Bristol Life - Issue 290

THE FOOD ISSUE

CELEBRATING THE CITY

ISSUE 290 / AUTUMN 2020 / £3

ISSUE 290 / AUTUMN 2020 / EAT, DRINK, BRISTOL FASHION

Peter

Josh

Jamie

Ben

Andreas Jim

Jan

CHEF FIELD UNITED THE YEAR BRISTOL HOSPITALITY GOT A BIT IN TENTS

TUDOR REVIVAL CLOSE TO IT’S DEFINITELY THE VEG (MAYBE) THE LAST OUTING FOR LIVING SPIT’S ROYAL ROMP

BRISTOL’S FOOD AND DRINK PRODUCERS SPEAK OUT

DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT BRISTORY?

OUR LEFT-OF-FIELD TAKE ON THE MATTER IS UNLIKELY TO HELP

WRAP UP WARM NOW LUVVER, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

EDITOR’S LETTER

30

YES CHEFS!

Thanks for all the tipi goodness.

There’s still time to head up to Breaking Bread before they dismantle the village after 8 November

G

© COLIN MOODY

o on; name the best thing that happened to Bristol in 2020. It shouldn’t take too long; the shortlist is upsettingly modest compared to previous years.

OK, I’m going to go ahead and choose my own favourite thing: Breaking Bread, the collection of pop-up restaurants and bars that have operated out of tipis on the Downs since August. So very, very Bristol, that if it was a stick of rock it would have the name of the city running right through it.

Breaking Bread has been the local food scene’s genius two-fingers-up to Covid; a place where we’ve been able to fine-dine and casually drink in a socially-distanced festival atmosphere through summer and autumn. The tipis will be up for a further ten days after this magazine comes out, and this issue seemed as good a one as any to pay a proper tribute to Bristol’s hospitality sector.

Because as we’ve mentioned before, our chefs haven’t just acted cleverly, creatively and collaboratively this year, but with boundless compassion, helping to feed vulnerable people across the city – not just during lockdown, but in an ongoing mission that continues today. We don’t make a point of dedicating our magazines to anyone, but this one is for them.

Oh, and go out and eat at their restaurants, now, yes?

DERI ROBINS Follow us on Twitter @BristolLifeMag Instagram @BristolLifeMag

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

Issue 290 / November 2020 COVER Photo taken by Colin Moody at Sunday Sessions, Breaking Bread: L-R Ben Harvey (Pasta Loco), Jan Ostle (Wilsons), Josh Eggleton (Pony & Trap), Peter Sanchez Iglesias (Casamia), Jamie Randall (Adelina Yard), Andreas Doukanaris (Adelina Yard), Jim Day (Casamia)

THE ARTS

11 ART PAGE Best in show at the RWA 12 WHAT’S ON Are we imagining it, or is the arts scene

hotting up?

14 THEATRE He’s Hen-ery the Eighth (he is, he is) 16 ART A winter auction for the JSS crew 22 BRISTOL HEROES The Great Bristol Burger Riot

(and other stories)

27 BOOKS Don’t knock the Booker shortlist

22

FOOD & DRINK

30 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? #3 ‘Bristol

food heroes’ has a whole new meaning

38 RESTAURANT Four Wise Monkeys, and how we ate

everything

41 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS Against all odds, the

scene is buzzing

43 STAN Doin’ it with the grandkids 44 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? #4 Bristol’s

food producers

SHOPPING

51 INTRO The only way is upcycling 52 ED’S CHOICE Wrap up warm, now...

54 FASHION ...In one of these nice coats, perhaps...

BUSINESS

83 BRISTOLWORKS Virtual rewarded

PROPERTY

86 SHOWCASE School’s out, but the developers are in at

Redland Court

REGULARS

30

6 SPOTLIGHT 9 BRIZZOGRAM 98 BRISTOL LIVES Beth Calverly and her superpower

Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Graphic design Megan Allison Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors Colin Moody, Stan Cullimore, Milly Vaughan, Goerge Maguire Advertising manager Neil Snow neil.snow@mediaclash.co.uk New business manager Craig Wallberg craig.wallberg@ mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Jake Horwood jake.horwood@mediaclash.co.uk Production/distribution manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash. co.uk Deputy production manager/production designer Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Bristol Life MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

We’re a Bath-based publisher, creative agency and event organiser Magazines Our portfolio of regional magazines celebrates the best of local living: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. 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

SPOTLIGHT Arts

THE STATE OF THE ARTS

en news roke t at do ens of ristol arts organisations would recei e around illion in t e latest stage of t e go ern ent’s illion culture recovery fund, there were so many exhalations of relief across t e city t at t e et ce ust a e considered issuing a gale force warning. e organisations w ic range fro a or theatres to museums and music venues, have described the funding as a ‘lifeline’ that allows them to continue delivering shows and exhibitions in an appropriate, Covid-secure manner. Many teams and venues also expressed gratitude to the audiences, supporters and artists who have shown so much solidarity with them over the last six months.

HERE ARE A FEW OF THE BENEFICIARIES: Aerospace Bristol: £514,000 Bristol Old Vic: £610,466 Bristol Museums: £270,700 Crosstown Concerts: £212,950 St George’s Bristol: £564,916 Spike Island: £189,306

ss Great Britain: £888,186 Trinity Community Arts: £329,363 Wardrobe Theatre: £65,192 Watershed: £731,993 Paraorchestra and Friends: £156,000 Tobacco Factory Theatres: £246,440

CLOCKWISE: St George’s, Trinity, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Watershed, Bristol Old Vic

Experiences

SAY YUUP

Didn’t have a holiday this year? Not even a staycation? We hear you!

Make up for it by treating yourself to a special day out with Yuup, a new online Bristol marketplace where you can book an eclectic range of experiences. It’s a brilliant way of supporting your local community while discovering original, inspiring and rewarding Bristol things to do, from arts and crafts to food and drink tours, museum and gallery visits, nature and ani al stu sports and ad entures and a few t ings t at are ust too unusual to label. All Yuup experiences have been designed to be Covid-safe, and take place in small, socially distanced groups.

For more: yuup.co

Sport

GOOD NEWS BEARS

tarting wit arry andall’s first try ust seconds into t e atc and ending in a istoric ictory at a ’s ristol Bears brought the European Challenge Cup back home from i -en- ro ence on cto er t e clu ’s first a or onour since It wasn’t smiles all the way. Toulon had hit back to lead y t e reak ut a resolute second alf and a strong defence led t e ears to a confident win cknowledging t e enefit of so e a a ing new signings,” club historian Mark Hoskins described this season as one of t e greatest in ristol’s istory and certainly t e greatest so far of the professional era.”

For more: bristolbearsrugby

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

LEFT:

Yup, that’s SUP with Yuup; Josh Eggleton doing something tricky to an oyster ABOVE:

SPOTLIGHT

STAY GOLD

Before we surrender to the darkest months of the year, here are a few amber-hued, heart-cockle-warming Bristol moments to tide you over until next spring

@richmccluskey

@brynwebley

@perkspectivephotography

@andy.hartup

@kruggy01

@helenisbell

@craigderrick40

@criticalcreations

@trav_tography

@kruggy01

@marieljanina

@kruggy01

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

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

MAGIC NUMBERS

1844, and Victoria is on the throne. Prime minister Robert Peel introduces the Factory Act, and abolishes imprisonment for debt. The Grand National is won by the 5-to-1 favourite ‘Discount’; the Royal Exchange is opened by the queen, and the Surplice Riots break out in the South West in protest against the supposed Catholicisation of the C of E. As ever, there’s trouble brewing in the Balkans.

Meanwhile, in the august world of mid-19th-century art t e or to gi e it its o cial na e ack t en t e Bristol Academy for the Promotion of Fine Arts – holds its first pen i ition at t e otto of ark treet in what’s now the Masonic Lodge. e a e no idea w at t is first e i ition ig t a e looked like – plenty of Romantic landscapes, we’ll be bound – but we’re willing to place a 5-to-1 bet that the

submissions weren’t nearly as eclectic back then as they’ve een for t is year’s t pen w ic as seen a dyna ic array of painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, installation and mixed media submitted by emerging and established artists, along with the kind of quirky gizmo things that kids enjoy looking at so much.

While we’re bandying numbers and dates about, we can reveal that there’s been a record number of submissions for 2020, with 3566 works by 1833 artists in for selection. Last year’s pen attracted o er isitors wit works y artists aking it into t e final e i ition Book visiting slots in advance, for obvious Covid-related reasons. They may have had a lot of problems to deal with back in 1844, but at least they didn’t have that one.

For more: www.rwa.org.uk

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© MAKOTO ANDO, WILDLIFE PHOTOGR APHER OF THE YEAR 2020

WHAT’S ON 30 October30 November

ART

Ongoing

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION The Royal Photographic Society’s gallery is currently closed, but you can still view the 162nd outing for the world’s longest running photography exhibition virtually, and admire the work of 43 international photographers. rps.org SUGAR PAPER THEORIES: Meanwhile, also at the RPS, the icecool Sugar Paper Theories is a true-life Nordic noir as Bristol photographer Jack Latham chronicles the most controversial murder investigation in Icelandic history. rps.org

Until I November

HASSAN HAJJAJ: THE PATH Hassan’s colour-bomb of an exhibition explodes into the cool space of rnolfini arnolfini.org.uk CENTRE OF GRAVITY Soapworks hosts work by over 60 Bristol artists, in a monthlong programme of visual arts, performance, talks and events. thesoapworksbristol.co.uk

Until 22 November

CHANTAL JOFFE: FOR ESMÉ – WITH LOVE AND SQUALOR Inspired by the Salinger short story, the exhibition captures the changing faces of Chantal and Esmé as they move between mother and daughter, love and squalor, and the act of care and being cared for. arnolfini.org.uk

Until 20 December

CHRIS KILLIP: THE STATION The recently deceased Killip’s vivid photographic document of the style, theatricality and raw energy of the anarcho-punk movement w ic ouris ed under atc er martinparrfoundation.org

Until 17 January 2021

DENZIL FORRESTER: ITCHIN & SCRATCHIN Denzil’s paintings capture the vibrant energy of the dimly lit dance halls of 1980s London and today’s open-air clu s of a aica spikeisland.org.uk

Until 28 February 2021

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? Bristol Museum takes a look at the way that magic has been used to eal urt and ar down t e ages bristolmuseums.org.uk

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

Until 5 April 2021

BEING HUMAN Can art capture what it is to be human? Many notable sculptors a e ad a go see t e results at ristol useu bristolmuseums.org.uk

Until 3 May 2021

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR This year’s batch of jaw-dropping, thought-provoking, wild-in-toothand-claw winning shots from the world of nature at ed as per bristolmuseums.org.uk

5-21 November

ELAINE JONES: CLOSER TO HOME Embracing natural forms, Elaine’s ethereal, restless paintings conjure the colour, space and feel of places that are closer to home, yet still speak of boundless depth and far distance. t lifton onte porary rt cliftoncontemporaryart.co.uk

21 November-7 March

16TH OPEN EXHIBITION ee page rwa.org.uk

28-29 November

NORTH BRISTOL ARTS TRAIL

e irtual trail o ers a c ance to interact with artists, learn about their making techniques, and buy their artwork direct any artists also ope to open their homes and studios IRL over the weekend, rules permitting.. northbristolartists.org.uk

SHOWS

Until 2 November

PRESS PLAY Six new digital audio plays, short fil s and a co unity audio and taste project from Bristol-based, fe ale-led duo opelei free to stream at popelei.com/press-play

Until 30 November

PERICLES Shakespeare’s wildest tale – adventure, shipwreck, corruption and romance on the high seas. From Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, directed by Andrew Hilton: online oldvic.ac.uk

30/31 Oct, 6/7 November SHERLOCK IN HOMES Don your virtual deerstalker, grab a note ook and stick t e kettle on it’s time to Zoom in on a murder mystery via bristololdvic.org.uk

WHAT’S ON

22 November

OPPOSITE PAGE: The world’s best nature shots return to M Shed, courtesy of the NHM ABOVE:

He left Horfield as Archie Leach; he returned to swing on bus stops as the debonair Cary Grant TOP RIGHT:

Velma was unimpressed by Rudy’s incorectly positioned face mask

LEFT:

Esmé, in love and paintings, at Arnolfini

Silent-era sex symbol Rudolph Valentino parks his onscreen Latin lover persona for one of the most nuanced performances of his career at rnolfini arnolfini.org.uk

MATT FORDE: BREXIT PURSUED BY A BEAR Join Britain’s leading political comedian as he once again promises his last show as an EU citizen. At TFT, tobaccofactorytheatres.com

20-22 November

SIMON BRODKIN: 100% SIMON BRODKIN After three hugely successful BBC series as Lee Nelson, Simon Brodkin unleashes his funniest creation yet: himself. TFT, tobaccofactorytheatres.com

CARY COMES HOME FOR THE WEEKEND Marking the 100th anniversary of the teenage Archie Leach’s emigration from Bristol to the USA, the theme of this year’s online-only festival is Journeys. carycomeshome.co.uk

MUSIC

OTHER

GARDEN SESSIONS Trinity’s weekend sessions continue with an eclectic range of beats; check website for details. trinitybristol.org.uk

BRISTOL FESTIVAL OF IDEAS The autumn programme of online events; see full list at ideasfestival.co.uk

27 November

Ongoing

Ongoing

Until 31 October

7 November

3-5 November

LIVING SPIT: THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII See page 14; bristololdvic.org.uk

6 November

DESERT ISLAND THEATRE Live on the BOV stage, actress Stephanie Cole recreates seven key theatrical moments from her career, assisted by AD Tom Morris; bristololdvic.org.uk

13 November

REACT: UP THE ANTICS Bristol Improv Theatre presents new shows that respond creatively to the challenges of social distancing in live performance. improvtheatre.co.uk

13-21* November

HEDDA Bristol Old Vic and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School create a production

of Lucy Kirkwood’s Ibsen-inspired fantasy, simultaneously shown to a live audience and a paying audience at home, in a new experiment in hybrid theatre. (*dates tbc) bristololdvic.org.uk

19-20 November

DANIEL KITSON: DOT.DOT.DOT Daniel’s account of six ridiculous and devastating months. Conceived specifically to e perfor ed in and streamed from an empty theatre; this, says Daniel, will hopefully be a lot more fun than it sounds. At TFT, tobaccofactorytheatres.com

20 November

REACT: A SPACE ODDITY It’s easy to maintain social distancing when you’re alone in space... more uick-fire wit fro t e i pro guys improvtheatre.co.uk

BOOGALOO Bristol’s tribute to Americana from a trio of high-energy musicians with a barnstorming Southern sound; BOV, bristololdvic.org.uk

7, 14, 21 November

ASSEMBLY NIGHTS Old Market Assembly launches ‘twoshow Saturday’ with live acts and food and drink included in the ticket price; assemblynightsbristol on Facebook

12 November

SURA SUSSO The kora player, percussionist and singer-songwriter joins Pete Yelding, a cellist, sitarist and vocalist from a family of travelling showpeople, in the BOV bar; bristololdvic.org.uk

FILM

6 November

SOUTH WEST SILENTS: THE EAGLE

BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH ST PAULS CARNIVAL St Pauls Carnival brings together dance, spoken word, music and Bristol artists; showcasing incredible talent and looking at Carnival as a form of resistance. stpaulscarnival.net

Until 3 January

GROMIT UNLEASHED: THE GRAND ADVENTURE A new trail for the Gromits, with seven new designs as well as the return of some old friends, at Cribbs Causeway; grandappeal.org.uk

Until 16 December (Wednesday evenings)

CRIME AND CRINOLINES IN CLIFTON A jilted barmaid’s brush with death; a runaway empress; the Georgian terrace that housed the Holy Grail: take a stroll with Show of Strength and learn a w ole unc of stu you never knew about Bristol’s most swellegant suburb; stagestubs.com n

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TUDOR REVIVAL

Although the last tour was ‘definitely the last’, Living Spit are bringing The Six Wives of Henry VIII back to Bristol Old Vic this November. Howard plays Henry, because he looks like him. Stu plays all six wives, despite the fact that he doesn’t look like any of them. Don’t turn up expecting The Mirror and the Light . . .

Words by Deri Robins 14 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

THEATRE

“Don’t turn up expecting The Mirror and the Light . . .”

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

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

For those unfamiliar with your disastrous marital history, please list your wives in chronological order

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

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

Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. Sorry; that’s the only way I can remember them.

H

oward Coggins and Stu McLoughlin are, quite si ply le edon’s finest two-man, all-singing, alldancing, comical theatre company. They may be its only one; we don’t know.

They describe themselves as ‘country bumpkins from a seaside town near Bristol’, but we’ll resist the temptation to call them theatre’s answer to the Wurzels – apart from anything else, Howard might have our eads c opped o at’s w at enry would have done, and there’s no getting away from it: Howard does look a lot like Henry.

