Clifton Voice October 2023

Page 16

October, 2023 Issue 2 FREE EVERY MONTH IN CLIFTON AND SURROUNDING AREA

www.cliftonvoice.co.uk

'I won't give up on dream of a new future for zoo in Clifton'

A RENEWED campaign to keep Bristol Zoo in Clifton has been launched by activist Tom Jones of Clifton Wood.

He wants to raise £30,000 to pay the fees and expenses of “appropriate professionals to produce a detailed plan outlining an alternative vision and future for the zoo at its original site”. His scheme would involve fewer animals in larger enclosures, a video link to gorillas in the wild, and a virtual reality great white shark experience.

Mr Jones, a professional musician and father of two young children, also envisages improved animal welfare with mixed species enclosures and a more “immersive and interactive overall experience” for visitors.

Zoo visits can boost wellbeing

He would like to see special events to increase both revenue and the zoo’s profile. This would include a Christmas lights festival, film nights in the summer and overnight safari lodge stays.

Mr Jones wants to promote what he describes as the “mental health benefits of the zoo gardens and interacting with animals. He says doctors could prescribe a “trip to the zoo once a week for a year” to their patients.

The world’s fifth oldest zoo was closed last September after 186 years on its 13-acre site in Clifton citing spiralling costs and dwindling visitor numbers.

Mr Jones has dedicated more than a year of his life voluntarily working to keep the zoo at Clifton. He was a founder

member of Save Bristol Zoo Gardens campaign and wrote a lengthy and detailed report opposing the closure.

To help get his latest idea across he is delivering a fourgage pamphlet explaining his views to13,000 people in the BS8 postal code area.

“Bristol Zoo Gardens is too special a place to give up on” he says. His pamphlet describes it as a “unique slice of paradise woven into the heart of a city”.

As the Voice went to print, Mr Jones's online fundraiser, which can be found at https://tinyurl. com/mrxz8kpts, stood at £9,140.

In April, Bristol City Council gave permission for 196 homes to be built on the site. The plan envisages keeping the gardens open to the public.

'Act now for our children's future'

A protest group called Mothers Rebellion is taking to the streets to demand urgent action to tackle the climate crisis. Members held a sitdown protest at Cascade Steps. PAGE 7

Row over park rubble heap

A heap of rubble remains at a Clifton play area five months after work was finished because of a row over who pays to shift it.

PAGE 3

LitFest attracts star names

A host of big names including Professor Alice Roberts and MP Chris Mullin are lined up for the fourth Clifton LitFest this month.

PAGE 18

Permanent ban on traffic moves a step closer

MORE than half a million pounds has been set aside to make changes to part of Princess Victoria Street permanent.

The pedestrianisation of the street was done under an experimental traffic order so that the changes could be monitored and assessed before deciding whether to keep it.

Ward councillor Paula O'Rourke said: “That decision was made last February and councillors are delighted to announce that the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has committed up to £600,000 to improve the infrastructure as they remove the temporary scheme.”

Among other things the money will be used to repave the road, put in street trees, remove the unsightly ramps and signs in concrete blocks.

Cllr O’Rourke says that traders are being consulted on options now and a design will then be worked up and will be shared with nearby residents within the next few months.

“A full business case will have to be submitted to WECA in May 2024 before the funds are finally cleared. This means that the work won’t actually be done until January 2025 as councillors do not want traders to have disruptive work done during busy trading periods said Cllr O’Rourke.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Clifton Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Clifton Voice is distributed each month to Clifton 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@Cliftonvoice.co.uk. This month 6,500 copies copies will be distributed around Clifton.

Princess Victoria Street's pedestrianisation will become permanent

Rubble heap mars revamped play area

A HUGE pile of rubble and soil contaminated with lead has been left for months next to a play park in Clifton. Contractors left the giant spoil heap in May after carrying out drainage works and are in dispute with Bristol City Council over who should pay for its expensive removal.

Earlier this year, Bailey Civils carried out extensive drainage works to the Suspension Bridge play park, off Observatory Road. The park had faced issues for years of being too muddy and wet in autumn and winter.

The contractors won a £134,000 job from the council to install a new drainage system at the play park, and initially were supposed to spread the leftover topsoil over the Downs. But after they found out the material was contaminated with lead, they left the pile fenced off and under a tarpaulin.

Green Councillor Paula O’Rourke, representing Clifton, said people were “very annoyed” about the spoil heap. She told a Downs committee meeting on September 18 that neither the contractors nor the council wanted to pay to take it away.

Cllr O’Rourke said: “Everybody in Clifton is very annoyed about it. As part of the original bid, the contractors said that they would take out the residue topsoil and spread it over the Downs. When it was taken out, it was discovered that it was contaminated with lead. It’s not dangerous but obviously it can’t be spread around the Downs.

“It’s now become very expensive to remove it. We were given a figure of around £65,000. Of course the construction firm is refusing to pay it. The council, I think quite rightly, is saying we’re not going to spend taxpayer’s money on this unless we have to, so they're in dispute about who’s going to pay for it.”

ADVISERS say personal trainers should be charged up to £1,000 a year to use the Downs for exercise classes.

The Downs are a popular spot for many people running, playing football, taking part in bootcamp classes, and even playing Quidditch. But some classes can attract groups as big as 60 people, prompting complaints from the Downs Advisory Panel.

The parkland is run by the Downs committee, made up of Bristol councillors and members of the Society of Merchant Venturers. They agreed to set up a new advisory panel earlier this year, after complaints about a lack of democratic involvement in how the Downs are run.

Robert Westlake, chair of the new Downs Advisory Panel, said other cities charge

A business owned by a Merchant Venturer could potentially remove the spoil heap at cost, halving the cost to the taxpayer, the committee heard. But Cllr O’Rourke suggested the council’s legal department might be “cumbersome” in allowing this deal to go ahead.

She added: “We’re trying to see if the legal department at Bristol City Council will allow this to go ahead. There’s issues around procurement, but we’ve managed to get it under £25,000. Hopefully we can make that happen.

“Instead of everybody going ‘oh, the play park looks really nice’, they’re actually not

saying that. The quality of the work does not seem to be very satisfactory and there have been complaints. There does need to be some accountability for the contractors on the state of the work.

“We really need to get rid of the spoil heap, because of course nobody says the playground looks nice, they just ask why that spoil heap is there. It’s also on one of the new wildflower beds that we put in, so it’s destroying that too.”

Both Bailey Civils and Bristol City Council were approached for comment.

by Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Downs exercise classes could face £1k charge

licences for exercise classes in parks, and Bristol should do so too. Speaking to the Downs committee, on September 18, he said people “profiting” from the park should pay towards its upkeep.

Mr Westlake said:

“Numerous bootcamps and fitness trainers advertise Downs fitness training schemes. They are completely unlicensed, unregistered and unregulated, operating a commercial enterprise free of any fee.

“This recommendation is in no way wishing to discourage individuals from

exercising or casual recreation. However, there is a case from those wishing to profit from the Downs to make some contribution towards their upkeep. Other cities manage to do it quite well.”

He added that other councils charge a licence fee between £300 and £1,000 a year. Conditions on licences could include rules on making sure participants avoid using park benches, picnic tables or trees in their training, as well as limiting excessive noise.

The idea was previously considered by the council’s park

department, which failed to get the new licences signed off.

The Downs committee said it would consider the idea, although there were doubts about how to enforce the licences. Another concern was about legal liability, if any accidents were to happen during classes.

Labour Councillor Kye Dudd, cabinet member for climate, said: “It sounds like a good idea but I’m wondering about the policing of it.

