The Bristol Eight - January 2015 by Andy Fraser

January ‘15 Issue 70

A free community magazine for the residents and businesses of BS8. Delivered each month through 8,000 le erboxes in Hotwells, Cli onwood and Cli on

The Editor’s Small Piece As usual it seems slightly odd writing to wish everyone a happy new year at a time when Christmas is still three days away. That’s the way it is with publishing deadlines I guess. Anyway I hope that 2015 is kicking off in a positive way for as many readers as possible. Before 2014 is consigned to a historical entry on Wikipedia can I just proffer my thanks to everybody involved in organising any number of local events in and around the 2014 Christmas celebrations, whether it was carol concerts, nativity plays, Christmas fairs, fundraisers and volunteers working for any number of worthy causes. Until you get involved it is impossible, I think, to realise just how much time and effort is involved in “doing stuff” for our community - and those who do selflessly put themselves out for the benefit of others deserve praise, gratitude - and a dose of good weather! Anyway, have a great January. Do Get In Touch andy@bcmagazines 0117 968 7787 07845 986650 8 Sandyleaze WoT BS9 3PY @BS9Andy

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Useful Numbers and Information Gas Emergencies 0800 Electricity Emergencies 0800 Water Emergencies 0845 Avon & Somerset Police Non-Emergencies 101 Crimestoppers 0800 Southmead Hospital 0117 BRI / Children’s Hospital 0117 NHS Direct 0845

111 999 365 900 6004600 555 111 9505050 9230000 46 47

Bristol Blood Donation The Samaritans Alcoholics Anonymous ChildLine The Silver Line

0117 988 040 08457 909090 08457 697555 0800 11 11 0800 4708090

National Rail Enquiries Telephone Pref Service Mailing Pref Service Bristol Dog Warden

08457 484950 08450 700707 0845 7034599 0117 9222500

Alex Black and Adam Dorrofield are north Bristol based cabinet makers, skilled in designing, manufacturing & installing beau ful custom made furniture. From a bedside cabinet to a fi ed library, a toy box to a table, they will make your furniture dreams a reality. Please contact us for a no‐obliga on chat about your project ideas.

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Postal Services Late Post - there is a late post box at the main Post Office sorting depot on the A38 at Filton. Currently the late post is at 7pm, Local Libraries Clifton - tel. 903 8572 Redland - tel. 903 8549 Public Transport Visit the excellent Bristol City Council website www.travelbristolorg to plan out your routes in, around or out of the city - whether you are planning to go by bus, train, ferry, air, bike, car or foot. Recycling and Household Waste The Household Waste and Recycling Centre on Kingsweston Lane, Avonmouth for pretty much everything. The Avonmouth centre is now open Winter hours from 8.00am to 4.15pm, 7days.

No Prize General Knowledge Quiz 1)

What is the capital city of Ecuador?

Which is the most common language spoken in India?

Who was the Liberal Party leader before Jeremy Thorpe?

In what year was the Spaghetti House siege in London?

What characters did Ant and Dec play in Byker Grove?

The pre-decimal threepenny bit had how many sides?

What is the literal translation of “chilli con carne”?

Which is the worlds largest rodent?

In which James Bond file did Blofeld make his debut?

10)

Henry Blofeld commentates on which sport for the BBC?

11)

How old is Phillip Schofield?

12)

If you travelled due south from London to the South Pole how many countries would you pass through (exc. the UK and Antarctica)?

13)

George Ezra recently had a hit record with a song named after which European capital city?

14)

Which clubs play at these English football grounds - the King Power Stadium; the Goldsands Stadium (pictured); the Keepmoat Stadium; Greenhous Meadow; and the New York Stadium?

15)

If something is described as “vertiginous” what does this mean?

16)

Who drove a red and white Ford Gran Torino in a cult 1970’s detective series?

17)

Name these chemical elements by their chemical symbols - B; Mo; K; Au; Pu

18)

Which army rank comes above Lance Corporal and below Sergeant?

19)

Susan Anne Sulley and Joanne Catherall were singers in which 1980’s pop group?

20)

In which centuries were the construction of the following iconic buildings completed - the Leaning Tower of Pisa; London’s Tower Bridge; the Taj Mahal?

