Have an 'L' of a time in Bristol
By Kevin Jones
 If
you are one of those travellers who delight in the myriad
accents of England, prepare for a real treat if you go to
Bristol. In fact, prepare for an 'L' of a time.
Now, a Bristolian's twang may lack the 'eee-bah-goom' comic
touch of a north-westener; it may not have the village bumpkin
brogue of the deep south-westerner; and it (thankfully) has
none of the adenoidal whine of the Midlander.
What it does have, though, is a unique sing-song quality
with an added bonus that will have you sniggering to yourself
every time you hear it - Bristolians mysteriously tag a letter
'L' on to the end of all words that end in vowels. Seriously.
You don't eat a banana in Bristol, you eat a bananal in that
general areal. Unless, of course, you're a primal donnal.
In fact, the city's name itself is a bastardisation of its
original form - Brigstow. It somehow lost the 'g' and gained
the obligatory 'l' along the way.
Yes, the Bristol accent is an absolute hoot and it immediately
endeared the locals to me the first time I heard it. Add to
it the fact that the friendly souls of Bristol all seem to
call each other "Moi lovurr" or "Moi 'andsome" and you can't
help but fall for them.
 Bristol
is a wonderful city - dripping in centuries of history - but
sophisticated (despite the accent) and modern.
The warmth of the local welcome will stay with you for some
time. And speaking of staying, click
here for a few accommodation ideas.
The largest city in the south west of England, with a population
of approximately half a million, Bristol is, historically,
a county in its own right. It lies between Somerset
and Gloucestershire
and is the main gateway into South Wales.
It lies close to the intersection of two of England's major
motorways - the M4 and M5 - as is reached within a couple
of hour's drive from London.
Apart from having a rich naval and maritime tradition and
some beautiful architecture, Bristol is a haven for arts and
entertainment lovers and sports fans.
It is also wonderfully placed for the tourist, with drop-dead
beautiful Bath and
Glastonbury just a short drive away, the quaint Cotswolds
nearby to the north-east and England's south-western peninsula
on its doorstep.
Links
Booking/Quote
Bristol Hotels
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