Bristol Life – Issue 379

LIGHT FEST!

In an attempt to appear sympathetic and clubbable I’ve affected a fake solidarity with February-haters in the past. “Brrrr! It’s so horridly cold and dark out there, roll on the lighter, warmer days”, etc.

I was just being a suck-up. I far prefer this cool, moody time of year to the stickier months of summer. I like the contrast between the sharpness in the air and the cosiness indoors. I relish the long hours of quiet introspection that nobody ever lets you get away with during the busy, clamorous weeks between June and September when the world insists you come out and play.

February also happens to be one of the most interesting times in the Bristol arts calendar. Following a brief midwinter hibernation, all the theatres, galleries and concert halls roll out their new-year programmes, and compiling a big preview of the events ahead is always one of my favourite jobs of the year.

We’ve gone heavy on the arts in general, with a five-page coverage of Martin Parr’s The Last Resort (a companion piece to Colin Moody’s personal tribute in our last issue) and a look at the ever-dazzling Bristol Light Festival, designed to bring colour, magic and fun into this apparently intolerable month.

We’ve also injected a generous amount of romance into this edition. I know Valentine’s Day isn’t for everyone, but then what feature is? We’ve also gone big on weddings, with a bunch of ideas to help you plan stress-free nuptials, at whatever time of year, though obviously winter weddings are best.

All in all, there’s plenty to bring a wan smile to the lips of the most confirmed cold-weather refusenik. And cheer up; wasps-in-beer season will be here again before you know it.

DERI ROBINS

Issue 379 / February 2026

ON THE COVER

Our Colour Reflection, one of two installations by Liz West, comes to Bristol Light Festival; see page 36

ARTS

8 CULTURE CLUB Get your 2026 arts on

20 WHAT’S ON Whoah, we’re up to five pages again

28 PHOTOGRAPHY Back to New Brighton

36 FESTIVAL Shine bright like a Light Fest

40 BRISTOL HEROES Art. love and the city

45 BOOKS Nice weather for booksellers

FOOD & FESTS

48 DINING OUT Mission ramen

51 CAFÉ SOCIETY Loafing loveliness

53 WINE Crisps-and-wine pairing. No, seriously

SHOPPING

54 ED’S CHOICE Loved up? You may like these V Day tokens. Even if you’re not, you might like them anyway

WEDDINGS

56 SAY NO TO THE STRESS Floundering around in a wedding daze? Start making a list

69 NETWORK News, views and an informative lunch

82 SHOWCASE The very quintessence of a Clifton classic

9 SPOTLIGHT

90 BRISTOL LIVES Meet Bristol Old Vic’s new ED

(from top) This special ‘people sitting at tables’ curation is brought to you by: Martin Parr Foundation; Slapstick Festival; Ben Robins Photography

Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors Colin Moody, Stan Cullimore, Storysmith Books, Charlie Taylor Commercial director Pat White pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk Commercial manager Neil Snow neil.snow@mediaclash.co.uk Business development manager Charlotte Mace-Pettitt charlotte.mace-pettitt@mediaclash.co.uk Business development manager Jessica Ashley jessica.ashley@mediaclash.co.uk Production/operations manager Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash. co.uk Bristol Life MediaClash, Media House, 1 Widcombe Parade, Bath, BA2 4JT. tel: 01225 475800; www.mediaclash.co.uk. @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

We’re a West Country-based publisher, creative agency and event organiser Magazines Our portfolio of regional magazines celebrates the best of local living: Bath and Bristol. Agency From the design and build of websites to digital marketing and creating company magazines, we can help. Events We create, market, promote and operate a wide variety of events both for MediaClash and our clients Contact: info@mediaclash.co.uk

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Bristol on the box

CLOCK WATCHING

A new year, a new TV show shot in Bristol: this time it’s Netflix’s Agatha Christie mystery Seven Dials, which premièred on 15 January after shooting at The Bottle Yard and locations across Bristol and the South West.

Stats for stat fans: filming took place between June and September 2024, employing a crew of around 175 per day, 75% local to the West.

Oscar-winning production designer Martin Childs built bespoke sets at The Bottle Yard, including the Seven Dials club, and producer Joanna Crow praised the studio’s flexibility and the region’s varied locations.

The show is unlikely to trouble the next BAFTAs – not every Bristol-filmed show can be Wolf Hall or The Outlaws – but no matter, because Bottle Yard’s head of studios, Katherine Nash is delighted with the production’s economic impact, which supported local talent and contributed to Bristol’s £46m production spend last year. For more: www.thebottleyard.com

Festival ON THE WATERFRONT

Since launching in 1971, the Harbour Festival has changed so much that it’s easy to forget it was originally conceived as a community protest to save the city’s docks from being filled in, showcasing them as a leisure space rather than just a defunct port.

Since then, of course, it’s spread out to become a huge, multifaceted annual event, though some feel the original meaning has been lost among all the newer elements and locations. With this in mind, the organisers are turning the focus firmly back on the docks for the 2026 festival.

“We’re bringing a reimagined footprint to Bristol that puts the water right back at the heart of the celebration”, say the organisers.

“Stretching along the harbourside from Thekla to Underfall Yard, the festival’s refreshed layout will turn Bristol’s waterfront into a living stage packed with back-toback entertainment, dockside moments and maritime magic.”

Performers, activity leaders, traders and vessel owners are invited to apply now. Bristol Harbour Festival will take place from 17-19 July 17; www.bristolharbourfestival.co.uk.

Wildlife documentary THE GREATEST MESSAGE EVER TOLD

“After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea”, said Sir David Attenborough.

This is the core message of Ocean with David Attenborough, a feature documentary from Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios, which will be released globally in May to mark Sir David’s 99th birthday. Bristol audiences will be among the first to see the film when Ocean in Concert premières at Bristol Beacon on 24 February, screening alongside a live performance of Steven Price’s original score for the Welsh National Orchestra: a live accompaniment designed to deepen the film’s emotional impact, while celebrating Sir David’s centenary year.

The documentary showcases the ocean’s beauty, from coral reefs to kelp forests, while exposing threats such as destructive fishing and mass coral bleaching. Ultimately it offers hope, showing us that the ocean can recover faster than expected.

Co-director Toby Nowlan says it isn’t a traditional nature film.

“This is not about seeing brand new natural history behaviours. It is the greatest message [Sir David has] ever told”, he says.

Ocean in Concert begins its tour at Bristol Beacon on 24 February. For more www.bristolbeacon.org

CULTURE CLUB

Spring is on the verge of springing, and the sap of the Bristol arts scene is beginning to rise once again

Words by Deri Robins

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December is a distant memory. The theatres have swept away the panto glitter; that said, it’s tenacious stuff, and the odd sparkle may still catch your eye while you’re trying to concentrate on Othello Bands have packed away their Christmas music, and the galleries are deciding how best to display their spring exhibitions.

And us? We’ve been busily cherry-picking some of the delights in store for you this year. Here are our top suggestions, based on everything we know so far. There will inevitably be more to come.

1GO ON A SPACE ODYSSEY

Love art? Bit of a science geek?

Fascinated by astronomy? You can have all three for the price of one at Cosmos: The Art of Observing Space, a major new art exhibition at RWA which brings together contemporary and historic multi-media work inspired by the universe along with rare artefacts from the archives of its partner institution, the Royal Astronomical Society. Come and be awed.

Cosmos: The Art of Observing Space is at RWA until 19 April; www.rwa.org.uk

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GET YOUR GOTHIC ON

The Castle. Double Take. Dead Mediums. Night Creatures – no, not the latest mission from The Traitors, but some of the categories in a new exhibition coming up at Martin Parr Foundation.

Dark Tales is a moodier, spookier prospect altogether than the colour-saturated world of MPF’s current show The Last Resort (see page 28). It explores the relationship between the gothic and documentary photography in Britain and Ireland over the past 60 years, through ghostly cityscapes, claustrophobic domestic scenes, neglected press archives, waning industrial powers and menacing nocturnal activities.

Bill Brandt, Don McCullin, Lee Miller and Crispin Hughes are just a few of the snappers featured in the show, which demonstrates how photography can record the moral and social issues which unsettle the modern world, and how horror thrives in proximity to the familiar – just as the gothic authors of the 18th and 19th centuries conveyed their anxieties through fiction.

Dark Tales: Britain and Ireland through a Gothic Lens comes to Martin Parr Foundation this September; www.martinparrfoundation.org

opposite page: Impossible Landscape by Michael Porter at Cosmos, RWA left, from top: Dark Tales at MPF: Woman with pram, Consett, 1974 © Don McCullin; middle: Londonderry at around 4pm on August 12, 1969 © estate of Akihiko Okamura; bottom: Residents of hostel for single men © Crispin Hughes

ARTS

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LAUGH AT SOME HOLY FOOLS

A special strand at the 2026 Slapstick Festival focuses on how comedy has always challenged hypocrisy and helped us to see the world anew.

In silent-era classic For Heaven’s Sake, Harold Lloyd plays a millionaire playboy whose misadventures in evangelism spark both chaos and compassion. The Pilgrim stars Charlie Chaplin in a story that turns mistaken identity into a meditation on grace, guilt and forgiveness, while in later talkie The Bank Dick WC Fields is at his most subversive as he dismantles America’s moral pretensions.

Bringing the strand into the modern era is South Park’s loud, fearless, gleefully obscene Bigger, Longer & Uncut movie, which, you will be unamazed to hear, offers a sharp critique of censorship, nationalism and moral panic. These holy fools remind us remind us why comedy matters, and that laughter is one of the most benign and humane responses to the world’s absurdities. So much pleasanter than the rabid rantings on X.

At Bristol Mega Screen and Watershed www.slapstick.org.uk

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4HEAR LILY DISH THE DIRT

Who doesn’t love a break-up album? They don’t come more caustic than Lily Allen’s phenomenally successful West End Girl, in which she itemises her complaints about soon-to-be ex-husband David Harbour.

her revenge is literally sweet. To be fair, David should have known it was coming, given that Lily’s been trouncing her exes in song ever since her first single Smile. If you want to hear her perform the album at Bristol Beacon you’ll need to sign up for returns; the gig instantly sold out.

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SAY ‘HADAWAY’ WITH BOB AND TERRY

Has any sitcom ever blended character-driven British humour with social commentary better than The Likely Lads? With James Bolam as the resolutely working-class Terry and Rodney Bewes as the more aspirational Bob, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais’ 1960s and ’70s series offer a timeless and elegiac portrait of friendship, class, and change. Come for the nostalgia, the on-point comic performances, and to find out how it had a lasting influence on comedy. The Likely Lads at 60 is part of Slapstick Festival, at Watershed on 6 February; www.slapstick.org.uk

MEET EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE HUNDY

If you don’t know him as Nate from Ted Lasso, London mayor Zafar Jaffrey in Slow Horses or for his scene-stealing turns on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdow n, you’re bound to remember Nick Mohammed as Joe Marler’s beloved ‘hundy’ on The Celebrity Traitor s. Indeed, there are many sides to Nick, his alter-ego Mr Swallow being just one of them. Mr Swallow’s latest show is Show Pony, billed as a ‘chaotic, hilarious and personal ride through magic, music, and monumental mishaps’. Nick is ready to unleash his most unhinged (and possibly libellous) incarnation yet, as he reflects on life, fame, and the cruel injustice of not having his own sitcom. Expect songs, stunts, and a flurry of brand-new mistakes. Show Pony is at Bristol Beacon on 12 May; www.bristolbeacon.org

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DISCOVER WHAT ALL THESE LITTLE HOUSES ARE ABOUT

Spike Island has a typically intriguing line-up for 2026, including Weathering by Beverly Buchanan. The show brings together five decades of practice, from Beverly’s early 1970s ‘Wall’ paintings to later works examining rural Southern vernacular architecture, often through environmental interventions and

her signature ‘shack’ sculptures. The work is informed by an engagement with issues of class, gender and colonial memory, highlighting the intrinsic connection between architecture and structural disparities seen through the prism of Beverly’s experience as a Black queer woman.

Weathering is at Spike Island, 2 Sep31 January 2027; www.spikeisland.org.uk

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SPEND AN EVENING WITH THIS FUNNY GUY

American humourist David Sedaris specialises in turning the quirks of everyday life into witty, razor-sharp storytelling. He may well be on your fantasy dinner-party list, but that’s not happening; the next best thing is spending a few hours in his company along with 2,000 or so of his other fans.

An Evening with David Sedaris, 11 July at Bristol Beacon; www.bristolbeacon.org

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DRY YOUR EYES, MATE… … because although The Streets have already sold out at this year’s Bristol Sounds, tickets for The Kooks, Super Furry Animals, OMD and Royal Otis are still available for the Harbouride festival; or at least they were at time of going to press.

Bristol Sounds at Canons Marsh 23-28 June www.bristolsounds.co.uk

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SPOT THE STARS OF THE FUTURE

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School turns out award-winning actors with head-spinning regularity. Never managed to see Olivia Colman, Josh O’Connor or Erin Doherty when they were in Bristol? Never mind, because you can catch fresh up-and coming talent at the school’s regular shows. They’ve chosen some hefty plays for the spring season. Shakespeare is up in double bills Twelfth Night/Macbeth and Othello/The Tempest (we’ll leave you to guess which of

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the shows the pic represents) while in more contemporary vein is Roy Williams’s Days of Significance and Kae Tempest’s Paradise, a reimagining of Sophocles’ tragedy Philoctetes The BOVTS plays The Station between 12 February-7 March; www.oldvic.ac.uk

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TAKE A TECHNICOLOUR ACID TRIP

A techno-punk concert, a play, a clown show, a basement puppet nightmare all rolled into one, SLUGS is about trying to have a good time while the world burns. Join the Creepy Boys for a trip during which you’ll meet puppet Joni Mitchell, a two-person horse and every body part we have. It’s manic, it’s unhinged, it’s gleefully transgressive, and naturally it was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award 2025. SLUGS plays The Wardrobe 24-26 February www.thewardrobetheatre.com

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ROLL UP, ROLL UP

The show Bristol Hippodrome is most excited about – we can tell they’re excited because they sent us a box of celebratory popcorn – is The Greatest

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MEET SOME REIMAGINED FAIRIES

A genre-defying version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is coming to Bristol Old Vic this spring, and nothing is as it seems in this new version of the one Shakespeare play you probably think you know.

BOV is co-producing the show with Shakespeare’s Globe and Headlong to set the Dream in a wild wintry landscape, as the team asks: what does it mean to shine a light on the darkness in the play?

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at BOV 4-21 March; www.bristololdvic.org.uk

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Showman. It’s easy to see why they’re so thrilled: it’s the UK première of the show before it transfers to London, and then, presumably, to Broadway.

The Greatest Showman plays Bristol Hippodrome 15 March-20 May www.atgtickets.com

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SEE COOL STUFF IN A CHURCH

The Mount Without is one of the most beguiling buildings in Bristol – a 900-year old church that’s been rescued and renovated without losing any sense of its magic and mystery. It’s also fast becoming quite the go-to space for the arts: it’s the permanent base of Bristol contemporary dance company Impermanence (page 17) and hosts gigs, film events with Bristol Film Festival, and

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BE AMAZED

Always fancied visiting Wake the Tiger but put off by the prospect of sharing it with a bunch of excitable kids? The adults-only After Hours evenings are back on selected Fridays, allowing you to enjoy all the weirdness in a grown-up vibe. A handful of special After Hours takeovers are also on the cards, featuring DJs and guest collaborators.

