The Bristol Six + Eight Magazine - January 2022 by Andy Fraser

THE BRISTOL SIX + EIGHT MAGAZINE JANUARY 2022 - ISSUE 83 DELIVERED FREE EACH MONTH ACROSS WESTBURY PARK, COTHAM, KINGSDOWN, NORTH CLIFTON AND REDLAND

You may be concerned that increasingly, solicitors’ practices are becoming ‘law firms’ with a solicitor meeting the client, taking on a matter and then supervising paralegals and legal executives to carry out the work. Corfield Solicitors does not operate in this way; we simply offer three fully qualified solicitors, personally dealing with your matter from start to finish. Deciding to leave his city centre firm, Jonathan Corfield established his own practice in Sneyd Park in 2009 where he and his wife have lived for many years and raised their family. Charles Corfield joined the practice later that year after graduating from Bristol University with a Masters in Law and both were later joined by Stuart Corfield when he also qualified as a solicitor. Our fees are set in order to make a living rather than a fortune. No ‘extra costs’ are added for home visits. No additional ‘out of hours’ charges are made.

Fixed Fee Conveyancing House sale or purchase Flat sale or purchase

£1,300 £1,300

Our fixed fees for conveyancing do not apply to new build or off plan purchases, or properties priced in excess of £900,000.

Wills

Single Will Joint (Mirror) Wills

£250 £375

Probate

Charged at usual hourly rate with no additional percentage of the value of the estate added.

No extra charge for home visits or evening appointments 2

Lasting Powers of Attorney

One type of Both types of LPA LPA Individual £400 £600 Couple £600 £900

Hourly Rate

For work carried out on a timed basis, our hourly rate for all three solicitors is £225. All prices exclusive of VAT.

Residential Conveyancing & Property Issues • • • • •

Purchase & Sale Freehold & Leasehold Remortgage Retirement property purchase Probate property sale

Commercial Property

• Purchase, Sale & Lease • Renewal, variation or surrender of leases • Rent Deposit Deeds & Rent Reviews • Licences to Assign • Local Authority planning agreements • Preparation of auction documentation • Options, conditional sales and pre-emption

Services for the Elderly and Carers

• Home visiting • Nursing home & hospital visiting • Residential, Nursing care provision & funding issues • Retirement property purchase • Wills & Powers of Attorney

Wills Probate and Trusts • • • •

Joint & Single Wills Codicils & updates Provision of Executor services Immediate assistance when a loved one has died • Probate & Administration • Trust administration assistance • Declaration of Trust

Powers of Attorney

• Lasting Powers of Attorney • Registration of Enduring Powers of Attorney • General Powers of Attorney • Appointment of a Court of Protection deputy

Telephone:

0117 968 8890 Office: 2 The Avenue, Sneyd Park, Bristol, BS9 1PA

Email: info@corfieldsolicitors.com

Or visit our website: www.corfieldsolicitors.com

Honest, down to earth ﬁxed fees and hourly rate 3

THE EDITOR’S SMALL PIECE Hi there and welcome to the first magazine of 2022. I hope you have had a happy, relaxing, ping-free festive break and that the new year has started well for you. Eagle eyed and interested readers may notice that there are no tide times listed this month. My apologies for the omission. Every November I shell out a small fortune to the UK Hydrographic Office for what is a reasonably niche publication, Volume 1A of the NP201A Admiralty Tide Tables. I've never seen it on the shelves of WH Smith, or indeed any bookshop or library. That said it is a wonderful publication if you want to know about "curve interpolation", "negative surges", "shallow water corrections" the "simplified harmonic method of tidal prediction" or, as I do, when will it be high tide in the Avon Gorge. It runs typically to 350 pages of which, over the course of twelve lunar time periods (or are there 13 in a year?), I am interested in just three pages. Of course it is possible to glean such information for free online, but this is only ever for a couple of days in advance, not the seven weeks needed to bring you a complete month of high and low water. So my new 2022 issue duly arrived a couple of weeks ago and remained unopened (it's less unputdownable and more unpickupable) until earlier today when it was time to extract the January tide times for this month's magazines. The UKHO divides the UK coastline into 2 parts "English Channel to River Humber" and the rest. So to discover on print day that I'd bought the wrong half of the country was a touch galling, especially as to return it for a refund will cost almost as much in postage as the flippin' thing cost in the first place. So if anyone wants to know when they can go for a swim or paddle off the coast at Tilbury or Shoreham or Lowestoft in the coming twelve months then do please let me know - I'm your man.

SAVE

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Winter Wonders!

Normal tidal service will return next month. Until then keep warm and boosted. Cheers, Andy Do Get In Touch E: andy@bcmagazines.co.uk Tx: 07845 986 650 - T: 0117 259 1964 P: 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PY February Magazine Deadline for all advert bookings, contributions & listings Friday 14th January

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BRUCE FELLOWS’ BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS Marian Graves disappears while flying round the world. Sixty-four years later, Hadley Baxter, a Hollywood actress with problems, whose life has parallels with Marian’s, starts work on Marian’s biopic. Great Circle, Maggie Shipstead’s terrific novel, recounts their stories. Snatched as a baby from a burning ship, Marian has an eccentric and enthralling upbringing alongside her twin brother and as an adolescent, falls in love with flight. When she manages to get up in the air, adventures follow. This long but always gripping and entertaining novel has well-drawn and entirely believable characters. Informative on the history of flight, it is a tour de force with surprises. Fifty years or so ago the Beatles split up. Now you can read their story most entertainingly told in Craig Brown’s splendid account of the group’s career, One, Two, Three, Four. ‘What’s Mr Epstein doing here?’ George said one lunchtime in the Cavern and they were off. ‘Stop swearing and talking to the girls. Ditch the chewing gum!’ All those songs; how different the boys all were; Hamburg; Shea Stadium; Jane Asher (Cor!); Yoko Ono (Blimey!); all the fans, Springsteen, Putin! It’s such a treasure trove of tales, you can’t put it down and it’s very funny; sometimes tragic and moving. Not to be missed. Troy is a smoking ruin, its heroes slaughtered, its princesses enslaved by the Greek kings. But the kings can’t sail home, the wind has gone. In The Women of Troy, Pat Barker imagines the sufferings of the Trojan women, stuck in a camp beneath their fallen city walls. Briseis, pregnant with the child of the dead Achilles and honoured for that, is a link between the Greeks, who are jealous, violent, always drunk, and the women, anxious, resentful, desperate to avenge their menfolk. This novel is a brilliant and gripping evocation of a mythical time, when gods played with the lives of the mortals below. In Homeland, we’re in Germany in 1988, before reunification. Walter Kempowski gives us the story of Jonathan, a journalist touring Poland, formerly East Prussia, where he was born, to survey and write about the route of a planned car rally. Jonathan leads a strange life with his artist girlfriend, Ulla, who has her own plans for his absence. Anita, the rally organiser, and Hansi, their driver, accompany Jonathan. The Nazi legacy in Poland is inescapable, not to mention the collective German guilt. Surprising events ensue and Jonathan gets closer to his origins. This is a thought-provoking, often funny novel, deceptively simple, told by a master. Sixty years old now but still a brilliantly clever and gripping murder mystery, and of course, still available, John Le Carre’s A Murder of Quality has George Smiley far from the Circus, called in by an ex-colleague to investigate the death of a teacher’s wife. It’s a great public school, still with a mediaeval character even in the fifties, populated by vividly portrayed eccentrics. There’s a clear distinction between town and gown and church and chapel and Stella is the wrong sort, everybody’s down on her and she fears her husband will kill her. Of course, despite red herrings, Smiley tracks down the real culprit

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Feeding your garden birds is more important than ever this winter, says the RSPB • • •

high-energy food will help your local birds build up the fat reserves they need to keep warm, and as a result your garden could soon become a hive of activity.

Birds look to garden feeders as natural food supplies run low Learn which kitchen scraps and leftovers can be tasty treats for birds Watching the nature on our doorsteps has been reducing stress

What’s more, for those without a garden, window feeders can prove just as popular with your feathered friends. Check out the RSPB’s handy guide to making a recycled window feeder from objects found around your home here.

Over the events of the past 18 months, we’ve seen how important the natural world is to our mental health and wellbeing. Interest in garden birds and other wildlife has soared, with the number of people using the RSPB’s online bird identification tool shooting up by 95% in 2020.

Thankfully, if your bird feed supplies are running low, your cupboards can hold the answer to attracting our feathered friends to your garden. According to the RSPB, fruits like apples and pears, even when they’re past their best, can be snapped up by blackbirds and thrushes, while grated mild cheese can be a fantastic source of energy and protein for a range of birds. Cooked pastry, defrosted peas or unsalted bacon leftovers are also great options, as well as cooked rice, pasta and the inside of potatoes providing a great energy source. With a range of options to help tempt your local birds into your garden, the RSPB is urging people across the country to stock up their feeders and ensure fresh water is available as winter brings the toughest and coldest months for birds.

Taking the time to watch which feathered friends make use of your bird table or window feeder, can often help to reduce stress and restore calm. Not only does it benefit humans, but with over 60% of the UK population regularly feeding their garden birds, research suggests that this helps around 196 million birds a year.

The charity, who have been monitoring trends in garden bird numbers for over 40 years, are on hand to provide top tips on how to attract wildlife to your garden as part of their popular Big Garden Birdwatch survey. To take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch, which runs from Friday 28 January to Sunday 30 January 2022, visit www.rspb. org.uk/birdwatch or text BIRD to 70030 for your FREE guide, which includes a bird identification chart, top tips for your birdwatch and RSPB s h o p voucher.

