Clifton Life - Guides

Clifton Life Guides

CLIFTON LIFE KIDS GUIDE 2009

Here comes summer…

So summer is here again, along with the annual what-do-we-do-with-the-kids debate. Fear not, we’ve put together a collection of ideas that will keep your little ones busy for weeks.

Bristol – and the surrounding area – is bursting with attractions to keep families entertained, no all of which require fabulous weather! We’ve included fun and educational places to go, activities to amuse the fussiesrt kids and festivals for the whole family to enjoy. To make your days out complete, we’ve also included family-friendly eateries and shopping ideas for treats and necessities for babies to pre-teens.

I hope this guide provides you with plenty of inspiration and that you and your family enjoy the summer. My fingers are crossed that this year we will bask in glorious weather for a change!

Jenny May Forsyth

CLIFTON LIFE EDUCATION GUIDE 1 2009

The perfect start

Welcome to Clifton Life’s first Education Guide.

Bristol offers an impressive array of independent schools, but how do you choose which one is right for your child? This guide should help you weigh up the options, with advice from parents, headteachers and top journalists. The articles in this guide are just a taster of what’s on offer on the Tom-Brown.com website – the ideal port of call for any parent searching for a school. The site offers a blend of topical features on a range of subjects such as choosing a nursery, paying school fees, settling in at boarding school, pastoral care, getting the grades and choosing a career.

With information to help you make the right decision at every stage, from nursery through to university, tom-Brown.com is also the ideal forum to exchange ideas and opinions with other parents.

Gail Dixon

CLIFTON LIFE WEDDING GUIDE 5 2009

Step by step

Bristol is a fabulous place to get married – few other cities can offer such a diverse selection of historic churches, country houses and funky restaurants all primed to be the backdrop to your big day. It’s going to be one of the best days of your life – so it only makes sense to hold it in your favourite city.

Understandably, for this reason, there’s a thriving wedding industry in Bristol, filled by countless professionals and companies ready and willing to fulfil your every nuptial need.

The city is full of talented and creative folk, from dressmakers to jewellers, photographers and florists, who are as determined as you are to make your special day a success. Many of them you will find within the pages of this guide.

A successful wedding depends on good planning. If the thought of it makes your head spin, our feature on the countdown to your big day and step-by-step guide should help you get everything in perspective, while our sections on finding a photographer who’ll best capture the moment and choosing your outfits – whether bride or guest will help keep you focused.

We’ve done the hard work for you – so you can just relax and enjoy your day.

Vicky Green

CLIFTON LIFE WEDDING GUIDE 4 SEPTEMBER

Looking ahead

If you’ve recently decided to get married, then you’ll know that planning for your big day seems to get more and more complicated the further down the line you get. The idea of a quick, no-frills ceremony for a select few family and friends soon spirals into marquees and seating for hundreds. But the key to a perfect day – as simple as it might sound – is a heavy dose of forward planning.

Of course, it’s always useful to have a source of friendly advice to turn to when the going gets rough, and with that in mind we’ve put together a few pages to help make your day go seamlessly, including a step-by-step wedding planner, a guide to picking the perfect dress and advice about how to make your honeymoon the holiday of a lifetime.

For those soon-to-be-weds, locations don’t get much better than the Bristol area, from historic churches to the harbour side, boutique hotels to country houses – did you know you could tie the knot under the stars at the Planetarium?

Flick through for inspiration for everything from florists to photographers. Oh, and don’t forget to have a wonderful day.

Vicky

CLIFTON LIFE KIDS GUIDE 2 JULY 2008

Long, hot summer

One of the best things about childhood is those endless summer holidays – September seems so far away when you’re seven and school’s just broken up, it barely merits thinking about.

You might likewise be sensing an eternity before the autumn term starts – but perhaps with less relish. That’s a lot of time to entertain your children, dear as they are. But don’t despair: there’s a multitude of family-friendly attractions in and around Bristol – and not all of them involve a hefty entrance fee, if any at all.

Our second kids’ guide has put together details of some of the best of these in the Family Fun section, which also lists Bristol’s many family-friendly summer festivals still to come and local clubs where children can learn anything from cooking to circus skills.
Meanwhile the shopping page lists toyshops, maternity wear shops and shops selling anything that might interest parents and children. Hopefully with our help it will seem more a case of so much to do and so little time, rather than the reverse.

Happy holidays!

Vicky

CLIFTON LIFE RESTAURANT GUIDE 5 JUNE 2008

More is more

Over the last year the food-led content of Clifton Life has grown in order to reflect the growing significance of gastronomy to the culture of the city.

We’re therefore pleased to bring you th all-new Restaurant, Food & Wine Guide, which, in addition to offering information about the city’s finest restaurants, is packed with special features on some of the most exciting chefs and food producers in the region.
There’s a Q & A with eco-chef Barney Haughton of Bordeaux Quay fame; Laura Rowe goes for a forage with Chris Horridge; the Bridge Café’s new chef serves upa recipe for gorgonzola soufflé; and our Editor’s Choice rounds up some goodies from the big Bristol larder.

We’ve recently learned that an exciting new addition to the city’s festival calendar is to be the first Bristol Wine & Food Fair , underlining our insatiable interest in all things foodie.

You can also read abou the multitude of diverse eateries around the city – and there’s a handy map to locate them, so there’s no excuse not to try them out for yourselves. Happy eating!

Vicky

CLIFTON LIFE WEDDING GUIDE 15 FEBRUARY 2008

Step by step

Understandably, for this reason, there’s a thriving wedding industry in Bristol, filled by countless professionals and companies ready and willing to fulfil your every nuptial need. The city is full of talented and creative folk, from dressmakers to jewellers, photographers and florists, who are as determined as you are to make your special day a success. Many of them you will find within the pages of this guide.

A successful wedding depends on good planning. If the thought of it makes your head spin, our step-by-step guide on should help you get everything in perspective, while our sections on picking the right venue, choosing your outfits and finding a photographer who’ll best capture the moment will help keep you focused. We’ve done the hard work for you – so you can just relax and enjoy your day.

Gabi

THE COUNTDOWN
Organising your big day

WEDDING STYLE
Choosing the perfect outfits

RECEPTION CLASS
Make sure your reception runs smoothly

PICTURE PERFECT
Capture those special moments

POINT BY POINT
A handy checklist to help you plan your wedding