Henleaze & Westbury Voice July 2023

Developers hit out over 'unfair, misleading' report

DEVELOPERS behind a controversial retirement village in Westbury Park have launched a blistering attack on city planning officers.

They claim a council report recommending refusal of the scheme is “inaccurate, unbalanced, and unfair”.

Residents who oppose the plan say they are surprised by the outburst, and say the developers are “throwing their toys out of the pram”.

The application to build 116 homes on the former St Christopher’s school site was due before city planning committee on May 31, and was expected to be refused after a highly critical planning officers' report. But it was pulled days before by the developers, and is now due before the committee later in the summer.

Now the developers, investment firm Fore, in partnership with developer Socius, and care provider Amicala have issued a sevenpage “rebuttal” in response to

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Elly makes leap for charity

Ellie Laity, who works at Toybox Nursery in Henleaze, completed a 15,000ft skydive and raised £1,500 for a Down's Syndrome awareness and support charity.

PAGE 18

School is rated Outstanding

Elmlea Infant School in Westbury on Trym has been judged Outstanding in all areas following an inspection by the watchdog Ofsted.

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Epic launch for pupils' play area

Alderman Peter Abraham cut the ribbon to launch a play area at Badminton Junior School. It's known as EPIC, an acronym for Explore, Perform, Imagine and Create.

footbridge is to be repaired.

Report: Page 2

PAGE 17

£1m bridge repairs set to start at last

THE 223 year old Kingsweston footbridge will finally be re-opened next year – nine years after it was hit by a lorry and closed for safety reasons.

The iron bridge over Kingsweston Lane should be open again by the end of 2024 after Bristol City Council confirmed it would foot a £1million repair bill.

Campaigners say they are delighted – but there is some criticism from disability groups that the remodelled bridge won’t include wheelchair access.

Janet Poole, who lives nearby and has been a leading campaigner to get the bridge fixed, told the Voice it had taken years of protests to the council.

The Grade II listed bridge, which links Blaise Castle Estate to Kingsweston Fields, was struck by a lorry in 2015.

But Janet says no one got details of the vehicle, so BCC could not claim on the driver’s insurance. Scaffolding was erected to support the bridge – but as this lowered its height, it was struck by vehicles two more times, causing further damage.

She said: “I am pleased it is at last being repaired and will be able to re-open.

“I have spent so much time trying to get Bristol City Council moving on this. I told

them if it wasn’t approved I would camp out on College Green in protest!

“Now we have it agreed in the next 24 months work schedule – and I have been told some of the parts are already being made, and it should be open next year.”

“We have already started making bunting to put on it when it opens and we plan to hold an opening ceremony.”

Kingsweston Lane will be closed to all traffic while the bridge is removed and some iron parts are reworked. The bridge will be raised by a metre, to prevent future incidents, with stone steps added at either side.

But plans for ramps for wheelchair users and parents with prams and pushchairs were rejected as unsuitable by Historic England, because they would have to be 30metres long.

David Redgewell, from Bristol Disability

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Equalities Forum, told last month’s BCC cabinet meeting that this went against accessibility guidance from the Department for Transport.

He said: “We haven’t even been offered an alternative crossing across the road, so there isn’t an alternative route being provided for mobility impairments.

“If we can’t use the bridge, we should at least be able to cross the road safely but that has not been offered either.”

Mayor Marvin Rees said the debate about ramps had held up repairs.

“The choice we ended up facing was to continue in that hold-up with no bridge or to compromise and get a bridge,” he said. “The compromise does mean that there is no ramp, but it was the only way we could get this project completed.”

In a statement to the meeting, Tory councillors John Geater and James Scott (Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston) said they were relieved the long-delayed project had overcome its final hurdle.

Money for the repairs was agreed by the Mayor as part of an agreement for Conservative support for his 2022-23 budget. Bristol North West Labour MP Darren Jones had joined calls for the bridge to be mended.

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Emergency: 999

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One of the protests held by local people about the delay to repairs

Big increase in parking zone prices

A BATTLE is looming over the future of Bristol’s controversial Residents’ Parking Schemes.

The city council has increased many permit charges and is planning a major review of all 18 zones amid speculation that they could be scrapped after the city’s cabinet member for transport said they were “outdated”.

But residents and green campaigners say the problem is the zones don’t go far enough –and they’ll continue to fight to get them extended.

Green councillor for Redland Martin Fodor told the Voice the new charges will cause more problems in the short term –by pushing parking into areas which are next to an existing RPS, exacerbating problems.

“As soon as a zone starts, the areas next to them have a problem,” he said.

“The minute you are on the edge of a zone you get road safety and parking chaos.

“The income from permits and charges in zones pays for the zone and enforcement within the zone, but outside that, areas are unmanaged and chaotic."

The RPS zones in Montpellier and Redland are said to cause overspill into neighbouring unrestricted parts of Bishopston and St Andrews.

At its northern edge the Redland zone results in increased parking in Westbury Park and Henleaze.

The RPS system was largely credited to Bristol’s first Mayor, George Ferguson, who had a policy of creating more zones from 2013. But in 2016 when Marvin Rees became Mayor he

COLE

halted further expansion.

Councillor Fodor says the result is that many neighbourhoods find themselves split, with some streets having controlled parking, and some with a free-for-all.

He wants to see RPS extended further into areas of the city where parking congestion is less of a problem, in order to encourage people to leave their cars behind and take public transport, walk or cycle.

Last month the Bristol City Council Cabinet voted to remove price reductions provided to low emissions vehicles, (currently free below 100g CO2 and half price between 101 and 110g CO2), increase the cost if second permits, from £112 to £224, and third permits from £224 to £560. In the Central Parking Zone, annual permits will rise from £50 to £250.

BCC says the increased charges are projected to bring an additional income of just under half a million pounds a year.

Cabinet member for transport Councillor Don Alexander said he believed higher charges would persuade many owners to ditch their cars.

He told cabinet that the forthcoming major review would gather evidence to see how effective RPS zones actually were.

He said: “We need to know are these working to achieve the outcomes that we want.

“What we do know is that zones encourage short car journeys within them because they allow people to keep their cars, who wouldn’t necessarily

& HEATING LTD

need to keep a car, for rather a cheap cost.

“The growth of development in the city centre creates pressure on the zones as well as discriminating between new residents and old, and traffic levels in the city centre have not been successfully reduced.

“RPZs are an outdated approach and our direction of travel is liveable neighbourhoods

and building homes in sustainable central locations.

“The constant calls for more RPZs without evidence is moving a problem around without a real solution. After almost a decade of the zones being in place it’s important we take the opportunity to re-evaluate the role they play.”

W:

Developers accused of 'throwing toys out

From Page 1 the committee report (CR).

In it they say: “The applicant must raise and put on record their very strong concerns regarding the CR. These concerns relate to matters of fact, missing information and analysis, misleading comments, and an overall failure to provide a balanced review of the application.”

The 75-page planning report said the scheme should be rejected because of the design and scale of some proposed five-storey blocks which would “crowd and overbear”.

It also warned about the impact on local traffic and parking, and the detrimental effect on the green environment including the loss of 38 trees, and it questioned the claimed eco design.

Fore claims the CR presents “a one-sided summary of the perceived harms of the scheme only, and fails to consider

properly and robustly the very clear public benefits”.

“It is worrying, deeply frustrating, and fundamentally unfair that so many of the public benefits of the scheme are ignored.”

It says the planners' report only includes two sentences about the scheme’s public benefits.

“We therefore conclude that the CR is flawed and misleading and strongly urge officers to provide a full and proper assessment of the benefits in their Amendment Sheet to the committee.”

It also says the planning report’s conclusions regarding the preserving the heritage of the site is “based on a flawed, unbalanced analysis. And Fore says conclusions regarding the scale and density of the new buildings, suggestions buildings could over heat, and querying sustainability are all “flawed”.

“We have set out strong

out of the pram' with rebuttal Lyra, 10, wins poetry prize

rebuttals to each of these grounds for refusal and we will be respectfully asking that committee members approve the proposals and allow this derelict site to be brough back to life, for the benefit of our elderly citizens and indeed the wider Bristol community."

Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner of FORE Partnership, said in a statement that the developers had asked for the decision to be delayed “to allow officers more time to review their report in light of our feedback”.

“We have worked hard on this scheme for two years, and while a delay is not in our interest, it would have been a disservice to the merits of the scheme and the many individuals, organisations and associates who have supported us to this point, had we gone ahead.

“We’ll continue to work closely with Bristol City Council during this period, while we

await the outcome of our application to be determined.”

At the time of going to press the council had not responded to a request for comment.

But Richard Eddy, chairman of the Development Control ‘A’ Committee, said: “Determination of the St Christopher’s School planning application was postponed … since the applicant strongly felt that aspects of the scheme’s evaluation were deficient without further clarification.

“The Planning Officers were convinced this was not the case. It was deemed that a short ‘breathing-space’ whilst these matters were looked at again was desirable.”

A spokesperson for residents’ campaign group St Christopher’s Action Network (SCAN) said they hoped the council officers would stick to their original findings.

“It looks like the developers are throwing their toys out of the

pram!

“They just don’t want to accept the council’s recommendations. But no amount of delay tactics are going to change the reality that this proposal is truly horrendous.

“Across the board there is very little support for this scheme. Countless council departments, from the conservation officer to the nature officer, all agree it’s completely inappropriate.

“It’s hard to see any real merit in it - the 1300 people who objected certainly don’tneither do respected bodies like Historic England or the Civic Society! We trust the expertise and experience of our planning officers to do the right thing for the city of Bristol and continue to recommend refusal. Sadly, this deliberate delay is only causing more stress and anxiety for people living nearby - many of whom are elderly.”

A PUPIL at Stoke Bishop Primary School was a prizer winner in Metro Mayor Dan Norris’s Easter Egg Poem competition.

