Bristol Life - Issue 271

Food/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property ISSUE 271 / AUTUMN 2019 / £3

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ISSUE 271 / AUTUMN 2019 / AUTUMN LEAVES

T H E C E N T R A L LI NE G LE

T,

A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE CITY

ES D VI C

Waits Farm Barns.

There are two detached barn conversions and two new build properties which have been designed to mirror the original agricultural barns. Placement in a courtyard setting creates a sense of community and privacy which respects the surrounding nature. Each property is brilliantly unique in its layout and design, finished to a high standard throughout.

Only 3 properties remaining.

“An exceptional development of just four properties.�

Waits Farm Barns, Knightcott Road, Banwell, BS29 6HR Jessie Rowe 0117 317 1973 jessie.rowe@knightfrank.com

Francine Watson 0117 317 1986 francine.watson@knightfrank.com

knightfrank.co.uk

Editor’s letter

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32 Where there’s a quill there’s a way: a new version of Cyrano at Bristol Old Vic

id you know that the French play Cyrano de Bergerac introduced the word ‘panache’ into the English language? Or that the word literally translates as a ‘plume’ – you know, the kind worn in a hat? That’s not just a random bit of info designed to show off our knowledge of late-19th-century verse drama (though OK, that too); it relates directly to our Big Interview with actor Tristan Sturrock, who plays Cyrano in Bristol Old Vic’s new version of the play this month.

Mind, we reckon that the feather Tristan’s lurking behind here has a secondary meaning. Cursed with a huge nose, Cyrano only dares express his love for Roxane through poems – penned, presumably, in those pre-biro days, with a quill.

Our own quills have been worn down to a stub this month, as we dash off a look at Tricky’s new autobiography, preview Much Ado at the TFT and choose top places for brunch. We’ve also taken a broad sweep of the city centre and picked out some of our favourite places. It’s not comprehensive – this isn’t the Yellow Pages, the mag still needs to fit through letterboxes – but we hope our selection highlights just how independent and vibrant the centre of this city really is.

With a flamboyant doff of our panache, then, until next time…

deri robins Follow us on Twitter @BristolLifeMag Instagram @BristolLifeMag

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Issue 271/Autumn 2019

25

What’s on

Stuff to see, do and hear before Bristol gets the Christmas tinsel out

13

street life the centre can hold

Why indies still rule the roost

11

brizzOgram

The golden days

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

Issue 271/Autumn 2019

Cover Our Big Interview: Tristan Sturrock in Cyrano

the arts

22 music Tricky kid 32 the big interview Tea and chips with Tristan

Sturrock

36 theatre Beatrice and Benedick bants 42 bristol heroes Our friends in the North (Street)

food & DRINK

56 36

48 RESTAURANT Alrite my bab-eater?

51 Food and drink A handful of newsy nibbles 53 stan Cistern chapel 56 brunch Easy like Sunday morning

shopping

64 editor’s choice Halloween: if you like it, put a

skull on it

Business

79 bristolworks Insights into pro Bristol

Property

89 showcase A Clifton classic, as we say in the trade

Regulars

9 spotlight 71 scene 98 bristol lives

Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior Art Editor Andrew Richmond Graphic Design Megan Allison Cover Design Trevor Gilham Contributors Rachel Ifans, Colin Moody, Stan Cullimore, Meg Coast Advertising manager Neil Snow neil.snow@mediaclash.co.uk New Business Manager Craig Wallberg craig.wallberg@mediaclash. co.uk Key Accounts Manager Dan Nichols dan.nichols@mediaclash.co.uk Advertising & sales executive Hayley Allwood hayley.allwood@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 and Exeter. 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 7

spotlight Meet the golden snub-nosed monkeys of China in the new BBC series

Photography

Nordic noir The true-crime genre has made its mark on the arts in recent years, from podcasts like Serial to Netflix shows like Making a Murderer. The obsession with Nordic noir and Scandi crime has also gripped TV audiences for years now. So, couple the two subject areas and add in some chillingly beautiful photographs and you’ve surely got a winning exhibition on your hands.

Sugar Paper Theories, by Bristol-based photographer Jack Latham, is showing now at RPS House in Bristol. Latham

has immersed himself in the most controversial murder investigation in Icelandic history, the Guðmundur and Geirfinnur case, and come up with an exhibition that explores the notions of certainty and uncertainty, the unreliability of memory, and the power of suggestion.

The exhibition runs until 22 December; there’s a panel discussion on 16 November 2pm-4pm including Latham himself and Gísli Guðjónsson, Professor of Forensic Psychology; and on 7 December, a Meet the Artist session at 2.30pm.

For more: www.rps.org

The nation’s favourite

wild things: we think we love you Grab a ticket to the sneak preview of Attenborough’s new natural history series. Not only is Seven Worlds, One Planet tipped to be fantastic, the preview event at Bristol’s Showcase Cinema de Lux on 23 October is also going to be attended by the man himself. (That’s David Attenborough, not the little guy pictured above.)

The event will include a live Q&A with Attenborough and production team, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look into how BBC wildlife documentaries are made.

For more: www.bbc.co.uk

Guðjón’s church has a high chill factor

Ideas worth sharing

TED: Reflect, Rethink, Reboot

TED returns to Bristol on 17 November

As the name suggests, this year’s TED agenda is split into three parts.

The morning speakers reflect on new global insights and research, the afternoon session is focussed on throwing out the rulebook and doing things differently, and the final session looks at what we can actually do to affect the change we want to see in society.

As usual, the speaker pool is diverse, eclectic and local: from one who sees retirement as the ideal time to revolt, to those who want to refine our relationship with tech, including social networks, digital deaths, and making sure our tech-savvy teens know enough about sex in the real world. In case all that sounds too heavy, don’t worry; there’s a real-life clown on the agenda too.

Tickets are £35 for each session or £96 for the whole day.

For more: bristololdvic.org.uk

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SPOTLIGHT

HUE GOES THERE?

Autumnal hues, that’s who. Because anything New England can do, Bristol can do better…

@perkspectivephotography

@kruggy01

@zcuk

@sambinding

@marieljanina

@squareeyesphotography

@josh.perrett

@chilli1983

@ellisreed

@sebjh_

@antimitch

@porthjess

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 11

AZ street life

Bristol to

Our admittedly selective A to Z guide to the city centre in October 2019 is packed with indie shops, old-timers, new kids on the block, and fabulous places to eat and drink. And like any good A-Z, it’s blamelessly alphabetical‌

By Rachel Ifans

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 13

W street life

e’re so lucky in Bristol. Sure, we have the big chains for those who want them, but the city centre is also a-buzz with an independent spirit. Some people, who don’t ‘get’ this city, preferring bijou little heritage town centres, criticise it for seeming haphazard, disparate and unconnected – but we happen to think that is a point in its favour.

Just like London, distinct neighbourhoods have distinct characters.

Cabot Circus and Broadmead make a fine fist of scooping up the bigger stores and restaurants, leaving other central areas to make their own indelible mark. Harbourside, with its exciting new-builds and class-act regenerations; Park Street, still a stalwart indie haven; Christmas Steps, brimful of Dickensian charm, and now home to the city’s arts quarter.

The city centre has changed a lot in the last 15 years, with cultural and residential developments popping up, an endless series of traffic management (for want of a better word) initiatives coming and going, a tableau of street art – and it’s looking better than ever. June saw plans for a greener Bristol take root (see U, page 19), an initiative led

by Bristol City Centre BID, which has also put thousands more hours into street cleaning this year and is responsible for the city’s refreshing take on rubbish – meaning lower costs and more recycling.

So, let’s hit Bristol’s clean, as opposed to mean, streets, and see what beats in the heart of Bristol. We’ve only got 26 letters so we’ve tried to be eclectic, rather than comprehensive, in our choices.

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

opposite: For a gull’s-eye view of the city centre, you

can’t beat the terrace at Bambalan;

bottom: Drink cocktails from pachyderms at the

Coconut Tree, or try the sourdough-nuts at Pinkman’s

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is for art Bristol Fine Art, 74 Park Row Teeny-tiny it may be, but it’s stuffed to the rafters with the most incredibly varied art supplies. The focus is on quality and responding to customers’ needs; it’s a real part of Bristol’s art community.

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is for bread Pinkmans Bakery, 85 Park St Pinkmans is not somewhere you visit just once. They bake everything from scratch in their Park Street ovens, menus change daily, and they’re not afraid to try new things. Try their polentacrusted quiche or sourdough-nuts for starters, and you’ll be hooked.

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is for crafts Makers, 82 Colston Street This place is a gift! Local, handmade, arty and crafty: the gorgeous, curated products on sale are well-priced and have that glorious one-off feel. The owners run a great range of workshops too.

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is for drama Bristol Old Vic, King Street For one brief moment last September, this was simultaneously the oldest continuously working English-speaking theatre in the world (still is), and also the youngest, when the final stage of its beautiful multi-million transformation was revealed. Even if you never make it into the auditorium for a show (and you so should), the new all day kitchen/bar is an effulgently lovely place to while away a few hours.

Spicer and Cole, because Q is for Quiche. Bet you thought we’d go for Queen’s Road, mind

street life

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is for eat Bristol is a foodie mecca so how are we supposed to choose one eatery in the centre? We’re not going to try – instead we’ve chosen six central food haunts that show just how varied the food scene is. First, we’ve got Honest Burger (Clare Street). It’s all about local ingredients here – the beers are sourced from neighbouring breweries and the allimportant patties are made in their own butchery. Next up, the very cool Workhouse Café on St Michael’s Hill which, despite having a minimalist look, has an extensive menu and the portions are grand.

Highly recommended. Café Matariki (George’s Square) is another central gem. With an Antipodean vibe, it serves homemade soups, salads, sourdough and fab coffee, all in a calm, yoga-infused atmosphere.

Born from humble mobile roots feeding Somerset’s festivalgoers, Pizzarova on Park Street now has three Bristol venues selling its tasty sourdough pizzas. And you can still hire the original festival Landrover for pizza parties! No 1 Harbourside (Canon’s Road) is all that’s good about Bristol eating in one place. The owners are fans of the slow food revolution, encouraging local vibrancy with markets, cooking demos and story-telling – and the food is match for the hype. Meanwhile, The Coconut Tree, Byron Place was an overnight success, thanks to its top Sri Lankan food, great service and ‘Cocotails’ – mine’s a Sriki-Tiki with golden and coconut run, pineapple, guava, lime and a cheeky hint of raspberry. Finally, at Bristol’s worst-kept secret, St Nicholas Market, vendors sell global street food in every conceivable flavour; the longest queues are invariably for Eat a Pitta.

F

is for floating bar Under the Stars, Narrow Quay We’re suckers for an Art Nouveau typeface. Under the Stars, a floating boat on Narrow Quay, serves up cocktails and a distinctly 1920s vibe. Sip a Little Star while gazing at the night sky, or if it’s chilly, warm up with a Brandy Bash.

The not-so-little St Nick’s

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is for herbs Urban Fringe, 58 Colston Street In this little shop where unspeakable things in jars line the shelves, full of proper herbal remedies. Book to see a therapist for a consultation if you’re after something bespoke.

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is for gifts Blaze Studio, 84 Colston Street Artist co-operative and gift shop. Illustrators, leather-makers, glass artists, potters, collage creators and jewellers show their wares in this trinket treasure trove.

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is for lights Bristol Light Festival, the city centre A new festival will kick off in February 2020 that will bring colour, light and play to city centre spaces each February for three years. The dark days of winter will be behind us, and proof will finally be on hand, as if it was needed, that Bristol is lit.

is for museum The Georgian House Museum, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and M Shed Three great places where you can find out about Bristol’s backstory, from ancient history through to the modern day.

is for Indian food Dhamaka, Clare Street We wouldn’t go as far as to call Old City Bristol’s ‘little Delhi’, but there’s been a real spate of genuine Indian restaurants opening up her in recent years. Street-food style Dhamaka serves food from all corners of the country, including Kerala, Bombay, Delhi and, of course, Hyderabadi, owner Vinay Reddy’s hometown.

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is for jewellery Diana Porter, Park Street Diana Porter’s work is inspired by powerful women – among her signature pieces are her silver ‘sybyls’ engraved with words such as ‘courage’, ‘love’ and ‘freedom’ – and alongside her own work she showcases jewellery by many other British designers. Check out her current Bug Exhibition (ends 31 October) in which five of the jewellers bring together bugs, bees and butterflies in incredible statement pieces.

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is for Kevin Pieminister, The Corn Exchange, Corn Street Kevin is a mushroomy, tomatoey, red-winey pie from Bristol’s pastrymeisters, Pieminister. If you’re a mushroom refusenik, there are loads of other options on offer – meaty, non-meaty, gluten and non.

is for noodles Mr Wolfs, 32 St Nicholas Street, and Mayflower, Haymarket Row Mr Wolfs offers the unlikely but successful combination of late-night noodles and live music. Or maybe try the Mayflower – brightly lit and not at all pretty – but just feast your eyes on the Cantonese food. Bristolian institutions, both of them. is for oboe Trevor Jones Brass and Woodwind shop, Christmas Steps Many music shops bit the dust with the inexorable rise of the internet but not this one, thank goodness. It’s been bringing tooting horns and reedy joy into hundreds of Bristol homes for decades.

is for pastries Sotiris,16 Park Row The eponymously named Greek pastry café is open every day. Sotiris, who has followed in the steps of his pastry-making elders, lures in customers with his delicious feta cheese pie and homemade baklava.

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specialising in: used vinyl, cassettes, rare VHS tapes, books, collectables and coffee & home made cakes.

68 Park Row, Bristol, bs1 5le (by the Uni) | 07900 544768 | î „î€¨

street life

left: From the venerable (RWA gallery) to the vulnerable (Bansky’s Well-Hung Lover ): art is pretty much everywhere you look, both inside and out right: Christmas Steps, fairly obviously

Q

is for quiche Spicer & Cole, Queen Square Avenue Bag yourself a quiche – or a frittata if you’re feeling fancy – at this independent café with its really good coffee and tasty food.

Popular for working lunches, chewing the fat, or chilling out.

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is for relaxation Bristol Hotel, Prince Street Slap-bang in the centre, this place is a haven for shoppers, workers and wanderers. It was named the best city break hotel in the South West by The Sunday Times in 2018 – but let’s not leave it to visitors to monopolise.

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is for streetwear 5 Pointz, Nelson Street Brilliant indie sneaker and streetwear store with its finger firmly on the pulse. It’s got a fantastic range – over 60 brands – and stocks plenty of limited-edition goodies too.

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is for tobacco Birds of Baldwin Street, Baldwin Street We know it’s not very du jour, but in Bristol we like eclecticism and a bit of free spirit, and Birds have been satisfying Bristolians’ baccy and cigar needs since 1930.

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is for urban greening A fleet of pavement planters sprang up this summer, brimming with seasonal fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers and bringing colour, cleaner air and an oasis for wildlife to the city centre. is for vinyl Gastro Vinyl, Park Row Used CDs, vinyl and… cakes. Manna from heaven.

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is for watering hole Oh, we couldn’t choose just one, so here are three of our current pet drinking spots. The quirky Clockwork Rose (St Stephen Street) has a list of libations as long as your arm. All drinks inspired by its fictional muse, Captain Commodore. Or how about newish brewpub Left Handed Giant (on Finzels Reach), which opened in June? If you didn’t find yourself overlooking the water supping an On & On, a Back & Forth or a Woodland Creatures this summer, you missed out.

Thirdly, try Aluna (on Broad Quay). Forget the days of tacky BOGOF cocktails at your local pub, because the art of magical mixology has moved to a different level here. Quaff, don’t glug.

Sip, don’t swig.

X

is for Xmas Steps It’s five years since Dave Smeaton of The Spotted Cow took joint ownership of this historic hideaway.

