NF02

NF02 February / March 2024 

thenearfield.com 

Wake the Tiger gets cosmic / Snack hacks with George Egg 

Comedy roundup / The Sad Ghost Club / What’s on / Bath City Women

downside SCHOOL 

come & see how 

downside is doing things 

differently 

co-educational day & boarding school for pupils aged 11-18 

daily minibuses to/from centre of bath & villages in between 

call issy hartnell on 01761 235103 to arrange a personalised visit 

www.downside.co.uk

Welcome 3 

Simon Tapscott 

Co-founder and commercial director 

Jack Horner 

Co-founder and creative director 

Chris Parkin 

Editor 

Sam Freeman 

Art director 

Clemmie Millbank 

Listings editor 

Camilla Cary-Elwes 

Subeditor 

SUPPORT US 

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William Rowe 

This issue of nearfield was printed in 

January 2024 by Zenith Print Group in 

Pontypridd, Wales. 

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© nearfield 2024. All information contained in 

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only. nearfield magazine is published by Do 

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Things Limited. 

Let’s be honest: February is rubbish. It never 

ranks well in favourite-month straw polls in the 

pub. That ‘new year, new you’ energy is worn out, 

winter is trolling us by this point and we’re even 

shortchanged on days to get stuff done. Sod that, 

though. Let’s make February (and March) great 

again. Because everyone loves a bargain, we’re 

pointing you in the direction of the tastiest bites 

that won’t blow your budget, and offering you the 

chance to win a night, for free, in a luxury hotel. 

We also get a lesson in positive mental health from 

Robbie Williams’ favourite Knowle-based illustrator 

The Sad Ghost Club, get in the brains of standups 

Josh Pugh, Amy Mason and Tamsyn Kelly, and 

explore Wake the Tiger’s imagination-revving new 

space. There’s also room for Bath City Women 

FC, Cary Grant on acid, Massive Attack, plus our 

events list, and food and drink section. Maybe 

February and March aren’t so bad after all. 

And remember, if you want even more of 

everything, visit thenearfield.com. 

Chris Parkin 

editorial@thenearfield.com 


@the.nearfield 

THIS ISSUE’S 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Writers 

Shonette Laffy 

Freya Parr 

Rich Pelley 

Amanda Nicholls 

Photographers 

Francesca Jones 

Felix Russell-Saw 

Illustrator 

Thomas Burden 

(front cover) 


NF02

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In this issue NF02 

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46 6 72 

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Features 

31 BEST CHEAP EATS 

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A collection of pursefriendly 

food places that 

don’t skimp on quality 

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41 THE SAD GHOST CLUB 

Meet the Knowle-based 

illustrator spreading positive 

awareness of mental health 

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15 FOOD & DRINK 

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COMPETITION 

46 WAKE THE TIGER 

Take a peek into the cosmic 

new space at Bristol’s 

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multi-sensory wonderland 

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52 COMEDY ROUNDUP 

Josh Pugh, Amy Mason, 

Tamsyn Kelly and Slapstick 

Festival are all on frownslaying 

form 

58 BATH CITY WOMEN FC 

We hand our pages over to 

the manager and players of 

this rising community club 

74 

15 

Win a night for two, 

plus breakfast, at 

harbourside hotel, 

The Bristol 

Regulars 

6 FIELD NOTES 

The Holburne 

Museum, Simple 

Things Festival, 

Cary Grant, the 

Bristol zine scene 

and ultramarathon 

sadism 

The Granary, cosy 

pubs with rooms and 

TikTok sensations 

Urban Tandoor 

21 THE LIST 

Your guide to what’s 

on in the southwest 

68 IT HAPPENED HERE 

Before Massive 

Attack there was The 

Wild Bunch – we dig 

into the archives 

72 MY NEARFIELD 

With artist, illustrator 

and record sleeve 

designer Victoria 

Topping 

Contents 5

NEARFIELD • NEARFIELD • NEARFIELD • NEARFIELD • 

6 Field Notes 

FieldNotes 

Keeping you clued-up about life in the southwest 

ALL CHANGE 

The Holburne Museum’s 

new curator of 

contemporary art, Layla 

Gatens, tells us about her 

ambitious, unifying plans 

“I believe galleries and museums 

should uplift a multitude of 

perspectives; amplify different 

voices and practices to tell 

stories in different ways; and 

create pockets of sanctuary. 

Lost Threads Turner Prize winner Lubaina Himid’s Holburne installation 

“There still aren’t enough 

institutions working collectively 

with others. I’m interested in how 

we can use creative practice 

and museum programming 

to work towards change, 

through personal and social 

transformation. How can art and 

creative practices enable us to 

find moments of rest, joy and 

pleasure among the ongoing 

crises faced by our society? 

“The Holburne Museum launched 

a contemporary programme in 

2018 to bring more experimental 

practices and debates to the 

southwest. This year we’re 

presenting the Turner Prizewinning 

artist Lubaina 

Himid’s Lost Threads (see 

The List), an ambitious 

installation reflecting the 

movement of the oceans 

and rivers that have 

been used to transport textiles, 

as well as enslaved people. 

“The Holburne is free for anyone 

aged 18 and under, and students 

can visit for free. We also host 

free Up Late sessions on the 

last Friday of each month. 

We want audiences to feel 

welcomed, seen by and 

part of the Museum.” 

nfld.io/holburne 


Field Notes 7 

RADIO ACTION 

Where we celebrate local radio. This issue, 

we meet Noods Radio’s Agata Chudziak 

IN THE MUCK 

AND NETTLES 

Where can we hear you? 

“I have a monthly show on 

Noods – Concrete Pillow. 

My next two are on 14 

February and 13 March.” 

What will we hear? 

“80s new wave, dream 

pop, synth and a sprinkle 

of 90s electronica and 

shoegaze. I schedule in 

new releases that fit this 

ethereal, romantic and 

slightly gritty world.” 

Why is independent 

radio important? 

“It is to DJs what 

grassroots venues are to 

bands. It provides a space 

for underrepresented, 

underprivileged creators. 

For listeners, it gives them 

music and information 

unrestricted by trends, 

charts or adverts.” 

Who else should we 

check out? 

“Angelkin’s 999Hz and 

Monksy’s Earth Worms. 

They play ethereal and 

experimental sounds with 

a lot of synth; what’s not 

to love? I also want to 

shout out Mria and her 

Home Remedies show.” 

What do you get up to 

off-air? 

“I have plans for an 80s 

goth and new romantic 

club night in Bristol. I’m 

also excited for my first 

solo live shows.” 

noodsradio.com 

Great Avon Wood, the 100-acre 

community woodland near Pensford, 

founded by Forest of Avon Trust and 

Avon Needs Trees, is looking for 

volunteers to help plant 16,000 trees 

by winter’s end. Alex Stone, of the 

Forest of Avon Trust, explains why. 

“A lot of what we’re doing is restoring 

trees back where they were many 

years ago, and this site is full of history 

and heritage. Planting and caring for 

our region’s trees helps clean and cool 

our air, reduces flooding, and provides 

a home for declining species of birds, 

bugs and fungi.” 

Sign up to volunteer. 

avonneedstrees.org.uk 

Photo: www.alexanderturnerphotography.com 

Pick of 

the pops 

Catch this lot 

(and more) at 

Bristol all-dayand-nighter, 

Simple Things, 

on 24 February. 

nfld.io/simple 

Kayla Painter 

Bristol’s sonic 

innovator opens 

proceedings in 

the Beacon’s main 

hall with a new 

laser AV show 

centred around 

her deep-listening 

electronics. 

Space Afrika 

Leading lights 

of Manchester’s 

experimental 

scene, this duo 

specialise in 

subaqueous 

dub techno 

and nocturnal 

ambient. 

CASISDEAD 

Do not miss this 

masked grime 

MC whose debut 

album featured 

Pet Shop Boys’ 

Neil Tennant. Get 

in on the ground 

floor before he 

lifts off. 

Gilla Band 

Dublin’s loudest. 

Prepare to be 

pummelled by 

surging, jetplanelanding 

guitars, 

and tickled by 

lyrics Mark E. 

Smith would’ve 

been proud of. 



8 Field Notes 

Horfield boy 

Ahead of the spring launch of their Cary Grant 

walking tour, Show of Strength’s Sheila Hannon 

lets us in on her favourite Cary tidbits 

The Oscar also-ran 

Cary became super rich after beating Hollywood’s contract 

system. This may be why, despite nominations, he never 

won an Oscar (though he eventually received an honorary 

one in 1970). He also became a director of Fabergé. 

The father 

With fourth wife Dyan Cannon, 

Cary became a father for the first 

time at 61. He virtually gave up 

acting to spend as much time 

with Jennifer as possible. Dyan 

and Jennifer’s books were the 

sources for the ITV drama, Archie. 

Show of Strength’s 

Raising Cary Grant 

tour takes place 

from 29 March 

to 1 April 

nfld.io/caryg 

The serial husband 

Cary’s first wife was another 

English actor who made it big 

in Hollywood: Virginia Cherrill, 

star of Charlie Chaplin’s 1931 

silent film City Lights. His second 

was Woolworth heiress Barbara 

Hutton. They became known as 

Cash and Cary. 

The proto hippy 

Cary experimented with alternative 

treatments and therapies. In the late 50s, 

Betsy Drake, his third wife, recommended LSD 

and Cary took over 100 trips. He once told his 

daughter Jennifer: “You know how old ships 

or whales get barnacles on their belly? LSD 

helped me remove the barnacles.” 

The acrobat 

Born Archie Leach 

in Horfield, Bristol, 

on 18 January 1904, 

Cary ran away at 

14 to join a troupe 

of boy acrobats: 

Bob Pender’s 

Knockabout 

Comedians. He 

sailed to America 

with them a few 

years later. When 

his contract ended, 

Cary stayed on, 

picking up work as 

a stilt walker on 

Coney Island when 

times were hard. 

Plaza Cinema 

Walliscote Road, 

Weston-super-Mare 

Special screenings at this art deco 

wonder are accompanied by 

a Compton theatre organ which 

rises from the pit. 

SILVER SCREENS 

Curzon Cinema & Arts 

Old Church Road, Clevedon 

One of the oldest purpose-built 

cinemas in the world, the Curzon 

opened in 1912 with a fundraiser 

for the relatives of the Titanic 

disaster. And on it goes… 

20th Century Flicks 

Christmas Steps, Bristol 

The longest-running video rental 

store in the world (so it’s claimed) 

has a two-screen micro cinema 

where you can watch any of the 

20,000-plus films in stock. 


10 Field Notes 

Meet 

CAIT COOKE 

the 

makers 

ZINEZILLA ILLUSTRATION & ZINE FAIR 

Zinezilla Illustration and Zine Fair is back 

for the third edition of MEGALAZINE. Taking 

over Bristol creative space KIT FORM, in 

Stokes Croft, Zinezilla provides a platform 

for established and up-and-coming 

creators alike to tout everything from 

comics, zines and clay, to posters, prints 

and clothing. Co-founder Mereida Fajardo 

highlights six local illustrators and zinemakers 

to check out on the day. 

