LIFESTYLE

Did you have to sell your ski chalet this year? Fear not. Anna Britten shows you how to do winter sports without getting on a plane. Few things compound the gloom of February more than hearing that your friends and neighbours are…

Sometimes, if you live in Bristol and Bath, great as they are, you might just fancy a wee slice of city life further afield. Joe Spurgeon cools his heels at the newly opened Jolyon’s at No.10 and gives a first-time tourist’s…

Anna Britten gets starry-eyed. One of the unexpected upsides of cold winter weekends, is that pastimes considered anorak-y during summer days of wine and sunshine suddenly become irresistible. Radio plays, Scrabble, making…

The turkey’s gobbled, the buck’s fizz’s flat and ‘Strictly Celebrities on Ice Factor’ just isn’t washing. Joe Spurgeon eyes up a bunch of up and at ’em activities for the ‘dead week’ between Dec 25 and NYE. Research: Fiona…

An innovative game combines getting fit with thinking outside of the box: Simon Fry gave circle rules football a spin. Since May this year a growing band of Bristolians have been among the few people in the UK taking part in a…

She’s the go-to chef for sleb mums from Sarah Beeny to Donna Air, and has even caught the eye of Raymond Blanc… Fiona Faulkner talks to Rachel Nott about her new book that aims to get kids excited about good food. Fiona Faulkner…

Been made redundant or love someone who has? Anna Britten seeks advice for the newly jobless from West country-based life coach Cathy Summers So it’s all over bar the shouting. You’ve just been called into the boss’s office and…

“Diversity is a gift,” says the director of a unique careers fair at At-Bristol this month. Anna Britten and Darryl W Bullock find out why an inclusive workplace is good for everyone. It’s easy to typecast people. We all make…

Julian Owen mounts his trusty two-wheeled steed for a crack at Ashton Court’s bike trails. No two ways about it: I’m daunted. Daunted like Sunday morning, groggily facing a barrel-chested fast bowler after “Oh yeah, I can bat a…

As Bath Festival of Children’s Literature embarks upon its fourth outing, Anna Britten talks to participant and local teen fiction queen Joanna Nadin. The great thing about the Bath Festival of Children’s Literature – which…

Anna Britten discovers a good swim is about much more than racking up lengths. In a private, Romanesque indoor swimming pool in Bath’s leafy Combe Down, I’m contemplating how the things we learn as kids become personal gospel…

  As secondary schools begin their annual bid for pupils, Anna Britten attempts to navigate the minefield. If it’s August and you’ve got a 10-year-old, chances are you’ve got a few secondary school open days to, erm, look forward…

Lily Allen and Sarah Owen’s new label is hitting Harvey Nicks. Anna Britten zips up her retro jumpsuit. Last time Lily Allen rocked up in Bristol, we commented on how her signature sartorial style had inspired a ninja army of…

The sun’s threatening, the bass bins are throbbing and everyone’s getting drunk in a field. Best look your best then. Gina Dyer hits Bristol’s local boutiques to hunt down this year’s hottest festival styles. Festival season. The…

Anna Britten discovers the buzz of a hobby that could save the planet. As an impressionable pre-teen, I once read a book called ‘A Taste of Blackberries’ about a boy whose best friend died of a bee sting. It was scarier than the…

Leah Eades is a born-again cyclist. I am not what they call naturally sporty. I do not get a “buzz” out of running around for no reason. I do not feel the “thrill” of imminent cardiac arrest as I push myself past my limits! And I…

This year 80,000 revellers descended on Bristol to celebrate the raucous St Pauls Carnival. But what’s it like when the party’s on your doorstep? Leah Eades recently moved into a house on Portland Square. When I came back from my…

School’s out – fortunately, our local attractions got the memo. Anna Britten picks some family favourites. Whether you’re a working or stay-at-home parent, at some point this summer you’ll have to plan a family day out. A plan…

Anna Britten pokes around a National Trust gem. So associated is it with middle-aged, middle-class England, it’s easy to overlook the fact that what the National Trust does is as close to a radical redistribution of wealth as…

Anna Britten indulges a ‘Black Swan’ fantasy on an adult ballet course. My ballet career began at the age of three. It ended a few months later. I’d landed flat on my stomach in class, you see, and winded myself. Tragic though it…

If you own a pair of eyes or ears, then you couldn’t have failed to notice that unemployment is a pretty horrendous problem right now – running at almost 8%, and at record levels for those aged 16 to 24. This is “a matter of…

Eugene Byrne takes to the air. Every summer there are dozens of air shows around the UK, some big, some small. They’re great for people-watching, and you get to see aeroplanes as well. If you have male children, it’s a…

  We persuaded two Bristol dress designers to sketch us their ideas for the wedding frock of the year. Anna Britten sizes them up. You may not be holding a street party. You may not be tuning into the sight of a gurning, fawning…

