Wild Place Project reveals new name

Wild Place Project – Bristol Zoological Society’s 136-acre visitor destination – will become known as ‘Bristol Zoo Project’ from summer 2023.

The new name reflects the charity’s past and future. Bristol Zoological Society has run a zoo at Bristol Zoo Gardens for over 185 years. Now, following the closure of the Clifton site in 2022 and the move to Wild Place Project, the charity, with its visitors and supporters, is focusing on a new project saving wildlife together.

To mark the name change, hundreds of people took part in an exclusive photo on the site's Tower Meadow – shaping out the letters of 'Bristol Zoo Project’.

The new name was chosen after polling visitors, employees and volunteers and reflects the journey that Bristol Zoological Society is on, investing in the site which will be home to some of the world’s most threatened species.

Click here for more information

Image credit: Matt Rolley

OUR MAY ISSUE: OUT NOW

You'll love our fabulous May magazine which features a great collection of reading by our team of wonderful writers as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bristol's best businesses. We hope you enjoy the read!

15,000 copies are delivered door to door, and you can pick up a copy at many places around town – including our stands at Waitrose, John Lewis, House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols.

Read the digital version of our current issue here!

And if you would like to have a copy sent in the post every month, then we offer a postal subscription for just £33 for 12 issues, £18 for six issues or buy a copy for just £4.25. UK mainland prices. For Euro and World zone subscription prices – see our website. 

Recipes by Melissa Blease

Bank Holiday garden party

There are three Very British Bank Holidays on the near horizon, which can only mean one thing: it's Garden Party season! Get ready to feed a crowd...

Classic Coronation Chicken/Chickpea Salad Cups (makes 12)

Combine 6 tbsp high-quality mayonnaise with 2-3 tsp mild curry powder, 2 tbsp mango chutney and 2 tbsp sultanas. Add 500g shredded roast chicken or 600g canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed) to the mix, stir well to coat in the sauce and season to taste. Arrange 12 romaine lettuce leaves on a platter to create 'cups' and fill each cup with Coronation Chicken.

Ploughman's Sausage Rolls (makes 12)

Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Remove the skins from 6 Cumberland sausages and tip the meat into a large bowl along with 150g of grated mature Cheddar cheese and 100g drained, chopped pickled onions and mix well to combine (clean hands are the best utensils here). 

Chop 1 x 500g block of ready made puff pastry in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface to create a rectangle measuring approx. 16 x 40cm. Spread 2 tbsp pickle or chutney down the central section of the pastry sheet then, using slightly damp hands, shape half of the the sausage filling into a long log and place it about 4cm in from one long edge of the pastry. Brush the far edge with beaten egg and fold the pastry over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. 

Cut the pastry log into 6 sausage rolls, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with a little more grated cheese. Repeat the whole process with the remainder of the pastry and the sausage filling, place all the sausage rolls on the prepared baking tray and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours, covered with clingfilm). 

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 190c/gas mark 5 and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the rolls are flaky and golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving warm, with extra pickle or chutney for dipping.

Mini Roast Beef Yorkshire Puddings with Horseradish Cream (makes 12)

Preheat the oven to 230ºC/gas mark 8 and place a 12-hole mini muffin tray in the oven to heat up. Meanwhile, gently combine 1 egg with 85g plain flour and 85ml 50/50 milk/water mixture until you have a smooth batter (the batter can be made up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerated). 

Remove the hot muffin tray from the oven, drizzle each hole with a little vegetable oil and slide the tray back into the oven until the oil is smoking hot. 

Carefully pour the batter into each hole, slide back into the oven and cook for around 8-10 minutes or until the puddings have browned on top, and puffed up. 

While the puddings are cooling on a rack, combine 300ml full fat crème fraîche with 2-3 tbsp horseradish sauce. Season well and add a splash of lemon juice. Add generous dollops of horseradish cream to each mini Yorkshire Pudding and top with ribbons of thinly sliced cold roast beef.

Lemonade Scones (makes 12)

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/gas mark 5 and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. In a large bowl, combine 350g self-raising flour, 150ml double cream, 150ml classic lemonade (ie, not a sugar-free variety) and a pinch of salt to create a soft, slightly sticky dough. 

Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly to bring it together, then roll into a rectangle around 2.5cm thick. Use a floured, 4cm cutter (or upturned glass) to stamp out 12 scones, gathering, rerolling and restamping excess dough if necessary. 

Place the scones on the baking tray, glaze with milk and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until risen and golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving dolloped with clotted cream and lemon curd.

Coronation Afternoon Tea at Harvey Nichols

Raise a toast to the new monarch in true fitting style with a limited-edition Coronation Afternoon Tea at Harvey Nichols in partnership with Chapel Down, available from 4 May for £45 per person.

