Bristol’s Best Bits: Slapstick Festival 2015

Posted on January 27, 2015 by

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

You all know I adore Bristol. You may or may not know that I’m also a bit of a token film geek. So imagine my delight when I was told I would be contributing in a small part to the now somewhat legendary Slapstick festival, which brings joy and delight to Bristol every dreary January.

A celebration of the best of silent and visual comedy, Slapstick champions early pioneering comedians such as Charlie Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy, through to ‘vintage’ comedy from the likes of The Goodies and Vivian Stanshall, right up to the present day surrealists (and Visual Comedy award-winners) Reeves & Mortimer. Plus, it gives me a chance to truly indulge in my love of Buster Keaton for at least one whole weekend a year.

Buster Keaton

I was one of the lucky ones to attend the festival’s grand opening on Friday night – the Slapstick Gala, hosted by Chris Addison, with screenings of Chaplin’s ‘The Immigrant’, Laurel & Hardy’s ‘Big Business’ (with Rick Wakeman improvising on piano!), and Buster Keaton’s ‘Seven Chances’, with live score provided by the European Silent Screen Virtuosi.
As soon as we stepped into the Colston Hall, everyone was in full Slapstick mode – there was a live band providing jazz music, with swing dancers performing in the foyer! There was even a lonely chap in the corner getting into the swing of things, take a peek below:

Needless to say, the show was absolutely brilliant, with a surprise segment in the middle from Lucky Dog Theatre Productions providing a tribute to Stan & Ollie. The highlight for me was definitely Keaton’s Seven Chances, with the live music making all the difference. There’s something charming and weirdly rewarding hearing a crowd of 1800 people chortling with laughter at a film without dialogue, and a strange comforting feeling of being somehow connected with those early audiences, viewing cinema in the same way that they might have.

Eric Mortimer and Ernie Wise
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

Other highlights for me included The Goodies taking a look at their favourite Laurel & Hardy clips, including the infamous scene where for some reason they are hauling a piano across the alps on a rickety bridge and encounter a gorilla (of course), which was met with howls of laughter from the audience.

I also have a new found appreciation for Morcambe & Wise, having attended a show at the Bristol Old Vic with another comedy legend Barry Cryer discussing what it was like working with the pair throughout their career, and sharing some of his favourite moments along the way. It’s funny how many clips I recognised, but I suppose it just goes to show the staying power and timeless humour in visual comedy.

vic&bob-2
vic&bob

On Sunday, me and Tom closed the festival by watching an interview with one of our favourite double acts, Reeves and Mortimer, who accepted their award for Outstanding Contribution to Visual Comedy. The pair were interviewed by Marcus Brigstocke, who I felt really sorry for, but I reckon he managed to do a pretty good job steering the conversation the right way when it went off on a surreal tangent. They were hilarious, of course, and seemed proper chuffed with their awards, which were fashioned like another comedy duo, Morph and Chas!

Looking back at it, I can’t quite believe it’s all over. I’ve been working on Slapstick stuff since October (I sometimes do the socials), and way back then it seemed like ages away. The whole weekend was absolutely amazing, with a really wonderful atmosphere at all the venues and shows I went to. A massive thank you to Slapstick for letting me attend so many brilliant shows, I can’t wait til next year!

All B&W comedian images (C) Slapstick Festival.
Vic & Bob images (C) The Bristol Post.
Contact for removal.

Say Cheese!

Posted on January 22, 2015 by

Accessorize Camera Bag

Do I win a prize for the fantastic title I have given this post?!

A few weeks ago I shared with you my pick of the last of the January sales, and well… a couple of things may have fallen into my basket. As well as starting an infatuation with The Whitepepper, I also snapped up this camera shaped bag from Accessorize, which I’ve fallen head over heels in love with. When it arrived I took it on an outing around… erm, my garden, and roped Tom in to take some snaps of me smiling awkwardly.

