andrew brimson
I have memorys of kingsdown in the late 1960s as i walked through from cotham to clifton to attend junior school,i remember the area surrounding the baths and the kings arm pub as being derelict and a waste ground,i remember the barber shop and cobbler on portland street?,the cobbler was there in the late 1970s,i rember hendys the off licence in alfred place,which my father visted on the odd occasion,it was by standards of today ramshackle,every one in the area will remember "johns"chippy,although the sign always stated it as "smiths".i have read the comments of sadness of the dove street,hillgrove street demolition for the building of the 3 blocks of flats,this area had fallen into disrepair,the housing had not been developed and was in poor condition,kingsdown parade was not as it was today it had become run down as well again through lack of investment,so new housing was needed and the fashion was blocks of flats,also remember kingsdown was generally a working class area,it had no wealth as it may have today. if the housing had been saved,i have no doubt that that paicular part of kingsdown would have been more pleasing to the eye,but the properties would only be available to the wealthy,the blocks of flats brought in a diversity of people who have contributed to the area in a positive fashion. I remember also stokes croft as we would walk down nine tree hill to shop in broadmead so walking along stokes croft,now in the 1960s this road was in a better state than it is today,but it still had an air of decay,i remember the brilliant sports shop,the bakers,the post office,grays the motorcycle shop,mickleburghs and also a 2nd hand furniture shop very close to the sports shop(loxtons)where the social sent you to get furniture as you could not afford to purchase new, unfortunately even then you would find the odd drunk flailing around,which i found as a young lad intriguing,my father dragging me away from the said drunk to ensure i was safe. The pubs in the area,the hillgrove,masons,the bell were all great pubs to sink a pint in,with the hillgrove being my regular for several years before moving away in 1983. the areas of kingsdown and cotham have become wealthier with a great influx of non bristolians,which as i am one is a shame,i do not mean by this an influx from any ethnic minority but from other parts of the u.k.,it is difficult when walking around these areas to here the bristolian accent,which to me is a shame. still a lovely area which all bristolians should take time out to visit as apart from the high kinsdown estate is full of lovely architecture.