The Bristol Magazine October 2019

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Issue 184

THE

MAGAZINE

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

£3.95 where sold

FUTURE CITIES

FADED GLAMOUR

Pearl Lowe’s gorgeous vintage interiors

I october 2019

REFLECT & REBOOT Curator Mel Rodrigues on TedxBristol

Forward-thinking solutions and home improvement for autumn

AUTUMN ALMANAC

New-season film, circus, theatre and more

REAL-LIFE NORDIC NOIR An Icelandic mystery in photographs

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

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Contents

October 2019

REGULARS ZEITGEIST

EDUCATION

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66

12

Bristol Music Trust has launched a citywide programme for local children; while a new Lockleaze academy has welcomed its first students

14

FOOD & DRINK

Top activities for the month to come

CITYIST

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Catch up on local news and meet Watershed’s Clare Reddington

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

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

Stories from local foodies, restaurants and producers

A dose of low-key communal partying has Mr B feeling nostalgic

REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

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62

Izakaya cool: Hyde & Co’s latest success story Seven Lucky Gods

Intergenerational wealth under the spotlight with Lansdown Place

RECIPES

FAMILY FUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Autumnal apple-based ideas from Somerset food writer James Rich, and Briony May Williams’ adorable Halloween cake pops

Things to do with the little ones, including spooky Halloween events

THE CULTURE AUTUMN ENTERTAINMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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54

HABITAT GREAT OUTDOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Andrew Swift tours the grand villas and pebbly coves of Clevedon

Film, theatre, circus: all the indoor joy coming our way this season

FUTURE BRISTOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The lowdown on TedxBristol from creative director Mel Rodrigues, and highlights from October’s Festival of the Future City programme

WHAT’S ON

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36

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

WILD BRISTOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 The city’s hazel dormouse population is preparing to hunker down

GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 England may not be the first place we think of for wine production but Redhill has a thriving vineyard making 30,000 bottles in a good year

PHOTOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

INTERIORS

Head to the RPS this month to dissect a slice of real-life Nordic noir

Great coffee table books, Bristol’s artisan crafters, Farrow & Ball’s Natural History Museum-inspired collection and Pearl Lowe’s faded glamour for the home

ART & EXHIBITIONS

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42

What’s on at the city’s galleries

PROPERTY

FEATURES

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Hot homes on the market now

HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Jane Duffus reminds us of a few memorable females from Bristol’s past

LOCAL PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Bristol is known for its marvellous sights, but this month Oliver Kennett’s taking us on a journey through the city using our other senses

TRAVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Emma Clegg is in Dorset exploring the rich history of Hardy Country

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ON THE COVER

Festival of the Future City takes place this month, encouraging solution-based thinking for Bristol in 2020 and beyond as part of a programme of forwardlooking events. We love this illustration created for the festival by Miles Tewson. Turn to p32 for more.

88

99

Image by Andre Pattenden

Image from Slant, courtesy of Aaron Schuman

Image by Amy Neunsinger

42 96

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A glorious still from I Am Fragile, part of the Ocean Film Festival showing at the University of Bristol’s Victoria Rooms (see p26)

THIS MONTH WE’VE BEEN...

Browsing...

from the

EDITOR

...The upcycled denim coat and bag collection that clothing store Loot Vintage (on Haymarket Walk) has launched for autumn – created by the Loot team using old Levi jeans.

AMANDA NICHOLLS EDITOR

@thebristolmag

10 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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No 184

@thebristolmag

Swotting up... ...On Bristol environmentalist Natalie Fee’s book (out 21 October).

There’s been a big reduction in the UK’s plastic bag marine litter since the five pence charge was brought in – a great start – and this book covers key areas of our lives, from food and travel to politics, with tips on how to help save the planet with small lifestyle changes.

Image by Nèle Deflandre

T

his month in particular, the future feels uncertain. But that’s no reason not to look it in the eye, and Bristol is doing that squarely. In October editions of the magazine we tend to look at home improvement and this time we mean it on a macro scale too – turn to p32, for example, for details of this month’s Festival of the Future City, addressing issues we face as a collective and how cities have the potential to offer solutions to many of the world’s problems.

We’ve also been taking solace in the inspiring, trailblazing world of TEDxBristol and the local speakers recruited for next month’s event to talk about pioneering ideas for constructive change in a variety of spheres. Bristol scientist Neciah Dorh is rethinking resistance to antibiotics; Chloe Ball-Hopkins is campaigning to make fashion more inclusive; and, as the nights draw in, we’re interested to know what author Linda Geddes has to say about our relationship with artificial light and its consequences for sleep, mood and recovery from illness. Ticket-holders can hear about life as an environmental activist from a Bristol septuagenarian, or perhaps ponder the subject of social media and the way we deal with online immortality. Creative director Mel Rodrigues talks TEDx and Bristol as a centre for discussion and change on p28.

In other positive news, Bristol Music Trust has launched a citywide arts programme to help give children from all backgrounds the best start in life (p68) and Trinity Academy has opened in Lockleaze to meet the pressing need for school places – read about its vision on p72. Elsewhere we’re looking at the raft of indoor entertainment we want to muscle in on: film, theatre, music, literature, circus and more (including an aerial rope performer clad only in clingfilm). Details on p24. There’s also real-life Nordic noir at the RPS as Jack Latham presents his Sugar Paper Theories exhibition (p40) using the backdrop of Iceland’s most controversial murder investigation to explore the relationship between photography, truth and memory.

From p88 you’ll find our more traditional home improvement content – there’s an extract from former singer and lover of vintage Pearl Lowe’s new interiors book Faded Glamour, news of Farrow & Ball’s collaboration with the Natural History Museum, a few books that’ll look grand on the coffee table and a profile on two local artisans crafting unique furnishings for Bristol homes.

Heading out for food? Read about Seven Lucky Gods at Wapping Wharf to see if it floats your boat (p52). Staying in to bake? Flick towards James Rich’s autumnal apple recipes or our cute Halloween cake pops from Briony May (from p54). We also appreciated Oliver Kennett’s account of everyday life in Bristol as experienced without vision (p48) – a mindful morning focusing on taking in the city with our other senses turned out to be a real tonic for the times.

Intrigued... ...By the October events calendar – particularly the UK premiere of Company Menteuses’ A Nos Fantomes (To Our Ghosts). Circus City’s aerial theatre show about a woman confronted by another version of herself takes place on 25 & 26 October at Circomedia. See p24.

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ZEITGEIST

top things to do in OCTOBER

GET SPOOKY The beautiful and the damned will come out to play this Halloween when Ibiza Nights presents Club Macabre (1 and 2 November, 9pm – 4am) – an exclusive, boutique party experience in a secret Bristol location inspired by real events and the macabre characters of Victorian England. Plus, expect a special DJ guest appearance by a Bristol drum and bass legend, to be revealed on the night. Following the sold-out success of Ibiza Nights’ summer soiree Café Magna on Chew Valley Lake, this Halloween pop-up will take over one of Bristol’s most historic and iconic buildings for two nights of chills, thrills and live music.

Bristol’s first citywide children’s book festival kicks off this month as everything from interactive and sensory storytelling for tots, to inspiring talks and workshops for teens, takes over the city at Storytale Festival. From 26 October – 3 November, kids can get involved with storymaking with Brave Bold Drama, older children can learn about the process of making picture books, and there’s lots of creative writing workshops. Littles ones might learn about how to bring poetry to life, watch immersive puppetry and get hands-on experience from authors and illustrators. All you need to do is bring your imagination with you. Full programme and tickets available online.

• storytalefestival.com

WONDER Mariko performing inside the Puzzle Creature set

• ibizanightscm.co.uk/club-macabre

Step into an inflatable world and get ready for an all-encompassing performance at Colston Hall on 24 and 25 October. Puzzle Creature is a new multi-disciplinary dance work by Neon Dance, inspired by the “death-eluding” architecture designs of Arakawa and Madeline Gins. Three dancers will drive this 60-minute performance with wearable artefacts created by the award-winning artist Ana Rajcevic, and will be accompanied by a newly commissioned score for eight speakers by composer Sebastian Reynolds.

Tickets £16.35.

• neondance.org

GET CULTURED The height of summer may be long gone, but there’s no need to hide away indoors – the city is overflowing with a sensational selection of culture this autumn. Witness death-defying stunts and jaw-dropping aerial acrobatics at Circus City, watch groundbreaking new theatre at Bristol Old Vic and delve into the deep blue as the Ocean Film Festival comes to the Victoria Rooms. The Bristol Festival of Literature is back this month with talks from big names and debut writers, plus there’s something spooky going down at The New Room courtesy of Insane Root theatre company… Discover more from page 24.

CHEER Let the local rivalry ensue! It’s the big West Country derby of the rugby season this month as Bristol Bears go head to head with Bath Rugby at Ashton Gate Stadium on 18 October, k/o 7.45pm. Following the Bears’ ninth place finish in the Gallagher Premiership last season (three spots behind Bath), they will be pushing forward this season in the hope of climbing up the table.

Tickets from £10.

• tickets.bristol-sport.co.uk

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Broken Box Collective is performing Outside the Club at Circus City

Storytale: Nicola Fleming/Bristol Bears: JMPUK/Puzzle Creature: Miles Hart/Broken Box Collective: Andre Pattenden 2

BE INSPIRED

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THE CITY THE BUZZ

My

BRISTOL This month we meet with Watershed CEO Clare Reddington

The book features contributions from Tricky’s family and Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder

Just round the corner...

Bristol musician, record producer and actor Tricky is bringing out his official autobiography with Blink Publishing this month. The trip-hop pioneer took the UK by storm in the early 1990s, creating a sound that helped define the soundtrack of the post-rave generation. His first solo album Maxinquaye sold a million copies worldwide and was the NME’s album of the year in 1995, nominated for that year’s Mercury Prize.

Since then he has recorded a further 12 albums.

Tricky grew up in Knowle West – alongside family members that included convicted criminals and bare-knuckle boxers. Out of an environment of urban struggle and economic disadvantage he forged a unique creativity, finding acclaim from the likes of David Bowie. Tricky speaks candidly about how his mother’s suicide, when he was just four years old, has had a lifelong effect on him creatively and psychologically, and how the underground cultures of the 1980s and ’90s, including festivals, Jamaican sound systems and the emerging UK hip-hop scene, gave him the space and inspiration to express himself artistically. Free to develop his taste naturally and experimentally, in part by working with likeminded peers such as Bristol’s Wild Bunch – from which later came Massive Attack – Tricky pioneered his sound. When Island Records’ legendary figurehead Chris Blackwell signed him, his adventure as a household name began.

The book, Hell is Round The Corner, is due for release on 31 October and takes the reader on a journey from “the margins of Bristol’s ghettos to the high-life of music industry excess”. The book has been written in collaboration with music journalist Andrew Perry and features contributions from members of Tricky’s family, industry insiders, former gangsters and music icons such as Terry Hall and Shaun Ryder.

• £20, hardback; trickysite.com

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I’ve worked at Watershed for 14 years and the thing about being CEO is there is literally nothing that is typical about my day. Yesterday featured a power cut, business planning, reviewing a funding bid, meeting with an artist and interviewing potential trustees. The context switching can be exhausting but it is also what makes it exciting.

Watershed was originally built as a warehouse for independent traders – when the rest of the harbour was dedicated to large shipping companies. The fact we have always been a home for enterprising startups makes me really happy.

This month’s Festival of the Future City at Watershed looks amazing [see p32 for more]; the season celebrating musicals with BFI will be fabulous too and the We Are Here season featuring a drag celebration of the film Cabaret sounds pretty epic. The breadth and depth of Watershed’s programme at the moment is incredible.

We are planning two capital expansions – the first will begin in early 2020 and will add a new cinema, new toilets and a new food offer to the ground floor, and the second will see a major expansion of the Pervasive Media Studio, extending our home for creative technology, media and international innovation.

I admire so many Bristolians but the joyful and straightforward spirit of possibility that exists in the city is embodied in MAYK – many of my favourite Bristol culture moments have happened in their Mayfest programmes.

I am travelling quite a bit in October – to Ethiopia as part of being a trustee of British Council, and to Lagos because

we are supporting a producer there through Watershed’s Creative Producers International programme. I’m really lucky that I get to travel and promote the amazing things that happen here, but also learn and connect with great people and ideas. Back at home, I’m looking forward to Simple Things; we have two installations in Watershed – CARGO, challenging narratives around the history and legacies of Bristol’s African diaspora, and Curve by Squidsoup.

Music-wise, this summer was all about Lizzo for me; I don’t know why anyone would listen to anything else.

Work is pretty hectic so weekends are for pottering, running, getting the countryside in my eyes, reading books in the bath and eating delicious food with friends.

I would happily eat lunch every day in Pasta Ripiena and can’t wait to try out Bianchis, from the same family, in a couple of weeks.

I love the tortilla in Paco Tapas and the atmosphere of Box E. You will most often find me in Watershed bar though, obvs.

I am very partial to the Pinot Noir and I love the fact that we both attract groups of people and that people feel comfortable to sit in the bar alone. The welcome makes me really proud.

My first action, if I was mayor of Bristol, would be to pedestrianise the city centre.

I used to love Make Sunday Special – the whole city changes in character and becomes more welcoming. Plus we need to sort out the air quality... n

Image by Jon Aitken

I grew up just outside of Bristol, in Nailsea, so I am very much a local – and have been going to Watershed since I was 15 (sometimes when I should have been in school). I have also lived in Birmingham and Cheltenham but love the size, attitude, access to countryside and most of all the culture(s) of Bristol.

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THE CITY Time to tap for Bristol

The UK’s first contactless donation system to raise money for homelessness prevention services, as well as directly supporting people who are currently homeless, has launched in Bristol. TAP for Bristol aims to help make Bristol the city that solves homelessness and is being delivered by Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District in partnership with Caring in Bristol and Quartet Community Foundation.

The first points, where people can tap their contactless credit or debit card to donate, are opening in shop windows in central Bristol – current locations include 25/27 College Green (the former FOPP store), Waitrose on Queens Road and the café/bar at Bambalan. In addition, points are being installed in business premises; the first to go live is at Lloyds Banking Group’s HQ at the Amphitheatre and the Spectrum building on Bond Street, courtesy of property managers Lambert Smith Hampton. All donations are being managed, monitored and evaluated by Quartet Community Foundation, with donations divided equally with Caring in Bristol which will use the funds to deliver new homeless prevention and early intervention support services to those vulnerable. This will include a new group of trained volunteers working in partnership with local debt and housing advice agencies to give additional, timely support to those at risk of becoming homeless.

Local charities, organisations and community groups will be invited to apply to Quartet Community Foundation on behalf of named individuals to support them into a safer and more stable life away from the streets. A single tap donates £3 and supports someone attending a job interview while two taps help fund a oneto-one session with a support worker for a young person facing homelessness and three taps can help a prevention worker navigate someone away from crisis, or fund an emergency deposit for a room.

The BID team is looking to install further donation points in prominent places with high footfall and is asking businesses and organisations to get in touch if they are interested in hosting one, including owners of vacant properties. “TAP for Bristol is a new, quick and easy way to help people experiencing homelessness,” said Keith Rundle at Bristol City Centre BID. “People can find themselves facing homelessness for a variety of reasons – the end of a private rental tenancy, relationship breakdown, losing a job or getting into debt. Many businesses are concerned at the level of rough sleeping and TAP for Bristol presents an additional way to help tackle one of central Bristol’s most pressing issues.”

Ben Richardson, director of Caring in Bristol, added: "Homelessness needs more than an emergency approach. We want Bristol to lead the way in ensuring people never have to sleep rough in the first place.”

• tapforbristol.org

This local institution has a tranformative plan up its sleeve

Light and inspiration Bristol landmark the Royal West of England Academy has received a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund which takes it a major step closer to securing its future.

It will go towards a project which will not only save it from closure but increase the numbers of people visiting its exhibitions. Funding of £178,600 has been awarded to help progress plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant of £1.37m in 2020 towards its £3.3m Light and Inspiration capital project.

With only 1.5% of the gallery’s funding coming from the public purse each year and no unrestricted reserves, RWA’s ability to attract visitors and deliver sustainable income is essential for it to continue as an art gallery.

The planned 2021 project will make the listed building more welcoming, attractive and accessible, ensuring the RWA is financially sustainable for the future. The forecourt will be made into a vibrant social space for artists’ interventions, family activities and alfresco seating. The team is looking at expanding the shop and café – creating separate entrances so the café can open outside of gallery hours.

The project will enable remedial work on the vast skylights, with new insulated roof lanterns (to save on heating costs) and ventilation openings. Stabilising temperatures will also mean the RWA can continue to be insured under the Government Indemnity Scheme to borrow major historic works from international galleries.

The antiquated 1913 lift will also be replaced, making upstairs galleries accessible for people in wheelchairs for the first time. Innovative activities are also being planned to engage people from Bristol’s deprived wards and expand on work with people struggling with mental health challenges and dementia. Already £938,400 of the cost is secured; match-funding of just under £1m needs to be pledged prior to the second round submission to Lottery Heritage Fund in June for the project to go ahead.

• rwa.org.uk @johnhowen570

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Long live low-key communal partying

A

t our recent street party we were trying to work out how long ago the previous one had been. Five years? 10? As we put up gazebos and spread rugs on the carless tarmac it felt as though this was the street’s true identity – a place for low-key communal partying – and that the intervening months and years were an illusion. The bunting fluttering overhead took us back not just to the street parties we remembered but to jubilees and national celebrations of the past.

Then people started coming out of their houses to join in and it was clear that the previous street party had been a pretty long time ago.

Children who had sat along trestle tables eating cake were now parking their cars outside the exclusion zone. Many of the faces appearing outside front doors were new to me, and disconcertingly youthful. Who used to live at number 56? Was that the family who moved to Cornwall? Or the old lady who sold up and went to Chipping Somewhere-or-Other?

Not all the new people were young. One older couple had moved from the country into the city for the hospital and the busses and also so they could live in our kind of street, with its bustle of students and young families. Come to think of it, the reason we hadn’t had a street party for so long was probably that our kids had got too old to enjoy drawing chalk railway lines on the road or competing in the ‘make a creature out of vegetables’ competition. We had to wait for a new generation to emerge, and now here they were: a whole mob of children, most of whom I’d never seen before.

Actually I probably had seen all of them at one time or another.

You can’t walk a dog up the street twice a day without encountering kids who are either a) terrified of him or b) hell-bent on kissing his furry face. I’d also noticed a recent increase in the general noise levels, with siblings squabbling in back gardens and new grandparents cooing over babies, but it was quite a shock to find ourselves surrounded by so many tots. As someone put it, about half the people at the street party weren’t born the last time we had one.

For the children, the afternoon offered that rare thing; the freedom of the street. When else can you play table tennis in the middle of the road, or draw huge flowers in chalk? Or jig about to music played (with enthusiasm at least) by a bunch of grown-ups squeezed into a gazebo? For their parents, meanwhile, here was a day off from worrying about cars. True, there were occasional wails from toddlers who scraped their knees on the rough tarmac, but otherwise it seemed natural for children to be out in the street, playing.

As I watched them, I tried to remember what it had been like when ours were skipping about with hobby horses or scooting about on bikes with no pedals. Of course we have photos of them doing those things and more, but I don’t find looking at pictures a good way of remembering. This is especially true with babies. A neighbour has a ridiculously cute baby who must be about six months old now and has entered the happy period before toddlerdom. She looks a bit like Ms B at that age, and when I went indoors to fetch something I looked at a photo on the wall to compare. Adorable, yes, but not her – not the baby I want to remember.

Going back out I found that the neighbour’s tot was being passed between doting teenage girls and equally doting would-be grandparents. I squeezed into a gap and, when the opportunity came, held the baby on my knee. She frowned up at me. I pulled a face. She smiled. Now I remembered. ■

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THE ARTS

NEW SEASON

DELIGHTS

Summer may be over, but there’s nothing stopping you from getting out and soaking up the city’s action this autumn – Bristol’s arts venues are jam-packed with plenty of culture that you won’t want to miss

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he nights are drawing in, there’s a cool breeze in the air, and it’s got to that weird in-between weather where we’re wondering when to schedule the heating. Alas, it’s time to wave goodbye to the summer of lazy days in the pub garden, festival fun and alfresco dining as, to appropriately quote Game of Thrones, winter is coming.

But before you groan about the need to dig out the knitwear, polish your sensible (and waterproof) shoes, and dodge all the Christmas (yes, the ‘c’ word) products being hurled into the shops, there’s lots to look forward to in Bristol during autumn. You may not be able to enjoy an evening drink on the harbourside in your shorts in this weather, but the city is bursting with culture this season – all of which can be enjoyed in the comfort of the warm indoors (plus there might be the odd glass of red on offer to help warm the cockles). There’s innovative new theatre, revealing film screenings and spell-binding acrobatics, plus debut novelists and immersive performances, just to name a few. So don’t be put off by any bothersome rain outside – Bristol’s arts venues are ready to welcome you inside with open arms. Here’s what to look forward to…

1 BRISTOL LIT FEST Now a regular in the city’s autumn calendar since its launch in 2011, the Bristol Festival of Literature is a celebration of all things wordy. From 17 – 27 October there will be an abundance of local authors, big names and debut novelists and poets presenting their work, as well as events and workshops, taking place in venues across the city.

Hear stories about the women who influenced Bristol’s history, who have often been forgotten, in a talk by local authors Jane Duffus, Christine Purkis and Charmaine Lawrence at Arnos Vale Cemetery on 18 October. Awardwinning writer Cynan Jones will be talking about building fictional worlds on 19 October at St George’s Bristol, and you can find out about the art of thriller writing from bestselling authors Emily Koch, Jane Shemilt and Melanie Golding on 26 October at Waterstones.

Peruse the shelves of some of the region’s best publishers and authors at the book fair at Arnos Vale Cemetery on 27 October, and if you want to get some top tips for writing for young adults and children, there are workshops happening throughout the festival.

Plus Judy Darley will be celebrating the launch of her second collection of short stories and flash fiction at a fringe event on 2 November with atmospheric readings and music.

• bristolliteraturefestival.org

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2 BRISTOL OLD VIC Last month’s outstanding season opener of Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) has set the precedent for imaginative productions appearing at BOV over the coming months.

Kicking October off is the theatrical adaption of Matt Haig’s frank and funny bestseller Reasons to Stay Alive, which follows Matt’s journey through depression, providing a profoundly uplifting exploration of living and loving better (from 1 – 5 October).

Next up is a new verse adaption of Cyrano (12 October – 16 November), directed by BOV’s very own artistic director Tom Morris, and starring Tristan Sturrock (who you may recognise as Zacky Martin in Poldark). Cursed with the looks of a clown and in love with the beautiful Roxanne, Cyrano hands his words of love to the handsome (but foolish) Christian to speak for them both. Will Roxane fall for the ‘perfect’ man? Can Cyrano really sacrifice his love for fantasy? Is true love more than skin deep?

And over in the theatre’s Weston Studio, spectacular things are happening. Six years in the making, theatre company Ad Infinitum is bringing to the fore the stories of the oppression deaf communities have, and still do, experience.

Extraordinary Wall of Silence̶ (5 – 19 October) combines the company’s signature style of physical storytelling with the beauty of British Sign Language to tell three powerful coming-of-age stories which are united through a struggle against violence and ignorance.

• bristololdvic.org.uk

Tristan Sturrock returns to BOV for an in-house production of Cyrano

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THE ARTS

See the world premiere of Jäntti and Venna in Ballantine Scale from 17 – 19 October at Invisible Circus

3 CIRCUS CITY The UK’s biggest celebration of contemporary circus – Circus City – brings an international line-up of acts and events to Bristol, offering choices for all ages, and interweaving circus skills with music, film, theatre, dance and more. From 17 October – 2 November, there will be world premieres, a record amount of experimental work, even an aerial rope performer clad only in clingfilm; making Circus City the place to enjoy extraordinary acrobatics, suggestive satire for adults, and interactive play for kids. Highlights include the aerial storytelling of Company Menteuses’ À Nos Fantômes, the juggling sensation of Broken Box Collective in Outside The Club, and the internationally award-winning Barely Methodical Troupe in Bromance. See the full programme online.

Jäntti and Venna: Ulla Kokki

• bristolcircuscity.com

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4 OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL In celebration of the surfers, divers and oceanographers who chase crashing waves, marvel at marine life and bravely step into the darkness of the deep blue, the Ocean Film Festival is touring the UK and Ireland this autumn – and is coming to the University of Bristol’s Victoria Rooms on 12 and 19 October. Featuring up to nine short films, the festival hopes to inspire viewers to see the Earth’s oceans in a different light, encouraging them to explore and respect our vicious yet fragile waters. Over the course of more than two hours, viewers will watch a wide range of films covering topics such as the environment, marine life, sports and coastal cultures.

• oceanfilmfestival.co.uk

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OFF: Freediver Chelsea Yamasee, photo by Travis Burke/Wara: Derrick Kakembo

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5 WATERSHED Bringing more culture to the harbourside than you could shake a stick at, arthouse cinema Watershed is presenting an exciting programme of films, festivals and events this season. First up is Shextreme (4 & 5 October) – a cinematic celebration of women in extreme sports and adventure, and the first film festival of its kind in the world. To get you in the spooky spirit this Halloween, the classic 1950s frightener The Tingler will be screened on 31 October. Then the South West’s biggest festival of African cinema, arts and culture returns for its 15th edition as Afrika Eye Festival takes over the city from 4 – 10 November, including screenings of the best new and classic African films at Watershed. London’s Korean Film Festival arrives on tour with two special screenings, on 18 and 20 November, of Hong Sang-Soo’s 2018 drama Grass and Shin Sang-Ok’s classic 1958 melodrama A Flower in Hell, before the cinema hosts a series of shorts, feature films and documentaries as part of the Bristol Palestine Film Festival from 3 – 10 December.

• watershed.co.uk

Anna Mudeka’s Kure Kure/Faraway features on the Afrika Eye Festival programme

6 RUMPELSTILTSKIN Locked in a tower and forced to spin a roomful of straw into gold by morning or have her head removed from her body… Milly’s only hope of salvation lies in the strange creature lurking in the shadows of her cell, but what price will she pay? Through creative storytelling, clever puppetry and an immersive soundscape, Bristol-based theatre company Insane Root is bringing a completely new take on the ancient folk tale of Rumpelstiltskin to The New Room from 4 October – 1 November.

By plucking this production out of the traditional theatre space and harnessing the architecture and history of John Wesley’s Chapel, Insane Root offers audiences a spine-tingling experience as this tale of greed and survival comes to life by candlelight.

• insaneroot.co.uk; newroombristol.org.uk

Trailblazing Afro Latin band Wara

7 PAPAYA FEST Bristol-based arts collective Popelei (the rising female-led team behind awardwinning international theatre hit Manuelita) is launching the first edition of PAPAYA Fest in Bristol this month, bringing an exciting mix of Anglo-Latinx artists to the city with an incredible array of new theatre and music.

Championing LGBTQ+ messages and female voices, the jam-packed schedule will take over The Wardrobe Theatre and The Old Market Assembly from 10 – 13 October. Headlining the music on Friday night will be musical revolutionaries Wara, offering a fiery mix of Cuban jazz-funk with an urban London remix. Also on the festival’s programme is the Edinburgh Fringe runaway hit Butch Princesa, Popelei’s anticipated new show 100 Years, and a head to head tropical bass-off between DJs Panther Panther! and Ivicore.

