The Bristol Nine Magazine - October 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

Flat sale or purchase £1,300

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

Wills

Single Will £250

Joint (Mirror) Wills £375

Probate

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

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

Well here we are in October and autumn has well and truly set in. In certain respects I suspect that many of us will be pleased that September is over - a strange month on various fronts, and one the like of which we willl not see again.

The passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be one of those rare events that, in years to come, we will all doubtless recall where we were and what we were doing. An occasion for our great country to come together, set aside all the rest of the challenges we face and reflect on her years of loyal and unstinting service.

The front cover photo this month provides what I hope will be seen as an appropriate link to these unforgettable events, depicting the old tree giving way to new growth as the young branches flourish. It was taken last year after a long walk - two and a half miles - up the Long Walk leading from the the striking statue of George III to Windsor Castle. It is a special walk at any time, and I’m sure it will be remembered fondly now, by everyone who witnessed last months events, as a fitting part of Her Majesty’s final journey home. May she rest in peace, and may our new King have a happy and healthy reign.

I hope you enjoy the magazine this month, which includes the first of a series of articles that look at modern education and how it compares / contrasts with the schooling we all received in years gone by. Good interesting stuff.

Cheers, Andy.

Deadlines and Getting In Touch - to be included in the November 2022 issue of The Bristol Nine Magazine your advert bookings, artwork and listings must be received and approved no later than Friday 14th October. Miss this and you will miss out. If you would like to feature please get in touch - andy@bcmagazines.co.uk - 0117 259 1964 - 07845 986650 - 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PYwww.bcmagazines.co.uk

TOP NOTCH

The Gentleman Painter & Decorator of Distinction

City & Guilds Certificate

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Do you feel in need of some time to relax and switch off from your busy life?

I offer a 30 minute relaxing, seated head massage, at my BS9 home, which gives you time to unwind and enjoy some peace and tranquility, balancing your mind and spirit through the power of touch. 07743 ruthfraser.massage@gmail.com Gardener and Handyman

Grass cutting, hedge and shrub trimming, weeding, planting, felling small trees, clearing, small painting jobs including garden fences and other maintenance work. Please call for a no-obligation chat Call 0117 377 0644 or 07415 658 205

Album Of The Month Get ****** by The Chats

This month’s selection definitely won’t be for everyone. With their commitment to both adult language and relentless punk rock, Australia’s The Chats might have some of you reaching for the off switch within a few bars of opening salvo 6L GTR. And that’s exactly how the Queensland outfit would want it to be, for this is music for society’s outsiders.

Having made a splash with a self-titled EP in 2016, the 2017 single Smoko, telling the tale of a tradesperson on a smoke break, cemented their reputation as Australia’s most exciting new band. Describing their sound as “shed rock”, The Chats’ music is essentially classic punk with an undeniably Aussie element; the result of frontman Eamon Sandwith’s broad accent and lyrics dealing with life on the Sunshine Coast.

Despite line-up changes, original guitarist Josh Price has been replaced by Josh Hardy, the band’s humour remains firmly intact here, punching up at authority figures and the mundaneness of life. On Train Inspector they rail against the titular jobsworth, “I love my job, it’s my passion/ Handin’ out fines like they’re goin’ outta fashion.” Look past the bluster and there are serious points to be made about the hardships facing working people. **The Price Of Smokes and **Paid Late both tackle such problems.

If you choose to, you can look past the message and still enjoy the band’s joyful and catchy racket –no amount of distortion can hide the melodies at the heart of the breakneck Struck By Lightning and I’ve Been Drunk In Every Pub In Brisbane.

At under 30 minutes, this is an album that doesn’t stick around longer than it needs it to, providing those who care to listen with 13 songs they can jump up and down to and momentarily forget about the state of the world.

Next Step

Comfort To Me by Amyl and The Sniffers

We’re staying in Australia and heading over to Melbourne for this 2021 album by fellow rockers Amyl and The Sniffers. Fronted by vocalist Amy Taylor, Comfort To Me is the band’s big and bold second album.

Where their earlier material had a distinctly pub rock feel, things have definitely been cracked up a notch here. These are songs that deserve to be heard in large arenas, which is appropriate as they’ve touring with the likes of Weezer and Green Day, Much of that comes from the riff-heavy guitar assault. Jjust take a song like Capital, which could quite easily be a Motörhead cover such is the gruff and scorching fretwork.

As with The Struts, there’s depth to be found beneath the noise. On the sludgy Knifey, Taylor puts the reasonable demand that all women should be able to safely go about their lives to music– the snark in her voice conveying both bravado and despair. Perhaps most empowering of all is Freaks To The Front, an anti-anthem for those who want to listen to great music and have a great time without feeling judged. If that sounds like you, then embrace Comfort To Me with all your might.

Podcast of the Month The 33 1/3 Podcast

We’re big fans of the 33 1/3 books, with each edition allowing one writer the chance to dissect a classic album. This new podcast, hosted by the producer Prince Paul, uses that source material as a jumping-off point and invites guests to take the discussion further. Early highlights include Sebastian Bach and Riki Rachtman discussing Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion albums and Peanut Butter Wolf getting stuck into J Dilla’s Donuts.

Duncan Haskell

A names - themed wordsearch this month, where you are looking for traditional ladies names. Twenty one of them are listed below, and twenty 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 ladies name 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 one will be selected at random to win this months prize - a £30 voucher to the Bristol Old Vic, Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol Beacon or the Orpheus cinema in Henleaze - your choice.

Right, here are the names you are looking for in the wordsearch grid -

FLORA VICTORIA GLORIA NORMA GERTRUDE JANE PAMELA GLADYS OLIVE VERA MARION PEGGY FLORENCE JOAN ELSIE HILDA MAGGIE AGNES BEATRICE ELIZABETH SYLVIA

Best of luck, and do please enter if you do the puzzle - somebody has to win!

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 midnight Monday 31st October. Your entry MUST state the road you live on - I don’t need the house number though.

Name: Date:

Thank you to everybody who took the trouble to complete and enter the August wild animal themed competition. The correct answer was “Porcupine” and the winning entries, who both win themselves famiy tickets to Wild Place, were from Elena Bashkova and Debbie Figg.

Ladies Names A G G I E V Z D R A J C E Z B E M A A X O N A O J S I V T V P D E O D Y V K V K M M Z E V H R E U W H I X D S E J X B G C E L R R W E R Y W J R H L N I P P Y P T U S D A E R O O J L R D A X S R C A V F M J R W L J T O M N T E L N E O H I U I A F A O E C L G Y K L O A F M N U F E G L F F E W N P R E B A B B A A I E I K N T A Q R P D G I S L W W M W G D S M A A T T

Local newspapers are fast disappearing but to get a real flavour of them in their heyday, read the funny, gripping and fascinating, My Turn to Make the Tea, first published in 1951 and now re-issued. Monica Dickens used her own experiences for this memoir/novel, in which Poppy takes on a room full of male reporters in her efforts to become a journalist on the Downingham Post, with its sensational headlines like: ‘COUNCIL VETOES NEW SEWAGE PLAN FOR BUNGALOWS’. There’s the landlady from hell, a house full of real characters, love, pathos, drama and tragedy, all brought to us with truly invigorating comic zest. It’s terrific.

Half A World Away is the enthralling story of Kerry, a single mum, who cleans the houses of the well-off to make ends meet while bringing up her son on a south London estate. She’s a product of the care system and her constant longing is to find her younger brother Jason, parted from her when he was adopted at the time they were removed from their mother - heart-breaking. She finds him, no longer Jason but Noah, a successful barrister. It isn’t all plain-sailing. Mike Gayle reveals their lives as they come together and more upsets arise in his emotional, sad but uplifting novel.

