I was attending a conference in Cambridge, and having arrived, I took a walk around the heart of the city centre.
Portishead Marina
It was a nice sunny day, so we headed to Portishead to have a walk around the marina (and probably stop for a coffee).
It had been a while since we were last there, looking back across my old photographs, it was August 2020.
Though my first visit to the marina was only in July 2020. I had been to the Waitrose in the area a fair few times (before the branch in Weston opened), but had never noticed or even being to the marina area.
The original docks closed in 1992 and the area underwent regeneration. It is now very different to the power stations that dominated the area before then.
We walked up to the pier end of the marina.
On our recent trip, the sun was shining, but it wasn’t as warm as it might be with a chilly wind blowing in from the sea.
There are a really variety of boats and yachts in the marina.
We stopped for coffee and croissant at Mokoko Coffee and Bakery.
There are a few information signs around the marina which shows how it use to look in the 1970s and 1980s.
Cars on Marine Parade
So let’s be frank about this, I really don’t know that much about classic cars, however I have thought in the past it would be nice to own an old classic motor.
These photographs were taken at a car event in Weston-super-Mare today, I can guess what some of them are, but please add a comment if you are more confident than me in what they are (and correct me if I got it wrong as well).
1. Dodge ?
2. Pontiac?
3. Pontiac Firebird
4. Ford Consul
5. Vauxhall
6. Mini Clubman
7. Mini Pickup
8. Jaguar
9. ?
10. ?
11. ?
12. MG
13. ?
14. Morris Minor Police Car
15. Triumph Herald
16. Volkswagen Beetle
17. ?
18. Ford Torino “Starsky and Hutch”
19. Hot Rod ??
Walking down the Welsh Back
On a recent lunchtime walk in Bristol I walked down the Welsh Back.
I started off at Redcliffe Bridge looking down the Welsh Back.
The Welsh Back is a wharf and street alongside the floating harbour in the centre of the city. It tooks it name due the frequent visits by ships from Wales.
The Welsh Back has been an important quay since the 13th century, when it was located on the tidal course of the River Avon.
Walking up the Welsh Back you find yourself at Bristol Bridge.
Visiting Wells
At the weekend we went to Wells in Somerset.
We walked to Vicar’s Close.
Looking inside the Cathedral. Continue reading “Visiting Wells”
Walking around Uphill
Went for a New Year Stroll. Walked from the Uphill boatyard and marina, to the beach and then up to the Pier and back.
Walked past the River Axe. The tide was out.
Then we walked by the pontoons on the river.
Paddington has changed
Well, Paddington has changed on the tube map with the changes to the Elizabeth Line services now going straight through, not stopping at Paddington which they did until this month.
Before the Paddington name was on the Bakerloo line.
With the changes to the tube network over time, the map is getting constantly updated and changed.
Bristol Harbourside
Went for a walk around the Bristol Harbourside. It was a lovely and sunny day.
On one side of the harbourside is Miss Conduct, a floating nightclub I think, complete with helicopter.
Further down is the SS Great Britain, well an obscured view of the restored historic ocean liner.
Up on the hill are the coloured houses of Clifton Wood.
This is the view from the Junction Swing Bridge.
Then there was Poole’s Wharf, which I didn’t realise was originally a floating dock, that has been filled in. The dry dock though remains, not as a dry dock but an inlet.
The harbourside is now very much a recreational space.
The old gasworks is now a mix of housing, apartments and bars.
Final view from the Mshed looking across to the Arnolfini and the Watershed.
Walking around the harbour
Spent a pleasant couple of hours walking around the Bristol Harbourside.
We were going to park in the Millennium Square Underground car park However we couldn’t quite believe the prices, so we went off to park in The Galleries instead. Not the easiest place to get to, now Baldwin Street is closed to traffic. Once parked there we headed off down Corn Street before heading down Marsh Street to Prince Street Bridge.
Moored up by the Arnolfini was the STS Lord Nelson, a sailing ship with lots of masts.
The STS Lord Nelson was a sail training ship operated by the Jubilee Sailing Trust. It is in the process of being decommissioned.
Having crossed Prince Street Bridge, we walked along Princes Wharf, on the dockside by the M Shed. The MV Balmoral was moored alongside.
MV Balmoral is a vintage excursion ship which required extensive hull work if she is to sail with passengers again.
Up by the M Shed is the Fairbairn steam crane. It can lift more tonnage than all the other remaining dockside crates combined.
As we walked along the docks I took a photograph of the old gasworks on the other side of the harbour.
There has been quite a lot of development and regeneration on that side of the harbour over the years. Back in the 1990s I did a ferry ride and took a photograph of the pre-developed area.
Another old view of that area.
We then passed Brunel’s Buttery where there were many people enjoying hot drinks and bacon butties. I don’t remember the last time I had a bacon butty from the Buttery, but I must go back at some point.
We walked past the SS Great Britain before heading inland slightly to walk past the Albion Dock.
We walked through the historic Underfall Yard before closing Merchants Road Bridge and then heading back to the centre.
As we walked long the harbourside we got a better view of the luxury yacht complete with helicopter.
There was another boat moored on Princes Wharf with a car onboard.
And to complete things off there was a small boat with a bicycle!
Having enjoyed our walk we headed back into town stopping for coffee at Caffe Nero on Corn Street.
1947 Nash Ambassador 436YUP
This beautiful 1947 Nash Ambassador was in a local car park, part of a local hot rod meet.
The Nash Ambassador is a luxury automobile that was produced by Nash Motors from 1927 until 1957. For the first five years it was a top trim level, then from 1932 on a standalone model.