Produced by designer Cait Cooke, 

I Wanna Be! is a grassroots 

zine focused on self-discovery, 

individuality and ‘becoming’, aimed at 

young women and non-binary people. 

Its first issue combines interviews, 

photography and illustrations to 

explore the modern punk scene with 

intelligence and openness. She’s 

a zine-maker to watch. 

@iwannabemag 

DIRTPIGEON 

Calcifer Cole – who is better known 

in the scene as DirtPigeon – is 

a trans artist who weaves highly 

saturated colours, nonsense 

and clowns into their sprawling 

collection of work. Their art, ranging 

from zines and prints to patches 

and pins, is queer and colourful. 

Just like them! 

@dirtpigeon 


Field Notes 11 

GENARO 

MARTINEZ 

MEDINA 

Currently artist in residence 

at The Wilson Art Gallery 

& Museum in Cheltenham, 

Genaro’s vibrant illustrations 

take inspiration from his 

surroundings and Mexican 

heritage. His desk is a place 

where bright zines and smart 

editorial images collide 

with experimental art books 

tackling big themes. 

genaromartinez.co.uk 

MEGALAZINE 

takes place at KIT 

FORM, Jamaica 

Street Studios, on 

10 March, from 

12noon 

nfld.io/zines 

SEADOG COLLECTIVE 

Seadog is a collective of 

enthusiastic zinesters, illustrators 

and comic nerds based in 

Bristol. Prolific in their output, 

Edie Woolf, Ang Hui Qing and 

Jay Arthur Simpson create 

wonderfully bright and varied 

zines and comics alongside 

gorgeous prints and garments. 

@seadogcollective 

ETHAN LLEWELLYN 

Bristol-based cartoonist and 

illustrator Ethan Llewellyn 

is going places. Inspired by 

underground comics and the 

seedy underbelly of society, 

his dark, funny and expertly 

crafted comic anthology Naff has 

revealed Ethan as a fully formed 

cartoonist who is ready to take 

on the world. 

@ethanllewellyncartoons 

ROMAN 

MACRAE 

Inspired by folklore, 

horror and demonic 

fantasy, illustrator, 

designer and selfpublishing 

artist 

Roman Macrae wields 

his ink brush like 

a sword to craft dark 

and delicious comics. 

Having fun with 

character designs 

and panel layouts, 

his debut graphic 

novel Losing My 

Shadow shows we 

have much to expect 

from this exciting new 

cartoonist. 

romanmacrae.com 



Field Notes 13 

GOING 

UNDERGROUND 

Taking place over the weekend 

spanning 1-3 March, The Tunnel is 

a 200-mile endurance event organised 

by ultramarathon sadists Cockbain. 

Runners are tasked with completing 

a hundred ‘out-and-backs’ through 

the mile-long Combe Down Tunnel 

within 55 hours. Bristol runner Andy 

Persson, who was in his mid-50s when 

he completed the event, describes the 

experience (horror?) for us. 

“I’m no stranger to endurance running, 

having completed several longdistance 

runs including John o’Groats 

to Land’s End, the 630-mile South West 

Coast Path, and the 250-mile Thames 

Ring. However, The Tunnel presented 

a whole new challenge. I was attracted 

by the stripped-down simplicity: no 

support, no earphones, no light, no 

navigation – just running, non-stop, for 

over 200 miles. 

“I loved all 53 hours. There’s something 

calming and contemplative about 

running in the dark for so long, but 

my abiding memory of the experience 

is the hallucinations. They reached 

a whole other level in this race, with 

exotic carvings in the walls, diamondencrusted 

floors and a glass ceiling, all 

of which I was convinced were there. 

“The other great draw is how low-key it 

is. You’ve just run over 200 miles and at 

the finish there are a handful of people 

waiting for you. You get a handshake 

and a medal from Mark [the organiser], 

and then you trudge home. The 

hallucinations continued for several 

hours after, the muscle ache for several 

days, but the sense of achievement 

hangs around forever.” 

Fancy it? Start prepping for 2025, 

and stay tuned for all the details. 

cockbainevents.com 

Find your 

pace 

Weston-super- 

Mare Half 

Marathon 

This seaside run on 

29 March takes you 

along the seafront, 

on the sand, and 

onto the pier. 

nfld.io/wsmhalf 

Bath Trail 

Runners 

Find your offroad 

feet with 

this friendly crew. 

Mondays are for 

beginners with 

gentle 5k runs. 

bathtrailrunners. 

org 

Left Handed 

Giant Running 

Club 

Join this relaxed 

running group at 

the Left Handed 

Giant Brewpub, 

in Bristol, on 

Tuesdays at 6pm. 

nfld.io/lhgrun 

CLIMBING THE WALLS 

Running not your thing? Destroy your 

fingers instead at the BOFF Climbing 

Festival at Flashpoint Bristol on Saturday, 

2 March. Expect an abundance of new 

boulder problems and categories for 

all abilities and ages, plus pizza, drinks, 

trampolining, raffles and brand stalls. 

nfld.io/boff 



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 

www.greatwine.co.uk

Food & Drink 15 

Food&Drink 

COMPILED BY AMANDA NICHOLLS 

FLAVOUR OF 

THE MONTH 

Breakfast club 

The Granary’s 

sesame buttered 

spinach with 

poached eggs and 

buckwheat waffle 

THE GRANARY 

32 Welsh Back, Bristol 

Word of a tip-top Harveys Bristol 

Cream trifle was what lured us 

to Welsh Back’s latest opening 

– along with our curiosity to see 

what else this new incarnation 

of the cobbled street’s striking 

Bristol Byzantine building would 

have in store. 

Built in local red Cattybrook brick 

in the 19th century and first used 

to dry large quantities of grain, 

the Grade II-listed Granary has 

had plenty of colourful moments 

since, largely as a music venue 

hosting everyone from Lemmy’s 

Motörhead to Iron Maiden in the 

60s, 70s and 80s. It was also 

where Del Boy fell through the 

bar in that episode of Only Fools 

and Horses. 

Back to the present day, though, 

and in its tall glass of tart cherry 

jelly, almond cake and tonka 

custard, the trifle that snagged 

our attention followed through 

on its promise – an undeniable 

highlight, even after delicious 

sourdough flatbreads with firebraised 

tomatoes, ricotta and 

hot honey, and slow-cooked 

aubergine makhani dahl with 

crispy buckwheat. The flamegrilled 

lamb kofta with blackened 

cabbage, garlic and fennel seed 

butter was cooked to perfection, 

as you might expect from a team 

that has earned its stripes at 

Jamaica Street Stores, Harbour 

House and The Christmas Steps. 

Sesame buttered spinach, 

poached eggs, cider hollandaise, 

buckwheat waffle: don’t think 

we didn’t clock you on the menu. 

We’ll be back for you at breakfast 

soon – along with a few cocktails, 

too, now the basement has been 

transformed into a live venue 

which aims to plug the Granary 

back into its amped-up past. 

Small plates £5-£9, 

fired dishes £9-£28 

granarybristol.com 



16 Food & Drink 

STAY COSY 

Snug pubs that offer it all: country walks, 

indulgence and a comfy bed 

THE BATH ARMS 

Longleat, Horningsham 

Gingerbread croutons in sweet 

potato, chilli and coconut 

soup; and fresh yet comforting 

couscous peppered with 

pomegranate, chestnuts and 

charred winter cabbage. Just 

a couple of the refreshingly creative 

veggie dishes offered by this vine-covered 1736 pub on 

Wiltshire’s Longleat Estate, which supplies the menu’s 

meat and game. This characterful gaff is also the Beckford 

Group’s first to offer a bonus spa experience. Bramley’s 

small-batch Somerset skincare is provided alongside 

brilliant massage therapist Lucy Walters in a snug 

shepherd’s hut newly opened in the gardens. 

Mains £15-£25; batharmsinn.com 

THE CASTLE INN 

West Street, Castle Combe 

If you want the ‘prettiest village in 

England’ all to yourself once the 

daytrippers have scarpered, your 

best bet is a sleepover at the 12thcentury 

Castle Inn – Trencherman’s 

best pub of 2023 – with its wonky 

walls, twisting corridors, friendly staff, 

and attention to detail. Bagsy the 

four-poster room for views of stout, 

ivy-clad cottages and the square 

where scenes from War Horse and 

The Wolfman were shot. Cross the 

Bybrook’s tiny bridge for an appetitesummoning 

woodland walk among 

song thrushes and goldcrests, before 

hearty cheddar and ale soup, beasty 

beef-dripping chips, and warm honey 

and thyme madeleines tempt you 

back to base. 

Mains £18-£28; 

exclusive.co.uk/the-castle-inn 



SIGN OF THE ANGEL 

6 Church Street, Lacock 

A favourite of film location scouts, 

Lacock village is home to a 15thcentury, 

five-bedroom coaching inn 

that doubles as The Babberton Arms 

in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood 

Prince. Behind the Tudor façade is 

a wood-panelled sitting room, 

a dog-friendly restaurant (with two 

AA Rosettes) offering fireside dinners 

– venison pithivier with pickled 

blackberry perhaps, or sage gnocchi 

– and homely rooms filled with 

centuries-old original features. 

Mains £17-£35; signoftheangel.co.uk 

THE ROYAL OAK 

1 Cirencester Road, Tetbury 

Photos: Amy Murrell ; Pete Helme Photography 

Oak Lodge’s low wooden beams 

and freestanding roll-top tubs 

are a welcome sight after an 

afternoon rummaging in Tetbury’s 

classy boutiques and a bellyful 

of monkfish curry or rarebit tart 

with charred apple salsa in the 

Oak’s saloon bar. Complete with 

art deco piano, vintage jukebox, 

upcycled church panelling, and 

cosy booths, this lively 18thcentury 

freehouse was restored 

back to the community a decade 

ago and the local vibe is palpable. 

Mains £16.50-£28; 

theroyaloaktetbury.co.uk 



18 Food & Drink 

Urban 

legends 

The Bristol curry champions spicing up the 

TikTok algorithm and winning over celeb fans 

with their reimagined pop classics 

For staff at Bristol’s award-winning Urban 

Tandoor, turning up for work these days is 

a little like stepping into an episode of Stars 

in Their Eyes. They don’t know which pop icon 

they’ll be playing next as they help owner 

Sujith D’Almeida turn his latest TikTok dream 

into reality: “They don’t have a clue what’s 

coming,” he says, “or whether they’re going to 

be George Michael or Mariah Carey that day.” 

The curry kings, on Small Street and 

Whiteladies Road, have become social media 

sensations thanks to their spoofs of popular 

songs. Given an Indian flavour to match the 

food, their top-performing tracks – currently 

racking up millions of views – include Bhaji 

Girl, You’re the Naan That I Want and I Bet You 

Look Good at the Tandoor. 

Starting out with an ethos of “less oil, no 

colourings, fresh cooking” back in 2013, 

when first-time restaurateur Sujith took to the 

streets with chicken tikka to tempt in potential 

diners, Urban Tandoor has always prided itself 

on its points of difference – and its tonguein-cheek 

attitude. Which, in their case, means 

Sweet Caroline and Come on Eileen on the 

restaurant playlist, waiters wishing diners 



“We don’t want to be 

a big chain – we want to 

continue to be something 

just for Bristol” 

good luck for their next mistake the night 

before they get hitched, and churning out 

algorithm-riding TikTok smashes. 

