Wills Memorial Building: Tower Tours

Watching Bristol from the top of Wills Memorial Tower is something each Bristolian must experience. The 68-metre high tower at the top of Park Street offers incredible views of the entire city, in clear days also Avonmouth and Portishead.

Wills Memorial Building is a neo-gothic building design by Sir George Oatley and built as a memorial to Henry Overton Wills III. Building works begun in 1915 but it was not opened until 1925. It is considered one of the last great Gothic buildings to built in England.

Currently, Wills Memorial Building hosts graduation ceremonies and examinations for students of the University of Bristol. Only students of Law and Earth Science have the pleasure of studying in such a beautiful building.

There are tours which take place on the first Wednesday and Saturday of the month: at 12.15pm and 12.30pm on Wednesdays and every half an hour between 10.30am and 12pm on Saturdays. As it is always busy, you must book a place in advance by talking to the security guard at the entrance of the Wills Memorial Building (on the left side) or by contacting them by email (check here). You must leave your name, telephone number in case they need to contact you for any reason and whether you are a concession or not, but you don't have to pay in advance.

Tours cost £4 per adult (£3 for concessions). Children between 8-11 years old are free. Children under eight are not permitted on the tours due to health and safety restrictions. Profits are donated to Wallace and Gromit Appeal.




The tour starts at the Reception Room, where first explanations of the design and built of the building were given, as well as some health and safety regulations. The entrance of the building reminds me somehow to Harry Potter's school Howards. I have a very creative mind, you see. It is still a very beautiful entrance to the building...



The Great Hall (right) is where degree ceremonies and examinations take place. It is the centrepiece building of the university. Just the fact of having an exam in this room would automatically inspire me. Lucky UoB students...

The Wills Tower is the dominant feature of the building. It is reinforced concrete faced with Bath and Clipsham stone. At 68 metres high, it is over twice the height of Cabot Tower, about which I will write in future posts. It houses Great George (left), England's sixth largest bell which strikes on the hour in a very unique tone that could be heard from very far away.



The views from the tower are wonderful. Check out Park Street, which doesn't look as steep as it actually is.

The Council Chamber is the last stop of the visit. It is not used anymore as it is too small to accommodate all city council members. On the wall, there are coat of arms of families that donated money to the University of Bristol... and some empty coat of arms, in case you are wealthy enough to make your own contribution. ;) 
Overall, I found the tour very complete  and detailed and it suprisingly lasted almost 2 hours. I was not expecting such a long and detailed tour. We were around 25 people in the group. The tour guides are very professional and knowledgeable. I very much recommend the tour to anybody living in Bristol.
However, I would have liked visit the General Library, which I cannot access if I am not a university student.

WEBPAGE: http://www.bris.ac.uk/university/visit/tower-tours/

Sliding down Park Street

An artist is planning to turn Bristol's Park Street into a giant water slide. If we have the same heatwave we had last summer, I am for sure sliding down Park Street! The artist Luke Jerram pretends to transform the city centre into a 90-metre water slide on May 4. It will consist of a temporary slide made of plastic sheeting and hay bales, and it will be free for the public to use. Jerram explained to Bristol Post that "Park and Slide will be a unique and memorable once in a lifetime experience and asks people to take a fresh look at the potential of their city and the possibilities for transformation" (read here).

Two days ago, someone created a great confusion after donating £10,000 by mistake (read here). Organisers still need more than £2,700, yet are very pleased to see the reaction they had so far. The idea has already the backing of Bristol City Council as they run a successful 50-metre test water slide last year in Ashton Court.

Donations towards the project can be made at fundraising website here. Let's make it happen!

LUKE JERRAM's webpage: http://www.lukejerram.com/

The Caligari Experience

Until last week, Blue Mountain Club's wall was advertising a new event this weekend. Motion nightclub will host The Caligari Experience next 13th March at 7.30pm with an spectacle called "cinematic circus". They probably based their performance from a very famous German film production.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 1920 German silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene. It is one of the most influential film of the German Expressionist movement and is often considered to be one of the greatest horror films of the silent era. The film uses stylized sets with abstract jagged buildings painted on canvas backdrops and flats and the actors used an unrealistic technique that exhibited jerky and dance-like movements.
(Source: Wikipedia)

According to the website, The Caligari Experience promises to be a "dazzling, immersive event drawing on some of the most cutting edge practise in aerial and movement performance, digital art and sound to be found in the UK today". The group is formed by 10 dancers, aerialists and performers trained all over Europe. 

