C ontents
4. Baa-rilliant new event this April
6. Uk Comic Con & Gaming Festival
14. Five tips for a safe night out
16. Paths around pill
18. Harbouring a musical talent ?
24. Time and money
28. Health benefits of coffee
30. Three new payments
34. Toad patrol
38. Awarded freedom of the city.
42. Gym is fit for purpose
44. Rolls Royce get funding for nuclear base
48. Stories preserved
Published by ®
Editor
Michael Davies
Journalist
Lisa Davies
Contributing Writers
Andrea Sexton
Martin Powell
Daren Bane
Kayleigh Penny
Andrew Varney
Jos Clark
Corinna Ingram
Kathryn Chatfield
Angie Nicholls
Bristol Weekly Magazine is delivered to people across Bristol and South West via email and social media every week to over 20,0000 people.
BRISTOL WEEKLY MAGAZINE
www.bristolweeklymagazine.co.uk
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in Bristol Weekly Magazine 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 Bristol Weekly Magazine.
The content of Bristol Weekly Magazine is not to be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. 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.
NOAH’S ARK TEAM UP WITH AARDMAN TO STAGE A BAA-RILLIANT NEW EVENT THIS APRIL
Credits Noah's Ark Zoo Farm for th photosNoah’s Ark has teamed up with Aardman Studios to stage a baa-rilliant new event for this April.
Get ready for a farm-tastic experience this summer as an Augmented Reality trail starring Shaun the Sheep arrives at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm.
A new year brings new arrivals and of course exciting new events to Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm.
Lambing season is now in full swing at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm! The first Dorset lambs have arrived and have been named Wallace, Gromit, Shaun, Timmy and Shirley after the classic animated Aardman characters. The theme of names this year has been inspired by the zoo’s event arriving on 1st April 2023.
From 1st April the zoo is hosting its first ever Shaun the Sheep trail experience, brought to life by augmented reality technology, engaging families and children with their surroundings in an exciting, new way. The Hide and Sheep trail is a fun filled activity for the whole family encouraging visitors to download the free app and find the 11 Shaun the Sheep markers around the zoo. Once found these markers will bring the popular character to life at the zoo in 3D, allowing guests to dance and pose alongside Shaun to create fabulous family memories.
“We were thrilled to launch the Hide & Sheep A.R. trail app globally last summer, as a mechanism for allowing our fans to engage with Shaun the Sheep in a new way via augmented reality, so it’s really exciting to be working with Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm this year as a popular, local attraction here in Bristol to bring Shaun and the trail to life just down the road from Aardman. This is a wonderful family experience, encouraging visitors to explore and play the ultimate game of ‘Hide & Sheep’, and we look forward to seeing the visitors and animals alike interacting with Shaun at the zoo from April!”
The zoo is thrilled to have a farm themed event in its 25th year of welcoming visitors. The zoo initially opened to visitors as a Farm Centre as a trial in 1998 with lamb racing and trailer rides and has grown to become one of the largest zoos in the South West. The zoo now looks after over 100 species of animals from Armadillos to African Elephants! The zoo has a strong focus on native conservation including the conservation of native Farm Animals and in 2022 received their Rare Breeds Survival Trust accreditation. The Rare Farm Breeds program at Noah’s Ark, led by curator Chris Wilkinson, aims to support the survival of rare breed British Farm animals for future generations.
Rhian, Brand and Engagement
Manager said “We are excited to welcome Shaun the Sheep this sum mer. It is a great opportunity to celebrate all things farm with this Bristol based classic. Shaun the Sheep is a much loved animated show amongst the staff and volunteers here at Noah’s Ark and we are all thrilled to be able to welcome him to the zoo from April. We can’t wait to see families enjoying the augmented reality trail here at the zoo!”
WHAT A GREAT DAY WE HAD UK COMIC CON AND GAMING FESTIVALS AT ASHTON GATE.
WHATS ON
MARCH 24
MARCH 25
MARCH 26
Sleep Where You Stand
Description: Our great City faces many challenges and one of these, is Homelessness” We are delighted to announce that Sleep Where You Stand returns
Join us on Friday 24th March at Bristol Rovers & help us raise much needed funds for our homeless community in partnership with Helping Homeless Believe Sleep
Where You Stand gives fans the opportunity to sleep outside overnight in Bristol’s famous Memorial Stadium and experience just some of the challenges that people have to make every single night.
Venue: Memorial Stadium
33 Filton Av
Bristol BS7 0BF
Steve Mitchell Live
Description: The fantastic Steve Mitchell will be performing live. There is no need to book, but do get here early to make sure you grab a good seat.
Venue: The Royal Hotel 1 South Parade BS23 1JP
Weston-super-Mare
The Wheel Comedy Night
Description: Seamus O’Donnell’s Presents the Wheel, Bristol’s new alternative comedy night, focused around audience inclusion. Comedians compete for the headliner spot and can choose whether or not to spin the wheel and participate in additional antics.
Venue: Seamus O’Donnell’
13 St Nicholas St
Bristol BS1 1UE
Wow! That’s a Show
Description: Join Steve Laister (Winner of Sir Norman Wisdom’s Award For Comedy Excellence) and special guests for a fun, feel good afternoon you’ll never forget. A 2 Hour comedy laugh-along & sing-along extravaganza. Special guests include Welsh Comedian Phil Doyle, Welsh singer and star of SC4’s Parch Lorna Amy Sullivan, Sensational Show Singer Paul Fordham and Guitar Vocalist Graham Clow, all accompanied by Musical Director Steve Jones.
The Opera Boys
Description: The Opera Boys are back with their sell-out show A Night at the Musicals. Completely updated with brand new musical medleys, stunning solo performances... and a few surprises!
Venue: Seamus O’Donnell’
126-130 High Street
Weston Super Mare
BS23 1HP
Venue: Redgrave Theatre, Percival Rd
Clifton
Bristol BS8 3LE
Cocoa Hill
Description: Cocoa Hill (Sue & Mike Bullock) are back performing both covers and original material.
