Bristol Harbour festival is calling for you!

The iconic Bristol Harbour Festival will return between 19–21 July and organisers are keen to hear from talented locals who want to take centre stage.

The festival's new curators are calling for singers, performers, organisations, charities, and other crowd and community-wowing initiatives to submit their applications to perform before the deadline on 31 January.

Bristol Harbour Festival is one of the UK’s biggest free-to-attend events, and is a unique opportunity to showcase the city’s rich maritime, musical and cultural heritage.

For 2024, Bristol Harbour Festival will be curated, produced and delivered by international events production agency, Proud Events, in partnership with immersive theatre and events company, Swans Events. 

For more information or to apply visit bristolharbourfest.co.uk

OUR JANUARY ISSUE IS OUT!

You'll love our fabulous January magazine which features a collection of great reading by our team of wonderful writers as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bristol's best businesses. 

In the January issue, we give you our pick of the best low- and no-alcohol drinks for anyone staying dry this month; we chat with TV presenter and author Simon Reeve about his latest BBC series Wilderness with Simon Reeve; and find joy in the old ways of welcoming in good spirits to guide us through the year ahead with Thatchers. We really 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.

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 – click here to subscribe on our website. 

Words by Melissa Blease

Cheesy Pearl Barley and Winter Green Casserole

This wholesome, hearty, meat-free winter warmer is an utter joy to come home to on a chilly January evening.

If you're not a fan of goats' cheese, add 200g of cheese of your choice; Gruyere, Edam or Taleggio all melt beautifully, but even good old Cheddar works well. Meanwhile, if you're embarking on a Dry January, omit the wine and use 200ml vegetable stock instead.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 savoy cabbage, outer leaves removed, cut into quarters
300g Brussels sprouts, halved if large
1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 fat garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
100g pearl barley
200ml white wine
3 tbsp plain flour
400ml whole milk (or vegetarian alternative)
100g sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
100g Gruyere, Edam or Taleggio cheese (or vegetarian alternative)
100g goats' cheese
Bunch fresh basil, roughly chopped
50g Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated

Method

1. Heat 1 generous tbsp olive or vegetable oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat and sear the cabbage and sprouts for around 3-4 minutes, or until just starting to caramelise. Add 2 tbsp of boiling water to the pan and allow the veg to steam slightly until the water has evaporated. Transfer to a plate or bowl and set to one side.

2. Reduce the heat under the pan and gently sauté the onion until softened. Add the garlic and the pearl barley and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously until the barley is coated in the fragrant oil. Add the wine to the pan, turn the heat up slightly and allow the alcohol to bubble away for a couple of minutes.

3. Add the flour to the pan and allow to 'cook' for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add the milk, bring to a gentle boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly until the barley has softened and the sauce has thickened. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5.

4. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and the cheeses of your choice. Stir for 5 minutes until the cheeses have melted, adding the basil for the last 30 seconds of cooking time. Take the pan off the heat, add the cabbage and sprouts to the sauce, season with plenty of freshly-ground black pepper and transfer to a lightly greased, suitably-sized oven-proof dish. Grate the Parmesan across the top and bake for around 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Let's drink (mindfully) to that!

With Christmas being over and we step into the new year, the Great Wine Company has created a selection of alcohol-free drinks for you to try as you challenge yourself with dry January:

Eins Zwei Zero Rose (Alcohol Free) - JJ Leitz
Clean, fresh, alcohol-free rosé, with flavours of strawberries, raspberries and a final zap of grapefruit. | £8.85

Eins Zwei Zero Riesling (Alcohol Free) - JJ Leitz
This wine offers an original character that is clean and fresh with notes of lime and citrus; surprisingly rhubarb and a little hint of red apples on an underlying mineral base. The finish is dry and relatively long. | £7.50

Ceder's Classic Non-Alcoholic Spirit - Ceders

This is a distilled non-alcoholic premium drink, with all the flavours of gin without the alcohol.  It is the combination of Swedish style and pristine water with the wild and rare South African botanicals that makes CEDER’S unique. | £18

Non Alcoholic Italian Spritz - Lyre's Non-Alcoholic Spirits
The sweetness from orange is perfectly fused with the complex and astringent flavours of rhubarb, finishing dry and deliciously refreshing. | £24

Forest Non Alcoholic - Everleaf drinks
Complex bittersweet botanical aperitif inspired by forest flavours, featuring saffron, orange blossom, Madagascan vanilla, vetiver & gentian. Serve as a Spritz. | £23

To explore more, visit greatwine.co.uk

The Great Garnet

For those born in January the beautiful and diverse garnet is their birthstone. Garnets are widely regarded as just being red but the gemstone can also can be found in a range of colours, including orange, yellow, purple and even green. The name “garnet” originates from the medieval Latin granatus, meaning “pomegranate”, in reference to the similarity of the red colour.