Mr Westlake replied: “In some ways it could be selfpolicing. Once a registration scheme is in place, those who are already signed up are not going to be happy about other people coming along and setting up and potentially undercutting their business.”

by Alex Seabrook, LDRS

The soil removed from the play area is contaminated and costly to remove

Artists invite you to visit new studio venture

VISITORS to West Bristol Art Trail this month will have the chance to see the work of three artists in a Clifton studio.

Neil Roberts, who owns the studio behind the Everyman Cinema off Whiteladies Road has invited Sarah Thorp, who runs Room 212 in Gloucester Road, and Henleaze artist Emma Catherine to join him in exhibiting for the trail on October 14-15.

The popular art trail of open homes and studios around Redland, Clifton and Hotwells is a great chance to meet artists and purchase locally made artwork and gifts. Neil and Emma will be showing their original paintings as well as selling prints and cards. Meanwhile Sarah will be offering a wide selection of her brass and copper jewellery, which can be found year round at Room 212 on Gloucester Road.

Sarah has recently moved the gallery’s fine art printing arm, 212 Productions, into the

studio. 212 Productions will be showcasing works by some of its most celebrated clients, including street artists, with limited edition archival prints. There'll be a few guest artist appearances too.

All are welcome to a preview evening on Friday October 13 from 6.30-9pm..

The extra space means that 212 Productions can offer events, classes and exhibitions along with their printing services.

It will be hosting regular life drawing classes with its art school, Back to the Drawing Board.

Sessions will be held on Thursdays 6.30 -9 pm A professional model plus basic materials and reference material will be provided. Bristol Fine Art is offering 10% off supplies for those signed up to the course. For more information on this course, the Art Trail and fine art printing see www.212productions.co.uk

Sarah Thorp, Neil Roberts and Emma Catherine with some of the work they will display at West Bristol Art Trail

Victory in 'Airbnb party house' battle

RESIDENTS whose lives were made a misery by an “Airbnb party house” have won a victory after a planning inspector threw out the landlords’ appeal.

Property owners Hassan and Maryam Khaleghi asked the government-appointed official to intervene when the council failed to make a decision in time over external alterations they wanted to make after the property in a quiet Henleaze street was built to the approved designs.

The new end-of-terrace building at 30 Hobhouse Close had consent as either a twobedroom family home or a house in multiple occupation (HMO) for no more than five tenants.

But the three-storey property was then advertised on Airbnb for up to 10 people and neighbours told councillors last December that it had created a “revolving door” of unwanted short-stay guests drinking, shouting, fighting and playing loud music late at night.

Mr and Mrs Khaleghi said at the time it was never their

intention for the house to be an Airbnb and promised to cease its unauthorised use and turn it into the permitted HMO on a 12-month tenancy agreement, which they are understood to have since done.

But the couple also appealed to the Planning Inspectorate after the council missed a deadline to make a decision on their retrospective application to make changes to appearance of the building. Because of the appeal, the local authority no longer had the power to grant or refuse permission.

But in January, Bristol City Council development management committee voted unanimously that it would have rejected the proposals because they would make the house look out of keeping with the area – the use of the property as a “party house” could not be considered as a ground for refusal in planning, although the authority was considering separate enforcement action.

Now the inspector has thrown

out the couple’s appeal.

Their report said: “The main issue is the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area. The appeal property has been added to the end of an existing terrace and unlike other properties it does not have a rounded bow window.

“Rather it has a flat fronted bay window harmfully at odds with the appearance of other windows in the area. Although the submitted plans indicate that pillars would be added to the front of the property, these would be shorter than the others in the same terrace which when taken with the deeper rendered horizontal band would look harmfully out of place.

“The external black downpipe on the front elevation is a discordant feature which unacceptably harms the character and appearance of the area particularly given that other downpipes on the terrace are concealed. The existing window, the deeper horizontal band, the proposed pillars and the black

downpipe would also disrupt the balanced appearance of the terrace and unacceptably break up the uniform appearance and rhythm of this part of Hobhouse Close. As a result, the development (both as existing and proposed) is, or would be, discordant and alien features in the street scene. I therefore conclude that the development both as existing and proposed unacceptably harms or would harm the character and appearance of the area. Planning permission is refused.”

Ward councillor Steve Smith (Conservative, Westburyon-Trym & Henleaze), who has backed residents in their campaign against the property, said: “This case isn’t over yet, and we don’t know where it will end up. The decision by the Planning Inspectorate was the right one, and I hope it sends a strong signal that you can’t just build whatever you want and hope to get away with it.”

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Mothers call for climate action

WOMEN have been taking to the streets to demonstrate over the need for urgent action on the climate crisis.

Twenty five women took part in a peaceful “circle of mothers” demonstration on Cascade Steps last month, organised by Mothers’ Rebellion, an international climate change group.

Mothers’ Rebellion is linked to the Extinction Rebellion movement.

Kate Windross, from Bishopston, who has three daughters, said she took part “to give today’s children a future”.

She said: “I can't stand by and watch climate change happen without trying to stop it. The effects of climate change are already here. Millions of children around the world are suffering floods, fires and famine now as a result of global warming. We have the answers but we can't delay. We need to end the use of fossil fuels and switch to sustainable food systems as fast as we possibly can.

“It's not a minority fringe saying this. Organisations including Unicef and RCPHC have published documents outlining the current and immediate threats to survival

on earth if we don't act to prevent further climate change.

“I hope that by attending today we can increase awareness of how urgent the climate crisis is. We need as many people as possible to call for action and convince government that this is an emergency requiring immediate change.”

The group said despite the rain they had a good response from passers-by. Mothers from a range of backgrounds took part, among them a doctor, an artist, an academic, a graphic designer, an events manager, an administrator, and a grandmother of five.

On Saturday September 23, they were due to protest again, with a march protesting against a planned reduction in net zero targets.

Taking part was Harriet Bradley, a a former professor of sociology from Redland, who said:

“I have worked with young people all my life and it is for them that I go onto the streets with Just Stop Oil. This government is frankly unbelievable, it cares nothing about the climate emergency, even ignoring its own climate advisory team, and yet we are almost out of time. "

Mothers' Rebellion members protest at Cascade Steps

n FROM YOUR COUNCILLORS

News from your Clifton councillors Paula O’Rourke and Katy Grant HELLO!

We expect most readers are familiar with our leaflets and some of you might get our e-newsletter but we welcome this new forum, which we will use to keep you upto-date on Clifton and city news.

We’re sure we don’t need to tell you that Bristol City Council is in financial hardship, like many other councils around the country. By being obliged to set a balanced budget each year over the last thirteen years of austerity, BCC is now spending most of its budget on purely statutory needs (about 75% of the budget is spent on social care), leaving very little discretionary funding.

Cuts led to a recruitment freeze, which means that the ‘back office’ in BCC has been reduced by 40%. We now see that there are not enough planners to deal with applications, leading to long delays. Not enough drivers at Bristol Waste Company, means missed waste collections. Street cleansing is reduced due to staffing

News from your Clifton Down councillors Carla Denyer and Tom Hathway

HELLO from your Clifton Down councillors! If you live in the area between Pembroke Road in the west, to Hampton Road in the east, and right up the length of Whiteladies Road, then we are your local Green Party councillors. It’s great to see a new community magazine connecting all with the latest news and updates from our area and we wish it all the success.

It’s been a busy summer in Clifton Down, with work on restoring the corner of Alma Road and Whiteladies Road nearly complete after we secured funding in 2021. The project was allocated Community Infrastructure Levy money, which is paid by developers when they get planning permission and goes towards improving the area. Work has seen lamps painted, benches and bins replaced, a chess board and chairs added, and the planter cleared ready for planting. We are pleased to support the Clifton Down Community Association in planting it up - if you’d like to

issues. The list goes on.

