13 Dec 2020
A long walk around Cliftonwood and Clifton with my friend Lisa, taking in some of the 12 Days of Christmas display at Queens Parade, picking up a take-away coffee from Pinkmans of Park Street, and poking our heads up against the glass of SS Peter and Paul Catholic Cathedral.
Well played, Forbidden Planet, well played.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Forbidden Planet funny
Auto-Tags: Shelf Bookcase Building Product Shelving Publication Interior design Retail Flooring Customer Wood Font Hardwood Room Book
Text Recognition Tags: FIRE EXIT PLEASE KEEP CLEAR AT ALL TIMES THIS IS NOT THE DOOR YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SALE FIRE EXIT PLEASE KEEP CLEAR AT ALL TIMES THIS IS NOT THE DOOR YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SALE
16 Jan 2021
A raggedy wander with my friend Lisa, picking up a few stray streets and venturing only briefly onto Whiteladies Road, where it was too damn busy, given the current pandemic. We retreated fairly quickly. Found a couple of interesting back alleys, and got a very pointed "can I help you?" from a man who was working in his garage in one of the rather run-down garage areas behind some posh houses, and clearly didn't want us just wandering around there.
Presumably this is where all the wine and waver gets delivered.
Tags: onemilematt Clifton
Auto-Tags: Sky Plant Building Fence Tree Electricity Residential area Overhead power line Brickwork House Road Brick Wood Facade Home fencing
Text Recognition Tags: RNING uone PLEASE KEEP CLEAR AT ALL TIMEE RNING uone PLEASE KEEP CLEAR AT ALL TIMEE
12 Mar 2021
I was browsing some historical photos the other day, and came across "Rear of Unspecified House" in the Bristol Archives' John Trelawny Ross collection, and immediately recognised it as being the back of 1 Albermarle Row, just around the corner from me. I've not had much time to research the history of this odd little addition to Albermarle Row, or what happened to 1-4 Cumberland Place, number 4 of which used to be attached to the side of 1 Albermarle Row, but it was interesting to look at old maps for a few minutes and work out what used to be where.
That all connects with the little local bit of land at Granby Green, too, as it used to be numbers 1-3 Cumberland Place. There was something of a planning battle over Granby Green, and I've included an old edition of Hotwells & Cliftonwood News that I found online, a copy of which would have been popped through my letterbox at the time.
I was also inspired by some old pictures of Hotwell Road to try to put a few more people in my pictures, though I set my pre-focus a couple of extra metres out from normal to make sure I didn't get too close to anyone!
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Hotwells Cumberland Place Granby Green
Auto-Tags: Tire Automotive tire Newspaper Publication Motor vehicle Tread Font Wheel Material property News Vehicle Automotive wheel system Advertising Tire care Screenshot
Text Recognition Tags: Decision time for new h&cca Open Space in Hotwells HOTWELLS & CLIFTONWOOD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION A recent poll of the people who sion granted to Edward Ware Homes campaigned in vain to preserve makes it clear that the whole site must Granby Green has confirmed that be landscaped and maintained for a year most want the remaining piece of before adoption by the Council, The undeveloped land in Cumberland original plan for the garden was heavily Place, Hotwells retained as a pub- criticised by members of Friends of lic open space with local people Granby Green as over-complex and having a say in how it is developed 'institutional but FROGG members are reviewing revised proposals that were The consultation followed an approach produced last year. They are hopeful by solicitors to the developers Edward that a partnership can be established with the Council Parks Dept. to ensure the residual land they own to the Com that the site is managed in a way that munity Association. Most people who reflects local needs without it being a responded to a questionnaire did not major financial burden for the Commu- ed by and managed. Ware Homes with an offer to transfer see ownership of the space as impor- nity Association. tant but were concermed that it should The whole development has been the be protected from any future develop- subject of a number of planning breaches and consequent enforcement Part of the site intended for open space action by the Council, described as a 