A poor review does bad things to a writer, at least it does to Frankie in Palace of the Drowned, Christine Mangan’s riveting and atmospheric novel set in a brooding Venice, where Frankie flees to escape publicity. Is there someone else in her apartment, too? And who is it she sees in the supposedly empty flat next door? Gilly, a stranger whom Frankie meets near the Rialto, claims to know her and love her books. Mystery! When the rain begins and the water rises, things can only get worse. With a touch of Patricia Highsmith, a tribute not a pastiche, this is a real page-turner.

There are unintended consequences throughout Joe Dunthorne’s charming, original and poignant novel, The Adulterants. Ray and Garthene long to get on the property ladder but it’s London and despite having jobs, that’s beyond them, so they’ll bring up their imminent baby in a rented flat. Or will they? At a party Ray ends up with a bloodied nose, the first in a chain of events that will eventually see Ray, the author of his own downfall, endangering the life he loves. How could he have known? Astute and hilarious, this clever novel offers insights into the difficult lives lived by young couples in Britain today.

London, 1786; elegance for some, but for William, Buckram and Georgie George, black ex-soldiers of the King in the failed attempt to keep hold of the American colonies, it’s filth, squalor and degradation. Given free passage to the homeland as reward for their service, they now help to swell the surprisingly large black population of Georgian London. S.I. Martin’s compelling and highly informative novel, Incomparable World, chronicles the trio’s attempts to survive and prosper on the margins of this cruel, chaotic and terrifying city; riots, routs, religion and murder. Will the three achieve their ambitions? They have a preposterously daring plan but will it succeed?

The number of Automated External Defibrillators, or AED’s, in prominent, accessible 24/7 locations in our area continues to grow. Detailed below are the locations of the existing defibrillators accessible 24/7 that I am aware of in this area, together with the “what3words” locations for them.

• The Crafty Cow, 635 Gloucester Road, Horfield. clip.wiping.racks

• St Mary’s Church (Hulbert Rooms), Stoke Bishop zest.calm.insert

• 42 Westbury Lane, Coombe Dingle. heat.shop.sofa

• Blaise Inn, 260 Henbury Road, Henbury BS10 7QR, on the side of the Inn. exists.sugars.buns

• Salvatore’s Barbers 19A Druid Hill, Stoke Bishop, BS9 1EW (in the dip near Stoke Bishop Fish Bar). hulk.courier.bells

• The White Lion Passage Road, Westbury on Trym, BS9 3HN (in the pub car park). scale. miles.petty

• Methodist Church Hall, Westbury Hill, Westbury on Trym, BS9 3AA (next to main GP’s car park). olive.belly.score

• Trinity United Reform Church, Waterford Road, Henleaze, BS9 4BT (opp. Tesco garage).

• belts.edges.bucks

• Bristol Chiropractic, 2 Kellaway Avenue, Redland, BS6 7XR (in the main rank of shops).

• swept.salsa.reap

• The RAFA Club, 38 Eastfield, Westbury on Trym, BS9 4BE (near the Eastfield Road junction). allow.quench.doll

• St Monica Court, Cote Lane, WoT, BS9 3TL (part of the St Monica complex). taking.clubs. tiger

• The Beehive Pub, Wellington Hill West, Henleaze, BS9 QY. cans.type.loving

• Avon Fire & Rescue (Southmead Fire Station), Southmead Road, BS10 5DR. held.demand. deep

• Bristol Property Centre, 14 Chandos Road, Redland, BS6 6PE. wacky.relay.closes

• Max Minervas Bookshop, North View, Westbury Park, BS6 7PY. edgy.slap.invite

• Bristol Prison Site, 248 Gloucester Road, Horfield, BS7 8NZ( between Cambridge Rd and Longmead Ave). moving.spoon.folds

• Westbury Park Primary School, Bayswater Avenue, BS6 7NU (Coldharbour Road end).

• bubble.trunk.waters

• Cafe on the Square, 136 Shirehampton Rd, Sea Mills, BS9 2DY. shaky.trail.motel

• Boyce’s Avenue, Clifton, BS8 4AA - on the wall of East Village cafe, near The Albion. goad. chef.recall

• Redland Park United Reformed Church, Whiteladies Road, Redland, BS6 6SA - junction with Redland Park. stole.rust.prime

• Westbury Baptist Church Hall, Reedley Road, Westbury on Trym, BS9 3TE. demand.dose. aspect

• The George Inn, 4-6 High Street, Shirehampton, BS11 0DE. park.leaves.cotton

• Future Leap, 1-3 Gloucester Road (at the Zetland Road junction), BS7 8AA. book.zebra.boat

• Charlton Road, Brentry (by Central Discount Carpets). back.flats.hogs

These locations will be next updated and reprinted in the December magazine, so please, if you can, take a photo of this page on your phone and save it for emergency use, or cut the page out and keep for reference. The what3words location is given in red for each AED location.

The Celebrating Age Festival

The Celebrating Age Festival (CAF) takes place annually in October launching on the International Day of Older Persons on 1st October. This festival is all about challenging stereotypes around ageing and encouraging everyone to try something new. There will be a variety of free and low-cost events and activities taking place from musical performances, art exhibitions and tours, to discos and shared reading groups.

The festival showcases what’s going on across Bristol for people over the age of 50. To mark the occasion Henleaze Senior Film Club will be running a special event on Monday 24th October, when the recently released and highly acclaimed Baz Luhrmann film, Elvis will be shown, followed by a cream tea. The Film Club takes place at 2pm at St Peter’s Church Hall, The Drive, Henleaze, BS9 4LD. Booking is required, please call Home Instead on 0117 435 0063.

For more information please call 0117 435 0063 or visit www.homeinstead.co.uk/bristolnorth

Here are your weekend high and low tide times for the River Avon in October. All times are adjusted for/listed in British Summer Time (the clocks go back late Sunday 30th October). High tides over 13m are highlighted in red, and the highest tide of the month is the one on Monday 10th October at 2038, at 14.1m.

High Tide

Low Tide High Tide

Saturday 1st October 1117 1739 2337

Sunday 2nd October 1158 1815 0024

Saturday 8th October 0653 1332 1914

Sunday 9th October 0738 1421 1958

Saturday 15th October 1051 1713 2307

Sunday 16th October 1116 1736 2334

Saturday 22nd October 0550 1220 1808

Sunday 23rd October 0634 1311 1851

Saturday 29th October 1024 1659 2245

Sunday 30th October 1104 1732 2328

© Crown Copyright and/or database rights. Reproduced by permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office and the UK Hydrographic Office (www.GOV.uk/UKHO).

Richard Higgs gains SOLLA Accreditation

We are delighted to announce Richard Higgs, Chartered Financial Adviser has achieved the SOLLA Later Life Accreditation, the gold standard for advice in the Later Life market.

The Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) was established in 2008 as a not for profit organisation dedicated to higher standards and accessibility to regulated financial advice for older people and their families. SOLLA helps people find trusted accredited financial advisers who specialise in the financial needs of older people.

Professional qualifications, whilst essential, do not always give a full picture of an adviser’s experience or expertise.

In taking the further step to become independently accredited, Richard can offer the added reassurance that he can give the practical help and guidance needed to help clients make the right decisions at the right time.

