The Bristol Eight March 2014

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March 2014 No 60

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Hello there, and welcome to the March issue.

Well, where did that “month off” go? I hope you didn’t miss the magazine too much last month, and thanks to several people who rang me to say they were worried they’d had their Feb issue delivered. Never fear, all back to normal now ‐ whatever that is, although you won’t see many alterations to the magazine this month. They will come in April.

In this month though you can read about a great new student project called Missionly, test your general knowledge with our quiz, have a go at the river‐themed prize wordsearch or read about a couple of local ladies pursuing their own separate fashion dreams. And at the back as usual there is the listing of local events and activities going on in and around BS8. This listing is free to use so if you have a charitable event, club, society or fundraiser you’d like publicised please let me know.

I hope you have a great month and look forward to doing it all again in April.

The Editor’s Small Piece

Thanks for reading, Andy

andy@bcmagazines.co.uk www.bcmagazines.co.uk 8 Sandyleaze, WoT, BS9 3PY

0117 968 7787 / 07845 986 650 Deadline for April issue ‐ 12th March !!

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6 Useful Information & Contacts Gas Emergencies

Electricity Emergencies Water Emergencies Avon & Somerset Police Non‐Emergencies

Crimestoppers

Southmead Hospital Frenchay Hospital

BRI / Children’s Hospital NHS non emergencies Bristol Blood Donation The Samaritans

Alcoholics Anonymous ChildLine

National Rail Enquiries Telephone Pref Service Mailing Pref Service

Bristol Dog Warden

0800 111 999 0800 365 900 0845 600 4 600 101 (new no.)

0800 555 111 0117 950 5050 0117 970 1212 0117 923 0000 111 (new no.)

0117 988 2040 08457 90 90 90 08457 69 75 55 0800 11 11 08457 48 49 50 0845 070 0707 0845 703 4599 0117 922 2500

Postal Services

Late Post ‐ there is a late post box at the main Post Office sorting depot on the A38 at Filton.

Currently the late post is at 7pm,

Local Libraries

Clifton ‐ tel. 903 8572 Redland ‐ tel. 903 8549

Public Transport

Visit the excellent Bristol City Council website www.travelbristolorg to plan out your routes in, around or out of the city ‐ whether you are planning to go by bus, train, ferry, air, bike, car or foot.

Recycling and Household Waste Household Waste and Recycling Centre on Kingsweston Lane, Avonmouth is now open Winter hours from 8.00am to 4.15pm, 7 days.

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10 Gardener’s Corner with Cathy Lewis Take a scented journey through a winter garden.

With all the recent wind and rain, we could all do with a little pick‐me‐up. Luckily nature provides it in the form of gorgeously scented winter shrubs that can still be enjoyed through February and early March. Winter flowering plants have to work hard to attract early pollinators. As a result their flowers are often small, but highly scented, making them irresistible to the few insects robust enough to survive the winter months… and to us! As most of us don’t spend a lot of time in the garden at this time of year, winter scented shrubs are best planted close to your garden path or front door so that you can enjoy their perfume as you go to and from home. Bring a twig inside and it will fill the room with a natural fragrance that knocks spots off scented candles or air fresheners.

Here are four of the most gorgeously scented winter shrubs…

Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ (above left) has the most wonderful scent emanating from clusters of subtle, pinky‐purple flowers. This evergreen shrub is happy in sun or partial shade, but needs some shelter from the worst of the winter frosts. Daphnes have long, simple roots that are easily damaged if you try to

move them, so choose your planting spot carefully.

Chimonanthus praecox, or Winter sweet, (above right) produces semi‐translucent yellow flowers on bare stems between December and February. These unassuming blooms pump out the most alluring spicy fragrance, guaranteed to lift the spirits. This large shrub can take a few years to flower, but it’s worth the wait.

Hamamellis, or witch hazel, (Hamamellis mollis ‘Pallida’ above left) has a warm, spicy scent emanating from clusters of spidery flowers growing from bare stalks. Depending on which cultivar you choose, the flowers can be anything from acid yellow to coppery red ‐ fiery colours that will warm the heart in winter.

Viburnums are easy to grow and the mainstay of many gardens. The winter flowering varieties such as Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ (above right) may not be the showiest but they can flower from autumn through to spring with dainty, perfumed white and pink flowers. If you want a fairly bomb‐proof plant with winter fragrance, Viburnums are for you.

All photographs taken at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden, where you can see a wonderful variety of winter scented shrubs.

Cathy Lewis Dip. PSGD Cathy Lewis Gardens & Design Professional garden design, consultancy and maintenance. Tel: 07985 008 585 www.cathylewisgardens.co.uk

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“Caring for a loved one can be an emotional and stressful time full of uncertainties. For that reason we have been chatting to local people here in BS8 and asking them what concerns and issues they might have when considering home care as an alternative to residential care.

Over the next three months I’ll try and answer the most common questions that the team here at Bluebird Care are asked.” ‐ Cameron MacLeod, Director

"Would it be cheaper to look to get my mum into a home?"

“It’s likely to be more expensive for your mother to be in a home. With Bluebird Care you can tailor the visits specifically to what is needed. That may just be help at certain points of the day, such as getting up and dressed and ready for the day ahead. Maybe assistance at lunchtime or with medication or help getting to bed. There are many options of time of the visit, length of the visit, things to be done etc … and you only pay for the time a carer spends visiting.”

“What sort of feedback / reports would you provide about the care my father is receiving?"

“Before we start our provision of care we write a detailed Care Plan. This is the result of discussion with our customers and their family as to what is required. The plan is left in the customers house for the staff to read on arrival.

