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A specially curated guide to help you enjoy the next 48 hours (or more) in Bristol
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FIESTA FORTNIGHT | GRACING THE SKIES
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Up, up and away!
Fiesta Fortnight is well underway and the city has already seen a plethora of hot air balloons grace the skies this week. The festival is taking place over two weeks this year, with hundreds of hot air balloons taking off from multiple locations across the city.
Over 700 nominations were submitted by locals to help pick the locations that the balloons will take off from – these included local parks, public spaces, car parks and streets. For the final list of locations, stay tuned over at Fiesta Fortnight’s social media channels. There you will find regular updates on all locations and timings to help plan your time to head outside to view the balloons flying over the city.
What’s more, Fiesta Fortnight partner Costa Coffee will be visiting several of the take-off locations to treat residents nearby with a special little balloon-shaped surprise outside their window.
bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk
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AUGUST ISSUE – OUT AND ABOUT!
As always, we've curated 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.
Alternatively, click here to read the digital version of our current issue!
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, please see our website.
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| Recipe by Melissa Blease |
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| Super-easy chocolate tart |
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“You can't use a ready-made pastry case!” Oh yes you can – and if you're in a hurry, you really should; after all, we don't always have the time for blending, chilling, rolling, blind-baking and cooling, do we? And this is when the ready-made shortcrust shortcut comes into its own.
This recipe fills one 22cm/8-9 inch tart case with a luxurious filling that, when served at room temperature (which you must do, in order to allow the chocolatey scrumptiousness to work its magic), cuts like butter. As well as the classic dark chocolate recipe, I've made it with various chocolate mixtures including salted caramel, orange and ginger to great results, so feel free to experiment – as long as you use 70% dark chocolate for half the amount of the chocolate in the filling, you can't go wrong.
Ingredients
150ml double cream
1 level tbs caster sugar
200g quality dark chocolate (70%), chopped into chunks
45g room temperature butter, cubed
50ml cold milk
1 ready made 22cm/8-9 inch sweet pastry case
To serve (optional): summer berries; thick cream
Method
- Pour the double cream into a small saucepan, add the caster sugar and heat until it just reaches boiling point. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the butter and chocolate, stirring well until both have melted into the cream.
- Allow to cool slightly before stirring the cold milk into the mixture – if it starts to split, allow it to cool down a little bit more and whisk in a little extra cold milk until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the pastry shell, shake gently to level the top, and allow to cool completely (around 1-2 hours). If making ahead, store in the fridge for up to 24 hours, but remove it around 1 hour before you plan to eat it to allow it to return to room temperature.
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WEEKEND WINE | BORDEAUX SCHOOL
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| Three great reds, three great whites |
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Graves - Château des Gravières
Gold medalist at Sommelier Wine Awards 2019. Deep garnet-red with a slightly woody and toasted nose and aromas of prunes and liquorice. Fleshy, robust and well-balanced in the mouth with a firm, lengthy finish. This is a fantastic value classic Graves red that delivers loads of pleasure at a very modest price. £14.95
Lalande-de-Pomerol - Château La Croix Romane
A young and intense wine; the nose both elegant and powerful, combines candied fruit and toasted notes. Equal in intensity, the palate charms with its highly supple and smooth mouth-feel and its beautiful roundness. It is well-structured with dense, oaky and vanilla-y tannins and a long finish. A lasting pleasure! £22
Lussac-Saint-Émilion - Château La Tuilerie des Combes
The Saint Émilion 'satellite' areas of Lussac and Puisseguin produce wines that are virtually impossible to tell apart from Saint Émilion proper, and are often exceptional value for money. £17.75
Péssac-Léognan - Château Valoux
Pale lemon in colour with bundles of fruit and flowers on the nose. Medium-bodied with citrus, green fruit, apricots and white flower characteristics with lovely creamy undertones. With just 10 hectares of vines, Château Valoux is an old wine estate in Pessac-Léognan owned and run by Sophie Lurton of Chateau Bouscaut. £22
Bordeaux Blanc La Réserve - Lucien Lurton Collection
Pale lemon in colour with a pronounced fruity nose. Light and refreshing on the palate with notes of green and citrus fruits and hints of elderflower. Perfect balance and a long finish. A great value white Bordeaux at just £11.75
Péssac-Léognan Blanc, Cru Classé - Château Bouscaut
What a wine! Such an exciting and complex mélange of aromas – passionfruit, lemon curd, toast, crème brûlée, cinnamon and poached pear. In the mouth, it has a creamy, suave texture, cut across by vibrant acidity. Fabulous length of flavour, with amazing concentration on the finish. It just lasts and lasts on the palate. Something very special. £48
The Great Wine Co has a range of excellent Bordeaux wines – click below to explore
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OBJECTS OF DESIRE | THE DESIGNER DECANTER
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Welcome to the Bronze Age
This year, more and more of the greatest watchmakers are deviating from the traditional casing metals with a trend that sees them moving towards using bronze to create a very unique finish and a distinctly vintage look. A specially developed bronze alloy for the industry is also remarkably tough and scratch resistant (more so than stainless steel) but ages with the oxidisation of the copper contained, so the metal develops a very pleasing patina, eye-catchingly different to gold or rose gold cases.
