The Avon Gorge hotel really has no comparable rival in Bristol or indeed the country ? the immense terrace clings to the edge of the cliff and gives one the impression of floating miles above the water.

To one side, the sprawl of the city and the arteries of roads that feed it can be seen; to the other, the immense width of the gorge ? spanned, of course, by the iconic Clifton suspension bridge.

The place is so popular with view-seekers that hundreds pack it out on sunny days, and the place is overrun with your typical Cliftonite crowd, iridescently glowing with chemical tans and softly mooching around in yachting shoes.

The prices may be as steep as the sides of the gorge that the hotel lies atop, and the drink selection generally uninspiring, but that all falls by the wayside as you chat with mates and consider all that is good and holy in the world.