The Bristol Nine Magazine - November 2022

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

sale or purchase

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

(Mirror) Wills

Probate

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

Lasting Powers of Attorney

One type of Both types of LPA

Hourly Rate

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

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

& Single Wills

& updates

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

Avenue, Sneyd Park,

visit our website:

Hello there and welcome to the November magazine, the last Autumn issue of the magazine before we plunge headlong into Christmas - if we haven’t already.

November apparently got its name from being the ninth month in a ten month Roman year (aka the Romulus calendar, after the first king of Rome) - in the same way September, October and December were named after the Roman numbers seven, eight and ten. The fifth and sixth months were originally known as Quintilis and Sextilis, for the same reason - five and six - while the first four months of the year were named Martius (after Mars, the God of War), and Aprilis, Maius and Iunius (after other Roman bigwigs). So “back in the day” we only had ten months, running from March to December. Romulus’ successor was Numa who, realising that as things stood, with no January or February, the Christmas decorations would be up until almost Easter, decided we needed a couple of extra months tacked on at the start of the year. January (named after Janus) and February (named after that well-known purification festival) were duly slotted into the front end of the calendar. Nobody though noticed that in doing so the month/number cross-references in the second half of the year went to potconfusion only partially rectified by renaming Quintilis as July (after Julius Caesar) and Sextilis as August (after Emperor Augustus). All good quiz stuff - as is being aware that Janus had two faces, so he could see the future and the past. A useful attribute for any leader or politician, especially if most of your future is behind you. Have a great month.

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Do your terms and conditions leave your business at risk?

Grant McCall, Director and head of AMD’s Commercial team, explains why tailoring terms and conditions to suit your business pays off in the long run.

For many startups budgets can be limited and it may be tempting to simply copy T&Cs from another business. Using someone else’s T&Cs can have a whole host of unintended consequences, however, and I always recommend businesses to seek advice from a commercial solicitor, even if it is only to review the T&Cs before they are put to use.

It is not only embarrassing if a customer notices that your T&Cs refer to an entirely different business – you may recall the recent press coverage regarding a ferry company’s T&Cs which referred to pizza deliveries! – but it can also leave your business exposed to substantial risk. I have outlined some key areas to look out for below.

Do you provide products or services?

Although most T&Cs may look very similar at first glance, there are crucial differences depending on what a particular business does. Different rules and considerations apply depending on whether you sell

products or provide services and whether you do this in a brick-and-mortar store or online.

Who do you sell to?

T&Cs are governed by different rules depending on whether your customers are private individuals or other businesses. Copying someone else’s T&Cs without understanding what rules apply to your business may mean that you will not be able to rely on your T&Cs when you most need to as they may not be enforceable.

What are your payment terms?

Payment terms are probably the most important term in your T&Cs as it determines how and when you will be paid and what rights you have if your customer does not pay on time. Your T&Cs should set out clearly your charges, deposits (if any), timescales for payment or subscription terms and your rights to charge interest on late payments.

Can you limit your liability?

All contracts carry some risk of liability, for example, if a product is faulty or your customer is dissatisfied with your services, or if you fail to deliver on time. Well drafted T&Cs can help manage these risks by limiting the amount of compensation your customer can recover from you. Your ability to limit liability will depend on what your business does and who your customers are, however, and your business may be left exposed if your T&Cs are not drafted carefully to reflect your circumstances.

If you require any assistance or advice regarding terms and conditions or other commercial contracts, please do contact our experienced team of Commercial solicitors by telephone 0117 973 3989, email info@amdsolicitors.com or visit our website www.amdsolicitors.com

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

WoT Post Office (in Costcutter on Canford Lane) - Mon-Sat 8am - 7pm, Sun 8.30am - 1.30pm

Henleaze Post Office - Mon 8.30am - 6pm, Tues to Sat 8.30am - 6pm

Sea Mills Post Office - 9am - 5.30pm Mon to Fri, 9am to 12.30pm Sat

Stoke Bishop PO (in the Welcome store) - 7.00am to 8.00pm Mon to Sat, 7.00am to 5.00pm Sun.

Waste & Recycling

If you are planning to visit the Recycling Centre at Avonmouth do check the Bristol Waste websitebristolwastecompany.co.uk - as a new booking system has been introduced. You must also take proof of your identity / address. The site has switched to winter opening hours - 8am to 4.15pm 7 days a week.

Local Trains

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.

Local Churches

Emmanuel Church, WoT emmanualbristol.org.uk

0117 930 4950

St Mary Magdalene, Stoke Bishop stmarysb.org.uk 0117 968 7449

WoT Methodist Church westburyontrymmethodistchurch.org.uk 0117 962 2930

WoT Baptist Church, Reedley Rd westburybaptist.org.uk 0117 962 9990

WoT Holy Trinity Parish Church westbury-parish-church.org.uk 0117 950 8644

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, WoT sacredheartchurch.co.uk 0117 962 0676

St Peter’s Church, Henleaze stpetershenleaze.org 0117 962 4524

Highgrove Church, Sea Mills highgrove.church 07966028046

Trinity-Henleaze URC trinityhenleazeurc.org.uk 0117 962 3431

The Community Church, WoT the-community-church.net 0117 946 6807

St Edyth’s Church, Sea Mills stedyths.org.uk 0117 968 6965

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.

Libraries - latest opening times

Henleaze Library - 11am to 5pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 1pm to 7pm Wednesday and Friday, and 10am to 5pm Saturday.

Sea Mills Library - 10am to 2pm Monday and Tuesday, 1pm to 5pm Wednesday and Thursday, and 10am to 3pm Friday and Saturday.

Westbury on Trym Library - 2pm to 7pm on Monday and 11am to 4pm Tuesday to Saturday.

You know Christmas is just around the corner when there’s a World Cup on. Or maybe not!

Strange as it seems for the world’s biggest sporting contest to be taking place in November/ December, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about this year’s tournament in Qatar.

There are all some big questions to answer: Will two of the all-time greats go out in style? Who’ll be the breakout star? Will England go out on penalties, and who’ll be lifting the trophy on 18th December? Let The Bristol Nine guide you through the 32 teams all hoping that this will be their year…

Group A – Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands

Louis Van Gaal’s Netherlands sailed through qualifying, scoring an impressive 33 goals along the way. With Memphis Depay leading the charge, this group is theirs to lose. Led by the effervescent Sadio Mane, Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations victory has given them a taste of success and they will expect to make it through to the knockout stages. World Cups are always more exciting when the host nation does well. For Qatar to have any hope of escaping Group A, Mohammed Muntari and Akram Afif will have to rise to the occasion. That just leaves Ecuador to wrap up Group A. With Brighton midfielder Moisés Isaac Caicedo and former West Ham striker Enner Valencia driving the team forward, they’ve an outside chance.

Favourite: Netherlands / Dark Horse: Senegal / One to watch: Sadio Mane (Senegal)

Group B – England, Iran, USA, Wales

Things have all felt a little flat for Gareth Southgate’s England in recent months. Here’s hoping that young starlets like Jude Bellingham and Bukaya Saka can reinvigorate this weary side. Hot on their heels will be Robert Page’s Wales, gracing a World Cup for the first time since 1958, with talisman Gareth Bale well rested from his time in Major League Soccer, and defensive kingpin Chris Mepham in the form of his life. Still to make it out of a World Cup group stage, Iran enter this year’s tournament on the back of an impressive qualifying campaign and confidence-building victory over Uruguay in a recent friendly. Realistically, the USA have a better chance of causing an upset. Premier League players Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Matt Turner have the necessary pedigree.

Favourite: England / Dark Horse: Wales / Ones to watch: Jude Bellingham (England), Chris Mepham (Wales)

Group C – Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland

Enjoy Lionel Messi while you still can! Captaining an Argentina side on a 35-match unbeaten streak, Lionel Scaloni’s team are on a mission to send their hero off in fitting fashion. The same group is graced with another all-time great goalscorer: Robert Lewandowski. Backed up by the likes of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, Poland have the quality to do well. Mexico head into the tournament on a concerning run of form. Much improvement will be needed from experienced players such as Guillermo Ochoa, Hirving Lozano and Raul Jimenez. Saudi Arabia will need Salem Al-Dawsari and Salman Al-Faraj to star again, as they did in the Green Falcon’s victory over Egypt in the last World Cup. Topping their qualifying group ahead of Japan and Australia, expect them to be competitive.

Favourite: Argentina / Dark Horse: Poland / One to watch: Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Group D – France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia

History might be against France, no country has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil 1962. Les Bleus have quality in every position though, including the talismanic Kylian Mbappé. Denmark showed at the Euros the importance of team spirit and togetherness and will need those same traits to carry them through again. Expect most neutrals to get behind Christian Eriksen and his teammates. Recent Kirin Cup winners

Tunisia will be looking to use that success as a springboard. A lot will depend on the form of experienced strikers Youssef Msakni and Wahbi Khazri. Strong from set pieces. Australia might lack some of the superstar names of the past, but make up for it with honest endeavour. If that sounds like we’re damning them with faint praise, it’s because we are.

Favourite: France / Dark Horse: Denmark / One to watch: Aurelien Tchouameni (France)

Group E – Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan

The highest ranked team in Group E, Luis Enrique’s Spain will expect to come out on top. Though, like England, it feels like it could be a transitional tournament for them. It’s also hard to see Germany repeating their 2014 triumph. That said, 19-year-old Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala has the ability to be this World Cup’s breakout star. Recent victories over South Korea and USA give Japan plenty of confidence that they’ll reach the last 16, especially if key players Takumi Minamino and Takehiro Tomiyasu are at their peak. Don’t rule out Costa Rica once again punching above their weight. With experienced campaigners such as goalkeeper Keylor Navas and midfielder Bryan Ruiz remaining, they’ll do well to match their 2014 run to the QF.

Favourite: Spain / Dark Horse: Japan / One to watch: Jamal Musiala (Germany)

Group F – Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia

With the talent available, not least Kevin De Bruyne, it’s hard not to conclude that Belgium’s current generation have underwhelmed when it really mattered. It’s unlikely this will be their year. For Croatia, their experience and knowhow is a serious asset. Recently topping a Nations League group that included France and Denmark, the 2018 runners-up are ready to go again. After finishing ahead of both Mexico and the USA in qualifying, Canada will fancy their chances of causing an upset. Much depends on the form Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies. Morocco complete this ultra-competitive group. With Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech back in the fold and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi excelling for his country, The Atlas Lions can’t be underestimated.

Favourite: Belgium / Dark Horse: Canada / One to watch: Alphonso Davies (Canada)

Group G – Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

The depth of players available to Brazil manager Tite is seriously frightening. They topped their

qualifying group ahead of Argentina and are tournament favourites for a reason. This should be their year. In good form and with a good blend of the solid (Granit Xhaka, Remo Freuler, Fabian Schär) and the creative (Xherdan Shaqiri, Breel Embolo) Switzerland have every reason to be optimistic. Serbia’s dreams largely depend on the strike partnership between Aleksander Mitrović and Dusan Vlahović. Respectively doing the business in the Premier League and Serie A, World Cup defences beware. Beating Algeria in the knockout phase to qualify, Lyon’s Karl Toko Ekambi has been in particularly hot form for Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions. Here’s hoping he’s this tournament’s Roger Milla.

Favourite: Brazil / Dark Horse: Serbia / One to watch: Vinicius Jr (Brazil)

Group H – Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Rafael Leão, Diogo Jota, João Cancelo… this Portugal side is stacked with attacking flair. Oh and there’s also a certain Cristiano Ronaldo who’ll want his say. With battle-hardened campaigners like Edinson Cavani, Luis Suárez and Dieg Godín reinforced by Darwin Núñez and Rodrigo Bentancur, Uruguay remain a side to be respected. The Black Stars of Ghana will be wanting to put a disastrous Africa Cup of Nations firmly behind them. Bristol City fans may feel that Antoine Semenyo can help them do just that. South Korea are making their tenth consecutive appearance at the World Cup. If they are to get beyond the group stages for the first time since 2010, captain Son Heungmin will have to recreate his Tottenham form.

