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"  Gareth's Stag Weekend - Bristol "

Date & start time:    Saturday/Sunday 24th/25th May 2017.

Location of Start :   Travelodge Hotel, Bristol, Uk. ( ST 594 732 ).

Places visited :         The Waterfront, Za Za Bazaar and the Locked-in Escape Room.

Walk details :             Local walks and a Sunday jog around Bristol - no car this weekend.

Walked with :            Gareth, Darina (Dee) and the stag-do crowd of around 15 people.

Weather :                    Fine and dry, though occasionally overcast. A warm weekend.

                                     

P.S.     plus a few photos from Ann who was out socialising while I was away !

 

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Gareth's wedding is less than six weeks away and his 'Best Man' has organised a weekend in Bristol for male friends and male family members.   

What was slightly different was that his "best man" was a friend he first met in school and she's a lady !

First up . . . West Country Games at a venue on the outskirts of Bristol.

[ I join them for the evening after they had completed this activity . . . photos therefore courtesy of those at the event ]

Gareth getting into the spirit of the occasion . . .
. . . and was presented with his stag(?) costume for the afternoon games.

Think "Jeux Sans Frontières" and bouncy castles combined . . . in a field.

Time to get kitted up and acquainted with the rules.

Smoking is bad for you . . . get walloped and you are likely to fall over.

Good fun . . . Dave and Mike "offer encouragement"
Gareth's turn to challenge Piers.

Dee and Rob . . . just pleased to be taking part.

The battle of the Dave's  . . . more aggression (or just bravado) . . . in their weighty Sumo wrestling suits.

Gareth takes to the floor . . .
Dee has a helping hand up . . .
The boys are a hit with the organiser too.

There were many other events including this one of human skittles.

Guess who's going to spring the bean bag in their direction ?

Just a few of the fun and games this Saturday afternoon.

- - - o o o - - -

 

It was a hot and humid day

and of course Gareth's suit

didn't help him stay any cooler,

but the stag must wear a stag's costume after all !

 

 

They arrived back in Bristol

at the end of the afternoon looking

suitably exhausted.

 

- - - o o o - - -

After a shower and a freshen up it was time for an early evening aperitif at the hotel

and then get ready to go out for an evening on Bristol's Waterfront.

Lovely summer sunshine now . . . no need for coats, hats, gloves or any encumbrances . . . just go for it.

Down at the marina there's been a lot of investment and there are pubs, clubs and eating houses to suit all tastes.

Though we might indulge in another beverage as it is a boys night out after all.

"Name names" I hear you cry . . . no . . . you'll just have to wait till later !

- - - o o o - - -

Time to adjourn for something to eat.

Dee had booked a table at Za Za Bazaar across the way.

A table for seventeen was waiting as we have now been joined

by Gareth & Rob Owen and Dennis Pritchard.

( Gareth's prospective brother, father and Grandfather in law)

- - - o o o - - -

(below) Steffan, Iwan and Gareth at Za Za's.

Dave (Dee's partner), Dee and Greg.
- - - o o o - - -

The restaurant was amazing . . . a huge upstairs room seating up to a thousand diners a night (apparently)

Down the centre of the room were six island kitchens all producing a choice of foods from around the world.

For £16.99 you could eat all you liked . . . and change menus as quickly as you changed plates.

There's starters, mains and deserts from around the world . . . all freshly prepared before your very eyes

and no problem about all choosing from a menu or working out the bill afterwards.

- - - o o o - - -

Time to leave . . . outside the busker has gathered a large crowd.

He plays guitar and sings along to his amplified base rhythm.

Looking at the crowd you can see from the dress code there are a fair number of stag and hen parties in town tonight.

After our meal we wandered around the Waterfront enjoying the atmosphere in Millennium Square,

with the unusual Aquarium and Science Centre buildings forming an interesting backdrop as the evening light faded.

The busker was still going strong . . . and still holding a good crowd.

Sadly, at the pub it was now a choice of staying outside to listen to him without being able to enjoy our drinks,

or being inside the pub with the 'refreshments' but listening to their choice of music.

As the evening progressed , some of the lads went on to Prizm Nightclub.

- - - o o o - - -

 

The evening found also some of us in the the Casino

watching the crowds, with the younger lads

occasionally trying their luck at the tables.

 

 

Towards the end of the evening

Dee, who had hurt her ankle during the afternoon,

had difficulty walking in her heels.

