How one house is recycling in Bristol

If you're familiar with Bristol's recycling system, you'll know that every unit (be it a household or flat) gets a black kerbside box to place all their recyclable wares in it.

This house (which has been split into a number of flats, I've been inside...) has decided to pool together their recycling boxes to sort their recyclables... interesting..!

Dower House - The yellow house on the hill by the M32

Yesterday I was on my way home and got distracted. So here is something on that big mysterious yellow house on the hill, that you see on your left as you head out of Bristol on the M32. This should be a familiar sight to you guys on the National Express or whatever (assuming you don't drive).

It's called Dower House and was built in 1553 by Sir Richard Berkeley and was previously used as a hospital and mental institution. It has been converted into some flats, which is it's current use. It's been featured on BBC Bristol's alternative landmarks.

Getting to Dower House is fairly straightforward. It's located off Coldharbour Lane, the same road that serves UWE. A little bit further down (in the Frenchay direction) there is an area with new-build houses: the Stoke Park development, and it's amongst these that Dower House is hidden in. Impressively, the square that Dower House sits on is surrounded by new, but old-style (Georgian?) houses, which look rather nice. The clocktower in the foreground bears two plaques - one for Harold Nelson Burden, a priest, and one for Rosa Gladys Burden, his second wife. Together, they gave their estate (what is now the Stoke Park development and Stoke Park itself, I assume) and for his work on mental disorders (is that P.C.? my english isn't the best).




We'll take a walk, having parked Duke in the square. From Jellicoe Way (in the Stoke Park development), there is a path, which eventually takes you down next to the M32 and there are bridges and underpasses to get to the other side. Even further down, is the Pur Down BT Tower, which sits next to Lockleaze and also the Priory Hospital. This path is a rather nice path (although satellite images seems to show that it eventually runs out and turns into a muddy track - I did not walk that far.) and is frequented by walkers, cyclists and dog-walkers.


So I've walked down the path, and I'm now in Stoke Park (technically in Bristol City limits now), a little off the path. Unlike on the M32, you can really appreciate the landscape and the gentle rolling hills that is Stoke Park. With as much time as I'd like, I could appreciate Dower House's position, which feels like it's an impenetrable fortress.




A little bit further down, and I notice a monument on an adjacent hill. This is known as the obelisk in Stoke Park. (I don't know if it has a name) Some people seem to think it's a good idea to ride their motocross (off-road motorbike) around on Stoke Park and to vandalise, litter and start fires here unfortunately. And some people seem to think that vandalising this monument was also a good idea. It's seen better days unfortunately.



The view from the hill that the Obelisk sits on, was amazing, on the other hand!



Anyways, time to head back - one last picture... of it's awesomeness.


Have a good week folks, speak later. =)

Lost gloves

You know how sometimes you find a glove on a wall, or on a railing, where someone has found a single lone, lost glove and kindly placed it in a noticeable place?

Well, this is a bit... =O

Cotham Hill, Bristol

A few pictures of the snow...

The snow is here in Bristol (about 2 days after the east side of the country, the weather was cold enough, so it was just a matter of time of when it would rain (i.e. snow).

Ice on the rose branch
Home

Slush on St. Johns Road
Clifton, Bristol

Citroën 2CV on Saville Road
Stoke Bishop, Bristol

Woolies Indoor Market, Bristol

Something strange and interesting has happened on Whiteladies Road (actually, a number of strange things, possibly good things, have happened on the whole stretch of the A4018 in Bristol! We'll go into those in a bit.)

This week I went to look at the old Woolworths store on Blackboy Hill. They've turned it into an indoor market! Although the shopfront is deceptively boring, and the ground floor as well, for that matter, I have no doubt in believing that this is a positive contribution to the retail at the upper end of Whiteladies Road.

I spoke with the manager a little, she was a nice lady and was talking to a contractor or plumber (I assume), and she said that it had been open for about 6 weeks now. Here's a few pics of the downstairs:




Frankly, I thought it was rather bland and generic, and lacked variation as all the stalls looked too unique and temporary. The upstairs, however, were a whole lot better.




El got a vintage coat, too!:



Overall, I like it. The upstairs is wonderful, and the far end of the hall is empty, so hopefully they'll get someone in. I love the fact that the floorboards and ceiling beams are exposed rather than covered up like downstairs. The downstairs just doesn't have the cultural/industrial charm the upstairs has, and I'm not sure the window arrangement of the previous occupier is best suited, but I assume there are reasons (e.g. easier to get planning permissiong leaving as-is.)

Other changes on the A4018: (most are recent! i.e. last 2 months or so!)
- New lane arrangement at Blackboy Hill outside the bicycle/wedding dress shop. (possibly good? it definitely caters for cyclists better!)
- Borders is closing (and I managed to buy a US magazine for 90p instead of £4.50!)
- Paperchase has moved two stores along from Borders (not checked it out yet)
- Between Borders and Paperchase is the Vinegar Hill shop (previously the Alldays/Co-op/Post Office, the shop is wonderful, think Cath Kidston, but less pink and red and more white, and slightly more practical. A cross between the Guild and Cath Kidston, I s'pose)
- Slightly older, but other new businesses on the Clifton Triangle include the new office building at the top of Jacobs Wells Road, Patisserie Valerie and Waitrose opening up.

No idea what the last few months is about, but the changes seem quite frequent, can only assume the current financial climate has something to do with it (not necessarily in a bad way or a bad result!)

Beautiful.

The A4174, Bristol Ring Road. This evening, it [the sky, contrasted by the traffic and lamp-posts] looked amazing. It's a shame I don't have Photoshop on my laptop to touch it up to make it look more like what I actually saw - you know how it is with cameras vs. naked eye!

End of term BBQ

It's the end of term, my exams were out of the way some time ago now, and I am enjoying my summer - very much unlike any summer I've had in the past. I'm hanging around which is nice as I see people come and go - old friends come, new ones go... as typical of holiday periods. Although I've got a dissertation to sort out, I've been taking my time over it (for now anyway) since I don't often get the opportunity to kick back a little in this way. I am usually burdened with something, and come this week, I will have to go back to Swansea to help in the shop. Shop stuff is fair enough though - any other chores I can dislike.

Anyway - Sherry held a BBQ to which a number of friends came. Alex and Ralf were in Bristol visiting so it was great they could come. It was a great gathering, shame some people couldn't make it and some had to leave early, but still good to see most.

David and me



Early on...


Sherry barbecuing some lovely chicken and veg skewers =D Yummy!


Our favourite Redlander: Geth


Human Pyramid


We tried again with 5 at the bottom but some people chickened out and it didn't last anyway...!

Whilst not doing revision...

Yesterday evening, me and Sherry went around St. Mary Redcliffe to Redcliffe Parade to try and listen to the bells of both Bristol Cathedral and the St. Mary Redcliffe - it can be done - but we were there at 9pm *and* 10pm and the St. Mary Redcliffe bells didn't sound so we can only assume they're not working for the time being. Ah well, maybe another day.

Anyway - some pictures:

Looking up towards Redcliffe from the floating harbour.

The Floating Harbour

Railway tracks near the Industrial Museum (facing the Habourside Developments).

Sherry being silly =P

The night view from Redcliffe Parade West.