The Christmas Steps pub has good food, a well-stocked bar and an excellent jukebox, with musical choices curated by the co-owning Crack magazine team. A good city centre pub is a rare find.

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is for your safety Bristol City Centre BID is responsible for new Safeguarding Marshals who work between midnight and 5am every Friday and Saturday to diffuse tense situations, and report and assist with any incidents that occur. Cheers all.

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is for zzzz The city that never sleeps? Well, maybe that’s a bit of a push; let’s just say that Bristol goes to bed very late indeed . . . n

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BRISTOL

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Say ‘willkommen!’ to your new kitchen Rob Cash of Kutchenhaus Bristol explains why it’s the German touch that means so much

A

t Kutchenhaus, we supply luxury German manufactured kitchens at affordable prices. All our kitchens are ordered to client’s unique specifications and they are sent over from Germany fully assembled and ready to install.

How long have you been trading?

In February we celebrate our second anniversary since opening our doors in 2017. After two amazing years we are very excited about what our third year will bring. There are plans in place to organise an open evening to celebrate, where we will invite potential and existing clients, friends and family to help us mark our anniversary.

When is the best time to buy a new kitchen?

There is no such thing as a best time to buy a new kitchen, as we offer our customers the best price up front all year round. This gives clients confidence they can buy now and not worry that a better offer would come up after they have purchased.

Are there certain things that we need to bear in mind when planning a new kitchen?

There are lots of things to bear in mind, too many to write down, however our designers have lots of kitchen experience and will guide you through the process. Our designers will give you advice and inspirational ideas to create a dream kitchen.

Do you only cover the Bristol area?

The majority of our work comes from the Bristol area, however we do get clients who travel from places like Cheltenham, Swindon, Bath and the Southwest.

How much will a new kitchen cost?

This is always a difficult question to answer, as every kitchen is unique and has many variables

which can affect the price. We have a wide span of product options which can suit a range of budgets. Our average order value is between £12k-£15k and we can supply kitchens as affordable as £5k or as expensive as £50k.

Are there any new/emerging trends that I should know about for 2019?

Our supplier is constantly looking at new trends and so every year new products are introduced to the range. 2019 has seen a range of new doors, handles, appliances and worktops which will be hugely popular. Black accessories will be on-trend this year with handles, shelf supports and door surrounds creating a bold look What is your coolest gadget?

New for 2019 is our backlit shelfing units which create a modern open shelf dresser look with lights highlighting the wall. We can create a custom look with glass shelves, wooden shelves and plant boxes What sets you apart from other kitchen designers?

We have so much flexibility in our product giving our designers confidence that we can create fantastic looking kitchens which will arrive fully built and ready to install. We supply kitchens which are designed to fit the room perfectly with little to no modification needed.

How long will it take to design, build and install a kitchen?

Our supplier is heavily investing in how they make kitchens, and are in the process of building three more factories to improve production. This level of investment has meant our current lead time is down to four to eight weeks.

Do you manage the whole process or are there other companies that we’ll need to deal with?

We find so many clients are looking for reliable companies to handle all aspects of their kitchen installation. We have links with local installation teams who can carry our electrical, plumbing, flooring, plastering and in certain cases building work. However if you already have these trades in place we can also just supply the kitchen for your own installer to fit. n

Find us: Clifton Down Shopping Centre, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2NN showroom@bristol.kutchenhaus.co.uk 0117 2130680 www.kutchenhaus.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 21

Finding his voice Recently rendered speechless alongside Beyoncé on Glastonbury’s main stage, Tricky has found his voice again in his fasinating new autobiography, Hell is Round the Corner.

Steve Mellen finds out more about Knowle West’s most famous son 22 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

music

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left to right: Tricky named his début album, Maxinequaye, after his mum; Nanny Violet; Tricky kid – photos from a Knowle West boyhood

y first memory is seeing my mum in a coffin when I was four years old.”

Not the opening to your standard autobiography – but then there’s been nothing standard about the life of Adrian Nicholas Matthew Thaws, or Tricky, as he’s known to his legion of fans.

From humble beginnings in Knowle West, the Bristol rapper, actor and producer was a key player in the early days of Massive Attack before forging his own path to chart success and critical acclaim across 13 albums. Now, in justpublished autobiography Hell is Round the Corner, Tricky reveals the full story of how he graduated from scrapping and surviving on the streets of South Bristol to appearing with Beyoncé on the main stage at Glastonbury (and finding himself crippled by anxiety and rendered speechless – more on that later).

The story of his mother’s suicide, and her youg son’s struggle to understand what was happening, takes the reader on the first steps of a life which developed in the toughest of circumstances in one of the toughest of neighbourhoods.

From the word go, it’s clear that Tricky learned quickly how to stand up for himself. However, he talks fondly all through the book about an area which some north-of-the-river Bristolians might still swerve to this day.

“Knowle West was poor, but it didn’t feel dangerous,” he says. “You were just aware that people who weren’t from Knowle West didn’t want to go there. It had a tough reputation.

“The funny thing is, even being one of a tiny minority I never experienced any racism whatsoever growing up. That only happened when I became famous and had money.”

People who’ve bought Tricky’s music but want to know more about the man himself will find the early chapters rich in background. There’s even a helpful family tree to help keep track of all the names of the extended family that raised and influenced him as a young man.

For those who only know him as a global artist, tales of doing time in Horfield Prison, dating Bjork, staring down an armed robber in New

York, failing to meet Madonna because he was too hungover, having David Bowie as one of his biggest fans, being chased by the taxman and what he thinks of Coldplay’s Chris Martin and the evolution of the Glastonbury festival will make fascinating reading.

But Bristol folk are likely to thumb quickly through to the sections dealing with The Wild Bunch, and the melting pot of late-night gigs and sharing of ideas which led to not just Tricky’s solo career, but also the rise of Massive Attack.

What is really surprising is how laidback Tricky is about how the music which put Bristol on the map in the 1990s came about.

“A lot of the early Wild Bunch parties were in

“I never experienced racism growing up.

That only happened when I became famous and had money” the corner of a room in G’s (Grant Marshall’s) house in St Paul’s; just a pair of decks on the floor, no lights, people dancing.”

Grant – Daddy G to Massive fans – was working in a bank at the time. Robert del Naja (3D) bumped into him in record store Revolver.

Other Wild Bunch members came down from rough areas of Bristol to MC. They had day jobs and made no money from their music; it was all about sharing ideas in the early hours of the morning. How times would change.

A warning, though. While you may well find out the source of your favourite Massive Attack lyric, or who inspired certain songs, don’t read the book expecting a eulogy for the ‘Bristol Scene’ or ‘Bristol Sound’, as Tricky dismisses both terms.

That’s not to say he isn’t proud of Bristol, and despite admitting he used to avoid the city at all costs, it’s clear that later in life he’s developed a new affection for his home town. He even hints he might return to live and record here.

And living in Germany now hasn’t excluded frequent visits home to Knowle West, an area which he notes is still overlooked, despite Bristol becoming the darling of broadsheet arts and travel writers.

“Not much has changed in Knowle West,” he says. “They still need more stuff to do. There’s no pubs, nothing there. But what’s crazy is, former council flats are selling for £200,000.”

What sets Hell Is Round the Corner apart from conventional autobiographies is that the author has handed over much of the story to other people in his life – including fellow musicians.

The cast of contributors includes Shaun Ryder from The Happy Mondays, Terry Hall from The Specials and Bristol duo Smith and Mighty.

“Some of the stories, if I told them, might sound like exaggeration. Coming from someone else, maybe they’ll believe them,” Tricky says.

Watching from afar, audiences aren’t always aware of the inner demons that afflict successful artists. Tricky made, and continues to make, unique music despite being dogged by asthma (including nearly dying during an attack) and a sense of discomfort, sometimes even fear, on stage.The most public manifestation of the latter was during his short cameo during Beyoncé’s headline appearance at Glastonbury in 2011.

There have been various explanations of why, when he emerged to rap during the song Baby Boy, nothing came out of Tricky’s mouth. Was he stoned? Was his microphone broken? Neither of the above.

“I instantly feel very out of place. Rabbit in the headlights. Overwhelmed. I freeze, I grab the mic but my mouth isn’t working. The backing track plays on, with a huge gaping silence where my voice should be. I dare not look up, where 200,000 pairs of eyes are gawping at me, waiting for my contribution. Nothing will come out my mouth.”

Fortunately, Tricky has found his voice again.

Tricky will be signing copies of Hell Is Round the Corner on 28 October at Foyles in Bristol Hell Is Round the Corner (Blink Publishing) will be released on 31 October, RRP £20

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 23

What’s on

18 October – 18 November

Beachy Head boat trip, 1967 © Tony Ray-Jones

ART

16 October – 21 December

THE ENGLISH SEEN BY TONY RAY-JONES Learn about Tony Ray-Jones (19411972) and the contribution he made to British documentary photography.

He may have only shot for a decade but he defined a new way of looking at society with his photos. Weds to Sat only; martinparrfoundation.org

18 October

SUGAR PAPER THEORIES Talk about Nordic Noir…

Photographer Jack Latham documents Iceland's most controversial murder investigation in this fascinating collection of snaps.

Chilling stuff; rps.org

19 – 20 October

BOP BRISTOL 19 BOP is Books on Photography – and it’s a brand new photobook

festival, hosted by Martin Parr Foundation and RPS at Paintworks; martinparrfoundation.org

19 – 20 October

WEST BRISTOL ARTS TRAIL Showcasing over 100 artists living and working in Clifton, Clifton Wood, Redland and Hotwells; westbristolarts.com

19 October – 19 April

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? From ancient uses of witchcraft, to the role superstition plays in the modern mind, this new exhibition explores how magic has been used to heal, hunt and harm across the world and down the age; bristolmuseums.org.uk

24 October – 2 November

VIVA LOS MUERTOS A Day of the Dead-themed exhibition, a tradition that celebrates the souls of the dearly departed.

Until 31 December

Danielle Greenwood’s Mexicaninspired art includes large skulls and hearts made from clay and plaster; alchemy198.co.uk/exhibitions

Until 1 December

167 ANNUAL OPEN EXHIBITION The Royal West of England Academy’s renowned Annual Open Exhibition returns for its 167th year featuring international work in all art forms you can think of – and more; Shut on Mondays; shop.rwa.org.uk

Until 15 December

STILL I RISE: FEMINISMS, GENDER, RESISTANCE – ACT 3 Part of an insightful series looking at Bristol’s history in radical feminist and queer resistance. Act 3 focuses on stories of international resistance movements and alternative forms of living from a gendered perspective; arnolfini.org.uk

INTERVENTIONS/2: FILMS BY YOKO ONO Legendary artist and activist’s solo intervention at The Georgian House Museum which includes some filmic elements; bristolmuseums.org.uk

THEATRE 6 – 19 October

EVERYONE IS DEAD Well, nearly everyone, anyway. Not protagonist Kelly who is trapped in the basement of her house as the post apocalypse forms around her, though… Theatre West is back at Coopers’ Loft; bristololdvic.org.uk

12 October – 16 November

CYRANO Tristan Sturrocks steps into Gerard Depardieu’s chausseurs in this new Tom Morris-directed adaptation in verse. One man has a way with words but a face for radio – the other

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 25

What’s on guy has eye candy in his quiver but no gift of the gab. Who will win the heart of Roxane? bristololdvic.org.uk

16 October – 9 November

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING “Let me be that I am and seek not to alter me” Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory celebrates 20 years in existence with this charming tale about the path to true love; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

16 – 20 October

TRYING IT ON Leading political playwright David Edgar imagines what his 20-year-old self might think of his generation’s actions over the past 50 years; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

23 – 26 October

GREAT BRITISH MYSTERIES: 1599?

It’s like The Woman in Black meets Keystage Two Tudor history.

Reviews say to expect multi-roling, homemade sound effects and more gags than Henry VIII had wives. So that's at least seven, then? thewardrobetheatre.com

30 October – 2 November

THE DEEP SEA SEEKERS Pack your snorkel and flippers and get ready to explore the deep with songs, humour and lots of audience interaction. For kids age 3-8; bristololdvic.org.uk

31 October – 2 November

THE SPOOKY SHIP; SHIPWRECKED BOV and the ss Great Britain are back this October with a brand-new take on the iconic The Spooky Ship, an immersive Victorian fright-fest on board one of the most important ships in the world; bristololdvic.org.uk

16 November

ELF LYON’S LOVE SONGS TO GUINEA PIGS Following last year’s sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this is a show all about love and loneliness, with Elf ’s signature clowning expertise making it her silliest and most amazing show yet; tobaccofactory.com

Until 23 November

DISNEY’S THE LION KING Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba!

It’s impossible to see those words without singing from the rooftops isn’t it? Follow Simba as he journeys

from wide-eyed cub to King of the Pridelands. Just beware the evil hyenas… atgtickets.com

BOOKS

17 – 27 October

BRISTOL FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE 2019 The annual festival returns with a plethora of great events, performances and workshops in unexpected places across the city.

Top picks include Sarah Hilary, Sufi poetry, thriller writers Emily Koch and Jane Shemilt, and a one-day writers’ retreat; bristolliteraturefestival.org

18 October

NADIYA HUSSAIN Her new book, a memoir called Finding My Voice, is a different kind of showstopper altogether for the Bake-Off champion. Nadiya will be interviewed at St George’s as part of the Ideas Festival; ideasfestival.co.uk

20 October

KATE TEMPEST Novelist, spoken word artist, rapper... unmissable and unforgettable, she is here to promote her new book The Book of Traps and Lessons; academymusicgroup.com

25 October – 3 November

STORYTALE FESTIVAL Bristol’s brand-new children’s lit fest.

Not like the swanky, shiny affairs in other cities, this one has that grassroots Bristol vibe as it’s been set up by mum and book-activist Ellie to get kids in the city reading; storytalefestival.com

26 October

BRISTOL-CON 2019 Bristol's very own sci-fi and fantasy convention is 10 years old. The one-dayer takes place at the Hilton Double Tree. Geek out with panel discussions, workshops, presentations, and plenty of time and space (lol) to chill and socialise; bristolcon.org

29 October

TRICKY book signing The legendary Bristol musician has written an autobiography – Hell is Round the Corner – and he’s popping into Foyles to meet his fans and sign books (see p22); foyles.co.uk

5 November

MILK POETRY: JOHN HEGLEY Poetry legend Hegley has been

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

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Trying It On at the TFT Real-life Nordic Noir at the RPS

above:

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what’s on

MUSIC

25 – 30 October

18 – 19 October

SIMPLE THINGS The festival returns to Bristol’s most innovative gig spaces once again for a full day of musical diversity; simplethingsfestival.co.uk

CIRCUS BERLIN Breathtaking circus performers from (contrary to expectations raised by the title) all over the world; on Durdham Downs; circusberlin.co.uk

19 October

16 – 17 November

THE HOBBS SHOW The wholly local (though worldclass) fashion, dance and music extravaganza – this year at Pennywell Studios; hobbs-style.co.uk

20 October

AL STEWART The Year of the Cat man brings his Hits and Misses show to St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

TALKS 29 October

BE YOUR OWN BOUDICA: AN EVENING WITH BRISTOL’S INSPIRING WOMEN An evening of female inspiration at The Forge with an all-female choir and a panel to channel your inner Boudica; freedomofmind.org.uk

22 October

GARY NUMAN It’s 40 years since Gary went on the road; now the electronic pioneer returns with his (R)evolution tour.

