The Bristol Nine - November 2016 by Andy Fraser

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A free community magazine delivered each month through over 12,000 le erboxes across Coombe Dingle, Sneyd Park, Henleaze, Sea Mills, Westbury on Trym and Stoke Bishop

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The Editor’s Small Piece November is a funny old month if you ask me, it’s all a bit something and nothing, can’t ever make its mind up whether it wants to be autumn or winter. Even its origins demonstrate confusion - the eleventh month of the year has at its root the word “novem”, the Latin for nine. Ok, we can all get a bit Gregorian and Julian and realise that the Roman calendar had just the ten months before Greg and Jules found a spare fifty nine days (or was it sixty?) and created a couple of new months. I just wish sometimes that things were a little simpler. Why didn’t the powers that be (i.e. Julius Caesar) rename November after the Roman name for eleven when the missing couple of months were discovered. Surely Undecimber makes more sense for the penultimate month of the year - doesn’t it? Nope, November to my mind has personality issues, it is a complex character with many faces - sunny, cloudy, chilly, mild, frosty, drizzly, colourful, drab. Still, whatever it is, it is going to happen so I guess I’d better get on with it. October of course is longer than November, and just as well if you ask me. The November magazine seems to have taken a large chunk of October to produce, so having the full complement of thirty one days has been useful. Of course with the festive period just around the corner there are loads of fairs, concerts and sales coming up - you’ll find all the details at the back as usual. In addition we have two new features this month - the oft-promised and much overdue “Sports Pages” make their debut, focussing on local football team Sea Mills Park FC, and “Bristol’s Best Buildings”, a series that will look at some of my favourite pieces of local architecture and which starts with St George’s, the magnificent concert hall nestling next to Brandon Hill. If you’d like to nominate a local team or favourite building to be covered in a future issue please do get in touch, and if they are chosen and get to print you will be rewarded with 4oz of midget gems and a bottle of Tizer. On a more serious note this month sees not just Remembrance Day but also the hundredth anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Somme. I’ll join many a reader in having a quiet moment of personal reflection, and I hope you will find the poem on page 60, written by local resident Harry White, as poignant as I did when Harry sent it to me. Have a great month, and do please get in touch with any stories, enquiries, listings or requests for advertising - always happy to help. Andy 0117 259 1964 / 07845 986650 / 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PY / @BS9Andy / andy@bcmagazines.co.uk / www.bcmagazines.co.uk

Useful Information Emergencies, Support & Information

to go by bus, train, ferry, air, bike, car or foot.

Gas Emergencies 0800 111 999 Electricity Emergencies 0800 365 900 Water Emergencies 0845 600 4 600 (or your gas, water or electricity supplier) Avon & Somerset Police Non-Emergencies 101 (new no.) Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 Southmead Hospital 0117 950 5050 BRI / Children’s Hospital 0117 923 0000 NHS non-emergency 111 Council Dog Warden 0117 922 2500 Bristol Blood Donation 0117 988 2040 The Samaritans 08457 90 90 90 Alcoholics Anonymous 08457 69 75 55 ChildLine 0800 11 11 National Rail Enquiries 08457 48 49 50 Telephone Preference Service 0845 070 0707 Mailing Preference Service 0845 703 4599 Bristol Care & Repair - home safety checks & handyman 0117 95 4 2222

Local Trains

Postal Services

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Westbury on Trym Post Office 9am - 5.30pm Mon to Fri, 9am - 4pm

Trains run from Sea Mills station to Temple Meads (via Clifton Down, Redland, Montpelier, Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill) regularly throughout the day and at weekends. Cheap, fun, quick and scenic. Visit www.gwr.com for more details or pick up a timetable from your local library. Local Churches ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

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Henleaze Post Office 8.30am - 6pm Mon to Sat

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

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Stoke Bishop Post Office (in Spar) 7.00am to 8.00pm Mon to Sat, 7.00am to 5.00pm Sun

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Westbury on Trym Parcel Collection 8 - 3 Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri, 8 - 8 Wed, 7 - 2 Sat

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Late Post - there is a late post box at the main Post Office sorting depot on the A38 at Filton. Currently the late post is at 7pm.

Public Transport Visit the excellent Bristol City Council website www.travelbristolorg to plan out your routes in, around or out of the city - whether you are planning

St Mary Magdalene, Stoke Bishop www.stmarysb.org.uk 0117 968 7449 WoT Methodist Church www.westburyontrymmethodistchurch .org.uk 0117 962 2930 WoT Baptist Church, Reedley Rd, www.westburybaptist.org.uk 0117 962 9990 WoT Holy Trinity Parish Church, www.westbury-parish-church.org.uk 0117 950 8644 Sacred Heart Catholic Church, WoT www.sacredheartchurch.co.uk 0117 983 3926 St Peter’s Church, Henleaze www.stpetershenleaze.org 0117 962 4524 Trinity URC, Henleaze www.trinityhenleazeurc.org.uk 0117 962 9713 The Community Church, WoT www.the-community-church.net 0117 946 6807 St Edyth’s Church, Sea Mills, www.stedyths.org.uk, 0117 968 6965

Waste & Recycling The Household Waste and Recycling Centre on Kingsweston Lane, Avonmouth for pretty much everything. The Avonmouth centre is now open Winter hours from 8.00am to 4.15pm, 7 days a week. The Silver Line The Silver Line is the new and only free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people - open 24 hours a day every day of the year. Call anytime on 0800 4 70 80 90.

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THE BRISTOL NHW NET WORK 2017 CALENDAR IS NOW ON SALE! With beautiful photographs of Bristol submitted by local residents. Useful crime prevention safety tips have been included as well as the popular ‘Spot the Landmark’ competition, with prizes for the top winning entries. Calendars cost £2.50 each. Order forms can be downloaded from our website: www.bristolnhwnetwork.org.uk In addition to local police stations, there are a number of pick up points across the city to save people having to pay postage costs. However, calendars can be posted if you send an A4 size, self addressed, stamped envelope or we will provide the envelope if you send a sticky self addressed label together with stamps to cover the cost of postage. Postage cost details are on the order form. All funds raised from calendar sales go towards supporting local Neighbourhood Watch groups. If you would like information on how to set up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, which can help build a stronger local community, details can be found on our website. ‘Crime will not survive where community life thrives’

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No‐Prize General Knowledge Quiz 1.

Name these airline logos - past and present (clockwise from top left)

fronts a daytime morning current affairs programme, and the General Secretary of CND from 1980 to 1985?

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By what names are these people better known - a) Michael Lee Aday, b) Jorge Mario Bergoglio, and c) Krishna Bhanji?

What gauge is the UK railway network i.e. the distance between the rails?

What TV adverts do you associate with the following people - a) Mo Farrah, b) Leonard Rossiter, c) Ted Moult, d) Victor Kiam, and e) Snoop Dogg?

Name these Oscar winning actresses -

How many common names appear in the standard NATO phonetic alphabet? 11.

What products or services might you traditionally associate with the following towns and cities - a) Sheffield, b) St Austell, c) Slough, and d) Whitby?

What would you typically do with a spurtle?

What do the actress who played Raquel 12. Wolstenhulme in Coronation Street, the actress who played Fleur Forsyte in The Forsyte Saga, the singer and actor who voiced the part of the Artilleryman in Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds, the female BBC presenter who currently

Put these Bristolian landmarks in height order (building height) from highest to lowest - Cabot Tower, Wills Memorial Building, St Mary Redcliffe, and the Purdown (Lockleaze) BT tower.

What literary classics do these opening lines come from - a) “Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene”, b) “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there”, and c) "The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way towards the lagoon." Which actors and actresses play Ross and Demelza in the current series of Poldark and also the original 1970’s dramatization? Answers on page 100

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WOT Village Hall - Trustees needed

We are seeking new trustees to help run the Village Hall. The hall is used by many local groups and is a recognised venue for parties, wedding receptions and other celebrations. If you are able to help us in areas such as events, finance, maintenance, catering and bookings why not use your expertise to the benefit of the community in general and the hall in particular as we move to our 150th anniversary in 2019. If you'd like a chat about what is involved please telephone Henry Deval current Chair - on 0117 9628669 or email enquiries@wotvillagehall.org

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Constituency Matters with Charlotte Leslie MP A group of politicians are calling on Lloyds Pharmacy to rethink their plan to close their Carlton Court branch in Westbury-on-Trym.

premises were not considered in a co-ordinated fashion at the time.

“If the Medical Centre pharmacy could offer the The company says business has dropped off due to same hours and services as the Carlton Court their other branch in the GP Medical Centre in the pharmacy, this would perhaps negate local village. residents’ concerns. But if there are problems doing this within the Medical Centre premises But campaigners say this means the village now Lloyds Pharmacy seems to have opened a does not have any kind of out of hours service.. pharmacy not only in detriment to its existing shop Now the area’s MP Charlotte Leslie, along with but now it would seem to the detriment of the local councillors Geoff Gollop and Liz Radford, community the pharmacy was set up to serve.” are urging the company to rethink the plans and Cllr Gollop said he was pushing to meet with commit to extended hours. Lloyds officials at the earliest opportunity. They say that for any people, especially older Ms Leslie added: “The removal of this pharmacy people who do not have a car, the changes will will make life very difficult for many people who have a real impact on their lives. have come to rely on the later hours of the Carlton Ms Leslie said she is ‘at a loss’ to understand why, Court branch. when the GP branch was set up, this eventuality “I understand there may not be a need for two was not considered. branches of the same company but surely there is a She said: “I can understand the argument that way in which the GP branch could open longer to Westbury-on-Trym does not need two pharmacies, match the Carlton Court hours. but it does need one that opens late and offers the “I know Geoff and Liz are urging Lloyds full range of services. management to meet up as the earliest opportunity. “If you have been to a late evening doctors’ appointment, you can't get your prescription anywhere else locally. “The feedback from residents is that there is real concern. People without cars simply have no other option in the evenings.”

Charlo e Leslie MP for Bristol North West “I am at a loss to understand how this situation occurred, and why when setting up the Lloyds Pharmacy in the Medical Centre the overall needs of the area, and the other Lloyds Pharmacy

Oﬃce: 184 Henleaze Road, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4NE 0117 962 9427 www.charlo eleslie.com E: charlo e.leslie.mp@parliament.uk

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Westbury 1300 A crowd of people came to the Methodist Church Hall last month to see the plans for the celebration of 1300 Years of Westbury-onTrym. There were displays from Neighbourhood Partnership, the Friendly Club, SusWOT, Westbury Allotments, 2nd Rainbows, Wellie Art, Beating the Bounds walk, cycle ride to Worcester, among others, as well as numbers of folk from various clubs and organisations, ready with ideas for next year’s community events. The local schools are all involved and already planning their events or projects. We have support from the Westbury-on-Trym Society, the Westbury Business Association, Westbury Library, the Village Hall, local media, and Councillors Geoff Gollop and Claire CampionSmith

There will be concerts, walks, art exhibitions, talent shows, theatre, Christmas and Summer fayres, runs, and happenings involving historic walks, photos, poetry, talks, food, growing vegetables – the list keeps growing. If you want to join in the celebrations, then look out for regular updates here in The Bristol Nine as well as posters and flyers which will be appearing throughout WOT. If you have an idea for an event or wish to get involved please contact Bridget.Niblett@Outlook.com Or follow us on social media! on Twitter - @Celebrate_Westbury. on Facebook - 1300yearswot on email 1300yearswot@gmail.com

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Music with Duncan Haskell Album of the Month Ruminations by Conor Oberst (Nonesuch) Last winter, having left New York and returned to his hometown of Omaha, Conor Oberst wrote the songs that form his latest album. The period leading up to it had been an extremely difficult one for him, including being falsely accused of rape and hospitalised from exhaustion. Alone with guitar, piano and harmonica, Oberst has created ten musical sketches of this period. Stripped of any elaborate production they present a naked and sometimes uncomfortable portrait. Though his poetic tendencies can still be heard, there’s a direct and confessional nature to Ruminations. The weight of the last few years looms heavy, yet there are the occasional droplets of hope that fall upon the album. Sometimes it’s through the music itself, such as the lively piano track accompanying opener Tachycardia. Elsewhere it arrives in the form of a well-observed line. “Be careful with your headphones on when you cross the FDR / Don't want to be a casualty before you make it to the bar,” he sings on Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out, a cautionary message for the modern world.

Next Step Last of the Country Gentleman by Josh T Pearson (Mute) If you find catharsis in the uncomfortable then the debut solo album by Lift to Experience frontman Josh T. Pearson should be an ideal next step for you. Released in 2011, the stark and confessional nature of the album made it one of the best releases of that year. Unflinching in the face of the truth, it tackled Pearson’s troubles with love and excess. Those who were able to overcome the meandering nature of the tracks, and their gut-wrenching honesty, soon discovered the intricate beauty. Sweetheart I Ain’t Your Christ found him trying to reconcile his faith with his own perceived sins. The title of Honeymoon’s Great! Wish You Were Her hints at the heartbreak within, nowhere more so than with the lyric “I’m in love with an amazing woman, she just is not my wife / What will I tell my pastor, friends, my family or said blushing bride?” Accompanied by his guitar and despair, Pearson’s songs on Last of the Country Gentleman were like epic tragedies. Prolonged through their protracted structures, his suffering was palpable and impossible to turn away from.

Really though, what makes this album such a vital Gig of the month accomplishment is how much of Oberst’s own pain is Okkervil River @ revealed. The list of medical treatments mentioned in Thekla (Friday 11th Counting Sheep suggests that his recent ailments have November) taken their toll. You All Loved Him Once warns of the shallow nature of fandom, and how quick people As the chief songwriter are to desert you when times are tough. The simple and permanent fixture of backing of harmonica and gentle guitar means that his Okkervil River, Will words are impossible to ignore, and hit much harder Sheff has led his band in as a result. many different directions and with the release of their new album Away he has written his most confessional As a listener you’re left hoping that Oberst has found work to date. His current bandmates were picked due some comfort through this musical and emotional to their technical excellence which means that this exorcism. upcoming performance should be an intriguing combination of the intricate and proficient. With a Ruminations might be difficult to hear in places, but superb back catalogue stretching back over a decade, that’s all the more reason to do so. it’s sure to be a memorable evening. Duncan Haskell

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The future starts now OK, there are good times to do things and there are bad times to do things. November is a good time to plant tulips - plant them too early and they may succumb to disease, February is a bad time to start your tax return - you’re too late, it should have been in in January. But fitness? That’s easy to get right because the future starts now. There is never a bad time to do something to improve your fitness, whether you are a runner looking to lose a few seconds or a couch athlete looking to lose a few pounds. So now is a great time to do something positive about looking after yourself. Don’t wait until January and those inevitable New Year resolutions. If you get started now you can be ahead of the game and by January you’ll already be feeling better about yourself. Mentally and physically you’ll feel good - your body, your mind and your clothes will thank you! To help you on the road to a happier, healthier, more positive future Darren Phippen and Chris Lock have set up Trymwood Fitness on Shirehampton Road, Stoke Bishop. With over thirty years experience in the fitness business between them, working with people on a one-to-one and on a group basis, Darren and Chris are brilliantly qualified to help you set and achieve your health and fitness goals. More stamina? Greater flexibility? Weight Loss? Healthier lifestyle? Whether you are male or female, young or old, active & sporty or wanting to take those first steps to greater fitness, Chris and Darren will help you out. Supportive, motivating , positive - and friendly. To find out more ring Darren - 07855 387958 - or Chris - 07812 572303 to book a free no obligation consultation about how they can help you achieve that happier, healthier future.

TRYMWOOD FITNESS - call us now or find us on Facebook Personal Training - Small Group Training - Nutrition - Bodyfat Testing - Sports Massage

www.trymwoodfitness.com

The Sports Pages I can’t say I’ve ever been much of an active sportsman - for me the invention of asthma inhalers came just too late as I wheezed my way around the school sports pitches in the 1970’s. It’s fair to say that darts is probably the sport I excelled at most (and certainly the only one I’ve ever won trophies at) - and I’ve just installed a new board in the office in an attempt to rekindle that prowess with the arrows. No, I’ve always been much more of a non-participant when it comes to athletic pursuits. So while I am proficient at none I enjoy and will watch pretty much any sport, although (drops voice to a whisper) I detest rugby. But football, cricket, athletics, golf, motor sport, horse racing, dominoes - I’ll happily watch, whether in the Parker Knoll or at the event itself. So it surprises me that sport has featured so sparingly in the magazine given it’s been going for over a decade and despite us having plenty of local men and women and children devoting their spare time to the sport(s) that they love. To recognise this I’ve finally got around to producing the first of a monthly sports article, in which I plan to give some exposure to local teams, provide contact details for clubs in case you are interested in getting involved, and publicising sporting success (and failure) in and around BS9. The first recipients of the Club of the Month are the men who pull on the blue shirts and shorts (with white trim and red socks) of Sea Mills Park Football Club who have been playing the beautiful game since 1925. The Millers run three teams - the First team compete in the Bristol Premier Combination (Premier Division) and play at the Kingsweston Sports Ground on Napier Miles Road, the Reserves play in Bristol & District League 2 and the A team play in Bristol & District League 5. The Reserves and A team both play in Canford Park.

