Cultural Quarter

On a trip into the city a couple of weeks ago we took a detour through Stokes Croft, an inner-city area known locally for being rather run down and neglected. Sure, there are homeless hostels and drugs projects based here; it's a popular haunt of the street drinking fraternity; and even the Google Street View car doesn't seem to have made it along the entire street during its tour of Bristol last year.

But there are also several arts studios, a gallery, independent microplex cinema, cafes, music venues and a comedy club. But, most visibly, there's also an absolute wealth of street art. It's everywhere. And it's why I made sure to take my camera.

Much of this artwork is thanks to the Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft, a community group whose mission is to create the 'World's Biggest Outdoor Gallery'. As their website says:

"Stokes Croft is the most interesting and culturally diverse area in Bristol, boasting more honesty, beauty and truth than any other part of the City. It is precisely because Stokes Croft has been neglected, that people of all backgrounds and circumstance have learned to co-exist in an enclave of tolerance that few from outside this magical area can begin to understand.

The mission is to help Stokes Croft to recognise its special qualities by improving the streetscape through direct action, by creating a sense of identity, a sense of belonging and of self-worth."

It was a beautiful sunny morning when, armed with my pocket Canon G9, I set about capturing some of the artwork I'd previously only seen at night from a bus window. That said, M was with me and we were heading into town so I didn't hang around shooting for too long. Then a few days later I discovered that I'd somehow managed to miss this Banksy. I'll leave that for a more lengthy photowalk next time round...

sour

It was a gorgeously warm spring afternoon and we were up on the Downs throwing the Aerobie around. People were playing catch, frisbee, football, rugby, lacrosse (it's uni territory after all), walking with pushchairs, exercising their dogs, having picnics, even kitesurfing. And there were lots of joggers. Behind me a young woman was out running on her own. As I bent down to pick up the Aerobie that had flown over my head a bright blue car approached, passenger side window wound down; there were two toots on the horn and from the window a young Home Counties accent shouted, "Beautiful!" as the car passed the jogger.

My heart sank. The sunshine dimmed. The temperature dropped. And suddenly I wasn't having as much fun as I was before...

tentacles

Looks like a huge inflatable octopus has taken over the Royal West of England Academy on the Clifton Triangle...

Bristol-Brighton week

Recently I've been reading an interesting book on the history of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Toward the end there's a section on how different lighting has been used to illuminate the Bristol landmark over the years. It's there that I came upon this statement: "...in 1933, for Bristol-Brighton week, the bridge was illuminated by 1,500 electric lamps."

Naturally, I was interested to know what Bristol-Brighton week was. There are few mentions on the internet so it looks as though I need to do a bit more research (of the kind that involves books and libraries) but from what I can tell it was some kind of twinning event that took place in Bristol between 17-24 June 1933. For the duration a daily air service operated between the two cities. A Pageant of Bristol procession wound its way from Queen Square in the city centre out to the Zoo in Clifton and:

"The licensing justices allowed an extension of hours until 11 pm. A delegation from Brighton arrived by air and during the week the largest air pageant outside Hendon took place at Whitchurch. Buildings were decorated and illuminated and there was a gymnastics demonstration by 3,000 children on the Rovers ground."

I can only find references to this one event in 1933, though a few months later, Brighton held it's own event:

"Brighton reciprocated the 'twinning' with Bristol by holding a Brighton Bristol Week in September. The Lord Mayor and other dignitaries visited and there was a Bristol Art Exhibition and an opportunity for local industries to display their products."

I'm interested to know how and why this event came about. Looks like I'll be taking a trip down to the Reference Library sometime soon...

visit

The weekend before last I made a brief trip back to the Sussex coast to catch up with family and friends. Setting off early on Saturday morning, I caught a local train to Temple Meads and spent the next 5 hours plugged into my iPod, sat on my backside watching scenery pass by.