Think you’ve already seen it all? WTT is constantly evolving, the rooms are always updating, so no two visits are ever the same. Wake the Tiger, www.wakethetiger.com

It’s also a gallery, with a heady line up of local emerging artists exhibiting in the space. Coming up in February is Confluence, a solo show by Stu McLellan, with a series of works which bind the relationships between human and non-human.

Confluence is at The Mount Without from 4 February-4 March; www.themountwithout.co.uk

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MARVEL AT THESE BREAKIN’ BEATS

Apropos, at the end of February, Impermanence presents This Body, a twoweek festival of dance at The Mount Without featuring four outstanding choreographers, workshops and after-parties.

Artist Hetain Patel brings his acclaimed Mathroo Basha, last seen at London’s Barbican, along with three Bristol-based artists: Karla Shacklock, exploring the trials and transformations of breastfeeding; Owen Ridley-DeMonick, premièring a new solo

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show, and Izaak Brandt (pictured left), international hip-hop breakin’ star, hosting a weekend of films, workshops and highvelocity performances.

25 Feb-7 March, The Mount Without www.impermanence.co.uk

17LOOK UP

No official details on how Upfest will manifest in 2026, but Steve and Emma Hayles promise “A vibrant year ahead”. Through a bunch of projects, collaborations and partnerships they’re continuing their mission to spread colour and creativity across the region, from bold new murals to unexpected artistic moments, with something very special in the works. We’ll share this year’s festival artist as soon as we get the green light. For more www.upfest.co.uk

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SWIM WITH THE FISHES

“After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea”, says Sir David Attenborough. That’s the idea behind Ocean with David Attenborough, a powerful feature documentary

18FOLLOW THE FLOCK

Aardman has a new Shaun the Sheep movie out this year. We don’t know when, but we’re guessing it’ll be an autumn release given that we find the residents of the farm looking forward to Halloween until the clumsy farmer trashes the flock’s pumpkin patch. To make matters worse, a wild

beast is found roaming the woods of Mossingham. When Shaun turns mad scientist to fix the problem, things rapidly spiral out of control. Honestly, you’d have thought he’d have learned his lesson from Wallace. Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom will be released later this year www.aardman.com 15

due to be released globally in May to coincide with Sir Dave’s 99th birthday. Before that, though, Bristol gets an early taste of the wonders in store with Ocean in Concert, which sees the spectacular cinematography of the film screened alongside a live performance by Welsh National Orchestra playing Steven Price’s original score.

It may be Sir Dave’s birthday, but he’s given us the best gift of all.

The Ocean in Concert comes to Bristol Beacon on 24 February; www.bristolbeacon.org

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START EASTER RIGHT

Immerse yourself in the drama of one of Western music’s most profound and enduring works as Bristol Choral Society presents St John Passion, Bach’s searing and soul-stirring masterpiece that fuses gripping narrative with transcendent beauty.

Award-winning conductor Hilary Campbell, the British Sinfonietta and seven soloists bring fresh energy and emotional depth to this work in the outstanding acoustic of the Beacon Hall.

Also, if audience reactions to Bristol Choral Society’s 2025 Messiah are anything to go by, you’d better pencil this concert into your Christmas schedule too.

Bach’s St John Passion at Bristol Beacon on 28 March; www.bristolbeacon.org n

WHAT’S ON

30 January-27 February 2026

EXHIBITIONS

Until 8 February

EMMA TALBOT: EVERYTHING IS ENERGY

Emma brings her complex visual poems to life across drawing, silk paintings, sculpture, installation and animation; Arnolfini; arnolfini.org.uk

Until 19 April

COSMOS: THE ART OF OBSERVING SPACE

A major art and science exhibition celebrating our enduring fascination with space. Bringing together contemporary and historic artists, the exhibition features a wide range of work inspired by the cosmos. At RWA, rwa.org.uk

Until 26 April

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

The NHM’s prestigious exhibition of nature photos at Bristol Museum; the ideal winter treat. bristolmuseums.org.uk

Until 3 May

OLUKEMI LIJADU: FEEDBACK

The largest solo exhibition to date by the Nigerian-British artist, filmmaker and DJ; Spike Island, spikeisland.org.uk

PHILLIP LAI

A major solo exhibition of work by the KLite artist, bringing together a body of sculptural commissions that continue his exploration of the material world; Spike Island, spikeisland.org.uk

5-23 February

EARTH, STONE AND PAPER

Original artworks by Richard Long, Henry Moore and Eduardo Chillida, all internationally famed for their engagement with the natural world; at Hidden, hiddengallery.co.uk

20 February-24 May THE LAST RESORT

To honour Martin Parr, following his death on 6 December, the MPF gallery reopens with an exhibition of Martin’s iconic seaside shots of New Brighton; more on page 28. martinparrfoundation.org

SHOWS

Until 31 January

SMALL TOWN BOY

How do you piece together a person who didn’t have time to find those pieces themselves? A heartbreakingly joyful play about grief, community

and growing up queer in a rural town, explored in drag at BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

18 February SQUIDGE

Daisy navigates her new job in a South London state school; when she’s assigned a young Irish traveller to help with his reading she finds hope in an unlikely friendship. White Noise Theatre present a dark comedy about the shortfalls of our education system and finding love in darkness, at Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

19 February

THE TEMPEST – RETOLD

Debs Newbold brings the fourth of her acclaimed storytelling performances of Shakespeare’s plays to the Cube; this time it’s a defiant reclamation of Will’s great, late Tragedy; crickcrackclub.comm

19 February-28 March

MACBETH

TFT’s artistic director Heidi Vaughan brings her signature ensemble approach, rooted in collaboration, humanity, and emotional depth, to the Scottish play. Full of darkness and madness

though Macbeth is, Heidi’s work always seeks out the spark of resilience, leaving audiences provoked, moved, and unexpectedly uplifted. tobaccofactorytheatres.com

24-26 February

CREEPY BOYS: SLUGS

A techno-punk concert, a play, clown show and basement puppet nightmare rolled into one; see p 6. At Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

24-28 February

THE LAST PICTURE

Imagine yourself in a theatre in 2026. Now, picture yourself as a Year 9 student on a school trip. And then, as a citizen of Europe in 1939, watching history take a dark turn. While you imagine, Sam will be by your side. Sam is an emotional support dog. Sam is here to look after you. Sam will keep everyone safe. This is a play about empathy: its power, its limits, and what it asks of us. It’s about our shared past, our present, and the choices we face today. At BOV, bristololdvic.org.uk

25 February

TALKING SOPRANOS

Featuring The Sopranos’ cast members:

Steve Schirripa (Bobby Bacala) and Emmy Award winner Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti), this live high-energy event shares memories and behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the show, choreographed with slides and video clips; at Beacon, bristolbeacon.org

COMEDY & CABARET

Ongoing CLOSER EACH DAY

The world’s longest-running improvised comedy soap continues at Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

BRISTOL IMPROV THEATRE

For the full programme, see improvtheatre.co.uk

THE GAFFE

Stand-up LOLs from some of the sharpest, funniest comedians on the circuit, at Bristol’s hottest new comedy club: thegaffecomedyclub.com

Until 31 January

BRISTOL COMEDY FESTIVAL

The tail end of the fest designed to brighten up the gloomiest month of the year, with local legends, rising stars and big names alike, at venues across the city. thebristolcomedyfestival.com

BEBE CAVE: CHRISTBRIDE

In the dark, deathly world of the Middle Ages, one (annoying) woman strives to find the light. Join Batilda, a female mystic in a world of male dullards, as she escapes from a life of monotony; at Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

1 February

BRIDGET CHRISTIE: JACKET POTATO PIZZA

A kidney stone. A stray cat. An eye-themed fetish. Bridget Christie hits the road again with a new show, landing at Bristol Beacon; bristolbeacon.org

THE LOST CABARET

The rambunctious night of alternative comedy, clowning and game returns to The Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

4-8 February

SLAPSTICK FESTIVAL

It’s the biggest comedy event of the Bristol calendar, with everything from silent-era classics to beloved 20th century sitcoms; more in our arts preview on page 8. slapstick.org.uk

5 February

NATE KITCH: SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Nate brings his quad-awardnominated sold-out Edinburgh Fringe show to Alma Tavern. “It’s sort of about charlatans, voices and a Rasputin book that, as it stands, I haven’t read. Oh and I have got a hat”, he says, helpfully. almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

5-7 February

ANY OBJECTIONS?

Join electroacoustic harpist and comedian Scarlett Smith as she shares wedding industry musings, a fateful boat trip and an interactive game show in a whimsical world where chaos meets creativity; at Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

6 February

LUCY PEARMAN: LUNARTIC

The Moon is putting on a show. But as the Sun keeps reminding her, the Moon will never be a star, and without him she’d be invisible altogether. Surreal character comedy, audience participation and prop-fuelled silliness in a story about loneliness, big dreams, and wanting to be seen, at Alma Tavern; almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

7 February INSTANT WIT

The ever popular improvmeisters return to Alma Tavern; almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

7-8 February

JOSH WIDDICOMBE: NOT MY CUP OF TEA

By now Josh has either mastered the art of stand-up or wasted the last 15 years of his life; come and decide for yourself. Expect lower production values than Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and fewer celebrity guests (OK, none), but funnier and with more references to tea. At Bristol Beacon; bristolbeacon.org

8 February

AMY ANNETTE: BUSY BODY

What happens when you mix a child who was called an old soul with a woman who has been called a fun aunt? Amy Annette happens, apparently; she’s at Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

10-12 February

LUKE WRIGHT: LATER LIFE LETTER

Poetry, stand-up, wit, pathos and silliness as Luke tells the story of his adoption: the life he leads, and the

one he might have led. How do you honour the parents who have raised you while satisfying a curiosity about where you came from? Is it telling that you married a social worker? Expect raucous laughter, tear-stained cheeks, and a smattering of d’n’b at Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

12 February

GEARÓID FARRELLY: GEARÓID RAGE

Gearóid follows his mammoth Glamour Hammer tour with a new stand-up show touching on the many, many, (many) things that make his blood boil, at Alma Tavern; almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

LAUGHTER LINES

It’s Age UK’s comedy fundraiser, with a quartet of national names and rising local talent headlining at St George’s, stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

13 February

OUT OF THE WARDROBE

The LGBTQ+ showcase night featuring a handpicked selection of the best queer comedians on the UK circuit; up this time it’s Kate Butch, an award-winning menace to society formerly of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK; former LGBTQ rugby captain Matthew Ali, and Jessie Nixon, who delivers dynamic and erudite jokes with the confidence and sincerity of a drunk girl in a Wetherspoons toilet. At Blame Gloria; headfirstbristol.co.uk

PATRICK MONAHAN: THE GOOD, THE PAT AND THE UGLY

The Irish-Iranian Teessider is known for his engaging observational comedy; come to Alma Tavern to hear him riff on life, love, and everyday mishaps. almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

13-14 February

THE SHADE PULLERS & LASH STACKERS SOCIAL CLUB

81-year-old Paul Marsden’s northern working men’s club had started to fray at the edges, until Paul’s son got into the family business, transforming into a drag queen, Roxytocin and giving the nicotinestained club a fresh coat of lip gloss. At Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

14 February

SALLY-ANNE HAYWARD OLDER! BOLDER!

Sally has never felt more at ease in her own skin, especially now it’s that bit looser. Expect tales of juggling lovers, sidestepping societal pressures, and finding fulfilment without kids, in a celebration of ageing not as a crisis, but as an upgrade – a time to embrace change, confidence, and chaos in equal measure. At Beacon; bristolbeacon.org

16 February

13 AGAIN: LIVE

Max and Harvey are hitting the road, and this time, they’re bringing their sister Tilly along for the ride. Expect the same mix of banter, sibling rivalry and audience chaos that’s made the podcast a runaway success, only bigger, louder, and even more unpredictable. At Bristol Beacon; bristolbeacon.org

19 February

DESIREE BURCH: THE GOLDEN WRATH

There comes a day when you look around and wonder “Is the world a raging bin fire, or is it perimenopause?” The answer is “yes”. Authentic, curious, and gleefully irascible, Desiree brings childlike wonder and crone-like wit to the matter in hand, at Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

20-21 February

JON UDRY’S VARIETY BUNGALOW

High-quality cabaret, dazzling circus, a pinch of burlesque, and best of all, table service, at Circomedia; circomedia.com

SEND IN THE CLOWNS: UNPOPULAR!

A filthy, outrageous and joyful revue show celebrating the magic and madness of musical theatre. This time, the Clowns are taking on the megamusicals of the ’80s and ’90s with the help of the Midlands’ finest drag and cabaret talent; at Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

21 February

ALI WOODS: BASHER

Ali trains his sharp, satirical eye on everyday life, finding the funny in the relatable and the absurd; at Bristol Beacon bristolbeacon.org

IAN SMITH: FOOT SPA HALF EMPTY

Ian heads back out on tour with a new show about stress, love and buying a magic spell off Amazon. We’ve all done it. Alma Tavern; almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

22 February

LILY PHILLIPS: CRYING

Fresh from hatching a baby and a sold-out Edinburgh run, the uninhibited feminist with a foul mouth is back. Luckily both she and her perineum are fine. At The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

23 February

AMY MASON: BEHOLD!

When Amy got hacked she lost her number, bank account and social media access. And then the hackers started sending her gifts... A surprising, somewhat filthy dive into connection, intimacy, and the perils of using your dead cat’s name as your password for literally everything, in a silly yet razor-witted examination of digital dependency, friendship and community, at BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

CHARLIE CONNELLY: ATTENTION ALL SHIPPING

Just when you thought every form of subject matter had been plumbed for LOLs, here comes Charlie with his celebration of the Shipping Forecast. How did a weather forecast for ships capture the hearts of a nation? How is it possible for ‘rain later’ to be ‘good’? And where’s North Utsire anyway when it’s at home? More in this meteorological vein at Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

24 February

ANDY ZALTZMAN: THE ZALTGEIST – A SECOND THWACK

With politicians striving to outdo each other in a cocktail of incompetence and insatiable dishonesty, the universe’s leading (and only) two-in-one political-comedianand-professional-cricket-statistician harnesses the 21st-century witchcraft of AI and his audience to concoct vaguely plausible answers to What?, Who?, When?, Where? and Why? (and, presumably, WTF); At BOV, bristololdvic.org.uk

25 February

JOHN KEARNS: TILTING AT WINDMILLS

A fragmented, digressing portrayal of a 38-year-old man’s life, alluding to books he hasn’t read, touching on the modern condition. Plus VAT! A show for those who have read about but not committed to the Guinness Nitrosurge. At BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

26 February

JOHN TOTHILL: THIS MUST BE HEAVEN

In 2024, John nearly died. In 2025, he went on an underwhelming cruise. Both events were equally lifechanging. Join him at Alma Tavern in his own personal paradise as he attempts to monetise what life he has left; almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

26-28 February

MIKE WOZNIAK: THE BENCH New stand-up tour show in which a story about a bench will be prominent. Previous experience of or strong opinions about benches not required. Let Mike worry about that. At BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

27 February

MO GILLIGAN: THE MO YOU KNOW

Mo brings his observational comedy, infectious charisma and takes on everyday life to Beacon. No quirky little summary provided with the press release, otherwise you know we’d have used it. bristolbeacon.org

ALISON SPITTLE: BIG

A man once told Alison to sit down. Now she’s doing a whole stand up show about it. At 1532; 1532bristol.co.uk

JOE KENT-WALTERS IS FRANKIE MONROE: DEAD!!!