Here’s how it all began. Back in 2011, before Howard and Stu were a professional item, Stu was reluctantly dragged o y is u on a day trip to Hever Castle. “I was glumly trailing t roug a all filled wit portraits of dead kings, when I noticed, to my astonishment, a portrait of Howard in fancy dress on the wall.

Looking closely, I realised it wasn’t Howard at all. I phoned him, and said, “You’re the li ing spit of enry to w ic e replied “Well, we should make a show about that”.

Thanks to a winning blend of live music, embroidery, Barbie dolls, silly songs and vaguely historical facts,The Six Wives of Henry VIII was a hit. Howard and Stu have done many other plays since then, most of which have nothing to do with Henry at all (though Elizabeth I – Virgin On The Ridiculous kept it in the family) but the name Living Spit has stuck for good. And now, despite repeated protestations that the last outing for Six Wives was indeed, the last, they’re bringing it back to t e stage w ere it all egan ristol ld ic Back at the beginning of 2020, before lockdown caused t e tour to e lopped o as unceremoniously as Anne Boleyn’s head, we ran a little Q&A with Henry in person.

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

She’s ginger, so it doesn’t count.

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

once ran t roug a field of w eat so e at olics nd ne er ad a

urned licence

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.

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

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Aphrodite’s Child. I’m a sucker for early ’70s Greek progrock.

You’re known for being on the verge of financial ruin. Are you planning any economies in the forseeable future? Maybe cut back on the tapestries?

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

How would you like to be remembered?

I would like to be immortalised as the subject of a knockabout musical comedy show in the early st century y two scru y lokes fro 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.

How many people did you execute altogether?

Describe a perfect weekend.

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

Your most regrettable habit?

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

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.

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.

Beheading wives. And vaping.

Share a few surprising facts we might learn if we come to see the show at BOV

I used to love doing embroidery with my third wife, Jane Seymour. No, really.

Six Wives Of Henry VIII runs 3-5 November at Bristol Old Vic; for more: bristololdvic.org.uk

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

Principally, the ability to produce a healthy male heir. And a current forklift licence (don’t ask). nd not er an ad y fingers urned Why has it’s taken you so many attempts to find the right wife?

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

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© ALICE HENDY

ART

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Tom Hughes: “I wanted to capture those brief, beautiful Bristol moments I’d noticed while out walking or on my bike, and rapidly work through ideas on a small scale”

It’s late October: normally, at this time of year, theatres, galleries and concert halls across Bristol would be advertising t eir as culture sales Meanwhile, over at Jamaica Street Studios, dozens of artists would be fe eris ly trying to finis pieces in time for their annual open studios e ent In the autumn of 2020, however, the scenario looks a little di erent

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 17

© ALICE HENDY

© SAR AH SHORROCK

ART

ART

© ALICE HENDY

“The lockdown felt like a kind of domestic confinement that we all had to e perience

oPPOSITE PAGE, FROM TOP: Emma Dibben welcomes visitors at last year’s open studios; Tom Hughes with (inset) his auction piece THIS PAGE: Lucy Ward

H

oused in an old carriageworks in Stokes Croft, Jamaica Street Studios is one of the largest artist-led studios outside London. It was established over 20 years ago, and with over 30 artists working across t ree oors t e site is now o e to an eclectic range of practices: painting, installation, drawing, paper cutting, doll-making, printing, illustration, fil aking you na e it From the very beginning, their annual open studios event has been a popular highlight of the year, with many hundreds of visitors trooping in to inspect the artists in their lairs. Even more crucially, it’s become the main source of fundraising for the studio.

At time of going to press, however, while all the artists have access to their studios, nobody else is allowed to visit. As a result, Jamaica Street tudios as lost a significant a ount of inco e t is year and to try to fill t e gap t ey’re launc ing an online winter auction on cto er Anyone in the world can bid, with artwork being sent out from 12 December to the winners.

Below, a few of the artists involved in the auction tell us about the di culties currently faced y isual artists and artist-led studios during the New Weirdness.

What does the immediate future hold for you?

Kate Evans: I currently have a solo exhibition in Frome gallery Kobi

& Teal, which opened last week and will run until mid-November. My immediate future work includes an illustration commission for a Swiss magazine – a double-page spread of a Swiss Christmas market! I am currently in the process of creating the rough image for this. In the next few weeks I will also be producing a series of small paintings for an upcoming Christmas exhibition at Cube Gallery in London. So all in all, artistically I need to get my festive hat on . . .

How has your art practice been changed by Covid?

Lucy Ward: Covid has meant I have less time to work in the studio.

t first during lockdown didn’t co e in at all and tried to work at home. As lockdown eased, I started to come in a bit more. But there are

lots of ot er t ings t at a e a ected y ti e nline eetings ey a e t eir enefits ut t ey do tend to drain t e life out of you The lockdown felt like a kind of maternity leave. A domestic confine ent t at we all ad to e perience ’ e always een interested in the everyday, and explore this in my work, and during lockdown I found myself thinking about it even more. The idea of marking time by drawing, or passing time, even, featured a lot in my lockdown work.

What Covid challenges have you had to overcome?

Emma Dibben: During Covid, restricted studio use has been

challenging for me. A period of time working from home has been a good reminder of how necessary my studio is to my practice. I get cabin fever quickly, and having a studio is integral to my mental health and wellbeing. I’m very much hoping we can keep using the studios through the winter months.

What do you have in the auction?

Tom Hughes: My auction piece is a depiction of dawn over the

rooftops of Stokes Croft. Morning is my favourite time of day for light.

It’s dramatic, like sunset, but it’s softer and more subtle. This is a small painting – 18 x 18cm. I did a body of work called the Mini Collection, w ic co prised around fifty c paintings ost of w ic were views around Bristol and Somerset that I had noticed while out walking or on my bike. I wanted to capture those brief, beautiful moments and rapidly work through ideas on a small scale.

That body of work was really helpful to me, as it let me try out a lot of themes and ideas on a daily basis, as opposed to getting bogged down on a large piece over the course of a few weeks. The Mini ollection sold well and kept e a oat all t roug lockdown ia t e wonderful artist-support pledge on Instagram. n

Jamaica Street Studios’ winter auction launches on 30 October and runs for six weeks. osted on 3 uctions there are over 30 di erent pieces from the studio artists. rtworks are valued up to 000 with bids starting at 0 For more: jamaicastreetstudios.com

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

ADVERTISING FEATURE

A woodland resting place BRISTOL MEMORIAL WOODLANDS is creating a 100-acre woodland burial ground just north of Bristol. Here, the company tells us why family plots have become newly popular in a way not witnessed since Victorian times.

A

n increasing number of people are buying burial plots in the South West so that they know where they will rest after death and be assured that their demise will not damage the

environment.

Chris Baker, founder of Bristol Memorial Woodlands said: “Greater environmental awareness seems to be driving a new desire for people to be buried, rather than be cremated.

Burial is traditional and natural and returns a body into the ground without using fossil fuels and without emissions from a chimney.

“We are now finding people buying burial plots for family members as gifts and whole families wanting to be buried together and know that future generations will be able to gather there beneath the trees and remember them.”

Traditional burials went into decline in the UK as a result of village churchyards becoming full, and in the 20th century cremations became the

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norm for many communities. Changes in the way people mourn and look at death have seen a shift in attitudes.

Said Chris Baker: “Most people think we are running out of room for burials in the UK but that is just not true. There is a real desire to create new woodland habitats to replace those that have disappeared over the years and doing that through burial grounds, as we are doing, is a way to finance their creation.

“It also means that there are people with an interest in maintaining those woodlands and their families rest there and that future generations will have a beautiful, natural place to go to remember their ancestors.

“The local council crematorium is often very functional and busy, and not a place to sit and remember loved ones. We also find that many people like the idea of knowing where they will be buried – whether that is their body or an interment of ashes.

“Some of the enquiries we are getting are

from people who are just being practical and knowing that we all have to face death some time. Others are from people with a faith that requires them to be buried and they want to buy plots for their whole family.”

Many faiths have always favoured burials and Bristol Memorial Woodlands has created a sacred Jewish burial site and a Muslim burial ground, designed under the guidance of religious community leaders. n

Information on Bristol Memorial Woodlands can be found at www.memorialwoodlands.com

1

DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT BRISTORY? Isn’t it time the Burger Riots became part of the curriculum?

Words and pictures by Colin Moody

R

ight. I didn’t pay attention in history class, so ere co e so e rat er left-field takes on t e subject in our city.

All of what you are about to read is real, true stu t at appened ere d ittedly some of it is just pure madness. But what’s wrong with a bit of that thrown into the mix? o let’s look at t e istory of our city in so e stolen moments via my camera.

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

PHOTOGRAPHY

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First up is every student’s bane: the march up those steep, steep steps of Christmas on the way from digs to gigs. But spare a thought for those under siege there in 1643. Charles was determined to take control of one decent port, and as Bristol was then the second city bar none after London, it was a dead cert he was gonna throw a lot at us. Here is a troop re-enacting the siege. By all accounts it had been a bloody day, but the enactment I watched seemed to involve quite a bit of time banging the drums in and out of the pub.

And why not.

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Never will forget the chief o cer who had been poked and prodded too many times suddenly shouting out alm down t s only a burger

If you chat to the traders on the Gloucester Road, you could be forgiven for thinking that their street has never been more lively and vibrant than it is today. But as I was reminded by a retiring garage owner, in fact, a hundred or so years ago, the street was even busier, because of all the manufacturing in town and the area.

If you look at it, Bristol has led the way in so many big industrial sectors. From cigarettes to chocolate, from cement to blue glass. It’s a proud history. And many of the big companies that made these items were told by the government of the day, when war was calling, to stop making nice, beautiful shop interiors, trams and the like, and to switch to bombers and, well, bombs. Someone took the decision to immortalise the Bristol Bomber on this wall in Filton in the place it had been made. It’s now an estate of houses that maybe don’t catch the eye quite so well.

What would have been if we had not raged into the darkness those two times? Our shop fronts would be wonderful.

3

Do you remember the famous Battle for the Burgers last year? That’s history too, now.

I was walking around the city centre, when I heard all these people starting to mumble to each other in hushed tones as they checked their phones and moved towards College reen t first it was orderly e ow was steady ut t en someone mentioned something about “running out”.

Was this an eco protest? Were we about to see the revolution begin here, to save us all before time ran out?

But no.

It was a burger giveaway.

And as the chosen few made their way from the free burger place, I sidled over. And there was disappointment on faces like I’ve never seen before. They had run out. The free burgers had run out. They had gone. No free burgers. That was how I’d describe their faces. Their faces simply said ‘no free burger’; each face, the same.

And then a black top of the line 4x4 rolled by the Marriott, and someone shouted ‘free burger’, and it all went mad. One bloke, I kid you not, vaulted over a guy in a wheelchair who was in the way, and that was when the police stepped in, and started to hand out the free burgers in a ‘controlled way’. e er will forget t e c ief o cer w o ad een poked and prodded for a free greasy burger too many times, suddenly shouting out “Calm down! It’s only a burger!”

But arms kept reaching and pushing, and somehow I got to the front to take this shot. People who’d managed to get one had their faces change from ‘no burger’ to ‘got a burger’, and then they somehow slipped away. Without thinking, I simply spoke up the words “free burger for the press,” and the nice policeman handed me a double patty, and I felt good. If not a little ashamed.

And if you were there, remember it well, and tell your grandchildren about the day we all went a little mad for it.

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

4

I was able to get to see the After Hours show at the RWA shortly before lockdown. Fashion designers and their work catwalked in between the art from the shows Africa State of Mind and Refuge. Two groundbreaking shows. That’s what you say, right?

But know what’s groundbreaking is that this is now becoming standard. That we come to see this because it’s here, because it’s great art, and because it’s fun.

And we come and sit and watch and it’s what we do.

This is history in the making now. Of a kind of unity and forward-thinking that pushes the conventions of what can be achieved in a place like the RWA for the better of us all. And it is good.

5

Remember the days when we used to gather in our thousands to celebrate the Grand Iftar?

When people could leave their doors open, because they had to, so the food could keep being transported out of half a dozen industrial kitchens into St Marks Road, onto the carpet, where all types of locals were gathering to break the fast along with the Muslims?

Remember? It was so, so long ago. It was 2019. rganised on t at n t e o ce a o e weet art Bristol. We don’t just have history. We make history.

Every day.

6

This is how we show appreciation for Big Issue seller e nig t and on is ter s in a way e could feel was rig t t ink t at w at e gi es us is beyond words. He is so dedicated to being there for people, and he makes all our days better. Just for seeing him. He is loving, living history. ut no ore words ind deeds is w at we all need. If he tells you something, listen. Listen carefully. There is wisdom there. And he is what we need more of, before the good values become history.

Not on his watch.

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

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5

PHOTOGRAPHY

7

Grace Jones came to the Downs, and all my ’80s feelings came back. She took us back into the art style she used on some of her albums and singles.

Some of us are just walking through history. Others are history.

8

If these are the days of history for the future, then how will we look upon them?

We live in interesting times, they say. This Trump’s expression sums up a lot of how I feel about the times we live in.

Taken at Area 404.

9

7

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“Some of us are just walking through history.

Others are history”

History is happening now. I mean that bit, just then, when you read that. That’s history, now.

And that bit. And so on. Doesn’t feel special though, does it? But every now and then, something happens t at defines our ti e ike t e ti e reta un urg turned up and delivered a speech before joining the student strike march.

Here she is, marching towards the telephotos of the world’s press going click-click-click as time goes ticktock-tick. Time is running out. And one day we will look back, and as Greta said on College Green, “We will have to ask ourselves, what did we do?”

I wanted to show how ordinary she is, just like me and you. And let’s see how history judges us, shall we? an we go car on-neutral as a city and still y o to catch some winter sun? What if history shows we fired up t e ope of a t ousand retas on t e uddy plains of City Hall on that day?

I will share some of the protestors’ faces next time we run a Protest Heroes collection.

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

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

EMILY & DAN ROSS STORYSMITH BOOKS

New voices

Ignore the moaners who claim that it’s too US-centric; Dan and Emily feel that the Booker shortlist has never looked so fresh or exciting

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s an independent usiness it is ardwired into us to cele rate une pected successes to applaud t e unusual to ack t e underdog o w en t e ooker ri e s ortlist was announced last ont to us it was delicious e pre iously announced longlist of no els was stu ed wit wort y c oices for sure and none ore wort y t an t e long-awaited t ird olu e in ilary antel’s olf all trilogy The Mirror And The Light tipped y any to e t e ook t at ga e its aut or er t ird ictory ut w en t at frontrunner failed to e en ake t e s ortlist we knew so et ing interesting was appening o w at a out t ese giant-toppling no els our of t e final si are de uts t ey are c eeringly international in setting and t eir contained stories run t e ga uts of pri ilege and repression decadence and gri e science and ysticis oug t e talents t e sel es are nascent and t e careers of t e aut ors still e erging ooks like

“One thing unites all six shortlisted authors: they could actually use an award”

randon yler’s redefinition of t e ca pus novel, Real Life are as acco plis ed as any enerated erican stalwart w ile t e grit and ostility in ouglas oupland’s Shuggie Bain a story of addiction and ad ersity set in a kaleidoscopically ric ersion of lasgow in t e s takes t e courage and control associated wit uc ore esta lis ed writers aa a engiste’s The Shadow King is nota le not si ply as t e first e er t iopian ook to ake t e s ortlist ut as a sprawling and en eloping piece of istorical fiction t at con incingly details t e e otional and p ysical trau as of t e talian- t iopian con ict of all fro t e perspecti e of resourceful aid irut n Burnt Sugar ni os i e plores a to ic ot er-daug ter relations ip and t e onds of pain and etrayal t at we carry wit us w ile t e listering ackdrop of une gi es t e no el a fir sense of place iane ook’s scintillating and unsettling cli ate c ange-inspired sur i al story The New Wilderness is per aps t e ost con entional and conte porary no el on t e s ortlist w ile sitsi angare ga’s anti-corruption acti is and su se uent arrest in er o e country of i a we as gra ed as any eadlines as er ook This Mournable Body is t e final instal ent of a trilogy s e egan ack in a trilogy t at asn’t ad nearly t e sa e cultural i pact in t e west as ilary antel’s ut now stands a c ance of eco ing e ery it as nota le

ere’s een so e slig tly ean-spirited reaction e oaning ow -centric t e no inees are all ut one old or ointciti ens ip ut t ere is a ore seis ic positi ity at work ere t is year’s list is a cele ration of fres ness and daring itious ideas like t is are so et ing a efty award like t e ooker ri e s ould e a plifying espite all t eir wild and in iting di erences one t ing unites all si s ortlisted aut ors t ey could actually use an award ey are y no eans ouse old na es ne of last year’s ooker co- ictors argaret twood is one of t e ery few literary aut ors wit t at kind of status and e en s e acknowledged t at er career ardly re uired olstering in t e sa e way er fellow winner ernardine aristo’s did aking t e nu er of copies of aristo’s award-clinc ing no el Girl, Woman, Other we’ e sold at torys it as an indicator of its national perfor ance post- ictory it’s clear t at t e award can a e a career-c anging e ect t’s too uc of a clic to say t at t e real winner in t e end is literature ut it’s true oe er e entually takes o e t e gong and we a e our fa ourites t at t ese old and engaging oices a e een gi en suc a pu lic oost can only e a good t ing nderdogs will a e t eir day and we’ll e t ere to applaud Storysmith, 49 North Street, Bristol storysmithbooks.com

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

ADVERTISING FEATURE

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

ADVERTISING FEATURE

North Somerset vineyard wins more international awards English wine’s reputation in recent years has gone from strength to strength.