Answers on Page 44

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CJ Hole Cli on is delighted to announce its own home move! For the eagle eyed you will have spo ed that our gorgeous new oﬃce is now at 203 Whiteladies Road, Cli on, BS8 2XT. You will find us at the top of Blackboy Hill. We can’t resist showing you the photos and would be delighted to welcome you in! A new year and a new start. We have just done it and many more of you will want to move home this year. It’s important to plan ahead, take a good look at what’s happening in the market place and make sure you choose the best team to guide you through the process. Securing the right agent, financial advisor and solicitor is key to a successful sale, purchase or let. Here at CJ Hole Cli on we have experts who have lived and worked in BS8 for many years. We are very proud of our wealth of experience and local exper se. Every one of our team would be happy to share their wisdom on any property issue you have ‐ no strings a ached (promise)! Alongside these pictures of our sparkling new oﬃce, we present just a few of your gorgeous proper es that we have sold and let in the last few months. Happy New Year Howard Davis ‐ MD Cli on

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The Downs Recorder - Richard Bland Unbuilt Bristol; the great Blackboy Hill Roundabout saga The roads on the Downs have been a matter for debate and re-organisation as long as the Downs have existed. For the Romans it was easy- they built the Via Julia, the roman equivalent of the M4, straight across. In Saxon times the key route was the road to Westbury, and beyond to the Welsh ferry at Aust. In Georgian times toll-roads were built, and in 1820 the new Bridge Valley Road was linked to the top of Whiteladies Road, where the old route to Westbury met the new route to Stoke Bishop. The Victorians added Circular Road and Saville Road, and in the twentieth century carriages gave way to cars and trams and buses.

Tram at Blackboy Hill - photo courtesy of Paul Townsend, brizzlebornandbred on flickr Then in March 1961 the City Engineer decided to create a modern road structure for the city, with an outer ring-road linked by spokes to the new inner ring road around Broadmead, and by a Parkway, later the M32, to a planned motorway to the north which would link to Wales by a bridge. It was bold, imaginative, and very expensive. It did not include the M5, or a bridge at Avonmouth, so much traffic coming from Wales would come through Westbury to Blackboy Hill, which even in those far off times was a complex and difficult junction which created traffic

jams with great frequency. So the plan was to build a giant new multi-lane roundabout with slip roads at Blackboy Hill. The scheme would use two hectares of Downs land, and include the felling of nine trees. The Downs Committee considered the scheme, rejected it, was threatened with a compulsory purchase order, and finally in July 1966 agreed a modified scheme with pedestrian subways. Then the Bristol Civic Society together with the Western Daily Press began a campaign of opposition. The concept of public consultation was largely unknown in those days. In March 1967 a three day public enquiry was held, and there was a lot of confusion about the actual traffic use. Decisions were delayed by the need to decide on the route of the M32, but in August 1968 it was announced that the University had given land on the northern edge of the Downs to compensate for the land that would be lost by the scheme. At the same time trees were planted on the alignment of the proposed roads, three of which remain. It was then discovered that the proposed land grant by the University was land that for years had been part of the Downs, and the public felt deceived and were appalled at the size of the project as shown by the trees. The Minister turned the scheme down, and a final effort came in June 1970 involving the destruction of St John’s school, which was still operating. Today it is about to become bijou residences, and they aren’t cheap. By 1973 the highways plans did not mention Blackboy. The existing system came into effect some fifteen years later, as it did not involve the loss of any Downs land, it merely created a complex one-way system. And the traffic jams remain. If you enjoy the Downs, or use if for your sport, why not become a Friend? Membership is just £10. Contact Robin Haward at robinhaward@blueyonder.co.uk 0117 974 3385