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Reflect, rethink, reboot

With a fresh batch of ideas brewed at its new Runway East HQ on Victoria Street, TEDxBristol is back next month.

We spoke to creative director and curator Mel Rodrigues to find out more

T

his year’s TEDxBristol is all about how we can unpick things that don’t work, evolve our thinking and create positive change in a world of constant flux. It’s characteristically inspiring stuff that’s come from months of brainstorming with folk from across the city and talk about the extraordinary, sometimes discombobulating times we are living in.

...Bristol is full of ‘quiet heroes’ – people doing amazing things for their community or the wider world but not really shouting loud about it....

TBM: Mel, tell us more about the 2019 theme: ‘reflect, rethink, reboot’ Mel Rodrigues: Despite living in this hyper-connected era – when more people have access to quality information and ways to engage with each other than ever before – we are experiencing isolation, loneliness and record levels of anxiety. We seem to be faced with so much information, challenge and change that it is hard to process, let alone to know how to move forward or what to actually focus on. The people who took part in our brainstorms wanted to acknowledge and expose this dichotomy, but rather than wallowing in the enormity, complexity and sheer brokenness of some aspects of modern life, we wanted to front up to it, analysing it and chipping away at it. Our talks will reset the dial on all manner of topics so we can share ways to achieve our best work despite the climate of political, social, and environmental upheaval.

Can Bristolians get involved with TEDx as speakers?

We’ve completed our search for this year but we’re already looking for interesting speakers and stories for 2020 and beyond. This year we designed the application process so that we could reach out to as many South Westerners as possible and showcase our region’s best ideas on the world stage. In 2017 we launched our ‘Fresh Talent’ scheme – the goal being to work with emerging stars off and on stage to nurture storytelling and production skills and diversify the city’s creative talent pipeline. We deliberately commission talks from Bristolians who don’t have much public speaking experience and are from under-represented backgrounds. When we commissioned Nura Aabe, a mother and health campaigner from Bristol’s Somali community, to talk about her son’s autism, she had very little speaking experience and English was her second language. Our brilliant pro-bono speaker coaches at Hodos Consultancy and a group of volunteers worked with her to help with her presentation and storytelling. Her talk was one of the highlights at Colston Hall in 2017 and 18 months on she’d become a global ambassador at conferences around the world. She regularly gets approached by national media outlets to talk about autism and marginalised communities, and is in the process of creating the first learning centre for autism in Somalia to be opened in 2022.

We are always looking for the next Nura – the people so busy doing the brilliant thing they are doing that they may not even have considered being a speaker. Each applicant just needs to send in 100 words via the speaker portal and those with that spark of potential are invited to development sessions.

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Which Bristol talks have made the biggest impressions on you?

Natalie Fee’s 2017 talk about the plastic we flush down the loo is a total game-changer as well as a bit of a tear-jerker when you see the image of the baby albatross! Before I met Nat I am ashamed to say that I didn’t think about the plastic that gets chucked in the toilet – despite being good at minimising waste from my kitchen. In 2015 Lynne Elvins’ talk was a runaway success – a very funny but also deeply moving story about her experiences as a gay parent. Lynne and her partner Emma were the first same-sex couple to be approved by Bristol Council to adopt a child. Lynne’s talk has had over 318,000 views and is being used all over the world as an educational tool by adoption agencies. I love the fact that Bristol is leading thinking and knowledge exchange on LGBTQ+ issues. It fills me with Pride!

What are the hot topics at TED HQ at the moment?

The climate crisis we are facing isn’t going to go away. Platforms like TED have an opportunity to spearhead international connection and I’ve seen a spike in the talks which offer breakthrough thinking on this topic. Greta Thunberg’s talk was a watershed moment (excuse the pun). Now she’s looking out over Bristol on the side of the Tobacco Factory, reminding us that the future of the world is in our hands. In this moment of indecision and sometimes wilful ignorance from world leaders, isn’t it fascinating that normal people are taking the boldest steps? Linked in a way is the spike in talks that speak to the heart of the global democratic crises. TED is apolitical but not shy of holding leaders or big companies to account. Take a talk like Carole Cadwalladr’s brilliant and frank appraisal of Facebook’s role in Brexit and erosion of democracy. She calls out the “gods of Silicon Valley” for being on the wrong side of history and asks if free and fair elections are a thing of the past.

In a sea of noise online about Brexit and big political shifts, I’m hugely grateful that TEDx talks can wade through a lot of the confusion and inertia and pick up important threads to be examined and shared. Unfortunately the general public seems increasingly disenfranchised with mainstream journalism and at the same moment consumes vast amounts of ‘news’ and current affairs from social feeds. In this era of fake or dodgy news, platforms like TEDx can help people get access to quality journalism and content with integrity. The YouTube channel alone has 19 million subscribers. We have a huge potential to reach people who may never have heard of Bristol by curating reliable, timely stories that speak to their concerns and interests. Finally, AI is our future and one of the joys of being in Bristol is being able to engage with the amazing tech companies working here. From healthcare to education, there’s not an area of our lives that won’t be affected by ‘Industry 5.0’ and we’ve recently recorded a podcast which looks at some of the incredible work local people are doing. With the T in TED standing for tech, I think machine learning/automation will become one of the most discussed and watched on the platform as new technologies emerge.

How’s the new HQ? It’s a friendly, dynamic space that’s changed the game for start-ups in Bristol. I feel like the square mile in which Runway East sits is fast becoming the city’s creative and tech power-hub. The last 18 months have been transformational. With the help of local partners offering pro-bono legal advice and sponsorship we were able to launch officially

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Curator Mel Rodrigues

as a not-for-profit company and create a few part-time jobs. As a result we are functioning more like a start-up and have the capacity to try new things and focus on our community initiatives.

Why is Bristol such a good place for TEDx? I think Bristol is the best place in the world for a TEDx event, because of the sheer volume and breadth of exciting things and inspirational people. I am constantly surprised and wowed by the stories I come across. Bristol is full of ‘quiet heroes’ – people doing amazing things for their community or the wider world but not really shouting about it.

There’s an energy and upbeat spirit to the city that you just can’t ignore. We try to bottle that and share it.

What sort of activities are you adding into the programme?

One bit of feedback has been the need for ‘reflection’ and moments of quiet and pause. Hearing inspirational talks back to back is exciting but can be mindblowing and a bit overwhelming. People need time to work ideas through and connect with people off the back of shared interests. So we’ve carved the day up into three main blocks: we’ll ➲

...Greta Thunberg’s talk was a watershed moment. Now she’s looking out over Bristol on the Tobacco Factory, reminding us that the future of the world is in our hands...

Who’ll be the next TEDx success; the next Nura?

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Which change-makers really inspire you in Bristol?

Jasper Thompson and his team at Help Bristol’s Homeless have totally changed the game when it comes to practical, innovative solutions to the immediate problem that homeless people face. The bed bus and the container units turned into micro-flats are not only safe havens, they make people feel cared for and part of a community. No wonder it’s an idea that is now being replicated all over the world.

Poku Osei is also one of Bristol’s most inspiring trailblazers. A lot of people talk about diversity and equality of opportunity but Poku is creating real, tangible change with Babassa Youth, connecting young people from less advantaged parts of Bristol with thriving business leaders, helping both parties see their potential. As a business owner who’s attended a couple of their speed-mingles, I have to say it was the passion and confidence of the young people I met that bowled me over the most. Some of them are now working with TEDxBristol.

What have been the biggest TEDxBristol success stories?

be reflecting on where we are at in the morning, rethinking things that need changing in the afternoon, and rebooting with stories and ideas that help us move forward in the evening. There’ll be big breaks in between so that people can mingle, doodle or just take time out. They can attend as many or as few talks as they like as there will be plenty of other experiences to sooth and captivate curious souls. Bristol Old Vic is such a brilliant space for this; I could just stare at the old wall for hours and feel inspired.

...The discord is helping us see where the cracks are and has stimulated a raft of positive action that may not have happened if we were just coasting along feeling like things are okay...

What positives can we take from this moment of ‘global uncertainty’?

I think the disruption and discord we’ve been experiencing, however uncomfortable, is helping us see where the big cracks are, what’s broken and what needs fixing. It has stimulated a raft of positive action that may not have happened if we were just coasting along feeling like things are okay. A great example is society waking up to the crisis in men’s mental health and urgent need to tackle the high rates of suicide among young men. This was completely taboo 10 years ago.

Acknowledging that things are broken is encouraging all kinds of people to engage in dialogue to help get to the root of the problem.

We recently recorded a podcast with former TEDxBristol speaker Daniel Edmund about a project he is running for young men at Knowle West Media Centre to explore masculinity and creativity. It’s one of countless examples of change due to being able to identify and work with the ‘uncomfortableness’. The UK is truly leading on mental health research and good practice and other countries are following. I think change is now more possible than ever because it is so much easier to share knowledge and solutions. Look at how quickly Extinction Rebellion or the #MeToo movement captured people’s consciousness.

We’re waking up to deep problems and there are some brilliant people across the planet, motivated to find solutions. Rather than feel all doom and gloom, we can get involved in whatever issue means the most to us and connect with people driving progress. The biggest lesson I have learnt is that you can’t fix everything but you can choose your corner and do what you can, when you can. You’ll find your tribe in doing so!

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Commissioning Mena Fombo’s talk about unwanted hair-touching experienced predominantly by black women was a pivotal moment for us. We knew it was a challenging topic and people may not get it, or like what they heard. But Mena’s talk was crafted so beautifully, combining moments of humour, candour and calls to action, that it defined for me the power that our talks and films can potentially have.

Her campaign has now gone global – she has been contacted by thousands of people sharing their experiences of micro-aggressions associated with the hair and bodies of black, Asian and mixed-race people. She’s also founded Black Girl Convention and I am so proud TEDxBristol was able to help kick-start this movement.

Via the community partnership we were able to give away over 260 free places to school and community groups to attend TEDxBristol last time. The feedback we’ve had is that while free tickets are great, actually what these groups want is more involvement in the ideas process. So we’ve been developing ways to involve Bristol’s emerging stars through brainstorms and mini ideas events. For over 18s we’ve developed a process for up-skilling the next generation of creative and digital talent via professional training and mentoring. Volunteers come to TEDxBristol with little or no experience in digital and creative practice but leave with a substantial credit on their CV, new skills and industry contacts. Experienced members of the team mentor newer members in production management, editorial and script-writing, social media and marketing, website development, filming/camera operation and lighting and editing. We were Bath Spa University’s biggest media industry partner in 2017, offering placements to over 30 students, and will expand that this year. For me this is one of our biggest achievements, grown organically through grass-roots partnerships and listening to the needs of the city.

Tell us a little more about the podcast, and what you’re up to ahead of the main event We’re the first TEDx event to launch a podcast; we had so many fantastic stories coming in but not enough time to feature them all at the main event. Each episode is a 25-minute delve into the worlds of Bristol’s most exciting change-makers rebooting a particular area of life or work.

Episode one examined masculinity and work being done to promote men’s mental health, creativity and connection via The Male Room.

Episode two is about the Bristol’s tech scene leading the way in AI and socially responsible innovation; episode three is on the future of food.

Now it’s all hands to the pump to create the most exciting, environmentally smart and user-friendly event possible. I suspect I’ll then reflect, rethink and reboot over Christmas as we begin another year of championing Bristol’s best ideas! ■ • TEDxBristol takes place at Bristol Old Vic on 17 November; tedxbristol.com

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GARDENING FUTURE BRISTOL

Home improvement

Cities can offer the solutions to many of the world’s problems, but as the world urbanises rapidly we need to get them right.

Andrew Kelly, director of Bristol Cultural Development Partnership, gives an overview of 2019’s Festival of the Future City

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et over three days in venues across city, the Festival of the Future City’s third instalment is the largest and most ambitious to date, and will look at the role of cities in modern day society. Up for debate are some fundamental questions: who has the right to the city? How do we meet public concerns about immigration in a time when immigration is needed? Can cities grow in ways that do not place economic, social and environmental burdens on future generations?

The agenda is huge. Bristol faces similar challenges to other cities: a housing crisis; growing inequality; transport problems; Brexit; environmental issues. But Bristol is ambitious, and change is happening. Channel 4 is coming. Over a billion pounds of investment is being made in new areas in the centre and in the north, transforming the city and – as the University of Bristol’s new campus shows – changing how a university engages with different geographic communities. Plus the local government is investing in council houses once more.

...Who has the right to the city? Can cities grow in ways that do not place economic, social and environmental burdens on future generations?

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This year’s festival brings together (deep breath) politicians, writers, artists, scientists, academics, journalists, students, economists, policy makers, roboticists, philosophers, filmmakers, think tanks, charities, social enterprises and city-builders to explore key issues and solutions for our cities. We’re talking the fourth industrial revolution, populism; other hot topics include creating nature-rich cities, economics and productivity, civil war and faith organisations.

We need radical ideas and radical solutions. This year, we take inspiration from when the first large-scale council estates began 100 years ago. While the country was still dealing with the trauma of the First World War, with millions living in slum conditions and rallying cries for the rights of workers and women, the act of government introducing the first modern council estates was passed.

Bristol was one of the earliest cities to build new estates, and it changed the way that generations of people lived. It’s this kind of new thinking that is needed now. As concerns grow about civic discourse, there must be greater public involvement in developing new ideas as well as debating them.

Almost 30 years since the Berlin Wall came down, we also look at the ideas of Weimar, Red Vienna and the Bauhaus in their centenaries and what they offer cities now. Plus in the year of the 70th anniversary of Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell’s warnings of fake news, data abuse and political totalitarianism look increasingly prescient. These fears will be reflected in sessions on cities and democracy, the future of urban tolerance, and how we can live and

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work together. We’re encouraging everyone to read and reread this great book and will be distributing free copies across the city.

The festival also focuses on architecture and planning, the future of democracy, devolution, trust and tolerance. We’re addressing issues around identity and race in Bristol, the legacy of the slave trade, and how other places deal with guilt. Most of all we address the greatest crisis of all – the climate emergency – and what we can do about it.

There are plenty of new ideas worth considering, as well as old.

The future of cities may remain fraught with challenges, but they are also full of possibilities. We need now, more than ever, greater public involvement in developing ideas as well as debating them. Join in using #futurecity19 and @festivalofideas on social media.

Festival highlights

Who Owns the City? 16 October, 10.30am, Watershed (booking required) Sheila Foster (Georgetown University) talks about what we need to do to make our metropolitan environments inclusive, democratic and collaborative.

Beyond Apologies: Past Guilt and Urban Futures, 16 October, 10.45am, Watershed (booking required) How should cities deal with guilt? Professor Olivette Otele (Bath Spa University), Joshua Jelly-Schapiro (author) and Anne Thomas (Stolpersteine Project) look at how other cities have addressed the slave trade, the confederacy, the Holocaust and the French colonial past with presentations by Michele Curtis (Seven Saints), Michael Jenkins and Lawrence Hoo (CARGO) and Sarah Robertson (Colston Hall).

Delivering for Bristol: The Mayor’s Annual State of the City Address and Debate, 16 October, 6.30pm, City Hall As Mayor Marvin Rees reaches the end of his first term, he reflects on the work of his administration and where it goes next. What has been delivered?

Bristol’s Urban Myths, 18 October, 11am, starts at Watershed What happened when a medieval merchant’s wife got hold of the elixir of life? (Hint: It didn’t end well.) Where did local Spring-Heeled Jack attack? Which office block was HQ for a royal assassination? For more than 30 years Eugene Byrne has been filing away historical yarns. Now he invites you to leave your scepticism at home for a tour of some of Bristol’s least believable stories.

Fighting the Climate Emergency; Green New Deal; Can Local Action Help Solve Global Challenges? 17 October, 9am, 12.15pm, 3.30pm, Watershed An exploration of climate emergencies and what they mean in action; Ann Pettifor on Green New Deal; progress in sustainable development goals; new economic thinking including the four-day week and universal basic income.

Radical Cities, 16 & 17 October, Watershed 1919 was a year of radicalism across the world. Look at past radical cities with a day on Weimar and the Bauhaus (17 October); and how Vienna’s council housing has lasted and prospered for over a century (16 October); while Paul Mason, Mary O’Hara, Guy Shrubshole and Ece Temulkuran debate radical cities now (16 October). n • Festival of the Future City, 16 – 18 October; futurecityfestival.co.uk

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WHAT’S ON IN OCTOBER Rory Bremner is heading for St George’s Bristol

Jay Rayner discusses his last supper at Redgrave Theatre

Autumn Stargazing 3D Until 2 December, dates and times vary, We The Curious When was the last time you looked up at the stars? Wander into the planetarium for your very own guided tour of the autumn night sky.

Discover constellations, explore the mysteries of Neptune, and fly to planets beyond our solar system. £3.50; wethecurious.org Women of the SS Great Britain 1 October, 2pm, Brunel’s SS Great Britain Women made up less than 20 per cent of the passengers who travelled on the SS Great Britain during her working life, however their stories are no less fascinating. Explore the experiences of some of the women who travelled or worked aboard Brunel’s famous ship. Free event, included in admission price; ssgreatbritain.org My Last Supper: Jay Rayner 1 October, 7.30pm, Redgrave Theatre You have one meal left, what are you going to have? This is the question that award-winning restaurant critic Jay Rayner has been asked most often. Based on his new book, Rayner investigates the fascination with last suppers and why they are of such intrigue to us. Does your last supper present the opportunity for your appetites to run riot? Does it tell the story of your life? £21; redgravetheatre.com Art 4 Our Sake Symposium 3 – 5 October, times vary, Colston Hall A series of panels, discussion groups and workshops examining the role of arts and so-called ‘soft subjects’ in relation to mental health and positive wellbeing. The events will look at bullying and the steps we need to take to combat it locally and nationally. £5.45 – £10.90; colstonhall.org 36 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Rumpelstiltskin 4 October – 1 November, 6.45pm and 8.30pm, The New Room Insane Root Theatre presents an immersive production of Rumpelstiltskin. Told by candlelight, Matt Grinter’s take on this ancient folk tale follows Milly, who is locked in a tower and forced to spin straw into gold by morning, or face the horrific consequences.

Interpreted performances available on 17 October. From £12; insaneroot.co.uk The Tallis Scholars 4 October, 7pm, St George’s Bristol Peter Phillips and The Tallis Scholars have long been fascinated by how composers from different backgrounds set the same, seminal texts. The programme shows how important and durable plainchant was, from the Renaissance period to 20th-century Paris, as well as from territories as far apart as England and Mexico. £15 – £35; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Extraordinary Wall o ̶​̶f̶S ̶​̶l i̶e ̶n ̶​̶ c̶ e 5 – 19 October, 8pm (Saturday matinees 3pm), The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic Three coming-of-age stories, united in a struggle against violence, ignorance and oppression. Award-winning Ad Infinitum combines the company’s signature physical storytelling with British Sign Language in an unmissable feast for the senses. Performance in BSL and English. From £13. Accompanying lecture ‘In Search of Deafhood’ by Dr Paddy Ladd takes place on 12 October, 5pm at Watershed; bristololdvic.org.uk Dogtoberfest 6 October, 10.30am – 9pm, Prince Street Social Bringing the traditional German festival of Oktoberfest to you and your pooch. Enjoy No 184

plenty of bier, Bavarian music, a twist on traditional games and entertainment. Your dog will have lots of surprises in store, including treats, prizes, goody bags and more. £13 – £18; dogfuriendly.com The Vintage Furniture Flea 6 October, 11.30am, Paintworks A celebration of mid-century living from the ’50s and beyond, with top vintage traders all offering furniture and homewares. Expect to see eclectic wares from traders all over the UK. £2 entry; paintworksbristol.co.uk Milk Poetry presents Strong Bones 7 October, 7.30pm, The Wardrobe Theatre Celebrating journeys through writing, internationally acclaimed performer and city poet Vanessa Kisuule will be joined by Casey Bailey, Stephen Lightbown and more. They will read from their early writing, covers that inspired them and recent work. £8; thewardrobetheatre.com Austentatious 9 – 11 October, 8pm, Redgrave Theatre An improvised comedy play starring the country’s quickest comic performers. Every single show, the cast conjures up a brand new ‘lost’ Jane Austen novel simply based on a title suggested by the audience. No shows are ever the same, with some past masterpieces including Sixth Sense and Sensibility and Double 0 Darcy. This comes fresh from six sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and a weekly residency in London’s West End. £18; redgravetheatre.com Lunch with William Yeoward London 10 October, 10.30am, Bracey Interiors, Waterloo Street, Bristol Hear all about William Yeoward and his

We The Curious: Lee Pullen/Nadiya Hussain: Dan Kennedy

Get a guided tour of the night sky at We The Curious

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LOCAL | EVENTS

EDITOR’S PICK...

NADIYA HUSSAIN: FINDING MY VOICE 18 OCTOBER, 7.30PM, ST GEORGE’S BRISTOL

Born to parents who had emigrated to Britain from Bangladesh, Nadiya Hussain grew up in a Muslim family with five siblings. She entered an arranged marriage aged 20, became a mother, suffers from panic disorder, and had never been on a train on her own until she travelled to audition for The Great British Bake Off. In this on-stage interview, Nadia will talk about her new book, Finding My Voice, where she considers her role as a mother, Muslim, working woman and celebrity. £25, includes book; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

furniture and furnishing collections, followed by lunch. Raising funds for Screw Cancer and Maggie’s Centres. £25; braceyinteriors.co.uk PAPAYA Fest 10 – 13 October, The Wardrobe Theatre and The Old Market Assembly Bringing an exciting mix of Anglo-Latinx artists to Bristol, PAPAYA Fest offers an array of new theatre and music across one ferocious fiesta of a weekend. The festival has a proudly LGBTQ+ friendly message and champions female voices within its fusion of British and Latin American cultures. Full programme online; papayafest.com

Oktoberfest 11 & 12 October, times vary, The Passenger Shed The Passenger Shed will be transformed into a Bavarian Wunderland, offering a taste of authentic German culture with a selection of traditional sausages, bratwurst and pretzels.

From £10; oktoberfestbristol.co.uk Stomp Charity Walk 12 October, 10am – 4pm, begins at Anchor Square, Bristol Harbourside Take part in a six-mile walk to help raise funds for leading cancer charity Penny Brohn UK. Registration is £12 for adults and £7 for

children under 14. Dogs go free. The event will culminate with the Stomp Autumn Fayre at Penny Brohn UK’s national centre where there will be stalls, refreshments and entertainment. The fayre is open to the public as well as walkers taking part in Stomp; pennybrohn.org.uk/stomp19 Majesty and Grace 12 October, 7.30pm, Trinity-Henleaze URC Henleaze Concert Society’s new season opens in style with a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 – a work of universal appeal, full of athleticism and unbridled elation – alongside Mendelssohn’s enduringly popular Continued on page 38

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LOCAL | EVENTS

John-Luke Roberts at The Bristol Improv Theatre

Laugh your stockings off with Austentatious at Redgrave Theatre

Hebrides overture and Strauss’ graceful Oboe Concerto. £5 – £16.50; henleazeconcertsociety.org.uk

and career snapshots, Rory will recount stories from his time on Bremner, Bird and Fortune and as a guest on an impressive roll call of timeless comedies. £20; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

John-Luke Roberts: After Me Comes The Flood (But In French) drip splosh splash drip BLUBBP BLUBBP BLUBBPBLUBBPBLUBBP!!

12 October, 8pm, The Bristol Improv Theatre Critically acclaimed idiot John-Luke Roberts returns to the road with another ridiculously long-titled show. Filled with extraordinary daft-hearted comedy – expect to not know why you are laughing once more, even when he gives you the punchline first. £12; chucklebusters.com

Holst’s Planets 3D 18 October, 7 – 7.45pm, We The Curious Enjoy Holst’s masterpiece in the UK’s only 3D planetarium. Be transported out into the solar system and get close-up views of the mysterious worlds that inspired his iconic music, from the icy rings of Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age to the dusty craters of war-mongering Mars. £9.95; wethecurious.org BOP Bristol 19 19 & 20 October, 10am, Royal Photographic Society, Paintworks BOP Bristol 19 is a new photobook fair from the RPS and the Martin Parr Foundation which brings together a diverse range of photobook publishers and sellers from the UK and Europe. There will also be a programme of talks featuring Jack Latham, Grace Lau, Stephen Gill, Ioanna Sakellaraki, Aaron Schuman, Poulomi Basu, Liz Hingley, Sophie Green, Mark Power and Lisa Barnard Photo, plus a book fair and exhibition. Free admission. Talks £3/£5; rps.org

Endgame: James Lisney 13 October, 4pm, St George’s Bristol Pianist James Lisney explores four composers who are particularly close to his heart – Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin – and whose late piano music is some of the most endlessly satisfying and masterly of works. £12 – £20; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Craft4Crafters Craft and Textile and Quilt Show 17 – 19 October, 10am – 5pm, Bath and West Showground More than 150 of the finest craft and textile suppliers will showcase their materials and items, plus there’s over 100 daily workshops and demonstrations of a range of artist techniques and mediums. Don’t miss the amazing embroidered White Walker from Game of Thrones on display in the Quilt and Textile Hall. £8/£9, under 16s free. Advance bookings get £2 off; craft4crafters.co.uk

Cantos Sagrados 19 October, 7.30pm, St Mary Redcliffe Bristol Bach Choir’s new season begins with three fine contrasting choral works: James MacMillan’s Cantos Sagrados, David Bednall’s recent Three Songs of Love and 17-year-old Felix Mendelssohn’s rarely performed, spirited Te Deum. Nigel Nash features on organ, conducted by Christopher Finch. £5 – £22; bristolbach.org.uk

Rory Bremner: A Life In Satire 17 October, 8.30pm, St George’s Bristol Rory Bremner has been poking fun at the political establishment for more than 30 years.

Matthew Sweet invites you to peer behind the mask as he engages Britain’s indisputable master of satire and impersonation in conversation, discussing his fascinating career.

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Sing of Love 19 October, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol A celebration of love in words by the female Greek poet Sappho and music by Vaughan Williams, Jonathan Dove, Britten and Finzi, performed by the 100 voices of City of Bristol Choir and professional orchestra. £15 – £28; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

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A Halloween Tale 23 October – 3 November, 11am – 3pm, Cheddar Gorge and Caves Get ready for some ghostly goings-on as some infamous literary figures come to life and take up residence inside Gough’s cave. Can you help Cheddar's detective duo solve this mystery? Be prepared to unravel the secrets of some strange happenings as you delve down into the unknown… Book online and save up to 15%; cheddargorge.co.uk Get Involved, Change the Outcome 25 October, 6pm, Bristol Old Vic Using Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, the participants – all people from across Bristol with lived experience of homelessness – weave together a thought-provoking exploration of the issues that lie behind this deeply important issue. £5; bristololdvic.org The Joy Conference 26 October, 10am – 5pm, Watershed A not-for-profit, ground-breaking day to show audiences why joy is important, practical and achievable, and why it needs to be prioritised.

