CITYIST

Meet legendary Bristol Hippodrome pantomime star, Andy Ford

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), The Exchange project supports local people to train as researchers and explore museum collections. In November 2021, parents from Hannah More School and members of the Bridging Gaps Community Group, Shani Whyte, Iwona Salamon, and Soumia Seradj, became the SS Great Britain Trust’s first Community Research team. The group worked with the museum collection and archive to uncover the ship’s global history. The project sparked vital conversations around the misconceptions about the SS Great Britain, unravelling false narratives, discovering untold stories and creating new ways to explore and share history. Iwona produced a learning box for schools, based on food the passengers would have to live on for two months at sea. Shani, Iwona, and Soumia each brought a fresh perspective to the role Brunel’s pioneering ocean liner played in history, exploring the ship’s involvement in migration and the story of the British empire. Soumia, who has written a booklet explaining the background of the ship for people who do not have English as a first language, loved how the project brought together people from different communities. Bridging gaps between local opinions and the ship’s real legacy, Shani Whyte’s book, Tying The Tides – The Colour Within the SS Great Britain, highlights people of colour who either travelled or worked on the ship. A fantastic new free outdoor exhibition in Brunel Square explores the community researchers’ journeys and discoveries.

area for many years. Since performing quite regularly at the famous Bristol Hippodrome, I have to admit that the affinity with the city and it’s fabulous people has grown and grown. I was born in Exeter but to some extent I feel as though I was reborn in Bristol.

entertaining my fellow nursery school pupils on the school hall stage if it was raining outside during lunch to giving shows in my back garden and selling tickets to my friends to come and watch. I was head choirboy for many years at our local church and entered as many talent shows as I could with my cousin Steven. To be honest, I can’t remember a time when I haven’t been an entertainer.

1997 in Peter Pan, which did a week at the theatre before moving on to a season at the Bournemouth Pavilion. In the build up to 2009, I had been performing in pantomimes all over the country from Croydon, Dartford and Bromley to Sheffield, Doncaster and many places in between. The producers put to me the idea of performing back at the Bristol Hippodrome and I was so excited to take them up on their kind offer. However, it was only after the show opened that I realised something very special was happening. Panto has always been a good vehicle for my comedy, but when it’s done in front of a West Country audience, it hits another level for me.

in pantomime, the Hippodrome is the one that definitely pulls at my heart strings. Local references in panto are essential and we performers try to make sure we get them right before we open. I’ll never forgot the reaction I received from the crowd the first time I said ‘Cheers Drive’… priceless! I just feel that the audience wants me to do well and that makes me feel special.

alongside legends of film, TV and stage. I had to pinch myself when I starred alongside the Fonz himself –Henry Winkler from the cult 70’s show Happy Days. He was an absolute joy to perform alongside as was the Hoff (David Hasselhoff). As well as playing alongside American legends including Paul Michael Glaser, I was blessed with being able to work next to UK acting and showbiz royalty including Steve McFadden, Warwick Davis, Lesley Joseph, Rob Rinder, Nolan sisters Bernie and Maureen, Letitia Dean plus many more, but the Queen of them all has to be the late Dame Barbara Windsor. Barbara first asked me to appear with her after she saw me on the Des and Mel Show on ITV. The plan was to appear as Buttons to her Fairy Godmother in Cinderella but unfortunately Barbara became quite ill that year and was unable to do the pantomime. About seven years later, I found out that Barbara was leaving Eastenders and doing a panto. I got a call from the producers to say that Barbara had specifically asked for me to be on the show. In fact, I later discovered that she had included my appearance as one of the clauses in her contract. It was a wonderful experience working with a national treasure and one of the loveliest people I have ever met.

role because of the relationship with Cinderella both as loyal friends and Button’s secret love for her. That is why I am so excited to be asked to reprise the role agin for this year’s panto working alongside the wonderful Lauren Hampton from Bristol who has appeared on stage with me on many occasions as a member of the juvenile ensemble. This year, she gets the chance to be in the starring role. To young performers reading this: dreams can come true, just believe in yourself and keep going.

it would Eric Morecambe in the hayday of Eric and Ernie. I would have loved to have had the chance to pick his brilliant comedy brain. To me, Eric was and will always be THE comic inspiration for Andy Ford. I love the fact that he loved and cared about his craft so much. A perfectionist and a genius.

