Bishopston Voice November 2022

A NEW owner for the Debenhams store site in the city centre has been found and speculation is rife as to what might be developed there.

The new people are 33 Horsefair Limited and their major shareholder is investment company AEW UK, who have bought up a number of city centre sites.

Speculation has started because it’s been suggested by the new owners that investors have been anti the High Street lately, that Covid has financially damaged High Street shops as people were forced into online shopping and that relaxation of the planning laws has been a big factor in their desire to invest in the old Debenhams site.

One of the directors has been quoted as saying that new planning regulations allowing shops to be converted into homes had been a main driver in their plans to

buy up the former store. It has even been suggested that the building would make a “fantastic senior living site”.

Whether this means the whole building or the upper floors only with the ground floor still for retail is not clear. Things are at a very early stage. Meanwhile clearing the interior has continued, with industrial skips regularly seen being filled and removed.

Bristol’s Mayor Marvin Rees says that whatever the future of the building it must fit in with the council’s plans for the city centre. Just how secure those plans are with the relaxation of planning regulations is also not clear. Bristol City Council still owns the freehold. The former Debenhams lease does

bought there may be additional

More than100 sites found for new trees

NEW trees are to be planted on Horfield Common.

The idea is to devise a treeplanting plan that covers the area stretching from the Ardagh to the leisure centre on Dorian Way.

Local people will be asked for their approval of the scheme before planting, which it is hoped will begin this winter.

Bristol City Council, in partnership with the Friends of Horfield Common and with help from local residents and the Forest of Avon Trust, has been working on a draft planting plan to cover Horfield Common.

Over one hundred standalone, specimen tree locations have been identified across the area including a community orchard close to the Ardagh.

The tree planting consultation is currently live. Comments can be made via email to onetreeperchild@ bristol.gov.uk or by post to OTPC, Blaise Nursery, Kings Weston Road, Bristol, BS11 0XF.

All comments need to be made by Friday November 18.

Following a positive community consultation and

bishopstonvoice

successful funding application, tree planting will take place during the 2022-23 winter planting season by our One

Useful numbers

Bristol City Council 0117 922 2000 Citizens Advice Bureau 0844 499 4718 Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk General enquiries: 101 Emergency: 999 Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk General enquiries: 0117 926 2061

Complaints

Despite

best efforts,

Tree per Child planting team –planting dates will be announced to allow community members to be involved.

Emergency: 999 NHS Health Call 111

Well Aware (health and social care information) www.wellaware.org.uk Freephone: 0808 808 5252 We are Bristol helpline Freephone 0800 694 0184 Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm Weekends 10am-2pm

also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the Bishopston Voice, contact the publisher using the details below. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), which holds journalists to a high standard of behaviour. Further details of the complaints process can be found on the Voice website here, or can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.

PUBLISHER’S

first but

A member of the

cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Bishopston Voice is distributed each month to Bishopston residents. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is always welcomed, contact Emma Cooper on 0117 908 2121 or emma@bishopstonvoice.co.uk. This month 10,700 copies copies will be distributed around Bishopston, Redland and St Andrews.

Got news? Email: news@bishopstonvoice.co.uk

Some parking charges set to double

HUGE price increases to stay in Bristol City Council’s car parks and city centre on-street spaces have been approved – with some fees doubling.

Cabinet members agreed the rises in early October saying they were necessary to encourage people to use public transport, walk and cycle.

But the changes are expected to persuade as few as one in 10 drivers to leave cars at home while bringing an extra £1.6million a year into council coffers, a report to cabinet said.

The biggest hikes are for longer stays, with four hours on-street going up from £6 to £12, while one-hour stays remain at £4 with the aim of supporting shops and leisure activities with quicker turnover.

Off-street car park charges for shorter stays will generally increase by two-thirds from £1.50 to £2.50 an hour, with parking up to four hours now costing £10 in total instead of £6 at present, making it the most expensive for a major city outside London, and all-day stays up from £13.50 to £18, cheaper only than Manchester and Cardiff.

This will affect Trenchard Street, West End, Temple Gate, Portwall Lane, The Grove, Redcliffe Parade, Mardyke Wharf, Lower Guinea Street and College Street car parks.

The new prices will also apply at the Maritime Heritage Centre, although motorists can also stay here for five hours for £12.50, but the SS Great Britain visitor discounts will be scrapped, with parking set to cost £5 instead of £3.

Bristol First car park allows stays up to four hours, which will rise similarly from £6 to £10 before 6pm when permit holders only are allowed.

Fees will double from 50p to £1 an hour at district car parks Diamond Street, Hereford Street, Little Paradise, Sheene Road, Brunel Lock. Charles Place, McAdam Way and Oldfield Place in line with recent increases to on-street pay-and-display tariffs in the adjacent Residents’ Parking Scheme (RPS) area.

The report said Queen Square and Brunswick Square charges will mirror the £3-an-hour onstreet tariff because it is “difficult for customers to distinguish between on- and off-street spaces”.

All the changes will come into force in January or February and do not require consultation, unlike a second phase of proposed increases at Frog Lane and Wapping Wharf car parks where the pricing structure is out of kilter.

The plan is to bring Frog Lane in line with College Street, and Wapping Wharf to match Maritime Heritage Centre, to “make our charges more transparent, more consistent and easier for the public to understand”, but this requires the authority to seek the public’s views because it means changing a traffic regulation order rather than a direct uplift.

Permit and pay-and-display charges in RPS areas are not affected by the changes, which the report said may disproportionately affect older people, pregnant women and

new parents.

Labour cabinet member for transport Cllr Don Alexander told the meeting: “The increase reflects the inflationary costs that impact the provision of parking and also our enforcement function.

“We make increases based on our transport policy, and our policy is that we want driving not to be a cheap way of coming into

the city, we want to encourage people to use other modes.

“Bus fares have gone up and we want to make our park-andrides more competitive, and we are working on more bus prioritisation and active travel measures, so we are making that shift.

“We want to encourage shopping and leisure activities by offering short-stay parking.”

EYE EXAMINATIONS | CONTACT LENSES | AUDIOLOGY

DOES A SECOND CONSULTING ROOM MEAN FOR YOU?

Ashley Down station opening set for delay

IT now looks as though the proposed new railway station at Ashley Down won’t be up and running next year after all.

The new station by the rail bridge that goes over Muller Road is intended to take hundreds of daily commuters into the centre of the city, easing traffic congestion.

David Jarman, rail programme manager at the West of England Combined Authority, now says that despite gaining planning permission and working on a business case submission for January it was “increasingly unlikely” that the money for the project would be forthcoming in time and there was still some uncertainty over the Network Rail/ Contractor schedule for the new year – though this was due to published before Christmas.

The aspiration, he says, remains that construction work will start next year but it is feared that it won’t be completed before the end of 2023.

Cycle lanes win reprieve

PLANS to deal with the flooding of the lower part of Whiteladies Road – which would have seen the loss of bike lanes – have been dropped after fierce opposition from pro-cycling campaigners.

The city council wanted to widen footpaths between Tyndall’s Park Road and the Queens Road junction and add grass verges to soak up rainwater. But the majority of respondents to consultation were aghast at the proposal and now the council has come up with an alternative that retains cycle lanes.

A council statement said: “We’d like to thank everyone for giving us their feedback on the Whiteladies Road flood alleviation and footway scheme consultation. We have been exploring other options that would allow us to keep cycle lanes along this stretch of road. This could see us raising the height of the footways and installing a stepped cycle track that includes a new drainage system. For this to get the go-ahead it does depend on a number of factors and land not in our ownership and we are at the early stages of exploring these options.”

Traffic camera bid

BRISTOL City Council is proposing to install a camera to deter drivers from flouting a one-way restriction on Lower Redland Road between Elgin Park and Exeter Buildings.

It’s part of a crackdown at six trouble spots in the city using new enforcement powers .

The council is seeking to be allowed to fine motorists for “moving traffic offences”, such as illegal U-turns, driving the wrong way down a one-way street, going through No Entry signs or in bus lanes, turning left or right where this is prohibited and stopping in yellow box junctions.

Before May, these could be enforced in England and Wales only by the police, with the exception of London and Cardiff, but all local authorities can now request to take these on and issue fines ranging from £20 to £105.

Instead of handing back the money to central government, which happens with penalties from speed cameras, councils can use it to fund highway

improvements, environmental projects and public transport.

The Government says it expects local authorities to issue warning notices for first-time offences, but concerns have been raised that some will see it as a cash cow and another way to hammer motorists.

In Bristol, the city council is asking the Department of Transport for civil enforcement powers to install cameras at the danger spots. The others are: Furber Road between Raeburn Road and St Anne’s Road, St George (oneway)

Bath Bridge Roundabout and Cattle Market Road junction (signalcontrolled junction)

Hockey’s Lane and Fishponds Road junction, Fishponds (signalcontrolled junction)

King Georges Road and Queens Road junction, Withywood (signalcontrolled junction)

Hareclive Road and Anton Bantock Way junction, Withywood (signalcontrolled junction)

A six-week consultation into the proposals, was due to close on November 1.

