Direct Local Magazines North Bristol February 2018

North Bristol Edition Feb 2018 www.directlocalonline.com

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REGULAR ARTICLES:

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Contents

The Port Of Bristol Bowls Club Miles Kitching Paul King Aaron Potter

8. Your garden in February

DISTRIBUTION:

12. Top 3 movies for February

Direct Local North Bristol is hand delivered to selected homes and businesses in Avonmouth, Shirehampton, Sea Mills, Stoke Bishop, Westbury on Trym, Henbury, Brentry and Filton.

(Coming soon Henleaze)

10. The Ultimate Valentines Day cookie

13. Competition time 15. Events guide February 16. Kids corner 18. The Port Of Bristol Bowls Club 20. How to generate more enquireres for your business 22. BNI St Swithins 25. Distracted or disciplined

27.

27.A tale of two arenas

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.

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Your garden in February If you’re a keen gardener February is a month filled with anticipation. The first signs of life are beginning to emerge as plants shake off their winter dormancy and wildlife begins to wake. Light levels are increasing, temperatures are rising and splashes of colour are beginning to creep back into the garden. Spring is on its way and there is plenty of preparation to do.

Plant of the month: Camellia

The essential gardening jobs for February Prune plants

Plant shrubs and trees

Prune late flowering shrubs such as fuchsia, hydrangea, buddleja and ceanothus.

Using sharp secateurs, cut just above an outward pointing bud. Aim to remove about a third of the height of the shrub and try to maintain an even shape. Check other shrubs and remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches to keep the plant healthy. Try to avoid pruning early flowering shrubs until after they have flowered.

February is the ideal time to plant new shrubs and trees while they are still in their dormant state. Make sure the ground is not frozen or water logged before planting. Stakes and rabbit guards should be put in place at the time of planting to prevent damage to the root ball or bark. It’s also a good idea to check ties and stakes on existing plants and replace, tighten or slacken where necessary.

Give the lawn a light mow If the weather is warm you may need to start mowing.

Set the cutting height on your mower to its maximum and only mow when it’s dry.

Re-cutting lawn edges will also give an instant lift to the appearance of the garden.

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Enjoy your garden!

Why should you plant them?

Welcome in the spring with Camellias-these hardy shrubs have glossy evergreen leaves and display flowers that brighten up your winter. An early riser in terms of plants waking up from the winter snooze. Camellias burst into flower in February just as the rest of the garden is starting to blink its eyes at the sunshine.

How should you plant them?

Camellias are easy to grow and flower relliably-the most important thing is choosing the right spot.

Although a hardy shrub their flower buds are susceptible to frost once they start to develop so plant in a sheltered spot and wrap with fleece when frost is forecast.

Camellias like to grow in acidic soil so need planting with ericaceous compost. feed with ericaceous plant food to keep the leaves glossy and green and water well once the flower buds appear-although the flowers wont break until February. The buds will begin to develop in autumn.

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The Ultimate Valentine’s Day Cookie

Your sweetheart will be yours forever when you give him or her a batch of these delicious, heart-shaped cookies.

Ingredients

Steps

Cookies 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 tablespoon white vinegar 2 1/4 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 drops red food color

1 Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, beat 1 cup powdered sugar, the butter and vinegar with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients except food color.

Divide dough in half. Mix food color into one half. (If dough is too dry, stir in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time)

Frosting 2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons milk or half-and-half

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2 On lightly floured cloth-covered surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into heart shapes with various sizes of cookie cutters. Place smaller hearts on larger hearts of different color dough if desired.

On ungreased cookie sheet, place shapes about 2 inches apart.

3 Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until set but not brown.

Cool 1 to 2 minutes; carefully remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4 In medium bowl, mix all frosting ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Tint with food color if desired. Spread frosting on cookies.

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The top 3 movies For February So it’s safe to say that the 2018 flow of movies is successfully in full swing, with many exciting and sometimes surprisingly heartfelt cinema experiences awaiting those who visit their local picturehouse in February. From amphibious creatures, cat-like superheroes, to questionable romances, there’s plenty to set your eyeballs on.

