OUR NEW SEPTEMBER ISSUE LANDS NEXT WEEK!

As summer gently draws to a close, we welcome a new season, new school year and a new calendar month brimming with things to do...

Catch our exclusive interview with Nish Kumar, who talks us through the intricacies of a politically outspoken stand-up career ahead of his show in town; fans of Peaky Blinders will delight in a new stage production arriving in Bristol soon - find out everything you need to know from the show's creator himself; and we were extremely excited to hear from Bristol's leading poet Vanessa Kisuule, who's releasing her first non-fiction book in September. There's also a chat with the owner of Brislington's very own Boeing Airbnb, music education from Bristol Beacon and - as you'll see from our stunning front cover - so, so, so, so, (so!) very much more to feast your eyes on. Enjoy!

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 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 £4.95. UK mainland prices. For Euro and World zone subscription prices – click here to subscribe on our website. 

Comforting Cassoulet

Recipe by Melissa Blease

September is almost upon us! Celebrate the start of the autumn comfort food season with this indulgent Cassoulet, which brings the full-on flavours of a late French summer to the table in little over an hour.

Ingredients (serves 2)

50g smoked bacon lardons
4 Toulouse sausages
2 duck legs
400g tinned cannellini beans
4-5 shallots, peeled and sliced
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
100ml water
75ml red wine
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 level tbsp Herbes de Provence
1 level tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp white sugar
75g white bread
Handful of fresh parsley

To serve: French bread; seasonal greens

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190c/gas mark 5. Tip the lardons into a large, cold, lidded casserole dish with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Turn the heat on the hob up to medium, sauté the lardons until crisp and golden then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set to one side.

2. Add a little more oil to the rendered bacon fat in the casserole dish (if necessary) and brown the sausages and duck legs until the sausage skins are starting to caramelise and the duck skin is crispy. Remove from the pan and set to one side. When the duck legs have cooled down enough to handle, gently remove (and reserve) the crispy skin.

3. Tip the onions into the casserole dish and sauté until soft and translucent, adding the garlic and tomato purée for the last minute or so. Add the wine and allow to bubble for a couple of minutes before adding the water, sugar and plum tomatoes. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Add the bacon lardons and beans, season well, stir again and submerge the sausages and duck legs into the mixture. Put the lid on and put in the oven for around 50 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, blitz the white bread, reserved crispy duck skin and parsley together in a blender or food processor to create crumbs. Take the cassoulet out of the oven and sprinkle the crumb mixture across the top. Continue to cook in the oven for another 20 minutes or until the crust is crispy.

5. Serve with crusty bread (French, n'est pas!), a bowl of hot buttered greens... and a bottle of good Bergerac.

A mixed case of wine rack essentials

The Wine Rack Essentials Mixed case is a specially curated, 6-bottle selection from the Great Wine Co. Hand picked by the dedicated team, this is a beautifully curated case of flavoursome, well-balanced, easy drinking wines that are ideal for keeping the wine rack in good shape and ready for any occasion. And at £59 for the case, there's free delivery on orders over £50.

• Blanco Sobre Lias - Care 2023
• Embrujo Verdejo Organic - Bodegas Verum 2023
• Bergerac Blanc Château Laulerie - Vignobles Dubard 2023
• Baluarte Roble - Navarra 2021
• Reserve Malbec - Bodegas Santa Ana 2022
• Les Mougeottes Pinot Noir, IGP Pays d'Oc - IGP Pays d'Oc 2023

Click here to see this and many more mixed case offers at The Great Wine Co.

MAGRITTE BOX from Neuhaus Chocolatiers

The Magritte box (191 g) is a tin box with the famous painting "L'Homme au chapeau melon". A perfect  Belgian souvenir that consists of 20 exquisite chocolate carrés and a selection of 9 delicious pralines in white, milk and dark chocolate filled with a praliné, ganache or caramel.

All Neuhaus chocolates are made in Belgium with sustainably sourced cocoa. Their products are free of palm oil and GMO's, and every ingredient used is of natural origin.

Neuhaus | £36

Click here to buy now.

The Watch for World Travellers

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller is a sophisticated, luxury timepiece and companion designed with frequent travellers on mind. First unveiled in 2012, it combines technological innovation with user-friendly functionality.

The Sky-Dweller displays time in two time zones simultaneously, with local time shown via traditional centre hands and reference time by means of a red triangle pointing to a 24-hour off-centre disc, allowing travellers to easily distinguish between day and night hours.

The watch features a revolutionary annual calendar named Saros, a revolutionary system used since antiquity to designate an approximately 18-year cycle of alignment patterns between the Sun, the Earth and the Moon. This ingenious mechanism automatically differentiates between 30 and 31-day months, requiring only one date adjustment per year, on on 1st March, February having only 28 or 29 days.
The calendar is elegantly displayed via 12 apertures around the dial, outside the hour markers with the current month highlighted in red.

