Frome Valley Voice February 2025

fromevalleyvoice

Back in business

WINTERBOURNE'S subpostmaster has thanked the village's "amazing" community for their support after a devastating ram raid.

Virem Chudasama was determined to reopen as soon as possible after thieves smashed a

van through the front of the post office in Flaxpits Lane, causing extensive damage and stealing a safe.

He says support from wellwishers has been crucial, telling residents: "Without you I would be lost."

The thieves reversed a silver pick-up van through the plate glass window of the post office shortly before midnight on the night of January 21, wrecking the shop area in front of the counter.

Turn to page 2

Alfie's legacy

THE family of a Winterbourne Academy student who died in a freak accident have launched a charitable foundation.

PAGE 3

Dad 'died twice' FRIENDS and family packed out a Winterbourne pub to raise money for a father-of-four who spent three weeks in a coma after being hit by a tram.

PAGE 5

Homes fury

COUNCILLORS have approved plans to build five homes in Frampton Cotterell, despite nearly 50 objections from residents.

PAGE 4

Bridge debate

AN MP has increased the pressure on the government to speed up the reopening of the Badminton Road bridge over the M4.

PAGE 7

Virem Chudasama in front of the Post Office counter.

fromevalleyvoice

www.fromevalleyvoice.co.uk

March deadline

Our March deadline is February 19.

FromeValley Voice contacts

Richard Drew

Publisher 01454 800 120

contact@fromevalleyvoice.co.uk

For advertising enquiries: sales@fromevalleyvoice.co.uk

Your views

Ken McCormick Editor contact@fromevalleyvoice.co.uk

Letters for publication can be sent to us via email: contact@fromevalleyvoice.co.uk

We reserve the right to edit your letter.

Local information

South Gloucestershire Council www.southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009

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

Complaints

Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk

general enquiries: 101

Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk

General enquiries: 0117 926 2061

NHS Health Call 111

Well Aware health & social care information www.wellaware.org.uk

Tel: (freephone) 0808 808 5252

Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in Frome Valley Voice, contact the publisher using the details below. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), which holds journalists to a high standard of behaviour. Further details of the complaints process can be found on the Voice website here, or can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Frome Valley Voice Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Frome Valley Voice is distributed each month to local residents. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please get in touch or collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is welcomed, call Richard On 01454 800 120 or richard@fromevalleyvoice.co.uk

A member of the

A truck collects smashed fittings on the morning after the ram raid

'We'd be lost without you'

From page 1

Mr Chudasama said he received an alarm from the premises at around 11.45pm.

The police had already arrived as he reached the shop.

He said the thieves had taken a small safe from behind the counter, which was empty at the time, but had caused "a lot of damage" inside and destroyed the whole shop front, which has cost £8,000 to replace.

Mr Chudasama paid for the replacement himself, rather than waiting for the insurers, to ensure it was done as quickly as possible and get the shop back to normal.

He said: "The first day when I saw the damage I was shocked, I was depressed, but I didn’t give up.

"I said, I have to open the post office the next day – and we were open the next day."

At first the shop reopened while boarded up but the new front was installed on January 28.

Mr Chudasama, who runs the post office with his wife and son, said the response from the local community had been "amazing".

He said: "Without the community response we would be lost. With our their support we wouldn’t be able to open the post office.

"We had a florist come to my house with a box of chocolates and flowers."

The crowdfunding pages have been set up to raise money for the family, and between them had raised more than £4,000 as the Voice went to print.

Mr Chudasama said he hadn't been aware of the donations but they would be "so helpful", adding: "It’s amazing, the community we have in Winterbourne.

"Without you I would be lost, the Winterbourne Post Office would be lost; thanks for your support."

One donor said: "Our post office is at the heart of our community and I have witnessed first hand the kindness they share to others –now it’s our turn to give back."

One of the donation pages can be found at tinyurl.com/54jeud36. The other is at tinyurl.com/3vyj75s9.

CCTV footage recorded in the area shows a pick-up van being reversed through the shop front.

An Avon & Somerset police spokesperson said: "Officers attended a business in Flaxpits Lane, Winterbourne, at around 11.50pm on January 21 after we were notified of an alarm being activated.

"A silver van had collided with the building and two men were seen entering the shop.

"They left a short time later.

"Enquiries are ongoing."

Police are calling on anyone in the area who witnessed the incident or thinks they have doorbell or dashcam footage to call 101 and quote the crime reference number 5225 017 923.

THE family of a Winterbourne Academy sixth former who died in a freak accident have launched a charitable foundation to help other people "find hope in the heartache".

Alfie Richley was 17 years old when he suffered traumatic injuries after falling off his skateboard while on holiday with his family. He died later the same day in hospital.

The accident happened days before Alfie's mum Rachel was due to start treatment for breast cancer.

Alfie's family have been working for months to set up a foundation to honour his memory by helping disadvantaged children who have been in the care system, live with disabilities or face mental health challenges, and say "even in the deepest sorrow, hope can emerge".

They have set up the Alfie Nick Foundation as a registered charity to fund organisations and individuals that provide services for disadvantaged children, and are inviting the community to get on board.

A programme of fundraising events is already in place, along with a website and donations page.

Alfie, who lived in Downend, attended Immanuel Christian School in Westerleigh before moving on to Winterbourne Academy sixth form.

He loved indoor rock climbing and skateboarding.

Alfie was on holiday with his parents Nick and Rachel, brother Ryley and sisters Hope and Elsie at Center Parcs in Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire, when he came off his skateboard and hit a bollard, causing a fatal injury, in October 2023.

Rachel had been told she would have to undergo significant surgery and chemotherapy and, after being encouraged by her medical team, the family decided to go ahead with the half-term holiday they had booked.

Nick said: "We left as a family of six and came back as a family of five.

"A freak accident meant our first child was no longer with us and the suffocating agony remains with us each day.

"Rachel faced her battle with cancer head-on, enduring months of intense chemotherapy whilst grieving the loss of her precious boy.

Hope in the heartache

"When she finally rang the bell to mark the end of her treatment, it was a bittersweet moment.

"The moment of triumph was overshadowed by the aching absence of Alfie, who would have been so proud to witness his Mum’s incredible strength and perseverance. He would have been her biggest cheerleader!"

Nick, who works in banking, said setting up a foundation in Alfie's name was "a journey born of unimaginable loss and unparalleled heartache".

The foundation will work with charities, schools, individuals and businesses to support disadvantaged children in the community, reflecting the family's own experiences and Alfie's personality.

Nick and Rachel said: "Alfie was fearless, courageous, and deeply compassionate.

"He cared profoundly for others, especially those who were less fortunate – he had time for everybody.

"Despite his own challenges, including a diagnosis of ADHD and mental health struggles in his late teens, Alfie’s heart was always to be outward looking and put the needs of others before his own.

"Adopting our four children from a young age is one of our greatest joys and we have seen first-hand the heartache being experienced in the care system today.

"We’ve also walked through the challenges faced by families who love and support children with complex needs and mental health challenges.

"While Alfie was fortunate to receive support, we know many children and families are not able to access the support their children need."

The foundation's first fundraising event is a 24-hour Three Peaks Challenge being undertaken by Nick and 11 others on April 12.

A sponsorship page has been set up at justgiving.com/ campaign/climbforalfie.

On May 16 a formal launch event for the charity will be held at Celtic Manor Resort near Newport, with a threecourse dinner, entertainment and an auction. Tickets are available from admin@

alfienickfoundation.org.

Nick and four other members of the Three Peaks team will then climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania from June 25 to July 1.

The foundation is asking local businesses to adopt the foundation as their charity of the year or apply to be sponsors at the launch event, as well as asking local people for their support.

Nick and Rachel said: "Our mission is rooted in Alfie’s deep compassion for others. His legacy will live on through this work, bringing hope to children and families in need. Together, we can give disadvantaged children hope and a brighter future."

For more information visit the website alfienickfoundation. org.

Alfie Richley with his dad Nick

Alfie (left) with siblings Ryley, Hope and Elsie and parents Rachel and dad Nick

Frampton homes approved despite objections

COUNCILLORS have approved plans to build five new homes on the corner of two roads in Frampton Cotterell, despite nearly 50 objections from residents.

Members of South Gloucestershire Council's development management committee voted to approve planning permission in December, with one councillor saying: "We need the housing."

The council granted planning permission to Brushwood Homes Ltd for five new four-bedroom houses on the corner of Ryecroft Road and Rockside Gardens.

Two existing bungalows on the site will be demolished.

Three houses will front onto Rockside Gardens and two onto Ryecroft Road. A total of 15 parking spaces are included, although five are these are inside garages.

There were 48 objections to the plans, with one person writing in support.

Neighbours said the new homes would “amplify parking issues” in the area, with the potential to bring more parked cars onto the roads.

Fears were also raised over an increased risk of accidents and disruption from construction vehicles while the new homes are being built.

Craig Hennessey, speaking on behalf of residents of Rockside Gardens and Ryecroft Road, said: “The insufficient parking provided by the development will amplify the parking issues which are already experienced by local residents.

"The addition of two extra

driveways on a hill, so close to the blind corner of Rockside Gardens, will make the area more hazardous.

“Parked vehicles on the hill do cause traffic to deviate onto the wrong side of the road. Vehicles entering Rockside frequently have to reverse back onto Ryecroft to avoid oncoming traffic.

"Emergency vehicles, delivery vehicles and recycling contractors have already been obstructed in accessing Rockside, due to existing parking problems.”

Another problem is the potential to block daylight into adjacent houses, and Mr Hennessey threatened legal action if the new homes are built.

But the loss of daylight was disputed by the developers.

Planning consultant John Rooney said: “While I can sympathise with the loss of view, the planning system doesn’t allow for protection of views.

Ear Clear Bristol

Development will usually result in the loss of someone’s view.”

He said no traffic accidents had been recorded at the junction for 24 years, and it had “adequate visibility”.

South Gloucestershire is under extra pressure from the government to build thousands of new homes, and building within existing towns and villages means fewer homes have to be built in protected Green Belt.

Councillor John Bradbury (Lab, Bradley Stoke South) said: “We need the housing. Having owned a bungalow previously, bungalows often have very large gardens, and I suspect the land could be better used.”

After the meeting Mr Hennessey said: "Local residents are very disappointed in this decision, especially as our valid objections were not brought up by any of the committee members for discussion, even when we clearly pointed out they

go against planning policies."

He said "feel very let down" by Frampton Cotterell Parish Council, which objected to the application on 11 separate grounds.

Mr Hennessey said the parish council did not register any councillors to speak at the meeting.

