People / My Bristol Favourites
My Bristol Favourites: Nicola Skinner
Nicola Skinner’s new book for young readers is based on and stars the SS Great Britain.
Starboard, the third novel from the Chew Magna author, follows Kirsten, an 11-year-old reality TV star who when on a school trip to the SS Great Britain gets some splinters from the deck in her hands and inadvertently awakens the ship.
Soon Kirsten, her best friend Olive and the ship itself embark on a worldwide nautical journey, teaching Kirsten some important life lessons along the way.
is needed now More than ever
These are Nicola’s top-five Bristol favourites:
Stand-up paddleboarding
Stand-up paddleboarding gives you a brand new view of Bristol – photo: SUP Bristol
“Last summer when the lockdown was lifted I went stand-up paddleboarding with SUP Bristol a few times with friends. It’s so incredibly relaxing and special to paddle up and down the docks on a sunny day. Everyone’s out, enjoying the harbourside; there’s an incredible feeling of community. Afterwards, it’s really nice to end up at the cafe at Underfall Yard, with a cider, in the sun, sunburnt and happy.”
Bloom & Curll
Bloom & Curll – photo: Bristol24/7
“Bloom & Curll on Colston Street is honestly one of the most beautiful independent bookshops I’ve ever seen. Their window displays alone are a work of art, a total labour of love, everything you want a bookshop to be. It’s a shop to spend hours in, browsing. I’ve never gone in and not spent a fortune. It’s just a love-letter to books, basically, and must be protected.”
Lido
The restaurant at the Lido overlooks the outdoor pool – photo: Lido
“I love the Lido so much – squealing under the cold bucket showers, running into the sauna, sitting in the outdoor hot-tub, treating myself to a massage, but most of all, I think, swimming in the outdoor, non-chlorinated pool, which is always slightly too cold when you get in, but then feels absolutely amazing. One year I spent my birthday here – and on the winter solstice, it gets very dark very early. I remember swimming in the dark, the pool completely to myself, surrounded by fairy lights. It was magic.”
Arnos Vale Cemetery
Arnos Vale in the summer looking from the East Lodge – photo: Buffy Jones
“Arnos Vale Cemetery is an astonishing place; an old Victorian cemetery which, just like the SS Great Britain, came very close to being destroyed, except in this case it was by brambles. Now, it’s a proper wild place in an urban area, 45 green acres full of woodpeckers and owls and primroses mixed in with stone angels and plinths. It’s so peaceful and wild and rambling. Oh and you can get a coffee, see a film, or get married, if that floats your boat.”
SS Great Britain
When she was launched in 1843, the SS Great Britain was called “the greatest experiment since the Creation” – photo: SS Great Britain Trust
“Whenever I explore her vast insides, I am enchanted and slightly overwhelmed and bedazzled, every single time. Brunel’s SS Great Britain has an atmosphere all of her own; she oversees the water like a regal queen; and she reminds us that even when we think everything is over, it’s not over. Not yet. There’s always hope. There’s always a chance to get home.”
Main photo: HarperCollins
Read more: The SS Great Britain’s incredible journey
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