And all the while, residents are paying higher council tax – in fact, council tax has increased by 57% over the last 20 years in real terms. So, residents quite rightly feel that they aren’t getting enough for their tax contributions. It’s a tough time for citizens and it’s hard for us to support our residents, as we want to, with these financial restrictions.

Working within this tight financial budget, we’ve had to be innovative to find alternative ways of funding projects and delivering services. Here are some examples: • We started a crowdfunder for the repair of the Observatory Playpark which led to a donation from local philanthropist, Community Infrastructure Levy money and a grant from a landfill company, raising the £133,000 needed for the project.

• The shine has been slightly dinted by the spoil-heap which remains on Christchurch Green. It remains because it was found to be lead contaminated, which means that the original plan to spread it on the Downs cannot be done, as the Downs is an SSSI. Disposal costs (£60,000!) exceed the original quote budgeted for and the contractor refuses to remove it. BCC legal department are challenging the contractor and we await the outcome. In the meanwhile, we are using contacts from the Downs Committee to have the work done at cost price. We hope a much-reduced bill can be split 50/50 by the Council and the contractor. Let’s hope we can reach agreement.

• When BCC put Jacob’s Wells Baths o nto the list for disposal in February, we worked hard behind the scenes to support applicants to take it on as a Community Asset Transfer. We are now working closely with Trinity Community Arts, who have the building now and who aim to open it again in 2025 as a place for dance and youth engagement. So, instead of losing the only public building in Clifton (apart from the library), it has been saved for public use.

• We are working with the Friends of Clifton Library to host the Warm Spaces programme and the Clifton LitFest to bring culture to Clifton;

• Establishing and working with residents who maintain Birdcage Walk, as Bristol Waste Company doesn’t have the resource to spend the hours needed to keep it looking so good.

• We are taking a pro-active lead on reducing pesticide spraying on streets in Clifton, but this does mean engaging the help of residents, as we need to have a ‘named-person’ for each street, so do let us know if you are interested in getting involved.

• We are liaising with the owner of the site at Clifton Down to explore the possibility of a community buyout of a portion of the site.

As this is our first column in the Clifton Voice, we wanted to catch you up with activities in the Ward. However, much of our work is done city-wide. We sit on several committees but we will have to tell you all about that next month!

If you see us out and about, do feel free to say hello!

Thank you for reading our first Councillors’ column and we hope it is the first of many.

Paula and Katy

help in early October you can find details on the new noticeboard in the planter facing onto Whiteladies Road.

Work has also begun on making the Cotham Hill pedestrianisation permanent, following huge public support in the local survey about the temporary scheme. Unfortunately the government’s funding deadlines meant that the roadworks had to begin in the summer. Not ideal, but we have been working closely with traders and residents to minimise disruption and plan ahead where possible. Works will be finished by the end of 2023, with new planting and seating, wider footpaths, and enhanced pedestrian priority across junctions just some of the improvements to the street scene.

Making roads safer and more welcoming for all users (including pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, etc) is an essential part of

Bristol tackling climate change. We hope to see more communities benefitting from plans that reduce rat-running and encourage street trading and active travel in the future. The council is now consulting on a plan for the future of Broadmead and the Castle Park area. It’s our chance to add pressure for greening the city, improving public transport links and adding quality, mid-rise housing to the mix to breathe new life into our high streets around Broadmead. Please take a moment to feedback via the online consultation hub: ask.bristol.gov.uk

To tackle the housing crisis we need new affordable housing in Bristol, but also to improve poor quality existing homes. In Bristol, 1/3 of residents are private renting, and over half of us in Clifton Down. The UK rental market was deregulated in 1988, giving landlords powers to set rents and evict tenants without fault. As council housing stocks have dwindled, more of us live in the private rented sector than ever before, and rents have sky-rocketed by over 50% in Bristol over the past decade. Tom has supported tenants at Queens Court, the art-deco block on Queens Road, whose London-

based owners hit them with rent increases between 20-50% this year despite the building being run down. Council inspections produced a long list of repairs and improvements the owners needed to make, but a lack of rent control powers for councils still leaves most tenants with a significant hike on their largest monthly outgoing. While the Conservative government drag their heels on long-promised rental reform, thankfully Bristol is taking initiative and looking to expand landlord licensing in the city. In our area landlords of Houses in Multiple Occupation (aka shared houses, bedsits, or HMOs) of 3 or more people from different families, require a licence to operate. The proposals would expand that to all HMOs across Bristol. They are also considering new “Selective” licensing, effectively covering all other privately rented homes, into three wards: Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham, and Easton. Unfortunately the Labour administration didn’t consult with us on the proposals otherwise we would have lobbied hard for including Clifton Down. Again we’d encourage you to feed back through ask.bristol.gov.uk

'Crushing disappointment'

COTHAM School students are having games lessons at Golden Hill after the registration of Stoke Lodge playing fields as a village green.

The school has told parents the move to the Shine Sports Ground is for this academic year, while it decides what to do about what it describes as the “unfathomable” decision on Stoke Lodge.

Cotham does not have playing fields on its site so children have to be bussed elsewhere for outdoor PE. The school had been using Stoke Lodge, which it leases from the city council, and put up a fence around the fields, with gates that were shut while pupils were on site. Since the decision of the council’s Public Rights of Way Group (PROWG) in June, the gates have been left permanently open.

At a PROWG committee in September, campaigners called on BCC to enforce the removal of the 1.5km long fence installed by the school in 2019, as they say it breaks laws dating back 150 years.

Green Councillor Tessa Fitzjohn, chair of the committee, said: “It’s now out of the hands of this committee, our role at the moment has really finished.”

Jo Butler, head teacher of Cotham School has declined to respond to requests from the Voice for an interview.

In a letter to parents, she said the PROWG Committee decision was “contrary to the legal advice that the committee received which was that the land should not be registered.

“Not only is this a crushing disappointment to the school but more importantly it means that members of the public now have full and unfettered access to the playing field, including when our students would be taking part in their PE lessons.

“We deem this to present an unacceptable level of risk to our students and staff and so it is with a heavy heart that we will temporarily halt using the playing field this academic year whilst we seek redress for this unfathomable decision.”

KJDMusic

KJDMusic

Instrumental/lessons/flute/saxophone/clarinet/piano/theory/GCSE/ALevel

Instrumental/lessons/flute/saxophone/clarinet/piano/theory/GCSE/ALevel

Instrumental / lessons / flute / saxophone / clarinet piano / theory / GCSE / A Level

Instrumental lessons in Bishopston and Horfield from a qualified teacher / performer with enhanced DBS clearance

Instrumental lessons in Bishopston and Horfield from a qualified teacher / performer with enhanced DBS clearance

KJDMusic

Spaces available for Flute, Saxophone, Clarinet, Recorder, Piano, and Theory (GCSE/A Level) on all weekdays from 4pm.

Instrumental/lessons/flute/saxophone/clarinet/piano/theory/GCSE/ALevel

Spaces available for Flute, Saxophone, Clarinet, Recorder, Piano, and Theory (GCSE/A Level) on all weekdays from 4pm.

All styles and levels catered for from beginners through to advanced learners.

All styles and levels catered for from beginners through to advanced learners.

Instrumental lessons in Bishopston and Horfield from a qualified teacher / performer with enhanced DBS clearance. Spaces available for Flute, Saxophone, Clarinet, Recorder, Piano, and Theory (GCSE/A Level) on all weekdays from 4pm. All styles and levels catered for from beginners through to advanced learners.