The journey to viral success started in 

lockdown as an antidote to the doom and 

gloom. “We wanted to put smiles on people’s 

faces,” says Sujith, recalling the moment 

things really took off with Bring Another 

Tray, their cover of East 17’s Stay Another 

Day. They’ve since had Maya Jama and UB40 

sharing and liking videos, and the Hairy Bikers 

have been down for dinner. Staff are quickly 

gaining celeb status with a stream of visitors 

arriving from around the world to meet their 

heroes. “They were confused at first when 

people asked for a photo,” says Sujith. “They 

thought they were being asked to take 

a photo, not be in one.” 

It’s still all about the diner, though: free 

desserts are dished out when there’s an 

occasion to celebrate, and fame is nothing 

compared to the messages they get from new 

fans and loyal customers alike. “We don’t want 

to become a big chain,” says Sujith, “we want 

to continue to be something just for Bristol.” 

Bombarded with suggestions for future 

videos, they’re essentially now accepting 

requests, and Sujith cryptically promises to 

take things to the next level this year. 

Mains £10.25-£18.95; urban-tandoor.com 



A VOYAGE OF CULINARY DISCOVERY & MUSICAL MISCHIEF 

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Sugababes 

Bombay Bicycle Club 

CMAT • Newton Faulkner • Billie Marten 

Gentleman’s Dub Club • Mista Trick Collective • A.Skillz 

Wille And The Bandits • Omega Nebula • The Ultimate ABBA Party 

SAT 

FOOD & CHEFS 

Nathan Outlaw • Tom Brown • Emily Scott • Jack Stein • Thuy Diem Pham 

Mark Hix • Richard Bertinet • Poppy O’Toole • Jude Kereama • Andrew Tuck • Ana Ortiz 

Demonstrations • Foraging • Feasts • Masterclasses • Chef Tipis • Cooking Over Fire 

FAMILY & WELLBEING 

Comedy • Cabaret • Talks • Fancy Dress Parade • The Flying Seagull Project • Circus Skills 

Arts & Crafts • Fairground • Kids Cookery School • Under The Canopy Bushcraft 

Cosmic's Art Space • Coasteering • Surf Lessons • Kayaking • Yoga • Sauna • Massage & Facials 

SCAN FOR MORE 

£20 DEPOSIT SCHEME TICKETS AVAILABLE


The List 21 

TheList 

What’s on locally this February and March 

COMPILED BY 

CLEMMIE MILLBANK 

CLOSE TO 

THE BONE 

Samuel Brewer, cofounder 

of disability-led 

theatre crew FlawBored, 

tells us about their new, 

squirm-inducing show 

For loads 

more events, visit 


Photos: Guy Sanders 

It’s a Motherf**king Pleasure 

comes at a good time in terms 

of where culture sits around 

identity politics. Especially in 

the way we talk about disability 

and its interactions with other 

individual identities. We take 

down everyone, from the wellintentioned 

to the rude, 

ourselves and the audience. 

Hopefully you’ll laugh; you’ll also 

feel uncomfortable and squirm 

quite a bit. 

The thing I love most about 

theatre is being in a room and 

making something that makes 

you laugh… and then realising 

you’re too deep into the joke 

and you need to work out what 

audiences will find funny next. 

You have to keep a rhythm with 

dialogue and you might spend 

an hour working out if the word 

‘has’ or ‘had’ will be funnier in 

a sentence. 

I really love shows that are 

‘aware’ they’re theatre. Not 

taking themselves seriously but 

taking the work seriously. Also, 

a large proportion of shows 

are becoming more and more 

accessible, and this means as 

someone with low vision I have 

more choice and agency. 

One of my favourite spots in the 

southwest is Cosies! in St Pauls. 

I love drum ’n’ bass. And I tell you 

what, that Clifton Suspension 

Bridge is a marvellous feat of 

engineering. Love bridges. 

Watch It’s a Motherf**king 

Pleasure at The Weston Studio, 

Bristol Old Vic, from 25-30 

March. nfld.io/motherflip 




22 The List 

Unbroken 

Weston College, Weston-super-Mare 

28 February 

Award-winning physical theatre artist Nikki Rummer delivers 

a powerful, personal solo show about family, betrayal and 

freedom, weaving in acrobatics, gymnastics and capoeira. 

Presented with the Rural Touring Dance Initiative, and 

supported by Super Culture. 

nfld.io/unbroke 

Bugged Out x 

Document 

Document, Bristol 

17 February 

Celebrate 30 years 

since Bugged Out 

first stormed Sankeys 

Soap in Manchester 

with a pedal-tothe-metal 

all-dayer 

designed to make 

you forget it’s still 

light out. Featuring 

everyone’s favourite 

Belgian ravers 

2manydjs, plus Erol 

Alkan b2b with Palms 

Trax, and loads more. 

nfld.io/bugged 

PROMOTED 

BC Camplight 

Komedia, Bath 

8 March 

BC Camplight is 

the moniker of US 

singer-songwriter 

Brian Christinzio. 

Pitching up 

somewhere between 

Ben Folds and Badly 

Drawn Boy, he 

brings his brand of 

quirky indie-pop 

to Komedia for the 

first time. 

nfld.io/bccamp 

Photo: Camilla Greenwell 

Angeline Morrison 

& Daudi Matsiko 

Strange Brew, 

Bristol 

8 March 

Get lost in Morrison’s 

haunting restorytelling 

as she 

brings to life the 

world of the UK’s 

forgotten Black 

ancestors through 

her intoxicating, 

lyrical and reliably 

experimental 

folk songs. She’s 

joined by Ugandan 

singer-songwriter 

and guitarist Daudi 

Matsiko. 

nfld.io/angel 

Ritual Union 

Various venues, 

Bristol 

23 March 

Catch the next wave 

of musical talent at 

Bristol indie fest, 

Ritual Union. Topping 

the bill with fizzing 

alt-pop and rock 

are Dream Wife, Liz 

Lawrence, Do Nothing 

and Widowspeak, 

plus there’s an 

opening set from cult 

post-punk recluse, 

Martin Newell (AKA 

The Cleaners From 

Venus). 

nfld.io/ritual 

PROMOTED 

Starter for Ten 

Bristol Old Vic 

29 February to 30 March 

Adapted from the hilarious novel by David Nicholls and 

its later film adaptation, Starter for Ten is a bright, bighearted 

new musical. Featuring an irresistible 80s-inspired 

soundtrack, this coming-of-age comedy is about love, 

belonging, and the all-important difference between 

knowledge and wisdom. 

nfld.io/starter 



24 The List 

Present Tense 

Hauser & Wirth, Bruton 

Until 28 April 

Featuring 23 emerging to midcareer 

contemporary artists, 

this exhibition shows the next 

generation testing the boundaries 

of their mediums to address 

and confront notions of identity, 

consciousness, humanity and 

representation within the current 

cultural climate. 

nfld.io/ptense 

Right Ania Hobson, Let the Land Speak 

(2023), oil on canvas, 210 x 190 cm. 

Courtesy the artist. Photo 

© Ania Hobson 

Bottom right Emanuel de Carvalho, 

defence incessant (2023), oil on linen, 

200 x 300 cm. Courtesy the artist and 

Gathering, London. Photo 

© Grey Hutton 

Bottom left Sang Woo Kim, You’re 

looking at me (2023), oil on canvas, 50 x 

40 x 2 cm. Courtesy the artist. Photo 

© Damian Griffiths 



The List 25 

ONE YEAR! Photographs from 

the Miners’ Strike 1984/85 

Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol 

Until 31 March 

Four decades on, explore the role photography played in 

the bitter disputes between the National Coal Board and 

Conservative government. This collection demonstrates the 

power of photography as a tool of resistance. 

nfld.io/oneyear 

Wildlife 

Photographer of 

the Year 2023 

Bristol Museum 

& Art Gallery 


Featuring 

soundscapes, videos, 

expert insights 

and, of course, the 

contest’s 100 winning 

photographs, this 

annual show captures 

the minutiae of animal 

behaviour and all the 

breathtaking diversity 

of the natural world. 

nfld.io/wildpix 

The Wonderful 

World of the 

Ladybird Book 

Artists 

Victoria Art 

Gallery, Bath 


Take a little trip down 

memory lane with this 

collection of vintage 

Ladybird artwork. 

Along the way, trace 

the interconnected 

stories linking these 

iconic covers and 

their creators, and 

learn more about the 

models and locations 

pictured. 

nfld.io/ladyb 

Photos: John Sturrock/reportdigital.co.uk; Laura Ford, Dancing Clog Girls (2015), bronze 

Acts of Creation: 

On Art and 

Motherhood 

Arnolfini, Bristol 

9 March to 26 May 

Plunge into the 

joys, heartaches, 

mess, myths and 

complexities of 

motherhood in this 

major Hayward 

Gallery Touring 

exhibition. Work by 

more than 60 artists 

presents motherhood 

as a creative 

enterprise tempered 

by ambivalence, grief 

and exhaustion. 

nfld.io/actc 

Lubaina Himid: 

Lost Threads 

Holburne Museum, 

Bath 


Weaving and flowing 

throughout the 

gallery and museum’s 

collections is Lost 

Threads’ 400m of 

vibrant Dutch wax 

fabric. This is the 

work of British artist, 

Himid, who uses her 

career to uncover 

marginalised and 

silenced histories, 

figures, and cultural 

expressions. 

nfld.io/lostthreads 

The Guts and The Glory 

Bo Lee and Workman, Bruton 

Until 2 March 

Six painters and sculptors – Samuel Bassett, Kim Booker, 

Tomo Campbell, Laura Ford, Alexis Soul-Gray and Clare 

Woods – explore modern-day concerns by refracting the 

visual language of art history through their own wholly unique 

contemporary vision. 

nfld.io/guts 



AMERICAN 

ROAD TRIP 

The new special 

exhibition for 2024, 

celebrating epic road 

trips across America 

9 March – 

31 December 

SPONSORED BY 

DAFFODIL MONTH 

Mid-March – April 

Enjoy a feel-good start to spring 

with 70,000 daffodils in bloom 

throughout the gardens 

EASTER FAMILY FUN 

29 March – 14 April 

With family trails in the gardens 

and museum, crafts, egg-roll 

race, storytelling and more


The List 27 

ReBalance 

Various venues, Bath 

Until 18 February 

Force yourself out of hibernation via this three-week wellness 

celebration. You’ll find exclusive hotel and spa packages on 

offer, taster sessions and plenty of family fun, too. Highlights 

include VR meditation, laughter yoga and wellbeing walks 

around the city. 

nfld.io/rebal 

Wellbeing & Cold 

Water Swim 

Clevedon 

Marine Lake 

Mondays 

& Thursdays 

Decompress with 

this group of friendly 

mindful mermaids. 