It was time for the lads to do the gentlemanly thing

and carry her back to the square.

 

- - - o o o - - -

In the end, to avoid paying for a taxi, we took it in turns to carry her all the way back to the hotel.

Time for a bit of well earned shut eye after the night out.

- - - o o o - - -

Sunday morning.

Fresh and bright (how fresh and bright depended on what time you found your way back to the hotel)

we walked across for breakfast at a different waterfront restaurant

and then took a short walk up through town to our morning 'Escape Room' adventure.

Locked in A Room - Bristol

is a bit like Crystal maze in that you are placed in a locked room and have an hour to solve the clues and escape.

The clues are all cryptic and the answers give a number or letter combination that allow you to open another lock or find another key.

Some give access to more tests and some open one of the four door locks that let you escape the room.

The clock is running . . . you have an hour to get out

In the picture: Iwan, Dennis, Gareth, Steffan, Nathan, myself, Gareth, Mike, Dee, Piers, Dave C, Greg, Dave W, Skwirel, Rob.

We split into three groups for the challenge, Dee's group made it out in time, we were fighting the sequence of the last combination

and Gareth's group still had a way to go . . . but they let us out anyway as other groups had booked the venue for the afternoon.

If you get chance to do this type of event, do give it a go, it was really clever . . . and this Bristol's venue did it really well.

Afterwards we walked around to Park Street as Dave said there was a famous "Banksy Graffiti Street Artwork" on the wall of a building there.

No one knows who this mystery artist is . . . apparently he is Bristolian.

Man Hanging From Window . . . one of his first.
Park Street and time to stroll up and find some lunch.

Banksy has become world renowned for his art and subtle humour, political comment and topicality.

Right click here and 'open in a new window' to check out many more of his artworks.

- - - o o o - - -

Afterwards, I say goodbye to the lads (and honorary lad), as we all have to make our separate ways home.

I have an hour or so before my train home . . . so I have chance, if I'm quick, to walk down to see a famous Bristol landmark.

Back down at the waterfront  . . . passing the 1497 replica sailing boat The Matthew

Walking quickly along the Wappaing Wharf . . . alongside private boats, water tours, cafes and boat landings.

The SS Great Britain

was a 19th century passenger ship,

and the first steamship to sail across the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Designed by I K Brunnel

it was the first propeller driven boat

which also incorporated the concept of an iron hull.

The ship was designed to carry 360 passengers in luxury, plus 130 crew.

Posters advertising its world travels are on show outside.
The boat is now back where it was built . . . here in Bristol.
   

It was saved from dereliction in the Falkland Islands and towed back to its original dock in 1970 (help . . . I remember that happening !)

since when it has been totally renovated and is now open to visitors (for more details click here).

- - - o o o - - -

 

Unfortunately I only had ten minutes to spare

so couldn't go inside to enjoy the full story.

 

Now . . . where can I find a carriage to get me back to the station ?

That would be nice !

 

- - - o o o - - -

Walking quickly back along the dockside to the hotel.

. . . past the Bristol Dockland Railway, offering rides in the open top carriages.

Temple Meads Railway Station . . . a classic architectural building of its time.

Change trains at Birmingham New Street.

Twenty minutes to spare so time to walk around a totally different rail experience.

On the floor below this there were twelve hidden railway platforms offering trains to all part of Britain.

- - - o o o - - -

All the while Ann had been at home with the dogs.

She had taken me to Penrith to catch my train and returned Sunday to collect me.

In between she had been socialising too !

This was Lorna and Barbara . . . neighbour and distant neighbour of ours from Loweswater.

It was William and Marion's 50th Wedding Anniversary . . .
. . . and they invited everyone to an afternoon celebration.

Friends and neighbours, Tyson, Margie, Audrey, Lorna and grandchildren and Barbara.

A guest book was passed around for everyone to sign . . . even the young ones added their mark.

I'm sorry I missed it . . . but then that's the problem with a double bookings at totally different ends of the country !

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with whatever device was at hand by whoever took them . . . full credits to everyone.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . the experience of being there.

Go to Top . . . © RmH . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 19th June 2017 - Mellbreak and a Swim

A previous time up here - Sorry no pictures of any previous sons-in-law stag evenings (all last century and pre-digital) !

Next walk - 7th July 2017 - Holme Wood with Richard and Christine