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 Albert Goodman audit partner Neil Johnston answers our 10 questions.
What was the LAST: 
Film you watched? The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. In typical Guy Ritchie style it didn’t require a lot of mental energy – but that’s certainly not a complaint.
Book you read? Ken Follett’s historical novel The Armour of Light, which is the latest in his Kingsbridge series and is centred on the impacts of the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. The series, which began with my all-time favourite book, The Pillars of the Earth, includes a later released prequal – I bit like a literary Star Wars.
Music you bought/downloaded? Feelslikeimfallinginlove by Coldplay. The spellchecker is not happy with that answer. I’ve seen them live many times over the years and bumped into Chris Martin at an REM concert in Hyde Park in 2005. He was very self-deprecating, saying that he was there to see how it really should be done. I’m looking forward to their new album in the autumn.
Concert or play you went to? The Killers at Ashton Gate. This was the first big event I’d been to post-COVID and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The energy in the stadium was electric and you could feel how much people had missed live music. It’s fantastic that the ground is being increasingly used for music over the summer, and a real privilege to be able to walk from your front door to such a great venue.
Sporting event you attended? I’m a Bristol Bears season ticket holder and last watched their penultimate home game in which they comprehensively beat Newcastle. I love the atmosphere on North Street after a Bears game and, despite the result, the away fans were in great voice.
Restaurant you ate in? Salt & Malt at Chew Valley Lake. Whilst the Wapping Wharf branch is far closer to home, to me there’s nothing better than finishing work on a Friday evening, cycling out of the city and into the Mendips for a couple of hours and finishing by meeting my family for the best fish and chips around. Even the inevitable queue has its charm at this time, with everyone in good spirits as they kick off their weekends.
Holiday you went on? The beautiful town of Bosa in Sardinia. Perhaps living in Bristol has meant that I’ve developed an unusual affinity for colourful terraced houses – it wasn’t until I was showing friends some holiday snaps that I spotted the glaring similarities. The island has lots of secluded beaches that are only accessible by hiking for hours over some very tricky terrain, or so we thought. After hours of walking in 35-degree heat we finally arrived to find out that there were regular sea taxi services to them.
Thing that annoyed you? Barriers designed to prevent motorbikes accessing cycle paths. They don’t work and are a nuisance for those in wheelchairs or using non-standard bikes. Rant over.
Thing that made you laugh out loud? Watching my seven-month-old son trying to eat yoghurt. The sheer joy he gets from redecorating the dining room always makes me laugh.
Piece of good advice you were given? When starting a new role, it’s always tempting to try and be ‘polished’ to make a good impression on new colleagues and clients. A friend reminded me recently that the reason we get on so well and trust each other is that we’ve seen each other at our worst, not our best. It helped me put things into perspective.
Neil Johnston recently joined South West accountancy firm Albert Goodman as a partner, expanding the audit offering from its Bristol office and further enhancing the provision of expert services to businesses and owners across the South West. Over the course of his career University of Bristol alumni Neil has developed extensive audit, accountancy and business advisory skills, working with a range of companies and organisations.