All full members of the Society must achieve the Later Life Adviser Accreditation and adhere to a Code of Practice to ensure their clients know what to expect from their services. Accredited advisers can advise on:

• Retirement Planning - pensions and annuities

• Funding for Care Home fees

• Funding for care in your own home

• Equity release and other property options

• Savings and investment planning

• Tax matters and estate and wealth planning

Richard said, “I am so proud to achieve this award. Helping and advising people in later life has been my passion for as long as I can remember - it’s so nice to get professional recognition!

I founded Harold Stephens over 10 years ago now to serve one kind of client, the local retiree who is still looking for that old-fashioned, face to face level of service. I would argue that local retirees need this level of service even more in this post-pandemic world – anyone having difficulties getting hold of anyone these days?!

Financial advising local retirees is just part of what we do. Our long-term mission is to make North West Bristol the best later life community in the South West. We are now collaborating with other passionate individuals and organisations to make this happen. Watch this space!”

If you would like 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.

This month the history topic arose from noticing Bristol’s statue of justice that sits above the portico of the old Council House in Corn Street. This reminded me of Shakespeare’s play Measure for Measure, in which he addressed the issue of tempering justice with mercy., and got me thinking that we generally take measurement systems for granted.

Before our distant ancestors built the Pyramids, the Ark or even King Solomon’s Temple, a common and consistent system of measurements had to be agreed upon. The earliest measurements used by man would have been based upon the visible dimensions of the human body, probably starting with the breadth of a finger, a digit. One of the oldest documented measurements is that of length, and the one that most of us probably know of is the cubit - which some accounts gave as the length of a person’s forearm; taken to be about 18 inches, (45cm).

Even 5000 years ago there existed standards of measure of length, time, weight and volume and, as expected, were relatively simple. However, they had one thing in common. They were all counted the same way with the same numbering system, an observation that is based upon remnants of measures from the past that are available today. Even though some measurement systems are now anachronistic, and some even give rise to paradoxical problems arising from attempts to take accurate measurements. And did you know that in the fifteenth century Bristol could rightly claim to be the most measured town in Britain? Read on.

These ancient system and methods of measurement, much adapted down the millennia, have formed the basis of our own imperial system. This was true until the latter half of the 20th century when what were seen by some as bureaucratic attempts were made to overturn the imperial system. Legislation, enforced by law, introduced decimal-based measurement systems. However in recent years, after numerous prosecutions of shopkeepers who continued to use our wellestablished measurement systems, some of the imposed changes were relaxed - which is why we now have a mixed system. The original change to decimal based systems came from the scientific community, who needed

an internationally agreed common system of measurement. Thus the CGS system of length, mass and time - Centimetre, Gram and Second - was adopted, alongside the MKS system - Metre, Kilogram, and Second measurements.

Let’s consider some distant concepts of measurement.

The weighing of souls, known from the Ancient Greek as kerostasia, is a religious idea in which a person’s life is assessed by weighing their soul, immediately before or after death, in order to judge their fate - a concept commonly seen in medieval Christianity. The first known depiction of literal weighing of souls in Christianity is from the 2nd century Testament of Abraham, and it is the Archangel Michael who is the one most commonly shown, on Judgement Day, using pan scales to weigh people’s souls. Figures of Themis the goddess of wisdom, justice and good counsel, holding aloft the scales, often feature above law courts - in Britain our most famous is probably that above the Old Bailey in London. There she stands upon a globe to indicate that justice ‘straddles the world’ and holds a sword for meting out a punishment. Sometimes statues of justice are also shown blindfolded to indicate their impartiality.

Our own statue of justice, seated above the old Council House in Corn Street, gave rise to much comment when erected. This was because the statue, by Edward Hodges Baily, RA FRS, held the Sword of Retribution but had no scales of judgment or balance. At that time the omission attracted ribald comment from the satirical Bristol Magpie newspaper. However, the omission became even more unfortunate after World War II, when the City Council vacated the building - for their new

council house on college Green - and the old building, still surmounted by Baily’s statue, became the Crown Court. The good news for miscreants was that, as you can see, by then the copper sword had corroded away!

Another less contentious and ancient quantitive measurement that survives today is the ‘Carat’ - a term which is one of the factors in considering a diamond’s value. Before general measurement systems csame into play a carat weight was taken to be the weight equivalent to a single seed of the carob tree, Ceratonia Siliqua. Because they consistently weighed in at what is now commonly measured as about 200 milligrams, the carob seed was used by early gem dealers as a convenient and widely available unit of measure for diamonds. In 1871 a carat was standardised as 205 milligrams and is nowadays accepted as 200 milligrams. Practically, smaller diamonds are measured in “points”- equivalent to one-hundredth of a carat.

William Worcester was born in St. James’s parish, Bristol, in 1415, sometimes signing himself Botoner, (his grandfather’s family name). After schooling he went to Oxford, as Agent for the irascible Sir John Falstolf until his death in 1459. During a month-long return visit to Bristol in 1480 Worcester decided to undertake a topographical survey of his hometown. He paced streets, measuring their length and width, he measured buildings too, jotting notes as he went. Although some of his measurements are in feet and inches, most lengths were based upon his own Gressus (or paces) - a deliberate heeland-toe measure the length of his two feet. In this manner he carefully walked the length and breadth of the city. In Frances Neale’s monumental record “William Worcestre: The Topography of Medieval Bristol” she lists all of his measurements, literally a step-by-step guide to 15th century Bristol.

One final observation on the concept of measurement. How long is Britain’s coastline? In 1993 I gave a talk to the BMS on the Hidden Secrets of Nature & Science, and one of the topics discussed was the seemingly simple task of measuring length the coastline of Britain. Depending upon one’s terms of reference, how do you measure it? The deceptively simple question poses the dichotomy of accuracy versus practicality –

with the answer all dependent upon defining the measurement parameters and results. The easiest answer is look it up in an atlas, where you may fond that the answer is typically 2,410 Miles. So, what is the problem?

The problem is one of measurement method and resolution. For example, if your method of measure is a measuring stick, or dividers, set to 200 miles the outline would just be series of straight lines looking very vaguely like Great Britain and giving a length for the coastline of 1,600 miles. Nonsensical and useless of course. If the dividers are now set at only 5 miles the map will look more familiar, with the sum of all the lines giving a coastline length of 2,000 miles. But perhaps that resolution still isn’t sufficient for our needs. Let’s do the job properly, go out into the field with a theodolite and reduce the measurement length to 300 yards - which would allow us to include most of the bays and inlets. The coastline has now correspondingly increased to 3,500 miles! What about all those little bays that we missed? To do the job really well we should use a pace stick, set to a yard, (3 Feet). The coastline now includes all the little bays and inlets, giving us a length of 6,000 miles. Accurate enough? Surely we need to use a tape measure and get down on our hands and knees. It is obvious from this that the task is without limit. The finer the resolution the more there is to measure. The point of this example is not to illustrate the absurdity of crawling around the coast of Britain on hands & knees, but to illustrate the problems of defining scale and its impact on measurements. We could continue this action from the macroscopic, through the microscopic and so on down to the Atomic and even sub-atomic level - which could produce an ‘infinitely’ long coastline. Surely an example of “reductio ad absurdum”. Because we are now presented with the following paradox. We know that by looking at Britain from the air it is still the same “size”, so how can it be bounded by a line that is ‘infinitely’ long? In other words, how is it possible to have a finite area bounded by an immeasurably, or even infinitely, long line? Let me ponder this, on your behalf, in the coming month.... Julian Lea-Jones,

There is a real demand for modern and the moment, so if any pre-loved would like to do please bring them in - we are always happy to consider a

Gold prices are also high - so now is a great time to sell on any gold you no longer want.

