Bristol Life - Issue 278

Food/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property

A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE CITY

ISSUE 278 / 6-20 MARCH 2020 / £3

ISSUE 278 / 6-20 MARCH 2020 / F-F-F-FORTNIGHTLY!

PRI NT I S N’ T D E A D! BRISTOL LIFE GOES FORTNIGHTLY!

EDITOR’S LETTER

W

e love the smell of fresh print in the morning.

(We’re quite partial to it at lunchtime and teatime, too.)

We’re not Luddites; just like everyone else we’re seduced by the siren lure of clickbait. We’ll fire up the Kindle rather than pack five thick novels when we’re travelling (but only then).

But print rocks. It means you never have to battle slow WiFi, or paywalls, or pop-ups regarding cookies. And you can’t curl up with an online magazine. You can’t feel its cool, glossy pages, or leave it face-up on a coffee table.

We love print. It’s what we come to work for. And to prove the depth of our love, after 16 years of publishing Bristol Life every three weeks, we’re going fortnightly – starting right now.

There’s nothing like a landmark issue to make you look back at the heritage of your magazine. We’ve had plenty of anniversaries, from the 100th and 250th editions to our 10th anniversary; frankly, any old excuse suffices for a nostalgia trip.

For this, our first bi-monthly, we haven’t exactly done that, but we have gone back to the magazine’s roots. We used to be called Clifton Life, which seems a bit mad now; but back in 2004, when we first launched, Bristol was a very different place. High streets such as the Gloucester Road and North Street weren’t as vibrant as they are today; Whiteladies was still ‘the Strip’, and the beauty and charm of Old City were criminally underused. Even Harbourside’s regeneration was, if not exactly in its infancy, an awkward teen that had still to make the full leap from desolation to de-res. Street art had only recently emerged from years of being underground, while the Bristol food scene was – well, just ‘food’.

But while the rest of the city was busy cleaning up its act, Clifton remained serenely unchanged. Unlike most other postcodes, there was nowhere for Clifton to up and go to; gorgeously elegant from its inception, it had already up and come.

New shops and cafés may have replaced old ones, but this elegant ’burb clinging to the cliffside of the Gorge remains as enduringly lovely as it was when we launched our first issue, and to link it with this, our first bi-monthly, we’ve made it the focus of our main feature, starting on page 12.

Many thanks to all those people who have contributed to this magazine over the years – our columnists, friends across the various sectors – it would be a lesser publication without the flavour you bring to the mix.

And stand by, everyone; because with nine extra issues a year, we’re about to coerce you into doing even more…

DERI ROBINS Follow us on Twitter @BristolLifeMag Instagram @BristolLifeMag LEFT: Are your walls cool enough for Cole & Sons new Geometric range? More: page 61

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Frame Perspective by Oliver Ratsi photo @andrepattenden

57 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS Eat Drink’s back 59 STAN How to annoy a millennial

SHOPPING Issue 278 / 6-20 March 2020 COVER Cole & Son’s Geometric wallpaper; see page 61

STREET LIFE

12 CLIFTON Village of the damned good 23 LOVE BRISTOL Clifton’s own mini-light fest

THE ARTS 27 28 34 38 43

ART PAGE Give a sucker an even break WHAT’S ON It’s a four-page listings kind of a month ART The Warhol of Marrakech HEROES Ooh. Fashion BOOKS Mommy dearest

HISTORY

44 BRISTORY The history of Bristol. Sort of.

FOOD & DRINK

51 FOOD INTRO Move over, dahling 52 RESTAURANT Talking Italian

61 SHOP INTRO More about those lush new Cole & Son’s designs

we used on our cover

62 EDITOR’S CHOICE How to be the favourite child

FASHION AND BEAUTY 67 FASHION Milly goes shopping 73 HAIR The crazily talented Samantha Bell

MOTORING

78 CAR REVIEW “The sort of baby supercar you could legitimately use

every day”

BUSINESS

85 BRISTOLWORKS Pro-Bristol news and views

PROPERTY

105 PROPERTY NEWS NEW: Our enhanced property section 109 SHOWCASE A Clifton classic

REGULARS 7 9 69 114

SPOTLIGHT A Greta day for Bristol BRIZZOGRAM Bristol Light Festival was lit ON THE RADIO Kam Kelly BRISTOL LIVES Henry Tudor

Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy editor Meg Coast megcoast@mediaclash.co.uk Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Graphic design Megan Allison Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors Mal Rogers, Colin Moody, Stan Cullimore, Kam Kelly, Milly Vaughan Advertising manager Neil Snow neil.snow@mediaclash. co.uk New business manager Craig Wallberg craig.wallberg@mediaclash.co.uk Advertising/sales executive Hayley Allwood hayley.allwood@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Jake Horwood jake.horwood@mediclash.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 5

© COLIN MOODY

SPOTLIGHT

Environment © LOUIS SMITH @STUDIOWHISK

FOR THE GRETA GOOD

The last time Park Street was this rammed it has a waterslide running down it.

To nobody’s remotest surprise, Greta Thunberg’s visit to Bristol attracted a huge crowd of supporters, who braved one of the wettest days of the year to gather at College Green on February. chools closed, offices emptied and the city centre was gridlocked as Greta delivered her speech to an estimated

audience of around 30,000.

“We will not be silenced, because we are the change, and change is coming whether you like it or not. Thank you, and let’s march!” said Greta, who went on to join protestors, many of whom were school pupils, on the march through the city centre.

Greta’s visit inspired thousands of budding eco-warriors, and will no doubt bolster Bristol’s reputation as a city at the forefront of action on the climate emergency and social justice. To quote former Mayor George Ferguson’s tweet: “Today belongs to our kids @Strike4Youth and their #climate future.”

Street news

CHEERS DRIVE

There is a new road in a brand new development in Speedwell called Cheers Drive, and we’re here for it.

The other new roads in the development include Ron Stone Road, Dening Gardens and Kenney Lane – presumably because Proper Job Row, Alrite My Lover Avenue and That’s Mint, Mind Street weren’t considered quite, well, roady enough.

For more: www.bristol.gov.uk

Fitness

GOING THE DISTANCE: THE GREAT BRISTOL 10K

Thinking about digging the running shoes out of the cupboard and getting back into your exercise stride, but just haven’t quite mustered the motivation? We have just the thing: the Great Bristol 10k is now open for entries, giving you just the right amount of time to get on a training plan and race-ready.

You’ll want to jump on it sharpish, though – there’s been a 44% increase on entries from last year, with 7,500 runners already signed up and increasing by the day. Keep an eye on our spring issues for more running coverage(!), but for now, we’ve got to dash.

For more: www.greatrun.org

Photography

STATION SQUABBLE

Ever laid down full-length on a rainy street to take a puddlegram?

Received a few funny looks? Imagine, then, the reaction of London commuters when Bristol photographer Sam Rowley prostrated himself on a platform of London Underground in order to capture this awardwinning shot of two mice fighting over a crumb. got lucky with this shot but there again, had spent five days lying on a platform, so it was probably going to happen at some point,” said Sam. Station Squabble ended up winning the People’s Choice award in the 2019 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition; we wouldn’t be at all surprised if Pixar came a-knocking next.

For more: www.sam-rowley.com

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SPOTLIGHT

EASILY LED

Lights! Seesaws! Dry ice! Animated Banksy! Those cool red frame things! Congratulations to Bristol City Centre BID on their splendid inaugural Light Festival – you totally rocked it

@moodycolin319

@dominic_hall_photography

@ewcparkerphotography

@rogerturner6

@bristolinsider

@benrobins1

@eddcope

@inside.bristol

@rogerturner6

@brisvader

@crshill

@brisvader

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

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STREET LIFE

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

So good, that when we first launched this magazine we named it Clifton Life; today, 16 years later, this elegant ‘burb high up on the Gorge is as alluring, elegant and community-focused as ever

By Meg Coast Photos by Ben Robins

A

re you looking for some good spots to take photos?” We’d been in Clifton Village for approximately three seconds before a passing local volunteered a full briefing on the area. ome of it we’d heard before. he fact, for example, that lifton illage was never, historically, a village at all. e once heard from the horse’s mouth (the horse in question being folk singer an nderson no, not that one, the other one) that the ‘Village’ tag was coined in . he legendary aterloo treet folk venue he roubadour fancied evoking the cool of ew ork’s Greenwich illage, and so appended illage’ to lifton’ on its latest gig poster it stuck.

But as it goes, this charming , rather privileged enclave does have a distinctly village-like feel. sleepy, chilled vibe pervades the gorgeous, immaculate Georgian terraces, the lush, leafy green areas but as ever, it’s the people and local businesses who make it special. he illage is home to such a bounty of indie shops that you could easily blow an entire month’s pay on one street or indeed shop alone, and there are sufficient caf s to keep the most addicted of caffeine fiends bu ing for days take the two experiences together, and you have a heady day out. he local business owners and residents keep the community spirit alive and thriving one of the things they’re most proud of, for example, is that the annual hristmas ree in he all gardens is the biggest to be found in any village in the country – and whether you’re here to stay, or ust here for a day, you’ll be made to feel welcome. osh it may be but it’s still Bristol. f you’re a first-time visitor, or haven’t been up for a bit, turn the page for our at-a-glance guide to some of its myriad delights.

“As it goes, this charming , rather privileged enclave does have a distinctly village-like feel”

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STREET LIFE CAFÉ COUTURE AND GOOD GRUB EAST VILLAGE CAFÉ

Insta-ready East Village Café and sister shop French Grey occupy the prime spot under the arch linking Boyce’s Avenue and Victoria Square, and make the ideal first impression if your ambling in from the city centre. The cafe serves 100% vegan food with gluten-free options, so you can have your cake and it eat without a morsel of guilt.

NEW MOON TAPAS

lifton’s favourite culinary globetrotters serve up small plates and tapas with a transnational twist. Every new moon, the menu gets wiped clean and replaced with a new edible tour of a different country, guaranteeing to expand your culinary horizons with every visit.

ROSEMARINO

Great food from great ingredients is what osemarino are all about, and they’ve perfected a fuss-free formula of serving up satisfying regional Italian specialties with friendly service in their rustic chic digs trust us, we’ve been there a lot more on page .

SAFFRON CAFE

This lush little Mediterranean restaurant on Boyce’s Avenue offers breakfast, lunch and me e dishes as well as tea and coffee to ensure your shopping trip is a well-caffeinated one.

SPICER+COLE

With four independent cafés in the heart of Bristol, including Clifton illage, picer ole serve up a mean artisan coffee that’s guaranteed to super-charge your shopping spree.

LEFT: Never knowingly underdecorated: The Ivy ABOVE: You are about to enter The Village

RIGHT: “Where to’s the Suspension Bridge?”

DID YOU KNOW?

When the Clifton Suspension Bridge officially opened on 8 December 1864, 21-year old barmaid Mary Griffiths broke through the crowd of 100,000 people to sprint across it before anyone else, making her the first member of the public to ever cross the bridge. And yes, she was competing against a bloke.

THE CLIFTON SAUSAGE

The Clifton Sausage are on a mission to make British food great again, using simple, honest ingredient in unpretentious dishes. ry a banger from the daily specials, and you’ll see what we mean.

THE IVY CLIFTON BRASSERIE

posh chain, but too annoyingly good to leave out, he vy lifton Brasserie cooks up faultless first-class British tucker, adds the most polished service imaginable, and decorates its impressive pillared front with a lavish nod to the changing seasons.

THE MINT ROOM

First-rate British ingredients cooked with ndian fine-dining flair.

PRIMROSE CAFE

One of Clifton’s most-loved long term residents, Primrose Café is in a perfectly-positioned suntrap and the ideal place to watch the world go by while tucking into breakfast, sampling a lunchtime speciality or savouring a slice of their famous home-made cake.

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

A VILLAGE AFFAIR

“We love the people! We have had our shops for almost 13 years and have built up some lovely friendships” Daniela, Grace & Mabel “Bracey Interiors has always been in Clifton, and we feel extremely fortunate to be working in such an iconic area of Bristol. The architecture and personality of Clifton is very special” Alison, Bracey Interiors “It is such a pretty part of Bristol and has a great selection of local and independent small businesses.

There’s a great café culture vibe, and the nearby green spaces of The Downs and fabulous views of the Suspension Bridge” Clair, Clair Swinscoe Studio Couture “We enjoy the community vibe of all the other independent businesses. Boyce’s Avenue, with all the outdoor café seating, always has a vibrant atmosphere” Louise, Otomi “It is a huge privilege to live and work in Clifton - the architecture is simply stunning. If you look up as you enter Pod you will see we have a wonderful domed rotunda ceiling in the front section of the shop” Sian, The Pod Company

Royal York Crescent – the longest in Europe? The debate rages on…

LET THE RETAIL PREVAIL ANNA CAKE COUTURE

With more delicacies than you can shake a macaron at and equally delicious décor, Anna’s cosy café and shop is the place to eat cake in Clifton, with sweet treats for every occasion and classes for those who want to get their bake on.

CLIFTON ROCKS

BEST SIGHT IN CLIFTON VILLAGE?

“The Arcade in Boyce’s Avenue – such an amazing place, with a fabulous architectural pedigree” Alison, Bracey Interiors “Coming up past The Triangle and seeing the rows of Georgian houses is always a reminder of how special the Village is” Guy & Michael, Focus on the Past antiques

After some spring bling? Beautiful-in-blue Clifton Rocks is an independent jewellery shop and workshop who specialise in contemporary jewellery as well as bespoke engagement rings, wedding bands and remodelling.

“The Clifton Observatory with Camera Obscura and Caves is one of many favourites. A cool place to visit and it offers superb views of the Suspension Bridge and the city of Bristol. A brilliant place to just sit, think and relax” Daniela, Grace & Mabel

FOCUS ON THE PAST ANTIQUES

“Victoria Square through the seasons” Louise, Otomi

Focus on the Past is the place to go for all things preloved, and where we bumped into our helpful friend, Michael (see opening paragraph) for the second time that day. “Few shops like this now exist in Bristol and we are proud to have survived,” said colleague Guy. “The traders may change, the stock will change, but the shop always has an interesting and eclectic mix of fine furniture, ewellery, anti ues and bygones for all occasions.”

GLADRAGS

Posh frocks experts, stocking prom, evening and cruise dresses, along with ballgowns. With looks ranging from glitzy glam to elegant and serene, or even a bit cheeky, they’ve got your next little number.

GRACE AND MABEL

Run by sisters Danny, Kirstie and Shelley, Grace & Mabel is an independent lifestyle boutique selling individual designer labels. “We buy only pieces we like, we are very selective. It’s all about quality and individuality” said Danny.

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

“It has to be Royal York Crescent. At a quarter of a mile long it’s one of the longest in the country, and at certain times of day catches the sun in such a beautiful way” Kelly, Timber Windows “It has to be the Clifton Suspension Bridge; it looks so pretty at night when it is all light up and sparkly” Clair, Studio Couture “The balconies of West Mall” Sian, The Pod Company “We really like the little old cobbler in the window of The Clifton Cobbler” Marcelle, Movement Boutique “I love to see Clifton in the evening when all the lights are on in the restaurants and bars and people are busy enjoying themselves inside. Heartwarming!” Katy Zikking, Harbour Family Law

STREET LIFE GOING THROUGH CHANGES

“It is reassuring to see there are still many longstanding businesses in Clifton Village; long may that continue. I wouldn’t say the area has changed over the years; it is still as vibrant and eclectic a mix of business and community as it ever was” Alison, Bracey Interiors “Today the Village has become more a hub for café culture, restaurants and estate agents, though many independents are clinging on in the form of jewellers, a butcher, several delis and fruiterers as well as clothing boutiques, independent art galleries and a well-respected book chain and an independent travel agent” Guy & Michael, Focus on the Past

“There was a change for the good when Boyce’s Avenue was pedestrianised during the day - being able to eat, drink and socialise outside (even in the winter) definitely brings the area to life” Louise, Otomi “The number of cafes and coffee shops has exploded, but we’re not complaining - they all have their own characters and delicious cakes” Sian, The Pod Company “I love seeing new local businesses opening up around the area.

The village seems to be getting busier with a real lovely buzz and café culture” Clair, Studio Couture

BELOW: All things Mexicana at Otomi

RIGHT: Clifton’s favourite fruit and veg

HIDDEN

Hidden was born with a plan to offer not only the best art by the most notable artists, but to change the perception of what a gallery is. here’s serious art, but in a fun, relaxed environment and you will find work in a variety of mediums by renowned artists, from icasso and atisse to racey min, amien Hirst and Banksy, alongside affordable art by carefully chosen contemporary artists.

OTOMI

f you’re in the village for a bit of retail therapy, it’s difficult to miss the bright exterior of Otomi; a business bringing all things Mexican to Bristol. Food, alcohol, arts and crafts, kitchenware, we try to bring it all. says owner ouise. e are very niche, and that seems to work in our favour, as people come from all over the country to visit us. e especially love the ay of the ead figurines and Frida Kahlo bags.

MOTIQ

ooking for something different his family-run bouti ue sells eyecatchingly uni ue and alluring pieces of ewellery and elegant fashion garments that guarantee you’ll stand out from the crowd.

MOVEMENT BOUTIQUE

ovement Bouti ue is an independent lifestyle bouti ue selling womenswear, menswear, homeware and gifts. he ma ority of our brands are uni ue to Bristol and many are from ethical and sustainable sources, said arcelle. e are thoughtfully stylish’ .

DID YOU KNOW?

The late Bristol author Helen Dunmore’s last book, Birdcage Walk, is set in Georgian Clifton, and offers a fascinating insight into an era when the great terraces and crescents were being built.

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A place to escape and relax while we look after your hair...

Visit our luxury organic hair salon in Clifton Village using only the best Organic OWAY hair products

Address 11 Kings Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4AB Telephone: 01179733600 www.clairswinscoe.wix.com/clairswinscoehair b ClairSwinscoeHair

x clairswinscoestudiocouture

STREET LIFE

DID YOU KNOW?

22-year-old Sarah Henley allgededly jumped off Clifton Suspension Bridge in 1885. Her skirt acted as a parachute and glided her to safety. Later, in 1979, the world’s first bungee jump took place here, too…

PAPERSMITHS

“Happiness has many forms. New stationery is one of them,” is the Papersmiths mantra. Beautifully displays of independent magazines mingle with cards, books and gifts and the kind of stationery we had no idea we needed until now.

THE POD COMPANY

A little sky-blue box of delights on The Mall, Pod’s creative window displays are the stuff of legend. t gets even better inside as the shop appears to expand, -like into two floors of gifts and lifestyle products from top brands, as well as local and independent designers.

REG THE VEG

ABOVE: Golden oldies and antiques at Focus on the Past

e are now firmly in local legend territory. he one-stop shop for your five-a-day, eg the eg stock fruit and veg that you’ll be hard-pressed to find in any supermarket. here’s been a greengrocer here since the late 1950s, and although it’s changed hands a few times, it looks like it’s here to stay if the locals have any say in the matter.

RIGHT: Victoria Square makes a charming approach to the Village

THE LOCALS’ LOCAL

“Primrose Café our day has only properly started once I have had a cup of their coffee! Also, it really is a big pull for many of our customers” Louise, Otomi “Grey Harris. It’s unique in its architecture and totally epitomises what Clifton Village is all about” Alison, Bracey Interiors “The varied coffee shops, our neighbours at Blue Sky and of course our fellow traders in Focus on the Past. And we couldn’t manage without our local and very friendly Co-Op”Guy & Michael, Focus on the Past “The Mall Deli for it’s sausage baguettes for those long hard days selling windows and doors” Kelly, Timber Windows “Anna’s cakes - it’s obvious why” Sian, The Pod Company “We love what Foliage Café have done to our old shop on Regent Street. It is a welcoming comfortable space with a great atmosphere. A great place to relax, work and have great coffee” Daniela, Grace & Mabel “Otomi is great for anyone who loves Mexico – I would recommend this place for chilli sauce lovers. Motiq is a great little boutique clothes shop for lovely jewellery, scarfs and unique fashion pieces” Clair, Studio Couture “We are pleased to be next door to Portside Gallery. We also love Belle de Jour Florists. Their choice of flowers and their arrangements are beautiful” Marcelle, Movement Boutique

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The Bespoke Furniture, Upholstery & Soft Furnishings Experts Clifton Village 62-64 The Mall, Bristol, BS8 4JG

Bedminster 196 North Street, Bristol, BS3 1JF

Open Mon – Sat 9AM – 5PM 01173 702745 www.swupholstery.co.uk

STREET LIFE DID YOU KNOW?