Accessorize Camera Bag

Dress – Beyond Retro [old] // Bag – Accessorize £14.50 [sold out] // Necklace – New Look (unsure of price, similar here) // Shoes – Monki Bella Eye Flats [old] // Watch – Shore Projects Portland £115

Accessorize Camera Bag

This 90s polyester monstrosity is my current favourite dress, partly due to its eye-wateringly bright colour, its Clueless-esque pattern and weird texture of the material, but also the wonderful warming nature of polyester on a particularly cold day. It even has shoulder pads, for crying out loud! The best part about it, though, is that I snapped it up for a mere £6 in one of Beyond Retro’s amazing sales which they do regularly, and which now have contributed to about half of my current wardrobe!

It has to be said that this bag is just a little impractical, as is documented on their reviews. The clasp is hidden behind the ‘lens’ so the whole top part has to swing open, which can make putting things in there a little tricky. But when you’re rocking a massive fake camera round your neck, I personally don’t think that matters though!

Accessorize Camera Bag

The Monki Bella Eye shoes (aka, ‘David Blaine shoes‘) are also a new wardrobe favourite of mine, as is my beautiful Shore Projects watch, both of which were on my wishlist for a while before I finally committed to buying them. The watch I wear pretty much every single day, and it gets loads of compliments – it’s one of those simple styles which goes with everything.

Starting a wishlist was supposed to be a way of me stopping buying so many things on a whim, but with so many awesome bargains in the sales this year, I don’t mind letting this resolution slip just a little ;).

Bristol’s Best Bits: Tart

Posted on January 20, 2015 by

Tart Patisserie Gloucester Road Bristol

Ahh, tea and cake. It’s like a fundamental right of British people to stop whatever they are doing at around 3pm and placate themselves and their dwindling sugar levels with a slab of cake or a nice biccy and wash it down with a nice hot brew. Such is our collective love of the good stuff that it’s almost become part of our national identity, with winners of everyone’s first love The Great British Bake Off being practically heralded as royalty as soon as they win the top prize.

Tart Patisserie Gloucester Road Bristol bakewell tart

There are many amazing cake establishments in Bristol, but the one I find myself going back to is Tart, slap bang in the middle of the longest stretch of independent shops in the UK, Gloucester Road. It’s like a mecca of tea and cake, and always my first port of call if it’s a nice cup of Rosy I’m after. What I like about it is its ability to appeal to all groups – it’s the type of place you could take your mum, meet a friend for a catch up, or while away a few sunny hours sitting outside by yourself, watching the world go by.

We headed up on a busy Sunday afternoon to just get out of the house, really, on one of those occasions where you need to treat yo’self for no reason whatsoever. I don’t think you ever need an excuse to eat cake. For me, my treat was a pot of Earl Grey and a slice of Victoria Sponge (classic!), for Tom it was a single espresso and a generous slice of chocolate torte.

Tart Patisserie Gloucester Road Bristol

It goes without saying that the cakes are absolutely amazing. My usual favourite is their orange polenta cake but sadly on this occassion they had run out next time, it will be mine! All of their teas are loose leaf and freshly brewed before your very eyes, plus they do a brilliant every day offer of tea and cake for just a fiver, meaning our little outing cost us no more than £10!

Next time you’re up Gloucester Road and have been shopping your heart out at Repsycho and Fox & Feather, take a little rest, put your feet up and enjoy a lovely hot cuppa and slice of homemade cake from Tart. You won’t be disappointed.

New Year, New Job: My Top Interview Tips

Posted on January 18, 2015 by

It seems weird that I graduated three years ago. I’ve since bumbled my way through jobs enough to pick up a few tidbits which I thought were worth sharing. When City Calling got in touch to challenge me to jot down my interview tips it seemed pretty apt to share them with you all, considering I have just recently started a new job myself. City Calling are a website who offer jobs in construction, IT, retail… you name it, they got it! If you’re looking for employment in a specific category then websites like this are really valuable in your hunt.

home office mac computer modern desk setting

I mentioned in my 2014 round up that towards the latter half of the year I took a massive leap of faith and quit my job as a photographer. A few months of searching and interviews later, and I’ve taken my tentative first steps into working in social media marketing, for the awesome folks at Noisy Little Monkey.