O2; academymusicgroup.com

24 October

top: A lack of empathy in the world is making Mark Watson frown – and making us lol; above: Edinburgh sellout Elf Lyons clowns her way to Bristol

delighting audience for decades; he's headed to the Wardrobe for a special edition of his Milk Poetry; thewardrobetheatre.com

COMEDY 18 October

JOHN KEARNS: DOUBLE TAKE AND FADE AWAY The multi-award-winning comic returns to The Wardrobe. He says he’s still a slave to dairy, the Gregorian calendar and Greenwich Mean Time; thewardrobetheatre.com

19 October

STAND UP FOR THE WEEKEND: JARRED CHRISTMAS & CO. He’s very good at what he does. He mixes gags and storytelling, gets the crowd on side, swears a lot, is really quite noisy and ever so funny. Takes place at the Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio; thecomedybox.co.uk

24 – 26 October

STILL NO IDEA Lisa and Rachael want to make a show. They make a pact. They’ll go onto the streets, interview people, and whatever story the public come up with – that will be the show. Deal.

TFT; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

27 October

STEWART FRANCIS: INTO THE PUNSET He delivers one-liners on stage and onscreen with Canadian panache.

But this is his final tour, so it’s your last time to catch the punmeister; bristololdvic.org.uk

2 November

MARK WATSON: THE INFINITE SHOW The Bristol home boy is bringing up his kids in a world that’s gone wrong. How can he tell his kids to behave when people around him are empathy-starved idiots? Sunday night rants and raucous laughter; bristololdvic.org.uk

FOOD EVENTS

THE SELECTER We’ve had The Specials on Harbourside. We’ve had Madness on The Downs. Complete the set at O2, as the Two-Toners celebrate 40 years in the biz with a hit-rich set; academymusicgroup.com

31 October

‘REMAIN’ – A CELEBRATION OF EUROPEAN PRODUCE Featuring a set six-course menu packed full with the Pony & Trap team’s favourite produce and inspirations from all over Europe. A dollop of joie de vivre and a verre or two of bonhomie, we’ll bet; theponyandtrap.co.uk

25 October

OYSTERBAND & JUNE TABOR One of the most exciting collaborations in folk music has resumed for a major tour that takes in St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

FILM

25 – 27 October

28 October

HORROR IN THE CAVES Bristol Film Festival’s Horror in the Caves screens iconic films in Redcliffe Caves (shudder). Keep your eyes peeled (eewww) for greats like Us, Blair Witch, The Fog, The Omen, The Bride of Frankenstein. bristolfilmfestival.com

The Cult It’s the 30th anniversary of Sonic Temple, so you can safely expect to hear some excellent rock music. The band promises to play ST in full and some back catalogues favourites too; academymusicgroup.com

30 October

CIRCUS

25 – 26 October

FESTIVAL OF THE DEAD A unique combination of carnival, circus and clubbing inspired by the art of the Day of The Dead celebration. academymusicgroup.com

CIRCUS CITY BRISTOL: A NOS FANTÔMES Gloria used to dream of being a figure-skating champion or a Swedish singer but now she hangs in midair, looking uncomfortably overdressed, waiting for life to happen to her. Check out this surreal piece of aerial theatre at Circomedia; bristolcircuscity.com

AIRPLANE! AT AEROSPACE Surely you can't be serious – yes, it’s Bristol Film Festival’s annual screening of Airplane! beneath the wings of Concorde (All together now: “Don’t call me Shirley!”). ps you can also see Titanic on the SS Great Britain, Instellar and Alien at the Planetarium and King Kong at Bristol Zoo (that last one isn’t true but we think it’s a goer for next year!); bristolfilmfestival.com n

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A nose by any other name 32 I bristol LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

the big interview

Poldark’s wrapped, and Tristan Sturrock has folded up Zacky Martin’s hessian waistcoat for the last time. He’s back on the Bristol Old Vic stage this month, for Tom Morris’s latest big-hitter – a new production of Cyrano, featuring a cast of Bristol all-stars.

So why this play? And what exactly has he been up to in between all those Poldarks…?

Words by Deri Robins

L

ove, hate and jealousy; comedy, tragedy, smuggling and duels; postcard-grade Cornish scenery – what wasn’t to love about Poldark?

Well, there was one little thing. For half a decade, the show – filmed partly at Bristol’s The Bottle Yard studios and local locations, partly in Cornwall – robbed the Bristol stage of its favourite leading man.

But now Tristan Sturrock’s back, playing the eponymous lead in Tom Morris’s autumn big-hitter, Cyrano – a new

version of the 19th-century heartbreaker about the soldier with the soul of a poet but the nose of a donkey, who only dares express his love for the beautiful Roxane through verses he writes by proxy for the handsome but dim Christian.

Tristan – Kneehigh Theatre’s default romantic lead (Tristan & Yseult, Rebecca, Brief Encounter), Bristol Old Vic’s Peter Pan and Long John Silver, The Teacher in The Messiah, we could go on – has spent the past five years half-hidden by whiskers and hessian, playing salt-of-the-earth tin mine manager Zacky Martin. Off set, Tristan helped tutor nonCornish actors in the subtleties of the local accent. Google ‘Poldark: never say rabbit in a boat’ – go on, you’ll enjoy it.

But now Poldark’s done and dusted, and Tristan’s in rehearsal with Tom Morris and his cast of Bristol Old Vic all-stars. The theatre doesn’t have a repertory company, as such; what it does have is a bunch of valued accomplices who regularly surface in major shows: Felix Hayes (Jane Eyre; Christmas Carol); Patrycja Kujawska (loads of Kneehigh shows; Wise Children); Giles King (another Kneehigh regular), and so on. Tristan’s also worked with director Tom Morris on numerous occasions; Cyrano is both a comeback and a family reunion.

I’m meeting Tristan for lunch during a break in

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rehearsals, in Bristol Old Vic’s new bar and kitchen. We’re tucking into risotto (me) and chips (him) with a nice glass of wine (just me; I don’t have to remember any rhyming stanzas later on). It’s ever so civilised at BOV these days, all table service and linen napkins; used to be crisps and a pint, if you were lucky.

I’ve come armed with a sheaf of seriousminded questions about the challenges of TV versus theatre. I’m definitely not asking Tristan Sturrock about Cornish miners taking their kit off.

Five minutes in, and we’re discussing Aidan Turner’s scything scene.

“We had no idea that Poldark would run for five seasons,” says Tristan. “Everyone thought, OK we’ll do one series, and see how it goes. Then it kind of went bananas. And then Aidan took his top off…”

Series ratings soared; Chippendalelevel miners became an enthusiastically anticipated staple. “They came up with all the research saying, “Well they would have been topless underground…”

I say I hoped he pointed out to Aidan that, actually, he’d had his own iconic topless moment too, in The Messiah – and hanging upside down, at that…

“Exactly! And covered in paint ...”

The Poldark regime suited Tristan perfectly. He’s Cornish-born-and-

bred, so filming in the Duchy afforded him plenty of time to see the folks back home; remaining scenes were shot in studios and locations in and around Bristol, where he lives with his wife and children.

The stickiest time came during season two.

“There was a bit of a mix-up, because the first series was filmed in the summertime, and I just assumed this was the pattern. But they shifted the whole thing to winter, which completely clashed with the UK theatre tour of Rebecca. I did both, but it was logistically crazy. I’d do a show in, say, Norwich, then have to drive through the night to Land’s End to film Poldark.”

For most scenes, Tristan’s lines could probably have been mastered in an hour or so, but his biggest moment came in the episode when Zacky’s son was hanged.

“Yeah, I really enjoyed doing that. I actually got to do a bit of acting…”

But perhaps unsurprisingly, for a stage actor whose buckle has never been knowingly under-swashed, his favourite scenes involved the escape from France. “We had a fantastic time, firing muskets and blowing down doors. Those were my highlights. Night shoots, and running around, like you do when you’re a kid; joyful, make-believe derring-do.

“And it was such a great company of people. I know people always say that, but it’s true. Over five years you become very attached.

“It all becomes normal very quickly, and you just think you’re going to be doing it forever. But it’s a bit like theatre work – you’re together for short intensive bursts of time, and then that’s it. You don’t see each other. But I think in 10 years’ time Poldark will probably come back again, when the characters will have aged in real time.”

Following the wrap, many of the cast made like wreckers and salvaged bits of the set to take home; Aidan made off with half of Nampara’s dining room and (naturally) Ross’s tricorn hat. What did Tristan take?

“I’ve got a lot of socks; and a little map of one of the mines.

The art department did some beautiful, historical, accurate maps, so as a Poldark mine captain, I thought, well…”

As well as providing a steady job close to home, Tristan describes the Poldark years as a cathartic step away from theatre. “I needed a bit of headspace to reassess where I was. So this is really the first time, now, going back on the stage for five years.

“Tom told me he had a few things on the table. He suggested Macbeth, but my mind got completely distracted when he mentioned Cyrano. I’d just watched the Steve Martin version, Roxanne; and I remember loving the Depardieu film; it’s comic and yet it’s incredibly emotional and poignant.

“We talked about doing this new translation, where you start at the end, and Cyrano’s reflecting back. The idea that you’re conjuring this story from memory suddenly really connected with me – it makes absolute sense. It starts in a theatre just like this – it’s about theatre, the etiquette; everything that happens happens in that space. What a brilliant opportunity to do something really playful, I thought.

“Though I do feel really bad about talking myself out of Macbeth…”

I wondered if there was anything about the self-effacing Cyrano that Tristan identified with. I knew, for example, that while he’s quite happy to be photographed in character, he’s not such a fan of being snapped as himself – is there a bit of Cyrano going on there? The poet behind the mask?

“Definitely; I love going out and being someone else; I find that’s so easy. But the idea of going out and being myself and doing a

“So you’ve got this almost slapstick comedy that suddenly dissolves into beautiful poetry which then dissolves into strong emotion”

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

the big interview

© Owain Astles

presentation is terrifying. “Oh, you’re an actor, you can come and make a speech” – that’s the last thing I’d want to do.

“It’s the same with Cyrano. He is mortified by the idea of actually talking to Roxane, and his huge nose represents all sorts of things.”

So, there will be an actual nose? (This is Bristol Old Vic. They’re quite capable of ‘implying’ one through, oh I don’t know, puppetry).

“There will be several noses. Daily we’re looking at noses.

“It’s really interesting, because it’s in the meta-theatre; the nose represents all sorts of things. It’s the kind of enemy of the piece, but also brings huge humour and poetry with it. I think people relate to that terrible self-consciousness; it may be a tiny thing, but in your own mind it’s enormous.”

Maybe never more so than today, with social media pressure?

“Exactly; I’m going through this with my kids all the time. That’s one thing that makes Cyrano very relevant; also the idea of the love triangle, which is known and referenced throughout different films or on television. It’s incredible, actually how often you see the Cyrano threads cropping up in other stories.”

Indeed, Cyrano’s been played every which-way – sometimes with a happy ending, sometimes not. So, is the new Bristol Old Vic version going to be a tragedy, or a comedy?

“Smack bang in the middle. What I find amazing is that as you’re reading it, it’s just pure comedy, and it’s done so theatrically, like really done with panache” [fun fact: Cyrano de Bergerac introduced the word ‘panache’ to the English language]. It’s great to do a bit of swordfighting and all of that stuff; sword-fighting and rhyming. And it’s all on such a massive theatrical scale.

“The play is in verse, it’s all in rhyme. The way that Peter Oswald expresses love in poetry is beautiful. So you’ve got this almost slapstick comedy, that suddenly dissolves into beautiful poetry which then dissolves into strong emotion. In a line, the writing has shifted, and in

an instant you’re in a line that is played incredibly delicately. I just hope we can get all those sort of shifts and turns and bring the audience with us.”

As we chat about the production, a smallish elephant is mooching about the room. It bears the face of James McAvoy. Because just as Bristol Old Vic was getting the press campaign underway for Cyrano, The Playhouse in London announced that they, too, would stage yet another new version of the piece. And lo – now even Bristol’s Kelvin Players have had the same idea...

“It’s so strange. It happens a lot. These things seem to be in the air.

But ours will be very different…”

There won’t be just six people on The Playhouse stage, that’s for sure…

“No. There’ll be 600…

“The Depardieu film version was lavish. You read the cast list – there’s hundreds of people. I said to Tom – stupidly, without really reading it, ‘we could do it as three hander…’ “‘I don’t think so, Tristan’ he said [stern Tom voice]. So I looked at it again and thought, yeah, perhaps we do need a few more…”

“What surprised me most is just how long it is; how many words there are. That was quite a shock, because I didn’t realise we weren’t doing a complete translation of the original verse by Rostand. I thought we’d be taking bits of it. I come from a more physical theatre background. But it’s been really good for me to get my head round text.

“What’s interesting about Cyrano is that when Rostrand wrote it in 1897, he was going against the grain. He wrote this huge epic verse drama at a time when everything was going towards realism. It was the time of Ibsen; everything was about the new naturalism, but he decided no, we’re going to go out here and buck the trend.

“I actually don’t know what that means for our show…” n Cyrano plays Bristol Old Vic 12 October-16 November www.bristololdvic.org.uk

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

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

arts

A skirmish of wit Romantic confusions; the battle of the sexes, featuring two of Shakespeare’s wittiest and most formidable lovers, all intermingled with more serious meditations on honour, shame and court politics: there’s a lot more to Much Ado about Nothing than a tightly plotted rom com. As director Elizabeth Freestone heads into rehearsal, we discover why Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory has chosen this play to mark its 20th anniversary this autumn

I “Shakespeare’s wittiest rom com, Much Ado, like the writer’s best plays, contains much darkness among the light-hearted banter”

n the autumn of 1998, the first floor of the still partly derelict Tobacco Factory was first used as a theatre by Sheila Hannon’s Show of Strength company. It was while seeing this production that Andrew Hilton first conceived the idea of creating a Shakespeare company on the same spot; in 1999, he booked the space from the building’s owner, George Ferguson, and a Bristol institution was born.

From these beginnings grew Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory – a clear, no-nonsense name for a company that went on to win international acclaim for Andrew’s pared-back, unflashy style of direction, that famously concentrated on the text, spoken clearly, in the intimate setting of an in-the-round auditorium.

Fast forward to 2019 (sorry for the brevity; you can read all the bits in between on the STF website) and there have been some significant changes. The early-spring festival of two productions, which over the years came to include plays by other classic playwrights, helmed by notable guest directors, has become a single autumn production; a thriving touring arm to the company has also sprung up.

Last year, Elizabeth Freestone directed Henry V, her first production for STF, and she returns this year for the company’s 20th anniversary production: Shakespeare’s wittiest rom com, Much Ado AboutNothing, in which the light-hearted banter mingles with darker themes.

Over to you then, Elizabeth…

It’s a privilege to be asked back to make another show for such a terrific company as Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory. Knowing

the organisation means there are already strong connections in place and I’m looking forward to continuing the conversation with audiences that last year’s Henry V began. Returning also brings its own challenges

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 37

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ARTS As a director, my advice is to do more listening than you do talking. It’s not your job to have all the answers. It’s your job to ask the

right questions.

I don’t really have any theatrical superstitions. But I do like having

the right pencil during previews.

© Camilla Adams

My productions will always foreground female stories, because of who I am and because of who I choose to work with. Working

Diversity and equality drive Elizabeth Freestone’s directorial work

too – no grace period, or under-the-radar surprises! All I can hope is that we offer the audience a new and exciting way of seeing Much Ado About Nothing.

The summer after I took my GCSEs I had a job as a strawberry picker on a local farm. It was hot, and I’d pick from 5am until midday

to try to avoid the worst of it. In the afternoons I read Shakespeare. A play a day, weeks on end. I read them all and made extensive notes; I still have and refer to the folder.

Although there was much I didn’t – and still don’t – understand, I was mesmerised by the vast array of characters and stories. They seemed to me to contain all of life.

The first Shakespeare play I saw was Hamlet in 1995. It was

George Dillon’s production, outdoors at my local theatre in Sussex. He just came straight out at the beginning and launched into ‘To be or not to be.’ It was electric.

with a 50/50 gender split naturally makes for exciting discoveries about many of Shakespeare’s characters. Playing Kate as a kind of warrior princess in Henry V was thrilling, but I was equally excited by our female Exeter and Gower and Williams, actors redefining who those characters could be.