However a parish council spokesperson told the Voice that Tristan Clark, who is a member of the parish council as well as representing Frampton Cotterell on South Gloucestershire Council, "highlighted his concerns and those raised by Frampton Cotterell Parish Council" at the meeting.

The parish council said Mr Hennessey's complaint would be addressed at a council meeting, which was due to take place after the Voice went to print.

Meeting report by Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

An image showing how Brushwood Homes says the development will look

Tram-hit dad 'died twice'

FRIENDS and family packed out a Winterbourne pub to raise money for a father-of-four who spent three weeks in a coma after being hit by a tram.

Richard Bridgman, who is known as Worm, was hit by a tram on November 22, the first day of a three-day tour visiting three football stadiums in Germany with his sonin-law Ollie and friends.

His injuries were so bad that Ollie called his wife Julianne, one of Richard's daughters, to tell her she would have to “choose whether to turn off life support or not”.

Julianne said that after three weeks in a coma in a Düsseldorf hospital, her 69-yearold dad came out of intensive care and was taken by road ambulance to Southmead Hospital.

She said she couldn't believe how well he is doing, adding: "He died twice – once at the scene and then at the German hospital where he arrested for 10 minutes."

Richard is currently still in Southmead Hospital.

While he is now able to walk short distances and have a conversation, Julianne said: "He sometimes hallucinates – his brain hasn’t caught up with his body."

She is hopeful he will be able to leave hospital in the coming weeks to stay with her while he recuperates.

Richard lives in Little Stoke but grew up in Winterbourne, and his dad, brother, family and friends all still live there.

A fundraiser to support Richard and his family was staged at the George and Dragon on January 19.

Musician and fundraiser Darren Sims organised the Daz’s Rock 4 Worm event, which raised £5,078, as well as providing the live music and entertainment.

Former Bristol City player Scott Murray turned up with a signed club shirt for the raffle, which he drew.

There was also an auction and a darts tournament.

Julianne said: "It was a brilliant day, a wonderful atmosphere.

"I saw lots of people I had not seen for years – the pub was shoulder-to-shoulder with people.”

“All Dad's cronies go to the Dragon or Swan, and he spends all his time there."

Julianne praised the efforts of the German medical team who looked after her dad.

As well as the event, a family member set up a GoFundMe page to help Richard, which had raised more than £6,800 as the Voice went to press.

It can be found online at gofundme.com/f/richard-bridgman

GENEALOGY RESEARCH

Richard Bridgman

Council proposes 4.99% tax rise

SOUTH Gloucestershire Council will raise its share of council tax by 4.99% - the maximum amount allowed without a referendum – this year.

Annual draft budget papers prepared for a cabinet meeting this month say this would take the authority’s element of bills for Band D households to £1,931.33, up from £1839.54 last year.

But the final bill will include extra charges form the police, fire service, town and parish councils and the council's own 'special expenses' charge for unique local services.

The rise comes despite most people opposing the increase during public consultation.

Spending and savings proposals, which do not include direct cuts to services this year, include previously-announced plans to increase garden waste collection fees from £60 to £70, just a year after they rose from £30, the introduction of car parking charges in

Thornbury and other areas, and withdrawing funding for maintaining public toilets and playing fields.

Although the budget will be balanced for the next two years, with the use of reserves in the second year, Liberal Democrat council leader and Thornbury ward councillor Maggie Tyrrell warned of increasingly difficult financial times ahead.

Even if all the already identified savings of £40.3 million from previous budgets are delivered, plus new ones

• Re-Felting & Battening

• Complete Roof Re-Fits

• Re-Pointing of Ridges, Chimneys & Walls

• Exterior Painting

• Lead & Valleys Renewed or Repaired

• New Soffits, Fascias, Guttering & Cladding

• EPDM Rubber Roofs - inc Flat Roof Repairs

discretionary community-based services, including maintaining public toilets, playing fields and other open spaces, and find a way to pay for it.

The report said this was likely to be needed, but would save just £15,000 a year from 2028/29.

Cllr Tyrrell said: “It is increasingly difficult to balance council budgets in very challenging financial times.

taken forward through the consultation process, the authority will still need to make about £12m of extra cuts by 2028/29 to balance the books.

The proposals were due to go before the Lib Dem/Labour coalition cabinet on February 3, before a final vote of the whole council on February 19.

They include proposals for £50,000 a year to recruit an extra occupational therapist to meet the needs of residents who rely on assistive technology to carry on living independently in their own homes.

The council will also fill a £170,000 funding gap to maintain support for domestic abuse victims and their families.

Another £15,000 will be invested in speech and language therapy for young offenders to help them build positive lives and reduce reoffending.

And £15,000 will also go towards supporting Armed Forces veterans.

While a third of the 1,869 residents who responded to the consultation supported another 4.99% council tax rise, including 2% for social care, nearly 55% of respondents opposed it, including 41.7% who were strongly against the rise.

The most popular choice was the lowest suggested increase of 3.99% supported by more than half of the survey respondents.

Each 1% increase is worth about £2m of income to the authority.

The report to cabinet said the £10 rise in garden waste subscriptions from April “allows us to continue to cover the escalating costs of providing the service” and bring it in line with neighbouring councils.

The authority is working with town and parish councils and the voluntary sector to understand the impact of axing funding from

“We are pleased that we have been able to do that this year, and through the use of our reserves, into next year.

“We are also not proposing to make further cuts to services, but we need to be honest with people that there are more difficult times ahead.

“The feedback and engagement we have had with people around this budget, particularly face to face through our ‘community conversations’, will help us to prioritise effectively, based on a better understanding of residents’ needs and views and the council’s position.

“We are also pleased that we have been able to prioritise funding to support some of our communities who most need our help.

“Sometimes a little can go a long way, and the support we want to be able to provide for young people who need help getting their lives back on track, for older people who want to live independently, and for our veterans’ community, is really important for us.”

Co-leader Ian Boulton (Labour, Staple Hill & Mangotsfield) said: “We understand how many local people are still feeling the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis from just a couple of years ago.

“While it’s obviously different for the council, we continue to have rising costs while our primary way of raising more money to pay for services is through council tax.

“We have kept the proposed increase this year as low as we can, while still balancing our budget.

“We expect there may be more difficult times ahead, but we are committed to keeping up our community conversations."

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Council co-leader Ian Boulton and leader Maggie Tyrrell

n NEWS

Discovering ancient Greece, in Winterbourne

CHILDREN at a Winterbourne primary school discovered the costumes and cuisine of ancient Greece to bring a history project to life.

The Year 4 pupils at St Michael's Primary School started their study of the ancient Greeks with a day of activities, called a 'wow day'.

They dressed up in costumes and headgear for some "immersive learning", tasted Greek food including olives, figs and tzatziki and designed their own mythical creatures in an art session using charcoal.

The children learned about the birth of democracy, legendary battles and famous

figures from the era.

Year 4 teacher Sarah Duncan said: "It was enlightening to see them engage with history in such a hands-on way.

"It was wonderful to see them step out of their comfort zones and savour new flavours, all while learning about the culinary traditions of Ancient Greece.

"Our Wow Day was not just about learning; it was about experiencing history in a fun and vibrant way."

The pupils are set to delve deeper into the ancient Greek world as the term goes on, learning about daily life and the Olympic games, and writing their own myths.

MP calls debate on bridge closure

AN MP has called a debate in the House of Commons to pressure the government to speed up the reopening of the Badminton Road bridge over the M4.

Claire Young secured the adjournment debate in January to raise the plight of the Frome Valley's overloaded country roads and businesses affected by the closure.

National Highways, which is responsible for the bridge, closed it in July 2023 after engineers found "accelerated deterioration and cracking" in the concrete – severing the main road between Bristol and Yate.

The government agency plans to remove it in late March, with a replacement due to open early next year.

Thornbury & Yate MP

Ms Young said: "The official diversion is long, with many of the 16,000 vehicles a day ending up instead on local country lanes like Henfield Road, Ram Hill and Down Road.

Council updates planning blueprint

A BLUEPRINT for planning new homes and business development in South Gloucestershire has been updated, after the government said the area would have to find space for extra housing.

The updated version of the new Local Plan has been sent to the next meeting of the authority's cabinet, which takes place in early February, and will also be discussed by a full meeting of the council before a final stage of public consultation, which is due to begin at the end of February.

All local authorities are required to have

"These roads were never designed to take such heavy traffic and it’s making them unsafe, damaging road surfaces, causing long delays, and, in the case of Henfield Road, exacerbating flooding."

an up-to-date Local Plan and, over the past few years, the council has been working on a plan to guide development and shape planning decisions between now and 2040.

The government announced in December that the council would need to find space for nearly 6,000 extra homes, on top of sites in its latest Local Plan, to meet new mandatory government targets.

South Gloucestershire's updated Local Plan allocates sites for 22,573 new homes, a small increase on previous draft versions that have undergone various rounds of consultation over the past few years.

But campaigners from TRAPP'D –Thornbury Residents Against Poorly Planned Development – say the council actually needs to find 25,528 homes to hit the government target.

She called on the government to commit to funding South Gloucestershire Council to repair the damage to local roads.

Ms Young also called for "viable businesses" affected by the loss of passing trade to be offered funding similar to covid payments, "to ensure they survive this closure".

And she called on the government to work with National Highways to bring forward the reopening of the road, recognising the "high level of disruption and the dismay locally at the length of time the work is taking".

The MP also raised questions about wider issues including the safety of posttensioned concrete bridges, similar to the condemned Badminton Road bridge.

The latest version of the Local Plan includes provision for 2,050 homes on land between Henfield and Lyde Green, near the Kendleshire Golf Club.

It also earmarks land off Park Lane in Coalpit Heath for 90 homes, the former Watermore Junior School site for 20 homes, land off Bristol Road in Frampton Cotterell for 60 homes and two sites on the western edge of Winterbourne for a total of 170 homes.

Another 20 could be accommodated at York Gardens in Winterbourne under the plan.

The council says the plan "limits the loss of local Green Belt land" and "identifies enough areas of land to develop wind and solar energy to make the district carbon neutral".

Year 4 pupils in their Greek outfits

Aerial view of the Badminton Road bridge.

Bristol's lost 80s pop rediscovered

SOME of Bristol's lost 1980s pop gems are being given a chance to shine again on a new album being released this month.

The Bristol and Bath 80s Pop Explosion is being released by the owner of Bristol Archive Records and former Ridings High School pupil Mike Darby, along with Dave Massey, who compiled the album and reported on the region's music scene for music papers NME, Sounds and Melody Maker during the decade.

Recordings which had been gathering dust for 40 years have been restored and remastered by Mike's brother-in-law Steve Street, who lives in Downend. Steve was the in-house engineer for Bath multi-platinum charttoppers Tears for Fears and before that owned his own recording studio, SAM Studios.

