Fishponds Voice January 2023

Dave sings again

Speeding danger

'Cruel and savage' killers jailed

TWO killers who lived in Fishponds and Speedwell have been jailed for life for the "sadistic, senseless and cruel" murder of two other men.

Ionut-Valentin Boboc must serve a minimum of 37 and a half years and co-defendant Jacob Bebe Chers at least 40 years, after they were convicted of

killing Denzil McKenzie and Fahad Pramanik. The victims were found dead with multiple stab wounds at Mr McKenzie's Easton home, following an attack which sentencing judge Mrs Justice Cutts described as "cruel and savage".

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'20 deaths' from blunder

A BLUNDER at a covid testing lab which resulted in almost 40,000 people being given false negative results may have caused more than 20 deaths, a report has found.

People using NHS Test and Trace facilities in Bristol and South Gloucestershire between September and October 2021 were among those whose PCR test results falsely said they did not have coronavirus.

An investigation by the UK Health Security Agency in to "errors" at the private Immensa laboratory in Wolverhampton found threshold levels for reporting positive and negative results were incorrectly set. Around 10% of people who were tested were told they did not have Covid-19 when they did have the disease.

Experts who worked on the investigation estimated that the mistakes caused an extra 55,000 infections, 680 hospitalisations and 20 deaths.

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UKHSA Chief Executive Jenny Harries said in November that many of the the report's recommendations had already been implemented.

Dante Labs, which owns Immensa, did not respond to our request for a comment.

Strep A cases at school

A STAPLETON school has received confirmation that three pupils tested positive for bacterial infection Strep A. Begbrook Primary Academy issued a statement in December amid national concerns over a national spike in child illnesses.

LOCAL INFORMATION

Bristol City Council http://www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000

Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk general enquiries: 101 Emergency: 999

Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk General enquiries: 0117 926 2061 Emergency: 999

COMPLAINTS

NHS 111 Safer Stronger team sscg@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009

Anti social behaviour team asbreporting@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868582 Streetcare/litter/vandalism etc streetcare@southglos.gov.uk Environment/trading standards 01454 868001

Well Aware Health and social care information www.wellaware.org.uk Tel: (freephone) 0808 808 5252

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The school issued a statement, which said: "The academy is following the national guidance and the advice from the local Health Protection Team.

"The academy has prepared carefully for this situation and is ensuring that all parents remain informed, both of the situation in school and the official advice to parents from the Health Protection Team.

"The academy has rigorously enacted the control measures advised in the national guidance to keep everyone in the community safe and limit any potential spread, and will continue to work proactively in the best interests of all in our community."

Strep A is a common type of bacteria and the NHS says most infections are mild and easily treated, but some are more serious, and the infection has been linked to at least 19 deaths of children between September and December.

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'Sadistic, senseless and cruel'

From page 1

Avon and Somerset Police said officers found what was described in court as “a house of horror” when they went to Mr McKenzie's home in Wood Street, after a relative of Boboc called 999 on September 12, 2021.

The jury was told Mr McKenzie had been stabbed 23 times and Mr Pramanik three, with further injuries inflicted after death. Mr Pramanik had been disembowelled, in a "gruesome echo" of the defendants' work butchering pigs at the Pilgrim's Pride Tulip abattoir in Westerleigh, where they had first met Mr McKenzie.

Boboc, aged 22, who was living Abingdon Road in Fishponds at the time of the murders, had admitted murdering Mr McKenzie but was also found guilty of murdering Mr Pramanik after a month-long trial, which finished in early December.

Chers, aged 46, of Whitefield Road, Speedwell, denied both murders but was also convicted.

Sentencing them on December 21, Mrs Justice Cutts said the men had planned their attack on Mr McKenzie, 56, and had killed Mr Pramanik, 27, who had been visiting their former colleague, to prevent him being a witness against them.

She said both victims must have been “terrified” and rejected the killers' claims they acted in self-defence. They had brought the knives they used with them, and attempted to cover up the murders afterwards.

Detectives gathered hundreds of hours of video footage, including some showing the two men arriving at Mr McKenzie's house and leaving later with stolen property.

They were also recorded visiting Coombe Brook nature reserve, near Moorlands Road, which lies between their homes. Police later found they had dumped evidence there.

After the case Mr McKenzie's family thanked the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

They said: "Denzil was a lovely, quiet, kind man and we miss him every day.

"This sentence certainly will never bring him back but the hope is that some justice is served and it will keep the defendants from committing such a heinous crime again."

Senior Investigating Officer DCI Mark Almond said: "The offences carried out by these defendants were sadistic, senseless and cruel. They’ve shown no remorse for their actions and have put the families of the victims through further torment as a result.

"This has been a harrowing investigation from the outset and our hearts go out to the families of Denzil and Fahad, who’ve been through an ordeal no-one should ever have to endure.

“I hope today’s substantial sentences will provide some comfort as they continue to come to terms with the senseless loss of their loved ones.

“While we may never know why these defendants chose to murder two innocent people, it remains clear they are dangerous and violent men, and our communities are a safer place with them behind bars."

“The impact from engaging with Future Bright, on all aspects of my life, has been life changing.”

Ionut Boboc

Jacob Bebe Chers

Cameras and fines for drivers breaking ban

FINES for drivers who make banned left turns at a busy Fishponds junction have moved a step closer.

The left turn from Fishponds Road into Hockeys Lane, at the junction between Morrisons and Aldi, is one of six which have been approved for enforcement cameras and fines by the city council.

Drivers who get caught breaking the rules there could be fined from next summer.

Councils across the country are getting new powers to enforce moving traffic offences, which the police are currently responsible for enforcing.

Offences include illegal U-turns, driving the wrong way down a one-way street or turning left or right where this is prohibited.

The council’s cabinet approved the new measures, which also cover sites in Withywood, Redland, St George and Temple Meads, on December 6.

They now need a final signoff from the Department for Transport, before the scheme takes effect.

Cabinet member for transport Don Alexander said: “We have long campaigned to deal with moving traffic enforcement. Being able to enforce moving traffic contraventions across the city will add to road safety measures that are already being taken to make sure Bristol’s roads are safer for its citizens and drivers.

“We’ll look at how we make the most of these powers in other

Eastville and Frome Vale councillors Marley Bennett and Amal Ali, whose ward boundary runs along Hockeys Lane, have backed enforcing the ban

locations, balanced with the resources. Mobile cameras might be an option in future. These six locations are a great start, as they are known problem areas. Moving traffic enforcement gives us direct control to ensure those who break the law are penalised.”

Left turns from Fishponds Road into Hockey's Lane were banned in 2011 as part of work to install a bus lane but are often ignored, with the result that drivers make illegal turns while pedestrian crossings are green.

There have been repeated reports of near-misses and

demands for action to tackle the problem for years, including a petition calling for legal left turns to be reinstated and a call for traffic in all directions to be stopped while the pedestrian crossing is at green.

Hockey's Lane is at the boundary of the council's Eastville and Frome Vale wards.

When the camera plans were first announced in September, Frome Vale city councillor Amal Ali told the Voice she had been lobbying the council to prioritise action at the junction on behalf of local residents, saying: "These turns are banned for good reason – pedestrians crossing the road and cyclists going down Fishponds Road risk being hit by reckless drivers.

"Having a camera there will hopefully mean drivers think twice about carelessly ignoring rules, so this will make a dangerous crossing in my ward much safer."

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Shock as Shaws shuts suddenly

MYSTERY surrounds the future of a Fishponds shop after it suddenly sold off its remaining stock and closed its doors days before Christmas.

Shaws the Drapers, on Fishponds Road, is one of a chain of 28 stores run by a Wales-based company which has been trading for more than 100 years.

The firm is known for its range of home accessories and furnishings, such as bedding and curtains, as well as underwear, knitting and crochet equipment.

But along with the company's other stores in the Bristol area, including Kingswood and Yate, it was emptied of stock and staff in the week leading up to Christmas Eve.

Queues formed at tills in mid-December, as stores put up posters advertising an "everything half price" offer.

Most shelves were quickly left bare, with the branches shutting once there was no more stock to sell.

There had been no official announcement about the future of the business as the Voice went to print, and one member of Shaws staff told the Voice they had not been told anything by the company about their future.

A reporter contacted Shaws' head office in Cardiff and was asked to send an email, so a 'Mr

Shaw' could get back with a comment - but there was no response as the Voice went to print.

