THE Green Party's Carla Denyer won the new seat of Bristol Central by a margin of more than 10,000 votes over Labour's Thangam Debbonaire.
It followed a successful general election campaign by the Greens, who ended up with four seats in the new Parliament.
Ms Denyer, an engineer and former city councillor and coleader of her party, has already made her maiden speech and has tabled an amendment to the King's Speech calling on the Labour Government to be more ambitious.
Ms Debbonaire, who had been Labour MP for Bristol West since 2015 and had been tipped for a cabinet post had she won, congratulated Ms Denyer, saying her success was a victory for democracy.
Labour was successful in retaining the other four Bristol seats, while the Greens came second in all of them, hugely increasing their vote share. MP columns: Page 4 Election results: Page 5
Carla Denyer prepares to take the train to Westminster
Cabinet role for Labour's Darren
Labour's Darren Jones has been re-elected MP for Bristol North West with an increased majority. New constituency boundaries mean that he now represents the people of Bishopston & Ashley Down. As expected, Mr Jones has been made Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Full story: Page 5
and welcome
Bristol Rovers FC is talking to neighbours about the possibility of building flats alongside the Memorial Stadium
3
Nick Hand, from Redland, is taking his printing bike on a tour around Britain to help support public libraries. PAGE 13
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Rovers unveil bid to build student flats next to Mem £1m donation
BRISTOL Rovers FC is consulting residents about new plans to build student flats next to the Memorial Stadium.
The club has chosen not to publicly reveal details about the plans at this stage, so it’s unclear what exactly could be built.
Two meetings have been held at the Mem with some residents and the club to discuss the plans. Rovers have promised to keep open “an honest line of communication between all parties throughout the process”.
The plans appear to include building 350 student beds in a six-storey building “on the side of the stadium”. The east and north stands would also be upgraded, taking the capacity from 12,534 to about 17,000.
Hussain AlSaeed, Bristol Rovers chairman, said: “Honesty and transparency with our supporters and neighbours is a critical aspect of this journey as we look to improve the infrastructure of the Memorial Stadium and our training ground.
“We are committed to developing our stadium into a vibrant, welcoming ground for fans of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life, and significantly important to doing so is bringing those who live local to the Memorial Stadium on that journey with us.
“I hope those in attendance during the meetings felt they
were able to share their thoughts and opinions in an open conversation and understand that this round of meetings was a first step in an ongoing process. I would like to thank everyone who came along to the meetings and I look forward to working closely with them in the future.”
The club hasn’t submitted a planning application to Bristol City Council yet, but would need to do so before building began, in theory. However, last year the club began building a new south stand without first getting planning permission.
Works on the south stand caused controversy among people living nearby, who said they hadn’t been adequately consulted about the plans, and criticised Rovers for a lack of transparency. Permission was later granted by councillors retrospectively.
Rovers had previously been planning to move to a new ground at the Fruit Market in St Philips, but this was called off late last year. The club will now go through a consultation period with the council and other stakeholders, as part of a pre-application stage. A press conference will be held “in due course”, to show the plans at both the Mem and the Quarters training facility.
Green Councillor Emma Edwards, representing Bishopston and Ashley Down,
MIKE PALMER BUILDING
STAPLETON BRISTOL
said: “As local councillors, Cllr [James] Crawford and I are aware that Bristol Rovers have started drawing up initial plans for the development of their stadium site. We are pleased to see that they are keen to get input from residents before developing these plans further.
“Since the development of the south stand last year, we have been listening to residents’ concerns and have been working hard to improve the way in which the club engages with the community. These plans are in their early stages and, as they develop, we will continue to work to make sure concerns are addressed and residents in the local area are listened to.”
By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service
BRACE Dementia Research, a small Bristol charity, has received a £1 million donation to support research across Bristol and the South West.
The donation will be used in activities aimed at improving early dementia diagnosis.
Dementia is often diagnosed too late. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, begins up to 20 years before a diagnosis takes place. More accurate ways to diagnose dementia are needed so patients can access treatments earlier and plan for their future.
BRACE chief executive Chris Williams said: “The focus on improving early diagnosis is crucial, as it can significantly enhance patients' access to new treatments, and soon that could be the new dementia drugs.”
n FROM BRISTOL NORTH WEST'S MP
My election day diary
AFTER a busy day of campaigning on polling day, my wife and I joined friends to watch the 10pm exit poll. Having run in the last four elections, this was the first with a Labour majority predicted. It was a humbling moment.
I then headed to the count to watch your ballot papers being counted, stacked in piles and re-counted. The result for Bristol North West was expected to be announced at 3:45am, but a missing ballot box caused quite a lot of worry before it was thankfully found.
Following the announcement that I had been re-elected, I was then whisked off to London as a new dawn broke. I managed about two hours of sleep before joining my London staff for brunch to celebrate the news that the King had asked Keir Starmer to form a government.
I returned to my old office in Parliament – like all other MPs,
everything had been boxed up prior to the election result – and waited with the TV on and my phone nearby. After a long and increasingly nervous wait, the phone finally rang. The Prime Minister would like to see me in ten minutes’ time, his office informed me.
Well-wishers had gathered along the route from Parliament. It wasn’t until the final approach to Downing Street, with the world's media gathered, that I suddenly became very conscious of how to walk down a road!
Inside Number 10, I was incredibly honoured when the Prime Minister asked me to join his Cabinet to serve as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. As deputy to the Chancellor, I will lead on public spending across Government.
I grabbed a quick selfie with Larry the cat on the way out and walked across to the Treasury,
n FROM BRISTOL CENTRAL'S MP
where I was welcomed by my new Private Office team and shown to my office.
As I sat with my friend and boss, Rachel Reeves – who is now the UK’s first ever female Chancellor – to enjoy some celebratory cake, we both finally had a moment for the day’s events to start to sink in.
The week followed with a meeting of the new Cabinet, swearing in at the House of Commons, and being sworn in as a Privy Counsellor by the King at Buckingham Palace.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you. I’m so thrilled to have been reelected as your MP. I want you to know that even though my role has changed in London, my work here in Bristol North West remains as important to me as ever.
It’s a huge honour to be your voice in Parliament and your champion in Bristol, and I will never take that for granted.
Getting to work straight away
FIRST and foremost, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the residents of Bristol Central for your overwhelming congratulations and support following my election. Your engagement and feedback are invaluable as I begin my tenure as your Member of Parliament.
In addition to your warm wishes, many of you have contacted me about significant concerns regarding proposed water bill increases and the deteriorating state of our rivers and seas. These issues are not just environmental; they affect our daily lives and future sustainability.
Alongside my three fellow Green Party MPs and those from across the House of Commons, I’ve wasted no time in addressing these pressing matters, jointly submitting the first Early Day Motion of the new government, making the case that the privatisation experiment in the water sector has failed and it’s time to bring the water companies back into public ownership.
In my maiden speech on Thursday 18th July, I had the privilege to thank the resilient people of Bristol for their trust and support and celebrate Bristol’s history of speaking up for what is right and not being afraid to swim against the tide.
I am also proud to have tabled an amendment to the King's Speech, urging the government to adopt more ambitious measures across multiple fronts. This amendment calls for robust action on climate change, providing safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to claim asylum, fairer housing policies that prioritise affordability and sustainability, and for the government to immediately lift the cruel two-child benefit cap which holds families down in poverty unnecessarily and will impact 2.63 million children by the end of this parliament.
While my team and I have been busy setting up our constituency office, this hasn’t stopped our work in continuing to address residents’ concerns. Over the past two weeks, we
have been actively listening to residents on a wide range of issues, many of them revolving around 14 years of government inaction, particularly regarding the extension of free school meals into the summer holidays and inadequate housing and healthcare.
Just recently, I hosted my first casework surgery, where I had the privilege of meeting with a local organisation, FirstGens, a social enterprise set up to ensure that first-generation students not only enrol in higher education but also thrive by providing essential support through their Navigating University Programme. You can find out more about the great work FirstGens do to support students who are the first in their family to attend university by visiting their website https:// firstgens.co.uk/
It was heartening to witness the dedication and resilience of groups such as this, supporting our community.
In the coming weeks, I look forward to engaging further with all of you and working alongside
As always, if you need my help or have a question, you can get in touch with me on e-mail at darren. jones.mp@parliament.uk, by calling my office on 0117 959 6545 or by writing to me at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
Carla Denyer writes for the Voice
our local councillors to ensure that Bristol Central continues to receive the robust representation it deserves.
