Henleaze & Westbury Voice December 2022

Central Library faces new threat

BRISTOL'S Central Library is again facing the threat of being relocated as the city council looks at ways to make massive budget savings.

The proposal to move the library from College Green to an undisclosed alternative base and make other reductions to the library service has been put forward in the annual budget conversation consultation, which runs until December 23.

The problem with the Central Library is that the heating costs are high.

The glorious building is Grade One listed, meaning any modifications, internal and external, are strictly controlled. Because of this, ripping out the heating system for a modern replacement or making substantial improvements to insulate it are too costly.

Libraries were last targeted for cuts in 2018 but the council changed its mind after a huge public outcry.

Bearing the brunt of cuts: Page 7

From the Mayor's Office: Page 18

Jane, 97, enjoys trip to wrestling

Care home staff made a wish come true for 97-year-old Jane Prosser - by taking her to a wrestling match.

PAGE 12

New station's opening delayed

The planned North Filton station will not now open until 2024, two years after the Arena on the Brabazon airfield site.

PAGE 5

Fountain repair will need funds

Residents will have to raise the money if they want the Tagart drinking fountain in Stoke Bishop repaired, councillors have been told.

PAGE 25

Ban on traffic to become permanent

IT was car-free for a trial period and now Princess Victoria Street in Clifton Village will be a permanent traffic-free zone.

In August 2021 a section of Princess Victoria Street was closed to road traffic between 11am to 5pm each day.

Since then, hospitality venues have placed tables and chairs on to the road for outdoor eating and drinking and more people have been walking and cycling to the high street in Clifton. Traffic data has also shown that fewer cars are travelling through Clifton Village as a whole.

Now the scheme has been approved, detailed designs will be drawn up to keep the road closure, retain space for businesses to trade outside, and improve the public realm. Funding opportunities for the scheme will also be explored.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “Over the past year Princess Victoria Street has been buzzing with people making the most of the traffic-free street to walk and cycle with confidence, do their shopping in a relaxed environment, and take advantage of all the outdoor eating and drinking.

The daily timed closure on Princess Victoria Street will remain in place while funding options are developed to make the closure permanent with higher-quality materials.

Bristol City Council 0117 922 2000 Citizens Advice Bureau 0344 499 4718 Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk General enquiries: 101 Emergency: 999 Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk General enquiries: 0117 926 2061 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

Bristol, Bristol - so good they named it twice

IF you’ve ever bought anything online and they ask for your address – does it irritate you that the suggested address ends with Bristol, Avon?

This county has ceased to exist, it is no more. It’s passed on. It has expired. It’s kicked the bucket! Shuffled off its mortal coil. This is an ex-county! (with acknowledgements to Monty Python’s dead parrot sketch)

The County of Avon was created in 1974 and abolished in 1996. Abolished – that’s quite a strong word and awfully final.

On the other hand the County of Bristol was created 600 years ago. The 22 year Avon period is just a blip on an otherwise glorious history.

No less a person that King Edward III issued a Great Charter in 1373 which –

“Grants that: Bristol be for ever in future alike separated and in all respects exempted from the said counties of Gloucester and Somerset both by land and by water, and that it be a county by itself.”

This by order of the King. So this great city has been its own County for centuries - six precisely - and yet the internet, and others cannot get this right. How many centuries will it take for “outsiders” to get this into their apparently thick skulls.

In 1974 Bristol councillors objected to being swallowed up in the new county of Avon and protested insisting the Edward III Charter still had legal force. Their petition to the powers that were failed.

The Charter even expressly points out that Bristol is to be entirely separated from Somerset and Gloucester. Even so the odd letter still gets through with Bristol, Glos as the address and less frequently Bristol, Somerset.

Perhaps next year when the County of Bristol makes a big fuss about its 600th birthday that idea will be noised abroad. We stand proudly independent. The address should be Bristol, Bristol. Nothing else will do. (or perhaps just Bristol)

I am reminded of a famous musical concerning sailors who had just one day to explore New York. Yes, the place that was so good they named it twice. “New York, New York is a wonderful town” they sang. The city of New York in the State of New York.

That applies to Bristol, too. Bristol in the County of Bristol. Sounds like the cue for a song!

“Bristol, Bristol is a wonderful town

The Downs are up and the fountains are down. The people don’t ride in a hole in the ground”

Just yet - in spite of the Mayor’s best efforts. Well, it’s a beginning. Properrrr celebrations start next year.

Roger Livingston, Editor

Edward III

Are you, or someone you know, going to be alone on Christmas Day?

CHRISTMAS time usually conjures up joyful images of family and friends celebrating, exchanging gifts, excited chatter and delicious food. For some people, however, it can be a dreaded, sad and lonely time. Bristol charity, the Marmalade Trust, understands how difficult Christmas can be for someone who is struggling with loneliness.

We don’t want anyone to spend Christmas Day alone if they don’t want to, so we invite them to join us for a free festive lunch on the big day.

Members are those who feel particularly lonely and isolated this year, for example, a person of an older age who may have no family or friends around.  To self-refer, or make a referral for someone else (with their consent), please go to  www.marmaladetrust.org/referrals or call  07566 244788

We’re still looking for more volunteers too!  If can spare a few hours around lunchtime on Christmas day please get in touch.  For all details head to our website or email christmas@marmaladetrust.org  / call 07566 244788

Marmalade Trust

Arena station set for two-year delay

THE new railway station to serve the Bristol Arena will be delayed until two years after the Arena opens. Fan capacity is 17,000 and it was hoped that thousands would get to and from the venue by train when it opens in 2024.

Re-designs on the footbridge and other aspects have been blamed on the delay. Trains are due to run from Temple Meads to Ashley Down, North Filton (the Arena stop) and Henbury but that now won’t happen until 2026.

The delay has dismayed local MP Darren Jones, the Mayor of Bristol and the West of England Combined Authority Mayor, Dan Norris. All are said to be pressing for the construction to be speeded up.

The new station, North Filton, would also serve the new houses being built on the development called Brabazon.

In the meantime the nearest stations are at Patchway, Filton and Parkway. It’s thought shuttle

buses could run between them and the Arena when capacity audiences are expected.

Even so when the station is in place GWR say they expect to run a half hour service which again would limit the number of fans hoping to attend by train. GWR say the infrastructure could not handle a 15 minute service unless it was upgraded – again limiting the number of fans who could

travel by train.

There has been constant controversy since the planned Arena site was moved from Temple Meads to the Brabazon Hangar. But the Mayor has always held that the move made sense financially.

He said: “When we came to office, we inherited the components of a plan to deliver a city centre arena, but began

to discover the numbers were unravelling. We were faced with borrowing over £160 million to build an arena with a 35 year break-even financial model with all the risk held by council taxpayers.

“The political wind from the council chamber, the Twitterati and commentariat supported building the arena there against the financial intelligence. We could have proceeded with the decision based on this political noise or we could make the right decision based on that financial evidence.

“If we had built the arena, we would have carried that debt and the new building into the lockdown. The financial and reputational consequences of that would have been considerable, to put it mildly. Instead, we now get homes, a hotel, conference centre and jobs on Temple Island, and the UK’s third largest and Europe’s most sustainable arena.”

YOURS SOONER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK

the need

Two awards for Ardagh community gardens

THE head gardener at the Ardagh Café gardens, Steve Galpin, says he was totally surprised when the RHS presented him with a second award.

He was aware that the Ardagh Community Trust was being presented with the Royal Horticultural Society's highest award - five stars: outstandingfor its gardens.

On the day, the team were given a second RHS award for the It’s Your Neighbourhood best Community Garden in the South West - about which Steve had “There were over 500 entries for that award and it was totally unexpected,” he tells the Voice.

Steve says that the success could not have been achieved without the volunteers. Ten of them are experienced gardeners, there’s help from pupils with learning difficulties from Claremont School and some

the local foodbank. You could say this garden is made by the community for the community.

Steve says they hope to expand their nursery production next year.

There are occasional plant sales which bring in much needed money, and Steve thinks they could improve that income stream.

Many visitors to the café say that they see the Ardagh as a real oasis of calm from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Recently they had a crowdfunder appeal to improve the surface of the paths and to install basketball hoops and nets in some of the tennis courts responding to many requests. It raised £10,000 which was matched by Sport England so that work will soon be under way.

“Slam Dunk!” as they say in the basketball world.

It was obvious that for each carer, looking after Mum was a labour of love and she looked forward to their visits. The care and kindness shown by them all was so helpful and welcome.

son

GPs treat their patients’ mental well-being by social prescribing volunteer gardening there. What’s more the majority

of plants in the garden are donated by local people and the vegetables they produce in the raised beds are sent off to

Libraries, parks and care homes could face the brunt of the cuts

BRISTOL'S Central Library could relocate as the city council seeks to cut millions from its budget next year. The historic library on College Green would be moved elsewhere, while the library service across the city would be reduced, saving £1.38 million from the budget.

Parks, transport and care homes could also face major budget savings next year, according to a consultation asking how the council should try to balance its books. Council tax is likely to go up next April, adding further pressure on people struggling with the cost of living.

