Bishopston Voice August 2023

Five cyclists led by Horfield's Dorian Brown set off from Land's End to ride 990 miles to John O'Groats in a week - half the usual time the LeJog marathon takes. Find out what inspired the challenge and how they fared on Page 5

Campaigners win Town Green battle

CAMPAIGNERS have won a significant victory in their fight to keep Stoke Lodge playing fields open to the public. Bristol City Council’s public rights of way and greens committee has decided to register the 23-acre site as a Town Green.

This is likely to mean that Cotham School, which uses the fields for games lessons, will have to take down the 1.5km long fence it put up in 2019 to safeguard its students. By law, town and village greens cannot be enclosed. The campaign group We Love Stoke Lodge are delighted Turn to Page 7

Just Stop Oil marchers held

Rowan Tilley, pictured, and Sophie Holland from Ashley Down were among women arrested at a Just Stop Oil 'slow march' in London.

PAGES 2 & 3

Councillor Lily's stepping down

Lily FitzGibbon, Bristol's youngest councillor, is moving away and has resigned. A by-election will be held for the Bishopston & Ashley Down seat.

PAGE 11

Carnival blow

St Paul's Carnival 2023 was a great success but organisers say increased costs and challenges mean future events can only take place every two years.

PAGE 17

What future for our children? ask Just Stop Oil protesters

THREE women from Easton and Ashley Down have been arrested at Just Stop Oil protests in London, according to march organisers.

The climate change protest group says mental health worker Emma Ireland, aged 39, from Easton was arrested while protesting with nine women in a “slow march” along New Oxford Street in Central London on Monday July 10.

It was part of a series of demonstrations by the group, which is calling on the Government to end all new exploration for oil, gas, and coal.

The women were among 22 Just Stop Oil supporters from Bristol who travelled to the capital for a week of continuous slow marches.

A statement from JSO said ten minutes into the march Met Police issued a Section 12 notice

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under the Public Order Act and arrested several of the women.

Emma Ireland was charged under Section 12 and released on bail. She was due to appear before Westminster Magistrates on July 26.

Later in the week, on Wednesday July 12, two women from Ashley Down were arrested at a “mums’ march” in Shaftesbury Avenue.

JSO said Sophie Holland, 52, a speech and language therapist, and Rowan Tilley, were among 24 West Country mothers taking part in a 30 minute long slow march protest.

Some held signs saying “Give our kids' hope” and “I am a mother, I won’t look away”.

JSO say police issued a Section 12 Notice and ordered the mothers from the road. Sophie Holland and Rowan Tilley were arrested and charged

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Emma Ireland is handcuffed at the protest in New Oxford Street at which the Rev Sue Parfitt was also arrested

under Section 12 and released on bail. Sophie Holland is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 11.

Other mums from the group travelled to Hamleys Toy Store on Regent Street where some staged a protest outside, while others invaded the store holding signs saying “What future for our children?” before they were escorted out by security.

Chloe Naldrett, 43, from Bishopston, delivered a testimony on a loudhailer calling on parents to engage with Just Stop Oil and resist the UK government’s attempts to licence new fossil fuel extraction.

She said: “Christiana Figueres, ex UN Executive Secretary, says that our children will have to live in a world that is so unstable it will be difficult for them to have any predictability about their lives whatsoever. I am furious that the security and happiness of our children has been sold by our government and by energy companies for their short-term financial and political profit. And I will not stand by and accept it, so I am marching today out of love for my boys, my nephews and

nieces, and children everywhere.

“As a mother I have watched my two small boys fall in love with the world: I refuse to stand by while they are forced to watch it die.”

A former priest from Westbury on Trym was also arrested during the slow march in New Oxford Street.

The Rev Sue Parfitt, 80, a retired family therapist, was charged with breaching section 12 of the Public Order Act, and released on bail.

Just Stop Oil said in a statement: “These marches are taking place against a backdrop of increasingly rapid climate breakdown. Last week, Earth experienced its hottest ever temperatures, breaking records four days in a row.

“It prompted United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres to state that “climate change is out of control” and that “if we persist in delaying key measures that are needed, I think we are moving into a catastrophic situation.”

The Just Stop Oil campaign launched on February 14, 2022. In total there have been over 2,100 arrests.

Sophie Holland makes her point as she's arrested in Shaftesbury Avenue. Other women protested outside Hamleys in Regent Street

Bristol mourns former MP Doug Naysmith

LABOUR politician Doug Naysmith, who died last month, has been praised as “modest and genuine” and a man of high principle.

Dr Naysmith, who was Labour MP for Bristol North West for 13 years, died aged 82. His successor in Bristol North West, Darren Jones, said he owed his 2017 victory to Dr Naysmith’s encouragement.

Mr Jones said: “I was very sad to hear that Doug Naysmith has died. We first met when he was my MP growing up and he was always a support to me after I was selected to be the Labour candidate in 2012.”

In a joint statement Mr Jones, and fellow Bristol Labour MPs Karin Smyth (Bristol South), Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East), and Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West), said: “We will miss him, and pay tribute to his many decades of public service. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”

West

of England Metro

Mayor Dan Norris, who served as a Labour MP alongside Dr Naysmith, said he was deeply saddened.

“Doug was an honourable, charismatic and charming MP and Bristol City Councillor colleague. Very capable, yet modest, Doug genuinely cared about those he represented, was of high principle, a straight dealing individual and great fun. I will remember him with respect and fondness.”

Doug Naysmith was elected to Bristol City Council in 1981 for the Hillfields seat. In 1992

he stood for Bristol North West in 1992, losing by 45 votes to the sitting Conservative MP, Michael Stern.

In the 1997 General Election he won the seat by a landslide, and successfully defended it in 2001 and 2005.

Darren Jones said: “Doug knew how to set the political drama. After retiring from Parliament in 2010 he won a council election (for Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston) by the flip of a coin.

“After I lost in the 2015 general election Doug told me to keep going and we were both delighted to have won Bristol North West back in 2017.

“He did say though, that politicians with beards earn fewer votes and advised I shaved mine off! Maybe one day.”

Dr Naysmith had worked as an immunologist and was a research fellow at Bristol University. He campaigned successfully for smoking to be banned in public places.

He was also a vocal campaigner against fox hunting with dogs.

On retiring from the council in 2014, Doug was made an Alderman of the City of Bristol. There was a minute's silence at the full council meeting after his death in July and councillors from all parties gave tributes to him. A spokesman said: "The flag of Bristol at City Hall has been lowered to half mast following Doug’s death, as is tradition when an alderman passes away, and will remain at half mast until his funeral."

He had been chair of the City of Bristol Port Authority, and was instrumental in the sale of loss making Port in 1991.

Bristol Port Company's Managing Director, Sir David Ord, said: “His singular objective was to keep the Port open by encouraging new investment and thereby preserving employment for as many as possible. We and all past and current employees, owe Doug a debt of gratitude.”

Dr Doug Naysmith

The riders complete their ride which was inspired by Liv and Bea, now four years old, who were treated at Southmead NICU

Pedalling 990 miles in a week to say thank you to hospital

A GROUP of cyclists has completed a Land’s End to John O’Groats ride in just seven days to raise money for the care of premature babies in Bristol.

The 1600km (990 mile) LeJog marathon was led by Dorian Brown, who wanted to support the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Southmead Hospital after it saved the lives of his twin nieces. Olivia and Beatrice, known as Liv and Bea, were born 12 weeks early on Valentine’s Day 2019 weighing 4lb 4oz combined.

Dorian, who grew up in Horfield and attended and later taught at Patchway School, flew home from South Korea, where he now works, for the LeJog challenge, in which he was joined by friends Sam ‘Dutchie’ Arts, Jon ‘Baz’ Baron and Kendall Douglass. A fifth cyclist, Ivstan ‘Bullet’ Daek, reluctantly had to give up after the first day. The other members of the international team of riders completed the gruelling 220km a day and were joined for the final 280km by Jon’s 14-year-old son Patrick.

Dorian said the ride had been tough: most cyclists take 10-14 days to complete LeJog. The group pedalled together for 73 hours and each of them consumed 5,285 calories a day.

“It was more challenging both mentally and physically than we thought, but we got it done and saw some amazing landscapes along the way, we also raised some money for a great cause.”

His sister Melody, the twins’ mother, said: “You can always count on my brother to suggest some utterly crazy challenge to tackle, but he is a man of his word and he and the other guys totally smashed it. As a family we couldn't be more proud of them all.”

The riders have already raised more than £6,000 of their target £7,500 to buy three specialist monitors for the NICU so that more premature babies can have the same chance in life as Liv and Bea.

The girls spent 76 and 108 days on the unit before Melody and her husband Tim were able to take them home to Emersons Green. They are now thriving

and are looking forward to starting at Emersons Green Primary School in September.

Melody said: “The 'Angels in Blue' were a complete lifeline to us as a family when the girls were born - as they are to hundreds and hundreds of families every year. There will never be enough words to describe the care, compassion and love they provided to us all during those long and sometimes very dark 3½ months, but it's because of them that I am now able to call myself a mum. This is why we as a family wanted to give back just that little bit, to help them continue with the amazing work they do every day.”

Melody and Dorian’s mum Debbie Laurence and her husband Robert, former Bristol Rovers catering manager, drove a support vehicle donated by Autolyne Ltd at Aztec West.

Support also came from supermarket chain Morrisons, who gifted fruit, food wholesalers Chapple and Jenkins, who donated energy drinks and bars and Nailsea Financial Services, who contributed to the cost of

petrol for the support van.

