Circus Journal Vol 15

An independent journal on style, creativity and community

Volume 15 Winter 2021 Nostalgia

FREE

The Long Table + Thomas J Price + Made My Wardrobe

+ Ed Byrne + Artist Residence Bristol + Windmill Hill

+ Circus Directory + Awesome things to do this winter

Hello

Pop-Tarts. Polyphonic ringtones. White Musk.

ThunderCats. Combat trousers. The wistful

affection for a period long gone. Wrap up warm

and settle in for the Nostalgia issue.

We bring you a selection of simple but lovely

gifts from across the south-west, and head to The

Long Table in Stroud, where the aim is feeding the

hungry this winter.

Sculptor of the moment Thomas J Price smashes

power structures in history, while comic Ed Byrne

remembers his old Sony CMD-Z1 mobile phone.

We jump on the sew-your-own-clothes

bandwagon with the Made My Wardrobe project

and spend the night at Artist Residence Bristol.

Hit the Edit for an exclusive – and hip-swingingly

good – playlist from Huey Morgan, and win

big on the back page with Yuup.

Happy reading.

Emily Payne, editor

AN EMPORIUM OF TREASURES FOR YOUR HOME

FIND US ON 92 WALCOT STREET, BATH, BA1 5BG

WWW.GRAHAMANDGREEN.CO.UK

circusjournal.com @circusjournal 3

GENERATIONS:

PORTRAITS OF

HOLOCAUST

SURVIVORS

27 JAN – 27 MAR 2022

An exhibition bringing together over 50

contemporary portraits of Holocaust survivors and

their families, shining a light on their lives and our

collective responsibility to cherish their stories.

In partnership with the Imperial War Museum, Jewish

News and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

Free Admission

Thurs – Sun

10:00 – 17:00

RPS Gallery

337 Paintworks

Bristol

BS4 3AR

© Tom Hunter

Contents

Regulars

The Edit 9

Design, community and lifestyle

Directory 71

Showcasing local businesses

The Guide 75

Events in December and January

People

My view 18

Thomas J Price reframes history

Life unplugged 24

The queen of the sewing revolution

Sound bites 29

Comic Ed Byrne gets nostalgic

Shopping

Gift guide 33

Simple but lovely things to buy

Food

The List 44

The west’s best comfort food

The Long Table 46

Feeding the community in Stroud

Places

Checking in 56

Artist Residence Bristol

Spotlight on... 64

Pastel shades in Windmill Hill

Check out

Huey Morgan’s

epic nostalgic

playlist on

p11

rps.org/generations

@royalphotographicsociety


Contributors

We asked the Circus team for something

that makes them feel nostalgic

Make work,

work for you

Amyisla Mccombie

Illustrator (p46)

Woodsmoke

Tom Ham

Photographer (p64)

Don’t Break My Heart, UB40

Rich Pelley

Writer (p29)

Morph

Freya Parr

Writer (p25)

Girl Talk magazine

Stephen Lenthall

Photographer (p33)

Connect 4

Jenny Bowers

Stylist (p33)

Dunlop Green Flash

Clemmie Millbank

Writer (p64)

Jonathan Creek

Vishaka Robinson

Writer (p46)

Shell suits

Emily Payne

Editor

Pat Sharp’s mullet

Kate Monument

Creative director

Butterscotch Angel Delight

Simon Tapscott

Publisher

Moonlighting

Camilla Cary-Elwes

Sub editor

Nag Champa

Garden rooms built from quality sustainable

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We believe that working from home can be good

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And that’s what we’ve set out to do – in the most

beautiful and cost-effective way possible.

Get in touch for a free consultation:

www.ukworkroom.co.uk

0117 287 0197

@ukworkroom

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Green sedum living roof

Ethical sheep’s wool

insulation

Ply-lined, Farrow & Ball painted,

internal walls and ceiling

800w Premium WIFI

controlled wall heater

On the cover

Illustration by

Amyisla Mccombie

The team

Creative director + founder

Kate Monument

kate@circusjournal.com

Publisher + founder

Simon Tapscott

simon@circusjournal.com

Editor

Emily Payne

emily@circusjournal.com

Sub editor

Camilla Cary-Elwes

Instagram: @circusjournal

circusjournal.com

Advertising

To advertise in Circus, please

call Simon on 07816 322056 or

email simon@circusjournal.com

Stocking

Circus is available to pick up for

free at over 300 locations across

Bath, Bristol and the south-west.

To find your nearest stockist

please visit circusjournal.com.

This issue of Circus was first

printed in November 2021

by Zenith Print Group, in

Pontypridd, Wales.

Thank you to the advertisers,

whose support and encouragement

enables this project to happen.

© Circus 2021. All information

contained in this publication is

for entertainment purposes only.

Circus is published by Do Good

Things Limited who do not accept

any responsibility for errors or

inaccuracies that occur in such

information. While every reasonable

care is taken with all material

submitted to Circus, the publisher

cannot accept any responsibility

for loss or damage to such material.

All rights reserved. This publication

is copyrighted and no part of

this publication may be used or

reproduced without the written

permission of Do Good Things

Limited.


The Edit

Updates on design, community + lifestyle

16 The Mall, Bristol, BS8 4DR

Enjoy 10% off online or in store with code CIRCUS.

*10% off applies to full price items until 30.01.22.

saharalondon.com | @sahara_london

Photograph: Tim Dunk

NEW OLD

FASHIONED

“I’ve always been fascinated

by the past, its impact and

message within society,” says

Monty & Co founder Leigh

Montague. “As a child I was

surrounded by uniform. My

father and grandfathers were

in the RAF, and that had a huge

influence on my aesthetic, my

love of utility and heritage.”

The Stroud-based company’s

indestructible adult and kids’

clothing is hardy enough to

withstand the wildest adventure,

and we love the details inspired

by London dockland workwear,

1950s military fatigue trousers

and RAF flight suits.

montyandco.com


THE EDIT

STYLE

CUTLER AND

GROSS

The collaboration

between our favourite

spectacle sellers, C&G,

and Matthew Vaughn’s

Kingsman film franchise

is all kinds of yes.

Designs are influenced

by the latest film (The

King’s Man, released

December 22), which

is set in the early 20th

century, and stars Ralph

Fiennes, Rhys Ifans

and Tom Hollander.

Delight in traditional

aviators, classic circular

shapes and plenty of

tortoiseshell. What are

you waiting for, chaps?

cutlerandgross.com

ENVIRONMENT

THE CIDER BOX

Don’t buy cider, buy the whole apple tree.

The Cider Box in Bristol is working with a

Somerset orchard to supply west country

classics like Kingston Black and Dabinett

as saplings. “We’re thrilled to bring a bit

of magic to people’s gardens – a locally

sourced apple tree, which will with time

bear fruit for cider, to be enjoyed through

generations,” says founder Dan Heath.

@theciderbox

ART + DESIGN

THE BAKELITE MUSEUM

What began as an ‘ironic museum

of despised objects’ became an ode

to classic ‘nan’s house’ design. The

Somerset museum closed in 2018, but

its treasured haul (e.g. dial phones,

coffee flasks and radios) will go on

display at a travelling exhibition in 2022.

bakelitemuseum.net

SHOPPING

BAM STORE + SPACE

Easton’s BAM Store + Space is an art lover’s

dream. Check out its regular collabs with

local talent like Naomi Wilkinson, What

Mabel Did and Lucy Turner, pictured. Lucy’s

work was featured across the city as part

of the Rising Arts Agency’s #WhoseFuture

campaign and adorned the front of The

Watershed. This print is a celebration of

black women and real bodies.

bambristol.co.uk

MUSIC

HUEY x CIRCUS

BBC Radio 6 Music DJ and Bath resident

Huey Morgan takes listeners on a nostalgic

journey with his exclusive playlist for Circus

Bamboléo

Fania All Stars & Celia Cruz

Hole in My Life

The Police

Shame

Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King

How Long

Ace

Lido Shuffle

Boz Scaggs

Drume Negrita

Bola de Nieve

Summertime

Billy Stewart

Life on Mars

Dexter Wansel

The Boss

Diana Ross

This is It

Melba Moore

Mestizo

Joe Bataan

The Spirit of Radio

Rush

Sneakin’ in the Back

Tom Scott and the LA

Express

Vienna

Ultravox

Turn it on Again

Genesis

Como Traigo la Yuca

Arsenio Rodriguez

Cool Cat

Queen

Clouds

Chaka Khan

Listen to

the playlist

in full at

circusjournal.com

10 Circus Journal Winter 2021


THE EDIT

STYLE

WINTER

WARMERS

1

See+QUIN

Your new favourite comfy

jumper – embellished

with beautiful embroidery.

