Underfall Yard Volunteer Writer Izzie Compton explores the work of a very special boat A crowd gathered outside the Underfall Yard Visitor Centre on 21st May to celebrate the arrival in Bristol of the ‘Poly-Roger’. The punt, made from 99% recycled plastic, is one of three touring the UK in an effort to bring the problem of plastic pollution closer to those in cities. In light [...]
2018 was a busy year for the many businesses that call Underfall Yard home, and they have big plans for the future. Text by Underfall Yard Volunteer Writer Izzie Compton. Omni Productions Omni at the Yard. Omni productions continue to inspire, unite and educate people through video. In 2018, Omni collaborated with All-Aboard Watersports to produce a pro-bono video promoting the ‘School Inclusive [...]
In May 2019 the Underfall Yard will host a special poetry and drama event featuring Swan, a former Royal Navy training boat called a Montagu Whaler. Underfall Yard Volunteer Writer Izzie Compton investigates. A boat rich in heritage and close to the hearts of many, the Montagu Whaler is an enduring emblem of the Navy and its triumphs. Designed in the 1880s by Admiral Montagu [...]
In November Underfall Yard Volunteers and staff were updated by Bristol City Council’s Docks Engineer Ian Johnson on his plans for the Harbour in 2019 and beyond. Following Ian’s talk, volunteers were invited to ask questions about water management in the Harbour. During a wide-ranging and fascinating session many interesting points were highlighted. Docks Engineer Ian Johnson addresses Underfall Yard volunteers. Plans for [...]
Underfall Yard Volunteer Writer Natalie Smith investigates the jobs done by women in what has traditionally been a male-dominated environment. It began with a photograph in the Visitor Centre at the Underfall Yard. Captain Short beams into the camera, clutching his retirement gift of a radio. Surrounding him are a group of 16 men and just three women. I started thinking about Harbour-based job opportunities [...]
Much to our absolute delight, today we met Stanley Brown’s son George and his wife Mavis when they came to visit Underfall Yard. George remembered that his father’s apprenticeship had been at Llewellin and James foundry, which is profiled on Grace’s Guide. He also recalled memories of Uncle Bill who worked in the casting shop at Sampson’s on Malago Road, which is where Underfall Yard [...]
A few weeks ago we met Leonard Brown and his family, who recognised Leonard’s brother Stanley in one of the photos in our Visitor Centre. Stanley Brown worked at Underfall Yard for about 20 years from shortly after the end of the Second World War until the mid-1960s as an engineer, which Leonard says “was the making of him”. Leonard shared with us some lovely [...]
From September 2017, our Visitor Centre will not open on Mondays. The Visitor Centre will be open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 5pm until the clocks change. During GMT, the Visitor Centre will close at 4pm. The yard itself will still be open to walk through on Mondays. As a working yard, occasionally it may be necessary to close the yard gates at short notice [...]
We are delighted to announce that Underfall Yard and Alec French Architects have been awarded Bristol Civic Society's 2017 Design Award. Bristol Civic Society runs the prestigious Design Awards, which recognise developments in Bristol which make a positive contribution to the local environment through excellence of design. The Civic Society has made awards for many years, celebrating good quality design – buildings, transport projects and improvements [...]