Stamp Duty Reform Is Good News For House Buyers Your overall view of George Osborne’s autumn statement will probably depend on your poli cal viewpoint. But one point that we can probably agree on is that a reform to stamp duty was needed and overdue. Instead of paying diﬀerent amounts as diﬀerent price levels, the new system (which started immediately on the midnight of the 3rd December) will be a graduated rate, working in a similar way to income tax. The previous system distorted the housing market, most notably around the £250,000 price bracket. Going even slightly above this price would cost an extra £5,000 in stamp duty. A £255,000 property would have cost £7,650 but will now reduce to £2,750 and for a £300,000 property the tax saving will be £4,000. For the majority, these changes will reduce the tax burden and be a welcome introduc on. Another welcome change was the crea on of a transferrable ISA allowance on death. In the past, the tax‐exempt status of an ISA was lost when someone died and the account reverted to a normal account. It will now be possible for the tax advantages of ISA accounts to be retained when the funds are passed to

the surviving spouse. ISA investments have been with us with many years and for some, sizeable tax‐free investments will have built up. There were other changes announced, many linked to an ‐avoidance. Some or which may impact on the likes of Google, Amazon and Starbucks who have in the past avoided tax by using overseas companies to keep taxable profits oﬀshore. Already ques ons have been raised as to the eﬀec veness of some of these proposals. In May we will have an elec on and so we face the prospect of a budget in March and possibly a second in the summer. Some of the changes announced now may have a very short shelf life. Next Month: the tax year end approaches – me for a li le tax planning? Phil Jones is a director of local independent tax & accountancy firm, Wilkinson & Partners based on Jacobs Wells Road, BS8. www.wilkinsonpartners.co.uk or call 0117 921 1222. Helping you take control of your business.

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The Young Enterprise Company Programme Students from Bristol Grammar School represented the BS8 area and their company, Bristyle, sold Young entrepreneurs from Bristol beautifully designed t-shirts Grammar School hit the streets featuring scenes of Bristol. Despite for Small Business Saturday the cold weather, the students enjoyed the day and were very Students from Bristol Grammar pleased with the profit they made. School took part in a Young Enterprise trade fair at St. Nicholas The Young Enterprise Company market on Saturday 6th December. Programme offers students aged 15 17 teams from schools and colleges – 19 the opportunity to set up and across the West of England, manage their own business with the participating in this year’s Young help and support of a Business Enterprise Company Programme, Mentor from local businesses. set up stalls to sell their Christmas themed products. The teams devise, plan, produce and market a product or service This is their first experience of and compete against other schools selling in a market environment to showcase their final product at and, on one of the busiest shopping an Area Final, held annually in days of the year, saw some of the May. teams making well over £300. For more news and updates follow At the end of a busy day of trading, Young Enterprise on Facebook and prizes were awarded by George Twitter @YEWestofEngland. Ferguson, The Mayor of Bristol, for the Best Team, Best Trade Stand Young Enterprise are always on the and Best Customer Service. George lookout for local business people to tweeted after the event; “A big act as business mentors to support thanks to St Nicks Market and young people in the BS8 area. Young Enterprise for helping young people learn to trade. What a great In addition to the Company day!” Programme, Young Enterprise also run one day Employability Skills Masterclasses where volunteers work with a small group of students for a day whilst completing an exciting business challenge. If you would like to get involved or for more information, please contact Julie Money on 07918 561352 or Julie.money@y-e.org.uk.

Mrs PC - Friendly Computer Training January is often the time for people to make New Year’s resolutions, and these often include trying to lose weight or start exercising. Diet books fill the bookshelves and magazines are full of ideas to help. Technology is also available to motivate you. If you have a smartphone, you can use Apps to help you in your quest to lose weight and/or become fitter. There are many to choose from. If it is weight loss you are after, one of the best Apps is My Fitness Pal. It can become quite addictive! You can record your calories with it. You can scan the barcodes of your food, and find most foods and their calories by using the massive database online. The App helps you to set your weight loss goals. The calculator will forecast your weight according to the calories you have eaten. This is available in graph format. You can also deduct calories if you have recorded exercise in the App. The App will tell you if you are short of certain foods or nutrients, and help you to have a balanced diet. It is easy, fast and free. It cleverly remembers what you tend to eat. You can post your achievements online and become part of a weight loss community. Medical studies show that keeping a food journal DOUBLES your weight loss! There are many tools to help you record your exercise. RunKeeper is a free App to motivate and record exercise. Track your runs, walking or cycling. The App can track users by GPS, and see how fast they are travelling, what their pace is and what their average pace is as well as timing the activity. It can be programmed to give announcements and review progress – you can choose how frequently you want this to happen. RunKeeper can access your music and let you listen to your favourite playlists and the announcements will override your music. You can upload achievements to Facebook and share them