Sandy Luck, managing director of ALDWICK ESTATE thinks she knows why...

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ldwick Estate is one of Bristol’s hidden gems, set in 300 acres of beautiful North Somerset countryside, overlooked by an area of outstanding natural beauty while just five minutes from Bristol Airport. Since Aldwick’s first release of wines in 2013 it has regularly won international, national and regional awards for its own estate-grown wines.

What makes Aldwick wine so special?

Aldwick has been in the family for five generations, and as custodian of the land, it falls to me to ensure that the farm moves to the next generation. The vineyards are now very much part of this. Sustainability is a keen part of the process, and we are always seeking to improve in this area. Vines are hand-pruned in the winter, and grapes hand-harvested in the summer.

The local community plays a big part in our harvest; being able to selectively pick the grapes in the field ensures that only the best quality goes into the winery. Since selling our first commercial bottles of wine in 2013, we have tried to keep everything personal.

Each wine tells a story to explain why it is called what it is. There’s nothing romantic about owning a vineyard; it’s hard graft, patience, passion, and persistence. The romance comes once the harvest is in and I know it’s been a successful vintage.

What’s been the biggest growth area?

We introduced vineyard tours and tastings back a few years ago. Each year we have seen increased demand in this area. It’s a great way to spend a few hours learning about English viticulture and getting to sample many of our vintages. With the addition of our on-site accommodation, guests can take advantage of not driving home. This year we have added the option to take a picnic after the tour; what could be better than local Somerset charcuterie, Lye Cross cheeses, and a bottle of Aldwick wine to enjoy overlooking the vineyard?

Awards – did you say international?

Each year I carefully select the wines that I want to enter into various awards. These include international competitions such as the Decanter World Wine Award and the International Wine Challenge, national awards such as the Independent English Wine Awards, Wines of Great Britain and the Good Food Guide, and regional competitions, such as Taste of the West and Wine GB West. All these awards consolidate and confirm how good we believe the quality of our wines to be.

In 2019 we received the Best Drinks Producer in the Weston Daily Press Food and Farming Awards, which really meant something. The last two years we have been runners up in the Bristol Life Awards. It’s lovely to be recognised locally, and these awards are so important, especially as Bristol is known as one of the best food and drink destinations in the world.

How has the last year been?

Before Covid, our pop-up restaurants were extremely successful, and we’re looking forward to bringing these back. We are going to open our doors on the weekends in December to offer wine tasting, wine shopping and a tapas menu.

Check out our website for more information.

It’s been very difficult not to be able to host our many weddings for the majority of 2020 due to the restrictions of Covid, but this has given us the opportunity to expand our tours and educate more people about our wines. Check out the tour information online; they make a great Christmas gift or birthday present idea.

Where can people buy Aldwick wine?

We are in a lot of local farm shops and selected wine merchants in Bristol and Bath; see our suppliers on our website. Of course, the best idea is to pop into Aldwick and sample for yourself before buying. All wines can also be ordered online at www.aldwickestate.co.uk; delivery is free within a 10-mile radius of the estate.

What are your thoughts for the future of the estate?

I want to keep producing quality English wine for our clients, customers and visitors to enjoy and to continue to share the Aldwick experience.

I am privileged to be able to live in such a beautiful area and I want to be able to continue to offer this. n

Aldwick Estate, Aldwick Court Farm, Redhill, Bristol, BS40 5AL. www.aldwickestate.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 29

E E WH R DO W E O R F OM G H ER E? #3 Chefs united

In the third part of our special feature on the way we live now, some of the leading lights of Bristol’s hospitality sector tell us about the positive legacy of lockdown and the challenges facing the industry over the coming months.

Just don’t get them started on the curfew . . .

Words by Deri Robins

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

THE BIG FEATURE

YOU’LL BE HEARING FROM: JOSH EGGLETON Owner of Michelin-starred Pony & Trap (open at Breaking Bread), owner of Salt & Malt, co-owner of Root, The Kenny and Yurt Lush NATHAN LEE Co-owner of cocktail bars Hyde

& Co and The Milk Thistle, along with restaurants The Ox, Seven Lucky Gods, Bambalan and the just-opened Four Wise Monkeys DOMINIC BOREL Along with cousins Ben and Joe Harvey, Dom runs Pasta Loco, Pasta Ripiena, La Sorella and Bianchis. Loco x Ripiena is currently open at Breaking Bread; Bianchis has just reopened

KIERAN WAITE With wife Imogen, Keiran runs restaurants Bravas, Gambas, Cargo Cantina and Masa + Mezcal, and sourdough café Bakers & Co

FREDDY BIRD Having put Lido Bristol on the map, the chef known for his love of wood-fired cooking now owns his own family-run Little French restaurant in Westbury Park

TESS AND ELLIOTT LIDSTONE The husband-and-wife team behind Box-E, a small but perfectly formed modern seasonal diner at Wapping Wharf

PETER SANCHEZ IGLESIAS Michelin-starred chef of Casamia and Paco Tapas Now go and visit them all, yeah?

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

PHOTO @JONCR AIG_ PHOTOS

In late summer and autumn, tents spread across the city like wildfire. Box-E and Seven Lucky Gods have been serving diners under cosy canvas awnings, with a similar set-up being used by Freddy Bird at Little French

THE BIG FEATURE

F

ew sectors were hit more brutally by Covid than hospitality. The shops, at least, could take their wares online ut wit t eir doors fir ly s ut there wasn’t a lot that the owners of restaurants, cafés and bars could do except sit around for six months, twiddling their thumbs.

Nothing? Don’t be silly; this is Bristol…

CHEFS UNITED

n fact alt oug ristol restaurant owners su ered huge losses during lockdown, and continue to face assi e c allenges today in so e ways as een t eir finest our “The sector came together; we all supported each other,” says Josh ggleton or t e first ti e we also saw real integration etween hospitality and the community, from food provision boxes through to the work we’ve been doing with Caring In Bristol, helping the homeless by providing three meals per day out of three kitchens. I’ve been cooking with Shona from Emmeline and Dom from Pasta Loco for six months now; we worked out that by the middle of September we’d served 140,000 meals. And cooking for the homeless continues. Before the pandemic we were already supporting Caring In Bristol, but now we’re going to support them all the time.”

“We had our last restaurant service on 16 March; the following week we were delivering trays of lasagne to NHS workers,” says Dom Borel from the Pasta Loco group. “There was so much confusion; it was such a fast-moving crisis. But people needed food; hot food, if possible. The whole operation was called Feed the Frontline, and from March to August we cooked thousands of meals for those who were working day and night at the sharp end of the crisis.

“And then it soon became obvious that many of Bristol’s homeless and vulnerable people also needed help. Eventually, more than a dozen restaurants and cafés got together to form the Bristol Food Union, to make sure nobody went hungry. It sort of evolved from the Cheers Drive initiative. ere were positi es definitely e pande ic as taug t us w at we’re capable of, big time. I’m really proud of what we managed to achieve. We want to say now, and for the future: no Bristolian goes ungry t ink a furt er eneficial y-product was t at we onitored food wastage ery carefully ’d say less t an fi e percent of our food is now wastage t at’s a p eno enally low figure so we are definitely much more sustainable, not a doubt about that.”

“It was amazing to see so many people switch it up and adapt,” says Nathan Lee of Hyde & Co. “We saw Psychopomp making their own hand sanitiser, countless indies introducing brand-new delivery services, and people generally being incredibly resourceful and supportive of each other We’ve always said the Bristol food scene was a real community, and it really proved that through lockdown.”

“Everyone seemed to rally together,” agrees Kieran Waite of the Season + Taste group. “During some of our darkest days, so many people did amazing work for frontline workers and communities. It was inspiring to see people still putting ot ers first e en w en t eir own situation was dire.”

“During lockdown, Elliott cooked at the Square Food Foundation, helping to get around 270 meals a day out to families in need in South Bristol,” says Tess Lidstone of Box-E. “When he’d get home I’d ask him what he’d done, and it would be things like, mash 40kg of potatoes or ake uge trays of sticky to ee pudding “I put together around 100 boxes of essentials a week for young, vulnerable care-leavers. Thanks to an army of volunteers, these were delivered all across the city every week for 17 weeks. I also did a weekly recipe with ingredients and a cook-along video for them – just simple home cooking, to encourage a love of food.

“It’s easy to look at the negatives, but I think we should be immensely proud of how the hospitality sector in Bristol jumped into action right at the very beginning, and really motored to look after some of the most at-need across the city. It’s an honour to be part of such a motivated community. A big change for us is that we will no longer open on

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

THAT 10PM CURFEW… “When the curfew was first announced, with very little lead time given to us before it went into action, we had to contact around 400 bookings to ask them to move or cancel altogether,” says Dom Borel.”It meant that staff had less time for breaks, less time to work and less time to prepare our product, if we were to try and hold on to as many bookings as possible.

“All in all, we have seen a slump in bookings and in earnings. Also, on top of that, trying to get customers to understand that these are not our regulations, then trying to get them out on time, has created some bad attitude towards staff – this is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

“We have friends who are restaurant and bar owners who have also seen the same response. We have also seen the streets filled at 10pm with people trying to get buses or taxis, and organise after-parties. In our opinion and experience, this does not seem like a well-thought-out regulation, and it might even backfire.”

El Dom

“The pandemic has taught us what we’re capable of, big time.

I’m really proud of what we managed to achieve. We want to say now, and for the future: no Bristolian goes hungry”

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?

Just a few examples of the creative way that chefs have thought outside the box (and indeed, the Box-E) … The Pony & Trap, Pasta Loco, Pipe & Slippers and the Love Inn collaborated to create Breaking Bread, a tipi hospitality village

on the Downs. … Box-E and Seven Lucky Gods began serving under canvas at their Cargo restaurants. ... Little French began serving diners in covered church grounds opposite the restaurant.

Following the success of the food boxes they sold during lockdown, they’re about to launch

their new shop and pantry. ... Casamia has increased the number of dishes on the tasting menu from nine to an incredible 20. ... Season + Taste have remodelled Bakers & Co as a sourdough bakery and coffee shop. Cargo Cantina has launched ‘Cantina en la Casa’, a takeaway brand.

... Salt & Malt Wapping Wharf has rejigged its offering to include fine fish dining and sushi nights along with its fishand-chip takeaway. ... Hyde & Co opened its Asian-fusion joint Four Wise Monkeys on the site of Pata Negra. ... Coming soon! Queens, a new country inn from Josh in Chew Magna.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 33

THE BIG FEATURE

“We have faith in the creativity and resilience of our friends and colleagues, as well as the support of the people of Bristol” Tuesdays, so that we can use that day to continue our voluntary work. Life is not going to get better any time soon for many who were struggling before or during the lockdown, so it didn’t feel right to abandon them.”

THE YEAR BRISTOL GOT IN TENTS

“We started working with Team Love and Dom Borel to create Breaking Bread, a tipi village on The Downs, with pop-ups from The Pony & Trap and Pasta Loco, as well as a beer garden collaboration from The Pipe & Slippers and The Love Inn,” says Josh Eggleton.

“We wanted to get as many of our teams back to work as soon as possible, while generating jobs for those who usually work in events.

We’ve reopened followed all the government guidelines, achieving social distancing by separating tables and helping consumers feel confident to co e out to a place w ere people can feel safe to dine e reaking read operation represents a out a fift of our usiness says o ut ’d say o t e top of y ead t at it accounts for 98 per cent of our positive feedback. People love it. It’s a safe environment – we have room for distancing, lots of fresh air, and a te perature c eck at t e outer peri eter e’re definitely going through to the end of October.”

In fact, the tipis will remain up until the last serving on 8 November.

“Space and shipping containers don’t exactly go hand in hand, so during summer we made full use of our terrace,” says Tess Lidstone.

“Easier said than done, in the British summer; but we are grateful to all the guests who rolled with it, and ate in torrential rain under parasols.

From September we installed a heated and lit stretch tent for our terrace, so we’re not so at the mercy of the weather, but guests still have space and fresh air.”

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

Jay, Nathan and Kev of Hyde & Co OPPOSITE PAGE: Josh in pre-Covid Pony days

RIDERS ON THE STORM

“We started preparing for reopening well before the 4 July date was oated says at an ee e knew people were going to a e concerns about coming out, so the biggest thing for us was being totally transparent and honest – it was a new world to navigate for e eryone we were all figuring it out toget er e released our manifesto, which detailed everything we were doing in all of our restaurants and bars to keep our customers and teams safe.

“We are very much riding out the storm, adapting our businesses and trying to make the best of the situation. Technology and all of the apps we’ve had to navigate are probably here to stay, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“We’re optimists at heart. We do see Bristol’s hospitality scene bouncing back when this all blows over. The landscape will be di erent ut we a e fait in t e creati ity and resilience of our friends and colleagues in the industry, as well as the support of the people of Bristol, who are very loyal to homegrown independent businesses. You only have to look at something like Breaking Bread to see what can be achieved with a bit of creativity and hard work.”

“We’ve become used to juggling,” says Dom. “It’s stood us in good stead. When lockdown came, we had to move 300 bookings and accommodate them somewhere down the line. We’ve also juggled opening times; we open a bit earlier, and obviously close earlier, so e eryt ing is ore uid “You see, it’s not just responding to government regs and guidelines, and the latest Covid rules. It’s trying to anticipate what might be the ne t o e and ow we can cope wit t at w ile still o ering t e full restaurant experience. I think we’ve managed that well.” en lockdown appened we were all in a panic e y sta

STRAIGHT OUTTA LOCKDOWN “Everyone has been delighted to get back out; these months have made us all appreciate the importance of human contact. Restaurants aren’t just about the food, or the service; they’re about the whole experience and how it makes you feel. It was also fantastic to see people baking bread during lockdown, cooking at home and appreciating local produce, so if anything comes from the pandemic, that continuing would be great” – Josh “For the most part, people have been wonderful and so understanding, especially when we had to close Seven Lucky Gods in the first week after reopening; everyone was so supportive that it made an extremely stressful situation so much easier” – Nathan “Customers understand the measures that we have put in place. People have sent cards after meals, and the conversations you have with locals and regulars are more poignant and have more meaning” – Kieran “Everyone tells us they’re happy that we weathered the storm, which has made me feel incredibly emotional. One of our customers emailed on a weekly basis during lockdown to see how we were, and many others have provided such a boost through their words of encouragement. Whatever happens, this is something that I will never, ever forget” – Tess “The post-lockdown Casamia is a more energetic experience, and with 20 dishes now on a single tasting menu, a great sound system and redesigned interiors, we know it’s a gear-change and that the food is continuing to excite people” – Peter

© ANDREW HAYNES WATKINS

,

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

THE BIG FEATURE and all my key suppliers,” says Freddy Bird of Little French. en talking to y utc er greengrocer and fis ongers I said ‘how about I take some of your produce and start selling it in the restaurant by turning it into a shop?’ We started taking orders for eat eg and fis o es w ile selling o surplus ingredients fro t e restaurant t was a way to support all the people I’m supplied by, and to make sure they would be there on the other side, because we’re nothing without them. e o es were really popular so we started selling ot er t ings like our oli e oil eggs and ot er good- uality ingredients. This allowed us to help our local community and customers, and I really enjoyed still being connected to everyone. Being a shopkeeper was so much fun that we are now opening a new bakery/deli/wine shop.” eople always find a way to adapt says ieran aite e’ e ad to ake so e s ort-ter econo ic decisions to survive. But much of our ethos hasn’t changed, and we want to get back to focusing on training and education, and driving improvements in all of our sites to build great businesses that last the test of time.

“The current rules? Don’t sit on the left of people who have more vowels in their name than consonants unless you’re wearing tights…?”

“We’ve changed things up at Casamia at a time when we really want to ake t e e perience of dining wit us something out of the ordinary,” says Peter Sanchez Iglesias, who during lockdown also had a baby girl to add to his juggling act.