It was part of a campaign to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the chocolate egg which was first made in the West of England.

Ten-year-old Lyra WealeTonkin impressed with her thoughtful poem titled “The Journey of an Easter Egg” –writing from the perspective of an egg being made and waiting to be bought.

Lyra has received a personalised £25 National Book gift voucher and framed certificate - while her poem was read out loud by the Metro Mayor in front of Lyra’s class.

Brave Elly's charity skydive

A CHILDCARE worker from Henleaze has taken a leap into the blue to raise £1,500 for a Down’s Syndrome charity.

Ellie Laity took part in a 15,000ft sky dive. The money will go to the charity Positive About Down Syndrome (PADS), which offers support and information for new and expectant parents of Down’s Syndrome children.

PADS also runs online early development groups for pre-schoolers, baby Makaton signing courses for new parents, and Makaton training for nurseries and childminders.

Its website says: “We believe the arrival of every baby with Down syndrome should be celebrated.

“Every child with Down syndrome should be given every opportunity to flourish and

thrive, and every parent should receive the best possible care and support.”

Ellie works at Toybox Day Nursery, in Henleaze, which is attended by a youngster with Down’s Syndrome called Benedict. Manager Sarah told the Voice: “Ellie is a passionate childcare practitioner, she has great enthusiasm for childcare.

“She is an enormous part of our great team here at Toybox and we are always striving to make our children's lives the best they can be. This was a great opportunity to support one of our families by raining money for this charity.”

Benedict’s dad Dave Smith said he was grateful to Elly for her brave effort, which had helped raise awareness of PADS.

Find out more about the charity at: https://positiveaboutdownsyndrome.co.uk/

Work begins on making Cotham Hill a traffic-free space

CONSTRUCTION work is taking place this summer and autumn on and around Cotham Hill, as part of plans to permanently improve the area for pedestrians, cyclists and businesses.

This work follows on from a successful trial of a pedestrianisation scheme, which saw Cotham Hill close between Whiteladies Gate and Hampton Lane and between Hampton Park and Abbotsford Road, in 2021.

Since then, residents have had more access to walking and cycling, and local hospitality businesses have benefited from outdoor trading.

The permanent changes will:

• make it easier and safer to walk and cycle in the area and encourage active travel

• manage traffic flow and reduce pollution in the area

• support local businesses who will benefit from space for outdoor trading.

Businesses have been asked to remove any structures from Cotham Hill while the works take place. However, for the most part, tables and chairs can continue to be used and the council is waiving pavement licences fees over the construction period.

The programme of work includes:

• improving the pedestrian

crossings

• improving the pavements, including widening and dropping kerbs

• some resurfacing within the pedestrianised areas

• changes to junctions

• new one-ways

• new loading and disabled parking bays

• new cycle stands, benches and bins

• new planters and trees

The £645,000 scheme is being funded by Active Travel England and via the West of England Combined Authority through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement set aside for Liveable Neighbourhood projects in Bristol.

Construction work was due to begin last month and the project should be completed by the end of the year.

Platforms installed at new rail station

NEW platforms have been installed during round the clock construction work at the new Ashley Down railway station, ready for when it’s due to open next year.

Work on a footbridge and station buildings is due to start soon.

Network Rail says the new platforms were built during a two week construction period in June when work was carried out 24 hours a day, including moving the existing tracks.

The station is part of the West of England Combined Authorityfunded MetroWest programme to re-open rails links in the city, and open seven new stations.

Ashley Down station is in Phase Two of the project. It will eventually see the Henbury line reopened to passenger trains, with two other new stations at North Filton and Henbury. They will run regular services to Temple Meads.

Michael Contopoulos, Network Rail’s project director,

thanked local residents for their patience during the round-theclock construction work.

He said: “We worked 24/7 for 16 days, removing and realigning the track before installing the two new platforms, constructed from pre-fabricated blocks. During this period we also worked on the foundations for the footbridge and lifts that will be installed in follow up shifts later this year.

“As with any project of this

scale, some disturbance is unavoidable, however I’d like to assure residents that we’re doing all we can to keep this to a minimum.”

The station is on the site of the previous Ashley Hill Station, which was closed in 1964. It will have an entrance off the Concorde Way walking and cycling route, where it meets Station Road, and on Station Lane, off Muller Road.

Network Rail said the

upgrades at Ashley Down followed improvements to the existing rail network in recent years, including the installation of a new, modern signalling system in and around Bristol Temple Meads, the addition of two new railway lines between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood, and the upgrade of Bristol East Junction.

WECA says MetroWest aims to improve capacity and connectivity in the region, giving 80,000 more people access to train services.

City Council Cabinet Member for Transport Don Alexander said the MetroWest project was bringing Bristol’s first new train stations in almost a century.

He said: “Expanding the local rail network through the MetroWest programme will increase both the capacity of the network and the accessibility of our local rail services, as we build towards the mass transit system that Bristolians need and deserve.”

Hugely successful auction at Barrow Court

CLEVEDON Salerooms enjoyed one of its most successful auctions in recent years with the sale of the contents of Barrow Court, Barrow Gurney on Thursday June 1st at the Kenn Road Auction Centre.

The outstanding single owner collection had been amassed over a thirty year period by the late technology entrepreneur Iann Barron CBE. Having purchased a substantial portion of the Jacobean mansion in the 1970s, he embarked on a major restoration of the historic interiors, creating a wonderland of period furniture and works of art, the majority purchased from established dealers in the Cotswolds during the 1980s.

Collections of such provenance and quality are always guaranteed to create a stir when they appear on the market and Clevedon Salerooms maximised the opportunity with a dedicated printed catalogue and a co-ordinated publicity campaign in the regional and national press. This certainly proved effective, generating an unprecedented level of interest in the salewith one keen bidder making the journey to the auction by helicopter – and strong and sustained bidding throughout the sale.

With some 98% sold and a total well above expectations, the Barrow Court sale was another

resounding success for a saleroom going from strength to strength.

Attention now turns to the Autumn Specialist sale on September 14th which is

already looking very promising with strong showings of jewellery, furniture, paintings, clocks, ceramics and modern design for which entries are invited.

Your Local Soft Furnishings Specialists

Sofas l Curtains & Blinds l Footstools l Headboards l Reupholstery

Sofa Magic has been handcrafting bespoke soft furnishings within Bristol for over 30 years. Our experienced team offer friendly service and provide Free Styling Advice!

Here’s what David from Wales had to say: “It has been a pleasure dealing with the helpful members of the Sofa Magic company. Their range of bespoke sofas is unique. Such a different experience from our encounters with much larger companies who offered products quite limited in range and without any of the personal touch provided by Sofa Magic.”

n FROM OUR MP

When you say those three words too soon ...

IN Rishi Sunak’s first speech after being appointed Prime Minister, he pledged we would see a Government with "integrity, professionalism and accountability".

Fast-forward seven-and-a-half months, and Boris Johnson has resigned as an MP rather than face the findings of the Partygate investigation. Where's the accountability?

Then you have Nadine Dorries, who appears to have announced she is resigning as an MP simply because she didn't get a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours. Where's the integrity?

These two former Conservative MPs, along with Nigel Adams, who also announced his resignation as an MP on the same eventful Friday in June, have let down their constituents who had elected them for a full Parliamentary term. Where’s the professionalism?

What troubles me is how the behaviour of a few politicians can tarnish the public's perception of politics more broadly. This was evident at a recent Constituency Assembly that I organised, with 50 constituents selected to reflect the constituency as a whole, based on area, age, gender, race and other demographics.

At the event, the participants’ perception of politics was generally depressing, with dissatisfaction in the direction that the country is going in and of the quality of our public services. I’ll be sharing full findings from the Constituency Assembly and how I plan to act on them in the coming weeks.

In other news, while some former MPs may be putting their feet up, I'll continue to put my best foot forward to represent my constituents. I mean that both figuratively and literally this month, as I'm joining some constituents who are members of Bristol Nordic Walking group for a walk around the Blaise Estate.

If you're thinking 'What's Nordic Walking?', you're not alone! I'm a newbie going on my first walk, but it seemed like a novel way to spend some time chatting with constituents. Akin to crosscountry skiing, in Nordic Walking you use specially designed poles to help propel you forwards and upwards, giving you a full-body workout. If you fancy giving it a go, the group regularly hold walks on The Downs, at Blaise Castle and Stoke Park. (See the club’s website for details: bristolnordicwalking. co.uk.)

I'm doing my Nordic Walk during Men's Health Week, which is an annual event that encourages men to take charge of their well-being. The theme for this year's Men's Health Week is the impact that technology has on our physical and mental wellbeing. As someone who spends many hours sitting in front of a computer, it's useful to have a reminder to step away and take care of myself, too.

Women's health has also been at the forefront of my mind this month, as I joined business leaders in London for the Women in Work Summit. There was an incredibly interesting panel discussion on how implementing

women's health policies could help to keep more women in the workforce. There are key stages in a woman’s life, including – but not exclusively – the menopause, where we need to adapt our workplaces to make them work better for women. The issues highlighted warrant further exploration, so I plan to hold an event here in Bristol in the autumn.

Finally, the Partygate investigation isn't the only report that's hotly anticipated this month: my team has been crunching the data you submitted about your bus journeys, and the key findings should be published on the campaign page (www. darren-jones.co.uk/bus) by the time you read this.

We received more bus journeys logged from Westburyon-Trym than anywhere else in the constituency. Thank you to everyone who supported the campaign!

Regular readers may remember that Doug Claringbold, the Managing Director of First Bus in the West of England, had assured me that bus reliability would improve from April. Sadly, that isn't what your data is showing me: in March, about one in four journeys logged across the constituency were ghost buses – services that were scheduled, but never materialise – and this increased to about one in three for April/May.

