It’s the city’s business
PHOTO BY GEOF SHEPPARD
BRISTOLWORKS
Back on tracks
T
he famous Grade-I building next to Temple Meads known as Bristol Old Station – designed by runel as ristol’s first railway in 1840 – has been acquired by Network Rail from Bristol City Council. The deal brings the building back into railway ownership for the first time since privatisation in the mid-1990s. The Old Station currently houses the business incubator Engine Shed, along with Passenger Shed, an events space which hosts a wide range of events from exhibitions to theatre shows and weddings. Network Rail plans to maintain the current commercial uses of the building while implementing a programme to maintain and restore the Grade-I facilities, as part of proposals for the wider Bristol Temple Quarter masterplan. “This is a landmark site with historical
significance for the nation and for etwork ail, said Stuart Kirkwood, acting group property director at Network Rail Property. “We are looking forward to revitalising the building for the enjoyment of passengers, tenants and the local community, as part of our wider strategy to create great places for business and communities to thrive, supporting economic growth and regeneration in towns and cities across the . And here’s Mike Gallop, Western route managing director: “It’s an honour to have this historic building in Network Rail ownership. The building deserves the best care it can get, and we are planning to do just that. I trust that Brunel would be pleased to know that his first station in ristol is back where it belongs – within the railway family that will cherish and care for it. For more: networkrail.co.uk
WHAT’S YUUP? It’s a new online marketplace where you can book a wide range of Bristol experiences, from ying a drone, to baking with Briony May, to foodtouring and tasting with Josh Eggleton. Yuup is launching this month, and aims to inject £1.1 million into the local economy. For more: yuup.co
