Green Rooms Houseplant Market

Green Rooms, the popular houseplant market is returning to Bristol this Sunday, turning PROPYARD’s impressive Crane Room into an urban jungle, packed with the region’s best botanical brands for you to shop houseplants, pots, hanging planters, terrariums and so much more for plant lovers and plant newbies alike.

Bring your plant-loving pals together to shop, learn at a workshop and enjoy PROPYARD’s food and drinks amongst the indoor jungle!

Sun 11 June | 10am - 5pm | The Crane Room at PROPYARD | Free entry

Free workshop
Fancy Plants Hall of Plant fame Workshop Sun 11th June 1 - 1:45pm

Do you worry about killing your plants, and want to give them their best life? Come and catch up with plant expert Sharon from once of Bristol's brilliant plant shops Fancy Plants and find out what her top 10 plants are, as she shares her secrets for helping your plant live its best life. book via shopgreenrooms.com/events

OUR JUNE ISSUE: OUT NOW

You'll love our fabulous June 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. 

Words by Melissa Blease

Gado-Gado

If you're looking to liven up your salad days, you've come to the right place: I give you Gado-Gado, the Indonesian version of a mixed salad mega-boosted by a fascinating sweet/savoury peanut sauce... and guaranteed to take your taste buds on an exotic journey to summer satisfaction paradise.

Fresh, vibrant and infinitely versatile, Gado-Gado translates from the Indonesian simply as 'mix-mix' – the ingredients are served in separate little sections around individual serving dishes for diners to gado-gado as they choose, with the all-important dressing found both beneath the body of ingredients and drizzled across the top, again leaving it up to the individual diner to decide how much or how little they prefer to accompany each glorious mouthful. 

Gado-Gado can be made with all manner of raw or lightly steamed vegetables and protein, but we're going fairly traditional here with the Tempeh, prawns and boiled eggs. Traditional tofu works well too, as do slivers of cold roast chicken, flash-fried steak or even crispy fried fish. Bali Ha'i!

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the salad:
200g new potatoes, halved and lightly steamed in their skins
2 large eggs, hard boiled, shelled and halved
200g Tempeh (or tofu)
12 large, cooked king prawns
2 large, ripe tomatoes, chopped into chunky chunks
1 Little Gem lettuce (or similar amount of crispy lettuce), chopped
1 handful of green beans, steamed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 handful of ready-to-eat beansprouts
6-8 radishes, thinly sliced
3” cucumber, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced

For the dressing:
1-2 red chillies
1 clove of garlic, peeled
25g palm (or soft brown) sugar
75g crunchy peanut butter
100ml coconut milk
The juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp fish sauce

To serve: 2 handfuls prawn crackers, crumbled; ½ bunch fresh coriander, chopped

Method

Start by prepping all the ingredients for your salad so they're ready to go when you are, allowing them all to come to room temperature before serving if you're making ahead (for the Tempeh or tofu in this recipe, cut into chunky dice and sauté in a splash of vegetable or sesame oil for around 12-15 minutes until crisp and golden).

Put all the ingredients for the dressing into a blender and blitz until smooth. Adjust to taste as necessary; sharper? Sweeter? You decide.

Divide half of the dressing across the base and sides of two serving bowls. Arrange all the ingredients for the salad (apart from the fresh coriander and the prawn crackers) in sections around the bowl, and top with the rest of the dressing followed by crumbled prawn crackers, fresh coriander and extra slices of fresh red chilli if you feel like turning the heat up. 

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants Collection

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants are delighted to introduce this special wine club, hand-picked by their team of expert Sommeliers to give you an incredible wine experience at home. This selection of everyday wines are absolute classics that are at the backbone of a top wine list, noted and lauded for their consistent crowd-pleasing quality and versatility in food matching, and are the sommelier’s go-to.

Start with a glass of the esteemed Grand Brut from Maison Perrier-Jouët, then choose unoaked Chablis to compliment fresh seafood. Aged red Burgundy packs soft red-fruit, and a classic meaty note, and cries out for game-bird, while the rapier-tang of the Gavi di Gavi suits mushroom risotto. The Cabernet-heavy Villegeorge has the power to match the heartiest of main-courses, but a lightly chilled Trocken Riesling has a culinary versatility that is hard to match.

