City Plan. The plan, developed alongside city partners, outlines a shared vision for Bristol each year until 2050 across all sectors, from housing to business. Without sharing ideas and working 24 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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collaboratively, this plan would not be able to give the people of Bristol what they want and need. The future is looking bright. It is already busy with new opportunities for collaboration, innovation and growth. Most importantly, it must be the year that sees us continue to deliver for our city in increasingly turbulent times.”

Environment: City to Sea founder Natalie Fee

“More trees, less concrete. More segregated cycle paths, fewer cars.

More space for urban food growing, fewer supermarkets. That probably sums it up for me as I look ahead to what my vision for Bristol would be for the next decade, as we honestly and enthusiastically embrace the ecological emergency we’re facing. As the city becomes busier, we need to make sure more people doesn’t mean more air pollution or traffic or unaffordable housing, but inspires better public transport and pioneering, zero-carbon housing initiatives.

“We’ll need to cherish the green spaces and mature trees as well as planting thousands more across Bristol. Thanks to The Wave we’ll be able to surf on our doorstep, but we’ll also have to learn to ride the waves of uncertainty as the planet heats up and pressure on resources increases. So that means each of us taking personal responsibility for our ecological footprint, becoming conscious citizens instead of unconscious consumers. It also means building community.

We can amplify our individual actions by joining forces with our neighbours, aligning ourselves with movements and collective actions that support life on Earth instead of depleting it.

“By doing this we’re not only creating more awareness and impact,

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but building resilience – strong, local connections that foster companionship and citizenship... as well as the occasional apple crumble. Finally, our political landscape needs greening too. A fairer, more participatory approach could see Bristol transition away from self-motivated, undemocratic tactics towards a kind of leadership that genuinely prioritises the needs of people and planet above party politics. Oh, and less plastic. Bring on the deposit return scheme and long live the refill revolution!”

Arts & activism: Mel Rodrigues, TEDxBristol curator

“2020 is going to be a huge year for arts and activism! Bristol is historically hot on both of these, but with the return of Upfest, Mayfest, Wildscreen, Extinction Rebellion and a host of grass-roots events and activism groups popping up all over the city, Bristol will be a lead player on the world stage, helping people explore some of the biggest issues of our time through creativity and communication. The main TEDxBristol event may be resting for a year, but stay tuned for some exciting work we’ll be doing in 2020 with this city’s next generation of change-makers.

...We’re about to experience another step-change in how digital media and tech can engage and transform the experiences of many underrepresented people in society...

“From a media and tech point of view, Channel 4 will fully open its doors at Finzels Reach, encouraging collaborations, in particular on digital and diversity projects. The past few years have seen Bristol based start-ups and organisations lead the way in both these fields (think GapSquare, boomsatsuma, Creative Youth Network, Neighbourly etc). I think we’re about to experience another stepchange in how digital media and tech can engage and transform the experiences of many under-represented people in society.”

Property: Rupert Oliver, MD & estate agent

“It is difficult to say with certainty how 2020 will fare. But I believe we have every reason in the property market to be cheerful. Despite political uncertainty over the last six months – with Brexit kicked into touch in April, until October 2019, and then the calling of a General Election (and further Brexit postponement!) – the mid to top-end Bristol property market remained buoyant. We’re a small, newly formed agency, but we saw circa £6m of property exchange in just a fortnight towards the end of November. No sign of jitters there. A week or so later, as we approached Election Day – a modern £1m+

Harbourside town house went to ‘best bids’. No jitters there either.

“With Bristol regularly topping the polls of the best places to live, it is a strong draw for Londoners (especially) to relocate to and varied industries provide it with a firm financial backbone; it is the third largest (by turnover) tech hub in the UK, with world-class legal, medical and financial services and a centre of excellence for the creative arts (not least Channel 4’s creative hub at Finzels Reach). Infrastructure is excellent; from January, London is just over an hour away by train (68m) and we remain, of course, the gateway to the South West.

London house prices are heavily reliant on both foreign buyers and overseas investment in the property market and a strong global financial services sector (both currently reeling from a lack of confidence), but Bristol suffers neither of those problems. The city has a relatively small pool of quality houses for sale, sought after by a growing number of prospective buyers. Vendors have every reason to be cheerful, and confident of a strong local property market to mark the start of the next decade.”

Technology: local journalist Nick Flaherty

“2020 promises to be an exciting year for ‘deep tech’ companies in Bristol. Last year Bristol-based Ultrahaptics merged with Leap Motion in California, and Ultraleap now has technology to both sense and feel buttons in mid-air that will be seen in a whole range of magical new products. 5G wireless is also taking off, and in November a whole new set of frequencies was announced for high-speed 5G. Blu Wireless already has the technology to make this work, and this is being used in various test systems in cars and cities across the country.

“Artificial intelligence (AI) will see huge growth in the year, and Graphcore will be shipping its hugely powerful AI chips, designed in Bristol, into data centres around the globe. And we will see driverless buses using Bristol technology. The first are already running from Edinburgh to Glasgow using technology from Fusion Processing, which is seeing its systems adopted in driverless trucks as well.”

Retail: Bedminster BID’s George Grace

“The retail sector is going to see more of the same over the next year with the digital retailers continuing to chip away at market share. But which market segment? We expect comparison goods retailers will continue to be hard hit followed by travel agents and the banks continuing to consolidate. On the plus side, locations that offer something a little bit different and experiential, and with a high level of technical or personal service, may still succeed.

“In Bedminster we are continuing to explore what we think is a sweet spot for traditional high streets – at the crossroads of retail, entertainment, arts and creative industries all wrapped up in community. Over the festive period, in addition to traditional Christmas lighting on the streets, we organised and promoted nearly 100 events, from wreath making and mince pie baking to a mistletoe kissing gate! In terms of the creative industries we are seeing a lot more small, flexible, creative office-type uses open up as more and more people look upon the area as an interesting, diverse and attractive location to live, work and ‘play’. The substantial new developments coming to the East Street vicinity over the next few years, providing nearly 2,000 new homes and student lets within a minute’s walk of this traditional Bristol street, will bring fresh demand and, we believe, a small rush of new independent eateries and retail outlets to complement the cinema already announced.”

Food: local journalist Melissa Blease

“Zero-proof drinks: folk in search of a properly cool cocktail sans the hard stuff have sparked the rise of a whole new menu of chic alternatives using herbs, spices, shrubs, fruit, pickles and vegetables to create unique flavour sensations. In the hip foods limelight: macadamia, walnut and almond are being buttered up in readiness for their turn to top the nut butter charts.

“Almond, quinoa, plantain, amaranth, coconut and banana flour alternatives are also set to trend this year. Innovative blends of grains and beans that mimic the creamy textures of yogurts and other dairy products should soar as soy sales sink, too, while ‘seacuterie’ will take over where the seafood platter sharing board leaves off. We’ll

Ú

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see sad smoked salmon, cheerless calamari and crestfallen crab pâté kicked to the kerb in favour of more complex, imaginative ways with fish and seafood, often involving processes such as dry-ageing, fermenting and salt-baking. Finally, the mass migration away from eating meat shows no signs of slowing down. UK food manufacturers launched more new vegan products than any other nation last year.”

...We are exploring what we think is a sweet spot for traditional high streets – at the crossroads of retail, entertainment, arts and creative industries all wrapped up in community...

often thanks to expert support from Bristol Film Office. I don’t foresee this trend dipping any time soon and with Channel 4 now here in the city, we’re starting 2020 stronger than ever.

“However, we definitely need to keep looking ahead. To stay at the top of our game we need to keep pace with productions’ needs for skilled crew. Now more than ever it’s a case of ‘all hands on deck’ to make sure that careers in production are more visible to young people considering their options. It’s so inspiring to see the now 60-strong community of 16 to 19-year-olds studying hands-on courses here at the Studios, learning with our partner boomsatsuma. The industry’s focus for 2020 should be to keep on discovering engaging new ways to capture the attention of young talent from all backgrounds and invite them to step into careers in television production.” n Paralympian Tegan Vincent-Cooke, who gave an inspirational talk at TEDxBristol.

Its curator, Mel, says the city will continue to lead in promoting diversity in 2020

Music: Rough Trade’s Adrian Dutt “Bristol is (as ever) a very fertile ground for new music; this past year has seen some fantastic bands start playing shows, and it has got everyone excited to see what happens in 2020. Staff faves that we think everyone should make sure they catch live are as follows...

“Illegal Data, and Snog: not bands, but club nights/collaborations and labels that are doing very, very exciting things in Bristol. Incredible, diverse line-ups and forward-thinking attitudes; the forefront of Bristol’s DIY/underground music scene right now in my opinon.

Grandma’s House: riotgrrrl/surf-scuzz garage pop – everytime we see them they get better and each show is one big explosion of energy and fun. Pet Shimmers: lo-fi woozy brilliance. If any band from Bristol are set to follow in the footsteps of Idles, Pet Shimmers have got the songs to do it.

“Then there’s The Shuks: angular and groove-filled indie-pop. We finally managed to catch them at the Wax music birthday gig and they blew us away. Finally, find Fever 103: the goth techno new-wave we all needed in our lives. Icy vocals on top of skull-shattering throbs. Get in a dark room and catch them ASAP...

“Of course, there are so many more bands to look and listen out for – Yard Arms, Lice, The Jesuits, Football FC, The Belishas – get yourselves to a gig and support!”

Health: Neciah Dorh, co-founder of FluoretiQ

“Global health spending represents 10% of global GDP and recent advances in science and computing will continue to unlock previously unimaginable possibilities. One of the big themes of 2019 was digital health, which harnessed the power of AI and wearables to put patients in the driver’s seat to monitor their own health and wellbeing.

“2020 will build on this to grow the trend towards home care; patients can be monitored and treated from the comfort of their homes.

The growing bio-tech sector is starting to yield returns and we will see growth in faster, more accurate diagnostic platforms and personalised medicines. We will see new, innovative solutions to previously intractable health problems. Bristol will have a major role to play with a number of innovations coming out of the eco-system including FluoretiQ (15-minute point-of-care test for bacteria ID and enumeration), Imophoron (vaccines without the cold-chain), Cytoseek (smarter cancer treatment through targeted-cell therapies) and OKKO Health (eye care from your smartphone), to name a few.”

Film & TV: Bottle Yard Studios’ Fiona Francombe

“The UK’s boom in production shows no signs of slowing. Record levels of film and television are being made around the country. Bristol is holding its own as a filming destination, particularly when it comes to high-end drama. We’re consistently attracting crews to base with us and film at the many locations in and around Bristol; production companies are returning time and again following good experiences, 26 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Neciah Dorh

George Grace

The TV industry’s focus should be on discovering new ways to capture the attention of young talent from all backgrounds, says Fiona Francombe

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Hand-knotted old Chinese Pao-Tao pictorial wall carpet, mid 20th Century

P

ile rug production for export began in China around 1890. This rug was woven in the northern city of Baotou, which now boasts the largest urban population in Inner Mongolia.

Woollen rugs produced in this region had thick, soft pile with symbolic as well as decorative images depicted. This particular piece has a charcoal field with a central phoenix in rose, ivory and orange.

The bird is looking towards the sun, which symbolises peace brought about by the wise emperor. It is standing on a blue rockery under a leafy tree, with large pink flowers on either side and the sun in front of a cloud in the upper right corner of the field. The decorative border includes twelve pink orbs and flower blossoms as well as light blue corner fretwork.

Size: 195 x 124cm | Price: ÂŁ1125

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EDUCATION | INTERVIEW

Making history Olivette Otele, the UK’s first black female professor of history, is taking on new challenges this year as she begins her position as the University of Bristol’s first professor of the history of slavery. Words by Jessica Hope

B

usy would be an understatement when talking about Professor Olivette Otele’s life in the last 12 months. Since the academic was announced as the UK’s first black female professor of history during her tenure at Bath Spa University in late 2018, she has been in demand across the world, delivering talks and research papers, as well as teaching and attending events on an almost constant basis.

Recognised for her world-class research on transnational and European colonial and postcolonial history, Otele now begins 2020 with a fresh challenge as she takes up a position at the University of Bristol as the institution’s first professor of the history of slavery.

In this new role, Otele will work with staff, students and communities in Bristol to help the university and the city learn more about its past and its connections with slavery. To begin with, she will undertake a two-year research project. “I will be looking at the role the university played in the history of enslavement, and in particular how some of the founding members had families that had made their fortunes through the transatlantic slave trade, and how this money was used to support the university,” says Otele.

“It’s not a direct link as such – the university was founded in 1909, so long after the abolition of slavery in 1807 and The Slavery Abolition Act in 1833 – but it’s about the money trail from the enslavement of people and how that money was then used to support the university through donations.

“I will be looking at how this collides with stories in the 21st century in terms of what each institution in the city is doing to address racial discrimination, social issues and poverty. In terms of a city, Bristol is really socially divided, which is surprising as it’s a multicultural city.”

Otele hopes that she can include contributions from the wider public in her research to help shed light on the university’s connections with people who once lived and worked in the city. “I’m hoping that this will 28 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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show another episode of the history of the city, but this time bringing it together. I’m really excited about it; it’s a huge amount of responsibility,” she says.

Lately, Bristol has been addressing the city’s connections with slavery, such as the proposal to change the name of the Colston Hall once it reopens following its refurbishment, and the debate around adding a second plaque to the statue of Bristol-born slave trader Edward Colston in the city centre. Otele’s recent appointment is another step in the right direction towards making this a city which will not hide its links to historic atrocities.

Talking about the debate around removing the Colston statue, Otele says; “20 years ago the idea of removing a statue was completely mad, and yet they [the Bristol authorities] have had this conversation before the recent Oxford and Cambridge statue debates. They came up with the idea of a plaque, which may not satisfy everybody, but I am sure that Bristol will find a way to compromise.”

Despite changes happening around the city in recent years, should the University of Bristol have appointed a professor of the history of slavery sooner? “Yes!” exclaims Otele, “It didn’t have to be me, but they should have done it before. But, then again, Bristol will decide to do things when it’s the right time to do it. They had a big push from students and communities to make this [her new position] happen as well. It was the university’s decision, but there have been debates nationally about representation and people from African descent in important positions that matter to them.

“Diversity isn’t just having a black person here and there. It’s about where they can have some kind of influence and power, and have a say in how things should run.

“The students wanted someone of African descent to teach this area of history, because of this idea of role models. You don’t find many black people in academia in history, and the students are worried about that.

“It’s not just black, ethnic minority students

No 187

As one of her first pieces of research in her new position, Professor Otele will look at the University of Bristol’s connections with the transatlantic slave trade

who are pushing for this, it’s all kind of students and people.”

Otele, who was born in Cameroon before moving to Paris as a child, first became interested in history during visits, back in Cameroon, to her grandmother who would sit her by the fire and recall stories from the past, many of which were about the country being under British, French and German rule. “She would tell us these stories, many of them very scary. But it was the reality of her life, growing up in Cameroon and going through different regimes,” says Otele.

After completing her BA in literature and history at the prestigious Sorbonne University in Paris in 1998, Otele studied history for her MA and PhD – a decision that came from, as she describes, “this urge related to social justice. I wanted to understand the root of racism and discrimination – this idea of hating

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someone for something they are not responsible for, something that is incredibly random.”

Otele wanted to deepen her knowledge of colonial history and the domination of the British and French empires on the world in past centuries, but knew that this would be a difficult subject to explore.

“This is horrible history. It really shows the extent of human wickedness, greed and violence. When I was doing my PhD, it was probably the most difficult time because I would be in the archives reading examples of torture being greatly described. But it also taught me a lot about survival.”

It is this notion of perseverance that Otele has had to champion throughout her studies and career. After six years of commuting between Paris and Newport, Wales (where her family live) for her PhD and work, as well as juggling a job as a teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, she secured a full-time position as a senior lecturer in Bath in 2013. Then, in the same year that she became the UK’s first female black professor of history, Otele was named in the BBC’s 100 Women 2018 list of inspiring and influential women from around the world.

Otele’s academic work has also received significant international recognition. Since 2007 she has been considered an expert by the

French government on the concept of how memory, politics and slavery intertwine, and her PhD became compulsory reading for trainee teachers in France as part of their examination process. She has also been instrumental in securing vast sums of money for projects such as SLAFNET, which looks into slavery in Africa and the connections between European and African communities, and she has also researched how Afro-Caribbean and African communities have settled in Wales in the 21st century.

As she begins her new role at the University of Bristol this month, and over coming years, you can expect to see Otele appearing around the city more as she plans to hold more public events on her research.

“I’m hoping that when I have more information – anything newsworthy and substantial enough – that I would like to share it and that people can come along so they are involved in the process. That way I can be completely transparent with what I’ve found, and ask people what they think about it and what we should do about it.”

Otele’s research will arguably reveal more difficult details of the city’s and the university’s connections with the slave trade, but by highlighting these connections, she is helping to keep this city’s conversation going, rather than hide from its past. n THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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LOCAL HEROES

John arrived at Bristol Zoo in 1975 and rose through the ranks to the role of senior curator of animals

WALKING WITH BEASTS

Bristol Zoo’s longest-serving keeper is about to retire, marking the end of an era at the stalwart city attraction.

He reminisces on a remarkable career encompassing everything from everyday elephant encounters to hand-rearing hippos

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LOCAL HEROES

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t’s almost 45 years since John Partridge first set foot in Bristol Zoo Gardens to begin work as a keeper. Since then he has formed some quite remarkable friendships with animals in his care. He is the calm voice of experience, the person to whom everyone turns.

No other current keeper has worked at the zoo as long as he has.

“It was a job I always wanted to do. I’ve loved every minute of it,” he says in his gentle Welsh lilt, although his careers teachers were not that impressed when he told them he wanted to work in a zoo. “They said it wasn’t well paid and there was no future in it,” he recalls with a smile. But from the moment he arrived at Bristol Zoo in 1975 he has never regretted it and over the years he has risen through the ranks to his present role, senior curator of animals, which he took on 12 years ago.

He has formed close bonds with many animals including Wendy the elephant, who was very popular with visitors to the zoo. But one day she literally sent him flying across her paddock when John was helping a vet inspect her feet. “She calmly lowered her head and pushed me,” he remembers. Typically he blamed himself. “She hadn’t been well and I shouldn’t have let the veterinary inspection go on for quite as long as it did,” he said. “I went back to her about 10 minutes later. We had a few words and we were friends again.”

He had a gentler encounter with another elephant called Christina.

She was delighted to see him when he returned from the Middle East after three months away. “She had a habit of putting her trunk on top of my head by way of recognition. And that’s what she did. It was as if another elephant had returned and she wondered where I had been.”

John’s career began as a volunteer at Barry Zoo in his native South Wales. He was in his late teens, working in the education department of Glamorgan County Council and spending all his weekends at the zoo.

“It was brilliant but tiring. I would come home on a Saturday night and fall asleep in a chair,” he says. He kept pestering the twin brothers who owned Barry Zoo until they gave him the opportunity to volunteer there. “I learnt how to look after lions, elephants, bears and a chimpanzee. It was very exciting.”

The chimpanzee, called Melody, would sometimes bring a piece of

straw to John so he could tickle one of her feet. She later went to live at Twycross Zoo and nine years later John paid a visit. “She came to the mesh, looked at me and then walked away. I thought she hadn’t recognised me,” he says. “The she picked up a piece of straw, came back, gave it to me and pushed her foot up against the mesh demanding a tickle. That was absolutely amazing.”

Melody and Wendy were two of his favourite animals as well as an orangutan called Henry. “Henry was such an intelligent, powerful animal,” says John. “I also have an affection for pygmy hippos. I handreared one in 1981.”

John helped design and set up several of Bristol Zoo’s animal buildings, including ground-breaking Twilight World, and also worked in the reptile house and aquarium. It’s a place that has truly defined his life – it was there that he met his wife, Kate, when she worked in the accounts department. That was 42 years ago and they went on to have two daughters, Nicola and Joanne, who are both married with children of their own – Jordan, Owen, Florence and Betty. Retirement will give John a chance to help with meeting his grand-daughters from school, and make up for family occasions he has missed – such as that time an anxious elephant caused him to miss his mother-in-law’s birthday.

“The elephant had just arrived and I wanted to make sure she was alright. I was supposed to be off but I ended up at the zoo for most of the weekend,” he says. “It’s not a nine to five job or a Monday to Friday job. It’s a vocation. But it helps to have an understanding wife.

My wife has been so amazing.”

John has a Christmas afternoon tradition of coming into the zoo to check all is well – a tradition he’s just partaken in for the final time and one he will greatly miss once he leaves the zoo this month. It will be the end of a career that he has loved.

“Good zoos, and this is one of the best ones, should always exist. We have pioneered many changes that are taken for granted now, such as using glass around the enclosures of big cats and bringing in heated dens to encourage polar bears to breed,” he says, pausing to look out of the window across the grounds. “It’s been a real privilege to work with so many amazing people and animals at Bristol Zoo.” ■

John has found great pals in Bristol Zoo elephants over the years

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Music.qxp_Layout 7 17/12/2019 13:36 Page 1

MUSIC | INTERVIEW

Any break-up or need for reinvention can feel like an allconsuming fire when you’re in it, but the survival of it can leave you with a more meaningful appreciation for life, says Yola

Images by Alysse Gafkjen

PHOENIX FLIES SOLO Grammy-nominated country-soul singer Yola has overcome numerous challenges to become one of the most powerful emerging voices of British music today. Here she talks to us about reinvention, humility, the Bristol musicians that helped her along the way and how it feels to count Elton John among your fans

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I

“

n some ways, I was reborn in that fire,” says Bristol country-soul singer Yola of the domestic disaster she survived, and which partly inspired her Grammy-nominated debut album. Literally engulfed in flames in a house fire, she found “a higher truth” in the experience. “To be vulnerable is terrifying but to walk through fire with a smile on your face is about as liberating as anything can be,” she says. “The first part of my life had been pretty heinous. I was a few years into a good place and I was thinking, ‘even on fire, I wouldn’t trade my life now for what it was’.”

Yola was even homeless for a time in her early twenties, when she fell behind on rent while trying to make it in London, but her musical ambition never wavered and, with little to lose, she readily took the risks necessary when chances came her way in music – she’d only just come off the dole when she found herself performing with Massive Attack as they headlined the Other Stage at Glastonbury Festival.

Walk Through Fire – produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and featuring Nashville collaborations with the likes of fellow Bristolborn artist and pop hitmaker Roger Cook – is a genre-bending release that speaks of both heartbreak and triumph. Between the isolation of being raised in a small town outside of Bristol in the only black family around, her family’s poverty, and a turbulent home life, Yola has lived a life of challenges; including finding her only refuge in her mother’s record collection while simultaneously being “banned” by her from making music. “I used to pretend I was going to sleep over at school friends’ houses in Bristol then go out and do gigs,” Yola remembers.

We bagged a few minutes to catch up ahead of awards season...

You seem very much in control of your image and sound, ideas and identity – are you glad that the level of recognition you are receiving now has come a little later in life rather than as a teen, for instance?

I have a far larger team than I’ve ever had. Dozens of people are behind this project and its successes. I’ve made a point of not being scared to lead just enough to actually choose my own company (literally cherry picking my own team one by one for their many virtues). I honestly had spent a large portion of my life being chosen and being thankful for being included. I’d rarely ever done the choosing. Without choosing people that understood me, I would’ve never got out of the gate. Love, support and understanding were at the heart of my development as a solo artist and continue to be as I prepare for the Grammys.

