Menswear brand Benedict Raven introduce a new personal styling service

Exclusive British menswear brand Benedict Raven is now offering one-on-one appointments with some of Bristol’s top personal stylists to help men build the perfect wardrobe. 

“We can help men source pieces for their weekend away or their working day; we can give a man an easy, effortless, everyday style that is more elevated than the mass-manufactured brands. For us, it’s about fabric, colour and cut, we want men to know that they’re part of a very small club”, says founder James Kingston. 

Whether you’re looking to declutter your shelves, find your fit, build quick and easy outfits or learn how to layer, the personal stylist service will be able to provide practical, honest and expert advice during one-to-one in-store appointments.

Book an appointment in-store: Benedict Raven, Quakers Friars, Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BZ; alternatively, call 0117 325 4010 or visit the Benedict Raven website ( benedictraven.co.uk ) for more information.

You can also learn more about Benedict Raven by reading our full feature on The Bristol Magazine website: bristolmag.co.uk

OUR MAY ISSUE: OUT NOW

Our May magazine features a collection of great reading by our team of wonderful writers as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bristol's best businesses. We hope you'll 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.

You can also read the digital version of our current issue by clicking here!

And if you would like to have a copy sent in the post every month, then we offer a postal subscription for just £30 for 12 issues, £15 for six issues or buy a copy for just £3.95. UK mainland prices. For Euro and World zone subscription prices – see our website. 

Win a £25 John Lewis voucher

This week's 10 letter word is made up using the above letters in green and blue. We’ve placed 2 letters to give you a start. The blue letters are used more than once.

Clue: to chew like a health-conscious Victorian...

Make sure to follow us on twitter ( @thebristolmag ) to see the answer: posted on a Wednesday afternoon. Winners picked at random.

We heard from Cinead in our April issue; you can read the full feature by clicking here.

If you can’t wait and would like to order a copy of the book, contact local stockist Gloucester Road Books. 

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
The juice from 2 large lemons
4 tbsp runny honey
3 tbsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2-3 preserved lemons
Handful of large green olives, pitted and chopped into chunks
Handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

New Potatoes with Spinach and Capers (serves 4 as a side dish)

Rinse 500g new potatoes, chop each one in half and boil in plenty of salted water until just tender. Drain well and allow to steam dry. Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. As soon as the butter starts foaming add the potatoes (cut-side down) and fry, undisturbed, for around 5 minutes (or until golden). Add another tbsp butter along with 150g spinach, 2 tbsp drained, rinsed capers and the zest and juice of half a lemon. Stir over a medium heat until the spinach has wilted. Season to taste and serve immediately, perhaps to accompany grilled fish or barbecued chicken pieces.

Bacon, Blue Cheese and New Potato Salad (serves 4 light lunch)

Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Tumble 500g new potatoes into a roasting tray, drizzle with 1-2 tbsp olive oil, season well and roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel 2 red onions and slice into wedges. Remove the potatoes from the oven, shake them all about and add the onion wedges to the tin before roasting for another 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes have turned a deep golden colour and the onions have started to caramelise. While that's happening, whisk 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard with 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and a generous splash of olive oil and set to one side. Remove the potatoes from the oven and, while they're cooling down a bit, dry fry 200g smoked bacon lardons until the oil has rendered and the fat is turning golden. Add 150g sliced mushrooms to the pan and continue to sauté for around 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to brown. Divide 100g mixed salad bag (a watercress and spinach mixture works well here) across four plates or shallow bowls and top with the potatoes followed by the bacon and mushroom mixture and the dressing. Loosely toss all the ingredients together and serve topped with crumbled creamy blue cheese.

New Potato Bravas (serves 4 as part of a tapas selection)

Rinse 500g new potatoes, chop each one in half and boil in plenty of salted water until just tender. Meanwhile, peel and finely-chop 1 small red onion and sauté in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat until soft (around 5 minutes). Add 1 finely-chopped red chilli (remove the seeds if you don't want too much heat) and 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika to the pan and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes before adding 500g halved cherry tomatoes (or 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes) to the mix. Cook for around 5 minutes until the tomatoes have completely broken down before adding 2 tsp runny honey, 2 tbsp sherry (or red wine) vinegar to the pan. Season to taste, stir well and add the cooked new potatoes. Stir again until the potatoes are thoroughly coated in the bravas sauce and serve warm, sprinkled with freshly-chopped flatleaf parsley.

