Bristol Life - Issue 267

Food/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property

A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE CITY

PLASTICENE ERA ISSUE 267 / AUGUST 2019 / EVERYBODY’S GOTTA LEARN SOMETIME

FEATS OF CLAY AT M SHED

GLO N W FROM BEARPIT TO BISHOPSTON: A FLÂNEUR'S GUIDE

ISSUE 267 / AUGUST 2019 / £3

SNAPPED!

WHEN MARTIN PARR WENT TO CARNIVAL

littlefrench

‘BIRD FOOD’ NOW COMES IN A BRAND-NEW FLAVOUR

WHERE THERE’S A SITH THERE’S A WAY:

BRING DARTH VADER BACK TO BRISTOL!

2 bedroom apartments, St. George 1st phase - 50% SOLD Prices from £210,000 Show Apartment location Beaconsfield Rd St. George, BS5 8ER Bristol Viewings by appointment

EDITOR’S LETTER “Wake us up…”

“No – please don’t say it...” “…before we GLO RO!” “Noooooo!”

T

© LOUIS SMITH

his issue could have lent itself to any number of covers.

We could have led, for example, with the fascinating Animating Early Man exhibition at M Shed, featured on page 32. We were also briefly tempted to go with a Star Wars pastiche – less random than this might seem (turn to page 98).

Maybe next time; because the star turn in this issue is that corner of Bristol that’s rather clumsily known as ‘the Cheltenham and Gloucester Roads’. Meandering along the A38, from the Bearpit via Stokes Croft and on up to Bishopston, there’s no handy single name for this area, though if it was in New York, it would undoubtedly be called ChelGlo. It’s changed massively over the past decade; today, it offers a slice of Bristol at its best, with old-school shops thriving alongside innovative, new businesses and restaurants, and the kind of cafés you could waste a whole day in. You won’t find a Tesco in our guide on page 12, but you will find just about everything else.

Signing off now, as I have a hot date with the world’s smallest tall ship at Harbourfest. See you in mid-August, when we’ll all be in an advanced state of delirium over hot air balloons.

DERI ROBINS Follow us on Twitter @BristolLifeMag Instagram @BristolLifeMag

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 3

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Manchester . York . Sutton Coldfield . Bristol . Farnborough . Brentwood . Aberdeen . Tunbridge Wells . Cardiff Beverley . Chichester . High Wycombe . Liverpool . London North . London West . Orpington

Issue 267/August 2019 Cover Photo by Louis Smith; www.studiowhisk.co.uk

street life

12 glo, now The long and winding road

the arts

27 art page He’s a detective. And he’s a vet 28 WHAT’S ON Possibly less than usual; but it’s all choice 32 exhibition Can you Dug it? Yes you can!

38 photography Martin and Co go to Carnival 44 bristol heroes Easton shows the world how © A ardman Animations

it’s done

food & DRINK

32

48 RESTAURANT The most exciting opening of the

year is, err, open

51 Food and drink news Italian jobs 55 stan The Secret Café – not quite so secret any more

38

shopping

57 intro Slip into something more comfortable 58 editor’s choice Take it aaartside . . .

Lifestyle

61 Health & beauty The unisex barbers with the

cool, cool decks

62 Travel Keep spending most our lives livin’ in

a steamboat paradise

66 education Fancy mastering a new skillset?

Business

83 business works NEW! Our expanded,

authoritative new section; it’s the business

Property

91 showcase Wapping Wharf Phase Two: well

underway, and selling like off-plan hot cakes

Regulars

© Lua Ribeir a

7 spotlight 8 instas 73 society 98 bristol lives Don’t call him Anakin

Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior Art Editor Andrew Richmond Graphic Design Megan Allison Cover Design Trevor Gilham Contributors Colin Moody, Stan Cullimore, Mal Rogers, Darth Vader, George Maguire, Louisa Hunt Advertising manager Neil Snow neil.snow@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Craig Wallberg @craig.wallberg@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Samantha Roach samantha.roach@mediaclash.co.uk Production/distribution manager Sarah Kingston sarah. kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy production manager/production designer Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@ mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Bristol Life MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

We’re a Bath-based publisher, creative agency and event organiser Magazines Our portfolio of regional magazines celebrates the best of local living: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter and Salisbury. We also publish foodie mag Crumbs (www.crumbsmag.com, @CrumbsMag. Agency From the design and build of websites to digital marketing and creating company magazines, we can help. Events We create, market, promote and operate a wide variety of events both for MediaClash and our clients Contact: info@mediaclash.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 5

Bristol’s first houseplant shop, just off Gloucester Road. We stock a wide variety of indoor plants and always provide our customers with care advice.

@wildleafbristol | wildleafbristol.co.uk Monday - closed, Tuesday to Saturday - 11am to 5pm, Sunday - 11am to 4pm Wild Leaf Bristol, 63A Overton Rd, Bristol, BS6 5AG | 0117 329 4299

RECLAIMERS RECLAMATION An Aladin’s Cave of vintage and upcycled goods to be discovered...

Come and have a look for yourself

0117 942 4040 www.thereclaimers.com b@The.Reclaimers.Bristol

© BBC MAMMOTH SCREEN

SPOTLIGHT

Music

TRANSFORM THE HALL

We thought you’d be as intrigued as we were to see what Colston Hall looks like at the current stage of its multi-million refurbishment, so here are a few pics of the Main Hall in its stripped-back state, with the stage and balcony removed. And yes, it looks like a war zone to us, too; but we’re assured that ‘significant progress’ has been made.

That said, it’s rapidly becoming clear that the transformation work will take longer than initially planned – the aim now is to open the new Hall in autumn 2021. It’ll be worth the wait. www.colstonhall.org/transform-the-hall

Richard David, Louise Mitchell and Cllr Craig Cheney in Bob the Builder cosplay

Books

BRISTOL BORN AND READ

The latest issue of The Naked Guide to Bristol – the book every Bristolian needs on its shelf – has just been published, revealing all the city’s secrets and not-so-secrets in the most delightfully amusing way. It’s a joy. From Tangent Books at £12.99. www.tangentbooks.co.uk

Producers Karen and Michael Ray with Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson, at The Bottle Yard series wrap

Film & TV

DOUBLE DUCHY

Never say rabbit in a boat*, because the following two stories are as Cornish as Tristan Sturrock eating a pasty while reading a copy of Jamaica Inn and humming a sea shanty.

First up, it’s Poldark. The fifth and final series of the beloved Cornish saga is back on TV, after filming wrapped in February at the Bottle Yard Studios and at many Bristol locations; did you spot Bristol Old Vic near the end of the first episode?

Poldark has been filmed at Bottle Yard since 2014, using major interior sets built at the studios, and with each new series its studio footprint has grown. By series five there were 18 sets, including interiors for four key houses – Nampara; Ross’s London lodgings, and the Warleggans’ homes in Cornwall and London – as well as the Red Lion Pub, Sawle Kiddley and an impressive period scale replica of the House of Commons.

Following the wrap, the show’s actors took some of their favourite bits from the sets home with them. Aidan Turner, for example, salvaged the kitchen table and benches of Nampara; “and obviously,” he said, “I am also taking the tricorn hat.”

Obviously. www.thebottleyard.com; www.filmbristol.co.uk Cornwall also provided the location and inspiration for Bait, the first feature film to be produced by Bristol-based Early Day Films, which has just been picked up by the British Film Institute for nationwide release.

Bait (don’t confuse it with the 3-D Aussie shark schlockflick of the same name) is a lovingly handmade affair, shot on 16mm film with a 1970s Bolex camera and processed by hand.

It’s filmed in Cornwall, but tackles a topic that’s hot in many parts of the West Country – what happens when scenic places become holiday and second home hotspots, and the interests of locals and incomers conflict?

General release is 30 August, but there’s a preview screening and Q&A with the team at Watershed on 22 August. www.baitfilm.co.uk * Google it.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 7

FROM ST PAULS . . .

This year’s St Pauls Carnival was held in honour of the Windrush generation and their contribution to the city.

Out on the streets, the Igers community attempted to out-Parr Martin Parr (more about that on page 38)

@bristolpictures

@kush1969

@craigderrick40

@timbopic

@eliza_moreland

@t0m.wright

@123_media

@moodycolin319

@johnhowen5708

@imagewallah

@martin_jambrich_photography

@pinky_atlas_photos

8 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

. . . TO PRIDE

One week later, shares in eco-glitter soared to unprecedented heights as Bristol Pride took to the streets for the traditional march, followed by a massive party on the Downs. Costumes and behaviour were typically low-key and restrained

@matthewpriceartist

@pepress123

@l_bzn for @visitbristol

@fifi_powell

@jonesi.bs2

@rovecreativefilm

@moodycolin319

@moodycolin319

@shelby_cameralicious

@mirdiloren

@fifi_powell

@l_bzn for @visitbristol

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 9

Ezo Cafe Lounge Breakfast | Lunch | Meze | Coffee | Shisha

Colourful restaurant and bar with an open kitchen & a menu of Turkish meze, plus outside seating.

Cafe open from 9-5 full day breakfast and lunch.

Come visit us at: 6 The Promenade, Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol, BS78AL b@ezolounge |

x @ezocafelounge | www.ezocafelounge.co.uk | 0117 944 2005

Stinkfish’s piece in the Croft – no worse off for a few years’ wear and tear and added layers of graff

street life

glo, now

They say: it’s the longest stretch of independent shops in Europe.

We say: we’re not a bit surprised.

Join us as we make like a French flâneur, and saunter up the everchanging thoroughfare that begins at the Bearpit, ambles in a leisurely way through Stokes Croft, ducks under the Arches and blossoms, via the Gloucester Road, into sunny Bishopston…

Words by George Maguire; @georgethomasmaguire on IG Photography by Louis Smith; www.studiowhisk.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I bristol LIFE I 13

street life

U

nless you’re a serial visitor, it’s not easy to get a handle on the long, rambling Cheltenham and Gloucester Roads.

Where does one end and the other begin? (Psst: it’s at The Arches.) And why doesn’t it have one single, tidy name? If it was in New York, it would probably be called ChelGlo. The intrepid first-time explorer may be puzzled to find lively little stretches of shops, cafés and restaurants apparently petering out, only to discover the run of themselves once again a little further up the street. And even if you pop down (up? over?) here to shop and dine on a frequent basis, there’s always going to be a surprise or two; the urban landscape is always changing, and the roads never look, feel, smell or sound the same each time you visit.

The best way to enjoy the area is to become a flâneur, wandering the streets led by your eyes, your nose, and your curiosity. Lose yourself in the long and winding road, and remember: this is Bristol’s most fiercely independent postcode, whose denizens don’t take kindly to any threat to their community-centric vibe. Do we need to remind you that they once threw a riot-sized strop at the threat of a new Tesco?

Head on up, then, and make sure to bring your own bags, because nobody here will be supplying you with non-sustainable plastic. Below, you’ll find a guide to help you make the most of your trip, while showing you that there is nothing lonely about this planet…

Food & DRINK

Spit and sawdust pubs, cool-for-school new cafés, ethical food heroes, authentic global cuisine – you could dine and drink here for months without going to the same place twice. Here’s just a sample of what’s on offer.

Alchemy 198, 198 Gloucester Road

Cocktail bar and café that also acts as a gallery, with an outside terrace for balmier days. Owner Sarah Thorp puts on a wide variety of events, from live music to comedy to a monthly ‘green mingle’.

Arts House Café, 108A Stokes Croft

Laidback, boho café and restaurant, serving well-priced all-day food and coffee; there’s often live music. Endless people-watching entertainment from its corner vantage point, and at least one person at any given time working away on a Macbook.

Bakers & Co, 193 Gloucester Road

Super-popular San-Fran style hangout from the Season + Taste group.

Come for brunch, and bring the dog; they love a Good Boy.

Blue Lagoon, 18/20 Gloucester Road

Friendly Glo Ro staple, with open-mic nights, local music and big-screen sports.

The Coconut Tree, 237 -239 Cheltenham Road

Excellent Sri Lankan mini-chain run by a group of friends, with eager service, a lively (some say noisy) friendly vibe, Cocotails (made with coconutbased arrack) and super-tasty street food; do try the hot battered cuttlefish.

cool for Old-school

Just like Bedminster, the Glo Road still has a plethora of longestablished, family-owned ‘proper shops’, such as Pearce’s Hardware at number 295. Joe’s Bakery, owned and run by Martin and Jane at 240-242 Gloucester Road, offers proper fresh bread (be prepared to queue around the block on Saturday mornings) and breadmaking classes; there’s fresh fish from Dan Stern at The Fish Shop at number143, and if Pawsons greengrocers at number 186 ever closes for a few days, “everyone gets scurvy,” says Sarah Thorp of Room 212. Finally, butchers don’t come more traditional than Dave Giles at number 170 – you may remember the photo of owner Amy, taken by Colin Moody, that we once featured in this actual magazine.

14 I bristol LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Smiling faces along the Glo Road and the Croft. above: Pizzarova; opposite page, clockwise from top left: The Nectar House; Wild Leaf; The Coconut Tree; Room 212

Cox And Baloney, 182-184 Cheltenham Road

Luxury afternoon tea served in vintage china; there are gin evenings too, and tea-infused cocktails served from teapots. “We’re a lifestyle hub and community for all women,” say owners Amy and Joney.

Ezo Coffee Lounge, 6 Gloucester Road

Colourful restaurant and bar with an open kitchen and a menu of Turkish meze, with outside seating to pretend you’re in downtown Istanbul.

Fed 303, 303 Gloucester Road

Inspired by their time at the admirable Boston Tea Party, Charlotte and Ross decided to combine their café pedigree with their knowledge of local, ethical priorities. Homemade cakes, a lovely atmosphere, an abundance of quirky plants served in a Scandi-rustic interior; the halloumi flatbread, frittata, raspberry jam doughnuts, and colours-of-the-rainbow fruit juices were all instant hits in our book.

Flour & Ash, 203B Cheltenham Road

Specialising in possibly the holiest of all combinations – sourdough pizza and ice-cream – the team delivers food with a sense of fun and craftsmanship. If, for some unknowable reason, you fancy something other than pizza, try the enormous focaccias or Grand Padano polenta chips.

