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THE
ISSUE 121
I
JULY 2014
BRIST L CELEBRATING
O
10 YEARS OF PUBLISHING IN BRISTOL
THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CITY OF BRISTOL
MAGAZINE
www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk
H A R B O U R H I G H L I G H T S : T I M E T O PA RT Y I N T H E C I T Y F O R T H E F R E E F E S T I VA L
E L U S I V E C R E AT U R E S : G E T T I N G O U T + A B O U T O T T E R S P O T T I N G I N B R I S T O L
❖ I N S I D E H A M I LT O N H O U S E : AT H O M E W I T H B R I S T O L’ S C R E AT I V E S + I N N O V AT O R S ❖
❖ W O O L LY H E A D E D : B R I S T O L B A S E D F E L T D E S I G N E R T A L K S H I G H S T R E E T S U C C E S S ❖ AND
M U C H M O R E I N T H E C I T Y ’ S F I N E S T M O N T H LY G U I D E T O L I F E A N D L I V I N G I N B R I S T O L
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THE | CONTENTS
JULY
2014
76
44
30 12
ZEITGEIST
44
THE CITYIST My Bristol, the buzz & book of the month
A COLOURFUL LIFE We meet a Bristol businesswoman and designer whose felt company is growing
Five things to do this month
14
50
24 46
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
64 FIT AND FAB Health and beauty news
66 HOLIDAY MUST-HAVES Products you can’t leave home without
The riotous history of Queen Square
16
BARTLEBY Are we a green city?
18
22
28
PARTY IN THE CITY Bristol Harbour Festival is back
32
WHAT’S ON Theatre, music, comedy, shows and more
40 ART & EXHIBITIONS On show in the galleries this summer WWW.THEBRISTOLMAGAZINE.CO.UK
RESTAURANT REVIEW INTRODUCING The new CEO of Bristol Sport, Andrew Billingham
54
Victoria Rose beauty salon in North Street
74 OUT AND ABOUT A walk in the woods near Wickwar
76 OTTER SPOTTING Tracking these elusive creatures in Bristol
82
PROPERTY The best homes in and around Bristol
BRISTOL PEOPLE What the movers and shakers are up to
56
UNIVERSITY FOR ALL Community projects and public events from the University of Bristol
BRISTOL AT WORK Director of conservation at Bristol Zoo
30
52
HAMILTON HOUSE A look at the creative and innovative residents of this Stokes Croft building
72 BEAUTY REVIEW
Gordito charcuterie bar at Colston Hall
SUMMER SHOWCASE Holiday fashions and accessories
24
50
FACE THE MUSIC Artist Hugo Grenville lists the pieces of music that have influenced him
WINING AND DINING Food and drink news
PEOPLE & PARTIES Snapshots from the city’s social scene
20
48
58
CITY UPDATES Bristol 2015, an urban allotment and more
60 WEEKEND BREAK Ten reasons to visit south Wales
62 SUMMER FUN Activities and events for the whole family to enjoy in July
THE
BRI ST OL twitter@thebristolmag
MAGAZINE
ON THE COVER Flock screen-print by Bristol illustrator Dave Bain, who works from Hamilton House. See his profile on page 24 thebristolmagazine.co.uk
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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 3
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.co.
Stoke Bishop
A handsome detached period family home (2,601 sq ft) within popular Stoke Bishop. 2 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room with utility. Master bedroom with ensuite shower room, 4 further bedrooms, bathroom. Gardens to the front and rear, o street parking and garage. EPC rating E.
Guide price: ÂŁ750,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999
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.co.
Kingsdown
A delightful period family home (1,755sq ft ) with gardens and roof terrace. Drawing room, family hall/snug, kitchen/breakfast room, master with ensuite shower room, 3 further bedrooms, bathroom and shower room. Pretty rear gardens, roof terrace and cellar.
Guide price: ÂŁ650,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999
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.co.
Clifton
Immaculately presented Grade II listed garden maisonette (1,475 sq ft) in the heart of Clifton. Drawing room, kitchen, master bedroom with ensuite bath/shower room, 2 further bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms. Front and rear courtyard and garage.
KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999
Guide price: ÂŁ485,000
Leigh Woods
A superb detached family home (1,694 sq ft) in popular Leigh Woods. Spacious sitting room, kitchen/dining room, utility room, master with ensuite shower/bathroom with dressing room, 3 further bedrooms, gardens, balcony and garage. Guide price: ÂŁ695,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999
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.co.
Regil
Wonderful former farmhouse (3,808 sq ft) with distant views. 5 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, 2nd kitchen. 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Range of outbuildings (5,892 sq ft) including stables, workshops. Gardens, pasture, woodland. In all about 11 acres. Further 14 acres available by separate negotiation.
KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999
Guide price: ÂŁ1,395,000
Wrington
Detached family house (4,103 sq ft) with panoramic and uninterrupted views of The Mendip Hills. 3 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, 2 utility rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, garage, store, Victorian greenhouse, delightful gardens, paddock. In all about 2.35 acres. Guide price: ÂŁ1,100,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com 0117 3171999
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I
t never ceases to amaze me, the number of creative and innovative people that reside and work in Bristol – the city is packed full of them, and they are always working hard to produce, design, make and inspire. These days you’ll find many of them working from old buildings that have been transformed into studios, event and work spaces, including Jamaica Street Artists in Stokes Croft, The Old Schoolhouse in Barton Hill, the Tobacco Factory in Southville and Hamilton House, also in Stokes Croft and one that I have only recently discovered.
To find out more, I sent writer Hannah Stuart-Leach to go behind the doors of this understated building and investigate what its residents are up to. Read her feature on page 24 where she finds artists, broadcasters, designers, musicians, film producers, dancers and more. Another inspirational Bristolian I had the pleasure of meeting this month is businesswoman and designer Adele Collinson who runs a successful business selling gorgeous, colourful felt products that are ethically handmade in Nepal. Hear the story of how she started her business selling at St Nick’s Market to now designing exclusive collections for the likes of John Lewis and Harrods on page 44.
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With events and festivals happening virtually every hour of every weekend at the moment, you know that summer has arrived in the city. Embrace the long hot days by getting out and about and enjoying all the cultural offerings of Bristol. Turn to page 32 for our extensive What’s On guide for inspiration, and don’t miss the city’s biggest free festival on the harbourside from 18 – 20 July. The Bristol Harbour Festival promises to be bigger, better and bolder than ever with a jam-packed weekend of music, dance, circus, ships, water activities and more – see what’s planned on page 30. Hope to see you there!
SAMANTHA COLEMAN EDITOR
All paper used to make this magazine is taken from good sustainable sources and we encourage our suppliers to join an accredited green scheme. Magazines are now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help to reduce waste and contribute to the six million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year. Please recycle this magazine, but if you are not able to participate in a recycling scheme, then why not pass your magazine on to a friend or colleague.
The Bristol Magazine has moved to a new office. We are now at:
G8 BRISTOL AND EXETER HOUSE TEMPLE GATE BRISTOL BS1 6QS All our email and telephone details stay the same. Contact us on tel: 0117 974 2800
WWW.THEBRISTOLMAGAZINE.CO.UK
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ZEITGEIST Bristol Shakespeare Festival
5
things to do in JULY
Listen
F
Watch From clowning to classical, traditional to twisted, alfresco to intimate, the Bristol Shakespeare Festival returns this month (9-27 July) presenting three weeks full of the very best national touring theatre companies, each with their own unique take on the Bard’s work. The festival is renowned for staging performances in unusual and iconic locations across the city, and this year is no exception. Look out for performances in a space near you, including: St Werburghs Amphitheatre, Brandon Hill Bowling Green, The Folk House, Blaise Castle, Windmill Farm, The Bierkeller, The Island and Redcliffe Caves. For a full programme of events and to book tickets visit: www.bristolshakespearefestival.org.uk
ollowing last year’s successful debut, Bristol Proms returns once again from 28 July – 2 August to present a programme of classical concerts with a twist – creating a multi-sensory, interactive experience using digital media. See world class musicians appearing in original performances, exploring the creative possibilities of digital technology, that have been commissioned and produced especially for the event, including: • Bryn Terfel, one of the world’s greatest bass-baritones, talking about his life and passion for music illustrated by performances of a selection of the songs that have landmarked his extraordinary career. • A semi-staging of Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas, starring Pumeza Matchikiza South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza, evoking the © Decca/ Simon Fowler ambience and style of an 18th century theatrical performance. • Will Gregory, from Goldfrapp, and his Moog Ensemble will perform sublime and extraordinary music using the Moog Synthesiser, one of the iconic pieces of late 20th century music technology. For a full programme of events and to purchase tickets visit: www.bristololdvic.org.uk/bristolproms2014 or tel: 0117 987 7877
Visit The UK’s largest celebration of food and drink returns to the harbourside for its fourth consecutive year on 11 – 13 July. Foodies Festival offers a vast array of culinary activities alongside opportunities to discover new produce and enjoy fun and entertainment. This year welcomes an array of top chefs, including Glynn Purnell, head chef at Purnells and judge of BBC’s Great British Menu and MasterChef winner Mat Follas and finalists Larkin Cen and Andrew Kojima. The festival is also joined by Romy Gill from Romy’s Kitchen, Telegraph food writer Xanthe Clay, Diego da Rae of Prosecco Restaurant, Louise McCrimmon of Harvey Nichols’ Second Floor Restaurant and Richard Davies from the Manor House Hotel, all of whom will cook their signature dishes live in the Chefs’ Theatre while explaining how home cooks can prepare the same dishes for friends and family. Exciting new features for 2014 include a chocolate, bake and preserves theatre and village, an outdoor barbecue arena, a chilli food market, real ale and cider farm, feasting tent, vintage tea tent and a vintage kitchen market. Tickets available at: www.foodiesfestival.com
© Paul Groom
Book Tickets are still on sale for Treefest, a celebration of nature, trees and woodcraft at Westonbirt Arboretum on 23 – 25 August. The event, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, takes place across the August Bank Holiday weekend with family fun activities, exhibitors and live music. Watch falconry displays, have a go at archery or take a look at the big carving taking place. Children’s activities include Treefrog climbing, zip wires and den building. The hood hall will be offering tasty delights and has joined forces with Love Food Festival to showcase treats from 30 local producers. Adult tickets are £15 per person, concessions, £12 and children under 18 go free. Members of the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum receive a 50 per cent discount. Visit: www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirttreefest.
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Out of town Attracting thousands of visitors every year, the Frome Festival is promising to be bigger and better than ever, with an eclectic mix of more than 200 events throughout Frome’s venues, pubs, churches, halls and gardens from 4 – 13 July. From arts and crafts, music and poetry and talks and performances to food and drink, walks and workshops, there really is something for everyone. Highlights include: Paul Merton with his Impro Chums show; comedians Paul Chowdhry, Seann Walsh and Jeremy Hardy; music from folk-rock band The Levellers, Madchester legends Inspiral Carpets and jazz guitarist Albare; the Festival Food Feast; hidden gardens and allotments; artists’ open studios and trail; and workshops such as stone carving, glass blowing and Jane Austen dancing. To see the whole programme visit: www.fromefestival.co.uk or for tickets contact the box office on tel: 01373 455420.
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THE CITY THE BUZZ Ashleigh and Pudsey
My BRISTOL We ask Bristol based actor Stewart Wright, who is currently starring in Bristol Old Vic’s World Cup Final 1966, what he’s doing this month What brought you to Bristol? I moved to Cornwall for a couple of years when I was filming Doc Martin and fell out of love with living in London. Two years in Cornwall was great but I realised that I was a city person so Bristol, where I’d previously done a play, seemed like a happy medium.
Dog tricks on stage The Bristol Hippodrome has announced that this year’s Christmas family pantomime is Dick Whittington starring Britain’s Got Talent winners Ashleigh and her dog Pudsey. Appearing alongside them will be Ben Faulks (aka Mr Bloom from CBeebies), Bristol’s favourite Andy Ford and panto dame Eric Potts. Tickets are now on sale for the pantomime, which runs from Saturday 6 December 2014 – Sunday 5 January 2015. The run will include the first relaxed performance on 30 December at 2pm, aimed at anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed environment including people with an autistic spectrum condition, sensory and communication disorders or a learning disability. For this, bookers will be detailed information and photos, be invited to attend a familiarisation meeting in the theatre and there will be a designated chill-out area for use during this performance. For all tickets, book on tel: 0844 871 3012 or visit: www.atgtickets.com/bristol
Opera al fresco Bristol’s Big Screen in At-Bristol’s Millennium Square will once again be showing live opera from the Royal Opera House this summer – and everyone’s invited to watch. There will be two live events – La bohème on 15 July at 7.30pm and Rigoletto on 17 September at 7.30pm – offering a chance to share a picnic while enjoying world-class opera. There will be some tables and seating provided or bring your own cushions and blankets. At-Bristol will be offering waitress service and selling a variety of refreshments from its café. Both operas will be broadcast live from the iconic Covent Garden stage and free to 18 towns and cities across the UK, including Bristol. To find out more about the Royal Opera House visit www.roh.org.uk.
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What are you reading? I’m not a big reader. I’m currently reading my script, incessantly trying to learn my lines! I have also been looking at some World War One poetry for something at the Zion Community Arts Space. What’s on your MP3 player? I don’t have an mp3 player, but I have been listening to organ music recently as I’m getting married at the end of the year. Which café or restaurant takes your fancy? I took my fiancé to The Ox for her birthday which was fantastic. Favourite watering hole? On a rainy day, The Windmill. On a sunny day, The Victoria Park.
for meetings I always try to take in some culture. Your passions? What hobbies or interests will you be pursuing? I’m passionate about rugby. I was at the Rugby World Cup Final that England won in 2003. I’m looking forward to some Bristol Rugby at Ashton Gate next season. What local event will you be attending? I was at a great food festival at the Tobacco Factory, with live music and stalls a couple of weeks ago. I love the idea of Make Sunday Special – it’s brilliant to live in a city that puts on these type of events, that seem to be about creating good community spirit which you don’t often associate with inner city living. Favourite local walk? There’s a beautiful walk up to Clifton from a roundabout along near Hotwells. You walk up through a modern block of flats and it emerges at these hidden historic steps up to Clifton.
Film or play? What will you be going to see this month? I like big blockbusters, but I also love some art house cinema.
Any projects/ work in progress? I’m co-creating a comedy film, but it’s all a little under wraps so I can’t give too much away. I’m very much enjoying performing in World Cup Final 1966 at Bristol Old Vic – it’s a lot of fun and also appeals to people who aren’t theatre regulars!
Which museum or gallery will you be visiting? The last gallery I visited was the National Portrait Gallery in London. When I go up there
World Cup Final 1966 runs until 12 July at Bristol Old Vic. Tickets: 0117 987 7877/ www.bristololdvic.org.uk
BOOK OF THE MONTH... Heartman by MP Wright (Black & White, £7.99) Heartman is a gritty and evocative crime thriller written by former private investigator MP Wright, set in 1960s Bristol in St Pauls. Joseph Tremaine “JT” Ellington, an ex-cop with a tragic past and a broken heart, has left his native Barbados in search of a better life. But Bristol in the 60s is far from the promised land and JT faces hostility from both the weather and the people. Then local mogul Earl Linney approaches him. He needs JT’s help finding Stella Hopkins, a young deaf and mute West Indian woman who has gone missing, and who the police aren’t interested in searching for. With rent due, and no job, JT has little option than to accept and he soon finds himself adrift in a murky world of prostitution and kidnapping where every lead reveals more mystery and nobody can be trusted.
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THE
B R I S TOL MAGAZINE Follow us on Twitter @thebristolmagazine
GREEN CAPITAL?
S
o Bristol is set to be the European Green Capital next year, having lost out last time around, but what does this mean exactly? What have we done that people in Nottingham or Cardiff haven’t? Is this all about number-crunching – so many tonnes of waste saved from landfill, so much electricity generated by alternative means – or does Bristol have some Greenish quality lacking in other cities? The cynical among you might be muttering that the whole thing is so much Brussels hoopla, a lot of fuss about nothing, and in one sense you’d be right. It’s unlikely that we’d be separating out our recycling and putting it out every week if stringent targets had not been set by Eurocrats endeavouring to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Remember when the first black bins were delivered? And then the food bins? Certain local papers tried to persuade us that the placing of food in plastic bins would unleash an invasion of rats, but it didn’t, and now it seems strange to visit friends in a city where full-scale recycling isn’t the norm. But is there more to our eco-credentials than our ability to separate plastic from glass? Critics like to point out that our transport system isn’t the world’s best, relying as it does on cars and buses that move at snail’s pace during rush hour. Like many other cities we ripped out a perfectly good tram system during the war so that road traffic could move around more easily, little realising that we would subsequently spend decades trying to find a way of reinstating it.
❝
LIKE MANY OTHER CITIES WE RIPPED OUT A PERFECTLY GOOD TRAM SYSTEM DURING THE WAR
❞ Now we’ve abandoned trams in favour of snazzy buses that run on their own special roads, but with vigorous opposition to proposed schemes for converting cycle routes and paths into bus lanes it’s hard to see how space will be found for these. Besides, we seem incapable of overcoming a romantic attachment to neglected/historic (delete as you see fit) corners of the city. A classic example is the old railway running along the bank of the New Cut, along which steam trains run on summer weekends. Both trains and track are vestiges of the old working port, relics that would, in many other cities, simply be dumped in the name of progress. But Bristol is a romantic city – isn’t it in fact THE romantic city, the place where Coleridge and Wordsworth published their Lyrical Ballads in 1798? – and we don’t give up either our past or our quirky open spaces without a fight. Critics argue that this attitude shows our lack of true Green-ness. If we were genuine eco-nauts, leading the planet to a glorious Green future, then we would make the necessary sacrifices and install decent transport infrastructure. But is that right? People like banging on about transport because it’s easy to quantify. You can count passengers on trains or cars on roads. You can say that an investment of so much will result in so many people doing x instead of y. And everyone loves those big numbers… But what about the stuff you can’t quantify? How do you measure the experience of cycling home along a river after work, or even of taking a child for a ride on a steam train? How, for that matter, do you measure the impact of hearing a steam train’s whistle on a Sunday afternoon? I was excited to hear the other day that the Arts Council is planning to invest heavily in Bristol’s cultural life next year, with fine art receiving a welcome boost. Among the artists set to be involved is Richard Long, who was born here and went to Bedminster Down school. Long is celebrated for his solo walks, and for making fleeting artworks from natural forms. As such he is the perfect embodiment of next year’s European Green Capital: creative, quirky and wary of grand schemes. ■
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Editor Tel: Email:
Samantha Coleman 0117 974 2800 sam@thebristolmagazine.co.uk
Deputy Editor Email:
Georgette McCready georgette@thebristolmagazine.co.uk
Production Manager Email:
Jeff Osborne production@thebristolmagazine.co.uk
Commercial Production Lorna Harrington Email: lorna@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Publisher Email:
Steve Miklos steve@thebristolmagazine.co.uk
Advertising Sales
Kathy Williams Sue Parker Liz Grey
For advertising enquiries please contact us on: 0117 974 2800 Email: sales@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Financial Director Email:
Jane Miklos jane@thebristolmagazine.co.uk
The Bristol Magazine is published by MC Publishing Ltd. An independent publisher. The Bristol Magazine is distributed free every month to more than 20,000 homes and businesses throughout the city. We also have special distribution units in the following stores and many coffee shops, hotels and convenient pick-up points.
THE
BRISTOL MAGAZINE Bristol and Exeter House, Lower Approach, Temple Meads, Bristol BS1 6QS Telephone: 0117 974 2800 www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk © MC Publishing Ltd 2014 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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BRISTOL | SOCIETY
PEOPLE & PARTIES Snapshots from events, parties and launches in the city Carl Zammit and Mark Leese
Jodie Purdie, Rob Nagle and James Hawkins
Joel Hinley and Francesca Gurney Trevor Bamford, Tracey Cooper, Damon Cooper
Leese and Nagle celebrate ten years The Apsley, Clifton Bristol independent estate agents Leese and Nagle celebrated its tenth year of trading by hosting an evening of drinks and canapés at The Apsley café next door to their offices in Apsley Road. Despite a difficult property market over the last few years the agency has continued to grow. In addition to their Clifton office, last year Mark Leese and Robert Nagle opened their second office in Westbury on Trym In Stoke Lane.
Trevor Osborne and Mayor George Ferguson
Harbourside Arts Centre opening Bristol Harbourside The new Harbourside Arts Centre, off Millennium Square, was opened last month by Bristol Mayor George Ferguson. Currently displaying contemporary paintings of Bristol and Bath alongside an exhibition of some of the photographs from last year’s 24 Hours in Bristol photographic competition, the Harbourside Arts Centre will also be home to major art and photographic events this summer. Images: www.andyshortphotography.co.uk
Jennifer Thomas, Rebecca Thomas, Bonnie Helen Hawkins, Anita Jaynes & Katherine Morgan
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Amanda Fraser, Rob Appleyard, John Everitt & Liz Everitt
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AN ARTIST’S IMPRESSION We ask artist Hugo Grenville to list his top ten pieces of music that have influenced him and his work
H
ugo Grenville is a well-known painter with an international reputation and a past as colourful as his paintings. With 20 solo shows under his belt at major galleries in London, New York and Palm Beach, Hugo has forged an enviable reputation as one of the country’s leading colourist painters. This has resulted in invitations to lecture at institutions such as Falmouth School of Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Hugo believes that painting should be taught both as an idea, and as a craft. Following the success of his school in Suffolk, this September, Bristol-based Hugo opens the Grenville School of Painting in Bristol. The school is just off Gloucester Road, in a large, light and well-equipped studio and will offer a unique one-day-a-week programme of drawing, painting and printmaking. The course is divided into nine modules arranged over three terms, offering an enlightened combination of intellectual inspiration and practical advice to suit the needs of each individual student. The new Bristol course has been designed with a broad constituency of students in mind, from those who have never previously painted to those keen to move their practice forward. Hugo describes the mood of the studio as “really one of withdrawing from the outside world and entering into a world of colour and light, thoughtfulness and contemplation, daydreaming.” For further information visit: www.hugogrenville.com.
Hugo’s top ten tunes: ❶ Scott Mackenzie – If You’re Going to San Francisco This was my first ever record purchase in 1968. I was given a flower shirt for my birthday, and the 45 followed shortly after. I played it on my mother’s old wind-up gramophone, and practised dancing to it secretly. Although I had no idea what it was, there seemed to be something enticing about the idea of a “summer love-in”. I think my father must have thought so too, because he bought a kaftan and sandals, learnt how to roll a “reefer” and moved his two mistresses into our home. ❷ Hector Berlioz – Grande Messe des Morts Berlioz’s setting of the requiem mass was commissioned in 1837 to commemorate the dead of the July Revolution in 1830, which brought about the end of the Bourbons. His friend Eugene Delacroix described his feelings about the same event in that great narrative painting Liberty Leading the Revolution, which I saw in the Louvre when I was 11, and was the first painting I ever really admired. Berlioz and Delacroix were both revolutionaries and romantics, who expressed themselves on a grand scale. I remember first hearing the Grande Messe when I was a teenager, and being swept away by the scale of Berlioz’s vision: scored for a large orchestra, with four additional brass bands and a choir of 800 voices. The music made me feel that one could conceive almost anything in life, and it might be possible. ❸ Simon and Garfunkel – Sound of Silence Composed in Paul Simon’s bathroom in the shocked aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, I didn’t discover the song until 1970, when I was boarding at a cold, drab preparatory school near the bleak cliffs of Rottingdean. The song seemed to catch my own feelings of loneliness and isolation, the sense of being utterly disconnected from those around me. When I discovered a few months later that the duo had separated, I was inconsolable. I used to play the piece on the piano to my eldest son when he was a baby, more I suspect for my own gratification than his.
❹ Richard Strauss – The Four Last Songs Almost the last offerings from a composing career that spanned nearly 70 years, they are exquisite settings for soprano voices of poems by Herman Hesse and Joseph von Eichendorff, three of which deal with death. Written just after the war, the songs are a musical distillation of Strauss’s life, and a meditation on death that is embued with serenity, tranquillity WWW.THEBRISTOLMAGAZINE.CO.UK
and acceptance. The soaring melodies seem to transcend the temporal world and transport one to somewhere spiritual. I often play these songs in the studio, when I want to leave the conscious state and access the subconscious. They are also a paragon of how you can express profound meaning through simplicity, a sort of musical version of Matisse’s late cut-outs.