After every visit our carers will write a brief summary of the visit which is there for family to read. After the first week of care, and regularly thereafter, our Care Manager or Supervisor will contact the customer, or their family if

applicable, to formally invite feedback on our service and discuss any improvements which could be made.”

"How do I pay for my mother’s care?"

“We will invoice you every two weeks with a fully itemised list of the visits that have taken place. We will state the date, time, duration and name of the carer who attended. This will make it easy for you to review. We accept payment by cheque, cash, internet banking or we can set up standing order for you if you prefer.”

If you have any questions or would like to have a chat about the homecare options and services we offer please do get in touch.

Bluebird Care Bristol West Redland House, 157 Redland Road Bristol, BS6 6YE

Tel 0117 950 5855 Out of Hours enquiries ‐ 07775 585 188 bristolwest@bluebirdcare.co.uk www.bluebirdcare.co.uk/bristolwest Accredited as meeƟng all CQC naƟonal standards

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130 Westbury Road, Westbury on Trym, 0117 962 0008

For all your complementary healthcare needs

ENERGY MEDICINE – help yourself to health Sue Bryant ‐ Energy Medicine prac oner

Einstein’s famous formula E=mc² boils down to a simple concept: energy is all there is. There are various forms of flowing energy (what we generally think of as ‘energy’) and there is congealed energy, in other words ‘ma er’. Everything in nature is one or the other – this is a mind bending concept! Energy animates every cell in your body. Energies ‐ both electromagne c and more subtle energies form the dynamic infrastructure of the physical body and governs the way the body func ons. The body’s energy systems include the meridians, chakras, aura and many other vital energy pathways. The health of the body reflects the flow, balance and harmony of those energies. Together they connect, protect and support the body inside and out. When the body is not healthy, disturbances in its energies can be iden fied and restored. Stress can be a major culprit in throwing the energy systems off balance, ul mately leading to physical problems.

Energy Medicine consists of gentle techniques to restore energe c imbalance. It can also be a powerful self‐help tool. For instance, did you know that there is much you can do for yourself just using your hands?

Holding your stress points This calms the fight/flight stress response and restores blood flow to the forebrain.

(It is also helpful for menopausal women experiencing hot flushes). Cup one hand over the forehead and cup the other hand across the back of the head. Hold for 2 – 3 minutes, breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth. You will gradually feel yourself li ing out of stress.

Our website www.chironcentre.co.uk gives full informa on about all the therapies we offer, so please do look us up, give us a call on 0117 962 0008, or email us on info@chiron.co.uk

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14 Computer Corner with Mrs PC - Browsers and Search Engines A browser is a means of viewing the Internet.

In order to get onto the Internet you need to double click on an icon on your desktop, which then connects you. In the old days this was very time consuming and made rather a lot of noise‐ rather like a phone dialing. Nowadays it is very fast and silent.

There are several browsers to allow you to access the Internet. They are all very similar. If you are a Windows user you will probably be familiar with Internet Explorer, which comes with Windows machines‐ the icon looks like a yellow “e”, and is made by Microsoft. You may have heard of Safari, which is Apple’s version and the icon looks like a compass. You can also choose from Mozilla Firefox‐ my browser of choice, which looks like a fox wrapped round the world, or Google Chrome, which is a colourful ball icon. There is also Opera which looks like a giant red ‘O”.

You could install and use all of these if you wished, and see what the differences are! It is really a personal preference. It is said that Mozilla Firefox is the safest of all, and Google Chrome is the fastest.

Whichever one you decide to use, the most important thing is to keep it up to date. You will be reminded about the updates and it is essential that you do them. Once you have chosen a browser you like, I would suggest that you customize it. Set your favourite home page or pages, and save lots of bookmarks so that you can find your way around the Internet quickly.

I visit many people who have 2‐3 icons for browsers on their desktop and they are unclear about which one they use. Once you have

decided, it is probably a good idea to stick with that one, and delete the others from the desktop ‐ you can always re‐instate them later if you wish.

Incidentally, there is much confusion about Google Chrome because people don’t realize it is a browser and not a search engine. Google, Yahoo, Bing, Aol, and Ask are all popular search engines. Each one searches for information in a slightly different way.

Think of the Internet as the world's biggest library ‐ but instead of books, the shelves contain billions of individual web pages. In such a vast library it would take forever to find what you were looking for! So every library has an index to help you track down the book you want. This is what a search engine does for you on the Internet. All browsers can use Google as a search engine! But Google Chrome is a browser not a search engine! Most people use Google in the Uk. If you are not happy with your browser, you can change it!

Now that you know the basics of browsers and search engines, take time to look at their differences and make your choice out of your own experience rather than what other people tell you is best for you! Explore all their features and learn all about them. Once you take control of your computer it is a lot less threatening.

Happy Internet surfing til next time!

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16 The Downs Recorder Richard Bland

The Fountains of the Downs

Time was when providing clean fresh water for people to drink from public fountains was a noble charitable act. It involved considerable expense, providing the pipes from a suitable source, and building a handsome structure with a suitably inscription enabling everyone to recall the generosity of the donor. There are five such structures on the Downs, none of them providing water because of fear of the spread of disease, and the weird recent public habit of carrying water around with them in plastic bottles. All but one are in a reasonable state of repair, and listed, but, as they are now useless, it is probably just a matter of time before they vanish.