Looking for a new job is tiring, tough, and can be downright boring. Half the struggle is making your CV look perfect, writing out endless cover letters and perfecting that LinkedIn profile. Being rejected from places you have your heart set on can really knock your confidence, and so it’s even more important to really shine when you land yourself an interview. Based on my recent experiences, here are my top tips for that scary first meeting:

Frankie Says Relax metal light up sign

1. RELAX
I know this is easier said than done, but calm down. I get really anxious about stuff, and I’m one of those people who babbles when they’re nervous. I’ve often been known to say really inappropriate stuff to lighten the mood, on account of being terrified of the silence left between sentences. Be calm, collected, professional (I’m still working on this one), and most importantly, speak s l o w l y. Take your time to think about and answer the questions properly, don’t just say the first thing that pops into your head (like I do!)

Unsplash Rayi Christian Wicaksono

2. Prepare
I think this is pretty much a given, but still a solid piece of advice for anyone who has recently graduated or is looking for their first proper job. This ain’t no Saturday job at Topshop – read up about the company: who they are, what they do, key people in the business (who are you likely to meet at the interview?), when they first started the company, a little brief history, how it relates to your experience and skills, and try to imagine a little bit about where the company is going, and how you can help get them there. It sounds like a lot of effort, but trust me, it’s worth it. Write down a list of possible questions they might ask you and try to answer each one honestly, positively, and to the point.

3. Be honest
Remember that episode of The Apprentice where that guy lied on his CV and got fired? It was super duper awkward. I don’t ever want to live through that, poor guy. Don’t make an idiot of yourself by lying about things which people can easily find out. Likewise, if they ask you a tricky question and you don’t know the answer, then just say so. Trust me, it’s a million times better – in the past I’ve made up answers to questions in the hope that I’ll get it right, but ended up sounding stupid. Just inform them that you’re not entirely sure how to do that thing, but have experience in this area which is similar/are a very fast learner/will Google it when you get home/will take evening classes to improve your skills (don’t actually say these last two).

sheep in field
Sheep… geddit?!

4. Be yourself
I think this one comes with a combination of the last three – if you’re calm enough, have got your questions and answers down to a T, and are answering the questions honestly and to the best of your ability, then your passion and enthusiasm for this job is bound to shine through. The company are obviously interested enough in you to invite you in for an interview, so really make the most of it – tell them why you’re interested in their company in the first place, and what makes you different from all the other people they’re likely to get through the door. Also, mention your hobbies! I wouldn’t have my current job if it weren’t for this blog, so be sure to put your passions on your CV.

lady putting on comfortable boots

5. Wear comfortable shoes
This is the most important one of all. When I went for the interview for my first job, I wore some smart heeled boots, which I hadn’t worn for at least a year. I had to walk all the way from Bath train station to the interview, which was a little under 2 miles. By the time I got there my feet were so ripped to shreds I couldn’t concentrate on the questions the chap was asking me. The moral of the story is make sure you’ve got a decent, well fitting, smart-ish pair of shoes which you can comfortably walk in – you don’t want to be going A over T when you walk into the interview room. Not cool. Likewise, wear something smart, but not restricting, and above all, comfortable.

What with the state of the economy and the government doing a fabulous job with youth unemployment at the moment, it can seem really impossible to try and get your foot in the door. Don’t lose faith – it took me ages to find the job that I’m currently in. I know it’s disheartening when there are so many people all going up for the same thing, but take a positive look at yourself, the skills you have to offer, and keep on trying.