Please do contact me if you have any concerns or anything you'd like to make me aware of by emailing me at carla.denyer@ greenparty.org.uk, or by writing to me at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
n GENERAL ELECTION 2024
DARREN Jones was returned as the Labour MP for Bristol North West with a greatly increased majority.
Mr Jones gained 15,669 votes more than the second-placed candidate, the Greens’ Mary Page, in the general election on July 4.
Six candidates contested the constituency, where boundary changes meant it lost Lockleaze but gained Bishopston & Ashley Down.
The Conservatives withdrew support from their candidate, Laura Saunders, midway through the campaign after it was revealed she and her husband were being investigated
Meet the new MP for Bishopston & Ashley Down Greens' Carla makes history
over election betting claims.
After the result was announced, Mr Jones said he was proud to be continuing to represent the area where he grew up and where he has been MP since 2017.
“I have always worked hard to hold the powerful to account on behalf of the powerless, to tackle injustices wherever I find them, and to make the case that Britain can and must be better,” he said.
Mr Jones, who was Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the last Parliament, was lkater named Chief Secretary to the Treasury in Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet.
The
RESULTS
Darren Jones (Lab) 24,058
Mary Page (Green) 8,389
Laura Saunders (Conservative) 6,773
CARLA Denyer has made history by being elected at Bristol’s first Green MP.
She won the seat in the general election on July 4 from Labour’s Thangam Debbonaire, who had been tipped for a position at the heart of the new Labour government.
Throughout the campaign, the contest had been said to be close, but the result saw Ms Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, take 56.6 per cent of the votes, more than 20 points ahead of Labour who won 32.6 per cent. Trailing far behind were the Conservatives in third, followed by Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats and finally the Party of Women.
The win marks part of a seismic shift in support for the Greens both in Bristol and across the country. In May, the Green Party took control of Bristol City Council, falling only two seats short of an absolute majority.
n The new Bristol Central MP Carla Denyer was hospitalised by a bee sting on the eve of the King's Speech. She soon recovered and has been active as one of the four new Green MPs in the Commons, making her maiden speech on July 18
Ms Denyer, who stood down as a city councillor to concentrate on her Parliamentary ambition, said as the result was announced: “Bristol, you made history today. Together we elected our city’s first Green MP. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted Green, I’m incredibly grateful that you put your trust in me. And to everyone who gave your vote to somebody else this time, I’m here for you, ready to listen to you and work hard for you too.
“This incredible city has long had my heart and the warmth I have felt during this campaign has been truly humbling. I feel so privileged to have this opportunity to serve you and to ensure that the real hope that inspired so many people to vote Green is represented in
Scarlett O’Connor (Reform UK) 4,863
Caroline Gooch (Liberal Democrat) 4,159
Ben Smith (SDP) 222
Parliament. I can’t wait to get started.”
Bristol Central forms most of the former Bristol West constituency, which had been held by Labour’s Ms Debbonaire since 2015. She had been tipped to become culture secretary in the new government.
Ms Debbonaire said: “Across the country people have voted for a Labour government and I couldn’t be prouder of my part in seeing that happen. Fourteen long years of chaos and division have finally come to an end."
Ms Denyer received 24,539 votes, while Ms Debbonaire received 14,132 votes. The Conservative candidate, Samuel Williams, received 1,998 votes and 4.6 per cent. The Reform UK candidate, Robert Clarke, received 1,338 votes and 3.1 per cent.
The Liberal Democrat candidate, Nicholas Coombes, received 1,162 votes and 2.7 per cent. The Party of Women candidate, KellieJay Keen, a prominent anti-trans campaigner, received only 196 votes and just half a per cent. The turnout was 69.4 per cent.
Carla Denyer and Green Party supporters at The Arches on polling day
Labour's Darren Jones on election night
Narrow win for Labour
LABOUR scraped home in the Horfield by-election, denying the Greens a chance to move closer to an overall majority on the city council.
The poll on July 4, the same day as the general election, took place because the victorious candidate in May’s local elections had been disqualified.
Deborah Vittori, who took one of the two ward seats for Labour in May with a margin of 578 votes over the Greens, had to step down because she is a teacher employed in a Bristol City Council school. Teachers are permitted to become councillors but not at local authorities in which they hold a paid position in a council-run school.
Ms Vittori said in a statement after the decision to bar her that she did not know about this rule.
Labour’s candidate in the by-election, Carole Johnson, won it by coming in just 108 votes ahead of the Green Party candidate Anna Meares.
Ms Johnson, pictured, was a
councillor for Ashley ward from 2016 to 2021. She stood in St George West at the May elections but lost out to the Greens.
The Greens are the largest party on the city council, with 34 seats, but need two more for an overall majority.
Bristol’s Labour group leader Tom Renhard holds the other Horfield seat.
Carole Johnson (Lab) 2,367
Anna Meares (Green) 2,264
Sharon Scott (Con) 778
Roxanne Lock (L Dem) 407
Joan Molins (TUSC) 83
Electorate: 9,729 Votes cast: 5,956
Turnout: 61%
Dual roles for Dan
WEST of England Mayor Dan Norris has pledged to continue in the role after also being elected an MP.
Labour’s Mr Norris defeated the Conservative Sir Jacob ReesMogg in the new seat of North East Somerset and Hanham at the general election on July 4.
The following week he told ITV he would combine the two roles at least until the mayoral elections in May 2025.
Mr Norris, who was voted in as Metro Mayor in 2021, joined his counterparts at a meeting of regional mayors at 10 Downing Street with the new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. The new government is keen to devolve more powers to Metro Mayors.
He hinted he was considering running for Metro Mayor again if he found it was possible to do both jobs.
He said: “Until at least next May I will do both jobs. And that makes sense because to call a by-election when you’ve got an electorate of about a million people is a hugely expensive thing, to have an election only to have it a few months later would be nonsensical. Also, to allow me to work out how I can do both jobs and whether that’s possible in the longer term and obviously I will be taking soundings. But there’s a lot of precedents in politics. Many MPs are ministers for example. I have done that myself and I think it’s very similar to being a regional mayor so I think it’s doable. But I’m not going to make a decision now. It’s important to get a real sense of it and make an informed and sensible decision.”
Dan Jarvis, who has been MP for Barnsley Central and later Barnsley North since 2011, was also the Metro Mayor of South Yorkshire between 2018 and 2022.
By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Can you help? Charity issues desperate plea to find new home
A CHARITY that supports thousands of refugees and asylum seekers in Bristol says it faces closure unless it finds a new base soon.
Aid Box Community, founded in the city in 2015, has been searching for a headquarters for two years and must secure one in the coming months. It also needs to find somewhere from which to operate its popular Refutree fundraiser for 2024.
The lease on its current premises in Cheltenham Road, close to Montpelier High School, where the charity has been for five years, is coming to an end and it is seeking somewhere new for its free shop and meeting place. It needs a larger base as demand for its services has increased.
A spokesperson said: “Three thousand of Bristol’s most vulnerable people are at risk of losing a lifeline. Our search has become exceptionally urgent, with the charity facing closure in six months unless we find a new home.
“We are a well-known, muchloved and trusted charity which brings communities together, spreading love and hope. We really need your help.”
The charity says it has been turned down by several private rental properties, sometimes being deemed “not the right fit” and has been unsuccessful in
Aid Box Community is a lifeline, offering support, supplies and sanctuary at its free shop and welcome hub in Bristol for refugees and people seeking asylum
attempts to secure the use of an empty church and a council property. This is despite the fact that it is in a strong financial position having secured threeyear funding for rent from the national lotteries.
The charity is looking for a building of at least 3,000 sq ft, with drop-off space for donations, access front and back and ideally a shop front. It needs to be fairly central, but outside the Clean Air Zone.
For Refutrees, Aid Box
THE Greens have pledged action on pavement parking after recent criticism about having “no formal plans” to do so.
A blanket ban on pavement parking would need a change in law, while bans in specific areas such as Bishopston or the city centre could be costly to set up.
Greens petitioned last year for a pavement parking ban, before they took control of the council. Responding to Labour criticism about lacking a plan, Green councillors on the transport policy committee promised on Thursday, July 11, to set up a working group
Community would need an empty shop or similar with inside and outside space.