Venue: The Royal Oak
35 Copse Road
BS21 7 Clevedon
MARCH 27
Improvise Freely with Patti Stiles
Description: Rules can provide structure, guidelines, a compass to steer ourselves by. Rules also create a system where compliance to the rule overrides free thought and ‘getting it right’ outweighs exploration of the craft.
Venue: Bristol Improv Theatre
50 St Paul’s Road
Bristol,
North Street Games Night
Description: March’s North Street Games Night On Tour @ Left Handed Giant Brewpub is on Monday 27th March from 7pm until close. We charge £2 per person for every North Street Games Night which includes entry into a prize draw.
Venue: LHG Brewpub Compressor Building
Hawkins Lane
Bristol Trainmaster and Jump
Description: Come and join us for a very special event at 123 Jump soft play in Bristol! Your ticket will include an hour of Trainmaster fun and playtime in the soft play afterwards, until 2.30.
Venue: Jump Bristol
22 Concorde Rd, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol
MARCH 28 MARCH 29
The King and I
Description: The multi award-winning Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I returns to the UK, following its critically-acclaimed sold out season at The London Palladium
Venue: Bristol Hippdrome St Augustine’s Parade
Bristol BS1 4UZ
An Evening Without Kate Bush
Description: Howl with the Hounds of Love and dance on the moors with Wuthering Heights! This smash-hit cabaret-style homage, adored by critics and audiences alike, is set to tour the UK in Spring of 2023. An Evening Without Kate Bush pays glorious tribute to the music, fans, and mythology of one of the most influential voices in British music.
Venue: The Wardrobe Theatre
25 West Street
BS2 0DF
Bristol
Dominican Bachata Classes
Description: Looking for a more technique-oriented Bachata classes while having fun? We have what you need.
Venue: The Hideout Bristol White Street Bristol,
Family Storytelling
Description: Come along for this one hour, family friendly session where every week we will create a completely new story! Each workshop will focus on a different theme where, guided by the workshop facilitator, grown ups and children will work together to create their own characters and build the world of the story. This session is designed to give children and their accompanying adults a chance to play, explore, and create together. All levels of confidence and experience are welcome.
Venue: Zion Bristol Bishopsworth Rd
Bristol BS13 7JW
All Things Dance
Description: All Things Dance is an event for dance people, providing an opportunity for networking, discussion, showcasing and celebrating dance in and around Bristol. Hosted by the Diverse Artists Network in partnership with Movema & Impermanence.
Venue: The Mount Without Upper Church Ln
Bristol BS2 8FN
MARCH 30
Banff Mountain Film Festival
Description:The Banff Mountain Film Festival (Blue Film Programme) features a thrilling selection of films from the most captivating places on earth!
Venue: Victoria Rooms
88 Queens Rd Clifton
Bristol BS8 1SA
Pattern Cutting
Description: We’re on every Thursday
Buffoon Comedy brings you a night of laughs from The Boardroom just off St Nicks market Our focus is to bring you some of the best upcoming comedians from Bristol and around the UK. The line up include new acts and upcoming comedians in the circuit, as well as known headliners working on new material
Venue: The BoardroomMarket Chambers
20 St Nicholas St Bristol BS1 1UB
UPCOMING EVENTS
CAMERA CLUB
Portishead Camera Club will hold meetings every Thursday at 7:00pm to approx 9:45pm
AT REDCLIFFE BAY HALL, PORTISHEAD
Please visit our website for the meeting dates. The first 2 meetings will be free to non-members.
Come along to make new friends, discover how to take better pictures and appreciate the company of like-minded people.
The club seeks to help its members enjoy their photography, explore new techniques and invites expert speakers to share their camera skills.
So, whatever you use to take your family or holiday pictures, the Camera Club can help you.
Regular competitions, outings, guest speakers and much more provide great learning opportunities.
www.portisheadcamerclub.co.uk
Has your property gone up in price?
ALSO SHOWING IN CINEMAS ALLELUJAH
ALLELUJAH is a warm, humorous, and deeply moving story about surviving old age.
John Wick Chapter 4
IN CINEMAS MARCH 24
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS
Billy Batson and his foster siblings, who transform into superheroes by saying Shazam!, are forced to get back into action and fight the Daughters of Atlas, who they must stop from using a weapon that could destroy the world.
FIVE SAFETY TIPS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW FOR A SAFE NIGHT OUT
No one expects bad stuff to happen when they’re out with friends, but as women we all know the potential risks involved. We’ve been taught since we were little to be aware of our environment and stay alert – otherwise we could become an easy target for a crime or accident.
Violence against women is an international and national issue, whatever country you live in. The World Health Organisation reckons that up to a third of women globally have had either physical or sexual abuse at the hands of someone close to them. Over here in the US, around 33% of women and 25% of men have experienced physical violence from a partner.
it’s a reality many women must remember when they head out with friends or alone at night—and even during the day. Being aware of the possibilities can help keep you safe from problems and let you enjoy your time out.
Heading out with your besties soon? Then check out our top five safety tips to make sure you have the most epic ladies’ night. Safety first, right? Once you’ve got those covered, it’s time to kick off the party!
1. STICK TOGETHER!
Look, let’s be real here: safety is way more important than having a good time. If you’re out at the club or on public transit, keep your friends close - and your girlfriend even closer. Along those same lines, make sure someone in your crew is always sober to look after everyone else so that no one gets taken advantage of. And when it comes time to go home, have at least one person designated as the driver who’ll get all the homies back safe and sound. Ya hear me? Safety first!
2. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS
If someone is creeping you out or you aren’t feeling comfortable in the place you’re at, let a friend know and move to another location. Some of the main things to remember are to be aware of your surroundings and to trust your instincts. Being courteous isn’t more important than safety, so trust your gut and be comfortable not giving details about yourself.”
3. GUARD YOUR DRINKS
When you’re out dancing and having a good time, it can be easy to forget about your unattended drinks on a table or bar. Unfortunately, this is a great opportunity for someone else to slip a drug into your drink—making you an easier target for sexual assault.