The nation’s favourite demonic entertainer, owner of a working Man’s club in Rotherham that’s also a portal to hell, dazzles you from beyond the grave; at The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

MUSIC

For more events see: Bristol Beacon (bristolbeacon.org); St George’s Bristol (stgeorgesbristol.co.uk); Trinity (trinitybristol.org.uk); The Louisiana (thelouisiana.net); Thekla (theklabristol.co.uk): O2 Academy (academymusicgroup.com); Bristol Folk House (bristolfolkhouse.co.uk); Electric Bristol (electricbristol.com); The Hen & Chicken (henandchicken.com); Prospect Building (theprospectbuilding.com) and Gallimaufrey (thegallimaufry.co.uk)

31 January

AMYTHYST KIAH

The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter blessed with an unforgettable voice combines the political and the personal, embracing spirituality, grief, joy, healing and love in all its incarnations; at Exchange; exchangebristol.com

2 February SUEDE

Brett and the boys bring their 10th album Antidepressants to the stage for the first time; it’s regarded as their most exhilarating work in years, a post-punk dive into modern anxieties, connection, and defiance. All the classics too, at Bristol Beacon, bristolbeacon.org

MILES KANE

The English singer and musician, known both as a solo artist and half of The Last Shadow Puppets, comes to O2 ; academymusicgroup.com

3 February

EZRA FURMAN

The boundary-breaking artist brings her fearless creativity and emotional honesty, punk energy, lyricism and genre-defying innovation to Electric; electricbristol.com

3, 14, 26 February

BRISTOL BEACON 2026

ORCHESTRAL SEASON

Bristol Beacon kicks off a diverse array of performances by orchestras from the UK and beyond. This month expect Manchester Collective on the 3rd, Czech Janáček Philharmonic on the 14th and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra on the 26th; bristolbeacon.org

13 February

MATT STORM

Matt’s blend of alt-soul, often described as ‘unique yet accessible’ touches on themes of vulnerability and hard truths. At the Louie, thelouisiana.net

13-14 February

MIA KODEN

Heartfelt, groove-driven selections rooted in bass and built for a proper sound system; Strange Brew; trinitybristol.org.uk

19 February

THE CAVEMEN

Lagos brothers Kingsley and Benjamin James champion highlife fusion, combining highlife, Afrobeat, jazz and soul; discover what this sounds like at Trinity, trinitybristol.org.uk

CULTURE CLUB with Sam Wilde

Sam Wilde is a theatre and puppetry maker and cardboard enthusiast. He’s the artistic director of Cardboard Adventures, who bring their interactive craft-a-long kids show BOXVILLE to Bristol Old Vic between 17-21 February

A film I could watch over and over again

Muppets Christmas Carol, it’s a perfect movie: that is a hill I will happily die on. Michael Caine is wonderful in it, he plays it like a Shakespeareans tragedy. Every time I watch it gives me a little something more.

A painting that means something to me

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas: the folds of the flesh, the intense focus of the characters, I have a print out of it on my studio wall, it teaches so much about so much.

Best TV show ever… Scrapheap Challenge, when they took a lump of scrap and make amazing things with it. I’d spend hours and hours watching it when I was younger, I think its one of the reasons I grew into such a tinkerer. Taking something discarded and turning it into something with energy and intention – love that!

My favourite binge watch The Office: An American Workplace is one of those rare things where you take something great and you build something even greater out of it.

The book that changed my life I’ve always struggled a bit with words but reading Why We Make Things and Why it Matters by Peter Korn was something

20 February

WESTERMAN

Through supple vocals and intricate songwriting, the artpopster/indie-folkster moves fluidly between atmospheric ballads and rhythmically propulsive tracks, creating a set that’s both intimate and expansive, at Bristol Beacon, bristolbeacon.org

21 February

OF MONSTERS AND MEN

of a breakthrough. There’s a single sentence in it that made so much sense to me it changed everything: “When I am making I am thinking with my hands”. All of a sudden I realised why I craft, why I build, it’s because that’s how I think.

The book I could happily re-read I’m a real children’s book fan, they’re good design and emotional storytelling distilled and clarified, so I’d have to pick

Aaron Slater Illustrator by Andrea Beaty. It might only be 16 pages but I have never read it without crying my eyes out. It’s about a dyslexic boy who is asked to write a story as a school project, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so seen.

My dance floor/karaoke banger

Bit of a niche answer, but if there’s one thing that Jerry Maguire and I have in common is that we both love Tom Petty’s Free Falling

Podcast pick

I’m a big Uncanny fan. I’m solid team sceptic, and don’t believe in ghosts at all, but good god that podcast can certainly tell a story. Every episode is a journey, it paints characters and situations and you feel the fear! I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’d be left with a couple of sleepless nights!

Best app

RHS Grow. I love my plants but I’m nearly completely useless with them, so anything that helps me keep them alive is definitely in my list of favourite things.

Guilty pleasure

Butter! Slather it on everything, the saltier the better, sooo good!!

More at www.bristololdvic.org.uk

Stories of love, loss, community and memory woven into a tapestry of songs both intimate and cinematic by the Icelandic indie-folksters, at Bristol Beacon, bristolbeacon.org

22 February

MOGWAI

The Glaswegian post-rock pioneers take to the stage with their driving rhythms and moments of intense, cinematic sound. At Bristol Beacon, bristolbeacon.org

23 February

THE FRATELLIS

Performing their 2006 debut album Costello Music, the Scottish indie-rockers pitch up at Prospect; theprospectbuilding.com

THE PAPER KITES

The Paper Kites’ songs have underscored powerful scenes in TV and movies. Come and hear the tunes you’ll recognise and discover some you don’t, at Electric; electricbristol.com

26 February

LESS THAN JAKE

Get ready for the Winter Circus as Less Than Jake brings a stacked lineup to Prospect Building; theprospectbuilding.com

OTHER

Ongoing

BRISTOL FILM FESTIVAL

The usual eclectic selection of classic and popular movies, often at sitespecific venues. bristolfilmfestival.com

Until 12 April

THE EVERYWORLD SEASON

A season celebrating the visionary work of father/daughter duo, Andrew and Eden Kötting, stretching from Undershed to the cinema. watershed.co.uk

8 February

SERIOUSLY SILLY: A CELEBRATION OF TERRY JONES

Comedy historian Robert Ross presents an affectionately anarchic conversation celebrating the life and legacy of Terry: writer, director, performer, medievalist, children’s author, and one-sixth of Monty Python. At St George’s, stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

15 February

POWER TOWN FESTIVAL

The first in an annual all-day family festival aimed at celebrating community through creativity and collaboration, with an emphasis on championing African and Caribbean cuisine and culture; at Strange Brew, headfirstbristol.co.uk

THE FISHPONDS BEAST

As evening falls over Eastville Park lake, the local community gathers. They have brought Shame Lanterns as well as their most embarrassing memories from the year written on little slips of paper. The musicians and assembled crowd begin their songs of mortification to draw the beast from its slumber. Embarrassed, awkward dancing and music culminate in the Beast disgorging the collected shame into the fire, before being loudly sent back to the lake. It’s a century-old Bristol tradition, if you didn’t know. fishpondsbeast.com

19 February

LOVERS & LIARS

A night of burlesque, cocktails, and music at the GranaryClub, inspired by the mystique of Tarot and the elegance of old-world glamour. Seductive performances unfold as lovers make promises and liars smile sweetly across the bar; book at sevenrooms.com

19-28 February

BRISTOL LIGHT FESTIVAL

Back in all its radiance; see page 36. bristollightfestival.org n

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW

“The pictures from The Last Resort still hold very well. When I get to the Pearly Gates, those are the ones I’d probably get out first”, said Martin Parr. Now, to celebrate the photographer’s life and work, the photos will go on show at the Bristol gallery that carries his name

Words by Deri Robins

It’s no mystery why Martin Parr Foundation chose The Last Resort to celebrate its leader’s life and work. This seminal collection marked a hugely important change in Martin’s creative direction, and came to define his remarkable career; the images are exactly the kind that spring to mind when you hear his name.

In 1983, shortly after moving to Wallasey with his wife Susie, Martin §began to photograph New Brighton. The seaside resort on the north tip of Merseyside’s Wirral peninsula had been developed in the 1830s to rival old Brighton in the south. When Martin visited 150 years later it was during a period of economic downturn and the resort was run down and in disrepair, its streets litter-strewn.

In spite of this, Martin observed the fortitude and resilience of the British at play as they made the best of the situation. He photographed people in the snack bars, on concrete promenades, at the Miss New Brighton Bathing Beauty contest and inside Wilkie’s covered fairground. The summers of 1983 and1984 were exceptionally hot, attracting large crowds, which provided the perfect conditions for Martin.

In a departure from much of his previous work, he photographed in colour. He’d been inspired by the language of commercial photography, and also by Peter Mitchell in the UK and William Eggleston, Stephen Shore and Joel Meyerowitz in the US. Both the subject matter of The Last Resort, seen by many as lowbrow, and this departure from the black-and-white film associated with documentary photography at the time, led to a seismic shift and a key moment, both for Martin’s career and in documentary photography in the UK.

In 1985 the photographs were first exhibited as The Last Resort in a two-person show with Tom Wood at

Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool. The following year Martin self-published his book of the work, and the collection was shown at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The exhibition proved controversial.

“When the show opened at the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool, guests dressed appropriately, with rain hats, swimming costumes, lilos and pacamacs”, says Susie Parr. “No one batted an eyelid at the images: that was what New Brighton was like. It’s a well-documented fact that the response to the show at The Serpentine was rather different.”

Martin was berated for being patronising, cruel and voyeuristic. However, 40 years later, opinion has shifted and it’s now widely held that critics at the time projected their own class prejudice onto the pictures. The value and importance of The Last Resort has been reassessed, and it remains Martin’s best-known and most influential work. His engagement with and interest in the British at leisure was to occupy much of his following career.

The exhibition will include archival materials drawn from both Martin’s personal collection and that of the MPF, to trace the influences on his work and this series in particular, along with Martin’s Plaubel Makina W67 camera and material such as press reviews, invites, snapshots, materials relating to the original book design and correspondences.

“I do hope that as many people as possible will come to see the show. It’s the best possible way we could open up again – truly a celebration of the extraordinary, the one-off Martin Parr”, says Susie. n

The Last Resort by Martin Parr shows at Martin Parr Foundation between 20 February-24 May 2026 www.martinparrfoundation.org

How

Tnew decor spreads happiness at STANSHAWES CARE HOME I’M HOME NOW!

here’s nothing like the lift a completed home refurbishment can bring, and that’s just as true for the residents and staff at Stanshawes Care Home in Yate.

“We had a little opening ceremony once the work was done”, said Stanshawes home manager, Eva William, “and we had two of our residents who use the lounges most to cut the ribbon. One of them was Martin, who is 102, and the other, Ann who is 83, put her hand to her heart and said, ‘I’m home now!’ There were a few tears shed –we were all so moved.”

The families were every bit as impressed by the project, which renovated two lounges at the home. “They say it feels like visiting someone in their own home, rather than a communal lounge area. They have praised the happy and calm atmosphere. The staff feel it’s given them a lift, too”.

The five-figure redesign also created a new reception area and changed the aspect of the ground-floor lounge so residents can see people coming and going, including welcoming or waving off family members.

“ THE REDESIGN ALSO CREATED A NEW RECEPTION AREA AND CHANGED THE ASPECT OF THE GROUND FLOOR LOUNGE”

The ground floor lounge also includes a kitchenette, with appliances protected with code locks to safeguard those with dementia. “It means people can stay in the lounge while they make their visitors a cup of tea”, Eva explained. “It also gives us the opportunity to have cooking classes for the residents.

“Over the festive period we have been making Christmas puddings and mince pies, and there are Valentine’s biscuits planned for February. Other activities in the lounge include card-making and armchair exercise.”

Careful thought went into the design of both lounges, situated on the ground and first floors. They have an individual feel to create a stimulating environment. The ground floor is decorated with teal and silver,

while the first floor lounge has dark wood furniture with armchairs in burnt orange, and decorative dressers for a cosy feel.

Word had been spreading about the project, with professionals such as therapists who come to work with residents asking if they can have a peek at the new lounges they have heard so much about.

“The lounge is an important part of life at Stanshawes. For our residents with dementia, they love the chance to see the steady stream of visitors. It allows residents to choose when they would like to be social, and it is a community hub.

“Having these beautiful surroundings makes such a difference. Our aim is always to make our residents feel like they are in their own home. It’s wonderful to make that environment as impressive as possible!”

Stanshawes Care Home offers residential, dementia, 24-hour nursing, respite and palliative care in the Yate area of Bristol. Call 01454 850 005 or visit us at 11 Stanshawes Drive, Yate, Bristol, BS37 4ET – no appointment necessary!

www.stanshawescarehome.com

NIGHT MOVES

Friendly monsters and flickering fairies. A giant, snoozing cosmic cat. Hot-air balloons you can make go whoosh, colours you can step inside: the Bristol Light Festival is back this month to dazzle us anew

Words by Ursula Cole

“Each

fairy is byinspiredBristol’s landscapes, wildlife and hidden corners, with charactereveryrooted in the city’s gardens and secret spaces”

Wrap up warm, fill a thermos or hipflask – better still, make a few bar or café stops – and prepare to hit the streets when Bristol Light Festival returns for ten days this month, filling the dark winter nights with dazzling fun and creativity.

The first set of installations have been announced, and we’ve featured them on these pages; keep your eye on the website for further updates.

FESTIVAL

HAVE THEY GOT HUES FOR YOU OUR COLOUR & OUR COLOUR REFLECTION

by Liz West

Cabot Circus is hosting two major works by Liz – in the car park, of all places.

First, the one with all the circles. Our Colour Reflection is a floor-based installation composed of hundreds of coloured acrylic mirrored discs which reflect light, architecture and the visitors themselves, to create an immersive sensory experience.

Meanwhile, Our Colour, which originally premièred in Bristol a decade ago, returns in a bold reworked format, doubling in size, offering a dramatic and expanded immersion in Liz’s signature exploration of colour, light and perception.

Together, the installations will transform Cabot Circus into a vivid environment which invites visitors to step inside the spectrum, experience colour physically, and witness how light and architecture interplay with our own movement and presence.

MAKE A BALLOON GO WHOOSH

THE LITE SERIES by Cameron Balloons and Bristol Light Festival

The city’s ballooning heritage has been the inspiration for this vivid, interactive artwork on College Green.

Celebrating Bristol’s craft and creativity at its best, the installation will transform a cluster of illuminated hot air balloons into a responsive landscape of light, sound and play; visitors can fire each balloon by pulling a simple cord, triggering a burst of colour and a resonant whoosh inspired by a real burner.

As more people take part, the balloons glow brighter and the sound grows louder, building a shared spectacle that celebrates the joy at the heart of the festival.

WIND UP THESE MONSTERS JELLYMONSTERS

by Rob Hodgson

Created by Bristol-based artist Rob Hodgson, this playful, interactive installation will be projected onto Left-Handed Giant. Visitors are encouraged to whisper, clap, sing, whistle or whatever takes their fancy to provoke the Jellymonsters into reacting through colour, light and movement.

TELL US MORE ABOUT… THE LITE SERIES

“It’s all about bringing a bit of Bristol’s ballooning magic into the city on dark winter evenings”, says Jess Siggers at Cameron Balloons

“Created by Cameron Balloons in collaboration with the festival and Bristol BID, the interactive light and sound installation is made up of 10 fivemetre-tall replica hot air balloons. Set on College Green, visitors can wander between them, get up close and pull a cord to make the balloons glow and hear that exciting burner sound.

“What makes The Lite Series special is how closely it connects to real ballooning, while still being completely accessible. Instead of watching balloons from a distance, visitors can interact with them, triggering light and sound themselves and becoming part of the experience.”

above: If you go down to Cabot’s you’re sure of a big surprise: Liz West is flooding the multi-storey car park’s seventh floor with a pair of colour installations

HANG OUT WITH A BUNCH OF FAIRIES

BELL JAR FAIRIES by Studio McGuire

A series of tiny, glowing figures will be revealed inside the Royal West of England Academy, inviting visitors to slow down and look closely.

