March 2022
Issue 118
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Serious accident is only a matter of time, says group
INSIDE Decision looms A date has been set for a ruling on plans for a food waste processing plant on the outskirts of Keynsham. PAGE 7
Toilets to reopen The public toilet block at Ashton Way car park in Keynsham is to be reopened after a revamp. PAGE 9
Campaigners call for Wellsway speed cut CAMPAIGNERS have launched a petition to lower the speed limit on a section of the Wellsway in Keynsham. They are calling on Bath and North East Somerset to make the B3116 safer for road users and local residents following a number of accidents. Keynsham Road Safety
Campaign wants to lower the 40mph limit to 30mph up to the ‘Welcome to Keynsham’ sign on the town boundary. Wellsway’s limit is currently 20mph from the roundabout to Manor Road, where it becomes 30mph for a little over 600 metres up to around 106 Wellsway, and then changes
to 40mph. The group is also calling for flashing signs to alert motorists to the proposed 30mph limit. And it wants a pavement to be installed from Uplands to Courtenay Road to enable pedestrians to access the Uplands Byway, which joins the n Turn to Page 2
Recycling costs The cost of building a new recycling centre in Keynsham has risen by £9.2 million. PAGE 12
‘Broken pledge’ A developer’s reputation has been tarnished after it broke a promise to buyers in Keynsham, a councillor has said. PAGE 15
Phone box blow A phone box in Saltford that was due to be restored for a new use has been destroyed in an accident. PAGE 21
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March, 2022
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Campaigners say These photos were taken by members of the campaign.
Keynsham Voice contacts Emma Cooper Publisher 0117 908 2121/ 07715 770448 emma@keynshamvoice.co.uk Erica Benson Advertising sales 0117 908 2121 sales@keynshamvoice.co.uk
This white car left the road at Uplands corner travelling towards Keynsham in winter 2019 and rolled over in the field. The driver was unhurt.
News 0117 908 2121 news@keynshamvoice.co.uk Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @keynshamvoice
The pictures on the right are from an accident on January 11 this year, between a red car leaving Keynsham and a black car driving towards Keynsham. Nobody was injured.
April deadline Our April edition will go to print on March 28. To ensure your news or letter is included, please contact us by Wednesday, March 23. Advertisers are asked to contact us by the same date.
Your views Letters for publication can be sent to the above email addresses or by post to Letters, Keynsham Voice, 16 Ashmead Business Centre, Ashmead Road, Keynsham, BS31 1SX. The editor reserves the right to edit your letter.
Local information Council Connect 01225 39 40 41 Keynsham Town Council 15-17 Temple Street, Keynsham 0117 986 8683 www.keynsham-tc.gov.uk Keynsham Citizens Advice Bureau 0844 848 7919 Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk General inquiries: 101 Emergency: 999
Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk Inquiries: 0117 926 2061 Emergency: 999 NHS Urgent: 111/ Emergency: 999 Anti-social behaviour team asb@bathnes.gov.uk 01225 842462 Well Aware Health and social care information www.wellaware.org.uk (Freephone) 0808 808 5252
Complaints Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in Keynshamvoice, contact the publisher using the details below. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), which holds journalists to a high standard of behaviour.
n From Page 1 Chew Valley walking routes. Campaign group member Rachel Stokes told the Voice: “We are very concerned that the excessive speed of motorists on the blind bend at Uplands, combined with multiple residential access points on both sides of the road, makes this part of Wellsway extremely hazardous to cyclists, pedestrians and local residents. “After over two years of discussions, prevaricating and empty promises from Bathnes highways and councillors, we are about to petition them in the hope of ensuring the safety of all road users. “The petition currently has over 600 signatures, and we’re aiming to get to 2,000, as the B&NES regulations on petitions state that if we can get signatures from 1% of the electorate, they
are required to have a debate in full council.” The group states on its petition: “The bend at Uplands has very restricted visibility, and often catches motorists by surprise, resulting in a number of accidents in recent years. Given the proximity of houses to the road, it is not possible to improve visibility and therefore reducing speed is the safest option. “Properties on both sides of the road have hidden entrances with restricted visibility, forcing residents to essentially block the road in order to pull out. “This section of the road has seen an increased number of families with young children move into newly developed properties in recent years, and the current speed limit of 40mph is no longer appropriate for the volume of traffic entering and leaving these properties.
Further details of the complaints process can be found on the Voice website, or can be obtained by contacting the Publisher. DHP, HPD, MNCH(REG), AfSFH
A member of the
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Keynshamvoice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Keynshamvoice is distributed each month to residents. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is always welcomed, contact Emma Cooper on 0117 908 2121 or emma@keynshamvoice.co.uk. This month 10,750 copies will be distributed in Keynsham, Saltford and the local area.
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n NEWS
serious accident only a matter of time
Furthermore, Wellsway is extremely popular with cyclists, and motorists aiming to drive at 40mph often attempt to overtake them on this blind bend. It is only a matter of time before this causes a serious accident.” The group adds: “This section
of Wellsway does not have good width and layout, buildings are not set back from the road, and there is no segregation of road space, footway or crossing spaces. Despite this, Bathnes Highways Department have argued that ‘this length of the
Wellsway is rural in nature and does not lend itself to a 30mph speed limit,’ and have declined to visit the site to discuss concerns with local residents. “They currently plan to reduce the limit to 30mph only to the Homestead - this will
effectively make the situation worse as motorists will still be accelerating out of the 30mph section by the time they reach the blind bend at Uplands.” To find the petition, go to www.change.org and search ‘For a Safer Wellsway’.
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March, 2022
NEWS
£55 council tax rise as budget agreed BATH and North East Somerset residents will see their council tax bills increase by more than £55 in April. Liberal Democrat council leaders hailed their budget as “maximising ambition”, investing in the future and avoiding damaging cuts as they make £11.8 million in savings. Opposition councillors criticised the “lack of vision” and “skewed priorities”, with concerns that the level of detail made their job scrutinising it more difficult. Deputy leader Richard Samuel, the Lib Dem cabinet member for resources, said: “This is a budget that maximises our ambition to make Bath and North East Somerset a better place, that maintains the move towards carbon reduction particularly in transport, that invests in key services, and provides the building of new council houses for the first time in over 30 years. “This programme has to
£750,000 is to be spent on replacing Keynsham Memorial Bridge be fully funded, and to avoid damaging cuts it is necessary to raise council tax, but only as little as possible.” Projects in the budget include £750,000 to replace Keynsham Memorial Bridge. The average band D household will pay the authority an extra £45.73, an increase of 2.99 per cent. Council tax bills also include payments to Avon and Somerset Police, which has increased its precept by £10, and the amount
going to Avon Fire and Rescue Service is up by £1.52. Most town and parish councils are also increasing their precepts. As reported in last month’s Voice, Saltford’s precept is rising by 7%. Meanwhile, Keynsham’s is rising by 2%. Bath and North East Somerset Council’s budget for 2022/23 was passed with 34 votes in favour to five against, with 18 abstentions. Conservative group leader Vic Pritchard said the Lib
Dems’ “skewed priorities”, an “irrational fear of cars” and an “unnecessarily draconian response to a hypothetical terror attack” had made it unnecessarily difficult for people with disabilities to drive into central Bath. Cabinet members rejected that claim. Mr Pritchard accused the council of pursuing vanity projects and said its leaders are “so busy trying to save the planet they’ve forgotten about Bath and North East Somerset”. Councillor Karen Warrington was disappointed in the lack of detail, saying it was not possible to see if the things she requested were included. Labour group leader Robin Moss described the budget as “difficult but somewhat disappointing”. He warned that holding one in 50 posts vacant will cause issues next winter when sickness levels increase, and said any savings would be lost by bringing in agency staff. n Letters: Page 17
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March, 2022
NEWS THE Saltford ward will benefit from a number of schemes in Bath and North East Somerset Council’s spending plans for 2022/2023. Saltford Brass Mill will received £81,000 for repairs to stone work, the Saltford Tennis Clubhouse Project is to get £20,000 CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) Funding, while Keynsham and Saltford access and biodiversity improvements will get CIL aid of £75,000. The WaterSpace project – the budget that supports actions connected to the Mead Lane river moorings will receive £250,000, with a further £50,000 each year in 2024/25, 2025/2026, and 2026/2027. B&NES’s plans also include road resurfacing and reconstruction in Corston Lane (£126,000); A4 Bath Road, Saltford (£250,000); Pennyquick Hill, Newton St Loe (£140,000); and carriage surface dressing in Uplands Road, Uplands Drive, part Golf Club Lane, part Manor Road, Saltford (£208,000); and Wellsway/Burnett Hill £215,000 (Wellsway is in Keynsham East ward). Other schemes proposed (subject to public consultation) include a 20mph speed limit in Chewton Keynsham (£7,000); 20mph limit Compton Dando (£7,000); and a 40mph limit A4 from Globe roundabout into Saltford and A39 into Corston (£7,000). Councillor Duncan Hounsell (Lib Dem, Saltford ward) said: “About a million pounds of investment is being made this year in Saltford ward in addition to the normal services provided.” He said the council “has reacted robustly to the financial challenges arising from the pandemic, and the budget represents good financial management and the resulting ability to further invest in our local area.”
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Town ‘keeps increase low for struggling families’ KEYNSHAM Town Council has decided to increase its council tax precept for 2022/23 by 2%. It means the amount a Band D household will pay for town council services will rise from £94.98 to £96.88 a year - an extra 3.65 pence a week. This is on top of the share of council tax paid to Bath and North Somerset Council, which gets the largest amount, and for policing and fire and rescue services. The town council said it wanted to keep the increase low for residents, especially because of the impact of Covid-19 on family income, and is drawing on its cash reserves. The council said: “Keynsham is at a crucial moment in the development of the town. “The High Street continues to see tenants closing down. The population continues to increase. The impact of climate change looms large over all our lives. Keynsham Town Council is actively responding to these challenges.” It has budgeted for spending of
just over £1 million for 2022-23. The council said it has co-funded the High Street’s rejuvenation and is contributing towards markets and cultural events designed to attract more people to the street. It has also undertaken its first tree-planting project and increased its environmental grant award fund to £15,000. Funds have been set aside to complete heritage projects such as refurbishing and re-siting the historic Keynsham mosaics. The town council has taken on responsibility for the Holmoak play area and is recruiting more staff for the coming year to support the extra activity. The amount of grants to be awarded to community and groups this coming year will be £22,000. This is in addition to grants totalling about £33,600 awarded to Keynsham Music Festival, Keynsham and District Dial-A-Ride, Keynsham in Bloom and KeynshamNow Youth Council.
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March, 2022
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NEWS
Decision looms on digester power plant THE fate of plans for a food waste processing plant on the outskirts of Keynsham is set to be decided soon. Bath and North East Somerset Council planning committee is due to meet on Wednesday March 9 and rule on whether the scheme can go ahead. The committee will meet at the Guildhall in High Street, Bath, at 11am. Hundreds of objections have been raised to the scheme by Resourceful Energy Anaerobic Limited (REAL) to build the facility at the former Queen Charlton Quarry site in Charlton Field Lane. People have expressed concerns about increased noise, pollution, smell, poor health and a massive increase in HGV journeys to bring waste from across England and Wales to the area. Protect Our Keynsham Environment (POKE) is among those fighting the plans for the anaerobic digester power plant in the green belt. The campaigning group has made a plea to anyone considering addressing the meeting in opposition to the plans. It said: “As you may be aware, objectors can speak at the meeting – but if you are considering this, please talk to us first. “Our group opposing the application will
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to approach the meeting. We will provide further information as soon as we have it.” For information on how to speak at the meeting, go to www.bathnes.gov.uk and search for ‘planning committee public speaking scheme’. For information about Protect Our Keynsham Environment, go to https:// protectourkeynshamenvironment. wordpress.com/ or search for ‘POKE Keynsham’ on Facebook.
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March, 2022
n NEWS
keynshamvoice
9
Ashton Way public toilets to reopen
THE public toilet block at Ashton Way car park in Keynsham is to be reopened. It was closed by Bath and North East Somerset Council seven years ago as part of a money-saving scheme. Refurbishment work on the toilets is expected to be completed during the spring. Funding of £12,000 has been agreed to provide a disabilitycompliant cubicle. All council-operated public toilets cost 20p to use and are cleaned and maintained by the council’s contractor, Healthmatic. Councillor Jess David, cabinet assistant for neighbourhood services, said: “The closure of shops, food outlets and other
non-essential services during the pandemic saw an increased demand on public toilets in B&NES. In response we’ve carried out a review of our services and listened to feedback
from residents telling us a toilet is needed in this busy car park. “We hope the refurbishment of the former disabled toilet will provide a modern accessible facility that will help make
people’s visits to Keynsham more comfortable.” A petition demanding the reopening of the Ashton Way toilets was started last year by B&NES councillors Andy Wait and Hal MacFie, attracting more than 350 signatures. The councillors said one of the most common complaints they received was the lack of toilet facilities in the town. The town’s sport centre and library already have Changing Places toilets. These are different to standard accessible toilets (or ‘disabled toilets’) as they have extra features and more space. More information on public toilets in B&NES can be found at www.bathnes.gov.uk/ publictoilets
More ‘give a jab’ campaigns launched TWO local fundraising campaigns have been launched to help to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to every corner of the globe. Give a Jab Saltford and Give a Jab Corston will run throughout the year. They are being supported by Saltford resident and B&NES ward councillor Duncan Hounsell. He said: “We in the UK have the benefits of a vaccination programme. Not everyone around the world has that opportunity. I urge everyone who can to give generously to this fundraiser.” UNICEF will help deliver two billion Covid-19 vaccines for health workers and the most high-risk people. Donations will ensure vaccines reach even
the most remote places in the world. They will be safely stored using cold-chain equipment, and health workers will be protected and trained to vaccinate their communities. UNICEF is delivering vaccines to 100 low-income and middle-income countries, and a gift of £45 could transport 1,593 doses of vaccines. The Give a Jab initiative for towns, villages and communities in the West Country was launched in Keynsham in December by local folk musician Helen James - and Give a Jab Keynsham has raised more than £900 so far. Helen said: “The idea is to bring our communities together by offering help to others as we overcome the struggle with
Give a Jab Saltford
Helen James and Duncan Hounsell Covid. By donating to this campaign, we can acknowledge the jabs and boosters we have received and may also be offered in the future. Any amount, however small, will help whatever each individual can afford. Working together we can
Give a Jab Corston really make a difference.” The campaigns can be reached by going to https:// www.crowdfunder.co.uk and searching for ‘give a jab Saltford’ or ‘give a jab Corston’. Or you can use your phone to follow the QR codes printed here.