'nightmare by an offi- cer in the Planning De- Alkhough Granby Hill is now open to traffic, the planned improvements to the footpath and highway have not yet ment. is owned by Bristol City Council and there is a provision in the planning agreement for the developer's section to be transferred to partment. Bristol C.C. owmership as well. The offer of ownership of one part of the site to the CA taken place. If you want to be in- volved with the pro- posed garden or have any comment on the scheme contact Mike would not therefore overcome the prob lems of split ownership or guarantee the out- come that local people Timmins tel: 9291804 want. The planning permis- The s of the panned garden Granby Green -a short history This apace had cared for by local residents a an informal community garden from as far back as the 1970s unail a fance was erected by a develaper, to establiah a tde with the Land Ragistry in May 2002 Tha 4 day interruption to pubic access later proved to be a crudal factor in the IB legal battle to regster the space as Town Green which would have protected it from developmere, n renoved by a recent High pnenas of Graby Green) campagned to Ibeen regardiess of ownership (iroricaly. chis technical objection has now been Court rulng A support group of around 100 local people prevent the loss of the space and the group tced a professional legal team at a three day publik in In this edition: Community News Winning ideas - Meet Your Neighbour -6 Events & Activities - quiry At one point, Town Green satus wos con ferred by the Bristol CC Open Spaces committee but bear rescinded folawing thrests of legal action by the then ownieri, Etward Ware Homes. Local resident Mike Timmin has ggeed that the now smaler space below Walace Place, che new 4 block of Mats should be christened Gromit Gar. 7 dens Rey Smth Contacts 8 HOTWELLS&CLIFTONWOe Spring 2007 SM3N Published y Hetwells A CIenweed Cemmunity Aassetaten, Htepe Chapel, Hepe Chapel Hill, Hetwells, Brtatel. BSa 4ND Decision time for new h&cca Open Space in Hotwells HOTWELLS & CLIFTONWOOD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION A recent poll of the people who sion granted to Edward Ware Homes campaigned in vain to preserve makes it clear that the whole site must Granby Green has confirmed that be landscaped and maintained for a year most want the remaining piece of before adoption by the Council, The undeveloped land in Cumberland original plan for the garden was heavily Place, Hotwells retained as a pub- criticised by members of Friends of lic open space with local people Granby Green as over-complex and having a say in how it is developed 'institutional but FROGG members are reviewing revised proposals that were The consultation followed an approach produced last year. They are hopeful by solicitors to the developers Edward that a partnership can be established with the Council Parks Dept. to ensure the residual land they own to the Com that the site is managed in a way that munity Association. Most people who reflects local needs without it being a responded to a questionnaire did not major financial burden for the Commu- ed by and managed. Ware Homes with an offer to transfer see ownership of the space as impor- nity Association. tant but were concermed that it should The whole development has been the be protected from any future develop- subject of a number of planning breaches and consequent enforcement Part of the site intended for open space action by the Council, described as a 'nightmare by an offi- cer in the Planning De- Alkhough Granby Hill is now open to traffic, the planned improvements to the footpath and highway have not yet ment. is owned by Bristol City Council and there is a provision in the planning agreement for the developer's section to be transferred to partment. Bristol C.C. owmership as well. The offer of ownership of one part of the site to the CA taken place. If you want to be in- volved with the pro- posed garden or have any comment on the scheme contact Mike would not therefore overcome the prob lems of split ownership or guarantee the out- come that local people Timmins tel: 9291804 want. The planning permis- The s of the panned garden Granby Green -a short history This apace had cared for by local residents a an informal community garden from as far back as the 1970s unail a fance was erected by a develaper, to establiah a tde with the Land Ragistry in May 2002 Tha 4 day interruption to pubic access later proved to be a crudal factor in the IB legal battle to regster