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Did You Know?

Bristol began life as a town called Brigg stow, which means the meeting place at the bridge in the old Saxon language. The original town was listed in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 1051.

Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard the Pirate was born in Bristol in the late 1600s and called the city his home. Blackbeard went on to become one of the most infamous pirates in history.

Bristol has been a trading port since the Roman era. Trading in tobacco, wine, cotton and more, it is a port city known as the 'Birthplace of America' - John Cabot sailed from the docks on The Matthew to help 'discover' North America in 1497.

1980s TV magic was made in the Bristol, when the anarchic comedy series The Young Ones chose Horfield as the setting for their fictional student house. The old swimming baths on Gloucester Road doubled as a bank in a scene from the final episode.

A Bristol-based firm was the first company in the world to produce solid chocolate bars. This was Fry’s Chocolate led by Joseph Fry. Their chocolate bar: Fry’s Chocolate Cream was first created in 1847 and then mass produced in 1866.

Bristol is a top tourist destination. Named one of the best European cities to visit in 2019 it also made the Rough Guide top 10 cities list. There’s lots to explore, from the obvious spots like the famous Suspension Bridge.

Vale Street in Totterdown has been officially recognised as Britain's steepest street. With an average incline of 22% (and an even steeper initial climb)

The City is famed for engineering innovation from the SS Great Britain to Concorde, but did you know our city is also the birthplace of the sweet-tooth favourite Ribena?

The phrase 'Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion' relates to Bristol's high tidal range. Ships moored in the harbour would be aground at low tide and, because of their keels, would fall to one side. If everything was not stowed away tidily or tied down, the results were chaotic and cargo could be spoiled.

There’s a book bound with human skin on display in M Shed.

The city had its own time zone until 1840, when train travel required time to be standardized. The clock on the Exchange Building still has two minute hands to reflect this.

Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run and Creature Comforts were all made in Bristol, home of the Oscar award-winning Aardman. Creature Comforts was inspired by Nick Park's visits to the Zoo Gardens and features the voices of local Bristolians.

Outside The Exchange are four brass pillars, or columns, known as the Bristol Nails.  They were once used by merchants to seal their business deals and count their money.  The raised edge of each circular pillar prevents coins rolling on to the pavement.  It is said that the Nails led to the coining of the phrase ‘Pay on the Nail’.

It has it's own language. Well, accent, anyway. Bristolian is a very special dialect and includes some unique words and phrases including: smooth (pronounced ‘smoove’, to stroke a pet), gert lush (very good), and cheers drive (to thank a bus driver). There’s even a road called Cheers Drive to celebrate it.