Created by acclaimed studio (and Bristol Life favourites) Studio McGuire, the installation features 13 illuminated fairies within their own bell jar. Each jar is inspired by Bristol’s landscapes, wildlife and hidden corners, rooting every fairy in its gardens and secret spaces. Look out too for The Smallest World, a special piece for RWA’s exhibition Cosmos, in which a tiny astronaut tumbles endlessly through an impossible universe inside a bell jar.

SAY “PSS PSS PSS” TO THIS GIANT CAT THE CAT THAT SLEPT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS by Air Giants

Created by pioneering soft-robotics studio Air Giants, this vast, inflatable sculpture stretches 10 metres from ear to tail.

Gently breathing, twitching her ears and swishing her tail, the cat responds subtly to the presence of people nearby. Visitors are invited to approach, stroke and hear her purr.

TELL US MORE ABOUT… OUR COLOUR

“Our Colour asks a simple, powerful question: does colour change the way you feel?“ says artist Liz West. “By turning light into a physical presence, it encourages you to consider how colour shapes our moods, our bodies and our experience of the world around us.

“Using carefully arranged coloured filters to refract light, the installation transforms colour from something seen into something felt, bathing the environment in vivid tones which shift and overlap as you move through the space, offering a moment of stillness amid the bustle of the festival.”

Friendly and tactile, the installation is set to transform Cascade Steps into a place of calm, connection and contemplation on how the world might look in a thousand years. How? Guess you’ll have to visit to find out.

SEE SOME MIDNIGHT DANCERS

THE MIDNIGHT BALLET by Will Budgett As night falls over University of Bristol’s Royal Fort Gardens, illuminated sculptures by Will Budgett gather together in an immersive display of light and shadow. Precisely lit steel forms cast the shape of ballerinas, so that elegant, larger-than-life dancers appear from the shadows.

Founded by Bristol Business Improvement District (BID) and curated by Katherine Jewkes, Bristol Light Festival runs between 19-28 February 2026 www.bristollightfestival.org

TELL US MORE ABOUT… OUR COLOUR REFLECTION

“Our Colour Reflection creates a conversation between the viewer and the setting, using more than 765 mirrors made of coloured acrylic”, says Liz West.

”There are 15 colours in all, and the mirrors are set at different heights so that they reflect both the structure of the space and the people who inhabit it, revealing parts of the architecture that would otherwise be invisible, and project colour up into the interior.

“Taking time to consider the use, shape and scale of each space that Our Colour Reflection is shown in, it ensures that the work is grounded within its site but also holds its own voice within the enormity of the space it inhabits.

“There is an element of performance to the work; it puts the audience to the fore, demanding a response; physically, emotionally, psychologically or even spiritually. Viewers each have their own perspectives and their own experiences tempered by movement through the space and through time.”

PAIR NECESSITIES

It’s our big arts issue; it’s also kind of a love issue. But why stick to one theme when you can riff on both?

Words and pics by Colin Moody

H1

BRISTOL HEROES

ere are some unusual pairings from the world of art and love on the Bristol streets. Two individual things that when taken together say to you “Hell yeah, this is a city where I can be who I wanna be – just you try stopping me…”

Outside a cat’s protection charity shop. What ’80s band could be reforming here?

Love.

Art.

Couples.

3 2 4 5

2

It’s getting hard, in 2026, to find office space that’s both affordable and accessible.

This metro man has no problems with either, and it’s conveniently close to his motor to boot. Literally.

Man and machine in perfect lunchbreak harmony.

3

An oldie here, from when I first arrived in Bristol.

One puff of wind, and it’s fancy art duck and mussed hairdo symmetry.

Couples form all the time in this artistic incubator of a city. Just open your eyes and go for a wander. See what interesting cool couples you can find.

4

Early Pride memories. You come and drag Minnie and find your perfect Mickey.

That’s so beautiful.

Symmetry in that even Leonardo da Vinci could get behind.

5

Don’t do this. Ever. Don’t jump in the harbour. This person made it out, but it’s super-dangerous.

It did. however, allow me, in the spirit of art à la Twin Peaks, to find in this quirky Hockneyesque splash a cloud forming an unlikely couple.

BRISTOL HEROES

6

Zoom in… no closer… oh, you got the magazine, not the online version? OK, move your head closer to the magazine photo… no closer… closer. There they are.

Weston’s ‘lost in the fog’ couple from a series of shots when at the changing of the seasons the sea and air temperatures left the entire resort cut off in fog.

Take my word for it. That’s the pier and all of Weston engulfed here. Only in a Stranger Things weird way, they just emerged from the gloom with that English resilience, finding a nice spot to set up for a picnic still being their main priority.

7Couple of Bristol legends at St Paul’s Carnival. That really, really amazing one from last year, where kids played in the street, the yards were full and it felt and tasted like freedom.

8

Like a scene from a movie. Protester and cop in the middle of another dispute between fiction and reality; or is it the other way round?

And so we come to the last couple of humans thrown together, even if just for a moment, in this crazy town.

Art and love have been our theme. Now take that lovely fuzzy feeling that comes from immersing yourself in good art and go make some of your own. Sing a song, write a poem, reach out and make contact with another human being.

Go on

Try it.

And report back in prose, pixels or paint.

Colin Moody: content creation, online images Twitter @moodycolin; Instagram @ colinmoodyphotography www.colinmoodyphotography.wordpress.com

“The couple emerge from the gloom with that English resilience, finding a nice spot to set up for a picnic still being their main priority”

FRESH THINKING OVER A FINE LUNCH

Unique social business occasion: live interview with Lara Burch of Osborne Clarke

Monday 23 February at The Granary

EMILY & DAN ROSS STORYSMITH BOOKS

Nice weather for ducks –and possibly also booksellers

It’s perhaps indicative of a profession obsessed with pointless minutiae, but the whole of bookselling can be boiled down to one question: is rainy weather good or bad for bookshops?

The fulcrum of this debate is something of a Catch-22: if it’s raining, you need a book to read, but also if it’s raining, you don’t want to leave the house and go to the bookshop. Whenever the skies darken, booksellers across the nation narrow their eyes to contemplate this great unsolvable, and wish for simpler weather: crisp, cool air, blue skies, meekly warming sunshine, something we can all agree works quite nicely for bookshops.

And with that in mind, we’re recommending a trio of books to

cut through the dreary drudgery of this time of year, this weather, this everything. Enjoy these veritable blasts of fresh literary air…

Curling by Yaiza Berrocal (trans. Sian Creely)

Already one of the most fascinating and entertaining books of the year, Curling takes some explaining.

Here we go: an opera theatre with a tragic history has been taken over by an extremely iffy corporation and begins staging tacky ‘interactive’ revivals of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, but a secretive band of employees work covertly to stage a coup and bring the company down.

The novel is told entirely in found documents: walkie-talkie transcripts, corporate emails, job

application reports, structural assessments, insurance claims, diary entries and, memorably, PowerPoint presentations. And somehow, rather than crumbling under the weight of all these quirks, it is miraculously sharp in its takedowns of both corporate misdeeds and the more boorishly highbrow elements of making art, and also thrillingly funny.

Imagine Breaking Everything by Lina Munar Guevara (trans. Ellen Jones)

If ever a narrative voice could be said to embody freshness, it’s this one. In a rainy suburb of Bogotá, eighteen-yearold Melissa is about to graduate from high school against all the odds, but one thing stands in her way: she can’t graduate until she pays for the school printer that she broke in an angry rage. She has just one weekend to get the money together, and it happens to be the same weekend that her mum is in town, keen for them both to spend time together.

2025, this surprising novel has sprinted to the forefront of our recommendations. Taking place over a single alternately wretched, hilarious and heartbreaking weekend, the narrator visits his elderly dad, Thomas, with the intention of packing up all of his stuff so that he can move into a care home. For many reasons, this doesn’t happen easily.

“Guevara’s lightness of tone makes the moments of heartbreak, when they come, all the more devastating”

The gleefully specific details of Thomas’ odd and lonely life are devastatingly believable: the contents of his fridge, the jerryrigged shower, the toppling piles of books arranged in order of how much he liked them. As the two characters deal with Thomas’ drifting lucidity and sudden outbursts of both frustration and tenderness, the pressures of real life (advancing age, a Covid-crippled health service, the crushing practicality of merely having a family in the first place), the strange spectre of Mr Outside himself becomes increasingly figural.

Eager to keep the peace and prove to her family and friends that she’s taking responsibility for herself, Melissa is beset by the underlying tensions that threaten to throw her off course. Guevara’s lightness of tone makes the moments of heartbreak, when they come, all the more devastating.

Mr Outside by Caleb Klaces Just sneaking in at the end of

Hopefully you’ve been sufficiently thawed and dried by the thought of these exemplary reads for the new year. We can’t promise a sudden improvement in the weather if you’re minded to tackle one of them, but think of the booksellers in their moment of consternation and give them a definitive answer: rainy weather is good for bookshops.

Visit Storysmith at 36 North Street, Bedminster; www.storysmithbooks.com

WHY WELLBEING MATTERS AS YOU GET OLDER

Growing older brings new challenges: changes in health,

mobility, and how we socialise can affect how we feel day to day

It’s the everyday things that used to feel small that can often cause us stress, such as paying bills or going out to buy food. That’s why it’s so important, that we look after our physical and mental health as we get older.

The 5 Ways to Wellbeing provides a simple, practical framework to stay positive and resilient. By focusing on connection, activity, learning, giving, and mindfulness, it provides a way for older adults to maintain independence, boost mental health, and enjoy a sense of purpose and belonging.

For over 60 years, Abbeyfield Bristol and Keynsham has provided more than just housing; they offer a warm community built to tackle isolation and build lasting friendships. They believe that staying connected is the heartbeat of wellbeing, which is why their supported living houses bring residents together every day through shared mealtimes and activities.

Recently, they’ve embraced the 5 Ways to Wellbeing. Developed by the New Economics Foundation as a mental health equivalent to five-a-day, these simple, practical steps are essential for maintaining a sense of purpose and improving wellbeing.

1CONNECT

Life is better together. Supported living communities provide opportunities to build friendships, share stories, and enjoy social

activities. Whether it’s a coffee morning or a group outing, staying connected combats loneliness and boosts emotional health.

2BE ACTIVE

Movement matters at every age. From gentle exercise classes to walking in landscaped gardens, supported living encourages physical activity tailored to your abilities, keeping you strong, mobile, and independent.

3KEEP LEARNING

Learning doesn’t stop as we grow older. Explore new hobbies, attend workshops, or join book clubs in your community. Supported living houses offer creative and educational programmes such as quizzes, history clubs, and crafting sessions, that keep your mind sharp and engaged.

4GIVE

Giving brings joy. Whether it’s helping a neighbour, volunteering, or sharing your wisdom with younger generations, supported living fosters a sense of purpose and community spirit.

5TAKE NOTICE

Pause and appreciate the little things –a beautiful sunset, a blooming flower, or a shared laugh. Supported living environments are designed to help you enjoy life’s moments in a safe, stress-free setting.

Abbeyfield Bristol and Keynsham has created a Book of Wellbeing to share ideas that can help keep you connected and improve your wellbeing by offering tips and activities to boost your happiness. Scan the QR code above to read it.

OUR LOCAL HOUSES: ABBEYFIELD BRISTOL & KEYNSHAM

Abbeyfield Bristol & Keynsham houses offer en-suite studio and one-bedroom apartments across houses in Henleaze, Keynsham, Hanham, and Redland. As part of a vibrant community, residents enjoy homecooked meals, relaxing gardens, daily events, and companionship that comes with living with other residents.

READY TO EMBRACE A LIFESTYLE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR WELLBEING?

Discover our supported living homes today and start your journey to a happier, healthier future – see website below. n

Phone: 0117 973 6997

Email: email@abbeyfield-bristol.co.uk

Website: www.abbeyfieldbristol.co.uk

MISSION: RAMEN

Looking for a Valentine’s dinner with a difference? Can we suggest ramen? Bristol Life reader F.Frame has been on a citywide mission to find the best in the city

It’s often said that chicken soup is good for the soul, and as it happens, hot, soupy meals are equally ideal for a cold February night.

Like most couples, Dan and I have differences in taste; for example, I like mushrooms in my soup but he detests them. Yet in one way, our match was made in heaven, or to be precise, in a particular type of soup: ramen.

We met back in 2022 and grew closer over tennis sessions that were thinly disguised excuses to spend more time together. We had our own distinct tastes in many things, like music, TV shows and even desserts, and rarely agreed on favourites.

It was not until Dan shared his experience of travelling in Japan and tasting authentic ramen in an izakaya for the first time that we found ‘our’ meal. Growing up in Asia, I was already accustomed to noodle dishes, and ramen was a delicacy I always enjoyed. Beyond a common fondness for the dish, we realised one other thing about each other: once we find something we like, we rarely tire of it.

calendars without fail, treated with the utmost importance.

A trail begun in search of this meal that brought us to areas of Bristol in which we wouldn’t have expected to find ramen; but then this city endlessly surprises you with its abundant choices for food, from many local and independent restaurants tucked away in quiet neighbourhoods to the big streets of the city

Our shared love of ramen was a craving that came around like clockwork. A day after payday, to be precise, when we’d Google the best places in the city to satiate our need for a good bowl of ramen.

We’d pick a new spot each time, book our table and set out after work.

Unknowingly, we started an unspoken mission over the course of the year: to search for our favourite ramen joint, one dinner date at a time.

These days, eating out is not a luxury we can indulge in on a whim. Between work schedules and rising costs, meals out have become something to plan rather than decide on spontaneously. And so this became our monthly ritual, something we looked forward to it as a treat to ourselves after weeks of routine. It was a date booked in our

but for different moments and moods we’ve experienced.

BEST FOR FIRST DATES

An ideal first date would be in a place that’s buzzing, but not so much so that you can’t hear one another or gaze into each other’s eyes (or not!). We recommend Kibou in Clifton Village. Its warm atmosphere and pretty Japanese-inspired decor is tailor-made for a memorable date, with a wide selection of sake to complement your Japanese culinary experience.

Some days are busier than others, but a weekday evening guarantees the perfect atmosphere for a romantic date with a lively vibe.

BEST FOR A QUIET MOMENT

After a long day of work, slurping a bowl of ramen warms you up and soothes the senses with its rich broth. Ramen Ya on Gloucester Road was our top pick to experience a relatively chill atmosphere to enjoy our evening.

BEST FOR STRIKING FLAVOURS

We sampled our fair share of ramen to be able to finally pinpoint the strength in its different flavours, which would consist of a meaty taste

opposite: Kibou

top: Tonkotsu Ramen

middle: Ramen Ya below: Tomo No Ramen

depending on the type of

Shoyu ramen is likely what most people have in mind when describing a ramen, and we found our bowl at Tomo No Ramen on West Street to be one of the best-tasting on our list. Its flavour stood out as striking and savoury with a rich umami taste, which we found to be the most distinctive out of all that we’ve tried so far.

