Greetings! You join me this time for a rather different sort of blog, as opposed to my normal format. Rest assured, pubs and beer do still feature, but in a much more peripheral capacity to previous entries. The main thrust of this particular write-up will focus on the importance of doing simple things with great friends, and drive home the point that excellent trips don't have to take hours of planning or involve dozens of pubs. With the world in its current state of spiralling closer towards oblivion, it's important to embrace the things that make us happy. After all, small things can create a much more satisfying larger picture. First, let's set the scene.
This past weekend, for the first time since March 2020, Amy and I were able to make a trip down to Bristol to visit Matt and Jess. The aim of the trip was a relaxing time away, in the company of two of our favourite people, with no set plans other than a zoo trip (more on which later) and a very loose itinerary. We were very much looking forward to a chilled weekend and the opportunity to spend time with Matt and Jess. Whilst Matt had been to visit us last April, we hadn't seen Jess since our aforementioned 2020 trip, which happened to take place on the weekend before the first COVID lockdown. On that occasion, we had ventured into Bristol city centre on the Friday night before a trip to Bath on the Saturday, with feelings of uncertainty, fear and trepidation gripping all and sundry. Fast forward almost 4 and a half years and we were certainly hoping for a more sedate experience this time around. What followed would very much live up to our expectations and featured such themes as cracking weather, cat persuasion, Uber-related antics and much more besides.
We started our excursion by driving down to Bristol on Friday evening. We had already predicted that this may have taken longer than planned. The Friday in question was the day in which the final schools broke up for summer and also coincided with a pay weekend for the vast majority, and the start of a spell of hot weather. For once, the weather in the UK has actually been seasonal for the past few days, a far cry from the very wet and unsettled June that had put a dampener on a few things, Download Festival amongst them. Held up by traffic, and three different sets of roadworks, we eventually arrived in Hanham, the suburb of Bristol where Matt and Jess live, around 3 hours after leaving home, having been delayed by 40 minutes. This validated our decision to leave home at 1.30 as we still managed to arrived before 5pm. We parked up on a side road, around the corner from Matt and Jess, our normal parking location for these trips and, not long after, were greeted by Matt who had returned home from work a few minutes before we had arrived. Matt and Jess have moved house since our last visit. Having previously occupied a flat on the high street, they have now moved a short distance away to a lovely two bed terraced house dating from the 19th century. It was our first opportunity to see the new place and it really is very nice. Greetings exchanged, we relocated our bags and air mattress to the spare room that would be ours for the next two nights, and then began the discussion of what our plans for the evening would be. We all agreed that staying local would be an excellent plan, instead of braving the traffic and the Friday night madness that is the theme of all major cities at a weekend, especially one blessed with warm weather like ours would be. The first stage of our Friday evening involved a beer in the garden, discussing the house, the area and catching up on things, all whilst decompressing from our car journey with, in my case at least, a bottle of ale from the local supermarket. This was simultaneously thirst quenching and refreshing and set us up in good stead for what was to come next. We decided to decamp to one of the local watering holes, a short distance away, to make the most of the sunshine as the evening crept on.
A short walk from Matt and Jess, past the road where we'd parked, a pub sits adjacent to Lower Hanham Road. That pub is The Queens Head and would be the location for our first pub pints of the trip.