The album features bands who gigged, made demos and records in the area, playing radio-friendly pop, but never made the leap to commercial success.

Mike fell in love with music through punk in the late 70s and formed his own band, The Rimshots, in 1980, while taking his A-levels in Winterbourne.

They split up two years later and, after a short stint singing in another band, Mike started Sugar Shack Records in 1985 to get local talent into the shops. He also managed bands Fear of Darkness, Love Jungle and Rita Lynch.

Mike juggled his passion for music with a career in finance and was later well-known to local golfers as the chairman of Chipping Sodbury Golf Club for

nine years.

He founded two other labels, Bristol Archive Records and Reggae Archive Records, around 20 years ago, as the development of the internet made it easier to collect and save tracks, photos and memorabilia from the city's music scene.

Mike, who now lives in Emersons Green, said: "I'm lucky I've got a house big enough for three rooms full of records and master tapes."

About six to nine months ago he and Dave, who also has a collection of recordings from the 80s, got together and started picking out songs they felt deserved to be heard again by audiences old and new.

They describe the songs as "worthy contenders to be heard on day-time radio, in a top line club, blasting out of a TV screen or from in a car with the windows wound down on a sunny summer’s day, and just listened to by any pop fan through whatever means they choose to enjoy their music".

None of the bands are still going but some members went on to play with household names, including a member of Umo Vogue who is now in The Wurzels and a member of Bath-based Wadi Vision who performed with Queen's Roger Taylor.

Kingswood band Hey Belaba's Scott Davidson played keyboards with Bros and the Pet Shop Boys, before making a fortune founding classified ads paper Trade It and becoming chairman of Bristol City FC.

Some band members became college lecturers or were successful in other fields.

Mike said: "Music for a lot of people is the thing that defines them in terms of their personality.

Fans who remember names like Bush & Clarke, The Sidneys, Vicious Circle and Great Naked, or those who are curious to discover what the local scene sounded like in the 80s, now have the chance to listen and wonder what might have been.

"They got into a band and learned how to be something they wouldn't have been if they hadn't been in music.

"They're used to striving for success. If the band doesn't work out, they don't fail, they just morph into something else."

Mike tracked down former members of the bands on the compilation via Facebook and personal contacts – some of them still live locally but others have spread around the world.

He said: "In every band there will be one person who has kept everything – the key is to find

that person.

"If you've got a really good memory like me, if you can't find the singer you need to find the guitarist or drummer."

As well as 80s pop, Bristol Archive Records has produced similar compilations of reggae, punk, post-punk, mod, goth and rock bands from the region, mainly on limited edition vinyl records and for download, although the 80s pop compilation will also be released on CD.

Mike says there's "no real money" in producing the compilations and, after retiring as an independent financial adviser, music "is now my fulltime expensive hobby".

The Bristol and Bath 80s Pop Explosion is released on February 28 on limited edition 11-track vinyl, limited edition 18-track CD and download, via Bristol Archive Records.

For more details visit bristolarchiverecords.com or your local record shop.

Mike Darby

Hey Belaba smoulder for the camera

Wadi Vision in concert

Hambrook tops the table

LEADERS of a primary school are celebrating being ranked top of the performance table in South Gloucestershire.

Hambrook Primary School is also 69th out of the 20,960 primary schools in England in the Department for Education's tables measuring outcomes in Year 6 pupils' standard assessment tests (SATs) taken last year.

The school, which had 29 pupils taking the tests, saw 97% meet the expected standard in reading and maths tests, and in teacher assessments of writing.

The average score for both reading and maths was 110, against the standard score of 100, and 14% of pupils were assessed as reaching the higher standard of 110 in all three areas, placing them in the top 5% nationwide.

Frampton Cotterell C of E Primary School was 3rd of the district's 86 primary schools, with 84% of its 45 Year 6 pupils reaching the expected standard and 7% at the higher standard. The Manor C of E Primary was 13th, with 74% and 6%, and St Michael's was 26th, with 68% and 13%.

At Watermore Primary School, 67% of the 60 Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard, while 7% reached the higher standard.

Frenchay Primary had 64% of pupils reaching the expected standard and 4% at the higher standard; at Stanbridge Primary the numbers were 62% and 5%, and at the Tynings, 61% and 8%.

The figures for other local primary schools were: Emersons Green, 60% and 10%; St Augustine of Canterbury, 60% and 0%; Staple Hill 60% and 2%; St Stephen's, Soundwell 57% and 0%; Lyde Green Primary

Frampton Garage

51% and 5%; Barley Close, 44% and 0%.

Hambrook Primary head teacher Jennifer Rubel said: "This places us in the top 0.3% of all primary schools nationwide, a truly remarkable achievement.

"At Hambrook we are passionate about providing a rounded education for all of our pupils that goes beyond academic success.

"While these impressive SATs results are worth celebrating, we remain committed to helping every child thrive in all areas of life—socially, creatively, physically, and emotionally."

Hambrook Primary School pupils spell out their ranking

n NEWS

THE Liberal Democrats have chosen a councillor from Bath to be their challenger for the role of Metro Mayor.

Oli Henman has represented the Walcot ward on Bath & North East Somerset Council since 2023.

He works as a coordinator aiding community organisations with sustainability, and last year addressed the UN General Assembly for its 'Summit of the Future' action days.

Cllr Henman will be aiming to better the result of former Bristol West MP Stephen Williams, the party's candidate in the 2021 election, who came fourth out of four.

He says he wants to use his experience to engage and involve local communities in the work the West of England Combined Authority does if he is elected Metro Mayor on May 1.

Cllr Henman said: "I’m committed to cutting waste and red tape in the Mayor’s office and putting power back where it belongs: in the hands of local communities.

"The West of England

Lib Dems unveil Metro Mayor pick as Greens switch

Mayor has a key role to play in delivering affordable and accessible transport, sustainable housing and the jobs of the future.

"We have seen that funds for bus service improvement have been wasted on unnecessary gimmicks like the ‘birthday bus’ scheme.

"I want to ensure our communities are at the heart of decision making and that the region becomes more accessible

for everyone."

The Green Party has changed its mayoral candidate.

After unveiling city council deputy leader Heather Mack as its candidate in November, the party announced in January that Cllr Mack had stood down "to allow her to focus on her council role".

In her place the Greens have named Mary Page, their candidate in the Bristol North West constituency at the last general election, who was runner-up to Labour's Darren Jones.

A media and marketing specialist, Ms Page was previously a member of the Liberal Democrats and was selected in 2019 as the Lib Dem candidate for Bristol Mayor, on a platform of abolishing the post.

She later stood down from

the candidacy for personal reasons, but then led the 'It’s Our City Bristol – Scrap the Mayor' campaign in 2022, which won a referendum to abolish the role then held by Labour's Marvin Rees.

Labour and the Conservatives have both selected former Bristol city councillors, Helen Godwin and Steve Smith respectively, for the election.

Current Metro Mayor Dan Norris was elected as the MP for North East Somerset & Hanham and cannot stand for re-election because of a Labour Party ban on MPs having second jobs. Reform UK had yet to announce a candidate as the Voice went to print.

Includes reporting by John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Stuck and Barrels

■ Swift low cost

■ Non destructive entry methods gaining entry quickly and efciently from the initial call

■ Keys or handbag stolen? Burgled? Need your locks changed or re-keying on a new home? Call us.

Full explanation and costs given before any works carried out. All work fully guaranteed. No call-out fee

Oli Henman Mary Page

Couple's 'offensive' number plate is withdrawn by DVLA

A BRISTOL Rovers-supporting couple from Frampton Cotterell say they were shocked to find the DVLA had withdrawn their personalised number plate, after 27 years of ownership.

Jackie and John Cooke, who are both in their 80s, bought the registration number N14 GAS back in 1997.

Gas-themed number plates are a common sight in the Bristol area, where they are bought by Rovers fans in honour of the club's nickname, the Gas.

Jackie said she and John are both Gasheads, and bought the plate to symbolise the message: “Number one for the Gas.”

However, the couple received a letter in December from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which is in charge of registrations telling them it could cause offence and was being withdrawn.

They say the DVLA has not made clear why the number plate is offensive, although it is believed the agency has decided it could be read as a racial slur.

Jackie said: “John and I were utterly shocked when our cherished car registration was withdrawn.

The number plate that has been banned after 27 years of use

"We initially thought it was a scam; we could not work out how it could possibly be offensive.

"In fact, the DVLA recommended N14 GAS in 1997."

Jackie and John have been allocated a temporary number plate – JJ64 GAS – although Jackie still hopes they can get their original number reinstated.

She said: "We are also waiting to be reimbursed for the costs of the new number plates.

"We were very upset about this; we still think it is outrageous as do many of our friends, family and general public."

A DVLA spokesperson told the Voice: "The DVLA regularly reviews the appropriateness of registration numbers and withholds any numbers that may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste.

"On the rare occasion where potentially offensive numbers slip through the net, steps are taken to withdraw the registration number."

New head for SGS

A COLLEGE with 8,800 students has announced its next head.

David Withey will be the new chief executive and principal of SGS college from the end of March.

David Withey

He is joining from the Education and Skills Funding Agency, where he is currently the chief executive, and takes over from Kevin Hamblin, who has been in charge of SGS since 2001.

A college statement said: "David brings with him a wealth of experience and public service leadership gained in both the UK and Australia, whilst having a strong understanding of the further education sector."

Mr Withey said: "I‘ve been fortunate to meet some of the brilliant learners, staff and external stakeholders over the past few weeks and I cannot wait to meet more of them once in post."

Family farmhouse plan approved

A FAMILY has been given permission to build a new home on the site of a former historic farmhouse, after councillors overruled planning officers.

The house will be built on Cloisters Road in Winterbourne, on the site of Cloisters Farm.

Planning officers said the road was dark and “unsafe” for walking to and from the village at night, as it lacks pavements and street lights.

But members of South Gloucestershire Council's development management committee voted to approve the plans in December.

Applicant Alison Keats said: “It’s a self-build for myself and my family to occupy.

"Local residents and councillors will remember when Cloisters Farm existed on the site.

"Cloisters Road is probably the most well-used walking, cycling and horse-riding route in Winterbourne, with dozens of people using it daily, including

myself where I walk my dog every day.

"The reduced speed limit, good visibility and large verges mean that it is a safe walking area. The local shops, schools and pubs are very close by and within easy walking distance to the site.

"There was a house on the site for at least 170 of the last 200 years."

Planning officers were concerned about a lack of shops nearby, which would mean that residents of the new house would likely rely on driving everywhere.

