Bristol’s RWA display artwork painted by His Majesty The King

Two watercolours painted by His Majesty The King (when he was The Prince of Wales) have been installed in the RWA's main gallery and will be included as part of their Annual Open Exhibition, launching this weekend (Saturday 8 October 2022).

His Majesty The King has been an Honorary RWA Academician since 2008 and every year since then, he has exhibited some of his own artworks in the RWA’s Annual Open Exhibition. This year will be his first as the reigning monarch.

This is the 169th year of the exhibition, making it one of the oldest art exhibitions in the country. The dynamic and varied exhibition features painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, installation and mixed media submissions and is a showcase of some of the most exciting artists from across the country and beyond.

Tickets to the exhibition range from £0 to £8.90 (with optional donation). To find out more or book your ticket, visit rwa.org.uk/rwa169-exhibition. 

Featured image: His Majesty the King's two watercolours, Kilphedir Pool on The River Helmsdale, Sutherland (HRH 2015.06), and Brecon Beacons from Llwynywermod (HRH 2016.05)

THE OCTOBER ISSUE: OUT NOW

Our October 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 £4.25. UK mainland prices. For Euro and World zone subscription prices – see our website. 

Rising Star: Q&A with Mirren Mack

Ahead of her appearance in Bristol Old Vic’s Hamlet, which takes to the stage for five weeks from 13 October, we talk to Mirren Mack, playing Ophelia, all about her road to success…

Read the full feature at thebristolmag.co.uk

4 Ways with Apples

Apples: falling freely (literally!) all over gardens, parks and allotments across Bath right now! Use them or lose them...

Apple and Sage Scones (makes 8 large scones)

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Tip 150g plain flour, 100g wholemeal flour, 1 tbsp caster sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and 75g cold, cubed butter into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to create fine breadcrumbs (or, rub together with your fingertips to achieve the same result). Add 1 large egg 2 peeled, coarsely-grated apples and 1 tbsp dried sage to the mixture and bring together to form a rough dough (don't knead or handle the dough too much or the scones will be heavy and dense). Pat the dough out to about 1.5cm thick and use a pastry cutter or upturned mug to stamp out 8 decent-sized scones. Bake on a greased baking tray for 12–15 minutes or until brown on top and completely cooked through and serve warm with soup or cheese and chutney.

Honey-roasted Apples (serves 4; gf)

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Peel 4 large apples, remove the core and arrange them in snug-fitting baking dish. Mix 4 tbsp runny honey with 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp cinnamon and drizzle the mixture over the apples and into the space left by the removed core. Bake for 35-45 minutes, turning and basting halfway through, until the apples are very soft and the skins have started to caramelise. Serve hot for breakfast or a healthy dessert, topped with the remaining baking syrup, plenty of thick Greek yogurt and a smattering of chopped nuts.

Apple Sauce

Peel, core and dice 3 large cooking apples. Tip into a pan with 50g butter and 50g caster sugar and cover with a lid. Put the pan on a low heat for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples break down into a textured purée. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving, and save leftovers in a sealed Tupperware container in the fridge for up to one week. This sauce is a must with roast pork... or dolloped on top of hot porridge the morning.

Apple Traybake (makes 8-12 slices/bars)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and line a large rectangular baking tin with baking parchment. Peel, core and thinly-slice 450g apples, spritz with lemon juice and put to one side. Whisk 225g softened butter with 280g caster sugar, 4 eggs, 350g self-raising flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 2 tsp vanilla extract to create a smooth batter. Spoon half of the batter across the base of the baking tray, arrange half the prepared apples across the top and repeat with the remaining apple/batter mixture to create 4 layers. Sprinkle 1 tbsp demerara sugar across the top and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out of the tin, removing the paper and cutting into as many bars, slices or squares as you choose.

Thank Dionysus it's Friday!

Situated in Macedonia on the mainland of northwest Greece, Kir-Yianni was founded in 1997 by Yiannis Boutaris, one of the leading figures in the Greek wine industry, when he left the Boutari Wine Group, the premium family wine company that his grandfather established in 1879.

Today, Stellios Boutaris, member of the fifth generation of winemakers, leads Kir-Yianni into the next phase of its history by dynamically exploiting the cornerstones of the Kir-Yianni philosophy: desire for innovation, respect for tradition and true knowledge of the wine, from the grape to the end consumer. We say 'Yassou!'

Here's just four of Kir-Yianni's superb wines. From left to right.

