Paul Weller announces Forest Live gigs

Paul Weller has announced dates as part of Forest Live 2023, the summer concert series presented by Forestry England.

Weller has enjoyed an incredible 50 years making music. From his era-defining breakthrough with The Jam, reinvention via The Style Council, and formidable career as a solo artist, Paul has scored a string of Number 1 albums and singles. 

A Forest Live stalwart, Paul has made a record-breaking 25 appearances as part of the concert series since his debut in 2004, the most by any artist and all to sold-out crowds.

Weller will appear at Forest Live, Westonbirt Arboretum on Thursday 8 June. Tickets on sale from today (20 January) at forestryengland.uk/music.

THE JANUARY ISSUE: CURRENTLY BEING ENJOYED

Our January 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. 

Haggis 4

Burns Night is poised to brighten up the end of a dreary January on the 25th of this month. Stuck with leftover haggis the morning after? The best party is yet to come! Both traditional and vegetarian haggis work well in the following recipes. Sláinte Mhath!

Haggis, Neep and Tattie Cakes (makes as many as your leftovers will allow you to make)

Mash leftover neeps, tatties and haggis together in a large mixing bowl, stirring well to combine as you go. Add 1 bunch of peeled, finely-sliced spring onions and enough beaten egg to turn the mixture into a thick paste, and mix well. Using floured hands, form the mixture into patties and dip each one into breadcrumbs (panko breadcrumbs do a grand job here). Allow the patties to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes before heating a slick of oil in a large frying pan and frying for around 4-6 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. These tasty little morsels are delicious served for brunch topped with poached eggs and more spring onions.

Post-Burns Night Shepherd's Pie (serves 4)

Cook 250g peeled, diced potatoes with 250g peeled, diced swede or turnip in a pan of salted boiling water until tender (or, mash your leftovers!). Meanwhile, gently fry 1 medium onion and 1 large carrot (both peeled and diced) in around 2 tbsp vegetable oil, until softened. Crumble around 450g haggis into the onion and carrot mixture and mingle it with the vegetables over a low heat, stirring until the haggis breaks up. Drain the cooked potatoes and swede or turnip, then return them to their pan with around 100ml warm milk and a generous tbsp butter. Mash well, season generously, and add 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard. Spoon the haggis and vegetable mixture into a suitably-sized ovenproof dish, top with the mash and bake for about 35-40 minutes, until bubbling hot.

Haggis Sausage Rolls (makes around 20)

In a large bowl, mix around 250g haggis with 150g free-range pork sausagemeat and a bunch of finely-chopped fresh parsley (clean hands are the best utensils here). Unroll 1 x 320g pack all-butter puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half lengthways. Brush each half with 2 tbsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard. Divide the haggis/sausagemeat filling into two and roll each piece into a long sausage shape, the length of the pastry pieces. Lay the fillings along one side of each pastry sheet then roll the pastry around the filling, keeping the seam underneath. Slice the rolls into 3-4cm pieces, lay on a greaseproof paper-lined baking sheet, brush each one with beaten egg and put in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 5. Remove the rolls from the fridge, brush with more beaten egg, bake for 20 minutes until golden and allow to cool for 5 minutes before tucking in. The uncooked, glazed sausage rolls can be frozen in an airtight container (interleaved with greaseproof paper) for up to 3 months; to cook from frozen, add an extra 5 minutes to the cooking time.

Haggis Toasties: your midnight Burns Night treat (serves 2)

Heat a generous drizzle of vegetable oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 red onion (peeled and chopped) sprinkled with 1 tsp soft brown sugar and sauté for around 10 minutes or until the onion has softened and caramelised. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Wipe the frying pan out with kitchen paper and put it back on the stove over a medium heat. Butter 2 thick slices of bread (sourdough works well here) and place buttered-side down on a board. Top both bread slices with generous layers of grated cheddar cheese, leftover haggis and caramelised red onions, then top with two more buttered slices of bread, buttered side facing up. Slide the sandwiches into the hot frying pan and fry on both sides until golden brown, by which time the filling should be gooey and melted. Serve hot, with lashings of brown sauce – and, perhaps, a wee dram?