The Gallimaufry, 26-28 Gloucester Road

Fun fact: the dictionary definition of ‘gallimaufry’ means ‘a jumble or medley of things’, which sums up the Galli to a tee. It has a British homecooking style kitchen and a bar; it’s also a well-regarded music venue, ideal for catching upcoming local bands, and an arts space. Ingredients sourced

by Bristol’s best suppliers including Glo Road neighbour The Fish Shop.

Jamaica Street Stores, 37-39 Jamaica Street

One of the area’s most ’grammable dining spaces, with an adventurous menu that reflects the rotating seasons. Sit under the massive hanging plant baskets and order whatever chef Charlie James decides is worthy of being on the menu. We are 100% traceable to be back in this restaurant.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I bristol LIFE I 15

The everyday lens with enhanced driving performance

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Visit us now and get 40% off second pairs of Nikon lenses

291 Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY. Tel: 0117 942 0011 Email: info@lunaroptical.com Open: Monday 9.30am - 5.30pm, Tuesday - Friday 9.30am - 6.00pm, Saturday 9.30am - 4.30pm

www.lunaroptical.com

street life Pizzarova, 289 Gloucester Road

The BS7 branch of this much-loved, friendly Bristol chain offers handmade, quality food in a relaxed atmosphere; there’s a choose-your-own unlimited toppings option, too. Drop by for a takeaway, or spread out with a glorious handmade 12’’ sourdough on the large sharing tables. You’ll be made to feel at home either way.

Poco Tapas Bar, 45 Jamaica Street

One of the top five places we’d take an out-of-towner to show them the very best of Bristol, and to feast on global tapas with an ethical spin, made from local and organic ingredients, served by lovely staff. Simply beyond praise.

Reel Soul, 4A Gloucester Road

Great fish and seafood restaurant with a very local, ethical, sustainable ethos.

Spaghetti Incident, 36 Stokes Croft

We know the local choice is huge, but do please give this unassuminglooking place a whirl; truly accomplished and affordable pasta dishes, great cocktails and Italian accents; assolutamente niente not to love here.

Suncraft, 39 Gloucester Road

Forward-thinking, health-conscious, gluten-free, plant-based restaurant and takeaway serving up flavours from around the world. No bookings taken.

And if that’s not the Glos Rd on a plate, we genuinely don’t know what is.

Tincan Coffee Co, 157 Gloucester Road

Gluten-friendly, vegan-friendly, eco-friendly, just plain friendly; coffee cups, straws and packaging are 100% plant based and compostable. Bring your laptop, dog or your best friend; Tincan has a way of making you feeling relaxed and welcomed whatever your café style.

Also….

Koocha Mezze Bar, 10 Zetland Road

As a Persian vegan mezze bar, Koocha – which translates as ‘corner’ – serves locally sourced food designed to share. Be sure to try the kebabs, rice balls, roasted cauliflower, and delightfully dreamy (and creamy) artichoke dip.

Masa + Mezcal, 77 Stokes Croft

Bishopston Fish Bar – award-winning fish and chips.

Canteen – bar and terrace with free live music and locally sourced food.

Bombolini – much-loved family Italian kitchen.

Coffee Mine – café and crêperie.

Crofters Rights – craft-beer menu, pizzas, Asian food and music nights.

La Fiorentina – traditional Italian restaurant and wine bar.

Lona Grillhouse – authentic Lebanese and Halal cuisine.

Pipe and Slippers – Lively pub, said by many to be the best in Bristol.

Lively Mexican cantina, cooking up fresh, flavoursome dishes from impeccably sourced ingredients, based around an authentic cuisine inspired by many travels to this country by the team (the lucky devils). Owner Kieran Waites promises that even the most diehard tequila fan will be won over by the mezcal cocktails

RETAIL OF THE UNEXPECTED

The Nectar House, 169A Gloucester Road

Enchanting and imaginative children’s gifts.

The former Café Ronak has reopened with a new energy, interior and mission. Dedicated to saving damaged bee populations, the café uses local honey and populates the garden with bee friendly flowers and bug hotels.

Humans welcome, too, for the great coffee and pop-up food, taken either at a cosy table or in the enchanting secret garden. We hear that the Cool Ivy Cocktail (vodka, elderflower liquor, lime and honey syrup) is simply divine.

Pieminister, 24 Stokes Croft

The original branch of the local pie heroes’ empire; award-winning pies served at lunch and dinner, with craft beers, cocktails, music and good times.

Famed for their love of four-legged chums (we featured them on the cover of our dog-friendly issue); they even serve dog ice cream on hot days.

Per & Kor, 362 Gloucester Road

A firm foodies’ favourite, Per & Kor serves a happy combo of Korean and Persian food (it’s not fusion, to avoid confusion… oh wait). With limited seating, relaxed lighting and affable staff, it’s a world away from the busy road outside. Order the smoky aubergine, sticky chilli chicken and salmon teriyaki. BYO booze.

Given that ‘longest street of independent shops in Europe’ claim, we can obviously only skim the surface – but here goes.

Belle & Boo, Pavilion House, Bishop Road

Can we talk about the art?

Bring your street art spotter’s guide, because a walk through Stokes Croft is akin to visiting an outdoor gallery. Yes, there’s lots of undistinguished, grungy graf, mostly in the side streets; but there’s plenty of standout work too, from Alex Lucas’s lovable urban bestiary to Bansky’s Mild, Mild West; the shimmering Breakdancing Jesus by Cosmo Sarson; Stinkfish’s huge portrait piece (page 12), none the worse for years of wear and tear; the Boris and Donald ‘Kiss of death’; the Boycott Tesco mural; the painted bricks of Hamilton House; MM13 and Phlegm’s tsunami on Hillgrove Street, and endless art-covered buildings – Cheba’s Nebula Funk-covered Full Moon being a prime example.

We could go on.

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Don’t forget Picton Street..

The only side street we can’t really leave out is this unassuming little slip of a Croft-meets-Montpelier throughfare. Worth a detour for several foodie reasons: Licata, a proper deli run by a proper Sicilian couple; Radford Mill Farm Shop, with its dedication to fine organic produce; Galliford Stores for a huge range of condiments and specialty flatbreads; Thali Café, still open here, though some branches have closed, serving Thali curries and tiffin takeaways in a bright café with rustic tables and fairy lights; and, *drumroll* from next month… (turn to p51)

How do they water the plants at Jamaica Street Stores? opposite: Reely good fish and chips at Reel Soul

street life

Preserve, 208 Gloucester Road

Preserve is concerned with reducing groceries to what is necessary, not what is easy. Owner Tiriel stocks a vast selections of organic and vegan wholefoods and toiletries, leaving you no room for the compromise of plastic. Both kids and adults love the nut butter and nut milk machines.

Room 212, 212 Gloucester Road

Not merely a shop and gallery offering an amazingly wide range of local art and craft, but a Glo Ro hub from which many a street party, festival and other initiative is plotted, thanks to its indefatigable owner and local resident Sarah Thorp.

Stokes Croft China, 35 Jamaica Street

Always wanted one of those blue and white Bristol mugs? Fancy a Cary Grant teapot? This is the retail outlet for the radical People’s Republic of Stokes Croft, so don’t expect to find Royal Wedding souvenirs (at least, not without a sarky slogan).

Brewers Droop, 36 Gloucester Road

An absolute haven for home brewers, fermenters and pressers, with knowledgeable and approachable staff on hand to share their wisdom.

Co-Lab, 123 Gloucester Road

Super-cool gift store, with books, music and clothing all having a street art feel, and work by local artists.

Flo Jo, 36B Gloucester Road

Traditional fabric shop with a modern twist. Offers kids’ sewing classes, and kits to make your own knickers.

Fox & Feather, 43 Gloucester Road

Lush, affordable fashion for guys and gals, as well as homeware.

grape and grind, 101 Gloucester Road

Wines, spirits, craft beers and coffee from top indie producers and growers.

Ida Lifestyle, 41 Gloucester Road

New, curated collection of womenswear, homeware, gifts and accessories; sister store and neighbour of Fox + Feather.

Iota, 167 Gloucester Road

Eclectic mix of homeware and gifts, both contemporary and retro.

The Little Shop, 25 Cheltenham Road

Run by artists Alex Lucas and Amber Elise, this utterly charming and wellnamed little shop showcases creative talents from Bristol and beyond.

Neon Tiger, 93 Stokes Croft

Beneath the colourful tiger mural you’ll find a shop filled with art and artbased homeware and gifts. We’re loving the Burn it Blue (Frida Kahlo) print.

Nola Interiors, 168 Gloucester Road

Environmentally friendly home interiors and paint; the place to go for your hygge hit. Look out for the Weaver Green rugs, made from plastic bottles.

Tales from the city

Our section of Gloucester Road has changed dramatically, and become a real ‘destination’. We started calling it Glos Rd Central five years ago and now have loads of art shops selling work by Bristol artists, a zero waste shop, and my cocktail bar Alchemy 198, which sells locally made craft beers and gins, and wine brought by sailing ship. Glos Rd Central is a great draw for people looking for something special, different and sustainable – Sarah, Room 212 & Alchemy 198 The wonderful thing about this area is the eclectic mix of people. I’ve moved my desk away from a window overlooking the Gloucester Road, because it was so easy to be entertained watching the street.

Social, happy, forward-looking people live in this part of town – Gerard, Lynne Fernandes It’s so lively, edgy and full of life. The people who live and work here really root and support each other, and it feels like a large family.

When we first got our building and started fixing it up, we had people from local businesses bring us coffee, cake and even offer help. It really feels inclusive. And so many new interesting places have opened here; you really get the sense that if a place doesn’t fit here it won’t last, but thankfully, with all the entrepreneurial spirit in Bristol, something better usually takes its place quickly – Tim and Martyna, Neon Tiger After many years of bad press, Stokes Croft has reinvented itself as the alternative cultural and artistic hub of Bristol. Doubters will argue that it has a split personality – charming and chic at times, less so at other times, although perhaps it’s the underlying edginess that is part of the charm. At the heart of the change has been the strength and resolve of the local community. Culturally diverse, it has embraced the opportunity to create its own special brand of uniqueness, and the area is now home to artisans and businesses that are as varied as they are entrepreneurial – Tim Davies, Colliers International

www.mediaclash.co.uk I bristol LIFE I 19

Vintage products without a high price tag!

188 Cheltenham Road, Bristol BS6 5RB Phone: 07470 674 565 | Email: fabulousvintage.co@gmail.com fabulousvintagebristol

0117 9241988 lovethefishshop.com

fabulousvintage

opening hours tues-thurs 9-6 fri 9-5 sat 8-4

Get your fish delivered on goodsixty.co.uk

street life Amber Elise and Alex Lucas at their Little Shop – Alex also painted many of the charming urban animal murals you’ll see in the area

That Thing, 45-47 Stokes Croft Affordable street and homeware, with all products made by young Bristol designers.

Wild Leaf, 63A Overton Road

Fronted by green fingered Tya Shannon, house-plant mecca Wild Leaf is like a life-size terranium. Expect to leave knowing your monsteras from your rubber trees, and a new leafy companion under your arm. There are Tropical Terranium planting workshops, too.

Also look out for…

The local’s locals

Suncraft. It’s delicious, plant-based, and I love how they grow their own herbs and salads on site – Jessie, Tincan Coffee Co I recently discovered how amazing Per & Kor is; I could eat there all day. A mix (not fusion) of Persian and Korean dishes, which go surprisingly well together, and it’s all very tasty. It’s run by a couple who do virtually everything in the restaurant. Writing about it is making me want to go again... – Freddy, Wild Leaf

Art and Chocolate – owner Marius makes his own chocolate, and is opening a chocolatemaking workshop on Cheltenham Road.

Playfull Toyshop – lovely little toy shop with traditional wooden toys.

Rollquick – superb bike shop.

Romantica – strangely compelling art, cards and gift shop.

Hair & Beauty

Nuala Morey, 178 Gloucester Road Award winning Aveda concept salon.

Lunar Optical, 291 Gloucester Road

Independent optical practice, offering “great frames – and cake!”

Lynn Fernandes, 75 Gloucester Road Award-winning family optometrists.

I would say Koocha Mezze Bar – but I am also a big fan of Joe’s Bakery – Tiriel, Preserve

Fizz, 273 Gloucester Road

We love Per & Kor. Beautiful restaurant, amazing family and stunning food – Dave, The Nectar House

A&E Hair &Make-Up, 7 Gloucester Road

We judge food everywhere in the country by the standards of The Galli. A new regular haunt is La Guinguette, with Roxanne and Gerome bringing a wonderful Parisian warmth to what we’d all previously thought was a difficult location. Tom from Murray’s butchers is a warm and friendly figure, full of wise advice.

Wine, of course must come from Darren at Grape and Grind – Gerard, Lynne Fernandes We love Jamaican restaurant Rice & Things, especially the all-you-can-eat buffet. That Thing for statement clothes and accessories from independent brands – Tim and Martyna, Neon Tiger

Hairdressing salon offering a personalised service in a relaxed atmosphere.

Sisters Amber and Eleanor are equally as passionate about hair and makeup – hence the salon specialising in both. They do masterclasses, too.

Vintage

Horse and carriage, love and marriage, Gloucester/Cheltenham Road and vintage – OK, the latter isn’t rhyming or snappy, but you get the idea.

The perfect antidote to bland chain-store uniformity, vintage is a shortcut to individual expression, as it virtually guarantees individuality – which really, in an organic, locally-sourced nutshell, this area is all about.

Billy Jean, 208 Gloucester Road Retro clothes and fabric.

Fabulous Vintage, 188 Cheltenham Road

Spicer and Cole make the best oak milk hot chocolate. I also love Poppers; they have literally have everything you need for a party or birthday – Noda, Koocha Mezze Bar

A gem of retro shopping, and the ideal place to put your idiosyncratic Croft look together.

People seem to really appreciate the smaller local specialist shops we have. There is a real sense of community here and we’ve got to know our customers well – in many cases, we are on first-name terms. Births, deaths and marriages – we’ve seen them all over the years. The traders are very close, too; this spring, when the street had a flash flood, we all came together to help sweep the water out of the shops affected – Dan, The Fish Shop

Claiming to offer the best selection of vintage clothing Bristol has to offer; homeware too, with prime-cuts vinyl downstairs.

Repsycho, 85 Gloucester Road

The Reclaimers, 347 Gloucester Road

Endlessly rewarding cave of vintage finds for a creative home.