Image credits:
1. Desk – Unsplash
2. ‘Relax’ – Nan Palmero
3. Hand & mouse – Unsplash
4. Sheep – Unsplash
5. Shoes – Unsplash

{this post contains affiliate links}

Bristol’s Best Bits: The Cube Microplex

Posted on January 13, 2015 by

The Cube Cinema Bristol neon sign

Last May, I began volunteering at arguably Bristols most wonderful institution – The Cube Microplex. This teeny tiny cinema is tucked away in a small space just off Stoke’s Croft, and has become a haven for arty types and cinephiles alike. What started as a labour of love in 1998 has now evolved into an amazing hybrid space, containing cinema, arts, workshops, live music and comedy.

The Cube Cinema Bristol graffiti

The Cube is tucked away in that small space between Stokes Croft and Kingsdown, just off Jamaica Street. Its mysterious location is probably the reason why I hadn’t visited it for the first 5 years of living in the city, something which I remedied in April last year, when I saw the equally wonderful Grand Budapest Hotel there (for £3. THREE ENGLISH POUNDS! You can’t even buy a drink at Cineworld for that!).

There’s something quite magical about the way that it’s tucked away yet still in full view; when you stumble across the neon sign of The Cube shining brightly above its modest facade you feel like Columbus making some great discovery on behalf of the indie cinema world.

The Cube Cinema Bristol

Inside it’s just as charming. The Cube is run and collectively owned by volunteers, and was only recently bought out as a freehold in a victorious and historic effort last year. Because of this, the decor and general feel on the inside is a bit homemade and DIY, but definitely not to it’s detriment. The auditorium is straight out of the 60s, even down to the wood panelled walls, and the bar is stocked with toffee Poppets and more local ale than you can shake a stick at. Hell, they even sell their own brewed cola, and if that’s not the coolest thing ever, I don’t know what is.

The Cube Cinema Bristol

Let’s talk ticket prices. Most films at the Cube are a mere £5, and if you go on their awesome (yet crazy busy) Ticket Tout Tuesdays, it’s only £3! Granted, you’ve not got the plush seats and sticky floors of the local megaplex, but you can sit in a moderately uncomfortable but ancient and charming seat with a borrowed blanket on your lap, drinking bottles of Wiper & True. This is what I love about it.

Alongside an excellent array of world cinema, indie films and a few screenings of the absolute classics (I recently watched 2001 here for the first time), the Cube regularly collaborates with other like-minded individuals such as local artists (and your friendly neighbourhood video shop) to bring truly eye opening and brilliant range of events.

Plus, what other place can you see critically acclaimed ‘Boyhood‘ and Turkish Trash Cinema all in the same week?!

If you haven’t been to the Cube yet then I really urge you to do so – you’re not a proper Bristolian until you do!

All images via The Cube website.

Pact Coffee

Posted on January 11, 2015 by

Sunday morning brunch - Pact coffee and croissant

I do love coffee. For me, there’s nowt better on a Sunday morning than dusting off the Aeropress and making a proper good cup o’ joe. I never really used to drink coffee til I started a proper job, and needed something to rouse me from my post-commute slumber at 8am. Two years and probably a million cups later, I’ve most certainly grown to tell the difference between a right good brew and a cup of brown dishwater masquerading as the good stuff.

I was scrolling through Twitter one day, as you do, when I came across something which . Rule number one of social media, make people laugh. Rule number two, include Tom Hiddleston. Follow these rules and you’re on to a winner. Naturally, I hot-footed it over to Pact’s website to take up their excellent offer of £10 towards my first delivery.

Pact-coffee
Pact-coffee-2

But Lily, what on Earth is a Pact coffee when it’s at home?

Quite simply, it is a coffee subscription service (cue all fellow caffeine addicts to fall off their chair in glee). Pact roast and grind their own beans, then pop them in a little brown jiffy and post them to your home, or office, or secret underground bunker, or wherever you fancy. You need never run out ever again! What I like is you can specify your chosen brewing method, so the coarseness of the ground beans suits whichever receptacle you are going to brew it in. Already suitably impressed with this attention to detail, I popped the kettle on.

This most certainly is not Nescafe. It is downright delicious. The beans are roasted and ground right before they’re popped in the post, so you can be sure that it’s as fresh as it can be.