According to the RSPB, keeping your feeders and water trays topped up is important at this time of year to help your garden birds survive through the winter as natural food sources run low. Providing

“One day I’ll explore the Amazon” Slow their short-sightedness not their ambition

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At Lynne Fernandes Optometrists, we offer achildren’s programme future which is clinically proven We are passionate about this opportunity to protect eye health. to slow down short-sightedness progression in children by 59% on average.1† Our myopia management clinics are backed with evidence andprovide research, you and can This reduces your child’s dependency on glasses, can thinnerso lenses, be reassured that you and your child will have eye thehealth bestconditions care. later in life. decreases the likelihood of certain We are passionate about this opportunity to protect children’s future eye health. To find out more, call the practice to book an assessment or visit our website Our myopia management clinics are backed with evidence and research, so you can www.lynnefernandes.co.uk/questions-about-myopia be reassured that you and your child will have the best care. To find out more, call the practice to book an assessment or visit our website www.lynnefernandes.co.uk/questions-about-myopia

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† Over 3 years, compared to a single vision 1 day lens. 1. Chamberlain P, et al. Optom Vis Sci. 2019;96:556–567

USEFUL INFORMATION A revamped and updated set of contacts this month, including some new numbers, website details and what I believe are the latest number plate dates for accessing the Waste Recycling Centre at Avonmouth. If you think of any other useful contacts that should be listed here on a regular basis do please let me know - andy@bcmagazines.co.uk Helplines and Emergency Services National Emergency Number 999 or 112 Bristol Citizens Advice 03444 111 444 bristolcab.org.uk Gas Emergencies 0800 111 999 britishgas.co.uk Electricity Helpline 105 nationalgrideso.com / westernpower.co.uk Water Emergencies 0845 702 3797 bristolwater.co.uk / wessexwater.co.uk Avon & Somerset Police non emergencies 101 avonandsomerset.police.uk Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 crimestoppers-uk.org Southmead Hospital 0117 950 5050 nbt.nhs.uk BRI / Children’s Hospital 0117 923 0000 uhbristol.nhs.uk NHS non-emergency 111 111.nhs.uk Bristol Blood Donation 0300 123 23 23 blood.co.uk The Samaritans 116 123 samaritans.org Alcoholics Anonymous 0800 9177 650 alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk ChildLine 0800 11 11 childline.org.uk WE Care Home Improvements 0300 323 0700 wecr.org.uk National Rail Enquiries 03457 48 49 50 nationalrail.co.uk Traveline 0871 200 22 33 traveline.info First Bus 0345 646 0707 firstbus.co.uk/bristol-bath-and-west Postal Services Please check times in advance if possible as opening hours may vary Cotham Pharmacy & Post Office - 9 - 6 Monday to Friday, 9 - 1 Saturday Whiteladies Rd Post Office - 9 - 5.30 Monday to Friday, 9 - 13.00 Saturday Gloucester Rd Post Office - 9 - 5.30 Monday to Saturday 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 Henleaze Library is currently open 11am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday for borrowing and returning books and pre-booked computer sessions. Clifton Library is open 10am - 2pm Monday & Friday, and 1pm - 5pm Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday for pre-booked “call and collect” of books. Redland Library

BS6, BS7, BS8 & BEYOND

USEFUL INFORMATION is open 11am - 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday for the same “call and collect” service. Check www.bristol. gov.uk for full details. Waste & Recycling If you are planning to visit the Recycling Centre at Avonmouth do check the Bristol Waste website bristolwastecompany.co.uk - first as they are currently running alternate access days depending on the last number of your car registration. Due to the Christmas holiday, when the recycling centre is closed on December 25th, December 26th and January 1st, it is not clear at the time of going to print on which days odd and even number registered cars will be admitted. Please visit the Bristol Waste website to check in advance to be sure you don’t have a wasted journey. You must take proof of your identity / address to use the site. The site is currently running to winter opening hours - 8am to 4.15pm 7 days a week. Local Trains Great Western Trains run from Sea Mills station along the scenic Severn Beach line, in to Temple Meads (via Clifton Down, Redland, Montpelier, Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill) and out to Severn Beach via Shirehampton and Avonmouth. From 12th December Great Western Railways have launched a new and improved service along the Severn Beach line with a doubling of the number of trains running to and from Temple Meads. Please check gwr.com for comprehensive up to date advice or call 03457 000 125 (09:00-17:00, 7 days a week) - or download the National Rail or GWR apps for the most reliable current information. Bristol City Council The Council website offers residents information about BCC services including council tax, bins & recycling, schools, leisure, business, streets and parking. Visit www.bristol.gov.uk or contact the General Enquiries switchboard on 0117 922 2000.

CHILDREN’S PUZZLES Who Am I? Can you spot who or what is in the pictures below?

Which Am I? Pick the correct name to match the photo.

Alex Jones

Hyena

Russia

Windsor Castle

Alex Scott

Llama

Ukraine

Warwick Castle

Alex Ferguson

Chamois

Latvia

Arundel Castle

Alex Salmon

Alpaca

Estonia

Corfe Castle

Where Am I? Match the photos to the countries they were taken in. There are two extra countries listed, just to make it a little more difficult USA Japan Kenya Greece Norway Iceland 12

(answers on page 44)

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What is Positive Ageing & how can you promote it?

Positive ageing is an approach that recognises how our mindset and attitudes affect our physical and emotional wellbeing as we age. The Positive Psychology Institute deﬁnes it as, “The process of maintaining a positive attitude, feeling good about yourself, keeping ﬁt and healthy, and engaging fully in life as you age.” ●

Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine - For those aged 65 and over, the HSE (Health & Safety Executive) recommends at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise for at least ﬁve days every week. This can be anything from a gym workout to taking a brisk stroll, or even doing a spot of weeding in the garden!

●

Maintain a healthy social life - Research on the longest living communities in the world has found a positive link between older peoples’ social networks and their health behaviours. Some ways to do this could include volunteering or taking up a new hobby, where you can meet like-minded friends.

●

Give as much time as you can to family - Family life plays a key part in positive ageing.

●

Have a clear purpose - Having a sense of purpose can add up to seven years to your life expectancy. It can also lead to reduced stress, improved coping techniques, and greater engagement in health-promoting behaviours. Retirement offers a wonderful opportunity to rediscover your passions and focus your time on the things that are important to you.

●

Find a way of relieving stress - As we age, coping with stress can become more difﬁcult. Learning effective stress management techniques, such as yoga, tai chi, meditation and deep breathing exercises can br very beneﬁcial.

●

Go green with your diet - Medical studies have found that those who reduce their meat intake tend to live longer. If the idea cutting out meat altogether is too drastic, you could try going meatless just once or twice a week. If you would like more information or to speak to someone at Home Instead, please do get in touch. Telephone 0117 435 0063 or email john.moore@homeinstead.co.uk 14

Are you looking for a role that offers the perfect work/life balance? Then why not join our fantastic family of home carers? We offer ﬂexible working that ﬁts in with your life, and also gives you the opportunity to support the same clients regularly. That means you can really build a bond with them and see the difference you make to their lives. We help with light housework, shopping and meal preparation, medication prompts, accompanying to appointments and social activities, as well as assisting with morning and evening routines.

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MUSIC - PRESENT, PAST AND PODCAST - DUNCAN HASKELL Album of the Month

Next Step

Love Is Here (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) It’s not always that easy to work out why some bands go on to dominate the world while seemingly similar groups don’t quite leave the same mark.

Parachutes by Coldplay (Parlophone) Let’s see for ourselves then, is Coldplay’s 9x Platinum debut album Parachutes really that far ahead of Starsailor’s own opening gambit? In one way, the answer is a definite “no”. Released on 10 July 2000, it came out more than a year before **Love Is Here. Carried along by same post-Britpop wave that propelled Travis’s **The Man Who, it was the right album at the right time.

In the post-Britpop landscape, Coldplay were and remain, the ones that went stratospheric, and though Wigan’s Starsailor have had a career to be proud of, this reissued version of their 2001 debut album suggests that, in a parallel universe, they could just as easily be making music with BTS in 2021.

Of course, it needed to have the songs; something which Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion had in abundance. The album’s four singles, Shiver, Yellow, Trouble and Don’t Panic, show them arriving almost fully-formed, already understanding how to simultaneously land a song on both Radio 1 and Radio 2.

The reissue offers the original eleven-track album along with an extra disc of covers and reworkings. Listening to these songs again after two decades is a transportive experience, the atmospheric acoustic balladry feels surprisingly punchy. Each of the opening quartet of Tie Up My Hands, Poor Misguided Fool, Alcoholic and Lullaby lands there blows, both melodic and lyrical, with additional weight coming from the steady beat of drummer Ben Byrne.

Perhaps the main difference is that Coldplay always felt expansive, wanting to be heard by as many ears as possible. Even intimate moments like Yellow have something of an outward feel to them, it’s not a single star that shines for Martin’s beloved but the entire night sky. From the start, his nice-guy routine never could quite hide his stadium ambitions, luckily for him and Coldplay’s legion of fans, his band had the talent and songs to match.

Another key asset is vocalist James Walsh, then physically reminiscent of a Bagginsed Elijah Wood. His voice doesn’t have the earthiness of Chris Martin’s but there’s great beauty in his high notes and a palpable sense of frailty and hurt throughout – not least in the yearning album highlight Fever. And just like Frodo staggering towards Mount Doom, you can’t help but route for Walsh, especially on the rousing anthem Good Souls.

Podcast of the Month Dolly Parton’s America Whether for her music, style or incredible acts of charity, most people can agree that Dolly Parton is one of life’s good people. US radio host Jad Abumrad certainly felt that way when, looking for someone to unite his increasingly divided country, he was inspired enough to create this nine-part examination of Parton’s life. As much about Abumrad’s own family and upbringing as it is the life and times of Dolly, contributions from the The Smoky Mountain Songbird herself make this essential listening.

The bonus tracks add some context to the band’s influences and origins. Covers of songs by Bill Withers, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Van Morrison provide something of a Venn diagram for the Starsailor sound, while modern re-workings of the album’s tracks, including a powered up version of Good Souls, are further evidence that Starsailor’s debut album was the platform from which a remarkable future could have been launched.

