Heritage Focus Magazine’s Book of 2007
’A must for those with Bristolian roots’ - Family History Monthly
’A little gem’ - Bristol & Avon Family History Society
‘A serendipitous pick of lesser-known Bristoliana, hidden histories and the stories behind many familiar and unfamiliar landmarks’ – Venue Magazine
’An informative and entertaining read’ - Avon Local History & Archaeology
’A city as old as Bristol has many curiosities - more than could possibly be contained in one book. Let us hope that Lea-Jones considers writing another’ - Bristol Review of Books
'A fascinating compendium of tales ,' - The Regional Historian
Perhaps because Bristol’s seven hills once occupied the debatable border land between Mercia and Wessex, Bristolians have always taken an energetic and innovative approach to life. Home of the second largest Norman castle in the kingdom, Bristol was also a West Country holding of the Crusader Knights and a gateway to the New World. Over more than 700 years of endeavour, Bristol has been home to world-famous explorers, artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, pirates, merchants, politicians, divines, patriots and generals.
Bristol Curiosities is a voyage of discovery that explores the curious events and even more curious people who made Bristol the city it has become. From the immigrants whose activities enabled Bristol to claim the name ‘Cradle of America’, to the ‘left-handed giant’, city sledges, hidden bridges, strange trades, early recycling efforts and the storing of hundreds of thousands of smoking pipes, Bristol is a city that astounds and delights with its eclectic and surprising history.
Julian Lea-Jones was raised in Bermuda and came to the UK for secondary education. After completing his service with the Royal Air Force he became an aerospace designer and researcher and is currently an associate editor of the Royal Aeronautical Society. His interest in history and archaeology began in the late 1950s and he is the founder of the Temple Local History Group in Bristol, where he now lives.
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