Last Saturday saw the launch of the Bristol Walking Festival at City Hall and a packed day of munching on eclairs and swapping tales of chocolate past and present.
New ones to us were chocolate tea from the Caribbean, getting the munchies for Crunchies on the night shift and we even met a man who can tell the exact temperature of boiling toffee from the sound of the crack it makes!
It was a brilliant day and we'd like to give thanks to the Bristol Walking Festival for hosting us and to all those who ate chocolate with us and shared their stories.
And what better way to burn off those chocolate calories with our Chocolate Stories Walks!
Tickets are selling fast but you can still pick up your tickets from Stanfords on Corn Street or online.
I've been sworn to secrecy but there are some real treats in store for walkers and I absolutely can't wait!
Until Monday...
Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Monday, 21 April 2014
Chocolate Story Walks are back!
The Chocolate Plant project may be taking a back seat for a little while as Anna and I are beavering away on other projects but we're very excited to announce that Chocolate Stories walks are back by popular demand as part of the Bristol Walking Festival! We'll be walking, talking, tasting and sharing some of Bristol's remarkable Chocolate Stories for one day only on Monday 5th May. For tickets and details please visit our eventbrite or facebook page.
Then in the autumn, inspired by our work on Bristol's Chocolate heritage and Fry's very own opera star Elsie Griffin, we'll be premiering our new show. War, Women and Song follows the experiences of the Lena Ashwell YMCA Concert Parties who entertained troops across continents during World War One. The show will be opening at The British Library on 30th August 2014 before coming to the Redgrave Theatre in Bristol. You can follow updates on Anna or Bea's websites.
And here's a bit of Elsie to get you in the mood.
Happy Easter all!
Then in the autumn, inspired by our work on Bristol's Chocolate heritage and Fry's very own opera star Elsie Griffin, we'll be premiering our new show. War, Women and Song follows the experiences of the Lena Ashwell YMCA Concert Parties who entertained troops across continents during World War One. The show will be opening at The British Library on 30th August 2014 before coming to the Redgrave Theatre in Bristol. You can follow updates on Anna or Bea's websites.
And here's a bit of Elsie to get you in the mood.
Happy Easter all!
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Our week at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Last week we were invited to spend some time with students from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School developing the latest script for The Chocolate Plant. During the week we explored our personal chocolate stories as well as the stories of industrial chocolate production in Britain using memories, historical sources, music, dance and a trusty old overhead projector.
It was a fruitful and fascinating week! We’d like to extend our warmest thanks to all at the Bristol Old Vic theatre school but particularly to Jamie, Alec, Nina, Juliet, Jen, Darren, Charlie, Abby and Lindsey - not forgetting, of course, our lovely assistant director, Lisa, for their playfulness, talent and creativity.
Thanks also to Jenny Stephens, Artistic Director of BOVTS, Phillippa Haynes, freelance producer, and Carrie Rhys-Davis, TF+ Officer for coming to see our show and share at the end of the week.
It was a fruitful and fascinating week! We’d like to extend our warmest thanks to all at the Bristol Old Vic theatre school but particularly to Jamie, Alec, Nina, Juliet, Jen, Darren, Charlie, Abby and Lindsey - not forgetting, of course, our lovely assistant director, Lisa, for their playfulness, talent and creativity.
Thanks also to Jenny Stephens, Artistic Director of BOVTS, Phillippa Haynes, freelance producer, and Carrie Rhys-Davis, TF+ Officer for coming to see our show and share at the end of the week.
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| Playing with projections and images |
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| Our chocolate loving actors! |
Monday, 10 September 2012
Sunday on the Bandstand!
We'd like to a say a big thank you to the lovely people of Keynsham for welcoming us so warmly to their bandstand yesterday!
Anna and I had a lovely time chatting chocolate in the former home of Fry's where everyone seems to have a interesting chocolate tale to tell. We learnt how chocolate tastes different in Ireland, that it's medically advisable to eat Thornton's and that some people who shall remain anonymous cheat on their Easter egg hunts....never fear; your secret's safe with us.
And since it was so sunny, we even took a few snaps!