You learn about how to create your own recipe for joy using connection, innovative learning techniques, engagement, movement, mindful awareness and laughter. £66 – £72; joehoare.co.uk Antique, Vintage and Collectables Fair 27 October, 10am – 3.30pm, Ashton Court Mansion An Aladdin’s cave for unique gifts with fine jewellery, silver and gold, china, ceramics, glassware, retro items and kitchenalia, militaria, furniture, pictures, paintings, antique clocks, vintage clothing, books and more. 40 indoor stalls plus a café serving cream teas. £2 entry, under 16s free.

Gilbert O’Sullivan: Just Gilbert 29 October, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol Following the success of his top 20 self-titled album in 2018, O’Sullivan is back on tour with a solo show that will feature new songs alongside fan-favourites. £17.50 – £34.50; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk n

TTS: Nick Rutter/Austentatious: Robert Viglasky

The Tallis Scholars at St George’s Bristol

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PHOTOGRAPHY

REAL-LIFE NORDIC NOIR Bristol photographer Jack Latham’s work uses the backdrop of Iceland’s biggest and most controversial murder investigation to explore the relationship between photography, truth and the uncertainty of memory.

Head to the RPS this month to examine the case for yourself...

F

orty years ago, two men went missing in south-west Iceland.

The facts of their disappearances are scarce and often mundane. An 18-year-old set off from a nightclub, drunk, on a 10-kilometre walk home in the depths of winter. Some months later, a family man failed to return from a meeting with a mysterious stranger. In another time or place, they might have been logged as missing persons and forgotten by all but family and friends. Instead, the Guðmundur and Geirfinnur case became the biggest and most controversial murder investigation in Icelandic history.

Bristol-based photographer Jack Latham immersed himself in all aspects of the case, from meeting key protagonists to locating and photographing key sites of the investigation. The resulting project, Sugar Paper Theories, brings together original photographs with a range of archival and documentary materials to explore the case. From police files to conspiracy theories, forensic science to the notion of memory distrust syndrome, it plays on issues of certainty and uncertainty, the unreliability of memory and the power of suggestion.

The Royal Photographic Society, at Paintworks, is hosting the first UK showing of Sugar Paper Theories to coincide with the release of a new, updated edition of Latham’s award-winning photobook.

“Sugar Paper Theories uses photography and a reallife story to explore fundamental concerns around truth and objectivity which are so relevant in today’s posttruth world,” observes Dr Michael Pritchard, director of education and public affairs at the RPS – which is pleased to be exhibiting a project previously only shown at Reykjavík Museum of Photography, plus new work created especially for this enlarged Bristol version of the original show.

We spoke to Jack Latham to find out more...

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TBM: What motivated you to explore this happening in this way?

Jack: I first heard of the case in 2014 and, like a lot of people, was fascinated by the idea of false memories. The more I read about it the more I felt it was something that the medium of photography would lend itself to. The reason I was attracted to the Guðmundur and Geirfinnur case was less because it was about crime, and more that the people central to it had suffered from memory distrust syndrome – a condition that made them, falsely, believe they had committed two murders without any evidence they had done so. I was interested in the role photography can play in depicting memory.

Why is this project and exhibition so relevant to today’s post-truth world and what does it tell us about it?

When I started this work the notion of ‘post-truth’ was in its infancy. Terms like ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’ weren’t being used in everyday vernacular as they are now. Our realities are informed by the narratives of what we are told and I think that has always been true; in a small way this project attempts to focus in on how certain narratives can inform our lives in negative ways.

What is the main thing you’d like people to take away?

In 2018 the charges against the five men in the case were dropped. It was only the charges against Erla Bolladóttir, the only woman central to the case, that were upheld.

When we first showed the exhibition in 2017 in Reykjavík the space became a place where members of the public could interact and ask questions directly to those accused. The case has been getting more attention internationally and I feel it’s important to shine a light on injustices.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

The Lion King invites theGuðjó audience to see #4 on two levels at n’s Church the same time: the fiction, and how it is created

The project brings together original photographs with a range of archival and documentary materials

...We should see photography the same as a writer’s pen. Both reinterpret the world through the mind of the person wielding them...

If you feel you can distill it down to the basics, how do you perceive the relationship between photography and the truth?

I feel we should see photography the same as a writer’s pen. Both reinterpret the world through the mind of the person wielding them.

What’s it like to be a photographer in Bristol?

Sighting #2

a second edition which features a foreword by Erla Bolladóttir and an additional chapter by Gísli Guðjónsson, explaining what has happened since the first edition came out. The exhibition at the Royal Photographic Society will mark the first time the work has been seen in its entirety. ■ • Sugar Paper Theories by Jack Latham runs from 12 October to 22 December; rps.org/spt

Below: Bristol-based photographer Jack Latham. Opposite page: Guðjón’s Church #4

I have only recently relocated to Bristol, although, being from Cardiff, I spent a lot of time here when I was younger. It is wonderful to be part of what is fast emerging as one of the most exciting places in the UK for photography.

What was the most challenging part of this project?

The case is really complicated and the circumstances one has to go through to develop memory distrust syndrome are quite intense. I worked with the expert witness from the case, Professor Gísli Guðjónsson CBE, who coined the term memory distrust syndrome, and who helped simplify the case as much as possible.

Did you face many restrictions?

Other than the weather, no. There is a public understanding that what has happened to these people was horrific and an injustice – as a result of that, people were very forthcoming and often keen to help in the production of the work.

Can you tell us about the new work created for this exhibition?

When the work was first completed in 2016 it was published by The Photographers’ Gallery and HerePress. It went on to do quite well and sold out very quickly. With the support of the RPS we are reproducing

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EXHIBITIONS

STATE OF THE ART BOP Bristol 19, Royal Photographic Society, 19 & 20 October This is a new photobook fair from the Royal Photographic Society and the Martin Parr Foundation which brings together a diverse range of photobook publishers and sellers from the UK and Europe.

There will also be a programme of talks featuring Jack Latham – the Bristol-based Sugar Paper Theories photographer – Grace Lau, Stephen Gill, Ioanna Sakellaraki, Aaron Schuman, Poulomi Basu, Liz Hingley, Sophie Green, Mark Power and Lisa Barnard Photo, plus a book fair and exhibition.

• rps.org

167 Annual Open Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, 28 September – 1 December The RWA’s renowned Annual Open Exhibition returns this autumn for its 167th year with a wonderful variety of work from emerging and established artists, selected from thousands of entries. This dynamic and diverse exhibition includes painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, installation and mixed media submissions and is a showcase of some of the most exciting artists from across the country and beyond.

• rwaopen.co.uk In Search of Palladio (Waiter Vicenza) by Michael Clark

Of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness: Michael Clark PAI RSW, Lime Tree Gallery, 25 October – 19 November The recent paintings of Michael Clark (born in Ayr in 1959 and trained at Edinburgh College of Art) focus on the relationship between the artist, France and Italy. When he graduated in 1983, a love of film led to working for the BBC in Glasgow. Moving to London in 1989, he worked as a freelance art director, gradually spending more time painting. In 1999 he returned to Scotland where he now paints full-time from his studio in Ayrshire. These paintings are a celebration of life, and love of both people and place, linking the simple yet significant pleasures of every day.

• limetreegallery.com

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Consignments invited for our pre-Christmas Specialist Sale

£10,900

£6,600

£23,500

£69,000

Our 14th November pre-Christmas Quarterly Specialist Sale is timed to coincide with the busiest time of year for the sale of fine & decorative arts & antiques, fine Jewellery, silver & watches. To take advantage of this we have three FREE VALUATION DAYS at the Salerooms in October plus a Jewellery, Watch, Silver & Gold Valuation Day at Stoke Lodge in Bristol on Saturday 5th October where our Specialist Valuers will provide free no-obligation verbal estimates with the pre-Christmas Sale in mind. Alternatively why not email images of items you may be thinking of selling to info@csrauctions.com (Home visits can be arranged for large collections – Call us for more details).

Free Valuation Days in October 1st, 14th & 15th October At the Salerooms 9.30am – 1pm and 2pm – 5pm --------------------------------------------------

Bristol Jewellery & Watch Valuation Day Saturday 5th October 10am – 4pm At Stoke Lodge, Shirehampton Rd, BS9 1BN (Ample Free parking)

Every lot in every sale illustrated and sold with live internet bidding

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

Tel: 01934 830111 www.clevedon-salerooms.com

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EXHIBITIONS

The Temptation of St Anthony

Do You Believe In Magic? Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, 19 October – 19 April Magic is a fundamental part of the human experience which crosses time and cultures. This exhibition will introduce you to the lives of those who practice it, the objects that embody it and the beings that exist between the natural and the supernatural.

From ancient uses of witchcraft, to the role superstition plays in the modern mind, the show will reveal how magic is used to heal, hunt and harm across the world. European works of art, depicting magical creatures, will appear beside beautifully decorated hide coats worn by native North American hunters designed to help them catch their prey. From Ancient Egyptian amulets and Mexican charms promising protection, to items collected from the altar of a practising witch, this exhibition will uncover new ways of understanding worlds beyond our own.

• bristolmuseums.org.uk

West Bristol Arts Trail, various venues, 19 & 20 October

Commissions from Christine Norley Established West Country artist Christine Norley, who specialises in adaptations of the classics as well as modern pieces, is offering pre-Christmas commissions this month.

Christine has been painting for 40 years and uses her natural artistic talent to raise money for the Street Children of Brazil. Contact Christine via email – christine.art@uwclub.net – or give her a call on 01656 662069.

The free West Bristol Arts Trail showcases over 100 artists living and working in Clifton, Clifton Wood, Redland and Hotwells, with over 50 homes, studios and public spaces open to the public.

There is a public preview on 18 October at Engineers House, The Promenade in Clifton (6.30pm – 8.30pm). All are welcome. Taking part are fine artists, photographers, ceramicists, print makers and sculptors. The trail offers the public the chance to meet artists in their studios, talk to them about their work and buy directly from them. Event maps of the trail are available in many outlets across the city, or you can plan your visit through the website, which hosts biographies and a selection of images for each participating artist. Look out for the red balloons which mark each venue.

• artistsincornwall.com • westbristolarts.com Glastonbury Tor and Full Moon

by Stephen Spraggon

Somerset Art Weeks Festival, various venues until 6 October Paintings, sculpture, print and jewellery are among the art on display in galleries, studios, barns, a library, a hospital and an old prison during SAW. Somerset Art Weeks Festival showcases the work of more than 300 artists, with exhibitions, talks, films, installations and workshops across the county. This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of Somerset Art Weeks, an annual county-wide celebration of the variety and quality of contemporary visual art that can be found in Somerset. The festival takes place every other year, alternating with the biannual Open Studios event, and is firmly established as one of the biggest showcases celebrating the visual arts in the South West.

• somersetartworks.org.uk

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A Very French Affair by Michael G Clark PAI RSW

Michael Clark Solo Exhibition: Oct 25 - Nov 19 Lime Tree Gallery, 84 Hotwell Road, Bristol BS8 4UB

Tel 0117 929 2527 • www.limetreegallery.com

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HISTORY

CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD “Whether you’re an Olympian tennis player or a top-drawer whistler, every woman is a winner,” says author Jane Duffus. Here she hand-picks five championship high achievers from Bristol’s past

B

ehind every strong city, there is an even stronger army of women – says Bristol author Jane Duffus, who regular Bristol Magazine readers might remember from our February 2018 issue which marked the centenary of the women’s vote in Britain. In it we featured a few of the remarkable females who helped make our home town what it is today in their various ways, and who Jane had written about in her book The Women Who Built Bristol. The book did so well as to merit a sequel – out this month – in which we meet a further 250 inspiring females who fought tooth and nail to shape our city and the wider world.

Sport stars rub shoulders with boot makers; scientists stand beside grocers and artists. Entries include one washed-up whale, two plucky daredevils, 38 women called Mary, 1,955 donated eggs and more besides. Largely overlooked, this diverse and seemingly ordinary set of women from Bristol’s history even includes a handful of n’er-do-wells which makes for fun, if grisly, reading.

Edith Hannam, 1878 – 1951

The first Bristolian to win an Olympic gold medal was Edith Hannam, and to really make her point, she won two of them. Not content with being a superstar tennis player, Edith was also a whizz at ping pong. She and her brother John were the county table tennis winners when the first ever Table Tennis Championships were held at the Victoria Rooms in 1902. Edith practised at Clifton Tennis Club but was 29 before she began to see real success. After marrying timber merchant Francis Hannam in Nailsea in May 1909, Edith gave up tennis when the couple relocated to Toronto. But they decided life overseas was not for them and returned to Nailsea where Edith picked up her racquet and became an outstanding figure, winning 10 tennis titles between 1912 and 1923.

When the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm came around, Edith became the most successful member of the entire team with her two gold medals.

her pedigree, it should have come as no surprise. Her father William had taken over the family business in 1885 and rapidly expanded the 12-acre Douglas Motorcycles site in Kingswood, employing more than 5,000 people.

Although motorcycling was a maledominated scene, Rosina, sister Irene and cousin Margaret were excellent motorcyclists and successfully competed in competitions as the Douglas Motorbikes’ Women’s Team in the years leading up to the Second World War. In 1927, the team won the International Vase against men’s teams from all over Europe. They were an excellent advertisement for the family business.

Mary Rudge, 1842 – 1919

Rosina Douglas (illustrated by Carrie Love)

The first Englishwoman to play chess competitively to a high standard was Mary Rudge. When her father died in 1874, Mary moved to Bristol to live with her brother Henry in Clifton. Fortunately, in 1871 the Bristol and Clifton Chess Association had become one of the very first chess clubs in the world to admit women as members, which enabled Mary to really improve her game. By February 1875, the Chess Player’s Chronicle noted: “It is considered that Miss Rudge has not a superior among the ladies of this country.” Mary’s career high was winning the first ladies’ international chess tournament in summer 1897. She conceded only one draw against 19 opponents and won the title of Lady Champion of the World. Her last known appearance as a chess player was on 26 November 1898 at the Imperial Hotel on Whiteladies Road, when she played against the world champion Emanuel Lasker: the game was broken off when they ran out of time.

Lasker said that Mary “would probably win if she played the best moves all the time” – surely all anyone needs to do to win anything.

Illustration by Tina Altwegg

Ann Trotman, 1952 – 1997

When Edith Winfield won the whistling prize at the Bristol Baptist Union Eisteddfod in April 1932, her talent called a judge to question “why this natural means of music-making was not used more”. We have a string of news reports throughout the entire 1930s of Edith winning trophy after shield after cup for her whistling prowess and it seems somewhat regrettable that whistling is no longer considered such a treasured musical artform.

A wheelchair user for almost her entire life, Ann Trotman was a high achiever. As well as completing a PhD in disability studies, she was also a paralympian, representing Great Britain at the International Games for the Disabled (as the paralympics was then known) in 1984. Ann won three silver medals and one bronze. Following her sporting career, Ann worked for Bristol City Council as its disability sports officer. One of her appointments was attending a lunch for disabled athletes at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, where she met Diana, Princess of Wales. This fundraising event generated more than £20,000, which was used to send the British team to the 1988 Seoul paralympics. In June 1989, Ann was awarded the MBE for services to disabled sports. ■

The sight of Rosina Douglas standing on the saddle of her motorbike and speeding down Kingswood High Street was enough to make even the most composed of bystanders feel nervous. But if they considered

• To read about the other 245 women in The Women Who Built Bristol: Volume Two, buy the book direct from janeduffus.bigcartel.com or your local bookshop; to find out more about Jane’s talks, visit janeduffus.com

Edith Winfield, born 1891

Rosina Douglas, 1913 – 2000

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Illustration by Tiitu Takalo

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GARDENING LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

Image by Harry Lusted/Buoy Events

The olfactory system picks up on rich roasted meats and spices and the homely aroma of grilled cheese toasties at the Harbourside Market

Invisible Bristol

A vast and vibrant spectrum of scents, sounds, textures and tastes characterise this city, in addition to its famous sights, and nobody knows it better than Oliver Kennett

T

he sun is warm on my skin as I tippy tap tap down a cobbled lane. A busker plays sweet songs of lost love on his accordion, the stimulating scent of fresh ground coffee wafts through the air; it’s a beautiful day in Bristol. “But wait!

What does he mean; tippy tap tap? Is he a reincarnation of Fred Astaire wandering our fair city in bullet-hard dancing shoes?”

Uh, no. It’s the sound of my long white cane impacting the cobbles, the concrete and other less perceptive commuters. Cue the tiny violin...

I lost my sight at an early age, in a punch-up with a shark (true story, bro) and have found that so often, ‘Sighties’, as I like to call you lot who can see (patent pending), ramble through life just looking at stuff.

There’s a tree; you look at it. There’s a lady on stilts; you look at her.

There’s a man with a long white cane considering the best way to describe Bristol from his unique perspective; you look at him. The city is a bizarre and brilliant place, even without sight, and I’d like to bring you on a little journey with me so that you might experience it for yourself.

As we stroll around the centre of the city we hear the honk, clatter, twang or wail of buskers. This ranges from classical music presented with considerable skill around Broadmead to an elderly chap next to the sweeping arch of Pero’s bridge, whose enthusiasm far outweighs his musicality… Let’s move on, quickly.

Aside from the music that fills these streets there is the perpetual rustygate cry of gulls as they wheel, gossip and quarrel high over the city’s rooftops, planning the demise of the humans that wander oblivious below. In the morning’s early coolness we can hear the rhythmic slosh of oars as rowers slide past in their long, sleek vessels. We pass people who themselves are a symphony of sounds, from the not quite discernible spill from a pair of headphones, to the clatter of bangles as a woman waves at 48 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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her friend across the street, the squeals of her children bouncing off shop fronts and hotel facades. As yet, while my ears are primed for it, I have not detected the famous ‘Bristol hum’ – an incessant and enigmatic humming noise reported to have been heard by city residents in the ’70s (I’m not that old) and more recently in 2016.

...We may catch the sweet and comforting aroma of Mrs Potts’ Chocolate House or the yeasty scent of fresh bread from Pinkman’s Bakery...

Among the chatter of dialects from across the world and the whoosh of passing traffic there are myriad sensory delights to be had – for a start, Bristol stinks… Let us take a big old sniff. If we are lucky and in the vicinity of Park Street we may catch the sweet and comforting aroma of Mrs Potts’ Chocolate House or the yeasty scent of fresh bread from Pinkman’s Bakery. On the other hand, the harbourside is a bit more of a lottery for the olfactory system. On the hottest days of the year we are apt to honk down a sharp and earthy lungful of stagnant water but on other days, when the food market nestles against the harbour’s edge, there are pockets of rich roasted meats and spices, the crystalline warmth of caramel or the homely aroma of grilled cheese toasties.

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LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

Everywhere, there is the particular perfume of people, from those wearing gorgeous exotic fragrances to those who really, really need to.

The smell of cigarettes drifts on the air, tangled with the fruity bouquet of those who vape and sometimes there is the sharp, organic scent of a substance that utterly eludes me… Peace, man.

The sense of touch isn’t often associated with a city, not unless you’re blind at least. Too many times I have touched lampposts with my face as if kissing an implacable lover at speed. Other times I explore the texture of the city via pavements both smooth and cracked. You can tell a lot about a neighbourhood by its upkeep. Some surfaces let my cane pass over them unimpeded; sometimes subsiding paving stones cause it to become ensnared, resulting in all sorts of mayhem. The sense of touch also extends to city folk; either by me banging into them or, less frequent but far more vexing, them grabbing my arm to steer me in a direction that I invariably don’t want to go in. People can be so very helpful...

There’s the feel of a cool, smooth glass on a hot summer’s day or the crinkle and crackle of paper swaddling fish and chips; the heavy, coarse blocks of the cathedral or the thick chill of girders that make up Clifton Suspension Bridge. Bristol is full of wonderful textures.

Its food and drink scene is one of the best in the country, even if new restaurants appear and vanish like a sumptuous game of whack-a-mole.

Whether it is the sharp sweetness of a sun-drenched glass of cloudy cider from The Apple or an airy sourdough pizza slathered with tomato sauce and plump mozzarella at Flour And Ash, flavours abound. There is a range of reactions from restaurants to me as a blind diner; I can’t count the number of times waiting staff offer a menu to the person who has just walked in with a bright white cane in their hand, and the more confident actually ask if I would like one to read.

Here is where this newfangled thing called the internet is so useful.

Before visiting a place I’ll use my screen reader (basically the ghost of Stephen Hawking stuffed into my computer’s speakers to read out what is on screen) to communicate what’s on offer and in this way I can retain a modicum of independence. Some larger chains (every self-respecting Bristol foodie, say boo!) offer Braille menus which I read, although the

thought of hundreds of fingers trailing across those pimply words, and the bacteria they leave, makes me want to shower for a week. Restaurants that stand out for both their grub and ability to retain their wits when presented with a blind diner are Pieminister, GinTree – at the foot of Stokes Croft – with their succulent Middle Eastern spiced meats, and Pasta Ripiena, serving parcels of pasta perfection.

Bristol is rich with things to see, from the might of the SS Great Britain, cradled in her dry dock, to the world-renowned images of the elusive Banksy that delight and inspire onlookers everywhere. But there is far more to this beautiful city; a fascinating tapestry of scents and sounds to explore that I enjoy every day, and you can too. All you need to do is close your eyes. ■

Pasta Ripiena stands out for Oliver

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 49

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FOOD & Drink

TASTY TIDBITS FROM THE CITY’S RESTAURANTS, CHEFS AND PRODUCERS The venue will open at Quakers Friars

LOOKING TO 2020 D&D London – the luxury restaurant, bar and hotel group based principally in London but with venues in Leeds, Manchester, Paris and New York – is launching a restaurant and events venue with Hammerson plc, within the Quakers Friars piazza in Cabot Circus.

The plan is for the venue, set to open in early next year, to feature a restaurant, bars, extensive private dining and a large outdoor terrace. The restaurant and bars will be contained within the listed 18th-century Friary Building.

“D&D continues to innovate in the restaurant scene and we are thrilled to have secured their first venture in the South West,” said Iain Mitchell, UK commercial director at Hammerson.

“Quakers Friars is a unique setting and we have some really exciting plans that will transform this part of Cabot Circus.”

• danddlondon.com

ONE FOR THE WHISKY CURIOUS A hotly anticipated new bar is to open the Bristol public on Marsh Street on 4 October. Black Rock’s Shoreditch site has been serving whiskies from around the world for the past four years and the aim is to bring whisky to the masses and create an accessible, inviting approach to a spirit so often seen as intimidating.

Founders Thomas Aske and Tristan Stephenson, who also own a drinks consultancy firm, have over 40 years of hospitality experience between them, from bar-tending to writing the award-winning book series The Curious Bartender. The Black Rock brand alone has expanded from a single bar in an East London basement to a five-storey whisky shrine housing a tavern, blending room and lodgings. All this experience has been poured into the Bristol bar where drinkers can find an approachable drinks list, unique snacks (think fresh soda bread and haggis sausage rolls with Black Rock brown sauce) and a 216-year-old oak tree hollowed out to hold the house aged whisky cocktail.

The drinks selection will include over 300 whiskies, divided into six flavour profiles. Alongside neat whisky each profile – sweet, smoke, spice, fruit, fragrant and balanced – will have its own cocktail and highball. In addition to the biggest whisky collection in Bristol, guests can expect a rotating selection of local craft beers from breweries such as Moor Beer Co. “We’re hoping to be able to challenge preconceptions and introduce existing whisky fans and those brand new to it to something they haven’t tried before,” said Thomas. “Our ambition has always been to make whisky more accessible to everyone, and we felt Bristol was absolutely the right place to expand our offering as it has one of the most progressive bar scenes in the country.”

• blackrock.bar

TIME TO BOOK BANDOOK First opening its doors in Cargo 2 back in August 2017 as Sholay Indian Kitchen, specialising in moreish street food classics and vibrant cocktails, one of Wapping Wharf’s funky shipping container eateries has got itself a new name, a new interior and a new sister site.

Earlier this year, for business reasons, Sholay was rebranded as Bandook Indian Kitchen, a term which is steeped in subcontinental history. Bandook translates as gun or rifle in the Hindi/Urdu language, a word widely adopted by British troops serving during the age of the Raj and one which continues to be used today. The new-look interior takes its cue from the Hindustani cafés where the British and Indian army used to gather to eat together – offering rich, dark hues accented with imagery which reflects the era as well as a focal-point illustration of Indian riflemen holding the ‘bandook’.

The concise, seasonally changing menu has also gone from strength to strength, featuring the likes of the popular Grandma’s curry, samosa chaat and melting Peshwari lamb cutlets alongside new additions of Indian tacos and sliders and more besides. The Bandook team now have their sights on a new all-day dining destination in Milsom Place, central Bath, due to open this autumn.

“I’ve been in the restaurant business all my life and always wanted to create a rustic street food concept,” says co-owner Moe Rahman. “We’re excited to see Bandook Bristol continue to grow and are looking forward to the next chapter.”

• bandookindiankitchen.com

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 51

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RESTAURANT | REVIEW

Seven Lucky Gods Fortune favours the bold but the skilled team here make their own luck anyway. Expect toothsome East Asian-inspired bar snacks and a quality boozy offer that comes as standard with Hyde & Co, at this popular, prettily packaged izakaya.

Words by Amanda Nicholls

E

very time we visit this bijou yet beautifully formed Tokyostyle bar and restaurant, opened this summer on the top deck of Cargo 2 in Wapping Wharf, we order the Dignity – and every time we leave with none. It’s one of the seven cocktails on the drinks menu, each of which is named after a different god of fortune from Japanese mythology, and it’s so pleasantly sharp and mouth-wateringly delectable – Mount Gay’s gently sweet Barbadian rum tartened by kumquat liqueur, passionfruit, lime and Campari – that we’re powerless to resist returning to the bar for more and more (*drink responsibly).

Naturally there are other libations to choose from, with several different sorts of sake, sumptuous softies such as spiced orange ginger ale and raspberry lemonade kombucha, plus your ciders, IPAs, wines and spirits. It makes for an encouraging start as you turn your attention to the accompanying grub.

We’re perched outside on the decking, catching the very last of the late-summer rays and running our eyes over the robata charcoal grill section which includes the Marmitesque option of chicken heart yakitori – lovely, we hear, but today we’re too chicken-hearted ourselves to find out. From the sushi and sashimi varieties it’s tempting to opt for tasty-sounding torched tuna nigiri or beef tataki but eventually we go with tempura softshell crab futomaki stuffed with avocado and cucumber. Each thick cylinder delivers a virtuous mouthfeel characterised by fresh veggie crunch, offset by the lightest batter around the crab and complementing the creaminess of the avo and marine flavour of the seafood. The salmon and prawn dragon roll is equally satisfying, and photo-friendly – the bright tangerine of the decorative tobiko (flying fish roe) standing out against the ink-black serving slate, ensuring we rush to brandish our cameras before anyone can ruin the scene by diving in with greedy outstretched digits.

...The rise of the izakaya occurred in a similar way to that in which so many pubs became gastropubs and it makes sense to soak up the booze when it’s as moreish as it is here...

The rise of the izakaya – the name given to the informal Japanese sake joint – occurred in a similar way to that in which so many British taverns and taprooms became gastropubs and it certainly makes sense to soak up the booze when it’s as moreish as it is here.

