[Closed] Tell me about Bristol

They have a brilliant balloon festival that's very popular with the local Irish community.

It's full of middle class white dudes with dreads and scraggy jumpers. And the accent is truly truly awful.

Wasn't it voted the best UK city to live in? Strouds not far away 😉

To summarise all the tell me about Bristol posts....

Traffic is shit. Live close to where you will work.

It's 204 miles from where i live.

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I've only been there a handful of times, which of course makes me an Internet Expert, so in my expert opinion:

Traffic Appalling, much worse than central London post Congestion Charge.

The Airport is always much further away than you think and takes either an hour, or 3 hours to get to from the Severn Bridge, never in between.

They all sound like Pirates.

All the little city centre areas and suburbs are either lawless places full of bandits and murderers or super posh and full of 'Gap Yah' types, these areas are sometimes on different sides of the same road - the respective locals never cross the line.

You can get thrown out of the lap dancing bars if you call the manky stripper's bluff and take pictures of the bar.

Wasn't it voted the best UK city to live in? Strouds not far away

Most places look great when compared to Stroud.

Someone set fire to a moped at the end of our road.

It once took me 2 hours to get to work on the bus. I now cycle.

Traffic in the centre is pretty atrocious in rush hour, but which city isn't?

It doesn't seem that cycle friendly to me.

Property prices are nuts.

Other than that, I like it!

It's crap!

🙂

Traffic in the centre is pretty atrocious in rush hour, but which city isn't?

Many are nothing like as bad as Bristol! It is pretty bad on the scale of UK cities, you might as well acknowledge that.

And the accent is truly truly awful.

That's weird, it's what bristolians say about scousers.

That's weird, it's what bristolians say about scousers.

And anyone who they may be saying it to won't hear as they'll be too busy laughing at how bloody awful they sound.

Of all the city accents in the UK, the Bristol one really is a shocker. And to be fair to them, nearly all the Bristolians I've met have been all too aware of the fact.

People who live in Bristol never STFU about how amazing Bristol is.

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Always the ones who never grew up there.

Yours Truely. Mr Sick of Bristol claiming to represent the West Country when its 166 miles to Lands End and only 117 to London. With their shite mock-west country vicky pollard accents.

F*ck Bristol.

With that off my chest. It's a nice place to visit.. 😈

Believe everything people say about the traffic! We live just outside the centre of Bristol and my 7 mile commute to work across town takes longer than my wife's journey - she works 44 miles away in Swindon, and I travel on a motorbike. Ridiculous.

Bristol is a great city though as it's small and when outside of rush hour relatively easy to get around. There's plenty of good nightlife, sporting activities and clubs and "proper" countryside is within easy reach.

canopy - Member 
Yours Truely. Mr Sick of Bristol claiming to represnt the West Country when its 166 miles to lands end and only 117 to London. With their shite mock-west country shit vicky pollard accents.

Very much this. Coming from south Devon, "Brizzle" (as the zummerset, sorry, Avon 😛 accent says)... was up north to me and used to be a big trip. Never considered it west country and certainly not South West, and yet often on the news they mention the South West and mean Bristol! (or worse anywhere that's south of England and west of London). I mean West Country TV (or Westward or TSW back in the old days 😀 ), didn't cover Bristol. They had HTV. Only thing that was ever good for was Robin of Sherwood (filmed in Forest of Dean, not Nottingham!).

Turbo Island, The Bearpit, Roni Size, Sustrans, Cosies, people knocking on your door asking for a glass of water. The Farm, St Andrews park ,ketamine, Trustafarians.

I think that covers it

I went to uni there and stayed for about 8 years in total. Absolutely loved every minute of it. I lived in the centre, Ashton Gate, Clifton and Long Ashton. I'd happily move back in an instant if I didn't want to leave the Lake District - probably the one city I would move back to.

Traffic was indeed rubbish though, but I just made sure I cycled or walked everywhere

[i] Many are nothing like as bad as Bristol! It is pretty bad on the scale of UK cities, you might as well acknowledge that.[/i]

To be fair I did when I said traffic was atrocious 😀

But Cardiff traffic didn't seem great when I lived there either. Flatter though, which I miss

And anyone who they may be saying it to won't hear as they'll be too busy laughing at how bloody awful they sound.

Of all the city accents in the UK, the Bristol one really is a shocker. And to be fair to them, nearly all the Bristolians I've met have been all too aware of the fact.

I work here. I previously worked in Brum. Bristolian sounds like angelic harp music in comparison...

I live in Bristol, trails are 10 mins ride away, work is 10 mins ride away, countryside is 20 mins walk away, centre of town is 20 mins walk away, kids school is around the corner, butcher-baker-candlestick-maker street is around the corner.