Riverside Gym in Little Stoke provided two static bikes that Dorian Brown and Tim Russell rode all day on Sunday July 2 in the foyer of Asda at Cribbs Causeway to raise funds and awareness.

Debbie said: “This was very, very challenging and tough, but my lasting memory will be the sheer grit and determination of all the riders to complete the challenge.”

A senior nurse at the NICU said: “We are very grateful to the team for embracing the Land's End to John O’Groats challenge. The money raised will go towards purchasing monitors for our resuscitaires, which allow us to monitor vital signs of the smallest and sickest babies immediately from birth and provide them with the best possible care.”

To read more about the effort, visit Friends of LEJOG for Southmead Hospital NICU on Facebook. To contribute: https:// southmeadhospitalcharity. enthuse.com/pf/lejog

Made it! Dorian Brown, Patrick Baron Kendall Douglass, Jon Baron, Sam Arts

More bus lanes to ease Muller Rd delays

WORK could start next year on new bus lanes on Muller Road, which is said to be one of Bristol’s worst performing public transport routes.

Two sections are planned eastbound between Heath Road and Tackley Road, and between the railway bridge and Elmcroft Crescent. The new bus lanes would only be in operation at peak times.

An extra £388,000 has been pledged towards the project, councillors at a meeting of gthe West of England Combined Authority (Weca) have been told.

Councillor Kye Dudd, Bristol’s cabinet member for climate, said: “Something definitely needs to be done there so it’s welcome to see the funding for the bus lane. The 24 route is, I believe, still the worst performing bus route in the city in terms of punctuality - and goes along Muller Road.

“So it’s really welcome to improve the public transport option but also to alleviate congestion.”

New bus lanes were built further up Muller Road, which links Eastgate shopping centre with Horfield, earlier this year, as part of wider plans to upgrade the road network. A thousand new homes are planned for

Lockleaze, adding extra demand to public transport.

The new Ashley Down train station is also under construction just off Muller Road. It is expected to open in summer next year, prompting campaigners to call for the bus stops on Muller Road to be relocated.

Christina Biggs, from Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways, said: “Let’s make every single suburban railway station interchanged with buses at the railway station. It doesn’t quite happen at the moment, notably at

Filton Abbey Wood there’s a bit of a walk to get to the bus service.

“There are two bus stops near Ashley Down station on Muller Road. You can come in on one and the bus stop is near the station, but going the other way it’s quite a long walk. You’ve got an extensive walk up a long hill. Both routes should have stops in both directions near the station. It’s something you can get going with right now.”

Bristol City Council is responsible for where bus stops are located in its area at the moment, although this power will soon transfer over to Weca.

Metro mayor Dan Norris said the location of bus stops was “complicated”.

He told the meeting: “I was at Ashley Down this week and it’s coming on at pace. The platforms are now in and it’s ahead of schedule, which is fantastic. It’s due to be completed in February or March next year, and then hopefully within three or four months in next May or next summer it will actually open.

“But we do have to have it joined up.”

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Victory in Town Green battle

From Page 1 at the committee’s decision and have called on the school to work with them to find a way to ensure the playing fields can be used for the good of the whole community.

It is not yet known whether Cotham School will seek a Judicial Review of the decision in the High Court.

After the committee vote on June 28, the school said in a statement: “We are deeply disappointed by the decision, but nevertheless thank the committee for its consideration of this matter. Our first priority remains ensuring the best possible educational experience for our students in a happy and secure environment, and this lies at the heart of everything we do. We will now carefully reflect on the outcome.”

At the time of going to print, Cotham School had not responded to the Voice’s request for an interview.

Cotham School erected the 2m high fence, and restricted public access in 2019, after being granted a lease to use the field for PE by Bristol City Council.

Now, five years after they first applied for Town Green status for the site, the campaign group We Love Stoke Lodge (WLSL) has convinced the council to agree to the formal designation, which means the public will have unfettered access.

Some of the debate centred on historic use of the field –WLSL said the fields had been used by local people for decades. A previous application for Town Green status was turned down in 2016.

Since the fence was erected there have been numerous public rows between the school and campaigners, including claims of criminal damage of the fence and gates – culminating last year when the school installed covert CCTV cameras.

WLSL campaigner Helen

Loft Boarding & Insulation

Powell told the Voice: “We are waiting for the official designation to be registered and then expect the school to remove the fence.

“A lot depends on what approach Cotham School take – we really hope they will work with the community, so we can all make a fresh start. We hope this will be the start of something new.”

Helen, who led the campaign with fellow resident Emma Burgess, said the battle had taken up much of their spare time, and a lot of money in legal fees.

About 40 WLSL campaigners attended the meeting of BCC’s Public Rights of Way and Greens Committee on June 28, where six members voted in favour of Town Green status, one against and two abstentions.

Cotham School and Bristol City Council objected to the application. The school said the fence was needed to keep pupils

safe, both from leaving school during the day and from any dog waste left on the field.

Jo Butler, headteacher of Cotham School, said: “Granting this application would have very serious consequences for the operation of our school.

“It’s essential for our students, the majority of whom live in very deprived areas of Bristol in overcrowded housing with no access to green space at all.”

Photo: Bruce Quilter

Developers 'are getting desperate'

FAMILIES opposed to a planned retirement village on the former St Christopher’s School site in Westbury Park have come to the defence of council officers.

The developers last month criticised a Bristol City Council planning report which recommended refusal of the plan for 116 flats.

They said the officers’ report was “inaccurate, unbalanced, and unfair” and failed to take into account the benefits for the community including providing much needed new housing.

But Westbury Park Community Association (WPCA) defending the planning officers and said the scheme was “a massive overdevelopment, deeply damaging to the character of the site and the area, and detrimental to the living conditions of those living close to the site.”

The proposal is expected to be decided by planners on August 9 – but it has been delayed several

times this year, and at the time of going to print the date had not been confirmed.

WPCA told the Voice the criticism by developers showed they were “getting desperate”.

They said the planning report might not have addressed “all the supposed benefits”, but said: “This does not alter the fact that the benefits are totally outweighed by the overwhelming disbenefits. Some of the benefits cited by the developers in their rebuttal are either overstated or questionable.”

The association says claims the plans will help alleviate the housing shortage should not outweigh the impact on the local area – and in any case what is proposed would not provide the low cost or affordable housing that Bristol needs.

In addition, WPCA rejected developers' claims that the buildings were “leading edge sustainable”, and questioned the need for a “small and hard to

access” community space.

“Hopefully a revised committee report will properly present and address all the cited benefits, but this should make no difference to the overall conclusion that what is proposed is unacceptable overdevelopment. We trust that the planning officers’ recommendation to the committee will still be to refuse the application.”

The developers, investment firm FORE, in partnership with developer Socius and care provider Amicala, pulled the proposal just days before a planning committee was due to make a ruling on May 31.

They asked for councillors to be given more time to consider the plan, and issued a sevenpage “rebuttal” in response to the committee report, which had recommended refusal.

The residents’ campaign group SCAN (St Christopher’s Action Network) has since

submitted two reports on Bristol City Council’s planning portal in response to the developers’ “rebuttal”.

SCAN said much of the rebuttal was incorrect or irrelevant. In particular the group criticised the developers’ claims the plan would alleviate Bristol’s housing shortage.

SCAN’s statement to the council said: “The average price of a property on the St Christopher's site will be approx £739,000, with prices varying from £601,000 to £880,0001. In contrast, the average price of a property in Bristol last year was £398,000; for a flat it was £228,000. As such, the average price of a St Christopher's housing unit is more than 3 times the average cost of a Bristol flat and 86% higher than the average cost of a Bristol property.”

At the time of going to print, FORE had not responded to the Voice’s request for interview.

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In Redland this month...

Proposal for a ‘School Street’ approach

As we said before, a number of residents have raised concerns with Fi and Martin over safety issues around Bishop Road School. We have been told that the council is now considering setting up a ‘school street’ scheme in the area, which could involve the partial or timed closure of some streets in the neighbourhood. Any proposal will be consulted on and is unlikely to be a silver bullet – the council does not instal the measures on through-roads like Bishop Rd itself, so it’s likely to be side streets that get treated.

Fi has already been in discussions with the school but we are hopeful that proposals can be developed with them and the officers and residents that may help alleviate some of the problems that have been on going. We’ll be involved and will report progress as plans emerge.

Home energy upgrade advice service

It’s more urgent than ever to save energy at home – it affects our pockets, our health, and the climate. A new advice service is open, supported by the West of England regional authority. They’re supporting new skills, suppliers, advice, and SMEs in the region to help get trusted advice and projects underway.

The Retrofit West Advice service helps households to upgrade the energy performance of their homes, saving on gas and electricity bills and take action on

climate change. Tel 0800 038 6733 Web: www.retrofitwestadvice. co.uk for the planbuilder tool and signpost to the free advice line. You can register to be kept informed or email advice@retrofitwest.co.uk to build a retrofit plan for your home. A different scheme in the city called Bright Green Homes has offered grants towards many energy saving measures for qualifying households with annual income below £30,000. This fund is accessed via https://www. bristolcityleap.co.uk/domestic/ bright-green-homes/.

