Local charity Love Squared's fundraiser video

Bristol creative agency P&S has helped the charity Love Squared to create this fundraiser advert.

The charity provides imaginative, carefully curated and case managed services for children and families with social, emotional and mental health needs.

The aim of the advert was to challenge the likes of John Lewis, Aldi and all the big supermarket Christmas adverts and help this super-charity go viral.

Love Squared's goal is to change the national landscape of how children experience the mental health system, putting kindness at the forefront of every interaction.

To donate, visit lovesquared.org.uk

OUR DECEMBER ISSUE IS OUT!

You'll love our fabulous December 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 December issue, we meet Kate Rusby ahead of her appearance at Bristol Beacon, learn how to create the perfect tablescape to enhance your festive feast, go behind the scenes of Aardman's 'Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget', and discover the Clifton Arcade, the perfect Christmas retail gem. 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

Speedy Seafood Linguine

If you're looking to put a bit of festive glamour'n'sparkle into a midweek supper in the run up to the party season, this irresistibly seductive dish of luxurious Seafood Linguini ticks all the right celebratory boxes. But if such a recipe sounds a bit too 'cheffy' for your liking, read on...

Frozen seafood is the healthy convenience food gift that keeps on giving – there's no stint on quality or flavour, and no fiddly prep to undertake before cooking. Vacuum-packed mussels, meanwhile, are all too often overlooked for no good reason; readily available in the chilled section of most big supermarkets all year round (usually in one box containing two single-serve packs), they generally come in their own flavoured broth which really amps up the flavour in this recipe.

On the drinks front, you really won't go far wrong if you open a bottle of fizz to accompany this treatsome dish; after all, it's (almost) Christmas!

Ingredients (serves 2)

200g dried linguine
150g large, deveined king prawns (defrosted if frozen)
150g large scallops (defrosted if frozen)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
½ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes
150ml dry white wine
2 x 250g pouches of prepared mussels in white wine and garlic sauce
3 firm tomatoes, chopped into small dice
4 tbsp single cream
To serve: freshly-chopped parsley; lemon wedges

Method

1. Cook the linguine for 2 minutes less than the instructions on the packet and drain well, reserving around 2-3 tbsp of the pasta cooking water. Set both to one side.

2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over a medium-high heat in a large, lidded frying pan. Briefly sear the prawns and the scallops until both are nicely caramelised on all sides (probably only around 2 minutes – don't allow them to overcook!). 

3. Transfer the seafood to a plate, cover loosely with foil and set to one side.

4. Turn the heat under the pan down slightly and add 1 tbsp butter followed by the diced tomatoes, garlic and chilli flakes. Sauté for just under a minute, then add the white wine to the pan. Allow the wine to bubble and reduce for around 2 minutes, then add the mussels (and all the broth from their packets) and give the pan a good shake. Put the lid on the pan and steam the mussels for 3 minutes.

5. Add the sautéed scallops and prawns to the pan along with the cream, the pasta and the reserved pasta cooking water. Toss everything together (long-handled tongs are useful here!) and simmer very gently for around 2 minutes until the pasta has reheated and absorbed some of the sauce and all the seafood has thoroughly cooked through.

6. Divide between two warm, shallow bowls and serve immediately scattered with plenty of freshly-chopped parsley and accompanied by fresh lemon wedges.

Bag a Bargain on Christmas Wines

Want to enjoy Christmas and save money? The Great Wine Company has got you covered. Out of the 200 wines and champagnes on offer, here are a few that caught our eye:

Les Mougeottes Pinot Noir - Les Mougeottes
Les Mougeottes Pinot Noir has a lovely nose of ripe red cherries and berries, with a classic French savoury/charcuterie character. | £9.95 (save £2.25)

Ice Cuvée Sparkling - Peller Family Estates
This wine has a classic, Champagne-like yeasty character, alongside tantalising nectarine, honeysuckle and fresh papaya notes. | £25.50 (save £9.50)

Le Relais de Durfort-Vivens, Margaux - Château Durfort-Vivens
This wine has a deep violet-purple colour, black and red fruit aromas, with mineral and woody notes. It is rich-textured, with velvety, supple tannin structure. | £32 (save £7.50)

Tamboerskloof Syrah - Kleinood
Ruby in colour, this South African wine has a complex nose of garrigue (the combined fynbos aromas of rosemary, lemon verbena, lavender and marjoram that perfume the air at Kleinood), ripe cherry, fine spices, cassis, currant and ripe strawberry. | £18.33 (save £9.17)

Pouilly-Fuissé - Saumaize-Michelin
Ripe orchard fruit, cashew butter and clotted cream complete the seamlessly sumptuous sensation. | £29.50 (save £5.50)

To explore more, visit greatwine.co.uk

Feel good feasting with The Community Farm

If you’re looking to support local businesses while tucking into top notch, organic produce this Christmastime, make sure you buy everything you need for your festive feasting from The Community Farm.

You and your loved ones can tuck into nourishing, organic produce safe in the knowledge that you'll also be supporting its mission to grow healthy food of the highest quality, while continuing to care for the environment and communities. Its also got some incredible charity projects that they’re supporting this year.

For more information visit thecommunityfarm.com

Jimmy Fairly optician store to open in Bristol soon

Jimmy Fairly, the cool optician in town, is launching its latest UK store in Bristol. Now with 20 stores across the UK, the Bristol opening coincides with its ever growing UK expansion plans.

Quality focused frames and expert optometry skills, Jimmy Fairly is successfully bringing back great eyewear with style and a smile to the optical world. The store will be located on Park Street, neighbouring other independent boutique stores. All frames start at £129, and can be customised with a prescription, polarised and coloured lenses.

