‘7 things I’ve learned about Bristol’

Confession: I’m a Kent girl.

Yes, I’m a southerner, but I’m more accustomed to accidentally picking up French radio than heading over the bridge to Wales. Moving to Bristol was a bit of a shock to my internal system, never having lived further west than Bournemouth – and I’ve learned a lot in the last 18 months.

This is what I’ve absorbed so far:

1. Bristol is just as green as everyone says

I knew three things about Bristol before I moved here: it’s way closer to Wales than I thought, it’s got more cider than I can shake a stick at, and it’s green.

Not just, ‘what a lovely park let’s have a picnic’ green, but eco green, political green, vegetarian green.

As someone who doesn’t eat meat, I have never had more choice. Sometimes I can look at a menu, nervously scanning for that old familiar green ‘V’, and realise that there aren’t any – because the entire menu is vegan.

My taste buds thank you.

DeskLodge on Temple Way is one of the growing number of co-working spaces in the city

2. Co-working is the norm, not the odd one out

I moved to the city to join a company called OggaDoon, and after working in an office of more than 300, co-working came as a bit of a shock to the system. Not having my own desk? Carrying everything I needed around in my bag? What was I going to do with my highlighters, shredder, and hole punch?

Turns out that you don’t need most of that stuff. In keeping with the green theme, we run an almost paperless office, and co-working spaces genuinely provide all that we need.

I’ve worked in DeskLodge, Engine Shed, spent some time within a client’s office, and popped my head into Framework. We’re settled now at Runway East, and I can’t imagine going back to a normal desk with 1001 pieces of stationery (though I still swear by a handy red pen for editing).

3. There are some places that I’ve never (yet) explored

I still have to use Google Maps to find my way home if I’m leaving a client or friend in an unfamiliar location. Bristol is the biggest place that I’ve ever lived, which means that although plenty of people recommend certain areas to visit, there are still huge swathes of Bristol postcodes that I’ve never seen, let alone explored.

Perhaps I’m not the only one, but I’ve come to know my little corner of Bristol quite well, and as for the rest of it…well, I don’t know it at all.

Vanessa Kisuele is the second City Poet in Bristol – widely known as a city full of creatives

4. Being a ‘creative’ doesn’t set you apart

When I lived in York, being a writer was ‘interesting’. When I lived in New Zealand, that plus the accent made me wild and exotic. In Bournemouth, it was more shocking that I had never surfed than I penned for a living.

But here in Bristol, I am one of many people creating something – whether it be art, music, literature, marketing, VR (virtual reality) – as a living.

And to be honest, it’s kind of weird to have that anonymity.

“Oh, and I’m a published author,” I say with a tinge of smugness at a networking event.

“Huh, you too,” nods the person I’m chatting with. “Two of my housemates publish. One’s also in a band. Did you meet Janine last month, she’s a fashion blogger who cooks award-winning gluten-free cookies on the side?”

Not feeling special has actually done me the world of good, and there are major benefits. No longer do I need to explain what I ‘do’.

5. Depending on my hairstyle, people cross the street to avoid me at night

Full disclosure: I’m a 6 foot 1 lady, and in a city where hair length doesn’t typically relate to gender, when I’m wearing a big coat and it’s late at night, I suspect I’m often mistaken for a man.

My shadow under the Bristol streetlamps looks big and intimidating, and I’ve noticed a few times that people will cross over the street to make sure that they’re not on the same side as me.

The first few times, I almost laughed – don’t worry, I wanted to say, I’ve also been raised in a culture that intimidates victims and puts the pressure of safety onto women. I even have my university mandatory rape whistle somewhere.

But now that the evenings have drawn in, it’s just a bit sad. I don’t intend to give anyone a heart attack when I come up behind them at night, pacing furiously because I’m about to miss Doctor Who. So if that’s been you, sorry.

6. Collaboration between businesses doesn’t raise eyebrows

Although I’ve avoided the lure of London, my career before Bristol was still in a very similar cookie cutter mould: if our competitors win, we lose. If our industry changes, we have to defeat them all. If we start to lag, it’s everyone else’s fault.

I cannot tell you how wonderful it’s been to join a company and a city where that attitude simply doesn’t exist. We’ve collaborated, partnered, supported, and serviced a range of companies both based in Bristol and beyond, and at no point has anyone felt threatened by one company’s success, or gloating at another’s downfall.

7. Getting to Bath is a nightmare

Is there ever a good commute time? I have no desire to park on the A4 or play sardines with strangers on the train.

Asking for a friend.

Emily Perkins

Emily Perkins is the creative content manager at OggaDoon, and a historical romance author when she’s not getting lost.

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