“We wanted to create the

kind of thing that you feel

amazing in every day,”

says See+QUIN’s Bathbased

co-founder

Kate Southward.

seeandquin.co.uk

light

at

2

Bristol Cloth

Woven on a vintage

Dornier loom from Mendip

Hills lambswool, the Bristol

Cloth 2nd Edition scarf is

hand-dyed by natural dye

studio Botanical Inks to

give mustard stripes, and

finished with a cold wash

to make it fluffy.

bristolcloth.co.uk

3

NOW OPEN

Field of Light by internationally acclaimed artist,

Bruce Munro, comes to Somerset.

His world famous ‘Field of Light’, currently illuminating Uluru in Australia, as

well as Paso Robles in California, is now coming to Somerset. Immerse yourself in

thousands of glowing stems planted along the lake edge and through the woodland.

www.marstonpark.co.uk/light

info@marstonpark.co.uk | 01373 48900

Marston Park, Tuckmarsh Lane, Frome, Somerset, BA11 5BP

Model: Jono at Heads Bristol

Chilly?

Yes, but

still cute!

Lost Isle Project

“We champion and utilise

British wool – a natural,

abundant resource,” says

Lost Isle Project founder

Kate Wyatt. Chunky or

thin beanies come in 16

oh-so-wearable colours.

lostisleproject.co.uk


THE EDIT

BOOKS

ICE-COLD NOVELS

From her beautiful book, The Literary

Almanac – a seasonal reading list of

novels to read throughout the year –

Persephone Books’ Francesca Beauman

suggests five chilly reads for winter

Christmas Pudding

by Nancy Mitford

(1932)

A silly period piece,

but like a farce it

consistently delivers

on its jokes as

Mitford’s larger-thanlife

characters spend

Christmas swanning

around the Cotswolds

in the snow.

IN AID OF THE NATIONAL

BEREAVEMENT PARTNERSHIP

SHOPPING

SOMETHING ELSIE

The 1990s called. They want their

suede Aztec duffle coat back. Find

glorious throwbacks, including

eye-popping (and dangerously

flammable) fluoro ski jackets, at

Bristol’s Something Elsie, in Casper

homeware store on North Street

or at Wapping Wharf.

@somethingelsievintage

The Ice Palace

by Tarjei Vesaas

(1963)

Two 11-year-old girls

are fascinated by a

frozen waterfall in

the Norwegian fjords.

Uncompromising, icy

and a little like a fairy

tale in its simplicity.

Moon of the

Crusted Snow

by Waubgeshig Rice (2018)

A chilling novel about

a small indigenous

community in northern

Canada that gets cut

off during a challenging

winter, then slowly

realises they’ve missed

the Apocalypse.

Snow

by John Banville

(2020)

Imagine a poet

writes a murder

mystery – this is

that book. Banville

evokes a sense of

chilliness, both in

the temperature and

the atmosphere of

post-World War

Two Ireland.

The Evenings

by Gerard Reve (1947)

A comic story about

life in the suburbs

of Amsterdam. Frits

spends his evenings

wandering the streets

in search of meaning.

It is kind of boring,

but in a soothing

and intentional way.

francescabeauman.com


5 Margaret’s Buildings . Bath . BA1 2LP

ORIGINAL FASHION ILLUSTRATION & ARTIST TEXTILES

FINE ART GALLERY

People

Who we’re talking about this winter

Great people

doing great

things!

“The UK’s first permanent independent gallery

specialising in original 20th century fashion illustration and artist textiles”

British Vogue October 2018

Monday - Tuesday By Appointment

Wednesday - Saturday 10.00am - 4.00pm

gallery@graymca.com . www.graymca.com

Tel: +44(0)1225 422 117

FINE ART . ELEGANCE . STYLE

Images: Original Fashion Illustration by Bil Donovan (1953 - ) Watercolour on paper, signed

Musical Fawn, 1963, by Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973) Screen Printed on Cotton, Bloomcraft Fabrics

16 Circus Journal Winter 2021 circusjournal.com @circusjournal 17

As told to

Emily Payne

PEOPLE

Thomas J Price:

Thoughts Unseen

is at Hauser & Wirth

Somerset until

January 3

hauserwirth.com

My view

RESCULPTING

If we want to go forward, let’s change

the way we look back, says artist Thomas

J Price, whose bronze figures challenge

power structures ingrained over centuries

Thomas with his 12ft bronze

sculpture All In (2021) “I use

scale as a way to reject the

stigmatisation of aspects of

character. The black man, the

hooded top. This is about not

accepting those critiques but

celebrating them”

HISTORY

Installation view, Thomas J Price: Thoughts Unseen, Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2021.

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Ken Adlard

NOSTALGIA IS A

SUBJECTIVE THING,

NOT A FACTUALLY-

BASED EXERCISE

Who gets to have the opinion? Whose nostalgia are

we talking about? It tends to be the group in power.

I don’t have nostalgia for times gone by. I don’t

want to go back to the 1960s – it wouldn’t have

been a good time for me. I think it’s important that

we’re engaged in the times we’re in now and that

we look towards the future.

Our education system has failed all of us by

omitting the real history of the United Kingdom.

We need to be able to trust in education but

when we’re not actually being taught the truth,

that’s a real issue. We should acknowledge what

statues and monuments are. Why did we put up

images of these men? It’s not a random thing.

It’s propaganda. Statues are part of a strategy of

communication to reinforce structures of power.



PEOPLE

LACK OF REPRESENTATION

HAS AN EMOTIONAL

AND PSYCHOLOGICAL

EFFECT ON HUMANS

When I put out [2016 work] Numen in public, in

London, children ran up to the sculptures saying,

“There we are,” and started touching their faces.

At the Marcus Garvey Park in New York, kids were

playing around my work and adults were having

their pictures taken with it because they recognised

themselves. The work offers the opportunity to

celebrate shared human qualities as opposed to

the triumphs of individuals.

To rethink statues isn’t to erase history, it’s

creating history. You need new things to consider

what the old things were. Otherwise there’s no

movement. New things are happening in the world,

so why wouldn’t we make work about that? My

sculptures are moments of expression. I look at how

narrative is created and how it can be manipulated.

I use bronze because it is seen as a medium of

power – sanctioned power. So I use it to represent

people who have been pushed to the side or been

subjected to abuses by that power. To critique the

idea of portraiture and to challenge the systems

and values that permeate through us as a society,

good or bad.

Within the art world, plinths are used to get

things to the right height, to suggest that here

is something to look at. This person is important,

please consider them. Statues are shown outside

on raised levels, often ornate, with plaques

(which nobody reads) and narrative elements to

further accentuate the triumph and power of the

individual. That’s why my large figures don’t have

plinths. They are on the ground so you can walk

among them. They’re in our space.

Thomas in the studio during his

residency at Hauser & Wirth

Somerset in autumn 2021

Picture credit: Thomas J Price, Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2021 © Thomas J Price

Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Sim Canetty-Clarke



PEOPLE

LONG-TERM CHANGE

STARTS AT

GRASS ROOTS

Photograph: Robert Berg

If institutions like museums and galleries are serious

about creating change, they need to support

communities who feel outside of these cultural

activities. They need to encourage young people to

visit so they feel comfortable, and know that art is

for them and reflects their lives, interests, traditions

and curiosities – the same as everybody else. The

whole array of elements within these institutions

needs to become more diverse. Not just the artists,

but the curators and technicians, too.

Clothing can be used to elevate or demonise an

individual. Drapery is always talked about in classic

sculpture, and it’s always depicting the same

respected ancient clothing. So what happens if you

shift the context, and you give what I would call

normal, casual clothing – which is often used as an

excuse for stop and search – that same handling,

the same level of respect and adulation?

The Great Wine Co.

The finest wines and spirits since 1983

The Great Wine Company, Wells Road, Bath, BA2 3AP

Shop – Open to public, Customer car parking

Visit – www.greatwine.co.uk

Top: Reaching Out (2020), at the Donum Estate in

California. “She’s not just looking down at her phone, she’s

reaching out.” Bottom: Numen (Shifting Votive One) (2016)

My mum had a small house and no money. So she

took us around all the free museums and galleries

in London. It makes a big difference. There’s

a huge resource, but due to economic issues

within families, not everyone can go. It should be

proactively encouraged and facilitated.

