This was started at 88 West Street by ironworkers and miners from the nearby South Liberty pit. A public meeting was held in the British Schoolroom,  a provisional committee was formed, and the Bedminster Industrial Co-operative Society was launched.

This edition of the St Luke’s Gazette is packed with discoveries, local legends, and vivid glimpses into the lives of the people who built St Luke’s as we know it today. Our Futures Past Heritage Project has unearthed remarkable stories from St Luke’s Road and Crescent — tales of bustling pubs, bustling families, steep steps and steeper struggles, and the colourful characters who once called our streets home.

West Street was well known for its public houses. Many of the original names reflected the Street's link to the countryside:  The 3 Horseshoes (now the 3 Lions), the Plough & Windmill, the White Horse, the Red Cow, the Lamb and the Spotted Horse (now the Albert Inn).

by the West Street Heritage Group for Futures Past Jenny Stone This is a photo of my parents, Frank and Olive James wedding. They owned Frank's Model Bakery in West Street opposite the White Horse pub. I remember the other businesses in West Street as Chapmans butchers, a chemist shop, Mrs Stevens haberdashery, Hector Tanners television shop and Brooks cleaners on the corner of Chessel Street. My Uncle Fred and Auntie Margaret owned the greengrocers shop on the corner of Osbo

This free resource contains maps, memories, photos, drawings, and voices of people who live and work here.

This is a street map travelling up the Chessels in Bedminster. These are the shops I remember from the sixties. Anyone else remember them?

Today West Street and its neighbourhood are home to a large mixed community of all ages. The West Street Neighbourhood Group, established in 2009, has done much to improve the area through dedicated fundraising.

By 1911, there were over 80 shops and public houses including bakers, butchers, tailors, boot repairers, fish fryers, hairdressers and newsagents.  

Churches, public houses and places of work were where most people found a social life and sports activities such as football and cricket. Bedminster Cricket Club exists to this day. 

This edition of the St Luke’s Gazette is packed with discoveries, local legends, and vivid glimpses into the lives of the people who built St Luke’s as we know it today. Our Futures Past Heritage Project has unearthed remarkable stories from St Luke’s Road and Crescent — tales of bustling pubs, bustling families, steep steps and steeper struggles, and the colourful characters who once called our streets home.

In the 1800’s three schools served the West Street Neighbourhood, although we are told there was also a school started by the miners on the site of the then gospel church on West Street, later the United Reformed church.

The Bristol Blitz during of 1940/41 was fierce.  The raid of 24 November lasted over six hours. 148 bombers dropped 1,540 tonnes of high explosives and over 12,000 incendiary bombs down on the city. Within an hour over 70 fires were raging.

by the West Street Heritage Group for Futures Past Ebenezer Methodist Church (now Bedminster Methodist) British Road Amongst those pictured: Bern Naas, Bill Davies, Don Cross, Jack (“Skip”) Holder, Rev. Harry Carr, John Picken, George Brown, Ted Tremlett. Rev Harry Carr was minister at Ebenezer 1952-1958.

The joy spilled onto East St as generations came together to mark the special and unforgettable occasion.

by the West Street Heritage Group for Futures Past Ebenezer Methodist Church (now Bedminster Methodist Church) British Road May Fair 28th May 1960 The May Queen was Margaret Palmer and the attendants Hilary Cross and Mary Rossiter. Rev Arthur Hickling was the Minister The May Queen and attendants were driven around the area by Mr. Les Maple in his car after the queen was crowned. Hilary Cross gave the dress she wore to the City of Bristol Museum Social History Collection. I

The Sisters of Charity attached to St. John’s Church  occupied a house on West Street from where they distributed to poor families food which was donated by the regular worshippers of St John’s on “pound days’- you had to bring a pound of food.

by the First ResidentsBS3 Heritage Group for Futures Past Less than a hundred years since its establishment, our community of streets came under its greatest threat. The outbreak of war with Hitler’s Germany in 1939 was only two years old before its impact moved across from the battlefields of Western Europe to the streets of Bristol, in what became known as the Bristol Blitz. Image copyright David Facey Collection, Bristol Archives 41969/1/52 At its height between January

by the West Street Heritage Group for Futures Past East St end of West St: now demolished “Slade’s Buildings”, by legend our crime spot, situated very near to us but on the opposite side of the road. It was rumoured to contain at least two murderers and no policeman would venture there alone; they always went in pairs or threesomes. Our parents forbade us to enter it and we never did. But its children came regularly and received a good word and a handful of sweets from my mot

by the First ResidentsBS3 Heritage Group for Futures Past Just imagine a knock on your door, with lunch on the go, to be told that one of the UK’s biggest stars of Variety, Radio and TV is at the other end of your street! It happened to Florrie Tame, who lived at no.50, Little Paradise in the early Fifties. On hearing the news, she promptly marched, with family members in tow and frying pan still in hand, to find Max Bygraves, the well known showbiz personality sitting on

At the beginning of the 1800’s Bedminster was a small rural town served by the parish church of St. John the Baptist; however, the population soon began to expand.