My Bristol favourites: Jane Duffus

Jane Duffus is the founder of What The Frock, the only regular all-female comedy event in the South West, with more than 40 events already under its belt. When she’s not hanging out with superstar comedians, Jane can be found running around Bristol training for a race.

The next What The Frock is on Friday, November 14 at The Lantern when opera-singing Bristolian compere Jayde Adams is joined by Aisling Bea and Shazia Mirza. Click here for more information.

Here are Jane’s top-five Bristol favourites:

The Avon towpath
“I absolutely love to run and in Bristol you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to routes so there’s no excuse to get bored. Through running I’ve discovered a whole new side to Bristol and a favourite route of mine is the Avon towpath, which heads out under the Suspension Bridge and then follows the curve of the water all the way to Pill. There’s no traffic anywhere in sight to clog up your lungs, just a trail path, running water, stunning views and lots of wildlife.”

East Street, Bedminster
“Much maligned, this historic Bedminster street is alive with the very best of Bristol. True, it needs a bit of spit and polish in places but I firmly believe that in a decade East Street will be as highly sought after a destination as, yawn, Clifton Village. Starting from the ornate Bedminster Bridge, extending down the ancient buildings at the end of Bedminster Parade and onto the pot luck of East Street proper, you go past original shop fronts, the Bristolian Cattybrook bricks of the former Wills offices and past beautifully tiled Victorian facades of pubs like The Barley Mow (not for the faint-hearted inside, mind). Look up not down, and it doesn’t take much to reimagine East Street as the vibrant community heart it once was.”

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
“Exquisite inside and out, Bristol Museum is often mistakenly overlooked as the dowdy cousin of the M Shed down by the docks. The grand museum and art gallery features a labyrinth of rooms, all housing a varied hotchpotch of exhibits, many of which rub shoulders with seemingly unrelated items. From gypsy caravans to taxidermied animals and ancient pianos, it’s all going on in here. The second floor is my favourite, not only because this is where the seven art galleries are housed but also because it’s generally less populated by fellow visitors – affording you some much-deserved solitude.”

The Lantern
“Over the 150+ years that the Colston Hall has been in situ in central Bristol, its smaller hall – now called The Lantern – has undergone many guises. Among many things, it has formerly been a bar area but is now a 350-capacity event space with high ceilings, an exclusive grand foyer and huge photos of some of the musical heroes who have performed here framed by the room’s natural arches. It’s also home to What The Frock and provides the perfect setting for some of the UK’s top comedians when they head to Bristol to perform with us. It’s no surprise that for many Bristol-born comedians, the Colston Hall is a must-do venue on their list of career goals.”

Annie Kenney’s former home
“Outside of London, Bristol had the highest amount of suffrage activity in the UK, and between 1911 and 1913 the Bristol branch of the Women’s Social & Political Union was led by former Yorkshire millworker Annie Kenney, who set up home at 32 Gordon Road in Clifton. Although the property remains in residential use it is quietly celebrated with a blue plaque outside. When she wasn’t chalking Clifton pavements, holding ‘at homes’ at the Victoria Rooms or leading marches of thousands across the Downs, Annie was hard at work at Gordon Road planning the next part of Bristol’s campaign for female emancipation. (Feminist fact fans may like to know Annie also briefly lived at Whatley Road off Whiteladies Road.)”