Christmas Steps - hospitals, almshouses and the accidental relevance of benevolence
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- A brief look at the history of Christmas Steps in Bristol. Although there's a medieval monastery hospital at one end, and a chapel and almshouses at the other, the name probably has nothing intentionally to do with Christian charity.
0:00 Intro
1:05 Construction of the steps (Queene St)
2:18 Where did the name 'Christmas Steps' come from?
3:34 The eponymous pub (previously Three Sugar Loaves)
5:13 Carlos Trower, The African Blondin
6:45 Begging niches, Foster's Almshouses & St Bartholomew's Hospital
8:43 Outro
Sources, credits, transcript: pedestriandiversions.github.i...
You are quickly becoming one of my favourite RUclips channels, Love having a local channel in this field
I’m not a true Bristolian (I was not born in the city and I lived there for only 27 years), but I greatly enjoy your videos, as does my wife. We especially like the way in which you don’t make silly efforts to grab viewers’ attention; you assume, correctly, that what you have to show and tell us will be interesting. Please keep the videos coming.
Thanks Will. Many an interesting youtube has been spoilt for me by the title/narration describing the subject as "secret", "hidden" or similar, when it has a wikipedia page and google maps pin...so if that's the sort of sillyness you mean - yup, proudly defiant! (don't even get me started on the thumbnails of people pulling pantomime 'shocked' faces)
Of course you're a true bristolian, you have lived here for longer than a lot of people that were born here
Bristol is a state of mind, my friend!
@willstevens4289: Yeah, I reckon you're a 'true Bristolian' mate.
Great video! I love learning about Bristol's history, and you make it entertaining.
Another great video (that I'm watching at some random point in the future). I was a bit disappointed that the pub changed it's name from The Three Sugar Loaves, as this was very much a reference to Bristol's history (and, I guess, I like that sort of thing). Also The Christmas Steps is hardly very imaginative. Having said that, it's a great pub, well worth a visit.
Growing up the most famous shop in the 70's was the Joke shop on Christmas steps... was a cornucopia of wonders as a small boy. Glad to see its relocated to Colston St and still going strong.
I'm glad someone mentioned it. A great place to spend your pocket money when you should have been in school doing double maths.
The Joke Shop, great place. And next door there used to be a Stamp Shop, and opposite that (in 1968) was a cafe
I loved the joke / magic shop back in the 70's. Christmas Steps and the area around its top had several militaria / antique shops selling de-activated guns and WWII military training manuals that would probably be considered terrorist literature these days.
Yay! I'd forgotten about that joke shop.
Yes I spent an inordinate amount of time and money in both the joke shop and the stamp shop when I should have been at school. Fond memories.
Watching a few months after Christmas from under a roof, but was unhoused and likely a few streets over from you when you were filming this, I remember that snowy day! Also when the harbour froze a few days later. Appreciate the totally-not-a-political-message, in light of that, feel like we could do with reopening the almshouses and adding a few more to boot, as long as they're clean and the sally army don't get involved in any capacity
glad to hear you have a roof now. when it comes to the state of our society, need for almshouses etc, all I can say is... I wish I had the Pratchettian ability to channel anger into something positive
I'm enjoying your videos, having only just found your channel. They're very-much in the same vein as Jago Hazzard's videos of London's transport history.
I'm sure that it has probably been commented by others, but The Colston Hall has been renamed The Bristol Beacon, in (mistaken - in my opinion) deference to those who seek to sanitise Bristol's uncomfortable past.
I look forward to more from you through 2023 and beyond!👌
I respect your position on this, but I would argue that it is not about sanitising the past. No really sure what that phrase means, or how you could go about sanitising the past. I'd argue that it is more about celebrating people who deserve to be celebrated rather than those who do not. We can still learn about Bristol's history, by reading books, visiting museums, or watching great RUclips channels like this one! I don't see how the name of the hall ever educated anyone about history.
Having said that, I do think that the name Bristol Beacon is terrible, simply because it's bland. There are loads of great and worthy names from Bristol's history, that we could have used instead. A bit of a wasted opportunity in my opinion.
Anyway, thanks for your comment, and I hope you don't mind me replying with my personal take on this.
Reminded me of a favourite diversion while I was at school in Bristol in the 60s. I would walk down Christmas Steps where there was a second-hand bookshop run by a man called George (not to be confused with George's, the big bookshop near the University). I spent many hours browsing in the shop, where the books were literally piled high upon the floor.
I loved this video. Lovely reminder of Bristol, and also the good heart of the people who live there
Excellent, another video to watch with a glass of wine after tea. If only there was a TV channel of this kind of thing!
Well I nevel, despite having run possibly the forerunner of the gift type shops as a temporary Christmas charity fundraiser there in the late eighties, (and spending many of my free hours over the years exploring the back alleys and historic quirks of the city),I didn’t ever know that Christmas street was so named. Great to have a chance to continue my explorations all these years later and indeed miles away, thanks to your work, most enjoyable.
There's an excellent display about the development of St Bartholemews hospital inside Bartholemew House, at the foot of the steps. You have to go past the security guard, but he's friendly.
Wonderful stuff! I have learnt so much about a city that was my home for 10 years. Thank you.
Great video! I was just watching it at some distant point in the present (not a Christmas present, ha ha), as now is no longer the future.