Market Comment - Let us ponder the human side of buying, selling or letting a home.

In the days before technology invaded the estate agency industry - flooding it with helpful and not so helpful ‘proptech’ – estate agents kept buyers’ details written on index cards that were stored in plastic boxes. These were called hot boxes in the trade and all estate agents had them.

Depending on how long buyers had been looking for a property, each card bore the scars of persistent scrutiny and revision. The cards told the stories of individuals or families. Notated were names, contact details, price range information, aspirations, desires, and even dreams. The longer the search, the fuller, more dog-eared and coffee-stained the cards became until they formed part of their subjects’ stories reflecting the struggles to make dreams come true.

Why so much detail on the cards? Because how on earth can you find what someone truly wants in a home unless you’ve asked them and understood their answer? Nowadays the computer has long overtaken the hot box. In some ways it’s an efficient change. But in other ways it depersonalises the process. You can’t get much more personal than a home and its occupants. At Howard we know that a hot box was a list of human beings being human and looking for their safe place.

Strokes on a keyboard rather than scribbled notes have replaced the hot box - the lowest of low tech. But all is not lost. Because the best estate agents still have hot boxes, it’s just that these days we keep them in our heads. We haven’t needed them much over the past few years in sales. But now they are being pressed back into service as the market changes in favour of buyers.

By contrast, busy rental market conditions have resulted in Howard Lettings & Management responding to unprecedented volumes of enquiries from tenants seeking homes. This has been the case for quite some time now and as we move into the Autumn months it shows no sign of letting up. The Lettings team continue to work hard using their skill, knowledge and experience to ensure the best property matches for landlords and tenants.

So when you’re looking for someone to sell or let your home check out several agents. Find out what they think your property is worth and why. But also discover if their head is a hot box! Ask who’s looking, what they might be able to pay, and why they might want your house. This knowledge is basic estate agency. At Howard we say if someone has to use a computer to match home with buyer or tenant, they’re in the wrong job, because whether you are selling, buying or letting a property it still needs a human to understand what another human wants and why.

REDLAND - FOR SALE PRICE £1,250,000

A four bedroom Victorian semi-detached house with an abundance of period features. Believed to be within the Redland Green catchment area. Off street parking for two cars, beautiful gardens. Viewing comes highly recommended.

CLIFTON - FOR SALE PRICE 145,000

An attractive upper floor one double bedroom retirement (OVERS 60s) apartment. Prestigious development enjoys an excellent Clifton location. Recently installed kitchen and wet Room. Attractive communal gardens. Guest parking. Residents lounge. 24-hour emergency alarm system.

COTHAM - FOR SALE GUIDE PRICE £1,250,000

A detached four-bedroom family home with adjoining one double bedroom annex. Substantial 85-foot garden. Set well back, with driveway and mature front garden. Excellent location for Cotham Park and Redland schools, Redland Railway Station through to Bristol Temple Meads. Viewing Highly recommended.

SNEYD PARK - SOLD GUIDE PRICE £ 165,000

An attractive open plan, one double bedroom first floor flat. Forming part of this imposing Victorian building. Superb location, convenient for the Downs and Whiteladies Road. PROPERTIES REQUIRED.

Whilst writing this, I have been watching Her Majesty the Queen’s coffin being moved from Edinburgh to London. It is hard to believe the Queen is no longer here. Queen Elizabeth dedicated her life to service and duty, shining a light on other people and keeping her opinions to herself.

Queen Elizabeth was without a doubt an animal lover. Her favourite dog breed was the corgi, more specifically the Pembroke Welsh corgi. The Pembroke Welsh corgi is one of two corgi breeds, Cardigan corgi being the other one. Both breeds go back to 1100-1200AD. They were originally bred to be cattle herders, guard dogs and family companions. They are also referred to as ‘heelers’ because they nip the heels of the cattle they herd. You may imagine they are too-short legged for herding cattle, but the thinking was that being low to the ground would protect them from being kicked, the kick going over their head! Corgi actually means dwarf dog in Welsh (according to Wikipedia - my Welsh is non-existent).

The young Princesss Elizabeth first fell in love with corgis when visiting the Marquess of Bath as a child. Her father, King George VI, brought home their first corgi called Dookie in 1933 - the Princess was seven years old. In 1944 on the Princesses 18th birthday she was gifted her own corgi, called Susan. Susan went along on the honeymoon, when Princess Elizabeth married Philip.

The Queen has owned around 30 corgis, most being descendants of Susan. The Queen stopped breeding corgis in 2012, apparently she didn’t want them to outlive her. Her last corgi, Willow, died in 2018. However, it has been reported that she was given a corgi and a dorgie (dorgie is a cross between a Corgi and Dachshund) in 2021 on what would have been the Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday.

Maria Lowe MRCVS 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.

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The BS9 cookery tour comes much closer to home this month, with a stop off in beautiful France. The Alpine region of Haute-Savoie to be precise - home to many lovely cheeses including the majestic Beaufort and the semi-soft cows milk beauty that is Reblochon. If you can get Reblochon for this recipe then do try - it is available in M & S and Waitrose - as it forms the heart of a classic French dish, Tartiflette. If unavailable a good Camembert is a perfect substitute.

In simple terms Tartiflette is an easy to cook potato, bacon, cheese and cream dish whacked in the oven - but in reality it is so much more. Warming comfort food at its finest - not for the calorifically fainthearted but sometimes you just need to eat your own bodyweight in cheese.......

Tartiflette

Ingredients - serves 4

• 2 lbs waxy potatoes - Charlotte are good

• 250g bacon lardons

• 3 large shallots / 2 medium onions

• 250g single cream (or 125g cream plus 125g creme fraiche)

• 300g Reblochon cheese (or equivalent)

• 150ml dry white wine

• 3 cloves garlic

• 2 tsp dried thyme

• 2 knobs butter

• salt and pepper

Traditionally served with a dressed

green salad, small pickled gherkins (aka cornichons) and some cured meats of your choice.

Method

1. Wash (but no need to peel) your potatoes and slice into 1cm thick rounds. Place into a large saucepan, cover with salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for about 10 mins until they are just tender and can be pierced with a sharp knife. Remove from the heat, drain and set to one side.

2. In a big frying pan add a knob of butter, turn the heat up to medium - hot and add the bacon lardons. Fry for 5-10 minutes, until the are nicely browned and just beginning to go crispy. Using a slotted spoon remove the lardons from the pan, leaving in any leftover fat / butter.

3. Chop your onions / shallots relatively finely, do the same with the garlic and add both to the frying pan, adding also the remaining knob of butter. Fry over a medium heat for about 5 mintes, until the onions have softenedstirring all the time so they don’t stick, you don’t want them burning.

4. Now season generously with salt and pepper, and add the white wine to the pan. Scrape the pan bottom to remove any sticky goodness and when the wine has reduced by a half add the bacon back in. Stir together and heat for another 2 minutes then remove from the heat.

5. In a good size ovenproof dish (about A4 size and shape is fine) cover the base with half of the part-cooked potatoes. Now add half of the onion and bacon mix on top, then repeat with a remaining potato and then the remaining bacony and oniony mix.

6. Carefully pour the cream (or cream/ creme fraiche combo) over the onions/bacon/potatoes making sure you cover it all.

7. Slice your Reblochon cheese into thin strips, each about 1/2cm thick. Layer the cheese like sticking plasters, rind side up (it’s all edible) over the mixture in the ovenproof dish, covering as much of the surface area as you can.