Sky-rocketing inflation means everything the council pays for is now much more expensive than it used to be. Meanwhile, the government is expected to launch a second wave of austerity next year, slashing how much money councils across the country receive.

Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said: “Councils are underfunded and the government shows no partnership with city leaders to design services and places that support people in this financial crisis. As a result, we have to

balance a substantial shortfall in our funding and we must make the council smaller, do less and focus on our priorities, while making yet further efficiencies.”

It’s not clear where the Central Library would be relocated to. Bristol’s main library has been based in College Green for more than a century in a Grade-I listed building, which is now shared with Cathedral Primary School. Many libraries in the city previously faced the threat of closure, as part of budget proposals in 2018 which were later scrapped

after public opposition.

Elsewhere, council chiefs are consulting on saving £1.5 million from the parks service over the next two years with a plan to hand over park management to community groups. £840,000 is also planned to be saved from the transport budget over the next two years.

Care homes also face huge savings, including the potential closure of the East Bristol Care Centre, which would save £900,000 over two years. A further £1.5 million could be saved next year by cutting agency staff and managers.

More details about what the council’s budget will look like should be revealed in January next year, when the cabinet approves the draft proposals, before councillors sign off the final budget in February. The new budget then takes effect in April, at the start of the next financial year.

The public consultation runs until December 23: https://www.ask.bristol.gov. uk/budget-2023-24

Column: Page 23

Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Shop owners have cheese in their veins!

THERE’S a sheep’s milk cheese that’s made in the wilds of Redland. You’ve not seen many sheep there I know, but the cheesemaker buys in sheep’s milk and sets about the mystery alchemy that causes such delight. Blessed are the cheesemakers!

“Wandering Ewe”, described as Bristol’s Manchego, is just one of the cheeses on offer at the new cheese shop in North View. It’s called L’Affinage du Fromage which opened on Halloween. No tricks – only treats.

Husband and wife team Leo and Louise Wirtz have cheese in the soul, or maybe they were imprinted when young. Leo has no difficulty calling up the cheese room at his father’s restaurant and Louise was brought up on a dairy farm in Gloucestershire where they made cheese.

In spite of the French name, Louise says that about 80 percent of their cheeses are British and locally sourced. Not because they were influenced

by Liz Truss and her famous “cheese speech”, rather they go by the taste.

What does “L’Affinage” mean? It’s one of those words without an exact match in English, but essentially it means

those who know how to “age and refine” the cheese to perfection. You may remember Louise from the Whiteladies Road Saturday market where she sold pies, chutneys and relishes as Snowdrop Cottage and theirs

was the cheese stall as well. They saw an opportunity to move into the old bookshop on North View because one of their market customers was chatting about Max Minerva’s bookshop moving to Henleaze High Street leaving a vacancy.

Additionally the shop shelves are stacked with olives and relishes, other comestibles, wines and port wines. They are open from Tuesday to Saturday. Many drop in to look around are offered a taste of the cheese - and then it’s too late.

Assistant Joanne withLouise at the cheese counter

Marvin Rees considers running to become MP

BRISTOL mayor Marvin Rees is considering running in the general election in 2024 as a Member of Parliament. His second term as mayor finishes in May 2024, which is likely to be when the next general election will take place.

The city is due to get a fifth MP at the next election, after the Boundary Commission proposed creating a new Bristol North East constituency. Asked on Radio Bristol if he would consider standing in the new seat, the mayor said he would “throw his hat into the ring”.

Mr Rees has served as mayor of Bristol since 2016 and is halfway through his second term. He will be Bristol’s last mayor before the city switches to a committee-run council, after voters in a referendum earlier this year decided to scrap the unpopular mayoral model.

Mr Rees told presenter John Darvall: “I would admit that after talking to my family, I do kind of

feel that there’s a little bit more in my political journey.

“If there’s an opportunity to step into politics in Parliament and do something for Bristol, and do something for the country and the world, then if people choose me, then yeah I’ll throw my hat into the ring.

“This is my city. I wouldn’t have run around the country, that’s not what it’s about. For me it’s about politics in Bristol. The fact that the boundary review does create a space in Bristol, a platform in Bristol, to do more work with Bristol is an incredibly interesting alignment of events.”

The next general election must be held before January 2025, five years since the last one, but the government is expected to call one sooner.

Mr Rees would have to go through the Labour Party's selection process to become a candidate for the seat.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Boundary changes

NEXT General election – if it happens after next summer –will see changes to the Bristol North West Constituency.

The Boundary Commission who dictate these things have proposed new constituency boundaries. Bristol is to have a new constituency MP – the fifth for the City – in Bristol North East. The changes mean that Lockleaze ward will move to that new constitiuency.

In Bristol North West Darren Jones MP has said that he regrets losing the Lockleaze ward with its vibrant and diverse community. His constituency though gains a new ward – Bishopston and Ashley Down where he says he is keen to look after and represent the interests of his new constituents who live there.

Anyone can feed back comments and suggestions to the Boundary Commission at www. bcereviews.org.uk but they have to do this before 5th December. In the first two consultations they say they had 45,000 responses and adjusted nearly half of their proposals because of this feedback. Their final report setting the new proposals in stone for future General Elections will be published in July.

Darren Jones

Alasdair aims for the top in urban farming

YOU may have had them raw with a drizzle of a light vinaigrette or perhaps sautéed briefly. Pea shoots are definitely a thing and one local grower has taken to them with a will.

He’s Alasdair Marchant who’s started his farming business in Temple Meads. Alasdair, from the Bishopston end of Horfield Common, where there are actual green fields, has taken to technology to grow his crops in a process known as vertical farming in the barren warehouseland that surrounds the mainline station. It’s farming Jim, but not as we know it.

Along with pea shoots he grows other micro-greens like early radish and leeks as well as a host of herbs - basil, dill coriander and parsley and cress.

He’s managed to find a market in stores like Better Foods, cafes like Fed and some Japanese restaurants. He sells 1000 bags of pea shoots a month. His pots of herbs stay fresh for far longer than the bags of fresh

herbs bought in supermarkets.

His researches have shown that with vertical farming it’s almost as if you have several “fields” one on top of the other. So that means the yield is much higher. Scaled up, vertical

farming can offer more than fifty times the yield of conventional farming.

Grown indoors in a controlled environment there’s no need for pesticides. Getting the climate control just right has been a trial

and error learning curve, but things are going well just now.

It’s still early days yet but Alasdair has plans to get bigger or rather taller as an urban farmer, if you see what I mean. All the vertical terracing has been designed and built by himself as well as the irrigation system.

Sowing the seed, nurturing the shoots, harvesting, bagging and packing the product and delivering to retailers is currently a one man band operation. It’s not a greenhouse environment so the energy costs are relatively low.

“This last year I’ve learnt a lot. Becoming a reliable grower was the top priority, keeping my buyers happy. Expansion upwards is the next ambition with a larger harvest. I want to get to the point where it’ll be worthwhile paying a distributor to help me get the crops to market,” says Alasdair, already several steps up the ladder of ambition.

bristolurbanfarms @gmail.com

Jane, 97, goes to the wrestling

SUE Thorne, deputy manager for Katherine House and Griffiths House on the Downs, recently set up the One Wish Project to make wishes come true for residents. One of the first wishes granted was for 97-year-old Jane Prosser who has a passion for wrestling, dating from when she used to go to watch matches with her late husband, Jack.

With the ‘wish challenge’ accepted, the Wellbeing Team were on it! Research led them to a Kapow and Southern Wrestling Foundation (SWF) wrestling match, which took place in Thornbury. Kapow wrestling describes itself as the UK’s number one family friendly wrestling federation, promising high energy sports entertainment.

Jane, accompanied by two care home assistants Sabrina Green and Imogen Spencer, was thrilled to attend the match and absolutely loved the whole event. Jane said: “We had a brilliant time together, this is a day I will never forget.”

The highlight of Jane’s evening was meeting one of the wrestlers after the match. “So many memories came flooding back to me of evenings out with my beloved husband

Jack. We didn’t often manage to get out, but when we did it would more often than not be to watch a wrestling match”.

The One Wish Project is all about supporting the wellbeing of care home residents, by helping them to remember happy times and to achieve unfulfilled ambitions. Another benefit for residents is getting back out into the community after the

very difficult lockdown times.

“We love a challenge,” said Sue, “the residents bring us so much joy everyday, we want to give something back to them. We constantly look for ways to push the boundaries and expectations for care home events and activities and the One Wish Project really helps us to deliver on this commitment”.

Sometimes a problem shared is a problem halved - at least for a while.

does peer support mean in

ARE you sometimes in a conversation with someone and they finish your sentence? Or do you only have to say a couple of words and the someone you are chatting to “gets” what you are trying to explain, straight away, with no examples needed or further discourse required? Or when someone asks, “How are you?” and appreciates “I’m ok” means anything but.

On occasion and depending upon the subject matter, and how you are feeling, this can be so satisfying and reassuring.

That’s how someone with a mental health condition can feel sometimes, especially

when talking with someone who understands or better still knows and experiences how a troubled brain works. One can feel less isolated and can appreciate that someone else is in your club and speaks the same language. This is where peer support from a lived experienced individual can be so powerful in helping those with all sorts of “troublesome” mental health conditions and diagnoses.