Council policy says new homes should be built in

A computer generated image of the proposed new house

“sustainable locations”, where people can walk, cycle or get the bus to most places they need to go to.

But Winterbourne ward councillor Nicholas Labuschagne said: “There are five shopping areas, two small convenience stores, two large convenience stores, a hairdresser, a large hardware shop, beauty centre, takeaways, charity shops, post offices, butcher’s, baker’s — and you can even buy candlesticks as well.

"There’s everything all within one mile."

Officials also raised the issue of safety for pedestrians walking

in my survey and

on the road.

Planning officer Suzanne D’Arcy said: "Distance isn’t the sole arbiter of sustainability, it’s also about whether it’s safe and walkable.

"There aren’t any separated footpaths, and there is a difference between going for a walk, and walking to the shops, a school or to get the bus into work."

Other issues included the site's location in the Green Belt, which is protected from development.

Committee member June Bamford (Con, Hanham) said: "Not everybody wishes to live in a built-up area.

"We talk about street lights — I can wander around Hanham later at night and they’re probably all switched off, so it’s just as dark there as it’s likely to be around here.

"We’ve got to get into the real world: people do have cars."

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

GODWIN HELEN

I am Labour’s candidate for the West of England Mayor in May 2025.

This area is my home. I grew up on the outskirts of Bristol, my family live across the West Country and I’m now raising my three children here.

Our region is a great place to live but I know there are challenges too. I will work every day to put our region on the map and deliver good well-paid jobs, reliable public transport and more affordable homes. Get in touch and let me know what your priorities are for the West of England.

Joyce hits 100

A FORMER Winterbourne resident is celebrating reaching her 100th birthday.

Joyce Haigh celebrated her centenary on January 6 with a "huge party with all her family and friends" at Avonmere in Badminton Road in Downend, where she has been living for the past three years.

Joyce was born in Oldham, Lancashire, and moved to Yorkshire when she was ten years old.

She says her earliest memory is playing with her favourite toy, a 'whip and top', when she was ten.

After leaving school she worked in an office at a foundry and then at a mill, before becoming a typist at a theatre and then spending four years working for the National Girobank.

Joyce married husband Fred at the age of 20. He was a regional manager for a tailoring company and it was in the course of his work that the family moved to Thornbury, and then lived in Winterbourne.

Joyce has three children, seven grandchildren and 16 greatgrandchildren, the youngest of whom is a six-year-old boy.

Avonmere well-being coordinator Bea Lush said: "Joyce loved driving her car, and only stopped driving at the age of 91."

Killer drink-driver jailed

A DRINK-driver who left a Yate mum to die in the road after knocking her down has been jailed for nine years.

Ashley Billing was subject to a driving ban from a previous offence when he hit 49-yearold pedestrian Rebecca Ashmead in Kennedy Way, Yate, in March 2023.

Billing, aged 39, drove off, leaving Rebecca, also known as Bex, on the road with multiple injuries.

A large amount of debris from the Ford Focus car, including its front bumper and registration plate, were also in the road.

An Avon & Somerset police spokesperson said: "Paramedics attended and first aid was provided but, despite their efforts, Rebecca sadly died at the scene."

The car's owner was traced and Billing was arrested a short time later.

Billing, formerly of Yate but now of Rossetti Road, Patchway, initially denied charges of causing Rebecca's death by driving without due care and attention while over the drink-drive limit, by driving while disqualified and by driving while uninsured or licensed.

However, after a legal bid to dismiss the case against him failed last November, he changed his pleas to guilty to all three charges.

At Bristol Crown Court in January he was sentenced to nine years in prison: his change of plea meant the sentence was reduced from 12.

Billing has also been banned from driving for 10 years.

After he was sentenced, Rebecca's family said: "While no amount of time in prison will ever change the fact that our lives have been utterly destroyed by his actions, we are grateful to have some semblance of closure."

Joyce Haigh at her birthday party

Ashley Billing

New Aldi plans submitted

SUPERMARKET chain Aldi has submitted formal plans to turn Yate's former Cineworld cinema into its latest branch.

The German retailer says that, if approved, the new store

at the Riverside Retail Park will create up to 40 "full-time equivalent" jobs.

Since being posted on South Gloucestershire Council's planning website, the plans have received more than 330 comments, with more people writing in support of the plans than opposing it.

One supporter said: "It would

save me and other Aldi lovers making a 20 mile round trip to do our shopping.

"We had a cinema, it wasn't used enough, mostly because of cost. I think the same thing would happen with another leisure facility."

However those opposing the plans say Yate already has enough supermarkets.

Doors, Fascias, Conservatories

Conservatories, Georgian, Victorian, Lean-to or Guardian warm roof system. All to suit your individual taste and budget

Double glazed windows and doorsContemporary or Traditional. Choice of colours, range and styles

Roofing - Pitched and Flat Roofs. At last, a proven permanent solution for flat roofs with RubberBond EPDM proven to last over 50 years.

Fascia, Soffits & Guttering - PVCu Solid replacement Fascias, Soil stacks and Cladding. Guttering and Soffits.

One objector wrote: "This is the wrong location for another supermarket. We live close to the shopping centre and we have noticed that traffic around the shopping centre has got worse in the last few years.

"As someone who used the cinema every week I really miss it. I would prefer the building to remain as a family entertainment centre. If it was multi-purpose it would attract a greater number of users."

The plans can be viewed on the planning section of the council's website, by searching for application P25/00028/F.

Aldi real estate director Rob Jones said: "We are delighted with the response we have received so far and are committed to continued engagement with the local community."

- Friday: 9am -

9am - 1pm

Tip booking system starts

SOUTH Gloucestershire Council is preparing to launch a booking system at its four Sort It recycling centres.

From March 3, all visits to the tips at Yate, Mangotsfield, Little Stoke and Thornbury have to be booked in advance, to meet a law introduced in January of last year requiring councils to regulate the disposal of household DIY waste.

Details of the new system, which aims to cut queues and prevent misuse of recycling centres by non-residents and commercial traders, can be found in the council's advert on page 29.

Council cabinet member for waste and recycling Sean Rhodes said: "We recognise that these changes will mean people have to adapt, but we have confidence in the new system and will support anyone who needs additional help.

"We need to regulate the disposal of DIY waste and we also want to ensure South Glos residents receive the best value for their money.

"Preventing residents and businesses from outside the area from using our recycling centres will help save vital funds that can be spent where they are needed the most."

Bookings open on February 24 and can be made online, by phone or at a council One Stop Shop.

A FRAMPTON Cotterell woman is on a mission to raise thousands of pounds in memory of her cousin, who died of cancer aged 29.

Connor Walker died in May last year at his home, the Malthouse pub in Thornbury High Street, where he lived with his mum, Julie Walker, and her partner Mark Wilson, the pub’s former landlords.

He had been diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer, in 2021 shortly after returning from a holiday to Paris.

To honour his memory his brother Shane and cousin Megan Holmes are taking part in this year’s Paris Marathon, to raise funds for St Peter's Hospice, which cared for Connor in his final weeks.

Megan, 26, from Frampton Cotterell, and Shane, 35, from Thornbury, will run together in the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris on April 13, after receiving places through St Peter’s Hospice.

Their online donation page had raised more than £7,300 as the Voice went to print.

The money will go towards the charity's work to provide end-of-life care for patients and their families, both at its Bristol hospice and within their own homes.

Megan said: "I was flicking through the Hospice website for ways to raise money, wondering what I could do, and spotted the Paris Marathon entry.

"It immediately struck a chord with me because I knew

Tally takes on marathon for hospital

NATALIE Organ is taking on her first ever marathon to support the Southmead Hospital Charity.

Natalie, known as Tally, grew up in Frampton Cotterell and is currently living in Bristol, and has worked in Southmead Hospital's cardiology department as an administrator.

She will take on the London Marathon on April 27, along with

Running for cousin Connor

Connor, who I always called Con, had been to Paris and had loved it and running a marathon’s something I’ve always wanted to do.

"So I texted Shane to see if he was up for it and he said, ‘yeah go on then’, and we were away!”

In 2021, Connor and two friends drove from Bristol to Paris in his transit van to attend the Paris Supercross motocross show, stopping on the way home to ride the Loon-Plage beach motocross track in Dunkirk.

Megan said: "They had all

five other friends.

Tally said: "This charity does some incredible work for both staff and patients, through pioneering research, staff wellbeing, patient well-being, as well as fundraising for new hospital equipment.

"I know the incredible effect this charity can have, so I know that raising money for this cause will not only benefit those working at Southmead to support patients and their families, but also to ensure the hospital has sufficient resources to do so.

"I have completed two half marathons before but have never run a full marathon, nor did I think I ever would!

"I am looking forward to the challenge, albeit a little terrified."

Tally has hosted a charity

sorts of adventures – driving round and round the Arc de Triomphe, accidentally dining at a posh restaurant and nearly bankrupting themselves, and getting lost and waking up in a dodgy part of town.

"It was his last holiday before he got ill, and it brought him such joy. To run the Paris Marathon in his memory feels like the perfect way to honour him.”

Connor, who leaves a six-year-old son, Lucas, was diagnosed with melanoma

shortly after returning from Paris.

Although he received treatment and briefly went into remission, the disease returned.

Megan said: "He was really against going into a hospice. He just wanted to be at home.

"Con’s mum looked after him round the clock and when the time came reached out to St Peter’s Hospice for support at home. It was like the peace in a storm. They were incredible.

"Once they started coming to the house, it gave her some much-needed help and provided support for the rest of the family.

"It was comforting to have someone outside the family whom we could talk to about Con in a calm way and provide a shoulder to lean on.

"Even something as simple as making cups of tea for the many people who came to see him took a weight off the family's shoulders."

Megan says she will be drawing upon Connor for inspiration as she and Shane take on the race.

She said: "It sounds soppy and silly, but when I’m training and it gets hard, I look up at the sky and it gives me the strength to push through and helps me remember why I’m doing it."

Donations to Megan and Shane’s fundraising appeal can be made online at justgiving. com/team/megandshane.

bake sale at the hospital's cardiology department, raising £427.75 towards her total, and is planning more events in the

lead-up to the marathon.

To sponsor Tally visit tinyurl. com/2xk8yf27.

Connor with cousin Megan and son Lucas

Natalie Organ

n LOCAL MP Claire Young Thornbury &

A gateway to real change in our region

I'VE recently been elected as vice-chair of the Western Gateway All-Party Parliamentary Group, which focuses on supporting the organisation’s work and lobbying for additional support from the government.

The Western Gateway Partnership stretches from St Davids in Wales to Swindon, and brings together business, local leaders and academia to form the country’s only pan-national partnership aimed at building a greener, more prosperous future for the area.