Vintage Market, 15-19 Stokes Croft

Prime hunting ground for curios, clothes and collectables, spread over two floors. n

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Welcome

TO A&E HAIR AND MAKEUP STUDIO A brand new salon based on Gloucester Road, this salon is owned by sisters Amber and Eleanor who bring you a unique salon experience. Between them they have over 18 years experience. Not only do they offer a full range of hair colouring and cutting services you can also get your makeup done and even have braids by their experienced in house braid artist.

You can book online via Booksy, socia media platforms or give the girls a call on 0117 279 5044 ae.hairandmakeupstudio

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free wedding consultation when you quote “Bristol Life”

getting married in or around bristol? get the perfect look with moda hairdressing’s wedding hair styling service hair by moda hairdressing. book your appointment today. call 01179421006. www.modahairdressing.co.uk 205 Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol bs7 8nn

Much like Gloucester Road, Pearce’s Stores is diverse and quirky...why not experience it for yourself ?

DIY Home Improvements

Tel: 0117-924 5787 295 Gloucester Road, Horfield, Bristol, BS7 8PE

Pollinator friendly Cafe, Bar & Pop Up Restaurant nectarhousebristol@gmail.com | 01179426807 169 Gloucester Road, BS7 8BE Find us on Facebook - The Nectar House @nectarhousebristol Opening Hours: Sun & Mon 9-4, Tues to Sat 9-11

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Grounded coffee milkshakes frappes (try our new vanilla frappe!)

Delicious crepes savoury & sweet waffles filled bubble waffles sandwiches & breakfast rolls cakes & ice cream

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Find a little sunshine on Gloucester Road at The Blue Lagoon!

- Cocktail of the week: two for £7.95 everyday - Half price Pizza: Monday to Friday, between 2pm and 5pm - Live music all week

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TRADITIONAL FISH AND CHIPS SHOP WITH A MODERN TOUCH Our trained chefs believe batter should be light and crunchy, curry sauce should be homemade and mushy peas must be tasty.

We like our potatoes cooked to the highest standard and serve our fish just right. Come in and treat your Reel Soul.

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f

the arts s n a p s h o t s o f B R I STO L’ S c u lt u r a l li f e

It shouldn’t happen to a vet Did you ever see Goldilock, Stock & Three Smoking Bears at The Wardrobe? Still laughing yourself silly at the memory of the Scottish sisters? Us too!

This is why we’ll be going to see Vet.Detective

by Bad Vs Evil – a new company formed by Harry Humberstone and Andrew Kingston, who spent many years collaborating on shows such as Goldie, Oedipuss In Boots, Muppits Die Hard and Nachos.

Their debut show, says Andrew, “pays affectionate homage to recent TV crime hits Luther, Broadchurch and Line of Duty” – though to be honest, the concept reminds us even more of those 1970s series in which the ‘tec had to have a gimmick, whether he was a mountie, a fish-out-of water cowboy or a falsely convicted ex-con.

“The twist in Vet.Detective is that our titular characters are both detectives and vets,” says Andrew. “The detectives of our world solve crimes committed in the animal kingdom, so brace yourself for silliness and the kind of low-fi aesthetics you’ve come to expect from us.”

Make sure your laughter shots are up to date before you come, yeah?

Vet.Detective runs 25 July -17 August at The Wardrobe Theatre www.thewardrobetheatre.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 27

What’s on

© Louis Smith

26 July-26 August 2019

Get on his land!

It’s Valley Fest...

exhibitions Until 4 August

Banksy’s Devolved Parliament Back to mark 10 years since Banksy v Bristol Museum; take its return as a comment on our current leaders, if you will. bristolmuseums.org.uk

Until 10 August

i am not a wedding photographer “I’ve tried, I really have, but there’s no easy way to tell you that I’m not a wedding photographer,” says Ian Weldon. But Ian’s being a teeny bit disingenuous. “This clever line is deceptive, as he is the most real wedding photographer I have ever encountered,” says Martin Parr.

The current exhibition of Ian’s work is described as the first exhibition of wedding photography in the UK within an art photography context. martinparrfoundation.org

Until 11 August

fluffy library Artist Antigoni Tsagkaropoulou’s installation features Fluffy, a gender-fluid, snow-white sprawling beast, among other oversized

cuddlies. Antigoni aims to blur the boundaries between different ages, and open up spaces for different identities; so cuddle up, roll around, and grab a book. arnolfini.org.uk

Until 12 August

carnival pop-up Se page 38. www.arnolfini.org.uk

Until 1 September

natural selection An ornithological journey, from the building of nests to the collecting of eggs; more marvellous and moving than this possibly sounds. bristolmuseums.org.uk fire: flashes to ashes It’s the gallery’s third elementthemed exhibition, and given the subject matter, we’re guessing it’ll be the most dramatic to date. rwa.org.uk

Until 8 September

James N. Kienitz Wilkins: This Action Lies The Brooklyn-based artist’s movingimage work combines documentary sources with original scriptwriting to investigate the role that narrative plays in the construction of truth. spikeisland.org.uk

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Until 15 September

Libita Clayton: Quantum Ghost Immersive sound installation, large-scale photograms and live performance by Spike studio artist Libita; spikeisland.org.uk

Until 29 September

Space Steps: The Moon and Beyond Exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing; at RPS; rps.org/spacesteps

Until 3 November

On Set with Aardman: Making Early Man See feature page 32; bristolmuseums.org.uk

1-28 August

no LIMITS Active Ageing Bristol mounts a free outdoor exhibition of photographs showing that age is no barrier to living life; agefriendlybristol.org.uk

SHOWs Until 27 July

summer rolls The first British Vietnamese play

to be staged in the UK; a sweeping family saga that examines the Nguyen family’s life in Britain, and daughter Mai’s voyage of personal discovery. BOV, bristololdvic.org.uk

Until 17 August

vet. detective Crime parody LOLs – see page 27, and thewardrobetheatre.com

Until 18 August

malory towers In the hands of Wise Children’s Emma Rice, the Blyton schoolgirl books that many of us grew up with becomes an anthem of postwar girl power, with high jinks, high drama and high spirits, live music and breathtaking animation.

At Passenger Shed; bristololdvic.org.uk

26-28 July

a midsummer Night’s dream Kicking off at Brandon Hill on 26 July, moving to Tyntesfield on 27 July and then to Wells, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men continues on its al fresco tour of the UK’s greenest places for a nice bit of Bard on the Sward; tlcm.co.uk

WHAT’S ON TOP:

He’s not a wedding photographer. Honest.

Chill with Fluffy and friends at Arnolfini BOTTOM: As high as energy gets; Session at The Station MIDDLE:

28 July

CHECKPOINT In a time of hard borders and segregation, enigmatic stranger Roman arrives at Checkpoint 4, and attempts to bluff and bribe his way past two incompetent guards.

Startled Cat! Theatre’s savagely funny satire on xenophobic paranoia premières at Lightship Theatre; startledcattheatre.co.uk

7-9 & 11 August

SESSION An explosive outdoor gathering, as Bristol performance company Still House joins forces with Tottenham’s Steppaz and North London’s Empire Sounds to create a high-energy night; part dance party, part gig and social, the show will be led by an ensemble of young dancers who transcend hip hop, contemporary folk and Afrobeats.

At The Station; mayk.org.uk

18-26 August

MOBY DICK Call him Ishmael; co-presented with TFT, Darkstuff Productions bring their re-imagining of the classic whale tale to ss Great Britain for an immersive take on Ahab’s obsessive quest for the legendary cetacean; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

22-24 August

THE THREE MUSKETEERS Armed only with a baguette and his questionable steed, D’Artagnan heads to Paris full of misplaced bravado to become a Musketeer.

Will things go to plan? Do they ever? At BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

MUSIC

Until 28 July

LUCINDA WILLIAMS Rivertown signs off with country royalty, as headliner Lucinda Williams plays O2; colstonhall.org

17 August

SKUNK ANANSIE Still radical after all these years, the Brit Rockers come to O2; academymusicgroup.com

OTHER Until 31 July

BRISTOL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL The mostly outdoors festival

returns, performing Will’s plays along with work inspired by him in unusual locations. bristolshakespearefestival.org.uk

Until 28 July

CINEMA REDISCOVERED Mega treat for film buffs; watch fine digital restorations, contemporary classics and film print rarities, up where they belong: the big screen.

This year, revered filmmakers Nic Roeg, Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Bresson and Bristol-born Mike Hodges are all celebrated, alongside lesser known cinematic voices. watershed.co.uk

Until 7 September

THE SQUARE Popping up on Millennium Square, The Square feature Bristol Beach Club, fitness activities including Sunrise Yoga, Bump Roller Disco and free film screenings from Big Screen Bristol; thesquarebristol.co.uk

2-4 August

VALLEY FEST Yurts, top local food, good-time beats, and a laidback family-friendly vibe at Chew Magna. Basement Jaxx, Razorlight, Magic Numbers, Stealing Sheep and Tom Odell headline, while three feasts run by top chefs ramp up the edible offering. valleyfest.co.uk

3 August

REDFEST Vibrant community festival drawing artists and performers of all kinds from across the local area and further afield; redfestbristol.co.uk AFROFEST Showcasing the best of African culture through music, art, fashion exhibition and dance; at Trinity, 3ca.org.uk

8-11 August

BRISTOL BALLOON FIESTA The quintessential Bristol summer event, and the largest of its kind in Europe; bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk

18 August

STEAMFEST A Sunday afternoon filled with music, booze and food; guest beers, ciders and wines aplenty and tunes courtesy of Bristol Jazz and Blues festival. At Whiteladies Gate; eventbrite.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 29

exhibition

“Can you see our Uber, Hognob?”

“No Dug; I suspect he’s been caught up in the Extinction Rebellion on Bristol Bridge”

32 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Plasticene era A film about cavemen made by a young Nick Park, a tray of oddly sinister looking mouths, and industrial amounts of Aardmix are just a few of the exhibits poised to fascinate us at Aardman: Animating Early Man – M Shed’s must-see show of the summer

“We’re not in Encyclopedia Brittanica territory here, but the singular brain of Nick Park”

© A ardman Animations

A

s everybody knows, the game of soccer began when an asteroid collided with the Earth, wiping out the dinosaurs but somehow sparing the humans. Finding a roughly spherical bit of asteroid, the cavemen naturally begin to kick it around, and so invented football . . .

We know this to be true, because it’s in Aardman Animations’ recent movie Early Man. Please don’t write in to point out that humans and dinosaurs weren’t contemporaneous.

We’re not in Encyclopedia Brittanica territory here, but the singular brain of Nick Park; and in his ‘Stone-Age soccer-movie satire’, Nick doesn’t so much invite us to suspend our disbelief as to revisit the wacky universe of slapstick, nostalgia and visual gags we know and love from previous hits Shaun the Sheep, Chicken Run and The Wrong Trousers.

But despite all the silliness and fun, into which a stellar cast including Eddie Redmayne, Maisie Williams and Tom Hiddleston gleefully throw themselves, the film’s story – about plucky caveman Dug, who sets out to save his home from hostile invaders by defeating them in a game of soccer – has a gentle underlying message; we need to treat each another with kindness in order to survive.

Nobody makes films quite like Aardman; and now they’re kindly inviting us to discover exactly how they put their movies together, at the new big summer exhibition at M Shed.

Exhibition officer Karen MacDonald kindly took us on a tour – so walk this way . . .

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exhibition

How did the Early Man exhibition come about?

Our previous Wallace and Gromit From the Drawing Board exhibition in 2014 was a huge success for us, so when the Aardman team suggested another collaboration it was a no-brainer. It’s a perfect fit for M Shed because it gives us the chance to tell a story that’s rooted in Bristol, and that’s also fun for families.

What can we expect to see at the exhibition?

Original puppets; exquisite sets; tiny props, and lots of behind-the-scenes footage – plus some original Stone Age and Bronze Age objects from the museum’s stores. We also have two exciting loans from the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, so you can also meet the dinosaurs from One Million Years BC. You’ll get get a flavour of how things look behind the scenes during the making of the film, in the model-makers’ studios and on the film set. There are plenty of hands-on activities too, including dressing-up as a member of the Stone Age tribe, using unexpected materials to make sound effects, and making your own mini-stop-motion sequence.

Where did the idea for Early Man first come from?

Nick Park made his first caveman film as a teenager [even Earlier Man?]– which you can see in the exhibition – so the roots of the idea go back a long way. He was starting to draft the characters for Early Man well over 10 years ago.

He says that it came partly from the nature of the clay itself – it’s ideal for Neanderthal expressions!

We know that Early Man is set thousands of years ago but does it have any themes that resonate today?

Is plasticene still used for the puppets?

These days, most of the puppets’ bodies are cast in silicone, so they are more durable, whereas in the past they would be modelling clay. The faces are still clay, because that has the capacity to be more expressive. It’s a special formula called Aardmix.

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aard facts • The longest scene (which features in the exhibition) is 42 seconds long and took six weeks to shoot.

• Hognob (the pet hog of hero Dug) doesn’t speak, but his grunts and giggles are voiced by Nick Park.

© A ardman Animations

Merlin Crossingham at Aardman describes it as being about a clash of cultures, and how that gets resolved. A land divided; two groups of people who see different opportunities in the same situation; tribal loyalties – what does that remind you of right now?

You could read something into it about environmental concerns, too – the Stone Age tribe lives in harmony with the land while the Bronze Age rulers want to exploit it. Having said that, I don’t think there was any intention of direct social or political comment behind the film.

• If you laid all the artificial grass used on the sets out together, it would cover roughly half a real football pitch.

• What looks like thatch on roofs is actually fake fur, painted and treated to make it textured. They got through about 100 metres of the stuff.

• About 60 trees were made for the valley where the Stone Age tribe live;

each took about a week. The trunks are clad in pipe lagging which has textures and paintwork applied. They are modelled on real tree species, so if you know your stuff you should be able to pick out beech, birch, oak and more in the film.

• 3,000 handmade mouth pieces were created for the puppets. The whole lower part of the face comes out so a new one can be slotted into place – they’re held in by magnets and then the clay gets smoothed over. Each mouth has a limited shelf life, and for characters with lots of dialogue, about 24 mouth shapes are needed at a time.

“Nick Park made his first caveman film as a teenager – even Earlier Man?”

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 35

above: You may be surprised at the difference in scale of the various sets; right: Mouths! It’s like a Simpsons/ Game of Thrones’ House of Black and White mash-up – a sensation enhanced by the double Maisie Williams GOT/Early Man connection . . .