The charity is keen to hear from anyone who can help and is also urging people to send letters of support to imogen@ aidboxcommunity.co.uk.
Aid Box Community was founded by Imogen Mcintosh who had seen the image of young refugee Alan Kurdi's body washed up on the Mediterranean shore. Imogen sought donations from friends and family to take
Pavement parking pledge
to explore their options.
Green Cllr Rob Bryher said: “There was some conjecture about pavement parking recently. One of the task and finish groups could be kerbside strategy because if we’re looking at that as an issue, we should look at it in the round, look at all the issues around how we organise our space beside the kerb."
Last summer, the Greens' petition mentioned Sheffield, where traffic regulation orders have banned pavement parking in the
to the French refugee camps and received an overwhelming response from the Bristol public.
Soon afterwards, a group of 30 volunteers was formed called Aid Box Convoy. They took 350 Aid Boxes, hundreds of tents, sleeping bags, food boxes and building materials to Dunkirk. The group continued to coordinate volunteers and donations on the camp for a year.
In April 2016, after witnessing the poverty, isolation and trauma that many people were experiencing once they had reached the UK, Aid Box Convoy became Aid Box Community (ABC), a free shop and welcome hub in Bristol. Today, ABC provides support, supplies and sanctuary to thousands of refugees and asylum seekers in Bristol.
People from more than 80 countries have used the ABC services. In the year to March 2024, the charity welcomed 3703 people and saw nearly 200,000 donated items recycled and rehomed through the shop.
To find out more, visit: https:// www.aidboxcommunity.co.uk
city centre, as an example to follow.
Green group leader Cllr Emma Edwards said the committee could look at the Sheffield option.
Green Cllr Ed Plowden, chair of the transport committee,said: “As for any suggestion that Bristol Greens are giving up on pavement parking, quite the opposite — we need an ambitious parking and kerbside strategy. It needs to be holistic, not piecemeal.”
By Alex Seabrook, Local
Democracy Reporting Service
Miriam praises restoration bid
ACTRESS
Miriam Margolyes
visited Jacobs Wells Baths to show her support for the restoration project.
She spoke to the team from Trinity Bristol and PH3 Design who are leading the efforts to turn it into a community and cultural hub.
The revamp includes creating a street-facing main entrance and modernisation of the previously unused ground floor Pump Room, transforming it into a cafe-bar and studio.
Miriam Margolyes said: “I’m thrilled to have a chance to visit Jacobs Wells and encourage the council and my fellow-supporters with their exciting plans to return this listed building to the service of the local community. This will help so many to have a goopportunity knocks at last.”
Trinity’s chair of trustees
Chris Luffingham said: “We’re so grateful for Miriam taking the time to visit the project and this comes as we complete key milestones including securing planning and lease completion. This means Trinity can now begin crucial Phase 1 repairs including works to the main hall roof, funded by £1.6 million secured from the DLUHC Community Ownership Fund and match funders.
He thanked Miriam, Bristol City Council, local stakeholders and the Hotwells & Harbourside Community Association, who led campaign efforts to save the building from disposal.
“We are excited to now be able to move forward with our efforts to bring the building back into use as a multidisciplinary venue for arts, heritage, youth, community and educational use,” he added.
Miriam Margolyes visits the Jacobs Wells baths restoration project
'Someone must have seen Eddie being stabbed'
THE family of Eddie King Muthemba Kinuthia, who was fatally stabbed in St Paul's a year ago, have issued a new appeal for information.
It happened in Grosvenor Road just before 11pm on Friday 21 July 2023. Within weeks, three men were arrested on suspicion of Eddie's murder, but no one had been charged as the Voice went to print. A magistrate has extended the bail of two of the men, while a third is still under investigation.
Officers from Avon and Somerset police’s Major Crime Investigation Team led by Detective Chief Inspector Mark Almond are continuing to investigate. A review of hundreds of hours of CCTV footage suggests there were around 150 people in the area at the time - but only a third have come forward or been traced so far.
DCI Almond said: "There were so many people in and around Grosvenor Road that
night. Any one of them may have that final bit of information which could bring Eddie's killers to court.
"We are not giving up on Eddie and we want to get the answers that Irene and Eddie's family so badly need. There are people who can help. Please come forward."
Eddie's mother, Irene Muthemba, said on the anniversary: "Surely somebody would know? I'm going over it in my head every time when I think about my child and what it feels
like to miss him and to miss his smile and to miss his laughter, miss his voice. And I just think somewhere on the opposite of that there's a mum or a parent who knows that their child was involved in this."
Irene believes she will see justice for Eddie: "I'm never giving up on hope. It's just something that my heart won't do. I can't give up. I trust the team that's investigating this. Even though we’ve had our issues and frustrations about how long it's taken and the pace of the investigation I trust that they are doing the best they can do. And I just wait eagerly for the day that I can hear them tell me that we have something. That's the day I wait for and I'm hopeful, I really am."
Jade Morris, Eddie's auntie, said: "Just talking about Eddie in the past tense is so difficult, it's so painful. Our life's never going to be the same again. We're always going to be those people who lost their son, their nephew,
their cousin.
Police want to hear from you if you:
• Saw, spoke to or messaged Eddie at any time on Friday 21 July last year
• Saw a Sur-Ron electric motorbike being ridden in the St Paul's or Easton areas between 10.30pm and 11.30pm that night, with either one or two riders
• Have any information which can help us to trace that Sur-Ron bike
• Can help in any other way. There is a direct phone line into the investigation team - 01278 647 777. There’s also a public online portal: https://mipp.police.uk/ operation/5223C72-PO1 You can also call Crimestoppers, which has offered a £20,000 reward for information given through its anonymous reporting system which leads to a conviction. You can contact the charity on 0800 555 111, or online https://crimestoppersuk.org/give-information
Jade Morris and Irene Muthemba
What home means to me
by Reem Elmubarak
In the heart of Sudan , where the Nile winds sing, Our home echoed love, a cherished spring. Beneath the sun's caress, on ancient ground, Safety and warmth, a heartbeat's surround.
Then fate unfurled a map anew, Bristol's streets embraced a different view From Khaqrtoum's glow to Clifton's air, Our home transplanted, a journey so rare.
"To me, a home is where you feel loved, Safe and cherished," Malala quoted Our home is comfort and keeps us motivated
In each brick of our dwelling, that truth rings, A sanctuary where family springs.
Bristol's skyline, a canvas to explore, Yet Sudan's echoes in every door. New accents blend with tales untold, A quilt of cultures, both young and old.
In the heart of our home, where laughter weaves, A sanctuary where each soul believes. From Sudan's plains to England's west, Our home is truly blessed.
Where everyone is welcome
FAIRFIELD High School held its own event to coincide with Bristol Refugee Festival.
Families of students who arrived as refugees were invited to the school to hear guest speakers, share experiences, enjoy food and view an exhibition commemorating heritage and values.
Bristol Refugee Festival organisers and ambassadors Sherien Elsheikh, Danny Vincent and former student Reem Elmubarak were also welcomed.
Farina Ackerman, assistant vice principal, said: “We were very proud and honoured to organise this special event to celebrate our refugee community. Bringing everyone together to share what they want for their school and our world, not to mention the
messages conveyed through the heartfelt student exhibition, was extremely powerful. A huge thank you to our speakers for their valuable input and all the families who gave us their time to join in the celebrations and view the student-centred exhibition.”
Reem Elmubarak said: “Coming to Bristol from Sudan was a daunting and emotional experience; however, the welcome I received from refugee ambassadors and my former school Fairfield have provided stability and sanctuary, for which I am forever grateful.
“I am now an ambassador myself to help refugees and asylum seeking families feel welcome, recognise the contribution they make to Bristol, and to organise events to celebrate inclusion and diversity.”
Bristol Refugee Festival organisers and ambassadors Sherien Elsheikh, former student Reem Elmubarak and Danny Vincent, with Farina Ackerman, Assistant Vice Principal at Fairfield
A Fairfield student and his family from the refugee community
n ADVERTISING FEATURE
The risks of DIY probate
AMD’s Sarah Trigg, Solicitor and Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), outlines some of the risks involved with DIY probate.
It is becoming increasingly common for individuals to deal with the administration of a loved one’s estate on their own without instructing a solicitor to assist them. This is perfectly fine in principle, but in practice, there are many important factors to consider and a number of risks to be wary of.