I was invited along to watch the squad train one evening up at the beautifully situated Kingsweston Sports Ground, by Steve Farr, the first team goalkeeper. Steve introduced me to Ikie Greening, the

Millers manager, who has a pedigree to match Gary Johnson in terms of managing, it seems, most local clubs (Ikie has also managed Shirehampton and Hallen before his 6 year (and counting) tenure at Sea Mills). Steve also pointed out a familiar face to me saying “That’s Rod, he’s our supporter”. Rod was a neighbour-but-one of ours for a number of years, but I never knew he was a grass roots football fan. If I had I daresay we would have chatted about what it is that drives an otherwise sane person to stand out on a wet touchline or a windy terrace and support their local team through thin and thinner. I’ve certainly been there - I recall walking 7 miles to Dean Court for a Tuesday night match in the winter to watch a forgettable Division 4 game (yes it was a while ago and I was too young to drive), and I also remember a freezing cold night in 1985 at the Baseball Ground watching Bournemouth come back from 2 down to beat Derby 3-2 when I was one of an away contingent of just 37 fans. The Derby fans sang “you must have come in a taxi” and we retorted “at least we can afford one”. But I’ve never been the only fan at a game - so I salute people like Rod whose support is so admirable, even if tinged with a hint of madness. For AFC Bournemouth better times have come, a reward for the loyalty of the fans, and I guess Rod, Steve, Ikie and the rest of the Millers set-up watch, manage or play in the hope that “this season will bring success”. Certainly the season so far shows promise with Sea Mills Park sitting in third place in a league of 14 with just one defeat so far. With enough players to fill three teams there is no shortage of competition for places, and the squad overall boasts a number of players who have been on the books of league clubs (Steve Farr and Stuart Nelson at Bristol Rovers, John Watkins at Plymouth Argyle, and Blaine Skuse and Jake Haynes at Bristol City). The Millers can also boast a current international - 19 year old Frankie Vaughan has recently returned from playing in the Great Britain Under-23 Deaf Football team.

With an age range from 18 to 37 it looks as if my chances of representing Sea Mills Park might have passed me by - although a lack of youth is by no means the only reason I wouldn’t get a trial at the club. However Steve Farr tells me that the club is

The Sports Pages always looking out for new players of all abilities and if you are interested you are more than welcome to attend training with a view to joining one of the teams. And it seems there are opportunities at the club for non-players enthusiastic to get involved “We are looking for committee members to join the club, or volunteers who wish to dedicate some time to a local club, but also invite local people to attend and support the club on match days, we have a covered viewing area, a fully stocked bar with a selection of draught beers and snacks.”

We train and play matches on Monday nights and operate a pay-as-you-go system at £2.50 per training session. If you would like to join our friendly squad, training is on Monday nights, 7-8p.m, currently at St Bede’s. For more information please contact Sue Anderson at sue.anderson@englandbetball.co.uk. And finally this month details of some more local clubs which might be of interest to readers.

Cotham Park Tennis Club in association with Bannatynes will be hosting an open tennis If you are interested in getting involved Sea Mills Park tournament on Sunday 27th November-all welcome. FC then the best way is to drop Steve Farr an email at All proceeds to Smile Train www.smiletrain.org.uk. farrey23@googlemail.com, or pop along to one of For details www.cothamtennis.net their forthcoming home fixtures - versus Lebeq FC on Saturday 5th November, versus Winterbourne The Lawrence Weston Badminton Club play at the United on Saturday 19th November, and versus Greenaway Centre, Greystoke Ave in Southmead on a Bitton Reserves on Saturday 31st December (all Monday night from 7.00pm until 8.30pm. Our players matches kick off at 2pm). Best of luck to the Millers are of a good standard, both male and female, and we for these and all their forthcoming fixtures - I hope are a very friendly club. We would welcome new the season for all three teams is a success. players – please contact Marilyn on 0117 239 1005 for more details. Henleaze Tennis Club has vacancies for players of all standards and ages. Whether you are an established player looking for a club, someone who is rusty or a student come along and try us out. FFI please visit www.henleazeltc.com or contact the secretary Philip Price Tel: 07787 566246 E-mail: philpriceqs@gmail.com Football Postscript Grass roots level football clubs often survive on a hand to mouth basis, and so are especially reliant on and grateful for the support of local sponsors. In Sea Mills Park’s case the first team kit is sponsored by local recruitment agency Darcy Associates who specialise in construction and building and are run by local Sea Mills lad Nathan Ferris. I promised I’d give Nathan a mention - so good man for really supporting your local team.

Shirehampton Cricket Club welcomes new members. All playing ages and abilities will be encouraged to improve their skills. If you are enthusiastic, willing to learn and want to enjoy our excellent facilities then please contact shirehamptoncc@gmail.com and see website www.shirecc.net for more information. Check out the dates for indoor practice sessions.

Kingsdown Ladies Badminton Club in Henleaze are looking to expand, and are aiming to recruit improvers/club standard players. We currently have Right. Moving on now to a sport I’ve played just the two teams playing in the Bristol league, and have once in a teachers v PTA game - netball. And boy did plans to enter a third team. Come along and have I need my inhaler after that one. I’ve been contacted some badminton fun. We play Sunday evenings 6by Anna Dredge to ask for a bit of free publicity for 8pm at St. Ursulas E-ACT Academy, Brecon Road, BBs Back to Netball. “BBs are a ‘Back to Netball’ Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4DT. For further details please team training at Coombe Dingle in the summer and at contact Pauline 07929 340 952. St Bede’s College, Lawrence Weston in the Westbury Park Tennis Club is a small, friendly winter. ‘Back to Netball’ tennis club with floodlights for year round play. We is aimed at women of all welcome members from 8 -80. Adult open evenings ages and fitness levels, on Tuesdays. Call Greg on 0117 9425168 for more who have not played information. netball for a while or even since school!

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A different way of looking at coughs and colds this winter… Looking at the body holis cally, helps you to remember that we’re much more than just a physical machine. If you’ve been struggling with recurrent cold or flu type symptoms, then maybe it’s me to take a different view. Here’s a short list of the metaphorical meanings behind some winter ailments. Maybe feel into how these might resonate with friends, family or work situa ons, and if you want to know more then check out Louise Hay’s work or Inna Segal ‐ The Secret Language of Your Body. ‐ Colds… about not 'ge ng stuff off your chest' ‐ Coughs… about you 'not being heard' ‐ Immune system… represents your inner strength ‐ Aches… what are you ‘aching for’ in your life ‐ Sore throats… not ‘expressing yourself comfortably’ ‐ Sinus infec ons… things that really 'get up your nose and irritate you' Once you recognize what it is that’s not been dealt with, there are lots of simple ways to release these blocked emo ons. For instance, mind‐mapping, wri ng an un‐sent le er and so on. And it’s amazing how quickly the body can heal itself once the issue has been heard. Something new and exci ng is happening soon at The Chiron Centre for Natural Health… to find out what it is, Like us on Facebook Crystals ‐ we now have a wide range for sale at The Chiron Centre. Crystals are well known for their healing proper es, and are very easy to use. We stock a range of small and large rose quartz and amethyst crystals, selenite lamps and agate bookends which make ideal gi s for loved ones or yourself.

Like to know more about what we do, the latest info on complementary therapy and self‐help ps? Then check out our Facebook page ‘Chiron Centre for Natural Health’, visit www.chironcentre.co.uk or give us a call on 0117 962 0008

Films with Chris Worthington Hell or High Water Directed by David Mackenzie Hell or High Water is a contemporary western set in West Texas starring Best Foster and Chris Pine as Tanner and Toby Howard, two brothers who set about robbing provincial banks to pay off a mortgage and save the family ranch from foreclosure by the Texas Midlands Bank. The film might be taken as an homage to Bonnie and Clyde brought up to the present day in the wake of the 2007 financial crisis. There are also echoes of the Josh Brolin character from No Country For Old Man in the taciturn but determined character of Toby.

from Toby’s good looks and a wad of bank notes left as a tip. Things take a turn for worse following the last bank robbery. They are pursued by an armed posse of irate bank customers and by this time the rangers and local law enforcement have also caught up with them. The brothers decide to split and Toby heads off to cash in the money at a casino while Tanner holds off the posse and the law with the aid of an automatic rifle. The minor characters in the film help to portray life in modern Texas. The bank manager doing his level best to foreclose on the ranch, high class whores and pit bosses in the casino, gun toting good old boys, ranchers herding their cattle away from a brush fire and Elsie, Toby’s put upon wife who doesn’t trust the brothers one inch. And with good cause. Tanner has been toughened up by years in jail and Toby makes short and brutal work of two young men in a fit of road rage at a wayside gas station.

On their trail are two Texas Rangers, Marcus played by Jeff Bridges and Alberto played by Hil Birmingham. Marcus is near retirement and this will be his last case introducing an elegiac quality into the film. The soundtrack is by Nick Cave. The Tanner brothers duly arrive in a succession of no hope semi - derelict towns with sketchy A great cast are helped by the wonderful scenery plans to rob branches of the Texas Midland although the film was actually shot in various Bank, the bank that is foreclosing on their ranch. parts of New Mexico. That is long way from home for director David Mackenzie. He is At the first robbery they are shot at by one of Scottish and co-founder of the Glasgow based the customers who just happens to be carrying a production company Sigma Films. His last film, gun. Not really a surprise in West Texas but they Starred Up, was a Scottish prison and crime make the mistake of not disarming him before drama. heading for the getaway car. As more robberies follow Marcus is working out the route they are Chris Worthington taking and their modus operandi with the aid of chrisworthington32@yahoo.com some reluctant eye witnesses including a waitress in a diner whose saw nothing apart

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Andrew Jack of AMD Solicitors considers the dangers of homemade wills

2. Changes in circumstance

If you decide to get married and already have an existing Will, that Will will automatically be revoked on your marriage, unless it was drafted in expectation of the marriage. A professional would advise you of this but a lay person might not be aware of the effect of marriage if they are making a Making a Will is the only way of ensuring that homemade Will. Equally, divorce effects inheritance under a Will. your estate and assets are distributed according to your wishes. If you die without a Will, your estate will pass in accordance with 3. Dates the rules of intestacy. This could mean that Another situation we have come across is an your estate will pass to someone who you undated Will. Although a date is not required may not want to benefit. for a Will to be valid, it is your last Will that must be proved on your death. If the Will Reasons clients have mentioned for not does not have a date then it is difficult to making a Will include not having enough time, not wanting to talk about death and the prove that it is the last Will and often sworn cost involved. Concerns over fees may lead statements are required from witnesses to provide evidence as to when they were someone to prepare a home made Will. signed. Although a Will does not need to be 4. Inappropriate Clauses prepared by a Solicitor, there are inherent dangers in preparing one yourself. If you try and take clauses from a previous will or use clauses from someone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Will 1. Invalidity without fully understanding what those A recent example of this involves a husband clauses mean and what their effect will be, you can end up with a Will that does not and wife who had each prepared identical achieve what you wanted, with the result that homemade Wills. As far as they were some or all of your estate may go to concerned, from the time they had signed someone you had not intended to benefit. their Wills to the date they instructed us to make new ones, they had valid Wills. It was For advice on wills, inheritance tax, lasting quickly spotted, however, that the Wills had powers of attorney administration of estates only been witnessed by one person at the and all other private client issues please time of signing. It is a requirement that for a contact Andrew Jack or another member of Will to be valid it must be signed by the our team on 0117 962 1205, email testator in the presence of two independent witnesses who must also sign the Will at the probate@amdsolicitors.com or call into one of our four Bristol offices. same time. Due to this small but vital mistake, these Wills were invalid from the day they were signed.

100 Henleaze Road, Henleaze BS9 4JZ 15 The Mall, Clifton BS8 4DS 139A Whiteladies Road, Clifton BS8 2PL 2 Station Road, Shirehampton BS11 9TT www.amdsolicitors.com

Bristol’s Best Buildings ‐ St George’s Bristol OK, the title is a bit subjective but I quite like the alliteration so I’m sticking with it. This month we launch a regular article in which I’ll be taking a look at a number of my favourite local buildings. Some will be obvious, some less so - but the idea is just to shed a little more light on some of the fabulous piles of brick, stone and ironwork that help make Bristol the great city that it is. I have a number of buildings in mind, but in the spirit of press democracy if you have an architectural, historical or cultural favourite you’d like featured (or you’d even like to write about for the magazine) do please let me know.

The result - what is essentially a rectangular box with the distinctive cupola, and a grand façade with sweeping steps and Doric columns. Interestingly the main façade was not the front of the church - Dr Luke Hislop, the vicar, would have welcomed his congregation at the other end of the church, through the Charlotte Street entrance.

However I get first dibs as the feature is making its debut, and I am starting off with… St George’s Bristol

Noting the necessary economy of the building programme, Smirke’s design for St George’s was replicated (for half his fee) in east London where St Perched on Great George Street, the upslope between James’ Church in Hackney was practically a twin. Sadly the Hackney church was bombed in the Blitz, a Park Street and Brandon Hill, St George’s was built fate that St George’s survived, just - an incendiary between 1821 and 1823 to a design submitted by device came through the roof and landed on the altar architect Robert Smirke. Smirke had some previous, having been involved in the design of the Royal Mint, but failed to ignite. St George’s did play a more active role in the war than its cockney counterpart - the Covent Garden Theatre and the British Museum in crypt was used as an air raid shelter. Readers familiar London. He was the chosen architect of the Church Building Commission, a body set up shortly after the with the church can dwell on this today as they have their interval drinks in the crypt. The wrought iron Battle of Waterloo in 1815 to oversee and grant railings were, as was common, removed as a part of funding to a new wave of Anglican churches the war effort in 1940 - to be restored some 64 years commissioned under the Church Building Act of later. 1818. The Commission granted a little over £9,000 (approximately £600k in modern money) for the Post war though, congregations dwindled and by the construction of what was to be Bristol’s only mid 1970s the future for St George’s looked bleak - at ‘Waterloo Church’. least as a place of worship. It was time to diversify and as is often the case it was a band of enthusiastic volunteers who came to the rescue of what is, after all, a Grade II* Listed Building. St George’s Music Trust took over the building and its environs and started the process of turning the rectangular box into a world class music and spoken word venue. The Past

The Present Through dint of hard work, the fundraising efforts of its Patrons, Friends and benefactors, and construction / development grants from the Arts Council and National Lottery, St George’s has been transformed into one of the country’s leading concert halls - and my favourite in Bristol.

Built in a Greek revivalist style, Smirke designed St George’s to a brief laid down by the Commission - it had to be economical and functional but clearly recognisable as a Church of England building, with a tower or spire and “a great show at the west end”.

It hosts a full and diverse programme of events each year - some 250 this year covering classical, jazz and blues, folk and roots, world music, Americana, rock and pop, talks and family concerts. St George’s joins forces with Colston Hall and Bristol Music Trust, as well as the University of Bristol and Watershed, for festivals such as Bristol New Music, Filmic and

Bristol’s Best Buildings ‐ St George’s Bristol Bristol Americana Weekend. The venue also hosts Slapstick Festival and the Festival of Ideas. St George’s Bristol has an active education and outreach programme, which includes Cosmos Children’s Community Choir, awards and bursaries, Music Mentors and Young Composers Academy. The team also runs family events MiniBeats and Wild Words.

sales, donations, the generosity of Friends, corporate sponsors and volunteers, and non-musical income from venue hire, weddings, receptions and the like.

However rather than just standing still the trustees of St George’s are looking to the future and their ambitious project ‘Building a Sound Future’ will “secure St George’s future as a world class performance venue, preserving, extending and enhancing our central Bristol home and transforming the visitor experience.” A key feature of the development is a bold new extension built within the surrounding garden of the main building. Preliminary archaeological and construction works are well underway and in about a years time there will be new entrances, full and unhindered access to the hall for the first time, a new garden-facing café/bar, lettable performance space, a gallery for permanent and And all of this takes place in an old redundant church, visiting exhibitions and restoration of the 19th century gardens. The artist’s impressions are striking a rectangular box with a slightly bowed ceiling and nineteenth century grandeur alongside clean and original 19th century church pews up in the gallery (there is however very comfortable modern seating in classy twenty-first century design. A fitting updated the auditorium and the pews have been restored and home for (in my opinion at least) Bristol’s finest well cushioned!). So why is it so special? Well to me it music venue. is that somewhere so simple in design and décor can generate such intimacy and sound quality. People as diverse as Sir Simon Rattle, conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic - “the best acoustic for chamber music in Europe”, Elvis Costello “one of the finest concert halls to perform in”, and Michael Morpurgo “the most wonderful place to perform, the acoustics unrivalled, … the architecture exquisite” have extolled the joy of performing in the hall and who am I to disagree? Last year I saw the Boyan Ensemble, a Ukrainian male voice choir, perform at St George’s and the sound they generated was truly spine-tingling. If you wish to find out more about St George’s, its comprehensive and wide-ranging programme of The concert hall seats just over 500 people, so even if events, or discover the opportunities for volunteering do visit their splendid website you are at the back of the main auditorium or on a www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk. top corner pew you’re still very close to the stage, giving a proximity to the performers that almost feels personal. A couple of years back I went to see Suggs In the meantime thanks to Dagmar Smeed from St from Madness recounting, with musical interludes, his George’s for allowing me to look round and for being life story in and out of music - a true raconteur who, such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. it felt, was talking directly to me such was the closeness of stage to audience. The Future Walking around St George’s you get a feel for the enormity of the task it must be to keep the place going and putting on such a full performance schedule. At the end of the day it is an old church, built in times of austerity, and a listed building, so keeping it up together must be costly and difficult. The annual running costs are in the region of £1m a year, and with very limited public funding, St George’s is reliant on income derived from ticket

Next month - the Council House (hopefully!)

