Bristol Day 2 - My Favourite Bench

This is my favourite bench in the whole of Bristol. I love it for three reasons 1) It's on a really beautiful and historical street called Royal York Crescent 2) The street, probably due to the wealth of its residents, is always calm and peaceful 3) It has an incredible view of the city and the surrounding countryside. I go here a lot to be still, to read, to think and to listen to music. I sat here at the changing of the seasons when the crispness of winter was starting to melt, I came here during exams to focus my mind and get some perspective. It's a really great bench.

I would just like to say that the Strongbow can is not mine. I'm allergic, remember?

Royal YorkCrescent is supposedly the longest crescent in Europe. The houses were built over the gardens and orchards of a former 17th century mansion and although building began in 1791, the street wasn't completed until 1820 as the french kept draining our money with their incessant warfare and revolutions. One website claims that it was this street that 'transformed the quiet little village of Clifton into a fashionable spa'There is a variation of designs because more than one builder finished the job, but the crescent is inevitably expensive, majestic and sun-soaked. Perhaps it is the rays from our favourite star that have christened this place as the pride of Clifton, deeming it suitable to appear alongside the Suspension Bridge on postcards of Bristol. If you are ever in Bristol, you should definitely take a stroll along Royal York before heading to the zoo or to a cafe or perhaps one of the yummy restaurants that will forever be out of my price range (speak of which, my friend Gemma's Dad just opened a new place and it looks FIIIIINEEEE. It's called Restaurant Fifty - check it out!)

Anyway, so yesterday morning Clifton was doing something pretty gorgeous. I don't know why, but I'm always more aware of the sky in Bristol and especially so when I sit by the suspension bridge or on my favourite bench. Yesterday when I stood there at 7:30, the celestial sphere couldn't quite make up its mind whether to rain or shine. The result was a water coloured canvas of soft grey, interspersed with rosy sunshine. It was glorious. I knew then that I had to blog about this place, take lots of pictures and do some lame trawling through google search.

Listening to: This Is The Day - John Rutter