A different kind of love story kicks off February’s cinematic splendours, as Anastasia and Christian return to the silver screen in the conclusion to E.L James’ Fifty Shades trilogy. Having just returned stateside shortly after their honeymoon, the newlyweds will face their toughest challenge yet.

Look forward to Fifty Shades Freed this February 9th.

Sticking with the romance theme, Guillermo del Toro’s highly-anticipated The Shape of Water releases just five days later. Centring on Sally Hawkins’ mute custodian who befriends a captured humanoid-amphibian creature within a high-security government facility, the movie looks to continue the Spanish auteur’s flare for fantastical imagery and emotional storytelling.

Finally, time-travel back a day to February 13th and you’ll be treated to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest instalment: Black Panther.

Continuing the story of Wakandan King T’Challa mere months after the events of Civil War, the titular Black Panther is the only thing preventing the onset of another World War. The fun doesn’t stop there as Cineworld Bristol and Direct Local Magazine are teaming up once again to give moviegoers a chance to win 2 free cinema tickets. Just fill out the next page word search Aaron Potter is a professional writer for Cineworld Bristol and places these articles in Direct Local each month to give you the public a choice of great movies to view at your local cinema.

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Your Valentine’s day date is perfectly set with any one of these treats, so be sure to strap into your cinema seat!

Want to win tickets to Pro Wrestling Chaos?

Welcome to our Word search Competition Pro Wrestling Chaos are giving away 2 tickets their next event!

All you need to do is complete the word search above and either scan, take a photo on your smart phone and email it to us at : info@directlocalonline.com or send it in the post to via snail mail to the address below.

The Draw will take place on the 20th February.

The lucky winner will be pulled randomly from a hat and contacted by a member of staff at Pro wrestling Chaos.

Children entering must have parents written consent to enter, people over the age of 16 yrs need no consent to enter..

Good luck folks!

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Events guide February Saltcellar Folk Club: guest performer Steve Turner Event Date: 3rd Feb Description: Steve Turner is a folk singer who accompanies himself on English concertina, cittern, mandolin and banjo.

Venue: Totterdown Baptist Church, Wells Rd. Bristol BS4 2AX

Wild Discoveries: Join us at Wild Place Project this Feb Half Term Event Date: 10th Feb – 18th Feb Description: Join us for a week of Wild Discoveries at Wild Place Project this Feb Half Term, plus £5 child entry!

Venue: Wild Place

Pirates and Mermaids at Bristol Aquarium St Brendan’s Sixth Form ColEvent Date: 10th Feb - 25th Feb lege Open Evening Description: Take on ’argh’ pirate Event Date: 8th Feb treasure trail, get involved with Description: An opportunity for students considering their options your hands (and peg legs!) with after GCSEs to discover the our daily activities and learn more fantastic range of A-levels and Venue: Bristol Indoor Bowling BTECs on offer at St Brendan’s Club 198 South Liberty Lane Sixth Form College Ashton Vale Bristol Venue: St Brendan’s Sixth Form College Valentines Day Dinner at The Recruitment Event at SGS Bristol Golf Club College Wise Campus Event Date: 14th Feb Event Date: 9th Feb Description: Treat your loved one Description: ‘Get well paid for to an evening of delicious dining sharing your knowledge and skills this Valentines Day. Wine & dine whilst making a difference to the your “special someone” here at region’s future’.

The Bristol Golf Club this year.

Venue: SGS College Wise Cam- Venue: The Bristol Golf Club St. pus, Bristol Swithins Park, Blackhorse Hill Almondsbury, Bristol JOHN ROBINS: THE DARKNESS OF ROBINS Wild Outdoors Club (half term Event Date: 9th Feb 8 – 10th Feb activity) at Windmill Hill City Description: Double Chortle Farm Award winning comedian John Event Date: 15th Feb Robins – one of the most exciting Description: Wild Outdoors Club and distinctive voices in comedy (half term activity) – returns reflecting on love, loss Venue: Windmill Hill City Farm and lamenting the fact he can’t Philip Street Bedminster Bristol break up with himself.