Mendips, Forest of Dean, Cwmcarn all less than an hour away.
Quantocks, Exmoor, Brecons, Afan all about hour and a half away.

I like it. 😀

But Cardiff traffic didn't seem great when I lived there either.

Cardiff is much smaller, and I've never come across traffic anything like Bristol. Took me a good hour to cross it last time I came from the south to try and find the M5.

Yours Truely. Mr Sick of Bristol claiming to represent the West Country when its 166 miles to Lands End and only 117 to London.

It's called West country because it's West of London. Even Swindon is the West. Because London is the dead centre of the UK, whether you like it or not 🙂

Mendips, Forest of Dean, Cwmcarn all less than an hour away.
Quantocks, Exmoor, Brecons, Afan all about hour and a half away.

So best thing about Bristol is that you can go to other places from it? 🙂 That one always makes me laugh. And trails... ok.. you are probably unaware that lots of other cities have proper good riding within riding distance, not a crowded few acres of urban woodland.

I'll be the first to admit that there are more desirable uk accents than bristolians. Scouse however us not one of rhem

They all sound like Pirates.

Well, Edward Thatch, (or Teach as he's been wrongly called for a couple of centuries), otherwise better known as Blackbeard, was Bristolian, and John Cabot, the first modern European to officially discover North America sailed from Bristol.
Funny how some of those being most critical don't appear to to live there, or have actually spent more than an afternoon there!
Bristol traffic can, indeed be pretty bad, but most cities can, it took me an hour to get hom from Bath yesterday, and I live twelve miles away, and I wasn't even starting from the city centre, but out at Weston!
Bristol is vastly improved from twenty-odd years ago, Cabot Centre has made a difference, it just needs Broadmead to be levelled and rebuilt to complete the job, the whole docks area is really nice, you can walk right around it, the music scene is transformed from twenty-thirty years ago, with loads of good little venues dotted around the city, and of course there are a lot of bands as well, like Portishead, Goldfrapp, Blue Aeroplanes, who own The Fleece now, Massive Attack, Roni Size, Tricky...
There is, of course, the Sustrans connection, with the original Cyclebag route to Bath, linking up with the K&A Canal and all the rest of the network, Leigh Woods, Ashton Court...
Clifton Village and the Downs are a whole community in themselves.
There are far worse cities to live in, for sure.

Everything, absolutely everything is covered in graffiti. Some might call it wall art. I don't. Its full of students and the mess that they create.
Used to like it, but am now having second thoughts.

Bristol is nice. I work in Filton, live near Castle Comb and regularly go into Bristol and Bath. It's quite expensive as a place to live. Food, fuel, transport prices are higher than anywhere else I've lived, (Lakes, Yorkshire, Derby) and can be close to London prices for a lot of trendy areas.

Wages don't tend to support the prices, but unemployment is low.

Bike crime is high, places to ride MTB are fairly limited from your door, unless you're cheeky, but there's plenty within an hour. Road biking is okay and whilst the traffic is bad, there are plenty of cyclists so most people kow to look out for them, even if they do so grudgingly.

It's a very multicultural place, which I adore, and was one of the primary reasons I left the Lakes for Bristol.

There's always plenty going on, carnivals, fiesta, festivals, events, etc.

I like it...

I blame The Young Ones.

5thElefant - Member 
I blame The Young Ones.

Was about to say that 😉

Great place to live. Ups and downs like everywhere and it won't suit everyone but it works for us. When I first moved here I moved from cardiff, which I loved, and everyone was raving about bristol but I struggled to see what was special. Having been here a while now I get it. It got just the right mix of urban and wild, posh and earthy, lively and peaceful. The accent is a bit out there but in a way that makes you smile rather than grates. Also where I live voted 85% remain, happy with those neighbours.

Bike crime is high, places to ride MTB are fairly limited from your door, unless you're cheeky, but there's plenty within an hour. Road biking is okay and whilst the traffic is bad, there are plenty of cyclists so most people kow to look out for them, even if they do so grudgingly.

Heard a recent story about 2 kids on a motorbike swiping bikes stood right next to their owners at ashton court.. one drives, one grabs!

I live in Croydon.
One night out in Bristol terrified me.

Lived here since '84. As has been said, theres worse places. I'm originally from Basingstoke and I don't think I have a Bristolian accent - until I hear myself on an answerphone message! 😯 It's all right. Great places to eat. The Fleece & Firkin for live music and lots of Banksy artwork all over the city if thats your thing. Two footie teams, City or Rovers. Pick one. Never the twain shall meet!! 😆

5thElefant - Member

I blame The Young Ones.