How did your new cover of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road come about?

I grew up on Elton John, quite simply. He was one of my all-time heroes. I remember hearing people I was working with making disparaging comments about gay artists. All masquerading as humour but with clear homophobic overtones. Anti-feminist rhetoric was also common and so artists like Elton or Joni Mitchell, or anyone who didn’t toe the party line, was out. Therefore I yearned but couldn’t cover an Elton song until I was in an environment where my tastes could come to the fore. I was featured on Elton’s Rocket Hour show and it all led from there, with more than just a little help from my team and my good friend Brandi Carlile.

Where are the first places you go when you get back to Bristol?

TBM: It’s been a meteoric year for you, with the four Grammy nominations surely the icing on the cake. What does that mean to you?

Yola: It means that I’ll be able to do what I love for longer with people I love and love working with. It means another step on the road to agency and freedom, because of the route I chose.

Other than the accolades, what were your 2019 highlights?

I can’t pick one thing! Every week something else crazy would happen and, to be frank, it’s been quite a blur. The only thing I can make out in the haze are the friendships I’ve made over this past year. Despite the seemingly endless list of fabulous people I’ve met, the theme has been one of sincerity and utter humility. I’m aware of how rare this is in the rarified air I’m now breathing.

Tell us more about the philosophy behind Walk Through Fire...

Any break-up, separation or need for reinvention can feel like an allconsuming fire when you’re in it, but the enduring and survival of it can leave you with a more urgent and meaningful appreciation for life.

Did you expect Nashville to embrace your music so enthusiastically?

I don’t think I expect anywhere or anyone to embrace me automatically.

I’ve not been born into such a sense of entitlement or privilege that I could be afforded that luxury. Like in any place you have to find your people; abide the general noise of people that don’t see what you have to offer until everyone else does.

Whenever I get back to Bristol I go straight to my friends’ houses and catch up. Quality relationships are some of the most important aspects of my life.

Who in Bristol really helped support your solo career?

Anyone who says they were instrumental in my success is desperately seeking to lay claim to my innate will to pursue genre-fluid music.

That’s unless they’re Kit Hawes, John Blakeley, Jon Short, Harry Harding or Aaron Catlow. Kit patiently waited for me to learn guitar over years, collaborating all that time with no sense of a break or not having time for me. John B and Jon S, helped me relentlessly and did all the admin for my EP, Harry did all my demos and Aaron was there in every different incarnation and set-up of the band as I developed the sound and what I could do as a solo artist, and drove us round Nashville for the whole week of our first foray to AmericanaFest while everyone else drank. All with an even-handed friendliness, love and support any mate would be proud of. If you want to know who I admire most in Bristol, it’s this fine lot!

What’s in the pipeline for 2020, for the brand new decade?

The Grammys this month, touring, festivals and a new album! ■ • Follow Yola on Twitter: @iamyola Yola with Dan Auerbach

More country sounds seem to be making it onto mainstream radio in general at the moment; why do you think that is?

I honestly think we’re just experiencing the fallout of that Cohen Brothers movie O Brother, Where Art Thou and its exploration of American roots music in a less stereotyped way. The more you keep subjects and genres and people in the general international conversation, the longer they stay relevant and the more chance people have to discern meaning and connection. I know a lot of musicians that were affected by that soundtrack and a lot of artists subsequently influenced.

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Image by Joan Marcus

Robert Lopez, Matt Stone and Trey Parker outside Eugene O'Neill Theatre

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EQUAL-OPPORTUNITIES OFFENDERS

From Oprah Winfrey to Osama bin Laden, many have been subject to the South Park scalpel over the years. Say what you want about its creators, but nobody gets left out when it comes to their sharp satirical treatment – and the success of their musical The Book of Mormon has surprised nobody more than them. Words by Louis Wise

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o get a flavour of The Book of Mormon, you could do worse than look at one of the musical’s early numbers, Hasa Diga Eebowai. The song acts as a kind of welcome to the show’s heroes, two naive young Mormon missionaries sent to Africa in order to spread the word. On their arrival, the locals in a Ugandan village embark on a sunny, jolly song, heads up to the sky in full Lion King-style. There’s only one rub, though: the villagers aren’t asking them to feel the love tonight.

This is actually one of the safer numbers in the show, which has both shocked and delighted audiences (often at the same time) since it premiered in 2011. To fans of the creators – Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the dark geniuses behind South Park, and Robert Lopez, the man who gave us the equally smutty Avenue Q – this is a kind of heaven. But here’s maybe the most shocking thing about The Book of Mormon – despite its tackling of all taboos, it has had very few detractors at all. In fact, it has become one of the most loved and lovable shows of the decade, with nine Tony Awards and four Olivier Awards to its name.

“The truth is, we had imagined it would be controversial, and we hoped that it would run a year,” says Lopez in his New York writing studio, where he is working at songs for Frozen 2 (it’s him and his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who gave us the songs from the first Frozen, including Let It Go). As it looks set to be happily welcomed on a tour

...The truth is, we had imagined it would be controversial, and we hoped that it would run a year... of the UK and continental Europe, after stints all across America, Canada, the West End and Australia, it’s clear that neither thing ended up true. Lopez chuckles as he recalls the one person he saw walk out of the show, in its early previewing days. “She threw her playbook down and grabbed her things and marched out – like, ‘Everybody’s coming, right? This is too much!’ But no-one followed her out.”

How did it happen? From the moment the trio plumped on Mormonism as a subject, people panicked that they would be headed straight for a howling scandal. Who, in their right minds, chooses to send up a whole religion in a Broadway show? Yet that’s not what they ever set out to do, they explain. The piece is actually born of a shared fascination, even a love, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which the trio discovered when they met one evening after Parker and Stone had been to see Avenue Q, all the way back in 2003.

Over a drink, they asked Lopez what kind of stuff he’d like to do next, and he nervously revealed his niche interest. “I said, ‘I want to do

something on Joseph Smith’”, he remembers. “And they said: ‘What?

That’s what we wanna do too!’”

Mormonism may seem a surprising obsession for a bunch of comic geniuses, but not with a little context. Parker and Stone grew up in Colorado, after all, just one state away from the Mormon heartland of Utah. They always knew Mormons – Parker’s first girlfriend was one.

Today, sat in the LA studio where they still make an episode of South Park every week during the season (it’s been airing for or 22 years), it’s logical, they say – whereas Lopez’s fascination is not. “For us, it was next door, but he grew up in New York City,” frowns Stone.

Lopez was drawn to the story of Mormonism after reading about it in history lessons in Brooklyn. It has to be said that there is something delightfully surreal about the founding myths of the faith – as with perhaps those of any faith, if you view them under a certain light.

But Mormonism was close to home, and closer in time. In the early 19th century, the young Joseph Smith claimed that he had been visited by the Angel Moroni, who had presented him with two golden plates – the original Book of Mormon – detailing, for instance, a long sejour by Jesus in America. Oddly enough, Smith was the only man ever to see these plates (they are apparently still buried somewhere), but the story soon took hold. “I remember reading about Smith in an American history textbook in eighth grade and just having to read it twice, because I couldn’t believe what I was reading,” admits Lopez.

There is plenty of humour to be had, then, as the two teen missionaries, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, bounce blithely into Uganda with a very Mormon type of naiveté – only to be faced with its grim realities. That isn’t so much about laughing at a religion, though, as finding the comic potential in the culture clash. “It’s specifically a Mormon thing that when you’re 18 you get paired with someone who’s your sudden ‘best friend’, and sent somewhere crazy in the world,” points out Parker. “And we were like: ‘that’s a musical’. I mean, forget the religious part – that’s why it had to be Mormonism.”

And it was their attachment to the faith which meant they could develop a fully-fleshed show around it, adds Stone. “I just thought, with our fascination with Mormons, and our history, we could write that musical. Someone else could write one about some other religion really well but we wouldn’t.” The two are a little exasperated by an old criticism of the piece, that it didn’t pick a slightly more contentious religion to parody – Islam, for example. “It was already so loaded,” reasons Parker. Also, says Stone, they’ve always been equalopportunities offenders. From Osama bin Laden to Oprah Winfrey, no-one has avoided the South Park scalpel over the last 20 years.

“By the time we made The Book of Mormon, we’d already been in hot water with like three other religions,” Stone says. “People said, ‘Oh, they wouldn’t have made this about another religion.’ We chose this, but we’ve done a lot of religious subject matter.”

If the religion’s surreal stories did obviously appeal to their sense of humour, it’s about much more than sniggering at it, says Lopez. Each is under no illusion about religion having it pros and cons, and to not acknowledge that would ultimately have made the show less humane.

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“People are so quick to laugh at Mormons,” says Lopez, “but we wanted to be able to turn it around on them in the end. Because really, any belief in anything impossible is sort of funny, but also very inspiring and empowering. And I think that’s why the songs sing so much.”

Stone echoes this, pointing out that the show does present a journey of discovery, for the audience as much its characters. “There is an element to comedy that is ‘laugh at these people’,” he concedes. “And The Book of Mormon uses that mockability of them, and then tries to tell a larger story, to rope you in and open it up. Laughter breaks down your defences, you know? And then you’re open to a different story.”

...People panicked that they would be headed straight for a howling scandal. Who, in their right minds, chooses to send up a whole religion in a Broadway show?

Images by Paul Coltas

That said, you might expect Mormons themselves to not get the joke quite as clearly. “Everyone beforehand said; are you worried? And we said no. Because we know Mormons. Mormons are nice people and they’re smart people. We didn’t think they’d go so far as to take ads out in our programme,” he admits. “They trumped us, really.” Indeed, the Church of Latter Day Saints decided to use the show’s immediate popularity as a platform to further spread the word. Adverts in the show’s literature pointed you politely to the actual, real Book of Mormon, in case the musical had whetted your interest. Parker and Stone can only applaud. “The official Mormon response was exactly how we all in a liberal society would like a religion to respond to that,” says Stone. The church put out a statement pointing out that the First Amendment which allows the church to do what they do, is the same that lets the musical do what it does too. As Stone points out, they even played Salt Lake City, the capital of the faith, and the show sold out.

“And there were a lot of Mormons there.”

The reason the show dodges scandal is, in part, sheer skill – the charm of its tunes and the sharpness of its humour. The gags might be outrageous, but they are skilfully built in, one layering on top of the

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other. It almost amounts to a philosophy for the South Park duo.

“Humour is how we deconstruct the world,” says Stone. “It’s what a lot of not-funny people don’t understand,” adds Parker. “They don’t get that funny isn’t a tool to attack – it’s a tool to process a thing, and to communicate. I think the most profound things I’ve ever heard about life have come out of a comedian’s mouth.”

But the success is also down to the show’s heart. The most profound gags are often at their own expense. Here are three men who, after all, were as cocky as the Elders once were. Each has had to learn a few hard facts about life – it’s just that they haven’t had to face down warlords in Uganda to do so. “It’s a coming-of-age story, really, about two kids coming out of high school and thinking they know it all,” says Parker, “and then getting their asses handed to them. And I think anyone around the world can relate to that.” Or, as Lopez puts it simply: “It goes all the way there, so we can bring you all the way back.” ■ • The Book of Mormon runs 15 January – 22 February at Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com Kevin Clay stars in the musical

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LOCAL | EVENTS

WHAT’S ON IN JANUARY Yoga Brunch Club returns to The Forge

Welsh National Opera comes to St George’s Bristol

Welsh National Opera Orchestra: A Journey to Vienna 3 January, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol To welcome in the new year, WNO is taking audiences to Vienna for a celebration of some of Europe’s greatest music, featuring works by the likes of Offenbach, Mozart, Brahms, Dvorak and Strauss. The orchestra will be joined by soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams. £15 – £35; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Bring-your-own-bottle pottery evening 8 January, 7pm, The Pavilion, Clifton Get creative and have a go at painting some pottery with the help of experts René and John from Goodland’s Tea Party. £15, includes a mug to paint, all the materials required and the cost of firing and glazing your creation. Over 18s only; eventsatclifton.com

Planetarium Nights: Winter Stargazing 3D 9, 16, 23 & 30 January, times vary, We The Curious The science centre’s inspiring presenters will fly you to far-away galaxies and show you views from distant and newly discovered planets. Whether you are an amateur astronomer or completely new to stargazing,

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you’ll be able to escape the everyday and leave inspired to discover the night sky for yourself.

Grab a drink from the bar and enjoy the exhibits beforehand. £8.95/£9.95; wethecurious.org

served from 10.30am and the 40-minute recital begins at 11am with a large screen projection showing all the action from the organ bench. Suggested donation £5 on the door for adults, free for under 18s.

The Magic of Motown 9 January, 7.30pm, Bristol Hippodrome Prepare yourself for 40 back-to-back classic Motown hits by the likes of Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder, plus glittering costume changes, dazzling dance moves and outstanding musicianship in this explosive concert experience. From £29.65; atgtickets.com/bristol

Closer Each Day: The Improvised Soap Opera 13 & 27 January, 7.30pm, The Wardrobe Theatre Hilarious and heartfelt, Closer Each Day: The Improvised Soap Opera has absolutely no script, making every performance utterly unique, with an electric atmosphere. Think Eastenders meets The League of Gentlemen, via Love Island. Who knows what will happen? Maybe a passionate love affair, a kidnapping, a flashback, a bar fight or a nail-biting cliff-hanger? £10; thewardrobetheatre.com

Simply Social 9 January, 8.30pm, The Cottage Inn, Baltic Wharf, Cumberland Road Simply Social is an active social group that provides a way to meet others in a welcoming atmosphere. This is a monthly gathering for existing members and potential new members – all are welcome. Have a drink, learn how Simply Social works and the various activities on offer; simplysocial.org.uk

Antigone 8 – 11 January, times vary, The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic The war has ended. Outside the city gates, declared a traitor, Antigone’s brother lies unburied. In defiance of her uncle’s rule, Antigone stands on a line between city and desert, laws and gods. Fearlessly she steps into the wasteland to forge ahead with her brother’s funeral, alone. Her act will trigger a cycle of destruction. Presented by Bristol Old Vic Young Company. £12; bristololdvic.org.uk

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Jimmy Carr heads to Bristol Hippodrome

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Jimmy Carr: Terribly Funny 10 January, 8pm, Bristol Hippodrome Comedian Jimmy Carr knows that terrible things happen in life – but he believes the best way to cope is to make jokes about those events and not to worry about political correctness. His audiences have been warned.

One of the UK’s most well-loved comedians returns with his biggest tour yet. From £33.65; atgtickets.com/bristol Organ Elevenses with Nigel Nash 11 January, 10.30am, Holy Trinity Church, Westbury-on-Trym Organist Nigel Nash performs an uplifting programme of music. Coffee and cake will be No 187

Decoding Race and Masculinity with Lowkey 16 January, 7pm, Arnolfini Arnolfini, MANDEM and Raise the Bar present an insightful spoken-word event about the current state of race and masculinity in the UK, featuring an hour in conversation with rapper, lyricist and political activist Lowkey.

This will also feature a screening of Mikael Techane’s short film Boys Like Us, a spoken word and dance collaborative performance from Saili Katebe, and a visual essay/poem from Dr Edson Burton. £6 – £8; arnolfini.org.uk Raise The Roof 18 January, 11am, St George’s Bristol Join David Ogden, members of City of Bristol Choir, and fellow fans of musicals and films for an unashamedly indulgent day of singing blockbusting hits from stage and screen including songs from The Lion King,

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EDITOR’S PICK...

ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS 18 JANUARY – 1 FEBRUARY, TIMES VARY, BRISTOL OLD VIC

Angélique is a gifted chocolate maker inhibited by social anxiety.

Jean-René is the boss of a failing chocolate factory – awkward, prone to embarrassing sweating and reliant on self-help tapes. When Angélique takes a job in Jean-René’s struggling factory, a fragile love affair unfolds. Based on the hit film Les Émotifs Anonymes and directed by Emma Rice (Malory Towers, Wise Children), this beautiful new musical is brought exclusively to Bristol by Wise Children, ahead of its major international tour. From £8; bristololdvic.org.uk

The Greatest Showman and Cats. Singers £12, under 18s £5. Informal concert at 3.15pm, audience tickets £5; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Martyn Joseph in Concert 18 January, 8pm, 1532 Performing Arts Centre Take everything you think you know about singer-songwriters and rip it up. Just one man and his guitar, Martyn Joseph creates a farreaching sound that is energetic, compelling and passionate. This performance coincides with the launch of his new record Days Of Decision: A Tribute to Phil Ochs. £17.50; 1532bristol.co.uk

Yoga Brunch Club x Kemp Kitchen 19 January, 10.30am – 1.30pm, The Forge, Colston Yard Enjoy a restorative and calming Sunday to ease you into the new year with a yoga session led by Yoga Brunch Club founder Clem Balfour, followed by a sit-down brunch with London-based cook and food lover El Kemp. £50, includes 75-minute yoga session, threecourse brunch and Yoga Brunch Club gift bag; yogabrunchclub.com Beginners’ Bridge-playing course 21 January, 10.30am – 12.45pm, Bristol Bridge Club, Oldfield Place

Join this eight-week course and learn how to play Bridge at this relaxed and friendly club.

No partner needed. Course fee £96, includes club membership to March 2021. For more information, call 0117 329 6482 or email maggiehadley@hotmail.com Monster and Labels 21 – 24 January, 7.30pm, The Wardrobe Theatre Winner of more than five international awards, Joe Sellman-Leava comes to Bristol with with two staggering one-man productions. Monster interrogates entrenched associations between violence and masculinity, Continued on page 40

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LOCAL | EVENTS

Don’t miss Ferment Fortnight at Bristol Old Vic

Catch Living Spit’s Swan Lake at Tobacco Factory Theatres

asking why some men become monsters, while Labels examines how language can dehumanise people. £10; thewardrobetheatre.com

laughter? Burns Night, of course! Celebrate in style at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery and indulge in all the fun of a traditional Burns Night supper. £60; bristolmuseums.org.uk

A Yoga Retreat For Everyday People 23 – 26 January, Garth Barns, Llanidloes, Wales Whether you are a complete beginner or a regular yoga-goer, pop along to this relaxed and friendly winter retreat at cosy Garth Barns in Wales, hosted by Bristol-based Bobble Yoga. A chance to develop your practice in a way that is suited to your abilities – yoga is not a competitive sport, after all.

Accommodation, all meals and all yoga sessions are included. The food is prepared by local chef Sarah, using naturally gluten-free and vegetarian ingredients. Prices and accommodation information available online; bobbleyoga.com/retreats

Henleaze Concert Society: Postcard from Florence 25 January, 7.30pm, Trinity-Henleaze URC Bristol Ensemble performs Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence, combining Russian passion and fervour with Italian exuberance and brilliance, alongside Mozart’s rich and lyrical String Quintet in G Minor. Tickets £16.50 for adults, £5 under 25s; henleazeconcertsociety.org.uk

Angela Hewitt 24 January, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol Celebrated Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt is best known for her performances and recordings of JS Bach. In the big Beethoven anniversary year, she brings together these two great composers in a programme linked by three sets of variations by Beethoven. £20 – £30; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Weekend wedding fayre 25 & 26 January, 1 – 4pm, Old Down Estate, Foxholes Lane, Tockington Planning your wedding? Head to the Old Down Estate for a tour of the Manor House, the Orangery and Bernays ceremony room, all dressed to impress for the big day. There will be a fashion show at 2pm on the Saturday, while on the Sunday afternoon you can meet local suppliers and wedding coordinators; olddownestate.co.uk/weddings Burns Night supper 25 January, 7 – 11pm, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery What night of the year combines haggis, whisky and poetry with lots of fun and 40 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Trust 10 26 January, 9 – 11am, Tyntesfield A 10k run around the beautiful grounds of the National Trust’s Tyntesfield estate. Last registration at 8.45am. Meet at Home Farm visitor centre. Free, no booking needed; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield Ferment Fortnight 27 January – 9 February, times vary, The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic The doors of the rehearsal room have been thrown open to celebrate 10 years of Bristol Ferment. This year’s line-up includes the return of Seamas Carey, Sharp Teeth, The Devil’s Violin and Sleepdogs, alongside some talented new friends like Florence EspeutNickless, Audrey Productions, Madeline Shann and Malaika Kegode, Jakabol and Jenny Davies – to name just a few. £5 or £20 for five shows; bristololdvic.org.uk Daliso Chaponda: Blah Blah Blacklist 30 January, 8pm, Redgrave Theatre Daliso shot to fame on Britain’s Got Talent and has gone on to amass over 100 million YouTube views, and write and star in his critically acclaimed Radio 4 show Citizen of Nowhere. In his hilarious, daring new show, Daliso looks at disgraced, blacklisted celebrities and historical figures we’re ashamed we once admired. £16; redgravetheatre.com

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Bristol Ensemble performs at Trinity-Henleaze URC

Living Spit’s Swan Lake 30 January – 9 February, times vary, Tobacco Factory Theatres The most famous water-based avian ballet ever performed reaches unimaginable heights with Living Spit and two real-life ballet dancers. Swan Lake – normally pretty long, high-brow and expensive. Well, not any more!

Theatre Orchard and Living Spit have teamed up to make the smallest, snappiest ballet ever performed (probably). From £12; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

PLANNING AHEAD Bristol SMEs say NO to Cancer 4 February, 6pm, Ashton Gate Stadium To mark World Cancer Day, a black-tie dinner is being held to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. The event will be hosted by television presenter Jeff Brazier, and will include a drinks reception, three-course meal, entertainment, music, auction, raffle and networking opportunities. The fundraiser will coincide with the publication of a Calendar Girls-inspired calendar featuring 26 local men and women who aim to raise £20,000 for Cancer Research UK. Tickets from £90 via Eventbrite.

Endgame II 5 February, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol Pianist James Lisney continues his Endgame series of recitals that focus on the late piano works of Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin. Expect provocative, intriguing and endlessly satisfying music. £12 – £20; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Exultate Singers – Saxultate!

8 February, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol Exultate Singers is joined by Australian saxophonist Amy Dickson for a concert of spellbinding music for choir and saxophone.

This will be a unique, engaging concert featuring a range of music from traditional English folk songs to brand new commissions. £12 – £20; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk n

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GARDENING ARTS

Every picture tells a story Bristol-based illustrator Owen Gent describes himself as “not much of a writer”, but he compensates with his powerful visual vocabulary, says Emma Clegg

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llustrator Owen Gent is a man of texured layers. He was a signwriter, he used to dive into the sea on the Cornish coast in between lectures, he lived in a caravan on a llama farm, he travelled around Ireland in a van, he is working on a graphic novel and his illustrations have supported everything from a report on inequality in the US penal system to the covers of Thomas Hardy novels. Oh yes, and he’s just made himself a loom.

These layers extend to his illustration – a mixture of traditional art techniques and digital processes. “I used to be an oil painter and I did signwriting for a long time. So my background is in traditional brushwork. In my current work, I use digital techniques to give me the flexibility needed while working in commercial illustration – so my work is half hand-produced and half digital.” He scans in his own monotone watercolour paintings, adds colour and then layers on collected or handmade

...I like to tell a little bit of a story but then not fully explain the whole thing. It’s about implication and suggestion...

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textures such as old paper or dry brush strokes.

“There’s a depth that you can get from paint and pencil that you can’t get with digital,” Owen explains. “I use Photoshop a lot in my work, but I see technology like an extension of a pencil case with many different materials and possibilities. So it’s another creative tool rather than a formulaic process.”