Favourite: Portugal / Dark Horse: Uruguay / One to watch – Rafael Leão (Portugal)

With the top two side qualifying from each group, it’s then on to the round of 16 and start of the knockout phase. Our prediction, and feel free to call us boring, is that Brazil will beat France in the final with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal falling in the QF and Lionel Messi’ Argentina going out in the SF.

But this is the beautiful game and a funny old game - anything can happen.

Lasting Powers of Attorney Are Not Just for the Elderly - Losing Mental Capacity Could Happen at Any Age

A power of attorney is a legal document by which an adult may appoint another to act on his or her behalf. The power can be given in respect of specific acts or decisions, or to act generally. As a power of attorney is a very powerful document, careful consideration should be given to whom to appoint.

There are different types of powers of attorney, but the most durable is a lasting power of attorney (LPA). It is so named because, unlike other types of power of attorney, the attorney continues to have authority to act for the appointer even if the appointer loses capacity to make decisions for him or herself.

Planning for the Future

An LPA is part of good planning for future eventualities. It may be that the attorney is never called on to make decisions for the appointer, but putting it in place provides a safeguard against the possibility of the appointer becoming unable to make decisions for him/herself.

If a person loses mental capacity without an LPA in place, the alternative may be to apply to the Court of Protection for a deputy to be appointed to act. This can be a very time consuming and costly process. The Court is usually restrictive in the powers given to the deputy because, unlike an attorney who has been personally chosen by the individual, a deputy is a Court appointed person who may be unknown to the individual and who has been appointed simply because there is no other way of managing the individual’s affairs.

An LPA, once it comes into effect, can remain in place for the remainder of the appointer’s life, to ensure that his/her assets are protected and that all decisions made, are made in his/her best interests.

Types of LPA

There are two types of LPA, of which a person can decide to have either or both.

A property and financial affairs LPA enables one or more attorneys to act in relation to the ownership of assets and to make financial decisions for the appointer. Examples of property and financial affairs decisions are:

making financial arrangements to fund nursing care

carrying out banking activities and making payments from a bank account

dealing with the sale of a house

A health and welfare LPA enables the attorney or attorneys to make decisions about the care of the appointer if he/she is no longer able to make decisions for him/herself.

Examples of health and welfare decisions are:

deciding whether care at home or care in a nursing home is the better option

choosing the right nursing home

giving instructions to carers about the daily routine of the appointer

making decisions about medical treatment

Restrictions and Conditions

An LPA can include restrictions and conditions on the way an attorney may make decisions. It is also possible to specify whether, in the case of two or more attorneys being appointed, they should act jointly in making any decision, or whether any one of them can act alone in carrying out the role.

Leila Goodarzi

Formalities

There are safeguards in the legislation to ensure that the power given to an attorney is not misused. The LPA form must be signed by the appointer and by a person who certifies that the appointer has understood the nature and effect of the form. It must also be signed by each attorney.

Once the LPA has been completed, it cannot be used until it has been registered at the Office of the Public Guardian. As part of the registration process, a person can be chosen by the appointer as a ‘person to be notified’. This person is given notice of the application for registration and has an opportunity to object to the registration process. This part of the registration process is optional.

Even once the LPA has been registered, a health and welfare attorney does not have authority to act while the appointer remains capable of making decisions on health and welfare matters for him/herself. A property and financial affairs attorney will have authority to act once the form has been registered, but this authority can be postponed until capacity is lost, if the appointer prefers.

For further information about LPAs, please contact Leila Goodarzi in VWV’s Private Client team on 0117 925 2020 or at lgoodarzi@vwv.co.uk.

Join Our Lasting Powers of Attorney Workshop

9 November 2022, 3-5pm (via Zoom)

The session will run as an interactive workshop, assisting you in choosing your attorney and ensuring both you and your attorney understand the legal duties and responsibilities of being appointed.

Contact our Events team on 0117 992 9730 or at events@vwvplus.co.uk to register your place.

vwv.co.uk

Kemps Jewellers

A local family business offering you professional, friendly advice on beautiful gift ideas for ladies and gentlemen. There is a real demand for modern pre-loved gold jewellery at the moment, so if you have any secondhand items you would like to sell do please bring them in. We are always in the market to buy and sell cherished gold jewellery.

Kemps Christmas Club

Beginning to think of seasonal gifts? Then why not take advantage of stage payments with us at Kemps? Pay a small deposit and spread the balance between now and Christmas, when choosing from our beautiful gift ideas (for ladies and gents). We will then box and gift wrap your purchases for you.

Flooring, Curtains, Shutters and Blinds

Handmade, high quality, madeto-measure curtains, blinds and cushions. Now supplying fabrics from Vanessa Arbuthnott, Ian Mankin, Moon, Sophie Allport, Ada and Ina, and Jane Clayton

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Handmade, high quality, made-tomeasure curtains, blinds and cushions. Now supplying fabrics from Vanessa Arbuthnott, Ian Mankin, Moon, Sophie Allport, Ada and Ina and Jane Clayton. For a friendly competitive quote, please contact Jill Minett on 07817 540 730 www.jillminett.weebly.com

Handmade, high quality, made to measure curtains, blinds and cushions. Now supplying fabrics from Vanessa Arbuthnott, Ian Mankin, Moon, Sophie Allport, Ada and Ina and Jane Clayton. For a friendly competitive quote, please contact Jill Minett on 07817 540 730 www.jillminett.weebly.com

For a friendly competitive quote please contact Jill Minett on 07817 540 730 www.jillminett.weebly.com

In last month’s piece, I started my exploration of what going to a state primary school is really like nowadays, observing the experience of my daughter who recently started her reception year at a local school. Among the topics explored were how the development of technology has dramatically changed the face of teaching in very recent years and continues to at an alarmingly fast pace – so much has changed since I left the world of teaching only three years ago. The introduction of academies, the end of teacher-led ‘talk and chalk’ teaching styles in place of ‘active learning’ and the impact of the national curriculum and statutory assessment tests (SATS) on what children are learning in 2022 at primary school were all discussed. Here I continue my journey of discovery of the primary school world as it exists today.

The impact of COVID-19 – with parents trying to work and home school and the social isolation and anxiety this brought with it during lockdowns - has, unsurprisingly, had significant negative consequences on the academic progress and mental and emotional wellbeing of many children. A key focus of primary school classrooms in 2022 has, therefore, been to develop the oral communication skills of the children who missed out on significant years of social interaction and engagement due to COVID-lockdown restrictions. Developing those key speaking and listening skills, through activities such as collaborative group work (tables are set in groups in most classrooms), class debates, theatre group visits, school performances and talk for writing techniques (look up Mr Pie Corbett!) are all part of the plan to teach such important lifelong skills. Early years teachers have had to work particularly hard on developing the social skills of these lockdown-affected children, spending more time than usual exploring the virtues of empathy, sharing and altruism, ensuring that these key behaviours for learning have

an even greater focus in the classroom than in previous years. This is obviously a challenge when class sizes often exceed 30 pupils in key stage 2 (but are, thankfully, capped at 30 in reception and key stage 1).

Pre-COVID, primary schools were already having to provide more services to support children with often complex emotional, behavioural and learning needs. Post-COVID, the number of pupils needing additional support has significantly grown. Primary schools are also now having to think about how best to support pupils who may be experiencing gender-identity issues, with some schools opting for gender-neutral toilets in a response to this. Play Therapy has risen in popularity in very recent years to support children at a primary level, and all maintained, mainstream schools are required to have a Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities coordinator (SENCO) working with children and families to support the academic progress and wellbeing of children. Parenting talks and programmes, such as Parent Gym, have recently been run by SENCOS in local primary schools. From 2015, as set out in the Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) code of practice, schools were required to put extra support in place for a child who has SEN. Sadly, as there are often many children with additional needs in a school, it’s often impossible to fully support every child to the extent that they require, especially as many SENCOs are often class

teachers themselves. Most classrooms will have some help on hand from invaluable Teaching Assistants or Learning Support Assistants to support pupils with additional needs but this is often on a part-time basis. School therapy dogs can also now be found in many primary schools to support pupils. Numerous research studies have shown the benefits to pupils of having such carefully-selected dogs around. The role of a school dog might include sitting with pupils as they read, offering companionship to more introverted pupils and helping to relieve the anxiety of other pupils. So school pets are still around but they have moved on from the gerbil in the cage in the corner!

School trips still exist, although with many more hoops to jump through than ever before in relation to risk assessments, ratios, permission slips and medicine documenting. Some pupils cannot be photographed or put on social media so schools have to be very wary of this in their sharing and publicising of trips and events. WOW days linked to a class’ termly topic are organised to teach and inspire (an epic re-enactment of the Viking/Anglo-Saxon Battle of Lunden on the school field for year 4 last year – a brave teacher if ever there was one!). Special events are planned to engage children with their learning and holistic development, including Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths (STEM) learning weeks, the dreaded I-needa-costume-asap world book days and NSPCC number days (thank goodness for numbered footie shirts!).

Safeguarding is at the forefront of education and all staff receive annual safeguarding training to ensure the safety of all pupils in their care. This links in with the challenges of raising children in a world where instant internet access is now at their fingertips. Schools are responsible for delivering a high-quality computing

education that equips pupils to become safe and active participants in a digital world. Pupils now receive regular internet safety lessons and are taught about the believability of websites and how to report concerns about content. Many schools have their own Online Safety Teams, in addition to Eco-Teams and Global Goals Teams. Disciplinary measures in primary schools these days usually take the form of ‘time out’ periods or ‘self-reflection’ exercises, with the encouragement and rewarding of positive behaviour in favour. A ruler-rap over the knuckles or a thrown board rubber would now result in an arrest!

Adding to the ever-growing list of what educators are responsible for teaching, from 2020 primary teachers were also required to teach about mental and physical wellbeing and to guide pupils to recognise when their classmates might be struggling. As in the past, teachers still cover relationship education, which is taught through PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education). Schools use PSHE to now teach about drug education, financial education and relationship education (RE). The PSHE curriculum was updated in 2020 to ensure that pupils are prepared for the opportunities and challenges of ‘an ever more complex’ world both on and offline. Bristol’s Lifeskills Centre in BS1 – an amazing institution supporting the development of safe and independent living in children and young adults – has regularly been used for school trips by local schools to support PSHE learning aims. The PSHE curriculum also covers the importance of physical exercise and diet. Many primary schools now encourage pupils to walk or run a daily mile during the school day – a great endeavour with childhood obesity on the rise and championing that positive link between exercise and mental wellbeing. I hope that this daily event is continued in my daughter’s secondary school and will be a question that I’ll certainly be asking.

Competitive sports’ days are still an annual event, but parents’ races are often now deemed too competitive (therefore too risky as children could get hurt in the crossfire) to go ahead with.

supervisory assistants – not ‘dinner ladies’, thank you very much. Disappointingly, the custard is standard yellow. School discos will hopefully be making a comeback after a rude COVID interruption but paper registers are out. I’m now our family’s designated nit nurse. And I’m not sure if my children know what a video player is but a DVD, shown on the interactive whiteboard, is still a very popular choice on a rainy day!

So this is a glimpse of what primary education looks like today based on the experiences of me, my children and the kind souls I’ve spoken to who work in our local schools. Yes, milk is still provided free for under-5s. My children will still be taught cursive handwriting using a whole school cursive handwriting scheme. Relaxed, lunchtime trips are a thing of the past but lunchtime clubs exist, as do many after-school clubs. These are led by afterschool club organisations, teachers and by specialist wraparound care companies, which appeared around ten years ago and are now a huge childcare-lifeline to parents. Year 6 residential camp is a highlight of the primary school years.