You’ll start with 

guided mindfulness 

exercises before 

strolling along Poet’s 

Walk and finishing 

with an optional (go 

on, you know you 

want to) cold water 

swim in the chilly 

Marine Lake. 

nfld.io/mermaids 

Wim Hof 

Fundamentals 

Workshop 

The Hideout, 

Bristol 

18 February 

Fancy boosting your 

energy, improving 

concentration and 

relieving stress? 

Cold water therapy 

(AKA submerging 

yourself in an ice 

bath) promises all that 

and more. Learn the 

fundamentals with 

Gus Hoyt, one of the 

UK’s only Level 2 Wim 

Hof Instructors. 

nfld.io/wimgus 

Soul Gazing 

Meditation 

The Good Heart, 

Frome 

22 February 

Wordlessly attune 

yourself to one 

another in this unique 

workshop, in which 

you’ll connect with 

those around you on 

a whole new level. 

Soul gazing, they say, 

will help you expand 

your emotional 

intelligence and 

draw you away from 

self-absorption and 

navel-gazing. Ideal. 

nfld.io/soulg 

Candlelit Gong 

Bath Sound 

Journey 

New Oriel Hall, 

Bath 

1 March 

Relax and let the 

soundwaves wash 

over you. Using 

a 32-inch symphonic 

gong, a hand-held 

Chinese wind gong, 

Tibetan singing 

bowls, chimes, 

a shruti box, and 

voice mantra, your 

instructor will create 

a deep resonance to 

rebalance both mind 

and body. 

nfld.io/soundj 

To promote 

your event on 

these pages, 

email simon@ 


Foraging Walk for Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 

Conham River Park, Bristol 

16 March 

Stride through woodland clearings and gaze across the River 

Avon as you learn to identify wild edible and medicinal plants 

growing right here in the southwest. The walk will be guided, 

but open, with plenty of time to ask questions and get curious. 

nfld.io/forage 



28 The List 

Bath Arts Collective’s 

new Curious Minds 

festival (7-28 March) is 

bringing author Paul 

Burston’s Polari Salon to 

town. Here he explains 

what it’s all about 

Curious Minds 

presents Polari 

Salon at Komedia 

on 28 March. Find 

the full festival 

lineup at 

nfld.io/curious 

THINGS 

YOU 

DIDN’T 

KNOW 

ABOUT 

POLARI 

SALON 

Sometimes described as “the 

lost language of gay men”, 

Polari is a type of slang 

spoken by members of the 

LGBT community during the 20th 

century. This coded form of 

communication flourished in the 

50s and 60s, when male 

homosexuality was still illegal. 

Polari went mainstream 

with Round the Horne, the 

BBC radio show featuring 

Hugh Paddick and Kenneth 

Williams as a couple of camp 

characters whose bitchy banter 

entertained millions. When they 

said a man was ‘bold’, they didn’t 

mean courageous but overtly 

homosexual. 

Polari has links with other 

slang vocabularies such as 

Cockney rhyming slang. 

Words like ‘bona’ (good) and 

‘riah’ (hair, backwards) are rarely 

heard today. Others like ‘ogle' 

and ‘naff’ have since made it into 

common usage. 

Polari was celebrated by 

David Bowie, who employed 

it on Girl Loves Me from 

his final album, Blackstar. 

Another fan is Morrissey, who 

had a hit with Piccadilly Palare 

in 1990. The lyric refers to the 

‘meat rack’ in London’s Piccadilly 

Circus, where male hustlers 

would compete for ‘trade’. 

Polari Salon is a celebration 

of LGBT words and voices, 

and began in a gay bar in 

Soho in 2007. Since then, 

we’ve appeared at book festivals, 

museums, clubs and theatres 

across the UK. Come and ogle us 

in Bath! It’ll be bona. 



The List 29 

Curiouser and 

curiouser 

Three more festival 

highlights 

Author and mental health 

campaigner Bryony Gordon will 

be in conversation with Marisa 

Bate about her new book, 

Mad Woman. 

Komedia, 7 March 

GLOW 

Grove Park, 

Weston-super- 

Mare 

13-17 February 

Weston-super-Mare’s 

dazzling light festival 

expands to five nights 

and features more 

than 25 spectacular 

installations around 

the main site, 

with bonus free 

installations spilling 

out across the town 

centre. A multisensory 

and cosmic 

experience for the 

whole family. 

nfld.io/glow 

Chemical-Free 

Plant Care 

Bath City Farm 

2 March 

Get your gloves on, 

slide into your wellies 

and get back in the 

garden this winter, 

with an instructive 

workshop on how to 

identify the pests and 

diseases that could 

be harming your 

plants. You’ll also get 

a shed load of tips 

on natural prevention 

and companion 

planting. 

nfld.io/kindp 

Sir Ranulph 

Fiennes: Mad, Bad 

and Dangerous 

Frome Memorial 

Theatre 

2 March 

Suffering from 

a serious case of 

wanderlust? Tag 

along with Sir 

Ranulph Fiennes OBE 

on a trip that spans 

lost Arabian cities 

and countless world 

records, and explores 

the high cost he has 

paid – more than 

just a few frostbitten 

fingers – for living life 

on the edge. 

nfld.io/ranulph 

Join Joanna Nadin, professor 

of creative writing at Bristol 

University, for a walk around 

Cleveland Pools and a writing 

session back at the museum. 

Holburne Museum, 15 March 

Brilliantly 

Engineered! 

Bath Royal Literary 

& Scientific 

Institution 

24-27 February 

Photos: Krystyna FitzGerald-Morris 

Author Varaidzo pairs up with 

Brit jazzer Orphy Robinson 

to launch the former’s novel, 

Manny and the Baby – 

a story evoking the Bath jazz 

scene of the 30s. 

Komedia, 28 March 

Keep inquiring minds 

busy with this free, 

hands-on engineering 

exhibition for 

families. Get to 

grips with amazing 

technology presented 

by innovative 

local companies 

including The Dyson 

Foundation, Buro 

Happold and Team 

Bath Electric Racing. 

nfld.io/engine 

Wassail Prune 

The Newt, nr Bruton 

8 March 

Join specialist fruit grower Andy ‘Apples’ Lewis 

for a late-winter prune of The Newt’s vast apple 

orchards before a cyder tasting and full-blown 

traditional wassail. Shoo evil spirits from the trees 

by offering (and quaffing, natch) homegrown 

cyders and singing folk songs. 

nfld.io/wassail 



Cheap Eats 31 

Illustration: Thomas Burden 

Eating out is one of life’s great pleasures but it shouldn’t 

mean breaking the bank. We’ve cobbled together our 

favourite cheap eating spots to help you treat yourself 

without blowing the budget. Ready to tuck in? 

WORDS SHONETTE LAFFY 



32 Cheap Eats 

GUILDHALL MARKET CAFE 

Guildhall Market, Bath 

Step back in time at this cult classic greasy spoon; the place 

to go for an old-school fry-up complete with tinned 

tomatoes and fried bread for a little over £9. Going against 

the central Bath grain, this place has more options for under a tenner 

than you can wave a bottle of HP Sauce at – filled jacket spuds for 

£7.65, or mains such as ham, egg and chips, or chilli and rice. Leave 

room for apple pie or spotted dick with custard (£4.50). 

CHILLI DADDY 

St Nicholas Market & 45-47 

Baldwin Street, Bristol 

After Szechuan noodles 

with a serious kick? 

Swing by Chilli Daddy’s 

stall in St Nicholas Market for 

their £5 lunch deal (xiao mian 

noodles or pao jiao rice with 

a drink), or their restaurant on 

nearby Baldwin Street for an even 

bigger selection of dishes, from 

tofu hotpot to pork saozi, all for 

under £10. You’ll be asked how 

spicy you want your order on 

a scale of one to five, and we 

advise a cautious response. Hot! 

chillidaddy.com 

SKY KONG KONG 

The Haymarket, Bristol 

Chef Wizzy (Hwi Shim) explains how she keeps 

her forward-thinking Korean fare affordable 

“I love helping people try 

healthy international food. 

We serve over 300 fresh 

ingredients in every meal. 

I have an allotment where 

I grow Korean vegetables, 

which I use in pickles in 

winter. As a team, we 

work hard to have a good 

relationship with local 

butchers, fishmongers 

and greengrocers, and 

they support us in return. 

I want to organise 

an open community 

supermarket under one 

roof with local suppliers, 

traders and street food, 

all at a cheap price.” 

skykongkong.co.uk 


Cheap Eats 33 

VERY APPY 

Too Good To Go 

Nab unsold food from 

nearby shops, cafes 

and restaurants. 

First Table 

A great way to save if 

you’re happy to eat 

early evening. 

Olio 

Avoid food waste with 

this community 

food-sharing app. 

Xplore 

Discover local 

businesses, store your 

loyalty cards in one 

place, and earn rewards. 

Foodstuff 

A Bristol delivery app 

working with indie 

food businesses. 

CHAI WALLA 

42 Monmouth Street, Bath 

A popular spot among 

locals in the know. 

Chai Walla serves up 

Indian street food and hefty 

wraps filled with your choice 

of falafel, onion bhaji or 

samosa, piled high with salad 

and sauces for just £7.50 – or 

the option to have it ‘all in box’ 

for £9. Everything on the menu 

is vegan, with an abundance 

of customisable options, from 

curry and rice to samosa 

chaat. We recommend 

grabbing a £2 bag of bhajis. 

chaiwalla.uk 

ROOTED CAFE 

20 Newbridge Road, Bath 

Rock up at this cosy 

Newbridge cafe, and 

pick out the bargains 

on a wholesome menu which 

includes Keralan curried 

scrambled eggs on toast 

(£6.95) and lip-smacking 

poutine fries (£7.50). These 

come with their house dahl 

and sauces, or cheese, wild 

mushroom ragu and truffle, 

or sriracha mayo. Don’t order 

one of these bad boys if you 

need to do anything after; 

you won’t be able to move 

for at least an hour. 

rootedcafe.co.uk 

THREE BROTHERS BURGERS 

Welsh Back, Bristol 

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the 

Bristol burger boat has a rep for its great value 

lunch deal. For £7.50 you get a classic burger 

(meat, veggie or vegan) with fries or slaw, and the option to 

add extra toppings for another quid or two. Complete the 

Big Messy Challenge (a foreboding triple cheeseburger, pile 

of chilli cheese fries, and a pint of beer or soft drink) and 

there’ll be no bill. Nada. 

threebrothersburgers.co.uk 



34 Cheap Eats 

THE LONG TABLE 

Brimscombe Mill, Stroud 

TUK TUCK 

5 St Stephen’s Street & 32 Stokes Croft, Bristol 

Low-key but always 

busy, Tuk Tuck is 

a go-to for locals. 

Menus differ between their 

city centre and Stokes Croft 

restaurants, but at both you 

can get kimchi fries loaded 

with beef, chicken or tofu for 

£9.50, or go healthier with 

a bibimbap rice bowl filled 

with veg, plus meat or tofu 

and a fried egg, for under 

£10. Lighter bites include 

dumplings (£6.60) and 

pumpkin croquettes (£7). 

tuktuck.com 

Will North, the co-founder 

of this community dining 

table, where diners pay what 

they can, explains how the 

initiative works 

SANDWICH SANDWICH 

48 Baldwin Street, Bristol 

You must have been living under a rock if you’ve still 

not seen a cross-section of the behemoth sangers 

buttered-up by this place. Make sure you arrive 

hungry – although the inevitable queue will help with that. 