“We’ve increased the number of dishes at each sitting from nine to 20. Zak Hitchman is our new head chef, having been with the team for just over a year, and the team are coming up with some really fun and creative dishes, such as lion’s ane us roo wit ristol- rewed eep Water teriyaki with egg yolk and pickled turnip, a tempura mayan gold potato with black garlic, hot and sour crab, cull yaw (the term for an older ewe, from Cornwall) served as a kofta, Baron Bigod cheese with hot dog onions, and usually si or se en desserts suc as a doug nut dipped in cull yaw fat, and a yuzu meringue pie. The chefs are thriving on being back in the kitchen.

“At Paco Tapas, having the outdoor tables overlooking Bathurst Basin was amazing over the summer, but the indoor space needed a s ift around e were a le to e tend the front of the restaurant into part of what was Pi Shop ne t door to gi e guests ore space e a e syc opo p hand sanitiser at the entrance, and the same great menu people lo e fro a n cro uetas and t e stu ed uail to the chocolate mousse with olive oil and toast for dessert.”

Yes chefs!

PHOTO @COLIN MOODY

No, the Casamia kitchen hasn’t gone al fresco; Peter joined Josh, Jamie, Ben, Jan and co for an all-stars Sunday Sessions cookout at Breaking Bread

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

FOUR WISE MONKEYS

Game, set, matcha: Hyde & Co have opened their second izakaya in the heart of Old City – and yes, the fabled Iberico katso sandos are on the menu...

Words by Deri Robins

RESTAURANT

B

ack last summer – no, I don’t mean 2020’s non-event of a summer, the last proper one we had, the summer of 2019 – Hyde & Co opened a new joint called Seven Lucky Gods in a couple of those bijou shipping units down in Cargo. We trotted along for the excellent Asian-fusion grub, the ice-cold Asahi beers and the reliably lovely cocktails (it’s Hyde & Co, remember), and came away with a culinary education. Because this, we learned, was Bristol’s first izakaya bar.

The room layout hasn’t changed that much, with the same long bar and tables down the side and at the back and front, though now there are fewer cosy booths, and the downtown Cadiz vibe has been traded in for funky neon strips in Christmas light colours. The vibe seemed buzzier than we remembered from its Pata days; there again, this could just have been down to a general febrile excitement over the sight of a new opening in full flow. Either way, it was a delight to see so many people out having fun, stuffing themselves and giving the hospitality industry a much-needed boost at the same time.

Say what now?

The cuisine, created by the group’s executive chef Todd Francis, is a If you Google izakaya, you’ll find it described as ‘Japan’s answer to the tasty compilation of Japanese, Korean and Sichuan greatest hits. You’ll gastropub’. Well, yes; but there again, no. It’s true that both are casual struggle to clock up your five-a-day here, and you may have to recalibrate dining destinations, where you can get food to go with your booze, but the keto diet afterwards, but you’ll probably be too excited by the whereas gastropubs specialise in full-on, à-la-carte tantalising dishes on offer to care. blow-outs featuring artisan pies, chips the size of a The menu comprises snacks and small plates, FOUR WISE MONKEYS baby’s arm and sticky toffee puddings so calorific rice and noodles, sandos and buns. As you do What? Asian-style super diner serving casual that you may as well just apply them to your hips, when dining in a group, we dived in randomly small plates, brunch and cocktails all day izakayas serve small plates, almost like a Spanish and ordered up the lot. If I tried to list everything What’s the schtick? Small plates, buns, noodles tapas bar. Gastropubs are generally spacious and we ate I’d still be banging on about tofu dan dan and rice served in an upbeat and funky setting comfy, with squishy banquettes, crackling log fires noodles and corn fritters by the time we reached the How much? Plates range from £5 to £13 and resident springer spaniels named Beamer; property section at the back of the magazine, so I’ll Atmosphere Fun, informal, buzzy, downtownizakayas tend to be tiny, sparse little dives tucked just pull out a few highlights.

Tokyo-meets-Bristol-Old-City vibe down narrow, lantern-lit alleyways. They typically Everyone tried to bag more than their fair share Service On-it and charming attract drinkers popping in on their way home of the crispy pork and scallop salad. The meat Booze Ice-cold Asahi beers, fabulous cocktails, from work; if you want to get etymological, which was tender, sticky and crisp in all the right places, Where? 30 Clare Street, Bristol; 0117 927 6762 I’m guessing you don’t, the word is made of ‘I’ (to the scallops fat and sweet, with extra interest fourwisemonkeysbristol.com stay) and ‘sakaya’; in other words, sake shops that from crunchy peanuts, earthy fish sauce and juicy allow customers to sit on the premises to drink. pineapple.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, Seven Lucky was a palpable hit for the Divvying up four buns – two stuffed with soft shell crab, two with Hyde lads. For weeks after our visit we went swaggering around, casually glistening portions of Korean fried chicken – proved tricky, but we had referencing ‘izakaya bars’ as if we were straight outta Shinjuku, while plenty of fun trying. Tuna tartare made a pleasingly light intermission bossily insisting that the Iberico katsu sandos should go straight to the top before loading up on yet more carbs in the form of the Iberico katsu sandos of your ‘ten Bristol dishes to try before you die’ list.

– basically, a sandwich made from Japanese milk bread and minced pork, Hell, we even bought a couple of the t-shirts. but so, so much more thrilling than that sounds, with the addition of kewpie And now Hyde & Co have followed up its success by transforming their (not the plastic baby doll, but a super-rich, almost custardy mayonnaise) and former tapas bar, Pata Negra in Old City, into a second izakaya. Its name bulldog (no, don’t write in, it’s a kind of tonkatsu sauce). is Four Wise Monkeys; its look is cool and funky, with anime renditions I’d go on to rave about about the silky gyozas, supplied by Eatchu in St of the eponymous sagacious simians on the back wall, and signs reading Nick’s, and the meltingly tender ox cheek in the spicy rendang stew, but I ‘speak no evil’, ‘hear no evil’ etc – rather a nice tie-in, considering that really need to squeeze in a mention for the cocktails; named after classic before Upfest turned BS3 into the street-art capital of Bristol, previous 1970s Kung-Fu flicks, they’re just as good as you’d expect from this team. festival See No Evil was centred around nearby Nelson Street.

I always sulk a bit when I fail to find some form of margarita on a drinks We’re not going to lie; we adored Pata Negra, and our greedy, patataslist, but I was instantly soothed by the first sip of A Touch of Zen, a blissful bravas-lovin’ hearts sank a bit when we learned it was gone forever. But shake-up of peach, jasmine and vermouth, while The Dance of the Drunk those Hyde boys have serious form, and so when we turned up mobMantis was pudding in a glass – rum, mint, white chocolate, coconut and handed (or at least, in as much of a mob as rules and regs currently permit) matcha; after which, as the dreaded 10pm curfew tolled, we exeunted Four to pay our first visit to Four Wise Monkeys, we were travelling hopefully.

Wise Monkeys, full, tipsy and happy, in a drunken dance of our own. n

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

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FOOD & DRINK We have a lot to hurtle through this month, so just regard the brief bites below as a taster menu…

© FIFI _ POWELL

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

LEFT TO RIGHT: Dareshack, Dirty Bird, Bakers & Co

NEW OPENINGS

Against all odds, they’re coming thick and fast…

Rob at Root

ON THE BOOKSHELF… Clear some space for the just-published Food For Thought by Bristol food hero Phil Haughton, of Better Food fame.

In “a celebration of life, good food and nature,” Phil shares a completely unique and personal perspective on food, farming and the natural world.

For more: betterfood.co.uk You’ll have to wait until early 2021 for t e first cook ook fro Rob Howell, though. Root is named after Rob’s highly rated Wapping Wharf restaurant, and has the same ethos of ‘small vegetable plates, a little meat on the side’. More in our next issue.

For more: rootbristol.co.uk

Eata Pitta is opening its fift ristol store o ering the kind of quality hummus, salads and falafels that have had hungry punters queuing around the block for years at its original stall at St Nick’s.

The latest shop will be on the corner of Princess Victoria Street and Regent Street, on the site vacated by Boston Tea Party. eatapitta.co.uk New ‘creative studio, micro bakery and speciality co ee ar’ Dareshack is now open in t e intry uilding on ine treet o ering a ong ot er delig ts specialty co ee lends fro Stokes Croft’s Triple Co Roast, and sourdough bread, pastries and cakes baked by former Bristol Loaf pastry chef Daisy Mullins. dareshack.com

The most insta-ready opening of the year award goes to cocktail bar Dirty Bird. Opened over t ree oors on ing’s oad in t e old oe a building, the bar specialises in gins, with the aim of using as many local suppliers as possible. facebook.com/bristolsdirtybird Bakers & Co has relaunched as Bristol’s first solely sourdoug akery it inno ati e baker Brett St Clair at the helm, all bread and pastries will be made from hand on site from a live sourdough starter; think chocolate brownies, rioc e stu ed wit fig and rasp erry a dou lechocolate malt and rye cookies, and more. We’re drooling unattractively. bakersprovisions.co.uk

LOCAL FOOD MADE BY LOCAL PEOPLE

A new Bristol start-up is enabling local home cooks to sell their dishes to the people of Bristol, making “real food, made in kitchens, not factories”. All About The Cooks has been founded by Claire Ladkin, chair of Bristol Food Connections, and aims to provide proper home-cooked food for celebrations, family mealtimes and dinner parties, for those keen to serve freshly cooked dishes without the hassle.

For more: allaboutthecooks.co.uk

FIVE MINUTES WITH… OLIVER DE MEO OF VINA LOCA Oli was born and raised in Bristol but comes from Italian stock – hence, perhaps, the unsurprising news that he had a love of food from a young age – w ic is w ere is lo e a air wit wine egan Oli’s original plan to open a bar project last winter was dismantled, “but we quickly adapted, persevered, and in August launched as a Bristolbased online retail start-up instead, with Vina Loca – we’ve had great feedback and we’re really excited for the future,” he says.

“A philosophy of freedom, independence, and nurture are the foundations for the Vina Loca brand. We’re supporters of modern, inventive, and bold wine, and over 85% of the range is either

vegan, organic, or boutique, though we do stock some classics too. Vina Loca was inspired by the independent i rant energy of ristol and we o er a level of engagement, transparency, and attention to wine detail that very few, if any, other online wine retailers do e also o er a free non-contact delivery service to the Bristol and Bath areas – with no minimum order.” ina oca also o ers popular ystery o es wit wines selected on a theme – you save around 10% compared to the individual bottle prices. They’re also holding virtual wine tastings – the guys send you the samples and notes, and you join online.

For more: www.vinaloca.co.uk

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

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Power to the people A renewable energy cooperative has launched a £2m share offer to fund Bristol’s first hydro-electric generator

B

ristol Energy Cooperative (BEC) has launched a £2 million share offer to help create Bristol’s first community owned hydro-electric generator, near Bristol Temple Meads station at Netham Weir.

This micro-hydro power station will use the natural force of the water falling across the weir to spin twin turbines, which will produce enough energy to power 250 typical homes. The scheme will cost around £2.4 million and will run night and day throughout the year, with peak output in winter; a time electricity demand is at its highest.

The community share offer which will fund this project will also help create the UK’s first net

Netham Weir site of Bristol’s first hydro-electric generator

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

zero domestic housing microgrid. Microgrids combine energy efficiency with shared on-site renewables, heat pumps for heating and hot water, and battery storage. No gas boilers are required. The microgrid will be installed at the new Water Lilies housing development in the Lawrence Weston area of Bristol.

Will Houghton, Project Developer at BEC, said: “Our mission is to invest in renewables, cut carbon, and build community. We’re inviting Bristol to invest in BEC with as little as £100, so we can all help drive a green recovery for the region. Through buying shares in BEC, Bristol can participate in the ownership of local renewable energy, support local communities, help tackle climate change and earn a projected 3.5% return on investment.”

The clean energy produced is sold to the National Grid and this income is then used to develop more renewable sites across Bristol.

BEC’s Chair Peter Thompson, said: “The climate emergency makes the need for renewable energy ever more urgent, so we’re rising to the challenge with this share offer. We know that people in Bristol and across the UK overwhelmingly support the transition to cleaner forms of energy, so we’re committed to ensuring they have a chance to be a part of it.”

3D visualisation of the Water Lilies housing development

The not-for-profit organisation will add these new schemes to its existing 16 communityowned renewable projects installed across the South West. These currently have a combined annual electricity output of over nine gigawatt hours, which is enough clean energy to power over 3,000 homes. ■

For more information about the share offer please see: www.ethex.org.uk/BEC2020 For more information about BEC please see: www.bristolenergy.coop.

CAFÉ SOCIETY STAN CULLIMORE

Doin’ it for the grandkids ‘Cos life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans

I

ad plans for t is week’s colu n you know ig plans ost e citing t ey were too in a co ee and doug nutty sort of way ainly in ol ing a trip to a lo ely new place that I had been told about, idden away in a uiet ackwater of ort ristol ust ad it it looked and sounded ost interesting owe er life as we know is w at appens w en you’re usy aking ot er plans specially w en t ose plans

“Being as soft as sherbet ice-cream in the sunshine when it comes to grandfathering, I immediately gave in”

in ol e c ildren or ani als In this particular case, and on t is particular day t e spanner t at paused y plans took t e for of two delig tful s all people oug would say t at as t ey also appen to e y grandkids was picking t e up fro school one afternoon, and told t e t at didn’t a e uc ti e ad to do so et ing all grown-up and business-related to do later on en t ey asked w at e actly it was ad to do dear reader foolis ly confessed t e trut old t e was o to isit a ery nice new caf nsurprisingly t ey were not i pressed e notion of issing out on a trip t at ig t in ol e snacks was not well recei ed ot well received at all. ong story s ort t ey ery uickly ca e up wit a uc ore accepta le plan ccepta le to t e t at is aturally eing soft as s er et ice-crea in t e suns ine w en it co es to grandfat ering i ediately ga e in ll of w ic is ust a long way of e plaining ow we ended up at a caf of t eir c oice Spicer & Cole. The one down on Gloucester Road, near the Galli. n trut ’ a long-ter fan of t is co ee spot it’s one of y fa ourites so was ery appy to ake a return isit ere is uc to reco end it or a start t e

location is superb, being perfect for people-watching. It also elps t at t e co ee is supre e definitely a treat for t e taste uds and per aps ost i portantly of all t ere is t e s all fact t ey do a lo ely line in cake-type snacks etter yet t ey generally a e a couple of ery nice egan options on o er ic for co plicated reasons, none of which involves any actual eganis are essential for t is particular pair of kids aturally eing s all t ey went for two di erent cakes on t e understanding t at t ey would s are t e it out any arguing f any sort ic t ey actually did ic was unexpected and a thing of eauty to e old lso pro es t at whatever else is going on in the big, bad Covid world out there, iracles do still appen ay e we will all get t roug t e ne t few ont s wit s iles and sanity intact after all o if you are looking for a bit of loveliness to light up your ele enses sc edule can t oroug ly reco end t is place It is just what this doctor ordered. a not a doctor. ) n Former Housemartins guitarist Stan is now a journalist and travel writer (not a doctor) www.stancullimore.com

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

E E WH R DO W E O R F OM G H ER E? #4 The food producers

Food, and by extension farming, is the lifeblood of any nation, and in Bristol its currency runs deep. With much of the food scene struggling and adapting to Covid, what do Bristol’s custodians of the edible landscape, it’s regenerative plotters and aeroponic engineers, have to say about our food future? Let’s get to the root of it . . .

Words by George Maguire

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

THE BIG FEATURE The future’s bright; the future’s apparently a kind of purply-pink at LettUs Grow: an indoor aeroponic and vertical farming technology company based in Brislington

THE BIG FEATURE

H

ow and where we get our food is one of the oldest problems known to humankind. Since the age of hunter-gatherers, we have plucked growing things from around us to put on our plates. Farming is a newer adventure than gathering, but in the eternal game of growth and decay, sow and harvest, farming has been a monolith of human culture for the last 10,000 years ile our fields ay a e c anged down t e illennia it is still t e field t at we associate with growing, and with our food.

Could this change one day? The South West is home to 38% of organic producers, along with the Soil Association, the UK’s largest organic certification ody yet ristol is also a a or usiness and computing hub, with tech businesses raising $305million in 2019. With Covid recentering awareness of local and reliable sourcing, what does this mean for the future of our food production?

THE TRADITIONALISTS

One farm growing in a widely traditional manner is The Community ar ased in ew alley t e far and its plentiful olunteers highlight the social bonds that come with farming food together. isiting on a rig t slig tly o ercast afternoon t e fields o er a dramatic context, with immediate views over Chew Lake. There are touches of the new: experimentation with growing methods, polytunnels housing arrays of chillies and a thriving direct-to-consumer veg box that has blossomed during Covid.