At the 2022 primary school agenda forefront are safeguarding; the postCOVID recovery of children’s academic and social skills and emotional wellbeing; the ‘no-hands-up’ rule; synthetic phonics; interactive whiteboards; school libraries; online learning; and encouraging pupils to be self-aware, active learners. Fish and chip Fridays are the most popular meal on the three-weekly, nut-free, menu rota (alongside the vegetarian options, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, salad bar, and Halal options), served by school meal

In December’s magazine, I will be delving into that unknown, slightly intimidating (just me?!) world of the secondary school. As a parent of a year 7, I am intrigued to know what goes on behind those school gates – what is taught and how, what are the options for pupils and when do they have to make important choices? Oh, and are unseemly PE knickers still compulsory? Burning questions indeed!

© Georgie Mountjoy, 2022

Welcome Wednesdays

Welcome Wednesdays is a free and friendly coffee afternoon held at The Beehive Pub, Wellington Hill BS9 4QY on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 2.00-3.30pm. Come along and enjoy a chat and meet new friends. For more information please contact lisa.dicker@homeinstead.co.uk or Amy: marketing@haroldstephens.co.uk

Social Events for Seniors in Henleaze in partnership with

Henleaze Senior Film Club

Henleaze Senior Film Club takes place on the fourth Monday of the month at 2.00pm at St.Peter’s Church Hall, BS9 4LD. The Duke starring Helen Mirren & Jim Broadbent is on Monday 28th November. It’s a great fun, social afternoon with tea and cake as well! Refreshments: £4 Easy access, all are welcome. For more information and to book please call 0117 435 0063.

It was obvious that for each

looking after Mum was a labour of love and she looked forward to their visits.

care and kindness shown by them all was so helpful and welcome.

The myth of the common law spouse

INHERITANCE claims by unmarried couples have surged, as lawyers blame the commonlaw spouse “myth” for people wrongly assuming they will inherit assets.

Couples who have lived together for some time may believe the widely held misconception that they become “commonlaw spouses”, a term that is frequently used but has no legal recognition.

Many believe, incorrectly, that they automatically acquire the same legal status as a married couple but when unmarried couples separate, or one of them dies, they are not afforded the same rights as married couples.

The number of legal actions brought by individuals wanting a share of estates left by partners has increased fourfold over the last 15 years, according to data published by the Ministry of Justice.

In 2007, there were 43 inheritance claims, but by 2020, this figure had risen to 192 and remained high at 165 the year after. It seems that many unmarried men and women are simply unaware that they would have to make a claim to be entitled to assets left by their partners.The size of this increase might

seem surprising but it should remembered that there has been further growth in the number of couples who live together without marrying.

The value of estates has also increased, principally due to a tremendous rise in house prices across the UK. Despite both of those things, many individuals are still not undertaking any financial planning, such as making a will, to make provision for their loved ones.

There are still many people who assume that they would simply inherit their partners’ assets when, in fact, they are not automatically entitled to anything. They only become aware that the idea of common-law spouse is just a myth when realising that they actually need to make a claim in order to stand a chance of inheriting anything at all. It is a reality which often compounds the shock and distress of having lost a loved one, yet can be avoided so relatively easily by making a will.

So, in summary, if you are cohabiting you have less protection from the law than if you were married. Consequently it would be sensible to make a will and ensure that any interest you may have in a property shared with your partner is clearly documented to set out the extent of your share.

Our culinary tour of the world sees us arrive in Brazil, the largest country in South America and home to a melting pot of cultures and nationalities that are reflected in the diverse range of recipes emanating from across the country.

Feijoada is a warming, hearty, meaty stew that gains its richness from black beans (readily available in the supermarkets) and the slow cooking time. In Brazil it is traditionally made with all sorts of “pork leftovers” - think trotters and pigs ears - but I’ve gone for a more mainstream meat mix here. I’ve also added in corned beef, which many recipes do, and as it disintegrates during cooking it adds a lovely texture to the sauce. When served it does look a bit of a dogs dinner - but boy does it taste good. Not one for vegetarians this - but next month we’ll be less meaty. In December we head back to Europe, very northern Europe, where reindeer could, but won’t, be on the menu.

Feijoada

Ingredients - serves 4

• 2 onions, roughly chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed

• 250g - 300g smoked gammon / thick bacon

• 250g - 300g chorizo (about 8”)

• 250g -g300g pork steak

• 1 tin corned beef - cooled in the fridge to keep it firm!

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes

• 1 tin pre-soaked black beans, drained

• 2 bayleaves

• 1 -2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 bag curley kale

• splash of hot sauce

• White rice

• 1 orange

• Cooking oil

Method

1. Chop the gammon, chorizo and pork steak into 1/2” - 1” pieces. Precision isn’t important! Heat a little cooking oil in a big, lidded, oven proof pan (like a Le Crueset) until hot. Add the meat to the pan and let it brown for a few minutes, stirring regularly. Remove the meat, leaving the leftover hot oil in the pan, and set aside.

2. Reduce the heat and gently fry the onions and garlic in the oil for a good five minutes until they have softenend.

3. Return the meat to the onions in the pan, add the bayleaves and just enough water to cover the meat. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, put the lid on and leave to simmer gently for 30 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat, stir in the tin of tomatoes and the black beans, add in the smoked paprika. Season well with salt and black pepper. Pop it back onto the hob and bring back to the boil, give it a stir, put the lid back on and simmer gently for a futher 30 minutes.

5. Take your corned beef and cut this into 1/2” - 1” cubes. Remove the pan from the heat, and gently stir the corned

Brazil Fact File

Location: Eastern / Central South America

Capital: Brasilia

Population: 217 million (roughly three times that of the UK)

Official Language: Portuguese

Comparative size: at 8.5 million square km, Brazil is 35 times the size of the UK. Currency: Real

beef into the mix, trying to keep it in chunks. During cooking some of the corn beef will disintegrate but some should stay whole. Place the lid back on the pan and transfer to a preheated oven (about 160 degrees fan). Set the pinger for one hour.

6. After the hour, take the pan from the oven to have a quick peek / taste. If it is looking a little dry gently stir in a litle hot water. If it is looking a bit liquid then keep the lid off. Return to the oven for a final 20-30 minutes.

7. In the meantime get your rice going, cooking as much as you want according to the packet instructions.

8. Remove the pan from the oven - it should be ready now. While it is “resting” take your curly kale and remove any chunky bits of stalk. Chop the kale roughly with a big knife. In a frying pan heat 2 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp of water. When sizzling add in the kale

and stir fry continuously for about three minutes. Now sprinkle as much or as little hot sauce as you like over the kale, stir one more time and it’s ready to plate up.

9. Serve the feijoada alongside the plain rice and fried kale and garnish with a slice of orange (which I forgot to do for the photo). Enjoy!

If you go down to the woods today .....

You know that feeling when you’re out on a quiet dog walk in the countryside and you bump into an elephant? Me neither, until last weekend when we were having a delightfully peaceful walk around Prior’s Wood and were somewhat surprised by the out-of-place pachyderm.

At this point, to defend myself against those people who suspect that I occasionally embellish my articles in the name of a good story, I should admit that the elephant was a good 200m away and it was enclosed within a large fence.

However, if a “near miss” in aviation can be declared when the minimum separation between two aircraft is less than 3-miles laterally, I feel like this can still be classed as a “bump into”.

Clarifications out of the way, let’s return to the genuine shock of seeing such a majestic animal striding about the Gordano Valley. Thankfully, Frazzle (our 5-yearold retriever) didn’t have the necessary height to see what was going on; though she’s largely accepting of farm animals, including shire horses, I strongly suspect

an encounter with one of Africa’s Big Five might be a diplomatic mission too far. Having accepted the unimaginable, my attention turned to trying to work out exactly what we were looking at. My first thought was that we might have stumbled upon the kind of exotic animal collector you’d usually only find in a Louis Theroux documentary. A quick search on Google Maps (other digital maps are available) and the answer presented itself – we’d been walking the perimeter of Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm.

Scanning the horizon, I think, it was also possible to also make out alpaca, camel and zebra in various paddocks and fields –an enjoyable juxtaposition when compared with the boggy and autumnal paths we’d trudged along to get there. Gazing over the surrogate savanna, it felt like our breaktime flask of tea and Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer should be replaced with a sundowner and lashings of DEET. Wonder eventually satiated, we headed homewards.

Whether for the blankets of bluebell that carpet the woods in spring, or the quieter months where you can easily wander for a couple of hours without seeing another soul, Prior’s Wood was already one of our favourite short-drive locations. I suspect it won’t be long before we return for our next elefix.

Duncan Haskell

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History. There’s an awful lot of it, isn’t there? Years worth. And never satisfied with what we have, we keep on making more. Day after day, more and more history - so much now that we are having to invent new names to cope with it all. I was chatting to a young lad recently who said he was going off to university to study Contemporary History. Contemporary History? Is that a thing? Isn’t that an oxymoron - like “civil war” or “awfully good”? Answers please on a postcard....

I raise this as someone who studied very short eras of history at O-level and A-level, yet felt woefully uneducated on a recent visit to the very lovely Red Lodge Museum. Until the advent of the wonderful “Horrible Histories” my knowledge of Tudor times stretched to knowing that Henry VIII had eight wives, but not to being able to name them either in order or indeed in full.

My knowledge of The Red Lodge was similarly sparse - nothing beyond knowing of its existence, its location on Park Row and that it is pretty old.

Built in the 1580’s as a lodge in the gardens of the Great House - an aristocratic pile on the site of what is now the Bristol Beacon (formerly Colston Hall) - the building has been though a lifetime of rebuilding, refurbishing and repurposing, from a Georgian family home in the 1720’s to a Victorian reform school for girls in the mid nineteenth century. Thankfully with each development elements of the former building were retained, resulting in the Red Lodge of today being a time capsule showcasing four centuries of style, fashion and architecture.

Behind the unassuming shiny front door door, acting like a scarlet portal into a Tudor Tardis, is a wonderful world of high ceilings and harpsichords, floors and furniture worn smooth and impossibly shiny by over 400 years of history. Pictures of old aristocracy with big hair and tall tales of love and local feuds.

At the back of the lodge there is a restored Elizabethan style garden, at what was once the front of the house - hard to believe considering how hemmed in the whole building is by subsequent neighbouring developments. There is even an indoor 40 foot well - that used to be outside! Visit The Red Lodge and you can find out more about the well, as well as learn the building’s full story from the excellent guides only too happy to tell you a Tudor tale or two. Entry is free of charge - donations of course welcome - and this atmospheric little gem is open 11am to 4pm Saturday to Tuesday.

www.bristolmuseums.org.uk

Smartwatches starting to come of age

Following the adoption of the smartphone by the majority of the population, the smartwatch could be the next “norm” for many, and many of the new features make them worthy of consideration. I bought an Apple Watch years ago, but, given the cost, I found the benefits fairly limited back then, I recently invested in a new one and it’s a different story.

Early smartwatches provided an extension to your smartphone, enabling you to access basic apps without having to reach for your phone. You could make calls on them but you needed to have the phone in range to do so.

Apple’s new range of watches allow you to make calls and send texts (yes, it’s actually quite easy to type into the watch!) without the phone being present, as well

as accessing email etc. Add in things like calendar reminders, full satnav and the ability to make contactless payments, and I’m starting to not need to carry the phone around.

Health and fitness is a big thing too. The watch has sophisticated heart monitoring and ECG capabilities, and can track all your daily exercise and activity (including swimming, as it’s waterproof). The gyroscope within the watch will notice if you have a sudden fall, and you can send an SOS message at the tap of a button.