Choose from a menu of hot or cold sandwiches, or build your 

own from the piled-high deli counter, and lay down £6.95- 

£8.95 for the biggest sandwich you’re ever likely to eat. 

sandwichsandwich.co.uk 

“The Long Table was founded 

by me and Tom [Herbert] in 

2018, with the ethos that eating 

hyper-local, restaurant-quality 

food shouldn’t be a luxury. Our 

pay-as-you-can model is a way 

for people from all backgrounds 

to feel welcome. We always 

share what our meals cost to 

make sure people know what 

our outgoings are, but there is 

never any expectation. All we ask 

is that people do truly pay what 

they can. Every month, 8-12 per 

cent of meals are paid forward 

by the community. The fact we 

have so many returning guests 

and new faces shows that when 

you trust your chefs to make 

something delicious, and provide 

them with the best produce, the 

food is always good.” 

thelongtableonline.com 


36 Cheap Eats 

TASTE OF NAPOLI 

32 The Horsefair, Bristol 

KNIGHTS FISH RESTAURANT 

5 Northload Street, Glastonbury 

This family-run restaurant, which has passed 

through five generations since opening in 1909, 

still keeps its prices low, even as a serial award 

winner. There are loads of options for under £10, including 

small cod and chips for £8.30, sausage with chips for 

£6.50, fishcake and chips for £7, or pie and chips for £8.50. 

knightsfishrestaurant.com 

Tucked away on the 

Horsefair in Broadmead is 

this much-loved slice of 

Italy, and a counter stacked with 

freshly made pizza (slices starting 

at £3.50), toasted paninis (£7.50) 

and arancini (£2.50). They do 

a whopping selection of vegan 

snacks, too, including pastries and 

desserts, and have shelves stacked 

full of Italian deli products. 

tasteofnapoli.co.uk 

PAPPU DOSA 

25 The Parade, Patchway 

Trekking to Patchway for a meal out 

probably wasn’t among your new 

year’s resolutions, but you should 

be doing it anyway, thanks to Pappu Dosa. 

Their range of delicious, wallet-friendly dishes 

take inspiration from the best street food and 

home cooking in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. 

Mix and match from a selection of dosa, idli, 

sambar, uttapam and rice dishes, and fill your 

face without getting landed with a big bill. 

pappudosa.co.uk 


Cheap Eats 37 

MONSTER MUNCHES 

Snack hacker to the stars George Egg gives a few everyday treats his economical upgrade 

Photo: Matt Lincoln 

We all enjoy a cheeky bite 

between meals but the choices 

at the budget end of things are 

pretty limited. However, I’m the 

Snack Hacker, and with a few 

easily obtained items in your 

culinary arsenal you can elevate 

the most humble of nibbles into 

something far more deluxe. 

THE MCWUNDERBURGER 

Next time you’re visiting the 

golden arches, bring along 

a jar of sauerkraut. It’s readily 

available in supermarkets, or 

make your own. When ordering 

a double cheeseburger take 

advantage of the ‘customise’ 

button and make the following 

changes: remove the ketchup 

(it’s much too sweet and 

sugary), add mayo and extra 

mustard, and chuck in an extra 

gherkin. When you get your 

order, remove the top bun and 

pile in a generous clump of the 

sauerkraut. The vinegary acidic 

tang and crunchy cabbage 

coupled with the fatty burger, 

cheese and Germanic hit of 

the burger mustard combines 

to offer something so much 

more than the sum of its parts. 

Sauerkraut also has a number 

of health benefits which, when 

added to the naughtiness of the 

burger, means you’re breaking 

even. Kind of. 

A FISH PIE FROM GREGGS 

Apart from the obvious 

fish and chips, there are 

surprisingly few seafood 

options on the high street, 

and that’s a pity considering 

we live on an island. One 

of my favourite dinners is 

a fish pie and I’ve come 

up with an easy way of 

turning a Greggs Cheese 

and Onion Bake into 

something that hits all the 

same notes. Nibble the edge 

off the pasty so you can 

open it like a purse, then add 

the following: flaked smoked 

mackerel, ripped up ‘crab’ 

sticks, fresh tarragon, and 

top it with crushed scampi 

fries. Trust me, it’s superb. 

SALTED CARAMEL 

ROLO DESSERT 

Rolo do a little dessert pot. 

Buy some, freeze them, peel 

the lid off, and sprinkle with 

flaky sea salt. That’s it. An 

audaciously simple idea that 

transforms the mundane 

into the sublimely gourmet. 

Thank me later. 

Keep an eye out for George’s 

live dates. @georgeegg 



38 Cheap Eats 

FALAFEL MAMA 

1 London Road, Stroud 

A calm cafe oasis where 

you can fill up on falafel 

in pitta or in a salad box 

and have a cup of tea without 

going over £10. For something 

more substantial, grab half 

a filled pitta and chips for just 

over £9. The whole menu is 

vegan, and the cafe itself is 

bright and quirky, with seating 

upstairs to watch the world go 

by. Squirrel away 10 falafel 

balls for later for only £4.75.. 

falafelmama.co.uk 

BELLE’S KITCHEN 

38 Silver Street, Dursley 

Need a cost-efficient refuel 

after trekking the (mainly) 

bargain-deficient hills of the 

Cotswolds? As well as the 

MERAKI 

3A Market Street, 

Bradford-on-Avon 

Seriously filling homemade 

Greek pastries and biscuits are 

the main attraction at this cafe in 

the centre of Bradford-on-Avon, 

and its van in the train station. 

Start off with a wedge of spinach 

and feta spanakopita (£4) or 

sausage-filled Meraki pie (£4.50), 

before sweetening things up 

with baklava or honey cake (both 

£3) with Greek coffee. Snap up 

some tahini cookies (£1.50 each) 

to take away. 

merakivan.com 

usual soups, sandwiches and 

wraps, other steals available 

for under £10 include corned 

beef hash (£8.95) and buddha 

bowls (£7.95). They also have 

an incredibly good value 

takeaway menu, with slow 

roasted belly po, and sausage 

and chorizo casserole looming 

large for £6.95, and small pies 

for £4.95 (big ones are £8.50). 

belleskitchendursley.co.uk 

ON THE MARKET 

The Frome 

Independent 

Browse a range of local 

produce and tasty 

street food on the first 

Sunday of the month. 

St Nicholas Market, 

Bristol 

Open Monday to 

Saturday, St Nicks has 

everything from paella 

or tagine, to pie and 

mash. There’s a street 

food market on Wine 

Street every Tuesday 

and Friday as well. 

Bath Farmers’ 

Market, 

Green Park Station 

The UK’s oldest 

farmers’ market gathers 

under the glass roof, 

every Saturday from 

8.30am. 

SCOFF, 

Portishead Marina 

Find an ever-changing 

lineup of street food 

traders every Saturday 

and Sunday, 11am-3pm. 

Five Valleys, 

Stroud 

Open daily, this indoor 

market showcases 

some of the best local 

veg, meat and bakes. 


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The Sad Ghost Club 41 

KINDRED SPIRITS 

Bristol-based creative project The 

Sad Ghost Club is here to spread 

positive awareness of mental health 

and normalise feeling sad – just what 

we need this gloomy February 

WORDS RICH PELLEY 

PHOTOGRAPHY FRANCESCA JONES 

Ghoul story, bro The Sad Ghost Club’s Lize Meddings 

contemplates her ghostly pals’ next adventures from 

her Knowle workspace 

D 

on’t make me sound like I’ve 

peaked!” jokes 32-year-old 

illustrator Lize Meddings, 

perched on her desk at her 

home studio in Knowle, as 

nearfield’s photographer Francesca works her 

magic. A portrait of Robbie Williams – drawn 

by Lize’s boyfriend’s brother, Freddie – lies 

face down on the desk, removed from the 

wall at the last minute because we don’t want 

Robbie hogging the limelight. Not everything 

is about Robbie Williams. 



42 The Sad Ghost Club 

Except, Robbie Williams does play a part. Lize 

is the creator of The Sad Ghost Club (SGC for 

short), the Bristol creative project that aims to 

spread positive awareness of mental health 

through ghost-branded art, zines, merch and 

books. And in an unexpected turn, SGC has 

just finished a collaborative comic strip with 

Williams, who normally favours angels and his 

personal demons over ghosts. 

“I hadn’t really thought how 

it would benefit people to 

see their feelings mirrored 

back at them” 

Long story short: Lize’s boyfriend Alfie works 

as a sound tech for Gaz Coombes from 

Supergrass. Coombes toured Australia with 

Williams late in 2023, where a “just in case” 

SGC care package was passed over during 

a barbecue. Williams loved it and got in touch 

to commission a Sad Ghost Club comic strip 

of his very own. 

“He just DMed and said: ‘Let’s collab,’” explains 

Lize. “I said: ‘That would be really nice. If you 

have anything to write that you think fits, I can 

illustrate it as a comic.’ So that’s what we did.” 


The Sad Ghost Club 43 

Lize Meddings’ happy places 

Drink ’n’ Draw 

“Drink ’n’ Draw is such 

a great way to meet other 

creatives, and can lead to 

collaborations and projects. 

It’s also a good way to help 

you get out of the house, 

which can be hard as an 

introverted creative.” 

nfld.io/dandd 

Watershed 

“My friend is the manager 

so I’m always down there, 

by the harbourside, 

checking out what’s on, 

especially anime films that 

don’t hit the big cinemas.” 

nfld.io/watersh 

Street art 

“There’s so much street 

art in Bristol, obviously. 

It’s really nice to see so 

much colour in the centre 

and beyond. I find it really 

inspirational to see all the 

stickers everywhere, too 

– Stokes Croft is great for 

this. I love stickers.” 

nfld.io/street 

LDComics 

“LDcomics give a talk in 

Hamilton House, Stokes 

Croft, once a month or 

so. They’re a women-led 

comic collective that host 

talks from professionals 

and beginners. It can be 

a really great way to meet 

like-minded people.” 

ldcomics.com 

Victoria Park, 

Bedminster 

“I’ll often head to Victoria 

Park. It has great views of 

the city, and helps break 

up my day if I’ve been at 

my desk too long.” 

The Louisiana 

“I love a cheeky local 

gig at the Louisiana. 

Sometimes it’s inspiring to 

see people being creative 

in a different field. I listen 

to so much music when 

I’m working, it’s great to 

find new bands to keep me 

company at my desk.” 

nfld.io/louis 

Above A collection of Lize’s 

comic and zine output 

Left Lize summons more 

ghostly ideas 

Bottom left The first three 

volumes of The Sad Ghost 

Club’s graphic novels 

The Sad Ghost Club was born out of Lize’s 

frustration of failing to find work after 

studying for a degree in illustration at 

Plymouth College of Art in 2012. 