Make a habit of taking your drinks with you or buying a new one each time. Don’t accept premade drinks from strangers. If someone wants to buy you a drink, go to the bar and watch the bartender pour it for you.
4. WATCH WHAT YOU POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Don’t post on social media where you are going or where you are at currently. Wait until you have left to post photos or videos. Posting where you’re at is like an open invitation for others to come and find you.
5. HAVE FUN!
There are many things to worry about in life, but don’t let them ruin your evening plans. With some awareness and self-confidence, you and your friends can make the most of any night out together.
Hengrove Community Centre Fortfield Road
BS14 9NX
Tuesday 9.30am
Sarah: 07879 443888
Bridgefarm Primary School East Dundry Road
BS14 0LL
Wednesday 5.30pm and 7pm
Sarah: 07879 443888
Christ Church Hall Petherton Road
Hengrove
BS14 9BP
Saturday 9:30am
Keesa: 07399 597267
slimmingworld.co.uk
Walk information
Distance: about 3.5 miles Difficulty: medium. A few stiles –
Allow 2 – 2.5 hours
Refreshments: Numerous pubs in Pill and various shops in the precinct
Continue on this path, over the stile at the top, and then continue on the footpath behind the fence.
Beware of the barking dog –but don’t worry, he can’t get through the fence!
At the end turn left onto Happerton Lane, past the pink house, and continue past Happerton Farm. There are a number of footpaths off this lane if you have more time or feeling more energetic and want a detour before heading back to Pill. If not, continue until you see a wooden gate with a yellow way- marker and public footpath sign on your right.
Continue across the field towards the farm buildings and then exit the field over the stile, onto the A369. Cross the road with care into the car park of the Rudgleigh Inn and walk behind the pub across the cricket pitch. The yellow waymarker is in the right-hand corner. Head straight across the field, towards the next stile between the trees.
Follow the path between the fences, continue ahead, and then turn right onto Crockerne Drive. Follow this right to the end. If you turn right onto Westward Drive, then left onto Eirene Terrace, it will take you back to Mount Pleasant and your starting point.
How to get there
Car: Pill can be reached from the A369. Follow the signs into Pill and in the centre turn into Mount Pleasant, just after the shopping precinct.
Park along here or Watch House Road.
Please park responsibly.
HARBOURING A MUSICAL TALENT? APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN TO PERFORM AT THE 2023 BRISTOL HARBOUR FESTIVAL
Bristol Harbour Festival is calling out for local talent to perform at this year’s harbourside celebrations
The iconic city-wide Bristol Harbour Festival will return from the Friday 14 - Sunday 16 July 2023 and organisers are calling for singers, songwriters and performers to submit their applications to perform before the deadline on Friday 21 April.
Previous editions of the Bristol Harbour Festival have seen more than 80% of the acts and entertainment on offer coming through the Expression of Interest application form. Once again, festival organisers are on the look-out for even more artists and entertainers to wow crowds and communities from across the city in the unique setting of the harbour.
Bristol Harbour Festival is one of the UK’s biggest free-to-attend events, attracting around 250,000 people across the weekend in what is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Bristol’s rich musical, maritime and cultural heritage. More information about this year’s festival will be announced shortly.
The wide-spread stages that create the iconic festival include stellar acts including multiple music stages, a theatrical stage bursting with circus performers and trapeze and the much-loved on the water entertainment.
To submit an application and join in the city’s celebrations, head to the Bristol Harbour Festival website and complete the Expression of Interest form before 5pm on Friday 21 April 2023. To keep up to date with all Harbour Festival news, follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
CHICKEN PILAF
INGREDIENTS
230g chicken breast fillets
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 1 cm pieces
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
150g Long grain rice
400g can green lentils, drained and rinsed
METHOD
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken until golden
Meanwhile, heat another tbsp oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat, until softened
Add the pepper and cook for another 2 minutes
Stir in the cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute, then add the rice and stir to coat it in the spices
Then cook the rice just like it says on the pack
Add the lentils and heat through before serving
A happyplace to live
We pride ourselves on having happy homes, where residents and their families can enjoy spending quality time with each other and develop new friendships along the way.
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.
We care for individuals with a variety of care needs including Residential, Nursing and Dementia Care.
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
APPLE CAKE
INGREDIENTS
For the cake
200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200g caster sugar
3 large free range eggs
100g low fat natural yogurt
200g self raising white flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g ground almonds
100g apples, grated
For the topping
10g unsalted butter, melted
30g flaked almonds
20g Fairtrade caster sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
150g apple
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/ gas 4
Grease and line a 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper
Put all the cake ingredients except the apple in a large bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until the mixture is smooth
Stir in the grated apple, then tip into the prepared tin and spread out evenly
Bake in the oven for 1 hour
In a separate bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the topping
After an hour, remove the cake from the oven and spoon over the topping mixture
Bake for a further 15-20 mins, until the topping is golden and the cake is cooked through
Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes in the tin before removing
Serve warm or at room temperature
TIME AND MONEY
SAVING TIPS FOR LANDLORDS
Being a self-managing landlord is really hard work and never more so than right now. There are 178 pieces of legislation, regulations, and compliance in the private rental sector and, as a landlord, you are expected to know all about them and implement them, as applicable. We know lots of self-managing landlords and they take on the management of their properties for a variety of reasons – some manage because they are portfolio builders who haven’t reached the point of taking on an agent just yet; some have had bad experiences with agents and some like to be hands on, at the coal face and manage themselves. Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure, they all work extremely hard, know how to juggle and are usually “on call” 24 hours a day – it’s a very hard job, it’s time consuming and you need to have a long list of skill sets!
So, in honour of all the self-managing landlords out there, this one is for you! Here are some top tips to help make life a little easier and, hopefully, simpler. We have put together our 5 top tips for you – but remember this is not an exhaustive list and there are lots of things that you can do to maximise your rentals and minimise your voids – also, our door is always open if you decide that you’d like an agent who will work alongside you to protect both you and your asset and, help maximise your portfolio.