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March, 2022
n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR
Cost of living crisis needs urgent action
T
HE weekly shop, petrol and energy bills are all going through the roof. It’s clear there is a cost of living crisis. It’s affecting everyone and it’s the talk of the town – from a woman I met at a cafe in Kingswood who told me her electric bill had doubled to the terrible stories I heard at a rural foodbank of working families, including an NHS nurse, who can’t afford the basic necessities. April’s rise in national insurance will hit hard. People across the West of England are being bashed by both higher prices and taxes in a way not seen before. Unfortunately that still isn’t the whole story. The cap on energy bills is being raised by almost £700 – a rise of 54%. So the average energy bill will now almost be £2,000 and they are set to rise yet again later in the year too. For many, including the Bristol and Keynsham families I met recently, the grim choice is between heating or eating – with the number
of people in this awful predicament set to rise throughout 2022. So, what is the government’s response to this cost of living crisis? Well, the Chancellor decided to loan billions of pounds to energy companies. His ‘buy now, pay later’ wheeze on energy bills will load up debt for the future, not sort the problem. As Metro Mayor I have levers of power for the long term and have begun a big programme of retrofitting to make homes warmer and bills cheaper through my £50 million green recovery fund. We’ve got so many beautiful Victorian and Georgian houses and cottages but they weren’t built with energy efficiency in mind. I’ve also launched £1m in grants to help local places, like a great (dog friendly) coffee shop Angel my cocker spaniel and I visited in Bath, that are using a West of England Combined Authority grant to go greener and so cut their bills.
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What is urgently needed now, however, is to get cash to hard-pressed households. Let’s fund that by a one-off tax on oil and gas producer’s booming profits. The government need to face up to some alarming inflation and tax rise truths and provide real solutions to this cost of living crisis; not piling up more things to pay tomorrow for hard working people, families and pensioners.
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
11
n NEWS
n LETTER
How my education suffered
Many members of Mervyn Hawkins’ family were in the crowd that cheered Keynsham Town to their 6-0 victory. Among them were Mervyn’s great-grandchildren Oliver (yellow scarf) and Evie (inset)
Victory honours memory of striker Mervyn
Mervyn Hawkins and, right, in his playing days
KEYNSHAM Town Football Club held a one-minute applause in honour of a former player before an emphatic victory in his memory. Mervyn Hawkins, who played centre forward, died aged 92 on February 9. The Ks paid their tribute to Mervyn on February 12 before their home fixture against Millbrook, who were above them in the league table. And it was fitting that Will Hailston, who scored twice in the 6-0 victory, wears the number 9 shirt, as Mervyn did. Hailston was presented with the award for man of the match by Mervyn’s eldest son Bob Hawkins. Mervyn’s great-grandchildren Oliver, 12, and Evie, 9, were mascots at the game and many of his family were in the crowd to cheer the Ks to victory. On Mervyn’s 90th birthday in 2019, Keynsham Town FC invited him to experience a VIP day at the club. He signed for the club in 1953 and gained a reputation as a fearsome striker. Mervyn served in the Royal Artillery before working at the nearby Fry’s (later becoming Cadbury’s) factory. After retiring from Somerdale in the 1980s, he worked for local supermarket Gateway in Keynsham. Dave Noble, of Somerdale Pensioners Association, said: “From the outset of his coming to Somerdale, Mervyn was always popular with everyone. “Mervyn will be very much missed by many former employees and pensioners and will always be remembered and highly respected for his happy and sincere personality and his friendliness towards everyone.
Bob Hawkins, Mervyn’s eldest son, congratulates man of the match Will Hailston “We extend our sincere sympathy to all of his family on the loss of a real Somerdale character and a really lovely man in every respect.” Many people posted tributes to Mervyn on the football club’s Facebook page. One wrote: “Such a lovely kind funny man with always a twinkle in his eye. He will be sadly missed but always remembered.” Mervyn married his wife Patricia in June 1950 and they had five children - Tricia, Bob, Peter, Caroline and Sandra, who gave them 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. The couple were married for 70 years before Pat died in December 2020 at Charterhouse care home, Keynsham - the site of the former Fry’s factory, where Mervyn previously worked. n Keynsham Town match report: Page 42
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I READ with interest the article in your February edition, ‘When two schools shared a home’ based on an article by Joan Ellison. Having attended Keynsham Grammar School from September 1970 (in the ‘First Year’ - now Year 7) and then integrated into the new Wellsway School from September 1971, I have to correct some errors in the account. The open air pool was not ‘built in the 1970s’. I certainly remember a fully functioning, and very cold, open-air swimming pool when I started at KGS, albeit it was only used in the summer term. ‘Lansdown block’ (the old KGS) and ‘Mendip block’ (the old secondary school) were not used separately for younger and older pupils respectively. Certainly up until I entered the sixth form in autumn 1975, the ages were mixed in both blocks, as were the pupils of the old schools, at least for form groups, and, depending on ability, for other classes. A new sixth-form block was built, between the two old schools, sometime around 1972/4, to replace the old ‘Parnassus’ timber-framed building, which was adjacent to the swimming pool. One of the consequences of attempting to integrate the teaching staff was that some of the teachers were completely out of their depth when it came to teaching former grammar school pupils. I certainly know that my education in one subject was ruined by a hopeless former Wellsway Secondary School teacher who resorted to physical assaults on pupils. Equally, I remember one or two, including Mr Bromwich, a maths teacher (and head of house) and Mr Fry, a geography teacher, who were truly outstanding. I don’t believe that the amalgamation of the two schools was in the interests of the former KGS pupils. Certainly my education suffered, not only from poor teachers, but from larger class sizes and children in the class who ‘didn’t want to learn’, but in the longer term the comprehensive system has helped many ‘late developers’. Name and address withheld n More Letters: Pages 16 & 17
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March, 2022
n NEWS
New recycling centre cost rises by £9m THE COST of building a new recycling centre in Keynsham has risen by £9.2 million. The extra spending has been agreed by Bath and North East Somerset Council, taking the project to £39.1 million. Bath and North East Somerset Council says the extra money is “in response to national increases in labour and material costs as a result of Covid-19 and to deliver the proposed development in full. It also ensures measures to tackle the climate and ecological emergency are retained as a priority, as well as compliance with planning consent.” The recycling centre will be built at the current waste site in Pixash Lane. The contractor, Farrans, was poised to start preparing the site from mid-February, with the main works due to follow on this month. It is hoped the work will be completed by autumn 2023. The site will include a new reuse shop, alongside the new public recycling centre, which is planned to open at the end of 2022. It aims to give residents improved recycling choices and help meet the Bath and North East Somerset Council’s climate and nature emergency commitments. Residents in the district are already bucking the national trend for the amount of material recycled in 2020/21, reaching a reuse, recycling and composting rate of
The new recycling centre will be taking shape at the current waste site in Pixash Lane 59.2%, the highest since records began. B&NES is currently fourth out of 92 unitary local authorities and ranked 15th out of all 338 local authorities in England for its household recycling rates. This is against a national backdrop of decreased recycling. Councillor Dave Wood, joint cabinet member for climate emergency and neighbourhood services, said the new waste and recycling hub will make it easier for people to recycle. “It will also allow us to expand our service
range in the future - helping us to improve on our already impressive recycling rate. In turn it will also help reduce general waste, save on operational costs and play an important part in tackling the climate and ecological emergency.” The new facility will also help the council meet future legislative changes. Planning consent was granted in July 2021. You can find the latest information on the project on the website www.bathnes.gov.uk/ keynshamrecyclinghub
Santa dash cash for charities THE Saltford Santa Dash team are pleased to announce that last year’s event raised £9,250 for its two chosen charities, Off The Record BANES and Project 28. Both charities provide services to improve the lives of young people in local communities. The team would like to thank everyone who got involved - the runners, the local businesses that sponsored the event, the volunteers and everyone who came along to give their support. Since it began in 2013, the Santa Dash has raised over £100,000 for local charities supporting young people in the community. Plans are already being made for this year, with a provisional date of Sunday December 4. Anyone who would like to help organise this year’s event should email saltfordsantadash@gmail.com.
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
13
CHANGING FOR THE BETTER
n NEWS
with Transition Keynsham
Peaceful protest does work
W
hat does it take to bring about political and social change? Armed conflict or non-violent protest? At a well-attended Keynsham Extinction Rebellion event in February, a speaker told the audience that their aim is to get 3.5% of the UK’s population engaged in peaceful protest. This figure is based on compelling research by Professor Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University. She studied non-violent campaigns across the world and found that it takes around 3.5% of the population actively participating in peaceful protests to drive meaningful political change. Prof Chenoweth argues that non-violent campaigns are more likely to succeed than revolutions or coups because they attract broad support across society. They give people many options to get engaged in ways that don’t put them in physical danger, and the openness of their campaigns makes it easy for people to find out where, when and how to act. She also points out that the number of actively involved people is usually the tip of the iceberg. Beyond that 3.5%, millions of people are quietly supporting change through the ballot box or through charities
and organisations that directly or indirectly support the cause. Will XR and the other organisations that share its aims reach the 3.5% sweet spot? I hope they will. Together with organisations like Insulate Britain, which is made up of mostly older, professional, retired people, and the Climate Strike movement of school children, it is embracing a broad coalition across society. Another organisation has recently emerged. Just Stop Oil is a movement of young adults demanding that the government immediately stops all fossil fuel investment. Like Insulate Britain, their nonviolent tactics involve creating disruption. The government is moving to make nonviolent protest illegal. Is this because they are worried that we are approaching the 3.5% tipping point? I think it might be. It makes me even more determined to make my voice heard. If everyone who cares about the future of our planet gets involved in peaceful climate protest, we really can change the world. For more information on Extinction Rebellion Keynsham, find them on Facebook. Liz Barling n It’s not too late to save the world: Page 33
Litter pick by the river KEYNSHAM Wombles will be taking part in the Great Avon River Pick on Saturday March 26. They are among a number of groups who will pick litter along the whole of the River Avon, from Keynsham to Bradford on Avon. Keynsham Wombles will be doing their bit from 10am to 12pm, meeting at the Lock Keeper Inn. For more information, search for ‘Keynsham Wombles’ and ‘Great Avon River Pick’ on Facebook.
Comedy double bill
SALTFORD Drama Club returns to the stage after a two-year gap with a comedy double bill on March 17, 18 and 19 at Saltford Hall A rehearsed reading of The Coven’s Convention by Stephen Mercer will be followed after the interval by a production of Lockdown in Lower Saltford by David Tristram. Tickets are £12, including a light supper, and can be obtained via www.tickettailor.com/ events/scaevents or from Saltford Post Office.
Aretha’s life on screen SALTFORD Community Cinema will screen Respect – a biopic of Aretha Franklin – on Friday March 25 at Saltford Hall, starting at 7.30pm, with drinks and ice cream available from 6.45pm. Tickets at £5 are available via www.tickettailor. com/events/scaevents, or buy on the door.
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14
KEYNSHAM MEMORIES
March, 2022
with Keynsham & Saltford Local History Society
KEYNSHAM High Street has always been a favourite with photographers and this month we have one of the oldest images in our collection, probably taken about 1900, showing the northern part of the street. Some of the buildings have survived: the building in the right foreground was for many
years the home of Lloyds Bank and is now the Grounded café bar. Next to it are the elaborate original pillars of the Baptist Chapel, while the building beyond, with the distinctive barge-boards, was then the Post Office and now houses Smart Computers and the new Boss
hair salon. Beyond this was the village pump, while the adjacent rank included the Forester’s Arms and the brick-built Royal Oak, now the Wine Bar. In the distance, beyond Station Road, is the old vicarage. On the left is the junction with Charlton Road, then much narrower and known as Danes
Lane. Two of the small cottages further along were demolished in the 1930s, to be replaced by the Fear Hall. The combined telegraph and lamp-posts on the left help to date the image, as Keynsham was one of the first small towns to install electric street lighting, about 1892.