There were more ghost buses reported on the 2/2a, which serves Henleaze residents, than any other bus route: just shy of 50

Jones writes for the Voice

ghost buses were reported from 1st March to 31st May. This isn’t good enough.

While the findings paint a pessimistic picture of the state of our bus services, I now have solid data to hold First Bus to account. (The vast majority of journeys logged were for First Bus services.)

Data collection has ended, but the campaign marches forwards!

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

Wall of wonder

AN inspirational artwork adorns a former dark wall at Montpelier High School.

It has been created by mural artist Rory McCann, pictured, who incorporated ideas from students at the school in Cheltenham Road.

The artwork includes imagery from the school crest including a phoenix, waterwheel, butterflies and trees and aims to reflect the city, the school values, and the many languages and faiths.

One student said: “The mural captures the sense of belonging at our school.”

To view the story of the creation of the mural, visit the MHS website: https://tinyurl.com/3avrudbv

Finding their voices

FAIRFIELD High School is taking part in the Oracy Project, which aspires to challenge and transform the listening and speaking habits of students throughout the school.

The hope is that encouraging young people to be empathetic, confident and mindful will have wide ranging effects not just inside the classroom, but in every walk of life.

The Oracy Project focuses on individuals’ body language, voice projection, tone and use of language to communicate. It also concentrates on social awareness of others including listening to and considering different opinions.

Three Oracy Champions at Fairfield, representing humanities and languages, have so far attended development days, with a visit from Voice 21, the company supporting this initiative, on the horizon before a trial begins in the school.

Sharon Barnes, Oracy lead and assistant director for modern foreign languages at Fairfield, said: “Within the classroom, I’ve seen first-hand the project’s effectiveness for group tasks.”

Tuesdays

Thursdays

Outstanding! Ofsted hails 'exemplary' Elmlea

Infants

ELMLEA Infant School is celebrating after the education watchdog Ofsted found it to be Outstanding in all areas.

A team of three inspectors visited the school in Westbury on Trym in March and their report has just been published.

Lead inspector Ben Jordan said children’s attitudes towards their learning were exemplary. “Pupils learn exceptionally well across the curriculum,” the report said.

The ambitious approach of leaders, staff, trustees and governors was praised. ”Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and conduct. Pupils rise to this. They are welcoming, polite and courteous.

“Children listen carefully, take turns and show high levels of independence. The environment in classrooms and around the school is calm and productive. “

Ofsted rated the 270-pupil school as Outstanding for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.

“Pupils flourish at Elmlea Infant School. They achieve extremely well. Pupils fully understand how the school’s values help them to be kind, respectful and eager to learn,” the report said.

Inspectors praised the teachers’ strong subject knowledge and ambition for all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

“Leaders have created a broad and rich curriculum that is designed exceptionally well. In all subjects, they have carefully considered what pupils need to know and when they need to know it.”

The strong safeguarding culture, with a mantra of ‘it could happen here’ was highlighted.

“Pupils feel safe and value the positive relationships they have with staff.”

Mr Jordan and his colleagues were also impressed with the school’s emphasis on children’s wider development, praising the range of clubs. “[Pupils] are proud of the many opportunities they have to become eco-stars, brave hearts and members of the school council. Pupils say that these roles enable them to help others and to make the school a better place.”

Executive headteacher Lorraine Wright welcomed the report, saying:

"We are delighted that following a very thorough and rigorous inspection, the Ofsted team saw and recognised the outstanding provision that we offer the children of Elmlea on a daily basis.”

Championing reading

STUDENTS from Badminton School have achieved success in the National Reading Champions Quiz final.

The school’s team, which comprises Lucy, Arisha, Man Yan Cynthia and Holly, took part in the event at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London organised by the National Literacy Trust.

Almost 2,000 students in 500 teams originally entered the competition, which celebrates fiction.

The Badminton team were placed 6th out of 22 teams from across the UK. They received certificates and a regional trophy.

New playground's truly epic!

A HAPPY celebration took place at Badminton Junior School during their annual summer fete.

The school’s new playground area, which has been named The EPIC Patch, was opened by Alderman Peter Abraham. Peter is Bristol’s longest serving councillor and has been Lord Mayor a record three times.

Peter, pictured, emphasised the importance of play for children and fully approved of the acronym EPIC which stands for Explore, Perform, Imagine and Create. Year 3 and 4 girls also performed their very own EPIC rap in celebration of the opening of the new area. The children and parents were very pleased to have a new, creative and all weather area for adventurous play and to help the girls flourish.

After the official opening, Heidi Welch, head of the junior school, said: “The EPIC Patch provides a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to be imaginative in their play. We want our children to be able to explore, perform, imagine and create through their own ideas - this is a powerful way to help children develop socially

and communicate with each other through play. It is fantastic to know that the children’s voices have been heard in developing the ideas for the project as they played a crucial part in the brainstorming beforehand. We are truly grateful to everyone in the school community, through our Parents’ Association ‘Involved’, who made this project possible.”

CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT

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

CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT

MBST : Arthritic Low Back Pain

MBST Cell regeneration: What is MBST?

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

Construction of MRI and MBST devices

MBST Cell regeneration: What is MBST?

Superconductive magnets

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

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

- Optimising cell oxygen levels

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

- Improving Cell energy production

- Optimising intercellular signalling pathways

- Reducing inflammatory mediators

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

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

- Optimising cell oxygen levels

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.

Detector coils

- Improving Cell energy production

- Optimising intercellular signalling pathways

- Reducing inflammatory mediators

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

therapy.

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

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.

now in patients with varying really remarkable.

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

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

As you can tell from the picture, I enjoy looking after Shaamil. He’s a lovely guy who was suffering with severe back pain for 5 years. Physio, chiro and osteopathy only gave short term relief because he had disc damage with vertebral end plate irregularity. (bone damage) He’d heard some good stories about MBST so we treated his spinal discs and bone using magnetic resonance therapy (MRT). Almost immediately, his pain calmed to a very low level and daily activities that used to cause him flare ups became pain free. To date, he is in a much better place because MBST stimulates healing of the damaged tissues at the cellular level. Thanks for the testimony Shaamil!!

Teacher banned over indecent image

A BRISTOL teacher who viewed an indecent image of a child via Snapchat and then deleted his account to cover his tracks has been banned from the profession for life.

William Nunn, a science teacher at Cotham School, received the photo from someone who had offered to share vile images of youngsters on social media site Reddit.

He later claimed his intention was to “entrap” the person who sent it but he failed to report it to the authorities, deleted the app and kept changing his story to the point that he eventually admitted all allegations.

A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found that Nunn’s conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. He was banned from teaching indefinitely with no review period and cannot apply to re-enter the profession.

The TRA’s report, published on June 9, said the 29-year-old added the individual he saw on Reddit as a friend on Snapchat in August 2020, which the panel believed was in response to a request from Nunn for their username, and the person then sent him an indecent image.

It said the teacher viewed and then immediately deleted both his account and the photo from his phone.

“The panel believed that the discussion between Nunn and the individual who offered to send the indecent image was moved on to Snapchat to utilise a platform that enabled their communications to be deleted without trace, therefore increasing the possibility that he would not be detected and his actions could be concealed,” the report said.“Nunn’s actions were deliberate and calculating in this regard.”

Avon & Somerset Police child protection officers visited the

school on March 24, 2021, and interviewed Nunn under caution at a police station. They seized several of his devices and the teacher was suspended from the school the following day.

In May police told the school they were taking no further action because they could not retrieve the image and there was no other evidence of indecent images on Nunn’s equipment.

Cotham School launched its own investigation and dismissed the teacher in July before referring the matter to the TRA.

The report said: “The panel was in no doubt that Nunn was deliberately dishonest in interviews in an attempt to cover his tracks."

It said the panel considered the teacher’s statement of reflection, explanation and mitigation in which he told them he understood the severity of the allegations and did not wish to excuse them.

“The panel did however note

that Nunn did not appear to demonstrate any concern for the individual in the photograph and appeared more concerned with the impact on himself,” it said.

The case was held in private on May 30 without a full hearing after a request from Nunn who signed a statement of agreed facts and admitted the allegations.

Nunn joined the school in September 2017.

A Cotham School spokesperson said: “We were shocked to learn of this matter and, although it had nothing to do with the school beyond our being this individual’s employer, we acted immediately and decisively in line with our stringent safeguarding procedures as soon as it was brought to our attention by the police.

“We welcome the TRA panel’s decision.”

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

n NATURE WATCH

With Dawn Lawrence

I HAD literally just sat down to write, about cornfield weeds since you ask, when a honey bee tacked into the room and began agitating at the window. The buzzing was both distracting and pitiful. I should have been more focused, or less ruthful, but I took up a handy moth pot and sprang to the rescue.

I tried to inveigle the bee into the pot. Cupping it onto the window was a doddle for an experienced insect wrangler like myself, but I was too confident with my capping technique and the bee made a sudden, but misguided, bid for freedom. In its anguish (and not a little wrath, in my opinion) it shot up and down the window finally stopping in the bottom corner. Ah well, I thought, I’ll get it now. Reaching down I saw a daddy long-legs spider, who was obviously thinking the same thing. However, before either of us could make a definitive move a chunky, hairy, coalblack creature shot out of the depths of the woodwork and grabbed the bee from under our noses (well, my nose anyway, the daddy long-legs doesn’t have a nose since spiders detect smells via small hairs on their legs and palps - leg-like appendages attached to their heads).