HERE ARE OUR TOP 5 TIPS:
Templates
Documenting standard procedures saves huge amounts of time.
Whenever you do something, for the first time, document it and create a template. That way, the next time you come to do it, you won’t be wasting valuable time thinking “how did I do that?” Or “what wording did I use for that?” Think and learn the procedure once and then template it, so that you can rinse and repeat for the next occasion, saving yourself valuable time and minimising mistakes.
WHAT CAN BE TEMPLATED?
Templates don’t just have to be documents, they can be letters, emails, procedures and even shortcuts on your phone, replies to texts, WhatsApp messages and for communicating on your favourite platforms like Spare Room etc. You don’t have to waste time thinking “what did I say/do last time?” If it’s templated, then it’s there, whenever you need it and it’s consistent. It also means that if, for some reason, you are not available, then someone else can communicate your procedures, using “your voice” in any communications with your tenants, your team or any other interested parties.
DO REGULAR INSPECTIONS
Not doing regular inspections, because you’re “too busy” is a false economy of time.
We hear, time and time again from landlords, that they “just don’t have time…” to doinspections or that they” …have a great relationship with their tenants” and a myriad of other justifications.
This is very short-sighted because the protection of your biggest asset should never ever be left to chance or a “gut feeling” and because inspections are your opportunity to catch any issues, and sort them, before they become a bigger problem.
The phrase “a stitch in time saves nine” was made for property inspections – have a checklist, have a procedure and you will be “in and out” in no time and it will save you no end of time and hassle!
PICTURES AND VIDEOS OF ISSUES
Getting tenants to send pictures and videos can save so much time!
It’s hard not to have that “sinking feeling” when you get a message from a tenant that something is amiss; especially when you are a self-managing landlord, because this usually means that you will be the one jumping in the car to go and assess the damage!
We find that asking tenants to send a picture or, even better, a video of the problem, helps tremendously. Often it is something that you can talk them through over the phone or via whatever platform you use for communication. If action is required, then you will not be in the dark and can make an informed decision as to whether you need to visit the property or can call your maintenance team direct, thereby dispensing with unnecessary journeys.
This is also especially good for appliance and boiler breakdowns, as tenants can provide details of make, model and serial numbers, so that you have all the information to hand when calling breakdown companies.
The bonus, also, here is that it gets tenants into the habit of taking responsibility for their home, which is in the interest of both parties.
QUALIFY APPLICANTS
Its impossible to overstate the importance of tenant selection.
Tenant selection is more important than ever and if you are a self-managing landlord, then you will find that this takes up large chunks of your time. Where do you find your tenants and how do you conduct viewings? Do you have a pre-selection process and, if so, how stringent is it? The answers to these questions will determine just how much time you spend doing viewings and how much of that time could be saved if you had a solid pre-viewings qualification procedure in place.
KEEP DETAILED NOTES
The importance of detailed note-keeping, about every property.
There is really nothing worse than being in a stressful situation and not having the right information to hand. With a property, this stressful situation could mean fire, flood, gas leak or a whole number of other dramatic and highly charged situations – but you don’t need to turn a drama into a crisis!
Keeping detailed notes, about every property in your portfolio is invaluable. Things like the location of the stop cock, gas meter, gas shut off valve and consumer unit and information about broadband passwords, make and model of the boiler, white goods and even things like paint colours (especially of any feature walls).
DISCOVER BRITAIN'S FAVOURITE SANDWICH
This year, Britain’s best-loved sandwich is the bacon butty.
Other popular fillings include cheese and pickle, chicken and bacon, and even a filling of crisps. We know the sandwich is still a national treasure and the most popular meal in the UK, accounting for 5.9bn meal occasions1.
Interestingly, this time last year, cheese topped the chart, closely followed by ham and cheese, which has now slipped to sixth place with the nation favouring sausage and egg mayonnaise a year on.
When it comes to preparing the perfect sandwich, the research revealed ‘white medium sliced bread with the crusts left on and cut into squares’, as the top choice.
But it’s not just sandwiches being enjoyed more by the nation, a third of adults are eating more toasties now than they did before the lockdown, with cheese the most popular filling.
As well as toastie fillings, the research identified the condiments most enjoyed with sandwiches to be pickle (40%), ketchup (37%) and mayonnaise (55%). Others choose to spice up their sarnie with a splash of sriracha (6%), a drop of tabasco (6%) or a spread of English mustard (34%).
The research also found that almost half of the nation (43%) are eating more bread and toast (34%) since the lockdown.
The average person will enjoy four sandwiches and two toasties during a typical week – but a fifth of the nation will eat more than seven sandwiches in a seven-day period whilst social distancing continues.
Also, the average household is getting through two loaves of bread a week –with a quarter consuming more than three loaves a week (24%).
Nearly a third of Brits said the reason they’ve had more bread is because they aren’t buying as many meals away from home, and 29 per cent put it down to having lots of other food in the house which goes well with it.
Lunch is still the most popular time to enjoy a sarnie or toastie with 82 per cent doing so, while a quarter of Brits (23%) frequently indulge by snacking on a sandwich. More than a third actually prefer sandwiches for lunch over a hot meal, and 24% would even struggle to go a day without enjoying a slice of bread.
In fact, sandwiches account for 56% of all carried out lunches and 32% of all in home occasions2.
However, no longer are people creatures of habit as 73 per cent of the nation try to alternate their sandwich fillings, and one in 10 have been more experimental with fillings.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF COFFEE?
Scientific studies into the health effects of coffee are being done all the time and have, in the past, claimed the drink brings fairly big health benefits.
REDUCES EARLY DEATH RISK
Research by the National Cancer Institute in the US last year found people who drink six or seven cups of coffee each day were 16 per cent less likely to die from disease within a 10-year period than those who didn't.
