UK's first Australian Aboriginal-owned gallery opens with group exhibition

This month, Bristol has welcomed the UK’s first Australian Aboriginal-owned gallery dedicated to supporting emerging Australian Indigenous artists. Gallery founder and curator Jasmine Coe – a Wiradjuri-British artist and the daughter of Aboriginal justice and land rights activist Paul Coe – has launched Coe Gallery with a group pop-up exhibition at The Vestibules, running until 28 July. The Gallery plans to open a permanent space in 2023.

We caught up with Jasmine in our July issue: read the full interview on our website: thebristolmagazine.co.uk | jasminecoe.com

Featured painting: Earth with Honeybees by Jasmine Coe, painting on canvas

OUR JULY ISSUE: OUT NOW

Our July 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 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 £3.95. UK mainland prices. For Euro and World zone subscription prices – see our website. 

A Pirate’s Life For Me: Treasure Island at The Bristol Old Vic

As Bristol Old Vic prepares to welcome Treasure Island back to its stage this month, we sat down with the theatre’s Heritage Participation Producer, Harriet Wilson, who takes us back through the archives and explains why Bristol audiences have always favoured maritime fiction… 

Read the full feature on The Bristol Magazine website: thebristolmag.co.uk

Treasure Island is showing at Bristol Old Vic from Tuesday 19 July – Saturday 30 July. For more information and to book tickets, visit: bristololdvic.org.uk. 

The new Tudor Heritage Ranger

To mark the 70th anniversary of the British North Greenland expedition, Tudor has issued the Heritage Ranger: a special model that celebrates exploration and adventure.

Based on the original Oyster Prince watches used by the 1950 expedition team, the Ranger is a 39mm steel case with baton markers and Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock. Vintage watches enthusiasts will appreciate the beige hour markers painted in luminescent material which contrast perfectly with the grained, matt black dial and match the tone of the TUDOR shield logo and inscriptions. Inside it is powered by the Manufacturer Calibre MT5402: "a weekend proof", 70 hour automatic movement.

This robust, classic-looking watch is a great all rounder: pleasing on the eye and cool on the wrist, it is available with either a steel bracelet at £2,420 or in a hybrid rubber/leather, or green, red and beige fabric Jacquard strap at £2,170.

Find out more about the new Tudor Heritage Ranger models at Mallory.

Jiya Jewellery: Ukraine Heart Bracelet

Bristol-based jewellery design company Jiya Jewellery has created this beautiful bespoke Ukraine heart bracelet, with all profits going to the DEC Fund. Designed and handmade in their studio by local artisans. The Ukraine heart bracelet features a delicate gold heart beaded in the national colours. One size fits all. A meaningful gift for friends and family. | £21

Visit the Jiya Jewellery website to buy the bracelet: jiyajewellery.co.uk | hello@jiyajewelry.co.uk

Curated by Daniel McCabe

HOLO is a Toronto-based editorial and curatorial platform tracking emerging trajectories in art, science and technology. Within this fascinating and entangled intersection of knowledge, HOLO searches out epicentres of critical creative practice, radical imagination, research and activism, presenting it all as accessibly as it can. Appearances of the platform's imposing print magazine have been sporadic, with only two issues in a decade, but at last we have the third outing: 'Mirror Stage: Between Computability and Its Opposite' in which fifteen luminaries question our problematic faith in and deference to AI, boldly ‘exploring the limits of knowledge, prediction, language, and abstraction in computation’ in order to ‘measure the gap between machine learning hypotheticals and the mess of lived experience’. | £34.99

Wake The Tiger, The World’s First 'Amazement Park®’ | BOOKINGS OPEN

The creative masterminds behind the hugely successful, immersive festival Boomtown Fair, announce Wake The Tiger, the world’s first Amazement Park®.

The brand new, thrilling experience coming to Bristol this summer has been produced by a collection of over 100 artists including storytellers, poets, scenic artists, robotics experts, fabricators, costume makers, architects, videographers and prop makers. The Amazement Park® encompasses interactive environments and daring new experiences blurring the lines between an art gallery, theme park and film set, with a playful psychedelic twist throughout. Step through the secret portal into the amazing world of Meridia; a multi-layered maze of immersive environments, secret passageways, hidden rooms and so many fantastical wonders to lose yourself in. Within the labyrinth many stories are told or untold; all that is known is you will not be the same person you were when you entered, igniting the imagination of all ages.

127 Albert Road, St Philips, Bristol, BS2 0YA | wakethetiger.com | Instagram / Twitter: @wakethetiger

Valley Fest, 4-7 August, Chew Valley Lake

Valley Fest, the best-tasting music festival in the South West festival, takes place alongside Chew Valley Lake, near Bristol, between 4-7 August 2022.

Travis, Clean Bandit, Faithless (DJ set), Roni Size with Dynamite MC, Kosheen and The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club will headline. Valley Fest has also joined forces with Arcadia: the performance art collective best known for their iconic, 50ft fire-spitting spider at Glastonbury. At Valley Fest, they are bringing the Afterburner stage – built from a Rolls Royce jet engine.

There’ll also be food from Josh and Holly Eggleton, Rob Howell of Root and many more – plus a family friendly area, spa area, and new ‘regeneration’ area to showcase all things regenerative: from food, farming, gardening, beauty and drinks.

Read the full line up by clicking here.

Expect hedge-to-hedge Somerset sparkle and plenty of nonsense with a spectacular soundtrack and magnificent menu. Tickets are £170 (plus booking fee), available at the Valley Fest website: valleyfest.co.uk. 