Shaws also has a website for online sales, which was operating on December 22 - but most of the links, including those to its product range, were not linking to active pages.

BBC Wales reported that it had contacted Philip Shaw, one the owners, who said the company's intention was to "carry on as normal".

The corporation said a letter sent to all members of staff told them "we are likely to need to make some changes to the business in the new year" and said no stock was being ordered to the warehouse but made no mention of store closures or job losses.

Post office closure date

THE Post Office has confirmed the date when Stapleton's McColl's branch, which includes one of its counters, will shut.

The convenience store in Frome Valley Road, Begbrook, is one of 132 that owner Morrisons is shutting across the country.

Most closed in December but Morrisons, which bought McColl's from administrators last May, said 55 with post offices would have their closure delayed "to enable them to serve their communities through Christmas and to allow the Post Office additional time to make alternative arrangements".

Post Office Ltd launched a consultation during December and revealed that the shop would close for the final time on January 5 at 5.30pm.

The firm says it will be "evaluating Post Office service provision in the area" and called on people with questions or suggestions to email its consultation team at comments@ postoffice.co.uk.

The Shaws branch in Fishponds Road, near the Manor Road junction

At the start of the New Year it’s the time we can feel refreshed and take the opportunity to look ahead to the coming New Year. It’s a long standing tradition, a necessity maybe, to make New Year's resolutions.

Where do New Year’s resolutions come from?

New Year’s resolutions are reported to have started as far back as Babylonian times. That’s around 4,000 years ago! Back then, the start of the new year was in March, when the crops were planted. People would reaffirm loyalty to the King and make promises to their gods to return borrowed items and pay their debts. In Roman times, just over 2,000 years ago, Julius Caesar changed the calendar and set the 1st of January as the start of the new year. The Roman people made promises to their gods of good conduct for the coming year. For early Christians the 1st day of the year became the time they traditionally thought about their past mistakes and resolved to do better in the future.

Who makes New Year’s resolutions now?

Well actually around half of us continue this traditional practice. These days we tend to make promises to ourselves - which often focus on self improvement (or self-efficacy - our belief in our ability to act in ways necessary to reach specific goals!). However surveys continue to show that despite 50% of us making these promises to ourselves only 10% of us actually manage to keep these.

What are our New Year’s resolutions at Turners Opticians?

For us as a practice we’re committed year in year out to looking after the eyecare and vision needs of our patients. We’ve also been quietly working towards becoming a more sustainable Optometry practice too. This year we’re making the resolution as a team to commit to sustainable optometryour new look website will have full detail on this very soon!

What else are we committed to at Turners Opticians?

Well, no New Year blog would be complete without mentioning glasses and our key focus - making sure you look & feel great in your glasses. One of our favourite frame collections for everyday luxury is Tom Davis. Time and time again our patient’s tell us that they love not only the look and feel of their new glasses but also just how comfortable they are to wear - all day.

Whether you make New year’s resolutions or not, we’re aiming to be in the 10% who actually manage to keep them! We’ll keep you posted on our progress.

If you’re looking for fab new glasses that not only look amazing but are also super comfortable then why not pop in and see our friendly team for a frame styling consultation?

You can contact our Henleaze or Fishponds practices online, by email or by calling 0117 962 2474 or 0117 965 4434. Have an amazing New Year everyone!

Peter Turner is a Senior Optometrist at Turners Opticians in Bristol and also works part-time as a Senior Medical Optometrist at the Bristol Eye Hospital..

Matilda's a massive hit at Bristol Met

A CAST and crew of nearly 100 students put on a show to remember at Bristol Metropolitan Academy.

The Fishponds school's first show for three years following the pandemic was a musical production of Matilda, Roald Dahl's story of a girl with magical powers who uses them to take revenge on her abusive parents and the overthrow the sadistic principal of her school.

The Bristol Met production played to sell-out audiences, with more than 1,200 people coming to see it.

On a set recreating the story's Crunchem Hall school and the infamous Chokey, where the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull imprisons pupils she is trying to break, the lead role was shared between Year 8 pupil Molly Sykes Jerrold and Lyra Larkin, who is in Year 9.

Molly said: "I have loved playing every second of Matilda."

Director and drama programme leader Meesh Vince said: "The show really was

nothing short of phenomenal.

"Our 96 incredibly talented students in cast and crew, from Years 7 to 11, have worked on the production for over 12 months.

"I had a dedicated staff team who worked tirelessly with the students on a weekly basis outside of school hours.

"Our art and design

technology staff and students contributed to the set.

"A team of students even choreographed and taught the fantastic dances, DT teacher Dave Vince constructed the spectacular set, with illusionary special effects, and drama teacher Lucie Morrish taught all the songs, lead vocals and

harmonies.

"The sense of belonging between the students will continue to be very special.

"Every single person who came to see this show was gifted a magical experience."

One teacher who watched the show said it was the best they had seen in over 50 years of teaching, while other audience members praised the pupils' professionalism, with one saying it was "like watching a mini West End show.”

Bristol Met students in Matilda

'Do something before someone is killed

RESIDENTS of a road used as a cut-through by drivers say something needs to be done about speeding before someone is killed or injured.

Forest Avenue, in Hillfields, links Thicket Avenue and Forest Road and is used by drivers travelling between Soundwell, Kingswood and Fishponds Road, including people trying to avoid lights on Lodge Causeway.

But people who live on the road are concerned by the speed of some drivers and say scrapes, broken wing mirrors, noise and road rage confrontations are common.

Over the past year a van has crossed a footpath and crashed through a hedge at the junction with Beechen Drive, a car has overturned and a resident's parked car has been written off after hit by a passing vehicle.

That resident, Alex Morris, says she feels "utter desperation" that no measures are being taken to discourage dangerous driving.

She said: "The recent

collisions have all been recorded by Avon and Somerset police as ‘minor knocks and dents’ but the stats are not a true reflection of how dangerous the road is.

"These are dangerous near misses and it is only a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured."

Alex says she is shocked at "speed and aggression" of drivers on the road.

She said: "Forest Avenue is

a highly populated residential street, which leads to a park, nursery, shops and the Bristol to Bath cycle path, and also a road where parents park and walk their children to two primary schools, St Joseph’s and Minerva.

"It is a long straight road used as a cut-through and there is nothing along the road to deter or slow speeding vehicles, including signs, speed bumps or

other traffic calming devices."

Alex's daughter April, aged 10, said: "I've seen people speed down here really fast."

Fellow resident Jenny GalOr said: "I'm concerned that someone has got to be killed for them to actually do anything."

Jenny said residents had abuse from other drivers when they tried to get on or off drives, particularly during school pickup and drop-off times.

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: "I'm surprised no-one has been killed."

An Avon & Somerset police spokesperson said four collisions had been recorded on Forest Avenue during the past three years, only one of which involved a reported injury.

However some damage-only collisions may not have been reported to the police.

The spokesperson said the road had not been "identified as a concern either through a high number of reported collisions

Alex Morris, her daughter April and Jenny Gal-Or next to Forest Avenue

or hurt'

or for speeding" but the neighbourhood PC had been made aware of the residents' concerns.

She added: "People can flag issues to their neighbourhood policing team or raise a community speed concern through the website.

"We will also support communities who wish to set up a voluntary Community Speed Watch. "Volunteers are trained to use speed monitoring equipment and pass on the details of vehicles driven over the speed limit to the police, who then write a warning letter to the registered keeper."

A city council spokesperson said residents could report road safety concerns or request improvements to a street on the website www. bristol.gov.uk/improve-mystreet.

The spokesperson added: "In the case of Forest Avenue, the council has not received

any reports of road safety issues via Improve My Street in the last four years or been notified via the area committee it is a local priority. The road is therefore currently not on our list of locations to consider for traffic calming."

Hillfields ward councillors Craig Cheney and Ellie King said they were "concerned" at the reports of speeding and dangerous driving, and called on residents to contact them to share their experiences and say whether improvements should be installed.

They said: "If there’s significant support from

local residents to have traffic calming measures installed, we’ll put in a funding bid to install some when the process reopens in next year. We’ll then host meetings with the Hillfields community so we can design the specifics of the scheme together.

"Funding for traffic calming measures is limited, so the more people that want some installed, the more likely it is our bid will be approved."

They urged residents to contact them by email at Cllr. ellie.king@bristol.gov.uk or Cllr.craig.cheney@bristol. gov.uk.