8. Place into the middle of your oven, preheated medium-hot or about 180 degrees, and cook for approximately 35 minutes - by which time the cheese will have melted and gone all gooey and the potatoes should have finished

cooking (check this if you feel the need by carefully sampling a little potato from the middle).

9. When cooked remove from the oven and serve piping hot. Do try the pickles - their sharpness, and the salad dressing, are great at cutting through what is an incredibly rich dish.

Not necessarily an aesthetically beautiful dish, but if served with a glass of something white, cold, liquid and French it will look a whole lot lovelier! Bon appetit!

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Lasting Powers of Attorney – the appointment of attorneys

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal form that gives authority to those appointed as Attorneys to make decisions on behalf of the donor (the person who has created the LPA). There are separate LPAs for Property and Financial Affairs and for Health and Welfare.

Attorneys appointed under an LPA are able to make decisions that the donor could make if they still had the ability to do so themselves. You can therefore appreciate the power that these documents have and the importance of appoint an attorney or attorneys who you trust to look after your best interests.

Some people think that the decision over who to appoint to is a simple one. Perhaps they have a spouse who they trust to look after their best interests and they know would be willing to make decisions for them, a child or children who are financially knowledgeable and manage their own finances well, or siblings who they think would get along and act well together. However, there is more to the consideration of who to appoint than meets the eye. For example:-

1. Sole attorneys – If a solely appointed attorney is unable to act (perhaps they have died before the donor

or lost capacity themselves), their appointment would fail and the donor would be left with no attorney to make decisions and the LPA be invalid. You should then consider someone else who could act alongside your attorney or, who could step in as a replacement.

2. Multiple attorneys: how should they make decisions - You can appoint attorneys to make decisions jointly and severally (they can make decisions either together or separately, jointly (they must make decisions together), or they can make some decisions jointly and separately, and some jointly. Each option requires very careful consideration. For example, appointing attorneys to make decisions jointly could mean that if one of them dies before you, the remaining attorney cannot make those decisions that they had to make jointly with the other attorney.

3. Bankruptcy or Debt Relief Orders – An attorney cannot be appointed if they are currently bankrupt or an undischarged bankrupt or are subject to a debt relief order. If this happens after they are appointed, they can no longer act. If an attorney has previously been bankrupt etc, are they a suitable choice of attorney?

These are just some of the issues to consider when thinking of who to appoint as your attorney and it is best to seek professional advice to ensure the best possible decision is made.

For further advice on Lasting Powers of Attorney, the administration of estates, and Wills and other private client matters, contact Sophie Haskins AMD’s Private Client Department at 100 Henleaze Road, Bristol BS9 4JZ or on 0117 962 1205, email info@amdsolciitors. com or visit our website www. amdsolicitors.com

Big Buildings

1. The viewing platform on top of the O2 / Millennium Dome is how many feet off the ground - 110 feet, 170 feet or 330 feet?

2. By internal area this is the largest church in the world. Where is it?

Pot Luck

1. Name the decades these events happened - a) Mathias Rust landed his light aircraft by St Basil’s Basilica in central Moscow, b) the Channel Tunnel opened and c) Tower Bridge in London was first opened.

2. Which is the largest city sited on the River Tiber?

3. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built in which modern day country?

4. Name the little girl and the rabbit in the English version of “The Magic Roundabout”.

5. Which of these cheeses is not usually made from cows milk - Beaufort, Limburger or Pecorino?

3. Where is the Blue Mosque?

4. Cardington Sheds in Bedfordshire were built for what purpose?

5. Name the only largely intact building that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Sport

1. In which event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games did English men win gold, silver and bronze and so fill all the places on the podium?

2. In the Premier League era (since 1992) which current Premier League team has had most managers?

3. In which US cities would you find these teams playing - a) the Bruins (ice hockey), b) the Steelers (American football), and c) the White Sox (baseball)?

4. Which of these horses did not win the Aintree Grand National - Rubstic, Royal Athlete or See More Business?

5. Name the missing BDO darts world champions in this chronological list - Leighton Rees (1978), xxxxx (1979), Eric Bristol (1980, 1981), xxxxx (1982), xxxxx (1983), Eric Bristow (1984).

Sports Stars Then & Now - name them

Finest momentSheffield, 1980 Finest momentNew York, 1979

Finest momentWembley, 1978 “Finest” momentSurrey, 1971

Geography

1. Name the largest English town or city that each of these rivers flows through or by - a) River Orwell, b) River Calder, c) River Itchen.

2. In which ocean or sea would you find these islands - a) the Maldives, b) the Seychelles, and c) the Galapagos?

3. Are these cities east or west of Bristol longitudinally - a) Barcelona, b) Tripoli, c) Kuwait City?

4. What geographical characteristic do these USA states have in commonVermont, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Alaska and Idaho?

5. What percentage of the UK mainland is “built on” as opposed to being farmland, natural green space or urban green space - less than 10%, 11% - 24% or 25% or more?

Music

1. Name the first UK top ten hits for a) Madonna, b) The Beatles, and c) Take That.

2. Which of these bands or solo artists did not appear at Live Aid in London in 1985 - Elvis Costello, Bryan Ferry or UB40?

3. In The Sound of Music what were Julie Andrew’s first two “favourite things” in the song “My Favourite Things”?

4. Name the Polish composer best known for his Piano Sonata No. 2, better known as the “Funeral March”

5. How many strings does a mandolin most commonly have?

Science

1. Whose name has been given to the replacement for the Hubble telescope?

2. The Large Hadron Collider can be found in which country?`

3. Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer Galileo Galilei was born in

which century?

4. Paleontology is the scientific study of what?

5. Can you name any three of the six noble gases in the Periodic Table?

Green Things

1. The playing surface of a championship standard snooker table is 12 feet long by 6 feet wide - true or false?

2. Which of these colours is not a shade of green - chartreuse, viridian or vermilion?

3. “American Idiot” is a 2004 album by which US rock band?

4. Name either of the co-leaders of the UK Green Party.

5. Ribes uva-crispa is the latin name for which common green fruit?

It’s In The Eyes

Name these well known people -

In certain circumstances, yes, and the consequences can be severe and unanticipated, as we discuss below.

One way such a promise may be binding is if the legal doctrine known as ‘proprietary estoppel’ arises. A court might find that an interest in land or property has been acquired if the following criteria have been met:

• a promise, assurance or representation has been made

• the promise has been relied upon

• a detriment has been suffered as a result

The court will then consider whether the failure to keep that promise results in an unconscionable outcome. If so, the final question for the court, and the topic of a recent appeal to the Supreme Court, is what is the appropriate level of any award?

The Guest Family

A multigenerational family of dairy farmers, the Guests, found themselves embroiled in such a dispute in recent years. The family’s eldest son, Andrew, left school at the age of 16 and worked

long hours on the farm for nearly 33 years, being paid a basic wage. Sadly, the relationship between Andrew and his parents, David and Josephine, deteriorated over the years and Andrew left the farm in 2015.

In 2017 Andrew brought a proprietary estoppel claim, arguing that he was entitled to receive a share of the farm as a result of assurances made by his parents that he would one day inherit a significant proportion of it. The court ordered his parents to make a payment to him amounting to 50% of the value of the farming business and 40% of the value of the farm itself. The inevitable consequence of that order was that the farm must be sold.

The case was heard by the Supreme Court in December 2021 after David and Josephine appealed. The main question being considered was how to approach granting relief to a successful claimant; should an award be based on the expectation, or based on the detriment suffered, which may be significantly less than the expectation held.