While there isn’t a crowned winner among these restaurants for the best ramen, we appreciate that we have a wide selection to come back to on different days of our lives. It is only fitting that no single bowl of ramen stands above the rest in a city as varied as Bristol. Whether to celebrate our wins, to seek comfort after a long day or for familiarity, there’s nothing quite like sharing a hot bowl of delicious ramen. n

YOU HAVE BEEN READING KIBOU 16 King’s Rd, Clifton; www.kibou.co.uk

RAMEN YA 61 Gloucester Road; www.ramenya.co.uk

TOMO NO RAMEN 55 West Street, Bedminster www.tomonoramen.co.uk

OTHER RAMEN HOT SPOTS: IZAKAYA CLIFTON JAPANESE BAR 59 Apsley Road; www.izakayabristol.co.uk

RAMEN MONSTER St Stephen Street www.ramenmonster.co.uk

RAMEN ZEN 365 Filton Avenue www.vs-creative.my.canva.site

TONKOTSU 4 Baldwin Street; www.tonkotsu.co.uk

CAFÉ SOCIETY STAN CULLIMORE

Our coffee-and-cake connoisseur has found a new spot to loaf about in

This issue’s coffee shop of choice is the rather cuddlesome Loafer (not to be confused with Loungers, or the Bristol Loaf, for that matter).

It’s a relative new kid on the block, having opened in 2025.

A café by day, serving coffee and breakfasty things followed by brunches and lunches, and tapas with wine in the evening, it’s already become one of our preferred spots for a coffee catchup.

It’s easy to find. Just head on down Henleaze High Street, hold your horses right before you get to the petrol station and then take a look across to the other side of the street.

Right; now we all know where it is, it’s time to dig into the

“It was a most marvellous way to while away a couple of hours, loafing in the loveliness like lazy loafers”

minutiae, those tiny trivial details that mean so much when it comes to Café Society satisfaction.

Must say, it all looked most luscious from the outside. When the CS crew strolled on down there were lots of seasonal things drawn on the windows, lending a most welcoming air.

It was even better when we got inside, with tables and chairs spaced out nicely, giving the place a wide open feel while somehow still retaining a cosy and cute embrace for all who entered in. Mmm. All very nice so far.

It got even better when we spotted the menu. There were lots of lovely things to try, but we were in search of breakfast bites so kept our attention focused on the ‘tasty things on toast or in baps’ section. There were some real eye-openers on offer, though, too: pear and beetroot salad, anyone? Wasn’t quite what I was looking for right then and there, but definitely worth trying next time.

Despite the temptation to take a walk on the wild side of brekky we decided to keep it simple, at least for now. To go for a brace of crowd pleasers. Good old-fashioned scrambled eggs and mushroom on sourdough toast, with a touch of side salad, plus a nice slice of chocolate cake to keep it company.

While we waited for the smiley servers to bring us our coffees, which were tip-top tasty, by the way, we took our eyes on a wander around the room. Clearly we weren’t the only ones enjoying the sunny-side-up vibes; this establishment appears to attract a wonderfully wide range of cheerful customers, all united by a common quest for caffeine comfort and delicious local nibbles to match. The excellent cakes, incidentally, come from, Edgie Eats, a mighty fine bakery round the corner. Our fellow travellers included mums with toddlers, the little ones lapping up babychinos. In other corners, professionallooking folk were tapping away intently on laptops while sipping on flat whites and tucking into breakfast baps. In the window, an older man sat reading a book while snuggling into the comforting embrace of a nice hot cappuccino.

All in all, it made it a most marvellous way to while away a couple of hours, loafing in the loveliness like lazy loafers while we waited for Rufus the small dog to join us after his haircut. n

Former The Housemartins guitarist Stan is now a journalist and travel writer; @stancullimore on instagram Google up Stan’s daily substack blog: Diary of an Urban Granddad

CHARLIE TAYLOR KASK WINE

You choose the crunch. Charlie will suggest the pairing

Wine pairing can sometimes feel as if it belongs to whitetablecloth restaurants. An overbearing sommelier (don’t call them a waiter) looms over your table, armed with an inflated sense of importance and the supposed keys to a secret world of perfect pairings. Heaven, apparently, is only accessible if you follow their lead.

But the truth is far simpler. Wine pairing isn’t a secret alchemy. The unromantic truth is that it’s simple chemistry: Acid loves acid and cuts through fat. Tannins also cut through fat, while fat balances bitterness and, along with protein, softens tannins. Umami hates tannin but loves acid. And both sweetness and spice in food need sweetness in wine.

Follow the chemistry while matching the intensity of the wine to the intensity of the food. Light dishes with lighter wines; bold dishes with fuller-bodied ones, and you’re most of the way there.

This is why wine and cheese work so well. Cheese is generally high in fat and protein. Drink it with a tannic red like Cabernet Sauvignon and the fat and protein bind to the tannins, reducing bitterness and making the wine feel smoother and fruitier. Pair

at home. But for some reason or other, we never quite bit the potato-based bullet.

cheese with a high-acid white like Sauvignon Blanc and the acidity cuts through the richness, refreshing your mouth after every bite. Add salt into the mix and the wine tastes even fruitier.

So what happens if you apply the same logic to another salty, fatty, food group? As in, crisps?

I’d never thought of pairing wine and crisps until I grabbed a handful of Torres Jamón crisps while drinking a glass of Beaujolais. Beaujolais, made from the Gamay grape, is light, fruity and high in acid, with flavours of cherry, raspberry and a touch of spice. It’s great with charcuterie, so maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise that swapping cured meat for Jamón crisps worked so well. The wine’s acidity cut through the fat, while the salty, meaty, slightly umami flavour of the crisps made the fruit pop.

“Wotsits are unapologetically bold in cheesy flavour, so go equally bold with the wine”

Then came Christmas. In that strange no-man’s-land between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, we played a game guessing crisp flavours (Aldi’s options are particularly good for this sort of thing). Halfway through, I washed down a beef Wellington crisp – not sure it’s much different from a beef and onion, tbh – with a glass of Malbec. That was the moment I knew: enough talking. It was time. So out went the resolutions, and in came research: a couple of weeks of wine-andcrisps testing. Or, for the pernickety among you, ‘wine and ‘crispadjacent snacks’. The research is still ongoing, but here are a few favourites so far, deliberately focused on packets you can actually find in most corner shops.

McCoy’s Ready-Salted & sparkling wine

That was over six years ago, in KASK’s early days. Since then, we’ve floated the idea of replacing one of our wine-and-cheese tastings with a wine-and-crisps one, and even helped customers plan their own crisp-pairing nights

This one feels inevitable. Salt makes wine taste better. Readysalted crisps are pure crunch and salt, and the ridges on McCoy’s amplify both. Sparkling wine’s acidity and bubbles cut straight through the fat, resetting your palate every time. Champagne, Prosecco, Pet Nat, Crémant – it all

works. I happily demolished a bag with a Crémant from Dominique Gruhier. Salt & Vinegar Chipsticks also work fantastically.

Prawn Cocktail & off-dry

Go off-dry (slightly sweet, in non-wine geek parlance) and this pairing really sings. The residual sugar matches the sweetness of the crisp, while the high acidity stops things feeling cloying.

Cheese Wotsits & Cabernet Sauvignon

Wotsits are unapologetically bold in cheesy flavour, so go equally bold with the wine.

Frazzles & (almost) anything

Nothing could turn the most underrated snack into a negative, and no wine could be made worse without it. But if you want to show off, try a smoky Syrah from the Rhône, or a white with crisp apple notes – unoaked Chardonnay or Grüner Veltliner work beautifully. Pork and apple is a classic for a reason.

With our wine + crisp tastings not happening until next month, there’s more testing to be done. But when all is said and done, the best pairing is the one that makes you want another sip and another handful – ideally shared, ideally in a pub or bar. Wine doesn’t always need a plate. Sometimes it just needs a bag and a bit of crunch.

Visit KASK Wine at 51 North Street and KASK² at 243 Cheltenham Road 07522 198081; www.kaskwine.co.uk

THE SUZIE SUNGLASSES, £135

Shades (literally!) of Lolita, though they’re considerably less problematic than the book

From Jimmy Fairley, 90 Park Street www.jimmyfairley.com

A V IN THE MONTH

If you like it then you better put a heart on it

KEITH HARING X BLACKWING RADIANT HEART POINT GUARD, £18

What is this, you may reasonably ask? It is, in fact, a device that fits over the point of your pencil and protects the lead from breaking in your bag or pocket. So yeah, it’s niche, but if you know someone who’d love it, they’ll love it

From U Studio, 113 Gloucester ` Road; www.ustudio.shop

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD 'BELLE' METALLIC LEATHER BAG, £168 (FROM £280)

Wear your heart on your sleeve, or at least over the crook of your elbow

From Harvey Nichols 27 Philadelphia Street www.harveynichols.com

MACON & LESQUOY LAPEL PIN, £20

Hand-embroidered heart pin by Parisian fashion brand Macon et Lesquoy. Brooches are big news for 2026, and these are very cute on a lapel or cuff

From U Studio, 113 Gloucester Road www.ustudio.shop

IB LAURSEN ENAMEL TEA

LIGHT HOLDER, £4.55

When you don't want to set the world on fire, you just want to start a flame in their heart

From Mon Pote, 217 North Street www.monpote.co.uk

VINTAGE TIE-DYE T-SHIRT (L), £22

For a truly one-off gift, not to mention a pleasing bargain, hit up Bristol’s vintage shops From Beyond Retro 20 Broadmead www.beyondretro.com

CUSTOMISED HEART MUG, £25.50

Who do you love? Stokes Croft China lets you personalise a variety of mug designs with your loved one’s name. Or your name, even; we’re not judging From Stokes Croft China, 33 Jamaica Street; www.prscshop.co.uk

CAROLINA HERRERA HEART CHARM, £23

Very cute little heart; clip it to a handbag or keyring, or even wear it as a pendant

From Harvey Nichols 27 Philadelphia Street www.harveynichols.com

SILVER AND GOLD KISS CHARM NECKLACE, £350

When you just want their extra time, and their…

In silver, with an 18ct yellow gold kiss

From Diana Porter, 33 Park Street www.dianaporter.co.uk

COTTON T-SHIRT, £25 (FROM £45)

As Kate Bush might say, L’amour looks something like . . . this From Mint Velvet, 44 Regent Street www.mintvelvet.com

LULU COPENHAGEN 'HAPPY HEART' ENAMEL EARRING, £29

At 12mm it’s quite the statement, but the simple design keeps things elegant

From Grace & Mabel, 32 The Mall www.graceandmabel.co.uk

BLOOMINGVILLE STONEWARE BOWLS, £8.40 EACH (FROM £14)

Designed for the Christmas table, but we won’t tell them if you don’t

From Fig 1, Unit 9 Gaol Ferry Steps www.fig1.co.uk

BONCOEURS GRAND ROYAL HEART, £11.97 (FROM £23.95)

These charming ex-voto metal hearts are based on those hung in churches, following a wish made or thanks given. What, or who, will you wish for?

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

LISA ANGEL TINY MATCHBOX TOKEN, £6.50

Because a cute romantic gesture doesn’t have to break the bank

From Fox + Feather, 41 Gloucester Road www.foxandfeather.co.uk

DON’T SAY YES TO THE STRESS

How to get from ‘I will’ to ‘I do’ with your nerves and relationships still intact

Words by Ursula Cole

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Look, when it comes to the bare, knot-tying essentials, getting married is a cinch. All you need to do is turn up, murmur a few vows, say ‘I do’ and sign the forms. That’s it; hitched for life, with a bit of luck.

The months leading up to this joyful moment, however, can be a little trickier to navigate. There are big decisions to make and budgets to balance; questions to ask, nerves to calm, awkward relatives to appease. As with all successful campaigns, whether martial or marital, what you need is a list.

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Nail the vibe

Firstly, what style of wedding are you after? A boho mini-Glastonbury held in a field with just, oh, 250 of your closest friends? (Yes, we know people like that.) A super-slick and sophisticated event for 50 in an elegant town-house hotel? Ten people in a room over a pub?

Sometimes the style is automatically dictated by the size of the guest list, but if you’re wedded (pun intended) to a certain look, it may be the other way round. Either way, once you’ve decided on the size and style, choosing a venue becomes so much easier; more on page 64.

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Set a budget, and stick to it

You and your partner are not average, so ignore all those ‘average Brit spends £25k on a

wedding’ stats. If you can and want to splash the cash then go for it, but if you can only afford a month’s salary, or would rather spend the money on a honeymoon or saving for a home, prioritise the bits you absolutely want and jettison the rest. We’re looking at you, wedding favours: no grown-up needs a goody bag.

Tip: Unless you really want a flash motor and chauffeur to convey you the few miles from your home to the venue, ask a friend or relative with a nice car to stick a bow on it and ask them to drive you instead. You’ll save hundreds.

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BY

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PHOTO BY BEN ROBINS PHOTOGRAPHY

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The fun of the fair

If you need inspiration and information, wedding fairs – or fayres, as many call themselves, for no good reason – are full of good ideas and stalls manned by suppliers. Keep an eye on the websites of local hotels for up-and-coming events. Idea: Check out the Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza at Paintworks on 8 March, a quirky and inclusive wedding show filled with non-traditional inspiration and creativity.

WEDDINGS

4

Style counsel

If you still need help and guidance, companies such as Elegance Events offer bespoke wedding planning and on-theday co-ordination.

“Every wedding we design is tailored to the couple; no templates, no cookie-cutter packages”, says Alex Nystrom. “We’re known for our discreet presence, thoughtful details, and ability to turn a vision into a beautifully executed reality.”

5

The trend zone

Trends are great for kickstarting ideas, though don’t feel obliged to follow them to the letter – just pick and mix from the ones that appeal to you.

Alex at Elegance Events is seeing a strong move towards intentional, experience-led weddings. “Intimate guest numbers, extended celebrations across a weekend, personalised tablescapes, relaxed but elevated dining experiences, and a blend of timeless elegance with modern, understated styling. Sustainability is also important.”

Sarah Ameson, events manager at the ss Great Britain finds that couples are embracing weddings that reflect their personalities and values.

“There’s a growing appetite for non-traditional venues, storytelling through décor and styling, and guest experiences which feel meaningful.”

The Mount Without says that style-wise, couples are loving

fruit arrangements, silver and chrome, bespoke lace veils and ceilidh dancing, while the Manor House at Castle Combe reports a rising popularity in colour, from pops of oranges and pinks to baby blues and blush pinks.

Sant Fraed House confirms that couples are looking for unique touches which break from tradition, from tiramisu stations (yes please!) and champagne towers to live music during the wedding breakfast.

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The DIY wedding

Obviously the more you do yourself, the more money you’ll save; you’re also more likely to end up with an event that’s unique and personal to you.

Tip: If you’re in need of props and styling, Maeflower hires out sustainably sourced and carefully curated decoration; the studio

also specialises in transforming temporary spaces into beautifully personal environments which feel natural and elevated.

7Choose your wedding party (carefully)

Ensure that the maid of honour and best man are the types you can rely on, whether organising the hen and stag dos or giving a witty yet U-rated speech on the day. The bridesmaids’ main role is to provide emotional and practical support to the bride before and during the wedding. Less is generally asked of the groom’s squad: if this bunch of likely lads manages to turn up looking smart and seats everyone correctly at the ceremony, job done; they can then make a beeline for the free bar and try to get off with the bridesmaids.

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Draw up the guest list

Whether you’re inviting 10 or 200 souls, send out the ‘save the date’ invitations a good year in advance, and specify the need for RSVPs. Follow these up around eight weeks before the wedding day, this time with all the specific details. If you’re planning some elegant, sophisticated event that’s not compatible with kids, it’s fine to explain that they aren’t included. If you’re having a big, casual wedding, however, and quite like the idea of little ankle-biters running around, a pop-up tent and nannies allow kids to have a great time without spoiling yours. Whether or not you allow dogs is an entirely different matter… Tip: Companies such as Pitch Up and Play will keep the kids happy while the grown-ups party.