Add in the fact that all this functionality can be voice-activated, and it’s become a device that I am really starting to use widely and rely on - as will others in time to come I think. They aren’t cheap, but, for many people, they are starting to offer the kind of functionality that will justify their cost.

Russell Isaac can be contacted on 0774 775 3764 or via www.ITHomeHelp.biz

The Thinking Trap

We are NOT our thoughts …

However, our ways of thinking contribute significantly to the patterns, habits and behaviours we develop. Our thoughts are powerful, and our monkey mind can all too easily run away unchecked and create unhelpful thinking patterns, or even become damaging and restrictive; this can lead to disproportionate worry, anxiety and judgement with our thoughts effectively becoming the persuasive source of stress and emotional distress.

The impact of thoughts on our beliefs ...

Over time our life experiences begin to build the foundations of our beliefs and values. This article doesn’t possess the scope to delve into the differential between our beliefs and value, but in simple terms, when our beliefs are met, they aren’t always helpful, but when our values are met, we feel more balanced and content. Why is this? Well, if we develop a belief system of, I’m not good enough, or

I’m unlovable, it’s easy to see how those thoughts, those beliefs, are definitively restricting. As a result, we can inadvertently tumble into repetitive thinking traps. You may recognise some of them:

Anticipatory anxiety …

This is where we are predicting the outcome of a future event in a negative way: I know my manager will say no to my suggestion; I’m not good enough to pass the test.

Snowball thinking …

This where our thoughts gather pace and can escalate into worst possible scenarios: If I lose my job, then I’ll lose the house, my partner and children will leave me…; I was on a diet but now I’ve eaten that chocolate I’ve failed; I’d just as well give up.

Mindreading …

This is where we begin to assume what others our saying about us – usually negative: I know they’re talking about

me again. This can also become further personalised: my friend/colleague/ manager hasn’t spoken to me this week; I must’ve annoyed them.

Over-generalisation …

This is where we can make broad assumptions based on one or two experiences: I didn’t get the promotion at work, so there’s no point in applying for another one; I forgot to do that favour for a friend, I’m useless [where the overgeneralisation also adds a label].

Should …

This type of thinking can be particularly damaging as it often adds layers of expectation on us and others – falling short results in feelings of failure, frustration and anger: I should exercise every day; they should know how I feel.

Mental tennis …

This is where we’ll bat around various thoughts or decisions and become overwhelmed and/or freeze: If I decide to do this, then I can’t do that, then this will happen, and if that happens…

The more we are modelled – by parents, teachers, peers, etc. – and the more we repeat these thought patterns, the more we wire them into our brains; the neural pathways effectively become our shortcuts. But whether or not you recognise any of the thought patterns above – but especially if you feel stuck in those ways of thinking, all is not lost – you can change. Thanks to our negativity bias [more on this in a subsequent article], we can all too easily become trapped in our thinking, however there are thought patterns that can provide us with a boost, too – we can learn to calm our central nervous system and rewire our brain, as we begin to notice and grow our awareness:

•

What are my habits and how might I be stuck in them?

In what ways might we be making the same choices we made the day before?

• In what ways might we be striving for change but sabotaging new opportunities?

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

•

“The hardest part about change is not making the same choice we made the day before.” Dr. Joe Dispenza.

Change the things you can. Seek the help of a therapist to help change the things where you feel stuck.

by Portia Nelson (1977)

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Villains Beware

For more than 700 years there was a gallows and a gibbet in the field at the top of St Michael’s Hill, typical of the sort of sites generally chosen for their prominence, beside main roads into the town, to act as a warning and deterrent to would-be lawbreakers.

In those darker days execution by hanging was actually by slow strangulation - no hangman’s knot to quickly break the neck. The gallows was often just a single beam or, when more than one person was hung at the same time, two uprights topped by a horizontal beam. A gibbet, unpleasant in the extreme, was a cage where the convicted was hung either after being executed or, worse still, put in whilst still alive and left to starve to death and rot. Travellers would have looked at the gallows, where in the summer the gory sight of blackened remains hung, probably festooned with hungry crows and seagulls, and grimaced at the sight of birds fighting over human scraps. “Ugh, whatever the miscreant did, it never seems right to end like that” they may have thought, before refreshing themselves and their horses, remounting and setting off down the last hill, pausing only to give some alms to the Anchorite at St Michael’s before entering the town of Bristol.

As with other places of public execution, the site always attracted riotous behaviour, but by the 18th century wealthier Bristolians had begun colonising the slopes of Kingsdown to escape the stink of the town. The new residents objected to the regular nuisances and petitioned for the gallows to be moved – anywhere! An early example of Nimbyism? The gallows was presumed to have been situated near a large tree at the east end of what is now Highbury Chapel (Cotham Parish Church), and the presumed execution site is often confused with the stone set in the base

of the wall on the Cotham Hill side of the Chapel, which is the remains of the base of Bewells Cross - which marked the boundary of the city until the nineteenth century and where the five Marian Martyrs were burnt for their faith in 1557. The names of the martyrs are marked still by a plaque high on the side of the Chapel.

Of the thousands who met their end on these gallows the following account concerns a particularly nasty crime for which the perpetrators were caught and executed; it seems likely that others who colluded or were behind the scenes escaped justice. An officer on the famous Bristol privateer ship the Duke returned after a very successful voyage with about £2,000 in prize money. Like many other sailors with prize money to spend he was invited to stay at the Harp and Crown Inn, (or Harp and Star, accounts differ), on the Quay.

However after only a few days stay the officer died, whereupon it was discovered that he had made a will in favour of the landlord John Barry. The officer’s friends were suspicious about his unexplained death and called for an investigation. This revealed terrible deeds. The landlord, John Barry, had for some years employed a disbarred attorney to help with business paperwork. Investigations revealed that the landlord and his myrmidons seduced sailors into the premises with promises

of cheap lodgings and beer, encouraged them to spend all their money, then run up credit (a slate or a tab) as well. The landlord knew gullible sailors wouldn’t be in a position to clear their slate when another berth was available on a privateer. To clear their debt, he would get them to sign their mark to a blank will in his favour. If they didn’t agree they would be threatened with the debtors’ prison, Newgate, which had become the officially sanctioned recruiting pot for the dreaded press gangs leading to virtual slavery in the Royal Navy. After the matelots departure or probable demise, the will completed in the Inn keeper’s favour would be filed. In court the ‘attorney’ testified that he had completed several hundred wills like this for the landlord, receiving £11 commission for every successful fraud. In April 1746 Barry and his wife were convicted of forgery and both joined the ‘attorney’ at the scaffold on St Michael’s Hill. It’s likely that others got away with it because none of the registry or officials seemed to have queried the huge number of bequests to the same beneficiary. Perhaps, as seems likely there is another scandal yet to be investigated and uncovered.

Records of crimes that took place on or near the Downs and which led to execution were for everything from murder to unnatural crime, and to the unfortunate John Price who on the 8th of September 1758, was executed for simply stealing a ribbon! However, the post -death treatment of an executed person, John Horwood, in 1821 must be the grisliest. Not only did he have the dubious distinction of being the first person to be publicly executed at Bristol’s New Gaol but after which his skin was used to cover a book. The book, which still exists, is now in the City Archives.

One of Bristol’s most notorious murders took place in April 1741. There had been bad blood between two brothers, Sir John

Dinely and Samuel Goodere who at the time was Captain of HMS Ruby, then anchored at the mouth of the Avon in the King Road. On the instructions of his brother Sir John was captured by Charles White and M Mahony, and taken to the ship, where he was killed. White and Mahoney were gibbeted at St Michael’s Hill, by the Bewells’ Cross, whilst Sir John’s brother Samuel Goodere was taken to a gibbet on Dunball Island in Somerset, as this was nearest to where the Ruby on which the murder took place.

In the 18th century Cote House on the Downs was the home of George Daubeny, (Whom I wrote about in History Note 162, summer 2021). In April 1784 George Daubeny, standing for the Anti-American ministerial party, announced “Vote for me and I will give you a feast at the Full Moon in Stokes Croft”. His guests were invited to, “Taste the difference between Roast beef of England, or American Bull Beef” - a disparaging reference to his electoral opponent, New York born Henry Cruger whose riposte was, “Without him, they would have had neither beef nor ale”). Daubeny lost the vote which probably did not improve his temper. Daubeny served Bristol in the various offices of Sheriff, Mayor and Master of the Hall of the Merchant Venturers, and was certainly not the house to burgle if leniency was hoped for. On the 16th April 1788 burglars Thomas Fox, Charles Frost, Jas Thorpe and Robert Collings learnt this to their cost as all were caught and executed. Did the gallows erected at the main entrance roads to Bristol succeed in acting as a dreadful warning to miscreants and did they actually deter? A debate which continues to this day.

© Julian Lea-Jones, FRAeS

Market Comment

How can we manage the property market when world events seem overwhelming?

If ever we needed a crash course on how world events affect our daily lives, the past few months have provided us with a masterclass.

From the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its economic aftermath to our monarch and prime minister changing in a few weeks, there has been national bewilderment.

Of course, our press has done a great job in alerting us to all the dreadful things that could make things even worse, and this fanning of the flames of fear has sent shockwaves through all sorts of markets, including property.

At Howard we know there are property market drivers that neither the press nor the Russian president can affect because they have no control over such matters. These are the A to D of the property market.

A is for ambition – the personal ambition to live somewhere better, bigger, smaller, prettier, more convenient, more rural or urban.

B is for birth – as our families grow, we need more space.

C is for consolidation – people getting together to cohabit or downsizing after children have left home.

D is for death, debt and divorce – those three drivers on their own stimulate a high proportion of movement in the market.

Back in the 1980s we learned that the people we could rely on in a tough property market were ourselves, our families and our friends. Also, our estate agents. The reference to estate agents is not a glib remark: right now, with interest rates rising, lenders panicking, and buyers and sellers rightly concerned, the experienced sales team at Howard will provide focused calm and wise counsel.

And our expert guidance doesn’t stop there. The Howard lettings team are also here to help. With a range of letting and management services to suit, we provide support, clarity and practical assistance to landlords navigating today’s rental market and the myriad of ever-changing lettings regulations.

So, if you are wondering about the right time to buy, sell or let your property, remember the A to D of the property market. Individually we are not driven by war or a fallen monarch, and we shouldn’t be persuaded by rising or falling house prices. Instead, we should be driven by what is best for us as individuals.

When is the best time? Within the constraints of affordability, it should be when it is most suitable for us and our families

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A play-themed wordsearch this month which is kindly being sponsored by the Wild Things Play Project - the fabulous new play and activity centre in the heart of The Mall. It sounds terrific fun - have a look online at www.wildthingsplay.co.uk or visit them in the food court on the 2nd floor of The Mall at Cribbs Causeway.

You are looking for traditional board / card games, the sort that were popular when I was growing up in the 70’s - and still are. Twenty of them are listed below, and nineteen of them have also been hidden in the wordsearch grid, running forwards, backwards, up, down or on a diagonal. Your job is to discover the one game from the list not hidden in the grid. When you know what it is get in touch with your answer. All correct answers go into an electronic hat and two will be chosen at random to win a family pass (for 2 adults and up to 4 children) worth £20 each.

midnight 30th November. Your entry MUST state the road you live on - I don’t need the house number though. Best of luck, and do please enter if you do the puzzle - somebody has to win!

Thank you to everybody who entered the September US States-themed competition. The correct answer was “Idaho” and the winning entries, picked randomly by the computer, and who each win an annual RWA Art Pass, were those from Barbie WhitbySmith and Carrie Stephenson. And huge apologies for any confusion caused by last months competition where a spelling mistake crept into the puzzle, making it look as if there were two missing names. Everyone who entered two names, or the rogue one, will be entered into the hat at the end of October.

