Business Nov Bristol:Layout 1
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BRISTOLbusiness
Designs on his neighbourhood The streets around Stokes Croft are looking a whole lot brighter these days, thanks to a plethora of professionally hand-painted shop and café signs made by one-man business Dapper Signs. James Cooper discovered his talent when a friend asked him to write a chalk blackboard menu, and this led to him setting up Dapper Signs, whose slogan is ‘good signs ain’t cheap – cheap signs ain’t good.’ Examples of his work can be seen at
Gallimaufry, The Folk House Café and Biblos in a variety of styles. James, who was born with cystic fibrosis and had a double lung transplant in 2007, describes himself as having a geekish passion for letterforms and layout. He also takes commissions for private houses, such as this gold-leaf K and can custom decorate birdboxes, from £45, for original and witty Christmas presents. He also decorates canalboats.
News in brief Your ■ The Lord Mayor of Bristol, Cllr Peter Main has launched his Christmas appeal to help local children living in poverty. The appeal is a year-round charity which helps children by providing their families with vouchers that can be exchanged for food, clothes and toys. The Lord Mayor said: “Last year we raised over £46,000 and we’re setting the bar even higher this year, £66,000, to help even more families, at a time when they are struggling more than ever. We are re-starting our appeal with a delicious fundraising dinner at Maaza Namasker Lounge on 5 November and will be celebrating the festive season with a Christmas carol concert at The Colston Hall on 10 December.” For tickets to the Namasker dinner, tel: 0117 929 8276. For the Colston Hall box office tel: 0117 922 3686.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens to your vote when you pick up the phone to support your favourite candidate on a TV show, you may be reassured to know that it might be a Bristolian who picks up your message. Clifton based Beyond Dispute is currently responsible for verifying the public vote for the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing series. Managing director Olivia van der Werff said: “If viewers wonder if television shows in general are fair they can be assured that if we are involved everything will be above board. They can be assured that their votes will count, and on game shows – that contestants will be treated fairly. Staff from Beyond Dispute will ■ The south west independent residential block and estate management company, TMS Group, now has a base in Bristol from which to expand following its acquisition by Estate and Asset Management Ltd, the holding company for the Bristol lettings business, Campions and property and estate management firm, Blenheims Estate and Asset Management. The acquisition follows the retirement of the three founding directors who set up the company in 1999.
Mimosa Home
■ Christmas shoppers browsing for beautiful gifts for the home can find all sorts of items, including candles and table lamps, at Mimosa Home in The Mall, Clifton, which sources its home fashions from trade fairs across Europe. To mark the business’s first anniversary owner Mary Hapgood is offering customers ten per cent off on Friday 9 November and will be serving up glasses of bubbly to visitors in celebration.
54 The Bristol Magazine
vote on Strictly really does count
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November 2012
be in the studio working with the BBC team who run the phone lines.” Votes are held on each show until the series ends on the Saturday before Christmas. Beyond Dispute specialises in health and safety consultancy in reality television and outside events, and the adjudication of competitions, quizzes, TV shows and phone votes. It also works with ITV, Love Productions, makers of The Great British Bake Off and Endemol and makers of Noel Edmonds’ Deal or No Deal and provides construction safety advice for the Big Brother House and has verified the vote on the Eurovision Song Contest for the last three years. TMS will allow expansion plans in the Bristol area from Campions and Blenheims in Clifton. TMS manages more than 7,500 individual properties. TMS and Blenheims will continue to operate under their existing names and TMS’ property director, Jonathan Holmes, will lead operations in the south west with Mike Rutland and former colleague Patrick Taylor, owners of Campions and Blenheims Estate and Asset Management. Visit: www.tms-sw.com
New centre for motorbike enthusiasts Dick Lovett Motorrad has opened a new dedicated BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna dealership for Bristol. The new facility, located behind the Bristol BMW car showroom at Cribbs Causeway, is the first in the UK to feature
BMW Motorrad’s latest interior showroom concept. Complete with a fully fitted five bay workshop, the dealership has the capabilities to carry out all of your motorcycle servicing, warranty, MOT and repair needs; all under one roof.
As one of the largest Motorrad dealerships in the UK, located conveniently just off Junction 17 of the M5, it hopes to become a social hub for motorbike enthusiasts providing a convenient congregation area with a garden and refreshments.