Assyrtiko – Kir-Yianni
The great white of Santorini, transplanted to Amyndeon in northern Greece. Aromas of lemon zest, white peach and honeysuckle. Simply excellent | £15.50

Kali Riza – Kir-Yianni
A very elegant Xinomavro, ruby red colour with bronze hues. Aromas of cherries, wild strawberries and sweet spices on the nose. Complex flavours of red fruits, tomatoes, olives, cinnamon and herbal hints on the palate with pronounced acidity, which balances with the ample body | £18.85

Ramnista Xinomavro PDO Naoussa – Kir-Yianni
Aromas of strawberry, cherry and rose petals, combined with spicy notes, tomato, olive tapenade, tobacco box, sweet spices and vanilla. The wine's aromatic power and structure reveal strong character and great ageing potential | £23.50

Paranga White – Kir-Yianni
Intense but refined aromas of jasmine, white peach and apricot, typical of Malagousia, balanced by the freshness of a high-altitude Roditis adding crisp acidity and zest. Rounded, fresh and delicious | £13.30

Click here to see more from this impressive producer at The Great Wine Co.

Viva Viñalba: Argentinian Wine Tasting Event, 3 November, Mud Dock Café

Fancy a night in with one of Argentina's top wine producers, tasting their incredible wines alongside some amazing food and awesome beats?

Then join Mud Dock cafe for a lively evening in the company of your host Viñalba Wines. You're invited to taste your way around the estate's full range – enjoy classic, rich and elegant Malbec, fresh, floral Torrontes and complex Cabernet: there will be something to everyone's taste.

Grab a glass and journey your way through Mendoza and Patagonia, learning about the wines and enjoying some delicious plates of food along the way.

Tickets available from the Design My Night website: designmynight.com

This is an exclusive, ticket-only event which is expected to sell out quickly, so be sure to grab your spot now.

Celebrating the past, present, and future

The idea is, the three stones tell the story of a couple's past, present, and future together.

The middle stone is usually the largest in the trio, symbolising the power of present, while the stones to each side represent the shared moments of the past and the ever-strengthening bond for the future.

It's the story of love and brings a special, meaningful interpretation to an engagement ring in particular. Shown here are just a few fine examples we found from the bespoke Mallory collection – clockwise from top left:

• Mallory platinum four-claw set, round, brilliant-cut diamond ring with tapered baguette diamond shoulders. 5.10ct Centre diamond (Certificate GIA F SI2) Total diamond weight: 5.50ct | £210,000
• Platinum four-claw set, emerald-cut diamond ring with tapered shoulders. Certificate GIA 5353526302, 0.60ct centre stone weight F VS2. Total diamond weight: 1.04ct | £6,250
• 18ct yellow and white gold four-claw set, oval-cut sapphire and round brilliant-cut diamond ring with tapered shoulders. Total sapphire weight: 0.73ct. Total diamond Weight: 0.26ct | £2,250
• 18ct yellow gold and platinum four-claw set, oval-cut natural Burma ruby and round brilliant-cut diamond ring with tapered shoulders. Certificate GIA 2357071095. Total ruby weight: 1.15ct. Total diamond weight: 0.57ct | £9,850

Explore a splendid range of three-stone engagement rings at Mallory: mallory-jewellers.com

Kensington Backgammon Set by Jonathan Adler

Crafted in high gloss couture lacquer and featuring a classic two-toned blue case, this Backgammon Set by Jonathan Adler will add a touch of class to your game nights. After vanquishing your opponents, fold it closed for a cool cocktail table accent. Beautifully designed and made featuring velvet lining and magnetic close | £425

Visit: jonathanadler.com

L'OCCITANE reusable advent calendar

This eco-alternative with its timeless design can be used for years to come. But get yours quick; this calendar sells out well in advance of the festive season.

It includes a carefully curated selection of our most iconic products, like the coveted Immortelle Divine Cream and Overnight Reset Serum, amongst a variety of luxurious Provençal treats | £165

uk.loccitane.com

Mulberry's Softie Outerwear Collection

This autumn, the Mulberry Softie evolves into a new outerwear collection, fusing functionality with a fashion-forward sensibility, and style with pragmatism.

The Softie Outerwear collection comprises eight designs: three jackets, a gilet, and two coats – a belted midi style and a capacious caped design – as well as a scarf and skirt. Chiming with Mulberry's Made to Last ethos, every piece in the collection is padded with recycled silk and the garment outers crafted from recycled Nylon.