Aztec Hotel wins 'Best Boutique Spa' award at the Good Spa Guide Awards

The Good Spa Guide™ – the UK’s leading authority on the spa industry – recently unveiled the results of its thirteenth annual awards. The awards celebrate the very best in spa excellence across the UK, and how they play an increasingly vital role in supporting our health and wellbeing.

Whether it’s a one-night stopover en-route to Cornwall or a whole weekend to explore all that Bristol, Bath and Cardiff has to offer – Aztec Hotel and Spa (part of Daniel Thwaites) is the perfect hotel in Bristol for some rest and relaxation, particularly with the addition of the spa’s new Relax Lounge.

A sophisticated, dedicated new space for relaxation post-treatment, the Relax Lounge is spacious at 45ft by 25ft width, comfortably welcoming up to 21 guests to be seated at any one time. All four treatment rooms at Aztec Hotel and Spa have also been newly refurbished alongside the creation of the new Relax Lounge which offers pretty garden views.

In addition to being named Best Boutique Spa, Aztec Hotel was recently awarded four bubbles by the Good Spa Guide. The hotel offers guests a warming sauna, relaxing hot tub and jacuzzi, a steam room and a spacious indoor swimming pool for a refreshing dip, either before or after a visit to the well-equipped gym. 

aztechotelbristol.co.uk

Actor Tom Read Wilson visits Penny Brohn UK’s centre near Bristol

TV favourite and actor, Tom Read Wilson has been announced as the new Ambassador for charity Penny Brohn UK which supports people living with cancer. Tom is best known as the star of Celebs Go Dating on E4. Author of On the Tip of My Tongue and Every word tells a Story, Tom has also appeared on shows such as BBC1’s Celebrity Best Home Cook, Mastermind, Mary Berry’s Fantastic Feasts as well as shows such as 8 out of 10 Cats, Celebrity Juice and CelebAbility.

Tom recently visited Penny Brohn UK’s centre near Bristol to find out more about how the charity supports people through cancer. During his visit Tom met participants on cancer retreat, talked with staff and toured the facility and its much-praised therapeutic gardens.

Tom said, “I’m so proud to lend my voice to help more people living with cancer hear about Penny Brohn UK. This charity is truly unique.

“From their online cancer support and their specialist cancer retreats at the beautiful, tranquil centre near Bristol - a tonic in and of itself - to their signature whole person approach to cancer, led by expert practitioners – you have a remarkable institution."

pennybrohn.org.uk

The Wave welcomes a musical star – and a new investment partner

Inland surfing company The Wave has recently been paid a visit by South African artist Jeremy Loops, whose long-awaited third album, Heard You Got Love – a record of head-bopping anthems perfect for sunny days – was released earlier this month.  

Loops has played some of the world’s most prestigious venues–including a sell-out headline Brixton Academy show here in the UK –with his high-energy music, amassing over 250 million global streams, and growing. 

The Wave has recently completed a significant investment deal with Sullivan Street Partners, that will enable the company to push forward with its ambitious roll-out plans: it is currently working on plans for The Wave London, which is set to be located in Lee Valley Regional Park.

The wave creates inland surfing destinations that bring the joy of surfing to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities | thewave.com

Tobacco Factory Theatres bring world premiere to Bristol this Autumn

Tobacco Factory Theatres in Bristol has announced that their in-house autumn production will be the world premiere of Revealed.

Set against the backdrop of an uprising, following an incident in police custody that stuns the nation, Revealed is written by renowned actor and emerging playwright Daniel J Carver (Royal Shakespeare Company, Belgrade Theatre).

Tackling themes of racism, masculinity, sexuality and mental health, through the prism of a powerful and poignant family drama, Revealed builds on the theatre’s commitment to producing original work that delights and provokes.

Revealed opens at Tobacco Factory Theatres with previews from Thursday 22 September to Saturday 23 September, with the official opening night taking place on Tuesday 27 September | tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Elton Road, Bishopston BS7

Offered for sale by Ocean estate agents

A handsome Victorian home found on a popular road in West Bishopston: less than 550m to Redland Green secondary school.

A short walk to the Gloucester Road with its array of amenities, open green spaces of St Andrews park and Redland park, the city centre and some sought after schools makes this property popular with a wide audience. It is fantastically located within 20 mins walk of the city centre, harbour, Whiteladies Road and the Downs. Of particular note here is this south westerly facing garden, off-street parking and up to date interior.

In brief, the ground floor has a welcoming entrance hall that opens into the main living spaces and a handy WC. Upon entering the second reception room you are immediately struck by the tall ceiling heights and open plan layout. This large room opens into a generous fitted kitchen with a vaulted roof – creating a fantastic entertaining and family space that leads out via French doors to the sunny and landscaped rear garden.

A separate reception room is located at the front and measures an impressive 17'4 x 15'6. A large square bay and beautiful period fireplace add to the overall scale of this space, whilst a recently added purpose-designed stylish bookcase and cupboards completes the room's imposing look.

Upstairs on the first floor there are two bedrooms, the larger of which makes up the full width of the property and incorporates three windows to the front elevation. A well-appointed family bathroom with stylish tiling and quality fixtures completes this level. The second and top floor is made up of a generous master bedroom with great views, a further shower room and lots of useful storage.

Outside there is parking, and a private seating area at the front. To the rear is a secluded garden area with raised beds and seated decking area to enjoy the sun trap. Also to the rear is a useful workshop space, ideal for many potential uses. Further benefits include double glazing and gas central heating. £645,000

For more details about the property, visit Ocean Estate Agents' website: oceanhome.co.uk