Pact have a range of beans and brews which change on a weekly basis, and when I subscribed back in October (I know, I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while) I was sent Finca La Montana, a toffee-apple tasting variety, and Finca La Joyeria, which supposedly tastes of poached pear and dark chocolate. I like these handy little tasting notes on each pack, it gives a point of reference if you have a preferred taste in mind. Each variety has tasting notes from the coffee connoisseurs on their website, like fine wines (I know which I’d rather be drinking).

Pact-coffee-3
Pact-coffee-5

As well as the coffee in each delivery you also get a little double-sided magazine, which shows you what the Pact people have been up to, plus gives you special deals on t’other side. I’ve fallen in love a little bit with Pact coffee – everything is designed really beautifully, from their packaging to their website, plus they keep you updated as to when you’re special parcel is arriving, and make sure it arrives promptly.

The only thing I struggled with is the frequency of deliveries. Back when I signed up I chose a bi-weekly delivery, and found that I hadn’t got through my last pack by the time the new one arrived. I’m more of a weekend drinker, you see. They offer weekly deliveries too, and can even keep your office supplied with delicious fresh coffee. In the end I had to cancel my subscription until I’d used it all up, but I’m seriously considering signing up again, particularly now you can choose to pause or reschedule deliveries, or bring them forward if it’s been a particularly difficult week.

Drinking proper coffee is one of those little luxuries I think you can afford to do every day – like wearing M&S tights, or treating yo’self to a pain au chocolat every morning for brekkie. Thankfully, Pact coffee are here to help convert the world from instant brown dishwater, one delicious cup at a time.

{FYI – this post isn’t sponsored, I just really like coffee}

Bristol’s Best Bits: New Favourite Pubs

Posted on January 6, 2015 by

I’ve been wanting to do a more regular feature for a while now. Sure, I’ve got my round up of my favourite things I’ve been up to every month, but what I’ve really been wanting to do for absolutely ages is a weekly feature of some of the best things the wonderful city I dwell in has to offer.

It’s quite surreal thinking that 2015 will mark my 6th year living in Bristol. I moved here in September 2009 for university, and on graduating in 2012 decided that it was too good to leave behind, and after a brief spell living back home in Cheltenham, decided to pack up and move back to Bristol for good. Since 2009 I’ve lived in 5 different postcodes – BS1, BS2, BS3, BS6, and BS7, and like to think that I know the best bits tucked away in the deepest corners of Bristol, if I must blow my own trumpet.

Having said that, I keep discovering new and wonderful places which keep popping up over the city. It’s one of my resolutions to do more exploring this year, and so with that in mind, I’ve decided to launch a weekly feature called ‘Bristol’s Best Bits’ (a name I shamelessly stole off Lyzi – with her permission!) to document all the places I love, and new places which I’ve discovered. You can follow my weekly adventures using #BristolBestBits on and .

First up on these adventures is my new favourite drinking establishments. I spoke at length last February about my favourite spots to quaff an ale in the city, but since moving back south of the river and to Totterdown no less, I’ve had some new favourite places pop up on my radar. I’ve also taken the liberty of adding them all to a dedicated , so you can follow my best spots with ease!

1. The Victoria Park

victoria park

First up is my new local, the Victoria Park. Nestled between all the lovely houses just off the huge expanse of greenery which provides its namesake, the Victoria Park offers lovely ales, delicious food – including stonebaked pizza from their clay oven in the huge garden – and lovely bar staff in a truly inviting and beautifully aesthetic environment. Pop down for the Sunday roast if you can, but I recommend booking in advance!

2. The Windmill

the windmill

A short stroll across the park and you arrive at The Windmill, a quirkly little place, sister pub to The Lazy Dog in Ashley Down and the famous Pipe and Slippers on Cheltenham Road. Keeping the same offbeat charm as these other two, the Windmill offers an equally snug atmosphere, with open fires and mulled cider in the winter, and a fantastic selection of beverages.

