NF06 October/November 2024

NF06 October / November 2024 

thenearfield.com 

Click! A photography special 

Bristol Photo Festival / Southwest snappers / Beyond the Bassline 

Frome Boulder Rooms / We Are Lady Parts director Nida Manzoor / What’s on

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NF06 October / November 2024 


Bristol Photo Festival / Southwest snappers / Beyond the Bassline 

Frome Boulder Rooms / We Are Lady Parts director Nida Manzoor / What’s on 

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 

Marcie Burnett 

Yiota Protoolis 

Editorial assistants 

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Photo: Jamie Bellinger 

WELCOME 

This issue of nearfield was printed in 

September 2024 by Zenith Print Group 

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© nearfield 2024. All information contained in 

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without the written permission of Do Good 

Things Limited. 

Are you ready for your photo op? Even in the 

age of AI, when we may or may not be getting 

deepfaked, photography has lost none of its power. 

In the same way novels make us more empathetic, 

so being witness to fresh perspectives can inspire 

us to want better. And with the Royal Photographic 

Society and Martin Parr Foundation just two of the 

vital photography institutions in the region, we’re 

something of a hub for the medium. 

In this issue, we celebrate the still image via the 

lens of the Bristol Photo Festival, a crew of talented 

local snappers with their own view, and a Beyond 

the Bassline exhibit exploring Bristol’s contribution 

to Black British music. From photos on walls to 

hanging off them, we also cramp-up our fingers at 

Frome Boulder Rooms. Plus there’s food and drink, 

a packed what’s on guide, and chats with Cosmo 

Sheldrake, Adrian Utley and Nida Manzoor. 

If all that sounds good, sign up for our brand-new 

weekly newsletter, Field Notes, for even more. 

Click! A photography special 

THIS ISSUE’S 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Writers 

Marcie Burnett 

Alexia Loundras 

Amanda Nicholls 

Lauren Scott 

Pete Webb 

Cover 

Images by 

Hashem Shakeri, 

Ritual Inhabitual, 

Sebastian Bruno, 

Andrew Jackson, 

Sarker Protick, 

Kirsty Mackay, 

Clementine 

Schneidermann, 

Chris Hoare, 

Inuuteq Storch. 

Courtesy of Bristol 

Photo Festival. 

Chris Parkin 

editorial@thenearfield.com 


@the.nearfield 


NF06

AN ITALIAN IN SOMERSET 

FIND OUT MORE 

DURSLADE FARM 

DROPPING LANE. BRUTON SOMERSET BA10 0NL 

DA-COSTA.CO.UK / 01749 467 880 / @DACOSTA.SOMERSET

Contents 5 

In this issue NF06 

58 

17 

Photos: Ritual Inhabitual, David Corio, Dave Watts, Helen Paterson 

32 

Features 

32 BRISTOL PHOTO FESTIVAL 

Photography isn’t just a potent tool for storytelling 

– it can also help change the narrative, as the 

second-ever Bristol Photo Festival is set to show 

43 LOCAL SNAPPERS 

Go behind the lens with five acclaimed southwest 

photographers and discover a few of our favourite 

photography groups, shops and labs 

50 BEYOND THE BASSLINE 

As Black History Month 2024 gets under way, 

we assess the huge impact Bristol has had on the 

story of Black British music 

58 BOULDERING 

With Toby Roberts’ gold-stealing performance 

at Paris 2024 confirming bouldering’s ascendance, 

we explore the appeal of hanging off walls 

50 

Regulars 

07 FIELD NOTES 

Stroud’s Vintage Mary 

exhibition, artist Rob 

Mackenzie’s inspiring 

story, a guide to band 

logos, and our list of 

what’s hot in the region 

17 FOOD & DRINK 

Briar at Number One 

Bruton, Gallic bistros 

and the homegrowing 

heroes at Pythouse 

24 THE LIST 

Your guide to what’s 

on in the southwest, 

featuring Adrian Utley 

and Nida Manzoor 

82 

COMPETITION 

Win two places 

on a cookery class 

of your choice at 

The Pony 

78 IT HAPPENED HERE 

When Haile Selassie 

was given the Freedom 

of the City of Bath 

80 MY NEARFIELD 

With Stroud musician 

Cosmo Sheldrake 

80 



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Field Notes 7 

FieldNotes 

Keeping you clued-up about life in the southwest 

• NEARFIELD 

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NEARFIELD 

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SECOND NATURE 

Vintage Mary’s Abi Fisk 

explains the enduring 

appeal of Stroud’s longrunning 

preloved market 

– the subject of a brandnew 

exhibition 

The stall was originally started 

to meet the demand for 

secondhand school uniforms but 

quickly became a one-stop shop 

for people looking for low-cost, 

preloved home furnishings and 

makers’ materials. Mary – who 

set it up back in 1978 – has 

always loved quirky homewares 

and the thought of all the hands 

they’ve passed through. 

Each week, we source vintage 

and retro items from a network 

of house clearance contacts, 

and every Monday add new finds 

to our considerable stock. Our 

store room within the arches 

of the Shambles Market is an 

Aladdin’s cave, filled to the brim. 

Virtually nothing is thrown away; 

what can’t be sold is put on the 

free-to-take-home table. 

We have vast amounts of vintage 

fabric and haberdashery; books 

and maps; crockery, glassware 

and kitchen wares. There’s 

all sorts: wooden bowls and 

animals, toys, old photographs… 

Younger people love the history 

in our old photographs; they’re 

always amazed to see photos of 

people smoking indoors. 

The film Cider With Rosie used 

crockery and textiles bought at 

the market, and our textiles have 

been used on The Great British 

Sewing Bee. For her book The 

Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon, 

Sarah Steele was inspired by 

our dress patterns and society 

photographs. 

Pushing 50: The Vintage Mary 

Exhibition – which is sponsored 

by local resident Cath Kidston, 

who’s sourced textiles from the 

market for years – is a chance to 

acknowledge the work done by 

Mary, who is now well into her 

90s. It will be an immersion in 

the Vintage Mary world. 

Pushing 50: The Vintage 

Mary Exhibition takes place 

at Lansdown Hall & Gallery, 

Stroud, November 15-16. 

nfld.io/vintagem 



THE FAMOUS FIVE © 2018, Hodder & Stoughton Limited. All rights reserved. 

Book now at GWR.com 

or on our app.

Field Notes 9 

HOT LIST 

Discover what’s catching our attention at nearfield HQ right now 

Bokman 

Nine Tree Hill, Bristol 

This tasty Korean 

eatery in Stokes Croft 

more than justifies 

the hype. Inspired by 

founders Kyu Jeong 

Jeon and Duncan 

Robertson’s restaurant 

crawl around Korea, it 

specialises in authentic 

food and the art of 

fermentation. 

bokman.co.uk 

Curbsidebrs / 

1LOVEART 

Clifton Arcade, Bristol 

These two longtime 

supporters of the 

Bristol visual arts scene 

have opened a shop 

and gallery featuring 

works by the likes of 

Sickboy, Inkie, Skud 

and loads more. It’s 

open Wednesday 

to Sunday. 

@1lovebristol 

Photo: Daniel Rushworth, Neil R Thomson 

The 7 Hills Blues and Roots Festival 

Komedia, Bath 

“It’s Bath’s own grassroots festival,” says 7 Hills 

head honcho (and former Noah and the Whaler) 

Matt Owens, explaining the idea behind his 

blues and roots all-dayer at Komedia, Bath, on 

October 13. “We book some of the best artists 

on the scene, give a stage to emerging talent 

and provide a platform for young musicians to 

play alongside the pros.” Among the artists Matt 

is most excited to bring to Bath this time out are 

Mississippi MacDonald, Lauren Housley, Hannah 

White and Sweet Giant, “who play spacey 

turbo-charged rock ’n’ roll”. And what about 

beards; do you need one to gain entry? “You’re 

welcome to have a beard, or to get a stick-on 

one; but no, it’s super-inclusive.” 

nfld.io/7hills 

Mermaid Chunky 

Already approved by 

LCD Soundsystem’s 

James Murphy (he 

signed them to his DFA 

label), this far-out duo, 

who formed in Stroud, 

are now making waves 

everywhere with their 

no wave, art-disco 

weirdness. 

@mermaidchunky 

Triple Shady 

Bath designer and 

DJ Simon Kingston 

has launched a new 

streetwear brand 

called Triple Shady, 

using a local screen 

printer and inspired 

by things every 

southwester loves: 

skateboard culture, 

music and street art. 

tripleshady.com 

Ten years of Worm 

Disco Club 

The Worms have been 

bringing wriggleinducing 

outernational 

sounds to Bristol since 

2014. To celebrate 

10 years, the crew is 

signing off for a while 

with a riot of a line-up 

at Lost Horizon on 

October 26. 

nfld.io/wdisco 



10 Field Notes 

Meet 

the 

maker 

ROB MACKENZIE 

“I’m mostly independent in my 

drawing, yet I need help setting 

up my materials, and at times, 

my cognitive processing and 

thoughts need teasing out. 

Syreeta helps me land where 

I want to be. I find it frustrating 

that I need to lean on her for so 

much help, but she works from 

home to support me, not only in 

my art sessions but also in dayto-day 

tasks. I’ve had to accept 

that I do need help.” 

After hopping around the 

world as a branding designer 

and outdoor adventurer, 

in 2014, ROB MACKENZIE 

experienced a brain 

haemorrhage and stroke 

that left him paralysed on 

his right side and suffering 

from aphasia. Rob refused 

to let his condition define 

him, and, with the help of his 

partner Syreeta Challinger, 

has spent the past decade 

healing through art. Ahead 

of a new exhibition of his 

work, The Life the Grass 

Speaks, he lets us into his 

creative world. 

“Initially, my work was controlled 

and safe, with deft penmanship 

and line drawings of places and 

spaces – a style echoing my 

design past. My mark-making 

freed up over time and won 

me support from Arts Council 

England, which helped me 

explore different techniques. My 

style now is more emotive, with 

depth, movement and meaning.” 

Photo: James Melia, Emma Todd 


Field Notes 11 

“The message of my TEDx talks 

is, don’t give up. There’s always 

a way. We are proof; proof 

that creativity heals, that love 

heals. That there is a way of 

living at your own pace, slowly, 

beautifully, in a way that works 

for you. Take one step at a time, 

inch by inch.” 

“The exhibition is based on 

my coma dreams, where I was 

surrounded by grass, like I was 

lying down in a field held by 

the blades and the earth. This 

collection of work honours the 

grasses that whispered to hold 

on and got me through, and 

celebrates the healing powers 

of nature. Plus, the ten-year 

milestone post-haemorrhage felt 

like a poignant and beautiful time 

to explore how nature mimics 

the liminal space between life 

and death.” 

“Creating has been integral to 

my recovery, thanks to Syreeta, 

who taught me to draw again. 

I couldn’t speak, read or write, 

but she taught me how to hold 

a pen and mark-make, which 

opened up my world. It was 

a necessity at first; doodling 

images to let people know what 

I needed, what I was thinking – 

and then for pleasure. It’s given 

me not only an outlet but 

a purpose, too.” 

“Moments of beauty in nature, 

music and poetry are the 

foundations of my work. Yet I get 

ideas from everywhere: books 

on other artists, workshops 

and galleries. Being out in 

nature, even though it’s hard to 

access with limited mobility, is 

extremely important to me.” 

Follow Rob @therobmackenzie. 

