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| Plus, four ways to prepare canned beans and a virtual day out at the SS Great Britain |
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A specially curated guide to help you enjoy the next 48 hours (or more) in Bristol
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WEEKEND WINE | SIX OF THE BEST FROM THE SALE
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With over 60 wines on sale, here are some of the highlights...
Vinho Branco Artolas
From Portugal, a lovely wine with refreshing nose of tropical fruit and citrus notes; emphasis on the passionfruit character. The palate is bright with mineral notes and a long, lemony finish. This is a very enjoyable, easy drinking white wine perfect for a party - or at least a very small gathering for the time being. £6.95, was £8.75.
Massaccio Verdicchio, Fazi Battaglia
This Italian beauty has the richest and most concentrated version of Verdicchio, the outcome of years of experimentation. With intense golden-yellow hue, the precious noble rots then pervade Massaccio with ripe fruit, particularly Golden Delicious apples and pears with notes of honey, fruit and nuts, aniseed and Mediterranean herbs. In the mouth it is rounded and crisp, with well-balanced notes of bitter almond, which are characteristic of the grape variety. With long months of bottle ageing, finally, the wine expresses pleasant, intriguing and complex notes. £14.95, was £18.85.
Ice Cuvée Sparkling, Peller Family Estates
An intriguing sparkling wine. For starters, it's from Niagara in Canada. Even more interestingly, unlike Champagne, the final adjustment is made by adding ice wine (from frozen grapes), which gives complexity and not just sweetness. The finished result is a little less dry than Brut Champagne, with gloriously unique nuances of yeast, ripe apple honey, apricot and citrus zest. £25, was £30.
Red Boar Bobal, Bodegas Gallegas
From Spain, a wine with very attractive colour and great intensity, exhibiting youthful primary fruit characteristics of currants, and a slight touch of nutmeg. It has a smooth, soft tannic mouthfeel with balanced acidity. £6.95, was £8.95.
Picpoul de Pinet, Château Morin Langaran
This French wine is both gentle and refreshing with notes of Mediterranean white peach, apricot kernel and zesty lime peel, culminating in a silky mouthfeel and crisp, vibrant acidity. £9.50, was £11.95.
Organic Primitivo, Vigne e Vini
On the nose, this fine Italian wine has fruity notes of currants and blackberries that elegantly join an aromatic bouquet of nutmeg, liquorice, chocolate and vanilla, released after a brief refinement in French oak. Its low alcoholic (12.5%) degree is supported by a slightly acid structure that makes it balanced and long, leaving the palate full of coconut and fruity notes. It perfectly matches with pasta, white meat and fresh cheese. £10.95, was £13.95.
Click here to order: The Great Wine Co
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TV DRAMA | BACK TO THE 1980s
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1981: Margaret Thatcher ruled the UK, inner-city riots dominated the headlines, HRH Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, Salman Rushdie published Midnight's Children, Duran Duran, Ultravox and Adam and the Ants topped the charts... and a then-mysterious virus called AIDS was set to cut a swathe through the LGBTQ community with the ferocity of a Californian wildfire.
In his brand new five-part TV drama series, screenwriter and TV producer Russell T. Davies (of Casanova, Queer as Folk, Cucumber and the 2005 revival of BBC1 sci-fi franchise Doctor Who fame) takes us back almost four decades to show us what 1981 looked, felt and sounded like to five 18-year-olds who moved to London filled with excitement, hope and ambition... only to find themselves "walking straight into a plague that most of the world ignores." But don't expect It's a Sin to bring you down.
"I wanted the series – named after The Pet Shop Boys' defiant 1987 chart-topper – to be exhilarating," Davies told a Times journalist in a recent interview; "it's not all about sad moments or misery, because that wouldn't be true. Life doesn't stop when terrible things happen. Life is beautiful."
It's a Sin stars former lead singer of synth-pop trio Years & Years Olly Thornton as young, gay law student Ritchie Tozer, Keeley Hawes as Ritchie's conservative, downtrodden mum Valerie and Stephen Fry as politician-with-a-secret Arthur Garrison, and introduces us to Omari Douglas as the fabulously flamboyant Roscoe Babatunde: an 18-year-old Nigerian man whose family disown him when he comes out about his sexuality.
The series premieres on Channel 4 at 9pm on Friday 22 January.
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| True Vintage's latest drop |
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Thousands of vintage items arrive at True Vintage's warehouse every week. Unfortunately, some pieces are not in a suitable condition to feature in their store.