3. The Hare

the hare

A couple of doors down from the also excellent Old Bookshop sits the Hare, a long thin intriguing building with an amazing secret beer garden. Indoors there’s plenty of space in the bar for one of their many excellent events, including annual ale and cider festivals, but out back hides a beautiful sun trap beer garden where you can while away the sunnier days, when they eventually do return.

4. The Christmas Steps

christmas steps

Once known in darker days as the Three Sugar Loaves, this central Bristol pub had a spectacular makeover from the chaps at Crack magazine last year, and has since been voted one of the best pubs of 2014. The interior has been stripped back to reveal the historical origins of the building, whilst the quirky layout hides two bars and a wealth of fine ales, mainly of the Arbor variety. Excellent chips, too!

5. The Orchard

Orchard-pub

This unassuming little Bristol boozer happens to be handily located approximately 30 seconds from my new workplace, which is good news for clocking-out time on a Friday evening. It also happens to be home to over 20 varieties of cider, which may be even better news for clocking out time on a Friday evening! If you’re after a no-nonsense charming little pub and a cracking cheese and onion roll, then you can do no wrong with the Orchard. It’s also a short stroll from the harbour, making it the perfect pit stop at the end of your sunny Sunday afternoon ramble.

Do you reckon there are any pubs I’ve missed off? Let me know! Comment below or tweet me . I’m always looking for a new watering hole!

Image credits:
The Victoria Park

The Hare
The Christmas Steps
The Orchard

Last of the Sales

Posted on January 4, 2015 by

Well, Christmas may be over for another year, but at least we have the January sa- oh wait, most of that is over too. Even Lush have been completely cleaned out of Christmas products in their epic Boxing Day sale, I discovered to my horror when I popped in today.

But wait! What’s this?! Some last minute bargains I’ve found doing some Sunday evening internet browsing? Just a few picks I’m trying ever-so-hard to resist buying right this very minute…

Pick of the January Sales 2015

Top to bottom, left to right:
The Whitepepper Bean Hem Leggings ~~£35~~ £17.50 // Cheap Monday Glitter Mid Heel Platforms ~~£100~~ £48 // The Whitepepper Ivory Embroidered Cardigan ~~£65~~ £32.50 // Accessorize Cara Camera Bag ~~£29~~ £14.50 // Zara Combination Spot Print Skirt ~~£25.99~~ £12.99

The Whitepepper is a brand which I’ve only just recently discovered, but have completely fallen in love with. I like how it sits somewhere comfortably between being almost quite refined, beautifully simple, but also completely weird, which are my wardrobe objections in 2015. That, plus buying a pair of the most amazing clunky shoes, like these beauties from Cheap Monday.

Also, how amazing is that Accessorize bag?! That one may have already snuck into my shopping basket… Oops.

Have you picked up any bargains?

December Favourites & 2015 Goals

Posted on January 2, 2015 by

I’m absolutely loving reading everyone’s 2014 round up posts at the moment! Especially Megan and her lovely photos, and Lyzi, who generally inspires me to live in a much more adorable and artistic way every day.

I was looking through my Instagram the other week and 2014 really has been quite a year – I’ve moved house twice, took a massive leap of faith in quitting my job because it was making me miserable, starting a brand new shiny one with a small team of lovely folk, and also changing my hair colour a fair bit.

Looking back on my goals I set out at the beginning of the year, I don’t think I’ve done too badly:
1. Get blonde hair again – I did this! It was on my way to getting peach hair, then orange hair, then ginger with blonde ends, and now it’s just… well, I’m not sure what my hair is doing at the moment.
2. Go cycling more often – I still don’t cycle enough. I really want to cycle to work but I’m afraid of a small stretch near Gaol Ferry Bridge where cyclists and pedestrians kind of smush in to one another, and I’m scared of running someone over.
3. Take a trip to Beeses – I still haven’t done this, to my eternal shame and misery.
4. Run more rolls of film through my many disused cameras – I still haven’t done enough of this either – I’ve got a Pentax K1000 which needs testing out, which will be first on my list.
5. Do more craft – I’ve done loads of craft this year! Most recently my first go at needle felting. It’s my ambition to be generally more creative this year, whether through blogging, photography, drawing, needle felting, knitting – it doesn’t matter, as long as I can make some time for it.