Peer support is not a new idea and can be identified in many areas other than within mental health approaches, but the adage “it takes one to know one” and the notion “been there and done that“ does apply in this field.

Peer support can be as simple as texting someone you know who has struggles like yourself. And being prepared to accept texts too. It’s called checking in. It can be voluntary or a paid role in an organisation, such as Second Step. The support can be one to one or as part of a group and should be

non– threatening and non- judgemental. The individual receiving support should feel that their condition, and hence their behaviour is normalised, that the support is mutually agreed upon and there is no hierarchy in the relationship. They connect as equals. There should be an aim to share information and lived experience and hopefully a find a gentle way forward.

Social-prescribing is one way which effective peer support by lived experience individuals can be implemented. For me social-prescribing - being part of a group with my Peers - does afford me a sense of belonging for a couple of hours once a week.

• www.mind.org.uk

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_support

• https://www.secondstep.co.uk/volunteer/ volunteer-opportunities/

Birds on

Have you noticed a gentle, burbling bird song in your garden or local park? It will be a Robin and could be a female as they will also sing in the Autumn and Winter. The song is very different from the familiar spring time song. It could also be a migrant bird. Your ‘resident’ Robin may be elsewhere with birds from further North or continental Europe taking their place in Winter. Enjoy the experience – bird song will lift your spirits and the effect lasts for hours. Other Winter migrants, particularly if you have feeders, include Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch. All the finches are in decline due to many factors including some nasty diseases that can spread from contaminated feeders or bird baths, so keep yours clean. You might have Chaffinches in your local park in the Spring and Summer but they visit gardens, generally, only in the Winter. Fieldfare and Redwing will also Winter in the UK. Look out for Waxwings too. There is a poor berry harvest in Scandinavia and we expect an influx as the weather gets colder. We will focus on them in a future article.

doorstep

Alastair Fraser Bristol Ornithological Club Avonbirding.blogspot.com

Chaffinch (Keith Williams)

Goldfinch (Keith Williams)

Greenfinch (Keith Williams)

A new kind of care

By Cecilia Casadio Greenway Care Connect Manager, Southmead Development Trust

I AM delighted to announce the opening of a new kind of care for North and West Bristol. Here at the Southmead Development Trust we have created Greenway Care Connect with the purpose of giving more choice and control to those who need support.

We offer a service that truly allows people to live their lives in the way they want to, with the support of carers they truly enjoy spending time with. We have opened up new, well-paid local work opportunities for residents to both support existing carers to remain in the care sector and to bring good and reliable new workers to the industry. I am enormously proud that despite many challenges we have now been able to launch a service which does everything we set out to do.

One of our clients is Dennis. We have been working with Dennis and his family to find the right person to support him. We connected him with Simone who he now spends two hours each

week with. Simone is typical of the kind and enthusiastic care workers we carefully partner with at Greenway Care Connect. Dennis and Simone now spend time playing games, reminiscing about things that are meaningful to Dennis, as well as planning weekend day trips. I am absolutely delighted to have been able to facilitate this match which has brought a lot of joy to Dennis as well as Simone. Dennis has chosen the times he would like to be supported, for how long and what he would like support to do.

Everyone’s needs are different and you might need more hours with your Carer and support with different aspects of daily living such as personal care, cleaning, shopping, collecting children from school, or going to clubs and classes. This flexible approach means greater wellbeing for both clients and their care-partners.

In the New Year I’m really looking forward to supporting many more people to find the right kind of care and the right kind of care work. So if you and your family are thinking about how to meet care needs in 2023 please do get in touch with me to talk through plans and ideas.

LOOKING FOR A CARER?

GREENWAY CARE CONNECT

A

of Care

new Kind

We connect you with trusted carers who have signed up to our standard of care practices. We can help you find the best support to cater for your lifestyle and needs, and at times to suit you.

Give your thoughts on council’s budget

LIKE many organisations, Bristol City Council has a cost of operating crisis, which will affect our ability to carry out all the activities we want to and may affect our ability to provide the services we want.

Over the next five years we must find a mix of additional income and cost savings between £37.5m and £87m, which equates to 9% to 20% of the council’s core budget. As part of our consultation on the annual budget, we set our proposals for reducing costs and generating further income that amount to £46m over the coming five years. With still some way to go to balance the worst-case five-year budget gap, further difficult decisions may be required in February 2023 and beyond to bridge the estimated £41m gap remaining.

We’re not alone. The Local Government Association have estimated £3.4 billion in additional costs for councils in 2023/24, rising to £4.5 billion in 2024/25. Nine in ten councils nationally expect

budget shortfalls next year and we’re no different.

How did we get here? This is a crisis that’s been over a decade in the making, with many years of austerity slashing council funding, with government support failing to keep pace with increasing costs and demand. In February this year, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities approved its plans for funding local government for the following three years. It was a plan that meant councils would get an upfront amount of money to fund themselves for the period of the plan, based on the financial circumstances of the time. This was a plan that local government leaders agreed would result in real terms cuts for services and would result in financial difficulties for councils in years two and three.

Since the council passed its current budget and five-year outlook in March 2022, there have been significant changes on a national and global stage that

are having a direct impact on the authority’s financial forecasts. Inflation in the UK has risen sharply in recent months, climbing above 10% in September, pushing up the price of goods, services and energy for everyone in the country. Global events, such as the invasion of Ukraine, are also having an effect on international markets which impact directly on the cost of living. These issues add pressure onto a local government system that is already struggling.

This consultation sets out the full scale of the challenge we face. It makes for uncomfortable reading in places but must be read by also recognising that our proposals are to ensure the budget is balanced and the finances exist to fund the vital work we’re doing. If we are to continue to meet our statutory obligations including providing housing, delivering care for the elderly and disabled, creating school places, and helping people through the cost-of-living crisis, we are going to have to be prepared

to let go of some of the things we’ve fought hard to protect over the past six years.

I urge everyone to take part in this conversation to help inform our approach and the Budget decisions that need to be taken in February next year. To share your thoughts before the consultation closes at midnight on Friday 23 December, visit: https://www.ask. bristol.gov.uk/budget-2023-24

You can request alternative formats of the document via consultation@bristol.gov.uk or 0117 922 2848

This month Bristol's Deputy Mayor, Craig Cheney, on the council's finances

Can

help SusWoT?

SusWoT organises activities in Westbury and Henleaze trying to make living here more en joyable, sustainable and have fun as we go. We do some things that could be more effective with more people. If you are interested in get ting involved with any of the following, please email suswot2050@gmail.com.

Helping People to grow their own food. Lots of people would like to do this, but don’t know where to start or when. To help people get started SusWoT grows hundreds of plants for people to grow in their own garden or in pots. We start sowing in the winter and the plants are sold in the spring at local events and online. If you would like to help grow vegeta ble plants from seed or look after seedlings that would be great, particularly if you have a greenhouse.

Litter Picking. There about 50 people in Westbury and Henleaze who have their own round that they keep tidy. A round is a group of streets and paths. However, there are some places that do not have a litter picker, par ticularly in Henleaze. SusWoT also organises a group litter-pick on the last Sunday of every month from 11am to 1pm, sometimes in a neighbouring area. SusWoT provides all the equipment needed. The more people keeping

our area clean and tidy the easier it will be. Litter picking is a great excuse for a walk with a friend. If you know somebody who might look after a round with you, why not ask them and do it together?

River Cleaning and Balsam Bashing. Sus WoT is part of the Trout in the Trym group of eight local organisations working to improve the river Trym and Hazel Brook. Trout in the Trym provides all the equipment needed to clean the river and the banks and open spaces they run through. Trout in the Trym follows the guidance from Bristol City Council to ensure that all river cleaning is done safely.

River Cleaning takes place on Friday 10-12 and Sunday 11-1pm weather permitting. Balsam bashing will restart in April, when we will need people to start looking for Balsam plants germinating so that they can be bashed before they set seed.

Voles and Otters in the Trym? Sightings in the Trym of voles and otters have been reported. SusWoT, as part of Trout in the Trym, using funding from the Bristol Avon Catch ment Partnership, will be working with experts looking for signs of otters and water voles to confirm these reports. There will be training for volunteers to identify their presence. This project will also work to improve the habitat in the area to help voles and otters thrive.

Decarbonising Home Heating. SusWoT

is working with other local organisations to help people reduce their CO2 emissions by improving their insulation and installing an Air Source Heat Pump. SusWoT is looking for any homeowners with an ASHP already installed to show people how it is working for them and the benefits and any issues they have.

Community Gardens. SusWoT maintains two community gardens, one is by Westbury library where vegetables are grown and the other is a detached plot just outside the Stoke Lane allotments.

SusWoT and Trout in the Trym Websites. SusWoT has its own website and maintains the Trout in the Trym website. Any help running these would be welcome, whether it is writing articles or making them look and work better.