Venue: Redgrave Theatre PerGeorgeand the Flight of the cival Road Clifton Bristol Imaginees Event Date: 16th Feb The Big Listen at Windmill Hill Description: Join George on a City Farm globe-trotting adventure, powered Event Date: 9th Feb - 15th Feb entirely by his own imagination!

Description: The Big Listen is a A new original show by makers week long project that aims to of award-winning family theatre, find out what the local community Brave Bold Drama. want from their city farm.

Venue: Creative Workspace, Venue: Windmill Hill City Farm Queens Road, Withywood, Bristol Philip Street Bedminster Bristol

Gardening Social Club at The Eastfield Inn Event Date: 16th Feb Description: Join us for a bit of gardening and a social, meet new friends and have fun!

Venue: The Eastfield Inn 219 Henleaze Rd Bristol GALA OPEN DAY MIXED FOURS Event Date: 17th¬ Feb Description: The City & County of Bristol Indoor Bowling Club is pleased to announce that they are inviting Teams of Mixed Fours (2 Ladies and 2 Men) to participate in open competition on SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17th 2018.

Bushcraft for Beginners Event Date: 18th Feb Description: Want to learn more about what the environment can provide you to enhance your time on the land? Want to learn new skills in fire-lighting, plant uses and wild foods?

Venue: Stoke Park Estate, North Bristol Morbid Curiosity Night Tour at Arnos Vale Event Date: 22nd Feb Description: Have you ever walked around a cemetery or graveyard and thought ‘I wonder how they died?’. Well now’s your chance to find out. Join us on our fascinatingly gruesome tour and sate your morbid curiosity.

Venue: Arnos Vale Cemetery Bath Road Chocolate & Wine Tasting at Averys Event Date: 28th Feb Description: This will be a delicious combination with two of the greatest things in the world coming together – Chocolate and Wine.

Venue: 9 Culver Street, Bristol

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City & Port of Bristol Bowls Club There is always something going on at the City and Port of Bristol Bowling Club. Long after the end of the 2017 season and with thoughts turning to season 2018 and being back on the green in the sunshine there is indoor bowling, social evenings and the annual Winter Break in Torquay.

The second Sunday social event of the close season --- a Beetle Drive, on January 7th saw twenty four bowlers, family and friends enjoying this popular but very frustrating game ---- all about throwing the right number on the dice in the right order and drawing a complete beetle. The winner is the player with the most points after all rounds have been completed and this year’s Beetle Champion was Betty Storer.

The next event will be on Sunday February 11th when eyes down will be the order of the day for an evening of Bingo --- starting at 7.30pm.

Looking ahead ---- the Pre-Season Meeting will be on Thursday March 15th at 7.30pm in the ballroom at the City and Port of Bristol Club.

The green will open on Saturday April 14th and the first home game of the season will be the following day when the visitors will be Bristol Arrow.

There will be two games on all weather greens in 2018 ---- not only the opening one at Wrington on April 11th but also a visit to Imperial on June 13th. Bristol Blind --- always very welcome and interesting to watch ---- will be visitors on July 11th. There will be a visit to the green by a touring team from Swindon on September 1st.

With more than forty mixed friendly games and the Summer Tour, this year on the Isle-ofWight, planned between April and late September --- there is much to look forward to at the bowling club.

The Ladies will once again play in division two of the Bristol and District Ladies League as well as competing in the Top Club and Inter Club Competitions. The men will be looking for promotion from division four of the Bristol and District Men’s League and competing in the Gloucester Two Rink Competition.

Dawn Evans will compete in the Ladies Champion of Champions and David Hinksman will play in the equivalent men’s competition.

Trevor Scanlon and David Hinksman will represent the club in the City and County Men’s Pairs Competition.

The second of three indoor games this winter was played on Saturday January 20th, against Begbrook Green at the City and County Arena. An enjoyable two hour game, played on six rinks came to a very close and exciting conclusion.

With just one rink left to complete their final end City and Port were one shot ahead overall. All eyes focused on that final end and when the last wood had come to rest and the shot count decided ---- Begbrook Green held three and therefore won the game overall by just two. The final score – 82-80 --- what a finish!!