New Potato, Tuna and Caper Salad (serves 4 as a light lunch)

Rinse 500g new potatoes and boil in plenty of salted water until just tender. Meanwhile, peel 1 medium-sized cucumber, cut in half lengthways and scrape out (and discard) the seeds and pulp from the centre. Cut the cucumber into bite-sized chunks and place in a large serving bowl. Whisk 2 tbsp white wine vinegar with 2 tbsp Dijon mustard and a pinch of caster sugar. Season to taste and gradually whisk 2 tbsp olive oil into the dressing until combined. Add 4 tbsp chopped fresh dill and stir well before combining with the cucumber chunks. When the potatoes yield to a prod with a fork, drain well and chop each one into thick slices. Add them to the cucumber salad mix while still warm. Drain and 250g tuna in olive oil and crumble into big chunks, adding the chunks to the salad as you go and turning carefully so all the ingredients are evenly coated in the dressing. Serve immediately, scattered with black olives (you could, if you so wish, add quartered hard boiled eggs to the salad to make this dish even more substantial).

Eve Lom: Foaming Cream Cleanser

Renewal starts with the perfect cleanse. This hydrating, enzyme-infused foaming cleanser uses the power of water to activate an innovative cream-to-foam lather which delicately wipes away make-up and impurities without drying skin or clogging pores. Effortless, efficacious, and safe for daily use, skin is left feeling soft, hydrated, and refreshed with a more radiant-looking glow. £45

Click here to shop the cleanser.

Brooks Women's Ghost 14 Grey

Smoother and softer, these updated Women's Brooks Ghost 14 running shoes are back even better. 

The cushy feel has made this a runner favourite for years, and you get 100% DNA LOFT cushioning through the midsole to take the smoothness even further. The Ghost even adjusts more comfortably to your foot thanks to 3D Print balancing the perfect amount of stretch and structure. £130

Available from Up & Running: upandrunning.co.uk

Downton Abbey: A New Era

Promising to take audiences on a thrilling ride, the Crawley family ventures on a grand journey to the south of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess's newly inherited villa.

Alongside the original cast – Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Elizabeth McGovern and Allen Leech – the new Downton film will welcome the likes of Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye, Dominic West and Tuppence Middleton. 

You can watch Downton Abbey: A New Era at Everyman, Bristol: everymancinema.com

We spoke to Tuppence Middleton in our May magazine. You can read the full interview on The Bristol Magazine's website: thebristolmagazine.co.uk. 

Curated by Daniel McCabe

Travel guides have undergone a serious transformation in recent years, not the least because we don’t – it could be argued – need them anymore when it’s possible to learn all we need from our phones. But as we go into the 2020s travel itself is no straightforward thing itself. Desired Landscapes is a small, bookish journal from Athens with a less rigid and more subjective approach to venturing abroad, instead gathering personal impressions, observations and experiences of cities (sky, pavements, aromas etc.) from writers and creatives that enable us to ‘travel without travelling’. I have no idea why this little journal is pocket-sized, but it’s clearly handy for right now. £14.50

Magalleria is a Bath-based shop and online retailer, selling fine and interesting magazines from independent and selected publishers from all over the globe. Visit the website to find out more: magalleria.co.uk

City Nature Challenge: 29 April – 2 May

Join local residents as Bristol works with 400+ cities across the world in an epic, global mission to record as much wildlife as possible. Help put nature on the map in your neighbourhood.

Over the four-day challenge, people across the West of England will be coming together to share observations of the nature all around us, using the free iNaturalist app.

There will be challenge hubs popping up in green spaces across Bristol and Bath to help you learn how to use iNaturalist and offering engaging guided nature walks to practice your wildlife recording skills.

You don’t have to be an expert or even know the name of the species you’ve seen. Just download iNaturalist, take a picture of the nature you find, upload – and share. 

Once on the app, join the City Nature Challenge Bristol & Bath Project see live updates on how your area and the rest of the UK are doing.

Visit citynaturechallenge.org.uk to find out more and take part!

WIN a pair of tickets to Shindig Festival, 26-29 May, Dillington Estate

Shindig Festival are celebrating their seventh edition by giving away a pair of tickets, worth £175 each!

This year's Shindig Festival is taking place in a new location: Dillington Estate, Somerset. The sixteenth century house and hotel not only provides the backdrop but also some high-end accommodation. The party takes place in the beautiful, tree-studded parkland. 

Shindig 2022 combines old-skool royalty and festival residents with many rising stars to ensure there’s something for everyone. Artists making an appearance at Shindig 2022 include De La Soul, Roy Ayers, Odyssey, Goldie – and many, many more. 

There are no main stages, just a beautiful arrangement of stretch marquees. From watching circus to hearing spoken word or learning a new skill, there’s something for everyone. Bringing a healthy dose of foot-stomping funk and a packed programme of entertainment for all ages, Shindig Festival offers relaxation and revelry in equal measures.

To enter the giveaway simply: 

• Make sure that you're following @thebristolmag and @shindigfestival on Instagram
• Find our ( The Bristol Magazine's ) Shindig competition post on Instagram, like the post, and tag a friend who you would love to go to the festival with
  

Competition closes at midnight on Sunday 8 May; winners will be chosen at random and contacted via Instagram. The prize is not transferable and no cash alternative will be offered.

