‘No cities do events quite like Bristol’

There are no cities in the UK that do festivals and events quite the way Bristol does, with such variety and such a full annual programme. On almost any weekend of the year in Bristol you can find something to do that’s quirky, fun, sociable, laid back and which probably involves great food, music, culture and entertainment. This weekend was no exception, as I headed down to Queen Square in the city centre on a damp Sunday morning.

By 8am the parking around the square was filling up with unusual vehicles, from old vintage hand cranked vintage classics to the ultra-contemporary fresh off the very exclusive production line – an electric car that can be driven from an iPhone – yes, really! The drivers and their friends were chatting amicably and photographing each other’s vehicles, exchanging anecdotes and tips on how to get the best finish on their vehicles and just passing the time of day, whilst enjoying showing off their cars. There was no rules on the type of car that could participate, nor any real organisation to this rally. What started as an informal occasional social for a few enthusiasts has grown into a monthly – and still informal – rally. A few loud flourishes of revs, some back-firing, a squeal of tyres were the only impact of this rally. The on-site coffee cart did a steady trade of tea and bacon butties all morning, although the rain had meant it was quieter than usual.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the square, marquees, gazebos and a stage were under construction… A local community events organisation called Tribe of Doris were setting up for the annual Celebrating Sanctuary festival. This is an event that recognises and celebrates the contributions of immigrants and refugees to the city. It’s an empowering and positive celebration of diversity within Bristol and is widely supported across the city, with much credit for the coordination of the event must go to Deasy Bamford, a creative producer and artistic programmer, whose energy and passion has driven this event for years and the community of volunteers that make it happen.

The sun broke through the clouds by the time the festival began at 1pm and what started as a low-key laid back event was soon in full swing, as families gathered to hang out, meet friends, listen to great music from across the world, eat food from the excellent world food tent. It’s a fun, inclusive family friendly event, with positive messages of support for others. I got a real sense of togetherness and mutual understanding and respect from the event and from those I spoke to on the stalls and around the site. This was a feel-good event to which everyone was welcomed, and by the end several thousand had arrived and stayed until the Bristol Samba band drew the event to a climax at the close at 6pm.

Once the event was up and running safely, I wandered to Corn Street, a couple of streets away, where the road had been closed to vehicle traffic and given over to pedestrians, cyclists and street entertainers, a mini-fairground tea-cup ride for smaller children, some specialist food stalls and live music stage on the steps of the Register Office. I encountered jugglers, stilt walkers, buskers, children and adults playing swing-ball and hula-hooping, chalking colourful images on the street, whilst the shops, cafes and restaurants were open to business.

This street closure for the sake of a community street party is one of a series of events known as Make Sunday Special that take place monthly in different parts of the city and which is funded by Bristol City Council. The initiative is the legacy of the previous mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, and has been a popular community event that is continued throughout the summer months. The idea is to reclaim parts of the city for use by pedestrians to have fun and use the city as a playground for all. The atmosphere was one of strong community participation, focused on enjoyment, community spirit and street food in a traffic-free safe environment. It is well organised, with stewards and event professionals, and a wide range of contributors, supported by volunteers.

Next I wandered back through the Harbourside Market that sprawls along the waterfront area near the Watershed, picked up a book from one of the stalls and continued to Millennium Square by At-Bristol. The square was buzzing with activity of a different sort. A BBC reporter was interviewing visitors to the Bristol Festival of Nature and which was being broadcast onto the enormous Big Screen on the side of At- Bristol, (which the night before had been used to broadcast the memorial service for Muhammad Ali). The Festival of Nature is another established annual festival that celebrates the natural world and encourages people to take an active interest in their local natural environment and forms a key part of the city-wide Big Green Week.

I bumped into some friends who were on the way from Bristol Tattoo Convention at the Passenger Shed to catch the last day of Briswool, the massively popular (and totally brilliant!) temporary display at M Shed. Again, this seems to sum up Bristol – a quirky, unique, slightly mad, totally committed, phenomenon, that celebrates the city in a communal way. Briswool is literally the city knitted by dozens of people from across the city, each contributing different buildings and landmarks, from a church to a row of colourful terraces, with some penguins, bicycles and balloons stitched in for good measure.

This is how Bristol does things – seemingly effortlessly – but actually behind the scenes there’s buckets of passion, hard work, enthusiasm, creativity with a good dose of quirk. It does it by growing ideas into festivals and events and uses people power. This is the sort of day that is easy to take for granted in Bristol, but where else in the world is there such a choice and range of activities for you, your family and friends to do on just one day?

Philip Walker is head of engagement at Bristol City Council. His role includes the management of the teams who deliver festivals, events, arts development and site permissions across Bristol. This piece first appeared on his blog, www.philipwalkerblog.wordpress.com

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