Mike White finds happiness on the Hartland Peninsula. • There’s something strange about Philham Parlour. To begin with, we’re unsure what it is – then slowly it dawns: the quiet. Waking to birdsong, falling asleep to the gently…

Eggs, bunnies and other cute stuff GREAT BITTEN Dorset-made deliciousness that’s both patriotic and handmade, using milk and white chocolate, dried raspberries and strawberries. Jingoism never tasted so good. Chococo Union Jack…

Let vivid hues colour your judgment this season, says Anna Britten.   PUT A CORK IN IT Give yourself a wedgie in these perfect fuchsia jobbies. Espadrilles are well back this season – but avoid those April showers unless you like…

Entries are now open for the first full Bristol Harbourside Triathlon which takes place on Sun 3 July and incorporates a swim in the Brunel Lock, a cycle ride in the shadow of Clifton Suspension bridge and a run along the Avon…

Anna Britten perfects her ‘Blue Steel’ for Bath In Fashion. Bath boasts about many things – its architecture, its rugby team, its insane house prices. But one thing it’s never banged on about is its fashion sense. Well, not since…

Can 90 minutes striking poses in a sauna really give Anna Britten an energy boost? It’s Saturday morning, in an upstairs studio in the St Nicholas Market district. I am flushed bright red, on all fours, and my nose is inches away…

One in five of us will happily spend a three-figure sum on our denims. Bath’s queen of jeans, Mimi Noor, tells Anna Britten why. Denim hasn’t been simple since the Wild West. And even then, we’re willing to bet the wares of…

Anna Britten talks to a small, local charity making a big, national noise. When Bristol-based charity, One25, won a coveted Guardian Charity Award just before Christmas, it was a richly deserved nod of recognition. During 16…

Slow fashion is marching on the high street. Anna Britten meets Bristol’s leading ecowear pioneer Charlie Boots. What do you think of when you hear the words ‘ethical fashion’? Hippies in unwashed hemp T-shirts? Social workers in…

Anna Britten visits the new Sanctuary Spa. When The Sanctuary opened its third UK boutique spa in Cabot Circus just before Christmas, beauty junkies sat up and raised their perfectly plucked eyebrows. Not only is the brand a…

Anna Britten unwraps some romantic failsafes.  SPAS IN THEIR EYES Chill out à deux on a special spa day in the dreamily romantic environs of The Relaxation Centre. Free Valentine’s gift for every couple, and prize draw available…

You might think falconry was something last practised in the Middle Ages but it’s very much alive and kicking. Simon Fry gloves up and gives it a try. Interacting with our feathered friends is terrific fun, as anyone who’s ever…

Anna Britten talks to Bristol designer – and reality TV star – Gilly Woo as she prepares to launch her first ready-to-wear collection. Gill Cockwell’s been the sanest person on BBC One for the last few Tuesday nights. As a…

Anna Britten wraps up in what’s been a cold-weather classic since medieval times. FIZZY-CAL As worn by a Saturday, and brought to you by local nostalgia merchants Truffle Shuffle. Famous Forever ‘Diet Coke’ Hoodie, £34.99,…

Anna Britten picks out the gadgets, geegaws and gizmos that’ll turn your friends green. MUSIC TO YOUR EARS Chunky headphones from Swedish design collective Zound Industries. A special plug allows a friend to share your choons.…

'Dragons’ Den’ with a heart, anyone? Anna Britten catches up with local microcredit pioneers Deki. Microcredit: an international financial development you can feel good about. Hand-ups, not hand-outs. The richer citizens of the…

Anna Britten gets a fish pedicure. Someone call the Department of Work & Pensions! There’s a corner of Broadmead where a thousand immigrant workers toil all day without a tea break – and aren’t even paid minimum wage. So what…

Ward off head colds, frostbitten finger and sore throats with our big, fluffy pile of the best hats, scarves and gloves in town. WHITE RIOT Edelweiss white and totally Von Trapp. Mittens and hat, both £12, Motel Rocks CAP IN HAND…

Need to ask how to get to l’auberge de jeunesse in Aix-les-Bains? Simon Fry can point you in the direction of some leisurely language learning. Us Brits can be a lazy lot when it comes to communicating overseas. That over a…

Need something new to put things in and carry them around? Anna Britten rates local bags with attitude. TWINKLE TWINKLE Show-stopping spangled satchel from Montpelier’s very own Angel Jackson, loved by discerning slebs and…

Anna Britten watches Bath’s very own celebrity tattooist at work. A Thursday morning in Bath and Montana Studios is busy. All three tattoo artists are decorating customers as late-summer sun floods through the shop, catching on…

Why should kids have all the back-to-school treats? Brighten up your Monday morning with some office-friendly new gear for AW10, says Anna Britten. A FLASH OF ANKLE18th-century governess-style, full-grain leather, brown ankle…