Instrumental lessons in Bishopston and Horfield from a qualified teacher / performer with enhanced DBS clearance

Spaces available for Flute, Saxophone, Clarinet, Recorder, Piano, and Theory (GCSE/A Level) on all weekdays from 4pm.

All styles and levels catered for from beginners through to advanced learners.

“Music has the power to inspire, teach and transform lives and I strongly believe that every person of every age should have access to music education and a platform to express their musicality”.

“Music has the power to inspire, teach and transform lives and I strongly believe that every person of every age should have access to music education and a platform to express their musicality”.

“Music has the power to inspire, teach and transform lives and I strongly believe that every person of every age should have access to music education and a platform to express their musicality”.

Katherine Denny BA(Hons), PGCE, LRSM, CTABRSM

Katherine Denny BA(Hons), PGCE, LRSM, CTABRSM

“Music has the power to inspire, teach and transform lives and I strongly believe that every person of every age should have access to music education and a platform to express their musicality”.

Katherine

Instrumental lessons can either be just for fun or focused on passing graded exams. Exam preparation usually follows the ABRSM or Trinity syllabus. Lessons typically last for half an hour and cost £20.00. Fees are payable in advance upon receipt of an invoice at the start of each term

Instrumental lessons can either be just for fun or focused on passing graded exams. Exam preparation usually follows the ABRSM or Trinity syllabus. Lessons typically last for half an hour and cost £20.00. Fees are payable in advance upon receipt of an invoice at the start of each term

Katherine Denny BA(Hons), PGCE, LRSM, CTABRSM

Denny BA(Hons), PGCE, LRSM, CTABRSM

Instrumental lessons can either be just for fun or focused on passing graded exams. Exam preparation usually follows the ABRSM or Trinity syllabus. Lessons typically last for half an hour and cost £20.00. Fees are payable in advance upon receipt of an invoice at the start of each term

katherine@kjdmusic.co.uk kjdmusiclessons www.kjdmusic.co.uk

katherine@kjdmusic.co.uk kjdmusiclessons www.kjdmusic.co.uk

Lessons can be for fun or focused on passing graded exams. Lessons typically last half an hour and cost £20. E-mail: katherine@kjdmusic.co.uk www.kjdmusic.co.uk kjdmusiclessons

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To advertise, contact Emma on 0117 9082121 or 07715 770448 or email emma@cliftonvoice.co.uk

Support local food producers

This year it's been hard to get away from news of rising food prices and the supermarkets have been quick to paint themselves as the heroes: 'you need cheap food, and we can provide it for you.'

The reality is that everything we eat comes from the same Earth and if food looks cheap, the price must have come at a cost to the natural world or workers instead. Polluted waterways, damaged habitats, more greenhouse gases (Sustainable Food Trust, 2019) and 25% of farmers forced below the poverty line (Sustain, 2022) are the real cost of cheap food.

The good news is that we can do something about it. Every £1 we choose to spend with retailers who prioritise local producers and support their communities can generate £3.70 of social and environmental value (New Economics Foundation, 2021). This is so much better than the £1 of damage for every £1 spent in supermarkets (Sustainable Food Trust, 2019).

With more people being pulled back to the

supermarkets in search of cheap food, many of the 40+ local food producers we work with across the South West have struggled to stay afloat. And so have retailers like us.

If you can, shop local. It’s a tired phrase on a tired planet but organisations like ours and the communities of people and wildlife that we

support, need you more than ever.

The Community Farm is an organic farm that grows, sources and delivers climate-friendly food across the local area. We are communityowned and not-for-profit. Find out more at thecommunityfarm.co.uk

Coast path run will boost The Grand Appeal

PHRED Steer is preparing to take on a gruelling challenge in support of Bristol charities.

Phred will take part this month in the 2023 Atlantic Coast Path ultramarathon, running three marathons over three days – that’s 78.6 miles, starting near Padstow and ending at Land’s End.

He is raising money for The Grand Appeal and is being supported by the Rotary Club, friends and family and local schools and businesses.

Phred took up running after a heart attack 11 years ago. Five years later, a family member’s cancer diagnosis brought him into contact with Bristol Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

This led Phred to use his running to bring in cash for The Grand Appeal, which supports the children’s hospital. He hopes the ultramarathon will raise funds for alternative

A Celebration of BRISTOL & BACH

therapies for children on Starlight Ward.

Phred said: “This challenge isn’t just about testing physical limits; it’s about making a profound difference to the lives of those who need it the most.”

Among the businesses supporting Phred are:

About Face Giftware and more; Active8 Personal Training; BikeSmiths Bicycles; Chandos Deli; Clifton Fish and Chips; Clifton Fruit and Veg; Indira Rose Vintage and Antique Furniture; Long Ashton Together the Community Group; Mele Clothing; Recruitment Partnership IT and Business Specialists; The Sleep Clinic Good Sleep Good Health; Thrive Health, Fitness and Performance; and Wild Oats Natural Foods

For sponsorship info, please contact phredsteer@sky.com

Discover simplicity and s2llness with a ten week course in Prac2cal Philosophy, drawing from some of the world’s great philosophical tradi2ons, both East and West.

Ten weeks from Wednesday 4th October. 7pm to 9.15pm

The Mee2ng House

126 Hampton Road

Bristol BS6 6JE

Fee: £60.00

The aim of philosophy is to become free; free from pressure and worry; free to grow; and free to be yourself. The course offers group discussions with experienced facilitators, and simple prac2ces to develop s2llness and mindfulness. No previous experience is needed.

Email: bathandbristol@fses.org

Enrol/Info: bathandbristol.schoolofphilosophy.org

Courses na2onally, interna2onally and online www.schoolofphilosophy.org A branch of the Fellowship of the School of Philosophy and Economic Science. Educa;onal Charity No. 313115

Phred on an earlier running challenge

STUDENTS at Bristol's independent schools achieved some spectacular GCSE results.

At BGS, more than half of all grades were at 8 or 9 (with 30% of all grades being 9s), figures which are ahead of the already high pre-pandemic averages achieved at BGS. An amazing one in five pupils gained ten or more GCSEs at grade 8 or 9, including 13 students who have grade 9s in ten or more subjects. One in three pupils attained ten or more grades 7, 8 and 9 (equivalent to A* - A in the old system), and half of our pupils achieved eight or more grades at this level.

BGS head, Jaideep Barot, said: “Having had the start of their GCSE studies disrupted by Covid and having had to deal with more than most since then, I am just so thrilled for this

Celebrations all round

group that their endeavour and resilience has paid off. All while contributing so richly to the full breadth of BGS life. I hope they are all as proud of the journey they have been on as we are.”

Almost a quarter of GCSE grades at Clifton College were 9s and 61 per cent were 9-7.

Exceptional grades were achieved by: Alex, eleven 9s; Nicole, ten 9s and one 8; Rosie nine 9s and one 8; Henry, three 9s, four 8s and one 7.

Head of college, Dr Tim Greene, said: “I would like to congratulate all our pupils on securing such a great set of results. These results have come about through a great deal of

hard work and with amazing support from teaching staff.”

Badminton School Year 11 pupils are celebrating some outstanding GCSE results. One student, Christina, who achieved grade 9 in all her GCSEs, was one of the top performers nationally in Latin, obtaining full marks in each component.

Jessica Miles, head, said: “Our Year 11 pupils should be extremely proud of what they have achieved. Let’s not forget that the normal rhythm of their school life was taken away from them when they were approaching their final term in Year 8, but they have faced up to the disruptions and challenges

along the way. "

Year 11 students at Redmaids’ High School were elated after receiving an outstanding set of GCSE results. Forty three per cent of all grades awarded were 9, the highest possible, with 67 per cent 8 or 9.