Road closure coming

THE city council is applying for funding to pedestrianise a road linking Eastville and Easton.

The closure of Rosemary Lane was first proposed in 2017, as part of the ‘Easton Safer Streets’ project.

Eastville ward councillor Marley Bennett said the closure would make the road safer for pedestrians and cyclists and encourage children and parents to cycle or walk to the nearby May Park Primary School, as well as cutting air pollution.

The scheme is currently being developed by transport officers and will be included in a full report to the council cabinet in January.

Cllr Bennett encouraged residents to contact him before a formal public consultation in the New Year, and said: "I know many Eastville residents share my view on this, but I would like to stress that we will only move ahead with the scheme if local residents demonstrate their support for this."

Alex's car was written off while parked on the road in July

Bid to take control of buses wins backing

A DEAL to take the power to set Bristol's bus timetables and fares away from bus companies has been backed in a key vote at the city council.

Bus franchising would see the West of England Combined Authority have direct control over routes, timetables, prices and which companies operate services - a model already used in London.

Pressure is growing on Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who leads WECA, to explore how franchising could solve the region’s bus crisis.

A majority of Bristol councillors backed calls urging him to consider bus franchising, with a motion from Liberal Democrats supported by the Green and Labour groups.

A Labour amendment, backed by the Greens and Lib Dems, called on the government to overturn a ban on setting up publicly-owned bus companies.

The campaign is gaining momentum after a series of cuts to local services by commercial operator First, which blames driver shortages.

Lib Dem councillor Andrew Brown tabled the motion to a council meeting on December 13 urging Mr Norris to launch a feasibility study into franchising.

He said: “There are all sorts of reasons why Bristol’s buses are failing our citizens.

Campaigners calling for bus services across the region to be franchised delivered an open letter signed by 1,500 people to South Gloucestershire Council in Kingswood

But anyone who lives in Bristol, particularly those who live in outlying communities, will tell you that these aren’t just down to the pandemic and current driver shortage. The truth is the service has been struggling for years."

Buses across the country used to be run by council-owned companies, like the Bristol Omnibus Company, before most were privatised in the 1980s. Franchising would see WECA commission private operators to run routes across the region.

Labour councillor Tim Rippington

said: “Franchise systems are still a form of privatised system. Public services put people’s needs before profit, whereas private companies make a profit from public services by cutting corners or under-investing."

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: “Franchising is not perfect but it is, I believe, the best tool available to local authorities to exert some much-needed control over the quality of our local bus services.”

Calls for publicly owned buses were opposed by the Conservatives, who likened the risk to the council to Bristol Energy, the failed council-owned energy company.

Group leader Mark Weston said: “The main problem we have with buses is a shortage of drivers. It’s not the only one, but it’s the main one exacerbating every other problem we’re having. Franchising or public ownership don’t solve that."

His comment echoed Mr Norris's view that franchising was still “on the table but not a quick fix”, and would not solve the current shortage of drivers.

An letter to Mr Norris about franchising and signed by more than 1,500 people, was presented at a meeting of South Glos Council the day after the Bristol vote.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

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Exploring new opportunities at Hillfields Library

OLDER people living in Hillfields are being invited to come together, find friendship and new things to do.

A new group called Silver Explorers has been set up by the Friends of Hillfields Library and is meeting every week at the library in Summerleaze.

Aimed at people aged 60 and over who live on the estate, it is free - and older residents are invited to drop in and try a session out.

The group has a variety of activities available, and project manager Sarah Rogers says sessions will be shaped by the interests of the people who have come along.

So far crafts, music, storytelling, local history, games, gardening and information on subjects from health to scam awareness have been suggested.

Free tea and coffee are also available at the sessions, which are held every Friday from 10am to noon - outside the library's regular opening hours.

They are being funded until the end of April by charitable body the Quartet Foundation.

Sarah said: "Some of our older population are isolated. There's not a lot of things to do - those things there are to do are not free. This is a free thing that's local and accessible."

Attending one of the sessions in December was Ken Pearce, aged 90, a Korean War veteran and one of Hillfields' oldest residents, who has lived on the

estate all his life.

Also taking part was resident Marlene Civill, who said: "It's something to look forward to."

Set up last spring, the Friends of Hillfields Library is a small group and is looking for more volunteers to get involved.

Sarah said: "It's a new group and we're eager for more people with some get up and go to help blow some more life into the library.

"There's a lot of potential

and opportunity and we'd like more people to help build a community with us."

From January 9 onwards the Friends will be working with the city council to open the library from 12.15-6pm every Monday as part of Bristol's Welcoming Spaces programme, for people to drop in, have a hot drink, keep warm, socialise, use the Wi-Fi and get support.

The library's staff already run a programme of events, including knit and natter sessions on Tuesdays from 2-4pm, baby bounce and story time sessions on Wednesdays at noon and crafts on Saturdays from 2-4pm.

The library's regular opening hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am-5pm and Saturdays from 11am-5pm.

To get involved with the Friends, email friendsofhillfieldslibrary@ gmail.com or visit the group's Facebook page.

Residents, volunteers and ward councillor Ellie King make Christmas decorations during a craft session of Hillfields Library's Silver Explorers group in December

Fifth murder arrest

POLICE investigating the murder of a Fishponds man have arrested a fifth person.

The 18-year-old man handed himself into police custody on December 5, soon after police shared an image on social media of a person they wanted to trace in connection with their investigation into the killing of Takayo Nembhard at Notting Hill Carnival in August.

Four other people had already been arrested in connection with the death of Takayo, who was stabbed as he visited the carnival with his sister and friends.

The 21-year-old former Bristol Rovers academy footballer, who was building a career as a rapper performing and recording as TKorStretch, was expecting a child with his girlfriend Oshian Edwards. Their son was born in November.

The other people arrested in connection with the murder are a 23-year-old man, another 18-year-old man and a boy aged 17, who were all arrested in Bristol and have since been released on bail or under investigation. A 20-year-old woman was arrested in London on suspicion of assisting an offender and has also been bailed.

Police say they still need to trace another man, whose image was released in November. Det Insp Laura Semple of the Met's specialist crime unit, said: “Do you know who this person is? He was caught on CCTV at the Carnival and we still urgently need to trace him.”

A dedicated page has been set up where witnesses can upload photos and videos of the incident, at the police Public Portal site (mipp.police.uk) Information can also be given direct to the incident room on 020 7175 2206 or by tweeting @MetCC quoting 7478/29AUG, or anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Opera expert helps Dave sing again after Covid

WHEN Dave Smith caught Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, it was the start of an ordeal which almost claimed his life.

The retired driving instructor, who lives near Oldbury Court, had been given the all-clear from leukaemia only a week before and, with an immune system weakened by chemotherapy drugs, he came close to death several times. He even arranged the music for his funeral service.

After ten months with the disease - the longest recorded case in the world at the time - he was finally given the all-clear after being given experimental antibody treatment, and began a long road to recovery in 2021.

Dave, 74, had suffered chest infections and pneumonia, and was left with pulmonary fibrosis, a form of lung disease which meant he had only half his previous lung capacity.

But he never gave up hope of going back to singing and playing guitar, having performed for 57 years, including a long stint in the house band at Bristol's Locarno club in the 1970s.

In December Dave fulfilled his dream of taking to the stage again, strapping on his red Fender Stratocaster guitar and singing in front of a capacity crowd at the Langley Arms pub in Emersons Green, where he has been hosting a weekly quiz for 23 years.

Police still need to trace this man

It was made possible thanks to a ground-breaking course called ENO Breathe, devised by the English National Opera in conjunction with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust to tackle post-covid breathlessness and anxiety.

Dave, who was a driving instructor for 43 years and whose EL Passo cars were once a familiar sight on Bristol streets, joined a group of 20 people, including some opera singers,

for six weeks of remote sessions carried out over Zoom.

The course included a series of breathing and vocalising exercises, led by singing specialist and creative director Suzi Zumpe.

Dave said: "Suzy has been a very good teacher and explained the science behind it.

"If I'd known her exercises 60 years ago, I might have had a better singing career!"

Suzy came to the gig at the

Langley Arms and performed a duet with Dave of a song they practised on the course, Gershwin's Summertime, from the opera Porgy and Bess.

Dave and fellow musicians Tony Ogden and Mike Cashley performed hits by bands including Dire Straits, The Eagles and Status Quo, before finishing with Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody.