The best known, though not the most handsome, is Proctor’s Fountain close to the top of Bridge Valley Road, given by Alderman Proctor, who also gave his house to be the official residence of the Lord Mayor, which it still is. It was originally built at the bottom of Fountain Hill in 1872 in fine Gothic style on the site of the former toll house, but in 1988 it was designated a traffic hazard and moved to its present site, and for a while continued to supply water.

The prettiest fountain is a cast iron one on Suspension Bridge Road put up in 1866, two years after the bridge opened, by the vicar of Christ Church, the Rev Mourant Brock. It was made in Glasgow by Walter Macfarlane & Co, and was featured as Patent no 8, cost £27.10s or £27.50 in modern money, and multiply by 100. The pipework was renewed in 1982, but has now all gone.

The finest is the Urijah Thomas Memorial Fountain and clock tower at Blackboy Hill. It no longer tells the time or provides water, but the weathervane still works, and it is stuck on a

traffic island surrounded by very well maintained gardens, and an ancient urinal, and the whole site is still technically part of the Downs. It is finely polished Aberdeen granite, put up in 1904, paid for by the public, to honour a man who dedicated his life to education, the poor, and women’s suffrage.

Urijah Thomas Memorial Fountain The largest is the Stoke Road fountain at the Water Tower erected in 1877 from the huge profits made at the 1874 Bath and West agricultural show held on the Downs. The next show, in 1878, attracted 120,000 visitors. It is decorated with terracotta rams heads, and the heads of a bull, a cow and a horse, and both ends have water troughs for animals, which must have been a boon for the 400 sheep that still regularly grazed at the time, and on the main façade a fountain for humans which no longer works.

The most neglected is just a memorial stone and spout near the Sea Walls toilets. The inscription is illegible, and I can find no mention of it in any source. Someone must know about it; please make contact if you do.

If you enjoy the Downs, or use if for your sport, why not become a Friend?

Membership is just £10. Contact Robin Haward at robinhaward@blueyonder.co.uk 0117 974 3385

www.fodag.org

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18 A lady from BS8 who set up her own hat‐making business after her daughter struggled to find one for a wedding has been nominated for an award. Tricia Hamilton has fought off competition to reach the semi‐finals of the Venus Awards. The event celebrates women in business across the Bristol, Somerset and Bath region. The married‐mum‐of‐two, who runs Tricia Designs and displays some of her bespoke designs at Clifton Hill Period Costume and Textiles in Lower Clifton Hill, has been nominated for the Customer Service Award.

“I pride myself on providing a good service, but it is really heart‐warming to think my customers have voted for me for such a prestigious award. I believe quality is important in my work and all my designs are sturdy and made to last a long time. I love my work, but to be recognised in this way is an honour.”

Tricia, who has designed hats for clients across the world, set up her business four years ago. It started when her daughter, Lisa, asked her to make her a fascinator for a wedding after she was unable to find a suitable one. ”Mum being nominated for this award is amazing. It’s recognition for all of her hard work in the last four years and I am really proud of her.”

Tricia, who had always been skilled in arts and crafts, developed her millinery skills when she studied with top designers at Cockpit Arts in London and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, and is also skilled at making her own lace with bobbins. To find out more about Tricia Designs, visit www.triciadesigns.com or call 07826 333 103

19 GALA OPEN EVENING Sumptuous boutique

Designerwear ideas,

offering

is

a

Bristol-based

exquisite

ladies’

dress new

agency and

with

pre-loved

designerwear at hugely competitive prices, to buy or hire.

Our aim

is to draw compliments to the wearer of each piece that we sell.

We do this by offering one to one consultations on what high end pieces to sell from your wardrobe – perhaps it was a very costly piece to buy, or a gift from a loved one, and ideally you would like to see a return on your beloved item, and ensure that it is loved and cherished (and worn!) by someone new.

Having identified appropriate pieces, we will then sell them for

you on a 50/50% commission basis in our sumptuous boutique.

Once sold, we can either

forward funds to you, or keep it in your unique Sumptuous account as a credit on your next purchase in our boutique. Simple!

We’d like to invite you to come and have a look at what we have on offer in our brand new shop at our late night open evening on 27th March from 6pm to 9.30pm – come and have a glass of Prosecco with us and browse our current stock.

You can also arrange to bring in any

Sumptuous pieces that you are ready to part with for us to put a price on.

We are

extending a 10% discount to customers during this evening, so we very much look forward to your company!

Sumptuous Designerwear, 37 Princess Victoria St, Clifton, Bristol

BS8 4BX

20 Tara’s Table - Cookery with Tara Hofman As I write this, we are enduring the wettest winter ever on record and it’s been drizzly and drab, but I’m all for positivity so I look for the colour in life – I start with food, at the greengrocer’s.

Believe it or not, there is a lot of colour around at this time of year, if you look hard enough. It started in February and it will just take us into the spring. Yorkshire rhubarb: florescent pink stems with a lovely, delicate flavour and an 80’s shade of yellow/green leaf. Forced rhubarb is only available at this time of year, for a short time. Exclusively produced in the Yorkshire triangle between Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, it’s grown in completely darkened, heated forcing sheds and harvested by candlelight to keep its vibrant colours. It’s a national culinary treasure, geographically and culturally unique and it even has European PDO status, which was awarded a few years ago.

The best way to cook it is to roast it: choose stems of a similar size, cut them into uniform pieces, so they cook at the same time and put in a deep tray in one layer, don’t overcrowd them or they will stew and loose their shape.