Great, really enjoyed that. Does anybody remember any of the Night Clubs on Christmas Steps? mostly music venues, with a membership. There was one Club at the bottom of the Steps and “A BIT OF EVERYTHING” went on at different floor levels in this Club. Tony MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
Bloody love your videos so informative your a fountain of information for us bristolions 🤘🏻🤘🏻
👍Thanks for another informative video and your dry wit which is greatly appreciated.
Only a month late in catching this one 🙂
Very nice, shame you missed out the Civil War plaque halfway up. The steps were the scene of an exciting civil war battle. I went to see the Sealed Knot re-eactment in 2018. It was great fun, except the boring Bcc wouldn't allow their use of the usual real gunsmoke, and they had to play a recording of the sounds of battle instead! A Royalist commander called Lunsford was shot on the steps, and they were called "Lunsford's Steps" for a while.
Always a treat to see another one. Thanks, Merry Christmas - and keep them coming... There was a very good fish and chip shop at the bottom of the Steps during the sixties. I used to walk up to school through Johnny Ball Lane, just above the Steps. Might be interesting to have a look at that sometime?
I've never stumbled upon that before! had a quick search, found a great blog about it, does look interesting indeed. cheers
We still remember the chippie!
@@PedestrianDiversions And Zed Alley next to xmas steps
My dad had a shop on xmas steps Trull and co taylors trimings can be seen in old photos of the steps
Nicely done, and a Merry Christmas to you too!
Thank you for a great video and Happy Christmas! 🎄🕊⛪🔔☃
No apologies necessary! Yet more insights into a locale I have known from shildhood, but not known enough about. Thanks!
wonderful. again thank you.
I love your videos of Bristol. Could you do one on Arno's Vale cemetery. There's so much history there.
I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate your work. It is both interesting and most importantly, not patronising. I may have only lived here for the last 16 years but I find the history of this city incredibly facinating and I am glad to have subscribed to your channel. Keep up the great work. I have no idea if you take suggestions but one subject I have always been interested in is the history of the culverting of the Frome river. I know the creation of the floating harbour and building the feeder is probably more significant but when did they decide the Frome was just too much in the way? I have seen various photos of the culvert being reinforced along Rupert St but at what point was it originally done? When was it expanded out and to where? Before the M32 was built was the river just open next to the houses that were demolished to make way? And most importantly, can you get some footage of underneath now? I have heard there are still Victorian streets under the center. It's something of a bucket list item for me to get in there one day
Oh and also, is it really true that the old fire station was called the island when artspace lifespace had it because underground there is still water from the river making it an island?
thanks Sandy. I am always happy to take suggestions, although no promises I will follow up on them! I looked at this a little bit in my second ever video, on Bristol rivers. In that I said "The Frome was covered from Wade Street, near today’s Cabot Circus shopping centre, to the Stone bridge in 1858, then from the Stone bridge to the drawbridge in 1893, then in 1938 from the drawbridge down to where St Augustine’s reach ends today." The stone bridge being approx location of Cenotaph and drawbridge approx Baldwin Street, if I remember rightly. Upstream of that I have no idea to be honest. Would be an interesting future video, I already had individual videos on Frome/Malago/etc on my list but perhaps not that near of the top of it... In the sources for that video (you can find on my website, don't think I can link in comments but there's one in the description of the videos) I found some urban explorer field reports on forums and blogs, which include a load of photos from the subterranean Frome. I can't see myself going down there to be honest! Not sure about the 'island' thing but it sounds very plausible, I do very vaguely remember some sources talking about the Frome having multiple channels between the castle and stone bridge, but I can't remember which sources sorry!
@@PedestrianDiversions Thank you, I have just gone and watched that video and it is excellent. Loads of things I didn't know and really interesting throughout.
Thank you for this trip down memory steps. Lots of places to mention here but how could you not tell tale of the place I happily spent lots of time and pocket money when at school, namely the joke shop at the top.? Also, St Bart's at the bottom, the original home of said school, BGS?
As a schoolboy at Bristol Grammar School from 1965 to 75, I well remember Christmas Steps and the joke shop. Bartholomew House was not accessible in those days, but the doorway was known as being the surviving part of the original location of BGS when founded by the Thornes and granted its Charter in 1532.
Having not lived in the City since 1978, I find this channel fascinating as much for the current views as the history!
Great, as ever. Has anyone been in the chapel almshouses?
Also, doesn't Xmas steps continue past Park Row, upwards? I believe the road at the top is a late creation, giving a suitable gradient for trams. Sorry, rambling.
you're dead right, there are steps up to st michaels church, you can see on the old maps labelled "upper steps" (and the lack of park row dividing them!)
Loving your content. Last time I walked down there the smell of the drains was very medieval! has it been fixed?
didnt notice that when I filmed
Hi Chris, I was at the Lamplighters with my eldest Lad this weekend.
tried to find your brilliant video on youtube, but seems to have gone.
Any chance of putting it back on?
shirehampton remount? i didnt take it down... (also i'm a steve not a chris)
We have a statute to celebrate the Blondinis in Swindon
**waves from Feb '24**
Can you do a video on the unique Bristol accent? I grew up in the city, ex BGS boy, I now live in Australia, but you never loose the accent. I can still surprise my Aussie friends with a bit of gert lush Bristolian ..given Bristols rich merchant venturers past with lots of international trade, how com we still sound like carrot crunchers? Also as an antithesis of your channel, im sure you've checked out Terry from Bristol - ruclips.net/video/lrcKPZHD5Zo/видео.html ... Alright my lover?