Tantalisingly the Supreme Court’s judgement has not yet been shared and is eagerly anticipated.

Key Takeaways?

The Guest case demonstrates the difficulty, even for judges, in attaching a monetary value to successful claims.

“One day all this will be yours” - Can a Verbal Promise Be Legally Enforced?

Fiona Lawrence

The case reminds us of some important lessons:

1. Try to ensure that all agreements regarding the ownership of land are recorded in writing with the knowledge and agreement of all involved.

2. Regularly review your Will to ensure any agreements about what will happen to your assets after your death are properly recorded. The Guest case is unusual as Andrew’s claim was brought whilst his parents are still alive. It is common for these claims to be made after death, as it is often only

then that the ‘broken promise’ is discovered.

3. If you find yourself in the position of either Andrew or his parents, take legal advice at an early stage. Proprietary estoppel is a notoriously complex area of law and the outcomes can be difficult to predict.

For further information, please contact Fiona Lawrence in VWV’s Private Client team on 0117 925 2020 or at flawrence@vwv.co.uk

vwv.co.uk Legal Advice?

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

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Start date is 1 November 2022 (or as close to this date as possible).

In September this year, my daughters both started at new schools: my 4-year-old as a new reception pupil at a local primary school and my eleven-year-old joining year 7 at a local secondary school. It was only my son who remained in the same setting, moving up a year at his primary school. So what a perfect time and opportunity to discover, through their eyes and mine, what schooling is really like nowadays.

The school my youngest daughter now attends is where I too went to primary school and I wonder whether her experience of schooling in 2022 will be anything like mine? Will she enjoy her daily (warm-ish) milk at break time? Will she be taught handwriting, with an intense focus on curling the ‘s’ in a specific D’Nealian style? Will there be lunchtime trips to the local parks? Will potato and cheese pie and cornflake cake served with green or pink custard still be a lunchtime favourite? Are chips even allowed in schools these days after Jamie Oliver’s rebellion over the standards of school dinners in 2005? Does a daily story time still exist, where children can sit and enjoy the magic of a book being read to them? And what has become of the fate of school discos, nit nurses, dinner ladies, overhead projectors, paper registers and video players wheeled into the classroom on rainy days (oh the joys!)?

These are just some of my memories of days spent at primary school some thirty years ago – with many people calling them “the best days of my life”. But what is it really like to be at primary school these days? What about secondary school? What is taught and how? And in what ways does this experience differ from the schooling that previous generations had? In a series of articles, I will be exploring these questions, focusing on the experience and memoirs of some fantastic BS9 folk. My background as a primary school teacher with over fifteen-years’ experience and contributing author of a number of pieces for the Times Educational Supplement certainly helps to inform me on some level about life in a state primary school but what it’s like to attend

secondary school in 2022 is an unknown field I’m eager to explore and compare.

It’s September 2022 and another new, excited, neat-uniform-laden school cohort starts their reception year at primary school. Let’s start with register taking, that utmost importance of jobs. I remember playing ‘teachers’ for hours at home, ticking off names on my handmade register and enquiring about the dinner options of the imaginary room of children. Today, you’ll find that when children arrive at school, they mark off their own attendance and daily dinner option on the classroom’s interactive whiteboard in most primary classrooms. As in all areas, technological advancement has been one of the biggest game-changers in the educational climate. Most children from reception age will be using the classroom’s interactive whiteboard, iPads, laptops, recording devices, Beebot Robots, apps and online games both in the classroom and at home. Many reception teachers note how most children now arrive at school highly competent with using an iPad but unable to hold a pencil correctly.

Online interactive learning platforms have now become a daily feature of primary school life. These were established before COVID-induced home schooling but became essential during lockdowns to enable teachers to set learning tasks and communicate efficiently with pupils and families. Schools have continued to use them to a far greater extent once all pupils returned to schools and they

are proving vital for a successful homeschool partnership with homework setting, information sharing and an insight into daily classroom work and activities. The establishment of Twinkl, an online educational publishing house established in 2010, also now helps many teachers to deliver the national curriculum (and assisted grateful, home-schooling parents to do the same during lockdowns!) – and can be a huge time-saver – although the mass-produced worksheets and teaching resources are no substitute for teaching tailored to an individual class’ interests, experience and needs!

There was once a time when the national curriculum and statutory assessment tests (SATS) based on that curriculum were not a thing – unbelievable to me but a historical, societal reality. What did schools teach, how was education standardised and how were pupils assessed?! I look forward to finding out more from the people who know in my future pieces.

schools, so academies and free schools do not have to follow the national curriculum. They must, however, teach a ‘broad and balanced’ syllabus and complete SATS that are aligned with the national curriculum. English and Maths SATS take place in year 2 and year 6*, alongside other statutory tests in other year groups and ongoing formative teacher assessment and inschool summative assessments to measure progress and attainment. This generation of primary-schoolers is a regularly tested one. At the end of the year, pupils from year 1 to year 6 will achieve a level of either working at greater depth (WGD), working at the expected standard (WA) or working towards the expected standard (WT) for their year group.

So how do teachers actually teach in 2022? I’m sure that individual motivations for going into the profession of pedagogy have remained very similar throughout the generations – the desire to enter a vocation that nurtures, prepares and inspires children – but how do they do this today?

The national curriculum was introduced into primary schools in 1989 and key stage testing in 1991. The programmes of study set out in the 2014 version of the national curriculum are now followed in most primary schools. I say most because one significant change to education from 2010 was the Government introducing legislation that allowed all schools to make the change to become academies or free schools. These institutions have more autonomy over their budget, staffing and curriculum than regular state-funded

In reception, the delivery of systematic synthetic phonics is a daily activity to teach pupils to read and write. Long gone are the days of the alphabetic method of teaching or Janet and John early reading books, where the skill of reading was taught through the repetition of words. Alongside this focus on phonics, ‘deep’ play is at the heart of today’s learning in reception – at least an hour at a time of free play, which is observed by a teacher then developed further to help a child meet one of the seven early learning goals. Every box of play resources is transparent so children can self-select their toys and equipment. Ever-popular toys are available to play with – dollies and prams, Lego, creative role play corners, dressing up clothes, dinosaurs and cars. Outdoor play is compulsory and weekly forest school sessions support play, exploration and supervised risk taking. All key stage 1 children are provided with free fruit at breaktime and a free school lunch until the end of key stage 1, as introduced in September 2014 to improve academic

attainment and to help assist families financially. Teaching children to use cutlery correctly became part of the curriculum last year, perhaps a nod to fewer communal family meal times taking place when such basic skills were traditionally taught.

More than ever, the pupils of class 2022 are encouraged to ‘discover’ the answer to questions through their own research and exploration. Ploughing through workbooks, as I remember, is no longer a feature of a primary classroom and lengthy ‘talk and chalk’ sessions are not the way teaching is delivered anymore. Children still write in exercise books for different subjects - it’s not all about technology –with children using pencils until a muchcoveted ‘pen licence’ is achieved. But watch this space – who knows how long this will last as laptops become more and more of a prominent feature of primary classrooms.

‘thinking time’. Names are often picked at random by the teacher and individual whiteboards or journals are used by pupils to give quickfire answers so a whole class is actively engaging with the learning. ‘Pupil voice’ is valued and encouraged.