Changes to support for cleaner vehicles

Additional support now exists to help replace older vehicles with ones compliant with the Clean Air Zone. A further £11 million has been secured to help businesses and people in Bristol adapt. Now individuals who earn less than £30,000 a year (previously £27,000) are eligible for financial assistance to help change their vehicle to one that won’t be charged in the zone. Businesses with 5 or more vehicles can also now get financial support for their fleet. Do revisit whether the scheme can help you if you weren’t eligible before. A grant, a contribution towards the interest on a loan, or a combination of both up to £1,500 for a car and up to £4,500 for a van, which could be a second hand one, could meet the zone’s emissions standards. Euro 4 petrol vehicles (roughly 2006 onwards) and Euro 6 diesel vehicles (roughly end of 2015 onwards)

are not charged in the zone. Individuals and businesses can check their eligibility on the council website.

Helping reduce spraying in our streets

Every year we are contacted by residents who are worried about the council's use of glyphosate weed killer sprayed on their streets. We contacted officers to see if opting out was an option and have been told that whilst the Council reserve the right to step in and clear weeds on pavements if necessary, they are looking to maintain a database of streets who wish to clear weeds themselves. Guidance on how this may work will be issued shortly, and we understand this could be quite specific about who is the responsible contact and include an undertaking to do the work safely and notify any invasive species, for instance. If you’re interested do talk to your neighbours and contact us for further details. A weed-free street maintained by residents would mean the council contractor would not have to treat the street as long as the council can confirm the area is kept clear.

Cranbrook Road Crossing inches forward

There’s been slow but practical progress with this project between Cairns Rd and Harcourt Hill. As we reported previously a legal step was the Traffic Regulation Order, advertised recently and attracting no statutory objections to the protection of corners with

In Bishopston and Ashley Down this month...

News from Lily

You may have heard by now, but I have made the difficult decision to resign as your local councillor. I am moving away from Bristol to be near my family, but I will be sad to leave this wonderful community. This hasn’t been an easy decision, and it is not one I have taken lightly. It has been a tremendous honour to be able to make a difference for local people here, alongside my fellow Green Councillor, Emma Edwards. Although it will be hard for me to leave, I am glad that you all still have a fantastic councillor in Emma. There will now be a byelection,. I leave being so proud of all the work I have been involved in here: saving the Ashley Down

Oak tree, getting new trees planted on Horfield Common, getting new speeding signs on Ashley Down road, campaigning for a school street for Ashley Down Primary, improving crossings as well as working with residents on various casework. I want to thank you all for the opportunity to serve as your councillor here for the past two years, and for your support.

A note from Emma

I want to take this opportunity to thank Lily for all her hard work over the past two years. She really has been an inspiration to many, but particularly young people who have wanted to get involved in local issues, and environmental campaigning. I understand why

she has to leave Bristol and I wish her all the best for the future. We have now started the process of a by-election

School Street Update

We were delighted to hear that the School Street application for Ashley Down school, has got through the next round of consultation and is now going forward for its final decision.

\ Thank you so much to all who put in supportive messages of the project. I have also sent the application forward with a message of support. We will know by the end of August if this has been successful and if so, when this scheme will start to be implemented.

double yellow lines. This allows the legal changes to be ‘sealed’ so the project can move forwards.

Construction drawings are now being developed. This has to be signed off by departments allowing a contractor to be found to build the scheme – easier said than done due to the current financial issues in the building industry. We’d love to give time scales as we first secured funding in 2019 but this isn’t easy and sadly it’s all taken far longer than we wished.

A city with zero traffic injuries and deaths

At the July council meeting a Green proposal for a target of zero killed or seriously injured on our city roads was approved. The council now has to develop plans to make all streets safer from the risk of collisions under this ‘Vision Zero’ commitment. While there was a goal for this there isn’t a plan and the last few years there have been an average of 134 people killed or seriously injured each year. We’re hoping this resolution now means commitment to concrete steps to make roads safer - with a target of zero by 2030.

Contacts:

Fi: Cllr.fi.hance@bristol.gov.uk. Martin: Cllr.martin.fodor@bristol. gov.uk

F i: 0117 3534720. Martin 0788 4736101 Facebook.com/cllrmartin.fodor or / cllrfi.hance

Vision Zero

Emma was delighted to second a motion that The Green Party brought to full council in July, to support Bristol adopting a ‘Vision Zero’ strategy. Which looks to aim to have a target of zero road deaths and injuries by 2030. This means the council will need to adopt certain strategies such as more 20MPH zones, look at dangerous junctions, commit to more segregated cycling and walking routes, and produce a schools forum where schools can discuss measures to make the school run safer for pupils. We hope to see work on this start straight away and expect a report back from the administration in six months time.

Cllr.EmmaEdwards@bristol.gov.uk

A BY-ELECTION is taking in Bishopston and Ashley Down after the resignation of Green councillor Lily Fitzgibbon.

Councillor Fitzgibbon, who became the youngest member of Bristol City Council when she was elected in 2021, is moving away from the city to be closer to her family.

She said: “I’ll be very sad to leave this wonderful community. This hasn’t been an easy decision and is not one I have taken lightly. It has been a tremendous honour to

Council by-election

be able to make a difference for local people here, alongside my fellow Green councillor Emma Edwards.

“Together, we got safety improvements to the roads outside our local primary schools and City of Bristol College. We’ve worked with residents on issues with bus services and supported campaigns on the lack of

school places. We’ve obtained trees from the council to plant on Horfield Common, and, along with local campaigners, we helped save the much-loved Ashley Down oak.”

The by-election will take place on Thursday August 24. Candidates had until Friday July 21 to get their nominations in.

At the time the Voice went to print, the known candidates were Barry Cash for the Lib Dems, James Crawford for the Green Party and Andrew Milton for Labour.

Rail ticket office closure plan fury

METRO Mayor Dan Norris has urged a government minister to be “flexible and pragmatic” as he raised deep concerns over rapid plans to close rail ticket offices across the West of England.

In a face to face meeting with Rail Minister Huw MerrimanMr Norris explained how residents had contacted him up in arms about the plans.

A 21-day consultation was held last month into the proposed closures, with the proposals apparently pushed by ministers.

The affected ticket offices include those at Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Bristol Parkway, Yate, Oldfield Park and Keynsham where an estimated 600,000 paper tickets were sold last year.

Mine's a pint? Not at this bar

A BRISTOL-based brewery has been granted a premises licence for a new bar in a historic building on Stokes Croft.

Left Handed Giant is planning to open the bar in the Carriageworks, which lay derelict for decades but was recently converted into apartments.

The brewery will open its bar on the ground floor of the 19th century Grade II listed building, and was granted a licence by Bristol City Council on Thursday, July 6. Carriageworks residents told the licensing hearing they welcomed the new bar but were concerned about noise and access to a courtyard.

Left Handed Giant, which is based in St Philip’s, already has bars in King Street, North Street in Bedminster, and Finzels Reach opposite Castle Park. Company bosses told the hearing that their venues are “not about loud music or getting drunk”, but quality beer.

Bruce Gray, founder of Left Handed Giant, said: “We have a commitment to try and work with the communities we operate in. It’s my hope that we can be there and have a relationship with these people that allows us to work and live together, without causing disruption to the residents.

“Our venues are not about loud music or even

getting drunk. Our venues are about the quality of the product, educating people as to why a small independently produced quality-led product is different to Carling or something of that ilk, and why you should drink alcohol for the sake of the experience of the flavour and taste, rather than the alcoholic effect.

“We don’t sell pint glasses. It’s all about looking at alcohol in a different way to the traditional UK way of looking at alcohol, i.e., pints, same again, not thinking about what you’re drinking and why you’re drinking it. It’s about getting people to look at the quality of it.”

It’s unclear when the new bar will open, but the licence allows it to sell alcohol until 12am from Sunday to Wednesday and until 1am on Thursday to Saturday. A phone number will be made available for Carriageworks residents to contact in case of any noise complaints.

Luke Mildenhall-Ward, co-chair of the Carriageworks Residents Association, said: “Even though we’re kind of nit-picking on a few things, in general we are completely supportive of these guys going in, and we want them to go in. Most of the residents do as well. So we’re very keen to get them in as quickly as possible.”

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

It's a stretch - but garden gym can stay

A GARDEN gym and office in Redland can stay despite being built “slightly larger” than approved plans and sparking fury in neighbours.

A home office and gym was built in the garden of a basement flat on Elliston Road in Redland. The outbuilding was under threat after Bristol City Council planning officers found it was 80cm larger than the plans they gave permission for.

Several neighbours wrote to the council planning department urging them to force the building to be knocked down. But councillors on the development control A committee voted to approve retrospective planning permission on Wednesday, July 5. Green Councillor Tom Hathway said: “Someone has built something that they don’t have approval for. Does this not suggest that you can kind of build whatever size you like, and then apply for a retrospective planning permission if you breach what you were granted permission for?”

Peter Westbury, planning coordinator, replied: “The answer is you can. You can. If you build without planning permission, you’re building at your own risk. But there’s no powers for the local planning

authority — unless it’s a dangerous structure, but that’s normally done under building regulations anyway — typically under planning there’s nothing to stop you building and then applying for retrospective permission. I wish that was not the case, but it is.”

If the committee had voted to refuse retrospective permission, the homeowner could have been forced to knock down the

outbuilding. But the householder could appeal to the government planning inspector, who might decide to overturn the decision and grant permission.

Other concerns of residents included a sign on the outside wall, which has since been taken down, and fears the building was being used commercially. Some also criticised the choice of building materials.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

School's farewell to founding headteacher Julie

Fairlawn Primary School in Montpelier is saying farewell to its founding headteacher, Julie Molesworth, this summer.

Julie was appointed early in 2015 to help set up the new primary school to meet the need for places in the area.

The school opened in September of that year with a class of 30 and grew to a school of 260 children aged four to 11.