Enjoy the very best in later living at a St Monica Trust retirement village. To learn more about village life book your place on a guided tour now by calling 0117 919 4254 or visit www.stmonicatrust.org.uk for more information and details of available properties. Registered Charity 202151

GARDENING TIPS FROM HILARY BARBER redcurrant and gooseberry bushes; and cut autumn fruiting raspberries right down to the ground. Don’t forget to mulch afterwards! 9. Don’t forget the birds especially if the ground is still frozen - leave water and food outside for them. Do look at top tips for December for more wildlife tips. 10. If it’s frozen outside, start planning your vegetable rotations, and your borders for the coming year. Looking at plant and seed catalogues in the warm inside, with a cuppa, is just bliss! 11. Bare root and root ball trees and shrubs, and bareroot hedges can be planted up until March. And don’t forget bareroot shrub roses and climbing/rambling roses. 12. Sharpen and oil your tools, and get your lawn mower serviced - it will make all the difference to the new growth of your lawn. www.facebook.com/HilaryBarberGardens www.instagram.com/hilarybarbergardens

A Very Happy New Year to you all! May it be a wonderful green gardening one! 1.

If you haven’t planted your last tulip bulbs, do so this month, as long as they are firm and the ground isn’t frozen. 2. If you havent done so already, cut off all old leaves of Helleborus orientalis to show off the beautiful flowers (this is not just cosmetic but it stops the new flowers and leaves getting Hellebore leaf spot).

3. This month you can prune apple, pear and quince (pipped fruit) trees, figs, acers, silver birch and vines (vines must be done in the first half of the month, because sap starts rising quickly and they can ‘bleed’). 4. If you have not recycled your Christmas tree, you could shred it for mulch and/ or keep the needles as a mulch for ericaceous (lime intolerant) plants such as Camellias and Rhododendrons, Pieris and Azaleas. 5. This month you can repair and reshape lawn edges, but wait until March to sow seed, or to lay turf. 6. Dig over any areas (and incorporate well rotted compost or manure) where you are going to re-plant and let the frost do its work by breaking up the soil. 7. You can start forcing rhubarb using a cloche. 8. Prune blackcurrant, whitecurrant,

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Top Tips for Separating Couples from VWV and Break-Up Coach

Emily Roskilly

Claire Black

VWV recently had the pleasure of speaking with specialist break-up coach Claire Black, to discuss top tips for those who are separating, whether married or unmarried. Claire works with you to find calm, clarity and to create a fulfilling future you are excited about. She has also written a book Break-up - from crisis to confidence.

Separation can be a difficult time, emotions run high and you may feel overwhelmed. We recognise separation is not just a legal journey, but also an emotional one. Often the emotions can de-rail the legal journey. Claire and Emily Roskilly, a senior associate in the Family team at VWV, have given their top tips. 1) Create a Strong Support Network This is invaluable and will stand you in good stead through this difficult time. Claire’s advice is to notice how you feel around your friends and family members. Surround yourself with those who lift your spirits your radiators, and avoid those who leave you feeling depleted - your drains or energy vampires. It is important to have the right professionals in place too. Instruct a solicitor that you have a good rapport with, who will listen to you and work with you to achieve your aims and objectives. We also recommend a good coach or counsellor and financial advisor. Making sure you have the right people for the right jobs will give you clarity to make informed decisions. We have strong connections with other professionals who can support you.

2) Communication Effective communication is key, but can be challenging. Claire’s advice is to focus on what you can control. You can control your responses and how you react. Take your time to think about how you respond rather than rushing a reply to a message or email, especially if you feel angry. Always remember you have a choice as to when you respond, how you respond and even if you respond. If you feel your emotions rising stop, breathe, and think before you speak/ act. Claire suggests focusing on “I” rather than “you” and to avoid sentences which start “you always/you never…”. The solicitors in the VWV Family team are members of Resolution, a body of family lawyers committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. Our communication is non-inflammatory but we adopt a robust approach when we need to which strikes the right balance. 3) Children Resolution have recently published 5 great ways to put children first - focusing on communication, a united front, addressing anger, self-care and co-parenting after parting. If possible adopt a united front and reassure your children that they are loved by you both

and that they will have time with you both. Let them know what will change and what will stay the same. However, Claire advises not to make promises you may not be able to keep. Often parents feel pressure to coparent, but in some circumstances this will not work. Claire advises to focus on parallel parenting, an arrangement in which parents who cannot communicate disengage from each other and parent separately. We have a large experienced family team who can support you following a separation. We are also able to offer a mediation service. For further details and

to meet our team please visit our website. To watch the full Vodcast visit vwv.co.uk/ unmarried-couples

If you have any questions on this complex area, please contact Emily Roskilly in VWV’s Private Client team on 0117 314 5298. You can also contact Claire Black at claire@claireblackcoaching. com or visit her website at claireblackcoaching.com. Claire is a leading specialist divorce coach based near Bristol.

Happy New Year from VWV Award-Winning Expert Legal Advice for You and Your Family Whether your New Year's resolution is to review your old Will, to make a Will for the very first time, to move house in 2022, or to finally put in place Lasting Powers of Attorney - we would be delighted to welcome you to our Henleaze office to assist with a full range of private client, property and commercial services.

Contact Leila Goodarzi at lgoodarzi@vwv.co.uk or on 0117 925 2020.

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QUIZ TIME The Weather

France

2. 3.

What wind condition is force 2 on the Beaufort Scale, between force 1 "light air" and force 3 "gentle breeze"? To the nearest degree C what is the average daytime temperature in Bristol when measured across the whole year? Name these three types of common cloud formation.

2. 3. 4. 5.

Nimes in southern France is the birthplace of which internationally used product? Which of these is not a French ski resort Avoriaz, Crans Montana or Meribel? Name the French national anthem. French is an official language in how many countries - a) 1 to 12, b) 13 to 24, or c) 25 or more? Name the French golfer who famously didn't win the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Buildings and Monuments

4. 5.

In which UK towns or cities would you find these buildings?

Who designed the Orbit Tower that stands in the London 2012 Olympic Park? Put these buildings in height order, tallest first - the Leaning Tower of Pisa (at its highest), St Paul's Cathedral, and Cabot Tower on Brandon Hill. Which two mass war memorials are found in Whitehall in London?

Since records began in 1851 which three USA states have been most frequently hit by hurricanes? Name these past and present weather forecasters.

The letter D 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Name the capital city of Syria. 617 Sqaudron Royal Air Force is better known by what name? With one hump, which is the largest species of camel? The "Great Survey" of England and much of Wales, ordered by King William I, was recorded in which medieval manuscript? Who presented ITV's World of Sport from 1968 to 1985?

21 23

(continued (continuedoverleaf) overleaf)

QUIZ TIME 5.

On the borders of which two US states would you find Monument Valley?

The Letter E 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Name the Portuguese footballer who scored 733 goals in 745 professional games. Quito is the capital of which country? What is the scientific name for the study of insects? Who starred alongside Charley Boorman in the motorcycling odyssey documentary "Long Way Round"? Name the area of ancient woodland that lies between the valleys of the River Lea and River Roding in north east London.

Sport 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Who bowled the first over of the current Ashes test cricket series? Name the most northerly, easterly, southerly and westerly horse racecourses in England. Name the female darts player who was the first to win a match at the BDC World Championships. Name the rugby union player who holds the record for most international cpas for England. Which is the biggest - the height of an international standard basketball hoop, the height of an international standard men's volleyball net or the height of a Premier League football crossbar?

Politics 1. 2.

3. 4.

How many MP's are elected to the UK parliament at a General Election? On what days of the week are the following events traditionally held - the State Opening of Parliament, Prime Minister's Questions, and a General Election? Nicaragua was the first country in the world to lower the legal age for voting to what age? How many former UK Prime Ministers currently sit in the House of Lords?

Andrew Bonar Law and Boris Johnson share what distinction as UK Prime Ministers?

Pot Luck 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

In which year were the following first broadcast - a) BBC Radio 5 Live, b) The Archers, c) Eastenders? If listed alphabetically what are the first and last US states? Who wrote Watership Down? Which cathedral has the tallest spire in the UK? Which popular vegetable has its origins in Afghanistan and Iran?

The Letter F 1. 2. 3. 4.

Name the capital of Madeira. In 2020 Finland came top of an international survey into which characteristic of its residents? The splitting of the nucleus of an atom into two or more nuclei is known as what? Name these fictitious characters.

Which bird has the Latin name Phoeniconaias meaning "crimson water nymph"?

Who Am I?

22 24

(answers on page 44)

(answers on page 58)

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IT ISSUES - RUSSELL ISAAC The Brave New World of 2022 As technology continues its exponential curve of advancement, here’s my guess at some of the key areas we will see undergoing massive development in 2022.... 1. Augmented Reality in Online Shopping. Online shopping in itself was a revolutionary concept just a decade ago. Now it’s something most of us take for granted. But if there's one area where online shopping keeps falling short, it is in managing expectations. With augmented reality (AR), vendors will offer realistic 3D models of products, allowing potential buyers to see the item as if they had it in their hands before purchasing it. 2. Device sustainability. With modern gadgets a permanent part of our daily lives, manufacturers are finally recognising the need to make them more sustainable, both environmentally and economically. 2022 will see a greater shift towards repairing and reusing old devices rather than replacing them. Also, newer devices will be made of better materials to increase longevity and reduce the negative impact on the environment. 3. 5G going mainstream. Faster internet speeds will continue to be the order of the day. With 4K

video content on many streaming platforms (and with 8k just around the corner), faster and more reliable internet is needed to stream the content on mobile devices without constant buffering. 4. AI Everywhere. As more people expect websites and gadgets to meet their every need, AI is stepping in big-time. Expect an explosion of AI-powered gadgets, apps, websites, and tools in 2022. It'll become harder to differentiate chatbots from human customer support agents, and future content recommendations on social media are likely to come from an AI rather than traditional data analysis. 5. Passwordless Authentication. Passwords are going to become a thing of the past. As Machine Learning becomes smarter, even the strongest passwords can be broken into with enough time. We're likely to witness a gradual shift towards passwordless authentication using mobile devices, tokens, and even biometrics almost everywhere. Technology aside, may I wish everyone a safe and prosperous 2022. Russell Isaac can be contacted on 0774 7753764 or via www.ITHomeHelp.biz

Live-In Care: A Safer and Better Care Solution?

keeping relatives and health professionals ‘in the loop’ offering a reactive and responsive service.

