Off to Bristol in the morning

Having a few days in Bristol, always wanted to go and see the SS Great Britain.
Then on to Minehead via Wells, to meet up with the wife’s brother and wife.
Other than SS GB, the Mshed and Clifton suspension bridge is there any other “ must sees”?
Obviously I’ll try and take in a few Banksy’s.

 

The Peoples Republic of Bristol? Don't forget to wear your Che Guevara beret

 

Cheddar Gorge?
Wilkins Cider farm at Mudgly?

 

I quite liked the museum and gallery up by the Wills building . Dinosaurs, dead zoo, and fine art and maps and stuff..
But really just the walk from M Shed to SS Great Britain.. eateries near M Shed, including the Michelin star listed place that looks like any other pop up eatery in a container..

 

….staying in the city….. only going to Wells to pass some time before arriving at Minehead.

 

We people from the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire should feel at home.

 

Ok. Yes, don’t got to cheddar anyway, as Imjust heard the road is closed down through it soon. ( I asked the great lord of Cheese for you).

 

When exactly are you coming, I’ll try and see if there’s any attraction happening locally. You’ve only just missed the Bristol VW event which sported the Killers no less, and General Levee. The very best views of the suspenders bridge and the gorge are from The Portway coming from the M5 junction with the services, which takes you underneath, then continue along to the Long Ashton Bypass and head towards Weston Super Mare for two hundred yards and you’ll get a fab side on view, then set your Sat Nav for The Downs and you’ll get a view from above. Coming from theM5 you can choose to drive along the Portway and drive under it or come through Failand and drive over it if it’s open and you can look down to seethe tidal muck or water if the tide is in.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, loads of towers and stuff.

 

Coming down in the morning, really just to see the city as we always just drive past enroute to Cornwall.

 

Is that scopey thing still open on the downs or have the youth destroyed it as they destroy anything nice these days?

 

Check out the gurt bridge over the Avon Gorge and the Observatory (scopey thing) that’s a short walk away. Then you could wander through Clifton Village and check out Royal York Crescent and Clifton arcade and the little boujee shops before getting lunch at the Lido or maybe Viet Kitchen on Cotham Hill. The museum is just down the road on The Triangle for old stuff, dead stuff and some Banksy stuff.

You could walk the loop of the Harbour starting at The Arnofini heading to M Shed and then Ss Great Britain. Loads of food places around the M Shed. Carry on walking out past the dry dock and onto Underfall yard, which TBH had more going on before someone arsoned it but still a cool place- engineering type museum with the old pumping station machinery in. with cafe. Carry on your walk round the other side - through Hotwells back to the centre.
Maybe see a show at the Bristol Old Vic on Kings Street or at least pop in the bar for a pint as it’s worth a look.

That’s a couple of days worth I reckon.

 

I’d steer we’ll clear if i were you
Baysearcher and Mattlad live there and we all know what their like

 

I’ve heard great things about Cribbs Causeway….

 

And Ozziedog and another large posseeeee of vee double u camper types.

If ,, on your return,,, happens to be in early August, we’ll be hosting the Bristol international balloon festival, I believe it’s the weekend starting the ninth of August until the eleventh. A rather colourful and inspiring and neck bending occasion that still inspires child like excitement in rather old farts like myself. Most of the time the balloons follow an Easterly route and in a fanned shaped route from takeoff so we usually get to see hundreds of them. One weekend years ago, Mrs Ozziedog and I were about to go and get a takeaway burger from our favourite place in Bath called Schwartz Brothers so in anticipation of the balloons of which we’d seen tens of already, we decided to take a coolbox to plonk the burgers in to keep them warm and delay eating them until we got to a picnic area at the top of a local steep hill just off the A420 known as Tog Hill. We arrived and were quite childishly excited as we pulled in the picnic ground and could see lots of balloons slightly below us. We got right to the edge in the middle and got the burgers and shakes out of the coolbox and were happily pointing out the one with a dogs head and ones from various building societies etc and one like a book etc etc etc. Then I noticed that some of the cars parked at the back were flashing their headlights but just thought they were eating chips on the steering wheel a bit like we were, then they started getting out and walking towards us and it was so so unreal and a bit like the Thriller video. We looked at each other and I threw my burger in to the cool box and we were out of there before they got half way. We later came to realise it’s a rather popular place for people with dubious shenanigans. Any way, the balloons will always amuse and there are new types every year.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,you will love em

 

Fantastic when it opened a few years back it was world class and a force to be reckoned with. There’s a slightly different story there now with several shops at a time staying empty for a fair while as has befallen most other retail centres. I don’t know for sure but I’d imagine it’s a worldwide epidemic for the retail industry as a whole.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,, M&S and John Lewis still holding the fort i

 

If you do get into the centre, Air cooled VWs are exempt from the ULEZ stuff. BUT watch out for Bus Gates as you can’t drive there even though it looks like you can. Instead of saying no entry or busses only they now call them Bus Gates and they are coining in a fortune for Bristol City Council especially when you don’t know where you’re going. Most if not all of downtown Bristol is 20 MPH only as are all the approaches even some of the main roads. Most of where you’re going is 20 MPH only so be very careful. I’ve had a speeding ticket opposite the SS Great Britain because you can’t see the twenty signs on the road if there’s traffic and anywhere that lorries deliver which is much of your route ,,, they disguise those twenty signs or hide them.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,sorry to sound so dampening

 

The Reckless Engineer. A pub opposite the flyover.

 

I used to live in Clifton (Richmond Terrace, above the 10 o'clock shop) and we could wave to them as they went over. They hadn't gained much height by then, we could shout to and fro on a good day. Another vote for schawartz Bros, the best burgers I've ever had, and Moles club nearby - I saw Talking Heads in there and there was only room for about 100 people crammed in, nobody knew they'd be playing - a surprise unannounced gig when that was really true, best burger in the world on the way home. Happy days.

 

We’ll be parking up at the Caravan Club site, and the van won’t be moving again till we leave on Friday.
I think I’ve enough to keep me busy/ get an impression of Bristol…. I was just checking if there was a “ must see “ that wasn’t well documented.
Got to get van in for a front arch sorting last week in July, so won’t be around for the balloons ( or the dogging!).