8

The gift list

If you’re fine for toasters you may be wondering if it’s OK to ask for cash. Some guests feel this rather smacks of selling tickets. “Do we need a wristband or a stamp to get in?” is one tart comment we’ve heard.

Asking for a contribution to a honeymoon is a softer option that’s popular with couples who already live together and already have a houseful of stuff. Idea: Love art? Hidden Gallery in Clifton has a cool idea: “Couples can select a particular piece of art, and guests contribute towards it.” We’re seriously thinking of renewing our vows so we can bag us a Banksy.

9

Choose your photographer

You can make your own bunting, you can bake your own cake, but however handy your cousin may be with his Canon 5d, photos should be always entrusted to a professional. Tip: Choose someone you’ll actually enjoy having around.

“I always feel like a guest with a backstage pass”, says Bristol photographer Ben Robins (www.benrobinsphotography), who says he’s grown his client list through word-of-mouth recommendations.

“You can’t fail to get caught up in the joy of people at weddings, and it’s a great feeling to be a part of that. One of my main objectives is to be as unobtrusive as possible, and I love hearing a couple’s surprise when they discover that a few key moments were captured without them having to strike a pose.”

Cater, alligator

Some venues have their own dedicated caterers while others are happy for/ expect you to organise your own.

Bristol couples prioritise food that’s local, seasonal and sustainable. For casual weddings, family platters, street-style food trucks and biodynamic wines are all increasingly popular. Fun options include pie and mash from Pieminister; wood-fired pizzas by Pizzarova, cooked and served from their famous Landy; Mexican-inspired fire-cooking from Basement 17, and Ciccios Kitchen for evening arancini snacks. For showstopping cakes, of course, you simply can’t do better than Ahh Toots.

12

Say yes to the dress

Even the most excitable bride will calm down a bit when her dress is hanging in the wardrobe.

The concept of a white bridal gown is relatively new; until late Victorian times, brides simply wore their best frock. The pendulum has now started to swing back, with many modern brides opting for chic outfits in every colour in the rainbow with the very sensible aim of being able to wear them again.

Upcycling is also increasingly popular. Not only is it an eco and economical choice, but virtually guarantees you’ll end up with something unique. Check out Bristol Bridal Boutique, where you’ll find designer gowns at a fraction of their original cost.

Idea: Mitchy-matchy bridesmaids dresses rarely flatter all shapes. Consider allowing each bridesmaid to choose a dress in an agreed palette, or indeed in a rainbow array of pastels.

Clifton Rocks is seeing more customers interested in chunkier signet styles, rolling engagement rings and wedding bands into one –“Plus beautiful hand engraved rings, maybe thanks to Taylor Swift! Men are looking for something different too, sometimes even with a gemstones. There’s also a trend for unusual gems for engagement rings; yellow, blue and pink sapphires are very popular.”

India Mee says that many customers want the personalised

15

That’s entertainment

Corny wedding singers crooning covers have had their day. You won’t struggle to find top-notch Bristol bands to hire in every genre. There are, of course, plenty of other options, from casinos to karaoke, magicians, photobooths, silent discos, fairground rides and marryoke, while if you wanted to recreate the wedding scene in Love Actually, Bravo Singing Waiters will recreate it, complete with gospel choir, or indeed spring any other kind of musical surprise on your partner/guests.

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13

Suits you, sir (or indeed, madam)

Zebel offers a huge choice and impeccable quality, with a dedicated member of staff to look after you from start to finish. Custom suiting starts at £600, off-the-peg from £200.

Tip: “Green is on trend (again), along with cream linen and dinner suits”, they say. “We’re also seeing the rise of burnt orange and double-breasted styling”.

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Put a ring on it

Bristol is full of independent jewellers offering a truly bespoke service for couples seeking something truly personal; many are able to convert existing jewellery into wedding rings.

“Mixed-metal is a trend set to continue”, says the team at Diana Porter. “Silver is returning strongly for 2026, bringing a cool contrast to warm yellow tones, defined by bold proportions and confident silhouettes.”

touch – “even if it’s something small, hidden on the inside of the band. And shaped-to-fit wedding ring designs can enhance an engagement ring; it’s important that both rings should sit well together.”

“Couples are choosing alternative stones, mixed metals, soft asymmetry and understated settings, with a growing focus on longevity, sustainability and pieces designed to be worn long after the wedding day”, says Alina at Loxley Jewellers.

Nicholas Wylde is seeing couples place more value on meaning and wearability.

“Many are reusing inherited family gold to create sentimental, cost-conscious rings, while grooms favour comfortable, lowprofile white metal bands with brushed or textured finishes. For brides, diamond-set styles lead the way, with lab-grown stones being increasingly popular.”

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Love in bloom

Local florists tell us that more and more couples are wanting natural, wild framing for their day.

The Wild Zinnia specialises in intimate, small-scale luxury. “We provide everything from exquisite bridal party designs to statement ceremony urns”, say Roz and Debs. “For a hands-on touch, we also offer curated buckets of our own Britishgrown blooms for couples to style themselves.

“We don’t just design; we grow. Every stem is nurtured on our North Bristol farm, allowing the shifting colours and scents of the seasons to dictate our designs. By embracing the ‘whimsically wild’ we create organic arrangements that feel like an extension of the landscape.

“We’re seeing a shift toward elegant, single-variety abundance: picture overflowing

urns of delicate Orlaya or Icelandic poppies. Conversely, a joyful riot of colour is returning. Couples are also becoming more intentional, choosing British-grown flowers for their sustainability, soul, and scent.”

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Book your stylist

Unless your maid of honour is an absolute whizz with the heated tongs, consider booking a hair stylist to come to you on the day; it’s a lovely treat to share with the bridal party, too.

Sam Bell of Hair at 58 has several looks to suggest.

“The relaxed wedding bun, low-set in the nape of the neck is soft and effortless, yet intricate and detailed; a stylish modern take on the typical bridal up-do.”

Ponytails are “either positioned at the crown with lustrous waves and fullness, or low-set at the nape for a more

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understated and stylish look.”

Finally, “A French pleat, as worn by Pamela Anderson recently at the Golden Globes, is the definition of timeless bridal elegance; polished, graceful and chic, it allows the bride’s beauty to take centre stage.”

14

18

18… and maybe a make up artist, too As with hair, as with hemlines, the less outré you go, the greater the likelihood that you won’t wince at your wedding photos in thirty years’ time.

Naomi Lake of Bridal by Naomi takes a custom-designed bridal approach with each client. “‘With’ is an important word here: it’s a collaborative approach”, she says. “We look at your ideas together, and I adapt them to your style using hand-picked products to create something together that still feels true to you. The focus is always on enhancing natural beauty, not masking with heavy products.”

Naomi is seeing a movement towards “Uncomplicated yet classic make-up styles that offer longevity without requiring excessive time to maintain. Think tinted lip products over lipsticks, and skincareforward bases with smart ingredients that work with your skin type.”

And a word in your shellac-like ear. If you only have one semipermanent nail polish in your life, this is the time for it. Your ring hand is going to be on show all day (and you may as well have the other hand done while you’re at it. . . )

WEDDINGS

19

There’s a place for us

The Bristol area can offer every kind of wedding venue. From slick urban clubs to country-house hotels, the sky’s the limit – quite literally if you marry at M Shed, where you can be lifted by a crane to the top-floor events space.

Watershed

Based right on Harbourside, Watershed offers everything from civil ceremonies to wedding breakfasts and evening receptions. They can also host ceremonies in the cinema, so you can screen your favourite film, or live-stream the ceremony.

Their Bristol Package includes a boat trip around the harbour, there’s a locally sourced menu, while fun add-ons include signature cocktails, entertainment and next-day brunch movie screenings.

The Granary

The historic building is ideal for photo opps, and offers two spaces: a light-filled restaurant and glamorous underground cocktail bar. Couples can enjoy everything from a wedding breakfast or post-ceremony lunch to a full day of dining, cocktails, dancing, and latenight celebrations, all under one

walking down the aisle to last drinks at the bar.

roof. There are bespoke menus and cocktails named after the couple, while DJs, live music and entertainment can all be laid on.

Harbour House

Within Brunel’s historic transit shed, Harbour House can offer everything from a relaxed BBQ on the terrace, with its Harbourside views, to familystyle sharing menus or just a place to dance. “We don’t really follow trends but we are seeing a lot more couples looking for a more casual-style day where friends and family can come together and just party”, they say.

Bristol Old Vic

From romantic proposals to ceremonies and full-venue parties, weddings at the theatre bring all the drama – the right kind, not the Beckham kind. The Balcony Bar overlooking King Street is ideal for a proposal, and what could be more magical than saying “I do” on the centuriesold stage?

Manor House, Castle Combe

The idyllic countryside Manor House can cater for two up to 150 guests. What makes it special, theyt say, is the “characterful property, enchanting grounds and breathtaking location.”

The Mount Without

The historic church has been meticulously renovated and now offers the most atmospheric setting for a wedding, from

“Our blend of old, scarred walls and Infinite art installation, together with the rolling art exhibitions in The Crypt, set the scene for a stylish soirée that’s classic yet open to your interpretation. Within our ethereal walls, we offer a sense of escapism in a venue that couples can make their own for the day, whatever their aesthetic.”

ss Great Britain

Where history meets romance. Weddings don’t come any more Bristol than those on board

Brunel’s boat, surrounded by all its extraordinary engineering

“The atmosphere is immersive and unforgettable, whether you’re exchanging vows on the Weather Deck with views of Bristol, or dining in the First-Class Dining Saloon”, they say.

The temptation to recreate the Jack and Rose Titanic pose at the prow must be overwhelming; we suggest you simply lean into it.

Sant Ffraed House

How about an exclusive-use luxury wedding at a beautiful Welsh country estate? Sant Ffraed blends historic charm with modern style, with lovely views over the Monmouthshire countryside as a bonus. You can host the whole day here, from ceremony and drinks to dining, dancing and overnight stays, with flexible indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces and in-house restaurant quality catering. n

Tel: 07825 805359 | Email: alex@eleganceevents.co.uk www.eleganceevents.co.uk

INTERIORS MONOLOGUE

THE ENDURING SUCCESS OF GARDINER HASKINS

INSIDE INFORMATION

When a business is over 200 years old, it’s going to have been through some changes, and so it is with GARDINER HASKINS, – the landmark Bristol family interiors company that’s survived both wars and the internet. Let MD Ben Allen tell you the story

Words by Paul Marland

Bristol born and bred, Ben Allen worked in consumer electronics for Panasonic, a corporate guy who took a career break to do up an old cow shed north of Bristol – and ended up as vice principal of an agricultural college. None of which, of course, has much to do with why we asked him to join us for one of our network lunches. Instead, that would be the second half of his career, running the family business – Gardiner Haskins, the well-known interiors company – when his father, who’d been managing director since the 1970s, finally retired.

It’s certainly a company with history: an ironmonger and blacksmith in 1825, it slowly mutated into a builder’s merchants, specialising in fireplaces, ornamental gates, even kitchen ranges, and by the 19th century was making bigger, more elaborate things: measuring instruments, compasses, bits of kit for Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the original Twin Towers at Wembley…

“I’ve always had quite a low boredom threshold, and love change,” Ben says. “At Panasonic we moved from old cathode ray tube televisions to flat screens, which stood me in good stead. Currently, we have the region’s largest kitchen, bathroom and bedroom showroom, near Temple Meads. It’s 25,000 square feet, and we turn over around £3 million a year, and growing. We also operate a car park business, so it’s a real mixed bag. The best thing you can do in a leadership role is make sure

that everyone’s aligned and pulling in the same direction. We have the opposite of a blame culture here, and encourage an element of risktaking in all our roles – because you have to keep your business fresh. So we empower people, and if things go wrong, we learn from it and move on.”

When a company is this old, it will have inevitably gone though numerous significant changes. Take the World War II years, for instance, when there was very little demand for home improvement products – “because bombs were dropping on people’s houses”, Ben says, “and everything was turned over to the war effort.

Bailey bridges were coming out of our ironworks, for instance.”

The last 10 years, of course, have seen the rise (and rise) of online shopping, making the traditional high street retail model precarious in some markets – so what to do? The Gardiner Haskins solution has been to move to a high-involvement, highservice model, making the human touch paramount: “We measure people’s homes, we run in-depth design consultations, we projectmanage installations. We’re not simply selling fridges and washing machines, or competing with the likes of Argos and Currys; instead,

opposite page: Ben was interviewed by MediaClash MD Steph Dodd at Bristol Harbour Hotel left: Guests at the Network Lunch awaiting, well, lunch

“WE ENCOURAGE AN ELEMENT OF RISK-TAKING IN ALL OUR ROLES – YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS FRESH”

we’re out to generate interest in kitchens and bathrooms, which translates to appointments at our showroom.”

Back in 2017, following a deep dive into the past, present and possible futures of the business, some tough decisions had to be made – not least, ridding themselves of a huge DIY home centre that didn’t make sense anymore. “The solution was to take the really profitable parts of Gardiner Haskins, and move them to a different retail setting, one focused entirely on customer service, design and installation, the whole service mix,” Ben says. Of course, that meant making people redundant: always difficult, but the world had changed.

“As a family business, that’s especially hard, but I’m pleased we keep in touch with an awful lot of staff who used to work at our DIY home centre, and they still shop and socialise with us. I’ve learned that you have to do things when you can afford to do them properly – so if you need to change your business model, don’t wait until you’ve run several years at a loss, and are in financial trouble.

“When we restructured, we were still making a small trading profit – but if we’d waited another few

years, the pandemic would have hit, and perhaps we couldn’t have looked after our ex-staff so well.”

These days, to keep things fresh, 10-20% of the products on offer change each year – so they’ve recently put in a new German kitchen range, and last year started selling Japanese toilets, those clever computerised ones that wash and dry you afterwards. Bristol seems rather keen on them. There’s a live working unit – actually Swiss rather than Japanese, but same idea – in their baby change room, so you can try before you buy.

“When I worked at Orange,” Ben says, “a wise boss told me you have to ‘eat your own dog food’. At Orange, that meant I had to upgrade my phone every two weeks, which drove me nuts – but he was exactly right.

“If you haven’t experienced what you’re selling, you can’t possibly describe it to a customer. It’s like that with the toilets. I’ve used them, and when customers turn up they go off to the baby-change room, they select the temperature of the water and the fan, then quite a few come straight back out and write us a cheque then and there.”

So what’s next? More recent hits at the showroom include a ‘walk-in wardrobe experience’ and a range of high end ovens “that are actually plumbed in like a sink, so they have a water supply and waste, and when you finish cooking, they steam clean themselves.”

Not for everyone perhaps, but kind of fascinating. “The beauty of being such an independent operation,” Ben says, “is that we move fast, so can drop things that aren’t working. But equally, if something’s selling well elsewhere, or if someone – one of the designers, maybe – comes up with a great idea, we can jump on it right away.”

For more: www.gardinerhaskins.co.uk

ON YOUR MARKS

In case this has escaped your attention, Marks & Spencer opened its large, new flagship store in Cabot Circus within the former House of Fraser space late last year, marking the store’s return to the city centre after the closure of its Broadmead store in 2022. The opening was an eagerly anticipated events, with hundreds queuing for the launch.

The new three-floor store offers a full-line experience with an 80,000 sq ft space, including a large market-style food hall with an in-store bakery, fashion, home and beauty departments, including one of M&S’s biggest beauty halls., and a 200-seat coffee shop. The store is backed by £21m investment and has been expected to create up to 150 jobs..

Cabot Circus complements M&S’s existing offer across Bristol, including its Avonmeads, Eastgate, Imperial Park and Whiteladies Road stores as well as Cribbs Causeway and Longwell Green; work is currently underway to transform the Cribbs Causeway store.