During recent years, many primary schools have embraced the ‘purple learning’ concept. This is an approach to learning that focuses on providing pupils with strategies to enable them to understand themselves as learners and thinkers (a metacognitive approach). For example, pupils might now self-select the differentiated questions in class that correctly challenge them at an appropriate level – not too hard and not too easy but just right. Maybe it should have been called the Goldilocks approach! A ‘no hands up’ system is also what you’d now expect to see in most primary classrooms. Instead, children are often given the opportunity to talk things through with a partner or given

That wonderful, magical pleasure of reading a book aloud to a class of captivated children – so important for their language and grammatical development, speaking and listening skills, cultural understanding and reading comprehension – is, of course, still valued in primary schools. The challenge is fitting this in around the demands and volume of the rest of the curriculum and weekly timetable of events. Sadly, this is sometimes a losing battle, but the ideal is still, as children’s author Michael Morpurgo writes, to: ‘let there be half an hour of story time at the end of school in primary schools up and down the country. Make this the half an hour that they all long for, that they don’t want to be over. Let the children go home dreaming of the story, reliving it, wondering’. Even school libraries are making a comeback after many schools emptied them out to create additional space for other requirements. Today, dyslexia-friendly books and resources can be found in many such libraries. ‘Mystery readers’ in classrooms and visiting authors can all help to fill this story time-void that has been slowly growing but primary schools are making a concerted effort to encourage a new generation of children who enjoy listening to a good story.

In November’s magazine, I will be exploring the impact of coronavirus on this generation of primary school-attendees, and how this is affecting teaching and learning in the classrooms of today. Safeguarding, disciplinary measures, special needs, school dogs and a Viking battle are the eclectic range of items all up for discussion – oh, and the answers to the fate of the nit nurse, video players and pink custard!

© Georgie Mountjoy

Keep An Eye Out For Malware

Most people have anti-virus software installed, but often these programs fail to stop other Malware (unwanted and sometimes dangerous software) from invading their PC. Tell-tale signs of Malware include;

Popup Ads Pop Appearing Everywhere

While not as common as they used to be, adware programs bombard their victims with advertisements, including links to malicious websites

Your Browser Keeps Getting Redirected

Not every site redirect is malicious, but if you find that trying to reach DuckDuckGo or Google takes you to an unfamiliar search site, you’ve got a problem.

An Unknown App Sends Scary Warnings

Creating and distributing fake antivirus programs (also called scareware) is a lucrative business.

Mysterious Posts Appear on Your Social Media

Malware focused on Facebook and other social media sites propagates by generating fake posts or DMs.

You Get Ransom Demands

Some malware programs literally hold your

PC or data for ransom. Others are all bluff and bluster. For example, they may display a warning, purportedly from the FBI or another agency, stating that your computer was used to send spam or view porn, and demanding that you pay a fine before you’re allowed to use it again.

Your System Tools Are Disabled

A smart user, suspecting the presence of malware, might launch Task Manager to investigate, or check settings using Registry Editor. If you suddenly find that trying to use these or other system tools triggers a message saying your Administrator has disabled them, it may well be an attempt at self-defense by malware on your system.

What to do if you think you have Malware? Rerunning a manual full scan through your antivirus software can help. Better still, download a free copy of the Malwarebytes app and use it to scan your PC - I still think it’s the best of its kind. The app will find any Malware and offer to quarantine it. After a 14 day free trial you can opt to keep the free version and it’s worth doing a scan once a month to check for unwanted nasties on your PC.

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

Free Legal Stock-Take meeting

Nowadays we all have so much admin to sort out at home – it is easy for things to get out of date. Local experts - Simpson Solicitors - offer our readers a FREE (no obligation) review meeting to take stock.

The Free Review is centred on making sure your legal affairs are in order - so that those you care about are protected if you were to die unexpectedly. This includes: -

A legal validity check of any existing Will or Powers of Attorney, that they are signed in accordance with the complex rules that apply.

HM Land Registry home and property search to check they are owned in the way you think and that this will not cause problems.

Recording what you own (property, bank accounts, investments, on-line accounts, life insurance) and how it can be accessed if you weren’t here.

Offering to arrange independent financial advice where that might help protect your savings.

Advice on how to protect those you leave behind – as family relations may have changed over the years, altering who you want to benefit. Adding provision for new additions such as children/grandchildren or stepchildren. With advice on Guardians for children under 18.

Tax and care home fee rules review – covering recent changes – with advice so your family don’t receive an avoidable tax or care home bill.

Decide who you trust to be able to help you make decisions or pay bills or sign for you if an accident or illness meant you could not do this yourself. Advising on modern Powers of Attorney.

To arrange your Free Review either email message@simpsonslawuk.com or call 0117 959 2266 your own Your Will is how you decide who will inherit

Living Together Avoid disputes and provide for your partner in the

Parent Wills case the worst happened, provide for

Later Life Wills family’s

Lasting Powers of Attorney your wishes are by

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A few months again I wrote about the gang of mice that had been regularly visiting our cupboards and their humane return to the local woods. They’re still yet to return, but in the meantime we’ve been the subject of a different kind of animal assault - this time from suicidal pigeons.

This distressing phenomenon has happened four times in less than a month. It starts with a loud thud that’s accompanied by a bird-shaped splat on the window, as well as traces of their last supper. Having discovered the final resting place, it’s then a case of corpse recovery and disposal.

This last stage comes with the added difficulty that Frazzle, our retriever, is often first to the feathery remains. Incredibly, she’s not particularly bothered about these lifeless masses, that is until she spots me heading towards them carrying a spade. You don’t have to be Doctor Doolittle to understand what she’s thinking; that I’ve invented a new ball-launcher-style game. Nor is her huge disappointment lost on me when bird isn’t catapulted through the air for her to chase.

Dog excitement aside, it’s been quite traumatic. A little research suggests that, rather than some kind of pact amongst an unhappy local flock, it’s more likely to be a window reflection of either the sky or nearby vegetation that is confusing them. Apparently, so common is the problem in

the US, over 1 billion birds die from window strikes each year. Thankfully, by keeping certain curtains pulled and placing objects on sills, we have come up with a way to remove ourselves from the flight path.

Around the same time, three or four pigeons had also been roosting on our roof, the echoing sounds of their coos drifting down from above causing Frazzle to spend most of the day with her nose sniffing up the fireplace.

Then finally, one slightly blustery morning, the thing that we feared would happen actually happened, and one of them tumbled down the chimney out into our living room – bringing plenty of soot and debris with it. In an interesting twist, Frazzle remained the calmest of all, closely followed by the bird as it shook itself off and sat quietly on a nearby rug.

Luckily, after an appropriate amount of human panic and armed with a large towel, we staged a rescue and, delighted that we could actually return a pigeon to the wild still alive, released the baffled bird ready for its/our next adventure.

THIS BS9 LIFE - DUNCAN HASKELL

Duncan Haskell

Failure to Make Financial Provision in a Will

What is your position when, say, a rich relative, having promised to leave you (being a relative of his) a proportion of his estate, in fact makes a will leaving everything to (for instance) an animal charity? You might well be disappointed. Nevertheless the law allows us to leave our estate to whom whoever we wish. However there are exceptions.

For instance the law provides that we have a duty to make reasonable financial provision for certain defined persons, most often spouses, partners and children. If your relative was unmarried with no children he will have been unlikely to have any legal duty to provide for any family members.

Is a promise to make financial provision enforceable?. Unfortunately there are only very limited circumstances where such a promise is legally binding. Promises that can be enforced in law require “detriment” on the part of the person who had the promise made to them (for instance a relative working on a farm for no or little wage on the promise of “one day all this will be yours”).