“Many of the shops in The Mall have the remnants of old underground tunnels in their basements, tunnels which used to lead all the way down to the harbour,” Sian, Pod

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

CLAIR SWINSCOE STUDIO COUTURE

n all-white, ambient, luxury organic hair salon offering a cut above the rest with five-star customer service.

SEVENTH AVENUE HAIR AND BEAUTY

ffering hair and beauty under one roof, the team at eventh venue have years of experience.

OTHER

BRACEY INTERIORS

his well-seasoned local business has been in the trade for over years, so it’s safe to say they know their stuff when it comes to interiors. ay a visit to the studio shop and take your pick from fabrics and wallpapers from all the ma or design houses, or peruse an eclectic mix of home accessories and gifts. on’t forget to tell ax, eam Bracey’s resident dog, that he’s a good boy.

TIMBER WINDOWS

rading since , imber indows are a family business who sell some of the finest timber windows and doors in the country. he products we sell really do speak for themselves, so we encourage people to visit the showroom in the heart of lifton illage to see them in the flesh, said Kelly. n Do we really need to caption this shot?

DIRECTORY FOOD/DRINK Avon Gorge Sion Hill

Bristol Fringe 32 Princess Victoria Street

Clifton Sausage 7 Portland Street

East Village Café Boyce’s Avenue

New Moon 9 The Mall

Nutmeg 10 The Mall

Primrose Café 1 Boyce’s Avenue

Rosemarino 1 York Place Saffron 4a Boyce’s Avenue Spicer+Cole 9 Princess Victoria Street

The Clifton Club 22 The Mall

The Ivy 42-44 Caledonia Place The Mint Room 12-16 Clifton Road

HEALTH & BEAUTY Clair Swinscoe 11 Kings Road

Clifton Medi Spa 56 Royal York Crescent

Nuffield Health 3 Clifton Hill

Seventh Avenue 7 Boyce’s Avenue

INTERIORS

Bracey Interiors 15 Waterloo Street SJP Interior Design

36 The Mall

South West Upholstery 62-64 The Mall

Timber Windows 29 The Mall

Lloyd Williams 69 Princess Victoria Street

Romans 21 Princess Victoria Street

Grace & Mabel 32 The Mall

Rupert Oliver Somerset House,

Miles Morgan Travel 20 Princess Victoria Street

AMD Solicitors 15 The Mall

RETAIL

LEGAL/FINANCIAL

Anderson Financial Management Saville Court

Four Wealth Management Waterloo House,

Harbour Family Law 31 Regent Street

PROPERTY AGENTS Elephant 37 Princess Victoria Street

Hamptons 8 The Mall

Anna Cake Couture 7A Boyce’s Avenue

Hidden 6-10 The Clifton Arcade

Mews Bridal 30 The Mall Motiq 8 Boyce’s Avenue

Movement Boutique 5 The Mall

Clifton Ceramics 58 The Mall Clifton Contemporary Art 25 Portland Street

Otomi 4 Boyce’s Avenue

Clifton Rocks 31 The Mall

Focus on the Past 25 Waterloo Street

Geeves 60 The Mall

Papersmiths 6a Boyce’s Avenue

Gladrags 23 The Mall

Silver Squid 34 The Mall

Pod 24 The Mall Sahara 16 The Mall

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Focus on the Past is a small Antique Centre on 2 floors buying and selling a wide variety of Antiques furniture and collectables for every taste from classic to quirky and traditional to kitsch.

FOCUS ON THE PAST

25 Waterloo St, Clifton Village, BS8 4BT. Tel: 01179 738080. Online: focusonthepast.org

LOVE BRISTOL S T U F F T H AT M A K E S T H I S C I T Y S P E C I A L

H Look closely. Can you feel the LOVE in this photo? t emanates from eight houses up in the rarefied heights of he aragon one of which is owned by Ken Aylmer (we’re envious; Paragon’s gorgeous). realised that the main windows along my street formed x grids, and reckoned that by enlisting the help of my neighbours, and by turning our lights on and closing some shutters, we could make letters to spell out a short and simple word, he said. ext, he put in a call to photographer friend Brett ymes. liked the idea of using a real-life analogue set-up to replicate the way original digital graphics used blocks to spell words there’s a real charm to that, said Brett. e wanted to take the long-exposure shot at dusk, so house lights would be on, but it would still be light enough to capture details of the buildings and bridge, said Ken. e also realised that if we

shot it at rush hour, we would get light trails from the traffic. ith it being the run-up to alentine’s ay, after amusing ourselves with the possibility of some other -metre high four-letter words beaming out over Bristol, we settled on . y neighbours were a bit bemused, but intrigued, and then really into the concept. Brett and agreed a time for everyone to turn their lights on. e set up in umberland Basin in the free ing cold about an hour before the optimal light, and phoned in to get everyone to set up. he plan was almost scuppered by a sudden burst of sleet, but luckily it cleared ust in time, and we got the shot.

How Bristol is that treet art, lifton-style no Krylon re uired. f course, if this had been the roft, and not lifton, they might well have gone for another four-letter word after all Buy prints from www.brettsymesphotography-boutique.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 23

SAFFRON OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR:

• Breakfast • • Lunch • • Afternoon Tea • 4A BOYCES AVENUE, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL, BS8 4AA. TEL: 0117 329 4204

THE ARTS S N A P S H O T S O F B R I S T O L’ S C U LT U R A L L I F E

RAISING THE STAKES Vampires. Huh. What are they good for?

Well… how about helping raise awareness of, and treatment for, rare blood disorders such as haemochromatosis and anaemia? And boosting local blood donations? Not to mention giving you some brilliant immersive entertainment while they’re at it?

All this is promised by Doctor Dracula, a new multi-media play from ace West Country theatre company Four Of Swords. The intimate show at Ashton Court is a twist on the evergreen Dracula tale, exploring the symbolic role of blood in mythology, religion, and literature; at the same time, it takes a look at the cutting-edge, medical understandings of blood in the 21st century, informed by the research of Professor Nick Groom, and Dr Luke Pilling. Medical professionals will also be on hand to administer simple blood tests, answer further questions, and drive recruitment for the NHS Give Blood programme. They’re after your blood – but in a good way. Buffy was never this educational…

Doctor Dracula runs at Ashton Court Mansion, Bristol, March 18 – 28; www.four-of-swords.com

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

WHAT’S ON

Bringing you the latest spring awakenings on the cultural scene...

6 March – 6 April

The dazzling high voltage soul and jazz diva China Moses

ART

Until 11 March

THAT’S HOW I SEE THE WORLD With paintings, drawings, installations and more, artists will show you how they “see” their world in order to explore and discuss with the audience personal experiences, family, social issues .At Centrespace Gallery; centrespacegallery.com

Until 14 March

HANS EIJKELBOOM: STREET FUSION / BRISTOL IN 2019 he artist’s first solo exhibition in the UK is getting up close and personal with series of snapshots showing Bristolians at a single point in time. At Martin Parr Foundation; martinparrfoundation.org

Until 22 March

PACITA ABAD: LIFE IN THE MARGINS haracterised by bright colours and intricate construction, bad’s first K exhibition reveals a pluralist approach to image making across cultures, histories and styles, that has been a foundation for the artist’s work across the decades. At Spike Island; spikeisland.org.uk

AMAK MAHMOODIAN: ZANJIR An imagined photographic conversation between Bristol-based Amak Mahmoodian and the Persian princess a al- altaneh, born in , addressing universal themes of family, loss and homesickness. t rnolfini arnolfini.org.uk INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION 162 The world’s longest running photography exhibition at house, featuring the work of 43 international photographers and centres on themes of spirituality, identity, inclusion and the environment. t rps.org

Until 31 March

ART OF WALES Lime Tree Gallery is putting Welsh art back in the limelight, featuring work by selection of painters, sculptors and ceramicists from Wales.

Tidy.

Until 19 April

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? From ancient uses of witchcraft to the role superstition plays in the modern mind, Bristol Museum

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

explores how magic has been used to heal, hunt and harm down the ages; bristolmuseums.org.uk

Until 26 April

ANGELICA MESITI: ASSEMBLY large-scale video installation that imagines a community of movement, poetry and song. t rnolfini arnolfini.org.uk

Until 4 May

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR EXHIBITION ild things we think we love you. he world-renowned photography exhibition returns to hed. bristolmuseums.org.uk

14 March – 24 May

WILHELMINA BARNS-GRAHAM AND THE ARTISTS OF ST IVES ’s spring season presents two exhibitions respectively exploring the work of ilhelmina Barns-Graham, one of Britain’s most significant th Century artists, and her peers; rwa.org.uk

25 March – 23 May

CHRIS KILLIP: THE STATION A photo documentation of the anarcho-punk movement taken

at The Station. At Martin Parr Foundation; martinparrfoundation.org

SHOWS

Until 7 March

MATTHEW BOURNE’S THE RED SHOES rt over heart, or vice versa ictoria age lives to dance but her ambitions become a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion.

Should she follow her heart or pursue her dancing career t Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com BOAR ewis oherty presents a one-man fantasy adventure tale at F expect arrows to roll and heads to fly in this action-packed comedy of swords, sorcery and swill; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Until 8 March

MID LIFE id ife pauses three fierce women at a significant moment in time the menopause. Join them as they find a way through the loss, despair, frustration, freedom, joy and possibility of the middle years. t B bristololdvic.org.uk

WHAT’S ON THE THREE MUSKETEERS Armed only with a baguette and his questionable steed, join hot-headed D'Artagnan as he travels to become a Musketeer. Will things go to plan?

It's unlikely. At BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

Until 21 March

THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII A hysterical, self-referential romp through history from the legendary Living Spit that promises to be an ill-researched lesson in cross-dressing Tudor history. At The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

10 – 21 March

PEOPLE SHOW 137: GOD KNOWS HOW MANY From the troubadours of the Parisian boulevards of yesteryear to the dark global corporate domination of today this show will take you to precisely nowhere. But on the way, you will laugh and feel a sense of what it is we might all be doing here.

At The Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? A new production of Edward Albee’s celebrated domestic bitchfest Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

Unsettling, claustrophobic and darkly funny, it should be ideally suited to the Factory Theatre’s intimate setting; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

ABOVE:

Jimmy and Sid will be getting their folk on at Bristol's New Room LEFT: Tom McGee is the new Bristol talent in The Red Lion BELOW: The dark heart of female empowerment in Faustus

12 – 14 March

FAUSTUS: THAT DAMNED WOMAN A controversial new take on the ultimate “deal with the devil” comes to Bristol Old Vic. And Faustus is female; bristololdvic.org.uk

11, 13 March

CARMEN In the WNO’s box-fresh new production, our girl Carmen’s still a total minx, but the opera has been to 1970s Central America in a woke interpretation rooted in social injustice and perceptions of gender.

At Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

11 – 28 March

THE RED LION In a world removed from the wealth and television cameras, a nonleague team are struggling to make ends meet. So, when a gifted young player arrives out of nowhere, it’s the opportunity everyone’s been waiting for. At BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

12 March

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO It’s meant to be the best day of Figaro and Susanna’s lives, but will their wedding even go ahead? A series of twists and turns will keep you guessing until the final scene, with elegant sets, opulent costumes and Mozart’s sublime score bringing the action to life. At Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

12 – 13 March

LOLA A twisted exploration of trying to remember and not remembering, Lola brings humour and lightness to a serious subject, using the lens of black comedy and circus to explore themes of loneliness, social exclusion and dementia. At Circomedia; circomedia.com

14 March

LES VEPRES SICILIENNES Revenge and revolution set the scene as Hélène seeks justice for her murdered brother, and a dark secret comes to light. Amid the confusion and betrayal, wedding bells ring out and signal the massacre that will destroy all; At Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

17 – 21 March

PETER CLIFFORD’S MAGICAL MYTHOLOGIES Eyes will be deceived and minds boggled as eter lifford weaves his magic around stories of life, conjuring and the wonders of the world in the intimate space of The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

24 March – 4 April

THE KING AND I Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna, who is brought to Siam to teach the king’s many wives and children. At Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

25 – 26 March

FIJI Nick and Sam have a date this weekend and if things go well it will be the first and last time they will ever see each other. You see Nick wants to eat Sam.. and Sam really wants to be eaten. Yup, this cannibalistic romantic comedy is pretty much as taboo as they come. At The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

26 – 27 March

BEST OF BE FESTIVAL 2020 An all-female line up of companies from Belgium, Switzerland and Hungary will showcase snapshots of

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

WHAT’S ON Blood of the Young are coming to BOV with unique riotous, pop-infused take on Jane Austen’s unrivalled literary classic. Six young women have a story to tell, and we’re all ears. At BOV; bristololdvic. org.uk

7 April – 9 May

LES MISÉRABLES Hailed as ‘Les Mis for the 21st Century’, this fantastic new staging tells the story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption. t Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

8 – 9 April

ABOVE: Peek blinders: The Slow Readers Club LEFT: An airborne Abad with one of her Trapunto paintings

SEXY LAMP Ever since landing a lead role in her primary school Christmas play, Katie believed there was a place for her in showbiz, but since then named, speaking and fully clothed roles have been thin on the ground.

She’s at The Wardrobe with her solo show that combines storytelling, comedy and original songs to shed a light on how ridiculous the arts industry can be; thewardrobetheatre.com

COMEDY

9 March, 23 March

CLOSER EACH DAY The world’s longest improvised narrative. Unplanned. Unscripted.

Unconventional. Think EastEnders meets The League of Gentlemen via Love Island. thewardrobetheatre.com storytelling, dance, physical theatre all in one evening; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

27 – 28 March

A GIRL IN SCHOOL UNIFORM (WALKS INTO A BAR) It's the future. But only slightly.

There are blackouts. No one knows what's causing them, but that doesn't stop people going missing. Now Steph and Bell, a schoolgirl and barmaid, have to search for their missing friend, until the outside world starts infecting the theatre that stands around them. At The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com POLICE COPS: BADASS BE THY NAME In a gritty northern town in 1999, complete with a 90s rave soundtrack, a kitchen sink drama turns into a vampire-slaying horror epic.

At Tobacco Factory Theatres; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

30 March – 4 April

COULROPHOBIA Dik and Adam are clowns. They couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag, let alone a surreal cardboard world. Why are they there and what are they supposed to be doing? Join them on a ridiculous, anarchic, hilarious and sometimes terrifying quest for freedom. At The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

1 – 4 April

THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD A glimpse into the bloodthirsty world of Tudor London. For once, even in the fantasy world of light operetta, everything might not be alright in the end. At Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

7 – 11 April

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (*SORT OF)

13 – 14 March

25 – 26 March

ALEXEI SAYLE Alexei Sayle has been performing stand-up for forty years since the day he invented modern comedy. He’d like to stay at home with his cat but he’s still really funny, dangerously political and wildly energetic so he feels compelled to do a live tour. At Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

28 March

SAM AVERY: TODDLERGEDDON The time is 4.17pm. No-one is dressed yet. Civilisation has collapsed. Law and order has broken down. The adults have lost control. he coffee has run out. child scribbles on the wall. Someone spills a drink. Everyone is shouting. This is Toddlergeddon. At Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

3 – 4 April

SMILE CLUB A darkly comic, searingly satirical one-woman show, set in the dystopian world of Smile Club in which a government drive exists to tame and prune unruly women deemed unable to fit into society. t Tobacco Factory; tobaccofactory.com

MUSIC 8 March

KATHRYN ROBERTS AND SEAN LAKEMAN At Bristol Folk House for one night only, the ‘pillars of the modern folk scene’ will revisit songs from their beginnings, their latest collaboration and all their musical adventures in between; colstonhall.org

WHEN IN ROME: BRISTOL IMPROV MARATHON Aka the annual, 26-hour long improv marathon in which 30 performers take to the stage and create an entirely unscripted play using nothing but their skill, imagination and stonking amounts of stamina. At The Bristol Improv Theatre; improvtheatre.co.uk

SUSAN BOYLE: THE TEN TOUR Singing sensation Subo will grace the stage of Bristol Hippodrome with her new show, celebrating an incredible decade in the music industry; atgtickets.com

21 March

12 March

FLO AND JOAN: BEFORE THE SCREAMING STARTS Musical comedy sisters Flo & Joan are at 1532 Performing Arts Centre with a new hour of their dark and waggish songs to parade; 1532bristol.co.uk

15 March

ADAM ROWE: PINNACLE A brand-new hour of brutally honest, opinionated, no holds barred stand-up from Adam Rowe at the Bristol Improv Theatre; improvtheatre.co.uk

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS The Legendary Northern Irish punk rock act are keeping the spirit of punk alive and stopping off at Bristol’s O2 arena as part of their full headline tour; academymusicgroup.com YORKSTON THORNE KHAN The trio are returning with their third album Navarasa: Nine Emotions and their own signature blend of jazz, Indian classical, dub reggae and UK folk that creates

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 31

WHAT’S ON a unique and critically-acclaimed sound. At Bristol Folk House; colstonhall.org

18 March

GABRIELLE APLIN British singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin is coming to Bristol’s SWX with her new album Dear Happy; seetickets.com

20 March

ZIGGY ALBERTS With a folk-hewn sound that has been compared to the likes of early Ben Howard or Jack Johnson, Ziggy continues on his Laps Around The Sun World Tour. At SWX; colstonhall.org

21 March

BRISTOL CHORAL SOCIETY AND BRISTOL ENSEMBLE WITH HILARY CAMPBELL A concert of pure joy and spirituality with Faure’s Requiem, and Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms on the programme. At Bristol Cathedral; colstonhall.org SAMANTHA LINDO Samantha Lindo’s full band brings together a stylish mix of soul, jazz, trip-hop and spoken word, but she will be performing a stripped back set at St G’s, focusing solely on her hauntingly flawless’ voice and her words; stgeorgesbrisol.co.uk

23 March

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX Ambient pop group, Cigarettes After Sex return with their sophomore album, Cry and a brand-new set of tour dates across the UK. The record blends the delicate intimacy of their debut with a warmer palette, telling stories of romance, beauty and sexuality. academymusicgroup.com

26 March

JIMMY ALDRIDGE AND SID GOLDSMITH Bristol folk and acoustic scene’s celebrated duo are coming to Bristol’s New Room with their timeless music, weaving together tight harmony singing, sensitive instrumentation, and a strong social conscience; newroombristol.org.uk

26 March – 29 March

BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL One of the city’s biggest music events, back for its 8th year with an incredible programme of jazz and blues across various venues; bristoljazzandbluesfest.com

28 March

RITUAL UNION Ritual Union are bringing their multi-venue festival to Bristol for the first time, celebrating home grown acts as well as artists from further afield. arious venues ritual-union.co.uk

29 March

CHINA MOSES A high voltage soul and jazz diva with a career not only on stage but also on radio and , hina oses is back in Bristol following the release of her new album. At St G’s; stgeorgesbrisol.co.uk

29 March

THE SLOW READERS CLUB he anchester electronic-rock outfit are back with aptly-titled new album: ‘The Joy Of The Return’; theklabristol.co.uk

ABOVE:

Punk life at MPF RIGHT: Wilhelmina Barns-Graham's Inspirational Journeys at RWA

4 April

BECKY HILL The chart-topping artist’s 2020 UK tour will showcase Becky’s incredible on-stage energy along with an array of her most recent releases. At SWX; swxbristol.com

OTHER Until July 4

BRISTOL FILM FESTIVAL Catch a variety of screenings at site-specific venues across the city, ranging from wine cellars to spooky caves. arious locations ri olfil i al. o

7, 14, 21 March

THE BRISTOL FOOD TOUR triple bill of foodie tours offering a taste of Bristol’s best indie businesses across the city: East to West, South of the river and Stokes Croft. Wherever you go, don’t forget to bring your appetite; thebristolfoodtour.com

13 – 22 March

LYRA: BRISTOL POETRY FESTIVAL fter getting off to a roaring start last year, the Bristol Poetry Festival is returning for the second edition, with 2020 promising to be even bigger with an array of local, national and international poets performing in venues around the city; lyrafest.com

21– 31 March

THE BRITISH DAL FESTIVAL A nationwide celebration of the magic of dal and pulse dishes, encompassing a Dal Trail of shops

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

and eateries across the UK. See page 51; ri i al i al. o

25 March

BRISTOL LIFE BUSINESS CLUB: NICK STURGE, ENGINE SHED In this edition of Bristol Life Business Club, we’ll be speaking to Nick Sturge, the founder of Engine Shed, who has just recently left the business. At Avon Gorge Hotel; n ri . o.uk

28 – 29 March

BRISTOL WOMEN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL Back for a fourth programme, bringing together amazing novelists, short story writers, memoirists, essayists, journalists and academics in what will be a

tremendous celebration of women’s writing and literary history. At Watershed; watershed.co.uk

12 April

BRISTOL VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH FAIR A new event that gives collectors of early photography a chance to meet some of the leading specialist photograph dealers from the UK and urope, and to view and purchase fine and rare vintage photographs from all around the world. At RPS House; bristolphotofair.uk

23 April

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS The best of Bristol businesses and organisations join us for an evening of glitz, glamour and music – oh, and awards; bristollifeawards.co.uk n

Dotted Peace

PATH OF GLORY

Brace yourself, Bristol Hassan Ha a ’s The Path is headed your way, with some of the most vibrant images you’ve ever seen in the cool and collected space of rnolfini

H

assan Ha a photographer, designer, and filmmaker moved from orocco to Britain at the age of . ntirely self-taught, his eclectic influences mix the K’s hip-hop and reggae scenes with his orth

frican heritage.