Bristol’s Colston statue plinth is so charged, so

loaded and significant. It carries a huge amount

of cultural impact now. I think they should keep it

empty as a marker of this moment in history. It’s

not really empty, it’s a place of focus for all of us

and shouldn’t be overtaken by one opportunistic

artist. It should be used by the community of Bristol

and also the nation as a talking point, a physical

point where we can discuss who we are and where

we want to go. ×


Words

Freya Parr

PEOPLE

Life unplugged

A STITCH

Made My Wardrobe workshops

offer an alternative to fast

fashion, giving people the skills

they need to make everything

from dungarees to period pants

IN TIME

Vowing to only wear what she

has made, Bristol seamstress

Lydia Higginson heads up the

Made My Wardrobe project

hen the UK government first

told us to “Stay home, save

lives,” many of us started

frantically searching our

houses for something,

anything, to entertain ourselves behind closed

doors. This, combined with the sudden,

desperate need for face masks and the rise of

programmes like The Great British Sewing Bee,

led to a flurry of people reaching for their old

sewing machines.

For Lydia Higginson, founder of the Made

My Wardrobe project, the rediscovery of

this age-old practice was long overdue. “Our

grandmothers’ generation could sew, but in

our mothers’ generation it began to die out,

and by our generation very few of us learnt to

sew as youngsters,” she says. “Finally, people

are becoming more and more dissatisfied with

what’s available on the high street and are

beginning to make their own clothes again.”

Social media has certainly had an influence

on this resurgence – something Lydia has

experienced first-hand. With a sturdy

Instagram following, a staff of five and a

highly engaged community participating in

her workshops and buying her patterns and

kits, it’s hard to believe she only started Made

My Wardrobe from her mother’s attic just

five years ago.

Lydia’s journey began as a way of rejecting

the spiralling fashion industry, aiming to

only own and wear clothes she had made

herself. Within a year, she’d created over

60 garments and had an entirely new

wardrobe. The only shop-bought items

remaining were socks, gloves, scarves, hats

and waterproofs. “I see sewing as one of the

most creative and exciting alternatives we

have to fast fashion,” she says. “Hearing

about its impact on the planet and awful

Photography: Alice Poole and Melissa Arras



PEOPLE

Get sewing

Lydia’s favourite

pattern makers

The Modern Sewer

for wardrobe staples

themodernsewer.com

Puff and Pencil for

customising your

garments

puffandpencil.com

Paper Theory for

interesting details

papertheorypatterns.com

Pattern Cutting

Deconstructed

for improving your

pattern-cutting skills

patterncuttingdeconstructed.com

Cashmerette for a great

range of sizes

cashmerette.com

The Parkland Collection at Holburne Park offers a selection

of new build Georgian-style houses and apartments with

contemporary interiors.

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Within walking distance to Bath City Centre

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Selection of properties available

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2 bedroom apartments from £580,000

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The Marketing Pavilion, Holburne Park,

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Rosemary McAndrew

rmcandrew@savills.com

01225 302 888

* Price correct at time of going

to press. Images show

Cramond Buildings CGI (L) and

Finch show house interior (R).

factory working conditions made me realise I didn’t

want to buy into that system anymore.”

She started with the bottom layer: pants and bras.

“There’s something amazing about making your own

underwear. It’s such an intimate thing. It’s how you

start your day. Plus, it can represent how you want to

feel – whether you want to be comfortable, feel sexy

or be active.” Although many of the garments Lydia

creates feel timeless and not necessarily a product of

the era we’re living in, there’s one design she offers that

our grandmothers might not be as familiar with: period

pants. Wanting to create a sustainable alternative to

pads or tampons, Lydia has designed a pattern for

period pants using specialist fabrics.

The community she has nurtured has made

adaptations of their own, too. “People will add elements

to our patterns depending on their needs, like those

who are breastfeeding or using a wheelchair. Everyone

has different needs from clothes, so it’s great to see

people being able to make the clothes they actually need.”

Since mastering underwear, Lydia has gone on to

make and sell patterns for jumpers, leggings, swimwear,

bags and dungarees, which are now ubiquitous across

the south-west. “I saw so many people wearing my

Greta dungarees at Shambino Festival this summer,”

she says. “It’s brilliant to see my designs in the wild.”

“Our bodies hold so much,” Lydia says. “They hold

all our trauma and pain, but also all our pleasure and

joy.” A lot of sewers who have attended her workshops

have shared stories about wanting to reclaim their

bodies. “One of the first things we do in workshops

is help people find their size. Sometimes, rather than

getting people to just use a tape measure, I get them

to close their eyes and feel their hips and waist to find

out the shape they really are. It’s rare that we feel our

bodies in that way. It helps you find out what shape it is

and what it needs from you.”

It’s not just the process of dressing herself that has

become therapeutic for Lydia. The quiet, focused time

that sewing creates is her meditation. “It’s the thing I

always come back to when I need to sort my head out.

It’s what makes me who I am.”

Will sewing become just another trend that passes

through and remains a relic of the past? Definitely not,

says Lydia firmly. “If you’ve got the sewing bug, it tends

to stick.” ×

mademywardrobe.com

@mademywardrobe


Words

Rich Pelley

PEOPLE

Sound bites

Additional reporting: Jason Barlow. Photograph: Idil Sukan

LET IT

BYRNE

Irish comic Ed Bryne’s

new tour embraces

middle-age, fatherhood

and changing with the

times. Ahead of his

appearance at The Forum

Bath, he talks Bryan

Adams, crap TV and life

before smartphones

I’m back on the road

and the novelty still

hasn’t worn off,” says

Ed Byrne of his If

I’m Honest… tour,

which he’s had to reschedule after

we all had that unexpected year off.

You’ll know the 49-year-old Irish

comic from his lemon meringue pie

(he appeared on The Great Sport

Relief Bake Off in 2014), his voiceover

skills as a talking telephone

(he voiced Mowbli, the Carphone

Warehouse mascot in the 2000s),

and – of course – his jokes. Ed has

been in stand-up for 25 years and

has appeared as a regular on Mock

The Week since 2005.

Ed also has a YouTube series,

Ed Venturing, in which he drags

various celebrity pals up a hill and

asks them “probing questions about

their lives”. But the self-deprecating

star is not one to shy away from

detailing his own trials and

tribulations, including getting older.

“I’m bored of looking for things, I’m

bored of trying to find stuff, because

I can never find it, and it is entirely

my fault,” he says. “Nobody’s hiding

my stuff from me. Although my wife

did actually move my passport on

one occasion.

“You see comics who are my age

and older but are still retaining a

level of ‘cool’ and drawing a young

crowd,” he says. “I can’t deny

that I’m quite envious of that.

But there’s also something very

satisfying about your audience

growing old with you.”

In the spirit of the good old days,

we asked Ed for the things that

make him feel nostalgic...


PEOPLE

Catch Ed at

The Forum Bath

on December 8

edbyrne.com

The Sony CMD-Z1 (1997)

I still have my old Sony mobile

phone. I don’t think it even works

any more. I got it when I was 25 and

had just started to make a name as

a circuit comedian, living in London

with a copy of Time Out in my

backpack, so I could find my way

to the gigs. You pull up the aerial

and flip the little microphone down.

It’s very: “I’m making a phone call

now.” I don’t think I even bothered

texting. There was something very

satisfying about hanging up and

then putting the aerial down again.

My mum’s coddle

Coddle is a really salty stew made

with bacon, sausages and potatoes.

It’s supposed to be a lovely winter

warmer, but you’d come in with

chapped lips from the cold and it

was the saltiest thing ever. It would

sting your mouth like Jesus drinking

vinegar on the cross.

It’s Only Love by Bryan

Adams and Tina Turner

(1985)

Take On Me by A-ha doesn’t

transport me anywhere because

it’s been on the radio ever since, as

has Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams.

But I heard It’s Only Love the other

day and it took me right back to

school. One guy in my class was a

massive Bryan Adams fan. I don’t

know if Bryan Adams was cool, but

he certainly wasn’t uncool. He was

a pretty safe bet, so he wouldn’t get

you beaten up.

A rotary dial phone

There’s something about a wallmounted

phone that just evokes

a memory of: “Why hasn’t she

called?” It’s a bit like that Jon

Favreau bit in Swingers: “Don’t

ever call me again.”

Hardcastle and

McCormick (1983)

We get a lot of shows in Ireland

that never make it to England.

Americans will make nine episodes

of something, show three and if it

doesn’t work, they’ll just bin them

and sell them to RTÉ [Irish TV

channel]. So we get some doozies.

I loved Hardcastle and McCormick –

about a judge and an ex-con, who’s

also a race car driver, who team

up to go after people who have got

away on legal technicalities. It’s a

pretty dodgy premise.

CLICK & COLLECT

www.nicholaswylde.com

PERSONAL APPOINTMENTS

Bath & Bristol

FACETIME & ZOOM HOME VISITS BESPOKE

Midnight Run (1988)

This is one my favourite films.