Priced at £250, The Everyday Essentials Collection Contains:

1 x NV Grand Brut, Perrier Jouet
1 x 2020 Chablis, Domaine de Vauroux
1 x 2019 Gavi di Gavi, Vigneto Ciapon DOCG, Bergaglio
1 x 2020 Riesling Urstück Trocken, Paulinshof
1 x 2014 Haut-Médoc, Château de Villegeorge
1 x 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin, Joseph Drouhin

Click here to see this and the other Gordon Ramsay restaurant wine collections

Allure Homme Sport | £72

The best gifts are those that reflect the personality of their wearer, so this Father's Day show your love with a fragrance that complements his unique character.

Allure Homme Sport is a fresh and woody fragrance. The blend of aquatic, lively and sensual notes evokes a man of action seeking to push his limits.

To find out more, visit chanel.com

Men's Sailor Socks - £7.95

The men's version of Seasalt Cornwall's famous Sailor Socks, made with soft and breathable bamboo to keep feet warm in winter and cool in the summer. Choose from fun and colourful designs, including signature Seasalt stripes.

Visit seasaltcornwall.com to shop

It’s Mille Miglia time!

Started in 1927 by an Italian Count and a group of car enthusiasts in the town of Brescia, the Mille Miglia (15-18 June) is a 1,000 mile, open-road rally circuit in Northern Italy; apart from WWII, the race took place every year until 1957.

The Mille Miglia was always fiercely contended and Sterling Moss scored a famous victory in 1955 with a record time of just over 10 hours (with an average speed of 98mph) in his Mercedes. The race was also gruelling and notoriously perilous – and due to increasing accidents and fatalities (drivers and spectators) it was cancelled in 1957.

The race was revived in 1977: this time more of a grand tour for well-heeled gentlemen and a 1000-mile parade of classic and vintage cars – although to this day some of the playboy drivers still like the rush of competitive adrenalin.

Luxury brand Chopard has long been associated with the Mille Miglia as principal sponsor, and every year it creates a new limited-edition timepiece to celebrate the event: all drivers are presented one as a trophy for their endurance.

Here’s Chopard's Mille Miglia GT Power Control 43mm titanium automatic – super stylish with a grey dial and fabric strap, the watch features 5 minute markers on the bezel ring, luminous fill on the hour and minute hands and transparent case back. It is water resistant to 100m and has a power reserve of around 60 hours… you can see how much ‘juice’ is available on the power gauge (between the 8 and 10 o’clock markers); £7,990. Miglia Millia watches feature a striking ‘1000 Miglia’ arrow design at the date marker, closely resembling the red road signs used along the route.

It’s a terrific backstory and these lovely watches make a great acquisition for any classic car enthusiast, playboy, or just someone who appreciates a fine timepiece.

Find out about these and more from the Chopard Mille Miglia range at Mallory

Curated by Daniel McCabe

Sixteen Journal is a themed and textless photography magazine that allows well-known and not so well known artists to share their work without the constraints of the commercial environment. The magazine is founded principally on portraiture, with each issue providing a study of people as subjects in posed portraits, in the street, at home, at work and so on. As contemporary photography goes, this is both accessible and satisfying as well as beautifully packaged. Following recent releases themed around Jazz, Womanhood and The American West, the latest volume (#9) is dedicated to Hispanic Culture and issued in four different covers by Jack Davison, Darren Gwynne, Joseph Rodriguez and Elizaveta Porodina. | £29

store.magalleria.co.uk

OperaUpClose’s re-imagined version of Wagner’s classic The Flying Dutchman plays SS Great Britain this Summer

OperaUpClose will tour the UK with a re-imagined version of Wagner’s masterpiece The Flying Dutchman from June and in keeping with the maritime theme of the show, will play the Great Eastern Hall of the SS Great Britain’s Dockyard on the 4th and 5th July.

The production will bring all the performers, instrumentalists and singers together on the stage and break the fourth wall with the audience for a more immersive experience. The political themes of the show have been brought to the forefront by poet and novelist Glyn Maxwell and the 8 piece chamber orchestration is by Laura Bowler, who has become synonymous with contemporary and challenging work, particularly via her company Size Zero Opera.

4 - 5 July | 7:30pm | SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard
Go to operaupclose.com for more information

All about Greenhouse Learning

Recently, The Bristol Magazine worked with Rachael and Chin and the brilliant team at Greenhouse Learning in Bristol for a series of films on one-to-one private tuition. Greenhouse is a truly great company helping a lot of young people [as well as supporting schools] improve their grades and prospects. It was a pleasure meeting some very talented and dedicated people during the series. This is the main reel.

Find out more about Greenhouse Learning’s services by visiting their website

Festival of Nature

Festival of Nature starts today in Bristol and Bath and runs from Friday 9th – Sunday 18th June for its 20th anniversary event! Join the celebration with this year’s unmissable 10-day programme of vibrant city-centre events, family nature parties, wildlife workshops, walks and talks, film screenings, spectacular performances, and digital activities across the week.