The perfect foodie pick for this purpose is found in the form of Seven Lucky Gods’ curry fries. These are another thing altogether – a 3am street snack undergoes major glow-up kind of story. They arrive with a generous covering of sesame seeds, curry sauce and kewpie – Google will tell you this is a type of doll with a large head, big eyes, chubby cheeks and a curl on its head, and this doll has lent its name to a kind of luxe mayonnaise that’s become a staple in East Asian households.

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The spicy Korean fried chicken with finely sliced green onion, glistening red in its rich, sticky sauce, speaks of quality poultry and provides just the right amount of kick; but it’s the chicken katsu curry arancini with aged parmesan that really does it for us. These must stay on the menu forever or we’ll be forced to revolt.

“Baby, this is what you came for,” comes the slightly strangled singing voice of my Sunday night companion across the table as she cuts into the crisp spheres to reveal their softly spiced, ambrosial innards – the second glass of Dignity clearly kicking in and the surprise Calvin Harris cover encapsulating our feelings about this star snack.

...The katsu curry arancini with aged parmesan must stay on the menu forever or we’ll be forced to revolt...

She and I set about putting the world to rights in order to ensure enough digesting time to make the idea of dessert feel feasible – despite being recommended three to five dishes per person, the decent portions mean we’re stuffed after five between us. To finish, we sink our cutlery into a milk chocolate ice cream sando with hazelnut in purée and praline form – there’s a subtle nuttiness to the ‘bread’ of the sandwich too, made from macaron to give a toothsome nougat texture. Neither of us can normally finish a chocolate pud so the final forkful feels like a conquest.

Learning that Hyde & Co was to have a Cargo presence was happy news – as one of the most successful and popular restaurant groups in Bristol it made total sense – and we’re chuffed that just as much thought has gone into this concept and creating a unique identity as it has with Pata Negra, Bambalan and the rest of Seven Lucky Gods’ siblings. Here’s to Hyde, and another strong string in its hefty bow. ■ • 7luckygods.com Star snack: chicken katsu curry arancini

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Korean fried chicken glistening red in its sticky sauce

xxxxx

Pull up a stool and watch the chefs at work inside the shipping container, which features a gorgeous mural by Bristol’s Gareth Aldridge (this image, above and right by Kirstie Young)

Chocolate and hazelnut ice cream sando

The sushi and sashimi selection is pleasingly vibrant (image by Kirstie Young)

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FOOD | RECIPES

An apple a day For Somerset cider-maker’s son James Rich, the subject of his debut cookbook was a bit of a no-brainer...

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iven that James grew up helping his dad plant orchards, clean 10,000-pint oak vats for fermentation and press thousands of apples, exploring their flavours while developing his home cooking in the kitchen with his grandma, it was only natural his first collection of recipes would revolve around the English larder essential.

James’s family has been making a living from apples for centuries and Apple: Recipes From The Orchard is a celebration of the fruit in all its forms. Everything from the apple blossom to the fallen fruit can be used in cooking, making apples a hardy, versatile and delicious essential in the kitchen. Using everything from whole apples to apple compote; cider to cider brandy, the book has almost 100 recipes for old favourites as well as new creations and combinations, thought up after years spent in the orchards.

Spiced pumpkin, apple and cider stew (serves 4) Deeply spiced and packed with winter root vegetables and nutritious kale, this vegetarian stew provides a warming and wholesome family meal. Served with rice, but equally delicious with crusty bread too.

Ingredients • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped • 450g (1lb) pumpkin or squash, peeled and chopped into 2.5cm (1in) cubes • 150g (5oz) new potatoes, chopped in half • 150g (5oz) carrots, peeled and chopped into 2.5cm (1in) chunks • 1 medium Bramley or Granny Smith apple • 2 garlic cloves • 1cm (½ in) piece of ginger • ½ teaspoon ground coriander • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ½ teaspoon paprika • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds • 500ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) dry cider • 300ml (10 fl oz/1¼ cups) vegetable stock • 50g (2oz) raisins • 100g (3 ½ oz) kale • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • Rice or crusty bread and butter to serve

Method ❶ Heat the oil on a medium heat in a large pan. Then, add the onion and fry for 2 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the

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FOOD | RECIPES

pumpkin, new potatoes and carrots and cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables begin softening at the edges. ❷ Add the apple, garlic and ginger and fry for a further 2 minutes.

Stir in the coriander, cinnamon, paprika, chilli and cumin seeds, ensuring the vegetables are well coated; fry for 3 – 5 minutes. ❸ Increase the heat and pour in the cider. Bring to the boil before adding the vegetable stock and raisins. Cover and reduce the heat to a light simmer then cook on a low heat for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through. ❹ Once the vegetables are cooked, stir in the kale and cook for a further 3 minutes so that the kale is cooked through, but still a little crunchy in the stem. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve with some rice or thick, crusty bread and butter.

Rose de pommes tart

(serves 6 – 8)

This tart is always a show-stopper, especially if you can take the time to make the dainty apple roses. I will be honest, it does take a while to do, but it is worth it. If you’re tight on time, then sliced apple on top works just as well. Just skip the apple roses section, slice the apple into eighths after coring, leaving the skin on, and fan them out on top of the custard.

Ingredients For the pastry • 250g (9oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting • 50g (2oz/heaped ⅓ cup) icing (confectioner’s) sugar • Grated zest of ½ lemon • 125g (4oz) butter, cold and cut into small cubes • 1 egg, beaten • ½ tablespoon whole milk

❺ Take a pastry half out of the refrigerator and leave to rise to room temperature. (Use the other half in another recipe.) Preheat a fan oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 6) and grease a 23cm (9in) tart dish with butter. ❻ Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Press into a tart dish and prick the base with a fork. Blind bake in the oven for 20 minutes until it is golden. While the pastry is still hot, spread the strawberry jam onto the base. ❼ For the rest of the filling, put the butter and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved. Do not let the mixture boil. Leave to cool to room temperature. ❽ Pour the lemon juice into a large bowl and stir in the melted butter and sugar. Cut the apples in half, then core and slice them as thinly as possible using a mandolin and add the slices to the bowl. Ensure the apple is covered with the liquid and leave to stand for 15 minutes. This will ‘cook’ the apples and make them more pliable to shape. ❾ Pour the custard into the tart base so it comes halfway up the side. Then, take one slice of apple at a time and roll one around another. You’ll need about four or five slices to create a rose. Cut the base of the rose flat and place into the custard to hold it in place. Repeat until your tart is full of apple roses. Preheat a fan oven to 160°C (320°F/gas 4). ❿ Sprinkle the tart with brown sugar and bake for 20 minutes before serving nice and warm. ■ • Apple: Recipes From The Orchard by James Rich (published by Hardie Grant, £20); jamesrichcooks.com

For the custard • 500ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) whole milk • ½ vanilla pod (bean), halved and seeds scraped out • 4 eggs • 160g (5½ oz/scant ¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar • 4 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour For the filling • 4 tablespoons strawberry jam • 110g (3¾ oz) butter, at room temperature • 100g (3½ oz/scant ½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar • Juice of 2 lemons • 500g (1lb 2oz) Gala or red eating (dessert) apples • 1 tablespoon soft light brown sugar

Method ❶ To make the pastry, sift the flour and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon zest and cubed butter and rub them into the flour and sugar with your fingertips until you get a crumble-like mixture. ❷ Add the egg and milk. Carefully work in with your hands until you have a dough, but don’t overwork the pastry. Flour the dough lightly and cut in half. Wrap in cling film (plastic wrap) before popping it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. ❸ To make the custard, put the milk and vanilla pod and seeds in a heavybased saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together to form a thick paste. Stir in the flour until combined. ❹ Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and very slowly and gradually pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat very gently over a low heat until the custard thickens, stirring all the time. Lay a piece of cling film (plastic wrap) touching the surface of the custard to avoid a skin forming. Set to one side.

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BAKING | RECIPE

Homeslice!

Brilliant Bristol baker Briony May shares what she’s been making this month

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ancy making something spooktacular this month with the kids? Look no further... These are my no-bake Halloween cake pops – great fun and so straightforward to make as a family. It’s taken me a long time to get on board the cake pop train (I found them so fiddly and tricky for such a long time!) but now I embrace them for the lovely cake-based novelty that they are. Get your hands messy and have a great time with this no fuss, kid-friendly recipe.

Halloween cake pops (serves 10) Ingredients: 300g Madeira cake 150g buttercream 250g white candy melts 250g green candy melts 100g vegetable shortening 20 candy eyes Black gel food colouring Method: • Crumble the Madeira cake into a mixing bowl to fine crumbs.

Add buttercream and mix until well combined (you will need to get your hands in and knead it until smooth).

• Make 10 sprout-sized balls of dough and roll. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

• Melt the white candy melts in 30-second bursts on 50% heat in the microwave until melted and smooth. Dip a stick in the melted melts then poke it into 5 of the dough balls. Repeat with the green candy melts and put the sticks in the remaining 5 balls.

Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes until firm.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remelt the leftover white and green candy melts in separate bowls until smooth. Add 3 teaspoons of vegetable shortening and mix until smooth. Dip 5 cake pops into the remelted white candy mix. Gently tap off some of the excess. Place upside down on the parchment. Stick candy eyes on. Leave to set.

• Repeat the dipping process with the other 5 cake pops in the green candy melts. Tap off excess. Let the melts set for a few minutes but while they’re still tacky, stick the candy eyes on. When the melts have hardened, draw on hair and mouth with black gel food colouring. ■

Follow Briony on Twitter and Instagram: @brionymaybakes.

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 57

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TRAVEL

Sherborne days

The Saxons named the Dorset t0wn of Sherborne ‘scir burne’ – the place of the clear stream – and made it the capital of Wessex.

Emma Clegg meets up with an old friend from her childhood home to explore the rich history of Hardy Country

T

he Eastbury Hotel on Long Street is a Georgian period listed townhouse dating from 1740, and an easy walk from the station. Our four-poster garden suite did make a strong first impression – the bed itself, with gilded frame around the tester, golden finials above, heavy fabric drapes and a rush of upholstery tassles made you feel distinctly Georgian without any of the discomfort.

That’s what we liked most about the room, and the hotel too – we were in the midst of authentic Georgian style curated with plush modernity. We had our own courtyard with table, chairs and fountain (sigh), and a gate into the hotel’s walled garden. We read erudite books there for all of five minutes before unstopping our room’s elegant carafe of sloe gin. It had a fiery, fruity kick and cranked up the Georgian (liquor) detail. The Smeg kettle did compromise the period flair a tad, but we weren’t too worried as we whipped up Earl Grey and breakfast tea from our drinks selection the next morning.

We were shown around the hotel by general manager Ian Crighton.

Peter and Lana de Savary, who bought the hotel last year, have embarked on a dramatic refresh and remodelling of the accommodation and facilities, including the most recent addition, a boutique spa in the grounds.

We were impressed by the formal reception areas, and particularly the mahogany dining table that converted into a snooker table, perfect for wedding parties. The five recently opened luxury garden potting shed rooms embrace the modern-bohemian-inimmaculate-taste look – knotted rugs, quirky cushions, upholstered chairs with modern curves and trifold doors that open across one end of the room to an expanse of upmarket courtyard.

The outdoor space beyond the doors isn’t significant, but it extends the room’s parameters as you lie on the bed, considering the options in your mini fridge while casting your eye over the large wall-mounted mirror in a wooden frame, which – with the help of one tuned in to technology – you then discover is actually a TV. Woah. It’s as far from Georgian as you can get in these potting shed rooms, but they have such style and, what’s more, dogs are welcomed.

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If you can persuade yourself out of your sumptuous room, there’s croquet, giant chess, badminton and table tennis in the picturesque walled garden, but you do need to find some time to explore Sherborne, too. Fortunately we were treated to a two-hour tour of the town from blue badge guide Paul Birbeck from Sherborne Walks. Paul unravelled the rich history of Sherborne in majestic detail. He told us that Sherborne’s church became a Benedictine monastery in 1075 and some of the Norman structure still remains. Sherborne School (for boys) – which has existed since the time of King Alfred who was educated there, and has alumni including Alan Turing and Jeremy Irons – incorporates some of the old abbey buildings.

Sherborne has its own distinctive ochre-coloured ham stone; Paul unravelled all the different periods of architecture within Long Street, from Tudor to Victorian (the Georgians and Victorians often added their own façade to a Tudor building). We walked past the medieval almshouse of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist on Half Moon Street, one of Dorset’s oldest almshouses, dating from 1437. It’s still in use today, providing housing to 18 elderly residents of the town.

The Digby Memorial outside the abbey – where King Alfred the Great’s elder brothers, King Æthelbald and King Æthelberht, are buried – is a notable architectural feature. It is adorned with four statues around its circular column: St Aldhelm (639–709), the first bishop of Sherborne; Roger of Salisbury the Norman medieval bishop who built the old castle; Abbot Bradford (1246–59), rector of Sherborne; and Sir Walter Raleigh, gentleman, sea captain and explorer who built Sherborne Castle and whose name and association with Elizabeth I goes before him.

The town itself is full of independent shops for exploring and tempting cafés and restaurants – we sat in the sunshine outside the Cross Keys at the bottom of South Street enjoying a cappuccino with a perfect view of the Grade I listed Conduit. This hexagonal 16thcentury structure originally stood in the north cloisters of the abbey, where it was used for washing by the monks, and was moved here after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. The Conduit was even once used as a police station and, in 1861, as a penny bank.

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Ostriches decorate most levels on the exterior of Sherborne Castle, which was built by Sir Walter Raleigh

TRAVEL

The castle is large and full of fascination – we saw part of the original Tudor wall, elegantly appointed state rooms, a grand fireplace sporting the Digby family’s motto Deo Non Fortuna (from God not chance) and an extensive collection of art and antiques. We discovered some surprising things about Sir Walter that we didn’t remember from history lessons, including the fact that his wife Elizabeth had his head embalmed after his execution in 1618 and carried it round with her in a red leather bag for the rest of her life.

After Sir Walter’s demise the castle was bought by Sir John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol, its 1,200-acre park adding to the Digby’s estate of 15,000 acres. They decorated much of the castle with ostriches – an ostrich tops the family crest – and spotting the ostrich is a good game as you explore. The Digby family still owns the house, which has a view of Capability Brown’s lake and the ruins of the old castle.

We dined in the Eastbury Hotel’s Seasons restaurant, led by executive chef Matthew Street. While tempted by the seven-course tasting menu with accompanying wine flight, we settled on the à la carte. The amuse bouche was remarkable – a small coffee cup with a creamy mixture of artichoke and truffle oil, and olive and focaccia bread with homemade tomato butter. Whipped goat’s cheese with chilled beetroot soup, orange and hazelnuts and ruby chard; and Vale of Camelot cheese brûlée with pear, celeriac, pickled chicory and caramelised walnuts were our starters; mine an exotic melange of savoury flavours with a classic crisp brûlée top to crack. Our mains were butternut squash rotolo with pickled shallots, pine nut and squash velouté; and roasted lamb with tandoori spice, cauliflower, cucumber yogurt, black dal and curry leaf. The lamb was unbelievably delicious; the tender meat flavours heightened by its spicy undertow.

We passed over the regional cheese plate with Isle of Wight blue and Dorset damson jelly, settling on raspberry, white chocolate and mascarpone with lemon sable pastry and raspberry sorbet; and mango and vanilla cheesecake with lime leaf sorbet. This meal was one that won’t be quickly forgotten.

“Such miserable creatures of circumstance are we all!” says Thomas Hardy in The Woodlanders; a sentiment that underlies all his novels.

While possibly true for Sir Walter, our Sherborne weekend was quite the opposite; a happy circumstance for two creatures from Dorset. n

ABOVE: The Green Drawing Room in Sherborne Abbey – the ceiling shows Sir Walter Raleigh’s arms LEFT: The Digby Memorial just outside Sherborne Abbey BELOW: The entrance to the Eastbury Hotel on Long Street. The hotel is a Georgian period listed townhouse dating from 1740

• Stays at the Eastbury Hotel start from £195 for a double, including breakfast; theeastburyhotel.co.uk. Introduction to Sherborne walks are £8 per person; sherbornewalks.co.uk. Entry to Sherborne Castle and gardens is £10.80 (free for children); sherbornecastle.com THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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BOOKS

Cover stars Is your coffee table laden with pens, old lists, sellotape, loose coins and paper clips? It’s time to sweep all this away, dust the surface and decide what decorative books you can use to enhance your living room. Emma Clegg recommends a few choices that make a visual statement and might strike a chord with your tastes and interior

The cover of Behind Closed Doors by Amanda Vickery (Yale University Press, paperback, £10.99) is decorated with Georgian rosettes and scrolls so should fit naturally within homes from this period. The author, a social historian, examines the lives of the people who lived in Georgian homes.

We meet people from all walks of life, from gentlewoman Anne Dormer in her Oxfordshire mansion to servants with only a locking box to call their own. Vickery uses unusual sources such as upholsterers’ ledgers and burglary trials to reveal the roles of house and home in economic survival, social success and political representation in the 18th century where even modest homes turned into arenas of social campaign and exhibition.

Living Color by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin, paperback, £7.99) is a book for ages five to nine, but we think all adults will be diverted by this colourful volume which investigates how animals can be startlingly colourful – red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple and pink. Why are they found in so many shades, tints, and hues? From the scarlet ibis to the blue-tongued skink, award-winning author/illustrator Steve Jenkins depicts a kaleidoscopic world in his signature style. There are old favourites like the pink flamingo and rare creatures such as the long-wattled umbrella bird and the ringed caecilian. How do their colours help them survive?

This will be a monolithic presence in your living room, entrancing all your house visitors.

If you have a country garden – or would like a nostalgic statement of such – then Natural History of English Gardening by Mark Laird (Yale University Press, hardback, £45) could be the obvious choice. This beautifully illustrated exploration of the quest for order within the garden and the natural world is inspired by the pioneering naturalist Gilbert White (1720-93). Following a series of chronological events – from the Little Ice Age winter of 1683 to the drought summer of 1783 – Laird probes the nature of gardening and husbandry, the role of amateurs in science, and the contribution of women as gardener-naturalists. With paintings, engravings, poetry and letters, as well as household accounts and nursery bills, Laird transforms our understanding of the English landscape garden.

“Meera can take a packet of noodles, some peanut butter and a hunk of tofu and work magic,” says Diana Henry. That’s all the inspiration I need for a cookery book, frankly, and East: 120 Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes from Bangalore to Beijing by Meera Sodha (Fig Tree, hardback, £20) brings the growing vegan trend to your kitchen table – as well as a big decorative statement to the coffee table. Here is modern, vibrant, fuss-free food with an Eastern slant. Drawing from her Guardian column The New Vegan, Meera offers recipes inspired by Asian cuisines from India to Vietnam. There are noodles, curries, rice dishes, tofu, salads, sides and sweets, all bursting with exciting flavours. Discover how to whip up a chard potato and coconut curry, make sweet potato momos for snacks or treat yourself to salted miso brownies. East works if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or simply want to eat more delicious meat-free food.

The bestselling book The Essex Serpent

by Sarah Perry (Serpent’s Tail, paperback, £8.99) is a story in celebration of love and the shapes it can take. The cover will also look very fine in a period interior.

The story sees new widow Cora Seaborne leaving town with her son Francis, for Essex, in the hope that fresh air and open space will provide refuge.

Once there Cora becomes obsessed with the story of the mythical Essex serpent, thinking it an undiscovered species, and develops an intense relationship with the local vicar. This Victorian tale looks at science and religion, scepticism and faith, and independence and love.

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Published this summer, Lee Krasner: Living Colour by Eleanor Nairne (Thames & Hudson, hardback, £35) is a new monograph on the life and work of outstanding abstract expressionist painter Lee Krasner (1908 – 1984). One of the original abstract expressionists, Krasner’s profile was for years eclipsed by her marriage to Jackson Pollock. In fact, his death in 1956 marked her renaissance as an artist. Tracing her artistic evolution – from her earliest selfportraits to the acclaimed ‘little image’ series and from her 1950s collages to epic painterly canvases – here is a vivid impression of one of the most tenacious women artists of the 20th century. It’s also a super-cool cover for those enamoured with bright, abstract statements. n

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BRISTOL UPDATES

BITE-SIZED BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY NEWS FROM ACROSS THE CITY Made from wood pulp and organic cotton, t-shirts are soft to the touch, anti-bacterial, manufactured using renewable energy and printed using non-toxic inks

BIG IN THE TECH GAME

Bristol’s Noco Hair salon has won the title of Independent Salon Business Newcomer of the Year at HJ’s British Hairdressing Business Awards.

The Whiteladies Road salon, which launched in 2018, beat off finalist competition from five other UK start-ups to win. The accolade recognises the stand-out entrepreneur who has made their business dream a reality in the last two years. Managing directors Corey Taylor and Noel Halligan received the award in London last month.

Corey and Noel, who employ five stylists, impressed industry judges with their business plan, customer retention and display of all-round business health and growth since the salon’s inception.

“Corey and Noel have crafted an amazing business,” said Jayne Lewis-Orr, executive director of the Awards. “That truly is a mark of incredible entrepreneurial flair. Noco Hair has lots of individuality, and is founded on brilliant business structure and marketing ideas. Corey and Noel are fantastic ambassadors for the industry.”

Bristol tech companies have raised $305m from investors in the last year, according to research from Tech Nation and Dealroom.co for the Digital Economy Council, which also showed record foreign investment. The figures confirm Bristol’s standing as one of the UK’s leading tech hubs with only Manchester and London companies raising more since the start of the year.

The figures were revealed as Tech Nation and the Digital Economy Council visited Bristol for one of the first Bright Tech Future roundtable discussions, on strengthening the sector in the South West.

Bristol’s tech businesses achieved a combined turnover of £7.9bn last year and employed almost 25,000 people. Besides Graphcore and OVO Energy, Ultrahaptics is also on its way to achieving unicorn status – a private tech business with a valuation of more than a $1bn. Tech Nation is working with the Digital Economy Council and the Department of Digital, Media, Culture and Sport to recognise the critical role that tech workers who don’t hold executive roles play in creating the UK’s most successful growing tech companies, and it has launched the Bright Tech Future awards, aimed at the average tech workers rather than founders and CEOs. “Bristol is one of our leading tech hubs, spearheading the development of robotics and autonomous vehicles, creating thousands of jobs and home to two billion dollar tech unicorns,” said digital secretary Nicky Morgan. “I encourage bosses to nominate staff for the inaugural Bright Tech Future Awards.”

• nocohair.com

• technation.io

NICE JOB, NOCO!

NEWBORN BUSINESS An eco-clothing brand has just launched in Bristol in response to problems associated with fast fashion. Small startup Born Hybrid aims to prove that affordable clothing needn’t mean synthetic fibres, cheap labour and polluting factories.

Made from sustainable wood pulp and organic cotton, garments are soft, antibacterial and use far less water and pesticides to produce than regular cotton. “Our t-shirts are manufactured using renewable energy and feature graphic designs printed using non-toxic inks,” explained co-founders Emily Browne and Ashley Ramsden. “We are careful about how our items are presented – we’ve swapped polluting plastic mail bags and parcel tape for recyclable alternatives.”

For good measure, Born Hybrid purchases 20m2 of forest for every t-shirt sold, protecting it for future generations, and buyers can choose to receive their parcel by ship rather than air mail, to reduce carbon footprint.

The fashion industry has faced scrutiny from human rights activists, with sources suggesting garment workers are often underpaid and have to endure poor working conditions. Born Hybrid apparel is Fair Wear Foundation certified, offering assurance that workers have been paid fairly and work in safe conditions.

Environmentalists have criticised brands for cheap production methods and fabrics. Factories pump out vast amounts of carbon dioxide; petroleumbased fabrics are non-biodegradable and cause long-term pollution through the release of plastic micro-fibres.

“By avoiding fast fashion, we can exercise activism through our wallets,” said Ashley. “We need to take a leaf out of our grandparents’ book, and make and mend instead of throwing away.

Make buying clothes an occasional event, not part of your weekly shop; swap out weekly hauls of low-quality clothes for charity shop finds, switching with friends and occasionally splashing out on high-quality ethical clothing.”

• bornhybrid.com

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SHOPPING GARDENING

Retail evolution

Reliably found at the forefront of customer service, John Lewis & Partners is far from standing still in an ever-changing market and new era of shopping

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t’s a well-documented fact that shops have to evolve with the times in order to remain a vibrant part of the High Street and that’s just what John Lewis & Partners is currently doing.

Shopping is steadily transforming into an exciting customer experience – away from the online world, stores with a physical presence can offer something more multi-faceted which goes beyond the simple exchange of goods for cash. Internet competitive prices, great customer service, excellent guarantees, free parking and, now, a host of services and events: John Lewis & Partners is reinventing itself to enhance the time customers spend with them.

Whether it’s a wedding gift list or first pair of shoes, the stalwart store has always been on-hand to help with life’s big moments and in response to the notion that the days of simple in-store shopping are numbered, it’s made sure to stay relevant as retail has developed into a multi-faceted, omni-channel industry. It’s all change at John Lewis & Partners as it puts its offer of a unique shopping experience front and centre. Here’s a look behind the shopfront of one of Britain’s bestloved brands...

The experience desk One of the newest additions to the Cribbs Causeway shop is the modern-looking half-moon counter at the ground-floor entrance.

During its seven months in-store, the experience desk has become a hive of activity generating exciting events for customers to try something new – from crochet classes and yoga sessions to live music and technology lessons, often held in the lovely ‘discovery room’. If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift, activity or day out, the experience gift card could be just the thing; craft a bespoke surprise such as a beauty session or nursery advice for those with a new baby.

Home design The furnishings department is chock-full of vibrant colours, patterns and trends arranged to spark the imagination. If any part of your home needs a new lease of life, a fresh look or complete overhaul, the John Lewis home design service offers free expert advice – best enjoyed while sipping on a glass of fizz and picking out products. It’s ideal for anyone wanting some direction or inspiration for their next interior adventure; with complimentary in-store and at home appointments

John Lewis has upped its game by offers in-store events and experiences

offered (for a redeemable deposit). Skilled stylists Graham, Simon, Isabella and Emma are full of ideas and personality; they can draw up a digital moodboard and create a tailored scheme to suit you. Visit the experience desk to book.

Hire the entire store...

Ever thought shopping would be so much better if there weren’t so many people around? Wondered what it would be like to have a whole department store to yourself? You can actually now hire the entire store for an out-of-hours browsing experience, complete with beauty tips and tricks from the experts on the first floor, plus prosecco and canapés . Ideal as a treat for the team or large companies who want to offer clients or employees an experience fashioned to suit individual requirements.

Sashay away If you find yourself stuck in a rut or fancying something new to wear, personal styling is free and covers everything from finding the ideal outfit for a special occasion to nailing that wardrobe essential. Enjoy up to two hours with a trained, friendly, fashion-conscious styling team. Whether you’re after a new holiday selection, some chic staple Book a bespoke surprise at the experience desk

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SHOPPING

workwear, a perfect pair of jeans or a closet refresh, they will help you to find it while you sip on something chilled. The Scandi-style wooden style studio houses a changing room, refreshment station, luxurious seating and private cash desk. The space is available for hire and serves as a hub for daily talks given by the stylists.

We love this own-brand Fair Isle look, designed in house for John Lewis & Partners

Tech tuition You can even book a technician for a one-to-one session, payable by the hour, to help you get savvy and get the most from your personal device.