I still watch it a lot. It’s a very

underrated Robert De Niro movie

and was almost a comeback for him.

It’s very low-tech, old-school. Plus,

he smokes everywhere he goes.

Indoors, on planes, in airports – he’s

always got a fag on the go. There’s

just something very: “Oh, those

were the days.”

Glasgow

My brother still lives around the

corner from where I lived as a

student. Every time I play Glasgow,

I feel nostalgic. I remember

finishing university, not knowing

what I was going to do with my life,

starting out as a comic in Glasgow,

not being sure if it would happen.

So performing in a 1,000-seat venue

there is always a big deal to me. ×


Photography and styling Article Studio Art direction Kate Monument

Shopping

Simple gifts from across the south-west

Deck your diary

with plans to be jolly

There are festive treats galore to be found behind our gorgeous Georgian doors.

We have party menus and a Christmassy take on Afternoon Tea for the run-up. And our chefs

have pulled out all the stops for our Christmas Day, Boxing Day and NYE feasts.

For indulgence of a different kind, we’re offering a stress-busting spa treatment followed

by Afternoon Tea for just £110 per lucky person. And, just in case you need an idea, our spa

vouchers make for a very lovely gift.

Mixed Berry Jam and Signature

Vegetable Chutney, Durslade Farm

Shop, £8.50 and £7.50

Dustpan and brush, Frome

Hardware, £18.50

www.guesthousehotels.co.uk

@guesthousehotels


PLACES

Chocolate, Caro Somerset, £6.50

Luxury in edible form made in

Bruton by The Chocolate Society in

collaboration with Caro Somerset.

Flavours include Earl Grey and biscuit,

which the Caro team call “posh

Caramac”, and juniper and raspberry,

inspired by “those throw-caution-tothe-wind

moments with friends, sipping

gin and tonics on a balmy evening”.

carosomerset.com

Notebook, Berdoulat, from £12.50

Walled Garden Truffles,

Durslade Farm Shop, £16

Delicious dark chocolate truffles

made in Somerset by Harth

Chocolate, with flavours inspired

by Durslade Farm Shop’s walled

garden. Choose either thyme and

orange, fig, bay and vanilla, sea

salt, garden mint or hazelnut.

dursladefarmshop.co.uk

Roake Studio hair pin,

BAM Store + Space, £12

An over-sized brass hairpin,

available in three elegant shapes,

to make everyday hair-doing easy.

The recycling process of brass has

a smaller carbon footprint than

other metals, making it a more

sustainable choice.

bambristol.co.uk

Cephalopod, Berdoulat, £28

Part of the Berdoulat-Griffin

Collection of casts, made by

Alexander Griffin at his workshop

in Cambridgeshire. This one is a

plaster relief cast of a four-millionyear-old

fossilised cephalopod

(molluscs which died out at the

end of the Cretaceous period).

berdoulat.co.uk



PLACES

Elementary screwdriver,

Frome Hardware, £30

A neat, multitasking gadget

with six interchangeable tips.

The perfect addition to any

DIY enthusiast’s toolkit. The

smooth beech handle fits

satisfyingly into your palm.

fromehardware.com

Wooden decorative tree,

The Bristol Artisan, £19

A smooth, tactile tree, made by

The Arboretum, from offcuts.

This pleasing object “doesn’t

have a specific purpose, and

that’s OK”, says Sophie Rees at

The Bristol Artisan.

thebristolartisan.com

This page: Bundle of small candles,


Opposite: Ash candlestick,


Dry Gin, Durslade Farm Shop, £40

Flavourful and sustainable, this

small-batch Lop & Top Gin is made

by Bristol distillery Psychopomp &

Circumstance, using excess food

from the kitchen at Roth Bar & Grill,

including apple peel, carrot tops,

peach stones and parsley stalks.

Best served over ice with tonic.

dursladefarmshop.co.uk



PLACES

Folding rule, Frome

Hardware, £18.85

This deliciously old-school

metre-long wooden

folding rule is marked

with both imperial and

metric measurements.

fromehardware.com

Necklace, Polly Collins, £90

A delicate sun face pendant cut from recycled silver

and plated with 24-carat gold. Bristol jeweller Polly

Collins uses brass, silver and gold to create stunning

earrings, rings, necklaces, pins and cufflinks. Every

piece comes with its own whimsical charm.

pollycollins.bigcartel.com

Bar soap, Noughtons, £5

Simple soaps in winning scents like fresh lemon

and poppy, and sea salt and sage. Made in north

Somerset by family-run business Noughtons, using

natural oils, minerals and clays chosen for their

natural abilities to deeply cleanse the skin.

naughtonskincare.com

Wooden sitting animal,

Object Story, £14.50

A cheeky fellow – and one of

many gorgeous gifts available

from Object Story. It’s made

by Sarah & Bendrix, using

natural untreated, polished

beech and hand-painted in a

factory that has been making

toys since the 1950s.

objectstory.co.uk

Opposite: Wooden soap dish,

Frome Hardware, £5.25

This page: Beeswax Christmas

tree candle, The Bristol Artisan,

£9.50



PLACES

Dunleavy Rosé 2020, Wolf Wine, £17

English rosé done right. This pale pink

wine with notes of peach, melon and

strawberry is made in Somerset’s Yeo

Valley in harmony with nature. It’s

surprisingly refreshing and complements

both winter and summer dishes.

wolfwine.co.uk

Vintage fabric cushions,

Domestic Science, from £75

“These cushions hold centuries of

stories,” says Libs Lewis, founder of

Domestic Science, of the store’s first

own-brand collection. Libs made

the covers from her own hoard

of vintage cloth, which includes

Hungarian linen sacks and checked

fabric made in rural China.

domesticsciencehome.co.uk

Cushions, Blue Lizard

Textiles, from £23

Bath-based Debbie Picken

makes cushion covers using

authentic retro fabrics. The

familiar 1960s floral look is

“something many of us have

memories of in our parents’

and grandparents’ homes”.

@bluelizardtextiles

Egg rack, Berdoulat, £90

Inspired by an 18th-century

egg rack inherited by Berdoulat

founder Patrick Williams, which

over time “developed a beautiful

wibble”. The oak top holds

a dozen eggs, supported by

columns turned in walnut and

capped with mother of pearl.

berdoulat.co.uk

Roake Studio chunky

hoop earrings, BAM

Store + Space, £30



Food

Eat it, love it, share it

Nurturing wellness amongst nature

When you become a member of The Club at Combe Grove, you are joining so much more than just a gym.

Featuring tasty

illustrations by

Amyisla Mccombie

Set in 64 acres of woodland we offer unrivalled views of the Limpley Stoke Valley. Members have

access to a well-appointed nature-inspired gym, studios, indoor and outdoor pool and tennis

courts, all of which benefit from space and natural light. Join our volunteering opportunities,

drop into an event or take part in a mindful movement class.

We look forward to welcoming you.

01225 834644

newmemberships@combegrove.com

www.combegrove.com/memberships

Combe

Grove

HEALTH & WELLBEING


FOOD

The List

Our pick of the best local comfort food

Underneath everything a restaurant

should restore one’s spirit. And that

starts with offering comfort.

ANDREW LOWKES, LANDRACE, BATH

FESTIVE HAMPERS

Cave wine bar & deli

Grab a box of delights from Gloucester

Road wine store, Cave. We’ll take this

one, featuring a bottle of red, cheese,

crackers and preserve.

cavebristol.co.uk

HOT CHOCOLATE

Zara’s Chocolates

Southville’s half-florist, half-chocolate

shop serves up arguably the finest hot

chocolate in Bristol, complete with

pillowy marshmallows.

zaraschocolates.com

BLACKBERRY TART

The Elder

Sweet berries, salted almonds, vanilla

cream and blackberry sorbet. Each

mouthful of this favourite from Bath

restaurant The Elder is a corker.

theelder.co.uk

ECCLES CAKES

Littleshop & Pantry

An on-the-go classic from our

favourite Westbury Park hangout,

Littleshop & Pantry, sister venture

of neighbourhood bistro, littlefrench.

littleshopandpantry.co.uk

SQUASH RAVIOLI

Upstairs at

Landrace

Head upstairs at Landrace

Bakery, Bath, for a bowl

of squash and ricotta

ravioli with pine nuts

and radicchio at the

new restaurant. Owner

Andrew Lowkes says:

“I read a quote recently

that the French word

for restaurateur literally

translates as ‘she or he

who restores’. A good

restaurant can beguile,

mystify, arouse, seduce

and excite. But underneath

everything a restaurant

should restore one’s

spirit. And that starts with

offering comfort. Everything

else is secondary.”

landracebakery.com

Photograph: Ed Schofield

I’ll have

what she’s

having!