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
15
n NEWS
‘Reputation tarnished over broken pledge’ A MAJOR developer’s reputation has been tarnished after it broke a promise to buyers in Keynsham, a councillor has said. Hal MacFie said Somerdale residents were told they would get a shop but instead Taylor Wimpey is set to build another four homes. The former chocolate factory site is allocated for up to 700 homes, and so far 625 have been built, with another 125 under construction. Officers said developers had already met their requirement to build a shop so there was no policy reason to refuse the application. Mr MacFie, the ward member for Keynsham East, went canvassing for the recent town council by-election and said the issue was raised at almost every doorstep on the Somerdale estate. He told a Bath and North East Somerset planning committee meeting: “They marketed that they would have a riverside cafe and a retail unit. They quite clearly have taken the decision to put profit in front of that. “Four houses means nothing to them. They’re going to walk around now with that tarnish. It’s something that was going to make us a community. It’s a sad day.” Councillor Duncan Hounsell said Taylor Wimpey had a “moral obligation to provide what most people on the site believed was going to be delivered.” It comes just three months
after Chocolate Quarter residents were denied a shop, and 44 more retirement flats were approved instead. Planning committee chair Sue Craig said it was a “great shame” that was not helping to build sustainable communities. Councillor Shaun Hughes added: “How can we guarantee our residents, whether on this or any other development, have the confidence to buy a property and know the developer will deliver the promises they’ve made? “Community development features should be written in a way so they can’t be overturned so easily.” Taylor Wimpey planning consultant Stephan Siaw told the meeting the site was an accessible location for providing new homes, with facilities for food and drink, a pharmacy and a volunteer-run community shop, plus more within walking distance in the town centre. Alex Hill said in a written
objection: “Somerdale needs facilities, not more houses. The original plans were meant to include a shop which has been scrapped, which I don’t understand why. It feels like another one of Taylor Wimpey’s attempts at money grabbing rather than actually trying to create a community.” An officer said there was nothing to prevent the “evolution” of the site and it coming forward for other uses. Keynsham North ward councillor Vic Clarke said he had sympathy with the residents who had bought into the development if the site had been marketed as a shop, but estate agents’ promises did not ensure it would happen. “If there’s no legal commitment for them to do something then within planning law they are perfectly entitled to put a new application in,” he said. Councillor Rob Appleyard said it was natural for a
development of this size to have slight changes. “The arrangement between the developer and the residents when they were making their purchases is not something in our sphere. This is a straightforward adjustment to the original plan. It’s adding something to that area.” The application was approved by five votes in favour to four against, with one abstention. Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said: “We have delivered a variety of community facilities at our development in Somerdale for the benefit of residents and the wider community. “A new nursery and cafe, which were initially planned to be located off Trajectus Way, have been provided elsewhere at the development and we have submitted a planning application for four new homes in this location. “We are committed to meeting our obligations of the planning permission for Somerdale and remain committed to providing all of the facilities promised.” Following the meeting, Lib Dem activist Alex Beaumont told the Voice: “During the recent election campaign, so many residents commented to me that they were angry that no café or retail unit had been built. “I will write to Taylor Wimpey asking them to reconsider.” Stephen Sumner, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Candlemas service lights the way A CANDLEMAS service for Churches Together in Keynsham and Saltford (CTKS) has been held at St John’s Church in Keynsham. The church and churchyard were lit with 1,000 candles, and those attending held lit torches as they walked to the church in the High Street on January 30. The candles represent the light of Christ shining into the world as a symbol of hope and love. The flower arrangements included snowdrops, as these are known as Candlemas bells and show that the worst of winter is over and spring is on its way. The service was hosted by the Keynsham parish team rector, the Revd Dr Stephen M’Caw, and the Friends of St John’s.
Revd Anika Gardner, team vicar at St Francis Church, welcomed those attending, and a special welcome was extended to those from the Futura Learning Partnership group of schools, including the trustees and chief executive, principals and school staff. The chaplaincy development adviser from the Diocese of Bath and Wells also attended. Ros Durrant, chair of CTKS, said part of the service was to mark the mission and ministry of Pip Lovell as chaplain to Wellsway School, as part of the collaboration between CTKS and the Futura Learning Partnership. She said: “It is our hope and vision that this ministry will grow and develop to include more schools in future years.”
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16
n LETTERS
March, 2022
Letters for publication can be sent to news@keynshamvoice.co.uk or by post to Letters, Keynshamvoice, 16 Ashmead Business Centre, Ashmead Road, Keynsham, BS31 1SX. The editor reserves the right to edit your letter.
Self-serving backlash over homes
Why make it so difficult to pay to use car parks?
The field off Minsmere Road where 70 new homes may be built. Right, last month’s Voice front page
I READ with dismay of yet another self-serving backlash to plans for new housing in Keynsham (Plan for 70 more homes opposed, February issue). The facts are we have a housing crisis in this country, especially round here. Younger people deserve the same opportunities older people have enjoyed in the past to own a home of their own in Keynsham. Average house prices in Keynsham exceed £300,000 and house prices have grown at a faster rate than earnings over the past 20 years. It’s absolutely right to call on developers to ensure there are affordable homes and infrastructure is improved. But if you block new homes being built at all there will definitely be no improvement in the housing crisis.
The supply must be increased. I feel too many of the older generation are simply not thinking of the needs of younger people, just their own needs. Yes, there’s a worry about traffic. Yes, it’s a shame to lose some habitats for wildlife. But do these things really take priority over the next generation being able to own their own home? Keynsham has huge amounts of countryside around it and will continue to do so after all of these incremental developments. Lots of new homes were built in Keynsham in the 1930s, the 1950s, the 1970s … what is so special about today? People need to stop being so intransigent and consider the bigger picture. Frank Lunn
Thank you for your item on Keynsham St John’s Church (Keynsham and Saltford Local History Society feature, January issue). It is indeed the most distinctive and historic building in Keynsham, standing sentinel-like at the end of the High Street for hundreds of years. It is remarkable to think that a world-class composer, Frederic Handel, performed a recital there watched by his contemporary and the founder, John Wesley, of what was to become a worldwide religious denomination, the Methodist Church. They had become acquainted at a previous recital in Bristol, where Wesley was based. His ministry
HAS a decision been made quietly somewhere that the only people welcome to come to Keynsham are those who can pay for parking on a smartphone or online? Regularly now at least one of the machines in the Ashton Way car park is “smartphone only”, and recently the only car park machine in the park was covered over so that the only way to pay was by phone. This excludes a large number of people from the surrounding area who should be being encouraged to use Keynsham for the independent shops, hairdressers and cafes. The station car park has become almost impossible to use. The very long and complicated instructions advise users to “pay at the car park pay machines” (there isn’t one), “pay at the ticket office” (but it’s
only open for a couple of hours on weekday mornings) or “purchase a ticket online” with several different options all requiring technology and a smartphone. Even Blue Badge holders must display, besides the Blue Badge, a valid ticket (if you leave your train ticket in the car when you park, what do you show to the train staff on your journey?) or APCOA Connect session (no indication of how this is obtained, but presumably online). This is no way to encourage people to use public transport. Has a policy decision been made that the public car park operators may choose to exclude people who want to continue using cash? Our town should be welcoming and accessible for everyone. Elspeth Rolls, Keynsham
Cost of not having a smartphone
n Homes plan defended: Page 27
IS BANES Council deliberately keeping parking meters covered so that they can issue more parking fines to motorists who haven’t got smartphones to pay the charge? I have now been the unfortunate receiver of two tickets. The first was in Keynsham East (back of Lloyds) and I caught the attendant issuing it. He pointed out I could have crossed the road, which I think unreasonable, and I also believed it to be a different car park being Keynsham West.
With the High Street closed to traffic, Ashton Way can be difficult to cross. I have appealed against this fine. The second one was in Station Road car park and I just thought there was no alternative. I was going to St John’s Church hall so didn’t go to this car park to avoid 40p. I am annoyed but have sent off the £25. What do others think and I wonder how many others are in the same situation as me? Anne C. Down, Saltford
would have taken him frequently to Keynsham, by horseback in those days. Perhaps he watched the recital and delivered a sermon in Keynsham on the same day. I recently visited the very fine city of Durham, similar in many ways to Bristol. The highlight for me was paying £5 and climbing 325 steps to the top of the top of Durham Cathedral. The view from the top took some taking in! It got me to thinking, why doesn’t St John’s Church, on an open day, allow people to pay a small fee to climb to the top? I have lived in Keynsham a long time and would certainly pay to see that view first-hand. Properly supervised, why not?
How much the view from the top must have changed. There has been a church on the site of St John’s for 750 years, and I cannot imagine what Keynsham will look like 750 years from now. The Romans were probably near their peak of influence in Britain around 1,800 years ago, and I cannot imagine what the future holds for the town in 2,000 years’ time. I suspect that rising sea levels could have a part to play there. The High Street is about 13 metres above sea level so perhaps it will survive. The Romans’ original siting of their settlement at Trajectus was because it was at the conjoining of two rivers, giving them the means to be able to transport supplies landed at Sea Mills (Abona) inland.
That siting may play a great part in what happens to Keynsham in the next millennia. I have no scientific evidence to forecast what will happen to Keynsham. The only things I have come up with (apart from sea levels rising) is that large increases in population might make residences more likely than shops on the High Street. It is also possible that exhaustion of critical world resources might take us back to more basic forms of personal transport, like John Wesley on his horse. Perhaps by then we will be able to “migrate” to newly discovered planets proved to sustain life. Lionel Hutt, Keynsham
The view from St John’s tower is one I’d pay to see
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
n LETTERS
17
Letters for publication can be sent to news@keynshamvoice.co.uk or by post to Letters, Keynshamvoice, 16 Ashmead Business Centre, Ashmead Road, Keynsham, BS31 1SX. The editor reserves the right to edit your letter.