The next couple of days were spent in the two towns I grew up in: Eastbourne and Brighton. Sunday was a kind of 'family day' - tipped off that I was back in town, my aunt had invited us all up to her house in Brighton for tea with her, my uncle, my grandad, three cousins and their children, i.e. a host of second and step-cousins. We entered a hive of activity as young children played hide-and-seek behind the sofas, ran around and generally made a commotion. It reminded me of Saturday afternoons as a child and younger teenager: for many years we'd all congregate round my grandparents' house in the same manner - us kids running around indoors making a nuisance of ourselves in the colder months; playing in the garden in paddling pools and my grandad's impromptu waterslides in the summer. The only two people missing this time round were my brother, who was working, and my nan - no longer with us but leaving a huge hole in our lives.

Monday I'd arranged to meet up with some of my Brighton friends: J (Forever Foxed) & A at Bill's for lunch and S & H later there for coffee. I wanted to catch the earliest possible train from Eastbourne but, faced with half an hour to kill, wandered in Waterstone's and ended up having coffee with two friends from my time there almost 12 years ago. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen them but it seemed as though they hadn't aged at all.

In Brighton I headed for Waterstone's again to catch up with E & A. My arrival was well-timed and we were able to spend their teabreak in Nero. Then on the way out, waiting to cross Western Road, G drove past in his cab, spotted us and waved out the window! It seemed the day was becoming full of blast-from-the-past moments...

I headed down to the seafront to take photos for my weekly photography course assignment and spent an hour or so taking shots of daytrippers, a chap metal-detecting on the beach, people enjoying rides on the pier and then made my way up to Bill's. Being lunchtime it was heaving but after a short wait the three of us were seated, placing our orders and trying to get our heads around what the heck is going on in Lost...

Later in the afternoon I caught up with S & H, again at Bill's. H had to leave early but S and me chatted over tea for well over an hour before heading back to the station via Sydney Street to say hello to M, at work in her stationery shop. And then, after an unsuccessful attempt at buying some fresh lime leaves, it was time to head back to Eastbourne for a big roast dinner my mum was cooking...

On Tuesday morning I headed back to Bristol but had just enough time to see K for a quick coffee at the university before the long journey west. Unfortunately, this visit was all-too-brief - next time I'll endeavour to be around in the evening to properly meet those I only saw in passing and those I missed completely. Finally, I'd like to say thanks to those who took time out to meet up with me and apologies this time round to R (Breakfast in Bed) and A (Reithian) - but I'll see you soon.

Suspension silhouette

close-up

I've become a bit slack about carrying my camera with me recently so on my walk home yesterday, on the gruelling uphill yomp through Ashton Court, I made sure it was not zipped up in its case in my bag but in my pocket, ready to go. As I walked out of the estate I noticed a posse of deer had broken away from the rest and were idling their time close to the railings. I was therefore treated to a rare close-up view - so naturally, out came the camera...

lines in the sky

We spent the weekend down in Somerset. Saturday was taken up wandering around weird and wonderful Glastonbury, a place that makes me feel as though the Mind Body Spirit section of Waterstone's has morphed to become it's own town. Then on Sunday we took a short walk through nearby country lanes before lunch. As ever I took my camera but felt quite uninspired... that was until I noticed the telegraph poles everywhere with powerlines radiating from them at all angles and, sometimes, in Cats-Cradle-like formations.

coatless

Every morning I turn on the local BBC news to see the weather forecast and every morning I find myself so drawn to the presenter's 'interesting' line in clothing that I end up missing the actual forecast.

If I'd paid attention this morning I would have seen that it was going to rain during the evening and I would have packed my mac for the trip home.

Instead I'm coatless, eeking out the last hour of work, hoping the rain will stop by 8...

alive

Here's the Howies Keep Polaroid Alive t-shirt M kindly bought me a few weeks ago. I have to admit, it's been a long time since I last shot any 'roids - though, in my defence, I always feel you get better results on bright sunny days - something there's been a distinct lack of in these parts for a long while. But given the clear blue skies today, the first day of March, I'm optimistic for a sunny spring...

The Impossible Project