Exeter Christmas Market - A Taste of Europe on Cathedral Green

Christmas comes but once a year, and so to it seems does the Christmas Market on Cathedral Green, which is make it’s triumphal return after the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural event.  You may have been forgiven for thinking, if this last week you had been walking through the medieval square that sits at the heart of the city, that a peculiar shanty town appeared to be being constructed; with rows of wooden huts snaking along the pathways. However, this wasn’t the Occupy movement coming back to ruin the grass and fill the green with noise and drunken people; no, this time there was a point to it all.

On a clear, crisp winter’s day, the outline of the gothic Cathedral looms heavy against the bright blue sky. In its shadow; shoppers slowly make their way down the crowded rows of stalls looking for gifts or on the lookout for something that they might want during this season of good will. With its combination of local traders and those from across Europe, and beyond, this year’s expanded market gives you a wide variety of handmade goods, food, drink, plants and gifts. Now, I’m going to be honest with you here; when it comes to knowing a lot about knitwear, or what the latest fashions are when it comes to hats and scarves, I wouldn’t be what you would call an expert. I know you can get woolly hats with those ear flaps on but that about sums up my knowledge on the subject. There does however appear to be a lot more variety than that on show here with many stalls exhibiting a wide range of winter clothing made of various animals ranging from sheep to alpaca. There is also a nice range in leather goods, such as bags and belts (nothing kinky, I know where your mind was going!) and a stall that offers you the chance to make your own snow.

If you’re looking for things for the home then you will find some excellent wood carvers that sell everything form a cheese board or little wooden animals, all the way to fully sized pieces of furniture; with their rustic, natural charm (the furniture that is, not the guy selling it to you). And what could be better to go with all that wooden furniture and decor you’ve just bought than a reindeer skin rug to put on the floor of the living room.  There are also a number of scented candles and incense stalls, which struck me as being a little dangerous; having open flames in a place made up entirely of wood, but the smell is nice.

For those with green fingers there is a great plant stall selling seasonal plants and festive decorations and to tempt those who enjoy spending the holiday season trying to fit as much food into their belly as possible, you can explore a whole host of European delicacies. If you’re trying to watch your weight then avoid going near the French patisserie stall at the far end of market. Just looking at all the cakes and tarts and chocolate soaked waffles can be enough to make your heart give up. But if you are weak willed, like me, try one of the apricot tarts, you won’t be disappointed.  There are also plenty of German sausages on display (what did I just say about that dirty mind of yours?) local preserves, and even a mead stall with a varied selection of the Scandinavian tipple.

 

So when you’re done with your shopping you can find a bench in one of the outdoor bars that are there and watch the hustle and bustle of the market with a hot toddy in one hand and a freshly cooked bratwurst in the other.  Between Thursday and Saturday the market stays open until 9pm. So if you’re willing to wrap up warm soak up the atmosphere with an early evening drink.

These markets appear to be all the rage now; with every city seeming to have at least one. Personally, I like this little bit of European culture that we have recently adopted. We seem to have lost the art of shopping in this country, favouring instead the simplicity and standardised monotony of high street chains. Whereas in continental Europe they have kept hold of their small local businesses and town centres that these types of markets give us just a little bit of a taste of. It’s only here for a month or so, so get out there and make the most of it and go along. Even if you don’t end up buying anything it will at least get you in that Christmas spirit.

The market runs until the 19th December

Trading Times are:
Monday – Wednesday: 10:00 – 19:00
Thursday – Saturday: 10:00 – 21:00
Sunday: 11:00 – 18:00

Exeter Picturehouse - Global cinema on your doorstep

Well, it’s only the third week of me doing this blog and already I’m about to break my golden rule, but frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.  I set out to make this site all about promoting independent and unique places in Exeter, and not to cover large chains and brands that you can find in most other cities. So what we’ve got here is, a failure to communicate, but I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse, and I hope you will all agree that Exeter’s Picturehouse Cinema is worthy enough to have the rules bent just a little bit on this occasion.  So fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.

To give you some background; Picturehouse Cinemas first started in Oxford in 1989 and over the years has acquired 20 other independent cinemas across England and Scotland. The cinemas maintain a degree of independence distinct from cinema chains and multiplexes, and most of their promotional material is specific to individual cinemas rather than to the network as a whole. Their range of films caters to less mainstream tastes than most commercial cinemas and there is an emphasis on independent, cult and foreign language films as well as local events. However this shouldn’t put you off. I’m as partial as the next fella to big explosions and superheroes, but it’s good to watch something different and thought provoking now and again.

