Bristol is in the UK. It is where the phrase "in ship shape
and Bristol fashion" comes from.
Bristol was a major port and it is thought that the phrase related to
the fact that in early days ships moored at Bristol hit the bottom when the
tide went out so had to be very sturdy not to get damaged by this.
Bristol
forms part of the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset. And the historic city of Bath (well beloved of Regency
romances) is close by.
There
are 34 other Bristol's around the world.
Bristol
was badly damaged by bombs in WWII. But
some of its old elegance has been restored since the 1980's.
Some
famous airplanes were made in Bristol including the WWi Bristol fighter and the
WWII Blenheim and Beaufighter aircraft.
And the Concorde also had important parts done there.
Here
are some things to see in Bristol:
Clifton Suspension Bridge – opened way back in
1864, the brainchild of the famous engineer Brunel. It spans the River Avon
Queen Square – which has been
restored to the grandeur of old.
St Mary Redcliffe Church – beautiful Gothic
architecture – the tallest building in Bristol.
Love knowing where "ship shape" originated!
ReplyDeleteI have Bath on my list of places to visit. Since Bristol is so close by train, we may make it over there as well.
ReplyDeleteOnce, when on a very brief visit to Bristol, I visited St Mary Redcliffe's and was lucky enough to be there when the organist was practicising on the amazing church organ there. A beautiful church and gorgeous music - a memory I treasure!
ReplyDeleteBristol was a super-easy day trip from Bath. The water ferry stop is around the corner from the train station so it was easy to get to the sites along the waterfront.
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