If the deceased had left a document, such as a letter, indicating an intention the you should benefit under his will then you could argue that the handwritten document is in effect a statement by the deceased setting out his wishes to make provision for you.

On that basis it is a reason for you to contact the animal sanctuary charity, (being the sole beneficiary under the will) to see if it would consider making an ex gratia payment to you. An ex gratia payment is one a charity is under no legal obligation to make, but one that its trustees feel they have a moral duty to fulfil. Such a payment will require compelling evidence as to why it is morally justified.

Any ex gratia payment would only ever be a small proportion of the whole estate, and agreement from charities to such payments is rare.

Can you demand to see the will and a breakdown of the estate’s assets? Basically the answer is “no” as the deceased’s legal affairs and finances are fundamentally confidential to him and his executors and being a relative does not give you a special right to disclosure of information. After a person has died and if the estate is one where probate is required, their will is published and, therefore, available for anyone to obtain a copy for a small fee. A copy of the grant of probate is also obtainable and that will tell you the gross and net (less inheritance tax and other expenses) value of the estate. That is the limit of the information you can acquire but if you have developed a good relationship with the charity benefitting under the will they might be inclined to disclose the information you require.

• 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 11 October is on “Art Behind Bars”, and on 8 November is on “Making a Stand - Sporting architecture”. Lectures are held at 8pm at Redmaids’ High School, Westbury-on-Trym, BS9 3AW. For more information visit our website www. theartssociety-bristol.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. Please do come and give us a try. For more information, please contact Kathy telephone 0117 9493628 or email www.bccschoralsociety. org.uk

• 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/whatson/symphony-of-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 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. On Monday 17 October “Castaway’s Choice” 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.

with Rebecca Evans CBE. The radiantvoiced international soprano will reflect on her career at home and abroad in conversation with Andrew Borkowski.

• 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 looking forward to starting our new season on Thursday 6th October with our Soirée d’accueil at 8pm, followed by a talk on Thursday 20th October on ‘La langue française au service de la diplomatie internationale’. Our programme 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 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 are rehearsing once again, and we invite new and returning singers to join us at our weekly rehearsals, every Thursday from 7pm -9pm at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Elm Park, Filton, Bristol BS34 7PS. We are a sociable and friendly group, singing a wide range of musical styles in our repertoire, and we look forward to seeing you - you don’t have to be a reader of music. Ffi see our website www. bristolmvc.org.uk or us on 07587 143 220.

• 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.

• 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 11am - 12.30pm during term-time, registration essential. For more information please email Hannah and Lucy - info@trymwoodstudios.co.uk

• 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 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 October 15th, 10am to 12noon. 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 our web site:www.henleazebowlingclub.org.uk

• The Henleaze Concert Society ‘An American Landscape’ concert is on November 19th at 7:30 at the Trinity-Henleaze 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 887. On Thurs 13 Oct we have A Glorious Sustainable Cornucopia with local flower grower Roz Evitt from The Wild Zinnia. All welcome - visitor entry £6 cash including refreshments. Then on Thursday 10th November we will have a Christmas floral extravaganza ‘Carry on Christmas’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 - Special event as part of the Celebrating Age Festival in Bristol. On Monday 24th October at 2pm, Baz Luhmann’s “Elvis” (12A) 2022. The story of Elvis from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star.Tickets: £4.00 including cream tea. Booking essential, please call 0117 435 0063. Carers welcome, easy access - 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 – From 20th September 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. Do you play the saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass guitar or keyboard? 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. 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 6pm-7.30pm 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 the 13th October at 7.30pm when Steven Powles will return to talk to us about ‘Tawny Owls’, and at our meeting on 10th November Roz from The Wild Zinnia nursery will tell us all about ‘Growing and Arranging Dried Flowers’. Visitors always welcome - FFI phone Pat 07779 203626 or Gail 0117 9685350.

• 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

Air Source Heat Pump Survey

Please complete our survey. SusWoT aims to reduce energy use locally and promote the use of low carbon energy such as solar and wind generated electricity. Installing an ASHP will do this.

Last month I wrote about the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) and the £5000 grant available. Westbury is one of eleven places in the country where projects to investigate trialling installing Air Source Heat Pumps are being held. If enough people are interested, Westbury could be part of the next stage and have expert support with the whole process of installation for those who want to install one. SusWoT’s role is to find out how many people are interested in an ASHP. We are not looking for commitment just an idea of the level of interest here. This information will be used to estimate how many installations there might be in Westbury in the next year or two. There is no personal data collected during the survey. Your postcode is needed as clusters of homes interested in an ASHP would allow analysis of the effect of a group of ASPHs on the local electricity supply.

The information is being collected using an online survey. Even if you have no intention of getting an ASHP, by doing the survey you will help the Centre for Sustainable Energy understand the level of interest in Westbury. Even 2% interest would be a lot of homes.

The survey is available here - www. surveymonkey.co.uk/r/JPGMD39 or by using the QR code. We would be grateful if you did the survey as soon as possible it may close in midOctober. You can email suswot2050@ gmail.com if you are interested in learning more.

Redcliffe and Temple School at Somerset Square, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RT. See 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 self-led 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 Westburyon-Trym 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-onTrym Methodist Church Hall, BS9 3AA. There are lots of great toddler toys, a baby area, a weekly craft activity, singing, hot drinks and biscuits, and a final prayer to end the session. We ask for a £1 voluntary donation on the door. There is a public car park immediately next door to the church. Pre-booking is required for attendance. Please go to the calendar of events on the Holy Trinity Church website https://www. westbury-parish-church.org.uk/calendar/. Choose the session you want to book for and click on it to take you to the sign up page. We only need one name per family to sign up. All are very welcome!

• 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 – Last Wednesday of the month 2pm – 3.30pm at the Eastfield Pub. Come along for a warm welcome, make new social connections, laugh, chat and enjoy a free tea or coffee. Email Amy community@haroldstephens.co.uk or call 0117 3636 212 if you have any questions.

No need to book.

• 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 Institute - Sue 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

Big Buildings - 1. 170 feet; 2. St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City; 3. Istanbul; 4. To build, maintain and house airships; 5. the Great Pyramid of Giza. Sport - 1. 3m springboard diving; 2. Chelsea and Spurs have both had 25 managers; 3. a) Boston, b) Pittsburgh, c) Chicago; 4. See More Business (it won the Cheltenham Gold Cup); 5. John Lowe, Jocky Wilson, Keith Deller. Pot Luck - 1.a) 1980s (1987), b) 1990s (1994), c) 1890s (1894); 2. Rome; 3. Iraq; 4. Florence and Dylan; 5. Pecorino. Geography - 1.a) Ipswich, b) Wakefield, c) Southampton; 2.a) Indian Ocean, b) Indian Ocean, c) Pacific Ocean; 3. they all lie to the East of Bristol; 4. they all have a land border with Canada; 5. less than 10% (5.9%). Music - 1a) Holiday, b) Please Please Me, c) It Only Takes A Minute; 2) UB40; 3. raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens; 4. Frederic Chopin; 5. 4 pairs of strings so 8 in total. Science - 1. the James Webb Space Telescope; 2. Switzerland; 3. 16th - 1564; 4. ancient life, notably fossils; 5. helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon.

Green Things - 1. False - the table is that size but the playing surface (the baize) is 11 ft 8.4 inches by 5ft 10 inches; 2. vermillion is a shade of red; 3. Green Day; 4. Carla Denyer or Adrian Ramsay; 5. gooseberry.It’s In The Eyes - David Beckham, Dame Judy Dench, Ken Hom