'Terrible timing'

ENERGY bills at City Hall have more than doubled as council energy bosses admitted they “managed to time it perfectly wrong”.

Bristol City Council’s annual energy bill jumped to £14.5m, up from £6.2m the year before. Long term contracts ran out last autumn, just as wholesale prices began to rise, but the council chose to extend these and ended up paying far more this year.

Now the city is trying to use an innovative new approach, where the energy generated at council-owned wind turbines and solar panels in Avonmouth would effectively be sent to large public sector buildings like City Hall and schools, saving millions on energy bills.

Alex Seabrook, LDRS

Get set for North Bristol Arts Trail

THE annual North Bristol Art Trail takes place on the weekend of November 25-27 in venues around Bishopston, Redland, Horfield, St Andrew’s, Ashley, and Henleaze.

A total of 110 artists will be showing their work in homes and community venues.

Now in its 21st year, the trail is one of the most important events in the Bristol art calendar. The artists taking part are a mixture of professionals and amateurs, and they have so much that they want to share with you. Taking a walk around the trail you will find paintings, prints, ceramics, jewellery, sculpture, photography, textiles and much more. There will be something to suit all budgets, from larger original pieces to inexpensive gifts and greetings cards.

But an art trail is not just about buying art. The North Bristol Artists are passionate about being creativeand sharing their work.

Many artists will be raising money for charity over the art trail weekend. Some will be donating the money raised from the sale of artwork to their chosen charity, while others will be providing refreshments to raise money. A spokesman said: "The North Bristol Artists know how lucky they are to be able to spend time on their art, the thing that they love. Using their art to raise money for good causes is a way of helping others too."

Some venues will be offering refreshments

and music. You can find out all about the artists taking part in this year’s trail and the venues where they will be showing their work at www. northbristolartists.org.uk

Art trail maps will be available to pick up from shops and cafes around the trail area from the beginning of November. In the meantime, keep up with all of the NBA news by following North Bristol Artists on social media and signing up for the email newsletter on the website.

A work by LauraRobertson, one of 110 artists taking part in the trail

New path improves Stoke Park access

A NEW surfaced path that provides better access to all has opened at Stoke Park.

The finishing touches have been made to the path, which is now available for everyone to use. It connects Lockleaze with Jellicoe Avenue at the eastern edge of the park and will help more people to enjoy the beauty spot, including anyone travelling by bike or using a wheelchair, mobility scooter or pushchair.

Councillor Don Alexander, cabinet member for transport, said: “It’s wonderful to see Stoke Park’s new accessible path in place, which will open this lovely park up to many more people all year-round who have previously struggled on the muddy and uneven paths.

“It should also help people to leave their cars behind when travelling between the north and the rest of the city, which is essential in tackling our air quality and congestion.”

The new path, which is

made of extremely robust materials and is coloured buff in keeping with the surroundings, complements the extensive

ongoing conservation work at Stoke Park, including goat and cattle grazing to control the spread invasive plants and

encourage wildflowers and insects to thrive.

Councillor Ellie King, cabinet member for public health, , said: “I am delighted the all-weather path is complete and that it will make Stoke Park more accessible, helping more people to enjoy exercise, nature and Bristol’s heritage.

“Visiting green spaces can help people’s physical and mental health, so it was important to make it easier for people to get out and benefit from our work to boost and protect nature in the park.”

Stoke Park’s accessible path is part of the Lockleaze Sustainable Transport Infrastructure investment programme, which supports the Unlocking Lockleaze programme funded through Homes England’s Housing Infrastructure Fund.

This programme facilitates new housing delivery and regeneration in surrounding areas.

Cllrs Don Alexander and Ellie King , Alderwoman Estella Tincknell, engineer Stuart Wilkinson and Jonathan Medlin from Homes England

Charging points installed

NEW electric car charging points have been installed at Waitrose supermarket in Westbury Park. The initiative is part of a partnership between Waitrose and Shell to install these charging points in 800 Waitrose outlets across the UK by 2025.

The installation at Westbury Park is among the first. Shoppers can use the seven car charging stations while they are in the store. It’s not free – but electric car drivers have got used to that idea by now.

No-one was taking advantage of the new facility when photographed – so it may be that people are not aware of the new scheme. The car charging station at Lidl on Muller Road is usually occupied.

War stories from diverse communities

A NEW season of exhibitions and events featuring stories from Black and Asian communities has launched at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.

The programme spotlights stories with a particular focus on the world wars and their aftermath.

Mimesis: African Soldier by the ground-breaking contemporary artist, John Akomfrah reveals the story of the Commonwealth soldiers who volunteered to fight in World War I. Akomfrah blends archive imagery of African and Asian soldiers at work with original, newly filmed footage imagining the men as they leave their countries to fight in Europe. It has a soundtrack that mixes African and Indian song with new compositions.

The film was commissioned by 14-18 NOW and shown at the Imperial War Museum to mark the centenary of World War I before being acquired by Bristol and Glasgow Museums with support from Art Fund. The exhibition is sponsored by UWE Bristol.

We Were Everywhere

explores the experience of Indian and Pakistani people during the world wars and the partition of India. The exhibition combines archival material and objects from the British Empire and Commonwealth Collection, and new oral histories. The interviewees are Bristol residents sharing the stories of their family members who were caught up in the wars and the aftermath on the Indian subcontinent. They shed light on a long, complex history that continues to play out today, in South Asia and beyond.

Opening on 12 November, the third and final exhibition will be Turning Point by Sweet Patootee Arts, a series of four short films inspired by oral histories about the Black Caribbean experience after the First World War. Each film covers a different theme including: Black pride and self-esteem, sexual exploitation and human rights, gender identity and human worth, and colourism.

All exhibitions are ‘pay what you can’.

More information on the programme is available at bristolmuseums.org.uk

Do your terms and conditions leave your business at risk?

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Advertising Feature

GRANT McCall, Director and head of AMD’s Commercial team, explains why tailoring terms and conditions to suit your business pays off in the long run.

For many startups budgets can be limited and it may be tempting to simply copy T&Cs from another business. Using someone else’s T&Cs can have a whole host of unintended consequences, however, and I always recommend businesses to seek advice from a commercial solicitor, even if it is only to review the T&Cs before they are put to use.

It is not only embarrassing if a customer notices that your T&Cs refer to an entirely different business – you may recall the recent press coverage regarding a ferry company’s T&Cs which referred to pizza deliveries! – but it can also leave your business exposed to substantial risk. I have outlined some key areas to look out for below.

By Shelley Faulkner, solicitor with AMD Solicitors

similar at first glance, there are crucial differences depending on what a particular business does.

Different rules and considerations apply depending on whether you sell products or provide services and whether you do this in a brickand-mortar store or online.

Who do you sell to?

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 %.

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.

Do you provide products or services?

Although most T&Cs may look very

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

T&Cs are governed by different rules depending on whether your customers are private individuals or other businesses. Copying someone else’s T&Cs without understanding what rules apply to your business may mean that you will not be able to rely on your T&Cs when you most need to as they may not be enforceable.

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.

What are your payment terms?

Payment terms are probably the most important term in your T&Cs as it determines how and when you will be paid and what rights you have if your customer does not pay on time. Your T&Cs should set out clearly your charges, deposits (if any), timescales for payment or subscription terms and your rights to charge interest on late payments.

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

Can you limit your liability?

All contracts carry some risk of liability, for example, if a product is faulty or your customer is dissatisfied with your services, or if you fail to deliver on time. Well drafted T&Cs can help manage these risks by limiting the amount of compensation your customer can recover from you. Your ability to limit liability will depend on what your business does and who your customers are, however, and your

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.

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

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.

business may be left exposed if your T&Cs are not drafted carefully to reflect your circumstances.

If you require any assistance or advice regarding terms and conditions or other commercial contracts, please do contact our experienced team of Commercial solicitors by telephone 0117 973 3989, email info@amdsolicitors. com or visit our website www. amdsolicitors.com

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.

APPLICATIONS to decorate unicorn sculptures for Bristol’s next public art trail are now open.

Artists are being encouraged to join the likes of Bristol artists Inkie and Jenny Urquhart to submit up to two imaginative design ideas by December 1.

Organisers say this is an excellent opportunity for regional artists to build recognition, whilst bringing a smile to the faces of all who behold the enchanting figurines next summer.

Unicornfest will see a giant herd of unicorn statues descend across Bristol from July 1 to September 3 as part of an effort to raise awareness and funds for Leukaemia Care UK. It will form a key part of the 650th anniversary of Bristol celebrations.

Go Panda, one of Unicornfest’s first sponsors, have been transporting the ‘blessing’ of unicorns round the city for press photography. Sponsor numbers are rapidly increasing with the likes of Huboo, West Country Water Park and Gloucester Cricket recently secured. The level of interest indicates these mythical creatures will be popping up at all sorts of weird and wonderful places next summer, while raising the profile of local businesses, and adding an array of colour to the streets of Bristol.