As always, there were strong individual success among the cohort. Fifty two per cent of the year group achieved five or more 9s. This is up from 38 per cent last year and 19 per cent in 2019.

Seventeen students achieved nine or more 9s with particular congratulations to Anna, Astrid and Matilda who each achieved eleven 9s.

Head Paul Dwyer said, “All students have worked so hard over the last two years and should be rightly proud of what they have attained as a result."

Celebratory smiles at Bristol Grammar School

Results day at Clifton College

Triumphant students at Badminton

Redmaids' High School saw some great outcomes

Pupils launch mental health initiative

STUDENTS at Redmaids' High School have set up a helpline for World Mental Health Day.

People will be able to call and listen to a range of pre-recorded positive messages devised by the students, including some in Ukrainian and Somali.

The project has been overseen by the sixth form wellbeing ambassadors, who work closely with pastoral staff to mentor and support younger students.

Ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10, they have worked with pupils from Years 4 and 7 on the project,

discussing what words might be well received.

Alice Hinks, from the school, said: "Across the country, there has been a dramatic increase

Open Events:

Senior - 7 October

Sixth Form - 12 October

Junior - 4 November

in mental health concerns post-covid. We are very proud of the work the students have done to get this initiative off the ground and hope that the

Message from Kyiv

BRISTOL Grammar School (BGS) students were pleased to received a message of thanks from Vitaliy Klitschko, the Mayor of Kyiv.

A school spokesperson said: "The message was thanking BGS for its support for students from Ukraine. It is extremely touching that, with all that the people of Kyiv and Ukraine are currently facing, the mayor took the time to record this video message and send a photo and plaque.

"BGS has welcomed four Ukrainian students under our Refugee Admissions Programme, one of whom received the message and gifts from Ukraine via his father and passed them on to the BGS Head, Jaideep Barot. Both the Head and the staff at BGS are incredibly moved by this gesture, and so pleased that the BGS has community has been able to offer some small

Thanks, Mr speaker ...

BRISTOL North West MP Darren Jones MP is bringing what he has learned from speaking in the House of Commons to classrooms in the constituency from this month.

Mr Jones, recently promoted to Labour's Shadow Cabinet, is visiting secondary schools to help equip children from all backgrounds with public speaking skills. He will deliver 'Speak like you own the room' sessions to students in Years 9-11.

assistance to the young people of Ukraine."

Bristol Grammar School’s Refugee Admissions Programme was developed in consultation with Bristol City Council to help provide secondary school places for refugees who are seeking sanctuary in our city. The scheme is open to any child refugees newly arriving in the UK, subject to places being available in the relevant year-group, with the cost of attending BGS covered through a combination of government funding and donations to the BGS Refugee Admissions Fund.

Mr Jones said: “For everyone to feel truly represented in politics and business, we need people from all backgrounds to enter these professions. Yet public speaking – a quintessential skill for speaking in Parliament or the boardroom – is not generally taught in state schools.”

Mr Jones, who grew up in Lawrence Weston, said: “I’m thankful that the [now defunct] Gifted & Talented programme raised my aspirations when I was in school. On a smaller scale, I hope I can do the same for our schoolchildren; to show that someone who went to a state school, just like them, can hold the attention of an entire room when they speak.”

As part of his campaign, Mr Jones has attracted the EnglishSpeaking Union’s ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition, to host a branch final in Bristol North West in early 2024.

Teachers working in secondary schools in Bristol North West can book a free session for their class with Mr Jones by emailing darren.jones.mp@parliament.uk. Find out more at darren-jones. co.uk/own-the-room

Indie music label born in Bristol

Did you know there once was an international record label based in a tiny flat opposite the Clifton Downs? This month, local author Jane Duffus is publishing book celebrating the significance of Sarah Records, the most independent of indie labels

SARAH Records was the Bristolbased indie label that signed the acts no major label would touch but who you wanted to hear. It put out a board game, produced cut'n'paste fanzines and stuck two fingers up to the mainstream music industry. It was your secret world and it was located here from 1987 to 1995.

Based first in a tiny Clifton flat and later in a house overlooking Bedminster train station, Sarah’s co-founders Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes were driven by feminism, ethics and a passion to truly embrace the DIY ethos of the post-punk scene. And fans were drawn to the label right from day one.

Clare and Matt were not concerned with forming a capitalist monolith to rival Virgin or EMI. Instead, they were eschewing the posturing and vanity of the pop charts and focusing on promoting the kind of bands that the major labels would be too scared to touch. When Sarah launched in November 1987, Clare was 19 and still at university, while Matt was 25 and a physics graduate who had been working as a car park attendant. The couple lived in a rented basement at 46 Upper Belgrave Road opposite the Clifton Downs and were scrimping to make ends meet.

“I remember spending the summer of 1987 walking around Clifton village and it was endless sunshine, which sounds unlikely, planning out what we were going to do,” says Clare. “And it wasn't like we had a plan that we were going to do 100 7" singles and then throw a big party but we always knew we wanted to do more than one, we weren't just putting a record out, we were starting a record label. I think right at the start we always knew

that fanzines would be a part of it and they'd be our contribution and the equal to records, maybe the written version of a 7" single.”

Bristol’s Subway Organization was an influence on Clare and Matt’s thinking that it would be possible to run a record label from the South West rather than London, and they admit that asking Subway’s Martin Whitehead for advice might have been the smart thing to do.

“I'm sure he'd have given of his time freely and been really brilliant, but we never even spoke to him about it,” says Matt.

During an interview on Radio 1 in 1992, Clare confirmed that part of the impetus for setting up Sarah was “we looked at other record labels and thought, ‘No, they're all doing it wrong, we can do it better’. So that was a motivation as well, we wanted to do it from the fan's point of view.”

The terms of their rental meant that Clare and Matt were not supposed to be running a business from the residence - although they later found out that their landlord’s agent had known all along that they were

doing so from the property and he couldn't have cared less. One clue might have come on the day that Clare and Matt accidentally set fire to the kitchen when they went out to collect records from the warehouse for sleeving, having forgotten that the oven was still on with the grill pan inside. Clare and Matt returned from the warehouse in two taxis, unloaded boxes of records onto the pavement, and watched in horror as smoke billowed out of their home while the Fire Brigade dealt with everything. And the agent looked on… Sometimes strange things happened while working from home. “We heard Shadow Factory coming through the wall once before we released it and it completely freaked us out. No one had a copy so how could we be hearing it through the wall?” says Clare. Their next door neighbour turned out to be Mike Gartside, who was the indie music writer at Bristol’s listings magazine Venue. Mike had taken

his promotional copy of Shadow Factory home to review.

“I looked at the address at the bottom of the record and was like, 'That's next door to me!' It was a real shock,” remembers Mike. “I was at No 45, and the partition between the two walls was practically non-existent, so I could put on a record in my flat and I'm sure they heard it almost perfectly in theirs. I deliberately put it on loud so they couldn't possibly not hear it.”

When Mike decided to move on, Clare and Matt jumped at the chance to upgrade to the slightly bigger premises. Moving day fuss was kept to a minimum since everything was transported internally, via a door in Mike’s bathroom that linked the two flats together.

In April 1992, buoyed by a few healthy cheques from albums, Clare and Matt decided to do the grown-up thing and buy a house. They moved to the only house they viewed: 31 Gwilliam Street in Windmill Hill.

Although Clare and Matt moved to London after they decided to close Sarah in August 1995, they remain enormously fond of Bristol. "If I wasn't living in London, Bristol would still be my top city to live in,” promises Matt. "Bristol is lovely because it's a self-contained big city. You can stand on Brandon Hill and there's greenery all around. So even though you're in a big metropolis, it doesn't take ages to get out.”