Visit The Life the Grass Speaks at 

No.6 Gallery, Bruton, on October 

4-6, 11-13. nfld.io/lifegrass 




IN A NEW LIGHT 

This October, MP Diane Abbott will land at St Swithin’s Church, in 

Bath, to discuss her powerful new memoir A Woman Like Me with the 

British-Nigerian author Jendella Benson. The Bath Arts Collective event 

is hosted in partnership with Emblaze – a new imprint by the creative 

writing incubator Paper Nations, launched to illuminate stories of 

colour across the southwest and fix the structural inequalities within 

UK publishing. Ahead of the event, we asked Emblaze to recommend 

their favourite 2024 books by Black British authors. 

The House of 

Broken Bricks 

(Faber) 

Fiona Williams 

is an Emblaze 

masterclass 

graduate and really 

hit her stride with this striking 

novel about rural English life, grief 

and the healing power of nature. 

Neverland 

(Canongate) 

This blazing new 

release from 

Bristol-based writer 

and performer 

Vanessa Kisuule – 

a participant in Emblaze’s debut 

book club event – explores 

uncomfortable truths about fame 

and unhealthy obsessions. 

Shalimar: A Story 

of Place and 

Migration 

(Little Toller) 

Davina Quinlivan 

runs writing 

residencies for 

Emblaze and earlier in the year 

released this lyrical, dreamlike 

memoir exploring cultural history. 

Fast by the Horns 

(Wildfire) 

The second novel 

by the acclaimed 

novelist Moses 

McKenzie, who 

grew up in Easton 

and went to school in Redcliffe. 

It follows the story of a 14-year-old 

Rastafarian in the 1980s around 

the time of the St Pauls riot. 

Manny and the 

Baby (Scribe) 

Varaidzo’s 

character-driven 

debut Manny and 

the Baby – which 

she launched at 

Bath Arts Collective’s Curious 

Minds Festival earlier this year 

– moves between the Soho jazz 

scene of the 1930s and the story 

of a young boy in 2012, who 

travels to Bath to understand the 

father he never met. 

Follow Emblaze to find out about 

upcoming events @emblaze.uk 

Diane Abbott appears at St 

Swithin’s Church, Bath, on 

October 24. nfld.io/dabbott 

Page turners 

An Evening with 

Florence Given 

Waterstones, 

Broadmead, Bristol 

October 17 

Delving into patriarchy, 

perfectionism and 

prettiness, bestselling 

author Florence 

Given celebrates her 

new book Women 

Living Deliciously 

– and continues 

her campaign for 

everyone’s right to 

a shame-free life. 

nfld.io/flogive 

Jen Calleja: 

Goblinhood: Goblin 

as a Mode 

Bookhaus, Bristol 


Inventive new talent 

Jen Calleja launches 

a new, far-out 

collection of essays 

and poems that 

explores ‘goblin mode’ 

through the lens of 

pop culture, grief, lust 

and family. 

nfld.io/goblin 

Stroud Book Festival 

Various venues, Stroud 

November 6-10 

Join poet Anthony 

Joseph, foreign policy 

expert Chloe Dalton 

and nature writer 

Richard Mabey (among 

others) at Stroud’s 

bookish fiesta 

nfld.io/sbfest 



14 Field Notes 

A design for life 

Ever wondered how the Aphex Twin symbol came to be, or why the Kinks’ original logo 

wore boots? Logo Rhythm explains all. After hearing its creators, writer Jim K Davies 

and Bath-based designer Jamie Ellul, discuss the book at a Vespertine Talks event at the 

Glove Factory recently, we got in touch with Jim to find out more. 

Photos: Mike Holman @ Red Forge Studios 

What inspired you to create 

Logo Rhythm? 

“The idea had been bothering me 

for ages. I started out as a design 

journalist and was struck by how 

many graphic designers told me 

their first brush with typography 

was drawing band logos on their 

school books. I’d always been 

a big music fan and find the 

visual iconography of pop and 

rock fascinating. When I later 

became a brand copywriter, 

I missed editorial design writing. 

So, in 2017, I decided to start 

a blog, bandlogojukebox.com, 

which gave me an excuse to 

write about my two great loves: 

music and graphics. I asked 

Jamie Ellul, of Bath-based 

Supple Studio, who’s a brilliant 

designer, friend and fellow music 

obsessive, to partner me. There 

were already hundreds of blogs 

and books about sleeve art but 

the subject of band logos was 

surprisingly uncharted. It took 

several years, but eventually 

we had enough material to put 

a proposal together for a book.” 

What’s the best band logo 

origin story? 

“There are so many. That’s what 

has been so wonderful about 

researching and writing this 

book – uncovering all these 

untold stories. But to choose 

one, it would probably be the 

Kinks. We got in touch with Mick 

Avory, the band’s drummer, 

through the Kinks Fan Club. He 

revealed that his father Charles 

– an Italian émigré who designed 

stage sets for Shepperton 

Studios in the 1960s – painted 

the original, with boots on the 

‘feet’ of the letters, for Mick’s 

bass drum. In the early days, 

the Kinks wore hunting-style 

jackets and Chelsea boots with 



The art of noise 

From the Rolling Stones 

and the Kinks to Wu- 

Tang Clan and Aphex 

Twin, Logo Rhythm 

explores the stories 

behind all your favourite 

music acts’ logos 

Cuban heels, hence the ‘kinky’ 

boots reference. Mick seemed 

genuinely touched to be able to 

credit his father after all these 

years, and said he’d never been 

asked about it before.” 

What do you think makes 

a good band logo? 

“The way you feel about a band 

logo is all about association and 

visibility. Blur’s logo is great, but 

that’s mainly because Blur are 

great. It feels slightly retro, works 

in all kinds of visual contexts and 

really suits the band. Stylorouge, 

the studio who designed it, 

referenced consumer goods 

like washing powder packaging 

rather than music, so it came 

across – and still comes across – 

as fresh and different.” 

Logo Rhythm is out now via 

Circa Press. Order a copy at 

tinyurl.com/logorhyth 

Keep an eye out for future 

Vespertine Talks and Supper 

Club events at The Glove 

Factory, in Holt. The next event, 

on October 11, is with The Tulip 

Garden author Polly Nicholson. 

nfld.io/vesptalk 



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Food & Drink 17 

Food&Drink 

COMPILED BY AMANDA NICHOLLS 

FLAVOUR OF 

THE MONTH 

BRIAR 

Number One Bruton, 1 High Street 

Photo: Dave Watts 

“There’s a goodness here… 

something that clears your eyes,” 

said the author John Steinbeck of 

Bruton, a town that is increasingly 

seen as Somerset’s culinary 

epicentre. Inclined to agree, chef 

Sam Lomas has picked it out as 

the home for his new restaurant 

– a good 20 years after setting up 

his first, The Diced Carrot, in his 

bedroom, aged nine. 

It’s a farm-to-table affair from 

the Great British Menu finalist, 

housed within Claudia 

Waddams and Aled Rees’s 

hotel, Number One Bruton – 

a comfy refuge spread across 

a Georgian townhouse and 

500-year-old medieval forge. 

Briar draws inspiration from its 

namesake wild bramble, with 

a daily blackboard dictated by 

the kitchen garden’s growing 

seasons, foraged ingredients 

and craft cooking techniques. 

On any given day, the menu 

provides diners with both moon 

phase and weather forecast, and 

features sharing dishes, small 

plates and snacks – Westcombe 

gougères and Sam’s porridge loaf 

among them. The likes of Bruton 

dairy curds, grilled courgettes and 

sourdough crumbs, or blood cake, 

gooseberry chutney and mustard 

leaves may form the basis for 

mains, followed by blackcurrant 

leaf ice cream. Working with local 

grain specialists Landrace Milling 

On the map 

Briar – opened 

by chef and 

Great British 

Menu finalist Sam 

Lomas – can be 

found in Number 

One Bruton’s old 

hardware store 

and Stavordale Dairy – Sam has 

created a chutney to go with their 

cheddar – Briar also harbours 

plans for long-table supper clubs. 

Sam won a Guild of Food Writers 

Award earlier this year for his 

brilliant recipe newsletter Field 

Notes (snap!), and we’re willing 

to wager he’s got another hit on 

his hands here. 

numberonebruton.com/briar 



18 Food & Drink 

Fr of taste a Get f France this 

shing out o 

t on a Eurostar 

Get a taste of France this autumn, without splashing out on a Eurostar ticket 

ticket 

Shell shock 

Scallops, garlic 

and Sauternes 

butter sauce, 

littlefrench style 

Photo: Kirstie Young 



BISTRO LOTTE 

23 Catherine Street, Frome 

Find Frome’s French restaurant (with rooms) behind 

an old grocery store front on Catherine Street. 

Inside, there’s classic Gallic fare – Provençal fish 

soup, steak frites, duck a l’orange with rosemary 

sauce. And with live jazz, blues and folk in the mix, 

you can make a real night of it. Check out the new 

autumn menu from this month. 

bistrolottefrome.co.uk 

COMPTOIR+CUISINE 

5 George Street, Bath 

Four French and Italian expat pals are behind this 

glam bistro and bottle shop, where the furniture 

is for sale, and guests dine on Cornish sole with 

beetroot and coffee purée, and courgette and 

carrot fritters with tahini. Hosting wine tastings 

with Loire Valley producers and open late for 

artisan bubbles, Comptoir also offers cheese 

and champagne delivery for Francophiles in 

need of essentials tout de suite. 

comptoirpluscuisine.com 

Photo: Kirstie Young, Simon Abel 

LITTLEFRENCH 

2 North View, Bristol 

Milk-fed lamb 

sweetbreads with Alsace 

bacon, oyster mushroom, 

peas and riesling; roast 

bone marrow canoe 

with beef fillet tartare 

– and much more 

besides – have made 

Bristol-born chef and 

TV regular Freddy Bird’s 

neighbourhood restaurant 

a firm Westbury Park 

favourite. And loved by 

the food critic Marina 

O’Loughlin, no less. 

littlefrench.co.uk 

THE BAFFLED KING 

28 Chelsea Road, Bristol 

Bathed in golden light, this bistro – 

inspired by owner Professor Campbell 

Craig’s mother’s French restaurants 

in Wisconsin – looks ever so inviting 

on an autumn evening. Expect lobster 

bisque, truffle and Parmesan panna 

cotta, and sourdough to die for. 

thebaffledking.co.uk 



20 Food & Drink 

IN AN 

ENGLISH 

COUNTRY 

GARDEN 

Lavender custard, charcoal 

strawberries, gooseberry ketchup, 

verbena cream... When the garden 

beyond the dining table has a real 

presence on the menu – and here 

at Pythouse Kitchen Garden, it’s the 

MVP – we want to eat from it. 

Behind its menu is a group of cooks 

and green-fingered types based 

out of an 18th-century walled 

garden between south Wiltshire’s 

Semley and Tisbury. They’ve been 

promoting the simple regenerative 

lifestyle for yonks, and growing 

and making in the same spirit of 

Victorian endeavour in which the 

plot was created. 

This special place, not far 

from Stonehenge – within the 

Cranborne Chase National 

Landscape – is somewhere you can 

go to really gourmandise. It’s fertile 

ground for creative ideas, and food 

that enthusiastically celebrates the 

land (hi there, herb-baked potato 

bread; flamingo pea whip; and 

smoked swede in cider sauce). 