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You tell us what you want to achieve and we will help you achieve it. Tell us what concerns you and we will ﬁnd a solu on. 76 Macrae Road, Eden Oﬃce Park, Ham Green, Bristol, BS20 0DD 01275 373348

Grosvenor Consultancy Ltd. provide a Fee Based, genuinely impar al approach to providing tax efficient Independent Financial Advice for you. Your circumstances and objec ves are at the centre of the advice we provide you and we create a bespoke financial plan around this for you, helping you achieve your objec ves tax‐efficiently, managing your investments and providing you with a real understanding of your financial future.

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Is your staging date looming in 2015? We have probably all seen the TV adver sing of the strange purple character in the park

adver sing Work Place Pension Schemes, and for many employers 2017 will be the year in which they have to start providing one for their employees. Every employer should know their staging date and if yours is ge ng ever closer,

maybe now as we head towards the end of the year, is the me to get your pension sorted! Does it affect you? It is true that most companies are affected by this, but not everyone. It depends on the age and earnings of those people you employ including yourself. We have found the very occasional situa on where a pension scheme may not have to be established straight away and possibly not at all, so knowing if this applies to you is a good idea. Either you need to find out more, or you need to get yourself exempted from the regula ons. If you are required to establish an Auto Enrolment scheme, here are some of the things you need to do? • You need to decide ‘who’ in your company will deal with this. • You need to make sure you know what it entails and the most cost effec ve op on for your company. • You have to offer a pension scheme and may need help in deciding which one. • You need to consider how the pension contribu on collec on will be compa ble with your payroll arrangements. • You will have to communicate with your employees. • You will most likely have to pay into the pension but what it will cost depends on various issues which you need to be aware of. • Most employees will have to be

automa cally enrolled into the scheme. Help is at Hand What is clear is that companies need assistance with this. This is why we at Grosvenor have devised a menu approach to our Auto Enrolment proposi on, par cularly for small companies. You decide what you need help with and we will provide that part of the service. You might need an ini al mee ng, help with payroll, a recommenda on and implementa on of a suitable pension, and perhaps a presenta on to your employees. We have assisted numerous companies over the past few years, helping many reduce costs while also promo ng the pension to staff so they understand the benefit and what their employer is doing for them. Automa ng as much of the requirements as possible is important and making sure any pension runs smoothly in conjunc on with your payroll provision is perhaps the most important aspect – well that and making sure you are signed off by The Pensions Regulator and avoid the fines!

Phil James Grosvenor Consultancy Ltd. 01275 373348 The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate tax advice and some forms of oﬀshore investments. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the full amount you invested.

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In the Garden with Cathy Lewis Mediterranean garden

Autumn is a good time to think about planning or improving parts of your garden. It’s often helpful to have a theme to work to. It may be Tresco Abbey Garden, something as Isles of Scilly simple as low maintenance, or a particular colour combination, or it can be dictated by location, for example shady woodland. However, if you’re blessed with a sunny, sheltered garden, a Mediterranean theme could be right up your street.

jasminoides (evergreen Jasmine). Give it some sun and shelter and it will happily clamber up trellis and pergolas creating a wonderful display. For colourful flower-power, consider Agapanthus, Cistus, bearded iris and Potentilla, or for texture, the attractive foliage of Euphorbias and Hebes.

The most important thing to remember about Mediterranean plants is that they require lots of sun and really good drainage. A wet winter spent with their roots in Mediterranean plants are ones that have adapted waterlogged soil will Cistus is a long‐ﬂowering and to live in climates with hot, dry summers and quickly kill them off, a rac ve Mediterranean shrub warm, wet winters. These areas include the so incorporate lots Mediterranean region, as well as parts of South of grit and organic matter when you’re planting Africa, Chile, California and Australia. Many of them up (spring is the best time to do this). the plants have evolved clever techniques to Many of these plants survive the harsh conditions. Some have silvery, can be grown hairy leaves that reflect the sunlight, or narrow successfully in pots leaves that sit upright on the stem to avoid the opt for terracotta for full force of the sun’s rays. Some, such as a more authentic feel. lavender, have oils to help reduce water loss and Place them next to make them unappetising to grazing animals. your deckchair and dream of summer If you want to turn your garden into a days and Sangria. Mediterranean hideaway, first choose your large, Agapanthus is generally statement plants. Iconic trees include olives, happy growing in pots slender Italian cypress so typical of Tuscan hillsides, and palms such as Trachycarpus Cathy Lewis, Dip. PGSD fortunei. Aromatic herbs such as bay, lavender Cathy Lewis Gardens & Design and rosemary are a must and their delicious Professional garden design, consultancy & scents will fill the air on hot, sultry days. maintenance Another scented flowering plant and really useful evergreen climber is Trachelospermum Tel 07985 008 585

Henleaze Christmas Festival The Henleaze Festival is all set to draw in the crowds once more this year on Wednesday 7th December. With over 50 stalls selling a huge variety of items from jewellery, ceramics, sweets, cakes and festive gifts there should be something to appeal to everyone.

Society, making a welcome return to the Festival. The evening will finish with community carols from the Trinity-Henleaze URC choir.

The Prize Draw, with over 45 prizes donated by local businesses, will this year raise funds for more local charities - Mind, Flamingo Chicks, Bristol As in previous years the stalls will be spread out Dementia Awareness Alliance and Smile with along Waterford Road, Dublin Crescent, Cardigan Siddy. Tickets are available in local shops and will Road and the section of Henleaze Road by the also be available on the night at £1 each. Top Tenovus shop. And many of the local shops will prize is a festive hamper from Waitrose. There`s be staying open along with the cafes. Local also a balloon flight from First Flight and a variety businesses will also be having an open doors of other prizes including more hampers, and a evening with a number of them offering festive meal for 4 at the Eastfield Inn. Last year the treats. Festival raised £2750 for local good causes. But the Festival only survives thanks to the hard work of a small group of volunteers. Festival Coordinator Jane Emery says: “ There were concerns that we might not be able to run the Festival this year because of a shortage of people to help. Fortunately more people volunteered and we were able to continue. But we would still like people to come forward to help us on the day when there is a great deal of setting up and, at the end of the evening, clearing up to be done”. The Festival will open at 4.00 pm with the Henleaze Junior School Show Choir putting on a performance of seasonal songs at the Open Arena in Waterford Road. Father Christmas will be arriving there at 4.30 pm before he sets up in his grotto in the Lloyds Car Park in Cardigan Road. Children`s Entertainment is also in Cardigan Road. Expect to see the stilt walkers making a call there as they tour the festival. There will be Hands-On Christmas Activities in St Peter`s Church. Other entertainment in the Open Arena will include the Panama Jazz Band – who will then be performing in the Eastfield Inn – and the ever popular Salvation Army who will also be playing around the festival. In the Bradbury Hall Red Maids` Bell Ringing and Choir will be performing followed by the Hum and Drum Recorder Group and the Bristol Gilbert and Sullivan Operatic

She added: “For next year we also have to fill some key roles if there is to be another Festival. So if you value this wonderful community event and are able to help please get in touch”.

Contact Jane Emery at: mikeandjane.emery@blueyonder.co.uk

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Bruce Fellows’ Good Reads All those military cemeteries in Northern France! How did they come about? The facts can be researched but in his moving and beautiful novel, Field Service, Robert Edric offers the human side. Reid and Lucas, British officers damaged by the Great War, still soldier on in France to find, identify and bury their dead comrades. British conscripts, on the verge of mutiny, still serve on, too, building those cemeteries, and there’s a lovingly drawn cast of native French, none untouched by the War. Among the senior officers though, ambition and vindictiveness are still rampant. Then two women arrive who must be looked after. A great read. Not just for Bronte fans, The Bronte Cabinet is also about the lives of all Victorian women. By examining nine objects left by the sisters, Deborah Lutz lays bare how everyone lived. Sewing! Repairs, hemming sheets, shirts for the men of the house, everyone was at it and they all needed a work box like Charlotte’s. No phones, everyone wrote letters, Ellen Nussey kept 500 of Charlotte’s. No buses, they walked, with a stick and a dog. Emily once broke up a dog fight while a crowd of men watched in awe. Read this excellent book and learn more than just about those three wonderful girls.

about the crime, of course, was its OAP perpetrators, one of whom turned up at the scene on the bus. You’ll learn their backgrounds, details of their fairly lengthy lives in crime, how they did it and what led to their downfall. Appallingly fascinating. Waiting for Doggo by Mark B Mills is a romcom with a dog. When Clara walks out on her copywriter boyfriend, Dan, in order to find herself, she leaves behind Doggo, a canine of indeterminate pedigree. Dan picks himself up and finds a new job and Doggo, who is charm personified, or should that be dogiified? goes along too and soon becomes an office essential. What follows is a highly entertaining and extremely funny tale of love lost and found, with villains and heroes, skulduggery and sweetness. This is a great read and very difficult to put down. And guess who ends up the star?

You may have seen the film version but Charles Williams’ recently republished 1963 classic thriller, Dead Calm, is even more gripping. Becalmed in the Pacific, John Ingram spots another yacht clearly foundering. Then Hughie Warriner comes alongside in a dinghy with a story of horrific events that have left him the sole survivor. Leaving his wife with Warriner, Ingram insists on boarding Was your imagination caught by the the other boat only to find that biggest crime in UK history, the Warriner’s story is a complete Hatton Garden robbery? The media fabrication. Despite a cat’s cradle of loved it. A break in with almost no plot twists, Williams manages to give clues left behind, very rich anonymous us the stories and motivations of all victims and no one hurt in the process. involved, while generating a chilling Now you can read all about it in atmosphere of dread – a terrific novel. Wensley Clarkson’s Sexy Beasts, and a Bruce Fellows - November 2016 gripping read it is. The best thing

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Library Opening Times

Henleaze Library (0117 903 8541) Monday 11-5, Tuesday 11-5 , Wednesday 1-7, Thursday 11-5, Friday 1-7, Saturday 10-5

Sea Mills Library (0117 903 8555) Monday 10-2, Tuesday 10-2, Wednesday 1-5, Thursday 1-5, Friday 1-5, Saturday 11-5

Westbury Library (0117 903 8552) Monday 2-7, Tuesday 11-4, Wednesday 11-4, Thursday 11-4, Friday 11-4, Saturday 11-4

*Highways Officers are proposing amendments to The Downs parking regula ons; the new plans will be out for consulta on very shortly. If you have been affected by the current scheme, please make your views known to the City Council, Highway Services. There is also a consulta on for proposals for parking regula on around Sea Mills Sta on. * Stoke Lodge; the inspector's decision on Town and Village Green status is expected very soon. *The Berlin Circus has come and gone without any problems. We will always support good family entertainment on the Downs and it produced a good income to help maintain our special open space. It's a ques on of Balance. *Our local libraries at Sea Mills and Westbury are again under threat. Please ensure you respond to the Mayor's Budget consulta on. * We are delighted that we have a Post Office once again in Stoke Bishop. The Spar shop, 5 Druid Hill is a great loca on. Remember if we do not use it, we will lose it.

Kevin McGarry is

Kev the Handyman

07972 653 122

Based in Westbury on Trym

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Anything you need doing?

Don’t DIY, GKI ‐ Get Kev In! Kev’s Tip of the Month “Get that spare room decorated before the Xmas guests arrive !”

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were made by you during your lifetime, and to make full disclosure of any such gifts. They will need to report what the gifts were, when you made the gifts and Does everyone pay inheritance tax on who you made the gifts to. The definition death? of 'gifts' can include anything from giving No. Not everyone pays inheritance tax. It away cash and personal possessions, to assisting friends or family members by will only be paid if the value of your ‘estate’ at the date of death exceeds the paying for holidays or school fees. value of the inheritance tax threshold Generally speaking, assets given away (also known as the ‘nil rate band’). The over seven years before the date of death current nil rate band is set at £325,000 no longer form part of your estate. (2016/17). However, many people do not realise that there are exceptions to this rule. If your ‘What does my estate include?’ executors fail to make full disclosure to Your estate includes all assets held by you HMRC of all issues relevant to your at the date of your death. This includes inheritance tax position, HMRC can and your share of joint assets, including cash, do impose penalties. This can be a property and any investments. This also complicated area and it is worth taking includes your ‘worldwide’ assets, such as specialist advice. property or investments overseas. If you Is the new main residence nil rate are a beneficiary of a trust, the trust assets and/or income may also form part band likely to affect me? of your estate. The residence nil rate band (RNRB) is a What if I give away any of my assets new inheritance tax relief which is expected to be available from 5 April during my lifetime? Will these assets 2017. It will be relevant for individuals still form part of my estate? with direct descendants who have an estate (including a main residence) with Potentially. It will be down to your total assets above the nil rate band executors to carry out proper investigations to establish whether gifts allowance (currently £325,000).

Taxing mes ‐ inheritance tax explained

The RNRB introduces an 'additional' nil rate band allowance (over and above the current £325,000) for estates which include property, or the proceeds of sale of property, in which the deceased has lived at some point. The property (or the proceeds) must be passing to the deceased's direct descendants. Direct descendants includes children, grandchildren and stepchildren, as well as children who have been adopted or fostered by the deceased.

for estates with a net value of more than £2 million. Where the deceased is a widow or a widower, it may be possible to claim their spouse's RNRB in addition.

If you would like expert and practical advice on any of the above, or on our whole The RNRB will be phased in between 5 range of other April 2017 and 5 April 2020. The private client allowance is expected to be set at services, please £100,000 in 2017/18 and will increase contact Mary incrementally up to £175,000 by 2020/21, McCrorie on although there will be a 'tapered withdrawal' of the additional allowance 0117 314 5368.

Healing One Step At A Time “…Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – your own is a break. I took the road less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.” It’s a refreshing new experience when you don’t have ~Robert Frost little ones in tow, constantly putting things back, or hearing yourself repeat (far more than you would After a good, long walk in the woods on a sunny, yet absolutely have to) ‘stop dangling off the trolley’. So refreshing, autumnal day, it’s hard not to be left yes when that opportunity comes up I jump at it so I feeling full of vitality and appreciation, with flushed can actually browse the shelves without having to cheeks and a warm glow. The leaves are just changing expedite with military precision, my shopping so I can colours; many have already fallen on the ground get out as soon as humanly possible. making a distinctive crunch and crackle as you walk over them. The late afternoon sunshine glitters Filling the car up with petrol? I’ll do it just for the through the branches dazzling your eyes as long freedom of not hoisting small people in and out of car shadows are cast on the softened earth. seats. Having the comforting, yet constant, chattering and questions in the background is wonderful but it is For me these long Sunday walks are a necessity, a a joy to have just 5 minutes to myself so I can hear a break from the norm and an opportunity. Being in song on the radio that I like all the way through nature soothes the soul, and nurtures you from without a single interruption. within. It amplifies your senses and sets your happy trigger off so that you gently hum even from the sofa It’s HARD being a mum and sometimes it’s with the cup of tea in your hand well after you’ve important to admit that. returned home and your legs sore and strained from the exertion. The break for a walk is a welcome one because It’s a necessity for 2 reasons. honestly if, as mum, you’re empty on fuel, energy, love and sleep, then what do you have left in the tank to give? It just doesn’t work. You get stressed, the mood levels plummet dramatically and it ends up in a horrid mess that could’ve been avoided. As mothers what kind of messaging are we receiving to believe that it’s not okay to put the oxygen mask on you before others? Who tells us we are selfish if we are not with our children every hour of everyday?

Time out. Training and fitness I’m a mum of two young and gorgeous girls. Like other mums, you are always on call, day, night, naptime, bath time, mealtime, always available, always there.

What is it inside that determines that we have to have it all running smoothly and make it look okay when in fact it’s a horrible mess, you barely brushed your teeth that day let alone got a shower? Why is there this completely unnecessary need to be seen to be okay?

Why of all things do we say we are okay when in fact inside we are a mess, a horrible, dribbling wreck of a We all need time out to rejuvenate, refresh and mess being held together by the threads of a wellrecharge. And yet for some reason we don’t. We don’t worn t-shirt? take the time to recharge because if we do it seems we are somehow being selfish. We are selfish for wanting Why is it not okay to say you’re feeling crap? to be on our own. But as any mum would know and understand, it’s full time, all the time so when you get It’s actually okay not to be okay! the opportunity, even a trip to the supermarket on

Sometimes it can’t be shouted out loudly enough. It’s not okay to drive yourself into a deep cavern of shame and guilt when actually 1 in 5 women feel EXACTLY the same as you. Yet so few of us admit that we’re struggling and this makes matter worse.

so loud and so busy that it’s drowned out. Fortunately that quiet voice, the truth within, is patient. It will wait until you are ready to listen. Once you hear it, it becomes hard to ignore.

My paths diverged and I chose the one less travelled because it would mean all my family could heal and be happier. I couldn’t ignore the deeper truth inside any longer. It’s taken courage, determination and continues to stretch us, but I wouldn’t change a thing. That’s because we are creating the life we want to lead. The kind of life that you can look back on and My family and I suffered. I went through post-natal smile when you realise you put the accumulation of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder before I happiness at the centre of your family. regained some balance in my life. Regaining this balance came slowly and yet surely (and it does, I can If you or anybody you know is suffering or you think assure you, it will happen). However I could only do is suffering from post-natal depression then please it by taking a really good look at what was currently contact: happening and knowing that it wasn’t serving anyone, so something had to change. Mothers for mothers: 0117 975 6006 Bluebell Care: 0773 8628 842 My walks are all part of that change and that process Pandas Foundation: 0843 28 98 401 of looking after myself, which brings me to another reason as to ‘why’ I walk. Get you boots on and go walking with the Bristol Ramblers: www.bristolramblers.org.uk/ I’m actually in training because I am about to embark on one of my greatest challenges and undoubtedly a Postscript: life changing experience. I am climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity in January 2017 and I need all Antonia is a mother of two young girls, new to the walking training and fitness I can get right now! Bristol, and had been living in Northern NSW, It’s a swan song if you like, my final farewell to the Australia up until September last year. She and her depression and the stories that I’ve kept a close hold family made their decision to return to Europe to be of, the stories that quickly became my identity. closer to family and support to aide the wellness through the depression. She knows the darkness and loneliness that postnatal depression can bring. She’s passionate to help other mums and spread the word that it is okay to not be okay. I know one thing’s for sure now, despite taking over four years to learn it, I need refuelling as much as I need air to breathe. I’ve lived overseas for many years and when the girls were really little I didn’t have family around to call on in times of need.