Hassan works in portraiture, installation, performance, fashion and furniture design,but he’s best known for his ornate, eye-popping photography. His latest exhibition, The Path, takes its name from Hassan’s personal ourney from orocco to the K, and offers a uni ue and timely consideration of identity in the modern, globalised world. igns, symbols and people of different

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

cultures collide in the exhibition without hierarchy, or any presumed superiority of a urocentric worldview. panning both countries, the images reflect the perspective of a natural-born cosmopolitan, who delights at teasing out the connections and contradictions he’s discovered on his travels. n his exuberant, brightly coloured photos, rabic models wear d ellabas but with a knowing wink at estern op rt, they’re framed with imported cans of oca- ola, prite and tomato soup. ittle wonder that Hassan’s often dubbed the ndy arhol of arrakech’ by those who can’t resist a handy cultural trope. he exhibition includes Hassan’s ok Stars series a film installation and set of new photo portraits, through which he hopes to connect with the myriad rich musical wealth

that Bristol has to offer. he sub ects of the photos show international musicians and performers from a range of racial and ethnic backgrounds, creating a composite portrait of Britain at its most dynamically diverse. he portraits focus on figures whose family origins mostly lie abroad frica, the aribbean, the iddle ast, etc con uring up a vision of a society united, not divided, by difference. t a time when Britain risks turning inwards in pursuit of a national identity based on an idealised past, Hassan’s portraits make an urgent, timely case in favour of hybridity and multiculturalism. hey’ll also make you smile, and brighten your day.

The Path o n ril a 11am to 6pm, free entry .arnolfini.org.uk

rnolfini

ARTS

TOP LEFT AND RIGHT: Pop Art meets identity

politics in Rilene and Alexander Nilere – both from Hassan’s My Rock Stars series

RIGHT: In his Kesh Angels series, Hassan

captures the street culture of young female bikers through the visual language of fashion photography

“Little wonder that Hassan Hajjaj is often called ‘the Andy Warhol of Marrakech’ by those who can’t resist a cultural trope” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 35

ADVERTISING FEATURE

W

Hidden Gallery Discover the Hidden gem at the heart of Clifton Village...

D

id you know that there is a place tucked away in the Clifton Arcade where you can not only view original works of art by some of the greatest names in the 20th and 21st century, but you can buy them too?

Picasso, Dali, Matisse, Warhol, Hirst and even local hero Banksy line the walls of the Hidden Gallery alongside Lowry, Emin and countless other renowned artists.

Hidden’s mission is to enhance our lives with rare and extraordinary works of art, selected not only for their wonderful artistic qualities, but for their investment potential too - and it’s proving to be a popular recipe. Since opening its doors in 2015 Hidden has grown to three times its

THE HIDDEN DIFFERENCE • Hidden’s team are knowledgeable but welcoming.

• The galleries are relaxed and fun • The art ranges from low-cost prints to high-value rare works.

original size and has recently added a second gallery in Brighton.

For a gallery with such illustrious names on show, it is a uniquely welcoming space with no trace of the coldness one sometimes associates with art galleries. Its mix of affordable work by some of the best contemporary artists from the region alongside original, rare and collectable art ensures the gallery is accessible to all and you’ll get the same warm welcome whether you’re looking for an inexpensive print or a drawing by Picasso!

Countless customers from Bristol and beyond have made their first investment in art at Hidden.

Chris Kendall, the gallery owner, says that many of their clients are seeking new ways of investing on a relatively small scale, in areas that are considerably more interesting than stocks and shares. Customers experience deep satisfaction in owning such works and delight in showing them off! After all, which dinner guest wouldn’t be impressed by a ravishing, hand-signed Matisse above the mantelpiece.

Hidden sources this extraordinary art from all over the world and hold more than 500 rare lithographs, screen prints, ceramics, drawings, sculpture and etchings. The majority of these are hand-signed by the artist and are usually from a limited edition or unique, with typical prices

ranging from £1,000 - £10,000.

Despite the recent political and economic turmoil, Hidden has gone from strength to strength as art as an investment is outstripping all other luxury classes. Chris points out that the art market in general is flourishing across the globe, which bodes well for Hidden’s customers who come from all over the world.

They buy rare art from Hidden because they offer a carefully curated stock, pre-selected for quality, investment potential and most importantly authenticity. Hidden take the timeconsuming work out of finding extraordinary art, researching, conserving and presenting it in a manner that befits the work and looks great on the wall. There really is nowhere like it. n

Hidden Gallery, 6 – 10 The Clifton Arcade, Boyces Avenue, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4AA. Tel: 0117 279 6402 E: hello@hiddengallery.co.uk W: http://www.hiddengallery.co.uk Insta: @artathidden FB: @artathidden www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 37

1

OOOH. FASHION. Fashion. Turn to the left.

Fashion. Turn to the right.

Words and pictures by Colin Moody 38 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

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F

PHOTOGRAPHY

ashion. It’s everywhere. We all wear clothes.

But in this town, people have really gone all out for their fashion moments, haven’t they?

1

Some people have it.

Some people own it.

Some people love it.

Others want to be them.

Fair play to all those who knew how to love their fashion, their community and their rum in a cup at the St Pauls Carnival last year. You rocked our world.

2 3

Those nice people who run the St Werburghs community billboard – what a great idea, every district should have one – asked me to supply an image that represented community. I wanted to share this one, and it’s now up for all to see at the end of Mina Road and York Street. Fashion-wise, it’s quite the look. Spare a thought for anyone coming in for a full English after a heavy night when these boys fill the place. nd god bless East Street, with its pull to the real.

3

Stop looking at the kissing real Western leaders behind. Stop it!

The Bristol painting is similar to the picture My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love, sometimes referred to as The Fraternal Kiss, a graffiti painting on the Berlin Wall by Dmitri Vrubel. It depicts Brezhnev and Honecker in a fraternal embrace, reproducing a photograph that captured the moment in 1979 during the 30th anniversary celebration of the foundation of the German Democratic Republic.

But fashion-wise I loved this guy who was just walking by at the time, a few years back. e re urope are said to be behind that piece. las, this is all so historical now.

Reality is now as grey as that t-shirt. Remember when we had... dreams?

4

It’s all those touches right? Like this one from my travels up the Gloucester Road. Research for my new book out in pril blatant plug Google The Great Bristol High Street). When the glasses match the personality. Ya! I like that! If you have a look that cannot be ignored, get in touch. specially if you go out and party at night. whole night project is looming.

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“I’m so proud that we can be whatever we want to be in this city”

Take this random moment from Stokes Croft. Is this a catwalk? No, it’s just a pavement. Is this fashion? It could be. nyone suffering from F when it comes to the clothes they see on Instagram feeds, with all those bloggers who get the free tees and dresses, just look at this shot. It’s anti FOMO. It says wear what you wanna wear, be who you wanna be because no one really knows what’s going on any more.

Fashion.

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

6

This look is called ‘Finished Street Art Casual’. It’s a look that binds the wearer not ust to their fingers in acrylic sticky mess, but also to the distressed and yet harmonious look of the streets where their finished piece is rendered. Funny, you never see these cruddy tops winding up in charity shops. this wall is gone now with the knocking down of estmorland House.

7

e

lde ays. hen life was good. ot according to these fine people who were in character the whole time saw them at last year’s ss Great Britain ictorian hristmas. ooks like hard times for many then. nd that’s hundreds of years before Brexit, right ne set of teeth between the lot of them but what I wanted to look at was the fashion. lenty of flowing brown material to hide the mark of doings not all hats met Brunel’s standard it seems. o you think this look will come back fter the ’ s shellsuit revival, which fear is still in effect at this current time

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5

“Is this a catwalk? No, it’s just a pavement. Is this fashion?

It could be…”

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

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PHOTOGRAPHY

7

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You need so little to be fashionable these days. Just one pair of Speedos (other types are available) and half an over tan is all you need to keep your part of the beach to yourself.

Nice touch, the rocks to hold the towel down spaced as evenly as Clevedon piers struts.

Symmetry. Perfect symmetry.

9

Chains chains chains.

There is nothing I don’t like about this photo. So proud that we can be whoever we want to be in this city. Dog seems to love it, too. And if your fashion matters to you, let me know. But it’s gotta be an 11.

Photo taken at Pride last year.

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

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

BOOKS JESSICA PAUL

Mothers superior Hold the flowers, ditch the chocs: for a Mother’s Day gift she’ll cherish, choose a book. Though we guess Jess would say that… how suspicion can twist its way through a community, and a love that may prove as dangerous as it is powerful.

On Christmas Eve, 1617, the sea around the remote orwegian island of ardo is thrown into a reckless storm. As Maren agnusdatter watches, fishermen, including her father and brother, are lost to the waves – the menfolk of Vardo wiped out in an instant. ardo is now a place for women. ighteen months later, a sinister figure arrives.

Summoned from Scotland to take control of a place at the edge of the civili ed world, Absalom Cornet knows what he needs to do to bring the women of Vardo to heel…

“There’s nothing better than receiving a book your kids think you might enjoy; one that they put time into picking out”

s a mum of two, I know just how special Mother’s Day can be; hence the frazzled look on my partner’s face, as he tries to figure out what to buy on behalf of two small children. part from the obligatory breakfast in bed, my next favourite other’s ay gift is a good book unsurprisingly, perhaps, as own a bookshop. But truly, there is nothing better than receiving a book your kids think you might en oy one that they or their adult put time into picking out.

To all the mums out there, happy Mother’s ay you deserve a good book and plenty of peace and uiet to read it .

THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO by Christy Lefteri, £8.99 The surprise hit of the season, this is a beautifully told story of an asylum seeker’s journey from Syria to Britain.

Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live happily in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo, until the unthinkable happens and they are forced to flee.

But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and they must embark on a perilous ourney through urkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain. As uri and fra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls.

THE MERCIES by Kiran Millwood Hargrave £14.99 I have no words to describe just how powerful this book is, so ’ll let its blurb do the talking Inspired by the real events of the Vardo storm of 1617, The Mercies is a story about

THE DOLL FACTORY by Elizabeth Macneal, £8.99 Part The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock and part The Miniaturist, this is a spellbinding story set in , amongst artists and their collectors.

On a crowded street, the dollmaker Iris

A

Whittle meets the artist Louis Frost. Louis is a Pre-Raphaelite painter who yearns to have his work displayed in the Royal Academy, and he is desperate for Iris to be his model. Iris agrees, on the condition that he teaches her to paint. reaming of freedom, ris throws herself into this new life of art and love, unaware that she has caught the eye of a second man. ilas Reed is a curiosity collector, enchanted by the strange and beautiful. fter seeing ris at the site of the Great xhibition, he finds he cannot forget her. s ris’s world expands, Silas’s obsession grows.

YOU MAKE ME HAPPY by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, £6.99 The cutest, most heart warming book from a little one to their parents.

Highly recommended, because it will make everyone cry.

THE WOMAN IN THE WHITE KIMONO, by Ana Johns £8.99 Japan, 1957. Seventeenyear-old Naoko akamura’s prearranged marriage secures her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community. However, Naoko has fallen for an American sailor, and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned that Naoko is carrying the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices, with consequences that will ripple across generations and borders.

This is a wonderful book in the same vein as Memoirs of a Geisha haunting and beautifully written.

Max Minerva’s 39 North View, Westbury Park 07498 538858; www.maxminervas.co.uk

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

ARCHITECTS

TEN THOUSAND YEARS OF BRISTORY (AND 16 YEARS OF BRISTOL LIFE) Can’t tell your Cabots from your Canynges?

Confused by your Colstons?

We take a lighthearted and highly selective look at Bristol history (sort of) down the years

36 MEDIACLASH.CO.UK 44 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

BRISTORY

B

ack in 2014, to celebrate our landmark 100th issue, we ran a selective little History of Bristol – a Bristory, if you like.

Quite a few things have changed in the city since then, so we dug it out and brushed it down in honour of our move to a fortnightly publication.

We’ve also added in a few fun Bristol facts, which you can read in the panels. Thing is, only some of them are true. The genuine ones come courtesy of Weird Bristol, @weirdbristol on instagram, while the ones by Tim Brown, aka @timmersfacts, play fast and loose with the truth. Can you tell which ones are true and which false? Answers at the end of the feature; but honestly, if you need to cheat on this quiz you need to have a word with yourself…

8000 BC First human settlers arrive in the Bristol area, somewhere near Clifton Down. Property prices immediately go through the roof.

Cabot Tower is actually the spire 1 of a castle buried under Brandon Hill. Archaeologists recently carried out a dig and explored the castle, which is still intact but structurally unsound. Historians have speculated whether it could be the fabled Camelot of the King Arthur legend.

6000 BC Early

Bristolians live by hunting. Lifestyle magazines of the day, generally published on cave walls, feature articles such as ‘10 uses for a sabretoothed tiger skin’, and so on.

5000 BC Hunter-

gatherers decide to call it a day, and farming begins. But EU subsidies are still a distant dream. Local magazines ask, “Will this new-fangled farming catch on?”

4004 BC (WEDNESDAY) The genesis of

the world, according to creationists.

Meanwhile in Bristol, it’s a fairly uneventful day. Gloucester Road as busy as ever.

Ashton Gate is built 2 on an old Iron Age burial site. Strikers

have said that they have missed absolute sitters of a goal as they have seen mysterious ghostly figures stood on the goal line.

Cliftonwood in Bristol is 3 so famous for its colourful houses that it was chosen as the filming location for the TV show Balamory.

3000 BC Monument and dolmen building all the rage as our ancestors try to communicate with we-know-not-what. Meanwhile, Bristol councillors demand to know whether Stonehenge has applied for planning permission.

Over the past few years, 4 Bristol has become a hub for alleged UFO

sightings. One explanation offered by UFOlogists is that alien visitors are using the 1970-built Purdown BT Telecommunications Tower as a refuelling point on their intergalactic adventures.

500 BC The Celts arrive/ invade/emerge/don’t exist, depending on who you believe [For more elucidation head to the City Museum and Art Gallery].

At any rate, these people know how to party; some etymologists even believe that the word ‘fun’ comes from their word for a merry tune, ‘fonn’. Things begin to look good for the Gloucester Road.

0 THE YEAR DOT Pagan celebrations still widespread in the Bristol

area, but events in the Middle East top the news agenda.

43 AD The Romans invade Britain. It takes them another 30 years to

conquer the West Country.

90 AD The Romans arrive in the Bristol area, somewhere near

Totterdown. It’s probably the biggest thing to happen in Totterdown then or since, with the possible exception of the opening of the Star and Dove on St Luke’s Road.

400AD – 1000AD he

proves to be a great way of keeping the Welsh at home. The dyke runs miles from the Severn Estuary up to the Wirral.

1000 AD The town

ark ges.

ffa’s yke, built around

,

This year the Balloon Fiesta will 5 build an indoor arena. It will cover 15 square miles and have a

height of 6000 feet. The reason they are doing this is to stop people complaining that a free event which is highly weather-dependent not going to plan because of the weather.

of Brycgstow is founded. Despite its higher Scrabble rating, it’s decided that Brycgstow doesn’t really cut it as a name and Bristol gets the nod.

1070 AD The Normans arrive in the West Country with their fancy

ways couture, culture and cuisine. hus the way is paved for first-class restaurants such as Casamia, the Pony & Trap and Box-E.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRUSTOL LIFE I 45

Since the 1980s there have been reports of feral 7 chickens roaming the streets of south Bristol. It’s not known where they came from but one (often spotted on Coronation Road and nicknamed the Coronation Chicken) reportedly launched a savage attack against a man to steal his chips.

1500 AD Bristol starts to emerge from the ravages of the Black Death.

Peace is still an exotic concept, however, with anarchy widespread: imagine modern-day Cabot Circus the Saturday before Christmas, and multiply by a factor of 50.

ueen li abeth visits t ary edcliffe, and as any Bristol schoolchild will wearily tell you, describes it as “the goodliest, fairest and most famous parish church in England”. We promise we’ll never quote this line again.

1574 AD

1698 AD Bristol’s infamous slave trade begins, and was only abolished in 1807. It was simultaneously the city’s greatest shame and its greatest source of wealth.

1699 AD Never mind Columbus or Cabot. The really important 1216 AD he first-known mayor of Bristol, one oger ordwainer, is

appointed; more exotic-sounding are the names of later mayors, such as Odiarne Coates Lane (1860) and Sholto Vere Hare (1862).

voyage from Bristol harbour happens on 4 May, when Lemuel Gulliver sails out of Bristol Harbour bound for Several Remote Nations of the World.

1300 AD verybody’s gone serfin’. he

th century is widely regarded as one of Britain’s worst centuries, especially for those luckless enough to have been born into the lower orders.

During and after WWII, rumours Disease is so rife spread that Luftwaffe bombers had in Bristol that used the priapic Cerne Abbas Giant’s anyone from the most notable, umm, feature as a visual marker to locate Bristol, as it pointed city is barred entry in the direction of the city. This rumour to Gloucester. We was proven untrue. His appendage is haven’t forgotten aligned towards Southampton. that, Gloucester.

6

1399 AD Birth

of William II Canynges. Ultimately William becomes one of the richest men in ngland, serving as mayor of Bristol five times, and for the city three times. ou can pay your respects to him up at t ary edcliffe, where he occupies an exceedingly impressive tomb.

1477 AD Christopher Columbus sails to Iceland on a Bristol vessel.

He subsequently asks Henry VII to bankroll a journey from Bristol to merica, as it wasn’t known back then. Henry declines the offer the equivalent in the exploration community of the man who turned down he Beatles. But Bristol did give merica its name please fast forward another 20 years.

1497 AD John Cabot sails from Bristol in The Matthew and discovers

North America. Richard ap Meryk, a Welshman whose name anglicises to Richard Amerike (you can probably see where we’re going with this) was the principal owner of Cabot’s ship. It’s fair to say, however, that some informed sources (ie almost everybody else) believe that America takes its name from an Italian cartographer called Amerigo Vespucci.

But we’re sticking with the Bristol version.

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

In 1968 Bristol witnessed the worst weather in its 8 history. It rained continuously for 53 days. The harbour flooded and the waters reached Bristol cathedral. There

are unconfirmed reports that a boat actually docked at the bottom of Cathedral Steps

BRISTORY

In 1997 an American businessman bought 10 Brunel’s ‘other bridge’, believing that he was buying the Clifton Suspension Bridge. After

discovering his error, the businessman flew home in disgust leaving the bridge where it still lies, on the side of the Cumberland Basin

John Cabot had 9 15 children. The Matthew was named after his eldest son.

In 1810, famous balloonist James 11 Sadler launched himself in a hydrogen balloon over Bristol and released a stray cat wearing a parachute. The cat survived the fall without injury and was adopted by a Bristolian physician, who named it Balloon.

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

The first bridge across the 14 Severn was a pontoon bridge built by the Romans in 42AD to invade

Wales. Unfortunately the Romans were not aware of the Severn Bore, which washed the bridge away, wiping out nearly a full legion of the Roman Army.

1864 AD Clifton Suspension Bridge opens. 115 years later the world’s

first bungee ump takes place here, with umpers from the xford University Dangerous Sports Club taking the shortest route possible from BS8 to BS11 (and then immediately back to BS8, and down to BS11 again).

1959 AD oncorde’s first designs are drawn up at the Hawker

iddeley offices. oday it’s still the very embodiment of cutting-edge modernity, despite being built when cars still had tail fins, no radio and no heaters.