❺ Edward Elgar – The Dream of Gerontius When I was soldier serving in Northern Ireland in the Troubles, crammed into an underground bunker with 120 others, and only seeing the light of day when on patrol with a rifle against my shoulder, I had one luxury, a Sony Walkman, that saved me from going barmy in the deeply claustrophobic atmosphere. My father sent me a cassette of a recording he had made of the The Dream of Gerontius, Elgar’s setting of Cardinal Newman’s poem in which an ordinary man called Gerontius approaches death with both fearfulness and hopefulness, and awakes in a timeless place to glimpse God. Lying on my bunk and listening through headphones at maximum volume I could almost join Gerontius and escape the anger of the troubled streets. I was deeply affected by the beauty of the music, its rich colours and textures, and comforted by its illustration of redemption. ❻ Janis Joplin – Piece of My Heart She was only 27 when she died in 1970 from an accidental heroin overdose, a school misfit who was bullied, a high school student who refused to conform, an artist of explosive talent who gave her whole identity to her music. She said: “If I hold back I am no good. I’d rather be good sometimes than holding back all the time.” Art makes huge demands upon the individual. We never know whether we are really any good or not, but we have to summon the courage to offer all we have. I listen to Janis Joplin when my courage begins to fail me, borne along by that extraordinary voice laden with passion and feeling.
❼ William Byrd – Mass for Five Voices Byrd composed his three sacred Masses in the early 1590s, when it was extremely dangerous to be a Catholic. They were published secretly, the part-books undated and untitled, so that they could be clandestinely performed in the private chapels of recusant patrons and friends. The music has its feet in a tradition of plainsong, but its weaving layers of polyphony make it still sound almost modern now, and deeply moving. When I was in the army I took a tape of this with me to Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, and it accompanied me into the bush as we scouted around trying to find pockets of Mugabe’s guerilla fighters and persuade them that the war was over. ❽ Gustav Mahler – Das Lied von der Erde Mahler poured all the pain and grief of his eldest daughter’s death from scarlet fever, and his own diagnosis of a fatal heart condition, into this cycle of six songs about life, death and salvation, setting texts from ancient Chinese poems. He harnessed this trauma and refashioned it as a thing of deep sensitivity and beauty, whose consoling harmonies he bequeathed to posterity. ❾ Sergei Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No 3 One of the most truly romantic compositions of all time, with a passionate melody and a triumphant conclusion. Rachmaninov was fascinated by colour, and tried to create a formal system in which colour is analogised to keys in music (for instance he believed that the key of G minor would equate to the colour orange). Although I think this analogy doesn’t really work, I do believe that colour works in very much the same way that music does, so that individual hues belong to specific colour groupings in the same way that musical notes relate to specific keys. ❿ Morten Lauridsen – O Magnum Mysterium The nature of being human is that what we yearn for is never quite given to us, but it is this yearning that drives us forward, profoundly creative and renewing, so that we are always climbing to the summit. The harmonies of O Magnum Mysterium seems to offer a path to a place of love and peace. Morten Lauridsen’s music is deeply spiritual, both entirely modern and yet still steeped in something as ancient as the pyramids: our need to explain existence, to make sense of it through rites and ritual, through music and art. ■ JULY 2014
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HOLIDAY FASHIONS.qxp_Layout 1 20/06/2014 15:50 Page 24
Ingenue Sydney dress, £89.99, Amulet Boutique, Cotham Hill
Victoria Beckham taupe oversized sunglasses, £365, Harvey Nichols Bristol
Michael Kors London brown leather sandals, £125, Harvey Nichols Bristol
Festiva Bead necklace, £35, Oliver Bonas, Cabot Circus
Marc by Marc Jacobs Madeline cream printed silk dress, £280, Harvey Nichols Bristol
Rainbow clutch, £195, LK Bennett, Cabot Circus
SUMMER SHOWCASE As temperatures rise, make sure you’re looking cool with these holiday essentials
Damsel in a Dress Rio dress, £135, John Lewis at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway
Accessorize glasses case, £6, The Mall at Cribbs Causeway
Straw hat, £7.99, H&M, The Mall at Cribbs Causeway
Office sandals, £50, The Mall at Cribbs Causeway
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M&S collection swimsuit, £35 Stripy bag, £20 from Next
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Gold & Platinum Studio
Beautifully crafted engagement rings, wedding rings and fine jewellery designed and traditionally handmade on the premises. All types of jewellery remodelled. Efficient repair service. Established 1970
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HAMILTON HOUSE.qxp_Layout 2 18/06/2014 15:40 Page 1
CITY | CREATIVES
HOUSE OF FUN
Hannah Stuart-Leach takes a sneak peak inside Bristol’s community hub, Hamilton House, and introduces us to some of the tenants
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amilton House grew up in 2008 when a group of friends, with interests and expertise ranging from surveying to spirituality, took up an invitation from 80 Stokes Croft’s owners to create a “centre of excellence in sustainability.” An acronym somehow emerged, and with it the COEXIST vision became a meaningful reality. True to the founders’ practical philosophy of people coming together, sharing skills and learning from each other, a colourful array of tenants can now be found in the building from artists, musicians and dancers to the Community Kitchen, The Bristol Bike Project and the DMAC dance collective. “What’s special about it is the diversity of activities happening at any one point in a day,” explains COEXIST founder and director Jamie Pike, “but also – the opportunity for that to rub off on you. “You can’t really plan it, it’s more like you go there and end up bumping into something or someone, or an idea or a talk, and it can sometimes be spot on – just what you need even though you didn’t know you needed it.” Here, some of the building’s current tenants tell us what they do, and why Hamilton House is a good place to do it: ARTIST PENNY TRISTRAM pennytristram.co.uk
PUPPETEER CORINA BONA corinabona.com
I’m a painter, working with acrylics to produce pop-style paintings as responses to pressing questions about identity in our digital age. I’m currently developing a My Little Pony series with a collection of paintings based on coats of arms. I also teach figure drawing classes in Bristol, and write marketing materials for art galleries. Hamilton House has given me the space, support and inspiration to find my wings and fly as a professional artist. There is something about the studios that promotes a feeling of tranquillity and safety.
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I am a puppeteer/maker/workshop facilitator. I have been in the building for five years, using my studio as an office, a making space and to develop new shows. I am currently developing a new piece that will feature at the Wardrobe Theatre called Detective O and the Tiny Tale Case, for children aged 4-7. It is an interactive detective story that gets the audience involved in solving the mysterious disappearance of Thumbelina. Hamilton House has given me professional status among my peers. It is also a space that combines many different artists and businesses, which has lead me to new collaborations and new work opportunities.
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FASHION DESIGNER DIONNE THOMAS www.puckoo.com I run an independent sweatshop-free fashion label that specialises in stretch wear and panelling from sizes 4-18. Puckoo clothes have been worn by celebrities such as Kelis and Jessie J and featured on programs such as Alan Carr’s Chatty Man and Made in Chelsea. I moved into Hamilton House as a seamstress about five years ago after finishing a BTEC national Diploma in fashion and clothing, and started my label in late 2010. I have run workshops for kids in the community and north Bristol and now also use my studio to take on fashion students from UWE as interns, to help run my business and give them experience in the fashion industry. All of the items we sell are designed and handmade in our studio here. It’s a massive plus having the canteen downstairs; serving amazing healthy, locally sourced, reasonably priced food and great coffee, which when you work as many hours as I do here is needed... it almost feels like a second home!
ETHICAL ENTREPRENEUR JAMES BURTON www.changing-worlds.com www.unitedthroughsport.org
I run a travel organisation called Changing Worlds, which provides alternative experiences if someone wants to travel with purpose and engage with the country and community they visit. Our travellers get involved in volunteering, internships and work experience, courses and qualifications, summer camps, tours and paid work in 16 countries around the world. We also run the UK division of a charity I set up with my brother in 2004 called United Through Sport. We work with approximately 20,000 kids around the world from disadvantaged communities, using sport as a tool to improve education, raise health awareness and build life skills. Our message is to 'transform lives through sport'. Hamilton House has been an ideal base to run the organisations. There is a huge pool of other interesting and alternative businesses going on here with a great energy about the place, which at times has been perfect to keep the motivation levels up. Many people in the building are also very conscious about working in community and doing social impact work, so there is a good synergy working alongside like minded people, enabling me to find new networks and a bunch of quality friends.
ILLUSTRATOR DAVE BAIN www.davebain.com
At the end of summer 2011, working with entrepreneur Bryony Morgan, I helped set up a large, bespoke, open-plan studio space, as part of local illustration collective Drawn in Bristol. Coexist were incredibly supportive of such a plan and worked with us to make this a reality. We now have an inspiring studio catering for over 30 creatives. We even have a small, but fully functioning screen-printing facility, which provides an affordable resource for a growing membership of printmakers. The studio has taken on a range of commissions, opened pop-up shops and organised a number of exhibitions. Myself and three others from our studio were lucky enough to handpaint four of the Gromit sculptures on last year’s Gromit Unleashed trail. Recently I completed a large body of mural artworks for a new cancer ward for young people, funded by Teenage Cancer Trust, and am currently working with a local community group and Bristol City Council on the transformation of a large urban space, which is still under wraps.
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CITY | CREATIVES
ALTERNATIVE THERAPIST NEALEY CONQUEST wellbeing.coexistuk.org www.communityconscious.org
I wear a couple of different hats in the building. I’m helping to manage the wellbeing rooms in Hamilton House, and independently, I’ve also set up a community project that works in outreach around the city called Community Conscious – the aim of that is to bring complementary therapy to higher need groups who wouldn’t usually access that type of healthcare. At the Wellbeing Rooms we’ve got a number of different therapies, ranging from different kinds of massage through to reiki and crystal healing, yoga, counselling, acupuncture. I enjoy being in Hamilton House because of the diversity here, and the fact that it’s based in Stokes Croft means you’ve got a lot of different kinds of communities coming together. Wellbeing is all about people, so it’s a fascinating place to meet lots of different kinds of people.
EVENTS, WORKSHOPS & ACTIVITIES Here’s just a few of the events, classes and workshops you’ll find at Hamilton House this month. For a full programme, visit: www.hamiltonhouse.org. ■ Live Music in the Canteen Monday-Thursday, 9.30pm-11.30pm Friday and Saturday, bands and DJs from 9.30pm-1am Sunday, live music from 4-6pm Free entry. For line-ups visit: CanteenBristol.co.uk ■ Introduction to Creative Arts Therapies (6 July, 10.30am-4pm, £35) Interested in using creative arts therapeutically in healthcare, community or education? Come along and attend an interactive, experiential workshop. Contact: Dawn Miller on tel: 07941171025, or email: dawn.miller@cityofbristol.ac.uk ■ Drumming (Wednesdays, 6-7pm, 7-8pm intermediate, £6) Drumming provides an authentic experience of unity and physiological synchronicity. With a vast knowledge of African and Cuban rhythms, Kirby enables her participants to burst through the barriers of problematic coordination and be able to sit comfortably in a funky groove. ■ No Lights No Lycra (Mondays, 7pm–8.30pm, £3) No Lights No Lycra is a weekly free form dance jam in the dark, for the pure joy of dancing. There’s no need to book a place, just show up when you’re in the mood to dance! Bring a water bottle and comfortable clothes to dance in. ■ Qi Gong (Thursdays, 10:30am-11:30am, £5) Qi Gong can be translated as meaning ‘energy work’; and is pronounced “chi gong”. It involves working with the body’s energy system through gentle exercises. Wear loose clothing and flat footwear. Contact tel: 01454852719, or email: donna@lotusneigongbristol.co.ukear ■ Sunday Club Screenprinting (Sundays, 10am-4pm, £60) Need something to fill your Sunday? Why not try your hand at screen printing? Learn how to print in a relaxed, friendly studio and take home a set of prints. For more information contact Alex on tel: 07815 072734 or email her at: lucas_antics@mac.com. ■ French lessons (Monday and Thursday, £6 p/h) French lessons for beginner and intermediate levels, it’s a perfect way to top up on French you may have learnt at school or in the country. The lessons are based on topics so that language rules are contextualised, there is also an emphasis on current news and trends in France.’ Beginner: Mondays at 6pm – 8pm; intermediate: Thursdays at 6pm – 8pm. Contact: joseph@babbleonbristol.co.uk
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■ The Morning Chorus (Tuesdays, 5.30pm – 7pm, £7/5 for drop-in) The Morning Chorus is an exciting new Bristol choir that is quickly expanding. The group sing a wide range of songs from world folk traditions as well as soul, blues, jazz and pop. The sessions are open to anyone and everyone, even if you don’t believe you are a brilliant singer. The group is friendly, supportive and welcoming to new voices. The Sessions are led by singer/songwriter and Natural Voice Practitioner Isolde Freeth-Hale. Price: Contact Details: outofthevoicebox@yahoo.co.uk ■ Ballates (every Thursday, 6-7pm, £5-55) Ballates is a floor exercise class that combines ballet, pilates, yoga and Qi Gong. Improves core and whole body strength,flexibility and posture,while stimulating your energy system for an invigorating,yet relaxing full body workout. Contact Louise on tel: 07727 240048 or email: louise@adultballetclasses.co.uk ■ Flamenco Dance Class (Every Friday, 6-7pm) Amanda Frescura, a seasoned flamenco dancer, and qualified dance teacher, is running introductory classes for complete beginners. She will take you through basic footwork, arms and rhythms enabling you to get a taste of this extraordinarily empowering dance form. Contact Amanda on tel: 07775 811741 or email: amanita05@yahoo.co.uk ■ Carlos Castaneda’s Tensegrity (Thursdays, 12-1pm, £4) Tensegrity is the practical wisdom of shamans of ancient Mexico. It consists of movements and breaths that help redistribute energy in the body bringing vitality, awareness and increased perception to practitioners. No need to book in advance, just pop in. For further information tel: 07947140309 or email: tensegrity.bristol@gmail.com All course details correct at time of going to print
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BRISTOL AT WORK Our series of photographic portraits by Charlotte Stone shows Bristol people at work
Christoph Schwitzer Director of Conservation at Bristol Zoo Gardens
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started working with lemurs when I did my undergraduate dissertation in 1999, on the feeding behaviour of captive ruffed lemurs. I went on to do my PhD on energy intake and obesity in captive lemurs, after which I went to Madagascar to study lemurs in the wild and establish a field conservation and research programme for a French NGO (Non Government Organisation). My wife and I lived there for a few years, before we decided to come back to the UK in 2005. We thought about going back there to carry on working in lemur conservation, but then she became pregnant and we decided to stay in Europe. I applied for a job at Bristol Zoo, came here for my interview, returned home to my wife and said: “It’s such a brilliant zoo and the people there are so nice; I think we should live in Bristol!” Once we had moved here we fell in love with the city, our little village in South Gloucestershire, and of course the zoo. We had our second and third child and eventually decided to buy a house and settle. In 2007, after I had started working at Bristol Zoo, I became a board member of the same NGO I had previously worked with – a consortium of European zoos and universities that have joined forces for lemur conservation in Madagascar. In 2010 I became the editor of Lemur News, the journal of the Madagascar section of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group. In 2012 I was appointed Vice Chair of the Primate Specialist Group with responsibility for Madagascar, and in the same year I also took on the role of IUCN Red List Authority Coordinator for all primates. As director of conservation I am part of the senior management team of the Bristol Zoological Society (that owns and operates Bristol Zoo Gardens and the Wild Place Project) and have overall responsibility for the zoological side of the organisation. This includes the animal collections, both at the zoo and the Wild Place Project, as well as the vets, and the research, conservation and learning departments. It’s a very varied role that involves many different tasks, with one of the most important being to make sure that the society achieves its conservation mission. n www.charlottestonephoto.com
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BRISTOL HARB FESTIVAL.qxp_Layout 2 20/06/2014 12:03 Page 1
CITY | FESTIVAL
PARTY IN THE CITY The Bristol Harbour Festival returns this month, promising to be bigger, better and bolder than ever, with events across the whole of the harbourside. We ask the event’s managing director what his favourite things about this free city fiesta are...
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ristol Harbour Festival is back for another weekend of fiesta fever this month from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 July and it just gets bigger and better every year. The city’s largest free festival, it is attended by hundreds of thousands of city dwellers and visitors each year and takes place all over the harbourside, in Queen Square, the Waterfront and Castle Park. The line-up for this year’s extravaganza includes a wonderful mix of live music, dazzling dance, street theatre performance and circus displays. Bristol’s rich maritime heritage is celebrated by a visiting fleet of pleasure craft, working boats and beautiful tall ships. The festival also acts a showcase of the city’s international reputation as a musical and arts powerhouse, with local partners showcasing more than 100 local acts as well as bringing national stars to the city. Having been involved in the Bristol Harbour Festival for over 15 Mike Richmond years in various roles, Richmond Event Management (REM), an award winning, Bristol based event management and production company, is now the principal festival contractor working on behalf of Bristol City Council. Mike Richmond is the managing director of REM and here he offers his top ten favourite things about the Bristol Harbour Festival: ➊ The creative challenge – with a successful, long running festival, a lot of event organisers fall into the trap of just dusting off the files and repeating the formula. We are always looking at fresh ideas and new opportunities to refresh the recipe. 30 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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Pee Wee Ellis will be performing on the Queen Square stage
➋ Working with dedicated people – we work with a team of very talented people. They are the festival curators and each one has responsibility for a specific area. We meet once a month to update everyone on what’s happening. ➌ The Harbour – it may seem obvious but one of the major stars of the show is the harbour itself. It’s truly a unique event site and I love to see the water busy with ships and boats of all sizes and shapes. Look out for the Mersey tug Brocklebank arriving from Liverpool and the flo-boarders who walk around the harbour on columns of water – unbelievable. ➍ The Bandstand – we started this last year on the Grove and it became an instant success. A striped cover on top of a laid back stage. Programmed by Bristol Plays Music – have a listen to Lewis Tuff and Cadbury Sisters. ➎ The Dance Village – although it’s a busy weekend for me, I always try and spend some time in front of the dance stage in Millennium Square. The variety of styles on show is breathtaking. Make sure you catch Ballet Black and Kinetika Bloco, a 50-strong crew of dancers, drummers, brass section and woodwind players. ➐ The Tea Dance Tent – we introduced this last year as a contrast to all the other music at the festival. It’s an oasis of gentility and old fashioned fun.
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CITY | FESTIVAL
FESTIVAL FEVER: main image, in previous years the sky above the harbourside has been lit up by fireworks, image © Chris Cooper Shotaway Above: don’t miss exciting displays on the water over the weekend; The Black Eagles on stage in Castle Park
It is run by our official charity Young Bristol and is highly recommended for the tea and home baking. Cake and a good cause – perfect. ➐ The Circus Stage – now in its 11th year, the Circus and Street Theatre Stage run by Cirque Bijou boasts a jam packed programme of comedy antics, daredevil acrobatics, beautiful aerial acts, and some real intergalactic randomness. ➑ Environment – we work really hard on reducing the environmental impact of the festival and our recycling rates are climbing. We insist on our caterers and exhibitors using ecofriendly materials but the real challenge is stopping glass coming in from city centre shops. ➒ Queen Square – very much the musical heart of the festival and the stage caters for every taste. You can feel the mood subtly
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changing in the late afternoon as people settle down for an evening of musical delights. Don’t miss funk legend Pee Wee Ellis on Friday, smoky tango rhythms from Truffleshack on Saturday and Bristol reggae legends Talisman round off proceedings on Sunday. ➓ Cascade Steps – a beautiful harbour backdrop and a stage crammed full of local talent – what’s not like? I am sure a lot of people just pick a spot and spend the whole weekend there, and who can blame them? She Makes War on Sunday at 4.30pm is the project of Bristol film maker and musician Laura Kidd and has been dubbed “ambient dream pop”. Not quite sure what that means but I am going to find out! n For a full programme of events visit: www.bristolharbourfestival.co.uk
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CULTURE BOOK Our guide to this month’s top events in Bristol and beyond World Cup Final 1966 at Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Pride
Private Peaceful, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Until 12 July Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful relives the life of a young, First World War soldier as he awaits the firing squad at dawn. Hear his stories from growing up in rural Devon, his first days at school, the accident in the forest that killed his father, his adventures with Molly, the love of his life and the battles and injustices of war that have brought him to the Front Line. First performed in Bristol in April 2004, Private Peaceful has since triumphed in the West End, off-Broadway and across the UK. A decade on, this new production returns to Bristol to commemorate 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
World Cup Final 1966, Bristol Old Vic, Until 12 July World Cup Final 1966 is a funny, affectionate look at this epic moment in footballing history which follows the path to glory of the players and manager of the 1966 team, as well as culminating in a full-scale reenactment of the 1966 World Cup final on stage. The production is written and directed by Bristol Old Vic’s Tom Morris and long-time collaborator Carl Heap. Last seen on tour in 2005 following a run at London’s BAC, this acclaimed production is back, especially re-written for Bristol in celebration of the 2014 World Cup. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0117 987 7877 or visit: bristololdvic.org.uk.
Formidable Vegetable Sound Machine, Thursday 3 July, 7pm at Baggator, The Pickle Factory, Easton This celebrated Australian electro-swing band are singing and playing their way into making serious green issues a lot more fun. This month they come to Bristol as part of their Radical Beets 2014 European tour, joined by local singer Eirlys Rhiannon and London based Sam Walker. Tickets £10 from Bristol Ticket Shop.
Argentine Tango, Westmoreland Hall, Redland, every Thursday from 3 July, 7.30pm – 9.30pm Tango-y-Tu presents intensive classes for beginners every Thursday night suitable for new, recent or refresher participants. Cost: £13 per session or £40 for four. For further information visit: www.tango-y-tu.com.bristol or to book, tel: 0117 9594957 or 07767733948.
St Paul’s Carnival, Saturday 5 July The vibrant St Paul’s Carnival will once again hit the streets of St Paul’s with a masquerade parade, stages in Portland Square and on the green in front of St Paul’s Learning Centre, 15 sound systems and a wide array of stalls selling food and crafts.
Bristol Pride, 5 – 12 July The week-long festival will see a diverse range of events including a comedy night, sports fun day, dog show, Stonewall conference and theatre. 32 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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Pride week is also host to the Bristol Pride film festival at the Watershed and will feature specially selected and award winning films. The week culminates in an outdoor music and arts festival in Castle Park on 12 July featuring a parade throught the city, two stages of entertainment, family area, fun fair, market, food and bars and roller disco.
Gurt Lush Choir presents A Night at the Movies: Morricone and Friends, Colston Hall, Saturday 5 July, 7.30pm A celebration of film music over half a century, featuring music from Frozen, The Mission, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Doctor Who, The Passion of the Christ and many more. Created by the Greatness of the Magnificence Fantasy Orchestra, St Mary Redcliffe All-Star Symphonia and the 250 strong chorus of Bristol’s Gurt Lush Choir, the concert will be performed in full cinematic dress. Tickets: £10/£2 U18s, available from the box office on tel: 0844 887 1500 or visit: www.colstonhall.org.
Midsummer Murder, Tyntesfield, Saturday 5 July, 7pm Join the cream of Victorian society in the National Trust-owned gardens and house at Tyntesfield for a fun-filled evening of croquet, crumpets and cold-blooded murder. Enjoy an authentic Victorian tea party and then turn detective to solve the crime of the 19th century. Tickets: £37.50 per person, £70 per couple. Visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield.
Haydn and Vivaldi Night, St Andrew’s Church, Backwell, Saturday 5 July, 7.30 pm Bristol Phoenix Choir directed by Paul Walton, accompanied by Matt Davies, with soloists Alice Beverley, Jenna Cooper, Tom Castle and Andy Marshall, will sing Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai and Insanae et Vanae Curae and Vivaldi’s Gloria and Magnificat. Tickets £10 (16 and under free) from: tickets@bristolphoenixchoir.org.uk, tel: 07968291882 or from Opus 13 Music at 14 St Michael’s Hill.
Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra, St George’s Bristol, Saturday 5 July, 7.30pm Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra welcomes cellist Kwesi Edman back to St George’s for the performance of two exciting works for cello. The first is Saint Saens’ virtuosic concerto; the second is the world première of a new concerto by award-winning Bristol composer, orchestrator and conductor William Goodchild, written specially for Kwesi and this orchestra. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0845 402 4001 or visit: www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk or: www.bristolmetropolitanorchestra.com.