The pick-your-own flower bed 

is open until November, and 

the Pythouse gang keep things 

Earthly delights 

Everything 

produced by 

south Wiltshire’s 

Pythouse 

Kitchen Garden 

and Sprigster is 

homegrown 

and handmade 

with heart 

Deep in the south Wiltshire countryside 

is a food and (booze-free) drinks haven, 

where homemade and homegrown is just 

a matter of course 



mucking about in its mission to get 

non-drinkers waxing lyrical about 

their tipple and its terroir. The team 

are busy bottling up the English 

country garden and making use 

of sweet-sour oxymels (‘acid and 

honey’ in Latin), a natural remedy 

dating back to ancient Greece. 

“‘Garden to glass’ 

is the name 

of Sprigster’s 

emphatically 

circular game” 

interesting by way of orchard 

fire-cooking experiences with 

pro chefs, plus various garden 

gatherings and solstice and 

equinox feast events. Up next? 

Twilight tables by the fire for 

November’s Starry Nights series. 

Treat yourself to an overnight stay 

in the shepherd’s hut, surrounded 

by apple, pear and kiwi fruit trees. 

No filter 

Meanwhile, Pythouse’s botanical 

beverage brand, Sprigster, is not 

While we’re always hearing how 

good apple cider vinegar is for 

us, we can never bring ourselves 

to neck the stuff neat. But give 

us Sprigster’s Garden Brut or 

Hedgerow Blush – built on 

a wholesome base of the stuff 

– any time. Determined to offer 

diners an alcohol-free aperitif 

with a grown-up feel – start with 

a Sprigster Mule and go from there 

– the team mixes and muddles 

homegrown fruits and botanicals 

to create a brewer’s mash with 

gooseberries, rhubarb, hops, 

fennel seeds and ginger from the 

polytunnels. Slow cooked in apple 

cider vinegar, it is left to steep in 

a cask, then strained and blended 

with an orchard apple reduction 

and topped up with spring water 

from the estate. Instead of being 

filtered, the natural sediment is left 

in too, upping the nutritional value 

of the tart, tasty tincture. 

‘Garden to glass’ is the name of the 

emphatically circular game. Above 

Sprigster’s production station, you’ll 

find founder Piers Milburn under 

his neon altar, which spells out the 

mantra and keeps him focused on 

the goal. Check out the first-ofits-kind 

single-origin booze-free 

infusion he’s just created, using the 

land’s abundance of fennel and 

rhubarb. Grow, harvest, infuse, 

bottle, repeat. 

pythousekitchengarden.co.uk 

sprigsterdrinks.com 



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24 The List 

TheList 

What’s on in October and November 

Browse loads 

more events at 


COMPILED BY 

CLEMMIE MILLBANK 

NEARFIELD 

• 

• 

NEARFIELD 

NEARFIELD 

• 

• NEARFIELD 

IN THE DRONE 

Photos: John Morgan 

Bristol music legend 

Adrian Utley talks 

sonic exploration, 

the unhurried beauty 

of drone music and 

Portishead’s Dummy 

My early life in jazz was when 

I first started thinking about 

drones. We used to call them 

pedal tones, where it stayed on 

one note. I’m attracted to Indian 

music; Ravi Shankar and the flute 

player Hariprasad Chaurasia were 

a huge part of my listening for 

a long time, and that’s based in 

kind of one tonality. 

Drone can be really exciting. It 

doesn’t have to be meditative. 

It’s the acceptance of something 

staying still or expanding slowly. 

No tonality, and not too much 

action notes-wise. 

Drone really suits electronic 

music and synthesisers because 

it’s interesting to think about not 

using diatonic and chromatic 

harmony, or fixed scale. You can 

think about quarter tones, and 

in between quarter tones there’s 

eighth tones and frequency 

modulation, which are the beats 

you hear when notes are not 

quite in tune. Just that alone is 

enough to listen to for a long 

time. It’s kind of brain candy. 

I love Éliane Radigue. She’s 92 

and still working in Paris making 

drone music. I love La Monte 

Young, too. You can’t record him, 

because his pieces go on for 

days, but his influence can be 

heard elsewhere, like with the 

Velvet Underground, for instance. 

John Cale put drones in their 

music because he’d been working 

with La Monte Young in New York. 

Drones for the Dark Months is at 

St George’s Bristol. It’s part of 

a series of curations I’ll be doing, 

which will all be different, and will 

include people I really admire. 


NEARFIELD • NEARFIELD • NEARFIELD • NEARFIELD • 

The List 25 

I’ve picked people who really 

understand this kind of music. 

There will be some tunes. 

Stefano [Pilia] writes beautiful 

ones based on drones and on 

the Fibonacci sequence. We’re 

also going to be looking into 

and reinterpreting some early 

choral music. It’s very much 

an improvisational evening, 

sometimes based on written 

music underpinned by a drone. 

The world is changing musically. 

There’s the reunion of Oasis and 

the enormous Taylor Swift gigs. 

It’s not that I don’t like them, but 

I think a lot of young people are 

looking beyond that, trying to 

find something that has some 

relevance and makes sense in 

this completely bonkers world 

we’ve got, politically, ecologically 

and economically. 

I can’t believe 30 years have 

passed since the release of 

Dummy. It was an epic adventure, 

all the Portishead stuff. I’m still 

very pleased when people come 

up to me and say it changed their 

life. I love the fact my kids’ friends 

are really into our albums; there’s 

a new generation listening to 

them. I feel it still has a relevance 

for some people. 

I find inspiration constantly by 

listening and searching, and 

accidentally hearing things and 

talking to other musicians. It’s 

what I’ve always done; just being 

open to stuff. My kids bring me 

things that are really cool, too. 

Catch Drones for the Dark 

Months at St George’s Bristol on 

October 24. nfld.io/utdrones 

Photos: @laurenluxenberg 

Tatty Macleod 

Tobacco 

Factory, Bristol 

October 13, 24; 

Komedia, Bath 

November 27 

Didn’t make it to 

Edinburgh Fringe? 

Well you’re in luck, 

because festival 

highlight Tatty is 

bringing her certain 

je ne sais quoi to the 

southwest. In this 

debut comedy tour, 

Macleod navigates 

the nuances of life 

as a French-British 

comedian and asks, 

is he a f**kboi or is 

he just French? 

nfld.io/tattymac 

Naima Bock 

The Tree House, 

Frome 


Experience the 

intricate mix of 

traditional folk, indie 

influences and altrock 

sounds that got 

Bock – formerly of 

Goat Girl – signed by 

the legendary Sub 

Pop label. Drawing 

on themes of nature, 

memory and the 

complexities of 

human relationships, 

Bock’s music has 

a vulnerability 

that’ll draw you in 

completely. 

nfld.io/nbock 

The Windrush 

Secret 

Pound Arts, 

Corsham 


This unflinching 

production spotlights 

three men: a farright 

leader, a Black 

Caribbean diplomat 

and a white Home 

Office official – all 

played by playwright 

Rodreguez King- 

Dorset. Join each 

of them as they 

mobilise an invisible 

audience to their 

cause – and start to 

question what they 

believe in. 

nfld.io/windsec 

The Necks 

Strange Brew, 

Bristol 


The best live band 

in the world return 

to the region. The 

Australian avantjazz 

trio of Chris 

Abrahams, Tony 

Buck and Lloyd 

Swanton never 

fail to hypnotise 

with their slowbuilding, 

cyclical 

improvisations 

that start with 

a shake and a rattle, 

and grow into 

transcendent locked 

grooves. 

nfld.io/thenecks 

Shabaka 

St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol 


Linchpin of the UK jazz scene Shabaka 

Hutchings – who recently swapped sax 

for various flutes from around the world – 

brings his contemplative new sound to 

a magical setting with the help of a fivepiece 

ensemble, including two harps. 

nfld.io/shabaka 



NEON DREAMS 

Chila Kumari Singh Burman 

Until 12 January 2025 

Festival of Light 

Friday 25 October 5-9pm | FREE 

Join us for a celebration of all things light and 

joyful to mark Diwali 

• Colourful creative workshops 

• Pop-up food stalls 

• Live performances, including a finale of fire dancing! 

Chila Kumari Singh Burman, ‘My Tiger Janu’, 2022. Photo Matthew Andrews 

WWW.HOLBURNE.ORG 

Great Pulteney Street, Bath


The List 27 

Kimono: 

The Making of 

a Cultural Icon 

Museum of East 

Asian Art, Bath 

Until December 14 

Translated into English 

as ‘thing to wear’, the 

kimono is an icon of 

Japanese culture. 

Explore the garment’s 

incredible history 

through this carefully 

curated series of 

woodblock prints and 

photographs, and 

trace its development 

from traditional 

everyday wear to 

high fashion. 

nfld.io/kimono 

Bath Society 

of Artists 119th 

Annual Open 

Exhibition 

Victoria Art 

Gallery, Bath 

October 13 to 

January 11 

Browse and buy art 

from some of the 

region’s top artists, 

including paintings, 

sculptures, drawings, 

print and mixed 

media works. This 

year’s featured artist 

is Peter Randall-Page. 

He’ll be showcasing 

his nature-inspired 

sculptures. 

nfld.io/bsaopen 

Sophia Al-Maria and Lydia Ourahmane: 

Grey Unpleasant Land 

Spike Island, Bristol 

Until January 19 

A two-person exhibition from Al-Maria and Ourahmane 

– both immigrants to the UK – featuring pre-existing 

works and a commission exploring the idea of the ‘right to 

remain’ in the context of semi-feudal property laws. 

nfld.io/greyland 

Lionheart (2016-2024). Image courtesy the artists 

Photo: RBG Kew, © Hurvin Anderson, Matthew Andrews 

Here Today, Here 

Tomorrow: Works 

from the Jerwood 

Collection 

Arnolfini, Bristol 

November 23 to 

February 2 

A selection of 22 works 

from the Jerwood 

Collection, delving into 

the cycles of life and our 

relationship to nature, 

place and the spaces we 

inhabit. The exhibition 

features work by Hurvin 

Anderson, Patrick 

Caulfield, Maggi Hambling, 

David Hockney and Yinka 

Ilori, among others. 

nfld.io/htoday 

Chila Kumari 

Singh Burman 

The Holburne 

Museum, Bath 

Until January 12 

Challenge your 

preconceptions of 

Britishness in art 

history with a visit 

to this spectacular 

show at the Holburne 

Museum. Two of 

Burman’s dazzling, 

large-scale light 

installations take 

centre stage: a multicoloured 

neon work 

on the façade of the 

museum, and a lifesize 

neon tiger in 

the ballroom. 

nfld.io/burman 

Tessa Campbell 

Fraser: Whales 

Messums West, 

Tisbury 


January 13 

Look up in awe at 

three monumental 

sculptures of sperm 

whales hanging from 

the roof of the tithe 

barn. Climate change 

advocate Campbell 

Fraser used recycled 

ghost netting, silk 

chiffon, latex and 

synthetic (recycled) 

paper to create these 

magnificent creatures 

and highlight the 

plight of our oceans. 

nfld.io/whales 




The List 29 

After Dark: 

Nights To Die For 

Mary Shelley’s 

House of 

Frankenstein, Bath 

October 11-31 

Feeling brave enough 

to face your inner 

monster (and maybe 

some outer ones, 

too)? Wander the 

museum after dark 

in this notorious 

experience inspired 

by Shelley’s horror 

classic. Prepare for 

disorientating total 

darkness, crawl 

spaces, gruesome 

scenes and 

unsettling surprises. 

nfld.io/diefor 

Bristol Film 

Festival: 

Halloween 

Screenings 

Various venues, 

Bristol 


Bristol Film Festival 

has lined up some 

Halloween classics 

in a whole host of 

spooky locations. Test 

your scare threshold 

with everything from 

The Lost Boys at Arnos 

Vale Cemetery to an 

aptly claustrophobic 

viewing of The 

Descent in Redcliffe 

Caves (check the 

exits, people). 

nfld.io/brisfilm 

FEAR Scream Park 

Avon Valley Wildlife and Adventure Park 

October 11-12, 18-20, 25-27, 31; November 1-2 

The most twisted theme park you’ll ever visit. Once the 

sun goes down, this family-friendly attraction transforms 

into a park of nightmares, with chainsaw-wielding clowns 

and nightmarish ghouls around every corner. Navigate 

scare mazes and witness a live exorcism. 

nfld.io/screamp 

Haunt, Pray, Love 

Tobacco Factory, Bristol 

October 31 to November 2 

Delving deep into purgatory, this dark, imaginative 

comedy follows the story of Gary, a happily dead person 

who doesn’t care about anyone very much… until, that 

is, Clare comes crashing into his afterlife. Satanic rituals, 

musings on the afterlife and spooky live music await. 

nfld.io/hplove 

Ghost Hunt 

Shepton Mallet 

Prison, Somerset 


Fancy a sleepover 

in the most haunted 

prison in the UK? 