Why does Aardman still use old-school stop-motion animation?

There is a really relatable, human element to it and a charm that just can’t be replicated with pure CGI. You know that you’re looking at something that exists in physical space, and each element has been lovingly made. Particularly with Aardman’s style of ‘claymation’, where you can even see the animators’ fingerprints. As Nick Park says, it lends an inherent humour and warmth.

What other kind of technology is used?

Early Man is the first Aardman film to make significant use of CGI; there really wasn’t any other way they could create a football stadium filled with 30,000 Bronze Age football fans.

But the traditional hand-crafted methods still take centre stage. The Aardman team are already experimenting with augmented reality experiences, so I’m sure there will be plenty of developments in the years to come.

What do you think we’ll be most surprised by when we visit?

You might be surprised by the differences in scale of the sets. One is three metres tall, while others are tiny. People will also be amazed by the sheer level of detail and craftsmanship –

36 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

many things in the backgrounds of scenes that might flash past on the screen in a fraction of a second are so beautiful that it’s great to be able to admire them in an exhibition.

How many people worked on the making of Early Man and how long did it take?

The final credit list is around 420 people.

There were 22 model makers, and at the height of shooting 33 animators were working simultaneously. The shoot itself took a year.

But the whole process took about four years, including writing, pre-production, production and post-production.

What are your own favourite things in the exhibition?

The mammoth puppet is a feat of art and engineering, and allows you to inspect the inner workings of Aardman’s most complicated puppet to date. The Bronze Age town set is really impressive too; it’s just so beautifully made. n Aardman: Animating Early Man runs until 3 November 2019 at M Shed Entry fee £6 adult, £5 concession, under 16s free For more www.bristolmuseums.org.uk

LOOk! Head to Arnolfini, and see what happened when Martin Parr, Matt Stuart and Lua Ribiera – not to mention a bunch of other pro and amateur photographers – went to Carnival . . .

38 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

© Matt stuart

PHOTOGRAPHY

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 39

Kitchen installations

Alterations

General Building Works

New Build Extensions Refurbishment Alterations Kitchen installations Bathroom installations Roofing works General Building Works professional, local builders you can trust Tel: 01172 591 591 Email: info@halgroup.co.uk Online: www.halgroup.co.uk

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23 Chandos Road, BS6 6PG

© Martin Parr / Magnum Photos © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

Y

ou may remember us getting a bit excited about this in our last issue. Not only was Bristol’s renowned photographer Martin Parr heading to St Pauls Carnival, in the company of fellow street photographers Matt Stuart and Lua Ribeira, but their best photos from the day, along with a selection of pics posted by people on Instagram using the #carnivalpopup19 hashtag, would be processed under the public gaze at a special pop-up studio at Arnolfini, eventually resulting in a full exhibition. By the time this issue lands, the exhibition will be up and running; here are just some of the photos you’ll be able to see. n The exhibition runs until 11 August at Arnolfini For more www.martinparrfoundation.org

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 41

© Lua Ribeira

© Matt Stuart

© Matt Stuart

PHOTOGRAPHY

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BRISTOL HEROES East is Easton: at Bristol’s recent Grand Iftar, Bristol showed the world how to come together, work together and break fast together Words and pictures by Colin Moody

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photography

T

he street celebration in Easton, which marks the breaking of the fast towards the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, is the largest of its kind in the UK. That’s what all the papers say. Now, let’s look closer at what this means. I was honoured to be allowed behind the scenes on 30 May, while they prepared the food above Sweet Mart on St Marks Road, and I want to show you here some of those amazing people who made the food and the day possible.

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What do you need to know here? This is community.

That’s it. Nearly 6000 (some national papers reported) turned up and everyone was fed and watered. I spoke to Vanessa Kier, who is a long-standing resident, and who was the first ever customer through the door at Sweet Mart all those decades ago when (she said) many of her community were not so keen. Now look at it. Just look at it. And news agencies from all over the world contacted the organisers, because they want to learn from this street.

Learn once again how to come together, to work together, live together and, very importantly, to break fast together.

Tehseen about to distribute all the spice we will eat later. Yes, that is a lot of turmeric; but it will be for a curry for thousands and thousands of people coming together later to break the fast. Cooking started hours ago. And will go on for many more. A huge number of volunteers will make sure everyone is comfortable and welcome – did you know special consideration is given to allow disabled and elders to attend? Such a good thing for the city. One security guard just stopped me to just say “Let’s show the world how it’s done...”

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This the point at which some 2000 aubergine curries with £180 worth of saffron alone was portioned out into the containers by volunteers. Remember, everyone you see here is fasting.

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Grand Iftar. Behind the scenes. Yasir Ahmed on the right stepped in, when someone stepped away from providing underlay for the huge largest blanketed street Iftar in the UK, and provided all that was needed. What you see here is just one of three deliveries he is making today at lunchtime to get ready. This is an immense job.

When you sit down to eat one of the 6000 plus meals being prepared for tonight, your comfort comes from his generosity. Oh, and he runs the main kitchen activity, too.

This is the face of a modern, caring British society.

“One security guard just stopped me to just say “Let’s show the world how it’s done”” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 45

PHOTOGRAPHY

“This is the face of a modern, caring British society” 5

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More volunteers. And the feeling on the street was so joyful, so alive. Once the cars were stopped, and these future police, community support and ‘whatever they want to be’ recruits started to marshall things you just knew this event is gonna grow, generationally.

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How it feels to be at the iftar with all your family, friends and neighbours.

Deeq reacts to Miles Chambers’s poem about Bristol and I get my fave shot of the night. Shows what this feels like. So nice to spend time with everyone. As a photographer you sometimes only get reasonably close at events, but this one everyone is drawing you right in.

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By the end of the night, the whole community is out.

It felt like it. And as these young people stand there, the fast has been broken and the samosas, the curry and the water have all been shared. And all the people have come together.

I’m done with talking about what separates us. Isn’t it time to look at what we share? Because this feels so much better.

Colin is available as a ‘mini-mobile PR/marketing/social media unit’, to shoot striking street-style photographs at live events: parties, launches, promos and performances, for impactful immediate social media. Fees start at £100 for a two-hour package. email: mrcolinmoody@gmail.com Twitter: @moodycolin; Instagram @moodycolin319

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 47

“Freddy is more interested in feeding you than your Instagram account”

Bag a table while you still can at Freddy Bird’s brilliant new restaurant in Westbury Park, says a very well-fed Deri Robins

48 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

© KIRSTIE YOUNG

littlefrench

restaurant

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bar snacks menu as well as the starters; the former are pretty substantial ’m not sure if it’s a trend, a micro-trend or simply a in their own right. The advertised lamb skewers were off the menu coincidence, but quite a few chefs are talking about ‘taking (“Freddy’s pulled them, they weren’t good enough”), replaced by juicy it back to basics’ at the moment. Over in Montpelier, Dom duck kebabs, whose gamey flavour was suffused with a smoky sweetness.

Borel and the Harvey bros are about to open a classic Italian Even better was the chargrilled baby monkfish, served on the bone, trat – no gimmicks, no twists; and now up in leafy Westbury the delicate flavour carrying a fragrant hit of tarragon. Presentation Park, Freddy Bird has just opened his new restaurant is accomplished but unflashy; Freddy is more interested in feeding you littlefrench, serving the kind of unpretentious, accomplished than your Instagram account. bistro fare you pray you’ll stumble across during a Marseilles Daughter had bagged the scallops even before we’d left the house. minibreak but never do.

A generous plate of fat queens in their shells came doused in a pool of Freddy could easily have tagged the words ‘restaurant de destination’ buttery Sauternes, which ideally brought out their sweetness; soft and under the name; thanks to the stellar Bird reputation, by 8pm on a plump, they’d been impeccably roasted without a hint of rubberiness.

Monday, just four days after opening, every table, banquette and bar But I didn’t lose out, either; in a bowl of startlingly green parsley soup chair was filled, with yet more hopeful punters peering through the door.

I happily fished for for silky snails (again, not a trace of rubberiness) Mon dieu, we murmured; this may well be the last time we bag a table and sliced girolles; I bet you won’t find this precise, excellent dish here without at least a month’s notice. anywhere else in this city, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it became The new venture, and remarkably, Freddy’s first as chef/proprietor, a littlefrench signature. is a family affair, with the Birds living just around the corner. Freddy’s The wood-grilled Pyrannean lamb leg was French wife Nessa – who is welcome to come tender as the night, with blush-pink, fat-marbled and redesign our own home any time she likes Dining details slices sharing plate-room with sprouting broc, – has done a beautiful job with the interior, littlefrench, 2 North View, Westbury Park, new-season garlic purée, and a wonderfully teaming the banquettes and exposed brickwork BS6 7QB; 0117 970 6276; www.littlefrench.co.uk punchy anchoïade; the accompanying frites with modish botanical wallpaper, and floral Opening hours All day, seven days a week, from may well be the best currently being served in garlands that gaily suggest Provence en fête. breakfast pastries and coffee through to dinner Bristol – and yes, I do realise I’ve said this before, There are pics of Gainsbrough and Deneuve Prices Snacks £1.50-£7; starters £7-£11.50; mains but the bar has been raised yet again. on the loo doors, to indicate the gender while £15.50-£29.60; puds £5.50-£6.50 Daughter’s plaice was a huge, meaty fillet with helpfully reminding you that you will never be Wine list A carefully curated list of the old and new beautiful white flaky flesh, served with buttery as cool as the French. This Gallic theme isn’t Jerseys and flavour-packed brown shrimp butter overworked, though; mercifully, there’s no Vie en Ambience Welcoming and unpretentious; the neighbourhood restaurant of dreams that she was unattractively reluctant to share.

Rose-ing on the playlist.

Ordering a pud after all of the above was While the daughter catches up with a waiter Service Friendy and well-informed obviously sheer greed, but by this time I was she knows (how is she on first-name terms Veggie choice Limited feeling so damn French that not only did I tuck with half the Bristol food industry?), I manage Disabled All on one level, including the loos, which into a light, spongy slice of tart made with boozy a quick chat with a very busy but typically have pics of Serge Gainsborough and Catherine Armagnac-soaked prunes, but also a coffee, amiable Freddy, who if he wasn’t a chef would Deneuve on the door temporarily forgetting that I need to swerve make a legendary GM. I gleaned the following: caffeine after 4pm; generally, a single spoonful (a) For littlefrench, he’s parked the Moorish/ of tiramisu guarantees a night of high-wired wakefulness. Oddly, I slept Mediterranean ‘Bird food’ style that helped him put the Lido kitchen on like a baby. Or a Frenchwoman. the map, in favour of regional ‘French-ish’ cooking; (b) His kitchen here There was no way that Freddy Bird’s first solo venture wasn’t going is far smaller than he was used to at the Lido, and (c) When sourcing to be good, but to be this good in its first week is immensely impressive. ingredients, his priority is simply to go for the best he can find, wherever Impeccable sourcing combined with assured cooking will have you he can find it. He cites the Pyrannean lamb as an example; grazing up in declaring after each dish, “Wow! This is the best lamb/scallop/coffee/ those chilly hills, the creatures have no option other than to pile on lots olives [etc etc] I’ve ever had!” It’s not even that pricey. The Bristol food of luscious fat. And sure, a lot of the fish comes from Brixham; but the scene, universally accepted to be the best in the UK outside London, has scallops are Galician, because they’re the most delicious. just gone up another substantial notch. n The menu sets out its intentions in a simple typewriter font. There’s a

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 49

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FOOD & DRINK

The Borel-Harvey clan outside La Sorella

CIAO, CIAO

S STOP PRESS….

Another new Italian – restaurant and wine bar Marmo – will soon open on Baldwin Street on the premises recently vacated by Bar Buvette.

Marmo (the name means ‘marble’) will be run by husband and wife Cosmo and Lily Sterck; Lily previously managed the beloved and muchmissed Buvette, while Cosmo, who trained at St John in London, most recently led the kitchen at Bosco.

The menu promises to draw on high-quality ingredients sourced from small local producers, with a wine list offering European organic and biodynamic producers. www.marmo.restaurant

cions of a large Italian/Bristol family, with uncles, cousins and siblings employed in all areas of the biz, Dominic Borel, Ben Harvey and Joe Harvey have become major players on the food scene in a remarkably short period of time.

Bros Joe and Ben are chefs; Dom’s their ebullient, larger-than-life, front-of-house genius of a cousin. In 2015, after opening on Cotham Hill, the family’s first Bristol restaurant, Pasta Loco, was the kind of instantaneous success story that took us overnight from “Who are those guys?” to “You need to book two months* ahead for a table.” (* Conservative estimate).

Their smaller but no less perfectly formed Pasta Ripiena opened on St Stephen’s Street in 2018, and this summer the story continues with two new ventures.

First up, in May, just two doors down from Ripiena, came cantina La Sorella, an Italian deli/bar selling homemade fresh, stuffed and cut pasta, cheeses and meats, coffee, and freshly made bread and cakes. You can eat in or take away, drop in for a plate of antipasti or an afterwork apertivo; the welcome’s just as warm either way.

The next step in the Harvey/Borel plot for world domination is Bianchis, due to

open early-mid August on the hallowed site formerly occupied by Bell’s Diner. Bell’s was long one of the city’s most beloved dining spots; when it closed in January the rooms were completely gutted – and so were Bristol’s foodies.

The Picton Street premises still belongs to chef/proprietor Chris Wicks, who’s leased the premises to team Borel and Harvey, “with no need for crazy lawyers,” Dom says.

“We asked Chris if he wanted us to keep the Bell’s Diner name; he said no, he wanted fresh Bristol faces, and a new look.

“Bianchi is our family name, and the restaurant will be an old-school trattoria. In our other Bristol places the style has been to take the Italian influence and add a twist to proceedings – be a bit wild and creative – but this time we’re taking it back to our Italian roots, in an area of Bristol that we all love.”

Head chef is Peregrine ‘Pegs’ Quinn, who brings River Café pedigree, with experienced Magdalena Petrowski as GM. “It’s a great team; the look will be traditional, with white linen and greenery,” says Dom – who promises us a bit more info on the menu molto presto, as those Italians say.

Sign up for notifications at www.bianchisrestaurant.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 51

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cafÉ society Stan Cullimore

Take me to church The Secret Café has opened in St Stephen’s Church. It’s not so secret now . . .