Dave said: "The gig was absolutely brilliant - the place was full and it was a magical night."

The band played two setsthe first of 45 minutes but the second was shorter, as Dave felt the effects of performing.

He said: "I could hardly stand at the end - they had to help me into my car.

"I felt like I'd been hit by a bus the next day."

Suzi said: "It was an honour to get to share the stage with Dave.

"His transformation through the six weeks of ENO Breathe was incredible.

"Getting to see Dave's first performance after covid was just

spectacular, and I found it so touching to see Dave doing what he loves most again."

Another special guest at the gig was Dr Ed Moran, from Southmead Hospital, who had treated Dave during his battle with covid.

The whole event was filmed by the BBC, whose presenter Jon Kay found out about the ENO Breathe programme and also arranged a surprise video meet-up for Dave before the gig with one of his musical heroes, Status Quo's Francis Rossi, who was preparing for his own show at Wembley Arena.

Dave said: "I didn't recognise him at first, without the ponytail!

"We had a 15-minute chat, talking about the old days - back in the 70s we used to play lots of Status Quo."

But having fulfilled his ambition, Dave is not looking to start gigging regularly again.

He said: "If Status Quo asked me to do a world tour, I might have to decline!"

For more information on the course visit www.eno.org/ breathe.

Dave Smith with wife Lyn and Dr Ed Moran at his comeback gig

Budget cuts warning over parks

BRISTOL'S parks face a “spiral of decline” from huge proposed cuts in the city council’s budget, campaigners warn.

The city’s Parks Forum, which works to protect green spaces for residents, says a planned £1.5 million savings amount to a quarter of the annual cost of maintaining them.

It says the parks service has “already been cut to the bone” and could “cease to exist”.

The cuts are so severe that they add up to more than the current amount of money the council provides – about £1.3m in the current financial year –meaning parks would become a “net contributor” to City Hall’s coffers and be expected to make money that would help prop up other services.

Furious forum members are urging the cabinet to scrap the idea.

The measures are part of efforts by Bristol City Council to bridge a £31m shortfall for

2023/24, part of a funding gap over the next five years projected between £37.5m and £87.6m.

In a briefing note on its website about the draft budget, Bristol Parks Forum said the cost of maintaining the open spaces was between £6m and £7m a year, so a £1.5m cutback meant up to 25% less money available.

It said there was likely to be a similar reduction in parks service staff, with cash set aside for redundancies in 2023/24 before the budget cuts fully kick in.

The forum said: “Reduced staff costs mean reduced staff numbers.

“This will mean less work will be done, less grass cutting, less bin-emptying, less repairs, fewer people to answer queries, fewer people to support park groups and other volunteers, fewer people to assess the likely impact of events or activities planned in parks and green spaces by other organisations.

“There is a suggestion that

volunteers can take up some of the slack and do more - however, volunteers are likely to lose heart if basic maintenance isn’t done and, in any case, will in most cases not have the time, skills, training or equipment to take on maintenance activities.

“They will not want to be in a position of taking on work previously done by staff who have been made redundant.

“Volunteering should provide the ‘cherry on the cake’, adding extras to the service provided by the council.

“To achieve an imposed budget reduction of £1.5m from April 2024, the parks service would have no option other than to start on a process of downsizing and making staff redundant immediately."

Cabinet member for public health and communities Ellie King, who represents Hillfields, admitted the cuts were “a big ask for the service” but insisted: “It’s not for volunteers to deliver a

public service.”

She said the details had not been fully worked out but that the savings could involve a whole range of ideas, such as more food growing, community farms, rewilding areas and communities taking on more responsibility where desired.

She said the use of parks had increased as a result of lockdown but this was adding pressure on the service to maintain the spaces.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Ellie King

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Some jobs for the winter reset

IN December the cold arrived with some force and, depending on how you see it, was either a welcome reprieve from the unseasonal warmth or a blight on our ever-increasing living costs. Either way, it came - and order seemed, at least for a short while, to be restored.

I even had snow on my birthday.

It was a great reset for our gardens; there were times in November where you could have been mistaken for thinking that spring was on the way, and I even saw evidence of bulbs thinking it was time for an appearance.

But winter came, and we can be thankful that some of the seasonal triggers will be marked on time, and we can look forward to kicking off the new year with the same anticipation as usual.

With that excitement, though, comes the desire to get out and start to prepare for the coming season.

With spring just around the corner, it’s

difficult not to get out and clear back all of the dead autumn growth - but wait a while.

There is beauty in a bedraggled winter garden, especially in frost, but there is more to it than that.

All of that is providing food and shelter to the beasts and bugs that will be helping you out over the summer.

If you’re looking for something to occupy yourself, then now is an ideal time to prepare your tools for the year ahead: time spent now will reap rewards later.

Cleaning shears and secateurs is often as useful as sharpening them, which is also essential if you’re going to get pleasure from using them.

If you’re not keen on doing that yourself, find someone who can, as the alternative is to replace them and that, now more than ever, is a false economy.

If you have a petrol engined strimmer or hedge trimmer that’s been in the shed for a few months, check it over to see if it’s running OK. It’s better to get it running before you need it than find out it doesn’t when you do. Often just some fresh fuel is enough to bring a dead machine back to life.

A new venture has brought me closer to the abundant waste that we produce. If there is one thing that I can bring from this, it’s that we need to maintain and fix what we have and not buy new. Instead of heading out to the

City Gardener with Tim Barton

shops, spend your time with some of these jobs instead:

• Clean protective environments like greenhouses, ready for spring

• Inspect tubers from dahlias and cannas that are stored, for rot or drying out

• Prune apple or pear trees

• Start forcing rhubarb

• If the weather isn’t too cold, start to divide larger clumps of herbaceous perennials for more plants this year.

• Repair lawn edges that are looking a little tired and aerate if there are signs of waterlogging

• If the soil isn't frozen, plant bare root shrubs and trees, and move established deciduous ones while they are dormant.

The gift of freedom

A CHARITY cafe in Speedwell has given the best of Christmas presents to two children with disabilities.

The volunteer-run Barton Hill Rugby Club Charity Cafe handed over new electric wheelchairs to the youngsters to give them more independence, after raising thousands of pounds to buy them.

It brought the total number of families the cafe's volunteers and customers have supported during 2022 to seven.

On December 5 they presented 13-year-old Lucas Merryweather, from Weston-super-Mare, with his new wheels.

His mum Sharon said: "We are totally overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone, even people that don’t even know us.

"The independence that this is going to give Lucas and our family is priceless."

Cafe volunteer Mandy Bryant said: "Lucas was over the moon and loved every minute of being the centre of attention."

On December 14 the last cafe session of the year included another presentation, to seven-year-old Izzy Probert, from Hengrove, who was joined by her mum and dad and brother Harry.

Mum Elly said: "Thank you so much to Barton Hill RFC Charity Cafe and Taylor Made Wheelchairs for giving Izzy her new wheels and her independence - she is one happy little lady."

Mandy added: "Izzy is a natural driver, and was whizzing around the car park in no time!"

As well as supporting families, the cafe also raises money for mental health charity Mind.

Mandy thanked all of the cafe's volunteers and supporters, including Fare Share South West, Fare Share Go, Tesco and the Co-op, Greggs Kingswood, Morrisons in Fishponds and BAM Construction.

The cafe, which is staffed and managed entirely by volunteers, provides a friendly place for people to meet, with cheap food and drink and bargain donated goods, every Monday and Wednesday from noon until 3pm.

The cafe will be reopening for 2023 on January 9.

Lucas Merryweather with his new wheelchair

Izzy Probert with her new wheelchair

Census shows we're losing our religion

MORE than half of Bristol residents say they have no religion, with less than one in three people considering themselves to be Christian.

A rapid decline in religious observance is one of the strongest trends in the UK population highlighted in results of the 2021 Census recently published by the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS said that, for the first time in a census of England and Wales, less than half of the population (46.2%) described themselves as “Christian”, a 13.1% decrease from 2011, when the figure was 59.3%.

The number of people ticking the "No religion" box nationally has risen from 14.8% in 2001 to 25.2% ten years later, and 37.2% in 2021.

Bristol is way ahead of the national trend: the majority of residents (51.4%) said they were non-religious - a huge increase on the 37% who gave the same

answer in 2011.

The number of people identifying as Christian was 32.2%.

Muslims made up 6.7% of city residents, followed by Hindus (0.8%), Sikhs (0.5%), Buddhists (0.6%) and Jews (0.3%).

