Bristol Direct Local Weekly Magazine 4th -11th March 2021

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4 - 11 MARCH 2021

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Our homes in Bristol are located close to local shops and amenities, and benefit from strong connections with community groups. We offer a busy and varied activities programme that includes something for everyone and ensures residents get the most out of every day.

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Our homes in Bristol: Osborne Court Care Home, 0117 321 9289 Bishopsmead Lodge Care Home, 0117 321 9269 Call our friendly team today, or visit: www.fshc.co.uk

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Mikes letter

This week..

Welcome to this week’s edition!

4.Four great dog walks in Bristol

Monday 8th March marks the kids going back to school, which is great news for all you parents out there.

No more juggling home schooling and a full time job. Plus the house becomes a home again.

8. Chef takes on epic challenge

Also its Mother’s Day on the 14th March so we put some ideas together to help you make the correct choice on picking the perfect gift especially if your mum is isolating in a care home or at home.

What were everyone’s thoughts on the budget? Was it good news for you or bad?

Either way it’s a huge amount of borrowing by the Government.

Finally I hope everyone’s looking forward to what looks like a great summer this year.

Fingers crossed the coronavirus does not put a dampeners on the whole thing as we all deserve a break I think this year.

Till next week Bristol stay safe!

www.directlocalbristol.co.uk

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Disclaimer The opinions expressed in Direct Local do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publisher or their agents. Whilst every reasonable care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information included within this publication, the publisher takes no responsibility for errors or omissions in Direct Local.

The content of Direct Local is not to be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. Please pass to a friend, recycle or compost. All adverts designed by Direct Local are the property of Direct Local please contact us if you wish to reprint them in other publications as a small release fee Is applied. Use of adverts designed by us will need written permission first.

6. Bristol Animal Rescue Center 10. Helping Bristol 12. Revised plans for St Catherines place 14. Help for those with sight loss 17. Veggie scrap soup 20. Hybrid ready 22. 136 quality new homes in Thornbury 24. Foundation nominated for sports award 26. Banning order for bristol landlord 29. The Western Gateway increased funding 34. Bohemian Rhapsody 38. The Franklinbutt Foundation 42. challenging tomes ahaead The team EDITOR Michael Davies DISTRIBUTION Matthew Clarke

JOURNALIST

Lisa Davies PROOF READER Elisabeth Davies Advertising sales Tel: 0117 325 8029 MOB: 07500 017 236 Email: info@directlocalonline.com Regular editoials By: Andrea Sexton, Martin Powell Daren Bane Kayleigh Penny Peter Abraham Andrew Varney Online Weekly Distribution: Direct Local Online now reaches over 19,500 people across Bristol via their inboxes and social media each week. @directlocal 3

4 Great Dog Walks in around Bristol If want some of the best dog walks in Bristol then let us share with you these seven walks that both we (and our Chinese Crested ,Buster) love.

1. Oldbury Court Estate & Snuff Mills

Oldbury Court Estate in Fishponds remains to be our favourite place to walk our dog in Bristol as there are lots of different types of walk available and you’ll instantly forget you’re in a busy city.

And it’s up to you how long or how far you walk for as there are plenty of shortcuts through the woods and back to the open spaces.

Fancy a riverside stroll? No problem.

There are two free car parks to choose from.

One on the Oldbury side at BS16 2JW and the other on the Snuff Mills side at BS16 1DL.

Does your dog need to desperately run off some steam in a giant field? Oldbury Court Estate has plenty of those!

Is the sun shining too brightly? No problem.

Just head through the woods surrounding the estate!

And if your dog likes a dip, then the River Frome is safe enough to swim or paddle in.

There aren’t any defined walking trails to follow at Oldbury, but you’ll certainly have fun following your noses and seeing what you can find.

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2. Leigh Woods

Leigh Woods is one of the most well-known dog walks in Bristol as it’s home to some epic views of Avon Gorge and the Clifton Suspension Bridge – and has free parking (always a bonus!)

You and your dog will love walking through Leigh Woods as there are different walking trails and routes to follow for all difficulties, ages and fitness levels.

Some paths are rocky and have slopes to navigate. But generally, a lot of the paths are flat, so you should find your walk through Leigh Woods is fairly gentle.

And the carrot on top of the dog biscuit is Blaise Castle itself, which is a pretty folly built in 1766. The hill it sits on top of has excellent views across the grounds and city!

There are two car parks for the Blaise Castle Estate. The main car park is on Kings Weston Road and is closest to the castle and children’s playpark, while the other is called Coombe Dingle, which is best for dog walkers as it’s closest to the river and quieter trails.

But whichever route you follow, you’re sure to enjoy it and make lots of doggy friends along the way.

Leigh Woods is also perfect for when the weather is warmer as the woodlands are dense and offer lots of shade from the sun.

And if you visit from mid-April to the end of May, then you’ll also be rewarded with a view of thousands of bluebells throughout your walk!

4. Overscourt Wood

It was a local dog walker who recommended we try Overscourt Wood – and we were pleasantly surprised!

This 219 acre Bristol wood is south of Pucklechurch and near the small village of Siston.

Because it’s outside of the city, it’s a lesser-known spot to walk dogs. And because of all the twists and turns you can take, you’ll rarely come across other people even if the car park looks busy!

There are also two parts to Overscourt Wood helping to split groups up. Next to the small car park (postcode: BS30 5LY), you can walk up hills and see right across to the Mendips.

3. Blaise Castle Estate

And on the other side of the road from the car park, you’ll come across flatter paths and the Siston Brook for your dog to paddle his or her feet in.

Blaise Castle Estate in Henbury is another popular dog walk in Bristol as there are as much as 650 acres of grounds to discover with everything from rivers and lakes to woodlands Next week we will share some more fantastic and large open fields. places to walk you pooch!

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WESTERLEIGH GROUP SUPPORTS ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRE

A Bristol-based charity which helps, heals and homes thousands of vulnerable animals every year has received a welcome cash gift from the Westerleigh Group.

The Bristol Animal Rescue Centre (Bristol A.R.C.) has been caring for the city’s pets and wildlife since 1887.

Westerleigh Group, the UK’s largest independent owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 35 sites nationwide and headquarters near Bristol, has donated more than £3,000 to the charity, from money raised through its metal recycling scheme.

With the consent of families, metals recovered during cremation are recycled and any money raised is used to support charities and other worthy causes in the communities surrounding each of Westerleigh’s sites.

Bristol A.R.C., which is affiliated with the RSPCA, relies entirely on local support to fund its work in caring for a huge number of furry, feathered and four-legged friends.

Katie Love, the charity’s Fundraising and Communications Manager, said: “We’d like to thank Westerleigh Group very much for sharing such kindness and generosity with Bristol’s vulnerable animals.

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“This amount of money could cover the costs of caring for seven dogs for three whole months, which includes giving them all a full tummy, warm clean, cosy beds, plenty of toys and bespoke, individually-tailored training, plus routine health checks and treatments like vaccinations, worming and routine dentistry.

“It can often be challenging raising the vital funds required to meet our needs, so we’d like to thank Westerleigh Group for making all the difference to our work.”