“I was not in a good place mentally, 

being a post grad and not having 

a job,” she says. “All my friends were 

leaving Plymouth, so it felt like a ghost 

town. My housemate and I got evicted 

because we couldn’t pay the rent. 

I was living back at home, sad that 

I couldn’t work in illustration, hoping 

something would fall into place.” 

Lize’s illustration course encouraged her to 

sell her work off her own back, rather than 

relying on editorial commissions that might 

never come. It was a slow start. “I’d make 

maybe £20 per art fair selling badges and 

zines, but at least it was something.” 

A friend picked up on a ghost character 

Lize had designed for a Halloween 

comic, and asked to use it on the 

album cover for a local Plymouth 

band. (“What were they called? I can’t 

remember! They had one cassette and 

were never heard of again!”) 



44 The Sad Ghost Club 

“At first it was the Tired Eyes Club 

because I’d got a job working as a cleaner 

from 6am until 9am and I was exhausted 

all the time because I couldn’t sort out 

my sleeping pattern,” she recalls. “I really 

liked the Sad Ghost character, so I kept 

drawing it.” Cut to 2024, and – after a bit 

of downsizing due to the pandemic – SGC 

is coming into its 10th year as a full-time 

business for Lize. I ask how she would best 

describe SGC in its present form. “Comics 

and artwork that depict the myriad feelings 

that come with not-so-perfect mental health 

and wellbeing.” 

“When I first started the comics, I was only 

sharing my own feelings. I hadn’t really 

thought how it would benefit people to see 

their feelings mirrored back at them.” Now, 

it’s all about reassuring people that having 

negative feelings and feeling sad from time 

to time is totally normal. The Sad Ghost 

character knows it’s OK to sometimes feel 

down, antisocial or that you don’t even want 

to get out of bed, or deserve a medal if you 

do. Everyone is entitled to a bad day, Sad 

Ghosty reasons. (Is the Sad Ghost female or 

male, I ask, out of curiosity. “I’m not telling 

you,” smirks Lize.) 

Slipper-y character Lize Meddings has been running 

The Sad Ghost Club for 10 years now, branding 

everything from comics and zines to badges, beanies 

and bags with her relatable apparitions 

The first SGC book that was released in 2021 

has been translated into French, Portuguese, 

Danish and Polish. Two more followed and 

– going by the outline of self-encouraging 

deadlines on the wall – it looks like plans for 

a fourth are well under way. 

Robbie Williams only wrote six words for 

his comic: “Embarrass myself. Lose sleep. 

Apologise. Repeat.” But expressing mental 

health through illustration and a few words 

is what SGC is all about. “If you’ve ever been 

sad, then you’re already a member,” reads 

the SGC tagline. “It’s not hard to join and 

everyone is welcome,” says Lize. If Robbie 

Williams can join The Sad Ghost Club, so 

should you, too. 

thesadghostclub.com 


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46 Wake the Tiger 


Wake the Tiger 47 

CAN BRISTOL'S MULTI- 

SENSORY WONDERLAND 

WAKE THE TIGER GET 

ANY MORE COSMIC? AS 

WE DISCOVER ON A TRIP 

TO THE OUTERVERSE, ITS 

CREATORS ARE GIVING 

IT A VERY GOOD GO 

WORDS FREYA PARR 




hen you’re schlepping around the 

bleak, post-industrial wasteland 

of St Philip’s Marsh on a rainy 

Sunday afternoon, the promise of 

a “voyage transcending reality to 

a dimension beyond imagination” 

feels somewhat lofty and out 

of reach. Venture towards the 

eastern end of Albert Road, 

though, and that vision quickly 

comes into sharper focus. 

Created by the team behind 

Boomtown – a music festival 

in Hampshire with the tagline 

“bang goes the normal” – Wake 

the Tiger opened in summer 

2022 and branded itself as the 

world’s first ‘Amazement Park’: 

a dream factory of immersive 

environments to walk through, 

interact with and explore. The 

end goal? To ignite the wild, 

creative impulses within us all – 

but also the playfully bounding 

tiger cub. For co-founder and 

creative director Luke Mitchell, 

the idea was to “create a yearround 

version of the Boomtown 

concept, fusing theatrics, set 

design and creativity”. 

The project was born out of 

lockdown, when festivals were 

stalled around the globe. “We’d 

previously bought this building 

in St Philip’s Marsh, where we 

thought we’d set up a big club 

event, but we never really had 

the time,” says Luke. “Covid gave 

us the chance to really dive into 

this and work out what we could 

do with it.” 

Having hosted more than 

250,000 visitors since its 

opening, it’s hard now to think 

of Wake the Tiger as anything 

other than an unequivocal 

success. But, explains Luke, it 

was a bit of a sleeper hit. “When 

we first opened, we hardly sold 

any tickets. It was terrifying. It 

was quite hard to sell it in the 

press initially, because there’s no 

Disney castle at the end. It’s the 

mass of everything together that 

makes it. You have to see it to 

understand it, because it’s a new 

concept. Fortunately, people kept 

coming and word got out.” 


BRISTOL BEACON PRESENTS 

HANIA RANI 

GHOSTS 

09 MAR 2024 

BRISTOL BEACON 

BRISTOL 

SUPPORT FROM CAOILFHIONN ROSE 

TICKETS - BRISTOLBEACON.ORG 

THE NEW ALBUM GHOSTS OUT NOW ON GONDWANA RECORDS 

29 Feb – 30 Mar 

Tickets from £10 

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As soon as they’d clobbered that 

first hurdle, though, the team 

began mapping out its next 

phase. After shutting its doors 

for a brief time to put its plans 

into action, the amazement park 

is back open again, bigger than 

before. With 15 new spaces, the 

concept has evolved to include 

a journey into the OUTERverse, 

through a vending machine, 

a ticket office and into the astral 

plane. There are projections, 

interactive points and vibrant 

cosmic designs throughout, 

repurposing everything from 

Victorian prams to 90s washing 

machines. “This second phase 

is about exploring the mind and 

looking inwards to see how our 

imaginations can look beyond 

what we might first see,” says 

Luke. “It’s all about the power 

of the collective imagination.” 

Creative producer Summer Dean 

adds, “The new build is much 

more tongue in cheek.” 

This unreal, psychedelic 

experience is the brainchild of 

not just Luke and Summer, but 

over a hundred artists, poets, 

robotics experts, architects, 

costume makers, videographers 

and prop makers from around 

Bristol, many of whom come from 

the underground music and art 

scene. “No singular imagination 

could have ever come up with 

this,” says Luke. 

Photo: Andre Pattenden 

Artists were invited into the 

space to design freely. Summer 

was set to work, writing hundreds 

of briefs for the artists, who went 

away to experiment in the space. 

Colour palettes were set and 

moodboards laid out, but the 

artists were otherwise given free 

Innerspace 

Just some of the 

melon-twisting 

sights on display 

in the OUTERverse 

Top right 

Co-founder and 

creative director, 

Luke Mitchell 


Wake the Tiger 51 

rein. “People were painting from 

feelings, rather than thinking too 

much,” says Luke. 

The entire 

experience is 

Bristol through 

and through – it’s 

edgy, it’s punk, 

it’s anarchistic” 

Sensory Sensitive 

Sessions 

Regular sessions for 

those who would 

prefer to attend 

at a time when 

sensory stimulation 

is managed. Check 

the website for info. 

wakethetiger.com 

Fundraiser for 

Gaza 

23 February 

Explore OUTERverse 

after hours at this 

Wake the Tiger x 

Boomtown charity 

event, with live music 

and a midnight finish. 

nfld.io/wttgaza 

Big Banger: 

Meridian Soluna 

22 March 

Celebrate the spring 

equinox by losing 

yourself in Meridia’s 

Dream Factory. 

nfld.io/soluna 

The audience is as eclectic as 

the concept itself, so there’s 

no target demographic. For 

Summer, it’s about bringing those 

unexpected magical moments 

of interaction and engagement 

you get from a festival field. “It’s 

about creating theatre for people 

who wouldn’t usually go to art 

exhibitions or plays,” she says. On 

that opening day in 2022, Luke 

looked down the queue and saw 

a family of Japanese tourists, 

a group of OAPs with walking 

sticks, and a sprawling mass of 

punks with mohicans. 

“The entire experience is 

Bristol through and through,” 

he says. “It’s edgy, it’s punk, it’s 

anarchistic. It asks you to think 

about things differently. But it’s 

also playful.” While he has plans 

to take Wake the Tiger around 

the world, there was a very clear 

reason for starting in Bristol. “The 

city deserves this,” he says. “I go 

down to the city centre and all 

I see is a big piece of concrete 

and an empty plinth. And this is 

supposed to be one of the most 

cultural cities in the country.” 

An immersive experience in an 

industrial outpost may not be the 

first thing that springs to mind 

when you think ‘culture’. But for 

a city whose most famous 

exports include a mysterious 

street artist, a trip-hop collective 

and a love of activism, it seems 

fitting, don’t you think? 

OUTERverse at Wake the Tiger is 

now open. wakethetiger.com 



52 Comedy Roundup 

CHUCKLE 

lovers 

It is OK to have a laugh in February and March, you know. Here to help you on 

your merry way are this obliging crew of established and fast-rising standups 

WORDS 

CHRIS PARKIN 


Comedy Roundup 53 

osh Pugh has had a huge 18 

months. He stormed Live at the 

Apollo, helped judge the BBC 

New Comedy Awards, and got 

his first-ever tattoo. He also 

played (and scored) in a World Cup final as 

a member of the partially sighted England 

football team. Bringing his new show, Existin’ 

La Vida Loca, to the southwest may not match 

that for dizzying euphoria but we thought 

we’d catch up with him anyway. 

We could ask you about performing for 

Live at the Apollo, but what’s this about you 

playing international football? 

“I’ve played for England since I was 20, and 

as a kid and all that. When the game got 

to 11-a-side, though, I just couldn’t see the 

distances I needed to. But as a kid you don’t 

really understand. I knew I was partially 

sighted, but I didn’t know other people could 

see so much. My little boy, he’s two now, and 

I’m like, ‘There’s a step, there’s a step,’ and my 

wife’s like, ‘Yeah, he saw it ages ago.’ If we’re in 

a room looking for stuff, he’s the boss, he’s in 

charge. It keeps your ego in check.” 

“It’s 

cathartic 

to take 

something 

that’s been 

difficult 

for you 

and find 

something 

funny in it” 

Do you go over past shows like 

football managers do after 

a 5-0 hammering? 

“I can’t watch myself doing 

standup. Part of that is because 

of how my eyes look. I’ve never 

been comfortable with how 

they are. When you’re 16, 17, 18, 

going out for the first time to 

nightclubs, and you get tagged 

in 400 pictures on Facebook the 

next day… I’d be going through 

untagging myself. So you get 

to be on the TV and it’s like, ‘Oh 

God.’ But it’s me. If I’m on a panel 

show and my eyes are all over the 

place, I’ve got a duty to show that 

because there’ll be others feeling 

like I did when I was 17, 18.” 

England lost 4-3 to Ukraine in the final of the 

IBSA World Games; is it still too painful to 

work up any gags about that? 

