Derek "Delboy" Trotter and Rodney are two of the most famous names in British TV comedy thanks to Only Fools and Horses, the TV sitcom which drew a record audience of 24.35 million for a Christmas special in 1996.
It was set in Peckham, South East London, but it was filmed in locations in London and Bristol.
Cheese-loving inventor Wallace and his canine companion Gromit are iconic clay figures who starred in the animation comedy series created by Nick Park of Aardman Animations.
Their headquarters is in Bristol where the modern economy is built on the creative media plus electronics and aerospace industries.
Bristol city centre docks have been redeveloped as centres of heritage and culture and the city has the largest circulating community currency in the United Kingdom, The Bristol pound, which is pegged to the pound sterling.
The district has the tenth largest population in England, a far cry from the Iron Age hill forts and Roman villas which were built near the confluence of the rivers Frome and Avon.
Bristol developed strongly and was a starting place for early voyages of exploration to the New World. John Cabot, a Venetian, became the first European since the Vikings to land on mainland North America after setting sail from Bristol.
What's more, city merchant, William Weston, was the first Englishman to lead an exploration to North America and the city was infamous for its links to the slave trade.
An estimated 500,000 people from Africa were exported to slavery in the Americas from the port. Now, Bristol is one of the UK's most popular tourist destinations and it is easy to see why.
Getting around
The best way is via a hop-on, hop-off, open top bus tour which visits 17 locations .
You can also use your ticket to receive discounts at Bristol Zoo, Brunel's SS Great Britain, the Bristol Aquarium and Bristol Science Centre.
An explorer ticket with full day travel and second day free is adult £15, OPA and concession £13 and child £9, family (up to two adults and three children) £44.
Must see
Clifton Suspension Bridge, which has a visitor centre. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed in 1864, it is world-famous and a magnificent feat of Victorian engineering.
It offers magnificent views of the River Avon Gorge and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Crossing the bridge on foot or bike is free and the nearby visitor centre in Leigh Woods in only closed four days a year
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Must visit
Bristol Zoo, the fifth oldest in the world. It has been open since July 1836 and over 90 million guests have clicked through the gates.
The zoo has saved over 175 species from extinction and staff are currently working on conservation and research projects across the world.
Furthermore, over 40 million school children have been taught the value of nature, wildlife and the impact of society on the world. It packs a lot of wildlife into 12 acres and is easy to navigate.
You can get up close to 400 animal species with the red pandas, gorillas and sea lions and lions among the favoured attractions.
They also have quirky kids games and the zoo is easy to reach by bike, bus or train. Guests can save on their ticket by coming by public transport and they are open on 364 days a year.
SS Great Britain
The advertising says that the ship changed the world and it is Bristol's No 1 attraction.
Brunel was the mastermind behind the ship and she was launched daringly with a screw propeller instead of paddle wheels in 1843.
Her working life ended in 1933 and she then became a rusting relic in Sparrow Cove, a remote bay in the storm-lashed Falkland Islands.
She was eventually saved by campaigners and the shop came home by crossing the Atlantic to Bristol in an epic, 8,000-mile voyage on a floating pontoon to her current resting place in Bristol Docks where she was built.
That was in July 1970. You can climb the rigging with qualified instructors and go below to experience how third class passengers travelled in cramped conditions only metres from the on-board slaughterhouse. The shop carried live cattle.
You can even try baked-on-board cakes (www.ssgreatbritain.org).
Bristol Ferry Boats
The yellow and blue ferry boats are an ideal way to discover Bristol's four-kilometre harbour as there are 17 landing stages placed near major attractions.
Clifton Village
No visit is complete without a stroll around this elegant, leafy village near the suspension bridge which oozes class.
It is no wonder that real estate is much-sought after as the village is crammed with chic boutiques, quirky shops, inviting tea rooms, cosy cafes plus trendy restaurants and bars and Georgian buildings.
M Shed
This is a social history museum which shares the city's past through stories from the people who have made Bristol what it is today. It is free to enter and is at Harbourside (bristolmuseums.org.uk)
Bristol Acquarium
This harbourside museum has more than 40 naturally-themsed displays and includes tropical sharks, rays, seahorses, piranhas in its extensive collection.
They are the only acquarium in Britain to feature a botanical house (Urban Jungle).
Bristol Science Centre
The UK's only 3D planetarium is house here and it is one of Britain's largest science centres. The organisers want to ensure that science is alive and exciting and there are hands-on exhibits, science shows and theme days.
Relax
One of the best places is the vibrant Harbourside, transformed from a busy commercial port into a leisure destination with visitor attractions, boat trips, water sports, restaurants and bars.
Another is The Downs, a huge area on the norther fringes of Clifton and is home to the University of Bristol Botanic Garden and hosts a number of annual events including fun fairs and the circus plus the Bristol International Balloon Festival
Theatre
The Bristol Hippodrome is home to music and comedy with major London shows visiting.
The Bristol Old Vic is the longest continually running theatre in the UK and celebrated its 250th birthday in 2016
Sport
The city has two football teams, Bristol City and Bristol Rovers, plus Bristol Rugby a basketball team called Bristol Flyers.
It is a major venue for cricket with county side Gloucestershire playing there. It also hosts one day international cricket with and was a venue for matches in the Women's World Cup.
Something different: Phoenix Glass Gallery: This attraction in the High Street near the quirky St Nicholas Market helps keep part of Bristol's heritage alive.
It's free to enter but £15.50 to blow your own blue glass bubble.
We stayed
The Holiday Inn at Filton is difficult to find. It is part of a chain but you know what you are going to get and the staff deliver in this comfortable establishment with a swimming pool and small leisure centre. It even has its own fishing lake which guests can use.
The £10 buffet breakfast is great value with gems like make your own pancakes – extremely popular with kids – or squeeze your own oranges.
Many don't read the simple instructions and the outcome came be embarrassing for some.