John Lewis won Best Retailer, Best Electricals Retailer, Best Homewares Retailer and Best Furniture Retailer at the GlobalData Customer Satisfaction Awards 2019 and is focused on competing through differentiation and innovation in three key areas – a unique own brand and products that customers cannot buy anywhere else, partner-centric service and experiences, and its expanding range of financial and home services that wrap around everything it sells.

Level-up for the lads AW19 signals the evolution of menswear at John Lewis thanks to its most significant investment in the department to date, underpinned by a new men’s style experience coming to the Bristol store in 2020 and currently being rolled out in London to encourage customers to try something new. The redirection is anchored by two transformed ownbrands alongside a renewed focus on emerging brands. The John Lewis & Partners eponymous label offers a 280-piece collection with a fresh perspective on the classics, blending modern design with reconsidered fits and fabrics while Kin refocuses on high-performing fabrics across tailoring and casualwear. Leading the raft of new indie brands are capsules from Folk and Albam; the It’s All Good Folk collection featuring sustainable fabrications, materials and the reissue of key pieces from the brand’s archive, and Albam Utility reinterpreting workwear staples with a focus on wearability. n • johnlewispartnership.co.uk; @johnlewisandpartnerspr

Hire baby equipment & toys

Hire baby equipment and toys and make life a little easier for visitors with young children

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We provide all the equipment you might need so you can create your own little home from home that’s safe and comfortable for little ones, leaving you to focus on enjoying your time together.

Car seats •Wooden cots • Travel cots • Toddler beds • Buggies Carriers • High chairs • Baby bath • Sterilisers • Stairgates Blackout blinds • Monitors • Toy boxes • Play equipment Collect from us in Bath or we can deliver to you 07867481769 • www.hiremebaby.co.uk • hello@hiremebaby.co.uk

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 65

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EDUCATION NEWS UPDATES FROM THE CITY’S SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

THE RIGHT TRACK

HOCKEY HAT TRICK Three Redmaids’ High School students have been selected to attend the England Hockey National Age Group Squad assessment camps, having trained all year at England Hockey regional performance centres. Alice Neville (17), Jenny Hughes (16) and Saskia Lawrence (14) represented the South West in the prestigious Futures Cup in August and were selected for NAGS assessments – the highest honour obtainable for a junior hockey player.

They will attend training and play international matches involving overseas travel. “To have three students playing at this level is remarkable,” said Miss Maggs, RHS director of sport. “I am extremely proud of these girls and wish them every success for the coming months.”

• redmaidshigh.co.uk

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SYNCHRONISED SUCCESS AT CHS Team GB synchronised swimmers and Clifton High School students Isabelle Thorpe and Kate Shortman are celebrating finishing 14th in the duet event at the World Championships in South Korea.

In June, they achieved their best ever result in European Junior Championships, finishing fourth in the tech and free duet events. To ensure the girls don’t miss out on school life, British Swimming has even held its training camp at Clifton High.

Two of Britain’s most promising young synchronised swimmers, they have been working as a pair for the last eight years and are setting their sights on qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

• cliftonhigh.co.uk

No 184

Fairfield High School has been awarded the Bristol Healthy Schools’ health and wellbeing badge for its work to address and promote the issues around this complex and topical subject in the school community.

This award is a celebration and culmination of an open culture where talking about mental health and asking for help is encouraged; curricular and extracurricular activities (focusing on mental health and wellbeing) are embedded to promote healthy lifestyles; and staff and students work together to deliver initiatives to promote good mental health.

FHS empowers its students by offering multiple opportunities for them to share opinions, with concerted effort on the areas surrounding mental health and wellbeing.

An outcome of this has been an all-gender toilet in response to feedback from the school’s LGBTQ group; this group also ran a training session for staff on how to address transgender students.

Staff are just as important to the FHS community, with wellbeing featuring on every formal agenda. Staff surveys on wellbeing are regularly conducted; recent changes as a result include a review of the schedule for meetings and parents evenings, and adjusting the pattern of the school day in response to staff suggestions. “Wellbeing is of utmost priority, and we are over the moon that our efforts have been recognised,” said Janice Callow, strategic projects lead. “We appreciate that every individual is unique with a variety of needs, which is why we put so many measures in place to accommodate them.”

The badge is one of a series of awards offered by Healthy Schools to recognise outstanding commitment towards improving the health of pupils.

• fairfield.bristol.sch.uk

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GARDENING EDUCATION

The initiative has been made possible thanks to a philanthropic donation of just under £400,000; the largest single donation to a music education hub in the UK

Music is power

A new citywide arts programme has been launched to engage children from all backgrounds, improve their development and help give them the best start in life

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octors have started ‘social prescribing’ rather than relying solely on medication for people living with mental health issues and the concept involves engaging in creative and social activities such as music-making.

Meanwhile, Professor Susan Hallam at UCL Institute of Education has found that making music (especially from a young age and over a long period) can have multiple developmental benefits which impact brain function and structure and improve cognitive development in domains other than mere music performance. We’re talking aural processing skills plus literacy including second language learning, non-verbal reasoning and general intelligence.

In response to the growing theory that children’s brains develop faster with music training, Bristol Music Trust – which works with 130 schools and youth groups and supports 30,000 young people per year including 2,500 from deprived backgrounds or with special educational needs and disabilities – has launched an ambitious education programme for children in the city. The Earthsong Programme, a collaboration with the Earthsong Foundation, will create opportunities for over 4,500 young people in music education.

The initiative has been made possible thanks to an extraordinary philanthropic donation of just under £400,000; the largest single donation to a music education hub in the UK. During the launch last month at Brunel Field Primary School in Ashley Down, pupils performed songs from the programme’s resources as a taster.

Currently, whole class ensemble tuition is regarded as the first access route to music education for nearly all children in England as part of the national plan for music education. Although WCET has been shown to be a popular way to engage children, the number progressing beyond this early stage is low, particularly for schools in challenging areas with a high proportion of children with English as an additional language. The new programme will support children that have traditionally not progressed beyond early stages by providing high-quality singing and music lessons and engaging pupils from Year 2 (Key Stage 1) to build on the government funded WCET. 68 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Born out of the belief that every child should be given an equitable learning environment, the Earthsong Programme was developed to start as a whole class singing programme for children in upper KS1.

Critically, it creates a level playing field by using the child’s own instrument, the voice, to teach and embed musicianship skills ready for WCET in KS2. Stage two expands upon their development by providing instrumental lessons and instruments through Year 4 to 6 to improve on the continuation outcomes. The initiative will initially be rolled out across 12 schools in the city and see funded instrumental lessons continue until Year 6 when the children leave primary school.

An initial pilot for the Earthsong Programme ran in 2018 at Minerva Primary Academy in Bristol and the results demonstrated a rise in students’ overall attainment across core subjects at KS1, with up to a 26% increase in performance in STEM activities including reading, writing and maths. The pilot also showed an increase in personal enjoyment, confidence and other social and cultural benefits.

Earthsong has four elements. Start with Singing introduces the elements of music to pupils in a whole class environment, earlier than the Department of Education’s WCET programme. Pupils explore technical aspects such as pitch, timbre and rhythm alongside performance, breathing and the physicality of singing, preparing them for whole class instrumental sessions. Supported Places features instrumental music lessons in groups of three provided to children as a progression from WCET. The aim is to encourage as many children as possible to learn an instrument and enable continued growth of musical and personal development. Choices include guitar, violin, woodwind, brass and percussion with instruments provided through a hire scheme. To ensure continued evaluation, a longitudinal study will track the development of the young people and their achievements during their schooling life, and all children taking part will also be invited to an annual celebration featuring masterclasses and performances for them, their families and teachers. n • bristolplaysmusic.org

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Mr James Murphy-O’Connor has joined from Prior Park Schools in Bath.

FIRST PRINCIPAL TAKES UP ROLE AT HABERDASHERS’ MONMOUTH SCHOOLS

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Mr James Murphy-O’Connor has become the first overarching Principal of Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools.

Mr Murphy-O’Connor took up the new post in September after a decade of outstanding service at Prior Park Schools in Bath.

It is an exciting period of change at Monmouth with their prep and senior schools, united by shared values, working much closer together, including the launch of co-educational teaching in the Sixth Form.

Mr Murphy-O’Connor said: “I am delighted to be the first Principal of Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools.

“This position has been created to support the schools as we meet the challenges of the next decade in a confident and imaginative way.

“The schools have a long-standing reputation for forming young men and women of ambition and quality who go on to make outstanding contributions to their communities and to society at large.

“The schools’ mission and values of shaping students into people of integrity, humility, ambition and service will remain at the core of my contribution over the years ahead.”

Before arriving in Monmouth, Mr Murphy-O’Connor took on the headship of Prior Park College in 2009 and subsequently became Principal of Prior Park Schools with responsibility for their prep school, junior school, college, and the senior school he established in Gibraltar in 2016.

He is a passionate supporter of the Ireland rugby team as his father and uncle both played for the side during the 1950s.

Mr Audley Twiston-Davies, Chairman of Governors, said: “James was chosen from an impressive field of applicants and his appointment is a really positive step for the Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools as we aim to build on our many strengths and successes.

“As our Principal, James’ role will be mainly strategic with an emphasis on academic and co-curricular provision, marketing, fund-raising, outreach and community relations working with the five schools’ Heads to provide the best possible provision for our pupils.” n Our Open Days will be taking place on Friday 4th October and on Saturday 5th October.

To book a place, please visit: www.habsmonmouth.org/open-days or call 01600 710433 for Monmouth School for Boys or 01600 711104 for Monmouth School for Girls. *The schools have an established bus route covering the Thornbury area.

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GARDENING EDUCATION

Sound and (the Trinity) vision We delve into the ethos behind Bristol’s new academy including the design process, performing arts provisions and support system for disadvantaged students

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athedral Schools Trust’s brand new Trinity Academy, designed to meet the increased demand for secondary school places in Bristol, welcomed its very first students last month. We chatted to headteacher Eiron Bailey to find out more about the school, its specialism and ethos.

So why was the Lockleaze area chosen for the new school?

Trinity Academy is designed to meet the pressing need for school places in north Bristol and the site on Romney Avenue will do this.

We believe it is beneficial to open the school adjoining the existing Stoke Park Primary School, so we can work with the community and build on the areas of expertise developed effectively at Stoke Park including dance, drama and gymnastics. The decision as to where the new school is built ultimately lies with the Education and Skills Funding Agency who are providing the capital funding alongside CST. They have worked closely with Bristol City Council to plan the location. (The permanent school building will be located on land adjoining Stoke Park, next to the temporary accommodation.

Permission was granted in July and building is due to start later in the autumn.) We are immensely grateful to Stoke Park for hosting Trinity Academy during its first two years of opening. We are finding lots of opportunities for joint working across different year groups and shared use of facilities; our aspiration is for this partnership to strengthen when we move to the permanent site. The great advantage is we can really focus on transition from Year 6 to 7 and ensure there is no dip in attainment; an exciting prospect from an educational point of view, which both schools can hugely benefit from.

prominent in the curriculum and all students are offered a free instrument and heavily subsidised lessons in the first year. Choirs and ensembles are developed from the ground up and our ambition is for these to lead to the highest quality groups and strong connections with local ensembles. However, it isn’t just about music – Trinity Academy also builds on the excellent work of Stoke Park Primary School with a strong focus on dance and drama. These subjects feature in the KS3 curriculum, engaging students in a challenging scheme of learning, and there is also drama and dance for all, outside of the curriculum, with the goal of developing an elite dance troupe and theatre Company with their own identity and branding.

How will you support disadvantaged students?

Children from disadvantaged families deserve a world-class education, high aspirations, effective support and access to excellent provision – this will be what Trinity Academy provides.

The school opened in September with a well-developed pastoral system led by highly qualified staff including form tutors, pastoral leaders and support staff working effectively to support disadvantaged students and their families. A range of measures is in place to ensure there is a specific focus on supporting vulnerable pupils and their families, including expert teaching, advanced pastoral care, treating all students as individuals by assessing need and personalising pathways and never dropping our aspirations and standards. With our first cohort we have also liaised closely with our feeder primary schools to continue family support where required and ensure our work is well coordinated with other support agencies and family services.

Why was music chosen as its specialism?

CST Trinity Academy has a music specialist intake with 10% of each cohort being selected through a musical aptitude test. Music is 72 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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What considerations were most important when designing the school?

The design process has been one of the most exciting elements of

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starting a new school! We visited lots of new-build schools to find out what works and involved subject experts and architects to ensure all spaces are designed to deliver the ambition of the school. Key considerations have been around the look and feel of the design (internal and external); layout and flow of teaching and social spaces.

How will you prepare pupils in terms of career resources?

We have planned a pastoral curriculum with a strong emphasis on developing life skills, character and employability. This will be delivered through tracking character development with a focus on resilience, self direction, self control, resilience and communication.

We will also have a programme of visiting speakers, whole days assigned to exploring different careers and pathways, a PSHE curriculum and a focus on literacy and oracy to ensure that our students have access to any pathway they dream of. We know that this fast-changing world doesn’t need gimmicks in education but needs young people with strong character who are able to care for and respect themselves, their communities and their environment. We want our young people to be engaged in lifelong learning and able to show resilience and flexibility. This is at the heart of our school design.

How will the school look to reduce environmental impact?

Care and respect for the environment is a core principle. On the micro level we’re focusing on recycling and avoiding the use of plastic. On a bigger scale, we are using green energy suppliers and have worked hard to encourage our young people to walk, cycle or bus to school.

The new building is built to a high environmental specification with solar panels, a mechanical air control system and the most up to date construction techniques to ensure the least environmental impact.

Tell us about your focus on developing ‘the whole child’ We believe that true education is about the whole child; learning in everything they do, in and out of the classroom, to become happy, confident, successful and engaged adults. We articulate this vision by giving our community three foci: head, heart and soul. The head is a place of learning, central to everything we do. Expert teachers deliver an exciting curriculum which enables our students to have a passion for learning and to find success. The heart: a place of respect. Students are taught to respect and care for themselves, their community and environment and we care for them, ensuring students of all abilities achieve their best because they are safe, happy and motivated. A strong emphasis is placed on belonging to the school community. The soul: a place of engagement. Whole child learning happens in and outside of the classroom and at Trinity Academy there is rich offer of co-curricular opportunities including specialist music and performing arts groups and exceptional sport, to help students find their spark and develop a confidence to pursue any further study or employment.

We have implemented an additional ‘session seven’ in the school day where students show engagement in wider school life by attending additional extra-curricular sessions. We have forged strong partnerships with Bristol Rovers and Bristol Bears RFU who are providing sports coaching at the advanced facilities at the new Lockleaze Sports Centre and team sports have been invested in with excellent curricular and co-curricular time. In addition to the provision of music and arts we are working closely with Bristol Plays Music, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Bristol Old Vic and Trinity Laban School of Music and Dance, among other partners. n • trinityacademybristol.org

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EVENTS | FOR KIDS

Family diary

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

The Deep Sea Seekers 30 October – 2 November, times vary, Bristol Old Vic An audience-driven children’s show that journeys through our oceans, meeting incredible creatures, exploring unmapped shores and tackling unwelcome plastic. Pack your snorkel and flippers and get ready to explore the deep with songs, humour and lots of audience interaction. Suitable for ages three – eight, £8.

• bristololdvic.org.uk

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Aardman: Animating Early Man Until 3 November, 10am – 5pm, M Shed Step behind the camera with Aardman and discover how the world-famous animation studio made their hit film, Early Man. Featuring original puppets, exquisitely crafted sets, tiny props and behind-the-scenes footage, it’s a chance to learn all the tips and tricks of stop-motion animation. Suitable for all ages, £5; bristolmuseums.org.uk Sea Hear Storytelling 1 October, 11am, Brunel’s SS Great Britain Join storyteller Sarah Mooney as she captivates the imaginations of the young and not so young with both original tales and new twists on classic legends. Children can join in the action with stories of whales and angel fish, pirate treasure and stormy seas. Suitable for pre-school ages, free; ssgreatbritain.org Monstersaurus!

5 & 6 October, times vary, Redgrave Theatre Follow young inventor Monty as he creates a whole world of whacky inventions and incredible monsters. But he has a problem – now he has made them all, what is he going to do with them? Suitable for three and above, £14 booking essential; redgravetheatre.com Pumpkin Fest 5 October – 2 November, 10.30am – 5pm, Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm For the first time ever, there will be a pumpkin patch at the farm. Explore the Pumpkin Fest mystery trail, try picking your own pumpkin and carve a design. Plus meet some real life critters at the creepy crawly encounters.

Suitable for all ages, £15.75 children, £19.75 adults; noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk 74 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Autism Friendly Early Opening 6 October, 9 – 10.30am, We The Curious Sometimes a big and noisy venue with lots going on can be challenging for visitors on the autism spectrum. The science centre will open early so you will have an hour and a half to explore the exhibits at your own pace, chat about your discoveries and join in on some intriguing activities. Suitable for all ages, £4.95; wethecurious.org Fascinating Fungi 8 October, 7 – 8pm, Bristol Zoo Gardens Earth stars, fairy clubs and death caps: just some of the fabulous fungi you can find on the Downs. In this illustrated talk by Avon Wildlife Trust’s Joe McSorley, you’ll find out about their amazing ecology and their impact on the world around us, and discover the wonderful traditional names, uses and mysterious folklore that surround this special group of organisms. Suitable for ages 11 and above, £5; bristolzoo.org.uk Singin’ in the Rain 15 – 19 October, 2.30pm and 7.30pm, Redgrave Theatre Based on the fabulous movie musical and filled with every memorable moment from the film as well as a downpour of unforgettable songs. You will be left humming, with your toes tapping and maybe even just a little bit wet if you’re in the splash zone. Ages 11 and above, £15, booking essential; redgravetheatre.com Aftermirth: Daytime Comedy Club for Parents 18 October, 12.30 – 2pm, The Wardrobe Theatre An adult comedy club that you can bring your baby to. Each show features three top circuit comedians delivering their usual club routines, No 184

so the material is mature and sweaty with the odd birth story flash back… The only difference is it’s during the day. Adults and babies under 18 months only. £10; thewardrobetheatre.com A Celebration of Autumn 19 October, 10am – 5pm, Somerset Rural Life Museum Celebrate the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”. Learn about apples and apple trees, take part in crafts, activities and trails.

Find out what would have taken place at Abbey Farm each autumn. Suitable for all ages, £3.50 child, £7.50 adult; swheritage.org.uk Charity Open Day 19 October, 10.30am – 4pm, HorseWorld See what goes on at HorseWorld’s welfare department where you can talk to the grooms and trainers who rescue, nurse back to health, train and then find suitable homes for the animals. Meet the rescue horses, jump on the tractor safari tours and enjoy hot food, tea, coffee and cakes. Suitable for all ages, free, donations welcome; horseworld.org.uk Dragonbird Theatre 22 October, 10.30am and 1pm, Tobacco Factory Theatres Experience the magical world of theatre with lots of fun and laughter on the way. Expect giant nets, silky rivers and singing with gusto led by puppets Dragon and Bird. Enjoy performances of The Owl and the Pussycat and The Ladybird Detective Agency. Suitable for pre-school ages, £4; tobaccofactorytheatres.com Merry Medieval Activities 24 October, 2 – 3.30pm, M Shed Take part in a merry medley of medieval-

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themed activities where you have the chance to learn about heraldry and even handle real and replica medieval objects. Get creative by making pilgrim badges and replica stained glass window decorations.

Suitable for home educating families, ages seven – 11. £7, booking essential; bristolmuseums.org.uk Mr Men & Little Miss On Stage 26 & 27 October, times vary, Redgrave Theatre Join your favourite Mr Men and Little Miss characters as they leap off the page and onto the stage in this beautifully crafted and hilarious live show. Happyland bursts to life in a series of colourful and timeless stories told through puppetry and music. Suitable for ages two – nine, £15, booking essential; redgravetheatre.com Autumn Discoveries 26 October – 3 November, 10am – 5pm, The Wild Place Project Autumn is here and it’s a time for amazing colours, the rustling and crunching of leaves underfoot and plenty of tasty treats. It is also the time of year when lots of animals, from big bears to little squirrels, are busy getting ready for winter. Celebrate with special activities throughout the week as you explore the beautiful woodlands. Suitable for all ages, £10 children, £12.50 adults; wildplace.org.uk Family Wildlife Photography 28 October, 10am – 1pm, Slimbridge Wetland Centre Kids can learn how to get great shots of wildlife as a budding young photographer with their parents. Start with an illustrated introductory session on composition, technique, field and equipment and then head to the great outdoors for a practical session of nature photography.

Suitable for ages eight and above, £32 per adult and child, booking essential; wwt.org.uk/slimbridge

Listen to stories of whales and pirates at Sea Hear Storytelling

Zoo Conservation Academy 29 & 30 October, 10am – 4.30pm, Bristol Zoo Gardens An interactive two-day academy for children who love animals and would like to find out more about working with and protecting wildlife at the zoo. Meet some amazing animals, work with the vets, become a lemur expert and learn about food enrichment practices, and complete the conservation quest trail around the zoo. Suitable for ages eight – 12, £100; bristolzoo.org.uk

Spectacular spooky events for kids A Halloween Tale 23 October – 3 November, 11am – 3pm, Cheddar Gorge and Caves Get ready for some ghostly goings on as infamous literary figures come to life and take up residence inside Gough’s cave. Be prepared to unravel the secrets of some strange happenings as you delve down into the unknown… Book online and save up to 15%. Children must be accompanied by an adult; cheddargorge.co.uk Grizzly Cuts and Gruesome Scars 26 October – 3 November, 10am – 6pm, Brunel’s SS Great Britain This Halloween at Brunel’s SS Great Britain, scare your friends and shock the adults with seaworthy injuries from special effects makeup artists. Take away your certificate of bravery then set off to explore the ship. Go below deck to discover where the passengers and crew would have lived and worked, then learn about the real Run into Dracula at Cheddar Gorge

illnesses and injuries they experienced. £10 children, £17 adults; ssgreatbritain.org Sleepy Ship 28 October, 7pm – 9am, Brunel’s SS Great Britain Ever wondered what it would be like to spend a night on board Brunels famous ship? As part of the crew, get involved in activities to build your skills and become a shipshape mate, including a planetarium experience, a captain’s tour and a chance to become a nautical navigator. Breakfast included. Suitable for children aged seven to 11, £60; ssgreatbritain.org Halloween Hunky Punk Adventure 29 – 31 October, 10.30am – 12.15pm and 1.30 – 3.15pm, Tyntesfield One of the stone hunky punks that is normally comfortably sat atop the chapel has come to life and is causing mayhem.

Discover the chaos that the stone monster has created and help the Gibbs family track down their runaway punk. Suitable for all ages, £6 children, £2 adults plus normal admission to property applies, booking essential; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield Halloween Workshop 30 & 31 October, 11am – 4pm, Bar 44 Spook-tacular workshops to celebrate

Halloween. You can take your little monsters and carve a pumpkin or decorate a broomstick. Suitable for ages five and above, £7.50 per workshop, booking essential; bar44.co.uk The Spooky Ship: Shipwrecked!

31 October – 2 November, 6.40 – 9.10pm, Brunel’s SS Great Britain Delve into the deep to find fresh tales to tell and mysteries to evoke. Be prepared for a nightmare to remember as you follow your ghoulish guide around the darkest nooks and crannies of Brunel’s 175year-old ship.

Be careful not to wander off too far, as sunken souls lurk in dark corners waiting to share their chilling tales with you… First two hours each night are suitable for ages eight and above, all other tours are suitable for 12 and above. £15; ssgreatbritain.org n

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A REVOLUTION IN KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY COMES TO BRISTOL Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital introduces pioneering robotic-arm assisted surgery.

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr Jonathan Webb welcomed the arrival of the Stryker Mako robotic-arm to Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, with the hospital’s senior management team, Business Development Manager Ann Brewin, Hospital Director Sasha Burns, and Finance Manager Mike Roberts.

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uffield Health Bristol Hospital has a new addition to its surgical team – Stryker Mako, the pioneering robotic-arm used to assist in joint replacement surgery. The use of robotics is becoming more prevalent in healthcare, and the introduction of this innovative, state-of-the-art technology at its Bristol Hospital highlights Nuffield Health’s commitment to providing their patients with the best possible treatment.

According to the National Joint Registry, joint replacements are some of the most common types of operation performed in the UK, meaning that improved outcomes have the potential to make a big difference to a large number of patients. With Stryker Mako, knee replacement surgery offered by Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital has evolved, bringing patients a range of enhanced benefits, including even greater surgical precision, which in turn leads to decreased pain and faster patient recovery.

How does robotic-arm assisted technology work?

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processes the information taken from a 3D CT scan of the patient’s body, which the consultant will then use to plan the surgery much more precisely. Traditionally, knee replacements are implanted in a similar alignment for most patients, and while this traditional approach works well for many, there are some for whom it does not.

Therefore, the Stryker Mako system offers a higher level of alignment and positioning during surgery.

During surgery The consultant continues to be in total control during the operation, and the Mako roboticarm assisted technology means they are able to implant the knee replacement in the best position for the patient using the detailed, individualised plan devised from their CT scan.

Recovery after surgery This greater surgical precision also allows patients to recover more quickly, as the knee replacement fits as well as it possibly can. This has been shown to result in a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery and higher satisfaction.

There is also strong evidence of decreased pain and fewer complications following surgery.

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Mr Jonathan Webb, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, has been using the Stryker Mako system to carry out knee replacement surgery in London for some time, and is excited that it is now also available to his patients in Bristol. Mr Webb says: “The Mako robotic-arm assisted technology is cutting edge, putting us at the forefront of joint replacement surgery, and at the same time seems to be improving our patient recovery times and outcomes.”

Andrew Polson, one of Mr Webb’s Bristol patients who had his joint replacement surgery using the Mako robot in London, says: “As I live in Bath, it would obviously have been better for me if Mr Webb had been able to perform my knee replacement surgery at the Nuffield in Bristol, rather than in London, so this is great news for other patients like me in the Bristol and Bath area. I have been so impressed by the surgery and my rate of recovery. I would definitely recommend the Mako!”

Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital is the only hospital in Bristol currently offering Mako robotic-arm assisted joint replacements. In addition to Mr Webb, a further four Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons at the hospital are trained in using the Stryker Mako technology to assist their total knee replacement and partial knee replacement surgery – Mr Richard Baker, Mr Damian Clark, Mr Nick Howells and Mr Hywel Davies. Mr Clark says: “Although we call it ‘the robot’, it is actually an improvement of the whole knee replacement process, with the robotic-arm able to guide the surgeon to complete the surgery with greater precision.

More precise surgery means less disturbance for the patient and faster recovery.”

To find out more about Stryker Mako knee replacement surgery at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, call 0117 911 5339 or visit www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol.

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

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Thanks to studying at CNM, I wake up every day feeling energised and positive!

Vivien Allred, CNM Naturopathic Nutrition graduate (College of Naturopathic Medicine)

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tudying with CNM was a hugely educational, inspiring and exciting experience. It has turned around mine and my family’s health and inspired me to work in this field, helping others overcome their health issues.