Another 6.9% of residents did not answer the religion question on the census, while 0.8% ticked the 'any other religion' box.

The ONS said answers in the 'any other religion' box also included non-religious terms including agnostic, atheist and humanist.

Analysis of local areas showed that the percentage of people identifying as non-religious in the greater Fishponds area was slightly below half, but it was still the most common answer, given by 44.8% of people in Fishponds, 45.2% of people in Eastville, 43.6% of people in Stapleton, 42.5% of people in Hillfields and 41.9% of people in Speedwell.

Christians made up 33.9%

of Fishponds residents, 28.9% in Eastville, 35.4% in Stapleton, 33.3% in Hillfields and 35.6% in Speedwell.

Muslims made up 10.3% of the Fishponds population, 13.7% in Eastville, 10.9% in Stapleton, 14.9% in Hillfields and 12.6% in Speedwell.

In neighbouring South Gloucestershire 'no religion' was also the most common response, given by 46.1% of residents, with 44.1% of people identifying as Christian and 1.6% as Muslim.

The areas of Bristol with the lowest percentages of people who said they had no religion were those with the highest Muslim populations, Barton Hill and Upper Easton.

Bristol Humanists, a group representing non-religious people in the wider Bristol area, argue that the results underestimate the number of non-religious people because the census question is optional and uses "leading wording",

prompting some people who do not practice religion to pick a box based on their upbringing or schooling.

Andrew Copson of nonreligious group Humanists UK, said: "These results confirm that the biggest demographic change in England and Wales of the last ten years has been the dramatic growth of the non-religious. They mean the UK is almost certainly one of the least religious countries on Earth.

"One of the most striking things about these Census results is how at odds the population is from the state itself."

To see more details visit bit. ly/3Bzk592 online.

Population picture revealed

MORE than eight out of ten Bristol residents are white - close to the average for England and Wales.

Figures on ethnic groups from the 2021 Census have been released as part of a programme by the Office for National Statistics to provide a detailed picture of the population.

Nationally, 81.7% of usual residents in England and Wales said their ethnic group was white, with 74.4% of the total population saying their ethnic group was 'White English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British'. In Bristol 81.1% of residents were white, with 71.6% describing their ethnicity as 'White English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British'. The other white options on the census form were Irish (0.9% in Bristol), Gypsy or Irish Traveller (0.1%), Roma (0.2%) or 'other White' (8.3%).

A total of 6.7% of residents identified as 'Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh' - 1.9% choosing the Pakistani option, 1.8% Indian, 1.2% Chinese, 0.6% Bangladeshi and 1.2% Other Asian. Another 5.8% of Bristol residents chose a 'Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African' category - more than half chose African.

Another 4% of residents said their ethnicity was 'mixed or multiple ethnic groups': within that category the biggest group was 'white and black Caribbean' (1.6%) followed by 'white and Asian' (1.2%) and 'other mixed or multiple ethnic groups' (1.1%).

The 2021 Census also asked people to describe their national identity - a more subjective question as it allowed people to choose between English or Welsh only, English and British, Welsh and British or British only, as well as other of UK and non-UK identities.

The ONS has not provided a local breakdown but its published figures say only that 92.1% of people residents had a UK identity, 1.6% had a mixed UK and non-UK national identity and 6.3% had a nonUK identity.

Strictly Christmas

A FISHPONDS school had a Strictly Come Dancing-themed end of term.

Year 1 and 2 pupils from Avanti Gardens School staged a spectacular allsinging, all-dancing nativity called Lights, Camel, Action!

The show included line-dancing innkeepers, ballet, disco-dancing shining stars and "funky" camels.

Two performers from Avanti Gardens School's Lights, Camel, Action!

Older children at the primary school in College Road performed a Christmas concert and Reception children staged a traditional nativity during a week of performances.

A spokesperson for the school said: "The younger children joined in with the singing more than the dancing, but even the shyest children took to the stage, playing their part and beaming at their families in the audience.

“Children and staff worked hard together rehearsing, with many laughs had along the way.

"The end of term performances were a much-needed celebration, especially as last year restrictions put a stop to such festive activities.

"We were so pleased to be able to open our doors to families again, sharing laughter and warm mince pies together full of Christmas cheer."

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Planting in the park

SCHOOL children from Minerva Primary Academy joined Bristol's Mayor planting trees in their neighbourhood park.

Pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6 went to Hillfields Park to help out during National Tree Week in early December.

School principal Jenny Harvey said: "It was hard work digging the holes, but the children had help from volunteers, including Marvin Rees.

"While the children were there, they learnt about the seedling native trees which are being planted to create a woodland which will become home to lots of wildlife. They also planted some larger trees like a hazel tree and a Tibetan cherry tree.

"It was a fantastic community morning filled with lots of great teamwork. We can’t wait to see the trees grow."

Rent controls bid

RENT increases could be capped at inflation or average wage growth if a bid by Bristol City Council to change the law is successful.

The council does not currently have the legal powers to introduce rent controls but is lobbying the government to get them, and ran a public consultation during December about how rent controls could work, with several different scenarios suggested.

Ideas include capping rents across the whole of Bristol or just parts of the city, having temporary rent controls or a long term policy, and allowing for one-off increases if a landlord pays to improve their property. The consultation asks whether controls should aim to stop large rent increases, reduce overall rent levels, or set rent levels related to incomes.

Cabinet member for housing Tom Renhard said: “We have more than 19,000 households on our waiting list for social housing, along with over 1,100 households in temporary accommodation.

"The cost of renting in this city is one key cause, alongside the lack of security that renters have in the private rented sector. The powers needed to ensure the rental market is accessible and works for all do not exist. The powers come from the government, so we want to work with Westminster on policy development to reform the private rented sector, enabling Bristol to become a Living Rent City.”

Over the past decade, average rents in Bristol grew by 52%, according to the council, while wages only increased by 24% . This means many tenants are now paying a far higher chunk of their income straight to their landlord compared to 10 years ago.

Community union Acorn Bristol is campaigning for rent controls. Head organiser Ewan McLennan said: “Not only are sky-high rents pushing people deeper into poverty, they’re tearing apart communities and forcing people out of the city they grew up in."

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

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We still have much to be thankful for

AT the beginning of the New Year I like to look back and reflect on God’s faithfulness at work in the last year.

I remember the words of the prophet Jeremiah, spoken at a time of very traumatic upheaval for his nation: "The faithful love of the Lord never ends. His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."

When I do this, it enables me to look forward with renewed hope that, whatever this New Year holds, we can come through this with God’s help.

The message of Emmanuel, God with us, is not just for the Christmas season. God’s love and grace remain throughout the year, and that is always the basis of our hope.

It is perhaps understandable if we are less than optimistic about 2023.

When we finally thought last year we had got through the

worst of Covid, we seemed to rock from one major crisis to another.

The devastating war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and escalation in the cost of living have caused great pressures on people.

However, we still have so much to be thankful for. Gratitude for both the smaller blessings in life, and the bigger ones, has a remarkable impact on our outlook and attitude. It can cause us to have renewed hope.

It is only in coming through very challenging times that we find that God is faithful and does indeed answer our prayers.

I have made it a habit each day to reflect on the previous day and to write down what I am thankful to God for.

Invariably I am surprised at how many things I come up with, and this gives me hope for each day. So how much more is there to be grateful for in looking back over the whole of 2022?

His many mercies often include the people who are around us, who support and help us in so many ways.

One of my aspirations for last year was to read more of the stories of people who have encountered God’s faithfulness in the most challenging situations in life and to learn of the outcome of their trust in God.

They are the modern equivalent of the heroes of faith recorded in the bible.

They never fail to inspire me in challenging times, these men and women throughout history have made a difference to so many people through their attitudes and actions, especially when life was very difficult.

Their actions were not for fame or celebrity but to follow the one who inspired them, the starter and finisher of their faith.

The bible says while Jesus endured great hostility, he put his trust in God, the father and he

looked ahead to the joy in front of him.

As we face the challenges of 2023, may we have renewed hope as we look ahead and may we draw strength from the faithfulness of God, whose faithful love never ceases.

Tony Davies Pastor, Waterbrook Church, Stapleton

Childcare

WE'VE been debating the Government’s Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill in the Commons.

It’s good to see some recognition that the regeneration of deprived areas is essential to the UK’s prosperity, but the jury is still out as to what this will mean in practice.

