Tagged: cloud
Mark's Bread
07 Dec 2020
I realised that if Hopper Coffee in Greville Smyth Park was in reach during my lunch hour, then perhaps Mark's Bread at the end of North Street would be do-able, too. And I was right. I also managed to cross Clift Road, with its pretty gable bargeboards, off my list, and encounter a dapper gent walking his dogs while playing loud jazz music from somewhere under his jacket. That's North Street for you.
I loved these colourful bargeboards. I went back on a later wander and snapped them on a day with more blue in its sky.
Gothic Revival
08 Dec 2020
I had a chance to dash down a few new roads during my lunchtime jaunt today. My favourite feature was 7 Wetherell Place, at the corner of Frederick Place, one street behind the University of Bristol Students' Union building. Apparently I'm a sucker for gothic revival, which seems appropriate for this little project, which is reviving my interest in the local area.
The listing starts "1860. By JA Hansom. For himself".
It was looking particularly splendid today, but I still couldn't be bothered to climb the steps to the place you can take more of a square-on photo.
I think when I first drank here, it was called The Richmond Spring. I should've taken more advantage of their comedy evening before Covid came along.
This is one of those streets you don't really go down unless you have a reason, which is why I always forget there's a busy garage right here. The nearest building seems to be offices, but I don't know if they're connected to the garage.
The back of the Union. I've been inside a few times — I had a summer pass to the swimming pool for a while, and I saw Alabama 3 in the Anson Rooms once.
Nowhere New
10 Dec 2020
I didn't have any time to find a new place to go today, so I'm treading old ground here. I did buy a tub of duck food from Amazon last week and today I remembered to take a little bagful of it with me on my trip to Imagine That coffee, and spent a few minutes feeding the marina slipway ducks on the way back. This is a Bristol tradition I've seen other people doing many times, but never tried myself. It was quite genteel until the seagulls cottoned on, then it became something of a brawl.
Quick Hopper Coffee
11 Dec 2020
No new streets today—just out for a quick coffee from Hopper in Greville Smyth. Got caught in a bit of a rainstorm on the way out, but it didn't last long enough to bother me much.
Bedminster, Ashton, Ashton Court sunset walk
12 Dec 2020
A walk with Sarah focusing on Ashton and the surrounds, taken on a day with really nice light around sunset. Just what I needed.
Fury as huge phone mast is erected without planning permission just a few feet from residents' homes, according to the Evening Post.
Rainy Clifton
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.
Cliftonwood and Clifton Village Lunchtime Stroll
14 Dec 2020
The lunchtime walk has been feeling a bit of a chore lately, especially as I only have an hour and have to keep a mental watch out for my "bingo" point or risk being late back. Today I went for a deliberately brief local walk and got home in time to have lunch on my sofa rather than while I was back at work.
It's interesting filling in the gaps in my Clifton Village knowledge, especially starting to "see" the bits I can't see, the negative spaces. The size of both Fosseway Court and the Bishop's House gardens (check out the latter on Google Maps for an idea) are both something I've noticed by just getting to know the areas around them. I may also have to walk into the driveway of the very well-hidden Nuffield hospital to get an idea of how big it is.
None of those are anything compared to the trick of hiding the gargantuan public school that is Queen Elizabeth's Hospital so well that I keep on forgetting it's there, until a glimpse of it from somewhere like Lower Clifton Hill reminds me about it, of course...
Queen Elizabeth's Hospital is not, of course, a hospital. That would be too simple. Founded (like Christ's Hospital) in the 16th century—1586 to be precise—it was and remains an independent school.
I'm always surprised how easy it is not to notice this giant grand building, set back and screened off by a tall wall along most of its border along Jacobs Wells Road, and backing onto the park at Brandon Hill.
He seemed to be discussing the best pruning approach with someone on the ground, possibly whoever looks after maintenance at Fosseway Court. I think this tree may be in their garden, but it was hard to tell for sure.
Drained Basin
15 Dec 2020
On the down side, I got to Bedminster and found long enough queues at both Mark's Bread and Hopper Coffee that I gave up on the idea of buying a drink and a pasty (from the former) or a mince pie flapjack (from the latter.) On the up side, I got to take some pictures of Cumberland Basin being drained and sluiced out, part of its regular maintenance cycle.
This is the next stage of the Cumberland Basin cleaning cycle. In the earlier pictures, you could see they'd emptied the basin. Now, with the Entrance Lock gates open, they sluice out the basin with an inrush of fresh water. This helps wash out accumulated silt and also freshens the water—it's usually done just before the occasional traithlon that takes place here, otherwise the swimmers would be even more at risk from E. Coli and other things than they are!
As a regular walker here, I just head for the spiral staircase up to the Plimsoll Bridge and cross that way if both lock gates are open (though of course you still have to wait if there's a bridge swing, too.) However, the spiral staircases are narrow, tall and annoying if you have to carry a bike. Here the cyclist is chatting to the lock operator, presumably finding out how long he might have to wait.
Clifton Hill
23 Nov 2020
I've just got to the bit in Fanny Burney's Evelina where our eponymous heroine visit a grand house on Clifton Hill during her stay in Hotwells. It was interesting to wonder if it could be any of the places I passed in my lunchtime jaunt, which took in both Clifton Hill and Lower Clifton Hill.
From Evelina (1778):
"Yes, Ma'am; his Lordship is coming with her. I have had certain information. They are to be at the Honourable Mrs. Beaumont's. She is a relation of my Lord's, and has a very fine house upon Clifton Hill."
I used to walk along Clifton Road so regularly I started diverting a litte out of my way and using this little ramp and steps just to break up the monotony.
"From 1851 until 1877 it was occupied by the family of John Addington Symonds (1840-93), Bristol’s most important gay historical figure." — OutStoriesBristol
Gardens and Cottages
17 Dec 2020
I think the cute little Duncan Cottage was my favourite bit of this wander up the hill to get coffee and a pain-au-raisin from Twelve, though I did enjoy gently musing on the public and private gardens of Clifton, inspired by a closer pass than usual to Royal York Crescent's garden.
I managed absent-mindedly to clear my GPS track before saving it, so this hand-created track-log may cause me problems in the future. I suppose we'll see.