Entries please by email to andy@ bcmagazines.co.uk, post to 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PY, phone to 0117 259 1964 or text to 07845 986650, to arrive no later than

Name: Date:

Right, here are the games you are looking for in the grid.

Inspection Condition Reports

For a

Album Of The Month Horsepower For The Streets by Jonathan Jeremiah

We all have those artists whose lack of commercial success seems unfathomable; increasingly so when every lesser talent takes their latest underserved step up the ladder. For us, Jonathan Jeremiah is right at the top of that list. Though the North London singer-songwriter found some early success in the Netherlands, he remains criminally overlooked in this country. Now on his fifth album, and over a decade into his career, it’s time for that to change.

Largely written in the countryside beyond Bordeaux in Saint-Pierre-De-Côle, during breaks in Jeremiah’s first tour of France, Horsepower

For The Streets was then recorded in a renovated church in Amsterdam, with assistance coming from a 20-piece string orchestra. Right from the off, with sumptuous strings complementing the smoke-ringed vocals of the opening title track, you know it’s a marriage made in heaven. It’s also an early introduction to the meticulous nature of the record.

That meticulousness elevates every song on the album, with subtle touches finessing the solid songwriting at its foundation. It’s there in the groovy bassline of The Rope and the closemiked vocals that start Restless Heart, making it sound like Jeremiah is in the room with you. The album peaks with Youngblood; the devilish backing vocals flicker like the bonfire mentioned in its lyrics as the song skips along. You can imagine the track accompanying the exploits of a western outlaw.

As impressive as the production is, it wouldn’t land its punches without the emotional heft at the album’s core. And there’s plenty to be found on songs like Ten-storey Falling and Sirens In The Silence. That combination makes Horsepower

For The Streets that rare record which works just as well whether you let it wash over you or dive beneath its shimmering surface in order to discover what’s lying on the seabed.

Next Step Scott 4 by Scott Walker

Jonathan Jeremiah often lists Serge Gainsbourg and Scott Walker as key influences, and while we’d fully recommend you check out Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson we’re turning our attention to this masterpiece.`

With the 1968 end of The Walker Brothers, best known for their No 1 hits Make It Easy On Yourself and The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore), Scott was free to follow a solo career that grew increasingly experimental. By the time of Scott 4 (actually his fifth album) he’d become something of an impressionistic torch singer, capable of captivating through his vocal performance and carefully constructed arrangements.

Here, Walker finds influences in soul, country, folk and even the Spaghetti Western soundtracks of Ennio Morricone. You can perhaps understand why an album this ambitiously adventurous didn’t entice the mainstream (failing to chart at all, unlike any of his previous Top 10 offerings), Scott 4 contains some of his best work. The Seventh Seal, The Old Man’s Back Again, Duchess, Get Behind Me… the list goes on. Walker’s experimentation eventually led to increasingly impenetrable albums like Tilt and The Drift, but on Scott 4 he’s firmly in the sweet spot.

Podcast of the Month Decode

If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the UK grime/rap scene, learning about the ingredients that make genre masterpieces along the way, this podcast is absolutely for you. By analysing the lyrics, beats, and social context of one album per series, one song per episode, host (poet and emcee) Kayo Chingonyi provides both rigorous and entertaining listening. Now two award-winning series in, Chingonyi’s focus so far has fallen upon Psychodrama by Dave and Konnichiwa by Skepta.

The nights are getting colder and darker, and this time of year brings different dangers to pets and wildlife. A little warning regarding hedgehogs! They are going into hibernation, and will often curl up in a large heap of leaves. If you are going to have a bonfire in your garden, make sure to check for sleepy hedgehogs, before setting it alight!

With the darker evenings we are seeing an increase in road traffic accidents involving both pets and people. Growing up in Norway with even darker days and nights, we were not allowed to venture outside without reflective bits attached to our clothing. There are lots of reflective collars and harnesses for pets now, have a look to keep both yourself and your pet safer.

There are plenty of edible and drinkable dangers in the autumn. Concerns contain tannins that can cause a tummy upset, or worse still a blockage that may need surgery. There are different types of fungi that can cause

havoc to the pet. Keep an eye on your dogs as they are mooching about on your walk, if they eat a fungi, it would be useful to either pick a bit with you, or even better take a photo. I love mobile phones with their ability to take photos, instead of a long chat about the consistency and colour of dog or cat poo, a photo speaks a thousand words, thankfully without the smell!

The worst autumn danger is antifreeze, or ethylene glycol which is the proper name. You would never think pets would drink it, however it has a sweet flavour so both cats and dogs may get tempted, especially if it has been spilled on the ground. The problem with antifreeze is that it will cause kidney failure very quickly in both dogs and cats. They can be saved if you see the pet drink it and act promptly. Interestingly the antidote to antifreeze is alcohol. Thankfully we live over the practice so we have easy acces to vodka if it is needed. We actually give the alcohol to the pet intravenously, which means they get drunk to save their life. Sadly most owners do not realise their cat has drunk the antifreeze until it is to late. Please be careful when handling antifreeze, and keep it looked up away from pets and people.

Maria Lowe - Viking Vets

We are a small practice with an experienced and compassionate team of vets and nurses.

Our aim is to tailor make every regime for your pet to ensure the best treatment for both them and you.

We would be delighted to meet you and your pet and welcome the opportunity to show you around our practice.

Please contact us to arrange an appointment.

Opening Times Monday - Friday Saturday 8am - 6.30pm 9am-12pm

Consultation by Appointment

Having the Inheritance Conversation

For many, the prospect of passing on wealth to future generations is a significant motivation for carrying out financial planning. Knowing that your hard-earned nest egg is going to be used to help loved ones with major milestones such as going to university, getting married or buying a house can be extremely gratifying. It has been suggested that younger people more and more expect to inherit money from family and potentially make some of their financial decisions based on this assumption.

This could lead to a shock further down the line if an expected inheritance doesn’t materialise for whatever reason – the unexpected costs of care, living longer than anticipated without any care needs are just two factors that can have an enormous impact.

Life doesn’t always pan out the way we want it to, but making a plan for potential outcomes is always sensible.

Managing the expectations of loved ones can be a difficult task,

especially in uncertain times. A great place to start is by making a Will and explaining it to your beneficiaries. Again, this can be difficult and this is something we can help with. We can be on hand as a reassuring presence and also to explain any potentially more complex arrangements such as trusts.

We understand it can be daunting to talk to loved ones about money and it’s hard to know where to start. This can feel especially overwhelming if you don’t feel you have control of your finances.

We’re here to help you make a plan to protect your wealth and prepare for the future, whatever that may hold. If you would like to have a relaxed chat about your circumstances and whether we could help with your plans, including helping you to talk to your family, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

To book a complimentary meeting with Richard to discuss your later life financial planning needs, please get in touch by calling 0117 3636 212 or email office@haroldstephens.co.uk.

Richard records regular video updates on a range of later life financial topics - search ‘Harold Stephens IFA’ on YouTube. www.haroldstephens.co.uk

1965, and Karl Braun is a London piano tuner sharing a house with Jews who survived the camps. They’ve welcomed him in; he’s one of the smart Germans who left in 1933. But why is Braun paranoid about strangers and anyone who may ask about his past? Is he hiding something? Braun, who attends concerts with Helen, and tells her of his time in pre-war Paris, is alarmingly normal and agreeable, a hero you should root for, but can you? Braun’s worries multiply and Emeric Pressburger reveals all in his wonderful novel, The Glass Pearls, now re-issued; a superb study of moral ambiguity and self-delusion.

Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto is a gripping mystery, the key to which lies in a railway timetable. When two bodies are found on a beach, the local police are sure that it’s a double love suicide and that the dead couple travelled by train to the nearest station; they were seen. But a dining car receipt one of the detectives finds is a puzzle. The dead man ate alone. A Tokyo detective picks up that concern and the investigation begins. It’s a fascinating tale of evidence collection and logical deduction followed to a satisfying end that incidentally gives a real insight into Japanese culture.

Louis de Bernieres’ haunting and absorbing novel, The Autumn of the Ace, is a family saga that centres around Daniel Pitt, the eponymous ace. In the mid-fifties, his brother dies and Daniel takes his bones off for burial –in Pakistan. A fighter pilot in one war, a spy pilot for SOE in the second, Daniel is beset by memories; of four sisters, of friendship, of war, of love, of marriage. There are secrets never told, loving children and estranged ones; adventure, aeroplanes, artists, motor-bikes and crumbling houses, not to mention guilt and longing. It’s a great read and so interesting you can’t put it down.

Spoiled Brats is Simon Rich’s laugh out loud collection of stories. A Christmas elf spies on children; a chimpanzee leaves home to learn sign language; the angel of death likes to put people on the right path in time to enjoy their lives: typical of Rich’s way of finding a new and highly entertaining angle to approach a tale from. Hamsters cared for by children at school fight to survive the kids’ negligence; ghosts don’t realise they’ve passed on: exuberant, original, and hilarious even when a sombre truth is revealed; Herschel wakes to modern New York after a century pickled in brine – don’t miss it.

Anne Tyler does it again with French Braid, a terrific novel of family life in Baltimore. In 2010, Serena runs into her cousin Nicholas. Al least she thinks it’s her cousin, she’s seen him so infrequently she can’t be sure, which cracks her boyfriend up; he knows each of his eleven cousins very well. Tyler then takes us back to 1959 and a lakeside holiday with Serena’s grandparents and her mother and siblings and proceeds to chart the doings of the Garret family over the years in loving, warm, often funny, always entertaining detail and shows how Serena’s difficulty came about. It’s a wonderful read.

My African journey by George Marriott aged 15

When in 2018 my mum, who owns SoleLution shoe shops in Clifton and Portishead, decided to collect unwanted pre-worn children’s shoes for pupils at a school in a deprived village in Africa, I decided to get involved. Working with the charity Educate The Kids, we collected shoes through the shops and self funded our air fares to allow us to personally deliver and fit the shoes for children, who either had no shoes or shoes with holes in them.

Little did we know what experiences lay ahead, as we started our journey to Jolaurabi School in

Mombasa, Kenya. When we arrived, the whole school came out to greet us. In no time I became a superhero and the children’s favourite teacher, even though I was just 11-years-old!

We fitted 300 children with pairs of shoes; they were so very happy and the whole experience was amazing. We were eager to return but Covid hit and our plans were halted, however as soon as restrictions lifted we began planning another trip with more shoes.

To date we have fitted more than 2,500 shoes. I have gained so much from our visits to Kenya and it’s brilliant seeing how we can help these children have a better life.

My video can be viewed at www. solelution.co.uk where you can also find out how you can help or get involved if you would like to.

Footwear for all thefamily

Finding the right shoe for your sole

At the Little Bathroom & Boiler Company we’ve twenty five years of experience designing and supplying bathrooms and boiler solutions. We know it can be daunting, and picturing what will work for you in the available space isn’t always easy. So let us - an experienced plumbing engineer and an interior designer - produce for you a 3D solution that will work, in a layout you will love. We are an independent, family-run local business, working out of our own showroom - friendly, unpressured, and professional, and we will do all we can to design the perfect bathroom or boiler upgrade for you, then supply you exceptional products from all the leading brands (and some you won’t find on the internet) to help you realise your dream.

Call us now to arrange a good time to have a chat about your exciting project. We look forward to seeing you and working with you.

Geography

1. Name the longest river in Europe.

2. In which ocean / sea would you find these islands - a) Easter Island, b) South Sandwich Islands, and c) the Lofoten Islands?

3. Which is the deepest of these three UK lakes - Loch Ness, Windemere or Lake Bala?

4. Which of these three European countries has the lowest high point - Sweden, the United Kingdom or Hungary?

5. Fill in the missing European capital cities in this geographical sequence - Lisbon, xxxxx, xxxxx, London, Paris, Brussels, xxxxx.