with your training partners. All your training is stored and is interesting to look back on and compare over time. When you have finished your activity, you can see a map of where you have been and all the changes in elevation, as well as a graph of your elevation. When I have it turned on, I do find that I try harder! If you are a serious athlete or have particular goals, Strava is another amazing free tool. It brings an element of competition to solo riding (both bike and run versions are available), Strava tracks you, but crucially also allows you to compete virtually with other racers over the same segment of road or path, at different times. It’s also a good way to discover new routes and rides near you. Couch to 5k is a free NHS App designed for the novice runner. It is designed to get you off the sofa and running 5km within nine weeks. Its simple step-by-step, day-by -day programme gently guides total beginners from walking to cruising around a 5km race. Moves is a simple and free app that helps you track your daily movement – whether you ran, walked, cycled or sat in the office all day. It requires almost no effort on your part. There’s no need to enter data or wear a movement tracker – just carry your phone with you and monitor your progress (or lack thereof!) Hope that you might try using one or several of these suggestions in 2015. Wishing you all a very happy and healthy new year!

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Piano Lessons with Sophia McKett Its never too late to start to play! Be inspired with specialist coaching.

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Good Reads book reviews by Bruce Fellows Here come some new books for a New Year. With China daily becoming a greater world influence, here is a book with answers to all those FAQs such as: What were Confucius’s core ideas? Is China a Big Brother State? How likely is a war with Taiwan? Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom provides so much crucial background information in his lucid and fascinating China in the 21st Century that your default answer to the question ‘What do you think of Red China?’ will no longer be the old joke, ‘It’s all right with a white table cloth.’ In her latest book, award-winning writer Marilynne Robinson provides a new angle on the stories told in Home and Gilead as the eponymous heroine of Lila walks out of the rain and into John Ames’s church to tell the story of her upbringing and life in depression ridden mid-western America. Doll takes Lila away from a neglectful family and onto the road with Doane and his little band. What is the significance of the knife? Why does Lila read the Bible and try to un-baptise herself? This mesmeric and enigmatic novel leaves the reader with fascinating tangles of story still to unravel. Zooters, doosras, bosie’s. Give up? They’re all spin bowlers’ deliveries. You knew really, didn’t you? In Amol Rajan’s fascinating Twirlymen, a history of spin bowling, you’ll find out about them and a whole lot more, including the remarkable Sidney Barnes, who walked out of first-class cricket a century ago

after a row about pay. Spin bowlers recognise no borders – discover what Shane Warne and Abdul Qadir talked about as they sat on the floor spinning an orange back and forth. Diagrams demonstrate different types of spin so all you’re left with is the minor problem of actually bowling them. If you listen to TMS, you’ll love this book. In Michel Faber’s The Fire Gospel, Theo finds a fifth gospel long hidden in a statue in Iraq. Though clearly genuine, it paints a very unconventional picture of the last days of Jesus and when Theo sets it loose on the world there is a firestorm of reaction from Christians, Arabs, homicidal maniacs and even reviewers on Amazon. This is a very unusual, thought-provoking novel that also manages to be extremely funny. Finally, here is a comic novel about the war in Iraq. In Fobbit, by David Abrams, the US military personnel who work at computers in a forward operating base (FOB) live there like hobbits, smugly safe from bullet and bomb and glad of the comfort they enjoy behind the walls. Star fobbit Chance Gooding writes press releases on fire fights and casualties. His inept boss Colonel Harkleroad, in between e mailing his mother with far-fetched tales of his own derring-do, demands rewrites from Chance to make the news acceptable to Americans reading it over breakfast. Operational soldiers appear too. Captain Shrinkle causes mayhem as he stumbles from disaster to catastrophe while Sergeant Lumley, a rare efficient soldier, struggles to minimise the Shrinkle effect. Catch 22 it isn’t but Fobbit offers an absurd and credible slant on the horror of war and is a real page turner.