Valuation:
To apply for the Grant and complete the inheritance tax return (if required), the assets and liabilities of the estate at the date of death will need to be valued. It is important that full enquiries are made to accurately value the estate from the outset. The person administering the estate (the personal representative) should consider instructing a company to carry out a full asset search to ensure that there has been a
thorough investigation into the estate. Failing to identify all assets at an early stage may result in considerable delay further on and could result in fines from HMRC for understated inheritance tax.
Beneficiaries:
The personal representatives have a duty to ensure that the correct beneficiaries are identified. Wills are normally drafted in a way that most people can understand but there are often complexities, particularly if the Will contains a trust. There are sometimes difficulties with home-made Wills which are badly written or do not dispose of the entire estate. Professional advice is recommended in these situations.
If there is no Will, the beneficiaries will need to be identified according to the rules of intestacy. A common misconception is that a surviving spouse will inherit the entire estate. In fact,
if there is a surviving spouse and children, the spouse is entitled to the ‘personal chattels’ and a statutory legacy (currently of £322,000). The remainder of the estate will be split so half passes to the spouse and half to the children in equal shares.
Distributing the estate:
The increase in blended families results in a greater risk of a claim against the estate from an unknown beneficiary. An individual has six months from the date of the Grant to bring a claim. The personal representative should consider placing a notice in the Gazette and a local newspaper to allow any person with a claim against the estate or an interest in it to come forward within a two month timeframe. Distributions to beneficiaries should not be made until these notices have expired. This will protect the personal representative from being personally responsible for money owed to any unidentified
creditors.
A full set of estate accounts should be prepared to ensure that all liabilities are settled and avoid an overpayment to a beneficiary. The personal representative may have to pay any remaining debts and tax bills personally if they distribute the estate and do not keep enough money in the estate to pay them.
Our Probate team understand that dealing with the affairs of a loved one after death can be complicated and stressful. If you would like to get in touch to see how we can assist you, please call us on 0117 9621205, email info@amdsolicitors.com or drop in to one of our four Bristol offices.
Below right: Printing work under way
Printing bike tour aims to celebrate
of libraries
A BRISTOLIAN from Redland has embarked on a roundBritain trip on his ‘printing bike’, visiting and supporting public libraries along the way.
Nick Hand is a typographer and letterpress printer. Letterpress is the form of printing using wood or lead type that Gutenberg invented in Germany in 1450.
Nick has made many journeys (including one from Bristol to Mainz, where Gutenberg lived and worked) on a bicycle with a small printing press on the back. The printing bike is a bespoke bicycle made for Nick by bike maker, Robin Mather. It carries a letterpress Adana press, inks, type and blocks; everything
required to print a small print run at each stop along the journey.
Press On is an adventure that will take the printing bike from library to library across Britain printing bookmarks along the way. Each bookmark design will be inspired by the words and images of writers and artists in support of public libraries. It is taking place over this summer and will take Nick as far as the Shetlands.
His first stops were due to take him to some favourite Bristol libraries including Redland and Henleaze, where Nick regularly takes his threeyear-old grandson Harry on Wednesdays.
Libraries have been under enormous pressure over recent years because of cutbacks and rely on local support. Nick aims to contribute to the work these communities do by visiting as many libraries as possible and working with artists and writers to produce a limited run of unique bookmarks for each library, all printed in situ at the library itself.
The project, funded by crowdfunding, includes specific letterpress-printed items, as well as two beautiful books. Paul Peter Piech’s Ugly Pieces of Metal and Alan Bennett’s book about the libraries in his life. Find out more on Nick’s website www. departmentofsmallworks.co.uk/
Write your own story
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Call 01373 888 056 or visit ChantryCourt.com to discover more.
Nick Hand with his printing bike, right
STUDENTS from Montpelier High School took a trip back and forwards in time when they staged a fashion show entitled Colston to Phoenix.
Fashion show
They worked with Peg Squires, a fashion technician from UWE Bristol on the project, which celebrated the history of the school from its foundation in 1891 as Colston's Girls' School through the events of the 20th and 21st century, to its eventual re-naming and the launch of its phoenix logo.
A spokesperson said:
"The aim of the night was to represent that only by reaching back and confronting the past and its relationship to the present can we face the future."
As well as an in-school event for families, the show was also presented as a fundraiser for St Pauls Carnival, as part of St Pauls Carnival’s Back A Yard programme.
Savages and Shakespeare
I READ with interest this piece written by Julian Lea-Jones in which he says that in June 1944, Bristol Savages had beer mugs engraved with the message 'Drink down all unfriendliness.' which he felt to be 'bizarre.'
The actual wording is 'Drink down all unkindness' and is a quote from Shakespeare's play, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 1 in which Page is quelling an argument between John Shallow and Falstaff aided and abetted by friends Bardolph, Pistol and Nym. This motto on the drinking vessels exists to this day despite the society's name change to Bristol 1904 Arts.
So, the words are not at all bizarre and come supported by a good few centuries of added meaning.
Dr Leslie Shutt
This month's history column: Page 20
MBST : Treating chronic back pain, Disc injury, Sciatica and nerve damage.
MBST provides healing at the cellular level via targeted energy transfer into damaged tissues. The results we’re seeing for nerve damage patients are truly remarkable for the patients as some of the case studies below demonstrate.
Neil suffered a severe disc herniation with nerve root compression and dreadful leg pain. His pain was 10/10… after disc and nerve MBST last December his response was so fast and complete he went on 2 golfing trips by the end of March including long haul flights and is still doing really well.
Jean responded so well to the disc/ nerve treatment for her Disc bulge with s1 nerve root compression. Injections only helped temporarily yet 3 months post MBST she was able to come off all meds , had no leg pain and is still currently in great shape, even after a persistent cough!!
www.curaclinical.com
Brian had significant Spinal cord damage post surgery/spinal stimulator. Unable to sit up, eat at a table, drive or walk, Brian’s life really was agony. He’d hobble to treatment bent over on 2 sticks, and this was for several years post procedure. We applied the nerve MBST therapy 1 year ago. 6 weeks post treatment his pain was already on the wane. His improvement has continued steadily and his life is completely different. He walks well over distance now, can sit how he likes and is buying a car again!!
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Treatment Accelerates the Regeneration of Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons in vitro
Anda Mann1, Bibiane Steinecker-Frohnwieser2, Aida Naghilou1, Flavia Millesi13, Paul Supper1, Lorenz Semmler1, Sonja Wolf1, Lena Marinova1, Lukas Weigl4, Tamara Weiss1,3*† and Christine Radtke1,3†
1 Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
2 Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Arthritis and Rehabilitation, Saalfelden, Austria
3 Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria
4 Department of Special Anesthesia and Pain Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Functional recovery from peripheral nerve injuries depends on a multitude of factors. Schwann cells (SCs) are key players in the regenerative process as they develop repairspecific functions to promote axon regrowth. However, chronically denervated SCs lose their repair phenotype, which is considered as a main reason for regeneration failure. Previous studies reported a modulatory effect of low nuclear magnetic resonance therapy (NMRT) on cell proliferation and gene expression. To provide first insight into a possible effect of NMRT on cells involved in peripheral nerve regeneration, this study investigated whether NMRT is able to influence the cellular behavior of primary SC and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron cultures in vitro. The effect of NMRT on rat SCs was evaluated by comparing the morphology, purity, proliferation rate, and expression levels of (repair) SC associated genes between NMRT treated and untreated SC cultures. In addition, the influence of (1) NMRT
and (2) medium obtained from NMRT treated SC cultures on rat DRG neuron regeneration was examined by analyzing neurite outgrowth and the neuronal differentiation status. Our results showed that NMRT stimulated the proliferation of SCs without changing their morphology, purity, or expression of (repair) SC associated markers. Furthermore, NMRT promoted DRG neuron regeneration shown by an increased cell survival, enhanced neurite network formation, and progressed neuronal differentiation status. Furthermore, the medium of NMRT treated SC cultures was sufficient to support DRG neuron survival and neurite outgrowth. These findings demonstrate a beneficial impact of NMRT on DRG neuron survival and neurite formation, which is primarily mediated via SC stimulation. Our data suggest that NMRT could be suitable as a non-invasive auxiliary treatment option for peripheral nerve injuries and encourage future studies that investigate the effect of NMRT in a physiological context.
n FROM YOUR COUNCILLORS
Redland: Martin Fodor and Fi Hance (Green Party)
Recycling services need attention We've had reports from a growing number of residents deeply frustrated by missed recycling services in their streets. For months we have been pressing the council to tackle the imbalance in rounds which were initially changed in November and then again in May by arrangement with the outgoing administration. These were meant to make services more reliable. It seems alas that service in Redland has worsened for some rather than improved as a result of these changes.