The Tudor Black Bay Bronze watch has a beautiful 43mm bronze case with a fine brushed finish. It features a bronze bezel ring that rotates in a single direction with a diving scale and a luminous dot at the start position. The dial features luminous Arabic numerals and dot hour markers as well as matching bronze luminous hands. Also features a grey and bronze coloured fabric NATO strap, a great automatic movement and water resistance to 200m. £3,110
The TAG Heuer Autavia Calibre 5 Bronze 42mm automatic chronometer has been given a brushed bronze case too. Oozing vintage vibes it features a railtrack-style printed second marker around the green dial and a date window on the 6 o’clock marker. The bronze sword shape hands are filled with luminous material and the big Arabic numbers are easy to read in low light. A green calfskin strap completes this very attractive timepiece. Tag’s Autavias have an excellent automatic movement and are water resistant to 100m. £3,150
The 1858 Chronograph Bronze Limited Edition 1858 comes in a 42mm full bronze case with green dial with two sub dials. For legibility the dial contrasts nicely against the luminescent cathedral-shaped hands. Large luminescent Arabic numerals, a railway minutes track and the original Montblanc logo from the 1930s all add to the pleasing vintage look – completed by a quality woven khaki-green textile Nato strap. Automatic movement and water resistant to 30m. £4,200
Click here for more from Mallory
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GET CRAFTING | FEELING INSPIRED?
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Tom Daley finishes his knitted cardigan!
Feeling inspired by Tom Daley's snazzy new knit? Looking to pick up some needles for your next creation? Why not take a look at Pins & Needles' brilliant collection of all things wool. Choose from a wide range of different colours, styles and yarns and get crafting!
23 Canford Lane, Bristol BS9 3DQ
pinsneedles23.com
Image credit: instagram.com; madewithlovebytomdaley
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FASHION NEWS | BRAND NEW COLLECTION
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Bella Freud and Cave Things launch second collaboration
Bella Freud and Nick Cave’s 'Cave Things' collaboration has expanded to feature a further two unisex merino sweaters, launching this month. The black and ivory knits take inspiration from Nick’s most recent album with Warren Ellis, Carnage, recorded over a period of weeks during lockdown.
With an oversized fit with contrasting stripes on the sleeves, each cuff is signed with the musicians' names, hand drawn by Bella.
RRP: £295; available exclusively at bellafreud.com and cavethings.com
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ON THE BIG SCREEN | A POWERFUL MOMENT IN HISTORY
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Summer of Soul (12A)
Summer of Soul (...Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is the acclaimed debut by filmmaker Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson. For six weeks in the summer of 1969, just 100 miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). It was an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. After that summer, the footage was never seen and largely forgotten – until now.
Summer of Soul brings us back to a powerful and transformative moment in history and stands as a testament to music and culture as collective empowerment. In times of unrest, it comes as a moving testimony and an inspiration. Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson presents a powerful and transporting film that includes never-before-seen concert performances from Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ray Baretto, Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach and more.
Director: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Cast: Chris Rock, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stevie Wonder
Catch Summer of Soul at Watershed, until 8 August!
