Asset Path
It is used elsewhere. We use Austin’s Asset Builder as a JSON based pipline for assets. The asset_path function either gets the file path from the JSON manifest file or if the key for the file doesn’t exist in the manifest, it provides a fallback to the dist folder.
Because you aren’t putting the images in the JSON manifest, you are just getting the fallback location, which as I mentioned above, will produce the same result as the traditional WordPress methods.
It does mean that the asset_path function is liable to be dropped if we come up with anything better, which is another reason to use the functionality built into WordPress.
Base
This has been discussed quite a bit if you search the forum. You will need to strip out or add some stuff to accommodate full width sections, but you shouldn’t have to repeat yourself much.
More discussion here: Base wrapper with fullwidth elements and sidebar with DRY
Bristol WordPress People
I’ve missed the last few meetups but I have attended a handful of times over the past year. Simon and Henry have asked me to put a talk together but it’s on a very long to-do list at present.