Anna and I had a lovely time chatting chocolate in the former home of Fry's where everyone seems to have a interesting chocolate tale to tell. We learnt how chocolate tastes different in Ireland, that it's medically advisable to eat Thornton's and that some people who shall remain anonymous cheat on their Easter egg hunts....never fear; your secret's safe with us.
And since it was so sunny, we even took a few snaps!
Sunday, 9 September 2012
Keynsham Bandstand
The Chocolate Plant - Chocolate Story Sharing Activity
Keynsham Bandstand
Sunday 9th September, 2.30 - 4pm
As part of our chocolate story journey this week finds us at the Keynsham Bandstand where we'll be talking all things chocolate - and what a place to do so! With Keynsham's remarkable chocolate history we can't wait to find out more.
Join us this sunny Sunday for a delve into the tempting selection box of chocolate stories; from the Aztec Emperor Montezuma to the creation of the world's first ever chocolate bar by Fry's in Bristol in 1847, chocolate has been on a remarkable journey changing our tastes, our waistlines and the face of global trade forever.
So come along and share your favourite memories, recipes and thoughts or discover some of the fantastic tales we've gathered whilst developing our own chocolate story; The Chocolate Plant. We hope to see you there!
So come along and share your favourite memories, recipes and thoughts or discover some of the fantastic tales we've gathered whilst developing our own chocolate story; The Chocolate Plant. We hope to see you there!
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Now we've washed the mud off...
Well that was our first ever Larmer Tree Festival and what a stonker it was!
Thank you so much to everyone who came, munched, mused and shared Chocolate Stories with us last Friday and Saturday. It was a real pleasure to spend an hour away from the mud discussing our historical love affair with chocolate with some very game Larmer Tree festival goers!
We'll update with pictures soon and for those of you who took part in Chocolate Stories we'd love to hear your feedback so please do drop us a line.
We were lucky enough to hear some brilliant new chocolate stories to add to our ever growing repertoire; my personal favourites include finding out I'm not the only person to become homicidal with rage when people put the empty After Eight wrappers back in the box and learning that rodents of many species like chocolate - honestly chocolate really is the gift that keeps giving.
Bye for now!
Bea & Anna
Thank you so much to everyone who came, munched, mused and shared Chocolate Stories with us last Friday and Saturday. It was a real pleasure to spend an hour away from the mud discussing our historical love affair with chocolate with some very game Larmer Tree festival goers!
We'll update with pictures soon and for those of you who took part in Chocolate Stories we'd love to hear your feedback so please do drop us a line.
We were lucky enough to hear some brilliant new chocolate stories to add to our ever growing repertoire; my personal favourites include finding out I'm not the only person to become homicidal with rage when people put the empty After Eight wrappers back in the box and learning that rodents of many species like chocolate - honestly chocolate really is the gift that keeps giving.
Bye for now!
Bea & Anna
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Larmer Tree
The sun is (briefly) shining and Anna and I are happily packing up our Chocolate Plant and heading to the fabulous Larmer Tree Festival.
In a new bespoke performance we'll be setting up our very own production line in the heart of the countryside and delving into some of the tastiest chocolate stories we've collected on our travels.
We'll be in the Theatre and Film tent:
Friday 13th July: 11 am - 11.45 am
&
Saturday 14th July: 3.30 pm - 4.15 pm
So if you're Larmer-ing this weekend then please do come along and join The Plant!
In a new bespoke performance we'll be setting up our very own production line in the heart of the countryside and delving into some of the tastiest chocolate stories we've collected on our travels.
We'll be in the Theatre and Film tent:
Friday 13th July: 11 am - 11.45 am
&
Saturday 14th July: 3.30 pm - 4.15 pm
So if you're Larmer-ing this weekend then please do come along and join The Plant!
Chocolate Stories presented by Harvest Films
Join us on the production line at this unique storytelling event led by professional heritage theatre artists Anna Farthing and Bea Roberts. You’ll be packing chocolates by hand, talking, tasting, sharing and sampling from the tempting selection box of Chocolate Stories past and present, personal and public, historic and hidden. Where did it come from and how has it shaped our tastes, our waistlines and the face of global trade?
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