Each week Bristol Business News gives a prominent member of the city’s business community the last word on its weekly e-bulletin.
This week Mike Zeidler, director of the Happy City Initiative, answers our 10 questions.
What was the LAST: 
Film you watched? Dallas Buyers Club – I love films which carry me off into different cultures and perspectives, so the story (very powerful in Dallas Buyers Club) isn’t always the most important part. I rented it from 20th Century Flicks, which has to be Britain’s (if not the world’s) best film rental emporium. Their advice is always spot on.
Book you read? I read a lot, and have about five books on my bedside table at the moment. The one I most recently finished was Persian Fire by Tom Holland who re-tells the epic battles between the Persian ‘King of Kings’ and the ‘Terrorist States’ of Greece around 500BC. There’s a lot in these stories that are surprisingly relevant to politics in the world today.
Music you bought/downloaded? My kids (21, 19 and 17) have so much music that I rarely buy any myself these days – I did get Souleymane by Debademba this summer after being wowed at WOMAD.
Concert or play you went to? Home By Christmas – a fantastic production in Colston Hall commissioned by Bristol Plays Music to commemorate the first months of the First World War. Our youngest son Toby composed and performed a four-minute piece as part of it all with four other A Level music students from Cotham.
Sporting event you attended? I rode 80 miles around the Cheltenham area in in a sportive event with Toby and a mate from our office last month – the weather and scenery were both gorgeous.
Holiday you went on? We went on a family camping holiday in France last summer, spending the first few days in Versailles and doing the tourist thing around Paris before moving on to explore south Brittany.
Restaurant you ate in? The Canteen – we went there for the general yumminess and to hear Foufoulah play on Liz’s birthday
Thing that annoyed you? I’m pretty hard to annoy, but do have a very low tolerance for the pathetic politics of sniping and griping. The bullying, fear-based tactics which dominate politics today are highly destructive. I think we could easily create a positive culture in politics that would be better at solving problems, easier to work in, would make people proud of their government (whether local or national) and which would inspire people to get involved. Now wouldn’t that be a refreshing change? Anyone with political ambitions who likes the sound of that can get in touch!
Thing that made you laugh out loud? I’ve no idea. I laugh quite a lot so it’s hard to remember. As Ella Wilcox pointed out (thank you Wikipedia) ‘laugh and the world laughs with you’…..and the big free bonus is that it’s good for your health, and for those around you too.
Piece of good advice you were given? My favourite is ‘hold things lightly’ – the world is such a dynamic and complicated place that it’s easy to get thrown by the unexpected. Holding things lightly makes it easier to adjust to whatever happens, and I find it incredibly helpful all the time!
Mike Zeidler founded the Happy City Initiative in 2009 and has lived in Bristol for 21 years. He’s also a founding director of modoto ltd (a leadership development consultancy), the Association of Sustainability Practitioners, and the FunkySpaces group and is currently a trustee of VOSCUR and advisor to the Festival of Ideas.
