David and I are visiting Bristol this weekend to tour the University of the West of England. He is keen to learn about their Economics/Business courses, which includes spending a year working with a company, either at home or abroad.
This is also offered by Hull uni, so these are both strong possibilities for David’s final choice. I think this is a great idea too as it will give him more confidence when he starts a job, and his experiences will help him get a better degree.
Everyone says that Bristol is a great place, that once you move there or study at Bristol, you never want to leave the city.
I feel slightly/very nervous about driving over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, I get a stomach churning sensation in my tummy and a racing pulse when driving over anything like this, it happens over the Queen Elizabeth bridge, I can never look down.
We thought we would make a weekend of it. The problem is, will I be able to leave?
Ah — Bristol! One of my favorite places in the world. I have spent a lot of time there, since a dear cousin once lived in Clifton (loved the view of the suspension bridge), and I used to stay with her. Anyway, I envy you going there, and the added bonus to Bristol is that Bath is just down the road, and I would be happy to spend my declining days in Bath.
PS I’ve driven over the Clifton suspension bridge and it’s really not so bad. And this is from a left-hand drive experienced North American.
Have a great week-end Ellee, and we shall catch up very soon lots to chat about
It is much wore walking over the bridge.
Enjoy it, Ellee. Just don’t look down!
Bristol is great. Bit slow and back watery compared to Manchester or even London. But great.
This bridge is not even remotely vertiginous as a driver. There is not the sense of height you might expect. Could be the Barton swing bridge.
But not sure there’s any need to cross this one for your purpose Ellee?
Slave Trade comment is true as for London, Liverpool, Manchester etc though many people in Bristle have gotten over it.
On the other hand getting over recent Lib Dem regimes has been difficult.
They tried to ban door mats … they immediately raised all their own allowances … they cut subsidies from local trains … and they had officers (all getting big uplifts) making unpopular decisions during recesses.
But the Lib Dem Mayor was a good sport in 2006 for my Gran’s 100th birthday … sand something from the sound of music. Hills are alive …
Sounds like you are enjoying the University hunt as much, if not more than David.
Hope you are having fun!
What they don’t tell you in the uni prospectus
Probably not, if you’ve got that bridge to re-cross! Wow! What a bridge! I think I would have butterflies in my stomach, too…but at the same time, it must be an adrenalin rush! I hope you had a very enjoyable time, Ellee. 🙂
I think you should imagine that you are a ball kicked by Jonny Wilkinson and you will surely get to the other side 🙂
Chris, You were right, thankfully I didn’t need to go over the bridge in the end. The day was so hectic. Even though we arrived at Bristol uni at 9.30am, having staying overnight in a nearby hotel, it was heaving with people and there were so many talks and tours to take in.
What this uni did on its open day which others we have visited didn’t, and we found very useful, was give a talk on the financial issues about what students can expect, how much they will need to live on. While the government has estimated it takes 13 1/2 years to repay student debts, the speaker felt it was much longer. We have to regard it as an investment for the future, he said.
David also sat in on a mock lesson, the tutor set a project along the lines of what kind of work they can expect in their first year. I found that really interesting.
David has now decided he would like to apply to Hull uni as his first option, he loved the business school there and it is applying for special accreditation which will mean it is ranked among the top 5 business schools in the country. He has decided to opt for economics as his subject. I agree with both these decisions.
I didn’t enjoy the drive there very much. Even though I had a sat nav, AA route planner printed out, a map and brother-in-law on the phone giving directions, I still managed to take a wrong turn. We ended up down a narrow lane outside Huntingdon Life Sciences, famed for its animal activist demos against trials using animals. I had parked outside to read the map and David thought it was a prison with its austere high wall and mesh fencing. Two guards came outside and couldn’t believe I was heading for Bristol and ended up outside their gate. They were very helpful and gave me directions. We ignored the sat nav. We came back a totally different way using the sat nav. It was right in the end, I just wasn’t sure whether to trust it.
Could have sworn I left a comment here at the start of the weekend. Must be going crazy.
Ellee , So your lad has made his decision , good on him ( though Id hate to spend time in Hull )
Leave him to it now , nothing worse at that age than clucking mother !
As for Bristol and the slave trade ( number6 )
The triangular trade ( which included slave trading ) was a longish time ago now .
If it had not happened this country would not have grown in wealth and stature which we still benefit from .( look at many of the old banking firms and indeed the Quaker chocolate makers to see a few of those involved.)
It should also be remember that slavery had been prominant in Africa for ages, the selling to others came around as an offshoot of the normal practice.
The past is rightly a different country , they did do things differently there.
We should not however forget that it was our country that recognised that the enslavement of others was abhorrent first , and we did something about it .
This entailed the British Navy working the waters around the coast of Africa to board and seize the slave traders boats ( usually Arabs ) and seizing their captives.
These were then taken to Freetown , Sierra Leone .
This came at no little price for the sailors involved , the slavers fought back !
But the Brits stayed the course .
This they could rightly be proud of.
Georgirl, I admit I’m a real mother hen! And I love it, though the boys may not.
Hull uni has a fabulous new business centre, it was so friendly too and has a great track record. I admit Bristol may be more fun as a city, but I think David will make friends on campus. I never imagined he would end up planning to go so far from home. I must teach him to cook now, and iron.
Bristol is tops, please choose this over Hull….
You will do fine, Ellee! JUst look ahead and focus on the bridge too!
Glad you both had such a good experience Ellee – v.different to when I went to Uni. I’m glad you went with your son too, my mother never would have. I think it would have been a daunting experience on his own.
I’ve found the blog of a fellow journalist I think you might enjoy, details over at my blog.
As you know, Ellee, I lived in Bristol till I was 15 and it is a lovely city. If David goes there, I wonder how long it will take him to get a Bristol accent, though?! I used to drive my poor Dad mad with mine and am told I still slip into it when tired!
Ellee – Hull is a great place, I spent a fantastic four years of my life there doing a business studies degree at what was then (1987-1991) Humberside College of Higher Education, Cottingham Road – I think that the Uni probably took it over in the end, but it was highly regarded for business courses then. The beer will be far cheaper in Hull than in Bristol too!
[…] We are going to a local pub where our eldest son David is working behind the bar, and a racy comedian, Johnny Dee, will have us in stitches. […]