Scotland V the West Country

Full of my recent holiday to my previous home, I have asked myself inevitable questions about comparisons. When I moved to Bristol, many made the comment that I'd somehow descended more than geographically: that Edinburgh's beauty is not matched here, and wasn't I disappointed to have given that up? Bristol isn't in worldwide travel guides as a must see destination when in Britain. It's not built on a volcano, and it doesn't have a castle any more. It has no royal mile; instead Bristol's old town is a raggle taggle of post war poste haste rebuilding and decayed financial mini temples. It doesn't have national museums and a month long festival.

Nor is Bristol the size of Glasgow, perhaps still the second city of Britain - not now for its industry but its facilities, culture, and buzz. Avon's nothing to compare to its great buildings, its music venues - has it?

What else can one do on a 7 hour train journey but - well, in my case - alleviate boredom by mentally swapping the buildings of Bath and Bristol with Edinburgh and Glasgow. It occurred that we have the components of Edinburgh, but laid out differently. Edinburgh, in case you've not been, is famed as an old town on the foot of a dead volcano, leading between two royal homes (hence its high street is known as the Royal Mile). Its New Town was begun in the 1760s and spread in 4 stages into the mid 19^th C away from the cramped, diseased walled town to an unbuilt on area to the north. We have a new town in Bristol - Clifton - but ours in on the hill; Edinburgh's is in the valley. Bath is very much a twin for Georgian Edinburgh, though its new town was built over the old and without the symmetrical planning of Edinburgh. Our harbour is in the heart of town, while Edinburgh's - Leith - is 2 miles from the centre. It's easier to compare Bristol's layout with Glasgow, whose prominent and contemporary West End is built of a similar golden stone familiar to us, and has its green space, university, the city museum and a different kind of nightlife to that in the centre. Glasgow's Southside is also developing - Tramshed is their Tobacco Factory.

Edinburgh unfairly gets called the same names as Bath - twee, chocolately, touristy, unreal, posh, dull. But this is true of neither city. Both have a wide array of visitors and residents, many of whom are cultural and independent and find both cities a real home, not a stage set. Both have several arts festivals. But Bath's had its stone cleaned and that makes a lot of difference, whether it be enjoying summer or coping with a glum winter. The still smog coloured stone of Auld Reekie makes Edinburgh's biggest downfall - in Scots, it is 'dreich' (roughly the same meaning as the French 'mauvais') especially in those months of the icy winds chasing off the Firth of Forth and up your kilt.

I've heard Bristol and Edinburgh likened. There's something about the qualities of the cities - not on the surface, but on better acquaintance - which appeals to similar kinds of people. Edinburgh too has several areas worth visiting for shopping and eating outside of the centre - something that few cities other than London have. Edinburgh and Bristol provide nightlife for a range of people, whether you enjoy theatre, music a stag/hen style boozy night in a style bar or a quieter drink in a more bohemian establishment. You wouldn't get that spectrum in say, Newcastle.

We've something akin to Glasgow too - that alternative side present in all four cities but perhaps clearest in Bristol and Glasgow, and focussed on the music scene: Glasgow's Triptych for Bristol's Venn festival, and many and varied venues for gigs.

Bristol has a distinct architectural style - Bristol Byzantium - to offer as a match to Glasgow's Rennie Macintosh and his unsung contemporaries, and that of Alexander Thomson and his amazing ancient world inspired creations. A Wills office near Temple Meads (thoughtfully destroyed in the 1960s) resembled Glaswegian buildings, and our Edwardian Central Library gets compared to Macintosh's work.

So despite the 400 miles, different climates, scenery and accents, there are affinities. Perhaps we should arrange a Town Twinning!