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North Bristol March 2016
Photo provided by Edward Chinn
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Welcome to March edition of North Direct Local Magazine Senior Editor (Mike Davies) Proof Reader (Elisabeth Davies) Tel: 07500 017236 Well here is the second edition of Direct Local. Bigger and more content. We listened to YOU our readers and now the cover picture has an article to compliment it, plus more.
Editorials 5. Bristol Fashion Chorus 6. In the spotlight 9. Easter holiday football camps 10. Shire Public Hall newsletter 11. Shire Public Hall Activities 13. Giant Gromit spotted 14. Singing their praises 16. Home from Home recipe (New) 18. Rare sighting of a whale on Portway 20. City and Port of Bristol Bowls Direct Local Is always looking for local news, views & events. pease contact us by email or phone.
Direct Local is proud to support Kisses For Kaylum Text KAYR77 ÂŁ3 to 70070 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 after reading.
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Next month sees Bristol Fashion sharing the stage with Bristol A Cappella in a concert to raise funds for a local charity, Survive. When: Friday 22nd April Where: Kingswood Methodist Church (To be confirmed)
Founded in 2013, Bristol A Cappella is a mixed chorus of around thirty singers, making music for fun and achievement. They sing mainly pop, rock and show tunes without instruments and are always looking for new members.
Survive is a Local Charity working with women and children in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Survive provides refuge accommodation, group work and other specialist services to help women and children to cope and recover from their experiences of abuse. Sadly abuse can and does happen to anyone irrespective of gender, age, social class, religion or sexual orientation. The term "domestic Violence and Abuse" is used to mean any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or are family members. Survive aims to provide support, believe what people say and provide a non judgemental environment in which to support service users to cope and recover. Survive is reliant on funding to provide these services and funding is currently decreasing.
www.bristol-fashion.org.uk
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In the spotlight Body Repairs Bristol are the leading specialist in car and commercial body repairs. With a combined experience in body repairs of over 50 years Body Repairs Bristol are more than capable of taking care of your vehicle whether it is a motor cycle, van ,lorry or your car. We are Mercedes Benz and DAF commercial approved and have been established since May 2009. If you have been involved in an accident through no fault of you own, then we can help with your Accident Management Services, from the initial insurance claim through to a replacement vehicle and repairs.
We are here to provide a number of services, from innocent road traffic accident victims. If you have been involved in an accident then you are legally entitled to compensation. We can also arrange for a qualified and independent motor engineer to inspect your vehicle after the accident. As well as our usual accident management services, we offer the following Accident Repairs Body Repairs Panel Beating Paint Spraying Custom Painting Body Kit Fitting Body Styling Import Repairs Motorcycle Repairs Commercial Vehicles . If you wish to contact us call 01179 647946 or visit us www.bodyrepairsbristol.com
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EASTER HOLIDAY FOOTBALL CAMPS Keep active during the Easter holidays with Bristol City Community Trust’s football camps. Bristol City Community Trust will be delivering its popular football camps at two venues across Bristol during the Easter holidays. The football fun camps will take place at Abbeywood School, Stoke Gifford (March 29th-March 31st; April 4th-April 7th) and Gordano School, Portishead (April 4th-April 7th; April 11th-April 14th). The days will run from 10am-3pm each day and are designed to give boys and girls of all abilities aged 6-to-14 the opportunity to develop their footballing ability, social development and fitness, whilst participating in a fun, safe playing environment. Bristol City Community Trust’s highly qualified and experienced team of coaches will deliver the sessions with the days being divided into two. The morning will focus on introductions and a variety of drills, while the afternoon will feature tournament style matches.
Prices for the Easter holiday football camps are £15 for one day, £30 for two days, £40 for three days and £50 for four days. Commenting on the Trust’s holiday camps, head coach Sarah Adams said: “Our holiday camps are an excellent way for children to remain active during the school holidays in a relaxed and secure environment, while interacting with other children from around the community. “Our camps cater for children of all abilities, so whether your child is aiming to become a professional footballer, or is a young player who simply enjoys participating in the sport, these camps are perfectly suited. “Although we hope to develop players during their time with us and give them some direction, the main emphasis of the camps is on participation and enjoyment!” The Trust’s holiday camps always prove popular so book online now. .
Each of the coaches stick to the same format so no matter which venue you attend, you will receive the same service.
www.bristolcitycommunitytrust.org.uk or call 0117 963 0636 for further details.