Sprinkle with sugar and add the zest and juice of a large orange; if you can find a blood orange, so much the better as it adds to the colour. Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 180oC for about 15 minutes. Check towards the end of cooking and if some pieces are more cooked than others, take them out and return the pan to the oven. When they are ready, they should be just soft to the touch whilst keeping their shape. Leave them to cool and strain off the liquid which you can reduce to a shocking pink syrup.

Serve with vanilla pannacotta. It’s also delicious on porridge in the morning. For a bit more spice, add some grated fresh ginger, which is really tasty too!

www.tarastable.co.uk 0117 962 1770

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22 Prize Wordsearch With rivers being so much in the spotlight of late it seemed topical to have them as the subject of the prize wordsearch this month.

Listed below are the names of 21 different UK rivers. All bar one of them are also hidden in the wordsearch grid. They can be listed forwards, backwards, upwards, downwards, or on a diagonal. Your job is to find the missing rivers and let me know which it is.

Just let me know the missing river by 31st March and if you are correct your name will go into the random selection process to be in with a chance of winning a £20 gardening voucher.

Answers to me please by post (8 Sandyleaze, Westbury on Trym, Bristol, BS9 3PY), email (andy@bcmagazines.co.uk), phone (0117 968 7787), text (07845 986650) or tweet (@BS9Andy).

Right ‐ here are the rivers you are on the lookout for:‐

Dee

Avon Dart

Humber Lune Mersey

Nene Ouse Severn

Swale Tamar Tay

Tees Teign Thames

Trent Trym Tweed

Tyne Ure Usk

In the meantime, crumbs, you lot love your cakes. A record entry for the cake‐ themed January puzzle. Those who entered will now know that coffee walnut is my sponge of choice. Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to enter, ands congrats to the first name out of the hat ‐ Mrs J Bradbury.

Your cake assortment will be on its way to you ‐ after I’ve done a little quality control.

Do please have a go ‐ someone has to win and it might be your name here next month.

23 An eco‐friendly , hassle free alternative to a skip Everyone enjoys a good spring clean. For many, it’s a case of out with the old and in with the new The question for many households, however, is what to do with the stuff you want rid of? Taking a few things to the recycling centre is fine, but what if you’ve got more than your average car load to shift? – The Junk Buster specialises in the clearance of residential and commercial rubbish.

Bristol‐based recycling firm, The Junk Buster, brings a vibrant on demand, hassle free junk removal service to your premises with shiny trucks , up‐front fees and uniformed two man teams that even sweep up after themselves. Their fresh, professional approach and dedication to sustainability has been welcomed by their growing band of customers. Estate Manager Dean Banfield of Hillcrest Estate Management Bristol said. ”The Junk Buster has proven to be a real asset to our business; professional, friendly, prompt and reliable at a great price”.

As a business we’re gearing up for what we expect to be one of the busiest times of the year. Whether moving house or staying put people just feel better for breathing fresh air into their homes and that often means they need furniture, white goods and garden waste removing. We’re here to help.

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D & L Ford Carpet, Vinyl & Laminate Specialists - Mobile Showroom. We have an expert measuring & fitting service with a full range of carpet, vinyl & laminate samples for you to choose in the comfort of your own home. If you would like us to call and give you a free estimate please call on

0117 9663917 or 07944 147485

Â

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CLL c

P L A S T E R I N G EST 1976 • OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE • INTERIOR & EXTERIOR • QUALITY WORK • COMPETITIVE RATES

CALL: 0117 949 0147 or 07909 937 229 or 07970 596 260 dannymccall2323@hotmail.co.uk

Bob Mole Renewable Energy & Domestic Electrical Services Part P registered

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems Generate electricity for your own use and be paid as part of the government’s ‘Feed In Tariff’.

Generate electricity, export it to the National Grid and be paid.

Electrical Design & Installation Re-wires, partial re-wires, circuit extension & modification. Fuse board upgrades.

Electrical Inspection & Testing

Landlord Certificate, P.A.T. Pre-mortgage surveys.

Henleaze based with references available. All work guaranteed and warranty-backed.

For free estimates and friendly honest advice

contact Bob Mole Tel: 0117 327 0237 Mob: 07946 408 434 E: moler@me.com Visit: www.moler-wwp.co.uk

Registered Number 22793

Boiler / Central Hea ng Installa ons Landlord Gas Safety Inspec ons Power Flushing Boiler Breakdown Repairs

Email: paulhooper40@googlemail.com

26 Current Affairs Quiz How up to date are you on the news, whether it be of international significance or of no significance at all? Test yourself here with a little trawl through recent events that you might have spotted on the box, in the press or on your tablets. No prizes, just domestic bragging rights at stake. Answers are on page 42.

1.

What are Finnish authorities trialling in an attempt to reduce the number of reindeer deaths in Lapland?

9.

Who has announced that he will be stepping down as the Sainsbury’s boss later this year?

10.

What is the speed‐limit on Whiteladies Road?

11.

Who was recently arrested for exceeding the speed limit on a Californian street in a yellow Lamborghini?

12.

Her Majesty The Queen will undertake a State Visit to which country in June this year?

13.

Which former One Show presenter recently returned to the BBC after a stint as the lead football presenter at ITV?

2.

Name the actor who recently won the BAFTA award for Best Actor, and in what film was his leading role.

3.

“Celebrity” Simon Cowell recently became a father. Can you remember the baby’s name?

4.

The Labour Party recently won a by‐ election ‐ in which constituency?

14.

On what date was World War I declared?

5.

What is the planned date for the referendum on Scottish independence?

15.

6.

Who was recently described by a Portuguese man as a “specialist in failure”?

Name the missing cast member ‐ Ramona Marquez, Tyger Drew‐Honey, Daniel Roche, Claire Skinner and …?