This piratical newcomer had enormous chelicerae - external mouthparts, or fangs,

which in some spiders can inject venom. From the almost instant pacification of the bee it was clear that this spider was packing venom and was not afraid to use it. Now, I don’t spend much time looking closely at spiders and am not what you might call an enthusiast. But I had to know what this one was. I managed to hook it into the moth

pot and took some rather awful photos. Identifying spiders is quite tricky, especially for utter novices like myself. I briefly flirted with the exciting idea that I might have found an Atypus affinis – our only member of the group that includes tarantulas. Trawling through pages of enlarged and detailed drawings of spiders I began to feel spider’s webs tickling my arms and head and had to stop. At last I realised it was a spider that I knew quite well, Segestria florentina, the green-fanged tube web spider. Well, it had certainly come out of a tube-like web, but then Atypus makes a similar structure, hence its common name of purse-web spider, and it also launches darting attacks at its prey. But what made me miss the (relatively simple) identification was the lack of green chelicerae; they were black and hairy. I reached my conclusion not before embarrassing myself by asking an expert if I had acquired an Atypus! He did kindly remark that the purseweb is to be found in the Avon Gorge, whilst the Segestria’s fangs only look green when reflecting bright light. So, a wildlife drama, a mystery solved and now I am going to have to go and find a purse-web for myself – they have quite a different body shape, apparently.

Wildlife drama as a venomous spider attacks a bee

Get Growing the Bristol wide project was held on 3 and 4 June. SusWoT ran two sites, the Community Garden between Stoke Lane and Reedley Road and 47 Abbey Road. Over 200 plants were sold, mainly tomatoes but also others including courgettes, beans, chilis, kale, lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, coriander, basil and squash. Of the plants left over 300 tomato plants were given to three primary schools, Elmlea Infants and Juniors and Brentry. The pupils can now grow tomatoes at home. 100 plants were given to a fundraising event for the Alzheimer's Society. In May 300 plants were sold at the Community Fair but the number of plants sold this year was down on past years.

The Library Garden has been doing well recently, helped by regular watering from the library water butt. On 10 June the first broad beans were picked there should be a steady supply

through June. The onions are doing well too. When the beans are finished courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes will be planted.

The Festival of Nature SusWoT River Cleaning event was a success with 10 volunteers. Eight barrow loads of rubbish were removed from Hazel Brook in the Crow Lane Open Space. Two of the first timers enjoyed getting wet and dirty so much they want to do it regularly. The river cleaning project has almost completed a first pass of the six miles of river and about 160 tonnes of rubbish has been removed from the water and surrounding green space. Many thanks to Bristol Parks for taking it all away so promptly.

Air Source Heat Pumps: You may have seen members of SusWoT in their hi viz vests walking up and down streets in Westbury recently. They are looking to identify homes that would be most suitable for the installation of air source heat pumps. The aim is to find electricity substations, that have a significant percentage of eligible homes. In principle, these homes would need to be well

n NEWS FROM S us WoT BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT

insulated, have suitable external wall space, and not be too close to neighbouring properties.

Litter Picking: SusWoT attended the City Council Street Cleaning Conference on 6 June. There were many delegates who described significant problems with litter in their areas. SusWoT learnt that there were 24 litter picking groups known to the council and that the council has 100 pickers and 50 hoops it can lend out. SusWoT proposed that more pickers should be made available to volunteer groups and that only by engaging more with local people would the problem of litter be reduced. This idea was adopted by the council so there should be more kit available to volunteers across Bristol.

Want to Help? Volunteer Litter Pickers are needed particularly in Henleaze, all equipment provided. If you are interested in any of the activities above please be in touch with suswot2050@gmail.com.

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

Celebrating ‘pupil power’

IT was fantastic to see over 150 young people from 60-plus secondaries right across the West of England at my Schools Summit - our region’s first ever.

It was held under the wings of Concorde over at Aerospace Bristol in Filton - and I could tell the moment I walked in this was going to be a supersonic event!

How right I was - local students took part in thought-provoking and really fun sessions designed to get them thinking about what our West of England region might look like in the future, how they want to shape it, and what part they will play in this.

As you might expect, the climate crisis was a big, big topic of conversation, because this region’s youngsters, and young people in general, will be most impacted by our changing climate, and will be taking some very difficult decisions in the future.

If you had seen the session organised by Bristol Energy Network it would have all looked a bit nuts, with students jumping around on a giant Monopoly-style board wearing chicken hats. But I promise you, there was a serious message there about how to cut our energy use!

Another favourite was Atkins’ workshop,

where I saw curious young people finding out about being engineers and planners through a LEGO model of a city.

Other big employers, including Airbus, Deloitte and Firstbus, ran sessions on the future of transport, culture and sport.

The ideas of the young people were all noted down, so as to directly influence the future of West of England policy.

That’s important - the ideas students came up with could, genuinely, change our West of England region for the better. And I’m already taking steps to ensure this is the case, visiting participating schools like Yate Academy and others to update them on how mayoral combined authority policy – like our upcoming plan for transport – will be changing thanks to their awesome ideas.

Meanwhile, at the ‘marketplace’, students could pick up some wildflower seeds to help me in my efforts to make the West the bee and pollinator capital of the UK, meet a robot dog and learn about the routes to becoming an apprentice.

And I got to play Duncan Bannatyne when a dozen students pitched great policy ideas to me in a live Dragon’s Den-style event.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris

My thanks to all the students for sharing their ideas, which will really help me get on with making our region an even better place to live, study, and thrive. My thanks also to their teachers, and all the local businesses and organisations who helped make it a success.

I came away feeling buoyed by these young people, the true change-makers and system-shakers - their imagination truly has no limits.

I call that Pupil Power. Now I have the task of harnessing this energy and turning these ideas into reality.

I know they’ll be making sure to hold me to my promises!

n HISTORY with JULIAN LEA-JONES

When the spirit of the Golden Hill Phoenix watched over Russell Grove and saved a Henleaze enterprise

I REFER to the fire that (from memory) in January 2010 almost destroyed the ‘Bristol Morris Centre,’ where classic Morris Minor cars were bought for TLC and restoration. The buildings, tucked away at the top of Russell Grove, once Claremont House store blocks, had been garages since the 1930s. After being relinquished by Claremont House the buildings were firstly run by Edward Bartlett, motor engineer, and later as ‘Springfield Garage’ In 1962, when many houses had paraffin heaters, it also sold paraffin, (our heater was the popular ‘Beatrice’ make). Remember the advertising jingles ‘Esso Blue!’, and that of their competitors – ‘Aladdin Pink’?

Then in the 1970s two brothers arrived each with their own business. Tony Pritchett still called his ‘Almondsbury Autos’, whilst his brother operated as ‘Russell Grove Garages’. Tony’s

sons Chris and Nick took over in 1982, Earlier in 2010, Nick went off to set up as a plumber while Chris continued running his Morris garage. The end almost came when the garages caught fire. Possibly a faulty battery charger that self-incinerated and planned to take its charges with it, (or perhaps it was just suicidal)? Fortunately, the garage

was still housed in the series of storerooms, there was time to move nearly all the cars to safety. The opportunity was taken to rebuild the garage on more conventional lines whilst keeping the external profile much the same. Thanks to kindly neighbours, the rescued cars had a holiday in front gardens and driveways.

As well as rescuing cars and equipment Chris saved two of his predecessor’s forecourt pumps. The oldest of which still had the price flag; four shillings and six pence three farthings a gallon –(just under 23 pence)!

Lastly who also remembers the garage in Etloe Road, Westbury Park, (no business connection) where an automobile even acted as an advertising weathervane!

n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Tragedy shows importance of tackling knife crime

I HOPE everyone has been enjoying time outside in the sunshine and stayed safe whilst doing so during our recent spell of glorious weather.

Earlier this month, I put questions relating to knife crime and increased summer demand for police support to Chief Constable Sarah Crew at the latest Performance and Accountability Board (PAB), which livestreams every month on Facebook.

I know that the police get exceptionally busy in the summer, but local people still rightfully expect a high level of service.

During PAB I asked the Chief Constable how she will ensure that officers respond in a timely way and improve on what they did last year.

I also asked for an update on the week of awareness tackling knife crime – and how officers work with Violence Reduction Units to prevent knife crime.

This was particularly important following the tragic death of 16-year-

old Mikey Roynon, from South Gloucestershire, at an incident in Bath on June 10.

Two teenage boys, one from Dorset and another from Wiltshire, have since been charged with murder and possessing an offensive weapon.

At the PAB we also discussed the amazing work of police volunteers, as well as rape and sexual assaults in hospitals.

If you would like to listen in to the conversation, you can view our Facebook live video that was recorded and has been posted to the OPCC Facebook page.

I would like to take some time to highlight the 159 service, launched by Stop Scams UK. If you think someone is trying to trick you into handing over money or personal details, I urge you to stop, hang up and call 159.

This is a short-code phone service that connects people safely to their bank’s fraud prevention service.

This free phone service should be

used when either you or someone you know may have provided an unknown person with your bank card or banking information over the phone, to report fraud potentially taking place.

I would like to mention the work of Crimestoppers and the South West: No Place for Drugs campaign.

Currently, Crimestoppers is appealing to the public to speak up and report cases of property being used as a grow house or farm to cultivate cannabis.

Organised crime gangs are renting properties in both urban and rural parts of the country and setting up cannabis farms. This illegal activity often brings serious violence, victims of modern slavery, and increased risks of building fires and explosions.

If you are a landlord, I implore you to become aware of the signs of cannabis cultivation: barricaded windows and doors, unsafe electricity wiring, and mould and water damage

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford

from hydroponics and irrigation systems.

I urge you to learn the signs of cannabis cultivation, which can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk. org.

I would like to thank everyone for their continued contribution to keeping our communities safe and wish you all a safe and happy week.

'Cowboy' fly-tippers face tougher penalties

FINES for littering and handing over waste to “cowboy” fly-tippers in Bristol are going up to the maximum allowed by law.

City council leaders approved an increase in fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for dropping rubbish from £100 to £150, with the early payment rising from £65 to £75.