This comfortable local pub underwent a refurbishment in 2016 before being taken over by new management in September of 2020. There is a large car park to the front of the pub, with the main door leading through to a central, L-shaped bar. To the left is a traditional bar space with a snug to the rear. To the right, there is an airy conservatory extension that is used as a restaurant. Beyond this, a small garden with picnic bench seating acts as a late afternoon suntrap. Bench seating can also be found to the front, separated from the car park by a wooden fence. The pub sign is new and features the late Queen Elizabeth II. We entered the Queens Head and made our way to the bar where, amongst the delights on offer, 6 handpulls are present. Divided into a group of 4 and a group of 2, one set on each side of the bar, 4 of them were in use at the time offering Horizon and 6X, both from the portfolio of operators Wadworth. Amy and I opted for the Horizon (4%), Matt went for a pint of Madri lager and Jess went for a gin and tonic, before we made our way outside to the beer garden where we secured a table on a small raised area (with an alarmingly tall step) in the corner. The total cost of our round here was £20.25. As we went in rounds throughout the weekend, I'll only be able to provide prices for certain times. We were glad to be out in the evening sunshine and, despite the weather, the pub was not overly busy. The majority of the outside seating was occupied but there was a lot of room inside, as was to be expected on a rare sunny day in Britain. The Horizon was as good as I remembered it from previous times. Light in colour, crisp and refreshing, it was an absolutely perfect beer for the occasion. Conversation quickly pivoted to, and then swiftly away from, politics, both of the local and international variety and onto TV, film and other generalities. The mood around the table was calm, relaxed and happy, precisely the kind of emotions that a trip like this should conjure. We stayed for a second round here, with Amy switching to lime and soda and myself going for the 6X (4.1%), a classic amber ale imbued with malt and fruit character and a long, lingering finish. As our second drinks were supped, we concocted a plan for the following hours. Take away pizza was a unanimous decision and so, before long, we departed The Queens Head, detoured briefly to the Co-Op to pick up additional alcohol and returned to Matt and Jess's place. Following a drink in the garden as the sun started to set and the temperature began to drop, we retreated inside. Pizza was soon ordered and hastily consumed and what followed was an evening of trying to coax Matt and Jess's cat Fern into the living room to say hello. Up until this point she had steadfastly hidden herself under their bed. We did at least succeed in her letting us give her treats from the palms of our hands so progress was indeed made. We also introduced Amy to the delights of the wonderfully surreal medical sitcom Green Wing before tiredness got the better of all of us. I went to bed feeling content and very happy. These are the sorts of evenings that are often in short supply so to be spending them with people we've not seen for a while was a joyous affair. We had a hunch that Saturday would be even more enjoyable.
Saturday dawned, sunnier and warmer than its predecessor. I'd woken up relatively early and Amy followed soon after. Following a hearty breakfast and everybody getting ready, we were ready to embark on our single planned activity for the day. Matt had booked us all tickets to the Bristol Zoo Project, a local wildlife park situated an approximate 30 minute drive away. It was opened a couple of years ago as an ongoing concern to rehouse animals from the defunct Bristol Zoo, whilst improving their general living conditions and contributing to international conservation efforts. Amy and I are both huge fans of good zoos, namely those that exist to help animals survive and thrive, so had jumped at the idea when Matt had suggested it. It turned out to be a fantastic few hours. One of the areas of the zoo is an aerial walkway above enclosures featuring animals that were previously native to Britain but now only exist elsewhere in Europe and Asia, having gone extinct in these lands at various points throughout history. This meant that we got see wolverines, wolves and, most excitingly, brown bears. The urge to climb in and cuddle them was strong but that's the sort of thing you'd only get to do once and not for very long. The bears were certainly the highlight of the day, although an added bonus was watching a very inquisitive red panda exploring the limits of his enclosure. More often than not, every red panda we've seen in a zoo tends to be asleep so this one being so active was a very welcome surprise. Having covered every inch of the zoo site over the course of a few hours, we then made our way back and enjoyed another beer in the garden whilst pondering our next move. We knew we again wanted to stay local and also factor in a food option for later in the day. With that in mind, we decided to take a trip down to the river, in an area known as Hanham Mills, to spend some time at a couple of pubs that sit virtually on the water's edge. Matt had driven us to the zoo earlier in the day so it seemed unfair for him to drive again, even though he'd offered, so instead we decided on an Uber. One happened to be nearby and within 3 minutes had arrived to pick us up. Our first instance of Uber-related hilarity occurred shortly afterwards when the driver began to drive away before Matt was fully in the car and the door was still open! This was quickly rectified but then resulted in Matt having to hold onto the seatbelt as the actual clip had become shut in the door during our hasty departure. Luckily, no harm befell anyone and, a few minutes later, we arrived at the riverside which was, unsurprisingly, bustling with cars and locals, either visiting the pubs or enjoying the weather by the side of the Avon. We were lucky enough to locate an empty table outside one of the pubs and it was here that the second half our day would commence.