The menu features afternoon tea classics such as Coronation chicken and free range egg and chive mayonnaise finger sandwiches, and a Harvey Nichols savoury scone with Wife of Bath cheese and apple chutney. For a sweet finish, the Second Floor team at Harvey Nichols Bristol has created a selection of traditional firm favourites with a twist, including Wye Valley rhubarb Bakewell tart, roasted pistachio Valrhona dark chocolate delice and an Edible Art Patisserie Earl grey macaron, perfectly paired with a crisp glass of Chapel Down Three Graces.

Harvey Nichols Coronation Afternoon Tea is available from Thursday 4 May until Sunday 4 June for £45 per person at The Second Floor Restaurant, Harvey Nichols Bristol. The limited-edition afternoon tea is also available in Harvey Nichols Edinburgh and Knightsbridge, and OXO Tower Restaurant.

For further information, visit: harveynichols.com

Neal’s Yard Remedies Lemon Balm & Elderflower, BiodiversiTEA | £9.50

In celebration of His Majesty The King’s Coronation, Neal’s Yard Remedies have launched a new limited-edition tea infusion, Lemon Balm and Elderflower BIODIVERSITEA, £9.50 – available for a limited time from 28 April at Neal’s Yard Remedies’ flagship stores across the country.

A refreshing and calming blend made with the finest British-grown ingredients to create a unique and organic loose-leaf tea in homage to the upcoming Coronation. This bee-friendly botanical infusion of elderflower, lime flower, fennel seed, chamomile and lemon balm is traditionally used to support healthy digestion and promote relaxation.

Available for a limited time only, make sure you don’t miss out on this limited-edition tea, and the opportunity to enjoy a cup of tea fit for royalty.

Click to see more by nealsyardremedies.com

Special Brit fizzes

Classic Reserve Brut – Hattingley Valley

An elegant, svelte and super pure wine with delicate nose of hedgerow flowers, it has finesse, vibrant green fruit and a characteristic toasty flavour. Pale gold in colour and well-balanced on the palate showing crisp acidity and fine mousse. It has delicate toasty characteristics from being aged on lees whilst the gentle oak flavour adds complexity. £29.50

Rosé – Hattingley Valley

Very pale peach hue, frothy; dried cranberry, autolytic; nicely defined red fruit flavours, lively acidity balancing creamy mousse and good weight, nicely balanced, savoury finish with a lovely brioche character. £42

Ditchling Reserve - Court Garden

The award-winning Ditchling Reserve is only made in the best vintages and the 2010 is now pretty rare. This classic blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay spends 9 months in French Oak before bottling. Straw hue, delicate well-structured mousse, good balance between acidity and dosage, rich flavoured mid palate, clean and round finish. £39.50

Brut Reserve – Lyme Bay 

Seyval Blanc grapes are used to create a bright, fruit forward and elegant – yet approachable – English sparkling wine. Secondary fermentation in bottle under the Traditional Method process provides structure to the mid-palate and detail to the body of the wine without overpowering the delicate crisp citrus fruit. Pronounced notes of lemon and Granny Smith apple stand out amongst a vibrant and delicate mousse with a clean finish. £29.50

To put your order in or see a range of top quality British fizzes and wines click here to visit The Great Wine Co.

The Chronomat Automatic GMT 40

This is Breitling’s tribute timepiece to travel, not only for its dual time zone display, but also because of its easygoing aesthetics – we love the red GMT hand.

The range comes in a choice of subtle dial colors (Green option shown here, £4,950) and combined with an all-steel case and bracelet, it’ll work with any wardrobe.

The Breitling Caliber 32 movement powers the GMT complication. Its 24-hour scale lets the user track a second time zone and know at a glance whether it’s day or night, while the ‘onion’ crown (a classic Chronomat feature named for its fluted-dome shape) allows for easy adjustments.

As an all-purpose sports watch - designed to cross over Breitling’s air, land and sea watches, the GMT 40 has an impressive 200m water resistance. Sturdy enough for the gym, yet smart enough for black tie this is a great watch for all occasions.

See this and more from the Breitling range at Mallory

Cherry Blossom Necklace - Silver | £105

This solid silver cherry blossom necklace is handmade in Bath, England.

Cherry blossom symbolises luck and good fortune. The blossom is cast in recycled silver. Free shipping and personalised note inside the gift box.

Click here to shop honeywillow.com

UV ESSENTIEL 30 mL | £48

With an ultra-lightweight, ultra-sensorial texture, UV ESSENTIEL blends in instantly and defends against UV rays, pollution, and dehydration. Skin appearance is preserved day after day, all year long.

