Friday 11th until Sunday 13th September 2009 @ Watershed and other venues, Bristol

There is a festival where you hunt moose with your mobile phone and run away from zombies, where you treasure hunt and throw paint over strangers, where the city becomes a giant playground for the weekend and the consoles and computers are left behind; that festival is Igfest: Bristol’s international celebration of street games, social play and mucking about. It’s back, and they want to play with you. There are dozens of games from the best international artists and street games designers to choose from and best of all, it’s entirely free!
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Still a bit cream-crackered from the previous day’s mammoth skate session, our plan was to have a super-chilled bike ride in celebration of the winter sun and tra-la through Long Ashton - and possibly yonder into the fields and woods edging the Bristol perimeter.

It wasn’t long before we spotted a narrow, bumpy lane which led us to a gate guarded by a heard of Friesians. In order to avoid this meaty barricade we were forced into a neighbouring corn field and lug our bikes through knee deep grass. After slinging our bikes and ourselves over a mangled barbed wire fence, a large field took us to the corner of the Ashton Leigh woods and a wondrous down-hill free-ride. Our elation was fast obliterated however by the arduous up-hill climb that followed, to the tune of my lethargic groans.
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Friday 21st August 2009 @ Theatre Royal, Bath

I used to watch Big Cat Diary in 1996 every Thursday night, marvelling at the kitty whisperer that is Simon King, avidly tracking the progress of the beautiful beasts. The King’s voice has been imprinted into my childhood. A storyteller for the fantasies of my natural world imaginings, he flew me to the Masai Mara and forged a love for the Big Cats that has never left me. Thus I was exceptionally excited about the hero himself, film man for Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Big Cat Diary, Spring Watch and Autumn Watch, in the district of Bath, chatting about his diverse and exhilarating life accompanying his new book, Wild Life.
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Saturday 15th August 2009 @ Corn Street, Bristol

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Of course there are many benefits for Bristol if the proposed new Bristol City Football Stadium is built in Ashton Vale with the hope of hosting some of the World Cup but at what cost? It seems all sustainable and green factors in the plan have been abandoned and local politicians are automatically presuming the bid is highly likely and desirable.

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The initial feeling when you walk towards an empty bike-rack is complete and utter disbelief - did I really leave my bicycle there? Realisation dawns and emotions quickly turn to sadness and depression; I know it’s only a bike but, as anyone who’s ever had anything stolen from them will know, it’s a horrible, horrible experience.

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Ever wanted to become a professional acrobat, juggler or mime artist? Fancy practising your aerial or clowning skills?

Circomedia, the UK’s largest circus and physical theatre school, is based in Bristol and now offers a two year foundation degree in partnership with Bath Spa University. During this time, students can develop and hone their circus knowledge which includes a range of aerial skills, juggling and acrobatics. But it’s not all clowning around and the two year course is not a walk in the park (at least use a pair of stilts). The course is full time, intensive and very physical and there is certainly no time to snooze at the back of the class because with regular fitness tests to look forward to, you simply would not keep up.
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Bristol based charity Sustrans received a wopping £50m grant to improve cycling conditions in the city. This is great news for environmentalists and I’m sure we’ve all seen a marked increase in the “one less car” stickers on display. However, the impending improvement of cycle routes will also benefit the new breed of cyclists on our streets. All the twenty-something riders I know are shedding their gears and breaks for an altogether smother, sleeker and sexier bike. A more minimalist form of riding has emerged. We now see riders track-standing at traffic lights, ready to go without their feet touching the floor. Gone are the days of the monotony of breaks, here are the days of skid stops, as less on you’re bike means less can go wrong.
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Summer is nearly here - the season for ice-cream vans and holding hands, flip-flops and frisbees, sorbets and sunburn, beer gardens and barbeques. But chances are that the summer of 2009 is going to be another complete and utter washout and Vitamin D intake is going to be at an all time low. Therefore, here at SY we’ve helpfully compiled our guide to the best ways for you to enjoy those warm but rainy days and embrace the soggy summer!

- Put on a wetsuit and pretend it’s sunny.

- Turn up the heating in your house, don’t consume any liquid at all for 4 days and then run outside into the rain with your head back and mouth wide open; you’ll get a whole new appreciation for precipitation!

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