The third and final game will be played on Saturday March 3rd and the opponents will be Severnvale.

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For further information about the club and its activities please call David Hinksman on: 0117 9082713

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How to Generate More Enquiries for Your Business It is rare that a business doesn’t .Now you can ask people to post need more leads. What is usually reviews on a number of sites, more difficult is how to get them. including Facebook and review sites like Trust Pilot. There is Businesses like referrals because nothing wrong with that, in fact it’s a recommendation goes a long great. However, if people search way to generating trust even for your business through Google before the person speaks to you. – and Google is by far the most However, what other ways are popular way of search – these there? reviews won’t typically be apparent.

Basically, these can be split into what are known as on-line What people are most likely to methods i.e. through the internet take notice of is Google Maps on and off-line. What I want to cover the first page of Google. Usually in this article is Local Marketing three businesses show, but more through the internet. if the searcher clicks on the link.

Which they usually do. This is Understandably, many business now the most popular way of owners are wary of the internet. finding businesses online.

Possibly because the internet is unfamiliar territory or too technical Now one of the things about or that whatever marketing Google Maps for Local Search is companies have offered you is that in many business markets, too expensive. business owners have not cottoned on to the power of these However, what many marketing listings. Invariably, there are few, companies won’t tell you is that if any, collecting reviews and for you can do many of the fundathe person searching for say, an mental basics for getting more emergency electrician in Bristol, pre-qualified leads through the only a couple are going to appeal internet yourself. One of those to them. basics is getting on-line reviews.

Indeed, I was looking for a Did you know that people trust commercial solicitor recently. I online reviews almost as much as didn’t have a clue who to choose personal recommendation? Yes, and it was really difficult making I know there may be fake reviews, that choice. However, in the past but these are in the tiny minority few weeks, one firm is starting and usually easy to spot. to appear on the first page and guess what. It’s a no-brainer who Of course, when I’m talking about I’d choose now and I reckon from reviews, it is not so much the an on-line perspective, they’ve reviews you put on your website. probably got the market cornered.

After all, you are unlikely to put negative reviews there! The reviews I’m talking about are the reviews that people put onto review sites and in social media.

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That’s not to say businesses should give up if competition appears tough. People still like a choice and there is still time to get in there before competition becomes greater. Plus, in general, people like 6 to 10 current reviews and quite often, businesses don’t have them.

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Want More Business?

Then you must read this!

BNI is a referral-marketing organisation – more effective and more successful than any other of its kind in the world. Its networking events in Avon & Monmouth are second to none. BNI has created a unique professional environment to help its members develop and exchange qualified business referrals and other exciting ideas to help you build a better business. How? The answer is: Givers Gain. BNI members believe that: “If I give you business you will want to give me business.”

Each week our BNI chapter (St Swithins) comes together to educate one another about each other’s businesses and the prospects they are looking for.

This is collaborative networking on a whole new level and it works. Everyone is there to get more business!

Can BNI St Swithins help my business?

The short answer is: YES. We believe BNI can help any business, large or small, to become more successful. Our unique Referral Marketing System has captured the imagination of over a million businesses.

It goes beyond networking and teaches BNI members how to build trust and credibility with dozens of other business professionals, so that they can become confident enough to refer business to one another.

Real Business Benefits BNI offers numerous business benefits including:

So how does it work?

BNI works through a referral system. You join a group, attend the regular meetings, and over the course of the weeks and months you find referrals for other people while they keep an eye out for referrals for you.

A referral is a chance to do business, not a guarantee of billable work. What’s important is that the referral should be “warmed up” – that is, the person whose details you have been given is expecting your call. BNI is not a cold-call organisation. You should not have to make any cold calls during your time as a member.

What’s unique about the system – and a big plus over many other networking organisations– is that only one person from each profession or trade can join our group. So, once you join St Swithins all your competition is “locked out” What happens in the meetings?

St Swithins BNI meet– 6.45am for a 7am start with breakfast normally a full English. You will find members attending well before that time, engaged in open networking.