For a brand built on sustainability, the growing collection of unsellable clothing has always been a topic of concern. So they have joined forces with skilled seamstress Max Zara, who uses expert sewing techniques to merge these pieces and create new and unique garments.
True Vintage's VTG LAB collection merges brands from Nike, Coogi, Adidas, YSL, Burberry and Lacoste. And there's even a DHL feature in there.
The reaction to the teasers on their Instagram has been wild. So to be in with a chance of copping one of these grails, make sure you're quick on these drops and keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks. Good luck!
truevintage.com
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NEWS FROM THE CITY | A FOUNTAIN OF KNOWLEDGE
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| Antiques Roadshow expert joins Clevedon Salerooms |
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A familiar face from Sunday-night television has joined the friendly team at Clevedon Salerooms. Chris Yeo is known to many as an expert on BBC1’s Antiques Roadshow. Since joining the popular show in 2015 his appearances have included valuing a script for the first episode of Doctor Who, together with regular challenges for presenter Fiona Bruce in the Basic, Better, Best game.
Chris is a local lad, growing up in Shipham and Winscombe before moving to Bristol, where he worked as curator of the Ken Stradling Collection of modern design.
Chris will be playing an important part in cataloguing Clevedon’s quarterly specialist sales as well as their regular antique, interiors, collectables and jewellery auctions. Chris will also be meeting the public to deal with a broad spectrum of valuation enquiries.
clevedon-salerooms.com
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PREPARE FOUR | BEAN BURSTS
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Kidney Bean Burgers
Serves 4, vegetarian
Preheat oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4. Sauté 1 large, chopped onion in a glug of olive oil for about 4 minutes, until soft. Add 1 large peeled, grated carrot and 1 clove garlic (crushed) and sauté for a further 1–2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Drain 2 x 400g cans of red kidney beans, mash well and stir the beans into the warm carrot and onion mixture along with 1 large beaten egg, 1 tsp ground coriander, a sprinkle of chilli powder to taste (optional) and a generous handful of fresh breadcrumbs. Divide the mixture into 8 patties, coat in more breadcrumbs and place on an oiled baking tray. Cook in the pre-heated oven for around 30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time, until crisp on both sides.
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Butterbean and Spinach Stew
Serves 4, vegan
Sauté 2 large, chopped onions in a glug of olive oil for about 4 minutes, until soft. Add 4 large, peeled, diced carrots and fry for a further 6–10 minutes, adding 2 crushed garlic cloves for the final couple of minutes. Add 600ml passata, 200ml vegetable stock or water and 1 level tsp sugar; bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes before adding 2 x 400g tins drained butterbeans and 200g frozen spinach. Bring back to the boil and simmer for a further 10 minutes (if using fresh spinach, add 200g towards the end of the cooking time and allow to wilt into the sauce.) Season to taste and serve hot, preferably accompanied by big chunks of crusty bread.
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Mixed Bean and Pasta Soup
Serves 4, vegan
Sauté 1 large, chopped onion in a glug of olive oil for about 4 minutes, until soft. Add 2 large, peeled, diced potato and cook with the onion for a further 4 minutes. Add 2 tbsp tomato purée and cook with the onions/potato for 1 minute before adding 2 x 400g tins of drained mixed beans and 750ml vegetable stock or water. Bring to the boil, add 200g dried pasta (macaroni, fusili, farfalle or orrechiette) and simmer until the pasta has cooked according to the timings on the packet (usually 10–12 minutes). Season to taste and serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese (or vegan alternative) and a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley.
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Baked Bean Brunch
Serves 2, vegetarian option
Sauté 1 large, chopped onion in a glug of olive oil for about 4 minutes, until soft. Chop 4 vegetarian, pork or cooking chorizo sausages and continue to sauté until the sausages are cooked through. Add 1 tsp smoked paprika, a generous grind of black pepper and 1 x 420g tin of baked beans in tomato sauce to the pan. Continue to cook, stirring continuously, until the baked beans are heated through. Remove from the heat, stir in 3–4 tbsp grated Cheddar cheese. Serve on hot toast... topped with poached eggs if you really want to push the brunch boat out!
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OBJECTS OF INTEREST | EFFORTLESSLY ELEGANT
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| Cobra stainless steel pitcher |
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Perfect for serving water or wine, the Cobra stainless steel pitcher (£130) or the Cobra glass carafe (£75) are two elegant and harmonious designs by Constantin Wortmann for the iconic Danish brand, Georg Jensen. As well as a beautifully decorative way to serve drinks, they double up perfectly as a stylish vase or simply pieces to be displayed as much-loved possessions.
