Your say / instagram
‘It’s time to start showcasing the real Bristol’
I read the recent opinion piece on Bristol24/7, Gentrification by Instagram, with a growing sense of familiarity, and guilt.
Having tagged a few photos with #igersbristol recently to no avail, Thomas’ piece made me realise I was not doing Bristol any favours by pursuing this.
I am not against gentrification; to the contrary, I am the essence of it. I moved here from London 18 months ago. I live in a new build in Old Market, with an exposed brick wall and several succulents.
is needed now More than ever
I go jogging. I order flat whites but I don’t really know what I mean when I say a place serves great coffee. I’ve been to the Plumed Serpent pop-up five times.
But, I love Bristol. I fell in love with it at first sight. I abandoned my friends, my job and my city to be with it. I love the Bristol that rains all the goddamn time, and the Bristol that vomited on my foot whilst walking through Cabot Circus.
I love the Bristol that smells like weed when I cycle past at 8am, and the Bristol that graffitis park benches and writes ‘I love cock’ on my car in the snow.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhW_sxEDFp5
I love the Bristol that makes me wait at pedestrian crossings for longer than I spend walking the distance to work.
I love the Bristol that wound down its car window and shouted at me to cycle a bit faster whilst it smoked a cigarette.
I love the abandoned parts, and the parts I haven’t seen, and the dog shit I tread in all over Bedminster. And it’s time I, and others like me, start exposing myself to more of it. (Maybe not the dog shit)
It’s time to start showcasing the real Bristol. The parts that make us uncomfortable and weird and brilliant and together.
@bristolnofilter will share the best photos of the everyday parts of our city; the things we love and the things that piss us off, the beautiful things in the ugly things.
I’m hoping we can start profiling some of the people and places that make it the wonderful city it is, but this is our Instagram, and we will build it together, so it’s up to you guys. Show me what you’ve got!
Hannah Atkinson is a budding food photographer and works in digital communications for a domestic abuse charity. She spends a lot of time eating, smashing the patriarchy and taking photos, sometimes all at once. Visit her website at www.hannahatkinson.co.uk
Read more: ‘Gentrification by Instagram’
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