the space as Town Green which would have protected it from developmere, n renoved by a recent High pnenas of Graby Green) campagned to Ibeen regardiess of ownership (iroricaly. chis technical objection has now been Court rulng A support group of around 100 local people prevent the loss of the space and the group tced a professional legal team at a three day publik in In this edition: Community News Winning ideas - Meet Your Neighbour -6 Events & Activities - quiry At one point, Town Green satus wos con ferred by the Bristol CC Open Spaces committee but bear rescinded folawing thrests of legal action by the then ownieri, Etward Ware Homes. Local resident Mike Timmin has ggeed that the now smaler space below Walace Place, che new 4 block of Mats should be christened Gromit Gar. 7 dens Rey Smth Contacts 8 HOTWELLS&CLIFTONWOe Spring 2007 SM3N Published y Hetwells A CIenweed Cemmunity Aassetaten, Htepe Chapel, Hepe Chapel Hill, Hetwells, Brtatel. BSa 4ND
31 Jul 2021
At the end of July I went to have a look around some of the private gardens opened up by the annual Green Squares and Secret Gardens event. Sadly it was compressed into a single day this year, for various Covid-related reasons, it seems, so I didn't get to poke around too many places. I went to:
And snapped a few things in between, too. It was a lovely day—a bit too hot, if anything—and it was interesting to get into a few places I'd only ever seen from the outside, especially The Paragon and Cornwallis gardens, which are the least visible to passing strangers of all of them.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Clifton Village Clifton Cornwallis Crescent Garden Clifton Open Garden Squares Green Squares and Secret Gardens open day Cornwallis Crescent garden
Auto-Tags: Plant Grass Wood Font Rectangle Groundcover Terrestrial plant Grass family Commemorative plaque Paper Paper product Landscape Publication Document Pattern
Text Recognition Tags: Alhe ongeat Besdents Asooatten w n tact an Ownery Asoction n uy otheresidents sarvants and tnantamply datn'tcourt,ifwe are to jutge buan the Minuts of the eaure Ground Commttue whch in 1904 voted that taretoes and mer faes be et permitted to ae he plrae ground The ervants were dearly a problem, and in 12 e evatad alwng of Mers in the gendens s ogin droughta that he delinguents the ernt ot No2and t waireoked at the on Secnetany should wite to Mr. Esery ponting ut the e of actithe Canmitee eulbe forct to nahe reted the einquit n Ais aniceIta ey to beas ur predeeos but through the laboun of anore ar less ful-ine gadener e per wkin 18 they worted hard at cresting and mantaning the ganden we njny tody. Over the pears the Minutes book refers constantly to payments for eeh and shut, andtor the paths the lopping oftand the manteriance of the was-al of whah remainstnie ti day with the tres being partieular thefore he Camtt The gardemer tate tio epee It clear that toth heuses and gandes uffered dre eet setwthe as and for the folkowng 20 ywars Then in 1963 a Residents Aocutun was farmed whech emtraed the sgir af the age led by anewneration of owner aupies.and spitad tenantsa deteined attempe as made to mole etryane in the care of their haned anironmant The fact that eerol taf serp undanter rub ws of the state to which the prdns had deckned. There are stl a couple of ndents iing hers who took part in that massive dea e Weowe them agrst e We try to contue that self ep echos today, in the bellef that z fosters a samn of community All ptup residents er fleer paare tomatkally memters of the RA all havenght of acs to the garden Reponshlky for geting things done rests with everoe. The firat Sunda of she month is a'gandening elorning and we takein tus to mange the rkforce and alleate tasks. Keen gardeners are free moved d from the gardets is exidence enough s as much as they ke. Becently we haive been trying te manage he ganden to make mare wlfe frendly. We no Inngor spray the gravel path and we leave areasf the lawn unmwn to amcurage inects Some bird boons have teen pi u on the trees and Soses and badgers ane regar viston the latter not slwy welcome as they dig up the lan for wonms and gns dandeningrt, the grounds anea perfact plavaruund for chiidren and aduts ae de foctie, an anal bonfenight sctacule treasure hunts and bithday partiem, outdonr Shakeprare, carol singing sit doun meaand dancing in ourmarquee Lockdown in 2020 led to Cuckinghan Palace and the intraduction ofs fock of splenddy productive rescue hers, and this ar we started to plane truit ree aey The parden