Available from Mallory
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NEWS FROM THE CITY | SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY
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| Free radios for the city's vulnerable |
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BCfm is offering free DAB radios to vulnerable older people living in Bristol.
It comes as hundreds of thousands of people in the city are once more ordered to stay at home and isolate from their friends and families because of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Radio is an important source of news, information and companionship in these difficult times and BCfm wants to ensure as many people as possible have access to it.
Half a million older people in the UK go up to six days without seeing or speaking to anyone, according to Age UK. With ongoing restrictions and social distancing measures, these figures are on the rise.
BCfm is teaming up with local groups and charities to distribute the radios, including Eastside Community Trust, Dhek Bhal, Bristol & Avon Chinese Women’s Group, The Evergreen Club, Council of Bristol Mosques, Bristol Black Carers, Age UK Bristol, SARI, Malcolm X Elders Forum, The Golden Agers and BCfm’s Silversound team.
BCfm would like to hear from other groups and charities in Bristol who support over the 50s to get in touch and let them know where radios are needed.
bcfmradio.com
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GREAT READS | FROM THE ARCHIVES
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An update from the team
Following the announcement of the latest lockdown, and wishing to abide by the guidelines, we have decided to postpone publication of our January issue.
In view of the increased risks, we feel that it is not appropriate to deliver magazines door-to-door. We hope to resume publishing soon.
In the meantime, if you fancy catching-up on some great reads that you may have missed, there's an often overlooked link on our website, which will take you to a wondrous digital bookshelf of The Bristol Magazine's back issues. Explore and enjoy. It'll help keep you off Netflix.
Delve into the bookshelf here
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WARMING FARE | RICH AND CREAMY
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| Recipe by Melissa Blease |
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| Cullen Skink |
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Monday 25 January is acclaimed Scottish poet Robert Burns' birthday – had he not passed away in 1796, he would have been 261 this year. But 'Rabbie' lives on in spirit, and Burns Night offers us all an opportunity to raise a dram (or several!) to celebrate the great man's life, work ... and penchant for feasting.
As Burns dedicated his 1787 poem Address to the Haggis to Scotland's national dish – a savoury pudding made of offal, onion, oatmeal, suet and spices that tastes far nicer than it sounds – haggis, accompanied by neeps and tatties (swede and potato mash) is the traditional Burns Night centrepiece. But while few domestic chefs have the skills or equipment needed to make a haggis at home, all of us are more than capable of making Scotland's second most famous dish, Cullen skink: a rich, creamy soup made of smoked haddock, leeks, potatoes, onions and – if you're feeling really celebratory – double cream (which can be replaced by half-fat crème fraiche, which works well but offers a less creamy consistency).
Ingredients (serves 4)
300g smoked haddock fillets, preferably undyed
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large or 2 small leeks, chopped
300g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
750ml chicken or vegetable stock
200ml double cream
Plenty of ground white pepper
Handful of freshly chopped chives (optional), to serve
Method
1. Put the haddock into a baking dish and cover with just-boiled water. Leave for 15 minutes before draining thoroughly and allowing to cool enough to handle. Once cooled, remove the skin and flake the flesh into chunks. Set the prepared fish to one side.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan and slowly sauté the onion and leek until really soft. Add the cubed potatoes and sauté with the onions and leeks for another 5 minutes before adding the stock, bringing to the boil and allowing to simmer for around 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
3. Carefully mash around half the potato chunks into the broth, stir well, then add the haddock, cream and plenty of white pepper and salt to taste (you may not to add much as smoked haddock can be quite salty.) Gently simmer for 2–3 minutes until the whole soup is heated through. Serve in warm bowls sprinkled with chopped chives.
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YOUNG & GIFTED | JOIN THE PRE-CONSERVATOIRE
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| Calling Bristol's young musicians |
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Bristol Pre-Conservatoire is a jewel in the crown of Bristol's music education scene. Now in its 10th year, Pre-Con provides weekly training of the highest standard for advanced students across classical and jazz genres, both instrumentalists and vocalists. Students are challenged to learn and think outside the box in a fun and supportive environment with fantastic tutors and repertoire to stretch them accordingly. The focus is chamber tuition and creative musicianship and is open to talented young musicians aged 11-19.
For more information on and how to apply visit: bristol-preconservatoire.com. Pre-Con would love to hear from you!