West Country artists are being encouraged to be as creative as possible with their designs; anything ranging from attractive mosaics to intricately painted scenes are welcome. A nod to Bristol heritage will inevitably being well received. Submissions will be shortlisted at the beginning of next year and put into a Unicorn Artists Portfolio for sponsors to opt for their favourite design. After the matchmaking is complete in February, commissioned artists and sponsors will have

Your chance to create a design for Unicornfest sculpture trail

the opportunity to collaborate on finalising their designs.

Joining the main herd are a mini herd of metre-tall unicorn foals. These are available to schools, who are invited to pledge a minimum of £750 for Leukaemia Care to secure a foal.

Unicornfest education packs have been devised with educational partner Bridging Histories for any school, college, nursery or university committing to the Unicorn project.

Once the nine-week trail comes to an end, the mystical beasts will be rounded up for the Unicornfest Auction Preview Festival in late September. This will be followed by a charity auction in aid of Leukaemia Care in he first week of October.

Register your interest via https://theunicornfest.co.uk

Double celebration

THE Filtones choir is celebrating its return to live performances after Covid and its 40th anniversary with a Christmas Cracker concert at Filton Community Centre on Saturday December 3.

The event starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £8 in advance from Dot Bryant 07870 984760 or at the door. The centre is at Elm Park, Bristol BS34 7PS.

A raffle and retiring collection will raise money for the charity Sense.

Got news? Email: news@bishopstonvoice.co.uk

Buy your tickets by 15 December in your local St Peters Hospice shop or online stpetershospice.org/superdraw

Chess club

A NEW club at Bishopston Library on the Gloucester Road has taken off. The Chess Club takes place every Saturday from 3pm to 4pm as is aimed at young people up to 17 years of age.

Some off those taking part have never played before and though some, no doubt, have to learn a new name for the “horsey” and be advised that the short pieces are pawns and not “prawns” - the enthusiasm is unmistakeable.

Others have more experience and are matched with players of equal strength. Organisers have been surprised at the popularity of this most ancient of games. The chess club occupies a side room at the Library but it would probably be ok if the games spread to the library floor as the competitors are usually quite quiet.

War poet event for Remembrance

FOLLOWING the success of recent screenings of the locally made Hannah More biopic at the Orpheus Cinema, Westbury Park another Redcliffe Films production is now to be shown at the same venue.

Docu-drama Severn and Somme: The Life of Ivor Gurney tells the story of the Gloucestershire country boy who survived the trenches of WWI to become an acclaimed war poet and composer, but was so traumatised by his experiences that he ended his days in a psychiatric hospital.

He was witness to the Battle of Fromelles, regarded as an unmitigated disaster, where 1500 British soldiers - 25 from Bristol – were killed, wounded or captured. The Australian contingent at the battle suffered losses of more than 5500 killed, wounded or captured.

It was hoped the battle would draw German reinforcements away from the Battle of the Somme. The Allies soldiers advanced over open ground exposed to machine gun fire and artillery in broad daylight. An artillery bombardment before the battle had failed to knock out the German guns. The battle continued for 24 hours with demands that troops hold increasingly untenable positions. The battle entirely failed in its objectives.

Bristolian Richard Hope-Hawkins, whose great uncle was billeted in the same village as Ivor Gurney at the time, will give a talk about the Battle prior to the film.

NOW AVAILABLE

The screening takes place on Remembrance Sunday – that’s Sunday 13th November at 2.30pm. Tickets only from Eventbrite.

A Docu-drama about the life of, Ivor Gurney

First World war Poet and Composer And a talk by Richard Hope Hawkins On the experiences of Ivor Gurney while

at Levantie Battle of Fromelles Introduction and poem by Robin Haward

Sunday 13th November at 2:30pm Orpheus Cinema, Henleaze

Tickets available only at Eventbrite Severn and Somme-the life of Ivor Gurney Talk and film

Affordable homes get the go-ahead

ECO-HOMES are to be built on disused council-owned garage plots in Horfield.

Bristol City Council’s Development Control Committee has approved plans for a row of nine one-bedroom, two-storey homes on Bell Close.

The properties, to be known as Gap House, have been commissioned and will be funded by the council. They are designed by global design practice BDP and will be delivered by EQUANS and Etopia.

Councillor Tom Renhard, cabinet member for housing, said: “We’re committed to delivering 1,000 new affordable homes each year by 2024.

“The Gap House concept will revitalise a disused garage plot and make sure that council land is best used to create value for Bristol citizens, delivering much needed affordable homes whilst tackling the climate and ecological emergencies. If the project is a success, then we will look to identify further sites for Gap Houses in the future.”

BDP originally showcased its Gap House concept design at Bristol Housing Festival in 2018, as a proposed way of helping to meet the city’s acute need for housing and revitalising neighbourhoods.

The homes will be largely factory-built using modern methods of construction (MMC). The approach means that homes will be built off-site before being brought to the site for the final

stage of construction.

Each home will be highly insulated with low energy lighting to support minimal heating requirements and will use renewable energy generated by solar PV panels and air source heat pumps, resulting in low environmental impact and running costs.

The homes will include an open-plan kitchen-living area and a bathroom on the ground floor, with a bedroom and storage on the first floor. Large windows will allow for maximum natural light.

Martin Jones, landscape architect director in BDP’s Bristol studio, said: “Our Gap House concept to help meet the need for high quality, affordable and sustainable homes has been some years in the making, so we are thrilled that we will now see it come to fruition in Bristol.”

This new concept is the latest in a series of innovations being explored by Bristol City Council and the Bristol Housing Festival to tackle the city’s housing crisis.

Two other sites using MMC for council housing have also recently been given planning approval.

In Lockleaze 12 homes will be built on Romney Avenue, on the edge of the Stoke Park Estate.

And in Knowle West 12 onebedroom apartments will be built on a brownfield site at the heart of the Inns Court community.

It is hoped that work on all three sites will start in Spring 2023.

Got news? Email: news@bishopstonvoice.co.uk

How Gap House in Horfield will look

Picture: BDP

BARBARA'S

“I NOTICED he has kind eyes” is the first thing Bristol artist Ella Trudgeon said to me about our mutual friend, Nabil Amini. She’s right. I’d never consciously noticed that before but the eyes say a lot about him. Nabil is everywhere, a kind and helpful presence at virtually every refugee event in Bristol and it’s not gone unnoticed: he was recently appointed as an Ambassador for Bristol Refugee Festival.

Ella’s digital artwork about Nabil, including an interview about his life story, is housed at We the Curious. Unfortunately, that venue is closed at least until January 2023 due to a serious fire so Ella has kindly given me permission to reproduce some of her interview and portrait of him, here. She says:

Displacement is threaded throughout Nabil’s life. He is one of the 84 million forcibly displaced people across the planet who have uprooted their lives in search of safety. Aged three, his family fled Afghanistan and moved to Iran in an unsuccessful search for safety and opportunities. Six years ago, Nabil's family migrated again to the UK in search of surgery for his brother and treatment for Nabil’s epilepsy.

“My dad and brother came by boat, in a lorry. My brother was only seven or eight years old.”  I asked Nabil where home is. “Home is here,” he said, “I’m not thinking about the past or future.”

Migration impacted Nabil’s childhood dream of becoming a scientist. He wanted to study biology to understand the environmental changes he was noticing, such as the dying trees that could no longer bear fruit. “I was there, I saw this happening, people noticed it, we felt it.”  Unfair restrictions on refugees in Iran prevented Nabil from studying biology. He left his dreams of becoming a scientist behind, taking only his clothes and his memories.

Nabil’s story of displacement is not rare. He spoke of how his friends had to move their lives because they could no longer access clean drinking water. Extreme environmental changes are already forcing more than 20 million people to move within their countries

each year, and the increasing pressures of the climate crisis hint that numbers will grow. According to the UN International Organization for Migration, forecasts range from 25 million to over 1 billion climate refugees by 2050. Without a doubt, climate change is displacing people today.

Social injustice, such as political conflict and poverty, leave people less resilient against ecological threats and forced to move. The struggles of asylum seekers are exacerbated by climate change. Without shelter and resources, many displaced people become increasingly vulnerable to the extremes of the climate crisis.

For example, in Bristol, asylum seekers without the legal right to work are vulnerable to homelessness. Bristol Refugee Rights offers advice, connects people with shelter, and supports people throughout the asylum process.

Now that he has found a home in the UK, Nabil has reconnected with science through his art. His work integrates themes of nature and political conflict and brings light to the interconnection of climate change and displacement.  Knowing the challenges of learning new languages in foreign lands, he believes art is the universal language that can connect us. Nabil’s art is interwoven into my portrait of him. He wants to communicate the responsibility that humans have to protect nature and each other in ways that

are accessible and empowering. When we understand environmental and social issues, we can act to solve them.

Having spent time learning who Nabil is, I see his own artwork as a beautiful expression of his gentleness, joyfulness, and generosity. He dances through conversation with a lightness that uplifts anyone listening, like soft brushstrokes that brighten a page. It’s easy to see his smiles, hear his laughter, and not realise the unimaginable journey his family has taken to reach safety.

I asked him what he wants Bristol to know about refugees. “We are not coming for fun,” he told me, “we are coming for survival.”