Alex Nikitina, Westerleigh’s Marketing and Design Manager, nominated Bristol A.R.C. to receive a donation from the metal recycling scheme this year.

Alex, who adopted two cats herself, said: “I have held annual birthday fundraisers for this charity for the past couple of years.

“The team there does an amazing job caring for all sorts of animals and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to give them a donation which will make a positive difference to their work.

“Westerleigh Group is proud to be able to support many different charities and organisations through the recycling scheme, as part of our commitment to build strong relationships with the communities around our sites.”

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Charity Veggie Chef Takes on Epic Challenge Roving Chef for charity Vegetarian for Life, Alex Connell, has completed an epic running challenge, journeying ‘ virtually' from Lands' End to John O'Groats, a journey of 875 miles.

Starting in Cornwall, Alex ran (and walked) the length of the country, briefly crossing the border into Wales then back to England, before crossing the Scotland border and venturing on to the final destination at the very top of Great Britain.

Alex said: "I wasn't actually in either Lands' End or John O'Groats - this was a virtual run. I certainly ran and walked the 875 miles, but only close to my home in Manchester."

"Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual running events have become popular. The basic idea is that you run or walk whatever the specified distance, time, or even elevation is. Distances are measured by apps on a phone or sports watch."

With running events all over the world cancelled this past year, including the 2020 Manchester Marathon, Alex was undeterred and decided to run his own marathon in his own garden. Seven hundred laps and 5 ½ hours later, Alex crossed the toilet roll finish line in first place.

Like his colleagues, Alex usually spends his time travelling around the country, visiting care homes, conferences and festivals, demonstrating and encouraging the adoption of meat-free dishes to those who cater for older vegetarians and vegans.

As well as for the personal challenge, Alex undertook the run to raise awareness of the charity and how it is reaching out to those in isolation or whop are feeling lonely due to the pandemic.

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He said: “We have a number of great schemes at VfL that can help those who are feeling a little lonely during these strange times.

We have a Veggie Pen- and Phone-Pals Scheme, a new care home card-writing campaign, and can offer small grants to assist independent living. We’re here for anyone that needs us.”

Although Vegetarian for Life chefs like Alex aren’t able to visit people personally at the moment, they can tailor a cookery demonstration or a cook-along specifically for groups online. Like virtual running, virtual demos also come with added benefits, including the fact that you don’t have to leave your own home to participate.

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Bristol households sent wide-ranging survey Households across Bristol will be asked to take part in Census 2021 this March.

The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that offers the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales.

The census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. For the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Results will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generaCensus 2021 will be the first run predominantly tions. online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code, allowing them to Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol said: “Inforcomplete the questionnaire on their computmation from the census helps decide how ers, phones or tablets. vital services are planned and funded across Bristol so, whether it’s improving bus routes, Iain Bell, deputy national statistician at the schools, parks or mental health care serOffice for National Statistics, said: “The vices, everyone benefits from taking part. census provides a unique snapshot of our Understanding who lives in an area is very communities. important in making sure we provide the right support to people, so a successful census will “It benefits everyone. Based on the help Bristol communities get the resources information you give, it ensures millions of and services they need for the next 10 years. pounds are invested in emergency services, As these are things that matter to us all, I mental health care, school places, hospital would urge everyone to complete the beds, houses, roads, GP’s and dentists’ questionnaire.’’ services.

For more information and advice on how to “No-one should miss out. Everyone can answer the questions, visit: complete on online with the new search-aswww.census.gov.uk. you-type ability and paper forms for those who need them.”

Census day will be on March 21, but the questionnaire can be completed sooner.

Households will soon receive letters with online codes explaining how they can take part.

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How Arthur David are helping Bristol We know that the hospitality industry has been adversely affected by the global pandemic and so in this months edition we would like to shine a spot light on the wonderful caring credentials of Arthur David.

We think they are a great example of a local, purpose-led company who have continued to help others throughout the pandemic!

Jon and the team at Arthur David kindly began providing raw ingredients that we could use to provide breakfast and lunch for hundreds of hungry youngsters as part of the Break Free holiday camps we run in Bristol. More recently, Arthur David kindly provided most of the produce that went into the food hampers that we sent to Bristol's amazing Young Heroes.

Arthur David feels that being involved with the community is an important part of who they are. They have been involved with Community of Purpose for the last four years and have helped us in so many ways. Managing Director Jon Evans was introduced to us through our partnership with Boston Tea Party. We were given the opportunity to explain to Jon how concerned we were about the growing pressures placed on low income families during the school holiday periods and when not in receipt of a free school meal.

We asked Beth Evans, Sales and Marketing Manager, about working with Community of Purpose. 'We initially teamed up with one of our clients, Boston Tea Party, to help Community of Purpose, as we feel their ethics are amazing. The way that Boston Tea Party are about their products, and the way they treat their staff, aligns with us at Arthur David, and being within the same industry, we can collaborate to help Community of Purpose, which helps with the local community.'

Most people look back and remember their school holidays as some of the best times of their lives. Going on trips and days out, times with their friends and family, free of school work and responsibility, maybe attending a holiday camp or activities week. What isn’t to like? Unfortunately even before the pandemic struck, life was incredibly tough for a lot of families.

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‘Being involved with Community of Purpose really helps raise awareness on what is going on with the community and local areas and showcasing how our suppliers may be able to help as well. It really helps with feeling connected and being a real part of the community.’ Chatting with Beth, it is plain to see how passionate the staff are about Arthur David.

From a small, family run business that started in 1962, it has grown into a much larger company, with over 300 staff members. It really is the case though, that everyone knows everyone else! With having 3 generations of the family, all involved in the company, and at all levels, it was inevitable that the staff in the company would feel like a community themselves, and comfortable with all helping each other out where and when they could.

In fact, before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was a common sight to see Arthur himself chatting with the staff in the warehouse, checking the quality of the produce before it was loaded for delivery, and going around switching the lights off around the building at the end of the day to make sure electricity was not being wasted by the company.

Like so many other local businesses, Arthur David have changed their focus during the pandemic. Prior to March 2020, they were supplying mainly wholesale produce for restaurants, hotels, hospitals and more, in an area that stretched from London to Plymouth, Birmingham to the South West and as far as Carmarthen in Wales.

At the beginning of the pandemic, they realised that people across Bristol, as well as part of Bath and some areas of Somerset were struggling to easily access online supermarket deliveries, so they wanted to help.

Beth added that 'It can be very hard to get a supermarket slot, and people don't really want to go out. We have the service, and we have plenty of slots available for home delivery.'

Often able to supply produce where there are empty shelves in the supermarket, Arthur David is able and willing to help. Selling all the types of lines you would find in your local supermarkets; Arthur David is providing delivery straight to people's homes in the following postcode areas: All BS, BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA10, BA11, BA16, TA1, TA2, TA3, TA6, TA7, TA8, TA9. f you order on Arthur David website before 2pm, they will deliver to you free the next day – Monday to Saturday. https://www. arthurdavidathome.co.uk/ We would like to give a big thank you to the whole team at Arthur David from all of us here at Community of Purpose for the support they provide us, and Bristol as a whole. Please give them a go if you want to support a business with genuine caring credentials!