From a city wide perspective, cuts were made to the budget last year and since then operational issues have been building up. There have also been problems with records of repeatedly missed streets [taken up by Martin at the start of 2023] which are needed to show where attention needs to be prioritised. As the city is growing the number of homes to collect from are rising. At the same time the cost pressures on the contractor are rising so we know that new ways to get a reliable service have to be found. We’ve been meeting with the contractor and the contract manager to seek collections that deliver the schedule promised. We are also pressing for an update to the council website to make missed collections easier to report. Do please keep reporting missed collections via the council web site and let us know if your street has been missed repeatedly so we can chase this.
Council committees get to work
Groups of nine councillors drawn from all parties now make the major policy
and spending decisions of the city council since May. The decision makers are cross party committees seeking consensus rather than a single mayor. This means options will be in papers available to the public and residents can attend and ask questions or make statements before the members have held their debates. These discussions will be taking place in public among a mix of councillors reflecting the political balance of the council. Initial meetings of most committees have been taking place and the major items planned for their agendas are now available for about six months ahead. Most of the initial decisions and the budget the council is working to this year are inherited from the outgoing administration but new policies will be developed in months to come.
The Environment and Sustainability Committee will be reviewing the work the council does and the opportunities in the city for projects that will be needed to tackle the climate emergency. The Public Health and Communities Committee is revisiting the changes to allotments services and the rent proposals and budget which were abandoned by the outgoing Labour administration. . It will also be looking at the future of the library service and we hope to have significant public involvement in both of these much cherished areas of council provision.
Each committee of the council also has a public forum scheduled so statements and questions can be asked on anything within the committee’s remit.
Our new Member of Parliament We’d like to welcome our new Green MP Carla Denyer. After achieving a majority in Bristol Central of well over ten thousand votes Carla took her seat in the House of Commons alongside three other new Green MPs and she held her first constituency surgery seven days after the general election. A full casework team is being assembled for the constituency as well as a parliamentary office for the group in Westminster.
We echo her thanks for the service of outgoing MP Thangam Debbonaire.
Council presses new government to tackle austerity
Bristol City Council passed a Green motion in July committing them to write to the new Labour government asking for a sustained uplift to local authority funding. This is urgently needed to cover shortfalls in adult social care, education and other key services, where budget from government has shrunk by 40% after years of austerity. The motion was voted through by Councillors from the Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat Groups, with only the Conservatives voting against. The council will write to government calling for adequate investment in local public services and giving support to the Ethical Care Charter.
The Green group also agreed extra time in the meeting so a Labour motion could be debated and passed calling for action on violence against women and girls to continue to be a priority. In the same meeting Public Forum gave
people a chance to make statements or ask questions on any topic relevant to the council.
Local Area Committees
We’re sorry to say that we’re still awaiting news of the nine new Area Committees that will be meeting. The outgoing council agreed that nine new groups of wards will be formed to allocated developer funds offered to communities. They will also ensure more direct input into council decisions on many local services and issues like road safety and parking.
To date the staffing and meetings for these committees hasn’t been made clear and we’re pressing for arrangements to be put in place. While funds are limited in our neighbourhood as there’s less new development there are still projects which we know are needed.
The excessive delays to a previous project, the Cranbrook Road crossing, have been disappointing for us and the families who called for this years ago. We’ve finally heard that highway officers have been appointed after the previous team left. This has caused yet more delays to finalising the details and finding a contractor to build the crossing. This has been affecting many schemes across the city and we’re sorry for the fitful progress. We’re hoping this can finally be built in the next few months.
Fi: Cllr.fi.hance@bristol.gov.uk. Martin: Cllr.martin.fodor@bristol.gov.uk Fi: 0117 3534720. Martin 0788 4736101 Facebook.com/cllrmartin.fodor or / cllrfi.hance
Bishopston & Ashley Down: Emma Edwards and James Crawford (Green Party)
IT’S been an exciting time for us both with the General Election and the new committee system now up and running. We’ve been meeting residents on the doorsteps, as well as at our monthly surgery and community meetings. In July Emma attended the Brunel Field School fete, chatting to parents and teachers about local issues. Emma also attended the Flag Raising Ceremony for Armed Forces week at City Hall. We will continue to hold our surgeries over the summer, on the second Friday of every month at the Horfield Quakers Friends Meeting house on Gloucester Rd from 4pm6pm. If you want us to attend any other residents meetings then do get in touch through the usual channels.
The Memorial Ground Emma and James have recently attended residents' meetings held
by Bristol Rovers to discuss the plans of the Memorial Ground to expand in the future, as well as the implementation of the transport plan as agreed on by the planning conditions for the South Stand last year. While these meetings have been welcomed there have been concerns they have not been advertised widely enough, and we are working with the club to help them improve on that. We can assure people that these plans are in the very first stages and the club want to consult with the local community before proceeding any further. We also want to help the club make the most of any transport plans, including talking to bus companies and creating better signage and stewarding.
Issues with Bristol Waste We have been extremely concerned
by the amount of residents in the ward who have been experiencing missed waste and recycling collections. There have been ongoing issues for a few months now, and it has got particularly bad again recently. We have learned that this has been a city-wide issue and one caused by Bristol Waste decommissioning some trucks in an effort to save money. We have been in talks with Bristol Waste who have now realised the scale of the issues that this has caused and have now re-instated the trucks. We hope normal service has resumed, but as always, if collections are missed, please do report directly to Bristol Waste via their website, and if the problem persists then get in touch with Emma and James.
Meeting with The Ardagh James recently attended the Ardagh
community market in July where they have begun consulting local residents on what they would like to see for the future of the site. They have engaged with an architect named Then Now When to help them create a masterplan, and it was great to see local residents of all ages engaged with some fantastic ideas and drawings.
The community market was also great with lots of local vendors and food options. The market takes place on the 2nd Saturday of every month from 10am-3pm.
Emma has also been talking to the parks department about finding ways to secure the common against people driving onto it. The Parks officers are looking into a solution involving mounding around the edges, and we are supporting them in securing funding for this.
n NATURE WATCH with
Dawn Lawrence
Robin makes daddy long legs quiver!
THE robins love the rich pickings on our patio: they eat the crumbs I throw out and they groom the tomatoes for aphids. Young song birds such as robins only fledge when they are fully grown, which just shows how much work the adults have to do to raise their family. Once I saw a fledgling robin sitting on the back of a patio chair, a little tuft of baby down still sticking up on its back. Suddenly the patio was full of robins and then, on my return from a trip to the compost heap, so was the kitchen. Well, there were two, which is quite a lot of robins for one kitchen. On seeing me they panicked and though one found the door the other began bashing against the back window. A daughter came to view the commotion - “oh look the spider’s having a heart attack!” she said. The daddy long legs spider (Pholcus phalangioides) that had been minding its own business in the top corner of the window was now juddering like a cartoon character being given an electric shock – the species has a rather amusing habit of quivering when disturbed. It didn’t settle down until we had manoeuvred the little robin out of the window. The spindly Pholcus are welcome in our house because I prefer them to the big hairy-scary
house spiders which Pholcus have for dinner; and I mean that quite literally.
Summer sees the biggest event in the ants’ social calendar: the nuptial flight. To prepare, in each colony the resident queen lays male eggs and queen eggs and the wingless female workers tend them until they mature. Then on a warm, still, humid day the virgin queens take flight followed by the males. They erupt
from their quiet cavities and fly up into the air, thousands of them at once. The different colonies co-ordinate their flights by the weather in order to successfully out-breed: they usually choose a fine day after rain – this may happen a few times in a season. When the ants have mated (which they do in mid-air) the males die and each queen lands, sheds her flimsy wings and attempts to establish a new colony. A few years ago I watched a first flight on a beautiful afternoon: the upper sky was emblazoned with sky-feathers of cirrus and a scattering of paw-print cumulus whilst lower down plump summer clouds drifted like mighty ships on an ocean of air. Above them all a plane had seeded a long rippling spine of vapour. Below the clouds a band of swifts, screaming through the hot sky, caught my attention. Wheeling around with them were occasional gulls. They were all feasting on an aerial banquet of flying ants, carried up by thermals. The swifts will soon be gone so look out for them while you can and please consider putting up a swift box for them because they need our help.