Exeter’s Picturehouse (located on Bartholomew St. near the bottom of Fore St.) is no exception. There’s no place like home when it’s wet and miserable outside but if you can brave the elements you’ll find a cosy, modern, glass walled bar upstairs with a nice wine selection and bottles of local beer, that serves fresh, handmade pizzas from their own pizza oven as well as a wide range of vegetarian and vegan snacks which will have you saying I’ll have what she’s having.  They also regularly have live music which, unfortunately, can sometimes be heard in the theatres below. It’s not the most atmospheric and tense of moments when the male lead is torn between saving his brother and being with the women he loves, and all you can hear is someone doing a bad cover of Mumford & Sons. This is rare though and all adds to the character of the place.

When it comes to the googolplexes’ and cinema chains that infest the edge of our cities I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore.  You’re in, you’re out, there’s no character or passion for the movies, and don’t even get me started on the sheer swindle that is 3D. Films are pieces of art that have taken a lot of people a lot of time and love to create, and so should be enjoyed and contemplated on in an environment that promotes such things. At the Picturehouse they put on Kids clubs during the weekends and holidays, Autism friendly screenings, baby welcoming shows for parents and minders, as well as discount clubs for the over 60s and students. With strong connections to the University their Screen Talks program can also give you the chance to discus certain films with experts after the screenings. But the best thing is; you can walk into a movie theater in Amsterdam and buy a beer. And I don't mean just like in no paper cup; I'm talking about a glass of beer, and you can do the same here. Take your wine, ale, or cocktail into the screen with you. I used to sneak cans of larger into the Odeon when I was younger. The only problem was waiting for a noisy bit of the film to cover the sound of opening the tin!

With the Christmas period fast approaching their current season of films (running alongside the latest releases) has a distinctive festive feel to it with features including It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas and The Wizard of Oz. Plus, with a now long running relationship with such revered groups as The National Theatre, Metropolitan Opera and Bolshoi Ballet, you can go and watch live performances of The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Falstaff from all over the world. The bar also hosts a Film Quiz on alternative Sundays at 8pm, but be warned; this is a tough quiz and there are some very knowledgeable (geeky) people that will be there. So if you win you will go ahead and make my day but if you can’t handle the truth, then maybe give it a miss.

I’ll be back, to support a still independently minded and community based cinema, but also to just have a drink in the bar and pretend I know a lot about 1950s French cinema. So pick up one of their programs and I’ll guarantee there will be something in there that will pique your interest. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

How many famous film quotes did you notice me shoehorn into this then?

Opening Times:

15 minutes before the first screening of the day – 11pm

Contact:

Phone- 0871 902 5730

Web site- http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Exeter_Picturehouse/Whats_On/

The Sorry Head - well they did warn you.

I've lived in Exeter now for over 10 years, which is both scary, when I think how fast all that time has flown by, and unadventurous, when you consider the plethora of varied locations I could have chosen to live over all that time. But I’m still here. Exeter has become my home, and it has offered me everything I have wanted over the years.

However, nothing is perfect, and I believe one of the city’s biggest failings has been the lack of live music venues and places where you can go in an evening and listen to some good bands, with good music, in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. This is changing though with a number of new venues popping up over the city as well as a number of long running establishments increasing the frequency and quality of live music. But the spark that started this blaze of melodic uprising began when The Sorry Head opened its doors on Blackboy Road over five years ago.


Back in my student days (yes, unbelievably I have had some level of formal education!) I remember walking into this pub back when it was called the Horse and Dray, soon after I had moved in just around the corner, and being met by a full on bar fight as I walked through the door. Needless to say this was not the most pleasant of establishments, and neither was it the most respectable when it finally closed its doors after numerous police raids. So a bigger turn around you couldn’t expect when it was re-opened as the Sorry Head with an emphasis on atmosphere, friendliness, and most of all live music.

 
With its bar in the centre of the room separating off the pub into two areas; a pool table being the focus on the left and the music stage on the right, you have a balance of traditional British pub and raucous music venue. There is no food menu here. This is not a modern day Gastropub with its Ikea furniture and ‘cut and paste’ decor. They have not tried to make the place bland and inoffensive to try and attract as many people in as possible, but have gone for a lived in and well used look that stems from the simple fact that the place is lived in and well used.

