A Stranger to Bristol #9. The Changing Face of Bristol

A Stranger to Bristol #9. The Changing Face of Bristol

 

Merry Christmas to everyone. At this time of year, reflection seems to be the order of the day. As such, I wanted to start a discussion on the development and changing ‘feel’ of Bristol.

 

Having spoken to several hard-bitten (!) long term residents of the city, and having observed changes myself over the last three years or so, I think it is fair to say that the development and evolution of Bristol appears to be accelerating- a bit like the current trends in global warming. My rationale for this is based partly on new developments such as Cabot Circus, and the potential hosting of World Cup matches, but also on the feel of the place and a great number of comments on various blogs and local publications which support this opinion.

 

This is not to say that there hasn’t apparently been rapid development in the past. But large new developments and city council/health provision plans appear to grow in gradiosity by the day. It’s all ‘Joint Strategic Needs Assessment’ this and ‘Localised Redevelopment Strategy’ that… projects such as the long-awaited South Bristol Hospital, Cabot Circus and the quiet sprucing up of areas near to Temple Meads seem to be ‘cleaning up’ or ‘improving’ our city. But is this the nanny council washing behind our ears as we sleep, or a sensible move to shore up investment ‘going forward’ in a ‘changing twenty-first century’?

 

I suppose the questions that I would ask the people of Bristol are these:

 

1. Do you agree with the hypothesis that there is accelerated development and growth, and by implication more spending, currently taking place within the city?

 

2. In light of this, and if you agree with this hypothesis, then what do you feel are the main challenges that this development poses?

 

3. Do you feel largely positive, or largely apprehensive about the changes you see around you?

 

My take on this is that Montpelier, for example, is quite clearly becoming more gentrified. The slow surge of this trend (if you are of a melodramatic bent, then imagine the red colour slowly sweeping over the fields in the animated ‘Watership Down’) has arguably been proceeding for some time now. And is far from a bad thing. The much hated-upon flats development on the corner of Bath Buildings (NB: probably whisper this, or close your laptop if you are near the Magpie) actually looks quite nice, and fits with the surrounding area.

 

One is more likely to hear talk of ‘fashion agency’ than the ‘trappings of anarchy’ down on Picton or Ashley. The North Bristol area is ever more fullsome with young Spanish students, keen to take advantage of a burgeoning small film industry, keen to become the next Del Toro (and in the meantime, keen to pour money into the local economy). The Cadbury and the Old England have issued rallying-cries of ‘less sleaze, more pots of wasabi peas’ via local, friendly notices from the new ownership.

 

‘Theatre nights in Bedminster’ at one point in the not-too-distant past would have sounded like a bad Christmas cracker punchline, but is very much a reality- regularly featuring The Misfits and various Shakespeare productions. One could argue that expansion of health and social services parks in Withywood and Hartcliffe are also important steps towards alleviating what is rightly observed as one of the highest single-city health and poverty discrepancies in the whole of the UK (the life expectancy discrepancy has been listed as 10 years depending on your postcode).

 

From my perspective, as an everyman trying to raise a young cat in this lovely city, I am excited by the sense of a fresh wind sweeping through Bristol. It’s a new century. The old ways matter little. Friends, this is our time.

 
Posted by: John Edward Strange on 26 December 2009