The speckled appearance of baby robins is very distinctive. Photo: Christine Matthews.
n ADVERTISING FEATURE
Riding The Wave
THE Wave is a slice of the ocean, inland near Bristol. Offering perfect, guaranteed waves for surfers of all abilities, it’s the perfect place to learn to surf this summer.
This year the launch of the 'Little Rippers' session allows for children as young as four to learn to surf. Or if you just want to get in for a splash, Play In The Bay is a summer favourite. For others looking to kick start their surfer journey, look no further than a beginner lesson. Already a keen surfer? The Wave offers great sessions from intermediate to expert every day.
Translation success n NEWS
FORMIDABLE! A student from Montpelier High School has won a national translation competition.
Gabriela Mancuso, aged 14 triumphed in the French final of the Routes into Languages Foreign Language Translation Bee 2024 held at Cambridge University.
Gabriela, who speaks English, French and Spanish, is about to begin studying GCSEs in French, History and Business and hopes to take A-levels at the school’s V6 sixth form in Physics, Chemistry and History, was successful in the contest, in which she had one minute to correctly translate as many sentences as possible.
But The Wave is more than just surfing. With free parking and free entry, families can spend a day at The Wave with or without getting wet. The play park and skate ramp keeps kids of all ages entertained for hours, and the shoreline café and restaurant offer all day dining, great tasting coffee and a licensed bar. And if you didn't want to drive home… book a night in a glamping style safari tent located right next to the lake.
The Wave is an unmissable trip this holiday. Visit The Wave just off Junction 17 of the M5, near Cribbs Causeway.
The aim of the competition, which attracted entrants from around the country, is to foster enjoyment of learning another language and the promotion of language learning skills.
Gabriela said: “It was an amazing experience and I had such a good time. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
Ben Spence, Montpelier High School headteacher, said: “I am so proud of Gabriela’s success. Her perseverance and resilience are just breathtaking. The win is a credit to her and also to the excellent modern languages teaching team at our school.”
n HISTORY with JULIAN LEA-JONES
Road named after inventor who was fired with enthusiasm
FOR many of Bristol’s streets a simple name often conceals a fascinating story. For example, the road that runs from Cossins Road to Harcourt Road is named in memory of William Ellis Metford, a talented inventor born on October 4, 1824, at Taunton, and educated at Dorset’s Sherborne School.
William came to Bristol as an engineering apprentice with Brunel’s Bristol and Exeter railway; later he worked on both the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railways. He was elected an Associate of the Institute of Civil Engineers, leading to a senior appointment with the East India Railway. Sadly, illness forced return to England, but his engineering and design background, together with his experiences during the Indian Mutiny led to the realisation that a better rifle was needed. His knowledge of firearms resulted in several improvements to rifle
and ballistics design and ultimately led to him design and develop an improved sportsman’s rifle.
Thomas Francis Fremantle
(the 3rd Baron Cottesloe), who owned land in Redland was a strong advocate of his designs, possibly explaining why William returned to Bristol, settling in Redland Villa, Elm Lane until his death.
Thus, in leafy Redland he spent the rest of his life working to develop an improved rifle, and other inventions including optical instruments and even a mechanism for cutting precious stones. Perhaps the Baron’s patronage led him to become the proprietor and sole inventor of
the ‘Metford Sporting Rifle’ which won four gold medals, was prized by marksmen as a consistent match winner for many years.
Ironically it was William’s experience in the Indian Mutiny that led to that design, which formed the basis for many modern rifles, not least the Lee-Enfield, used by the Indian soldiers who fought so gallantly on our side in the Second World War. (Coincidentally a memorial to those brave Sikhs was unveiled by HRH the Duke of Kent at Castle Park on Tuesday April 2, 2019.)
Yet another of his pyrotechnic experiments included work in double rocket propulsion, predating the work of the famous American Rocket pioneer, Robert H Goddard.
Another of William’s innovations was a scheme for traffic calming in Bristol. I do not know if his proposals for calming our nineteenth century traffic were adopted, but I expect
John Wills House
they would have been markedly different from the motorist enraging schemes we have today. I once asked what the letters ETM seen on some large lorries stood for – I was told, ‘Exasperates The Motorist’. I wonder if William Metford thought up a similar acronym.
One of William’s home skills, which if carried out today would almost certainly result in a complete lockdown with surrounding streets cordoned off and the neighbours evacuated from their houses. What did he do at home that would evince such a response? He just used to make his own ammunition in the kitchen, filling his cartridges with black powder. I don’t know if he also mixed his own powder,–probably! William is buried in Redland parish churchyard, where the memorial to William and his
William Ellis Metford
bishopstonvoice
n
VINEYARD NEWS with INGRID BATES
Small grapes, big rewards
I STARTED last month's blog by saying the weather had been a bit chilly but I wasn't expecting to be mentioning it again a month later. I've been monitoring the vines closely and I'm pleased to report that, despite the relatively poor weather, they still seem to have formed a decent amount of fruit from their little flowers. Ideal weather for vine flowering is warm and calm and we've had the exact opposite of cool, wet and very windy. Despite this, I'm quite happy with how they’re looking. The small grapes are swelling rapidly but will remain green and hard until the middle of August when they gradually start to soften and ripen. At the moment, each little grape is half the size of a pea – tiny!
In preparation for harvest I have bought some new netting
to hang around the fruiting area to deter autumn flocks of starlings from eating the ripe grapes. Starlings are very clever birds and seem to understand what a net is. Once they see the netting, they make no effort to try and get the grapes so there is
no danger of them getting entangled, it’s just a visual deterrent.
I do see a lot of pheasants approaching grapes from a different angle. Near to harvest time, they walk along the ground looking upwards. When they see some grapes they like the look of, they hop up and down on the spot picking off individual grapes with their beak. Thankfully this method isn’t too destructive because pheasants don’t congregate in large flocks. On the wine front, we told you last month about our bronze medal win for our sparkling white wine in the IEWAwards. A week later we found out that our sparkling rosé had also won an award. Our sparkling rosé won a bronze medal but this time at the
n MESSAGE FROM POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER
Time to hear your concerns and ideas
WE are now in a time of change and of opportunity.
After weeks of being out campaigning over evenings and weekends and an exciting general election, I’m looking forward to working with the new government and all new and returning local MPs.
I welcome the government’s commitment to boosting police numbers and making neighbourhood policing more visible.
The King’s Speech also demonstrated there will be action on anti-social behaviour, shoplifting and on tackling violent crime, specifically on male violence against women and girls and knife crime.
I am pleased to say I will be spending a community engagement day in South Gloucestershire in mid-August, where I’ll meet with community groups and support services for victims of crime.
This visit is an opportunity for me to get out, meet people faceto-face and hear your concerns and
ideas about policing in your area.
I will also be holding a public forum in the evening on Thursday August 15.
I feel strongly that being out in the community is vital to understanding how we solve the unique challenges we face. The details to book on to the forum will be added to the website, www. avonandsomerset-pcc.gov.uk, soon.
This meeting will also help me to shape ideas for my Police and Crime Plan, but it won’t be the last opportunity to have your say.
The draft plan will be published next month for consultation, giving you a chance to share your views on both the plan and how it’s implemented.
During July, I launched a new initiative called Police Question Time (PQT), designed to make it easier for you to voice your opinions on local policing.
I will be posing questions monthly about the performance of Avon and Somerset Police to Chief
wineGB awards. A great accolade for a young wine that will only get better with time!
The first session was live streamed on the Avon & Somerset Police & Crime Commissioner Facebook page on July 17, and you can watch a recording there.
Another new initiative I’m pleased to announce is free bystander intervention training, helping night-time economy workers to recognise the signs of sexual harassment to those working in this sector, like pubs, nightclubs, and hospitality.
You can sign up to the in-person or virtual sessions at tinyurl.com/ ywrppa2v.
Ensuring safety in our communities requires proactive measures.
By empowering night time economy workers with bystander intervention training, we can enable them to play a key role in creating safer nightlife environments.
This training is essential for preventing male violence against women and girls, and fostering a
secure and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone.
Together, let’s keep building a safer, more inclusive community.
I look forward to meeting many of you across South Gloucestershire and working with you over the coming weeks, months and years to achieve our shared goals.