Want learn more about Antonia’s journey, fundraising and trek Mount Kilimanjaro for Rafiki Mwema? Go to www.gofundme.com/2s9tcrmk Date for your diaries: A Festive Fundraising Pampering Day on 10th December, 11.30am – 4pm It’s time to let them all go and make space for something new and real, something that I can do to positively impact others, to help others. Something that is the real me, the true me, something that aligns with my values.

Would you and a friend enjoy a relaxing day of manicures, pedicures and massage? Book your tickets for a lovely day with lunch, drinks and nibbles included. Tickets £25 per person.

For more information and ticket bookings please call And we can all unearth this truth that is inside or email Antonia at RafikiFundraising@gmail.com or because it’s there, aching to be heard. Yet most of the 07427 381751. Bookings essential as numbers are time, with the daily humdrum of life, we are just being strictly limited.

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Get involved in the consultation ‐ Councillor Geoff Gollop Bristol’s Budget pressures

A similar wording applies to Parks -

You may well have heard that the Mayor has issued his initial consultation on the Council budget. The position is looking very grim, with more than a quarter of the budget having to be saved over a 5 year period.

“We will be exploring options for alternative delivery models for parks, where we can enable maximum local ownership, and potential to fund-raise external income eg: Trusts, Mutuals or other groups to run some parks. The level of saving will depend on the approach taken.”

The whole document runs to 125 pages and there is much in it; it is available at www.bristol.gov.uk/documents/20182/1188753/ Corporate+Strategy+2017-2022

Neighbourhood partnerships are also facing a major review. One proposal is to remove the ability to fund and carry out small traffic schemes, with such schemes no longer being funded at all. Another proposal even suggests setting up of urban parish councils to provide services and to collect taxes, which would be on top of the existing Council tax we pay. This is a particularly divisive way of moving forward.

The plan deals with savings the Council must make totalling £92m over the next 4 years. The most significant factor that could directly impact on Westbury, Henleaze and Stoke Bishop is the proposal to reduce library funding by between £360k - £1m in 2018/19 and again in 2019/20. This could again put our libraries under threat in Westbury, Sea Mills and Henleaze, but there are no firm proposals at this stage or even any indication of how the process will move forward. It appears possible that ALL branch libraries could be under threat including Henleaze Library. Ominously there are possibilities such as: “Reduce the number of council run library services – we will be exploring options such as:  Community groups to run local community hubs which include library services.  Running some services from shared buildings.  Developing an alternative model to run the remaining Bristol City Council owned libraries as a Trust or a Mutual. The level of savings will depend on the approach taken.”

Whilst the plans are only very general, we only have until 5 January 2017 to express opinions. We have very little time in which to put our case. If our community does not respond positively then the services will be at risk. If we do respond positively, we will be asked to run the services ourselves. This is a plea to get involved in the process. The North Bristol Public meeting with the Mayor is on Tuesday 15 November at 7pm at Henbury school. There is a meeting of Westbury and Henleaze residents at Westbury village hall at 7pm on Friday 2 December, to discuss how we respond to the threat to both our libraries and our Parks, as well as the other proposals. There are questions as part of the related consultation which residents can respond to. Please show you are concerned and want to preserve these public services. To find out more, please email cllr.geoffrey.gollop@bristol.gov.uk or phone on 9039946. If you wish to respond online as a part of the Consultation Process there is an online survey that can be accessed via the council website www.bristol.gov.uk/council-spendingperformance/corporate-strategy-2017-2022consultation

The Future Of Re rement The way we are living, working and re ring is changing ‐ and it is of utmost importance that we factor this into our financial plans. A recent report in the Financial Times made the observa on that the number of people working into their six es and beyond has grown rapidly over the past two decades ‐ partly driven by financial necessity, but also by new opportuni es for fulfilling, flexible work. There are now more than one million UK workers over the age of 65. Many older workers look for the opportunity to work shorter, more flexible hours. Work‐ ing men in their late 60s work on average 10 fewer hours each week than those in their late 50s. Out of the 'neverre rees' more than a third say it is because they 'enjoy the work' and a further one in five say it gives them a 'sense of purpose'. Many who con nue working out of choice also have pension or investment arrangements that can yield income. This means that any re rement financial plan needs to incorporate flexible working, investment and pension income whilst paying a en on to tax efficiency. Basically extrac ng the right income, at the right me, in the most tax efficient way can have a seriously posi ve effect on any re rees bo om line. Many older workers prefer the self‐employed route ‐ perhaps a by‐product of the need for flexibility both in terms of income and working hours. Of course with self‐employment comes added opportuni es for tax efficient financial planning. In summary, by con nuing to work, many re rees are, in effect , exploi ng their own 'human capital'. This should be considered an 'asset class' in its own right, to be hard‐wired into any re rement goal se ng and detailed long‐term savings and investment plan.

The Veg Growers Diary ‐ Reg Patch I love nothing more at this time of year than to shove my wellies and woolly on and get out in the garden to see what’s hanging on in there, before the sun dips and temperatures plummet. November is the last month to harvest leaf beet and autumn cauliflower, but continue to harvest leeks, parsnips, swede and turnips. When the garden’s tided up and the last of the leaves raked off the lawn, I can then settle to reflect on my success and failures of the receding year.

Being the frugal chap that I am, I do like to save as many seeds as I can for the following year. It’s interesting to know how long they actually last, as there’s nothing more annoying than preparing a seed bed, sowing the seeds then watching nothing but the pesky weeds germinate. When saving seeds ensure they are thoroughly dried and popped into a brown paper bag or envelope, clearly marked with what they are and when they were stored, then put in a tin with a tight lid. Keep them in a dry, cool frost free place If, like me, you like to compost you'll know that you the bottom of Mrs P’s sideboard does the trick for need some woody, carbon rich material to mix in with me. you grass clippings and veg peelings etc. A garden Life expectancy of seeds vary shredder will reduce any woody stems and small but here's a few of the more branches to chips that will rot down quickly in your popular ones. Parsnip and compost heap producing a rich mix. Shredders are Onion seed are said to be owned by a few, with less than 8% of gardeners only viable for one year, purchasing one in the last five years. At this time of Broad, French and Runner year mine is my best friend but it’s starting to splutter beans for two, Beetroot for and object a tad on the volume I put through it, so three, Broccoli and I’ve been researching a replacement when it spurts Cauliflower for four, Celery out its last bucket of chipped greenery. Gardening and Celeriac for five, and Courgette and Cucumber Which magazine recently voted Bosch as a reliable for six years. We all know an exception to the rule, as brand, but do your home work on the size and model I once found a packet of seed at the back of the shed that may suit your needs. Or consider sharing the some ten years out of date and planted them with purchase cost with a pal as it’s a tool used less good germination success. My motto is if you expect frequently than others, but invaluable all the same. failure then success is a sweet treat! To encourage your compost heap to keep working Plant(s) of the Month - Herbs insulate it if it has no lid. An old piece of carpet does the trick. This keeps the warmth in and the worst of However big your garden do find a planting place, the rain out. preferably in the sun, for the cultivation of some herbs. It doesn’t have to be a massive bed as even a Book of the Month planter of some description would give you the The Gardeners Companion - A Think Book opportunity to grow a selection of herbs that could - by Vicky Bamforth (Robson Books £9.99) be used in a variety of ways. However, if you’ve the luxury of picking a planting spot then one right outside your back door is ideal, that way when the This is a thoroughly entertaining read for anyone cook needs a little bit of this and that herb, they've that has ever put on a pair of gardening gloves, not far to travel for it. Some of my favourites herbs picked up a spade and gone out into the garden in search of a connection with the soil and the wonders are Sage, Mint, Bay, Marjoram, Parsley, Rosemary and Thyme. These herbs are all available to pick of nature. It has a wealth of factual information on throughout the winter months, and can be used in a such things as … why leaves change colour, who invented the flame thrower weeder, why the Victori- variety of ways. Yes, they can be incorporated into various recipes, but also made into warming teas, ans prevented women from growing orchids, how tinctures, bath essence, hand creams and cough and not to get lost in the maze at Hampton Court and cold remedies. November sees the days getting how to bury your loved one in the garden (strange shorter and the arrival of frosts but provided the soil but true). With over 500 botanical and gardening bemusements, this is an easy read and would make a isn’t frozen it’s a good time to plant herbaceous herbs, bearing in mind warm free drawing soil is great stocking filler with Christmas in mind in the what most herbs enjoy, well don’t we all? not to distant future.

I garden organically, always have, and am constantly horrified at the amount of chemicals some people throw onto their gardens at the first sign of trouble. A top tip before you head for the lethal dose - identify the problem and choose your product carefully. A systemic insecticide enters the sap stream and so can reach insects that are hidden from the spray. Fungicides prevent rather than cure diseases, so early spraying is vital. When spraying always choose a day which is neither sunny nor windy, and in summer choose a time late in the day in the hope that bees won’t be harmed. Try and keep chemicals off of the skin and wash any affected areas immediately if splashes occur. I am in NO WAY condoning the use of chemicals on pests and diseases - it goes totally against my organic views on the protection and salvation of wildlife - but I respect we are all different, and feel that for those of you whom are of this persuasion, you should use any chemicals with the upmost of care and caution. And I would encourage those that do, to revert to gardening organically you'll sleep better for it at night … I promise! Happy gardening

This Months Top Tip With the winding down of the garden and the fading of the season do try and put your garden ‘to bed’ for the winter months to come. Cut back all dying and diseased foliage, and clear away any weeds and seed heads - you don’t want them lying dormant in the soil to burst into growth once spring arrives. Cast a keen eye over any trees and large shrubs and reduce their canopies, and any branches that look in anyway unsafe, as winter storms can cause enough damage without unnecessary damage from unhealthy fallen greenery.

Apply a mulch of garden compost to cleared ground in readiness for the coming year. Disconnect any time clocks set up on irrigation systems, and turn the water off to outside taps.

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Henleaze and Westbury and Sea Mills Libraries under threat of closure. Canford Park at risk. Take part in the Mayors public consulta on at Henbury school 7pm 15 November or respond to the online consulta on at h ps://bristol.ci zenspace.com/bristol‐city‐council/corporate‐strategy‐ 2017‐2022

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Westbury and Henleaze residents mee ng at Westbury Village Hall 2 December 7pm to develop a community response.

In Memory of The Unknown Soldier In Flanders fields the poppies so red England needs you, Kitchener did decree Remind of friends who bled, now dead To save good people across the sea Brave young lads who’d stood so tall So young men show us now your pride Their names you’ll find etched on The Wall We’re in the right, God’s on our side In town squares and village greens They came from factories, farms and mills The Tommys, the Johnnys, the Jacks, the Bills The names are s ll there to be seen They came in their hordes to join in the ‘fun’ Lads who died, no need to fall But look, their names are on The Wall To put the enemy on the run The Chaplain wrote he’s up above They le with hullabaloo and drum In HIS care, he sends his love Take care my boy… we love you son Be brave my lass, don’t weep for me Mums and wives held back their tears Remember me to my babies three With smiling faces, hid their fears They fought thro’ mud, they fought thro’ rain He le his wife and babies three Beneath the earth they feel no pain I’ll soon be back, don’t weep for me On The Wall no name appears, but But on the Somme mates fell and died Always remembered thro’ the years And in his trench he wept, he cried In Westminster Abbey they have a Tomb They’re not forgo en by family, by friends But in our hearts they have a home Always remembered to this days end As young lads to war they came The lads so brave who’d heed the call The Unknown Soldier is their name Their names now carved upon The Wall We’ll never forget, we’ll never forget Thro’ mud and blood he stood his ground Through shells, barbwire, his courage found We’ll never forget, we’ll never forget To charge the foe and win the fight And we’ll all be glad To help to put his world to right When Johnny comes marching home. Passchendaele was torn apart When Tommy came he gave them heart Harry White House by house they fought all day Westbury on Trym And in the end they found a way Young men died, they’d done their best Now they slumber, laid to rest Fought so well and gave their all You’ll find their names carved on The Wall

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History Notes ‐ no. 108 ‐ Julian Lea‐Jones Unearthing clues to your predecessors Living in the suburbs today it is difficult to visualise what came before the houses that now cover Bristol’s rolling hills, so this month I am considering some clues to our predecessors activities and lives. In my fifth article for this magazine, (in Nick Clark days), I mentioned about the building of the New Clifton Estate, and showed a picture of the Cran Brook, which as late as the 1920s still ran through open countryside with a small gypsy encampment on the stream bank between what is now Cranbrook Road and Claremont Avenue. Although I expect the likelihood of unearthing any remnants or evidence of their stay is improbable, some readers may still have ‘Dolly pegs’ that were once sold door to door along with lucky heather, or ferns, in exchange for empty jam jars which were then sold to Robertson’s Jam Factory at Brislington. Twenty years ago a friend living in the southern branch of Cairns Road showed me a collection of finds that he had unearthed in his garden. Since then his neighbours gardens have also yielded many items ranging from bottles, inkwells, fragments of Bristol pottery, meat or fish paste jars, coins and other items too rusted to reveal their function. The coins have been mostly Victorian pennies, including a Georgian cartwheel penny (seen below). The bulk of these finds came from land on the lower slopes of the hillside in the area bounded by Coldharbour Rd, Cairns Rd, and Cranbrook Rd down as far as Clare Avenue and the allotments. A late friend, one of the original new settlers of the Cranbrook Road estate told me she remembered part of the land being used as a Corporation rubbish dump much to the annoyance of her family and other new residents. Although those

finds reveal what was once on the site, they don’t reveal anything specific about the site’s later occupants. For that we need to consider this other collection. When gardening, we wouldn’t expect to turn up anything more interesting than fragments of the seemingly ubiquitous clay pipe stems, discarded long ago by field workers. BUT whenever you turn up one of these fragments of clay pipes and hold the tiny piece of clay in the palm of your hand it tells you that once, maybe not so long ago, where you are digging your herbaceous border was probably a farmer’s field and that he, or one of his labourers, was smoking as he dug in the very spot where you are now standing. Because the pipe bowls were fragile they are hardly ever found intact whereas the stems being much stronger survive, (the Victorian equivalent of a non-biodegradable cigarette butt). Although it is unusual to find pipe bowls, it was only last month when digging in the garden of our new home in Henleaze Park Drive I spotted this tiny fragment of a clay pipe bowl. It even still had charred fragments of tobacco dottle in it, (perhaps spectrographic analysis could reveal the source of the tobacco), but more importantly the bowl spur even has the makers mark. The letter ‘c’ on the spur meant that it had been made in Bristol in in the 19th Century. Digging up things in the garden and carrying out library or online research will only tell you part of the story of what went before at your home site or neighbourhood. Maps provide us with a valuable insight and help to put your own place in its wider context. Fortunately Jeff Bishop has done just that with his latest book ‘Bristol Through Maps’. For the curious, Jeff’s book is not just about our history, he has managed to include planners’ maps, artists’ maps and even a community map of Westbury Park. Taken together they will give a greater understanding of your place. If you would like to buy a copy email Jeff at bristolthroughmaps@gmail.com or phone on 0794 1063 138.

Even discarded bricks in skips can tell a story. I always have a look in roadside or house utility service trenches. For example when a house in Lawrence Grove had an extension being built, I noticed some of the discarded bricks in the skip were white glazed on one of the faces. This seemed unusual for someone’s living room, but after further investigation I learnt that the house was on the site of one of the local farms and the glazed bricks came from the dairy building.

and closer examination. Most of the fragments, other than the aforementioned pieces of clay pipes, are of domestic pottery and thus are likely to be from the house’s earlier occupants. In the collection shown here, the patterns and body of the fragments of cups, dishes, bowls and saucers reveal much more than those from the tip. The quality of the pieces, more china than earthenware, is indicative of the family’s possible income. One interesting piece, part of a cream coloured large dish or bowl looked like slipware. When I am digging in the garden I put any It was made by trailing the darker lines across potsherds or other finds to one side for washing the cream body and using a comb or points to drag the lines down to give the distinctive pattern. This piece was probably much earlier than the 1920s houses in Henleaze Park Drive, so was this fragment once a family heirloom? If so it was a sad day when it was broken. I hope this article has shown how careful examination of seemingly inconsequential garden finds can contribute to the story of your house. Julian Lea-Jones FRAeS © Julian Lea-Jones 2016

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Senior Snippets - from Home Instead Senior Care

can either seal these gaps with self-adhesive draught strips, or get one of those funny draught excluders shaped like a snake or a dog.