Before becoming an MP, I served on the board of the Western Gateway Partnership as leader of South Gloucestershire Council and in my new role, I intend to be a champion for the project, which has the power to deliver real change for local communities.

The Western Gateway Partnership has the ability to unlock investment and opportunities by bringing people together around shared goals.

For example, the partnership is soon set to report on the potential for tidal power generation from the Severn. This could deliver jobs for local people, as well as help cut our carbon emissions through new home-grown renewable energy.

Those with long memories will remember schemes before that never came to fruition. One of Western Gateway’s missions is to navigate the complexities, balance environmental concerns, and unlock sustainable opportunities.

The Western Gateway is also engaged in what it terms the

Severn Edge project.

It is looking to create a low carbon energy park at the old nuclear power station site at Oldbury, as well as the one up the river at Berkeley.

Focusing on renewable energy, hydrogen and nuclear power, it has already brought in over £100m of investment from the UK government and the private sector.

The Western Gateway is also very well placed to have a say in local rail services.

Its 2050 Rail Vision promotes increasing capacity to allow up to four trains per hour between

Bristol and Cardiff, reducing journey times between the cities from 50 to 30 minutes.

It also suggests that journey times between Swansea and Bristol could be dramatically reduced from one and a half hours, once an hour, to 60 minutes with three trains an hour, through proposed improvements to the South Wales Main Line and upgrading the Severn crossing.

It’s disappointing that the partnership has been overlooked by the government, who have refused to guarantee its funding moving forward, leaving the entire endeavour in doubt.

Hopefully it will understand that the Western Gateway is excellent value for money.

As the vice-chair of the Western Gateway group in Parliament, I will be doing all I can to put pressure on ministers to commit to supporting its work and using it to deliver positive results for our communities.

Claire Young MP with members of the Western Gateway All-Party Parliamentary Group.

n RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Not just for Valentine’s

AS you will know if you follow my recipes, I don’t very often do desserts or cakes: not because I don’t like them, but because I try to keep these for special occasions.

And of course, Valentine’s Day is special for a lot of people. But I like to think that this recipe can be enjoyed for any special celebration.

Nothing says celebration to me like chocolate, but this cake comes with a twist!

The surprising inclusion of beetroot subtly changes the flavour, making it lightly less sweet and totally delicious, especially with accompanying fruit.

And the magic is that you can’t taste the flavour of beetroot, but you know that there is something tantalisingly different.

Give it a try – you won’t be disappointed!

Magic chocolate fudge cake

Makes about 12 cupcakes or 1 round cake, using an 18cm (7in) diameter loose-bottomed cake tin. This will give you a cake 2in deep.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

250g good-quality chocolate- 70% cocoa solids

Eggs – 3 medium, free range

Light muscovado sugar-150g

Agave nectar – 4 tbsps (you can use runny honey or maple syrup if you prefer)

Plain flour – 40g

Self-raising flour – 40g

Bicarbonate of soda – ¼ tsp

fromevalley voice

Good pinch of salt

Cocoa powder – 25g

Ground almonds – 50g

Cooked beetroot, NOT cooked in vinegar – 250g – finely grated

Strong black coffee – 50ml, plus 50ml warm water

Sunflower oil- 30ml

For serving:

Either a dusting of icing sugar or a drizzle of pouring cream and blueberries, strawberries or raspberries when in season.

Method for the cake:

Preheat oven to (160°C/Gas Mark 3 or 140°C fan-oven).

If making the round cake, grease the tin and line the base with non-stick paper. If making small cakes, line two 12-hole standard muffin pans with 12 paper cases. For Valentine’s Day if you feel creative, make a large cake and cut out heart shaped (see picture). Leftover cake can be served with cream and berries.

Melt the chocolate gently in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until it’s all melted. Do not let the bowl touch the water, or the chocolate will seize and be ruined! Put aside to cool, not in the fridge. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat eggs with the sugar and the agave nectar, honey or maple syrup until thick and creamy. This will take about 3 minutes with a hand-held electric mixer, or in a food processor or larger mixer.

Gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients (not the beetroot) until well mixed together.

Ann Murray founded the Cooking4 Cookery School based in Chipping Sodbury. She’s teamed up with Frome Valley Voice to pass on her wealth of experience in the kitchen.

Spread the grated beetroot out onto double thickness of kitchen paper. Remove some of the excess moisture by blotting with another piece of kitchen paper.

Fold in the beetroot, coffee, warm water, oil and lastly the cooled chocolate, using a spatula. At this point the mixture will look a bit gloopy. Don’t worry, that’s normal. Just continue to fold gently until well combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin or cupcake cases, filling each case about two thirds full.

Bake in the pre- heated oven for 15- 20 minutes for the cupcakes. Leave in their cases for a couple of mins. Then test to see if they are ready. See below for the test.

For the round cake – bake for 45 mins. Then turn off the oven and leave the cake in there for a further 10 mins.

Test to see if your bakes are

ready by placing a forefinger on top of cake/cakes which should feel spongy and spring back. The consistency of the cake/cakes will be very moist.

For the cupcakes – once cooked, tip out onto a wire cooling rack. For the large cake – take out of the oven and leave in the tin on the cooling rack for 5 mins before turning out.

Leave cake/cakes to cool. Serve warm with pouring cream and seasonal fruits.

Cook’s Tips:

Agave nectar is a healthier sweetener from the agave bush. You can find it along with sugar in the supermarket or in health food shops. Otherwise, you can use maple syrup or honey.

These cakes will become even more squidgy if left for a couple of days. Otherwise, they will freeze beautifully.

Winterbourne Down Village Carnival

AS the New Year rolls in, the organisation of the Winterbourne Down Village Carnival really ramps up.

Our new chair, Nick Roden, has settled into the role with ease, steering the committee with confidence and charisma.

Top of the agenda is choosing our charity. Unlike previous years, where the community had the opportunity to vote for their preferred charity, this year the committee unanimously agreed to choose Young Lives vs Cancer as the charity for 2025.

This is in honour of our recently-retired carnival chair, John Turner.

The Turner family have supported Young Lives vs Cancer for many years with their own fundraising stall at the carnival.

This year we thought we could do better, so we’ve made it our dedicated charity.

We’re thrilled to have the

charity on board: from here on in, they will be active members of the committee in the lead up to May Day, with their own volunteers helping out on the day.

The support Young Lives vs Cancer provides to children and young people, and their families, facing a cancer diagnosis is truly magnificent. In our region alone, last year 114 children and young people were supported.

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

Support includes a place to stay at their Homes from Home free of charge for the duration of time their child is on treatment, time spent with specialised social workers who are there to support families from the minute they hear their child has cancer and financial grants to cover immediate costs associated with a cancer diagnosis.

Regular prime sponsor The Cross Hands pub in Winterbourne

Love is . . . tackling our potholes

FEBRUARY is a month of red roses, chocolates, and declarations of love.

So, naturally, I thought I’d start by writing about potholes.

Yes, potholes. Stick with me, it’s a story of devotion. After all, nothing says love like smooth, safe journeys.

Just before Christmas, the West of England received a government love letter in the form of an extra £6.7 million to tackle potholes.

This record funding – nearly 50% higher than last year – will be music to motorists’ ears.

It’s not just the funding that will warm hearts: with stricter rules and penalties for companies dragging out roadworks, drivers can look forward to smoother roads and fewer delays.

Because when it comes to our roads, we’re committed to a long-term relationship – no break-ups or breakdowns in sight.

Another heartfelt gesture arrived in the form of £17.2 million to tackle rough sleeping.

This significant boost will help prevent homelessness, provide more warm beds and shelters, and support rough sleepers into longer-term accommodation.

It’s the biggest funding of its kind for our region and shows a shared commitment to caring for those

most in need.

Tackling the housing crisis is no small challenge, but with this cash boost, we’re making progress –and proving that our love for the West of England is about leaving no one behind.

Of course, Valentine’s Day is also a time for giving thoughtful gifts, and I can’t think of a better one than Birthday Buses.

Back by popular demand, this unique initiative gives each resident in our amazing region free bus travel for the entire month of your birthday.

In December alone, more than 100,000 free journeys were taken, doubling last year’s numbers despite the disruption of Storm Darragh.

Since Birthday Buses relaunched, 45,000 people have signed up.

They will save up to £100 each, and almost 40% of them are under 21.

If you’re lucky enough to be that age, you can now get free bus travel for the whole of your birthday month, plus the following one, if you apply before your 21st birthday.

It’s fantastic to see the next generation of bus passengers getting on board, embracing more sustainable travel, and shaping a greener future for the region.

Over 8,000 people already had free passes for

Down has already committed to this year.

With local grants no longer available, we're even more reliant on sponsorships from local businesses.

This year we have introduced tiered levels of sponsorship, anything from £250 to £1,000.

In exchange, businesses will be promoted across our social media pages and at the carnival itself.

For more details, contact us through our Facebook page or at winterbournedowncarnival@gmail. com.

We would also like to take this opportunity to pay our respects to the life of Mona Parker.

Mona was a stalwart of the original Winterbourne Down Village Carnival committee 35 years ago. Whilst running the village post office for more than 20 years, Mona also volunteered to be our first ever Treasurer.

We would like to express our sincere condolences to her family, Mona will be greatly missed in the village.

Stay tuned for regular updates – it’s cold and dark now, but May is but a few months away!

Kathryn Hopes

January. Those with March birthdays should sign up at BirthdayBus.co.uk by February 19 to ensure a whole month of free travel.

If your birthday is in February you can still apply, right up to the 15th.

At its heart, my job as Mayor is about connection, whether that’s connecting people to places via buses and better roads, or connecting people to opportunities, homes, and leisure.

It’s also about taking tough decisions, even when they’re not always easy or popular.

After all, we all know love means telling it like it is and being honest.

Although, top tip: your partner always looks amazing on Valentine’s Day, whatever you think!

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice

Last year's carnival parade

Festive fundraisers break records

FUNDRAISERS have praised the generosity of people who helped Christmas events and displays in Winterbourne Down raise more than £28,000 for charity.

Donations to two huge light displays and the village's traditional mummers play surpassed their targets to help a variety of good causes.

Richard Iles and his family saw their display in Church Road, raising money for the Taxi Charity For Military Veterans, feature on BBC Breakfast news, the GB News channel and other national media after a cash donation box was stolen.

The theft, reported in last month's Voice, led to a surge in online donations. Having already passed its initial £1,000 target at the time, the display eventually raised more than £12,000 for the Taxi Charity For Military Veterans.