Browse the Softie collection at mulberry.com

Curated by Daniel McCabe

Archivio is a highbrow but wholly absorbing Italian journal created completely from archival resources, based on the idea that the lifecycle of archives does not end with their filing away, digitalisation and/or dust. Handled properly, archive functions as an 'ideas library' or a kind of museum you'll come back to for intellectual nourishment. For its seventh issue Archivio is focused on the 1970s, regarded by the magazine as a contradictory era characterised by 'desire for change and deep tensions, utopian impulses and oblique gazes'. We think this beautifully-designed magazine is one of the most impressive publications around. | £16.50

Words by Daisy Game

Beauty and the Beast the Musical, Bristol Hippodrome, until 12 November

A "tale as old as time" – brought to life for a brand new audience.

To kick things off: the stage effects. There's flame and smoke; glitter and glimmer; feathers and confetti – and That Yellow Dress certainly doesn’t disappoint. Sets spin on and off stage with pitch-perfect timing, tricksy stage illusions (transformations, magical apparitions, and so on.) are all present and correct. Beauty and the Beast the Musical is a show executed with Disney-style-precision.

Natasha Katz’s lighting design also deserves a special mention, with her use of projection sparing the stage-space from getting clogged up with Actual Stuff. Instead, a series of intricately lit backdrops take us between town, tavern and (castle) tower. A gauze is also put to effective use during the show's various Wolf Attack scenes; as Belle’s father – lost in the deep-dark-forest – battles with branch and Beast, large wolf-y silhouettes flash across the stage. It's all rather nice and ‘scary', my companion leans across to observe. (Smaller audience members, be warned).

Style? Tick. Now what about substance? Well, Beauty has plenty of that too. Courtney Stapleton’s Belle and Shaq Taylor’s Beast boast some solid acting chops and (slightly more) impressive vocal cords. But lovely as the library/waltz/mooning-at-each-other scenes are – for me, Beauty really gets rocking in the taverns and dining halls. Gaston and crew treat us to a particularly excellent, tankard-clinking number; Be Our Guest sees some exuberant crockery take to the stage in a flurry of synchronized song and dance. As the latter number draws to a close, the audience is showered in long, looping strips of confetti, because – well, why not? We are, after all, Disney’s guests: and no expense has been spared to ensure that we feel right at home. 

Audience members have a lot of love for this show – and it's an openly affectionate affair. Fan favourites are welcomed in with murmurs of excitement, and smaller audience members are frequently reduced to delighted, giggling messes at the rapport between Gaston (Tom Senior) and his clownish companion, Le Fou (Louis Stockil). The cast has barely drawn breath before a standing ovation brings the evening to a triumphant close. As well it might: Beauty is a riot of the most charming kind. 

Tickets for Beauty and the Beast the Musical are available from atgtickets.com 

Featured image: Courtney Stapleton as Belle and Shaq Taylor as Beast | Credit: Johan Persson

Bristol Choral Society: Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms & Faure Requiem

Not for Fauré was the Requiem ‘shock and awe’ of a Mozart, Berlioz or Verdi. Refined over a decade, his Mass for the Dead sustains an abiding solace concluded in the luminescent hope and reassurance of In Paradisium.

First though, there’s a profound spirituality of a different order as glittering woodwind, brass, two pianos and harp queue up to reflect the laser-sharp light of Stravinsky’s triptych ‘symphonising the singing of Psalms’.

It’s prefaced by more Stravinsky, his time in black and white: his wartime Sonata for two pianos, a work shot through with crystalline neoclassicism.

• Hilary Campbell – Conductor
• Steven Kings – Piano
• Marija Struckova – Piano
• Vanessa Bowers – Soprano
• Jamie W Hall – Baritone

The concert will take place on Saturday 5 November at Clifton Cathedral. 

More information and tickets (£11 – £28) available from the Bristol Choral Society website: bristolchoral.co.uk

Bristol Ensemble, La Création Du Monde, 22 October, St George's Bristol

Bristol’s professional chamber orchestra explores the wonders of the natural world in this programme of vividly evocative music including works by Milhaud, Copland, Wagner, Haydn and Max Richter, whilst audience members are enveloped in gorgeous lighting and images.

Tickets £15 to £30, plus booking fee from St George’s box office on 0117 929 4929 and online at St George’s Bristol website: stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Blue Earth Summit, 11–13 October, Propyard

The Blue Earth Summit, a breakthrough gathering of the best people in business with shared values around people and planet, returns to Bristol with a mission to redefine the way the UK lives and works.

Running from 11–12 October at Bristol's Propyard, and concluding on 13 October at The Wave, the Summit brings together the outdoor, sustainable, regenerative, forward thinking business community together in a setting that creates meaningful connections and inspires action, driving business forward as a force for good. 

