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