A

journey of a thousand miles begins with a single footstep.

Don’t know who said it; might have been some ancient wise dude from centuries ago, or The Proclaimers.

Who knows? Main thing is, as long as there’s coffee and cake on offer every step of the way, who really cares? Hmm. And if you are wondering what on earth I’m on about, let me explain.

A while back, I did a piece

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single footstep. Don’t know who said it; might have been some ancient wise dude, or it may have been The Proclaimers”

for this fine publication, about a hippy chippy in town. Wasn’t really a Café Society piece at all, to be honest, but my granddaughter was involved, so I surrendered with good grace.

That was step one on my thousand mile journey. Step two came when I met up with a mate recently. We were due to have a coffee somewhere near Corn Street so I could write a piece about a new café there. But when we met up, my mate announced he was in need of lunch first.

So we found ourselves a place doing vegan burgers (don’t ask) and set to. When I pointed out that we weren’t actually in a café, he waved his hand casually and told me to do a piece about the burger joint instead. After all, I’d done a piece about a chippy. So why not a burger joint? Hmm. Could feel my reputation falling apart right there.

So I decided it was time for step three on my journey, heading back towards the path of righteousness. And coffee. And maybe cake. So we left the burger place and went in search of a proper café.

Luckily, we didn’t have to go far. I’d locked my bike up in the grounds of St Stephen’s church and had noticed they have a café in one corner of the building.

A small flashing light in a bay window gives it away.

We popped inside and ordered ourselves a couple of Americanos while we checked out the food on offer. It looked interesting, tasty and had a strangely Spanish twist (owners Antonio and Alicia, I am later informed by my amazing editor, who just wrote this line, hail from sunny Seville).

It had a small but boutiquey collection of crusty rolls, petite pasties and seductive cakes on offer. Sadly, none of the cakes were vegan (don’t ask) so we decided to stick with our coffees and sit back to watch the world go by.

At this point, a quietly spoken lady strolled over and asked if we were going to the concert, which was due to start in a couple of minutes. Long story short: a couple of blokes with Spanish guitars were about to give a show in the main body of the church.

Always ready for adventures, we took the last step of our journey and went to watch the show. Which was very pleasing.

Top notch.

So, if you’re in the mood for an interesting journey, with coffee, cake and maybe a concert thrown in, direct your feet on down to St Stephen’s. It’s a lot fewer than a thousand miles. n Former Housemartins guitarist Stan is now a journalist and travel writer www.stancullimore.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 55

shopping live well, buy better

english rose Fleur of England is an independent local luxury lingerie brand that specialises in gossamer-delicate lace and intricate embroidery.

The company was founded by Fleur Christacos, who now heads up a Bristol-based team of ‘Fleur Girls’ – an all-female creative power-house, comprising eight passionate women who share one goal: making women feel treasured and confident in their lingerie, through beautiful design and exquisite fit.

Since its launch 18 years ago at Liberty of London, Fleur of England has become an established luxury lingerie brand with 65 stockists all over the globe. “Each garment is hand-designed by Fleur herself, and fitted precisely in-house by the team. “If it isn’t exquisite it won’t leave the door,” they say.

Oh, and sorry to tempt you even further; but they make swimwear, too. www.fleurofengland.com

Photoshoot details Photographer: Jamie Dodd www.jamiedoddphotography.co.uk Models: Gingersnap models Sasha Ingham Georgiou and Ellie Ryan Lingerie: Fleur Of England

Hair: Chris Allen at Atelier www.atelierclifton.co.uk MUA: By Annabella www.byannabella.co.uk Venue: Hotel Du Vin Bristol

www.mediaclash.co.uk I Bristol LIFE I 57

TARTAN BLANKET COMPANY BLANKET, £40; LEATHER PICNIC STRAP, £30 Make every picnic feel like a trip to Glyndebourne with this elegant duo From Harvey Nichols, 27 Philadelphia Street www.harveynichols.com

OUTDOOR LIGHTING, £POA Last time we checked, this fab string of outdoor lights was still available, along with some very pretty garlands – but it’s sale time, so things are selling fast...

From Fox + Feather 43 Gloucester Road www.foxandfeather.co.uk

THE OUTSIDERS As August hoves into view, we’re putting al fresco living in the spotlight. Stay gold . . .

PLANTERS, £10.99-£14.99 Easily moved back indoors at night if the plants are of the temperamental variety From Pod Company 24 The Mall, Clifton www.thepodcompany.co.uk

JERSEY SIDE TABLE, £203.15 (SALE PRICE) Pink matt laquered table, for inside and out, with an effortlesly cool and mimimal Scandi design From BoConcept, 51-53 Merchant Street; www.boconcept.com

58 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

MELAMINE BEAKERS, £2.75 EACH; SET OF 6 SPOONS, £8.95; JUGS, £13.95-£22.95 Mix and match the lovely ice-cream colours to your heart’s content.

Bowls, plates, forks etc available, too From Fig 1 Unit 9, Gaol Ferry Steps www.fig1.co.uk

ED’S CHOICE URBAN BOTTLE, £17.50 We don’t need to spell out the eco advantages of these over the plastic alternative, do we?

Or explain how lovely and cool (or hot) they’ll keep your beverages?

From Amulet 39A Cotham Hill www.amuletboutique.co.uk

BARBECUE GRILL, £POA Kitchens Cookshop is in the throes of a closing down sale, but they were still open at time of going to press – so pop in and grab this farewell bargain From Kitchens Cookshop, 167 Whiteladies Road www.kitchenscookshop.co.uk PARROT CORKSCREW, RRP £34 If there’s a jauntier tool for opening your favourite summertime tipple than this parrot sommelier, we haven’t found it From Bristol Guild 68 Park Street www.bristolguildgallery.co.uk

SEAGRASS BAG, £12.49 (SALE PRICE) Pretty cotton-lined beach bag that’s just as handy for carrying essentials – SPF, sunnies, copy of Bristol Life – into the garden From Vinegar Hill, 46 Queens Road www.vinegarhill.co.uk

METAL GARDEN CHAIR, £99 Lightweight, stackable and sleek, making it perfect for small balconies and patios From Graham and Green, 92 Walcot Street, Bath www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 59

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health & Beauty below: Nell and Louis’s new look

Shotgun barbers

There are no guns in evidence at this Bond Street salon, and despite that ‘barbers’ tag, it’s not just for blokes.

Anything else we should know?

F

irst off, let’s get any misapprehensions out of the way. Shotgun may call itself a barbers, but it’s a far cry from the traditional institution this word might conjure up: this is no macho hangout offering short back-and-sides, something for the weekend, sir?, and soccer commentaries blaring from TVs mounted next to faded vintage photos of Fabian lookalikes with oiled ’50s quiffs.

That’s not Shotgun’s style at all. To begin with, it’s very much a unisex salon; and with this in mind, we sent in guinea pigs Nell and Louis, a pair of young Bristol professionals who are, we imagine, pretty much Shotgun’s target client base, though I’m also sure that if their mums and dads turned up they’d be equally welcome.

So what were their first impressions of the Bond Street branch?

“It’s very laidback, with cool music and an industrial-looking vibe,” says Nell.

“There’s a DJ deck, and a huge array of vinyl. The owners, John McMahon and Sam Young, told us that they opened here, next to the Bearpit, because they thought it would be the ideal location to catch the passing trade from both Stokes Croft and Cabot Circus; everyone still believes that the Bearpit regeneration will happen at some stage, and this will end up being a cool strip of indies.”Admittedly, at time of going to press this regeneration doesn’t seem exactly imminent, but here’s hoping.

John started in hairdressing and switched to barbering, so he’s always been involved in both industries – and he always had a unisex barbers in mind when he and Sam first opened Shotgun six years ago.

“I’d seen the format in America, and loved the idea of women coming in and sitting with the gents to get their haircut, without any need for booking – though in fact we do offer booking as well. We now employ hairdressers and barbers to take care of all needs.

“One thing that makes us unique is that we charge by length of hair, not by gender ”

“Along with the fact that you can walk in off the street, or book online, another thing that makes us unique, is that we charge by the length of hair, not gender.”

And then there’s that vinyl...“Our Shotgun Sessions music nights have become as legendary as our creative colour team, who are at the forefront of colour in the city.”

So how did our guinea pigs get on? Nell emerged with golden beachy-blonde highlights that would be the envy of an Aussie surf instructor, while the dapper Louis emerged, if possible, with an even sharper take on his normal close-cut and immaculate beard.

Finally, before we go, John; what hair trends trends are you currently loving?

“Colour, colour, colour, the brighter the better. I’m also liking the gents switching it up from the fades to mullets and longer styles...” n

Visiting details Open: Tuesday-Satuurday Prices: Cuts from £20 Highlights from £45 Shotgun Barbers, 20 Bond Street (also on Cotham Hill) 0117 930 0014; www.shotgunbarbers.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 61

MAD ABOUT THE BUOY

Mal Rogers visits a shipshape Cornish town that needs to be on every boat-fancier’s bucket and spade list

great escapes

T

clockwise from opposite page: Don’t know ‘bout you, but we’ve never seen a better view from a dinner table than this one at the Star and Garter; a cosy corner in The Penthouse; bunting comes as standard; our skipper on Jonik; the excellent Maritime Museum; we fail to see how this boat could be more jaunty; that’s an ope

he thing about Cornwall is its offbeat options. It doesn’t take long to find secluded beaches, hidden coves and remote cliffs.

Legends too — and from the very top drawer of mythology. Dozmary Pool on Bodmin Moor is the home of Excalibur – although one has to qualify the word legend here. The Bodmin story is all about magical powers being transferred to King Arthur. Legend has now been downgraded to unexpectedly arriving at the office with custard doughnuts for everybody.

But laidback Cornwall is happy enough with that. Tall stories and tall ships form a wonderful alchemy, along with history, geological happenstance, popular culture, and cuisine. They seem to have thought of everything. And that includes the ancient port of Falmouth.

Most British towns today come with a motto: ‘York; so good they named it once’, type of thing. Falmouth’s kicker is: ‘The spirit of the sea’. Although succinct and accurate, it’s not the whole story. There’s a boho buzz going on here too, and a burgeoning culinary scene.

The sea, of course, is an ever-present backdrop — the town has been at the centre of maritime affairs since navigation began.

In an 1805 newsfeed, the latest goings-on at Trafalgar arrived via the schooner Pickle.

The good news? “England won”. The bad?

“Nelson’s as dead as the proverbial dodo”. Oh well. You can visit the precise spot where this news was imparted; even better, you can take The Heritage Boat Tour from the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, which passes close by.

Talking of dodos, Charles Darwin’s boat HMS Beagle docked here, too. Before landing at Falmouth, Darwin spent five years on board, puzzling over wildlife and fossils. The theory of natural selection was on its way. Darwin got paid just £180 for the publication of On The Origin of Species, but was lucky enough. A respected editor read it and urged Darwin to write a book about pigeons instead. “Everyone is interested in pigeons,” he observed helpfully.

Editors, eh?

Our voyage round the harbour was on board Jonik, a 1930s motor cruiser with just room for eight passenger; a ticket for the boat also gets you inside the museum. Eclectic is way too small a word for this place – as well as stuff on Darwin and tales of Nelson, they’re currently running an exhibition about Titanic.

You’ll already know that the tragedy was down to a relentless application of Murphy’s Law: everything that might conceivably have gone wrong, did. As dawn broke over the Atlantic on the morning of 15 April, 1912, all that was left of the world’s greatest ocean liner were the lifeboats, some flotsam and jetsam, and an oil slick.

But then fake news intervened. The museum’s Titanic Stories exhibition reappraises the myths surrounding the event, such as the band playing Nearer My God To Thee as the ship sank – they weren’t. As the boat listed, it would have been impossible to play anything except maybe a tambourine. What is true, however, is that all eight members of the band perished.

The London Symphony Orchestra had been scheduled to sail on the voyage, too, but plans were changed at the last minute, and the orchestra arrived in the USA on board the less luxurious, but on balance the preferable, RMS Baltic.

Of course, you don’t need a museum to appreciate matters nautical in Falmouth. Any stroll through the town will give you glimpses of the water through the opes – passageways with stone steps between buildings leading down to the water’s edge. You’ll see just about every type of craft here – yawls, ketches, sloops, gigs, pleasure cruises and working boats dredging for wild Fal oysters.

We wandered through the town on a summer’s day. The streets had a jaunty seaside air, with Falmouth’s trademark fluttering bunting and a few murmurations of tourists here and there.

Our destination and shelter for two days, was the Star and Garter, a gastropub within a historic town house on Falmouth’s high street.

Outside, it looks like a classic smuggler’s inn; inside are a handful of beautifully appointed apartments looking out across the Fal River.

Here, I said to myself, is a place I’d like to relax in once in a while, maybe three or four times a week.

The S&G has been taken over by young chef Elliot Thompson and his wife Becca, who run a seriously good restaurant at the back of the ground-floor pub. The predictable nautical décor route of bits of boats everywhere has been eschewed in favour of leathery chairs, dark wood, candlelight, and mesmerising views across the harbour.

If you have the great good fortune to be staying there, you only have to stumble up the stairs, after a memorably good dinner and cocktails, to your rooms – either the first-floor Starboard rooms, the second-floor Penthouse or the Crow’s Nest in the attic. All have a kitchen, sofas and armchairs, views of the harbour and binoculars.

The Star and Garter is a microcosm of Falmouth itself. It’s a great place for dining, drinking, gazing at the sea, being happy. We’d go there as soon as possible, if we were you.

Travel details Star and Garter, 52 High Street, Falmouth Apartments from £155 per night (£120 off season) 01326 316663 www.starandgarter.squarespace.com National Maritime Museum Cornwall Discovery Quay, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3QY www.nmmc.co.uk Further information: www.falmouth.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 63

Would you like to work in Media Sales?

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advertising feature

From crutches to triathlon

F

rom the age of seven I loved doing ballet and gymnastics, and represented my county in gymnastics. But at the age of 19, my knee swelled up to a huge size and no-one was sure why.

It was incredibly painful and I could only walk with crutches. Over the next 20 years I had six operations, from investigating ‘foreign bodies’ to moving the knee cap.

My knee was painful, often excruciatingly so, and left me bedridden for whole days. I was on heavy painkillers, which became less effective the longer I took them.

After the sixth operation which did not bring relief, the consultant said, ‘No more operations, I’m referring you to the rheumatology clinic’.