Book tickets here: watershed.co.uk
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ON THE BOX | A SPECTACULAR END
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The Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony
The Tokyo Olympics will come to a spectacular end with the traditional closing ceremony and the handover to Paris ahead of the French capital hosting the Games in 2024.
Watch it on BBC One on Sunday at 11.15am: bbc.co.uk
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THE MAGAZINE KIOSK | PRINT IS READ
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By Daniel McCabe, Magalleria
Wild Alchemy Journal is a new and simply gorgeous multi-sensory, multi-disciplinary magazine exploring the classical elements of earth, fire, water, air and aether. The inaugural Earth Edition came out at the end of 2020 and promptly sold out before we got a proper look at it. Published by experimental botanical studio Mama Xanadu, it's a project that seeks 'to navigate our fractured relationship with nature and the cosmos through both a scientific and esoteric lens’ with contributions from artists, writers, academics, scientists, therapists, wildlings, occult practitioners and other thinkers around this intersection. Having made a more thorough examination this time round we can tell you that the Fire Edition is not only dense with fascinating information but it’s a very lush and immersive print experience. £17
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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
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GRAND OPENING | READ ALL ABOUT IT
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Wapping Wharf's new independent book shop is officially open!
After much anticipation, Bookhaus swung open its doors yesterday! Bristol-based historian, author and TV presenter David Olusoga cut the ribbon in front of a crowd of over 150 people.
The Bookhaus goal is to offer something from everyone. With a strong focus on modern fiction, current affairs, history and children’s literature, Wapping Wharf's indie bookstore wants to reflect Bristol’s tradition as a centre of radicalism.
Once fully up and running, Bookhaus will be providing a weekly programme of reading groups, writing workshops and a whole host of book events. Keep an eye on their website, sign up to their newsletters and give them a follow on social media.
bookhausbristol.com
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SUMMER FUN | GET CREATIVE
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WIN a hot air balloon ride with Tutor Doctor's latest competition!
Tutor Doctor is running a summer competition for students in Bristol. The challenge is to tell a story in either a single picture OR in six words and the grand prize is a hot air balloon ride! Submit your entries on social media using the hashtag #TutorDoctorSummerStory.
Follow Tutor Doctor here: twitter.com/bristoltutordoc
tutordoctor.co.uk
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EXPLORE THE CITY | EMBARK ON AN ADVENTURE
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Be a tourist in your own city!
Bristol Open Doors is back, but not as you know it. The city-wide festival is set to take place from 10 – 12 September, offering you the chance to explore the city with your own explorer wristband.
This year, the programme boasts a huge range of adventures to choose from, whether you’re looking to immerse yourself in audio tours, get a sneak peek inside Bristol Beacon, discover the history of Motion by daylight, tour Circomedia, jump on a boat, or take an atmospheric audio tour of Redcliffe Caves.
The festival also features outdoor theatres at Ashton Court Mansion, brought to you by Show of Strength Theatre Company, where audiences can explore a moment at home with the Smyths. Follow them through 400 years of Bristolian history – packed full of family secrets, buried treasure and impostors. Ashton Court Mansion will never look the same again.
Explorer wristbands are now on sale for this year’s festival, and once purchased, you will then be able to book up to four experiences using your unique code.
bristolopendoors.org
Image: Redcliffe Caves © Jon Craig
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SPECIAL GUEST | SIMON PEGG REMINISCES
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Simon Pegg: "Bristol shaped me as a human being"
Actor Simon Pegg has said his time at the University of Bristol was “utterly life changing” and “shaped me as a human being”.
He told University of Bristol students at an end-of-studies celebration event that his time at the university was “incredibly formative”.
Pegg, who has written and starred in classics such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, as well as global blockbusters Mission Impossible and Star Trek, revealed that while filming nearby he recently visited the university to reminisce.
“I just felt this flood of emotion and it reminded me how extraordinary, how utterly life-changing my time at university was, and how much I owe to my tutors and my friends who were there at the time, and how much Bristol University plays in the genesis of me.”
Pegg, 51, described the event as a “homecoming”. He graduated from the University of Bristol in 1991 with a BA in theatre, film and television. In 2015, students voted to name the university’s new theatre – part of a £20m refurbishment project – The Pegg Studio Theatre.