Of course, The Community Farm is not isolated in its format. Many love, visit and work on soil at urban destinations such as St Werburghs City Farm, Windmill Hill City Farm and a plethora of allotments across the city. Historically and socially speaking, these places are incredibly important for a city’s biodiversity, capability for self-reliance and establishing of community. Global shake-ups teach us that growing food in our community can be incredibly important and meaningful, whether supplemental or in commercial volumes.

Yeo Valley cattle safely graze, as serenely indifferent to Covid as they are to the jaw-dropping view

FIVE MINUTES WITH… IAN WEATHERSEED THE COMMUNITY FARM, CHEW MAGNA How has COVID-19 impacted you?

At The Community Farm we grow and source organic food. We sell over 700 veg boxes a week, so consider ourselves a route to market for both our own field operation and for other small, organic growers in the area. As such, we were lucky in that our typical route was not interrupted. In fact, the biggest challenge was simply reacting to orders doubling overnight at the start of the pandemic.

How can Bristol improve, food-wise?

There is a large amount of vacant land that Bristol Council is sitting on that could be used for growing within the urban

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

environment. Food resilience is aided by growing spaces such as community farms, cooperative allotments and the like, which should be encouraged for their multitude of benefits. Uncertainty and anxiety generated by things like Brexit and Covid can be directly countered through positive, embodied action – especially action as part of a group with a shared, desired outcome.

Has Covid changed how we regard the food supply chain?

Yes. Recently, we curated ‘Lessons from Lockdown’, exploring how Covid has had an impact on food and farming in the Bristol area. People do seem to care about

buying local, largely because independent retailers are considered more reliable than supermarkets during the pandemic, and because people enjoy cultivating relationships with those retailers.

Which Bristol food businesses inspire you?

Better Food is a pillar of the local food scene, consistently providing a fair and reliable outlet for small, independent producers.

We’d also love to give a shoutout to Poco Tapas Bar: Jen and the team worked wonders to reinvent their tapas restaurant into a gourmet take-out burger spot within weeks of lock-down starting.

For more: thecommunityfarm.co.uk

THE TECHNOLOGY VANGUARD

The traditional model of farming does, however, have some challenges which are ably being addressed by a vanguard of food technology companies in Bristol. These include Small Robot Company (taking the burden off tractors), Bristol Fish Project (aquaponics) and LettUs Grow – an indoor aeroponic and vertical farming technology company based in Brislington.

Since Covid, the company has temporarily pivoted from pure agritech development to being a producer of food for its local community.

Being indoors, their food is completely unplugged from the natural seasons. This of course has its advantages – they are able, theoretically, to grow bananas in December, and vastly reduce food miles – but there are also challenges, such as higher energy demands and evolving with new technologies. It’s an ever-evolving process, with ‘growing recipes’ (nutrients, light, pH, temperature) being tweaked to affect overall yield.

Businesses like these show us that a local food future in Bristol can be bright. Our city is proud of its diversity, but also its independence; its ability to act on important issues. It’s no different when it comes to food.

Covid has shown us cracks in the vast global supply chains that can readily be tackled by entrepreneurs, growers, collaborations and co-ops that exist to balance the relationship between nature and commerce.

It’s a necessary meeting between wellies and robotics, the merits of each being moved to the front. Imagine it like a giant game of Top Trumps: two food systems – old and new – flexing to accommodate to each other’s strengths and weaknesses. n

“Modern farming is a necessary meeting of wellies and robotics”

Covid may have put the kibosh on a lot of things, but apples will always be pressed at Yeo Valley

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

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“We hope the farm will act as an encouragement to all local landowners to make the most of this precious resource to grow nourishing food for local consumption”

YEO VALLEY Dating back to 1961, Yeo Valley, based in Blagdon, transitioned to organic yoghurt in 1993 and is now the largest organic dairy producer in the UK. rganic far ing co ats glo al war ing y fi ing’ car on in our soils Happy cows, happy planet. Tim Mead, owner of Yeo Valley is currently defending our food standards: “Putting soil front and centre of Government policy is imperative for the future of our wildlife, the world and its people.”

For more: yeovalley.co.uk FIVE ACRE FARM Five Acre happened when the team at Tobacco Factory decided the supply c ain for t eir food was a it long uc like o erset’s ot elney ar i e cre ased near ackwell works wit t e e isting ecosyste ini ising waste and a i ising plant and ani al di ersity ot far s a e c osen pigs as crucial to this task) to create high-quality and high-value food. eorge erguson creator of o acco actory reaks down t e far ’s intentions: “We hope this modest endeavour, enabled by a dedicated team, will act as an encouragement to all local landowners to make the very most of this precious resource to grow nourishing food for local consumption, and encourage wildlife, rather than lose it to non-productive uses.” or more tobaccofactory.com/five-acre-farm PIEMINISTER ie inister does pies t e rig t way wit si ple old a ours wit all t e tri ings ut it’s not always easy to uild positi ity during o id o say t is su er’s een toug would e an understate ent says o any i on ut we’re proud of t e t ings we usied oursel es wit w ile our restaurants were closed and events cancelled. We ran our Pie Street Heroes ca paign to raise funds for arities oget er we set oursel es so e ambitious sustainability goals to hit by 2025, and we created the Mooless Moo! t’s ust launc ed and we t ink t is plant- ased alternati e to our steak ale oo ig t ust e one of our est pies yet The guys have also ditched those little windows on the packaging. “Having gone plastic-free last year we’ e since realised t at eg- ased plastic alternati es aren’t as great as t ey’re cracked up to e as t ey’re not easy to recycle so we’ e got rid of the window altogether. This is part of a huge drive here at Pieminister to c allenge oursel es to e one of t e ’s ost sustaina le food usinesses For more: pieminister.co.uk

Happy chooks at Five Acre Farm; you can practically hear them clucking

FIVE MINUTES WITH… INDIA LANGLEY, LETTUS GROW, BRISLINGTON

How has Covid affected you?

It’s affected us in the exact opposite way to most food businesses. It was a lot easier for us because all of our processes (except for sowing and harvesting) are automated by our software platform. It’s been quite simple to operate a one in, one out policy, and we already wear lab coats and masks, so we were perfectly set up. We farm indoors, practicing ‘controlled environment agriculture’ which protects our plants.

How can Bristol improve food-wise?

Something that I think is a shame is that Bristol University isn’t running specific courses that focus on food sustainability. The city is a thriving food space, with so many amazing grassroots projects, charities and for-profit businesses. It would be fascinating to study food here.

Has Covid changed how we regard the food supply chain?

Yes; it’s really shone a spotlight on its fragility. All of a sudden, local growing is a lot more important because there is an element of trust.

Which Bristol food businesses inspire you?

Street Goat. They move goats around the city so that they can graze on land that needs to be eaten down.

I particularly love that this system mimics how livestock has acted for generations.

For more: lettusgrow.com

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

SHOPPING LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

THE ONLY WAY IS UPCYCLE Tristan Merriam’s company Doghead Designs takes vintage and antique furniture and upcycles it into vibrant, daring designs .

“We live in a world obsessed by consumerism, and are too often seduced by ‘out with the old and in with the new’,” says Tristan.“However, the revolution has begun. People are waking up and beginning to turn their backs on massproduced, soulless pieces destined for landfill within a few short years.”

He also feels that the past year has taught us the importance of supporting small independent businesses, and to that end he has opened a studio/shop at the Clevedon Craft Centre, selling his own painted furniture next to homeware and gifts made by local artists and makers.

As well as offering finished pieces for sale, Doghead takes commissions.

For more: dogheaddesigns.com

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

MELIN TREGWYNT CUSHION, £65 Nothing adds the cosy factor quite like a woollen cushion made by a historic Welsh mill.

This bright design is a vintage mid-century print, revived in 2015 From Midgley Green 26 Alexandra Road, Clevedon midgleygreen.com

THE COSY CLUB It’s cold out there, my lovers. Wrap up warm, now

BARNEY WOOL BLANKET SHIRT, £195 The clue’s in the name; it’s actually upcycled from tweed blankets, so you’ll feel as if you’ve never left your cosy bed From Peregrine Clothing peregrineclothing.co.uk

,

BAUM UND PFERDGARTEN LEATHER BELT, £59 This belt won’t keep you warm, exactly, but the rich brown colour and luscious texture is giving us all the autumn feels From Grace & Mabel 32 The Mall graceandmabel.co.uk

ORGANIC COTTON BEANIE, £30 Found Hea sells pioneering, ethical and sustainable brands across the globe.

“Hea translates to English as ‘good’, and we are founding ‘good’. We pronounce it ‘Found Here’,” they say, helpfully From Found Hea, Cargo 2 foundhea.com

BELLEROSE HELA BAG, £85 We coveted one of these last year when Maze sold them in cream, but didn’t trust ourselves to keep it clean. Now, this ‘breen’ version, on the other hand...

From Maze 26-28 The Mall mazeclothing.co.uk

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

REDWING 8859 MOC TOE, £269 Clasic Moc in navy leather; with stitching inspired by mocassins made by Algonquin Native American Indians From Maze, 26-28 The Mall mazeclothing.co.uk

FAUX FUR HOT WATER BOTTLES, £30 Is there anything nicer than jumping into bed on a cold winter’s night with a hottie?

From Pod Company 24 The Mall thepodcompany.co.uk

ED’S CHOICE RIBBED BEANIE, £39; BOOT SOCKS, £18 Whenever the temperature drops we find oursel es drawn back to our favourite Bristol heritage brand. This cosy duo is made from 100% British wool, and promise to keep dampness at bay From Peregrine Clothing peregrineclothing.co.uk

GORSE WOOL SCARF, £65 Irresistibly soft lambswool scarf in warm terracotta hues, by Kate Jones From Bristol Artisan 3 Lower Redland Road thebristolartisan.com

LECONTE LEOPARD PRINT BERET, £37 There’s only one hat that can pull o war ’ and c ic’ si ultaneously and that’s a beret. Extra points for animal print, too From Fox + Feather, 43 Gloucester Road; foxandfeather.co.uk

YARMOUTH OILSKINS DRIVERS JACKET, £145 Obviously not just for drivers; nobody’s going to give you any grief if you just wear it to hang out while shopping down at Cargo – which, coincidentally, is where you’ll be able to buy it.

In 100% cotton twill From Brothers We Stand, Cargo 2 brotherswestand.com

LEATHER BAG, £180 Jess Grey is a second-generation leather worker; her dad was in the industry for 50 years. All products are handcrafted in the spirit of sustainability and slow fas ion fro er ristol work enc find er on etsy and at the new Bristol Market website From Jess Grey Leather bristolmarket.co.uk

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

FASHION MILLY VAUGHAN

Cover story

Spring and summer coats can be bright and fun; but it’s during autumn and winter that the fashion pack really dials up the heat . . .

C

oats are synonymous with autumn and winter.

There are myriad things to consider when buying a new one; in an ideal world we’d have a handful of coats to tick di erent o es for di erent e ents or weathers. Most of us don’t have this kind of ardas ian-le el lu ury ut if ad to narrow it down to t ree key styles to see you ack t roug to war er ti es they’d break down as follows: THE RAINCOAT

ost regular coats are not waterproof ut li ing in t e est Country this is an important consideration unless you’re happy to li e in da p denial and uggle u rellas ater-resistant’ is not t e sa e as water-repellent’ so s op tec nically e trou le is t at ost s ell’ waterproof coats o er ero insulation so you might need to layer up with a gilet underneath.

THE WARM COAT

oes w at it says t e insulation factor is key eg du et coats teddy- ear coats and furry parkas adly rarely waterproof THE STATEMENT COAT

aka t e going out-out’ coat ink s arter structured older prints or te tured coats ess practical t an t e a o e ut w ene er you wear it e en if it’s o er pa a as you’ll feel a illion ristol pounds is year if anyone is wondering w at to get e for rist as ’ co eting a fringe coat n All coats shown from Harvey Nichols Bristol iladelp ia treet uakers riars For more harveynichols.com @millyvaughan on instagram camillapettman@mac.com

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

Burberry check wool coat, £1,590

THE RAINCOAT

FASHION

BURBERRY TWO-TONE TRENCH £1,990

ON PARLE DE VOUS WIND/RAIN CAPE £119

RAINS SATIN-SHELL WATERPROOF COAT £145

CANADA GOOSE DUVET COAT £895

MONCLER QUILTED CORDUROY JACKET £1,100

STAND STUDIO FAUX FUR COAT £330

MR AND MRS ITALY DOUBLE COAT £1,354

STELLA MCCARTNEY TEXTURED-KNIT WOOL COAT £1,150

BURBERRY FRINGE COAT £1,880

STAND STUDIO CHECKED FAUX SHEARLING £330

BURBERRY CAPE £1,250

THE STATEMENT COAT

THE WARM COAT

RAINS RUBBERISED RAINCOAT £125

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

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Care in the air

When someone in Bristol is in urgent need of medical attention, recent times have proved that we can count on our local NHS heroes to answer our call

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id you know, though, that one of our vital emergency services that we probably assume would be there when we need them, is not part of the NHS or funded by the government? It’s only available to our local community because of the unwavering support from our region: including you, Bristol.

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity provides the air ambulance service for Bristol and the surrounding regions. Within five minutes of a call, their team of critical care doctors and specialist paramedics can be on their way to someone suffering from lifethreatening illness or injury. The crew are highly trained, and provide hospital-level care wherever it’s needed, bringing lifesaving medical and surgical treatment straight to the patient’s side.

When the pandemic hit this year, the crew of Great Western Air Ambulance Charity bravely stepped up to support the NHS in the fight against the virus. In addition to providing their lifesaving service every single day, they helped to transfer critically-ill intensive care patients between regional hospitals, and supported paramedics in challenging situations with specialist advice through a 24-hour trauma advice line.

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

HOW OFTEN IS GREAT WESTERN AIR AMBULANCE CHARITY NEEDED? This year, we have responded to over 400 callouts* in Bristol alone. That’s an average of ten people a week requiring urgent lifesaving medical care in the city. On average, our crew receive over five callouts a day to someone in a critical condition in the wider region; some days it’s many more.

Each potentially lifesaving mission costs around £2,000 to attend, meaning this year’s callouts in Bristol alone would equate to around £20,000 a week. These are only made possible through the generous donations from people within our communities, people like you.

Though Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s crew are part of the regional 999 response service and work closely with NHS hospitals, it’s your support that allows us to fund our clinical team, keep the ambulance flying and saving lives in Bristol. n

*statistics correct at time of printing from 1 January to 30 September 2020

KEEP YOUR LOCAL AIR AMBULANCE FLYING

This year, many of our fundraising events have had to be cancelled or postponed due to Covid-19, resulting in an expected loss of fundraising income. Be assured that our crew adapt and remain ready to respond to those in urgent need, but can only do so with your support.

1. Donate online today Your donation means we can continue to respond to those in urgent need and provide lifesaving treatment to people in our area. www.gwaac.com/donate 2. Visit our new shop in Westbury-on-Trym Grab yourself a bargain while supporting your local air ambulance in our new shop in the heart of Westbury-on-Trym.

Open Monday – Saturday, 9am-5pm www.gwaac.com/westbury-on-trym-shop 3. Check out our range of Christmas cards Get a headstart on the festive season and let your family, friends and loved ones know you are thinking of them, while supporting our lifesaving local cause www.gwaac.com/shop Various designs available to buy online and in our shop from £3.99 for a pack of 10.

BRISTOL COLLEGE of MASSAGE and BODYWORK Professional Massage Training and Low Cost Massage Clinics • Remedial & Sports Massage Diploma Course MTI Level 5 Diploma - apply now for March 2021

• Indian Head Massage Certificate Course MTI Level 3 Certificate - apply now for Spring 2021 • Holistic Massage Diploma Course MTI Level 4 Diploma - apply now for February 2021 • Two day Holistic and Thai Massage Introductory Workshops • Exciting CPD programme for therapists from in-house, national and international tutors.

Low cost massage available from our students.

Covid-secure procedures in place including PPE use and training for students, practitioners and clients Lower Ground Floor, 109 Pembroke Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3EU - 0117 946 6371 enquiries@bristolmassage.co.uk - www.bristolmassage.co.uk BCMB has been providing high quality training since 1987. We are accredited by the Massage Training Institute (MTI). Our courses exceed the training standards of the General Council for Massage Therapy.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Uncertain times

The property team at AMD SOLICITORS are delighted to have been recognised in their field with another nomination in the legal category of the 2020 Bristol Property Awards.

T

he team are very much looking forward to the awards ceremony in February, when the winners will be announced – hopefully in person at Ashton Gate Stadium. The commercial team at AMD, made up of both company commercial and commercial property solicitors working across two of AMD’s four Bristol-based offices, have been busy during lockdown helping their clients to navigate the uncertain times. Helen Brewer and Grant McCall share some of their experiences.