Budget builds a brighter future for town LAST month, councillors discussed and approved B&NES Council’s budget for 2022-23. I was pleased to be able to speak and highlight the significant funding of benefit to Keynsham residents. As we know, the High Street is being brought up to date with a three-phase improvement project worth over £3.5 million. Although this is currently disruptive, it will give the Keynsham community the chance to enjoy a cleaner, greener and more attractive centre which will, in turn, lead to a thriving market town bringing greater numbers and wealth to our local businesses. The £1.5 million upgrade of the Civic Centre means that Keynsham will become the administrative centre of B&NES. With flexible working, this will not lead to congestion in the town but will mean that Keynsham will be at the centre of all decision-making in B&NES. Much of the work is being carried out by local specialists and contractors. I’m pleased to see that the
Litter being cleared from Keynsham bypass Photo: B&NES Council
Keynsham bypass will be swept clean of litter four times a year and that B&NES has committed a further £9.2 million to the development of the Pixash Lane Recycling Centre, meaning more recycling, more employment,
and greater opportunities of local people to reduce, reuse and recycle. Keynsham Memorial Park Bridge has been closed since 2019, when it was deemed unsafe. However, persistence from the local
population and B&NES councillors has led to £750 000 being allocated for a new bridge over the River Chew, which is expected to last over 60 years. It should be finished in the next financial year, weather permitting. A £2.2 million cycling and walking bridge for the Chocolate Quarter is also expected and this should deliver, in time, a safe cycling route from Keynsham to the centre of Bristol. Finally – and for many the most important announcement – a partnership with the town council and a private operator means that B&NES is to reopen the toilet in Ashton Way shortly. This is the only public toilet that serves the High Street, and it will bring great relief to many in the town. No more can it be said that nothing changes in Keynsham or B&NES is Bath-biased. The cash and care that the council administration is bringing to Keynsham will ensure a better, brighter future for our town. Councillor Andy Wait
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC
Tax increase is a positive step for policing LAST month, I announced that I would be increasing the policing part of the council tax – known as the precept – by 4.1% for local residents, equivalent to 83p more per month for the average band D household. I would like to thank the Police and Crime Panel and local people for their support. This increase will help deliver my ambitious Police and Crime Plan, which aims to provide you with an efficient, effective and legitimate police service. I know that any increase in household bills is felt by local people but, without it, it is likely cuts would have had to be made that would impact frontline services. This is why I was determined to hear from as many residents as possible and, through my consultation, I heard from 6,335 residents, of which the majority were in support of an
increase to support policing. This increase is a really positive step for policing. It allows the force and my office to work towards our vision of more visible policing, better community engagement, preventing crime, strengthening partnership work, and improving outcomes and support for victims of crime. The increase will also allow us to give pay rises to the policing family, ensuring we are recognising the hard work of officers and staff that go above and beyond for our communities. If you want an outstanding police service you have to fund it and, as your PCC, I will ensure Avon and Somerset Police deliver. I’m also delighted to announce that my team and I have been successful in securing over £100,000 in additional funding for sexual violence and domestic abuse services in Avon
and Somerset; an additional £30,797 from the Ministry of Justice’s Critical Support Fund and £70,000 from NHSEI Health and Justice South West. As PCC, my team and I will continue to work with other commissioners – including health and local authorities – to ensure there are effective and efficient services across Avon and Somerset that can be accessed by everyone, which supports victims and survivors to cope and recover. Preventing and fighting crime is a priority in my recentlypublished Police and Crime Plan and this includes tackling male violence against women and girls, specifically domestic abuse, sexual offences, stalking and harassment. As well as ensuring there are good provisions for victims and survivors, we must address the attitudes and behaviours of the
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With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford perpetrator and ensure police investigations are evidence-led and focus on the actions of the offender rather than the victim. Finally, for anyone who is a victim or survivor of sexual violence or domestic abuse, remember help is available whether you report to the police or not, and no matter how long ago the crime took place. You can find you more about local services at www.survivorpathway.org.uk
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
19
KEYNSHAM AND SALTFORD LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY
The coveted rich pastures of the Hams
T
he exact origin of the name Keynsham is lost in the mists of time, but the earliest known spelling is Caegineshamme, in 871. Whatever the derivation of “Keyn”, the “hamme or ham” part has always been used. Hamme can mean low-lying meadow land, and ham or hame a homestead, manor, estate or village. The first settlers in this area would have found the rich meadow land bordering the River Avon to the north of the town very attractive. Still known as the Hams, these wide beds of alluvial soil deposited over thousands of years were ideal for grazing. We know that the Romans built a small settlement, probably the town of Trajectus, on part of this land adjacent to what later became the Fry factory. The first specific mention of La Hamme occurs in the Ordination of the Vicarage of Keynsham in 1308, whereby the vicar is to receive a load of hay from one acre of the meadow called La Hamme. Manorial records from 1631 to 1721 show that the land on the Hams was leased in small areas known as doles, or shares, of up to three acres, and some well-known Keynsham names such as Cantle, Flower, Ford, Hitchman and Rawlins are listed as tenants. Careful control over the management of land by tenants was important for landowners and for the long-term benefit of the land. Deeds and leases state that “no part of the area is ever to be ploughed, broken up, sown, or tilled”, on penalty of what was then
Plan of Keynsham Hams about 1820 Below, a view across the Hams in 1989
a large fine of £5 an acre. In the richest area, named the Great Ham, various tenants had the right to the first cut of grass each year. In 1790 John Allison, James Dorey and George Daniel, each with a one-acre strip, had this right. The regulations stated that all cattle had to be removed before the first Monday after 6th April each year. Then the grass was managed for mowing and the hay had to be harvested before 10th August. The right of pasturing from
10th August to 6th April belonged to certain tenants only. The type of livestock grazed would have varied with economic conditions, but cattle were wellsuited to the pastures; it was noted in 1622 that the once-thriving wool market in Keynsham was very depressed but the Bath Journal of 1st May 1775 advertised the Keynsham Upper Hams as being remarkable for cleansing and fattening horses and colts, which were to be taken in from 1st May
for 12 shillings a month. A few years later, Bath writer Edmund Rack described the fine, rich meadows bordering the Avon which were then “feeding a great number of horses and cattle, and particularly sheep”. Today, the main part of the Hams is subject to flooding, and this will always have been the case, but over the last thousand years the use of the river has been changed, first by the construction of mills, with large ponds, at intervals and then by the Navigation in 1727, so the width and depth of the river channel may well have altered. The plan printed here shows the layout before 1820, with field names. One or two of these, such as Dryleaze, have been retained as modern street and field names. In 1839/40 the Great Western railway line was constructed across the Hams, mainly on an embankment, and in 1922 JS Fry & Sons bought up the whole of Keynsham Hams north of this, including the remaining common rights, to build their new factory. They purchased the large old farm, Chandos Farm, with a total of 230 acres. The last occupants were Albert and Rhoda Clothier. Large areas of the Hams then became sports facilities for the factory workers. More recently, the development of the factory site for housing has brought easy access to the Great Ham, with new footpaths leading down to the river. Richard Dyson Based on research by the late Barbara Lowe
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH It seems, by no choice of our own, that we Trevor James are experiencing a precipice, a moment in a Pioneer Minister generation that forces change and a new way of St John’s doing things, an evolution of the term ‘normal’ Keynsham
‘
W
ell, here we are - ‘Freedom Day’ has come and gone, and we have been told we can step towards something that looks like normality. The trouble is, it seems none of us quite knows what normality looks like any more. Did we really know what it looked like pre-Covid? Whatever this ‘normal’ thing was or is, it is becoming apparent that it is not returning any time soon. We seem to be living in a season of immense change; for many this is scary, it feels uncomfortable, causing us to become disorientated in life. If you have seen the film The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), you will be familiar with the scene where Klaatu (the alien) is convinced by Professor Barnhardt to reconsider annihilating us for the mess we have made of the planet, with this line: “You say we’re on the brink of destruction and you’re right. But it’s only on the brink that
people find the will to change. Only at the precipice do we evolve. This is our moment. Don’t take it from us, we are close to an answer.” It seems, by no choice of our own, that we are experiencing a precipice, a moment in a generation that forces change and a new way of doing things, an evolution of the term ‘normal’. If you know how this film ends, you know we do not get annihilated. Instead we are presented with an opportunity to change, to live differently, to recognise that the way we have been doing things isn’t healthy. If we stop for a moment and become truly honest with ourselves, can we put hand on heart and say the way we have been living is healthy? Although painful, look at what the precipice of Covid brought about. We came together as communities, we spent more time with family and loved ones, we began to appreciate creation and the outdoors,
learning there is more to life than what we are living. Even in the midst of these challenging circumstances, there has, and is, and will always be an unchanging message in the Bible - a calling from a father who wants a relationship with us, a father who made a way for us to be with him through his son, Jesus. The way was made simple - ‘just believe and follow, and you will find life and life to the full’. I chose this way 21 years ago and I will never look back. Although life has been tough at times, I have an assurance of God with me and a hope through every trial. I am nothing special or did nothing special; this invitation is open to all. I am here in Keynsham to reimagine what church looks like outside of the institution and the usual way of doing things. If you would like to know more, please get in touch: trevorjames@keynshamparish.org.uk
10th March Specialist Sale Preview
Consigned at our popular Stoke Bishop Valuation Day
Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers A Trusted Presence Since 1860
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Rare Alessandro Pianon for Vistosi, Italy, ‘Pulcini’ glass bird circa 1962, height 27.5cm. Est: £2,000 - £3,000 Enamel singing bird automaton EST: £2,000 - £3,000
Held at the salerooms
Every Monday (except Bank Holidays) 10am - 1pm & 2pm - 5pm NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY Valuers for Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Somerset & Wells www.clevedonsalerooms.com
01934 830 111 info@clevedonsalerooms.com Clevedon Salerooms, The Auction Centre, Kenn Road, Clevedon, Bristol, BS21 6TT
Next Specialist Sale: Thursday 10th March 10:30am To Browse & Bid Visit: www.clevedonsalerooms.com
To advertise, contact Emma on 0117 9082121 or 07715770448
Email Emma@keynshamvoice.co.uk
keynshamvoice
March, 2022
21
n NEWS
Hope of new life for phone box dashed
A PHONE box in Saltford that was a familiar sight for many years has been destroyed in an accident. It was struck by a vehicle and its remains were removed after Avon Fire and Rescue attended the scene. The phone box in Norman Road, at the junction with the A4 Bath Road, had been a landmark for motorists and passers-by. After BT withdrew the phone box from service, Saltford Parish Council (SPC) bought it for the nominal sum of £1. Restoration had been due to start soon after SPC approved funds to buy replacement parts. Local company Mobius had offered to partly fund the restoration, and Mobius founder Lee Bignall - a Saltford resident - and Councillor Chris Warren, SPC chair, had volunteered to carry out the work required. Flourish - another Saltford company - had offered to fill the phone box with flowers, which they would maintain throughout the year. The final phase of the project was to install a defibrillator on the side of the phone box. SBS Design and Build, and Saltford Kitchens, founded by Saltford resident Nathan Sheppard, had offered to pay for the defibrillator and its ongoing maintenance.
All that remains - the site of the phone box after it was destroyed in an accident The two companies are based next to where phone box was and had planned to train their staff to use the defibrillator. SPC said in a statement: “Though SPC had insured the phone box, this particular one was Saltford’s, one that had been in the village for many years and one that SPC had great plans for. “With the support of the community, however, Saltford Parish Council hopes to move forward positively from this incident.” SPC asks anyone with information about the collision that destroyed the phone box to tell the police via 101 using incident number AS-20220215-0279. Alternatively, anonymous reports can be made to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by reporting online at www. crimestoppers-uk.org.
n ADVERTISING FEATURE Hugh and Celia Gay with the new electric delivery van at Newton Farm Shop & Cafe
Busy spring for farm shop NEWTON Farm Shop & Cafe is looking forward to a busy spring. Owners Hugh and Celia Gay have diversified to grow the business and ensure the sustainability of the farm, which has been in the family for four generations. Visitors to the former dairy farm can have a bite to eat in the café’s parlour room, which was once the original milking parlour. The café offers a new all-day breakfast menu on Saturdays, as well as a Sunday roast featuring the farm’s own home-reared meats. The well-stocked butchery counter sells fully traceable home-
reared meats, and there are plenty of other local products in the farm shop. A number of workshops are also planned for the coming weeks. Learn how to grow your own flower cutting patch on March 10, and how to make Easter wreaths on April 7, with local flower farmer Sarah Wilson from Compton Garden Flowers. And you can explore nature’s larder around Newton Parkland with professional local forager and food producer Chris Westgate of Heavenly Hedgerows on April 22. The farm can be found at Newton St Loe, Bath, BA2 9BT.
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Job Vacancy
Minibus Driver required
Keynsham & District Dial-a-Ride are a growing organisation and to cope with additional work we require staff who are committed, flexible and reliable to join our team. 32 Hours per week/ flexible - Monday to Friday Must be over 25years old, held a full driving Licence for 2 years with a D1 qualification or a PCV. Further information –
Tel: 01225 395321
or email: terrytransport49@yahoo.com Closing date: Friday 11th March 2022 at Midday CV’s will not be accepted.
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
n NEWS
22
Plan for Bath Hill homes is withdrawn
w
G ith for et a Sp rea ne r dy w in co g lo ur
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build homes on land behind a row of historic cottages in Keynsham have been scrapped. The developer, Asquare Properties, has withdrawn its planning application to build three houses and four flats at the site on Bath Hill. The site lay between the rear of numbers 56-74, also known as Tenhouses, and the Bath Hill East car park. A number of people had objected to Bath and North East Somerset Council about the scheme. Keynsham Town Council also objected to the plans, stating: “The proposal will destroy and diminish the character of this section of the town’s conservation area and hence is totally inappropriate.” The council also expressed concerned about access, the effect on wildlife and “insufficient” parking provision. A report by a B&NES conservation officer also opposed the plan, saying: “The proposed development fails to preserve or enhance the positive characteristics of the conservation area and harmfully affects the setting of the listed buildings.” The report stated that the site currently acts as a “green buffer and a breathing space for the backs of the listed cottages” and helps
The site between houses on Bath Hill and the adjacent car park
to offset the visual impact of the adjacent car park “that is very prominent and has little landscaping or trees of its own.” Councillor Andy Wait said the proposals would be an overdevelopment in the conservation area and take light from the existing houses on Bath Hill. He was also concerned that access would be difficult and potentially dangerous. One of those objecting to the scheme commented: “The majority of the residents have lived here for many years. They have no front garden - their only privacy, peace and
retreat is found at the rear of this historic terrace. The land between the cottage gardens and the car park forms a vital wildlife buffer. “A residential access onto a very busy route into the town and an already dangerous junction smacks of desperation.” The fears about access were echoed in a further comment: “Bath Hill is a very busy access road into Keynsham, which already has several new homes being built on the opposite side of the road. The road isn’t designed for the amount of traffic as a historic part of Keynsham.”
Bello Capelli with Lisa, Holly, Courtney & Matilda
Specialising in Balayage Come in for a consultation!
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
23
n NEWS
A NEW chief fire officer has been appointed for Avon Fire & Rescue Service. The service’s current assistant chief fire officer, Simon Shilton, has been chosen by Avon Fire Authority to take over the top job from Mick Crennell, who retires at the end of March. Simon’s nomination was approved unanimously by the authority and he said it was “truly an honour” to take charge. He said: “Having spent most of my career with Avon Fire & Rescue Service, I’m looking forward to all that the role has in store. I will of course be building on the outstanding contribution made by Mick and personally, and on behalf of the service, I wish him all the very best on his next adventure.
Choirs in harmony for concert
Simon takes the helm as new fire chief “I am committed to working hard to ensure the highest levels of safety for all who live and work in our communities and, working side-by-side with our dedicated and hard-working staff, we will continue to make our communities safer and make our service stronger.” Having been part of the fire and rescue service for 28 years, Simon has been a station manager, incident command trainer and training manager. He spent the first 15 years of his career at Avon Fire
& Rescue Service as an operational firefighter at Avonmouth, Bath, Temple and Southmead fire stations, before moving to West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service in 2008 and rising to the rank of area commander. He rejoined the Avon service in 2017 as assistant chief fire officer for service delivery support. Avon Fire Authority chair Brenda Massey said: “The process for appointing the service’s next chief fire officer was incredibly rigorous, and both candidates involved in the process were of high calibre. “Simon’s passion and wealth of operational and strategic experience gave us full confidence he is the right person to lead the organisation.”
KEYNSHAM Good Afternoon Choir, along with South Gloucestershire Good Afternoon Choir, will present their first free-admission concert of the year at St John’s Church in the town on Saturday March 12. The Keynsham choir, led by Grenville Jones, and the South Gloucestershire choir, led by Matt Finch, have over 90 members between them. They are busy preparing their programme for the concert, which will support the Dementia Action Alliance and Dementia UK, charities chosen by the members of the choirs. There will be a retiring collection for the charities and doors open at 7pm. The Good Afternoon Choirs were started by Bath music man Grenville 12 years ago and there are now 19 across the South West of England, with over 800 members. There are no auditions to join. Members of the Keynsham choir meet every Wednesday from 2pm-4pm, and from Wednesday March 16 they will return to Keynsham Methodist Church for weekly rehearsals. Everyone is welcome to come along and meet Grenville and choir members.