Owen studied illustration at Falmouth School of Art, graduating six years ago. The course focuses on traditional illustration, with graduates going on to become book illustrators or produce editorial illustrations. Just a few years older than his fellow students, Owen recollects that the difference between going to college after having had a full-time job for a few years and coming straight from school was all about motivation: “I really wanted to be there – it really mattered to me. I got into magical realism when I was at Falmouth, using literature, music and storytelling and incorporating lots of metaphors in my work.

Slowly, over time, it became more about telling a story. My style is to tell a little bit of a story but then not fully explain the whole thing. It’s about implication and suggestion. Many of my figures never fully face the camera, so I leave as much as possible to interpretation.”

Owen has produced a number of book covers for clients including Hodder & Stoughton and Penguin Random House, but the ones that strike a particular chord are the series of Thomas Hardy covers he did for Penguin Vintage. In Owen’s trademark style, these are alluringly simple compositions, each with figures in mystery, facing away from the viewing plane and buffeted by the natural force of the elements. This synchronises aptly with Hardy’s familiar narrative around the power of circumstance to control lives and how human forces are inevitably rendered inconsequential.

Beyond book covers, Owen has a list of clients including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, The Washington Post, the V&A and Wired. He has also worked for organisations such as TED, the Samaritans and Al Jazeera, covering issues such as mental health, racial segregation and inequality.

“A lot of the subject matter I get is quite difficult: mental health, depression or isolation.

My style lends itself to that because there is something in not directly showing characterisation. It leaves a lot to interpretation which makes the content more palatable. And then people can project what they want on to that image rather than translating it literally.

“If I look at a brief from a client and see subjects such as depression, bereavement,

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mental health or death, there’s a sense of responsibility and pleasure in finding a way to communicate those well. If I can make those parts of life more palatable or offer a shred of understanding or an element of relatability around them then it’s incredibly rewarding.”

Owen also collaborates with fellow illustrator, composer and animator Hugh Cowling as Uncle Ginger Animation Studio.

In 2017 they received a nomination for Best Animation in the Royal Television Society’s West of England Awards for their film How Did Hitler Rise to Power? commissioned by TED-Ed – TED’s education initiative. Owen and Hugh are based in Bristol’s Centrespace studios, which is run as a cooperative and shared with creatives ranging from architects and glassblowers to furniture makers and printers. Owen says that everyone there is their own island, but there is also also a real sense of collaboration – valuable when you are freelance. Each one of Owen’s commissions has its own character and the schedules for delivering work range from five hours to a year.

“The best ones tend to be the short ones. You don’t have a choice and there’s no time to reflect or doubt yourself. There was a client recently who called me as I was walking out of the door with my coat on. The job was great so I had to sit back down and get straight on with it until the early hours. It’s one of the rare opportunities where the life of an illustrator can feel just a little bit rock and roll.” ■ • owengent.com

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ARTS

Illustration for an article in L’Express magazine exploring the potential reduction of prison sentences for sexual offenders attending voluntary sexual rehabilitation

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ASTROLOGY

STAR PEOPLE

Astrology is experiencing a surge in popularity, with various memes and different apps making this ancient system of meaning accessible in the modern way. For many, the complex processes behind it are still shrouded in mystery – here, a few local practitioners try and clarify some elements

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he perception and popularity of astrology seems to fluctuate quite dramatically – but there’s no doubt it’s experienceing a bit of a resurgence at the moment. Social channels have seen an influx of zodiac-based jokes, advice and all sorts of other content. It’s a fascinating subject whether or not you subscribe to the school of thought, its scene and the processes behind it; so we asked some local practitioners to help us up our knowledge of the mysterious discipline.

Bristol’s Lesley Taylor, aka The Steampunk Astrologer, taught herself in her late teens before attending astrology school, looking at the planets and their glyphs and learning to cast a chart by hand using the equal house method whereby a chart is made up not only of 12 signs, but also 12 ‘houses’ or life areas – with each house covering 30 degrees of the circular chart. “It’s a good system but not my preferred one,” says Lesley. “I use the Placidus house system which takes into account the tilt of the Earth.”

Astrologer and musician David Knowles has early memories of the subject from the Old Moore’s Almanac and other magazines. “Once when we moved house, I discovered an ephemeris in Polish which I couldn’t read – but I was fascinated by the tables of planetary movement and glyphs. In my teens, Parker’s Complete Astrologer was published and I put it on my Christmas wish list. My parents weren’t obviously anti-astrology but seemed to politely avoid the subject when I showed my enthusiasm for the book, and on Christmas morning my main gift was a slide rule for my maths studies.

“In Iceland and Hong Kong, I was fortunate to get to know some talented astrologers – then around 10 years ago there was a turning point when I decided I wanted to explore the subject in depth for myself so I enrolled with the Faculty of Astrological Studies to learn from top mentors from around the world.”

Celestial systems There are four main branches of horoscopic astrology and it attracts alls sorts of folk, from the down-to-earth to the ethereal. There’s natal astrology, based on the concept that personality or life path can be determined by the date, time, and location of their birth, and electional – determining the most auspicious moment to begin an enterprise. Then there’s horary – in which an astrologer attempts to answer a specific question by constructing a horoscope using the spread of the planetary positions at the exact time and place at which the question is put to them, similiar to how a Tarot reading might work – and mundane astrology, used to predict world affairs and events.

“A few years ago I was introduced to older forms of astrology which led on to me studying horary astrology with John Frawley, one of the leading experts in this field,’ says David. “Horary involves setting up a chart for the moment that the astrologer ‘understands’ the question.

The chart is basically a birth chart for the question – which needs to be as specific as possible and the more emotionally charged the better.

This form of astrology reached its height in England with William Lilly in the 17th century – when most people wouldn’t have owned a clock or even have been sure of their year of birth, so natal charts were usually reserved for the wealthy. It went through a period of decline

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until being revived in the 1980s.

“In more recent times, I completed Chris Brennan’s electional astrology course, learning how to choose auspicious times for the commencement of events such as weddings or setting up businesses.

My ongoing studies are now taking me into the world of Hellenistic astrology as more texts and translations come to light.”

“Showing a person their potential makes me happy; I look at future trends and compatibility,” Lesley explains. “I don’t like to use the word ‘predict’ as we all have free will and no amount of astrology can take that from us. A birth chart analysis for me is like looking into a tool kit that the universe has provided at birth. Those tools are the gifts, talents and character traits that person brings into the world. I can explain what the tools are and how best to use them and in which life area.

However, it’s up to that person whether and how to use them.” Lesley draws up each chart as a piece of art which can be interpreted by looking for any major patterns and shapes. “For something to be truly written in a chart it needs to show up in three or more ways,” she says.

“The house system I use for horary is known as Regiomontanus,” David tells us. “Each house begins in a particular sign which in turn is ruled by a particular planet. If Uranus, for example, is conspicuous in a relationship question close to the beginning of the seventh house, then matters of separation/divorce, literal or otherwise, are hinted at. The querent [someone who consults an astrologer] is signified by the ruler of the first house which begins in Capricorn ruled by Saturn, so Saturn as ‘Lord of the first house’ signifies the querent. The co-ruler of the querent is always the Moon which signifies their emotions/heart. If the querent is female, it will be shown by Venus; the Sun if they’re male.

Jodey Collorick, who teaches at Bristol’s Hamilton House having set up the Company of Astrologers’ teaching in the West Country, also specialises in the ancient form of divination that is horary astrology and has been involved in astrology for the past 27 years. “As a teen I learned the characteristics of each sign, comparing them to my friends and family and beginning to see them playing out,” he says, “and it was this way of experiencing astrology that got me hooked as it suggests another order of reality at work beneath the surface.”

Marmite matter

There are usually two camps when it comes to astrology – the fully subscribed and the utterly scornful. “Most sceptics that I meet actually know very little about astrology but often dismiss the subject outright,” says Jodey. “I’m always willing to share my knowledge if they are willing to listen. The most sceptical tend to be the earth signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) – concerned with the tangible world of matter,

whereas astrology is a mysterious subject concerned with the soul and its destiny. Pisces tends to be the most open to astrology; they are very receptive to the more subtle levels of reality and usually concerned with the bigger picture. I would also say Scorpio has a strong sense that we are involved in something very deep and mysterious.”

David agrees: “I suppose one thing that can upset me is the way astrology and astrologers can be dismissed by those without even the tiniest knowledge of the subject. I’m not out to prove anything, but I am genuine in my art and sincere in the wish to help others discover other aspects to themselves. Just because something isn’t provable in hard, scientific, conventional terms, doesn’t mean it has no value either.

Working with the symbolism alone can lead to finding a way to express that which is difficult to express in everyday words and my hope is that some kind of understanding is sparked within as a result of exploring clients’ charts. Just one statement I make can cause them to look at things from a new angle.”

“I’ve had some extreme reactions but the most common is either a condescending smirk or ‘So, what sign do you think I am?’” Lesley recalls. “If someone is sceptical that’s fine; it’s not my job or place to convert them, but if they are interested in discussion I’m happy to chat.

I think scepticism would show in a person’s Mercury sign (to do with thought processes) or even the Moon sign (to do with emotions).

Mercury in Capricorn could bring about scepticism, for example. For an openness to astrology I would look again at Mercury and the Moon in someone’s chart. Pisces is a dreamy, spiritual sign so if Moon and/or Mercury are in Pisces, there’s a good chance they will love astrology.”

Whether or not you give credence to the celestial system, there’s no doubt astrology’s a complex subject. “There are so many layers and levels to look at – which is why we are all unique,” says Lesley.

“Wouldn’t life be boring if there were only 12 personalities?”

It certainly seems to be something that many millennials in particular are taking an interest in. “The rise in social media has spread astrology and introduced it to a much younger audience,” says Jodey. “There is a huge amount of information on the internet as well as daily blogs, tweets and posts – the downside being that it can be difficult to discriminate between sound and unsound knowledge.”

For those interested in learning astrology, there are several different paths, too. “Its language and methods are vast,” adds Jodey, “so it can take several years of study before you are proficient to interpret a horoscope. There are many schools that offer a formal training programme such as the one-year foundation course that we teach at Hamilton House in Bristol.” We have to say we’re quite tempted. But then we would be, right? With a Pisces among us... ■

Image © DC Photo

You have been reading...

Lesley: “I actually have a lot of planets in Scorpio so I have some fairly typical traits I suppose – secretive, intense, obstinate – although I’m working to become a more evolved Scorpio. I’m trying to develop the healing and spiritual traits of the sign now.”

David: “The Moon position gives pointers as to the way we express our emotions. In my case, Moon is in Aquarius, associated with being open to people in general but keeping a distance on a personal level.

The only planet in Earth is generational Pluto. It implies being out of touch with practical aspects of life; I ‘earth’ myself through cooking – a Moon-like, nurturing tendency.”

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Jodey: “My Sun sign is Pisces. The two fish swimming in opposite directions illustrates my constant pull in different directions – all very confusing for those around us.

Fortunately my long-suffering wife is a Capricorn so she just stands firm and waits for the tide to change.”

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ARCHIVES

When Bristol MADE HISTORY

Stephen Roberts discovers some of the biggest moments in Bristol’s past which were influenced by the national story

JOHN WESLEY (1739) The Grade I listed Methodist chapel (the New Room), which can be found just off Horsefair, was the first of its kind in the world when it was built, and it was the place where John Wesley (1703-91), the founder of Methodism, famously preached his first sermon in 1739. Wesley, in conjunction with his younger hymn-writing brother, Charles, and George Whitefield, would preach to large congregations in Bristol, plus the nearby area of Kingswood (including its coalminers), and often in the open air. In his career of 50-odd years, Wesley travelled 250,000 miles and preached 40,000 sermons, but it all began in Bristol. Emphasising individual salvation and the love of God, the Methodists appealed to those that felt marginalised by the Church of England, including the working classes.

THE BLACK DEATH (1348) As a thriving port, Bristol would always be in the front line when pandemics were on the move as the seaways provided a convenient way for the plague to spread along trade routes. The Black Death arrived in England in June 1348, the first known case being a sailor who’d arrived from Gascony at Weymouth. By the autumn the disease had spread to London, and by the following summer the whole country was affected. Bristol was savaged. Up to one-third, or even a half of the population, was wiped out. To say that the city’s population growth was halted in its tracks would be a gross understatement, and Bristol’s headcount remained stalled at between 10,000 and 12,000 throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. The Black Death didn’t begin to subside until around December 1349, by which time it had carried off some 40 – 60% of the English population.

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When the English Civil War first broke out in 1642, Bristol aligned its support for Parliament, with the citizens making ready by re-fortifying the castle. However, Bristol was occupied by the Royalists under Prince Rupert (nephew of Charles I) in July 1643, who caused significant damage to city and castle, but also built the Royal Fort House on the site of an earlier Parliamentarian fortress. The city’s workshops were converted to armaments factories, making muskets for Charles I’s army. The Royalists would remain in possession of Bristol until September 1645, when Sir Thomas Fairfax re-took the city for Parliament. No further military action would take place in Bristol during the war, although following the conflict, the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell ordered the castle to be slighted (ruined) in 1656 to prevent it being held against Parliament ever again.

Image below: The Dance of Death, an illustration from the Nuremberg Chronicle, by Hartmann Schedel (1440-1514). When the Black Death reached Bristol, it accounted for up to a half of the city’s then population

John Wesley by George Romney: NPG/Wiki/The Exchange Bristol: Wikikob

ENGLISH CIVIL WAR (1640S)

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BRISTOL’S ROYAL CHARTER (1155) A royal charter is a formal grant issued by the reigning monarch, and Bristol received one from Henry II (1133-89) in 1155. He’d only ascended the throne the previous December, following the death of his mother’s cousin, King Stephen, who’d been imprisoned in Bristol Castle in 1141 during The Anarchy (the civil war between Stephen and Matilda, Henry’s mother, over who was the rightful monarch). Charters grant privileges to towns and cities, such as the lucrative right to hold a market. Bristol’s oldest market is St Nicholas Market which was established in 1743, and has since been named as one of the top 10 markets in the UK. The royal charter issued by Henry II was one of the factors which helped make Bristol one of the top three tax-raising English cities (after London) between the 13th and 18th centuries.

Bristol Bridge, which replaced the first stone bridge of 1247

Bristol’s Corn Exchange, a Grade I listed building, built 1741-43 and today home to St Nicholas Market, Bristol’s oldest market. The four bronze pillars outside are ‘The Bristol Nails’, hence ‘paying on the nail’

THE STONE BRIDGE (1247)

Bristol Bridge: NotFromUtrecht/Wiki

It’s unclear when the first bridge was built over the Avon in Bristol, but we know the first stone bridge followed in 1247. This had houses and shops on it, so resembled the old London Bridge, with properties five storeys high. By the time of the English Civil War in the 17th century, it also housed a community of goldsmiths. This bridge was succeeded in the 18th century following a bill for its replacement, sponsored by Bristol MP Sir Jarrit Smyth, which passed through Parliament in 1760. The new structure was designed by James Bridges (an apt nomenclature), with its completion dating around 1763-68, although by that time Bridges had departed to the West Indies. The fact the city had a toll bridge prompted the Bristol Bridge Riot in 1793, although plans to demolish some of the bridge’s houses also played a part. Eleven people were killed, with many more injured. The 18th-century bridge still stands, of course, with modifications.

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THE BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION (1914) Ashton Gate railway station is a disused stop on the Portishead branch that opened for Bristol City Football Club supporters in September 1906 (when the club was in the old First Division), and then fully opened in October 1910. In 1914 it was temporarily renamed Exhibition Station for the Bristol International Exhibition, which was held between May and August. Staged on 30 acres of Ashton Meadows, the idea had been to promote Bristol, the British Empire and the city’s potential for overseas trade. The event never really took off, lacking support from civic leaders and buy-in from the public. After a chequered few months the event closed for good after the commencement of the First World War and the site quickly turned into barracks for Bristol’s Own (the 12th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment) and other regiments. As for Ashton Gate station, it also closed for good 70 years later in 1984 and looks likely to remain closed, although plans for the Portishead branch could see it re-open by 2021.

THE IRISH RAID (1068)

JOHN CABOT (1497)

By around 1020 Bristol had become an established trading centre with its own mint. Anglo-Saxon England became Norman England, however, in October 1066 when William the Conqueror prevailed at the battle of Hastings.

What effect would this have on Bristol?

Well, although Bristol (or ‘Brycgstow’) was a well-fortified burh, or town, this didn’t prevent it being attacked in 1068. It was an Irish raid, led by three of the sons of Harold II, presumably still fuming over the death of their father at Hastings. Perhaps this was their way of having a pop back at the Normans. The Normans clearly felt the need to further augment Bristol’s defences because one of southern England’s strongest castles was thrown up in the early decades of the 12th century and dominated Bristol’s skyline for almost 600 years. You can just about make out some of the castle’s foundations today in Castle Park.

Despite the ravages of the Black Death, Bristol recovered to maintain and develop its credentials as one of the UK’s major ports and therefore became the start point for many voyages of discovery, including those of Robert Sturmy and explorer/navigator John Cabot (c.1450 – c.1500). Cabot, reputedly a Genoan, made landfall in North America in 1497, although, like Columbus five years before, imagined himself to have reached Asia. Prior to this, Cabot had settled in England in 1484, and then attracted the patronage of the new king, Henry VII, in 1485. With his son, Sebastian (c.1476 – 1557), who was possibly born in Bristol, he undertook the 1497 voyage, landing somewhere in southern Labrador, Newfoundland, or Cape Breton Island. Cabot later died at sea during a second expedition, while his son went on to be cartographer to Henry VIII. All shipshape and Bristol fashion, as the saying goes.

Right, Bristol Castle was built c.1120 by the Normans after the city had fought off the Irish Raid of 1067.

Source: J.F. Nicholls & J. Taylor, Bristol Past and Present, 1882/Wiki 26 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE o 2019 184 | NBRISTOL 48 THE MAGAZINE

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Ashton to Portishead Railway Line d 2012, Greater Bristol Metro Rail, Flikr/Wiki

The disused Ashton Gate railway station, on the Portishead branch, was renamed Exhibition Station for the Bristol International Exhibition

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BRISTOL CATHEDRAL (1542) The Diocese of Bristol came about in 1542 when the city’s former Abbey of St Augustine, which had been founded around 1140 and dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539, became the city’s cathedral.

The church might have been lost during the dissolution of the monasteries, but was saved, possibly due to lobbying by the citizens of what was one of England’s most important trading centres after London (if not the most important). Bristol became a city in that same year. The cathedral has many treasures, including its chapter house, 16th-century choir stalls, beautiful organ case by Grinling Gibbons, and an east Jesse window containing 14thcentury stained glass.

The Bristol Riot of 1831 being suppressed in Queen Square by cavalry

THE REFORM BILL RIOTS (1831) The re-imposition of tolls on Bristol Bridge may have occasioned the riots of 1793, but nearly 40 years later it was the question over parliamentary reform that sent the people onto the streets to make their voices heard. The Bristol Riots of October 1831 occurred when the House of Lords rejected the second Reform Bill, which looked to increase the number of men who could vote in elections. It was the visit of local magistrate Sir Charles Wetherall, a staunch opponent of reform who came to open Bristol’s new Assize Courts, which acted as the catalyst for the riots. A mob of protesters pursued him to Mansion House in Queen Square, where a full-scale riot ensued that saw half of the square’s buildings destroyed. The disturbances lasted for several days until the 3rd Dragoon Guards and 14th Light Dragoons were deployed to restore order. Four of the ringleaders were hanged the following spring, despite 10,000 Bristolians signing a petition against this, and four rioters were killed and 86 were wounded, although it has been suggested that more people could have perished in the fires. The Reform Act then received royal assent in June 1832.

Queen Square riot: JF Nicholls and John Taylor, Bristol Past and Present 1882/Wiki

BRISTOL’S SLAVE TRADE (1720S–1740S) By the early 16th century, Europeans were actively involved in the trade of enslaved Africans and transporting them to the American continent to work on plantations for products such as tobacco and sugar. Britain’s involvement in this dominated the transatlantic slave trade from 1640 until the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was passed by Parliament in 1807. During this time, ports became central to the trade routes and Bristol became the biggest port for slave ships in Britain between the 1720s and 1740s, before being overtaken by Liverpool. Even in the late 18th century, the trading links between Africa and the West Indies are estimated to have totalled to more than 80% of Bristol’s foreign trade. As well as it being slave owners and shipbuilders who made enormous amounts of money during this time, people across Bristol profited from the slave trade including merchants and manufacturers, and the city’s first banks and considerable amounts of its much-admired architecture and streets such as the Georgian House Museum and Guinea Street came about as a result of the trade. Particularly in recent years, several Bristol institutions and schools have been addressing their connections to the slave trade, with some considering and planning name changes such as Colston Hall, which was originally named after slave trader Edward Colston. ■

OTHER SIGNIFICANT DATES 1295: Bristol gains parliamentary representation Trailblazing Afro 1373: Bristol becomes a county separate from Somerset and Latin band Wara Gloucestershire 1552: Incorporation of the Merchant Venturers puts the port of Bristol on the map 1702: Queen Anne visits Bristol following her ascendancy to the throne 1752: Birth of tragic poet Thomas Chatterton in Bristol 1766: Opening of the Theatre Royal (now known as Bristol Old Vic), Britain’s oldest working theatre 1774: Birth of Robert Southey, Poet Laureate and Lake Poet, in Bristol 1792: First American Consulate in Europe opens at 37 Queen Square, Bristol 1821: Elizabeth Blackwell, first female doctor in the US, is born 1836: The zoological gardens (Bristol Zoo) in Clifton opens 1843: The launch of Brunel’s steamship, the SS Great Britain 1848: The birth of W.G. Grace, famous cricketer, in Downend 1864: Clifton Suspension Bridge opens

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FOOD & Drink

TASTY TIDBITS FROM THE CITY’S RESTAURANTS, CHEFS AND PRODUCERS

MAKING A 2020 RETURN

Image by Matt Gutteridge

Tom Paine, Josh Eggleton, Penny Warner, Luke Hasell and Dave Harvey

MAGICAL NEW MENU Stylish Cotham Hill cocktail bar Crying Wolf has unveiled a gorgeous new winter menu of 12 concoctions best enjoyed alongside the selection of locally sourced bar snacks including pork pie with Ruby & White red ale chutney, and Bristol rarebit.

Taking inspiration from herbs and plants used in traditional witchcraft, the menu features handmade syrups, cordials and shrubs (a syrup made from fruits, aromatics, sugar and vinegar) using locally grown and regionally produced ingredients such as a quince liqueur, a spiced apple shrub, a rowan berry-infused vodka and a pear and hazelnut syrup.

Due to the limited availability on local fresh fruit during the winter months, the Crying Wolf team has also utilised two different types of tea to create handmade syrups – a roibos tea syrup and a chai tea syrup. The new cocktails include Devil’s Mark (Beefeater gin, yellow Chartreuse, house-made apple and black pepper shrub, fresh ginger, honey, lemonade, angostura bitters) – named after the mark that would apparently appear on a witch’s skin after a pact had been made with the devil – and vibrant Amulet (rowan berry-infused JJ Whitley vodka, rowan berry shrub, dry vermouth, lemon and demerara).

