Bristol Sunday 7th April

I spent the morning looking at other parts of the city I used to know. A big office block where I frequently had to visit for work was demolished a long time ago. Tollgate House it was called, near where Cabot Circus now stands. The pub we used to go to, The Phoenix, is still there. I was able to get a better look at the big white boat with the helicopter on the back. It is an actual ocean going yacht, not a night club as so many others are. It’s a private vessel owned by a group of locals. It has a colourful history which can be seen on their website https://www.missconduct.com/

If you didn’t know the city, you might mistake this for a stately home or maybe an ecclesiastical building. Wrong! This is the original Temple Meads railway station, designed by Brunel and opened in 1840. It last saw trains in 1965, having been replaced by a much larger and more suitable station next door. The building has been used for exhibitions and special events, although at the time of my visit it looked as if it hadn’t been used for a long time, fenced off in part.

It’s almost impossible to get a picture of anything in Bristol without cars interfering!

This is a church, St Mary Redcliffe. Parts of the building date to 1185, but like any old building it has been much altered over time. The spire, which I could not get completely in the picture, is 274 feet (83.5 metres) tall and one of the tallest in the country.

These are the kind of places I like to see – and visit. The Hole in the Wall is located in The Grove, just off Queen Square in the city centre.

The Hatchet is in Frogmore Street, just to the north of the city centre.

This is Queen Square. It was the centre of the 1832 riots I mentioned in my previous post. The houses of the wealthy were looted and pillaged by the mob, changing the character of the area for a long time! There are still large and elegant properties, many now converted to offices.

Out in the Harbour, the former tugboat John King was giving rides.

Across the water, some of the old buildings still stand among the new. Now known as Capricorn Place.

The big vessel is the Thekla, a German built cargo vessel converted into a music venue. It’s moored at the splendidly named East Mud Dock, near Queen Square.