Ever thought about star ng, developing or even ending your nursing career at St Monica Trust? A significant employer in Bristol and North Somerset, ST Monica Trust employs a workforce of over 1,100 of which almost 10% are registered nurses. St Monica Trust’s four re rement villages have award winning facili es and provide services for older people across Bristol and North Somerset. Within our purpose built, state of the art care homes we provide general nursing care, end of life care, specialist demen a care and short‐ term reablement services. These interes ng and varied environments oﬀer many opportuni es for nurses ‐ whatever stage of their career they are at. Some of our nurses have chosen to join us on our preceptorship programme, others come at the end of their career to gain the flexibility they want, having re red from the NHS. A number opt to develop their nursing and/or management career, enjoying the challenge of being part of a nurse‐ led team. With a real focus on resident‐centred care our nurses tell us that their job sa sfac on comes from ge ng to know the residents well, building rela onships with them and their families.

Heather joined us six months ago in Westbury on Trym, having previously been a nurse at Thornbury Hospital, and talks of St Monica’s “real commitment to the resident experience”. She is thriving in the change of environment:

“there is a real can‐do culture here. It is the norm for everyone to want to, and more importantly be able to, go the extra mile. I love the focus that is put on quality and not just cost.” Kate joined us six months ago at our Sandford Sta on re rement village site in North Somerset, having been a nurse at Weston General Hospital. She talks highly of the training and development opportuni es that are offered to nurses; “It’s not just the mandatory training you get to do; if you show an interest in something and there is the need in the service, you are encouraged and supported to develop those skills.” In fact the Trust is currently rolling out a bespoke knowledge and skills framework for all nurses to promote, support and reward their learning and development. A compe ve package is offered for our nurses including: • generous shi enhancements (100% for bank holidays, 42% for weekends, 26% for nights) contributory pension scheme (up to 7.5% of salary) • compe ve occupa onal sick pay (a er 12 months service) • life assurance at 4x salary • free on‐site parking • childcare vouchers •37 days holiday per year including bank holidays (pro‐rata) • work‐life balance (the majority of our nurses work a maximum of 8 hours per day). • savings on shopping scheme • subsidised gym and pool membership (where available on site and in the community) • subsidised restaurants So, if you are a nurse looking for something different this year, look no further. We have opportuni es in Westbury on Trym and Sandford for preceptors, full and part me nurses (night and day) and bank nurses. For more detail go to www.stmonicatrust.org.uk/ jobs

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Grupo Lounge Prize Wordsearch

@BS9Andy. Right, here’s what you are looking for:-

Taking it easy and enjoying good food and drink in relaxing surroundings that’s what it’s all about at the Grupo Lounge, who have kindly sponsored the prize wordsearch this month. Listed below are twenty one words or phrases linked to the Grupo Lounge experience. All bar one are hidden in the wordsearch grid, so you just have to discover the one that is missing. The answers can be found forwards, backwards, up, down or on a diagonal. Send your answer in by January 31st 2015 after which one correct name will be pulled from the hat to win the prize of a £20 Grupo Lounge gift voucher. Entries please by post to 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PY, phone 0117 968 7787, text 07845 986650, email andy@bcmagazines.co.uk or tweet to

Babycino

Berry Delight

Board Games

Brunch

Cruiser

Friendly Staff

Garnacha

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Hero Burger

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Lounges

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Panini

Pastries

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The winner of the car themed October wordsearch competition was Emily Burt from Portishead who wins a Loungers gift voucher. The winner of the terrific No Man’s Grace meal for two offered by this great restaurant in the November magazine was regular entrant Margaret Wrench. Thank you to everyone who took the trouble to enter, and better luck next

time.

New Year’s Resolutions with AMD Solicitors The new year is a great time to get round to the things you meant to do last year. Start this year as you mean to go, organised and prepared for every eventuality. Or, failing that, perhaps aim to get one or two things off that never ending ‘to-do’ list. Here are some ideas for getting 2014 off to an organised start. Make a Will We can tell you how your estate will pass if you don’t draw up a Will, but we would much rather not. The intestacy rules were largely drawn up in 1925 and can be wholly inappropriate given the complexities of modern families. A properly drawn up Will will enable you to make decisions about where your assets will pass in the event of your death and will hopefully provide peace of mind for you and your family. Lasting Powers of Attorney By drawing up a Lasting Power of Attorney you could be saving your family significant costs and work at a future point. Losing mental capacity (through a stroke for example) is sadly an increasing reality of modern-day life as life expectancies rise. A Lasting Power of Attorney enables trusted family or friends to make decisions on your behalf should you lose the ability to do so yourself.