SusWoT meets in Westbury Village Hall on the last Thursday of the month at 7:30pm. If you would like to come to a meeting please let us know.

n LIBRARY NEWS & BOOK REVIEW

Small Things Like These

by Claire Keegan

This is a haunting, Bookershortlisted novella that deals with themes of institutional repression and the tensions between conscience and conformity. Set in a small Irish town in the 1980s, it opens in the bad weather and failing light of the weeks leading up to Christmas. The main character is a merchant called Furlong who travels around town delivering coal and timber, thereby setting up his role from the start as a symbolic bringer of warmth and light. This leading man cuts a quietly unheroic figure, however, with Keegan repeatedly presenting him in the first half of the novel hovering undecidedly in one doorway after another.

Keegan’s tale is a mere 73 pages long, but still manages to portray Furlong’s inner life in great detail through the chance meetings and conversations of his daily rounds. He carries his

own mixture of light and dark; the hubbub of unrelenting family chores and the warmth of homelife in a jampacked terrace along with his wife and five daughters contrasts with memories of his own childhood, through which Keegan gradually reveals that Furlong is the illegitimate son of the housekeeper in the local ‘big house’.

Furlong, we come to discover, has struggled long and hard to overcome the stigma of his childhood but has finally won acceptance in his staunchly conformist community. Still, this is a place where, as his wife’s list of the day’s gossip underlines, everybody knows everything about everyone, and it’s within this context of strong, sometimes suffocating social networks that Furlong stumbles across the secret which threatens to undermine the townspeople’s sense of their own decency and virtue.

The writing in ‘Small Things Like These’ is clear and understated but uses minimalistic touches of imagery to unsettling effect. The plumes of smoke from the town’s chimneys are ‘hairy ropes’ and even more jarringly, his wife’s chatter has

a hissing undertone which makes Furlong flinch from her determined energy. As Christmas creeps nearer, he is occupied more and more with memories of the isolation that plagued his youth; he is drawn back into his childhood desire to know who his father was and into the disappointment he felt when given a hot water bottle rather than a jigsaw for his Christmas present - because it would be ‘useful’.

When, hidden in the darkness of a coal cellar, Furlong discovers another outcast who has failed to live up to the standards demanded by the institutions which rule his town, he slowly begins to understand the reasons both for his old gifts and his old longings. As he wrestles with the dilemma of conscience versus pragmatic necessity, he also faces up to the task of finally piecing together the small pieces of his own life’s puzzle.

I really enjoyed this little gem of a story. Superbly constructed, it allows the tensions of the narrative’s different historical perspectives to illuminate both Furlong’s dilemma and all its painful consequences. The small, silent things that

Furlong contemplates in the run up to the Nativity become an obsession both for him and the reader, and ultimately, the narrator suggests, leave him vulnerable to the possibility of calamity as well as deliverance. Yet in his transformation into an unstoppable force, Furlong becomes a figure of hope and redemption which Keegan offers as a balance to the dark places in recent Irish history that she takes us to.

Emma – Library Assistant

Henleaze Library

0117 9038541

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Bristol's £4m cost-of-living fund

BRISTOL City Council is spending £4 million this winter on supporting vulnerable people struggling with the cost of living. The money will be spent on services like free school meals during holidays and helping people with unaffordable energy bills.

The Household Support Fund is aiming to help get through the winter months as inflation skyrockets and the economy enters another recession. The money is coming from the government, with millions being given to other councils across the country.

Council bosses approved the spending plan for the £4 million at a cabinet meeting last month. The mayor said the list of how the cash will be spent was “heartening, but not enough”.

Deputy mayor Craig Cheney, cabinet member for finance, said: “Bristol will receive £4 million to support those in need with the cost of food, energy, water bills and other essential household items from October to March.

“We will be spending £1.9 million on free school meals for children over October, Christmas, February and Easter; £709,000 will be given to various charities to assist low-income households with food and fuel poverty; £350,000 to add to the local crisis prevention fund; and £220,000 to assist care leavers and foster families with food and heating costs.”

Extra support for people struggling with the cost of living is also available on the council’s website, with details of a helpline, help with fuel bills and food, advice for older people and disabled people, and locations of Welcoming Spaces set up as warm hubs across Bristol.

The Household Support Fund was first announced in September last year, and this £4 million is the third rollout of the fund. This time less cash will be earmarked for the elderly, after Bristol’s MPs urged the government to loosen the rules about how it should be spent.

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/people-andcommunities/cost-of-living-support

Flute concert date

SOMETHING a bit unusual as a Christmas entertainment comes to Henleaze this December, an “Evening of Romantic Flute Music”.

Flautist Emily Bell and Pianist Helen Mills for will be playing from the beautiful repertoire of the French Romantic Period with pieces from the likes of Debussy, Faure, Widor, Goddard and Hue.

You can also expect some festive music with guests coming along to perform in duets and ensemble pieces. They will be raising funds for Sobell House Hospice (Charity No. 1118646) in memory of Emily’s mother by asking for a suggested donation of £5 at the door of the event.

There will be a short interval with refreshments of wine and mince pies. What’s not to like!?

‘An Evening of Romantic Flute Music’ at 7.30pm on the 14th December at the Trinity Henleaze URC Church, Waterford Road, BS9 4BT.

Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Westbury Forum is returning

longish

remember that, pre-Covid, we held a quarterly meeting

members of the community to receive updates from our Councillors and Police Officers and to raise and discuss any issues and items of concern. It also provided an opportunity for discussion of other matters, such as tree planting, electric scooters, etc. During the Covid lockdown, the Councillors moved to a monthly Zoom meeting, covering both Westbury and Henleaze, and this is intended to continue in the future.

However, it has been pointed out that these meetings do not cover everything that used to occur in the Forum meetings and, also, that many people do not have access to Zoom. We have therefore decided to reinstate the Westbury Forum meeting, and the first one will take place in Westbury Library on Tuesday December 13th, beginning with coffee and biscuits at 7:30pm. As well as providing a venue which is closer to home for many of the community, it will allow us to show how the Library can be used as a community hub for evening events, so we hope you will come along on the 13th. Because the front doors of the library are controlled by the Extended Access system, we have been asked to use the side entrance, which involves two steps; if this would cause you difficulties, please let me know in advance. If you have any other questions, or would like to make any announcements in the meeting, please contact me on 0117 9502825 or by email at westburyforum@gmail.com

Malcolm Neave

Pop-up shop opens

IF you like to send charity cards at Christmas a new pop-up shop has opened in Tyndale Baptist Church in Whiteladies Road.

There’s a large number of cards for almost any charity you can name RNLI lifeboats, Dementia charities, Help for Heroes, Mind, Cancer charities, NSPCC, Samaritans, Shelter, Barnardo’s, British Heart Foundation, Autistic Society and many others.

The stall in the foyer of the church is full of cards and advent calendars too. Staffed by volunteers - it’s a regular festive event for them. They are open 10-4pm Monday to Saturday and hope to stay open till Friday December 16 – this depends on volunteers' availability.

So why not pop-in to the pop-up card shop this year?

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Ukranians remembered

UKRAINIANS from the local Hub joined the Westbury-on-Trym community at the Remembrance Service at the War Memorial. Oksana Dokuchaieva and her sons laid flowers in remembrance of those killed in conflict in Ukraine. Estimates suggest that as many as 200,000 on all sides may have become casualties in this conflict –tens of thousands have lost their lives.

Funding's dried up ...

IT’S more than a hundred years old, it’s a Grade II listed monument in need of repair but the council says there just isn’t enough money to fix it.

The Tagart drinking fountain in Druids Hill was donated to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in 1897. Now though, some of the wood has rotted, and it needs to be repainted.

Residents have made numerous requests to the council to have it repaired.

Local councillor Henry Michallat raised their concerns with the Mayor at Bristol City Council . But a written reply from the Mayor said: “Given the current pressures on our budget, with our capital budget oversubscribed, it is highly unlikely that this can be prioritised for repair.”

The reply further suggested that as the memorial had been donated to the city by a local resident and was not built by the council, then perhaps local people could raise the funds to restore it.

“Whilst we understand that Tagart’s Fountain was donated, rather than placed by Bristol City Council, It has been the responsibility of the Council since being gifted - so the Council is primarily responsible for its upkeep. It is a great shame that the Mayor doesn’t share the same enthusiasm for saving this important, beloved Grade II listed monument.

“We will continue to argue the case to the Mayor and the Council about the importance of saving the fountain, as well as working with local residents in trying to find a way to save it, says Cllr Michallat.

Ofsted rates Henleaze Infants as 'Good'

HENLEAZE Infanst School has been deemed to be good in all areas in a recent Ofsted inspection.

The previous inspection suggested that improvements were required and this time school leaders, governors and staff were found to have successfully raised expectations across the school. Morale among the staff was said to be high.

The school has 225 pupils aged four to seven and the inspectors recognised that this was a nurturing school. Their report said there was a strong sense of teamwork running through all that they do. The vast majority of parents hold the school in high regard. Pupils were developing good learning habits right from the start. Their personal development was given a high priority at the school and strategies were in place to reduce pupil anxieties. “Worry bins” where pupils could leave notes about any worry they had and

“well-being time” were in place. Reading was given a high priority. Pupils enjoyed reading. Those who could not keep up were given effective support.