For many years, when a relative or friend began to show signs of deterioration – either physically or mentally – the solution was normally for them to go into a care home when their needs became too great. However, with the pandemic challenges of the last 2 years many people have started to consider whether there is a better and importantly, safer solution.

A local provider will also understand the local area in terms of local history, places of interest and amenities. A locally managed service, where the LiveIn carers are employed directly by the provider, will also provide peace of mind when it comes to paying for the Live-In care and carer pay (including organising tax and NI contributions), interviewing staff, carrying out police record checks as well as being responsible for on-going training and support.

Having a LiveIn carer is sometimes perceived as elitist or too expensive, yet the truth is the cost is comparable, if not less, than those of some local care homes and ‘care villages’. Furthermore, there are huge benefits for the person receiving Live-In care; for example they remain in their own home in a safe and secure environment, where there is already familiarity. A person is surrounded by their memories and things they love with relatives and friends on-hand, or established clubs and associations they love to be involved in, remain accessible.

For many of us, when we talk about care we think about the physical element of having someone there to help with washing, dressing, cooking, cleaning and shopping (all very important), however a Live-In carer can offer so much more in helping to avoid isolation and lack of mental stimulation by becoming a friend and confidant. Premier Homecare is rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission and has been operating in North West Bristol for over 18 years. With offices in Stoke Bishop and Westbury-on-Trym, we offer bespoke Live-In care options to the residents of North West Bristol and provide a one-point of contact, supportive and friendly service. We attract top quality Live-In carers by offering the best rates of pay in Bristol to Live-In carers, as well as outstanding training and support.

For those who may require Live-In care, there is certain criteria to look out for in navigating through the available options. To minimise any anxiety, as it is important to appoint a Live-In care Provider who manages your requirements from day one, so as to help dispel any uncertainties and ensure the right carer, who matches the needs interests and personality of the individual to be cared for, is appointed.

Please call us to find out more about our bespoke Live-In care service on 0117 9592013 or visit our website at www. premier-homecare.com or email care@ premier-homecare.com

Choosing a local provider is also useful, not only because it makes contact more reassuring, but it enables the provider to more easily cover carer sickness, absence and holidays and provide additional ‘homecare’ services at short notice. A local provider is also more visible and accountable

24 hour Live-In Care A COVID-safe and affordable alternative to nursing home care. Our fully managed, affordable 24 hour Live-In Care service allows you or your loved one to continue living in the safe, familiarity and comfort of the family home. In attendance 24/7 365 days a year, our one to one continuity of care not only gives you peace of mind and confidence your loved one is in safe hands, but provides vital companionship throughout the day. Our staff are hand picked specifically to match the personal needs and requirements of each individual client; guaranteeing you a bespoke and tailored service. 24 hour Care at Home - carers carry out all required duties following a personalised care-plan. They can manage medication, personal care, domestic duties as well as shopping and meal preparation plus trips out where required. To learn more about the benefits of our 24 hour Live-In care service call us on:

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“We are delighted with the Live-In care that our mother receives in her home. The carers are patient, kind and very well-trained. We trust them completely with our mother’s care needs and medication; we would not hesitate in recommending Premier Homecare.” ML, November 2020

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Probate Applications and Delays

system which has experienced a number of issues and the timescales for the issuing of a Grant of Probate have increased substantially.

Sophie Haskins of AMD Solicitors discusses the latest news about delays and probate applications.

A November 2021 Probate Application update put forward by the Law Society refers to an average application issue time, once the Probate Registry have received the application, of nine weeks but this could be longer if an application is stopped, perhaps because of an error or a lack of evidence supplied with an application.

Often when a loved one passes away, a Grant of Probate is needed to deal with their assets. A Grant of Probate is legal document, which provides Executors appointed under a Will the authority to deal with a person’s estate, collect in assets and distribute them as guided by the Will.

Where Inheritance Tax needs to be paid, the Probate Registry ask that the Probate application is submitted to them 20 working days after the submission of Inheritance Tax forms to HMRC, which means the overall timescale is further extended. If an application is submitted sooner, this could cause further delay as the Probate Registry may not be able to match up the application with anything received from HMRC.

Once an Executor has collected in details of assets and labilities, the next step is to apply for the Grant of Probate. This includes the preparation of Inheritance Tax forms, which may need to be sent to HMRC, and a Probate application form which is sent to the Probate Registry who will then issue a Grant of Probate.

We understand that HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) have been taking and continue to take steps to reduce delays and get back to their pre-Covid workload by taking on more staff and making improvements to the online system. However, they are of course mindful of the winter period and what this may bring.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the average application issue time for a Grant of Probate was around two to three weeks. However, over the past 18 months, Probate Registries have been affected by the pandemic by way of staff shortages and increased numbers of applications, which has resulted in a backlog of Probate applications. Add to this a change in the Probate application process to an online

Our Probate team understand that dealing with the affairs of a loved one after death can be incredibly overwhelming and stressful, particularly where delays occur. We will do our very best to help and guide you through the process as efficiently as possible

Your local award winning law firm Wills Probate

Our team are based in our Henleaze and Shirehampton branches. If you would like to get in touch, please telephone our Henleaze Road office on 0117 9621205 or email info@amdsolicitors.com.

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THE HAVE A GO CHEF This is really a take on meat in a spicy sauce but I had to call it something and present it in an eye-catching way, so here we go with... Sriracha Chicken Volcanoes Serves 4 Sriracha appears to be the "go-to" cooking flavour at the moment, a rich fermented chilli and garlic sauce that seems, like chillis generally, to vary in intensity and heat. The bottled sriracha sauce I used here, from a supermarket*, wasn't as hot as the labelling suggested it would be, so maybe have a taste first and then sprinkle in a little extra chilli powder if you want some extra oomphh. It is also available in powdered seasoning form in small packets You can of course make your own - if you can be bothered. I like to use chicken thighs for a dish like this as they tend to have a better, meatier flavour, but you can just as easily use chicken breasts. For a vegetarian option I suspect you could use tofu, although I'm not a tofu expert so can't advise how to do this. I've served the chicken with mashed potato because I wanted to sculpt it into a crater for presentation purposes. Be generous on the amount of potato you do because, as we all know, potato shrinks when it's mashed! It could just as easily be served with boiled rice or mixed into your favourite pasta. And if you really, really don't like sprouts then sub in a different veg of choice. But do try the sprouts, they are lush like this. Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •

750g skinned and boned chicken thighs 3 medium sized shallots, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 100ml passata Brussels sprouts, about 8 per person, finely sliced 4 level tbsp olive oil 2 level tbsp dark soy sauce 4 level tbsp sriracha sauce 100g tinned pineapple, roughly chopped Floury potatoes, a big portion per person, peeled and chopped

• •

1 egg Salt and pepper

Method 1. 2.

6. 7.

36 33

Pre-heat your oven to about 200oC / 180o C if fan assisted. In an ovenproof casserole dish add in the olive oil, soy sauce, passata and sriracha and stir well. Add in the pineapple, season well with salt and pepper and stir again. Take your chicken thighs, remove any fatty bits you don't like the look of, then chop roughly into bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife. Add the chicken to the sriracha sauce in the casserole, stir in well to ensure that all the chicken is well coated, cover with foil and then pop the dish into the middle of the hot oven. Cook for about 40 minutes, stirring it half way through. While the chicken is cooking prepare your veg. Slice and chop the sprouts finely as you will be stir frying them, and peel and chop your potatoes ready for the mash. After about 40 minutes check the chicken to make sure it is pretty much cooked through (take a piece out and cut into it to be sure) then remove the foil and put back in the oven for a final 15 minutes. During this final cooking period put your potatoes on to boil in salted water and simmer for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime add a dash of olive oil to a big pan / frying pan, heat up to a moderate temperature and then add in the chopped shallots and garlic. Cook gently for five minutes, stirring all the time. Add in the chopped sprouts, mix well, season with salt and plenty of pepper and continue to gently fry for a further 10 minutes. If necessary you can add in a

(continued overleaf)

THE HAVE A GO CHEF dash of cold water to prevent sticking. Taste the sprouts to check that are cooked through to you liking then take from the heat and cover until ready to serve. 10. Drain your potatoes, add in a tiny dash of milk and crack in the egg (or you can use a knob of butter instead) then mash until it's nice and mashy. Place a large dollop into the centre of each dinner plate (which of course have been warmed through to keep things nice and hot) then with a teaspoon or whatever get creative and gently sculpt the potato into a sort of volcano shape with a crater large enough to take a good portion of the chicken. 11. Take the chicken from the oven then transfer as much as you like into the centre of your potato crater. 12. Finally surround your volcano with a landscape of stir fried sprouts, then serve - with a smile. Hope you enjoy it. 9.

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OvenGleamers Top Tips for Loving Your Cooker This New Year 1.