Blue Things

1. How much does a blue ball score in snooker?

2. Which artist had a “Blue Period” from 1901 to 1904?

3. Who had UK hits with a) Blue Monday, b) True Blue, and c) Blue Hat for a Blue Day?

4. Name these creatures -

5. This is Peyto Lake - in which national park would you find it?

History

1. How many different Prime Ministers did the UK have in the 20th century (multiple terms count as one)?

2. In which year was Google launched in the UK?

3. Boudica / Boudicea was the queen of which tribe of Celtic Britons?

4. Who was King or Queen of England between 1660 and 1685?

5. Which organisation was founded at the Mechanic’s Institute in Manchester in 1868 and currently has 5.5 million members?

Sport

1. Who won his first Formula 1 drivers championship in 1992?

2. Which nation, or nations, have won the Rugby Union World Cup on the most occasions?

3. In golf, and specifically the breakaway organisation, what does LIV stand for?

4. How many different sports have been represented by the team captains on A Question Of Sport since it started in 1970?

5. Which is the oldest football club currently playing in the top four divisions (Premier League and EFL)?

Television

1. Name the four comedians who hosted Not The Nine O’Clock News

2. How much does a current black and white television licence cost to buy? Is it a) £29, b) £53.50 or c) you don’t need one?

3. Name the winning couple on the first series of Strictly Come Dancing.

4. Name Inspector Morse’s Sergeant sidekick, and the actor who played him.

5. The acting careers of Christopher Ecclestone, Daniel Craig, Gina McKee and Mark Strong were all effectively launched in which 1990’s television series?

Sports Stars Then & Now

momentLos Angeles, 1984 Finest momentMunich, 1974

If you are involved in any local events that are of a charitable / “not-for-profit” nature, including social groups, support networks, fundraisers, school events, concerts, talks, clubs etc, and would like some free publicity do please get in touch. Listings of up to 60 words per month will be published free of charge. From now on if your event / club / choir etc is “for-profit”, rather than charitable in nature, then the total cost of a monthly 75-word listing will be £50 + VAT for six-months or £75 + VAT for 12 months. You may change your listing without further charge at any time. To be included, or for more details, please get in touch - andy@bcmagazines.co.uk, 0117 259 1964 / 07845 986650 or write to 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PY, and I will be more than happy to help. If you have a dated event that is in the first half of the month you are strongly advised to get it listed in the previous month’s magazine as no guarantee can be given that the magazine will be delivered by the date of your event.

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Aikido for Kids: Westbury Aikido Club offers lessons for children, on Sunday mornings during term-time, at the Scout Hall (Northcote), Great Brockeridge BS9 3TY. See www.westburyaikido. club for more detail, or email reenee@ westburyaikido.club. The first lesson is free, so come along and give it a try!

• 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? New members are warmly welcome. The lecture on 8 November is on “Making a Stand - Sporting architecture” and on 13 December is on “West End Winners” giving a new perspective on the shows. Lectures are held at 8pm at Redmaids’ High School, Westbury-onTrym, BS9 3AW. For more information visit our website www.theartssocietybristol.org.uk

• BCCS (Bristol Cathedral Choir School)

Choral Society meets 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. For more information, please contact Kathy telephone 0117 9493628 or email www. bccschoralsociety.org.uk

• “Blithe Spirit”, Noel Cowards comic masterpiece, will be presented by Award winning St Alban’s Players on 24th –26th November 7.30pm at St Alban’s Church Hall, Bayswater Avenue BS6 7NU (amateur production). Tickets £12 (£9 members and friends) available from www.stalbansplayers.co.uk/boxoffice or by phoning 07753 807236.

• Bristol 1904 Arts Society and Bristol Society of Magic present “Knights of Magic”, Friday 11th November, 6.30pm till 10.00pm The Red Lodge, Park Row, BS1

5LJ. A night of splendid magic and illusion. 6.30 Close-up Magic Showcase featuring Callum Weaver, Tom Cooper and Grant Maidment. 7.30 The Amazing Magic Show starring Daniel Dean, Paul Preager, Barry Smith, Dr Nicolas Grimoire and the Great Baldini. And introducing Magic Maisie, the teenage phenomenon. Tickets £14 from eventbrite.com (search for Knights of Magic). www.bristol1904arts.org

• Bristol Choral Society present Faure Requiem and Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms, on November 5th 7.30 in Clifton Cathedral. The choir will be conducted by its award-winning composer, Hilary Campbell, and accompanied by Bristol Ensemble. For tickets (priced £11-£28), head to the Bristol Beacon website: bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/symphonyof-psalms/. There is also a £5 offer for under-25s. Check out the Bristol Choral website www.bristolchoral.co.uk

• 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. 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 Bach Choir will be performing on Saturday 5 November, 7.30pm at All Saints, Clifton, BS8 3ED. Featured music includes Mendelssohn’s ‘Lauda Sion’, J S Bach’s ‘Lobet den Herrn’, ‘Sing Joyfully’ by David

Bednall, Faure’s ‘Cantique de Jean Racine’, folk songs by Vaughan-Williams & Holst, organ solos by Bach and Stanford, and choral items by Brahms and Monteverdi. Tickets: £22 (reserved), £14 (unreserved), students and under 18s, £5. Phone: Bristol Bach Choir Box Office 0117 214 0721.

• 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 Bridge Club weekly “Friendly Thursdays” for members and their guests. Join us for a relaxed pairs handicapped bridge session. Free food is served from 6.30pm … followed by bridge around 7.15pm. The winning pair will receive a bottle of wine each. Just turn up on the night!

• Bristol Brunel Probus Club. Retired? At a loose end? Looking for some friendship and entertainment? You’d be welcomed at our Bristol Brunel Probus Club. We meet every 2nd Tuesday of the month at BAWA [Filton] for lunch & a presentation / talk. Contact our Secretary D Waters on 0117914-5465 for more details.

• Bristol Friends of WNO invite you to enjoy a variety of talks with glorious music at our new venue, The Apostle Room, Clifton Cathedral (Worcester Road entrance). Visitors always welcome. WNO Friends £8, Visitors £10. Further information from Melanie David. Tel: 01934 842014 email: melaniejdavid@btinternet.com.

• Bristol Chamber Choir will perform a Concert for Remembrance on 13th November 2022 at 5.00pm in The Chapel, St Monica Trust, Cote Lane, BS9 3UN. The main item in the programme will be The Missa Pro Defuntoris by Giovanni Anerio, and there will also be music by Tippett, Brahms, Bruckner and Schütz. Free admission, retiring collection. Visit www.bristolchamberchoir.org.uk for more details.

• Bristol Chamber Orchestra’s next concert will be given at Trinity Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Henleaze, on Saturday 26 November at 7.30 pm. The programme centres on Mendelssohn’s much-loved Violin Concerto, performed by brilliant soloist Ellabeth Little. Also featured are Mozart’s overture to The Marriage of Figaro and Beethoven’s Symphony

•

no. 4. For details of ticket purchase, call 01275 392344 or see our website: bristolchamberorchestra.org.uk.

Bristol Community Gamelan play the music of Java every Monday at Cotham School from 6.30-8.30. We play by numbers –only 1-6, without the 4 ! So no audtions, no need to read music. If you fancy a different musical experience, contact us via email on keithripley27@gmail.com

• Bristol French Circle / Cercle français de Bristol. We are enjoying our new season with a programme that includes the usual interesting mix of talks, conversation evenings and a book discussion, and we hope to enjoy a couple of dinners out. Please have a look at our website (www. cfbristol.org.uk) for the programme and updates, and do get in touch with Charlotte Taylor, the Presidentcharlottejanetaylor10@gmail.com / 07976 922636.

• Bristol Friends of WNO invite you to enjoy a variety of talks with glorious music at The Apostle Room, Clifton Cathedral (Worcester Road entrance). Visitors always welcome. On Weds 16th November Isabel Murphy will introduce us to her life and role in the world of international opera in “The Life of a Freelance Opera Casting Adviser” and share some of her favourite music. 6.45 for 7.15 pm. Refreshments available, easy parking. WNO Friends £8, visitors £10.

• Bristol Harmony West Gallery Choir & Band sing and play lively church and village music from the 18th century. We meet at St Edyth’s Church Hall in Sea Mills on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. No auditions but ability to read music is helpful. Ring Fritjof on 0117 924 3440 for more information, or see www. bristolharmony.wordpress.com. Please contact before attending so we can have music ready.

• 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.

• Bristol Male Voice Choir 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 us on 07587 143 220.

• Bristol Manor Farm Football Club are holding a fun Quiz Night starting on Thursday November 10th at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome. Entry just £2 per person. Max 6 people in a team. Teams can book their table via fabulous208@ hotmail.com

• Bristol Morris Men practice on Thursday evenings from 8:15pm - 9:45pm in the Sports Hall at Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital (QEH), Berkely Place, Clifton BS8 1JX. New members are very welcome, whether you have any experience of dancing or none. Call Grant on (0117) 9442165.

• 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.comm

• Bristol Scrabble Club meets every Wednesday at 7.00 pm at Filton Community Centre, Elm Park, Filton BS34 7PS. New members welcome - first visit free so come and give it a try. For further information contact Sheila on 01179570792, 07435316458 or shinett@ blueyonder.co.uk

• Bristol Shambhala Meditation Group offers meditation on Thursday evenings at the Friends’ Meeting House in Hampton Road from 7.15pm until 8.45pm 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 Stitchers - Exploring fabric and stitch. A programme of monthly activities including talks and “Meet and Stitch” sessions, All taking place in Horfield BS7 8ST. Visit bristolstitchers.wordpress.com for more details.

• Charade Drama presents “Caught Out!”, three comedies on the theme, at Westbury-on-Trym Methodist Church Hall, Westbury Hill, BS9 3AA on Thurs 17th, Fri 18th, and Sat 20th November, 7:30pm.

Tickets £8. Phone Charade 0117 9508488 or 07900 013964 .

• City Voices Bristol rehearse 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.

• The Country Market now runs from 10.00am to 11.30am every Friday in the Methodist Church Hall in Westbury on Trym. Call Sue on 0117 962 8306 for more details.

• Creative Workshops Weekend inspired by Kaffe Fassett’s Flowers will take place on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th November at Stoke Bishop Village Hall. The weekend will feature creative workshops, talks and an exhibition of a selection of Kaffe’s Quilts on loan from his private collection alongside Works from artist Janet Haigh. For information and bookings email stokebishopworkshops@gmail.com

• Drawing for well-being: an opportunity to step back from the madness of life and engage with nature through drawing. All materials and coffee provided! No experience necessary. Come and find quiet, beauty and space at Trymwood Studios, Mondays and Fridays 11am12.30pm during term-time, registration essential. For more information please email Hannah and Lucy - info@ trymwoodstudios.co.uk

• The Filtones Choir is celebrating Christmas in an evening of Festive entertainment to put you in the Christmas spirit. Our Christmas Crackers Concert is on Saturday 3rd December, 7.30pm at Filton Community Centre, Elm Park, BS34 7PS. Tickets £8 inc. refreshments, accompanied children foc, from Dot Bryant on 07870 984 760 or at the door. Retirement collection in aid of the charity Sense.

• Filtones Choir Would you like to join an afternoon choir, but don’t think you can sing, or are too shy to try? Well, here’s your chance to give it a go. The Filtones choir is looking for new members to swell its ranks. Come and join us free for four weeks – no obligation – all voice ranges are welcome as we sing four- part harmony. You will not be subjected to an

You are invited to join in The Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial in Westbury on Trym Village at 11am on Remembrance Sunday,

All Welcome

November

Last month, we joined the nation in mourning the passing of Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and sent our deepest condolences on behalf of the local community to the Royal Family and King Charles III. God Save The King.