Keep your pipes warm: Burst pipes are common during winter due to rapid freezing and thawing, potentially causing massive damage. The best way Welcome to the latest edition of Senior Snippets: to stop this from happening is to keep your pipes the monthly advisory column with the older warm with their own foam cardigan (called lagging), members of our community in mind, brought to you by John Moore of Home Instead Senior Care in which will reduce the heat lost and insulate the pipes to stop them from freezing. Bristol North. In this instalment, I will be sharing some tips that Sweep your chimneys: If your chimneys are in will keep you warm and protect your home from the inevitable cold days of winter. Now the days are use, make sure that they get swept every year. This will remove the build-up of dirt and grime from getting shorter and colder and it’s time to start your chimney walls. thinking about ways to winter proof your home.

Preparing your Home for Winter

Get your boilers looked at: A poorly maintained boiler wastes energy and creates added costs. It also runs the risk of leaking carbon monoxide. So, it’s a good idea to service your boiler every year. As everyone starts to switch on their central heating, the surge in gas consumption can lead to a big increase in boiler breakdowns. Bleed the radiators: A great way to warm up your home is to bleed your radiators. This releases any trapped air, allowing hot water to fill every part of your radiator and warm your home more efficiently. Guttering: As leaves start falling, gutters and drainpipes will start to get filled with loose foliage. Once the blockage becomes too much, water will start to back up in the guttering and leak into the roof and down the walls of the house. Make sure your gutters are completely free from grime and dirt to minimise water blockage. No entry for draughts: Those chilly winter will try everything they can to slip through the nooks and crannies of your home. Check the edges of your doors and windows for draughts, and you

Replace those old kettles, toasters, irons and heaters : Old equipment is often much less efficient than newer items, and so are more costly to run. Additionally, old items can present more of a fire risk. Christmas is coming, so if others are asking you want you need for Christmas, tell them a new ............. ! Bonus tip: Stock up on hot chocolate and other warm drinks. It doesn’t matter if it’s pouring down with freezing cold rain, in the middle of a blizzard or gale force winds, sitting down on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate in winter is one of the best feelings ever. We know it can be tough to keep everything in your home running smoothly during the colder months, but hopefully some of these tips will help and it is always best to start preparing your home for the winter months early.

Westbury Baptist Church, Reedley Rd, Westbury-on-Trym, BS9 3TD

We are looking for an…….Early Years Practitioner

Would you like a job where you can have fun every day and share in the learning of our lovely children age 3-5 years? If so we are looking for someone with enthusiasm and creativity to join our friendly team. Relevant Early Years qualification preferred along with knowledge of the EYFS and recent experience of working in an Early Years setting 17 hours a week, Term time only - Mon, Tues, Thurs 8.30am – 12.30pm and Wednesday 8.30 – 1.30 (permanent contract) plus 3 hours a week on Thursday afternoons from 12.30 – 3.30 (fixed term contract until July 2017). Salary dependent on qualification Closing date for applications Monday 7th November 2016. Interviews week commencing 14th November For further information please visit our website www.westburybaptistpreschool.org.uk where you will be able to download an application pack or contact Claire on 0117 9622338 or e-mail preschool@westburybaptist.org.uk This post is open to all members of the community and is subject to references and an enhanced DBS clearance. OFSTED Reg No: EY252356 Registered Charity No. 1097997

Coaching with Anne Miller Busy, busy!

being successful: they must be doing something right to have so much business and that means When did it become fashionable to be busy? It’s they’re making lots of money! Of course this is now such a way of life that an alternative is hard not necessarily the case. Maybe they are to imagine. How often we find ourselves spending hours on emails and social media or answering the question “how are you?” with an chasing debts! Somehow it seems less impressive exclamation ‘busy!’? Sometimes it’s a positive to say “I’ve got time on my hands”! How exclamation, sometimes less so. But always it brilliant would that be: happily running a delivers a message that comes as no surprise. It’s successful business and having time on your not only socially acceptable to be busy, it’s hands?! expected! So what happens when we’re always busy? When we claim to be busy, what does it say Maybe you can relate to this: we notice we are about us? That we’re working hard? That we’re making mistakes and bad decisions and missing successful? That we’re popular? Or is it that appointments; we find ourselves short tempered we’re working inefficiently or wasting time on with our families and work connections; our unnecessary activities? When do we stop to creative thinking is diminished; we feel tired, think about how we could work more effectively stressed and our confidence suffers. When we or what we could usefully say ‘no’ to? If the are always stretched, add one unexpected event accepted culture is to be busy, we have to be and we snap! aware and motivated to buck the trend. Busyness is a state of mind and it can be addictive. Weaning ourselves off takes a conscious decision to reconsider our choices and reactions. We may be reluctant to acknowledge that we are too busy and yet we know it. Only when we are honest with ourselves can we start to take steps towards a sustainable alternative which fits with the way we want to be living.

If we pride ourselves on our ability to multi-task we are deluding ourselves: Multi-tasking is a fallacy. When we think we’re working on a number of things at the same time we’re actually going from one to another, just very quickly. Giving quality attention to everything in this way is not possible and the time to complete tasks increases significantly. We are far more effective when we allocate time for one task and finish it before moving onto another. At business networking events, if someone says they’re busy, this is likely to be interpreted as

Visit www.annemillercoaching.co.uk for more information and to book a free coaching consultation Tel: 07722110228

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Prize Wordsearch ‐ sponsored by Leese & Nagle Wordsearch grid below so you just need to work out which one is missing. Send your entries in to me, in line with the dates mentioned earlier, to be in with a chance of winning. The words can be hidden running forwards, backwards, up, down or on a diagonal. Best of luck - and here are the words you are looking for -

This moth we look to the skies with a prize wordsearch kindly sponsored by local estate agent Leese & Nagle. There are four prizes this month, given the timing of the delivery of the magazine. On Saturday 5th November the now traditional Family Firework Display will be held in Canford Park. Leese & Nagle have donated 2 family tickets (i.e. for 4 people) and one pair of tickets (i.e. for 2 people) to give to the first three correct entries drawn out of the hat at midnight Friday 4th going into Saturday 5th November. If however you don’t receive your magazine in time fear not, all correct entries received between Bonfire Night and the 30th November will go into a separate draw to win a £20 book token or £20 gardening voucher.

HELICOPTER TORNADO BUTTERFLY KITE RAIN HANG GLIDER AEROPLANE

CLOUD FIREWORK SATELLITE MISSILE RAINBOW DRONE

Please send your entries in to me at 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PY, ring 0117 259 1964, text 07845 986650. email andy@bcmagazines.co.uk or tweet @BS9Andy

Listed below are twenty things you might expect to see in the sky. Nineteen of them are hidden in the O

BAT PLANET COMET MOON BIRD FOG ROCKET

C W N

M O

B W R

W O

Q M B

N M R

M U

U M

K W P

G W A

A M

C W D

W O

M H

M V

M U

G W

M M G

A M N

The winner of the September competition, spotting that Estonia was the missing country, was an unnamed text entry. Congratulations whoever you are, I’ll be in touch and get your Stanfords gift voucher across to you as soon as I’ve discovered where you are! Thanks as ever to everybody who entered.

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Help fund raise for WoT Village Hall with the Co‐op If you are a membership of the Co-op membership scheme you may well have received a shiny new membership card through the post recently. If however you’ve not read the blurb then you may not realise that using it costs you nothing, earns you a loyalty bonus and also helps one of our most valuable local amenities. Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall has been selected to receive funding from the Co-op Local Community Fund. It means that the Hall will get a contribution towards essential projects such as replacing the boiler and updating the cloakrooms. How it works is that, if you are a Co-op member and you buy Co-op branded products and services, you will receive a 5% loyalty bonus and your chosen fund, i.e. the Village Hall, 1% for the next six months. The Hall

will also receive a share of money raised through the five pence carrier bag charge. The Hall celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019 and is used and enjoyed by a wide range of local community groups as well as being a popular venue for celebrations. But it costs us a lot to keep this Grade 2 listed building in good repair, even though it is run by volunteers. So if you are a Co-op member, log in to your Co-op membership account and choose the Hall as a beneficiary. If you aren't already a member, please sign up end make us your cause until March 2017. The website address is www.coop.co.uk/ membership. The more support we get, the more funding we could receive!

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Talking Pets with Viking Vets Dark nights are upon us The dark evenings and rain keeps most pets and owners indoors. The number of stitch ups, road traffic accidents and diarrhoeas goes down. End of October, beginning of November tend to be a lot of frightened pets worried about fireworks. As November rolls on we tend to have a bit of a lull in our appointments, this gives us time to concentrate on other things, like the Practice Standards Scheme. We are due our inspection on the 21st of November. You may be surprised that only 57% of veterinary practices in the UK are part of this scheme. The scheme is a quality assurance for customers so they know that the practice is operating to a set standard and that they are inspected every four years. It is organised by RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the regulatory organisation for vets

and veterinary nurses) There is of course a lot of paper work to get done. However it gives us a good framework for us to make sure we provide not only our pets and clients a good and safe service, but provide a safe and health environment for our most important resource - the team. As a vet running a business I have no formal business qualification. I work on the simple premise that if you look after your team, they will look after you. The team have to be caring and empathetic, we have to be interested in helping people and be problem solvers. The team creates our second most important asset, and that is our reputation. There is an old saying that says you are only as good as your last case. This is very true, even after 23 years in practice I am very aware that every person I meet will make a judgment on how I approach them and their pet. Communication with people is by far the most challenging aspect of my daily life, but it is an area that you can always get better at if you are willing to keep an open mind. Maria Lowe, Veterinary Surgeon, Viking Vets

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New memorial stone in Sneyd Park Did you know there was a 100 bed military hospital for Australian war wounded in Stoke Bishop during WW1? Robert and Marjery Bush converted their home, the grand Bishops Knoll House, at their own expense shortly after the outbreak of hostilities, moved with his family to a residence next door, and personally, with his wife, managed the hospital for the next four and a bit years.

To commemorate this remarkable generosity and dedication, the Australian War Contingency Association presented the Bushes with a large `thank you` plaque which was placed in the foyer of Bishops Knoll House. With the demolition of the house in 1973, the plaque went to Canberra, where it now resides. No trace of the hospital remains since the site is now occupied by blocks of flats ( at the bottom of Knoll Road), while the former grounds of the house became the property of the Woodland Trust in 1983. So the Friends of Bishops Knoll Wood, volunteers who help the Trust to look after the Wood, decided there ought to be some kind of memorial reinstated. Having unsuccessfully applied to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra for return of the original British funded plaque, they applied to the Australian Department of Veteran Affairs who agreed to fund a replica. This has now been set in a massive boulder ( paid for by the Woodland Trust ) and placed just inside the main entrance to the Wood in Bramble Lane. Robert Bush had been High Sheriff of Bristol in 1912 and so it seemed appropriate that the replica plaque

was unveiled by the present High Sheriff of Bristol, Helen Wilde. This happened at a special ceremony held on 24th August on the 102nd anniversary of the opening of the hospital. The unveiling was attended by the Lord Lieutenant, a former Bristol Sheriff, Lt. Col Tsamis of the Australian Defence Staff, members of the Bush family, members of the British Australia Society, and representatives of Clifton Rugby Club and Gloucestershire Cricket Club both of which Bush had played for in his youth. The day also saw the publication of a book written by Chris Stephens, Hon Sec. of the Friends of B.K. Wood, on the life of Robert Edwin Bush and the story of his war-time hospital (which will be reviewed in the December issue of The Bristol Nine). Many photographs survive of the grand rooms of the mansion both before and after conversion to hospital wards, and also of life during the patients` recovery While Bush and his wife managed the logistics of running the hospital, there was of course a full medical staff of 4 doctors and 20 nurses. At least 2500 wounded soldiers were treated at the hospital during the war period. Only a few did not survive and 8 of those are buried at Arnos Vale Cemetery in south Bristol, where a monument to Robert Bush and his family can also be seen. There is also an exhibition about the life of Robert Edwin Bush in the Bristol Record Office until the New Year. Many patients enjoyed the gardens near the house, as photos show, and some no doubt wandered the through the grounds - now Bishops Knoll Wood, where the Woodland Trust volunteers are still making discoveries of garden features dating from these times. You can become a Friend of Bishops Knoll Wood and help our work, especially the our around the surviving C19 garden features, by paying a small subscription of ÂŁ5 per year, which will help with minor expenses ( while the Trust looks after the Wood itself). You don`t have to join the monthly work parties but can receive regular newsletters about the Wood and our activities For more details please contact Bev Knott bev.knott12@gmail.com or Chris Stephens C.D.Stephens@bristol.ac.uk

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The Downs Recorder ‐ Richard Bland The History of the Downs in ten objects. Number 7 - The Coronation Oak. 1903 At the top of Bridge Valley Road there stands an Oak with a plaque noting that it was put up to commemorate the coronation in 1903 of King Edward VII. It is a fine specimen, and its girth at 280cm is a nice demonstration of the fact that native trees grow in girth at an average rate of two point five centimetres a year. When it was planted the only other trees around were the avenue of trees coming down the Promenade. These are now Beech trees, and look magnificent in autumn but they were all replacements for a previous avenue probably planted about 1815. A drawing by Samuel Grimm of the turnpike gate in 1788 makes it clear that there were no trees then but young trees are shown in the panoramic view of Clifton drawn in c 1830 by Robotham, using the camera obscura created by Williams West in the Observatory. In fact, when the Oak (in the centre of the picture) was planted, it was still possible to see a small section of the River Avon at the bottom of the slope, as there was only low scrub on the side of the Gorge, and the whole of the magnificent course of Bridge Valley Road, built by J L Macadam in 1822, could easily be observed.

part of the Turnpike system established in 1727, and along the old turnpike road which ran through Clifton, down the Promenade to the turnpike gate, up Fountains Hill, which lies in a cutting, and straight across to the Old Halt at the top of Stoke Hill, where it joined the toll road from Blackboy Hill. These avenues were probably originally planted to ensure that travellers did not get lost, as the Downs was a very large area of open and unenclosed common land without walls or hedges and roads were more like farm tracks, with little to distinguish them from the rest of the Downs surface. All three of these avenues have continued to be maintained by successive generations, even though the Clifton to Old Halt road was abandoned after 1750, when Ladies Mile was built. The Seven Sisters are a group of Black Pines originally planted in about 1880 at the edge of a quarry that had just been filled in. They are supposed to have been planted by a doctor who had seven daughters. There are now only three left. A replacement group has been planted a few yards away. Six Whitebeams, including a Bristol Whitebeam, were planted in 1973 near the Circular Road to commemorate the six hundredth anniversary of King Edward III’s charter that, uniquely, gave Bristol the status of a city and county, separate from the jurisdiction of Somerset and Gloucestershire. More recently trees have been planted to commemorate Downs Rangers, the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation and last winter some 70 trees were planted, all of them sponsored by individuals or organisations, as replacements for avenue trees that have recently been lost.

Unlike the other objects in this series, the Coronation Oak is not man-made, but it is a symbol of our desire to remember the past, our wish to manipulate and improve the environment, and of the value that we The planting of Memorial trees and of avenues on the place on trees. Downs has a long history. In 1766 the first The Downs are for people, and the management Conservator of the Downs, Sir William Draper, of a vast number of competing interests is planted an avenue from the Observatory to his own sophisticated and subtle. If you enjoy the Downs, front door at Manilla Hall. Avenues were also planted or use if for your sport, why not become a Friend? along the Westbury and Stoke roads, which were both Membership is just £10. Contact Robin Haward at robinhaward@blueyonder.co.uk 0117 974 3385

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Christmas Tree Festival As a part of the 1300th Anniversary celebrations in Westbury, Holy Trinity Church are, for the first time, planning to hold a Christmas Tree Festival this December. Individuals, organisations and businesses are invited to supply and decorate a tree and deliver it to the Church on Monday 19th December to be displayed alongside all other trees received. There is no charge for entering a tree, although participants are welcome to make a donation to the Church Appeal. There will be no supply of electricity but if you wish you can use battery powered lights. Your tree can be a traditional one from the garden or you can create your own to reflect your personality, business or group.

All trees will be on display in the Church from Tuesday 20th to Friday 23rd December from 10.30am to 4.30pm, when visitors are most welcome to see the exhibits, take the opportunity to purchase a few festive items and enjoy some refreshments. Entry to view the trees is also free of charge. If you would like to participate in this new community Christmas event then please do get in touch with the church office on 0117 950 8644 or via email office@westbury-parishchurch.org.uk. Similar festivals have proved hugely popular in churches elsewhere, including Salisbury Cathedral where these photos were taken.

What’s On & Community News Listings for community events, not-for-profit clubs and charitable activities are free of charge. If you have something of this nature that you would like listed please get in touch by calling 0117 259 1964 or 07845 986650, email andy@bcmagazines.co.uk, or post details in to 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PY. Details shown are accurate to the best of my knowledge, but dates, times & locations may change without notification. So if you are unsure, and to avoid disappointment, please contact the organiser listed to double check.

