An aerial view, from the tethered balloon, of the Old Market area of Bristol. Indeed, in mediaeval times, this really was a market area, where traders and farmers would bring their products, merchandise and cattle to trade and barter with other merchants and the public in general. This is why this area is so very wide for an inner-city street. In the mid-1960’s the present roundabout and underpass were built, as part of the Inner Circuit Road. In the lower left corner is the Merriot Hotel (originally part of the Holiday Inn chain of hotels). On the opposite side of the roundabout is the very ancient ‘Stag and Hounds’ public house: in my childhood this was named the ‘Pie Poudre [feet (that are) dusty] Court’, where ‘dusty-footed’ merchants would legally settle any disputes. The front part of its first floor supported on a row of columns. To the right of the ‘Stag and Hounds’ is the Bristol Evening Post offices and printing plant, which moved from its old Nelson Street premises in 1974 (this building still exists as offices). In the far distance can be seen the districts of Easton (on the left) and Barton Hill (to the right). Just below left of the third tower block in from the left can be seen the beautiful neo-gothic Trinity Church, which has now become a social and community centre. This edifice is said to be based on the famous King’s College Chapel in Cambridge. What was once a busy shopping street in my childhood, Old Market now tends to be relatively devoid of pedestrians, after being ‘cut off’ from the Broadmead Shopping Centre by the Inner Circuit Road, the hotels, and the Castle Park.