One of the areas of dispute was over house-building targets.

We know we need more affordable housing, whether it’s to help people get on the housing ladder or for rent. By backtracking over mandatory housebuilding targets for local authorities in the Bill, the Government has shown that it cares less about regional inequality and urban regeneration than about pacifying its own backbenchers.

Building the homes we need has to be accompanied by investment in infrastructure, so that local services like schools and GPs aren’t overwhelmed and the transport network can cope.

There were some concerns

that the Government was attempting to bypass planning rules – along with environmental protections – in a bid to speed up development. It looks like this has now been dropped.

Local councils will still be able to require developers to pay the Community Infrastructure Levy, as well as insisting on a certain proportion of new housing being genuinely affordable.

This is something that Bristol City Council is very strong on, so it’s good to see that its efforts won’t be undermined.

Another positive development is the concession Labour MP Stella Creasy managed to extract from the Government, with crossparty support, on childcare being treated as essential community infrastructure.

As the many constituents who have written to me about this have said, access to affordable childcare is essential.

Local councillors Ellie King and Nicola Beech recently organised a “March of the Mummies” in Bristol

to highlight these concerns.

Parents of young children are being deterred from going back into employment because they simply can’t get childcare to cover the hours they’d be working.

I’ve visited a number of early years settings in recent weeks and seen how they are struggling to meet rising costs, such as energy bills, and to pay their staff a decent wage.

Eleven of Bristol’s 12 state nurseries say they are struggling with budget deficits, and private nurseries are under similar pressure.

We do have cause to be a little sceptical about the Government’s concession.

The Minister refused to back the amendment, but avoided a vote by verbally agreeing to consider childcare infrastructure. A verbal commitment means very little if it isn’t accompanied by actions, and it remains to be seen whether the Government will actually allocate any new money to childcare.

Kerry McCarthy

MP for Bristol East writes for Fishponds Voice

As always, I will be trying to make sure the Government keeps its word!

If you need help from me and my team, get in touch by email at kerry.mccarthy.mp@parliament. uk or call 0117 939 9901.

Filling the gaps in family history

HOW many of us have started off the New Year with resolutions we never keep, like: “This year, I am going to build my family tree?"

Genealogy is all the rage these days. Fascinating TV programmes like Who Do You Think You Are?, DNA Family Secrets, DNA Journey and even Long Lost Family and Heir Hunters make us wonder what surprises lie in store when we start digging.

But it is not uncommon to come across gaps in the family tree. Different relatives may offer different explanations, and granny’s ‘facts’ may turn out to be fantasy, hiding a family secret.

How many times have you wondered if madness runs in the family?

In the Glenside Hospital Museum library I came across a slim volume by genealogist Kathy Chater called My Ancestor was a Lunatic, which offers some guidance as to why it is difficult to fill in all the gaps.

There is even more information in Michelle Higgs' guide for family historians, Tracing your Ancestors in Lunatic Asylums.

'Lunatics' were people whose occasional strange behaviours were supposedly linked to the phases of the moon, but the impediments of deaf people, and those with epilepsy, were once regarded as permanent forms of madness.

For centuries they were all catered for in private madhouses and municipal asylums, along with those suffering 'general paralysis of the insane' (GPI), a reference to the consequences of venereal diseases such as syphilis.

One of the major difficulties, of course, is that patients' records, quite properly, remain confidential for up to 100 years.

Analysis of the 1881 census for Stapleton Workhouse - now luxury homes on Manor Roadrevealed an extraordinary range of inmates.

The majority came from Bristol and the West Country, but 79 were from Ireland, 37 from Wales, seven from Scotland and 31 were Londoners. Others claimed birth

in America, Chile, China, France, Germany, Gibraltar, India, Italy, Newfoundland or Nova Scotia.

There were 41 people called Williams, 16 Davises, 14 Harrises and 14 Smiths. The youngest inhabitants were Albert Axford and Edith Gilding from Stapleton, and Ellen Adams and Esther Page from Surrey, all just a year old. The oldest were 97-year-old twins Maria, a domestic servant, and her ‘imbecile’ sister Mary, and William Chedzoy, 96, from Minehead.

Until the 19th century, terms such as ’imbeciles’ and ‘idiots’ defined people we now understand to be autistic or to have learning difficulties, or dementia.

Nowadays, we are far more open and caring about mental illness, Alzheimer’s and autism spectrum disorders like Asperger’s, but in living memory they were all lumped together as worrying forms of mental disorder - as was Down’s Syndrome.

Mental hospitals kept male and female patients apart to avoid the possibility of relationships. Back then, they were likely to be consigned to an institution for life.

Members of the Royal family were not immune. In the late 1980s, Katherine and Nerissa Bowes-Lyon, two cousins of Queen Elizabeth II who were thought to be dead, were found still to be alive in the Royal Earlswood Institution for Mental Defectives. They had been there, along with three other cousinsEtheldreda, Idonea and Rosemary Fane - since 1941.

Imagine the difference it might have made to the lives of many others if the Royals had acknowledged and accepted these women, instead of locking them away.

In earlier days others may have ‘disappeared’ into workhouses.

The gateway to the biggest in the region is now the entrance to East Trees Health Centre, at 100 Fishponds Road.

It harboured sinister secrets until members of Eastville Workhouse Memorial Group unearthed the details of more than 4,000 people who died there

and were buried in unmarked graves.

Their research opened a window on the cruel pennypinching attitudes of the so-called Guardians of the Poor, when families lacked the wherewithal to bury their relatives or were never informed of their death.

The story of this remarkable community project, which also helped to link relatives with past loved ones, is told in the book 100 Fishponds Road: Life and Death in a Victorian Workhouse, published by Bristol Radical History Group. For more information visit www. brh.org.uk/site/project/eastvilleworkhouse.

Anyone suspecting that ancestors may have fallen out of the family tree could have a hard job tracing them.

The National Archives might provide one route to finding out, especially if you know the names of missing relatives, and/ or where they might have been a patient. For more information visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/ help-with-your-research/research-

guides/mental-health.

Glenside Hospital Museum is open from 10am-1pm on Wednesdays and 10am-4pm on Saturdays.

For more information visit www.glensidemuseum.org.uk.

Extended versions of these history columns can be found at www.mikejempson.eu

Mike Jempson finds there are some secrets we may not be able to uncover in our lifetime

My Ancestor was a Lunatic, by Kathy Chater

Bristol Municipal Lunatic Asylum in Stapleton opened in 1861

Ambulance service asks Army for help

AMBULANCE service leaders are urging people to "think carefully before dialling 999" and have called in military assistance to help respond to emergencies on strike days.

South Western Ambulance Service appealed to people to only call 999 "when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk" as it faced challenges from "cold weather, busy hospitals and the likely impact of the upcoming health service strikes".

The service said that on one Monday evening in December - when no strike action was taking place - there were 420 patients waiting for ambulances and 152 ambulances waiting outside hospitals to hand over patients across its region, which runs from Cornwall up to Gloucestershire.

A spokesperson said: "On days where there is strike action, patients should only call 999 if it is a medical or mental health emergency. Ambulances will still be able to respond in these situations, but this may only be where there is the most immediate risk to life."

For other situations people were being asked to call 111 or go online for help, and to "arrange alternative transport".

Trust chief executive Will Warrender said:

Challenging times for 999 crews

Picture:

South Western Ambulance Service

"We are sorry that we are unable to respond as quickly as we would like.

"We are doing all we can to manage winter pressures and the upcoming industrial action, including receiving military support during industrial action days, which will allow our ambulance clinicians to crew more ambulances and reach patients more quickly.

“Please do not call back asking for an estimated time of arrival of an ambulance.

"We cannot provide this information and it blocks our lines from other callers

reaching us."

Ambulance workers in the NHS trust were taking part in two strikes at the end of December.

UNISON, Unite and the GMB said they were among 3,500 paramedics, emergency care assistants, call handlers and other staff striking on December 21 and 28 in a dispute over an imposed 4% pay award and staffing levels.

It follows the first ever strikes by members of the Royal College of Nursing in December.

GMB National Secretary Rachel Harrison said: "Ambulance workers – like other NHS workers – are on their knees.

“No one in the NHS takes strike action lightly – today shows just how desperate they are.

“This is as much about unsafe staffing levels and patient safety as it is about pay.

"A third of GMB ambulance workers think delays they’ve been involved with have led to the death of a patient.