Brothers and 

Spirit Paranormal 

Investigations are 

inviting you to bring 

a sleeping bag (and 

nerves of steel) 

to Shepton Mallet 

Prison – once home 

to the incarcerated 

Kray twins – and 

spend the night with 

some of the criminal 

underworld’s most 

troubled spirits. 

nlfd.io/ghunt 

The Three 

Snake Leaves: 

Fairytales 

From the 

Grimm Forest 

The Cube, Bristol 


Interweaving Grimm’s 

lesser-known stories, 

this fairytale for 

grown-ups chronicles 

the dark and 

unexpected pasts of 

three travellers lost in 

a forest. Combining 

evocative music 

with masterful, 

contemporary 

storytelling, this is 

a show about what it 

is to be a human. 

nfld.io/bgrimm 




30 The List 

HEY 

PUNKA! 

Photos: Saima Khalid 

Director Nida Manzoor 

is creator of the hit series 

We Are Lady Parts, 

about an all-female, all- 

Muslim punk band. Here, 

she talks early influences, 

authenticity and industry 

challenges, ahead of 

a Q&A and screening of 

her film, Polite Society, at 

the FilmBath Festival 

I grew up in Singapore and 

watched these amazing 

Singaporean sitcoms; they were 

very slapstick. There’s one called 

Happy Belly, and another called 

Under One Roof, which were 

very formative. I also grew up 

on American and British TV, so 

shows like Malcolm in the 

Middle and Blackadder were 

a huge influence. 

I also have a great love of music. 

I grew up playing guitar. There’s 

a kind of through-line between 

loving music and loving comedy. 

It’s all about rhythm and timing. 

My brother, Shez Manzoor, 

scored Polite Society. We grew 

up making music together. 

Pitching shows was always 

quite hard. I would get feedback 

like, “Oh, sorry, we’ve already 

got our show about women of 

colour.” You’re always treated 

as your ‘identity’ rather than 

the tone, the style, your point 

of view; you’re just seen to 

be doing a woman-of-colour 

show… People saw me as a label, 

which makes you feel like you’re 

competing for one slot rather 

than opening the industry to 

contain multiple stories. 

The industry needs 

to commission more 

underrepresented voices. There 

are schemes, and there’s money 

going into it, but it’s the belief 

that is missing – the belief that 

these shows are actually worth 

making, and these stories are 

worth telling. We need more 

diversity within commissioning, 


The List 31 

production companies, 

producers, the people who 

fight to make the shows – not 

just the creatives. 

Saima Khalid runs a collective 

for Muslim creatives to come 

together and share their work; 

music, poetry or writing. It’s 

called Makrooh. That was the 

scene I was most inspired by 

when it came to creating my 

own work, because I saw such 

diversity and humour and 

vulnerability in those spaces. 

For me, success is getting to 

create work with authenticity, 

which I’ve been able to do 

with Polite Society and We Are 

Lady Parts. They authentically 

represent the things I want 

to say, and that has been so 

creatively fulfilling. You get that 

great feeling of catharsis from it, 

and you get to collaborate with 

people you genuinely love and 

respect, who can make the work 

excel beyond your own vision. 

Next, I want to do a big 

historical action movie set 

in ancient Iraq. A real kind of 

‘swords and sandals’ vibe. I want 

to do a super-violent feminist 

movie. I’d also love to do a full 

out-and-out musical. There’s 

something about musicals that 

is so hard to pull off and do 

well, but I love them. I also want 

another excuse to write a bunch 

of music with my siblings! 

Watch Polite Society and join 

in a Q&A at The Little Theatre, 

Bath, on October 22. FilmBath 

Festival runs from October 18-27. 

Check out the full programme. 

nfld.io/filmbath 

Second Life Markets 

The Prospect Building, Bristol 


Fulfil your vintage and secondhand needs 

at this preloved sale. With a focus on 

local sellers, you’ll find fashion, art and 

homewares to add to your personal edit. 

nfld.io/seclife 

Celebrate Samhain 

The Wise Woods 

Project, Corsham 


Celebrate the Celtic 

New Year with a day 

in the forest. Led 

by experts in their 

field, you’ll engage in 

meditation, mindful 

movement, rituals, 

nature crafts and 

journalling, and 

expand your own 

spiritual growth by 

reconnecting with 

nature in this stunning 

woodland space. 

nfld.io/cshain 

Weston-super- 

Mare Carnival 

Italian Gardens, 

Westonsuper-Mare 


The quintessential 

Somerset experience. 

These free, 

annual night-time 

processions take 

place across the 

county and are 

made up of bonkers 

illuminated floats 

and lively performers. 

Check our website for 

locations and dates. 

nfld.io/somcarn 

Unforgettable Behaviour 

American Museum, Bath 


Bacana Funk 

Komedia, Bath 

October 1; 


The hard-working, 

party-starting team 

behind Bath Carnival 

busts the slate-grey 

skies with a new 

regular club night 

series featuring DJs 

and live acts. Expect 

warm, colourful, 

groove-infused vibes 

from local talent and 

acts from further 

afield, all plying 

global beats until late. 

nfld.io/bfunk 

Acid House 

Cabaret: Rave 

New World 

Komedia, Bath 


Through a hi-NRG 

mix of beats, 303 

squelches and retinafrying 

visuals, Kirk 

Field’s Acid House 

Cabaret explores 

the cultural impact 

of rave. Embrace the 

glorious absurdity of 

old rave flyers and 

learn all the words 

to your favourite 

club anthems. 

nfld.io/ravenew 

This selection of 39 powerful images from previous Wildlife Photographer 

of the Year collections will showcase exciting, rarely seen and extremely 

cheeky animal behaviour. The family-friendly exhibition also features 

a dig pit, hide and animal height chart. 

nfld.io/unforget 



32 Photography 

Explore the enduring power of visual storytelling 

through the lens of this year’s Bristol Photo Festival 

WORDS LAUREN SCOTT 


Photography 33 

Photo: Ritual Inhabitual, Andrew Jackson, Kirsty Mackay, Amak Mahmoodian, Bandia Ribeira 

Fresh perspectives 

(Clockwise from left) From Ritual 

Inhabitual’s Oro Verde series about the 

struggle against drug cartels; Andrew 

Jackson’s Amy in Her Bedroom; Kirsty 

Mackay explores the cost-of-living crisis 

in The Magic Money Tree; from Bristol 

photographer Amak Mahmoodian’s One 

Hundred & Twenty Minutes; images from 

Bandia Ribeira’s No Home Without Fire 




hotography is the most universal form of 

language, and remains a potent tool for 

storytelling and self-expression. It also 

expresses ideas and feelings, giving 

a voice to those who might not be heard 

otherwise. As the iconic (and local) 

chronicler Martin Parr succinctly puts it: “Photography 

is a rare privilege and the most direct form of 

communication.” With the second Bristol Photo Festival 

(BPF) taking over the city in October, this vital 

communication medium is taking centre stage. 

The first edition of the BPF in 2021 attracted 

200,000 visitors across 18 exhibitions. “The 

festival was created as an opportunity to 

produce a city-wide programme across all 

its institutions, independent places and 

community spaces,” says Alejandro Acín, BPF 

director and head of IC Visual Lab (ICVL), the 

independent platform leading the second 

edition of the festival. “We’re always interested 

in themes that relate to the city and approach 

local photographers, but also international 

voices that can respond to the city itself.” 

For 2024, major exhibitions are again 

taking place across the city, and global 

photographers continue to mix with local 

community projects to ensure a diversity of 

perspectives. “The very core of BPF is using 

visual storytelling to spark conversations that 

relate to relevant social-political themes,” 

adds Alejandro. These include the cost-ofliving 

crisis, exile and colonialism. But there 

are lighter takes, too, such as Japanese artist 

Rinko Kawauchi’s dreamlike work, which finds 

beauty and poetry in the everyday. 

Another key part of the festival is its 

engagement programme. “We were never 

interested in parachuting international 

photographers into the city and then 

disappearing,” says Alejandro. “We’re locally 

grounded. We produce long-term projects 

that run over, say, seven to 12 months, and 

engage with residents or particular places in 

a more meaningful way.” This year’s festival 

includes a community archive project with 

Avonmouth port workers, and The Prison 

Mobile Library education project across three 

southwest locations. 

Such a wide-ranging programme needs tying 

together, and this year’s theme is The World 

a Wave, based on the idea that the world is 

constantly changing, moving and creating 

connections that ripple and stir our emotions. 

“Each photographer addresses these shifts, 

Photo: Rinko Kawauchi 

Bristol Photo Festival 2024 

(Above) Bristol Photo Festival 

director, Alejandro Acín; (left) 

a dreamlike image from Rinko 

Kawauchi’s collection At the 

Edge of the Everyday World 




The World a Wave 

(This page) Taken from Ritual Inhabitual’s 

Oro Verde series; (opposite page, top) 

from Hashem Shakeri’s Staring Into the 

Abyss, documenting life in Afghanistan; 

from Now Keep Quite Still, a collection 

of photos of Bristol locals taken in the 

1950s and 1960s by Herbert Shergold 



Photo: Herbert Shergold’s collection. © Vintage Photographs, Hashem Shakeri, Ritual Inhabitual 

BRISTOL’S CLAIM 

TO PHOTO FAME 

Bristol has an interesting 

claim as the medium’s 

overlooked birthplace. 

According to Bristol 

Museums, in the spring 

of 1802, Humphry Davy 

and Thomas Wedgwood 

met in Hotwells to conduct 

several days of experiments. 

The duo devised a way to 

harness light and capture 

delicate images of leaves 

on parchment. These early 

‘photographs’ could only 

be admired by flickering 

candlelight and faded within 

weeks, and the pair’s report 

to the Royal Society was 

largely ignored. The city 

has other photographic 

associations, too. William 

West’s Camera Obscura on 

the Downs was the first UK 

spot to sell photographic 

materials, and Ham Green’s 

Sarah Anne Bright produced 

the earliest surviving images 

taken by a woman. 

bristolmuseums.org.uk 

sharing their view of the world through their 

creative practice,” says BPF board member 

and Bristol artist Wendy Leocque. “This theme 

of movement, the continuous stream of our 

stories, dreams and ideas, are revisited and 

questioned by artists. We get to see a fresh 

perspective each time these topics are told 

through new eyes.” 