The first pupils had to move within the former Fairfield Grammar School premises three times in their initial year because of work to adapt the Grade II listed building, which they were sharing temporarily with children from The Dolphin School.

The group grew with the school, helping establish its reputation as a happy and successful place to learn. They left for secondary last summer after notching up very strong results in Fairlawn’s first Key Stage 2 SATs, including 96 per cent in reading.

“It was quite emotional when they went off,” said Julie. “We always say our first families were our pioneers. They signed up for a school that did not yet exist and they helped us develop our community.”

Julie, who trained and taught in state schools in Australia before working in two independent schools in the UK, introduced a curriculum at Fairlawn that focused on STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts and maths. The school’s results are consistently above Bristol and national averages for outcomes at all age groups but the emphasis is on developing the whole child rather than just on the academic side, with forest school, outdoor play, creativity and curiosity to the fore.

“I have always wanted a holistic approach, even though that was not the prevailing attitude eight years ago,” said Julie. “Things have changed

since the pandemic, with more schools prioritising the wellbeing of children and staff.

“I have been fortunate to be able to build the staff team here and create a supportive and consistent environment.

“Starting a new school is hard work – there is a lot to do and only you to do it – but it does give you the opportunity to put in place what you think is going to work. You create the ethos and culture and staff buy in to it. You bring people along with you.”

Fairlawn is at the heart of its community, regularly welcoming families and neighbours into the school. It opened with the aim of taking up to 420 pupils but because of a drop in the numbers of children in the area it has now cut its annual intake from 60 to 30.

This means it will become an even tighter-knit community, drawing from families living in the streets surrounding its site.

Julie said: “It is sad that we now have to restrict access, but it will mean the children who are here have lots of classroom and outdoor space. It will make it a much nicer experience overall.”

Julie, who has two grown-up children, is planning to start her retirement with a trip to Japan and Australia in the autumn.

The current head of school, Siobhan Lennox-Brown, who has been at the school for seven years, will become Fairlawn’s headteacher in September.

Lynn Robinson, chair of governors at Fairlawn School, which is part of Venturers Trust, said: “The success of our school over the past eight years is largely down to Julie’s dedication. Her warm and wise approach is appreciated by children, colleagues, parents and carers. Hundreds of families have cause to be grateful to her.

“Fairlawn is well set to continue to thrive thanks to the solid foundations she has put in place. We wish her a long and happy retirement.”

Julie Molesworth is presented with flowers at Fairlawn School's summer fair by Friends chair Carla Thomson

125 years as a centre of learning

Former pupils of Fairfield Grammar School have marked the school’s 125th anniversary.

Members of the Old Fairfieldians’ Society gathered at the school in Montpelier, which is now home to Fairlawn Primary School and the Hospital Education Service.

Many memories were shared by the attendees, who enjoyed a tour of the Grade II listed building before having lunch, swapping reminiscences and poring over memorabilia. The afternoon ended with the cutting of a cake decorated with the school badge, its motto -Quanti est sapere: how great is wisdom - and three candles and balloons with the figures, 125, in the school colours.

OFS president Lynda Goss said: “We were awash with nostalgia. Although ages at the event ranged from 51 to 91, we had much in common as many

teachers spent most or all of their careers at Fairfield.”

She also commented:

“Although boys and girls had separate playgrounds when we were at school, it's amazing how many OFs married each other!”

Two days later four OFs attended an assembly at Fairlawn where the primary pupils asked questions, such as ‘Did you have a detention?’ ‘What were the school dinners like?’ ‘Were the teachers strict?’ One of the

visitors dressed up in her school uniform, to the amusement of the children and staff.

The following Saturday three OFs held a mini museum of memorabilia in a classroom at Fairlawn's Summer Fair. Again, this sparked great interest among parents and children, especially when they saw school reports, exam papers, panoramic photos and an Open Day programme from 1914.

The co-educational school, on a triangular site bounded by Falkland Road, Fairlawn Road and Fairfield Road, opened with 180 pupils in 1898 as a Higher Grade School before becoming Fairfield Secondary School in 1904. There were fees of £1 per term, rising to £1.75 in 1930 or £4 for students living outside the city boundary. A quarter of the places in the school were free for those who passed an entrance exam. Fairfield became a state grammar school in 1945 and was renamed Fairfield High School in 2000, by which time it had

become non selective. In 2006 staff and pupils moved to new premises in Allfoxton Road.

Fairfield’s most famous alumnus is Archibald Leach, who went on to become the film star Cary Grant. Leach was expelled in 1918 at the age of 14, for reasons that are open to speculation.

Fairlawn School, a state primary, now part of Venturers Trust, opened in 2015. Its headteacher Julie Molesworth welcomed the OFS visitors.

“It was a pleasure to host the Old Fairfieldians’ 125th anniversary event,” she said.

“We at Fairlawn are so privileged to be able to continue teaching and learning in this wonderful building and it was a delight to hear the stories of happy times spent in our classrooms over the decades.”

The Old Fairfieldians’ Society is holding its annual meeting at Fairlawn on Saturday September 9 at 11.15am. To find out more, visit oldfairfieldians.org.uk

Jouhan Forbes-Coper, who was at FGS from 1975-82, talks to Julie Molesworth, head of Fairlawn Primary School

Old Fairfieldians' Society members swap memories

Rising costs halt annual carnival

ST PAUL’S Carnival made a triumphant return in 2023 with more than 100,000 taking part in the event on July 1.

Organisers said the first carnival since 2019 had received been described by police and emergency services as the friendliest and safest ever.

But they announced that the next carnival would not be until 2025 because of the huge challenges of staging a large-scale free public event.

The 2023 carnival had a Learning from Legends theme, paying homage to its African Caribbean founders and marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush.

Festival executiuve LaToyah McAllisterJones said: “We are all buzzing from an incredible event. I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who came and made the day so memorable.

“We are very grateful for support from the Arts Council, Bristol City Council, and partner agencies across the city together with the community of St Pauls and our sponsors and supporters, without them the 2023 event would not have happened.

“Our attention now turns to the future and, as a fundraising arts organisation, we

still need to make people aware that it is only with public generosity and support that we can put this event on in the future.

“This year’s carnival also helped further test the viability of the current funding model and the challenges faced to generate enough funds year-on-year.

As a result, we now plan to stage a fullscale carnival every two years, with 2024

seeing the return to our community-led Back-a-Yard format which we successfully ran during the pandemic years. We will also continue our ongoing year-round initiatives, including our highly popular schools’ and education programme which forms part of Carnival 365.

“The event landscape has changed in this post Covid era, and we are seeing other nonticket events experiencing similar pressures to us. We thank everyone who donated and supported us this year, however, the reality is that only a very small proportion of people contribute compared with those who attend.

“We have to raise in excess of £250,000 – 50% of the cost to safely run an event of this scale in Bristol. As a free-to-attend street event which gets a small proportion of donations compared to other events in the city, we cannot sustain running the full carnival every year.

“Our message is clear – if you want St Pauls Carnival back on the streets in all its authentic glory – we need to recognise and accept its true cost and work together to make it happen.”

Donations can still be made at: www. stpaulscarnival.net/donate

Fairlawn School at St Paul's Carnival 2023

Sixth

Spreading Black Joy

STUDENTS at Fairfield High School have been taking part in a community project entitled Black Joy Trail.

It has been created to give children the opportunity to learn, through a ‘lens of joy’, about people, places and stories in their neighbourhood.

The six-week project’s aim was to enhance knowledge and widen students’ experiences beyond the stereotypical and thereby empower them to see themselves as ‘agents of change’. The following workshops formed the agenda: joyous words (poetry), joyous nature (horticulture), joyous entertainment (Ujima radio station), joyous technology (robotics), joyous food (cookery) and joyous art (mapping).

A pivotal figure in the project is Tanisha Hicks-Beresford, who says it strives to "redress what feels like a stream of negative stories in the news", describing it as “bringing

‘black joy” into the classroom.

"It's not just about racism, there's so much more to this world. You don't want our students to come out and just feel 'I'm oppressed'. They need to see themselves in the world,” she explains.

Cashan Campbell, assistant vice principal of Fairfield and leader of the project at the school, adds: “The Black Joy Trail has been hugely successful in educating and inspiring our students as they’ve delved deeper into their heritage. I’ve had the pleasure of watching their confidence grow week on week as they’ve experienced a wide variety of workshops.

`'Having lived in Bristol all my life it’s also meant a lot to me personally, as cultural exposure of this nature is integral to helping move Bristol forward in an inclusive and reparative way.”

@_joytrail on social media.

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A visit to the Bristol Robotics Lab was one of many joyous experiences for students on the trail

Reception 2024 TOURS

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Is your child starting school in September 2024?

IB success for Redmaids' High

STUDENTS in Year 13 at Redmaids’ High School have achieved strong results in the International Baccalaureate.

The school is delighted with the IB Diploma outcomes for all students, with the average point score across the cohort of 38. This compares with the UK average of 35 and the worldwide average of 30.

For the third year in a row one Redmaids’ High student achieved a perfect score of 45 points. Only 25 students in the UK this year achieved at this level, alongside around 250 =students worldwide. Two other students achieved scores of 40 or over.

The IB is taught in 159 countries and gives students the opportunity to study a wider range of subjects concurrently, demonstrating depth and breadth of knowledge.