They also agreed to double fines from £200 to £400 for breaches of the “household duty of care”, which requires residents to take reasonable steps to ensure waste produced at home is supplied only to someone authorised to dispose of it.

Cabinet member for climate, ecology, waste and energy Cllr Kye Dudd told a council meeting: “Part of this is sending a clear message about expected behaviour, cleaning the city and taking a robust approach to enforcement.

“Although the cleanliness of the city has improved in many parts, more work still needs to be done, particularly in relation to behaviour change.”

He said the local authority had issued more than 30,000 FPNs since 2017 for environmental offences such as littering, fly-tipping or dog fouling, with 2,500 people

taken to court for non-payment.

Cllr Dudd (Labour, Southmead) said the fines had not been reviewed for four years.

He said: “The household duty of care requirement reduces the chances of waste ending up in the hands of cowboy companies who take £20 off you and then dump it.”

A report to the council’s cabinet on Tuesday, June 6, said: “The cost of environmental crime to the city is high.

“In 2021/22 there were 10,196 reports of fly-tipping to Bristol Waste, each fly-tip therefore costing approximately £50 to remove and enforce, so increasing the penalty rates for certain offences sends a clear message.”

Answering a question from Cllr Martin Fodor (Green, Redland), Cllr Dudd said the council had spent the £220,000 surplus from fines since 2017 on measures to keep streets clean, including removing fly-posting, anti-littering campaigns, equipment to litter-picking groups, clearing graffiti and additional enforcement.

Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said: “I’m pleased about the fines increasing.

“I walked across College Green with my

Birthday buses: who knew?

A PLAN to give people in Bristol and the wider region free bus travel during their birthday month has been questioned by council leaders.

The £8 million scheme starts this month and gives passengers a free bus pass to use during the month of their birthday.

Dan Norris, the West of England metro mayor, announced the initiative in May.

Some critics of the “gimmick” raised questions about whether the millions in funding would be better spent on restoring some subsidised bus routes, which were recently axed.

Now the plan has faced further questions, as council leaders said they were not consulted about the initiative before it was announced. During a meeting of the West of England Combined Authority, on Friday, June 16, they called for more cooperation in future.

Councillor Claire Young, the new Lib Dem leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said: “While I’m supportive of fare package initiatives, I do think we need to work in partnership so we can collectively explain how our new fare packages deliver

value for money and seek to address inequalities.”

The initiative had not been discussed in the past two years by the combined authority’s transport board, according to Cllr Sarah Warren, Liberal Democrat cabinet member for transport on B&NES Council. Applications to get free bus travel can be made online — on the website www. birthdaybus.co.uk which is not yet live — and a pass card will be sent out in the post. Anybody living in Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire, or North East Somerset can apply. The initiative will last for 12 months and is aiming to get more people in the region in the habit of using buses. It’s hoped that after using a bus for a month for free, some might stick with the habit.

Despite the calls for “behaviour change”, none of the committee said they had used public transport to travel to the meeting, held at the Bawa Leisure Centre in Filton when challenged by Christina Biggs, from Friends of Bristol Suburban Railways.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

boy the other day and just the number of piles of picnic bottles, crisp packets from people who have just got up, walked away and left, is beyond belief.

“You’ve enjoyed a public space, that public space is enjoyable because when you got there it looked like a lovely piece of grass with people picnicking, and you leave it a place that people would not want to hang around because it feels filthy, dirty and violated.

“So since the beginning we have talked about how we can have an approach where we need to go out and do better at cleaning up Bristol as a city, but that cannot be done without the city.

“We could spend tens of millions clearing up waste after people but we need a dual approach – we need to collect it better, we need to put the services in place, but we need people to treat Bristol differently, and if we do that then we will get closer to having the quality of city that many of us would want to live in in terms of its cleanliness.”

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Maria,

as a brief service at a crematorium. Burial or ashes internment. Complete burial service from £1,495.

Honouring those who gave their lives

SOME 200 people attended a service at Bristol Memorial Woodlands at Alveston, near Bristol, in honour of those who have given their lives in the service of their country this century.

The service was followed by a wreathlaying ceremony at a memorial stone in the woodlands with Lord- Lieutenant of the City and County of Bristol, Mrs Peaches Golding and Dame Janet Trotter, former Lord-

Lieutenant of Gloucestershire leading the tributes with poppy wreaths, lain on behalf the two lieutenancies.

Serving men and women from every branch of the armed forces attended along with forces charities, representatives of the police and ambulance services, pupils from Tockington Manor School and members of the public. The service was led by Padre (Major) Andy Latifa.

Care

David Rae of Bristol Memorial Woodlands said: “This has become a much-appreciated annual event in the summer where we take time to remember and reflect on those who have given their lives in the service of their country this century. It was a wonderful day. We were delighted to see so many veterans here alongside so many uniformed people, serving in the armed forces, civil police, ambulance service and others.”

Care in your own home

Care in your own home

Military veterans march at the Bristol Memorial Woodlands

Lord Lieutenant Peaches Golding and Tockington Manor pupils

Is a DIY Will enough?

AMD’s Laura Webber discusses the importance of a properly executed Will and the importance of keeping its location known

the requirements of the Wills Act 1837.

Advertising Feature

The gift that pays for itself

While navigating through periods of uncertainty in our lives, we often overlook the significance of engaging Solicitors to assist in the creation of a Will. Instead, it is viewed as an unwanted expense.

Failure to adhere to these formalities can potentially invalidate a Will. These seemingly minor errors can lead to a distressing journey fraught with complications for your loved ones, even before your affairs are settled. Not only can this delay the process, but it will likely incur additional costs, ultimately reducing the amount available for your close family.

How leaving money to charity can save you Inheritance Tax

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

By Shelley Faulkner,

Consequently, with the convenience afforded by today's digital era, coupled with the desire to minimise expenses, individuals may consider preparing their own Will using online templates. However, it is crucial to recognize the risks associated with do-it-yourself (DIY) Wills, as the ramifications of errors can far outweigh the expenses incurred by using a firm of Solicitors.

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.

Whilst some mistakes can be rectified, it is not always possible to do so and your final wishes may not be honoured upon your passing. It is even possible for individuals you did not intend to benefit from your Will to be legally entitled to the assets, while those you wanted to ensure were provided for may inherit nothing.

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.

solicitor with AMD Solicitors

To ensure the validity of your Will and the proper distribution of your estate in accordance with your wishes, it is vital to adhere to

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

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

Reduced rate of Inheritance Tax

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

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

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

It is essential to keep your original latest Will safe so that loved ones or those who will look after your estate know of its existence. Failing to do so can mean the Will cannot be located or an older Will could be thought to be the most recent.

If a Will cannot be located upon the testator's death, there is a presumption that the Will

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.

consultation for new clients.

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

was intentionally destroyed and therefore revoked. However, what if the Will has simply been misplaced? The testator who made the Will is no longer alive, and so it is very difficult to rebut this presumption, which could lead to their estate passing under intestacy rules and possibly passing to those the testator did not want to inherit.

Given that a Will is a legal document accompanied by potential legal complexities, it is advisable to involve a legal

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

expert in its creation. By doing so, you can mitigate the risk of the administration of your estate causing unnecessary complications and delays for your family and ensure that your final wishes are followed appropriately.

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.

For advice on drafting your Will please contact the private client team on 0117 9621205, email info@amdsolicitors.com or call into one of our four Bristol offices.

Copyright AMD Solicitors

Could you become a blood donor?

A BLOOD donor from Montpelier is featured in a national mural as part of a new NHS campaign.

Torkwase Holmes is one of five Black heritage donors honoured in the 20ft work by street artist Dreph at London’s Stockwell Hall of Fame.

The mural was unveiled last month during National Blood Week, in which NHS Blood and Transplant launched an appeal for more donors, particularly those of Black heritage.

While record numbers of people of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage in Bristol are giving blood, more donors are still needed.

The number of regular donors of Black heritage in Bristol reached a record 320 in the year to April while a further 116 gave blood for the first time - also a record. Both figures have doubled since 2017. This year the NHS needs 12,000 new Black heritage donors to meet the

“Where is my tummy coming from?!”

I HEAR a lot of my older female clients say. Losing weight is so much harder than it used to be! Whyyy?

During the menopause (most women start with symptoms from 40 yrs onwards) it’s very common to gain weight and this weight seems to end up round the middle, even for those who normally have been slim or pear shaped find themselves more apple shaped.

This can be very frustrating, especially if you’ve not changed your diet or exercise habits.

A few reasons for this weight gain could include:

Muscle loss - muscle loss decreases from 35 yrs onwards and as muscle burns more calories your metabolism slows down as a result Oestrogen levels dropping - its

growing demand for ethnically matched blood for sickle cell patients who need regular transfusions to stay alive.

Torkwase, who is 60, said: “The giving of my blood was the most worthwhile thing I have ever done. There is nothing more rewarding than contributing to saving someone’s life, even more so for those in my community suffering with sickle cell and

thought that as levels of Oestrogen drop, weight is distributed around the body differently, mostly gathering around the middle Low mood and anxiety - this is very common during this time and that can lead to poor food choices or overeating.

Tiredness - which also leads to poor food choices as well as feeling less inclined to exercise

So what can be done?

This is where weight training is so important!

The NHS recommends that *everyone* does at least 2 sessions of resistance training per week. Doing weight bearing exercise helps against muscle wastage as well as helping prevent Osteoporosis.

Ness had been noticing the effects of the menopause creeping in. She was feeling frustrated with her lack of motivation and how she felt about herself.

“My weight had been increasing gradually due to the menopause. I’ve hated growing out of my lovely clothes but I was struggling to find the motivation to exercise regularly and felt a bit flabby and unfit.”

thalassemia.”

