Including South Wales & South Cotswolds

Where shall we go today? Crook Peak, the Avalon Marshes, the Wye Valley? Or perhaps Bruton, Glastonbury or Clevedon? This book is packed with ideas for great days out within around an hour or so’s drive, with suggestions to suit your mood, schedule and starting point. From the Mendip Hills and Somerset Levels, to South Wales, the southern Cotswolds, the Coast and its resorts. Quirky facts and background information provide context, while divided into micro-regions, maps provide orientation. This guide will help you explore what is on the doorstep or to venture further afield along paths less travelled.

Of Earth and Sky describes 30 projects created by international artist Luke Jerram from 2019 to 2025. As well as providing updates on the staggeringly popular Museum of the Moon and Gaia, it also features the very latest artworks including Helios, charitable creative projects from the new Jerram Foundation, and many more, most recently relating to planetary health.

A specialist in creating visual artwork which often attracts large audiences and publicity, Jerram gives an insight into how he works in collaboration with other artists, performers, scientists, anthropologists and members of the public, right around the world, to create these astonishing projects.

Explore how the artist expertly creates opportunities to bring people together.

By Robin Askew, Eugene Byrne, Melanie Kelly and Amy O’Beirne

Edited by Andrew Kelly

Follow in the footsteps of the Romantic poets and Brunel. Learn about Bristol’s council housing, commerce and public life. Discover the myths people tell about the city. Experience arts, music history and nature. And see how different the city might have looked if some projects had gone ahead. This book brings together a series of walks created and commissioned by Bristol Ideas to help you explore this unique city.

Robin Prytherch was a man with a passion for birds and one in particular – the common buzzard. For over 40 years, rain or shine, armed with a cheese sandwich, a flask of coffee, a pair of binoculars and a telescope, he headed out to watch them. During his studies he sketched and observed generations of buzzards and got to know their behaviour, individual characters and family relationships intimately. He delighted in finding new and interesting things to say about what one might think is already a very well-known species, and was eager to share his discoveries with others. So, starting in 1995, he decided to do just that by designing and sending out his own buzzard- themed Christmas cards. Sadly, Robin passed away in 2021 but, partially as a tribute to his memory, in this book they are all collected together in one place for others to enjoy.

BRISTOL’S BEST PLACES FOR PLANT BASED FOOD

Ben McCabe & Helena Murphy

Vegan Bristol is a guide to the most tantalising spots to discover amazing vegan food in Bristol. Featuring a curated selection of the best vegan and vegan-friendly establishments across a range of cuisines and cultures – from restaurants and cafés to pubs and pop-ups – this guide is the sure-fire way to find your next delicious plant-based meal in the South West’s cultural capital, regardless of your budget and desires.

In Vegan Bristol, you’ll find:

• An introduction to Bristol’s extensive vegan food scene

• More than 40 locations carefully researched and chosen for their quality and atmosphere

• Detailed information about each location, as well as useful insights such as takeaway options

• Provision listings and ‘Best places for...’ guide

Lost, forgotten and previously untold eye-opening tales from the gigs you’ll wish you’d seen.

The West Country might not have a place in rock history to match that of London or Liverpool, but some incredible shows took place here, including the UK’s first outdoor pop riots and key performances by many of the greats.

This anecdote-rich book whisks you through 15 eventful years of rock, with walk-on parts for such unlikely figures as Michael Palin and Terry Pratchett.

Each one of Bristol’s bridges has a fascinating story which is woven intimately into the 1,000-year history of the city. Why was it built? What was involved in its design, engineering and construction? What dramatic events sometimes swirled around and perhaps on it? In this book Jeff Lucas tells the story of each of the 45 bridges which span the main waterways of Bristol between Avonmouth and St Anne’s, and which can be crossed on foot.

How much do you know about Bristol? Why does it look the way it looks? What secrets do its streets hide? What stories could its buildings tell if they had a voice?

Michael Manson takes you on a search to find the soul of the city where he has lived for more than 45 years.

How much do you know about the history of Bristol? Why does it look the way it does? What secrets do its streets hide? What stories would its buildings tell if they had a voice?

2023 marks the 650th anniversary of Bristol becoming an independent county. This provides an opportunity to not only look back at more than six centuries of the city, but also to think about how we might build a better Bristol of the future.

Edited by Amy O’Beirne and Andrew Kelly, this book brings together essays from over 30 contributors, addressing some of the challenges the city faces and sharing ideas about how we might meet them. From dealing with the past, the future of social care, culture and housing to building a city of aspiration, the book looks to promote learning about the future of Bristol and encourage new ideas to come forward.