By Evie Greville, Second Year, English
Bristol is never prettier than when the leaves are turning. Whether you’re a fresher or returning to university, it’s time to start looking forward to a new autumn term. The autumn term holds Freshers Week (or month, if you’re strong enough) celebrations, Halloween festivities and a glittering Fireworks Night, ending with exam season as winter begins.
I’m a bit of a planner; in fact, I already have the entire month of October planned out to make the absolute most of Halloween with my friends (listed at the end of the article if you are curious!), and alongside that, I have created a guide for how to make the most of autumn in Bristol.
Firstly, exploring Bristol. The new student's number one priority is making Bristol their new home, and a returning student should never neglect romanticising and exploring their home even further. To get to know Bristol, get out there during your free periods or the weekends with a friend and start exploring. Need a break from the hustle and bustle of city life? Explore the more rural parts of town. Brandon Hill is a sanctuary near the centre to surround yourself with greenery and enjoy a takeaway hot chocolate with a friend. Other beautiful spots to see the beautiful turning leaves include the Clifton Downs or Leigh Woods. Afterwards, you may even fancy a stroll through the Ashton Court Estate, who many know for Love Saves the Day in the summer, but is the perfect spot to visit the deer on an autumn’s day. You can then head back across the Clifton Suspension Bridge for the best view around sunset, for the prettiest view of Bristol and the River Avon.
Now, we all know we have our student budgets, but every once in a while we’ve got to treat ourselves. If you’re looking for up-to-date recommendations on Bristol food spots, check out @zigsmunch on Instagram, who has kindly also offered some recommendations for this article! Starting off, Mrs Potts Chocolate House is the perfect place for a sweet treat, and Woodes Cafe has the perfect vintage vibe with Parisian decor to have pastries in if you’re on Queen’s Road already! For a coffee date with a friend, Odd Shop is a great coffee spot with varying seasonal hot drinks and infamous hash browns. If you’re looking for something in Clifton before browsing the shops, then try Primrose Cafe in Bristol for an excellent brunch. Perhaps it’s someone’s birthday or a date night? Head over to Bravas, with low lights and excellent wine alongside tapas and an enticing atmosphere for those special occasions.
As autumn approaches, so does my favourite holiday of the year: Halloween! This year Halloween falls on a Friday, offering us an entire weekend of festivities, and clubs are sure to be celebrating all the week before too. If you want to hit the club, The Triangle always offers a great night. Notable mentions for a night out over Halloweekend include Thekla and Lakota’s Cirque Du Soul Halloween Special (you can get your tickets now!). Into bass and garage? Hit the TRUE UNDERGROUND to celebrate Halloween at Clock Factory. If you want some night-time fun away from the clubs, there is also the FEAR Scream Park opening for 12 nights from the 10th October, with interactive experiences, a funfair, performers and terrifying entertainment. Feeling more like sitting back and watching a film? Hit the Redcliff Caves to enjoy some movie screenings with the Bristol Film Festival for a night of horror. Leading up to Halloween, you’ll find Bristol packed with decorations and pumpkins on every porch (Clifton always does a good showing of this), and if you want to join in with your own, I recommend heading to one of the Bristol pumpkin patches so you can get carving.
With all the excitement of Halloween, try not to forget Fireworks Night on the 5th of November. There are many fireworks events all over the city; however, the Clifton Suspension Bridge Viewpoint is unbeaten, where you and your friends can cluster together on the hill all wrapped up in scarves and jackets to watch the fireworks blooming over the city. Honourable mentions include the Bristol Fireworks Extravaganza and the Downend Round Table Fireworks, celebrating not only with fireworks but with a bonfire.
Georgia Rowe
Rachel Poels
Now, it may be boring, but with autumn comes exam season towards the end of the first term, and coursework deadlines. My best advice has to be romanticising studying like Rory Gilmore or a Hogwarts student in Wills Memorial Building, and when the studying hours start to build up, hit Senate House in a group with your friends. Whilst studying is never fun, I fondly remember exam seasons for the shared frenzy and the cosiness of the Senate Living Room whilst it rained down on Bristol as we crammed our heads for exams. Breaks every few hours and being in it together sure does help!
'Don’t forget that a key part of the university experience is the city that is your home for these years'
Whilst starting or returning to university can be a challenge, it also offers a lot of excitement, and with the autumn term comes a hundred opportunities to have a great time with your mates, old or new. Don’t forget that a key part of the university experience is the city that is your home for these years, and make sure to get out there and enjoy it, making the most of this season.
If you’re interested, below I have noted my plans for my friends and I to make the most of Halloween below!
At the very end of September, my flat will be hosting a masquerade-themed dinner party, with formal wear and jazz music and candles and wine to start off the festivities. A week or two into October, my friend group will be having a Halloween house or flat party, dress-up mandatory. Then, my flat will be enjoying carving pumpkins with Halloween on all night, to decorate our windowsills. On actual Halloween week, we will be hitting the club on Monday and again on Wednesday and finally on actual Halloween on Friday, offering us a bit of downtime between nights out!
Featured Image: Epigram / Anna Dodd
Do you have any autumn plans lined up for the months ahead?