• cryingwolf.co.uk

Farmer and Valley Fest founder Luke Hasell and chef patron of The Pony & Trap, Josh Eggleton, are bringing back Eat Drink Bristol Fashion this year with the help of Team Love, the event company behind Love Saves The Day and The Downs Bristol.

On 2 & 3 May (subject to licence), in Castle Park, they will build on the original concept of the Queen Square celebration (2011 – 2015) as a celebration of Bristol’s culinary powerhouses, with performances from some of the city’s best live acts and DJs. “It will celebrate the rise of the incredibly diverse food culture that has taken place over the last 10 years,” says Josh. "We want to show the country what has been achieved here through collaboration, networking and community engagement. And that all this has been done while keeping an open mind and genuine enthusiasm for food rooted within the culture of our city, alongside the music, art and creative scene.

“We also want the new Eat Drink Bristol Fashion to be a catalyst for collaborative projects and to generate positive action. The city has gained some important national and international recognition for the producers, restaurants and community food schemes here and we want to give a platform to as much of this as we can. We believe that the festival should be giving back to the city so we’re looking at how we leave an ongoing legacy. It’s year one for this new partnership and we won’t achieve everything we want to immediately but this feels like a really good starting point.”

• eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk

FEBRUARY FLAVOURS On 6 February, Bath-based Noya’s Kitchen will be hosting an evening of Vietnam-inspired dishes at Harvey Nichols Bristol.

Guests will be welcomed with a cocktail and nibbles, before enjoying a four-course menu (£35pp) including steamed noodle parcels with pork and black wood-ear mushrooms, and banana and coconut tapioca pudding at the Second Floor Restaurant.

After fleeing Vietnam as a refugee, aged seven, Noya reconnected to her roots via the cuisine her family left behind.

Noya’s Kitchen began with a one-off supper club for her friends – word spread and she quickly saw enough demand to open her own place in 2017. Noya now hosts supper clubs, pho and curry nights and cooking classes. “It all started after I talked to my mother and family about their favourite recipes,” says Noya, “and by adding my own twist I have created a range of delicious, zingy, balanced and authentic dishes that I am proud of.”

• reception.bristol@harveynichols.com; 0117 916 8898

Noya creates balanced, authentic dishes reflecting her heritage

Amulet features rowan berryinfused JJ Whitley vodka

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A taste of 2020

It’s a new year but is it time for a new diet? Melissa Blease investigates what will be hot and what will be dropped – from Veganuary to zero-proof drinks and flour alternatives, the future looks plant-based, sustainable and organic

W

hat have poké bowls, posh crumpets and miso caramel got in common? They’re all – along with tacos, unicorn food, pét-nat wines, puffed rice and konjak (say whaaat?) just soooo last year. Wave goodbye to last year’s flash-in-thepan food fads and say hello to six top food and drink trends that 2020 is poised to bring to the table.

Zero-proof drinks

Zero-proof – isn’t that just another way of saying alcohol-free? Well yes and no.

Traditionally, alcohol-free alternatives to spirits have tended to attempt to mimic gin, tequila, vodka, etc, with varying degrees of success. Those of us who choose not to eat meat don’t need vegetarian or vegan alternatives to pretend to be meat. So in the same way, folk in search of a properly cool cocktail sans the hard stuff have sparked the rise of a whole new menu of chic alternatives using herbs, spices, shrubs, fruit, pickles and vegetables to create unique flavour sensations.

Following in the wake of the huge success of Seedlip (who introduced us to the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit in 2015), brands such as Stryyk, Borrago, Three Spirit, Atopia, ISH Spirits, Lyre’s and Caleño have totally shaken up the mixology market, replacing the old perception of alcohol-free alternatives being ‘what to drink when you’re not drinking’ with the hippest tipples for all to indulge in. Ironically at least three major gin producers are now attempting to create a traditional gin that tastes like a zero-proof gin created by one of the brands listed above.

almost warfare in the aisles. But nut butters have far from melted into obscurity. While peanut, cashew and almond varieties still top the charts, nuts such as macadamia, walnut and almond are being buttered up in readiness for their turn in the hip foods limelight, alongside butters made from seeds including pumpkin, sesame, chia, poppy and hemp. As for palm oil as a nut butter lubricant – no, no, no! Argan oil – low in saturated fat and laden with vitamin E – is the new nut butter schmoo.

Sugar gets shunned

your larder in 2020 as almond, quinoa, plantain, amaranth, coconut and banana – just six of the flour alternatives that are set to trend this year – dominate the flour market.

Banana flour – which has been used in Africa, South America and Jamaica for years – is the current market leader; like its fellow flour bed friends, it’s gluten-free... and perfect for pancakes.

Soy gets sent off

Soy has long enjoyed the spotlight at the epicentre of a plant-based diet. It does, however, bring a bit of controversy to the table. Even if we leave the is/isn’t it good/bad for you debate aside, it’s generally accepted that soy crops are the most destructive of all the monocrops, often pesticide-laden and almost always genetically modified. Little wonder, then, that innovative blends of grains and beans that mimic the creamy textures of yogurts and other dairy products are set to soar as soy sales sink. Meanwhile, those of us who can’t imagine life without soy sauce need worry not; soy-free incarnations are already widely available and taste exactly the same as the original version.

Sweetly seductive reductions made from familiar fruity friends (pomegranate, dates, coconut) will compete with attention-grabbing new sweeties on the block including syrups made with sweet potato, monk fruit and sorghum (a flowering plant with grass family roots, largely cultivated in warm climates around the globe), offering us new ways to shoo sugar entirely from both sweet and savoury dishes.

Flour power

Plain and self-raising flours may be destined to be consigned to the dark, dusty corners of

Seacuterie makes a splash

Scallop mortadella, salmon pastrami, swordfish salami, tuna ’nduja, lobster lomo: seacuterie will take over where the seafood platter sharing board leaves off. We’ll see sad smoked salmon, cheerless calamari and crestfallen crab pâté kicked to the kerb in favour of more complex, imaginative ways with fish and seafood, often involving processes such as dry-ageing, fermenting and salt-baking. Seacuterie is flashy, splashy and very, very hip; get ready to dive in.

I can’t believe it’s nut butter

Last year, we predicted that tahini would pretty much go everywhere peanut butter has already been – and in a way, we were proved right when stocks of Waitrose date and tahini cookies ran so low last spring that there was 52 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Meat: off the menu for good?

Plant-based, vegan, meat-free, vegetarian, flexitarian: whichever label you choose to run with, the mass migration away from eating meat, which gained momentum throughout 2019, shows no signs of slowing down in the new year.

Cool campaigns The Meat-Free Mondays campaign launched

by Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney in 2009 will continue to gather pace in 2020, supported by celebrity endorsements from superstars including Woody Harrelson, Lauren Laverne, Richard Branson, Leona Lewis, Vivienne Westwood, Emma Thompson and Joanna Lumley. MFM aims to raise awareness of the detrimental environmental impact of animal agriculture and industrial fishing while encouraging people to help slow climate change, conserve precious natural resources and improve their health by having at least one plant-based day each week.

Veganuary, however, goes one step further, asking us to give up all animal by-products for a whole month. Today, that commitment represents a far easier ‘ask’ then ever before, largely because of...

Market forces UK food manufacturers launched more new vegan products than any other nation last year, making it the country’s fastest-growing commercial culinary trend of 2019 with a market worth of £310m. In a laudable effort to keep ahead of – or, in the case of some savvy entrepreneurs, dictate – the curve, supermarket chains will continue to stock more and more accessible, affordable vegan options and products in 2020. Meanwhile, the British Takeaway Campaign says that vegan meals are now the UK’s quickest growing fast food/takeaway choice, with meat-free orders rising almost fivefold over the last two years.

The number of vegan restaurants on the online delivery platform Deliveroo increased by 168% in 2019, making it one of the company’s most burgeoning categories.

Guess who’s coming to dinner?

Even a mere decade or so ago, inviting a vegan/vegetarian friend to a restaurant gettogether or to a domestic dinner party was seen as difficult. Those following such a diet considered themselves lucky if they were confronted with the option of both vegetarian lasagne and mushroom risotto in a restaurant, while dinner party features in cookery magazines often included a sidebar paragraph headed “Help, I’ve got a vegetarian/vegan coming to dinner!” followed by a complicated recipe for cashew nut roast. But look at us now! Every restaurant in town flaunts multiple meat-free options, a vegan equivalent to pretty much every traditional ingredient (mincemeat, burgers, sausages, cheese, ham, butter... fish fingers!) is readily available, and endless recipe books and TV cookery shows make meat-free domestic menus a breeze, if not a joy. (Viewing figures for Jamie Oliver’s recent

Channel 4 series Meat Free Meals, for example, surpassed his 2012 series 15-Minute Meals series by 38%.)

The naysayers As meat continues to drop off the menu for millions of people, myths ranging from ‘vegans don’t get enough protein’ to ‘if cows aren’t milked they explode’ are peddled at every turn, largely fuelled by meat industry moguls quaking in their boots. Fortunately the myths section on the veganuary.com website debunks them all. Here is their answer to “Isn’t it natural to eat meat?”

What is ‘natural’? The chicken who cannot live more than six weeks, the turkey who can’t even breed without human help or the cow selectively bred to produce far more milk than is good for her health?

It’s all food for thought and it’s definitely the thinking about the impact of what we eat that is driving the food trends in 2020. n

Changing trends • 2.2m British people will commit to becoming vegan in 2020, increasing the current vegan population to around 2.9m finder.com • One in eight of us now identify as vegetarian Waitrose Food and Drink Report, 2018 • It is predicted that by 2040 only 40% of the global population will be consuming meat, with 35% consuming clean (lab) meat and 25% vegan meat replacements.

AT Kearney, 2019 • Adhering to health guidelines on meat consumption could cut global food-related emissions by nearly a third by 2050, while widespread adoption of a vegetarian diet would bring down emissions by 63%.”

University of Oxford 2018 study

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iSLE OF MAn

Escape the everyday and be reminded how life should be…

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magine a place, a seabound kingdom with its own captivating story to tell. Where new flavours, sights and experiences emerge with the shifting seasons — a place that reminds you how life really should be.

Located at the heart of the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man is just a short flight (from 10 UK airports including Bristol) or a hassle-free sail away, making it the ideal destination for a relaxing getaway with a loved one this spring. Its UNESCO World Biosphere status recognises the Island’s unique way of life and its drive to preserve its nature, wildlife, culture and heritage.

Dive into its rich history and ever-changing landscapes and you’ll uncover a place where tradition lies alongside extraordinary stories of giants and fairies. Marvel at its unique heritage and journey through time as you unfold the Island’s 10,000 year history, where legacies were built and culture echoes through time forged traditions. Follow in the footsteps of Vikings, experience how the Kings and Lords of Mann lived, trace the Island’s heroic poignant war story and journey through its legendary motor racing history which is over 100 years old.

A melting pot of character and taste, the Isle of Man nurtures the passion and creativity of its artisans and boasts a long history in excelling in the quality and variety of its locally produced food and drink. With more than 70 award-winning Manx products to sample, whether you're after real ale experiences or locally foraged culinary delights, there's a growing choice of food and drink experiences and tours that are guaranteed to add some exciting flavour to your itinerary.

Absorb breath-taking scenery aboard the most impressive network of heritage railways in the British Isles, powered by electricity, steam and horsepower, all preserved in time and operating with some original rolling stock. Choose to journey north on the Manx Electric Railway from Douglas to Laxey, a charming village located on the east coast of the Island, where you’ll discover the Great Laxey Wheel. Built in 1854 to pump water from the Laxey mines, it is the largest working waterwheel in the world and a fantastic example of Victorian engineering. A climb to the top will see you rewarded with stunning, panoramic views across Glen Mooar Valley. At Laxey, you can transfer to the Snaefell Mountain Railway to wind your way up 2,000ft to the top of Snaefell Mountain, where on a clear day you can take in the spectacular views of the Seven Kingdoms of Mann, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, heaven and the sea. The Heritage Railways will re-open for the 2020 season in March.

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Put your best foot forward and discover extraordinary walks on the Isle of Man. The Island’s coastal paths, country lanes, forests and glens provide the ideal playground for adventurers of all ages. There’s no better walking challenge than the Island’s biggest, longest and most spectacular attraction for walkers, the Raad ny Foillan (Manx Gaelic for Way of the Gull). At almost 100miles long, it offers the rare delight of walking right around an entire nation. For those looking for a more sedate pace, take a trip to one of the 18 mountain and coastal National Glens to experience the real magic of the Island.

The Isle of Man is also home to some of the finest golf courses in the British Isles and offers the ideal setting for a golf break. With 8 courses, including links, parkland and heathland settings all within easy reach of each other there is something to suit golfers of all abilities.

Should you seek something a bit more adrenaline-fuelled, take a ride around the Island on the back of a trike with Isle of Man Trike Tours.

Ideal for motorsport enthusiasts and fans of the world famous TT races, it’s also captivating for complete novices where thrill-seeking aside, the tour is a fantastic way to soak up the Island’s striking backdrops.

However you choose to explore the island, you certainly won’t be short of things to see or do!

Start your extraordinary story and discover more at visitisleofman.com 

Win!

a spring break to the Isle of Man!

Taking centre stage on the world’s most visual social media platform, Instagram, the Isle of Man has created an innovative way for users to interactively explore and win a trip for two to its Island.

Embark on your virtual journey by visiting @iom_instatourism From here, Instagram’s account tagging feature allows users to roam the Island, hopping from one location to the other, showcasing the very best of the Isle of Man and what makes it so special, from the activities and attractions to the distinctive heritage and culture.

Hidden along your ‘Insta-Tour’ are six clan accounts to find: Adventurers, Artisans, Believers, Discoverers, Explorers, and the Movers. Collect six individual letters contained in each clan account to spell out a code word of which to enter at visitisleofman.com/extraordinarystory/instatourism for your chance to win.

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Hotel & Restaurant



Watersmeet Hotel is a luxury four-star hotel with spectacular sea views offering one of the finest coastal locations in the West Country overlooking Combesgate Beach and North Devon’s rugged coastline.

Our sea view Pavilion Restaurant boasts award winning two-AA rosette cuisine whilst our Bistro offers a la carte dining. This Spring our popular Rambler’s Package is back! Retreat for three nights of luxury in a deluxe sea view room, indulge in three courses each evening and one afternoon enjoy a Devon Cream Tea in our sea view lounge.

Package price £745.00. Should you be lucky enough to escape last minute, our late availability rates are updated weekly on our website offers section. Book and enjoy the full Watersmeet experience.

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WEDDINGS

The romance of 2020

The first year of a new decade is always a popular year to get married, says bridal specialist Carina Baverstock – and 2020 will be no exception

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peonies and intoxicating roses. Classic white and green colour schemes work well for bouquets, or mix clashing shades of pinks, reds and oranges with a hint of lime green to create the wow against a rich silk mikado gown set slightly off the shoulder with a hint of décolletage.

These are just a few ways to work the romance of the new decade – be sure to make the most of having such a brilliant, memorable date. n

n enchanting journey of romance might have all started with a journey to a dreamy destination. It could have been Vienna or Paris when a question of note was asked, maybe accompanied by an engagement ring. This would have been just the beginning of a journey towards a day in a year when lifetime promises are made. For those in this situation, 2020 is a year that is unlikely to be forgotten.

Here are some ideas about the crucial elements of a special day...

Carina Baverstock Couture, 11 Silver Street, Bradford on Avon. Tel: 01225 866610; carinabcouture.com

The rings Engagement rings have become bigger, with opulent cushion stone settings scoring high on the ‘simple with impact’ level or the classic ‘Diana’ oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds setting, which is very popular once again. Tiaras have become the choice of headpiece, having been overlooked for years in favour of the boho flower crown.

Is it perhaps the influence of Netflix drama The Crown?

The dress The opulence then travels into the choice of wedding gown. Popular options are characterised by embellishment, with threedimensional silk flowers scattered over cascading silk or rich embroidered applique on tulle. Tulle is the fairytale fabric that we’ve fallen back in love with, perhaps inspired by Elsa’s magical dress in Frozen.

Full, flouncy skirts with tiny waists are layered with soft silk beneath the swish and swirl of undulating natural lines in spite of the fullness, allowing the wearer to feel flirtatious and special.

It’s all about femininity. Maybe the bride is a no-nonsense business woman in her everyday life and can’t wait to take on a glamorous role on her special day to allow a softer side to show.

Strapless gowns showing the shoulders are back again – another sign of elegant femininity. Think Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday as the princess in the castle and tune into the popularity of château weddings where the men wear stylish navy tuxedos or full morning dress.

A dream wedding Imagine luxury venues with dreamlike views, landscape gardens with arches of clambering roses. These are the places to capture those photos of exquisite brides and handsome grooms, encompassed by romance.

For the reception styling, you might choose a big floral statement, with tables full of summer flowers and large bouquets with 56 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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JEWELLERS FOR THE BIG OCCASIONS Kemps Jewellers, 9 Carlton Court, Westbury on Trym, Bristol BS9 3DF Kemps Jewellers is a traditional family firm headed by fourth-generation expert Michael Kemp. They offer a wide selection of wedding rings from the classic, plain, simple designs to diamond set bands all available in 9ct, 18ct yellow or white gold, platinum and palladium. A bespoke handmade service is available if you require something special or different. Kemps offer a 10% discount on any pair of wedding rings purchased and also have a selection of gifts and presents for the best man and bridesmaids. kempsjewellers.com

Diana Porter Contemporary Jewellery 33 Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5NH Award-winning British jewellery designer Diana Porter creates beautifully hand-crafted pieces.

With an in-house workshop and small team of goldsmiths and silversmiths they are dedicated to creating unique wedding and engagement rings using Fairtrade gold and unusual precious stones.

From simple set stones in delicate bands to uniquely textured designs set with clusters of salt and pepper diamonds, the possibilities are endless. As well as making their own collections the designers can work alongside customers to create bespoke designs, something you will cherish forever. dianaporter.co.uk

Julie Ann Palmer 129 Stoke Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 3RW In Julie’s workshop, where all the magic happens, from original design to the finished article, all the work is under Julie’s sole control and professional expertise. You can feel confident that your personal ideas are treated with paramount importance and the end result will be truly unique and beautifully crafted. All aspects of bespoke wedding jewellery are covered including interlocking wedding and engagement rings as well as eternity rings. julieannepalmer.com

Mallory 1 – 5 Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AP Established for 120 years in its original Bridge Street premises in Bath, Mallory is one of the country’s oldest family-owned and run jewellers and a renowned destination for luxury pieces. Today it boasts one of the largest in-house workshops in the UK, employing goldsmiths trained to the highest calibre, who create the most exquisite bespoke jewellery.

Inside the showroom you will find a majestic display of fine and contemporary jewellery, watches, luxury gifts and accessories from the world’s most exclusive brands as well as an extensive collection of jewellery designed by Mallory. mallory-jewellers.com

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Saturday – Open Day & Fashion Show Sunday – Wedding Fayre

Prosecco & canapés on arrival for the first 50 couples Suppliers exhibiting

Meet with a wedding coordinator

VISIT: OLDDOWNESTATE.CO.UK/WEDDINGS

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GRITTLETON HOUSE Your Country House Wedding in the Cotswolds This beautiful family owned Victorian mansion, with its impressive double gates and tree lined drive, oozes style and charm both inside and out. As you enter, you will be mesmerised by the magnificent architectural features, fabulous ornate and high ceilings, original working fireplaces and the most stunning double staircase. Outside there are 37 acres of parkland and formal gardens, most notable are the handsome Italian sunken gardens. Add in the beautiful orangery and the new and very elegant master bedrooms you will not be disappointed.

What more could you possibly ask for, how about exquisite food, prepared in house by Michelin trained chefs, a fantastic event manager a superbly organised wedding coordinator and

exceptionally friendly and helpful staff.

The Shipp family are passionate about their beautiful Grittleton House and they love sharing it with all of their special couples. ‘We are privileged to be able to live in such a gorgeous place, and there is nothing nicer that filling the House with love and laughter’, says Vanessa Shipp. ‘Weddings are so personal and should definitely reflect the couples personalities. This is the moment many have dreamt about for years!’ Grittleton House offers ultimate flexibility with a choice of ceremony rooms, dining rooms and party rooms, you really can make your day your own.

Their chefs are not only incredibly talented but also very accommodating, they love nothing more than to showcase the couples own ideas.

‘Flexibility is key, we are always thrilled when our couples come up with new ideas we haven’t thought of before’.

Save the date We will be holding our next Wedding Open House on March 15th 2020.

Follow us on FB or Instagram for more details.

Can’t wait visit our website www.grittletonhouse.co.uk to arrange a personal appointment.

Photo by Joab Smith photography

Grittleton House, Wiltshire, SN14 6AP Tel: 01249 782434

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LIVE LOVE LAUGH Enjoy the journey and make it last forever ♥

♥

Exclusively Yours

Invitation to an informal Taster Evening.

The opportunity to sample the exquisite food & drinks on offer

♥

Exquisite Drawing Room for bride (or groom’s) morning preparations + complimentary bottle of fizz

♥

Choice of ceremony, dining & party rooms

♥

Late licence – party till dawn

♥

Luxurious bridal suite

Photo by Oxi photography

♥

Connect with a host of fabulous suppliers

♥

Access to a range of complimentary finishing touches

♥

See our website for full details of our wedding packages including our weekend package

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CAREERS PROMOTION GARDENING

Changing tides

Bristol training company Develop Me is helping local people embark on new career paths and investigate new avenues of professional opportunity

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ristol tech accelerator Develop Me, based in the creative quarter at Paintworks, has set itself the challenge of changing its participants’ lives in 16 weeks and, every second Wednesday of each month, runs free taster sessions to demonstrate just how possible it is for anyone wanting to make the change to a more future-proof career. Three Bristol women chatted to us about the transition to becoming software developers.

Alys, 24, from Coombe Dingle, was working in a call centre but knew she wanted more so started looking for online training courses and discovered the Develop Me coding fellowship – a 16-week bootcamp that runs four times a year, in January, April, June and September. Alys started the course in July 2019 and completed it at the end of September 2019, and within two weeks landed her dream job at digital agency Goram & Vincent on Park Street. “I was quite nervous when I started the course,” she remembers, “but now I feel really ready and am excited about my new role as a full stack developer.”

Sasha, 30, from Hanham, previously worked as a puppet wrangler at Aardman Animations on the Shaun the Sheep movie. However, she wanted something different and was interested in moving into a tech role. “I loved learning something new every day on the bootcamp,” she says. “I love being able to create websites and I’m over the moon to have got a job only two weeks after graduating.” Sasha was eligible for Develop Me’s ‘code it forward’ funding assistance and started her job with VVAST on Whiteladies Road at the end of October.

Hannah, 32, a Brislington mum of two boys, graduated in September with flying colours, having received the first ever subsidised place on the part-time front-end web development course. She was the first recipient of a £500 scholarship as a return-to-work mum. Three places on the course were offered at a subsidised rate of £1,000 instead of £1,500, thanks to hiring partners Swoop Patagonia and Goram & Vincent who, after hiring graduates from the coding fellowship, made contributions to the Develop Me opportunity fund. The fund facilitates scholarship places on the part-time courses focused on increasing diversity in the tech industry.