“Something has to change or the service as we know it will collapse."

“GMB calls on the Government to avoid a Winter of NHS strikes by negotiating a pay award that these workers deserve.”

Chester Park Infant & Junior School

Looking back, looking forward

WE have now passed the winter solstice and, as the cold winter snap arrived, we all turned indoors for more of the day, seeking refuge from the chill.

The park was bracing and beautiful, as a carpet of frost coated fallen yellow leaves and green tufts across the fields. Hardy joggers and dog walkers braved the elements for a few minutes of fleeting winter sun that felt distant and low in the sky, the heatwave of summer a distant memory.

As beautiful as the winter park is, do take care, especially by the lake. While it isn’t deep, I think of the tragic loss of young lives in Solihull and the community bearing grief: a stark reminder of the danger of cold water.

As nature takes, a rest our volunteers got busy in the chill selling Christmas trees and calendars, lighting up the community garden with songs and Christmas cheer, before taking a well-earned winter rest.

Sales are down this year, as prices are up, a reflection of the wholesale printing cost. If you haven’t got your Friends of Eastville Park calendar this year, please do buy one, as sales help support projects in the park. A huge thankyou to all volunteers or supporters, especially those that braved the cold conditions.

Our projects this year have been a roaring success or quagmire of frustration.

We accept our role as a community of park fundraisers; the challenge is often the time it takes to get the money spent.

The council are the landowner, so we are subject to the same lengthy processes for getting things built and installed. We’ve bought some new benches, but until the hard standing bases have been put in by the council team, they sit unused.

This is not through lack of will from the council, but rather the result of a decade of cuts. There comes a point when there are too few people doing too many jobs, which start to stack up, leaving lengthy delays.

It is the same story for the play park, which is ready to go to tender but waiting in a long line. We chase for updates, and I look forward to the day when we can say we did it - job done!

The winter solstice is a time of change and

inner reflection; I’ve been deeply considering our role and what more we can realistically do in our spare time.

The council park service leaders hope that volunteer groups such as ours will be enough to replace the regular staff that will have to be made redundant with the latest wave of cuts, a move that many volunteers like myself and across Bristol Parks Forum find distasteful, and most likely impossible to achieve.

Volunteers give a small amount of their time to causes they passionately support, in return for renewed sense of community and boost in well-being. There are not enough volunteer hours to realistically juggle our jobs, then run a lawnmower over the fields and empty the bins.

Parks are not a statutory service, in the way that housing, building control, fire and rescue, and waste collection are; the councils are the landowners on behalf of the public but are not obligated to maintain the land.

There is light at the end of this Dickensian tunnel, in the form of charity.

Friends of Eastville Park became a charity in

Friends of Eastville Park volunteers sell Christmas trees in the park

2022 after being successful at fundraising and grant applications over the years. The volunteers and committee team have been busy through the year renovating the Nissen hut into a warm Community Hub, filling the bookings with a vibrant list of community projects, running pop-up cafes, film clubs, bowling open days, and music.

When frustrations rise with the bureaucracy, we turn what we can do without permission. Our initial expression of interest for Heritage Lottery money has now been submitted for a bigger park renovation.

I won’t get your hopes up, it’s a long way from being successful, but it does include funds for the whole park, and some council roles to help us achieve a self-sustaining community park.

When darkness surrounds, one must remember to turn on the light.

From all of us at Friends of Eastville Park, we wish you all a peaceful winter rest and a bright 2023.

Sarah West

Why not become a planner?

IN case you have yet to make a New Year’s resolution, I have a suggestion for you - why not consider becoming a town planner?

I know that I am unlikely to convince anyone who is not already that way inclined, but even the nation’s chief planner, who is also a civil servant, recognises that there just are not enough planners. Joanna Averley, in a speech last year, recognised that there was not the money available to employ five new planners in every local authority, but the clear implication was that those sort of numbers were required.

Locally I do not know the actual numbers, but at the end of 2022 Bristol City Council were struggling on with about 50% of staff members missing and a recruitment freeze in place that stops them being replaced until the legal requirement for the council to balance its books has

been met.

The common theme that may not immediately draw you to a local planning authority planning job is that there simply aren’t enough people to do the work at present, but then that is true of most of the public sector these days.

At the same time, it seems that there will continue to be plenty of workers required to meet this unmet demand, which means, in the broadest terms, that the industry has a future.

Planning reforms, the chronic lack of funding of local authorities and the longer-term threat of replacement by artificial intelligence aside, this is an area where you would certainly be in demand.

There are more routes in to the profession than ever before, with apprenticeships now also a possibility if the prospect of a university course does not appeal.

After my 29 years of working

as a town planner, it must be time to consider handing the baton to another generation.

There are certain qualities that you would need - keeping on open mind; being positive and resilient; being able to balance numerous factors while coming to a decision; the ability to assess evidence; lateral thinking; appreciating the difference between strategy and tactics; the ability to question yourself and your motives. That list is long but not exhaustive. All of these can be learned, either through training or, now, even on the job.

It is also not a bad point in history to be joining the profession.

Change is in the air, as the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill moves forward, causing much reflection in political circles.

It looks like reform will see something of a sea change in the planning system, which has to incorporate a lot of decisions

which have been fudged for a long time, including the future of the housing market and targets, environmental concerns and land use.

Wise heads and flexible thinking will be needed.

If you want to make a difference and help shape the world around you, thinking globally but acting locally, then why not consider stepping up to the plate?

Chrisgoslingplanning@gmail.com

New Year’s resolutions

IT’S that time of year.

Waistlines expanded. Bank balances reduced. Christmas trimmings coming down. And people are looking to the future and setting their New Year’s resolutions.

So, what are mine? Well, they’re simple, really - taking Angel, my cocker spaniel, for more walks - even when it’s chilly - and putting our brilliant West of England even more firmly on the national and global map, and ensuring our region thrives.

Hmm, that politician pledge sounds a bit vague, you may say! How are you going to measure that? My response is simple: look at all the progress we’ve made already.

I am proud of everything we’ve achieved - together - in 2022: reducing bus fares; launching the region’s first-ever Good Employment Charter - now supporting over 6,500 workers and counting; supporting buzzing bees through brand-new grants; investing £12 million in the new Bottle Yard Studios, now open for business; unblocking the Temple Quarter scheme to refresh Temple Meads and the surrounding area; investing in green hydrogen at the

Bristol and Bath Science Park; winning record levels of cash from government, like the £105 million I secured to begin to improve our buses and start the long road to deliver a public transport network our region can be really proud of.

For me, the New Year also is a chance to reflect on the year ahead politically, like ensuring government understands and learns from the pressures facing working people, with taxes, inflation and energy bills all going up and up.

With local people hungry to see decisions made in their areas, I’ll continue to call for London-style devolution, to ensure I have the powers to make our region even better.

But fundamentally, New Year is a time for hope. And in the West of England, we have much to be hopeful about.

Every day as your Metro Mayor, I’m inspired by the people I meet. The ambition and confidence of our young people; the brilliance of our businesses; the potential of our amazing towns and villages, and our two truly great cities.

But this is also a time of year when we resolve to do better.

So my promise this year to you is to continue to be the strong champion for our region, from backing our world-class creative industries to our amazing local shops - by the way, for those of you looking for a resolution, I urge you all to please ‘Love Local’, as there are so many brilliant places to explore in our great region.

So, whether it’s doing Dry January or throwing yourself full-throttle into (finally) taking up that hobby, I wish you and your friends and family the happiest of Januaries as we enter into 2023. Good luck!

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice

AT Cleve Chiropractic, we love to showcase the very best talent available to look after all our patients – and we have another top quality new arrival to help us see in 2023.

I’m delighted to announce that we have recruited superstar physiotherapist Jack Haines from the highly competitive world of elite rugby union. The very sad demise of the illustrious Premiership side Wasps has created an opportunity for Cleve Chiropractic. The unexpected and sudden folding of Wasps led to not just availability of world-class players, but also the staff who found themselves without a job.

The reputation of Cleve Chiropractic as one of the best sports injury clinics in the UK has clearly made waves across the country. Jack had heard about us and set up a chat with me to see if we had space for another Premiership standard physio – and you know we love a star practitioner! So we jumped at the chance for an interview and to show Jack around the clinic.

