Bristol in 2022: The year in news

A mayoral referendum, a cost of living crisis, the felling of two weeping willows and viral cheese rolls: 2022 was an unforgettable year for news in Bristol.

It started under a tentative cloud of optimism, with tentacles of Covid-19 just about retracting. There was justice for some, as the Colston 4 were cleared of all wrongdoing over their role in topping the infamous slave trader’s statue in 2020.

But a few months in, 2022 took a sharp turn. The world saw the sickening shock of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading to widespread protest in Bristol. Shouts of “Slava Ukraini” – glory to Ukraine – were head rippling through the streets against the backdrop of City Hall lit in the blue and yellow of the war-torn nation’s flag.

In the ensuing months, Bristol and the world continued to grapple with the bombshell. Ukrainian families were welcomed into the city, Voi faced questioning over their links with Russian businessmen Aleksander Eliseev and Ilya Yushaev, benefit gigs, raffles, and comedy nights were held and locals went above and beyond to deliver supplies to the border.

Banksy travelled there too, using bombed buildings as his latest canvas.

As spring drew near, so did a major shakeup in local politics. Voters chose to scrap the mayoral model and replace it with a committee system, set to start in 2024. Despite his protestations, the vote to scrap the mayor was a bitter personal blow to Marvin Rees (who later in 2022 revealed that he wants to now become an MP for the new Bristol East constituency). Opposition politicians hailed the referendum result as a chance to reset democracy in the city.

Rees hit the national and international headlines again when he banned local democracy reporters (LDRs) from attending his press briefings. It sparked outrage in Bristol and publishers throughout the city united, announcing a boycott of the briefings until the ban was lifted.

The row broke after a clip surfaced from a recent press conference, in which the mayor was asked by LDR Alex Seabrook if he “saw the irony” in flying to Vancouver to give a talk on climate change. After the clip went viral, the mayor’s office declined to invite local democracy reporters to his next press briefing. Rees claimed the reporters weren’t banned, but they “weren’t invited”.

Ten-year-old Ruweyda Khalid standing outside Twinnell House in Barton Hill where a man died after falling from the 16th floor – photo Rachel Sutherland

From politics to protest, people across the city proved the power of direct action is stronger than ever as campaigners took to the streets to make their voices heard on issues from LGBTQ+ rights and climate change to tackling evictions.

Cladding was firmly on the agenda too after tragedy struck at tower blocks in Easton and Barton Hill. A fire at Eccleston House was found to be spread by the expanded polystyrene cladding used on the outside of the tower block. In its wake, Bristol City Council committed to remove all flammable cladding from tower blocks, leading to celebrations from residents and housing union ACORN.

This year Bristol said goodbye to Bristol Zoo’s historic Clifton home after 186 years, Broadmead’s M&S closed and lots of Bristol independent shops shut their doors too. But there has also been resilience and innovation, with pubs reopening under new names, restaurants thriving, and music and arts being enjoyed by many.

There were other glimmers of much-needed lightness, with some silly stories reminding everyone of the joys of local news. Some cheese rolls, priced at £1.50 each, in the Sugar Loaf in Easton went viral thanks to the generous slices of Cheddar cheese and onion within them.

The age-old question of ‘What would every area off Bristol do of they were people at a house party?’ was finally answered by Reddit users, with “Easton is wearing a yellow beanie while complaining about gentrification” one suggestion.

In October, police shut down a free party from Fatboy Slim and Eats Everything at Lakota after hundreds of ravers turned up.

Rewind to the summer and an animatronic dinosaur went up in flames at Ashton Court, prompting a clear winner for our favourite headline of the year: Jurassic Spark.

Bristol Rovers made the history books when a sensational 7-0 win saw them promoted, with fans and players alike flooding the pitch at the Memorial Stadium and parading down Gloucester Road. Everyone connected with the Gas is also sending their best wishes to defender Nick Anderton, who has recently begun chemotherapy to fight a rare form of bone cancer.

Jubilant Rovers fans celebrate promotion at the Memorial Stadium – photo: JMP

Meanwhile, the long-running debate over the future of strip clubs in Bristol finally came to a head, with councillors deciding it is better to regulate sexual entertainment venues than impose a ban and potentially drive activities underground, putting those who work in strip clubs at greater risk.

The housing crisis raged on amid skyrocketing cost of living and the ongoing tension between the desperate need for new homes in Bristol and the need to protect green spaces from development. Ashton Gate and Ashton Vale, a corner of Castle Park, the area surrounding Temple Meads among other sites are set to be transformed, all being met by mixed feelings.

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While environmental campaigners rejoiced as three countryside sites could be saved from development – no longer earmarked for housing under the new Local Plan – there was outrage soon after when two weeping willow trees were chopped down.

“Heartbreaking”, “shameful” and “barbaric” were just some of the politer words used to describe the loss of the pair of majestic trees that used to overlook the docks near Temple Meads. They were felled to make way for a floating pontoon that will connect Temple Quay with Cattle Market Road.

The year ended with a winter of the most widespread industrial action for a decade. Journalists, barristers, rail staff, nurses, university lecturers and Shelter staff all took strike action in our city- pushing for better pay and working conditions amid deep real-terms pay cuts for many in the public sector and inflation at the highest rate in 41 years.

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read next:

• Bristol24/7’s Person of the Year 2022: Jayde Adams
• In photos: Bristol in 2022
• Is this the most festive community in Bristol?
• 19 of the best quotes from Bristol24/7 interviews in 2022

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