seemi to survive everything we thew t it, se far Alhe ongeat Besdents Asooatten w n tact an Ownery Asoction n uy otheresidents sarvants and tnantamply datn'tcourt,ifwe are to jutge buan the Minuts of the eaure Ground Commttue whch in 1904 voted that taretoes and mer faes be et permitted to ae he plrae ground The ervants were dearly a problem, and in 12 e evatad alwng of Mers in the gendens s ogin droughta that he delinguents the ernt ot No2and t waireoked at the on Secnetany should wite to Mr. Esery ponting ut the e of actithe Canmitee eulbe forct to nahe reted the einquit n Ais aniceIta ey to beas ur predeeos but through the laboun of anore ar less ful-ine gadener e per wkin 18 they worted hard at cresting and mantaning the ganden we njny tody. Over the pears the Minutes book refers constantly to payments for eeh and shut, andtor the paths the lopping oftand the manteriance of the was-al of whah remainstnie ti day with the tres being partieular thefore he Camtt The gardemer tate tio epee It clear that toth heuses and gandes uffered dre eet setwthe as and for the folkowng 20 ywars Then in 1963 a Residents Aocutun was farmed whech emtraed the sgir af the age led by anewneration of owner aupies.and spitad tenantsa deteined attempe as made to mole etryane in the care of their haned anironmant The fact that eerol taf serp undanter rub ws of the state to which the prdns had deckned. There are stl a couple of ndents iing hers who took part in that massive dea e Weowe them agrst e We try to contue that self ep echos today, in the bellef that z fosters a samn of community All ptup residents er fleer paare tomatkally memters of the RA all havenght of acs to the garden Reponshlky for geting things done rests with everoe. The firat Sunda of she month is a'gandening elorning and we takein tus to mange the rkforce and alleate tasks. Keen gardeners are free moved d from the gardets is exidence enough s as much as they ke. Becently we haive been trying te manage he ganden to make mare wlfe frendly. We no Inngor spray the gravel path and we leave areasf the lawn unmwn to amcurage inects Some bird boons have teen pi u on the trees and Soses and badgers ane regar viston the latter not slwy welcome as they dig up the lan for wonms and gns dandeningrt, the grounds anea perfact plavaruund for chiidren and aduts ae de foctie, an anal bonfenight sctacule treasure hunts and bithday partiem, outdonr Shakeprare, carol singing sit doun meaand dancing in ourmarquee Lockdown in 2020 led to Cuckinghan Palace and the intraduction ofs fock of splenddy productive rescue hers, and this ar we started to plane truit ree aey The parden seemi to survive everything we thew t it, se far
I went out simply wanting to knock off the very last little unwalked section of Clanage Road, over by Bower Ashton, which has been annoying me for a while as it's quite close by and I've walked the other bits of it several times. So, my plan was to nip over to Greville Smyth Park via a slightly unusual route to wander Clanage Road and tick it off.
Along the way, though, I inevitably got a bit distracted. I took a few photos of Stork House, a grand Hotwell Road building that's recently been done up a bit (I imagine it's student lets, though I'm not sure) and which I found a reference to in a book about the Port Railway and Pier the other week, and also tried to match up a historical photo of Hotwells before the Cumberland Basin Flyover System laid it waste, which included some interesting markers I'll have to do a bit more digging into...
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Ashton Bower Ashton Rownham Clanage Road The Clanage Police Dog & Horse Training Centre
Auto-Tags: Fence Wood Font Home fencing Gas Composite material Metal Picket fence Wood stain Steel Signage Handrail Guard rail Building material Sign
Text Recognition Tags: KEEP CLEAR EMERGENCY АСCESS KEEP CLEAR EMERGENCY АСCESS
I was just about starting to feel better—the antibiotics seemed to have kicked in for my dental issues, and it had been some days since I'd left the house, and I was at last starting to get itchy feet. So, a wander. But where? Well, there were a few industrial bits near Winterstoke Road in the Ashton/Ashton Vale areas of Bristol that needed walking. I knew they were likely to be quite, well, unattractive, frankly. So why not do them while I wasn't feeling exactly 100% myself? Maybe it would fit my mood. Hopefully you're also in the mood for a bit of post-industrial wasteland, for that's what some of this feels like...