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Revised plans for comprehensive redevelopment of St Catherine's Place Bedminster recommended for approval by planning officers

• • • • • •

Proposals involve significant scaling back of height and mass of main buildings An “East Street First” approach taken to retail regeneration Larger, improved public space offered with more green landscaping, a new pocket park and a children’s play area Increased shared social space for residents Nearly £1.25 million of community contributions A landscaped open-air pedestrian route, Mill Lane Greenway, providing a direct link between Bedminster Green and East Street

• • The revised scheme will offer larger areas of public open space including a new pocket park on Mill Lane, providing accessible green space to rest, play and socialise. There will be increased private amenity space for the new homes including a new children's play area.

An ‘East Street First' approach has been taken to regenerating the retail spaces, with existing shops on the East Street side of the development being replaced with new, modern shops and the historic façade refurbished or rebuilt. This will breathe new life into the area and mark the start of the area's retail revival, particularly given the increased footfall to and from the new development.

"Our proposals for 180 much-needed and carefully-designed new homes, along with newly refurbished retail units and a new shopping centre entrance, will give East Street a much-needed boost, making it a thriving area for shopping, leisure and hospitality once again, as we have seen on nearby North Street.

"We have significantly scaled back the larger buildings, both in terms of height and massing and have moved the tallest building further back from the road. We've listened to local concerns and added lots more public green space including a pocket park and children's play area. We're particularly excited about the newly revived Mill Lane Greenway which will create an attractive, landscaped traffic-free Francis Firmstone, director of Firmstone, said: route through the development connecting East Street with the wider Bedminster Green "We are very pleased that Council officers area and further increasing footfall." have recommended our revised proposals for approval, recognising the benefits that our Outline planning permission is also being plans will bring to this part of Bedminster, and sought to potentially convert the redundant are hopeful that the Committee will agree. St vacant retail units in the centre of the site for Catherine's Place is an important gateway to alternative uses including residential in the the wider Bedminster Green area, which has longer term, should retail demand continue to long been earmarked for regeneration and decline. This will ensure any additional homes development and is desperately in need of are effectively integrated in the wider design new homes and investment, particularly now and regeneration. we are facing such challenging economic times.

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Firmstone's appeal to the Planning Inspector against the refusal to grant planning permission for its original proposals for St Catherine's Place was recently rejected.

Fresh plans to kickstart the long-awaited regeneration of East Street at St Catherine’s Place have been recommended for approval by planning officers.

Set to go before Bristol City Council’s planning committee next Thursday (4 March), the revised plans would deliver 180 much-needed homes, newly refurbished retail units on East Street and increased public open space including a pocket park, a children’s play area and a new, landscaped walking and cycling route through from Dalby Road to Mill Lane.

St Catherine’s Place and its East Street home have long been in need of refurbishment and investment. After original proposals for a mixed-use redevelopment of the site were rejected last year, Bedminster-based developer Firmstone appealed the decision but also went back to the drawing board to work up new plans, bringing in a new team of architects and planning consultants to directly address the concerns of planners, stakeholders and a group of local residents. Firmstone also worked closely with Bristol City Council officers to address their concerns.

Designed by Bristol architects Stride Treglown, if approved the new proposals will offer a full range of one, two, and three-bedroom homes in three new buildings on the site. These have been significantly scaled back and include a 14-floor building on the corner of Dalby Avenue which is three storeys lower than the previously proposed building, smaller in footprint and set further back from the road. The height of the adjacent building to the rear is also stepped down to match the level of the existing Catherine House.

Firmstone is also making nearly £1.25 million of community contributions, partly via the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and in relation to wider transport improvements.

A new open-air pedestrian route, Mill Lane Greenway will provide a direct link between Bedminster Green and East Street. Designed to celebrate the area’s industrial heritage, it will include planting, cobble stones and historic mill stones recovered during archaeological investigations on site.

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Patient information event to help those with sight loss

A telephone information event aimed at helping people affected by dry age related macular degeneration (AMD), a form of central vision loss, will take place on Friday, March 26 at 2pm.

During the event, called, “Looking after your sight during the pandemic”, expert Optometrist Amar Shah will explain everything patients need to know in order to live well with AMD. There will be a Q&A session at the end, and family members and friends of those affected are also very welcome to join the call.

Many people affected describe losing their sight as being similar to bereavement. There is still no cure and most types of the disease are not treatable. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common form of macular disease, affecting more than 600,000 people, usually over the age of 50.

Judy added: “As social restrictions continue as a result of the virus, people’s health and wellbeing remain our priority. However, it’s absolutely vital that everyone who needs our support continues to receive it. Although our face-to-face services have had to be suspended for the time being, we are still on Judy Pride, Macular Society regional manager, said: “Information events like these the end of the phone and would strongly urge are a great way for anyone who has just been anyone to call us if they do need our assisdiagnosed with this condition to find out more tance.” and to ask questions. Callers will also hear “Our local telephone groups offer help in about the support and help that we provide.

We welcome anyone interested to learn more understanding macular disease and coming to terms with sight loss; exactly the way that about macular degeneration to join us.” our face-to-face support groups do. They also If you can’t call in on this date and still want to help us to ensure that everyone is kept up to talk to others living with macular degeneration date with all the current news and information.

But most importantly, they allow people with you are welcome to join the Bristol Macular macular disease to continue to take part in Support group calls on the third Friday of every month at 10:30 am and the next call will social activities, helping to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation during these difficult take place March 19. times.”

For more information and to book your place All of the charity’s regional managers have on the event, please call Judy on: Facebook pages and Twitter accounts that 07947 373 244. provide more local updates and are another Macular disease is the biggest cause of sight way that people can get in contact. The Macular Society also offers a volunteer loss in the UK. Nearly 1.5 million people are currently affected and many more are at risk. telephone befriending service, providing a T he disease can have a devastating effect on friendly and understanding ear to anyone affected by macular disease. people’s lives, leaving them unable to drive, read or see faces.

For general information on macular disease, call the Macular Society on 0300 3030 111 or email help@macularsociety.org 14

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24/01/2019 11:54

Veggie scrap soup

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot and add the onions. Saute for around 5 minutes, until the onions start to turn trans3 cloves garlic, sliced lucent and smell delicious. Add in the garlic for 30 more seconds. If you want to use any 1 large ziploc bag frozen veggie scraps (we recommend broccoli stalks, kale stalks, carrot of the optional spices, add them at this point and saute for around 1 minute to release their and parsnip peels) delicious aroma.

5 to 6 cups filtered water you can use Carefully pour the frozen veggies into the pot. vegetable broth if you'd like Stir around to mix with the oil, onions and garlic.

Optional seasoning: 1 yellow onion, diced

2 to 3 tsp curry powder 1 inch ginger root, sliced Optional seasoning: 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp dried rosemary Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 35 mins Servings: 6

Season with a nice pinch of sea salt and pepper.

Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Once the water in boiling, reduce the heat to low so that the soup simmer. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes, until the veggies are really tender and soft.

Carefully pour the mixture into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until the soup is creamy and smooth.

Make sure to taste the soup and add more sea salt and pepper to taste. If you find the soup is too thick for your liking, you can add some more water.

17

Independent candidate announces for Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner John Smith, longstanding local resident and current Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, has announced he will be standing as an independent candidate in the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections on 6 May. Following the announcement that the postponed Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections are to go ahead on Thursday May 6, John Smith, who has extensive experience in the crime and criminal justice sector, has confirmed he will be standing as an independent candidate in Avon and Somerset.

John has lived with his wife, three children and his dog, Evie, in Bristol for 20 years. In his spare time, John enjoys walking Evie and watching and coaching football – he is a Bristol City season ticket holder and coaches his son’s U15 football team. A passionate believer in community safety, John has dedicated himself to this cause and working with the police and partners over the last 12 years. He was Chief Executive of the Avon and Somerset PCC team for eight years, working alongside current independent PCC Sue Mountstevens to deliver policing and public safety improvements for residents. In 2020, to help meet the unique challenges of policing during the Covid-19 pandemic, John was appointed Deputy PCC following an open recruitment process.

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Commenting on his announcement, John Smith said: “I am delighted to be announcing today my candidacy to be the next independent Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner. My extensive experience of police governance in the region and being a father of three children has only served to reinforce my passion and commitment to local communities and to keeping people safe.

“As an independent, I have no political ties to any party and am the only candidate that can keep the party politics out of policing. I will only make decisions based on what is best for Avon and Somerset residents, and would answer only to them, not to party political bosses in Westminster. The safety of all local residents would be my first and only priority.”

John has played a key role in several significant achievements during his career working with Avon and Somerset Police which is currently ranked one of the top five forces in the country by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and has achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating for efficiency. Avon and Somerset police has also managed to ringfence, prioritise, and protect neighbourhood policing despite significant central government cuts of 30 per cent over the last 10 years – and having one of the biggest funding gaps in the country compared to other major city areas.

As Deputy PCC, John has also been a key member of the team working to manage policing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

John added: “Keeping local people safe throughout this unprecedented pandemic has been a huge challenge for all police officers and staff, not to mention the other frontline workers in the NHS and beyond. This experience gives me the confidence and knowledge to navigate any future challenges the pandemic throws up and to help the people of Avon and Somerset to recover from COVID feeling safer and more secure than ever.”

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If elected, John’s priorities to keep Avon and Somerset residents safe would be: •

• • • • • • • •

Supporting the police to enforce the COVID regulations appropriately so we can get back to living normally as soon as possible Tackling knife and drug crime, including “County Lines” Catching burglars and reducing burglaries Combating anti-social behaviour Championing Avon and Somerset to become the most inclusive police force in the country Improving road safety Preventing fraud and cyber-crime Addressing rural crime and supporting rural communities Working in partnership to address business crime

Commenting on these priorities, John said: “My priorities reflect my experience and the many conversations I have had with communities across this diverse area. They cover inner city crime issues that may be most important to residents in Bristol as well as the concerns of people in more rural parts of the area. If local residents elect me as their next Police and Crime Commissioner, I will work hard every day to keep them all safe.”

Elections for the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner are being held on Thursday May 6. John’s full manifesto can be viewed on https://www.johnsmith4pcc.com/.

While some Deputy PCCs around the country are remaining in their post while campaigning to be elected PCC, in the spirit of transparency and for the avoidance of any perceived conflict of interest, John has taken the decision to step down from the Deputy PCC role at the beginning of the formal election period on 22 March.

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Hybrid Ready

A Bristol hotel has become part of a global network officially approved by the Hilton group as being able to accommodate the new way people meet and celebrate.

The Covid-19 pandemic prompted a rapid rise in the use of video conferencing platforms and technology, both for business and personal purposes, as lockdown and social-distancing restrictions meant traditional gatherings were not allowed.

Doubletree by Hilton Bristol City Centre, which is managed by Focus Hotels, is now part of Hilton’s EventReady Hybrid Solutions, which direct event planners to hotels which are hybrid-friendly for small events while also providing them with planning resources and flexible customer offers.

A hybrid event is a meeting or celebration involving a combination of up to 20 in-person and virtual attendees, although Hilton are also able to accommodate larger groups.

Each ‘hybrid ready’ hotel will spotlight the baseline requirements customers can expect when hosting an event.

Doubletree by Hilton Bristol City Centre has undergone a thorough evaluation by Hilton to ensure it has sufficient IT bandwidth and infrastructure to allow for seamless communication and connectivity.

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There is also the added reassurance of Hilton’s acclaimed CleanStay and EventReady initiatives for those who attend its hotels in person, which ensure event experiences are clean, safe and socially-responsible.

As the country prepares for lockdown measures to slowly ease, following the announcement of the Government’s ‘roadmap to recovery’ earlier this month, Hilton says hybrid events and meetings will be critical in the short-term.

Organisers will want to know that their events can take place safely and that there is the right technology on hand to ensure they can take place without disruption.

Imran Ali, General Manager of DoubleTree

by Hilton Bristol City Centre, said: “With the rapidly-changing restrictions on travel and mixing indoors, it is important that the hotel leverages on technology to our advantage.

“The UK is quite ahead of many other nations in the vaccination programme, and I am very certain that the Hybrid meetings will be a safe option for having an organised event, with both physical and digital interactions.

“Being designated ‘hybrid friendly’ by Hilton means that we look forward to providing both the physical and digital audience with an identical experience of high-quality communication. ” Hilton says each event experience will be delivered by dedicated team members who have had access to comprehensive training resources.

Martin Rinck, executive vice president and chief brand officer, Hilton, said: “Hilton has remained a leader in the meetings and events industry for more than 100 years by listening intently and innovating quickly to changing customer needs.

“Hilton EventReady Hybrid Solutions were born out of our continued commitment to excellence – from accessing the capabilities of our global portfolio to rolling out a suite of extensive event planner resources and introducing team member training to ensure we can deliver the optimum overall event experience.”

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Sovereign to build 136 quality new homes in Thornbury

Sovereign Housing Association is working in partnership with Miller Homes, and investing almost £50m into building 136 new homes, as part of the wider 350 home Miller Homes @ Cleve Wood development in the South Gloucestershire town of Thornbury.

As part of their continued move to acquire more land for development across the south of England, Sovereign have acquired a parcel of land from Miller Homes which will deliver 136 homes.

The overall development will see a total of 336 new homes and 14 self-build homes, a care home and retail space, helping to build a community and realise Sovereign’s pledge to build more homes and better places for their residents and homeowners.

The Sovereign homes will be a mix of tenures with 87 available for private sale, 38 for social rent, and 11 through shared ownership, providing a variety of housing options in an area where they’re needed most, with over 4,000 South Gloucestershire households in need of a home.

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Steve Trenwith, Land and Planning Director, Sovereign, said, ‘We’re delighted to be able to invest in this new community. We want to build communities and places, not just homes, and by investing more in land-led development we can take greater control over our developments, making sure that we’re building the right homes in the right places.’