To book onto one of our tours, please contact the school office. Henleaze Infant School, Park Grove, BS9 4LG 0117 377 2442 / https://www.henleaze-inf.bristol.sch.uk

At Henleaze Infant School we are invested in our children and our families, and we want to meet you!

school in September 2024? At Henleaze Infant School we are invested in our children and our families, and we want to meet you!

tours, please contact the school office. Park Grove, BS9 4LG https://www.henleaze-inf.bristol.sch.uk

To book onto one of our tours, please contact the school office. Henleaze Infant School, Park Grove, BS9 4LG 0117 377 2442

www.henleaze-inf.bristol.sch.uk

The IB students are looking forward to pursing a range of subjects at university including Popular Music Performance and Songwriting, Spanish and Politics, Psychology with Neuroscience and History or pursuing a gap year adventure.

IB coordinator at Redmaids’ High, Pete Brealey, said: “These are tremendous results for our students and we are incredibly proud of what they have all achieved. The grades they’ve received reflect the dedication and hard work they have shown consistently through their two years of study, and we wish them all the very best for the future.”

Lauren, 14, wins karting championship

BRISTOL teenager Lauren Dunleavy is celebrating after becoming Rookie Champion at the Castle Combe Junior Karting Championships in Wiltshire.

She is the first girl to win this trophy in the championship’s 25 year-plus history.

Fourteen-year-old Lauren started karting two years ago but only entered her first championships at the end of 2022.

Over several months Lauren has competed across 10 rounds of the Castle Combe championship to secure the most points to win the rookie trophy as well a trophy for Highest Scoring Female. The championship, run by DriveTech, is based at the Castle Combe racetrack and attracts over 70 entrants every year. This year there were 32 “rookie” or “new” entrants, six of whom were girls, all hoping to win a place on the podium.

Drivetech’s Luke Cooper

said: “In her first season racing in the championship Lauren has really stood out, putting in some very impressive results: finishing in the top 10 five times, taking best place of 4th in round 9 and winning the rookie championship.”

Lauren’s mum Ingrid said: “The world of motorsports is not something we know much about but the team at Castle Combe

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have been great in helping us understand how it all works. They test and train youngsters to make sure they’re competing at the right level and teach them how to drive safely within the rules of the sport."

Inspired by a chance encounter with professional female driver Jamie Chadwick at the Castle Combe track, Lauren’s ultimate dream is to drive at Formula 1 level. For now she hopes to continue at Castle Combe next season but also to try faster ‘race’ karts which will allow her to gain her race licence so she can compete at a higher level. This will come with a higher price tag as well as higher speed so she hopes to find sponsorship.

Lauren said: “I’m excited to try faster karts as well as electric karts. “I’m trying to learn as much as I can, as quickly as possible, to be in with a chance to compete at Formula 1 or Formula E level when I’m older.”

Lauren’s success comes a few weeks after the UK’s motorsports governing body announced a new Academy Programme to help decrease the gender bias in the world of motorsports. MotorsportUK hopes to seek out and encourage female talent between the ages 8-12 to help decrease the current disparity. At the moment only 5% of senior race licence holders are women.

Ingrid commented: “It’s a real shame that at the age of 14, Lauren won’t be able to make use of the new but we’re hoping that with a combination of talent, sponsorship support and luck, Lauren can still progress quickly through the ranks. It’s great that women are finally getting a look-in in a sport which has traditionally been maledominated. We shouldn’t even be talking about it. It shouldn’t be an issue.”

Follow Lauren on Instagram: Lauren’s Racing Instagram @l.dunleavy35

Local performing group looks for new members

Start a new hobby, or revive an old one, with BGSOS!

Local performing group, Bristol Gilbert & Sullivan Operatic Society, is looking for people to join their ranks.

The current membership includes people of all ages –from age 8 to 80 – who get together regularly to sing and act.

Chair Hannah Long, is passionate about the society: “It’s a really friendly group who aren’t just great performers, we are also great friends.” Along with a professional orchestra, BGSOS is looking forward to its next production of The Pirates of Penzance at The Redgrave Theatre in Clifton in March.

BGSOS rehearses at Saint Teresa’s on Gloucester Road in Filton on Tuesdays from September, and the evenings combine hard work with a cup of tea and a friendly chat! BGSOS also offers The Wetherell Bursary to members, which is a contribution to the cost of singing or acting lessons for applicants.

BGSOS is looking for performing members, scenery builders, costume developers and technical volunteers. You can also support us as a society friend, if volunteering is not for you. For details about all our roles, please email secretary@bgsos.co.uk

More information on our society can be found on our website, www.bristolgsos.co.uk, or via our facebook page, @BristolGSOS.

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

Free bus travel offer is up and running

HAVE you applied for your free month of birthday travel?

If yes - fantastic - and thank you! If notplease head to www.birthdaybus.co.uk.

There’s nothing to lose and lots to gain.

So, what is Birthday Buses? In simple terms, I’m proud to offer all West of England residents the chance to ride the buses of our region for free throughout the whole of their birthday month. There’s no limit on the number of journeys you can make, or the time of day. So, what are you waiting for?

Importantly, Birthday Buses helps your pocket during this frightening cost-of-living crisis. But it is also a serious plan to get our region moving and tackle the climate emergency.

I’m very keen to see new people become bus passengers.

The latest figures show that the vast majority of people who used to travel on buses before Covid are doing so again.

But - and here’s the catch - they are making fewer journeys.

If you think about it, it makes sense. People are working from home more; doing more online shopping and there are more virtual appointments for things like speaking to a GP.

So, passenger journey numbers are down and that means less fare income coming in. That’s not sustainable.

Birthday Buses is designed to encourage new people to hop on the bus and try it out - for a regular commute, to go to the shops, or to spend their weekends enjoying the amazing attractions of our region. Because I think if you try buses, you might like them.

Other places in the UK have tried free bus travel for a day, or a weekend, but this is different. A day isn’t enough to make or break a habit. But a month? Hopefully.

We have thought about this carefully. The month of your birthday seemed a great time to give you a free travel gift, but I’ve also worked closely with bus companies.

The phased nature of Birthday Buses means you won’t face overcrowded buses. We also need to make sure it’s definitely you applying, so please have a passport-style digital photo ready to apply at www.birthdaybus.co.uk.

A staggering 44% of our carbon emissions come from transport, and fewer than one in ten regional commutes are made on public transport.

Worse, there are a shocking 300 preventable

premature deaths due to air pollution annually. Getting people to use the car less and use the bus more is key to reaching our ambitious 2030 net-zero target here in the West, and it will reduce traffic and delays that cost our local economy £300 million a year.

Finally, I want to put our region on the map. Birthday Buses is doing just that.

We’re the envy of England, with Bus Users UK calling it “brilliant”.

So please sign up now at www.birthdaybus. co.uk and tell your friends, family and workmates.

And may I wish everyone many happy returns - and singles!

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice

Advice when taking a new lease

AMD’S Nick Middleton considers how saving legal costs when entering into a new lease could end up costing more in the long run

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The gift that pays for itself

When you are taking the first steps of opening a new business or moving into new premises, it can be tempting to look to save on costs by not instructing a solicitor to help with negotiating the terms of the new lease. Entering into a new lease is a legal commitment for a number of years and is often a large investment of your businesses resources.

will be. However a Will can be worded to provide that a gift of 10 % of the value of your estate at that time is given to a charity or charities of your choice. The effect of this will be that the rate of Inheritance Tax payable on the whole estate is reduced from 40 % to 36 %.

By Shelley Faulkner,

solicitor with AMD Solicitors

The unfortunate reality is that whilst trying to go it alone in the lease negotiations may reduce those initial outgoings by not incurring “unnecessary” legal costs, it could have longer lasting consequences which you may only realise towards the end of the lease term or when you are looking to move premises.

In same circumstances, it has been calculated that this reduction in the tax bill can serve to leave the estate, even after payment of the gift to charity, with a value as high as if the gift had not been made. Thus the gift can in some cases quite literally pay for itself.

with the lease negotiations they end up with issues further down the line. Whether this is because their lease has not been registered, there are onerous break conditions which need to be fulfilled in order to terminate the lease, a Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) return has not been filed and SDLT has not been paid or the tenant has contracted their lease outside of the security of tenure provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act without realising the implications of this. In the absence of a schedule of condition evidencing the condition as at the date of the lease, if the property is in a poor state of repair, the tenant could also end up with a large dilapidations bill at the end of the term in order to bring the property up to the standard of repair required by the lease. Dilapidations claims can run into the £1000s and as such this could have a damaging effect on a business’s cash flow.

property to make sure you can lawfully use it for your intended use, but we will discuss with you your longer term plan for the property to ensure you are able to transfer your lease in the future or to ensure that you are able to terminate your lease early in the event you no longer need the premises due to business expansion or contraction.

How leaving money to charity can save you Inheritance Tax

for the distribution of the estate, and the estate can then be divided as if the Will had been made in these terms. A Deed of Variation could therefore provide that 10 % of the estate is to pass to a chosen charity or charities, making the estate as a whole eligible for the reduced rate of Inheritance Tax.

We will also work alongside your accountants to make sure the lease is structured properly and obtain their advice as to whether it is beneficial to have the lease in the name of a limited company or a partnership.

members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the leading professional body in this field. We offer a free initial consultation for new clients.

the transaction and to make your move into your new premises as smooth as possible.

Unfortunately, more often than not when tenants choose not to instruct a solicitor to deal

WHILE most of us support a number of charities in our lifetime, it is perhaps not surprising that a smaller number choose to remember a charity in their Will. Clearly the priority for most is to provide for a surviving spouse or children, or to ensure that the family wealth can be passed on to benefit the next generation.

However, government policy is clearly to encourage giving to charity, and a recent development in the law is intended to promote gifts to charity being made by Will. This change may also, on occasion, serve to save Inheritance Tax, or even to create a gift which literally pays for itself.