The Great Wine Co Sale: in full swing!

The Great Wine Co sale is in full swing, with great savings on some truly wonderful wines. This week, the team have added more delicious wines to the sale; there are now over 160 available.

Renegade Shiraz-Grenache, Ken Forrester Wines
An elegant South African Rhone with both Old World style and New World fruit | Was £17.75, Now £13.95

Crianza, Cruz de Alba
On the palate silky, full bodied and intense with a nose rich with ripe fruit, spices and oakiness | Was £22, Now £16.60

Unravelled Pinot Noir, Carrick Winery
Aromas of lush cherries and plums with hints of clove and allspice. Delicious | Was £19.95, Now £15.95

Chardonnay, Silver Lining Wine Co.
Floral, citrus and white peach aromas with loads of minerality. Crisp with poise and balance | Was £22, Now £14.40

Le Cigare Blanc, Bonny Doon Vineyard
Californian Grenache Blanc with aromas of peach and pear, and a richness of texture and a burst of freshness | Was £17.50, Now £14.95

Journey Collection Rosé, Ramon Bilbao
Aromas of raspberries and rose petals with a juicy fruit character and superb length | Was £12.25, Now £9.95

What’s more, there’s free delivery on orders over £50 and further Multibuy savings for 12+ bottles. See the sale cellars by clicking here | greatwine.co.uk

Omega Specialities CK 859

This vintage style timepiece is inspired by the iconic 1939 Omega wristwatch that housed the famous 30-T2, 15 jewel, manual-winding small seconds calibre.

The 39mm case is crafted in stainless steel and features a vintage Omega logo embossed on the crown. Behind the domed sapphire crystal, the dial is made from Ag 925 silver, with blued hands, batons and all markings transferred in dark blue. To cap the classic look there’s also a small-seconds subdial display at 6 O’clock.

Presented on a brown leather strap with a vintage Omega logo on the buckle, the timepiece is driven by Omega’s manual winding, anti‑magnetic, Co-Axial Master Chronometer – Calibre 8926 movement. This lovely precision movement can be fully appreciated through the crystal glass on the polished caseback, which also has several engravings including, “numbered edition” and “CK 859” : a historic reference to stainless steel and the shape of the case. Water resistant to 3 bar (30 metres/100 feet). A beautiful watch | £5,810

See this limited edition timepiece and many more from Omega by visiting Mallory | Mallory Jewellers Bath, 1-5 Bridge St, Bath BA2 4AP

Dark Grey Quilted Parka Coat from Mint Velvet

Designed in a longline silhouette with a high collar, this charcoal coat is quilted in the diamond-pattern everyone's been wearing this season. Throw yours on over anything for chic cold-weather dressing | £189

Available at mintvelvet.co.uk

HUNTER Original Short Women's Wellies

Based on the iconic design of the Original Tall Wellington Boot, this short welly is handcrafted from 28 parts and built on the original last for exceptional fit and comfort | £115

Available at charlesclinkard.co.uk

De-stress with Neal's Yard Remedies

Focusing on self-care, Neal’s Yard Remedies boast a huge offering of best-selling products that encourage relaxation, while supporting your emotional, mental, and physical health.

These certified organic products include key natural ingredients such as, lavender, frankincense, chamomile, marjoram and geranium which promote tranquillity and a deep sense of wellbeing.

