When I tell people I live in Easton, the question that instantly appears on their lips is why. Easton is deemed to be on the wrong side of the M32; dangerous, intimidating and rough. True, Easton is one of the most deprived areas of the South West, but it is also one of the most culturally diverse. Take a walk down St Marks Road, the gem of the East as I call it, and you will pass a mosque and a church side by side and encounter places and people that will certainly dispel any myths or prejudices.

Easton is the street party capital of Europe and so throughout the summer you will find that parallel streets hold their own street parties. Stapleton Road train station too is unlike any other station in Bristol; it has a thriving community garden run by the Eastside Roots workers cooperative and it regularly holds its own plant or jumble sales and mini festivals.

Easton also has the amazing Thali Café. There are a myriad of delicious takeaways in the area but there is nowhere that does good value like the Thali. I recently bought a tiffin which keeps my thali hot till I get home and it costs £6 to fill up. This easily feeds two, which in these credit crunching times of despair, is belly filling relief. Almost next door is the famous Sweet Mart. If you are making a curry from scratch, pop to this shop of delights and you will not be disappointed - they sell everything you could possibly need. Stick a tray of baklawah in your basket too; these sticky sweet Arabic treats taste absolutely heavenly!

It’s not just the food that draws me into Easton though, the strong sense of community is a breath of fresh air; living so close to each other in terraced houses, it’s impossible to avoid each other. Sometimes I feel like I am in a soap opera when I walk down the streets, everyone seems to know each other and if they don’t, salutations are offered like in days of yore.

Easton is, for me, on the right side of the M32. Sure, it may have some problems like any other inner city area but to totally avoid the area is a big mistake. Come and explore!

Lizzie Woodall
Photos: Juanma Arrabe