1965 AD First Concordes completed; one in Filton, Bristol, one in

Toulouse. The one in Bristol is nicer.

1991 AD assive ttack releases its first album, Blue Lines. Four years later, Portishead’s début album Dummy wins the Mercury Prize. But don’t get too carried away. “Let’s get one thing straight: there’s no such thing as the Bristol sound, says Beth Gibbons. Geoff Barrow said something similar, but in more unprintable terms.

2003 AD oncorde’s final flight takes off In 1755 a panic spread through 12 Bristol when the Avon suddenly drained of all water. The phenomenon was caused by an earthquake and a resulting tsunami off the coast of Portugal.

1766 AD It’s curtains up for the Theatre Royal (better known these days as the Bristol Old Vic). The theatre opened on 30 May with a performance that included a prologue and epilogue given by the great actor-manager David Garrick. As the proprietors were not able to obtain a Royal Licence, productions were announced as ‘a concert with a specimen of rhetorick’ to evade the restrictions imposed on theatres by the Licensing Act, 1737.

1831 AD Say a big hello to Thecodontasaurus, Bristol’s very own dinosaur, whose fossilised remains were discovered this year on Durdham Downs. In happier, pre-extinction days – 210 million years ago, to be precise heo roamed an area ust off Blackboy Hill, blamelessly feeding off plants.

1836 AD Sticking with the fauna theme, Bristol Zoo opens.

1841 AD The

Great Western railway opens, linking Bristol with London. Today, a first class ticket leaves very little change from 200 quid.

The Steam Crane on North 13 Street was once called The Bull.

It featured a live tiger in a cage. In 1827 a local man, Joseph Kiddle, was paid to serve drinks from inside the cage.

He was killed almost instantly in front of the pub patrons.

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

from Heathrow to Bristol.

A historic and sad day. Still, we’ve had history before in Bristol, and we’re sure to have history again. Bristol Life can tell you all about it.

2004 AD Clifton Life as it was originally called rolls off the presses for

the first time. n other news something called Facebook launches a NASA rocket lands on Mars, and Ukraine win the Eurovision Song Contest.

BRISTORY magazine showed a very fetching photo of Maisie Williams, who is Bristol-born, so we’re totally claiming her.

2016 AD Bristol gets itself a major new festival, as the Downs Bristol

launches with a crowd-pleasing set from headlining homeboys Massive Attack. The heavens open, but the deluge somehow makes it all more epic. Especially for those of us who’d blagged a ticket to the VIP tent.

On the political scene, Marvin Rees succeeds George Ferguson as ayor of Bristol. He is often referred to as the first black mayor in the UK, or in Europe. He isn’t.

A satirical piece of street art is created in May, under one of the arches of the Carriageworks in Stokes Croft. It shows Boris Johnson and Donald Trump as kissing world leaders – as if that could ever happen IRL. s e held the first Bristol Life Awards in a gurt big marquee down Lloyd’s – the biggest tent ever built in the city. This year’s is bigger.

2018 AD All of Bristol’s major arts venues embarked on/continued/

completed a major refurbishment, from Colston Hall to Bristol Old Vic, St George’s, Tobacco Factory and Ashton Gate. No sign of an Arena though, with plans for a city centre location being scuppered.

Meanwhile, up at Filton, YTL gazes thoughtfully at empty hangars…

2019 AD Bear Wood opens at Wild Place Project. The previous year,

ot for the first or last time, Bristol threw a riot. his one was in Stokes Croft, whose residents had taken exception to the prospect of a new branch of Tesco. Makes you proud.

2011 AD

2014 AD The 10th anniversary of Clifton Life (as it was then called, etc

etc). The magazine is bigger and better than ever: infotainment at its most infotaining.

2015 AD We changed our name from Clifton Life to Bristol Life.

Hallelu ah

he bright pink cover of the first issue of the renamed

Bristol Rugby reabranded as Bristol Bears. Not to be paranoid or anything, but could this be the beginning of a sinister ursine takeover?

2020 AD Bristol is named ‘Bristollywood’, the Hollywood of the

outh est, with every other series filming here from ld ity to Harbourside. More about this coming in our next issue.

After 16 years as a three-weekly, Bristol Life goes fortnightly. In other news, Facebook is still doing moderately well; the NASA Rover got stuck in a sand trap on Mars and we’ve heard diddly squat from it since 2010; pretty much the same with the EU: nothing to report there.

Bristol still doesn’t have an Arena. n

WHAT DID BRISTOL EVER DO FOR US?

NIPPER THE HMV DOG Nipper was born in Bristol in 1884. A little statue of him stands at the corner of Park Row and Woodland Road.

Until well into the 20th century he was the most recognisable dog in the world.

THE PLIMSOLL LINE Nothing to do with gym shoes; the Plimsoll Line is painted on every commercial and naval ship in the world to indicate safe loading limits. It was devised

by Bristol-born Samuel Plimsoll.

FOOD AND DRINK The world’s first chocolate bar was made in Bristol by Joseph Fry in 1847; less well-known is the fact that the city also gave the world Ribena.

Bristol Cream sherry has been imported here since 1796, and we’ve been laughing all the way to the bottle bank ever since.

AVIATION The Bristol Aeroplane Company, or the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company as it liked to call itself on formal occasions, was one of the world’s first aircraft manufacturers, opening for business in 1910. From the Bristol Box Kite to Concorde, Bristol’s always been big in the sky; check out the history at Aerospace Bristol.

PIRATES In 1680 Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was born in Bristol in 1680.

He’s thought to have inspired Long John Silver in Treasure Island; the smugglery Spyglass Inn is based on the

Llandoger Trow in King Street.

CELEBRITY Handily rhyming with Edward Teach is Archie Leach, the Horfield lad who changed his name to become Hollywood A-lister Cary Grant.

FEET OF CLAY All hail unlikely superstars Aardman Animations! Wallace and Gromit have become Bristol’s most loveable exports, along with Morph and Shaun the Sheep. They’ve won an Oscar, don’t you know.

STREET ART Banksy and others have trailblazed the idea of transforming

drab urban areas with colourful art. They used to have their work scraped off walls; today, at least in the case of Bansky, the whole walls are more likely to be removed and sold for £millions.

Check out the thriving Bristol street art scene at Upfest.

BONKERS IDEAS Talking lampposts.

Moving bookcases.

Giant snooker balls embedded in museum walls. A plastic water slide down a busy shopping street. Moons floating on the harbour, and bridges engulfed in colourful fog; Bristol leads the pack when it comes to sheer, creative playfulness.

Answers: 1. False 2. False 3. False 4. True 5. False 6. True 7. True 8. False 9. False 10. False 11. True 12. True 13. True 14. False

MUSIC The 1961 UK hit single Stranger on the Shore

by Bristol’s Acker Bilk was the first British recording to reach number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Since then, Bristol has given the world a taste of the alternative, with acts such as Portishead, Massive Attack, Roni Size and Goldfrapp.

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

FOOD & DRINK S N A P S H O T S O F B R I S T O L’ S F O O D S C E N E

TAKING THE PULSE

T

he British Dal Festival returns for its third year from 21-31 March.

During the festival, the now nationwide Dal Trail will see over 300 restaurants and retailers putting beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas and other pulses centre stage, showing off the local flavours and traditions that cooks around the world bring to these versatile ingredients.

Restaurants, cafés and other venues will highlight a signature dal or other pulse dish on their menu during the festival, providing hundreds of opportunities to try dal of all kinds, while retailers will promote recipes and ingredients for customers to cook dal at home.

On the evening of 27 March, the St Nick’s Night Market returns for a special dal-themed edition. The evening will provide opportunities to feast and explore the magic of dal, with stalls offering street food, cookery demos and a market of dal ingredients.

For more: www.britishdalfestival.com

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

ROSEMARINO

Nine years after first opening, the authentic flavours and charming service at Clifton’s neighbourhood Italian remain as alluring as ever. Excuse us while we just park the moped…

Words by Deri Robins

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

RESTAURANT

T

ruism alert. Over the past ten years, Bristol has changed the menu. his didn’t take long it’s uite succinct, especially at lunchtime, – metamorphosed, expanded, reinvented itself – to an and unless you succumb to the siren call of the brunch dishes, it’s a toss astonishing degree. Not just geographically, with the up between the cicchetti which the menu describes as a little something regeneration of so many different neighbourhood high to begin with’, but which would work e ually well as tapas the sharing streets but also in the local food and drink scene, which antipasti, or one of the daily specials chalked on the board. continues to rocket into the culinary stratosphere. pair of arancini di ucca set the bar soaring, the crispy golden coating e’ve been excited to witness these changes we believe yielding to a sticky, indulgent oo iness of rice, butternut s uash and they’ve mostly been for the better. e’re not card-carrying members of dolcelatte, with a chilli aioli for pi uancy. the ake Bristol h t gain movement. e are unapologetic sourdoughnother starter-that-could-have-been-a-tapa was the polenta condita botherers enthusiastic fre uenters of farmers’ markets. e have no problem a kind of cornmeal toasted sarnie, stuffed with molten taleggio and wild whatsoever with artisanal gin, or rum served from small ceramic elephants. mushrooms. Finally, a third starter look, we’re going to be sharing a single But while all these mini-revolutions have been taking place, a few local pudding, ’mkay scarmo a in carro a. Basically, that’s smoked mo arella institutions have remained reassuringly unchanged, for the excellent reason in a carriage’, the carriage in uestion being a cradle of fried bread, within that they nailed their successful formula years ago, which cheese, basil, anchovies and passata a kind and see no reason to mess with the mojo. of greatest hits of talian flavours could be found DINING DETAILS ake, for example, osemarino the lifton partying on down.

Rosemarino, 1 York Place, Clifton, BS8 1AH; restaurant that’s been a consistent beacon of Mains for me was a generous dish of orecchiette 0117 9736 677; www.clifton.rosemarino.co.uk hospitality ever since irco Bertoldi, am Fryer that pasta shape so beloved by uglians, that and ony de Brito first opened in , on the site translates as and looks like little ears’ dressed in Opening hours Sunday-Monday 9 am-3pm; vacated by the ork af . t immediately won hearts Tuesday – Saturday 9 am-3pm, 6pm-10pm pistachio pesto and with the failsafe combo of buffalo and awards, thanks to its gimmick-free formula of Prices Ciccetti £3-7; mains £10-14; dolci £4.2-£6 mo arella, basil and sundried tomatoes. serving satisfying, regional talian-inspired dishes with Service Affable, relaxed, informed o, it’s K was going to buy a new and larger a genuinely welcoming smile, in unpretentious, rusticdress for the Bristol Life wards, anyway.

Ambience Your perfect local Italian chic surroundings. he semi-veggie our an swerved the other Disabled Plenty of ground-floor tables; a couple pasta option, as it came with ox cheeks, in favour of a ocals sulking over the loss of the ork af ’s of steps to loos legendary fry-ups soon switched their allegiance to generous slice of frittata a dish that can easily be dull osemarino’s ommy’s ne- an a esperate and stodgy, but in chef milio’s hands is as much eggy an-si ed plateful of ham hock, sausage, onions, mushrooms and potatoes, custard as potato, with plenty of onions and courgettes to hold the interest. topped with a couple of eggs and cheese. his is still a stalwart of the brunch offee’s important at osemarino it’s an talian, for heavens sake menu lifton’s not known for its riots, but we suspect they’d throw at least a and uite a few locals popped in while we were in to refill their blamelessly medium-si ed strop if they ever took it off. reusable cups. our an confirms that his espresso was as good as anything Fast-forward to arch , and little has changed. he pale blue he’d had in downtown aples to give him his due, he knows what he’s exterior has been repainted a esty green there are some handsome new talking about. had mine poured over excellent vanilla ice-cream, affogatoindustrial lights inside, but you’d really have to be concentrating to spot style, because it’s one of the very few puds can’t resist. stopped short of the changes. taking this correcto’, ie with a shot of spirit or li ueur, because by now ’d here have been a few tweaks behind the scenes, though. irco is now also sunk an excellent large glass of ros , it was only lunchtime, and am not based in erona, from which he supplies the kitchen with choice talian a s Fleet treet hack with an open-ended expense account entertaining produce head chef milio llegretti has introduced cicchetti small plates effrey Bernard on a six-hour bender. ore’s the pity. to the all-day brunch lunch and dining menu. here’s also been the wellt’s not hard to analyse the secret of osemarino’s longevity, or the reason documented new partnership with Hyde o, though we’re assured that behind its legion of loyal fans. here’s not a clich d trattoria trope in sight this is limited to business practice only. the waiters don’t hove into view with ower of isa-si ed pepper grinders, he wine list comes with a heavy talian accent, but like the d cor, swerves you won’t be able to re-enact the spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp the obvious clich s, and like the food, changes with the seasons. here’s but the flavours are so authentic, the vita so dolce, that as you leave you halfalways a cocktail special on the go, and nothing seemed more agreeable to expect to find a iaggio parked outside and arcello astroianni waiting, us on a wet February lunchtime than a rhubarb Bellini while we perused talking talian. rrivederci, baby. n

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

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 09:00 - 15:00, 18:00 - 22:00 | Sunday to Monday: 09:00 - 15:00

FOOD & DRINK © JON CR AIG

EAT BRISTOL, DRINK BRISTOL…

Bristol’s most celebrated foodie fest is returning this May, after a five-year absence – guys, what kept you?

L-R: Josh and Luke (second and fourth from left) with Tom Paine, Penny Warner and Dave Harvey of Team Love

W

e first tucked into the foodie delights of Eat Drink Bristol Fashion in 2012.

It all seemed so novel, back in the day. Teepees in Queen Square! Guest chefs cooking up a storm under canvas! More street food than you could conceivably cram into your gob over a single weekend!

Then, after 2015, the festival stopped.

Meanwhile, the group behind it, led by Josh Eggleton and farmer Luke Hasell, went from strength to strength, collaborating on restaurants such as Yurt Lush and Root, as well as working at the very foodie-orientated Valley Fest.

But now Eat Drink’s back for 2020, with a new site and an enhanced offering.

Josh, why’s it been away so long, and why bring it back now?

“We decided to have a year off after , but then got involved in some other projects in the city,” he says, with laudable understatement. “The timing is spot-on to bring this event back, at Castle Park, with Team Love on board as perfect partners.”

How has the Bristol food scene changed since EDBF first launched?

It’s gone stratospheric! The amount of small indie restaurants that’ve opened up, their diversity and the skillset they have, is incredible.

It’s such a pleasure to go out and eat in this city.

What does the new, bigger site mean?

It truly means it’s a festival now. We can have a broad programme across the two days that celebrates Bristol food culture.

Give us a taste of what to expect

Loads of demos from chefs and community leaders, sharing their recipes and ideas.The Bristol Taste Tent, showcasing some of the city’s best restaurants; street food, School of Food, plus the Banqueting Tent and Information Stage, with lots of panels and talks.

We also want to represent Bristol spirits and the Bristol beer scene, and there’s the Producers Market, too – we’re aiming to showcase as much from the city as we can. e won’t get it all right in the first year but we hope to do our best to show why Bristol has the best food scene outside of London, all set to a great soundtrack.

“We hope to show that Bristol has the best food and drink scene outside London – with a great soundtrack”

More about that soundtrack, please…

Team Love and Valley Fest have got a cracking musical line up, from DJs to live bands. We’ve got Bristol legends Doreen Doreen, Laid Blak and The 45s among others, but we’ve also got a great selection of the great and good from the city on the DJ front too, in the Little Loco area.

What are you cooking over the weekend?

I’ll be cooking two courses of a six-course banquet with Tom Kerridge and Tommy Banks on the Saturday lunchtime, and if you’ve nabbed tickets for our Chef ’s Table I’ll be serving you a hidden course, too. The Pony & Trap will be in The Bristol Taste Tent on Saturday serving two different dishes, and you’ll find me on the demo stage on Saturday, helping with classes in the School of Food area, maybe at a panel discussion on The Information Stage, and after all that I think I’ll be at the bar with a pint…

Tell us about a few more collabs

The Banqueting Tent is going to have a great atmosphere, with some really exciting one-off collaborations. he final ban uet of the weekend has two incredible visiting chefs coming to Bristol: Brad Carter (Carters of Moseley) and Gareth Ward (Ynyshir), serving their food to the sounds of Bristol’s own Futureboogie DJs. For more: East Drink Bristol Fashion, 2-3 May at Castle Park; www.eatdrinkbristolfashion.com

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

CAFÉ SOCIETY STAN CULLIMORE

ara a l If you’re a solo coffee drinker in a busy café and see a hopeful Stan approaching, smile, don’t run…

L

ocated on the Gloucester oad, right opposite the old swimming pool, you’ll find one of my very favourite hotspots for elevenses the Hobbs House Bakery af . s you would expect from the name, they don’t ust do coffee and cake. hey’re bakers. hey also sell bread. But not ust any

“I told the bloke I was going to fin a ar air an i o n.

I could be wrong, but I swear he in a i

old bread they do a fine line in top-notch, totally thrilling, tastetastic, toasting royalty. he very top drawer of baked goods. his being the case, when popped in the other day, the first thing did was to pick up an ancient grains sourdough to take home. mmm. ext thing did was look around the caf , and notice that every table was taken. ot every chair, though of course not. Because the place was filled with the usual crop of absorbed millennials, each sitting magnificently alone at a table, earplugs in, staring hard at their phone or acbook. t this point, the barista asked for my order. noticed that among the huge range of delights on offer there were cinnamon buns, which always stops me in my tracks.

Better yet, for some reason, you got a free cup of coffee with each one ordered. hat were they thinking Has the world gone uite mad ordered one who can resist cinnamon and free stuff ot me. he young barista gently pointed out there were no tables free, and suggested might want a takeaway cup. uckily, ’m from a generation made before acbooks were invented. lways happy to share tables with strangers. shrugged, and told the bloke was going to

find a spare chair and sit down. could be wrong, but swear he flinched ust a bit.

He wasn’t the only one. s turned in search of a suitable spot, caught sight of a young man sitting at a large table with a small phone. here was room to spare for my modest needs, so began to move in his direction. kid you not, he was so alarmed by the idea of sharing table space with an ancient monument like me that he upped and left. ctually, that’s not entirely true. He didn’t ust leave. He shot off like a startled badger. f wasn’t so excited by the thought of cinnamony thrills to come, might have been slightly miffed by the speed of the millennial’s exit. lso, was busy looking at my watch. friend was meeting me she was late, which never usually happens. o pulled out my phone, and belatedly read a message from her. pparently she had walked past the caf , seen it was full and gone on to somewhere else. hich meant we were in separate caf s, drinking coffee alone. educed to chatting via our phones. igh. urns out the millennials aren’t the only generation reliant on technology. n Former Housemartins guitarist Stan is now a journalist and travel writer www.stancullimore.com

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SHOPPING LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

MIAMI? NICE What has this lushly exuberant wallpaper have to do with the more rigorously geometric design on our front cover? Answer: they’re both from the newest collections by Cole & Sons.

The Contemporary range pays homage to that epicentre of tropical kitsch, Miami. Giddy layers of terraced colonnades link mid-century Decoesque architecture, overhung with lush tropical vegetation; two palettes, one of botanic greens and limes, the other a moodier twilight version, mean that you can choose from day to night.

The multi-level design also vaguely puts us in mind of gaming platforms (if unusually glamorous ones); we’re not console-botherers, but if Cole & Sons ever moved into video games, we would be totally here for them.