The Time Machine, Tobacco Factory Theatres, 7-12 July HG Wells’ science fiction classic is brought to life in another thrilling one man show from Nunkie, the company behind the much loved MR James trilogy. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
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The Time Machine at Tobacco Factory Theatres
Romeo and Juliet, Brandon Hill, Bowling Green, Wednesday 9 July, 7.30pm The Lord Chamberlain’s Men return to Bristol with their 10th anniversary production of Romeo and Juliet. See this award-winning company perform Shakespeare as it would have been: in the open air, in full Elizabethan costume, with music and dance and with an all male cast. Tickets: £14.50/ children £8.50 from the box office on tel: 0117 302 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble, St George’s Bristol, Friday 11 July, 7pm
St Paul’s Carnival
Voted one of the world’s most inspirational groups, the Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble has sprung from a remarkable initiative which for over 15 years has given hundreds of township youngsters the chance to learn a classical instrument and to combat hardship. As part of a UK tour marking the 20th anniversary of democracy in South Africa, this extraordinary ensemble of some 30 young musicians demonstrates its talents in a programme that ranges from classical music through to classic pop songs and gospel music. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0845 40 24 001 or visit: www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk.
What The Frock! Comedy Presents, The Wardrobe Theatre, St Michael’s Hill, Friday 11 July, 8pm Mega! The Bus Opera: Jayde Adams’s new show. Can the cabaret goddess reach her destination with her ambition and sanity intact? Based on horribly true events. Six Steps To Joy: Join Becky Brunning and Katharine Markwick on a journey to joy where a fusion of fact, fiction and funniness form an uplifting jet-pack for the soul. Tickets £5 from: www.thewardrobetheatre.com.
Formidable Vegetable Sound Machine
Celestine will appear at Backwell Festival
Backwell Festival, Backwell Junior School, Saturday 12 July, 1.30pm until late Backwell Festival is in its sixth year, promoting music, food, arts and culture. Party pandemonium is guaranteed from headliners Doreen Doreen on the main stage, which will also feature Celestine, as recently featured on The Voice. An international flavour appears with the six piece gypsy band Fromage en Feu, the legendary Troy Ellis & His Hail Jamaica Reggae Band and Bristol Samba. Other highlights include jazz from Pedal Mania; energetic drums and guitar duo Brockley Forest; punk and 80s rock from Solid State Radio; ska from BLT and indie rock from The Oscillators. The second stage will feature an acoustic line up, including Will Joseph Cook who has supported The Rolling Stones and Tom Odell, and Backwell’s own rising star, Rosie Southern. The festival will also feature a celebrity chef tent, circus skills, bouldering, workshops, face painting, and a play area. Tickets: £15 adults, youth/students and concessions £6, children 11 to 5 years £4, under 4s free, available from: www.backwellfestival.co.uk/tickets.
Out There Music Summer Concert, St Alban’s Church, Westbury Park, Saturday 12 July, 5pm Come and hear Out There choir, chamber choir, children’s choir and orchestra sing and play a broad range of music including Pharrell Williams, Nessun Dorma and music from West Side Story. There will also be a bar and hog roast. In aid of Changing Tunes. Tickets £5 (under 5s free) available from admin@outtheremusic.net or tel: 07866 587424.
Charity Lavender Ball, The Marriot Royal, Saturday 12 July, 7pm til late At this black tie charity ball raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support, enjoy prosecco on arrival, a three course dinner, live music from Mondays Company, an auction, raffle and a disco. Tickets £55 per person (tables of 10 or 12). Visit: www.lavenderball.co.uk >>
EDITOR’S PICK... Bristol Comedy Garden, Queen Square, 2-6 July Magners Bristol Comedy Garden returns to Queen Square this month for another five nights of comedy goodness. A mighty mix of comedy superstars will be entertaining the masses, including Reginald D Hunter, David O’Doherty, Milton Jones, much-loved Father Ted star Ardal O’Hanlon, Shappi Khorsandi, Stewart Francis and Al Murray, plus many more. Each night offers a heady mix of world-class comedy in the big top, live music on the bandstand, a silent disco and bars and gourmet food courtesy of Bristol's award-winning street food collective BEATS. Tickets are flying fast for this big, bright comedy extravaganza. To book and for a full line up, visit: www.bristolcomedygarden.co.uk
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From right, Milton Jones, Al Murray and Ardal O’Hanlon
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Boyzone at Westonbirt Arboretum
The Garden Opera Company present La Boheme, Colston’s School, Thursday 17 July, lawns open from 5.30pm, opera starts at 7pm Following the success of last year’s opera performance in Bath, St Vincent’s charity is hosting an outdoor performance of La Boheme by The Garden Opera Company in the private grounds of Colston’s School. Set to some of Puccini’s most ravishing music, the emotionally charged story of two star-crossed lovers is interlaced with humour and drama. This fully staged version is sung in English and produced by award-winning director Martin Lloyd Evans and designer Neil Irish. The performers are accompanied by an acclaimed ensemble of chamber musicians led by Peter Bridges. Tickets: £35, £20 per child, available from tel: 0844 871 7615 or visit: www.atgtickets.com/laboheme. In case of wet weather the performance will take place at Woodlands Church, Clifton.
Boyzone live at Westonbirt Arboretum, Friday 18 July, arena opens 6pm, with special guest Kian Egan at 7.45pm In a continuation of the celebration of their BZ20 anniversary, Ronan, Keith, Shane and Mikey will be performing in the spectacular woodland location of Westonbirt Arboretum as part of the Forestry Commission’s annual concert series. The band will sing hits from over the years including Love Me For A Reason, Father and Son, No Matter What and When The Going Gets Tough. Tickets cost £42.35 from tel: 03000 680400 or visit: http://boxoffice.forestry.gov.uk.
Triple Bill, Tobacco Factory Theatres, 18 & 19 July, 7.30pm Moving, elegant, inspiring and loving; an evening of dance and music that stays true to its traditional classical roots. 3rd Stage Dance Company return to Tobacco Factory Theatres after their sell out performance Piano Moves. This triple bill starts with an elegant study of words and their meaning from a single short message to an interpretation of an entire story. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
Triple Bill at the Tobacco Factory The Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular at Bristol Hippodrome
Create artisan memory books, Southville, Saturday 19 July, 10am – 4pm Combine hand sewing and fabrics with torn pages and photos/images to make a book of your special memories. A lovely Italian book will be supplied and lots of images to get you started, but please bring your own special photos/images/fabrics etc. Cost: £65. To book tel: 07758219006 or email: alittlebirdsaid@me.com.
Deacon Blue live at Westonbirt Arboretum, Saturday 19 July, arena opens 6pm Katherine Jenkins at Westonbirt Arboretum © Chloe Mallet
Respected Scottish band Deacon Blue bring their melodic pop-rock style to Westonbirt Arboretum. They will be performing their jazz and soul inspired melodies and popular singles. Tickets from tel: 03000 680400 or visit: http://boxoffice.forestry.gov.uk.
University of Bristol Botanic Garden Jazz Picnic: Blue Notes Jazz Band with Hannah Wedlock, Saturday 19 July, 7pm Enjoy traditional, swing and mainstream jazz from the Blue Notes in the beautiful setting of the Bristol Botanic Garden. There will be a tour of the garden at 4.30pm and a bar will be available from 6pm. Don’t forget to a bring a picnic, rug and umbrella if wet. Tickets: £10 in advance (£12 at the gate). Children free. Tel: 01275 854992. For further information visit: www.bris.ac.uk/botanic-garden.
The Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular, Bristol Hippodrome, Saturday 19 July, 7.30 pm Enjoy wonderful memories of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior in this fabulous production that features live classics including Come Fly With Me, Under My Skin, Sway, Mr Bojangles, Fly Me to the Moon, That’s Amore, Mack the Knife, plus many more. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0844 871 3012 or visit: www.atgtickets.com/bristol.
Katherine Jenkins and the National Symphony Orchestra, Westonbirt Arboretum, Sunday 20 July, arena opens 6pm Prolific classical artist, Katherine Jenkins will be performing live with the National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Anthony Inglis. A rare opportunity to hear her sing in the UK. Tickets cost £39.60 (including booking fee) from tel: 03000 680400 or visit: boxoffice.forestry.gov.uk.
A Little Nonsense, The Wardrobe Theatre, Monday 21 & Friday 25 July, 8pm Juncture Theatre’s critical-acclaimed clown-drama is coming to Bristol before it heads >>
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to the Edinburgh Festival this summer. A bare-knuckle look at the sharp edge of funny, A Little Nonsense is an original black comedy that explores the clown inside every man and the mirth that is hidden in melancholy. Through mime, slapstick, poetry and music, it follows the farcical, haunting and abstract relationship of this unloving and tortured doubleact. The Wardrobe Theatre, St Michaels Hill. Tickets £5 from the box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.thewardrobetheatre.com
Brouhaha Comedy Week, Tobacco Factory Theatres, 21 – 26 July This Comedy Box week will showcase 12 new stand-up shows from some of the most inventive acts on the UK comedy circuit, including Lucy Porter, John Robins, Nathan Caton and Caimh McDonnell. Each show is a warmup for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
Singin’ in the Rain, Bristol Hippodrome, Tuesday 22 July – Saturday 9 August Direct from the West End, this critically acclaimed production of Singin’ in the Rain tells the story of the first Hollywood musical, when the silver screen found its voice and left silent movies – and some of its stars – behind. This show is packed full of the charm, romance, comedy and tinseltown glamour of one the world’s best loved movies and features all the songs from the glorious MGM score including Good Morning, Make ‘em Laugh, Moses Supposes and the classic Singin’ in the Rain. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0844 871 3012 or visit: www.atgtickets.com/bristol.
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Bristol Bad Film Club presents Hercules in New York, Redgrave Theatre, Thursday 24 July, 8pm The Bristol Bad Film Club says: “Arnold Schwarzenegger made his feature film debut in this low budget fantasy adventure which sees the son of Greek god Zeus dispatched from Mount Olympus to New York city. The film has a massive cult following due to the fact that the 22-year-old Arnie is listed as Arnold Strong and has his natural Austrian accent replaced with a generic American voiceover.” For further information visit: www.bristolbadfilmclub.co.uk. Tickets: £5 in advance, £6 on the door. All profits going to Bristol Autism Support.
The Tiger and the Moustache, Tobacco Factory Theatres, 24 – 26 July, 8.15pm
Singing in the Rain
Local actor and writer Saikat Ahamed’s acclaimed, energetic and vibrant play, which started life in the Brewery Theatre last year, is back at Tobacco Factory Theatres this summer, following a national tour. Join Saikat as he traces the journey of his mother, sliding in and out of time from the agonies of Partition in 1947 right up to the present day. From East London to East Bengal, from Barisal to Birmingham, the story of Bangladesh is woven together through storytelling, theatre, live music, dance and humour. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com. >>
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Sea King flares at RNAS Yeovilton International Air Day
RNAS Yeovilton International Air Day, Somerset, Saturday 26 July This award winning air show returns with an action-packed day out for all the family featuring flying displays from world class aerobatic team the Royal Jordanian Falcons; fast jet displays from the Swiss Air Force F/A-18 Hornet, Belgian Air Force F16 and a flypast from a RAF Typhoon; helicopter displays; Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Dakota, Spitfire and Hurricane appearance; the iconic Vulcan bomber XH558; military bands, a fairground, vehicle exhibition, service demonstrations, field gun competition, picnic areas, helicopter pleasure flights, simulator rides, trade stands and much, much more. Tickets are available from www.royalnavy.mod.uk/yeovilton-airday or tel: 08445 781 781.
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Classical Extravaganza Concert, Colston Hall, Saturday 26 July, 7.30pm Back by popular demand, the BSO will be offering the best of popular classical music, complete with indoor fireworks and laser effects. Hosted by Classic FM presenter Jamie Crick, the concert will be offering musical mastery with the added magic of some spellbinding pyrotechnics. To book tickets, visit: www.bsolive.com or call the Colston Hall Box Office on tel: 0844 887 1500.
Ablutions, Tobacco Factory Theatres, 27 & 28 July, 8.15pm A dark, modern drama, adapted from the novel by Man Booker shortlisted author, Patrick DeWitt. Following the success of Belleville Rendez-vous, the award-winning FellSwoop Theatre return to Tobacco Factory Theatres with the pre-Edinburgh showing of Ablutions; a dark, boozy, grimly funny tale from the sodden depths of the LA underworld, blending a live soundtrack, detailed mime and de Witt’s heart-wrenching humour. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
BOOK NOW FOR... Mimic, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Saturday 2 August Performed at a grand piano, Mimic is a dark satire exploring imitation, authenticity, and what happens to a nation that leaves its heritage behind, performed as part of The Bristol Proms. Poetic and prescient, this virtuosic solo performance from Raymond Scannell tells the story of Julian Neary, whose childhood gift for mimicry becomes his ticket out of 1980s Ireland, until the chaos he sees in the outside world reflects his own chaos within. Winner of Best Male Performer at the Dublin Fringe Festival 2008 and 2013, Ray Scannell takes the audience on a moving and mesmerising journey. Tickets from the box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
Big Night Out, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Friday 8 August, 6.30pm – 10.30pm A night of fun for adults. Have your fortune told, dress up in the photo booth, enjoy street entertainers including stilt walkers, comedians and jugglers and play on giant inflatable games including a bouncy castle. For those in the mood for dancing, there will also be a silent disco and a live band. All of the zoo’s animal houses will be open and you can enjoy animal talks and feeds. Food and alcoholic drinks will be available to purchase throughout the night. Tickets £15 and £12 for zoo members. To book visit: www.bristolzoo.org.uk/whats-on WWW.THEBRISTOLMAGAZINE.CO.UK
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CITYgardens
ARTS | & EXHIBITIONS
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SUMMER SHOWS Jill Gibbon
Back from the Front: Art, Memory and the Aftermath of War, RWA, 19 July – 14 September This month sees the start of a major programme of new exhibitions at the RWA exploring the theme of conflict and memory in commemoration of the First World War centenary. Featuring Paul Nash, an artist synonymous with British Modernism, and the work of his lesser known but no less highly regarded brother John Nash RA (both official war artists), alongside moving responses to conflict from leading contemporary artists, including Tim Shaw RA, Xavier Pick, Emma Stibbon RA and Elizabeth Turrell, Back From the Front reflects on the legacy of conflict, both past and present. The exhibition is supported by Arts Council England, the Bristol Cultural Development Partnership, Bristol Festival of Ideas and the University of the West of England. It is part of Bristol 2014, an extensive programme of activity marking the centenary of the start of the First World War and looking at other conflicts that have had an impact on the city over the last century. RWA, Queen’s Road, Clifton. Tel: 0117 973 5129 www.rwa.org.uk
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Aurélien Froment: Fröbel Fröbeled, Spike Island, 12 July – 14 September
Aurelien Froment, Frobel Frobeled
Fröbel Fröbeled is the culmination of French artist Aurélien Froment’s extensive research into German educationalist Friedrich Fröbel (1782–1852), founder of the first Kindergarten. Fröbel developed a series of educational toys (balls of wool, wooden geometric shapes, pattern blocks), which he embedded into an open-ended sequence of objects whereby each shape suggests the next. He called them Spielgaben, literally ‘play gifts’. Though Fröbel’s work was influential and the gifts were widely adopted by educationalists, appreciation of the system’s consistency has been diluted and lost over time. Froment’s ambitious new body of work is centered around a set of replicas of ten Fröbel gifts. These are shown alongside carefully staged photographs of the toys in action, as if they were performing some of the instructions provided in the early handbooks in which they were depicted. The exhibition reconsiders the gifts as enigmatic cultural forms, depicting them as products of an idealised world view but also as objects that suggest freedom and agency. Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road, Bristol. Tel: 01179 544 005 www.spikeisland.org.uk
The Big Blue, Room 212, throughout July
Huw Richard Evans
The gallery’s theme for July is The Big Blue to tie in with the Harbourside festival, with various artists contributing. The featured artist for July is Bristol based Huw Richards Evans. For Huw, the legacy of an idyllic childhood roaming the landscape of the Pembrokeshire coast is an overwhelming need to release the warmth of his memories onto canvas. Pembrokeshire born, Huw moved to Bristol in 1980 where he studied fine art before embarking on a career in landscape painting and fashion. Known as a couture fashion designer, his reputation as a painter is now developing in the art world with collectors in the UK, the USA and Japan. Often textural and with a spiritual quality, his paintings contain passion and energy. Room 212, Gloucester Road. www.room212.co.uk
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Susanna Clasby, Coral Harmony By Night
MISCELLANY: So What Art Collective, Guild Gallery, 12 July – 2 August Large-scale abstract paintings sit comfortably alongside intricate papercuts, figurative photographs, subtle drawings, vibrant digital images, celebratory illustrations and narrative glasswork in this exhibition from the So What Collective which comprises eight artists who met at Bristol School of Art. Bristol Guild Gallery, 68/70 Park Street Bristol. Tel: 0117 926 5548, www.bristolguildgallery.co.uk
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Clifton Arts Club 106th Annual Open Exhibition, Bristol School of Art, 12 - 26 July
Art in the Garden, Dowry Square Garden, Sunday 27 July A Sunday afternoon garden party featuring work by Clifton artists. A wide range of art work will be exhibited and for sale including ceramics, photography, painting, prints and more. Free admission, open noon – 5pm.
Secret Postcard Auction, RWA, 3 July, 7pm The Royal West of England Academy (RWA), is hosting a secret postcard auction and summer party on 3 July where a number of postcards will be auctioned off live. The identity of the artist however will remain secret until all bids have been received and the winning buyer of each postcard is revealed. Included are limited edition A5 pieces from Tracy Emin, Damien Hirst, Jeremy Deller and many other leading British artists. The postcards are available to view at the RWA prior to the auction. Interested buyers will be able to bid in person on the night of the auction or can place a bid in writing prior to the auction.
Clifton Arts Club’s 106th Annual Open Art Exhibition showcases the varied work of members and non-members. Founded in 1906, Clifton Arts Club has seen many changes and continues to be forward thinking. Their first exhibition took place in the basement of a house in Richmond Terrace but now, with 250 members, is held in the right hand wing of the RWA – the Bristol School of Art. Works range from paintings and drawings in all media, to 3D work in glass, ceramic, stone, metal, fabrics and plastic, as well as digitally produced art. Last year’s exhibition saw more than 400 works for sale, with prices ranging from £60 to £1,800. New members are always welcome and benefits of joining include lectures, workshops and demonstrations, visits to art galleries; outdoor painting, drawing sessions, indoor still life and life drawing. Bristol School of Art, Queen’s Road, Bristol. Visit: www.cliftonartsclub.co.uk Free admission, open daily from 10am to 4.30pm.
Abigail McDougall, The Bridge At Snuff Mills
Paradise, Leigh Woods and Tyntesfield, 19 July – 2 November This summer, national and international contemporary artists are coming together to create Paradise, an exhibition of contemporary art at Tyntesfield and Leigh Woods. Both National Trust sites will be transformed by artists Assemble, London Fieldworks, Nina Saunders, Insa Winkler, Owen Griffiths and Fern Thomas. Using diverse materials and methods ranging from ceramics, textiles and hand crafted wood, to taxidermy and edible plants, the artists will create six new installations that visitors will be able to interact with through touch, smell and taste. For further information visit: www.trustnewartbristol.co.uk An example of a previous piece of installation art from the artists
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Two nationally acclaimed Bristol artists will be exhibiting together for the first time in their careers – after a 15 year search for a suitable venue. Nick Moore who is known for his giant abstract artworks on 18 foot canvases and Andrew Hardwick whose work challenges the conventional approach to landscape paintings are holding a joint exhibition entitled Material: Gesture, showcasing new and exciting works. The exhibition opens on Saturday 5 July with an opportunity to meet both artists and learn more about the influences on their work. Nick Moore will also be performing one of his poems, Moon Tides to music. For more information visit: www.sidcot.org.uk/arts/whats-on
A Walk on the Wild Side (along the Frome), opens Saturday 19 July at the Frenchay Flower Show (12.30 – 5pm) at Coldharbour Gallery from 21 July Several of the gallery’s most popular local artists have created pieces for this show featuring the Frome Valley between Snuff Mills and Frenchay. Catherine Williams will be showing her latest piece, Riverside Walk, a series of five etchings of the riverside, as well as pen and ink sketches of Frenchay. Abigail McDougall brings a series of plein air watercolours painted along the banks of the River Frome. Other gallery regulars also contribute pieces, many depicting the flora and fauna of the surrounding countryside. The show opens at the annual Frenchay Flower Show before moving to the gallery. Coldharbour Framery & Gallery, 111 Coldharbour Road, Westbury Park. www.coldharbourgallery.co.uk ■ Submissions are now open for The Royal West of England Academy’s 162nd Annual Open Exhibition which opens on 12 October at the RWA. The exhibition now in its 162nd year attracts submissions from local, national and international artists alike, as well as entries from students and emerging artists of all ages. Artists are encouraged to submit a maximum of three recent works via a dedicated website and the first round of selection takes place online with a final results day at the Academy in September. Submissions close on 27 August. Visit: www.oss-rwa.org.uk
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Material: Gesture, Sidcot Arts Centre in North Somerset, 5 July – 16 August
Nick Moore is renowned for his 18 foot canvases
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CITY | LIVES
IT’S A COLOURFUL LIFE Samantha Coleman meets Bristol-based felt product designer and businesswoman, Adele Collinson, whose company, Felt So Good started life at St Nick’s Market and now sells in high-end retailers like John Lewis and Harrods
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t was when Adele Collinson was working as a holiday rep in India that she discovered a beautiful world of textiles, in particular – felt. “I bought back so many delicate silks and bright fabrics but it was felt that caught my eye – I love the texture and all the colours it comes in,” says Adele. “I’d always known that I wanted to start my own business selling ethically handmade goods, and when I saw lovely, colourful and eyecatching felt brooches and baby shoes being made in Nepal, I knew that this was exactly what I wanted to start a business selling.” Adele admits she has always had a love for bright colours and crafts after studying design crafts at university. In 2009 she launched her business, Felt So Good, which produces quality felt collections of woodland animals, laptop cases and bags as well as brooches, hair accessories and cushions. Adele designs each item herself from her office in Bristol and then sends the designs to skilled workers in Nepal where they are produced intricately by hand by 150 women in a cottage industry using traditional crafts in a happy and ethical working environment. Following a strong passion to support and promote an ethical practice, Adele travels to Asia at least three times a year to oversee that these values are being upheld. “The artistry skills of the ladies who make these gorgeous products are fantastic and the importance of this community-based cottage industry to maintain and develop responsible working conditions, be given fair wages and a job in which they are happy is at the heart of Felt So Good’s ethos,” says Adele. Having travelled much of India, Adele witnessed first hand how bad many working environments were and knew straight away that starting an ethical and fair business was a priority for her.
Adele Collinson
❝ THE ARTISTRY SKILLS OF THE LADIES WHO MAKE THESE GORGEOUS PRODUCTS ARE FANTASTIC
❞ “My employees get holidays, work five days a week, have four breaks a day and earn a good salary,” says Adele. From the moment the company was started Adele has been striving and succeeding to promote and maintain ethical trading. She says: “It is by manufacturing our gorgeous products in Nepal that we are able to support their local and growing economy, helping to encourage a global conscientiousness.” As an ethical company, Felt So Good works hard to ensure that it reduces its impact upon the environment as much as possible. All packaging is 100% biodegradable and Adele works closely with the employees in Nepal to ensure no environmentally harmful dyes are used in the felt making process. Felt So Good has also recently became a member of The British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers (BAFTS) and Adele says: “being endorsed by them we are able to instantaneously be recognised as an ethical and diligent company.” Adele has now been in Bristol running her small but thriving business for over four years, enjoying a steady growth and selling her products through retail giants as well as local boutiques – a real achievement considering that when she launched the business she had no help from the bank and couldn’t afford an office space in which to work. Adele initally started selling the products at St Nick’s Market and did this for a few years until she made enough money to grow the business and start doing trade shows across the country. “There was a wonderful response to the products from the start and soon 44 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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I was selling to independent boutiques, gift shops and children’s shops all around the country. Then at a trade fair a couple of years ago a buyer from John Lewis spotted and loved the felt products and after meeting with the company, I now design a special Christmas collection sold exclusively in all John Lewis stores.” It was a really successful collection of woodland animals and baubles and Adele will be designing another Christmas collection for the brand again this year, as well as an Easter collection and an exclusive one for Harrods too, who have also jumped on the bandwagon. “There’s something about the warm and comforting texture of felt which lends itself perfectly to Christmas items,” says Adele. Although Felt So Good is stocked by retailers all over the UK, Adele insists that she is committed to supporting the local community. You can find Felt So Good at many craft fairs around Bristol throughout the year as well as the Bath Christmas Market. Adele says: “We are lucky enough to have flourished during a recession and are looking to expand and develop our company within the next few years. Hopefully this will create more jobs in Bristol and help give back to our economy.” n You can find Felt So Good products at the National Gallery in London and online at Not on The High Street. All products are also available to buy through the Felt So Good website at: www.feltsogood.co.uk with free UK delivery.