Much Ado contains one of the most brilliant women Shakespeare ever wrote in Beatrice – a complicated, spiky, funny character with a formidable sense of self – and I was certainly drawn to getting to know her properly. But I’m equally intrigued by Hero and Ursula and Margaret, and – in our production – Don John and Dogberry; a group of very different but equally dynamic women.

Diversity and equality have been at the top of the agenda in the theatre industry for the past couple of years and that has brought

with it substantial improvements. The task now is to embed those changes and that thinking so that we can only move forwards from this moment. There is still much work to be done.

With its parties and weddings and vigils, Much Ado is a joyful play built on rituals and celebrations; moments that mark

milestones. It’s also a serious play about pretence, looking at the roles we play to disguise our true feelings. Overall, it’s filled with characters who love language and use words in all their most powerful and playful ways.

Those things made it the perfect story to mark STF’s anniversary.

For me, all Shakespeare plays are set in the here and now, regardless of what costumes people are wearing. I’m not the kind

of director who picks an era and just sets a play in that time. I want the production to speak to audiences today – and to that end it uses modern ideas and imagery – but I also want it to be able to take on all the resonances of other times too. Our production is certainly modern in feel, but I hope also entirely timeless.

“I was mesmerised by the vast array of characters and stories. They seemed to me to contain all of life”

Two things struck me when I re-read the play with an eye on directing it this autumn. The first was the story of

It would be difficult to choose just one production, but when I was working at the RSC in 2006, the year of the Complete Works Festival, I saw astonishing productions from all over the world like Ninagawa’s Titus Andronicus and Luk Perceval’s Othello. They blew my mind with their audacious imagery and alternative interpretations. There was also Dominic Cooke’s Pericles and A Winter’s Tale, which were full of compassion and humanity. That year was pretty formative for developing my fascination with Shakespeare.

the soldiers coming home from conflict and struggling to readjust to civilian life.

Looking at all the characters’ behaviour through that filter made so much sense and felt so important to explore in today’s world. The second was the treatment of Hero at the altar on her wedding day. She is effectively slut-shamed by her fiancé, who has been duped into thinking she has cheated on him. The public humiliation it brings chimes so much with how people are treated on social media today, and how quickly ideas – especially erroneous ones – can take hold. That also felt like a vital contemporary resonance to draw out.

As for many directors, Andrew’s Hilton [founder of STF]’s inspirational approach to text had a huge impact on my thinking about the language. Uncluttered, thoughtful storytelling is the STF

Much Ado is a modern story with relatable characters and proper laugh and cry moments. There’s live music, dancing, singing, fighting; the works. And I promise you’ll understand it … n

I wouldn’t know how to begin talking about whether or not I have a directing style. That’s for others to say, isn’t it? I suppose all

Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory plays Tobacco Factory Theatres between 16 October-9 November www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com www.stf-theatre.org.uk

The best Shakespeare I’ve seen?

trademark, and I hope my work feeds in to that tradition.

I know is my taste, which is for relevant, impactful theatre built on truthful characterisation, vivid imagery and a love of language.

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

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1

Our friends * in the North (* and East, and West streets)

Colin has made a short film about the BS3 community – here are just a few of the highlights Words and pictures by Colin Moody 42 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Bristol heroes 2

I 3

t was a real joy to make a film for Bedminster about the traders and residents there, and to try and capture some of the spirit of the place.

As a photographer and videographer it was going to be a challenge to take my photographic technique and turn it into moving pictures, but I wanted to make you feel really engaged with the people I was meeting. The brief was simple.

Make more people proud of their high streets here, get to know themselves a bit more – and maybe entice more people just off the plane or train to swing by.

Community is a long word, and so is this high street.

Split three ways via North, East and West Street, this is one of the most happening places in the city. And by that I don’t just mean cafés that import their secondhand furniture from Berlin to get the tone right (which is admittedly nice); I refer to the reality of places like Sunshine Cafe on East Street where customers are not on their phones, they are engaging with each other in a communal way over cuppas that are not too expensive.

For me, to get the film right, it needed to be energetic, and feature a good variety of the things that locals wanted to see represented. There were so many people originally; there were 150 people in the film and I had to cut it right down. I’m going to come back to this project again next year to see the changes. And there are a lot of changes coming.

1

If you’ve ever wandered down Bedminster’s East Street, you may well have heard the distinct voice of Darren Jones.

Darren’s East Street Fruit Market business has been a mainstay in BS3 for decades, despite the presence of a mega Asda only an avocado roll away. I’ve been working with local groups to document various high streets this year, and I’ve learnt a lot about what any shop needs to survive. How interdependent it is on other types of shops to coexist. But what they all need is footfall. And they need that on East and West Street particularly.

With some amazing traditional British stop-and-chat opportunities available on these streets it might not seem as cool as North Street, but I’d argue that it might be worth recalibrating what you think of as cool, adjust and question who has influenced that in your brain. Give both a try. It’s fun.

2

“The regulars are far too busy hanging out with each other in the bar to leave a review of how hoppy they thought the guest ale was”

Remind me how gentrification works. New money and business comes in that pushes out the older cultures. Right?

Well, that would be a shame, as East Street has a very dynamic street scene. I mean; how often can you go for a ride with your grandkids eating a Dib-Dab on the back of your mobility scooter? And would this happen on North Street? Not as often, for sure. When making the film I wanted to capture those moments that, on their own, look like a bit of fun, but deep down, and on a fundamental level, in this part of town you see a lot of elders out, on their scooters, on sticks, being there, doing their thing.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 43

3

The Masonic. Bedminster hero.

When a major search engine won’t show you a review for a certain pub, but the more on-the-surface trendy ones, this does not mean that the aforementioned establishment is not poor. Far from it. It could be, as appears to be the case for the Masonic. This is a local institution well loved by its regulars who are far too busy hanging out with each other in the bar, chatting away to each other over some bowling, darts or a pint, to go and sit in the corner and leave a review of how hoppy they thought the guest ale was.

I’ve got a rule for pubs. If banter works, if it gets people clicking, and bouncing verbals back and forth, it’s a good pub. If the Apple logo is glowing at you with titanium optimism all around, then turn around my friend, walk out the door, for this is no pub, this is a temporary office space for the lost generation.

4

Who makes the best opera? The Italians.

Who makes the best wine? Probably the Italians again, maybe the French. Some good vines grow here now in places like Bristol and the surrounding countryside because of climate change.

But who makes the best bread? Mark’s Bread. Period.

I’ve been a fan of their bread from day one because Mark, and his new doughy army of bakers, simply do make it the best. I chose to have a ‘cheers!’ moment with them at the end of the shoot for the new film because for me daily bread, the work, the ovens, the smells, mixed in some days with the beer brewing next door, is Bedminster.

You won’t hear this in BS3: “Remember when you could go out and get a loaf of bread with a proper crust, and real flavour, that was warm under your arm inside that little brown paper bag?” Because that’s not just a memory. It’s the here and now. Everyone knows you get your Saturday bread early as it always sells out. Always. I lived in Italy for a while, but Mark’s ciabatta is bette

6

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

4 5

bristol heroes

He allowed me to film his team making all their doughs and mixtures very, very early in the morning, and it’s not something I will forget. They actually have a community of bakers from all over in that small space, baking their way into the day and into the heart, mind and stomach of anyone who has partaken of it.

5

Proper job breakfast at this place.

Lots of locals use the Sunshine Café on East Street because it’s so friendly. Lots of banter. I love so many cafés all around Bedminster, but this one seems special somehow. Me and Lee, another photographer, often meet up here to chat and take photos with the locals. I say ‘with’ because the chats often draw you in. People are interested in where you are from. Prices are affordable and service comes with a genuine smile. And there is a seagull that taps the window like it wants in for a feed, and once or twice I saw it follow a punter down the road who left with toast, and it got its share.

7

6

Ken. What a smile.

He has been happy here for a long time, always has a story to tell you if you stop and chat.

To get the shot for the film I talked about his life with him for a bit and asked him what this neighbourhood means to him. That’s where the smile came from. And then off he went on his mobility scooter. Always felt if he was there in the Wild West (what am I saying, this is the Wild West) during the pioneering days he would be the one you would saddle up next to at the bar or provisions store to chew over a bit of local gossip and chat.

7

What’s amazing is that Miles Chambers there, with his jerk cooking behind, has only just met this woman.

She agreed to answer my question “how would you two show me what’s special about Bedminster?” by joining him for a hug.

Be sure of a warm welcome in Bedminster.

I’m hoping this film will showcase the biggest asset they have there – it’s the people. If these two are anything to go by, those with positivity are abundant.

8 8

“If the Apple logo is glowing at you with titanium optimism all around then turn around my friend, walk out the door, for this is no pub; this is a temporary office space for the lost generation”

Do you like the ‘spins’ you see here on the skate park?

A few sparks flying was just the ticket to portray aspects of life here. I wanted to use these sparks as a metaphor for the amazing energy, day and night, of the area. How it all radiates out from the centre.

The fire here illuminated the wildstyle graffiti and tagging all around him, lighting up their voice. A small tag that just says ‘the real BS3’ all shine in his glow. And that’s the rub, you see. You don’t just come and do your thing here, you’re adding to what’s already been laid down. And if it involves some small, carefully controlled pyro then that’s all good.

Watch Welcome to Bedminster on youtube.com.

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 45

We're recruiting a Deputy Editor!

Sorry, everyone. We can’t do this anymore.

We can’t keep trying to fit everything that’s going on in this city into a three-weekly magazine. We want to cover MORE events; be MORE reactive; preview and review MORE places – and with this in mind, from 21 February 2020, BRISTOL LIFE WILL GO FORTNIGHTLY. This means that for the first time in the magazine’s 16-year history, we will be recruiting for a full-time deputy editor.

You’ll need to be…

• Highly literate, with a great visual eye • Impeccably organised and efficient • A superb self-starter and team player • Adept at social media • Bristol’s biggest fan Excited by the prospect of becoming a key part of Bristol’s best magazine? If so, please email your CV, covering letter, a sample of your written work and a few lines about why you feel you’re the ideal fit for the job, by 25 October 2019, to deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk We look forward to hearing from you….

www.mediaclash.co.uk

Bambalan The weather’s getting greyer and chillier by the day – all the more reason to help yourself to a burst of the warm south, in the city centre’s most colourful restaurant

By Meg Coast

“Bambalan’s cocktails pack a punch; judge them by their size at your peril” 48 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

restaurant

W

e’re back at Bambalan for second helpings. Although actually, it’s more like third or fourth; OK, maybe fifth, or sixth, if you include that silent disco lunch back in 2017.

We’re serial Bambalaners, and we’ve decided to keep going until we’ve worked our way through the entire menu. At time of going to press, we’re

roughly a quarter of the way there.

Situated on the first floor of Colston Tower, and far more prepossessing inside than out, Bambalan brings North African flavours and Mediterranean mezze to a uniquely Bristol setting.

Bursting onto the food scene back in 2016, Bam’s the baby sister of The Ox and Pata Negra, youngish auntie to Seven Lucky Gods, and just like all of the Hyde & Co’s ventures, mixes excellent service with ace cocktails and colourful, great-tasting food that’s ideal for sociable sharing.

Friendly staff hustle us into one of the funky turquoise booths; it’s a tad too chilly to take advantage of the big terrace with its city-centre views, though paradoxically, as the weather gets cooler, the terrace gets cosier, because during winter there are heaters and a twinkly fairylit canopy. Diehard table-tennis freaks can show off their mean batting skills on the side balconies all year round.

Resisting the temptation to display our meagre general knowledge (quiz night’s just kicking off), we skim through the cocktail menu; waitress Teasha rescues us from a flurry of indecision by recommending the passion fruit margarita and raspberry daiquiri, which bring a burst of tropical colour into the mardy Brizzle drizzle.

They come beautifully presented, in deceptively little glasses, but as we have discovered in the past to our cost, Bambalan’s cocktails pack a punch – judge them by their size at your peril. We sipped our way through four throughout the evening; each was zingy, refreshing and potent, and at two for a tenner, not too hard on the wallet either.

Identifying a few plates we hadn’t tried before, we ordered in some mezze starters of charred tender-stem broccoli and deep-fried squid.

The fish was perfectly textured, nicely charred outside, meltingly tender inside and with just the right amount of chilli kick. The broccoli, which surely along with the cocktail constituted at least three of our five-a-day, arrived slathered in vivid, smoky chilli romesco (four-a-day? Get in).

Obviously we needed at least one of the babs. Chaotically messy and indulgent, consisting of a hearty flat bread filled with lavish quantities of your filling of choice, Bambalan’s signature dish is not for the fastidious knife and fork brigade. Carnivores can dig into a medley of meat with the Big Boy Bab, piled high with chicken, lamb and pork, and the vegetarian options are just as stacked – try the Banh Mi Bab for a taste of South-East Asia, all wrapped up for your delectation.

Even if you’re stuffed (and you will be), don’t skip dessert. My silky banana ice-cream made a perfect partner to an indecently indulgent salted caramel brownie, sending me sweetly into a food-induced coma.

The Hyde gaffs are renowned for their top-notch service, and a few years after opening Bambalan’s staff are still knocking it out of the park. We love the lively buzz here; we even managed to get a few of the quiz night questions right. We’ve still barely made a dent on the menu, but we really don’t need an excuse to loosen the belt buckles and keep working our way through it, one bab at a time. n

Dining details Bambalan, Podium Level, Colston Tower, Colston Avenue BS1 4XE; 0117 9221880 Opening hours 8am-midnight seven days a week We visited Wednesday dinner time Prices main courses £9-£16.50; nibbles/starters/sharers

£3.50-£17; desserts £6 Vegetarian wide choice Drinks modest wine list but with a few stars; glasses from

£3.75; cocktails 2 for £10; beers and ciders £3.50-£5.50 Service first-class Atmosphere Bustling and lively Are kids welcome? Yes, and there’s a nice-looking kids menu

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

NEW

NEW MOON ON THE QUAY NOW OPEN

CLIFTON VILLAGE RESTAURANT OPEN AS USUAL ADDRESS: THE KIOSK 3 HANNOVER QUAY BS1 5JE | TEL: 0117 927 9689 BOOKING ENQUIRIES: HELLO@NEWMOONTAPAS.CO.UK

D N A R IN A W BO O D EN IL M W GA

For great Christmas value

• Woolley Park (Bath) free range turkeys, geese and ducks • Copas organic and free range turkeys • Usk Vale boneless turkey crowns stuffed to order Gift vouchers • Set boxes Molesworths of Henleaze 101 Henleaze Road, Bristol, BS9 4JP

Molesworths of Frampton 147 Church Road, Frampton Cotterell, Bristol, BS36 2JX

0117 962 1095

01454 777337

www.henleazebutchers.co.uk

food & drink s n a p s h o t s o f B R I STO L’ S f o o d s c e n e

ready to rum-ble

Move over, all you gin joints; the Bristol & Bath Rum Distillery has opened a new bar, restaurant, distillery and rum school on Park Street.

The new hotspot (on the plot of Jamie’s Italian) is a tower of fun – table service on the second floor, 150 rums on the menu, a prohibition snug, distilling rum in copper stills.

Taking pride of place in the huge venue are two stills, one of which, a mammoth 500-litre double retort rum still, is the type still used by Caribbean rum distillers and will distil the Cornish-originated Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rum (see p 64 for more). Other highlights include the Colombian rum Dictador (some variants of which are sold in Harrods for around £1,300 per bottle) and Rum Sixty-Six, a classic rum from Barbados. Some cocktails will have a local flavour, such as There and Back Again – a blend of rums with banana, coconut, lime and bitters – which takes its name from the quirky lane behind the building.