The Contemporary Collection costs £325 per 10m roll by Cole & Son; stocked by Bracey Interiors, 15 Waterloo Street, Clifton; www.braceyinteriors.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 61

CHLOE ‘ABY’ BAG, £1,160 Boho meets elegance, at a price that admittedly adds an extra nought to your most extravagant budget estimation From Harvey Nichols 27 Philadelphis Street www.harveynichols.com

MILK JUG, £6.50 hat we like about this stoneware ug is the combo of the contemporary shape and the vaguely retro pattern. e’re also keen on the price From Fox + Feather 43 Gloucester Road www.foxandfeather.co.uk

SIGNIFICANT MOTHER

PLUM AND ASHBY CANDLE, £24 he invigorating coastal scent con ures up nostalgic memories of seaside family holidays. ou know, when you were still cute and tiny. www. ro ig Unit 9, Gaol Ferry Steps .fig . o.uk

ffspring of Bristol other’s ay loometh. o the right thing SILVER ‘SIBYL’ EARRINGS, £80 hat makes these a cinch for - ay, apart from the stylised female shape, is that you can choose from a range of words that sum up your mum B total nightmare’ not available From Diana Porter, 33 Park Street www.dianaporter.co.uk

HANNAH TURNER ‘BARKLIFE’ MUG, £15 orried she loves the dog more than you his might ust tip the balance in your favour From Fig , Unit 9, Gaol Ferry Steps .fig . o.uk

PILGRIM ‘INEZ’ WATCH, £39.99 leek, contemporary design, with the feminine touch of a soft, pale pink silicone strap From Mon Pote or r www.monpote.co.uk

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ED’S CHOICE HELENA PALE PINK ‘BERG’ PLANT POT, £37 trong, beautiful pots, their patina will improve with age, and live on from one generation to the next, as long as some clumsy kid doesn’t drop it From The Mighty Quinns, 1 Gaol Ferry Steps . ig uinn o r oriu . o.uk VINTAGE TULIP PRINT DRESS, £22 ou’d easily spend that on an off-the-peg chain frock, so why not opt for the timeless uality and distinctive style of vintage From Something Elsie Unit 5 Cargo 2; www.wappingwharf.co.uk/ something-elsie-1

ROSE UNO BRACELET, £50 Hold the real flowers this tine Goya number is a keeper, and almost as pretty as your mum From Grace and Mabel 32 The Mall www.graceandmabel.co.uk

KAWECO SPORT FOUNTAIN PEN, £22 lassic and compact, in a range of colours from the pinkish coffee’ to businesslike black From Papersmiths 6A Boyce’s Avenue www.papersmiths.co.uk

BELLEROSE ‘HELA’ BAG, £55 Fraggles nd plenty of room for all those useful things that only a mother or ary oppins can be relied on to have on her person From Maze Clothing 26-28 The Mall www.mazeclothing.co.uk

OCTAVIE EARRINGS, £11 By cool, innovative and madly affordable ewellers Big etal ondon ideal for the fashionable mum From Mon Pote, 177 North Street www.monpote.co.uk

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Relax, retreat For a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life why not choose DARWIN ESCAPES’ HAWKCHURCH RESORT & SPA for your next holiday?

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et in the stunning countryside of the Axe Valley and just over an hour and a half from Bristol city centre, it’s the perfect location to escape to. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway, a family break or a pet friendly escape, Hawkchurch Resort and Spa is the ideal resort to gather together and recharge.

This 5 Star resort in Axminster offers everything you could need from a UK homefrom-home holiday. They offer self-catering holidays in style, with lodges including fully fitted kitchens for all your needs, large open

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plan living areas and sumptuous bedrooms, along with some having private hot tubs and outdoor decking areas.

Make the most of your stay at Hawkchurch resort and take full advantage of the facilities available. To escape to a world of tranquillity visit our Ezina Spa, which has a wide range of treatments making you feel fully rejuvenated, then relax with a dip in the hydrotherapy pool to help you completely unwind. In the evenings head to The Bistro, which offers a range of tasty options to choose from.

The resort is nestled on the Devon-Dorset border, making it a great location for those wanting to explore both counties. Discover the history filled town of Axminster or the coastal scenery of Lyme Regis.

Hawkchurch Resort and Spa’s holiday lodges are available to book all year round for 3, 4 and 7 night stays and prices start at £325.

If you would like to make your relaxing holiday a more permanent feature to your yearly calendar, then Hawkchurch Resort and Spa also offers holiday home ownership from £76,995. You can be in your very own homefrom-home in time for summer 2020 and all you would have to do is pack your everyday essentials into the car, and off you go!

Hawkchurch Resort and Spa is one of many Darwin Escapes UK holiday resorts you can

choose from. Each of their resorts have their own individual character and offer something different depending on what kind of holiday getaway you have in mind. n

Hawkchurch Resort & Spa, Hawkchurch, Axminster, Devon, EX13 5UL For holiday enquiries call 01297 678402, for all ownership questions please call 01745 858010 www.darwinescapes.co.uk/parks/ hawkchurch-resort-spa/

SPRING INTO ACTION

REVAMP YOUR BATHROOM Telephone: 0117 329 5525 www.starplumbingsupplies.co.uk 15 Kenn Court, Roman Farm Road, Bristol BS4 1UL. Open Monday to Saturday.

FASHION MILLY VAUGHAN

WHILE YOU’RE IN THE ‘HOOD, CHECK OUT...

Go in Grace

SPICER+COLE: to get your flat white and avocado sourdough toast POD: a lifestyle store fizzing with energy and filled with gifts

In her first column for Bristol Life, our fashion-savvy shopper succumbs to Clifton boutiquery

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love those shops that you walk into thinking that you need absolutely nothing, then something umps out at you, and after buying it and wearing it on repeat for two weeks, you ask yourself albeit dramatically), “How could I have lived without it?”

Grace abel on lifton’s The Mall is one of those shops. he clever buyers behind its success know what you want before you even know that you want it they are fashion clairvoyant geniuses.

The shop itself is light, airy, unpretentious and not especially large, but a rainbow of fabulous colours and lush fabrics slap you around the face as you walk through its lime-green doors, inspiring you to in ect a little colour and texture into your day.

From familiar brands such as e a, merican intage and Maxmara Weekend, to some

less well-known ones that I’ve admittedly never heard of, a couple of choice items will instantly reinvigorate your seemingly flailing wardrobe, taking you from “I’ve got nothing to wear!” to having several new outfit combinations, giving old pieces a new lease of life.

The prices, as expected from an independent bouti ue, are higher than high-street alternatives, but in today’s market of massproduced clothing I would much rather spend my pounds on one high- uality, long-lasting umper than three cheaper alternatives, that will get a case of the bobbles within a month of wearing. f life is all about texture in the grand scheme of things, you should come here to get at least your superficial sartorial fix maybe the rest will follow. Go in Grace. n Grace & Mabel, 32 The Mall, Clifton www.graceandmabel.co.uk camillapettman@mac.com instagram @millyvaughan

Stine Goya, £95 (sale)

Marlene Birger, £115 (sale)

Veja, £105

Stine Goya, £120 (sale)

Custommade, £375

Marlene Birger, £190 (sale)

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Specialists in Natural Stone Paving and More Flagstones, Cobbles, Copings and Setts Sandstone, Limestone, Granite Slate And Travertine ß Internal or External ß Civil or Domestic ß Free Local Delivery ß Open 6 Days a Week ß Helpful Advice ß Large Selection of Stock

Tel: 01275 333589 or 07872 665602. Or Email sales@mietystone.co.uk Website: www.mietystone.co.uk Miety Stone Limited. Hillmans Transport Depot, Chelwood Bridge, Chelwood, Bristol, BS39 4NJ

A MAN’S WORLD KAM KELLY

The power of love As Valentine’s Day becomes a blur in the rear-view mirror, Kam turns his attention to some less romantic stories…

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ow, it’s not that I don’t believe in love or romance; I ust find myself a little more cynical about it

all these days.

Don’t get me wrong; I enjoyed the fruits of Valentine’s Day as much as anyone this year, and was flattered to receive all that I did on the day. More than I’ve ever received, in fact, while in an actual relationship. I was

even gifted a lifesized Britney cardboard cutout, who now watches over me at work.

Relationships and marriage used to be what society expected.

It’s what most aspired to, unless I’m remembering it wrong.

When my parents split when I was young, all of a sudden I became the cool kid at school; a force to be reckoned with, because I came from a broken home. I was in the minority then, but today it feels as if a strong, stable home is a rare gem.

“When I’m single, I believe that every day is a party day.Found that belief after seeing The Dirt by Mötley Crüe”

Found that belief after seeing The Dirt by Mötley Crüe.

To a certain extent, maybe it’s a good thing that couples don’t talk about finances. specially if they come into a large amount of money; indeed, February also gave us the following study, its results and its top line…

When you happen upon it, it stops you in your tracks. You stare at it in awe, and try to convince your mates that you’re not lying when you say that you’ve actually seen it.

Because the evidence against it sometimes seems overwhelming; indeed, in the supposedly romantic month of February, the following surveys and studies gave us the following headlines:

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1

“One in five single people questioned would rather have a dog than a partner” Get down pronto to the Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, where uncomplicated devotion awaits you in the form of a little dog needing a home – because real love isn’t always the sort declaimed in ballads and poems.

Unconvinced? Try this related headline for size: “A third of all dog owners would choose their pet over their partner”.

2

“A quarter of all couples feel awkward talking about finances” find it uncomfortable talking about money with anyone too; mainly because that conversation is usually me asking for some.

Yet when I was in a relationship I was usually better off than am when ’m single.

When I’m single, I genuinely believe every day is a party day.

“One in six people feel trapped in their relationship, and would leave if they won the lottery” Trapped! What an amazingly powerful and emotive word.

Only appealing, perhaps, to a hopeless romantic with love to give, but no-one to give it to, who finds themselves uestioning their single existence.

If so, reread that headline: a sixth of people who have what you may so much desire not only desperately do not want it, but feel they physically can’t get free of it. They want out. But the only way they see that happening is by winning the lottery (cf also headline number 2).

I love the concept of true love, and if you can find it then all power to you. Just be careful what you wish for.

Kam Kelly’s breakfast show broadcasts every weekday from 6am, Sam FM Bristol, 106.5fm

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GREAT

RECREATIONS Make this the year you get in to a new groove (no, not like the one you created on the sofa while bingewatching Netflix last winter) and try something different MOJO ACTIVE

OVER COURT FARM, OVER LANE, ALMONDSBURY, BS32 4DF TEL: 01454 660075 WWW.MOJOACTIVE.CO.UK/MUDDY-MADNESS CALLING ALL SUPERHEROES! This 29th March 2020, something extraordinary will be happening in the fields of Mojo Active with a new “Super-Hero themed” Mojo Muddy Madness 2k or 5k event. Hundreds of brave families will take on the mud pits, water ditches and leopard crawls in the pursuit of adventure, family bonding and the treasured Mojo Medal! Choose a 2k or 5k distance, rope in family and friends, and for every ticket sold, Mojo Active will donate £1 to your nominated local school or local children’s community club e.g cubs/brownies or sports team. Be a Mojo Muddy Madness Hero this March.

BRISTOL FERRY

44 THE GROVE, BRISTOL, BS1 4RB TEL: 0117 927 3416 WWW.BRISTOLFERRY.COM Choose Bristol’s most popular choice for celebrating in style!

Our boats are a fantastic venue for any occasion throughout the year. Celebrate on board cruising around the docks, stopping at harbourside bars of your choice along the way. Choose from either our larger boats with an on-board bar or one of our charming open-top boats and soak up the view. We also offer trips and tours down the Avon Gorge, to Beese’s Riverside Bar and our daily waterbus which you can catch by waving from our ferry stops.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

BATH ALES HARE BREWERY

SOUTHWAY DR, WARMLEY, BRISTOL BS30 5LW TEL: 0117 947 4797 WWW.BATHALES.COM/BREWERY

WESTBURY ON TRYM ARCHERY CLUB SHINE SPORTS HALL, BRECON ROAD, HENLEAZE, BRISTOL BS9 4DT WWW.NORTHBRISTOLARCHERY.COM

Bath Ales doesn’t do things by halves (well, apart from pints)! That’s why, in 2018, the West Country brewer opened its doors to the most state-of-the-art brewery in the south west – capable of producing over 14.5 million pints every year. Hare Brewery combines traditional artisan methods with advanced, modern brewing equipment to bring Bath Ales drinkers more of what they know and love, and some exciting new beers too. There are also weekly tours – perfect for beer lovers. As well as a full guided tour of the brewhouse, visitors will be treated to a beer sampling session and two complimentary half pints in the taproom – The Bath Tap. There are plenty of freshly-brewed beers on draught to choose from, including Gem Amber Ale, Lansdown West Coast IPA and Bath Ales first lager – Sulis.

Archery is an activity that friends, families or colleagues can enjoy together, regardless of age or ability. Our sessions are a fun, friendly and safe place to learn the sport. The club has a wide range of equipment to try – from traditional bows through to Olympic recurve and modern compound bows. All of our enthusiastic and friendly instructors are fully qualified. We run taster sessions all year round at our indoor venue – perfect for rainy days. All sessions are pay-and-play; there are no membership fees and no need to commit to a beginner’s course. Sessions are on Sunday afternoons and Tuesday evenings, and last two hours.

First session is £13.50, thereafter £11, including all equipment and insurance. Private hire for parties and events also available.

LOCKED IN A ROOM

LOCKED IN A ROOM, BUILDING, 11 EXPLORE LANE, BRISTOL BS1 5TY TEL: 01179 291759 WWW.LOCKEDINAROOM.CO.UK

ABSOLUTELY KARTING BRISTOL

Locked In A Room Bristol is the SouthWest’s largest escape room venue boasting 9 heavily themed rooms over three formats for the ultimate family and friends head to head experience!

In your private room, battle your wits and test your brains in a race against the clock AND the other teams! Centrally located in Millennium Square and nestled between Bristol’s top bars and restaurants, Locked In A Room is the perfect venue for any type of occasion. From large corporate team building events to small family get togethers, they offer the perfect setting to bring your party together for an all weather, all age experience.

14 CHAPEL LANE, SPEEDWELL, BRISTOL BS5 7EY TEL: 0300 30 33 548 WWW.ABSOLUTELY-KARTING.CO.UK Home to a double-level track, Absolutely Karting is as awesome as indoor Go-Karting gets! With over 800m of exhilarating bends, straights, chicanes and ramps racing towards you at up to 45mph, you’ll need all the skill and bravery you can muster to reach the chequered flag in first place. Just off the M32, located in between Clay Hill and Whitehall, Absolutely Karting Bristol is in an easy to find location with free parking available for all customers. Sessions available for ages 8+ every day with prices starting at just £25pp

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NOW RECRUITING We are looking to add to our professional team a fully qualified hairdresser with a minimum of 5 years experience.

We also have a vacancy for a nail technician.

To apply call the salon or email: russell.lambard@aol.co.uk

Find us on social x @HQhairdressing

Inside David Lloyd, Greystoke Avenue, Westbury on Trym, Bristol, BS10 6AZ 0117 9508899 | www.hqhairdressing.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY

NO LABELS

Last year, Sam Bell of Hair at 58 put Bristol on the beauty map when she became a finalist in the British Hairdressing Awards. And now the portfolio she shot with photographer Tony Le-Britton is up for an award in its own right… www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 73

S

HEALTH & BEAUTY

amantha Bell is a force of nature, whose creativity spills into everything she does. he veda oncept salon she first opened ten years ago, Hair at on otham Hill, exudes the kind of warmth that makes even first-time visitors feel like a valued regular. he attention to detail isn’t limited to reliably great styling, cuts and colours, it’s e ually evident in the stylish décor, from the Italian chandeliers down to the customised coffee cups. here’s even a resident dachshund his name’s ascal.

By 2019, Sam already had plenty of achievements to shout about she’d been part of styling teams at ew ork, aris and ondon Fashion eeks teased locks on X Factor: Celebrity, and won a Bristol Life Health Beauty ward but resting on her laurels isn’t her style.

Always pushing the boundaries, Sam recently decided to master the

“I’ve pushed boundaries, celebrated i r n ni i i an ual orientation, and shown that beauty is a person, not a race or gender” art of photo shoots; not content to merely suggest and point, she soon added photography skills to her , and you can see some of her portraits on her Instagram feed @sambellhair. nd last year, after being named a finalist for ales and the outh est in the H ’s British Hairdressing wards one of the most prestigious in the beauty biz, having previously launched the careers of such scissor-wielding nin as as ohn Frieda and icky larke she repped Bristol with an incredible collection called o abels, specifically casting GB models in a paean to androgynimity and diversity.

“The inspiration behind this collection was the current culture and freedom of expression, says am. believe in celebrating beauty, not gender; encouraging the models to use their personalities to dictate their place within the shoot, ’ve pushed boundaries, celebrated different ethnicities and sexual orientation, and shown that beauty is a person, not a race or gender. am’s hairstyling demonstrated fantastic skill and vision, and rightly gives her the acknowledgement as one of the K’s best hairdressers, said the BH organisers.

But that’s not all ust as we were about to send this page to press, we heard that the photo shoot itself is now also up for an international award, putting Sam, and the city, on a truly international map. n For more: www.hairat58.co.uk

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ELMLEA SCHOOLS’ TRUST

Board Trustee & Local Governor Vacancies Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol

For full details of post and experience/ skills required, please see our website www.elmleaj. bristol.sch.uk/

Elmlea Schools’ Trust is a recently formed Multi Academy Trust encompassing the Elmlea Infants’ and Junior schools. Both schools have “Outstanding” Ofsted ratings and are renowned for their all-round education.

The trust is currently seeking exceptional candidates for nonremunerated vacancies at both Trustee and Local Governor level. As part of the succession planning process there is the potential for the right candidates to step-up to become future Chairs or Vice Chairs.

With a strong desire to support the local community you will share a passion for education and the welfare of children. You will be committed to ensuring the Trust continues to provide first class education for its children through strong and effective governance and support.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED...

Please submit a CV and covering Letter (no more than 2 sides of A4) to the Clerk to Board of Trustees via email: clerk@elmleajunior.com by mid-day on Monday 30th March 2020.

Successful applicants will be invited to meet with the CEO and Board members.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

The Private Clinic in Bristol Established in Harley Street in 1983, THE PRIVATE CLINIC of Harley Street is a multi-award-winning Cosmetic Surgery provider with over 35 years’ experience in Medical Cosmetic treatments

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e are specialists in Plastic Surgery, Varicose Veins, Hair Transplant and skin treatments. We have one of the highest patient satisfaction rates, Trustpilot 9.4, 5 star rating, 96% would recommend us to their friends and family.

Our beautiful, state-of-the-art clinic in Bristol has been around for 10 years, located in Clifton on one of Bristol’s premier shopping areas; Whiteladies Road. It is an ideal location being just 10 minutes away from the city centre.

Situated within a beautiful Georgian building our Bristol clinic has its own operating facilities and our fully qualified and experienced Therapists, Nurses and Surgeons perform the safest and most effective minimally invasive procedures.

We have recently launched two new treatments to our Bristol clinic offering;

COOLSCULPTING Coolsculpting, also known as Fat Freezing, is a non-surgical fat removal treatment. The treatment is ideal for patients looking to reduce stubborn areas of fat in areas including the chin, upper arms, arm pits, back, stomach, flanks, thighs and buttocks. Coolsculpting uses controlled cooling to freeze the fat cells within the area being treated, once frozen, the fat cells are naturally broken down and disposed of by the body. Once the fat cells have been removed from the body, they are gone for good meaning long-lasting and natural looking results as it can take 8-12 weeks to start seeing noticeable results.

CoolSculpting is an FDA approved treatment for fat loss and over 7 million CoolSculpting treatments have been performed worldwide. It is a clinically proven method of fat loss that can take as little as 35 minutes to perform in our dedicated in-house CoolSculpting suite.

“ALL STAFF AT THE PRIVATE CLINIC IN BRISTOL CLINIC WERE EXTREMELY WELCOMING & FRIENDLY, I FELT INSTANTLY AT EASE. I AM SO PLEASED WITH MY RESULTS; THE OUTCOME IS EXACTLY AS I WAS HOPING FOR.” ULTHERAPY Ultherapy is a non-surgical skin tightening procedure for the face, neck and décolletage.

It is ideal for helping to reduce the appearance of sagging jowls, eyelids and neck as well as reducing fine lines and wrinkles and creating a brow or chin/neck lift. Ultherapy is an FDA approved treatment with over 1 million treatments performed worldwide. The treatment uses micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation (MFU-V) energy to stimulate new collagen & elastin, to help reverse the signs of ageing and with no downtime.

BRISTOL LIFE EXCLUSIVE READER OFFER: Coolsculpting ABOVE: before RIGHT: after

To find out more, book a complimentary consultation for Fat freezing CoolSculpting or Anti-ageing Ultherapy.

We also offer a wide range of varicose vein removal, plastic surgery, hair transplant and skin treatments including skin peels and injectables. n

The Private Clinic, 92c Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2QN 01173 179035 reception.bristol@theprivateclinic.co.uk www.theprivateclinic.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 77

RACING STRIPES

Aston Martin’s newest Vantage features highlighter green details and a manual gearbox; it’s an old-school hooligan in Savile Row gear, the Kingsman movie franchise in the form of a car

By Matt Bielby

We can definitely see Taron Egerton driving around in this one...

