Bristol Trip - Too Hot to Handle?

Report by Mike Hawkridge, Trip Organiser

This was supposed to be our summer trip to London, but the SWR heat related track problems put paid to that. Instead, there was a last-minute change of plan and we headed to Bristol, getting the train from Tiverton to Temple Meads.

Previous Bristol trips have concentrated on the area around the floating harbour. This time we went to the Stokes Croft Area for the street art, taking the bus from the station. After that, we skirted the run-down 1960’s Broad Mead shopping centre and headed into the modern multi-level Cabot Circus shopping centre under its huge glass shell-like atrium. A photography permit is essential here if you don’t want to be limited to a mobile phone camera. We came prepared, and a group of us were able to flaunt our permits to the friendly security folks who even asked us to send them some pictures. Contrast that with one of our members who was on his own and couldn’t find his permit copy and was kicked out (for a while) by the manager.

We had a quick bite to eat here in a gloriously cool fast-food establishment. Heading back out we soon realised that the temperature had climbed to the mid thirties. From here on the ratio of photography time to rest-and-refresh time dwindled alarmingly. We had a short boat trip from Temple Quay to the City Centre and then personal comfort took over from thoughts of competition winning imagery. We passed a very pleasant hour in the cool of the Arnolfini Gallery where there was an exhibition by documentary photographer Polly Braden, Against the Tide, and another very striking exhibition by artist Jonathan Baldock, Held, combining ceramics, textiles and sound to create installations with a psychedelic and pagan theme. Together with the gallery viewers, this presented some interesting and colourful indoor street photography opportunities in the cool and shade of the gallery. Who would want to go outside and do real street photography in 33deg glaring sunshine?

After we had outstayed our welcome at the Arnolfini, we called it quits, rolled up early for our booking at the Ostrich pub by the waterfront at Bathurst Basin, and whiled away the rest of our visit with a good meal finished off by ice cream!

The train home was on time and nice and cool, and there was a jolly, communal atmosphere as passengers tried to glimpse the eclipse through the carriage windows. Thomas even managed to get an eclipse shot through the window, while the train was moving at about 90mph. From the wrong side what's more. All in a normal day’s photography for an SPC member! 

Photo: Mike Hawkridge

Photo: Thomas Hasler