Vans on the Downs: Last month, Cllrs Henry Michallat & John Goulandris managed to secure the removal of five vans on Parry's Lane. The Council has provided an ASB diary, which residents can use to record unacceptable behaviour. If you would like a copy, please feel free to contact John or Henry.

Covert CCTV at Stoke Lodge: As readers will know, Cotham School has installed covert CCTV at Stoke Lodge, which has gained lots of press attention. Henry and John have written to the headteacher of Cotham school, asking a number of serious questions and will be reporting back when we have heard back from the School. Further updates can be found on our Facebook page. Clean Air Zone: The Bristol Clean Air Zone (CAZ) will come into force at the end of the month (Monday 28th November). Concerns have been raised about possible high traffic volumes through Sea Mills and Stoke Bishop due to the incorporation of parts of the A4 Portway. John and Henry have called for traffic/ pollution monitoring to assess the impact. Sea Mills Square 5G Mast Application: A big ‘thank you’ to all those who have objected to this repeat planning application. We are hopeful it will be refused by the Council.

Clean Air Zone: Residents will note various signs popping up around the City warning drivers that a Clean Air Zone is in place. Please note that this comes into force at the end of next month, MONDAY 28TH NOVEMBER. We will be monitoring the impact on local roads.

Your comments, views and questions welcomed these are our contact details:

Cllr John Goulandris Email: cllr.john.goulandris@bristol.gov.uk

us on Facebook to keep up with news & views Cllr Henry Michallat Email: cllr.henry.michallat@bristol.gov.uk

College Green,

audition and, although it can be useful to read music, this is not an obstacle as we provide other audio aids for learning. We meet at St Teresa’s Community Rooms at the rear of the Church, 71 Gloucester Road North BS34 7PL from 1.45 to 3.45 p.m. every Wednesday. Just come along, or for more information please ring Dot on 0117 9690654 or 07870 984760 or Janet on 0117 9241534, or check out our website on www.thefiltones.weebly.com

• Fledglings at Trymwood Studios. Weekly nature-based workshops for 0-4 years and their carers. Singing, drama, engaging poetry and stories, and creative art-making - all with a changing nature theme. We meet in our Westbury-on-Trym studio and get outside into our wonderful gardens and meadow as much as possible. Your first taster session is free! Contact Hannah and Lucy at info@trymwoodstudios.co.uk or go to www.trymwoodstudios.co.uk

• Friends of the Downs & Avon Gorge (FOD+AG) - www.friendsofthedowns.org

• Friendly Club meets every Thursday from 2pm to 4pm in the Methodist Church Hall, Westbury on Trym. We are a lively group of older people who meet to chat, play Scrabble and card games. Regular trips out and entertainments are arranged plus we have tea and biscuits for only £1! Do come and make some new friends.

• Friends of Old Sneed Park Nature Reserve. Our next working party will be held on November 12th, 10am to 12 noon. Please bring your own tea/coffee. Chocolate biscuits will always be provided. For more information, please email fospnr@gmail.com and our web site is, oldsneedparknaturereserve.org

• Happy Days Memory Café - Tony on 0117 968 1002.

• Healing For Wellbeing. Feel more relaxed, peaceful, calmer. Drop-In sessions at Redland Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road. Thursdays 3.00 - 4.15 pm from 8th September. Donation basis. COVID safety: please wear a face mask if possible and do not attend if you have symptoms or have tested positive for COVID. Contact: Selina 0117 9466434 or selinanewton@yahoo. co.uk.

• Henbury ‘Blaise’ Womens’ Institute meet at 7.30pm monthly on the 3rd Tuesday in the Village Hall in Henbury. Contact Jo on 950 7712 for more details.

• Henleaze Bowling Club aims to provide a welcoming and social environment for members of all ages and experience

to enjoy a game of bowls whether in competitive or friendly matches, and new members are very welcome. Free coaching is available. Contact details and other information can be found on www. henleazebowlingclub.org.uk

• The Henleaze Concert Society ‘An American Landscape’ concert is on November 19th at 7:30 at the TrinityHenleaze United Reformed Church, Waterford Road, Henleaze, BS9 4BT. Viv McLean returns with this distinctively American programme which will start with Gershwin’s Jazzy and optimistic Piano Concerto in F followed by his famous Rhapsody in Blue. We’ll also hear Philip Glass’ breakthrough work, music for the iconic film Mishima, and Copland’s lively and evocative work Hoe Down. Tickets at the door or see www. henleazeconcertsociety.org.uk (annual Membership £12; member’s ticket £15.00; non-member £18:00; under 25’s £5; season ticket for 6 series concerts £85 incl. membership).

• Henleaze & District Flower Club welcomes new members for the start of their exciting 22/23 Programme of floral design demonstrations. Annual membership £52. Demonstration meetings on 2nd Thursday of the month 2pm Bradbury Hall, Waterford Road, Henleaze BS9 4BT. Plus optional Practice Classes on 4th Thursday. Please contact Ro York ro@royork.com or phone/text 07588 887a. All welcome - visitor entry £6 cash including refreshments. On Thursday 10th November we will have a Christmas floral extravaganza ‘Carry on Christmas’ - Sally Taylor’s floral show will inspire and entertain you with plenty of ideas for your own celebratory floral designs and decorations including wreaths and table settings. Visitors £12 and members £5 - cash on the door. Advance tickets contact Jenny York HFC Chair by email yorkjenny2@yahoo.com or phone/text 07880 700270.

• Henleaze Ladies’ Choir. Come and join us as we fill St Peter’s Church Hall with a diverse selection of music. There is no audition, and the ability to read music is not necessary. We meet on Thursday afternoons, between 1.45 and 3.45. All are welcome to come along and meet us and join in the fun. Contact Jean on 9624466, or Jane on 07752 332278 for more information.

• Henleaze Lawn Tennis Club is a friendly and

welcoming club for all ages 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.

• Henleaze Senior Film Club. Monday 28th November at 2pm. The Duke (12) 2020. In 1961, 60 year old Kempton Bunton steals Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery. Based on a true story and starring Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent. Tickets: £4.00 including refreshments. Carers welcome, easy access. For more information please call 0117 435 0063. St. Peter’s Hall, The Drive, Henleaze BS9 4LD.

• Henleaze (afternoon) Townswomen’s Guild meets on the first Wednesday of the month, at 2pm. Contact Jan, by telephone on 0117 968 5829, or by e-mailing jeanettecollins@blueyonder.co.uk for further details.

• Highbury Badminton Club meet on Thursday 7:30pm in Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall. Contact Pete Stables 0117 950 1524 or www.pete4458.wixsite.com/ highburybadminton for more details.

• Keep fit with dance moves – at Horfield Baptist Church, BS7 8NY, Tuesday mornings, from 10:15 – 11:15 am & St Peter’s Church, Filton, BS34 7BQ, Tuesday afternoons, 2 – 3 pm. Improve your mobility, strength, co-ordination and general wellbeing whilst having fun and making new friends. Suitable for all ages. Try first session free, then £5 thereafter. For further information contact Eileen Scott, on 07969929733, or email, scottyartois@hotmail.com

• Knit & Crochet Café - 07561 523 919brisknitcro@gmail.com

• Ladies Badminton, Westbury on Trym Village Hall, Fridays 10am - 12 noon. New members welcome to join our friendly group. For more details please call Elizabeth on 0117 968 1759.

• Life Drawing/Painting/Portraits. Small informal group meets weekly, Thursday or Friday (TBC) mornings from midSeptember at St Peter’s Henleaze. Please contact Stella (9628717) or Liz (01454 418573) for details if you would be interested in joining us.

• The Little Black Box (Community) Choir seeks “shower singers!” Towel off, join us and set your voice free! Free first session. All voices welcome, no audition, no experience necessary. We sing everything

from Kate Bush to Rammstein via musical theatre, pop and even shanties. Mondays 7.15pm - 9.00pm (term time). Term starts Monday 19th September at Friends Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, Redland, BS6 6JE.

• Henbury Singers is actively recruiting new members. We meet at Stoke Bishop CE Primary School, BS9 1BW on Thursday evenings, 7.45 - 9.15. The choir is a wellestablished mixed choir with a good balance of voices. Our repertoire is varied, performing both sacred and secular music. For more detail, see our website www.henburysingers.org and/or contact the secretary by email at secretary@ henburysingers.org.

• Men at St. Peter’s Keep Fit class in St. Peter’s Church Hall every Tuesday 9:15 to 10:15 for men 60+, led by fitness instructor, Natasha Johnson, £5 per week. Contact Keith Bonham 0117 968 4972 or babubon38@gmail.com

• Menopause Matters - Tricia Worthington, 07962 892 060, tricia_worthington@msn. com

• Monday Afternoon Band and Wednesday Evening Band. Would you like to join a band playing on Monday afternoons or on Wednesday evenings? Both bands are in Redland, and we just play for fun, no sight reading, no concerts.We play a mixture of pop and swing. The bands would suit anyone who used to play an instrument and has taken it up again recently, or has been playing for a couple of years or more. Not suitable for complete beginners. For more information contact mondayafternoonband@gmail.com or wednesdayeveningband@gmail.com

• The Mosaic Singers - as our name suggests, we sing a broad and colourful range of lighter and popular songs. Some ability to read music is required. A warm welcome is assured at our Tuesday evening rehearsals in Stoke Bishop. Please phone David Vicary on 07973 460 994.

• 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.

The annual North Bristol Art Trail will be taking place on the weekend of the 25th-27th November in venues around Bishopston, Redland, Horfield, St Andrew’s, Ashley, and Henleaze. 110 artists - a mixture of professionals and amateurs - will be showing their work in homes and community venues and you are warmly invited to come along and see what they have been creating. Taking a walk around the trail you will find paintings, prints, ceramics, jewellery, sculpture, photography, textiles and much more. There will be something to suit all budgets, from larger original pieces to inexpensive gifts and greetings cards.

But an art trail is not just about buying art. The North Bristol Artists are passionate about being creative. They love making their work and they really enjoy being able to show it to you, even if you are not an art-buyer. When visitors come and look at their work, they love it. So please feel free to come into artists’ homes and see what

they have on display. There is no pressure to buy, or even to chat to the artist, so don’t feel anxious about visiting any of the trail venues - you are very welcome!

Many artists will be raising money for charity over the art trail weekend. Some will be donating the money raised from the sale of artwork to their chosen charity, while others will be providing refreshments to raise money. A number of venues will be offering refreshments and music, which is another good reason to have a walk around the trail and have a great day out in this creative area of the city. You can find out all about the artists taking part in this year’s trail and the venues where they will be showing their work at www.northbristolartists.org. uk. Art trail maps will be available to pick up from shops and cafes around the trail area from the beginning of November. In the meantime, keep up with all of the NBA news by following North Bristol Artists on social media and signing up for the email newsletter on the website.

•

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.

The Out There Music Bristol Community Choir rehearses every Tuesday during term time from 8pm-9.45pm at Alma Church, Clifton, BS8 2ES. There is no audition and we have an eclectic repertoire with a very warm welcome assured. For more details about the choir please visit www.outtheremusicbristol.co.uk - or you are welcome to come along to a rehearsal for a free taster session before deciding whether to join.

• The Out There Music Bristol Chamber Choir is a small auditioned choir singing a range of classical, popular, jazz and spiritual music which rehearses every Tuesday during term time from 6pm7.30pm at Alma Church, Clifton, BS8 2ES. Rehearsals will often include learning about the physiology of the voice and the technique required to apply this to the music. For more details about the choir please visit www.outtheremusicbristol. co.uk - or you are welcome to come along to a rehearsal for a free taster session before deciding whether to audition.