Featured products, moving clockwise: Soothing Massage Oil, 100ml (£17); Night Time Tea, 18 Tea Bags (£4.50); Aromatic Body Butter, 200ml (£27); Frankincense Intense Beauty Boost Supplement (£21)

nealsyardremedies.com

Curated by Daniel McCabe

Weird Walk is proving quite a phenomenon in an already burgeoning area of interest. Don’t take the ‘weird’ too literally – these simple but quietly stunning A5 zine guides are a portal to ancient paths, sacred sites and the folklore and customs of these isles, accessed by a (largely) amiable amble. Weird Walk is not so much about nostalgia, the publisher says, but 're-enchantment'. The sixth issue has just appeared and has sold out once already with us, so wander over to see if they work on you | £5.99

magalleria.co.uk

BABYLON

With wild performances from Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash) directs this visually sumptuous, raucous 1920s epic.

Set in a time of great transition, when silent movies were making way for ‘the talkies’, Babylon lifts the curtain on the glamour and excess of the ’20s film industry. Hollywood was one big, raucous party, and everyone wanted an invite. Following the rise and fall of the big stars and the starry-eyed wannabes, the film captures the unbridled decadence and depravity of the time.

Brilliant lead newcomer Diego Calva and a supporting cast of Hollywood greats, including Tobey Maguire, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart, shine in this whirlwind big-screen epic that will leave your jaw on the floor.

Showing at Everyman, Bristol from today (20 January) | everymancinema.com

My Fair Lady, Bristol Hippodrome, 15–25 February

The Lincoln Center Theater's critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning production of My Fair Lady is on tour after a triumphant West End run.

My Fair Lady tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a 'proper lady'. But who is really being transformed?

My Fair Lady is playing at the Bristol Hippodrome from Wednesday 15 February to Saturday 25 February. Tickets from £13, available at atgtickets.com

Photography credit: Marc Brenner

We caught up with soprano singer Lesley Garrett CBE as she gets ready to slip into the life of My Fair Lady's Mrs Pearce in our January issue 🎭

Read the feature at thebristolmag.co.uk

James Williams earns a first European start for Bristol Bears

• Williams set for first European start
• Bailey and Lane come into back three
• Batley and Dan Thomas start in the pack

The centre, who impressed off the bench in the bonus-point victory over Zebre in round three, lines up alongside Semi Radradra in the midfield.

Rich Lane and Deago Bailey come into the back three to join Siva Naulago, who makes his first appearance of the season at Ashton Gate.

In the pack, Joe Batley and Dan Thomas start with Chris Vui and Jake Heenan dropping to the bench.

Bristol Bears to face USA Perpignan at Ashton Gate on Friday (8pm KO) | bristolbearsrugby.com

Offered for sale by Rupert Oliver estate agents.

91 Coldharbour Road is a beautifully appointed family house and makes a perfect family home being close to and within the catchment area of both Westbury Park Primary School and Redland Green (Secondary) School.

Since purchasing the house, the current owners have beautifully refurbished it, creating further living space by extending into the loft as well as creating a superb family kitchen, dining room and separate family room to the rear with bi-folding doors opening up into the garden.

The kitchen itself is beautifully finished with a generous central island, integrated dishwasher, oversize Falcon range cooker and a double fronted American-style fridge and freezer. There’s plenty of storage and a rear door gives out directly into the garden.

From the kitchen, stairs lead down to a well lit dining room which in turn leads into the garden room, also with access out into the garden and also access into the fitted utility room.

There’s a formal sitting room to the front, with a handsome marble fire surround and recessed wood-burning stove. Next to the sitting room is a lovely sized home-office space or a children's play / games room.

On the first floor are three double bedrooms the rear bedroom having an en-suite shower room. There are two further bedrooms located on each of the two half-landings. Accessed from the landing is a good size family bathroom.

The loft space has been sensitively extended to create a superb master bedroom suite with fabulous views, a well-appointed en-suite bath and shower room and an expanse of recessed storage.

Outside: there’s plenty of off-street parking to the front (complete with an electric car charge point) and side access from the lane into a generous 28' garage and workshop, with a rear door leading into the garden. The garden is a good size, and there is an attractive mix paved terrace for outdoor dining and an all-weather artificial lawn flanked by a mature raised bedding | Guide Price, £1,250,000

For further images and details click here to see more on the Rupert Oliver website.

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