Words Vishaka Robinson

Illustration Amyisla Mccombie

FOOD

A place

at the table

A derelict textile mill in Stroud is being transformed into

the HQ for one of the area’s most forward-thinking

not-for-profits. At its centre is the kitchen of food pioneers

The Long Table, who serve delicious, pay-what-you-can

dishes and believe that sharing home-cooked meals with both

strangers and friends is the tonic society is hungry for



FOOD

ucked away beside the River Frome, a few minutes

outside Stroud, you’ll find Brimscombe Mills, a

draughty, crumbling 19th-century mill, spread over five

buildings, which has lain empty for decades. But the

last three months have seen it become a hive of activity,

because this vast 2,050m 2 space has taken in a business

like no other.

It’s now home to the Grace Network, a group of

local community enterprises including The Long Table,

The Bike Drop, Stroud District Kids’ Stuff and more,

with 46 employees in all, each carving out a space for

themselves in the once-dilapidated building.

“When we got the keys in September it was

completely derelict,” recalls The Long Table founder,

Tom Herbert. “Every single window was broken, the

roof had fallen in, ivy and brambles grew outside (and

inside!), and we found doves and bats in the roof.

But despite all that, you could see the place had such

beautiful bones.”

Taking on such a mammoth project was a necessity

rather than a choice. “We had been served time on our

old space and had spent the last few years frantically

looking for somewhere to move into,” says Tom of

their move from nearby Brimscombe Port, which is

now earmarked for more than 150 homes. Luckily

for them, Brimscombe Mills posed such a challenge

to would-be developers that it’s been largely

overlooked; they managed to secure a three-year

lease and are working towards buying it outright.

But the job to get the space into a usable state has

involved the whole community. “We all just rolled

up our sleeves,” says Tom, explaining how they are

tackling the biggest building first – a striking singlestorey

brick warehouse, with 46 skylights and oak

beams. “There are a good 90 big-hearted neighbours

who have helped, many of them giving their time

for free: clearing, scrubbing, painting and putting in

temporary windows.”

As each organisation beds down in the building,

the space has gradually sprung to life. Stroud

Furniture Bank has already filled an entire end of

the building with its donations; Stroud District

Kids’ Stuff has taken a vast corner, filling it with

shelf-upon-shelf of toys, kids clothes and baby

paraphernalia; and The Bike Drop – which offers a

pedal-powered delivery service for the Stroud district

– has set up a workshop for locals to have their bikes

serviced and repaired.

Brimscombe Mills: the numbers

The Long Table

Cooked and served

over 100,000 meals

during the pandemic.

Saved 1.2 tonnes of

surplus food in 2021.

Stroud District

Kids’ Stuff

Received 31.2

tonnes of donations

in 2021.

Helped 661 families

through community

resilience outreach.

The Bike Drop

Provided 1,500

employment hours

to local young people

in 2021.

Cycled 8,500km

(more than the

distance from the

UK to India).

Stroud District

Furniture Bank

Saved 40.5

tonnes of furniture

from landfill.

Helped 87 lowincome

families

with 157 items

of furniture.

Kick Off Stroud

Engaged more than

300 children with

sport per week.

Provided sporting

activities to 10,000

children, across more

than 20 schools..



FOOD

Feeding the

community

Working to feed those in

need this winter, these

south-west charities

would love your support.

Bristol Food Union

For every £20 received, a

Bristol family in need will

receive a holiday hamper.

This includes a fruit and

veg box, meat, provisions of

basic staples, plus holiday

extras such as mince

pies and a few luxuries.

bristolfoodunion.org

CONTRACTOR

OF THE YEAR

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from design and planning, effortlessly through to build completion.

INTERIOR DESIGNER

OF THE YEAR

saltfordkitchens.com

01225 874676

info@sbsdesignandbuild.com

@sbsdesignandbuild

sbsdesignandbuild.com

The Long Table is building a community canteen at

its core, constructing much of it from the remnants

of Rush Skate Park (which unfortunately has been

demolished), alongside other repurposed building

materials and hand-me-downs; the fancy La Marzocco

coffee machine, for example, is a long-lend from Extract

Coffee Roasters in Bristol, who will eventually be running

workshops for budding baristas at the site.

They plan to place their signature long table near

the entrance, encouraging people to sit together while

they feast on dishes like roasted squash mac ’n’ cheese,

alongside just-out-the-oven rhubarb and white chocolate

cookies. “It’s not a soup kitchen with strip lights in it,”

sums up Tom of the space they are creating, which already

feels more hipster eat spot than social hub. “This place,

that the community is helping us build, is for everyone.

It’ll be soulful and we aspire to beauty.”

“Our last kitchen was in an old shipping container

and had no windows, whereas this one is full of light and

overlooked by four beautiful arched windows, so it’s

FoodCycle Bath

Since launching a Cook

and Collect service in

Bath, volunteers have

saved nearly two tonnes

of surplus food, which is

the equivalent of 5,307

meals. They are hosting a

Christmas meal at Nexus

Methodist Church on

December 15. Donations

and volunteering welcome.

foodcycle.org.uk

Frome Big Christmas

Get Together

A free community festive

lunch held at the Football

Club for anyone who is on

their own on Christmas Day.

They are seeking volunteers

to help host on the day and

drive guests to and from

the lunch.

fromechristmas@gmail.com


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quite a change,” explains Tom. He’s excited to have a

bigger space where they can train young chefs in the art of

turning donated and surplus produce from local growers

and suppliers into mouthwatering dishes. The 1.8 acres of

land outside also offers scope for them to grow their own

food onsite, and there are whispers of kitchen gardens

and a roundhouse beside the river.

This Christmas, Brimscombe Mills won’t be (quite)

ready for customers, but the team at The Long Table

are pulling together a UK-wide event, The Longest

Table, which will see people across the country hosting

their own get-togethers (see box on previous page for

information on how to join in). And, of course, they will

be hosting their own for the almost 100 volunteers and

tradespeople who have helped, and continue to pour

energy into the build.

“All we want to do is bring people together with

great food and good conversation,” says Tom, surveying

the evolving space. “The Grace Network is finding new

ways of working together and restoring derelict places.

What’s emerging is a hopeful place, now bursting with

life. Come and see us, and understand for yourself what

the future can look like, delicious and beautiful, when we

come together.” ×

Host your own

This winter, The Long Table team is

encouraging others to arrange their

own The Longest Table events in

workplaces, churches, streets, homes

and clubs. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a

bowl of soup or a three-course meal,

it’s all about eating good food and

having an open door,” says founder

Tom. Hosts that sign up receive a

pack filled with inspirational ways to

host, cook and bring your celebration

to life. Each meal served will be payas-you-feel,

and any money raised will

fund ongoing projects in the Stroud

valleys and beyond.

The Longest Table, December 13-19,

thelongtableonline.com


LOOKING

FOR A

GIFT?

Places

Staying in + going out

FIND

YOURS HERE

Find out the

secrets hidden

within these

walls

search available courses at

bathcollege.ac.uk/love2learn


Artist Residence Bristol,

where original features,

like the arched Georgian

windows (pictured prerenovation

on opposite

page) have been restored

to their former glory

PLACES

With exquisite boutique hotels in Brighton,

Penzance, London and Oxfordshire, the fifth

Artist Residence outpost is finally open, this

time in the heart of historic Bristol. We take

a look around the 23-bedroom guesthouse,

where history and art make firm foundations

Words Emily Payne

Photography Paul Massey and Jamie Smith

BOOT ROOM

BOUTIQUE



PLACES

glance through the window from the 19thcentury-style

bathtub upstairs at Artist

Residence Bristol reveals a reminder of what

once was. Across the road, next to Portland

Square’s legendary wine bar Cosies, a Georgian

wreck is being partially demolished to make

way for student accommodation. Change is

everywhere in Bristol. And this infamous corner

of St Pauls carries its history in lofty façades with

boarded-up windows.

Originally built for the city’s wealthy

merchants, the area failed to prosper as Clifton

boomed, relegating many of the buildings to shoe

and boot factories. Post-war saw further decline,

poverty and then rioting. But community spirits

were high. And once upon a time, the Artist

Residence building was home to the notorious

Factory squat, which until 2011 held community

meals and cinema nights.

Derelict since then, when Artist Residence

founders Justin and Charlie Salisbury stumbled

across it in 2015, the building was on the

Heritage at Risk Register, with the real possibility

of demolition. “It was a building that was

essentially falling down,” says Justin. “But it was

a bit like when you fall in love with a person: you

don’t plan it, it just happens, you fall into it.”