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Shirehampton Public Hall March Newsletter Welcome to another edition of the Public Hall Newsletter! Now that Spring is about to leap upon us there is no excuse for staying indoors, especially when there is so much happening here at the Hall! We have something for everyone, from toddlers to seniors. During the past month the Hall was visited by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Clare CampionSmith, and her husband and Consort, Dr Ian Campion-Smith. While they were here they visited the Toddler Group and the Twyford Art Club, before taking a walk through the village to see what Shirehampton has to offer. After the visit the Lord Mayor tweeted that she had spent a most enjoyable time with us – and we enjoyed her visit, too! We were also very lucky to welcome the National Festival Circus Clowns to our Hall during the half term break, and it seems this was an enjoyable event for those who attended. Our very friendly and welcoming Monday meeting of the Twyford Art Club is looking for new members, so if you have a flair for art and would like to make new friends and have a chat and a coffee for a couple of hours, please pop in and introduce yourself – the meeting is held from 9.30am most Monday mornings. Similarly, our Pillowlace Club would love some new members. Pillowlace is a wonderful art, and very relaxing, so whether you are young, old or somewhere in between, come along from 7pm on Fridays and join in with something different and make new friends! Meanwhile for the more physically active out there, we have a new dance class on Tuesdays.
The children’s class is from 6-7pm and the adult class is 7-8pm. No specific dance styles, just come and join in the fun and get some exercise! The Hall Trustees would also like to invite volunteers to start an IT Club at the Hall – anyone welcome, from all age groups and backgrounds. The idea of this club would be to bring the community together and learn about technology from each other. Please contact the Hall Manager if you think you could carry this forward. Also, a Chess Club has been proposed and will be run by Trustees of the Hall to raise funds for the Hall. If you would be interested in joining further details will soon be available on our website. Shirehampton Public Hall is now on Facebook, so please “like” us and follow all our up and coming events on there. The Hall is in urgent need of a voluntary Treasurer. If you think this might be you please ring the Hall Manager on the number below. The Public Hall has many events and regular activities, so please visit our website at www.shirepubhall.org.uk for further details, check out our noticeboard, email bookings@shirepubhall.org.uk or telephone 0117 9829963.
Photo’s provided by Bob Pitchford
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SHIREHAMPTON PUBLIC HALL WEEKLY ACTIVITIES 2016
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Giant Gromit arrives at The Mall A gigantic four-metre-high sculpture of Bristol’s favourite hound, Gromit, has arrived at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway! The enormous sculpture has taken up residence outside the shopping centre as part of The Grand Appeal’s Gromit Unleashed: Hong Kong exhibition. It is a giant version of ‘GRMT02’, one of 16 Gromit sculptures currently on display at The Grand Appeal’s shop at The Mall. The giant Gromit will be in place until Sunday 3 April. The sculptures were created as part of ‘The Greatest Dog Show On Earth’ exhibition in Hong Kong in July 2014, and this is the first time they have been on display in the UK. The exhibition has already attracted hundreds of visitors since it opened last week. The exhibition runs until 10 April and is free to enter, with a £2 suggested donation to The Grand Appeal. The Greatest Dog Show On Earth’ saw 70 five-foot and three-foot Gromits go on display in Hong Kong’s ELEMENTS mall, and followed the charity’s hugely successful ‘Gromit Unleashed’ sculpture trail in Bristol in 2013. The sculptures were displayed on a specially-built two-tiered carousel, watched over by the giant ‘GRMT02’! Just like the Bristol trail, the Hong Kong sculptures were created by an array of well-known artists and designers, including Wallace & Gromit creator, Nick Park, and acclaimed milliner, Philip Treacy OBE. ‘GRMT02’ was created by Aardman designer, Gavin Strange, in homage to the iconic giant robots found in animations from the far east.