The charity takes Second World War veterans to Normandy and Richard had

been inspired to help after seeing black cabs at Pegasus Bridge on a visit in June for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Richard said: "The Taxi Charity are like a family. They give up their time and taxis taking back the ever-declining number of WW2 veterans to the places where they fought."

One of the special guests to visit Richard's display was Len Trewin, a 100-year-old Parachute Regiment veteran from Yate, who fought his way

Normandy veteran Len Trewin with Richard Iles

from Normandy into Belgium, Holland and Germany over the last year of the war.

Richard said: "My family and I would like to thank everybody for their support and donations

"Many people ask me about our plans for this year - well, as it marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day we will be stepping up the game yet again."

The Winterbourne Wonderland display in nearby Down Road had its best year ever.

Organisers Ricky and Chrissie Fenning said the display raised £15,000 for the Grand Appeal for Bristol Children's Hospital, well above their target of £9,000.

They have now raised more than £25,900 since their first display in 2021.

Ricky said: "There was a big rise in visitors."

The village's mummers' play, performed in the streets by the Christmas Boys and Winterbourn Down Border Morris Dancers on Boxing Day, raised more than £1,100 for Paul's Place, the Coalpit Heath charity supporting adults with physical disabilities, including £900 of donations on the day.

Alan Mildren, who plays the Turkish Knight, said: "It was one of the best Boxing Days ever, with some of the biggest crowds.

"Well over 200 people must have been outside the Cross Hands, and Becky from the pub paid for the road closure."

n COMMUNITY NEWS

Crossbow Singers

THIS year is an exciting one for Crossbow Singers, as we will be marking our 50th anniversary.

We are enjoying reflecting on our favourite musical pieces from across the years, remembering past and present members and events and beginning to plan for our summer concert, which will celebrate our golden anniversary.

Our choir members have all put forward their favourite pieces and Carolyn is busy creating an exciting programme.

We can draw on the memories of a number of the original members of the choir, who are still singing with us or supporting us.

One of them, who has been integral to our musical family across the years, is Mary Darby, who joined the choir when it was founded in 1975 as a singer.

She moved to become our pianist 15 years ago, and her exceptional talent has got us through many a difficult piece, and helped add shade and light to our singing.

Many who have attended our concerts over the years will also remember her solo pieces and duets with her replacement, Anthony Davies.

Mary is not just an incredibly talented musician but has a wonderful sense of humour and is appreciated by us all.

She will be hugely missed, and it was decided that we would use our ever-popular Christmas concert to thank her officially for her many years of service. As a small token of our appreciation of her dedication, we presented Mary with a range of gifts.

The audience was very generous in donating to our retiring collection, raising £290.45 for the local ‘Comfort and Joy’ Appeal.

Our committee voted to make that up to £350 from choir funds, so we were able to donate £350 to that very worthwhile charity. We also received an anonymous donation of £300, which has been sent to the Emmaus Homeless Charity in Bristol, as requested by the donor.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended the concerts and dug deep into their pockets

Louise Lewis

Floral Friends of Frampton

WINTER is certainly upon us, but here and there daffodils are beginning to peek through and hellebores are putting on a show in the Beesmoor flower border.

Have you spotted them?

By the time you read this we'll have chosen our 2025 colour scheme and decided on dates for our May plant sale at the Brockeridge Centre. If you sow vegetable and flower seeds, please consider donating any leftover young plants for the sale, as they are always very popular.

We’re happy to report that we have now secured funding from the Parish Council for the replacement planter bench outside St Peter's Church. This will be made of strong, recycled plastic which should last for many years to come. These planters store far more water than our wooden ones and don’t need repainting regularly, so they are much easier for us to maintain.

Floral Friends are entirely funded by donations and we would like to thank all who have supported us recently by making donations and perhaps commemorating someone special by doing so. It is very much appreciated.

Donations can be made either in person or online to Floral Friends of Frampton, Lloyds Bank 30-98-97, account number 70582363.

Pat Densley

Winterbourne Down Ladies Probus Club

AT our first meeting of 2025, we were entertained by ukulele player Brian Miller, who sang some very amusing and some well-known songs.

There was a lot of audience participation with the old favourites, before we all retired for a well-deserved cup of tea and biscuits.

We are now getting organised for 2025, with

a visit to Caerphilly and the Brecon Mountain Railway in April and our annual summer lunch in June to look forward to, with a very interesting list of speakers arranged for the year.

Our February meeting is the AGM, when we recap on the last year's activities and vote in the committee members.

Visitors are always welcome to our meetings, so if you have time on your hands and would like to socialise with a friendly group, please come and join us.

We meet at 2pm on the third Monday of each month at All Saints Church Hall, Winterbourne Down.

Meetings start with a short club business session followed by a talk from a visiting speaker, refreshments and time for a chat before the meeting ends at 4pm.

If you would like to visit us, or would like more information, please contact me on 01454 773647.

Sue Humphreys

Winterbourne Medieval Barn

CRAFT and skills workshops are currently the main activities at the barn.

The wood carving workshop is sold out but there are still spaces available for the one-day Apple Grafting Workshop on February 22, when you can discover the principles of grafting and make some new fruit trees to take home with you.

On March 20 the excellent duo GreenMatthews will return to the Barn with their hilarious show A Brief History of Music.

They are both amazing musicians and great entertainers, and will whisk you from medieval tunes to 20th century hits, with everything in between, on a bewildering array of instruments, with lots of humour.

More craft workshops and events will be announced soon, with our varied talks starting again in March.

Winterbourne Medieval Barn Trust is almost entirely run by volunteers, and the Trust is always happy to welcome new volunteers to join its large and friendly team.

It's a great way to meet new friends and get involved with a really important historic local building which has stood here for nearly 700 years.

The Trust is particularly looking for people who enjoy practical tasks to join the Barnforce team, who are involved in maintaining and improving the site on one Saturday morning a month.

If you think you might be interested, look at the volunteering page on the barn website, www.winterbournebarn.org.uk, or contact us via social media.

Booking for all events is can also be done via the Barn website or Ticketsource. Call 0117 403 1536 to arrange a time if you want to book tickets in person.

Louise Harrison

Mary Darby duets with Anthony Davies

Hellebores

n FRAMPTON NATURE

Help our threatened wildlife

GARDENS in the UK cover more space than all our national nature reserves, and are an increasingly important habitat for wildlife.

Many species that visit our gardens have suffered serious declines.

Here are some things we can all do to help them:

• Hedgehogs, now classified as vulnerable to extinction, need access to gardens in order to feed, which you can provide by creating 13cm x 13cm holes in boundary walls and fences.

Remove netting or anything they could get caught in, ensure ponds have shallow sides so they can escape, and try to keep dogs away.

Check long grass before strimming and bonfires before lighting. Log piles, compost

heaps and leaf piles are brilliant hedgehog-friendly features that can provide shelter, food, nesting or hibernation sites.

• Many bat species have suffered serious long-term declines. Growing a variety of native plants, shrubs and trees, building a pond and avoiding pesticide use supports the insects bats eat. Artificial lighting disturbs bats, so keeping your garden dark at night will help.

• Swifts and house martins were red-listed in 2021. Over half of the UK population of both species have disappeared from our skies. You can help by monitoring and protecting nest sites, providing nest bricks and boxes, and gardening for insects. Starlings and house sparrows are also on the red list after serious declines – you can help by providing specially-made nest boxes.

• Frogs, toads and slow worms are all in decline. You can support them by creating a wildlife pond, having piles of rocks, logs or leaves, having a compost heap, leaving areas of long grass, and by not using pesticides.

• Cinnabars are beautiful day-flying black and red moths, and many of you will be familiar with their black and gold striped caterpillars, which feed on common ragwort. Although widespread, they are classed as vulnerable, having suffered an 83% decline over 35 years.

You can help by leaving patches of ragwort to grow in your garden. People are often concerned about ragwort because it is toxic to horses and livestock, but unless your garden backs onto farmland it is unlikely to cause any problems.

It will also benefit many other

species too – 30 species of insects are entirely dependent on it, and it is a hugely important nectar and pollen plant for butterflies and bees.

Our Community Nature Reserve project is linking together private gardens and public green spaces so that we can work together to make more room for nature.

Sign up your garden at tinyurl. com/37hmmacv for access to free seeds, wildflowers, trees, advice and support!

You can contact us at framptoncotterellnature@gmail. com. David Hanks

The not-so-common common toad.

Picture: David Hanks

Coalpit Heath WI

DESPITE it being a really cold evening with a threat of snow, there was an excellent turn out to hear Heidi Miller talk about forensic science.

Heidi was very quick to let us know that the job wasn’t as glamorous as depicted on numerous CSI programmes: no high heels and make up, indeed an all-black kit had definite advantages!

We heard how perpetrators' knowledge of forensics has impacted how crimes are processed, and where and how forensics samples can be taken. There is now less reliance on e-fits, but far more information can be collected from CCTV, ring doorbells and digital forensics.

It was an absolutely fascinating meeting – huge thanks to Heidi for joining us.

A skittles team has been selected, and we wish them luck.

Book club is still proving popular, with two new members. Next up for discussion is The Beekeeper of Aleppo.

A group of members enjoyed an after-Christmas meal out at The Bell, while others spent an evening at the ballet.

Crafty members are making hearts for special care baby units: these can be knitted, crocheted or sewn and will be collected at the end of February.

Our next meeting is on February 5, with Patrick Mills of U3A, followed by Ed Sams of Aardman on March 5.

You would be most welcome. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month in St Saviour’s church hall at 7.45pm.

Programme updates for the new year will be found @

WICoalpitHeath on Facebook or @coalpitheathwi on Instagram.

Visitors £4.

Caroline Johnston

Winterbourne Down WI

Fauve Birch, from the Great British Sewing Bee

OUR January meeting was well attended despite the cold weather and winter bugs that have affected us all.

One of our oldest members, Mona, has sadly passed away since our last meeting so we remembered her fondly and sent our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.

Our speaker was Fauve Birch, one of the contestants in the Great British Sewing Bee 2023 series.

Fauve began sewing eight years ago, as her Mum had a bucket list and wanted to sew again so Fauve decided to do it with her.

She converted one of her spare rooms in her house into a sewing room and started collecting fabrics.

After being accepted for The Sewing Bee, she found it difficult not being able to tell anyone, particularly at her place of work, as she needed to take time off for filming.

Fauve showed us the garments she made during the show and explained how it is put together. She told how much she enjoyed learning techniques and made lots of new friends of all the other contestants, experts and film crew.

Our next meeting is on February 6 and our speaker is Andy from the Bath & Somerset Auctioneers.

We meet on the first Thursday of the month at 7.30pm in the All Saints Church Hall in Winterbourne

Down.