Trial run for plans to stop rat-running PLANS to prevent rat-running through Queen Charlton have taken a step forward. Following project design and public consultation, traffic access restrictions will be tested in Queen Charlton Lane. Design work for a pedestrian crossing on the A37 to the parish play area will also be carried out as part of the proposed Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme. There are 15 such schemes being planned by Bath and North East Somerset Council, which received more than 1,600 responses overall to its recent public engagement programme. A total of 68 comments were received for the scheme covering Queen Charlton village and Whitchurch. Speeding traffic and through traffic were highlighted as problems in the area. Nearly all who responded said that restrictions on through traffic or HGVs would have the most positive impact, while many said such measures would allow them to walk and cycle more.
Concerns raised were that rat-running endangers cyclists as well as pedestrians, who are also put at risk by a lack of crossings and missing pavements. Councillor Sarah Warren, deputy council leader and cabinet member for climate and sustainable travel, said: “We will now move quickly to trial schemes in areas where there was strong support and the potential scheme is straightforward to implement. Once we have proposed designs ready we will consult on them.” She added: “We are very aware that schemes have the potential to impact on neighbouring areas and we want to ensure fair access for all, so we create healthier spaces for everyone to benefit from.” The council has allocated £2.2 million to develop and deliver Liveable Neighbourhoods. They aim to give fairer access to residents, creating healthier outdoor spaces and vibrant local high streets. The council says this can be achieved
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through measures such as improvements to the public realm, vehicle access restrictions such as planters, traffic calming and electric vehicle charging, without disadvantaging people with mobility issues. In July last year, the Voice reported how B&NES ward councillor Alastair Singleton welcomed the Queen Charlton scheme. He said: “Queen Charlton is a rural village which has suffered significant ‘rat-running’ and driving without care for resident safety or road conditions. “B&NES Council is responding to the wishes of villagers by proposing to close Queen Charlton to through traffic. I am very hopeful that this scheme will be in place by 2022.” Fellow ward councillor Duncan Hounsell said: “I am delighted that B&NES Council is seeking to introduce this scheme, which has strong community support. “It is an example of putting people first. It will make Queen Charlton a safer place for residents.”
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keynshamvoice
24
March, 2022
NEWS
Airport ruling may face High Court challenge CAMPAIGNERS are considering a High Court challenge after Bristol Airport’s expansion was allowed on appeal by government inspectors. The Bristol Airport Action Network coordinator Steve Clarke said the decision read like it was written by the airport itself and could break national and international laws. North Somerset Council refused the expansion in 2020 following 8,900 public objections, citing the impact on the climate, green belt and residents’ health, but this decision has now been overruled. The three planning inspectors acknowledged their decision would come as a “major disappointment” to the “significant” opposition, but found that the socio-economic
benefits of expanding the airport’s capacity from 10 million annual passengers to 12 million outweighed the harm it would cause. Mr Clarke, a former Green councillor in Bristol, said: “We’re taking legal advice. Our barrister is looking at it very carefully, checking the legality of the decision under national and international law. “We’re investigating the possibility of a challenge. We’d need to have more than a 50 per cent chance of success.” Council leader Don Davies said the authority would need a strong case if it was to spend public money on its own judicial review and it could only be taken forward if there were procedural issues with the ruling. Politicians and campaigners
A protest in Keynsham in january 2020 opposing the airport’s expansion plans
from across the region who rallied against the expansion have spoken out. Bath and North East Somerset Council deputy leader Sarah Warren said: “The growth of Bristol Airport and the lack of sustainable transport access options means B&NES residents will be further affected by noise, traffic and pollution associated with the airport.” West of England metro mayor Dan Norris called for an urgent national conversation on airport expansion. At a public meeting in Keynsham in December 2019, people voiced fears that extra flights would wipe out any remaining peace and tranquillity for those living under the flightpath. Keynsham Extinction
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Rebellion said it was “in a state of shock regarding the appalling decision to overrule the democratically agreed decision that the airport expansion should not go ahead. “Keynsham Extinction Rebellion will do all that it can to fight this expansion.” Bristol Airport has welcomed the inspectors’ ruling. Chief executive Dave Lees said: “The decision is excellent news for our region’s economy, allowing us to create thousands of new jobs in the years ahead and provide more choice for our customers, supporting inbound tourism, and reducing the millions of road journeys made to London airports each year. “We will now push ahead with our multi-million-pound plans for net-zero operations by 2030.”
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March, 2022
keynshamvoice
25
NEWS
Decision branded ‘morally indefensible’ A SALTFORD councillor has condoned breaking the law after the “morally indefensible” decision to allow Bristol Airport’s expansion. Alastair Singleton said people across the country had put their trust in the system and felt betrayed. Bath and North East Somerset Council opposed the expansion when it declared a climate emergency in 2019. Councillor Singleton, who worked for the police in Hong Kong and served as a magistrate in Bath for 15 years, told the authority’s cabinet meeting on February 10: “Though I make no criticism of the Planning Inspectorate’s professionalism set within the legal context in which they must work, the decision they handed down was morally indefensible. “What is equally indefensible is that the government has also failed to call in the decision for being a breach of national policy and of national significance.
Councillor Alastair Singleton “Thousands of our constituents in Bath and North East Somerset, as well as tens of thousands across the West of England and countless more up and down the country, feel profoundly let down, betrayed even. “They can see that the case against expansion is overwhelming, and they put their faith in the government and a Prime Minister who claims that climate change is a top priority and told COP 26 that we were at ‘one minute to midnight’ to protect them.” The planning inspectors judged the issue of climate
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as “neutral in the planning balance”, finding that the aviation emissions are “not so significant that they would have a material impact on the government’s ability to meet its climate change target and budgets.” Saltford ward member Mr Singleton said the country has a long and proud history of civil disobedience and he admires those who take that path. He added: “When the system lets you down, when democratic process fails to deliver and threatens the wellbeing of your children and those who come after you, what resort do you have other than civil disobedience? “No one seeks wantonly to break the law, but there are times when doing so is surely the moral thing to do.” Mr Singleton told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he did not support violence, which he said was dangerous and not good for society. He has taken
part in protests but has not been involved in tactics such as blocking roads. “If the government isn’t going to protect the longer-term interests of your children or grandchildren, you have to work out what you are prepared to do about it. You don’t know what you would do until you are faced with the question in a way you can’t duck it.” He called on the cabinet to redouble its opposition to the expansion and urged it to work with Bristol Airport Action Network as it examines the options for further appeal or judicial review. “The cause, quite simply, could not be more important. Let’s show those who have been betrayed that principled, clearsighted politicians, with the right values, wedded to integrity, will stand up for them, and that we will not rest until we prevail,” he said. Stephen Sumner, Local Democracy Reporting Service
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keynshamvoice
26
March, 2022
n 1st KEYNSHAM SCOUTS
You don’t have to be Bear Grylls to volunteer
Fun afloat - paddleboarding at the Scouts’ summer camp last year
W
anted: nature lovers, empathisers, organisers, team players, go-getters, people who want to make a difference. We’re looking for volunteers to join 1st Keynsham Scouts and help give young people aged 10½ to 14 skills for life. Can’t pitch a tent or light a fire? No trouble: we do all sorts of activities, from escape rooms to environmental conservation. If there’s something that you’re interested in and wish you did at Scouts, why not let us know and get involved with running a session? You don’t have to have been a Scout before either — Scouts is open to all. We can bring the adventure, a group of friendly people and plenty of support — plus you can enjoy the great outdoors in 30 acres of woodlands and fields at our Chelwood campsite. All you need to bring is a willingness to get stuck in (and some sensible shoes!) Each group meets on one regular evening a week, so there’ll be a group to suit your schedule. Help out as much or as little as you like; it’d still make a big difference. But don’t just take our word for it: take our volunteers’. Helen Rossdale, assistant section leader for Avon Troop, says: “I’ve been living in Keynsham for three years, but with
lockdown I hadn’t met many local people or become part of the neighbourhood. “Scouts completely changed all of this. Everyone was very welcoming and it’s amazing to see how involved Scouts are within the Keynsham community. It’s the perfect way to become more involved locally, make friends and also learn so many new skills alongside helping the Scouts to learn them too.” Matt Bromwich, leader of the Go Entertain team, says: “Having been through Scouts, Explorers and the Young Leader programme as a child, as well as previously being a Cub leader, I was thrilled to be able to slot back into the Keynsham Scout family when I moved back to Keynsham in 2020. “As someone in my late 20s, being a Scout leader is just as much about the social experience as it is about supporting the development of our young people. “I’m a teacher in my day job, so getting the chance to work with young people outside of the classroom environment is also a big plus. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the skills and experiences gained over the last 20 years of involvement with 1st Keynsham Scouts.” Email scouts@1stkeynshamscouts.org.uk or call 07714 237525 to ask some questions and get involved. We won’t force you to learn any knots. Promise.
The Chelwood campsite is great for exploring
Thursday 10th March Saltford Hall Cher - 07824 336925
10am - 12 noon
Weds 7.00pm
Keynsham Baptist Church Kelly - 07795 951137 Thurs Morning 7.30am, 9.00am & 10.30am Thurs Evening 5.30pm & 7.00pm
To advertise, contact Emma on 0117 9082121 or 07715770448
Email Emma@keynshamvoice.co.uk
keynshamvoice
March, 2022
27
NEWS
Developer defends plan for 70 homes DEVELOPER Taylor Wimpey has defended its plans to build 70 homes on a field behind Minsmere Road in Keynsham. More than 200 residents have registered their objections to the scheme, voicing concerns about extra traffic, the loss of green space and the effect on wildlife. Taylor Wimpey submitted its outline planning application to Bath and North East Somerset Council in December. The developer said the site was released from the green belt several years ago and is safeguarded for residential development in the emerging B&NES Local Plan Partial Update (LPPU). Taylor Wimpey said it had made a “conscious and sustained” effort to engage with the local community to keep people up to date. In a statement, it said: “We invited the residents of over 450 local addresses to a public dropin event at Keynsham library in November, presented our proposals to Keynsham Town Council and met with the Friends of Manor Road Community Woodland in January on site.” Regarding the timing of its application, Taylor Wimpey stated: “Residents may remember that we previously consulted on plans for homes on the site in 2017. In the five years since then, the landscape has changed substantially. “There is now much more focus on how developers can respond to the environmental challenges of today and tomorrow, with both B&NES Council and Keynsham Town Council declaring a climate
Taylor Wimpey's image of the proposed site off Minsmere Road emergency. The housing crisis has intensified with the need to provide more homes in the B&NES area ever more pressing, and clear plans to improve transport infrastructure in Keynsham are in the pipeline. Now is an appropriate time to present our plans for consideration.” The developer said it believes that the proposals are sensitive
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nts
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here on Saturday 16 and Sunday 24 April 2022 at 2.00 pm Free
to the site’s environment. “Taylor Wimpey is aware of concerns from local residents who are worried about the potential impact on wildlife and the environment. “We would like to take this opportunity to assure residents of the measures that we are committed to respecting and enhancing local green space and biodiversity.”
“We will protect the local bat population with an appropriate open space corridor on the eastern perimeter of the site. Sensitive lighting in this area will minimise any impact on the bats and other wildlife in the Manor Road Community Woodland. “No trees from the site will be removed, with the planting of new native species creating pleasant streets and spaces throughout the site. Importantly, the woodland will not be affected by development on the site.” Taylor Wimpey also said it would be playing its part in tackling the climate emergency. “We recognise that if we are to propose new developments, they must be fit for the environmental challenges both now and in the years to come. It is for this reason that we are focusing on sustainable transport rather than highway capacity upgrades as the solution to transport in Keynsham. “Our plans are in concert with the emerging LPPU which outlines significant sustainable transport infrastructure improvements in Keynsham over the coming years. “We will do our bit to contribute financially to the upgrades being brought forward by both B&NES and WECA [the West of England Combined Authority].” B&NES Council will determine the application in the coming months. Taylor Wimpey’s web page for the proposed development can be found at https://www. taylorwimpey.co.uk/newhomes/keynsham/minsmereroad
Equ
ipm ent sup plie d
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Somerdale, Keynsham
If you are reliable and fit then this is a role suitable for all age groups (minimum age 13 years). The newspapers will be delivered to your home ready for distributing. The two routes are approximately 200 to 300 newspapers each.
Email: distribution@voicepressltd.co.uk Please provide your address and contact telephone number
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keynshamvoice
28
n NEWS
Goodbye Steve - thanks for all you’ve done for us A SURPRISE presentation was made at Compton Dando’s monthly coffee morning to Steve Rendell, who is leaving after being a large part of village life for many years. Steve and his wife, Sarah, are moving to Wales. Steve explained: “We need cinemas, shops, trains, doctors, restaurants and sea all within walking distance. Cardiff is a buzzing city - and near our grandchildren - and Teignmouth is a proper seaside town. “We are sorry to have left the village after 23 years, but it’s time to move on and settle somewhere a bit more convenient in old age.” Steve was presented with cards and a book filled with photos of Compton Dando, compiled by two members of the PCC and given to him by St Mary’s Church and the village. PCC member Jenny Davis, who made the presentation, said:
March, 2022 Jenny Davis presenting Steve Rendell with his book of memories of his time in Compton Dando
“Steve has been a PCC member, bell ringer, has organised fetes and Christmas crackers (bazaar in church), as well as organising the churchyard working party. “Both he and Sarah will be missed very much, and we wish them well in their new life.” Meanwhile, the coffee morning, which has seen numbers climbing again after lockdown finished, welcomed 30 guests. The monthly coffee morning is a free community event which enables villagers to meet and catch up with each other. Those attending can enjoy free tea and coffee and cakes baked by organiser Alice Prescott. The event is subsidised by the Compton Dando Community Association (CDCA). Next month’s coffee morning will be held in the village hall on Saturday March 12 from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Everyone is welcome.