HELEN BREWER, SENIOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SOLICITOR I was only six weeks into my new role at AMD when we entered lockdown, but thankfully as the firm were already geared for remote working, it was pretty quick and painless to get set up to work from home when Boris made his announcement. Work levels remained buoyant throughout lockdown with only a few deals either being put on hold or going abortive. I was kept busy with one particular deal between March and June for a film and television production company taking a lease of a warehouse unit in Newport, which they planned to convert into a film studio.

It was a challenging deal, even without the looming global pandemic but thankfully we got it over the line,

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

meaning that the client was able to take occupation in time to commence filming as scheduled.

As expected, both landlord and tenant clients came to me with queries surrounding the government’s moratorium on forfeiture for non-payment of rent in commercial leases. Landlords wanting to know what other remedies were available to them; tenants wanting advice on how best to manage cash flow issues. In both cases, my main advice was that communication was and still is key, to help manage expectations and maintain the landlord and tenant relationship, to ensure that businesses still had premises to trade from when this is all over and landlords still have an income long term from their investment.

For more on my lockdown deals and articles on the moratorium on forfeiture, see our website at: www.amdsolicitors.com/updates While the future remains somewhat uncertain, confidence does seem to be returning to the mergers and acquisitions market as deal levels start to pick up again.

With the changing face of the high street, there is also much to be done for landlords finding themselves with voids or tenants wanting to sell on their leases.

As more companies support working from home, there will be an impact on commercial office space and potentially more assignments and underlettings where companies look to offload unwanted space.

The commercial team at AMD has experience in all business sectors and would be happy to speak to you about any queries or issues you have in relation to your business. n

GRANT MCCALL, DIRECTOR AND COMPANY COMMERCIAL SOLICITOR At the start of Lockdown, we saw a steep decline of mergers and acquisitions but as time has passed, we are starting to see a slight upturn in M&A activity. The commercial consequences of Coid-19 have of course been disastrous for a number of businesses but it is promising to see that some sectors have been able to move forward and even grow this year.

Most of my clients have recognised the need to review and update their business contracts to try and meet or get ahead of the business risks that come with the pandemic. As we move into an ominous period of further uncertainty, it is a good time to carry out a review of your business contracts if you have not already done so. Business contracts aren’t a one-time fix. Business challenges, regulation and legislation are constantly changing which means contract terms are also a moving part.

Contact AMD on 0117 9733989 or by email to info@amdsolicitors.com.

Offices at 100 Henleaze Road, Henleaze, BS9 4JZ 15 The Mall, Clifton BS8 4DS 139 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, BS8 2PL 2 Station Road, Shirehampton BS11 9TT

2020

PROSERVICES AG E N C I E S / B US I N E SS SE R V I C E S / FI N A N C E / L AW / PR O PE R T Y

BACK TO BUSINESS MEET THE PROFESSIONALS MAKING THE CITY BUZZ

M

eet the shining stars of Bristol’s professional services community, from creative directors to financial e perts w o elp your wealt grow and a yriad ot er professions in etween ork ard play ard so t e antra goes ut ow do you ake sure all your ard work pays o so you can uy t e ouse of your drea s send your c ildren to t e sc ool of your c oice and still en oy t e finer t ings in life alk to an e pert of course and ere we a e a cross section of t e city’s professionals w o can elp you reap t e rewards of your la our

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

ADVERTISING FEATURE

AMD SOLICITORS

Grant McCall, director and company commercial solicitor Tell us a little about your business

We sit today between a traditional high street practice and a medium si ed co ercial law fir is alance allows us to pro ide a full range of services for our clients which could cover meeting a client’s first need for a solicitor suc as a will or first ouse purc ase rig t through to acting for the commercially sophisticated client looking to appoint a legal team competent to handle a larger transaction such as a business merger or acquisition.

When was your firm founded and who by?

e are proud to cele rate our istory as one of t e first fir s of ristol Solicitors operating outside of the City Centre. Originally A T Elliot o since we are t e longest standing independent fir of solicitors in enlea e e a e since grown to o ces in ristol and now provide a full range of legal services to businesses and individuals in Bristol, London and nationwide.

What areas do you specialise in?

Our 4 core areas are 1) Private Client, 2) Property (residential and commercial), 3) Family Law and 4) Company Commercial. In a private client context, we act for many high net worth clients and also those who are just starting out in life.

In a commercial context, we normally act for SME business owners, those who have a direct interest in their business. We recognise that SME owners do not have an unlimited budget for legal fees so we strive to work for a solution, considering both the legal and commercial drivers, that ensures the right advice is given without putting the business at risk.

Did you know…

We have team of highly competitive bakers in our ranks. The alloween ake o is co ing soon w ere all proceeds raised go to our charity of the year. Stay tuned to our website for photos of the spooky treats!

For more: 100 Henleaze Road, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4JZ; info@amdsolicitors.com; 0117 9621205; www.amdsolicitors.com

ADMIRE PR

Andrea Sexton, director

Tell us a little about your business

Admire PR is an agency based in the South West of the UK near Bristol. Andrea established the company when she realised there was a requirement for an ethical PR agency that priced transparently for t e e cellent work t ey produce e definition of t at ndrea uses is that of a builder of positive reputation of her client’s business or profiles and acting as a guardian of t at reputation is is carried out via varied unpaid or earned media activities including digital, print, TV and radio.

During the last year we have seen many clients struggle with t e pande ic arketing is often t e first udget cut in ti es of business hardship, but it’s a short-sighted view. How your business communicates with customers and potential customers now will be remembered for years to come. If you can remain front of mind now, you will e your custo er’s first c oice in t e future At Admire PR we are proud to provide a positive environment for interns and apprentices who want a taste of a creative industry.

Inspiring young people to dream big and to achieve in life is important to us.

Did you know…

That prior to her career in PR, Andrea was a professional sports person and learned her PR skills by doing her own media and sponsorship management.

For more: andrea@admire-pr.com; +44 7887 997922; www.admire-pr.com

“MARKETING IS OFTEN THE FIRST BUDGET CUT IN TIMES OF BUSINESS HARDSHIP, BUT IT’S A SHORT-SIGHTED VIEW” 60 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

ADVERTISING FEATURE

CORRIGAN ACCOUNTANTS Ed Corrigan, managing partner About Us

orrigan ccountants are a ristol accountancy fir wit an independent spirit and positive energy. We focus on providing intelligent inno ati e ad ice and practical elp to take t e urden o businesses so that they can concentrate on what it is that they do best.

Our community and charity involvement

We are focussed on giving back to the community in which we work and we do this by contributing to our own named endowment fund t roug uartet gi ing our sta ti e to olunteer for local c arities sponsoring local charities and arts projects and fund-raising by our sta of w o took part in t e i ply ealt reat ristol k last year.

We also have developed strong working partnerships at the heart of ristol’s aspiring usinesses pro iding financial ad ice and guidance to start-ups via a number of business incubators in the region. We were also delighted to sponsor this year’s SETsquared Tech Xpo awards held virtually earlier this year in June.

Specialisms

ANDERSON FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Tony Anderson, chartered financial planner & managing director Tell us a little about your business?

We’re a Chartered Financial Planner. But with us it’s less about business and more about people. We want to understand what you want to achieve, your dreams and aspirations, your values and what’s important to you. Only then do we create a plan to nurture and nourish the wealth of our clients.

How have the last 12 months been for you?

This year has been emotional for all of us. Add in market decline, and many investors are naturally concerned. However, this can often present opportunities to investors and mitigate risk in the long term.

This year has been a battle between managing our emotional responses and rationally assessing opportunities.

What makes working in Bristol special?

Bristol is an entrepreneurial hotbed, and today many people are starting up new ventures. We’ve worked closely with scale-up founders and released our ‘Curious Investors Guide to Scaling Up A Business’, which can be downloaded from our LinkedIn company page. Bristol also has a number of partnership practices. We’re just completing our next guide about ‘Being a Partner’.

Did you know…

Other cities are catching up to Bristol’s lead on sustainability. New research we commissioned showed that 51% of Bristolians rated sustainability as important when making decisions about saving and investing. We’ve been overtaken by 55% in Milton Keynes and 52% in Southampton. However, Bristol still views ethical saving and investment as more important than other parts of the country.

For more: Saville Court, 10-11 Saville Place, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4EJ; 0 33 0 andersonfinancial s pp.co.uk www.andersonfinancial.co.uk

“BRISTOL IS AN ENTREPRENEURIAL HOTBED, AND TODAY MANY PEOPLE ARE STARTING UP NEW VENTURES” 62 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

e o er an integrated approac to your entire accounting re uire ents fro ookkeeping to year-end financial reporting and can also provide stand-alone strategic advice and specialist investigation work. Together with tax planning, our tax team have been busy assisting a number of clients with their R&D tax credit claims, a government incentive designed to reward UK companies for investing in innovation.

Our audit team are able to carry out audits under the Companies Act and Charities Act, grant audit validation work, client money audits and other specialist assurance reports, such as ATOL. Did you know…

We have delivered over £5m of tax refunds for our clients through R&D tax credits, helping local business grow more quickly. or more he ramshed ower ark ow ristol N dward.corrigan corrigan.co.uk www.corrigan.co.uk

ADVERTISING FEATURE

DATASHARP INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS William Wood, head of pre-sales

Tell us a little about your business

We’re a business communications company based in Bath – now celebrating our 20th year! Our areas of expertise are Microsoft Teams, business phone systems, video conferencing, data networking, network security and business mobile phones. We have the in-house consultancy, design and deployment capability to bring these technologies together and create the best solutions for our clients.

How has Covid-19 affected your business?

en t e lockdown was first announced ack in arc like any ot er usinesses our sta started working fro o e s you ig t expect from a business communications company specialising in agile working technologies, we already had everything in place to enable remote working, so we just carried on talking the talk and walking the walk! e’ e ad a ectic year so far elping usinesses adopt e i le working technologies, and it looks set to continue into 2021.

What predictions do you have for the sector in 2020/21?

We expect business to continue to adopt ‘hybrid working’ practices wit so e sta working re otely ut co ing to t e o ce for social interaction or when a face-to-face meeting is required.

Consequently, many businesses will look at the long-term viability of their workspaces and continue to invest in cloud-based solutions like Microsoft Teams, with dedicated Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTRs) to enhance physical meeting spaces.

Did you know…

We can integrate your business telephony system with Microsoft ea s to create t e ulti ate colla oration essaging and unified co unications platfor great way to upgrade to ea s w ilst protecting the investment you’ve already made in a business phone syste alk to us to find out ore For more: hello@datasharp-ic.co.uk; www.datasharp-ic.co.uk

DUNKLEY’S CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS Mike Dunkley, director

How have the last 12 months been for you?

Dunkley’s have been thriving over the last 12 months. We have e raced t e c allenges and used t e as a way to refine our focus re-strategise and fully support our clients.

With the continued uncertainty of COVID-19, we have been providing our clients with an abundance of advice and guidance. This ranges from how they can access the Government grants and support to the ways in which they can plan ahead to strategise and minimise risk. s trusted ad isors we a e een t ere for our clients w en t ey needed us most. We have not only been on hand to support them with their individual businesses but have also been there to provide a wealth of knowledge keeping them fully informed on the ever-evolving government support available.

What challenges are your clients facing?

The biggest challenge for our clients is the continual uncertainty of COVID-19. With this said, a number have embraced the situation and made something positive from it. They used lockdown as a way of getting t eir a airs in order and strategising for t e future s an e a ple our roperty clients see t is situation as an opportunity. They have a number of reliefs available to them as a result of is i unak’s inter cono ic lan fro sta p duty olidays to low interest rates and are using these to develop a strategy, mitigate risk and plan a ead s specialists in t is area we a e worked wit t e to provide the tools they need to ensure they fully utilise the opportunities available and maximise their property investment returns.

For more: Woodlands Grange, Woodlands Lane, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4JY 01454 619900; advice@dunkleys.accountants; www.dunkleys.accountants

“THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR OUR CLIENTS IS THE CONTINUAL UNCERTAINTY OF COVID-19” 64 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

ADVERTISING FEATURE

ETP PROPERTY CONSULTANTS Edward Le Masurier MRICS, director and Alastair Kimpton MRICS, director Tell us a little about your business

e are an independent fir of artered ur eyors and egistered aluers working wit enders andlords enants and e elopers in t e sout of ngland and out ales e ad ise on aluations o ercial roperty gency andlord and enant negotiations and our e elop ent onsultancy ser ice includes negotiations de elop ent funding aluations and land sales aluation ease d isory o ercial roperty gency e elop ent and uilding onsultancy e are delig ted to announce t at we a e recruited a artered uilding ur eyor w o will e starting in ece er and a le to ad ise on ilapidations o ercial roperty ur eys c edules of ondition and ro ect onitoring instructions a ong ot ers What achievement as a firm are you most proud of proud of?

e co pletely re randed our usiness during lockdown and are really proud of t e results e a e a new we site logo report for ats arketing aterials and agency oards e t ink t e new rand i age etter re ects w ere our usiness is now and gi es us a solid foundation on w ic to uild in t e future

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

e are in independent pri ately owned usiness w o as een ser ing t e area for o er years e a e longstanding relations ips wit our lients w o a e a point of contact at a senior le el wit in t e fir at all ti es s we own t e usiness we are in ested in e ery sense of t e word in t e ser ice we pro ide and we pride oursel es on our personal approac Did you know…

e a e an infor al running clu t at tends to eet on a uesday at idday for a - k run f you’re interested in co ing along get in touc For more: 91-93 Alma Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2DP; bristol@etpproperty.co.uk; 0117 973 1474; www.etpproperty.co.uk

GREGG LATCHAMS

Richard Hill, managing director

Tell us a little about your business

regg atc a s pro ides tailored legal ser ices for pri ate indi iduals and usinesses in ristol ondon and nationwide ur legal e perts work across di erent areas of law fro corporate and co ercial law to fa ily atters and pri ate wealt What sets you apart from others in your sector?

eople are at t e eart of our usiness e are proud of t e life-long relations ips we a e uilt wit our clients including any generations of fa ilies and long-esta lis ed usinesses y o ering a wide range of personal and usiness ser ices we are a le to step in and elp w ene er circu stances c ange Work/life balance – how do you get it right for you and your staff?

e fir is o ing towards a y rid agile working odel w ic will e ol e to co ine new o ce space and o e- ased e i le working for t e long ter is will allow our tea greater freedo to work wit a focus on client ser ice and producti ity rat er t an ours in t e o ce Did you know…

e are proud to say t at regg atc a s is one of t e oldest sur i ing legal practices in ngland wit roots dating ack to t e s s custodians of a legal tradition spanning o er years we’re dedicated to constantly e ol ing our ser ices to etter eet t e needs of our clients e don’t ust take care of t e legal side we take care of people For more: 6 Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4JE; enquiries@gregglatchams.com; 0117 906 9400; www.gregglatchams.com

“GREGG LATCHAMS PROVIDES TAILORED LEGAL SERVICES FOR PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES IN BRISTOL, LONDON AND NATIONWIDE” 66 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

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HARTSFIELD PLANNING oy

isnie s i ip

, head o

Tell us a little about your business

artsfield lanning

e are a tea of independent financial planners ur purpose is to i pro e our clients’ financial well eing so et ing we’ e een doing since y uilding a financial plan around our clients’ goals we put t e in control of t eir finances gi ing t e t e freedo to pursue w at atters ost to t e What do you think the long-term impact of Covid-19 on the professional services sector will be?