Advice Making a Difference

If you lose capacity without appointing attorneys your relatives(GWAAC4) may face an expensive and timeconsuming application for a deputyship order. Call Claire Nelson on 0117 9898516 for advice and assistance with Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney. Resolve that dispute In our experience, the sooner you tackle any kind of dispute the more straightforward you are likely to find it to resolve. Whether you have commercial or home-life issues, our dispute resolution experts will help you to reach agreements in the most amicable way possible. Negotiation or mediation may help to resolve your dispute. If court proceedings become unavoidable our solicitors will advise and represent you, supporting and leading you throughout the process. For advice on dispute resolution contact John Todd on 0117 9621205. For help with family disputes contact Anne Thistlethwaite on 0117 9621205. Contact us AMD Solicitors are an award winning firm with four local offices: 100 Henleaze Rd, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4JZ 15 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4DS 139A Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2PL 2 Station Road, Shirehampton, Bristol BS11 9TT

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Louise’s Tips for an Easier Life It’s time to think about what you would like to achieve in 2015. Do you remember the headings I suggested from last year - Friends & Family, Relationships, Health & Fitness, Travel, Education & Self-Development, Spiritual, Finance, House & Home. Touching on the first heading - how many of us wrote in Christmas cards ‘must catch up in the new year’? I certainly did and it my intention to telephone those family and friends by the end of the second week of January and make a date to meet up. So often we have great intentions and then life takes over, we feel our diaries are sufficiently full that we just don’t have time to go and see people – even if it’s just for a cuppa. Perhaps in House & Home you have an area that needs attention. Here is one client’s experience: “The bookshelves were overflowing and the walk-in cupboard was anything but walk in. I had ignored the chaos in my study for far too long. It was time to get help. Enter Louise England!

Over several hours, Louise cheerfully and skilfully helped to restore order. Together we went through books and papers, turned out drawers and banished cobwebs. Louise helped decide what to keep and what to bin. She took things for shredding and charity, and organised the removal of a van load of recycling. I would highly recommend Louise to anyone who has an overwhelming task that they’ve been putting off. Her assistance turned a task I’d been dreading into a pleasure.” Make 2015 your year to act on your intentions. Louise England is a Lifestyle and Home Assistant and her service aims to free-up your free time. Her passion is to make a positive difference to people’s lives by helping them sort things out and complete jobs in their homes quickly and efficiently. Website: www.louiseengland.co.uk Mobile: 07780 474256 Email: louise@louiseengland.co.uk Twitter: @L_England

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What’s On & Community News Listings for community events, not-forprofit clubs and charitable activities are free of charge. If you have something of this nature that you would like listed please get in touch with Andy Fraser by telephoning 0117 968 7787 or 07845 986650, post details in to 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PY or emailing andy@bcmagazines.co.uk (in email or Word format - no PDF’s please). All notices must be received by the 12th of the preceding month to guarantee consideration for inclusion. Rotary Club of Bristol – we meet at the Bristol Hotel, Prince Street, Bristol BS1 4QF at 7.00pm for 7.30 pm on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Mondays and at 12.30pm for 1.00 pm on the 2nd and 4th Mondays. Meetings start with a meal and are followed by a speaker. New members are very welcome – for further details visit www.bristolrotary.org or contact our Club Secretary – philfrier1943@hotmail.com. Clifton Rotary Club welcomes new members. All we ask is that people give their time, are interested in making new friends, building business contacts and using their skills to help others. We meet Wednesday lunchtimes at Redland Lawn Tennis and Squash Club. Please find out more about us by visiting www.cliftonrotary.org or emailing secretary@cliftonrotary.org Bristol Brunel Probus Club for retired professional and businessmen meet at BAWA Southmead Rd, once a month to enjoy lunch and a mix of social events, regular speakers, visits and outings, to which wives and friends are warmly welcomed. For more details please ring Fred Martin on 968 3875. New Dimensions meets every month and we have talks on a wide range of alternative and holistic subjects. The meetings are held at the Friends’ Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, Redland, Bristol BS6 6JE. Admission: £5 (including tea/coffee/biscuits). The next meeting will be held on Sunday 18 January 2015 at 3pm. The speaker will be Kim Moore -Cullen and the title of her talk is “Mediumship and a Life with Spirit.” Kim is a highly gifted international medium,