Anyway, enough of my vague attempts at last year’s goals, here’s what I’ve squeezed out of the last month of 2014:

Free chocolate in my ASOS parcel! // Best Christmas tree fairy ever, from clever Jojo who works at Aardman // Amazing hot chocolate from the Bristol German Christmas market // Our friend’s lovely winter wedding
December 2014 Favourites

It was ‘Christmas’ jumper and roast day at Aardman, the best day ever! // I made my own Christmas jumper and went on a blustery harbourside walk // We put the tree up, which meant the return of elephant-Santa
December 2014 Favourites

Bought a lovely Pogues-themed card from Berny’s Place // Wore my Hufflepuff house pride on this spectacular shirt I found at Primark // Had the most awesome work Christmas do ever, with chocolate making at Clifton Cakes
December 2014 Favourites

Was given a fantastic book about kittens with this chap in it // Went home and saw the dog in her elf outfit // Gifted the best pair of slippers ever for Christmas // … and the best cookbook ever!
December 2014 Favourites

Went on a day out to the beautiful Clifton village // Found an amazing Mexican shop in the arcade and bought these awesome tiles // Baked some ultimate comfort food // Wore my ‘David Blaine’ shoes for a pizza date

Of course, with it being new year and all, it is tradition to make some new goals for the next 12 months, and so they are as follows:

1. Use my disused cameras
Ok, so this is a recycled resolution, but I really need to start using some of the cameras that I’ve been hoarding for so many years. There’s that famous William Morris quote – “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”. This keeps rattling around in my head whenever I glance across the shelves; they certainly are beautiful, but they deserve to be useful, too.

2. Explore more bits of Bristol
I’ve moved to yet another bit of Bristol I haven’t quite explored properly, so my starting point is to find my way around Totterdown and Windmill Hill properly, and then move further afield to St Philips (and the awesome market), maybe all the way out to Clevedon to the Curzon cinema, then on to Greenbank and Easton where loads of my friends live, and absolutely love it.

3. See more live music
There is so much going on in Bristol – from comedy gigs at the Hen & Chicken, films at the Arnolfini, the Watershed and the Cube, and music at the Fleece, the Louisiana, the O2 Academy, the Thekla, the Exchange, the Old Duke… you name it! I want to soak up as much of this local musical goodness as I can, seeing as it’s right on my doorstep. I’d love to go to more big gigs in the capital too – I’ve already got tickets for Ed Sheeran in Wembley in July (and am eyeing up The Script tickets at The O2 for a potential birthday gift for Tom’s mum), plus it’s my ambition to go to at least one alternative summer festival this year. My eye’s on you, Secret Garden Party!

4. Learn a new skill
I loved learning to needle felt. It’s been on my list of things to try out for absolutely ages, and I genuinely felt I’d achieved something in ticking it off. I want to be able to add another string to my bow this year, but I’m not entirely sure what yet – learn how to swim properly (I would totally drown if I fell off a boat), learn how to make my own clothes, learn a new language… basically, this is just an excuse to do some more courses at the Folk House.

That’s all I can think of at the moment! I suppose to make it a nice round 5, the last one can be to make 2015 a right good’un. What are your own ambitions for 2015?

{this post contains collaborative links}

Lily Doughball

Bristol-based fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog

Monthly Archives: January 2015

Bristol’s Best Bits: Slapstick Festival 2015

Say Cheese!

Bristol’s Best Bits: Tart

New Year, New Job: My Top Interview Tips

Bristol’s Best Bits: The Cube Microplex

Pact Coffee

Bristol’s Best Bits: New Favourite Pubs

Last of the Sales

December Favourites & 2015 Goals