We look forward to seeing some new faces.

Carol Tremlin

Frampton Cotterell

WI

OUR first event of the New Year was a talk by Noya’s Kitchen, a Vietnamese restaurant based in Bath, with a cookery demo, followed by a tasting session. Coming up next is our members' annual New Year’s meal out at the Golden Hart, Winterbourne Down, on February 4.

Our next meeting on February 25 includes a talk from Dogs for Medical Detection, followed by the art of 'sound bathing' on March 25.

We have many other events/ socials lined up for the year ahead, including a visit to Moulin Rouge at the Bristol Hippodrome, meals out and garden visits.

We also have a monthly lunch club, open to all members and held at a different local venue each time.

Visitors and new members are welcome to our monthly meetings at St Peter’s Hall on School Road, at 7.45pm on the fourth Tuesday of the month for a £4 charge.

If you’re interested in joining us please get in touch via our Facebook page, FramptonCottWI.

Winterbourne

Evening Wi

DESPITE the freezing temperatures outside, members and our guest

speaker, Rob Jones, were warmly welcomed by President, Di Woodman to our January Meeting. Rob gave a very entertaining talk about his experiences as an older father to triplets and their sister.

He described vividly the difficulties and delights of dealing with three newborns and a twoyear-old.

At one time, a Norland Nanny was able to come and help for a limited period, as part of her work experience.

Then there were the problems with transport – buggies and cars. Nothing was straightforward, but we were able to share in his amusing stories and the pleasure that the children had given them and still do, as they approach their teens.

It is 50 years since the formation of Avon WI, and it has been suggested that this is marked with a postbox topper. Any ideas will be welcome. The closing date will be at the end of July.

There will be a group meeting at the Jubilee Centre, Bradley Stoke on April 8, and our WI will be arranging the summer outing this year.

For us, coffee mornings, a wine and cheese evening and a jacket potato lunch are just some of the activities that we can look forward to during the coming months.

Our next meeting will be on February 13 and the talk is entitled Remember Me, with Liz Ferguson. We meet at St Michael's School, Linden Close, Winterbourne.

Visitors are always welcome.

Margaret Timms

Rob Jones

Heidi Miller

Winterbourne and Frome Valley Environmental Group

OUR repair cafe celebrated its fiveyear anniversary in January.

The team marked the occasion at their monthly meet up with a cuppa and cake at All Saints Village Hall.

The cafe launched in 2020not a great time for a new social venture – but managed to survive the pandemic to keep going, saving waste from landfill and teaching repair skills to the wider community.

If you have any items in need of some care, then come along to the regular meet up on the third Saturday of each month from 10.30am to noon.

In an exciting new project, funded by Bristol Energy Network, we have teamed up with Retrofit West, CHEESE (Cold Homes Energy Efficiency Survey Experts), St Michael’s Church and Winterbourne Library to engage

Frome Valley Growing Project

residents in the Frome Valley with community energy.

We have two upcoming free events designed to help local residents make their homes warmer, greener, and more energy efficient.

If you’re wondering how to improve the energy efficiency of your home while cutting costs, join us at the newly retrofitted St Michael’s Community Centre in Winterbourne on Saturday February 8 from 2-4pm.

Experts from Retrofit West and CHEESE will provide free advice on

THE Frome Valley Growing Project is looking ahead to the next growing season after celebrating numerous successes over the last year.

Members enjoyed a varied selection of locally-grown vegetables and we were able to donate some to local food banks and the Feeding Fromeside Food Hub at Zion Church.

We had the first proper harvest of Winterbourne Magnum plums from our food forest and members received a share of honey produced by the bees in our hives on site.

We also improved our polytunnel irrigation and constructed a field kitchen and shelter. Our founder Kate MacDonald ran a number of permaculture courses for home-educated children. Many local people attended open days and volunteer sessions and helped with our permaculture growing, which uses lots of locally-sourced materials such as composted green waste, woodchip and animal manure.

Frome Valley Growing Project also joined forces with organisations including Winterbourne and Frome Valley Environmental Group to develop a new wetland meadow as part of the Pollinator Pathway Project, using

retrofit services, funding options, and assessment types.

Learn directly from local residents who have already embarked on their retrofitting journeys—no sales pitches, just helpful guidance.

Following the success of our November event, we’re excited to invite you to the Warm and Green Open Homes day on Saturday March 1, from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

Discover practical retrofitting solutions by visiting homes in Winterbourne and talking to neighbours about what’s worked

a grant from West of England Combined Authority.

We started gardening sessions for people aged 50-plus, with generous support and funding from One Planet Matters.

With help from UWE Student Union we established a new area of winter growing beds to avoid the problems of the previous winter, when we lost a lot of crops to flooding.

In September we held our first feast on site, using produce grown there, cooked by the lovely folk at Picnic Catering.

We are extremely grateful to everyone who gave their time, energy and money to help make these achievements possible.

The winter months provide a chance for the land to rest, but this doesn’t mean that there’s not still plenty to be done.

Our new winter beds are planted up and already providing vegetables such as leeks, kale, chard and broccoli. We will soon be pruning our fruit bushes and trees, planting more native trees on site and getting ready for the next growing season.

If you would like to join us but know nothing about gardening and food growing, that is no obstacle.

The easiest way to get involved is to come along to one of our Wednesday volunteer sessions at our site off Swan Lane from 10.30am2.30pm.

You can also contact us on Facebook, at

for them. Start your journey at Winterbourne Library from 9.3011.30am.

A retrofitted home is one that’s been updated to improve energy efficiency, comfort, and sustainability. This could involve better insulation, upgraded windows, heat pumps, or solar panels. Retrofitting not only reduces energy costs and reliance on fossil fuels but also improves climate resilience and makes homes healthier by tackling damp and mould.

Come along to discover solutions that work for you— without worrying about being sold anything!

You can find out more on our website, and take our survey to give your views on community energy at winterbourneenvironmental.uk

For more information or to register for these events, contact us at winterbourneenvironmental@ gmail.com.

If you have a home that you have retrofitted, and would like to share your experience with others, we would love to hear from you.

Together, we can make Winterbourne homes warmer, greener, and better for everyone.

Kate Macdonald and Laura Fogg-Rogers

The January Repair Cafe team celebrate the five year anniversary

n WHAT'S ON

FEBRUARY 1

n SATURDAY NIGHT

ENTERTAINMENT from Rocking Gerry with dancing at Frampton Cotterell & Coalpit Heath RBL Club, Ryecroft Road, Frampton Cotterell, 8pm. Also Raindrops on the 8th, Ryan Mills on the 15th and Dresdens on the 22nd. New visitors welcome. £6 entry - cash only.

FEBRUARY 8

n FASHION SHOW at St Peter's Church, Frampton Cottrell, 6pm. Tickets £5 from Carolie on 07979 246091.

FEBRUARY 20

n ARTS APPRECIATION GROUP at the Greenfield Centre, Park Avenue, Winterbourne, 2pm. Illustrated talk by Liz Davenport: Woodchester Mansion,

a Victorian Masterpiece. More details from Sally on 07946 508316.

FEBRUARY 20-22

n THORNBURY MUSICAL

THEATRE GROUP presents Jack and the Beanstalk at WADCA, Watleys End Road. Evening performances 7pm daily, plus 2pm on Friday and Saturday, 10am Saturday. Tickets from www.tmtg.org.uk/tickets or 07516 270140.

FEBRUARY 28

n FUEL TANK & THE TANKETTES, live music at Frampton RBL, Ryecroft Road, 8pm.

REGULAR EVENTS

MONDAY

n WINTERBOURNE FLOWER CLUB

Meets 2nd Monday of the month at WADCA, Watleys End Road, 2-4pm. Call 01454 776753.

n WINTERBOURNE DOWN LADIES

PROBUS CLUB meets 3rd Monday of each month at All Saints Church Hall, Winterbourne Down, 2pm. Talk and refreshments. Visitors £3.50. Call 01454 773647.

TUESDAY

n WINTERBOURNE SHORT MAT

BOWLS CLUB meets every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1.30 until 4.30 pm at WADCA, Watleys End Road, Winterbourne. All welcome. Free trial and tuition available. Call 07542 052837.

n WINTERBOURNE DOWN

Will Writing

Meet with a local professional and receive full guidance and support.

Family & Property Trusts

Ensure your loved ones receive the maximum benefit by protecting your estate with trusts.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

Probate Services

Our specialists help make a difficult time as stress-free and straightforward as possible. Give someone the power to make decisions on your behalf, no matter what happens.

METHODIST CHURCH Drop in for free cup of tea and chat or play board games, every Tuesday from 2-4pm.

n SUNRIDGE GOLF CROQUET CLUB meets on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in Coalpit Heath and has players at all levels. Learn how to play, club equipment is available to use. Contact croquet@ wilko.eclipse.co.uk or call 07977 201440.

n CRAFTING: Come and join our group of crafters on the first Tuesday of every month in the Red Brick Annexe, Manor Hall, Coalpit Heath, BS36 2TG from 2-4pm. Bring your own project. £4 per session: Kay 07792189276.

n OPEN DOOR at Winterbourne Down Methodist Church, Down Road, every Tuesday 2-4pm. Social gathering - enjoy tea, coffee, cakes, games, music and friendship, especially for those who live on their own.