Wendy explains how the exhibitions have 

been carefully curated. “Each exhibition leans 

into the festival’s theme, anchoring it to the 

message and meaning.” She also advocates 

for the immersive experience of visiting inperson. 

“You don’t get the same effect from 

scrolling. The space in which the work is 

exhibited has to benefit that body of work and 

enhance it. The positioning and the size of 

each photograph are equally as important.” 

Such an ambitious festival also requires 

special local spaces, and The Royal 

Photographic Society (RPS) was one of the 

festival’s founding partners, alongside the 

Martin Parr Foundation (MPF). Established 

in 1853, the RPS’s most recent home has 

been in the southwest. “We moved to Bath in 

1980, then Bristol’s Paintworks in 2019,” says 

Lucinda Stewart, director of membership and 

marketing. “The vibrant creative networks and 

student communities made it an ideal choice 

for its headquarters and public space.” 



© Marsel van Oosten 

Wildlife 

Photographer 

of the Year 

28 September – 31 December 2024 

American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD 

Local sponsor


Lucinda saw photography’s wider cultural and 

economic benefits in the first BPF. “We all 

engage with images at home, on the street 

and through our phone. Photography is 

best placed to raise awareness of social and 

environmental issues, to document conflict, 

and, just as importantly, to show the beauty 

of our natural world.” This year, the RPS is set 

to showcase key festival exhibitions at RPS 

House, but Lucinda is excited to enjoy all the 

venues. “Andrew Jackson’s work exploring the 

Caribbean diaspora promises to be engaging 

and relevant, and the M Shed exhibition 

Dreamlines: Picturing Bristol High Streets will 

be very close to home for Bristol’s residents.” 

As for the MPF, it’s the perfect match as 

a key venue, as head of collections Isaac 

Blease shares. “Bristol has a rich history in 

developing and showcasing photography 

through the city’s many contemporary art 

spaces, as well as lesser-known initiatives 

from the past, such as Photographers Above 

the Rainbow – a gallery run by Jem Southam 

and others in the late 1970s to early 1980s. We 

want to continue this tradition and add to an 

already thriving creative scene.” 

Photographer Martin Parr has lived in Bristol 

for over 30 years and wanted to establish 

a foundation close to home. Showing fresh 

perspectives is his photographic raison 

d’être, and the MPF is no different. “One of 

the roles of documentary photography is to 

show social conditions, and this overlaps 

with anthropology. We love giving emerging 

photographers their first show, ideally with 

a book, too,” says Martin. 

Photography has an enduring history of 

sparking conversation and driving social 

change, and the BPF will add to this rich 

conversation. Wendy weighs in on the works 

that fit this bill, “From The Magic Money Tree 

by Kirsty Mackay, who has been working with 

communities across England to document 

the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, to 

Unshowable Photographs by Ariella Aïsha 

Azoulay, of archival photographs of Palestine 

between 1947 and 1950, documenting 

Photo: Andrew Jackson, Lua Ribeira 

Different worlds 

(Above) Lua Ribeira’s photograph of 

a Stapleton Road resident for 

Dreamlines: Picturing Bristol High 

Streets; (right) taken from Andrew 

Jackson’s Across the Sea Is a Shore, 

about the intergenerational experience 

of the Caribbean diaspora 




BEST OF THE FESTIVAL 

At the Edge of the Everyday World 

Arnolfini 

October 19 to February 16 

Acclaimed Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi 

reflects upon the fragile beauty of the world we 

collectively inhabit, through prints, film installations and 

a panoply of photobooks from his 20-year career. Time 

Is Away, Tara Clerkin Trio and Memotone perform live 

soundtracks to Rinko’s video works on October 18. 

Realms of Memory 

Royal Photographic 

Society 


December 22 

Artists Billy HC Kwok, 

Jay Lau and Lau Wai 

interpret photographic 

archives of their home 

city of Hong Kong. 

Together they will 

explore the city’s duality: 

real and imagined, public 

and private. 

Monument by 

Trent Parke 

Martin Parr 

Foundation, 

Paintworks 


The premiere of Trent 

Parke’s latest show – 

a collection of images 

shot in Sydney over 

a 25-year period 

exploring themes of 

identity, place and 

community. 

The House Is a Body 

The Georgian 

House Museum 


December 31 

The venue for this 

exhibition was once 

the home of a wealthy 

slaveholder, as well 

as individuals born 

into slavery. German- 

Ghanaian artist and 

photographer Akosua 

Viktoria Adu-Sanyah’s 

work responds to its 

intertwined and 

complex histories. 

Homer Sykes 

Roseberry Road Studios, Bath 

October 18 to November 3 

Since the 1970s, Sykes has been 

photographing the famous and 

not-so-famous at home, work and 

play. Between 1999 and 2001, he 

crisscrossed the US by Greyhound 

bus to document the everyday 

experience in middle America. 

nfld.io/hsykes 

WHAT’S ON ELSEWHERE 

International Photography 

Exhibition 

Fox Talbot Museum, Lacock 

Until April 27 

Selected artworks from the last 

three years of the world’s longestrunning 

photography exhibition 

have been curated for this famous 

location. Admission applies 

(National Trust members go free). 

nfld.io/ipex 

BOP 24 

Various venues, Bristol 


The annual Books on Photography 

festival returns, with UK and 

European publishers showcasing 

the latest happenings over 

a weekend programme. Expect 

artist talks, book signings, street 

food, good coffee and local beer. 

nfld.io/bop24 



On the march 

Sebastian Bruno’s photograph of the Salvation Army on Two Mile Hill, Bristol, as seen in Dreamlines: Picturing Bristol High Streets 

Photo: Sebastian Bruno 

the forced displacement of the Palestinian 

population. Addressing a crisis that is 

unfolding today or referring to an archive 

to aid further understanding, offers an 

alternative perspective for discussion.” 

Images raise issues, but they also 

bring people together through shared 

understanding – a message that’s key 

to the BPF and a brilliant reason to visit 

yourself. “We need to explore things from 

a perspective other than our own, to help 

us better understand,” says Wendy. “When 

photographers care about their subject 

matter, we gain a very real and visceral 

experience. It gets under the skin and delves 

deeper, showing all facets of the human 

condition. Photography can offer us insight 

into cultural conversations and observations, 

hold a mirror, and reflect the world around us, 

enduring as a visual record and testimony.” 

Fundamentally, the BPF puts a local focus 

on otherwise hidden, diverse stories, told by 

artists who have lived experience. “What does 

it mean to move and be moved by others?” 

Wendy asks, pondering again The World 

a Wave theme. The BPF’s opening week is 

October 16-20. My advice is to ride the crest 

– eyes and mind open – and see where the 

photography, and the city, take you. 

Bristol Photo Festival runs from October 16. 

nfld.io/bpf24 



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Photo: Benedict Brain 

Local 

shutterbugs 

Behind the lens with a few of our favourite southwest photographers 

WORDS LAUREN SCOTT 




BENEDICT BRAIN 

Bath-based photographer 

and journalist 

What’s your dream 

commission? 

“I’d love to create a longform 

photo story about the Welsh 

diaspora in Patagonia.” 

How do you balance 

self-expression with 

commercial success? 

“I’m not sure I do. I’m 

perpetually skint. However, 

I’m happy with the ‘artistic’ 

direction my work is taking. 

I get to work on projects 

and commercialise them by 

writing books and articles, 

and lecturing about the 

creative process.” 

Favourite photo location in 

the southwest? 

“I’m often happiest, 

photographically, in strange, 

liminal places. Give me 

a roundabout on the 

outskirts of Bristol, and I’m 

on a roll.” 

Best piece of advice? 

“Take lots of photographs 

– and then some more. Be 

persistent. Don’t expect to 

be financially rich. And wear 

good shoes.” 

@benedict_brain 

Photo Club Bristol 

An uber-cool and 

friendly photography 

community. 

photoclub-bristol.org 

Bristol 

Photographic Club 

One of the oldest 

groups in the 

southwest, and home 

of the Bristol Salon. 

bristolphoto.org.uk 

PHOTOGRAPHY GROUPS 

#igersbristol 

/ #igersbath 

Buzzy Instagram 

accounts for city 

snappers. 

@igersbristol 

/ @igersbath 

G*RLS 

Camera Club 

A collective of women 

and non-binary 

photographers, who 

Pretty in pink 

Taken from Benedict 

Brain’s photo story, The 

Flamingo Chronicles 

gather to express 

themselves in 

a safe space. 

@girlscamera 

clubbristol 

Bath Photographic 

Society (BPS) 

An oldie but a goodie 

– an active society for 

all experience levels. 

oldbathphoto 

graphic.weebly.com 



JAMIE BELLINGER 

BPA-winning documentary 

photographer from Bath 

Why documentary and 

activism photography? 

“Initially, it was the raw thrill 

of being on the frontlines 

and witnessing political 

tensions play out in realtime 

that drew me in. Now, 

it’s about being a witness to 

moments that sometimes 

really matter.” 

What’s the most 

challenging aspect? 

“Earning the trust of 

activists while remaining 

independent and objective. 

Striking that balance is 

not easy.” 



“Bristol has a fierce, proud 

history of protest. It always 

shows up and stands up – 

and the coffee is great, too.” 


“Embrace imperfection. 

Over the years, I’ve culled 

so many shots because of 

motion blur, missed focus… 

As a photojournalist, the key 

question is: does this image 

say something?” 

@jamiebellinger 

Right place, right time 

(Above) Jamie captures 

a ‘die-in’ at a Gaza 

ceasefire protest in Bath, 

in August 2024; (left) 

a young girl at a Black 

Lives Matter protest in 

Bristol, in June 2020 




JON TONKS 

Photographer from Bath 

capturing people’s lives 

Describe your approach in 

a sentence. 

“I make work that hinges 

on storytelling, history 

and community.” 

What’s the most rewarding 

aspect of your work? 

“Using photography to meet 

people and be curious.” 

What gear do you use? 

“Normally my Hasselblad 

501 – a medium-format 

film camera.” 

What makes the southwest 

special for photographers? 

“There’s a growing network 

of creatives living and 

working here… and it’s more 

affordable than London!” 



“Give me a good old 

community pub. I’m a big fan 

of The Bell in Bath.” 

Forecasting the weather 

(Above) Marcos Henry at St 

Helena’s Meteorological Station, 

taken during Jon’s tour of remote 

British Overseas Territories 

between 2007-13; (left) Bath’s 

beloved inn, The Bell, as seen in 

Jon’s photo series Pubtown 


“We’re all on a unique 

journey. Your personality, 

interests and history inform 

the work you make.” 

@jon_tonks 



Shiny happy people 

Ciara’s photograph of 

cold-water swimmers 

fresh from a dip at 

Clevedon Marine Lake 

CIARA HILLYER 

Bristol-based photographer 

and Portrait of Britain 

award winner 

Describe your approach in 

a sentence 

“Slow down and keep an 

eye out.” 

What’s it like moderating 

the @igersbristol account? 

“@igersbristol provides 

a platform for photographers 

of all abilities. My approach 

is to look for work that’s 

on the gritty side or shows 

the character of Bristol in 

untraditional ways.” 



“I don’t have one! I love 

showcasing the area, but 

what would Bristol be 

without the people?” 

What makes the southwest 

such a special place for 

photographers? 