In Bristol, we can welcome asylum seekers and refugees as valuable societal members that strengthen our communities and deepen our culture. Safety, education and healthcare are our human rights. Find out here how you can support Bristol Refugee Rights.

• See Nabil’s own artwork here: https:// bristolrefugeeartistscollective.weebly.com/

• See Ella’s full story of Nabil online here: https://www.wethecurious.org/curious-stuff/ climate-change/earth-voice-nabil-story

Ardagh footpaths appeal

THEArdagh café, bowling green and gardens prove immensely popular every day with scores of people, young and old, enjoying this magnificent oasis in busy north Bristol.

Now the Ardagh Community Trust charity, which runs the place, says urgent work needs to be done concerning the footpaths around the site. Some cracks in the tarmac are deemed dangerous. There are barriers at some places around the bowling green and one of the paths there has an undulation that is reminiscent of a roller coaster. It’s feared that parts of the site may have to be closed off if path safety cannot be repaired.

A crowdfunder has been started with a target of £10,000 which will be matched pound for pound by Sport England. They are interested because the improvements will include re-surfacing one of the tennis courts which has been closed and the plan is to install two basketball hoops – requested by local young people.

The crowdfunder already has £2000 of the target but the deadline of November 2 fast approaches. https://tinyurl.com/mur2b8su

Our columnist shares the story of refugee and artist Nabil Amini

It's almost time for the Clean Air Zone

IT’S been a long time coming but Bristol’s Clean Air Zone begins on Monday November 28.

Vehicles won’t be banned from the central area but polluting vehicles will be charged.

Bristol City Council says that almost three quarters of the cars owned by local people will already comply with the clean air standard and so won’t have to pay the charge of £9 per day.

Heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches will be charged £100 a day for entering the central zone.

Many people have complained and expressed fury on social media but the council has said it has secured £42 million of government money to help people financially to buy newer cleaner cars and vans for business use.

Additionally, people can apply for temporary exemptions if they live or work within the CAZ and earn less than £27,000 a year, if they are Blue Badge holders, if they are patients attending hospitals in the zone.

Financial help is available to help people upgrade their vehicle to a newer less polluting model. Newer cars made after 2006 generally

comply and won’t be charged – you need to check if yours qualifies. This even applies to diesel cars and vans if they are newer than the end of 2015. Motorcyles are exempt.

Full details of the scheme, the idea behind it and financial support at https://www. bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/ bristols-caz

WE’RE HIRING!

School Meals Supervisory Assistant & Breakfast Club Playworker

INFANT SCHOOL

Music award for FHS

FAIRFIELD High School has been named a Music Mark School for a second successive year in recognition of its excellent provision.

FHS has built a relationship with Bristol Plays Music over seven years, including being involved with developing a music curriculum for the city that is more representative and diverse.

Tim Roderick, head of music at the school in Horfield, said the aim was to provide high quality music education and give students opportunities to engage with music making in the community.

“We are really thrilled and proud to be recognised as a forwardthinking and outward-looking music department again this year. This means a lot to us," he said.

Playing Out again

MANY of us have felt a greater sense of belonging where we live over the past few years. We may have met new neighbours and joined a local WhatsApp group during Covid, or attended one of the 75 street parties across Bristol for the Jubilee weekend. But how do we build on this sense of community?

Last year we conducted a survey with people who had attended Play Streets and 89% of people reported that Play Streets resulted in them “knowing more people on their street” and “feeling that they belong more in their neighbourhood”.

Organised by residents, Play Streets are short, temporary road closures (where residents still have access), either on a weekly or monthly basis. The scheme works in estate settings and on traditional residential streets.

Play Streets are a free and easy way to bring your neighbours together regularly and create a safe space for children to play out. Hundreds of street communities across the city (and the country) are enjoying the benefits of Playing Out which many of us experienced as children.

You can start by just speaking to your neighbours about the idea and getting in touch with Playing Out who provide support with every step, from the application form to free kit (road closed signs, skipping ropes, chalk etc) so it couldn’t be easier to open your street for play!

Just one application form via Bristol City Council covers 12 months – so now is the perfect time to think about starting a Play Street, so when spring arrives you could be Playing Out where you live!

For more info contact hello@playingout.net or visit www.playingout.net

Kate Staniforth, Play Streets

Fresh air and company provides a tonic

Last month Tracy Tainton briefly described OCD, (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and tried to convey what it’s like to have a long term diagnosis. The following describes her experience of social prescribing and in particular “green” social prescribing as an attempt to “combat” or, more appropriately, live with her neurodivergent brain.

I HAVE received various NHS and private interventions for my mental health for the past 30 years or so, and I still do not profess to know how the system works or who I am receiving my treatment from. There are so many organisations which offer services to assist and hopefully treat those adults and children with poor mental health and diagnosed conditions. I am a pretty clued-up and an educated individual with a clued-up and supportive family around me, but as a unit we still flounder trying to obtain the most appropriate help or any help at all!

An area of help which is more readily

accessed is that of social prescribing, which is targeted at those with chronic mental or physical health issues which can lead to social isolation. Social prescribing aims to address mental and physical health concerns in a holistic way, by connecting people to different types of community support, including social events, fitness classes, social services, Citizen Advice, and more.

Many social prescribing referrals are made by GPs; people can be referred to local social prescribing link workers from a wide range of agencies, including wider general practice, local authorities, pharmacies, multidisciplinary teams, hospital discharge teams, allied health professionals, fire service, police, job centres, social care services, housing associations and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise health and wellbeing alliance organisations. But more importantly, especially for me, self-referral is also encouraged.

I am still waiting for a GP referral after three months, but in this intervening period I came across an NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucester clinical commissioning

group “green” social prescribing directory. Within I found an advert for “Your Park Bristol and Bath” and a “green” social prescribing project they run at Eastville Park. I have been attending now for six or so weeks and find the two hours of meeting and sharing over a free lunch, with others who feel isolated, undertaking some physical activity, and concluding the session with a guided meditation was both kind and non- threatening, and I felt a huge sense of achievement.

If you are waiting to be seen by a mental health professional for an assessment or therapy, which can take time, try some social prescribing.

https://www.england.nhs.uk https://www.healthline.com/health/socialprescribing/uses https://bnssghealthiertogether.org.uk/ whatishealthiertogether/ https://yourpark.org.uk/ https://bnssghealthiertogether.org.uk/ documents/green-social-prescribing-guide/

SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING | 16th November

Reserve your place at: stkaths.org.uk/admissions

Katherine’s School, Ham Green, BS20 0HU | school@skdrive.org |

us on: St Katherine’s School

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

Under the bed, in the West of England: keeping us dogs safe during Bonfire Night

BANG! Pop! Screeeeech, Pant!

Hello, I’m Angel, First Dog of the West of England, and I write today to formally protest about your human Bonfire Night celebrations with those loud boom-boom things that terrify me and my fellow canine pals. Bad humans! Bad!

I’m sorry. I don’t actually think you’re bad. I think you’re the best, promise. Let’s go for a walk. Please can we go for a walk. Anyway, let’s cut to the chase. What, did someone say chase?!

Sorry, back again. The point is that for you hoo-mans, Bonfire Night may well be a time to ‘ooh’ and ‘aww’ over impressive displays and pretty colours exploding in the night sky. But un expected loud noises tend to have the opposite effect on us pets, and can leave owners pretty frazzled too - sorry, Dan!

The RSPCA say an estimated 62% of dogs in the UK show signs of fear on Bonfire Night. It’s easy for you all to say “Calm it, it’s just fireworks,” but that’s like you watching the UK’s current eco nomic trials and tribulations and us dogs telling you: “Calm it - mortgage rates, interest rates, fuel costs and inflation are no big deal – they are just money things.”

So what can you do to help man’s best friend? Here are a few pointers for the big night.

The best thing you can do for your scaredy cat (or dog) is to make the day as un-Bonfire Night-like as possible. Why not create a ‘doggy haven’ with all our fave toys and blankets, like Dan has in the spare room - which, if you don’t mind me saying, is a bit dusty - or put on calm music to muffle the boom-y noises? I’m a big fan of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No 9 in E major –yes, I’m a cultured pooch!

And if you’re going to buy them, then please consider getting those ‘silent’ fireworks, or qui eter ones at least. The good thing about that is loads of supermarkets are stocking their shelves with these now - and some, like Sainsbury’s, have even stopped selling fireworks altogether (woooo!).

Dan’s a big fan of these quieter fireworks. He doesn’t want to be complete killjoy, because he, like many people, really enjoys the displays, but he thinks it’s bonkers the noise levels in those big scary light things used at public events are around 120 dB - equivalent to a rock concert or a jet engine.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris and his dog Angel write for the Voice

He thinks there are sensible ways to reduce the impact fireworks have on animals – includ ing farm animals and horses. That’s why he’s written to all supermarkets to clarify whether or not they’ll be stocking quiet ones in the run-up to celebrating the Gunpowder Plot near-miss of 1605 in 2022, and is encouraging you all to buy them. Way to go, Dan!

