[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]Just as the Mouth of the Severn begins to yawn, before being [PARA]swallowed by the Bristol Channel, the Avon River drops off into [PARA]the south-west of England. Within a few miles it flows through [PARA]the [ITAL]traumatically spectacular[EITAL] Avon Gorge at Clifton before [PARA]reaching the heart of Bristol. It's an [ITAL]attractive [EITAL]stirring of old and [PARA]new buildings, surrounded by green hills, which can only be [PARA]described as countryside. In the middle of all this is the University[PARA]Precinct, and no-one can forget it, what with the [ITAL]splendid [EITAL]gothic [PARA]tower of the Wills Memorial Building dominating the city skyline. [ITAL][PARA]Many of the other buildings are equally inspiring such as the large[PARA]tea-with-crooked-pinkie[EITAL] Victorian houses converted to form the [PARA]arts departments and the 18th century mansion, Royal Fort [PARA]House. The Union Building, however, [ITAL]lets the side down[EITAL] - an [ITAL][PARA]ugly, [EITAL]concrete, squat, grey, [ITAL]eminently bomb-able[EITAL] tower block.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]The feel of the place is very competitively academic. This is one [PARA]of the so-called green welly universities, popular with Sloanes and[PARA]Oxbridge rejects (although most students would rather be here [PARA]than Oxbridge any day). Students are serious and busy, but [PARA]during the evenings, the Union Building becomes the bull's-eye of [PARA]the social darts board. It's almost dead in the mornings, at least [PARA]until lunchtime - after the evenings before, we can understand [PARA]that.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Population: 370,300 [BULL] London: 111miles [BULL] Birmingham: [PARA]77miles [BULL] Cardiff: 29miles[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA][ITAL]Bristol is effectively the capital of the south-west. There's no use [PARA]thinking this is a small time small town,[EITAL] although it's not as [PARA]cosmopolitan as the big boys like London, Brum or Manchester. [PARA]It was once though, back in the 17th century, when it was [PARA]England's 2nd port, and, into the 18th and even the early 19th, it [PARA]was still crucial on a national scale. But the old maritime industry [PARA]has gone now and the docks have been redeveloped with offices [PARA]for yapping yuppies. Elsewhere around the city, the night life [PARA]leaves walls permanently dripping with metaphorical red paint, [PARA]from clubs to culture and back again, and many a spending [PARA]spree can be sprung in the city's shops and markets. [PUSH]push[EPUSH] [PARA]would like to push the discriminating towards a few of Bristol's [PARA]highest highlights: among the physically highest are the Cabot [PARA]Tower (which, from below, can be seen from almost anywhere, [PARA]and from the top of which almost anything can be seen) and the [ITAL][PARA]outrageous [EITAL]Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by Brunel. Also [PARA]designed by Brunel in 1843 is the SS Great Britain, now in dry [PARA]dock at the Maritime Heritage Museum. For science with fun [PARA]buttons to press, try the Exploratory; for art and nature, the City [PARA]Museum and Art Gallery; and for caged animals (and one of [PARA]England's only hippos), Bristol Zoo.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Bristol Temple Meads station is one of the country's [PARA]centres for Intercity routes with direct services all over the shop [PARA]including London (ú16.50, 1:40hrs, 1/hr), Birmingham (ú11.90) and [PARA]Edinburgh (ú39.60). Bristol Parkway for Wales.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] Bristol is similarly well served by coach services, [PARA]including National Express buses to, among other places, London[PARA](ú12.50, 2:20hrs, 6/day), Birmingham (ú10.25, 1:50hrs, 7/day), [PARA]Newcastle (ú34.00, 6:45hrs, 3/day) Arrow and Bakers Dolphin [PARA]offer cheaper return trips to London.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] How do you get 2 whales in a mini? Down the M4. On the [PARA]way to the Severn Bridge, the M4 also bypasses Bristol with the [PARA]M32 going into the city. The M5 comes down from the Midlands, [PARA]and the A38, A4 and A37 also all visit Bristol.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Bristol Airport, 7 miles outside the city centre, has flights [PARA]inland and to Europe.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]The M4 and M5 are both good for long distance [PARA]thumbsters.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] There are several British Rail stops in and around the city [PARA]and this provides a [ITAL]reliable,[EITAL] frequent and comprehensive service [PARA]without staggering cost. Local buses fill in where trains can't go, [PARA]costing ú1 from Temple Meads station to the Union.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] At about a ú1 per mile, [ITAL]useful for late night tripping.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]The city's hilly nature presents a few ups and downs, [PARA]but the busy roads present downright danger, although there is [PARA]now an increasing number of cycle lanes. Bikes also have a [PARA]tendency to cycle off on their own. Nevertheless pedalling is a [PARA]popular pastime.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Arts[EBOLD] 2,153[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 2,261[BOLD][PARA]Medicine[EBOLD] 1,284[BOLD][PARA]Engineering[EBOLD] 1,020[BOLD][PARA]Law[EBOLD] 578[BOLD][PARA]Soc Sci[EBOLD] 1,386[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 1,098,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 6,000 [BULL] Study places: [PARA]2,000 [BULL] Computer workstations: 750[ESTAT][PARA]13 libraries, all departmental branches of the Main Library.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 10full/8part [BULL] Unemployed [PARA]after 6mths (1992): 9.3%[ESTAT][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]Bristol has some of the best recycling facilities and one of the [PARA]highest proportions of local ex-students of any British city.[PARA][BULL]The chaplain to the University was the first woman in the UK [PARA]to be made an Anglican priest.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Paul Boateng MP (Lab); Hartley Booth MP (Con); Lord Chilver of [PARA]Cranfield; Hugh Cornwell (ex-Strangler); Alex Cox (director, [PARA]'Moviedrome' man); Susan Engels (RSC actress); Frances [PARA]Horovitz (poet); William Horwood ('Duncton Wood' writer); David [PARA]Hunt MP (Con); Sue Lawley (presenter of 'Desert Island Discs', [PARA]was UBU President); Chris Morris (Radio 1, 'The Day Today', [PARA]etc); Alistair Stewart (newsreader).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]General prospectus from the University and alternative [PARA]prospectus from UBU.[PARA][PARA]
