About

The Bristolian is a scandal sheet covering all sorts of shenanigans in the fine British city of Bristol.

Originally launched in 2001, it quickly gained a reputation for well-sourced stories cocking a snook at our supposed ‘betters’ – councillors, cops, businessmen, managers and rich do-gooders – and soon racked up a circulation of more than 10,000 through pubs, cafés and on the streets.

Reflecting a widespread mood of distrust of careerist politicians in the city, in 2003 put up a dozen candidates in local elections on a Bristolian Party ticket – scooping 2,560 votes and an 8% share in the wards it contested. You can still see stickers from the campaign dotted around town a decade on.

In 2005 its reputation for getting scoops on municipal malpractice and provincial corruption earned The Bristolian a runner-up prize in the Paul Foot Awards for investigative journalism – a last hurrah for the original team who, after four long years, took a well deserved break.

In 2008, thanks to the energy of younger souls getting on board with some of the old hands, the paper was revived and the once again The Bristolian was causing a stir amongst the local great and good with its muckraking. This time it lasted for two years, before again going on hiatus in 2010 with the election of the Cameron government.

But now it’s back!

Relaunched in March 2013, The Bristolian will continue to smite the high and mighty every month in print and online – because it’s the paper that all Bristol really did ask for.

9 thoughts on “About

  1. Peter Cooke

    I have not seen The Bristolian before, but it is just what the good and just of the city need. Only the blinkered spendthrift minority need to worry George!

    Reply
  2. Notgivingmyname Beause you don't

    How come we have to give you our names to comment but you hide behind anonymity and be nice if you communicated without demeaning yourselves and others by the foul language and puerile comments.

    Reply
    1. katy

      This isn’t the fifties luv. If you don’t like swearing go visit the queen or something. She’ nice and polite and white and clean, and she upholds a system of oppression all over the world and sends troops to kill civilians by the million, but she it’s all done very politely from a golden carriage and other lovely places pilfered over the centuries. Lovely.

      Reply
  3. Jeff Butterfield

    PRIVATE BIKE SHED’s at £35,000 each Issued to Private Subscribers by BCC Highways in Montpelier
    >
    Another hang-over’s from the madness of King George and Bristol the Cycling City may be shortly installed into the Montpelier Conservation Area at a cost to the public estimated at £35,000 each and the scheme seems uncancellable by the current administration.
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    The cycling fraternity are lobbing for three Anderson Shelter Type Industrial Tin Bike Huts to be installed in Richmond Road, Montpelier. One outside No.2 Richmond Road is already agreed and lobbying for another outside No.1 Richmond Road on to Bath Buildings and near No.90 Richmond Road continue.
    >
    Funds for the scheme are funnelled through TravelWest as part of a £19m grant from Central Government. It’s all tax payers money but there is seemly a bottomless pit of funds to waste available for looney schemes while Lollipop-Ladies are getting the shove.
    >
    Each Tin Shed containing six bikes has direct costs of £1500 and has £2000 of civil engineering highway works to support them (£3500). Full on-costs of administrative support from Bristol City Council are estimated at £35,000 each – then there are Travel West’s on-costs and Central Government. Some claim that the full economic cost from Public Funds are £100,000 for each Tin Hut.
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    Service Life expectance of the Tin Huts is about three years between replacements. Road narrowing occurs as the Tins huts as installed are wider than 2.3m and likely to be impacted by service vehicles collecting refuse or fighting fires.
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    Each Tin Hut is to be mounted on the Highway, losing a car parking space and available for Private Subscription at £35 a year for each lucky user. A ‘Block leader’ will be appointed and paid to administrate groups of Tin Huts in an area and this seems to be a form of ‘Green Job’ for the cycling fraternity. Membership of the Tin Hut Club is confidential.
    >
    In the Montpelier Conservation Area and others there is a requirement to be granted planning permission for the installation of external steel security shutters, double glazed window frames and any fitment that effects the conservation character of the district. If a householder or builder wished to place a builder’s skip on the highway permission would be required and a time limit for removal set.
    >
    Apparently this planning requirement has not been extended to the series of Industrial Grade Tin Hut Bike Hangers reminiscent of the WW2 Anderson Corrugated Air Raid Shelters of old. BCC Highways can apparently install these ‘Private Subscription’ structures under ‘Permitted Development’ rules thus bypassing any public involvement especially the owners of the houses that these structures will be installed outside of.

    Reply
  4. A sane voice (ie the opposite to you)

    Seems like you are just green with envy that people in some jobs earn considerably more than you. Do you even have a job, or do you just stand outside primary schools venting untruths and thinking up childish nicknames for the people you don’t like because they earn more than you? You need to either get a life or get some help, ideally both.

    None of the parents of the children at the school in question are taking you seriously. They are all talking about you, but not in a positive way. The consensus is you’ve got a screw loose. Whilst I agree to some degree with your comments about isolation in the Cabot Federation schools, you come across as completely deluded, so any sensible comments you make are outweighed by the other vitriolic nonsense that you spout.

    No doubt you will, true to form, just tell me to do one. Lets see….

    Reply
  5. Reeses to pieces

    Jeff Butterfield your contribution is both brilliant and all these years later still very true. Bristol Cycle Campaign where calling for them to be installed in the middle class areas just before Christmas (2020). Mind you, the mayor we have now takes £50 million of our money and we don’t get a tin shed. Oh -how we laugh !

    Reply

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