You will be finished by 8.30am, allowing you to carry on with your business. It might seem early, but how many of your competitors are doing what you are doing at that time of the morning?

There is open networking – a chance to catch up with fellow members and visitors – a formal part to the meeting where referrals are passed and general BNI business is taken care of, with a breakfast element during the meeting. There’s always plenty of coffee A structured part? That sounds different …

This is to ensure the meeting keeps to time and the opportunities to learn from one another are optimised. There’ll be an education slot to help you in your networking and referral marketing, a round of 60-second pitches where you will get the chance to talk about your business and specific referrals the group want, a 10-minute presentation where a The best way to find out how BNI can help your member of the chapter endeavours to educate the business is to visit our BNI group. We meet every room more about their business and to finish the Friday morning at 6:45am at The Bristol Golf Club meeting a brief account of what the members have just off the M5 junction 17 (Cribbs Causeway) done to benefit the room in the form of and the meeting finishes at about 8:30am giving contributions and business passed. you plenty of time to get to work and grow your business.

• Practical referral marketing training • New business networking techniques • Killer elevator pitch ideas • Workshops to win more business, more often

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Current Members Of Green Image Sign Systems BNI St Swithins Daniel www.imagesignsystems.co.uk Amanda Cunnington Floor Blimey www.floorblimey.co.uk amanda@floorblimey.co.uk 01934 611442 Andy Lane Lane Pearson Automotive www.lanepearson.co.uk andy@lanepearson.co.uk 01179 593 773 Barry Lumsden Utility Warehouse

www.utilitywarehouse.co.uk

bl@ha-uk.com 07496 004298 Ben Hirst

Future Wealth Management

www.f-w-m.co.uk/ bh@f-w-m.co.uk 07849 910762

Chris Burn CSRB Limited www.csrb.co.uk chris.burn@csrb.co.uk 0117 325 0830 Dan Hopley Autograph Recruitment

www.autographrecruitment.co.uk

dan.hopley@autographrecruitment.com 01454 55088 Megan Davis The HR Dept (Bristol) Ltd www.hrdept.co.uk megan.davis@hrdept.co.uk 0117 970 2955 Mike Gerrish Carn Gerrish Creative www.carngerrish.co.uk mike@carngerrish.co.uk 0117 966 6448 Craig Randell

Richard Corney LA Electrical Services www.laelectrical.com richard.corney@laelectrical.com 01454 633 336

dan@image-sign.co.uk 01934 520593

Ron Harpley A & L Building Services www.alsconstructionservices.co.uk rharpley@talktalk.net 0117 982 3166

Debbie Urch Kings Ransom www.kingsransom.biz debbie.urch@kingransom.biz 01275 857 399 Jamie Fryer Ambience Grounds Maintenance www.ambiencelandscapes.co.uk jamie@ambiencelandscapes.co.uk 0117 971 1742 Jason Lock Epic Heating Ltd www.epicheating.co.uk epicheating@gmail.com 07921 813485

Scott Hudson Ocean Letting & Management www.oceanhome.co.uk s.hudson@oceanhome.co.uk 01454 205 077 Suzi Poole ie (Website and Marketing) www.ie-marketing.co.uk suzi@ie-marketing.co.uk 0117 907 9930 Thomas Crane Lucid Financial Services Ltd www.lucidfs.com tom@lucidfs.com 07792 944659

John keel Alliance Communications www.alliancecoms.com john.keel@alliancecoms.com 0117 370 0900 Miles Kitching Techvolution Ltd www.techvolution.co.uk miles.kitching@techvolution.co.uk 0333 200 4660

Tony Scrase T.S.A Chartterd Accountants www.tsabusinessadvisors.co.uk tscrase@tsabusinessadvisors.co.uk 0117 923 5394

Nicola Richardson Richardson’s Wills Ltd www.richardsonswills.co.uk Nicola@richardsonswills.co.uk 01275 851 056 Paul Neck Business Doctors paulneck@businessdoctors.co.uk 07786 070564 Richard Burden Nexcen Ltd www.nexcen.co.uk richard@nexcen.co.uk 01454 299882

Personal Trainer

craig@craigrandell.com 07538 948 955

So how do you get involved?