Sickle cell is more prevalent in people of Black heritage and blood from a donor of the same ethnicity provides the best treatment. Because the NHS can’t collect enough some patients need to be treated with the universal O Negative blood type. This is clinically safe but can put them at risk of serious complications and makes it even

harder in the long term to find blood they can receive.

The new campaign encourages ‘Giving Types’people who give in big and little ways, whether that be giving up a seat on a train, for example, or raising money.

Dr Jo Farrar, of NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “It is fantastic that more people of Black heritage than ever before are saving lives by giving blood. But we urgently need more regular Black heritage donors so that sickle cell patients can receive the best treatment.

• Book your first appointment via the GiveBloodNHS app or at www.blood.co.uk.

“Since starting training my posture is better. I’m stronger. I’m feeling better about myself and more confident.

I’m getting my motivation to exercise back.

I feel more toned and the scales have stopped creeping up. I feel much healthier!”

“I love the support from Polly

and the others in the team. It’s very motivational and a cost effective way of getting many of the benefits of a personal trainer. It’s lovely to meet and train with other people in a supportive environment”.

If you’ve been struggling with lack of motivation to exercise, do get in touch, I’m always happy to chat.

Torkwase features on the mural

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Move to cushion city against energy price rises delayed

DELAYS have hit a plan to boost renewable power in Bristol and “take control of the city’s energy supply”.

Rising costs since the war in Ukraine have left council bosses searching for cheaper ways to power public sector buildings, after their energy bills doubled.

Wind turbines and a solar farm in Avonmouth, owned by Bristol City Council, generate about 4.3 megawatts of renewable energy. But with the way the market normally works, this energy is sold to the National Grid, and then later bought back by the council at a higher price.

A new deal, known as “sleeving”, would mean the council effectively using that energy directly, slashing bills for taxpayers. City Hall chiefs would buy the same amount of energy at wholesale prices as was generated by council-owned wind turbines and solar panels.

A small sleeving deal is already in place, powering about a third of the council’s energy supply. The council is trying to set up a much wider deal, which could eventually see local renewable energy generation power other public sector buildings, such as schools and hospitals. This was due to be signed off in September, but has now been pushed back at least a year.

During a cabinet meeting on June 6, Councillor Kye Dudd, cabinet member for climate, said: “The current sleeving arrangement uses the council’s own renewable generation assets — our wind turbines and solar farms — to meet around one third of our current energy demand, using low cost, zero carbon electricity. This has saved an estimated 2,021 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions since August 2022, compared with a conventional supply contract from the National Grid.”

Energy prices have risen dramatically since the war in Ukraine, causing widespread high inflation and the cost of

living crisis, but also hitting local authorities. Bristol City Council’s energy bills doubled from £6.2 million in 2020/21 to £14.5 million in the last financial year. With a sleeving deal, the council would be protected from future energy shocks and sharp increases in prices.

The council’s energy contracts come to an end in September this year. The original plan was to replace these with the broader sleeving deal, but delays have hit the new contract as “technical and commercial details still need to be worked out”. It’s understood that there is a lack of appetite among energy supplier companies to sign up to the deal.

The cabinet has now decided to extend the current contracts by another year, hoping that the new sleeving arrangement will be in place by October 2024.

Cllr Nicola Beech, cabinet member for strategic planning, resilience and floods, said: “It’s not been easy at all to get these things moving in the current market. But the best piece of resilience we can bring to our city is that we’re in control of our energy generation and supply, so we have a closed loop system in the city. That’s essentially what sleeving is doing.

“We’ve just got to ramp up generation across the city and make sure we can power our buildings at a carbon free, low cost option. It’s one of the best interventions we can bring. We have the skills in the city, we have the generation capacity and we have the need. It’s a brilliant incentive but I know it’s been really difficult, we’ve just got to keep going with it.”

The City Leap deal, a renewable energy contract launched this March, will invest in building new wind turbines, solar farms and other generators. Council bosses said City Leap would lead to a massive extra 180 megawatts of renewable energy generation in Bristol.

By Alex Seabrook Local Democracy Reporting Service

Dial 159 for cyber aid

AVON

and Somserset Police

and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford is urging anyone who receives a call or message from somebody claiming to be from a trusted organisation and who suggests money should be transferred to hang up and dial 159.

159 is a short-code phone service that connects people safely to their bank’s fraud prevention service.

The phone service should be used when an individual receives an unexpected or suspicious call about a financial matter, allowing them to report financial scams as the fraud is potentially taking place.

Banks that currently implement 159 include Barclays, Co-operative, First Direct, HSBC, Lloyds (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland), Metro Bank, Nationwide Building Society, Natwest, Santander, Starling Bank and TSB.

n BOOK REVIEW Factory Girls

by Michelle Gallen

Review by Bob Deacon of Bishopston Library

It is 1994 and over in England, Fred & Rose West are being charged with the murders of 12 women. Meanwhile, in a shitty wee town in Northern Ireland, Maeve Murray is eighteen and anxiously counting down the days until her A level results, which she hopes will enable her to move away to university and a new life in London. Maeve and her two best friends, Aoife and Caroline decide to take jobs in the local shirt factory, to earn some money whilst they await the outcome of their exams. Maeve and Caroline rent a flat together with Aoife opting to continue

When calling 159, you’ll be taken through an option menu in which each bank that has signed up to the service is read.

Customers are then able to use their telephone keypad to be put through to their bank so they can speak to their bank about their concerns and protect their money.

Mark Shelford said: “159 is a safe route to contacting your bank if you have suspicions and concerns about your account.

“To be totally safe, dial 159 on another phone or after a period of time to ensure that sophisticated scammers are not staying on the line and imitating a dialling tone so you think you’re calling your bank.

“No one from 159 will ever call you and only a fraudster will object to you calling 159.”

For more advice on how to stay secure online, please visit cyberaware.gov.uk.

n ADVERTISING FEATURE Special offer this summer from A Cleaning

The Linton-Butt family, Nick, Alison, Claudia, and Alice are proud to offer a reliable service supported by certification, training, and a wealth of industry experience. They have created a fantastic team of highly trained and friendly staff who are passionate about the world of cleaning. Claudia told Voice: “With our 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, you have the assurance that we will get the job done right for you. We specialise in carpet, rug, hard floor, upholstery, mattresses, curtains, leather, and oven cleaning services.

Our services are used by both domestic and commercial clients, plus we are members of the NCCA, Trustmark, BESA and many others. Nothing can compare to the pleasure and pride we get every day from hearing so many compliments from our happy customers – we love what we do and look forward to every day.

We know how important it is to listen to the demands and needs of our customers and then to meet and surpass their expectations. We hope you can also join our community of many happy customers too – visit our Trustpilot profile to see our amazing customer reviews! Be sure to take advantage of our special offer this summer where ‘three rooms carpet cleaned for the price of two’!”.

Call the office on 0117 325 9250 for a free quotation or get in contact via email: sales@acleaningservice.co.uk or our website: www.acleaningservice.co.uk.

to enjoy home comforts with her family on the posh side of the town. This being Northern Ireland , the Troubles and the sectarian divide are never far away. Maeve’s bedroom poster collection includes Smash the H block alongside Che Guevara and Rosie the Riveter. Thanks to segregated housing, schools, churches, shops and pubs, Maeve and her Catholic friends have had limited exposure to the Protestants on the other

side of the town. This all changes when Maeve and her friends start working at the factory , which is financially supported by a grant from the UK Government, as it provides much needed local employment for both Catholics and Protestants. Whilst there is initial distrust and suspicion between the Prods and the Taigs, they learn the benefits of working together to fight for better pay and conditions against their unscrupulous and slimy English boss, Andy Strawbridge. Maeve makes friends with a work colleague, Fidelma, and together they stand up to Andy, demanding overtime on double time to finish a consignment of shirts for a local buyer, as well as sharing a burning desire to get away to a better life. I highly recommend this wickedly funny and in your face black comedy of a novel whose characters are skillfully drawn and brilliantly observed. Michelle Gallen ably demonstrates the importance

of community and place, and depicts the realities of working class life in nineties Northern Ireland with humour and wit galore. If you are not already a library member, please visit your local library at 100a Gloucester Road and obtain a library card giving you free access to over two million books including this novel.

OPENING HOURS

Henleaze Library 0117 9038541

Mondays 11am-5pm

Tuesdays 11am-5pm

Wednesdays 1pm-7pm

Thursdays 11am-5pm

Fridays 1pm-7pm

Saturdays 10am-5pm

Westbury Library (Staffed) 0117 9038552

Mondays 2pm-7pm

Tuesdays 11am-4pm

Wednesdays 11am-4pm

Thursdays 11am-4pm

Fridays 11am- 4pm

Saturdays 11am- 4pm

n WHAT'S ON

July 6

WESTBURY SINGERS present "Sing We and Chant It" - a concert of songs and ballads old and new, at Westbury Village Hall BS9 4AG on Thursday 6th July at 7:30pm. Tickets £10 (to include a complimentary drink), from cutler.family@ gemac.me.uk or phone 0117 9621438 or on the door.

22 July

n BLAISE COMMUNITY GARDEN, behind Blaise Museum, open Wednesday and Saturday 10-2. Originally a walled kitchen garden. Free to enter. We’re looking for new volunteers. Our Café serving homemade cakes will be open 10-2 on 22 July and 19 August.

July 24

n HENLEAZE SENIOR FILM CLUB at 2pm. A Man Called Otto (15). A funny, heartwarming story about how some families come from the most unexpected of places. Starring Tom Hanks. Tickets: £4.00 including refreshments. Carers welcome, easy access For more information, please call 0117 435 0063.