Theatre, Concerts and Music Christmas at Westbury on Trym Village Hall Saturday 10 December. Bringing close harmony and Christmas cheer close to you - the 'H' Club of the Great Western Chorus of Bristol. 7.30 pm. Tickets £12.50 - 2 course meal included. Admission by ticket only. Tel 9623399/email enquiries@wotvillagehall.org Singer/songwriter Philippa Hanna, who has recently toured with Leona Lewis and Little Mix is at St Mary Magdalene Church, Stoke Bishop on Saturday 26th November. A beautiful acoustic singer, this is a new album tour. Tickets from Eventbrite are £10. For further information: www.stmarysb.org.uk

sensational choral favourites, including Tallis’s incomparable 40-part motet ‘Spem in Alium’ alongside Britten’s evocative 'Hymn to St Cecilia’ and Whitacre’s ecstatic 'Her sacred spirit soars’. The choral elements of this programme will be beautifully balanced by performances of Bach's ever popular unaccompanied cello works. Saturday November 19th 2016, 8pm at St James’ Priory, BS1 3NZ. Tickets: £18; students and under 18s, £5. Online: bristolbach.org.uk/tickets. Phone: 0117 214 0721. Email: tickets@bristolbach.org.uk The Maplemeade Guide Panto present the Ugly Panto. On Saturday 10th December 2016 at St Peters Church Hall, Henleaze. Tickets £5 for adults and £3 for children (14 and under) can be bought online at guidepanto.guidesite.org.uk Performances start at 2.30pm and 7.00pm. Doors open 30 minutes before. Cakes and refreshments will be for sale during the interval. All money raised will be split between St Peters Hospice and Lifeskills. This is our 15th annual pantomime written by, directed and acted by members and of GirlGuiding aged 10-14.

Fairies and Sprites - of all ages. Some good, Some bad. A Princess, naturally, a Royal Family with a hungry mouse, and cats! Love, Laughter & Songs - The St Alban’s Players present Sleeping Beauty, a Family Show for your enjoyment, Thursday 24th - Saturday 26th November, 7:30pm, Sat Matinee 3:30pm at St. Alban's Church Hall, Bayswater Avenue, BS6 7NU. Clifton Amateur Dramatic Society presents Ticket Prices: £9 Adults, £6 Friends of St. Alban's/ “Audacity” by Simon Mawdsley from 16th –19th Students/Under 16s. Box Office November 2016 at the Alma Tavern and Theatre, BS8 StAlbansPlayers@gmail.com, 2HY. “Philip is going through a messy divorce. To make www.stalbansplayers.co.uk or phone: 07425 198859 himself some money and give his life a boost of adrenalin, he devises a cunning scheme to rob the Master and Apprentice at St Alban’s Church in London department store Jarvis and Klein of its daily Westbury Park on Saturday 5th November at 7.30pm. takings. He needs help, however, so he enlists John, an The Palestrina Singers (Cardiff) with Benjamin Teague ex-stationery salesman sacked for fiddling his expenses, (Organ) present an evening of choral music by and Dave, another salesman with a hugely expensive Palestrina, Victoria, Howells and Britten including lifestyle, as his partners in crime. The plot seems to be Palestrina’s Stabat Mater, Howells’ Take Him Earth for going well - until John and Dave's wives join forces to Cherishing and Britten’s Five Flower Songs. £10 (£6) investigate their husbands' odd behaviour.” Tickets £10. interval drinks will be served. To reserve tickets in To book: www.almatavernandtheatre.co.uk advance please contact Abigail Shepherd the Church in Westbury Park office on 0117 9731562 or email Bristol Concert Orchestra's concert at St George's office@westburyparkchurch.org. Tickets available on Bristol on Saturday 3rd December at 7.30pm features the door. Shostakovich's 5th Symphony, Bruch's Concerto for Clarinet & Viola (with soloists Nicholas Shipman and On Saturday 12th November at 7.30 in St Mary Asher Zaccardelli) and the gorgeous Romeo & Juliet Redcliffe Church Bristol Phoenix Choir present a fantasy overture by Tchaikovsky. There will be a retiring programme of Music from East and West, by collection for SWAN UK. Tickets priced £8-£15 composers from France, England, Austria, Estonia and (concessions £2 discount), children £1 [+fee] are Russia. It includes Schubert’s tuneful Mass in G, the available from www.bristolconcertorchestra.org.uk or meditative “Beatitudes” by Arvo Pärt and the from St George's Bristol in person or by phone: 0845 40 showstopping Polovtsian Dances by Borodin. Tickets 24 001. cost £12.50 and are available from tickets@bristolphoenixchoir.org.uk, by calling Bristol Bach Choir present a true celebration of 07931812625, from Opus 13, St Michael’s Hill 0117 music in honour of the great muse and patron saint of 9230164 or from choir members. music, St. Cecilia. An uplifting candlelit recital of simply

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What’s On & Community News The Ship & Castle Theatre Company present “Six” a new play conceived by them 7th – 11th November at 7:30pm at the Newman Hall, Grange Court Rd, Westbury on Trym, BS9 4DR starting at 7:30pm. All seats unreserved. The play revolves around the last 12 years of Henry VIII's life. In that time Henry was desperate for sons to continue his legacy. We are all aware of the school rhyme "Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived" and this play tells the six stories. Tickets £10. Box Office: 07745 208639 or shipandcastletickets@yahoo.co.uk. Bristol Cabot Choir Christmas Concert – Noel! Noel! - Monday, 12 December at 7.30 pm at Bristol Cathedral, College Green, BS1 5TJ. With the Bristol Brass Consort and Andrew Kirk on organ, we will be presenting a programme of beautiful sacred Christmas music and carols from across the ages for choir, brass and audience. Tickets: Reserved £15 - Unreserved £10/£5 (under 18s) From Opus 13, 14 St. Michael’s Hill, Bristol BS2 8DT Ticket Line 0117 923 0164/ or via 0117 9626521. www.bristolcabotchoir.org. Retiring collection for The Bridge Charity. The Elgar Society is dedicated to promoting the works of Sir Edward Elgar, our greatest English composer. Our next meeting is on Saturday 26 November at 2.15 at the Bristol Music Club, 76 St Paul’s Road, BS8 1LP. Limited free parking is available at 1 Pembroke Road. Admission for visitors costs £3.00 including refreshments. Our speaker will be Bristol-born music academic, Martin Firth, who takes as his theme “How Very English!” – an examination of how the oratorio as a music form became a peculiar English institution, and how this tradition impacted on Elgar’s examples. Illustrating his talk with copious examples, Martin Firth describes how a very Italian art-form was hi-jacked by a German composer living in England (Handel), and subsequently by other Austro-German composers (Haydn and Mendelssohn) and how the now established ‘English’ form of the oratorio was used by Elgar in ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ and ‘The Kingdom’. On Saturday 3rd December 3.30pm – 4.30 pm at St Alban’s Church in Westbury Park there will be a Tea Time Recital featuring Amy Finch (Violin) & Edward Davies (Piano). £5 (£3) includes afternoon tea and cake. To reserve tickets in advance please contact the office on 0117 9731562 or email office@westburyparkchurch.org. Tickets also available on the door. Charade Drama presents "Trouble in Pantoland" by Sharon Hulm. Something’s amiss with the Wicked Queen’s Magic Mirror, Cinderella has been jilted at the altar by Prince Charming, all the Heroes have disappeared. Who can save Pantoland from the Evil Wizard ‘He Whose Name Nobody Can Remember’? Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty or maybe a Frog?! Westbury Methodist Church Hall, Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th November 7:30pm, Saturday Matinee

2:30pm. Tickets on door or Box Office 0117 9508488, £7/£6/£5 Adult/Concession/Child. Melody Makers Pop Choir. Come and join a fun new choir for men and women. Starting at The Eastfield Inn 11th January 2017. We will sing popular music, mash ups and medleys, some with groovy moves! There will be termly performance opportunities at local venues and we will rehearse on Wednesday evenings (7:309:00pm) during term time. No previous experience or auditions necessary. Get in touch to book your free taster session. www.melodymakerschoir.wordpress.com Melody Makers Baby Friendly Choir. We are a daytime ladies choir. Feel free to bring your baby/ toddler too. Escape the real world and spend a fun packed hour singing uplifting popular songs and classic choral favourites. We are open to all levels, so no auditions and no previous experience necessary. No nursery rhymes or backing tracks - strictly a choir full of grown up music. Come along on Tuesday's 10:3011:30am (term time only) to our new venue at The Eastfield Inn, Skittle Alley, Henleaze Road. www.melodymakerschoir.wordpress.com Bristol Soroptomists are hosting a concert on November the 5th which will raise awareness and money for the Bristol charity "Off The Record " This is a charity which supports the mental health of young people. The concert features Tim Lewis and Sheila Furneaux, the well known Bristol duo that is full of fun, recalling the hey day of Flanders and Swan, together with the lively Show Stoppers Choir from the UWE. The concert titled Voices Unruffled is at Oatley Hall, St Monica's Trust, Cote Lane, Henleaze BS9 3TN and begins at 7.00. Tickets ARE £ 10 and are available from the University of the West of England tel 01173 282 067 or from the UWE Ticket Store: http:// store.uwe.ac.uk and Bristol Soroptimists tel 01275 817271 or email liz@newcomb.org.uk Bristol Cabot Choir is delighted to welcome new members for all voice parts. Why not come and sing with us for 2/3 ‘taster’ rehearsals before a simple audition? We meet at Redland URC on Mondays at 7.30 pm. FFI email admin@bristolcabotchoir.org, visit www.bristolcabotchoir.org; or find us on Facebook. ‘Babbers’ Radio Show every Monday from midday to 2pm on Ujima Radio - 98FM. The show is organised and presented by older people for older people with the aim of helping to reduce loneliness and social isolation, however the topics we cover are interesting and relevant to all. Tune in, let us know what you think info@ujimaradio.com Westbury on Trym Methodist Church Orchestra are a group of instrumentalists of all ages who play for morning worship once a month. Our rehearsal time is before the service from 10am. If you play any orchestral instrument, but particularly violin, you are very welcome

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What’s On & Community News to join us. Experience of orchestral playing is not essential, but you will need to be able to read music. We’re a friendly and helpful group, who enjoy playing together. Parts are always provided for personal practice. To find out more telephone 9686589.

Thurs between September and May from 1.45 – 3.45 pm (with a short break for tea). We give 2 charity concerts a year in December and May and from time to time we are invited to entertain community groups around the city. There are also occasional social events organised. We are always pleased to see new members but would Bristol Male Voice Choir sing to a wide range of particularly welcome first sopranos at the moment. audiences, performing not just male voice favourites, but Please come and try a rehearsal without obligation. To songs from musicals, pop classics, spirituals, and find out more please contact either Jane English (0117 classical favourites. You don’t have to read music to join 9511430 or 07752 332278) or Jean Wickham (0117 962 as a tenor, baritone or bass, but you will enjoy learning 4466). our repertoire, (re-)discovering the voice you may have forgotten about, and being welcomed into the choir’s Stoke Bishop Ladies Choir meet at Stoke Bishop welcoming social atmosphere. We rehearse every Village Hall, new members welcome and no auditions Thursday from 7.00pm till 9.15 pm at South are necessary. We are a friendly group that sings for Gloucestershire and Stroud College (formerly Filton pleasure, and we hold a concert at the end of each term College ) where the north end of Filton Avenue meets to raise money for charity. Please call Maureen on the A38. Come along to a rehearsal, go to our website – 9567894 or Carolyn on 2791409 for more information. bristolmvc.org.uk - or contact our secretary on 0117 942 4378. Exhibitions, Markets and Meetings West Bristol Orchestra play a wide range of classical music arranged for the smaller orchestra, and meet at the United Reformed Church, Muller Road on Thursdays 7.15pm to 9.15pm. Additional string players of Grade5+ standard welcome. Experience of orchestral playing not essential. For more info please contact the Secretary on 968 3998. Vocal Harmony - an exciting contemporary choir based in Bristol. Meet new people, learn contemporary songs and have a lot of fun. You do not need to read music and there is no audition. We sing modern music by the likes of Adele, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Take That, Queen, all parts are taught in call and response. We run three 10 week terms, with a performance at the end of each term. FFI contact eliza@vocalharmonychoir.co.uk or visit www.vocalharmonychoir.co.uk. Wednesday afternoon choir are a friendly group of people who are The Filtones. We sing four part harmony, but ability to read music, although useful, is not essential as we supply CDs and MP3 files as teaching aids. For more information please ring Jilly (0117 923 2281) or Shirley (0117 965 4348), email dorothy.bryant@btinternet.com visit www.thefiltones.weebly.com or alternatively, just call in at Eden Grove Methodist Church Horfield BS7 0PQ between 1.30 and 3.45 pm on a Wednesday afternoon for a listen and a chat.

Fhizzy Fireworks Spectacular! Friday 4th November. A friendly family display for all the BS9 community, sponsored by CJ Hole and Wards Solicitors. Henleaze Infant School, Park Grove., Gates open 6pm, fireworks at 7pm. Cash bar, hot dogs, hot chocolate, sweets & treats. Tickets available from Chandos Deli & Eastfield Inn . Advance tickets: adult £4, child £2. Gate prices: adult £5, child £3. Pre-schoolers are free! WOT Village Hall Annual General Meeting – Thursday 30th November 2016 at 7 pm. All welcome. Nibbles and bar. Small business owners - mastermind group meeting Monday Nov 14th @The Square Clifton. For info contact Anne Miller on 07722 110228 or email enquiries@annemillercoaching.co.uk Saturday November 19th. Christmas Fair at The Church in Westbury Park - @ Westbury Park Methodist Church 4 North View. 2.30pm - 4.30pm. Gifts, cakes, teas, local artists' stalls, children's activities, Father Christmas. All proceeds to charity. Christmas Craft and Card Sale. Saturday 5th November 10:00 - 12:00 at St Peter's Church Hall, Henleaze. A great range of charity Christmas cards and charity and other gifts for sale. Entry £2 to include a cup of tea or coffee.

The Mosaic Singers are a compact group but would like to grow our line-up with an additional Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. We rehearse in Stoke Bishop on Tuesday evenings, where a warm and friendly welcome is assured. This need not be as heavy a commitment as with some choirs. If you would like to find out more, please phone David Vicary on 0797 346 0994.

A Family Fun Event will be held at Westbury-on-Trym Methodist Church on November 12th at 11am. There will be games for the children, stall which include Cakes, Gifts, Toiletries, Children’s Toys and books. Hot lunches will be served from 12 noon. Please come along and bring a friend. You will be made very welcome. In aid of the World Church. Free Admission.

Henleaze Ladies Choir is a friendly welcoming group which meets in St Peters Church Hall, Henleaze, on

Free child-friendly family Christmas science lecture at the University of Bristol (School of Chemistry,

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What’s On & Community News Cantock's Close, BS8 1TS) on Friday 16 December 2016, 6pm start with refreshments from 5:30. "A Room with a Boom" will take you from hair gel to a hydrogen explosion in sixty minutes via more than a dozen chemistry demonstrations. Explore the importance, fascination, beauty and fun of science. Arranged jointly by the IET, IMechE, RSC and NI. Please reserve a seat (and a mince pie) at http://tinyurl.com/ Xmas16Lecture.

doctor’s surgery. For information about other support services for carers contact Carers Support Centre. Carers Line: 0117 965 2299 or visit www.carerssupportcentre.org.uk.

Morris Dancing - Bristol Morris Men welcome anyone who wants to try morris dancing. We practise on Thursday evenings in the Sports Hall at (QEH) Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital (School) at Berkeley Place, Clifton from 20:00 to 22:00 (ish). For more information please Stoke Bishop Village Hall will be holding their annual visit www.bristolmorrismen.co.uk or call Grant on Christmas Fair on Saturday 12 November 2016 from 2 (0117) 9442165 . until 5pm. As usual there will be a wide variety of stalls so come along and sort out your present shopping, or, Pilates Classes running in the local area on Tuesday's even better, treat yourself. Admission is only 50p, with 9:30am (improver) / 10:30am (beginner) / 12:10pm children free, and of course there will be the usual guilt- (mixed ability) / 13:30pm (Postnatal) and on Wednesday free refreshments with all proceeds going towards the 18:15pm (intermediate). For bookings please call Leanne ongoing improvements to your Village Hall. For more on 07817189474 / Email leanne@mindbodypilates.org, info please contact :or for further details visit www.mindbodypilates.org stokebishophallbookings@yahoo.co.uk Scottish Country Dancing for beginners and The annual Cards for Good Causes pop-up shop in experienced dancers at St Monica Trust’s Hall on Tyndale Baptist Church on Whiteladies Road runs until Thursdays, 7.30 pm. New dancers welcome - come on 14 December. The shops will be selling a huge selection your own or with friends. Contact Margaret, 01275 of charity Christmas cards, including cards from local 794638 or Graham 01275 854782, or visit Bristol charities BRACE and Great Western Air www.rscdsbristolinfo.co.uk Ambulance, some of which feature Bristol winter scenes, as well as a lovely range of Christmas goods including Westbury Scottish Club country dancing classes for wrapping, stocking fillers and small gifts. Cards for beginners at Leonard Hall, Trinity-Henleaze URC, Good Causes is the UK’s largest charity Christmas card Waterford Road, Henleaze. Tel. Maggie on 01934 organisation, selling cards on behalf of over 250 charities 838175. Classes for more advanced dancers at St Peter’s across the UK. Church Hall, Henleaze. Tel. Cheryl on 0117 4012416. Every Tues 7.30 - 9.30pm. See www.wscbristol.co.uk for Country Market. Every Friday morning from 10.30 to details. 11.30 in Westbury on Trym Methodist Church Hall. Homemade cakes, arts, crafts, plants, vegetables, jams Hydrotherapy Exercise Sessions - group exercise in and chutneys. Refreshments are also available in a lovely warm water at Southmead Hospital's purpose relaxed and friendly environment. For more details built pool. Benefits include relaxation, relief of pain & contact Sue Sills on 962 8306. swelling, improved movement, balance & fitness. All ages & abilities welcome. We are a friendly local team of Chartered Physiotherapists with expertise in a variety of Fitness, Health and Wellbeing disabilities & medical conditions. We have a regular group of local members but new people are always Bristol Shambhala Meditation Group offers free meditation instruction from a qualified instructor at the welcome. For more details please contact Chris & Ali Open House evening each Wednesday from 7.30 - 9.30 Cowley on 07971 086 628, email healthyhydrotherapy@gmail.com or visit pm at 17 Lower Redland Road, Redland, BS6 6TB and www.healthyhydrotherapy.co.uk. the opportunity for a longer period of practice on the second Sunday of each month. We will be offering the Tai Chi – These gentle movements can ease the body, first of five Shambhala Training programmes on the quiet the mind and restore vitality. Local friendly weekend of 26 & 27 November. This is suitable for classes with an experienced teacher. Classes at all levels those with some or no experience and introduces the at The Greenway Centre and other Bristol locations. For practice and view of this tradition. For further more details contact Karen on 0117 9424167, see information please see our website: www.taijiworks.co.uk or email www.bristol.shambhala.info taijiworks@phonecoop.coop. Free Flu Jabs for carers! If you are the main carer of Ladies Keep Fit, Thursdays 10:00 - 11:00 am, at St an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at Peter's Church Hall, Henleaze - with our new instructor. risk if you fall ill, you qualify for a free flu jab. This service is open to all unpaid carers including those who This friendly session, which has a dance element to it, is suitable for all ages, levels, and abilities, including the receive carers allowance. Flu jabs are now available at older adult or young mum, who wants to maintain their many community pharmacies as well as through your