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BRISTOL | HISTORY
WHAT’S IN A NAME? As part of a series of features looking at the significance and origins of place names in Bristol, Becky Elliot looks at the history of Queen Square
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istoric Queen Square was once a derelict marsh situated just outside the city walls, and remained that way until the turbulence of the civil war, that had torn the country in two during the 17th century, drew to a close. As the new century dawned, so did a nationwide effort to rebuild the kingdom. In Bristol, these endeavours saw the marshland transformed into an elegant square, named in 1702 in honour of the young Queen Anne who passed through the city en route to take the healing waters at Bath Spa. For the next century, the area thrived as one of the most fashionable addresses in the city, becoming home to a number of important civic buildings including the first American Consulate, the Lord Mayor’s Mansion House, the Custom House, and the Excise Office. But these gracious beginnings were forever blighted one fateful weekend in 1831, when violent uprisings swept the square and turned the skies of Bristol red. Known as The Bristol Riots, these protests are now infamous in English history as some of the bloodiest the country has ever seen. They were sparked by political unrest centred upon voting rights, a matter that the then prime minister, Earl Grey – of the tea fame – sought to rectify with the Reform Bill he proposed in 1831. He aimed to give more people the right to vote, ensure the new industrial towns that had sprung up – such as Bristol, Manchester and Leeds – were properly represented in
parliament, and abolish rotten boroughs to stop wealthy peers repeatedly buying their way into office. His motion was thrown out of the House of Lords, however, with a particularly strong voice of dissent coming from Bristol’s own recorder, Sir Charles Wetherall. A vociferous drunkard, his outspoken rants did little to endear him to either the opposition or his own party, but it was his audacity to try and speak for the people of Bristol that proved his undoing. Despite knowing that over 17,000 Bristolians had signed a petition in support of Grey’s bill, Wetherall claimed that the city was not in favour of reform. Never ones to take such slander lying down, the townsfolk rose against him when he arrived in Bristol on Saturday 29 October to open the Court of Assizes, pelting his carriage with rocks and abuse as it passed through the streets. The court was opened briefly, but violent interruptions from the angry mob necessitated adjournment, and Wetherall was forced to flee to the Mansion House in Queen Square for refuge. But here he was trapped. The crowd united and descended on the square where, baying for blood, they set the Mansion House alight to smoke him out like the weasel he had proved himself to be. As the front door turned to ash and the glass in the windows smashed, protestors poured into the building to hunt down their quarry. Rightly fearing for his life, Wetherall was forced to flee across the rooftops, ignominiously disguised as a woman.
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THE CROWD UNITED AND DESCENDED ON THE SQUARE WHERE, BAYING FOR BLOOD, THEY SET THE MANSION HOUSE ALIGHT
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BRISTOL | HISTORY
CITY ALIGHT: main image, a painting of Queen Square, by Thomas Leeson Rowbotham Above, Charge of the Dragoon Guards in Queen Square, by Thomas Leeson Rowbotham and William James Müller All images courtesy of Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives
Fuelled by fury and frustration, the rioters turned their torches to other buildings in a bid to vent their rage. The north and west sides of Queen Square were soon ablaze, flames licking so high into the sky they could be seen as far as Wales. While some men ignited the houses, others rushed in to loot them, creating scenes of carnage as the lead roofs melted and caved in, roasting people alive in molton tombs. And while the square burned, terror took hold further afield as rioters broke into Bridewell Prison and the New Gaol, releasing 170 prisoners before setting the hated institutions aflame and throwing the gallows into the river. Comparisons between these scenes and those of the early French Revolution were drawn, fear swept the country, and Parliament had no choice but to call in the military. The cavalry arrived in the guise of the Fourteenth Light
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Dragoons, a platoon already loathed by Bristolians who dubbed them the ‘Bloody Blues’ in light of previous violent run ins. But this time they were led by the thoughtful Leiutenant Colonel Brereton who, on arriving at the scene, realised the presence of his men was merely riling the crowd further. He refused to open fire on the protestors unless directly ordered by the Mayor, who duly declined to seal the fate of so many citizens that evening, so Brereton retreated with his troops to Keynsham. But the damage was done. Antagonised by the military more Bristolians joined the revolt, with numbers reaching 10,000 by Sunday morning. The Dragoons were ordered back from Keynsham, along with reinforcements from Gloucester, and Brereton was replaced by a less sympathetic general who led the charge that finally dispersed the rioters, killing 500 men in the process. Brereton was court-marshalled for cowardice, a dishonour that sadly drove him to suicide, and he shot himself through the heart before his trail was concluded. Of the men who survived the riots that weekend, five were hanged and a further 88 deported, and legend has it that Isambard Kingdom Brunel himself may have caught some of these offenders. Distraught to see the city brought to its knees, he halted work on his suspension bridge to join the fray as a special constable and, armed only with the back of a broken chair, wrestled with protestors in a bid to restore peace to the city. Despite the sudden and savage end to the riots, they were not in vain. Similar protests broke out across England, and such feeling from the populace could not be ignored. Earl Grey’s Reform Bill was passed in 1832, extending democratic rights across the nation. Queen Square was rebuilt and restored to its former glory, thus healing the physical scars but not extinguishing Bristol’s enduring spirit of justice. ■
A number of paintings depicting these riots can be seen as part of the Jeremy Deller exhibition at Bristol Museum & Gallery, which runs until 21 September.
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FOOD | AND DRINK
WINING & DINING news and reviews Foodie news ■ FoodTrade, the farm-to-fork trade network, is asking foodies of Bristol to get involved in its latest project to understand where Bristol’s food comes from. Just visit: www.foodtrade.com and find your local café, restaurant, shop or pub. If you know where they get their food from, whether it’s a cheesemonger, cider brewery or chicken farm, simply add it to their FoodTrade profile. FoodTrade’s open data allows anyone, anywhere to track supply chains, and make smarter decisions and healthier food choices. Producers and buyers can trade in real-time, and locals can swap surplus veg or vouch for their favourite foodie hangouts. ■ There is now a new place to relax and unwind over a drink and a bite to eat on Corn Street with the opening of The Cosy Club. Owned by Loungers, who operate the Lounge cafe/bar and Cosy Club bar/restaurant concepts, the site at 31 Corn Street has been transformed so that the decorative glass domed ceiling has been exposed, flooding the venue with natural light. Enormous chandeliers hang dramatically above vintage sofas and 1930s cocktail chairs, while the walls are adorned with portraits, Chinese-inspired wallpaper and polished Bath stone – think Roman Temple meets Gentleman’s Club with the ultimate altar – a six metre high bar carved from American oak. It also boasts a development kitchen in the basement enabling executive chef Theo Guy to experiment with new dishes. Offering brunch, coffee and cake, lunch, tapas or dinner, The Cosy Club is open every day from 9am to 11pm with food served until 10pm. ■ The recently opened Seasons Fish Kitchen at Farrington’s Farm, Farrington Gurney will be selling hot fish, delivered daily and cooked to order alongside a fresh salad. Fill a bowl with a range of crunchy salads then select the fish from the Dorset coast’s daily catch. Eat in or take away for a fresh, healthy picnic. This month, on 18 & 25 July, the Fish Kitchen, is also running a series of Demo and Dine evenings where chef Alex Venables (pictured) will share his tips on preparing and cooking classic fish dishes. Tickets cost £35 each, including food and wine. To book tel: 01761 452809.
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Waste to wonderful
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areShare South West – the awardwinning Bristol-based charity which redistributes the food industry’s surplus to organisations working with vulnerable people – has launched a unique catering business. The Surplus Supper Club caters for events of all shapes and sizes using perfectly good ingredients that would otherwise be thrown away. Not only does the Surplus Supper Club upcycle food destined for landfill, it also offers training and support to help many of its volunteers back into society, around half of whom are, or have been, vulnerable. The UK food industry throws away around four million tonnes of good quality food every year while an estimated four million people live in food poverty. The surplus food which stocks the Surplus Supper Club’s larders has been thrown away for reasons such as a promotion being out of date or over ordering. “We get everything from lobsters to Cape gooseberries!” said Jacqui Reeves, chief executive of FareShare South West. “It’s gob-smacking what gets thrown away. We supplement the surplus we collect from the food industry with ethically sourced ingredients from local producers so everything is of the highest quality.” Having trialled the Surplus Supper Club at festivals including Bestival and Shambala and events for Big Green Week and Bristol Food Connections, the Surplus Supper Club is already in high demand. “It’s amazing how quickly word spreads,” said Jacqui Reeves. “Bristol will take its place as European Green Capital next year and the Surplus Supper Club really reflects this city’s innovative approach to sustainability.” For more information visit: www.surplussupperclub.org
Dates for your diary... ■ On Friday 18 July at 7.30pm, diners are invited on board the SS Great Britain for a globe-trotting, luxury, six-course voyage of food and drink served in the First Class Dining Saloon. Stopping off in England, America, South Africa, Australia and Turkey, each course will represent a national cuisine and be served with an accompanying wine. The ship’s steward and the Dining Saloon purser will introduce each dish with stories that contextualise them in the ship’s history. Brunel’s ss Great Britain has enjoyed over 170 years of adventure, travelled a million miles at sea and been around the world 32 times. It’s been an incredible journey, and diners are invited to experience it in taste. Tickets are £65, including all food and a set drink for each course, and are available online at: www.ssgreatbritain.org.
■ Continuing Harvey Nichols’ Second Floor Restaurant wine master-classes on the second and third Thursday of every month, July’s classes on Thursday 10 and Thursday 17 at 7pm will focus on sherry. Journey into the various styles of sherry and see how they can each be paired with food. £25 per person. You can also enjoy a creative cocktail masterclass on rum and the Caribbean on Saturday 26 or Sunday 27 July, 10am – 12.30am.
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GORDITO REVIEW.qxp_Layout 1 18/06/2014 16:12 Page 1
Gordito Colston Hall, Colston Street, Bristol BS1 5AR. Tel: 0117 204 7130, www.bathales.com
REVIEW
SWINE AND CHEESE
This month Matthew Abbott enjoys a taste of Barcelona at Gordito charcuterie bar in Colston Hall
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mmediately upon entering Gordito in Colston Hall from the unglamorous Trenchard Street NCP, you get the feeling that this isn’t going to be the usual restaurant experience. The quality of Gordito, like the piece of slate marking my reservation, is written in stone. There is none of the usual ear-splitting sambas, castanets and jarring flamenco guitar-picking here, only the cool syncopated rhythms of the jazz band that is playing to the customers of Bath Ales’ original success down in the lobby of the concert hall, the Colston Hall Bar and Kitchen. Life here is simple, honest and locally sourced. Like the stoical and dignified charcuterie that lines the wall behind the bar – an entire pig’s worth if it weren’t for the Speck Agnell lamb leg I spot on the end, Gordito is proud of the provenance of its produce. And so it should be. I make a mental note not to leave without trying the smoked and dry-aged leg from Piedmont, Italy. The menu in Gordito, unpretentiously printed on brown paper, makes its mission statement clear: Vino, Queso, Jamon; as if the question ‘what else is there in life?’ slipped our minds long ago. This quiet little reminder of the finer things, unpretentiously offered, like an out-reached hand with a piece of bread, a cup of wine and some cheese, is comforting. And what more could any discerning foodie, like myself, want from a charcuterie bar that imagines itself after the great La Boqueria market in Barcelona? While the restaurant has the capacity for over 50 covers, a huge table in the middle of the floor is occupied by a group of 15 international students. Even though they are boisterous, and break out into song from time to time, my partner and I, who came in for an early evening meal, don’t mind too much. It adds nicely to the cultural soup that seems to be Bath Ales’ goal in this new venture. The menu boasts four different types of olives, 10 unique cuts of Iberico ham and salamis, not to mention the lamb, and nine cheeses from as far afield
as Manchego, and as close to home as the Godminster vintage Cheddar. It’s too much for anyone to enjoy in one sitting, but a taster plate – the Gordito Slate (£16.50) – offers any fromage neophyte a conservative taste of the firm Manchego, which comes dripping in rich olive oil; and a creamy disc of Burratina buffalo mozzarella – as delicate as the menu suggests. One prod with a fork is all it takes and you’re forced, quite happily, to mop the rest up with charred bread. The key in any charcuterie restaurant is moderation, but with so many appetising nibbles to choose from, we easily fall in to the trap of over-ordering. The jamon croquetas (£5) arrive next: delicious deep-fried bundles of goodness from the ‘little things’ menu. Then as the melted cheese and Estrella Damm have warmed our bellies, the plates begin to arrive. Surf and turf is the order of the day. First came the saffron tiger prawns, courgette and salsa verdi (£7), with shrimp so firm and bursting with flavour you’d be forgiven for thinking they’d been pulled from the Mediterranean that very morning. Next comes the pan fried coley, samphire and mussels (£7). The fish so crisp and salty that it’s almost criminal to allow the sweet, tender flesh of the mussels to cut through. But therein lies the alchemy. With little room left on the table, or in our bellies, the Spanish waiter (did I mention they were proud of their provenance?) delivers the turf. Two delicately crafted, and exquisite plates of pork tender loin with olive tapenade (£7), and confit chicken thigh with chestnut mushrooms (£7), almost too delicious to finish. Finally the waiter brings over a plate of the Speck Agnello lamb leg, marbled and sliced as thin as muslin, saying that he saw me looking at it and wanted me to try it. With a generous taste of the Pedro Ximenez to temper the passionate flavour of the lamb, I’m full to the brim. ■ By Matthew Abbott
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...WHAT MORE COULD ANY DISCERNING FOODIE WANT FROM A CHARCUTERIE BAR THAT IMAGINES ITSELF LIKE THE GREAT LA BOQUERIA MARKET IN BARCELONA?
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CEO OF BRISTOL SPORT.qxp_Layout 1 20/06/2014 12:09 Page 1
SPORTS | NEWS
ALL FOR SPORT
Andrew Billingham, CEO of Bristol Sport
We get to know Andrew Billingham – the new CEO of Bristol Sport – a little better and hear about his plans for Bristol sports teams and of course, the new stadium
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s many of you may have noticed there are changes afoot in our fantastic city. Awarded the European Green Capital of 2015, construction of a new 27,000 seater stadium finally underway and the inaugural park and slide event. There is much to be proud of. It is this adventurous and pioneering spirit that captured the imagination of Bristol Sport’s new chief executive Andrew Billingham. “I was staggered when I heard nearly a hundred thousand people applied for 300 places to go down a huge slide. If one event shows you the passion and desire to get involved in something different then that has got to be it.” The 44-year old started as Bristol Sport’s new chief executive in June, poached from Premier League football club Stoke City. Tasked with heading up Stephen Lansdown (owner of Bristol City FC) sport management company, Andrew will oversee the development of the 27,000 seater stadium and take on all the commercial and marketing aspects of Lansdown’s other sporting interests such as Bristol City FC and Bristol Rugby. Sipping coffee in one of North Street’s busy cafés you could be forgiven for thinking he’s always been here. Indeed Andrew admits he counts himself fortunate to finally be an adopted Bristolian. “It was always our dream as a family to relocate to the south west, I just never thought the right opportunity would come up. I’ve been working for Premier League football clubs for the last decade but when I was told what Bristol Sport was trying to achieve I was intrigued. The more I found out, the more I wanted it. “Bristol has pretty much everything you could wish for in a city, minus of course the Premier League football and rugby club. But that we can alter in time!” For someone who has just moved 130 miles south down the M5 he’s remarkably unruffled by the challenge that lays ahead. Not least trying to get Bristol City to the top flight. “Bristol should have its sport teams competing in the highest divisions possible. Obviously it was a huge disappointment for Bristol Rugby to miss out again on Premiership Rugby but they will dust themselves off and rise again. We will help them with a brilliant new home ground and a fantastic environment.” If you are not a rugby fan you might have missed the news that Bristol Rugby played their last game at The Memorial Stadium last month. From August they will be playing all their home games at Ashton Gate and sharing it with Bristol City Football Club. “Next season is a new start for the rugby guys. In fact it is a new start for us all,” admits Andrew. “Both rugby and football will have a brand new Desso
pitch to play on and the old stadium will be redeveloped around them. Starting first with the oldest part of the ground the Wedlock Stand being demolished.” As someone charged with overseeing that £45 million redevelopment and to ensure it becomes the best multi-use sport and conferencing/entertainment facility in the south west you may agree that he has a lot on his plate. However the new CEO is keen to stress anything can be achieved, it is just about working hard. “One of my first jobs in football was as Karen Brady’s number two,” (she of The Apprentice fame as Alan Sugar’s aide and currently vice chairman of West Ham football club). “Karen always said there is nothing you can’t achieve. You just have to work damn hard to get there. You might not have all the skills and attributes and knowledge but if you work hard you will get through that and be successful.” Or of course you could just be supremely gifted like some of Andrew’s friends; football legend Paul Gascoigne or David Beckham, both of whom Andrew first got to know when working for Adidas. “One afternoon I got this call that David needed a pair of worn-in Adidas boots for a game against Wimbledon. I managed to find a pair but they were in Glasgow, with a player for Rangers called Charlie Miller who had the same size feet. I went up collected them and drove all the way back down to Selhurst Park in London. That was the day David Beckham’s career changed. In a split second he scored that wonder goal from An artist’s impression of the Wedlock inside his own half and he never looked back. I worked with Stand structure amendments him for a few more years at Adidas and he remained just the same nice guy despite all the fame that then enveloped him.” It is this power of sport to change lives that Andrew loves most. He counts himself as privileged to be working in sport. “It’s the best job in the world. Well with the exception of being a pro-golfer but much to my parents’ disappointment that was never going to happen! “I love how sport inspires us. That’s what has attracted me most to Bristol Sport. At a time when councils just cannot fund sport properly anymore we hope to help in some way from grass roots right the way up to elite. We hope people will be inspired by the work going on at the stadium over the next two years. It really will be something to make Bristol proud.” n For further information visit: www.bristol-sport.com
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WHAT’S | HAPPENING
■ Emily Golden Twomey, a Bristol based illustrator, was commissioned by Fresh Arts, the ongoing arts programme at North Bristol NHS Trust, and Willis Newson, a leading independent arts consultancy, to help transform the new Children’s Minor Injuries Unit at Southmead Hospital. The aim was to enhance the area to improve patient experience, and to create artwork that helps to calm and captivate the imagination of young children. Emily worked on the artwork over three months alongside Willis Newson and the department now features three
themed assessment rooms, including an ocean room, and decorated public waiting areas featuring a woodland theme and a three-metre long world map. Emily says: “I really enjoyed working on a project of this scale, where the aim was to create something fun and relaxing at the same time. I hope that the artwork makes the experience of going to hospital less scary for children, and that the staff enjoy working in a colourful and cheerful environment.” Images of the project can be viewed at: www.emilygolden.co.uk
Sew creative
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ucked away in the Pithay Building in the heart of Bristol is a new workshop space where you can learn how to sew. Home to The Midnight Atelier, the workshop was opened in May by Laura of Laura After Midnight. Inspired by the spirit for collective creation behind Sweat Shop in Paris, the space is designed for seamsters who may have already taken a course, beginners who want to learn a few vintage inspired techniques or those who have been sewing for a while and want to learn something a little more challenging. Private classes are already booking up fast,
News in Brief ■ To celebrate 30 years selling homes in Bristol, the team at Ocean estate agents will be taking part in a 30 mile relay on 30 July between its eight offices to help raise money for Shelter. The team will start and end at the first office on Gloucester Road in Bishopston. Ocean will also be donating £30 to the charity for every new property instruction it receives over the next three months. Visit: www.oceanhome.co.uk ■ Healthcare charity, Nuffield Health, welcomed Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), to its new Bristol Hospital – The Chesterfield last month.Dr Carter met nursing staff, including Matron Elaine Collins who is leading the hospital’s patient-centric approach to care in Bristol and its pledge to the national Speak Out Safely campaign. During his visit, Dr Carter also provided a talk on the general state of health and health care in the UK before taking a tour of the hospital’s new stateof-the-art digital theatres. Dr Carter’s visit coincided with the hospital’s launch of the Nuffield Way of Caring – a matron led programme which empowers the clinical leadership role of the matron, taking the qualities of the traditional NHS matron of yesteryear and blending it with the contemporary leadership and skills required in a 21st century healthcare environment.
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and Bristol Sewing Club has found a much welcome home there. A selection of sewing classes is on offer include dressmaking, lingerie construction, pattern cutting, costume making and more. The class sizes are small with a relaxed schedule, and many include patterns, instructions and equipment in the price. Laura hopes to create a serene and friendly space, where you can chat while drinking tea and happily stitching. Bristol Sewing Club meets every Monday and Wednesday, each session is £7. Further information at: www.lauraaftermidnight.com
BRISTOL PEOPLE Curtain up for new book To celebrate its 100 year anniversary (16 December 2012), The Bristol Hippodrome has produced a book on the theatre’s history, called Stage Stage Door, The Bristol Hippodrome, 100 Years. Published by Redcliffe Press of Bristol, the book was written by local writers Gerry Parker and John Hudson and details the rich history within the theatre’s walls, along with the many stars who have graced the stage – from Laurel &Hardy, Frank Sinatra and Morecambe & Wise to Paul McCartney, Derren Brown, and David Hasselhoff. Over the years, audiences have come in their thousands to this historic venue to be entertained by all manner of theatrical performances from music hall and twice-nightly variety in the early years, to comedians, opera, ballet and musicals. Stage Door, The Bristol Hippodrome, 100 Years is available to purchase at £12.50 via tel: 0844 871 3012, www.atgtickets.com/bristol or in person at the theatre box office.
■ A Bristol-based designer is hoping to tap into the summer festival market with an innovative new foldable travel mirror. Liesel Corp has set up Magic Mirror, with offices and studio in Bedminster, hand making the acrylic – and therefore festival legal – product. Launched at the Love Saves The Day festival in Castle Park, Magic Mirror has already received celebrity endorsements from Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac, as well as 4Music presenter Arielle Free. Liesel has previously worked as a freelance set and costume designer and says she fully understands the need for the new product. She said: “I have searched high and low for this product, because I’ve worked at so many festivals and I have experienced countless situations where I’ve seen the need for it. Nothing exists like this on the market.” Assisted by a £9,900 loan from the South West Investment Group Start Ups, the regional delivery partner of the Governmentbacked Start Up Loan scheme, Magic Mirror has produced an initial stock of 1,000 of the mirrors, which retail at £38. The reflective surface is made of shatterproof acrylic, made in America and cut by Bristol-based Amari Plastics, while the covers are ethically made in India and assembled at Bristol Old Vic Scenic Workshop. The mirrors are available to buy online at: www.magicmirroruk.com
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Some highlights from the June Specialist Sale…
£6,900
£19,600
£26,000
£13,600
Clevedon Salerooms Specialist Sales have a reputation for selling items for the highest prices to bidders located around the world. The pair of Chinese demi-lune tables pictured above came from a house in Westonsuper-Mare; our instructions being ‘take anything you think you can sell’. The tables are now on their way to Hong Kong after five telephone bidders and numerous online bidders fought to secure the pair. If you have items you may be thinking of selling why not send us an image by email, attend a free valuation day or telephone us to speak to one of our valuers.