UV ESSENTIEL offers the benefits of a new and improved formula, for complete protection. It features an SPF 50 protection and the "skin strengthening" complex, which is composed of two powerful active ingredients: blue ginger extract from the CHANEL open-sky laboratory in Madagascar, which boosts the skin’s natural defenses, and Tahitian gardenia extract, which strengthens the skin barrier to prevent premature aging.

Click here to shop at chanel.com

Curated by Daniel McCabe

The strangely-named Ton is a sumptuous new magazine about decorating and design published by Jermaine Gallacher, a furniture/interior designer and former US Vogue columnist. It aims to showcase the work of a new generation of designers and while it’s supposed to be for ‘everyone’ it does feel aimed at a younger generation of makers and interior design aficionados who aren’t so interested in ogling expensive brand names and high end homes. As this genre goes, Ton is definitely edgy but it’s a true visual treat. |  £20

store.magalleria.co.uk

City Nature Challenge

Looking for outdoor nature activities for the whole family this bank holiday weekend? City Nature Challenge 2023 starts today and runs until Monday 1st May. The challenge is a four-day collaborative mission to record as much local wildlife as possible using the free iNaturalist app. Over 400 cities around the world are taking part!

This weekend, the Festival of Nature team and partners have put together an exciting programme of family-friendly nature events, including expert-led wildlife walks, at beautiful outdoor locations across Bristol and the surrounding West of England area.

Friday 28 April - Monday 1 May
Check out all the activities taking place and start planning your wild bank holiday: bnhc.org

Bristol Jazz & Blues Fest

Marking its 10th anniversary, and after four years off, Bristol Jazz Festival swings back into action with a packed weekend programme. Taking over the Bristol Beacon foyer space – now known as Bridgehouse – Bristol Jazz Festival has put together a schedule of 16 gigs over three days, a dazzling selection of jazz in its many forms that can be sampled with Friday night, Saturday and Sunday Tickets.

The festival will be headlined by a super group celebrating the life of funk saxophonist Wee Ellis and Bristol soul sensation Hannah Williams. All events will all have a friendly, easy-going vibe, making this a great way to experience a range of jazz.

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 May | Bristol Beacon, Bridgehouse
Day tickets: £28 Friday, £55 each day Saturday and Sunday
Click here to purchase bristoljazzandbluesfest.com

One Man and His Cow at Bristol Old Vic | words by Daisy Game

Living Spit’s latest musical comedy is an accomplished, charming show with proper heart

Pigs might fly ­– and, according to Living Spit’s latest fun-filled musical, cows might talk. Yes, really! One Man And His Cow tells the story of Trevor: a farmer whose life has, thus far, been of the pretty-standard-variety. He gets up, tends to his animals, and doesn’t think a huge amount more on the matter. Until he discovers that his prize cow Judy can talk, that is.

The pair form a fast friendship and begin to while away the hours chatting in Judy’s stall. But when Trevor is given just months to live, he’s faced with a problem: to which of his three offspring should he bequeath the farm ­– and more importantly, its talking cow? Unable to decide by reason alone who is most worthy, Trevor devises a cunning test: Dicken, Greg and Maureen (none of whom are aware of Judy’s ability to talk) must each spend one day looking after their father’s prize cow – and the child who Judy feels the most pampered by will receive their father’s farm. But, unbeknownst to Trevor, the chatty bovine has an ulterior motive – and soon sets to work sabotaging his plan.

Told through slick, rhyming couplets and merry song, One Man doesn’t put a foot (and/or hoof) wrong. Ian Harris (Trevor) and Stu Mcloughlin (Judy, Dicken, Greg and Maureen: phew!) riff off of one another with total ease and pitch perfect timing. Clocking in at 65 minutes with an interval, the pair approach the script with a skilled touch that remains buoyant throughout. The whole thing is made all the more impressive thanks to the pair’s musical ability. Whipping out a violin here and an accordion there, One Man moves to the beat of its own highly original rhythm.

In a way, it’s funny that this show works quite so well as it does. Since when does a man frantically switching between a cow hat adorned with cardboard trinkets, a wig of golden curls and an oversized beanie get such a raucous audience response? Since now, apparently. Because the odds are firmly defied – and a piece of rather excellent theatre delivered.

One Man is a self-assured, immensely charming show that had my companion and I laughing in a must-hold-back-the-hoots sort of way. Good, silly, wholesome fun.

Old Man And His Cow is showing at Bristol Old Vic until 5 May. Tickets from £8, available at bristololdvic.org.uk.