“It’s hard to make playing in a World Cup final 

relatable. There’s a documentary out on TNT 

Sports with us and Michael Owen, whose son 

has Stargardt’s disease; it’s about his journey 

and the World Cup. But football in comedy 

is hard to do in a standup environment. So 

much of comedy is getting information across 

simply, but I play for the England partially 

sighted Futsal team. Apart from the word 

‘England’, I don’t think anyone knows what the 

other words mean.” 

Photos: Sam Frank Wood 

Would you rather headline Wembley as 

a standup or score a winner there? 

“Football. Hundred per cent. I love comedy – 

and maybe I shouldn’t say this – but there are 

no four-year-olds dreaming of doing Live at 

the Apollo, are there? Also, as a defender, 

I don’t score very often.” 



54 Comedy Roundup 

not comedy, it’s not going to 

make it in. I don’t get loads from 

friends and family. When I’m 

talking about my dad in standup, 

I’m talking about my dad, my 

stepdad, my father-in-law, 

friends’ dads – it’s just a dad.” 

Photo: Sam Frank Wood 

You’re a big deal on social media; do fans 

request standup versions of your viral hits? 

“One of my favourite jokes is in Phoenix 

Nights. There’s an alternative comedian on 

stage and Brian Potter, Peter Kay’s character, 

shouts, ‘Tell us a joke we know!’ I did standup 

for years before I did the videos, but the 

videos got me an audience. People bump into 

me in the street and tell me their favourite 

one, and that’s nice, but I like to give them 

something different live. I have to be careful, 

though. I’ll burn a premise on a one-minute 

social video, when actually it could’ve been 

a 10-minute routine.” 

Do you observe your mates down the pub? 

“Sometimes I’ll do a video and my mates are 

like, ‘Oh, that’s about me.’ No! It’s not about 

you. Or, ‘This’ll be good for one of your videos.’ 

No, it wouldn’t! It’s a very dull interaction, it’s 

FOUR MORE 

Jessica 

Fostekew 

Rondo Theatre, 

Bath 

21 February 

Rob Newman 

Cheese & Grain, 

Frome 

22 February 

Romesh 

Ranganathan 

Bristol Beacon 

22-23 March 

Ania Magliano 

Pound Arts, 

Corsham 

29 March 

nfld.io/comedy02 

You weave some difficult life 

experiences into your standup; 

is it like therapy? 

“You can work things out in 

standup. You’re looking at where 

the comedy is and I imagine 

that’s quite therapeutic. I don’t 

think it should replace actual 

psychological treatments if you 

need them, but it’s cathartic 

to take something that’s been 

difficult for you and find 

something funny in it. My last 

show was about me and my wife 

trying for a baby and having IVF, 

and I had couples messaging, 

saying they’d found it a help.” 

You’ve been described, in 

a positive way, as shambling; 

what do you make of that? 

“They’ve fallen into my trap there, 

haven’t they? I’m a Midlander 

with some GCSEs, but I’m bright 

at what I do and emotionally 

intelligent. If I’m shambling, it’s 

probably deliberate, to disarm. 

There’s a great comedian called 

Charlie Baker, and he told me 

that Dolly Parton used to say: 

‘Find out who you are and do it 

on purpose.’ So there’s probably 

a bit of that. I’m probably more 

competent than my comedy 

would have you believe.” 

Catch Josh at the Cheese 

& Grain, Frome (8 February); 

Komedia, Bath (20 March); Hen 

& Chicken, Bristol (22 March). 

nfld.io/comedy02 



AMY MASON 

After taking a break from comedy 

to have a family, Amy Mason is back 

and causing a buzz online with her 

affectionate caricatures of Bristol mums. 

Before she previews her new show, Free 

Mason, at Bristol’s Comedy Den, we 

ask her if she’s been kicked out of any 

WhatsApp groups yet. 

“I’m still in them – but for how long? I’m 

pretty sure they are quieter than they 

would be if I wasn’t there. My videos 

really do come from a place of deep 

affection, though. My Pigeon character 

is very Bristol. She’s this woman who 

‘sells stones on Etsy’. In theory, she’s 

such a caricature that it shouldn’t be 

funny, but the truth is I know people who 

are barely any less out there. 

Photo: Lucy Ridges 

“I don’t draw on any of my school or 

mum WhatsApp groups, or anything 

from my daughters’ school (I promise!), 

but there is always a chance someone 

will think I’ve based something on them. 

Standup is actually more of a worry 

because my material is often personal 

and, especially now I have kids, you have 

to think about how much you’re putting 

out into the world. Also, the headteacher 

of my daughters’ school told me he’s 

seen one of my videos.” 

Catch Amy at The Comedy Den on 

15 February. nfld.io/comedy02 

“Thereʼs born-and-bred Bristolians, 

proper 90s crusties and middle-class 

Etsy mums – I love them all” 

In on the joke 

Amy’s pick of local comedy clubs 

The People’s Comedy 

People’s Republic of 

Stokes Croft, Bristol 

A great left-leaning alternative 

night. The acts get paid the same. 

The Alternative Book Club 

The Bottle of Sauce, 

Cheltenham 

A brilliant night with some great 

acts and a lush atmosphere. 

Honeypot Comedy 

The Room Above, 

Bristol 

A night for women and non-binary 

comedians. It’s always lots of fun. 



Award-winning macarons, confectionary 

and patisserie made on site in the heart 

of Bath 

Tea directly from Taiwan, matcha and 

hojicha from Japan, and an 

ever-changing menu of speciality 

drinks 

Bespoke celebration chiffon cakes 

and mousse cakes 

1 Grove Street, Bath, BA2 6PJ 

www.sugarcanestudio.co.uk 

friday 23rd feb 

& 

7pm-midnight 

present 

Explore Wake The Tiger's exciting NEW OUTERverse, 

featuring amazing live performances (artists tbc). 

Tickets: wakethetiger.com - £25 

100% of ticket sales go directly to charity


SLAPSTICK FESTIVAL 

TAMSYN KELLY 

Bristol’s annual celebration of silent 

film and visual comedy is back for five 

nights of over-the-top laughs from 14-18 

February, with Samira Ahmed, Terry 

Gilliam, Harry Hill, Lucy Porter and loads 

more, plus a brand-new comedy horror 

strand. Alasdair Beckett-King, who 

presents a screening of The Cat and 

the Canary with Robin Ince, as well as 

a night of comedy horror shorts called 

Even Stranger Films, is nothing short of 

hyped about this. 

“There is a tendency for modern 

audiences to laugh at old horror films 

like Nosferatu, The Golem and The 

Cabinet of Dr Caligari,” says Alasdair. 

“But I don’t think that’s strange; people 

laugh at contemporary horror films, too. 

These classics are packed with striking, 

uncanny imagery, so it’s no surprise they 

are still getting a reaction out of people 

a hundred years on. Although Slapstick 

Festival is about more than people 

falling on their bottoms, we must never 

forget the comedic power of a pratfall. 

Death is the great leveller, but tripping 

over and falling headfirst into a barrel of 

water is pretty effective, too.” 

Slapstick Festival runs from 14-18 

February. nfld.io/comedy02 

Photo: Rebecca Need-Menear 

Cornish standup and BBC New Comedian of the Year 

finalist Tamsyn Kelly celebrates the healing power of the 

hight street in her debut standup hour, Crying in TK Maxx, 

which she’s bringing to Bristol’s Alma Tavern & Theatre. 

“We’re the most ourselves we’ve ever been when bombing 

around the high street, looking like we’ve rolled out 

from under a bush. There’s something animalistic about 

going to the shop just to get the stuff you need to live. 

Shopping is a time to reflect; it’s calming, everyone is just 

‘normal’, there’s no pretence. If you are feeling emotional 

or vulnerable, there’s something comforting about being 

around people who are doing something grounding and 

mundane, like sliding ponchos along a rail at TK Maxx.” 

Catch Tamsyn at the Alma Tavern & Theatre on 

8 March. nfld.io/comedy02 



58 Outside Influence 

OUTSIDE INFLUENCE • OUTSIDE INFLUENCE • OUTSIDE INFLUENCE • 

Bath City 

Women 

Every issue, we hand our pages over to a local 

community, group or organisation making 

things better in the region. This issue, it’s 

Bath City Women FC 

PHOTOGRAPHY FELIX RUSSELL-SAW 


Outside Influence 59 

Smells like team spirit 

Bath City Women FC 

training at Odd Down 

Sports Ground 




As written by 

manager of Bath 

City Women FC, 

Matt Abreu 

ath City had wanted 

to start a women’s 

team for ages but it 

wasn’t until we got 

our main sponsor, 

Wealthtime, that, 

along with the 

ambition of community director Jane Jones, 

who leads the project, we had everything in 

place. That was summer 2022. 

I joined in July the same summer after 

hearing the club was recruiting a head 

coach. As a dad with a football-playing 

daughter, I’m really keen to grow the game 

locally for women and girls, and with the 

Lionesses’ Euros win halfway through our 

first pre-season it was the perfect time to 

get things up and running. 

The main thing we wanted to do was 

create a sustainable team that local girls 

and women could aspire to play for. We 

also wanted to make football as inclusive 

as possible. We now have two competitive 

teams – a first team and a development 

team – and the club’s charitable arm, the 

Bath City Foundation, runs a turn-up-andplay 

session (Tuesdays, 7-8pm, at St Martin’s 

Garden Primary School) for beginners or 

women just looking to enjoy football. 

The support we get from the club and 

supporters’ groups has been phenomenal. 

The team gets treated the same way as the 

men’s team. We’re lucky we have brilliant 

facilities and opportunities to ensure 

players get the most out of the game. Like 

playing home matches at Twerton Park. 

We speak to other women’s teams and the 

biggest struggle is playing facilities – clubs 

not allowing their women’s teams to play on 

the same pitch as the men out of fear the 

pitches won’t handle the extra matches. 



ABBY GRAY 

University of Bath student 

“I first started playing football at school but it 

was hard as there weren’t many girls playing. 

When I was younger I feel like there weren’t 

many girls’ teams at all, so I had to play for 

a boys’ team at first and it was hard to get 

their approval. I love being able to play at 

a stadium like Twerton Park and feel part of 

something. There’s a real sense of team spirit, 

which I try to bring into my everyday life.” 

TARA TAYLOR (CLUB CAPTAIN) 

Software engineer 

“My parents were always very encouraging 

and supportive. And the boys and teachers at 

school were also brilliant. Being part of 

a team brings loads of positives. It helps 

keep motivation levels and work rate high. 

And it’s good for mental health having your 

peers around you. I feel it builds confidence, 

too, and encourages you to keep showing 

up. Funding and awareness is key to taking 

things to the next level, which will bring more 

quality across the board.” 




EMILY DELLOW 

Personal trainer and owner of The Fit Pitt 

“At secondary school, it was never an option 

for girls to play football; ‘school sports’ took 

priority, so I couldn’t commit to training and 

matches outside school. I only began playing 

again, 10 years later, after seeing Bath City 

Women promoting the new setup on ITV. 

