We are resurrecting our “popular local phone numbers” series this week. With the Olympic Torch embarking on its nationwide tour, what better place to pick up the baton than where it has just passed, in the South West, and specifically Bristol.
Originally part of Gloucestershire, Bristol became its own county in 1373, and now has a population of over 1 million. The city itself is the 8th largest city in the UK in terms of population and the largest in the south west. Although there is evidence of human activity in the area around 60,000 years ago, the town itself was founded around the year 1000, rapidly becoming one of the most important ports in the UK, and until the Industrial Revolution, it was one of the top four cities in the country, along with London, York and Norwich. From the 17th century, many ships sailed from Bristol as part of the slave trade. However, many discoveries of the New World also started in Bristol.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel has a strong connection with Bristol, having designed the Great Western Railway from Bristol to Paddington, the SS Great Britain and SS Great Western, and the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Bristol boasts two universities, two football clubs, two major theatres and two railway stations. Its area code is 0117.