Lauren Howard, brand manager, The Grand Appeal, said, “Our Hong Kong exhibition has already been a huge hit and is a great way to entertain Gromit fans young and old, especially now the giant ‘GRMT02’ has arrived! It’s an opportunity for fans of our sculptures to see some brand new designs right here in Bristol, Gromit’s home, and of course get a selfie underneath ‘GRMT02’! “All funds raised by donations to the exhibition, as well as all our ‘Gromit Unleashed’ figurines and merchandise, will help us to continue to support sick children at Bristol Children’s Hospital.” Fans can also get their paws on a ‘GRMT02’ figurine of their own to take home. For the duration of the exhibition, ‘GRMT02’, ‘Sweet Dreams’ and ‘Year of the Gromit’ figurines will be available at three for the price of two, while stocks last. All proceeds support sick children at Bristol Children’s Hospital. The exhibition is open from 9.30am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm on Saturday and 10.30am to 5pm on Sunday. ‘Gromit Unleashed’ merchandise and figurines are also available to purchase online, from www.wallaceandgromitcharityshop.org.uk
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Southmead Hospital’s starring role in new video to sing the praises of healthcare support workers When it comes to making health support works feel valued, Southmead Hospital has gone centre stage In a new campaign for Skills for Health. An individual patient’s care goes further than just one healthcare supervisor. Now, thanks to a short film entitled Our Health Heroes, roles of all healthcare support workers have been highlighted. Together Skills for Health and the National Skills Academy for Health have launched a campaign to highlight the very vital and human role support workers play every day within the health sector and to take the chance to say 'thank you' to unsung healthcare heroes.
When it comes to taking patients where they need to go, or giving guidance and helpful explanations to their families, there’s a kindness and a motivation, which is required, and should be praised. Every year 18.3 million people are admitted to hospital - and the support staff who give them advice and peace of mind are their own everyday heroes.
Healthcare assistants, assistant practitioners, porters, cleaners, caterers, maintenance staff and administrative staff - of a healthcare service, which employs 2.1 million people, 40% are involved in support roles, and they all have a hand in the healthcare experiences we have. Now, these critical roles are being celebrated thanks to the amazing support workers of Southmead Hospital who feature in the video. At times when people feel vulnerable, it takes a truly talented workforce to put them at ease. Support worker roles are critical, ensuring that hospital and healthcare practices are running effectively.
Thanks to #OurHealthHeroes, there’s now a way to give them the credit they deserve.
Working with Skills for Health, Southmead Hospital staff showed the importance of what support staff do for those in healthcare. For anyone who finds themselves in hospital with no idea what’s going on, who’s woken up confused, they can offer guidance.
People can support #OurHealthHeroes by sharing the campaign video with their networks and tagging #OurHealthHeroes, and sharing their personal stories of support workers on Twitter using #OurHealthHeroes @Skillsforhealth @NSA_Health. #OurHealthHeroes celebrates all support staff by encouraging people who have benefitted from their support to share their stories and thanks.
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Home from Home’s monthly recipe March: Mother’s Day/Easter mini cake bites. The perfect combined teatime treat and gift You will need:
125g/4ozs Soft margarine 125g/4ozs Caster sugar 125g/4ozs Self raising flour 1 Large egg 4 drops of vanilla essence A splash of milk For the topping: Milk chocolate block Chocolate Mini Eggs Petit Four cases Plastic favour bag and ribbon tie
Equipment: Baking tray Mixing bowl Wooden/Plastic spoon Weighing scales Instructions: Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees (conventional oven)/160 degrees (fan oven)/gas mark 4 whilst preparing the mix. Mix 125g/4ozs of soft margarine and 125g/4ozs of caster sugar until mix is light and fluffy textured. Add the egg, 125g/4ozs of self-raising flour, a splash of milk and 4 drops of vanilla essence and mix until smooth. Place the Petit Four cases on a baking tray. Put a small amount of mixture (just under a teaspoon full) into the cases and place in the centre of the oven for 12 minutes. The cakes should look a lovely, golden colour when ready. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Place 8 cakes in a small plastic favour bag and secure with a piece of ribbon to make a great gift for either Mother’s Day or as a handmade alternative Easter gift. Break the chocolate block into pieces in a microwaveable bowl and heat on full power for 1 minute then stir. Heat for a further 30 seconds until smooth chocolate. Spoon onto any cakes left that you wish to decorate and top by gently pressing on a chocolate mini egg. Allow chocolate to set for a few minutes. Serve with a nice cup of tea and enjoy!