Reduced rate of Inheritance Tax

Where somebody dies after 6 April 2012 the rate of Inheritance Tax applied to the estate can be reduced from 40 % to 36 % (in other words by 10 %), provided that at least 10 % of the estate passes to charity.

Clearly it is not possible to determine in advance exactly what value the assets you leave by Will will have on your death for Inheritance Tax purposes, or what 10 % of the total value

Even where a Will has not been prepared in these terms, it may be possible to take advantage of this tax break. If the beneficiaries of the estate agree, it is possible to effectively amend the terms of a Will within two years of the date of death. A ‘Deed of Variation’ can be drawn up which sets out the family members’ agreed arrangements

Not only will one of our commercial property solicitors be able to advise you on matters you had potentially not considered, but they will also be able to handle negotiations for you to minimise any stress throughout

This change in the law is clearly very good news both for charities, and potentially for some estates as well. However the detail of the application can be complex. For example, the estate is divided into different ‘components’ depending on how the property will pass to the beneficiaries, in order to calculate whether the 10 % test has been met. Taking specialist advice on the implications for your particular circumstances is therefore essential.

Our commercial property team will review the terms of the lease and advise you on those matters which could have a financial impact upon your business in the longer term. We will ensure your business is protected and we will help guide you throughout the transaction to make sure you avoid any potential pitfalls. We will investigate the title to the

For advice on administration of estates, trusts, wills, powers of attorney and all private client issues, contact Shelley Faulkner, Florence Pearce and the other members of the team on 0117 9621205, email probate@ amdsolicitors.com or call in at 15 The Mall Clifton, or 100 Henleaze Road Henleaze.

If you have recently entered into a new lease without taking legal advice, it is still worth having one of our commercial property solicitors review your lease to advise on any potential issues with it and how you can minimise these in the longer term.

If you have any concerns regarding a new lease that you have entered into or are in the process of negotiating, please contact the commercial property team on 0117 973 3989 or email info@amdsolicitors.com or call into one of our four Bristol offices.

AMD’s team of experienced private client solicitors and practitioners includes full

AMD Solicitors takes pride in sponsoring local, Bristol based charities and this year is very pleased to be supporting the Bristol branch of the Alzheimer’s Society, the local branch of this national charity which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in Great Britain. For full details of our fundraising activities visit our website www.amdsolicitors.com.

Copyright AMD Solicitors

Win a free holiday read!

THE paperback edition of local author Emily Koch's third novel has just come out - and one lucky Voice reader will receive a free copy!

What July Knew is described as a moving mystery about family secrets, grief and growing up. The central character is a ten-year-old girl who knows 18 facts about her mother's death - but finds many surprises in her search for the truth.

The story takes place in the summer of 1995 and will stir many memories for those who were around at that time. Emily, who lives in Bristol with her husband and two daughters, wrote it during the Covid lockdown and told the Voice earlier this year that it had been her escape into "a world of lava lamps, Judy Blume novels, Flumps, and The Body Shop White Musk perfume."

Unlike Emily's first two books, If I Die Before I Wake and Keep Him Close, which are both set in Bristol, this one is based in Devon. Whether the West Country or foreign shores are your destination, it is a great holiday read.

Anyone who would like a copy should email news@ bishopstonvoice.co.uk with What July Knew in the subject line and provide a name, address and phone number by August 25. All entries will be put into a draw and a winner will be selected at random.

The paperback edition of What July Knew has an eye-catching new design

A

VILLAGE WITH A CRICKET PITCH AT ITS HEART

I'm on a mission to keep mildew at bay

SO far this growing season the weather has worked in our favour at every turn … … we had a cold start which delayed bud burst and helped the newly emergent vines avoid late spring frosts. After that we had a hot dry spell which meant the vines developed huge flowers which opened to achieve nearly 100% fruit set. Fruit set is where every little flower turns into a grape rather than withering away.

Once set, the tiny grapes have enjoyed a period of wet weather which has allowed them to swell quickly. The vines have also been able to have a nice drink and catch up on growth after their demanding flowering period has ended. The recent wet weather has

been particularly good for our baby vines whose roots haven’t developed yet and sometimes struggle in dry weather on our hard clay soil.

Once the grapes are formed it’s just a matter of making sure nothing eats them or that they don’t suffer from mildew. Avoiding

mildew becomes my mission over the next few months. I do this by stripping out leaves around the developing grapes to make sure the airflow is good. The only creatures that eat the grapes are wasps, birds and badgers. Happily the risk period for this is short because they

only want to eat the grapes when they are ripe and we pick them quickly once they get become tasty.

On the wildlife front, the young the swallows have fledged. We know this because their numbers over the vineyard have suddenly doubled as they swoop around and call to each other overhead. We see different winners and losers every year in terms of sudden increases in numbers of certain plants or wildlife. This year the winners seem to be gatekeeper butterflies, Onthophagus dung beetles and red soldier beetles –hundreds of them!

hello@dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

www.dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

@DYvineyards (Twitter)dunleavy vineyards (Facebook & Instagram)

How many unicorns will you discover?

BRISTOL is going unicorn crazy this summer as a new charity art trail gets into full swing.

Sixty statues of the mythical creatures have been sited across the city for Unicornfest, which is raising money for Leukaemia Care.

They have been decorated by local artists as part of Bristol’s 650th anniversary celebrations.

Dozens of smaller unicorn ‘foals’ painted by school children have also gone on display.

In the first days of the trail, several of the unicorns, including Nova in Gloucester Road near The Arches, were damaged but organisers have acted swiftly to repair them.

Visitors have been urged not to climb on the statues or touch their horns but simply to look at or take photos. Every breakage takes away from money being

raised to help leukaemia patients and their families.

The trail lasts nine weeks, until early September. Paper maps are available at a number of sites across the city and a pdf copy can be downloaded from the Unicornfest website. There is an app too.

Donations can be made by scanning QR codes on the unicorns or by texting the word UNICORNFEST to 70580 to donate £5.

Among the unicorns in our area are those at the cricket ground and Memorial Stadium, and on Gloucester Road near the Berkeley Road junction.

Foals, including those from Sefton Park, Cotham, Elmlea and Henleaze Junior schools are on display at IKEA. Others can be found in The Galleries and Sparks in Broadmead.

Golden Hill WI opens

A NEW Women’s Institute has opened in BS6. It meets on the first Wednesday of the month at Golden Hill Sports Ground, BS6 7YA from 1-3pm.

An afternoon slot was chosen to fit with school hours and encourage those who find evening meetings difficult to attend.

Here is the unicorn at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. We'd love to see photos of our readers with this and other unicorns around the area. Send your pics to news@ bishopstonvoice.co.uk and we will publish as many as we can in our September edition.

The September speaker is Jacqs Graham from Tread Softly Productions. She is also a member of the local Kelvin Players group and an English teacher and will be doing interactive drama. Visitors are welcome. They can try a meeting for £6. Membership costs £46 for a year.

To find out more email president Pam Scull at goldenhillwi@gmail.com

CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT

CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT

James Scrimshaw of CUR A CLINIC AL explains how new technologies are providing ef fec tive answers to people’s pain and suf fering

Lucas: Severe knee arthritis

MBST Cell regeneration: What is MBST?

ti t l

Construction of MRI and MBST devices

MBST Cell regeneration: What is MBST?

MBST uses exactly the same technology as MRI scanning, just without the detector coils and imaging software. MBST stands for Molecular Biophysical Stimulation. It was discovered by a German doctor who noticed that some of his MRI patients had reduced symptoms following their MRI scans. He then assembled a team of biologists and physicists to research these positive effects at a cellular level. Cells that had not functioned properly due to damage , were stimulated in such a way by the energy transfer that they could again fulfil their original tasks.

It does this at cell level in a number of ways:

- Optimising cell oxygen levels

MBST uses exactly the same technology as MRI scanning, just without the detector coils and imaging software. MBST stands for Molecular Biophysical Stimulation. It was discovered by a German doctor who noticed that some of his MRI patients had reduced symptoms following their MRI scans. He then assembled a team of biologists and physicists to research these positive effects at a cellular level. Cells that had not functioned properly due to damage , were stimulated in such a way by the energy transfer that they could again fulfil their original tasks.

- Improving Cell energy production

- Optimising intercellular signalling pathways

- Reducing inflammatory mediators

It does this at cell level in a number of ways:

- Readjusting cell circadian clock-leading to less cell death and cell reproduction.

Detector coils

- Optimising cell oxygen levels

- Improving Cell energy production

High-performance computer with special imaging software

- Optimising intercellular signalling pathways

I’ve also just discharged Kate (left), 5 months following treatment for her arthritic knees (she’d already had a half knee replaced). She’s now pain free… I anticipate these results will last a number of years.

- Reducing inflammatory mediators

reduction in pain and an increase in the natural mobility and lifestyle of the patient without any need of invasive therapy.

- Readjusting cell circadian clock-leading to less cell death and cell reproduction.

This translates to you and I as a healing process in the tissue the energy is applied to which leads to a reduction in pain and an increase in the natural mobility and lifestyle of the patient without any need of invasive therapy.

Obviously there are limitations of the effects relating to a number of factors such as severity and complexity of a patient’s case, however the technology is constantly being improved and we’re getting better at selecting the right patients and conditions in order to get higher success rates and better overall results.

Control unit with interactive display

now in patients with varying injuries and conditions is really remarkable.