16.

Davina McCall was lifted out of which body of water after completing the swimming leg of her recent Sport Relief challenge?

7.

Name the Somerset villages (beginning with the letter M) that have been at the centre of the Somerset Levels flooding disaster.

8.

What were the “Yarny Army” celebrating recently?

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30 Louise’s tips for an easier life

The importance of diarising

How is your 2014 progressing? (With any luck you have not been blown or washed away). Have you taken stock and reflected on last year’s events and set your resolutions? I have heard resolutions labelled as ‘promises to myself’ – which is a really good way of thinking about them, as it is all about you achieving what you want this year. Each promise can have a month set against it and this can be copied into your diary as a reminder. One promise might be to have a sort out and spring clean. Why not take a look at each room in your home and ask yourself – do you feel that each item in it is useful or beautiful? If the answer is no, the item can either be recycled or taken to charity. As a reminder, if this task feels too overwhelming, give me a call – just a few hours of my help in your home will make a positive difference.

So far this year I’ve been helping clients to get their homes how they would like them. By removing the piles of magazines, clearing out cupboards and taking bags of redundant clothing and items to the charity shop, they can now see the wood for the trees. Spring cleaning has been high on the agenda in January and February.

Continuing with diarising, one of my New Year jobs is to copy birthdays and important dates from last year’s diary into this year’s. This is so birthdays aren’t missed – when sending cards you need a few days’ notice rather than the electronic reminder pop up on the day. I

also note down expiry dates for items such as insurance and MOT. If you have something written down, you do not need to commit it to memory, but of course you do need to make sure you regularly look at your diary or kitchen calendar so you don’t miss crucial dates!

Established in November 2011, I have been working as a Lifestyle & Home Assistant in Bristol for over 2 years and I can say that I have helped people turn their lives around. Whether I've been de‐ cluttering or being another pair of hands to ensure a house move goes smoothly, I have seen many times over the benefits of helping people turn tasks from 'overwhelming' to 'accomplished'.

Call me for a no‐obligation chat and find out some of the ways that I can make life simpler for you! Think of me as the extra hours in your day. For once a month, once a week or just a one‐off, I offer a professional service to fit in with your life and, most importantly, to make your life easier!

Louise England is a Lifestyle and Home Assistant and her service aims to free‐up your free time. Her passion is to make a positive difference to people’s lives by helping them sort things out and complete jobs in their homes quickly and efficiently.

Website: www.louiseengland.co.uk Mobile: 07780 474256 Email: louise@louiseengland.co.uk Twitter: @L_England

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Kemps Jewellers Est. 1881 A local family business offering you professional friendly advice.

Rings and jewellery, new and old - and a great range of modern secondhand jewellery to complement our existing selection of beautiful traditional second-hand pieces.

Beautiful gift ideas for ladies and for gents, as well as watches & watch repairs.

Do you have any secondhand or scrap gold? Gold prices remain attractive so why not bring it in for a free valuation?

Kemps Jewellers & Registered Pawnbrokers 9 Carlton Court, Westbury on Trym 0117 950 50 90 www.kempsjewellers.com

32 Young entrepreneurs on a Mission Back in the dark ages I remember getting my first proper job. Until then I’d spent a lifetime (all 18 years of it) in education, learning stuff ‐ accounting principles, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the psychology of the postcard ‐ all preparing me for the next phase in my life, earning a living. Plunged into a work environment ‐ the Purchasing office in London of an leading oil company‐ was daunting. With it came fear, I was terrified of everything ‐ the photocopier, the telephone ringing and being expected to answer it, the three fearsome cockney matriarchs who I sat with (bless you Jenny, Jeannie and Josie, you taught me well) ‐ and the realisation that whilst I had plenty of theory, up to date knowledge and enthusiasm, the only way to put this to any meaningful use was to get my hands dirty.

I thought about these early work experiences after a recent and very fortuitous phone call from Sam Abbott of Missionly. “Do you, as a small business owner, ever have any tasks or jobs you need doing that we can help with?” he asked. Do I ever? I was in the middle of a month off, trying to tackle a to‐do list of elephantine proportions. We were on the phone for ages ‐ Sam telling me about Missionly and me growing in enthusiasm for the story and the possibilities it could bring.

Let me summarise if I may. Sam and a team of 5 friends, all local undergraduates, had come to the realisation that they, and their fellow student population, possessed a wide pool of skills and an urge to unleash them into practice. They also knew that there was a burgeoning small business sector of companies, many of which were crying out for that experience but didn’t know where to find it or, crucially, couldn’t always afford to invest in hiring people in. Ker‐ching, as they say.

Students have skills but need experience to get jobs. Small businesses need skills but can’t readily employ them. So why not try and

facilitate bringing both sides together in a kind of “match‐making for skills”, an arrangement facilitated by modern communication methods and IT skills that the Missionly team have in abundance?

The Missionly team ‐ (l to r) John Anthony, Denis Sellu, Will Duddell, Chris Dalley and Sam Abbo The result is an exciting enterprise bursting with potential and marshalled with energy and enthusiasm. Here’s how it works. I, as a business, have a task or project that I need help with ‐ someone with suitable skills to undertake it for me. Let’s call it a “mission” shall we? I write a short scope of work for the mission, post it to the Missionly website and make it visible to the ever‐increasing number of students on their books. Interested students then register to say they’d like to be considered for completing the mission for me and I then conduct whatever selection process I choose.