Happy Bonfire Night! Keep yourself and your furry family members safe and healthy!

Sincerely, Angel, very good girl to Metro Mayor Dan Norris.

WHY BUILD CHARACTER AS WELL AS CONFIDENCE? FIND OUT AT OUR OPEN MORNING THURSDAY 10 NOVEMBER qehbristol.co.uk

Happy Apple Day!

THE annual Apple Day public event made a welcome return to Horfield Organic Community Orchard (HOCO). The first time the event has been held for a few years saw a big turn out with scores of people coming along to

find out more about apples.

One stand had 17 different apples on display offering a taste to anyone so they could see that English apples of yesteryear had their own particular flavour

Funds were raised for the organic orchard with the sale of trees and apple juice as fascinated onlookers saw the apple press in action squeezing every last drop out of the produce grown by the orchard.

Entertainment was provided by the Pigsty Morris dancers who hail from Pigsty Hill on the Gloucester Road.

This community celebration takes place when most of the longer keeping apples have been harvested - good news for the tasting table. The event raises funds for the orchard through sales of apple and pear trees.

“It is often said the best time

to plant a tree was twenty years ago. I say the next best time is this autumn,” says Shannon Smith, the Orchard learning co-ordinator. She adds, “Late autumn is the ideal season because the trees are dormant

and the soil is moist and warm. These are perfect conditions for young trees to get their roots into the earth. Each tree you plant, and care for, helps turn Bristol into an orchard city for the future.”

Big revamp for Claremont wins approval

PLANS have been approved to refurbish and expand a special educational needs school.

Claremont School provides education for disabled pupils but its building in Henleaze has been described as “not fit for purpose”.

Bristol City Council gave planning permission for a major refurbishment and extension of the school. Claremont is split over two sites, Henleaze and Redland Green, but the refurbishment would see all pupils brought to one site. The plans include demolishing the extensions to the Victorian Claremont House, and rebuilding a two-storey extension. They would mean the capacity of the school increasing by 18 places.

Emma Richards, headteacher at Claremont School, said: “We’re one school but we’re divided across two sites. The

majority of our students at Claremont have physical disabilities, and profound learning difficulties. A large number of our pupils have very complex medical needs.

“Claremont School is not fit for purpose to meet the needs of our students. As a school we aim high for our pupils, and we believe they can all achieve. We want their experiences and education to be meaningful. In order to do this we need a new school with the right space and technology. Claremont pupils deserve a building much better than the current one.”

However, some neighbours objected to the plans. The new school building would be much higher than the existing one, and would overshadow homes directly to the east.

Simon Tomlinson, one neighbour, said:

“Imagine how you would feel if you suddenly discovered that your neighbour was planning to build a massive building towering 11 metres above your garden, just a few metres from your boundary. Imagine how you would feel if they genuinely failed to engage with you or make any serious compromises. That’s exactly what’s happened to us.”

Councillors on the development control committee voted unanimously to approve permission. Councillor Richard Eddy, chair of the committee, said: “This seems to be a no brainer. We’re almost doubling the number of special needs kids who would be schooled here, in modern conditions rather than what they face at present.”

Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Got news? Email: news@bishopstonvoice.co.uk

n NEWS FROM OUR MP

Help with high bills and rising costs

THE cost of living crisis is a major part of my work as your MP at the moment. I’m challenging the government on this at every opportunity, including in my regular speech in Parliament and putting forward the practical solutions which help bring down bills, give us better energy security as a country, create good jobs in renewable and other industries and end our use of fossil fuels as the climate crisis grows.

I know that the big solutions have to come from national

government so pushing this government and campaigning for a different one is my priority. As I know people will be struggling, my team and I have also put together this list with organisations that can help with advice and reduced bills. There is a more exhaustive list on my website.

• Energy Saving Trust Energy Saving Trust are a trusted voice on energy efficiency and work to empower households to make better energy choices. Visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk for more details.

• Money Saving Expert MoneySavingExpert.com have shared a guide on their website with tips on how you can keep yourself warm - https://www. moneysavingexpert.com/family/ cost-of-living-survival-kit/.

• Winter fuel payments

If you were born on or before 25 September 1956 you could get between £250 and £600 to

help you pay your heating bills. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’. For more information -https://www.gov.uk/winterfuel-payment/eligibility

• Council tax discounts and exemptions

There are a few different schemes available offering support for Council tax, rent, business rates discounts and installation of energy saving devices, amongst others. For more information -https://www. bristol.gov.uk/residents/peopleand-communities/cost-of-livingsupport

• Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice offer confidential debt, benefits and other advice online, over the phone and in person, for free. Visit https:// www.bristolcab.org.uk/ for more details.

• West of England Combined Authority (WECA)

WECA’S recovery plan includes measures to help businesses

Thangam Debbonaire writes for the Voice

adapt to changes. For more information- https://www. westofengland-ca.gov.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2021/01/Westof-England-Business-SupportGuide.pdf

Could you host a Welcoming Space?

AS we start to feel the cold of the winter months, some people across Bristol will be deciding between heating their homes and putting food on the table. This is an incredibly challenging place to be in and a place I wish we weren’t. With energy bills and other costs rising, we want to make sure that the Bristol residents most impacted by the national cost of living crisis have access to help and support.

Since April I have been having regular conversations with community partners, and it was clear back then that we needed to be ready for a gear change in Autumn as the cost of living continued to increase. Until last month people haven’t needed to put the heating on much but, in these colder months, things will get more difficult for many.

As part of these discussions, the concept of warm, Welcoming Spaces was developed. The first of these spaces opened in October. We want to support residents

struggling with energy prices without stigmatising people, as it’s important to us that everyone feels welcome. A Welcoming Space is a place that is already established in the community, for example a community centre, care home, children’s centre, or place of worship, where people can meet up, socialise, keep warm, and, if needed, access support with the cost of living crisis.

At the time of writing, our Welcoming Spaces closest to your area include:

• Henbury and Brentry Community Centre, BS10 7HG

• St Paul’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre, Little Bishop Street, BS2 9JF

Venues will vary responding to community priorities, including Wi-Fi, access to electrical charging points, activities, and community meals. Support will be provided by city-wide organisations including practical advice about money and finance, emotional

wellbeing, mental health support, and employment and skills.

Bristol is a city that will continue to step up and support each other in difficult times. Welcoming Spaces have been made possible by our incredible community, voluntary, and faith organisations, as well as council services responding to this crisis. They draw on a community infrastructure including volunteer groups and facilities. It is for all of us to get behind them and do what we can to make them a success.

There are several ways to get involved with this community action: there are a range of volunteering opportunities available with Can Do Bristol; you might have a venue that could offer a Welcoming Space for residents; or your organisation could work with others across the city to support one. If you are interested, find more information at: bristol.gov.uk/costofliving

The Mayor’s View

We know we cannot solve the crisis but, by adopting a One City approach, everyone can come together and help reduce cost of living pressures on their communities. To find other Welcoming Spaces across north Bristol and beyond, visit bit.ly/ BristolWelcomingSpaces or call our helpline on 0800 694 0184 (Mon to Fri, 8:30am to 5pm).

Each month Bristol mayor Marvin Rees shares his views with Bishopston Voice

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

CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT

MBST : Treatment for spinal arthritis

MBST Cell regeneration: What is MBST?

death and cell reproduction.

- Optimising cell oxygen levels

- Improving Cell energy production

The results we’re seeing now in patients with varying injuries and conditions is really remarkable.

Ann came to my clinic in May having suffered back pain for 30 years, getting worse in the last 10 years with arthritis to the facet joints and disc degener ation. Osteopathy and massage were no longer effective and it was really impacting here mobility, sewing and life in general. We decided to go with a course of MBST to target healing of her joint cartilage and we’re glad we did. At her follow up in early October she’s 85% better. Standing, walking, mornings and most importantly seeing are all now possible without giving it much thought which is exactly what we wanted. Her back pain is very much now at the back of her mind and as you can see she’s pretty delighted by the result. MBST is remarkable in that it reliably stimulates a natural healing process in a specific tissues that over time creates huge quality of life changes to patients for whom there are few other options. It’s completely safe and a lovely process to go through.

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.

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.

Lynne is a dear patient that I’ve been manag ing for Low back pain over many years with hands on care. In the last 2 years however her condition became much more painful and less responsive and after some scans we found significant multi-level disc and joint degenerative change with associated forward slippage of her vertebrae causing severe sciatica. Walking was extremely difficult and day to day pain was very high. The options were either surgical fusion or try disc AND joint MBST to attempt to naturally heal and stabilise her condition. We chose the latter/least invasive option to begin with and the results after 3 months have been life changing. Still early days so things should really stabilise over the next 9 months but her pain both in the back and leg is now but a minor issue. We couldn’t be more pleased at this stage and her prognosis is looking really good based on previous similar cases I’ve man aged in this way.

- Optimising intercellular signalling pathways

- Reducing inflammatory mediators

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

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

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.

The results we’re seeing now in patients with varying injuries and conditions is really remarkable.

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.

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.