Are you looking for a new job? Meet local employers at:
Health & Social Care Jobs Fair Keynsham Community Space (above the library) Market Walk, Keynsham BS31 1FS Friday 1 April, 10am – 2pm For more info and latest vacancies search: proudtocarebathnes
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Email Emma@keynshamvoice.co.uk
keynshamvoice
March, 2022
29
n KEYNSHAM IN BLOOM
New chapter for our team of volunteers
K
eynsham In Bloom is set for another busy year, which has already started with the tidying of the High Street containers and, as the weather gets warmer, the displays will give the town a splash of colour. Our volunteers have also started tidying the flowerbeds at Keynsham Station and planted several summer bulbs and herbaceous plants, kindly donated by Marie and Lee from Lays Drive, who are having an extension built and didn’t want to destroy healthy plants. Keynsham In Bloom also received a donation from our local Tesco supermarket. They have kindly passed on £445 raised from their sales of used books. We are working hard to achieve another gold medal in the South West In Bloom competition to be held in July and the theme is Crowning Glory. We are asking you to plant your gardens, allotments or balconies with jewel-coloured plants, fruit and vegetables. For this year’s garden trail, we
Thanks a bunch! Dawn Drury, secretary of Keynsham In Bloom, with Tesco store manager Matthew Howell are asking Keynsham residents to decorate their houses and gardens so they are ‘Fit for a Queen’ - so please let your imaginations go wild. Entry forms and trail forms will be available from the town council office from the beginning of April. This year’s Keynsham In Bloom children’s colouring competition will be launched in time for the Easter holidays, so please keep an
eye out at your school. Volunteers were due to be working in the Pocket Park on the morning of February 19, carrying out pruning and a general tidy-up. If you can give an occasional hour’s work in future, please contact either of the two email addresses below for details. We must thank Den and Sharon, who like to sit in the Pocket Park, for their donation. It is good to
know that the park brings such pleasure to our community. There are other changes happening in our group and it is with sadness that l announce that Mr Jim Bernard, our chairman, is retiring this month after many years of hard work. We are now looking for someone to fill the chairman’s role. If interested, please contact Dawn Drury at keynshaminbloom@icloud.com. The ladies in the KIB ‘Knitting for Her Majesty’ group are working hard to make enough bunting and flowers to decorate our town for the Platinum Jubilee, which runs from June 2 to 5, with June 6 being a bank holiday. We have a large group of about 30 knitters but there is always room for more. If you are interested, please contact keynshaminbloom@icloud.com or myself at catherinemarywoodman@ gmail.com. We meet every Tuesday from 1pm to 3pm at Club 22 until May 17. Keep well, safe and gardening. Mary Woodman
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keynshamvoice
30
March, 2022
n NEWS
Photo contest for the young
Ringers’ royal jubilee tribute The bellringers of St John’s Church, Keynsham, have paid tribute to the Queen on the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. Because not enough ringers would have been available on the day itself, they marked the anniversary the day before by
ringing rounds and call changes at 2pm on Saturday February 5. Pictured left to right are ringers Jon Fry, Louise Tamblin, Ann Dowding, Chris Jones, Helen Ibbunson, Jane Betteridge, Edric Broom, Liz Fearns, George Colbourne and Jon Duerr.
KEYNSHAM Rotary has launched its Young Photographer competition. It follows the success of its competitions for young writers and young artists. The aim of the competitions is to encourage young people to develop their skills and meet professionals engaged in their chosen activity. The Young Photographer competition is open to those aged from seven to 16 who live in the post code area BS31 or go to one of the local schools. A Rotary spokesperson said: “In these days of advanced technology, expensive camera equipment is not a prerequisite to producing good photographs and a mobile phone can produce some stunning pictures.” Photos can be submitted from March 1 to 21. Details and entry forms can be found at keynshamrotary.org. They will also be available at local schools and Keynsham Library.
Festival treat for village ORGANISERS are busy putting together the line-up for Saltford Village Festival. The festival will run from Saturday July 2 to Sunday July 10 and a number of events have already been planned. They include an open gardens day, Saltford School fair, a murder mystery by Saltford Drama Club and a family fun day at Saltford Golf Club. There will also be guided walks, lunchtime talks, a quiz night and a family barn dance. Various organisations will run free taster sessions, and the festival will also host photography and short story competitions. More details of the festival will be released nearer the time. Organisers have decided to uncouple the Old Village Day from the festival this year, saying it can be made a bigger and better spectacle with more dedicated time. It will now be held on alternate years to the festival, with the first one planned for 2023.
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
31
BOOKS OF THE MONTH with Judith Thomas from Keynsham Library Adult Fiction
The Dream Weavers Barbara Erskine Barbara Erskine is a very popular author who writes great stories that weave the present with the past. I particularly liked this tale as it mentions Offa’s Dyke, which is a local area. We meet Bea Dalloway, who lives in Hereford and has a busy life with her curate husband. But she has a special gift – she is psychic. Simon, renting a cottage hidden amongst the misty Welsh hills of Offa Dyke’s, is plagued by a woman’s voice calling out, but when he investigates, there is no one there. So he approaches Bea for advice - and the past literally opens up to her. Mercia 788 AD - and in the grand Saxon Hall, King Offa rules his kingdom and plans dynastic marriages for his three daughters. Eadburh, reckless and stubborn, knows she is destinated for an arranged marriage, but her heart is taken by a Welsh prince who is soon cruelly snatched away from her. This decision reverberates across the years. Soon the past comes together with the present, as secrets and betrayals are uncovered. Eadburh and King Offa are real historical people, and the author describes Anglo Saxon England very well. A real must for Barbara Erskine fans.
Miss Benson’s Beetle Rachel Joyce reviewed by Emilie Bioud, Keynsham Library assistant After the war, England is in reconstruction and the nation is rationing food and other goods. We build a portrait of Margery Benson, a single lady in her 40s, who has never had any adventures in her life. She suddenly decides to go to New Caledonia - a French island in the South Pacific - to try to find a golden beetle her dad told her about when she was a child. And she is accompanied by the most improbable helper. Rachel Joyce is a local author (living near Stroud) and her story offers us escapism. It’s exciting, relaxing, funny and moving. Thoroughly enjoyed my read. Adult Non-Fiction Why not spring into Spring and with some of the lovely new gardening books that have come into Keynsham Library? Here are a couple:
RHS Gardening School Simon Akeroyd & Ross Bayton This book claims to give you everything you need to know to get the most from your garden. A big claim, but I think it lives up to it. Beautifully illustrated, it has great step-by-step advice and informative, clear chapters. The book covers the basic of gardening;
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understanding plants – the difference between perennials and annuals; growing vegetables; and finally, design in a small garden or a more formal one. A great guide to any garden this Spring.
Allotment Handbook The beginners’ guide to growing small crops in a small place Simon Akeroyd Allotments have become very popular, especially during the pandemic, and if you are lucky enough to get one then this book is a handy introduction to starting and expanding your plot. It begins with assessing your site and 10 steps to preparing your plot, from tips on soil, groundwork, feeding and mulching. Then, in great detail, this book explains how to cultivate over 70 crops from the everyday potato and onions to more exotic fruit such as figs. There is a useful troubleshoot guide on diseases and weeds, plus some good tips on pruning. This book will inspire you to make your own compost, assemble beds and grow flowers alongside your allotment. Young Adult Fiction
Nephilim
(Orion Chronicles) John and Carole Barrowman Many people will recognise the name John Barrowman from his acting and musical theatre career,
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but he has also teamed up with his sister to write a number of Young Adult books, including the Hollow Earth Trilogy and the Orion Chronicles. This is the second book in the Orion Chronicles. It features 17-year-old Remy, a magician, who can change space and time with music. With his super-powered friends, Matt and Erin Calder, he is pitched into a dangerous battle to save humanity. Who can they trust: an irresponsible 17th century artist, a heavy from Chicago or a Nephilim – a half angel/half human? As with all good adventure stories, time is running out, action is fast-paced and heroes are made.
Library news Always remember the two super free apps - Libby and BorrowBox - where you can download newspapers, magazines and audio books all with the use of your library card. The Bath and North East Somerset ‘Virtual Library’ is still offering something for everyone. We are sharing facts, Baby Bounce and Rhyme, competitions, Storytime and crafts for children in the mornings, and information, support, news and recommended reads for adults in the afternoon. Never miss a thing by following us on Facebook www.facebook. com/bathneslibraries1, Instagram www.instagram.com/bathnes_ libraries, and Twitter www.twitter. com/BathnesL
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
33
n KEYNSHAM EXTINCTION REBELLION
Act now: It’s not too late to save the world
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t a powerful meeting in A speaker of people. Mass famine will lead to Keynsham, we heard the addresses mass migration. It would lead to devastating truth regarding the the collapse of political systems, the future of this planet. We are Extinction war and the breakdown in society. probably all aware of climate Rebellion However, those present heard change and that the impact is meeting at it is not too late to prevent the being felt to an extent in this Keynsham worst impacts of climate change. country, and far more by others, Baptist Since Greta Thunberg, school usually the poorest in developing Church strikes and Extinction Rebellion, countries. the overwhelming majority of the What we don’t tend to hear British public are now aware of about is the current trajectory we what we face. are on. While we may have been Despite politicians in power lulled into a false sense of security doing virtually nothing to turn this by COP 26, held in Glasgow around, and concentrating more The anger in the room showed heard a speaker from national towards the end of last year, it is on trying to silence protest, there that this decision will be fought all Extinction Rebellion, who said that rare that the media tells us the full are now many people, such as the way. There was agreement that the last seven years have been facts that climate scientists are those that gathered in Keynsham, Bristol Airport is big enough and, the hottest on record. Since 1990, predicting and the catastrophe this who will make their voices heard. due to the catastrophic impact on carbon emissions have more than planet will experience. Certainly we The next meeting of Keynsham climate change that air travel has, doubled. We now have a less than never hear this from the politicians XR will be on Wednesday March we must fly less not more. a 5% chance of keeping average that have the power to make the 16, 7.30pm, at Keynsham Baptist The meeting at Keynsham global temperature rises below changes we require, now. Church, focussing on the decision Baptist Church last month was 2C. Last year the Canadian village This is illustrated by the to expand Bristol Airport. There will hosted by Extinction Rebellion. The of Lytton, whose average summer Allone Building Services areAll Building Services extraordinary decision to allow be aAll speaker from BAAN (Bristol All Building storms that night illustrated of temperatures 21C,Building reached Services All Building Services All Building Services the expansion of Bristol Airport Airport Action Network). Do come Plumbing &that Heating Services the extreme weather events 49.5C, a temperature that cannotPlumbing & Heating Services Plumbing & Heating Services Plumbing & Heating - a decision made despite the along to hear how we can fight this & Heating Plumbing & Heating Services some in thePlumbing world are facing and, it Services sustain human life. Carpentry Carpentry Carpentry evidence presented to the public proposal thatCarpentry flies in the face of seems, we too will face increasinglyCarpentry Countless cities face complete All Building Services All Building inquiry regarding the immense localBuilding democracy. All Services in the future. destruction. Floods, droughts andPlumbing Building Services • PlumbingBuilding &artin Heating Services & Heating Services Building Services • Plumbing & Heating Services artin Ltd artin Ltd Ltd Services • Plumbing & Heating Services Plumbing & Heating Building Services • Plumbing & Heatin Building Services • Plumbing & Heating Services artin Ltd damage locally andLtd globally. Keynsham Rebellion Building Services •Conversions Plumbing &•Heating HeatingExtinction Services The local who attended will impact artin Ltd artin Plumbing & Services artin Ltd artin Ltd Carpentry • Loftpeople Conversions • Extensions ••desertification Renovations Carpentry •millions Loft Extensions •Carpentry Carpentry Loft Conversions • Extensions • Renovations Carpentry • Loft Conversions • Extensions • Renovations Carpentry •Renovations Loft Conversions • ExtensionsC• Carpentry • Loft Conversions • Extensions •Carpentry Renovations
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keynshamvoice
34
March, 2022
n NEWS
Come and play with us! DO you fancy playing table tennis? If so, a group in Compton Dando is inviting you to the village hall for some friendly and informal games. Members have recently started meeting again after having to stop playing during lockdown. During those times, a socially distanced ramble was held by the players every few weeks. Organiser Richard Davis said: “We did this to keep the group together on a social basis, which they seemed to enjoy.” The club is mainly for mature adults of all abilities and meets every other Thursday from 7.15pm to 9.30pm and every third Sunday starting at 2.15pm. Mr Davis said: “The £3 per session includes tea/coffee biscuits, and any money made after expenses we send to Julian House in Bath. New players of all abilities are welcome.” The group does not compete in any table tennis league and the accent is on playing for enjoyment. Details of playing dates can be obtained from Mr Davis by emailing richardjamesdavis@hotmail.com
Table tennis enthusiasts at Compton Dando Photo: Ros Anstey
POETRY CORNER
PEN TO PAPER The Man from Cadiz
Moving On
A talented Spaniard who lived in Cadiz discovered, by chance, how to be who he is, he uncovered a way to get through every day staying true to himself without going astray.