Leaders worked well with parents running workshops to give parents the information they need to help pupils at home. By the time pupils leave Key Stage

,1 they become increasingly confident readers.

Inspectors said pupils enjoyed celebrating festivals in school such as Diwali, Harvest and Hannukah, broadening their cultural and diversity understanding. Pupils say,“ It doesn’t matter who you play with as long as you are kind.”

Ofsted recommended two areas for improvement. They said the curriculum should be adapted to meet the precise needs of different groups of pupils and they noted that systems to assess how well pupils are learning in some of the wider curriculum areas meant that not all subject leaders had a full understanding of how well their pupils were doing.

Headteacher Gemma Fricker said, “We are particularly pleased that the inspectors recognised our personal development aims for the pupils and it was encouraging to hear that they saw the children reflecting our values of respect and inclusion as well as noticing how ambitious we are for each and every learner.

"They recognised Henleaze Infants is a forward thinking school always looking to improve further. The report is a testament to the hard work of our committed staff and the whole school community.”

School leaders including headteacher Gemma Fricker third from left, with Vincent, Otis, Milana, Albie, Ernie and Eliott

Redmaids’ High students commemorate the school's founders

GIRLS from Redmaids’ High in Bristol have marked the founding of their school as they marched through Bristol to take part in a grand tradition which dates back to the 1790s.

Over 700 students aged 7 to 18 processed from Welsh Back to Bristol Cathedral for a special service.

The school’s annual Founders’ Commemoration Day attracts people back to Bristol from across the country as alumnae, parents, and members of the public line the route to watch this historic spectacle.

Head Paul Dwyer explains why marking this day is still so important to students, staff, and the wider school community.

“This is an extremely important day for us as we gather to celebrate the heritage of Redmaids’ High School, and remember our founders John Whitson, and the Reverends T G Rose and Urijah Thomas.

“This occasion allows us to thank these forward-thinking people whose commitment to girls’ education back then has had such a lasting impact.

“I think they would be delighted to know that all these years later, the school continues to thrive and flourish.”

Engineering apprentice wins national award

UWE Bristol student Jared Newnham has been named the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Apprentice winner.

Jared, 20, is a third year aerospace engineering degree apprentice, undertaking a placement as an airworthiness certification manager at DE&S Air Domain, Ministry of Defence. He was nominated for demonstrating outstanding initiative by developing a regulatory-compliant procedure that has been used for multiple complex technical queries. His work has been such a success it is being rolled out to other projects.

Jared has become a keen advocate for engineering within the community, coordinating an outreach event to promote careers to sixth form students and mentoring classmates.

Outside work, Jared has a keen interest in exploring the outdoors through hikes and amateur astronomy.

On receiving the award, Jared

said: “I can’t believe that I’ve been chosen as the IET’s Apprentice winner for 2022. There are so many apprentices doing great things across engineering so to be given this award makes me really proud.

“For anyone thinking about taking up a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering

and maths), I would definitely recommend looking into apprenticeships. My placement with the Ministry of Defence has led to so many incredible opportunities which I will look back on fondly and which will hopefully lead to a long and enjoyable career.”

The IET Achievement Awards

exist to recognise individuals from all over the world who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of engineering, technology and science in any sector. This can be through research and development in their respective technical field or through their leadership of an enterprise.

Professor Bob Cryan, IET president said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Jared who has been making great waves in the world of engineering despite being so early on in his career.

It is inspiring to see that Jared is using his passion for STEM to help teach others about the opportunities available to them, increasing awareness among members of his community."

The Achievement Awards are part of the IET’s Awards and Scholarships programme, which celebrate excellence and research in the sector and encourage the next generation of engineers and technicians. Find out more at www.theiet.org/achievement

n EDUCATION

Sporting chance to turn lives around

SGS College has been awarded the AoC Beacon Standard in Widening Participation for the innovative In2Sport programme.

This recognises colleges that have gone above and beyond in a particular field.

The In2Sport programme started in October 2021 and aims to provide sport education op-portunities for individuals with experiences of the criminal justice system. The learners on the programme typically start the course shortly after release from prison, helping them to gain the qualifications needed to enter employment within the fitness industry.

Megan Knowelden, learning area manager for adult aducation, said: “We are extremely proud to have received recognition for our In2Sport programme. We are fortunate to work with learners that are striving to turn their lives around and make a difference within their community. These individuals are an example that it is never too late to learn or to lead a different life. We are proud to be educating the next generation of personal trainers.”

Kyle Lawrence is just one example of this success. Kyle joined the first cohort of In2Sport students upon his release from HMP Bristol back in 2021.

Upon successful completion of year 1 of the programme, Kyle gained full-time employment as a fitness instructor. In September 2022 Kyle returned to SGS College to progress and undertake a Level 3 Personal Training qualification. Kyle was also shortlisted for the AoC Adult Student of the Year awards 2022.

To find out more about the In2Sport programme please contact Megan Knowelden at megan.knowelden@sgscol.ac.uk

Book captures children's experiences of racism

A BOOK based on the experiences of children in Bristol and entitled If Racism Vanished for a Day has been launched.

It draws on research with pupils from three schools and aims to raise awareness as well as offer advice to teachers and parents on how to discuss racism and its impact on the wellbeing and mental health of young people.

The children, who were aged 10 and 11 and in their last year of primary during the UWE Bristol study, said: “We made this book because racism is not OK, and we want people to understand the way it affects us. Our book is about what it would be like if racism vanished for a day, and we hope that reading it will help people think about how they can change what they do. Racism is a really big deal. It shouldn’t have existed in the first place.”

Some of the youngsters, who are now at secondary school attended the launch and signed copies of the book, which features their drawings and thoughts.

Researchers found that children experience racism in multiple contexts and with multiple groups - at home, when out and about, and in school. They experience racism from within their family, between friends,

and from strangers, known adults

Lead researcher Dr Verity Jones, Associate Professor at UWE Bristol, said: “Sometimes these conversations might be tricky or feel uncomfortable, but the children in the project felt they were important conversations to try to have. For many teachers and educators, racism may feel like a highly politically charged area of debate and one that they feel uncomfortable or unsure of how to

approach. We hope this book, which provides accompanying teachers notes and questions for children to discuss, will bridge a gap in reading material currently available.”

The impact of racism on younger children’s mental health and wellbeing has been consistently overlooked in research in the UK, according to the UWE Bristol academics.

The researchers initially heard from 80 children who took part in a workshop led by artist Luci Gorell Barnes. This was followed by focus groups with over 40 children and interviews with their teachers.

The study highlighted that many children are deeply affected by institutional racism as depicted by the media, and found there is an urgent need for schools to develop greater racial literacy. It also recognised that racism is complicated and is experienced in different ways.

The project was funded by the mental health research network Emerging Minds. The If Racism Vanished for a Day book is available in print from respectprojectbristol. org or as an e-book at https://issuu.com/ uwebristol/docs/if_racism_vanished_ for_a_day

If Racism Vanished for a day is curated by Luci Gorell Barnes. Illustrations are by Alishba, Anaya, Aayan, Gurveer, Hanad, Hussain, Ibrahim, Julia, Jumma, Khadija, Kotha, Mariam, Rayan, Sade, Sadia, Zara and Zikra

2022 has been a very eventful year

EASY to forget that we started the year with concerns about the COVID-19 virus Omicron strain before events like the war in Ukraine, the highs of the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee and the sorry at her death shaped the year. Political and economic crisis – with inflation and the resulting cost-of-living crisis impacting all of us. All this plays out interwoven into our own life stories and events, the things we all carry and manage that have shaped our narratives. It need not all be negative or anxietyinducing, but for many people, the sense of uncertainty for what lies ahead and exhaustion

managing the present reality is how 2022 ends. Individually, but certainly combined, this can all negatively impact our mental wellbeing. Staying on top of our mental wellbeing is good for us now but also helps us manage difficult times in the future. Looking after our mental health is not something we should just do if we are struggling or feeling low, anxious or stressed. It's something we should think about all the time and invest in, just like with our physical health. How to do this?

The way we think, feel and behave are linked. So we must take active steps to recognise

and tackle unhelpful thought patterns or behaviours. We must be more mindful – gaining new perspectives by taking time to be aware of ourselves and be in the present moment, noticing our thoughts and feelings and the world around us. It is vital to get good quality sleep as it improves our mental and physical wellbeing. Connecting with people in the community, whether online, by phone or in person, spending quality time with friends and family to talk about how we are feeling or finding ways to help other people can all help stop you from feeling lonely and improve your

0117 9246579

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

mental health. Bin bad habits like smoking. Cutting down on alcohol and caffeine can lift your mood. Do things that make you happy, maybe even try a new hobby or learn a new skill. Develop and keep a reference point of Hope and Thankfulness. You can write down things to revisit when things are more challenging. At Kellaway Pharmacy, we are buoyed by the generous friendship, kindness and thoughtfulness of all our Community. Thank you for being our friends.

