21 years ago I was fortunate enough to spend a few months in Kenya on a gap year with Africa and Asia Venture.
I have a complicated relationship with the gap year concept but wouldn’t swap the relationships from that experience for anything. I leap at any chance to meet up with my fellow AVs. And on this occasion in a city I was visiting for the first time in years and years: Bristol.
Friday
I had two initial impressions of Bristol: 1) it sprawls; 2) it’s got traffic problems. Maybe this was only because I ended up swapping an M5 traffic jam for a circuitous journey across Bristol.
We stayed in a nice house that comfortably sleeps 8. Can’t say it was the nicest of welcomes though. The first thing that greeted us were notices telling us to remove our shoes. And several other notices throughout. I guess it’s standard in a house that more often than not gets booked by Stag and Hen Parties1.
I’d arrived early enough to meet an old church friend from York. I hadn’t seen Tim in a Very Long Time but he’s lived in Bristol for ages. On the way to meet him I detoured to Stoke Bishop where I’d lived until I was 4 years old. That meant more traffic, especially badly near Durdham Down. Was this due to Funderworld? Friday night? Or does Bristol just have a massive traffic problem?
Southville was buzzing – when I got to Tim’s the combined effect of the Bristol Jazz Festival, and a home fixture for the Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate2 meant both the Tobacco Factory and the Bristol Beer Factory were overflowing so we had a wander round Greville Smyth Park instead. It was a wonderful flying visit.
Next, to meet Simon at Temple Meads. I met him outside but as we walked to the car we got caught in a monsoon-like hail storm. We sought refuge in the car while we considered Tim’s restaurant recommendations eventually picking Indian. We picked the Dhamaka Restaurant but they were so busy they didn’t even suggest we wait. So we walked on to Old India, which was once Bristol’s Stock Exchange. The surroundings, company and food was excellent.
As we headed back to the car I had a heart-stopping moment – the house keys weren’t in my pocket. Luckily we found them underneath the driver’s side door. They’d fallen out in the rush to get the car open during the hailstorm. I was glad not to greet Gary and Nat off their train with news that we would be sleeping in the car. A very close shave! Unsurprisingly I was taken off responsibility for the house keys after that.
Saturday
After a Hot Cross Bun breakfast we drove into Bristol. We parked by the M-Shed, which definitely looks like somewhere I want to return with the family.
Then we met up with Hannah, Paul and their son. We had a quick drink with them at the Pitcher & Piano before heading next door to Za Za Bazaar where Kay, Tony and their daughter had already arrived. Nicky joined us as we sat down so the group was almost complete with Bex hoping to join us later on.
It was the first time I’d been to a World Buffet restaurants and I was impressed at the price and the quality. It’s definitely something that works for big groups like ours. Simon, Gary and I were on a mission, perhaps fuelled by the high tempo music, to cover as much of the world as possible.3 And I was certainly satisfied by the end of lunch. I should have gone for the chocolate fountain and ice cream for pudding because the mini cakes were a bit underwhelming.
After saying goodbye to some of the group, Gary, Nicky, Simon and I had a walk around the harbour taking in views over to the SS Great Britain, Bristol’s colourful skyline and (more by accident than design) a Banksy.
We re-met Nat and stopped for a drink at the Mud Dock Café looking out over the harbour. Then we went on for a drink at The Boardroom and re-met Hannah for the first half of England and Brazil4.
Having said goodbye to Nicky it was brilliant to then have Bex join us and we 6 enjoyed a superb meal at Tuk Tuck. The meal included the discovery of drinks you can chew. It was a bit weird but I’d definitely have a Mogu Mogu again in the future. Then Bex returned home, Hannah back to her family and the 4 of us back to Shirehampton for a couple of rounds of the always reliable Fluxx.
Sunday
On Sunday we checked out of the house and drove to the Park & Ride. I had been planning to head back to London to join the family in going to Crystal Palace Ladies’ Family Day5 but the prospect of meeting up with Bex, this time with baby, persuaded me to stick around.
I was very glad I did, not just to meet baby but for the absolutely outstanding breakfast we had at The Granary. A full English breakfast lives or dies by the quality of its sausages and these were exceptional, as was the bacon and the mushroom and the variation on the baked beans and the black pudding fritter and whatever else I’ve forgotten. In a weekend of good food, this was my highlight.
And then we all went on our various ways home.
