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Tell me all about Bristol

  
 
Fist Fun
06:43 / 19.03.03
Right, I'm going to ask for info on a new place in the traditional Barbelith manner. This time it is Bristol.
Anyone had much experience of it? Is it a nice place to live? What areas are recommended? I'm going to be working in the city centre so I'm looking for summat close by. Any ideas on price range? I am viewing rooms this weekend that go from 250- 340 quid. Any fun things to make and do there?
Any input much appreciated.
 
 
Whisky Priestess
15:16 / 20.03.03
The Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol is the third most popular suicide spot in the UK.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
21:39 / 20.03.03
Buk: Here's the completely unhelpful Visit Bristol.

Whisky P: I have mentioned the whole You Rock thing, haven't I?
 
 
Rev. Orr
21:54 / 20.03.03
'Tis true that, as a child, it seemed that no local tv news programme was complete without a story about someone jumping off the bridge. What made this slightly odd was the fact that the backdrop behind the presenters was a photo of the self-same bridge. It always made me wonder what was so much fun about the leap that everyone wanted to try it. It's actually bloody hard work getting to a point where you can jump now and they've planted specially soft and absorbant bushes on the ground below.

Bristol - it's stranger than your imagination and smells worse than your underpants.
 
 
Goodness Gracious Meme
22:13 / 20.03.03
off topic, but when I was there, my old uni halls (specifically the very tall Towers) were the *most* popular academic suicide spot in the country.

Surprising that.
 
 
Rev. Orr
22:33 / 20.03.03
Isn't that Birmingham uni's clock tower?
 
 
Goodness Gracious Meme
22:41 / 20.03.03
Probably is now, we're talking about ten years ago. Ulp

Cheeringly, I remember seeing a shape flit past the window halfway through my 1st year. Thought it was a pigeon. Turned out to be a third year.
 
 
Potguns
23:59 / 20.03.03
Anyone know the second most popular place?
we should do a top of the pops style countdown.
 
 
angel
12:02 / 21.03.03
I think if you were to do that maybe another thread would be a better location!

On a more on topic note, I've only visited Bristol once but it seemed nice enough. Some pretty historical bits, some interesting cultural bits, it's got a Circus training space - sorry, but it's true! - and is where the offices of Aardman Animations are. It's got quite an active film and television/arts community and seems to be a place where interesting arty stuff is coming from.

Can anyone add to this?
 
 
Rev. Orr
12:06 / 21.03.03
On the subject, I'm a little out of date, but I remember Bristol as being a city with many faces. Much of how you'll find the place depends on where in the city you find yourself. If you end up in St.Pauls, Fishponds or Clifton the atmosphere, culture and living experience will be radically different. Whereabouts were you looking?
 
 
Ariadne
12:16 / 21.03.03
I've only been there once, but liked what i saw. Got drunk in a cool pub called (I think) The Cadbury. You can hang out with Euan Blair.
 
 
sleazenation
12:20 / 21.03.03
Bristol is home to an annual comics festival that is the UK equivelant of San Diego...
 
 
Cat Chant
17:23 / 21.03.03
Diana Wynne Jones lives there. For more information read her novels Fire and Hemlock and, um, the one partly set at a science-fiction convention, what'sitcalled... Deep Secret, that's it.
 
 
telyn
17:28 / 21.03.03
Bristol has lots of hills, so if you move there be prepared to get very fit. From what I saw on my (singular) visit and conversations with Bristolian friends it also has a pretty good music live scene, but that can be a bit cliquey.

Whatever the suicide rate, the view from the Suspension bridge is stil fab.
 
 
William Sack
18:06 / 21.03.03
A recent survey found that people are more likely to smile at a complete stranger in Bristol than anywhere else in the UK (despite the student suicide rate). It was also once a haven for pirates, and Bristol Rovers FC's nickname actually is The Pirates.
 
 
Fist Fun
19:09 / 23.03.03
Cheers for the fascinating insight into Bristol. Just spent a weekend flathunting so I know a bit more about the place now. Eventually decided on a flat in the centre overlooking the harbour. Really close to work, a nice gym, nightlife so it should be fun. Anyone know if this is an alright area? Seems pretty nice. I think the whole area has been redeveloped over the last decade or so.
 
 
Whisky Priestess
16:03 / 24.03.03
Oh ma, yeah, that's a sweet spot - I know the area you mean. There's also a restaurant right on the harbour which was very hot about 2 years ago ... only thing you'd need to watch out for is that because it's central, the weekends will bring the joys of loud/aggressive pissheads at chucking out time. But you can just throw boiling oil on them from your penthouse, so that's OK.

There's loads of theatres in Bristol, and the little, independent bars there are some of the best I've been to.
 
  
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