Its my first morning exploring Bristol and its a bit cold, grey skies and drizzle….what better than taking a ferry boat ride around the 4 km stretch of harbour.   To Nova Scotia at one end and Temple Mead at the other. Here are some of the views of that trip….

Then visited the “M” Shed Museum, which tells the story of the city and its unique place in the world. It has a brutal and shameful past in the slavery of people from Africa. Between 1697 and 1807, 2,108 known ships transported 1/2 million people were brought into slavery, representing one-fifth of the British slave trade during this time. Due to the over-crowding and harsh conditions on the ships, it is estimated that approximately half of each cargo of slaves did not survive the trip across the Atlantic. 

Bristol’s strong links with the ocean, and its key role in the profitable trade of slavery and tobacco, inevitably lead to the city’s involvement with piracy.

Bristol has a long association with the ‘green’ movement and is proud of its status as a Green Capital. One of the nicest things about Bristol is, you’re never more than a 30 minute bike ride from the countryside.

Bristol has more festivals than you you can shake a glow stick at! One, sometimes two a week in the summer. There’s the Harbour Festival in August, several food festivals, comedy festivals, local jumble sales and the famous balloon fiesta.

The birds are of a terrifying size in Bristol, and wouldn’t think twice of snatching your lunch clean out of your sticky paws. They tend to work alone, but that doesn’t stop you thinking of them like mini flying pterodactyls.

Bristol’s “ M shed” has an exhibition that celebrates the contribution made by various locals:
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was one of the greatest engineers of the 1800’s and is considered one of Bristol’s most famous sons. It was Brunel who played a major role in the cutting-edge design and construction of the floating harbour, which is still in use today. This new lock system trapped water in the city’s central harbour and allowed ships and boats to stay afloat without being affected by the changing tides.

Roy Hackett has over 40 years, dedicated his life to fighting injustice in the city. A key player in the four month Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963, (as a result of the bus company refusing to employ black or asian bus crews), which had an impact nationally, and led to the passing of the Race Relations Acts of 1965 and 1968, which made discrimination unlawful in public places, employment and housing. He also organised the first multicultural St Pauls’ carnival in 1967 – now one of the largest events in England’s south west.

Dale Wakefield, was an early activist on the women’s movement and gay scene. In 1975 she helped establish Bristol’s Lesbian and Gay Switchboard. Volunteers ran it for 3 years from her personal home phone line. The Switchboard has supported and advised tens of thousands LGTBI people over a 38 year period.

Don Cameron (Cameron Balloons), has made Bristol the home of hot air ballooning. His company is the world’s largest balloon manufacturer. He founded the balloon fiesta in 1978, which now attracts over 1/2 million visitors each year. 

Strolled into Arnolfini gallery to see the “Art from Elsewhere” exhibition, which has gathered 37 significant artists from 22 countries, whose socially-engaged work addresses life, politics and identity in a globalised society; works that depict different realities of profound global change.

Outside Arnolfini, (gorgeous on a summer’s day apparently, lots of drinkers sitting outside!!!!) – facing the harbour, is a beautiful sculpture of John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto!), an Italian-born explorer who moved to England in the 1490’s, settling in the port of Bristol. In May 1497, with the support of the English King Henry VII, Cabot sailed west from Bristol on “the Matthew” in the hope of finding a route to Asia, but became the first early modern European to discover North America.