With Dawn Lawrence

Ivy for Christmas 2022

IVY has a long association with midwinter festivals; its living green leaves symbolise the turning of the year towards spring again, even as the days are at their shortest. Ivy was also credited with magical powers and one farming custom was to gather the leaves on Christmas morning and to ensure every animal had a bite before midday, thus protecting the animals from the Devil for twelve months. The belief in ivy’s supernatural power may have its origins in the plant’s value as winter fodder and reputation as a restorative for sickly livestock. Despite being poisonous to many smaller animals such as rabbits, and to humans, an extract from the berries is a traditional cough remedy and still used in cough medicines today.

Ivy is our only native evergreen liana – a plant that climbs other plants but does not parasitise them. It roots in the soil and photosynthesises like other green

plants and consequently can also climb fences and buildings with ease. The climbing stems bear the typical five-lobed leaves but when ivy decides that it has climbed enough it converts into its “mature” form, producing simple pointed oval leaves and branching outwards to form a bushy canopy which bears the flowers. On a dead trunk or a telegraph pole a vast head of mature ivy can appear very arboreal and is sometimes called an ivy tree.

Ivy is a great plant for wildlife with its flowers being amongst

the last in the year to bloom. They are small and green but provide invaluable food for many autumn insects: honey bees that are still working hard; Red Admiral and Peacock butterflies filling up for their hibernation; and autumnal moths such as Angle Shades feeding at night. There is even an ivy bee that specialises in feeding on the flowers. The fruit that follows is black and plump with a sloe-like bloom that rubs off to an eggshell sheen. The berries are a popular food for winter birds and, come spring, a thick head of ivy is

favoured as a nesting site by our garden blackbirds.

In Bristol the commonest ivy is not common ivy at all, but Atlantic Ivy which bears bigger, darker green leaves. Atlantic Ivy supports Ivy Broomrape - a small, truly parasitic plant with dull red flowering stems that grows amongst ivy on the ground and takes all its sustenance directly from the roots of its host. It is a nationally scarce species and because it prefers Atlantic Ivy it is much more common around Bristol and westwards than it is further east where common ivy predominates. One day we hope to find Ivy Broomrape in our garden, goodness knows we have given Atlantic Ivy a free enough rein!

Soon it will again be time to unwind a few of the loose ivy stems from our little apple tree to use for our Christmas decorations, bringing it into the house and giving ivy its traditional place of honour at the heart of our midwinter celebrations.

Dawn Lawrence

Kate Walsgrove of AMD Solicitors considers the dangers of homemade wills

bishopston bishopstonvoice voice

July, 2014 E: news@bishopstonvoice.co.uk follow us on Twitter @bishopstonvoice 23

Advertising Feature

The

will pass to someone who you may not want to benefit.

Reasons clients have mentioned for not making a Will include not having enough time, not wanting to talk about death and the cost involved. Concerns over fees may lead someone to prepare a home made Will.

Although a Will does not need to be prepared by a Solicitor, there are inherent dangers in preparing one yourself.

1. Invalidity

By Shelley Faulkner, solicitor with AMD Solicitors

valid Wills. It was quickly spotted, however, that the Wills had only been witnessed by one person at the time of signing.

Due to this small but vital mistake, these Wills were invalid from the day they were signed.

2. Changes in circumstance

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 %.

If you decide to get married and already have an existing Will, that Will will automatically be revoked on your marriage, unless it was drafted in expectation of the marriage. A professional would advise you of this but a lay person might not be aware of the affect of marriage if they are making a homemade Will. Equally, divorce effects inheritance under a Will.

A recent example of this involves a husband and wife who had each prepared identical homemade Wills. As far as they were concerned, from the time they had signed their Wills to the date they instructed us to make new ones, they had

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

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.

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.

difficult to prove that it is the last Will and often sworn statements are required from witnesses to provide evidence as to when they were signed.

3. Dates

Another situation we have come across is an undated Will. Although a date is not required for a Will to be valid, it is your last Will that must be proved on your death. If the Will does not have a date then it is

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

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.

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.

4. Inappropriate Clauses

If you try and take clauses from a previous will or use clauses from someone else’s Will without fully understanding what those clauses mean and what their effect will be,

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

you can end up with a Will that does not achieve what you wanted, with the result that some or all of your estate may go to someone you had not intended to benefit.

For advice on wills, inheritance tax, lasting powers of attorney administration of estates and all other private client issues please a member of our team on 0117 962 1205, email info@amdsolicitors. com or call into one of our four Bristol offices.

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

Copyright AMD Solicitors

News and views from our city councillors

Geoff Gollop (Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze)

The Council has now launched its Budget consultation. This is at https://www.ask. bristol.gov.uk/budget-2023-24

If you prefer a paper copy you can request one by calling 0117 922 2848. In Bristol, the Council forecasts “a gap in our budget in the region of £37.5 million to £87.6 million over the next five years.”

The consultation highlights how brutal the budget process is likely to be. The Council is asking about the Council Tax and the additional Social Care charge being increased by up to 6%.

The report looks at areas where the Council could spend money to save. There is no reason why the Council would not look to recruit its own foster parents or build temporary accommodation for homeless rather than pay exorbitant rents to landlords.

I am very concerned about the proposal to take £1.3m out of the Library budgetthat is likely to have a massive impact in Westbury and Henleaze, as would the proposed saving of £1.5m of the Parks budget. The Council is also proposing a £3m cut in the Council tax reduction scheme which will hit some of the poorest residents in our City

I urge you to take part in the consultation to make sure your voice is heard. The budget proposals will be published in mid-January, reviewed by Councillors at the end of January and debated and voted on at a Full Council meeting on 21st February 2023

• The report from external auditors on Value for money at WECA (the West of England Combined Authority) has now been published. It highlights the extent of the failings in management and decision making within WECA. You can see the report by looking at the agenda for the 17th November WECA audit committee on the WECA website. It is reassuring that the auditors recognise

the problems that Councillors had been concerned about, but disappointing that WECA itself will not accept its failings.

• Next ward zoom meeting at 7pm on Tuesday 6th December; please go to http://tiny.cc/ WandHDec22 to book in. The following meeting will be on 10th January,

• As a change from zoom, we are meeting in person for a ward Forum at Westbury Library at 7.30pm on Tuesday 13th December

• Email me to receive our e-newsletter that helps us keep you up to date with local matters.

• Contact. If you need help on any matter to do with Bristol City Council, email me Cllr.geoffrey.gollop@bristol.gov.uk or phone 0117 9039946.

• With very best wishes for a Happy Christmas

News and views from our city councillors

Sharon Scott (Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze)

Voi Scooters

I have received a couple of complaints recently regarding Voi scooters. This has not been complaints about them being on the roads, but more the hubs where the Voi scooters are kept. The type of complaints has been around disturbances from the Voi workers attending the scooters in the early hours of the morning. Residents have also raised concerns about Voi scooters being left lying down and causing a hazard. If you have experienced any of this please get in touch and let me know the location of the hub and what the complaint is about.

The Clean Air Zone

As I write this it is only two weeks until the Bristol Clean Air Zone comes in. The Clean

Air Zone is being introduced to make our city a healthier place for everyone. No vehicles are banned, but older and more polluting vehicles will have to pay a charge to travel into a central area of the city. The charges for cars, taxis and LGVs (vans) is £9 and for HGV’s, coaches and buses it’s £100 per day. There is support available and exemptions to help if needed. To find out more visit Bristol.gov.uk/cleanairzone.

Leaves in the gutters

It’s that time of year when the leaves are falling from the trees and into our gutters. Unfortunately, this can cause blockages in our gutters and lead to flooding. If you are aware of any areas where this is happening, please do get in touch with me.

Colston plinth

The Mayor has responded to my idea of having a statue of Queen Elizabeth on the old Colston Plinth. He has said that any decision on the future of the plinth should

be a decision for the city. The Mayor thinks the plinth remaining empty is powerful and has said “we are continuing to work with the History Commission on the future of the statue and the plinth”.

Keeping in touch

We hold regular ward forums on zoom. Our next one is on 6th December at 7pm. If you would like to attend please go to http://tiny. cc/WandHDec22 to book in.

If you need any help on any matter to do with Bristol City Council, you can contact me by email on cllr.sharon.scott@bristol.gov. uk I also have a Facebook page where I post regular updates: Sharon-Scott-10433537851413www.facebook.com/Cllr- Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas.

News and views from our city councillors

Steve Smith (Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze)

It feels odd to be writing this as I am in mid- November but this will be the final issue of the Voice for 2022 so I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful new year. I look forward to being in touch with as many people as possible in 2023.

Planning Issue

I have been supporting residents in and around Hobhouse Close in Henleaze with a long drawn out planning enforcement case. A developer was granted consent to build a two-bedroom family home, but instead built a five-bedroom house which is routinely let out to large groups via Air BnB.

I’m all for enterprise and business, but planning laws are there for a reason. This kind of commercial use is totally inappropriate and anti-social in a quiet residential area. The Council’s planning enforcement team are investigating and an initial application should be heard by

a planning committee in December, but I’m afraid this is likely to be a long road for residents.

If you have concerns about this or any other planning issue near you, please get in touch.

