England in January isn’t known for its fantastic climate, 
but undeterred, STEPHEN WEBB heads to Bristol for a weekend 
of rain and finds there’s plenty to enjoy whatever the weather

“WHAT am I going to write about?” I muttered to my wife with mild desperation, as I gazed through the window at a Bristol skyline obscured by a curtain of torrential rain.

“Sat in bar. Read newspaper,” she replied, without lifting her head from one of said journals.

We were booked in for an overnight stay at the Mercure Bristol Holland House. As well as being a very pleasant hotel, a major attraction of staying at Holland House is its location — it’s across the road from the famous St Mary Redcliffe church, with the city centre and the waterside attractions of the floating harbour just a few minutes’ walk away.

But not today. It was pouring down, and we knew that as soon as we stepped out of the door we’d resemble rodents resident on the bottom deck of the Titanic.

So, off to the bar it was then. And actually, we passed a very relaxing hour or so in Holland House’s functional but comfortable lounge area, sipping beer and catching up on the news.

And the sun would be out soon... wouldn’t it?

We were looking forward to an afternoon exploring the city — a stroll around the floating harbour, even perhaps wandering up to Clifton to enjoy the views over the Avon Gorge.

But this sodden British winter put paid to that and we stayed snug in the hotel.

From the outside, Holland House looks like a bland corporate office block — it reminded me of the exterior shots of the Washington FBI HQ that popped up occasionally in The X Files — but inside it is warm and welcoming, with a large, airy lobby and smiling staff at the reception desk.

Our room was a delight, with plenty of space, a big, comfy bed and all the facilities one would expect. The bathroom was also spacious, with a walk-in shower and a stand-alone bath.

There was also a great view from a long stretch of window, from which we were able to look out over Bristol... and wonder whether it was worth venturing out into the rain. It wasn’t and our venturing extended only as far as the bar on the ground floor, for beer, nuts and newspapers.

Eventually, all this sitting around made us hungry and as the rain was taking a break, we set out to find somewhere to dine.

You’re always spoilt for choice in Bristol but we didn’t want to wander too far and soon came across an inviting looking pub, The Hole In The Wall, which had a great menu — my crab, prawn and chorizo linguine was a perfect winter warmer.

Fed and watered — in more ways than one, as it was pouring down again — we made our way back to the hotel for a nightcap, and dreams of a sunny Sunday.

Well, at least it wasn’t raining the next morning. The hotel serves an extensive buffet breakfast and we really didn’t want to rush it, but the clouds had parted and fresh air beckoned.

So with brollies in hand, off we set — and... well, do you remember that 1999 Travis song, Why Does It Always Rain On Me? Were there times you thought it was written especially for you? I certainly did as we splashed across Queen Square, looking for some relief from this latest downpour.

And we actually had reason to be grateful for this particular shower, because as we made our way back to the hotel for shelter, we came across M Shed, a fabulous museum in a former dockside building that celebrates Bristol life.

There were exhibits big and small — climb aboard an old fashioned double decker bus; sit inside a World War Two Anderson bomb shelter -— and you could quite happily spend most of a day here.

It was very busy this particular morning but not crowded, and families were having a super time. It was great to see youngsters sprawled across a gigantic aerial photograph of Bristol on one floor, trying to work out where their house or school was.

And there’s not a ‘Do Not Touch’ sign in sight — many of the exhibits are interactive and everyone is encouraged to get hands on, which is great fun and educational.

Entry to M Shed is free too — you only pay for special exhibitions (there’s a Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition on now until April 10; it costs just £5 for adults and is free for under-16s).

Our time in Bristol was just about up, but rather than head straight home, we fancied a trip to the seaside and drove just a few miles west of the city to Portishead.

A brisk walk along the seafront certainly blew away the cobwebs and we appreciated the dramatic scenery and skies as we looked across the Bristol Channel towards Cardiff and Newport.

But hang on a second — what’s that our friends in Wales are sending over the sea to us? Here we go again — more rain.

  • Stephen stayed at Mercure Bristol Holland House Hotel and Spa, Redcliffe Hill, Bristol BS1 6SQ.
  •  Visit mercure.com/gb/hotel-6698-mercure-bristol-holland-house-hotel-and-spa or call 0117 3199004 
  •  A Saturday night stay in February for two adults in a double room with breakfast starts at about £150