These Things Happen: The Sarah Records Story by Jane Duffus, is published by Tangent Books. For information, visit tangentbooks.co.uk and janeduffus.com

Clare and Matt in the early days

Photo: Sarah Records

Where it all began: Upper Belgrave Road

Photo: Sarah Records

n NEWS FROM OUR MP

Culture and sport bring us joy

My new role as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

On 4th September, Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour party, offered me the position of Shadow Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which I accepted.

I am excited at the opportunity of working closely with the UK’s talented creative and sports organisations. As a professional musician from a family of musicians and artists, and the vibrant cultural life of the city I represent, I know of the valuable contributions made by all parts of these sectors.

Music, films, fashion and theatre by British artists and institutions are the country’s greatest export. Our sporting events like the Premier League, the Ashes or Wimbledon are watched by millions and our

media institutions like the BBC and Channel 4 produce awardwinning shows and provide incisive coverage of major global events. The Tourism sector is a huge generator of jobs and helps showcase our culture to the world.

Culture, media, and sport give us so much joy and a feeling of togetherness. They inform us of what is happening around us and play an important role in our great democratic tradition, which I am proud to be a part of. They also make a massive contribution to the taxes which fund our public services.

Under the next Labour government, I see it as my role to value the contributions made by artists to society and the economy. I look forward to supporting organisations in the face of evolving consumer preferences and the transition to net zero. Most of all, I will seek to leverage our world-

beating cultural, sports and tourism sectors to grow the UK’s economy, creating more jobs and opportunities across the country.

I couldn’t be more thrilled at the task that lies before me, and I hope to accomplish it with the grace and hard work required of any musician.

A new dental school in Bristol

I was happy to be asked to inaugurate the University of Bristol’s new dental school. My congratulations to the team on this excellent new facility.

Since last year, I have heard over and over again from people who are unable to see a dentist. A key challenge for NHS dentistry across the country is workforce and I hope Bristol’s expanded school will help address these shortages.

I have also been following up regularly with local NHS leadership

about the clinic in St Pauls which recently shut down. Thanks to efforts of local campaigners like Tara Miran and Labour Councillor Amirah Cole, I was pleased to hear that an interested provider has stepped forward and had discussions with the landlord and the NHS towards restoring dental services in St Pauls.

Alone this Christmas?

MARMALADE Trust is please to announce that referrals are open for those experiencing loneliness and who will be alone on Christmas Day.

We organise lunches in local pubs and restuarants for those who can self-mobilise, and do Christmas Day doorstep visits from friendly volunteers too.

For eligibility details, how to refer /get involved as a member or to help out on Christmas Day as a volunteer, please see https:// www.marmaladetrust.org/ christmas or call 07566 244788

n WHAT'S ON

n NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM for Clifton, Clifton Down, Hotwells & Harbourside at Clifton High School, October 3 at 7pm. Councillors, Avon & Somerset police, and representatives of Bristol University and Bristol Waste will be in attendance.

October 31

n BOOK CLUB meets in Clifton Library 31st October 10 30-12 30pm.

Regular events

Various days

n WEST OF ENGLAND BRIDGE CLUB based at RAFA Club, 38 Eastfield, Henleaze. Five sessions every week, catering for different standards. Thursday afternoon is Improvers.

Monday and Friday afternoon is for more capable players; this is an EBU recognised session. You may come alone to any afternoon session; a partner will be found. The evening sessions are on Wednesdays and Fridays, and are open to pairs. www. woebridgeclub.co.uk or contact Secretary, Chris Frew, on 0117 962 5281.

Monday

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

n WESTBURY SINGERS: if you enjoy singing, we invite you to join our friendly, non-auditioned, 4 part choir, in term-time on Monday evenings 7.30p.m. - 9.30p.m.at Reedley Road Baptist Church. Please email the Secretary: gwenalwakeel@yahoo. co.uk.

n DICKENS SOCIETY. 7pm, at

Big names line up for LitFest

CLIFTON LitFest returns later this month for the fourth time with more events and more performers than before.

A host of television and radio celebrities, novelists, historians and musicians are among those taking part in more than 30 events spread across three venues over three days.

The festival opens on October 10 with keynote speaker Professor Alice Roberts, anthropologist, author and broadcaster who has presented various television series including Digging for Britain, Time Team and Britain’s most Historic Towns.

Professor Roberts, who went to school at Westbury-on-Trym and still lives locally, will be talking at Christ Church about how burial archaeology can shed light on ancient societies.

Leonard Hall, Henleaze URC, Waterford Rd, Bristol BS9 4BT. Talks, costumed readings, book club and social events. New members welcome. See www. dickens-society.org.uk or phone Roma on 0117 9279875 for further details.

n WESTBURY AND CLIFTON AREA DISCUSSION GROUP meet at Westbury on Trym Baptist Church every Monday 9.45am to challenge ourselves with topical debate on what’s happening in the world. If you would like to help to solve some of today's challenging issues with good company, tea and biscuits - contact James Ball 01454 415165 or Ian Viney 0117 9501628.

Tuesday n WESTBURY PARK WOMEN’S INSTITUTE meets on the first Tuesday of every month in the Girl Guide Hut on Westmorland Road from 7.009.30pm. We are an active and friendly group with a varied programme plus extra sessions for craft, coffee, book clubs, walks etc. Visitors are always welcome and for more information do call Sue on 07813795936 or email westburyparkwi@gmail.com

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

Wednesday

n BCCS (BRISTOL

Sara Davies, who was a BBC producer and abridger for 20 years will be running a workshop on writing radio drama. Memoirist Lily Dunn will be running a workshop too.

Also on the programme is Peter Lord, co-founder of Bristol’s internationally known animation company Aardman. In an illustrated talk he will take his audience behind the scenes of some of the films his company made in an illustrated talk.

For lovers of political debate former Labour MP Chris Mullin will be talking about his latest memoir as well as discussing with Guardian columnist Polly

CATHEDRALCHOIR SCHOOL)

CHORAL SOCIETY meets at Henleaze Bowling Club, Grange Court Road, Wednesdays 7.30 to 9pm. A small, unauditioned choir singing varied music. New members welcome. For info, contact Kathy, 0117 949362 www.bccschoralsociety.org.uk/

n BLAISE COMMUNITY GARDEN, behind Blaise Museum, open Wednesday and Saturday 10-2. Originally a walled kitchen garden. Free to enter. We’re looking for volunteers. Our Café (+ homemade cakes) open 10-2, 18 March and 8 April.

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

n CLIFTON CRAFTERS We all have craft items we started and are now lurking in a drawer unloved – dig them out and come and share a morning of knitting, crochet, tapestry, rag rugs or whatever you would love to resurrect or mend!

We encourage each other to try new skills and help with problems – if we can!! Every Wednesday in October at Clifton Library 10 30-12 30pm.

Thursday

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 website www. henburysingers.org contact secretary at secretary@henburysingers.org.

Toynbee her family memoir. The LitFest is organised by the Friends of Clifton Centre and Library, (FoCCal).

Festival chair Dr. Helen Taylor, said: “In only four years Clifton LitFest has established itself as a key event in Clifton’s calendar. attracting large audiences over a full weekend.

"This year’s event promises another terrific programme showcasing nationally-renowned writers, musicians and artists, often with Clifton connections” Clifton LitFest runs from October 10-12 and will be held at Clifton Library, Christ Church and Pavey House in nearby Waterloo Street.

Bookings via Eventbrite and Clifton Library.