Shown here is a beautiful garnet ring with matching earrings from the luxury Italian jewellery designer Marco Bicego.

Every piece of Marco Bicego jewellery features a combination of fine Italian craftsmanship and creativity, the designs are based on three signature features: multi-coloured gemstones, the finest detailing and hand engraved 18ct gold.

The garnet ring (in 18ct yellow gold, £875), and garnet stud earrings (in 18ct yellow gold, £910) are from the Jaipur collection, Inspired by the tropical Indian sunset and the stonecutting heritage of Jaipur, each piece is characterised by its prism-cut gemstones and epitomises the understated elegance that the Marco Bicego is famous for.

Mallory has an array of brilliant Marco Bicego pieces waiting to be discovered.

Click here to discover the full range.

Jo Malone London is Forever Loving Roses

Wear your roses on your sleeve. One timeless flower, many different expressions. A collection of rebellious rose scents, from light and fresh to deep and decadent. The British fragrance and lifestyle house introduces a collection of three limited-edition rose scents, each showing a different side to this iconic fragrance ingredient: Rose Blush, Rose & Magnolia and Rose Amber. Priced at £86, each scent is available as a 50ml cologne.

Available now via jomalone.co.uk

Curated by Daniel McCabe

Each issue of MacGuffin magazine is based around a single, simple object – the table, the window, the bottle, the rug and so on – to illuminate a range of fascinating, inspiring and entertaining facts about them. 

MacGuffin #13 is dedicated to one of the core elements of anyone’s language: the letter, a seemingly modest sign that can mean many things. The issue takes ‘a dive into the infinite world of written symbols, taking in Arabic protest and autocorrection, branded bodies and black typography, found fonts and feminist print shops, graffiti and grimoires, internet memes and interrobangs, language labyrinths and left-handedness, Palestinian resistance and queer typography, slogan T-shirts and secret messages.| £23

magalleria.co.uk

The Great Post Office Scandal

Between 1999 and 2015 hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses were wrongly accused by The Post Office of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system called Horizon. The Great Post Office Scandal has since become one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history. 

The ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, starring Toby Jones and Julie Hesmondhalgh, aired on New Year's Day and the four episodes are now available to stream on ITVX. The feature in our January magazine catches up with the latest news on the Scandal from journalist Nick Wallis and also includes some insights from Gwyneth Hughes, screenwriter of the ITV drama. 

In 2021 Nick Wallis published a book on the Scandal, the first definitive account. Now with updates – because the fight for justice continues – the book is available in paperback from Bath Publishing Company (£13.99). 

Nick and the publishers will be donating 5% of the income from sales of the book to the Horizon Scandal Fund, which directly helps sub-postmasters in need. 

Click here to read the article on our website.
To purchase the book go to bathpublishing.com

Bar 44 'Turns Back Time' with 2002 Prices

Spanish restaurant group Bar 44 is set to transport customers back in time this new year by offering selected cocktails and tapas at 2002 prices throughout the month of January.

Running from Wednesday to Friday and on Saturdays until 3pm, the special offer features a revolving menu of throwback specials showcasing signature dishes and cocktails, reminiscent of Bar 44's original offerings from its inaugural year in 2002. 

Bar 44 is focussed on impeccably sourced ingredients served simply with a modern touch and a load of passion. Menus give equal billing to food and drink and use both the best local produce, as well as showcasing outstanding produce from Spain.

For more information click here. 

Thatchers gives away apple trees

Five hundred apple trees are being given away by Thatchers to community groups across the UK. 

In the fourth year of its Community Orchard Project, Thatchers is looking for fifty organisations doing great things in their local neighbourhoods, to be the 2024 recipients of ten apple trees each enabling them to sow the seeds of their own community orchard. 

Thatchers is keen to hear about local groups and charities doing great things in their communities; perhaps those growing fruit and veg for those in need, or those working with groups who have little access to outside space. 

Thatchers is therefore appealing to community groups, charities and organisations to apply to the 2024 project, which opens on 3 January and runs until Monday 5 February. 

Click here to apply for the project

Wake the Tiger's "trip of a lifetime" ticket launch

Tickets for “trip of a lifetime” to Wake The Tiger’s mind-bending expansion, the OUTERverse, went on sale this week. 

A year in the making, Wake The Tiger will open its new expanded OUTERverse on Friday 2 February, but you can buy your early bird tickets now.

Wake The Tiger’s out-of-this-world expansion has added an extra 1,000 square metres of walk-through fantasy to the current experience. Creating a soul-searching adventure, the OUTERverse will take visitors on a limit-pushing voyage where adventure is not just a destination, but a state of mind.