The rheumatologist gave me hope for the first

Attend a FREE Open Morning To find out about training with CNM Bristol for a career as a naturopathic nutritionist (study in class or online) or a naturopathic acupuncturist, attend our open morning on 10 August, 2019.

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CNM has a 20-year track record training successful practitioners in natural therapies, in class and online. Colleges across the UK and Ireland.

... and it’s all thanks to studying at the College of Naturopathic Medicine, says Angela MacRitchie, graduate in naturopathic nutrition, herbal medicine, and naturopathy time in years. I was prescribed a cocktail of powerful anti-inflammatory drugs which, for the first three months, left me feeling very unwell.

I was persuaded to persist with them and after the three months the change in my knee was noticeable. The swelling went down dramatically for the first time and soon afterwards I was able to dispense with the crutches. The drugs had worked and I was able to walk further than I had done in years.

Two years after going on the anti-inflammatory drugs, which I was told I was likely to have to take for life, I went on holiday and realised I had left them all at home by mistake. The fact that neither my mobility nor my pain levels changed without drugs during that short period encouraged me to consider reducing the medication and investigate other, natural methods, which I began to do. The pain didn’t worsen, and I could still get about, so I didn’t take any more drugs.

At my next check-up the rheumatologist explained that it was extremely unhelpful to reduce the drugs so quickly and below a certain level. I understood, and it’s definitely not something I would ever advise anyone else to do. No responsible practitioner would do so; stopping medication can have dangerous repercussions. When I told the rheumatologist that I was detoxing, which herbs I was taking and what other changes I was making to my lifestyle and diet, he was unimpressed. I told him that I had challenged myself to do a triathlon in two years’ time, to which he replied, ‘No chance’.

But my body increasingly started waking up

and responding again. Two years later, at the age of 46, I successfully completed my first triathlon.

I’m now 50. It’s been six years since I’ve taken any medication. My knee is fine. I’m pain-free and enjoy more mobility than since I was a teenager. The only reason I haven’t done more triathlons is because I’ve completed my studies for three dplomas at CNM: nutrition, naturopathy and herbal medicine.

I learnt amazing facts at CNM which really helped my health. It turned out my blood had no rheumatoid factor markers, so rheumatoid arthritis was never the problem.

It was tough studying for three diplomas and working full time, but everyone at CNM helped me. I now have three clinics offering my clients complete wellbeing packages. As a naturopath I know the importance of giving the body what it needs for healing and returning to balance, and inspiring people to make positive change in their lives.

I don’t have the words to express how much studying at CNM has changed my life. n

College of Naturopathic Medicine Visit naturopathy-uk.com or call 01342 410 505 www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 65

Stick Unchained Melody on loop, and start creating your own feat of clay

Everybody’s gotta learn sometime Unlike your iPhone storage, the human brain has an infinite amount of space – and the more you learn, the more room it makes. So why not feed it with a new skill or knowledge set, at one of Bristol’s many courses and classes?

Words by Louisa Hunt 66 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

ADULT EDUCATION Zoe from Stylemongers helps to create a moodboard

W

hen was the last time you learned something new?

No, not silly little tricks like mastering FaceApp, or working out how to upload gifs into email – but mastering a whole new skill. Something that will push you a little bit, and enrich your life considerably in the process. Who knows? Your new-found hobby may even lead to a change of career.

COLIN MOODY PHOTOGRAPHY If the Martin Parr exhibition of St Pauls Carnival street photography at Arnolfini is inspiring you to pick up the camera (or phone), know this: photojournalist Colin Moody leads groups of all sizes round Stokes Croft, St Pauls, Easton and other areas, showing how to improve your street style while learning a bit about these great communities in the process.

For more: mrcolinmoody@gmail.com

GRAFT WORKSHOPS Learn how to design your own tag, and on a large scale, too. Graft Workshops offer graffiti and mural painting classes, along with tours of Bristol’s street art, for all ages and abilities; you can take a one-to-one or group class, or make it the focus of a hen or stag party; you could even woo a new date with a graffiti couple class.

That’s how Bristol does romance.

For more: www.graftworkshops.co.uk

“You can improve your street photography style while learning a bit about the communities in the process”

VILLAGE POTTERY Venture ten minutes outside of Bristol to Markham Farm and you’ll find The Village Pottery. Throw, fire and glaze your own clay pots at this charming family-run business, where the mantra is ‘get messy and create amazing things’.

For more: www.thevillage pottery.co.uk

BRISTOL UPHOLSTERY COLLECTIVE Revamp a vintage find or a beloved armchair that’s seen better days at Bristol Upholstery Collective, which welcomes crafters at all levels of experience. Leigh-Anne who runs the classes says: ‘The process is enchanting and the results are stunning. What’s more, upholstery

is eco-friendly, using natural materials and upcycling furniture.”

For more: www.bristolupholsterycollective.com STYLEMONGERS Fancy unleashing your inner Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen? Join Zoe’s Saturday master class to inspire your latest interior design project and learn about home styling in a relaxed and informal way.

“The main thing I hope my workshoppers take away is confidence,” Zoe says.

For more: www.stylemongersofbristol.co.uk/workshops M SHED M Shed’s behind-the-scenes tour at Bristol Museums is an opportunity to learn about treasures from the city’s industrial and maritime past, from huge machinery to models. For something steamier, try M Shed’s one-to-one steam crane or train tuition.

For more: www.bristolmuseums.org.uk LIFE DRAWING BRISTOL Beki at Life Drawing Bristol says, “Life drawing is rewarding in many ways – it’s relaxing, cathartic and a way to switch off and be present with something creative.” Classes welcome all abilities, from beginners to practising artists.

For more: www.lifedrawingbristol.co.uk

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bristol print room At the Bristol Print Room you’ll find small classes and plenty of supervision. “Printmaking is a really satisfying activity,” says Steph Renshaw, who runs the courses. “Peeling back the paper from the press to reveal your print for the first time is a really exciting moment.” Contact them for bespoke courses in August, or sign up for lino-printing workshops this September.

For more: www.bristolprintroom.co.uk naturopathic medicine If you’re interested in detoxing and nutrition, head to the College of Naturopathic Medicine to study natural therapy. The college awards diplomas, postgraduate courses and also runs short courses. Naturopathy uses the healing power of nature as an alternative to traditional medicines.

For more: www.naturopathy-uk.com love art Love Art Classes run fun, friendly adult art classes in north Bristol, with courses for beginners, improvers and advanced levels. “Our students make great progress and have a lot of fun,” they say. All supplies are provided, which is a considerable bonus.

For more: www.loveartclasses.co.uk st pauls learning centre Wish you’d tried a bit harder at school? Join the vibrant and creative community that is St Paul’s Learning Centre; there’s a host of subjects and classes available for adults, and workspaces and workshops are affordable and accessible. Brush up on maths, English and history, or get crafty with classes in stained glass, photography and woodwork.

For more: www.stpaulsc.co.uk stoke lodge There’s an abundance of classes to try at the weekday and weekend courses at Stoke Lodge, too. Up your game in art, bridge, French, gardening or willowcraft, or try your hand at floristry, papercraft, jewellery and woodwork.

There are workplace skill classes, too; if you’d rather stick pins in your eyes than give a presentation, Stoke Lodge’s public speaking course builds confidence and skills.

For more: www.bristolcourses.com bristol school of performing art The School provides the highest standard of teaching from industry professionals in dance, drama and singing. Fame! (etc).

For more: www.baspa.biz gift frippery Let Amanda White teach you everything from neat giftwrapping to next-level embellishing.

A two-hour workshop involves a mixture of demonstrations and hands-on learning. Endless tea and cake likely to feature, too.

For more: www.giftfripery.co.uk

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ADULT EDUCATION

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Go behind the scenes and get

hands-on at M Shed; We’re not saying you’ll ever take pics as good as Colin Moody’s, but he’ll definitely show you how to up your game; willow weaving and craft upholstery at Stoke Lodge; is there a more Bristol activity than attended a graft workshop?

“Chloe Savage has worked with some of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses”

MAKEY MAMAS Makey Mamas offer creative workshops for pregnant women and mums of young babies. This is a chance to learn new skills, relax, socialise and make lovely things. Our personal favourite? Cast your own baby bump, sure to embarrass your teenager later.

For more: www.makeymamas.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE At International House, it is possible to learn English language as well as a range of modern languages from Greek to Mandarin, Arabic and French. Join group courses, conversation classes or one-to-ones, at this friendly language school based in Clifton.

For more: www.ihbristol.com

SWEET CUMIN Delve into Sweet Cumin’s hands-on classes to learn more about different spices and tasty authentic Indian food. Cook up a storm with Indian breadmaking courses, the Royal adventure course, or East meets West courses, with half- and full-day classes available.

For more: www.sweetcumin.co.uk

WESSEX SCHOOL OF NEEDLEWORK Stitch yourself a BTEC, GCSE or A level qualification at the Wessex School of Needlework. You’ll learn embroidery the couture way, as the school is run by Chloe Savage, who has worked with the some of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses.

For more: www.facebook.com/WessexNeedleworkSchool

MARITIME ACADEMY Stay afloat this summer at Bristol Maritime Academy; gain an extra qualification or begin your career in the marine industry. Join the academy’s BTEC in sailing and water sports, or take part in an industrial working course on water and safety.

For more: www.bristolmaritimeacademy.co.uk

BRISTOL FOLK HOUSE Week-long summer schools and a 12-week term starting in September. Classes include jewellery making, woodwork, fitness lessons and much more; while you’re there, enjoy coffee and cake at the excellent community café, and tune into their live music events.

That’s all, folks. ■ For more: www.bristolfolkhouse.co.uk

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RYA Powerboat Courses in Bristol Maritime Leisure, Education, Careers

bristolmaritime.co.uk t: 01179 291153 contact@bristolmaritime.co.uk

An exclusive, purpose built, climate controlled, prestige car storage facililty.

Bespoke Car Storage | www.chatham-vault.co.uk | 07780 531 504

SNAPPED AC ROSS BR IS TO L , O N E SH I N D I G AT A T I M E

Izzy Salva

Elaine Hollerhead

Laura Brealey

Jamie Butt

Lee Nathan Alistair Currie

SUMMER IN THE CITY

. . . which means it must be time for the Bristol Life summer party, held in the grand surroundings of Harbour Hotel on Corn Street. Thanks to all who came to mingle!

Photos by @JonCraig_Photos

Anna Kilcooley, Emily Ross and Daniel Ross Keith Judd, Hannah Redden, Lisa Riddoch, Hemali Modha and Oren Adani

Rob Reeves, Greg Halse and Evelina Jankauskyte

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Nathan Lee, Kevin Stokes, Freddy Bird, Josh Eggleton and Dean Edwards

Guy Siddall

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

Chris Jones Mel Base and Stephane Clerc

Wapping Wharf got even tastier when izakaya-style bar and diner Seven Lucky Gods opened on the first floor of Cargo 2, kicking off with a launch party for the great, the good, and, oh yeah, the Bristol media . . . www.7luckygods.com Photos by @JonCraig_Photos

Jack Briggs

Christopher Colquhoun with Cleo Lake

Edson Burton (middle) and Colin Moody with guest

Empire Fighting Chance staff Tom Morris, Miles Chambers and guest

ONE NIGHT IN KING STREET

Cassius Clay, Sam Cooke, Malcolm X and Jim Brown, all alive and well in the same room? It had to be One Night in Miami press night at Bristol Old Vic... www.bristololdvic.org.uk Photos by @JonCraig_Photos

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The cast of One Night in Miami

SOCIETY

Senior partner David Boniface addressing guests

David Snart

Jessica Richards

Sam Hardy, Kirsten Thompson, Kerry Graham, Jack Harries and Lloyd Maynard

STRICTLY LEGAL

Ince Metcalfes held an early summer party at Mud Dock Café for clients and friends.

They were also celebrating a change of name, which sees the law firm further strengthening its relationship with Ince Gordon Dadds by joining its international network. www.incemetcalfes.com Photos by @JonCraig_Photos

Robin Jackson and Hannah Jackson

Dan Macey and Ben Couch

Steve Sheldon and Sarah Strippel Dean Ward, Helen Manning and Dan Macey

BUILDING CONNECTIONS

Olly Brokenshire and Paula Baleson

Taylor Lewis held a construction professionals party for attendees of the annual CIH conference in Bristol at Revolution Bar. www.taylorlewis.co.uk Photos by @JonCraig_Photos

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SOCIETY

SPACE TO PRO-WORK

Origin Workspace, Bristol’s first space dedicated to ‘proworking’, aimed at entrepreneurs, startups and scale-up businesses, held a launch party at its offices at Berkeley Square. www.originworkspace.co.uk Heather Frankham and Peaches Golding cut the ribbon

Rob Hingston addressing the crowd

Paul Appleby, Heather Frankham and Jamie Breese

Chris Goodfellow, Rob Hingston, Dan Martin and Ollie Edwards

HI, NRG...

Ron and Jan Stagg

Cook & Co solicitors relaunched – in both the business and nautical sense of the word – as Neath Raisbeck Golding Law, at a special event held at Underfall Yard. www.nrglaw.co.uk

Mario Dolcezza and Marc Lucas-Arbuthnot Latham

David Woodward (left) Tim Stevenson (right)

Mike Strong-Saffery Champness, Jon and Jill Reakes and guests www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 77

FUNKY GIBBONS

Queen Square marketing agency Sprague Gibbons celebrated its 25th anniversary with a Silver Gala-themed party at Bristol Old Vic. Over 130 guests tucked into the champagne and canapĂŠs, marvelled at magician Seiko, played with a giant Scalextric set and had their portrait done by Lucie Sheridan. www.spraguegibbons.co.uk Team SG

James Durie

Peter Gibbons with FRANK Water team, including Katie Alcott MBE

Sarah Asprey

John Milne

Stephen Robertson, Sue Mountstevens and magician Sieko

Manu Basu, Ed Dodds and Marie Hodgson

Peter and Jane Gibbons

LONG TABLE

A spectacular gala dinner was held at the Old Fire Station to raise money for LandAid. Forget round tables and black tie; guests tasted street food from around the world before swapping their heels for dancing shoes. www.landaid.org Photos by @JonCraig_Photos

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advertising feature

Meet the dog groomer

Summer’s the tangliest time of year for dog fur, with hedgerows, burrs and other walkie-related hazards taking their toll on their fur. Who you gonna call?