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

- Optimising cell oxygen levels

- Improving Cell energy production

- Optimising intercellular signalling pathways

- Reducing inflammatory mediators

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.

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.

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.

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.

- 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.

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

Superconductive magnets

RF coil

Gradient coil

RF coils

Sweep coils · Electromagnets

Detector coils

Scanner & control unit

High performance computer with special imaging software

Control unit with interactive display

Construction of MRI and MBST devices

The Grey Wagtail

The River Trym that flows through Blaise Estate is a modest river of no great depth or width. But it is home to one of our prettiest birds, the Grey Wagtail. This little bird, measuring around 18–19 cm in overall length, is easy to miss as the grey upper plumage blends in so well with the rocks and stones. As it searches for food the long tail is constantly flicking, though theories differ as to why this is so. The Grey wagtail is more colourful than the name would suggest, as the female is pale lemon on the breast and tail, whilst the male is brighter, and has a smart black bib under the chin. If disturbed Grey Wagtails will take rapid flight, low and fast, undulating along the river to settle at a safer spot to continue their foraging for insects. They will nest in moss lined hollows near water and lay between 3 to 6 eggs. As they are a resident bird you will have a good chance of seeing one whichever month you decide to take a river walk, whether it be in Blaise Estate or Badocks Wood, by Henleaze lake or the Bristol Docks. Alastair Fraser. Bristol Ornithological Club

Field House in Horfield offers safe and nurturing care

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

•

• Care staff wear PPE at all

and

• Skilled

have

are on site 24/7 and

• Safe face-to-face

advertise, contact Emma on 0117

BIRD OF THE MONTH

n FROM YOUR COUNCILLORS In Redland this month...

Energy efficiency advice

With rocketing energy costs many of us are worried about escalating bills and keeping warm through winter. You can find advice here: https://www.cse.org.uk/ advice

Tailored help is also available from the warmer homes advice and money service, WHAM. It provides support for anyone who might be struggling to afford to heat their homes with caseworkers from partner organisations coordinating the support for clients. There’s a referral form http://www. cse.org.uk/referral and free phone number: 0800 082 2234. There is unfortunately a waiting list.

Basic energy saving tips can be found here: https:// bristolenergynetwork.org/ via the home page.

Of course we wish there was also a national energy saving programme available from the government to offer everyone support for a warmer home.

Supporting food banks

Thanks to everyone supporting or volunteering at local food banks –they are hard pressed to keep up with demand just now. If you could help support Bristol Local Food Fund through their crowdfunder please visit their appeal here:  https://www.crowdfunder. co.uk/p/blff.   The fund offers grants to those in need.

Obstructive parking

We're getting regular complaints about obstructive parking around parts of the ward where there's no parking management scheme.

Older double yellow lines may need to be renewed to ensure enforcement activity can take place by parking services. The police have acted where pavements are badly obstructed - do contact them on their non emergency number or by message via the constabulary website and officers on patrol should be notified.

We're continuing to press for action to allow safe access around the ward for pedestrians and emergency vehicles and other services.

Mobile phone masts

Many applications are being made for new mobile phone masts across the city. Increased reliance on mobile working since lockdown and new data hungry services are behind this. We share some concerns about their impact and have been advising residents worried about them. The operators have significant powers to ensure their infrastructure does get installed so grounds for objection have been limited, even in conservation areas. Health concerns cannot be cited as a reason for rejection.

After a site by playing fields along Kings Drive was turned

In Bishopston this month...

Downend Road and Muller Road

In September we held a public meeting for the residents of Downend road and the surrounding area, to discuss the impact of the new Muller road project. Residents have been concerned at the increased traffic, and dangerous driving that has happened as a result. We want to thank residents for attending and all their feedback. The decision has been made to block off Downend Road from Muller Road while the words continue. We have had lots of positive feedback about this, but we also know that the situation is not perfect. We have discussed medium-and longer-term plans, such as a School Street and longer term campaigning for a Low-Traffic Neighbourhood, and we thank you all for your input. We are continuing to monitor the situation and work with officers to find workable solutions.

Kennington Road

We have been disappointed

down by planners the applicant has appealed and this means the final decision now lies with a government inspector. Anyone who registered a view should be invited to comment again.  Mixed news on the buses

Following the closure of Bristol Community Transport, we are relieved that Brighton-based community operator The Big Lemon has taken over the 505 route. This serves people along Kellaway Avenue/Coldharbour Rd - running from Bower Ashton to Southmead.

Sadly the withdrawal of a purely commercial service run by First Bus, the 72a, has taken place. This is blamed on the extreme driver shortage affecting services and reduced use of buses making some routes unviable.

Cleaner air coming

The city’s statutory clean air zone will finally start on November 28th, after many years of delays to get less toxic, safer air.

Do check if your travel plans will be affected by the new zone rules. So far at least three quarters of motor vehicles are not affected by any charges as they are approved compliant models. There is a mix of transitional help for vehicles including EV loans for traders and taxis and active travel help - see the website www.cleanairforbristol. org where information roadshows

and the support packages are detailed. You’ll need to be ready by March 2023 at latest. Cycle training is available from charity Lifecycle. There’s concern by disabled people in the city, who are among those on lowest incomes with most dependence on mobility, and we’re supporting a request for the council to look again at how many people are excluded from the support available. We want there to be a just transition to cleaner air.

New parks strategy

Our parks have been very well used since lockdown and we know how much they are valued. They are also being asked to run with very limited budget provision and to serve more and more different purposes. We’re hoping the new strategy offers a concrete way forward. At the Communities

Scrutiny Commission we were told no consultation would be held but after pressure from stakeholders a promise has been since been made to carry one out after all. We're pleased this will now take place and enable input by local parks and open space groups and others.

Contacts:

Cllr.fi.hance@bristol.gov.uk. Cllr.martin.fodor@bristol.gov.uk Fi: 0117 3534720. Martin 0788 4736101

Facebook.com/cllrmartin.fodor or /cllrfi.hance

to learn that the issues with Kennington Road have not yet been resolved, and have been putting pressure on the council to fix the road surface and reinstate the double-yellow lines as a matter of urgency. We have been told that there have been attempts on a number of occasions, but that the weather or parked cars have stopped the operation. We are currently investigating why more resident engagement has not been carried out to ensure that parked cars do not stop this important work. We will continue to work with the council on this for the speediest remedy possible. 5G mast on Ashley Down Road

We understand a lot of local residents were concerned about the installation of a 5G mast on Ashley Down road so close to their homes, and that many put in objections due to its size. We are pleased to announce that after we called it in to be looked at by the committee, we have been told that

news?

the application has been rejected. A big thanks to all who got in touch about this.

Pavement parking petition

This month we are launching a petition to ban pavement parking. This is one of the most frequent topics we, and our other Bristol councillor colleagues, get emails about. We believe that pavements are for people to walk on safely, for those with mobility aids to travel on easily and for parents to be able to push prams and strollers along without having to walk in the road. The only way to tackle this issue would be through the creation of a city wide law that allows parking enforcement officers to tackle anti-social parking, which blocks pavements. We need 3,000 signatures for it to be debated at full council, you can sign by visiting: actionnetwork.org/ petitions/pavement-parking

Supporting the Ardargh

The Ardargh has been doing some amazing things of late, and we

have been happy to support them in whatever way we can. The Family Food Network had an open day there recently, and we went to visit and chat to volunteers, and we also hosted a litter pick there, covering the whole common. We currently want to help them with fundraising to improve the footpaths and basketball courts, which need upgrading. If you can help at all, please visit www.crowdfunder. co.uk/p/footpaths-improvementsbasketball-nets-project and give what you can, there are tea and cake, and lunch rewards to buy. Don’t forget, we also hold our monthly surgeries here, on the first Friday of every month from 4-5.30pm in the garden room, do pop along and say hello!

Contacts: Cllr.EmmaEdwards@bristol.gov.uk

Cllr.LilyFitzgibbon@bristol.gov.uk Facebook: @ EmmaEdwardsLilyFitzGibbon

Book Covid booster along with your annual flu jab

BOOK your autumn Covid vaccine booster jabalong with your annual winter flu jab.

Our clinic in the Kellaway Pharmacy has enabled us continue providing care with lots of empathy and kindness, adapting our approach to cater for the most vulnerable, those scared of needles and a broad age group from five to 102 years! Who will get an autumn Covid booster?

Covid vaccine doses will be offered to:

• adults aged 50 and over

• people aged five to 49 with health conditions which put them at higher risk - including pregnant women

n

0117 9246579

18 Kellaway Avenue, Westbury Park, Bristol, BS6 7XR

• care home staff

• frontline health and social care workers

• carers aged 16 to 49

• household contacts of people with weakened immune systems

People will be offered new vaccine types that tackle both the original Covid virus and the recent Omicron variant. This will ensure that our immune system can better cope with new variants that we know will keep emerging. The vaccination programme has helped to provide us protection and restore cherished freedoms that, especially as we go into the winter months, we must safeguard.