Quick, simple, hopefully productive ‐ and cost effective. As a business it costs £20 to post a single mission, or there is an “all‐you‐can‐eat“ option of unlimited mission postings for £30 per month. And in terms of payment to the student for completing the mission, well that is entirely up to you and needn’t be financial.

Sam quoted me an example of a local coffee shop where, as a result of Missionly, a student carries out half an hour of social media and

33 website management for the company each day in return for a daily full‐English. Both sides win ‐ the student gets to opportunity to put into practice and hone their skills, gets a reference for their CV and a daily brekkie, and the coffee shop gets up to date advice and the services of a social media guru for the cost of two rashers and a builders tea.

The team at Missionly had a launch evening last month in the old converted Bridewell police station, an event at which well in excess

of a hundred small businesses and students attended and where the enthusiasm for the project from both sides was very apparent.

The Bristol Nine has now posted its first mission and I hope readers will see the result in the next month or so. I’m experienced enough (some may say cynical enough) to realise that this isn’t the answer to every resource requirement a business might have, but if adopted where appropriate, in the manner intended and with enthusiasm and the will to make it succeed on both sides, I think it could be a real success for the boys in orange and business users alike. Best of luck guys, will be watching you.

To find out more about the Missionly project

visit their website www.missionly.co.uk or give them a ring on 0117 2541017

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36 What’s On & Community Events

Listings for community events, not for profit clubs and charitable activities are free. If you have something that you would like listed please get in touch with Andy by telephoning on 0117 9687787 or 07845986650 or emailing me your notice, in Word or email format, not in PDF format, to andy@bcmagazines.co.uk (strict maximum sixty words).

The deadline for listings in the April 2014 magazine is 12th March ‐ any received after that date will be held over until the May 2014.

Bristol Cabot Probus Club for retired and semi ‐retired professional and business men to maintain contact and fellowship with people of similar interests. Meets Third Wednesday each month in BAWA Club Southmead Rd, for lunch followed by a speaker on a wide range of interesting subjects. Extensive programme of social events including holidays, day trips, Sunday lunches and skittles to which ladies and friends are welcomed. We are principally a social meeting place and not based on charitable activities. Interested? Contact John Howard‐Cairns on 0117 968 3134 for more details.

North West Bristol Camera Club (NWBCC).

We are an enthusiastic group of amateur photographers who meet each Wednesday at 7:45pm at Westbury Fields. New members of any level of ability are most welcome. For details contact Pete on 07870 589555.

The Probus Club of Bristol for semi or retired Professional Business men, meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month at BAWA, Southmead Road. At these meetings we have a three course lunch with a speaker. In addition there is a substantial programme of social events to which our Ladies are invited to participate. If you are interested in joining our club, please contact our Membership Secretary Martin

Harker on 01275 857324 or email probusbristol@hotmail.co.uk.

For more information, including past reports on events and our current programme, visit our web site www.bristolprobus.org.uk

Avon and Somerset Constabulary Male Voice Choir concert at Reedley Road Baptist Church on Saturday 22 March 7 for 7.30 pm. Ticket £7.50, to include refreshments, available from Kate at Just so Balloons, 158 Henleaze Road, 9501511 or from Alison 9629715. All proceeds going to Children's Hospice South West.

Durdham Down bookshop and The Friends of Henleaze library are delighted to present Nathan Filer, winner of the 2013 Costa book award at Henleaze library on Thursday 20th March. Tickets £5.00 each (to include wine and nibbles). Doors open at 6.45pm for 7.00pm prompt start. Tickets and information from Henleaze library !Northumbria Drive. BS9 4HP 01179038541.

Rotary Club of Bristol Northwest. We meet every 1st and 3rd Wednesday as well as any 5th ones that come along and base ourselves at Henbury Golf Club. Meetings usually start with a meal at 7.30pm followed by a speaker or occasional other social events. Guests and new members are always welcome at our meetings.

For further details please visit www.bristolnorthwestrotary.org or contact the club secretary on suketar@btinternet.com.

The next meeting of the Bristol Philatelic Society is on 13th March, in the form of a competition night whilst 27th March is a display on Advertising through the Post, starting at 7.15 p.m. For further information: John Roe 0145 477 6975.

Stoke Bishop & Sneyd Park Local History Group will meet at Stoke Bishop Village Hall on Friday 11th April at 7.30pm when Bristol archaeologist Peter Insole presents “Know Your Place” ‐ a look at the Bristol Council website that enables you to explore your neighbourhood through historic maps, images

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BRISTOL CABOT CHOIR Enjoy singing and raise money for local chari es. The Bristol Cabot Choir is an amateur mixed‐ voice group with around 60 members, formed in 1977 as the XIV Singers, taking its present name in 1990.

Whilst the choir’s main purpose is to enable people to enjoy both performing and listening to choral music, each year it nominates a local small charity as the Charity of the Year. The charity benefits not only from publicity and cash collec ons at the choir’s concerts, but also from profits made by the choir from cket sales, which may be up to £3000.

Recently supported chari es have included Bristol Child Contact Centre, Broad Plain Boys Club, Life Educa on Bristol, BUI Prostate Cancer Appeal, and Bristol Ensemble’s Preludes project in South Bristol primary schools. This year we are suppor ng the Avon Club for Young People in Lawrence Weston.

Led since 2011 by Musical Director Rebecca Holdeman, the choir has had considerable recent success, with the Christmas 2013 concert in Bristol Cathedral with Bristol Brass and the Preludes Childrens’ Choir a rac ng an audience of almost 450. We also join with other choirs for major works, current plans including Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony with Bristol Choral Society and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Why not join us, enjoy singing and taking music to friends and the public, whilst raising money for valued local causes? At present the choir is par cularly keen to recruit sopranos, but would welcome all voices other than altos.