It turned out to be the couple’s most

ambitious renovation project yet; a labour of

love which saw them restoring it bit-by-bit,

uncovering treasures including an arched tunnel

in the basement and an old cage lift that sadly

couldn’t be salvaged. Everything that could be

saved was, from the original metal beams to the

arched windows and delicate ceiling roses.

Entrance hall

“In some hotels, there’s no

context… like an airport,” says

Justin. “But here, the primary

thing is the building and the

neighbourhood. Bristol has soul.”

The restoration is both sensitive

and wildly organic – art thrown at

the walls, vintage in with modern,

designer peppered with thrift shop,

industrial versus luxe. In the hall,

along with low-slung leather chairs

and a stripped wooden floor, the

warm yellow walls are adorned

with a huge strawberry print (Ichigo

Kawaii by Aida) and an Art Deco

French arcade game. Old meets

older meets newer. And like the

other Artist Residence properties,

everything somehow just works.

“It’s important to make things feel

down-to-earth and in keeping – but

also it’s grand. So it’s that mix,”

says Justin. “I’m not a professional

interior designer, but we’ve been in

this building a long time and things

evolve naturally.”

What a difference six years

makes. A 2015 view of the

listed Georgian townhousecome-boot

factory-comecommunity

squat, which

is now home to Artist

Residence Bristol



The Library

“With a building like this, there needs

to be a process of undecorating,”

Justin explains. Part of the process was

stripping away the layers and seeing

what was left, which in the Library, a

relaxed public space downstairs, was

vast Georgian windows, original wood

panelling and loads of natural light.

Now, this cosy room is just right for

breakfast (Hobbs House Bakery bread,

fresh fruit, granola and Extract coffee),

morning meet-ups and cocktails in the

evening (yes please to the signature

Rosemary Paloma, featuring tequila,

grapefruit, rosemary, agave, lime

and soda).

On the striking bare walls hang Dave

Buonaguidi’s Party Like it’s 1999, local

artist Rose Vickers’ geometric patterns

made from old school rulers, and a

charming painting by 13-year-old artist

Camille Phoenix. “Some people buy art

as an investment, but I buy it because

I know it would look good in a certain

space,” says Justin.

Bristol talent

on display

at Artist

Residence

Annie Clay

annieclay.co.uk

Jessie Woodward

jessiewoodward.co.uk

Kedals

kedals.co.uk

Rose Vickers

rosevickers.co.uk

PLACES

The bedrooms

Each room tells the story of the building’s history, pointing to

original features: scrawled graffiti, exposed brick and pitched

ceilings. But the bottom line is effortless luxury, nudged

along by Bramley products, robes by Cleverly Laundry and

mini bars stocked with Lost and Grounded beers, Averys

wines and 6 O’clock Gin.

The Lookout, a mezzanine-style room split over two floors,

has a spiral staircase leading to a roof terrace with views over

Bristol and the back of the building, giving an insight into its

former life as a factory. Workshop and Loft rooms all have

roll-top bathtubs, and smaller options include the Shoebox

and Factory rooms – one of which features blue handprints

left on the beams.

But the real jaw-dropper is the Artist Suite, where floorlength

rich mustard curtains highlight the towering ceiling,

and an ornate mint green bathtub by The Water Monopoly

is the centrepiece. Beautiful furniture (too big to cram

into a suitcase sadly) includes the soft pink cloud-like

Anthropologie bubble chair, a candyfloss-coloured

wardrobe, a vintage railway mirror and cushions from

Dorset textiles brand Projektityyny.

“Some rooms are naturally very grand, some need lifting.

But the end game is that people feel comfortable, and that it

is as homely as possible,” Justin says.



PLACES

Emulate AR

style at home

+ Scour eBay and

Original House and

know your keywords

+ Undecorate, strip back

and see what’s left

+ Hang statement art, go

big or go home

+ Embrace colourful

curtains, begone beige

+ Mix vintage with

modern styles

+ Buy what you like, then

see how it fits together

Bar + kitchen

Once the boot factory’s

epicentre, the bar (which is

on the brink of opening when

we visit) is a massive gallery-like

area that runs across much of

the ground floor and is hung

with what feels like hundreds

of artworks. Look out for the

giant pink painted maps and

poems by Gommie, a neon

alphabet by Andy Doig and work

by Bristol artists Annie Clay,

Jessie Woodward and street

artist Kedals.

Industrial charm in the

double-height glass ceiling and

original factory steel beams is

complemented with American

diner-style booths, neat midcentury

flourishes and huge red

lettering spelling SNOG. “I don’t

have a lot of time to create mood

boards,” says Justin. “The feeling

of being imperfect comes from

not overthinking things.”

There are hopes for a plantfilled

courtyard and an events

space in the basement for music

and film nights, the idea being

to open up the space to the

local community. The staggered

launch of Artist Residence Bristol

was in part due to the pandemic

and the strains of renovating

an old building, but also due to

this family-run business taking

a totally hands-on approach

to getting things done, with a

keenness to do justice to what

was and still is a very special

corner of the city. ×

Checking in

Rates start at £125 for a double

room, suites from £365

Breakfast is available for an

additional charge of £16.50pp,

all inclusive

artistresidence.co.uk


Words Clemmie Millbank Photography Tom Ham

PLACES

Spotlight on

Windmill

Hill

Known for its pastel houses, views across the city and

sprawling Victoria Park, this Bohemian south Bristol quarter

is a bustling pocket of community and creativity

Stuffed

Victoria Park

Boasting over 50 acres of green

space, including a tennis court,

bowling green, water maze and

play areas, Victoria Park is a

dreamy destination to explore

and take in some of the best

views of the city. Incredibly, a

children’s play park has existed

on this historic site since 1887.

Pop along to today’s swings and

slide situated on the Nutgrove

Avenue side of the park and

you’ll also be greeted by the

cheery orange Stuffed van, run

by sisters Jodie and Kylie, and

serving coffee, cakes and hearty

toasties. “Victoria Park is a hub

for the Windmill Hill community

and we love being part of it,”

says Kylie. “It’s the people that

make the park such a vibrant and

welcoming environment, and

we’re immensely grateful for their

ongoing support.”

facebook.com/yourstuffed


PLACES

Find Us

18 Market Place, Tetbury GL8 8DD

Opening Hours

Tuesday-Saturday 10-3pm

Contact Us

www.taylorblack.co.uk

info@taylorblackjewellery.co.uk

Instagram@taylorblackjewellery

Windmill Hill City Farm

You Shall Go To The Ball!

MARTIN DODD for UK PRODUCTIONS in association with THEATRE ROYAL BATH proudly presents

CBBC’s TRACY BEAKER

Dani Harmer

as FAIRY GODMOTHER

HE’S BACK! BATH FAVOURITE

Jon Monie

as BUTTONS

Elly Jay

as CINDERELLA

Nic Gibney

& Duncan Burt

as THE UGLY SISTERS

16 December ’21 to 9 January ’22

01225 448844 | theatreroyal.org.uk

Pantomime Sponsor

The Bristol Loaf

The Bristol Loaf

96 Bedminster Parade

Opening at the height of a pandemic

(in September 2020) has done

nothing to dent the popularity

of this fine establishment, with

brunch queues often spilling out

around the block. With branches

in Redfield and the Bristol Beacon,

the Loaf excels in top-notch bakes,

Extract coffees and a diverse menu.

“We use traditional preserving

methods like fermenting, salting

and pickling to help extend nature’s

glut,” explains managing director

Gary Derham. In the same building,

you can pick up a bottle of wine

from Native Vine, cheese from Two

Belly, or fruit and veg at Hugo’s

Greengrocer Deli. “We wanted to

create a European-style food hall

feel,” says Gary. “I love the hustle

and bustle of a working bakery,

grocer, cheesemonger and wine

merchant all sharing the space and

complementing each other.”

thebristolloaf.co.uk

Windmill Hill City Farm

Philip Street

A community hub since 1976, the

City Farm is a haven for local

wildlife and local parents looking

for an easy family day out. It’s a

pleasingly down-to-earth site, filled

with cute animals, volunteer-tended

vegetable plots, a café and farm

shop stocked with home-grown

goodies, a nursery, play park,

pottery shed and gift shop selling

crafts by local artists. “The farm

has lots of roles.” says CEO Steve

Sayers. “It’s a bumping-in place,

where people meet friends – and

strangers. It’s a green space for

a breath of air and tranquillity

in a busy world, but essentially

community is at its heart. It

provides facilities that are free

to visit as well as services that cover

childcare, education, and health

and social care for vulnerable

people locally. It’s a place where

people grow.”

windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk


PLACES

Piglets Vintage

Piglets Vintage

2 St John’s Lane

Bristol Distilling Co

Malago Vale Trading Estate

LOOP MASSAGE

Massage. Facials. Reflexology.