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RARE SIGHTING OF WICKER WHALES REPORTED NEAR SEA MILLS As the city hosts a closing ceremony to mark the end of its tenure as the UK’s first European Green Capital, one of the most iconic projects from Bristol’s year in the spotlight has made a welcome return. Designed and built by Cod Steaks, initiated by Artists Project Earth and funded by Arts Council England, The Bristol Whales are made from willow harvested locally in Somerset and depict the head of a humpback whale and the tail of a blue whale. The dramatic sculptures were installed in Millennium Square for six weeks during the summer of 2015, where it is estimated that they were seen by around 750,000 people. After a brief absence, the whales have resurfaced near Sea Mills and taken up permanent residence at Bennett’s Patch and White’s Paddock Nature Reserve known as the ‘people’s nature reserve’, created by Avon Wildlife Trust during 2015 to mark the city’s Green Capital status. The location is particularly fitting given the area’s whaling history, which dates back to the 18th century. Around 250 years ago, the River Avon would have been full of the tall-masted ships that made Bristol wealthy, one of which moored at nearby Sea Mills – a whaler. In 1750, Bristol merchants entered the whaling trade, and the ship Adventure brought back two whales, which were rendered to blubber at Sea Mills. The venture continued there for almost 50 years. Bevis Watts, chief executive of Avon Wildlife Trust, which manages the nature reserve, said: “The Avon Wildlife Trust’s vision is to enable nature torecover on a grand scale but when we created this reserve, we never imagined we’d see whales swimming up the gorge!
We are of course delighted to house these beautiful sculptures which caught the imagination of tens of thousands of Bristolians when they were displayed on the harbourside last year. “Whales are intelligent, beautiful, charismatic animals and have become symbols of the world’s oceans. They have great physical strength and also represent resilience and the potential for recovery – provided that we, as custodians of the oceans, take the right steps to protect them.” Originally surrounded by a ‘sea’ of plastic bottles, the Bristol Whales conveyed an important message about the fragility of our oceans and the onslaught of plastic pollution. With over eight million tonnes of plastic entering our seas each year, we need to take action now to reduce this flow of litter. Humans, as well as marine life, are affected as plastic breaks down into toxic micro-particles and enters the food chain.
Photo by Frances Gard Inspired by the Bristol Whales, local campaigning organisation City to Sea secured Green Capital funding for Refill Bristol, which has established a network of 170 refill stations around the city offering free drinking water to anyone with a refillable bottle. Refilling your bottle makes financial sense as well as helping the environment – a litre of bottled water is 1,000 times more expensive than tap water. Refill Bristol will continue in 2016 thanks to funding from Bristol Water. For more information about Bennett’s Patch and Whites Paddock Nature Reserve, and how to find it, visitwww.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/bennettspatch-and-whites-paddock.
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CITY AND PORT OF BRISTOL BOWLING CLUB
The City and Port of Bristol Bowling Club is active all year round. Bowling outdoors from April until September is the clubs main activity and purpose but there is still a lot going on when that season comes to an end.
Once a month there is a Sunday evening Social Event and these events have been popular attracting around thirty bowlers, family and friends to each one. The club pre-season meeting will be on Thursday 17th March at the City and Port of Bristol Club, commencing 7.45pm. Anyone wishing to learn more about the club and its activities can call David Hinksman on 0117 9082713.
During the Autumn and Winter months the three indoor matches at the Bristol Indoor Club. At the end of January there is a Winter Bowling Break in Torquay. This year saw 36 bowlers and supporters heading for the Carlton Hotel to enjoy five days of bowling, exploring Torquay and the surrounding area and making use of the wide range of activities that the hotel has to offer. This includes snooker, ten pin bowling and swimming in a very large pool.
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Childcare at Sansway House Sansway House opened in February 2000 and is jointly owned by sisters Kelly and Alison. The owners are passionate about childcare and love what they do. Both followed the same career path having worked as private nannies, then opening their own day nursery . The nursery has expanded slightly over the years but is still a small setting - the owners oversee the day to day running of the nursery and ensure the highest standards at all times. Operating a day nursery has changed immensely over the years, Kelly and Alison have established a wealth of experience, expertise and associates. They continue to exceed the requirements and provide only the very best care for the children at Sansway House. Choosing childcare can be a difficult decision to make. Both Kelly and Alison are working mums and we understand the anxiety, concerns and sometimes guilt families feel entrusting babies into our care. We want you to feel confident and reassured, ask lots of questions, spend time here with us and know that your child will have a fantastic time, feel loved and perfectly cared for. We have a fantastic reputation at Sansway. Hundreds of families have experienced the happiness and laughter every day. The children develop new skills, make new friends and thrive. We love our location - we are easy to reach, situated in a large detached property with an extensive rear garden, close to the local Farm.
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