My Bristol Favourites: Jimmy Galvin

Jimmy Galvin is a composer, producer, arranger and visual artist, who has composed music for the BBC, Channel 4 and the award winning independent film Lido.

He has also exhibited alongside artists such as Sir Peter Blake, Damien Hirst and Antony Gormley, as well as being responsible for bringing an exhibition by Yoko Ono to the Georgian House in 2019.

Jimmy is organising and playing at a fundraising concert for Bristol Drugs Project at the Mount Without on April 27. Tickets are £15 and available now from Eventbrite.

These are Jimmy’s top-five Bristol favourites:

Royal Fort Garden

Royal Fort Garden is “a magical space” says Jimmy Galvin – photo: Martin Booth

“This is such a special secret place. It’s the old music department of Bristol University that has really beautiful gardens. I visit often but it’s most perfect in the long summer months when it’s so peaceful. I usually take bird food as there are robins that always greet me when I sit on a particular bench. I love sitting here listening to music and being inspired. It’s like being in a Marcel Proust novel: the place always stays and feels the same yet you have grown older. I started visiting here 30 years ago. I never tire of it and am grateful we are able to enjoy this magical place.”

Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill is Bristol’s oldest park – photo: Martin Booth

“An obvious choice I know, but the views across Bristol from here are stunning and there are also lots of quiet spaces. The poet Thomas Chatterton was a frequent visitor and included a reference to it in his poem Clifton. On summer evenings the place is filled with people. There is an energy as lots of tourists visit here. Years ago, they never used to lock the Cabot Tower up, so I would often visit very late at night to take in the views of our city sleeping: it was magical! I remember one particular evening there with the daughter of the canon of Bristol Cathedral. Alas, I still subscribe to paganism.”

East Village Cafe

East Village Cafe was previously Arch House Deli – photo: Martin Booth

“East Village Cafe is the best vegan cafe in Bristol in the most beautiful setting of Clifton Village. The menu is always great with lots of choices and the best smoothies ever with a team of friendly people. This is the perfect place for people watching especially on weekends as thousands pass through the archway between Boyce’s Avenue and Victoria Square.”

The River Trym in Sea Mills

Sea Mills station is next to where the River Trym meets the River Avon – photo: Martin Booth

“I love visiting here. I take the Severn Beach train from Clifton Down station to Sea Mills. I love this train and use it for inspiration, listening and composing music. Although it’s only minutes away on the train, it feels like a completely different part of Bristol as you get dropped off by the River Trym where you can walk for miles and not see anyone. This feels like a part of Bristol that hasn’t been commercialised yet. It’s like walking back in time. The whole feel of the place is untouched. I think that’s one of the amazing things about Bristol: it’s like a giant village with many different aspects that create our unique city.”

Dangun

Dangun opened on St Nicholas Street in 2018 – photo: Bristol24/7

“Dangun is a brilliant unpretentious restaurant serving Korean inspired foods. It’s all about the food here, not the interior. It’s tucked away on St Nicholas Street in the Old City and never fails with many excellent vegan options. This is always my go-to place and when I take people there, sometimes I notice the expression on their faces looks disappointed as the décor and seating is very plain. But afterwards they always say how amazing the food was!”

Main photo: Martin Hartley

Read next:

• 7 historical photographs of Sea Mills
• Tributes paid to Bristol Drugs Project chief exec Maggie Telfer
• Commemorating Bristol’s little-known radical woman

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