We were now at the Old Lock & Weir.
This riverside cottage pub, on two levels, reopened in June this year after a refurbishment following major flooding. The interior features three linked drinking areas with a central staircase leading up to the bar area which features high stools and flagstone floors. The wall above the bar is decorated with photos of dogs, including the former pub dog. To the front of the pub are benches, separated from the riverside path by a stone wall. The main attraction is the large patio space directly next to the river. Whilst most of this open to the elements, one part is covered and heated (in colder months). The table we had found was on the very end of the patio, in one of the uncovered areas, overlooking the river and nearby weir. Amy and I headed inside to procure beverages, joining the queue up the stairs to the bar. Why queuing at bars has become a thing is something I'm still not sure of. A holdover from COVID? Who knows? A note to everyone: don't queue for the bar! Line up along it like normal people. Anyway, back to the job in hand. There are two handpulls on the bar here. One of these was offering Weston's Old Rosie cider, leaving me with the option of St. Austell Tribute. Matt opted for Birra Moretti with Jess staying on gin and tonic. Amy swapped to cider here, in the shape of Thatcher's Haze. We carefully manoeuvred our purchases back to the table and basked in the glorious summer weather. Sat by the river, watching the passing swans and canoeists, it became clear that we had not fully prepared for the weather. It felt much warmer than forecast and I deeply regretted not bringing shorts with me. I also needed to use some suntan lotion that Jess had brought, as I could feel my face getting very warm. I briefly borrowed Matt's hat to take the edge off. This is certainly an idyllic spot to while away a couple of hours. The Tribute was in decent condition and, personally, there's nothing more satisfying than a delicious pint, in a beer garden, on a fabulous summer day. It makes my heart glad. There are many ingredients to a happy life and two of them are certainly Vitamin D and close friends. We stayed for a second round here, with Amy swapping to Thatcher's Apple & Blackcurrant, and fortified ourselves with crisps and mini cheddars.
Before long, we felt we had spent quite a bit of time under the sun's fiery gaze so decided to move along to the neighbouring venue in hopes of finding a shadier table. We were successful almost immediately and found an empty table, almost completely shaded by a parasol. Our attention now turned to the Chequers Inn.
This former Marston's pub underwent a major makeover in 2014, before being taken over by Young's in 2017. The curved frontage overlooks the River Avon. Accessed by a flight of steps to the side, or via a disabled access lift, the interior is roughly divided into separate areas for drinking, dining and gaining access to the front terrace. A more formal area to the left of the bar is laid out restaurant style. As with its neighbour, a patio area is available, as well as a small, grassy area that can be used for outside functions. As with the Old Lock & Weir, there were not many people inside the pub when we visited, although both the outside terrace and riverside patio were very full. Walkers and cyclists were milling about as well as lots of people with dogs, including a very cute one that was playing fetch near where we were sitting. The bar at Chequers is large and roughly central. Two of the 3 handpumps were in use, one of which was offering Thatcher's Cheddar Valley whilst the other featured Young's London Original. It was for the latter that I swung, with Amy on Thatcher's Haze, Matt on Peroni and Jess on G&T (total cost of round: £24.35). The London Original was absolutely spot on. You may remember that I had some in London and the pint here in Hanham was far superior. Quite how that makes sense is unclear but fair play to the cellar team at Chequers for keeping this beer so well. Our table proved to be a good spot to avoid the sun and people watch but sadly not to avoid a typical 'laddish' conversation happening amongst a group of lads on an adjacent table. Thankfully we wouldn't have to deal with that for long. During our time well spent here, Matt educated us on aspects of housing law that he'd picked up at his previous job and which will come in very handy for Amy and I as we're currently in the process of trying to buy a house again. With any luck, in the next couple of months, that should all be sorted and we'll be in a place that we can call our own.
