People / My Bristol Favourites
My Bristol favourites: Nicola Stanley
Nicola Stanley was installed as the Canon Precentor of Bristol Cathedral last year. The Precentor shares responsibility with the Dean for all the services that take place in the Cathedral – including the music.
Here are Nicola’s top-five Bristol favourites:
Bristol Cathedral
“Well you would expect me to say that… It’s a beautiful building with a fascinating history and I just love it. Whether it’s full to bursting for big services or quietly echoing when the crowds have departed, the Cathedral adds another dimension to life. The nave is magnificent, there are plenty of hidden corners for private prayer and an award-winning garden for sunny summer days. We have a wonderful choir – the choral tradition is really important – and I’m excitedly looking forward to my first Easter at the Cathedral.”
is needed now More than ever
Gloucester Road
“There are so many quirky, one-off shops along this road and since moving to Bristol I’ve enjoyed exploring it. Along a stretch of only a few hundred metres near my home there are greengrocers, a fishmonger, a bakery and a butcher’s shop, not to mention the best hardware shop in town!”
The Bridge Cafe
“Summer or winter, the view of the suspension bridge from The Bridge Cafe at the Avon Gorge Hotel is spectacular. We’ve taken all our visitors to eat there and the food is delicious, the staff are friendly and the prices reasonable. There’s never the feeling that you’re being hurried through the meal because someone is waiting for the table and if the weather’s good you can take a stroll across the bridge after dinner to walk off the pudding!”
The harbour
“This is such a vibrant part of town and it feels really alive. On summer days the children have fun splashing in and out of the water features, then in the evenings it’s full of students spilling out of all the bars and restaurants. The water itself is peaceful and calming and as it’s so close to the Cathedral I find it a good place to stroll and unwind from the pressures of work.”
The Downs
“Having moved to Bristol fairly recently, I’ve only just begun to discover the Downs. After London, the feeling of space so close to the city centre is quite a novelty. People tell me there are good places to find blackberries in the autumn and I’ve seen kite flyers there on summer evenings, so now that the final boxes are unpacked I intend to take time to explore this beautiful area which is on my doorstep.”