Lucas came to see me off the recommendation of a good friend who had seen remarkable results with her severe knee arthritis. He was suffering with the same condition and was due to have both knees replaced in January this year. One after the other.

Obviously there are limitations of the effects relating to a number of factors such as severity and complexity of a patient’s case, however the technology is constantly being improved and we’re getting better at selecting the right patients and conditions in order to get higher success rates and better overall results.

15 months after his MBST therapy he now runs, plays racket ball and golf without any pain and that’s without his braces. He’s recently done a course on his severe arthritic neck and after 3-4 months has significantly less neck pain and improved mobility. Over the next 6 months I expect his condition to reach over 90% improvement.

We’ve found that treating the bone marrow odoema with MBST as well as the cartilage in more advanced Arthritic cases is essential.

Rob (above) is a great example of how MBST heals cartilage in a moderate to severe arthritic knee. 15 months after his MBST therapy he now runs, plays racket ball and golf without any pain and that’s without his braces. He’s recently done a course on his severe arthritic neck and after 3-4 months has significantly less neck pain and improved mobility. Over the next 6 months I expect his condition to reach over 90% improvement.

Intrigued by his friends response and after an assessment where I felt there was enough movement in the joints to warrant it, we embarked on 2 courses of MBST -Cartilage AND Bone.

We got together 3 months post treatment to astonishingly good results. He had no pain. He’d played 56 holes of golf on Saturday which constituted an 18 mile walk. Pretty unbelievable isn’t it!? We’ll monitor throughout the year but it’s one of my best responses so far on this journey.

James Scrimshaw of CUR A CLINIC AL explains how new technologies ar idi f f

Sweep coils · Electromagnets

Scanner & control unit

n NATURE WATCH

With Dawn Lawrence

J.B.S. Haldane wittily remarked that God must have an inordinate fondness for beetles: with around 400,000 species of beetle already described you can see what he was getting at. Beetles make up around 25% of all known animal species!

Here in Britain we have around 4,000 species. Out there in the wild roam the elusive stag beetle of ancient woodlands, the sinister sexton beetles that bury carrion for their young to feed on; the dung beetles with similarly unsavoury habits regarding dung; and the death watch beetle, scourge of ancient buildings, whose larvae can turn ancient oak beams to dust. There are beetles galore: the Claviger beetle lives only in ant nests, the green-socks peacock (honestly!) lives amongst the liverworts and algae on the edge of wetlands and the cramp ball beetle lives in those black fungi that are also called King Alfred’s cakes.

If we home in on our gardens we can bring the Coleoptera into closer focus. As well as a dozen different ladybirds (all with their own unique lifestyle) we will find the strawberryseed beetle that has an inordinate fondness for, well, I’m sure you can guess; lily beetles, as red and shiny as a freshly painted pillar box,

whose larvae avoid predators by wrapping themselves in their own faeces; violet ground beetles that patrol the vegetable patch eating slugs and snails; the wasp beetle whose passable imitation of a real wasp offers protection from predation; and the common red soldier beetle – you can see from the photograph why they are so common. But now consider the duckweed weevil. Despite appearances, duckweed (those pinheadsized blobs that float on our ponds) is not a

simple alga but a fully developed flowering plant. That fact alone amply demonstrates the unfathomable inventiveness of evolution, but that duckweed has its own tiny weevil consort that will live nowhere else is just mind-blowing; I was temporarily stunned to learn this. Truly no space, no nook or cranny is left unpopulated, at least by beetles. Peer under the surface of the pond and you will find water beetles – air-breathing insects that lead an almost entirely aquatic life – and skate-dancing on the surface film (when it is not crowded by duckweed) are the whirligigs, often the first insect to colonise a new pool.

As most beetles can fly there is always the possibility of finding a new species for Bristol, or indeed for the country. The rosemary beetle was an early harbinger of climate change. It became established in our southern counties in 1994 from its origins in southern Europe and has since spread to every part of Britain; it rarely does more than minor damage to the lavender and rosemary plants that it favours and, in the humble opinion of someone who is in awe of beetle kind, it more than makes up for the damage with its eye-catching metallic green and red stripes, as bright as any flower.

Common red soldier beetle on hogweed:

hogweed bonking beetle.

Photo: Rupert Higgins

n NEWS FROM OUR MP

Calling on the government to scrap its Rwanda scheme

I’m continuing to oppose the Tories’ cruel, unworkable, illegal Rwanda scheme at every opportunity. On 11th July, I voted 18 times to protect the commonsense amendments made in the House of Lords.

This included measures to protect children and pregnant women from being detained indefinitely, which we pressured the government into accepting.

I also voted for a 10-year strategy for dealing with refugee crises and human trafficking, and more support for victims of modern slavery.

Holding Boris Johnson to account

Over the last month, I’ve been leading the debate for Labour holding Boris Johnson to account for lying to the House of Commons and to the people of this country about law-breaking parties in Downing Street during the pandemic.

I’ve also been demanding he reverses his decision to approve Johnson’s dishonourable honours

list and questioned his judgement in using taxpayers’ money to fund Johnson’s legal defence. Johnson should pay back every penny.

Fighting for Bristol’s Windrush generation

75 years ago, the first people from the Windrush generation arrived in the UK. Last month, I recognised the huge contribution they made to cities like Bristol. Shockingly, through a mix of the Home Office’s cruel ‘hostile environment’ and sheer Tory incompetence, many people were prevented from accessing healthcare, work and housing.

Worse still, some were wrongly detained, denied legal rights, and threatened with deportation. I’ve been fighting the Home Office for years for the people in Bristol West caught up in this scandal.

In a speech to the House of Commons on 22nd June, I raised the cost and complexity of the process and the lack of access to affordable legal advice. I called on the government to clear that backlog and give these people the compensation they’re owed.

Rebuilding the UK’s relationship with Europe

It has been deeply frustrating to see the damage done to the UK’s relationship with our close friends in the European Union.

This month I had the pleasure of meeting with the German Ambassador, Miguel Berger and Madam President Annita Demetriou, the first woman to be elected President of the House of Representatives in Cyprus.

I highlighted the importance of Bristol’s musicians and artists accessing short-term visas to tour within the EU. I also spoke about the need to seek mutual recognition of professional qualifications to enable our service industries to do business in the EU.

Sharing lessons from Bristol Beacon’s refurbishment

As Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, I am part of the team responsible for Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster – not just our workplace but also a global beacon of democracy and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It was a pleasure to welcome restoration experts from the team to Bristol to connect with suppliers and learn from the people working on restoring buildings such as the Bristol Beacon.

The Bristol Beacon is at the heart of our cultural landscape, and it’s been great to share the lessons from the refurbishment.

Thangam Debbonaire writes for the Voice

REGULAR EVENTS

Monday

n REDLAND WIND BAND has vacancies for some woodwind, brass and percussion players. This friendly group meets 7.30-9.30pm at Redland Church Hall, Redland Green. Contact via email on redlandwindband@gmail.com

n 19 JULY TO 3 SEPTEMBER

KIDS GO FREE THIS SUMMER

From 19 July, Brunel’s SS Great Britain are welcoming children 16 years and under for free when you book tickets online. Highlights this summer include a brand new family food trail, AR binoculars and a cricket display. ssgreatbritain.org/ summer

n DICKENS SOCIETY. 7pm, at Leonard Hall, Henleaze URC, Waterford Rd, Bristol BS9 4BT. Talks, costumed readings, book club and social events. See www.dickenssociety.org.uk or phone Roma on 0117 9279875.

n PLAY BOWLS at Canford Park in a friendly, social atmosphere. Qualified coaches and equipment provided. Contact: Les on 07305695579

bishopstonvoice

n WESTBURY AND CLIFTON

AREA DISCUSSION GROUP are a merry band of retired people who meet at Westbury on Trym Baptist Church every Monday morning (9.45) and like to challenge ourselves with topical debate on what’s happening in the world. If you would like to join and help to solve some of today's challenging issues, contact James Ball 01454 415165 or Ian Viney 0117 9501628.

n HENLEAZE SENIOR FILM CLUB Monday 21st August at 2pm Ticket to Paradise (12A) A divorced couple team up and travel to Bali to stop their daughter making the same mistake they did 25 years ago. Starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Tickets: £4.00 including refreshments. Carers welcome, easy access For more information, please call 0117 435 0063.

St. Peter’s Hall, The Drive, Henleaze BS9 4LD

n BRISTOL COMMUNITY GAMELAN play the music of Java at Cotham School from 6.30-8.30. We play by numbers – only 1-6, without the 4 ! So no auditions, no need to read music. If you fancy a different musical experience, contact us via email on keithripley27@gmail.com

n WESTBURY ON TRYM WOMEN'S INSTITUTE meets on the third Monday of the month in the Westbury Village Hall, Eastfield Road, BS9 4AG, from 2.00 - 4.00 pm. We have interesting speakers, and extra activities of crafts, lunch club, skittles and outings. For more information call Sascha on 07961619806 or Traci on 07766073917

Tuesday

n THE ARTS SOCIETY BRISTOL LECTURE welcomes new members. Our lectures, given by specialists in their own field, take place on the second Tuesday of the month from September to May at 8pm at Redmaids' High BS9 3AW and by internet. For more information visit our website www. theartssociety-bristol.org.uk

n BRISTOL HARMONY WEST GALLERY CHOIR and band sing and play lively church and village music from the 18thcentury. St Edyth’s Church Hall, St Edyth’s Road, Sea Mills, 7.30 pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday each month. All voices (SATB), string, wind and reed instruments welcome. No auditions but ability to read music helpful. www.bristolharmony. wordpress.com or call Fritjof 0117 924 3440. Contact before attending.

n POETRY UNLIMITED – poetry

circle meet on the First Tuesday of every month 11am - 12 midday. Basement Room, Café Kino, 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RU. £2.50 - £3.00 donation towards the cost of the room. Bring a couple of poems to share, other poets or your own. Contact Dee: wetwo@ gentlyblown.co.uk Web: www. poetryunlimitedbristol.weebly.com

n COMPANION VOICES BRISTOL

We are a 'threshold choir' looking for new people to join us. We meet in Easton on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7 to 9 pm to learn songs by ear and build skills in sensitivity/compassion/ loving presence to sing at the bedsides of people nearing the end of life. To join/support us in this work, contact Valerie on bristol@companionvoices. org. Visit www.facebook.com/ CompanionVoicesBristol and www. companionvoices.org.