“Bristol has a rich rum heritage and we’re really looking forward to adding to that story with a brandnew chapter,” says GM Chris Hotson.

For more bristolandbathrumdistillery.com

The Bristol & Bath Rum Distillery is open for business

Clean conscience, empty plates

May and Rose are filling those empty bowls in readiness for the launch of their new Eat Me café

Sarah Thorp of Alchemy 198 and May and Rose from the Plastic Free Catering company have joined forces to launch Eat Me, a new café with a conscience.

As well as being free of single-use plastics, the café will only use local suppliers – artisan bread from local favourite Joe’s Bakery and top-quality fruit and veg from neighbouring Pawsons, for instance. The menu offers brunches including smashed avocado, homemade kale pesto, perfectly poached eggs and lovely local greens. There’ll also be salads, sformato (an Italian inspired tart), maple-smoked tofu, vegan mayo and salad sarnies.

Just like Alchemy, Eat Me will compost food waste at its allotment, keep other waste to a minimum, use local produce wherever possible and avoid anything wrapped in plastic. Their motto is, ‘nothing tastes as good as a clean conscience’.

Eat Me will be open all day until 5pm and then the team will leave an array of dishes for Alchemy’s evening crowd, including giant pearl barley, mushroom and thyme vegan sausage rolls and smoked mackerel glutenfree scotch eggs.

Eat Me’s kitchen opens on 2 November.

For more alchemy198.co.uk

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

cafÉ society Stan Cullimore

Cistern chapel Most cafés have a loo. Not many are actually converted from one…

I

do love it when a beautiful old building gets reused, reinvented and maybe even upcycled a bit.

Especially old toilet blocks. I’ve seen them reborn as nightclubs, posh eco houses and even trendy hairdressing salons. Whatever they become, they’re always interesting spaces, thoroughly worthy of a second chance and a second glance.

Today’s coffee shop of choice is a perfect example.

There are many good reasons to visit a specific café. The blend of coffee, the location, the view, the staff, the food, the weather and sometimes, just sometimes,

“I finally found the cherry on the cake, the piece de resistance, the holy of holies. The Throne Room. Oh, yes.”

it is worth making a visit purely because someone in your party needs to use the cloakroom.

In this case, that is no cheap euphemism. The Cloakroom is a splendid Edwardian toilet block, built along mock Greco-Roman lines, placed on Park Row just downhill from the University campus of Royal Fort.

After doing several decades duty as a house of easement, being left empty for a while, briefly used as some sort of pop-up art gallery, this architectural pocket rocket has now been reinvented as a hipster haunt for coffee lovers. And what a glorious reinvention it is, too.

Utterly marvellous. Takes your breath away.

Whoever did the redeveloping is obviously a fan of the Hippocratic oath. “First, do no harm.” After putting in the obligatory post-industrial scaffoldpole-and-plank inspired serving space, they’ve left as many of the original fixtures and fittings in place as hygienically possible.

The tasteful tiles, bold bricks and charming cisterns high up on the wall behind the coffee machine are all still in place, looking simply glorious. Of course, the cisterns are now filled with plants, the tiles are the backdrop to the counter and everything is done in the best of all possible taste.

Which brings us neatly to the food and refreshment on offer.

Like everything else in the place, they are a beautiful balance of form and function, impossible to resist. My companion and I went for a sourdough open sandwich thingy and a cake oozing with overindulgence. We then split them between us, along with a couple of coffees. Very nice they all were too. Completely delightful. Though, of course, we had more on our minds than mere munching. We were there to check out the rest of the interior.

We mooched around the other eating areas, getting more and more delighted as each new, lovingly preserved, original feature came into view, until I finally found the cherry on the cake, the pièce-de-resistance, the holy of holies. The Throne Room. Oh, yes. Just when I thought life couldn’t get any better, I discovered that the restroom features a full-on, honest to goodness, Edwardian water closet. The Deluge.

So, if you’re ever looking for some pretty fine coffee and cake, in a setting with more sass and olde worlde charm than the Antiques Roadshow, get yourself to the Cloakroom. n Former Housemartins guitarist Stan is now a journalist and travel writer www.stancullimore.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 53

45 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2LS

celebrate christmas i n s t y l e at t h e centurion Christmas Party Nights

£38.50

Bar opens at 7pm, your meal will be served at 8pm followed by a disco from our resident DJ until midnight. Also included Nigel Coles will be providing his Funky Photo Booth on all evenings.

06/12/2019 (Full)

07/12/2019

13/12/2019

14/12/2019

19/12/2019

20/12/2019

21/12/2019

Christmas Menu 2019 STARTER

MAINS

Red onion & goat cheese tartlet with dressed salad Curried parsnip soup with herb pesto Chicken liver parfait with chutney & toasted ciabatta Smoked salmon with dill mayonnaise, pickled cucumber

Roast turkey with all the festive trimmings Vegetarian nut roast with roast potatoes & veggie gravy Roast loin of pork topped with savoy cabbage crust Baked Cornish pollock with dauphinoise potatoes

DESSERTS Dark chocolate mousse with raspberry sorbet Selection of 3 cheeses, chutney & crackers Passionfruit cheesecake with chantilly cream Christmas pudding with rum custard

All dishes can be made gluten free, just let us know.

Vegan options are available.

FESTIVE CHRISTMAS IN THE RESTAURANT Lunch 2 Course £18.50 Dinner 2 Course £23.50

3 Course £22.00 3 Course £27.00

new year’s eve LIVE MUSIC PROVIDED BY ULTIMATE FLOYD Arrive / bar open from 8pm | Band will start around 8.30pm - 12.30am Live Music provided by Ultimate Floyd | Roast Pork & Stuffing Baps TICKETS: £20.00 ADVANCE OFFER If bought between 1st October & 30th November. £25.00 From 1st December

Best Western Plus Centurion Hotel, Charlton Lane, Midsomer Norton, Nr Bath BA3 4BD 01761 417711 | centurionhotel.co.uk

THE WILD BRUNCH Because those who say that breakfast is the best meal of the day are aiming a little too early . . .

By Rachel Ifans

Just one reason that we can’t keep away from Quay Street Diner

brunches

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e’ve rounded up a dozen of our favourite brunch haunts in Bristol and given the owners quick-fire questions on what makes their brunch sizzle. Gaggia’s on, let’s brew this thing!

Bakers & Co

Where?: 198 Gloucester Road www.bakersbristol.co.uk Open for brunch: Mon-Fri 8am-3pm; Sat 9am-4pm; Sun 10am-3pm What makes you special?

We bake sourdough daily, make everything in-house from scratch and serve our own blend of coffee and fresh homemade juice.

We like to think we cater for everyone from morning through to lunchtime – neighbourhood bakery, speciality coffee and highquality brunch in one.

Most popular dishes: There are a few, but we’ll go with these three: our Baker’s Breakfast – dry-cured bacon, mace, ginger and black pepper-spiced sausage, morcilla, slow-cooked pinto beans, thyme-roasted mushrooms, tomato salsa, a fried hen egg and sourdough toast; our Morning

Masa + Mezcal – now open for brunch. Bienvenidas!

Toast with cinnamon and orange sugar, maple-candied squash, crème fraiche and maple syrup; and smashed avocado, chilli, lime, coriander and togarashi, two poached eggs, sourdough toast.

Describe your brunch in five words Fresh, eclectic, convivial, ingredient-lead.

Beets n Roots

Where?: 39 Cotham Hill www.beetsnroots.com Open for brunch: some breakfast items served until 11.30am on weekdays, all-day brunch at weekends.

What makes you special?

We’re an organic, award-winning, high-vitality café and juicery bursting with flavour, playfulness and soulful tunes. A rustic, upcycled health hub hideaway, with a sunken, street-side sundeck perfect for watching the world go by.

We pride ourselves on providing customers with thoughtful, healthy, and locally sourced meals. Each dish is nutrient-dense and made with intention. We make dishes that revitalise the skin, support digestion, bring life back to the gut, and promote overall health and wellness. Just as important as knowing how to make these meals is knowing why they are important for a healthy body and healthy planet.

“The 100% nongluten Mexican menu smacks of flavour” www.mediaclash.co.uk I bristol LIFE I 57

brunches Most popular dishes Smoothie jars rule supreme: these jars are so vibrant and beautiful they’ve been named Bristol’s most instagrammable breakfast. They come in four flavours (awesome acacia, berry boost, chocolate champion and glorious green).

A close second are the buckwheat chia pancakes, all topped with delicious but nutritious goodness, proving that eating healthily does not have to be boring, or compromise on taste.

Describe your brunch in five words Delicious, nutritious, unique, flavourful, award-winning.

Brace and Browns and Harbour and Browns

Where?: Brace and Browns: 43 Whiteladies Road Harbour and Browns: Unit 13, Cargo 2, Wapping Wharf www.braceandbrowns.co.uk; www.harbourandbrowns.com Open for brunch: 12pm-4pm/10am-4pm (booking is essential).

What makes you special?

I suppose being Bristol’s first Prosecco Brunch made us stand out.

Brunch is not a new concept, but what Brace and Browns did was to add a bit of fizz, putting extra sparkle on brunch with friends.

Most popular dishes Brunch menus are seasonal in both restaurants. Current hot sellers at Brace and Browns are autumn veg bubble & squeak; pulled ham hock with harissa Hollandaise; or triple cheese on sourdough, with wild mushrooms and wilted baby spinach. At Harbour and Browns it’s the confit duck, with salted waffle, fried duck egg and sticky plum sauce.

Describe your brunch in five words Fun, lively, tasty, different, enjoyable.

The City Farm cafe

Where?: Philip Street, Bedminster www.thecityfarmcafe.org.uk Open for brunch: 9am-3pm Tuesday to Sunday; until 2.30pm Mon. What makes you special?

We do big, feelgood breakfasts, including veggie and vegan options, free-range scrambled eggs on toast and changing specials depending on what we’re picking at the farm, as well as excellent Fairtrade, organic coffee and Bristol Loaf pastries.

Every penny of profit is ploughed back into the farm, helping to maintain our four acres of urban growing space. You’ll find the best local produce at the heart of our dishes, and you can wander around the productive gardens and meet the animals afterwards.

Prosecco, coffee, prosecco, coffee. Brace and Browns has all the brunch bases covered

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

Most popular dishes Our best seller is always the City Farmer breakfast: outdoor-reared pork and herb sausage and smoked back bacon, roast tomatoes, mushrooms, beans and free-range eggs on toast.

Describe your brunch in five words Colourful, delicious, local, seasonal, ethical.

Eat Your Greens

Where?: 156 Wells Road www.facebook.com/eatyourgreensbristol Open for brunch: 10am-2.30pm Thurs-Sat. Booking is advised, as we are quite small.

What makes you special?

Our food and café both have a lot of character and a relaxing, homely feel. Our brunch menu may be concise, but we pack in a lot of flavour and variance. We source as many of our ingredients as locally and/or organically as possible.

Most popular dishes The Hunk and Goldie Lox are very popular, as well as the lunch bowl and our enormous cooked breakfast, The Beasty.

Describe your brunch in five words Inclusive, colourful, innovative, plant based.

Epic Breakfast Company

Where?: Wherever you want it to be! www.epicbreakfast.co.uk Open for brunch: Booking/orders through the website, by midnight on a Wednesday for the coming weekend. We deliver on Saturday mornings to Bristol postcodes BS1 to BS8; choose either a 8-9:30am or a 10-11.30am timeslot.

What makes you special?

When you don’t want to get out of your PJs, or let the kids loose on the public, or you just want to stay in, we’ll deliver breakfast boxes to the home. We use local suppliers, and almost all ingredients are

“Every penny of profit is ploughed back into the farm, helping to maintain our four acres of urban growing space”

Try Bakers and Co’s Baker’s Breakfast – a take on the full English, served with a San Fran vibe

BRUNCHES

Brunch delivered to your door, for the laziest imaginable Sunday mornings

organic. We also supply everything in reusable containers, collecting them afterwards, so there’s no packaging waste or plastic.

From 2 November we’re launching our subscription service, and our week-round boxes. These will also include our homemade triple coconut granola, served with fresh banana and oat milk, for the weekdays.

Most popular dishes: In the box you get two meals: one continental breakfast, with pastries from Assembly Bakery (artisan and ethical), hand-pressed apple juice from Barley Wood Orchard, and coffee from Clifton Coffee. The other meal is a full-English, with free-range meat and eggs (or organic veggie/vegan alternatives, including Matter Wholefoods’ Bakun), home-made smoky maple beans, precooked bubble & squeak, chestnut mushrooms, oven-roasted tomatoes and fresh white sourdough. Slap it all in the pan, following the hangover-proof instructions and it’s ready in 20 minutes.

Describe your brunch in five words Convenience, provenance, environment, wellbeing, ethical.

FED 303

Where?: 303 Gloucester Road www.facebook.com/Fed303 Open for brunch: Seven days a week, 8am-5pm.

What makes you special?

A passion for local and ethical ingredients, homemade food and a great atmosphere.

“These days we’re a bit more polished spoon than greasy spoon”

Most popular dishes Oh, lots, but this recent one has been a winner: salted maple pecan and golden raisin granola mixed with blackberry and banana smoothie.

Describe your brunch in five words Inclusive, colourful, innovative, plant-based.

LOCKSIDE

Where?: No.1 Brunel Lock Road, Cumberland Basin www.lockside.net Open for brunch: Open seven days a week until 4pm.

What makes you special?

Tucked under the Cumberland Basin flyover, we’re a former transport caff which has been serving full-English breakfasts since 1963. The traditional brekkies (with unlimited tea or coffee) are still the backbone of our waterfront café, although these days we’re a bit more polished spoon than greasy spoon!

Most popular dishes Our all-day brunches are popular, including Scotch pancakes with streaky bacon and maple syrup; and smoked salmon and rocket bagel with scrambled eggs.

Describe your brunch in five words Relaxed, comforting, high-quality, hearty, views.

MASA + MEZCAL

Where?: 77-79 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RD www.masaandmezcal.co.uk Open for brunch: Mon-Sat 10.30am-4pm; Sun 11am-4pm.

What makes you special?

Opening our doors for brunch for the first time this autumn, we’re hoping Masa + Mezcal will prove to be the hottest ticket in town.

The 100% non-gluten Mexican menu smacks of flavour and offers

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

AD VA N IS CED A D BO VIS OK ED IN G

NEW MENU

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

- Cocktail of the week: two for ÂŁ7.95 everyday - Half price Pizza: Monday to Friday, between 2pm and 5pm - Live music all week

LOCAL PRODUCE The Promenade, 18/20 Gloucester Road, Bristol BS7 8AE 0117 942 7471 | www.thebluelagooncafebar.com

Lockside Lockside is a waterfront cafe offering casual dining on the edge of the Avon Gorge with great views of the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

An ideal meeting place providing relaxed setting.

We offer a friendly informal atmosphere providing a varied menu for all day breakfast and lunch at competitive prices 7 days a week.

To book a table please call

0117 9255 800

Lockside, No.1 Brunel Lock Road, Cumberland Basin, Bristol BS1 6XS

www.lockside.net

brunches much for the plant-based diner in Bristol’s vegan quarter.

Most popular dishes: People love our Masa Hot Cakes – maize pancakes, vanilla cream, caramelised banana and agave syrup; and our vegan rancheros – black beans, salsa, coconut cream, sweet potato and tortillas; and also our brunch chilaquiles, which are fried tortillas coated in salsa, topped with chicken, hard cheese and red onion.

Describe your brunch in five words Vibrant, punchy, gluten free, Mexican.

quayside diner

Where?: 2 Quay Street; www.quaystreetdiner.co.uk Open for brunch: Mon-Fri 9am-midday; Sat 9am-2pm; Sun all day.

What makes you special? We reckon we cook up one of the best brunches in town, from our legendary thick-cut smoked bacon and eggs or Mexican huevos rancheros through to the Quay Street Big Breakfast, we’ll set you up for the day.