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

Regular events

Various days

n WEST OF ENGLAND BRIDGE CLUB based at RAFA Club, 38 Eastfield, Henleaze. Five sessions every week, catering for different standards. Thursday afternoon is Improvers. Monday and Friday afternoon is for more capable players; this is an EBU recognised session. You may come alone to any afternoon session; a partner will be found. The evening sessions are on Wednesdays and Fridays, and are open to pairs. www. woebridgeclub.co.uk or contact Secretary, Chris Frew, on 0117 962 5281.

Monday

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

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

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

n WESTBURY AND CLIFTON AREA DISCUSSION GROUP meet at Westbury on Trym Baptist Church every Monday 9.45am to challenge

ourselves with topical debate on what’s happening in the world. If you would like to help to solve some of today's challenging issues with good company, tea and biscuits - contact James Ball 01454 415165 or Ian Viney 0117 9501628.

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

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 sessions for craft, coffee, book clubs, walks etc. Visitors are always welcome and for more information do call Sue on 07813795936 or email westburyparkwi@gmail.com

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

n SCOTTISH DANCING to GET FIT and HAVE FUN with Westbury Scottish Country Dancing Club. Classes for beginners (Email: maggiekirkup@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. westburyscottish.org.uk

n WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP meet on Tuesday mornings at Westbury-onTrym Methodist Church, 10.30amnoon. An interesting programme of speakers; come along to make friends. For more details, ring Kate 07905 064720.

n BRISTOL HARMONY WEST GALLERY CHOIR AND BAND sing and play lively church and village music from the 18thcentury. St Edyth’s Church Hall, St Edyth’s Road, Sea Mills, 7.30 pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday each month. All voices (SATB), string, wind and

reed instruments welcome. No auditions but ability to read music helpful. www.bristolharmony. wordpress.com or call Fritjof 0117 924 3440. Contact before attending.

Wednesday

n BCCS (BRISTOL CATHEDRALCHOIR SCHOOL)

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

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

n KNITNATTERSTITCH meet on Wednesdays (term time only) 10-12 @ Henleaze United Reform Church’s coffee bar. For more information contact Paula at knitnatterstitch @gmail.com

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

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

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

Thursday

n LOCAL CHOIR ACTIVELY RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS. We meet at Stoke Bishop CE Primary School, BS9 1BW on Thursday, 7.45 - 9.15pm. We are a well-established mixed choir performing both sacred and secular music. See website www. henburysingers.org contact secretary at secretary@henburysingers.org.

n HENLEAZE FLOWER CLUB welcomes new members for the start of their exciting 22/23 Programme of floral design demonstrations. Annual membership £52. Demonstration meetings on 2nd Thursday of the month 2pm Bradbury Hall,Waterford Road, Henleaze and begin at 2pm. Plus optional Practice Classes on 4th Thursday. Visitors welcome. We meet every month except December and August. Please contact Jenny York, Club Chair yorkjenny2@yahoo.com or phone/text 07880 700270.

n HIGHBURY BADMINTON CLUB:

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

n BRISTOL MALE VOICE CHOIR

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

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

n OPEN DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE starting Sept 8. For those interested in developing their spiritual awareness and mediumistic ability. 7.15 for 7.30pm start at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Just turn up, contact Marian Bishop 0117 9771629 or visit www. westburyparkspiritualistchurch.org

Friday

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

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

Bring on the Aussies

GLOUCESTERSHIRE Cricket will host an England Men vs Australia ODI in 2024 and 11 England Men and Women internationals between 2025 and 2031.

The ECB has awarded Gloucestershire seven England Men IT20s – one for each yearincluding fixtures against India in 2026 and Australia in 2028.

Bristol will also host England Women’s white ball fixtures in 2024, 2025, 2028, 2030 and 2031, further consolidating the Seat Unique Stadium’s status as a home-from-home for both England Men and Women’s white ball sides.

Musical celebration of Windrush 75

SCHOOL children joined with a gospel choir for a special concert to mark 75 years since the arrival of HMT Windrush.

Renewal Choir Bristol, in partnership with Venturers Trust and Clifton College, staged the Windrush 75 Showcase event at Clifton College Chapel on June 22.

Vernon Samuels, project manager and one of the leaders of Renewal Choir, said: "This partnership with Clifton College alongside Venturers Trust significantly enhances the reach of the benefit of our project. By holding our event at Clifton College Chapel, we're creating a vibrant cultural exchange platform, connecting Bristol's younger generation to the rich legacy of the Windrush generation and fostering a sense of community and connection."

The choir is also staging a series of gospel music workshops at local sdchools, giving children the the opportunity to learn about the Windrush

generation's journey and their profound impact on British society.

Vernon Samuels added: “At a time when unity and mutual understanding are more important than ever, the Windrush 75 Showcase event serves as a beacon of inclusivity and cohesion. It's an opportunity for Bristol's school children, their families and the wider community to learn about, appreciate and celebrate our shared history and the importance of diversity.”

David Watson, CEO of Venturers Trust, said: “We’re honoured to take part in this communityfocused celebration event that helps to raise the profile of the Windrush generation and their significant contribution to the UK.”

Dr Tim Greene, Headmaster of Clifton College, said: “We are delighted to host the Windrush 75 concert, welcoming people from across Bristol to share an evening of wonderful music and celebration.”

Australia's fixture at Bristol in 2024 comes three years after a scheduled match between England Men and Australia in July 2020 was cancelled due to Covid.

Tickets for the England Men vs Australia ODI will go on-sale in late summer.

Will Brown, chief executive at Gloucestershire Cricket, said: “We’re delighted to have secured our status as an international venue for the next eight years and are equally thrilled to be bringing the biggest names and the best players in world cricket to the West Country.

“Both England Men and Women have enjoyed big wins in Bristol in recent years and everyone associated with the Club is excited for what promises to be an exciting period of international cricket at the Seat Unique Stadium."

Council considers feedback on harbour swim pilot

RESULTS of the first trial of open-water swimming in Bristol’s harbour are being evaluated.

Over five weeks, the city council ran eight two-hour swim sessions with a total of 653 swimmers taking a dip in Baltic Wharf for £7 a time.

A total of 920 bookings were made. The water quality was tested throughout the pilot and consistently met Excellent Bathing Water Standards. The council also monitored costs,

popularity, and safety.

Initial survey responses show that the majority of swimmers:

•were very satisfied with their Harbour swimming experience

•strongly agreed or agreed that the pilot was good value for money

•rated the location in the Harbour used for the swimming pilot as a very good place to swim

•are keen to return once a week or more if we make swimming sessions a permanent

feature in the harbour.

Writing on his blog, the Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said: =“I’ve really enjoyed hearing people’s stories of their experiences and the vibrant, uplifting atmosphere in Baltic Wharf during the swimming sessions. It’s been a great activity to bring to the city. We’re continuing our work and discussions with our partners, Uswim and All-Aboard Water Sports, to look at the possibility

of providing a designated open water swimming area in the Harbour on a regular basis.

“Feedback received so far has been very positive, with swimmers commenting on how well organised the sessions were, the friendly and supportive staff on hand and how great an opportunity it was to swim in the harbour.

"Your feedback will help us understand how we might adapt the swim sessions and facilities."

The Renewal Choir is taking part in a series of events in Bristol to mark Windrush 75

News and views from our city councillors

Sharon Scott (W-on-T & Henleaze)

Canford Park Pond

I have recently received an update on Canford Pond. The reason for the delay in completing the works to the pond is due to the parks department having to undergo repairs to the lining. The pond had started to be filled and then it was discovered that water was leaking from it. Unfortunately, the works were not classed as priority on the job list, which resulted in a delay. The good news is the work to repairing the lining is now complete and water is being tested to trial the lining where the problems occurred previously. Once this is completely resolved and holding water the pond will be filled and planted up as a natural pond which will encourage local wildlife to thrive. Repairs will also be made to the capping stones which were previously damaged by vandals. Work has also been carried out on the rose beds and wildflower beds in the vicinity to also tidy

them up and make them enjoyable for all to see.

Pot holes

Thank you for your emails regarding pot holes. I’ve continued to log as many as I can. I am very aware of the dangers they can cause as well as the damage that can happen to vehicles. The good news is that I am starting to see areas that have now been completed. If you see a pot hole please report it by logging it on www.fixmystreet. com so that it can be added to the list. If you have logged it and it hasn’t been fixed please let me know.

Covid 19 vaccinations

bins and recycling banks, on the ground of communal bin areas, and outside of recycling centres and charity shops. Some people continue to leave items outside of charity shops when they are closed. Please make sure you take items in personally. If you leave them outside you are fly-tipping.

Staying in touch

Covid 19 vaccinations came to a close on June 30 for all but those at higher risk from severe Covid 19. If you have missed your vaccine and you are in the higher risk category please contact your GP surgery.

Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of items. If your waste is fly-tipped by you or by someone else on your behalf, you could face a fixed penalty notice. You are fly-tipping if you leave items beside street

We hold regular zoom meetings for people to stay in touch with us, ask questions or raise concerns. Our next Westbury and Henleaze forum is open for everyone to attend. It will be on zoom, to log in go to http://tiny.cc/WandHJul23 to register. If you need any help on a 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-

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

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

“The care that she received from everyone was above and beyond what we could have expected. All the staff who looked after her were brilliant. Really kind and respectful.”

Hilary, Sister of Resident at Field House (source: carehome.co.uk)

News and views from our city councillors

St Christopher's School

I wrote here last month that the long- running planning application for the former St Christopher’s School site to be developed into a retirement village would be decided by a planning committee at the end of May. I should have known better than to make predictions!

The application was on the committee’s agenda for the 31st May with a recommendation from officers that consent should be refused. It was pulled from the meeting with less than 24 hours’ notice, apparently at the request of the developer. This is a very unusual move and seems to be part of a dispute between the developer and planning officers about the technical details contained in the officers’ report.