“The community. We’re 

lucky to have the Martin 

Parr Foundation, Royal 

Photographic Society, 

Arnolfini. And the support 

I’ve received on UWE Bristol’s 

BA and MA courses helped 

my career hugely.” 

@ciarahillyer 

Jack’s Lab 

Meriton Foundry, 

Bristol 

An indie film lab with 

a five-star rep. It’s 

a cool place to hang 

out and get nerdy. 

Wex Photo Video 

Montpelier, Bristol 

One of our bestequipped 

stores for 

cameras old and new. 

SHOPS AND LABS 

Shadow Labs 

Darkroom 

Castle Street, 

Trowbridge 

Learn the art of the 

darkroom at this 

large format lab. 

Black on White 

Redland, Bristol 

Camera wizards 

renowned for their 

repairs and servicing. 

Photographique 

Bedminster, Bristol 

Drop in, or pop 

your film in their 

city-wide boxes for 

24-hour processing. 

Ace Optics 

Belmont, Bath 

Friendly indie retailer 

with a wide range 

of compact and 

vintage cameras. 



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50 Beyond the Bassline 

Pressure drop 

Bristol’s Iquator sound 

system bring the bass 

to St Pauls Carnival 

Photo: Beezer 


Beyond the Bassline 51 

Culture 

clash 

With a small Beyond the Bassline exhibition appearing 

at Bristol Library this month, musician, senior lecturer in 

sociology at UWE Bristol and founder of PC-Press 

Pete Webb explores Bristol’s contribution to the 

story of Black British music 




ack in the summer, Beyond the Bassline took over the British Library to 

document 500 years of Black British Music. A book accompanying this 

herculean endeavour states the mission of the exhibition’s curators 

– founding member of Steel Pulse and director of the Black Music 

Research Unit Mykaell Riley, historian Aleema Gray and writer Paul 

Bradshaw – was to “offer an overview of Black British Music and how, 

despite persistent marginalisation, it has evolved to permeate many 

aspects of contemporary music and culture in this country”. 

Photo: Pete Williams, David Corio, Beezer 

Bristol has played a huge, 

outsized role in this evolution. 

Despite being a small city, Bristol 

has influenced the story of Black 

British music in a way only Bristol 

could, thanks to its unique mix 

of cultures and communities, 

and its long-held spirit of 

independence and rebellion. And 

yet, according to Milo Johnson, 

a founding member of the 

seminal DJ sound system the 

Wild Bunch, “Bristol rarely gets 

the recognition it deserves.” 

Champion sounds 

For many people, Black music 

in Bristol begins and ends 

with Smith & Mighty, Massive 

Attack, Tricky, and Roni Size 

and Reprazent. But the story – 

explored in a Beyond the Bassline 

panel display at Bristol Library 

until October 31 – is ongoing, 

and goes back much further; 

to the early days of a sound 

system culture that would come 

to influence so many of those 

instantly recognisable Bristol 

stars, as well as much of the UK 

dance music we listen to today. 

That scene emerged from the 

Black communities of St Pauls 

and Easton that had grown 

around the Windrush generation. 

“These sound systems played 

at blues parties in people’s 

basements and a few pubs,” 

says archivist Ashish Joshi, 

who is preserving the history 

of UK sound systems, “because 

the Black community was not 

welcomed and didn’t feel safe in 

the centre. They had to create 

their own entertainment in St 

Pauls, where the community 

was already around them.” From 

these spaces emerged the city’s 

early systems, like Tarzan the 

High Priest in the 1960s, featuring 

Tricky’s grandfather, and later 

crews like Iquator, Bassi Sound, 

Enterprise Sound, Mabraka, Jah 

Lokko, Unique Star and Imperial 

Force. “The Black community 

had to make its own creativity 

bubble,” Milo says. “This was 

resistance in itself. For Black 

people, music is like food. It’s 

essential. The Black community 

in St Pauls might have been 

restricted to that area, but they 

didn’t stop access for others.” 



Bristol sounds 

(Above) DJ Milo and Nellee Hooper run the 

decks at St Pauls Carnival, 1985; (below) Knowle 

West boy, Tricky; (opposite page) Roni Size 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2024 

Don Letts: The 

Rebel Dread 

Bristol Beacon 


A heavy set 

from the British 

DJ and filmmaker 

who introduced 

the Clash to dub 

and reggae. 

nfld.io/dletts 

Kane Brown: 

Don’t Listen 

to Me 

Redgrave 

Theatre, Bristol 

October 18; 

Komedia, Bath 


The Man Like 

Mobeen star 

brings his honest, 

fast-paced 

standup show to 

Bristol and Bath. 

nfld.io/kbrown 

250 Thoughts 

Upon Slavery 

John Wesley’s 

New Room, 

Bristol 

Until 


An exhibition 

marking the 

250th-anniversary 

of John Wesley’s 

pamphlet 

highlighting the 

horrors of the 

transatlantic 

slave trade. 

nfld.io/250jw 

Afrika Eye 

Various venues, 

Bristol 


This annual 

celebration of 

cinema rooted 

in African 

culture returns 

for a two-week 

run of special 

screenings 

and events. 

nfld.io/afrikeye 



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THE IMAGINATION 

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All profits 

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Available 10th October 

from the St John’s Foundation 

website, Mr B’s Emporium and 

The Oldfield Park Bookshop 

CHANGING LIVES. FOR GOOD.

Beyond the Bouldering Bassline 55 

“It should be 

a duty of the 

city to show the 

impact music has 

had on Bristol” 

Breaking barriers 

(Above) Trailblazing music venue, The 

Bamboo Club, brought reggae and dub 

stars to Bristol, and sowed the seeds 

for the genre-defying scene to come; 

(below) the Wild Bunch in full flow 

Changing tides 

One club in particular tried to 

break down barriers: The Bamboo 

Club, one of the most important 

venues in the story of Black British 

music. Located off Portland 

Square, on the edge of St Pauls, 

the club played host to Bob 

Marley’s first-ever UK concert, as 

well as gigs by John Holt, Dennis 

Brown, Prince Buster, Desmond 

Dekker and the Aces, Burning 

Spear and many others. It was one 

of the first clubs in the UK to give 

a home to reggae, dub, ska and 

bluebeat. “Coaches from other 

parts of England used to bring 

ravers to Bristol, and the Bamboo 

Club was an iconic example of 

this,” says Ashish. 

Tony Bullimore opened the club 

in October 1966. He was a white 

man from Southend-on-Sea, 

who moved to Bristol in the 

early 1960s and married Lalel, 

a West Indian from St Pauls. The 

club became a central hub for 

the local Jamaican and Black 

communities, but labelled 

itself as a club for the whole of 

Bristol. Tony and Lalel wanted 

the club to reflect their own 

mixed relationship and signpost 

a different way of doing things. 

“Along with the shebeens and 

blues parties, and a few pubs 

in St Pauls, it was the first to 

host DJs playing the sounds the 

Jamaican community actually 

wanted to hear,” remembers Milo. 

Photo: Beezer, MirrorPix 

The Bamboo Club played mainly 

reggae, ska, dub, soul and funk, 

but in 1976 it started hosting 

punk gigs too, setting the wheels 

in motion for a new Bristol sound 

and mindset. According to 




Liberty city 

(Clockwise from top) Andi Oliver and Neneh Cherry performing in their short-lived but scene-forecasting dub-punk-pop outfit, 

Rip Rig + Panic; Bristol’s contemporary, non-binary genre-mangler Grove; Redland culture-clasher Mark Stewart 

Photos: Lucy Werrett, David Corio 



“The Black community had to make 

its own creativity bubble. This was 

resistance in itself” 

HYPE MAN 

Sound system archivist 

Ashish Joshi explains 

his mission to preserve 

the history of Bristol 

sound systems 

“I collect and archive 

old UK reggae sound 

system video and audio 

before it’s thrown away 

and lost forever. When 

I realised so little of the 

material from the 1980s 

and 1990s was being 

preserved, I made it 

my mission to archive 

it so the vibes from 

back in the day would 

exist beyond the hazy 

memories of old sound 

Copy in system here copy pioneers. in here copy in 

here copy in here copy in here 

Vintage audio and 

video material are time 

capsules that allow the 

youth to experience 

what reggae sound 

system dances were 

like in the culture’s 

golden age. I love 

listening to Bristol’s 

Jah Lokko, Unique 

Star, Raiders 32, Bassi 

Sound, Mabraka, 

Iquator and 

Enterprise Sound.” 

Milo, this culture clash changed 

it all. “The Pop Group were key in 

presenting a way forward. They 

embraced Black music in what 

they were doing, even though it 

was leftfield. Mark Stewart was 

around our school, in Cotham, 

at the time. He was a figure we 

looked up to; he’d been to the 

Roxy and was a part of the punk 

scene, but I could tell he was 

listening to Black music.” 

Punky reggae party 

The Pop Group spliced funk, 

jazz and dub with punk and 

politicised, anti-racist lyrics. 

Stewart would go on to form 

Mark Stewart and the Maffia 

with members of the Sugar Hill 

Gang’s backing band, weaving 

hip-hop into the city’s dub 

and punk scenes. “Mark was 

a pioneer in encouraging that 

new generation of creativity, 

and giving us the confidence to 

grow,” says Milo. Rip Rig + Panic, 

featuring Andi Oliver, Sean Oliver 

and Neneh Cherry, continued 

this blurring of backgrounds and 

genres that would eventually 

find a through-line in the next 

wave; in venues likes The Dug 

Out, and with artists such as 

the Wild Bunch, Massive Attack, 

Portishead, Roni Size and 

Reprazent, and Tricky. 

The Bristol sound today may not 

be as representative of the Black 

community as it once was, but 

the legacy of what came before 

– as explored in Beyond the 

Bassline – is a huge part of 

what makes Bristol so exciting. 

It’s a legacy that needs 

remembering. Says Milo: “It 

should be a duty of the city to 

show the impact music has had 

on Bristol. It helped develop it 

and make it a place people want 

to be, but the Black community 

that kicked the scene into gear 

is not celebrated enough. Bristol 

owes it to the Black community 

to recognise their impact.” 

A new generation of artists are 

keeping things moving. Grove 

is a non-binary artist combining 

dancehall, techno and noise. DJ 

Kahn’s mix of dub, early grime, 

digital dancehall and UK steppers 

have taken him around the world. 

Danielle is plying her own brand 

of electro, techno and house, 

and runs the label Soft Raw. And 

there is a plethora of bass-heavy 

DJs, producers and collectives, 

like SoundGyal Saf, 2 Quid, Firmly 

Rooted, Bokeh Versions and 

Livity Sound, continuing to blur 

the lines. Bristol’s music scene 

illustrates what multiculturalism 

can achieve, and we should all 

celebrate that. 

Beyond the Bassline is at Bristol 

Library until October 31. 

nfld.io/bassline 

Stray: An Autobiography of Milo 

Johnson is out now via Tangent 

Books. tinyurl.com/miloj 



58 Bouldering 

Photo: Helen Paterson 


Bouldering 59 

Frome Boulder Rooms has 

more than 99 problems 

and will almost certainly 

satisfy your climbing itch 

WORDS ALEXIA LOUNDRAS 


60 Bouldering 

t’s a pretty awesome 

place, actually,” says 

Fred Mead. The seasoned 

climber has seen his fair 

share of exhilarating 

sites over the years – as 

his inspiring Instagram 

account, @campbedfred, 

attests – but today he 

is talking about Frome’s 

Boulder Rooms, his local 

climbing centre. 