Having cemented itself as a leading attraction in the UK and showcasing the best of Bristol’s cultural and creative talent, Wake The Tiger’s new offering wholeheartedly showcases the skills of the city’s makers and creators.

Click here to book tickets. 

Bristol Bears vs Vodacom Bulls

Join Bristol Bears as they battle with the Bulls Saturday 13 January.

European rugby is making its return to Ashton Gate next Saturday as the Bears gear up to host Vodacom Bulls in the Champions Cup.

The South African side visit BS3 with the Bears looking for a bounce back victory. Secure your seat to be part of the action.

Click here to buy tickets.

Watershed shows Priscilla until 11 January

Director Sofia Coppola returns with this ethereal portrait of the whirlwind romance and relationship of Priscilla and Elvis Presley, now available to watch at Watershed.

When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) meets Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend.

Through Priscilla’s eyes, Sofia Coppola tells the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla’s long courtship and turbulent marriage, from a German army base to his dream-world estate at Graceland, in this deeply felt and ravishingly detailed portrait of love, fantasy, and fame.

Click here to book your tickets

Special offers for you this January

Three health and fitness businesses have special offers this month to encourage more people to kickstart 2024 by making positive changes. 

MOHIITO is offering new clients a special January introductory six-class pass costing £69. Each week, you can choose from a 60-strong range of Pilates, barre and other fitness classes (including HIIT and boxing) held at the Cotham Hill studio. As a little extra, use code ‘MOHBRISTOLMAG’ to receive a pair of stylish grip socks with your intro pass. 

Over on Clifton Downs, Be Military Fit is offering two free fitness classes to its outdoor workouts in January, with all abilities welcome, though digital classes are also available.

Meanwhile in Redland, Alma Physiotherapy - a wellness clinic focusing on women’s health and pelvic floor health - is offering readers 10% off an initial physiotherapy session with the code ‘HELLO10’ for bookings made before 31 January. 

mohiito.com/2024
bemilitaryfit.com 
almaphysiotherapy.co.uk/book-online 

The Radiator Centre arrives in Clifton

The Radiator Centre has announced its newest showroom will open on Whiteladies Road in Clifton on Monday 8 January 2024. 

It marks the sixth showroom for the company and its first site in the south west.

Nick Duggan, managing director of The Radiator Centre says:

“Our expert team will be on hand to provide advice and guidance, whether someone is embarking on a new building project or requires a swift solution for urgent renovations.”

From designer radiators to traditional designs and cast iron radiators, the showroom will also feature stylish heated towel rails, catering to a diverse range of heating needs.

116 Whiteladies Road Bristol BS8 2RP
theradiatorcentre.com

Make a date to tour the One Lockleaze show home - 13 january 2024

A selection of 2, 3 & 4 bed homes from £352,500

Linden Homes are delighted to invite you to the official launch event on Saturday 13th January - 11am-4pm at One Lockleaze.

You can expect a full tour of the show home, and grab a coffee and slice pizza by Pizzarova! 

While there you can chat with the team about the exciting offers available on the day and the schemes designed to help get you moving. 

There's also free financial advice on offer from a team of mortgage specialists in attendance.

One Lockleaze is just off Danby Street, BS16 1 FL.

For more details call the team on 01174 533442 or 

Click here to register your interest and visit One Lockleaze on the Linden Homes website

Offered for sale by Knight Frank estate agents in Bristol.

37 Canynge Square has been in the same family's ownership for 33 years. The property is situated on the north west side of the square enjoying a lovely south west facing aspect over its attractive walled garden. These gardens are overlooked by all principal rooms and accessed from the drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room and sitting room/bar.

The elegant interior is arranged over four floors providing well presented living accommodation. A further lower ground floor at basement level provides excellent vaulted wine cellars which leads to a large cellar/vaulted area to the front of the house. 

All features appropriate to the period remain and include archways, simple and ornate ceiling cornices, panelled doors with brass furniture in moulded architraves, window shutters, marble fireplaces and period grates.

The well fitted kitchen/breakfast room with Aga gives access to the garden as does the drawing room. The lower ground floor has a superb cinema room which is open plan with the sitting room/bar area which in turn gives access to the garden.

The first floor has three bedrooms that run across the rear of the house. The principal bedroom has a balcony, and bedroom 5 has been converted into a dressing room. There is also a bath/shower room and separate w.c on this floor. The second floor has a further bedroom with en suite bath/shower room. All bathrooms and wet rooms are very well-appointed. | Guide price £3,150,000

For more images and details click here to view this property on the Knight Frank website.