If you are interested in health and wellness or if you are trying to improve your health naturally, then CNM is for you. The knowledge you receive is priceless.

After leaving school I worked part-time in retail. I had never connected my health and symptoms to what I ate and how I was living my life, until after getting sick and working with a Nutritional Therapist.

At age 18 I stopped menstruating, developed cystic acne, my hair started rapidly falling out and I was diagnosed with PCOS. I saw my GP and also paid to see specialists for hair loss and hormonal imbalances. A lot of the time I felt my concerns were dismissed.

I was never once asked about my nutrition or lifestyle and, when I brought the subject up, I was told food wasn’t really contributing to my issues. As an 18-year old girl, I wanted to get rid of my symptoms as soon as possible, so I opted for the oral contraceptive pill. I ended up suffering with depression, severe acne breakouts and further hair loss, food

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sensitivities, serious nightly leg pains/cramps, hives, digestive problems, dermatitis and anxiety. I discovered through research that these and other issues are very common with this medication.

I was inspired to try natural therapies working with my nutritionist Dee BreretonPatel, a CNM Nutrition graduate. I was so motivated to improve my health, I radically changed my whole lifestyle and stopped taking the pill. I went on a nutrient-dense diet and took supplements to support my skin, gut and hormones. My regular menstrual cycle returned, the cystic acne cleared, my hair grew back and I overcame the depression and anxiety. As treatment progressed, my struggles with gut dysbiosis, bacterial overgrowth, and parasites (which were identified by functional lab testing) resolved.

I stopped suffering with digestive problems.

The food I eat and the supplements I take support my health and keep me well. I find that if I deviate from my lifestyle or eat foods that don’t work for my body, old symptoms flare up. Now, whenever I deal with the occasional health issue, I use ‘food as medicine’. I wake up every day feeling energised and positive about life. I am so grateful every month when I get my period as it is a reflection of my health and fertility.

I considered training as a dietitian and looked at other certifications, but the modules covered at CNM and the ‘whole body approach’ to wellness really resonated with me. CNM students are trained to identify root causes, not just look at diet or count calories. We take into consideration the person’s relationships, emotions, environmental exposures and health history.

I loved connecting with inspiring students and lecturers, and I especially loved the clinics and seeing people’s positive life transformations.

I definitely agree with the quote, “If you love your job, you never have to work a day in your life.” I now specialise in women’s health, hormones, PCOS and gut health and my plan is to help as many women as possible to find support and answers.

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I enjoyed the entire 3-year experience at CNM. I made great, like-minded friends and learnt how to take care of my body for the rest of my life.

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The UK’s Leading Natural IVF & Mild IVF specialists – now open in Bristol A new fertility clinic in Bristol is offering female-friendly IVF treatments that can deliver better health outcomes for mothers and babies. CREATE Fertility’s pioneering approach to IVF focuses on the quality of eggs, rather than quantity, and the clinic’s gentler fertility treatments reduce the emotional and physical burden associated with IVF, while offering women the best chance of success.

A patient story: choosing the gentler, more natural option Alice Smithfield, 42, shared her IVF journey as a single woman with CREATE Fertility: “I was 39 years old and not in a relationship. My time was running out, so I decided to go it alone. I was 40 when I had my baby.”

“I wanted to find a clinic that clearly stated it treated single women as well as couples and discovered CREATE. It wasn’t awkward when I said I wanted to be a single mother by choice: the staff made me feel at ease and didn’t treat me any differently.”

“Natural and Mild IVF Treatments at CREATE appealed to me because they are gentler and use lower amounts of drugs.”

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I was 40 when George was born – a healthy 8lb 13oz beautiful little bundle of joy! My whole life now has meaning, and I love complete strangers telling me how gorgeous my son is.

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GARDENING GREAT OUTDOORS

The jewel in Clevedon’s crown is its pier, opened in 1869, and almost lost when two of its spans collapsed in 1970

The valley of seclusion

With charming reminders of its Regency heyday still in evidence, it’s little wonder Clevedon was chosen for primetime TV’s latest costume drama. Andrew Swift tours its grand villas, its pebbly coves and the world’s largest seawater infinity pool

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levedon is fast becoming one of the West Country’s top film locations. After featuring in The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, it took centre stage in Broadchurch, and is now doubling as Sanditon in ITV’s new Sunday night costume drama.

Although few places have retained more of the character of a Regency seaside resort, one thing is certain; whichever coastal town Jane Austen used as the model for Sanditon, it is was not Clevedon, where development only got underway in the mid-1820s, several years after her death.

Another literary celebrity had visited Clevedon, however, despite its lack of amenities, over 25 years earlier. After marrying Sara Fricker in St Mary Redcliffe church in Bristol on 4 October 1795, the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge rented a “comfortable cot” in Clevedon for his honeymoon. He called it “the valley of seclusion” as he sat with his new bride outside the cottage at twilight listening to “the stilly murmur of the distant sea”.

Although the cottage survives, the chances of hearing the sea from it today are remote – as is the sea, which is over half a mile away, on the far side of a high hill. Like the rest of the village, it stood on a rough road well inland from the coast. Even so, Coleridge was enchanted by Clevedon, writing to a friend that “the prospect around us is perhaps more various than any in the kingdom – the sea! – the distant islands! – the opposite coasts”. He also indulged in a pursuit viewers of Sanditon will have become acquainted with – bathing “impetuously” in the sea.

Despite Coleridge’s enthusiasm, Clevedon’s seafront lay largely undeveloped until 1828, when the land was parcelled up into building lots. The development was modest, with most houses only having two storeys, but – although a few have since been converted to cafés or tea rooms – it has not only survived but retained its character as perhaps the most unassuming seafront in Britain.

A year later, John Rutter published a guidebook suggesting that 80 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Clevedon could come to rival Weston-super-Mare, as it had “the advantage of more varied and picturesque scenery”. He admitted, though, that, “in the important point of an extensive sandy beach, Weston possesses decided superiority.”

This is an understatement. Weston has miles of shining sands; Clevedon has a string of rocky, pebbly, seaweed-strewn coves. Even John Betjeman, who loved Clevedon, conceded that “the sea itself is a bit of a failure”.

So it was that, as Clevedon started to expand, it was not grand hotels but Regency villas and, later, houses looking for all the world like country parsonages that were built on the surrounding hills.

The jewel in Clevedon’s crown, though, is its pier, opened in 1869, and almost lost when two of its spans collapsed in 1970. The campaign to save it was spearheaded by Sir John Betjeman, who compared it to a painting by Turner or a Japanese print. After 28 years, and at a cost of £4million, it finally reopened in 1998.

Gazing out from the seafront today, the prospect that sent Coleridge into raptures remains every bit as inspiring. The Welsh coast seems intriguingly close, and on a calm day it is as though you are looking out over a vast lake. At the western end of the seafront, steps climb to woodland paths, beyond which lie broad lawns backed by midVictorian villas, a bandstand built in 1887 and a marine lake, opened in 1929, which is billed by the tourist board as the world’s largest seawater infinity pool.

Around the lake, though, everything is reassuringly small scale – a pocket-sized amusement arcade, ice cream and fish and chip kiosks, a cosy pub and a miniature railway looping round a former salt marsh.

Today, this scaled-down railway is the only one in town, but Clevedon once had two full-size stations – one served by the Great Western, the other by a ramshackle concern called the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway, owned by the eccentric Colonel Stephens.

Chronically strapped for cash, its rolling stock consisted of second-

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hand cast-offs from other companies, but it managed to soldier on until 1940, when it finally ran out of steam – but what a gloriously whimsical ride it would have taken you on!

Beyond the lake, steps climb to a 19th-century gazebo. In 1852, Conrad Finzel, a Bristol sugar magnate, built a grand mansion called Clevedon Hall nearby, and it is said that he posted lookouts here to alert him when ships laden with sugar from the West Indies hove into view. Westward from the gazebo, woodland paths climb to a grassy knoll with the church of St Andrew nestling below, like a miniature version of St David’s cathedral. Betjeman said it reminded him of Cornwall, and it certainly has a brooding Celtic air about it. The Norman corbels on the chancel even include a weathered Sheela Na Gig, that most unsettling of Romanesque motifs.

Beyond the church, paths wind through the wooded Glebe and onto Wain’s Hill, an Iron Age fort topped by a Second World War pillbox.

The view west from here, over the curlew-haunted mudflats of the Blind Yeo River, is perhaps the best of all, with the gloriously desolate expanse of Woodspring Bay and Worlebury Hill in the distance.

Although modern development has crept up to the church, for centuries it stood alone, over a mile from the village. Clevedon was still a village less than two centuries ago, and, despite having a population of over 21,000, still feels much like a village today. It has only one street – Old Street at the heart of the original settlement – and, while the area around it is still the main shopping centre, there are two smaller shopping centres nearer the sea, on Hill Road and Alexandra Road, where many of the town’s independent shops can be found.

Although Clevedon is very much a product of the 19th century, reminders of earlier times survive in the form of old cottages, such as the one where Coleridge stayed, dotted along the old road through the village. A couple of them have even retained their original thatch.

It is not in such relics that the charm of Clevedon resides, however, nor in reminders of its Regency and early Victorian heyday. There are plenty of quiet resorts around Britain’s coastline, but, more often than not, they are quiet because they have come down in the world.

Clevedon, which – thanks to those pebbly coves – never fell victim to the blandishments of mass tourism, is not blighted by the tawdry melancholy that so often lingers after the crowds have moved on.

Despite all the changes, Clevedon is still much as John Betjeman described it almost 70 years ago – “a civilised and decorative seaside town, shunned, thank heaven, by modern barbarism, a refuge in time of trouble, a beautiful haven of quiet”. ■ Coleridge Cottage 1893

Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway c1930

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WILD BRISTOL

Image by Jamie Edmonds

The hazel dormouse is one of only three UK mammals that hibernates, along with the hedgehog and the bat

The big sleep

If you go down to the woods today, go quietly, says Pete Dommett, because a secretive species is getting ready for bed.

Sshh!

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n Cathy’s hand, a tiny, honey-coloured ball fizzes with energy – as if she’s just grabbed the golden snitch out of the air to win a game of Quidditch. But, here in Leigh Woods on the outskirts of the city, the prize clutched securely in her palm is actually one of the UK’s rarest animals.

With its gingery fur, fluffy tail and large, dark eyes, the hazel dormouse is easily distinguishable from other mice. Except that your chances of witnessing one in the wild are virtually non-existent. In addition to their scarce status, these little creatures are famously sleepy, snoozing half the year away in hidden hibernation. They’re also nocturnal and largely arboreal, which means that, even when they are awake, they spend almost all their time at the tops of trees in the dark of night.

Dormice are strictly protected too – a special licence is required to check nestboxes and handle animals – so the only way to see one is to join in with an official survey. Cathy Mayne monitors over 50 boxes in Leigh Woods as part of the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme, which is run by The People’s Trust for Endangered Species. But today’s mouse is the only one she’s found this autumn.

Nationally, dormice aren’t doing well. The NDMP shows that the UK population has declined by a third over the last 20 years. A loss of habitat – due to changes in farming practice and the way woods are managed – is chiefly to blame. At Leigh Woods, disturbance by the public presents another possible cause for concern. But there’s also a chance that dormice in the area are under-recorded and they’re actually faring better than the numbers suggest. While artificial nestboxes are readily occupied by dormice, the veteran trees at the site and a return to traditional woodland management techniques, like coppicing, might simply be providing plenty of natural nest-holes 82 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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for them to use, meaning there could literally be more mice in the woods than meet the eye.

When Cathy turns our dormouse over for sexing (it’s a he), we notice that most of his tail is missing. Just a short tuft of hair remains, the rest having been possibly nibbled off by his siblings while in the nest (this is not uncommon, apparently). ‘Stumpy’ (naturally) is then carefully weighed. At only 12 grams, he’ll need to put on a few more in order to survive the winter. Fortunately, the woods are bursting with an autumn bounty of hazelnuts, sweet chestnuts, blackberries, yew berries and haws which should enable Stumpy to build up the essential fat reserves needed to see him through hibernation.

The big sleep is the only time dormice descend to the ground. They snuggle down among tree roots, beneath leaf litter or under logs in tightly woven balls of leaves, moss and strips of honeysuckle.

Hibernation usually begins at the end of this month and, all being well, continues until April or even into May. But warm, wet winters can cause dormice to wake up prematurely and use up precious energy before spring, and food in the form of flowers, arrives.

Climate change could make such mild winter weather more likely and put even more pressure on this vulnerable species.

All Cathy can do is pop Stumpy back in his box and wish him well. While the future for Bristol’s dormice may be uncertain, my close encounter with this most elusive of mammals has been undeniably magical. ■

• Check somerset-mammals.org for dates of local dormice surveys open to the public

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GARDENING

Fruits of Aldwick Estate

West Country wines and vines

England may not be the first place we think of when it comes to wine production says Elly West, but tucked away in Redhill, south of Bristol, is a thriving vineyard producing around 30,000 bottles in a good year. And it’s not alone...

T

here are an estimated 500 vineyards in England and Wales, mostly (but not all) in the warmer southern regions, and with the current trend towards buying local, not to mention longer and hotter summers, the popularity of home-grown wines is only set to increase.

I visited Sandy Luck, managing director at the Aldwick Estate, to find out more. At the time of my visit I’d not long returned from a trip to South Africa – a country much better known for its wineries – so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect here in BS40. But seeing row upon row of vines, neatly tended and trained to low wires, hanging with grapes nearly ready to be harvested, was nothing short of spectacular, especially given the location.

The first vines were planted in 2008 by Sandy’s brother Chris Watts, who sadly died in a helicopter crash in 2011. Sandy grew up on the estate and is the fifth generation of her family to run the 300-acre working farm, which has seen necessary diversification over the years through dairy and pig farming, leading to its current incarnation as a wedding venue and vineyard. But despite the vineyard’s youth, it’s now the largest in Somerset with 11 acres of carefully managed grapes nestled beneath the slopes of the Mendips.

Following her brother’s accident, and with no background in wine growing, Sandy was determined to make it a success, and with the help of family and friends this initially daunting side of the business has gone from strength to strength, picking up numerous prestigious and international awards for the quality of the wines produced.

“It’s not easy,” laughs Sandy. “To anyone who has a romantic idea about growing a few acres of vines, I say: good luck with that!”

One of the most obvious challenges is dealing with the vagaries of British weather. There’s a reason why the commercial market is dominated by wines from warmer climes. Grapes like long, hot summers.

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Most English wines are sparkling as southern English counties share similar climate characteristics with the Champagne region of France.

However, the Aldwick Estate, besides producing two sparkling varieties, also has two reds, a rosé and two whites in its stable. Reds require more sugar in the grape, which means a longer growing season, while white wines are more about the acidity. And the weather does have a massive impact on the output for the year.

“We had a really good harvest for 2017,” Sandy explains. “The vines had matured, compost was in the ground. It was a combination of factors all coming together. Then 2018 was such a hot summer and the harvest increased again, because the growing conditions were so great.”

...The vines aren’t netted as the losses aren’t seen as significant compared to the benefit of having birds in the area...

The soil is another issue in this region where, as we who garden well know, heavy clay is predominant. Grapes like chalk and limestone. At the Aldwick Estate, the soil is clay over limestone, but has been vastly improved with homemade compost using chicken manure from a local farm, along with other organic matter. No artificial fertilisers are used.

“We leave the manure to settle for about eight months, then add it to the ground once every three years,” Sandy says. “It has increased the worms and improved the soil beyond recognition.”

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GARDENING

The vineyards are surrounded by a low electric fence to keep out badgers, which apparently love eating grapes and can decimate a crop, but the wires can’t stop birds, including pheasants, dropping in for snacks. “They even nest in the vines,” says Sandy. But the vines aren’t netted as the losses aren’t seen as significant compared to the benefit of having lots of birds in the area. “We’re very proud of our bird population,” Sandy adds, as we notice a buzzard slowly circling overhead. The aim is to keep things as organic as possible, avoiding spraying and trying to promote a balanced ecosystem. Bat boxes have been put up to help deal with moths. Other challenges include wasps, mildew, diseases such as botrytis; the list goes on.

September and October is harvest time for the grapes, which were hanging in thick, extremely healthy-looking bunches when I visited at the end of August. They looked ready to me, but Sandy picked one and it took just a quick look to know it wasn’t yet ripe. “We do a taste test to

see when they’re nearly ready, and then we check the sugar levels and acidity levels before we start picking. I’m not even going to taste this one.” She pulls a face.

All the grapes are hand-picked by volunteers over the course of around six weeks, and selected for quality as they go, with only the best making it to the press. Grape varieties include Pinot noir, Bacchus, Seyval Blanc, and hybrids Regent and Solaris, with nearly 9,000 vines in total and Aldwick wines made exclusively from the grapes grown on the estate.

Bottles are available to buy directly from Aldwick, and can also be found on the wine list in selected local restaurants including the Pig at Bath, Chew Valley’s Pony and Trap, the Yeo Valley Canteen and the Glassboat in Bristol. There are also regular wine tasting tours between April and October; visit aldwickestate.co.uk to find out more. ■ • ellyswellies.co.uk

We heard it through the grapevine...

No prizes for guessing what’s October’s choice for ‘plant of the month’ then... Although not many of us will be bottling our own vintage, grape vines make extremely attractive and useful garden plants. Climbers are fantastic in any garden, hiding eyesores, creating shade and generally making the most of unused vertical space, and a grape vine has the added bonus of edible fruits to harvest in autumn. They are fast growing with large, elegant leaves perfect for creating dappled shade over a pergola or arch. Although plants are deciduous, the gnarled stems that are revealed in winter are attractive in their own right. Once you’ve established a good framework, vines should be pruned in winter when they are dormant, with long sideshoots cut back to two or three buds to create the shorter fruiting ‘spurs’. ‘Fragola’ is a great red variety with sweet, edible fruits and good autumn colour.

Create space with a garden room GARDEN OFFICES • LOG CABINS • STUDIOS • SUMMERHOUSES POSH SHEDS • TIMBER GARAGES • OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES

01225 774566 • www.gardenaffairs.co.uk Visit our Display Centre at Trowbridge Garden Centre 288 Frome Road, BA14 0DT THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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INTERIORS

Designs on a dining room Sarah Latham, creative director of Etons of Bath, styled this classic and luxurious dining room in a Georgian farmhouse for a client. The brief was to design a space that felt grand and theatrical. Here she gives some tips on how to create a dining room with character and atmosphere in a Georgian home

LIGHTING STATEMENT WALL

COLOUR AND LIGHTING

Create a statement wall with murals, chinoiserie or artwork. This hand-painted chinoiserie uses 24-carat gold and its reflective finish creates warmth

Think about the time you will entertain. Is it likely to be evening or lunchtime? Plan your colour scheme and lighting to suit and to balance the natural light

A beautiful chandelier is a must in a Georgian dining room. But use lighting controls so you can dim it down low and support it with wall lights and table lamps. You want it to sparkle but not to flood the room with light

WINDOWS Enhance bay windows with elegant panelling

FLOORING Herringbone is making a comeback and works well in a period home

WINDOW DRESSING Luxurious curtains dress a window, soften the space and improve the acoustics

RUG

LIGHT FITTINGS

Add in a contemporary rug to balance the classic style. A rug is also essential for the acoustics of a room

Choose fittings with exciting detailing and use lampshades in an accent colour rather than a standard off-white Etons of Bath: etonsofbath.com

Photographs of a recent project by Etons of Bath

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 89

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INTERIORS | CRAFT

We’re obsessed with Jacky Puzey’s ornate, vibrant digital embroidery

Kate Bond designs uses cutting-edge production techniques to transfer her digital artwork onto fabric, cushions, lampshades, wallcoverings and more

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INTERIORS | CRAFT

City of artisans A new book is shining a spotlight on many of Bristol’s creative makers and crafters.

We profile two of our favourites specialising in gorgeous and unique interiors products

E

xperts believe more than 200 heritage crafts are at risk of becoming extinct in the UK; according to the Heritage Crafts Association ‘red list’ it has seen the amount which are considered to be endangered rise from 169 in 2017 to 212 in 2019. Thankfully, in Bristol craft is alive and well on the whole, and very much visible in homes and studios thanks to the city’s many talented makers. In fact, a new book celebrating the creativity of Bristol’s artists and crafters has been published by The History Press, illustrating how our dynamic corner of the world thrives on creativity, with a surge of designer/makers choosing to work here.

Published just last month and compiled by the director of contemporary design agency Designers Makers, Sophie Rees, Artisan Bristol is the culmination of interviews and studio visits with 25 makers.

Revealing their personal relationship to the city and how it influences their work, it’s a lovely coffee-table book showcasing Bristol’s creative spirit and some very exciting locally made homewares. Two purveyors of such items caught our eye in particular...

Jacky Puzey: digital embroiderer

A digital embroiderer of new fabrics, textures and stories, specialising in designing and producing embroidery for interiors and fashion, Jacky combines traditional embroidery skills with digital technology. She uses fur, feathers, tweed and organza along with drawings and laser cuttings to explore her distinctive imagery and style. From feral lace to embellished creatures, feathered interior screens to shimmering metallic bomber jackets, Jacky’s embroidery creates a sense of baroque pleasure.

“I find new graffiti or traces of urban wildlife when I’m out running in Easton,” she says, of her inspirations. “I love going on urban walks or pottering around areas of Bristol looking for new or unusual things, from exhibitions, street art and foods to films, fashion and second-hand treasures.”

Jacky grew up travelling around the world following her father’s work for a big overseas bank. With her family she lived in Madrid, Antwerp, Milan, Panama City and visited her father in New York, Freetown Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Kenya. Her creativity came through from a young age, particularly in painting and making things with her mum.

Eventually, she settled in the UK to study fine art and in 2005 moved to Bristol to become the exhibitions organiser at Watershed Media Centre; she was curator by the time she left after a serious accident in 2000.

Throughout this period Jacky also studied for a postgraduate diploma in visual culture at Bath Spa University, where she researched digital cultures and technologies.

Conceptually, Jacky explores a visual collaboration across cultures, from multicultural graffitied contemporary cityscapes to historical textiles. The embroidered artworks create a tension between bespoke craftsmanship and digital technologies, political concepts and artistic form. Her current interiors collection features a series of products, from statement embroidered cocktail chairs, footstools and interior screens, to embroidered wallpapers. Migrating creatures, from escaped parakeets to foxes and hares, are shown within their new urban landscapes to create a beautiful meditation on ‘wild’ cities and diverse urban cultures. The hare drinks from a forgotten corner of the pond in the park, camping out in a semi-public space. Parakeets mingle with the local starlings across an embroidered printed fabric screen. Peacocks are embellished with contemporary henna designs and printed peonies.

The embroideries bring alive shifting cultural allegiances to create complex contemporary embellished narratives of urban migration and

landscape. The pieces are inspired by both the detail and depth of 19thcentury landscape painting, and the desire to reflect 21st-century urban landscapes. Jacky’s inspiration comes from many forms, all relating to textiles: textile history, fashion, art, historical embellishment, street fashion, tailoring, postcolonial histories, photography, wearable technology, architecture, furniture and upholstery. Jacky lives and works in creative, vibrant Easton and has a studio at Spaceworks on Chelsea Road. She is part of a small network of other designers she collaborates with including Leigh-Anne Treadwell of Bristol Upholstery Collective.

Jacky (jackypuzey.com) is busy working on a wide variety of projects, including a new wallpaper collaboration with a Bath-based studio, and is planning a show with Design Nation at Eunique Karlsruhe, Nexus Exhibition with Fife Contemporary and Ruthin Crafts Centre. Jacky’s dream commission? To work with either the V&A or the National Trust to produce an embroidered room; wallpapers, furnishings, with access to their archives for research. Intrigued by 18th and 19th-century scenic wallpapers, she enjoys shifting the landscape and chinoiserie tradition into something more contemporary.

Kate Bond: surface designer

Kate designs digitally printed fabrics, products and surface prints, using cutting-edge production techniques to transfer her artwork onto highquality fabric, cushions, lampshades, wallcoverings and more; whether it’s a bespoke one-off or design licensed for larger-scale reproduction.

The brand adheres to an aesthetic of hand-drawn motifs juxtaposed with delicate paper pleats.

Kate takes pleasure in contrasts and enjoys making mathematical patterns appear organic. “Bath’s Carole Waller was a huge influence on me starting an MA,” says Kate. “Prior to that I was doing evening classes at her studio, which was a real escape for me. It is mostly down to her that I am doing the work that I do today.”

While she has a first-class degree in jewellery and silversmithing, Kate has worked with ceramics, resins, electroforming and more; recently completing an MA in fashion and textiles at Bath Spa University, where she interned at London’s Ciment Pleating to fully understand the skilled processes of fabric pleating used in fashion and interiors. Kate moved to Bristol in 2003 and began a PGCE in design technology (product design) at UWE but it was never her plan to become a teacher as she found the whole concept of speaking in public very stressful. As her confidence grew she secured her first teaching post at Prior Park College in Bath and teaches there today, part-time, in charge of a thriving textiles department.

Over the years Kate has exhibited in galleries and exhibitions including SOFA Chicago and Lesley Craze Gallery, London, and completed a variety of commissions for interior brands, print studios and commercial projects; most recently for Willis Newson and Nina Campbell, a patron of Bath Spa University. Kate was asked to create two designs for her; one being included in the Coromandel Collection of 2016.

Kate (katebond.co.uk) is currently working on two large commissions – the first, a 45m square feature wall based on the sweeping landscape of Wales, is for the new Y Bwthyn Macmillan Specialist Care Unit at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. The mural runs along the main corridor and over windows. The second is for St Peter’s Hospice in Bristol, comprising of several murals that depict the landscape and complement the new interior. ■ • Read about more local makers and crafters in Artisan Bristol (The History Press, hardback £20); thehistorypress.co.uk THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 91

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CITY | INTERIORS

Interior

NOTES

NEW ARRIVALS This month we take a look at some of the stylish new products and trends appearing in stores across the region

STAY WARM WITH WOODY

Slim yet generously proportioned, The Chill Penguin Woody Eco multi-fuel stove is a high efficiency multi-fuel burner with extra low emissions. Guaranteed to bring on the cosy.

RRP £1,249.

Kindle Stoves, Glenavon Farm, 331 Bath Road, Saltford, BS31 3TJ Tel: 0845 5050085; kindlestoves.co.uk

SWEET DREAMS FROM LOAF The recently opened Loaf store at Cribbs Causeway has a brilliant range of sumptuous sofas, dreamy beds, fantastic furniture and covetable homeware all beautifully displayed. We love this new Pillow Talker bed in marine-washed cotton from £1,145, dressed with a Lazy Linen bundle, from £245.

Loaf, Unit 1D, Centaurus Rd, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, BS34 5TS Tel: 020 3141 8300; loaf.com

CUDDLE UP WITH CLARA

FEED YOUR ADDICTION...

Just arrived, the Clara sofa combines stylish, slim and elegant design with a modern silhouette and feather-filled comfort for all the family. From £1,155 Arlo & Jacob, 94C Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2QX Tel: 03300 945855; arloandjacob.com

...or conquer a fear of pattern with a gorgeous wall hanging to complement or contrast with your décor. To find out more about this Sea Florals silk wall hanging contact Addicted to Patterns for prices.

