At the end of 2014 we have been in the UK. Between Christmas and New Year we visited friends in Bristol. Here’s a picture of Bristol’s beautiful Westbury Park. The park is lined with beautiful houses, supposedly dating from the days of slave trade…

The park is highly situated and overlooking the Avon gorge. As there are some ten rivers Avon in the UK, we have to point out this one is the Bristol Avon.

At the same spot, now looking towards the south – at least more or less south, looking at the position of the sun. The world famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, built by the evenly world famous Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is visible in the distance. For more information about this beautiful and interesting bridge, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Suspension_Bridge.

One of our friends' daughters lives, together with her husband, in a former River Signal Station alongside the river. The signal station is now converted into a house and can only be reached by foot, after crossing a single track railroad.

Here’s the rail track, following the course of the river into Bristol town. The track is well used, proved by the shiny rails, so when needed civilization is at hand!

The Bristol Avon at low tide, that is to say: when we looked at it its water-mass was slowly moving against the normally outgoing (seagoing) current, so high tide was in the making.

The river after a night with a temperature below zero C (below 32F if you like). The sun still was not strong enough to melt down the white frost from the grass. On the bank side the mud is visible, giving a good idea of the ‘normal’ high level of the tide. The possible highest level, however, happens to be a lot higher than that.

The former River Signal Station – now converted into a house to live in. It was sold by means of a public secret auction. The couple that live in it now were the chosen ones. Lucky them!

Although the building is not 100% protected against the highest possible tide (a wall will be built around it) and it can only be reached by foot who would not want to live on a spot like this? Next week: Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS ‘Great Britain’, now a museum in Bristol.