What's more, for every pair of glasses bought, Jimmy Fairly finances a pair for someone in need. With the help of RestoringVision, the company has given over 1 million people worldwide access to sight resulting improved living conditions, access to education and an average of 20% wage increase.

jimmyfairly.co.uk
90 Park Street, BS1 5LA

Grand Prix Leather Driving Gloves | £95

Inspired by the flamboyant colours of classic motor racing teams, these distinctive driving gloves boast three different colours.

One on the palm and strap, the second on the back of the glove and the third has an eye-catching cameo neatly trimming the keyhole back. 

With all the delicate detailing of driving gloves, these gloves also feature touchscreen technology making them mobile phone friendly. 

An online exclusive, these gloves are perfect for motorsport lovers, stylish drivers looking to coordinate with their car or trendsetting gents who love to stand out from the crowd. A truly colourful classic in the making.

Visit dentsgloves.com to shop. 

Design your own home interiors | £49.99

Unbox an Interior Design Kit to learn the easy-to-follow Stylemongers Of Bristol design method. 

Each kit includes all the tools, tasks, and templates you need to sketch practical floorplans, find inspiration and create confidently colourful design schemes that you’ll love.

There’s a little game to play to keep things fun and enjoyable, plus squared paper, a tape measure, scale ruler and wooden pencil for plotting your floorplans.

For more information visit stylemongersofbristol.co.uk

Stine Goya Scrunchie - Glitter Bloom | £10

Soft scrunchie with a bright floral pattern around and comfortable elastic waistband. 

Sisters Shelley, Daniela and Kirstie established Grace & Mabel in Bristol in 2007. Grace & Mabel offers a special level of service and a wonderful shopping experience for clothing, accessories and lifestyle goods.

Click here to buy. 

Essentiel Antwerp Esweat Embroidered Sweater | £240

This soft, organic cotton-jersey sweatshirt has a relaxed fit and is modernly detailed with double stitchings. 

The closet staple is finished with delicate bead and sequin-embellished embroideries across the chest.

Click here to buy. 

Braided bracelets from Omega.

These über cool, luxury sailing bracelets by Omega are available in moulded rubber or braided nylon and fastened with a stainless steel clasp. 

They are casual, colourful and easy to wear. It’s a contemporary look that will complement any wardrobe and is fit for any occasion.The perfect statement gift.

Inspired by the DNA of Omega, the accessories collections are strongly linked to Omega’s timepieces. They are creative expressions of the brand that make use of different types of materials and finishes used in the watch manufacture.

Shown here is the white and blue braided nylon sailing bracelet, £310. 

See this and many more luxury gift ideas at Mallory

Curated by Daniel McCabe

The winter See All This is subtitled ‘Make yourself a home’, a clever play on words for what amounts to a search for the definition of ‘home’. This is tasked to an intriguing panel of artists, writers, travellers and architects, all of whom this unfailingly-interesting Netherlands-based art and culture magazine believe to be uniquely placed to understand and articulate the value of a place to call one’s own. The issue is guided by ‘ultimate homemaker’, artist/architect and founder of Studio Mumbai, Bijoy Jain. Among other things he includes a fascinating interview with the Islington Twins, who actually live on the streets of London. £14.95

magalleria.co.uk

Get tickets to see Bristol's Drone Light Show

A new drone light show for all the family. Experience the sky above Bristol as it becomes the stage for the story of our evolution.

Witness an epic-scale theatrical event for all ages told through a swarm of mesmerising drones flying in unison. 

Watch the universe unfold, from the humble beginnings of single-cell organisms to the awe-inspiring reign of the dinosaurs, see our planet blossom over thousands of years, and spark your imagination with a story that stirs the soul.

19-20 December | Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol BS7 9LU
Click here to buy tickets. 

The Garden Flat, 16 Apsley Road, Clifton, BS8

Offered for sale by Rupert Oliver estate agents in Bristol

This garden flat is a charming and versatile flat situated in a sought-after period semi-detached Clifton townhouse. 

The property enjoys independent access at the side of the building with a driveway leading to a private garage with off-street parking space to the rear. Stepping through the glazed front door is a wonderful wide entrance hall which provides access to each of the principal rooms and the utility room/bathroom.

The private south-facing garden to the rear enjoys much of the day's sun and is the perfect place for those who like to entertain or enjoy al fresco dining. The garden is accessible from the kitchen and second bedroom, whilst a garden gate also leads directly to a garage and off-street parking space. The reception room is situated at the front of the property and is of generous proportions, offering ample room for several sofas and chairs as well as a desk or large dining table.

Adjacent to the sitting room is a well-appointed south-facing dual-aspect kitchen that features a selection of sash windows and a pair of French doors which provide access out to the garden beyond. The kitchen is equipped with an array of worktop space, a generous island with a breakfast bar, and a selection of wall and floor-mounted storage options and integrated ‘Neff' appliances which include; induction hobs with extractor, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, oven, and microwave.

To the rear of the property lie two excellent double bedrooms both of which are a good size and feature built-in wardrobes. The master bedroom has an en-suite shower room with a heated towel rail, sink, vanity mirror, and w.c. 

The second bedroom is very spacious and offers further access via a glazed door to the south-facing garden beyond. 

Separating the two bedrooms and situated at the end of the hallway is a very useful utility room that leads through to a large fully-tiled family bathroom, complete with bath, overhead shower, heated towel rail, vanity mirror, and w.c.

The garden has been designed to be low-maintenance and features a combination of paving stones and decking which is bordered by raised beds. Facing southeast and catching much of the day's sun. | Guide price £625,000

Visit rupertoliver.com for more information