LESS LIKELY TO GET DEPRESSION
Another study, done by the Harvard School of Public Health, found that women who drank four or more cups of coffee per day were 20 per cent less likely to suffer from depression.
WOMEN HAVE HIGHER PAIN THRESHOLD
British scientists at Goldsmiths, University of London, found women who drank coffee – 250mg of caffeine, to be precise – tended to have a higher pain threshold than those who didn't.
LOWER TYPE 2 DIABETES
The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee last year said it had trawled through nearly 30 studies of almost 1.2million people to find drinking three or four cups of coffee each day could slash the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 27 per cent.
THREE NEW DWP COST OF LIVING PAYMENTS
A support package of £94 billion has been put in place by the Government to help families with the cost of living crisis in 2023 and 2024. The measures that will see millions of Brits get new payments from next month were outlined by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the Spring Budget last week.
Mr Hunt said there has been an average of £3,300 of support for households across the UK with the £2,500 energy price guarantee, one-off cost of living payments and the uprating of benefits. He said more payments are due in the next financial year from April 2023.
It’s been a tough time for many familes with rising prices of food, fuel and other bills. Inflation has been soaring and this has put pressure on people’s wages. Below, we look at the payments to come.
1. £900 in three instalments
A £900 sum paid in three parts of £301, £300 and £299 will be paid to those on Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Pension Credit.
It’s only those specific benefit types that qualify - meaning those who are only in receipt of New Style Employment and Support Allowance, contributory Employment and Support Allowance, or New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance will not be eligible. In addition, anyone whose Universal Credit was cut to zero during the qualifying period, because of high wages or an increase in savings, won’t be eligible either.
Around 8.1 million households are set to get the sum, including 5.4 million on Universal Credit, 1.4 million on Pension Credit and 1.3 million on legacy DWP benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support.
All three instalments will go into accounts during the new financial year, which starts on April 6. The first payment of £301 will be paid sometime during the spring, the second payment of £300 during autumn and the third payment of £299 in spring 2024.
Qualifying dates for the payments have not yet been announced, nor have the dates when the payments will be made. But the first sum is expected to be paid sometime between the beginning of the new financial year on April 6 and the start of summer on June 21.
2. £150 disability cost of living payment
A £150 payment for people on disability benefits will be paid during the summer of 2023. It will go to those who are receiving any of the following: Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance.
Six million disabled people are in line to receive this extra money. Payment dates have not yet been announced. But it is expected to be sometime after summer starts on June 21 and before autumn starts on September 23.
3. £300 pensioner cost of living payment
Those who are in line to get the Winter Fuel Payment during winter 2023/2024 will get an extra £150 or £300 on top. This will be added to the usual Winter Fuel Payment when it’s given out from November 2023.
Pensioners eligible for the next Winter Fuel Payment must have been born before September 24, 1957. The exact amount people will get depends on when they were born and what their circumstances are during the qualifying dates.
Letters will be sent out in October or November telling people how much Winter Fuel Payment they will receive if eligible.
OUT AND ABOUT IN BRISLINGTON WEST WITH JOS AND ANDREW
NEW TREES FOR WEST TOWN LANE:
We were delighted to help plant three, beautiful new trees on West Town Lane on the small green near Turnberry Walk last week. The trees are a pear, with its beautiful springtime blossom, an unusual Japanese pagoda tree, and a paper birch tree, with its beautiful bark. The ground was surprisingly rocky but we managed to get them in! A local resident has kindly agreed to help water them if we have another hot, dry summer like last year.
CIL FUNDING UPDATE:
We recently attended a meeting at City Hall to get an update on Community Infrastructure Levy funded projects in Brislington West. We currently have the following ongoing projects:
Arnos Court Park - we have won cross-party support to have the new, substandard path relaid in tarmac, as per the original agreement. The park has also been awarded a further £7,000 for ecological and amenity enhancements, including a seasonal swale and more seating.
Holymead School - we have been awarded £75,000 to establish a ‘school street’, which will facilitate safer, sustainable journeys for school children.
Wick Road/Newbridge Road - this joint project with Brislington East will promote road safety improvements along this road, which is currently prone to excessive driving speeds.
We will shortly be giving you details on how to apply for funding for your projects for this year.
SANDY PARK ROAD UPDATE:
Many people have contacted us about unsafe, pavement parking on Sandy Park Road. We are interested in seeing road safety improvements and will be submitting a CIL bid for the funding of strategically located bollards to prevent pavement parking. In the meantime, please feel free to sign our petition and share it with your Bristol-based family and friends:
https://chng.it/BXhMFvf8PM
WESTLINK PUBLIC MEETING:
A reminder that we have organised a public meeting regarding the new WESTlink bus service coming to Brislington from the beginning of April. We have invited the WECA officer leading on the new WESTlink service to explain to local residents how it will work and to answer your questions. If you can’t make the meeting, but have a question, please contact us and we will ask on your behalf. Meeting details: Thursday 30 March. 7pm. Hungerford Community Centre. Hope to see you there. More details here: https://m.facebook.com/ events/726857512568249
SPRING HOUSING FORUM NEW DATES:
The upcoming March online Housing Forums for council tenants have now been rescheduled to April 2023. At the Spring Forums, residents can find out about the council’s rapid repairs response service, which they’ve been piloting across the city over the last 12 months. They’ve been doing repairs on high and low-rise blocks of flats to improve the look and feel in and around communal areas. If you would like to attend, you can book a place using the links below. Further
Tuesday 4 April 2023, 1pm to 3pm. Book your place: https://www.eventbrite. co.uk/e/housing-forums-for-bristol-council-tenants-and-leaseholders-tickets-510837377347
Thursday 6 April 2023, 6pm to 8pm. Book your place: https://www.eventbrite. co.uk/e/housing-forums-for-bristol-council-tenants-and-leaseholders-tickets-510840255957
If you have any enquiries about the Forums please do get in touch.