Develop Me was established five years ago as a business with a social mission, to ensure inclusive opportunities would be created to enable access for everyone in society to participate in the digital economy. The founders, Oli Ward, Pete New and Al Kennedy, believe very strongly that all sections of society should have the opportunity to benefit from the tech economy. “As the digital revolution increasingly touches every aspect of our lives, the UK needs a technology workforce that reflects the full diversity of the people who use that technology,” says Pete, “which is why we encourage people from all backgrounds to enrol on our courses and why we also offer a variety of scholarships and finance options to ensure training is accessible to as many people as possible.”

Develop Me is on a mission to empower people to thrive through education-enabling career transformations, offering part-time and fulltime courses in coding and user experience design. Not only does it teach all the technical skills needed to embark on a career as a software developer, the team also arrange at least three job interviews with their network of hiring partners. This results in a 98% hire rate thanks to the quality teaching, extensive career support, advice and guidance given throughout the course.

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Nationally, women only make up 17% of the technology workforce in the UK, with just 12.5% working as programmers and software developers, according to data from the Office of National Statistics.

Develop Me’s intake of women for its flagship course, the immersive coding fellowship bootcamp, has more than doubled in the past few months. The cohort that graduated in December was 50% female, with participants hailing from varying backgrounds, and these students have excelled on the bootcamp – often the first to be employed after the course. ■ • To learn more about the coding bootcamp, attend a free monthly taster session on 15 January, 12 February or 11 March, 7pm-9pm at Paintworks. Course dates 2020: 6 January – 27 March, 30 March – 19 June, 29 June – 18 September, 28 September – 18 December. developme.tech

Develop Me Coding Fellowship lecturer Becky Taylor

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BRISTOL UPDATES

BITE-SIZED BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY NEWS FROM ACROSS THE CITY

Images: johnblackwell.co.uk

Bristol Audi guests enjoyed a tapas menu and live entertainment

GOOD NEIGHBOURS

CULTURE OF CURIOSITY

Award-winning kit hire and post provider Films@59 and live content technology specialists Loop Streaming and Productions Ltd are the latest businesses to join the strong creative hub at The Bottle Yard Studios.

“Films@59 are incredibly well respected; to have them officially established on site is a great boost for our industry reputation,” says Fiona Francombe, The Bottle Yard Studios’ site director. “Their services complement the equipment hire offered by our existing tenants Video Europe and Visual Impact, meaning we now have an even wider range of kit immediately available on site.

As the first regional post house to gain Albert certification for sustainable policies, they are also on board with our aims to encourage lower carbon emissions in TV/film production.

“Loop are an exciting company leading the way in new broadcast solutions for live content – they add an innovative new specialism to the range of services our tenants offer.”

Films@59’s new branch provides camera, sound and lighting equipment rental to productions based at the Studios. The company is known for its achievements in high-end broadcast, particularly in factual entertainment, natural history and scripted drama. Loop specialises in providing end-to-end broadcast solutions for industry standard live productions at a fraction of traditional broadcasting costs by using cutting-edge technology.

2020 is set to be the biggest year to date for Bristol’s We The Curious, with the popular harbourside charity gearing up for the most exciting update in its 20-year history, as well as a new exhibition.

The centre’s ground floor will be transformed between the summer and autumn, culminating with an ambitious new exhibition called ‘Project What If’.

Based on over 10,000 amazing questions from the people of Bristol, it’s set to be the first major science centre exhibition in the UK inspired entirely by the curiosity of a city’s residents. “We’re all about creating a culture where everyone is encouraged to ask questions, be creative and explore their own curiosity,” said CEO Donna Speed.

“Inspired by the incredible questions our visitors asked us, we started to ask ourselves: ‘what if we created an exhibition fuelled by people’s curiosity?’ We started speaking to people all around Bristol, and going to pubs, parks and libraries to find out what people are really interested in. We had some truly remarkable conversations, which prompted a complete rethink of the topics we tackle as a science centre and the role science has in people’s lives.

“We want to democratise sciences, give a platform to all voices and help to remove barriers to participation. After two years of careful planning, researching and talking to Bristolians, we’re entering the next phase of our transformation and reimagining our beautiful exhibition spaces in keeping with our new vision of bringing our ‘culture of curiosity’ to life for everyone.”

• thebottleyard.com

• wethecurious.org

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VIVA LA QUATTRO The Bristol Audi Showroom at Cribbs Causeway held a Spanish-themed customer event to celebrate the Audi Q Series and raise vital funds for Bristol’s homeless last month.

The event set out to offer a taste of Spain to 150 Audi fans with interactive salsa dance routines, live music and cookery displays. Guests were treated to an authentic tapas canapé menu, sangria, a tutored Spanish wine tasting and a giant paella cooked live on the demo stage by private chefs Manuel Monzon and Carl Pycock, with the help of students from City of Bristol College.

Stellan and Stephanie Jara, dance duo from Bristol-based salsa school Salsa Souls, led Bristol Bears rugby players and guests in a salsa dance class to a soundtrack of live Spanish music played

by Bristol band Albino Tarantino.

A silent auction was held, raising nearly £1,000 for Bristol homeless charities Wild Goose drop-in and Bristol Soup Run Trust. Steve Baker of Wild Goose, Steve Jones of Bristol Soup Run Trust and volunteer Steph Lam told guests of the great work both charities do in providing food, support and shelter for Bristol’s homeless, raising awareness at the coldest time of the year when their services are used the most.

“Excellence in customer service and product are the Audi brand values and, indeed, our values at Bristol Audi,” said Steve Smith, head of business at Bristol Audi. “The feedback from guests, as well as the dancers, musicians, chefs and students who took part, was really positive and it was great to showcase the Q Series alongside the finest Spanish culinary talent, music and dance.”

• audi.co.uk

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Cohabitee claims under the Inheritance Act 1975 T

he number of unmarried co-habiting couples in England and Wales has increased significantly over the past decade (the office for National Statistic figures show a 25.8% rise) and they are now believed to be the fastest growing family type.

When someone dies without a Will, the rules of intestacy apply and only spouses, blood relatives (or in absence of both of these, the Crown) will inherit their estate. This means that in English Law unmarried partners do not automatically have the right to receive anything from an estate and in some circumstances, an unmarried partner could find themselves being asked to leave their home shortly after losing their loved one so that the property can be sold or transferred to the beneficiaries.

If you find yourself in a situation where someone you have been living with dies without a Will you may be able to receive some provision from their estate by negotiating a settlement with the estate beneficiaries. The first step is to consider whether, based on your circumstances, you are a potential claimant under the Inheritance Act 1975.

Who is a cohabitee under the 1975 Act? A cohabitee is someone who during the whole period immediately before the date of death was living in the same household as the deceased in a relationship akin to being husband and wife.

What type of settlement could I receive as a cohabitee?

Under the terms of the act, cohabitees are entitled to receive such financial provision as would be reasonable in all the circumstances for their maintenance. The courts have a wide discretion to make a range of orders including awarding a capital sum to the applicant or creating a life-interest in the estate property in their favour. In a recent case it was held that the term maintenance included keeping a roof over someone’s head. Mr Warner was aged 91 and financially very well-off but suffered from illhealth. He had lived with his partner, Miss Blackwell, for nearly 20 years in a property she solely owned. Miss Blackwell was younger than Mr Warner and so they both believed that she would outlive him and there was no provision for him in her Will. Instead, Miss Blackwell’s daughter was the sole residuary beneficiary of her estate and she tried to evict Mr Warner from the estate property as she wished to use it herself. The court held that Mr Warner was entitled to purchase the property from the estate because it was important for his maintenance to continue residing in his home where he felt happy despite the fact he did not have a financial need.

How long do I have to make an Inheritance Act claim?

An application to court must be made within six months of the Grant of Representation being issued. Due to the short-time frame in which potential claimants can issue proceedings, if negotiations with the estate beneficiaries fail, we would strongly recommend that anyone affected by these issues seeks legal advice at the earliest opportunity.

Our ever popular talks will be returning in spring 2020 watch this space for more details.

If you would like any advice or assistance in connection with the above, please get in touch by emailing info@amdsolicitors.com, calling our Contentious Probate Team on 0117 962 1205 or fill out our Contact Us form by visiting https://amdsolicitors.com/contact/ Š AMD Solicitors

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EVENTS | FOR KIDS

Family diary

Ideas for things to do with the little ones in Bristol this month

Dragonbird: Theatre Sessions 21 January – 24 March, 10.30am and 1pm, Tobacco Factory Theatres Experience the magical world of theatre with lots of fun and laughter on the way. Expect giant nets, silky rivers and singing with gusto, led by puppets Dragon and Bird. Suitable for pre-school ages. £4.50.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Top pick...

DON’T MISS...

Boing!

Until 5 January, times vary, Bristol Old Vic This exhilarating piece of dance-theatre captures the delirious excitement of two boys waiting for Father Christmas to arrive on the most magical night of the year. There are beds to be jumped on, pillows to be fought with, and seas to be sailed. Let your imagination soar up to the stars. Suitable for ages two to seven, £10; bristololdvic.org.uk Winter Wonderland Skating Until 5 January, times vary, The Mall Cribbs Causeway Head to the winter wonderland and marvel at the giant Christmas tree as you skate around the expansive ice rink. Plus, treat yourself to some winter delights on offer with the wonderland’s refreshments. Suitable for all ages, £6.50 – £10.50; mallcribbs.com A Christmas Carol Until 12 January, times vary, Bristol Old Vic Tom Morris’ enchanting adaptation of Charles Dickens’ timeless tale has returned for its second year in Bristol. With Lee Lyford at the helm and music by Gwyneth Herbert (The Snow Queen), this spectacular show is not to be missed. Suitable for ages seven and above, £10 – £14; bristololdvic.org.uk Snow White Until 19 January, 1pm, 2.30pm and 7.30pm, Tobacco Factory Theatres In a wild and windswept land, snow falls on a castle where a cruel queen is assured by her magic mirror that her beauty surpasses all others. One day the mirror proclaims that Snow White, the queen’s step-daughter, is the fairest in the land. Fleeing the queen’s rage, Snow White runs deeper into the forest where 66 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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she finds refuge with a motley crew of characters who accept her for who she is.

Suitable for ages five and above, £12; tobaccofactorytheatres.com Winter Season: Earth-Friendly Festivities Until 21 January, 10am – 5pm, We The Curious Enjoy hands-on activities, exploring how to be kinder to our environment. Make laser-cut snowflakes, paper-house lanterns and decorations made from willow grown in Somerset. Investigate food in the kitchen and do a spot of winter planting in the greenhouse.

Also join in on the quest for the perfect planet in live science show, Expedition Earth.

Suitable for all ages, normal admission applies; wethecurious.org Mini Singers Every Monday during term time, 4pm, Colston Hall Go along for games, activities, movement and actions, funny songs, made-up songs and almost forgotten songs. No audition is necessary. Suitable for ages five to seven.

Free event, booking necessary; colstonhall.org Farm Tots Every Wednesday, 10.30am – 12pm, Lawrence Weston Community Farm Parents and children under five can help look after the animals and gardens at this community farm. £2.50 admission, or £2 if a member of the farm, includes a drink and snack. Call before visiting to check the session is running on the day; lwfarm.org.uk Snow Mouse 2 January – 2 February, 9.30am, 11.30am and 1.30pm, The Egg, Bath Winter has arrived and the woods are covered in white. A child hurries to put on their winter

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clothes so they can run outside and play in a sparkly new world. Just when they are starting to feel a bit lonely, they find a sleeping mouse buried under the soft white flakes. Sliding, tumbling and laughing, they explore the winter wonderland together and keep each other safe and warm from the winter freeze.

Join two new friends on their adventures in a magical forest full of play, puppetry and music. Suitable for six months to four years, £8; theatreroyal.org.uk Curious Kids 4 January, 10.15am, Wiltshire Museum There will be stories and multi-sensory fun for curious minds, and there will also be the chance to delve into the past and have fun learning together – using different materials, sounds and songs to look at different themes from the Saxons at Home collection. Suitable for ages two to five. £4, booking essential; wiltshiremuseum.org.uk Sleeping Beauty 5 January, 12pm and 3pm, Zion Community Art Space Princess Lumina lives in the Royal Castle in Dreamsville and has had a wonderfully happy childhood. Her widowed father King Rupert loves her, the villagers lover her and she has many friends. But Witch Scarabum does not want Lumina to live a happy life. Find out what happens to her in this traditional family pantomime. Suitable for ages four and above, £6 – £20; sionbristol.co.uk Toddler Takeover Sessions: Creature Capers 10 January, 9am – 12pm and 1 – 4pm, We The Curious Have fun with animal-themed activities, create brightly coloured animal accessories or take a twirl at the Beautiful Bug Ball. Squish and

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shape a sushi roll in the kitchen, enjoy storytime, and discover more than 200 exhibits. Suitable for pre-school ages. £6.20 for three and over, under threes go free, adults £8.20. Booking essential; wethecurious.org Scribble and Sketch 11 January, 12.30pm, RWA A fun and informal art and drawing workshop inspired by the exhibitions at the RWA. Get creative in this friendly and relaxed environment. Suitable for all ages, free event; rwa.org.uk Bristol at War – The Home Front 15 January, 1.30 – 3pm, M Shed On 24 November 1940 Bristol city centre was blitzed and a quarter of its historic buildings were destroyed. Learn all about the Bristol Blitz, and investigate how people around the city were affected by the war including coping with air raids and evacuation. Discover the changing roles of women and study real and replica objects, documents and images to reveal stories about the home front. Suitable for home-educating families, ages seven to 11, £7; bristolmuseums.org.uk Aftermirth: Daytime Comedy Club for Parents 17 January, 12.30 – 2pm, The Wardrobe Theatre An adult comedy club that you can bring your

baby to. Each show features three top circuit comedians delivering their usual club routines, so the material is mature and sweary with the odd birth story flashback… The only difference is it’s during the day. Adults and babies under 18 months only. £10; thewardrobetheatre.com Children’s Festival 18 January, 10.30am – 3pm, Wells Cathedral With the theme ‘Running the Race’ for the 2020 Olympics, enjoy lots of activities around the cathedral, with an inflatable assault course, mini Olympics, stories, crafts and more. Suitable for ages four to 11. £2, booking essential; wellscathedral.org.uk

for all ages. Free event, normal admission applies; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield The Adventures of Pinocchio 31 January, 7.30pm, St Michael’s Centre A funny, magical adventure for adults and children alike about a wooden boy discovering what it takes to be a real human. From villains and vagabonds to fairies and giant fish, Pinocchio meets with adversity and adventure in equal measure and a jolly good dose of humour. Suitable for all ages, £13 – £50; stmichaelsvenuehire.co.uk n Aftermirth at The Wardrobe Theatre

Baking classes for children 18 and 25 January, 10am – 12.30pm, Cooking It!, Chandos Road Get down to the joys of baking and create breads, puddings, cakes, doughnuts and biscuits. Suitable for ages eight to 12 years. £40; cookingit.co.uk Wassail 25 January, 11am – 4pm, Tyntesfield Enjoy crafts in the Sawmill as you make your own shaker to rattle during a parade through the estate. The final Wassail and blessing of the orchard will welcome in the new year with traditional music and celebrations. Suitable

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EDUCATION NEWS UPDATES FROM THE CITY’S SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TAKING THE REINS

Aerospace Bristol’s Mission to Mars workshops see pupils take on the role of space explorers

SPACE TO EXPAND

POSITIVE ACTION

Aerospace Bristol has been awarded over £8,500 from the UK Space Agency, enabling the museum to improve upon its Mission to Mars workshops.

The workshops see pupils take on the role of space explorers, building and coding robots to navigate a representation of the Martian surface. Along the way, they have the chance to discover the important role engineers and designers play in exploring other planets. “Together we will encourage more young people to engage with space exploration through fun, hands-on activities,” said Amy Seadon, learning and community engagement manager. “The funding will support the development and delivery of new activities; visitors of all ages will be able to take on their own mini mission to Mars.“ Aerospace Bristol offers an inspiring and practical learning programme, developed in partnership with industry and delivered in fully equipped learning spaces. A range of workshops is offered for all key stages, allowing school visitors to explore Bristol’s amazing local history, develop STEM skills and discover the possibilities of a career in engineering.

UWE and The Students’ Union at UWE have teamed up with Bristol charity The Converging World with the aim of planting a forest that covers an area the size of its Frenchay campus.

UWE is asking students and staff to make a donation that will enable the charity to plant the trees in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This project aims to educate, empower and enable students, staff and alumni to contribute to a movement that will help restore our planet to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The Wallscourt Foundation, an independent charitable foundation that supports UWE, has also pledged to match fund donations raised up to £22,500.

“UWE has set itself an ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030,” said James Longhurst, Professor of Environmental Science and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Environment and Sustainability at UWE. “Initiatives like this will help the university community as it undertakes the challenging journey to carbon neutrality.”

• aerospacebristol.org/schools

• uwe.ac.uk

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The country’s oldest independent day school for girls has appointment a new headteacher. From September 2020 Paul Dwyer will be taking the reins from Isabel Tobias who has led Redmaids’ High School to huge successes in her 19-year tenure.

Mr Dwyer, who will leave his current post as deputy head at North London Collegiate, has strong experience in girls’ education, having previously been the director of sixth form at Putney High School. He regularly speaks at international conferences on education, hosts a podcast designed to help teachers reflect on their practice and was president and a founding fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching.

“I’m looking forward to joining the RHS community,” he said. “The founding aims of the school, with its provision of bursaries and scholarships to ambitious and able students, resonate strongly with me. I was the first of my family to attend university and did so thanks to the Sutton Trust – an organisation that identifies potential in children from non-traditional backgrounds.

I know first-hand the benefit that a strong and supportive educational environment can have and can see that Redmaids’ High has this same life-changing impact on young women in Bristol.”

• redmaidshigh.co.uk

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TAKING THE STRESS OUT OF 11+ ENTRY ASSESSMENTS Within a unique single-sex and co-educational framework, pupils at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools benefit from the right environment at the right stage.

Parents can feel confident as their children join a legacy of excellence in education that is renowned both nationally and internationally.

Entrance to the schools is selective from seven years old, but we take great care to assess children on a wide range of abilities.

We make our 11+ entry assessment as stress-free as possible and children actually enjoy the morning as we look for potential and not just test performance.

We interview each child to make sure we get to know them as a whole person, giving girls and boys the opportunity to talk about the things they enjoy and in which they are involved.

All pupils sit the same basic test in English and Mathematics and nonverbal reasoning, together with a short spelling test.

Academic scholarships are awarded to the top-performing pupils which are supplemented with sport, dance and music awards.

Means-tested financial support in the form of a bursary may be awarded depending on the financial circumstances of the applicants.

We have an effective induction programme with children joining us from up to 20 different primary schools each year.

Boys and girls are inspired and motivated in specific ways.

At Monmouth, the distracting pressures of adolescence are absent from their academic lives, while they retain the valuable benefits of joint social and co-curricular activities.

As pupils progress into the Sixth Form, co-educational teaching and extensive joint social and co-curricular activities ensure a successful transition from school to university life.

Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools recognise talent and nurture excellence, providing the best possible springboard for a pupil’s future.

Our Admissions Registrars are happy to guide each family through the procedure. n

For more information on our 11+ entry assessment on 1st February, please go to www.habsmonmouth.org/11+entry, call 01600 710433 for Monmouth School for Boys or 01600 711104 for Monmouth School for Girls. *The schools have an established bus route covering the Thornbury area.

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SPORTS | PREVIEW

Image: JMPUK

TOUCH DOWN: Fullback Piers O’Conor scores for Bristol Bears

City of Bristol Rowing Club members (also pictured left) out on the water

Image: Martin Bennet

Gloucestershire’s Ryan Higgins

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SPORTS | PREVIEW

HOMEGROWN HOTSHOTS Jeremy Blackmore takes a look at what’s in store for Bristol’s big teams and most promising individuals in 2020

T

his year promises to be an exciting year for sport in Bristol.

Both our football teams are challenging for promotion, while in rugby the Bears are riding high in the Premiership and in Europe. One of cricket’s oldest rivalries is rekindled as Gloucestershire join Somerset in Division One of the County Championship. Bristol-born Emily Diamond will be hoping to go for gold for Great Britain in the Tokyo Olympics, while Judd Trump defends his World Snooker Championship title in April. There is also a packed programme of events in athletics, tennis, rowing, cycling, basketball and motor sport. Time to cast an eye over some highlights...

Football

Bristol City narrowly missed out on a place in the Championship playoffs last year after drawing their final match on the last day of the season and finishing in eighth place, their highest since returning to the second tier in 2015. The Robins have continued to mount a serious challenge for promotion to the Premiership again this season, recording nine victories in their first 20 matches by early December, taking them to fourth place in the table. They will hope to be firmly in contention once more this May. In the FA Cup meanwhile, City start the new year with a third-round home tie against Shrewsbury Town on 4 January at Ashton Gate. After finishing sixth in the FA Women’s Super League last season, the Robins found themselves near the bottom of the table by early December. Women’s boss Tanya Oxtoby issued a rallying call to her young side as they went in search of their first win of the season.

In League One, Bristol Rovers are also pushing for a promotion spot.

After finishing last season in 15th place, they went fifth in early December. First team manager Graham Coughlan called it a magnificent achievement, praising his side’s character, spirit and determination.

Coughlan called on his side to replicate the performance they showed in the second half of the game against Southend when they scored four goals to come back from 2-0 down at the interval. If Rovers can replicate that kind of form throughout the second half of the season, they could be serious challengers in May.

Rugby

After winning three of their first four Premiership games, Bristol Bears were sitting in second place in the table behind Northampton going into the mini-break for European rugby in mid-December. It was a strong showing for the Bears who finished ninth last season after winning promotion in 2018. Their overwhelming 37 – 11 victory over Stade Français saw them take full control of Pool Four in the European Challenge Cup with a third successive bonus point win. It further extended their unbeaten home form in all competitions. The Bears have two further matches against European opposition in January but this form will raise hopes of reaching the quarter finals in early April – with the semi-finals and the final in Marseille taking place the following month. Meanwhile, the Premiership season concludes for the Bears with an away clash against London Irish on 6 June. After some big-name signings for this season, the Bears have issued another statement of intent by signing one of the world’s finest players, Semi Radradra, ahead of the 2020/21 campaign. The Fijian international arrives at Ashton Gate on a three-year deal. After two wins from their opening three fixtures in the Tyrells Premier 15s, Bristol Bears Women endured a mixed period. It left Kim Oliver’s side sixth in the table by mid-

December, with an important block of fixtures over the festive period, as they look to break into the top four.

Cricket

Gloucestershire celebrate their 150th anniversary back in Division One of the County Championship for the first time in over a decade. Chris Dent’s men earned promotion at the end of last season, meaning they start 2020 in the top-flight alongside local rivals Somerset with an eagerly anticipated clash between the two sides at Bristol from 1 May and Taunton from 14 June. Gloucestershire reached the quarter finals of the Vitality T20 Blast last summer despite an injury to star bowler Benny Howell, who took a career-best 5 – 18 against Glamorgan at Cheltenham and he will be keen to lead them back to the knockout stages again with their final three games at home. Two more West Country derbies are in store in the Blast with Somerset hosting Gloucestershire on 29 May with the return fixture in Bristol on 12 July.

As part of the club’s anniversary celebrations, children from 150 local schools are also set to watch Gloucestershire with a community day during the Royal London Cup match against Lancashire on 26 July.