As into March we bravely go There’re many that may still feel low. For covid hasn’t gone away, No matter what some people say.
His life was no different to yours, or to mine, (he too had his ups and his downs, in his time), but he willingly squared up to every test by simply engaging with what he did best.
But life moves on, it’s very true (Although sometimes it’s hard to do.) So we must make the best of things And start afresh to spread our wings.
It wasn’t his ego, it wasn’t his pride, he just listened well to the music inside, and when speaking his mind, he was fully equipped, knowing just what to say without reading a script.
Look up ... the sun is shining through And still there’s so much we can do. At times we need to change our ways This virus must not spoil our days.
He was never in doubt for a minute because he had learned (with a flourish) to be who he was, and he met every challenge by staying in trim and by bravely accepting that he was just him.
Smile, sing, and venture out more, Heed opportunities at your door. And keep those flagging spirits up Let joy and laughter fill your cup. With hope and prayers we’ll see this out, Of that, be sure, there is no doubt.
Vyv Nugent Keynsham Creative Writers always welcomes new members – call George Liddell on 0117 914 8654.
Restaurant bid
Sylvia Kirby
Jessica Williams
A RESTAURANT in Keynsham High Street wants to expand into empty premises next door. A planning application has been submitted by the owners of the Tandoori Garden to take over the former Trojan Blinds shop at number 43. The Tandoori Garden has been run by the Rahman family for over 20 years. The planning application states: “The restaurant has been a popular local destination but has been hampered by the lack of space and unable to expand but now has the opportunity to take in the adjoining ground-floor premises.” Bath and North Somerset Council will decide on the application in due course.
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keynshamvoice
March, 2022
n NEWS
35
Left, jars of sweets like these were stolen. Above, items the thieves dropped before they fled the scene at Scrumptious Sweets
Thieves strike again at sweet shop in High Street A SWEET shop in Keynsham High Street has been broken into for the second time in five months. The thieves smashed through the front door of Scrumptious Sweets and stole items including two giant jars. They dropped pens and a lip gloss before fleeing the scene. Proprietor Pam Garrie learned about the break-in from a shop assistant, who arrived at the store to find a police car outside. The raid had been reported to police by a passerby on Friday February 18. Pam said: “For this to happen for the second time in five months is rather frustrating.” During the first raid, the door was rammed with a moped. “This time they booted the door in. You
can see the footprint where they kicked it.” Pam said police were checking the High Street’s CCTV for clues, while she has been asking nearby traders to see if their CCTV cameras captured anything of the raid. The sweet shop is now protected by CCTV. Pam estimates the damage at around £500, plus the cost of replacing stock. She said she has been heartened by the support of customers, including a woman who has lived in Keynsham for more than 70 years and who brought in a bunch of flowers. Pam said a number of customers have expressed concern she shares that theft, vandalism and anti-social behaviour in Keynsham are getting out of hand. She highlighted recent reports on the Keynsham Community Page on Facebook of cars being vandalised, and of a large group of
teenagers getting on the roofs of shops in the High Street.Pam said that while her door was being repaired on the evening of the break-in, teenagers on mopeds were doing wheelies in the High Street. “What concerns me most is there seems to be an element of kids that’s got quite serious now. It’s shocking. It’s getting really bad.” She pointed out that according to crimerate.co.uk – a privately run website that catalogues crimes in local areas – Keynsham is the worst small town in Somerset for burglary. Pam said she would like to see more police visible on the streets at night to deter thieves and vandals. The Voice approached the police for comment close to deadline but had not received a response by the time we went to press.
New primary school appoints its first head KEYNSHAM’S newest school, Two Rivers CofE Primary, has appointed its first headteacher. Claire Graham will move to the role from St John’s CofE Primary, where she is headteacher, but she will retain a link with St John’s as executive headteacher. Wendy Carver, head of school at Two Rivers, will become head of school at St John’s. Mrs Graham’s appointment from September will come as the school moves into its new building on the Hygge Park development and welcomes its third intake of pupils.
The school will have reception, Year 1 and Year 2 next year, building up to its full complement of year groups by 2026. Andrea Arlidge, chief executive of Futura Learning Partnership, which runs the two schools, said: “We are very proud to have been given the opportunity to open a brand new Church of England primary school in Keynsham that will serve generations of children and families into the future. The appointment of the school’s first substantive headteacher is a significant milestone and we are delighted to have appointed someone
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with such a breadth of successful headship experience to the role.” Mrs Carver will have day-to-day responsibility for the running of Two Rivers, with Mrs Graham taking on a more strategic role that will utilise her skills and experience and enable the trust’s two Church of England schools in Keynsham to work closely together. “This arrangement will ensure the school continues to have extremely strong leadership, provided by two colleagues who are both committed passionately to its ethos and values as a Church of England school,” Mrs Arlidge said.
Claire Graham
Wendy Carver
Email news@keynshamvoice.co.uk
keynshamvoice
36
n NEWS
Jury finds man guilty of rape A KEYNSHAM man has been found guilty of rape. Malcolm Compton, aged 59, of Carpenters Lane, appeared before Salisbury Crown Court. The jury returned a unanimous verdict after an hour and a half of deliberation. The court had earlier heard how Compton had initially met his victim on a dating website in September 2020 and had been communicating online for about a week before they agreed to meet in person. Compton’s victim made it clear that she was seeking companionship and that she just wanted to be friends. But almost immediately after moving in, he began to pressure her into sexual activity and exercise controlling behaviour. On Friday September 11, Compton went on to rape her. His victim reported the offence to Wiltshire Police the following day. Following the conviction, Detective Constable Jeremy Horner said: “Compton, in carrying out this attack, showed a callous disregard for the physical and emotional damage that he inflicted on his victim, who was simply seeking companionship.” After the jury announced their verdict, Judge Barnett warned Compton that he should expect a substantial sentence for his crime. Compton is due to appear for sentencing before Winchester Crown Court on March 18.
Orchard cash CORSTON Community Orchard has been awarded a grant of £1,880. The money will be used to establish a rainwater harvesting, storage and distribution system to enable the newly planted trees and hedging to thrive. The support comes from the Bath & West Community Energy Fund (BWCE Fund), which has awarded £31,706 to 11 projects in Bath and the surrounding areas. The orchard project aims offer a wildlife haven in which people can enjoy nature, with the resulting fruit to be shared by the community.
March, 2022
n BACK TO NATURE
Keep a weather eye out for March marvels Toads may be out and about on warm, damp evenings this month Photo: Wiki Creative Commons Look out for lesser celandine in our woodlands Photo: Kathy Farrell
“I
n like a lion and out like a lamb” is often used to describe the weather in March, and certainly it is possible to experience four seasons in one week, if not in a day. March is a month of tantalising promise, as I wait each day for the first chiff-chaff to herald its arrival from Spain or Morocco with its onomatopoeic call, like the great tit but more fluid and less harsh. On warm, sunny days it is possible to find the first newly emerged insects, including queen bees, comma and peacock butterflies and hover-flies. These depend on winter-flowering plants such as the stinking and green hellebores which can sometimes open their green flowers as early as December, as explained in last month’s Voice. The flowers produce lots of pollen and persist for months, so are a vital food source for these early insects. An excellent wildlife plant to introduce to your garden, although the leaves are poisonous, so keep children and pets away. Near local ponds, look out on warm, damp evenings for toads making their way to breed, the males sometimes riding piggyback on the females (a hold called amplexus) waiting to fertilise the string of eggs as they are expelled into the water. If you know of any places where toads cross roads, a great piece of conservation (and great fun) is to carry them across to safety - hi-viz jacket, rubber gloves, torch and a bucket required. Towards the end of the month, the annual winter-to-spring transformation is evident, yellow daffodils are cheering us up, whilst in the woodlands you might spy
NEXT month join our Zoom talk on Friday March 11 Orchard - A Year in Garden’s Eden with Nick Gates. The orchard has been a traditional component of the British landscape for many centuries. However, subsidies have led to the destruction of older traditional orchards to make way for more intensive farming, and now only a fraction remain. The value of these orchards for wildlife has long been underestimated. Nick and associate Ben MacDonald spent a year exploring a traditional orchard across all seasons observing its imperilled and overlooked abundance of life. Find out more and book: www.keynshamawt.org/ events. Small donation requested. For more information on our group visit our website, email keynshamawt@gmail. com or phone vice chair Kathy on 07850 508702. wood anemones, dog’s mercury, primroses, yellow lesser celandine and violets. They’ll be nestling close to the ground, making the most of the light before the tree canopy shades over. It is noticeable that many species are flowering earlier, possibly a result of climate change, which can cause problems if they finish flowering before the insects which depend on them have emerged. Natural selection will probably ensure some of these insects
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emerge earlier too, but these would suffer if there was a sudden cold spell later on. Birdsong begins to ramp up, weather permitting, so listen out in local hedgerows for the male song thrush, blackcap, wren and chaffinch, proclaiming their territory and inviting females to join them to perpetuate the species. I’d highly recommend that you install a bird identification app on your phone and listen to the song of the more common birds. Most are very distinctive and quite easy to learn with practice. There is nothing better than a countryside walk in March, spotting the birds by sight and sound. I am often asked about whether to continue putting out food for birds in the garden at this time of year. The answer is definitely yes, if possible a good variety of food. As well as the usual fat balls and peanuts, if you put out niger seed, sunflower hearts, cereals, dried mealworms and suet pellets, these will provide a rich balance and will attract a greater number of species to your garden. A study featured on BBC’s WinterWatch this year showed that a bird table had 1,600 visits in a day. Don’t forget to disinfect your bird feeders regularly, to reduce the spread of diseases like avian flu and trichomonosis, which can especially affect greenfinches, which have declined by 63% since 1993) So, if you have read this, I hope you will be inspired to take a walk in your local park, woodland or countryside, and see what March has to offer. Dave Sage
Email Emma@keynshamvoice.co.uk
March, 2022
n BACK TO NATURE
keynshamvoice n WHAT'S ON
Harbour is haven for migrating ospreys
Thursday March 10
n Saltford Golf Club charity coffee morning in aid of Great Western Air Ambulance, 10am-12pm. £1.50 entry on the door. Stalls include cakes, tombola, raffle, preloved and as-new clothes, books and plants.
Friday March 11 n “Orchard - A Year in England’s Eden” online talk at 7:30pm with Keynsham Group, Avon Wildlife Trust. For booking link, visit www. keynshamawt.org
REGULAR EVENTS Tuesdays
Male osprey 022 (a Poole Harbour 2019 translocated bird) and female CJ7 (from a wild nest in Rutland) on the nest during last summer - note the larger size of the female
I
n February we were given an enthusiastic and inspiring online talk on ospreys by Liv Cooper, who works for the Birds of Poole Harbour charity and is the projects coordinator of the Poole Harbour Osprey Translocation Project (PHOTP). Historically widespread, osprey numbers declined drastically over Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, mainly because of egg collecting and human persecution. Despite becoming extinct in the UK, there are now over 300 nests in the UK, mainly in Scotland, a big increase since the 1950s. This is largely thanks to some pioneering conservation and protection projects since then. Ospreys are superb birds of prey, feeding exclusively on fish, both in shallow coastal waters and inland freshwater lakes and rivers. They are migratory birds, arriving in the UK in March or April, breeding over the summer, then flying south to overwinter. Some travel as far as West Africa, others to southwest Europe. Younger birds often delay returning north for a couple of years until they are sexually mature. Poole Harbour is an excellent stopover location for these migrating birds as the area is considered ideal, with a shallow lagoon full of fish, nesting platforms erected for them to use, and many other bird populations present, which are known to attract them. The first PHOTP translocations
took place in 2017. The largest, healthiest chicks are taken in July, at eight weeks old, increasing the survival chances of their smaller siblings. They are placed in large holding pens to acclimatise, before being released. By moving them to Poole Harbour, they should imprint on the area and return there after migration. They are fed on fresh fish, from the local trout farm, up to half a ton for 12 birds over a season. They are ringed and radiotagged, so that they can be tracked in the area. Once released, they are monitored and fed, on feeding nests, but otherwise left to explore the area and move further afield. Once they migrate, they have no satellite tracking, so their fate will only be known if they return to the UK and can be identified from their leg rings or head markings. Over the last four years, over 40 chicks have been translocated, most surviving and leaving the area on migration. Some have returned; one relocated to the Wales population, and a Rutland female, ringed CJ7, has relocated to Poole Harbour and formed a pair bond with 022, a male translocated and released in 2019. The project awaits the fate of these two birds in 2022 when it is hoped the first breeding will occur on the south coast in 180 years. Check out the website www. birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk for more information. Dave Sage
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n Keynsham Sequence Dance Club, 7.30pm-10pm, Fear Hall, Keynsham, every week. Contact Brian and Jo, Keynsham Sequence Dance Club, on 0117 9868540, or just turn up. Everyone welcome. n Relax, Stretch and Tone, a beginners’ introduction to getting the body moving. You don’t need to be flexible or young to do this. You will learn how to incorporate more movement and flexibility into your body. Most people are 50-70 in this class. Yoga, Pilates and meditation classes are also available every weekday in Keynsham. No masks required. Fear Hall, 30 High Street, Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 1DQ. Booking essential: Sandhya 07565 976 129 or visit my website www.Sandhyacoyle.org n Bristol and Bath Dolls House Club meets the third Tuesday of the month. The next meeting is on March 15 in the Avon Room, Saltford Hall, Wedmore Road, Saltford from 7-9pm. Entry £2. New members welcome. Call Debbie on 01179 322718 for more details.