“It’s brilliant to be announcing our return to Bristol city centre”, said M&S CEO Stuart Machin. “At Cabot Circus we’re able to create a flagship store which delivers the best possible shopping experience for customers and showcases the very best of M&S. Our store rotation programme is all about ensuring we have the right stores in the right place and with the right space to excite and inspire our customers, including in city centres. This £21m investment will allow us to do just that while expanding our footprint across the South West.”

For more: www.marksandspencer.com

CAFÉ SOCIETY

Turnover at the café, bar and restaurant operator Loungers has surpassed £400m in a record year that also saw strong earnings growth and the creation of around 1,000 jobs.

Founded in Bristol in 2002, Loungers opened its 300th site in summer 2025.

The business reported that the record sales were driven by market-leading like-for-like growth in its mature estate, strong performance from newer sites and

35 new openings across the year. Each opening involved close to £1m of local high street investment and around 30 new jobs.

Loungers delisted in February 2025 after being acquired by funds managed by Fortress Investment Group and Lion Capital. It remains confident that profitability will improve over the medium term, supported by strong cash generation, menu innovation and a balanced all-day trading model.

For more: www.loungers.co.uk

HANGAR MANAGEMENT

A major milestone in North Bristol’s regeneration has arrived with the opening of Spitfire Hangar at Brabazon. Dating back to 1915 and once part of Filton Airfield, the restored hangar is now a vibrant destination for food, culture and community.

At its heart is Mokoko Bakery’s largest-ever site, reimagining the historic industrial space with warm wood, bold murals and retroinspired design, blending aviation heritage with modern craft baking.

The hangar also offers flexible event spaces for gatherings from three to 300 guests, supporting exhibitions, workshops and celebrations, while helping establish Brabazon as a new cultural quarter.

Part of YTL Developments’ vision for Brabazon new town, the hangar is its first restored historic building.

“We’re incredibly proud to open the doors of Spitfire Hangar and can’t wait to see this building come to life for the community”, said Naomi Easy, venue and events manager. For more: www.brabazon.co.uk

SPACE TO WORK

MAP

SPACE is a flexible design-led workspace at Eagle House, providing private offices, co-working, meeting rooms and large-scale event space, delivered with hospitality-style service and a strong sense of community.

Allow POLLY BRYAN to tell you more...

Our aim is to create workspaces that feel inspiring, effortless to use and genuinely supportive of the people and businesses inside them”, says Polly Bryan.

What is your role in the company?

I have recently joined the MAP Space team working alongside Mike Bryan and Amanda Blakemore. The three of us have been friends and colleagues for over 15 years; we’d often talked about combining our experience in the flexible workspace sector one day, and building something of our own. Mike is

a natural entrepreneur, having founded and grown several successful businesses, and when the opportunity to secure Eagle House came along it was simply too good to pass up. Mike and Amanda got the vision off the ground, shaping the brand and bringing the building to life over a long and very hands-on summer.

After taking some personal time away, I’ve now joined the business full-time. Joining a start-up means no two days are the same, one moment I’m welcoming members, the next I’m working on marketing and brand development, meeting fit-out contractors, handling client requests or solving operational challenges: everything that keeps the building running smoothly and the experience feeling effortless. Having watched MAP Space take shape from the

sidelines, I’m excited to now be fully immersed in the business and helping drive its next chapter.

What were you doing before you joined MAP Space?

I’ve worked in the flexible office industry for over 20 years across a wide range of roles. Most recently, I project-managed new centre acquisitions and delivered workspaces from empty buildings through to fully operational business centres. Alongside this, I led compliance, health and safety, client satisfaction and quality standards. That experience has given me a deep understanding of what makes flexible workspace operations successful, and I’m now bringing everything I’ve learned into shaping the MAP Space experience and community.

What inspired MAP Space and when did it first open?

After years in the industry, the MAP Space team saw an opportunity to build something more personal, more design-led and more rooted in Bristol’s business community. The vision was to combine industry knowledge with thoughtful design, warm hospitality and genuine care for how people experience their working day. MAP Space opened at Eagle House at the end of 2025.

How would you sum up MAP Space’s core purpose or philosophy?

To design workspaces around people, not just desks. A great workspace should support focus, encourage connection and feel welcoming from the moment you walk in.

Can you sum up the range of workspace solutions you offer?

MAP Space offers private office suites for teams of all sizes, dedicated co-working workstations, meeting rooms for one-to-ones through to board meetings, and a large auditorium and event space for conferences and product launches. Everything is fully serviced, flexible and supported by the on-site team.

How do you tailor workspace solutions to different businesses?

Flexibility is at the core of MAP Space. We take time to understand each business – how it works, its culture and budget – then shape a workspace that fits. From quiet private suites to collaborative team spaces or hybrid setups, clients can

“WE TAKE TIME TO UNDERSTAND EACH BUSINESS –HOW IT WORKS, ITS CULTURE AND BUDGET –THEN SHAPE A WORKSPACE THAT FITS”

also personalise their offices with branding, colours, lighting, planting and AV so that the space truly feels their own.

What amenities and support services are most valuable to members?

Fast Wi-Fi and robust IT infrastructure as standard, but it’s the everyday details that make the difference. A welcoming reception team, quality coffee, well-equipped meeting rooms and breakout areas. We offer secure internal bike storage, drying lockers, showers, and kitchen facilities including microwaves and toasters. Most importantly, there’s always a responsive on-site team ready to help.

Can you share any success stories?

Since opening, we’ve been blown away by the support and how MAP Space has been received. Growing interest in the brand has already allowed us to secure an additional floor at Eagle House, with fit-out underway and completion due in February 2026. We’re steadily growing our client base, and hearing positive feedback from viewing businesses and new members has been the most rewarding early measure of success.

What are your plans for the next year or so?

Our focus is on growing the MAP Space community through events, networking and collaboration with our members and local businesses. We’ll continue refining the member experience while exploring opportunities to expand MAP Space beyond Eagle House as the business evolves. Watch this space.

For more: info@mapspace.uk www.mapspace.uk

CELEBRATING THE CITY

DATES FOR THE DIARY 23 February

Bristol Life Network Lunch

With Osborne Clarke, at Harbour House Hotel

17-18 June

EntreConf

Back at Watershed with fresh inspiration for entrepreneurs, scale-ups and established businesses alike

For all upcoming events see www.mediaclash.co.uk/events

Nominations have now closed for the 2026 Bristol Life Awards. On 3 February, after lengthy and careful perusing, the shortlist will be revealed, after which our distinguished panel of judges will debate, possibly argue, and finally select the outright winners.

The Bristol Life Awards are designed for everyone, from the smallest, coolest indie businesses to the largest corporates. The Awards celebrate the whole of the city – all sectors, all types, from commercial to charity and civic; from new companies to our long-established local treasures.

The Awards are the business highlight of the Bristol year, as the The

best of the city assembles in its finery to network, party and celebrate the success of their peers; some of them, of course, will take home one of the coveted golden Awards.

The Awards matter. They offer public recognition for you and your team, whether finalists or winners. After all, it’s pretty rare when people other than teams and customers recognise the quality of what you do.

10 YEARS OF THE BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS

It’s not just a regular Bristol Life Awards either; it’s a special 10thanniversary event, with many exciting plans in the pipeline – all will be revealed in our next issue, which carries a special preview.

GET TICKETS

The 2026 Bristol Life Awards will be held at Ashton Gate Stadium on

26 March. Tickets invariably sell out, with many more people on the waiting list. There’s always a rush once the finalists are revealed, and given the special nature of this year’s anniversary event we’re anticipating even greater demand than usual.

Head to the website below and book your tickets now; we’d hate you to miss out.

For more: www.bristollifeawards.co.uk

WOMEN IN BUSINESS MEET THE

Introducing the women who play a growing role in entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, and the broader local economy

ABBIE BARRETT MELLA RECRUITMENT www.mellarecruitment.co.uk

What inspired you to start Mella Recruitment?

Starting Mella Recruitment was inspired by two things: my career in recruitment and becoming a mum. I registered the business just ten days after my son was born, which gave me a completely new sense of motivation and perspective. I wanted to

build a people-first recruitment business based on transparency, strong relationships, and long-term value — but also something I could be proud for my son to see one day. After several years in the industry, I saw an opportunity to do things differently and create a brand that genuinely reflected my own values.

What challenges have you faced building a business, and how have you navigated them as a female founder?

Self-doubt and being underestimated have definitely been challenges, particularly in the early stages. Building a business while adjusting to motherhood added another layer, but it also strengthened my resilience. I’ve navigated these challenges by backing myself, staying focused on delivering results, and building a strong support network around me. Learning to trust my instincts and not compare my journey to others has also been key.

What does a typical working day look like for you?

Every day is different, but it usually includes

client meetings, candidate interviews, business development, and strategy planning. I also spend time on operations, marketing, and ensuring service quality remains high.

What moment or milestone are you most proud of so far?

Securing our first long-term retained client was a huge milestone and validated our approach. It gave me confidence that our values-led model really worked. More broadly, seeing Mella grow into a trusted recruitment partner for multiple businesses — something I built from the ground up while on maternity leave — has been incredibly rewarding and a proud personal achievement.

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of Mella Recruitment? Growing the business while staying true to our values really excites me. Expanding partnerships, increasing our community involvement, and continuing to build a strong, ethical brand are all key priorities. I’m especially excited about creating longterm impact through both our work and our charitable and community initiatives.

DARYLLE SARGEANT

KABUKI STUDIOS

0117 330 8297

www.kabukistudios.com

How would you describe your leadership or working style?

I always lead with friendship, within my team we’re all equals. I’m particular with how things operate whilst prioritising my team’s needs so everyone can feel supported. My team being fulfilled is always first focus.

What advice would you give to women starting out in your industry?

Firstly - set your boundaries with your time, energy and importantly your prices. It’s the only way to create a healthy work life balance. Secondly - invest in education, the beauty industry is fast paced and constantly evolving so to best serve your skill set and your clients, educate yourself constantly. Be open minded and don’t get stuck in old ways.

What excites you most about the future of your business?

I’m most excited about elevating my brand, adding more skills and services to the studio but streamlining the treatments so that every single service upholds our reputation for guaranteed perfection.

NICOLE ASKWITH WILLIAMS

WOMENS WELLBEING CLUB

www.thewomenswellbeingclub. com

What inspired you to start The Women’s Wellbeing Club?

The Women’s Wellbeing Club was born from seeing how misunderstood women’s health and wellbeing still is. Through my own experiences and over 10 years in corporate roles, I saw a clear gap between what women are told to do and what their bodies actually need. I wanted to create an evidencebased space that empowers women through education, with a truly holistic lifestyle approach.

DR HANNAH CHAPMAN

KINDRED CLINIC, WESTBURY PARK; 07794 415413

hello@kindredskin.co.uk www.kindredclinic.co.uk

What inspired you to start or lead your business?

I’ve been a Bristol doctor for 20 years, with a longstanding passion for skin and dermatology. After having two children close together, along with sleep deprivation and the inevitable effects of ageing, I found myself in my late thirties feeling a little lost. I didn’t recognise the person in the mirror. Subtle skin tweakments helped me feel like myself again, but I couldn’t find a clinic in Bristol that felt genuinely safe, female doctor-led or aligned with my aesthetic goals. So I embarked on a journey to create one. Kindred Clinic was designed as a calm, considered space where patient safety comes first, treatments are doctor-led, devices are world-class and natural, elegant results are the priority.

What moment or milestone with The Women’s Wellbeing Club are you most proud of so far?

Winning Young Businesswoman of the Year 2025 for Bristol and the SME Elite Business Award was a huge milestone. Both came as a complete shock, but they validated that women’s health education and support is not only needed, but increasingly valued within the wider business community.

What do you feel sets The Women’s Wellbeing Club apart within Bristol’s wellbeing and business communities?

We bridge science-backed women’s health education with reallife application, supporting both individuals and organisations to create sustainable, long-term change.

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of The Women’s Wellbeing Club?

I’m excited to expand our work into organisations through tailored workshops and our Women’s Health Champion training. These advocates help normalise conversations and improve support for women in the workplace.

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in business?

It’s still not a level playing field. Balancing motherhood and business can feel like spinning a hundred plates, often without the same level of support afforded to men. It takes grit and determination – and isn’t that exactly what women are made of?

What achievement are you most proud of so far?

Opening one of the few female doctor-led high-street skin clinics in Bristol, being recognised nationally at the Safety in Beauty Awards, and speaking at national aesthetics conferences.

What advice would you give to women in your industry? Start before you feel ready, take risks, believe in yourself, don’t apologise for ambition, buy the dress.

EMILY ROSKILLY ROSKILLY

& CO

07940 984 777; www.roskillyco.uk

What inspired you to start or lead your business?

My entrepreneurial grandparents inspired me. I always wanted to run my own business. I set up a boutique law firm in Bristol specialising in supporting private clients in a modern, empathetic, collaborative and forwardthinking way.

What sets your business apart in Bristol’s business landscape?

Bristol has a strong legal landscape. I was really keen to establish a boutique private client law firm because I want clients to have a choice in the market - to be able to access advice from specialist and highly experienced solicitors at affordable rates.

What advice would you give to women starting out in your industry?

To engage in business development at an early stage and to never forget the importance of building relationships, because they will serve you well in the future. For those who may want to start a business – to feel the fear and do it anyway! It is liberating to grow something that you have founded and you learn so much along the way.

EMILY KENNA SENSE RISK

07903 326 963

www.senserisk.co.uk

What inspired you to start your business?

My son. He is now 13 years old and non-verbal autistic. I found it hard to balance the traditional corporate world with his needs, yet I wasn’t ready to give up my career. I loved my work and my family, so I set out to build a culture that didn’t force me to choose. Work is a huge part of my identity; ironically, it is something I need to feel truly ‘balanced’.

What advice would you give to women starting out in your industry?

Find a business culture that aligns with your values – don’t compromise on that. Just as importantly, find allies. Success is rarely a solo journey; invest time in building a network of people who support you, challenge you, and lift you up when things get hard.

What does success look like to you now?

For me, success is about community and making a tangible difference in people’s lives. If I can expand that community, and welcome more people into a supportive innovative environment, that is success.

MICHELE MIDWINTER

THE MOUNT WITHOUT www.themountwithout.co.uk

What inspired you to start or lead your business?

I’m a Bristolian and went to Cotham School in the late ’80s and early ’90s. I love the city and its culture, but I felt weddings here didn’t reflect Bristol’s true spirit. You can drink in Stokes Croft, eat at great indie restaurants, love graffiti or hip-hop, then feel forced to change who you are on your wedding day because many venues don’t represent you. I wanted to create an independent, arts-led wedding venue where your celebration also gives back. We support small Bristol businesses, fund local artists’ exhibitions, offer reduced rates to charities and students, and sponsor a dance company with 25% free usage.

CHARLOTTE STRANG

STRANG & CO

www.strangandco.com

What inspired you to start your business?

Working as a chartered surveyor in Bristol, I witnessed the property market becoming increasingly challenging for buyers – particularly during Covid, which triggered widespread relocations, with buyers’ interests not being represented. That realisation led me to start my business, offering independent advice to help clients save time, money, and stress in a complex buying process.

What advice would you give to women starting out in your industry?

The property industry offers a wide range of career opportunities, so gaining varied early experience is invaluable. Identifying areas that genuinely interest you will lead to greater enjoyment and stronger performance. Equally, invest in your network; real power lies in the relationships you build. Apply yourself in every role, but don’t settle in a position that does not align with your interests and ambitions.