Click on the above video to watch artistic director Dr Jonathan James showcasing a creative session based on Holst's The Planets (some systems may need to load images/view in browser).
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LOOK OUT FOR | A VIRTUAL DAY OUT
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| SS Great Britain |
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This weekend, why not join a digital voyage aboard Brunel's SS Great Britain?
In partnership with Bristol Tonic, the SS Great Britain is opening its doors to host a virtual tour, history-inspired creativity, stories, socialising and much more – all for free.
From passenger diaries and ship logs to stories and sensational senses only the sea can summon, a virtual day aboard Brunel’s ship is just what the captain ordered!
23 January, 11:00 – 15:00; book your tickets here eventbrite.co.uk
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ON THE BOOKSHELF | A MESSAGE OF CONSERVATION
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The Bristolian Mermaid encourages marine life protection
Local professional mermaid Hannah Pearl has written and created a children’s picture book entitled Ruby Rockpool & The Garbage Patch King to raise awareness of the plight of our oceans.
The book, aimed at children aged three to six years old, features marine warrior mermaid Ruby Rockpool, who lives in Teignmouth bay, Devon.
Ruby is on a mission to help save our oceans and protect marine life. The story invites young readers to journey with Ruby and her friends as they travel across the oceans on a quest to defeat the Garbage Patch King whose plastic pollution is big trouble for our blue planet. The book is filled with ‘shell facts’ about marine life, as well as a serious message about marine conservation from the deep.
Having sent the book to Sir David Attenborough, Hannah has received a personal note from the king of conservation, who wished the book to be a great success in spreading its message.
The book is raising vital funds for two great marine conservation charities in the UK, with £2 donated from every book, split equally between Marine Conservation Society and Sea Shepherd UK.
The book is available to purchase at rubyrockpool.com for £9.95 plus postage and packaging.
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SCHOOLS DIARY | VIRTUAL OPEN DAYS
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Virtual Events at Badminton School
Nursery & Junior School Open Morning: Wednesday 10 February from 9.00am.
For prospective girls and parents interested in all year groups at Badminton School from the Little Acorns Nursery and Reception through to Year 6 in Junior School (ages 3 - 11).
Book your place here
Senior and Sixth Form Open Morning: Friday 26 February from 9.00am.
For prospective girls and parents interested in all year groups at Badminton School from Year 7 in Senior School through to Sixth Form (ages 11 - 18 years old).
Book your place here
Virtual Event at Bristol Grammar School
Bristol Grammar School’s assessments for entry to Year 7 will be taking place on 16 January and 23 January. (Children need only to attend one of these dates).
If you are interested in your son or daughter joining BGS in September 2021, please visit the school’s website below and register your interest with the admissions office.
To find out more click here
Virtual Event at Colston’s:
Join Colston’s on 23 January to hear all about joining its Reception class in September 2021. Whilst unfortunately, they aren’t able to invite you into the school, they will share with you online what life at Colston’s Lower School is all about.
Discover how its small class sizes and state of the art facilities combine to give your child a wonderful learning environment in which they can flourish and grow.
To register your interest for the event and to request a prospectus, please visit the school’s website below.
Find out more here
Virtual Open Days at Clifton College:
Nursery: Friday 29 January
Pre-Preparatory School: Friday 29 January
Preparatory School: Saturday 6 February
Upper School: Saturday 30 January
Experience everything Clifton College can offer your child. As the school cannot welcome parents in person to their usual open day events, they are hosting virtual open days where you will have the opportunity to watch interviews with key members of staff and departments as well as the opportunity to take part in a live Q&A session with the school head and admissions team.
If you would like to receive further information about any of Clifton College’s open days, please visit the school’s website below.
For more information click here
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PROPERTY NEW DEVELOPMENTS | REDLAND COURT
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| Priors Close, Cotham, Bristol, BS2 |
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This is an exceptional, three bedroom, three bathroom, family home located in Priors Close, Cotham – part of a lovely little community in the Kingsdown conservation area and just a few minutes from the Downs, City Centre and Clifton.
In brief, and occupying around 2287 Sq foot of living space, the property is arranged over three floors; there’s a vast open-plan reception and beautifully fitted kitchen/dining area on the lower ground floor, two bedrooms on the ground floor and a master bedroom on the first floor which opens out onto a large roof terrace with spectacular views across the city.
The quiet, walled rear garden is south facing and accessible from the main living area. There’s also an allocated parking space. On the market at £825,000.
For more details on this property visit: Howard Estate Agents
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