Invest in a non-stick oven liner. They help to catch all of those annoying drips that stick to the bottom of your cooker, which later can become a burnt-on mess. Easy to wash or pop in the dishwasher. Do not use harsh chemicals inside your cooker. Instead, try a safer homemade option using items found around your household. For an all-purpose cleaner and deodorizer, mix together 4 tablespoons baking soda with 1 litre warm water. Get the wiping habit! Wipe away any spillages immediately with a damp cloth. Don't give the mess a chance to stay. I know this sounds easy and as hard as you try it is a chore, the oven can still be hot and some of the stuff just doesn't want to come off but stick with it. Get a microfibre cloth and use it wet with washing-up solution. Cover your roast! You need to stop the grease spitting all over your lovely clean oven. To do this just put a lid on your roast tin or cover with foil or try a roasting bag. This way the inside of your oven and your grill (if its inside your oven) won't become completely coated in grease when you are cooking. This grease, if left in the oven, becomes burnt on carbon in the long term and is very difficult to get off. Get a professional in to Gleam It! If you really can't get all the dirt and grime out of your oven yourself then maybe call and book someone that can. A newly cleaned cooker will be sparkling and clean and if you follow our other tips you will keep it clean, won't you? Need some professional help? Then call OvenGleamers on 0117 911 5277 or go to www.ovengleamers.com for more details.

The Avon Centre is a charity which supports children and adults with additional needs through equine and nature based activities. We are based up at Blaise and have been operating for 40 years.

Inclusion, Growth, Horses. Yes, that’s NEIGH! We work with horse and ponies, but for us, people come first. Our staff and volunteers listen and work hard to find what works best for each person, making sure they feel good emotionally as well as physically. With this caring approach at the heart of what we do, our skilled team supports people with differing needs in a range of ways.

Sadly we have been unable to operate for much of the past 18 months due to the Covid lockdowns, whilst still having the costs associated with keeping our horses. Several roles had to be made redundant, which has limited our fundraising ability and our ability to expand our reach and grow our income streams. This has led to a depleted cash balance and the centre is still operating at a financial loss each month. Sadly the centre is at risk of having to permanently close in the coming 4-6 months unless significant funds are raised.

We have plans for broadening our reach in the community and extending our non ridden equine activities. This will enable us to increase the number of people we support and vitally grow our income, helping us to become financially sustainable. We want to double the number of people we support to 600 each year. However we can only achieve this if we are able to keep the charity alive during this unprecedented time.

At The Avon Centre we believe in the power of horses and nature to improve the quality of life for people in our community. For 40 years our charity has boosted the physical, emotional and mental health of disabled children, young people and adults, along with their families, friends and carers. Recently, the impact of the covid pandemic has made life even more difficult for disabled people and it has worsened life for other people too. Loneliness, anxiety, and depression are felt by more people than ever before and local services for mental health are overburdened as a result.

We work with people with a range of additional needs. They range in age from 2 to 103. Our work enables the people we support tospend time outdoors, in nature and with animals. This has a significant positive impact on both physical and mental health. Never has this been more important than over the past 18 months with people suffering wide ranging difficult circumstances in light of Covid. Riding can help disabled people in many ways: simply sitting up straight on a horse provides physiotherapy and core strengthening exercise without the need to coordinate or understand complex movements. Improved core strength means better balance, improved mobility in everyday life. As a direct impact of Covid and prolonged lockdowns, it has become more apparent than ever that we need to broaden our reach in the community and offer equine assisted activities and support to a wider population, many of whom have greatly suffered in the last 18 months of the pandemic. Please support our campaign to help prevent us from closing and to be able to continue delivering our life changing work. To find out how please visit www.theavoncentre.org.uk. Thank you.

Every year at The Avon Centre, at least 300 local people ride and care for horses and ponies and they use the green, healing spaces of our land too. All our work is built upon five pillars: Nature, Education,

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PRIZE WORDSEARCH November was New Year's Day. The two lucky winners drawn at random were Shirley Brown and Blake Jones, and their vouchers to spend at local independent shops of their choice are on their way.

In this months prize wordsearch the theme is drink - of all kinds. Listed below are twenty one hot and cold drinks. Twenty of the beverages are hidden in the wordsearch grid, meaning that one drink has been left off the menu. The words can be found running forward, backward, up, down or on a diagonal. Simply eliminate the words to find the drink that is not in the grid, and let me know what it is, no later than 31st January. All correct entries will go into the hat and five lucky people will be picked at random to win themselves a quality Easter egg each. Entries please by email (andy@bcmagazines.co.uk), text (07845 986650), phone (0117 259 1964) or post (8 Sandyleaze. WoT, BS9 3PY). Have fun and good luck.

Right, here's what you are searching for this month LUCOZADE

BRANDY

ADVOCAAT

LAGER

MILK SHERRY WINE VODKA OVALTINE SQUASH WATER COCA COLA IRN BRU GIN

Thank you to everybody who took the HORLICKS COFFEE trouble to enter the October and November GRAPEFRUIT JUICE WHISKY competitions which had the theme of pop BITTER LEMONADE Name: _____________________________________________________ Date: _______ groups and celebration days. The correct answer in October was The Orb and in TEA

Drinks

A G

M G

lucozade brandy

sherry wine

cocacola

38 irnbru

grapefruitjuice whisky

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HISTORY NOTES NO. 166 - JULIAN LEA-JONES Promises for a better life .... What triggered the idea for this month’s article was the memory of the time when our daughter was in the Girl Guides and we helped with fund-raising jumble sales. The February sale usually heralded the arrival of unwanted kitchen gadgets, the subject of intensive pre-Christmas television and magazine advertisements. After a short time, some of the proud new possessors of these labour-saving gadgets realised that they were anything but! Dismantling and cleaning these things took more time than using a simple knife, tin opener, slicer or whatever. Far from enriching people’s lives by simplifying food preparation, they just annoyed them as suggested by their arrival as jumble. Going back to the early nineteenth century, the siren call of advertising was already wellestablished in Britain - highly visible on its streets and in the press. Although some merchants still relied on word of mouth to sell their products or services, many began to appreciate the value, and income, a wider audience brought to their enterprise. One of the reasons for this was the realisation that with the help of an advertising campaign, products hitherto limited to largely local or regional markets could be brought to the attention of a nationwide market. From the earliest times craftsmen generally lived and worked in their own premises, and advertising was by an example of their product displayed above the entrance. Local early examples that come to mind, are those for Vincent’s Brushes by Bristol Bridge, chimney sweeps in Steep Street, and a large pair of glasses above Braham’s Opticians on St Augustines‘ Parade. This latter business was taken over by Dunscombe’s, whose premises until 2020 were still on the corner of Denmark Street, and had this most imaginative and literally eyecatching sign, in

the form of a giant sight chart. A plumber in Bedminster had a giant tap above his doorway. Some hardware shops still continue to have examples of their products displayed outside. Cotham Hardware has a fine selection of brooms whereas Henleaze Hardware is easy to spot as it has a garden incinerator and pail over the frontage. Local shopping precincts would also have had, and indeed still do, a plethora of striped barbers’ poles each vying for hirsute customers. Such poromotion is sadly wasted on me as John Cleese would have said, “ Your head is now deficient in the case of hair.” (My barber told me he was going to charge me extra. “Why?” I asked. “ It's a search fee.”) However, what is considered to be one of the oldest and long-lived advertisements, (apart from some of the murals uncovered in Pompeii) but also dating from Roman times, must be the tradition of a branch of an evergreen bush above an inn doorway. This gave rise to the saying, ‘A good inn needs no bush’; advertising by word of mouth? An idea possibly copied by John Weekes for his famous Bush Tavern in Corn Street. Advertisements in the mid to late nineteenth century were mainly for products, and by means of wall posters. Indeed, some people complained that practically every exposed surface of city buildings seemed to be pasted over and many complained about the resultant eyesore.

An egregious example of this can be seen in Reece Winstone’s; ‘Bristol in the 1890s’ plate 184, the Scottish Widows building in Baldwin Street, which was completely covered up to the 2nd floor with posters, some up to twenty feet (6m) wide. Posters shown were for The People’s Palace, Good Kedar Tea, Dyson’s Soap, Cabot Bread, Anglo Bavarian Ales, Key

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HISTORY NOTES NO. 166 - JULIAN LEA-JONES Tea, Hiscox ladies boots, Thatchers, Cerebos Salt, Colman’s Mustard, and many more just on that one building. Bizarrely many of the posters are duplicated even though they were adjacent – early examples of saturating advertising? Eye-catching coloured wall posters made of enamelled tin were very popular right through to the mid twentieth century, and many are now collector’s items, such as this colourful display on the frontage of a shop, from memory, in Ross. But advertisers wanting to use print media, particularly newspapers, had to accept the imposition of government taxes Advertisement Duty, where advertisements placed in newspapers were taxed individually at a flat rate, Stamp Duty which levied a tax on each printed sheet of a newspaper, and Paper Duty that levied even further taxes on the paper itself. Because of this newspaper proprietors tried to cram the contents of their papers onto four pages - a single sheet folded once - explaining why many nineteenth century papers comprised dense columns of letterpress in a small typeface. Nowadays this poses a real headache and eyestrain for those researching old newspapers on archive microfilm viewers! In spite of the costs, to publishers and the Revenue, advertisements began to appear amongst news and editorials. As well as products that would supposedly ease and enrich your life, if not your pocket. advertisements began to appear for services and time restricted offers, such as property auctions, and employment agencies. For those requiring domestic servants they were known as Intelligence registers. Advertisements for books, medicines and lotteries soon followed. There was a lottery system known as a Tontine, which was an annuity shared by subscribers to a common fund, shares increasing as subscribers died until the survivor collected the total fund, good news if the investment portfolio was sound! Risks and problems of the popular well-advertised scheme were exemplified in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel

and 1960's film ‘The Wrong Box’ (coffin), hilariously showing what happens when dishonest plans go awry. The most public advertisement for this scheme in Bristol was the Tontine warehouse sign, (where the St Stephen’s Press building on Colston Avenue once was). Newspaper proprietors found that increasing production costs meant that sales revenue, until then their main source of income, was inadequate. This resulted in the balance of news and advertising changing, enabling some newspapers to earn large profits through advertising. Newspapers also became be more politically independent, as they were no longer as dependent upon government subsidies. However some manufacturers and merchants, still shied away from advertising, considering it as lacking respectability. This was partly due to an absence of advertising standards to provide a check on fraudulent claims or those promoting poor quality products. Medical advertising often made dangerously outrageous claims. For example, when cholera, typhus and tuberculosis were rife, quack medicines became such a health issue that in 1909 the BMA carried out a thorough investigation into these ‘secret’ remedies. A particularly blatant example of the charlatans’ cruel deception was ‘Tuberculozyne’ a consumption cure costing £2 10s for a month’s supply. The BMA’s analysis confirmed was that it was only flavoured coloured water. A further example investigated was an ointment developed by the Bridport chemist Dr Giles Roberts, who claimed it alleviated scalds, burns, bruises, ulcers and most skin complaints and sold as ‘The Poor Man’s Friend’. Upon his death in September 1834 the rights to his ointment were taken over by Messrs Beach & Barnicott, also of Bridport. Available in little pots, made by Bristol Pottery on Temple Back, the ointment was available at two prices - one shilling and a pennyhalfpenny or two shillings and nine pence, (so just over 5 or 10 pence in today’s currency). But why were there two prices for the same

