Bristol Meeting August 2014

[Kat]

Hello! \o/

I'm going to Bristol, UK this summer for 3 weeks. It's an educational program so I will have school there but I should be free during the weekends. I was talking to some people who told me they might visit and as we talked the idea of having a meeting there came out. So who would be in ? Think about it and let us know here if you would have time and want to meet. We will eventually add details!

Info:

Date:
- 1st August (Friday) - 3rd August (Sunday)

Spoiler: Calculation

1 Flight Tickets:

Berlin: (EasyJet)
From: Fri 01 Aug
To: Sun 03 Aug
Price: 210€ ( without insurance)
Lisbon: (EasyJet)
From: Thu 31 Jul (no flight on the 1st Aug)
To: Sun 03 Aug
Price: 220€ (without insurance)
Oslo: (Lufthansa)
From: Fri 01 Aug
To: Sun 03 Aug
Stop: Germany (no direct flights)
Price: 250€ (without insurance)
Amsterdam: (EasyJet)
From: Fri 01 Aug
To: Sun 03 Aug
Price: 100€ (without insurance)

2 Hotel
From: Fri 01 Aug
To: Sun 03 Aug
Price:
For example: Twin room (2 ppl, 2 nights, free cancellation before 12:00 on 01 Aug, pay later, possible breakfast 7€) - 151€ (72 for one)
You can check the room here

List of Participants:
1. Kat (Confirmed)
2. Benelori (Confirmed)
3. Goldb (Pending)
4. Bugzee (Confirmed)

Map:
For those who don't know where exactly Bristol is

Spoiler: Some Bristol Pics

Oki so that's it for now! Post so we can talk and then plan "What to do" and "Where to stay" options! ^^

 

[benelori]

Sign me up...

I'm for the first option, because I can link it to the potential brazil trip, and it would be good to have it done in one go...but 2nd option is doable too, so I'm good...

I can help with the organizing part too

 

[Kat]

I hope we can gather enough people to make it !!

 

[z.5]

I doubt I will be free - but I used to live in Bristol (Brizzle) if you need any advice on places to visit/things to do... Have you been before?

Which school is it you are visiting?

On a side note, I am not sure where that beach is in Bristol - looks like Newquay to me (not particularly close).

 

[Kat]

I doubt I will be free - but I used to live in Bristol (Brizzle) if you need any advice on places to visit/things to do... Have you been before?

Which school is it you are visiting?

On a side note, I am not sure where that beach is in Bristol - looks like Newquay to me (not particularly close).

In any case you are free let us know!

And it would be pretty cool to hear some advice from you If you have any places we definitely should visit feel free to tell us, I will appreciate it

Hmm I dunno but is there a beach closer ?

 

[z.5]

if by beach you mean muddy coastline - then sure!
You can ride donkeys by the 'beach' if you want...

The real beaches are down on the south coast.

What kind of things you want to do or see?
History wise Bristol has a load of stuff - especially Navy related (Bristol used to be one of the UK's biggest ports... unfortunately the main commodities were Slaves, tobacco and alcohol )
There is also a huge music scene.
There are a load of old buildings, ranging from Saxon, Norman, Tudor, Saxon... To more modern ones.
Pub wise - There are a lot (Bristolians like to drink... a fine English tradition)
Also, if you have time, you should visit Bath *a city nearby not an actual bath* (though you can visit the Roman baths in Bath if you want - you can even swim in one of the baths now that they have removed the infectious organisms from the water.

 

[Kat]

Awesome awesome ! We will definitely need your help but first we need ppl so we will wait a bit and see if somebody wants to join and then we can plan more! ^^
Thank you so faar :3 Try to make it so you can join us

 

[Imperium]

I dont know what I will be doing in August, but if I am in the UK, I'll come by.

 

[Evil3ye]

Thanks for the invite! I am short on money this summer though, think I got to pass on it again. But maybe a miracle will happen, then I let you know.

 

[Adorien]

OMG I'd love to but I don't think I can make it financially.

 

[goldb]

Depending on my finances in the coming months, I could be down for the trip. Even for just a day meet then go back.

 

[Xadyu]

Depends on the overall costs in the end, but so far I'm down for the first weekend.