Hunger was beginning to settle in so we decided that our next plan should be to remedy that. We decided to head back to Hanham and grab some food from a local pub a few minutes walk from the house. We again summoned an Uber, which arrived in a couple of minutes and led to another humorous incident. For whatever reason, I hadn't been able to secure my seatbelt so had to hold it across it me like a sash, which the driver found hilarious. He then randomly changed his music from the traditional stuff he'd be listening to to Heart radio, which meant our journey back was accompanied by the tones of Sabrina Carpenter. He was a very funny, jovial bloke and it was certainly one of the more entertaining Uber rides we'd experienced. Before long, we'd reached our next destination and what would be our final pub stop for the weekend: the Blue Bowl.
The site on which the Blue Bowl sits has been occupied by a pub since the 15th century. This is reflected in the interior layout, consisting of several small rooms knocked together to form a traditional family pub and restaurant. A modern extension to one end houses a pool table and TV. The Blue Bowl reopened in Spring 2011 as part of Mitchells and Butlers' Sizzling Pubs chain. A fairly large beer garden is located to the rear, from where we entered the building. There is also an entrance to the front of the pub, which looks out over the main road. We knew roughly what to expect upon arriving here, namely reasonably priced food and drink and a fairly relaxed atmosphere, which turned out to be the case on all fronts. Having procured a table a short distance from the bar, next to a dividing pillar, we set about perusing the menu and deciding what to drink. Amy and Jess went for a burger each, Matt settled on a steak and chicken combo whilst I treated myself to a classic mixed grill. Drinks wise, Matt went for Birra Moretti, Jess stayed on gin, Amy remained on Thatcher's Haze and I contented myself with Doom Bar, the only real ale available from a bank of three handpulls, and priced at £3.70 a pint. Before too long our food had arrived. It was average at best but it hit the spot. We hadn't expected anything spectacular from a well-known low budget pub chain and so it proved. The Doom Bar was at least passable and we made the walk back to the house with full stomachs and full hearts.
Our second and final evening in Hanham went much the way of the first. A couple more relaxed drinks at the house was enhanced by Fern becoming more confident and actually jumping up onto the sofa and allowing herself to be fussed, though only briefly. More Green Wing was watched and we were all rather tired from the day's exertions. We certainly slept much more deeply than the night before, filled with the joys of a brilliant day. Yesterday (Sunday) morning would see us rise slightly later and enjoy another cracking breakfast, before we got our stuff together and bid our farewells, albeit begrudgingly, with the promise that we would definitely meet up with Matt and Jess again in some capacity before too long. It's always bittersweet saying our goodbyes to such good friends, particularly when we don't see each other as often as any of us would like.
As you can see, this particular trip to Bristol was rather different from previous ones, though certainly not worse for it. The relaxation and sense of contentment that were the result was something that we all agreed had been totally worth it. Our trips to Bristol are, and always have been, a visit to see friends first and foremost. That's what keeps us going back. Sometimes pubs can be part of the story and adjacent to events, instead of being the whole story and the centre of things. Primarily, an opportunity to spend time with people we care about is not one that we will ever pass up. We all have different stresses and anxieties that chip away at us and now, more than ever, it's important to find the things that help to counterbalance the weight of reality. For Amy and I, and I hope for Matt and Jess too, this weekend provided an escape. The simple things can be the ones that have the most profound impact, especially on an emotional and mental level. Reader, whatever you do, make some time to spend with people you're close to. You never know what kind of a difference it could make.
Pub of the trip: The Old Lock & Weir. A picturesque place for a summer pint.
Beer of the trip: Young's London Original. Perfectly kept, even this far from the source.
Biggest surprise: The Queens Head. I'd genuinely forgotten how nice a pub this is, particularly on a summer's evening.