In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to me and my office with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have at www.avonandsomerset-pcc.gov.uk.
22 bishopstonvoice
Your chance to visit hospice garden
TWO events are coming up at St Peter’s Hospice – Open Gardens on Sunday 8 September and an Art Exhibition on Saturday 14 September.
The garden is open for the public to enjoy from10am to 4pm. St Peter’s Hospice gardener Anneke van Eijkern and a team of garden volunteers will be on hand to welcome visitors and answer questions.
Anneke said: “It’s a privilege to manage a garden that means so much to people. The gardens offer comfort and enjoyment to our patients and their family and friends, as well as to our staff, who do such a wonderful job. I think the gardens are part of what makes St Peter’s so special and we’re really looking forward to sharing that with our local communities.”
The gardens are an integral part of St Peter’s Hospice and create a calm and peaceful environment for patients and families. Pathways around the gardens are smooth and flat
The garden at St Peter's Hospice, Brentry
so that wheelchair users can enjoy the space and explore. The grounds include a lowallergen Courtyard Garden, small Japanese inspired garden, sensory beds and an enclosed walled garden.
Throughout the day there will be a range of activities including talks and workshops, tours and music. Special guest, RHS gold-
Diamond unmarked platinum ring, calculated diamond weight 4.5 carats approx. Sold for £11,500
range of delicious home-made cakes and cream teas will be available to buy.
Visitors also have the exclusive opportunity to explore the arts and crafts created by patients attending courses at St Peter’s Hospice day services department in a special showcase on Saturday 14 September from 10.30am- 4pm.
medal winning garden designer, Jane Porter, will be talking about the Chelsea gardens she’s designed.
Admission to the Open Gardens is £6 per person, with under 16s going free. By buying a ticket visitors help to support the work of the hospice. Wellbehaved dogs on a lead are welcome and light lunches, a
Day services art tutor David Hunter, hospice volunteer Fergus MacBeth, staff member Sally Evans and others will be exhibiting artwork which will be for sale, with a percentage from all sales made being donated to the hospice. Craftwork made by patients will also be available for sale and refreshments served in a garden marquee at the event.
Both events take place at St Peter’s Hospice, Charlton Road, Brentry, Bristol BS10 6NL. Entry to the art exhibition is free. To purchase a ticket for the Open Gardens, see: www.stpetershospice.org/ opengardens
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, K.C.S.I., Knight Commander’s set of insignia Sold for £12,500
Early 19th century double-sided micromosaic, porphyry and unmarked gold bonbonniere Sold for £11,000
Clevedon Salerooms, The Auction Centre, Kenn Road, Kenn, Clevedon, Bristol, BS21 6TT
BOOKS
Brotherless Night by V.V.
THE Sri Lankan Civil War lasted 26 years killing an estimated 100,000 people. It was fought between the Sinhalese dominated state and the Tamil Tigers separatist group. This novel begins in a village in Jaffna, in the Tamil north of Sri Lanka. In 1981, we meet 15 year old Sashi who lives with her parents and her four brothers, Niranjan, Dayalan, Seelan & Aran. She is boiling water for tea, when the kettle slips from her hand, pouring scalding water on her stomach. Her screams are heard by a passing student known as K. He rushes into the house, snatches a bowl of eggs off the kitchen table and cracks them open onto the wound, soothing the burn . Sashi’s stomach heals leaving just a tiny scar. Thus begins a lifelong friendship. K gets 4 A grades in his school exams and plans to go to the University of Jaffna medical school. Sasha also dreams of
becoming a doctor, but she fails her Zoology practical, feeling sick whilst attempting to dissect a shark. She decides to make a fresh start and travels with Naranjan to the capital Colombo to live with her grandmother. She attends the local school, befriending Hasna, the only Muslim girl in her class. Meanwhile, back in Jaffna, the Tigers kill 13 soldiers. The Sinhalese, in revenge, burn and loot Tamil shops in Colombo. Sashi and her grandmother are surrounded by a Sinhalese mob. They escape, but their home is burnt to the ground. They return to Jaffna, where Sashi is visited by Hasna’s father with news that Naranjan has been killed by the Sinhalese. The war escalates and Dayalan and Seelan leave Jaffna with K to join the Tigers. Sashi starts medical school where she is visited by K, who brings a wounded Tiger to her for medical treatment. K
Ganeshananthan
persuades Sashi to secretly work in a Tiger field hospital whilst continuing her medical studies. This is a beautiful, nuanced and compassionate novel, with deep moral complexity. It provides a vivid, brutally honest and even handed picture of the Civil War, recounting the atrocities committed by both sides. Above all, it is a story of resilience, loss, human connection and survival. You can find this novel, along with many others at Bishopston Library. Please come and visit us at 100 Gloucester Road and obtain a library card, giving you free internet access and the opportunity to borrow from a catalogue of over two million books.
Friday (11am-5pm)
Saturday (11am-5pm)
Sunday (closed)
Review by Bob Deacon of Bishopston Library Bishopston Library opening Hours: Monday (1pm-7pm) Tuesday ( closed) Wednesday (11am-5pm) Thursday (11am-5pm)
Your Home Away From Home in Horfield Your Home Away From Home in Horfield
Best value for money (weekly fees star
Best value for money (weekly fees star
24/7 nurse cover.
24/7 nurse cover.
In-house physiotherapist.
In-house physiotherapist.
Idyllic garden & grounds.
Idyllic garden & grounds.
Constant redecoration project
Constant redecoration project
Automated care plan system. Automated care plan system.
Wheelchair cars available for all.
Wheelchair cars available for all.
Great daily activities. Great daily activities.
Nutritious fresh meals. Nutritious fresh meals.
And much, much more. And much, much more.
n WHAT'S ON IN OUR AREA
Sunday August 4
n AMNESTY GARDEN PARTY
FUNDRAISER at Goldney Hall, Clifton BS8 1DE, from 1pm-5pm. A packed line-up of live music, plus homemade cakes and refreshments available. With an assortment of stalls, a raffle and activities for children, it’s an event not to be missed. £6 entry includes a raffle ticket; free for under 12s. All proceeds go to Amnesty International. Contact: amnestybristolgroup@gmail.com
August 9 and 23
n COFFEE AND CRAFT will continue to meet at Horfield Baptist Church at 10.30 (until 12.15). Everyone is welcome, bring your craftwork and enjoy time talking and working on it with others from our Community.
Seotember 26
n VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Are you a parent or grandparent? Local charity Home-Start Bristol & South Gloucestershire is looking for new volunteers who have parenting skills. The charity supports families with under 5s. Volunteers are needed for home-visiting or to help at parent groups, for 2-3 hours a week. The next volunteer training course starts on Thursday September 26 in Southmead. Visit www.homestartbsg.org.uk, email admin@homestartbsg.org.uk or call 0117 950 1170 to find out more.
REGULAR EVENTS
Monday
n SHARED READING AT ST PAUL’S LIBRARY. Meet and connect with others Mondays 2pm – 3.30pm. St Paul’s Learning Centre, 94 Grosvenor Road, Bristol BS2 8XJ. Email: support@thereader.org.uk
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 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
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 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
Monday and Tuesday n PILATES classes at the Northcote Scout Hall: Mondays 9.30am (Improvers), 10.30am (Mixed ability); Tuesdays 9.30am (Improvers), 10.30am (Beginners). £8.50 per class booked as a course, or £12 single sessions. Small classes, that must be booked in advance. Full details at www. mindbodypilates.org. Contact: Leanne 07817189474 / leanne@ mindbodypilates.org
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.
Tuesday
n BRISTOL A CAPPELLA: Tuesdays 7.30pm, Victoria Methodist Church. Bristol A Cappella is an award-winning mixed barbershop chorus of around 30 members who love to sing close harmony a cappella. Our songs are mainly from pop music, with a bit of rock and some musicals. www.bristolacappella. co.uk/ Contact: membership@ bristolacappella.co.uk
Tuesday and Saturday
n BRISTOL HF RAMBLING CLUB
We are a friendly sociable club with a variety of walks. We have 2 Tuesday walks of either 8-9 miles or 5-6 miles. On Saturdays we have varying length walks including a hill walk eg Brecon Beacons once a month. If you would like more information please visit our website.
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.