Pegg also dispensed advice to the University of Bristol Faculty of Arts students, saying: “Coming out of Bristol I remember that feeling – and I guess you’re all there right now – of ‘what now?’
“Some of you might know, some of you might be absolutely certain of where you’re going… some of you may not have a clue.
“I stayed around in Bristol for about three years. I got a little flat off Whiteladies Road with my girlfriend and I worked in Debenhams demonstrating battery-operated toys while I figured out what I wanted to do.
“It was a time when I was finding myself and understanding who I was and what I wanted. I started doing stand-up comedy in Bristol and one thing led to another. It was a good time, it wasn’t a wasted time, I don’t think.
“Those years I spent after graduation were part of making me who I am.”
Watch more clips of the event here: twitter.com/bristoluni
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PROPERTY OF THE WEEK | A SPECIAL CITY APARTMENT
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| Electricity House, Colston Avenue, Bristol, BS1 |
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This is an outstanding (circa 2013 sq. ft) modern, three-bedroom penthouse apartment; arranged over two floors with a seven-day concierge service, two allocated off-street parking spaces and a private 180-degree wrap-around balcony.
The first impressions of Electricity House: dramatic 1930s architecture by Giles Gilbert Scott, sensitively restored and approached via the pedestrianised entrance opposite Bristol's Cenotaph.
Double doors open automatically, and the communal entrance hall has been refurbished to reveal Art Deco splendour.
There are two lifts to take you to the fifth floor, with 569 being the only apartment accessed from the lift lobby. Here, double doors open to the apartment itself. with the entrance hall flooded with natural light from the double-height atrium-style hall. The entrance hall opens into the exquisite open-plan sitting room, dining room and kitchen, offering a full 180-degree vista and predominantly facing south. Like the rest of the property, this enjoys underfloor heating for warmth in the winter, and air conditioning for comfort over the summer months. The floor is tiled beautifully to give a sharp and contemporary feel, with electric blinds providing privacy and shade.
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The kitchen itself is stylishly presented, with a finish unique to the apartment; including Opticolour glass splashbacks, grey composite stone work-surfaces and an Insinkerator system fitted to the sink and drainer unit. There is plenty of storage along with a fabulous central island and breakfast bar housing the ceramic hob and stainless steel extractor hood above. It's perfect for informal dining and entertaining, with views out over the city. Integrated appliances include a wall-mounted oven and separate microwave combi, as well as an integrated fridge, freezer and dishwasher. In addition, there is a separate utility room with further storage and space and plumbing for a washing machine and dryer.
From the reception space, sliding doors open out onto the breathtaking balcony, presenting views which wrap around from east to west, capturing the sun for most of the day. Bedroom three is accessed from the entrance hall and has a bird's eye view of Nick Walker's street artwork as well as a luxury en-suite shower room. The current owners have kept this room free of wardrobes, as it could multi-purpose as a second sitting room/snug, home office or cinema room.
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The atrium-style staircase leads up to the sixth floor and is finished with up-lights and down-lights to illuminate the wood, glass and stainless steel finish. Curved double glazed windows flood the staircase with natural light, while also providing views from the 'sun room' at the top of the stairs. This is a lovely space in which to sit, read, relax and reflect. Either side of the sun room are the remaining two bedrooms; the master of which enjoys a bank of fitted wardrobes and luxurious en-suite bathroom, complete with a twin-ended bath, his-and-hers sinks and an oversized walk-in shower cubicle. Bedroom two, across the hall, is a similarly generous space and an en-suite shower room. Both bedrooms enjoy access to substantial 'eaves' storage as well as electrically operated periscope windows along with double-height windows.
Outside, the apartment enjoys a fabulous wrap-around balcony with a glass surround, with plenty of space for a sun-downer and to take in the city-centre views. There's secure, under-croft parking and two allocated car parking spaces with two further motorbike spaces complete with a ground anchor. There is also a communal bike store and bin shed.
The apartment also has access to a private storage pod offering 36 sq ft of full-height storage accessed from the fifth-floor communal landing. Price: £1,000,000
For further details and more images, visit Rupert Oliver's website
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