the A1 progresses through the back streets and shopping streets of the rather rundown suburb of Bedminster (I sometimes wonder if some people heading for Temple Meads on the Flyer think this is Bristol's main shopping centre)
If it's any relief, I've never heard anyone think that, nor do I know why anyone would think that. I think it's pretty clear that Bedminster is 'suburbs' in my opinion. Not that half of Broadmead is much better, arguably
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with only St Mary Redcliffe Church and Thomas Chatterton's house (his birthplace and the house is not noticed by 99.9% of bus passengers I would wager) being of any note on the route after that until the historic and impressive Temple Meads station is reached. I think it's impressive anyway, and so do many others it seems - as a structure that is and not necessarily the quality of its train services.
Perhaps for the historically-minded. Chatterton's house just looks weird and out of place, like some building they forgot to tear down. And only the frontage is really any good, the rest just looks like a cottage from some village in the Cotswolds, helicoptered in. St Mary Redcliffe can look quite majestic from the right angle in the right light, but most of the time it just looks in urgent need of a wash, and it's not exactly flattered by its surroundings (roundabout, Redcliffe Way, and last but not least the ugliest building in the vicinity, the Double Tree Hilton Hotel).
Likewise Temple Meads Station. It could be gorgeous. It's certainly historic and beautiful in many ways, but currently it just looks pretty run-down and unloved really (hanging flower pots aside), like no one has done any serious work on it since the 60s. Add to that again that it's also being let down by its surroundings (Holiday Inn, the station ramp, temple circus roundabout, island site, old petrol station, the sorting office, luckily they demolished some of the more hideous bits next to the ramp; the car park on plot 6; there is/was a car park in the old shed!!); the ticket office; the roof; the underpass; the platforms outside the main shed). The only redeeming feature in the vicinity is the old beautifully refurbished Bristol&Exeter House. Don't get me wrong, I love Temple Meads, but I also think it's easy to overestimate the first impression an unbiased new arrival to the city might have. I'll get my coat now.
Luckily, things are looking up: The old sorting office will be demolished and replaced with a new university campus; if we're very lucky the arena might still go ahead; there will sooner or later be new entrances to the station, at least a new one towards the Priory plus redevelopment of all the empty plots on that side of the station; temple circus is going away, the island site and free space around it is going to be redeveloped into the Engine Shed 2 + plaza + other things; Temple Meads is about to get a new roof (I believe). Temple Meads is getting a lick of new paint here and there and some 'capacity enhancement measures' apparently. Sadly a full and proper redevelopment of Temple Meads station is not funded yet (as far as I know anyway), but who knows what's in the planning there. The expansion of the Enterprise Zone was given the go-ahead, and I think some of the money raised from the retained business rates was supposed to go towards the redevelopment of the station and area around it. There's apparently an "aspiration" to open up lower levels of the station and open up a new south-north passage with a new entrance towards the new university campus, but again I suspect it's probably not funded yet. Fingers crossed. Not sure what happened to the plan to re-open the original passenger shed and turn it into platforms for the (back then thought electric) trains to London. I reckon it might still on the cards, just waiting for the resignalling project to finish. (I hope someone in the know will correct me if that's no longer the case).
I'm sure in 10 years it it will be beyond recognition (in a good way).
