We took a train to Bristol on 27th November to help Jackie’s uncle Gordon celebrate his 60th birthday. Cross-country train via Southampton, Salisbury and Bath. After Salisbury the higher hills had a good sprinkling of snow.
Snowscene snapped from the train
After a late lunch in a ‘pay first then eat all you like’ Oriental restauraunt with Gordon and lots of family we went back to his for coffee and wine. Found myself sitting beneath a large painting with what appeared to be a newspaper cutting relating to the death of the painter wedged into a corner of the ornate and gilded frame. I hope you like it as much as I did.
Obituary: Sir John Russell Hastings
After settling in at our delightful B&B in Southville, just over the Avon and floating harbour, we went in search of beer and food, and found both in The Cottage on Baltic Wharf. After dinner a short walk east took us to The Orchard near the SS Great Britain, for another beer before tottering home to bed.
Sunday breakfast set us up for a walk along the Avon, under the Clifton suspension bridge, up, and further up, through a woodland nature reserve and over the suspension bridge. We made our way down through Bristol, taking in some glorious Georgian housing, to reach a pub I’d been planning to visit since the trip was first mooted weeks before. Sadly the ‘Bag O’Nails’ was closed down and boarded up, and had been since the summer, the barmaid at the nearby Myrtle Tree told us over a pint of 6X and some strong cheddar, cherry tomatoes and crackers -the free Sunday bar snacks.
Notice the huge red sandstone structure built to hold up the terrace.
There used to be a funicular railway cut through the cliff to take visitors from river to bridge.
Jackie not getting muddy shoes thanks to hard frost
Gordon’s party had great food, good company and (for me) too much wine, which had me badly behaved when I eventually found the one Wickwar Brewery pub at about 7pm. Nonetheless I enjoyed the pint I had at the White Lion, though I remember little of our supper later at the Pump House and almost nothing of the journey back to the B&B. Sorry Jackie.
Roundhillrob's Blog 
I’m not sure I’d like to be described as one of England’s ‘truly minor artists’! And ‘animal husbandry’ (snort) has to be one of the best obit euphemisms along the lines of ‘he never married’ I’ve come across! Great cutting – well spotted!