Learn more about Shindig on the festival's website: shindigfestival.co.uk

RWA to reopen its doors after months of restoration work

After many months under re-construction, The Royal West of England Academy – Bristol’s oldest art gallery – will reopen its doors this Bank Holiday Monday (2 May). 

The recent restoration of the Grade II* listed building is the most significant redevelopment the gallery has seen in over a century. The works have not only delivered urgent repairs to save the RWA from risk of permanent closure but have brought a number of major improvements to the art space, including free-to-access galleries on all three floors and an impressive new lift that can carry four wheelchair users and their carers. The innovative redesign also allows the city’s oldest gallery to welcome 40% more visitors each year.

We got a behind-the-scenes look at the gallery in our May magazine. Read the full article on The Bristol Magazine website: thebristolmag.co.uk

Gallagher Premiership, Mattioli Woods Welford Road, 30 April, 3pm KO

Joe Joyce will make his 150^th competitive appearance for the club when Bristol Bears take on league leaders Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday. 

The homegrown lock becomes just the 11^th player to achieve the milestone and the third youngest.

Joyce is one of five changes from the side that beat Gloucester at Ashton Gate, as the Bears look to become the only side to win at Welford Road this season.

Harry Thacker is set for 100^th Premiership appearance, 43 of which were for Saturday’s opponents, while Callum Sheedy makes his 100^th competitive start for the Bears, making the Welshman the fifth youngest player to reach the landmark.

Charles Piutau lines up at full back alongside Toby Fricker, fresh from a match-winning double against Gloucester, and the returning Henry Purdy.

Piers O’Conor and Jack Bates form an exciting midfield partnership, while England international Harry Randall is named at scrum half.

There’s also a return for Ioan Lloyd, who recovers from injury to take his place among the system players.

Keep up with the Bristol Bears: twitter.com

Cox & Cox: Delphine Reclaimed Wood Armoire

Embodying all the romance of chateau life, Cox & Cox's Delphine Armoire will make a stately piece in any home. Crafted in reclaimed pine for an heirloom feel, this piece has classic carved details including a curvaceous pelmet, scrolls across the door frames and elegantly shaped feet.

The wire insets on the doors and adjustable shelves make this perfect for storing neatly folded clothes, freshly pressed bed linen or favourite glass and chinaware. There are also two handy internal drawers with traditional looking iron handles.

This tall cupboard is both versatile and beautiful and sure to give a lifetime of pleasure. £2,395

coxandcox.co.uk

Pembroke Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3BB

Offered for sale by Bristol estate agents Rupert Oliver

The hall floor flat of number 30 Pembroke Road is a rare opportunity; situated in a detached Victorian villa with beautifully retained period features, high-ceilings, ornate ceiling plasterwork and an abundance of natural light, the accommodation stretches to over 1400 sq. ft providing versatility and the opportunity to meet a wide variety of any new owner's needs.

Accessed from Pembroke Road, a gravel driveway provides off-street parking (with one space allocated for the hall floor) and a shallow flight of stairs lead up to the communal front door which leads into a smart communal hallway, with access from here into the hall floor flat.

On entering, the wonderful period details are immediately apparent; rich ceiling cornice work and an elegant hallway, giving access to the sitting room and kitchen at the front, turning elegantly to access each of the three bedrooms overlooking the rear. The hallway provides plenty of storage too.

The sitting room is beautifully proportioned and exquisite in detail; high ceilings rich in original plasterwork, a magnificent central rose and a handsome marble fire surround with a cast-iron hearth complete with tiled inserts. The room is flooded with natural light from the triple sash bay window and affords a great deal of privacy from the front. The kitchen and dining room benefit from similar superb proportions, again flooded with natural light from a pair of tall sash windows.

The kitchen has been thoughtfully designed to cater to the most demanding of cooks and needs, whilst still providing plenty of space to entertain and room for a casual dining or breakfast table. Central within the kitchen is a large island, with a recessed breakfast bar, plenty of work space and a sink and drainer unit. There’s a great range of quality built-in appliances

To the rear are three excellent bedrooms. The master bedroom is a wonderful size, complete with plenty of storage and the room has lovely open views to the rear. There is access to a magnificent and attractively tiled en-suite shower room with sumptuous walk-in shower. Bedroom two is a generous size, with plenty of room for a double bed and free-standing storage – once again it enjoys open views to the rear and plenty of natural light. The third bedroom is a lovely light space, and presents a number of options. Currently, the room is dressed as a “his and hers” office with twin desks and wall-mounted storage. It could equally revert back to a bedroom. These two bedrooms are served by a separate shower room complete with a walk-in fully tiled shower cubicle.

Outside: A smart gravel drive is accessed via pair of stone pillars with off-street parking for several vehicles, with each of the apartments benefitting from one allocated space. Guide Price, £840,000

To see more lovely images and read through all the details click here to see the property on the Rupert Oliver website.