It's an absolute disgrace that if you go over 4hrs parking here you have to pay £12 (the same…read morecharge for up to 24hrs) but if you exit the car park you are not allowed return within those 24hrs and have to pay for another ticket! I was even sarcastically quipped "you don't HAVE to park here you know" by staff when I queried this at the entrance on my return. I have paid for 24hrs parking and should be allowed to park here for 24hrs. Unbelievably cynical money making.

This is where I usually end up hauling my carcass if I am at a gig at the Colston Hall or Academy…read moredue to the sheer lack of on-street parking round here. As car parks go it's pretty reasonably priced with a flat £2.50 fee for evenings (although you could argue it should be free at this time). It's also 24 hour although you can only stay for a max of 24 hours so don't get any ideas about moving in! The only problem is walking up the stairwells late at night can feel creepy, especially if you are walking out alone to you car parked on the roof as it does feel very desolate and the security men are not very visible. They are really helpful if your ticket gets stuck though. And they've tried to brighten up the stairwells with some cool graffiti art. It can be a nightmare getting out of here after a big sell-out gig though so I recommend parking as close to level 8 as poss as they have a separate exit straight out onto Colston Parade.

In comparison to the money grabbing NCP at Queen Charlotte Street, The Mall is a refreshingly…read morefair-priced car park. It's £2 if you're parking for an hour or so and then goes up in reasonable brackets. And there are plenty of spaces, with the disabled and the family and the lower levels. I do really hate driving up the concrete spiral into it though (although driving out is oddly quite good fun) and you can see a few people have come a cropper by all the scrape marks on the wall. The exits are also clearly marked with obvious walking lanes for pedestrians and give way points. And the spaces are reasonable so even if you are for some reason driving a 4x4 in the city you should be able to park. There's also a valeting service on the ground floor as you drive in.

Millenium Square is quite a stunning open space in the city center. It is always filled with kids…read moreplaying around in the shiny silvery water features, flatland BMXers practicing their tricks in the middle of the square, or just people sitting around the benches and steps, having a good relax. This square plays host to a variety of things, such as a Sunday art market and numerous festivals when summer rolls by. There is a computery device on one of the square that provides some minutes of fun, where it points to any planet you type in, and tells you how many kilometers it is away from the earth. Interesting, but I think it gets abused by the drunk masses on a Friday and Saturday night. In the floor of the square is an analemma - lights that show the path of the sun as viewed from the earth. On the benches at another end of the square, are brass statues of historical figures, one of which I know is William Tyndale translating the New Testament. All these little quirks of Millenium Square give it its soul, despite it being just a big, flat, bare open space. Thumbs up!

A fabulous public open space. A great big screen for the sports-inclined and fountains and pools…read morefor the little ones. It may have been mid-March, but my little cousin adored the water. He splashed about with his dad for ages. Surrounded by lovely restaurants and lots of museums, etc. (@Bristol). Great for young and old alike.

Why, oh why cruel world, do you demand that the cost to park my car is equill to that of a meal! In…read moretimes of recession, when peole have to scrounge for pennies, how can an overpriced heap of concrete junk like this demand such high prices. Yes you are getting safty, and a central parking slot with risking a warden slapping you with a £30 or so fine, but are you really happy? Do you feel a £4.90 tag for 2 hours is justified!? Do you think that when you fork out £9.90 for a 5 hour stop the whole concrete parking experience has been worth the price of a good meal!? No is the answer! park for free outside the city and enjoy the 15 minute walk into town.

I hate trying to find parking in the centre of Bristol. Luckily I live close enough to be able to…read morewalk in, but sometimes I have had to drive, be it for picking something up or if I am running late for something. NCP parking seems to dominate the 'long stay' market, with this particular car park and the one opposite castle park having a bit of a monopoly on the whole car parking industry. I do not understand how they have so much business though, the price is far to expensive. If you are there for 4 hours and 1 second you'd be looking to pay something near £10! which is a complete rip-off. I understand the need for security, and that parking space is expensive, but surley if it is so popular they can afford to use some of their profits to make the parking cheaper for all of their customers.