BS5 Art Trail, across the BS5 community, 20-21 May

Celebrating creativity across the BS5 community, the popular BS5 Art Trail is back for its third year on the weekend of 20-21 May. With registrations now open for artists and and venues, The Chocolate Factory visitor centre in Greenbank has confirmed it will once again be hosting. 

Each year the organisers aim for the event to be bigger and better with homes, gardens, artist studios and group venues in BS5 showcasing wares and open for exploration. So far over 100 people have signed up to participate in the event, making it more popular than ever before.

The inaugural BS5 Art Trail took place in September 2021 and saw over 80 artists and makers exhibit at venues across the neighborhood.

Once the list of locations and participants is finalised the map of the event will be purchased and available online and from local venues.

Details about registering for the event can be found online at bs5arttrail.co.uk or by following the BS5 Art Trail on social media @BS5ArtTrail and on Twitter at @ArtTrailBS5

WIN a pair of tickets to the British Basketball League play-off finals

The British Basketball League (BBL) has announced the launch of the ‘Golden Ball Treasure Hunt’, a campaign designed to drive engagement and awareness around the end-of-season Play-Off Finals, and give eight lucky individuals the chance to each win a pair of tickets to be at the final.

The treasure hunt began on 24 April whereupon a golden ball appeared in each of the hometowns of the eight qualifying teams: London Lions, Bristol Flyers, Leicester Riders, Manchester Giants, Caledonia Gladiators, Sheffield Sharks, Cheshire Phoenix and Newcastle Eagles.  For the next two weeks, the ball will embark upon a journey across Bristol, visiting schools, local landmarks and many more places. Individuals looking to take part in the fun will need to keep their eye on Bristol Flyer’s social media where they will be sharing clues regarding the ball’s whereabouts.

To enter and be in with a chance of winning the tickets, those who come across the ball will be encouraged to take a picture with the ball and upload it onto either Instagram or Twitter tagging @BBLOfficial and using the hashtags #NowYouKnowFlyers and #GoldenBall. 

The golden ball will come to a halt at each of the team’s home leg of the quarter-finals, where those attending the game will also have a chance to enter the competition. 

Eight winners will be selected at random on 8 May and the individuals will receive a pair of tickets to attend the BBL Play-Off Finals at the O2 Arena in London on 14 May.

To find out more about the Golden Ball treasure hunt, visit: bbl.org.uk

Bristol Bears v Gloucester Rugby

Bears play their final game of the season against Gloucester on 6 May and will want to close out the campaign on a high. A win could see Bears cement a place in The European Champions Cup next season.

As if a mouth-watering derby match wasn't enough, iconic West Country band The Wurzels will be providing the post-match entertainment as we celebrate our Summer Session.

Saturday 6 May | 16:00 | Ashton Gate Stadium
Adult tickets are available from £25, with Juniors from £10.
Click here for tickets at tickets.bristol-sport@co.uk

Calling all teachers

Somerset Education Alliance are an independent supply teaching agency that provide supply teachers and teaching assistants with a personalised service offering work opportunities in schools. Directors Emma and Marie come from a teaching background and have over 15 years' experience in the recruitment industry, 10 within the education sector. Somerset Education Alliance is actively recruiting throughout the area to serve the busy requirements from schools for an array of roles including long term supply cover and more flexible ad-hoc supply cover. They are recruiting for teachers, teaching assistants, learning support assistants (LSAs), HLTAs and cover supervisors. Somerset Education Alliance take on experienced, new and returning teachers and TAs and would love to hear from you.

Go to somerset-education-alliance.co.uk for more information

Clifton Down, Bristol BS8

Offered for sale by Rupert Oliver estate agents.

Glenavon Cottage is a two-story coach house in a sought after location and with enormous character, offering a rare opportunity for modernisation, with the scope to modernise and customise throughout, as well as to extend the living accommodation into the large integrated workshop / garage space, subject to necessary consents.

The ground floor of the cottage features a spacious open plan kitchen and dining room which enjoys plenty of natural light due to its dual aspect orientation and provides access out to a private enclosed garden to the rear.

Next to the kitchen is a fully equipped bathroom, complete with bath, overhead shower, w.c. and sink. Beyond the bathroom is an integral door providing access through to a large garage. The integrated garage currently serves as parking for up to three vehicles whilst offering huge potential to create additional living accommodation or workspace.

On the first floor is a landing which offers access through to four double bedrooms, two of which are interconnecting and are served by a separate cloakroom.

The Cottage is situated on a private road access from Downs Road and directly opposite the expansive green space of Clifton's Durdham Downs. It also enjoys sole use of a private enclosed garden with an Easterly orientation to the rear. Offered chain free with vacant possession | Guide Price, £795,000

For more images, floor plan and details, click here