meditation teacher and healer. For further information, please telephone 01749 678 834 or write to: leasurs@tiscali.co.uk The Bristol Branch of the English Speaking Union welcomes guests to their meetings which are held in the Apostle Room of Clifton Cathedral at 7.15 p.m. for 7.45 p.m. There is ample parking and entrance is £5. The aim of the English Speaking Union is to encourage friendship and global understanding through English. Our forthcoming meetings include on January 6th "Refugees in their own country- an insight into everyday life in Georgia" with Annie Syrett, and on February 12th "800 years since the Magna Carta" Sir Robert Worcester, founder of MORI polls and Chairman of the 800 Magna Carta Committee. Do come along to any of our meetings, preferably by telephoning the Chairman, Tony Williams on 2393187 or the Secretary, Jenny Haines, on 9628075. The Bristol Philatelic Society meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month in the meeting room of the United Reform Church at the bottom of Blackboy Hill (Whiteladies Road) starting at 7.30 p.m. Contact 0117 956 7853. We are the Bristol U3A – an organisation of lively and interesting people who run all sorts of groups for enjoyment, friendship and learning. If you are no longer in full-time work, we offer a wide range of over 100 different activities, including art, computing, languages, music, walking, and science. Please visit one of our social groups, phone Jenny 0117 9043697 for meetings at Browns Restaurant by the Museum on Wed 21st and Thurs 22nd Jan, both start at 10.15am. Details: www.bristolu3a.org.uk. Don’t stay at home, come and join the Bristol U3A! Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston in Concert. Benefit for Parkinson’s UK, Westbury On Trym Village Hall, Eastfield Road, Westbury on Trym BS9 4AG. Friday 27th February. 8pm (doors 7.30). In the space of 2 short years, Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston have emerged to become one of the most sought after duos on the English folk & roots scene. The striking combination of the flame headed double bass player & virtuoso mandolin player create music that Folk Roots say is “A musical partnership made in heaven. Scintillating, sensitive and brilliant!”. The

New Year, New Home!! If you’re thinking of selling your property in 2015 and would like a FREE no obliga on market appraisal from our experienced team, please call either our Cli on or Westbury on Trym oﬃces. We are an Independent Estate Agency successfully selling our clients property throughout North West Bristol. Happy New Year from all at Leese & Nagle.

What’s On & Community News duo are embarking on an extensive tour of the British Isles in support of their arresting new CD “Sing A Full Song”. Tickets £12-00 from Drmikecohen1@gmail.com - 0117 9623706. Out There Music Bristol - Winter Concert. Enjoy uplifting performances from OTMB Community Choirs, Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Children’s Choir. Programme to include music from Swan Lake, William Tell Overture, Eric Whitacre and songs Including , Sing, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Something Inside So Strong, Happy Ending, Pompeii and Singin' In The Rain'. St George’s Bristol on Sunday 8th February 7.30pm. Tickets £10 (£6 under 18’s) available from St George’s box office 0845 40 24 001 www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Concert in aid of Changing Tunes. REMAP is a registered charity that designs and makes custom aids which enable a disabled person to enjoy a better quality of life. We design, make or modify equipment to suit their specific needs. No charge is made for our services. Please contact us if we can help - Colin 01275 460288 colin305@gmail.com or Ray 0117 9628729 rwestcott@blueyonder.co.uk Web site www.remapbristol.org.uk More Reading Buddies Wanted For January! Would you enjoy offering reading and language support to children for whom English is a second language? Can you help them improve their reading ability, benefiting both them as individuals & the wider class. Can you commit to giving one hour of reading time a week in term-time? We are working with 11 schools in the Southmead, Brentry and Horfield areas. Training is offered, and your enhanced DBS check is paid for by Bristol City Council. You would read with the same children each week. For more information please contact Paul Harrod, at paul.harrod@gmail.com. Bristol West Diabetes Group invites you to attend our meeting on Thursday 15 January 2015 at 2 pm. Our Speakers will be V. Jane Davies and Beth Rougier who are both Dieticians, speaking on the topic 'Healthy eating and diabetes'. We meet at the Primary