HARBOUR FAMILY LAW

ic y o arth, director and head o Cli ton o ce

Tell us a little about your business?

ar our fa ily law is a outi ue law fir o ering client’s ad ice a out t eir separation di orce financial settle ent and c ildren issues e a e o ces in t e eart of lifton illage as well as in le edon and ortis ead How have the last 12 months been for you?

i ture of e cite ent concern and opti is ar our a ily aw opened its new lifton o ce in anuary w ic was an e citing ti e owe er ust a few ont s later t e world was turned upside down y o id eing a s all and forward t inking fir we a e een a le to uickly and e ecti ely adapt to t e c anges re uired in lig t of t e go ern ent guidance ur o ces are p ysically and irtually open for usiness and like ot ers we are olding eetings and court appoint ents y oo ea s and ace i e is as eco e t e new nor al e ope as a fir to e erge etter and stronger fro t e pande ic a ing a supporti e tea around us as een crucial What challenges are your clients facing?

as een an enor ously c allenging year for ost people any a e financial or ealt concerns or ot e initial intense lockdown fro arc to une put relations ips under uge strain wit couples and c ildren often li ing on top of eac ot er wit added pressures suc as co-ordinating o e sc ool wit no real way to relie e t at pressure and wit no end date in sig t ere as een t e added pressure for any a out disagreeing wit t eir partner or e partner’s approac to o id or e a ple disputes wit parents w ere one felt t e enefit of a oliday in t e sun was wort t e risk associated wit t e tra el possi le uarantine and t e ot er t oug t it was not or t e pro le s of o ing etween two ouse olds during lockdown t is not unco on for parents w et er toget er or apart to disagree a out t e detail of t eir parenting and t e pande ic as s one a ars lig t on t at di erence s we face a winter of potential furt er lockdowns restrictions and circuit reakers t e situation for t ose in relations ip di culty is increasingly di cult ur role is to support our clients during t is uni ue and c allenging ti e Did you know…

ar our a ily aw started life in ortis ead in e a e grown wit an o ce in le edon in and t is year lifton ery year t e tea get toget er for a special day of rela ation is year we ad een planning on a day of paddle oarding alt oug t e current restrictions are aking t at a little tricky at t e o ent ur tea are all ig ly specialised passionate fa ily lawyers and-picked y founder aty ikking or more 3 egent treet lifton nicky harbourfamilylaw.co.uk 0 3 0 www.harbourfamilylaw.co.uk

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

e’ e seen a rapid transition to doing ore usiness online ot w en pro iding financial ad ice to new clients ut also o ering secure e ail and an online portal to e isting clients oo eeting are now t e nor en talking to new and e isting clients it is clear t at o idas ine ita ly caused people to re ect on t eir priorities and focus ore on w at really atters Name a rising star in your company

e’re really proud of aret ewis our n est ent ortfolio anager aret is a contri utor to aringapl a co t e world’s largest fund rating platfor and recei ed a op anked lo al sset llocation award in e is currently ranked rd out of appro i ately etted in est ent professionals fro countries in top fund co entary and also won awards in t e sa e category in and again t is year Did you know…

n addition to t e ara ayne arita le rust w ic we founded t is year artsfield’s sta participate in ont ly ake a i erence’ days w ere we focus on supporting s all local c arities wit in t e ristol co unity For more: One Temple Quay, Temple Back East, Bristol, BS1 6DZ; bristol hartsfield.co.uk 0 3 3 00 artsfield.co.uk

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LOOM DIGITAL

Karen Pearce, director of client strategy Tell us a little about your business

oo is an award winning ristol- ased digital arketing agency e’ e een skillfully wea ing toget er t e strands of strategic digital arketing since elping all kinds of a itious usinesses i pro e t eir digital presence and ake digital work for t e co ercially e run data-dri en ca paign across content arketing and social edia to elp our clients reac t eir usiness goals What predictions do you have for the sector in 2020/21?

ince t e corona irus out reak usinesses worldwide a e ad to race digital in order to stay a oat ow ont s down t e line ot consu ers and usinesses are ore accusto ed to using digital for consu er and arketing purposes eaning digital is set to eco e e en ore present in our day-to-day li es s t e ne t ont s unfold we e pect to see ore usinesses tapping into t e power of digital platfor s in esting ore in integrated digital arketing strategies to elp find t e consistent growt t ey need e

What makes working in Bristol special?

ristol as suc a tig t-knit supporti e usiness co unity t oo we a e t e pleasure of working and colla orating wit any usinesses as clients ut also as partners uring t e pande ic our partner usinesses a e een a ital presence ot in ter s of oral support and useful infor ation as well as client introductions and referrals e friendly colla orati e and encouraging nature of ristol’s usiness co unity is so et ing we ne er take for granted For more: 0117 923 2021; Unit 1.11, Temple Studios, Bristol BS1 6QA; Loomdigital.co.uk

INCE METCALFES

David Boniface, senior partner

Tell us a little about your business

nce etcalfes is a long esta lis ed law fir wit o ces in ueen uare ortis ead and an a e are a full ser ice law fir and deal wit all t e usual legal issues indi iduals and usiness owners face including fa ily wills and pro ate real estate all types of dispute resolution and strong personal in ury and clinical negligence specialist tea s ur co ercial tea s support s and owner- anaged usinesses across t e out est and furt er afield en oined t e fir in we ad o ces in le edon and rington now we are part of a large international group wit o ces around t e world including ei ing and ust recently yprus Tell us about your charity involvement

e are i ensely proud of our close connections wit ristol eadway rain n ury af oad eace and ere ral alsy lus w ic are all concerned wit people and a ies su ering life-c anging in uries and a e regular fundraising e ents to w ic all in t e fir contri ute ti e and e ort What makes working in Bristol so special?

ca e to ristol wit y wife ay c luskey ead of our ersonal n ury depart ent fro ondon and a e ne er looked ack ristol as e eryt ing it’s a large usiness u ut also ings wit creati ity tec great restaurants o id- allowing alas and a fa ulous usic scene t’s e eryt ing anyone wants in a great city wit out eing too large Did you know…

ur roup enior artner ulian lark is a key oard and player in is and o e treet For more: 0117 929 0451; incemetcalfes.com

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

andolin

“SINCE THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, BUSINESSES WORLDWIDE HAVE HAD TO EMBRACE DIGITAL IN ORDER TO STAY AFLOAT”

JAS ADVERT NOT IN YET

JAS Building Services

Quality First

MILSTED LANGDON Robert Brown, tax partner

Tell us a little about your business

ilsted angdon is a regional practice wit partners and sta across o ces in ristol at ondon aunton and eo il s well as pro iding e pert ta and accountancy ad ice t e fir also as a nu er of specialist tea s including payroll corporate finance forensic accounting insol ency and restructuring and financial ser ices What areas do you specialise in?

work wit usinesses and indi iduals on ta co pliance re uire ents and elp itigate ta lia ilities t roug ta planning is includes ad ising on clai s atent o property transactions and succession planning for owner- anaged usinesses What challenges are your clients facing?

learly o id- is t e a or c allenge for e eryone rig t now and we’ e een proacti ely supporting clients wit cas ow concerns y elping to clai ack usiness rates and apply for and ounce ack loan sc e es ur ayroll tea as elped wit furloug clai s and despite t e go ern ent e tending filing deadlines for statutory accounts we’ e een keen to finalise accounts early to accelerate clai s to aid cas ow lt oug it is a c allenging ti e t ere are opportunities and y a ing a close long-standing relations ip wit clients we can still reac goals in e er-c anging ti es s well as o idwe a e also een supporting our clients t roug re it and t e c allenges and opportunities t at lea ing t e will ring Did you know…

ilst predo inantly a out est fir our reac is far greater ilsted angdon is part of t e international accounting network orldwide w ic eans we a e access to tea s of accountancy professionals around t e glo e so t at we can o er prag atic solutions in urisdictions around t e world For more: rjbrown@milstedlangdon.co.uk; 0117 945 2500

“CLEARLY COVID-19 IS THE MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR EVERYONE RIGHT NOW”

Residential & Commercial Extensions – Renovations – Refurbishments

Call us today on: 01454 877520 www.jasbuildingservices.co.uk

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NICHOLLS STEVENS (FINANCIAL SERVICES)LIMITED Carole Nicholls, managing director Tell us a little about your business.

Nicholls Stevens was established in Bristol in 1986 and since that time we a e een elping clients plan t eir financial li es ur client ase as grown gradually y referral we a e ne er found it necessary to ad ertise and today our tea of look after o er clients e elie e we li e up to t e state ent on our we site ic olls te ens inancial er ices care for t e financial needs of t eir clients ot corporate and personal y applying t e ig est le el of skill and e pertise to t e ad ice and ser ice it gi es regardless of t e client’s wealth What do you think the long-term impact of Covid-19 on the professional services sector will be?

t will ake us realise t at tec nology allows us to contact wit eac ot er uicker and ore e ciently wit out wasting long ours and energy co uting to and fro client and o ce eetings What areas do you specialise in?

e speciali e in elping our clients prepare for and li e t roug a financially ealt y retire ent life e lay great e p asis on t e ongoing re iew of t e client situation to ensure t at t ey are still a le to aintain t eir desired standard of li ing Did you know…

e ay e called ic olls te ens ut t ere is no r te ens iding in a cup oard its arole ic olls aiden na e 9 St Augustine’s Parade, Bristol BS1 4UT; carolenicholls@nichollstevens.com: 0117 9290456; www.nichollstevens.com

RAGDOLL RESEARCH

Chris Speed, managing director

Tell us a little about your business

ounded in ragdoll researc as gone fro strengt to strengt working wit lo al usinesses as well as usinesses fro across t e out est and we are ery proud to a e done t is fro our o ce in ristol ilst researc and planning is our foundation our real focus as een on pro iding co ercial intelligence to our lients ensuring t at t e researc packs a punc ’ w en i ple ented What areas do you specialise in?

n a sense we specialise in t e unknown our strengt is taking a usiness c allenge or uestion and working out t e est way to get to t e eart of it et er t at is uantitati e tec ni ues like seg entation or arket si ing t roug to t e e en ore e plorati e ualitati e work like online panels or groups w ere si ply we need to understand w y What makes working in Bristol special?

e ity itself is ust so di erse fro its p ysical en iron ent t roug to its culture and t is re ects t roug in t e nu er of fantastic gencies and lients w o we get to work wit and call our friends s we’ e grown we’ e seen ristol do t e sa e Did you know…

“WE SPECIALIZE IN HELPING OUR CLIENTS PREPARE FOR AND LIVE THROUGH A FINANCIALLY HEALTHY RETIREMENT LIFE” 72 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

e na e ragdoll was orn t roug a core idea t at good arket researc isn’t a si ple linear process e peri entation and e ploration are at t e eart of great researc e’ll always look deeper w ic ay ean aug enting pre ious researc pu lis ed data sales data desk researc etc n t eir own t ese pieces ay only ake s all contri utions ut stitc ed toget er t ey are wort ore t an t e su of t eir parts at er like a ragdoll For more: 82 – 84 Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1QU, 0117 910 2800; chris@ragdoll-research.com; www.ragdoll-research.com

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SPIDERGROUP James Cook - CEO

Tell us a little about your business

SpiderGroup is a Growth Agency. Our services help your business grow and manage that growth. We help you work out what it is you need now and in the future – whether that’s upgrading your business technology, generating more leads through digital and inbound marketing, developing a new website, or any combination.

What achievement as a firm are you most proud of?

ot client and sta longe ity e’re e tre ely proud to a e een part of our clients’ growth, some of whom have been with us for well over a decade. We helped clients grow from 4 users to 400, 4 locations to 30, and eyond lus our sta retention is e cellent particularly in our tec team, thanks to our investment in growth and development. It all comes down to our culture and ser ice le els and we’re definitely proud to see the results of that.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

SpiderGroup have been in business for over 18 years with a great team and a huge breadth of knowledge and skill. We provide bespoke services for our clients, delivering incredible results based on what will truly achieve their business goals. We focus on the metrics that matter – t e ones t at a ect your otto line Did you know…

pider roup’s ief perating cer is not a fan of spiders n fact when naming a server after a spider, she chose “Itsy Bitsy”!

For more: Bath Road, Bristol, BS4 3AP info@spidergroup.co.uk; 0117 933 0570; www.spidergroup.com

“SPIDERGROUP HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 18 YEARS WITH A GREAT TEAM AND A HUGE BREADTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL” 74 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

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STRIPE OLT

Ryan Pulled, head of cyber-security Tell us a little about your business

At Stripe OLT, we like to think of ourselves as the go-to Cloud and Cyber-Security specialists. Working with the likes of Bristol Airport, Sustrans and Hargreaves Lansdown, we deliver combined Cloud and Cyber-Security solutions that establish high-quality, robust infrastructures, to transform business and drive digital success.

What achievement as a firm are you most proud of?

Over the last 6 months we have invested heavily in our Cyber-Security division, to the point at which we now have a dedicated helpdesk and team of security engineers to monitor, manage and maintain our client networks, 24/7. We are extremely proud of our team, who against the odds have managed to achieve this, all whilst working remotely.

We think it’s a testament to the level of knowledge our engineers have, as well as an indication of the technology we utilise at Stripe OLT. Importantly, this could not have been achieved without the strategic insight of our Head of Cyber Security, Ryan Pullen.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

Previously working within a FTSE 100 environment, Ryan has extensive experience in designing, developing and delivering scalable Cyber solutions within a wide range of sectors and industries. As a certified enetration tester efensi e y er- ecurity consultant and certified trainer to na e a few is specialities wit in incident response o ensi e security and open-source intelligence have given Stripe OLT the upper hand when it comes to providing an unparalleled cyber-support solution.

What plans do you have for 2021?

We’re fortunate to have a strong team behind us, who are always striving to reach the next level, so in 2021 we intend to add even more icrosoft old co petencies to our portfolio - atc t is space For more: 18 Hotwell Road, Bristol, BS8 4UD; ryan.pullen@stripeolt.com 0117 974 5179; www.stripeolt.com

VICKERY HOLMAN

Robert Beale, director and head of general practice Tell us a little about your business

ickery ol an are t e largest ased fir of sur eyors operating across the South West covering the breadth of the commercial world including agency, building surveying, lease consultancy, business rates, aluation and property anage ent eing a le to o er t ese ser ices across t e entire t roug our four o ces pro ides clients wit a one-stop shop.

What plans do you have for 2021?

The company vision for growth looks to continue even in these challenging times. Having returned to work after lockdown we were quickly operating at the same busy levels as pre Covid and as a result recruit ent plans were awakened and new sta are due in t e ne t few ont s to furt er roaden t e e perience and skills we can o er our clients here in Bristol.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

We are employee owned and have been now for over 30 years. This eans sta feel in ested in t e co pany and directly enefit t eir hard work that leads to its successes, they aren’t just a number amongst undreds or t ousands of ot er sta orda le uality and regional co erage wit local knowledge are two key ideals we work towards and our clients enefit fro Did you know…

e e ploy o er sta and elie e we a e so eone li ing or working within 30 minutes of any part of the SW region.

For more: St Brandons House, 27-29 Great George Street, Bristol BS1 5QT; 0117 428 6555; rbeale@vickeryholman.com

“WE ARE EMPLOYEE OWNED AND HAVE BEEN NOW FOR OVER 30 YEARS” 76 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

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VWV

Michelle Rose, partner & contentious probate specialist Tell us a little about your business

e’re a top law fir ased on t e ar ourside and can deal wit all your legal needs as an indi idual and or your usiness is all a out t e people our lawyers are friendly and approac a le and we en oy de eloping long-lasting relations ips wit e eryone we work wit Did you know?

ur istory can e traced ack to t e early t century illia as roug was orn in ristol in and set up as an ttorney in ll aints ane in

Tell us about your community/charity involvement…

ince ay we’ e een supporting t e rince’s rust a c arity ai ing to i pro e t e li es of une ployed young people or t ose struggling at sc ool e a e taken part in fundraising e ents suc as t e uture teps c allenge collecti ely taking steps and raising What areas do you specialise in?

s well as leading t e o erall ri ate lient depart ent at for t e last years a e specialised in disputes arising out of wills trusts and pro ate ur tea of ualified solicitors tea are recognised nationally for t e work we do and a regularly appointed y t e court as an independent ad inistrator to resol e estates and trusts t at are in deadlock For more: Narrow Quay House, Bristol, BS1 4QA; 07929 386 108; www.vwv.co.uk; mrose@vwv.co.uk

WARDS SOLICITORS

Elizabeth Fry, partner, head of disputes Tell us a little about your business

e are a forward-t inking law fir wit a strong local eritage and o ces in ristol and across t e out est ll our lawyers take pride in ringing t e ig est standards of e pertise and co it ent to t eir work e were recently na ed as one of t e top-rated fir s for client ser ice in t e out est y t e independent egal guide one of ust eig t fir s in t e region to e recognised What achievement as a firm are you most proud of?

n t ese di cult ti es for e eryone we a e een a le to sustain t e ig uality of ser ice we are known for ur tea s a e worked ard to adapt and keep in contact wit our clients in new ways ena ling us to aintain t e sa e le els of care as always e also a e e cellent sta retention people oin us and t ey stay wit us What sets you apart from others in your sector?

e a e one of t e largest and ost respected ills ro ate and ental apacity tea s in t e region ree of our practice areas ontentious ro ate linical egligence and ersonal n ury plus ersonal a ills and ro ate a e ust een reco ended for t eir outstanding work in t is year’s egal w ic is a fantastic ac ie e ent Did you know…

ur fir continues to t ri e and grow - early ne t year we will e opening a rand new o ce in orn ury adding to our ranc network For more: wards.uk.com

“IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES FOR EVERYONE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE HIGH QUALITY OF SERVICE WE ARE KNOWN FOR” 78 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

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Cauda Equina Syndrome – know the symptoms and act quickly

C

Frances Wright, clinical negligence specialist solicitor at INCE METCALFES, explains Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES), and how the rare and devastating condition can be prevented if recognised quickly.

auda Equina is Latin for ‘horse’s tail’, and is the term used for the bundle of nerve roots at the lower end of the spine. These nerves control sensation and function for the saddle area (upper thighs, groin and bottom), bladder, bowel and legs. Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) occurs if the nerve roots are subjected to sustained pressure, for example from a herniated (or ‘slipped’) disc. Other potential causes are spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), infection and inflammation.