More information from www.foccal.com

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 HENLEAZE LADIES’ CHOIR

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

n OPEN DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE

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, contact Marian Bishop 0117 9771629 or visit www. westburyparkspiritualistchurch.org

Friday

n HENLEAZE BOWLING CLUB. Come along at 5.45pm on Fridays to see if bowling could be the sport for you. Coaching available. Experienced bowlers welcome. Situated in Grange Court Road, by Newman Hall. This is a friendly Club with good bowling facilities and social events throughout the year. Phone, Tom Logan, on 0117 962 1669 or email hbcsec@ henleazebowlingclub.org.uk for further details.

n U3A SCRABBLE GROUP meets at the Beehive pub , Wellington Hill West, on Fridays from 2 to 4pm. We are a very friendly non competitive group and welcome new members. For more information, please contact Heddy tel 07534717254/ email

Smell the coffee!

CLIFTON author A. A. Abbott didn’t have far to go to carry out research for her tenth thriller novel which has just been published.

Set in a fictional coffee shop in Clifton, Flat White Lies follows its main character Jenna as she struggles to keep her business afloat.

A. A. Abbott, better known to her friends as Helen, said: “I’m fascinated by how one one decision can change the whole of our lives, and I wanted to explore that with the character of Jenna and how her decision to start the coffee shop of her dreams plunges her into a nightmare”.

When she’s not thinking about a plot for a new book A. A. Abbott can be found in one of the many independent coffee shops in Clifton.

“Bristol was a natural choice for the setting of the book. It’s a fascinating city which has sparked my creativity. Bristol is filled with so many beautiful locations, so it’s been a lot of fun creating a plot that envisions the dark underbelly lurking beneath them.

Flat White Lies is published by Perfect City Press. Large print and dyslexia -friendly editions have been made available alongside paperback, hardback and e-book formats.

n FROM THE MAYOR’S OFFICE

n BOOK REVIEW

The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright

“ WE don’t walk down the same street as the person walking beside us. All we can do is tell the other person what we see. We can point at things and try to name them. If we do this well, our friend can look at the world in a new way. We can meet.”

So muses Nell, a young woman wondering how to bridge the gap between herself and another person, how anyone can reach across the empty air and make a connection. Empathy may be the answer. Or, perhaps, translation.

The man she is seeing as Enright’s novel begins is magnetic and no more, drawing Nell into his sphere without offering an outstretched hand in return. Meanwhile, the space between Nell and her mother, Carmel, is widening. Their relationship is pleasant but Nell filters the details she shares with Carmel and struggles to understand what her mother wants or loves. In particular she wonders how Carmel can seem so unmoved by the poetry written by her own father, the celebrated, deceased Phil McDaragh.

The narrative of The Wren, The Wren alternates between Nell’s story and Carmel’s. Nell is witty, lost and fascinated by birdsong. Carmel changes in the reader’s estimation throughout the book as the story of her father’s abandonment and the impact on the family is revealed.

Phil’s poems are woven into the novel’s texture and into its characters’ lives. Nell winces as someone quotes her grandfather: she knows it far better than by heart. However, it is through Carmel, the wren of the title, that the poems soar. The reader’s understanding of Carmel and of the poetry shift with the narrative. Nell and Carmel may struggle to speak the same language but the reader can. Enright’s prose is so fluid – each word chosen with care, each sentence performing the trick of appearing effortless – that the reader enjoys the understanding for which the characters long.

This is a book that one wants to linger over and that demonstrates Enright’s crafted, reflective style at its peak.

Elizabeth Moss, owner of Heron Books

Bridges, bridges, bridges

OUR £1.5 million investment has saved the much-loved Gaol Ferry Bridge from being lost. Inspections showed the bridge needed extensive structural work to make it safe after years of under investment in the harbour estate by previous administrations. These were, after all, the first major repairs in almost a century.

To celebrate restoring this vital and busy route, Wapping Wharf led the celebrations on Friday 8 September. After the patience of residents and businesses, events included live music, offers, and shops open well into the evening.

The repairs have given a new lease of life to this lightweight suspension bridge, which has been doing a lot of heavy lifting over the years as it is such a

popular route with pedestrians and cyclists, and the bridge has been carrying more people than it was originally built for.

On top of structural repairs, Gaol Ferry Bridge has been repainted and looks fantastic, although we do have a small number of finishing touches to make after its reopening.

I am thrilled we have safeguarded the bridge for the future, however, there is an ongoing conversation to be had about the longer-term need for another bridge in the area. As we continue to tackle the backlog of repairs that we inherited, and as our city’s population continues to grow, our administration is also looking ahead to future opportunities for a new crossing. The previous administration cancelled

plans for one over the New Cut (between the Coronation Road/Camden Road junction and Cumberland Road), despite planning permission and Department for Transport funding being in place. We are now in the process of revisiting those proposals as we look to reassess the business case for a new crossing.

We are moving our attention to Vauxhall Bridge, which links Southville and Spike Island, and Sparke Evans Park Bridge, which links the Paintworks development with Sparke Evans Park. Both of these footbridges need urgent structural repairs. Work is also set to start soon on New Brislington Bridge, which will not affect use of the bridge as it will involve a detailed assessment on the condition of

the structure.

The remaining bridges on our list that we need to repair include Banana Bridge (Langton Street Bridge) and the twin bridges of Bedminster Bridge and Bath Bridge. Bridges are vital to our city and have been overlooked for too long; I am proud that our administration is tackling these difficult infrastructure projects to keep Bristol connected.

Marvin Rees shares his views with the Voice

n HISTORY WITH JULIAN LEA-JONES

Tide of washday memories hanging out on the line

NOWADAYS, washing machines cater for everything from a single silk scarf to a load of muddy football strip.

But years ago washday was laborious and occupied most of Mondays. The early machines comprised a heated tub and electric mangle which developed into a second tub containing a spin dryer - the ‘Twin Tub’.

As late as the mid 1960s even basic machines were expensive and I can remember a town where an entrepreneur purchased a twin tub machine and took it around on a trolley behind his bicycle. The housewife rented it for an agreed time, after which he would collect it and tow it to the next customer!

The introduction of washing powders which included blue whiteners was another welcome innovation. Remember DAZ, OMO, Tide, Persil, Fairy, Acdo, and Rinso?

Just a few from the range promising to ease washday labour. One television advertising campaign featured the 'White Tide man' who aimed to visit every street in Britain with ‘white’ in its name. White Leaze off Southmead Road saw him surrounded by a group of happy smiling housewives displaying their whiter than white sheets, all thanks of course to the soap powder in question.

In the nineteenth century those who didn’t have a large house with their own laundress sent out their washing, usually to someone living in an overcrowded damp and ill ventilated house.

When cholera, typhoid and consumption, (Tuberculosis) were the main killers, the practice of taking in washing from more than one household at a time did much to spread disease.

William Budd, Bristol Royal Infirmary’s famous physician and epidemiologist, recognised that as well poor sanitation this practice was a cause of diseases he was endeavouring to prevent.

The situation was resolved by the establishment of municipal laundries on the edges of the city where washing could be dried outdoors. Plaques recognising William Budd’s life-saving achievements can be seen both at the top of Park Street and at Lansdown Place in Clifton.

By 1913 Bristol Directories listed at least 67 laundries. Among them were: Paxman’s at 1a Chandos Rd, Mrs Williams’ at 1 Golden Hill, The Golden Hill Laundry at 21 Golden Hill, The

The ads promised happiness for the housewife

Photo: Revision World

National Sunlight at 47 Henleaze Road, (later Paxman’s).