Choose a popular dish The crispy buttermilk fried chicken with waffles and maple syrup hits the spot for us every time. It’s a hug on a plate.

Describe your brunch in five words Laidback Californian sunshine in Bristol.

“The atmosphere is buzzy and the fresh ground coffee flows alongside our natural ingredient smoothies”

Rosemarino

Where?: 1 York Place www.rosemarino.co.uk Open for brunch: 9am-3pm everyday – wise to book at weekends.

What makes you special?

Everything is made freshly and in-house, including our daily baked focaccia bread, our own home-baked beans, homesmoked salmon, and even our sausages, which are exclusive to us with a closely guarded recipe of herbs and spices. We have a fantastic selection of veggie and vegan options. The atmosphere is buzzy at the weekends, the fresh ground coffee flows alongside our natural ingredient smoothies and brunch cocktails. The Rosemarino Bloody Mary is a thing of beauty.

Most popular dishes After 10 years trading, our baked egg dishes – Tommy’s One-Pan and Eggs Purgatorio – have developed an almost cult-like following. Our Italian-inspired take on the full-English and veggie breakfasts also seem to be very hard to resist.

Describe your brunch in five words Fresh, generous, vibrant, Italian-inspired, classic. n

Eat Your Greens. And your purples. And your browns. Then instagram the hell out of it

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BLACK DIAMOND RING, £908 Why be dull when you can be dangerous? This black rose-cut diamond in a raised bezel setting is to die for (mwahahahahaaa!); the band is 9ct Fairtrtade gold, so you’re not as wicked as you may like to think.

From Diana Porter, 33 Park Street; www.dianaporter.co.uk

DEATH BECOMES YOU Shop ’til you drop dead: it’s spooky season

DEAD MAN’S FINGERS, £22 A blend of rum and spices created at the Rum & Crab Shack in St Ives, Cornwall. Inspired by local flavours such as saffron cake, spiced fruit and the Shack’s own Pedro Ximinez ice cream. Creepy but cool.

From the Bristol & Bath Rum Distillery 87-88 Park Street; www.thehook.com

WICKED WINES, £VARIOUS Vino-divas should head to Harvey Nicks’ Second Floor Restaurant on Tuesdays this October. They’re offering corkage-free wines to diners so it’s time to go wild!

From Harvey Nichols 27 Philadelphia Street; www.harveynichols.com

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SKELETAL MERMAIDS, FROM £15 Love this hybrid fishbone-cum-mermaid-cum-skeleton piece. Quirky and humourous – just what we’d expect from Bristol-based artist, Laura Robertson.

From Room 212, 212 Gloucester Rd; www.room212.co.uk

CHOCOCO CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN, £6.50 It shimmers and shines and it’s packed with chocolate spiders. This 67% Madagascan origin dark chocolate chap is 10cm tall and vegan-friendly, and he’ll arrive in plastic-free packaging.

From Papadeli, 84 Alma Road; www.papadeli.co.uk

ED’S CHOICE GOLD SKULL BALLOON, £7.99 So, you don’t do fancy dress? No bother; pull on your favourite outfit (any colour as long as it’s black) and tote this 36” bad boy.

From Fun Warehouse, The Galleries; www. funwarehouse.co.uk

BUG EARRINGS, £59 Scare your mates with some top-notch beetle-juice. Foilembossed leather scarab earrings hang from dainty golden hooks.

From rositabonita.com

MINI LEATHER BAG, £115.00 Thought Cath Kidston was all about cutesy flowers? Not this season, honey! Luxe leather, all black, stud closures… Kidston suddenly looks scarily grown up…

From Cath Kidston, The Mall at Cribbs Causeway www.cathkidston.com

WITCHES’ BREW, £7.50 Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble: this Halloween cocktail will get the party started: chai-tea-infused rum, Tia Maria, chocolate and coconut syrup, cinnamon and fresh cold milk.

From Alchemy 198, 198 Gloucester Rd, alchemy198.co.uk

SPOUT SPIDER TOY, £32 Spout has eight wonderfully waggly legs and curly toes, and when he stands up straight he’s 40cm tall. Even arachnophobes will want a cuddle. Probably From Pod, 24, The Mall, Clifton Village; www.thepodcompany.co.uk

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Meet the MAKER Bristol is teeming with talented craftspeople, designing and making beautiful artisanal products with their own hands (and hearts).

Here are some of the best...

advertising feature Carla James

Daisy Vickers

Carla James www.carlajames.co.uk

What inspired you to start creating your products?

I am an artist driven by my passion to create. I produce artwork in the form of painting and drawing. My work is inspired by my surroundings, identity and travel. My products include: original art, art prints, mugs, phone covers, fashion and homeware.

How long have you been creating your products?

I have been creating my products for five years now, gradually growing my business over time.

What is the most enjoyable aspect about what you do?

I love the variety of what I do in my art business. It enables me to wear many different hats. For example, painting in the studio producing new work, photographing work at a professional standard, editing and converting artwork to design work. I then develop these aspects by working on my web design, updating blogs and social media, framing prints, delivering stock, ordering, and of course exhibiting my work.

What inspires the design of your products?

I am inspired by my heritage of Bristol and Trinidad. I show this in my work through subject matter such as typically Bristol designs or tropical colour palettes. I love combinations of these qualities along with techniques and styles.

Where do you source the materials for your products?

All materials are locally sourced in Bristol or within the UK. I am proud to support local businesses and stay loyal to my suppliers. I re-used or re-cycle packaging.

DAISYV Jewellery 07308645771; www.DAISYV.com

Carla James

Daisy Vickers

JEREMY HEBER

JEREMY HEBER JEWELLERY 01275 390357; www.jeremyheber.co.uk What makes your products different from competitors?

My first priority is design. There’s so much ordinary jewellery on the market, so I aim to make each piece distinctive: eye-catching but still eminently wearable. My second watch-word is quality. People tend to favour my jewellery for everyday wear, so it’s important that it’s weighty and well made, so that it still looks great 10 years after it was purchased.

Tell us something unique about your products I love to combine different coloured metals. I made my name enhancing silver jewellery with gold elements at a time when there were few other designers doing this, and these pieces continue to be the core of my range. In terms of design I aim for that sweet-spot between unusual and classic which means that you’ll be wearing something distinctive but also beautiful.

What inspires the design of your products?

I love strong geometric shapes and fluid curves: forms that the eye can take in almost instantly. I know that some people favour a riot of detail and complexity instead. That’s equally valid, but it’s not for me.

Where do you source the materials for your products and why?

There’s a lot of human harm and environmental damage in the jewellery supply chain and I’m working hard to establish firm, ethical supply lines. I’m a registered Fair Trade Gold supplier and I attempt to recycle my clients’ gold and silver wherever possible, in order to reduce the demand for new materials.

What inspires your products?

I’m incredibly inspired by our natural world, the ocean and, in particular, the mountains, having spent the past two years living in the Canadian Rockies and travelling around Alaska.

How long have you been creating your products?

I made my first piece in 2014, however I’ve been making jewellery professionally for over three years.

What is the most enjoyable aspect about what you do?

I love being able to recycle metals and turn old pieces of silver into something new.

What are your future aspirations?

I hope to have my own studio and showroom in the future and be the go-to designer for ethical, handmade jewellery. I also hope to one day have planted a million trees through my partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects! I plant 10 trees with them from every piece of jewellery that I sell.

Tell us something unique about your business?

My business is earth conscious from start to finish.

I use only recycled sterling silver and ethically sourced stones and plant 10 trees for every piece that I sell. My new packaging is also made from seed paper, meaning the boxes can be planted and grown into wildflowers, so zero waste!

Where can we find your products?

You can find my products at www.DAISYV.com – I’ve recently moved back to Wiltshire from Canada, so have been temporarily closed, but I aim to be back open for orders by the end of October!

Emily Gliddon

Bristol Jewellery Workshops 07833 788219; www.emilygliddon.co.uk

Jeremy Heber

Emily Gliddon

How long have you been creating your products?

After finishing a jewellery degree in 2005, I set up my business making silver jewellery and one-off pieces to sell through craft fairs and galleries. Teaching was a natural progression for me and so I soon found myself running busy workshops daily. Over time these have grown to include taster experiences, wedding ring workshops and longer courses.

What is the most enjoyable aspect about what you do?

When I get to try out new things and problem solve, hone my skills and indulge my passion for materials and process. Whether it’s remodeling heirloom diamonds and gold or creating one-off art jewellery in bone or wood, there’s always so much to learn.

How has your industry evolved over the years, and where do you see it going in the future?

A change in my customer has driven change within the business. The craft revolution has sparked peoples’ appetite to learn. Not only do they want to buy jewellery but make it themselves. The therapeutic benefits of making and the positive impact it has on wellbeing, makes it really worthwhile, as well as a lot of fun. There’s nothing better than seeing happy customers going home with hand-made pieces they love.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE DIANA PORTER

JOANNA KANG

DIANA PORTER CONTEMPORARY JEWELLERY 01179090225; www.dianaporter.co.uk What inspired you to start creating your products?

I wanted to create jewellery inspired by my experience of life, which people could relate to.

How long have you been creating your products?

I recently celebrated 25 years of Diana Porter Contemporary Jewellery with a new collection of Sibyls, one of my original designs that I created whilst studying for my degree. I graduated in 1993 and began creating jewellery in studio that I created in my living room.

What is the most enjoyable aspect about what you do?

Each day we receive new enquiries for bespoke phrases, poems and names of loved ones to be hand-etched into our jewellery. I still enjoy creating these personalised pieces for people.

What makes your products different from competitors?

All our jewellery is handmade here in the UK with many pieces made here in our Bristol workshop, which is situated just behind the shop. We’re probably best known for our hand-etched jewellery, using words to create unique textures and meanings for the jewellery.

Where can we find your products?

My Contemporary Jewellery Gallery is based on the historic Park Street. This is where my full collection is displayed alongside over 80 other contemporary jewellery designers. We also have an online shop where you can purchase our platinum, gold and silver jewellery.

RED BIRD MAKES 07980 899 906; www.RedBirdMakes.com

Diana Porter

Joanna Kang

VIOLETA LLANO

How long have you been creating your products?

I’ve had my business since 2011. Prior to going self employed in 2016, I was lucky enough to work part-time for 4 years at the amazing Workhouse Cafe (Now 404 Cafe). This proved pivotal to me being able to establish my business and eventually make the leap to full-time self employment for which I am forever grateful.

What are your future aspirations for your products?

I’d love to bring out a range using lost wax casting which will give me the freedom to create and sculpt pieces. I’ve been asked by several guys to introduce a male collection. So I guess this is something to come, although I like to think that much of my work isn’t gender specific and can be worn by all...!

Which product are your particularly fond of?

My go tos are my ‘Frida Chunky Brass Stud Earrings’ from my ‘Forged’ collection, which I’ve been wearing pretty much everyday since the Spring!

They are slightly oversized but not too big, and have a nice clean and minimal form. They go with absolutely everything!

Where can we find your products?

I am in the process of setting up my own website but being a one lady business, it’s tough juggling the making, admin, social media, selling etc. Find me on www.RedBirdMakes.com or www.RedBirdMakes. etsy.com or come to a Bristol market either at the Tobacco Factory or this Christmas I’ll be set up in a hut in Broadmead with the Bristol Local Christmas Market, open everyday from Nov 29th - Dec 23rd...!

ILO 07531973109; www.iloclothing.co.uk What makes your products different from competitors?

There are a few things that make us different, for starters we are committed to using only organic fabrics, and most things also use 100% organic cotton thread. Our ‘Grow with Me’ designs allow our clothes to grow with the wearer, lasting for much longer than traditional baby and kid’s sizes.

Being gender-neutral is also very important for us, as is the traceability of all our fabrics.

What inspires the design of your products?

Ilo designs clothing inspired by the Scandinavian philosophy of childhood where play, comfort, environment, family and friends are all intertwined to nurture a wholesome child. Our philosophy can be summed-up as: organic, grow-with-me, local, gender-neutral & long-lasting.

Where can we find your products?

We are stocked in some of the loveliest independent shops in Bristol, like Toyville, Eclectic, the Windmill Hill City Farm Gift Shop, and The Little Shop; we are also further afield in the Museum in the Park in Stroud and at Made Gallery in Cirencester. We have also just started working with 4 new shops nation-wide and will be stocking them very soon. We also have a small web shop: www.iloclothing.co.uk. For more info follow us on instagram @ilo_organic_clothing.

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JULIE ANNE PALMER

JULIE ANNE PALMER JEWELLERY 0117 962 1111; www.julieannepalmer.com

Violeta Llano

Julie Anne Palmer

What inspired you to start creating your products?

A eureka moment at art college when I first tried making jewellery.

How long have you been creating your products?

I commenced my degree in jewellery and silversmithing in 1974.

What makes your products different from competitors?

Every item is designed and made by me so every piece made is different and lead by my customer’s criteria and budget.

What inspires the design of your products?

The designs are inspired by my customers and their personal requirements. This is the feedback I received from a recent customer... “Julie has designed and finished a beautiful piece of jewellery based on some pretty vague ideas I presented to her. She seemed to know what I was looking for better than I did. A real artist and a pleasure to work with.”

How long does it take you to create your product?

Everything is unique so it takes a unique time to create each item!

Where can we find your products?

On my customers and on my website! Please visit www. julieannepalmer.com and or email julie@julieannepalmer. com My workshop/studio is in 129 Stoke Lane Westbury on Trym, Bristol. Open Friday and Saturday and during the week by appointment only.

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

Steve Williams and Briony May Williams

Alain Robert aka The French Spider-man Jody Paisey, Stefano Malachi, Meg Fisher and Sofia Stromina

GOOD MIXERS

The Bristol & Bath Rum Distillery opened to great fanfare on 8 October.

Celebrating this new towering glory on Park Street, guests enjoyed cocktails large and small, and made the most of the 50 rums on sale in the new bar. Find out more in Food and Drinks news on p51.

Gabriel Kemp and Eysis Clacken

Last year’s exhibition attracted over 10,000 visitors

OPEN ALL HOURS

The exhibition includes emerging and established artists

The RWA’s renowned Annual Open Exhibition is in full swing for its 167th year. This year’s exhibits include a stunning variety of work from emerging and established artists using a mix of forms.

The launch party at the end of September was a great success – and the exhibition is open to the public until 1 December.

Photos Lisa Whiting

It’s not all paintings hanging on the wall

Word to the wise: all exhibited works are for sale at shop.rwa.org.uk/collections/shop

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Beautiful Christmas Gifts, Stocking Fillers, Jewellery, Candles, Scarves, Hand Finished Cards & Baby Clothes

Why choose CoolSculpting at Simon Lee’s Aesthetic Medical Clinic?

- Medically led - owned by Mr Simon Lee Consultant Plastic Surgeon - We have been offering CoolSculpting for over 7 years now – the expertise we have gained in this time means you can be confident your treatment is in safe hands.

- Our consultations are never rushed and we will create a personalised treatment plan just for you.

- FDA cleared treatment - both safety and efficacy has been proven

Before

3 MONTHS AFTER Second CoolSculpting Session

*Photos courtesy of Brian Biesman, MD

www.simonleeclinic.co.uk Open Mon-Sat, 10-6pm & Sun 10-4pm.

44a-46 Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6LA. Visit us online www.soukous.co.uk

Simon Lee, Aesthetic Medical Clinic 3 Whiteladies Gate, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2PH Telephone 01173 292027

SOCIETY

Alex Bradley and Jonathan Savage

Lukasz Kudla and Jenny Renard

Gary Topp

IN BETWEEN TIME: THE SUMMIT

Anticipation, excitement and shafts of sunlight combined at the launch of Bristol’s internationally renowned live arts festival, IBT. The festival itself took place in mid October and featured 40 artworks to bring people together from local, national and international communities. Find out more about the annual event here: www.inbetweentime.co.uk

Franco Taruschio and Freddy Bird

EAT UP!