Then, at the last minute, I thought again about the Bristol International Exhibition—I've got a book about it on the way now—and that gave me another goal, which could just about be said to be in the same direction, and I decided to walk significantly further than my normal 1-mile limit and try recreating another historical photo...
Sadly I don't know much about the Ashton area; it's just on the edges of my mile and I rarely have cause to go there. It's brimming with history, I'm sure: the whole South Bristol area rapidly developed from farmland to coal mines to factories to its current interesting mixture of suburbs and industrial work over the last few hundred years. As a more working class area less attention was paid to it by historians, at least historically-speaking, than the Georgian heights of Clifton, and much of it has been knocked down and reinvented rather than listed and preserved. I see here and there some of this lack is being addressed, but I'm afraid I'll be very light on the history myself on this wander, as most of my usual sources aren't throwing up their normal reams of information as when I point them at Clifton, Hotwells or the old city.
I did know this existed at some point, I think, but I'd completely forgotten that there was a level crossing within my mile. We need to wander over it, too, as this road, Ashton Vale Road, is one of the roads within my mile that I've not ventured down yet.
Partly that's because no bugger wants to walk down roads like this with me, as it's basically just industrial wasteland, especially in this interregnum period, where there's not even the buzz of industry to keep things interesting, but seeing as we're here...
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Ashton Ashton Vale Road Industrial Estate
Auto-Tags: Cloud Sky Daytime Building Street light Road surface Plant Asphalt Tree Mode of transport Sidewalk Tar Neighbourhood Thoroughfare Tire
Text Recognition Tags: KEEP OSSING CLEAR KEEP OSSING CLEAR
I got interested in Bristol's medieval water supplies after poking around near Jacobs Wells Road and Brandon Hill. It was during that research I found out about a pipe that's still there today, and, as far as I know, still actually functioning, that was originally commissioned by Carmelite monks in the 13th century. They wanted a supply of spring water from Brandon Hill to their priory on the site of what's now the Bristol Beacon—Colston Hall, as-was. It was created around 1267, and later, in 1376, extended generously with an extra "feather" pipe to St John's On The Wall, giving the pipework its modern name of "St John's Conduit".
St John's on the Wall is still there, guarding the remaining city gate at the end of Broad Street, and the outlet tap area was recently refurbished. It doesn't run continuously now, like it did when I first moved to Bristol and worked at the end of Broad Street, in the Everard Building, but I believe the pipe still functions. One day I'd like to see that tap running...
There are a few links on the web about the pipe, but by far the best thing to do is to watch this short and fascinating 1970s TV documentary called The Hidden Source, which has some footage of the actual pipe and also lots of fantastic general footage of Bristol in the seventies.
On my walk today I was actually just going to the building society in town, but I decided to trace some of the route of the Carmelite pipe, including visiting streets it runs under, like Park Street, Christmas Street, and, of course, Pipe Lane. I also went a bit out of my way to check out St James' Priory, the oldest building in Bristol, seeing as it was just around the corner from the building society.
There are far too many pictures from this walk, and my feet are now quite sore, because it was a long one. But I enjoyed it.
Some signs of Bristol's recent civic disturbances in the wake of the "Kill The Bill" protests.
I think these sodding animated advertising hoardings at these city centre bus stops are a form of urban vandalism in themselves.
Do I think "ACAB"? No. Hardly any sweeping generalisations about groups of people are true. But I think that the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Court Bill is draconian in places and probably a danger to the right to peaceful protest, which is worth protesting about, and that Bristol's police aren't exactly covering themselves in glory at the moment, especially considering the reasonable lightness of touch they used when handling the whole Colston statue thing last year.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom City Centre
Auto-Tags: Yellow Font Gas Art Signage Human settlement Facade Motor vehicle Asphalt Advertising Road surface Sidewalk Sign City Tree
Text Recognition Tags: Clear Channel THE FISH SHOP BRISKO. THE Y PLAICE TO BE. CAB #LOVELOCAL BUB Clear Channel THE FISH SHOP BRISKO. THE Y PLAICE TO BE. CAB #LOVELOCAL BUB
07 May 2021
I saw this tweet the other day and started thinking of my second Covid-19 vaccination as my "Sequel Injection" (to a geek, it's funny. You'll have to take my word for it.) Whatever you call it, this morning I went and got it.