At the heart of the Sky-Dweller is the calibre 9002, a self-winding mechanical movement developed by Rolex. Known for its precision, durability, and a 72-hour power reserve, this movement includes the patented Chronergy escapement and Parachrom hairspring, both of which enhance resistance to magnetic fields and shocks.

The patented Ring Command system allows easy and intuitive adjustment of the watch’s functions by rotating the fluted bezel and using the winding crown.
The Sky-Dweller is available with three bracelet options – the three-piece link Oyster, the five-piece link Jubilee, and the innovative Oysterflex – all equipped with patented comfort extension systems for an optimal fit.

Combining elegance, functionality, and robust engineering, the Sky-Dweller is another perfect example of Rolex’s excellence in watchmaking. For model options prices and more information contact Mallory or click here to see the Sky Dweller range on the Mallory website

Curated by Daniel McCabe

We’re now stocking Ugly Things, a US fanzine published by British ex-pat Mike Stax in 1983 and now established as the go-to resource for connoisseurs of primal rock music, from underground garage/beat/rock’n’roll of the mid-1960s to the punk era of the 70s with an eye on anything contemporary that hooks up with the scene. It’s all about uncovering the lost bands and those untold stories, as well as providing a valuable consumers’ guide to the ongoing tide of reissues and compilations. The latest issue features the softer sounds and strange career of Michelle Phillips from the Mamas and the Papas.  | £12.99

magalleria.co.uk

Medieval Falconry Day, 7 September
The Bishop's Palace & Gardens

Held on the South Lawn, against the stunning backdrop of the medieval Palace’s Great Hall, Tony from the specialist falconry firm, Raptorcare, will entertain crowds with a day of fantastic flying displays, fascinating information and beautiful birds!

Displays will take place at 12pm and 3pm.

Aimed at visitors of all ages, the displays will illustrate how these birds would have been used in Medieval times and why. Marvel at their skill and training as they show off their well-honed moves in front of the audience and in between displays, Tony can be found at his medieval tent where he can answer all your burning questions!

The 14 acres of gardens will also be open, and the Dragon’s Lair Play Area is the perfect place to exercise little legs!

The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens Wells Somerset BA5 2PD

Click here for more info and tickets

BS5 Art Trail
September 7-8, 11am to 5pm

Celebrating creativity across the BS5 community, the BS5 Art Trail is back for its fourth event on the weekend of 7-8 September. A wide variety of artists and makers will be exhibiting in community venues, studio spaces and homes across the BS5 postcode area.

The inaugural BS5 Art Trail took place in September 2021 and saw visitors enjoy a wide range of art and crafts from over 80 local exhibitors. Now the trail has grown to over 95 exhibitors plus exhibition spaces and workshops open over the weekend ,including an exhibition at In Bristol Studios in Barton Hill, badge-making and foam printing at Radical Roasters, sculpture- making using recycled objects at Hazelnut Farm at St Anne’s Church, various activities at the Pickle factory and even a performance by the Orchard Choir at St Ambrose on the Sunday.

Boardwalk estate agents have really supported this growth by sponsoring the event and placing display boards / banners at venues to help visitors find their way around the Trail.

Once again BS5 have had a kind donation towards the map and brochure costs from BAM Store & Space whose shop in Greenbank helps support local artists and makers. Whitehall Printers in BS5 have also helped out again. This year they were also pleased to have applied successfully for a community grant from Eastside Community Trust.

The dedicated small group of volunteers have worked tirelessly to make sure the event is a success and BS5 have some wonderful graphics and a new website, which will feature an interactive trail map that can function with Google maps .

In the run up to the trail, map brochures will be available for collection from Easton Community Centre, Born in Bristol Church St and other local businesses. They will also be available for download from their website.

Click here for more information and a list of the venues and artists.

GREG GRIFFITH: NEW PAINTINGS at The Mount Without
5 September to 2 October

Sunningdale Clifton, Bristol, BS8

Offered for sale by Ocean estate agent

• Three double bedrooms
• Two reception rooms
• Three bathrooms
• 128 square metres

Situated on the fringes of Clifton this is an elegant and tastefully presented home with plenty of original features. The accommodation offers generous, well-proportioned room sizes and high ceilings with original cornicing. On the ground floor there is a spacious kitchen/diner, fitted with modern units, boasting an abundance of cupboard and worktop space and a stylish tiled shower room, the first of three bathrooms. At the rear you can relax in your south-facing courtyard garden, enjoying the sun throughout much of the day. Up the beautiful ornate staircase you come to the first floor with the grand sitting room, the perfect place to entertain or simply relax. It can also be transformed into a generous principal bedroom to suit all your wants and needs. To the rear a well portioned guest bedroom overlooks the gardens together with a second bathroom. The second floor has a further two bedrooms serviced by a luxurious family bathroom. The house is in a fantastic location with a host of independent shops nearby with further amenities including a supermarket, outstanding children's nurseries and quality local schools. Offered with no onward chain. Guide price £750,000

For further images and details click here to view the property on the Ocean website.