Wednesday

n WELCOME WEDNESDAY

Friendly and free coffee afternoon on the last Wednesday of the month, 2-3.30pm at The Beehive Pub, Wellington Hill West, BS9 4QY. Meet new people, have fun, and find out what’s happening in your local area. Call 0117 435 0063 for more information.

At Field House care home in Horfield, the safety, care and well-being of our residents are at the centre of everything we do.

If you are looking for a home or a home for a loved one, we would be happy to show you around our beautiful, family-owned home in Horfield, Bristol.

n BRISTOL SCRABBLE CLUB

meets every Wednesday evening at 7pm until 10pm at Filton Community Centre, Elm Park, Filton BS34 7PS. New members welcome- first visit free so come along and give us a try. For further information contact Tania by email at tanialake@yahoo.co.uk

n HEALING SESSIONS run by accredited healers take place 2 til 3.30pm at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Just turn up, or for info contact Marian Bishop 0117 9771629 or visit www. westburyparkspiritualistchurch.org

n BRISTOL VOICES COMMUNITY

CHOIR welcomes new members at any time. We meet at 7.30pm in St Werburghs Primary School during term time. See www.bristolvoices. org.uk for details.

Thursday

n HEALING FOR WELLBEING Feel more relaxed, peaceful, calmer. Drop-in 3.00 - 4.15 pm at Redland Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, BS6 6JE. Donation basis. Supported by members of The Healing Trust. Selina 0117 9466434 or selinanewton@yahoo.co.uk.

n BISHOPSTON COMMUNITY

CHOIR Meet on Thursday evenings, 7.30pm to 9.00pm at St Michael's and All Angels Church on Gloucester Road. Everyone welcome, no audition

necessary. Contact us via email on bishoproadchoir@gmail.com

n HENLEAZE LADIES’ CHOIR

Come and join us as we fill St Peter’s Church Hall in Henleaze with a diverse selection of music. We are a friendly choir and meet on Thursday afternoons in term time from 1.45 to 3.45. There are no auditions, and the ability to read music is not necessary. Contact Jeanette on 9685409 or Jane on 07752 332278

n BRISTOL MALE VOICE

9.15pm. We are a well-established mixed choir performing both sacred and secular music. See our website www.henburysingers. org or contact the secretary at secretary@henburysingers.org.

n HIGHBURY BADMINTON

CLUB: Pete Stables 0117 950 1524 or www.pete4458.wixsite.com/ highburybadminton Thurs 7:30pm mid September to End April, Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall

n OPEN DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE

Friday

n THE SINGING TREE. Fun kodály inspired music sessions for under fives. 10 - 11am Redland Church Hall. Refreshments included. Contact Kate on singingtreewithkate@gmail.com for further details.

CHOIR

Always been keen to sing? Come along to our rehearsal nights, 7pm - 9.15pm on Thursdays in St Andrew's Church, Elm Park, Filton, BS34 7PS. No need to read music, no audition, just a voice test to establish whether you are tenor, baritone of bass. We cover many musical styles, enjoy singing in a great social vibe as we prepare for our regular concerts in local and national venues. From the Beatles to Mozart, from classical choruses to classic pop. Ffi : www. bristolmvc.org.uk ; facebook; or contact Steve: secretary@ bristolmvc.org.uk;or ring 07776447699; or 07587143220

n LOCAL CHOIR. We meet at Stoke Bishop CE Primary School, BS9 1BW on Thursday, 7.45 -

For those interested in developing their spiritual awareness and mediumistic ability. 7.15 for 7.30pm start at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Just turn up, or for info contact Marian Bishop 0117 9771629 or visit www. westburyparkspiritualistchurch.org

n ENJOY SCOTTISH DANCING at St. Monica’s Oatley Hall, Cote Lane, BS9 3UN on Thursdays 7.30 – 10.00 p.m. £6.00 per session. Phone Trish 0788 052 8925/www. rscdsbristol.info

n THE STEPFORD SINGERS

WOMEN'S COMMUNITY CHOIR meets at St Michael & All Angels Church, Bishopston on Thursday afternoons, 1pm to 3pm. No auditions and no need to read music - just come and sing, laugh and have a cuppa! For info, contact Fran franbolton66@gmail.com

n SINGING FOR WELLBEING. Women's group. 11.15am12.30pm Redland Church Hall. All ages and stages, incl. babies and children, welcome. Refreshments included. Contact Kate on singingmamasbristolkate@ gmail.com for further details. Refreshments included.

n CALLIGRAPHERS wanted to join us at St Edyth’s Church Hall, Sea Mills, on Fridays 1000-1200. Come and meet us or call Peter at 0117 329 4516.

Saturday

n EVENING OF MEDIUMSHIP WITH PSYCHIC MEDIUM VAL WILLIAMS Saturday August 19th at 7pm Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH Tickets £10 . Tickets on sale at the church or contact Marian Bishop on 0117 977 1629 marianbishop@talktalk.net

NOTE After feedback from readers, we have made The Fiend SLIGHTLY easier!

Holiday Word Search

n

OF THE MONTH

1 Kennignton Ave

£695,000

This impressive family home is arranged over three floors and offers excellent entertaining space, including an extended full width kitchen with access into a private rear garden. This space benefits from a pitched ceiling set with three Velux windows and an exposed brick feature wall adding character - all accented by a polished plaster finish. The 2nd reception was also knocked though into the extended kitchen, creating an attractive an flexible living space.

Completing the ground floor is the principle reception found at the front of the property. Tall ceilings decorated with original ceiling rose and cornice give a sense of the character as do the bay window, feature fire place and stripped wooden floors. Last but certainly not least is a must have - a handy WC / utility space neatly tucked away beneath

the stairs.

Upstairs on the first floor are three bedrooms, with the making up the full width at the front, and a beautifully finished bathroom with roll top bath.

Stairs rise from the landing up into a cleverly designed loft conversion. This is anything but traditional with an additional dormer having been added to the roof above the third bedroom and bathroom section of the property. This connects to the dormer sat to the rear of the main body of the roof, giving a separate large wet room.

Two double bedrooms are accessed from the central landing sat below a large roof window - flooding this and the landing below with natural light. This really now feels like a full additional floor rather than a typical loft conversion.

Hospice seeks drivers

Volunteer driver John, pictured above, says: “Driving seems a small thing, but it makes such a difference. People are always so thankful that we’re able to help them in this way. You meet some lovely people in this role from all ages and backgrounds – it’s great chatting with them as I drive.”

If this sounds like something you’d like to get involved with please visit St Peter’s Hospice website to find out more and register your interest: https://www.stpetershospice.org/hospicevolunteers

n BOOKS

To Throw Away Unopened

by Viv Albertine

Review by Bob Deacon of Bishopston Library

VIV Albertine is a musician, singer, songwriter, director and author. She is best known as the guitarist for the punk band The Slits. To Throw Away Unopened is her memoir. The text is interspersed with passages in bold type containing her thoughts and recollections, as she sits at the hospital bedside of her dying mother Kathleen, accompanied by her daughter Vida and her sister Pascale.

Viv takes the reader back and forth through her life, chronicling her childhood, her marriage and divorce, her cancer diagnosis and recovery, her infertility treatment and her relationships with her mother, her daughter and her sister. We hear about the lovely time that Viv and her mum spend together, celebrating her mother’s last xmas, despite having to throw away the turkey which was found to be raw when cut open. We jump back to Viv age 12, when her mum asks her and her sister if they preferred to take in lodgers

to the family home or move to a council flat on the departure of her father. We hear how she used the two hundred pounds she received following her grandmothers death to purchase a guitar enabling her to start her musical career. Viv contends that one of the reasons why she and many other women of her generation became feminists was that they were brought up by repressed and unhappy women who had become adults during the war, had learnt new skills, tasted independence and then had to dissolve back into the shadows and watch from behind their ironing boards as the sixties unfolded. She points out that all the members of The Slits

had absent fathers, enabling them to fight every obstacle with a zeal that would have been impossible otherwise. Viv acknowledges that her mother was instrumental in helping her become a strong independent woman by never stopping encouraging her to try, fail and to take risks and by applauding her exploits, instructing her to never rely on a man, to make sure she was financially independent and to never let a man own her. This is a riveting, brutally honest memoir with Viv detailing her fractious relationship with her sister, her disastrous dates and unsatisfying sexual encounters as well as the joys and challenges of being a single mother. If you are not already a library member, please visit us at 100a Gloucester Road and obtain a library card giving you free access to two million books including this engaging memoir.

Opening Hours

Monday (1pm-7pm)

Tuesday (closed)

Wednesday (11am-5pm)

Thursday (11am-5pm)

Friday (11am-5pm)

Saturday (11am-5pm)

Sunday (closed)