It was in the same place I got my initial injection—my left arm! No, okay, it was at the Clifton College Prep School. I didn't take any photos of the event itself; the NHS production line is so efficient you barely have time to do anything else, even if the privacy of other patients wasn't a factor.
Along the way I mused at all the road resurfacing going on in Clifton, and also discovered a secret (okay, not-well-known and possibly slightly trespassey) way into Canynge Square, and on the way back I knocked off a few streets from my "leftovers list" of north-east Clifton. I've got much of Clifton done now, with the only obvious "to dos" on the east side of Whiteladies Road...
It was quite a long walk, and I'm feeling pretty tired now, though that might be the effects of the jab too, I suppose. Anyway. Tomorrow and Monday I'm walking outside Bristol, I think, and I imagine my feet will need some recovery time on Sunday, so it might be a while before I post another Wander.
Never been in myself, but I hear it's lovely.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Clifton Lido
Auto-Tags: Door Fixture Gas Machine Facade Electric blue Glass Rectangle Wood Stairs City Vehicle door Advertising Metal Building
Text Recognition Tags: KFire exit O Keep clear KFire exit O Keep clear
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Clifton Village Clifton
Auto-Tags: Wood Rectangle Font Signage Poster Nameplate Commemorative plaque Sign Plank Number Siding Hardwood Landscape Pattern Plywood
Text Recognition Tags: KEEP CLEAR PLEASE BE WARNED THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ACCESS HERE FOR A BULKY TRAILER AT IRREGULAR HOURS IF YOUR VEHICLE IS PARKED EVEN CLOSE TO THE DOOR WIDTH IT WILL BE AT RISK OF DAMAGE LEAVE AT LEAST 50cm EACH SIDE KEEP CLEAR PLEASE BE WARNED THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ACCESS HERE FOR A BULKY TRAILER AT IRREGULAR HOURS IF YOUR VEHICLE IS PARKED EVEN CLOSE TO THE DOOR WIDTH IT WILL BE AT RISK OF DAMAGE LEAVE AT LEAST 50cm EACH SIDE
11 Nov 2020
I'd love to walk the Chocolate Path again at some point, but it's been closed since it started falling into the river. Still, on this wander to get a coffee I walked down a road I'd not normally use and found a door dressed up as a wall and another door that had been bricked up for real. Odd.
I also found a lovely bit of art on one of the Cumberland Piazza pillars on my way home.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Spike Island
Auto-Tags: Sky Cloud Plant Motor vehicle Road surface Asphalt Land lot Tree Fence Street light Road Gas Wire fencing Urban area Signage
Text Recognition Tags: WARNING WOADAEA L GRIFFITHS TON WORKS MST AEPORT TO SITE OFFICE 5. TOROUGH WAY 10-1 COMLIANT JACOBS GRIFFITHS A PUBLIC NOTICE PSESTA NO PEDESTRIAN PLEASE KEEP CLEAR ACCESS WARNING WOADAEA L GRIFFITHS TON WORKS MST AEPORT TO SITE OFFICE 5. TOROUGH WAY 10-1 COMLIANT JACOBS GRIFFITHS A PUBLIC NOTICE PSESTA NO PEDESTRIAN PLEASE KEEP CLEAR ACCESS
15 Nov 2020
A walk back from Bedminster to my place, mostly down Duckmoor Road, which I found a little dull—probably because it reminded me a little of the suburbs I grew up in on the outskirts of London—then held up slightly by some filming on Ashton Avenue Bridge. They were trying not to let the crowds build up too much in between takes, it seems, so it wasn't a long delay.
Tags: Bristol Places UK onemilematt united kingdom Bedminster
Auto-Tags: Automotive parking light Car Tire Wheel Land vehicle Vehicle Sky Motor vehicle Road surface Asphalt Automotive tire Architecture Automotive lighting Cloud Automotive exterior
Text Recognition Tags: KEEP CLEAR FIRE ACCESS KEEP CLEAR FIRE ACCESS