12/12/21 - In Search of Bristol's Kebab and Calculator

Distance - 5 Miles

Geocaches - 20

First Geocache

Good Beer Guide Tick - #629, The Westbury Park, Henleaze

December's Geocaching round required a lot of preparatory work.   Around 12 hours to solve 18 on line jigsaws.  Many were black and white.  Some were 300+ pieces.  Despite being a veteran of many similar puzzles, my solve time was around double of the people on the leaderboard.  One day I will determine how people are doing them so quickly.

An example of the type of image rendered into a jigsaw.

With the co-ordinates updated, I was able to see the route that required walking.  A circuit of the disused Filton Airfield - slowly being consumed by the Cribbs Causeway Shopping Centre.  Easy car parking available at the Venue and the promise of a post caching KFC, if only it wasn't the filthiest thing I could think of consuming for a Sunday lunch.

A Circuit of Filton Airfield

Looking for Prizes like this

The Geocaches were hidden to be found and none too tricky.  The terrain was a little overgrown in some places and muddy in others but nothing too bad.  Interestingly, it is home to a family of foxes.  I saw three - including one sunbathing in the middle of the footpath on the return.

Thanks to Biggles for the creation and maintenance of an interesting trail.

Onward for refreshment.  Of course it wasn't going to be KFC.  I consulted the Good Beer Guide.  The nearest entry could have been the Drapers Arms - home to beer bloggers Boak and Bailey.  Opening times of 5pm are of little use to a morning Geocacher.

Then things got interesting.... the next closest is the Westbury Park in Henleaze.  I wonder if I would have recognised this circular pub from it's appearance in the most important TV Show in my life.

Architecturally Interesting

I need to take you back to a November Tuesday in 1982.  I was thirteen years old and had caught snippits of Kevin Turvey but knew more about him from conversations in the playground.

We had one TV in the house.  On BBC2 - a new show starring Turvey's creator - Rik Mayall - was being broadcast.  I had to beg my dad to turn the channel over and he said "If I don't laugh in the first five minutes, its being turned back over".  Possibly to Minder.  Or the news.

Thankfully he laughed like a drain - and with a BetaMax video recorder, I could tape the six episodes of S1 onto one 3hr Tape.  But only if I paused recording during the band performances.

I wasn't the only one in our playground who could recite the entire script verbatim. 

So, what's this got to do with the Westbury Park?  Episode 3 finds our student house bored out of their minds and they head off in search of entertainment to their local pub - The Kebab and Calculator.

Looking familiar?

The round was a pint of water, roast ox Crisps and a Babysham

Madness were the band in this episode and Rik's request for Summer Holiday by Cliff was met with Sugg's legendary response of "You hum it and I'll smash your face in".

Today - it's a smart Gastro Pub - offering 6 or so handpulls - Butcome, Purity, Tribute all noticed but nothing beats Timothy Taylor Landlord.

Ceremonial Chalice all that is missing