Jack loved our ethos of providing Premier League quality healthcare to all. Why should such high standards of care, experience and equipment be limited to only the best athletes and players? He even said he thought that we had more kit and facilities than most top clubs in the country, which was music to my ears. For 20 years, I’ve been striving to reach these high standards and provide the best possible service to our

#Clevefamily.

Jack has worked at the highest levels of rugby union with Wasps and also for Australia on their recent tour of the northern hemisphere. Jack has loved working for Wasps and the Wallabies and can’t wait to bring all that knowledge and insight to Mangotsfield.

We know that he has ambitions to re-join another top-flight rugby club and we both hope that this might somewhere in the south west. He loves Bristol and would be delighted to stay working with us long into the future.

Now here’s some more good news for all our patients. The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has launched a new Patient Charter to its members and the general public, continuing its mission to be ‘the home of chiropractors who put patients

first’. As proud members of the BCA, Cleve Chiropractic and Physiotherapy is delighted to share this news with our patients and give you more information about the significance of this document, which you can see displayed in our clinic.

The Patient Charter is a pledge, from BCA chiropractors to their patients, to remind them of the quality care they’ll receive when receiving treatment from us. It’s laid out in such a way that any patient can use the charter to start a conversation – and any chiropractor can easily explain it to them.

Created by the BCA to provide people with reassurance, the Patient Charter clearly shows why BCA chiropractors, like ourselves, are different from any others who operate in the same field. It acts as a transparent agreement, ensuring that patient-centred, evidence-informed care is always provided by BCA chiropractors.

In a bid to end misperceptions and myths about chiropractic, the Patient Charter highlights that the profession is strongly regulated, helping to provide consistency, such as the standard of education and training required. Chiropractors are regulated by law and required to adhere to strict Codes of Practice, in the same way as dentists and doctors.

As you know, the President of the British Chiropractic Association is our very own Catherine Quinn, who commented, “The Patient Charter

is a pledge that every one of our BCA chiropractors can be proud of. It reiterates the reputation of BCA chiropractors as being credible, evidence-informed, ethical experts working within the modern healthcare sector. Every BCA chiropractor recognises their role as a healthcare professional, helping empower the patient to make an informed decision about treatment that is based on individual needs. This patientcentred approach is at the core of everything we do at the BCA.”

As Vice-President of the BCA, I am incredibly proud to see the charter that we have been developing as part of our repositioning over the past few years come to life and be able to share it with you.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2023!

n WHAT’S ON IN OUR AREA

December 31

n LU LIFE CHURCH WATCH NIGHT CELEBRATION, Fishponds Old Library, Fishponds Road, 9.30pm. Free entry. Poetry, songs, prayer, drumming and dance. Vegan meal £6, must be booked in advance at LULifeChurch@gmail. com.

January 10

n BEREAVEMENT GROUP AT CHRIST CHURCH, Downend Road, 2pm. Friendship, refreshments and a chance to reflect together with others who have lost a loved one.

January 11

n HILLFIELDS COMMUNITY

GARDEN WILD WOMEN, 6pm8pm. Meet in the community garden then tea, snacks and creative activities in Hillfields Library. Open to women of all ages and free of charge. For more information contact hillfieldswildwomen@gmail.com.

January 16

n CREATIVITY FOR WELLBEING COURSE, Hillfields Community Hub. Nine-week course running until March 20, for anyone who feels that an artistic activity would support their well-being. No

previous experience necessaryall materials provided. For more information visit sgscol.ac.uk/ study/creativity-for-wellbeing.

January 17

n DOWNEND GARDENING IN RETIREMENT CLUB, 10.15am, Assembly Hall, Salisbury Road, Downend. Speakers on varied topics. Non-members welcome, £3 including tea or coffee.

January 24

n HILLFIELDS COMMUNITY GARDEN MINI EXPLORERS, 10-11am at the garden. Friendly playgroup offering gardening, stories, songs, crafts and activities for children aged 2-4: parents/carers and siblings welcome. Free - no need to book in advance.

January 24

n VINTAGE ADVENTURE at Church Centre, Quakers Road, 2-3.30pm. Activities, refreshments, friendship and a Christian message for the season, for seniors. All welcome.

February 2

n SPEAKER MORNING, Lincombe Barn. Sort It Suez, with Andy Paterson and Hugo Jacobs. Coffee from 10.15am, talk 10.45-11.45am.

Talk £2.50. Coffee extra.

REGULAR EVENTS

Monday

n BARTON HILL RFC CHARITY CAFE, Duncombe Lane, Speedwell, from noon until 3pm. Food and drink, bargain donated goods, friendly and welcoming place to meet, staffed entirely by volunteers raising money for charity.

Tuesday

n PHOENIX ART CLUB meets on Tuesdays at Stapleton Church Hall, Park Road, from 10am to midday.

Wednesday

n BARTON HILL RFC CHARITY CAFE, Duncombe Lane, Speedwell, from noon until 3pm. Food and drink, bargain donated goods, friendly and welcoming place to meet, staffed entirely by volunteers raising money for charity.

n DOWNEND FLOWER

ARRANGING CLUB meets at 7.30pm on the first and third Wednesday of each month from September to June, at Lincombe Barn, Overndale Road, Downend. Call Genise on 0777 245 1217.

n BRISTOL SCRABBLE CLUB meets every Wednesday evening

at 7pm until 10pm at Filton Community Centre, Elm Park, Filton BS34 7PS. New members welcomefirst visit free so come along and give us a try. For further information contact Sheila on 01179570792 or 07435316458 or email shinett@ blueyonder.co.uk

Friday

n EASTVILLE PARK FOODCLUB OPEN FOR COLLECTIONS, every Friday 12-1.30pm. To enquire about membership, email eastvilleparkfoodclub@gmail.com or call 07591 748548.

n FRIENDS OF HILLFIELDS LIBRARY Silver Explorers social group for retired people living in Hillfields. Weekly group running until April, 10am-noon. Activities include talks, music, crafts and history. Free tea and coffee. More information at friendsofhillfieldslibrary@gmail.com or friends' Facebook page.

Saturday

n LU LIFE CHURCH 'SHARED SPACES', Fishponds Old Library, Fishponds Road. Every 3rd Saturday of the month, 2-3pm. Singing, dancing and drumming. All welcome. For more details email LULifeChurch@gmail.com or call Rev P on 0750 839 0298.

We are now enabling close contact visits in the home, every resident is able to have an essential care giver, and there is no isolation required for new residents from the community. We still have a varied activity schedule which keeps life interesting and happy.

staff wear PPE at all times and we have ensured a high volume of supply

• Skilled nurses are on site 24/7 and respiratory equipment is at hand

• Safe face-to-face visits where possible

BOOK based on the experiences of children in Bristol and entitled If Racism Vanished for a Day has been launched.

It draws on research with pupils from three schools and aims to raise awareness as well as offer advice to teachers and parents on how to discuss racism of young people.

The children, who were aged 10 and 11 and in their last year of primary during the UWE Bristol study, said: “We made this book because racism is not OK, and we want people to understand the way it affects us. Our book is about what it would be like if racism vanished for a day, and we hope that reading it will help people think about how they can change what they do. Racism is a really big deal. It shouldn’t have existed in the first place.”

Some of the youngsters, who are now at secondary school attended launch events and signed copies of the book, which features their drawings and thoughts. Among them were four students at Fairfield High School and former pupils at May Park Primary School, (pictured

Book captures children’s experiences of racism

hope this book, which provides accompanying teachers notes and questions for children to discuss, will bridge a gap in reading material available.”

The impact of racism on younger children’s mental health and wellbeing has been consistently overlooked in research in the UK, according to the UWE Bristol academics.

above).

Researchers said it had been the first funded project of its kind to actually ask children’s experiences of racism rather than just assuming them. The team found that children experience racism in multiple contexts and with multiple groups - at home, when out and about, and in school. They experience

racism from within their family, between friends, and from strangers and known adults.

Lead researcher Dr Verity Jones, associate professor at UWE Bristol, said: “For many teachers and educators, racism may feel like a highly politically charged area of debate and one that they feel uncomfortable or unsure of how to approach. We

The researchers initially heard from 80 children who took part in a workshop led by artist Luci Gorell Barnes. This was followed by focus groups with over 40 children and interviews with their teachers.

The project was funded by the mental health research network Emerging Minds. If Racism

Vanished for a Day is available in print from respectprojectbristol. org or as an e-book at https:// issuu.com/uwebristol/docs/ if_racism_vanished_for_a_day