Martyn Grimes, Operations Director for Miller Homes West Midlands said: “We are really excited about the upcoming launch of our new neighbourhood in Thornbury and are looking forward to working with Sovereign Housing Association. In response to the local housing needs, we will be supporting them in the provision of a range of homes with both affordable rent and shared ownership, providing house hunters with even more options to secure a new home.”

The homes will be a mix of two, three and four bedroom houses plus a selection of bungalows.

The work on site looks set to start in the summer of 2021 with the first residents moving in around early 2022.

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Foundation Nominated for Sports Technology Award We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Technology for Good award by the Sports Technology Award.

The annual Sports Technology Awards are a unique celebration of technology-led innovation across sport globally and recognised as an international mark of excellence. The Technology for Good award recognises initiatives in sport which develop or harness technology to address social change or a philanthropic cause.

Bristol Sort Foundation has been nominated alongside PT SportSuite for our work together on our mobile app and brand new web app, BSFTV. The mobile and web apps help families throughout Greater Bristol stay ‘Active. Healthy. Happy.’ by providing regular content such as adapted sport sessions, healthy cooking, weekend family fitness and skills-based sports delivery.

The nomination recognises the contribution made not only by BSF but also our contributors who include Bristol Bears Community Foundation, The Children’s Kitchen, Feeding Bristol and Square Food Foundation.

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The judges, which included tech visionaries, sports business leaders and international athletes including, Alistair Brownlee, Darren Gough and Eoin Morgan; faced a challenging task with more than half the 19 categories resulting in a tie, often involving up to four entries vying for top place.

Rob Webber, Head of Operations at Bristol Sport Foundation, said: “First and most importantly, I want to say well done to the BSF & PT SportSuite staff and the content contributors who have worked so hard to deliver our digital transformation project. This recognition from a such a high-profile judging panel is huge credit to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved and I am so proud of what we have achieved over the last 10 months.

“Together we reacted to an urgent need in our communities, when the pandemic started and used the power of smart tech and data to bring our physical ‘Active. Healthy. Happy.’ content to life through our smart phone app and web app.

“The STA received applications from five continents, 30 countries and 50 different sports and we made it into the seven finalists!

“We are delighted and will celebrate this success, but this is only the start. Thanks to the continued support of Sport England and the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport we can now move into the next phase of our mission and hopefully even more impact in the future.”

Rich Cheary, CEO of PT SportSuite, said: “We wanted to give sports organisations a complete digital platform offering that would drastically enhance their digital processes and capabilities. Bristol Sport was the perfect partner to for us as we share a similar mindset of doing things differently.”

Rebecca Hopkins, CEO of The STA Group, which owns the awards, explained: ‘Most years we see one or two categories needing casting votes to determine the overall winner – this year we had 10 categories which were tied. This is unprecedented but testament to the high standard of entries and the calibre of brands participating.

Whilst the initial round of judging has been sufficient to determine the shortlist, we still don’t have all the winners agreed – it’s an amazing problem to have but as one of our judges put in some feedback to us ‘covid might have forced the industry’s hand to innovate, but the industry’s response has been magnificent’.

There was also more good news for the Bristol Sport Group, with Bristol Sport also making the shortlist in the Sports Technology Partnership of the Year award.

Winners will be announced at a virtual ceremony on 6th May 2021.

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Banning order for Bristol rogue landlord Four-year letting sanction after housing offences A Bristol landlord who was found guilty of renting out property that could cause a ‘ serious risk to life’ has been banned from letting houses for four years.

Last year Deepak Singh Sashdeva, was found guilty of five offences relating to the failure to manage a house in multiple occupation in Avonmouth Road, Avonmouth.

He was fined £87,000, after inspectors found some of the worst living conditions they had ever seen.

Council environmental health officers found three people, including two young children, sleeping in cupboards in the eaves of the roof. Officers also noted that nine people, including two children and a pregnant woman, were housed in the two tiny different living spaces.

Bristol City Council successfully applied for a banning order, which will also prevent Mr Sachdeva from carrying out any property management work.

Council officers visited the accommodation in Avonmouth again in January 2021 to check on conditions and found someone sleeping in one room of the property, in contravention of a Prohibition Order under the Housing Act 2004 that makes it illegal for people to live in the unsafe accommodation.

When asked about the property Mr Sachdeva said he was in the process of selling the lease, but to date had failed to provide any proof that this was the case.

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In making the banning order, Judge J Dobson said: “The Tribunal concludes on the facts found that the respondent was a rogue landlord who had failed by a large margin to meet his legal obligations and who had exploited the occupiers by providing substandard and dangerous accommodation.”

Cllr Helen Godwin, Cabinet Member for Women, Children and Homes, said: “Bristol City Council works hard to protect people renting property in Bristol against rogue landlords and property agents. We will use all the powers available to us to stop people who flout the law from renting properties illegally.”

Mr Sachdeva did not attend the Tribunal hearing on 22 February and has not provided information about any other properties he may let out or any letting agencies he is involved in.

He will be added to the Government’s Rogue Landlord Database. If he breaches the Banning Order he could be prosecuted and the penalty if found guilty includes imprisonment.

Anyone with information about properties let

by Mr Sachdeva should contact the council via email: private.housing@bristol.gov.uk.

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Western Gateway receives increased Government funding Boost for regional partnership’s development work The Western Gateway Partnership has received £800,000 in funding for the 2021/22 financial year.

The funding, from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, will allow the Partnership to increase its activities such as engaging with businesses, building a robust evidence base and developing and delivering proposals for Western Gateway projects.

The letter also calls for agreement of milestones and a delivery plan for this funding.

Officially launched in November 2019, the funding is double what the partnership received in the 2020/21 financial year.

Katherine Bennett CBE, Chair of the Western Gateway said: “I am really pleased that the Western Gateway has been recognised with increased Government funding to drive forward jobs, skills and opportunities for people in western England and South Wales.

"It is testament to the hard work and collaboration from our partners and will allow us to increase our activities, setting the scene for a post-Covid future, bringing together businesses, universities and the public sector and operate at the scale required to deliver a greener and cleaner future.”

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: ““Bristol has been a driving force in the set-up, development and success of the Western Gateway. We are committed to the opportunities that collaboration between the west of England and south Wales can deliver for our people and communities and this increased funding is testament to that.

“Our collective aim is to secure inclusive economic growth and prosperity for Bristol and the entire partnership area. By working with partners on both sides of the Severn we will ensure that investment and jobs are brought to our city.”

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BUDGET RESPONSE Wednesday 3 March saw a Conservative Chancellor struggle to do the right thing at the wrong time.

It is great news to see essential measures such as the extension of furlough, self-employment support and the £20/week increase in Universal Credit extended until September – but these decisions should not have been left so late.

People dependent on this support should have been told weeks or months ago that they would continue – instead of waiting for a Chancellor to pull them out of a hat as a PR stunt to distract attention from his risky decision to raise taxes early.