If the source of pressure is removed within 48 hours of onset of symptoms, there is a chance for the nerves to recover.

Case study Tom* was a 53-year-old painter and decorator who consulted his GP when he developed severe pain in his lower back, running down his right leg. His GP sent him for a scan which showed he had a herniated lumbar disc. She referred him to the musculo-skeletal clinic and told him to go straight to the emergency department at the hospital if he should develop saddle numbness or have any problems urinating or defecating.

A week later, Tom noticed that he could not feel anything when he wiped himself after going to the toilet, and that he could not urinate. He went to the Emergency Department at the hospital and was seen by a junior doctor.

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

He explained his symptoms, and the doctor reassured him that it was safe to wait for his clinic appointment later that week.

Four days later, Tom was seen at the clinic.

He was immediately referred to the hospital for neurosurgical assessment and diagnosed with CES. He underwent spinal decompression surgery but by now, the nerve damage was irreversible.

Tom has been left with groin numbness and poor bladder function which means he has to self-catheterise. He has foot drop which makes it difficult for him to run or to manage stairs. His marriage suffered, he could not work properly and, unsurprisingly, he became depressed.

Tom’s surgeon told him that if CES had been diagnosed when he attended the emergency department, surgery would have been done within 24 hours and he would not have suffered permanent nerve damage.

Red flags Signs and symptoms of CES usually start suddenly and progress rapidly, although they can come on gradually. They include: • Intense lower back pain; • Pain, loss of sensation, weakness and altered reflexes in one or both legs; • Altered sensation such as pins and needles or numbness around the anal/saddle area; • Bladder problems: difficulty passing urine or incontinence;

• Altered bowel function: constipation or incontinence; and • Altered sexual function, usually impotence in men.

These red flags require immediate medical advice and hospital referral for specialist examination and MRI, CT and bladder scans.

Referral needs to happen within hours rather than days, as there is only a 24-48 hour window for surgery to prevent permanent damage.

Our medical negligence team at Ince Metcalfes is experienced in handling claims for sufferers of Cauda Equina Syndrome who were not diagnosed or treated quickly enough.

If you or someone you know is suffering from the effects of CES contact us for a free, no obligation consultation. n *Pseudonyms have been used in this article to protect the client’s identity

Visit www.incemetcalfes.com for more information. Email: FrancesWright@ incemetcalfes.com or call: 0117 405 5676 to have an initial conversation with our Bristol-based team.

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY AMD SOLICITORS www.amdsolicitors.com

GREGG LATCHAMS www.gregglatchams.com

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ADMIRE PR www.admire-pr.com

HARBOUR FAMILY LAW www.harbourfamilylaw.co.uk

RAGDOLL RESEARCH www.ragdoll-research.com

ANDERSON FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT www.andersonfinancial.co.uk

HARTSFIELD PLANNING www.hartsfield.co.uk

SMITH AND WILLIAMSON www.smithandwilliamson.com/en

INCE METCALFES www.incemetcalfes.com

SPIDERGROUP www.spidergroup.com

JAS BUILDING SERVICES www.jasbuildingservices.co.uk

STRIPE OLT www.stripeolt.com

LOOM DIGITAL www.loomdigital.co.uk

THE BUILD BRISTOL GROUP www.thebuildbristolgroup.com

MILSTED LANGDON www.milstedlangdon.co.uk

VICKERY HOLMAN www.vickeryholman.com

MULTICOMS SOLUTIONS LTD www.multicoms.co.uk

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NICHOLLS STEVENS (FINANCIAL SERVICES)LIMITED www.nichollstevens.com

WARDS SOLICITORS wards.uk.com

BARCAN + KIRBY www.barcankirby.co.uk CORRIGAN ACCOUNTANTS www.corrigan.co.uk DATASHARP INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS www.datasharp-ic.co.uk DUNKLEY’S CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS www.dunkleys.accountants ETP PROPERTY CONSULTANTS www.etpproperty.co.uk

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

It’s the city’s business

BRISTOLWORKS At the virtual event studio LEFT: Scenes from the recent Bristol Life Awards

Virtual rewarded

T

echnical event supplier SLX has joined forces with event management company Alastair Currie Events to provide virtual events for organisations in Bristol and the South West. e new irtual o ering set up in response to Covid restrictions and with o id-secure reassurances as already seen se eral ookings including t e recent Bristol Life wards w ic was facilitated virtually by the team from a studio in Avonmouth.

SLX certainly have credentials to support t is enture a ing recently provided full technical production – in a Covid-secure bubble – to the Great ritish ake O as well as working with some of the UK’s most famous theatres including the London Palladium and the Old Vic. Alastair Currie Events also has a roster of impressive events under

its elt including nu erous corporate occasions at Aerospace Bristol and Ashton Gate as well as a Wassail at the Thatcher’s Cider farm. en o id it our industry was and in any ways re ains in tur oil says SLX sales director Russell Payne. owe er we recognised t at not e ery e ent can e postponed or cancelled and that a sense of togetherness can still be created utilising online platforms.

“By creating a Covid-secure studio at our Avonmouth warehouse we have been able to support a range of events and allow t e to continue including conferences large-scale corporate meetings and even award ceremonies.

“There is a real appetite to still have e ents and not to put opportunities to get together on pause. With the new si - ont restrictions announced it’s clear that those needing absolute

certainty that their event will go ahead are choosing to go virtual. We hope to see more of Bristol’s businesses in our studio wit t eir audiences tuning in fro o e “Being able to turn people’s ideas for an e ent into reality again is great e en if t at ig t e irtual agrees lastair urrie director at lastair Currie Events.

“Using the studio space at the SLX ware ouse eans we can create fun engaging irtual spaces w ile t e partnership means we can manage the w ole process for t e client aking it a straightforward solution.

“I think many people will be surprised by what can be achieved irtually and we’ e certainly een delighted to see hundreds tuning into e ents t at a e already taken place For more: slx.co.uk; alastaircurrieevents.com

THE BIG NUMBERS Bristol Film Office’s annual figures show that film and TV production was riding high pre-pandemic, with £17 million generated by 1,000 days of filming in 2019-20 and 700 jobs generated at The Bottle Yard Studios.

BRISTOLWORKS

ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY? oon you could e e en co fier ecause ofas tu as ust opened its new Bristol showroom on Whiteladies Road. Showcasing a large selection of the brand’s bespoke, British-made sofas and c airs t e store o ers pri ate design consultations as well as after-hours appointments for the over 55s, and guided tours via live video link. Each individual piece is handmade in

Britain and can be upholstered in any fabric in the world.

“Our expertise and personalised custo er ser ice set ofas tu apart,” says founder and CEO Andrew Cussins. “While this year has been challenging, the business has continued to go from strength to strength. We are so excited to be opening a new showroom in Clifton.” or more sofasandstu .com

YES PLEASE, MINISTER Hoteliers in Bristol are adding their names to a petition calling on the government to create a new minister for hospitality, to give their struggling sector a voice at the highest level. The online petition requesting the appointment has attracted more than 20,000 signatories, including members of the Bristol Hoteliers Association (BHA).

“It’s so important for our voice to be heard, because hospitality usinesses are always a ong t e first to e s ut down w en ore attention should perhaps be focused on other sectors, such as universities,” said BHA chair Raphael Herzog. “Having a government minister representing our industry could lead to less damaging restrictions being imposed on us, such as those around meetings and events, weddings and the 10pm curfew.”

For more: bristol-hoteliers.co.uk

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS COMPETITION

For the chance to win a bespoke, handmade sofa worth £2,000, visit www.sofasandstuff. com/showrooms/bristolsofa-showroom by 31 December 2020

The Bristol Property Awards will now be held as part of an enhanced event, the Bristol Property Symposium, on 12 February 2021.

This virtual conference has three main elements: thought leadership (research-based keynote speeches from national companies); networking (innovative hubs for structured and randomised meetings); and excellence – the Awards themselves, along the lines of the Bristol Life Awards.

The new format has had the backing of its sponsors, led by headline sponsor Smith & Williamson.

“Smith & Williamson very much welcomes this inventive new initiative,” said head of regional marketing, Paul Waller. “The Bristol roperty y posiu o ers anyone acti e in property in ristol t e opportunity to build new relationships and extend existing ones. Its three-stage approach creates the opportunity to share thought leadership, generate contacts and celebrate excellence. When the whole sector and all aspects of the value chain come together like this, value is created for all of us.”

Other sponsors include Close Brothers (for the Winner of Winners); and category sponsors AWW, Blaise Financial, Bristol Life, Cotswold Homes, Halsall Construction, Marsh Commercial, MDA Consulting, Optima, Origin Workspace, Original Style, Planning Portal, RateSetter, Redland Court/Juniper Homes, Royds Withy King, Shawbrook Bank, Spaces, Vickery Holman, Willmott Dixon and YTL Developments.

For more: bristolpropertyawards.co.uk

Virtual one hour sessions, all free to attend Search Bristol Life on LinkedIn for upcoming dates and registration If you would like to get involved, please email events@mediaclash.co.uk

PROPERTY

SCHOOL’S OUT Bristol’s historic Redland High School has vacated its former home – and it’s good news for Bristol’s home buyers

By Ursula Cole

MEDIACLASH.CO.UK 142

C

hoose lifestyle. Choose having some of the city’s best restaurants on your doorstep. Choose being able to walk to the green expanse of the Downs. Choose an ideal catchment for the kids. Choose to live in an extraordinary new community, either in grand, exquisitely refurbished historical buildings, or in striking new-builds.

Choose Redland.

Allow us to take you on a preliminary tour of Redland Court, a development which marries classical with contemporary in one of ristol’s leafiest and ost desira le postcodes ose fa iliar wit Redland may be wondering how, exactly, it’s been able to shoehorn 44 prime new homes into an already developed area – it’s not as if any rownfield sites ad een left carelessly lying around after all e answer’s si ple edland ig c ool t e oldest girls’ sc ool in the country, with a prestigious alumni to boast about and hand out pri es on speec days left edland ourt in in t e final part of its erger wit ed aids’ c ool golden opportunity arose to transfor its rade- uildings into o es fit for st-century purpose with space to create extra new houses in the expansive grounds. t’s een a assi e pro ect for de elopers uniper o es e apartments and houses will be released in separate stages, starting ne t spring first out of t e traps will e t e new own ouses t e transfor ed all and i rary and t e cience uilding e second release rings t e anor ouse est illa and oodstock odge wit the East Range as the third stage. is de elop ent co es wit serious istory ere’s een a anor house on the site since Elizabethan times, but the current main building was uilt in t e early s w en it was praised as a fine e a ple of the architecture of its time’. It spent most of its life as a country gentlemen’s residence, and was acquired as a school for girls in 1884,

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

No whiffs of the old Bunsen burners remain inside The Science Building

its first ead re oicing in t e na e of li a et ocks any furt er buildings created during the time of the school have their own historic significance e ld c ool all and i rary date ack to and respecti ely wit t e cience uilding a ing een uilt in and additional oors added in uniper o es’ c allenge as een to onour t e istoric fa ric of the buildings, while introducing the high living standards modern buyers e pect ere’s een uge attention to detail wit eac de elop ent complementing the period of the individual property. edland ourt o ers t e ideal properties for our ti es indful of the current trend for working at home, the Court will be connected to ultra-fast fi re road and w ile plentiful outdoor space so fa ously essential to health and wellbeing, is supplied by the large gardens and grounds, from communal lawns and parkland to private outdoor terraces, gardens and balconies. et’s focus on t e o es a aila le to o e into ne t spring irst up are t e t ree conte porary fa ily own ouses wit e i le li ing space o er t ree oors open-plan areas ga ewort y iews across ristol and bi-fold doors to urban courtyards, gardens or terraces. en t ere’s e cience uilding t e rat er cool id-century part of the former school, whose imaginative transformation will create 17 design-led apartments with between one and three bedrooms, also with skyline iews fro t e newly added upper oors inally for spring t ere’s t e old c ool all and i rary pro iding four large two- and three-bedroom duplex apartments and three one-bedroom apartments. e interiors of t ese uildings pro ise to e a solutely eautiful and we haven’t even seen the plans for the summer release of the historic anor ouse yet Keep your eye on these pages for more details in future issues; we promise you, we’ll be all over it. n To register, see juniperhomes.co.uk

PROPERTY

CLOCKWISE:

The Science Building; The Manor House; the new Town Houses, and the Hall and Library www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 89

BRISTOL LIVES

“I turn off my edititing brain and let the poetry clatter out ” The first version of The Poetry Machine was just me popping up

© BEN ROBINS

with the typewriter, a table and a chair. As my practice gained momentum, I commissioned two local makers, Kieran and Ryan O’Shea, to build my theatrical set.

BETH CALVERLEY Beth possesses a superpower. Using her vintage typewriter, she can write bespoke poems on the spot for people she has only just met . . .

We’re not sure how Beth does it (sometimes it takes us all day to come up with a decent caption), but she seems to have no trouble whatsoever in pulling entire poems spontaneously out of her head.

“I have the best job in the world,” she says. “I co-create poetry with members of the public on my vintage typewriter, helping them to express their thoughts and feelings.”

As well as taking her Poetry Machine around the country, Beth leads creative writing sessions and performs her poetry at spoken-word events, often collaborating with organisations from hospitals to universities, schools, charities, companies, theatres, heritage sites and festivals – “meaning that I get to meet people with all kinds of stories.”

The first poem I ever wrote and performed in public was about a

robin, and I still know it by heart.

My mum says I was saying poems out loud before I could even write.

I remember scribbling poems during my maths and science lessons. My teacher told me that I could write poems as long as I had finis ed y ot er work w ic ’ now very grateful for because it turns out maths is super-handy for running my own business.

As a child, I loved rhythmic, imaginative poets like Dr Seuss

and AA Milne. Later on, I clearly remember my mum reading me Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold and Rime of The Ancient Mariner by Coleridge. I went to see Benjamin Zephaniah perform in Bristol as a teenager. At University, I watched Shane Koyczan’s TedTalk on YouTube and Kate Tempest’s Brand New Ancients at Leeds Playhouse.

From there, I discovered the spoken word artists I love today.

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

It’s all to do with listening. I

focus on the person or group in front of me completely, absorbing their words, body language, expressions, reactions and energy. en turn o y editing rain and let the poetry clatter out, weaving people’s own words into the piece.

I think the reason that people are so moved by the poems is that

they feel recognised and heard, in a world where more sharing and commenting happens than genuine listening.

Poetry doesn’t simply tell a story; it creates an experience

with a few carefully chosen words.

I think of a poem as a spider’s web, with the power to draw many seemingly disparate threads of emotions and ideas into a beautiful, delicate whole that catches you gently unawares.

I use a manual typewriter

because the nostalgic clatter draws people in and awakes memories.

For many people over 50 years old, the sound takes them back to their own working days, so it creates an immediate connection to the past. For children, the typewriter is an intriguing piece of history t at t ey know fro fil s so t ey want to find out ow it works t is also important that guests can take their poem home with them and know that theirs is the only copy.

Lots of people tell me they have framed them to display in their homes; I’m not sure that a laptop and printer combo would have uite t e sa e e ect

During this year I have had to adapt my practice to the digital environment. I’ve really loved

hosting online poetry parties with families, friendship groups and company teams, who tune in from all over the world. As well as my Zoom sessions, I’ve been doing dial-a-poet sessions with people who are isolating.

It is amazing the connection you can form, simply by listening

to a person’s voice down the phone.

This time has challenged me to find new in enti e ways to include people in poetry, from printed poetry prompts to group poetry portrait sessions to remote poems for NHS workers.

I live in Windmill Hill, a creative part of Bristol that has the community feel of a village. It’s easy to get out to the country for dog walks, and next to Victoria Park. Throughout this strange year, the park has been a bright green balm where I have gone to clear y ead write in a di erent environment and meet up with friends, socially distanced.

My favourite bookshop is Storysmith Books in Bedminster. It is the most browsable, welcoming nook. Emily and Dan, who own the shop, have worked hard to build a sense of community around it. They have a brilliant taste in books so be prepared to leave with a heavy bag and a light wallet.

I have a poetry collection

being published on 1 December.

The book is called Brave Faces & Other Smiles and is about the many faces of smiling – from bravery to embarrassment, sadness to beaming joy.

Brave Faces & Other Smiles, £9.99 Pre-order from thepoetrymachine.live/ brave-faces-and-other-smiles

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