Blood & Butchery in Bedminster

Join the Show of Strength Theatre Company and learn the gruesome history of Bedminster.

Bedminster BID   and Bristol-based Theatre Company Show of Strength are bringing together some of Bedminster’s most thrilling and unbelievable tales to create a pub tour with a difference this winter.

Each Tuesday the aptly named ‘Blood and Butchery in Bedminster’ delves deep into the area’s gruesome history and how its pubs play a key role in these stories; including tales of body snatchers, concrete coffins, hangings judges and the most notorious heist in living memory.

Created by the theatre company Show of Strength, Blood and Butchery in Bedminster begins at The Rope Walk on Bedminster Parade and explores tales of murder, mystery, betrayal and bullion, visiting pubs and landmarks along the way.

The first Blood and Butchery in Bedminster takes place on Tuesday January 30th and runs each Tuesday thereafter – with the exception of Tuesday 27th February – until the final show on May 15th.

Punters can expect to be regaled with the gruesome tale of John Horwood; sentenced to hang in 1821 at what is now The Steam Crane. However the fate of Horwood travels far beyond the gallows, where he met a violent and macabre end.  A forgotten Victorian murder, the fate of Princess Caraboo and the mysterious disappearance of Mr Lomas will all be explored, as well as Bedminster’s extraordinary role in Britain’s biggest bullion robbery.

Sheila Hannon, Show of Strength founder said:

“Bedminster is even older than Bristol, so its history teems with strange little tales and folk stories, many of which are associated with or linked to buildings and locations that still exist today. This show is the result of years of living in the area, researching local characters and long forgotten secrets.”

Blood and Butchery in Bedminster has been commissioned by the Bedminster BID, a business led partnership that has been working closely with local businesses since 2013 to develop and constantly improve the economic and sociological wealth of Bedminster.

The Bedminster BID has previously organised events such as Make Sunday Special, Skills Week, Musicians on the Run and Breakfast in Bedminster.

Show of Strength was founded in 1986 to commission and produce new and engaging work across Bristol and the South West. In 1998 the company created the theatre at the Tobacco Factory and produced seasons of new work there until 2003.  Recent credits include ‘Frankenstein in Bath’, Best Live Performance at 2017’s Creative Bath Awards, and ‘Fanny and Johnnie Cradock Cook the Great American Songbook’. 

For details and tickets see https://stagestubs.com/show-of-strength-theatre-company/blood-and-butchery-in-bedminster-1/  and http://showofstrength.org.uk/ or follow Show of Strength on Facebook and Twitter @showofstrength