There were seven along Southmead Road, from just past the Fire Station to Filton: The Bristol Sanitary laundry, Fosters, The Clifton Steam Laundry, The Royal Southmead laundry, The Laundry, The Excelsior, and Samuel Shields Laundry.

I am sure many readers will remember other neighbourhood laundries. I recall Willways, who were at number 2 The Mall Clifton, and Bolloms, Cleaners & dyers, at 19 Regent Street, Clifton, (but nowadays in 2023, the site of Clifton Hardware).

Bolloms had shops at Grove buildings, Blackboy Hill, 109 Whiteladies Road, as well as 94a Whiteladies Road, and 93 Henleaze Road, 233 Southmead Road. Their premises were taken over by Johnson’s Apparelmaster.

The laundries took on contract and workwear cleaning when it was discovered that the tradition of machinists taking their overalls home to be washed did not remove all traces of harmful lubricants. These could sometimes contaminate other household laundry and cause harmful health problems. This prompted employers to arrange for work clothing to be professionally cleaned so as to removing the potential health risk.

Bristol marks anniversary of bus boycott

THE city has been marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the Bristol Bus Boycott with a series of sixty events and commemorations, from inspiring artwork to services and community activities.

The boycott in 1963 was seen by many as a shocking part of Bristol’s history – but one that led to huge changes in racial equality in the UK.

It started after 18-year-old Jamaica-born Guy Bailey was

refused a job as a driver with the Bristol Omnibus Company because he was black.

Guy was one of about 3,000 people of Caribbean descent who had come to Bristol after World War II, when the country was desperate for more workers.

Another among them was Roy Hackett, who emigrated to the UK in 1952, and had already been turned down for a labouring job because of his

colour when, in 1962, his wife Ena applied for a job as a bus conductor, and was refused.

Hackett and several other St Paul's residents including Owen Henry, Audley Evans and Prince Brown formed the West Indian Development Council to lobby for equal rights and were joined by Paul Stephenson.

Inspired by the refusal of Rosa Parks to give up her seat on a bus in Alabama and the ensuing Montgomery Bus

Boycott in the United States in 1955, the activists decided on a bus boycott in Bristol.

The four-month boycott ended on August 28, 1963 when Bristol Omnibus Company backed down and overturned its discriminatory ‘colour bar’ policy.

The success of the Bristol Bus Boycott is credited as paving the way for the UK’s Race Relations Acts of 1965 and 1968 and the Equality Act 2010.

Laundry services were a lifesaver

Photo: Bristol Museum Collections

n SPORT

Clifton make successful start to season

CLIFTON RUGBY CLUB

IN September 2022 a plaque, generously sponsored by CHIS, was unveiled by the then Lord Mayor and Clifton Councillor Paula O’Rourke outside the Kings Arms on Blackboy Hill to mark the 150th anniversary of the formation of Clifton Rugby Club at that location in 1872. A reception kindly hosted by the Wickwar Brewery, owners of the pub, was well attended and marked by the 1872 special brew

The founder members included representatives of Clifton families, local businesses and Clifton College. Strangely the club has never had a Clifton postcode playing base and after various venues around the north of the city settled at Cribbs Causeway in 1976.

Bristol’s oldest club was formed ahead of the Bristol Club and since the formation of leagues in the 1970s has maintained a strong position as a force in national rankings. The 1st XV plays in

National 2 West and last season narrowly missed out on promotion. Clifton is an inclusive club with a strong second team called the Wanderers who were promoted to the Counties 1 league, and a third XV involved in a local

league. Players of all standards are welcome and should contact Paul Fincken paulfincken@cliftonrugby. co.uk

In 1978 the club launched its mini and junior section which gathers on Sunday mornings for

n ADVERTORIAL Creating a colour palette

HERE at K Interiors, we love colourfocused interior design and, this month, we wanted to share with you our insight into how to choose a balanced colour palette for your interior scheme.

Award Winning Interior Design

Bespoke furniture & soft furnishings

Colour & style consultancy

children under 5 and upwards. A highly successful ladies team became the Bristol Bears Ladies. This season has started well with two 1st XV wins including away success at cross city rivals Dings Crusaders.

A function room is available for hire and local businesses are invited to join our growing number of local Clifton advertisers and sponsors.. Kelly Payme kelly@ cliftonrugby.co.uk is always happy to receive interest.

General enquiries via rogeropie@gmail.com

7 October 1st XV at home to Hornets 14.30

11 November

1st XV at home to Dudley Kingswinford & Wanderers to Cinderford 14.30

Whether you are looking to update

The classic fail-safe rule of décor is that 60% of any room should be one dominant colour, with 30% in a secondary colour, and the final 10% an accent colour.

Your dominant colour is typically applied to walls, floors, or ceilings, and its colour and tone will dictate the choice of your 30% secondary colour, which can be used for larger furniture pieces or soft furnishings, such as a sofa or window treatmentThe secondary colour will complement your dominant colour and be different enough to add interest to your space. The final 10% is where you can really individualise your colour scheme, giving an insight into your personality. Perfect for cushions, throws or artwork, to add pops of colour which make you smile and elevate the overall feel of the room. Remember to have fun with it! The same basic rule also works in tonal interiors, using different tones or shades of one colour to create a

harmonious palette.

Top tip: the easiest way to achieve a successful tonal scheme is to choose a paint brand offering different tones of the same colour.

If you would like to introduce more colour into your home, but are unsure how to start, a great first step would be to book one of our ‘Inspire’ sessions – a personal home visit where we share our expert advice, tips, and suggestions on how to bring your colourful interiors aspirations to life. See left for contact details.

October hot tip: Check out the humble colour wheel to understand which colours work well together.

Happy decorating!

one room or are embarking on a full house renovation or re-design, we are able to offer our colour-focused expertise

Roger Opie

Freddie Myatt (sponsored by Hartnell Taylor Cook)

Photo: Ian Clark

Two for one – get your Covid and flu jabs at the same time

KELLAWAY Pharmacy is now providing Covid and flu vaccines to protect people in our community who are most at risk against Covid and flu this winter, rolled out earlier than planned because of the emergence of a new Covid variant. You can have both jabs together as we know it is safe and saves you time. Yep, a 2 for 1 … Get protected today!

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says limited information about the new variant BA.2.86 is available. Still, we know it has many mutations and has appeared in several countries.

Anybody over 65, older adult care home residents and immunosuppressed people are being asked to receive jabs with the plan to provide to as many eligible people as possible by 31 October.

The NHS will contact you if you are eligible to book, but you can also check on the NHS website. Alongside those aged over

65 years,eligible groups include:

• Anyone aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group.

• Front-line health and social care workers, anyone aged 12 to 64 years who lives in the same house as people with weakened immune systems.

• People aged 12 to 64 who are household contacts of people with weakened immune systems.

• People aged 16 to 64 who are carers and staff working in care homes for older adults. How do you book? You can book your jabs through the NHS website, the NHS app or by calling 119. Provide our postcode BS6 7XR to access our lists. We have appointments at various times to make it convenient to attend.

Across the UK, by May 2023, nearly 176 million Covid vaccines had been given. We will also be offering walk-in

appointments for both jabs.

0117 9246579

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

Not sure if you are eligible for the flu vaccine? Check out our website : https:// bristolfluclinic.co.uk/

Although free NHS flu jabs are no longer available to those aged over 50, not in the at-risk groups, Kellaway Pharmacy has now rolled out an affordable private service.

The winter months can be a particular testing time for the NHS, but more importantly for people in our community who need care. Our aim will always be to protect the most vulnerable and facilitate timely access for all. So do book in and get your jab as soon as possible.

Any questions? Call us on 0117 9256579

PAINTING

Kevin Gapper Roofing