Any delay causes uncertainly – and uncertainty over whether furlough, in particular, will be extended costs jobs.

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Jobs are still being lost, notably in the exporting industries hit by red tape and by creative industries that saw only meagre support, and are still being preventing from touring even after Covid restrictions are removed by a Government still refusing to agree that artists and musicians should be able to tour Britain and Europe without complex and expensive work permits.

The West of England is a loser from this Budget, with new infrastructure and public institutions being promised elsewhere in England, and ‘freeports’ being created in almost every other region – including some far from the sea. But nothing for the West of England.

That’s why we need a Metro Mayor willing and able to make the case for the region.

Dan Norris is that person, and he has my full support.

Stay safe, Rob Logan, Labour Candidate Brislington West.

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Bristol cookery school The vast majority of us can cook. It’s not rocket science. It can be challenging at times but mostof us can do it. But for those who cannot, then fear not I have the answer. It lies in the form of theBristol Cookery School. Set up by chef and teacher Clive Williams-Jones.

Beginning in 2019 withthe aim of teaching cookery skills to seasoned cooks and ammeter beginners, Clive felt thatteaching in professional kitchens was a crucial step in the mentoring of any young chef.

The Bristol Cookery School, offer beginners courses starting with basic knife skills and food preparation, all the way to advanced culinary methods and techniques. The school offers meat, seafood, pasta and vegetarian and even vegan masterclasses which can all be tailor maid to meet the students needs?

The school began its life on the backend of Brexit and Covid had yet to rear its ugly head so times were already challenging for those in the catering and hospitality industry? The business, like so many had to close its doors in March 2020 and Clive knew he had to diversify to keepafloat.

With that in mind he started branching out and began an online cured meat business which has proven to be very successful. Starting off with meat from South Africa they have now expanded their range and provide charcuterie Bristols deli’s.

With some light at the end of the tunnel Clive is looking for a permanent home for the Bristol Cookery School, however he is still cautious and is not taking anything or granted. Moving forward he’d like to add a production kitchen for events and to house his home cured meat business. Clive says that this past year has seen some of the hardest times in history for the catering and hospitality industry. However as I know all too well he says, chefs, restaurateurs, publicans and event planners are a tough and resilient breed and there is a tremendous amount of support out there in the industry. Even in the most trying of times, the support has been phenomenal.

Article by Peter Abraham Food and Restaurant Critic. www.peterabrahamrestaurantcritic.blogspot.com 33

An outdoor cinema experience is coming to South Glocestershire at the end of May following the restrictions for outdoor events from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Part of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown means that outdoor cinemas can re-open from 17th May, and Adventure Cinema will be bringing two of the biggest blockbusters of the last five years to an outdoor big screen at Yate Town Football club.

Adventure Cinema was created in 2019 by two brothers Ben Lovell and Mark Thompson and has gone on to become one of the biggest outdoor cinema companies in the UK with over 120 large scale events in 2019, a mammoth drive-in cinema tour in 2020, and a planned 250+ events in 2021, at over 100 venues across the country.

Yate’s South West Interiors Stadium, the home of the Bluebells will welcome the team at Adventure Cinema and open the pitch for everyone to enjoy the covid-safe open air event.

Families and friend can pack their favourite picnics, pick their blankets, and watch great films under the sun and the stars, all in a socially spacious and safe environment.

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Bohemian Rhapsody, the story of Queen’s rise to superstardom will be shown on 29th May with all time family favourite, The Greatest Showman set to to be screened on the following day.

Ben Lovell, co-director, Adventure Cinema, said: “Indulge those naughty pitch invasion dreams by setting up right in the middle of the field for an unforgettable cinema experience!

“We are pleased to be able to bring this back this year.

“Just like with the drive-in shows, we’ve worked very hard to ensure that these events are safe and lots of fun for all the family. we’re excited to offer guests two things they may have desperately missed in recent months: the cinema and the great outdoors.”

Hot food and snacks will be available during the showings and the bar will be open. All screenings will take place on the pitch and patrons can use the free onsite car park.

To book go to adventurecinema.co.uk

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Another round-up of local news from your According to the government’s ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown, we should be able to return to volunteering in groups of six from Monday, 29 March so we’d like to relaunch our regular community litter picks in April.

Arnos Court Park: Saturday, 10 April, meet at the King’s Road entrance at 10am.

Sandy Park Road: Saturday, 17 April, meet on the small green next to Wick Road Library at 10am.

We will provide litter picking sticks and bags, please bring your own gloves and hand sanitizer. Please message us if you would like to come as we need to be very careful with numbers.

Low-Mow Proposals for Arnos Court Park The Friends of Arnos Court Park are proposing to establish two, small, low-mow zones in the park to help promote biodiversity. These zones would receive just one cut a year in September and some sections would be left with long grass over winter. These areas may look a bit ‘untidier’ than the areas that are regularly cut but this is a relatively easy and affordable way to benefit wildlife in the park. If you would like to get involved in the work of the friends group, please join here: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/718708475350789/?ref=share Grace Park Open Space Last year we were contacted by local residents who were concerned about the small green area at the end of Grace Park Road, which was completely overgrown and unusable as a community space.

We contacted the council and we are pleased to say the work has finally been done. Access to green spaces has become even more important since the pandemic as we are all spending so much more time at home. We are very keen that our green spaces are maintained to a high standard so that more people can enjoy them.

36

Litter Black Spot on Callington Road Anyone who walks along the footpath from Callington Road Nature Reserve, past the hospital towards Tesco will have noticed the appalling amount of litter trapped in the undergrowth behind the green, metal fence.

Unfortunately, because of the fencing it’s impossible to get to the litter to clear it up. In our view, the fencing here is unnecessary as there is already fencing in place at the top of the slope. If this fencing were removed, it would not only create the feeling of a lovely woodland walk, but we’d be able to pick up the litter. We have contacted the council about this issue. We have also spoken to council tree officers about extending tree planting down Callington Road from the Tesco roundabout towards the nature reserve. This would help screen the nature reserve from the busy Callington Road.

John Peer Factory Update We updated local residents last September about Sovereign Housing’s plans to develop the former John Peer Factory site opposite Arnos Court Park with around 150 affordable homes. Unfortunately, planning officers were unhappy with several aspects of the proposed development, including the heating system, the design of some of the blocks and the outdoor communal areas, and recommended refusal. The Planning Committee decided to defer the decision and ask the applicant to amend the plan before coming back for a decision at a later date.

Sovereign have now submitted revised plans, which include changes to the project's energy strategy together with changes to the design.

However, despite these changes, council planning officers have once again recommended refusal. We’ll let you know what the decision is as soon as we get it.

Damaged Telecom Cabinet The green telecom cabinet on Sand Hill has been lying on the ground with exposed cabling for quite some time. Apparently, it’s not owned by BT Openreach so we have been in touch with Bristol City Council to find out who is responsible for it. Hopefully, this unsightly issue can be sorted soon.