Care Centre in Westbury on Trym, Westbury Hill, BS9 3AA. Please ring Anne on 9621311 for further information. Lip-reading class. An evening lip-reading class to help you cope with your hearing loss runs in Clifton from 6.15pm to 7.45pm every Monday at Redland Park United Reformed Church, Whiteladies Road. Fee is £5 per session. For more details email the tutor, Mary Hall at lipreadingmary@yahoo.com or telephone 07790 283 939.

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The Bristol Eight is published by Bristol Community Magazines Ltd (Co. No. 08448649, registered at 8 Sandyleaze, Westbury on Trym, Bristol, BS9 3PY). The views expressed by contributors or advertisers in The Bristol Eight are not necessarily those held by Bristol Community Magazines Ltd. The inclusion of any business or organisation in this magazine does not imply a recommendation of it, its aims or its methods. Bristol Community Magazines Ltd cannot be held responsible for information disclosed by advertisers, all of which are accepted in good faith. Reasonable efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this magazine but no liability can be accepted for any loss or inconvenience caused as a result of inclusion, error or omission. All content is the copyright of Bristol Community Magazines Ltd and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of Bristol Community Magazines Ltd.

Quiz Answers from page 8 1. Quito; 2. Hindi; 3. Jo Grimond; 4. 1975; 5. PJ and Duncan; 6. twelve; 7. chilli with meat; 8. the capybara; 9. From Russia With Love (1963); 10. Test match cricket; 11. fifty two; 12. seven countries (France, Spain, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo and Ghana); 13. Budapest; 14. Leicester City, AFC Bournemouth, Doncaster Rovers, Shrewsbury Town and Rotherham; 15. it is extremely high or steep sided; 16. Dave Starsky from Starsky & Hutch; 17. Boron, Molybdenum, Potassium, Gold and Plutonium; 18. Corporal; 19. The Human League; 20. 14th century (1372), 19th century (1894), 17th Century (1653).

Simon Lee Aesthe c Medical Clinic Simon Lee’s Aesthe c Clinic owned by Consultant Plas c Surgeon Mr Simon Lee (MBBS MSc FRCS plas c surgery) celebrated their 3rd anniversary this December by hos ng an educa onal and informa ve open evening. There were live demonstra ons and Mr Lee spoke of how and why he opened this centre of excellence in December 2011. He emphasised that he had spent a long me selec ng and cri quing all Medical Aesthe c devices from around the world. Following Simon Lee’s me culous research the Clinic subsequently oﬀers an extremely unique por olio of ‘World Class treatments” based on some breakthrough scien fic advances. ▪ Coolsculp ng‐ Fat freezing technology; ▪ Fraxel:Repair ‐ Frac onal Laser skin resurfacing; ▪ Ultherapy‐ Non‐Surgical facial li ing; ▪ Pelleve radiofrequency ‐o en referred to as the magic wand;

▪ Soprano XL ‐ Pain free Laser Hair Removal. The event included pa ent videos of some of these treatments and live treatment demonstra ons of Dermal Fillers, Skin Peels and the new Dermapen FNS‐ a frac onated micro‐ needling treatment used to improve skin quality and acne scarring. The Clinic offers a range of injectable treatments, skin care, light based treatments and other skin restora on treatments. Simon Lee also emphasised the importance of clinical skill and experience when delivering these treatments and spoke with pride of the experience and exper se of his clinical team; Ensuring that pa ents receive the most honest and educa onal advice. The Clinic offers free of charge ini al consulta ons with the Clinic team. Simon Lee’s Clinic is located in the affluent area of Cli on, at the bo om of Cotham Hill. The Open evening offered such insight in to what individuals can do to help restore and enhance areas of concern.