The striking horns are functional, allowing the bascule bridge to open for taller vessels.

On the other side of Pero's Bridge... a musician was playing a Kora.  He told me it is a West African harp, the sound amplified by that magnificent gourd.  Modern versions may use guitar-style pegs rather than the traditional leather straps, but tuning it still  needs as much expertise as the playing.  The sound is golden, resonant and brings a lump to the throat..  I asked if I could take a photograph? Sure, he said. 

But I really wish you could hear the sound as well!

So who was Pero, and why does he have a bridge named for him here?  Well, Pero was a slave brought to Bristol, probably from the Caribbean island of Nevis, around 1783... because, as we shouldn't forget, Bristol was once a part of the infamous Triangle of Trade. 

Currently Kora Melodies from the Republic of the Gambia, West Africa [CD on Demand] By Alhaji Bai Konte see related