A Grand Day Out

The legend goes that two giants called Vincent and Goram created the Avon Gorge, whilst the ancient king Brennius founded Bristol. On this occasion the reality is rather more mundane, but it started out life as a small Saxon settlement and has now grown into the biggest city in the South West. I've shamelessly pinched Aardman Animation's film title as they and of course Banksy are two of its more modern exports. I've enclosed the one original Banksy [called well hung lover] we came across in situ as we didn't have enough time to go deliberately hunting them out and a rather, shall we say, curious depiction of Wallace and Gromit. This is just one lone example of the street art which is round every corner. I could do a week's worth of posts on them alone, but I'll spare you!

In our few hours there we managed to explore the cathedral, St Mary's in Redcliffe, the docklands and the M Shed museum. However, I'm not good at doing a sensible chronological description of all that we saw, so instead I shall dot about as is standard on the GBT blog and offer brief explanations to give a flavour of the place. 

This facade is what remains of the Brown's building which was built in 1872 and based on the Doge's Palace. It took a direct hit in the Blitz, but fortunately for us the frontage survived and the rest of it rebuilt. It's full of Victorian architectural confidence and is now Grade II listed.

'Paying on the nail' meaning paying instantly may well originate from these nails [there are 4 of them] which are outside the Corn Exchange. It's where merchants would do business and close the sale by putting the money on top.

If you glance above the Corn Exchange entrance this clock [dating from 1822] has two minute hands which are set ten minutes apart. This shows GMT and Bristol Local Time. People protested when the standardisation of time was introduced with the coming in of the railways.

Further along in Broad Street we managed to completely miss this stunning Art Nouveau building from 1900. The facade was designed by W J Neatby who was the chief designer for Doulton. It housed the Edward Everard printing works and all the type faces they did are represented in the details. The lady at the top symbolises light and truth. Nowadays it's a hotel, but how on earth did we not spot it you might well wonder?

Well Yours Truly was too busy gawping in astonishment at this curved glass entrance to the Palestine Museum opposite. It was raining and my photo doesn't do it justice. 

As is often the case this eyecatching mosaic was on the side of some random building up a side street. I saw the colours as we were passing purely by chance, so I'm afraid I can't credit the artist.

I'm a girl who likes a bit of modern style to be thrown in the mix once in a while. This is the new extension to the Old Vic. The rest of it is more traditional and it's the only theatre which has been continuously going since 1776 in England.

Another of those little gems just tucked round a corner. Mr Gardiner was a surgeon for the Bristol Harbour Railway.

Now this one caught my attention because I was after the funny little carvings set above the windows [when am I not in pursuit of such things eh!] as seen below. Now I find 10 Guinea Street was built by Captain Edmund Saunders who, like many others in this time, made his fortune from the slavery  voyages. You may recognise it from the BBC series 'A House Through Time', but I was unaware of this when I saw it.

There is much of interest to see down at the docks, am I going to show you the replica of John Cabot's ship.....am I heck. No you're getting the houseboat with all the rubber ducks🦆😆

And yes believe it or not I am only showing the one photo from the cathedral...this intriguing non religious roof boss, showing, what I think is Mumming. I'm basing my supposition upon similar Medieval drawings I've seen.

Such an interesting city even if we barely scratched the surface. A long overdue post about Gloucester should be next.

Arilx