Back in September, the 

Boulder Rooms celebrated 

its third birthday. It’s the 

brainchild of climbing 

couple Charly Andrew 

and Niall Andrews, who 

dreamed-up the space 

as a way of settling down 

while remaining in the welcoming embrace 

of the climbing community in which they’d 

met. Frome, being at least an hour from Bristol 

– home of the nearest existing climbing wall 

– and not too far from popular ‘wild’ climbing 

spots around Bath and Cheddar, seemed like 

a good spot. 

Photo: Helen Paterson 

The Boulder Rooms opened just as Covid 

ebbed away and has been a success from 

the start. Tucked away on the northwest 

fringes of the artsy Somerset town, this home 

to bouldering – the stocky sibling to the 

rope-and-harness mountaineering sport – is 

a bustling hub. On this last Thursday of the 

summer, before school uniforms are unfolded 

and timetables checked, feelgood tunes 

soundtrack families taking on the kids’ walls, 

expert climbers hanging off jutting angles and 

teens playfully goading each other as they 

take turns scaling the candy-coloured holds 

of the textured walls. Coffees are ordered and 

cakes are shared, enjoyed at inviting sofas 

and scattered tables. 

The creative climbing sport – where graded 

routes, or ‘problems’ as they’re sometimes 

called, are navigated on relatively short, 

Hang tough 

Frome Boulder Rooms 

recently celebrated 

three years of providing 

the region with 

finger-finishing fun 


Bouldering 61 



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Bouldering 63 

Are you experienced? 

It doesn’t matter – 


is for every level, all the 

way up to local climbing 

whiz Fred Mead (left) 

Photo: Josh Rundle, Helen Paterson 

“If you can carry your shopping 

bags and walk up your stairs at 

night, you can climb these walls” 

4.5 metre-high walls and deep crash mats 

replace safety ropes and belays – has enjoyed 

a surge in popularity since 2020. That was the 

year bouldering, alongside its sister events of 

speed and lead climbing, became an Olympic 

sport. At the Paris Olympics this summer, we 

watched, heart in mouth, as 19-year-old Toby 

Roberts took gold in the combined boulder 

and lead event for Team GB. 

The Olympic climbing events were 

exhilarating. “Climbing is an amazing 

spectator sport,” agrees Fred, who got hooked 

when scaling rocks in Portland, Dorset, as 

a lad. “You know that at any moment, they 

could fall off. One slip and you’re out! That’s 

it, over.” The last five years or so has also 

ushered in an onslaught of climbing films – 

including the Oscar-winning documentary 

Free Solo, charting Alex Honnold’s arguably 

insane rope-free climb of sheer rock face El 

Capitan, and The Alpinist’s equally affecting 

posthumous glimpse into the world of 

Canadian ice-climber Marc-André Leclerc. 

Climbing fever, it seems, is infectious. 

Facilities are cropping up all over the place. 

From Flashpoint, Bloc Climbing and The 

Church in Bristol to Chippenham’s Arc, there’s 

a local hotbed of indoor climbing action to be 

had. Both Charly and Fred agree that this rise 

in training walls is directly fuelling Team GB 

climbers’ success, which in turn is inspiring 

more people to chalk-up their hands and give 

climbing a go. 



64 Bouldering 

“I think films like Free Solo have made people 

want to try climbing because it looks so 

exciting,” says Charly. But what actually makes 

the sport so compelling is its accessibility. 

Particularly with bouldering, there are no 

barriers to getting stuck in. You don’t need 

ropes or harnesses, or have to learn knots 

or belay skills – you can hire climbing shoes 

or go in your trainers; anyone can do it. “Our 

oldest climber here is 86,” continues Charly. 

“If you can carry your shopping bags and walk 

up your stairs at night, you’re good to go – you 

can climb these walls.” 

The Boulder Rooms also hosts monthly 

para climbing events, where problems are 

set with consideration for the needs of the 

climbers: “There’s lots of different categories 

for different people’s situations,” says Charly. 

“So for example, [our para route setter, GB 

paraclimber] James Rudge doesn’t have the 

lower part of his arm, so the route setting 

for that category places hand-holds closer 

together so that he can reach them with his 

‘nub arm’, as he calls it.” 

With bouldering, right from the moment you 

pull up on the first hand-hold, the dopamine 

hits just keep on coming. No matter what 

level you’re at, there’ll be a problem you can 

nail – and one which lies tantalisingly out of 

FRED MEAD’S 

JARGON BUSTER 

Problem 

The climb you are trying 

to do. It’s specific to 

bouldering – a boulder 

problem. 

Beta 

The method by which the 

boulderer approaches 

the problem. The specific 

sequence of hand and 

foot movements. 

Flash 

Completing the boulder 

problem on your first try. 

It’s permitted to have been 

given beta information to 

help achieve a flash. 

Dyno 

A dynamic movement. Or 

more simply, a jump. 

Crimp 

A very small hold for 

which only finger tips are 

used to grip. 

Photo: Josh Rundle, Helen Paterson 

Smear 

A foothold where friction 

is achieved through 

rubber contact on an area 

of the wall. 

Spot 

To stand below 

a boulderer and guide 

them on to the crash pad 

in the event of a fall. 

Start ’em young 


has socials and groups 

for all ages, with advice 

on tap for anyone ready 

for the next step 


Bouldering 65 

reach. And the routes are reset regularly so 

there’s always something new to try. This, says 

Fred, is what makes climbing so fabulously 

addictive and so utterly rewarding. 

“It’s a puzzle that you’re always solving,” he 

says, ever the climbing evangelist. “And when 

you solve it and finally make it to the top of 

the wall, it just makes you really happy. This 

simple, completely pointless endeavour can 

teach you so much about yourself.” 

Having recently conquered a Cheddar Gorge 

rock face that had eluded him since his 

twenties, Fred is speaking out of experience: 

“It’s not just that eight-metre wall, it’s what it 

means to you,” he says, elation punctuating 

his words. “It’s about perseverance and what 

you do when you hit obstacles in life. I’ve 

made it to the top of many mountains but this 

thing, to me, felt impossible for at least 

a decade. But it shows that the impossible 

does become possible if you want it enough.” 

“I think this is what makes climbing such 

a unique sport,” agrees Charly. “It can be 

competitive but you’re competing with 

yourself more than anything. It’s just 

so rewarding.” 

From bouldering boot camp to convivial hangout, 

there is clearly something special about 

Frome’s Boulder Rooms. “The fact people 

keep coming back is still mindblowing to me,” 

says Charly, beaming. “You don’t have to be 

Spiderman to climb, but the more you do it 

the more Spiderman you’re going to be. And 

you’ll have this whole community rooting for 

you! It doesn’t matter what you’re climbing – 

whether it’s your first go at a centre or you’re 

smashing the hardest routes, out in the wild 

– people will cheer you on and celebrate you, 

which is so cool,” she smiles. “There’s just not 

enough of that in the world.” 

Join one of Frome Boulder Rooms’ socials, 

which include groups for women, older 

people (50-plus) and paraclimbers. 

nfld.io/fbrooms 



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FAMILY EVENTS 

THIS AUTUMN 

Hartley Farm Shop & Kitchen, near Bath. BA15 2JB. 

hartley-farm.co.uk | 01225 864948 

HOW EFFICIENT 

IS YOUR HOME? 

Get independent, expert, 

practical advice on 

reducing your heating bills 

and your impact on the 

environment. 

Check out our home energy surveys: 

www.bwce.homeenergy.coop 

We’re a not-for-profit 

cooperative committed 

to benefitting our 

communities and planet.

BRISTOL'S ANNUAL 

PHOTOBOOK FESTIVAL 

Join us this October and explore the latest in 

photography, photobooks and publishing. Produced 

by Martin Parr Foundation and The Royal Photographic 

Society, in collaboration with Bristol Photo Festival. 

EXHIBITIONS / ARTIST TALKS 

PUBLISHERS / EVENTS 

PHOTOBOOKS / COFFEE 

STREET FOOD / LOCAL BEER 

entry to the festival is FREE 

artist talks are £6 / £4 for students and 

MPF or RPS members 

See the full lineup of publishers, events, explore the talks 

programme and book tickets / www.bopbristol.org 

PAINTWORKS BRISTOL, BS4 

19-20 OCTOBER 2024 

THE PRINCE ALBERT 

6th Oct 

Sam Brookes 

27th Oct 

The Magic Lantern 

There’s 

loads 

more too. 

Go to our 

website: 

STROUD 

29th Oct 

Ren Harvieu 

& Romeo Stodart 

3rd Nov 

N'famady Kouyate 

www.theprincealbertstroud.co.uk 

earfield-BOP-24 ADVERT.indd 1 05/09/2024 11:24 

F 

THIS HALLOWEEN 

FIVE BEASTLY SETS 

F 

TPRINTS HAVE APPEARED 

EXPLORE THE WORLD OF 

MERIDIA TO FIND THEM 

ART COMPETITION 

LIVE NOW 

Find Out 

M. re 

WAKETHETIGER.COM/HALLOWEEN-2024

A PLAY BY SUZANNE HEATHCOTE 

BASED ON 

THE NOVEL BY KAZUO ISHIGURO 

5 – 23 Nov 

Tickets from £12 (plus concessions, group/ subscription savings) 

#NeverLetMeGo 

A Bristol Old Vic, Rose Theatre, Malvern Theatres, and Royal & Derngate, Northampton production 

0117 987 7877 

bristololdvic.org.uk 

Charity No. 228235

… now with a free cuppa! 

Get clued-up on the region’s best events, support independent local journalism and 

now get a free coffee with every issue, courtesy of our friends at Boston Tea Party. 

Subscribers will also be offered free event tickets, discounts and other perks, 

and have the mag delivered to their door. 

All from as little as £3 a month. 

www.nfld.io/subs 

BOOK NOW! 

3-COURSE SEASONAL MENU £45 

INCLUDES A GLASS OF BUBBLES 

CHRISTMASBOOKINGS@OLDMARKETASSEMBLY.CO.UK

Promoted 

Marketplace 73 

Marketplace 

Showcasing independent businesses in the southwest 

To promote 

your business 

in Marketplace, 

email simon@ 


Protein Studios Tisbury 

Protein Studios offers super-fast Wi-Fi, natural light and soundproofed pods 

for those all-important calls. Inclusive and flexible, they welcome small 

businesses and individuals looking to work alongside friendly, like-minded 

folk. Dogs are welcome too. From £12 per day. Book a free taster day. 

tisbury.proteinstudios.com 



Promoted 

74 Marketplace 

Workspaces 

Food & Drink 

House of St John’s 

More than a workspace, the House 

of St John’s features a stunning 

open-plan events space available 

for a wide range of functions. 