Lib Dem team: Community Volunteering Clean Air Zone for Bristol

Get a Postal Vote

We support the concept of a Clean Air Zone (CAZ). However, after years of dither and delay, and the threat of legal action, the Mayor’s current proposals are regressive, impractical, and ultimately unsustainable. The narrow focus on a small central area of the city threatens to spread air particle pollution to other parts of the city, including Brislington, as drivers attempt to avoid the central charging zone. Furthermore, the proposed £9 daily charge is unsustainable for many Bristolians. We need CAZ proposals that are smarter and more flexible, for example a sliding scale of charges based on vehicle type and engine size, a rethink of the current zoning, and more help for people on lower incomes to adapt to the system.

The delayed local elections from last year have now been confirmed for 6 May, 2021.

While special measures will be put in place to ensure everyone’s safety at polling stations, by far the easiest and safest way to vote is by post. You can use our handy tool to get your postal vote set up today. If you don’t have a printer, let us know and we will get an application form to you. https://www.libdems. org.uk/postal-vote

Budget amendment to help Bristol children defeated Last week we told you about the Liberal Democrat budget amendment to redirect funding into our schools, parks and play areas. Unfortunately, the Mayor has lost nearly £60m on his doomed Bristol Energy company so services are now being deprived of much needed investment. Maintenance of parks and play areas is falling behind and hundreds of children with special educational needs have no suitable school place. Despite this financial disaster, Liberal Democrats managed to pull together a £19m emergency aid package for Bristol.

The money would have funded over 200 additional special school places, 30 new play areas plus investment in parks and safer cycleways. Despite receiving unanimous cross-party support from all the opposition parties, it was rejected by Labour councillors, who currently have a slender majority on the council. They seem happy to waste tens of millions of taxpayers money on the Mayor's futile, vanity projects, but refuse to back an emergency investment plan that would put our children first.

Keeping in touch We believe in keeping residents up to date on important local issues and publish a quarterly newsletters, ‘Focus on Brislington West’ but unfortunately, we are currently unable to deliver a paper version due to new government guidelines during the pandemic.

However, we have a digital version of our newsletter and if you would like to receive it, please register using this link: http://www.bristollibdems.org/efocus.

By Jos Clark, Liberal Democrat Councillor (Brislington West) Email: cllr.jos.clark@bristol.gov.uk Mobile: 07584 370429 & Andrew Varney, Liberal Democrat Councillor Candidate (Brislington West) Email: andyvarney@hotmail.com Mobile: 07544 667968 37

The FranklinButt Foundation - Giving to Local Projects in Bristol Patchway based foundation, The FranklinButt Foundation are pleased to be supporting two local charities at this tough time during the pandemic. The foundation is delighted to be able to donate to £500 to Mamas Bristol to support their meal box campaign that helps local families who are struggling during the pandemic https://mealboxes.mamasbristolcic. com They have also donated £500 to Coniston Cafe at Coniston Community Centre in Patchway, where all profits from the cafe go into their charity work. https://conistoncommunitycentre.org.uk/brooks-cafe/

We were all hurting from this double tragedy, and then we got hit with Covid lock down in March 2020.

During lock down we it became apparent to me that both sets of friends and family wanted to raise money and keep their legacies alive to try and help our community.

So I decided to start the FranklinButt Foundation and created a Just Giving page to kick it off.”

Supporters of the Foundation are now coming up with their own personal ways to raise money which will help support more community Created by Simon Strachan and Dean Horse- efforts. man, the FranklinButt Foundation's mission FranklinButt Foundation supporter Grant Rees is to provide disadvantaged youngsters with is running a double marathon on April 25th to empowering opportunities, where they feel safe, valued and inspired to achieve their full raise money for the FranklinButt Foundation.

This challenge will include running to all of the potential. football grounds that the successful Patchway Reserves played at during the double winning Simon and Dean set up the foundation after the tragic loss of close friends Jason Franklin season of 2005. and Darren Butt, You can support Grant and his epic double “At the end of 2019 and the early part of 2020 marathon here https://www.gofundme.com/f/ our community and close-knit friend circle lost franklinbutt-2-legends-2-marathons 2 very big characters that has left a big hole in their families lives both having children and partners and a considerable emotional hole in our friendship groups as they were both much respected and everyone enjoyed their company and loved by all.

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Mother's Day is an important so Mother’s Day is an important event every year, but particularly this year, as many of us will have spent almost a year away from ours by now. That’s a year of missed coffee dates, missed home-cooked meals, missed hugs and — for a large chunk of us — missed childcare opportunities.

Don’t feel you have to think really out of the box or go extra whacky in order to show you’ve thought about it — clichés are clichés for a reason! — however, if you do want to get something a little bit out-of-the-ordinary this year, we’ve accommodated for that as well.

And so, in 2021, it feels more important than ever to show our mums just how much we love and appreciate them.

Perhaps you have more than one ‘mum’ to buy for, and want to treat your step-parent, grandmother or career, in which case we’ve got gift suggestions that are affordable enough to be bought in bulk.

This year, Mothering Sunday falls on March 14 (put it in your diary now) and this year we’re determined to head into the day calm and confident in our gift choice, rather than worried that the last-minute gift we picked out some favourites.

Buying presents for your parents can be intimidating, but our advice? Go with your gut.

Though it feels a bit cliché to get your mum a candle, book, perfume or a pair of slippers, chances are, she’ll love it (who wouldn’t?).

Or perhaps she is shielding or self-isolating and so a letterbox Mother’s Day present is the best way to get her well-deserved goods to her.

If you’re really stuck, just go for something you’ve bought yourself and liked. And if all else fails, you can’t go wrong with flowers from Beaus Bouquets

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Challenging times lie ahead Hoteliers in Bristol have cautiously welcomed He said: “There is a growing number of the support for their sector which was outlined hospitality businesses which are concerned in the 2021 budget. that they won’t have the resources they need to meet what will hopefully be a high demand Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed for accommodation and services. extensions to the furlough scheme, business rates holiday and reduced VAT rate, all of “Many businesses have been forced to which will help the hospitality industry get restructure in order to survive the lockdown, back into business as lockdown restrictions which has inevitably resulted in lower staff ease. members.

Restart grants of up to £18,000 are available to hotels and other hospitality businesses and planned increases in duty on alcohol have been cancelled for a second successive year.

Raphael Herzog, Chair of the Bristol Hoteliers Association, said his members welcomed the support extensions confirmed by the Chancellor on March 3 but warned that further support may still be needed as the nation slowly returns to normal.

He said: “The budget was satisfactory overall for us.

“It was, of course, a welcome relief when the Chancellor confirmed extensions to the furlough scheme, business rates holiday and VAT reduction.

“But we had hoped that these would remain at their current levels for the next 12 months in order to help us fully recover from the impact of the pandemic.

“We rely on large companies and travel for corporate business and meetings and still have concerns about whether this element of our business will be ready and willing to return to us in September.

“However, we are pleased that the Chancellor has extended the support available, as this will certainly help, and will provide us with some short-term stability and a platform from which we can now prepare to re-open our doors and welcome people back to our businesses, hopefully from 17 May.” But Mr Herzog warned hotels still had many challenges to face on the road to recovery, not least of which is a potential staff shortage in the sector.

