Southwestrambler.com

Category: Bristol

  • William Champion’s garden in Warmley near Bristol

    William Champion’s garden in Warmley near Bristol

    This weekend I had a chance to take a tour of William Champion’s garden. William Champion (1709 – 1789) was one of Bristol’s most important industrial pioneers. In 1738 he patented the first successful commercial process for separating zinc from its ore. He went on to establish a thriving brass works which became one of…

  • A stroll through Kingswood

    A stroll through Kingswood

    On Sunday about twenty of us enjoyed a short stroll through Kingswood on the outskirts of Bristol. The walk was part of the annual Bristol walk festival. It was led by a very knowledgeable guide. She had been working with a local reminiscence group and was able to share some of their memories with us…

  • Aardman animation, Gromit unleashed 3

    Aardman animation, Gromit unleashed 3

    This week I am inviting you to have a cup of tea and a plate of cheese and crackers with some well-loved Bristol film and television stars. On Wednesday I went to an event rather grandly billed as the greatest dog show on earth. I did not go to see real dogs but rather the…

  • Bristol Packet trip to the Chequers inHanham

    Bristol Packet trip to the Chequers inHanham

    Here in England it seems like autumn has arrived a few weeks early. We had an unusually hot and dry summer and the leaves have started to turn brown. We decided to enjoy one of the last days of summer by taking a boat trip along the river Avon from the floating harbour in the…

  • Alex Lucas Bristol street Artist

    Alex Lucas Bristol street Artist

    It is August and Bristol has some new vibrant public art installations for summer. Once a pond a time is the work of a local artist Alex Lucas. Her whimsical pond creatures have taken over Quaker Friars in the heart of Bristol shopping quarter. Bristol has a thriving street art community with festivals such as…

  • Historic boats moored in Bristol’s floating harbour

    Historic boats moored in Bristol’s floating harbour

    The floating harbour is the heart of Bristol and is a popular destination for both tourists and locals. There is always a lively atmosphere and plenty to see. The Bristol harbour festival takes place in July each year. In 2025 it will take place from the 18th to 20th July. The floating harbour will be…

  • Bristol and the Film Industry

    Bristol and the Film Industry

    If I was having coffee with you this week, I would probably tell you about a walk I did on Monday to learn more about the Bristol film industry and discover some of the lost cinemas of central Bristol. We often encounter film crews at work during our walks. Recently we have watched part of…

  • Christmas Carol drone show

    Christmas Carol drone show

    I want you to wrap up warm for this weekend’s coffee share. This week, I am inviting you to join Bill and me at a drone show. Public art can take many forms but this must be one of the more unusual entries. A group of us went to watch the classic Christmas eve story,…