Live data from Hacker News

Why are there so many colourful houses in Bristol?

secretbristol.com

11–20 of 102 posts

Re: Why are there so many colourful houses in Bristol?

#11

I visited Devon on my trip to the UK and was really surprised to see palm trees around the coast.

They are called palms in that region but are Cordyline australis from New Zealand where they are called cabbage trees and are everywhere. They do quite well in colder New Zealand climate regions. If you are unlucky to live next door to a mature cabbage tree planted along the neighbours fence, you will spend your life picking up fallen leaves, which cannot be put in our green waste bins, on general refuse, because they don't decompose easily (18 months under careful ideal composting conditions, years otherwise).

Its not uncommon to find a giant pile of cabbage tree leaves behind someone's house because they have been meaning for years to take them to the rubbish dump. Every so often someone asks on reddit what they should do with their pile.

Another interesting face is they can live to 400+ years although often they can rot internally after 100.

Re: Why are there so many colourful houses in Bristol?

#12
post #9

In St. John's NFLD, many houses around the downtown are painted like that as well. I love the look. Apparently, they would use boat paint because: A) they had a lot of it and B) it holds up well to the elements.

No odea if true, but I had heard for Newfoundland it was to do with the salt in the air. Traditional paint wouldn't last long.

Re: Why are there so many colourful houses in Bristol?

#16

Only thing keeping the residents from killing themselves on account of living in Bristol

I’m not really sure why you say that. Bristol is an expensive city, and certainly has its faults - public transport is certainly not great, for example. But I think in general, not a bad place to be.

Re: Why are there so many colourful houses in Bristol?

#17
post #9

In St. John's NFLD, many houses around the downtown are painted like that as well. I love the look. Apparently, they would use boat paint because: A) they had a lot of it and B) it holds up well to the elements.

No odea if true, but I had heard for Newfoundland it was to do with the salt in the air. Traditional paint wouldn't last long.

...I'd always heard it was to make it easier to find your house after too much Screech.

Re: Why are there so many colourful houses in Bristol?

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No odea if true, but I had heard for Newfoundland it was to do with the salt in the air. Traditional paint wouldn't last long.

...I'd always heard it was to make it easier to find your house after too much Screech.

Hahaha! :D

Re: Why are there so many colourful houses in Bristol?

#20
post #9

In St. John's NFLD, many houses around the downtown are painted like that as well. I love the look. Apparently, they would use boat paint because: A) they had a lot of it and B) it holds up well to the elements.

No odea if true, but I had heard for Newfoundland it was to do with the salt in the air. Traditional paint wouldn't last long.

Ah now that you mention it, that does sound right! I forgot that part of the story.
Post reply on HN