GREAT BRISTOL SPRING CLEAN:
Last year, brilliant Bristolians held 179 litter picking events, 81 more than the previous year. In total, 587 people took part in 2022, spending 698 hours litter picking and collecting a whopping 427 bags of litter. Don’t miss this years spring clean, Bristol Waste have a limited supply of litter picking kits. You can order your kit using the link below. Our next community litter pick will be in the Repton Road/Sand Hill area on 22 April. Meet in Repton Road Car Park at 11am. All equipment will be provided.
https://bristolwastecompany.co.uk/greatbristol-spring-clean/
By Jos Clark, Liberal Democrat Councillor (Brislington West) Email: cllr. jos.clark@bristol.gov.uk Mobile:07584 370429
& Andrew Varney, Liberal Democrat Councillor (Brislington West) Email: cllr. andrew.varney@bristol.gov.uk Mobile: 07584 183381
NEW SIGNS TO HELP WINSCOMBE HILL TOAD PATROL
North Somerset Council is funding new temporary highways signs to help the work of the Winscombe Hill Toad Patrol (WTP), a community group set-up to help migrating toads.
Common toads are particular about where they breed and generally migrate back to their ancestral breeding ponds each year. They follow the same route, regardless of what gets in their way, which sometimes leads to them crossing roads.
WTP is part of a national ‘Toads on Roads’ network, run by Froglife UK, which registers these sites as migratory crossings and helps coordinate local patrols. The network has been running for over twenty years.
The council has approved and paid for ten road warning signs which are being gifted to the group and will be temporarily installed in locations along highways around the Winscombe area. It is hoped that the signs will enable road users to make a more informed choice of route between dusk and dawn, assisting the group’s work.
Filming of migrating and mating toads took place in Winscombe over the last two years for the latest Sir David Attenborough TV series ‘Wild Isles’, which started on Sunday (12 March). The sequence will be broadcast on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer within Episode 4 on Sunday 2 April at 7pm.
Councillor Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council’s executive member responsible for open spaces and the natural environment, said: “I’m pleased to see that officers have been able to offer a solution with these new signs, while helping this local community group to check things like paperwork and insurance, in order to help them to carry out its important and worthwhile work.”
Colin Burbidge, Treasurer of Winscombe Hill Toad Patrol, said: “We’d like to thank officers in North Somerset Council’s Highways and Natural Environment teams for their help and support with this initiative. Thanks to the unusually cold weather, we suspect that we still have a lot of toads to move this late in their normal season. We look forward to getting the signs in place and hope that they will make a positive difference in the work that we do.”
100,000 TREES PLANTED IN BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET
Hundreds of new trees are being planted in Bath and North East Somerset’s parks, green spaces and streets over the coming weeks as end of the winter planting season approaches.
In 2019 Bath & North East Somerset Council launched an ambitious target of 100,000 trees planted in the area by May 2023 by the council and others. The target is on track to be met in the coming weeks.
Residents can look out for 84 new trees that have recently been planted by the council in parks in Midsomer Norton, Camerton, Keynsham and Bath, funded by the Forest of Avon Trust’s Trees for Climate Grant.
As part of a separate project there will be native tree species planted at Lambridge and Whitewells open spaces including alder, willow, hazel, and hawthorn.
At the end of the 2021/2022 planting season, 64,000 trees had been planted across the district through council and partner projects since the council set a target in October 2019 to plant 100,000 trees by May 2023, in response to the climate and ecological emergencies.
By October 2022 70,000 trees had been planted. Final figures for the 2022/2023 planting season will be available later this spring but are on track to meet the 100,000 target.
Other tree planting activity includes:
• The first phase of Street Trees project planting has taken place on the Southdown estate and at Fox Hill in Combe Down in Bath this month. The remaining sites will be scheduled for planting in autumn 2023.
• Six of the nine lime trees on London Road, Bath will be replaced and replanted with Gingko biloba in April due to poor root growth.
• A first phase of planting at the Great Avon Wood near Pensford where council partners Avon Needs Trees and Forest of Avon Trust have jointly purchased over 113 acres of land, planting the first 6,500 of 40,000 trees.
• An oak tree has been planted at Sandpits Play Area in Moorfields this week to celebrate 100 years of council ownership. In February, a Cedar of Lebanon tree was planted at Bloomfield Green to celebrate its centenary.
• The final public tree sale of the season on March 18 to help increase urban tree canopy cover.
Councillor David Wood, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “It’s excellent news that we are on our way to exceeding our 100,000 target, responding to the climate and nature emergency.
Trees visually enhance our open spaces and streets, encouraging us to enjoy the outdoor and promote good physical and mental wellbeing.
“Planting trees in green spaces and on our streets offers a wealth of benefits which we can call ‘ecosystem services’ for nature and our communities. These include regulating air temperature with water vapour, providing shade and reducing rainwater runoff and localised flooding.”
Find out how the council is responding to the climate emergency
HMS PRINCE OF WALES AWARDED THE FREEDOM OF BRISTOL
In recognition of service and the unique relationship with Bristol, councillors have awarded His Majesty’s Ship Prince of Wales has been awarded the freedom of the city.
The honour, when conferred on a military unit, grants that unit the privilege of marching into the city "with drums beating, colours flying, and bayonets fixed”.
The City and County of Bristol has been affiliated with HMS Prince of Wales (PWLS) since 2016, an honour shared with Liverpool, and it’s a relationship that will last for 50 years. This relationship was re-affirmed by the council at a ceremony in Bristol City Hall (Tuesday 14 March 2023) where the freedom of the city was accepted by Captain Richard Hewitt OBE, on behalf of the Royal Navy and the ship’s company.
PWLS is a fifth-generation aircraft carrier, one of the most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK and its role includes disaster relief, humanitarian aid and diplomacy.
Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Paula O’Rourke, said:
“I am delighted to have the honour of awarding HMS Prince of Wales the Freedom of the City. Our affiliation with the ship and its crew is one we care about deeply and we hope that this honour serves as a reminder of the close bond we share with HMS Prince of Wales. As a proud naval city with a long maritime tradition, it’s a particularly special privilege to be able to honour members of His Majesty’s Naval Service with Bristol’s highest civic award. As we give thanks to all those who serve on board HMS Prince of Wales and our wider armed forces, I very much look forward to welcoming the ship’s crew back to the city later this year.”
Captain Richard Hewitt OBE, Commanding Officer HMS Prince of Wales, said: “This important ceremony represents a true friendship between HMS Prince of Wales and the City of Bristol. Being granted the Freedom of the City of Bristol is a huge and significant honour for us. Bristol has an industrious maritime heritage and I know our sailors are looking forward to exercising the Freedom of the City. This will support the continued strong relationships between generations of Royal Navy sailors in HMS Prince of Wales and the City of Bristol over the next 50 years.”
Since first being awarded to His Royal Highness Prince Albert Victor Christian Edward, First son of His Royal Highness Prince of Wales, in July 1888, the Freedom of the City has been bestowed upon sixty six individuals and military units.
Honorary Captain Mrs Peaches Golding OBE, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of The County and City of Bristol, said:
“This ceremony and the awarding of the Freedom of the City are potent symbols of the close ties that exist between Bristol and our nation’s armed forces. Bristol has a long and proud history of affiliation with our nation’s armed forces, a tradition that has seen eight previous units receive the Freedom of the City. My thanks go to Captain Hewitt and his ship’s company for their continued service to His Majesty The King and our nation and to my fellow members of the HMS Prince of Wales Affiliation Board for their continuing efforts to support our affiliation with the ship and its crew.”
Councillor Helen Holland, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Armed Forces Champion for Bristol City Council, said: “Our relationship to the armed forces through our history is a visible part of the city’s heritage and identity. Bristol is the proud home to a number of reserve units across the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force and over 9,000 veterans. As the council’s Armed Forces Champion, I am delighted to able to honour HMS Prince of Wales and her crew with the Freedom of the City. We will continue to work together with the ship’s company and partners to ensure the strength of our relationship continues to benefit the city and our local veterans.”
Bristol related activities with the ship are managed and overseen by the HMS Prince of Wales Affiliation Board. The Board is led by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant as president and made up of business representatives and other organisations, including Cabinet Member Councillor Helen Holland as the council’s Armed Forces Champion.
Several visits have taken place to the ship by members of the Affiliation Board over the last few years and there are plans to build relationships with local schools to promote STEM and sport. The Affiliation Board has worked with the ship to decorate it’s Bristol Suite (there’s also a Liverpool Suite), and the ship’s crest is displayed in the foyer of City Hall.
Representatives of the ship’s company support Bristol’s Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service and the White Ensign has been blessed by Bristol Cathedral and laid up to mark the affiliation.
Take a break and try to solve theses puzzles
Here are this months puzzles designed to test your mental skills during your lunch break or after tea.
Good luck!
Subscribe to Bristol Weekly Magazine via this QR code
6 differences between these two pictures. Are your eyes good enough to see them all?
INVESTMENT ENSURES
HOTEL GYM IS FIT FOR PURPOSE
A city centre hotel in Bristol has invested around £50,000 to ensure its gym facilities are fit for purpose.
DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre has re-vamped its fitness provision with new cardio and weight-training equipment as well as two new Peloton-branded bikes.
Some of the new equipment has also been provided with the specific needs of disabled guests in mind.
With the site – managed by Focus Hotels – accommodating a growing number of top-level sports teams in recent years, it wanted to ensure all its guests – including those professional athletes – had access to some top-quality gym facilities during their stay.
The current equipment is not yet ten years old but hotel bosses felt the time was right to invest in something new.
Imran Ali, General Manager of the hotel, said: “Post-pandemic, it became clear that lifestyle habits and choices for many people had changed quite drastically.
“When the lockdown restrictions were lifted, we realised that people were looking for better experiences when they stayed in hotels.
“We are a city centre hotel which means that, of course, we cannot compete with specialist leisure hotels, and their spa facilities.
“But we are keen to provide the best-possible facilities that we can, for our guests to use and enjoy within a great setting.
“Over the past two years we have worked hard to strengthen our partnerships with national and international sporting teams, and we have been very proud to welcome them here.
“Among our guests have been the England Women’s Cricket team, Indian Women’s Cricket team, England Women’s Rugby team, Italian Women’s Football team, New Zealand Women’s Cricket team, Manchester City Women’s Football team and many more.
“They all want to have access to good exercise facilities, and this is something we have been happy to invest in, to meet their needs.
“Our partnership with Precor and Peloton shows our commitment to delivering the best possible service for our guests.
“The gym facilities here are for hotel residents only, and all guests are issued with complimentary passes which enable them to use the Peloton equipment during their stay with us.”
Stephen Cresswell, Operations Director for Focus Hotels, said: “It’s heartening to see some significant investment being made, particularly considering the current financial climate, to improve even further the customer experience at the DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre.
“It’s a welcome vote of confidence in the business that the owners have chosen to invest at this time and will help the hotel continue its recovery from the impact of Brexit and the pandemic in recent years.
“The DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre seems to be an increasingly popular accommodation of choice for many top-level sports teams and hopefully this investment will encourage even more to come and enjoy the outstanding hospitality that Imran and his team offers.”
ROLLS-ROYCE GETS FUNDING FOR MOON BASE NUCLEAR REACTOR
Rolls-Royce has secured funding to develop a nuclear reactor that could be used on a future lunar base; it is projected to be ready by 2029.
This will play an essential role in establishing a suitable habitat for astronauts, enabling them to carry out important research and experiments. We look forward to this new endeavor!
It might sound like the setup of a James Bond film, but is in fact part of a very real-world project that aims to see humans living and working on the lunar surface.
The UK Space Agency has given RollsRoyce a fresh £2.9m to construct the reactor, following a £249,000 study last year that it also funded.
Engineers and scientists at the British firm are working on the Micro-Reactor programme, which will look into how nuclear power could one day support a full-time moon base.
