A Bristol photographer and the creator of a tourism website for Turbo Island in Stokes Croft has described why it's such a 'unique' place and why it needs to be preserved. Having spent a lot of time in Stokes Croft and taking photos in the area for years, Simon Holliday has set up a website dedicated to Turbo Island and what makes it so famous, including the iconic fire, street art and, of course, the people there.
The website lists activities visitors to the area can partake in, including helping to fuel the fire, dog-sitting, contributing artwork, DJing and meeting new people. Simon told Bristol Live that, since its launch less than a week ago, the website has already had thousands of visitors from 62 countries - something that the Bristol photographer has dubbed an "amazing" response.
He said: "I've spent a lot of time in Stokes Croft over many years and have always found Turbo Island to be a unique and positive place. I've had so many fascinating conversations with random strangers who it's unlikely I'd have been introduced to in the course of my normal work and social activities.
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"That piece of land somehow seems to grant permission for strangers from all walks of life to talk to one another. The lure of the bonfire in the evenings certainly helps - it really does feel like an open invitation! I've made many friends there who I stay in touch with."
Simon would often take photos of Turbo Island on the way home from photographing gigs in Stokes Croft and says that the recent tarmacking 'briefly removed the character of Turbo and it went quiet until things settled back into routine'. "It made me realise how important it was for people to have that meeting space", Simon says, "and despite its problems, how lucky we are that it exists. So I decided to put more time into photographing the people and events there."
Since then, Simon has made Turbo Island his go-to destination, rather than just snapping photos there in passing and, because of this, he calls many of the regulars his friends now. "There are some lovely people who hang out there, with incredible stories to tell," Simon said.
"It's a genuinely positive and open meeting space. Everyone is welcome. There are people on the margins of society who have nowhere else to go and they need somewhere to meet up and spend time.
"I know that Turbo Island divides opinions. I don't deny that there are negative aspects to some of the things that happen there. But my own experience has been so positive, friendly and welcoming, so I just wanted to counter the negativity and present an account that just concentrated on the positives.
"I wondered how an imaginary 'tourist information board' for Turbo Island might present it in a positive light to potential visitors, and went from there."
Simon worries that 'with gentrification approaching from all directions', Turbo Island - what he dubs an "important social space" - is at risk of being removed and the people who need it 'ostracized'. He added: "I don't deny that some people and behaviour on Turbo Island can be problematic - my account on the website intentionally ignores this - but there is so much positivity to having a space like this, and so I'm hoping to inspire some love for Turbo Island to counter its bad reputation, encourage more people to stop and chat and make new friends there, and invite discussion about the importance of a community space like this, before the land is sold to build more student flats on."