Free Valuation Days
7th, 8th, 9th & 21st, 22nd, 23rd July 9.30am – 1pm & 2pm – 50pm
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£16,000
Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers The Auction Centre Kenn Road, Kenn Clevedon, BS21 6TT
Tel: 01934 830111
www.clevedon-salerooms.com
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UNI OF BRISTOL.qxp_Layout 2 20/06/2014 11:54 Page 1
COMMUNITY | PROJECTS
UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS Hannah Walters takes a closer look at the University of Bristol’s efforts to make closer connections with the city by collaborating in various community projects and organising public events
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ince 1909, the University of Bristol has been a central part of the city’s landscape. It draws in thousands of students each year and produces world-class research in the science, arts and humanities alike. But university life is not all about lecture theatres, libraries and exam timetables. More and more staff and students are getting out and about in Bristol, sharing their research with the general public and learning more about the city in return. The university has been in touch with Bristol’s local communities since its early days. In 1917, weekend classes were offered to miners while, in 1938, scientific displays were opened to the public. Today, the university offers a range of free lectures, workshops and talks to the general public as well as music concerts at the Victoria Rooms on Queens Road and access to its Botanical Gardens. But interactions between the university and the city of Bristol do not stop with public events. These days, you can find academics and researchers performing stand-up comedy, planting flower beds and riding around they city in HGVs. Bright Club is a comedy show where academics can perform stand-up routine based around their research. Hamilton House in Stokes Croft provides the venue for gigs, where audiences from around Bristol can watch academics makes jokes about their work. So far, routines have included topics as diverse as nudism in East Germany, spying on animals and cannibalism. Stand-up comedy aside, the university’s researchers have been helping our city to bloom – and teaching us more about our maritime history. The 2012 project Seeds of Change: Growing a Living History of Bristol set out to 56 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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explore Bristol’s ballast flora, flowers are plants grown from seeds brought over in the soil-based ballast of ships, commonly used to provide stability to vessels from the 18th to 20th centuries. Staff and student volunteers from the university helped primary schools and community groups to plant their own ballast gardens. Sixteen ballast seed gardens were built around Bristol, at 11 primary schools and five community groups, including Wellspring Healthy Living Centre, the Southville Centre and Netham Park. As part of the project, the university’s Botanic Garden worked with Arnolfini, Bristol City Council and Maria Thereza Alves to build a floating garden on a derelict part of Bristol harbour, which is re-planted every year. Treat yourself to a leisurely stroll along the waterfront and enjoy the beautiful variety of blooms. Bristol’s history has also been the focus of the Know Your Bristol project originally started in 2012 as a partnership between the university and Bristol City Council to encourage and allow people to explore local history within their community. Know Your Bristol invited members of the public to share personal artefacts and stories about various areas around Bristol, including family history, with researchers from the university. The Antiques Roadshow-style events were great days out for families all around the city. But there was a serious side to it too; the people who took part were able to help research into the city’s past. Knowledge gleaned from the collaboration helped contribute to the council’s Know Your Place project – an interactive map website where historic maps are overlaid on modern maps, allowing users to explore the
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COMMUNITY | PROJECTS
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT: main image, a mobile research station offers the chance for people to record their stories of local history for the Know Your Bristol project Above, children plant their own ballast gardens as part of the Seeds of Change project; Bristolians share artefacts and stories on local history
history of the city’s landscape. “The university is increasingly aware that knowledge is not only generated in universities,” says Kate Miller, acting head of the university’s Centre for Public Engagement. “A wealth of knowledge exists outside academia – the knowledge of individuals, businesses, community organisations and activist groups among others. The expertise of these groups helps us to think about big problems and to make our research more valuable and relevant.” This year the Know Your Bristol project has also gone mobile with Know Your Bristol on the Move. A mobile research station in the shape of a truck, called Know Your Bus, will travel around the city offering a space for people to share artefacts and record their stories of local history digitally
using the latest audio-visual archiving technologies. On 31 May the bus visited Dame Emily Park for a history day, where researchers recorded the oral histories of local residents and created displays of people’s experiences and memories of the park. Music from the Ambling Band, tea and cakes, children’s activities and stalls made it a fun day for everyone. “If the city and its citizens are helping to fund research,” says Mireia Bes, public engagement officer at the university’s Centre for Public Engagement, “it’s only fair that they know what is being researched and that they get a say in it. The only way to know what they want is by involving them and by creating real, genuine relationships with communities.” And that’s exactly what Bristol’s researchers are doing. n For further information visit: www.bris.ac.uk
CREATING LASTING VALUES – WHAT ABOUT JOHN & MARY? The history of the Somerset town where I had recently been asked to help John & Mary (as we will refer to them) is mentioned in a charter granted by King Ethelred dating back to 995. There is a flourishing, caring and supportive community. John (82) & Mary (79), are a delightful couple, have been married for 60 years and traded successfully as retail outfitters for over 50 years. We had one hour before their customary lunch at the Church Hall. “The problem” John explained “is the 0.79% interest on our private bank account and it really irks me”. I asked why, & to think of the ‘problem’ as if he still ran his business. “It irks me that we have free travel insurance, mobile phone cover, car recovery but we don’t use mobiles, no longer drive or go on holiday”. “We are paying for something we neither want or need”. Having explained this to their bank a visit from a financial adviser was arranged during which the return could apparently be increased to 7%! Sticking with John and Mary I wanted to know how they met, came to running their own business, what their early life was like, their family, health and what they felt about life now. John & Mary held hands, became thoughtful and measured and the atmosphere, emotions and responses changed completely. They were a little rocked back; “no one has ever asked that before”. John explained lucidly that two weeks ago he was diagnosed with lymphoma and Mary was in very good health. “I have a life expectancy of two to five years”. John told me. Having sold the shop they continued to live above and to the side in twelve rooms.Would they stay here? They answered no and had bought and renovated a small comfortable property next door, to accommodate the survivor on the premature death of one of them at which time, the existing house would then be sold. A room had also been reserved at a local nursing home. And what about your family? There were no children and their immediate family included
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nine brothers and sisters, all older, unmarried and no children. All were “financially secure”. Both talked about their early life and how one had to be sensible, even frugal with money. John reached for a post office red Silva book.Very neatly recorded in pencil, was a list of cash deposits amounting to £2.5M and property valued at a further £1.75m and a joint income of £65,000.00. They lived off their State pensions and some of the property income. Now why would they need a 7% return from “safe bond investments”? Naturally we turned to their wills and any power of attorney – “this is where we need most help.” Further discussion lead to various charities being named that played an important part in their lives from health to nature. This led me to ask if there was anyone else they cared for. Mary, being very sensitive, went on to tell me about the friends who had helped them in the business over many years, how difficult one particular close special and generous individual was finding life and ‘it would be nice to leave them a little something”. How much I asked? “Oh I thought £5,000.00:” And the special person? “Well I thought £50,000.00”. My response was to enquire whether they had thought of giving them the money now. Do you think that would help? Think of the joy it would bring you & your special friend now. In the comfortable room the TV set was noticeable because it looked as if it was black & white and was the size of a mini i pad; it was dominated by the Sky Box. It turned out that John loved his cricket & films but would like to experience the cricket more fully. Appointments were made to improve the return on their cash deposits (including their ISA’s). Local professionals including their solicitor and accountant were contacted and consultations began to explore their thoughts and wishes concerning their estate. Meanwhile, a modest but latest HD TV set let’s John enjoy his cricket and films; “it’s as if I was there”. x Author: Steven Coles MScIT ACIB CFP • Tel 0117 9706958
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WHAT’S | NEW
Bristol 2015 board members: Andrew Garrad (chairman), Helen Browning, Bevis Watts, Malcolm Shepherd, Alan Barr, Jane Stephenson, Peninah Achieng-Kindberg, George Ferguson, Philippa Bayley, Guy Orpen, Steve West, Carolyn Hassan, Kulveer Ranger
■ Bristol 2015 Ltd, the new company established to facilitate Bristol’s year as European Green Capital in 2015, has announced a series of grant funding streams, collectively worth £2million, to support and enhance sustainable living in the city. The Bristol 2015 Neighbourhood Partnerships Fund, worth £250k, is the first of the grants to be announced and presents an opportunity for every neighbourhood in the city to play an active part in identifying and delivering projects for Bristol’s European Green Capital year. A grant of £10,000 will be presented to each neighbourhood to enable local groups to launch events and projects that will help change attitudes and behaviour towards sustainability. This month will also see the launch of the Bristol 2015 Small Grants Fund, offering a further £250k towards supporting citywide or multi-neighbourhood projects. Bristol 2015 Ltd will also launch approximately £1.5million of additional funding in August for larger strategic grants of £25K to £50K. The Bristol 2015 highlights will be shared in September 2014. The Bristol 2015 Company has a board of independent directors responsible for its governance and direction. Led by Andrew Garrad, the board has 13 members, including Bristol’s Mayor George Ferguson. Further information can be found at: www.bristol2015.co.uk
Urban allotment springs to life
News in Brief ■ If you've been wondering what's been happening behind the hoarding on Clifton Suspension Bridge Road, now is your chance to find out. On Saturday 26 July, the site will be open to the public offering you the chance to meet the team from Rydon Construction who have been hard at work making the new Heritage and Learning Centre a reality. Drop by and take a look at some of the plans for what's going to be inside – or book on a hard hat tour and explore the building. Book online at: www.cliftonbridge.org.uk/events ■ The team at independent estate agent Property Concept are celebrating 20 years in business this month. Based in Clifton and headed up by Tracy Robertson, the team has always been fiercely independent, successfully matching people with homes in Bristol for 20 years. To celebrate, the office has had a major £100,000 refit, and used local interior designers Bracey Interiors. Visit: www.propertyconcept.co.uk ■ The new gorilla house at Bristol Zoo has won the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors’ South West Design Through Innovation award 2014 for its inspirational and innovative design. The £1.4 million refurbishment features an overhead glass panel, allowing guests to see gorillas walking above – the first design of its kind in the world. The project has also been shortlisted for the national RICS awards final later in the year.
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t-Bristol has embarked on an exciting new project in collaboration with Almondsbury Garden Centre and Incredible Edible Bristol – an edible urban allotment on Millennium Square in the Harbourside. The first of the five raised beds was planted last month, with the following ones planned for the autumn when growing is at its prime. There’s a whole mixture of plants being grown, including sprouts, kale, marrows, squashes and pumpkins – to be ready in time for autumn. Ellie Hatto, head of estates for At-Bristol, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for people to see where food comes from, using our public spaces to do so. The idea of filling the raised beds with edible foods instead of inedible plants and trees is to tie in with At-Bristol’s latest exhibition, Food!,
BRISTOL UPDATES First specialist Teenage Cancer Unit in the south west opens
Last month Sarah, Duchess of York and world snooker players Judd Trump and Jack Lisowski officially opened the first specialist Teenage Cancer Trust unit in the south west at Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre (BHOC), which will support young people with cancer from Bath and Bristol. This new eight bed state-of-the-art unit, Teenage Cancer Trust patron Sarah, Duchess of York, alongside named Area 61, offers 16 to 24 year young cancer patients and professional snooker players Judd Trump and Jack Lisowski olds a place to receive treatment where they can feel at home, as well as access to treatment via a team of specialist doctors, nurses and youth support staff who are all experts in teenage and young adult cancer care. Area 61 includes five en-suite bedrooms with sofa beds for family and friends to stay overnight as well as a large social area and a kitchen and dining space.
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which will allow our visitors to follow the journey of food from plot to plate to palate, with lots of fun, hands-on activities.” Sara Venn, from Incredible Edible Bristol, said: “Our hope is that people will see the raised beds and be inspired to recreate similar projects within their communities, and hope that Incredible Edible Bristol will be able to support them in any way they need to do so.”
■ Broadmead has welcomed the opening of Co-LAB, an independent venture providing a window into Bristol’s alternative arts scene. Granting creative businesses and talented individuals affordable retail space in the heart of the city centre, Co-LAB enables them to operate, grow and flourish within the community. The result is a vibrant creative hub hosting the work of more than 100 local artists, designers, makers and creators. It also gives the public the opportunity to browse a diverse range of original gifts and alternative clothing lines as well as unique prints by artists such as the self-made painter, illustrator and print artist, James Starr and the innovative artist, Bex Glover. Expanding from its previous shop on Nelson Street to a larger space on Merchant Street, the new venue also offers a high-quality art printing service and will soon be joined by a pop-up community café. For further information visit: www.bristolcolab.com
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MARIANNE FRY LECTURE 2014 Help Jaye to walk unaided!!
Jaye is a 5 year old Bristol boy who happens to suffer from Cerebral Palsy. He is in need of an operation to help him walk unaided but, except in very few circumstances, the operation is not funded by the NHS. Thanks to local Bristol people, efforts are ongoing to raise enough money for Jaye’s family to fund the cost of his operation and ongoing treatments. To celebrate the efforts to date and continue the good work Yia Mass would like to invite you to an evening of fundraising and celebration on Thursday 14 August. Complimentary mezze and Yia Mass shots, live DJ, raffles and more...
Entrance is free but any donations on the night will be most welcome. Yia Mass Thursday 14 August 2014 Open: 6.00pm to 4.30am https://www.justgiving.com/AFRSjaye2walk
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Bristol and Exeter House, Lower Approach, Temple Meads, Bristol BS1 6QS Telephone: 0117 974 2800 www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk
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Moving Beyond ‘Who's to Blame?’ A Critique of Complaints Procedures Toni Gilligan
Saturday 27th September, 2014, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm Armada House, Bristol Most participants at this lecture will subscribe to a post-modern selfworld view: the view that our phenomenal world is best described as a field, a process of “merging and interpenetrating aspects of one whole reality which is indivisible and unanalysable” (Bohm 1980, p9). As experienced practitioners, thinkers and activists, we hold that we are all part of a whole, inseparable from and co-creating of each other. We practice this in our therapy room, in our rhetoric, but do we in our dealings with each other? Toni will argue that in our Codes of Ethics and Complaints Procedures, we do not. If I form you and you me, what is individual responsibility? What of ‘naming and shaming’? How can we abide by codes of ethics and complaints procedures that have banishment as the ultimate sanction? Is it even possible to remove a part of the whole? Toni will outline the contradictions and suggest what post-modernist codes and complaints procedures might look like. In the afternoon session, participants will be invited to experiment with the ideas and, using role plays, explore some of the implications for practice. Toni Gilligan M.Phil, is a UKCP Psychotherapist. She is a senior gestalt psychotherapist and supervisor and has been a Director of The Gestalt Centre London for almost twenty years, where she teaches and is director of the psychotherapy training programme. She originally trained as a clinical psychologist, and has worked in adult psychiatry and substance misuse in the NHS and the voluntary sector. She is one of the UK’s leading trainers of Motivational Interviewing and has produced training DVDs of this practice. She believes there is more scope for applying the principal insights of Gestalt Therapy to social and political issues and has conducted conference workshops exploring the application of Gestalt Therapy theory to power. More recently she has become engaged with how we use our voices and the power of singing and runs workshops on ‘Giving Voice’. Toni’s interest in the contradiction of complaints procedures started with her experience, in a number of settings, of living with competing world views. In the NHS, alongside a lot of care and thoughtful, humanistic practice she also witnessed and felt the forces derived from an organic view and the fear of the mentally unwell. As a woman of mixed heritage she lives with sometimes deeply competing cultural views. The cost of the day, including lunch and refreshments, is £72, and a concessionary rate of £44 for trainees. A bookstall will be present. For more details about the day and the venue,go to the website at www.mariannefrylectures.co.uk, where you can also book a place. The Marianne Fry Lectures began after her death in 1998. Her friends and students wanted to perpetuate the values and interests of a distinguished and beloved Gestalt trainer. The lectures are centred around her interests; these were eclectic, and included Gestalt, Buddhism, spirituality, Germany and the Holocaust, dialogue, and family therapy.
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WEEKEND | BREAK
A welcome in the hillside Georgette McCready visits some of the free National Museums of Wales as she explores a beautiful area of south Wales – and offers up ten reasons to venture across the Severn Crossing
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t’s hard to imagine now what life was like when there was no bridge between the south west and Wales, when people had to queue to take the ferry across. But since the 1960s when the Severn Bridge was opened, we’ve taken it for granted that we can drive across a superbly engineered structure high above the waters of the wide river and be in south Wales in a matter of minutes. I was reflecting on this the other day as we drove home from a weekend break in the Welsh countryside. We’d elected to come back across the old Severn Bridge and looking at the mass of wildflowers and long grass growing in the central reservation we concluded that this stretch of the M48 must be one of the least travelled stretches of motorway for miles around. The M4 is great for getting from A to B, but sometimes it’s nice to take a slower, quieter route and enjoy the chance to look at towns, villages and the verdant countryside that make this part of Wales so attractive. We were staying at Best Western’s Parkway Hotel and Spa at Cwmbran, owned by the de Savary group and a good base for exploring the area. The Severn crossing toll may stand at a hefty £6.40 these days, but the good news is that you’ll recoup that money if you visit any of the Welsh national museums, as entry to them is free. That’s right. Free. We’ve found you ten good reasons to cross the bridge: ❶ St Fagans Natural History Museum, just off the M4 J33 near Cardiff. You could easily spend all day at this open-air museum set in beautiful grounds, and it’s one for all ages from tinies who will like running about and the well equiped playgrounds, to grandparents who will enjoy the nostalgic element of the place. The museum consists of real buildings – houses, shops, a school and others – that have been painstakingly moved from their original spot to be reconstructed and furnished as they used to be. Admission is free and there’s usually the chance to watch the old crafts in action, whether it be a blacksmith, a clogmaker or some aspect of farming. ❷ The National Roman History Museum at Caerleon, near Newport. Here you’ll find the most fully excavated Roman amphitheatre in the country. 60 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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There are no queues, very little in the way of signs or ‘keep off’ notices and the free admission means you can really enjoy taking the children for an experience of hands-on history. I defy anyone not to do a bit of gladiator pretend fighting when standing in the centre of the ring, facing the ranks of the imaginary Roman crowd around you. It’s incredible to think this was built in the 1st century. In the same town there’s Roman museum and a museum which houses part of the old baths. The special effects of people ‘swimming’ beneath you really brings this to life. ❸ The Big Pit National Coal Museum at Blaenafon. Another free Welsh national museum and a good one for children who will enjoy the underground tours, with the chance to wear a miner’s head lamp and to find out how tough life was for the miners. This was once a working coal mine, so again, history is brought vividly to life by experiencing it on the spot. ❹ Cardiff Castle. Admission to the castle is not free. But during the weekend of Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 August there’ll be Grand Medieval Melee with plenty of sword on sword action as the knights get stuck in for some competitive combat. Admission to that weekend event is £6 (children £4). Visit: www.cardiffcastle.com. ❺ Brecon Jazz Festival, 7 – 10 August. One for the adults. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year’s festival features veteran Burt Bacharach and rising star Gregory Porter, along with many others. Visit: www.breconjazz.com. ❻ Head for the nearby Brecon Beacons National Park for some beautiful walks and fabulous views. If you’re feeling energetic why not tackle Pen Y Fan, the highest peak in southern Britain, at just under 3,000 feet. There is a well marked trail but if you are taking children take some food and drink with you for the trek and make sure they’re wrapped up well as it can get cold at the top. Look for trails and routes (including the chance to visit waterfalls), visit: www.breaconbeacons.org. ❼ Castles and ancient monuments. There are lots of these to explore, from the picturesque Tintern Abbey to Abergavenny Castle, scene of the Christmas Day massacre of the 12th century and of action during the Civil War of the 17th century.
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WEEKEND | BREAK
CROESO Y CYMRU: main picture, one of the historic Welsh cottages re-built at St Fagans open air museum Inset, historic reenactments at the Roman amphitheatre at Caerleon Above, sunny scenes from the Parkway Hotel and Spa at Cwmbran, a good base from which to explore south east Wales
❽ Cardiff. The capital city offers much to do, from wandering along the Bay enjoying the waterside to myriad opportunities for shopping. Catch a big sporting occasion at the Millennium Stadium or book tickets for a show at the Millennium Centre. The National Theatre’s acclaimed production of War Horse is at the centre until 19 July. ❾ Beaches. Head down to Porthcawl for sandy beaches and if you’re lucky, some surf. Or on cooler days enjoy exploring the Glamorgan Heritage Coast path walks. ❿ The Parkway Hotel and Spa, Cwmbran. Hats off to the largely young and local staff at the hotel for making guests feel at ease. Spotlessly clean and nicely presented, the hotel has rooms on the ground floor (ask when booking as there is no lift) and first floor. Afternoon teas in the big lounge or out on the sunny terrace are popular. Dai the hotel gardener has done wonders with the seven acres, which include lawns where rabbits nibble and well planted displays of summer colour. Although convenient for access to other places and lying tucked away off an industrial estate, this is a quiet spot surrounded by trees and greenery. Hotel guests also enjoy the use of The Colonial
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spa with indoor pool, gym and use of the loungers in the conservatory and outdoor suntrap gardens. The four star hotel also has Ravellos restaurant, with a nightly carvery or table d’hote menu and The Beauty Rooms where guests can book treatments from manicures to massage. It’s easy to see why this is a one-stop destination for so many wedding parties. There are thoughtful little touches, like the garden games of giant chess, croquet, badminton and boules, or the Dragon’s Den with its wide screen TV, giving guests a lounge away from the main area for those all-important rugby matches. At weekends there’s gentle live music, with couples taking to the dancefloor for a twirl, or singing along to familar favourites. The Parkway is already taking bookings for its themed Christmas party nights which this year centre around the musical film Grease. Party nights, to include entertainment and dinner, are £38, with B&B at £85 for a double room. To ask about deals and offers on accommodation call 01633 871199 and talk to the reception staff who’ll be happy to help. ■ Parkway Hotel and Spa, Cwmbran Drive, Cwmbran, Newport, Gwent NP44 3UW.
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FAMILY | WHAT’S ON
SUMMER FUN Use our guide to plan quality time with your little ones this month. From family friendly theatre and steam train rides to storytelling, outdoor adventures and creative activities, there’s something for all ages to enjoy
Wallace & Gromit from the drawing board
enchanting piece of dance theatre for young children and their families. The show takes you on a fun-filled magical journey through the seasons, from the seed-sprouting vitality of spring all the way to the frosty frozen fingers of winter. Children and adults will be captivated by the combination of Travelling Light’s renowned brand of performance, music and design with choreography from Joel Daniel. Tickets £7 from the box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com
Bristol Harbour Railway Train Rides, 5 & 6 July and 19 & 20 July, 11am-5pm Be transported back to the days of steam and take a ride along the harbour on the Henbury Steam Locomotive. Rides all day £4, single/return to SS Great Britain £1/£2, single/return to Create Centre £2/£3, under 6s travel free.
Wallace & Gromit From the Drawing Board, M Shed, until 7 September Immerse yourself in the story-making process of Aardman’s award-winning Wallace & Gromit films. Wander through a home developed by Aardman, especially for M Shed, and experience the quirky and the unexpected. Find out how the funny storylines are created, what inspires their Bristol based makers and see how the much loved characters have developed over time. You’ll be able to see recognisable film sets, Nick Park’s notebook and see the rocket from A Grand Day Out. Tickets: adult £5.95, child £3.95, conc. £4.95. Family tickets £14.95. Free days: Wednesday 16 July and Wednesday 20 August.
Get Creative, M Shed, Every Thursday, 10am - 12pm To coincide with the M Shed’s Wallace & Gromit From the Drawing Board exhibition, every week there’s an opportunity to get your creative juices flowing, inspired by everyday objects and the world of Wallace & Gromit. Artists will be on hand with a few simple materials to help you create some amazing characters, stories and plots. Free with exhibition entry. Activity takes place in the Kitchen within the exhibition.
Book launch, Foyles Bookshop, Saturday 5 July, 3pm Bristol author Huw Powell is launching his new children’s adventure series for 8-12 year olds. Spacejackers is his first novel and follows the character of Jake Cutler, who is on the run. He’s being chased by space pirates but he doesn’t know why. Saved by the crew of a rusty old spaceship called the Dark Horse, Jake sets off on an adventure through the seven solar systems. But will he discover the truth about his past before the space pirates catch up with him? See Huw talk about the book at Foyles and you may also be lucky enough to catch him at one of the 15 schools that he’ll be visiting too.
Festival of Archaeology, Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives, 12 – 26 July
How Cold My Toes, Brewery Theatre, Wednesday 2 – Sunday 6 July
Join in with a packed programme of events as part of the national Festival of Archaeology at Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives. On Saturday 12 July, 10am-4pm at Kings Weston Roman Villa, discover the food of the Roman Empire, handle real Roman objects and join in with Roman inspired activities. On Friday 25 July, 10am-4pm at M Shed learn more about Bristol’s medieval past, handle real medieval objects, make a pilgrim badge and enjoy the chance to sail on The Matthew. Find out about the festival and the full programme of events at: archaeologyfestival.org.uk
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Travelling Light return to the Brewery Theatre with an
The Three Billy Goats Gruff Storywalk,
Sea Hear Storytelling, SS Great Britain, Tuesday 1 July, 11am, Free imaginative sea-faring adventures for preschool children. Sarah Mooney’s mix of original tales with new twists on classic legends reveal the mayhem of life on board the ship.
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Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre, Friday 18 July, 11.30am12.15pm or 2pm-2.45pm Help to tell the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff as you cross the bridge in search of lush, green grass. Find out what goats look like, try and spot some trolls and explore words. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free event but must be booked online at: www.cliftonbridge.org.uk/events
SS Great Britain at the Bristol Harbour Festival, 19 & 20 July In partnership with BBC Bristol, the SS Great Britain will once again be hosting a music stage and market on Brunel Square, with storytelling from Mr Brunel, Victorian dress-up and much more.
