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 Nigel Hardy, managing partner, assurance and business services at Smith & Williamson’s Bristol office, answers our 10 questions.
What was the LAST: 
Film you watched: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. This film is everyone’s guilty pleasure, I laughed from beginning to end.
Book you read: John Grisham’s The Guardians. I overdosed on him a few years back and so this was my first re-visit for some time. I had forgotten just what a great thriller writer he is. A great book on the manifest injustices of the US criminal justice system.
Music you bought/downloaded: It has to be my favourite artist – Joe Hardy. Of course I am biased, he’s my number one son and his two brothers are playing guitar on the album. Look him up!
Concert or play you went to: The Great Gatsby – the immersive edition in London, where the audience becomes part of the cast. The location is Gatsby’s mansion and he invites you to one of his infamous parties. Action, adlib and little side shows, and stories made this a truly memorable occasion.
Sporting event you attended: Bristol Bears versus Gloucester. It now seems too long ago to remember. We took a table in the Lansdown suite and entertained friends old and new at the rugby.
Holiday you went on: Skiing over New Year in Montgenevre. A great family occasion that has gone on for as long as I can remember. We laugh, eat, drink, play games and even do some skiing. On the French/Italian border you can lunch in Italy and après ski in France. I now have a grandchild to teach to ski, so we have hit the next generation.
Restaurant you ate in: I love good food, but it is the company and then the location that is more important to me. So, it was a picnic with my wonderful wife Deb at Chew Magna Lake during lockdown. The goodies and bubbly were justified by the fact that we cycled there and back!
Things that annoy you: People complaining about things that really don’t matter. We have so much to be thankful for and I can’t stand unnecessary moaning.
Thing that made you laugh out loud: See the Eurovision film above…that and the comments my two-year-old grandson comes out with – aren’t children priceless?
Piece of advice you were given: There is so much to choose from, from “Do unto others…” to “your rocking chair memoires” but probably the words of that great philosopher Elsa in Frozen – “Let it go!”
Nigel Hardy is an audit and advisory partner specialising in entrepreneurial businesses in the Bristol office of financial and professional services firm Smith & Williamson. He advises boards and business owners through understanding their issues and helping them achieve their aspirations. He is experienced in a number of sectors; in particular manufacturing, distribution, technology, financial services, professional practices and charities, and has advised many clients going through change including acquisitions, growth and exit. He has also worked with a number of private equity-backed businesses.
