Merry Christmas!

It’s Christmas! This is the time of year where my age is read backwards and I regress to a 12-year-old child… I’m finally heading home to see my family after a hectic term – cue Chris Rea’s “Driving Home for Christmas”. (However, the irony is I can’t drive, but they haven’t yet made a song titled “Sitting in the passenger seat while your mother drives you home for Christmas and repeatedly tells you, you should take your driving test”…) So much happened towards the end of term in so many areas of my uni life, I’ll try and fit it all into one post!

While a family of six and two dogs await my arrival so we can all pull crackers, put cheesy Christmas songs on repeat and watch the Strictly Come Dancing Final – yes, even the men! I am taking some time to look back on my first term of second year.

As you know from my previous posts, it hasn’t been the smoothest of rides… but the final few weeks showed me why I’m at Bristol and how much I love being here so much. I finished my Science and Literature unit, but fear not! I have chosen to do it as my dissertation topic next year – woooo! On the other hand, I haven’t finished Middle English and have my exam in January. If I’m being completely honest, Chaucer and I never did get on like a house on fire but then, you can’t be excessively excited about every topic you do – it’s the nature of having such variety!

In my escapes from revision I have been exploring Bristol at night – although this seems to start at about 3 o clock in the afternoon now with the lack of daylight. If you haven’t had the opportunity there are some incredible sights to see! My top 3 places to see Bristol at night would be 1. Park Street and Bristol Cathedral – If you start at the bottom, the Cathedral is atmospherically lit and there is often an art instalment on the greenery in front. Then you can look up Park Street which is filled with silver Christmas lights hanging over the road zig-zagging its way up to Wills Memorial building which glows gold at night. 2. It has to be harbourside where all the different coloured lights of the water fountains are reflected in the River – and they always have outdoor music and food! (And if that’s not enough, go and fill your bellies and your noses at St Nick’s Night Market!) But number 1 has to be the Suspension Bridge. There’s no bands or buffets but you have to sit up next to the Clifton Observatory and look down to see the whole of Bristol lit up and the bridge outlined in silver, being reflected into the Gorge below.

Back in the daytime, I have been busy with the Pole Society. We have finished filming auditions for our competitions next term and the competitors have been chosen. I am so proud of everyone that took part – it was a long period of organisation with all of the committee but we had the most auditionees ever! This included myself… And… drum roll! I’ve been chosen to represent Bristol University in the advanced category at the South West University Pole Championships and National Qualifier in Exeter next February. (Don’t worry, they were externally judged!). It is fair to say I was completely shocked when I heard as I’ve been doing pole less than a year and the other auditionees were incredible! But I shall keep you up to date with what happens!

But for now, I am looking forward to eating so much Christmas dinner I have to roll into next term, and seeing all of my family as I’ve missed them all so much – with a brother living in Liverpool and another brother in the RAF you can imagine it’s hard to see them! So don your most embarrassing Christmas jumper and have a wonderful time – Merry Christmas everyone and I’ll see you next year!