Go Behind the Scenes: Dino Delights, Wednesday 30 July, 11am – 3pm Discover the secret world of the museum’s geology collections, home to the bones of the Bristol dinosaur and friends. Tours every 30 mins. Book at reception on the day.
Outdoor theatre: Alice in Wonderland, Wild Place Project, Saturday 9 August For one evening only, Alice, White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, and the Mad Hatter will be performing live, courtesy of Cambridge Touring Theatre, in the Wild Place Project’s Tower Meadow. Entry to the Wild Place Project (from 4pm) is included with the performance ticket price, giving guests the chance to explore the park and see the animals before the show. Tickets cost £13.50 per adult and £6.50 for children. Available from: www.wildplace.org.uk
Leap of Faith at Wild Place Project The Wild Place Project has unveiled its new adventure course, Leap of Faith, which stands 12 metres tall and is a test of nerves for all the family, with seven different climbing and exhilarating challenges to take on. On the 3G Power Swing participants are hauled into the air while strapped to a giant swing via a harness before the release pin is pulled, plunging the swing through the air at high speed. There are also climbing walls, a leap of faith, a crate stack challenge, a climbing pole and giant ladder. Tickets cost from £8 per person and is available for aged 5+. For more information visit: www.wildplace.org.uk
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HEALTH | & BEAUTY
ACTIVE EVENTS ■ On Saturday 26 July get your family and friends together for an evening 10k walk at the beautiful Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire for Marie Curie’s Walk Ten fundraising event. Walk Ten at Badminton Estate starts at 6.30pm and participants will have the opportunity to stroll through the grounds of the striking property, home to a large number of deer and other wildlife, as the sun sets. Following the walk there will be entertainment for the whole family such as live music and fireworks at 10pm. Registration is £10 per person (children under 16 go free; on the night adult registration is £20) and everyone is asked to raise as much as possible in support of Marie Curie. All the funds raised will help Marie Curie provide care, free of charge, to terminally ill people in their own homes. Register at: www.mariecurie.org.uk/walkten
FIT & FAB The latest health and beauty news in the city
HOLIDAY SPACE-SAVERS Be smart when packing your suitcase for your holiday and try space-saving with these handy travel items that mean you don’t have to go without your luxuries
A Marie Curie nurse with Walk Ten participants
■ Families in Bristol are being challenged to take part in a charity buggy push up through Ashton Court on Saturday 5 July to help raise funds and awareness for For-Ethiopia, a charity that works to improve the situation of women giving birth in Ethiopia. Meet in the bottom courtyard of Ashton Court, by the mansion house and then push on up through the park following the main path, which will be marked-out with balloons in bright Ethiopian colours, to the top café, where you will receive a certificate and drink. To take part there is a donation of between £5 and £10 per family – with all the money going directly to the charity. For more information visit: www.for-ethiopia.com ■ There is still time to register for the annual Run for the Future on Bristol’s Downs which takes place on Sunday 14 September to help raise funds for the Bristol Urological Institute Prostate Cancer Appeal based at Southmead Hospital. Since the first run nine years ago over £250,000 has been raised to support the research and treatment of prostate cancer in Bristol. Run for the Future is a 5k family funrun open to all ages and abilities and participants can either walk, run or jog around the course. There will also be stalls and local bands playing before the run to provide entertainment and refreshments. Register for this year’s event by going to: www.runforthefuture.org.uk
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Above, clockwise from top left: Get Set... Go Travel Hair Dryer, folds up neatly, £15 from M&S; India Hicks Little Luxuries featuring hand therapy, body lotion and shower gel, £12 from Crabtree & Evelyn; Total Care Dental Kit, all held in one small container, £3 from M&S; Button Rose large quilted cosmetic bag to carry skincare, body products and makeup, £28 from Cath Kidston; 2 in 1 lip and cheek stain from Body Shop
NEWS IN BRIEF ■ A new form of radiotherapy treatment designed to help breast cancer patients is available for the first time in Bristol at Spire The Glen Hospital in Clifton. Only accessible at a few hospitals in the UK, the groundbreaking treatment, known as Single Dose Intra-Operative Radiotherapy (SD-IORT); is a type of highly targeted radiotherapy treatment that is delivered while people are still in theatre so patients can have their surgery and radiotherapy in just one session. It is designed for women with early stage breast cancer who are undergoing lumpectomy operations to remove cancerous tumours. Simon Cawthorn, consultant breast cancer surgeon at Spire Bristol, said: “Not only does SD-IORT cause less disruption for the patient, as in most cases there is no need to travel to future radiotherapy appointments, but recovery times are also shorter as healthy tissue is preserved and not exposed to the
radiotherapy.” Delivered as a mobile service at Spire Bristol by Oncotherapy Resources Ltd, it is suitable for patients who are over 45 and with small tumours that have not spread to the lymph nodes. This month Spire Bristol will also be opening a new standalone £13 million cancer centre at Aztec West, offering people access to some of the most advanced and radiotherapy treatments available. ■ Bristol’s only adult hospice, St Peter’s Hospice, is appealing for volunteers to sign up as marshals for its Midnight Walk on Saturday 12 July, beginning and ending at Ashton Gate Stadium. The 5-mile or 10-mile walk is for women only and takes in Bristol landmarks including the SS Great Britain and the Clifton Suspension Bridge. As well as finding willing walkers the charity needs people to help out along the route, making sure the walkers stay safe. To sign up to be a volunteer contact tel: 01275 391428 or email: maria.moonpark@stpetershospice.org
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Mum, voiceover artist and BBC Radio Bristol presenter, Faye Dicker, meets the Bristol businesses that make family life easier...
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amily supper clubs have started to pop up around Bristol and I’m pleased to say that my brood and I have recently eaten at two of them. It’s dining out with a difference. If you’re anything like me, meal times can be a hit and miss affair and there’s nothing more disheartening than watching your lovingly cooked meal pushed to one side by a two-year-old saying ‘no Mummy’. Yet eating out is hardly a relaxing experience either. Even the most family friendly pubs can be a big ask for little ones – there is only so much colouring in they can do while waiting at the dinner table. So when I heard that The Hungry Caterpillar play café in Bedminster was starting a monthly supper club, I was keen to try it. Already regulars there in the day, it didn’t take much to convince us to eat there in the evening as a family. With five courses of dim sum at £25 a head and children eating for free, it was perfect. Not to mention there was a children’s entertainer. No stranger to the play café by day, Jemima knew the drill – shoes off at the carpet and made a bee line for the huge wooden fire engine, her favourite toy. With fewer children there than in the day and Peppa Pig projected on the wall, there was more than enough to keep her entertained as we tucked into sticky rice. As for Suki – well, only a matter of a few weeks old, she was just happy to snuggle in at the table and zonked out to the chatter of the background sounds. A far cry from what she would normally be like at home. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, The Playful Café – just off the
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Gloucester Road, has also started family supper clubs. With a background in catering and an Italian family at the helm, they were serving up tapas for £4.50 a course, with a minimum of four courses per person. With free flowing sangria all evening, it made for a very pleasant night! The billing was simple, but bang on – ‘they play, you relax and eat, everyone’s happy’ – they couldn’t be more right. Lets face it, happy children make for happy grown-ups. This time a new set of toys to discover for Jemima, while mummy and daddy tucked into calamari and meatballs. Suki zonked. There were free snacks for under fives, singing and story time, it really couldn’t have been more thoughtful. With two rooms, you could choose whether to eat in the main play area, or away from the thick of it, for a quieter experience. We opted to be in the main arena eating our tapas, in between talking to Nana on the toy phone. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m aware there are lots of other establishments where families can eat out, but seldom is the mix quite so right. You’re either compromising on the food, or the atmosphere – someone in the party is always missing out. Not this time. In both cases, every one was catered for. Both clubs were BYO, which is always a great money saver, plus you’re not scrabbling around trying to find a babysitter. We packed their pyjamas, so at the end of the evening they could be bundled in the camper, all ready for bed – making it feel even more of an adventure. There is something about dining in a warm and relaxing atmosphere which makes the world feel right again. Let’s face it, as parents to little ones, eating out isn’t quite what it used to be. Besides, you want to enjoy an evening as a family – with family supper clubs, you can. Cinderella can finally go to the ball.■ The Hungry Caterpillar play café
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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 65
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HEALTH | & BEAUTY
Holiday must-haves Whether it’s the heat of Hawaii, the romance of Rome or the temptation of Thailand, wherever you’re heading off for your summer sojourn make sure you’ve room in your suitcase for the ultimate beauty essentials. We asked Rachelle Howells, beauty manager at Harvey Nichols Bristol, to reveal the products she wouldn’t leave home without
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:Crème de la Mer Mist, £50; 2: Xen Tan Perfect Blend shimmer bronzer, £35; 3: Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight EDT, £52 (75ml); 4: Cowshed travel candles, £22; 5: Rosebud Perfume Company EOS lip balm, £7.50; 6: Moroccanoil travel luxuries, £34; 7: Show Beauty hair treatment oil, £50; 8: Nails Inc St Martin’s Lane Modern Art nail varnish, £12; 9: Jo Malone Amber & Lavender Bath Oil, £38; 10: Crème de la Mer Reparative Sun Lotion SPF30, £65. All products featured are available from the ground floor beauty hall at Harvey Nichols Bristol.
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Kelly French Professional
Foot Care
Treatment in the comfort of your own home For the professional treatment of: • Corns
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• Ingrowing Toe Nails Contact Kelly On: 07896152413 Email: kelly_french_4@hotmail.com S.A.C. Dip. (Foot Health Practioner)
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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 67
College of Naturopathic Medicine fp July.qxp_Layout 23 16/06/2014 11:03 Page 1
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Fat and Sugar: What do you feed your children? By Rebecca Edwards, Nutritional Therapist, Naturopath, Mother, and lecturer at CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine). Join Rebecca’s free talk on this subject on 26th June.
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hat could be more important than what you feed your child? His or her physical and mental development is heavily dependent on it. What you put on the plate today can also set the stage for his or her long-term health or susceptibility to disease in adulthood. The subject of what to feed your child is a baffling one for most parents, who are bombarded with conflicting messages. At my free talk in Bristol on 26th June, I shall cut-through the hype to give you practical ideas about how to meet your child’s need for nutrients in an easy way that tastes good. Does fat make children obese? Are all sugars bad for you? Are low-fat and low-sugar products really a healthy option? How can my child get sufficient protein? Can we trust food industry-lobbyists who advise the government, to give us the best advice? Fats All fats, like all sugars, are not equal. Our brains are the biggest users of healthy fats and children have an especially high requirement for them. Yes, that includes saturated fats, too! Insufficient quantities of saturated fats for a growing brain can result in behavioural and learning difficulties. They form the building blocks for cell membranes in the brain, and are essential for immune system function and nerve signalling. Healthy sources of saturated fats include coconut oil, nuts and seeds, coconut butter, and organic dairy butter. Omega 3, which you may have heard about, is a polyunsaturated fat and one of the essential fatty acids (EFAs) which we need. The best sources, in its most easy to metabolize form, include oily fish, and organic butter from cows fed on grass. Deficiency in EFAs is linked to childhood behavioural difficulties and poor sleep patterns. Conversely, high levels of EFAs in children are associated with better concentration and learning. On the other side, we have man-made trans fat, also known as hydrogenated fat or oil. It was widely used to increase the shelf-life of processed foods like margarine, biscuits and cakes, and was for years hyped as being good for your heart. Finally, it was acknowledged that trans fat raises ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol and lowers ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol, which can increase risk of heart disease, now the leading killer of adults in developed countries. Whilst many food manufacturers have quietly removed trans fat from their products, if you want to avoid it, check the label. Sugar Whilst it is horribly true that our young are eating far too much refined sugar, coverage of the issue has left many parents 68 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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with the impression that eating an apple, which is naturally full of sugar, is just as bad, so they should be looking for low-sugar products instead! I despair! Whole fruit comes complete with fibre, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, whilst ‘low-sugar’ processed foods often come with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, which many claim induce a range of adverse health effects. Sweet foods which children eat should contain high levels of nutrients, so refined carbohydrates, like flour and sugar, should be replaced in the diet by nutrient dense wholefoods, like dates, or Rebecca Edwards homemade oat bars. At my talk I’ll be sharing a recipe for a cake made with sweet potatoes, dates and tahini. My son Jolyon and his little friends don’t know it’s healthy, but they’re quite certain it’s delicious! Book now for Rebecca’s free talk:
FREE CNM events in Bristol Thursday 26th June 5.30pm-6.30pm FREE Health Talk Fat and Sugar: What do you feed your children? By Rebecca Edwards. Venue: The Betterfood Company, The Proving House, Sevier Street, BS2 9LB
Please reserve your place – see below.
Thursday 10th July 6.30pm-8.30pm FREE CNM Open Evening Find out about training with CNM Bristol for a career in Naturopathic Nutrition or Naturopathic Acupuncture. Venue: Trinity College, Stoke Hill, Stoke Bishop, Bristol, BS9 1JP FREE ENTRANCE, but please reserve your place at either event:
01342 410 505 info@naturopathy-uk.com
www.naturopathy-uk.com
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Mindful Psychology fp.qxp_Layout 23 20/06/2014 14:54 Page 1
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ARE YOU STRESSED, ANXIOUS, WORRIED AND RUNNING ON EMPTY? By Dr Amanda Kinsella, Psychologist and mindfulness specialist www.mindfulpsychology.co.uk
All of us will encounter ups and downs in our lives, and modern day living brings daily stresses and anxieties, whether it be work related, relationship or lifestyle. Stresses can be cumulative and when left untreated can seriously weaken the immune system and have devastating effects on mental wellness.
Whether you wish to work with us on an individual basis or within a group, we will help you make positive changes. We are an approachable team of professionals and to aid you in finding out more, we offer a free consultation or if you prefer, why not come along to our open day or evening. This is a chance to meet the team and find out more about our courses and the MIAP approach. So please give us a call and take the first step towards a happier life.
There is no doubt that stress is a factor of modern life, but a lot of stress is driven by anxiety and the constant need to be caught up thinking about your past and future, which prevents you from focusing on the present. A common mistake is that we see © Stephen Morris the mind as fixed and solid, when we relate to our minds in this way our thoughts become facts, opening the gate to unhelpful coping mechanisms, over eating, drinking, smoking and habituated patterns of behaviour. You may seek to change this behaviour but often you either feel stuck, or unable to sustain the change. Interestingly, we are also seeing increased reports of young people feeling stressed, anxious and depressed. So in our opinion it makes good sense to train our minds from adolescence to adulthood. Training the mind to respond differently to modern day living before it has serious consequences for your health. Here at mindful psychology, we see mindfulness and psychological coaching as an excellent life skill, supporting you to develop sustainable, healthier lifestyles. Mindfulness has been clinically proven to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and improve levels of happiness and contentment. Mindfulness gives insight to your emotions and changes the relationship you have with yourself, others and the world around you. It helps to break the feedback loops between the body and thinking that drives unhelpful behaviours, enabling you to stay present, acting compassionately toward yourself and others, while making wise lifestyle choices. We are the leading providers of psychological mindfulness coaching therapy and enrichment programmes for schools, business and individuals. Our Mindful in Action Programme (MIAP) is unique, and all our programmes are delivered by chartered doctors of psychology, dedicated to the MIAP approach. Our courses are innovative and supported by cutting edge research. You will work with highly skilled, clinically trained psychologists and included in the costs of the MIAP course, is a tailored action plan with bespoke psychological coaching sessions, enabling you to achieve your personal goals, reduce stress, worry less and make sustainable change.
FREE MIAP Open Day / Eve Wed 23rd July 11am – 1pm or 7 – 9pm Come and meet Dr Kinsella and the team to hear more about our Sept. 10th course Alternatively book a free private consultation For details and to reserve your place 0117 973 1332 www.mindfulpsychology.co.uk
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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 71
VICTORIA ROSE BEAUTY_PIF Full Page 18/06/2014 15:25 Page 1
CITY SANCTUARY
Samantha Coleman visits the recently refurbished and rebranded Clifton Therapy Centre – now Victoria Rose Beauty Salon – and discovers an oasis of calm in a bustling area
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t’s quite rare to find a city centre beauty salon that allows you to escape from the hustle and bustle of its surroundings – but one small salon located in the buzz of North Street has managed to achieve just that. It’s hard to believe that you’re in Bristol here – it feels more like a countryside retreat – inside there’s no traffic noise or voices chattering, just a peaceful setting with gentle spa music and aromatherapy scents, encouraging you to let go and enjoy your treatment. When you enter Victoria Rose beauty salon, you are immediately greeted by a serene ambience and elegant décor that lifts your spirit and washes any woes away. There are three treatment rooms here – each one offering an oasis of calm where you can relax, be pampered and emerge feeling revitalised. Tucked away outside there’s also a pretty pebbled tranquility garden where you can go to relax with a herbal tea after your treatment. Victoria Rose beauty salon was actually formed as Clifton Therapy Centre in 1997 and moved from Granby Hill in Clifton to North Street in 2011 where it has continued to service and grow its client base. In order to avoid any confusion however, the salon, owned by Rebecca Farrell, decided to rebrand as Victoria Rose a couple of months ago, and was given a gorgeous spring facelift too. Following the rebrand the salon has been inspected by the Good Salon Guide and was awarded the top accolade of 5 Stars. With five experienced beauty therapists, Victoria Rose offers a wide range of treatments – from waxing, manicures and pedicures, to massage, male grooming, facials and tanning. I indulged in a Pevonia facial (£50, 1 hour) specially tailored to my sensitive skin. A new addition to the salon’s offerings, the Pevonia skincare products contain the finest natural marine and botanical ingredients, combined with technologically advanced formulas to deliver visible results. So no parabens, petrolatum or artificial fragrances – which is good news for those of us who are just as careful about what we put on our skin as we are about what we eat. Using beautiful-smelling – and non-harsh – products, my friendly therapist Shannon started by gently cleansing and exfoliating my skin to help it decongest and diffuse redness. She then applied a nourishing and cooling cream mask, and while this was left to work its magic, she gave me a blissful hand and neck massage. This was then followed by a soothing sensitive cream which left my skin feeling fresh and calm. I emerged from the treatment room and into the sunny garden with a cup of peppermint tea feeling relaxed and rejuvenated – it was just what I needed. The next day my skin looked noticeably clearer, hydrated, smooth and a lot brighter. All facials at the salon are personalised and tailored to accommodate the needs of your skin, so you know that you will always receive a beneficial treatment. As well as traditional salon offerings, Victoria Rose also provides many state of the art clinical treatments, including natural facial peels, fillers, Botox, the G5 cellulite machine, IPL, thread vein removal and semi-permanent makeup. n Victoria Rose beauty salon, 265 North Street, Southville, Bristol BS3 1JN. For further information visit: www.victoriarosebeauty.co.uk, or to make a booking tel: 0117 930 0365. 72 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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SPORTS INJURIES SORTED
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ummer is finally here and the warmer weather mixed with longer days means even more of us are getting outdoors to exercise and take part in our favourite sports. Running, cycling, football and tennis are all once again top of the agenda and our bodies can really benefit from this boost in physical activity. Our hearts and lungs get stronger, joints become more flexible and muscles are kept subtle, resulting in greater all-round fitness. However, participating in sport does mean that extra stress is placed upon the body and there is the risk of suffering a related injury. Mr Hywel Davies is a specialist Hywel Davies Orthopaedic consultant at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital – The Chesterfield and has a special interest in sports injuries and reconstructive surgery of the knee. He said: “There’s a lot you can do to help prevent yourself from getting injured. It sounds simple but making sure you’re wearing the correct protective gear and warming up properly before any exercise can really go a long way in keeping you safe and healthy. It’s also important to ease your way into any increase in physical exertion so that you can be sure you’re ‘match fit’.” But if the worst does happen, Nuffield Health’s specialists can use the body's own healing mechanisms to not only effectively treat an injury but also help prevent the occurrence of future injuries by strengthening particularly vulnerable parts of the body. “When it comes to sports injuries, fast effective treatment is exactly what you need. Whether you are a professional athlete, an amateur sports person or you suffer from the pain of arthritis, it’s always a good idea to seek professional help as early on as possible so that we can help advise on the best course of treatment. “At The Chesterfield, our patients benefit from integrated, personalised care with easy and rapid access to a whole range of expert consultants and stateof-the-art diagnostic tools. We also provide tailor-made rehabilitation after surgery through our Fitness & Wellbeing Centre. For example, after we treat someone for a hip or knee injury we provide them with up to three months of expert aftercare and physiotherapy, including a specially trained Recovery Coach to develop a bespoke diet and exercise plan. WWW.THEBRISTOLMAGAZINE.CO.UK
“I’d recommend anyone currently suffering from chronic hip or knee pain attend our free event on Tuesday 4 August at 6.30pm to find out how we might be able to help.” Top tips for avoiding sports injuries • Develop a proper routine of pre-season exercise. Start slowly, ideally 4-6 weeks before the start of the season, and build up your fitness. • Warm up sufficiently to help prevent rupturing or tearing muscles. • After exercising don't just stop, keep muscles moving at a lesser rate for five minutes then stretch gently. • Pick the right shoe for the sport – don't play squash in trainers and don't jog in a tennis shoe. • Avoid jogging on pavements - keep on the grass
Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital The Chesterfield is hosting a free Let’s Talk Hips and Knees event on Tuesday 4 August from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The event is open to everyone and offers the chance to meet with Mr Hywel Davies, as well as Mr Richard P Baker, joint replacement specialist, and Andrea George, chief physiotherapist. For more information visit www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol or call 0117 405 8507.
Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital The Chesterfield, 3 Clifton Hill, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1BN Tel: 0117 405 8507 • www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol JULY 2014
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Centuries old mud Get a glimpse into what medieval England might have looked like with a walk through the ancient woods near Wickwar – but wear boots as it could be wet underfoot, warns Andrew Swift
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ver a millennium ago, the Anglo Saxons christened a stretch of woodland between Hawkesbury and Wickwar ‘horwudu’ – muddy wood. Today it is known, more prosaically, as Lower Woods, but the mud is still there – fortuitously so, for the heavy clay that turns its tracks to quagmires has made the land useless for cultivation. Without the mud, the woods would have been cleared centuries ago; as it is, they are among the finest ancient woodlands in the country, now maintained by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, and a superb place for a leisurely – if soggy – walk. Logs have been laid across some of the swampier parts but by no means all. You will also be fording a couple of watercourses, which may be fast-flowing after rain, so stout walking boots – or even wellingtons – are recommended. One feature of the woods is a network of broad paths, known as trenches – a word used for describing woodland tracks that fell into general disuse around 500 years ago – and at times on this walk there is a real sense that you are glimpsing what much of medieval England may once have looked like. Lower Woods are also rich in wildlife, and, while the bluebells for which they are famous have faded, orchids, bugle, dog roses, red campion and ragged robin have taken their place. The turning to Lower Woods is on a minor road midway between Wickwar and Hawkesbury Upton, opposite Inglestone Farm (ST749885), from where a 600-metre drive along a deeply-rutted track leads to a clearing with room for about 20 cars (ST746880). Before setting off on the walk, look out for a box which should contain guides to the reserve. Beside it is a gate with an information board beyond it. Don’t go through it, but follow a track to the left, with a sign for Bucklesbury Farm. ● After 200m, bear right along a grassy trench and follow it as it curves down to a bridge over the Little Avon (ST745876). This has no connection with 74 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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the Avon that flows through Bristol, but runs west to enter the Severn at Berkeley Pill. Don’t cross the bridge, but turn left to ford a tributary stream, go through a gate and head up a track known as Litley New Trench. ● After a few metres, bear left at a fork uphill and carry on for 600m. The gate at the end leads into a very different, but no less soggy, landscape (ST749872). Stretching out before you is Hawkesbury Common, which, like the woods, has changed little for centuries, and is just as swampy. Carry on for around 50m before bearing right to head in the same direction as the edge of the woods – but keeping a reasonable distance away to avoid the worst of the swamp. ● Just before you reach a hedge, bear right, ignoring a footpath waymark to your left but taking one of a pair of paths leading into the scrub ahead, past what appears to be an old tractor engine. Carry on alongside a fence on your right for 100m before going through a kissing gate and bearing left along a path. After 30m, when the path forks, bear left. ● After 200m, the path heads downhill to a crosspath (with no.54 on a waymark), where you turn right. After 150m, when the path bears left to another crosspath, carry straight on to ford the Little Avon (ST745872) and head up a muddy track on the other side. After a few metres, bear left at a fork and almost immediately bear left along a broad track. ● When you come to a crosspath curving uphill, bear right along it and carry on as it opens out into a broad track with a fence on the left. After 500m, you come to a clearing where four tracks meet (ST743866). ● Take the one ahead, which bears off at a 45 degree angle. Follow it as it dips down to a stream and, after another 150m, leads into an open space
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OUT | AND ABOUT
FURTHER INFORMATION... ■
A SENSE OF HISTORY: main picture, in Lower Woods Above, the Great Trench was originally 120 feet wide to prevent travellers from ambush Right, red campion, just one of many wildflowers to be found in the area
Distance: 4 miles
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Time: 2 hours
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Level of challenge: muddy rough and swampy in places
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Map: OS Explorer 167
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Further information: www.hawkesburycommon.co.uk; www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/ reserves/lower-woods; www.escapetothecotswolds.org.uk/userfiles/image/at tractions/lower woods.pdf
(ST740867). This is Horton Great Trench, probably pre-Roman in origin and once the main highway between Bristol and Wotton under Edge. A 13th-century statute decreed that it should be 120 feet (37m) wide, to prevent brigands ambushing travellers, although trees have encroached in the intervening centuries. ● Bear right along it and, after negotiating some muddy patches, you will find the trench broadening to something like its original width. Carry on along it, following bridleway waymarks and ignoring tracks leading off to left and right. After 1000m – when it divides to go either side of a copse – take the left-hand fork, carry on as it curves downhill and go through a gate. ● Ahead is the bridge you saw earlier (ST745876). Don’t cross it, but turn left to follow a rocky path alongside the Little Avon. Go through a gate into the appropriately name Wetwood Nature Reserve, and, after 400m, when you come to a wooden bridge (ST741877), cross it and head up a steep track on the other side. After 300m, when you come to a broad track called Plumbers Trench (ST741881), bear right along it to return to the car park. ■
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OTTER SPOTTING.qxp_Layout 2 13/06/2014 17:17 Page 1
NATURE | WATCH
SPOTTING OTTERS Local experts explain how sightings and surveys can help benefit the protected species, says Hannah Stuart-Leach
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ill Brown, who helped set up Yatton and Congresbury Wildlife Action Group Otter Group (YACWAG), remembers very well the first time she spotted an otter – on Backwell Lake near Nailsea. “Would you say it was life changing?” she asks her husband, a fellow conservationist who is standing with a group of trainees, amid spring shoots of wild garlic by Brislington Brook. Leaning forward on his wading stick he smiles, shakes his head and jokes: “Well it was for me anyway, I only wanted to test my bat detector!” Since that fortuitous day in 1995, Gill has been mesmerised by the mysterious mammals and – often with the assistance of husband David – has been studying them and tracking their notoriously secretive movements. As a member of YACWAG, Gill now runs their Otter Group and has trained several members of the Bristol Otter Survey Group and often works with them to run sessions like the survey training held in Brislington earlier in the year. The hope is that sessions like this will encourage keen naturalists to help properly record signs of the fascinating whiskered creatures out in the wild. After near-extinction in England in the 1970s – largely due to pesticides entering their food chain – otters have only recently made a comeback, with sightings now reported in every county in the UK. In Bristol the elusive river species, which despite their endearing lolloping gait, are capable of outrunning a human, have even been seen in the busy Floating Harbour. Becky Coffin, nature conservation officer at Bristol City Council and founder of the Bristol group, explains why surveys are useful: “At the moment we have adhoc records from different watercourses in Bristol, but we haven’t monitored them sufficiently to be sure otters are constantly present – that’s what we’re trying to find out. “If they are constantly present, it shows we’re doing something right in terms of the quality of the water and management of that particular watercourse. And also, certainly for the council we need to be aware of otters being present because they’re a protected species – to inform any work we do in that area and how we can manage it better for them.” So what should the aspiring otter spotter look for? Firstly – not an otter itself. “The thing to make clear about otter surveys,” warns Becky, “is that what’s involved is looking for evidence of otters, so we’re not going out expecting to actually see an otter. They’re nocturnal and 76 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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SECRETIVE BY NATURE: an otter’s paw print © Gill Brown, and below, spraint, © Simon Cawley
you’ll be very, very lucky if you do.” The two main signs of a visiting otter are spraint and paw prints. A major source of evidence is an otter’s excrement, called spraint. The dark seaweedesque splatters are left to mark territory, and as such are often found on ledges under bridges so they are not easily washed away. If it’s safe to do so and you’re brave enough, says Becky, have a sniff. It’s a surefire way to tell it comes from an otter as spraint has a very distinctive smell, akin to a blend of Jasmine tea and putrefied fish. “Paw prints can also be a very useful way to know if an otter’s been there,” explains Becky, particularly on the River Avon where the tidal waters mean you can’t safely access some banks. The mud may make it too slippery to go down and check for spraint, but you will easily be able to spot the webbed prints in it. Correctly identifying an otter’s print, however, takes experience, so Becky and Gill recommend you take a picture of the print so you can get it checked.
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NATURE | WATCH There is other evidence you can look for, too. “Sometimes otters make what we call slides,” says Becky. “When they’re moving often from their holt to the water, the point on the bank where they go down is used as a slide. If you see something that looks like that, you know to look for other evidence nearby.” And finally, she adds, keep an eye out for half-eaten fish on the banks – it could well be the remains of an otter’s dinner. One otter spotter, Simon Cawley, Friends of Brislington Brook Secretary commented: “The training was very interesting. We spotted otter spraint, and next we are hoping to get some actual footage of the otters from the camera trap we’ve set up. To discover there are now signs of otters operating in Brislington Brook is very exciting, because it has been plagued with pollution problems for too long. Kingfishers are regularly spotted along the banks, heron have been reported in the area, and now we have otters. This increase in biodiversity all points to a healthy eco-system.” Those interested in having a go should be aware that while it’s great to use knowledge about otter signs to enhance a riverside walk, and send any evidence to an otter group or biological recording scheme, it is not recommended anyone undertake a survey without proper training or being part of an organised group. If you’re keen on getting involved in recording surveys on a regular basis, at Brislington Brook or elsewhere in the city, contact Bristol Otter Survey Group at Bristol.ottersurveygroup@gmail.com for more information. ■
Otter spotter survey training held in Brislington © Simon Cawley
Otter spotting kit
If you decide to join a local group, these items will come in handy: • Pair of wellies or waders • Sturdy wading stick • Camera • Binoculars • Torch • Map and GPS (if you have it) • Recording forms
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GARDENING
Ornamental grasses look wonderful growing alongside flowers
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? Our Bristol garden design writer, Margaux Speirs explains how to incorporate ornamental grasses into your garden to add interesting form, colour and movement
H
ave you noticed how many modern designed gardens include ornamental grasses? Historic gardens may only have included specimen pampas grass (which is now right out of fashion) but relatively recently a huge variety of other grasses have been brought into common use. They are popular for a number of reasons: they add interesting form, colour and movement and are on the whole easy to grow and maintain. Many are evergreen but even if they die back they leave behind lovely skeletons which give interest to a winter garden. Most are drought tolerant – a good feature as our summers get hotter and watering the garden is frowned upon if not banned. Although they provide invaluable interest nearly all year the majority come into their best time in mid-to late summer when they send up their waving pannicles of grassy flowers.
❝ PLACE IT IN THE WEST OF YOUR GARDEN TO CATCH LOW AFTERNOON AND EVENING SUNSHINE THROUGH THE FLOWERS
❞ One down side to growing grasses is that their ultimate size is significantly affected by their growing conditions. I heard an amusing story about a designer employed to select grasses to grow around a life size bronze sculpture of a cheetah to make it look as if it was prowling in the Serengeti. He was surprised to receive a complaint from the clients the following summer – the grasses he planted had far outgrown the sculpture and it was completely hidden by the foliage! Another potential problem to look out for is that some varieties will selfseed and you will be constantly pulling up baby grass from places you don’t want it to grow. Enquire about this when you buy it and avoid prolific selfseeders. Here are some hints and tips to help you choose ornamental grasses for your own garden but be prepared to experiment a little in the light of your own growing conditions. For the back of the border Stipa gigantea (giant feather grass) – tall and upright, this is an absolutely 78 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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stunning evergreen perennial with large purple flower heads which fade to gold in late summer. Its height can exceed two metres; it needs sun, is drought tolerant and rarely self seeds. It looks particularly wonderful if you can place it in the west of your garden to catch low afternoon and evening sunshine through the flowers. If this is too big for you then try Stipa tenuissima – graceful, silky, blond grass which grows to about 1m tall (but it can be short lived and may selfseed). For border edging or mass planting Hokonechloa macra (Aureola) – although not evergreen, this looks good for most of the year. It makes a soft fountain of bright green and yellow (variegated) leaves which take on a hint of red in a cold winter. It grows to about 30cm high and prefers light shade. Give it a year or two to establish into well- formed clumps. For a sunnier border try Deschmapsia cespitosa, commonly called ‘tufted hair grass’. Two varieties, ‘Goldschleier’ and the shorter ‘Goldtau’ both dazzle with a display of shimmering gold summer flowers.
Hokonechloa macra ‘Aureola’
Specimen plant Miscanthus sinensis, especially the gorgeous variety, ‘Morning Light’, is another evergreen grass up to two metres tall. Its leaves are streaked with creamy white, longitudinal bands (horizontal on the ‘Zebrinus’ variety). It needs full sun and is drought tolerant. Again it needs a couple of years to establish an imposing clump.
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GARDENING
Flower border all rounder Particularly in silver or blue themed borders Helictrotrichon sempervirens (blue oat grass) is a star plant. It has stiff, silvery-blue leaves which send up straw coloured flower splikes in summer. Another drought tolerant sun lover. Good for containers Pennisetum villorum is an evergreen grass with long, white, feathery brushes by way of flowers in summer and autumn. It may only live for three or four years. It grows to about 1m, needs full sun and is happy with dry conditions.
PLANT OF THE MONTH How does one choose a favourite among all these lovely varieties? I am going to plump for Stipa gigantea because of its really long season of interest. It starts flowering in May and continues looking fantastic all through autumn into winter. It bulks up quickly if you give it what it likes (sunny, dry soil) and to care for it just cut the flowering stems back to the main clump in spring and lightly trim the foliage if it starts to look tatty.
For ground cover Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (Black Lily Turf) is an unusual low growing black grass. It is not to everyone’s taste but can look very chic, particularly in a contemporary garden. It is happy in shade, even dark shade under shrubs. For Prairie planting This is an increasingly popular way of planting as it is relatively low maintenance and very wildlife friendly. A small selection of grasses and flowering plants are packed closely together to resemble a flowering meadow. Calamagrostis x acutifolia ‘Karl Foerster’, Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ and Sesleria autumnalis are all good grasses for prairie planting, especially where you are hoping for good late summer and autumn shows. (If you like this type of planting make a note to visit a new garden in Bruton, Somerset which is opening in September this year. It has been designed by Piet Oudolf, probably the best known garden designer in the world today.) I think the best way to choose ornamental grasses is to see them in their mature form in a real garden, not just at a plant nursery. You can see most of the above mentioned grasses growing in a private garden just off the M4 near the National Trust’s Dyrham Park. It belongs to the owner of the nursery next door (Special Plants) and is open to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the summer. ■ Margaux Speirs is a pre-registered member of the Society of Garden Designers and runs her business, Margaux Speirs Garden Design from her home in Bristol. For further information visit: www.margauxspeirsgardendesign.co.uk
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A M A Z I N G W O R K T O P T R A N S F O R M AT I O N S
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We go over the top
to transform your kitchen!
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✓ Stain Resistant
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✓ Heat Resistant
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HOMES | ON SHOW
CLASSICALLY HANDSOME An 18th century gem at Kings Weston designed by John Vanbrugh, the artichect best known for Blenheim Palace, is in a league of its own, writes Marianne Swinkels
U
nique is a word I seldom dole out. Although nowadays it’s readily used to describe many things which vaguely nod towards being even slightly different or outside the norm. Everything it seems is suddenly unique: a project, product, design, view, recipe, art, attitude, experience et al. Really? What once meant rare is in danger of becoming commonplace, instead of truly being an original one-off. I prefer to guard this richly vowelled word jealously. A bit like saffron, that expensive and exotic spice, it’s precious enough to bring out of the closet on only special occasions. That’s my take anyway. And I was given just that opportunity when I viewed The Loggia. This splendid property in Kings Weston, northwest Bristol, sits with the best of them and I can honestly say it is indeed unique. For this substantial home, originally built as a banqueting hall and laundry room for the adjacent Kings Weston House, is Grade 1 Listed due to its exceptional historical importance – putting it right up there with Clifton Suspension Bridge and Temple Meads station. And makes it worthy of being among the only 2.5% of Grade 1 listed buildings in the UK. Designed in the early 1700s by eminent architect of the time John Vanbrugh – he of Blenheim Palace fame – the spectacular loggia with its façade of Venetian Corinthian columns was created to complement the main residence, a Baroque styled mansion in a parkland setting overlooking the Severn estuary. Its job, if you like, in common with other properties in this Kings Weston oasis, was to echo the grandeur of the stately home he’d been commissioned to come up with.
Today the Kings Weston estate can lay claim to being one of the largest collections of Vanbrugh designed buildings in the UK and one of the very few he did outside of London. So that’s another ‘unique’ to notch up! The Loggia also seemed doomed to share a common fate with the main manse which, after many generations and changes of use, fell into a derelict and abandoned state in 1995. But destiny took a sudden twist in 2000 when local businessman John Hardy valiantly took the plunge, rescued the dilapidated mansion and loggia from neglect and poured several million pounds into a hugely ambitious renovation project, transforming both properties into a home for himself and a stellar venue for weddings and events. Love was lavished on The Loggia and the entire property behind the restored stone fronted portico was virtually rebuilt under the very watchful eye of English Heritage. The house, it’s believed, is one of only two UK Grade 1 buildings with a new-build attached. Buy into all this uniqueness, which comes with a price tag around £735,000 and you will be benefitting from the labour, vision and skills of the many folk who have devoted themselves to this handsome detached villa. For the current owners, who took up the baton to push on with the potential and challenge of the building over the last seven years, have also not rested on their laurels to turn The Loggia into a spacious home offering a magical mix of period character and top spec modernity. Split into two separate dwellings, with the three bedroomed, three level loggia facing a one bed two-level summer house retreat, the buildings are connected by an impressive walled Italianate courtyard garden with water
❝
IT’S BELIEVED IS ONE OF ONLY TWO UK GRADE I BUILDINGS WITH A NEWBUILD ATTACHED
❞
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HOMES | ON SHOW
PROPERTY PROFILE Where: The Loggia, Kings Weston Lane, Kings Weston, Bristol BS11 OUR What: Unique, substantial and historically important Grade 1 Listed detached ‘Vanbrugh’ house originally built in the early 1700s as a banqueting hall in the Kings Weston House estate grounds.
The spec: Restored Corinthian columned stone portico with rebuilt 3 bedroom house over three levels. Open plan master bedroom/bathroom with vaulted ceiling. Ground floor kitchen/sitting/day room, Italianate walled courtyard garden. Separate utility/laundry room and spa bath room. Separate summer house with mezzanine bedroom, main room serving as kitchen,dining/living room and further living room/second bedroom. Suitable for additional income/guests. Private grounds, gardens and gated parking.
Guide price: £735,000 Agent: Hamptons International, 80 Queens Road, Clifton, BS8 1QU www.hamptons.co.uk Contact: 01173 226 506 bristol@hamptons-int.com
features, lavender bordered paths, oranges and vines and linked via a fulllength part-glazed oak framed walkway cum outdoor verandah. With the whole wooded plot surrounded by differently styled garden spaces and patios, the original loggia entrance, open to the air on one side, demands a Mediterranean style al fresco lifestyle. Both dwellings open out to this tranquil private patch: the loggia’s ground floor kitchen/breakfast and sitting room boasts a bank of floor to ceiling patio doors, and the rafted expanse of the 31ft main ground floor room of the summer house retreat features four double opening doors to access the central courtyard. The space, the light, the sumptuous and stylish décor, the verdant views, the charm and comfort, the privacy and peace of this multi-level, double package of historical and contemporary delight are niftily summed up in the spectacular top floor master suite of the main house. Where else can you find such an ample bedroom with a vaulted and wood rafted ceiling, a triple aspect room benefitting from eight large windows, complete with an open plan bath in situ? Perhaps nowhere. It may even be – dare I say it? – unique. ■ WWW.THEBRISTOLMAGAZINE.CO.UK
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BRISTOL
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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS
DINDER HOUSE Nr. WELLS £ price on application
O
ne of the pleasures of owning a listed property is the ability to trace the history of both the house and its owners. Dinder House formed part of the early endowment of the Bishopric of Wells and through the ages has been in the hands of several prominent family dynasties. The present house was built in 1801 and is grade II listed, as are the gate piers to the village and bridge in the grounds which crosses the River Sheppey. In the last century, following the death of Admiral of the Fleet, Sir James Somerville in 1949, the house passed to the Brooking Clark family and they lived there for thirty years until 1994. It is included in Pevsner’s ‘Buildings of England’ and was featured in Country Life in 1977. During the mid 1990’s Dinder house became a company headquarters and the entire building underwent a careful and sympathetic restoration which included replacing the roof timbers, slating and lead work as well as renovation of much stonework, re-wiring and replumbing. Subsequently the current owners (since 2004) have overseen a comprehensive conversion and restoration programme under the guidance of internationally renowned designers and architects to create a fabulous family home. The magnificent gardens and grounds of the property extend to about 8.7 hectares with the main house providing around 1200 square metres of accommodation. In addition there is a detached coach house with former stables which are suitable for refurbishment to ancillary accommodation, and a detached two bedroom lodge cottage. Dinder House is a landmark property and offers the opportunity to acquire a truly unique country home with as many original and contemporary features as could be desired. Full particulars are available on application to agents Knight Frank Knight Frank, Regent House, 27A Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 317 1999
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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS
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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 87
FOR EXCELLENT INVESTMENT RETURNS
A SELECTION OF PROPERTY INVESTMENTS
ST THOMAS COURT, THOMAS LANE, BS1
131 ST GEORGES ROAD, BRISTOL, BS1
• Rental income £29,400 pa
• Rental income £29,400 pax
• Price £325,000
• Guide price £375,000 ONO
• Comprising 2 fully let modern retail units at the heart of Bristol’s business district
• Comprising refurbished 4 bed maisonette + shop let to Estate Agents
• An excellent investment
• Prominent location close to the Harbourside
NETHAM INDUSTRIAL PARK, BRISTOL
51 OLD MARKET STREET, BRISTOL
•
Unit Unit Unit Unit
1 rent £12,500 pax 2 rent £8,500 pax 3rent £9,000 pax 8 rent £8,500 pax
•
Comprising 4 fully let warehouse units in popular central location –
•
Let to established tenants until 2018
(0117) 934 9977
Julian Cook FRICS
Price Price Price Price
£140,000 £96,000 £100,000 £97,000
Jayne Rixon MRICS
Charlie Kershaw MRICS
• Potential rent c £50,000 pax • Price £500,000 • Comprising 4 newly converted apartments + large retail unit • Walking distance of Cabot Circus & Temple Meads
Finola Ingham MRICS
• • • • •
Sales / Lettings Acquisitions Valuations Landlord & tenant Auction Sales
• • • • •
Rent reviews Property Management Investment Sales / Purchase Development & Planning Dilapidations Advice
OF
Bristol & Clifton’s premier Commercial Property Agents Keep up-to-date with our latest news and market comments at our website: www.burstoncook.co.uk
FE
RI NO N W SA G LE AU S C
(0117) 934 9977
TI
GRADE A OFFICES CLIFTON
FOR SALE ROYAL COLONNADE GREAT GEORGE STREET
Prime open plan office suite in Clifton’s newest office building –
A spectacular listed building with parking and walled garden.
*7,000 sq ft (649 sq m)
C 3,200 sq ft NET
*Breeam excellent
ONLY £695,000
*Top quality fit out
MARINER HOUSE, PRINCE STREET, BRISTOL CITY CENTRE
PRIME CLIFTON VILLAGE SHOP TO LET Large retail shop with excellent corner frontage
Refurbished loft style office suite – Open plan space – Close to Queen Square and Waterfront – New lease – Only £10 per sq ft.
Ground floor sales 729 sq ft plus ancillary sales totalling 1,729 sq ft Rent - £23,500 pa, exc.
78 GLOUCESTER ROAD FREEHOLD FOR SALE
265 HOTWELL ROAD BRISTOL, BS8
Shop with potential to develop 1st floor (2 bed) and rear (1 bed).
Self contained lock up shop – Established retail position -
Good retail pitch £200,000
Only - £7,500 per annum
FOR SALE
ALMONDSBURY OFFICE PARK
Prime office building Emersons Green – Brook Office Park.
Modern office building 2,554 sq ft – 7 car spaces
High quality offices of 3,300 sq ft
New flexible lease –
Only £535,000 ONO
Only £10 per sq ft.
BERKELEY SQUARE, CLIFTON
CLIFTON VILLAGE
Only £159,950 –
Coming soon…
Buy your own office unit in Clifton –
Good size shop unit in prominent busy location –
Contemporary refurbishment –
Rent £17,500 pax.
C 935 sq ft (incl stores)
(0117) 934 9977
Julian Cook FRICS
Jayne Rixon MRICS
Charlie Kershaw MRICS
Finola Ingham MRICS
• • • • •
Sales / Lettings Acquisitions Valuations Landlord & tenant Auction Sales
• • • • •
Rent reviews Property Management Investment Sales / Purchase Development & Planning Dilapidations Advice
ON
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BRISTOL PROPERTY | NEWS
BRISTOL’S NEW WATERSIDE APARTMENTS
B
ristol’s latest waterside development, Wapping Wharf got off to a great start as the first phase of one and two bedroom apartments were snapped up at the launch to market. Interested parties were invited to book appointments ahead of the launch on Wednesday 11 June but as the demand was so high the pre-launch event was extended by two days. Overall, eight one-bed, six two-bed and a penthouse apartment were purchased with further homes also put on hold for prospective buyers. David Caught, residential director of Muse Developments, the joint venture partner for Wapping Wharf, said: “The launch to market has been a great success and we’re delighted to see enthusiasm for the development, particularly from the local community. “Wapping Wharf offers residents the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community, with access to all that Bristol has to offer but proudly stands out from the competition by reflecting the independent nature of Bristol’s retail environment, with restaurants, cafés, shops and boutiques carefully selected to enhance the experience of living here.” Situated in the city’s cultural hub, these homes will have some of Bristol’s best-loved sites on their doorstep, including Brunel’s historic SS Great Britain, the Watershed, Arnolfini and Spike Island. All within an easy stroll from some of the best waterside restaurants and bars Bristol has to offer, and the onsite retail space will be given over to independently run, Bristol-based cafés, bars, boutiques and businesses turning the area into a dynamic city-centre community. The 194 new homes will reflect Bristol’s harbourside history, combining aesthetics with innovative architectural features. The buildings will have a gritty dockside character, using materials such as timber shiplap, brickwork, render and old cobblestones salvaged from the building site. The designs will feature pitched roofs mirroring the shape of the wharf buildings that traditionally lined the docks. Sustainability is key to the design of this development, with photo voltaic
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panels fitted to provide electricity to common areas of the development. A central plant room will be operated, meaning hot water and heating are centrally generated, designed to be gentler on the environment and lighter on the wallet. The interiors feature contemporary styled high-gloss kitchens designed by Lanzet, built-in appliances, energy efficient lighting and engineered oak flooring in the kitchen, living room and hallway with carpet in the bedrooms. There will also be landscaping, offering respite from the city and opportunities for public art commissions. Dotted among the industrial style buildings will be green spaces, courtyards and seated areas. The homes are available to purchase now, and it is anticipated they will be ready for their first residents from early 2015. Of the 194 apartments on offer in this phase of development, 26 will be affordable homes. Prices start from £181,950. To see the plans or to find out more, visit the development’s marketing suite at the Mud Dock Deli, open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm, or visit www.wappingwharf.co.uk ■
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NT ME LOP UNITY E V DE PORT OP
Bristol
ION W NE UCT R T NS
ld uired Soilar Req
I
£2,200,000 Westbury Lane
Sim
£650,000
Kewstoke Road
£525,000
Substantial grounds to the rear of two houses could be prime for further development subject to the necessary permissions and consents. Directly overlooking the magnificent 650 acre, Grade II listed parkland of Blaise Castle Estate, which itself is steeped with over 5,000 years of history. The substantial grounds to the rear need to be seen to be believed.