Seated tickets are £17.30 with fees (£15.06 for concessions) and standing tickets £11.70. Sadly, they are all sold out already. However, Facebook (and social media in general) is a good place to get a ticket if you don't own one yet. You might be able to find someone who has a ticket and who is not able to go to the event! Check the Facebook event here. Good luck!!

A reader lives a thousand lives

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. 

The man who never reads lives only one"

George R.R. Martin, A dance with Dragons

I have recently started reading a book: ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’ by Robert Galbraith. It is actually good news as I haven’t read a book for… months (not to say a year).  I have been busy, that’s my excuse. Which book are you currently reading? And if you’re not reading any… what’s your excuse?

Today, it’s World Book Day in the United Kingdom. You guys like rebelling against the rest of the world: you drive on the other direction and cars are specifically made for you with the wheel on the “other side”; neither you accept the internationally agreed metric measurement system nor use the euro currency despite you belong to the UE (very smart, by the way)…

In this case, whilst the rest of the world celebrates the World Book Day the 23th April (organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and copyright), you recognise your own "World Book Day" on the first Thursday in March, which is today. Therefore, due to my recent achievement of starting reading a book, I must mention this day on the blog. ;)

Schools in Bristol celebrate the Book Day with many different activities: children and staff of Busy Bees in Portishead will be dressing up as their favourite book character and children will also be creating some lovely little story books and pictures to take home. As well in Bristol Free School, students are also able to come to school dressed as their favourite literary character. Colston’s Girls’ School will also celebrate the World Book Day today and tomorrow.

Many book stores offer good book deals today and during the whole week. St Peter’s Hospice goes even further on the offers. They celebrate World Book Day by asking all Bristolians to buy and donate books at theirs shops across the city. During March, they have paperback books for 50p and hardback books for 1 pound.

If you prefer a library, Bristol Central Library is the main and biggest book source in Bristol. The Central Library, located in next to the Cathedral in College Green (BS1 5TL), offers a wide range of books for both adults and kids. However, the library also has many other things apart from books. There are computers available with internet access; a drama collection, music and CDs that you can take home; travel books and guides from all over the world; and newspapers and magazines that you can read. On the ground floor, there is a coffee-shop which is open daily (check opening hours here).

In addition, the library also organizes many activities, events and exhibitions that take place in the library. For instance, there is an adult reading group which meets on the second Thursday of the month from 5.45-7pm and there is also an informal social group meeting at the café area every last Tuesday of the month (check activities here).

To celebrate the 400^th birthday of Bristol’s Central Library, Rusty Squid launched the “Book Hive” last December (which is finishing tomorrow by the way). It is a huge interactive living sculpture which fills the entrance hall of the library with moving books. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth visiting the library to see it… and as you are already there, why not taking a book home to celebrate the day? 

INTERESTING LINKS
St. Peter's Hospice: www.stpetershosppice.org
Bristol Central Library: www.bristol.gov.uk/page/leisure-and-culture/central-library

Pancake day!

My calendar squeals that it is Shrove Tuesday tomorrow. Where I came from, the day preceding Ash Wednesday is called "Martes de Carnaval" (or Carnival Tuesday) and everybody dresses up in fancy costumes. Sadly, Winter Carnival is not celebrated in the UK. Instead, I've been told British people eat pancakes to celebrate "Pancake Day"! 

It probably comes an Anglo-Saxon interpretation of the French Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer in calories before the Lenten season which begins tomorrow.

Apparently in United Kingdom and Ireland, people have the tradition of eating pancakes on the day, even though they might not eat pancakes AT ALL the rest of the year. Not the american pancakes, though. Pancakes in the UK are thing and crepe-like. A sweet pancake for breakfast, and a savoury option for lunch/dinner, why not? It is quick, cheap and easy to make pancakes, and everybody likes them! I might have some tomorrow. :)

This is what you need to make 12 pancakes:

• 225 gr flour
• 2 large eggs
• 600 ml milk
• 2 teaspoons of melted butter
• salt

This is how you do it: 

1.  Sieve the flour into a large baking bowl and add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the eggs. Beat well until it's smooth and lump free.
2. Add half the milk and the 2 teaspoons of butter, and beat well. Add the remaning milk and stir.
3. Leave the batter to rest for 15 minutes
4. Lightly grease a pancake pan (or frying pan) with a little melted butter. Heaat until it is very hot and lightly golden.
5. Using a spatula, cook on the other side for approximately 30 seconds.
6. Slip the pancake from the pan onto a warm place. Cover the plate with a tea cloth and keep pancakes warm.
7. Add any ingredient that you like: nutella, cheese, jam..

