On the evening of Saturday 8 April, the eve of Brunel鈥檚 birthday, there will be a free stage show and firework display linked to the switching on of the new lighting system at the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
 | | Expect a spectacular fireworks display |
Three Bristol children - Annie Williams, nine; Alicia Winfield, eight and six-year-old Rosy Owens, won a recent competition to design a birthday card for the illustrious engineer. And they'll be joining 91热爆 TV presenter Adam Hart-Davis to turn on the new lights. 91热爆 Radio Bristol On Saturday Night 91热爆 Radio Bristol brings you a special outside broadcast of the sights and sounds of the Brunel weekend. Ben Prater broadcasts live from the Avon Gorge Hotel between 6pm - 9pm with a host of special guests.听 As the celebrations culminate he'll talk to the three lucky birthday card winners as they throw the switch on the lights. And if that wasn't enough, Rob Salvidge reports live from the floating harbour and its many attractions. Saturday evening programme 7.30pm and 7.55pm - 100 strong Brunel Brass band and Bristol Choral Society will perform on a specially constructed stage on Observatory Hill in Clifton. 7.45pm - acta will perform extracts from their community play about Brunel on the Observatory Hill听 stage. 8.10pm -听 Dance Bristol perform a specially commisioned piece inspired by Brunel听 on听 stage. 8.30pm - Bristol Choral Society perform. 8.55pm - Andy Sheppard performs a specially commissioned piece with 200 saxophonists on stage. 9.10pm - Adam Hart-Davis and the winners of the Brunel birthday card competition switch on lights, followed by fireworks set to music. 9.30pm - end. Near to the Cumberland Basin there will be children's rides and food stalls for the anticipated crowds gathered to watch the switching on of the lights and the fireworks. The best viewing areas for the fireworks include Brunel Way, Brunel picnic park adjacent to Brunel Way and Sion Hill in Clifton as well as Observatory Hill and Cumberland Basin. Meanwhile, there are various other events taking place throughout the city during the Brunel 200 weekend: Bristol Industrial Museum A special Brunel-themed activity in the print and pack gallery. Triangulation A free arts project based around Brunel's swing bridge from 7.30pm Sunday - main performance 8pm. Three artists (Bob Walton, Reuben Knutson, Pete Judge) working with three media (language, image, sound) respond to three of Brunel鈥檚 neglected masterworks. Featuring multiple projections, text and voice, and live music from a seven-piece small orchestra combining brass, vibes, bass, drums and digital treatments. There will also be audio-visual work created by children at Hotwells Primary School as part of the UK-wide Sonic Postcards scheme.
Assembly point: Beside the big quayside anchor adjacent to Brunel Lock car park (opposite Nova Scotia pub) in Hotwells. Bell ringing Celebratory peels marking Brunel's birthday at Clifton Cathedral (from 9am Saturday); the Church of St Philip and Jacob Narrow Plain (from 1pm Saturday) and St Stephens (Sunday). British Empire and Commonwealth Museum Guided tours of Brunel's original Bristol rail terminus including the passenger shed, cavernous vaults and GWR boardroom. Starts 10am and noon. Booking essential. Tel: 0117 925 4980. Bristol Zoo Brunel to Biodiversity tour Saturday only. Starts 12.30pm booking essential 0117 974 7369. Free with zoo admission. And you can catch up with the weekend's events in a special gallery of pictures on this website next week - and we'd love to see any of your photos too. Send them to bristol@bbc.co.uk and we may put them up on the site. | 