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CAR REVIEW

The Vantage AMR is super shark-like from the side, those giant ‘gills’ on the flanks a winning design detail

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ruth be told, we were meant to be testing the regular Aston Martin Vantage for this piece – a highly desirable bit of kit in itself, of course – but at the last minute things changed. Turns out the guys at our local dealer – Dick Lovett in Bristol, which covers everywhere from Cornwall to South Wales – had just sold their demonstrator, so we got this instead.

And yes, as you can probably tell from the subtle-yet-shouty stripes around the bottom edges, it’s something of an upgrade. The regular Vantage will set you back a little over £120k, depending on how fast-and-loose you’ve played with the options list, but what you’re looking at here is a £150,000 car.

It’s also a 200mph one, which makes it both the fastest and most expensive vehicle we’ve ever tested here at Bristol Life.

Bloody hell. Hope I don’t scratch it.

This thing, ladies and gentlemen, is called the Vantage AMR – that stands for ‘Aston Martin Racing’ – and they’re only making 200 of them. (We got quite excited at the legend ‘1 of 200’ engraved below the door, but it turns out they all say that – the days of being able to know if you’ve got the second or the hundred-and-ninety-ninth are sadly gone, presumably because with Aston Martins everyone wants number (00)7.)

The Vantage is the accessible, entry-level Aston – these things, of course, are relative –

and was originally designed to be a Porsche 911 rival, but in its latest incarnation has been pushed a little further upmarket. Aston’s design chief arek eichmann heffield born, Middlesborough educated, a man with an eye for a sharp crease and a smooth curve – has gone bold with its look, abandoning many classic design cues in favour of blatant

“This is a playmate that wants you, in suitable circumstances, to have the maximum amount of oldfashioned fun” aggression and eye-catching details, like the ‘shark-gill’ vents in the front wings. The proportions are strong – this thing is all bonnet and it looks great in profile or from the rear three-quarters; it’s aerodynamically clever too, creating genuine downforce thanks to numerous underbody channels, a gigantic front splitter and that monstrous rear diffuser.

TO MY MIND, though, the face lets it down a little: something of a problem

for a car that sells on sex appeal. Gone is Aston’s famous, handsome grill in favour of squintingly small headlights and a great big gaping maw. It’s macho, for sure, but somewhat Japanese-looking – like a giant Mazda MX5, maybe – and seems particularly colour sensitive; I’d personally be going for some deep metallic rather than the of-themoment ‘China grey’ you see here.

Face aside, though, this is a car that’s easy to love. Inside, you nestle snug and low – the seats are excellent, something many expensive cars get ba ingly wrong – and though there’s plenty of room for two (this is a strict two-seater) you feel quite enclosed, thanks to the slim glasshouse and high shoulder line. The driving position is great, forward visibility too, but – though the giant door mirrors help – to the back and sides it’s less good; I was thankful for the (optional extra) reversing cameras, for sure.

Controls? Well, there are certainly a lot of them – buttons everywhere – but they somehow never feel confusing or annoying, and it turns out you can manage most things without rooting too deeply into the entertainment system sub-menus. The most important new thing about this AMR version is its seven-speed manual transmission – which brings with it a minuscule weight saving and a suspension set-up geared for fun – and some of these buttons are dedicated to helping you get the most out of that. One just ahead of the gearstick activates flat upshifts and rev-

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CAR REVIEW matching on downshifts (in other words, makes you look like the smoothest, most talented driver ever), while others on the steering wheel allow you to cycle between suspension set-ups and other modes. (There’s no ‘Comfort’ on this thing, just Sport, Sport+ and Track.) Go for the more radical options and it’s very easy to make the car slide – but then this is a playmate that wants you, in suitable circumstances, to have the maximum amount of old-fashioned fun.

IN MANY WAYS the seven-speed Graziano manual gearbox is both the best and worst thing about the car: best, in that it forces you to engage more closely with everything your Aston is doing; worst, in that its layout is slightly odd, with first gear on a dogleg to the left and back and the other six forward gears in a variation on the regular H-shape. It means you need to give getting going more conscious thought than you otherwise might, and – if I’m honest – a few times I wasn’t at all sure which gear I was actually in, which would potentially be embarrassing apart from two things.

Firstly, a handy display right below the speedo reminds you, and secondly, thanks to all the torque it has, this doesn’t matter too much. Set off in second gear and you’ll be completely fine.

Speaking of torque, the engine here is a magnificent thing, a bhp, turbocharged, entertainingly free-revving . litre bought in from strategic partner Mercedes-AMG. In new manual form it’s a tiny bit faster at the top end than the existing paddle-shift version, and a tiny bit slower in terms of

day-to-day overtaking acceleration. Not that either matters a jot, because with this car it’s how it does things that matters.

The whole point of the Vantage AMR, you see, is that it’s the sort of baby supercar you could legitimately use every day – it’s comfortable and relaxing and specifically designed to cope with British potholes – but at the same time can, on a dime, switch character into an athletic hoot. It doesn’t jiggle or jar, the steering’s precise, and though you occasionally feel its width, it never gets nervous or twitchy – unless you ifi all ask it to become so. Perhaps fancifully, I felt it was possible to gauge the attentions of ex-Lotus handling boss Matt Becker in the deft way it responded to my inputs.

AND IN THIS CONTEXT, having to learn a slightly eccentric manual gearbox arrangement could be considered part of the fun too; after all, buying a manual supercar in these paddle-shift days is something of an eccentric choice anyway. There’s a lot to get stuck into here, and suspect you’d find it preferable, more entertaining company to most of its – also excellent, it has to be said – rivals on more UK roads, more of the time.

Plus, it’s an Aston Martin. You’re paying a premium for the privilege of the badge, I suppose, but it genuinely feels special in a way many other cars do not, with that all-important sense of occasion in spades.

If money was no object yet I could only own one car, it might well be this one.

Great details at the rear, and a tight predator-about-to-pounce stance; China grey is a very Marmite colour choice, though

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

AT A GLANCE Car: Aston Martin Vantage AMR Price: £149,995 Under the bonnet: The same turbocharged 4.0 litre V8 Mercedes-AMG as in the regular Vantage, just here paired with a manual gearbox; it has torque to burn and makes for a pleasingly old-school driving experience. Equipment specs: All the luxury kit you’d want comes as standard (save, perhaps, the useful optional all-round cameras), plus you get ace carbon ceramic brakes; this doesn’t mean, however, that Aston’s Q Collection won’t be happy to take thousands extra off you to upgrade everything. Performance: A little weirdly, this more expensive, more racy version is faster at the top end (this is a genuine 200mph car) but slower to get to 62mph (4 seconds plays 3.6 seconds) than the cheaper auto version. Fuel economy: Should you care, in miles per gallon terms you’re likely to get low to mid-20s. In a nutshell: Aston Martin’s sportiest, most accessible car remains striking to look at and easy to use, but now gets a more involving old-school manual gearbox. Dealer: Dick Lovett Aston Martin, Kingsheath, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, BS10 7TU; 0117 321 6708; www.dicklovett.co.uk

or o a u r ar ou oul l gi i a l u r a

CLASSIC CAR RESTORATION SERVICING AND RACE SPECIALISTS Address: Welling House Farm, Moorhouse Lane, Hallen, BS10 7RT Open: 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday

Phone: +44 (0)117 9501836 Online: www.johnchathamcars.co.uk Email: info@johnchathamcars.co.uk

It’s the city’s business

BRISTOLWORKS Creative Scale-up

C

reative businesses who want to grow are set to benefit from a new est of ngland ombined uthority programme. he reative cale- p programme, funded by the epartment for igital, ulture, edia port, will see million invested across three regions in the K including the est of ngland giving creative businesses bespoke support to help them grow their business and become ready to take on investment. he programme will help boost opportunities for the creative industries which are worth over billion to the K economy. est of ngland ayor im Bowles launched the est of ngland reative cale- p programme last month, and announced the businesses who have been selected onto the first cohort. he programme is also running in Greater anchester and the est idlands. he first businesses on the est of ngland reative cale p programme are rcadia rack ublishing, uke erram imited rigger tuff aller and ood ognitive aths Knowle est edia entre he Factory omplete ontrol imina mmersive uroch igital ardrobe heatre ncounters Film

“I WANT OUR REGION TO BECOME THE GO-TO PLACE FOR THE CREATIVE AND CULTURAL SECTOR”

Luke Jerram with Gaia

Festival, e re nagram, isuable, K. reative cale p will also work to increase the numbers of investors interested in investing in creative businesses, and matching these to a pipeline of high-growth businesses. inister for reative ndustries igel dams said ur creative industries are a global success story, but to help the next generation of innovative businesses create obs and develop new products and experiences we need to make sure they can access the right support and investment. reative cale- p will help e uip creative businesses with the skills and connections they need so their firms can grow and showcase their success to the world. im Bowles, est of ngland ayor, said want our region to become the go-to place for the creative and cultural sector. e’re already internationally renowned, but want the world to know that the est of ngland will welcome talented people and businesses with open arms, and help them grow into the big names of the future. hat’s what our reative cale- p

programme is all about.

From rcadia, who are behind the Glastonbury Festival’s famous angea, to the double B F -winning children’s production company omplete ontrol, we have a huge variety of businesses in the region that are set to benefit from the programme, but they are ust the tip of the iceberg there’s a lot more to come. reative cale- p will support these businesses to grow and employ more people here in the region. is now calling out to others to bid for a place on the programme, which will run until later this year. Businesses selected will receive a package of tailored business support over six months, including mentoring, facilitated face-to-face peer support, training and workshops hey will also be supported to engage with networks of investors. here will be two further cohorts starting in pril and une applications are open to oin either of these cohorts, the deadline for the pril cohort is arch . www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/business/creative-scale-up

© PAOLO FERL A

BRISTOLWORKS

Finalists soon to be revealed…

T

he finalists for the Bristol Life wards will be announced on arch, and tickets for Bristol’s biggest-ever business awards look like being sold out again, despite the fact that capacity has been increased for . ll companies wishing to oin the celebration on pril should secure their tickets soon, advises events director teph odd. he latest position will be updated via witter and email. e’re overwhelmed by Bristol’s love for the wards, KEY DAYS FOR THE DIARY: and we’re excited for what Now: Tickets on sale will be another top-notch 1 April: Finalists & night of the city at its best.

Sponsors reception Before the big night, 23 April: Bristol finalists are invited to meet fellow finalists and sponsors Life Awards, Lloyd’s Amphitheatre at a special reception on pril at Keepers Kitchen Bar. ponsorship opportunities are still available, all of which feature a multi-channel marketing campaign and media coverage. o benefit from the wards, please contact osanna Hood. rosanna.hood mediaclash.co.uk For more: www.bristollifeawards.co.uk @BristolLifeAwds

THE WELLHEAD Bristol businessman with a fascination for historical properties has bought the listed ellhead building at Fin els each, which he plans to restore and transform into a bar and caf . an ohnson, who has already transformed the lifton bservatory into a caf with a rooftop terrace, and plans to turn the lifton ocks ailway into a museum, has bought the building from ubex, and now plans to create a new chapter in its life. he ellhead building sits in a prominent position right beside astle Bridge, which forms the main thoroughfare for pedestrians

and cyclists between Fin els each and the city centre. irectly overlooking the floating harbour, the ellhead building shares the fascinating history of the site, and was originally used to draw up water from the docks for the brewing process for Georges Brewery, founded on the site in the late th century. e’re delighted to be working to launch he ellhead, a new caf and cocktail bar in Fin els each, which will complement the fantastic restoration of other historic brewery buildings on the site, says an.

Follow @wellheadbristol on Instagram for more

INDIE SPIRIT livia ripp and a team of Bristol-based creatives have culminated their collective knowledge to make Bristol. he guide book will capture the city to its fullest, showcasing the independent businesses that give Bristol its life and soul and, in its pages, readers will find places to eat, drink, do, shop, dance and stay throughout the city.

Bristol is my home town, and believe there is no better way to experience the spirit of this city than through the eyes of its independents, said livia. ndependentss have put Bristol on the map, and now we want to create a book that will showcase and support them. he pro ect is on Kickstarter and will only be funded if it reaches its goal by arch so dig deep.

For more: www.kickstarter.com/projects/oliviatripp/in-bristol-a-guidebook-to-celebrate-bristols-independents

BRISTOLWORKS

“WEB DESIGN MOVES QUICKLY AND THE TRENDS ARE FAST MOVING” and, forgive the marketing parlance, measurable success criteria. For instance, your website might simply be a shop window for your business, in which case you must ensure it is well dressed and up to date at all times. If your website is meant to generate leads and it doesn’t then something is fundamentally wrong with the site.

Pulling the plug on your website

I

When is the right time to put your existing website out of its misery and start afresh?

f your website is truly the face of your business, its 24-hour ambassador, then the last thing you want is a scruffy herbert meeting and greeting your potential customers.

But fail to keep your website updated, on brand and in line with technological advances then metaphorically that’s what you’ll get. A smelly tramp of a website.

Maybe we’re being unduly harsh on itinerant vagrants, but there comes a time when your business is in need of a new website. Here at MediaClash, we’re familiar with the tell-tale signs of a washed-up website and would like to share them with you.

1

No longer on brand As a business develops, grows and matures it will adapt to its market, quite possibly changing its positioning along the way. This natural progression will have direct consequences on your company’s branding. The website is central to this equation as it is often one of the first examples of the brand a client will encounter. Yet websites can get left behind in the marketing mix and allowed to drift off brand.

2

Lacks a CMS At the start-up of a company the ability to make you own content updates is not high on the priority list. Other considerations, such

as: “What the hell have I done thinking I could run a business of my own”, take higher priority.

Yet as the scale of the business increases the regular updating of content becomes a necessity. And its then you discover your website is not only lacking the thing you need, a content management system, but its also impossible to simply bolt one on to your existing site.

3

It doesn’t function Unlike the grandest mountain ranges, websites don’t ust exist because they are there. They are functional beasts and need to possess a clear set of objectives

4

It looks out of date Web design moves quickly and the trends are fast moving. In fact, for web design think the fashion industry: pretentious but with T-shirts and tatty jeans rather than couture frocks. I’m being unfair but there is no denying that visually a website can date very quickly and that important design trends are to be ignored at your peril. Back to the 24-hour ambassador comparison – (in most cases) it’s far better to have your brand representative dressed looking current and contemporary rather than like a mannequin in a charity shop window.

5

Doesn’t work on a mobile device Indisputable fact #1: The weather has been very variable this year.

Indisputable fact #2 Websites need to work on mobile devices. Last year 45 per cent of users connected to the internet via a mobile device up from 23 per cent a couple of years before. If your website isn’t functioning on a smartphone or iPad-type device then that’s a lot of people who you are disastrously closing the door on. It’s also a near irrefutable fact that you need a new website.

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

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Family values HARBOUR FAMILY LAW is a niche Family Law Firm and we have just opened brand new offices in the heart of Clifton Village.

N

icky Howarth, Director and Head of the Clifton Office has over 18 years’ experience as a family lawyer. She can expertly advise you in relation to a wide range of family law issues including divorce, financial settlement, pre and post nuptial agreements and advice concerning children following the breakdown of a relationship. 5 things to expect from your initial consultation at Harbour Family Law...

1. YOU WILL BE LISTENED TO Going through a relationship breakdown can be extremely stressful. We understand the dynamics of a relationship breakdown and the obstacles that may appear along the way. We are specialists in relationship breakdown and we will listen attentively to your particular circumstances.

Without listening to you we do not know how best to help you.

2. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND YOUR OPTIONS You may come into the meeting not understanding where the next step may take you, or what your options are. Once we have listened to your circumstances we will ensure that we provide you with tailored, specific advice on what your future options are. You will begin to visualise a way forward for the future.

3. WE WILL BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT COSTS We will provide you at the outset with a clear and accurate cost estimate. We offer an initial fixed fee appointment where we can discuss costs in greater detail with you.

4. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND HOW OTHER PROFESSIONALS OR EXPERTS MAY HELP YOU Family Therapists, Counsellors, Divorce Coaches, Expert Valuers, and Financial Advisors may be

able to help you at certain points in the way ahead. We can explain how these agencies may be able to provide meaningful advice to you, which will ensure that you are not just making sound legal decisions, but that other aspects of your life are also considered.

5. WE GIVE REALISTIC ADVICE We won’t just tell you what you want to hear. We’re committed to being open with our clients and giving them realistic advice about likely outcomes. n

If you would like to arrange an initial consultation with Nicky Howarth, please do not hesitate to contact us on T: 0117 3751780 or E: nicky@harbourfamilylaw.co.uk or pop in to see us at 31 Regent Street, Clifton.

Offices also at Clevedon and Portishead. www.harbourfamilylaw.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 89

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Civil partnerships: an alternative to marriage for all couples Thanks to new legislation, marriage is no longer the only option for couples seeking commitment, stability and legal protection

I

t is estimated that around two thirds of cohabiting couples incorrectly believe they have the same rights as married couples or couples in a civil partnership. New legislation in this area provides all couples with an alternative to marriage to provide them with stability and legal protection.

On the 26 May 2019 the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 came into force amending the Civil Partnership Act 2004, which allows opposite sex couples to enter into a civil partnership in England and Wales. From the 31 December 2019, opposite sex couples are able to register civil partnerships in England and Wales, which is a huge step forward.

Civil Partnerships came about in 2004 to give same sex couples the ability to commit to each other and provide the same legal and financial protection they would achieve through marriage.

This law developed further in 2013 when the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act legalised same sex marriage in England and Wales. Since then, same sex couples have been able to choose between entering into a marriage or a civil partnership, but opposite sex couples have not had the same choice.

In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that the prohibition of heterosexual civil partnerships was

discriminatory, and that the Civil Partnership Act was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, which has sparked a change in the law.

It is surprising how many people still believe in the notion of ‘common law marriage’, and how they consider that living together with a partner over a prolonged period of time will automatically afford them the same rights as a married couple. Having the opportunity to enter into a civil partnership offers all couples with legal protection without being burdened by oldfashioned traditions. Civil partnerships attract a number of financial benefits and protections relating to inheritance tax exemptions, income tax allowances, and inheritance prospects.

“CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS ATTRACT A NUMBER OF FINANCIAL BENEFITS” The change of the law in this area creates an opportunity for all couples to have the right to marry or enter into a civil partnership, which demonstrates how far the legal system has evolved in adapting to meet the changing requirements of society. n

If you would like to discuss the legal implications of entering into a marriage or civil partnership, please contact our Family Associate Rebecca Aston-Jones on 0808 302 4842 or rebeccaastonjones@incemetcalfes.com who will be delighted to talk you through your options. www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 91

MEET THE AGENCY They’re the campaign-builders, the event-promoters, the brand-creators, the marketing gurus and the digital ninjas – but which one is the perfect partner for your business?

ADVERTISING FEATURE LUKE TOBIN

DAMIAN CONNOP

DIGITAL ETHOS 0333 772 0189 www.digitalethos.net What sets you apart from other agencies?

We pride ourselves on transparent communication and we’re one of very few agencies that maintain regular touchpoints with clients through weekly updates, biweekly calls and monthly report meetings so that they always know what’s going on with their campaigns.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

The digital marketing industry is always evolving but has boomed in the last 10 years and with businesses having tighter budgets and shorter deadlines, it’s crucial for us to make an impact quickly. People consume content on their own terms so a 360-degree marketing mix is vital to keep ahead of the curve and remain competitive.

As one of the UK’s fastest-growing digital agencies, what has been the catalyst for this rapid growth?

It’s the people who have made it so successful. The team is dedicated to their field and we’re big believers that if you find what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. It’s this commitment and drive that shines through our services and sets us apart from the competition, enabling us to be the go-to agency that clients choose.

GORAM & VINCENT 0117 370 3375 www.goramandvincent.com

Luke Tobin

JASON COWARD

THE PEPPERMINT AGENCY 0117 439 0460; www.peppermint-agency.com What sets you apart from other agencies?

We are a strategy-first marketing agency, which means we are entirely focused on solving our clients’ business problems. We are channel agnostic, so have no affinity to one media channel over another. This allows us to take a ‘client first’ approach and provide our clients with the right answer, every time.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

Our clients are a mixture of local and national organisations, ranging from startups to well established brands. These include Pasture, FLY Fitness and With Nothing Underneath, the chic sustainable boyfriend shirt brand. We’ve just been appointed by 9Round, the new hot trend in fitness, to work on the launch of one of their new gyms which is due to open in May. How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

In many ways the industry has completely changed, but the fundamentals remain the same: the impact of a great idea brilliantly executed is still all that matters!

Why should a business utilise your services?

We have been in your shoes and we know how bewildering the marketing world has become. We value every brief we work on and are obsessive about payback - we spend our client’s money as if it were our own.