 Original recipe: http://britishfood.about.com/od/pancakeday/r/pancakes.htm

Pub crawling in the centre

A pub, formally public house, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain. In many places, especially in villages, pubs can be the local point of the community.

With the intent to immerse ourselves in the culture of Britain, we did pub crawling in 7 pubs we have never been to (except for one). In every bar, I literally ordered half a pint of "the cheapest beer/ale they had" and I received many different beer suggestions of a wide variety, quality and prices. I hope you find it useful!

1. The Bank Tavern (BS1 2HR)
We started the route in the small but very traditional pub in  John Street. There were many people, mostly young, singing and dancing on the tables. Very good atmosphere! The waiter served me a Glastonbury Ale "Black as yer' at" for £1.70. The beer was very good, smooth and dark "as black". There is a very funny clock on the wall which moves anticlockwise!

www.banktavern.com/

2. The White Lion (BS1 1EB) 
This is the pub I have seen many times when I go to the centre but never had a chance to stop to get a beer here. Although it claims to be the smallest pub in Bristol, we were lucky enough to find a free table. The waitress served me a BOB for £1.70. It was a very smooth beer, golden colour; I liked it. The atmosphere was not young at all: the average age of people at the bar was approximately 60 years old, old-fashioned music which stopped very often. Perfect if you want a quiet place.

3. Seamus O'donnell (BS1 1UE)
This is the first Irish style bar we have been to. It is a biggish bar but it was not even half full. TVs were on and music was also on. The average age at the bar was around 40-50 years old. This time, I got half a pint of "Sods Ale" for £1.75, a very nice dark gold ale.

www.seamusodonnellsbristol.co.uk/

4. Molloy's (BS1 1SE)
As far as I am concerned, this bar was somehow disappointing. We thought we were going to traditional Irish pub because from the outside, it looks like it. However, it is more like a club for oldish people. Very big bar with different areas, crowded, mostly with 40 year-old people trying to flirt with youngsters. Commercial music, kind of loud. At 10.30pm, a live music band started playing. I got the most expensive half a pint of our pub-crawl in here: £2.75 for a half a pint of IPA beer. 

http://www.molloysbristol.co.uk/

5. King William Ale House (BS1 4EF)
We were really looking forward to having a beer in this ale house but arrived quite late to the place and the stopped serving drinks at around 11pm. So instead, we went to the pub next door, which happened to be an amazing discovery!

6. The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer (BS1 4EF) 
As said before, the best discovery of the night. It is a very nice and big pub which has a restaurant on one of the wings. It mixes modern style with a traditional pub. There was live music, a very good band playing good songs. The waiter offered Arbor Motelka, which cost £2 for half a pint. My friends highlighed the "barrels" in men's toilets. You should check them out! :)

http://www.navyvolunteer.co.uk/

7. Old Duke (BS1 4ER) 
This is the only pub we have visited before. In Summer, it is the perfect spot to have a fresh beer in the terrace. The whole street, Kings Street, is full of historic buildings. The Old Duke is located in a public house from the 1780s. There are jazz and blues concerts every night. We arrived quite late and the band just finished playing at 11.45pm. The waitress misunderstood what I said and served me a pint of Courage beer instead of half a pint. It was £3.50. 

http://www.theoldduke.co.uk/

8. Llandoger Trow (BS1 4ER) was originally a merchants' house from the 1664. It was already closed by the time we went there. Next time!

9. Hatchet Inn (BS1 5NA) is an historic public house located in Frogmore Street. It is nowadays  a young student bar which is strategically located next to the O2 Academy. The cheapest beer is Moretti and it costs £1.95 for a very bad beer. However, the decoration of the place is very nice, it has a big terrace.