From personal celebrations and 

graduations to networking events 

and Christmas parties, the venue 

provides a luxurious setting and 

a range of benefits tailored to 

your needs. 

hosj.co.uk 

Interaction 

Interaction is on a mission to 

banish boring offices. Based in 

Bath, the firm has been designing 

and building some of the UK’s 

most innovative workplaces since 

1992. A certified B Corp business, 

Interaction works on a range of 

commercial projects, from bespoke 

office fit-outs to multi-millionpound 

refurbishments. 

interaction.uk.com 

Iford Manor Kitchen 

Don’t miss homemade and 

seasonal food from Iford Manor 

Kitchen’s restaurant, now open 

Friday to Sunday. Try the Ultimate 

Sunday Roast, prix fixe menu or 

a Supper Club; pre-booking is 

essential. The café is also open 

Thursday to Sunday, serving 

breakfast baps, pastries, cakes 

and light lunches. 

ifordmanor.co.uk/fooddrink 

Gather Round 

Gather Round is a unique family 

of co-working spaces designed 

by creatives, for creatives. Its 

members work, talk, collaborate 

and (genuinely) have a laugh 

together. Get in touch for details 

of Gather Round’s Bristol locations 

and its brand-new space in Bath, 

which opens at Holy Trinity 

Church this autumn. 

gather-round.co 

Glove Factory Studios 

Members of Glove Factory Studios 

– in Holt, near Bath – benefit from 

light and spacious studios, meeting 

room hire, networking at its 

Rooster and Vespertine Talks and 

events, quiet call booths, serene 

gardens, and a private swimming 

lake. Onsite café, Wild Herb at 

The Field Kitchen, serves barista 

coffees and delicious lunches. 

glovefactorystudios.com 

Noah’s Pantry 

Noah’s Pantry is a specialist coffee 

shop and pantry tucked away in 

Bradford-on-Avon’s marina. This 

family business champions the 

region’s small producers, stocking 

a range of products sourced within 

a 30-mile radius. It serves singleorigin 

coffee and a range of sweet 

and savoury items, including GF, 

DF and vegan options. 

@noahspantryboa 


Promoted 

Marketplace 75 

Art & Design 

Home & Garden 

New Brewery Arts 

Offering craft-based courses and 

workshops connecting people with 

the handmade, New Brewery Arts 

in Cirencester promotes the joy 

of making and celebrates the role 

of creativity in all our lives. From 

October 26 to December 24, New 

Brewery Arts’ shop will extend into 

the gallery, bringing you work by 

hundreds of UK craftspeople. 

newbreweryarts.org.uk 

Mytton Williams 

Mytton Williams is an awardwinning, 

B Corp-certified brand 

and design studio working with 

ambitious local and national 

clients, and those who 

appreciate the power of good 

design. The studio helps 

organisations stand out, get 

their message across clearly and 

connect with their audience. 

myttonwilliams.co.uk 

James Gallie Architecture 

Inspired by both natural and urban 

spaces, James Gallie Architecture 

works closely with clients to create 

carefully considered and joyful 

places. The practice specialises 

in healing 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 

Sarah Straussberg 

With a background in sculpture, 

Sarah draws inspiration from 

details found in the world around 

us. Using a guiding geometry to 

create a distinctive aesthetic, her 

work is built on simplicity in its 

purest form. She designs every 

piece in her Somerset studio, using 

a range of materials to create 

elegant, wearable jewellery. 

sarahstraussberg.com 

Wildling Studio 

Wildling Studio is a space 

dedicated to cultivating creativity, 

joy and wholehearted living. At 

its core, Wildling is the studio of 

ceramicist Sarah Glazier-Hart, but 

it is also a place that welcomes 

collaboration. Working with small 

businesses and other local makers, 

Wilding is a vibrant community for 

shared learning and inspiration. 

wildlingstudio.co.uk 

Lord Architecture 

Bath-based Lord Architecture is 

an award-winning RIBA Chartered 

Practice with a passion for 

contemporary architecture and the 

reimagining of historic buildings. 

Its experienced team creates 

inspirational spaces and beautifully 

crafted, responsive architecture in 

Bath, London and across the south 

of England. 

lordarchitecture.co.uk 



Promoted 

76 Marketplace 

Home & Garden 

Services 

Rosie Nottage 

Garden Design 

Rosie Nottage is a studio of 

five designers and landscape 

architects, creating subtle, elegant 

gardens to suit heritage buildings 

and new builds. Members of the 

Society of Garden Design, the 

studio has a particular interest in 

habitat creation. 

rosienottage.com 

Health & Wellbeing 

West Valley Guitars 

Frome’s West Valley Guitars builds 

high-end custom electric guitars, 

offers professional repair and 

maintenance services, and teaches 

courses in guitar-building and 

maintenance. Founder Josh has 

built guitars for Idles, The Vaccines 

and Alberta Cross, and looks after 

guitars for The Stranglers, The The 

and Siouxsie Sioux. 

westvalleyguitars.co.uk 

Customer IQ 

If you’re thinking of starting your 

own business, or you’ve already 

started and want to take things 

to the next level, we recommend 

having a chat with Gideon from 

Customer IQ. He can advise you 

on how to validate your market, 

develop your idea and figure out 

who your customers are. Chats 

cost nothing, advice is free. 

customer-iq.com 

Heidi Reiki 

Heidi offers Reiki sessions and 

teaches traditional Usui Reiki at 

her warm and welcoming space in 

Bath. Her consultations focus on 

energy makeovers and feng shui, 

and she provides personalised 

feedback for enhanced energy 

flow. Experience inner peace 

with Heidi’s expertise in 

healing techniques. 

heidireiki.com 

Lisa Parmley 

Mortgage Management 

Lisa and her colleagues provide an 

open and compassionate service, 

researching the market for a full 

range of mortgage and insurance 

products tailored to your needs. 

The team specialises in residential 

and buy-to-let mortgages, selfbuild 

and renovation finance, as 

well as later-life lending. 

lparmleymm.co.uk 

Knee Financial Planning 

Knee Financial Planning is 

a bespoke financial planning 

service for private clients, 

family estates and business 

owners. The company’s friendly 

experts specialise in providing 

comprehensive strategies to 

optimise wealth, manage risk 

and help achieve your desired 

financial goals. 

kneefinancialplanning.co.uk 


FilmBath Festival 

18 - 27 October 

10 days 

50 films 

15 venues 

Big Previews 

IMDb Awards Evenings 

Talent and Filmmaker Q&As 

Silent Film Nights 

Panel Discussions 

Industry Days 

Walking Tours 

Quizzes 

BOOK NOW 

Independent Jewellery Gallery 

shop exclusively instore or 

www.dianaporter.co.uk 

33 Park Street Bristol | BS1 5NH |

78 It Happened Here 


It Happened Here 79 

Join Fairfield House for a special 

70th anniversary this October 

Bath is not exactly short of historical locations 

but few places have a story as powerful as 

Fairfield House. Not only did legendary US 

civil rights activists and poetry collective The 

Last Poets perform there in 2018, it was also 

of course the home of Haile Selassie during 

his exile from Ethiopia between 1936-40. In 

October 1954 – 70 years ago this month – 

Selassie returned to his former home and was 

honoured as a Freeman of the City of Bath 

at the Guildhall. Selassie eventually gifted 

Fairfield House to the city of Bath as a place 

for local elderly people. 

Fairfield House still serves Bath’s elderly 

population but now also welcomes other 

groups, including Rastafarian and Ethiopian 

communities. On October 19, these 

communities will celebrate Haile Selassie’s 

legacy with the Freedom of the City Festival 

at Bath Assembly Rooms (11am-8pm), with 

food, music, Ethiopian coffee and children’s 

Black History Month activities. The event 

is free and open to all. 

nfld.io/haile70 



80 My nearfield 

My nearfield 

Cosmo Sheldrake 

Fresh from a field recording trip to Ecuador, the Stroud-based 

multi-instrumentalist shows us around ahead of a hometown show 

I 

have lived in Stroud for around 

three years now. Before that we’d 

been coming to visit a friend here 

who’s the musical director of the 

Giffords Circus band, so Stroud 

had been on my radar for a while. 

I’d also read a lot of Laurie Lee 

and got intoxicated by his version 

of events. 

We’d been living off-grid for 

quite some time in Dorset. I had 

a solar-powered studio and was 

getting frustrated because 

I could only work two, three 

hours a day. Then my friend told 

me how, by smashing everything 

she wanted in a place into 

Google, she’d found her ideal 

spot. I thought I’d give it a go and 

because Stroud was on my mind, 

I typed in ‘art studios’, ‘Stroud’ 

and hit go, and this little blue 

door caught my eye. It was just 

a huge twist of fate, really. 

Just a short walk from my house, 

we’re up in the woods. My brother 

[Merlin] lives on the other side 

of Stroud, in Southfield. From 

his house, you can walk into the 

valleys and keep going for a long 

time. It feels quite enchanted. I’ve 

enjoyed spending happy hours 

in the Slad valley, but also on 

the Cotswold Way and along the 

ridge near Selsley Common. 

I’ve made great field recordings 

here, too – even in my garden. 

We have a little pond with 

a hydrophone in it to record all 

the frogs doing their courting 

songs in spring. We also have 

a little mic for recording the 

soil. I’ve got recordings of ants 

stridulating and some great 

subterranean sounds from the 

woods in Chalford. 

This part of the world does 

seem to be a focal point for the 

environmental movement; it 

feels more energised. The UK has 

got to a kind of snapping point, 

I think. After 14 years of pretty 

disastrous mismanagement, I’m 

hoping that, with the river issue 

being waxed onto the political 

map, there will be more pressure 

from the ground up. 

For my Stroud show, we’re going 

to have a 19-piece band. And 

because the Goods Shed has 

this 360-degree sound system, 

we’re going to be experimenting. 

Part of the gig will be with the 

ensemble, and part with just 

me. I’m going to be spatialising 

the sound and getting into the 

soundscape system with a new 

loop pedal setup I’ve developed. 

Cosmo plays the Goods Shed, 

Stroud, on October 12. 

nfld.io/cosmos 

“I’ve got recordings of ants stridulating 

and some great subterranean sounds 

from the woods in Chalford” 


My nearfield 81 

Listen to 

our Cosmo 

playlist 

nfld.io/ 

cosmotape 

PPLAYLIST • PLAYLIST • 

LAYLIST • PLAYLIST • 

Photo: Jack Thompson-Roylance 



82 Competition 

COMPETITION 

WIN Two places at The 

Pony Cookery School 

Take your cooking to the next level in 2025 courtesy of The Pony, Chew Valley 

Following a three-year 

renovation, The Pony (formerly 

The Pony & Trap), in Chew 

Valley, is now a restaurant with 

market garden, orchards and 

a cookery school. It also has 

some of the best views around. 

The Pony’s cookery classes – all 

curated by chef-owner Josh 

Eggleton, and led by either him 

or his talented friends – include 

everything from wild foraging or 

mastering sauces to cooking the 

perfect steak. Because they’re 

such a lovely bunch at The Pony, 

they’re giving nearfield readers 

the opportunity to win not one, 

but two places in a cookery class 

of their choice* between January 

1 and June 30 2025, inspiring 

you to get back in the kitchen 

after the festive season. 

Just follow the instructions for 

a chance to win. And good luck! 

theponychewvalley.co.uk 

HOW TO 

ENTER 

For a chance 

to win, visit our 

Instagram page 

@the.nearfield on 


*Subject to availability. Class must be booked by February 28 2025, for classes up to and including June 30 2025. 

The two spaces must be used for the same class. 


DOUGLAS DARE - FRI 4 OCT 

Gotts street park - wed 16 OCT 

COMING UP AT 

BRISTOL BEACON 

UNMISSABLE TALENT 

IN OUR PROGRAMME 

THIS AUTUMN 

FULL LISTINGS & TICKETS: 

BRISTOLBEACON.ORG 

john grant - fri 25 oct 

AROOJ AFTAB - FRI 1 NOV 

ASHA PUTHLI - SUN 17 NOV

I V E P R O F E S S I O N A L L Y C R E A T I V E P R O F E S S I O 

CU IOSIT 

search Bath Spa Uni 

www.bathspa.ac.uk

NF06 October/November 2024

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