A beautiful, purpose built, purpose led

boutique studio in central Bristol

offering bespoke treatments.

Use code CIRCUS10

for 10% off your first treatment

Book online at loopmassage.com

Loop Your Shoulders

The jolly lemon yellow exterior of

Piglets Vintage, featuring artwork

by local artist Gage Graphics, is

certainly noticeable. “We wanted

it to reflect the building’s pub

history, offer an idea of what kind

of shop we are and include a

few local sights too,” says owner

Jayne Brady. “I’ll let you spot the

references.” Piglets is a family affair

inspired by Jayne’s grandfather’s

secondhand business, with her

father, Kevin, sourcing most of

the stock. Take a look around and

be transported back in time via

long-forgotten heirlooms, including

delicate vintage birdcages, analogue

camera equipment and antique

leather clown shoes (yes, really). “I

love finding out the history of our

items: how they were made and how

they were used,” explains Jayne. “It

can be my downfall. Sometimes I

get so caught up in researching one

particular item, I end up spending

days on it!”

piglets-vintage.co.uk

Take a short walk along the

Malago Greenway and you’ll

come across the unlikely site for

Bristol’s coolest cocktail bar.

Set in the redbrick trading estate,

Bristol Distilling Co serves up

burgers and hotdogs from the

Chomp kitchen, their own Gin 77

and tonic on draft, and the best

espresso martini in town.

“Everyone loves it. It’s made

with our 77 Black Cold Brew

Coffee & Vanilla Liqueur,” says

head of operations, Emily Astley-

Cooper. But why such an unusual

location? “Well, there aren’t many

places in Bristol where you can sip

cocktails while looking out at

a 500-litre still,” Emily laughs.

“Plus, Windmill Hill is an amazing

part of Bristol. It’s so close to

Bedminster station and the city

centre, but with its own great

community and feel. We love being

a bit of a local for all the people

living around us.” ×

bristoldistilling.com

Bristol Distilling Co

circusjournal.com

@circusjournal

PROMOTED CONTENT

Directory

Showcasing independent creative

businesses in the south-west

The Curzon

Cinema & Arts, Clevedon

STEEPED IN HERITAGE

IMMERSED IN CULTURE

PROUDLY INDEPENDENT

WOULD YOU LIKE

TO BE INCLUDED IN THE

CIRCUS DIRECTORY? EMAIL


FILMS - BAR - COMEDY

Q&A’S - CONFERENCES

@curzonclevedon

www.curzon.org.uk

STYLE

WearMyWardrobeOut

A sustainable and ethical fashion rental service in Bristol, providing vintage,

pre-loved and custom-made outfits and accessories. Offering one-of-a-kind and

everyday fashion items for rent, curating styles based on stand-out timeless looks.

wearmywardrobeout.com


Directory

PROMOTED CONTENT

FAMILY

Tall Tree Kids Sleep

Highly recommended personalised

sleep story meditations which

help kids sleep by featuring

both their name and favourite

toy, aiding a calm bedtime. Gift

boxes can be purchased and

personalised for any child.

Use the code CIRCUS for 10% off.

talltreekidssleep.co.uk

WORKSPACE

Motorworks

An exciting new workspace in

Frome, brought to you by the

creators of the popular Old

Church School. Private studios are

contemporary, light-filled and airy

– ideal for freelancers and small

businesses looking for something

unique in the heart of the town.

motorworksfrome.co.uk

ARCHITECTURE

BiBO

A collaborative design studio

working on projects that do more

than meets the eye. From smallscale

to commercial fit-outs,

inhabitable sculpture, architecture

and events, BiBO focuses on how

people use space to help create

unique, memorable experiences.

bibostudio.com

FOOD

Raphael’s Med Deli Products

An award-winning Mediterranean

deli products supplier in Bath.

Enjoy the flavours of Greece

through its range of tapenades,

dips and antipasti, teas, herbs

and honey. Take 5% off your

first online order with the code

CIRCUSJOURNAL-DEC21.

meddelifood.co.uk

STYLE

Like No Other

Like No Other reworks vintage

sweatshirts into a personalised and

sustainable alternative. Choose

your garment and colour, and

either create your own unique

‘spell-out’ (make it personal,

smart or funny) or go for an offthe-peg

ready-to-wear design.

shoplikenoother.co.uk

ART

Quercus Gallery

First established in Bath in 2013,

this highly regarded gallery

reopened in Bradford on Avon in

October 2020. Quercus brings

together fine art and contemporary

craft by British artists and makers,

alongside carefully chosen

greetings cards and paper goods.

quercusgallery.co.uk

INTERIORS

Potters

A Bristol co-operative shop

founded in 1996 by its members,

for its members. Over 25 makers

based in the south-west and

Wales create unique handmade

contemporary ceramics, with

special guest potters exhibiting

throughout the year.

pottersbristol.com

FOOD

Good Sixty

Year-round groceries and

delicious festive treats from Bath

and Bristol’s best independents

delivered to your door – with zero

emissions. Good for you, good

for your community, good for the

planet. Get 10% off your first shop

with the code GOODWINTER.

goodsixty.co.uk

EXPERIENCES

Yuup

Discover unforgettable

experiences, make your own

heartfelt and sustainable gifts,

and do Bristol from a whole

new perspective. From tasting

masterclasses to foraging and

pottery workshops – life’s sweeter

when you say Yuup.

yuup.co

SHOPPING

BAM Store + Space

A non-profit independent shop

in Easton selling art, cards, gifts,

books, vinyl, toys, games and

other treats designed to give you

a mood boost. Shop in store or

online, and check out the creative

workshops with local makers in

this happy, colourful space.

bambristol.co.uk

WORKSPACE

Cassia Bath & Bradford on Avon

Cassia’s mission is to change how

people work, eat and socialise; to

create spaces where you can grab

a coffee, work at a desk for a few

hours, take a yoga class or attend

a talk, all in one place. Whatever

you do there, you’ll leave feeling

connected and uplifted.

cassiacommunity.co.uk

ART

Emma Rose Art Works

Emma Rose exhibits in the southwest

and London, and paints

to commission, selling original

paintings, limited-edition giclée

prints, art cushions and cards.

Her beautiful Wellow studio is

open by appointment. A warm

welcome awaits.

emmaroseartworks.com



STEP INTO THE

STUDIO

The

Guide

PROMOTED CONTENT

MY Christmas Art Market

20 awesome things to do this winter

IF YOU WOULD LIKE

TO PROMOTE YOUR EVENT

ON THESE PAGES,

PLEASE EMAIL


FAMILY

DANCE

SHAKESPEARE

MUSIC & COMEDY

1

2

3

NEW WRITING

Dec 21 – Apr 22

Tickets just £12

bristololdvic.org.uk/studio

DRAMA

SHOPPING

MY Christmas Art Market

Makers’ Yard, Frome

December 4

The people at Makers’ Yard

are excited to host their first

Christmas Art Market. The

event will feature a variety of

talented contemporary artists,

designers and makers from

across Somerset. Indulge in

the festive atmosphere, enjoy

performances from local

musicians, and grab a bite to

eat or a winter-warming drink.

makersyard.co.uk

MUSIC

Roy Ayers Ubiquity

St George’s, Bristol

January 23

A rare chance to see legendary

American funk, soul and jazz

composer and music producer

Roy Ayers perform on his

Everybody Loves The Sunshine

45th anniversary tour. Roy has

33 albums under his belt, has

been sampled by countless

hip-hop artists, and is cited as

a major influence by Pharrell

Williams and Erykah Badu.

stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

THEATRE

OZ

Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol

December 10 – January 9

Based on the original Wizard of

Oz books by L Frank Baum, this

punchy production by Tobacco

Factory Theatres and Pins and

Needles is set in a land of potent

poppy fields, flying monkeys and

rogue rulers. With imaginative

storytelling, original live music

and laughs, OZ will transport you

straight to the yellow-brick road

and beyond.

tobaccofactorytheatres.com


PROMOTED CONTENT

PROMOTED CONTENT

Bath Christmas Light Trail

IF YOU WOULD LIKE

TO PROMOTE YOUR EVENT

ON THESE PAGES,

PLEASE EMAIL


Mick Peter: Old Ghosts

Bruce Munro’s Field of Light

4

FESTIVE

Bath Christmas Light Trail

Bath city centre

Until December 31

See Bath’s most recognisable

streets and buildings brought to

life with magical illuminations.