We have regular visitor days throughout the year, our first one of 2018 is on 16th of February.

Please call the number below to find out more information about coming long.

Telephone 0117 322 4004 But don’t wait until then… come any Friday 23

WEBSITE DESIGN Professional, creative website design for small and medium sized businesses

Is your current website giving your customers a good first impression?

Your website is often the first impression a potential customer has of your business.

If it doesn’t look professional and clearly explain what you offer then a visitor simply won’t buy from you.

We specialise in designing and building quality websites for small and medium sized businesses that look good and get results.

carn gerrish creative

Our websites are... u Professionally designed u Mobile friendly u Search Engine Optimised u Scalable u Updatable u Future proof

For a FREE quote call us on

0117 9666 448

websites | e-commerce | brochures | leaflets | catalogues | photography | displays www.carngerrish.co.uk | info@carngerrish.co.uk

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Distracted or Disciplined – It’s up to you!

The mobile phone has been perhaps the most valuable tool for business people – whether the business is small or large.

Even with the business mobile phone you may need to divert calls to a messaging service so you can concentrate, only look at emails at coffee breaks and lunch breaks and structure your day so you can be responsive, but at the same time be able get your work done.

In the same breath, you will probably admit that it can also be the greatest distraction. Personal calls, “apps” sending notifications, surfing the internet, checking lottery numbers, games, and If you take a short time to put in place a structure of course the constant invasion of emails and texts. that suits your business, and then discipline yourself to work it for a month, you could be pleasantly Not so long ago only “important” people had more surprised how much more productive you become. than one mobile phone. But now some companies are making it mandatory that they own the business phone and its contents. And many smaller business owners are purposefully separating their business mobile phone from their home calls and activities.

By so doing you can put all of the distracting and “entertainment” apps and emails on the personal phone – which you can turn off through most of the day, and only “use” the business mobile during working hours.

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ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE

OMG! 99p A DAY

We have some of the best & most exciting Star Wars collectables on this planet. @moss 278 Weels Road Bristol BS4 2PU 01179082308

Terms & Conditions Apply

www.barberontrym007.co.uk 10 Carlton Court Westbury On Trym Bristol BS9 3DF

barberontrym@yahoo.co.uk

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

www.avoncarpetcleaning.co.uk

Tel: 0117 3180979

0117 3305520

Green Man Strive To Provide The Absolute Best Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Service

Garden Trappings

Tree Shaping services

10 Canford Lane W-O-T We sell plant's,flowers for gardens, troughs,planters,baskets. etc most of our stock is grown within three miles from us.

Tel: 07970 930501

Kevin Lee Shaping Pruning Formative Pruning Sectional Felling Thining Dead Tree Removal

Tel: 07446 031428 www.facebook.com/ treeshapingservices

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A Tale of Two Arenas Once upon a time there was a thriving city in the west of the country. It had a long and proud history, including being the second port of the realm in days long gone, but time has not been kind to the city; its castle was destroyed and buried, its Great Western Railway and SS Great Britain designed by a multi- talented genius were pioneering in their day and led the way, but the city fell into complacency and settled for adequate or “that will do” rather than the high standards in the past. Its Centre became nondescript, other cities caught up, overtook, and became more attractive to their citizens.

Other cities attracted the creative artistes of the time who performed and demonstrated their talents in arenas, built for this purpose and to entertain local people and visitors; indeed a famous name appearing brought in people from the rest of the country who spent lots of money in restaurants, cafes, staying over nights in hotels and in the shops. But inequality in our city grew, with a clear divide between the richer north, well served by classy restaurants and the much poorer south where jobs were low paid, travel was difficult as that had fallen behind the times more than anything else in the city, and the people grew discontented.

So an arena was proposed, a site selected, sensibly very close to the train station so that the large crowds attending could be transported easily and conveniently. Investment started to rise in hotels, restaurants, cafes and shops, with jobs being created that local people could fill. A very vocal lobby insisted against all evidence at other arenas however, that people going to concerts like to cycle or walk, so a large amount of the people’s taxes were spent preparing the site, including an unnecessary “bridge to nowhere”.