Simone Bennett

Emily Rose & Lucy Synge

Dog Grooming by Simone 07720832265; www.doggroomingbysimone.com How long have you been a pet groomer?

Eleven years.

What is the most enjoyable part of your job?

I love seeing the dogs wag their tail and the happy look in their eyes after they have had a grooming session.

Have you got any top tips to help keep our dog’s fur in good condition?

Ensure that your dog eats a well-balanced diet, and if they are a long-coated breed brush them on a regular basis.

How long does it take to groom a dog?

Each dog and breed vary, but on average two hours.

How do you deal with anxious dogs?

I am a qualified dog reiki practitioner so I use reiki and dog meditation music to help them relax – some dogs fall asleep!

What other services can you offer?

Ultrasonic teeth cleaning for dogs and all other pets.

Nail clipping for rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds. Home grooming.

Is there anything else you think we need to know?

I specialise in grooming anxious dog, I hold qualifications in dog behaviour, nutrition and I am dog first-aid trained.

the dog room 0117 973 8617; www.thedogroombristol.co.uk

Simone Bennett Lucy Synge & Emily Rose

Anna O’Neil

The Dog Shop & Spa 0117 301 8928; www.thedogshopbristol.co.uk How long have you been a dog groomer?

I’ve been grooming dogs full time for over seven years.

What is the most enjoyable part of your job?

Dog grooming is an incredibly rewarding job, the best part being seeing the transformation from the dog that first walks into the salon to the smart, happy dog that walks out, along with a big smile on the owner’s face.

Have you got any top tips to help keep our dog’s fur in good condition?

My top tip is to think about your dog’s hair as if it was your own hair; your hair needs thoroughly brushing and combing everyday to keep away those tangles.

How long does it take to groom a dog?

Length of groom depends on each individual dog, their size, coat condition, and temperament/behaviour, but the average groom is about two hours.

My dog’s fur is extremely matted – What can you do?

Unfortunately if a dog’s coat is badly matted then the kindest option for the dog and the best option for the coat, is to clip it short and start again. I practise ‘humanity not vanity’.

What stands you above your competition?

We have a wonderful shop with everything you could want for your dog and pride ourselves on our warm and friendly environment.

What is the most enjoyable part of your job?

L: I just love being able to spend each day surrounded by dogs and making sure that they enjoy their time with us just as much.

What particular breed of dog do you prefer to groom?

E: Maybe I shouldn’t admit to having a favourite, but I do have a soft spot for bichon frises as I can really put my scissor skills to work.

Have you for any top tips to help keep my dog’s fur in good condition?

E&L: You should brush your dog regularly at home, and good food and exercise contribute to a healthy coat too. Talk with your groomer to establish a regular grooming schedule to best suit your dog’s individual needs.

How do you deal with anxious dogs?

E&L: We work at each dog’s individual pace, adjusting our handling accordingly, and always giving lots of reassurance and praise. Even the most nervous of dogs are significantly more relaxed after their time at The Dog Room.

What stands you above your competition?

E&L: We care for each dog that comes through our doors as our own, and our years of experience and qualifications mean that we provide the best possible care and groom for your pet.

Sam Machin

Sam’s woof wash 0117 957 5792; www.samswoofwash.co.uk

Anna O’Neil Sam Machin

How long have you been a dog groomer?

I have been a dog groomer for 14 years, launching Sams Woof Wash in 2011.

What is the most enjoyable part of your job?

What makes my job enjoyable are the dogs. Each dog I groom is special in so many ways, every day I meet a new friend, I prefer to say hobbie not job as I never really feel like I’m at work.

How do you deal with anxious dogs?

Dealing with anxious dogs in a positive way is important to me. Reassuring and keeping the dog calm helps to keep the experience be as positive as possible What other services can you offer?

As well as a full grooming service we also offer Emmi pet ultrasound teeth-cleaning which is extremely popular with owners of older dogs. We also do upgraded spa treatments and we also have a natural pet treat section.

What stands you above your competition?

I have the best team around me, amazing customers who support us in all our charity events and fantastic five-star reviews – I couldn’t ask for more! We are all passionate about giving a five-star service, and every single member of my staff dedicates their time to charity.

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It’s the city’s business

bRISTOLworks This issue >>Aki Sano, Cookpad (84) >>Paul Phillips Business Club (86) >>Big Business news and round-ups (89)

Capturing the city’s business buzz

Welcome to the start of a new era

Bristol Life has always celebrated the best of Bristol, and become the city’s number-one source of inspiration for getting the most out of everything on offer. Now we are extending the ambition and reach of our business coverage, to explore even more about the city and what makes it tick as a centre for enterprise, innovation and excellence.

We’ll be telling stories about every aspect of this great city as a place of work and of collaboration and creativity. Bristol has so many aspects to it, whether the focus is on its world-class and evolving technology scene, its thriving financial and professional services, its food-and-drink businesses, the city’s advanced engineering and aerospace fame, its lead in low carbon or on the strong and growing links between our universities and businesses.

With certain challenges like transport infrastructure and suitable housing and workspace always in the headlines, we’ll also be exploring just how the city will continue to thrive and succeed in the years ahead. There’s a huge amount of ground to cover, in order to do justice to the working life of the city, but that’s part of the excitement.

Our freshly minted business pages can be found under the banner BristolWorks. We like the name because it’s optimistic and broad enough in its scope to take in more than companies and corporates. For Bristol to keep blossoming as a place of work, the public and private sectors must work together effectively and nourish each other, and the city’s not-for-profits, educational institutions and social enterprises need the right support too. We’ll be shining a light on all this, and more.

Stories & ideas to share?

We’ve seen municipal parks with fewer trees; Bristol and Bath Science Park

How well do you know the city’s business communities, its institutions and its hubs?

Here are a few selected highlights to get you started:

the University of Bristol. Seven buildings will soon go up on a parcel of land right alongside Temple Meads.

Temple Quarter

A Bristol City Council-backed facility and the largest dedicated film and TV studio space in the West of England.

It offers offer eight stages of flexible space, including a giant green screen studio.

Future Space

Bristol & Bath Science Park

The National Composites Centre

(including the forthcoming University of Bristol Enterprise Campus) is a 100-hectare enterprise zone in the city centre around Temple Meads.

Enterprise zones drive growth with incentives to businesses, such as business rates relief, as well as simplified planning and superfast broadband.

There are infrastructure and community projects aplenty in Temple Quarter, including a £300m Enterprise Campus for

Bottle Yard Studios

is found on a 24-hectare site at Emersons Green, this is home to buildings and facilities that support science and technology companies, with main buildings including the

Get in touch with our business editor, the experienced business writer and event host Christian Annesley at christian.annesley@ mediaclash.co.uk

Forum, the Innovation Centre and the Grow On Centre. The NCC is also on site, and the largest single tenant in its own purpose-built facility. is The University of the West of England’s University Enterprise Zone on its Frenchay campus.

It has offices, workshops and lab space for science and techbased businesses.

opened in June 2011 on the site of the Bristol and Bath Science Park. Led by the University of Bristol (UWE), with key aerospace and advanced

manufacturing partners, its aim is to develop new technologies for the design and rapid manufacture of high-quality composite products. The combination of academic and business strengths speeds progress from lab to design to factory.

office of the LEP. Set in Brunel’s original train station, Engine Shed aims to drive inward investment, create jobs and encourage a new generation of high growth businesses.

Engine Shed 2 is also now in development.

Engine Shed

is based at UWE’s Frenchay campus and is the most comprehensive academic centre for multi-disciplinary robotics research in the UK. It is a collaborative partnership between UWE Bristol and the University of Bristol, and home to over 300 academics, researchers and industry practitioners.

is a collaboration between Bristol City Council, UWE and the West of England LEP; an enterprise hub providing workspace for high-tech, creative and low carbon businesses. It is also home to the West of England’s inward investment service, Invest Bristol and Bath, and the head

Bristol Robotics Lab

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THE BRISTOLWORKS INTERVIEW

Big in Japan – and now getting bigger thanks to Bristol

Recipe for growth

By C H R I S T I A N A N N E S L E Y

It’s two years since the Japanese recipes-app business Cookpad landed in Bristol with explicit go-global ambitions. What’s the journey been like so far?

H

ow do you choose a global HQ for a food tech business that’s big in Japan but has world markets on its mind?

For Cookpad’s board – and its founder and main shareholder, Aki Sano – the decision was a few

years in the making, including a stint Sano spent working with a team in California. But the ultimate choice to pick Bristol and open an operation here in the second half of 2017 came down to wanting a European and English-speaking base, and a liveable, attractive city

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where food and tech cultures both thrive.

“It’s been non-stop since we plumped for Bristol,” says Barbara Kennerley, who has headed up Cookpad’s recruitment drive here in the city. “We set ourselves a plan to grow to 100 staff, and we have got there very quickly while setting the bar high in terms of quality in a competitive market. We are up against the tech giants like Google and Facebook when we recruit for world-class developers, so we need to demonstrate a strong culture and be proud of all that we offer.”

Tech companies are used to scaling up fast to go after new markets, but Cookpad’s growth and investment in

Bristol is still striking. It’s a company that’s made a few acquisitions here and there since being taken public in Japan ten years ago, but still essentially has a single product – a recipe-sharing app that builds community and shared knowhow for its users along the way.

While Japan accounts for more than half of its revenues today, the company’s ambition is to realise the global potential of its product, and that imposes a different set of demands, requiring a breadth of talents and backgrounds.

Bristol, now very definitely annointed as the global headquarters of Cookpad, is leading the app’s evolution across many countries and languages, and change and growth has

bristolworks Fast Facts Cookpad been continuous since Cookpad hit the ground running two summers ago.

“We are still hiring for roles like product design, but with 100 staff now and our offices having taken shape, the core of what we need here is now in place,” adds Kennerley.

While about three-fifths of Cookpad’s recruited staff at its thoughtfully designed home near Old Market are technologists of one sort or another, the culture of the business is more about food and community than about tech, with attractive kitchens sprinkled throughout.

“When Aki Sano, the founder, set up Cookpad over 20 years ago, food and sharing ideas – and getting people cooking again with relish – was what drove him. The app and technology generally is the enabler, but making a social change for the better was always what came first,” says Jo White, who oversees communications for Cookpad.

“First and foremost, we are about people enjoying cooking and about community. That’s what we want our staff to feel inspired by, as well as by all the elements of the technology challenge we are setting ourselves.”

A look around Cookpad’s offices says a lot about the company, its culture and its ambitions. On the ground floor there’s a dramatic, airy presentation kitchen, where staff can dip into the well-stocked larder and cook up their own feasts, as well as all coming together on a Wednesday lunchtime for some shipped-in soup from a local supplier.

“We use the space for events, and invite in speakers, but also it brings staff together. From day to day it is somewhere that staff members can just come and work,” says White.

Forging links with the wider Bristol tech and food communities has very much been on the agenda since Cookpad opened its doors. White says the kitchen is a great space for

Founded 22 years ago in Japan

by Aki Sano, since 2009 it has been listed on the Tokyo stockmarket It opened its doors in Bristol in summer 2017 On average almost 100 million users around the world use the app every month 5.5 million recipes have been created on the platform Today it’s available in 74 countries around the world, in 31 languages, with more planned Almost 700 people work at Cookpad: about 400 in Tokyo and 300 across the rest of the world, with a headcount of 100 in Bristol. There are also offices in Spain, India, Greece, Taiwan, Russia, Indonesia, Hungary and Lebanon The Bristol office has 30 nationalities

that mission, while the growing team has also been busy getting out to conferences and participating in meetups and networking across the city and far beyond.

“There is so much happening in Bristol around tech, and we are right in the mix and getting involved with the city’s meet-ups and tech networking. It’s great to share what we are doing and to learn from others.

It’s also a way to spread the word, since we aren’t especially well known outside Japan, even if that’s starting to change.”

The city’s food scene, equally, is something that matters to Cookpad, whether staff are sourcing from local suppliers for their own needs on site

or buying in organic veg boxes in numbers for staff to grab a companysupported bargain. Hart’s Bakery, the well-known artisan bakers based under the arches by Temple Meads, is one outfit Cookpad has connected with, for example, getting the bakery’s stellar pastries delivered for staff every Friday.

One thing that’s also clear, in visiting Cookpad, is that the details matter and the company is doing things its own way. That’s evident in all the spaces that company has developed, to create the best working environment for staff and to signal how much people matter. And it comes across in the flat hierarchy and the democratic culture, too. The founder, Aki, keeps out of the media spotlight, and my visit sees plenty of introductions and longer chats with two of those in senior strategic roles, rather than being a one-on-one tucked away out of view of staff.

“With tech, getting where you want to be is a team game,” adds White.

“We want those who work here to feel passionate about the mission, and for that to happen we have to work at finding a connection between each individual’s personal drives and where the business is headed. Every time, that’s a personal connection, rather than being something that just happens.

“One of our techies in Indonesia was saying recently that what excites him in particular is working on a product that is used by hundreds of millions,” add White. “As an engineer, that gets him going. We do understand, and I think Aki has always emphasised it too, that the journey we are on as a company isn’t about the company so much as about the staff and about the communities of sharing we have enabled. It is about individuals being their best. In Bristol, that’s what we are aiming for and it feels like we’ve made a good start.” www.cookpadteam.com

Aki Sano’s founding vision Ideas that shaped Cookpad “Three things that can create significant change in society are technology, people’s beliefs and politics.”

“I like grassroots movements but I see top-down decision-making as very limited. It often has a negative impact.”

“I hate judging something without having first-hand knowledge of it.

That doesn’t get you anywhere: I believe you learn by doing.”

“Food is undervalued [in industrialised societies] and cooking is part of that. When we choose to cook, it’s a choice that has an impact on ourselves, the people we cook for, the growers and producers we buy from and the wider environment.

I figured if I could help people to enjoy everyday cooking then I would have a positive impact on the world.”

I

was expelled twice, actually”: it’s not something you would expect from the principal of a thriving further education college, but that’s the admission with which Weston College supremo Paul Phillips kicked off our latest lunchtime interview.

“I was 12 the first time, and banished for an accumulation of lessthan-perfect actions. The second time around, fighting was the issue. So, yes, I’ve seen both sides of the coin when it comes to education!”