Somerset, who won their first piece of silverware in 14 years last season, when they lifted the Royal London One-Day Cup at Lord’s, will be hoping to go one better than their second-place finish in last year’s County Championship. It’s a trophy the club have never won despite finishing runners-up six times this century. This will be the first year since 1992 that Somerset will be without legendary opener Marcus Trescothick who hung up his boots in September. He returns in a coaching role while skipper Tom Abell will be able to call on England players Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Lewis Gregory and the exciting Tom Banton who looks set to be a big star over the next decade. The controversial new men’s and women’s tournament, The Hundred, featuring eight new teams, will run throughout the school summer holidays. Representing the Somerset, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan region is Welsh Fire with squads selected through a player draft. The Fire men’s side will play their matches in Cardiff while the women’s team will play at the County Grounds in Bristol and Taunton. The Royal London Cup will run alongside this new tournament and with so many big names away on Hundred duty, provide opportunities for younger players to shine. Somerset will be fiercely defending their title.

Rowing

This year sees another packed programme at City of Bristol Rowing Club which boasts highly competitive senior and juniors squads as well as masters and recreational squads. The club also offers courses for people to learn to row or take on the sport with work colleagues.

The club will represent Bristol at a number of national rowing events in June and July including the National Schools’ Regatta, Henley Women’s Regatta, Henley Royal Regatta and Henley Masters. Among the key events the club is running in Bristol this year is the Bristol Flotilla on 8 May, a sponsored row from Bath to Bristol which will finish with a large event in the harbour.

Tennis

Avon Tennis runs county teams in every year group from under nines to under 18, open, 35+ and seniors from 40 up to 80. In the Great Britain rankings, Avon Tennis now boasts 19 junior players (under 12s to under THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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18s) who are ranked in the top 100 players for their respective age groups – testament to the excellent coaching work being done in the county. For 2020, there are cup competitions over many weekends. The Junior Bristol and Bath Hardcourt Championships takes place at Easter while the County Closed Competition will be over August Bank Holiday.

Benny Howell of Gloucestershire Cricket

Athletics

Image: Martin Bennet

Bristol-born Emily Diamond will be hoping to go for gold for Great Britain in the Tokyo Olympics in July. Emily, a member of Bristol and West Athletic Club, collected a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2016 European Athletics Championships as part of the Great Britain team, followed by a bronze in the same discipline at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She will take part in the Olympic trials at the end of June which will decide selection for Tokyo.

Athletes from Bristol and West AC will compete in regional, national and international championships from juniors to masters, including cross country, inside on the track and endurance running in which the club have made lots of new signings to bolster their already strong senior squads.

In the summer outdoor track and field season, Bristol and West AC will be one of only 16 clubs in the Premiership of the new National Athletics League, which kicks off this year. The club will also hope to defend their title in the top tier of the Midland Athletics League. Athletes of all ages from Westbury Harriers will also be in action across the year.

Meanwhile runners from all over the region will take place in the annual Great Bristol Half Marathon on 27 September. The course will take runners under Clifton Suspension Bridge for spectacular views over the Avon Gorge and Bristol Harbourside before entering the city centre.

With what promises to be an electric atmosphere and music at 10 points alongside the course, as well as a cheer point from Children’s Hospice South West, the journey to the finish line should be truly special.

Cycling

The popular Tour de Bristol returns to the city on 4 April in aid of St Peter’s Hospice. More than 1,000 cyclists will take to the roads to raise funds, covering some epic scenery and challenging hills throughout Bristol, the Wye Valley and beyond. Routes include the 40k: perfect for cyclists wanting to get out of the city and see some of the South Gloucestershire countryside; 65k: the mid-level route that gives riders the opportunity to cycle over the old Severn Bridge and into the start of the Wye Valley; and 100k: for experienced riders wanting to explore the stunning Wye Valley.

Bristol Pegasus Motor Club celebrates its 75th anniversary during its Castle Combe track day on 22 August. The club organises a range of social and competitive events for anyone interested in cars, including its track day and the Pegasus sprint. Meanwhile Bristol Motor Club also organises motorsport events; sprints, AutoSolos, classic trials, sporting trials and navigational events. These include the club’s Great Western Sprint at Castle Combe Circuit on 21 March. This first round of the British Sprint Championship will feature the fastest cars at the circuit all year and the only British Championship to visit the circuit. Spectating is free at this event, including paddock transfer.

Basketball

Somerset RLODC Final

Image: Somerset CCC

Motor sports

Bristol Rovers v Southend United

Bristol Flyers started their BBL Championship campaign with two defeats in early December but with 17 matches until the climax of the season in April, they will be hoping to fare better than their 10th place finish last season. Coach Kapoulas’ men had progressed to the semifinals of the BBL Cup by mid-December with London Royals standing in the way of a place in the final in Birmingham in January. The Flyers have also been handed a home tie against Leicester Riders in first round of the BBL Trophy competition, which will take place on 10 January.

With three titles so far this season by mid-December, Bristol’s Judd Trump was standing at number one in the world rankings. He secured his first World Championship title last May with an emphatic 18 – 9 frame victory over John Higgins. Trump heads back to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on 18 April to defend his crown. ■ 76 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Image: JMPUK

Snooker

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HEALTH & BEAUTY NEWS FROM THE SECTOR

CARE WITH HAIR Noco Hair has launched a new charity platform Care With Hair, prompted by the tragic loss of one of its most loyal clients to a brain tumour. While giving her what would turn out to be her last haircut, Noco director Noel Halligan realised the privilege it was to be able to help someone enjoy a moment of calm and peace in such circumstances and Director Noel doing his bit decided he wanted to give back on a at Noco’s Care With Hair event regular basis. “We went to Penny Brohn UK in Pill to have a look around,” says Noel. “We got a very warm welcome and found it to be such an incredible, happy place. They work with complimentary treatments and utilise the power of the mind to help those living with cancer, as well as yoga and massage as healing tools.” Soon after, Care With Hair’s first fundraising event featured swing dancing, makeovers on patients, hair tutorials, a raffle raising £154, and a catwalk show. Noel has also signed up to run the London Marathon for Penny Brohn in April.

• nocohair.com

MAKING FITNESS FUN Getting into an exercise routine can be a challenge, but now Nintendo has created a game that will have you battling dragons, jogging though grass-swept plains and working up a sweat without realising you’re exercising. The Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch has a hand-held ring-con device and leg-strap that track your movements as you go on a fantasy adventure and take out opponents through fitness tasks such as squats and yoga poses. You can also try out the 12 mini games or create custom fullbody workouts. Suitable for ages seven and up and all fitness levels. RRP £69.99.

• nintendo.co.uk

SAY ‘WHY?’ TO DRUGS Bristol is to host a series of events this month that explore new approaches to drug use, policy and harm reduction. Transform Drug Policy Foundation, a Bristol-based charity, has partnered with the University of Bristol and UWE on events across the city from 22 – 25 January. Politicians, academics, treatment providers, health agencies and policy reformers will share knowledge and experiences, discussing how reforms could better protect people in Bristol.

Attendees can find out about the use of psychedelics in mental health treatment, how heroin-assisted treatment could reduce deaths, and what we can learn from the legal regulation of cannabis in Canada and the US. Speakers include psychologist Dr Suzi Gage who will be launching her book, Say Why to Drugs.

Bristol faces unique challenges in relation to drug use and harm, with death rates more than 60 per cent higher than the national average and some of the highest levels of cocaine use in Europe. However, it also has a history of innovation and leadership in thinking differently about drug policy. It was one of the first areas to introduce a police ‘diversion scheme’ for people caught in possession and, in 2018, was the first city to offer city-centre drug testing.

• transformdrugs.org

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SHAKING THINGS UP YouGov data suggests 600,000 British men aged between 18 and 44 are using make-up, and now British grooming brand Shakeup Cosmetics has launched with skincare/cosmetics hybrids that have been formulated specifically for men.

Its founders, twin brothers Jake Xu and Shane Carnell-Xu, have suffered from rosacea since they were teens and were unable to find a concealer that worked successfully with male skin: one that didn’t disintegrate over the day, was the right shade, and addressed issues of sensitivity. Having tried all the ‘formulated for female’ cover-up creams out there, and armed with decades of industry knowledge gained through their creative marketing agency working with beauty and cosmetics clients, the twins decided it was time for a shake-up.

“With the growth in men’s grooming, gender fluidity and the ‘Asia effect’ on perceptions of male beauty, the stars are aligned for a disruptive approach to male-centric make-up,” they said. “That’s why we created a vegan, cruelty-free beauty brand for the booming male beauty market.”

Shakeup is informed by recent advances in biometrology that identifies differences in men’s and women’s skin.

Men’s skin is up to 25% thicker than women’s skin due to higher levels of testosterone production; it’s also oilier due to twice the level of sebum production. With more active sebaceous glands, pores tend to be larger and more numerous too. Additionally, facial hair, meaning daily shaving for many men, can irritate the skin and expose it to external aggressors, making it sensitive and reactive.

Shakeup aims to recognise and address these fundamental physiological differentiators and formulates with men’s skin in mind.

• menwearshakeup.com

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Body contouring Overindulged this Christmas? Jeans feeling a little more snug?

Feeling sluggish and wanting to kick start a healthy eating and fitness plan? If this sounds oh so familiar then we might just have the solution..

Quinn Clinics in Redland is a doctor-led medical aesthetics and wellness clinic designed to bring about health and wellness to all of their patients.

They have in-house personal trainers and dieticians, a Yoga/Pilates studio and the only Body Contouring Suite in the South West; designed to make you look and more importantly feel, your very best.

Despite vigorous exercise and strict diet plans, many of us still struggle with trouble spots where the fat seems to just accumulate and be resistant to all efforts to shift it. This can play havoc with our mental wellbeing.

A healthy lifestyle is key to success and the three non-invasive treatments that make up Quinn Clinics’ Body Contouring Suite, are designed to complement and enhance this by giving you back your body confidence and taking your self-esteem to new heights.

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EMSculpt® tones your muscles, as well as blitzing any final areas of fat. Exilis® targets, tones and contours for firmer, tighter and smoother skin.

Everyone is different, so all treatment plans are tailored to the individual. It goes without saying that results are even better when you combine treatment with a good diet and regular exercise.

Ready to get your body back? Get in touch with the Quinn Clinics team and see how they can help you reach you 2020 health, fitness and wellness goals!

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GARDENING WELLBEING

Image: Zohre Nemati – Unsplash

Resolution to rest: we shouldn’t wait until our bodies are broken and our minds exhausted. Give yourself permission to rest regularly and deeply

The city that sleeps

Bristol is waking up to the real importance of deep rest and hitting ‘snooze’ on the mind chatter says Emma Cullen

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So, I’m determined to view my own rest not as a luxury and something to eventually be knocked off a list of to-dos, but as number-one priority.

Let’s explore the sensory ways in which you can incorporate deep rest into your 2020.

Tune into a nidra

A nidra is a yogic practice, sometimes referred to as ‘yogic sleep’. In perfect comfort, a yoga teacher will guide you into the deepest state of relaxation. If you’ve ever practiced a guided meditation, it’s a little like that; a series of relaxation techniques, breath focus and imagery to place your body in non-REM sleep while your mind is still conscious and

Candle gaze during a hot bath – the raising and dropping of temperature prepares the body for sleep while focusing on the flame is a good source of visual relaxation Image: Rebecca Peterson-Hall – Unsplash

T

his year I resolve to rest more. I’m sure it’s not just me.

In the UK, insomnia affects 31% of us, and there are more than 12,000 Google searches for ‘how to fall asleep’ every month. Many things can knock our sleep patterns out of kilter – young children, a stressful job, turbulence at home, or trying to do too much. We can be our own worst enemy. Downtime can be precious. But really, it’s priceless. Rest and sleep has a huge effect on our overall health and wellbeing. Anyone who’s read Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep will know this.

Frankly, I’m on board with any book that welcomes me in the opening pages with an invitation to fall asleep while reading (I’m actually listening to the audio version, so I do. Repeatedly. And it takes a few attempts to make it past the first chapter). Walker uncovers the myriad health benefits to getting good shut-eye. In fact, he introduces sleep as a marketer would a miracle, cure-all tonic: “Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory, makes you more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and flu. It lowers your risk of heart attacks and stroke, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious. Are you interested?”

Yes, I’m interested. And, I’m not the only one. We are part of a city waking up to the importance of deep rest. Restorative yoga classes in Bristol are becoming more and more popular with people looking for scheduled time to relax. They turn up ready to prop their heads on bolsters; to let their bodies melt towards the ground and allow themselves to simply lie back, be soft and stop. It’s not that yoga allows us to relax. It’s that we’re giving ourselves ‘permission’ to rest.

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WELLBEING

awake. Sounds magical, right? It is. It’s been said that 45 minutes of yogic sleep will give you the same benefits as three hours of normal sleep.

The practice has a plethora of plus points – physical, emotional and spiritual – and while often compared to meditation and relaxation, a nidra has a powerful effect on your neurological pathways, calming emotional stresses and anxieties. In fact, it has such a positive effect on emotional wellbeing that it is being used (in supported clinical environments) to help treat veterans with PTSD. If you’re looking to schedule downtime for yourself this year, a yoga nidra is well worth a try. It can help your body achieve quality rest in less time. You can find nidras emerging across Bristol in yoga studios and through independent teachers, and there are plenty of free audios online.

The Yoga Nidra Network is hosted by one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject, Uma Dinsmore-Tuli (if you’re into yoga, I highly recommend her book Yoni Shakti). On the Nidra Network website you can find a catalogue of free nidras from Uma and many others, across multiple languages. Free app Insight Timer also has guided meditations for sleep, nidras, gentle music and insightful talks.

Soothing sounds

One of my friends cured her insomnia by regularly listening to whispering voices. For some, the effect of a whispering voice produces a response in the body called ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), which helps them to feel drowsy and fall asleep. There are numerous ASMR artists on YouTube today who create videos specifically to help you sleep. These may include the sounds of turning pages, softly told tales, or meditative repetitive tasks (such as brushing hair or ironing). What’s apparent from these different approaches is that there’s no one-size-fits-all. We’re all different. And our needs and tendencies change from season to season, even day to day. Listening to meditations, for example, is not everyone’s bag. But there are other ways to hit ‘snooze’ on your mind chatter.

The perfect temperature Never underestimate the power of a bath. Surrounding yourself in deliciously warm water, especially if you’re anything like me and add essential oils, petals and bubbles, can deeply relax both mind and body.

(You could even double up and practice a little candle gazing in the bath).

But did you know that there is an optimum time to take a sleep-inducing bath? Scientifically, a hot bath prepares you for rest by raising body temperature in order for it to cool. It’s this raising and then dropping temperature that prepares the body for sleep. That means that, according to scientists, the optimal time to take a bath is 90 minutes before you go to bed. Too close to bedtime and your temperature may be still too high to send the right sleep signals.

Ultimately we shouldn’t wait until our bodies are broken and our minds exhausted before we give ourselves time to rest. If you’ve yet to make a resolution, why not give yourself permission to rest regularly and deeply? Use any of these methods (or all of them). Don’t think of it as treating yourself, make it part of loving yourself this year. ■

Resources for deep rest • • • •

Insight Timer, a free app full of guided meditations for sleep Free online nidras: yoganidranetwork.org/resources Holistic, intuitive massage with Oli: thegoodhour.co.uk Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Work a nidra into your yoga practice

Melt into a massage

Massage is often regarded as ‘luxury’ time to be enjoyed on a birthday or special occasion. Yet this ancient and healing practice can be hugely beneficial for our holistic health when incorporated more regularly. Oli, a Bristol-based intuitive massage therapist, has seen many clients suffering with insomnia and stress improve after regular massage treatment.

“When you’re under constant stress your cortisol levels are continuously raised and this has serious implications for the health of your body,” says Oli. “If cortisol levels rise in the early hours of the morning, this causes you to wake up. But if your levels are permanently raised, that’s when you can find it hard to get to sleep and stay asleep. Massage can switch your fight-or-flight response (the sympathetic nervous system) to your relaxation response, helping you sleep better and repair the body.”

So, routine massage is especially beneficial if you’re having trouble sleeping. You don’t even have to go to a therapist. It’s accessible to everyone – your own hands are tools. Wake yourself up with a gentle facial massage or ease aching legs with a firm rub.

If the festive season has left you with a large amount of candles, you might want to try a simple mind-calming practice that is particularly beautiful at this time of year. Why? Because it’s suited to our dark evenings and the space that comes after Christmas. Candle gazing is another yoga practice (trataka) and has many benefits for the eyes as well as the mind. This practice involves focusing your attention on a candle flame, just above the wick and holding the gaze. Do so for about a minute and then close the eyes and focus on the image of the flame in your mind’s eye. You’ll see the imprint on the backs on your eyelids first.

As this fades, keep the eyes closed and be with your breath. Relax.

Breathe into it

That brings us to one of the most accessible tools – your breath. Getting quality rest and relief can be as simple as sitting down for five minutes and breathing deeply. Notice how it feels to spend just a few minutes with your breath. A longer exhale than inhale will send a signal to your brain that you are safe, and consequently relax the mind and the body.

Little things really do make a difference.

There are more than 12,000 Google searches for ‘how to fall asleep’ every month

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Image: Anton Shuvalov – Unsplash

Visual relaxation: flame gazing

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For mind and body

The new year is a time to make resolutions – and positive changes, whether mind, body or even medical, it’s a good moment to get things done

ACHIEVE RADICAL LONG-LASTING CHANGE Orla Kirby – solution focused hypnotherapist

I hadn’t planned to be a hypnotherapist! I signed up for a hypnobirthing course because after my sister’s birth she was absolutely glowing and said, “I’d do that again tomorrow!”.

I went on to have amazing birth experiences. Unexpectedly, throughout my pregnancy I felt more calm and happy than I ever thought possible and was curious to learn more about hypnosis and hypnotherapy.

I found myself then, in 2017, with a three-year-old and an 18-month-old, training as a hypnotherapist. I learned how the same basic ingredients – hypnosis, thought-pattern change, and a working knowledge of facts from biology – can be applied to many other areas of life too, beyond pregnancy and labour. It’s hugely beneficial for people who want to stop drinking or control their anger or negativity, and can help with anxiety, OCD, low mood, phobias, addictions, insomnia and workrelated stress.

If you are struggling with any of these issues, please contact me to arrange an initial consultation to discuss whether hypnotherapy could be a suitable path for you. I’ll explain how the brain functions in states of anger, fear or low mood, and how it is possible to use the techniques of hypnotherapy to learn how to shift yourself out of these states, and develop higher levels of positivity, confidence, creativity and calm.

I have been seeing clients now since January 2018, as the CPHT training I did involves a strong practical element right from the beginning. I qualified in June 2018, and was able to leave my library job and practice full-time as a hypnotherapist in March 2019. Excitingly, and with a pleasant sense of things having come full circle, I have recently also trained as a hypnobirthing Instructor, and will be offering group hypnobirthing courses from April 2020, helping women learn how to have pregnancies and births where they feel peaceful, joyful and deeply connected to their babies. More details on this can be found on my hypnobirthing facebook page: fb.me/hypnomamabears.

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THE BRISTOL DRY EYE CLINIC Peter Turner – senior clinical optometrist Some time ago, Peter Turner, Senior Clinical Optometrist at Turners Opticians, found himself suffering from a condition that left his eyes with a very sore, gritty and dry feeling at one moment and then watery in almost the blink of an eye. Despite his years of experience he was unable to understand why he had the problems he did. Peter has now thoroughly researched the condition, by shadowing other experts in the field and attempting to discover the ‘why’. It’s taken a long time to get answers, but being tenacious he kept going until he did.

The Turners Opticians approach is now an initial diagnostic assessment, followed by a detailed explanation of findings, and importantly a reason for your symptoms. Then they explain to you how they’re going to get you the results you want.

In order to provide you with an effective, personalised treatment plan they need to carefully examine the front of your eyes on their state-of-the-art equipment to understand the nature of your eye troubles. Once a diagnosis is reached they can even offer advice based on the salt (osmolarity) of the tear products they advise for you.

To benefit from a diagnosis (which is so much more than just an assessment), Turners’ gentle and effective treatments, as well as thorough aftercare, contact the eye care team to arrange an appointment at the specialist dry and watery eye clinic.

Turners Opticians, 57 Henleaze Road, Tel: 0117 962 2474 and 768 Fishponds Road, Tel: 0117 965 4434

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THE BRISTOL MENOPAUSE & WELLWOMAN CLINIC Hazel Hayden – Registered nurse practitioner, independent prescriber and menopause specialist Are you feeling confused and unsure what is happening to you? Suddenly feeling anxious, tired all the time, moods swinging. No longer feeling like yourself?

Menopause symptoms vary for each woman and can start in your 40s. The job that you’ve being doing for many years suddenly becomes harder and in meetings you feel less confident. Has your get-up-and-go got up and gone?

The Bristol Menopause and Wellwoman Clinic can help you through this time with individual guidance, advice and support. The clinic is run by Hazel Hayden, a registered nurse practitioner and iIndependent prescriber as well as a menopause specialist, with 13 years of experience working in women’s health. During this time she has seen and successfully treated women with all symptoms of menopause.

Hazel is a member of the British Menopause Society and holds a MSc in promoting sexual health and a certificate in menopause from the British Menopause Society.

The clinic offers a full review of your symptoms including prescribing HRT if necessary and discussing alternatives tailored to your needs, as well as looking at your lifestyle and any changes that may help. At the end of the consultation a detailed report will be sent to your GP for continuity of care.

For further information visit: bristolmenopause.com

OPTHALMIC SURGERY Javad Moayedi – consultant ophthalmic Mr Javad Moayedi has more than 20 years of experience in his field, practicing in Bristol, Bath, Somerset and Harley Street, London.

He holds subspecialty accreditation in cataract, vision correction, lens implant, eyelid laser surgery, watery eyes and glaucoma and also performs cosmetic eyelid surgery.

Mr Moayedi is a high-volume cataract surgeon and has a vast experience of small incision cataract surgery having performed more than 30,000 cataract procedures. He enjoys a very high success rate, with more than 99% of his patients recommending him for eye surgery. As a fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Mr Moayedi also holds membership within both the American and European Societies of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, along with the UK and Northern Ireland Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Your journey will start with a 30-minute consultation with Mr Moayedi and you will be under his direct care at every stage, including your consultation, your eye examination, any necessary investigation, discussions about treatment options, your operation and your aftercare.

For further details or to book an initial consultation visit his website: javadmoayedi.co.uk

MBST CELL REGENERATION James Scrimshaw – chiropractor I've practiced as a Chiropractor here in Bristol for nearly 25 years.

Over that time, I’ve seen many new approaches in the treatment of pain. When I heard about a ‘magic MRI machine’ that stimulates internal tissue and joint repair with no risk, pain or side effects, I was naturally cautiously sceptical.

However, after consulting orthopaedic surgeon Jonathan Webb regarding knee pain and being diagnosed with moderate osteoarthritis at the age of 45 I decided to give it a go. The results over a period of days/weeks were astounding so I piloted it on two other more severe patients. Their pain and mobility were significantly improved.

Since then, I’ve treated over 100 cases of osteorarthritis, bone conditions and musculotendinous injuries. Many of these patients were destined for surgery or a life of chronic pain. Using MBST alongside a programme of hands-on and Laser therapy, we've achieved significant improvement in over 90% of these cases.

MBST is a little-known technology here in the UK. The technology originated in Germany with an adaptation of MRI using the same electromagnetic energy. It works by aligning hydrogen protons into a highly energised state and transmitting that energy into specific damaged tissue. In turn, that energy stimulates cells to heal and provides a significant internal repair process.