LIGHT SCANTASTIC

Addicted to Patterns, Tel: 0117 239 7829; addictedtopatterns.uk

Light up your life as the nights draw in. Find inspiration from the far north with the Stockholm table lamp from Danish design masters BoConcept. £299 Bo Concept, 51-53 Merchant Street, Bristol, BS1 3EE boconcept.com

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Wales & West Midlands Utilities Ltd Throughout Bristol and surrounding areas DRIVEWAYS – LANDSCAPING – BUILDING DECKING – FENCING

For all your hard and soft landscaping needs. Wales & West Midlands Utilities Ltd can revive your property from new patios, steps or walls to turfing, fencing and garden design Dedicated to offering you the finest driveways and patios.

We have many years experience and only use the best materials and staff

Using a variety of materials, such as block paving, resin, tarmac and gravel All work is guaranteed

Telephone: 0117 287 2523

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Elly’s Wellies

Garden Designs

Turning your ideas into beautiful spaces Elly’s Wellies Garden Designs will help you maximise the potential of your outdoor space and tailor it to your individual needs. Whether you are looking for a complete garden redesign, or just need advice on what to plant in a border, Elly’s Wellies will be happy to help.

For a free initial consultation, contact Elly West

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

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 93

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MUSIC | INTERVIEW INTERIORS Imperial Purple, described as ‘deep parts of flower of saffron crocus’

Broccoli Brown, described as ‘head of black-headed gull’

NATURE’S SPECTRUM

Sap Green, described as ‘underside of lower wings of orange tip butterfly’

Farrow & Ball are known for their original paint recipes, rich pigments and eco-friendly emphasis. A new collaboration with the Natural History Museum sees a brand new palette range based on the colours of nature

F

arrow & Ball already have 132 shades on their colour card. Each hue – from Mizzle to Pale Hound and Dix Blue to Sulking Room Pink – tells a story drawn from nature, from the landscape, or from history, each with the potential to transform a room with its rich pigments. But now there are more colours and a new card: this month Farrow & Ball launches a brand new palette of 16 colours developed in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, all inspired by the true colours of nature.

The collaboration draws on the museum’s rare book library, which holds Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours, a taxonomic guide to the colours of the natural world that was used by Charles Darwin as an essential tool on his 1891-36 voyage on HMS Beagle.

First published in 1814, the book became an invaluable tool for scientists and artists – an official classification of colour in a pre-photographic age. Every colour described in Werner’s book evokes a vision of a colour with descriptions from the animal, vegetable and mineral worlds. It is the visuals in this book that have inspired the new Farrow & Ball palette, bringing the true colours of nature into the home. And the Colour by Nature colour card uses the very same natural descriptive outlines from the selected colours from Werner’s book. Examples are Duck Green, described as ‘neck of mallard’ and ‘upper disk of yew leaves’; Orange Coloured White, described as ‘breast of white or screech owl’; and Dutch Orange, described as ‘streak of red orpiment’.

Ash Grey, described as ‘fresh wood ashes, and ‘breast of long-tailed hen titmouse’

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Each shade in the range has been meticulously identified, classified and researched in the same way as those that make up the Farrow & Ball core palette, and blended with an eco-friendly water base that’s kinder to the environment and safe to use in all rooms of the home. Each hue is also available in a choice of five interior finishes, expertly engineered to deliver exceptional vibrancy, durability and coverage.

“This is the first time we have created a new palette as an extension to our carefully curated colour card,” said Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball. “With the expertise of the Natural History Museum we hope to inspire homes across the globe, and what better way to do that than with eco-friendly colours inspired by nature?” n

• Farrow & Ball, 16 Princess Victoria Street, Bristol. The Colour by Nature palette is available from showrooms, stockists and farrow-ball.com (or order via 01202 876141). Farrow & Ball also offer an interior colour consultancy service W108

Broccoli Brown.™

Head of Black headed Gull.

Zircon.

DT

W29

Ultra marine Blue.™

Upper Side of the Wings of small blue Heath Butterfly

Borrage.

Azure Stone or Lapis Lazuli.

MT

W40

Imperial Purple.™

Deep Parts of Flower of Saffron Crocus.

Fluor Spar.

MT

W24

Scotch Blue.™

Throat of Blue Titmouse.

Stamina of Single Purple Anemone.

Blue Copper Ore.

DT

W53

Emerald Green.™

Beauty Spot on Wing of Teal Drake.

Emerald.

MT

W50

Verdigris Green.™

Tail of small Long-tailed Green Parrot.

Copper Green.

MT

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Verdigris Green, described as ‘tail of small long-tailed green parrot’

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INTERIORS | INTERVIEW

FADED GLAMOUR

“To me, an object that was once the height of elegance but is now a bit battered has far more allure than something brand new,” says Pearl Lowe, the Frome-based former singer known for her love of vintage interiors. With her book published this month, here we have an excerpt profiling designer Solange Azagury-Partridge’s eclectic country cottage in Bruton

her most exquisite pieces are on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and she is also renowned for her interiors collections – you would expect Solange to know a thing or two about colour. But in this small space she takes her palette to another level, creating a home that is warm and inviting even on the most drab of days.

Solange and her husband Murray fell in love with the 100-year-old property more than a decade ago while visiting friends in Somerset.

At the time, they wanted to create a nest that they and their children could seek refuge in, away from the big smoke of London. The brief was simple – she wanted it to feel like a home rather than a weekend cottage, and it

had to be comfortable, warm and welcoming.

By knocking down a couple of walls in the downstairs of the house and expanding the kitchen space into an outbuilding so they could comfortably seat 10 people for gatherings, they have achieved this. At the core of the house is what Solange and her family call the Fire Room. “It got that name because we have fireplaces at both ends of the room – which we gained by knocking a wall down and opening up the room,” she says.

“On a cold day, we light them both and hunker in here to read, talk and watch movies, and it’s where we entertain when we aren’t in the kitchen.”

Key to her design plan was comfort, so everywhere you look are overstuffed sofas and day-beds waiting to be snuggled up on.

“When I’m here it’s all about relaxing – I spend quite a lot of the time here horizontal, I’m not ashamed to say!” she laughs. These sofas and chairs are covered in a giddy array of colourful fabrics and throws that Solange has been collecting for years. “I have piles and piles of fabric,” she says. “I buy them on a whim – sometimes from abroad, often online, or I find them in markets. I never have a plan for their use, it will just come to me while I’m doing up a room and I’ll seek one out that I think fits.”

Solange doesn’t like to conform. In a corner of the living room, for example, a sofa covered in a flowery chintz from Sanderson sits happily at right angles to one dressed in an ikat print. Mismatched rugs from Morocco form a colourful patchwork across the central living spaces. A heavy, embroidered, mirrored curtain serves as a draft excluder over the front door; a wild, boldly coloured Swedish fabric has been used to cover an Eames-style chair and footstool in their snug. “It was covered in black leather originally, which didn’t work for me. Now it makes me smile and want to just sink into it in the evening.” ➲ OPPOSITE: Solange Azagury-Partridge’s use of bold colour, rich textiles and contrasting prints is on display at the end of the living room where an antique Moroccan wall hanging is paired with a sofa covered in a traditional English floral chintz LEFT: A second living room is covered in a William Morris fabric and the star-print rug comes from Solange’s own collection. The woodwork throughout the house is painted the prettiest of pinks INSET: Pearl Lowe

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Photography by Amy Neunsinger © Cico Books

I

f you are ever in need of an injection of colour on a cold, wet winter’s night, then I suggest you inveigle an invitation to the three-bedroom country cottage where the designer Solange AzaguryPartridge sets up home on weekends, high days and holidays. Set in one of the most picturesque villages in the West Country, this is one of the most delightful cottages I have ever visited. Aside from the charm of the building itself with its tiny turret and beautiful walled garden, it’s what lies inside that will make your spirits soar as she opens her baby pink front door and ushers you in from the cold.

Given that she is one of the most respected jewellery designers of her generation – some of

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Suffice it to say, Solange loves her fabric – to such an extent that almost every single room is covered in it. “I love using fabric on walls because it feels not only quite luxurious, but it’s warm and also creates a depth of sound in a room – a soft echo that you wouldn’t get from papers or paint.” And what I love here is that she hasn’t been afraid to mix these fabrics up – so they are often not only contrasting with each other, but going head to head in a riot of colour and pattern. “That’s actually for practical and economic reasons,” she admits. “As I often don’t have enough of one fabric so have to use another, but I like the effect in a house like this.”

All the woodwork has been painted the most enchanting shade of baby pink. And on the spiral turret staircase leading up to the first floor, she has been even braver with colour by covering each step in a different shade of carpet, creating a magical rainbow to take you up to bed – a real stairway to heaven. A yellow velvet studded sofa that she bought as a pair from eBay for £100 (she loves a bargain, as do I, which is why she is a woman after my own heart) clashes against the shocking pink toile de Jouy she has lined the hallway and downstairs bathroom with. Fabrics from William Morris and Liberty have been used to create warmth and cosiness in rooms where all anyone wants to do is kick their shoes off and relax. This is certainly a house that I would like to spend some serious horizontal time in, as Solange’s bold use of colour is full of wit and wonder and brings a smile to your face.

“But that’s the thing about colour – we all need a bit of it in our lives,” she says.

“And for me, quite frankly, I can never have enough of it.” n

ABOVE LEFT: Solange has created a real stairway to heaven with rainbow shades of carpet – not only has it made an incredible gem-like feature out of this delightful spiral, but it was a clever way of using off-cuts of carpet

ABOVE: The family bathroom – one of the few rooms in the house not to have been lined with fabric – is papered in a palm-print Martinique design that Solange found at the Beverly Hills Hotel

ABOVE: An Eames-style chair and footstool have been updated with a botanical-print fabric from Sweden upholstered on the chair. “I doubt very much it is real Eames because I picked up for £100,” laughs Solange

BELOW: The master bedroom – including the sloping ceiling and bedlinen – is covered in an old-fashioned antique oak print, contrasted with panels of a Manuel Canovas fabric

• Faded Glamour: Inspirational Interiors and Beautiful Homes

by Pearl Lowe is published by Cico Books, £19.99 98 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF

HOMES, INTERIORS AND GARDENS our guide to the best businesses and services

Autumn

/ Winter 2019 PROMOTED CONTENT

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KÜTCHENHAUS Clifton Down Shopping Centre, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2NN 0117 2130896; kutchenhaus.co.uk

Kütchenhaus is the UK arm of company Nobilia – the largest manufacturer of fitted kitchens in Europe, making up to 3,000 kitchens daily. This means Kütchenhaus can not only keep prices competitive but still deliver high quality, German-engineered kitchens. They provide a wide selection of kitchen styles and can create both traditional and contemporary looks in matte and gloss textures. With its free design service, the team can come up with superb, photo-realistic images giving a clear visual of a customer’s ideal kitchen. They also supply a full range of appliances including Bosch, Neff, CDA and Miele. Buying a kitchen is a big decision, and the Kütchenhaus team in Bristol work closely with every single client to give them complete confidence in their important new purchase.

ARCHITECT YOUR HOME 0800 0515304; architect-yourhome.com Architect Your Home’s service kicks off with an initial design consultation in your home – think of this as the real starting point of your project. It will provide you with sketch drawings of a properly considered and collaborative design proposal, help you develop a clear understanding of the practical implications of your design and equip you with the necessary tools so that you can move your project forward confidently to the next stage. During the consultation there will be an in-depth discussion to fully establish requirements and aspirations, a set of sketch design drawings showing the proposals, advice on planning permission/listed building consents/structure etc, an agreed proposal by the end of the session, and recommendations on the next steps and on how to move the project forward.

TABITHA TARLING GARDEN DESIGN 34 Fairfield Road, Bristol, BS6 5JP 07811169636; tabithatarling.co.uk Tabitha is a highly experienced landscape designer with 15 years of designing and installing projects of all sizes, both in the UK and abroad. She offers a full garden design service, including design concept, construction management, planting and styling. She can also provide consultations, garden coaching and advice.

Tabitha works collaboratively with clients, carefully listening to their needs, to ensure the end results are elegant as well as functional.

She is keen to ensure her design solutions sit well within their surroundings, with beautiful, thoughtful planting schemes, and a sympathetic use of materials, whether it be it a tiny court-yard, a roof terrace or a large family garden.

She works with a select group of landscape contractors and specialists so that the design process, from concept to completion, is smooth and seamless.

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LUMINATION LIGHTING Lumination, within Gardiner Haskins, Broadplain, Bristol BS2 0JP 0117 922 6435; lumination.co.uk Lumination Lighting is a leading specialist retailer of lighting products and services stocking more than 20 of the leading industry suppliers from UK, Europe and the Far East which includes its own exclusively designed and specified ranges. Lumination understand that lighting design is not only about the location, intensity and control, it is about the aesthetics and the ambience created. The team provide a comprehensive service covering all aspects of lighting and offer a design service to help you achieve the best possible results. There are hundreds of products on display in the showroom and online and thousands more products available to order. The store is manned by trained and experienced advisors who actively ensure that they are in touch with latest trends and technological developments and are only satisfied when you have exactly the lighting you desire.

PAUL WHITTAKER BATHROOMS AND WETROOMS

0117 2230086 / 07879 666221; paulwhittakerbathrooms.co.uk Showroom by appointment at Bathroom Solutions, 54 Redcliff Street, Bristol BS1 6LS

ADDICTED TO PATTERNS Instagram; addicted_to_patterns; addictedtopatterns.uk Bristol-based Addicted to Patterns studio offers unique collections of hand screenprinted wallpapers and the textiles, crafted to measure from highest quality, ecofriendly materials, all decorated with original hand drawn, illustrative designs.

Experts in surface decoration they offer a truly personal approach, colour matching and bespoke pattern design for various surfaces. Known for quirky modern and twisted classical prints that travel from the wallpaper onto curtains, cushions and lampshades. Addicted to Patterns offers a free consultation at the beginning of every project and are commissioned by both private and commercial clients.

KARENA BATSTONE DESIGN

Paul Whittaker Bathrooms and Wetrooms is a design, supply and installation bathroom company with a huge reputation in the Bristol area. Working closely with his clients, Paul is able to deliver cleverly designed bathrooms and wetrooms, expertly installed by his experienced team of fitters. With 3D design layouts to help with decision making and project management through the course of the works, Paul Whittaker makes bathroom renovations easy and stress-free.

21 Somerset St, Kingsdown, Bristol BS2 8LZ 0117 944 1004; karenabatstone.com Karena Batstone Design is an award-winning landscape design studio with extensive experience of designing and implementing landscapes of all sizes throughout the UK. The practice is known for its ability to work closely with clients and architects to design outdoor spaces that are both practical and poetic. Karena and her team believe that a garden should sit comfortably in its setting, whether urban or rural. Strong clean lines characterise their landscapes but as gardeners they like to soften the space with abundant, romantic planting – choosing plants that evoke a feeling of nature and stimulate the senses, and creating borders that buzz with wildlife. They are passionate about what they do and aim to provide a service that exceeds expectations.

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BRACEY INTERIORS 15 Waterloo Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4BT; 0117 9734664; braceyinteriors.co.uk With over 50 years’ experience, Bracey Interiors has earned an enviable reputation for its design services. Working throughout the UK and abroad, the team creates unique and bespoke interiors for clients.

Within the showroom in the heart of Clifton Village, Bracey showcases fabrics and wallpapers from all the major suppliers as well as a unique and eclectic mix of home accessories. Paints by Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library are also mixed to order in a matter of minutes. No matter how big or small your requirements are, Bracey Interiors has friendly staff ready to help. With their own workrooms they ensure all soft furnishings are made to their exacting standards, and offer an installation service. 2017 saw their Silver House project win three awards in the RSAW Welsh Architecture Awards.

JOHN BOYCE PLASTERWORK Unit 5, Channel View Farm, Clevedon, Bristol BS21 6US 07970 278028; john-boyce.co.uk John Boyce Plasterwork Ltd is a locally based company with over 30 years’ experience in the plastering trade, tackling any size of job from a simple repair to a complete restoration project. The team has a large range of moulds built up over the last three decades and is capable of matching and reproducing any type of plasterwork. The company also has a large range of stock cornices and ceiling roses to pick from, with something to suit most tastes and budgets.

They carry out ceiling surveys and repairs, lime plastering and rendering and bespoke one-off pieces; offering free, noobligation quotes and advice. Visit the website for a taste of what John Boyce Plasterwork can offer.

ELLY’S WELLIES GARDEN DESIGNS 01275 462759 / 07788 640934; ellyswellies.co.uk

BEN ARGENT KITCHENS Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA; 01225 892270; benargentkitchens.co.uk Creators of bespoke contemporary kitchens that successfully combine functional design with elegant simplicity. Ben has a background as a designer maker and has extensive experience in the specialist furniture industry. He launched the company in 2007 with a clear understanding of the subtleties and technicalities required to achieve sophisticated and highly individual contemporary kitchens. Thei gorgeous new showroom is conveniently located near M4 J18 with plenty of free parking. Contact them to arrange a viewing.

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Elly’s Wellies Garden Designs can help you take your garden to the next level. With qualifications in horticulture, garden and planting design, our lovely gardening columnist Elly West offers a bespoke, personal and friendly service whether you are looking for a complete overhaul and redesign of your garden, or just some help deciding what to put in a border. The process starts with a free initial consultation, where Elly will visit your garden and discuss your aims and objectives. From here, the creative process can begin, keeping you involved at every stage as necessary to ensure the end result is something affordable that you can enjoy for years. Elly works alongside reliable landscapers who can build your project, offering a complete, professional service.

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THE KITCHEN PARTNERS The Kitchen Partners Design Studio, 102 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QY; 0117 9466433; thekitchenpartners.co.uk Those continuous daydreams of the perfect kitchen may appear evermore distant, but the reality of your dream kitchen renovation is closer than you may think. The Kitchen Partners offer a free, in-home consultation to make your kitchen renovation ideas come true and will discuss your options and give you advice on the most efficient use of your space. As a leading design studio of kitchens in Bristol, they have a range of timeless products, your kitchen could be beautiful for generations to come. Its core value is a clear focus on complete customer satisfaction and they have a keen eye for up-to-the-minute design plus extensive product knowledge, innovative spatial awareness and a flair for interior design ideas. It is these values and skills that will make your visit to the studio a worthwhile and rewarding experience. Go and see The Kitchen Partners with an open mind, and let them design your perfect kitchen.

Bertie Sofa

WALES & WEST MIDLANDS UTILITIES LTD 0117 287 2523; walesandwestmidlandsutilities.co.uk Wales and West Midlands Utilities Ltd is dedicated to offering you the finest driveways and patios. Your design possibilities are possibly endless. The company has many years experience and only uses the best materials and staff. All work is guaranteed and no deposit is required until the job is completed to your satisfaction. A variety of materials are used including block paving, resin, tarmac, gravel and the team can also help with steps, fencing, decking, turfing and landscaping as well as cleaning and replacing driveways. After you receive your quotation there is no pressure to buy as the company offers a 14 day cooling off period.

ARLO & JACOB 94C Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QX 03330 605262; arloandjacob.com Arlo & Jacob designs, hand-makes, and carefully delivers beautifully upholstered sofas that are more than just part of the furniture. The team want to provide sofas for life. The 4,500 sq ft Bristol showroom is the first to have opened outside London and is brimming with their full collection of traditionally manufactured sofas, armchairs, footstools and scatter cushions in a diverse range of fabrics.

You’re sure to find inspiration so pop in for a complimentary drink, to pick up your free brochure and fabric samples, and to peruse over 120 house fabrics, plus designer and custom upholstery options with one of their expert design consultants. Arlo & Jacob’s furniture is handmade here in Britain, at its factory in Long Eaton, the home of British upholstery.

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BOCONCEPT 51-53 Merchant Street, Bristol BS1 3EE 0117 9293503; boconcept.com

LIME TREE GALLERY 84 Hotwell Road, Bristol BS8 4UB 0117 929 2527; limetreegallery.com This welcoming waterside gallery is easy to reach, with free parking directly outside. Visitors enjoy the airy atmosphere and the lovely views across the Floating Harbour.

Lime Tree Gallery specialises in representing award-winning artists known for the painterly use of colour and light. Ranging from the traditional to the modern, the figurative to the abstract, each exhibition is complemented by a selection of fine individual glass pieces. A varied selection of unframed prints, ceramics, sculpture and jewellery complete the offer. Something for every interior! Don’t assume that all paintings are on the walls, the stockroom is full of treasures, and friendly staff enjoy finding the perfect piece for your home.

BoConcept Bristol store on Merchant Street is situated in the heart of the bustling city centre, providing a calm haven of beautiful Danish inspiration for today’s discerning customer. Delivering contemporary designs for living, dining, sleeping and working areas of the home, BoConcept offers a high quality yet affordable range of furniture and home accessories, many of which can be tailored to suit constantly evolving lifestyle needs.

BoConcept continues to innovate, ensuring good design and functionality go hand in hand. With the help of professional interior designers and free interior design service, BoConcept continues to achieve room solutions that help fulfil customers’ dreams.

Originally founded in 1952, BoConcept’s unique furniture customisation sets it apart from other furniture brands and has led to a portfolio or more than 260 retail branches worldwide.

RAINMAKER GALLERY 123 Coldharbour Rd, Bristol BS6 7SN 0117 944 3101; rainmakerart.co.uk Jo Prince of Rainmaker Gallery knows from experience that choosing the right artwork for your home and work space is a guaranteed way to significantly enhance the quality of your life and to celebrate cultural engagement. Selecting paintings or prints purely as surface decoration is a golden opportunity wasted. Great art can change the way we experience the world. It demands our attention and challenges us to think differently.

Jo’s advice is; always buy art that resonates on a deeper, even intangible, level and it will continue to fascinate and engage long after your colour scheme has changed.

Rainmaker Gallery specialises in contemporary art by Native Americans from the United States and Canada. Rooted in the cultural life of over 500 sovereign nations, the exhibitions of paintings and fine art prints reflect the innovation, individuality and diversity of Indigenous artists with powerful messages relevant to us all.

‘EUFAULA GIRLS’ BY CARA ROMERO

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ARTISAN LANDSCAPES 69 Princess Victoria Street, Bristol BS8 4DD 0117 973 8519; artisanbristol.com

HUSK Unit 9 Montpelier Central Trading Estate, Station Road, Bristol, BS6 5EE 0117 4420 377; madebyhusk.com HUSK offers an affordable way to add custom elements to your kitchen. HUSK fronts and countertops are designed to work with IKEA cabinets but can also be adapted if you are planning a kitchen with an alternative cabinet supplier.

Material options have been chosen with durability in mind; no need for maintenance and hardy enough to withstand busy family lifestyles.

The product works well in any space. Whether it be an architectural new build or a period property, their colour swatches, taps, sinks, handles and worktops will fit right in. Timeless design with just the right amount of personality. Buying better means buying less; better for you, your wallet and the environment.

MANDARIN STONE 15 Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4HW 0117 9731552; mandarinstone.com Renowned for its comprehensive natural stone collection, Mandarin Stone has gained quite a reputation for its on-trend and beautifully designed porcelain. Ranging from those that cleverly mimic materials such as wood, concrete and marble to striking glazed and patterned tiles, the collection has endless surface design possibilities.

Established for over 25 years and with 10 inspirational UK showrooms, it offers dependable specialist knowledge as well as technical expertise. Almost the entire natural stone and porcelain collection is held in stock in the UK, so lead times are short.

Artisan Landscapes is a well-established landscape, design and build company, and an accredited member of the Association of Professional Landscapers.

Combining passion and experience to deliver high quality projects, Artisan Landscapes’ core team of like-minded, highly talented professionals focus on revitalising gardens across the Bristol, Bath and the South West. They are also dedicated to using sustainable and expertly crafted materials in all their projects, and work tirelessly to ensure that the client’s visions are realised. Directors Will and Jamie provide a holistic approach to garden design and build, bringing together their professional knowledge and experience to ensure that designs are just as effective in practice as they are in theory. Jamie is director of design and horticulture and has trained at the prestigious Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Will, landscaping director and founder of Artisan Landscapes, has over 15 years’ experience working within the industry.

MAIN INTERIORS 384 Gloucester Road, Bristol BS7 8TR 07727 234570; maininteriordesign.com Founded in 2010 by Jasmine Main, Main Interiors is one of the most exciting and forward thinking interior design studios in Bristol. They offer a unique service tailored specifically for each of their client’s requirements, whether it be home staging for sale or rental, show homes, new build and developments, HMOs, student accommodation and furniture packages or residential projects.

Main Interiors is comprised of a team of driven and passionate people who can take your project right from the development stages through to completion, easing the stress of design and increasing the value of your property. With a proven track record for success in creating some of the most unique interiors on view in Bristol today, Main Interiors pride themselves on offering an affordable solution to any interior design need.

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GARDEN AFFAIRS Trowbridge Garden Centre, 288 Frome Road, Trowbridge BA14 ODT; 01225 774566; gardenaffairs.co.uk Garden Affairs specialises in made-to-measure, high-quality garden buildings. The extensive display of top-notch garden offices, posh sheds, summerhouses and gazebos can all be made to the size and style you require – flexibility is what they’re all about here. Take a look at the range of garden rooms – with contemporary concepts that solve the problem of space constraints, especially in city gardens. The Linea range of modern, Scandi-style cabins are perfect for all uses, comply with most planning guidelines and look great too. Garden Affairs offers a fixed-price installation service throughout the UK, or you can choose for a DIY kit to be delivered to your door.

WREN KITCHENS Cribbs Causeway Retail Park, Lysander Road, Bristol BS34 5TX; 0117 2443168; wrenkitchens.com A visit to the Wren Kitchens website reveals an exceptional choice of over 60 kitchens in three ranges to suit all tastes and pockets. The Vogue, Infinity and Infinity Plus collections are further divided into modern, shaker and traditional styles allowing you to create your own perfect kitchen. Add to this your choice of handles and thousands of unit sizes and you’re well on your way to creating a truly unique room which will be the heart of your home for many years to come. Book a showroom appointment for a free consultation with one of Wren’s expert kitchen designers; chat about layout and design requirements; see a personalised 3D design and get a quick price estimate, with no obligation to buy. Whether you’re looking to follow the latest colour trends or choose something timeless and classic, Wren will have the kitchen for you.

HAMILTON & HODSON Redland Station, South Road, Bristol BS6 6QP 0117 924 3355; hamiltonandhodson.co.uk Open the doors at the old train station in Redland and you’ll find an emporium of chairs, ranging from much loved family pieces, to auction finds and design classics. Hamilton & Hodson provides a comprehensive upholstery service, using traditional and modern methods to transform and create beautiful furniture which will endure. Sustainable practice is woven into the heart of Nicky Hamilton and Erica Fredricksson’s work and they have been delighted to see an increase in demand for reupholstery of existing furniture. As well as taking on commissions, they also sell fully restored, specially selected furniture, revived with modern fabrics and have options for customers to design their own pieces from a curated selection of unusual pieces. You can also join them to learn the craft of upholstery yourself by enrolling on one of their courses.

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ETONS OF BATH 108 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG 01225 639002; etonsofbath.com Founded in 2006, Etons of Bath is a specialist interior design practice focused on refurbishing, renovating and reinvigorating period homes and hotels. Their team of 12 interior designers, planners and project managers help you plan, design and deliver classically inspired interiors that add value, turn heads and improve the use of space. They cover projects of all shapes and sizes from large country estates to Bath townhouses, small apartments and cottages, boutique hotels to bijou boltholes combining creative flair and solid experience together with a passionate and friendly team.

