Walking the Walk on Woodland Road

Tree-lined and gently sloping, you could say that Woodland Road is one of the finest features of our university campus.

It’s also arguably THE artery of student life, with several departments on it and a constant flow of students treading its pavements each day.

However for the style conscious among us – this is our runway.

The perfect place to see and be seen, Woodland Road acts as the catwalk for the fashion-savvy Bristol student. Dual lanes of traffic on either pavement allow for subtle observation, while the many destinations at both ends of the road ensure a constant stream of ‘models’.

Karl Lagerfeld himself was rumoured to consider the setting for his spring/summer show of ’98.

The first few weeks of term saw the arrival of the autumn/winter 2012 collection, with students showing off their newest purchases from the holidays. However, the harsh climate of Freshers Week soon forced our beloved summer clothing back into the wardrobe.

That is without even mentioning the recent spout of unpredictable rainfall in Bristol, which caused much concern for the Woodland Road fashionista – “that’s the problem with the denim jacket” states 2^nd year Languages student Tessa, “it doesn’t have a hood”.

Notable so far on the Woodland Runway are; the aforementioned denim jacket (a returning favourite from last term), the army imitation parka, high waisted shorts, studs on anything and everything, and a fondness for beanies.

Those who don’t know their espadrilles from their Air Force Ones are advised to stick to the Geography department.

Nervous Novice

Woodland Road is our very own Piccadilly Circus – where students from different courses and different years come together. Freshers are shipped in on the newly-named 16 bus (formerly U6), and second years and above head back to their varying stomping grounds.

The journey to lectures provides the perfect excuse to look for that third year you stalked on Facebook yesterday.

The Woodland Road villas may be easy on the eye, but this most glorious of runways is not without drawbacks; the combination of uneven cobblestones, plat-formed trainers (Creepers, duh) and casual cross-road gazing makes the pavement trip a real danger.

The Nonchalant Diagonal Road Cross

That’s without mentioning the road itself – it takes the average Fresher at least two terms to perfect the diagonally nonchalant road cross. Memories of ‘Stop, Look, Listen’ and those hedgehog adverts are useless to you now; the key is minimal head movement – looking like a spectator at Wimbledon should be avoided at all costs.

Much of the Woodland Road human traffic go about their day oblivious to the runway regulars in their midst, and some are probably still wearing an element of their pyjamas underneath that leavers’ hoodie/tracksuit combination.

But let us thank our lucky stars for Woodland Road, because whether you’re looking good or just looking, our day would not be the same without it.

*The Tab is not responsible for any road accidents or injuries which occur as a result of reading this article.