An agenda ranging from Amazonian Chief Dada Borari tackling deforestation at the core of the climate change emergency, to the signature 'Pitch Tent' where businesses, adventurers and non-profits pitch to change the world, this is your time to join the movement, and get involved. 

With the last remaining tickets released, find out more at blueearthsummit.com

Michelle Bresnahan completes London Marathon in aid of A Life for A Cure

Last weekend, Michelle Bresnahan completed the London Marathon in aid of a Life for a Cure: Ryan Bresnahan's Meningitis Appeal.

In 2010, Michelle lost her son Ryan to Meningococcal Septicaemia (Meningitis B). 'a Life for a Cure' was founded with the sole purpose that some good must come from losing Ryan. It has raised £563,000 towards vital meningitis vaccine research, campaigning for greater vaccine take-up and raising awareness of the disease's symptoms.

Michelle is close to raising an incredible £10,000 in aid of the appeal; you can donate at justgiving.com

Pictured: Michelle with her daughter Charlotte

Jessie May Celebrate 17 years of Leadership

Bristol-based hospice at home charity Jessie May recently held a special celebration day at Bristol Zoo. Joined by families, supporters, trustees and staff, it presented a fabulous opportunity for a first in-person meeting since COVID and a chance to give thanks to this unique charity.

The event marked the retirement of CEO Chris Roys after 17 years at the helm, and gave new CEO Daniel Cheesman the opportunity to set out the next 5 Year Strategy for the charity. You can learn more about the strategy by clicking here.  

Jessie May provides specialist palliative care in the home for children who have terminal and life-shortening conditions. The charity has family at its heart, and that family spirit was ever present on the day.

jessiemay.org.uk

Bristol Bears v Exeter Chiefs

Ashton Gate, Friday 7 October. K/O 7.45pm

It's round five of the Gallagher Premiership. Here's the team. 
Get any updates and news by following the Bristol Bears on Twitter

twitter.com/BristolBears

'Gas Girls' launch special edition away shirt

Bristol Rovers Women's (AKA the 'Gas Girls') are delighted to launch a special edition away kit in partnership with St Paul's Carnival. 

The brand-new away kit is the third kit where the 'Gas Girls' have donated the front of shirt sponsorship to an organisation or charity that fit within the ethos, culture and values of the football club.

St Pauls Carnival is a celebration of Afro Caribbean culture and is an event where every float, stage, performer and person and tells a story of music, dance and community.

The brand-new special edition shirt will soon be available to purchase. 

bristolroverswomensfc.com

Chaunceys' Timber Flooring Showroom Launch, 10–14 October

Family-run Chaunceys Timber Flooring has been supplying and finishing high-quality sustainable wood flooring to homeowners, award-winning architects and renowned interior designers since 1988. As a celebration of their beautiful new showroom, Retail and Trade clients are invited to come along to their launch event between 10th-14th October, to explore their latest product collections over a glass of champagne, get behind the scenes, and enjoy exclusive offers and giveaways. Fitted out with many of their most popular flooring products, finishes, and reclaimed timber cladding, the 200sq. m showroom offers a wonderful relaxing space where clients can find inspiration for their next project, and get expert advice from their friendly knowledgeable team.

To find out more visit: chauncey.co.uk/about-us/launch

Redcliff Backs, Bristol BS1

Offered for sale by Ocean estate agents in Bristol

A beautifully presented and well-proportioned three double bedroom, three bathroom, waterfront apartment with sunny aspect and direct water views, set within the impressive Custom House harbour side development.

This wonderfully spacious first floor apartment (112 square metres) has two private walk-out balconies, a dual aspect open plan living area with water views, ample storage throughout, a lift to all floors and secure allocated underground parking.

The living area has floor to ceiling windows to two aspects, is wonderfully light and has a superb view out across the harbourside. The room is open plan and leads to the well-equipped kitchen.

The kitchen sits slightly raised from the main living space creating it's own space which is further enhanced by the island which doubles up as a breakfast bar. There’s a plentiful range of modern storage units and integrated appliances. A well-placed window provides further views out over the water, with plenty of space too for a large dining table.

The three good size double-bedrooms make this flat very attractive for a variety of buyers including families, those who work from home and also those who require accommodation space for visiting guests.

Bedroom one is equipped with a walk-in dressing area and large en suite with bath and separate walk-in shower. Bedroom two has two built in wardrobes, a second en-suite with walk-in shower and a walk-out balcony with pleasant views. Bedroom thre is also a good sized double bedroom.

The separate bathroom is well fitted with a modern three-piece white suite with a shower over the bath. No onward chain. Guide price £625,000.

Click here for details and more images on the ocean homes website.