We've been in Bristol for a couple of weeks, now and the intensity of my work has prevented me doing more than generally going to well-known locals...well, mostly.
My trip up was very straightforward, even though it was via the "Long Route" (Brighton, Fareham, Bristol) and I arrived a little earlier than I had anticipated (would have been just about time to leg it for the last Super Off Peak train from Paddington but I didn't fancy the stress, to be honest). The BBB offered to meet me off the train and take my bag but I was travelling pretty light so we met in Martha's (closest to station). It was lovely to just collapse into a booth and be presented with a Petite Boulba to neck to recover from the heat (actually, compared to the temperature at the moment, it was nothing...but y'know).
We wanted to play hooky for the day and pop down to Devon, but our planned trip was thrice thwarted so we eventually gave it up as a bad job - it was a shame since it looked like our destination had two or three good places to go. We've decided to try again in the autumn.
Last weekend we (I) decided a little amble was in order but I get extremely bored of the same old routes. Instead I suggested a bus to the farside of Ashley Down and thence to walk back via "Concorde Way" cycle/walking route which would land us in St Paul/Monpellier and allow us to avail ourselves of Licata in Picton street and then Basement Beer and New Bristol (I mean, seriously, you know we don't let these routes happen by accident, right?). As it happens, the northern end of Concorde Way was closed because they're developing a new "Ashley Down Station". It meant quite a detour and back onto a route we've walked before but it was nice to be out (if a little warm) and Basement Beer has taken over a bit more space and reconfigured itself so it's starting to feel quite spacious and charming. We had a couple there but we wanted to drop into NBB too, so after two we toddled down the road and settled into their taproom.
We've also made a visit to the Cider Box which is such an intrguing place. It was fun spending time there because the local building work means you're really sitting between two building sites and at knock-off time you get a completely different set of customers. We also ended up in conversation with a chap who had never been to the Orchard or Middle Farm - so we sent him to both.
Yesterday, I had a conference to attend in Reading. From Eastbourne it would be a real drag of a rail journey but from Bristol, it's simple and pleasant. Because the conference ended within the "YU ticket restrictions" period, I had to plan carefully to minimise the ticket cost. Thankfully I managed to time it so that I had about 40 minutes in which to enjoy the Siren Taproom. It was equidistant between conference venue and station so it really would have been rude not to. It also had the benefit of good aircon which made the break very pleasant. Really nice place, friendly staff and somewhere I'd happily go again.
By the time I was back in Bristol, the BBB was in Marthas so I joined him there and sweltered for a bit - although a railway arch is much cooler than a glass-box apartment. I'm hoping it'll be a bit cooler today - but I'm not betting the house on it.
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