Ashton Gate will play host to another high-profile international fixture next year when the

Lionesses come to BS3 to take on Belgium in the Arnold Clark Cup.

UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 winners England will play in Bristol for the first time since 2015 as part of a final matchday double-header on Wednesday 22 February 2023.

In their final tournament ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Sarina Wiegman’s side will attempt to defend the Arnold Clark Cup against Belgium, Italy, and South Korea.

Ashton Gate Managing Director Mark Kelly said: “We are delighted to be able to welcome the Lionesses back to Ashton Gate. “It has been incredible to watch the Lionesses’ journey and we’ve followed their success since hosting them here back in 2015. During that time, we completed our stadium redevelopment and we’ve been proud to host a number of high-profile international sporting and entertainment acts. Most recently, having the Red Roses play here, in their final warm-up match ahead of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand was incredibly poignant. To see them now about to compete in another World Cup Final is truly inspiring.

“I look forward to us playing our part in the Lionesses’ World Cup preparations and hopefully the perfect send-off, in front of what I’m sure will be another record crowd.”

• For more information, visit: bristol-sport.co.uk

Internationally-renowned Bristol artist Luke Jerram’s latest work, Oil Fountain, has been made to highlight how contemporary society is reliant on oil and the need to move away from this dependency. The giant fountain sculpture, which flows with engine oil instead of water, has been created from used engine oil and recycled acrylic, with details of plants and animals made extinct as a consequence of the industrial revolution and humanity’s impact on nature, laser-cut into the surface. Oil Fountain will first be presented for the general public to see in Bristol in February 2023 at a date and location soon to be announced.

Luke Jerram explains: “Just as water fountains are meeting places within a town, Oil Fountain will become a place for organisations and individuals fighting climate change to meet and discuss their work.”

Professor Daniela Schmidt, an earth and climate scientist at the University of Bristol Cabot Institute for the Environment and a lead author on the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on adaptation to climate change, said: “Oil is at the heart of the climate crisis, with emissions past and future changing our climate.

“If we do not stop burning fossil fuels and changing our land, summers like the one we had with droughts and record heatwaves, resulting in deaths, crop failure, challenges to transport and energy production will become the norm.”

All materials for the Oil Fountain artwork will be recycled again at the end of the project.

Bristol-based charity, 91 Ways to Build a Global City, is a communityfocused social enterprise named after the 91 languages spoken in the city. At the core of everything it does is its belief in the connecting power of food and community. The charity’s aim is to build common ground between communities through encouraging people to share their personal food journeys, recipes, and passions. The team believes this will help to bridge the gaps between

Bristol’s 91 language communities and through sharing food, will help people to make better decisions about their nutrition and well-being, so that they can improve the health and sustainability of themselves, their families, and our city.

As winter approaches, 91 Ways is planning to help families across Bristol through the economic emergency through cooking lessons, explaining low-fuel methods to cook at home as well as providing healthy nutritious food for families to cook together and to take away. Their project will teach attendees how to use slow cookers before gifting them for free and supplying food boxes, spice kits and fuel vouchers. Ensuring culturally appropriate nutritious food reaches all communities, the charity has plans to create safe spaces for Afghani women asylum seekers who are installed in hostels to cook the dishes from their heritage and eat together. In order to support families across the city, however, 91 Ways needs your help. The charity is selling founder Kalpna

Woolf’s latest book, Eat, Share, Love – a unique collection of 91 beautiful recipes and the compelling personal stories behind them from our communities – to help fund their work. Each book will be gift wrapped using recycled paper and a beautiful Indian ribbon and sent to your chosen person.

• Support 91 Ways and Bristol’s communities if you can and buy Eat, Share, Love (£20) at: 91ways.org/shop