Bristol: Best Place for University?

City Centre stuff!

                St. Nicholas’ market is a personal favourite.  Absolute gems can be find in the temporary stalls just outside.  Handmade Indian diaries or racks of all the different spicy sauces one could imagine are just some of the unique stalls that set up shop.  Inside quirky shops have created a maze of delights, leading onto the food ‘court’.  This one road of the market offers some delightful foods.  From Italian delicacies such as stuffed olives and sundried Tomatoes, to Moroccan dishes and English Pies.  A trip to St. Nicks is always fun!

                Brizzle is always equipped for a rainy day! The new shopping centre offers a nice range of shops and a few entertaining activities such as mini-golf and the cinema.  Round the corner there is also a laser quest course and a bowling ring.  When the sun is out there are some great bars by the river where you can top up your tan.  Of course if you are feeling cultural, there are numerous museums and art galleries which host a range of funky exhibits.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge is Bristol’s nicest city-centre vista.  The view of the river and the hills makes it a favourite for sunset and sunrise lovers.  The cliffs which it stradles offer a mountaineers paradise, and just across it lies golf-course.  Just by the entrance to the bridge is the tunnel heading down to the cave.  The cave sits on the edge of the cliff providing a lovely sheltered spot to watch sunset!

Don’t forget that Bristol also has two football teams!  Although derbys are not as common with the teams in seperate divisions now, when they come they are fiery.  The last Rovers V City match ended in a pitch invasion followed by a police invasion!

Nightlife

                This is where Bristol really excels itself.  The range of musical talent is phenomenal.  Many of the big acts’ English tours make a pit stop in Bristol, and even better is the amount of smaller names who grace the stages.  There are many pubs and bars which offer live music almost every night, and you can find anything from Jazz and trance to dub and folk.  It’s the little venues that have the most charm.  For Jazz there is The Old Duke and Tantric Jazz.  For Reggae you have Cosys, for Drum and Bass you have Native and for Acoustic you have The Prom.  Whatever the music there is a venue where you can enjoy the genre with people who are extremely passionate about the music.  In fact the whole city is passionate about music, and the annual music festivals are a joy to behold! Start by visiting the St.Paul’s carnival!

 Surrounding activities

                If you love nature living in a city can be hard.  Bristol’s great location means it is easy to tap into the beauty of the Cornish coast and the Devonshire hills.  In 2 hours you can be sunning yourself in Saunton or riding a wave in Croyde.  If you hed north-ish you can be in the Welsh countryside in no time at all.  There are also plenty of sights and events in the nearby area.  Even on a Glastonbury free year you have plenty to do!  You don’t need to wait for the summer solstice to go and visit Stonehenge, but if you do it will be worth it.  For those not keen on the crowds and occasional crazyness of Stonehenge, then Woodhenge offers a quieter alternative.   There is also the annual cheese-rolling festival held in Gloucester nearby, for anyone who wants to chase a giant cheese down a very big hill!

All in all, apart from the rain, Bristol is a fun, dynamic and multi-cultural city.  It is a place you will meet a range of people and guaranteed a good time!