Directly backing on to the 650 acre historic Blaise Castle Estate, steeped in 5,000 years of history,this stunning five bedroom art deco style family home is nestled in its own vast grounds with a rear garden measuring over 200 foot in length. Internally there is exceptional square footage with five bedrooms, four receptions plus a kitchen dining room. OPEN DAY 28th JUNE. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.
MULTIPLE OFFERS - SIMILAR REQUIRED. Three bedroom semi on the exceptionally popular Kewstoke Road.This position affords easy access to all local amenities. Centrally and equidistantly situated to benefit from many excellent local school catchments. Brimming with classical original features compemented with modern contemporary design features.
Please contact our Westbury-on Trym branch on 0117 962 1973
Please contact our Westbury-on Trym branch on 0117 962 1973
Please contact our Westbury-on Trym branch on 0117 962 1973
ld uired Soilar Req
Sim
Stoke Bishop
ION W NE UCT R T NS
ION W NE UCT R T NS
I
I
£425,000 Westbury on Trym
£360,000
Repton Hall
£225,000
SOLD ON FIRST DAY OF VIEWINGS. SIMILAR NEEDED. Nestled near to the historic remains of the Roman Port that bought trade to 'Portus Abonae' this detached Art Deco style family home has under gone substantial and significant refurbishment. Cleverly using many original features contrasting them with contemporary design features.
Located approximately just 300 metres from Westbury on Trym C of E Primary School, this beautiful family home consists of three bedrooms, all with fitted wardrobes, however the main focal point of the house is the kitchen dining room, which measures approximately 19 feet wide.
Built in 1802 Repton Hall has an absorbing history, originally used as an administration building for Brentry Hospital and believed to be designed by Humphry Repton, it now houses luxurious apartments and forms part of the Brentry conservation area. This two bedroom first floor apartment is available with no onward chain, accessed by secure electric gates.
Please contact our Westbury-on Trym branch on 0117 962 1973
Please contact our Westbury-on Trym branch on 0117 962 1973
Please contact our Westbury-on Trym branch on 0117 962 1973
Henleaze
ld uired Soilar Req
W NE ICE PR
W NE ICE PR
£195,000 Repton Hall
Sim
£190,000
Westbury on Trym
£175,000
A purpose built first floor retirement property in good decorative order. With lift providing access to the higher levels, and a communal area for socialising and events. Communal parking to rear. Excellent public transport networks and conveniently located near local shops and amenities. Available with no onward chain.
One bedroom apartment built in Repton Hall. Repton Hall was originally used as an administration building for Brentry Hospital designed by Humphry Repton, it now houses luxurious apartments and forms part of the Brentry conservation area. The electric private gates lead to a winding path through the tree lined grounds leading to the first glimpse of the stunning Repton Hall.
SIMILAR REQUIRED. Three bedroom apartment that is within easy reach of the popular Westbury village and the M4/M5 motorway networks and local bus routes. Beautifully maintained gardens with level access to the apartment to the rear or stair entrance to the front. Attractive communal grounds and marketed with no onward chain.
Please contact our Westbury-on Trym branch on 0117 962 1973
Please contact our Westbury-on Trym branch on 0117 962 1973
Please contact our Westbury-on Trym branch on 0117 962 1973
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Waterfront
£172,500 Sneyd Park
£224,950
Waterfront
£299,950
One bedroom first floor flat with allocated off street parking, set within Merchants Court, conveniently located for Bristol's harbour area and the City Centre. Presented in good decorative order throughout. Interior presents entrance hall, spacious lounge/diner with dual aspect, modern kitchen, stylish bathroom with white suite, and sizeable double bedroom. This attractive property will suit a variety of buyers. Energy rating – TBC.
Two double bedroom ground floor apartment set in this popular development on Glenavon Park. Spacious living/dining room with windows to three sides and sliding doors giving access on to the terrace overlooking the communal gardens. Separate kitchen, bathroom and shower room. Externally are communal gardens, residents car park and benefits from a single garage. Energy rating – E.
Two bedroom third floor apartment situated off St Georges Square with allocated parking space. Accessed via an impressive central atrium with an industrial feel and a large glass atrium over the top. Comprises an impressive double height living room/kitchen with windows and double doors looking over the water and Castle Park. On the floor below are two bedrooms, ensuite shower room and the main bathroom. Energy rating - D.
Please contact our Clifton branch on 0117 946 6007
Please contact our Clifton branch on 0117 946 6007
Please contact our Clifton branch on 0117 946 6007
Redland
£349,995 Redland
£395,000
Clifton
£410,000
Three double bedroom split level flat situated on one of Redlands most prestigious roads, and close to Redland Green. Property benefits from elevated views and is presented in good decorative order. Built in wardrobes are found in all bedrooms and the property offers spacious living room accommodation by way of a 12’ kitchen breakfast room and 16’ x 14’ living room. The property is offered with no onward chain. Energy rating – D.
This energy efficient townhouse offers contemporary low maintenance living and is conveniently located for Gloucester Road. This impressive property is south facing with double glazed windows to three elevations and has been finished to a high standard and specification throughout including ‘Corian’ work surfaces and sink in the kitchen and under floor heating downstairs. Energy rating B.
Situated within this exclusive walled development is this newly built semidetached two bedroom mews house. 26’ x 17’ living space, bespoke glacier white kitchen and sliding doors to terrace. Master bedroom with en-suite shower room situated on the first floor. To the ground floor is the entrance hall, second bedroom and bathroom. Benefits one space in a shared double garage and a 10 year building warranty. Energy rating - TBC.
Please contact our Clifton branch on 0117 946 6007
Please contact our Clifton branch on 0117 946 6007
Please contact our Clifton branch on 0117 946 6007 NG LY NI ON MAI RE O TW
Sneyd Park
£474,950 Redland
£495,000
Clifton
From £675,000
Eversley lodge is tucked away in an enviable position at the end of a private lane. Living room with French doors to paved courtyard and sliding doors to lawned garden. Separate kitchen with doors to courtyard, utility room, ground floor w.c, and three bedrooms with fitted wardrobes. To the front of the property is a well-manicured lawn and a generous drive providing parking for several cars and access to the brick built single garage. No onward chain. Energy rating – D.
Newly built detached house situated in the desirable Fernbank Road. Property is finished to a high standard and offers spacious and light accommodation comprising; 25’ open plan living room/kitchen with floor to ceiling windows and tri-fold doors opening on to the garden, a ground floor w.c, three double bedrooms all with double doors to courtyards, a main bathroom and en-suite to the master bedroom. Available to view now and offered with no onward chain. Energy rating – TBC.
Chantry Villas is a small development offering the rare opportunity to purchase a modern four storey townhouse within the sought after Clifton area. Only three 5 bedroom townhouses remaining. Each comprises a large open plan kitchen/living area with glass doors to the south facing rear garden and benefit from an off road parking space, garden and 10 year building guarantee. Energy rating - TBC.
Please contact our Clifton branch on 0117 946 6007
Please contact our Clifton branch on 0117 946 6007
Please contact our Clifton branch on 0117 946 6007
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www.maggsandallen.co.uk
0117 949 9000 60 Northumbria Drive, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4HW
FOR SALE
FOR SALE
WESTBURY ON TRYM
£995,000
WHITCHURCH VILLAGE
£750,000
With an open outlook over Durdham Downs, an exclusive property offering spa living within a traditional period property mixed with a contemporary living space covering over 4500 sq ft. The house has been modernised throughout and represents a wonderful, fun family home. To the ground floor are two reception rooms, cloakroom, kitchen, family room, utility room with separate cloakroom and the spa. At the rear is a triple garage with electric door providing a huge space for storage, a workshop or even a gym. The first floor has four double bedrooms, two with en suite shower rooms and a family bathroom. Over the top floor is a three bedroom suite, dressing room and bathroom. EPC rating: D.
‘Manor Farm’ is a 16th Century Grade II listed farmhouse in Whitchurch Village comprising of a four bedroom house, a two bedroom cottage and a one bedroom annex. The house has been rewired, newly plumbed and insulated and has undergone refurbishment but still requires some finishing, TLC and imagination! (Some of the finishings can be supplied by the seller). The farmhouse has two large reception rooms, a kitchen/dining room, utility and cloakroom on the ground floor with a master bedroom with en suite, two double bedrooms with mezzanine levels and their own private bathrooms, and a fourth bedroom. EPC ratings: G for cottage and D for main house.
FOR SALE
UNDER OFFER
STOKE BISHOP
£660,000
A well designed and extended 5 bedroom executive detached house located on a popular road in Stoke Bishop. Positioned on a generous plot set back from the road with pleasant gardens front and rear along with off street parking for several vehicles, plus a double width garage. The sizeable accommodation is arranged currently as; 5 bedrooms, 2 bath/shower rooms, two receptions, kitchen/ breakfast room, separate utility room and downstairs W.C. The garden to the rear is generous in size and backs onto local woodland. Sought after location: handy for local shops in Shirehampton Road, Stoke Hill, Stoke Lane and Westbury on Trym Village. EPC rating: D.
Estate Agents
Lettings & Management
Auctioneers
HENLEAZE
£675,000
An individual detached property in Henleaze, set in large gardens behind electric gates with a driveway and parking for several cars, as well as a triple garage. To the rear is a 60’ private garden with large decking area. The L shaped kitchen/family room has a seating area and is open to the kitchen which has a central breakfast bar, and floor lights with double doors onto the rear garden. Further on the ground floor are two bedrooms, one with en suite, two reception rooms and a family bathroom. On the first floor is the master bedroom, bedroom four and a wonderful bathroom including a freestanding bath, ‘his and hers’ wash hand basins and large shower cubicle. EPC rating: C.
Commercial/ Investment
Chartered Surveyors
Land/New Homes
Energy Assessors
Stapleton Village
Horfield
Redland
Old Bell Cottage is a beautiful Grade II listed home set within the historic Stapleton Village. With its privacy and serene setting this meandering garden has many secret hideaways along with beautiful summer-house. Adorning three levels the accommodation includes a wealth of original and re-instated features including exposed stone walls, wood panelling, flag stone flooring and sash windows.
A fine example of a period terrace home, this Victorian property has undergone an extensive and sympathetic refurbishment, offering spacious accommodation spanning three levels. In brief the accommodation comprises two reception rooms, stunning open plan kitchen/diner and cloakroom, three double bedrooms, a family bathroom, and a newly converted loft. EPC D.
Located on this sought after road in Redland, an ideal opportunity for a first time buyer to put their stamp on this fine period conversion. This immaculately presented first floor apartment briefly comprises a bay fronted lounge, separate fitted kitchen, two bedrooms and a modern bathroom. Further benefits include gas central heating and double glazing throughout. EPC D.
£485,000
£415,000
£265,000
Westbury-on-Trym
Redland
Henleaze
This detached period property offers five bedrooms; master with en-suite, spacious lounge/diner with working shutters and breakfast room with French doors onto garden. The property benefits from private landscaped garden with vehicle access. Positioned within the popular Southfield Road in close proximity of Westbury-on-Trym village and Durdham Down. EPC F.
Positioned within the popular Upper Cranbrook Road with five bedrooms, this delightful family home offers open plan living area including modern kitchen with twin French doors to a south westerly facing garden. The two upper floors offer family bathroom and additional shower room with ample family accommodation. No onward chain. EPC E.
A semi-detached family home positioned on The Crescent in Henleaze offering bedrooms, master with en-suite bathroom, additional family bathroom, two receptions, kitchen/ breakfast room and access to a south westerly facing family garden. Further benefits include driveway and garage, double glazing, gas central heating and in good decorative order throughout. EPC E.
Price Guide £650,000
£575,000
£529,950
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Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers
0117 946 6690 www.richardharding.co.uk 124 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2RP
CLIFTON guide range £950,000-£975,000
HENLEAZE guide range £935,000-£1,025,000
FAILAND guide range £935,000-£995,000
A deceptively large 5 bedroom, 3 reception, Victorian family town house with additional flexible lower ground floor rooms, 33ft x 28ft rear garden & garage. Convenient position just a stone’s throw from the Downs & easy walking distance to the Whiteladies Road. A wellpresented family home with a number of period features & with the particular benefit of an adaptable lower floor with potential for various possible uses (subject to all necessary consents). EPC: D
A stunning & very special handsome large 7 double bedroom, 3 bathroom Edwardian period semi-detached family house of exceptional quality, delightful landscaped 56ft x 31ft rear town garden, secure off street parking for two vehicles. Prime location near Badminton Girls’ School & The Downs. Comprehensive facilities with masses of space & much flexibility to accommodate the changing needs of a family. EPC: E
A lovely home only 6 miles from the city centre with a separate garage/annexe building and a 2.2 acre field with woodland perfect for recreation or keeping a pony. This fine modern 4 bedroom detached residence of character also has ample parking, delightful gardens & comprehensive facilities in a beautiful tranquil rural setting. Ideal for families, professionals, downsizers etc. EPC’s: D & C
COOMBE DINGLE guide range £795,000-£835,000
BISHOPSTON/REDLAND BORDERS
COOMBE DINGLE guide range £699,000-£725,000
A very fine high quality 5 bedroom detached family residence offering a stylish & contemporary interior, 70ft s-westerly facing garden, ample osp & garage + 1 bedroom annexe providing useful rental income. In a popular sought after peaceful tranquil location. A fabulous, recently renovated (2009) family home offering sociable living and entertaining space, a beautiful garden and much more. EPC: C
Prices Range from £500,000 - £645,000
An attractive, large & inviting 5 bedroom (2 en suite), 3 reception detached family residence situated on highly sought after Grove Road with ample gated driveway parking & sunny rear garden. On a wide leafy prestigious road with nearby woodland walks etc. EPC: C
A new development of 6 superb contemporary townhouses near Redland Green School (50% now currently sold subject to contract). Created with unusually high standards of architectural design & construction. Stylishly finished inside & out to a high specification with exceptionally light & airy interiors. Each house has 3 or 4 bedrooms, private garage & south west facing terrace with views across Redland. Situated in a neighbourly community, Clareton Villas is conveniently located close to the extensive and varied amenities of Gloucester Road, and a short distance from Henleaze and Whiteladies Road. Redland Green Park is a short walk away. Predicted Energy Assessment: B
KINGSDOWN guide £750,000
KINGSDOWN guide range £600,000-£625,000
An exceptionally elegant, large 6 bedroom grade II listed Georgian period town house offering flexible accommodation, breath-taking city views & a southerly 55ft x 30ft rear garden. Much sought after & very central & convenient location. Residents parking permit scheme.A truly magnificent Georgian home with an abundance of space & character. No onward chain enables a prompt & convenient move. EPC: E
A charming grade II listed late Georgian town house with handsome principal rooms & delightful sunny 60ft min south west facing level rear garden. An elegant residence with 3 double bedrooms, 2 reception rooms, very useful cellar & accessible loft. Excellent central location.
HENLEAZE guide range £595,000-£615,000
SNEYD PARK guide range £850,000-£875,000
HENLEAZE guide £595,000
A handsome & engaging 3/4 bedroom (plus a study), 3 reception Edwardian home in a prized location near Henleaze Road shops. Has period character, flexible accommodation & southerly facing level 50ft x 19ft rear garden. EPC: G
A stylish & contemporary detached residence in this prestigious much coveted exclusive tree lined avenue within 100 yards of the Downs. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 26ft x 22ft reception room + 32ft kitchen/breakfast room, garage, carport, southerly aspect garden & roof terrace. A light & airy home with an easy flow which would suit professional, business people, families and downsizers alike. No onward chain. EPC: E
An extremely bright & spacious detached bungalow approached by a private drive & away from passing traffic yet within 300m of Henleaze Road. Has a wonderful feeling of privacy & welltended front and rear gardens, off street parking, car port & large single garage. EPC: D
Professional, Reliable, Successful
Clifton t: 0117 923 8238 (sales) t: 0117 946 6588 (lettings) clifton@cjhole.co.uk
www.cjhole.com It’s that time of year, July and August are traditionally quieter months not only for us at CJ Hole Clifton but across our patch. Families in Redland, Clifton and Cotham are on holiday and the students are out of town. Let’s not forget that there are 18,000 of them at Bristol University alone, as well as 5,000 staff, so we certainly notice when they’re not here in the summer! There is lots to look forward to for those of us who remain at the helm. There’s the Harbour Festival on the weekend of July 18th and Bristol’s Balloon Fiesta on August 7th-10th, when you will be able to spot the gorgeous dark blue CJ Hole balloon in
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the skies. It’s also the return of Bristol Proms, the classical music festival which was so successful last year, this year from 28th July. Despite the summer housing market being less frenetic, it’s important to remember that if you are looking to sell or let, there are still plenty of hungry tenants and buyers out there. If we can help in any way don’t hesitate to contact my Team on 0117 923 8238. Howard Davis M.N.A.E.A Managing Director - CJ Hole Clifton
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Clifton
Redland
Clifton
This exceptional, hall floor level Clifton flat offers a grand interior which has retained a great deal of original character with beautiful coved ceilings, fire places and original window shutters. Entrance hall; living room; two double bedrooms; bathroom; shower room; inner hallway; kitchen/diner and a communal front garden. EPC E
An outstanding Penthouse apartment offering a generous and stylish interior. Breath-taking views over the city are enjoyed from the extensive private terrace and living room from the front. Three bedrooms and underground secure parking for two cars. Fantastic Redland location. EPC D
A delightful Clifton Garden Flat enjoying an excellent location close to The Village, Park Street and the Centre of the City. Comprises; spacious hall; open plan dining room; living area; kitchen; two bedrooms and bathroom; attractive private garden and extensive communal garden. EPC C
£390,000
£595,000
£300,000
Redland
Redland
Hotwells
An excellent top floor apartment located on a popular tree lined street in central Redland. Large sitting room; generous kitchen/breakfast room; two spacious double bedrooms; quality bath/shower room A beautifully presented apartment and well worthy of an immediate inspection. EPC D
A superb example of a grand Redland family home. A versatile, generous, well presented interior comprising; eight bedrooms, two receptions, breakfast room & study. There is also a roof terrace, and a south facing garden plus the added benefit of off road parking. EPC F
This four storey period property along Hotwell Road currently comprises of 4 self-contained apartments. An opportunity has arisen to purchase all four individual apartments which, at present (as we understand from the Vendor) is under one title and is being sold with the freehold. Total rental income circa £39,000. EPC ratings D-E
£290,000
£795,000
£700,000
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SNEYD PARK | BRISTOL
POA
One of Bristol's finest family homes; overlooking The Downs and sympathetically refurbished and extended to an exceptional standard throughout. Drawing room, sitting room, stunning “Vale Garden House� conservatory / family room and dining room. Aga kitchen. Three bedroom suites. Three further double bedrooms. Family bathroom. Cellars. Detached garage with hayloft above. Delightful landscaped gardens. EPC: D
Fine & Country Bristol 147 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2QT Tel: 0117 946 1946 Email: bristol@fineandcountry.com bristol.fineandcountry.co.uk
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REDLAND | BRISTOL
GUIDE PRICE ÂŁ749,950
Situated on the Redland / Cotham borders on a sought after residential road, this delightful semi-detached period property presents a wealth of family accommodation over four floors. Four bedrooms, drawing room, superb open-plan kitchen / dining room. Self-contained studio apartment (with the possibility to re-instate to the main home). Enclosed garden. Off-street parking for two vehicles. EPC Rating: F.
fineandcountry.com
Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk
NEW INSTRUCTION
Pucklechurch, Bristol
One of South Gloucestershire’s best panoramas. Horseshoe Cottage occupies a spectacular position on the outskirts of Bristol. This house affords one of the best panoramas in the area and enjoys extensive southerly facing views over the rolling South Gloucestershire countryside looking towards the tree tops of Lansdown Hill at Bath. EPC Rating: C
Hamptons Bristol
Sales. 0117 322 6362 | bristol@hamptons-int.com
Guide price £550,000 • 3 Reception rooms • Conservatory / garden room • 3 Bedrooms (one en suite shower room) • Far reaching views • Various outbuildings • 2 Garages
NEW INSTRUCTION
Leigh Woods, Bristol
This deceptively spacious and beautifully presented family house offers accommodation spanning two floors of approximately 4,734 sq ft. The house has undergone a complete transformation by the current owner who has selected the highest quality materials and has created a wonderful house, perfect for entertaining. The property sits centrally within its plot with the front garden offering gated off road parking for numerous cars as well as landscaped gardens including a central lawn and borders stocked with year round foliage. There is a raised patio providing access to the front of this impressive house. EPC Rating: D
Price on Application • • • • • • •
6 Bedrooms 5 Bathrooms Landscaped gardens Swimming pool Gated parking Double garage Views over the Ashton Court Estate
Redland - £390,000
A three storey, three/four bedroom house with garden and garage in a row of mews houses tucked away in a cul-de-sac in sought after Redland. The property has the additional benefit of being offered with no onward chain. EPC rating - D.
Bishopston - £399,995
A great opportunity to stamp your mark onto this spacious 3 double bedroom Victorian home in Bishopston. The house occupies a level position in this quiet side road, moments from Gloucester Road and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. No onward chain. EPC rating – E.
City Centre - £149,950
A rare opportunity to purchase a ground floor apartment in this stunning Grade II listed period building located in central Bristol. This wonderful building was an Almshouse and was built in the late 1800’s.
Redland - Guide Price £635,000
A substantial and welcoming 1920’s five bedroom semi-detached spacious family home with south westerly facing lawned approx 84ft rear garden, parking and favourably located within RGS APR. EPC rating - E.
Stoke Bishop - Guide Price £425,000
A well presented 1950’s four bedroom semi-detached house situated in a quiet cul-de-sac of this highly sought after district. Outside to the front their is a parking area for two cars and access to an integral single garage. Viewing of this house is highly recommended. EPC rating - E.
Redland - £229,950
A lovely Bath stone front one bedroom top floor flat, located a stones throw from Whiteladies Road. A great location which is far enough away from the hustle and bustle to provide peace and quiet, yet close enough for modern day to day living needs. EPC rating - D.
Sneyd Park – Guide Price £645,000
A 4 bedroom detached bungalow set in a very prestige location with exciting potential for updating & personalising to own requirements. It could suit downsizers or families wishing to improve/refurbish. Being sold with vacant possession. EPC rating D.
Sneyd Park – £1,150,000
A distinctive & beautifully presented modern detached family home of outstanding quality in a highly prized location. The house has been transformed by the current owners into a stylish contemporary design which combines comfort & elegance. EPC rating E.
Stoke Bishop – Guide Price £600,000
Stoke Bishop – Guide Price £735,000
A lovely spacious detached house enjoying a delightful and most private tucked away position. Offering flowing ground floor accommodation with extended kitchen. Upstairs are 3 double bedrooms with potential of 4th bedroom. Front & rear garden. EPC rating D.
An exceptional 5 double bedroom detached family residence in a prestigious location & superbly presented. The master bedroom has an en-suite shower room & extensive wardrobes, 4 further double rooms. Viewing is highly recommended. EPC rating - D.
Stoke Bishop – Guide Price £650,000
A large 1930’s 4 bedroom detached family house within walking distance of Elmlea & Stoke Lane shops. The house is found on one of Stoke Bishop’s most coveted roads, with garage & off street parking. Viewing is highly recommended. EPC rating E.
Sneyd Park – Guide Price £285,000
A stunning second floor apartment in leafy Sneyd Park. There are 2 double bedrooms, the main bedroom has an en suite shower room & the benefit of a balcony with glorious open views. Viewing is highly recommended. EPC rating C.
Sofa Library July fp.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2014 16:40 Page 1
CONTEMPORARY COLOURS
CONTEMPORARY BRIGHTS AGAINST NEUTRAL BACK GROUND IN ST MAWES SUMMER HOUSE
We recently redressed this five bedroom galleried contemporary country house in St Mawes (available through H Tiddy & Savills). The pictures show some of our ranges of bespoke upholstery and cabinet furniture, all of which can be fabricated in any fabric and any colour and with your own preferred alterations to size or style or detail. Fabrics by Romo and Casamance
We offer complete space planning to design, fabricate and installation services for upholstery, cabinet furniture and curtains - all exclusive designs and made by us in Bristol or for us in Bath.
25% off sofas and cabinet furniture now on
We are just past Clifton Down Shopping Centre 56/60, Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2PY Mon-Sat 9.30 - 5.30/Sun 12 - 5
TEL: 01173 292746