It’s hoped that it would provide enough energy for communications, life-support, and experiments.
Astronauts will be ‘living and working on the moon’ within a decade, says NASA
The moon could get its own time zone, but clocks work differently there - here’s why
Rolls-Royce is aiming to have a reactor ready by 2029. It’s collaborating with universities including Oxford, Bangor, Sheffield, and Brigh ton to hit the target.
Science minister George Freeman said: “Space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for so many of the transformational technologies we need on Earth: from materials to robotics, nutrition, cleantech and much more.”
He said the project was another sign that the UK is a “major force in frontier science”.
The government says Britain’s space industry is worth £16bn.
Only California builds more satellites than the UK, and optimism remains that they will soon be launched from British soil, despite a failed attempt to do so in Newquay earlier this year.
Dr Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering a continuous human presence on the moon, while enhancing the wider UK space sector, creating jobs and generating further investment.”
Work on the lunar base comes as humans prepare to return to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
NASA’s Artemis mission got up and running in November and is aiming to put astronauts - including the first woman - back on the surface by the end of 2025.
EVERY PHONE IN THE U.K. WILL SOUND AN ALARM ON APRIL 23
The U.K. government is testing a new emergency alert system, set to roll out nationwide on April 23. The service is intended to warn the public in an emergency situation such as severe flooding, fire or terrorist attack where life may be at risk.
During the test, all compatible devices will sound an alarm for 10 seconds, accompanied by a warning message; even if the user’s phone volume is turned off, they’ll still hear the siren and receive the alert notification.
The government has released a YouTube video revealing what the alert sounds like to hopefully prevent catching people out on the test day.
The test alert – which will reportedly be carried out during the evening of April 23 – could cause disruption in public venues such as theaters, cinemas and sports stadiums, with potentially hundreds or thousands of mobile phones all sounding the alarm simultaneously.
The emergency alert service is compatible with all phones running either iOS 14.5 or later or Android 11 or later. Tablets with access to cellular networks will also receive the alerts.
When sounded for real, the alerts will be sent to everyone in the affected area, based on their current location. The alerts will be sent to all devices within reach of cellular masts in the affected areas. Users won’t have to opt-in and they don’t need location services switched on to receive the alerts.
The government insists that the alerts service is secure and that only government departments and the emergency services have the ability to send alerts. There is a website listing past alerts, so that citizens can check if they believe they’ve been targeted by a false alarm.
Both the test alert and genuine alarms will be sent to all devices, including those where the owner is driving.
The U.K. government warns that drivers “should not read or otherwise respond to an emergency alert whilst driving or riding a motorcycle”.
“If you are driving, you should continue to drive and not respond to the noise or attempt to pick up the mobile phone and deal with the message,” the government adds.
“Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message. If there is nowhere safe or legal to stop close by, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, tune into live radio and wait for bulletins until you can find somewhere safe and legal to stop.”
There is a way to switch off the emergency alerts on your phone, even temporarily, if you don’t want to be disturbed on the evening of April 23.
To switch the alerts off, go to your phone’s Settings app and search for “emergency alerts”. You should find options there to switch off emergency alerts.
ST PAUL'S CARNIVAL STORIES PRESERVED AND TOLD ON THE BIG SCREEN AT ST MONICA TRUST
A unique outreach project has brought Carnival to residents at a South-Bristol retirement village.
Community Elders and pupils from Fairlawn Primary School, joined residents at St Monica Trust’s Monica Wills House Retirement Village for a screening of a film celebrating the roots of St Pauls Carnival.
Inna Wi Carnival: Reflections of a Generation was directed by St Pauls Carnival Community Outreach Worker, Keziah Wenham-Kenyon. The film explores the culture and tradition of the St Pauls Carnival from the 1960s to the present day, as told by the generation that helped create it.
Keziah’s role has been funded by the St Monica Trust since 2021 with the aim of providing outreach to Community Elders and preserving the traditions of Caribbean Carnival for future generations.
As well as the film, other community development projects delivered by Keziah include digital inclusion workshops and the creation of human libraries.
Keziah said: “The initial stage of the project was about engaging with the older generations in the St Pauls community and combating the social isolation caused by the pandemic.
“We then continued working with the same group of elders to capture and preserve the stories of the generation that brought carnival over to the UK from the Caribbean.
“There were a number of ways we could have gone about it, but after a discussion with the elders and the team, we decided that making a documentary was the best way of preserving their memories for future generations.”
St Monica Trust residents were greeted with a steelpan performance by Year 5 pupils, followed by a screening of the documentary in the activities room. Afterwards, Community Elders and residents swapped their own memories of St Paul’s Carnival.
Keziah is working towards an online release of the film later in the year, plus arranging more community screenings, such as the ones taking place across the St Monica Trust this week.
There are also plans to design a workshop for schools that will see the film screened as part of an active learning programme, which will include talks given by the community elders.
Keziah said: “I feel truly honoured to have delivered such important work and am overjoyed by the positive impact it has had on those involved.
“It is a really special thing for the elders to see their stories reflected on the big screen and it means a lot to their generation that their stories are still valued and being celebrated.”
“Our thanks go to the St Monica Trust for funding such a special project and supporting Carnival's long-term c ommitments to our elders.”
The St Monica Trust has been supporting the lives of older people in Bristol and the surrounding area since it was established more than 100 years ago.
The Trust’s Charitable Impact Team helps tackle a variety of issues by distributing hundreds of thousands of pounds to individuals, families and organisations across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath & North-East Somerset.
Director of Charitable Impact, Adam Rees said: “The Charitable Impact Team have been working alongside St Pauls Carnival since 2019 when we first funded their Elders Brunch on the morning of Carnival. We are delighted to have provided £50,000 of funding over the last two years for Keziah’s important work with Community Elders.
“The funding has helped ensure that the traditions and history of Bristol’s iconic Carnival celebrating African-Caribbean culture are secure and that these traditions and skills are passed on through the generations.”