38 What’s On & Community Events and linker information. New members and visitors (£2 charge) always welcome. Please ring Jenny Weeks for more information ‐ 0117 968 6010.

Keynsham Brass Band are in Concert at Trinity ‐Henleaze United Reform Church, Waterford Road, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4NW on Saturday 15 March 2014, 7.30pm. Box office: 0117 9629894 or pay on the night. Tickets: Adults £5. Under 16s free. There will be refreshments and a raffle. Concert proceeds in aid of Cancer Research UK.

Like making Airfix models? The Avon Branch of the International Plastic Modellers Society meets on the third Wednesday of every month at the BAWA club on Southmead Road at 8.00pm. New members are always very welcome. For more information contact Andy White on 0117 3300288 or visit www.ipmsavon.org.uk .

Bristol Mahjong Club meets every Thursday 2 ‐5pm at The Eastfield Inn, Henleaze Road . Experienced players and beginners welcome. British Mahjong Rules. Please contact Lee ‐ Mob: 0790 567 2979 or neeliej@hotmail.co.uk.

The Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society: On Monday 24th March at 7.45 pm in the Apostle Room in the basement of Clifton Cathedral, Pembroke Road, Clifton, BS8, Joe Hillaby will talk on “Medieval Jewries of the Severn and its Region.” This lecture will consider the interrelationships between the medieval Jewries of Bristol, Gloucester and Worcester and ultimately Hereford. (www.bgas.org.uk)

Stoke Lodge History and Archaeology Group meet on the first Thursday of every month at the Friends Meeting House in Hampton Road at 7.30pm. We have speakers on a varied range of topics, many of which have a strong

emphasis on local history. New members are always made very welcome. For further details please contact Annette Martin on 0117 979 3209.

Volunteers Wanted ‐ RSVP/CSV Reading in schools. We are urgently looking for volunteers over 50 both male and female to go in to local schools on a regular weekly basis to help children with their reading. We organise your references and a short training course and the school would do any necessary checks. If you think that this is something that you would like to be involved in please email me on vckitchen1949@gmail.com or ring 0117 9096858.

Redland Wind Band, Spring Concert on Sat 22 March 7.30pm. Tickets £7 on the door or email redlandwindband@gmail.com. Under 14s free. Redland Wind Band this year will perform its Spring Concert in a new setting at Alma Church, Alma Road, Clifton Bristol, BS8 2ES. An evening of wind band music from this popular local ensemble will include swing, dance, classical and film music.

The Bristol Branch of the English Speaking Union welcomes guests to their meetings which are held in the Apostle Room of Clifton Cathedral at 7.15 p.m. for 7.45 p.m. There is ample parking and entrance is £3. Our March meeting is on 6th March when Mr John Savage will be talking on “High in Hope‐ what Bristol will be like in 40 years time”. April meeting is on 3rd April when plastic surgeon Mr Donald Sammut will be talking on “My work in hand surgery in Nepal”. May meeting is on 1st May when Mr Gareth Williams (Professor of Medicine and former Dean of Medicine at BRI) will be talking on “heroes and Villains‐ the story of Smallpox” And on 21st May Christopher Jefferies will be talking on “My Story in relation to the ethics (or lack of them) of the media and the relationship between the media and the police”

West Bristol Orchestra. A Chamber Orchestra, playing a wide range of Classical Music

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40 What’s On & Community Events arranged for the smaller orchestra, meets at the United Reformed Church, Muller Road on Thursdays 7.15pm.to 9.15pm. Additional String players of Grade5+ standard welcomed. Previous experience of orchestral playing is not essential. For more information, please contact the Secretary on (0117) 968 3998.

Bristol Chamber Choir present Masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance , featuring Gregorio Allegri “Miserere”, Antonio Lotti “Crucifixus” and Giovanni Anerio “Missa Pro Defunctis”.

Sunday 6th April 2014, 3 pm, at Redland Park United Reformed Church, Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS6 6SA. £10 (Concessions £8.00) Children Free. Available from the Choir Secretary on 07447 042 441 and from Opus 13, 14 St Michael’s Hill.

The Henleaze Garden Club is a thriving club for anyone interested in anything to do with gardening ! With a healthy membership of 200, this friendly club meets the first Wednesday of each month in the main hall at St Monica's, Cote Lane, with a summer break when the club arranges coach trips. We invite expert speakers, produce a quarterly newsletter, have an annual plant sale and great Christmas event.

Annual individual membership is £20 plus a £1 per visit, visitors are most welcome at £5 per visit, both to include refreshments and raffle.

Please see www.henleazegardenclub.co.uk or contact Jane Voke 9622440 for more info.

“Reflections VI: Renewal” A Mixed Art Exhibition from the Reflections Group at The Guild Gallery, 68 Park Street, Clifton, Bristol March 22nd – April 12th 2014. With each artist having their own highly original style this latest exhibition will include a strong eclectic line up of paintings, prints, ceramics, glass, enamels and textiles. It is well worth coming along and to see what the artists have been creating over the winter and may be pick up a gift for Mother’s Day, a birthday or even something

just for you. The exhibition starts on Saturday 22 March at The Bristol Guild Gallery, Park Street, Clifton and it runs until Saturday 12 April and the gallery is open between 10am and 5pm, Monday to Saturday. For further information about the artists and the exhibition, contact Denise Lonsdale at denise@demonpotters.co.uk

Lip‐reading class. An evening lip‐reading class to help you cope with your hearing loss runs in Clifton from 6.15pm to 7.45pm every Monday at Redland Park United Reformed Church, Whiteladies Road. Fee is £5 per session. For more details contact the tutor, Mary Hall, by email on lipreadingmary@yahoo.com or telephone 07790 283939.

