Kid Carpet is bringing his wonderful children’s show, Kid Carpet & The Noisy Animals, to the Brewery Theatre between November 1 and 4. It is a perfect half-term treat, with the dance music maestro creating, in his own words, “some kind of performance theatre rock show cinema amalgamation, something more than just a music gig for kids”.
Here is a review of the show from earlier this year.
For more information and to book tickets, visit the Tobacco Factory Theatre website.
Here are Kid Carpet’s top-five Bristol favourites:
Steepest Hill: Vale Street, Totterdown
When we’ve got friends staying who are new to Bristol we nearly always take them for a breathtaking drive down what we know as Steepest Hill, Vale Street in Totterdown, the steepest residential street in Europe. You can’t see the bottom of the road from the top, like a fat man who can’t see his… car parked at the bottom of the hill.
Purdown / Snuff Mills / Oldbury Court – The Frome Valley
The Frome Valley offers loads of green space and structural oddities just outside the city centre. From St Werburgh’s take a walk past the city farm and Boiling Wells site, over Purdown, past the crazy radio mast and the big yellow house over the hill. Walk under the M32 and down to Snuff Mills, a woodland with the Frome river running through it, boasting weirs, rope swings and an ancient train track through a cave. Continue walking up a stream and into Oldbury Court, a massive park with the best play area that I’ve seen in Bristol. You might see a kingfisher. You might step in a dog poo. Come back via the swan, heron and duck lake in Eastville Park. Stand and admire the beautiful practical ugliness of the motorway as it curves away above you towards the city. See the local kids riding makeshift ramps on bikes, boards and scooters. Walk over the motorway footbridge at sunset and enjoy the view of Bristol centre. You can wave at lorries if you like. Loads to see and do.
The house with the nose on it – Crazy Jane’s nose
On the corner of Kensington Road and Roslyn Road in Redland is a house with a big old nose on the outside wall. I don’t check up on it all that often and sincerely hope it’s doing alright. Is it a sculpture or the house’s own olfactory protuberance? A big old nose. Right there on the wall.
Trains at Ashton Court
Up at Ashton Court there is a model railway. Perhaps the most lovely thing in the world. The Ashton Court Railway is tucked in behind the top carpark, cafe and golfy bit and runs on some Sundays and Bank Holidays between March and October. You’ve just missed the last one this year but it is so amazing that I urge anyone to go and check it out in the spring. I’ve been only once and will be back as soon as possible. It’s a proper station with two platforms, a signalman, a tunnel and loads of steam, diesel and electric trains run by a crack team of grandads in overalls. Please have your tickets ready and wait at the platform where the next train will be departing shortly. Ooooweeeeeeessshhhhhh.
Miners Arms / Duke of York
I’ve got split loyalties with my local pubs. Shall I go to the Miners Arms on Mina Road or through Mina Road Park to The Duke of York on Jubilee Road? I loves ‘em both see. The Miners is a spit and sawdust old man’s boozer. Quiet, good beers, pool table and a cracking pub quiz. The Duke (below) is a bit more flamboyant, comes with graffiti, a skittle alley, a big yard and a games room.