What bespoke services do you offer clients?

Everything we do is bespoke. We’re all about the best answer for the client.

Damian Connop

What sets you apart from other agencies?

Our ability to build enterprise-level global ecommerce at great speed and agility.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

We’re working with Dyson, Stila UK, bkr, Neal’s Yard Dairy and Lisou.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

Data, analytics and automation has added a huge layer of wonderful opportunity and complexity.

Why did you get into agency work?

I wanted to build something with talented, fun and ambitious people around brands and clients that I believe in.

What is the most challenging brief you have faced?

To build an e-commerce site for a world-leading cosmetic brand 2 weeks ahead of a London Fashion Week launch! We did it.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

Seeing the team grow and get better every day.

Why should a business utilise your services?

We can design and build global ecommerce experiences and campaigns at a speed and scale that gives our clients a disproportionate competitive advantage.

What is the oddest thing you have done in your role?

Dry out 500 freshly-printed coffee cups with a hairdryer.

What bespoke services do you offer clients?

Shopify & Magento 2 design and builds, global payment gateway solutions and digital marketing.

SIMON RADCLIFFE HOLLA CREATIVE 01935 478238 www.hollacreative.co.uk

Jason Coward

Simon Radcliffe

What sets you apart from other agencies?

Holla is a team of specialists in a wide variety of creative fields. Unlike larger agencies, we offer a bespoke service of experts rather than Jacks of all trades.

Which sectors do you specialise in?

We work with a wide variety of sectors, but we have carved a niche for ourselves in the trade sector.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

There has been a massive shift toward animation in recent years. Many businesses are seeing the value and advantage of using animation to describe their service and Holla is at the frontline.

What is the most challenging brief you have faced?

Creating a music video for Liam Payne (of One Direction fame) was a huge challenge as we had to work with big production under tight deadlines to create something eye-catching in the music landscape.

Why should a business utilise your services?

We offer more versatility than an in-house resource, no financial burden with having to cover sick days or holidays, with Holla you only pay for the hours you use, and because we are a small independent agency you will always get a specialist senior team on your project.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 95

ADVERTISING FEATURE JOANNA RANDALL

BEN TAYLOR

What sets you apart from other agencies?

We pride ourselves on being commercially-minded, creative and highly entrepreneurial. Our culture is one of integrity and passion for our work delivered with high energy and curiosity about industry developments and innovation to benefit our clients.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

Our fantastic and varied client base includes Redrow Homes, Optimum Finance, BGF, Gregg Latchams, MoveGB and Bristol Light Festival – a great combination of consumer brand, B2B and not-for-profit organisations.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

The discipline of communications has more tangible commercial impact than ever before as a result of innovation in technology, emerging channels such as social media and influencer engagement together with an increased pace of information flow.

Why did you get into agency work?

I love the pace and creativity that comes with being part of an agency environment – I’m never bored working in PR and communications!

What is the most challenging brief you have faced?

We’re honest and direct in our delivery and we will challenge the businesses we work with to make a positive and commercial impact. If we can’t add value to a client brief then what’s the point?

What is the oddest thing you have done in your role?

There are almost too many to mention! I have dressed up as a jockey for a photoshoot in a pub; taken a terrifying ride on the back of a UK champion’s jet-ski; assembled an industrial portable barbecue for a roadshow and been taught how to skim a wall (badly).

What sets you apart from other agencies?

Our commercial thinking. The market research industry has a nasty habit of ‘parroting back’ data. But, this only provides half the solution, what does this mean for the client brand? At Ragdoll, a presentation doesn’t leave the office if it doesn’t pass the ‘so-what test’ – why should the client’s Chief Exec care? If company money is being spent on research, it had better come back with more than just some charts.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

Technology now allows us to access consumers in simpler, quicker and less intrusive manners – all of which help provide a more honest picture of what they really think, reshaping how we undertake research. However, I believe in a lot of cases the way a lot of research agencies think hasn’t actually moved on. There seems to be a persistent mindset that simply knowing market research is enough.

Curiosity should always be at the heart of research, and to excel we need to understand surrounding fields such as business, marketing, psychology and economics etc.

Why should a business utilise your services?

Every client we have taken a brief from genuinely has their customers best interests at heart. However, as humans, we are somewhat flawed. We see the things that we want to see about consumers. Research (or at least any good research) is about getting to the truth and letting your customer’s voice resonate through the business.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

Our focus is on the commercial outputs, so whilst it is a great moment when a client is enthralled by our work, or when our insights reverberate around a business, the most rewarding part for us is when our research makes a notable difference to the bottom line.

PURPLEFISH 0117 925 1358; www.purplefish.agency

JAMES EWIN & JOEL ROSEN ORCA 0117 403 5859 www.onlyorca.com

What sets you apart from other agencies?

We are here to start a movement, by creating challenger brands with a strong mindset and even stronger identity.

Why did you get into agency work?

To do what we love every day, for brands that we admire and products that inspire.

What is the most challenging brief you have faced?

Our own rebrand (which we are going through at the moment). Designing for clients is easy compared to trying to articulate your own creative vision!

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

Creating design which sparks a positive impact on the world. Also working with great people every day. Our team are what make ORCA what it is, and they’re a bunch of legends.

Why should a business utilise your services?

You won’t find another bunch of misfits

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

RAGDOLL RESEARCH 0117 910 2800; www.ragdoll-research.com

Joanna Randall

Ben Taylor

so aligned with their passion and drive to create standout brands and clear results! We are committed, driven and obsessed with creating the best work we possibly can for each and every client.

What bespoke services do you offer clients?

Every project we complete is a bespoke service. No two projects are the same. We believe in utilising the power of design to help our clients gain a competitive advantage in an overcrowded, visual world. This is achieved through thorough research, brave design and clever strategy.

What does your industry mean to you?

It’s a way of life. Design is part of every single day for us, in and out of work. We’re super passionate about giving back to the design community through talks, events and guest authoring. We also run an online, educational platform called Briefbox.

Briefbox is an ever-growing library of practice design briefs, resources, tutorials and industry insights, aimed at helping aspiring designers to improve their skills, build up their portfolios and ultimately achieve employment.

Go check it > briefbox.me

ADVERTISING FEATURE NICOLA TYLER

NINA WHITTAKER

HAPPY HOUR 0117 929 9797; www.hhour.co.uk What sets Happy Hour apart from other agencies?

We’re a specialist in response advertising and offer a happy mix of strategy, creative and production all under one roof. We’re proud to be a boutique independent, ranked in the UK’s top 40 creative agencies by Campaign.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

TV has opened up for smaller brands, so we’re now bringing a broader mix of products and services to the TV landscape, whilst the emergence of video content has given us the freedom to engage audiences in more creative ways.

What is the most challenging brief you have faced?

Helping QuickQuid beat Wonga in the high-profile battle of the payday lenders. They then held onto the No.1 spot in the market for three years. Whatever your feeling on the payday sector, this success shows our experience in creating effective, ROI-driven marketing.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

As Managing Partner, it’s seeing clients stay with us year after year. This means we know we’ve done a good job, delivered on every brief, and they’ve enjoyed working with our brilliant team too!

STRATTON CRAIG 0203 301 3300; www.strattoncraig.com

Nicola Tyler

JASON FLINTER

THE FLINT – BRANDING AND DESIGN 0117 979 0588; www.theflint.co.uk Why does any business need a branding agency?

Most of our clients come to us after 3-5 years in business realising they didn’t understand and did it on the cheap. We can get a business to that 3-5 year position literally within the first year.

Are you able to define what branding is, in one simple phrase?

We suggest it’s ‘The Promise to your customer’.

Your ‘brand’ or ‘reputation’, is a balance of the times you kept or broke your promise. The more you keep, the stronger your brand will be.

What’s the difference between ‘growing a business’ and ‘building a brand’?

An essential difference is understanding that customers need to buy INTO you not just FROM you. The next thing is to concentrate on WHY you sell what you do, not WHAT you sell.

What is the most important thing a new business should do?

The thing that 90% of businesses spend less than an hour doing is RESEARCH. Research the competition, the need, the name, the position, the price point.

What is the oddest thing that’s happened with a customer?

Startling more than odd, was a director getting our strapline tattooed on his arm. A real commitment, which certainly got buy in from the rest of the company.

You look to define your customers’ USPs, what’s yours?

We’re very proud of our 100% record of having every name, logo and strapline that has gone through the trademark process, has been registered. This is our guarantee.

Nina Whittaker

What sets you apart from other agencies?

We focus purely on written communications, because we believe words matter and writing is a specialist capability. When our clients need wider support, we love partnering with other specialist agencies to deliver it.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

Around 10 years ago, ‘content marketing’ became a buzzword, and we are now drowning in ‘content’. Consumer habits and priorities have also changed dramatically. Corporate responsibility and sustainability are front of mind for consumers, while economic and political challenges have led to cynicism and mistrust. So, brand loyalty is harder to win and harder to keep. Engagement is now a much longer-term play, and we’ve seen clients investing more in content strategy and planning to find the right words to really connect with their audiences and stand out.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

I love seeing our clients succeed, and helping them define and measure success is especially rewarding. There are now so many tools and techniques to understand the value of content – from tangible measures like leads and web traffic to softer measures like trust and understanding.

Armed with this insight, we can help our clients achieve their objectives through great communications.

What bespoke services do you offer clients?

All our services are bespoke. There really is no such thing as a typical client!

NEIL SIMS

OAKWOOD AGENCY 0117 983 6789 www.oakwoodagency.com

Jason Flinter

Neil Sims

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

A real cross section. Toys”R”Us in Asia, an energy services company in the US, ABB in Europe.

We only have a handful of clients in Bristol… thank goodness for Skype!

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

Everything has changed… the language, the technology, the ways of working. The only thing that hasn’t is the need for a good idea and excellent delivery.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

I still like to be involved in the creative process – scribbling ideas or helping the Oakwood team to create an idea still doesn’t feel like a job.

Why should a business utilise your services?

To achieve clarity of their own purpose and make their value visible.

What does your industry mean to you?

The creative sector can be a rewarding career choice – it needs to change, it’s difficult to land your first role and the whole diversity piece needs to improve, but it’s a valuable part of the service sector within Bristol and the UK as a whole.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE DAN GRIFFIN

RUSS BACK

What sets you apart from other agencies?

We connect businesses to their customers online to acquire, grow and retain. We recognise our clients are not only looking for support but experience, expertise and advice from an honest, trustworthy and creative partner with a friendly and energetic team, and a relentless attitude to deliver results. Our foundations are built on an entrepreneurial spirit, with a mindset of embracing change and innovation to offer forward-thinking digital marketing.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

Helping others to succeed. From the first initial meeting with a client, mapping out their goals and ambitions to establishing a strong and valuable partnership and seeing continuous growth in their business through our marketing strategy, you don’t get much more rewarding than that.

What advice would you give to a young person who wants to start a business?

I forged on a different path than all those around me, but I didn’t want to regret not starting. If you have that fire in your belly and drive to start a business, just do it. The only thing stopping you is you. It’s not an easy path. Expect sacrifice, expect doubt, expect setbacks, but with all of this comes the reward of waking up every day to do something you enjoy while helping others along the way.

What sets you apart from other agencies?

Very little. In terms of our services, we offer the same headline services as most other reputable marketing agencies - but our approach? Now that’s another story! We’ve got no appetite for time wasting or fluffery. We get alongside our clients, get under the skin of them, their challenges and their opportunities.

Then crack on with equipping them and championing them to their audiences.

Why did you get into agency work?

We are naturally a supportive bunch, we aren’t fussed about being in the limelight ourselves (they say in a magazine article) but we also have a huge amount of expertise in all manner of marketing, communication and technical solutions - plus a need for variety. Fastpaced agency life with ambitious and brave clients is the perfect fit for us.

Why should a business utilise your services?

Trust. We are real people, not real ‘agency’ people.

We don’t work on anything that we don’t believe will hit desired goals. Clients trust us with their internal budgets because “[we] treat their money as [our] own.” Our clients take us with them when they move organisations but what’s better is their incumbents tend to keep us on too! That’s a huge compliment and source of pride.

CONNECT DIGITAL 0117 403 2428; www.connectdigital.co

RALLY 01225 475761 www.rally.agency

Dan Griffin

Russ Back

THE TEAM AT PLASTER 0117 953 0320 www.weareplaster.com

What sets you apart from other agencies?

FRED: Our adaptability and flexibility sets us apart. Whether it’s sourcing astronaut rubber ducks in Amsterdam or planning a complex crisis comms strategy, when something needs doing, our clients can trust us to get it done brilliantly every time.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

ALEX: Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, Bristol Harbour Festival, UPFEST, Colston Hall and lots of other fantastic businesses in our fine city! Nationally and internationally we work with 30 clients in events, tech and venues including BBC Countryfile Live, the Ocean Conservation Trust, Troxy, Ministry Venues, BenQ and Casio.

What is the most challenging brief you have faced?

KELLIE: Mum’s the word on some of the more outlandish requests – that’s the nature of the job! Getting street artists out of bed for a 6am national TV slot, organising hundreds of stakeholders for a mass photoshoot, bringing brands back from reputational damage… we love a challenge!

Why should a business utilise your services?

EMILY: We’re not like anyone else - our energy, creativity, and admiration for our clients, our

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willingness to push the boundaries of what can be achieved, whether you’re a world class LED display manufacturer or a small but perfectly formed restaurant in Bristol. Our team becomes an extension of your team, bringing new and inspiring ideas into your company to maximise exposure.

What bespoke services do you offer clients?

SIMON: Everything we do is bespoke! We approach each client brief and requirement on a case-by-case basis. For some, we handle integrated comms across the board, for others media relations and social media, and everything in between.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

ZOEY O’NEILL

NIKI WEBB

What sets you apart from other agencies?

Above all else we value real, honest relationships; striving to understand what makes our clients tick so we can offer continuous development and improvements that will help them move forwards.

We always try to be friendly, approachable and clear in everything we do, and I think that’s why so many of our clients stay for so long.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

We don’t stick to any one field but are currently working with a number of local and international professional service firms, not-for-profits and associations, many of them in the field of health and medicine. We also help other agencies support their clients; for example we’re currently developing a site in partnership with a PR agency in London.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

It might sound trite, but the most rewarding part of my job is definitely the relationships; when I’ve gotten to know a client’s business so well that I spot opportunities for solutions that really make a difference to how they work and that make them more efficient. That, and when we develop something that’s just really, really cool – I get very excited (some may say too excited!) about the little touches that take a project from good to exceptional.

What sets you apart from other agencies?

We offer the great service, flexibility and velocity you’d expect from a 60-person agency, combined with the added support and scale of our huge Omnicom global network.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

We have around 60 clients – on the retail side, Specsavers are a flagship client, plus our B2B roster includes Siemens. We also work across a number of Healthcare and Pharmaceutical brands.

Our clients range from global enterprises looking for broad content marketing solutions to local companies wanting Digital PR and Reputation work.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

We work at the cross-section of marketing and reputation – both have changed hugely and that change is exciting! Clients now have tools and systems to run their own campaigns on their own channels, but the most progressive clients still look for collaboration on insight, strategy, creative and digital campaign delivery.

Why should a business utilise your services?

It might surprise people that we are based in Bristol but it’s something we’re very proud of.

We really want to connect with big business in the South West and for them to know that there’s a digital business with a global network on their doorstep – we probably don’t shout about that enough!

SOTO DIGITAL LTD 0117 230 3322 www.gosoto.co

JAYNE CAPLE

VIVID IMAGINATION STUDIO 07767 873074 www.vividimagination.studio What sets you apart from other agencies?

All agencies will say they are different, but most agencies aren’t. We think our biggest difference is how we work with clients - rather than sitting apart, we build our team inside our client’s world. This means we can offer so much more. A partnership where everyday work becomes seamless because we work together.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

We’re lucky to work with an eclectic mix - from the small to the very big. Seeing our videos for The National Trust shared across social media makes me proud – even more so when I look at the engagement levels. Some of our recent work has been with startups, helping create and fine-tune their brand, then crafting the communications that follow. We are about to embark on a podcast project for a global hair and beauty client. We have been working with them for the last 18 months – creating engaging and insightful digital content. Podcasting is the next step on their journey, it’s their first time and their excitement is infectious.

SPECIALIST – THE CONTENT MARKETING AGENCY 0117 925 1696; www.specialistuk.com

Zoey O’Neill

Niki Webb

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

People’s experiences with brands are constantly changing; they’re fluid and less linear, therefore less predictable. That presents challenges and opportunities.

Disciplines that were separate have converged; therein lies the challenge.

Agencies need to ‘mind the gap’ from a skills perspective while ensuring they aren’t a Jack of all trades. At Vivid, being small equals being agile giving us the flexibility to adapt to the opportunity this presents.

Why should a business utilise your services?

We are good at what we do and easy to work with - ask our clients. 90% of our new business comes through referral, proof we do a great job and always deliver.

What bespoke services do you offer clients?

Everyone is different so every service we offer is bespoke. We take time to discuss the client’s challenges and ensure that we come back with a strategy that will absolutely deliver.

What does your industry mean to you?

I think the essence of the industry is about finding creative ways to solve problems and helping clients shine their brightest. I love what we do and I love delivering great work.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

THE TEAM AT ANOTHER LOVE AFFAIR

0117 213 0072; www.anotherloveaffair.com What sets you apart from other agencies?

Another Love Affair is a marriage between Bristol creative agency Hey? What! and media agency Duchess Media. Between our two teams we’ve got every aspect of marketing covered - from brand, design and web development right through to social media, digital, PR and events meaning we’re the perfect one-stop-shop!

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

We’re really proud of the clients we’ve amassed between us over the years, and we’ve also picked up some really exciting new clients in the short amount of time we’ve been working with each other. From the food and drink side we’re working with the the Hyde & Co group as well

as other local favourites such as Bristol Beer Factory, The Pony and Trap and Oowee. On the festival side of things, we’ve worked with Love Saves The Day, Boomtown, The Downs Festival, Eat Drink Bristol Fashion and 8 stages at Glastonbury including West Holts and Silver Hayes.

Why did you get into agency work?

We’ve all worked in agencies before, and before joining forces we’d come to the decision that we wanted to work with clients and projects that we could really be passionate and excited about. After a chance email, which turned into a meeting over a beer (maybe a few more!), we decided that we could all bring more to the party together if we teamed up.

What is the most challenging brief you have faced?

One of our first briefs was for an immersive dining experience in Shoreditch which was still in concept phase. We created a brand identity, website and marketing campaign to create intrigue and generate event preregistrations before launch. It was down to us to make a complex concept understandable for the consumer so we had to be creative! The event so far has been received extremely well, with a growing social following and database and we’re super excited to be a part of its launch in the summer.

Why should a business utilise your services?

Between us we’ve got years of agency experience and can bring a wealth of skills. As well as offering an end-to-end service we’re really flexible and can drop in to help businesses with one-off campaigns such as a rebrand, a launch for a new product or venue or stand-out artwork for an event, so no job is too big or too small.

What is the oddest thing you have done in your role?

Meg once got locked in Harrods for an hour and a half at 1am in the morning after doing an event! The security guards thought it was hilarious - she didn’t!

What does your industry mean to you?

We love the way our industry allows us to be completely creative with our clients, and we’re incredibly lucky to get to work with some brilliantly exciting clients! We love how the Bristol media industry is so supportive of one another and there’s no competition - we think the fact we’re two agencies who have come together to make our offering even stronger is the perfect example of that!

CHAS WALTON

TREVOR JAMES

Why words and nothing else?

Words are fundamental. Every campaign, every video, every message starts with words. So we do what we’re best at and leave the rest – the design, the marketing, the execution – to the other experts here in your pages.

What sets Text Wizard apart?

I came to copywriting late after many years in business. My starting point is different: if writing doesn’t answer a business need, it’s worthless.

We’re also extraordinarily nerdy about detail and accuracy. That’s an unusual combination: technical rigour and wild, take-your-readers-somewherespecial inventiveness.

Is that the buzz of copywriting?

Yep, it’s fun to let go – to get inside the heads of clients and their customers. That’s where the magic lies: finding a voice that feels right to the client and a story that means something to their audience. It’s all about making connections.

Where does your work end up?

Everywhere. Our words are on truck fleets, museum walls, and supermarket packaging.

They’re on websites, at airports, in internal comms, and in video voice-overs. Chances are, you’ve already fallen under our spell.

What sets you apart from other agencies?