The Mayor’s “Underground”

You may have read in the press about the Mayor devoting another £15m to writing a business case about the “Bristol Underground”. This is in fact a WECA (West of England Combined Authority) project, which they refer to as a “mass transit system”, very little of which could ever actually be underground.

The cost of actually building it would run to many billions of pounds and there is no plan for where that money is coming from. The millions spent on it already, plus the extra £15m pledged by the Mayor are being paid to consultants to write very expensive reports about a project that is very unlikely ever to get off the ground, never mind under it.

At a time when the Council is considering huge cuts to our libraries, parks and other services to make ends meet, I think this is the

wrong priority for public money. Stay in Touch

We hold regular zoom meetings for people to stay in touch with us, ask questions or raise concerns. The next ones will be on the 6th December (you can register to take part at tiny.cc/ WandHDec22) and the 10th January (tiny.cc/ WandHJan23). The meetings start at 7pm and they usually last around 45 minutes to an hour.

The original face to face Westbury Forum is also making a comeback on the 13th December, 7:30pm at Westbury Library. There may even be mince pies on offer!

You can also contact me by email on cllr.steve.smith@bristol.gov.uk, or phone on 07769 285266. I also try to post regular updates on my Facebook page at fb.com/ CouncillorSteveSmith. We publish regular email updates – please contact me if you’d like to be added to the mailing list for these.

n ADVERTISING FEATURE

Helen O'Grady Drama Academy – Bristol

Our Acclaimed Curriculum

Our developmental drama programme, which was first developed in 1979, has been formatted to improve communication skills and instill self-confidence in children. Our curriculum structure and teaching methodology ensure the highest standards of tuition whilst providing the opportunity for students to develop and thrive within the classroom, all whilst having lots of fun!

Developing Children through Drama

Releasing a child’s creative and expressive potential through drama is an extremely effective and fun way to contribute towards their development and instill belief in themselves.

Our curriculum focuses on developing essential communication skills to help our students push themselves forward, allowing them to fulfil their potential in life by developing their self-esteem and providing them with the skills to communicate clearly and confidently.

All teachers are DBS checked and undergo regular training to ensure our lessons are delivered to the highest and safest standards. Our classes are taught in a fun and high energy way to encourage maximum participation and engagement from all students.

Local Classes

We run classes in Westbury and Cotham during term time and we have an annual summer production at the Redgrave Theatre., Clifton.

Wednesdays - Elmlea Junior School, Age 4 to 8 from 5:15 to 6:15 pm, Age 9 to 11 from 6:15 to 7:15 Thursdays - Cotham High School Age 5 to11 from 5:15 to 6:15 pm Age 12 to 18 from 5:15 to 6:15 pm

We look forward to hearing from you soon

Sky Young, Principal - Helen O'Grady Drama Academy – Bristol Phone: 07821 855853- Email: bristol@helenogrady.co.uk

BY the time you read this, the Chancellor will have announced the Autumn Budget and we'll know the Government's latest economic plans. But after 12 years of economic mismanagement, and a particularly disastrous couple of months, unfortunately the die is cast for our public services and public servants.

Bristol City Council, much like every other council, has therefore had to launch a public consultation on its plans to make up the £37.5-£87.6 million deficit in its budget, which will run until 23rd December. (You can view the consultation at www.ask. bristol.gov.uk) After a decade of cuts, there isn’t much left to go after. The final decision about the 2023/24 budget will be taken by the Council at its budget-setting meeting on 21st February 2023.

Personal finances are feeling the strain, too, especially for people on low or fixed incomes. The work done by staff in organisations across Bristol to create safe and warm communal spaces for people who are struggling to heat their homes throughout the day – so-called 'Welcoming Spaces' – is one way in which the community is trying to help. To support the work of one such Welcoming Space, I'm pleased to share that my annual Christmas Coffee Morning this year will be held at Henbury and Brentry Community Centre on Saturday 17th December, 10:00am-12:00pm.

Please pop along for a chat

with me – it would be great to see you there! (Details of how to book a free ticket to guarantee a seat – and a free mince pie! – can be found on my website or by contacting the office if you don’t have internet access. Please see the contact details at the end of this article.) We are asking everyone who comes to the Christmas Coffee Morning to bring a woolly jumper that they are happy to donate to our 'Warm Wishes' project to provide families coming to the Welcoming Space with free warm clothing to take home if they need some extra help.

Important

If you’re struggling to pay your bills, it’s also worth noting the new cost-of-living hub on my website. It has details of a range of organisations and initiatives across Bristol that may be able to help, as well as details of financial support that you may be eligible to apply for: www.darren-jones. co.uk/cost-of-living

As Christmas approaches, the work of Bristol Child Contact Centre in Henleaze to provide a safe venue for children to spend time with parents that they no longer live with is more important than ever. I was concerned to hear that the centre has not received the regular small grant from the Ministry of Justice that it relies on to operate because of a change in who is administering this funding.

I am writing to the Secretary of State to try to help resolve this situation so that the centre can continue to do its important work for children in my constituency.

Looking ahead to the New Year – well, to future New Years –we're set to see some big changes in Bristol North West. Firstly, with the opening of the YTL Arena in 2024 on the site of the former Filton Airfield. From the outset, I have welcomed the Arena coming to North Bristol if significant transport upgrades are made to prevent gridlock on our roads. But it has recently come to light that the new North Filton train station has been delayed and will not be ready until two years after the Arena opens.

It is unthinkable to have a situation where we are putting the cart before the horse like this. Until the new station opens, the nearest station will be more than a 30-minute walk from the Arena and lacks the train service frequency to meet the needs for large crowds. I have written to Network Rail to request an urgent meeting to explore all options to try and get the timeline for the new station back on track.

The other big change coming our way is to the constituency boundary. Given Bristol's rapidly increasing population, the Boundary Commission has decided to create a new constituency, called Bristol North East, from the next General Election. I’m sad to be losing Lockleaze to this new

constituency, which is such a strong, diverse and vibrant community. However, the new boundary means I can look forward to moving a bit further down Gloucester Road, bringing in the whole of Bishopston and Ashley Down ward into the Bristol North West family.

Finally, I'd like to encourage everyone to get vaccinated against flu ahead of what might be a particularly bad season. I recently popped along to the local independent dispensary Kellaway Pharmacy in Henleaze to get my vaccination. They’re running some walk-in flu clinics this autumn –please contact them for further details or check with your nearest pharmacy.

As always, if you need my help or have a question, you can get in touch with me on e-mail at darren.jones.mp@parliament. uk, by calling my office on 0117 959 6545 or by writing to me at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

Darren Jones writes for the Voice

FINANCE

With Richard Higgs BA (hons) CFP FPFS

Harold Stephens

50 High Street, Westbury on Trym, Bristol BS9 3DZ

T: 0117 3636212

E: office@haroldstephens.co.uk

Your financial checklist for 2023

THE end of the year has come around so quickly, I can’t believe it’s time to start planning for 2023 already!

I want to share a checklist to help you get financially prepared for 2023:

1. Book a financial review

First things first, book a financial review! If you have been putting off reviewing your finances, now is the time to do it. With inflation at a 40 year high and volatile markets to boot, please take the time to give your finances an MOT and review your goals.

2. Organise your paperwork

Does your spouse or loved one

know what assets you own and where you keep them? Listing all accounts and helpful information will make life much easier should someone else ever need to access it. We have a document that can help you with this, just ask if you’d like it.

3. Make a Will

Ensure your Will is up to date and reflects your wishes. Without a Will, your estate will be subject to the rules of Intestacy and your assets may not end up where you would like.

4. Arrange Lasting Powers of Attorney

It’s never too early to think about

arranging LPAs. Many people don’t plan to do this until faced with a situation in which capacity may already be lost. Matters must then be dealt with through the Court of Protection which can be costly and upsetting.

5. Top up your ISA Don’t forget, every individual can top up their ISA by £20,000 each tax year. Junior ISAs can also be topped up by £9,000 each year. ISAs are the most tax-efficient way of saving. Make sure you use your allowance by April 5th – or lose it.

6. Make gifts

If inheritance tax is a concern of yours, use your gifting allowance to reduce the value of your estate.

This may be especially useful at Christmas! Don’t forget to keep a record of the gift you have made. We have a document that can help with this too.

If you would like help with any of the above, we can assist you with everything listed and more.

To book a complimentary financial review with Richard, please get in touch by calling 0117 3636 212 or email office@ haroldstephens.co.uk.

Richard records regular video updates on a range of later life financial topics - search ‘Harold Stephens IFA’ on YouTube.

If you want a relaxed chat about how to manage your assets in later life, then we are on hand to deliver it the good old fashioned way face to face right here in your local community

50 High Street, Westbury on Trym, Bristol BS9 3DZ

0117 3636 212

office@haroldstephens co uk www.haroldstephens.co.uk

Inheritance

CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT

James Scrimshaw of CUR A CLINIC AL explains how new technologies

are providing ef

CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT

fec tive answers to people’s pain and suf fering

MBST : Treatment for knees

MBST Cell regeneration: What is MBST?

