People / My Bristol Favourites
My Bristol Favourites: Kelly Sidgwick
Kelly Sidgwick is co-founder of Good Chemistry Brewing in St Philip’s, whose brewery tap is reopening on Friday, April 27 and will then be open every Friday and Saturday until the end of September.
Good Chemistry are also one of five Bristol breweries located within easy walking distance of each other who are once again joining forces for the East Bristol Brewery Trail, taking place on May 5 and 6.
Here are Kelly’s top-five Bristol favourites:
is needed now More than ever
The Camera Obscura
The Camera Obscura is located inside Clifton Observatory
“When deciding on my Bristol favourites, I thought about places I like to take people when they visit. The Camera Obscura at Clifton Observatory is definitely one of those – though you have to hope for a clear, sunny day for your visitors. I remember being taken here as a child by my parents with family from Sydney, and I fell in love with it. It was pretty ramshackle and not very polished back then, and I haven’t been since the new café opened, but I hope it doesn’t lose its unique appeal. If you go in summer you can see tiny little moving images of people playing football and frisbee, sunbathing on the grass, and cars and people moving across the Suspension Bridge!”
St Mary Redcliffe
The spire of St Mary Redcliffe has been a Bristol landmark for centuries
“As well as being described by Elizabeth I as ‘the fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England’ and having fine examples of flying buttresses, there are two things I love about St Mary Redcliffe; besides it just being very beautiful.
“First, my dad first showed me the Chaotic Pendulum in the church when I was a teenager, probably not long after it was installed in 1997, and I’ve been captivated by it ever since. Rather than describe it, I’ll just let you go and find it for yourself!
“The second thing is out the back of the church. There is a massive piece of tram track stuck nearly vertical in the yard. This was thrown over the houses behind the church when a bomb fell during World War Two in 1941. It’s been left embedded solidly in the ground as a reminder of how close this beautiful building came to being destroyed during the war.
“These two are also things I love to share with visitors to Bristol.”
The Drapers Arms
The Drapers Arms on Gloucester Road is named after the business that once occupied the building
“Bob and I are lucky enough to live just around the corner from the Drapers Arms, which has the distinction of being Bristol’s first micropub. The community they’ve created, bringing locals together to have a pint and a chat (and on Sundays some cheese and pork pie) is fantastic and I like how diverse their customers are. Young and old, men and women, cask ale enthusiasts and even those who prefer a glass of wine. All gather at the Drapers, and it’s a joy to see how popular and well-loved this place is.”
Bristol Old Vic
Kate Tempest at Bristol Old Vic – photo by Paul Blakemore
We’re lucky to have the Bristol Old Vic, the UK’s oldest continuously working theatre, here in our city. My mother worked there in the 1970s, and we used to go to the theatre together when I was a teenager – I felt ever so grown-up and intellectual! I love live music and live theatre and find both utterly compelling. The knowledge that there are real, actual people up on stage right in front of you doing their thing; I love it. I don’t go as much as I’d like, but I’ve seen some incredible shows here over the years, in all their different spaces, and I’m excited to explore the new spaces they’re creating on King Street right now when they reopen in the summer.”
East Bristol Brewery Trail
“Can I choose something I’m involved in? We absolutely love running this event with our colleagues at Arbor, Dawkins, Left Handed Giant and Moor. It has given us such joy over the last two years to bring people out to explore East Bristol. With the five breweries located so close to each other, it’s just a short walk or cycle between them to drink delicious beers and eat tasty food from Bristol’s many street food pop-ups. We’re really excited about this May Bank Holiday’s trail, and hope to offer more of the same: great community, relaxed vibes, happy people and of course great beer from five of Bristol’s best breweries. Cheers!”
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
