Going to Bristol, Baby (Micro Fiction)

Posted on by Prior...

Going to Bristol (Fiction word count: 150)

Hey baby, guess what?

Boss is sending me to Bristol.

I can stay three extra days with a generous personal spending fund.

Want to come?

“No thanks.”

Are you sure?

“I have THREE to-do lists combined into one. I’m a sit-in judge for Perka, and need to prep for Uncle B’s visit. Ugh

Awe….. Okay….

Can you bring me back a Stetson hat?

Or maybe a Bailey hat from Blakley-Micthell?

Honey, I’m not going to Bristol, Virginia!

Oh?– Is it that frigid Bristol — in New Hampshire?

No, England!

Hold up. Did you say England?

Yes.

I’m writing about the defunct Hewlett-Packard, which split into two companies in 2015.

Quick photo shoot – then writing about the tenets of the HP Way: employee respect, teamwork, integrity, yadda….

I’m coming too!

But what about the lists, and the Per-–

THAT CAN WAIT!

Call me later tonight to go over the itinerary….

.

.

.

This is to join in with What Pegman Saw, which is a weekly challenge to write a fictional piece (150 words or less) using the location provided.

This week, Pegman went to Bristol, England (here) and seeing that there are many different  cities named Bristol – I decided to have a little fun confusing the destination with two Bristols that are near my hometown.

Did you know….

Bristol, Virginia claims to be the birthplace of country music? They have a museum and many people like to bring home a nice Stetson (or different item) from Blakley-Mitchell.

And…

Bristol, New Hampshire, with less than 3,000 residents, is a scenic New England town located near the southern portion of Newfound Lake, the fifth largest lake in the State of NH. The New England town was named “Bristol” because the large deposits of really fine sand and white clay were similar to “Bristol sand” (in England) and was used to make American pottery and fine china.

And…

The Bristol, England is one of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations. Bristol has a green belt with beautiful nature, was ranked as Britain’s most sustainable city (based on its environmental performance, quality of life) and is one of England’s top-six science cities (which includes HP Labs here). And in my fiction piece, these two travelers will be dining at The Cadbury House, which is where my photo ties in, and this is a “300-year-old timber-framed pub with a reggae soundtrack, pub games, an open fire and walled garden.” Also, This Bristol hosts the annual International Balloon Fiesta, which is Europe’s largest gathering of hot air balloons (with over 130 Hot Air Balloons).

 

64 thoughts on “Going to Bristol, Baby (Micro Fiction)”

  1. Great story! I think I’d have the same reaction, having never been to the UK. Although I just checked the weather for both and it’s within a few degrees of the same temperature right now. Great to see you on Pegman.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi K, well let’s pretend this takes place on a nice late spring day – summer is almost here and the weather is ideal – and you can come to because they have extra seats in coach – lol

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Great story. I guess every state has a Bristol. I’d go with Bristol, TN – Home of Thunder Valley Raceway. Then again, you’re closer to Pomona, so I can understand skipping that 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi D – maybe it is almost like “Springfield” – as I have heard there are many of those too.

      and how cool that Bristol, TN – Home of Thunder Valley Raceway – and speaking of TN – doesn’t it seem like they would claim to be the home of country music – and not VA?

      Liked by 1 person

        1. Hi D – and Virginia is a very nice place, but after many years of living here I am still a transplant. Maybe a sojourner – and I am very settled and content – but my true “most felt like at home” places were San Jose, CA and Denver, CO.
          but it is what it is and many times (as in the case for me) we do our best to bloom where planted ….

          Liked by 1 person

  4. That was fun! So funny that you and Alistair went the same route but not!
    There are so many towns/cities with the same names all over the planet, aren’t there?
    I’d have finished up my work lickety-split too, in order to join him in England!

    Liked by 1 person

  5. No wonder she was suddenly all ready for trip, a lot like me 😀 😀 I have always wanted to visit some parts of United Kingdom , but it’s still a bucket list 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Well, speaking as an adopted Bristolian, you’re all very welcome whenever you want to pop over! It is most definitely a lovely place to live – I adore the place, though the traffic is a nightmare 🙂
    Great story and some lovely Bristol based facts too – I like the look of Bristol NH. We could do a cultural exchange 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks fo r the feedback – and I bet the traffic is tough at times – that happens with such nice places – so I guess we just get used to it – and I will let you know when I set up the trip – ha h

      Liked by 1 person

        1. oh no- I meant it stood out because it was succinct and was actually one of those dense kind of words that says so much – and you are really good at giving feedback – in my view – sometimes you write long and from the heart with some umph – other times a few smiley faces or a word or two is quite fitting – and then other times you have a dense sentence – like that one – that says so much
          and “relatable”
          was a word that said “down to earth, and can relate over here and so nice job”

          Liked by 1 person

  14. Enjoyable read! But wait for me for my passport is up to date and I might want to tag along. The more the merrier. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. well I guess there are 35 places internationally named bristol – but England’s city is the largest of them all
      – and what nice MO Sylvia –
      to take it as it comes 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  17. My parents were racing fans. (Well, I guess they still are.) While I’ve been (dragged) to Bristol many times, I’ve yet to see the one in England. I’d pack up, too 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. how cool -and I have only just now heard of the bristol TN (with your and Dans comments) and so I looked it up – there are “35” places internationally with the Birstol name ands in the US – PA and Wisconsin have two towns/cities named Bristol – but overall – the england one if the largest –
      but I bet the Tennessee one has great energy when the races are in town. Anytime we have visited or lived in cities with Raceways – it has been fun and a special kind of energy – ya know?

      Liked by 1 person

  18. I’ve never been to Bristol, but I’ve been to Oklahoma. Okay, I’m paraphrasing a Three Dog Night song, but the moody resonance made me do it!

    I love the story!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thanks for reading….
      and thx for the intro to a new song – it was cool…
      “Well, I’ve never been to heaven
      But I’ve been to Oklahoma
      Well, they tell me I was born there
      But I really don’t remember

      In Oklahoma, not Arizona
      What does it matter?
      What does it matter?”

      Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.