The City of Bristol

One of the inspirations for the theme of our conference is Bristol, the city that we are all currently proud to call home. A city that is full of different zones, industries, communities and histories, and one that constantly reminds of how complex the textures of space really are.

Just a casual stroll around the city unearths many hidden spaces and stories, and I often find myself becoming curious about all the little nooks and crannies of the city that I walk through every day.

Here are some urban spaces that I find compelling:

Queen Square where heavy rioting took place in 1831, is a genteel square surrounded by lawyers' chambers, with the old Custom House and the first American Consulate reminding us of Bristol's political and merchant past. A place of apparent social cohesion, but also one of political unrest and dissent. 

The Christmas Steps which used to be a muddy medieval thoroughfare to the village of St Michaels saw Civil War battles fought on its steps. Now it boasts many independent shops and businesses, as well as a pub and a gallery. The cobbled steps and the narrow street still bear some marks of its medieval character. 

The old North city gate where the Bristol mayors would hold their inaugural fishing ritual for good luck is still standing near the old Guildhall, now it has been painted by local street artists as a symbol of Bristol today. As you pass through this old symbolic arch you can look up to see a spray-painted blue sky, one that feels to be oddly timeless and reminiscent of the Medieval and Renaissance painted heavens.

Welsh Back, once the centre of Bristol's wool trade, has become a centre for food and drink in the city, its cobbles frequented by a different kind of Bristolian than the early traders in wool. Old historic pubs remind us of our sea-faring culture full of stories and legends of far-away places that are connected to our city in their own way. 

These, and many other allusions, drift in and out of my mind as I wander the streets, feeling the layers of history and changing society in the old buildings, signs and sights.

~Kayleigh~