Christmas Steps has stood the test of time, and for Robert Byrne too, time is much more than just a passing fancy. The outside of his shop Veron Ikon, at the top of Christmas Steps, is almost Dickensian - but inside is a spacious and airy display of contemporary lighting and his truly original range of Veron Ikon clocks, made on the premises. They combine astonishingly fluid curves and loops with engineered precision the Victorians would have been proud of. There's nothing old-fashioned about these clocks - quartz mechanisms are set in heat-treated copper and anodised or polished aluminium. And the engraved 'Christmas Steps, Bristol' clock faces mean they're tailor made to be tomorrow's collectable antiques. Then and Now.. Christmas Steps is a charming, medieval street in the heart of Bristol, leading up from the city centre towards Colston Street, St. Michaels Hill and the University of Bristol. It is within easy walking distance of the new Harbourside development, the Docks and the old streets of the City of Bristol as well as being midway between Bristol's two main central shopping areas, Broadmead and Park Street.

Veron Ikon at The Top House, Christmas Steps

Looking down Christmas Steps

The thoroughfare is an ancient one, being part of the old main route from the Old Aust Ferry (crossing the Severn to Wales) through to the docks of Bristol. Until the time of the Civil War it was a treacherously steep, muddy incline down which barrels were rolled to be loaded onto ships on the River Frome at the bottom (long since covered by a road). Then, in 1669, under its previous name of Queene Street, it was 'steppered, done and finished,' in a series of steps and cobbled slopes which is how it remains today. The origins of the present delightful name, Christmas Steps, may derive from the Old English for the knife grinders who plied their trade here years ago, but it may simply be a nod to the nativity scene depicted in the stained glass window of the almshouse chapel (The Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne) which stands at the top of the steps.

Christmas Steps has supported many different trades and callings through its history. As befits their dockside origins, most buildings are thought at one time to have hosted bars and brothels. Now however, the area is full of a wonderful mixture of independent and specialist shops, where one can find art, design, instrument makers, books, glass blowing, flowers, hand made shoes, crafts, stamps, prints, curiosities, militaria, antiques, jokes and fancy dress, African goods, world music, specialist records, hairdressing, tattooing, snowboarding and skating as well as delicious food to be had at a number of restaurants and cafes. In a city much altered by wartime bombs and the planners' visions, Christmas Steps offers a glimpse of the past but continues to thrive as a living centre of Bristol. Select the following links to view RealMedia Videos of Veron Ikon and Christmas Steps. To view the videos you will need RealPlayer™ v8 or later, which can be downloaded for free from the Real.com Website. Video of the top of Christmas Steps Video inside the shop

Further down Christmas Steps

To contact Veron Ikon please telephone or fax us on +44 (0)117 927 3005, or email us at robert.byrne@veronikon.co.uk. Alternatively you can write to us at:

Veron Ikon
Christmas Steps
Bristol
BS1 5BS
England