Dubbed the ‘Cannes of Food Festivals’ by those who like a handy tag, Abergavenny played host to many of the UK’s most progressive chefs, food producers, farmers, cooks, and campaigners in September at its annual food festival. We had fun spotting the Bristol chefs… www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com

© ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL

Josh Eggleton and Tim Jones from The Pony & Trap Coffee & Cocktails with Matt Benyon from Wogan and Danny Walker

© ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL

Genevieve Taylor and DJ BBQ

© ARTUR TIXILISKI

© KIRSTIE YOUNG

Claire Thomson cookery school class

Folak Shoga, Marcus Smith, Helen Davies and Helen Cole

© ARTUR TIXILISKI

Photos by Jack Offord

Flo Fitzgerald, Kate Ward and Natalie Skidmore

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Acupuncture for stress

By Neil Kingham, lecturer at COLLEGE OF NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE

S

tress is a major issue in the modern world and it can be the catalyst for significant health problems. It weakens the immune system, makes it hard to lose weight, contributes to early ageing and increases the possibility of heart problems, among other issues.

Modern medicine’s offerings to address stress and anxiety can have serious adverse effects, including addiction. It, therefore, makes sense to look at natural therapies, such as acupuncture.

According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), on which acupuncture is based, the signs and symptoms of depression must be seen as part of the ‘bigger picture’, which includes not only thoughts and emotions but also physical and environmental factors. TCM is based on the understanding that mind affects body, and body affects mind and has never separated physical from mental health.

For instance, you may have physical symptoms such as lack of energy, palpitations or poor digestion. These would form part of the overall TCM diagnosis at your consultation, along with other physical and emotional factors, so that the acupuncturist can uniquely tailor a therapeutic plan to your own particular circumstances.

Additionally, in the Naturopathic Acupuncture Diploma Course taught at CNM, all acupuncture students are educated on the importance of nutrition and are able to advise clients on developing healthy, sustainable lifestyles. This holistic approach, which views the client as a whole person addressing both mental and physical health, can promote overall health and wellbeing.

With acupuncture, tiny needles, about the width of a hair, are gently inserted into specific

ATTEND A FREE OPEN MORNING To find out about training with CNM Bristol for a career as a naturopathic nutritionist or naturopathic acupuncturist 10 October 2019 CNM has a 22-year track record training successful practitioners in natural therapies, in class and online. Colleges across the UK and Ireland.

points on the body in order to regulate the flow of Qi. Qi, denoting ‘energy’, refers to our ‘life force’.

According to TCM principles, when you are healthy your Qi is strong and flows smoothly; if it becomes weak, or if there are blockages in its flow, then you begin to experience poor health.

When you see a naturopathic acupuncturist, their first job will be to determine the state of your Qi, and they do this with careful questioning and examination. They will also use a special method of pulse-taking at your wrists to help with this assessment.

Then, a number of acupuncture points will be chosen in order to correct Qi imbalances. You may begin to notice some effect immediately, but a course of treatments is needed in order to make a really significant and lasting difference.

My experience as an acupuncturist is that everybody finds it a deeply relaxing experience.

And no, it really doesn’t hurt!

Acupuncturist Neil Kingham is the bestselling author of A User’s Guide to Chinese Medicine. He lectures for CNM’s Naturopathic Acupuncture Diploma course, available at CNM London, Bristol and Dublin. He practises in Bristol. ■

For more information please visit www.naturopathy-uk.com or call us on 01342 410 505 www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 75

ADVERTISING FEATURE

The vein choice Professor Mark Whiteley of THE WHITELEY CLINIC helps you choose the best treatment for varicose veins

H

ow do you find the best treatment for varicose veins?

Many people look for the cheapest treatment – only to regret it after a year or so when the varicose veins recur.

Patient reviews and review websites help – but these only tell you short-term outcomes. Even bad vein surgery can look good in the short term, before half-treated varicose veins re-open and grow back again.

Review websites will tell you if the doctor is nice and the patient experience is good – but they can’t tell you which doctors and which techniques get the best long term results.

COP INTERNATIONAL VENOUS REGISTRY This is why the vein specialists at The Whiteley Clinic have joined the College of Phlebology (CoP) International Venous Registry.

Many hospitals, clinics and doctors report their outcomes. However, these results are reported by the hospitals, clinics and doctors themselves.

What is important is whether patients are happy, not only in the short term, but in the medium and long term. It is the medium and 76 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

long term when poor vein surgery starts to fail, and patients see varicose veins recurring.

The CoP International Venous Registry has been set up through Dendrite, the leading medical registry company in the world. Hospitals, clinics and doctors who are members of the CoP International Venous Registry add all patients and treatments in an anonymised form.

The registry regularly emails the patient throughout their treatment, and then yearly over the long term. This checks that patients remain happy and have not had any delayed complications or recurrence.

Over the next few years, members of the CoP International Venous Registry will be able to show their patients that they achieve good long-term results. In addition, they will see which varicose vein treatments work best in the long term and give best patient satisfaction.

LOWEST RECURRENCE RATES POSSIBLE At The Whiteley Clinic, we have already published our own 15-year results which included patient satisfaction. We showed that by using our technique of treating veins, we have the lowest recurrence rate possible in the studied group.

Due to our reputation for excellence, we were chosen to be the first clinic in the UK for the new Endovenous Microwave System, as well as the revolutionary non-invasive external Echotherapy – High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU Sonovein) – treatment for varicose veins.

We embrace the CoP International Venous Registry, so that our patients can be confident we have their long-term interests at heart. ■

For more information visit www.thewhiteleyclinic.co.uk or please call 0330 058 1850† The Whiteley Clinic, Litfield House Medical Centre Clifton, Bristol BS8 3LS Calls cost no more than standard landline rates

†

It’s the city’s business

bRISTOLworks This issue >>grow bristol (80) >>finzels reach developments (83) >>season and taste (85)

Bristol businesses… get creative!

Businesses are encouraged to get creative in their involvement for the highlyanticipated Bristol Life Awards – and there are plenty of ways to do so

W

ith the glittering business celebration now less than six months away, companies can express their interest and align their brand with the Bristol Life Awards following its record event this year.

“A great way to get on board with Bristol’s biggest business event is through sponsorship” explains Steph Dodd, events director at MediaClash, Bristol Life’s publisher. “Sponsors can reap rewards from an unrivalled long-term marketing campaign which peaks in April.”

But organisers are also keen to hear from companies who may have creative ways to partner with the Awards.

“As well as backing one of our categories, businesses can also sponsor our shoulder events, which include the finalists’ & sponsors’ reception, the champagne reception on Awards night and our winners’ dinner” says Steph. “Or if your business is launching a new product or service and you think we could work well together, get in touch!”

The 2019 Awards saw a glittering ceremony with over 660 guests in attendance, and more on the waiting list. The Awards were trending in the UK on Twitter, such was the huge interest in them.

Those hoping to become finalists are also encouraged to begin considering their entries, with nominations opening on 29 November. The Awards are free to enter, and companies can enter multiple categories.

Already on board for the awards is platinum sponsor Jelf, along with category sponsors Acorn Property Group, Amarelle, Anderson Financial Management, Bristol Airport, British Corner Shop, Brunel Insurance Brokers, Cabot Circus, Curo, Clifton College, Kersfield, Lexus Bristol, Nicholas Wylde, Regus and VWV. To join the bill of our sponsors and to benefit from the Awards, please contact Neil Snow Neil.Snow@mediaclash.co.uk; bristollifeawards.co.uk @BristolLifeAwds

Under six months to go until the glittering Awards event

Stories & ideas to share?

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

THE BRISTOLWORKS INTERVIEW

Bristol – a farming future?

Just how much food can Bristol grow to feed its residents?

CHRISTIAN ANNESLEY met Dermot O’Regan, the founder of microgreens-and-herbs business Grow Bristol, to talk about the company’s journey so far and the role it might play in that long-term picture

C

ity-wide, it’s not being treated as an idle question but rather as one Bristol has been grappling with in earnest as part of periodic highlevel discussions since July 2016.

This is when the first ever City Gathering was held as part of a collective effort to come together and plot a way ahead for the city on all fronts over the next three decades to 2050.

Among the evolving list of aspirations for Bristol was that question about food supply and the city – and specifically how much food the city could itself produce within its boundaries.

The answer? Hard to say, in actuality – but the aspiration to do better does now have a number

attached. By 2040, the latest iteration of the One City Plan document says 15% of Bristol’s annual fruit and vegetable supply ought to come from a network of market gardens and farms within the city.

Whichever way you come at it, that’s a big number. So, is it remotely achievable? The city could never become self-sufficient – there really isn’t anything like the space, even if the whole place was counterintuitively returned to farm land – but self-sufficiency in specific crops might be realisable.

Do the rudimentary maths on container farms, for example, and you could theoretically keep the city in homegrown lettuce by embracing vertical farming and filling 1,000 shipping containers

BRISTOLWORKS

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“A THIRD OF ALL BOUGHT FOOD IN THE UK IS WASTED, TWO-THIRDS OF BOUGHT SALADS ARE WASTED”

Dermot O’Regan, founder of Grow Bristol

Grow Bristol has trialled various crops but homed in on herbs and microgreens

sitting on less than four acres. But that’s a throwaway idea rather than describing something viable.

For Dermot O’Regan, the journey towards food production at scale within the city is about far more than doing a back-of-a-fagpacket calculation. He’s been living proof of the challenges associated with it for the past five years or so.

SETTING UP

In 2013, O’Regan linked up with long-time friend Peter Whiting to explore urban farming and horticulture – and together they were soon growing and selling produce, and thinking about the next step – container farming – namely, Grow Bristol.

“Right from the start, we had a few parallel aims,” says O’Regan.

“Food production in the city and for the city, naturally, but also engagement and education to spread the word, and a vision to learn alongside other volunteers and researchers and keep getting better.”

O’Regan has a background in environmental policy and management, and had a stint working for the Environment

Agency in the city, but Grow Bristol has still been a journey of constant discovery despite what he already knew, as he freely admits.

“We got a grant as part of Bristol’s European Green Capital status in 2015, and got some temporary land from what was then the Homes & Communities Agency, and that enabled us to set up a shipping container and incorporate as a community interest company.

There was no water or electricity at that point, and plenty of other challenges, but we set up and taught ourselves, step by step, how to run an indoor farm.”

KNOWLEDGE GAP

Part of the challenge for O’Regan is that the technology and knowhow in the space is still in its evolutionary phase rather than being mature.

“We got a £5,000 innovation voucher from Innovate UK to talk to experts as we got up and running, but we didn’t initially find many out there who could really help. Over the past few years, it is us that has pieced things together and learned as we go, even if some things – like improved horticulture LED technology from the likes of

electronics company Philips – have been a huge benefit.”

Grow Bristol trialled various crops and technologies in its pilot phase, but over time has zeroed in on various microgreens and herbs as its key crops.

“In the spring of 2016 we started selling,” says O’Regan, picking up the story. “We built up production to the point where we were growing 100kg a month of microgreens, and selling to a loyal and enthusiastic customer base of high-end restaurants, wholefood stores and greengrocers – all of whom loved our high-quality, nutrient-rich, local produce.”

The model was not financially sustainable, however. At every step it relied on the grants and free space Grow Bristol had secured, and it also needed lots of expert and enthusiastic unpaid volunteers to deliver the labour required.

“It is a hard thing to get working commercially, make no mistake,” says O’Regan. “My business partner Pete left in early 2017 and the shipping container farm at Feeder Road was closed at the end of 2018. It was a successful pilot in very many respects, but it also taught us that another model was needed.”

NEXT STEPS

That’s far from the end of the story, however. While some urban farming looks more commercially viable at scale – there is one company in particular in London that is making headway – O’Regan says Grow Bristol’s proof-of-concept work illustrated how another model needs to be found.

“I’m proud of the work, produce and the social and education projects we delivered from the Feeder Road farm, including linkups with the University of Bristol and four work placements for young people with learning difficulties.

But it’s the next phase that holds greater potential,” he says. “Scaling up by employing an approach that’s too much like conventional mass agriculture isn’t the answer.”

Instead, O’Regan and his new business partner, operations director Oscar Davidson, who is another pioneer in urban agriculture, with experience at GrowUp Urban Farms in London, have developed an improved and more sustainable growing medium for their microgreens, and a harveston-demand model that O’Regan and Davidson are just about ready to roll out, if they can only develop the relationships they need to make Grow Bristol 2.0 gain traction.

“The new product is living and is a zero-waste, zero-plastic system that’s truly circular in that we can take back our containers and repurpose them very easily. As a concept, we know that business and industry in all its forms wants this, so we just need to forge relationships and partnerships on the right terms to make it happen.”

In O’Regan’s sights for the next phase of Grow Bristol, which now has a base at Hamilton House on Stokes Croft and is developing a new farm run on different terms on the edge of the city, are the restaurants that love its product already, of course, but also schools, large corporates and others that might commit long-term to the new business model.

“One of the odd things about urban farming in recent years is that it has been technology-led, and some tech companies have been developing systems for the sector, and are the ones getting financial backing from investors, but the model of building and selling expensive, soon-to-be-obsolete technologies is not sustainable in itself,” says O’Regan.

CIRCULAR VISION

“What we have developed is low cost, lower energy than the alternatives, is truly circular, and is based on a leasing model that you see in lots of industries. It can also be scaled to a number of environments.”

Part of the pitch for Grow Bristol is that demonstrably what they sell is not wasted by the customer, in a

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GROW BRISTOL – FAST FACTS Original founders and coowners Dermot O’Regan and Peter Whiting Business partners today O’Regan and Oscar Davidson Launch 2013 Incorporation as CIC 2015 First indoor farm 2015: Two shipping containers on a site on Feeder Road

Purple patch: Grow Bristol’s sunflowers are shooting up

context where a third of all bought food in the UK is wasted, two-thirds of bought salads are wasted, and perhaps half of all food agriculture in the country ends up as waste.

“Those are awful numbers that need to shift, and our model is demonstrably different in that buyers value what they buy from us and consume it almost all the time.

That’s a big step forward. Next to this, our microgreens grow in seven to 14 days, so if an organisation like a school has a gap when the produce isn’t needed it isn’t wasteful to mothball operations at certain times of year.”

There is clearly still a great deal to be done, and crucial people to convince to back Grow Bristol in its new incarnation, but O’Regan is bullish about the future.

“In the next two months we are trialling the new produce and we are starting conversations with an eye on public procurement in particular. A city like Bristol, whose leaders appear serious about food sustainability and about improving local food production, needs to forge relationships with suppliers

Closure of pilot farm End of 2018

like us, with our demonstrable production capability and social impact. That One City Plan vision to produce local food at scale has to happen in partnership, as everyone understands, and tie-ups with schools in particular would deliver a great many benefits.”

O’Regan has his sights on making the new business model viable over five years, rather than the usual one- or two-year time horizon you seen in urban farming today, which he thinks will hold the key to Grow Bristol’s future.

“We have worked out the commercials and have a business plan that can show profitability over that period. Once people invest in the system and believe it for the long term, we are ready to deliver on our side. I do strongly feel this is the right idea at the right time, and we will find a way.”

FUTURE REIMAGINED

What will the future O’Regan is imagining look like, then – not just for Grow Bristol but for the wider city?

“You want to see a city with distributed growing systems dotted

Customers Poco Tapas Bar, Better Food Co, Casamia, The Gallimaufry Next phase Launching now

across it, close to where food is eaten. These are essentially minifarms in basements, on rooftops and lots of places in between. There will be some centralised propagation hubs, but there’s real potential to get this kind of model underway fast, and watch it evolve.