With over 126 million Covid-19

Lenny Henry’s novel flies into thousands of Bristol homes

SIR Lenny Henry’s first novel, The Boy With Wings, was shared with 1,200 Year 5 and 6 pupils at 20 schools in Bristol in an event during UK Black History Month to promote the benefits of reading.

Despite the clear benefits of reading, almost one in five children in England between the ages of five and eight do not have access to books at home, according to the National Literacy Trust.

The Boy With Wings, illustrated by Keenon Ferrell and published by Macmillan Children’s Books, was chosen for the programme because it portrays important messages about race, inclusion and diversity wrapped up in an exciting and fun adventure.

Sir Lenny said he wrote The Boy With Wings because he didn’t see Black heroes in the books he read growing up, and wants all children to see themselves appear centre stage in exciting, inspiring stories where they have great adventures.

“I want to make sure as many kids as possible have access to books and this project brilliantly targets those kids who don’t have books at home,” said Sir Lenny. “Reading – with lots of trips to my local library in Dudley – was such an important part of my childhood, it took me on so many different adventures and to so many different worlds. ”

vaccines administered in the UK since the rollout, our work providing over 60,000 locally supports the strong evidence of safety which stacks up high alongside efficacy.

Our five-minute vaccination appointment now also includes an offer of the NHS flu vaccine alongside the Covid booster for those eligible.

Like the Covid jab, the NHS flu vaccine is offered free to people

• Adults aged 50 years and over with long-term health conditions

• the immunocompromised and their household contacts

• pregnant

• in long-stay residential care,

including hospice

• Carers ( including unpaid) for the elderly or disabled person

With ambulance delays and the NHS backlog providing a worrying backdrop for the winter cost-of-living pressures, Kellaway Pharmacy is ever more determined to protect everyone in our Community this winter.

Book your Covid jab online or call NHS 119.

We will also offer a Walk-in Flu Clinic in the pharmacy if you don’t want it alongside or qualify for a Covid jab.

Asthmatic / COPD Long term Heart Condition

Diabetes Cancer & their carer

Pregnant women

Hospice worker

Kidney & Liver Disease

n VINEYARD NEWS with INGRID BATES

Dry summer results in smaller grapes

BY the time this goes to print, our 2022 growing season will be over and our grapes will be bubbling safely away in the winery tanks down in deepest, darkest Somerset.

Watching the fruit you’ve been nurturing all summer being taken away in a van destined for the winery is a pleasant yet slightly strange feeling. It’s a relief that the grapes reached the point of harvest safely but your point of focus has to shift away from grapes and onto something else. For us it will be mulching! We really want to mulch all of the 2500 vines on our rented site so that next year they’ll have a real boost and be ready to cope with any more dry periods. We’ve been mulching all summer but have a few more rows left to do before we begin the next task of winter pruning.

This summer has been very warm and dry which was great for

the older, more established vines but the baby vines would have liked more rain to help them get established. Many vineyards are finding that they have great crops of grapes but that the grapes are a little smaller and less juicy than normal.

On the wine front, we’ve sold out of our still white and sparkling red wine. These wines can still be found in the shops but they’re the last remaining bottles. We still have plenty of rosé and sparkling white and hope to disgorge a new sparkling red and white in November.

hello@dunleavyvineyards.co.uk www.dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

@DYvineyards (twitter)

dunleavy vineyards (facebook & instagram)

Down The Rabbit Hole

by Juan Pablo Villalobos Review by Bob Deacon of Bishopston Library

JUANAPablo Villalobos is a Mexican author. Down The Rabbit Hole was published in 2010 and shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award. It is beautifully translated from the original Spanish by Rosalind Harvey.

Our narrator is Tochtli, the child of Yolcaut, a Mexican drug baron. His world is a ten bedroom palace, with a games room, gym, sauna and swimming pool, situated in the middle of nowhere, for security reasons. Tochtli likes wearing hats, watching samurai films and learning words from his dictionary. His only companions apart from the animals in his private zoo, are hit men, his father’s prostitutes, drug dealers and his private tutor.

His utmost desire is to possess a Liberian pygmy hippopotamus to add to his collection

of lions, tigers, eagles, falcons and parakeets. We follow Tochtli, his father and his father’s hitmen as they travel to Liberia in their quest to acquire the prized animal.

This short 70 page novel, gives us a child’s viewpoint of the sordid business his father is engaged in. We the reader can view Tochtli’s

life with the benefit of an adults perspective. What Tochtli welcomes as new friends and presents, we see as prostitutes and bribes from his father. Tochtli has a naïve view of his world. He experiences horrific events, but he does know any better, so is apparently unmoved when witnessing the violence of the world around him. This is a quirky, engaging and unsettling book, delivered in an interesting and innovative way.

For this book and many more, please come and visit your local friendly Bishopston Library. You can find us at 100A Gloucester Road where you will receive a warm welcome.

Opening Hours

Monday (1pm-7pm)

Tuesday (closed)

Wednesday (11am-5pm)

Thursday (11am-5pm)

Friday (11am-5pm) Saturday (11am-5pm) Sunday (closed)

19 November n EVENING OF MEDIUMSHIP with Psychic Mediums 'The Sisters’ Louise and Michelle. Saturday November 19th at 7pm Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Tickets £8. Tickets on sale at the church or contact Marian Bishop on 0117 977 1629 marianbishop@talktalk.net

16 November

n BRISTOL FRIENDS OF WNO invite you to enjoy a variety of talks with glorious music at our new venue, The Apostle Room, Clifton Cathedral (Worcester Road entrance). Visitors welcome. Wednesday, 16 November 2022

The Life of a Freelance Opera Casting Adviser. Isabel Murphy will introduce us to her life and role in the world of international opera and share some of her favourite music. 6.45 for 7.15 Refreshments available. Easy parking. WNO Friends £8. Visitors £10. Contact Melanie David. Tel: 01934 842014. melaniejdavid@ btinternet.com

at Redland Church Hall, Redland Green. Contact via email on redlandwindband@gmail.com

n TAI CHI & QI GONG. Weekly beginners / improvers classes with Tai Chi Body and Mind. These classes are for your physical and mental health and wellbeing –there is no fighting. In Person: Mondays, Fairfield High School, Alfoxton Rd. 7.30 – 8.30pm. Online: Tuesdays 6.30 – 7.30pm. Contact: Claire - Claire@taichibodyandmind. co.uk (07769 857672).

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

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

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 on our lectures and other activities visit our website www.theartssociety-bristol.org.uk

Wednesday

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 Sheila on 01179570792 or 07435316458 or email shinett@blueyonder.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 BISHOP ROAD COMMUNITY CHOIR are meeting Thursday evenings at 7.30pm to 9.00pm at st. Michael & All Angels Church on gloucester road. Contact us via email on choir@gmail.Com

REGULAR EVENTS

Monday

n REDLAND WIND BAND has vacancies for some woodwind, brass and percussion players. This friendly group meets 7.30-9.30pm

n BRISTOL HARMONY WEST GALLERY CHOIR AND BAND are now rehearsing regularly again. We are looking for new members SATB as well as string, reed and wind instrumentalists. We sing and play lively church and village music from the 18th century. We meet at St Edyth’s Church Hall in Sea Mills on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. No auditions but ability to read music is helpful. Ring Fritjof on 0117 924 3440 or see www. bristolharmony.wordpress.com. Please contact before attending so we can have music ready.

n POETRY UNLIMITED – poetry circle meet on the First Tuesday of every month between 11am - 12 midday. Room 1, Horfield Baptist Church, 279 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 8NY. Entrance is at the back of the church on Brynland Ave (opposite no.39). Please enter down the right hand alley way through the side door; the room is the first on the right. £2.00 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 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. Contact: Selina 0117 9466434 or selinanewton@yahoo. co.uk.

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. For more information contact Jean on 01179 624466 or Jane on 07752 332278

n LOCAL CHOIR ACTIVELY RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS. We meet at Stoke Bishop CE Primary School, BS9 1BW on Thursday, 7.45 - 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 BRISTOL MALE VOICE

CHOIR are rehearsing for our 2022 concerts and warmly invite you to join us; the ability to read music is helpful but not essential as we regularly rehearse our wide-ranging repertoire, from classical to pop, traditional male voice favourites to musicals and gospel songs in various languages. We meet every Thursday at 7.00pm in St Andrew's Methodist Church, Elm Park, Filton, BS34 7PS. For further information see our website, www.bristolmvc.org. uk, or Facebook, or phone 07587 143 220.

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. Have fun, make friends, keep fit. Phone Trish 0788 052 8925/www. rscdsbristol.info

n OPEN DEVELOPMENT

CIRCLE starting Sept 8. 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 Friday

n CALLIGRAPHERS wanted to join us at St Edyth’s Church Hall, Sea Mills, on Fridays 1000-1200. We are a long established self-led group who would welcome new members. Come and meet us on

With Dawn Lawrence

I ENJOY making contact with nature, as you may have already begun to suspect. Even an ordinary experience, such as meeting the robin at the allotment who sings quietly to me as I turn the soil, is a delight. But sometimes a really exceptional encounter occurs.

