Latest news with #FestivalOfNature
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bristol in Pictures: Birdman, Craft Beer Fest and Gromits
We've had another peek at the designs for the Gromit Unleashed 3 trail later this summer, and St Mary Redcliffe marked its annual Rush Sunday, a tradition that dates back 500 Festival of Nature is in full swing, but Bristol Comedy Garden has come to an end after providing the usual dose of laughter in Queen the city, teams have been putting the finishing touches to their weird and wonderful contraptions for Bristol's first ever Birdman event on Sunday morning. Not long now: Bristol Children's Hospital patient Fred, aged six, got to get up close with some of the designs which will be placed on the streets of Bristol as part of the Gromit Unleashed 3 trail, which begins on 30 June. The trail, organised by the Grand Appeal and Aardman, will raise money for the hospital. Come fly with me: Competitors have been busy making their home-made machines to take on the first ever Bristol Birdman on the Harbourside. This is the entry for All Aboard Watersports. Head to the area near the Cottage Inn for 10:00 BST on Sunday to see the action unfold. Laugh along: The likes of Ed Gamble and other famous comedians entertained crowds under the big top in Queen Square as the Bristol Comedy Garden returned. Tradition: The annual Rush Sunday procession wound its way to St Mary Redcliffe church last weekend, keeping alive a civic event that dates back 500 years. Wild in the city: It's the Festival of Nature this weekend, complete with a pop-up wetland in Millennium Square Kicking off: Staff from more than a dozen hotels in the city took part in a five-a-side tournament at Ashton Gate, raising more than £1,400 for Bristol Children's Hospital charity, the Grand Appeal. For the record, the team from the Leonardo Hotel were the winners. Going green: More than 450 people attended the Festival of Sustainable Business at Bristol Beacon this week. Among the speakers were Weca Mayor Helen Godwin, who echoed calls for firms to decarbonise. The event, organised by Future Leap, is in its sixth year. All aboard: A partnership between the West of England Combined Authority and local bus companies means children and young people across Bristol and neighbouring areas can travel for free in the summer holidays this year. Celebration time: Staff and pupils at Cabot Primary School in St Pauls have been given the good news of a positive Ofsted report. Flower power: Head east out of the city and it won't take long to reach Dyrham Park, the Grade I-listed National Trust house and gardens which draw in thousands of visitors every year. In harmony: Members of the Bristol Hippodrome Community Choir meet twice a month for some informal and relaxed singing sessions.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Festival of Nature in Bristol involves Millennium Square wetland
Organisers of what they say is the first ever pop-up wetland to be built in a UK city centre has said it is "like a mini oasis".A large section of Millennium Square in Bristol has been transformed into an immersive wetland experience ahead of the Festival of Nature this popup features reeds, wildlife sounds and sculptures of warblers, water voles and kingfishers."We want to widen people's awareness of wetlands and the beauty of them and their importance," said principal designer Jez Clarke. About 200 years ago, the areas around Millennium Square like Canons Marsh and Queen Square lay on marshland, according to the charity for wetlands and wildlife (WWT).But wetlands are vanishing at a crucial pace, said the charity, with 75%of inland wetlands lost in the last 300 years."They're a crucial eco-system", Mr Clarke added. "They're just incredibly bio-diverse and hugely important for sustainability". Mr Clarke said he hoped the popup will help to draw visitor attraction to wetland centres like Slimbridge in Gloucestershire."We're focusing on indigenous species to Slimbridge whether that be birds, frogs, butterflies or dragonflies", added Mr Clarke."The idea is once you're in here, in the festival, it is like a little mini oasis"."The ultimate aim is that people suddenly feel that they are just down the road at Slimbridge".The Festival of Nature, which runs from 7 to 15 June, is celebrating the theme of water this year.
