My Bristol Favourites: Jenny Davis

Jenny Davis is a screenwriter, playwright, producer and performer. She writes for BBC medical drama Doctors and is founder producer of Missing Pieces, a series of script-in-hand performances showcasing black British, Caribbean, African American classic and new plays.

On Sunday, October 7 at the Arnolfini, Jenny will be performing her one-woman theatre piece about Mary Seacole and Princess Campbell at Black Women 100, an event celebrating black women’s contributions to suffrage.

Here are Jenny’s top-five Bristol favourites:

20th Century Flicks

“The Christmas Steps are simply magical, and with those lampposts, you feel like you’re on a page of a Dickens novel. When I first moved to Bristol, I went exploring by foot, and this was one of those places which just have atmosphere. But, the best find is 20th Century Flicks. It has thousands of films, including black and whites which if you love your Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, here’s the place – you won’t find these on Netflix. The choice is staggering, but the real gem is the private cinema. It’s great for a birthday with mates and family. I took my son for a surprise birthday party; we lined up his favourite movie, Fight Club, and they even played my homemade film (a montage of baby pics), before the opening credits. Not sure he was keen on that part.”

Snuff Mills / Vassells Park

“I feel deeply grateful that this is on my doorstep. One of the best things about Bristol is its proximity to green spaces. If you go into the park at the Vassells end, you see there’s an arboretum. When I first moved here, it was a few weeks before I discovered there was a gorge. If you follow the paths that wind down through the trees, you find the River Frome, or rather the River Frome walkway. This is my park. I come here to think. If I’m stuck or hatching ideas, this is where I walk and where things get worked out. There’s a weir which when there’s a low mist, is simply filmic and atmospheric, and ended up in my short film. But the park is always changing. It doesn’t matter how often I’m there, each time I see something new. There’s a small bridge that links Snuff Mills, and at that point, you feel like you’re in a cathedral of trees. I also like the regulars you see if you go at certain times, usually the dog walkers. I share my time between London and Bristol, and I find if I’m away too long, I’m yearning to get back to my park.”

Harbourside

“Before I came to Bristol, I’ll never forget someone saying how they loved living in a place where they felt like they were on holiday. I feel like that when I’m at the harbourside. There’s something about the light there, being close to water, and I love the sound of the seagulls. It passed my test. It doesn’t matter what the weather is, I can go down there on a wet winter midweek afternoon and still feel like a tourist.”

Caribbean Croft

“There are loads of Caribbean food restaurants, places and takeaways opening these days. But Caribbean Croft on Stokes Croft is by far my favourite. I genuinely have trouble choosing from the menu. Everything is delicious. The Croft fried chicken, stewed chicken, curried goat, the mac cheese and thyme roast potatoes… I could go on…”

Beese’s tea rooms

“Beese’s is almost impossible to find from the Brislington side, and only for those in the know. But getting to it from the Hanham side of the river is definitely much more fun. The little motor boat (which you used to be able to summon with a bell) comes across to get you. It’s not such a secret anymore what with boat excursions and the like, but on a summer afternoon, by the river, eating cake, all’s well with my world.”