There, the project stalled as so much had been spent that the “powers that be” panicked.

Another site for an arena appeared in a neighbouring area, outside the city, in the middle of nowhere with no transport routes nearby, no hotels, no food outlets, indeed it was just a large shed. But the Council thought that this could be adapted more cheaply than building an arena in a convenient city centre site. They ignored the wider cost benefits to the city of more wealth creation through more jobs, more visitors and a happier populace who would see the talent of the time without the need to travel elsewhere. They asked for a report from ‘experts’ who were brought into the city at great expense to justify their decision.

So the city continued its genteel decline from being a trailblazer to becoming an ‘also ran’.

Meanwhile, the area close to the arena outside the city grew as it attracted new buildings that provided jobs that city people had difficulty travelling to; there were more cars on the congested motorways and the politicians demanded cleaner air and less pollution…

Dream on! It doesn’t need to be this way. Let your Mayor and local Council know that an Arena in Bristol would be a good thing for the city in so many ways; support your MPs Karin Smyth and Thangam Debbonaire who are fighting for the city arena to be built.

Let’s live the dream and see our favourite artistes in our city.

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Pembroke Road Garage Tel: 0117 9827396 Mob: 07798 898721

MOT’s Tyres Servicing Welding Repairs Diagnostics Air Conditioning

Free Re-test Courtesy Vehicles Body Work Motorcycles Vans Mini Buses

www.pembrokerdgarage.co.uk Pembroke Road, Shirehampton, BS11 9SB 29

www.pearcebros.com

Tel: 01454 313556 yate.hire@pearcebros.co.uk mark.powell@pearcebros.co.uk

Bristol's Leading Business Contract Hire Specialist

Let us know what you need and we will find it for you!

Pearce Bros are one of the leading independent contract hire companies in the Bristol and Gloucestershire regions

The Benefits Of Choosing Business Contract Hire With Us! Any make and model available; cars or commercials 12 - 48 month contract options Contract offered with or without maintenance Low cost deposit can assist cashflow We offer fixed - cost budgeting for period of contract No residual value worries or disposal costs at end of contract New vehicles supplied on a regular cycle helping you keep a good company image Fleet management available Expanding your fleet - managing your cost control Improve your carbon footprint by upgrading to newer vehicles Able to trade in your older vehicle and upgrade, enhancing company image

“Pearce Bros has been operating for over 40 years so let us supply your fleet and keep you on the road�

10-14 Stover Road, Yate, Bristol, BS37 5JN

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Cavity Wall Insulation Problems?

YOU could be entitled to compensation of between...

£10,000 to £25,000 Do you live in a System Built House?

It’s estimated that 3 million homes in the UK will suffer damage due to insulation being fitted incorrectly, and in many circumstances shouldn’t have been fitted at all.

If you live in this type of concrete / timber construction (pictured) and have had Cavity Wall Insulation in the last 14 years, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE Cavity Wall Insulation should not have been installed.

In more traditionally built properties Cavity Wall Insulation may be causing long-term problems because of poor installation.

Don’t let your home suffer, not dealing with these issues, call us today!

Do You Suffer from: Damp Patches Crumbling Plaster Blocked Air Vents Rising Damp Penetrating Damp Condensation Mould Structural problems Free Inspection and survey Easy Claim process NO WIN NO FEE Nothing to Lose, A lot to gain

Tel: 0800 144 8266 Web: www.Helpinu.com 31

TRAINING  SERVICE  SALES  HIRE

Bristol's Largest Independent Construction Health & Safety Training Centre

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IPAF PASMA Forklift Manual Handling Asbestos Awareness

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CITB Health & Safety Awareness CITB SSSTS and Refreshers CITB SMSTS and Refreshers First Aid Face Fit Testing

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Abrasive Wheels Working at Height Scaffold Inspection Ladder & Steps and more...

0117 967 0811 info@davisaccess.co.uk | www.davisaccess.co.uk Unit 4, Bakers Park, Cater Road, Bishopsworth, Bristol, BS13 7TT 32