Summer in Redland

A month ago the sun was shining and people were smiling and the summer was well and truly here, now we’ve started to endure rainy days in Redland with sunny spells.

So what to do?

Here are my tips for what to do on a dry hot day in Redland this summer:

1)   Go for a walk in one of the many Bristol parks – Redland Green, The Downs, Cotham Park, St Andrew’s Park.

2)   Spend a day playing tennis up at the Bristol Lawn Tennis and Squash Club at Redland Green.  Joining fees are £50 for students and pensioners, rising to £100 for adults (£150 for couples). See the website for more details. If you don’t want to play then you could always just watch!

3)   Enjoy a spot of lunch in one of the many outdoor eating areas, including Planet Pizza and Aqua on Whiteladies Road, The Prom and The Blue Lagoon on Gloucester Road, Moreish and Cilinaria on Chandos Road and Number 10 (Number 10 has impeccable service) and Casa Mexicana on Zetland Road.

4)   While away the evening supping shandy or an ice cold cider in one of the outdoor drinking areas, The Ranch and Bar Humbug on Whiteladies Road, The Prince of Wales and the Cat and Wheel on Gloucester Road and The Cambridge Arms on Coldharbour Road and The Clyde Arms in the heart of Redland on Hampton Road.

5)   Go on a self-guided street art tour. Let’s face it there’s no escaping the amount of graffiti around Redland but rather than being a blight on the landscape it actually brightens the place up so grab a camera and head to some of the hotspots to marvel at the art work. These include Redland railway station, Stokes Croft and Cheltenham Road.

And for a wet, dull day in Redland this summer:

1)   Wander up Gloucester Road browsing at the wonderful independent shops and stores. There’s some decent charity shops, including Cancer Research and St Peter’s Hospice as well as some fabulous little boutiques, such as Iota (gifts and stuff) and RePsycho (retro clothes and accessories). There’s also the odd mainstream shop, Peacocks and Somerfield. And some more unusual ones, Brewers Droop (offy and brewing gear) and the Amnesty Book Store (cheap second hand books).

2)   Take a walk on the Whiteladies side and check out Clifton Down Shopping Centre with Timpsons (tankards/keys/shoes), Smart Set Sports (fitness/cycling/sportswear) and Lloyds Flowers (just flowers really) among others. Visit the Woolies Indoor Market with its amazing selection of stalls and check out the charity shops on Cotham Hill, including Mind (cheap) and Oxfam (great for books and CDs). There’s also some top end stores including Richer Sounds (stereos and surround sound systems) and Rockfish Grill (best fish ever).

3)   Head into the library (either Redland Library on Whiteladies Road) or the Cheltenham Road Library the other side. And check out the sheer amount of books you could never have in your own home – they often have interesting displays too. And you can borrow CDs and DVDs (for a small fee). They’ve also got the internet and printers should you need them.

4)   Head to one of those cosy, completely covered pubs for a lovely ale, some bar snacks and a board game. A lot of the pubs in Redland are very warm and welcoming and come complete with a good selection of board games. These include the Star and Garter, Kingsdown Vaults and The Shakespeare. Or stay at home and play board games. Board games are good.

5)   Head south to The Cube cinema. It shows old films, has live music, talks and debates. There’s a lovely little bar to the side of the screen serving homemade cola and other gems. Or head north to the Orpheus cinema, which is stuck in a 1950s time warp (in a good way) with cheap cheap ticket prices to boot (£3 on a Monday last time I went). Both are within easy reach of (walking distance in fact) Redland and both are well worth a visit.