I was pleased to be back in Bristol last Sunday with Helen, Paul and Alistair. We lunched up in Clifton at a lovely restaurant and followed with a wander along the Cumberland Basin watching the weekend families enjoying the sights and even a steam train. A highlight for me was seeing my first Banksie, the obviously named “Girl with a pearl earring” and the earring is a humorous touch. Clifton is like a quaint village within a city and the steep hills will keep you fit! A feature of Bristol, that I like, is the colourful painted buildings including the modern ones. Sunday’s walk took me to places I had not visited before, like Underfall Yard, the red brick building with the chimney, which was, and still is, a key location for the management of water levels and lock gates in the Cumberland Basin. There was enough breeze to catch out the Sunday sailors. There are two historic ships in the harbour, SS Great Britain and a replica of the Matthew, John Cabot’s tiny boat which he took to Newfoundland in 1497. The steam train was rolling back and forward by M Shed and there are two pictures which almost capture the moment that Helen was the good Samaritan catching the stroller which was about to go under the train while daddy with toddler, on shoulders, was not watching. Well done Helen. You see all sorts including a giant gin palace with a helicopter on deck which, apparently, cannot be flown and, along with the dinghies, rowers enjoying sport on the water.