On any given night you will find a good mix of locals, both young and old, and students from the ever increasing population that are finding their way to that end of town. But the place really finds its rhythm on Tuesdays and Thursdays when they stage their Open Mic and Jam Nights respectively. Unlike most pubs and venues that make do with a microphone and a couple of leads, The Sorry Head provides all the instruments and tech you could need. I wide variety of guitars and basses hang on the walls that you can pull down, plug in, and start playing away. You can bring your own instruments and they will fix you up so you can be heard. Since it has opened it has attracted some of the highest calibre local musicians around and still sets the standard for amateur live music in the city. The house band, which is made up of whichever locals happen to be in attendance that night, is exceptionally good and is one of the best funk/blues bands I’ve seen in a long time (Check them out below). The biggest problem is trying to follow them after they kick of the Open Jam nights. I can tell you having played after them on a couple of occasions; they set the bar pretty high!


Exeter currently has a thriving local live music scene with a lot of bands and musicians playing regularly across the city, but The Sorry Head is the heart and soul. Imagine Later with Jules Holland on a smaller scale and more beer. It gives anyone a chance to get up and play in front of a live audience and the rest of us the opportunity to go somewhere and to listen and have fun. If you’re ever in need of some good live music, or are even after somewhere to get on stage yourself, then The Sorry Head is the best place to start.

Check out their up coming gigs and special offers here:
http://www.sorryhead.co.uk/


https://www.facebook.com/TheSorryHead

An African Alternative that's worth the wait

Welcome to what I hope to be the first in a long line of blogs about those places in Exeter that deserve some much needed attention. Exeter is often blasted in the media as having one of the most generic High Streets in the country, full of big chains, superstores and brands that you can find everywhere else across this great and pleasant land. But here I will show you that there is plenty more on offer if you go slightly off the beaten track. We have a gluttony of small, independent shops and restaurants, and some of the best attractions and places to visit, that are wholly unique to this city.

So where should we choose to get this ball rolling then?

For my money, and seeing that that is what is going to get spent on this project it’s a pretty determining factor, one of the best places in town that sums up what I am looking for is the newly opened Afro-Caribbean  restaurant; Afriteo.  Located in South Street, just off the High Street, this authentic eatery is a superb addition to the bustling gastronomic scene in Exeter. On the face of it, it is quite an unassuming place and if you were to walk past it you would do well to give it a second glance. But I urge you that you do. No, actually do more than that. Don’t just glance at it, go in and eat there, and I’ll be very surprised if you don’t end up going back there again.

Started by the very friendly, and elegantly tall, Tochukwu Onu, they rely not on blazing heat and heavy spices that a lot of restaurants do to cover up for a lack of quality in a lot of their dishes, but instead they focus a lot more on flavors and traditional seasoning to bring out a more authentic taste (but if you ask they are more than happy to give whatever you have ordered a bit more of a kick!).

With a menu that boasts such customary Afro-Caribbean dishes as Curried Goat, Jerk Chicken, and Isi-Ewu along with native soups, grilled fish and Spicy Gizzards, Afriteo provides a pleasing alternative to the usual European/American based cuisine that you will find in most places. However there is nothing on their menu that should scare anyone off.  If you are just willing to try something other than a burger or a steak that you usually have when you go out then I assure you that you can’t go very wrong with any of the dishes you can have here. It amazes, and saddens, me when I see a line of people queuing out of the door of KFC, which is only meters away; when for the same price they could be having a great meal of tasty jerk chicken that has been carefully prepared, instead of a processed, unhealthy, fried bucket of ‘chicken’ that has been just thrown in a fryer.

 Prices are very reasonable, especially when you are presented with a literal mountain of rice to accompany each dish that generally means you feel bad that you can never finish it all off.  The only slight concern is that as well as the food being authentically Afro-Caribbean the service can be a little ‘traditional’ to. Everyone there is very friendly, but don’t expect the speed of service you would expect and are accustomed to in a lot of chain restaurants, but is worth the wait.

The last thing to let you know about is that they have a very fine selection of fruit and soft drinks, but no alcoholic beverages on their menu. They are more than happy for you to bring your own beer or wine with you though to drink with your while you are there, so a quick dash to Tesco before you arrive might be in order.

I urge you all to pay them a visit. So the next time when you’re in town and feeling peckish, or you’re going out with friends or family and fancy a meal, remember there are unique places out there that can give you that something a little bit different and are well worth giving a try.

 

Visit their website and check out their full menu at http://afriteo.com/

Opening times:

Monday-Saturday; Lunch 12-3pm, Dinner 5-10pm