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HISTORY NOTES NO. 166 - JULIAN LEA-JONES product? The BMA’s investigation concluded, in a caustic comment, that “…a [Government] tax stamp attached to the product deluded the incautious buyer into thinking that the product was officially endorsed, suggesting it conveyed a Government guarantee. The authorities do not as a rule display any anxiety with regard to the welfare of the public in the matter of the sale of nostrums… knowledge of the causes of the disease for which the cure is promised is in no way necessary for the composition of either the medicine or the advertisement…. the Government’s efforts being confined to the collection of the duty.” The estimated sales for such remedies on which tax was collected in 1908 were in excess of £2million - which explained the BMA’s acerbic but powerless comment.

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So, if you were poor what else could you get for 1s 1 ½d? - how about twenty tablets of ‘Oquit’? “Within ten minutes Oquit wll cure headaches, nerve pains, neuralgia, gout, sciatica, rheumatism, lumbago, influenza, feverish colds, and even sea-sickness.” Estimated cost of ingredients? Three farthings! (3/4d). Often the desperate looking for a cure, or just for a better lifestyle - sometimes sadly driven by the misguided desire to incite the envy of others - would fall prey to misleading advertisements for unproven remedies pedalled by charlatans. Many quack medicines or ‘Secret’ remedies were sold to the desperate and gullible by what were known as ‘snake-oil’ charlatans The origin of the term ‘snake oil’ dates back to the California Gold Rush. Chinese immigrants arrived to seek their fortune and one of the medicinal traditions they brought with them was a medicine made from the mildly venomous Chinese water snake.

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Romsey were not amused! A very clever & witty shop window poster in Millet’s Camping shop in Broadmead for their end of season sale read, “Now is the winter of our discount tent”. The scariest, a series of 1920's promotions extolling the health-giving benefits of ingesting preparations containing radium! I came across an advertising leaflet in a 1924 box of Sparklets Soda Siphon gas cylinders – “Give yourself a spa treatment in your own home.” Presumably you would glow with health, albeit briefly. For further terrifying reading about the subject, see Lucy Jane Santos’ book, ‘Half Lives’. How many remember the ten foot high advert on the side wall of Carwardine’s coffee shop next to the Corn Exchange? It proclaimed, “Your Satisfaction is the Liquification of our Torrefaction” torrefaction being the dry roast process for coffee beans which could be seen taking place in the windows of their shops in Clifton and Broadmead. The smell which emanated was to me a ‘nose magnet’ and a far more effective advertisement than any poster could be. Lastly, if the previous advertisements seemed too mundane, the following wall poster seen on Cheltenham railway station in 2008 was designed to attract those who wished to ‘work for the country whilst living in the country’. The advertisement offered possibilities of a richer and interesting life as well as the opportunity to help keep our country safe by combating, Cocaine in South America, a Coup d’état in Africa. Text contact details for those interested were included on the poster.

Back to more recent advertising, and one or two notable advertisements I have come across that caught me eye are: •

A clever but contentious one was 1950s the roadside billboard near Romsey in Hampshire promoting Courage Beer; “Take courage you are now entering the strong country”. Rival brewers, Strongs of

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QUIZ ANSWERS Quiz Time from page 23 The Weather 1. Light breeze; 2. 15C; 3. Cirrus, Cumulus and Cumulonimbus; 4. Florida, Texas and North Caroline; 5. Ian McCaskill, Barbara Edwards, Tomasz Schafernaker. The Letter D 1. Damascus; 2. the Dambusters; 3. Dromedary; 4. the Domesday Book; 5. Dickie Davies. France 1. denim; 2. Crans Montana is in Switzerland; 3. La Marseillaise; 4. c) - 29 countries; 5. Jean van de Velde. Buildings and Monuments 1. Halifax (the Piece Hall), Bath (the Circus), Cambridge (Kings College); 2. Sir Anish Kapoor; 3. St Paul's (365 feet), Leaning Tower (185 feet), Cabot Tower (105 feet); 4. the Cenotaph and the Monument to the Women of World War II; 5. Utah and Arizona. The Letter E 1. Eusebio; 2. Ecuador; 3. entomology; 4. Ewan McGregor; 5. Epping Forest. Sport 1. Mitchell Starc; 2. Newcastle (N), Great Yarmouth (E), Brighton (S), Newton Abbott (W); 3. Fallon Sherrock; 4. Jason Leonard (114); 5. basketball (10 feet), football (8 feet), volleyball 7 feet 11 5/8. Politics 1. 650; 2. State Opening can take place on any day, PMQ's take place on a Wednesday, and General Elections are typically held on a Thursday; 3. 16; 4. none; 5. they are the only two to have been born outside of the UK. Pot Luck 1994, 1951 and 1985; 2. Alabama and Wyoming; 3. Richard Adams; 4. Salisbury Cathedral; 5. the carrot. The Letter F 1. Funchal; 2. their happiness, according to the World Happiness Report; 3. fission; 4. Dr Frank 'n Furter, Fleabag, Frank Spencer; 5. the flamingo. Who Am I? Olivia Coleman and Michael Palin Children's Puzles from page 12 Who Am I? - Rose Ayling-Ellis, Drake, J K Rowling, Danny Dyer Which Am I? - Alex Scott, Alpaca, Estonia, Corfe Castle Where Am I? - (clockwise from top left) Japan, USA, Greece, Iceland Disclaimer The Bristol Six + 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 Six + 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 44 without the prior written consent of Bristol Community Magazines.

The cost of being unprepared – Estate Planning Estate planning is about you deciding what you would like to happen to everything you own on your death and how to provide for those you’ll leave behind. Ensuring your affairs are in order not only makes things easier for your loved ones but can also reduce inheritance tax and protect your estate for your beneficiaries.

Do you have Lasting Power of Attorneys in place? Without appointing an attorney to look after your health and/or financial affairs, you and your loved ones lose the ability to make decisions about this if you lose capacity to make them yourself. Without an LPA, your loved ones may be faced with the costly and stressful route of dealing with the Court of Protection.

The first step to estate planning is often to make a valid Will. A staggering 60% of adults in the UK don’t have one! If you die without this, your estate will be subject to The Rules of Intestacy which don’t allow for your wishes. An often-overlooked reason for preparing a Will is to make the estate administration process as clear and straightforward as possible.

We can help you create an Estate Action Plan in 2022 with a holistic view of your circumstances to ensure you have taken steps to be prepared to reduce costs and emotional strain for your loved ones. We have extended our services as later life planning specialists to offer: Wills, Power of Attorney, Trusts, Investments & Pensions, Inheritance Tax Planning and Probate all under one roof.

Take time to choose the most appropriate executor(s) to deal with your estate. Faced with a wide range of actions required in the immediate aftermath of a death, and as executors are often close relatives, having this extra responsibility can provide another great stress at an already highly emotional time.

To discuss how we can help you organise your estate and protect your assets, book your complimentary financial planning review with Chartered independent financial adviser Richard Higgs, by calling 0117 3636 212 or emailing office@ haroldstephens.co.uk. Harold Stephens provides friendly financial advice in the local community on a face-to-face basis in a welcoming location at 50 High Street, Westbury on Trym, BS9 3DZ. The firm specialises in advising later life clients on their investments and pensions, long-term care, inheritance tax and estate planning. 45

WHAT’S ON & COMMUNITY NEWS Thank you to everyone who has taken the trouble to get in contact to let me know of things going on. If you are involved in any local groups, not-for profit organisations, charity events or social activities and would like some free publicity do please get in touch. And if you are the contact included in any of the existing listings and would like to update your information and / or contact details then please do get in touch. Email andy@ bcmagazines.co.uk or write to 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PY, and I will be more than happy to include them. •

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The Arts Society Bristol Would you like to join us for lectures on a wide range of arts related subjects, given by specialists in their own field? The lecture on 11 January is on Understanding the Sahara and on 8 February is on “Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers in London”. Lectures are expected to be held at 8pm at Redmaids’ High School, Westbury-on-Trym, BS9 3AW and delivered by internet. For more information and updates visit our website www.theartssociety-bristol.org. uk BCCS (Bristol Cathedral Choir School) Choral Society is now meeting at the Henleaze Bowling Club in Grange Court Road, on Wednesdays from 7.30 to 9pm. We are a small, friendly, unauditioned choir singing varied music, from choral works to more modern pieces and we would welcome new members of all standards. Please do come and give us a try. For more information, please contact Kathy telephone 0117 9493628 or email www.bccschoralsociety.org.uk Biodanza Bristol Weekly Group runs every Tuesday 7-9pm at All Saints Church, Randall Room, Alma Vale Road, Clifton, BS8 3ED (entrance upstairs). Cost: £10, 5 week card £40, 10 week card £70. Contact antoinette@biodanza4all. com for more details. Bristol A Cappella is an award-winning mixed barbershop chorus who love to sing close harmony a cappella. Rehearsals are every Tuesday at 7:30pm at Victoria Methodist Church on Whiteladies Road.

