Bristol has a long and interesting history. The city was a part of the “Triangular Trade,” in which ships from the Americas and Caribbean transported plantation crops to Europe in exchange for slaves. Bristol ship owners travelled to the Americas to transport slaves, and rum was a common trade item. This history is soberingly portrayed at the M Shed museum.
Hot air balloons
Lindstrand Balloons is based in Bristol, England, and employs around 50 people. Its highly skilled staff includes machinists and technical specialists, with an average tenure of 16 years. The company has been in operation for twenty years, and its balloons have been used by the likes of Virgin Galactic, Cirque du Soleil, and many more.
The company started out in Cotham, Bristol. Its first balloon, named the Golden Eagle, was built in 1971 by Don Cameron. He was inspired by a magazine about the new type of ballooning that had taken place in the United States. With the help of his colleagues, he attempted to make the first modern hot air balloon in Western Europe.
After Don Cameron began building hot air balloons in his garage, he moved to the city’s former paper bag and printing factory. He aimed to create an event that would attract balloonists from all over the world. This event has continued ever since, and was held in the city’s King Street area.
The Bristol balloon fiesta has been a success for many years, and it is now internationally recognised as the world’s largest hot air balloon festival. It is held over the second weekend of August, and draws more than 500,000 spectators. This year, the festival marks its 40th anniversary, and includes special balloon shapes, rodeos, and night glows.
Aeronautical products
Aerospace has long been a big part of Bristol’s economy. Companies like Airbus and Rolls Royce have wing research facilities here. There’s also the National Composites Centre and University of Bristol. Bristol has a booming aerospace sector. This sector accounts for a quarter of the UK’s aerospace GDP.
In the early 20th century, Bristol was known for its fighter aircraft, which included the popular Scout. In 1914, Bristol created the X-Department to work on Burney’s naval aircraft ideas. After the war, Frank Barnwell was appointed Bristol’s chief designer, becoming one of the most important aeronautical engineers in history. He stayed at Bristol until 1938.
The Bristol Aeroplane Company had a large role in the development of aircraft engines before World War I. Before the war, it developed the Jupiter engine, which powered the Bristol Bulldog. It also built Mercury engines. In 1958, Bristol Aero Engines merged with Armstrong-Siddeley, becoming Bristol Siddeley. In the 1960s, Bristol Siddeley was acquired by Rolls-Royce. Despite this merger, the company remained a major player in UK aircraft manufacturing.
Today, Bristol manufacturers of aeronautical products include GKN Aerospace, one of the world’s largest independent first-tier suppliers. The company employs around 1,900 people at two Bristol manufacturing sites. It has invested PS40m in its Filton plant and PS235m in its Western Approach facility. Its largest supplier is All Metal Services, which has a turnover of PS27 million. It supplies raw aluminium used in wing construction.
Tobacco
Bristol is the largest tobacco manufacturing city in the UK and is responsible for manufacturing some of the most popular cigarettes in the world. However, its production is also responsible for a range of environmental impacts. Most of the CO2e emissions from this sector come from the agricultural production of tobacco leaf. This industry also contributes to pollution from distribution and transport.
The history of the tobacco industry in Bristol spans over several centuries. The city is home to the oldest tobacco company in the world, Tabacalera. It was in Bristol that Imperial Brands was established. This company is still based in Bristol today. The company’s origins can be traced back to the city’s tobacco history. In the nineteenth century, it was the turn of Charles Lambert and Charles Butler to take over the business.
The company has also embraced eco-friendly practices. It reports its annual CO2-equivalent emissions, water and energy use, and the amount of hazardous waste disposed. It also reports the percentage of its waste that is recycled or otherwise used. The majority of its waste is diverted to landfills.
In recent years, environmental reporting has become a more important aspect of tobacco production. By reducing CO2e emissions, water, and other pollutants, tobacco manufacturers are increasingly making their products more sustainable. But it is important to note that this is not necessarily reflected in the numbers. Some companies report their environmental cost per million cigarettes produced, while others report their costs per million pounds or US dollars.
Sugar
There is a history of sugar making in Bristol. In 1909, a man named Frank Helms Sr. opened a wholesale grocery store in the city and saw a need for sugar. Today, the company is run by his great-grandson, George F. “Buzz” Helms IV, along with his siblings. Helms was the first to sell sugar in the UK, and his company went on to become the largest. He also served as a member of the Royal Africa Company, which specialised in enslaving African people.
The first chemically refined sugar was discovered in India about 2,500 years ago. From there, it spread east and west, to China, Persia, and the early Islamic worlds. By the 13th century, the process reached the Mediterranean and became widely available. The region became a hub of sugar production, with towns like Cyprus and Sicily becoming significant locations. In the Middle Ages, sugar was still considered a rare and expensive spice, but it soon became a staple in people’s diets.
Sugar manufacturing in Bristol was a lucrative industry. The city thrived as a processing center for sugar and tobacco imported from the British colonies in the Americas. It also produced textiles, glass, and pottery. In addition, it was a popular trading centre for cacao, which was imported from Jamaica. The decline of Bristol’s sugar industry came with the rise of the Lancashire cotton industry.
Computers
Bristol is home to the Computer Geeks, which is located in the heart of the city, near the Dockside community, which is home to many businesses. It is also just ten minutes’ walk from the historic Temple Meads railway station, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1841. This area is home to many companies that are growing fast, including a number of start-ups.
Bristol is home to Cray, a US company that designs some of the world’s most sophisticated supercomputer systems. The company chose the city to locate its European R&D centre. The company has already made a significant impact in the city with the help of Cray supercomputers. The Centre for Modeling and Simulation (CFMS) in Bristol was the first to use a Cray CS400 cluster supercomputer, which features over 80,000 processor cores and eight GPU nodes. This machine is used in highly parallel applications, such as rendering and simulation.
The company’s Help Desk is comprised of experienced information technology experts, who can quickly respond to a range of computer issues. Their expertise spans Linux, UNIX, and Microsoft Windows environments. Its policy is to focus on ensuring business productivity and preventing service breakdowns. Its expertise in networking technology is complemented by the company’s ability to help businesses of all sizes.
The number of people pursuing online computer science bachelor’s degrees in Bristol has decreased significantly in the past five years. The city has many online colleges and universities, including Franklin University, which was founded in 1902. Franklin University is an accredited university and offers more than 35 bachelor’s programs 100% online.
TV production
The City of Bristol is a hub for film and television production, which is thriving thanks to its creative industries. According to a recent study by the University of the West of England, Bristol is home to 197 creative companies, supporting more than 2,500 jobs. Major studios such as Sky and Netflix have set up regional creative hubs in Bristol, and Channel 4 has invested in indie production companies, making it an attractive location for film and television production.
Bristol is home to some of the most famous names in TV production, such as Plimsoll Productions, which is the largest independent production company in the country. The city is also home to the Academy Award-winning Aardman Productions, as well as to the Centre for Analysis of Motion Entertainment Research and Applications (CAMERA), and has also joined the Creative Cities Network.
The Bristol Film Office has long been a popular location for filming, and in recent years has become a key film production hub. The Film Office provides free support to productions based in Bristol. It has a number of post-production facilities, as well as a growing branded/corporate film production industry. Films shot in Bristol include many dramas shot on location or at the city’s Bottle Yard Studios.
Film and television production in Bristol is booming, and Bristol is home to renowned directors such as David Attenborough and Johnny Morris. The City of Bristol also produces films and television shows, including the popular Planet Earth series. Other projects include Springwatch and Greta Thunberg A Year to Change the World. The BBC has a significant presence in the film and television industry in Bristol.
