More Bristol Stories

This is the view from my sister's bedroom window. A panorama of Central Bristol in all it's glory. The Clifton Suspension Bridge, Cabot Tower, The Wills Memorial Building, Clifton Crescent, Hotwells, Bedminster and Southville. Take a closer look and you can see tower blocks of flats and a landscape of Victorian roof tops. There are green spaces everywhere.

The balloons were up too

An iconic bridge

...........................................

Another thing I noticed during this visit, was that a lot of the public verges had been mown along the edge and the rest left to grow wild. Along the road towards the A38 (and Mo's car valet which I highly recommend) there are areas of common lined with trees. Underneath these trees the grass had been allowed to grow high, and with it were wild flowers. You could see flashes of pink, white and yellow as the car passed by. In fact it seemed to be everywhere I looked, once I had looked and noticed.

As I travelled up past the Avon Gorge towards the motorway and home, I saw the same thing. I wished I could take more photographs, although I snapped a few at the traffic lights at the top of Winterstoke Road. This is part of an extremely busy one way system. In fact I was bought up and raised in a street off of it. I just thought it was great. I wonder if Bristol Council took a tip from Sarah Raven, and her television series last year. It was the series that inspired me to grow bee and butterfly friendly plants.

It used to be that Dandelions and other 'weeds' were considered an unsightly nuisance. And I do spend a lot of my time getting rid of them from my little plot. They are greedy and prolific little buggers. And yet I have made a concerted effort to grow mainly pollinators attracting plants and flowers in my garden. So what's the difference? All those weeds are a pollinators best friend too. So, I am leaving a small patch of grass unmown all summer to see what happens. There's not much to show yet, but I'm hopeful that at least the bees and butterflies will have some Dandelions to feast upon. I feel like I've brought something back from Bristol with me. An idea. Another project for the garden.

I wonder how many Bristolians notice these little pollinator oases as they travel to work or the supermarket in the mornings? Has it made the news in Bristol? I'd love to know.

Just another reason why I love this city. It is vibrant and colourful and thriving with industry. It is LOUD and busy. The noise assaults my senses from the minute I drive past Ashton Court towards my family. After living away for nearly twelve years, it takes a while to get used to the Bristol vibe. It's not as laid back as I'm now accustomed to, and it can feel a bit overpowering.

There is so much to do and see in Bristol. It has always had a thriving artistic scene. It has always been a multi-cultural city, thanks to it's maritime history and also darker associations with the slave trade. Bristol is a melting pot of energy. I will always need my Bristol fix.

Olly wearing his Bristolian t-shirt -  "Makes I Laff!"

Leanne xxx

...........................................