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Email membership@bristolacappella. co.uk to come along! For more info, visit our website at www.bristolacappella. co.uk/visit Bristol All Voices Allowed Choir is a community choir started in 2020 by former members of the Bristol Hippodrome Choir and All Together Now Bristol Choir We are looking for new singers, men and women, beginners and more experienced singers, to join us. Rehearsals on Tuesdays, 6.30 – 8.00pm at Holy Trinity Church, Hotwells. Contact Chris on 07866 456 776. Bristol Bridge Club are planning to run another beginners course starting February 8th 2022. It will be Tuesday Morning and/or Tuesday Evening. The cost will be £90 for ten lessons including a book BFA Beginning Bridge. Or £8 a lesson. For further details, contact Sue at: teaching@bristolbridgeclub.co.uk Bristol Bridge Club (BBC) has been running free online supervised sessions with some teaching all through the pandemic on Zoom, and will continue to do so every Saturday morning from 10am to 12 noon. To take part, go to the bridge club website www.bristolbridgeclub. co.uk and follow the link “Learn and Play”. Bristol Cabot Choir - please email admin@bristolcabotchoir.org or visit www.bristolcabotchoir.org Bristol Film and Video Society (Amateur film makers). We continue to make prize winning films, and meet via Zoom on the first and third Tuesday of every month. All are welcome. For more details please visit www.bristolvideo.org.uk Bristol Grandparents Support Group 07773 258 270, www.bgsg.co.uk Bristol Languages Tutor: French, Spanish & English Tuition. Qualified teacher with 12+ years tutoring experience. Lessons at home or online. Children, students, adults. Complete beginners, after-school clubs, conversation practice and exam preparation (GCSE, A Level, Common Entrance etc.). Email: BristolLanguagesTutor@gmail.com or Tel. 07825 600 402.

North West Bristol Camera Club is meeting again What do photographers do when they can’t get out and about as much as they’d like? They take images of the everyday and the close-at-hand. Insects and flowers in the garden; creative still life with loofahs and fruit: macrophotography has had a boom. Close-at-hand includes looking upwards to the stars: astrophotography from the back garden produces splendid images for those lucky enough to be a little way away from streetlights.

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North West Bristol Camera Club, like many social groups, has been Zooming, which has its advantages. We’ve had speakers from many parts of the country showing us their images and their techniques without us having to pay them travel expenses. But there are downsides to not meeting physically, which includes the half-time break for a drink and a biscuit – a lonely affair each in our own homes. Now that the threat of Covid has in some respects receded, we are able, for now, once more to get together with our images and our teas or coffees. If you’ve got a lockdown photo project to share, or even if you haven’t, come and join us: give us inspiration and learn new techniques. For further information, see What’s On and Community News (p. 72).

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Bristol Male Voice Choir are rehearsing once again, and we invite new and returning singers to join us at our weekly rehearsals, every Thursday from 7pm -9pm at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Elm Park, Filton, Bristol BS34 7PS. We are a sociable and friendly group, singing a wide range of musical styles in our repertoire, and we look forward to seeing you - you don’t have to be a reader of music. Ffi see our website www.bristolmvc.org.uk or contact our secretary on 07941 040 472. Bristol Morris Men www. bristolmorrismen.co.uk, Grant on 0117 944 2165. Bristol Phoenix Choir If you love singing we would love to hear from you! We are a friendly choir and we enjoy rehearsing and performing great choral works as well as shorter more intimate pieces. If you would like to sing with us please contact Jackie our membership secretary jackie. blackwell410@gmail.com. Bristol Scrabble Club meets every Wednesday at 7.15pm at Upper Horfield Community Trust (next to Eden Grove Church). New members welcome first visit free so come and give it a try. For further information contact Sheila on 0117 957 0792, 07435 316 458 or shinett@blueyonder.co.uk Bristol Shambhala Meditation Group offers meditation on Thursday evenings at the Friends’ Meeting House in Hampton Road from 7.15 until 8.45 pm and a qualified Meditation Instructor is available to talk you through the practice if this is required. In addition to meditation practice there is usually a reading, a discussion and a mindfulness of body exercise. Further information at bristol.shambhala.info Bristol U3A: Have you reached a point in your life where you have fewer responsibilities and more time for yourself? Would you like to take part in activities where you can share skills, abilities or hobbies whilst having fun and making new friends? Go to www. bristolu3a.org.uk for details.

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City Voices Bristol rehearsals have resumed on Monday nights at Red Maids High School, from 7.30-9pm. We are keen to welcome new members who would like to join a friendly and sociable group of people who love to sing! Our repertoire extends from rock and pop to choral and musicals. If you would like more information, look at our website www.cityvoicesbristol.org or pop along on a Monday night to the Performing Arts Centre at Redmaids. Civil Service Retirement Fellowship Tony McKenna on 0117 950 2059. The Clifton Singers - email contact@ cliftonsingers.co.uk, or visit www. cliftonsingers.co.uk Filtones Choir start up again for our first rehearsal on Wednesday afternoon, 5th January 22 from 1.45-3.45 at St Teresa’s Community Centre, 71 Gloucester Road North, BS34 7PL and welcome new members of all voice ranges who might like to give us a try. There are no auditions and for your first four weeks there is no charge. Just drop in, or for more information please ring Dot on 07870 984760 or Janet on 0117 9241534 or email Dot on dorothy.bryant@ btinternet.com. You can also find us on www.thefiltones.weebly.com. We look forward to meeting you, and can assure you of a very warm welcome. Frisbee Club - North Bristol Ultimate on Facebook, jake.f.waller@gmail.com Happy Days Memory Café - Tony on 0117 968 1002. The Henleaze Concert Society ‘Chamber Quintet’ concert is on January 22nd at 7:30 at the Trinity-Henleaze Unified Reformed Church, Waterford Road, Henleaze, BS9 4BT. This lovely concert includes Dvořák’s iridescent Piano Quintet and Mozart’s sublime Clarinet Quintet. Tickets at the door or see henleazeconcertsociety.org.uk (annual Membership £12; member’s ticket £13.50; non-member £16.50; under 25’s £5). Henleaze Lawn Tennis Club is a friendly and welcoming club for all ages

DEFIBRILLATOR LOCATIONS There are an increasing number of Automated External Defibrillators, or AED’s, in prominent, accessible 24/7 locations in our area. Detailed below are the updated locations of the defibrillators accessible 24/7 that I am aware of in this area, together with the “what3words” locations for them (Please, if you can, take a photo of this page on your phone and save it for emergency use, or cut the page out and keep it for reference.

Blaise Inn, 260 Henbury Road, Henbury BS10 7QR, on the side of the Inn. Salvatore’s Barbers 19A Druid Hill, Stoke Bishop, BS9 1EW (in the dip near Stoke Bishop Fish Bar). what3words location - hulk.courier.bells The White Lion Passage Road, Westbury on Trym, BS9 3HN (in the pub car park). what3words location - scale.miles.petty Methodist Church Hall, Westbury Hill, Westbury on Trym, BS9 3AA (next to main GP’s car park). what3words location - olive.belly.score Trinity United Reform Church, Waterford Road, Henleaze, BS9 4BT (opp. Tesco garage). what3words location - belts.edges.bucks Bristol Chiropractic, 2 Kellaway Avenue, Redland, BS6 7XR (in the main rank of shops). what3words location - swept.salsa.reap The RAFA Club, 38 Eastfield, Westbury on Trym, BS9 4BE (near the Eastfield Road junction). what3words location - allow.quench.doll St Monica Court, Cote Lane, WoT, BS9 3TL (part of the St Monica complex). what3words location - taking.clubs.tiger The Beehive Pub, Wellington Hill West, Henleaze, BS9 QY. what3words location - cans.type.loving Avon Fire & Rescue (Southmead Fire Station), Southmead Road, BS10 5DR. what3words location - held.demand.deep Bristol Property Centre, 14 Chandos Road, Redland, BS6 6PE. what3words location - wacky.relay.closes Max Minervas Bookshop, North View, Westbury Park, BS6 7PY. what3words location - edgy.slap.invite Bristol Prison Site, 248 Gloucester Road, Horfield, BS7 8NZ( between Cambridge Rd and Longmead Ave). what3words location - moving.spoon.folds Westbury Park Primary School, Bayswater Avenue, BS6 7NU (Coldharbour Road end). what3words location - bubble.trunk.waters Cafe on the Square, 136 Shirehampton Rd, Sea Mills, BS9 2DY. what3words location - shaky.trail.motel Boyce’s Avenue, Clifton, BS8 4AA - on the wall of East Village cafe, near The Albion. what3words location - goad.chef.recall Redland Park United Reformed Church, Whiteladies Road, Redland, BS6 6SA - junction with Redland Park. what3words location - stole.rust.prime Westbury Baptist Church Hall, Reedley Road, Westbury on Trym, BS9 3TE. what3words location - demand.dose.aspect The George Inn, 4-6 High Street, Shirehampton, BS11 0DE. what3words location - park. leaves.cotton Future Leap, 1-3 Gloucester Road (at the Zetland Road junction), BS7 8AA. what3words location - book.zebra.boat what3words addresses are easy to say and share, are as accurate as GPS coordinates, and are now being used by most UK emergency services as a location tool. Get the app! 49