We are waiting for confirmation of the next steps, but our expectation is that unless the developers make major changes to their design the scheme will be brought back to a planning committee in the next month or so, and that officers will continue to recommend refusal.

Our position hasn’t changed – we are happy with the idea of the site being developed and especially opened up to the public, but we think that the current design is too big and dense, and would cause major problems with traffic and parking in the area which are not acceptable.

Travellers and van dwellers

We have had a few meetings with the Mayor recently and are due to meet him again in July to push for more positive action on the number of van dwellers around the city, particularly in our area around the Downs. We have also seen the first visit this year of travellers camping on the grass of the Downs. The Council are stuck with a very slow system of gaining court orders to remove travellers, which takes several weeks each time. The police do have more powers to remove encampments quickly but seem very reluctant to use them. We have spoken to local officers and to the Police and Crime Commissioner about this and will keep pushing them to

enforce the law appropriately.

Stay in touch

We hold regular monthly community forum meetings via Zoom, which are an opportunity for you to hear a little about what we’ve been doing, but more importantly to ask questions, raise any concerns and share local information. The next one will be on the 4th July. Please visit http://tiny.cc/WandHJul23) to register in advance.

You can 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.

Building Excellence

Our

News and views from our city councillors

You may already know Bristol Waste has continuing staff problems which is impacting on services. I understand from local news that it could get worse as staff are being balloted on strike action, they are extremely hard working in difficult conditions. The Council only allowed for a small increase in the amount it pays Bristol Waste which covers fuel and overhead increases but leaves very little for staff pay.

The Bristol Beacon is developing its opening programme in the new hall (opening 30th November). This should be a remarkable addition to the list of Bristol Venues. I am sure tickets for events will be good value for money, but I am not convinced that is true of the new hall building costs. We are waiting to find out exactly what those final costs are. I will share that information when I receive it.

The Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) pays most or all of the Council Tax for 23,000 households of working age in Bristol. The payment is made to those on low income or benefits. The scheme

currently costs the Council £43million per year. In February 2023 the Mayor proposed reducing this by £3m. In July the Council will be consulting on how to do this. There are numerous issues raised by this proposal and I encourage you to respond to the consultation when it goes live later in the month.

Sadly, there is no move from the West of England Combined Authority or the City Council on reinstating bus services. I will keep on challenging this, but I have a plea in terms of the Stagecoach 10 and 11 service, please use it to avoid losing it. This service runs from Avonmouth to Southmead Hospital, with 7 stops in our area along Canford Lane, Westbury Village and along Southmead Road.

Thank you to everyone who has contacted us about the Council proposed charges on Westbury Hill Car Park. If you share our concerns, please register at wotcarpark@ gmail.com. We can notify you as soon as we know the details of the public consultation which we anticipate will be late summer.

• Our next online forum meeting, open to all, will be on 4th July at 7.00pm. Go to http://tiny. cc/WandHJul23 to register.

• 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.

Geoff Gollop (Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze)

WESTBURY ON TRYM SOCIETY

A royal tribute in purple and gold

ROD Pooley and Blaise Nursery have excelled themselves with flower displays for the Coronation Year. Spring tulips were gorgeous in reds, whites and purples with blue pansies and now our pots are filled with a vibrant crowd of mauves, purples and gold in a further floral tribute to our new King.

So have our residents, who have already contributed more than eight thousand pounds to this year’s flower fund in the envelope appeal organized once more by Rosemary Evitts. (It’s not too late to send in a small sum if you forgot and can be done by bank transfer – our treasurer Malcolm Neave will be very happy – especially if you indicate if you are a taxpayer so he can claim gift aid of a further 25% on your contribution because WOTSOC is your registered village charity. No. 265486)

Cheques should be made payable to Westbury Flower Fund and can be dropped in to ‘Sarah C’, the Green Grocer in Carlton Court - another supporter - when you go to buy your strawberries and salads.

For Bank Transfers through Barclays, please use Sort Code 20-13-34, Account No 00942723 and

please put your name in the reference field

This year thirty businesses in Westbury gave financial support too for the lovely hanging baskets on some shops and on many lamp-posts. WOTSOC committee member Jane Plummer works very hard behind the scenes every year, from early spring into summer to make sure this happens, with frequent visits to all the sponsors to make sure orders go in on time.

A further royal tribute will be made in Westbury by the Society planting a commemorative oak tree later in the year in November – hopefully on or near to His Majesty’s Birthday. Details will be published later in the summer.

As a Post Script, may I add that we are hoping there will be lots of private pots, window boxes and baskets, to brighten fronts of houses and gardens and we shall be looking for potential winning displays - however small - later on in July (following the ‘Coronation Summer’ leaflet that accompanied our envelope deliveries.)

Also, like so many institutions and charities, we are looking for volunteers to help with the cleanup of weeds in the village, as a team effort every month on the last Sunday. Details on our website and notice board in Carlton Court.

Hilary Long

FINANCE

With Richard Higgs BA (hons) CFP FPFS

Harold Stephens

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

T: 0117 3636212

Inheritance tax receipts at record levels

The money the government receives from inheritance tax totalled £7.1bn for 2022/23, £1bn higher than the same period a year earlier. The Office for Budget Responsibility have forecast this could increase to a record £8.4bn by 2027/28!

The rise in tax receipts can be attributed to multiple factors, with one significant driver being the freeze on the inheritance tax free threshold, commonly referred to as the 'nil rate band,' until at least 2027/28. This coincides with the surge in property prices during the pandemic period, further contributing to the overall increase in tax revenues.

An increase in receipts of this magnitude should act as a warning for people to consider reviewing the value of their estate, including obtaining an up-to-date valuation of any property. Many people are surprised to learn their family will need to find the money to pay the inheritance tax bill before receiving anything from the probate process, adding stress at an already difficult time.

The nil rate band is currently set to £325,000. If the total value of your estate (all your assets minus anything you might owe) exceeds this amount when you pass away, inheritance tax is paid at a rate of 40% on anything above this

threshold.

There are other reliefs and exemptions available, depending on your circumstances. For example, an estate may also qualify for the residence nil rate band if a home has been left to direct descendants. This relief can be complex to apply, especially for example if you had downsized before passing away.

If you are concerned you may be in a position where inheritance tax will be due on your estate, proper financial planning will ensure you’re as prepared as possible. Taking proactive steps sooner rather than later increases the likelihood of being able to use completely legitimate methods to minimise any

potential inheritance tax burden.

We can assist you in working out the total value of your estate, calculate how much tax your loved ones would potentially owe, explore options with you about managing the potential tax bill and any reliefs and exemptions available to you.

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

Richard Higgs 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

Extinction Rebellion and cathedral join forces

A POWERFUL art installation entitled Oil Fountain has gone on display at Bristol Cathedral.

It has been created by internationally renowned Bristol artist Luke to provoke discussion of the climate and ecological emergencies we face unless action is taken.

The activist group Extinction Rebellion was invited to the cathedral on June 15 to welcome artwork. Also present were members of Christian Climate Action, representatives of local multi-faith groups, Bristol Climate Choir and performance group the Red Rebels.

Dave Mitchell, member of Christian Climate Action and Extinction Rebellion Bristol, said:

“We are delighted that Bristol Cathedral and the Church authorities have been working with us to undertake this hugely symbolic action, bringing active Christians and active citizens together to celebrate this immensely thought-provoking artwork.

Just having this piece in the Cathedral where the font should be is a hugely symbolically provoking act that is sure to spark a huge number of conversations about what we need to do to address the Climate and Ecological crises we all face.

We have been working in partnership with all these groups to harness the immense power of individuals when they act together in solidarity and unity in the greatest common cause we can ever face, rebelling in the face of horrific consequences if we don’t accelerate beyond the fossil fuel era, into a just transition to a better world for all.”

The Revd Canon Jonnie Parkin, Canon Missioner at Bristol Cathedral, responsible for evangelistic outreach, and deepening the discipleship of the Cathedral congregation is encouraged by this initiative;

“We realise that many people may be nervous at the thought of Bristol Cathedral opening its doors to welcome Extinction Rebellion, but we have worked with many climate action groups in the past and are always struck by their urgency and commitment to countering the Climate Crisis. They [Extinction Rebellion] can be viewed as 'prophetic disruptors', speaking truth to power and encouraging better, more community-minded thinking and behaviours, much as leading figures in many of the great Faiths have done before them.”

The Oil Fountain will be in Bristol Cathedral until July 2.

Environmental campaigners welcome the Oil Fountain's arrival at Bristol Cathedral

n VINEYARD NEWS with INGRID BATES

At last the vineyard is looking leafy

IT feels like it’s taken a long time to reach this point after a very cold and wet start to the year. The vines have produced some huge flowers which means things are already looking hopeful for harvest but we must never count our chickens until they’ve hatched… the shortly approaching two-week flowering period is perhaps the most critical weather window of the whole year and will decide the outcome of harvest all those months away in October.

On the wine front we have lots of news!

Our latest 2021 sparkling white has won a silver medal at the prestigious IEWA awards. This wine is 100% Seyval blanc grapes and features label artwork by world famous photographer Martin Parr. The judges comments always get passed on and caused much amusement when amongst the usual ‘honeysuckle, pears and apples’, one judge said the nose reminded them of ‘jellybabies’.

Last but not least, our new rosé is out and we’ve created an interactive wine label which celebrates Bristol’s music scene…

You’ve heard of food and wine pairing? Well, we wanted to create a music and wine

pairing. We teamed up with five amazing Bristol musicians who have each chosen a piece of music to pair with our new 2022 rosé. Simply click the QR code on the back of the label and listen while you sip!

The labels focus on five, Bristol-based artists: MADLY, Harriet Riley, Stevie Toddler, Alex Garden and Georgie Ward. Hope you enjoy the wine and the music!

hello@dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

www.dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

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

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