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What’s On & Community News general fitness, mobility, range of movement, and well being. New members welcome. £5:00 per class, pay as you go - which includes refreshments. Ring 01454 618488, or email laili@tiscali.co.uk, or look up the website www.exercisewithlailibrooks.com for full information; or just turn up. Zumba Gold / Light 5.30pm/ Zumba Fitness 6.35pm. Westbury -on-Trym Village Hall. Weds. £5 on door. Just drop in with water and a sense of humour! Phone Marie on 963 4104 or visit www.bristoldancezumba.co.uk for more info. Fancy a ramble? How about joining us for enjoyable 810 mile walks on two Sundays per month ? Our usual group size is 12-15 walkers. Interested ? If so, please come and give Stoke Lodge Ramblers a try. Visit www.stokelodgeramblers.wordpress.com for more details or phone Secretary 0117 9684140. Bristol based charity LinkAge hold a number of fitness classes for the over 55’s running in the Henleaze area. Contemporary Dance 55+ on Monday from 10am-11am at Bradbury Hall, Trinity Henleaze Church. Cost £4. Tai Chi 55+ on Tuesday between 11am-12pm at Studland Court Community Room, Henleaze. Cost £3.50. Zumba Gold 55+ on Tuesday between 1pm-2pm at St Peters Church, Henleaze. Cost £4. For more details please contact Laura on 0117 353 3042 or visit www.LinkAgeBristol.org.uk

Lawns. By excluding grasses, other suitable plant species can be used in a way that is similar but refreshingly different from conventional turf lawns. For more info visit www.grassfreelawns.co.uk. Venue: Frank Theatre Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL. Lectures are free to Friends on production of their membership card. Visitors will be asked for a donation (suggested £5) Attendees can use any University car park; the nearest are in University Walk and The Hawthorns. The Clifton Garden Society invite you to come and join is as a new member. Monthly coach visits are arranged to great houses and gardens. There is a quarterly newsletter, an annual holiday and a Christmas party. If you would like to join this friendly group please contact 0117 973 7296 for further details . The Alpine Garden Society meet on the 3rd Friday of the month at Westbury Methodist Church, Westbury Hill, at 7.30pm. We have speakers on various topics, plant sales and social events. Visitors are very welcome at £2 a visit. On 18th November Alan Clarke will be talking to us about the Scillies. Sea Mills Garden Club meet every 3rd Wednesday of the month at Sea Mills Methodist Rooms, Sea Mills Square at 7.30pm. On 16th November Jules Moore will be discussing “the 21st Century Small Holding”. Visitors always welcome at £3 per meeting. Hope to see you there. FFI contact Gail Mitchell 0117 9685350 or Esme James 0117 9682571.

Zumba Gold Class @ Horfield Parish Church Hall every Weds 2pm-2.45pm (£4.00 per class) for the mature movers aimed at age 55+ (All other ages including Beginners) Zumba Class @ Orchard School Henleaze & District Flower Club meets on the every Thurs 7pm-8pm Contact Georgina for further second and fourth Thursdays of the month at Bradbury details on www.bristolzumba.com or tel: 07545 625 089. Hall, Waterford Road in Henleaze. Flower demonstrations are held on the second Thursday, Tai Chi Classes for beginners - Get fit the Chinese practice classes on the fourth Thursday. New members way. For centuries the Chinese have practised Tai Chi as always welcome. For more details please contact Debra simple but powerful form of exercise for strength, Ward on 07974 937741 or email Debra at balance and mindfulness. The Bristol School of Tai Chi debragailward@hotmail.com has lots of daytime and evening classes in Henleaze and Bishopston .For more details contact Ben Milton Friends of Old Sneed Park Nature Reserve. It only telephone 0117 9493955, or visit www.bristoltaichi.com costs £5 a year to become a friend of the nature reserve, a wonderful area for wildlife in Stoke Bishop. The land is owned by the council and run with the help of Gardening and Horticulture volunteers & Friends. There are regular newsletters, and regular events on the reserve. Fore more details please The Friends of Badock's Wood has organised more check www.spnaturereserve.com. talks and walks in Badock's Wood for the Autumn, More information about the group can be found on our website www.fobw.org.uk. Sunday November 13th 2.00 Henleaze Garden Club is a thriving club for anyone interested in anything to do with gardening! We meet the - 3:30 p.m. Autumn berries, hips and haws - an first Wednesday of each month in the main hall at St introduction to the berries in Badock's Wood led by Monica's, Cote Lane, with a summer break when the Tony Smith from the Bristol Naturalists' Society. Meet club arranges coach trips. Expert speakers, a quarterly at the Badock's Wood Northern Gateway, Doncaster newsletter, and great Christmas event. Annual Road, Southmead. All welcome. membership is £20 plus a £1 per visit, visitors are most welcome at £5 per visit. Contact Brian Dury on 9621227 University of Bristol Botanic Gardens Friends or www.henleazegardenclub.co.uk for more info. Lecture. Thursday 17th November at 7.30pm when Lionel Smith, lecturer in horticulture at Myerscough College in Preston, will be talking about Grass Free

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What’s On & Community News Volunteering and Charities

www.carerssupportcentre.org.uk .

Home Care in Bristol – Lay Assessors needed to become involved in the RSVP Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme. Lay assessors are part of a team visiting people in their homes across the city that have home care services, to talk to them and find out if the quality of the service is satisfactory. The Lay Assessor scheme works in partnership with the council and forms part of their monitoring process. This voluntary role is interesting, rewarding and flexible. Full training is provided along with regular opportunities to meet and share experience with other lay assessors. If you are interested please email homecare@rsvp-west.org.uk or telephone 0117 922 4392 and leave your contact details and either Paula or Ken will call you back.

Wanted - Volunteer Drivers for transport, once or twice a week, of local elderly patients to the Westbury doctors’ surgery or to a hospital. We have a small group of volunteer drivers, all over 50, who enjoy being active in the Westbury community. Please come and join us and experience the gratification from helping others in your own neighbourhood. We operate within the Charity RSVP-West, who provide us with liability insurance for these drives and with practical help and advice. And of course we work closely with the Staff of the Westbury-on-Trym practice. For information please contact Wendy Clark (0117 962 0733) or Zina Wilson (0117 431 3671)or by e-mail on Bernzina@blueyonder.co.uk , or ask the Westbury Practice Reception or your local GP on tel. 9623406.

REMAP is a registered charity that designs and makes custom aids which enable a disabled person to enjoy a better quality of life. We design, make or modify equipment to suit their specific needs. No charge is made for our services. Please contact us if we can help visit www.remapbristol.org.uk, contact Colin 01275 460288 colin305@gmail.com or contact Ray 0117 9628729 rwestcott@blueyonder.co.uk

Do you love Weddings? Westbury-on-Trym Village hall is a very popular wedding venue and has a busy ongoing wedding schedule. We're looking for more volunteers to help these events run smoothly. If you're interested, please contact Debbie Furlong on 07791 882127.

RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteer Programme). Do you like reading? Do you like helping children? If yes to both, you are just the sort of person we are looking for! If you can spare a minimum of an hour a week to hear children read in a local school you could make a huge difference. Volunteers do not teach children to read, but spend time on an individual basis with them, hearing them read and talking to them about the stories in their reading books. We want children to enjoy books and reading, and individual attention is always a great way to do it. Volunteering is a great way to stay active and to feel useful, so if you are interested in joining us please get in touch. Contact Mina on 07860 669953, or explore the website RSVP-west.org.uk

Friendship, Social and Support Coffee Morning at the Carers Group on Thursday 10th November from 10 - 12 in the Coffee Bar, The Bradbury Hall, Waterford Road, Henleaze BS 9 4BT Open, informal session for anyone caring for a relative or friend - drop in, stay as long as you wish. Phone Monica 9426095 for more information or just come along !

Henleaze (evening) Townswomen’s Guild meets at 7.15 pm on the first Wednesday of the month in St Peter’s Church Hall, The Drive, Henleaze, BS9 4LD. Interesting speakers present a variety of topics. Visitors are welcome. Groups that meet between our monthly meetings include: Arts and Crafts group, Music club, Book club, Discussion Group, Gardening club, Bridge Volunteers needed to support carers. Could you club, Lunch Club. We have twice yearly outings and a please help us develop and increase our support to carers, people looking after an unwell, disabled or elderly holiday group. Join us to make new friends and have fun! Contact Shirley on 0117 9622243 for further family member or friend in Bristol and South Glos? information. Could you help us develop the support that carers can access through their G.P. surgery and other sources? If you are outgoing and could offer two mornings a month The Discussion Group. Do you want something to meet, greet and give information to carers when they enjoyable to do on Monday mornings? If so why not join us. We are a small, mixed, convivial group who visit their GP surgery, I would very glad to hear from meet locally to discuss wide-ranging topics of mutual you. Full training and support for this role is provided. interest. We are currently looking for new members. If Please contact me, Mike Hatch, GP Carer Link you are interested please call Bob Broomfield on 0117 Volunteer on 07503 577830: or please email in your 9621061 or Alan Routledge on 0117 9682246 for name and telephone number to further information. mikeh@carerssupportcentre.org.uk If you look after someone who couldn’t manage without you, and would Senior Film Club - St Peter's Hall, The Drive, like some information about our services for carers or Henleaze. Home Instead Bring Joy Foundation is would just like someone to talk to about caring for the pleased to support the Henleaze Senior Film Club and person you look after, please telephone our Carersline bring you the following fun Monday afternoons, each on 0117 965 2200 or visit

Local Rotary Clubs invite you to 3 CONCERT HEATS on TUESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2016 FRIDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2016 TUESDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2016 at 7.30pm (admission from 7.00pm) Come and hear outstanding young soloists from local schools! Trinity-Henleaze United Reformed Church Waterford Road, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4BT Tickets on the door £5 (£3 students under 18) Including refreshments

What’s On & Community News starting at 2pm. November 21st "Top Hat" - 1935 musical comedy starring Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers bring your dancing shoes! December 12th “It’s a Wonderful Life” - 1946 Christmas drama starring James Stewart - a fun way to get into the swing of Christmas. January 16th - "Iron Lady" - 2011 Film starring Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher. Refreshments (Tea & Cake) £3. Transport offered by Dial-A-Ride, Tel 0845 139 875. For further details, please ring 0117 989 8210

Henleaze (Morning) Townswomen's Guild. This is a recently formed Guild and we meet from 10.00am – 12.00 noon on the third Thursday of every month at The Eastfield Inn, Henleaze Road. New members and visitors are most welcome. Further information can be obtained by ringing Elaine Anderson on 907 5279. Clifton Rotary Club welcomes new members willing to give their time, are interested in making new friends, building business contacts and using their skills to help others. We meet Wednesday lunchtimes at The Redland Green Club (Redland Lawn Tennis and Squash Club). For more details please visit www.cliftonrotary.org or email secretary@cliftonrotary.org

Westbury Park WI has changed its meeting day to the first Wednesday in the month. Guests are welcome, it costs £4 per session and it is possible to be a guest 3 times in a year without having to become a member. We meet at Westmoreland Hall, Westmoreland Road, Bristol Grandparents Support Group gives support to Redland from 7.30pm. grandparents who are estranged from their grandchildren due to family breakdown. Family Soroptomists International Bristol are part of a global breakdown can be as a result of separation/divorce, organisation founded in Bristol for women from a wide alcohol/drug dependency, domestic violence within the range of professional and business backgrounds who home, bereavement or family feud. We give support have joined together to give Service, Friendship and over the phone, via email, Skype and at our regular have Fun. We meet on the second and fourth Mondays meetings held at 9, Park Grove, Bristol. BS6 7XB. Tel of the month at Long Ashton Golf Club where we 07773 258270 more information or visit enjoy a two course meal with a speaker. For more details www.bgsg.co.uk. please contact our membership officer on 0117 9739894 or email gillbea@aol.com for more details. Laugh, Live and Learn with Bristol U3A. If you have retired from full-time work, and want to take part in Pat-a-Cake Toddlers meet at Westbury on Trym enjoyable learning with friendship and fun, we have a Methodist Church every Tuesday during term time 1.15 wide range of groups with over 100 different activities, - 2.45pm. We are a small friendly group who play, do including art, computing, languages, music, walking, and craft and sing. Mums/Carers have a chance to meet science. Come to one of our social groups - either at the over a cup of tea and a biscuit. For further information Eastfield Inn, Henleaze, 10.30am on the second please contact Alison on 9629715. Thursday and third Monday in every month, phone Barbara 0117 9629331. Or at Browns Restaurant, by the The Bristol and District branch of Parkinson's UK Museum, at 10.15am on the third Wednesday and fourth meet every first Saturday of the month at St Monica Thursday in every month, phone Jenny 0117 9043697. Trust, Cote Lane, BS9 3UN from 10am -12 noon. Please visit www.bristolu3a.org.uk. Carers, relatives, spouses and people with Parkinson's all are welcome for a social and informative get-together, Rotary Club of Bristol meet at the Bristol Hotel, Prince with speakers from a variety of backgrounds with many Street, Bristol BS1 4QF at 7.00pm for 7.30 pm on the diverse interests. Please join us. We also meet at The 1st, 3rd and 5th Mondays and at 12.30pm for 1.00 pm Eastfield Inn, Henleaze, BS9 4NQ every second on the 2nd and 4th Mondays. Meetings start with a meal Friday in the month for an informal coffee morning and are followed by a speaker. New members are very from 11am. We are a friendly and supportive bunch, welcome – for more details see www.bristolrotary.org or exchanging tactics, information and social banter! contact Martina Peattie at mpeattie@btopenworld.com On the first Tuesday of the month the North Bristol Alzheimer Café opens at St Monica Trust, Oatley House Atrium restaurant, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS9 3TN from 3.30pm – 5.30pm. We provide a relaxed, informal and safe space in which issues surrounding dementia can be aired. Our café is staffed by trained, caring and experienced volunteers. Every week refreshments are served and most weeks live music is played. There is no charge to attend, free on-site parking is usually available and the number 1 bus stops right outside. FFI or to register your attendance contact Jacqui Ramus (Dementia Lead for St Monica Trust) on 07854 185093 / email jacqui.ramus@stmonicatrust.org.uk

Do you, or does someone you know, need support following a relationship breakdown? Over the past 20 years Aquila has helped many people learn to cope and rebuild their lives following separation or divorce. Our next 8-week self-help course starts on Monday 26th September in Cotham, Bristol. The course is facilitated by a group of trained men and women who have all experienced broken relationships or divorce. If you would like to know more call Gill on 07807 058479, email bristol@hope-after-heartbreak.co.uk or visit www.hope-after-heartbreak.co.uk. Westbury Art Club meet every Thursday evening from 7pm to 9pm at The Greenway Centre, Doncaster Rd,