Bristol Cathedral is the venue for a concert full of atmosphere, special lighting effects and of course, fabulous music. On March 22nd Bristol Bach Choir will be performing Rachmaninov’s stunning Vespers along with some of John Tavener’s deeply moving music, including his Song for Athene which was performed at the funeral of Princess Diana. The audience is also in for a real treat hearing a star in the making, soprano Vivian Yau, who will sing Tavener’s Lament of the Mother of God. Although only just 18 and still a pupil at Wells Cathedral Music School, Vivian has already performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, won international prizes for her singing and has been offered major scholarships at several world‐ renowned music colleges. The concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost between £10‐25 and are available online at www.bristolbach.org.uk or by phoning 0117 214 0721.

Zumba Gold Class @ Horfield Parish Church Hall every Weds 2pm‐2.45pm (Gold Class) £4.00 per class, for the mature movers aimed at age 55+ (All other ages Including Beginners) Zumba Class @ Orchard School every Thurs 7pm‐8pm Contact Georgina for further details on www.bristolzumba.com or tel: 07545 625089.

Clifton Rotary Club welcomes new members

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42 What’s On & Community Events of all ages and backgrounds ‐ all we ask is that people give their time, are interested in making new friends, building business contacts, using skills to help others and try new things you would never normally have thought of doing. Please find out more by emailing secretary@cliftonrotary.org.

Bristol Brunel Probus Club for retired professional and businessmen. Meet at BAWA, Southmead Rd, once a month to enjoy a good lunch and a great mix of social events, regular speakers, visits and outings, to which wives and friends are warmly welcomed. For more details please ring Fred Martin on 0117 968 3875.

Redland Green Bowling Club invites both novices and players to come and play at Redland Green where tuition is available with qualified coaches. FFI please ring Jean or Gerry Wickham on 9624466.

Redland High School will be holding a ‘Learn how to play Bridge’ Taster Day at the school on Saturday 22 March. Taught by National Bridge Champion, Cathy Kitcatt, the day will introduce the basics of the game and will include a delicious lunch of home‐made soup, salad and bread. Tickets are £25 (£12.50 for full time students) and can be purchased from Redland High School on 0117 916 6711

Bristol Phoenix Choir celebrates fifty years of singing with a concert of joyful music by Haydn and Purcell on Saturday 5th April at 7.45 pm in Clifton Cathedral. Nelson Mass and Te Deum ‐ Haydn: Hail! bright Cecilia – Purcell. With four soloists including a member of The Sixteen plus three past and present members of Bristol Cathedral Choir, this promises to be a fabulous birthday. What would we like as a present?

Lots of people to sing to, of course!

The Bristol Eight is published by Bristol Community Magazines Ltd (Co. No. 08448649, registered at 8 Sandyleaze,

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

Get In Touch ‐ it couldn’t be easier

• Telephone ‐ 0117 968 7787

• Text / Phone ‐ 07845 986650

• Email ‐ andy@bcmagazines.co.uk

• Post ‐ 8 Sandyleaze, Westbury on

Trym, Bristol, BS9 3PY

• Twitter ‐ @BS9Andy

Quiz Answers from page 26

1. Morland and Muchelney; 2. Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave; 3. Eric; 4. Wythenshawe & Sale East; 5. 18th September 2014; 6. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho; 7. Lizzy Yarnold’s gold medal in the skeleton at the Sochi Winter Olympics; 8.

They are spraying reindeer antlers with luminous paint; 9. Justin King; 10. 20mph; 11.

Justin Bieber; 12. France; 13. Adrian Chiles; 14.

4th August 1914; 15. High Dennis from the cast of the BBC’s “Outnumbered”; 16. Windermere.

Deadline for April Issue ‐ 12th March

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ADVERTORIAL HOW ANYONE IN BS8 CAN FIND THEIR SOUL MATE WITHIN 90 DAYS OR LESS With the prospect of Spring being with us within a few weeks, thoughts are once again turning to romance and finding the perfect partner, and just in time there’s a free digital report that spells out precisely what you need to do to find and keep the man or woman of your dreams.

Called ‘Relationships that LAST!’, anyone in Bristol or the South West who has the determination to enjoy a high quality, loving relationship with their potential soul-mate, or improve their existing relationship, will find sound and solid advice from the personal experience and exhaustive research of Weston Super Mare based life-coach, mentor and author, Kevin Martyn.

Says Kevin: “Regardless of age, sex, personal circumstances or your perceived appearance, (believe me, you’re a lot better looking than you think you are!’), there is always someone out there looking for YOU! In fact, there are many people eagerly waiting for you to find them. If you are really serious about discovering someone with whom to happily share your life, download and follow this report closely and you will be hand-in-hand with the one you love in 90 days or less”. The free 44 page report is the prelude to an open seminar which is planned to be held in Bristol later this year.

In addition to the report, upon subscription, visitors will receive a regular and entertaining newsletter and access to an inter-active blog. A personal mentoring service and a special ‘Magnetic Formula’ course which are each designed to help accelerate the attraction of a quality partner, are also available.

To download the free tutorial visit: www.someonejust4you.com/report/ or simply email someone4you@aweber.com With every download there is the option to make a donation to Cancer Research UK with a target to raise £20,000.

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