Scrimshaw of CUR A CLINIC AL explains how new technologies

are providing ef fec tive answers to people’s

Construction of MRI and MBST devices

pain and suf fering

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.

KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

I’ve also just discharged Kate 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 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.

- Optimising intercellular signalling pathways

Alex was diag nosed 4 years ago with arthri tis of his knees and came to me off the back of 3 years of coping using cortisone. In his words he was ‘eating naproxen!’ Stairs and more than 9 holes of golf were a real problem. He was referred to me by a friend who’d responded well to MBST with his hip, and 4 months post MBST Alex has responded equally as well. He can now play a full 18 holes of golf without Naproxen and stairs aren’t a problem any more. A great example of the positive effect MBST has on cartilage healing.

- Reducing inflammatory mediators

MBST uses the same method of electromagnetic energy transfer as MRI scanning which is how it was discovered in Germany 20 years ago.

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.

Since then it has been adapted, updated and improved to achieve remarkable results for patients with varying conditions such as: Osteoarthritis, muscle tears, Tendon /ligament damage and Bone injury in all areas of the body.

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.

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.

It’s growing in popularity in the UK as a safe non invasive and natural way of tangibly healing our bodies and as more and more people are seeing that the results are actually for real it’s acceptance within the medical profession is also increasing significantly.

The results we’re seeing

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 has significantly less neck pain and improved mobility. Over the next 6 months I expect his condition to reach over 90% improvement.

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.

Knees were where I mostly started using MBST and I’m still seeing great results in 90% of the patients who are appropriate candidates for the therapy. I now also see a lot of spinal arthritis, shoulders, hands hips and ankles, really helping patients for whom there were few other options.

James

Detector coils

Albert is such a lovely chap who was also really struggling with arthritis in both knees…more advanced in nature. MBST has had a really positive effect on his life, reducing his pain and allowing him to walk 2-3 miles without any major issues. When he came to see me in February he had to sit down soon after walking just 100yards!! Brilliant outcome.

Jonathan Webb has seen great benefit from MBST for his patients

n THE ARTS SOCIETY BRISTOL lecture on "West End Winners" is at 8pm at Redmaids' High BS9 3AW. We welcome new members and guests. For more information on our lectures, given by specialists in their own field, see our website www.theartssociety-bristol.org.uk

December 19

n HENLEAZE SENIOR FILM CLUB, 2.00-4.30pm. Christmas Party with entertainment & refreshments.

Tickets: £4.00 Booking essential, please call 0117 435 0063. Carers welcome, easy access. St. Peter’s Church Hall, The Drive, Henleaze BS9 4LD

Regular

Various days

events

n WEST OF ENGLAND BRIDGE CLUB has a new home in the RAFA Club, 38 Eastfield, Henleaze. There are five sessions every week, cater ing for different standards. Thurs day afternoon is for Improvers, where experienced Club members help players with bidding and card play. A brief lesson is often includ ed. Monday and Friday afternoon is for more capable players; relaxed but competitive, this is an EBUrecognised 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. For information at www.woebridge club.co.uk or contact our Secretary, Chris Frew, on 0117 962 5281.

Monday

n PLAY BOWLS at Canford Park in a friendly, social atmosphere. Qualified coaches and equip ment 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 eve nings 7.30p.m. - 9.30p.m.at Reedley Road Baptist Church. Please email the Secretary: gwenalwakeel@ yahoo.co.uk.

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

n WESTBURY AND CLIFTON AREA DISCUSSION GROUP are a merry band of retired people who meet at Westbury on Trym Baptist Church every Monday morn ing (0945) and like to challenge ourselves with topical debate on what’s happening in the worldnear and far. We exist out of pure interest and to enjoy varied and entertaining conversations/discus sions to help keep our older minds working a little bit faster and a little

bit healthier. If you would like to join us and help to solve some of today's challenging issues whilst enjoying good company, tea and chocolate biscuits - please contact James Ball 01454 415165 or Ian Viney 0117 9501628. We would very much like to hear from you.

Tuesday

n WESTBURY PARK WOMEN’S INSTITUTE meets on the first Tuesday of every month in the Girl Guide Hut on Westmorland Road from 7.00 - 9.30pm. We are an active and friendly group with a varied programme plus extra ses sions for craft, coffee, book clubs, walks etc. Visitors are always wel come 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/com passion/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/Companion VoicesBristol and www.companion voices.org.

n WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP meet on Tuesday mornings at Westburyon-Trym Methodist Church, 10.30am-noon. An interesting pro gramme of speakers; come along to make friends. For more details, ring Kate 07905 064720.

n SCOTTISH DANCING to GET FIT and HAVE FUN and HAVE FUN with Westbury Scottish Country Dancing Club. Classes for beginners (Email: mag giekirkup@gmail.com ) and more advanced dancers (Tel: Cheryl 0117 4012416) at St Peter's Church Hall, Henleaze, Tuesdays 7.30 to 9.30 pm. Details at www.westburyscot tish.org.uk

Wednesday n BCCS (BRISTOL CATHEDRAL CHOIR SCHOOL) CHORAL SOCIETY is now meeting at the Henleaze Bowling Club in Grange Court Road, on Wednesdays from 7.30 to 9pm. We are a small, friendly, unauditioned choir singing varied music , from choral works to more modern pieces and we would welcome new members of all standards. For information, contact Kathy, tel 0117 949362 / email www.bccschoralsociety.org. uk/

n BRISTOL SCRABBLE CLUB meets every Wednesday evening at 7pm until 10pm at Filton Commu nity 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 KNITNATTERSTITCH meet on Wednesdays (term time only) 10-12 @ Henleaze United Reform Church’s coffee bar. For more infor mation contact Paula at knitnatter stitch @gmail.com

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

n WELCOME WEDNESDAY On Wednesday 14th December from 1:30pm-3pm, Welcome Wednesday will be an intergenerational event held at Filton Avenue Primary School, Lockleaze Road, BS7 9RP. There’ll be arts & crafts, games and Christmas songs performed by the school choir. Refreshments included. Booking essential, please call 0117 435 0063.

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 our website www.henburysingers.org or contact the secretary at secre tary@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 HENLEAZE FLOWER CLUB welcomes new members for the start of their exciting 22/23 Pro gramme of floral design demon strations. Annual membership £52. Demonstration meetings on 2nd Thursday of the month 2pm Brad bury Hall,Waterford Road, Henleaze and begin at 2pm. Plus optional Practice Classes on 4th Thursday. Visitors welcome. We meet every month except December and Au

n WHAT'S ON

Please contact Jenny York, Club Chair yorkjenny2@yahoo.com or phone/text 07880 700270.

n BRISTOL MALE VOICE CHOIR are recruiting new members. Our rehearsal/prac tice night is every Thursday from 7pm to 9.15 pm at St Andrew's Methodist Church, Elm Park, Filton, BS34 7PS. We have a varied repertoire, ranging from traditional male voice favourites, Bach, and the Beatles, to contemporary pop music, gospel, folk standards, rugby anthems and songs from the musicals. There is no audi tion, but if you visit our rehears als and decide to join there is a voice test to find out if you are a baritone, bass or tenor. If you don't read music, not a problem -you'll find that our regular practices will soon get you in shape to sing at our regular concerts and enjoy the social vibe at our post-concert gather ings. To find out more, visit our website at www.bristolmvc.org. uk see our facebook page, or contact secretary@bristol mvc.org.uk or call him on 07764447699. Join us soon !

n HENLEAZE LADIES’ CHOIR Come and join us as we fill St Pe ter’s Church Hall in Henleaze with a diverse selection of music. We are a friendly choir and meet on Thurs day 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 OPEN DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE starting Sept 8. For those interested in developing their spiritual aware ness and mediumistic ability. 7.15 for 7.30pm start at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Just turn up, or for info con tact Marian Bishop 0117 9771629 or visit www.westburyparkspiritual istchurch.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 Secretary, 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 con tact Heddy tel 07534717254/ email nigel.d.sara@btinternet.com

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 mem bers. Come and meet us on Friday or call Peter at 0117 329 4516.

n LADIES BADMINTON, WoT Village Hall, Friday 10-12noon. New members welcome to join our friendly group. Contact Elizabeth on 0117-968-1759

Westbury Park Christmas Show

THE annual Westbury Park Christmas Show is on December 17th 4pm at St Albans church in Westbury Park. The Westbury park Christmas show started as carols in my living room and rapidly expanded into a full annual concert and has now been running for over a decade rais ing money each year for charity. This year’s charity is the Trussell Trust .

This year’s show is bigger than ever, featuring some of the best singers in the South West including some singers from Westbury Park itself. We are thrilled to have Bristol’s own Claire Alsop accompanying. We are presenting British composer Frank Bridge’s wonderful Christ mas oratorio The Christmas Rose.

The concert is an hour long with singalong carols at the end and free mince pies to enjoy courtesy of Waitrose. The ladies of the WI will also be running a stall selling handmade Christmas crafts. We think it will be a lovely musical afternoon for all the family.

You are read more about the performers here.

https://www.rebeccachellappah.com/christmas2022

Tickets: £10 adults , £5 children or £20 for 2 adults and 2 children