A Bristolian Winter Solstice

Getting up an hour before dawn on a Sunday - even if dawn is the latest one of the year - isn't that alluring a prospect, especially after a 330 mile drive the previous day. 

Solstice dawn on the Floating Harbour at Mud Dock

But I, and two of my fellow IsamBards, were reading a specially written poem about a certain festively-named thoroughfare in old Bristol ...

... and as it was being broadcast on local radio, which is famously haphazard with regard to timing, we erred on the side of being very early and waiting, rather than too late and missing it altogether.  

Which meant we got to walk though an almost deserted city centre over which the sun was rising ...

... before preparing to bard in our selected spot. 

You can tell by looking at them that most people using the steps apparently do so to one side (as do I), even though there aren't any railings to cling to. 

And then the Radio Bristol van came and it was time to perform our poem, which we did passing well, if I say so myself.

You can hear it here (for the next 29 days), at about 51 minutes in, while the fourth IsamBard, David, is on at 2 hours 29 minutes in.

Then we made our way back to Mud Dock via Zed Alley, which is rather less picturesque but has an atmosphere all of its own. 

Bollard made of a bomb casing by Pero's bridge