That way I can miss out on the horrible annual family party they are planning to do from this year on.

 

[Kat]

OK so we made a rough calculation, I have already posted it in the first post but to be sure I put it here again ^^ I hope it will help at least a bit to become more sure about options. (We used the first weekend= 01 Aug - 03 Aug )

Spoiler: Calculation

1 Flight Tickets:

Berlin: (EasyJet)
From: Fri 01 Aug
To: Sun 03 Aug
Price: 210€ ( without insurance)
Lisbon: (EasyJet)
From: Thu 31 Jul (no flight on the 1st Aug)
To: Sun 03 Aug
Price: 220€ (without insurance)
Oslo: (Lufthansa)
From: Fri 01 Aug
To: Sun 03 Aug
Stop: Germany (no direct flights)
Price: 250€ (without insurance)
Amsterdam: (EasyJet)
From: Fri 01 Aug
To: Sun 03 Aug
Price: 100€ (without insurance)

2 Hotel
From: Fri 01 Aug
To: Sun 03 Aug
Price:
For example: Twin room (2 ppl, 2 nights, free cancellation before 12:00 on 01 Aug, pay later, possible breakfast 7€) - 151€ (72 for one)
You can check the room here

 

[Bugzee]

Hi everyone~

Thanks Kat for your invite. =) I look forward to meeting you all in Bristol this year. As far as I know I'll be able to make it. I guess I can stay for the weekend but obviously need to book hotel earlier as august will be pretty busy. I may not post regularly here but I'll definitely follow this thread and will update you guys on my schedule etc etc.

Good times!

 

[Kat]

Hi everyone~

Thanks Kat for your invite. =) I look forward to meeting you all in Bristol this year. As far as I know I'll be able to make it. I guess I can stay for the weekend but obviously need to book hotel earlier as august will be pretty busy. I may not post regularly here but I'll definitely follow this thread and will update you guys on my schedule etc etc.

Good times!

That's amazing! I'm glad to hear you decided to come ^^

So It's now 100% that you are coming? So I can add you to the list? Btw about the hotel you should talk to Benelori to decide which hotel and so cuz I think It's better for you guys to be at the same place!

Looking forward to meet ya!

 

[goldb]

FYI, I don't think Adi and her boyfriend are coming anymore.

 

[Kat]

They are not coming cuz They are looking for a rent or something like that :/

 

[z.5]

You guys should stay in Toad Lodge. Not super cheap, but run by a very strange woman. An interesting and memorable experience (isn't that what people want when they visit a new place?!?)

I thought I would post something of potential interest, to celebrate my 1000th post. I guessed this would probably be at least potentially 'useful' if not 'interesting'.
Oh, one thing. I leave a heavy warning here, that I have not lived in Bristol for quite some time and although I did visit again to see some friends earlier this year a lot has changed.

That said.

If you guys have not already planned out exactly what you are doing, perhaps this list may give some ideas.

Things to see

I will start with one of the most recognisable sights of Bristol:
The Clifton Suspension Bridge (There is a more scenic view from here – normally an ice-cream van nearby [if you don't mind the rain/ice-cream combo] - I would also recommend walking through the forest and along the cliffs on the left for a much better view)

Another good view of Bristol is from up Brandon hill

Bristol Zoo - Website
A very famous Zoo - Opened in 1836 it is suposedly the oldest provincial zoo (good old Wikipedia). Does a load of conservation stuff, including being the site of the first squirrel monkey born in captivity.

Another Zoo would be Noah's Ark Zoo Farm. Website
I have not been, but have heard good things.

For Aquatic animals, there is the Bristol Aquarium - Website
It is also quite cool

This museum is cool – and is free entry. I would check it out.
You can also see a load of the Bristol University buildings from nearby (such as this one)

2 Other Museums would be: At Bristol - Website
and the M Shed - Website
I do not remember At Bristol being free, but the M Shed is - and supposedly is now quite good.

There are lots of old churches and buildings is Bristol - but the Cathedral is quite impressive.

For plays and the like
The Bristol Hippodrome (what's on)
The Old Vic (whats on)
The Tobacco Factory (what's on)
are 3 places to start your search.

One unique museum/attraction would be the SS Great Britain - Website
I like old ships, so found it quite interesting. Be warned, however, you may be harrangued by some strange people when walking around...