Don’t miss out on the festival’s Wild Weekend at Millennium Square and Anchor Square on Saturday 17 – Sunday 18 June. Two days of free nature activities, stalls, food and drink, and special guest talks in the city-centre. They’ll be something for everyone, with a host of exciting national and local organisations getting involved.

View the programme here

City of Bristol Choir

A feel-good celebration of singing featuring Iain Farrington's exhilarating jazz cantata Then sing we all

The 100-strong City of Bristol Choir presents an uplifting celebration of singing featuring the cantata Then sing we all by jazz virtuoso and composer Iain Farrington, staged as part of the St George’s Festival of Voice. Expressing the joy of singing together, this joyful piece sets 16th and 17th century texts fusing swing, funk, late-night blues and gospel styles. 

Sunday 25 June | 6pm | St George's Bristol 
Visit stgeorgesbristol.co.uk for more information

Valley Fest

Valley Fest, the family-friendly festival has added Groove Armada (DJ set) to its headliners, along with The Kooks, Bananarama and Scouting for Girls. The award-winning, music and food event takes place over 3 – 6 August alongside Chew Valley Lake, near Bristol.

Now in its ninth year, Valley Fest is going from strength to strength. The small, family friendly festival is becoming a firm favourite in the Bristol and South West calendar. Edged by the rolling Mendip hills, Chew Valley Lake provides the sparkling backdrop, which, some say, give it ‘the best view of any UK festival.’

Expect hedge-to-hedge Somerset sparkle and spectacle with a whopping soundtrack.

3 - 6 August | Chew Magna | Weekend tickets from £175
For more information, visit valleyfest.co.uk

Bluebird Care celebrate immediate availability

“It’s a brave new world... I’m still adjusting to operating without a waiting list,” muses Tim Rowland Jones, Director of Bluebird Care Bristol. As the owner of a CQC Outstanding home and live-in care company, he is accustomed to running at full capacity. “Bristolians are discerning – they won’t accept just any care company – so we’ve always held an orderly waiting list for our services. Two out of three new customers find us via word of mouth, recommended by a friend, neighbour, GP, or hospital discharge team.” 

For the first time in a decade, the Bristol Bluebirds have immediate availability to start care thanks to herculean recruitment and training efforts. 

“From companionship, domestic assistance, and home-cooked meals to specialist rehabilitation, dementia, Parkinson’s, and palliative care, we can help you remain in the comfort of your own home for as long as you so desire.”

Go to bluebirdcare.co.uk for more information

Connection Matters: Loneliness Awareness Week 2023 Encourages Harnessing of Everyday Connections

 Loneliness is on the rise. Almost a third of people in the UK already feel lonelier since the pandemic. Disconnected communities could be costing the UK economy £32 billion every year. This can be exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis, which hinders social interaction.

A leading loneliness charity, Marmalade Trust, is launching its 7th annual campaign, Loneliness Awareness Week 2023, dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness across the UK and worldwide. Taking place from June 12th to 18th, this year's campaign, 'Connection Matters,' aims to get people to notice and encourage small everyday connection moments to reduce feelings of loneliness and increase connection.

During Loneliness Awareness Week, Marmalade Trust encourages individuals, businesses, organisations, and community groups to join them in creating supportive communities by harnessing and sharing moments that matter and initiating conversations about loneliness with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.

Go to lonelinessawarenessweek.org for more information

Victoria Square, Clifton, Bristol, BS8

Offered for sale by Ocean estate agents

This is a beautiful 2 double bedroom first floor balcony apartment, set within a fine grade II listed Georgian terrace in Victoria Square, providing a level approach to all the amenities of Clifton Village.

This wonderful property has 12 ft high ceilings, pleasant views, a well-maintained communal entrance and stairwell. The spacious central hallway has 2 built-in storage storage cupboards and leads to a large front facing lounge/diner with fireplace and floor to ceiling sash windows providing direct access to the private walk-out balcony.

Bedroom 2 is also front facing with a floor to ceiling sash to window to the balcony which has a south easterly aspect with direct views over Victoria Square.

Bedroom 1 is set to the rear of the property with a large sash window. The modern separate kitchen has integrated appliances and a Worcester gas combination boiler. The family bathroom has a white suite with rain shower over bath.

Set within the Clifton Village Residents parking Zone. No onward chain. 

£465,000

For more images and details click here to see the property on the Oceanhome website