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 SWIFTS INCLUSIVE SPORTS swimming sessions are for adults 18+ with any disability (hoist available) on Wednesday evenings from 7-8pm. £5 per session at Henbury Leisure Centre. Contact Karen Lloyd at 07734 335 878.
n GOLDEN HILL WI Meets the first Wednesday of every month. 1-3pm. Golden Hill Sports Ground, Wimbledon Rd, BS6 7YA. A vibrant, lively new afternoon WI in BS6. We have an exciting and varied programme to offer to members. Visitors and new members will be given a warm welcome. For more information contact Pam Scull at goldenhillwi@gmail.com.
n HEALING SESSIONS Spiritual Healing is available from 2pm to 3.30pm by the accredited healing team at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Just turn up or or visit www. westburyparksc.org
n OPEN DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE For those interested in developing their spiritual awareness and mediumistic ability. 7.15 for 7.30 start at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Just turn up or or visit www. westburyparksc.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 at Redland Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, BS6 6JE. NEW TIME 3.30 to 4.45 pm. Donation basis. Supported by Healing Trust members. Contact Selina 0117 9466434 or selinanewton@yahoo. co.uk for dates and information.
n BISHOPSTON COMMUNITY CHOIR Meet on Thursday evenings, 7.30pm to 9.00pm at Horfield Baptist Church, 160a Gloucester Road, Bishopston BS7 8NT. Everyone welcome, no audition necessary. Contact us via email on bishoproadchoir@gmail.com
n HENLEAZE LADIES’ CHOIR 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 HENBURY SINGERS
RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS. We meet each Thursday 7.30-9.15pm at Stoke Bishop CE Primary School, Cedar Park BS9 1BW. We perform sacred and secular music under our conductor Andrew Kirk. No auditions. 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 ENJOY SCOTTISH DANCING
aLooking for a new hobby? Join us for fun, fitness and friendship (singles welcome). First evening free! Thursdays: New/Inexperienced dancers 7–8.30pm (£4). Intermediate/Advanced dancers 7.30–10pm (£6). St Monica Trust, Oatley House Main Hall, BS9 3TN. www.rscdsbristol.info. Contact Ruth 01179683057.
n THE STEPFORD SINGERS WOMEN'S COMMUNITY CHOIR
meets at Horfield Baptist Church, Bishopston on Thursday afternoons, 1pm to 3pm. No auditions and no need to read music! Come for a free taster session with our friendly, supportive group and learn to sing in harmony. For info, contact Fran franbolton66@gmail.com
Friday
n BRISTOL SPANISH CIRCLE
Come and meet a group of friendly people and enjoy talks in Spanish, musical events and social evenings. We meet every month from September to June, usually on the last Friday of the month, at St Peter’s Church Hall in Henleaze. For more info, see https:// www.spanishcirclebristol.com/
n NEWS
bishopstonvoice
Save the date! Village show set to return Out of this world ...
BRISTOL Cathedral will be hosting artist Luke Jerram’s touring artwork, Gaia, for four weeks this autumn.
The programme will include late night live music experiences.
The installation was designed by Bristolbased Jerram to recreate the Overview Effect, a phenomenon first described by author Frank White in 1987, in which astronauts in space see Earth for the first time.
Gaia is 1.8 million times smaller than the Earth, with each centimetre of the internally-lit sculpture representing 18km of the Earth’s surface. As such, Gaia helps to make the scale of Earth and its beauty.
The artist said: “After the success of Museum of the Moon at Bristol Cathedral in 2021, which attracted over 65,000 people, I'm delighted to bring my Gaia earth artwork to my home city. I can’t wait for visitors to the cathedral to see the Earth as if from space; an incredibly beautiful and precious experience.”
Sign up to Bristol Cathedral's newsletter for priority access to updates and tickets.
ONE of the highlights of the year in our community, the Westbury on Trym Village Show, will return to the Village Hall and Gardens on Saturday September 7.
The names of many of the classes will be inspired by this year’s theme of ‘Hooked on Books’. There will be plenty of opportunities for growers, crafters, gardeners, cooks and photographers of all ages to showcase their talents and interests. Money raised goes towards the support and maintenance of the Hall.
Bookings for stalls and attractions are being taken. The ever-popular Marshfield Brass Band, which adds to the traditional village show atmosphere, has already been booked.
The show schedule is available in local shops, businesses and the WOT Library. It is always a lovely
way to end the summer and look forward to the coming of autumn. Further information, including the Stallholders’ Application Form may be found on the show’s Facebook Page and website (wotvs.co.uk).
Carole Thorpe (WOT Village Show Chairman)
expert, friendly and dedicated care since 2002
n PROPERTY OF THE MONTH
Birchall Road, Redland
A well-presented 1930's home offered with no chain, located on a neighbourly and highly desirable road - along the Redland and West Bishopston borders.
In brief, the layout is as follows; a generous entrance hallway opens on the left into a formal and separate reception. A bay window adds additional light and a spacious feel.
The rear of the property has two further receptions, the first opens into the garden and the second leads into the bright kitchen.
Upstairs, the first floor has three good sized bedrooms and a family bathroom. The generous landing also gives access to a large and unconverted loft space. This offers lots of potential to extend into (subject to consents).
n NEWS
Festival to back three charities
HENLEAZE Christmas Festival, on Wednesday December 4, will again this year be supporting local charities with a prize draw.
The three nominated charities will be:
• Bristol Downs Syndrome Trust who provide weekly speech and language therapy sessions and numicon teaching to pre-school children with Down Syndrome.
• Marmalade Trust, specifically dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness – the only charity in the world to do so.
• Suicide Prevention UK. A charity that helps anyone with suicidal thoughts via telephone (National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK) as well as via social media.
Festival co-ordinator Jane Emery says: “Our support for local charities every year is a vital part of the festival. We take
great pride in being able to help so many worthy causes and I hope that, once again, festival goers will generously support us”.
There will be a variety of prizes to be won, donated by local businesses, with a top prize of a Christmas hamper. Prize Draw tickets, priced at £2 each, will be available in local shops in the run up to the festival and from the ticket stalls on the night.
There are still available slots for anyone who`d like to take a stall at the festival. Contact Maggie Evans at henleazechristmasfestival@ outlook.com. And there is always a need for more volunteers, especially on the night of the festival. If you can help contact Jane Emery at mikeandjane. emery@blueyonder.co.uk.
n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR
A jam-packed holiday at home
WE are now fully in the swing of summer and, while the weather this year has been unpredictable at best, we should (hopefully) see some warmer, dryer days ahead.
The school holidays are getting underway, and readers who have yet to book a holiday but are still eager to relax or have some adventures – whether that’s connecting with nature, or soaking up some art – are in luck.
In order to get a dose of wholesome fun, you really don’t need to go, well, anywhere.
For when it comes to our summer holidays, there really is no place like home.
Who knew that the solitude of the West of England could help recharge all our batteries?
Who realised that we could all feel reinvigorated by strolling through the gorgeous hills of our picturesque countryside – a walker’s paradise – where you can see for miles?
And who appreciated that from nationally-acclaimed galleries and museums to festivals and sporting activities – think of those regular summer fixtures at Gloucester-
shire Cricket Club, and Bath City FC – all the family can have a healthy dose of fun, right here in the West?
Well, the secret is out! The West of England is consistently rated as a top staycation destination, and for good reason.
From play and learning at family-friendly favourites like We The Curious, which I am delighted has now reopened after two long years, to hidden gems such as Saltford Brass Mill or Kingswood Museum – who I am backing through my mayoral fund to help smaller tourist sites – this incredible region is jam-packed with top places to explore and enjoy.
That’s why I am encouraging all of you to once again make the most of our fantastic local attractions and sites, and get behind them this summer.
My Explore Local campaign has already helped bring thousands of tourists back to our great region, but there is a way to go.
Tourism numbers have gone up by nearly 10% since I launched the campaign,
Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice
but are still down slightly versus before the pandemic.
So if this is the summer of the great British ‘staycation’, let’s take full advantage by visiting the truly amazing attractions we have locally.
We are so lucky to live in such a brilliant part of the world. Let’s all get out there, soak in the atmosphere (and sun, fingers crossed!) and enjoy a proper local staycation.
A big bonus of keeping it local and travelling less far is we can save some cash during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, which I know is still tough on residents, and help save the planet too.
a free competitive quotation: 07786 513788 or 0117 907 6997 Cranside Avenue, Redland, BS6 7RA www.carterdecorating.co.uk