… and come and say hello to our seasonal friends the donkeys

What’s On & Community News Southmead. We are a mixed ability group of artists For Bonham tel 968 4972. more details visit www.westburyartclub.org.uk, e-mail us at westburyart@blueyonder.co.uk or phone our club Westbury on Trym Women’s Institute meets on the secretary on Bristol 962 9799. 3rd Monday of the month in the WoT Methodist Church Hall, next to the car park, at 2.00pm. We have a Stoke Bishop Townswomen's Guild meet in the programme of varied speakers, outings, discussions etc. Hulbert Room, up a path next to the steps leading to the New members and visitors always welcome. For more main hall of St Mary Magdalene Church, Mariner's information please contact: Sue Murphy – Tel: 950 2826. Drive, Stoke Bishop. Visitors are welcome free of charge so come along about 1.45pm if you can make it. Do join us for Parish lunch at St Mary’s Church Stoke Bishop, every Thursday from 12.15. 3 course buffet Henbury ‘Blaise’ Womens’ Institute meets on the 3rd lunch. Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm in Henbury Village Hall next to the church. Visitors and new members are Civil Service Retirement Fellowship. The Westburyalways welcome. Contact 962 9400 for more details or on-Trym group welcomes all retired Civil Servants and just come along! their spouses to their meetings held on the first Thursday of the month at Studland Court, Henleaze St Mary’s Church is open to visitors each morning from Road at 2.00pm, Those people without a civil service 10.00am to 12.00 noon, with a Coffee morning every background are welcome to join our group as Friends of Tuesday. All Welcome (especially those with young the Fellowship. For more info phone Beryl Webb on children – toddler toys and books available). Our Bright 01454 614 451. Sparks Carer and Toddler group meets each Monday in term time at 1.30pm at St Marys, Stoke Bishop. 9687449 Westbury-on-Trym Probus Club provide a meeting for more details. point for retired and semi-retired professional business men, to promote social well being through friendship, Trinity Henleaze Ladies Guild meet fortnightly on discussion and companionship. The club meets on the Monday evenings at 7.30pm in the Leonard Hall third Thursday of every month at BAWA, Southmead Waterford Road. Good varied programme of speakers Road, from 12 midday. If you are interested contact followed by tea and coffee. All are welcome. For further Peter Wright on 962 4196 or email information contact Jenny on 9620108. susanandpeterwright@blueyonder.co.uk St Peter's Ladies Guild meets at 2.15 on the third Wednesday of the month at St Peter's Church Hall, The Drive, Henleaze. Varied programme. All welcome. Further details from Wilma on 0117 9628895. The Friendly Club meets every Thursday from 2 to 4pm (except August and Christmas ) in the Methodist Church Hall, Westbury on Trym. We are a lively group of Senior Citizens who meet to chat , play Scrabble and card games. Regular trips out and entertainments are arranged plus we have delicious tea and biscuits for only £1 ! Do come and make some new friends. Transport can be arranged if needed. Contact 0117 950 8644 for more details. Knit and Natter. We invite you to "knit and natter" every Thursday between 10am and 12 at the Methodist Church in Westbury on Trym. It is a sociable and informal time when you can chat while pursuing your choice of crafts. If you prefer we can provide patterns for knitting for charity. Tea and coffee will be available. Men at St. Peters (MASP) is a group which meets Saturday mornings at St Peter’s Hall, Henleaze. The meetings start at 8.30am with a full English breakfast. This is then followed by entertaining and interesting talks by a guest speaker. New members are always welcome. In conjunction we also provide well directed “Keep Fit” sessions for men every Tuesday morning. Further information may be obtained from Keith

Calling all Carers. Would you like the opportunity to share your experiences, relax and make new friends? Then come and join the Henleaze Carers’ Group. We meet on the second and fourth Thursday morning of each month, 10am to 12, in Bradbury Hall, Waterford Road, Henleaze. For more information please call Mrs M Rudston 942 6095. Instep Club for Widows and Widowers. Weds evenings 8.00 pm-10.00 pm at Stoke Bishop Village Hall, Stoke Hill. Dancing - Ballroom and Sequence (If you haven’t danced for a long time, don’t worry, we will help you learn). Social activities Annual membership £8. Members: £2 per session. Visitors welcome: £3 per session. Come in to see us or telephone Donna on 01275 832676 or Wilma on 9628895 for further information. The Fielder Club is an association for local women though friends and family are welcome at all events. Membership is £5 p.a. to cover delivery of quarterly programmes of events such as lunches, theatre, visits, talks and walks. Weekly/monthly sub-clubs of badminton, book group, bridge, discussions, Scrabble, skittles and whist plus coffee. Thursday mornings at Coffee#1 in WoT and twice-monthly pub lunches. Details from Gloria on 0117 239 3376. Henleaze Townswomen's Guild meet on the first Wednesday of the month (except Aug) at St Peter's

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What’s On & Community News Church Hall, The Drive, Henleaze. Lady visitors are always most welcome to attend. Further details can be obtained by ringing Shirley Phillips on 0117 962 2243.

the arts. History of Art related events are organised including monthly lectures and study days led by specialists in their field and cover a wide range of topics. We organise stimulating visits and day trips home and Bristol Brunel Lions Club. We have our business abroad, often with special, exclusive visits to places of meeting at Shirehampton Golf Club on the first Tuesday interest. Lectures are held in the “The Lecture Theatre”, of every month at 7 for 7.30. On the 3rd Tuesday of The School of Chemistry Cantocks Close, BS8 1TS. For each month we have a social gathering normally with more information visit our website food. We raise money for charity both locally and www.bristoldfas.co.uk. beyond through a variety of activities. Lots of fun and fellowship raising money for very good causes. For more The Bristol Humanists is a local group for those who details see Bristol Brunel Lions Club on line or contact make sense of the world using reason & shared human Bill O’Neill at lion.bill@virginmedia.com. values, who seek to live ethical lives on the basis of reason, humanity and respect for others, and who find meaning, beauty, and joy in the one life we have, General Interests without the need for an afterlife. We meet every month on the first Monday at 7.30pm in Kingsdown. Contact The Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society's next lecture is on Monday 28th November at Margaret Dearnaley on 07986 555817 (evenings and weekends only) or email bristolhumanists@gmail.com 7.45 pm in the Apostle Room of Clifton Cathedral in for more information. Pembroke Road, when Dr. Rose Wallis, lecturer in British Social History, will give a talk - 'Crime in South The National Trust Bristol Centre Talks Gloucestershire in the Long 18th Century. Combining Programme 2016-2017 continues on Saturday 19th independent research, and work conducted for the Victoria County History of Gloucestershire, Rose’s talk November with “Caring for the Coast” presented by Tony Flux. In May 1965 the National Trust launched its will consider crime and its treatment in South Neptune Coastline Campaign to protect special areas of Gloucestershire, a region home to some notoriously coastline under the threat of development. Thanks to disorderly inhabitants. The study of crime and the the support of hundreds of thousands of people, the criminal courts has provided historians with an Trust has been able to protect 775 miles of coastline invaluable insight into the lives of ordinary men and across England, Wales and Northern Ireland for people women. Focusing on this region in particular allows relationships to be discerned between the landscape, its to enjoy and for nature to thrive history, and the criminal activities and life experiences of in. Tony Flux is the National Trust's Coastal Advisor (South West) and will talk about the challenges and its residents opportunities of this vital and ongoing campaign. The talk will take place at 2.15 in the Hall at St Monica Trust, Stoke Bishop & Sneyd Park Local History Group Cote Lane, WoT. A charge of £3 is made to both welcomes all to a series of talks at the Stoke Bishop members and visitors to help cover the costs associated Village Hall, 42 Stoke Hill, BS9 1EX. Talks start at with the talks programme. This charge includes the 7.30pm and anyone interested in local history is provision of tea and biscuits at the end of each talk welcome. Membership is just £6 p/a and visitors pay just £2 a meeting. For more details please visit www.stokebishop.org.uk/local_history_group, call 0117 The Bristol Branch of the English Speaking Union 9686010 or email sblocalhistory@gmail.com. Please do meets in the Apostle Room of Clifton Cathedral at 7.15 for a 7.45 talk which ends by 9 pm. Entrance is £5. The also contact us if you are clearing out documents and aim of the ESU is to encourage friendship and global pictures of Stoke Bishop! understanding through English. On Tuesday 8th November we ask “Shakespeare- alive and well ?”. His Have lessons and play Bridge at Bristol Bridge Club. 400th anniversary will be discussed by Andrew Hilton, Would you like to learn to play bridge? We offer a full Director of Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory with a programme of lessons for all levels. If you can already couple of fellow actors. It is another interesting play try a free taster session at one of our 7 weekly sessions. Less experienced players - Mondays at 7.15pm anniversary and will be a fascinating experience for all those who love Shakespeare. and Fridays at 10.00am and 7.15pm, More experienced players Mondays and Wednesdays at 1.15pm and Henbury Art Club are looking for new members for Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.15pm. No partner? No our Thursday morning club. We meet at 10am till noon problem! On Mondays just turn up and Terry, the in Henbury Village Hall, next to St Mary’s Church. We Director, will find you one. He also gives advice on are a very friendly mixed ability group, and have our bidding! For more details phone Stephen, the Club annual show in the Henbury Village Hall every May Day. Manager, on 0117 9291846. 99 Oldfield Rd, Hotwells, Please contact Gill Dix by email. gill@dix.org.uk for BS8 4QQ. www.bristolbridgeclub.co.uk more details. Bristol Decorative Fine Art Society (BDFAS) is Bristol’s own society for those who are passionate about Twyford Art Club. We are a small group of artists of

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What’s On & Community News mixed ability, we meet at the public hall, Station Road, Shirehampton, 10am to 12am Mondays and Wednesdays, chose your day. New members welcomed, help and advice given. For more information visit www.shirepubhall.org.uk, contact John Case on 950 7916 / jacase@blueyonder.co.uk The Bristol Philatelic Society meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month in the meeting room of the United Reform Church at the bottom of Blackboy Hill (Whiteladies Road) starting at 7.30 p.m. Contact 0117 956 7853.

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

Stoke Lodge History and Archaeology Group meet on the second Thursday of every month at the Friends Meeting House in Hampton Road, Redland, BS6 6JE at 7.30. We host a rich diversity of lectures. New members are always made very welcome. For further details please Quiz Answers from page 10 contact Annette Martin on 0117 979 3209. 1. British Airways, Quantas, Aeroflot, Philippine North West Bristol Camera Club, are an enthusiastic Airways, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, Hawaiian group of amateur photographers who meet each Airlines; 2. a) Meatloaf, b) The Pope, c) Sir Ben Wednesday at 7:45pm at Westbury Fields. New Kingsley; 3. 4 feet 8 1/4 inches (1,435 mm); 4.a) members of any level of ability are most welcome. For Quorn, b) Cinzano, c) Everest Windows, d) details contact Pete on 07870 589555. Remington shavers, e) MoneySupermarket; 5. Ingrid Bergman, Jodie Foster, Julie Christie; 6. arguably 8 Got a speech to make? Bristol Speakers offers a Charlie, India, Juliet, Mike, Oscar, Romeo, Sierra and relaxed environment to practise your public speaking. Learn how to construct and present a speech, gain Victor; 7. a) steel, b) china clay, c) confectionary knowledge from experienced speakers, conquer your (Mars), and d) fish and chips; 8. stir your porridge; 9. public speaking anxiety. Most of all, practise in a stress- their surnames are all counties - Sarah Lancashire, free environment where members give helpful feedback. Susan Hampshire, David Essex, Victoria Derbyshire It’s a well structured evening, fun and relaxed with a nice mix of people. Meeting 7.30pm alternate Mondays and Bruce Kent; 10. St Mary Redcliffe (292 feet), Purdown Tower (230 feet), Wills Memorial (215 feet), @ BAWA Southmead Rd. Contact Ben@Bristolspeakers.co.uk Cabot Tower (105 feet); 11. Romeo and Juliet, The Go-Between, and Lord of the Flies; 12. Aidan Turner The Bristol Astronomical Society host a series of talks & Eleanor Tomlinson, and Robin Ellis & Angharad each week and we regularly get experts to talk about Rees. historical and topical aspects of astronomy, as well running hands-on demonstrations, activities, free Get In Touch Saturday observing sessions at our Observatory in Failand (weather permitting), and often stage "Star Parties" around Bristol and at Tyntesfield. All details are Do please get in touch, whether you are interested in on our website www.bristolastrosoc.org.uk. All advertising, have an item or event that you think welcome, held at Bristol Photographic Society, would benefit from a free listing, or if you have any Montpelier, BS6 5EE. comments or suggestions about the magazine - it is Philosophy Discussion Group. We are a friendly and always good to receive any feedback. welcoming group who enjoy taking a turn to bring topic to share. We meet at 7 – 9pm every fourth Thursday evening of the month at Eastfield Inn, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4NQ, and 10 - 12 noon every second Friday morning of the month, also at Eastfield Inn, Henleaze. If you would like to be involved please contact Lorna Tarr on 0770 245 3827. Disclaimer The Bristol Nine is published by Bristol Community Magazines Ltd (Co. No. 08448649, registered at 8

0117 259 1964 / 07845 986650 8 Sandyleaze, W-o-T, BS9 3PY andy@bcmagazines.co.uk www.bcmagazines.co.uk @BS9Andy

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Index of Adver sers Around the Garden

Compu ng, A/V & IT 101

Computer Repairs

Pet Care and Pet Services F.A.B. IT Rescue

75 Veterinary Care

Viking Vets

Fencing

D & N Borderline

Fencing

E C Fencing

Finance, Legal & Business

Garden Design & Mtce

Meadow Landscapes

Accountancy

Garden Design & Mtce

Cathy Lewis

Accountancy

Avonhurst

75 Funeral Services

Garden Design & Mtce

Red Oak Landscaping

Accountancy

William Price & Co

28 Funeral Directors

Garden Maintenance

Blossom Gardening

Coaching

Anne Miller

Garden Maintenance

Graham Cook

Garden Services

Declan McManus

Manure & Compost

Mr Manure Man

HR Services

Louise Smith HR

Ar ﬁcial Lawns

Meadow Landscapes

Solicitors

Corﬁelds

Plants & Garden Supplies

Garden Trappings

Solicitors

AMD Solicitors

Tree Surgeons

Crest Tree Services

Solicitors

Devereux & Co

Tree Surgeons

Neville Tree Services

Solicitors

Veale Wasbrough Vizards

UK Blinds Direct

Fitness, Beauty, Sport & Leisure Yoga

Sara‐Jo Cameron

Walbrook Services

Financial Advice

Grosvenor Consultancy

Financial Advice

Wealth West

Around the House Blinds & Shu ers

Pet Care Services

Bathrooms & Wetrooms

Paul Whi aker

Carpets and Flooring

Choice Carpets

28 Pet Care Services

68 Property & 36, 37 Accommoda on Estate & Le ng Agents 57 Estate & Le ng Agents 97 Estate Agents 2,3 Estate Agents 32 Estate Agents 75 Support’d Shelter’d 48, 49 Housing Schools & Educa on

Complementary Therapies Celeste

Personal Training & Gyms Westbury Trym & Tone

Cleaning Services

Carmens Cleaning Services

Personal Training & Gyms Trymwood Fitness

Cleaning Services

Personal Training & Gyms Cli on College Sports Ctre

Cleaning Services

Henleaze & Bristol Carpet Cleaning Bonne Fresh Clean

Hairdressing & Salons

Evans Hair Design

Cleaning Services

Oven Cleaning Bristol

Hairdressing & Salons

Gary Henri

Cleaning Services

Oven Gleamers

Hairdressing & Salons

Cleaning Services

Home Gleamers

Gi s, Arts, Food & Retail

Furniture

Gareth Jones Furniture

12 5

Classic Cuts

Paws2Park

Friends 4 Paws

R Davies & Son

Maggs & Allen C J Hole

104 22, 23

Leese & Nagle

Richard Harding

Ocean

Abbeyﬁeld

Schools

Bristol Free School

Schools

QEH

Pre‐School & Nursery

Brentry & Henbury Children's Centres Bristol Adult Learning

Carpentry

Gary Castell

Electrical Services

Daley Electrical Services

Electrical Services

MB Electrical

Electrical Services

Lek Trix

Pain ng & Decora ng

Adult Educa on

Trades

Photography Classes

Pocket Money Photography

Art Classes

Johnathan Camp

91 Pain ng & Decora ng

Sarah's Decora ng Services Top Notch

KP Badges & Trophies

97 Pain ng & Decora ng

James Fox

Handyman Services

JD Handyﬁx

Handyman Services

A & D Handyman Services

Trophies & Engraving

Handyman Services

Tony Anderson

Food Retail & Restaurants Molesworth Butchers

A & P Plastering

Handyman Services

Kevin McGarry

Food Retail & Restaurants Manna

43 Plastering

Ar orm Plastering

Upholstery / So Furn

CAP

Food Retail & Restaurants Prego

55 Plastering

McCall Plastering

Upholstery / So Furn

Nice Things for Nice Homes

Cakes

Li le Gem's Cakes

73 Plumbing

Three Sixty Services

Window Cleaning

AquaTec

Retail Outlets

The Mall

J Presland

Window Cleaning

Cleaning Windows

Jewellery & Gi s

Julie Anne Palmer Jewellery

91 Plumbing & Gas

Peter Harris

Jewellery and Gi s

Kemps

41 Plumbing & Gas

S & P Plumbing Services

97 Plumbing

Home Care Services

Bristol Chiro & Pregnancy Clinic Premier Homecare

Home Care Services

St Monica Trust

Home Care Services

Home Instead

Building Services Architect Services

Cad‐Plan

Plant Hire

Mark's Mini Diggers

5 73

Building & Construc on

BS7 Driveways

Building & Construc on

Garcia Building Services

Building & Construc on

A & C Construc on

Garage Doors

Up & Over Doors

Property Maintenance

Prime Maintenance

Property Maintenance

A & S Property Services

Property Maintenance

Ace Preserva on

Property Maintenance

MSP Maintenance

Windows & Doors

Avonmouth Windows

Windows & Doors

Crystal Clear

101 Plastering

103 Plumbing & Gas

Healthcare Services Chiropractors

Plumbing & Gas

66, 67

Complementary Healthcare The Chiron Centre

Footcare

Bristol Foot Clinic

Massage Therapists

Keon Williams

Alexander Technique

David Harrowes

Head Lice Control

The Hair Force

77 101

Appliance Services

52, 53 Chimney Sweeps 62

Chimney Sweeps

A & D Plumbing Services Bristle Chimney Sweeping Shaun Doughton

Man & Van

Waste & Rubbish Rubbish Clearance Cars & Motoring Garage Services

Autotec

Driving Instructors

Chris ‐ ADI

7 18

Deadline for inclusion in the December issue ‐ November

15th. Latest.

If you use any of the businesses featured in The Bristol Nine please let them know that you saw their adver sement in the magazine. Many thanks for your support.

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