WHAT’S ON & COMMUNITY NEWS

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and standards. We offer social and competitive play and a comprehensive coaching programme for all ages and levels. To find out more visit our website: www.henleazeltc.com or call Heather on 07891 520 456. Knit & Crochet Café - 07561 523 919 brisknitcro@gmail.com Menopause Matters Tricia Worthington, 07962 892 060, tricia_ worthington@msn.com New Bristol Sinfonia is one of Bristol’s premier symphony orchestras, with regular performances in major venues throughout the city. More information will be available at www. newbristolsinfonia.org.uk. Nordic4 - technique based Nordic walking teaching and fitness to individual needs. Beginner Tasters, Beginner Courses, small weekly Walking Fitness Groups differentiated for pace and terrain. Specialist sessions: Nordic4 Joints, Seasonal walks and 1:1 Support To Sport. www.nordic4.com. Booking online or by phone. Call Katie on 07970741320 or email katie.atkins@nordic4.com to find out more. North West Bristol Camera Club. Newcomers welcome for your enthusiasm, your expertise, or both. Come along to Sommerville, Westbury Fields, BS10 6TW, on a Tuesday evening. Full details of the Club at www.nwbcc.org. uk , or email Neville at nevwgoodman@ mac.com for information. Oasis Bridge Tuition Improvers: monthly online seminars - various topics/dates www.bridgewebs.com/oasis. Tel Maggie on 0117 329 6482 for more details. People of Note Community Choir, the famous 20 year old Bristol community choir, is holding a series of day workshops and evening singing sessions, just for the fun and joy of singing together! From now until Christmas and beyond. Come and join us in Southville or Clifton! Go to www.peopleofnote.org.uk/events/ for information of events, and book your place. Pilates classes - Leanne on 07817 189

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474, www.mindbodypilates.org Redland Green Bowls Club redlandgreenbowls.webs.com REMAP custom aids for the disabled 0117 329 5183 - www.bristol.remap.org. uk. Retired & Senior Volunteer Programme - Mina on 07860 669 953, www.RSVPwest.org.uk. Royal Air Forces Association Veterans lunch is held at the RAFA Club, 38 Eastfield, Westbury On Trym, BS9 4BE on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, from 12 noon for 1pm till 3pm.Two course meal for just £6. Please contact 0117 947 0775 and leave a message let us know who wishes to attend. This lunch is for all service veterans, their wives, widows or dependants, not just ex-RAF. Rotary Club of Bristol meets Mondays 7.00 for 7.30 pm alternately at Bristol Hotel, Prince Street BS1 4QF and on Zoom. Further details: www. rotarybristol.org and / or contact Martina at mpeattie@btopenworld.com Scottish Country Dancing - Alison on 0117 968 4036, Caroline on 0117 924 9226, www.rscdsbristol.info Sea Mills Garden Club are pleased to announce that they will be back with face to face talks starting in March. In future we will meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month at Sea Mills Methodist Church with talks starting at 7.30pm. Looking forward to seeing you and, hopefully, some new members on 10th March. FFI phone Pat 07779 203626 or Gail 0117 9685350. Shared Reading - Christine Betts - 07967 332 821. Shouri Shotoryu Karate Club - Shouri Shotoryu karate on Facebook or call 0117 969 5697. Soroptimist International Bristol sibristol@hotmail.co.uk, www.sigbi.org/ Bristol Enrolling now, Stand and Deliver Youth Theatre Westbury Park is open to students from 11 to 18 who are passionate about acting and theatre and who wish to take their performance skills to a more in-

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AFTERNOON TEA Take a seat in our beautiful, wood panelled lounge to indulge in an Afternoon Tea – sandwiches, cakes and freshly baked scones, topped with lashings of fragrant jam and gooey clotted cream – maybe adding a glass of Champagne too. Sit back and relax in the elegant ambiance of Berwick Lodge. Berwick Lodge, Berwick Drive, Bristol BS10 7TD 0117 958 1590 | info@berwicklodge.co.uk 51 | www.berwicklodge.co.uk

WHAT’S ON & COMMUNITY NEWS

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depth level. From further development of performance skills to ‘off the cuff’ improvisation exercises, mask work to audition technique, script writing and directing to the study of theatrical practitioners and playwrights this group is for the budding performer. Our ethos is that every student matters, and ideas are encouraged making everyone feel a valued group member. FFI and to book your taster slot contact Julia on 07771 634060. Email juliamcdade1@gmail.com or on Stand and Deliver Youth Theatre Facebook page. Stoke Lodge Ramblers - please check our website for dates when walks are offered - stokelodgeramblers.wordpress.com/ home/walks-programme. Phone the Club Secretary on 0117 950 0934 or email lornarenshaw@yahoo.co.uk for more details. Tai Chi – Boosts immunity, improves movement, increases vitality. Covid cautious classes starting in autumn. Interested? Contact Karen 0117 942 4167 or see www.taichiworksbristol.co.uk Tai Chi for over 55’s Shibashi form, a slow and easy sequence of flowing movements that can be done standing or sitting. Relaxing and meditative. Helps improve leg strength, flexibility and balance. Classes at The Redland Club, Burlington Road, BS6 6TN on Wednesdays 11.00 - 11.40 am starting in October. Cost £3. Covid safety precautions will be followed. Numbers limited so please phone or email to book your place. Selina Newton 0117 946 6434 or selinanewton@yahoo.co.uk. The U3a scrabble group meets at the Beehive pub, Wellington Hill West, on Fridays from 2pm to 4pm. We are a very friendly non competitive group and welcome new members. For more info, please contact Heddy tel 07534 717 254 or email nigel.d.sara@btinternet.com Westbury Aikido Club - visit www. westburyaikido.club, or email reenee@ westburyaikido.club Westbury Folk / Country Dancing - we meet on Tuesdays 1:30pm - 3:30 pm at

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The College in College Road. We ask that everyone performs a negative lateral flow test in the previous 24 hrs or wears a mask. FFI contact Christine on 0117 962 2223 or codonnell100@btinternet.com. Westbury Harriers Running Club - www. westburyharriers.co.uk Westbury Park Women’s Institute email us - westburyparkwi@gmail.com, visit westburyparkwi.org.uk, or call Sue on 07813 795936. Westbury Scottish Country Dance Club - Cheryl on 0117 401 2416, www. westburyscottish.org.uk West of England Bridge Club has restarted real, face-to-face bridge at its new home in the RAFA Club, 38 Eastfield, Henleaze. Thursday afternoon is for Improvers, where experienced Club members help players with bidding and card play. A brief lesson is often included. Monday afternoon is for more capable players; relaxed but competitive, this is an EBU-recognised session. You may come alone to any afternoon session; a partner will be found. The three evening sessions are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and are open to pairs. For more information, go to our website at www.woebridgeclub.co.uk or contact our Secretary, Chris Frew, on 0117 962 5281. Women’s Fellowship This group on Tuesday mornings at Westbury-on-Trym Methodist Church is proving popular. About 20 ladies come along each week to enjoy coffee and to meet and make friends. With an interesting programme of visiting speakers, Women’s Fellowship is aimed to provide a relaxed and interesting morning with friends. Why not come along and join us. For more information 07905 064720

For inclusion in the February magazine all new listings must be received no later than Friday 14th January, so don’t be late and miss out on some free publicity.

VIEW FROM THE LORD MAYOR’S PARLOUR joined forces with the choir at QEH to sing beautifully at our Christmas Reception at the Mansion House.

As I sit down to write this in mid-December we are right in the middle of the Christmas season, and the busiest couple of weeks since I became your Lord Mayor. I already feel like I’ve eaten several turkeys and I’m word perfect on all the carols, with a couple of weeks still to go. If it sounds like I’m complaining though, far from it. I love all of it and I’m immensely grateful to everyone who’s invited me to join their Christmas celebrations.

In the Cathedral once again I attended graduation ceremonies for people who have studied for degrees at City of Bristol College. It was really inspiring to celebrate the successes that people had achieved over such a difficult time for studying, and an honour to offer whatever “wisdom” I could as keynote speaker. At the end of November we were on College Green for the first night of Hanukkah. There was a wonderful happy and c e l e b rat o r y atmosphere, and it was a real honour to light the Shamash candle (the “servant” light which is used to light the other eight candles on the Menorah) on behalf of the City to mark the start of the festival.

By the time this comes through your door of course Christmas will be over and we’ll be looking ahead to 2022, so may I wish you all a very happy New Year. I do just want to look back for a moment though. I wrote in the December edition about attending various remembrance events in November, but there was one that took place after the deadline that I wanted to mention. On the Sunday after Remembrance Sunday I joined local cadets and military units at Canford Cemetery to lay poppies on the war graves there. It is a very simple and moving ceremony which takes place every year. Hearing children playing in the park next door as we observed a minute’s silence was a powerful reminder of what people made their sacrifices for.

We have now launched this year’s Lord Mayor’s Medals. I award these to people or organisations who have given great voluntary service to Bristol. If you know someone who fits the bill, please do nominate them. All of the details are at http://tiny.cc/LMMedals.

One highlight of the last month was attending the Red Maids Founders Day service in November. Watching the whole school parade past City Hall was an impressive sight, and it was lovely to join them in the Cathedral for a special service and hand out commemorative coins afterwards. We saw some of the Red Maids girls again the following week when they

Steve Smith, Lord Mayor of Bristol

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This is what selling your house should be like! From local knowledge, advice on pricing and marketing to customer service, arranging viewings and negotiating the best possible price and keeping the whole chain moving from when we accepted an offer to completion – Hebe, Joe, Alex, Kerri and the whole team provided an impeccable service. I cannot recommend them highly enough! We were most impressed with Hebe’s knowledge, competence and confidence.

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I am pleased that we marketed our family home with Maggs & Allen. Plenty of notice was always given for viewings and following viewings, a speedy feedback email was always sent – this was a lovely touch. The negotiation on price also went seamlessly. Since the home has been sold, Maggs & Allen have kept us informed of progress, exchange information and have kept us in the loop with our solicitors. All in all, very happy with the service and overall outcome.

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We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Maggs & Allen, everyone we dealt with were polite and helpful and professional. There was always someone on hand to answer any questions or concerns. A special mention goes to Hebe, who went above and beyond her job to keep everything moving and everyone happy. Thankyou.