“I’m an optimist, and feel like it will happen. Also, if Bristol can lead the way here, others will follow. It’s a model that lends itself to smaller cities of between 250,000 and 600,000 people, and there are 26 cities that fit that mould in the UK. Each one needs its own dedicated urban agriculture system – that’s the vision, and it needs to happen, as just one element of the long list of challenges the world is facing.”

Will O’Regan get there? It’s a big ask and huge dream, but the belief is palpable – and the sense of urgency that’s driving him, too.

For more: www.growbristol.co.uk

Grow Bristol’s optimistic outlook: “If Bristol can lead the way, others will follow”

BRISTOLWORKS

Promotions and appointments

Aardman Animation has named a new MD to take over from co-founder David Sproxton, who is taking a step back from the role after more than 40 years at the helm of the studio.

Stepping into the hot seat is Sean Clarke.

Finzels’ reach is growing

Planners back next phase of Finzels

F

inzels Reach, the city-centre development site that hugs the water opposite Castle Park, has been approved for its next phase by Bristol City Council’s planning committee, developer Cubex has confirmed.

The next element of the project comprises 297 homes, with 231 to be build-to-rent apartments and more than one fifth affordable homes. Next to the residential element, there will be a substantial office built with space for more than 1,000 staff and a £2m-plus investment in improvements to the area around the site. And work to bring down existing vacant buildings is poised to start soon.

Cubex executive director Gavin Bridge said the green light on the next phase was very welcome, and

flagged the affordable housing proportion being in line with council recommendations.

“We will also be making a major investment into the area surrounding the site to make it a much more attractive place for people to spend time in – and to connect it much more effectively with its surroundings,” he added. “”We recognise that major change in an area which has only had sparse low-level buildings for many years has been challenging for some people. But there is a widespread recognition that, with the growing city population, we have to build more densely in the limited spaces available in central areas.”

Cubex is funded by Palmer Capital for the next phase of works; Palmer funded the original phase as well.

He has been with Aardman for more than two decades, heading up the international rights and marketing department for more than 10 years. “I am delighted that Sean cut through very strong competition to take my place,” said Sproxton, who will continue his link with the studio by sitting on the trustee board and being on hand as a consultant.

Sean Clarke said his guiding principle as the incoming MD was to ensure that Aardman’s “independent spirit and our unique blend of innovation and integrity remain at the heart of everything we do.”

Charlotte Williams has been appointed graduate surveyor in the Bristol office of property business ETP. Commercial property business Cushman & Wakefield has appointed Ben O’Connor as partner to lead the public sector advisory team in the city..

Charlotte Williams

Michaela Hounslow

Mark Andrew, an HMRC inspector in a previous role, has joined Bristol-based specialist R&D tax credit consultancy ForrestBrown as a senior tax specialist.

Bristol law firm AMD Solicitors has appointed Michaela Hounslow as a trainee solicitor. She joins AMD following the completion of her LPC, where she was awarded a distinction. Her first seat will be in property at the firm’s Whiteladies Road office.

Building and project consultancy Paragon has grown the headcount in its Bristol office by three.

Congratulations Associate director Dan Wallis, project manager Jonathan Webb and graduate building surveyor Vicky Elliott.

Law firm Thrings, which has a Bristol headquarters, has appointed three partners as part of a wider round of promotions – planning lawyer Ros Trotman, agricultural litigator Robert James and property finance specialist Karen Whitburn. Thrings managing partner Simon Holdsworth said: “Career progression remains integral to Thrings’ future growth and success, and a key component of our strategy is to ensure the right career structures and frameworks are in place.”

For more: cubex-land.com/mixed-use

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BRISTOLWORKS

atmosphere that we created at Cargo Cantina and wanted to develop it and try new things. The team at Cantina does an amazing job but there are limitations to what you can do in three shipping containers with basically no kitchen. Masa + Mezcal has allowed us to elaborate more and try new things.

I can enjoy a guilty pleasure with Tex-Mex but what we’re doing is chalk and cheese by comparison.

At the moment, we’re feeling good. Although there’s a lot of doom and gloom about the UK high street, plenty of Bristol-born restaurants – us, the Hyde boys, the Loco boys, Eat Drink – seem to be bucking the trend at the moment. I wouldn’t say we’re a chain

or that we have all the answers, it’s an extremely challenging industry. Enjoy it and bring enjoyment to others. The people that matter are your team and your customers, if you can satisfy them the rest will take care of itself in time.

Season + Taste

Day-to-day duties depend on which site or team member needs support. I’m prepared to do anything

aka Imogen and Kieran Waite: sprinkling a little magic on five of Bristol’s best-loved restaurants We run Season + Taste hospitality group which operates five independent Bristol based restaurants; Bravas, Bakers & Co,

CARGO Cantina, Gambas and Masa + Mezcal.

Like most family-run businesses, we do anything and everything that is required. Our job is to create a positive atmosphere for our team and give them the opportunity to grow and develop.

We both grew up in family businesses and always wanted to do our own thing. I (Kieran)

have always wanted to open a tapas bar since childhood and used to play around with an idea – Real Tapas Bar – which would combine a love of football and food. Imogen originally trained as a chef before becoming a restauranteur.

We probably first connected on the idea of opening a place together about 10 years ago. We worked up to it, though. Imo worked in as many kitchens as possible and I gained hospitality experience in addition to my full-time job.

We also travelled the length and breadth of Spain to learn all we could about the food and culture.

Thinking about why we went for a tapas bar as our first launch (Bravas). I think it was because we

that needs doing and equally happy to fade into the background and let other people own it. Our focus is to create a positive culture and one that is always improving.

And then there was Cargo, of course. The shipping containers

never wanted to roll Bravas out, we saw having a new site as a new opportunity for creative output.

were a new, fun and low-cost way to set up a new site.

We retained all of our best employees and needed new opportunities, so Cargo was a way to provide that and give people new roles and responsibilities. It’s a low-cost, lower-risk way to set up a restaurant which allowed us to grow without taking investment, and most importantly stay independent. If you want to take your team to Spain and Mexico every year, you can’t have investors demanding a return.

We took the second site on because it became available and it’s the best location at Cargo – corner site, sun trap, amazing views. The timing was terrible but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity!

How much does the site and location influence the style and scope of each restaurant?

Masa + Mezcal brought yet more new flavours to the party, at our first Stokes Croft restaurant.

loved the food and the sharing style of eating; there was a gap in the market for the kind of tapas that we enjoyed in Spain.

Back then there weren’t any places in Bristol offering tapas in the way we had experienced it. The concept worked because the people of Bristol not only embraced it, but helped to create the wonderful atmosphere you find in Bravas every night.

With Bakers & Co, our second venture, we wanted to create something very different. We

It 100% influences the style and scope. When we were looking at the Bakers & Co site, we originally toyed with the idea of a Spanish Asador with wood fire cooking, but restaurants are about context and the site felt like a brunch café.

When we look to the future, we have tons of ideas and I really hope we do none of them for at least two years! I don’t see us opening

anything outside of Bristol. I’d like our next involvement to be supporting one of our team to open their own place.

That could be outside of Bristol and even outside of the UK. We work with people from some really exotic places and I’d love an excuse to visit!

For more: www.seasonandtaste.co.uk

Mexican food is definitely having a bit of a resurgence, but the new openings are very different from the ubiquitous 1980s Tex-Mex offerings of chimichangas and Dos Equis with a wedge of lime in the neck.

We love the food, drinks and

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PROPERTY A PL ACE TO C ALL HOME

HIGH CLASS Clifton – still the grandest and most elegant Bristol ’burb of them all.

Here’s how to own a slice of it

By Rachel Ifans www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 89

A property place to call home

D

id you know that the ancient parish of Clifton was part of Gloucestershire until the 1830s, a mere 30 years before this elegant Victorian villa was built? (I started digging into the history of Clifton in an attempt to trace the reason for the Naseby name of 105 Pembroke Road* and before I knew it I’d donned my pristine librarian gloves and was page-turning with the best of them). That 30 years between 1835 and 1861 saw a pace of change in Clifton we’ve never seen since in Bristol – oh hang on, the transformation of Harbourside since the late 1980s has been pretty speedy too, actually.

Clifton’s long history has passed, over centuries, from the agricultural into the cultural, and now it seems to sit, on high, like a metaphorical grandmother (YES, Clifton is female. With all that elegance and charm, it was never

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going to be a bloke) looking down fondly from her beautiful window on the excited play of the grandkids in the garden…

Ah yes, thinking about beautiful windows and level green lawns brings me back to present-day Naseby House. It’s a huge, semi-detached house on Pembroke Road (used to be called Gallows Acre because it used to be the scene of local executions – oops, nearly lost me again to the history books). It boasts eight bedrooms, five bathrooms, an optional annexe, a large plot and a remarkable confidence in combining modern interiors with Victorian bricks and mortar.

And it’s no mere showhome, either. The décor and design have an authenticity about them – this is a wellloved and functional family home, not a museum piece.

There are numerous period features in Naseby House, including a Victorian tiled floor in the staircase hall, wonderful ornate ceiling cornicing, working shutters and period fireplaces. The contemporary woodburners, designer Italian kitchen, the gym and luxurious bathrooms sit alongside the period features effortlessly, and there are other modern boons like underfloor heating in all bathrooms, as well as the entire lowerground floor.

More elegant even than the fireplaces and impressive staircase is the way the windows arch at the top, the shape accentuated from the outside by two-tone stonework. The floor-to-ceiling bay windows of the

property

reception rooms will draw you towards them; make like a fat cat and curl up in the sun for the afternoon. Or go upstairs and enjoy the view from the windows of Clifton College Close and a clear view of the chapel.

Such a feeling of space in the city is rare. Naseby, with its large garden, enclosed driveway and spacious accommodation, is a jewel in Clifton’s crown. *Naseby, by the way, is so named either in reference to the Civil War’s Naseby Battle in 1645. Royalist-held Bristol fell to the Parliamentarians, and Prince Rupert and his followers ended up burning the whole of Clifton before they left the area. Or, and rather more peacefully, it refers to Naseby in Northamptonshire, scene of the aforementioned battle but also connected to Bristol by the mighty River Avon. Don’t worry, I’m taking off my librarian gloves now. Show’s over. n

House numbers Bedrooms 7-8 Reception rooms Bathrooms

5 4-5

Acres 0.32 acres Price

£2,750,000

Knight Frank, 0117 317 1999; Regent House, 27a Regent Street. Clifton, Bristol BS8 4HR; bristol@knightfrank.com

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Redcliffe, a hidden gem Owning a new home at REDCLIFFE PLACE could be the start of your new era

W

hen you leave Brunel’s Temple Meads Station and stroll past the beautiful St Mary Redcliffe Church heading towards the myriad of picturesque lanes and streets to be found in historic Redcliffe, you can only marvel at how this tucked-away corner of Bristol has stood the test of time. With its stunning terraces, its fascinating history, its traditional pubs and newer café’s and restaurants lining the waters’ edge, Redcliffe is truly a city treasure.

Set in the surrounds of the architectural masterpiece of St Mary Redcliffe Church, this neighbourhood is also home to some intriguing parts of the historic city, and to some well-kept secrets. The Redcliffe Caves, for example, are really not caves at all, but most likely man-made mines. Famously holding French and Spanish prisoners during the 18th century, the Caves have had many different uses, including sand from its red sandstone rock going to make glass bottles and pottery in the neighbourhood’s many kilns.

The fascinating history of this part of Bristol is reflected in what we know about past residents of the stunning town houses close by on Redcliffe Parade. This Georgian parade overlooks the Floating Harbour and is one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks. Dating back to 1768, 3-8 Redcliffe Parade has seen many diverse uses throughout its history, from individual homes to a school and a draper’s shop, as well as offices.

Now, in true Bristol fashion, enterprise continues around this popular part of the city with the Floating Harbour at its heart. Acclaimed restaurants surround the waterfront, such as Riverstation, Severnshed, Adelina Yard and Casamia; traditional pubs such as The Ostrich and the Golden Guinea have undoubtedly stood the test of time; whilst Wapping Wharf with its café’s, restaurants and independent businesses, continues to stake its claim as one of Bristol’s go-to places.

For those wanting to be at the heart of this sought-after part of Bristol, Change Living’s development at Redcliffe Place can put you right there. Offering the best of both worlds when it comes to location, you’ll have the city on your doorstep, with the tranquillity of Redcliffe surrounding you. All the apartments at Redcliffe Place have terraces or balconies, allowing you to soak up the surrounding atmosphere from the comfort of your own

home. With a gated car park and basement storage, owning a new home at Redcliffe Place could be the start of your new era. ■

Please visit www.changeliving.co.uk/development/redcliffe-place/ for further information, prices and availability

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

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

(0117) 934 9977

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Julian Cook FRICS

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• Excellent opportunity to purchase an established hair salon.

RESTAURANT & SHOPS IN BS1 & BS8

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Restaurants, cafes and shops of various sizes and rents throughout Clifton and Bristol city centre.

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Tel: Holly Boulton or Tom Coyte 0117 934 9977

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

• Sales/Lettings

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bristol LIVES

“I love the strong sense of independence, inclusivity and creativity in this city” Holly Maguire Meet the Bristol-based illustrator with a fresh and distinctive style There’s something instantly nostalgic about Holly Maguire’s style. Is it the colours that make you think of childhood, or is it the simplicity and cleanness of the lines that gives it such an innocent feel? It makes us think of Judith Kerr and Clothkits, and … Okay, enough of the childhood reminiscing; let’s hear from Holly about living and working in Bristol

What are your earliest memories of Bristol?

Are you from Bristol?

My illustration work is made using gouache, pen and pencil and I work on a variety of projects from children’s clothing to puzzles, stationery and publishing. I also sell prints, pins and greetings cards in my Etsy shop and will be doing my first Etsy market on 30 November.

I am originally from Winchester but first moved to Bristol after finishing my degree in 2010. I have since lived in London for a few years but couldn’t resist moving back to Bristol this June.

It’s my favourite place to be.

What do you love about the city?

I love the strong sense of independence, inclusivity and creativity in this city. You can see it everywhere from the activism to the street art, and it makes me feel very proud to live here.

I first visited Bristol properly for a university day trip. I particularly remember hanging out by the harbour and making a group mural in Stokes Croft.

When you think of Bristol what images come to mind?

Rows of beautiful pastel houses come to mind every time.

Tell us about your work as an illustrator

What are your inspirations?

Nature, people, travel, feminism, fashion and animals, to mention a few.

How did you get into it?

I have a very creative family

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

so am lucky that I was always encouraged with my art. I think I first realised that I could be an illustrator when leafing through my collection of children’s books for the 1,000th time. It finally clicked that this was something people did for a living and I went on to study Illustration at Cardiff School of Art and Design.

Where are your favourite Bristol hangouts?

I love the Tobacco Factory Market on a Sunday, and the Greenbank pub, particularly for their vegan pizza. In the summer, I am often found hanging out by the Arnolfini, and in the winter, I love the Christmas Steps pub.

Where do you shop?

My favourite shopping area has to be North Street. It has a wonderful selection of independent shops and is great for gifts as well as charity and vintage shopping. For food shopping my favourite shop has to be Sweet Mart which is luckily very close to where I live.

We hear you’re a runner.

What’s your favourite Bristol running route?

I really enjoy running along the Bristol Bike path – but not at rush hour! I also love running around Werburgh’s Farm, particularly because I can stop and say hi to Penny the Pig and all her animal friends.

What would be your dream commission?

Oh, probably a book about animals, nature or cooking.

Three of my favourite things.

We’d better let you get on. What are you up to this afternoon?

I’m currently painting the final spreads of a book that will be coming out next year. It’s all about people who love reading and collecting books (I am definitely one of these people).

It’s been an exciting and really fun project to work on and I can’t wait to see it in print.

Watch this space.

Check out Holly’s work at www.hollymaguire.co.uk