Filmed 50 yards from where I'm typing 🙂
Bristol is a good place to live. It can be expensive to buy a property in the better/trendier parts of town. What do you enjoy doing? Climbing indoors & out within a mile of the centre, good nightlife, excellent music, acceptable cycling infrastructure, & lots just outside the city. The dockland area is interesting and never dulls. Rowing - yes. Fishing -yes, high culture - yes.
It's got hills like Sheffield has & Manchester hasn't. Life is fine.

It's got hills like Sheffield has & Manchester hasn't.

Eh? We don't have many decent hills, and from memory, sheffield has?

It's nice, lived here all my life, Short spells in the Alpe's have broken that up..(Don't think my accent is too bad though)
I work in Avonmouth and live on the same side of the city so traffic never an issue for me.
Some of my workmates have more challenging commutes across the city but they are very rarely late. Things are bad at the moment as we are having a tram type thing being built across the city which is making traffic worse for the time being.

Email me if you want to meet up for a ride, I ride through Clifton to get to Ashton Court / Lee Woods.
Sounds like there are a few on here form Bristol.

That's weird, it's what bristolians say about scousers.

They do do that though, don't they?

Been here 8 years - love it.

As has been said, great mix of city & country, some great local tracks if you know where to look. Loads to do, pretty relaxed vibe. You'll like it.

Email in profile if you ever fancy a local spin 🙂

Unique city with lots going for it. Large parts of the trendier and affluent areas are largely populated by non-Bristolians - quite high number of Uni students seem to stay. Sort of city where the Green Party gets lots of votes. Popular areas in centre and west are very expensive to buy houses or to rent. As mentioned traffic is awful and depending where you live parking can be a nightmare. Otherwise a really easy city toi live in and enjoy.

I moved up from Devon a few years ago (username not entirely accurate these days!) & I really, really like it; yes traffic is grim but I work away so don't need to drive & can cycle everywhere. Good local riding, great music, great food, cider anyone?? So, whilst it is expensive it is a great place to live. But then I'm originally from Doncaster so anywhere would be great after that... I never realised how many STWers are based here. I think my emails in my profile if anyone fancies a ride/cider sometime

Went to university there and would love to move back. if my cunning plan actually works and the oz missus plays game it might actually happen. Bike crime is brutal and even then I remember the traffic being utterly rubbish. But the slightly sketchy element is sorta part of the charm.
Not sure if my future children sounding like pirates is better or worse than sounding like australians though.

I’ve just moved from London, sometimes I don’t think people appreciate what they’ve got on their doorstep.

I’ve gone from riding once a week in Surrey, an hour and a half drive from my flat on a decent day, to being able to ride twice a week around Leigh Woods on the natural cheeky stuff, can easily get a 30km ride from my door, with at least 20 of that off road. Some nice steep, rooty fun, great for an evening ride. Then on the weekend, can drive to Cwmcarn, Staunton, FOD, Triscombe, Mendips in 45 mins, and BPW, Afan etc within an hour and a half.

Add to that lower rent and house prices, with not a massive wage drop, proportionally I’m much better off, and happier.

The only thing I’m missing is some riding buddies! If anyone fancies a ride, drop me an email.

It depends on what you're used to. I've got as much of South Wales off-road as I can complete from my doorstep (planned a 100km one this weekend), including technical, rocky, woodsy, fire-roady, whatever. And I can even ride to Cwmcarn on good technical trails if I want.

So to me, Bristol doesn't look great. It's all relative.

I moved here from Devon 16yrs ago. the plusses and minuses are pretty much the same for me as has already been said.
I'm lucky in that I live 25mins away from work so I walk in every day, and I only drive when leaving the city so commuting traffic isn't an issue for me.
the independent music, film, art scene is great and there's generally something for everyone.
4-5 climbing venues in the city centre area plus a multitude of outdoor venues such as Avon Gorge underneath the suspension bridge, winterbourne, river frome, snuff mills.
a plethora of festivals to enjoy (harbour festival, balloon fiesta, grillstock, St Pauls Carnival, Redfest)

and of course enough riding in the city to enjoy and a lot more on your doorstep.

but yes, the house prices are silly.

I think there's enough people on here suggesting getting in touch to have a ride that maybe we should arrange a Bristol meet sometime. put some faces to names and see if our Mtb skills are as good as our keyboard skills ....(mine aren't)

I think there's enough people on here suggesting getting in touch to have a ride that maybe we should arrange a Bristol meet sometime.

+1

I met up with a fellow Bristol STW'er last week for a ride. Be good to get a few more out.

Wow. Sooooo many haterz
😯

A few years ago I was working away from home, in Chipping Sodbury but I used to stay at hotels in and around Bristol and cycle to work, ride off road or to Bath along the cycle path. I really really like Bristol. It just seems relaxed and welcoming to me. It's certainly on the cards that we could one day live a short distance away form from Bristol. I wouldn't LIVE in any city given the choice but it would be lovely to be within cycling or a couple of stops on the train of it.