Lyttelton's Britain by Iain Pattinson

Weston-Super-Mare it’s still 1963.
    The city of Bristol is rightly proud of its architectural heritage. Nestling on College Green is found Bristol Cathedral, which is Britain’s finest example of a ‘Hall Church’, and is noted for its stained glass, although it’s nothing a quick rub over with Windolene won’t fix.
    The original building was founded in 1140 by Robert Fitzharding, ancestor to the Earls of Berkeley. It was this family that later formed the famous Berkeley Hunt, whose activities have recently been curtailed by legislation banning rhyming slang.
    Bristol’s modern history is very much associated with aviation. In 1910, Britain’s first commercial aircraft factory was established at nearby Filton, to manufacture the Bristol Boxkite. Despite the Boxkite’s limited range, commercial flights soon began, with routes going as far as the string would stretch. However, services were eventually cancelled when passengers became tired of having to climb out of a tall tree after every landing.
    Filton had particular associations with the Concorde project. With a transatlantic flight time of a little over three hours, it was the proud boast of British Airways that Concorde passengers could have their breakfast in London, their lunch in New York and their luggage in Uzbekistan.

    The Barry Manilow Memorial, Filton
    In the 1950s, the factory turned to making luxury cars such as the Bristol Bulldog and the Bristol 401, which still have an enthusiastic following today. Every summer, the Owners’ Club meets to display their classic vehicles. And while they chat and swap stories, members’ wives proudly clean and polish their Bristols, which are then displayed and judged by the Mayor.
    Well-known names associated with Bristol include the infamous Judge Jeffreys, who presided over the Bloody Assizes. Jeffreys drank heavily to dull a painful condition, and took little notice of defence pleas. During one notorious session, 233 persons were hanged, drawn, quartered and gibbeted in the market place, before Mrs Jeffreys pointed out that he’d inadvertently executed all the guests at his birthday party.
    The sculptor, Edward Hodges Bailey was born in Bristol in 1788. He is best known for his 16-foot figure of Lord Nelson, a project which, after two years of stone carving, was nearly a disaster, when Bailey slipped and knocked the right arm off. He was just about to start all over again, when, by a wonderful stroke of luck, news came that Nelson had had the same limb ripped off by a cannon ball.
    It was the local Liberal MP Samuel Plimsoll who introduced the Merchant Shipping Act of 1876, which required every vessel to be painted with a Plimsoll Line to regulate the safe loading of gym shoes.
    These days, several famous names make Bristol their home, including the television actor Tony Robinson, who is best known as the scruffy idiot sidekick in Time Team .
    Another resident is Paul McGann, from the famous actor family which includes his brothers: Joe, Mark and Renault.

BATH

    B ATH is a fascinating town with a fine history. The city was originally called Aquae Sulis because of its spa, and visitors can still see the partial remains of a system of hot and cold water pipes begun by Roman plumbing engineers in 54 AD . They returned to their depot in Verulamium in 53 AD to fetch parts and, despite a promise to return the following Thursday, haven’t been seen since. However, they did leave the town with a unique legacy and a call-out fee of seventy quid pro quo.
    Amongst other attractions is the nearby Royal Pump Room, housing a fine display of royal pumps. Next to that is the Regency Trainer House, just along from the Queen Anne flip-flop archive.
    Apart from the natural hot springs, intrepid tourists who seek something different might do worse than head for the Norwegian quarter of the town, with its many ethnic bistros serving traditional Scandinavian cuisine. After enjoying a dinner of wild elk and smorgasbord, washed down