Despite these inauspicious beginnings, Phillips says a few inspiring teachers also noticed his potential. One headmaster noted his verve and said he could have sold sand to the Arabs if he applied himself.

“Once I was through the school system, I got a job in a hotel in west Wales and it was only later on that I sorted out the gaps in my education with night school and then a scholarship to Cardiff University, where I completed a degree in maths, IT and economics.”

THE ROLE OF HIS LIFE Fast forward to 2001, and a varied career in IT management followed by a series of ever more senior college roles set up Phillips to take on the position that has defined his working life, it’s safe to say. That initial transition into education, though, was all kicked off by a stint teaching maths, which he loved. He says he’s never really looked back.

“I suppose I had a record of achievement when I took over, but I was still conscious there was much to do. I was a big ask,” says Phillips.

“In 2001, Weston College was in a weak position financially, with a multi-million-pound deficit on turnover of about £8m, and it had a poor academic profile, too. Ofsted had judged it inadequate in all categories.

But still, I could see the possibilities.”

NINE OUT OF TEN Phillips started off, like all good chief execs facing a tricky situation, by rolling up his sleeves and doing the essential analysis. What was weak about the set-up, and what elements might be restructured for immediate gain?

“It took 12 weeks to do that first pass.

It showed that in managerial terms the college was struggling, but it had some great staff members who just needed a stronger context to have an impact.”

Phillips took the hard call immediately: faced with ten managers with a mixed record of achievement, he got rid of nine and started again with some new blood.

“That one I kept on is still with us, I should add,” says Phillips. “He runs the University Centre we’ve now established.”

PRIZES, PLAUDITS, PERFORMANCE The scale of the college’s turnaround over the course of 18 years under Phillips is remarkable, let’s be clear.

Turnaround is up around £60m these days, the college is Ofsted ‘outstanding’ and it is the winner of multiple educational plaudits recognising national excellence.

How has this transformation been achieved exactly? What’s so

BUSINESS CLUB

GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME Our latest Bristol Life Business Club interview saw Weston College CEO Dr Paul Phillips talking on the turnaround in its fortunes and his own unconventional start in education

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bristolworks

profoundly changed in the college’s DNA? “Any organisation is defined by its people and how they perform,” says Phillips. “You start there on any journey of improvement. Individuals, however good they are and however much potential they have, also need that injection of self-belief among people to be at their best. It took about two years from taking over to start to see the fruits of the change I tried to instill, with a decent Ofsted and more, and the whole shift also started with celebrations. You celebrate the success of your learners. You celebrate your staff and you recognise all they are achieving.”

It is something Phillips has held onto throughout his tenure. Even now, staff are recognised in big ceremonies the college puts on.

“We do proper awards evenings, sometimes with family members too, and we make it memorable – something genuinely special.”

As the college and its community has transformed from struggling to succeeding, Phillips says taking new opportunities soon became second nature for staff across the organisation.

“As you all gain in confidence, there’s a virtuous circle that gets ingrained. There is a consistent ethos you start to see, and learners believe in a brighter future at the same time.

For staff, it soon translates into going after new opportunities – and then grabbing them.”

What’s the plan?

What Phillips is talking about in part is a business-minded approach to winning new contracts that is clearly now pervasive. Staff can come to him with a business plan or a tender opportunity to target, and if it stacks up they are free to run with it.

“That’s a message I make sure everyone has received. If you like the

look of an opportunity, take it. Show me your plan, make sure it stacks up, and I will back you.”

Contracts to deliver educational programmes in prisons is one area where the college has excelled in recent years. When it first went after the opportunity there were losses, but within 18 months it was contributing to the bottom line as well as changing the profile of the college by better meeting its social responsibilities.

“We have just won a £10m prison contract that runs for five years.

These are big pieces of complex work we are delivering, and rewarding in social terms.”

Working with business Next to this, the college’s engagement with businesses is also growing. Here, Phillips emphasises that off-the-shelf doesn’t work and every business relationship is precious.

“Right now we are engaging with Rolls-Royce about apprenticeships.

Next week it will be something entirely different. We start by engaging in a detailed way and understand the need, and work from there. Different sectors, different geographies, different timelines – it can all be accommodated but it is always bespoke.”

If the idea of apprenticeships conjures up images of youngsters fresh out of school, Phillips says the reality for most businesses is that most are not new starters.

“Upskilling is where companies want support, and for their established staff even more so than newcomers. We might be working on digital, financial or management skills just as much as something technical. I think that’s one preconception that services firms need to let go of, in fact – apprenticeships are just for technical and manual disciplines.”

A bigger picture There’s so much happening at Weston today that it feels natural to wonder at times where a conventional A-level programme fits.

“A-levels are always important and delivering them matters greatly, but it all fits into a much bigger picture than many might think. We have five campuses now, remember. There are 30,000 students engaging with us, and 4,000 of these are 16- to 19-year-olds in full-time education. So you see that

is just a piece in the puzzle. Whatever we are doing, though, we always have that ethos of putting the learner first. That connects everything, even in a world of market forces. We are running a business, yes, but with learning as the highest priority. When it comes to governance, we never forget that.

For more www.weston.ac.uk The next Bristol Life Business Club is on 12 September at Avon Gorge Hotel, with Loungers founder Alex Reilley in interview

BRISTOLWORKS

SIX KEY FACTS ABOUT THE REGION 1 4.4m population – similar in size, as the report notes, to the Greater Copenhagen-Skåne region (linking cities in Denmark and Sweden) 2 Two major arteries – rail and road – run across the region: the M4 and the Great Western rail line. There’s an intersecting north-south axis along the M5 and Cross Country Rail 3 £107bn economy, with Gross Value Added (GVA) per head of £24,428 – higher than the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine 4 Seven cities – Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Gloucester, Newport, Swansea and Swindon

Bristol ‘could drive a Great Western Powerhouse’

5 Three city regions – West of England, Cardiff Capital and Swansea Bay, with potential for a fourth, Central Gloucestershire 6 High economic connectivity – commuting levels between the Cardiff Capital and Swansea Bay city regions are similar to those between Leeds City Region and Greater Manchester; between Swindon and Wiltshire and the West of England these are even higher

Can Bristol work even harder economically, and have a bigger voice, if it collaborates as part of a wider city region to compete against the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine movements?

T

he question was first raised in February 2015, with the launch of the Great Western Cities initiative

by Bristol, Cardiff and Newport. Now it has been given another push, on different terms, with the publication this month of a Metrodynamics report showcased at a House of Lords reception.

The Great Western Powerhouse is the label being given to describe a cross-border area along the M4 from Swindon to Swansea, and the intersecting M5 axis through Bristol and north to Tewkesbury. It is promoted by its supporters, the city authorities of Bristol, Newport and Cardiff, as a powerhouse waiting to happen.

What are the reasons for revisiting the idea and giving it a new spin?

The report puts forward five key developments in recent years that have moved the goalposts: £ The West of England Devolution Deal, Cardiff Capital Region City

Deal and the Swansea Bay City Deal have all been implemented. This is important, the councils argue, because a regional powerhouse needs strong metro city governments behind it. £ The Gloucestershire Vision 2050 report has proposed a new city region connecting Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. The Central Gloucestershire City Region could grow to a population of 520,000 by 2050. £ Since December 2018 tolls have gone from the Severn Bridge. This has accelerated cross-border economic connections between the metro areas both sides of the bridge. £ The Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine have established themselves as formidable regional groupings. The West needs its own play to attract funding and attention. £ The UK economy is being reshaped

by Brexit, and global trends in industry and manufacturing are changing.

Regional action can address four big industrial challenges that we all face

Phil Smith

– artificial intelligence (AI) and data, clean growth, ageing society, and the future of mobility. There are great strengths in advanced manufacturing in the West, but industry changes fast now, so mobilising to respond is crucial.

Flowing from these developments, a handful of recommendations are made in the report, including: £ Develop a joined-up Great Western industrial strategy, including support to connect deprived communities to opportunity £ National Infrastructure Commission should work with the region on road and rail strategy £ A productivity and innovation observatory should be established, linked to the seven Research Councils in Swindon. £ Develop a clear brand to promote the outlined Great Western region £ Create an authority to agree plans and timescales to get the programme underway.

Phil Smith, managing director for the South West business support group Business West, is strongly behind the idea. “The Great Western Powerhouse is a fantastic opportunity for Bristol and the West of England to leverage the joint economic assets of our close neighbours and to be part of something bigger,” he told Bristol Life.

“There is no doubt that if we are to be a major economic force we will need to find creative, sustainable ways to join up and collaborate across boundaries.”

Smith, though, cautioned that partnerships are successful only if they are partnerships of the willing – and every mooted participant needs to make it work. “It provides a platform for Bristol and the West of England to command greater attention in central government.

That’s what you want in order to be first in the queue when it comes to investment.”

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 89

PROPERTY A PL ACE TO C ALL HOME

ON THE WATERFRONT Fancy becoming part of the vibrant new Phase Two at Wapping Wharf ?

Better get your skates on, then...

By Lisa Warren

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 91

A property place to call home

I

t seems only yesterday that we were watching the first foundations being laid, and the main public launch still isn’t until September, but 26 homes at Phase Two of Wapping Wharf have already gone under offer. It’s really not hard to understand the appeal of these apartments, for singles, couples, families and downsizers alike: it seems as if half of Bristol’s rushing to become a part of the Wharf.

Indeed, we’re told that nearly all the new buyers are already living in the city, proving how enthusiastically Bristol has taken this new area to its heart; many buyers have been waiting patiently for an opportunity to buy here for quite some time, and can’t wait to become a part of the vibrant harbourside neighbourhood with its buzzy waterfront vibe and small, independent cafés, shops and restaurants – there’s probably more variety to the square foot here than in any other part of Bristol.

In keeping with the historic dockside location and the Phase One design, the new development has an industrial, wharf-like character.

Many apartments have balconies overlooking the new streets or internal garden courtyards; inside, airy vaulted ceilings and terraces feature in many of the top-floor apartments.

The homes, which range from one- to three-bedroom apartments and penthouses, will be housed in two five- and six-storey blocks called Abel Yard and Hope Quay, with interiors designed by Alec French architects. The restored early 19th century Gaol Gate is set to become an impressive new public entrance to Wapping Wharf, opening onto a square flanked by residents’ communal gardens.

All in all, do we really need to suggest you register early to avoid disappointment? n

92 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

property

CGIs of how Phase Two will look; interiors will be designed

by Alec French Architects, who created the show homes in Phase One, shown here

apartment details Open-plan living/kitchen/dining areas Bedrooms 1-3 Guide price From ÂŁ260k Where Wapping Wharf What else?

The Phase Two private sale homes are being developed in a joint venture by Umberslade and Muse Developments.

There is still time to register your interest at: www.wappingwharfliving.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 93

BRISTOL LIVES I AM YOUR FARRRMER!

you were a young Jedi knight.

Where did it all go wrong?

your giant head floating a few hundred feet above it?

Oh, bad luck!

But you’re much more evil. And tbh, all that heavy breathing does sound a bit frightening…

I was lured to the dark side of the Force by Palpatine and became a Sith Lord.

No, to be honest, I much preferred being evil. And alive.

What’s your favourite bit of the entire Star Wars franchise?

Apart from waving a light sabre around like some massive futuristic phallus, probably getting to say “I am your father” to Luke. His little face!! LOL!

Well, this is exciting: I don’t think we’ve ever had a Dark Lord on these pages before.

For those unfamiliar with the interminable Star Wars universe, can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us what you do?

At the height of my evil powers I was Lord Darth Vader, commander of the Imperial Fleet in the Galactic Empire. Before that I was Anakin Skywalker, Jedi knight. Now I’m just dead, following some misplaced heroics in Episode IV.

The Galactic Empire? Where’s that to, then?

In a galaxy far, far away; I’m embarrassed you needed to ask.

… and exactly like a balloon burner firing up. So basically, the sound of the Bristol summer.

Any West County locations that you’d hesitate to fly over?

Tauntaun. Wookie Hole.

Chybucca. Otherwise, all good.

David Prowse played you in the film, but didn’t do the voice.

Why not?

How many Tusken Raiders can you fit into a hot air balloon?

None taken. Lord Vader, your cultural impact has been immense; psychiatrists have even used you as an example when explaining borderline personality disorders to patients

Favourite restaurant?

Do you think I’d have been voted the number one screen villain of all time with a Bristol accent? It’s Darth Vader, not Darth Farmer.

No offence.

Why, exactly, do we need this to happen? Well, to begin with, the Darth Vader special shape balloon was built in Bedminster

by Cameron Balloons, but while it’s toured the world it’s never flown in Bristol. Unfair! Secondly, the actor who first played Vader was Bristol’s David Prowse.

Basically, we own this Dark Lord.

Bristol Balloon Fiesta is now attempting to raise the £10,000 required to bring the Vader ballon home. At the end of the feature you’ll find out how to get involved; but first off, read our exclusive interview with the guy who inspired it all.

Bring the force.

You’ve had Stuart at the Fiesta for several years now without anyone turning into a bright yellow minion.

I’d take exception to the word ‘borderline’. Please.

Any major regrets? That moment on Cloud City, for example, when you cut off your son’s hand…

You know what they say: whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

And losing the odd body part never did me any harm.

Apart from the total reliance on 24/7 life support thing

Well, yes, apart from that.

I don’t like to think about Tusken Raiders; they ruined my life.

Also their home planet is a sandy wasteland, and if there’s one thing I hate it’s sand. Plays havoc with my respiratory vent.

Cantina.

Cargo?

Mos Eisley.

Pit of Sarlacc, or the Bearpit?

Well, as I said previously I don’t really like sand. So I think I’d have to choose the Bearpit.

What do you never leave home without?

My cybernetic internal organ replacement device, my vision enhancement receptors, and my big black cloak.

Any secret skills?

Can kill with a mere look.

Most regrettable habit?

The killing with a mere look thing.

Can we call you Anakin?

Tell us a bit about the Vader balloon coming to Bristol. Is this the only Star Wars hot air balloon in the world?

A green-coloured Yoda floating about in the skies there also is.

If you see me flying above you, please don’t fire a blaster pistol at me. I’m good now, remember?

OK, moving on… your career began so promisingly when

Is Bristol in danger of being turned to the dark side by

www.fundsurfer.com/crowdfund/ bristolinternationalballoonfiesta

Not unless you want a smack from my artificial cyborg lower arm.

98 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Any final message?