Some facts about MBST: • There are 300 clinics in Germany mainly used by orthopaedic surgeons and physicians.

• We are currently one of only four clinics in the UK. • We are currently successfully trailing the treatment with local surgeons, GPs and professional sports teams.

• Several top Premier League football clubs use this technology to rehabilitate their players.

• It is safe and well researched in Germany and an in-depth study is currently underway in the UK. If you are suffering from long-term pain, injury or arthritic changes and are unsure of how to manage things, don't wait for things to get bad enough to warrant surgery. Talk to us about how we can offer a safe and effective approach.

For more information contact us on: 0117 959 6531 or email James at info@curaclinical.com

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EXCITING RESEARCH NEWS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY IN 2020 Mr Adam Ross – consultant ophthalmic surgeon Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common condition that affects the central part of your vision. It is the leading cause of visual loss in the developed world in the adult population and usually first affects people in their 50s and 60s. It is caused by wear and tear within the most sensitive part of the retina (macula) and there are two broad types – dry and wet.

With the advent of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs, such as Ranibizumab (Lucentis) and Aflibercept (Eylea), we are now are able to treat the wet type of macular degeneration. These drugs are injected into the eye on a regular basis and have revolutionised treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration, stabilising and improving the visual outcome for many of our patients.

However, the regular administration of these drugs places a substantial burden on patients and retinal services.

One solution would be a drug-delivery device that releases the drug in a slow maintained fashion over a long period of time. Such a device could reduce the burden of repeat intravitreal injections and frequent monitoring visits.

The pharmaceutical company Genentech/Roche have developed The Port Delivery System with Ranibizumab (PDS; Genentech).

Although not currently available, the company have now completed enrolment in the Archway Phase 3 Study of the Port Delivery System with Ranibizumab in wet AMD and we look forward to the published results in due course of this exciting development.

Mr Adam Ross MBChB, FRCOphth, FHEA, CertMedEd is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Bristol Eye Hospital.

QUINN CLINICS Dr John Quinn – clinical director Founder and Clinical Director of Quinn Clinics, Dr John Quinn qualified from University College Dublin medical school in 1998 and subsequently worked as a GP in the NHS. He has been in practice in aesthetic medicine since 2005. His career has includes working for both Harley Medical Group and SKIN, two of the largest corporate providers of cosmetic procedures in the UK. Dr Quinn has performed thousands of cosmetic procedures and has a great passion for aesthetic medicine. His particular interests are in combination treatments and in using minimal amounts of product to attain maximum results. He uses a variety of modalities in his practice, including IPL, fractional radio frequency and CO2, bipolar radio frequency and high intensity focused ultrasound. Patients remark on his gentle manner and his ability to rejuvenate the face without completely freezing it! They are surprised at how painless his treatments are and how natural the results look.

Dr Quinn actively participates in continuing medical education and is a full member of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors. He has been a trainer for several leading companies within the industry and is a regular attendee and speaker at conferences and events. Quinn Clinics offers a full range of treatments including body contouring, skin treatments, laser hair removal and wellness services.

Dr John Quinn MB, BCH, BAO, BACD. Quinn Clinics, 4 Redland Court Road, Bristol BS6 7EE; quinnclinics.co.uk

NUFFIELD HEALTH SPINAL TEAM Dr Gareth Greenslade – pain management consultant If you have been suffering with back pain, the spinal team at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital takes a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure they find the right treatment pathway for each individual patient. They incorporate pain management, psychological support and physiotherapy, and surgical intervention is considered a last resort. If surgery is required the surgical team includes both orthopaedic spinal surgeons and spinal neurosurgeons.

Dr Gareth Greenslade was a medical officer in the Royal Navy in the 1980s and became interested in patients who were unable to return to duty because they had persistent pain, following injuries. The navy responded by sending him on a course at the Walton Pain Institute in Liverpool and from that time he says he’s never looked back. Dr Greenslade believes in looking at the whole patient to realise that persistent pain is just the tip of the iceberg in many cases. The most important quality he feels he needs is the ability to listen carefully and respectfully to what the patient has to say and give them time to express themselves. He particularly enjoys meeting a lot of interesting people from all walks of life during his work and the unique blend of hi-tech procedures, getting the medication right and seeing the results. He also highlights the need to be a skilled diagnostician to be sure that this is ‘just’ pain and not something needing a different approach.

If you’re thinking of making an appointment, Dr Greenslade advises that patients should come with an open mind. Complete the diagrams and questions the clinic will send to you, including a note of any questions you want to ask. Be prepared to take an active role in your treatment and recovery. Most importantly, do not be unrealistic in your expectations.

Dr Gareth Greenslade. Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, 3 Clifton Hill, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1BN; nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol

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HEALTH & WELLBEING 2020

Promoted content

A question of cataract When your lens, a small transparent disc inside your eye, develops cloudy patches, the quality of vision can quickly deteriorate. We meet one of Bristol’s most eminent eye specialists Adam Ross

A

dam Ross is a Consultant Ophthalmologis t with a subspeciality interest in cataract surgery including micro-incision and complex cataract surgery, medical retina and uveitis.

He carried out his training in Bristol and Cheltenham, as well as visiting fellowships in New York and Washington.

He is the Ophthalmology Postgraduate Training Director and Head of School for Ophthalmology in the Severn Deanery.

Furthermore, he is an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Bristol and leads the medical retina service at the Bristol Eye Hospital. He is the principal and chief investigator on various clinical research trials, publishing regularly in the ophthalmology literature. Adam also sits on the board of trustees for the charity NERC (National Eye Research Charity).

How can they be treated?

Surgery is the only treatment for cataract and is recommended based on the severity of the condition and the impact it has on the daily activities of the patient. It is performed one eye at a time on an outpatient basis under local anaesthetic.

Are there different lens options?

Some options include: Monofocal intraocular lenses are set at a fixed point usually at distance and are the most common lenses used in cataract surgery.

Multifocal intraocular lenses are recommended after a thorough preoperative diagnostic evaluation. You will be questioned on your visual expectations and lifestyle - both work and leisure activities – and the importance given to both and amount of time spent on each.

Toric intraocular lenses are recommended for patients with moderate/severe degrees of regular astigmatism.

With all lenses, it is important that an extensive assessment is carried out explaining the pros and cons of each option, often with repeated measurements and detailed discussion with the patient.

TBM posed some questions to Mr Adam Ross about the common eye condition, cataract.

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a common condition that causes clouding of the natural lens of the eye resulting in blurring or glaring of vision. They usually occur slowly over time.

Surgery is the only treatment for cataracts and is recommended based on the severity of the disease and the impact on the daily activities of the patient. During surgery the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with a clear plastic lens in the same lens capsule as the natural lens.

What are the symptoms?

Patients usually complain of a general reduction in vision, clouding of vision or other symptoms such as glare or haloes. Patients may find they also require brighter light for reading or other activities or that they are having to change spectacles on a regular basis.

For further assessment?

It is important to see your optometrist/optician on a regular basis who can advise you on the general health of your eye and look for any signs of cataract. ■ • Mr Adam Ross is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and is available for private consultation at the Nuffield Hospital, Bristol.

To make an appointment contact: 0117 369 1179 or email: office@bristoleyeunit.co.uk www.adamross.co.uk

Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital 3 Clifton Hill, Bristol BS8 1BN

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bristol menopause Menopause symptoms often vary in severity and develop suddenly, leading to mood swings, loss of libido and hot flushes.

The onset of menopause can be like becoming a teenager again, with huge emotional and hormonal turbulence.

We are passionate about women’s health and believe that no woman should have to suffer with these symptoms.

The Bristol Magazine has all the treatments and all the wonderful therapies to help your business feel fantastic!

"My aim at the Bristol Menopause and Wellwoman Clinic is to help you navigate through this time using a holistic, individual approach to the menopause.”

Health and Beauty advertising in Bristol’s brightest & most widely delivered magazine really works.

Telephone 0117 974 2800

THE

BRISTOL MAGAZINE

Tel: 07470 867 485 bristolmenopause.com Low Barn, Sheepway, Portbury, Bristol BS20 7TF

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GARDENING WELLBEING

Linda is putting together workshops for businesses to boost employee productivity by educating them on circadian rhythms and chronotypes – where people lie on the lark-owl spectrum

The new science of sunlight Linda Geddes, Bristol-based author of Chasing the Sun, on the importance of light in shaping our bodies and minds

F

rom smart phones and shift work to light bulbs and TV, our modern habits have dramatically altered our relationship with the 24-hour cycle of light and dark that we evolved under. We spend 90 per cent of our lives indoors, where it’s often 15 to 500 times dimmer than outside, and keep the lights switched on long after sunset. Doing so may have important consequences for our sleep, alertness, mood, and recovery from illness, according to Linda Geddes, who recently shared her experiments with light, and her findings, during her TEDxBristol talk at Bristol Old Vic. She’s spent plenty of time unpacking our complex and altered relationship with light and considering what would happen if we reverted to a more traditional way of living – here she explains a little more...

TBM: Tell us about your intriguing studies on our relationship with light Linda: Over the past 10 years or so, various studies have suggested that exposure to light at night might be interfering with our sleep and health.

There’s also some evidence that exposure to bright light during the day might buffer us against the detrimental effects of light at night. So, working with scientists at the University of Surrey, I devised an experiment to measure the impact of reverting to a more traditional relationship with light. This involved going cold turkey on electric lighting after 6pm, and spending more of my daytimes outdoors. In December, three years ago, I wore a device on my wrist to track my light exposure and sleep, and filled out numerous questionnaires to assess my mood and alertness before bed, and when I woke up each morning.

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What we found was that when I turned off the lights after 6pm (we could use candles) or combined this with spending more of my daytimes outdoors, the timing of my body clock, or circadian rhythm, shifted one and a half to two hours earlier. I felt sleepy in the evenings but also more awake and more cheerful when I woke up. The same thing happened when I didn’t worry about my evening light exposure but just spent more of my daytimes outdoors and exposed to bright light.

What is a circadian rhythm and why is it so important?

Circadian rhythms are daily peaks and troughs in the activity of pretty much every biological process. The most obvious one is when we feel sleepy and alert, but they also control when we release various hormones, how we respond to infections or various medicines at different times of day, and even the biochemistry of our brains.

In some people, these rhythms run on slightly under 24-hour cycles, and in others they run on slightly over 24-hour cycles – and yet all of us manage to stay synchronised with day and night on Earth. This is because daylight can tweak the timing of these rhythms: it acts like the reset button on a stopwatch, keeping us aligned with the 24-hour day.

We are particularly sensitive to light in the blue part of the spectrum, which includes daylight.

The timing of when we see this light also matters. If we see bright light early – by flinging our curtains wide open as sooner we wake up, say – this pushes our body clocks earlier, making us more lark-like. If we see light later, in the evening or at night, it pushes our clocks later, making us

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WELLBEING

more owl-like. That’s fine if you can choose when you get up the next morning, and if you can’t it may mean you cut short your sleep.

Also, if we see light at irregular times, this can cause our circadian rhythms to fall out of synchrony with the outside world, and with each other – and this means our body starts to function less efficiently. One example of this is jetlag; when we travel to a new time zone and see light earlier or later than here in England. However, we trigger a similar state in our bodies if we vary the timing of when we go to bed and get up between weekdays and weekends, say, or because we work rotating shifts. Long-term, this may increase our susceptibility to chronic illnesses such as type two diabetes or cancer.

However, light can affect our bodies in other ways too. The timing of when we see light matters if we see bright light early – by flinging our curtains wide open as soon as we wake up, say. This pushes our body clocks earlier, making us more lark-like. If we see light later, in the evening or at night, it pushes our clocks later, making us more owl-like.

That’s fine if you can choose when you get up the next morning, and if you can’t it may mean you cut short your sleep.

...Seek out bright and blue-spectrum light during the day and keep lights dim and warm during the evenings.

Red-lensed glasses which block blue light can help to achieve this...

What tips do you have for getting through bleak old January?

One thing my experiment taught me was that brightening my days by spending more time outdoors boosted my daytime alertness and made me feel sleepier during the evenings. Exposure to bright light during the morning is also an effective way of warding off the winter blues.

So, try and find activities to do outdoors. Even on a gloomy, overcast January day, it is usually at least 25 times brighter outdoors than it is inside – often more. I’ve taken up winter dipping in Henleaze Lake but going for a brisk walk on Clifton Downs, or around the Harbourside, would also work.

While researching my book, Chasing The Sun, I also travelled to a city called Tromso, in the far north of Norway, which has a surprisingly low prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Researchers think this is to do with people’s attitude to winter: even though it is cold and dark outside, the residents of Tromso look forward to winter and see it as a cosy time when they gather their friends and family close to them, light a fire and enjoy staying at home during the evenings.

Is there anything you would advise for office workers?

Walk or cycle to work, take regular walks around the block – you could even suggest having walking meetings outdoors, rather than sitting around a table – and try and get outside at lunchtime. You could also consider investing in a SAD light for your desk, to try and boost your alertness during he day.

What technologies are out there for combatting these issues? We have heard of red-lensed glasses that focus on melatonin, light therapy devices that utilise the ear canals...

There isn’t much evidence to support shining light into your ears; instead you should be thinking about your eyes. The basic rule is to seek out bright and blue-spectrum light (including daylight) during the daytime and keep the lights dim and warm during the evenings. So, red-lensed glasses which block blue light, can help to achieve this if you wear them during the evenings. But you could also fit dimmer switches or smart lightbulbs – which you can adjust the colour of. Also, pay attention to

electronic screens during the evenings and at night: put them on night shift mode, make them as dim as possible, and consider installing computer software such as the F:lux app, which filters out blue light.

What are you looking into right now?

I’m really interested in how businesses could boost employees’ sleep, productivity and working relationships by educating them about their circadian rhythms and taking factors like lighting and chronotype (where people lie on that lark-owl spectrum) into account. So, I’m currently putting together some workshops on this. I’m also thinking about writing another book, although its too early to talk about that yet...

How could society be restructured to help with our relationship to light?

If you are self-employed, like me, it is relatively easy to control your light exposure – you just need the motivation to do it. However, if you work in a large organisation and your boss doesn’t recognise the importance of getting outdoors during the daytime, or you work in a building where it’s very difficult to change the lighting, then this can be more problematic.

It’s also an issue for hospital patients or care-home residents, who may find it difficult to venture outdoors during the daytime, or where the lights are often kept on overnight. Here, I think artificial light may be able to help. Scientists are currently conducting studies of the so-called human-centric lighting, which varies over the course of day and night, to see if this can improve people’s sleep and performance.

I think society also needs to understand that people’s chronotype, or sleep preferences, are largely determined by their genetics, and although optimising their light exposure can help, there are still fundamental differences between when individuals are at their mental and physical peak. So, an early-bird manager calling a meeting at 9am, when he or she feels at their mental peak, is not going to be particularly productive if most of their team are night owls.

What have you learned about the relationship with light in other communities around the world?

While I was researching Chasing The Sun, I spent some time with an Amish community in North America who have a far more traditional relationship with light. They aren’t connected to the electric grid so the only source of light at night is gaslight or candles, and their homes are far dimmer than most people’s homes in Western countries. They also spend more of a daytime outdoors engaged in agricultural work or tending their gardens. Although there are Amish people who classify themselves as night-owls, they still go to bed and wake up far earlier than most Westerners. The whole of Amish society tends to be leaving the house and starting the day at around 5am. Interestingly, the Amish also have the lowest prevalence of SAD of any Caucasian population studied so far, possibly because of their relationship with light.

...Interestingly, the Amish community have the lowest prevalence of SAD of any Caucasian population studied so far, possibly because of their relationship with light...

What’s on the cards for you for 2020?

I’m looking forward to my TEDx talk becoming available online. Light aside, I am also hoping to record a new series of the BBC World Service parenting podcast that I co-present, called Parentland. I definitely hope to do more outdoor swimming, and maybe even enter my first triathlon. ■ • lindageddes.com

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“New Year, New Career” Do something life-changing…

Train with the College of Naturopathic Medicine.

Change career. Gain new skills. Help others.

R

etraining as a naturopathic nutritional therapist can open the door to a rewarding career helping yourself and others to better health. You can study for the naturopathic nutrition diploma course parttime at the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) in one of our 10 college locations in the UK and Ireland, and also online.

What makes CNM different is its naturopathic approach, which combines evidence-based research with traditional wisdom to support the body in regaining balance and achieving health. The course provides an in-depth understanding of the therapeutic powers of food and how to identify factors which might contribute to ill health. You will be putting your study and knowledge into practice during hundreds of clinical hours, creating personalised dietary and lifestyle plans for clients, and achieving professional excellence so you can start practising as soon as you graduate, joining successful CNM graduates, many of whom are celebrities and household names.

CNM is the leading training provider in natural therapies, with a 22-year track record training students in the skills and confidence they need to become successful naturopathic nutritional therapists. Surveys show that more than 80 per cent of CNM graduates are practising, either on a self-employed basis or working in spas, gyms, and other health businesses. Graduates use their nutritional skills in the media, to open health food

shops, become successful authors, or work for food or supplement companies.

CNM diploma courses in additional natural therapies are also available. Choose from herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, health coach and natural/vegan natural chef. There is also a short course in nutrition for everyday living and a number of other excellent short courses online.

Testimonials from graduates: CNM opened the door to my passion Romina, Nutritional Therapy CNM offered me the flexibility to combine studying with my long working hours. What I loved most about CNM’s course was the variety in the lecturers, their experience and practical advice which really helped set expectations for career development and growth. I found the experience eye-opening, promising and challenging.

I went from crutches to triathlon Angela, Naturopathic Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, and Naturopathy My health journey has taken me from crutches to running a Triathlon. Studying Nutrition, Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine at CNM helped me do it.

CNM helped me launch my dream business Lauren, Nutritional Therapy & Naturopathy What attracted me to CNM was their combination of academic learning and clinical training, as well as the flexibility to work alongside and study part-time. CNM changed my life because it gave me the ability to have the lifestyle I always desired. I launched my dream business in something I am truly passionate about.

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The high standard of CNM training gave me confidence Aisling, Nutrition The CNM lecturers were very knowledgeable and experts in their field. The high standard of training from CNM, along with support from fantastic lecturers and staff, gave me the confidence to start my own business as soon as I had completed the course!

My CNM qualification opened so many doors Kezra, Naturopathic Nutrition I enrolled at CNM where I truly loved the content and felt inspired by the lectures. Taking the plunge to study at CNM has been one of the greatest and most valuable achievements that I have accomplished so far.

I ate myself healthy again with CNM – and wrote a book!

Terry, Naturopathic Nutrition The course inspired me to combine my chef skills with my newfound passion for nutrition and create my own recipe book with recipes and lifestyle tips fuelled by the correct nutritional protocols.

Save the Date: CNM Event 18th January 2020 Discover how natural therapies promote true health and vitality. Our event is packed with inspiring tips on how to nurture yourself in natural sustainable ways.Geoff Don And if you are thinking of turning your passion into a career, this Open Event will also cover what you need to know about studying at CNM.

Visit naturopathy-uk.com

or call 01342

410 505

CNM has a 22-year track record training successful natural health practitioners in class and online.

Over 80% of graduates are practising.

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All aboard the staycation train: Michael Portillo stayed in the Travelling Post Office for his first series of Great British Railway Journeys and will be returning in the next

St Germans: track it down

The nostalgia, the environmental agenda, the friendliness of the welcome and attention to detail are just a few of the things that make Railholiday a success story. Andrew Swift recommends a unique Cornish getaway this year

I

f you have travelled by train to Cornwall, you may have noticed, about five minutes after crossing the Tamar, some Victorian coaches in the sidings at St Germans. Like many others, I suspect, I was intrigued by these relics of a bygone age, and, while driving through the area, decided to find out more. To my surprise, no sooner had I drawn up in the station yard, than I was given a guided tour. It was to be the first visit of many.

The Railholiday story started in 1992, when Dave and Lizzy Stroud, looking for a place to live, discovered that St Germans station had become an unstaffed halt and the Brunel-designed station building was up for sale. Although it was semi-derelict, with no electricity or mains water, they were up for the challenge, and set about converting it to a family home. When they started turning the adjoining plot of land into a garden, they were surprised to discover an abandoned siding deep in the undergrowth and decided that, if they could put an old railway carriage there, it would be an ideal place for friends and family to stay.

They found what they looking for – a London & South Western Railway luggage van dating from 1896 – in a builder’s yard at Liskeard. Having relocated it to the siding, they set about the arduous task of restoration and conversion. By the time they had finished, they realised it could double as a holiday let, and in 1998, when the first paying visitors arrived, Railholiday was born. So popular did the venture prove that, before long, they had acquired a 1957 British Railways corridor coach and parked it in a siding at Hayle. Not only was this capable of accommodating larger groups, miles of golden sand were only a short walk away, making it the perfect choice for families looking for a Famous Five-style summer break.

Their next acquisition was a GWR Travelling Post Office which had formed part of the first train to break the 100mph barrier in 1904. This was destined for St Germans, but, as it was much longer than the luggage van, they put it in the siding and moved the luggage van to a wooded area on the other side of the station. Sleeping six – as opposed to two in the Old Luggage Van – and with clerestory windows filling the interior with light, it became an instant hit. In 2009, when Michael Portillo travelled from Swindon to Penzance for his first series of Great 92 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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British Railway Journeys, he stayed over in the Travelling Post Office.

Since, Dave and Lizzy have restored two more GWR carriages at St Germans. First to receive visitors was Mevy, a Victorian slip coach with gilded mahogany panels and velvet walls in the first-class bedroom.

This was followed by Millpool, built in 1897, now converted to a fully accessible, wheelchair-friendly carriage, sleeping two.

So authentic and evocative are the restorations, it is hard to believe the carriages were gutted long before Dave and Lizzy acquired them.

Although as many original features as possible have been retained, much of their apparent antiquity is down to the use of reclaimed or hand-crafted materials similar to those used by the original craftsmen.

Many visitors may find, however, that their most lasting memories of a stay at St Germans are not of the golden age of rail travel but of the green ethos that underpins Railholiday. Although they have won many awards in the past 21 years, one that Dave and Lizzy are particularly proud of is the Visit England gold award for the most sustainable tourism business, which they received in 2016.

Sustainability and a commitment to leaving as small a carbon footprint as possible have been central to the Railholiday ethos from the start. Colgear Woods, 10 acres of private woodland on a steep slope above the railway line, which visitors are encouraged to explore, not only provide wood for carriage restoration but also fuel to heat the carriages. Each carriage sits within its own garden, where bug hotels, plants for pollinators, woodpiles and bird boxes abound. All this makes it a magical place for children. Add to that the excitement of a working station next door, plus a play area and games room. For dogs too – welcome in all the carriages except Mevy – there are loads of places to explore, and the gardens are enclosed so they can’t stray onto the line.

St Germans itself is an unspoilt village with a pub, a community shop, and a restaurant in the old schoolhouse. The priory church has one of the finest Norman west fronts in the country, while the adjoining priory, which was converted to a house in 1565, is the ancestral home of the Eliot family, created Earls of St Germans in 1815. A family home for over 450 years, it is set in rolling parkland on the banks of the Lynher River. A little way upstream is an old quay, its limekilns long

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TRAVEL

abandoned, with a magnificent railway viaduct soaring high above.

