Bristol bound » Blog » Elliot Jay Stocks

Bristol bound January 23 2010

15 responses

For those of you who know me personally, you’ll know that I’m something of a vagabond: I’ve moved home ten times in the last nine years, and some basic maths will tell you that that’s an average of more than one move per year. Yikes. So, in a bid to put down some sort of roots, my girlfriend and I are relocating yet again, but this time to somewhere that we can hopefully call home for a while: Bristol.

Many consider Bristol (and, by extension, Bath) to be the one of the UK’s main web design ‘hubs’: the concentration of web professionals living and working in and around the city is extremely high. And while that was one of the main draws for me personally (as so many of my friends are there), there are many reasons we’ve chosen Bristol as our new base.

The city is exactly halfway between my family in London and Sam’s family in Shropshire. The motorway and train links are exceptional.

We like the countryside, and as Bristol is a small city, it’s very quick and easy to get out into the greener side of things.

Having lived in and around London for almost my entire life (besides a brief stint in Norway, a slightly less brief stint in Shropshire, and then this strange last year just outside of Chester), I’ve become used to being close to somewhere with a strong art and music scene. Bristol offers this in abundance (to say the least), but without the stress and chaos of London life, which is what forced me out after 25 years.

Brighton was also a consideration for the exact same reasons listed above, except for the location: the distance we need to travel to see family works much better for us in Bristol.

We’ve just put down a holding deposit on a flat, so — assuming all goes well with the tedious contract-writing and referencing process — we should be moving just down the road from the Clifton Suspension Bridge at the end of February, and I’m looking forward to seeing the Bristol / Bath massive very soon!

(Photo credit: Rob Brewer)

15 responses

johno

January 23 2010 @ 08:39PM #

Good luck with the move. I lived in Bristol for years (also close to Clifton Suspension Bridge). Great city.

dustintheweb

January 23 2010 @ 08:40PM #

Congrats on the news cap’n, well wishes in Bristol

Mike Kus

January 23 2010 @ 08:44PM #

Looking forward to having you down this way, man. :)

Matt

January 23 2010 @ 08:45PM #

Congrats — Bristol seems like a cool place to live web wise!

Marcell Purham

January 23 2010 @ 08:46PM #

Congrats! Hope you like it better over there

Chris Garrett

January 23 2010 @ 08:52PM #

Just as we’re contemplating leaving the city! Best of luck mate, sure you’ll enjoy life down here!

Malarkey

January 23 2010 @ 09:01PM #

Was it something I said? ;) Make sure you bring back my mower before you leave.

Rick Hurst

January 23 2010 @ 09:08PM #

No way! That’s excellent news – look forward to having you around :)

I’ve been in Bristol for about 13 years now – came to visit friends and never left, it’s an excellent city to live in – not sure i’d move anywhere else in the UK

Alex Older

January 23 2010 @ 09:34PM #

That’s great news, best of luck with getting the flat.

I’ve also fallen in love with the place since coming down in 2006.

Steve Avery

January 23 2010 @ 10:22PM #

Hi Ellliot. I’m 38yr man and boy and lived in Bristol all my life. A great city to live. Don’t think I could live anywhere else in the UK. Great that you’ve decided to come to Bristol. Looking forward to bumping into you at one of many web conferences in Bristol again soon.