Walking out at Twerton Park on game days, 

with all the social media promoting us, gives 

us a huge confidence boost. It feels like we’re 

a pro side. Our aim is to progress through the 

leagues and encourage more girls to come 

and play for or support Bath City.” 

LIBBY GOATER 

Programme facilitator, HMP Ashfield 

“I joined a mixed youth team at the age 

of five and stayed there until 14, when the 

FA changed the rules about girls playing 

in mixed teams. Then I was scouted for 

Bristol Academy Women. Being young and 

having a passion to play, I didn’t care what 

people thought. I did experience sexist, 

dismissive comments, but it just fuelled me 

to get back on the pitch. It’s had a massive 

impact on my life. We’re constantly building 

our communication skills and team work, 

something I use in my work.” 



It’s all kicking off 

in the southwest 

A selection of local clubs to get 

started with 

Bristol City Women 

bcfc.co.uk/bristol-city-women 

Forest Green Rovers 

fgr.co.uk/team/fgr-womens-team 

Chippenham Town Ladies 

facebook.com/FCChippenham 

Westbury Youth Ladies 

westburyyouthfc.co.uk/teams/Ladies 

Wells City Ladies 

wellscityfc.org.uk/teams 

Portishead Town Ladies 

portisheadtownfc.com/ladies-football 

Growing up playing football, I never noticed 

the struggles women faced getting into 

the game. Having a daughter opened my 

eyes and spurred me on to try and have 

a positive impact within the game. My 

highlight so far is winning promotion to 

the South West Regional Women’s Football 

League (East Division) in our first season. 

That, and hearing from the growing number 

of young players who want to play for us 

after watching the team over the past year. 

I’ve been a City supporter for years and 

want Bath City Women to become a club 

other local teams look to for inspiration. The 

aim isn’t just success on the pitch; we want 

to see local young players progressing from 

youth setups into the first team, something 

that’s started happening. I hope we can 

continue bringing a high level of football to 

women in the community. 



64 Marketplace 

Marketplace 

Showcasing independent businesses in the southwest 

Services 

Knee Financial Planning 

A bespoke financial planning 

service for private clients, family 

estates and business owners. 

Knee Financial Planning specialise 

in providing comprehensive 

strategies to optimise wealth, 

manage risk and help achieve 

financial goals. 

kneefinancialplanning.co.uk 

Estrella Ventures 

A full-service marketing agency 

made for brands with purpose. 

Working with good people doing 

great things to accelerate positive 

change. Starting with an authentic 

strategy, Estrella Ventures work 

with you to achieve sustainable 

results that make an impact. 

estrellaventures.com 

Suited and Booted 

Originals 

S&B Originals have been producing 

meaningful video content for more 

than 20 years. Whether it’s 

a corporate video, TV commercial 

or social media content, they’ll 

make sure it connects with its 

audience and has impact. 

suitedandbooted.org 

Art & Design 

Health & Wellbeing 

New Brewery Arts 

New Brewery Arts connects people 

with the handmade and celebrates 

the role of creativity in all our lives. 

As well as workshops, they have 

an exhibition programme, with 

spring highlights including Clay is 

My Canvas and Georgia O'Keeffe: 

Memories of Drawings. 

newbreweryarts.org.uk 

Jennifer Mosse Design 

A residential interior design 

consultancy providing a bespoke 

service tailored to each client’s 

needs. Delivering a unique style 

that combines modern pieces 

with vintage finds, and blends 

seamlessly across contemporary 

and period homes. 

jennifermosse.com 

TONIQ 

Located in the heart of Bath, 

TONIQ is a group personal training 

facility with a focus on the whole 

‘you’. Providing support in nutrition, 

lifestyle, and stress management, 

and complemented by awardwinning 

classes, TONIQ helps you 

get more out of life. 

toniqlife.com 


Marketplace 65 

To promote 

your business 

in Marketplace, 

email simon@ 


Workspaces 

Photo: Greentraveller 

Gather Round 

A growing family of creative coworking 

spaces with locations in 

Southville and St Pauls, Bristol. 

They support a community of 

around 200 creative thinkers and 

doers to connect, collaborate and 

thrive. If you want an inspiring 

place to work from, get in touch. 

gather-round.co 

Glove Factory Studios 

A unique rural workspace in Holt, 

near Bath, with 60-plus studios, set 

around garden courtyards in acres 

of countryside. Featuring 

a Coworking Club Room, quiet call 

booths, dedicated desk space, 

private studios, a meeting room, 

and a private swimming lake. 

glovefactorystudios.com 

House of St John’s 

More than a workspace, House of 

St John’s, in central Bath, includes 

a stunning open-plan events 

space for a variety of functions. 

From personal celebrations to 

networking events and awards 

ceremonies, it provides a luxury 

setting with a range of benefits. 

hosj.co.uk 

Food & Drink 

Home & Garden 

Iford Manor Kitchen 

An award-winning restaurant 

specialising in homemade, farmto-fork 

dining. Enjoy a threecourse 

lunch (£25) on Fridays and 

jazz Saturdays, or indulge in their 

ultimate Sunday roast. They also 

host pizza nights, supper clubs, 

sourdough workshops and more. 

ifordmanor.co.uk/fooddrink 

Lord Architecture 

An award-winning RIBA Chartered 

Practice with a passion for 

contemporary architecture and the 

reimagining of historic buildings. 

Creating inspirational spaces and 

beautifully crafted responsive 

architecture in Bath, London and 

across the south of England. 

lordarchitecture.co.uk 

James Gallie Architecture 

JGAD work closely with their 

clients to create carefully 

considered and joyful places. 

They heal existing buildings and 

land, inside and out, to connect 

occupants with their environment, 

wherever that may be. Each project 

is ecological, unique and uplifting. 

jamesgallie.com 



have Courage Experience more 

Open Door Morning 

Friday, 1 March 2024 

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priorparkcollege.com 

rewild yourself 

sauna 

stays 

team off-sites 

retreats 

farm / woods, near bath + bristol 

campwell.co.uk

Hybrid Health Physiotherapy situated in our 

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cut above the rest. Our concept, the “Hybrid 

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of leading industry experience. 

Treatments include: 

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68 It Happened Here 

The night UK and US hip-hop 

royalty did business together 

UK hip-hop would sound very different 

without the influence of Bristol, and one city 

crew had a greater impact than many others: 

the Wild Bunch. Captured by Bristol snapper 

Andrew ‘Beezer’ Beese, here they are in 1986 

performing at The Crypt, in St Pauls, with 

Soul II Soul and Great Peso from US rap group 

Fearless Four (you know, Rockin’ It). From 

left to right, it’s Willie Wee, Peso, and future 

Massive Attack members Andrew ‘Mushroom’ 

Vowles, Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja and Grant ‘Daddy 

G’ Marshall. And lurking in the background, 

with specs on? A young artist called Inkie. 

There’s more like this in Beezer’s forthcoming 

book Until Now, published by PC Press. 

Photo: Beezer 

HIP-HOP @ 50 

Explore the role the Wild Bunch, Bristol and 

the UK have played in the evolution of hip-hop 

at this Trinity Centre all-dayer. Hip-Hop @ 50 

brings together top MCs, DJs, beatboxers, 

graffiti artists and dancers to analyse the past, 

the present and the future. 

nfld.io/hiphop50 


It Happened Here 69 



A FREE EXHIBITION WITH 

INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS 

FOR FAMILIES & GROUPS 

MEET YOUNG ENGINEERS & LOCAL COMPANIES 

WATCH TECHNOLOGY DEMOS 

TAKE PART IN S.T.E.M. WORKSHOPS & CHALLENGES 

BRLSI.ORG 

Sat Feb 24th - Tues Feb 27th. 10am to 4pm daily 

16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN 

FREE ADMISSION 

A series of talks dedicated to 

EXTRAORDINARY 

WOMEN 

Inspiring stories of scientists, artists, philosophers & musicians who 

changed the world for women 

Featuring: 

Ada Lovelace 

Artemisia Gentileschi 

Clara Schumann 

Dolly Parton 

Mary Somerville 

Mary Wollstonecraft 

Paula Rego 

Simone de Beauvoir 

16-18 

Queen Square 

Bath, BA1 2HN 

March 

2024 

3 evening talks + 

1 full day symposium 

BRLSI.org/whats-on

www.carladiogo.com

72 My nearfield 

My nearfield 

Victoria Topping 

Bath-based artist, illustrator and record sleeve designer Victoria Topping 

explains how the region continues to inspire her creative practice 

I 

first came to Bristol in the early 

noughties to study art at UWE. 

I was initially attracted to the 

music scene and fell in love 

with the place after attending 

many legendary house parties, 

squat parties and raves, where 

I met people who have become 

family to me now. As the years 

passed, my perspective shifted, 

and I began to appreciate the 

southwest for more than just its 

musical magic. I’ve become much 

more appreciative of the area’s 

natural beauty, which is only ever 

a short walk away. The southwest 

also has a current of mysticism 

running through it that gives it 

a unique energy. 

The music is still ever-present 

in my work; last year I created 

a piece directly inspired by the 

energetic vibrations coming 

out of a huge speaker stack at 

St Pauls Carnival. There was so 

much love going around that 

day – a shared love for music, 

for unity and for each other. The 

energy was palpable. It’s these 

moments that I want to capture 

and get down in visual form. 

The energy doesn’t just come 

from the music. It’s also there in 

the land in parts of Somerset. 

It’s a kind of tangible thing and 

I’m always looking to channel it. 

I’m currently researching ancient 

medieval myths linked with local 

landscapes. We have Minerva 

in Bath, and I spent some time 

researching Greek myths for my 

book Mythologica, which led me 

into much of the other folklore 

this part of the world teems with. 

I’m now a mum of two, and 

living in Bath, so I rarely get 

a chance to go out dancing. 

Instead, I’m connected to a great 

community of artists at Bath 

Artists’ Studios, although I work 

from my own studio in town 

these days. And when I’m not 

creating, I’m collecting books 

on myths from Mr B’s bookshop, 

or secondhand treasures from 

Beaufort Bookshop in Larkhall. I’m 

addicted to buying crazy vintage 

clothes, too, and Walcot Street 

has two treasure troves in The 

Yellow Shop and Jack & Danny’s, 

which has a special place in my 

heart and has been open since 

the 60s. There’s nothing I love 

more than rolling up my sleeves 

and digging through the overpacked 

rails. 

Book a studio tour via 

victoriatopping.com 

“The southwest has a current of 

mysticism running through it that gives 

it a unique energy” 


My nearfield 73 

Clockwise from 

top Mother Love; 

Victoria in front of 

her artwork, Utopia; 

Soundwave; at 

work in her Gay 

Street studio 



74 Competition 

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The Bristol presents guests with 

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Sun 11 Feb 

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Fri 16 Feb 

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Simple Things 

Festival 

Sat 24 Feb 

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FEVER RAY 

Thu 29 Feb 

Beacon Hall 

London Symphony 

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Mon 4 Mar 

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Echo & 

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Wed 6 Mar 

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Thu 7 Mar 

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Hania Rani 

Sat 9 Mar 

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Fri 15 Mar 

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Wed 20 Mar 

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NF02

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