• Pilates with Helen. Move better, get stronger, increase flexibility. The Bank Fitness, 73 Henleaze Road. All abilities: Mondays and Wednesdays 9.30-10.20am, Parent and baby: Wednesday 10.3011.20am. Free taster session, join at any time. 07863346001 / HelenLangmead@ hotmail.co.uk

• Pilates classes at the Northcote Scout Hall; Mondays 9:30am (Improvers), 10:30am (Mixed ability - Beginners welcome); Tuesdays 9:30am (Improvers), 10:30am (Beginners). £8.50 per class booked as a course, or £12 single sessions. Classes are kept small, so must be booked in advance. Full details at www.mindbodypilates. org. Contact Leanne on 07817189474 / leanne@mindbodypilates.org

• Play bowls at Canford Park in a friendly social atmosphere. Qualified coaches, and equipment provided. Contact Les on 0730 569 5579 for more details or email canfordbowlingclub@gmail.com

• 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 7.00pm for 7.30pm alternately at Bristol Hotel, Prince Street BS1 4QF and on Zoom. Further details: www.rotarybristol. org and / or contact Martina at mpeattie@ btopenworld.com

• Enjoy Scottish Country Dancing at St. Monica’s Oatley Hall, Cote Lane, BS9 3UN on Thursday 7.30 - 10.00 p.m. £6.00 per session. New dancers welcome, come on your own or with a friend for fun, fitness and friendship. For information contact: Ros on 01225 319991 or Ruth on 0117 968 3057 or www.rscdsbristol.info

• Sea Mills Community Playgroup. We meet on Mondays in term time 9.30am to 11am for simple activities suitable for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. The group is run by local parents and offers a chance to meet other families in the area. It is held in Sea Mills Methodist Church Back Hall (entry via wooden side gate). £2 donation to include refreshments. All Welcome.

• Sea Mills Garden Club. Our next meeting will be on 10th November when Roz from The Wild Zinnia nursery will tell us all about ‘Growing and Arranging Dried Flowers’. On 8 December we will have our Christmas Party. Visitors always welcome. FFI phone Pat 07779 203626 or Gail 0117 9685350.

• Severn and Somme - a docu-drama about the life of Ivor Gurney, First World War poet and composer, and a talk about him by Richard Hope Hawkins, Sunday 13th November at 2.30pm at the Orpheus Cinema in Henleaze.Tickets only available at Eventbrite - Severn and Somme - the life of Ivor Gurney talk and film.

• Severnside Sub-Aqua Club is an active Bristol-based community SCUBA diving and snorkelling club. We offer training, experience and skills development with the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) from complete beginner to instructor level and welcome divers with existing qualifications from any agencies (including PADI). We met every Monday evening at the Cambria Yard, Avon Crescent, Bristol BS1 6XQ with weekly heated pool sessions at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School at Somerset Square, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RT. See

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Geography

1. River Volga in Russia (2,294 miles); 2a) southeastern Pacific, b) southern Atlantic, c) Norwegian Sea; 3. Loch Ness at a maximum of 226m; 4. Hungary at 1,104m; 5. Dublin, Madrid, Amsterdam (in order heading from east to west).

Blue Things

1. Five; 2. Pablo Picasso; 3. a) New Order, b) Madonna, c) Nick Heyward; 4. Blue Jay, Blue Iguana, Blue Footed Booby; 5. Banff National Park, Canada.

History

1. Twenty; 2. 2003; 3. the Iceni; 4. King Charles II; 5. the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

Sport

1. Nigel Mansell (it was also his last); 2. New Zealand and South Africa have both won it on three occasions; 3. It is the Roman numeral for 54, the number of holes to be played at LIV tournaments; 4. Eight (rugby union, boxing, cricket, athletics, horse racing, football, snooker and hockey); 5. Stoke City, formed in 1863.

Television

1. Pamela Stephenson, Mel Smith, Griff Rhys Jones and Rowan Atkinsion; 2. £53.50; 3. Brendan Cole & Natasha Kaplinsky; 4. Sergeant Lewis, Kevin Whately; 5. Our Friends In The North.

Sports Stars Then & Now Franz Beckenbauer, Zola Budd.

Apologies from last month when the answers to the “Sports stars then and now” went missing. To put you out of your misery the answers were Cliff Thorburn, Tracy Austin, Viv Anderson and Harvey Smith.

www.severnsidesac.com or email info@ severnsidesac.com for details. One-off ‘try diving’ experience sessions also available for non-members including individuals and youth groups, Scouts and Guides, etc

• Singing to Remember - a singing group for people living with dementia is looking for new members to come along to their sessions in Henleaze.We meet every first, third and fifth Thursday of the month at Trinity-Henleaze United Reformed Church on Waterford Road and offer people living with dementia and their carers a space where they can meet new people in a friendly, fun and social environment. Anyone wanting to find out more or to book a place ring Monica on 0117 9426095.

• Are you a calligrapher who would like to take it up again? The St Edyth’s Scribes are a long established group of selfled hobby calligraphers who meet every Friday at St Edyth’s Church Hall, Sea Mills, from 10am to noon and we are looking for a few more members. If you are interested please drop in and meet us, or for more information call Peter 0117 329 4516.

• St Peter’s Ladies Guild meet on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 2pm at St Peter’s Church Hall, The Drive, Henleaze, for talks and entertainment. Visitors welcome. Tel: Wilma on 0117 962 8895 for information.

• St Peter’s Badminton & Social Club - Ann on 0117 969 4882, contact ann999q@ gmail.com

• Stoke Bishop Local History Group meets in Stoke Bishop Village Hall, 42 Stoke Hill, BS9 1EX. Talks start at 7:30. Visitors welcome. For more details email sblocalhistory@ gmail.com or call 077804 38303.

• Stoke Bishop Afternoon Townswomen’s Guild. Our friendly meetings are held on the first Thursday each month at 2.15pm, in the Hulbert Room of St Mary’s Church, Mariners Drive, Stoke Bishop. We have a variety of talks and open meetings. Come along and give us a try! For information, please contact Gay Huggins on 0117 9685813 or email: mike_gayhuggins@ hotmail.com

• Stoke Bishop Ladies Choir sing at Stoke Bishop Village Hall. Every Monday from 1.45-4pm. New members welcome. We sing for pleasure and no auditions needed. Contact: Carolyn Fry on 0117 2791409 or Gay Huggins on 0117 9685813 for more information

• Taking a Tai Chi class works like gardening

to help your body, mind and energy grow and flourish. The slow, gentle, standing movements of Tai Chi always bring a sense of peace and calm to your day. For friendly local classes with an experienced teacher contact: www.taichiworksbristol.co.uk or 07704478521.

• Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi. Recommended by Age UK Bristol. Easy exercise for better health and wellbeing. A slow movement sequence, sitting optional, designed to be accessible for anyone who likes or needs gentle exercise. Relaxing and meditative, beneficial for balance and flexibility. Classes in Redland/Westbury Park Wednesday and Thursday mornings 11.00 - 12.00. Cost £5. For more information or to book, please contact Selina Newton on 0117 9466434 or email: selinanewton@ yahoo.co.uk.

• Toddlers Together, run by volunteers from Holy Trinity Church and Westbury-onTrym Methodist Church, is a parent and toddler group for the community. It takes place every Thursday during term time from 10-11:15am at Westbury-on-Trym Methodist Church Hall, BS9 3AA. There are lots of great toddler toys, a baby area, a weekly craft activity, singing, hot and cold drinks and biscuits, and a final prayer to end the session. We ask for a £2 voluntary donation per family on the door. You can just turn up to a Toddlers Together session – there is no need to pre-book. To find out more about this group, please email familyworker@westbury-parish-church. org.uk or contact the parish office on 0117 9508644.

• Trinity Henleaze Ladies Guild - Jenny on 0117 962 0108.

• Wednesday Keep Fit 10am - 11am St Peter’s Church Hall Henleaze £7, improve your health fitness and well being with this supple strength work out for everyone to enjoy! Contact Louisa on 0772 509 1429.

• Wednesday Chair Aerobics 11.15am12.15pm St Peter’s Church Hall Henleaze £7, work on your strength, stability and balance with this seated and standing exercise class. Contact Louisa on 0772 509 1429

• Welcome Wednesday. Friendly and free coffee afternoon on the 4th Wednesday of the month (30th November), 2-3.30pm at The Beehive Pub, Wellington Hill West, BS9 4QY. Meet new people, have fun, and find out what’s happening in your local area. Call 0117 435 0063 for more information.

• Westbury Parish Church’s ‘Learning Community’ project asks What is Truth? In an age of fake news, alternative facts and downright lies, we bring together a panel of people who are in the Truth business – a scientist, a lawyer, a journalist, a historian and a philosopher – tackling the question, and helping us understand, discuss and ask questions. Saturday November 26th 10.15am-1.00pm. Reedley Road Baptist Church BS9 3TE. It’s free, but please book on www.westbury-parish-church.org.uk/ the-learning-community/ or by email to office@westbury-parish-church.org.uk

• Westbury on Trym/Stoke Bishop/Clifton Discussion Group are a merry band of retired people who meet at Westbury on Trym Baptist Church every Monday morning (0945) and like to challenge ourselves with topical debate on what’s happening in the world - near and far. We exist out of pure interest and conversation but mainly to help keep our older minds working a little bit faster and hopefully healthier. If you would like to join us and solve many of todays challenging issues whilst enjoying good company, tea and chocolate biscuits - please contact James Ball 01454 415165 or Ian Viney 0117 9501628. We would love to hear from you.

• Westbury Aikido Club - visit www. westburyaikido.club, or email reenee@ westburyaikido.club

• Westbury Folk / Country Dancing - come along to have some fun folk dancing on Tuesdays 1:30 - 3:30 pm at Westbury College in College Road. All dances are called and refreshments are available. FFI contact Christine on 07775 628524 or codonnell100@btinternet.com

• Westbury Harriers. We are a friendly, inclusive running club based in Westburyon-Trym (Bristol, BS9) that caters for all ages and abilities. Academy (8 – 11 years), Juniors (11+ years) and Adults / Masters. Say hello and join us on a training run to discover more. We look forward to welcoming you to Westbury Harriers! For more info, www.westburyharrriers.co.uk, or e-mail secretary@westburyharriers. co.uk

• Westbury Knit and Natter, 10am to 12 midday every Thursday, in the Methodist Church Hall. Do come along, or call Sarah on 0117 962 9400 for more details.

• Westbury Singers If you enjoy singing, we invite you to join our friendly, nonauditioned, 4 part choir, in term-time on Monday evenings 7.30pm. - 9.30pm. at Reedley Road Baptist Church. Ability to read music helpful but not essential. Please email gwenalwakeel@yahoo.co.uk FFI

• Westbury on Trym Women’s InstituteSue Murphy on 0117 950 2826.

• Westbury Park Women’s Institute meets on the first Tuesday of every month in the Girl Guide Hut on Westmoreland Road from 7.00pm to 9.30pm. We are an active and friendly group with a varied programme and extra sessions for craft, coffee, book clubs etc. Visitors are always welcome and for more information do call Sue on 07813 795 936 or email us on westburyparkwi@gmail.com

• Westbury Scottish Country Dance Club - Cheryl on 0117 401 2416, www. westburyscottish.org.uk

• West of England Bridge Club meet at the RAFA Club, 38 Eastfield, Henleaze. Thursday afternoon is for Improvers, and Monday afternoon is for more capable players - 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.

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The Bristol Nine 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 Nine 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, or for the performance of any advertiser in the carrying out of their business. Reasonable efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this magazine but no liability can be accepted for any loss or inconvenience caused as a result of inclusion, error or omission. All content is the copyright of Bristol Community Magazines Ltd and may not be reproduced without prior written consent from Bristol Community Magazines.