A friend recently told me about seeing a rare bird at Birchall Road allotments. “I think it was a woodcock,” she said – intriguing, and very unlikely! Woodcock are crepuscular (most active around dawn and dusk) and they prefer tangled tracts of damp woodland where they probe for worms and other invertebrates in the soil: even in their favoured habitat they are very hard to see. However, she described a bird, speckled brown, crouched in the dead leaves under the hazel bushes on her plot; it had a long bill and dark, protruding eyes. “It seemed meek,” she said. This is a beautiful characterisation of a woodcock – often the apparent “expression” of a bird can help with ID – and left me with no doubts. It was an autumn sighting, and the bird would have been on passage –

our winter population, larger than the summer one, consists of birds that breed in northern Europe and western Russia, whilst our breeding birds head south. This individual might have been grounded by a shower, or perhaps it was exhausted and needing to refuel. As soon as it realised it had been spotted it launched into the air and was gone. But that brief encounter will never be forgotten.

I was reminded of my most unexpected Bristol birding experience. We used to live in Redland, in a basement flat with a small garden, full of bramble and heavily shaded by houses and a large sycamore tree. One day I looked out to see a whinchat sitting on the garden wall. These little birds normally prefer airy open spaces, in grasslands and moorland – here in our dark urban garden it

looked very out of place. They have a pert expression and stance, and a white eye stripe, with mottled brown plumage above and a buffapricot breast band above a pale belly. I was astonished and stared rather rudely at it. At this it seemed to wake up, think better of its urban foray and, with a casual flick of the wing, it flew away.

In autumn and winter birds are on the move, not just migrating but also shifting to avoid bad weather or to seek a better berry crop. It is a time when unusual birds appear in the city, such as a flock of waxwings, or even a rose-coloured starling. If you see something you don’t recognise try to get a feel for the bird’s general appearance, including its “expression”, as well as its size and colours. Birders call this the birds jizz (no, they do!) Some people say it originally stood for General Impression Size and Shape but it has become jizz and it encapsulates those indefinable qualities that give the bird its character and often make it distinctive.

Woodcock by Jason Thompson

Scan to get an instant valuation for your property.

the place for you…

Tastefully updated and extended to over 2,750 sq. ft by the current owners. This substantial Victorian three story double bay fronted and semi detached family home is located in St. Andrews - its has an exceptional combination of space and character.

Accommodation comprises of six double bedrooms and three receptions, with the potential to improve further by remodelling the rear portion of the ground floor as an open plan kitchen/ dining area. Throughout the house are a number of popular features associated with the era including marble fireplaces, stripped flooring, large windows and intricate ceiling cornice. The rear garden is screened by mature trees making it notably private and larger than the norm for the area, the aspect catches the afternoon and evening sun.

This spacious and light family home is ideally located for the Gloucester Road, St. Andrews park, Montpelier station and the M32. It is also well placed for a number of well regarded local schools.

Vendors comments - 'We have loved living in this beautiful house for the last 10 years. We have worked hard to bring new life into the house and re-discovering its character after it was modernised' in the 60's. We have always felt like custodians as (according to the deeds) we are just the third family to live here since it was built.

Our children have enjoyed the freedom of being so close to St Andrews Park and Gloucester Road. We are walking distance from town and Stokes Croft, and having a bus stop right outside and being close to Montpelier railway station means that we can easily travel.

The garden is a real plus,

especially during recent lockdowns, we really know how lucky we were! Having three different mature pear trees gives us shelter from neighbours and a wonderful harvest of pears each year. Two of them are great eaters, the other a perry variety.

The size of the house has always meant that I could work from home when deeded and

really have space to do this. It still has scope for the next owners to further improve and bring the kitchen downstairs.

We really hope that the next owners will continue to look after and enjoy this beautiful house as much as we have'.

Material Information (Provided by the Owner) - Freehold, Council Tax Band F.

Gloucester Road Bishopston Bristol BS7 8BG Sales: 0117 942 5855

Gardener

Grass cutting, hedge and shrub trimming, weeding, planting, felling small trees, clearing, small painting jobs including garden fences and other maintenance work. Please call for a no-obligation chat

handyman

n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

We must stand together against hate crime

MY team and I recently recognised National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

Hate crime is an offence that is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity, instead of something they have done, the result of a disagreement or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Being targeted because of your age, race, sexual orientation, religion or any other reason is unacceptable and, as communities, if we see this behaviour we must challenge it and report it.

We must help give victims of hate crime the confidence to speak to the police or partner agencies about their experience.

If, as a victim, you do not feel like you can talk to the police for whatever reason, there are still many options available for support, such as Victim Support, SARI

or VOCAS, the Victims of Crime Advocacy Service.

VOCAS provides an enhanced advocacy service to those victims of crime who feel they need it and an opportunity to talk in confidence to someone who understands how race, sexuality, disability, mental health, age and/ or exclusion can contribute to you struggling to have your voice heard or understanding your rights and options.

To tackle hate crime, we must stand together and fight for a stronger and fairer society.

I also want to let you know about courier fraud scams, which appear to be increasing.

Unsuspecting victims receive calls from criminals asking them to withdraw cash and leave it for a courier to collect.

In one scam, the criminal pretends to work for the victim’s bank and says they are investigating counterfeit notes at their local branch.

They tell the victim to withdraw

money, and not to tell the bank what they have been asked to do.

The criminals then send someone to the victim’s house to collect the notes, claiming they will be checked to see if they are counterfeit – in reality, they just drive off with the victim’s money.

Another scam is when the fraudster claims to work for the police and says they have arrested someone using a cloned card belonging to the victim.

The victim is urged to withdraw money as part of the investigation - but is simply giving it to the fraudster.

These scammers pose as trusted officials and apply pressure in the hope people will let their guard down.

I want us to be one step ahead of them.

So, what should you do if you are targeted?

Take your time and consider if the police or your bank would really ask you to do this. If the answer is no, hang up - as long as

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford

you have not provided your bank details, your money is safe.

If you want to call the police or your bank, using an advertised number, leave it at least 10 minutes or preferably use a different phone - fraudsters often stay on the other end of the line, keeping the connection open and pretending to be whoever you have dialled.

Finally, report it to Action Fraud, online or on 0300 123 2040.

Whatever

TALK

What support is there for investing in renewable energy?

IMPROVING the energy efficiency of homes will not only support the UK to transition to a greener economy, but also support Bristol households with mitigating the rising costs of energy and living.

Properties with higher EPC ratings boast lower energy bills by relying less on gas and oil and instead on solar, hydro and wind.

In April 2022, the Government an nounced 0% VAT for energy-saving meas ures until 31 March 2027 to incentivise investment in renewable energy. Energy improvements covered under the scheme include controls for central heating and hot water systems, draught stripping, insulation, solar panels, ground and air source heat pumps, micro combined heat and power units, wood-fuelled boilers, and wind turbines. Find out more by visiting https://www.gov.uk/ government/publications/changes-to-the-vattreatment-of-the-installation-of-energy-sav ing-materials-in-in-great-britain.

The Government also announced the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The scheme aims to support owner-occupiers to overcome the upfront costs of low carbon heating technol ogies. The new £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme will run from 2022 to 2025 to support households with grant funding of up to

£6,000 towards the cost of renewable heating solutions. Find out more by visiting https:// www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-may-beeligible-for-the-boiler-upgrade-scheme-fromapril-2022.

Are Bristol City Council offering local support for homeowners?

With growing pressures on household finances, an energy efficiency loan funded by Bristol City Council could be a good way to fund energy-saving measures or spread the cost of renewable energy installations. Working in partnership with Social Enterprise lender, Lendology CIC since 2005, Bristol City Council offer loans to homeowners for home repairs, improvements, energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. Loans are fixed at 4% regardless of your circumstances or your loan amount or term.

To find out more about fixed rate energy efficiency loan repayable over 1-15 years, visit www.lendology.org.uk or https://www.bristol. gov.uk/residents/housing/private-tenants/ get-a-grant-or-loan-to-improve-your-homeenergy-efficiency or call Lendology on 01823 461099.

Tom Jackson, Commercial Lead

We Care & Repair

5 Hide Market, Waterloo Road, Bristol BS2 0BH 0300 323 0700 www.wecr.org.uk info@wecr.org.uk

Ellie Lister

Service Delivery Manager

Lendology www.lendology.org.uk, loans@lendology.org.uk, and 01823 461099

This is a financial promotion approved by Lendology CIC.

Typical Example (4% fixed interest rate, Typical 4.2% APR)

Borrow £5,000 over 60 months. £92.08 monthly repayments. Total amount repayable = £5,544.96, including £20 fee for registering the Title Restric tion. Missing payments could affect your credit rat ing and ability to obtain credit in the future. Loans are subject to status and are typically protected by a Title Restriction. This means that you may not be able to sell your home without our permission unless the loan is fully repaid.

Lendology CIC is a trading name of Wessex Resolutions C.I.C.: A community interest company limited by guarantee, registered in England, com pany number 4512225.

Registered address: Heatherton Park Studios, Bradford on Tone, Taunton TA4 1EU. Wessex Resolutions C.I.C is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (675263) for credit regulated activities.