What sets your business apart in Bristol’s business landscape? Bristol has many estate agents but relatively few buying agents. Strang & Co is independent of any agency, enabling us to search the entire market with a particular focus on off-market opportunities. Our professional background and experience enable us to identify strong opportunities, negotiate effectively, and guide each purchase through to a successful completion.

AMANDA SPICER

YOUR ECO

01225 931666

www.yourecouk.com

What’s been a defining moment in your professional journey so far?

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in business?

Being taken seriously. I project managed the last 6 months of the build before launching the business and worked with many trades. I’m happy to work in the shadows but I was overlooked at every turn as I had a male business partner and as such, I was referred to as the event girl or the wife. Sad to say but it was other women that couldn’t comprehend that I was the lead in the business whilst my male business partner had the role of silent partner.

How do you balance growth with wellbeing or work–life boundaries?

I’m a single mum of two teens and built the business through Covid, which was tough. I worked until I physically couldn’t, but by then I’d built a small, exceptional team and had incredible friends supporting me through the hardest days. That’s when I learned the importance of work–life boundaries. I realised I could take a day off, and work in a more structured rhythm alternating meetings and paperwork.

Building and scaling Your Eco has been transformative, but representing Great Britain at the 2nd Global Installer Summit in Shenzhen, China, and opening the markets on the balcony of the London Stock Exchange were pivotal moments. These experiences validated that our mission to decarbonise energy markets has international significance and impact.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about building a successful business?

‘Be More Buffalo’ is one of Your Eco’s company values – face challenges head-on rather than running away. Buffalo are the only animals that run directly into storms, getting through them faster. This mindset has been crucial in navigating the complex renewable energy landscape.

Is there a quote or speech you draw on to help you find strength during challenges or tricky times?

Roosevelt’s ‘Dare Greatly’ speech resonates deeply with me: ”It is not the critic who counts, but the person who is actually in the arena.” I’ve learned that you’re going to fail, and that’s not just okay – it’s essential. Every setback in renewable energy has taught me something invaluable about resilience and innovation.

WEST MALL

The very quintessence of a Clifton classic

Words by Ursula Cole

It’s precisely the kind of home people imagine when you tell them you live in Clifton.

Gazing serenely across Mall Gardens at its twin terrace, Caledonia Place, right in the heart of the Village, West Mall is one of the most prestigious and architecturally distinguished addresses in the city.

Unlike some Bristol’s terraces, it wasn’t built by a single architect but evolved in stages. The first houses appeared in around 1785, as part of a grand plan to create a formal square facing the Mall. War halted proceedings, as war is prone to do, but later extensions in the 1830s continued the original vision, creating a satisfyingly unified statement.

Like its neighbours, our showcase this issue is a large Grade-II* town house which typifies the charms of its era, from its mellow limestone exterior – all elegant simplicity, set off by an ornate first-floor iron balustrade – to the capacious living space spread over five storeys. Along with landscaped gardens at the back, and the joyous bonus of a parking space, it’s a heady prospect indeed.

The scale of the interior impresses you as soon as you walk in. High ceilings reach up to 3.55 metres while the many period features include folding doors linking the principal reception rooms, elaborate cornicing and ceiling roses, tall, shuttered sash windows and panelled doors.

Georgian detailing mingles with well-considered modern updates. On the ground floor, a pair of adjoining rooms have been designed to complement one another seamlessly; the blond wooden furniture and fitted storage is contemporary, but there’s a hint of Art Deco in the clever curves which appear in both the hand-crafted kitchen and the dining room.

As was traditional for Georgian homes the first floor is dominated by a pair of formal receiving rooms linked by wedding doors.

The splendid 23ft drawing room faces Mall Gardens through a trio of floorto-ceiling shuttered sash windows which open to the balcony; this is south-facing, so with apologies to Caledonia Place we can declare West Mall the sunny side of the street. Both this room and the adjoining snug have the cosy advantages of fireplaces.

Head upstairs and you’ll pass by a quiet tuckedaway study on the half-landing before you reach the two main bedrooms on the first floor. If you have the pick of the rooms, you maybe a little conflicted. Will it be the elegant principal suite, with leafy views over The Mall Gardens and its own luxurious, ensuite bath and shower room with an underheated floor? Probably; though it must be tempting to bag the ever-so-slightly bigger second bedroom which has a private rear balcony offering glimpses of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. We’ll leave you to wrestle with that one. There are three more bedrooms and a bathroom on the floor above.

The lower-ground floor is enormously versatile with a large open-plan space currently arranged as a study, wine store and storage; its two separate entrances mean it could quite easily lend itself to a self-contained apartment or guest suite.

Back up on the ground floor, at the end of the long inner hallway, through a laundry that’s bigger than many people’s kitchens, doors open to the back garden. This landscaped oasis is an especially charming spot, with mature planting, water features and separate seating areas. Private gated access leads to the rear lane which offers secure off-street parking – an extremely rare and cherishable thing for the Village.

HOUSE NUMBERS

Where? Clifton Village

Guide price: £2,695 m

Bedrooms: 5

Receptions: 5

Speaking of which, the charms of Clifton presumably need no explanation from us. As the address suggests, you’re adjacent to The Mall, Bristol’s prettiest and boujiest street. Literally everything you need to buy, along with things you don’t but want anyway, is a short walk away, as are many of Bristol’s best restaurants.

Bathrooms: 3

Outside: Pretty landscaped back gardens, public Mall Gardens at the front

What else? Versatile lowerground space; secure parking

Call my agent: Knight Frank 0117 317 1999

www.knightfrank.co.uk

On your front doorstep, the Mall Gardens are delightful at any time of year, with winding paths and flower borders, but just wait until you see it sparkling in December, when it hosts the largest Christmas tree in any village in the UK.

SMARTER PROPERTY BUYING

Acting exclusively on behalf of buyers, STRANG & CO offer personalised, independent property search and acquisition services across Bristol and Bath.

Strang & Co is a boutique residential property buying agency founded by Charlotte Strang – a Chartered Surveyor with almost 20 years’ experience working within the property industry. The business professionally represents purchasers who are looking to buy or rent in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas, offering a highly personalised and discreet service.

Unlike estate agents, who are instructed by a vendor to sell their property, and have the sellers interests at the heart of the transaction, a buying agent acts exclusively on behalf of the purchaser. Strang & Co is completely independent and searches the market in its entirety, with a particular focus on sourcing off-market opportunities that never reach

the open market. This independence allows Charlotte to act solely in her clients’ best interests, providing objective advice at every stage of the process.

O nce a suitable property has been identified, Strang & Co advises on offer levels and a negotiation strategy to ensure the property is secured on the best possible terms. Charlotte then manages the entire transaction through to completion, coordinating solicitors, surveyors and other trusted specialists, resolving issues as they arise ensuring that the process moves swiftly. For many clients, this support saves considerable time, money and stress, while helping to avoid costly mistakes in what can often be a complex and lengthy purchase.

Charlotte works with a broad range of clients, from those relocating to Bristol and

“ CHARLOTTE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE PROFESSIONAL, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PROACTIVE WITH FINDING US A HOUSE TO PURCHASE. ”

the surrounding areas from elsewhere in the UK or overseas, to local buyers who know the area well but are struggling to secure the right property in an increasingly competitive market. In recent years, limited stock levels and strong demand, particularly for soughtafter properties, have made buying particularly challenging, even for well-prepared purchasers.

O ne recent client comments:

“Charlotte could not have been more professional, knowledgeable and proactive with finding us a house to purchase. She is extremely diligent and reliable, while at the same time personable and caring. She had already helped us find an incredible rental property off-market, and then helped us to buy our dream home – again, found completely off-market. Charlotte always goes the extra mile, nothing is too much trouble, and she is a lovely, genuine person. I would recommend her in a heartbeat to anyone searching for a new home.”

Using a buying agent can offer significant advantages. Clients benefit from access to off-market properties, expert negotiation, and experienced guidance throughout the purchase, helping them to save time and money while navigating potential pitfalls with confidence.

If you are considering purchasing a property in Bristol or the surrounding areas and would like to discuss your property search, Charlotte would be happy to arrange an initial discovery call.

Email:hello@strangandco.com Website: www.strangandco.com Insta: strangcoproperty

BRISTOL & CLIFTON’S PREMIER COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AGENTS

Keep up-to-date with our latest news, deals, testimonials and market comment at our website: www.burstoncook.co.uk

Denmark Street, BS1 TO LET – From £10,000 pax

283–1,167 sq ft (26.29-108.41 sq m)

Two units, available over ground floor. Ideal for professional use, beauty, hair, retail etc. New lease terms available.

Westfield Park, Redland, BS6

TO LET –

£23.00 psf

1,521 sq ft (141.3 sq m)

A contemporary office located just off Whiteladies Road. Due to be refurbished to a high standard with 3 onsite car parking spaces.

Gloucester Road, BS7 FOR SALE – POA

Fully let, mixed use investment opportunity on a fantastic retail pitch and popular location on Gloucester Road. Comprising three retail units, three residential flats, a four-bedroom HMO plus MOT/car repair garage with yard.

Waterside Offices, BS8 TO LET –

£22.00 psf

2,375 sq ft (220.64 sq m)

Modern and contemporary offices, providing open plan space with stunning views overlooking the harbourside.

4 car parking spaces and fitted meeting rooms.

East Street, Bedminster TO LET – POA

4,025 sq ft (373.93 sq m)

Large retail unit to let, with strong passing footfall on East Street. Class E-suitable for a variety of commercial uses.

High Street, Staple Hill TO LET

645 sq ft (59.92 sq m)

An exceptional unit available to let or for sale on a popular pitch offering open plan sales with rear kitchenette, storage and W.C. Quoting £13,000 pax/Freehold£140,000

West Street, Bedminster FOR SALE / TO LET

916 sq ft (85.10 sq m)

An excellent opportunity to acquire a new build commercial unit, offering ground floor open plan accommodation in shell condition, ready for own bespoke fit out. Suitable for a variety of uses within. Use Class E.

Thornbury Industrial Estate, BS35. TO LET – POA

3,493 sq ft (324.5 sq m)

A modern industrial unit located on Thornbury Industrial Estate providing large open industrial space at ground floor. There are 4 car parking spaces to the front of the unit plus yard space in front of the loading door.

Falfield Garage TO LET/MAY SELL – POA 0.23 acres (0.09 Hectares)

An excellent roadside covered forecourt with a purpose-built sales office. There is also a car valet area to the rear of the garage. The forecourt can hold between 30–50 cars/vans dependent upon size.

Queens Road, BS8 TO LET – £19.50 psf

1,398 sq ft (129.87 sq m)

An attractive office suite located in this popular and prominent location on Queens Road in Clifton. Providing 3 floors of light and bright office accommodation. New lease available.

PRIME BRISTOL OFFICES AVAILBLE TO LET

3 PORTWALL LANE, CITY CENTRE

Floors from 1,468 – 5,713 sq ft

Allocated parking available close by

3 Portwall Lane is a design led refurbishment and extension of a characterful warehouse located in the Redcliffe quarter of Bristol. Designed with sustainability, occupant wellbeing and efficient running costs in mind, the available floors are available fully fitted or as a blank canvas – ready for a tenant to implement their own fit out.

QUAYSIDE, HOTWELL ROAD

2,375 sq ft

4 secure on site car parking spaces

The office benefits from superb views across the docklands and in particular the SS Great Britain. Located on the first floor, the suite has been refurbished to provide an exposed ceiling with modern LED lighting, air con, fitted kitchenette, high quality meeting rooms and passenger lift.

2 ST PAULS, CLIFTON

435 – 3,280 sq ft

Private onsite car park

The property comprises a substantial end of terrace office building providing self contained accommodation over ground and upper floors with excellent on site car parking. The space is due to be refurbished to a contemporary standard. The whole building is available to rent, or floors are available from c 435 sq ft upwards.

23 WESTFIELD PARK, REDLAND

1,521 sq ft

3 onsite on site car parking spaces

Located just off Whiteladies Road, this is a well proportioned office offering a mix of open plan and smaller meeting rooms with own WC’s and kitchenette. Due to be refurbished through-out to provide modern office space, suitable for a wide range of different uses.

REBECCA DAWSON

Bristol Old Vic’s new executive director talks legacy, balancing heritage with contemporary relevance, and how she’d really love to get Cush Jumbo in the building

Before joining BOV, Rebecca spent years in the world of dance and theatre, most recently as a freelancer.

“I was looking to return to a dynamic, innovative organisation making great work, and the BOV announcement jumped at me”, she says. “There are few clear pathways in cultural careers, so much is instinct and synergy, and this felt like absolutely the right opportunity.

“I love the vision of making a theatre for the whole community, and helping to dismantle the inequity of access to the arts and creative opportunity.

“I want to establish Bristol Old Vic as a civic leader with national significance”

How does BOV engage with its wide range of audiences?

Being part of the Bristol community is vital to our mission. We strive to ensure all our work is relevant and meaningful, especially through our brilliant and wide-reaching participatory activity across the city. This work provides access to creative experiences as well as opening new avenues for people to discover the theatre.

How do you balance BOV’s heritage with commissioning bold, new work?

I don’t think they are in opposition – the heritage of the building lies in creating wonderful theatre. The world around us has changed, there are more stories to be told and audiences to be inspired, so we programme work that reflects the world as it is now.

What are your earliest memories of theatre?

Mum taking us to the Barbican to see Shakespeare. I remember reading the child-friendly versions of the story at bedtime the night before, the joys of the velvety seats and ice-cream – and the strange transformation of a stage into a different world.

What 2026 production are you most looking forward to?

The Project People’s Smalltown Boy by emerging Cornish writer Brenda Callis. It’s likely to make me laugh and cry, which is the best sort of night. It will also be the first chance for me to see a piece of work that has been directly supported by our brilliant literary team. That’s where things really come to life for me – when we can collaborate with writers at the start of their careers, and shine a spotlight on the local stories they want to tell.

What legacy do you hope to build at Bristol Old Vic?

As a theatre making brilliant work for all, which has been intentional in opening its programmes, stages and spaces to a wider audience, and to support the city’s rich creative potential.

I’m especially excited by our commitment to associate artists and writers, laying foundations for our future programme and supporting diverse voices to tell new stories.”

Tell us what makes Bristol Old Vic so special

The coincidence of history and contemporary – as the theatre turns 260 years old, it’s remarkable to be treading the boards with generations of great theatremakers and facilitators. It’s particularly special as we look forward to what theatre will be in the next 10 years, and how our programme on stage and across the city will shape that future.

When did you decide theatre would be your career?

I started in commercial art galleries, which was a bit too static for me. I then had a stint at Arts Council England, working in dance and large-scale crossartform commissions, followed by working with Candoco Dance Company, arriving at Punchdrunk Enrichment in 2016. I’ve landed in theatre quite late on in my career.

If you could put on any production, what would it be? If I had to pick just one, it would be Cush Jumbo’s Josephine and I –a wonderful piece of storytelling from a brilliant artist.

BOV already has an important place in the cultural life of the city and is a key part of the regional touring and producing infrastructure, especially given our commitment to new writing, which is pretty unique outside London. Artists are really keen to work with us, and see the theatre as a great space to try new work due to the warmness of Bristol audiences. I want to build on that to establish BOV as a civic leader with national significance.

Are you new to Bristol?

I am! I’m incredibly excited about discovering Bristol’s hidden gems, back streets, waterways and communities. I’m a cyclist, so the hills are going to keep me fit.

Do you have any secret skills? I love swimming outdoors – the wilder the better. It’s not really secret but it’s something that might not come up when talking about theatre.

For more www.bristololdvic.org.uk