St Germans is also the gateway to the Rame Peninsula, Cornwall’s ‘forgotten corner’, where you can find magnificent beaches such as Whitsand Bay and Portwrinkle, the twin fishing villages of Kingsand and Cawsand – where Mike Leigh filmed Mr Turner – and Rame Head, where a ruined chapel stands high on a rocky promontory. There are pubs aplenty, notably the 17th-century Rod & Line at nearby Tideford, famous for its locally caught fish – all candlelight, beams and log fires, in as authentically lively a local as you are likely to find anywhere.

With the station on your doorstep, there is no excuse, if you want to venture further, for not going by train – taking the quirky single-coach shuttle from Liskeard to Looe, perhaps, or alighting at Bodmin Parkway to walk along woodland drives to the National Trust-owned Lanhydrock House. And, if your appetite for vintage rolling stock has been whetted, heritage railways at Bodmin, Totnes and Paignton are easily accessible by train.

There is a lot to be said for visiting out of season, when the roads, beaches, car parks and pubs are quieter. Early spring, when camellias bloom in the carriage gardens, snowdrops appear in Colgear Woods, and the lanes to Rame Head lie through fields of daffodils, is a great time to visit. As the days lengthen, the woods are carpeted in wild garlic and bluebells, and the Port Eliot Estate usually throws opens its doors to the public for a few weeks in late spring. Autumn, too, when leaves change colour and fog lies late over the tidal creeks, can be magical, while the wild seas of winter have their own majesty.

Whatever the season, though, wood-burning stoves or biomass heating can be relied on to turn the carriages into the cosiest boltholes imaginable. It is not just the nostalgia or the environmental agenda, or even the friendliness of the welcome and attention to detail, that make Railholiday such a success story. It is the vision that sustains all these things, and makes a stay in this magical part of Cornwall something that lingers so fondly and so long in the memory. ■

St Germans Viaduct

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• railholiday.co.uk

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GARDENING

Sweet box finds its way into many planting schemes as it’s such a versatile, easy-going evergreen that provides structure in winter

A year in the garden

Make your 2020 garden the best yet with Elly West’s month-by-month task planner

W

hile it’s generally a quiet and contemplative month in the garden, January signals the start of another year and for that reason it also holds excitement and promise. No two years are the same, and you can never really predict what’s going to happen and which plants will be the star performers. But there is a certain routine with the jobs that need doing outside.

We start the first part of the year with preparation – planning ahead, then sowing seeds and planting – and as we move into summer it’s all about tending and maintaining, before the year draws round to a close and it’s time to cut back and clear, ready to start again. So this issue I’ve put together a month-by-month planner of key tasks to form your action plan, and help make this year’s garden your best yet.

January: It’s cold outside, but if the ground isn’t frozen it’s a good time to move or plant new shrubs while they are dormant. Keep the borders tidy, clearing away fallen leaves and dead stems, to prevent overwintering pests and diseases. You can also see where the gaps are and better enjoy the sight of new bulbs when they start poking through.

Winter-prune wisteria by shortening shoots to two or three buds from the main stem. And when you’re keeping warm indoors, browse seed catalogues for new things to grow this year.

February: Prune large shrubs that have got out of control, reducing the size and taking out about a third of the old wood. Shrubs such as willow and cornus that are grown for their colourful stems can be coppiced now; cut them right back almost to the knobbly base, from 98 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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which new stems will shoot up in spring. February is a good month to undertake any major landscaping work, as there is plenty of time to get it finished and get new plants in place before the summer.

March: Sow seeds of hardy annuals and summer bedding on window sills or in a greenhouse or coldframe if you have one. Prune bush roses by cutting them back hard to knee height, and climbing roses by removing any diseased or spindly stems and shortening all the shoots back to around four buds. Tie stems in as horizontally as possible as this encourages ‘bud break’ and more flowers. Hydrangeas and summerflowering clematis can also be cut back now; take off the old growth from last year and cut just above the emerging new buds. Many perennials start to show new shoots at the base, including ornamental grasses, so cut back any remaining old leaves to make room for the new.

April: The garden is really getting going, so planting and weeding are

priorities right now. Bulbs are in full swing but as they start to die back, remove the flowers and leave the foliage to die back naturally as this provides energy to the bulb for next year. Mow lawns weekly and consider giving them a spring feed. If you’ve missed the window for sowing seeds, buying small plug plants can be an inexpensive way to fill containers and gaps in borders.

May: This is one of my favourite months, as everything is fresh and

green, and bursting into flower. Harden off seedlings grown under cover by standing them outside during the day and bringing them back in at night, ready for planting out later this month. Trim evergreen hedges

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GARDENING

such as privet, box and yew, along with topiary. Plant out sweet peas and tie them into supports as they grow. Keep mowing lawns, twice a week if necessary, and watering new plants if the weather is dry.

June: Harvest herbs such as oregano, chives and rosemary to keep them coming, and sow annuals like basil and parsley directly in the soil at regular intervals for cropping later in the year. Thin out apples and pears so they aren’t too congested, for a better harvest in autumn. Rake gravel paths regularly to stop weeds taking hold. Keep weeding and mowing!

July: It’s a colourful month, so get busy with your secateurs and

deadhead flowers to keep more coming through the summer. Feed containers with high-potash liquid feed. Cut back all the long twining stems of wisteria that have grown this season. Raise the height of your mower to leave the grass slightly longer if the weather is dry, and remember to keep bird baths and ponds topped up.

August: Cut lavender back once it’s finished flowering, taking off all

the flowered stems and cutting a few centimetres into the current year’s growth. Keep plants well watered, and if you are away on holiday, move pots into the shade so they won’t dry out as quickly. Prune espalier fruit trees, cutting back all the new growth to the main framework. Give hedges their final cut of the year. And of course, if you’ve been growing vegetable crops then the harvests are coming thick and fast, so enjoy!

September: Deadhead dahlias, heleniums, rudbeckia and other late-

summer bloomers to keep the display going well into autumn. Cut back summer perennials as they finish flowering, but leave seed heads for winter interest and birds. Order spring bulbs and plant in pots if you’re not sure yet where you want them, ready to drop into the ground next year. Now is the time to turf or sow a new lawn, or reseed bare patches.

October: Continue planting bulbs and sow sweet pea seeds for earlier flowers next year. Soak the seeds in water overnight or rub them lightly

with sandpaper to increase germination rates, then sow in deep pots and leave in a greenhouse or coldframe over winter, making sure the compost doesn’t dry out. Harvest apples and wrap them individually in newspaper to store. If you’re planning a garden redesign, then start making enquiries now before designers and landscapers get booked up for the spring rush.

November: Clear leaves from borders and lawns and use them to

make leaf mould, either in wire bins or old compost bags with holes spiked in them. Scrub algae from paving. Provide water for birds to drink and bathe in, and set up bird feeders to help our feathered friends through the colder months. Tender plants such as tree ferns should be wrapped up now to protect them from hard frosts.

December: Short days and dreary weather make this a quiet month in the garden. However, any time between now and March is great to plant new trees or hedging plants, as you can buy them bare-rooted at a fraction of the cost of their potted counterparts, and they can be planted through the winter as long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged.

Pick foliage and berries to bring in for Christmas displays. ■

Plant of the month: Sweet box Sweet box, Sarcococca confusa, finds its way into many of my planting schemes as it’s such a versatile, easy-going evergreen that provides structure in winter and grows well in most conditions. It doesn’t mind that trickiest of positions – dry shade – and has the added bonus of gorgeously sweet-smelling flowers in winter, plus attractive black berries, like shiny jewels clustered along the stems.

It’s slow growing and makes a good alternative to regular box, Buxus sempervirens, as it’s not susceptible to blight, although it does have a slightly looser habit.

• ellyswellies.co.uk

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For a free initial consultation, contact Elly West

www.ellyswellies.co.uk ellyswellies@gmail.com 07788 640934 THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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House & Home

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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS

T

his immaculate townhouse is found on a popular road in St Andrews, just a stone’s throw from Montpelier train station and under half a mile from the popular shops and services of Gloucester Road.

The accommodation is arranged over four floors with elegant proportions and period features throughout. On the ground floor there are two spacious reception rooms either side of the central staircase; a bay-fronted family room/home study and a spacious south-facing drawing room. Also on this level there’s a separate utility cupboard and a contemporary walk-in shower room.

The upper two floors house four consistently sized bedrooms, each with a pleasant outlook and served by a family bathroom. On the lower ground floor we find the spacious kitchen, complete with integral appliances, and a family dining room and south facing garden room.

Outside the carefully considered and easily maintained level rear garden offers a quiet, sunny spot to relax in. At the front of the house is a parking space for one small car.

This is the perfect home for a lively, growing family offering plenty of space and flexibility.

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CROMWELL ROAD ST ANDREWS BRISTOL • Four bedrooms • Two bath/shower rooms • Sunny easily maintained rear garden • Close to Montpelier station

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 101

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Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

• Sales / Lettings • Acquisitions • Valuations • Landlord & tenant • Auction Sales

• Rent reviews • Property Management • Investment Sales / Purchase • Development & Planning • Dilapidations Advice 19/12/2019 09:19

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PROPERTY NEWS

BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM ACROSS THE CITY’S BOOMING SECTOR CJ Hole’s new flagship office on Whiteladies Road

A LOOK AHEAD

Image: Rebecca Faith Photo

A VERY GOOD YEAR

HELLO STREAMLINE!

CJ Hole in Bristol has a very busy 2019, with not only a new flagship office in an impressive building on Whiteladies Road but also fundraising success in collaboration with Designability.

Designability was chosen as CJ Hole’s charity of the year initially because the team was very impressed with their Wizzybug loan scheme. Designability is a brilliant local charity which designs fantastic products to make life easier for people of all ages with disabilities, and the Wizzybug is an innovative powered wheelchair helping to give children younger than five years old their freedom and independence.

CJ Hole staff have been busy taking on lots of challenges this year. In March, managing director Chris took on the Forest of Dean half marathon – an offroad, hilly race with over 400 metres of climbing – which kickstarted the team’s fundraising and took them to nearly 25% of their £2,000 target. Meanwhile George from the Bradley Stoke office completed the Bristol 10k, wearing a Wizzybug shell over his shoulders, while other colleagues took on the South West Property Sportive around the South Bristol countryside.

The Ethical Property Company has launched vibrant, affordable new workspace Streamline for Bristol organisations with a shared commitment to social change, including charities, community organisations or social businesses. The art deco-inspired building at Paintworks is fully accessible, and already home to some of the region’s leading charities and organisations.

Streamline has recently been awarded a BREEAM rating of ‘Good’, in keeping with Ethical Property’s commitment to sustainability. The centre offers light offices, modern meeting spaces and bright communal areas, ideal for a collaborative working environment.

Streamline is easily accessible via Temple Meads and national cycle routes, with ample bike parking surrounding the building to encourage sustainable travel. The building also benefits from a district-wide heating system and solar panels to minimise energy use. “Working at Streamline is a joy,” says David Fells, centre manager, “not only is the building fully accessible, beautiful and filled with lots of natural light, but being able to step outside into the peaceful Paintworks complex, or cross the river to Sparke Evans park, means lunchbreaks are an opportunity to relax and unwind.”

• cjhole.co.uk

• ethicalproperty.co.uk

104 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

|

JANUARY 2020

|

No 187

New figures from Savills have highlighted Bristol as the fourth best performing housing market outside of London over the last 14 years. In a ranking of the UK’s top 50 housing markets, Bristol is behind Cambridge, St Albans and Three Rivers. The research indicates that value growth in Bristol has slowed in recent years, with price rises totalling just 11% since the Brexit vote in 2016.

Presenting to buyers and sellers in Bristol recently, Lucian Cook, head of Savills’ residential research division, said weaker sentiment since the referendum had caused a ‘ripple of caution’ spilling out from London. In the last 12 months, low consumer confidence has caused some markets to decline. Bristol has avoided this but growth has been a minimal 1%. “On a purely economic basis, the country is in good shape,” he said. “Unemployment is low, the price of borrowing is low and wages are rising. However the property market has been driven by sentiment which, in the face of political uncertainty caused by Brexit, has stalled growth.” David Wild, head of residential sales for Savills Clifton, said: “While Brexit has acted as a drag on our prime market, Bristol remains an incredibly popular place to live. Our office has seen a notable increase in demand for property in the city and country this year. We have registered 38% more buyers than in 2018 and this has translated into a 20% increase in transactions. This is despite the fact that less property has been brought to market, demonstrating real commitment to purchase in Bristol.”

Savills forecasts a return to growth over the next five years. “In the South West, our forecasts suggest we can expect to see mainstream values increase by an average of 13.1%,” said Richard Brooks, head of the South West residential division.”

“We’re not expecting a spike in house price inflation, rather steady growth over a period of years,” adds David Wild. “This will be modest over the next year, during which time sensible pricing will continue to be paramount to success.”

• savills.co.uk

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hamptons.co.uk

Sidcot House, Winscombe, North Somerset Guide Price £1,225,000

A beautifully presented detached Victorian family house, offering over 5,600 sq ft of accommodation, stables, garage, orchard and paddocks totalling 7 acres of land, situated within The Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and close to the popular thriving village of Winscombe. EPC: D

Hampton Park, Redland Guide Price £1,530,000

An impressive 3,470 sq ft end of terrace Grade II listed house, built in a late Georgian style and occupies this fabulous corner plot in Redland. Boasting two self-contained lower floor apartments, off street parking, garage, Westfacing rear garden and roof terrace. EPC: Exempt

Barrows Farm, Theale, Wedmore Guide Price £1,150,000 A wonderful family home set in the pretty Somerset village of Theale, with self-contained cottage, studio/office, extensive outbuildings, paddocks, stables and 5.29 acres of grounds. EPC: E

Hamptons Bristol

Sales. 0117 369 1004 | bristol@hamptons-int.com

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hamptons.co.uk

Waterloo Street, Clifton Guide Price £425,000

A beautifully presented 2 bedroom, top floor apartment with vaulted ceilings, a fantastic roof terrace and located in the heart of Clifton Village. Set on this pretty and central cobbled street, there is direct access to the plethora of the cafes, restaurants, delis and boutiques that the Village has to offer.

EPC: E

Park Street, Bristol City Centre Guide Price £495,000 Lansdown Court, Clifton Guide Price £535,000 Occupying the first floor of this exquisite newly renovated building in the heart of Park Street is this spacious two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with 100 sq ft roof terrace, high ceilings, and stylish design throughout.

EPC: TBC

This well presented three bedroom upper floor maisonette is found in this handsome Victorian building in Clifton Village. Benefits from a parking space, own entrance and perfectly positioned for Victoria Square. EPC: D

Hamptons Bristol

Sales. 0117 369 1004 | bristol@hamptons-int.com

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Leigh Woods, Bristol | ÂŁPOA An exceptional modern house with a beautifully finished interior, flexible family accommodation, superb views and a generous south facing garden with two garages and gated off-street parking.

Stunning detached family house with versatile and flexible accommodation | Superb south facing views and a deep rear garden | Gated off-street parking and two integrated garages | Fabulous reception room with bi-folding doors onto a balcony | Full width open family kitchen, dining and family room | Gym with shower and a separate home cinema | Generous entrance hall and separate study | Four first-floor bedrooms and three bath / shower rooms | Top floor fifth bedroom or home office suite | Fabulous gardens, paved dining terrace and full-width balcony | EPC: TBC |

In all circa 3400 sq. ft (316 sq. m)

cjhole.co.uk

WOODLAND GROVE, STOKE BISHOP

REDLAND PARK, REDLAND

A fabulous brand new five bedroom detached family home arranged over three floors. The spacious master suite is full width to rear with walk in dressing room and ensuite overlooking the landscaped garden which includes Indian sandstone, recessed hot tub, and contemporary planting.

EPC TBC

Offered with no onward chain, this superbly presented two double bedroom first floor apartment is situated within the highly desirable Redland Park. The light and spacious lounge/diner with original sash windows and shutters opens to a quality fitted kitchen. Single garage, off-street parking and many original features. EPC D

2

4

£1,075,000

5

1

1

£415,000

2

CRANSLEY CRESCENT, HENLEAZE

HILLSDON ROAD, WESTBURY-ON-TRYM

Superbly presented throughout, this 1930’s four bedroom semi-detached family home offers living room to front with woodburner and a modern kitchen/diner to rear with bi-folding doors leading to a 22m garden. The property further benefits from double glazing, gas central heating, off-street parking and single garage. EPC D

An attractive, 1930s three bedroom semi detached family home with two individual reception rooms, modern kitchen/diner with access to the garden, integral garage/utility area, boarded and heated loft room, a brick paved driveway providing off street parking and a 12m westerly facing rear garden. EPC D

2

2

4

GUIDE PRICE £600,000

2

1

3

£585,000

NEW Clifton Office

Henleaze Office

Westbury-on-Trym Office

161 Whiteladies Road Clifton, BS8 2RF

108 Henleaze Road Henleaze, BS9 4JZ

25 Canford Lane Westbury-on-Trym, BS9 3DQ

Tel: 0117 962 9221

Tel: 0117 950 0118

Tel: 0117 435 1867 Clifton@cjhole.co.uk

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henleaze@cjhole.co.uk

westbury@cjhole.co.uk

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REDLAND BS6

SOLD

£1,200,000

CLIFTON BS8

SOLD

£1,200,000

REDLAND BS6

SOLD

£925,000

An exceptional four storey semi-detached Redland property.

Seven bedrooms and five bath/shower rooms, large kitchen breakfast room/conservatory with front and rear garden, outbuildings with light and power plus a converted garage to a home office.

A substantial seven bedroom family home with original charm and character displayed throughout. Views directly towards Durdham Downs with driveway and garage.

A five bedroom family home with period features throughout, private south facing garden and a driveway for two cars with garage.

WESTBURY PARK BS6

REDLAND BS6

KINGSDOWN BS7

SOLD

£850,000

£825,000

SOLD

SOLD

£750,000

A substantial Edwardian family home, situated close to the open expanse of the Durdham Downs. Five bedroom accommodation over three floors, highly sought after location. No onward chain.

A bay fronted Victorian house offers a versatile interior, currently arranged as a 6 bedroom home with HMO licence.

Excellent location within close proximity of the University.

A four storey period town house offers a versatile and wellpresented interior, excellent central location close to Bristol University, Clifton and City Centre. The house is HMO credited.

CLIFTON BS8

BISHOPSTON BS7

SNEYD PARK BS9

SOLD

£675,000

A four storey architect designed home, three bedrooms one with en-suite shower room. Master bedroom featuring a balcony with beautiful views, kitchen/breakfast room, utility area, off street parking and courtyard to front and rear.

0117 923 8238 Howard January.indd 3

SOLD

£550,000

A delightful three bedroom Victorian family home, conveniently situated for Gloucester Road. Well-presented interior, spacious living rooms and southerly facing enclosed garden.

www.howard-homes.co.uk

SOLD

£530,000

A beautifully presented two double bedroom Victorian house situated on the edge of The Downs. A stylish interior offers; entrance hall, living room with bay window, cloakroom, bathroom, two double bedrooms and a kitchen/breakfast room.

hello@howard-homes.co.uk 13/12/2019 15:42

CLIFTON BS8

LET

A light and spacious two double bedroom top floor flat that has been recently re-decorated to a high standard throughout.

Situated in a sought after quiet residential road in Clifton. Large living/dining room, kitchen, bathroom.

CITY CENTRE BS1

LET

Large master bedroom with en-suite, study/guest bedroom, utility cupboard, communal gardens, excellent location.

LET MANAGED

The flat offers a grand living room, period fire place, separate kitchen, bathroom, a double and a single bedroom. Use of communal residents’ garden to the rear of Richmond Terrace.

Situated between Clifton Village and The Triangle.

LET REDLAND BS6

ONE DOUBLE BEDROOM flat in a fabulous CITY CENTRE development with CABOT CIRCUS and the CITY CENTRE within walking distance and Temple Meads station and motorway links close by. Situated on the fourth floor with far reaching VIEWS over the local landscape and offers; open plan living room/ kitchen, bedroom, shower room and storage cupboard.

CLIFTON BS8

CLIFTON BS8

LET

A refurbished two double bedroom apartment situated within close proximity of Durdham Downs and Whiteladies Road. New kitchen/living area with bay window to the front of the building, newly installed bathroom/shower room.

KINGSDOWN BS2

LET MANAGED

Three bedroom family home, south facing walled garden, roof terrace, wet room and shower room, allocated parking in a convenient location.

CLIFTON BS8

LET

A superior two double bedroom lower garden level apartment.

Spacious living room, modern kitchen with recently renovated bathroom. Both bedrooms are very good sized doubles with in built storage.

HENBURY BS10

LET

A discreetly stylish brand new ground floor 1 bedroom apartment. Offered with, garden, solar panels and spacious, thoughtfully designed interiors. The development is situated at the far end of a cul-de-sac where there is street parking available. The location offers good access to Cribbs Causeway and M5 motorway with links to M4 & M32.

HARBOURSIDE BS1

LET MANAGED

One double bedroom, great location opposite the SS Great Britain, beautiful finish throughout.

203 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2XT

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Westbury-on-Trym Office Call: 0117 962 1973 Mail: westburysales@oceanhome.co.uk Search: oceanhome.co.uk

Check out our latest reviews and 5 star rating on Trustpilot

Henleaze, BS6 £775,000 4 bedroom house A well presented and modern four bedroom family home located within the sought after area of The Furlong. The ground floor accommodation offers entrance porch, leading to entrance hallway, living room to rear with bi-folding doors opening to the rear garden, games room with window to the front aspect.

There are four bedrooms with a contemporary family bathroom and further ensuite to the master.

EPC C

Westbury-on-Trym, BS9 £495,000 3 bedroom house

Royal Victoria Park, BS10 £350,000 2 bedroom house

Detached home on a quiet culde-sac in Westbury-on-Trym. The accommodation comprising of: entrance hallway, fitted kitchen, dining room, downstairs WC and an impressive sitting room with a picture window to the front garden.

Upstairs there are three double bedrooms, master bedroom with an en-suite shower and a modern family bathroom

Two double bedroom terraced home located in the private gated community of Royal Victoria Park development with the benefit of allocated parking, a private garden and use of the communal gardens and grounds.

EPC D

EPC D

100’s more properties across our 11 local offices – oceanhome.co.uk

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Clifton Office Call: 0117 946 6007 Mail: cliftonsales@oceanhome.co.uk Search: oceanhome.co.uk

Check out our latest reviews and 5 star rating on Trustpilot

Redcliffe BS1 £525,000 2 bedroom waterfront apartment An amazing contemporary apartment with a real ‘wow’ factor forming part of a superb conversion within this landmark building in the heart of Bristol City Centre. An open plan living room leads through to a fantastic kitchen/dining area with vast windows framing panoramic views of the River Avon and Castle Park.

EPC D

Redcliffe BS1 £475,000 2 bedroom waterfront apartment This upper ground floor two bedroom apartment offers outstanding water views from all principal rooms as well as from its balcony. At 866 Square Feet (80.5 Square Metres) the property is well proportioned and finished to a high specification throughout complete with underground parking space.

Clifton BS8 £250,000 1 bedroom top floor flat A surprising large top floor one bedroom apartment set within this truly magnificent Grade II listed Victorian townhouse situated on the edge of the Downs and close to all the amenities of Clifton Village. A private parking space is also allocated to the property.

EPC TBC

EPC C

100’s more properties across our 11 local offices – oceanhome.co.uk

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