We are a small, approachable agency and are a good match to the smaller business or organisation that is looking for a good quality design service with sensible hourly rates.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

We are a versatile team and enjoy the challenge of creating designs for a wide variety of clients. We are currently working with clients in the higher education, hospitality, arts and crafts and property sectors.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

We find that we are now working more with online and digital solutions. However, print still has its place as an effective marketing tool. Digital printing means that low number, high quality print runs are now cost effective.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

It is rewarding to produce creative solutions that look good and which the client is pleased with, but the best reward is when the client tells us that our design work has really made a difference to their business.

Why should a business utilise your services?

We are creative, but I believe we are also very professional in the way we work. We have a strong environmental ethos and aim to be as sustainable and inclusive a business as possible.

TEXT WIZARD COPYWRITING 0117 204 7334 www.textwizard.com

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THE DRAWING ROOM 0117 905 5152; www.tdroom.co.uk

Chas Walton

Trevor James

ADVERTISING FEATURE

GARETH SIMPSON

SEEKER DIGITAL 0117 4228686; www.seeker.digital Congratulations on Seeker’s 4th Birthday! What’s been your biggest achievement this year?

Thank you so much! Our biggest achievement this year has been a successful restructuring of the company to accommodate our recent growth. Implementing a leadership team has opened up more development opportunities within, so our team can grow along with the business.

What makes Seeker different?

Our innovative approach to culture and leadership. For example, we have very flexible working and parenting policies. People shouldn’t have to choose between a career and being a parent. As such, we feel it’s the right thing to do and it helps us attract the best talent. It is quite common for the parents in my company to be on a video conference call talking digital marketing strategy with a child on their lap. You might think our clients don’t approve of this but they’re often congratulatory and just appreciate working with a real expert.

Why did you get into agency work?

The web is a passion of mine and an agency is one of the best places

KELLY PEPWORTH

SPEED COMMUNICATIONS 0117 973 3300 www.speedcommunications.com How would your clients describe you?

Our clients often describe us as passionate and brave, not just creatively but in our approach. We’re not afraid to challenge a brief, to really understand the ‘why’ and the commercial conversation underlying a request for comms support. Clients would also say that we are ambitious, not just for them but for ourselves. We want our teams to feel they are part of an agency where they are inspired and in turn inspirational. Where they are topping their creative game and their ambitions are being fulfilled. And having some fun along the way.

How has PR changed?

PR used to be confined to the media, but we have responded to changes in the way we consume content and connect with brands by redefining PR. In a noisy world of competing messages and complex customer journeys, we deliver multichannel PR & content strategies that build awareness and drive engagement.

to channel that. I am working and learning from my colleagues every day and I love it.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

Thanks to the democracy of the internet, some of our small business clients are competing with big corporations online. I like that anybody with a great idea or product can take their product to market with a realistic investment.

Why should a business utilise your services?

1. We get results and have the case studies to prove it.

2. You will be working with a socially conscious supplier.

3. We are Bristol based and independent.

We’re passionate about the power of communication and believe that every business, brand and person has a story to tell. Understanding and engaging people is in our blood; we’ve been doing it for over 20 years. That’s why helping clients own those micro moments of customer engagement with creative content that educates, entertains or inspires comes naturally.

How do you measure the value of PR? Budgets are under pressure and ‘always on social media’ means that having the right resource and messages across the right channels is key. As such, measuring the impact of PR and invested comms is more important than it has ever been. Speed has its own online analytics tool, PACE, which provides an interactive analytics dashboard, showing the direct correlation between PR and the content strategies we deliver and our clients’ success. At any time, a client can quickly see the positive impact we are having on their business.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

PHIL ROBINSON

PROCTOR + STEVENSON 0117 923 2282 www.proctors.co.uk What sets you apart from other agencies?

In a word, ambition. We started life as a pure brand and design agency, but from day one, we’ve been ready to evolve and adapt, refusing to accept the notion of a ‘comfort zone’ and going where others fear to tread. Today, we’re still as committed to creative marketing as we ever were, but we’re also recognised for our digital skills and technology services on the global stage.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

The convergence of the physical and digital worlds means it’s now impossible to think about either in isolation.

We help our clients connect with customers across a wider range of touchpoints than ever before – from printed advertising, face-to-face meetings and events, through to fully online platforms.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

We’re in the privileged position of working with a roster of clients that’s as rich and varied as our own expertise.

In technology, engineering, financial and legal services, education, manufacturing and more, we’re helping businesses and organisations that range from global giants, such as Panasonic, to regional charities and world-changing start-ups.

Why did you get into agency work?

Working in an agency is an opportunity to be creative on a daily basis. No two days are the same and I’ve been fortunate enough to work with clients across the world, helping them provide products and services that make a genuine difference to the lives of people everywhere.

PAUL MORRIS

JAMES RAY

What sets you apart from other agencies?

We put trust and transparency at the heart of everything we do, because we see our clients as long-term partners not one-off customers.

Why did you get into agency work?

I love helping a diverse range of businesses - taking them from relative obscurity and partnering with them to grow their business.

What is the most challenging brief you have faced?

They’re all challenging, which is what we love. No two companies are the same; personalities and goals differ enormously. We have to find and test the right mix of channels to help a business grow.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

The diversity of our clients presents fresh challenges every day. I also love meeting new people.

Why should a business utilise your services?

Whilst people still value human interaction, to be successful nowadays a business needs to focus on how potential customers will find them online. We have a proven track record of positioning all sorts of businesses in front of their ideal customers boosting leads and sales.

What bespoke services do you offer clients?

We offer SEO, website development, content and pay per click advertising. All of our services are bespoke, because we don’t believe off-the-peg digital marketing packages work in the majority of cases.

What sets you apart from other agencies?

We specialise in Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM), helping brands unearth profitable connections with their customers through valuable insights and effective communication. We often find ourselves competing against bigger, London-based agencies, and find our size makes us more agile, able to respond and pivot based on our understanding of a client’s needs and the changing needs of their customers.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

We’re proud of the relationships we develop, working hard to become a trusted partner for our clients. We’ve worked with McDonald’s since 2011 and Disney since 2008, and we’re growing, winning Cunard and P&O Cruises in 2018 and Bacardi and NBC Universal in 2019.

How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

CRM hasn’t been a post-sales process or “email newsletter” for quite some time. CRM actually encompasses every step of a brand’s customer journey.

Each time an individual experiences a brand, that’s a potential moment to capture first-party data and use insights and understanding to deliver greater value, increased relevance and, crucially, deliver sales. It’s about triggering an action – whether that’s raising awareness, driving a purchase, building affinity or encouraging advocacy.

SUPERB DIGITAL 0117 251 0060; www.superb.digital

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ARMADILLO 0117 403 0363 www.armadillocrm.com

Paul Morris

James Ray

ADVERTISING FEATURE

TIERNEY FOX

FOX COLLECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS 01454 400 044; www.fox-collective.com What sets you apart from other agencies?

Fox Collective is a dedicated fashion, beauty and interiors communication consultancy. Put simply, we’re specialists not generalists.

Which clients are you working with?

The HydraFacial Company, iS Clinical, Codage Paris, Cox & Cox, Antipodes, Dartington Crystal, Chatham Marine, Rainbow Club, Trace Collective and Plankbridge are among our client ‘collective’. It includes international and domestic brands; start-ups and heavyweights.

We call it the spice of lifestyle PR! How has your industry changed in the last 10 years?

There have been seismic changes. Agencies have needed to adapt to an ever-quicker pace of societal and technological change, which has required a significant investment in skills, digital technology and culture. Beyond strong writing, verbal skills and media relations, PRs now need to master data management to drive insights, balanced by great emotional storytelling that connects to audiences. At Fox Collective, whether we’re focused on cutting-edge skincare or sustainable eco-fashion, the core of our role remains unchanged – to understand people and what drives them.

Why did you get into agency work?

I took an enjoyable diversion via journalism and publishing, in the UK and US. I loved the journey but the final destination – particularly running my own consultancy – has been even more enriching.

Why should a business utilise your services?

Consumers are bombarded with lifestyle content and overexposure is making them apathetic.

The traditional media landscape is shrinking yet anti-press sentiment is increasing. Consumers are starting to demand transparent trading in exchange for their loyalty. How can lifestyle brands meaningfully connect with customers and evolve these relationships when UK audiences are turning away from the traditional media and a call-out culture is becoming more common-place? It’s a challenge I’d want to entrust to experts, like Fox Collective.

What is the oddest thing you have done in your role?

We work with a lot of VIPs, some of whom have unusual demands and large entourages, so it takes a lot to surprise us. We’ve walked sheep down Savile Row. We’ve arranged streakers at premiership football matches. We know the skin problems of some of the UKs most loved celebrities. It’s all part of the job and makes for some interesting conversations.

What does your industry mean to you?

In its truest sense, PR is about human connections and communities. I love working in an industry that plays from a place of passion and purpose, helping brands find their tribe and inspire curiosity.

SARAH PERRETT

TOM LOCKE

Why should a business utilise your services?

Businesses often struggle with design, doing it themselves without the expertise to create something effective. This can lead to spending lots of budget with no gain. We work with companies to discover their unique brand, ideal customer and what to do, when for effective marketing. We can build a new brand, or work with an existing one, designing anything needed from business cards and brochures, to websites and pitch decks.

What sets you apart from other agencies?

We take a holistic approach, solving business problems creatively by starting with the end in mind, spending time listening to discover where a business is now and what the desired outcome is. Then we design the solution to get on track for that goal – whether that’s digital, or printed assets.

We work with clients to ensure their budgets go where they will do the most good (which isn’t always necessarily where you’d think).

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

I love sharing the journey with our clients, thinking creatively to help them move their business into the next growth phase, whatever that may be.

What is the most challenging brief you have faced?

Creating a piece of packaging that looked like an Angel slice. I had to scan an actual Angel slice to create the visuals – it was pretty messy!

What does Noughts & Ones do?

We specialise in award-winning custom website design & development on Squarespace and Shopify - we’re all about pushing the boundaries of CMS platforms.

What sets you apart from other agencies?

We’re more than just a design & development agency. Not only do we pride ourselves on our in-depth platform expertise, but strive to ensure that ambitious creativity remains at the heart of everything we do. Working with us is a collaborative, approachable and infectiously creative experience.

Which clients are you working with at the moment?

We are working with a number of apparel and lifestyle clients including dryrobe, Fresh Merch and a new skincare brand. We’ve also just launched a new website for an independent arts company called Fevered Sleep - for which we won a few awards!

Why did you get into agency work?

I have an agency background myself and have always wanted to build an agency and culture around my core values - openness, creativity and approachability.

Why should a business utilise your services?

For brands, we offer custom design & development that really stands out from the crowd of ‘template’ websites whilst maintaining the core usability of our chosen platforms. For agencies, we can bring our platform-specific expertise and creativity to a website design project before developing and deploying the website super-efficiently.

WHITESPACE 01225 683514 whitespace-agency.co.uk

NOUGHTS & ONES 0117 911 0470 www.noughtsandones.com

Sarah Perrett

Tom Locke

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PROPERTY P L A C E S T O L I V E , W O R K A N D P L AY

NEW!

PROPERTY SECTION

Awards

IF YOU BUILD IT, YOU SHOULD COME

… and you should also come if you're in the interior decorating biz, work in building supplies, or are involved in any way in selling residential and commercial property.

The second Bristol Property Awards takes place this June, and nominations are now open to all companies working in the Bristol property sector. It’s the perfect opportunity to share your best projects and achievements from the past year, be in with a chance of winning a coveted gong, and enjoy unparallelled networking into the bargain.

Winners are selected by a panel of independent judges, and results will be announced at the lunchtime event at Ashton Gate on 5 June.

There are 19 categories to enter, including Architect, Interior Designer, Supplier, Commercial and Residential Agent and Transformation.

The Bristol Property Awards are free to enter; for the full list of categories and all details, please see the new site, below.

Sponsorship has seen unprecedented activity, with all category sponsors for 2020 sold three months ahead of the ceremony. This year’s roster includes Smith & Williamson (Headline); Close Brothers Property Finance (Winner of Winners); and Amarelle, AWW, Blaise Commercial Finance, Clarkebond, Cotswold Homes, Halsall Construction, Juniper Homes, Marsh Commercial, MDA Consulting, Optima, Origin Workspace, Original Style, Planning Portal, RateSetter, Royds Withy King, Shawbrook Bank, Spaces, Thorn Baker Construction, Triangle Networks, Vickery Holman, Willmott Dixon and YTL Developments.

For more information: www.bristolpropertyawards.co.uk o fin ou o o g in ol l a on a ro anna. oo ri ro r

ia la . o.uk

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

Hannah Walkiewicz and Robyn Knibb

Beth Ross, Jess Powell and Andrew Sperring Vlad Sys, Andrew Brooks, Jonathan Crossley and Oliver Fuller

Xxx

Iain Robinson, Lindsey Nutbeen and Lucy Iles Simon Deeming, Daniel Kilminster and Rupert Stuart-Baker

BRISTOL PROPERTY AWARDS

Lydia Houghton, Emma Day, Alex Robertson and Jo Hall

Companies attended a special evening launch of the Bristol Property Awards on 12 February at Origin Workspace. Over 100 of the city’s leading property figures turned up to build business connections and network following the rapid success of this now prestigious event.

Photos by Jon Craig

Matthew Clackson, Fiona Blackwell and Ellen Andreassen

Brian Lancastle, Andrew Griffiths, Rebecca Tregarthen and Robert Sargent

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Showcase

HIGH CLASS Clifton – still the grandest and most elegant Bristol ’burb of them all. Here’s how to own a slice of it

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PROPERTY

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, of course Clifton is female; with all that elegance and charm, it was never 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 window 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 ictorian tiled floor in the staircase hall, wonderful ornate ceiling cornicing, working shutters and period fireplaces. he contemporary woodburners, designer Italian kitchen, the gym and luxurious bathrooms sit alongside the period features effortlessly, and there are other modern boons such as underfloor heating in all bathrooms, as well as the entire lowerground floor. ore elegant even than the fireplaces and impressive

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

(0117) 934 9977

FILTON OFFICES

CLIFTON RESTAURANT

• Modern open plan suite

• Landmark corner unit

• 1,620 sq ft + parking

• Clifton Village

• Closing to Airbus

• Fitted and ready to trade

• New refurbishment

• 1,400 sq ft

• New lease

• Only £26,000 pax

• Rent O/A 85 WHITELADIES ROAD

THE RAM, PARK STREET

• One of Clifton’s best restaurant sites

• Late 2.00 am license

• C3,000 sq ft

• 2 bars & brasserie

• New top quality refit

• Sunny Alfresco terrace

• Sensible rent

• New lease

• Low premium

• NO PREMIUM

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY

PODVILLE OFFICES

• Excellent opportunity fronting the High Street, Nailsea

• A hub of 12 high spec shipping containers

• Consent for 9 residential flats

• Each 4 – 6 desks

• Quoting Price Only £495,000

• All inclusive

• Freehold

• Ready to occupy

45 HIGH STREET, BS1 • Retail shop with upper floors

4 WESTBURY MEWS, WESTBURY ON TRYM

• Suit various commercial uses

• Mews office building

• Shop & upper separately available if needed

• For sale freehold

• New lease

• Price O/A

• 1,241 sq ft

• Rent O/A

1000's of motorists passing daily

BRIDGEWATER ROAD (‘AIRPORT ROAD’), BRISTOL • Retail/showroom

LIGHT INDUSTRIAL UNIT/WORKSHOP TO LET

• 1st floor office separately available if required

• 1,728 sq ft • Central Bristol location

• Close to Bristol Airport yet 15 minutes from BS1

• Wolseley Road, Bishopston

• New leases – low rent

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

• Sales/Lettings

• Development advice

• Acquisitions advice

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• Property Marketing

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PROPERTY

“Clifton’s long history has passed, over centuries, from the agricultural into the cultural”

HOUSE NUMBERS Bedrooms Reception rooms Bathrooms Acres

7-8 5 4-5 0.32 acres

Price

£2,750,000

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

staircase is the way the windows arch at the top, the shape accentuated from the outside by two-tone stonework. he floor-to-ceiling bay windows of the reception rooms will draw you towards them make like a fat cat and curl up in the sun for the afternoon. r go upstairs and en oy the view from the windows of lifton ollege lose and a clear view of the chapel. uch a feeling of space in the city is rare. aseby, with its large garden, enclosed driveway and spacious accommodation, is a ewel in lifton’s crown. aseby, by the way, is so named either in reference to the ivil ar’s aseby Battle in . oyalist-held Bristol fell to the arliamentarians, and rince upert and his followers ended up burning the whole of lifton before they left the area. r, and rather more peacefully, it refers to aseby in orthamptonshire, scene of the aforementioned battle but also connected to Bristol by the mighty iver von. on’t worry, ’m taking off my librarian gloves now. how’s over. n

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 113

BRISTOL LIVES

“Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.

It’s the only way I can remember them” Yeah. Maybe. But she’s ginger, so it doesn’t count.

You’re probably best known for dispatching four wives, but you did a lot of other bad stuff too. Tell us about some of your most dastardly acts

once ran through a field of wheat. I burned some Catholics.

And I never had a TV licence.

HENRY VIII

(AKA HOWARD COGGINS) He’s Hen-ery the Eighth, he is, he is.

He’s Hen-ery the Eighth, he is…

Living Spit are a couple of chancers from Clevedon who make comedy shows. The bigger one, Howard here, looks a bit like Henry VIII. His professional other half, Stu McLoughlin – the Laurel to his Hardy, if you like – doesn’t really look like any of the wives, but that’s not going to stop him, and the lads are bringing their Six Wives Of Henry VIII back to Bristol this month for what they swear is the very last time.

Prepare ye for a night of live music, embroidery, Barbie dolls and an ill-researched lesson in cross-dressed Tudor history…

So, why has it’s taken you so many attempts to find the right wife?

Henry, what do you mostly look for in a girl?

You’re always banging on about a male heir. What would you say if we told you that it would be your daughter who became the greatest English monarch of all time? As in, like, much better than you?

Principally, the ability to produce a healthy male heir. And a current forklift licence (don’t ask). nd not German had my fingers burned).

Some might say I’m fussy. I like to think of myself as a perfectionist.

For the benefit of potential new wives, what are your top tips for conjugal bliss?

I would say look pretty, produce a male heir and ignore the massive suppurating ulcer on my leg.

For those unfamiliar with the Tudors, please describe your wives in chronological order

Divorced, Beheaded, Died.

Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.

It’s the only way I can remember them.

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

While most of us stop at dissolving an aspirin, you went on to dissolve entire monasteries and convents.

Why was that?

Don’t like monks. Or nuns. Or cloisters.

How many people did you execute altogether?

Seventy thousand. But I didn’t do it all myself. I had people to do it for me. I’m not a monster.

As a younger brother who never expected to rule, do you have any top tips for your namesake, Prince Harry?

My advice would be to step back from royal duties, negotiate some kind of quasi-royal status where he could earn his own money and go and live in Canada. Oh, he’s done that? Dunno then.

We know you play the lute. Do you have any other skills?

I can strip the engine of a Wolsey Hornet in under 20 minutes.

What song do you like to play at the end of a trying day?

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

by Aphrodite’s Child. I’m a sucker for early ’70s Greek Prog Rock.

You’re known for being on the verge of financial ruin. Are you planning any economies in the coming year? Maybe

cut back on the tapestries?

You’re joking, aren’t you? I’m The King. Not Martyn Lewis, the Money-Saving Expert.

How would you most like to be remembered?

I would like to be immortalised as the subject of a knockabout musical comedy show in the early st century by two scruffy blokes from Clevedon. D’you think that could be arranged?

Do you have any Bristol connections – a spare manor house, for example?

I stayed with Anne Boleyn at Acton Court, a Tudor manor house just north of Bristol, while touring the West Country in 1535. Not funny, but true. I just looked it up on the internet.

Describe a perfect weekend.

I’ve always believed in the maxim, “Don’t let being perfect get in the way of being adequate”.

So I’ll settle for a pie and a pint at Ashton Gate.

Your most regrettable habit?

Beheading wives. And vaping.

Share a few surprising facts we might learn if we come to see Six Wives at Wardrobe

I used to love doing embroidery with my third wife, Jane Seymour. No, really.

We’d better let you get on. What are you doing immediately after answering these questions?

Well, I was just on my way to have my ulcer drained into a bucket. So probably that.

Six Wives Of Henry VIII runs 12-14 March at The Wardrobe www.thewardrobetheatre.com www.livingspit.co.uk