GARDINER HASKINS Brunel Rooms, 1 Straight Street, Bristol BS2 0FQ 0117 9292288; gardinerhaskins.co.uk Inspiring homes since 1825. Gardiner Haskins Interiors boasts multi-department, luxury interiors showrooms that allow you to create your dream home. Design your very own fitted kitchen or bathroom with the help of their design experts or create your own bespoke curtains or blinds in the made-to-measure department. Add the finishing touches with a huge range of bigbrand beds, and flooring that turn your house in to a home.

GAROLLA 0800 468 1982; garolla.co.uk Boost your kerb appeal today with one quick and easy purchase from Garolla. The nation’s largest roller garage door installers, Garolla specialise in creating beautiful, bespoke garage doors that can truly transform your home’s exteriors. And with local installers across the country, it couldn’t be easier to update your home.

Hand-crafted by highly skilled professionals, every Garolla roller shutter garage door is created with your home in mind. Increasing your thermal efficiency, safety and security these garage doors are an invaluable addition to any home and allow you to sleep easier at night.

Available in a range of 18 vibrant shades and two different slat sizes, so you can design the perfect accompaniment to your home’s style and architecture.

LOAF Unit 1D, Centaurus Rd, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, BS34 5TS 020 3141 8300; loaf.com Brit-brand Loaf makes laid-back furniture for people to kick-off their shoes on and to help them and lead happier, more relaxed lives.

Launched in 2008, the homeware brand has made its mission to encourage people to enjoy their homes more. The comfy sofas and upholstered beds are hand-produced in Long Eaton, Derbyshire – the heart of British upholstery making. And the mattresses are handmade in Wiltshire.

The brand opened its eighth Shack in Bristol in August 2019 in Cribbs Causeway, the West of England’s biggest shopping destination. The 5,000 sq ft Loaf Shack includes a mattress testing station, oodles of squidgy sofas and arcade games for little (and notso-little) Loafers to enjoy, making it a haven for kicking back and relaxing. There’s even an old-school ice cream parlour where visitors can lap up their favourite scoop!

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STEPHEN GRAVER Elmsgate, Edington Road, Steeple Ashton, BA14 6HP 01380 871746; stephengraver.com Stephen Graver Ltd specialises in creating stunning interiors for each of their clients. From bespoke kitchens and beautiful bathrooms to listed renovations and commissioned pieces of handmade furniture, the team offers a solution for everything.

The design is the starting point and the foundation from which the project grows; with time and care taken over every project ensuring that the functional requirements are met, and an eye for features to make every project personal and unique. The end result of what they do is beautiful to look at, completely original and totally designed around your needs. They feel that what separates them and makes them stand out is the journey you will go on to reach that end result. Everything is designed and manufactured at the workshop in Steeple Ashton, and while the craftsmen work on your kitchen, you can arrange a time to come and see your project taking shape. In short, Stephen Graver Ltd put their heart and soul into providing you with your dream project, delivered to perfection.

ORIENTAL RUGS OF BATH Bookbarn International, Hallatrow Business Park, Wells Road, Hallatrow, Bristol BS39 6EX; 01761 451764; orientalrugsofbath.com Oriental Rugs of Bath sources a beautiful and eclectic range of handmade rugs, kilims and furnishings from the Middle and Far East, promoting centuries-old traditions and designs.

Afghan tribal weavings are interspersed with ornate Persian carpets and Turkish mosaic lamps.

The shop itself is nestled in the countryside between Bath and Bristol and offers exemplary guidance through the rug choosing process.

Specialist cleaning, repair and valuation services are available and all stock can be purchased online.

KINDLE STOVES Glenavon Farm, 331 Bath Road, Saltford BS31 3TJ 0117 9243898; kindlestoves.co.uk At the heart of your home should be the perfect stove. Kindle Stoves is a local specialist in stoves approved for burning wood in Bristol, with a wood-burner to suit every home and every style. The team stock the super efficient Clearview, Contura and Rais models as well as many more, offering a full installation service – from fireplace alterations, to slate hearths and stone fireplaces. The lovely new showroom, has one of the largest displays of wood-burners in the South West and is open seven days a week. Pop in for advice and brochures or to book a home survey. They also sell seasoned logs, gas fires, the Big Green Egg outdoor cooker and Aga Rayburn range cookers.

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PARK FURNISHERS Willway Street, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4AZ 0117 9669253; parkfurnishers.co.uk Park Furnishers is known by many as a premier destination for furniture, flooring and fitted kitchens, now celebrating 50 years as a proud, independent, family-owned business. On display you’ll find over 300 sofas, 100 dining sets and 100 different beds.

There’s a huge choice of carpets and flooring to discover, with many stocked rolls and remnants ready for immediate delivery.

The kitchen department has over 20 fitted kitchens on display and the consultants offer a free measuring and design service. As well as all of the above, you’ll find a host of home accessories including lighting, pictures and mirrors. While you take time out to discuss your options, complimentary tea and coffee is available in the in-store coffee lounge.

TREETOP CO 32 Lawrence Ave, Bristol BS5 0LE 07432 071186 treetopco.co.uk Oh to have a treehouse – the ultimate secret lair, the den of all dens. Treetop Co’s focus is to use nature as inspiration for the design and create structures which look and feel organic. Also available are custom cabins, garden studios, summer houses, and adventure playgrounds.

Construction methods are based on techniques from India, building structures that are harmonious with nature, using shapes and approaches which complement the natural environment. Treetop Co will manage your entire project, starting with a free consultation, taking you through design and planning and onto the build itself, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable process from start to finish. Branch out with Treetop Co and get in touch about your creative construction.

BONITI Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA; 01225 892200; boniti.com Run by Giles and Simon Lunt, Boniti is a high-quality interiors (and exteriors) business, whose showroom is a destination for all types of natural stone, porcelain and timber flooring, as well as decorative tiles, stoneware, Kadai firebowls, garden furniture, homeware accessories and the very desirable Everhot range cookers. Boniti has an impressive client list of property developers and a specialist bespoke service that can supply and fit worldwide.

When it comes to any project – both large and small – the Boniti team are masters of their profession and it shows in every detail.

You can reach the showroom easily from junction 18 of the M4.

MARBLE SUPREME Unit 8, Bridge Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 4FW 0117 9563030; marblesupreme.com Marble Supreme provides master craftsmanship in stone. Whether you’re looking for new stone worktops for your kitchen or bathroom, it offers a range of materials to suit your needs. With over 20 years of experience, the team produce a wide range of products from beautifully crafted granite kitchen worktops and flooring, right through to bespoke stone fireplaces, vanity tops, splashbacks and sink surrounds. They provide a complete service, from sourcing the perfect stone for your needs, to crafting perfectly fitting, beautifully finished kitchen worktops.

They also pride themselves on delivering the very best in granite, marble and quartz stone, knowing their creations will play a part in family life for years to come. Whether you know what you want or are considering the options, the team is happy to discuss your plans so pop into the Kingswood showroom.

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ANNA DESIGN CURTAIN AND SOFT FURNISINGS 01761 471663 / 07779 951691; anna-design.uk Anna Fraenkel has 16 years’ experience making soft furnishings, 11 of which have been working with her main client Jane Clayton. Anna will visit, advise, chat through a client’s project, and for those who are not exactly sure what they want, she can step in and help, interpreting ideas and helping them to find out what would suit the room and their taste. Fabric can be costly and having bespoke soft furnishings takes time and expense, so it’s important to get it right. Her advice is to “pick your fabric before you pick your wall colour and only pick what you love. What you really love will give more pleasure in the future than having everything matching or what’s in vogue, dictated by magazines and the media. It’s what makes your home individual and unique.” Anna will take the time to ensure that your soft furnishing ideas are made to perfection.

HURLEY ENGINES AND GRASS CARE Unit 7, The Maltings Industrial Estate, Brassmill Lane, Bath BA13JL 01225 336812; hurleyengines.co.uk Hurley Engines and Garden Machinery have been trading in Bath since 1967, providing services such as engine machining and re-manufacturing in their fully kitted-out engine machining workshop. A little while after opening, Hurleys made a move into garden machinery where they began to supply and repair commercial and domestic products and are still doing so today.

Hurleys are also a main dealer for some of the world’s leading compact industrial engine manufactures such as Kubota, Yanmar and various other brands. So, whether you’re after a new machine for your garden or your business, in need of your engine remanufactured, need parts, or your machines serviced or repaired then this is the team to call.

HEARTWOOD SAUNAS 07903 116673; heartwoodsaunas.com Heartwood Saunas make the highest quality and most energy efficient handmade outdoor saunas in the UK, available as wood-fired and electric-heated. The sauna designs are 100% handmade in the workshop in Machynlleth, Wales, where Heartwood build each one to order and deliver it ready to go. Beautiful cedar cladding allows the sauna to blend naturally into its surroundings, while inside thick natural sheep wool insulation and a unique vapour barrier ensures maximum energy efficiency. The glass wall enables views to the world outside as you relax and enjoy the health benefits of a traditional sauna. Surrounded by the incredible knotless Western Red Cedar walls inside, you cannot help but relax and let your stresses melt away. Heartwood Saunas use the highest quality materials and design their saunas to last. The majority of the timber used is felled, milled and processed from a local private woodland. Heartwood offer high-quality saunas to hire, to buy or bespoke design.

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BRISTOL GUIDE 2019

DISNEY FLOORING 11 Zetland Rd, Bristol BS6 7AG; 0117 9424949; disneyflooring.com

OLD MARKET PLANTS 48-50 Gloucester Lane, Bristol BS2 0DP Instagram: @oldmarketplants; oldmarketplants.co.uk Old Market Plants is a specialist interior plant shop showcasing a wide array of unusual and exquisite plants for sale in a green-filled, floor-to-ceiling space full of wonders! What’s on offer here? Anything from small gifts and vouchers to complete interior plant landscaping for your home or office. With years of experience gained from their time working on and managing some of the world’s most diverse glasshouses including those at Kew, Edinburgh and Cambridge, Jamie and Ruth are uniquely equipped to provide expert advice, services and products related to plants and interiors. In this independent shop just off Old Market they also run a few short courses on how to care for houseplants, and source and sell locally made plant accessories.

This local, independent flooring retailer will encourage you to think differently about your floor. Disney Flooring offers a wide range of carpets, luxury vinyl, wood, laminate and rugs, and the team specialise in custommade rugs and runners, with their own sewing machine and rug room for completing border work on jobs large and small. If you are considering a hard floor that’s practical, you’ll find a great range of luxury vinyl tiles including some exclusive designs. The service includes measure, supply and fitting.

Behind the scenes they are always working closely with interior designers so every customer can be sure they are up to speed with product designs. The installation team are well known for a great service with satisfying results.

SIMON CORBETT ARCHITECT 07969 607913; simoncorbettarchitect.co.uk

SHUTTERCRAFT Tel: 01749 649171 / 07765 854353 Web: shuttercraft-somerset.co.uk

Simon Corbett is a fully qualified, design-focused architect based in Winscombe, North Somerset. With over 25 years’ extensive experience he has worked on a wide range of building projects, from bespoke houses, extensions and modifications to existing properties in and around Bristol, as well as multi-million pound overseas commercial projects. His knowledge will also help guide clients through the various stages and challenges such as site appraisal, planning applications, building regulations, design and project management.

Simon believes that good design is not so much about style, but more about the careful and thorough response to the brief, site-specific opportunities, and a considered use of space and light. He’s received great reviews for his work, and a showcase of his recent projects can be seen on his website.

Shuttercraft Somerset is a local business with a great understanding of their products and the requirements of different properties in Bath and Somerset.

They don’t believe in high-pressure sales techniques, working with you to determine the right product to match your needs, ensuring that you will only receive the right products for your home. The Shuttercraft team pride themselves on customer care and communication throughout the installation process, from initial meeting to project completion. Simon Moody says, “As the owner of Shuttercraft Somerset I am proud of the reputation we have gained for our professional, honest approach and competitive pricing. We supply market leading S-Craft products to homes and businesses across Bath so give us a call for a free survey and quote.”

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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OCTOBER 2019 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE XIII

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE to advertise tel: 0117 974 2800 email: sales@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS

H

igh Trees stands at the top of a private lane and is approached through a solid timber, electronically controlled gate, giving the property seclusion yet being within easy reach of the mainline railway station and only seven miles from Clifton Village.

The substantial house totals 5,284 sq ft and has been meticulously improved and renovated.

The style is traditional overall but with contemporary touches in the kitchen and bathrooms, offering a blend of period features and modern convenience. In brief the accommodation comprises: Ground floor; Entrance hall, drawing room kitchen/breakfast/family room, utility room and laundry, dining room, study, cloakroom, billiard room, boiler room. First floor; Master bedroom with dressing room, walk in wardrobe and en suite bathroom, four further bedrooms (two en suite), family bathroom. In the addition to the main house there is ancillary accommodation; quadruple garage with first floor home office / cottage with an open-planned kitchen/sitting room/dining room, bedroom and bathroom. A further cottage with kitchen, sitting room, shower room, cloakroom and two bedrooms. Further timber framed garage, tractor shed. Planning permission has been granted for further development.

The property sites in approximately 2.47 acres of lawned grounds and mature trees. There is a large terraced area and a welcome bonus in the form of a tennis court.

Knight Frank, Regent House, 27A Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 295 0425

HIGH TREES CLAPTON IN GORDANO NORTH SOMERSET • Substantial 5 bedroom house • Ancillary accommodation with 2 cottages, garaging and outbuildings • Planning permission for further development • Tennis court • Extensive grounds

Offers in Excess of £3,000,000

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Wadswick Green apartments make reliable investment

A

partments at Rangeford Villages’ Wadswick Green, the lifestyle village for over 60s in Wiltshire, are proving to be a good investment choice for residents and families alike, with the market for resale apartments flourishing. The village is seeing an increase in retirees keen to downsize into pre-owned apartments, without the budget for a brand-new home.

“The brand-new Almond Close apartments at Wadswick Green were over our budget, but our pre-owned Rowan Lane apartment offered everything we needed” explains Angie Marsh, who recently moved to Wadswick Green with her husband Roy. At Wadswick Green, her Rowan Lane apartment was built specifically for retirees and features an open-plan layout to facilitate mobility and a modern bathroom with a walk-in shower. The home was built less than five years ago and offers modern insulation, underfloor heating, wide entrances and floor to ceiling double-glazed windows, which provide a bright and friendly atmosphere.

“We feel other retirement developments cannot compete with the spacious, well thought out kitchens at Wadswick Green,” Angie comments. “The generous room sizes have also enabled us to keep everything important to us, like our large dining room table, chairs and sideboard.”

This village features extensive amenities, which include a swimming pool with Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, gym, spa and hair salon. In addition, the retirement village is home to the highly rated The Greenhouse Coffee Shop and Restaurant.

“We have been looking at retirement developments for the past two years and saw so many, but Wadswick Green is not like anything else out there,” explains Angie. “The landscaped gardens in particular are a pleasure to enjoy with views over the surrounding countryside. Wildlife

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appreciate Wadswick Green too! We have pheasants, rabbits and squirrels on a daily basis running through the gardens.”

Prospective buyers also value the complimentary concierge and chauffeur service: “We have used the chauffeur service several times already and it has been incredibly helpful,” Angie says. “But perhaps the icing on the cake is the provision of maintenance services available to residents. We no longer have to search for a reliable plumber or electrician in the hope that we find someone reliable and trustworthy.

Now we only have to ask, and help is at hand!”

Wadswick Green offers a range of new build apartments such as Almond Close apartments, which start from £335,500. To make an appointment, please call the friendly team on 01225 584 500 or visit www.wadswickgreen.co.uk

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Bristol & Clifton’s premier Commercial Property Agents Keep up-to-date with our latest news, deals, testimonials and market comment at our website: www.burstoncook.co.uk

(0117) 934 9977

PENTHOUSE OFFICE QUEEN SQUARE

110 WHITELADIES ROAD

• 1,958 sq ft

• Large shop to let

• New refurbishment

• 1,600 sq ft

• Available Q1 2020

• Suit shop & office use

• New lease – rent on application

• New lease - £20,000 pax

‘CLIFTON’ OFFICES THE MALL

STUDIO OFFICES MONTPELIER COURT

• Two suites to rent

• Popular central location

• Suite 1 – 336 sq ft Suite 2 – 1,627 sq ft

• 800 sq ft suite

• New leases – on application

• Modern open plan

‘CLIFTON’ OFFICES

STUDIO OFFICES CLOSE TO BBC – BS8

• New flexible lease

• New contemporary studio style office suite • 1,635 sq ft + 5 car spaces • Light, bright space • New lease – rent on application

• Coming soon • 2,030 sq ft • Open plan studio • New lease

REDLAND OFFICES

REDLAND – CHANDOS ROAD SHOP UNIT

• New refurb to high standard

• Established neighborhood shopping parade

• Suit A2 use

• 489 sq ft

• 726 sq ft

• New lease

• Rent on application

• Only£11,000pax 49 BALDWIN ST BS1 Excellent opportunity to purchase an established hair salon.

Fully fitted, low rent and established turnover – terms on application

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon

Burston Cook October.indd 1

MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

RESTAURANTS & SHOPS IN BS1 & BS8 Restaurants, cafes and shops of various sizes and rents throughout Clifton and Bristol city centre.

Tel: Holly Boulton or Tom Coyte 0117 934 9977

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

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

• Rent reviews • Property Management • Investment Sales / Purchase • Development & Planning • Dilapidations Advice 18/09/2019 10:28

2019 AWARDS

(0117) 934 9977

We are delighted to have won 5 top industry awards in 2019...

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon

Burston Cook October.indd 1

MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

• • • • •

Sales / Lettings Acquisitions Valuations Landlord & tenant Auction Sales

• • • • •

Rent reviews Property Management Investment Sales / Purchase Development & Planning Dilapidations Advice 16/09/2019 15:08

CHEW STOKE

OIEO ÂŁ900,000

A substantial detached, stone built property situated in the heart of the Chew Valley and a stone’s throw from Chew Valley Lake. This special property lends itself to be used as either a delightful family home or could easily be used as a commercial bed and breakfast (subject to change of use). The current owners have gained planning permission to further develop this property by adding 2 one bedroom apartments converting the double garage.

The accommodation includes 4 bedrooms (with the potential to make a 5th on the landing), 2 receptions rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, utility, ground floor wet room, 2 en-suites and a family bathroom.

Attractive gardens surround the property and includes a swimming pool and 1.5 acre pony paddock with stable. Ample parking can be found to the front elevation via gated access. The property dates back to approximately 200 years and retains many original features of the time to include fireplaces, stripped floor boards, attractive window seats, exposed stone walls and a wood burning stove to add the warmth of this fabulous home.

Detached | 4 Bedrooms (scope for a 5th) | 2 Reception Rooms | Kitchen/Breakfast room | Utility Room | Family Bathroom & Wet Room | 2 En-suite Bathrooms | Pony paddock 1.5 acres | Swimming pool 25ft | Double Garage with planning to develop

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Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol | Guide Price ÂŁ850,000 An exceptional Edwardian family house with an incredible south facing private rear garden and beautiful architect designed open plan kitchen, dining room and family room.

A handsome family house with an extensive private garden | Stunning Moon Architect and Builder designed rear extension | Fabulous open plan family kitchen, dining room and family room | Delightful sitting room with a wood-burning stove | Separate cloakroom and utility room | Four double bedrooms and two bath / shower rooms (one en -suite) | Extensive loft space with room to convert (STC) | Extensive south facing gardens presenting a unique outside space | Useful side-drive access and outside storage space | EPC:E |

In all circa 1970 sq. ft (183 sq. m)

cjhole.co.uk

BEAR YARD MEWS, HOTWELLS

LAWRENCE GROVE, HENLEAZE

Constructed in the early 21st century this deceptively spacious four storey town house represents good value for money within the BS8 postcode and includes private parking. This property could also attract investors (circa 5% yield) on a buy-to-let basis. EPC C

Superbly presented throughout and positioned on one of the popular ‘Grove’ roads within Henleaze is this extended five bedroom semidetached family home with a delightful open plan family living space and modern kitchen/diner providing access to a 24m rear garden. EPC D

1

2

4

£415,000

3

2

£825,000

5

FERNBANK ROAD, REDLAND

BRANSCOMBE ROAD, STOKE BISHOP

A rare opportunity to acquire a two double bedroom hall floor garden apartment in the heart of Redland, adjacent to all shops and amenities, offering an 18.5m level lawned private walled garden with detached annex/office and private parking. EPC D

Offers Invited - This semi-detached three bedroom 1930’s family home offers two receptions, front with bay and rear with opening onto conservatory which in turn leads to 28m lawned family garden. Positioned within the heart of Stoke Bishop and marketed with no onward chain.

EPC E

2

1

2

£625,000

2

1

3

£499,000

NEW Clifton Office

Henleaze Office

Westbury-on-Trym Office

161 Whiteladies Road Clifton, BS8 2RF

108 Henleaze Road Henleaze, BS9 4JZ

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

Tel: 0117 962 9221

Tel: 0117 950 0118

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

CJ Hole October.indd 1

henleaze@cjhole.co.uk

westbury@cjhole.co.uk

20/09/2019 10:52

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Same trusted team... opening new doors for you across Bristol and Somerset With more than 30 years of industry experience, the Howard agency is the personal vision of Howard Davis. This professional and truly local property business is born of family values - honesty, trust and loyalty. The Howard team really cares about the people it does business with and this beautiful area that we all live and work in. The well-liked and respected experts at Howard have decades of combined sales and

Howard Davis Managing Director

lettings understanding and exceptional knowledge of Bristol, Somerset and the surrounding suburbs. For those just starting out to those with large portfolios, the Howard ethos is based on respect, transparency, and the determination to deliver an exceptional and personal service for all.

HOWARD’S OCTOBER FEATURE HOME

STOKE BISHOP, BS9

ÂŁ700,000

An impressive semi-detached family home. The property consists of four bedrooms, two reception rooms, modern well equipped kitchen, two en-suite shower rooms, family bathroom, cloakroom, utility room, a generous rear garden and detached garage.

0117 923 8238 Howard October.indd 1

www.howard-homes.co.uk

hello@howard-homes.co.uk 16/09/2019 13:36

HARBOURSIDE BS1 GUIDE PRICE £775,000

STOKE BISHOP BS9 GUIDE PRICE £490,000

KINGSDOWN BS9

A charming four double bedroom Georgian home, well presented throughout and offers a light and versatile interior with views towards the harbour and surrounding area. Externally there is an attractive courtyard garden to the rear with a garage situated in a nearby block. EPC D

A detached, four bedroom, 1970’s built family home. The interior comprises two reception rooms, kitchen, cloakroom, family bathroom and a rear garden. There is also a useful utility room adjacent to the garage. EPC F

A well-presented period property offers a ground floor shop. The first and second floors offer a spacious, well presented, three bedroom maisonette. The basement rooms offer a utility area and separate cellar storage rooms. EPC C

CLIFTON BS8

REDLAND BS6

FAILAND BS8

GUIDE PRICE

£235,000

GUIDE PRICE

£395,000

GUIDE PRICE

£765,000

SSTC £450,000

Accommodation incorporates a light and airy open plan kitchen/ sitting room, a stylish contemporary bathroom, double bedroom, lift and bike. No onward chain currently let out through our office with a rental being achieved of £900PCM. EPC B

A two bedroom garden apartment. The property is very well presented and consists of: spacious lounge, kitchen diner, master bedroom plus a second bedroom at the rear allowing access on to your very own garden. EPC D

Detached bungalow consists of 3 bedrooms, central hallway, lounge/ diner with patio doors leading on to the rear garden and both side gardens, kitchen, utility room, bathroom and garage.

Requires an update throughout. EPC D

CITY CENTRE BS1

CLIFTON BS8

SSTC £340,000

BISHOPSTON BS8 GUIDE PRICE £565,000

An exceptional two bedroom apartment in a fine Grade 2 listed building. Consists of: open plan kitchen lounge, quality kitchen, master bedroom, second bedroom and a high quality shower room. The apartment comes with an off street parking space and falls within a Residents Parking Zone. EPC D

A charming Victorian family home. The three storey accommodation offers an attractive open plan living, kitchen / breakfast room, southerly facing rear garden. Utility room, three double bedrooms and well-presented family bathroom. EPC E

SSTC £360,000

A most impressive Grade II Listed Building, a two double bedroom duplex apartment. The open plan living area extends to offer a dinning space, home office area, utility room, cloakroom, spacious kitchen and the spiral staircase leads to the upper floor accommodation. EPC TBC

203 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2XT

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

Check out our latest reviews and 5 star rating on Trustpilot

Henbury, BS10 £450,000 3 bedroom house A well presented and characterful home with three bedrooms, two reception rooms, two bathrooms and a double garage. The ground floor accommodation offers entrance leading to the hallway, living room with dual aspect with front bay window and feature fireplace.

Downstairs shower room, modern kitchen breakfast room.

Conservatory with double doors overlooking garden.

Third bedroom is at the front of the property. There are further two bedrooms and family bathroom. Further benefits include garage and off road parking.

EPC TBC

Sneyd Park BS9 £450,000 2 bedroom apartment

Westbury-on-Trym, BS10 £390,000 3 bedroom house

A spacious two double bedroom first floor apartment. The accommodation has an entrance hallway, lounge/diner, kitchen/breakfast room, two double bedrooms and family bathroom. Set in a prestigious and coveted location on the fringes of the Downs and within easy reach of Whiteladies Road, Westbury Park shops and access out of town and into the city centre.

This charming Victorian semi-detached home located a short walk from Westburyon-Trym village and Henleaze high street.

At the rear is a good sized garden with side access and potential to extend (subject to the necessary consents).

Inside the property has a lounge with bay window, dining room with double doors opening onto the rear garden and a good sized kitchen on the ground floor.

Upstairs are three bedrooms, a spacious bathroom and an additional W.C.

EPC C

EPC D

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

Ocean October.indd 1

Sales, letting, mortgages & conveyancing

16/09/2019 13:35

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

Check out our latest reviews and 5 star rating on Trustpilot

Redland BS6 £925,000 4 bedroom detached house An impressive (Circa 1840 sqft) four double bedroom (one with en-suite), three storey detached family house situated in the heart of leafy Redland and within the prime catchment for Redland Green school. The accommodation is set up perfectly for a large family and presented in fantastic condition throughout.

EPC D

Redland BS6 £695,000 4 bedroom townhouse A spacious (1,660 sq ft) and wellarranged modern (2006) townhouse in a fabulous location close to Durdham Downs, close to Redland Green and Westbury Park Schools.

Light and airy accommodation with a versatile layout, recently fitted kitchen and bathrooms, two balconies and a low maintenance South facing garden.

EPC C

Clifton BS8 £550,000 2 bedroom garden maisonette A Clifton Village and the Harbouside are within a few minutes’ walk of this charming and spacious maisonette which has a large private rear garden and off street parking.

The accommodation is beautifully presented. A wonderful kitchen/ breakfast room that allows direct access out to the garden is separate to the generous living room.

EPC E

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