People / My Bristol Favourites
My Bristol Favourites: Ruth Williams
Ruth Williams is one half of I Am Acrylic, a jewellery company that she runs with her husband Brendan Fan.
They have been designing and hand-making cheerful acrylic jewellery since 2004, and six years ago they opened a little shop/workshop on Christmas Steps.
Ruth is currently helping to organise an ‘Indie Christmas Shopping Day’ on December 2 around the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter area to celebrate Small Business Saturday. She also recently made a new guide for the neighbourhood (available in lots of the shops) and runs the Instagram page for the area.
is needed now More than ever
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These are Ruth’s top-five Bristol favourites:
The Christmas Steps Arts Quarter
Christmas Steps sits at the heart of the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter – photo: Ruth Williams
“I do love my neighbourhood! There are more than 70 independent businesses crammed into the seven or so streets that make up the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter of Christmas Steps, Colston Street, Upper Maudlin Street, St Michael’s Hill, Perry Road and Lower Park Row.
“There’s such a great mix of shops selling a whole range of things including furniture and lighting, ceramics and plants, bikes and skateboards, clothing and jewellery, prints and magazines, and so much more! There’s a ton of cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants, and some great art galleries. And we’ve got Bristol Beacon and the Mount Without on our doorstep too!
“On Saturday, December 2 the area will be feeling super festive! Shops and galleries have special offers, guest makers and some craft demos. Cafes, restaurants and pubs have seasonal food and mulled drinks (including Ahh Toots’ famous mince pies!). The Mount Without has a vintage clothing fair, 20th Century Flicks are doing an outdoor screening on Christmas Steps from 4pm to 7pm, and it’s also the Bristol Beacon’s Housewarming party all day and into the night too, with free entry to everything.”
Carlos Trower’s house on Christmas Steps
Carlos Trower was a famous high-rope performer who in 1876 lived above what is now I Am Acrylic on Christmas Steps – painting by Rachel Hemming-Bray
“Carlos Trower, known by his stage name, The African Blondin, was a famous high-rope performer who lived above our shop at 7 Christmas Steps in 1876. He escaped slavery in America to become one of the world’s greatest high-rope performers, and was also an abolitionist and philanthropist, using his platform to promote the emancipation of enslaved people.
“We’ve created a permanent tribute to him by painting an alternative blue plaque on our shop sign, and we have lots of information and pictures in our shop window. He actually performed just down the road at the former Colston Hall in 1888. Night after night for two weeks, he was on a 50ft high, 120ft long rope performing above crowds of more than 3,000 Victorian Bristolians.”
Royal Fort Gardens
A mirrored labyrinth was created for Royal Fort Garden to mark the centenary of the University of Bristol – photo: University of Bristol
“If you wander up Christmas Steps and Colston Street and then hike up St Michael’s Hill, the views over Bristol are great! Then turn left into Royal Fort Gardens and you step into a lovely green haven in the city centre. They plant a beautiful wild flower meadow every year, you can chat to all the friendly robins, and in the summer you can lie on the grass and watch bats swooping over your head at dusk.”
Brunel’s balls
The two stones are known as the apple and the pear – photo: Martin Booth
“I usually walk back from Royal Fort Gardens down Woodland Road so I can go past what I call Brunel’s balls. I’m not quite sure what their official name is, but they’re two big round boulders that Brunel saved when excavating the GWR tunnel near St Anne’s. Apparently, they’re 300 million-years-old, and I think Brunel had them placed outside the entrance to the tunnel. It says on a plaque that they were presented to the University of Bristol in the 1983, and now they sit on a corner of Woodland Road. So brilliantly random!”
20th Century Flicks
20th Century Flicks reached its 40th anniversary in 2022 – photo: Hugo Gerwat
“20th Century Flicks on Christmas Steps is the longest running video rental store in the world, and just celebrated its 40th birthday last year. They have a library of more than 20,000 films to hire (including 3,000 on VHS!) so there really is something for everyone. They also have two small cinema rooms available to hire (8 seats and 10 seats) which is such a lovely thing to do with friends.
“I’m excited that they’ll be doing another outdoor screening of festive short films on Christmas Steps on Saturday, December 2 as part of our ‘Indie Christmas Shopping Day’ around the area. Last year’s film screening was such a lovely event. Come along from 4pm to 7pm!”
Main photo: I Am Acrylic
Read next:
- Shop of the week: I Am Acrylic
- This is how two giant stone nodules from St Anne’s ended up in Kingsdown
- 12 things you probably didn’t know about Christmas Steps
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