People / My Bristol Favourites
My Bristol Favourites: Ingrid Bates
Ingrid Bates runs Dunleavy Vineyards, which will be releasing several new sparkling wines and a col fondo over the course of this summer, as well as a sparkling rosé, sparkling red and most recently a sparkling white.
“Obviously one of my favourite places in the world is the little field I rent and grow my vines,” says Ingrid.
“It’s very peaceful and full of birds and wildlife but is only open to the public for a few weeks of the year so there’s not much point mentioning it on here.”
is needed now More than ever
These are Ingrid’s top-five Bristol favourites:
St George’s
St George’s 580-seat concert hall on Great George Street just off Park Street was converted from a 200-year-old Georgian church – photo: Angus Gregson
“I love seeing music at St George’s. The hall has a great feel and you can relax and get really absorbed into whatever you’re watching. I’ve seen all sorts of people perform here from all music genres and it never fails to be good. You get a real mixture of ages. I never listen to orchestral music in the car or at home but seeing it live is different – you can see the concentration, sweat and raw emotion of the musicians as they perform.”
Gloucester Road
Gloucester Road and some of its characters featured on the front cover of Bristol24/7’s winter 2023 magazine – photo: James Koch
“I love Gloucester Road. I travel the length of it most days on my way to the vineyard. You see the same familiar faces and characters. It’s home to me. When I come back from holiday I always feel a great sense of emotion getting back to Gloucester Road. With loads of small independent shops, bars and restaurants, it’s a uniquely brilliant place.”
Greenbank Cemetery
Greenbank Cemetery was the first large cemetery after Arnos Cemetery to be set up in Bristol in 1871 – photo: Martin Booth
“Some people find cemeteries a bit morbid but I like them. I love to read the gravestones. In the words of the Smiths: ‘All those people, all those lives, where are they now?’ Greenbank Cemetery is also a fab green space, full of weeds and wildlife which I love.”
Castle Combe
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“My daughter, Lauren Dunleavy, is a brilliant racing driver, which means I have spent a lot of time hanging around the karting track at Castle Combe – the place where dreams are made and broken every weekend! I had no idea how much was happening there until I became immersed in the world of motorsport.”
Watershed
Watershed now has natty new rainbow signage – photo: Martin Booth
“Watershed is another place with a great feel to it and they have the best toilets in Bristol! It’s a great place to watch films but also to people-watch and get food. My partner Stephen makes natural history films so the last time I went here was for a private screening of his latest creation, Sky’s Secret World of Sound. The time before that, I went to have a catch-up with Jodie who designs my labels. It’s a multi-purpose kind of place!”
Main photo: Remco Merbis
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