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“Other staff members who have been concerned about their long-term prospects because of the pandemic have chosen to change careers completely and others have returned to their home countries.

“Changes in immigration rules as a result of Brexit add to the challenge.”

“We know that when restrictions were eased last August, people wasted no time in treating themselves to meals in restaurants, returning to bars and booking breaks in hotels.

“We’re hoping for huge demand for our services from May 17, but there is a question mark over whether the sector will be able to find enough staff to cope with this demand.

“We need to work with the government, colleges and other agencies and organisations to positively promote the many diverse and exciting career opportunities in our sector.

“Prior to the pandemic, there was a widespread chef shortage throughout the sector, and that will not have been helped by the lockdown restrictions and all the uncertainty that it created.

“We need to actively look at ways of attracting more people to our industry so that we are able to meet the huge demands our businesses will face once the lockdown is over.

“One option could be to forge stronger relationships with the many excellent colleges in this country to encourage people at the very beginning of their working lives to seriously consider careers in hospitality.

In December 2019, the results of a salary survey from 15 of Bristol’s top hotels showed some statistically significant median salary increases in 2019 compared to the previous year.

“But to succeed in that, we’re going to need to find ways of making our sector more attractive, so as well as planning on when we can start re-stocking, we are also all going to have to start working now on positive recruitment strategies.

While that momentum has been halted by the lockdown restrictions, Mr Herzog said it shows that the sector knows what it needs to do – and what it can do – to attract the right calibre of new recruits; hotels just need the financial stability to be able to do it, something that will be helped by this week’s budget.

“The hospitality industry is often seen as a low-wage industry and is therefore less attractive to potential recruits.”

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Mobile Speed Camera Sites Bristol

With reports of mobile speed cameras back in operation never get caught speeding again with this list of sites to expect a mobile speed camera at anytime.

A3029 Winterstoke Road (30mph)

Hazelbury Road, Whitchurch (20mph)

A37 Wells Road, Hengrove (30mph)

Hengrove Avenue, Hengrove, Bristol (20mph)

A370 Coronation Road, Southville (30mph)

Hengrove Lane, Hengrove, Bristol (20mph)

A38 Rupert Street/Bridewell Highbury Road, Bedminster Street/The Haymarket, Bristol (20mph) (20mph) Highridge Green, Bristol A4 Totterdown Bridge (30mph) (30mph) Hollister’s Drive, Hartcliffe A4174 Callington Road, (20mph) Brislington, Bristol (30mph) Hollway Road, Stockwood A4174 King Georges Road, (20mph) Bristol (30mph) Hungerford Road, Bristol Allison Road, Bristol (30mph) (20mph)

Stockwood Lane, nr the sports ground, Stockwood (20mph) Stockwood Lane, nr Whitchurch Village sign, Stockwood (30mph) Stockwood Lane, Stockwood (30mph) Sturminster Road, Stockwood (30mph) Talbot Road, Bristol (20mph) Whitchurch Lane, nr Halfacre Lane (20mph) Whitchurch Lane, nr Hawkfield Road (20mph) Whitland Road, Bristol (30mph)

B3119 West Town Lane (20mph)

Ladies Mile, Durdham Down (20mph)

B3122 Redcatch Road, Knowle (20mph)

Ladman Road, Stockwood (20mph)

Wingfield Road, Bristol (20mph)

B4466 Jacobs Wells Road, Bristol (20mph)

Marksbury Road, Bedminster (20mph)

Furber Road, Bristol (20mph)

Bamfield, Hengrove (30mph)

Newbridge Road, Bristol (20mph)

Barnstaple Road, Knowle (20mph) Bishport Avenue, Hartcliffe (30mph) Broadwalk, Knowle West (20mph)

Novers Hill, Bristol (20mph) Novers Lane, Bristol (20mph) Petherton Road, Hengrove (20mph)

Broomhill Road (30mph)

Queen’s Road, Bishopsworth (30mph)

Calcott Road, Knowle (20mph)

Ridgeway Lane, Bristol (30mph)

44

Wick Road (20mph)

Glyn Vale, Knowle (20mph) Hareclive Road, Hartcliffe (30mph) Smyth Road, Ashton (20mph) Somerdale Avenue, Knowle (20mph) South Liberty Lane, Ashton Vale (20mph) Duckmoor Road, Ashton Gate, Bristol (20mph)

A4 Portway Nr Barrow Hill Road (30mph)

B4052 Ashley Down Road, Bristol (20mph)

A4 Portway Nr Hung Road (40mph)

B4054 Avonmouth Road, Shirehampton (30mph)

Bonnington Walk, nr Wordsworth Road, Lockleaze (20mph) Concorde Drive, Southmead (20mph)

A4 Portway Nr Portview Road B4054 Cranbrook Road, Redland (20mph) Constable Road, nr Crome (30mph) Road, Lockleaze (20mph) B4054 Shirehampton Road, A4 Portway Nr Roman Way Sea Mills (30mph) Coombe Lane, Stoke Bishop (40mph) (20mph) B4054 Shirehampton Road, A4 Portway Nr Sylvan Way/ Shirehampton Park (30mph) Eastfield Road, Westbury on Riverleaze (40mph) Trym (20mph) B4055 Station Road, Henbury A4018 Falcondale Road, (20mph) Furber Road, Bristol (20mph) Westbury on Trym (30mph) A403 St Andrews Road, Avonmouth (40mph)

B4057 Knole Lane, Brentry (30mph)

Glenfrome Road, Eastville (20mph)

A4162 Sylvan Way/Dingle Road/Canford Lane (30mph)

B4469 Muller Road, Horfield (30mph)

Gordon Avenue, Bristol (20mph)

A4174 Ring Road, nr Hicks Gate roundabout (70mph)

Bell Barn Road, Stoke Bishop (20mph)

Highbury Road, Horfield (20mph)

A432 Downend Road, Fishponds (20mph)

Bonnington Walk, nr Branwhite Close, Lockleaze (20mph)

Ladies Mile, Durdham Down (20mph)

A432 Fishponds Road, Easton (20mph) Ashley Hill, Montpelier (20mph) Avonmouth Way, Avonmouth (30mph) Highbury Road, Horfield (20mph) Hill View, Henleaze (20mph) Kings Weston Lane, Lawrence Weston (30mph)

Julian Road, Sneyd Park (20mph) Keys Avenue, Horfield (20mph) Hill View, Henleaze (20mph) Romney Avenue, nr Stoke Park Primary School, Lockleaze (20mph) Stoke Hill, Sneyd Park (30mph) Wellington Hill West, Horfield (30mph)

Long Cross, Lawrence Weston (30mph) Merebank Road, Avonmouth (30mph) Portview Road, Shirehampton (20mph) Roman Way, Bristol (20mph) Station Road, Shirehampton (20mph) Wellington Hill West, Horfield (30mph) Wessex Ave, Horfield (20mph)

Please visit www.avonandsomerset.police.uk for exact days and placement of a mobile camera site and remember to give yourself plenty of time to plan your journey to avoid rushing to get to a destination thus (Speeding) 45

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