37 Send details of your events and activities in the following format:
WHAT IT IS WHERE IT IS WHEN IT IS Email us at: news@keynshamvoice.co.uk or call us on 07887 561567
Wednesdays n Oldland Ukulele Club is a mixedability group who meet every Wednesday at 1.30pm at Oldland Common United Reformed Church (the blue church), High Street, Oldland Common, BS30 9QN. Places £4. For further details, call/ text 'Ukulele' Ben on 07910 668258.
Thursdays n Pilates Class led by Physiotherapist Kate. Thurs 7-7.55pm (mixed ability) Thurs 8-8.55pm (beginners) St Francis Church Hall, Warwick Rd, Keynsham. 6 week block of classes £54 1:1 sessions also available at my studio in Saltford. Book online or by contacting Kate - 07518 522292 kate@corerehab-physio.co.uk www.corerehab-physio.co.uk
Fridays n Pilates Class led by Physiotherapist Kate. Fri 10-10.55am (mixed ability) St Francis Church Hall, Warwick Rd, Keynsham. 6 week block of classes £54 Book online or by contacting Kate - 07518 522292 kate@corerehab-physio.co.uk www.corerehab-physio.co.uk
Two ME charities merge KEYNSHAM-based charity Action for M.E. has merged with the ME Trust to improve access to services for people with the disease, their families and carers. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (sometimes diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS/M.E.) is a chronic neurological condition affecting an estimated 250,000 adults and children in the UK. One in four people with M.E. is so severely affected that they remain housebound and/or bedbound. All services currently delivered by the two charities will continue in the merged organisation, and there will be no redundancies because of the merger. The merged charity will continue to be known as Action for M.E. with Sonya Chowdhury remaining as chief executive. Helen Winning, formerly chief executive at the ME Trust, joins Action for M.E. in the new role of director of healthcare services.
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Saltford £675,950 OIRO An extremely well-presented late Victorian semi-detached family home in a much sought-after location in Saltford. Set in an elevated position, “Avonbank” offers well-proportioned flexible accommodation with period features throughout. This lovely family home benefits from uPVC double glazing, gas-fired central heating, a single garage situated opposite the property in The Shallows, with a parking bay to the front. An internal viewing is highly recommended to fully appreciate what is on offer.
Arrange your viewing with Eveleighs on 01225 360360
STORAGE / SELF STORE STORAGE
Should you need to store items, Wild & Lye Removals are able to offer you a variety of Secure & Confidential storage facilities to suit your household or commercial storage requirements, from single boxes to entire households or office contents. Whilst your goods are in storage, they are placed in our secure and alarmed warehouse . We offer this service at great prices, Our friendly, trustworthy and professional staff will surely be able to cater to your every need.
REMOVALS REMOVALS
Wild and Lye comprises of a team of fully trained moving staff who are at hand to make sure that your move goes without a hitch. We have many years experience in the removal business and pride ourselves in offering a fantastic service to every client. Our professional removals team will take care of your every requirement from securely packing your goods, transporting your items to the required destination and then delicately unpacking all your valuables at your desired location.
Please callmaterials to discuss Packing your requirements and available for purchase prices available on request competitive rates
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KEYNSHAM RUGBY CLUB
March, 2022
What a great away day!
Here is some of the action from Keynsham Rugby 1XV’s second away trip of the calendar year to Crediton, where the visitors won 21-6. It was their third consecutive away win. Photos: DJPhotography search @D.J.Photography95 on Facebook
FRYS BOWLING CLUB
Join us for new season WITH spring arriving, Frys Bowling Club in Keynsham are looking for new members, whether you have never played before or been playing bowls for years. Bowls is suitable for all ages and abilities, providing gentle exercise for the body and mind as well as being a great way to make new friends. Bowls is also a great game to play with the whole family. The winter has proved a busy one for the club. Members have undertaken maintenance on the green and facilities, as well as internal works in the clubhouse, with a new kitchen installed and better internal access, with a new doorway and storage area.
The club has also put on short mat bowls for club members and hosted a coffee and mince pie morning in December, both proving popular. With the 2022 season just over a month away, we hope to release more news for the coming season in the next issue. Our season begins in midApril, so if you are interested in joining the club or just want more information, please contact our secretary, Christopher Day, on 01225 872959, email frysbowlsclub@gmail.com. You can also visit our website www.frysbowlingclub.wixsite.com/ frys - and follow us on Twitter: @ FrysBowls.
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Frys Bowling Club members, with a special guest, at their coffee and mince pie morning
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March, 2022
KEYNSHAM RUGBY CLUB
41
BRISTOL BASEBALL CLUB KEYNSHAMbased Bristol Baseball Club is recruiting women to play for the Bobcats, who will take part in the National Women’s Baseball League again this coming season. The club – whose diamond and facilities are at the Somervale Infielder Pavilion – is and pitcher holding a free Becky Cottrell taster session pitching for for women 16 the Bobcats and over on last season Saturday March 5 at 12pm at Golden Hill Sports Ground, Henleaze, Bristol. Beginners are welcome. Club chairman Richard Evans said: “The club is committed to developing women’s baseball and the Bobcats made a very positive impact in their first season in 2021. “We now want to take this further and build a good roster of women players in the club who can play not only for the Bobcats but also for one of our mixed teams.” Bobcat Becky Cottrell said: “The number of women playing baseball has grown considerably in the past couple of years with teams springing up across the country.
Bobcats seek new recruits
“Skills from other sports such as softball, cricket, hockey and tennis are transferable and the game itself is great fun and a way to meet new people and make friends. “Players who may consider themselves to be beginners are also very welcome as we have a number of dedicated coaches who work with the players to develop their skills.” Anyone interested should visit the club’s website www. bristolbaseball.co.uk and register or email info@bristolbaseball.co.uk for further information.
KEYNSHAM BOWLING CLUB
Fixed up for a fresh start PREPARATIONS are well in hand for the start of the new bowling season in Keynsham Memorial Park. Anyone walking through the park will see that the green is in superb condition, with the areas around it plus the clubhouse receiving the maintenance required from the ‘Monday Crew.’ All the fixture lists have been received from the various leagues in which the Keynsham Bowling Club takes part, and our fixture secretary Tony Hunter is busy compiling the club’s fixture book. Each year the ladies’ and gents’ captains decide on a charity that
the club can support during the year, and this year Pam Rose and Carm Riccio have chosen Dorothy House Hospice Care. Pam says: “Having had very personal involvement with Dorothy House in the past, together with other members of the club, I think this is a very worthwhile charity to support, especially when fundraising has been greatly reduced during the pandemic.” Before the green reopens on the planned date of April 10, there are still social events taking place. Unfortunately the Christmas party in December fell victim to the Covid pandemic, but in the third
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Members of Keynsham Bowling Club enjoying their curry evening week of January members enjoyed a beetle drive plus cheese and biscuits supper. In February nearly 60 members gathered to enjoy the annual curry evening which has become
a feature of our social calendar. In March there is a bingo evening planned, followed by a pre-season party to welcome in the new season. Mike Barrow
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42
keynshamvoice
March, 2022
KEYNSHAM TOWN
Solid return to action after long break
Left, Dan Cottle scores a wonderful second goal against Ilfracombe Town. Above, keeper Seth Locke saves a penalty at home to Tavistock
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FTER a month-long break over Christmas and New Year enforced by opponents having Covid outbreaks, Keynsham Town have come through a difficult run of fixtures - with some creditable performances in the Toolstation Western League Premier Division, maintaining their top-half position, while also progressing in the Les Phillips Cup. Ilfracombe Town were the first visitors to Crown Fields in 2022 and a decent crowd were treated to an eight-goal thriller. The Ks struck first through Jamie Noble, before two quick goals put Ilfracombe 2-1 up. Dan Cottle replied for Keynsham and then a fine team goal was finished expertly by Jordan Metters to make it 3-2 at the break. The visitors equalised straight after the restart, but Cottle with a superb second restored the Ks’ lead, before Will Hailston made the victory safe. The following week saw a visit to Exmouth Town. An even first half was turned on its head just before the interval with the harsh dismissal of the Ks’ Jamie
Dan Cottle completes his hat-trick at home to Millbrook Noble for a second yellow card. Exmouth scored from the resulting free-kick and then went two-up not long into the second half. Substitute Callum Baker pulled a goal back with 20 minutes to go, but Keynsham could not grab an equaliser. Runaway league leaders Tavistock were the Ks’ next opponents at home. Clear chances were few in an entertaining game dominated by both defences, but for the second successive week Keynsham had to play the second 45 minutes with 10 men. This time defender Jordan Anstey picked up a second yellow
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in first-half stoppage time, but Ks young keeper Seth Locke plunged to his right to make a fantastic save from the resultant penalty. Both defences held firm in the second half to ensure the spoils were shared with a 0-0 scoreline. A relatively short trip (by this season’s standards) was next on the agenda to Wellington. In a game where quality football was near impossible due to a bobbly pitch and strong wind, this was never going to be a game for the neutral. In a game of few chances, Keynsham looked like they were heading for a point, until a far post header five minutes from time condemned them to a 1-0 defeat. Midweek saw a break from league action, as First Division Wells City visited Crown Fields for a Les Phillips League Cup firstround tie. A tight first half yielded little goalmouth action, but after
the break the Ks finally broke through thanks to Dan Cottle. Will Hailston added a second, before a Cottle corner flew straight in late in the game to make the scoreline 3-0. Keynsham’s reward was a second-round trip to local neighbours Hengrove Athletic, with the match scheduled for Tuesday March 1. A Millbrook side weakened by injuries and Covid made the long journey to Keynsham the following Saturday, and the Ks romped to an emphatic 6-0 victory. That man again, Dan Cottle, secured an excellent hat-trick and Will Hailston scored a brace, with Jamie Noble putting the icing on the cake. After the club made a costly, abortive 400-mile round trip to Cornwall to play Mousehole (the game was called off late in the day despite assurances that it would go ahead), the Ks then hosted Street on a blustery Tuesday evening. Following a tight first half, Will Hailston scored his 22nd goal of the season on the hour, which was enough to give the home side another valuable three points. Until the next issue of the Keynsham Voice, you can keep up to date with club news via their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. l Tribute to former player Mervyn Hawkins: Page 11
Remaining home fixtures at Crown Fields this season are as follows: Sat Mar 5: First Team v Bridgwater United (League) 3pm Tue Mar 8: Reserves v Nailsea United (League) 7.45pm Sat Mar 12: First Team v Saltash United (League) 3pm Sat Mar 19: Reserves v Chard Town (League) 3pm Sat Mar 26: First Team v Bitton (League) 3pm Sat Apr 2: Reserves v Ilminster Town (League) 3pm Sat Apr 16: Reserves v Stockwood Green (League) 3pm Mon Apr 18: First Team v Brislington (League) 3pm Sat Apr 23: First Team v Mousehole (League) 3pm
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AMG SolutionS • Telephone Sockets Relocated • Additional Telephone Points • Telephone Systems • Data/Computer Cabling • WiFi Solutions and Access Points • Projector and Flat Panel TV Installation • CCTV • Fault Finding
Tel : 0117 3620313 Website : www.amg-solutions.co.uk
Got News? Call Keynsham Voice on 0117 9082121
Amanda Cook S.A.C. DIP RHFP Insured & DBS checked
T: 07718 205962
your first appointment E: amanda.cook2@sky.com
WASTE DISPOSAL
Garden, Clearance House, Garden, Office Clearance House,House, Garden, OfficeOffice Clearance
House, Garden, Office Clearance - all Plus all other Plus All Your Other Waste Removal Needs too! House, Garden, Office Clearance -- Plus other House, Garden, Office Clearance Plus all other Plus Your Other Waste Removal Needs too! Plus All All Your Other Waste Removal Needs too! On-average Average cheaper than a skip. On cheaper than aa skip. OnAverage cheaper than skip. removal On average cheaper waste removal On cheaper than aa skip wastewaste removal -Average On average cheaper than than skipa skip
07592 003 Tel: 07592 506 003003 Tel: 07592 506 Tel:Tel: 07592 506506 003 1/4 Load 1/4 £89 1/4 Load Load £89 £89 Half Half £139 Half Load Load Load £139£139 3/4 Load 3/4 £179 3/4 Load Load £179£179 Full Load Full £199 Full Load Load £199£199
www.junkmonsters.co.uk www.junkmonsters.co.uk
WIGS
Wigs Bristol
LOCATED IN DOWNEND
We have been supplying all types of wigs and hairpieces for fashion and medical purposes for 45 years. Wigs can be purchased off the peg or made to measure in hair or synthetic fibre. We stock many styles and makes.
Please book an appointment on:
0117 956 6556 www.wigsbristol.com
Email news@keynshamvoice.co.uk
ai164493650915_BathVoice- Apprenticeships Employer Benefits FP.pdf
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apprenticeships@bathcollege.ac.uk 01225 328 752
W O R G O T G LOOKIN INESS? YOUR BUS
PORT EMPLOYERS RE A S: BENEFITS SUCH
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83% would recommend an apprenticeship to other businesses.
65%
enjoyed new ideas apprentices brought to their company.
78
improved productivity
Scan me to find out more about how you can find your missing piece
FIND THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOUR COMPANY
bathcollege.ac.uk/apprenticeships