Another interesting ship would be The Matthew (what's more, you can ride this one). - website

If you like shopping in malls, then there are 2 main ones around Bristol (well 3 if you include this as a separate mall)
Cabot Circus and The Mall – This one is bigger, but you will need to catch a bus to get to it.
There is also St. Nicholas Market – with added Jamaican shops (good Biltong!) and other things – DO NOT BUY THE RUBBISH GURT LUSH/BRISTOLIAN SLANG T-SHIRTS, THEY WILL MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT!

There are many tours of Bristol (here is a list of just some of them). I wouldn't really recommend most of these (perhaps because I lived in Bristol for so long and never really enjoy being guided around when I can explore myself), but if you do decide to (and can not find a local history teacher to take you around instead [these are not as hard to find as you may imagine]) then these are 2 of the more interesting ones.
Pirate tour (no idea if good, but Bristol does have an awesome pirate history, with colourful characters such as this man).
Do not know if this still goes on, but an underground tour of Bristol (with added awful website).

Other activities include:
Bowling - The big bowling alley that I used to go to had gone last time I was in Bristol. But this place is still around. It is ok for bowling in the day, but at night it becomes a crappy nightclub.

You can set up a portable BBQ on the Downs (bonus points if it is overcast and raining when you do it) – try to do it in one of the dips though, or you will have the locals coming to try and grab free food...

You can take a walk through Leigh Woods – It is a nice place, but watch out for the campers (These, not these...

There are tonnes of golf courses around Bristol. But perhaps a more interesting 'sport' would be climbing.
2 places I can recommend would be
St Werburghs – website – where you can climb around a gutted medieval church
and The Climbing Academy – website – 100% bouldering 100% of the time. No top-roping here.
For something outdoors, you can climb the Avon Gorge.
Or do some of these outdoor climbs.

There is a load of live music to listen to in and around Bristol - here are 2 websites to see where
This site, or this site.

Food wise, we have all kinds. Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Malay, Vietnamese, Jamaican...
It would take a long time to make even a slightly good list. SO instead I will just post one of my old haunts
The Rajpoot - This place is nowhere near as good as it used to be... Last time I went, it wasn't as good as I remember (but that may have been a one-off [I do not live in Bristol anymore]).
For more classy food, Wilks is pretty good - website - but it isn't cheap.

Browns cafe is good, but for pure cafe's, there are some much better ones around.

Finally, pub wise.
The Hole in the wall pub supposedly inspired the pub in the start of the book Treasure Island – Unfortunately I do not think this pub is so great.
A much better alternative would be this one! Bath Ales are pretty awesome if you like good beer. In fact, the pubs around this area are far superior than the pubs in town (at least I feel so).
If it is a nice old pub you want – The Llandoger Trow is probably a good shout (it is so old that the whole front of the building is dangerously leaning to one side) – Added bonus is that the pub across the road (the Old Duke) often plays live music.

For some of the good old English Cider, you can try either
The Corry Tap (often has live music, but is often quite crowded)
Or if you want a younger crowd and like drinking on a boat - the Apple.

For another drinking boat/nightclub – You can try this place (The Thekla).

Or there is the Bierkeller nightclub... But only if you like heavy metal, old wooden buildings and places where the beer tastes like someone has farted in your pint. You do get a free shot though with every drink – However, it is a pity that the shot also tastes foul...

Hope that something from that list piques your interest...

 

[Kat]

OMG I LOVE YOU !!!!

You did a great job there!!! Thank you for your hard work! We all appreciate and Im sure this will be the most helpful guide ever!
I will have to reread it though and then when It's about the time We will start discussing the possibilities, BUT I will need to get ppl to talk cuz I dont like monologues

BE SURE TO VISIT US THERE IF YOU CAN!!!!!!

And again Thank you very very much!

 

[Bugzee]

Hey Kat and everyone else~

I apologize for not responding to your messages. I shall be free to attend this event in August. So yes I'm in. I hope it'll be a blast~

---------- Post added at 08:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 PM ----------

Benny!


Is it travelodge or premier inn? Or straight up busking on the streets of bristol?


Or shall we recreate scenes from into the wild?