Spot extra sparkle across the

city centre, adding festive

magic to Christmas shopping.

The illuminations will be

on from 3.30pm every day.

welcometobath.co.uk

5

THEATRE

Snow White and the

Seven Dwarfs

Bristol Hippodrome

December 4 – January 2

Packed with the traditional

pantomime ingredients

audiences have come to know

and love, this magical show

will be brought to life with an

abundance of jaw-dropping

dance, side-splitting comedy,

sensational special effects

and plenty of Yuletide charm.

atgtickets.com

6

FESTIVE

Mick Peter: Old Ghosts

Holburne Museum, Bath

January 14 – May 15

A sculptural narrative trail

through the Holburne and

its gardens that humorously

critiques the conventions

of heritage sites. A series

of encounters, including an

archaeological dig and a

hapless signwriter desperately

trying to refresh the Holburne’s

signage, playfully riffs on the

Holburne’s role as an art gallery,

suggesting a new way of

thinking about the museum

in the 21st century.

holburne.org

7

Bath Artisan

Market

FAMILY

The Elves’ Swapshop

5 Old Bond Street, Bath

Until December 19

Santa’s elves have joined the

upcycling revolution! This year,

they invite children to bring

along a pre-loved toy to the

Bath Artisan @wildrose_flowers

Elves’ Swapshop. The toy

will go into the Elf-O-Matic

toy upcycler and can be

exchanged for a refurbished

gift from the elves’ workshop.

welcometobath.co.uk

8

ART

Bruce Munro’s Field of Light

Marston Park, Frome

Until April 2022

Fresh from illuminating Uluru

in Australia and Paso Robles

wine country in California,

Bruce Munro’s world famous

Field of Light, comes to Marston

Park in Somerset. Book now

to explore this unforgettable

light-based installation along

the lake edge and through

the woodland.

marstonpark.co.uk

9

SHOPPING

Bath Artisan Market

Queen Square, Bath

Until December 19

After a break of nearly

two years, Bath’s biggest

independent artisan market

is back in the city’s prettiest

square. With a selection of

the best local creators and

food producers each day,

and new traders joining each

week and weekend, there will

always be something new to

see and do, along with lots of

tasty treats to try.

bathartisanmarket.com

10

SHOPPING

Framework Festive

Market

King Street, Bristol

December 11

This popular workspace in

central Bristol is once again

hosting its lively festive market.

The space will be filled with

Christmas decorations, food,

drink and local Bristol makers

and artists selling their wares.

Come along and pick up some

gifts between 11am and 4pm.

If you’re a maker yourself and

fancy trading, get in touch.

Pitches are just £15.

frameworkbristol.co.uk

11

FESTIVE

BBC Countryfile Christmas

in the Park

Charlton Park Estate

December 10-12

Head to Charlton Park Estate’s

beautiful parkland for TV chefs

and food heroes demonstrating

seasonal favourites, crafting and

baking workshops, street food,

carol singing and shopping from

more than 200 retailers. You

can even pick your own locally

grown Christmas tree.

countryfilelive.com

12

MUSIC

The Streets

O2 Academy, Bristol

January 24

Noughties favourites Mike

Skinner and co come to Bristol

as part of their nationwide tour.

Expect banging tracks from the

critically acclaimed mixtape

None of Us Are Getting Out of

This Life Alive, as well as a few

classics from the archives.

academymusicgroup.com

76 Circus Journal Autumn 2021


-

PROMOTED CONTENT

Coming up for Air: Stephen Gill

– A Retrospective

The Drawing Rooms

Christmas Tavern

15

FESTIVE

The Drawing Rooms

Christmas Tavern

Queen Square, Bath

Until December 19

Bath members’ club The Drawing

Rooms takes up residence at

the month-long Bath Artisan

Christmas market. Pop by for

natty decor and uniquely TDR

piano bar moments – along with

hot chocolate and mulled wine,

draught beers from Lost and

Grounded Brewers, ciders from

Honey’s Cider and wine from

Canned Wine Co.

thedrawingrooms.co

13

14

16

Shop in store or online

Commission and reworking service available

33 Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5NH

T: +44(0)117 9090225

www.dianaporter.co.uk

Traditional Gentlemen's Barber

U S - T E DAY FRIDAY 9 . 3 0 A P M M

- 6

9 SATURDAY

. 0 0 A M - 3 P M

S U N DAY - MONDAY

C L O S E D

A N D W A L K - I N S

A P P O I N T M E N T S

N G

W I D C O M B E B A 2 4

O K S Y A P P

B O O K O N L I N E B O

A N D Y B A R B E R S . C O M

D D N A E N I F . W W W

EXHIBITION

Coming up for Air: Stephen

Gill – A Retrospective

Arnolfini, Bristol

Until January 16

Celebrating 30 years of

extraordinary practice, Bristolborn

photographer Stephen Gill

shows previously unexhibited

work alongside pieces from

his iconic back catalogue. The

exhibition explores Stephen’s

rich sense of place, from the

flea markets of Hackney Wick

to rural Sweden.

arnolfini.org.uk

FESTIVE

Festive illuminations at

Ashton Court

Ashton Court Estate, Bristol

Until December 24

Take an enchanted journey

through historic Ashton

Court as Light Up Bristol

bedazzles the walkways with

a sparkling light trail. In the

manor’s courtyard you’ll find

festive food and drink stalls

to enjoy before exploring the

spectacular, immersive light

show. A must-do for all ages.

yuup.co

ART + CRAFT

Emma Rose’s Christmas

studio sale

The Art Studio, Wellow

December 4

Highly acclaimed Bath-based

artist Emma Rose is throwing

open the doors to her idyllic

art studio in Wellow. She’ll be

displaying a selection of original

paintings, limited-edition giclée

and canvas prints, cushions,

cards, booklets and more.

Everything will be on sale with

a Christmas discount.

emmaroseartworks.com


_Circus_winter2021_vertcial.indd 1 10/11/2021 16:12:46

Discover a different Christmas.

PROMOTED CONTENT

Enchanted Garden of Light

Open 7 days a week.

20 Wellsway , Bath , BA2 2AA

www.juliadavey.com

17

FESTIVE

Enchanted Garden of Light

American Museum & Gardens,

Bath

December 9-31

A captivating light trail that

illuminates the dramatic

hillside setting as never before.

Tickets are anticipated to

sell quickly, with families and

friends making early plans

to be together for the festive

season in this magnificent

open-air setting.

americanmuseum.org

18

MUSIC

Celestine

Bristol Beacon Foyer, Bristol

December 16

Celestine is a double Grammy

Award-winning vocalist and

performer for the critically

acclaimed Bristol drum ‘n’ bass

group, Dr Meaker. An eclectic

soul artist, Celestine’s diverse

musical ability transcends

genres and audiences.

bristolbeacon.org

19

ART + CRAFT

Christmas wreath making

Bath College Campus

December 8, 9 + 10

Get into the Christmas spirit

by learning to create your own

traditional wreath, perfect as

a gift or home decoration.

You’ll use real festive foliage

and decorations, under the

instruction of an experienced

floristry lecturer.

bathcollege.ac.uk

20

WORKSHOP

RWA family workshop

Greenway Centre Café, Bristol

December 6 + 8

Join artist Jessie for this lively

and free family workshop.

You’ll get to make artworks

inspired by the themes of

pop-up exhibition, Varekai

(Wherever) – a selection of

vibrant pieces from RWA’s

permanent collection, on

display at the Greenway

Centre café until January 6.

rwa.org.uk

Christmas wreath making

RWA family workshop

All details correct at the time of going

to press. Please check event websites

and social media for updates. If you’d

like to see your event listed, email



COMPETITION

FOOD

Yuup + Circus

Win £200 worth of credit to spend on experiences

in Bristol this winter

Fancy a spot of rum tasting at Nadu in Stokes Croft? How about a hot air balloon

flight, or safari in the Forest of Dean? We’re teaming up with Bristol experience

gurus Yuup, to bring one lucky reader a whopping £200 credit to enjoy some of

its exciting offerings. To enter, head to Instagram on December 10 and follow the

instructions. Missed out? The Yuup team have plenty up their sleeves for 2022.

@circusjournal

yuup.co

82 Circus Journal Autumn 2021

For your chance

to win, find us on

instagram

@circusjournal

Credit to be redeemed by December 31 2021. Valid on any experience booked on Yuup, to be fulfilled within 12 months. Credit not valid on gift vouchers.

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Circus Journal Vol 15

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