WEDNESDAY

n G ENTLE SHIBASHI TAI CHI AND RELAXATION, accessible to all, 10.30-11.30am, 11.45am12.45pm and 1.30pm to 2.30pm, Winterbourne Medieval Barn, Church Lane, Winterbourne. Contact Jenny on 07855 560257 or jksmith@blueyonder.co.uk for more information.

n SINGALONG WITH THE JAYS AND JOY, first Wednesday in the month at Crossbow House, School Road, Frampton Cotterell, 2-3.30pm. Themed singalongs, friendly welcoming group with live music, refreshments. £5 carers free. Details from Hilary, 07515 351813.

n TABLE TENNIS Henfield Hall, Ram Hill on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, 2-4pm. All abilities welcome. Equipment provided. £2 per session including tea, coffee, biscuits. For more details email henfieldhall@yahoo.com or call 0785 119 8434

THURSDAY

n WINTERBOURNE WINDS, friendly amateur wind band rehearses at Holy Trinity Church, Bradley Stoke, every Thursday from 7.30-9.30pm. New members welcome. For information email winterbournewinds@yahoo.com

n FRIENDSHIP AND EXERCISE GROUP FOR SENIORS St Saviours Church: Thursdays 101130. A friendly group, exercising for over 5 years together. We aim to improve balance, strength and fitness in a fun and friendly environment. An hour of gentle exercise, followed by a cup of tea or coffee and a chat. £5 per session. Contact Adam: 07875503586 Adam@alwaysdeveloping.co.uk

n WINTERBOURNE DOWN WI meets on the first Thursday of each month in All Saints Church Hall, Church Road, Winterbourne Down, at 7.30pm. Speakers, demonstrators & craft evenings. Guests welcome. More details from aspbury.m@gmail. com.

n WINTERBOURNE DOWN ART GROUP meets on Thursdays from 2-4pm at All Saints Church Hall, Winterbourne Down. Friendly non-profit making group welcomes new members of all abilities. More information from Alison Sansum on 01454 775133

n COELIAC UK LOCAL CAFÉ MEETUP, every third Thursday of the month, 10-11.30am, at Iron Acton Garden Centre cafe. Join us to share experiences of living gluten free. For more details email volunteering@ coeliac.org.uk.

n CROSSBOW CAMERA CLUB meets every Thursday evening at 7.45pm at Crossbow House, School Road, Frampton Cotterell. Small friendly group who enjoy looking at and taking pictures. Call 0789 026 6650 or just turn up for free taster sessions.

n HAMBROOK MEN’S PROBUS CLUB meets on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, 10am-noon at Whiteshill Chapel, Hambrook, with a speaker at each meeting. Friendly group, new members welcome. For details call the secretary on 07788 882386

n VALE OF FROME MEN’S PROBUS CLUB meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month, 10am-noon at the Miners Social Club, Coalpit Heath. Friendly group, guest speakers, free refreshments. New members welcome. More information from 0117 956 4259 or 07521 613154.

FRIDAY

n FROME VALLEY ART GROUP meets at the Greenfield Centre, Winterbourne each Friday 2-4pm or 7-9pm. Thriving club with demonstrations and workshops from visiting professional artists. More details online at winterbourneart.uk or email fromevalleyartwinterbourne@ gmail.com.

n FRIDAY LAUGHTER CLUB at St Peter's Church, Frampton Cotterell, every week from 10am-noon. Tea, coffee, cake and chat. All welcomedonations only.

SATURDAY

n WINTERBOURNE AND FROME VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP repair cafe, every third Saturday of the month, 10.30am, All Saints Church Hall, Winterbourne Down. Free electrical, textile and woodwork repairs. Voluntary donations towards group's work.

Winterbourne library

WINTERBOURNE Library holds a free half-term holiday activity, Big Top Crafts, on February 21 from 10am.

You can drop in to take part or collect a craft bag to make at home. Suitable for children aged from four to 11.

Lego club meets on February 22 from 10-11am, for children aged four and over – all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Adult craft group meets on February 1 and 15, from 10am-noon: join a friendly group, do your own work and chat – refreshments available by donation.

Children's Rhymetime (up to 18 months) takes place on Wednesday at 10am; story time (18 months to four years) is on Fridays at 10am. Both sessions are term time only.

Coffee morning is at 11am every Wednesday: coffee, chat, friendship and crafts.

Computer classes take place on Thursdays during term time – enrolment with SGS College is required. For further information contact Cindy on 0117 909 2296 or email cindy.corbett@sgscol. ac.uk.

A digital champion can help people get online, use a PC or phone or print documents. The volunteer is available on Friday mornings: booking is essential.

Staffed hours are Tuesday from 10am-3pm, Wednesday and Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday from 9.30am-12.30pm.

Open Access, when the library is unstaffed, is between 8am and 7.30pm, every day.

For more details, visit the library, phone 01454 868006, email Winterbourne. library@southglos.gov.uk, or visit www.southglos.gov.uk/ libraries.

Frampton Cotterell & Coalpit Heath RBL

SOME of you will have booked or attended parties at the Royal British Legion club.

However a lot of people say they either didn’t know it existed or thought it was just for the military, which is not the case.

Our members come from places as far away as Chipping Sodbury, Cadbury Heath and St George to enjoy live music and

dancing on Saturday nights, and non-members can be signed in once a month.

We would like to see more of our local community joining in.

In February we are open every Monday to Thursday with our winter skittles league, and the bar is open to all, from 7.30pm until at least 10pm.

On Fridays in February, the lounge bar will be open to all from 7.30-11pm.

We are pleased to promote Steve’s Valentine disco/karaoke on

the 14th, for anyone wishing to sing to their sweetheart or lament a lost love. We are also showcasing a live set from Fuel Tank on Friday 28th, a local band guaranteed to get you on the dance floor and singing along. In March we are trialling a Soul & Motown disco. We need your help to keep this club going and keep it as a community venue.

Contact us via Facebook or email jah231@hotmail.com if you would like to get involved.

Julie Hanks

Bristol-based The Window Hub progresses on green goals

Bristol-based home improvement company, The Window Hub, is aiming to plant 3,000 trees over the next three years as part of its commitment to being a climate conscious business.

The trees will be planted at Boyd Valley Lake, which is located in Bitton. This is in addition to continuing its policy of recycling all old frames so they don’t end up in landfill.

The window installation company was launched during lockdown in 2020 by seasoned industry professional Danny, who wanted to create a business that was “built on quality rather than greed”.

From humble beginnings, The Window Hub now operates from a head office and showroom in Staple Hill in Bristol with offices, showrooms and installation depots across the South West.

In fact, a new showroom is scheduled to open this month.

Danny launched The Window Hub because he wanted to be much more than just a double glazing company.

“We know that choosing new windows and inviting someone

into your home can be stressful, so we have introduced as many initiatives as possible to be fair and reasonable in our approach to give our customers the best experience possible,” he said.

“Sales begin and end with treating customers properly. And

you know what? It is so easy to be amazing if you don’t cut corners.”

And the Window Hub has the customer reviews to prove it –90% of reviews for The Window Hub on Trustpilot are for five stars, with customers celebrating the company’s professionalism, friendliness, tidiness, and attention to detail.

The hard work of Danny and his company was also recently recognised and commended, with The Window Hub being named the ‘Best in the South West’ at the G24 Awards last year.

In 2025, The Window Hub will grow to cover domestic homes between Cheltenham in Gloucestershire and Lands End in Cornwall.

For more information, please visit TheWindowHub.co.uk.

n MESSAGE FROM POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER

An exciting opportunity to bring plans to life

IN the last months of 2024 I finalised my Police and Crime Plan, setting the five strategic priorities for Avon and Somerset Police for my term of office.

You can read it on my website at tinyurl.com/2zxte625.

This lays out the focus for the work of Avon and Somerset Police and for my office, including strengthening neighbourhood policing, tackling violence against women and girls, and knife crime.

Central to the start of 2025 for me is bringing this plan to life, through developing an implementation plan.

The opportunity to build on the foundations of the last year is truly exciting.

An important part of creating the plan was the public consultation, not least because being the bridge between the public and the police is central to my duties.

This consultation was carried out through public meetings, focus groups and meetings with

communities and specialists, as well as over 1,000 online submissions.

Through these events I met with so many inspirational people who are quietly getting on with transforming other people’s lives.

Some of the excitement of the coming year is that I will be able to continue to work with them and with new people and organisations that provide support, change behaviours and generate opportunities for those around them.

The plan sets the strategic priorities for policing and crime prevention, but I am also responsible for the wider governance of Avon and Somerset Police, to ensure they deliver an efficient and effective service to everyone in all parts of our area.

As with so many of our public services, policing suffered through cuts over recent years but, despite this, we still benefit from our biggest asset – the people who are dedicated to delivering our police service.

Every day, officers and staff work to protect our communities and make people safer – they are often the first people our community members turn to in times of need, offering support during moments of vulnerability and crisis.

Examples of their impressive impact include delivering lifesaving first aid to a victim of knife crime, designing a fraud prevention tool to protect the most vulnerable from organised criminality and delivering justice for a survivor of sexual assault across a four-year process.

Policing is also fortunate to benefit from a committed group of volunteers, including special constables and police staff volunteers.

In addition, there are volunteers who directly support the work of my office, who help to scrutinise Avon and Somerset Police, making a real and tangible difference to the standards of policing the public receives.

If you’d like to become involved during 2025, you can find out more

With Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody

in the volunteering section of my website at tinyurl.com/4vdn455v.

I am committed to working alongside these dedicated staff and officers, holding them to account when needed, to make sure the public receive the police service they need.

Please feel free to reach out to me and my office with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have at www. avonandsomerset-pcc.gov.uk.

Frampton reflect on a good year

FRAMPTON Cotterell's 1st XV beat Lyndey 2s 26-5 in their last game of 2024, to end a great year.

Unbeaten in December and for most of November, they finished the year second in

their division behind Dings 2s.

Things got even better in January when the Fram beat Dings 2s 24-19, a huge win.

The Christmas party after the Lydney game saw lots of money donated to local charities, as the players purchased clothes for other members of the team.

Over the past 12 months Frampton have regularly fielded three teams while other clubs struggle, and have a booming junior section across all ages.

Frampton Vets hosted Parisis Vets (Les

Loft Boarding & Insulation

Vieux Loups, or Old Wolves) in the annual rugby challenge between the two clubs.

The relationship started in 1977 when Fram juniors crossed the channel and has carried on ever since, with the vets meeting in winter and juniors in the spring, probably one of the most unique rugby relationships in the UK or maybe the world.

On the latest occasion Fram vets took the honours and kept the 'victory trophy', to take back over to Paris in November.

Cup run for under-11s

COALPIT Heath's young football teams have had plenty to celebrate so far this season.

The under-12s team is on top of the league, while the U12s Colts team is currently in second place.

The U13s Colts are also battling it out for second place in their division.

We’re going to shine a light, though, on our U11s Colt team.

They started the season brightly, winning all of their cup group matches to reach their second final since being included as part of the Hanham Minor League Cup formats.

Unfortunately the team couldn’t keep the unbeaten streak going and lost the final.

The coaches are very proud of the team, not just for reaching the final but for adapting very quickly to a new format of football, switching to nine-a-side and learning to play with the offside rule in effect.

They are going to try their best to reach the final of the Spring Cup, and hope to go one step further this time.

Our girls' teams have a series of games coming up from late February into March, ahead of setting up as a permanent team.

We also look forward to our new U7s team, which has been expertly coached and nurtured by Sean Stinchcombe and his Football Fun Factory team.

We’ve seen over £1,000 awarded to the football club as a result of a charity donation, plus £500 raised from our recent pub quiz.

The money will help fund the overhaul of the Manor compound.

Stuart Aris

Mike Weaver

Friendly rivalry between Frampton and Parisis veterans

A scrum at the veterans' game

Coalpit Heath's under-11s made their cup final.

OAKLEY BATHROOMS

AGL DRIVEWAYS

www.atomelectrical.co.uk