South Bristol Voice June 2018 by South Bristol Voice

southbristolvoice June 2018 No. 37

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Uh-oh, Gromit, it’s us versus the Simpsons! HE’S BACK – and this time he’s taking over the city. Gromit, the all-knowing animated dog made by Bristol filmmakers Aardman, is appearing at more than 60 locations around the city from July 2 to September 2. With his so-called master Wallace, and arch enemy Feathers McGraw, Gromit is encouraging people to visit as many locations as they can, raising money for Bristol Children’s Hospital’s Grand Appeal. A map and an app will be available soon, figurines will be on sale and there will be trails for every area, including South Bristol. Meanwhile, the organisers of Upfest, Europe’s largest festival of street art, have recruited an equally well-loved animated family for its 10th aniniversary – The Simpsons. Three top street

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• OUR WILDLIFE CHALLENGE TO YOU 12-13 • FAMILY WAYS TO BEAT CLIMATE CHANGE 17 Animated clash: Wallace, above, will appear in the character of Brunel at ss Great Britain, while the Simpsons will lead Upfest artists – Bao from Hong Kong, Bristol-based Soker, and Nomad Clan will be putting their own interpretations of Homer, Marj, Bart and the rest of the clan all over Bedminster and Southville on the Upfest weekend of July 28-30. “We’re incredibly pumped to be celebrating the iconic characters of The Simpsons,” said Upfest founder Steve Hayles. gromitunleashed.org.uk upfest.co.uk

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June 2018

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2 Paul Breeden Editor & publisher 07811 766072 paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk Ruth Drury Sales executive 07590 527664 sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk Editorial team: Beccy Golding, Alex Morss, Martin Powell & The Wicked Witch. Deliveries: Greg Champion

Intro

DO WE REALLY LACK AMBITION? MAYOR Marvin Rees tells us that tall buildings show ambition – that we should aspire to change the city’s skyline with a new range of “high density, high quality homes”. He is keen to change what he sees as the city’s ”reluctance to build up” and its decades of relying on “low level buildings”. He is not alone. Renowned architect Yuli Cadney-Toh has just moved back to Bristol after more than 25 years away. She was amazed, she told BBC Points West, because she looked around to see that the skyline had barely changed in that time. We are

You can find South Bristol Voice on Facebook and Twitter facebook.com/ southbristolvoice Twitter: @sbristolvoice Next month’s deadline for editorial and advertising is June 13th clearly supposed to gasp in amazement, roll our sleeves up and build some skyscrapers. We all understand the arguments about Bristol’s skyhigh property prices. We know we have little space to build, so we must make best use of what we’ve got. But many argue that skyscrapers provide no more housing than low-rise schemes of six to eight storeys. Perhaps most of us are delighted that Bristol’s skyline is little changed in several decades. It means the timeless elegance of St Mary Redcliffe is still a landmark, for one thing. The Voice has yet to hear any resident – even those desperate to find a home – cry out for more high rises. And if the people don’t want them, surely we should be looking at less intrusive options?

n BRIEFLY n WANT to make your own wind turbine? Join a class which will be making a simple rooftop turbine at Windmill Hill City Farm on June 2 and 3. Renewable energy expert Daniel Connell will show how to build the device using £30 of recycled materials. The cost is £80 per day (less for concessions) and places are limited. Details from daniel@opensourcelowtech.org n HAVE you always wanted to learn sign language? The WEA hold a five-week Introduction to British Sign Language at Windmill Hill City Farm on Thursdays, 4-6pm, starting on June 7. By the end you’ll be able to hold a basic conversation in BSL. £37, or free if you receive certain benefits. Enrol at wea. org.uk/find-course or call 0300 303 3464, quoting C3529641. n WALKING netball – which involves no running or jumping – is proving popular with those who enjoy netball, but haven’t played for many years. Sessions are held every Thursday, 11am12 noon, at Hengrove Park leisure

centre. It costs £3.50 and booking isn’t needed. To find out more email c.childs@blueyonder.co.uk n NEW members are being sought from South Bristol for North Somerset Community Brass Band, which already has several musicians from the area. Cornet and euphonium players are needed, but all instruments and abilities are welcome. To find out more call band secretary Colin on 07889 933023. n WINDMILL Hill Neighbourhood Network meets at 7pm on Wednesday July 18 at Victoria Park Baptist Church. Councillors, police and Bristol Waste will be there and all Windmill Hill rsidents are welcome to discuss local issues and concerns. n CORRECTION: Last month’s history feature on sports clubs wrongly said Steve Windaybank was made president of Knowle Cricket Club in 1997. In fact, that was when he became club captain: he was made president in 2011. Apologies for the error.

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My MP? Karin Smyth MP By email: karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk By post: Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA By phone: 0117 953 3575 In person: Surgeries will be held on Friday June 8 and 22. Call 0117 953 3575 for an appointment. My councillor? Post: You can write to all councillors at Brunel House, St George’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UY Christopher Davies Lib Dem, Knowle

Email: Cllr.Christopher.Davies@ bristol.gov.uk Gary Hopkins Lib Dem, Knowle (Lib Dem leader) Email: Cllr.Gary.Hopkins@bristol.gov.uk Phone: 0117 985 1491 or 07977 512159 Lucy Whittle Labour, Windmill Hill Phone: 07392 108805 Email: Cllr.Lucy.Whittle@bristol.gov.uk Jon Wellington Labour, Windmill Hill Phone: 07392 108804 Email: Cllr.Jon.Wellington@bristol.gov.uk

USEFUL NUMBERS Bristol City Council www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000 Waste, roads 0117 922 2100 Pest control and dog wardens 0117 922 2500 Council tax 0117 922 2900 Housing benefit 0117 922 2300 Social services 0117 922 2900

Police Inquiries 101 Emergency 999 Fire Emergency 999 Inquiries 0117 926 2061 NEIGHBOURHOOD MEETINGS Windmill Hill Neighbourhood Network 7pm, July 18, Victoria Park Baptist Church, Sylvia Avenue

EDITOR’S NOTE: South Bristol Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We strive to conform to the NUJ Code of Conduct for journalists: • nuj.org.uk/about/nuj-code Feedback is welcomed: call editor Paul Breeden on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk. All stories and pictures are copyright of South Bristol Voice (unless otherwise stated) and may not be reproduced without permission in this or any other plane of the multiverse. South Bristol Voice Ltd | 18 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BX

To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

June 2018

n NEWS Dismay at more tall flats plans TOTTERDOWN residents have reacted with dismay to news that council planners have approved an “overbearing” block of seven homes on the corner of Goolden Street and Bathwell Road. The scheme was approved by councillors meeting on April 25 – despite objections from many locals that the three-storey

southbristolvoice building will overwhelm the two-storey houses on the opposite side of Bathwell Road. The block is 11m high – campaigners claim this is taller than the Bathwell Road homes by the height of a double decker bus. Meanwhile, a picture has been released of a second high-rise development on Bath Road. Bristol city council has chosen social housing provider Yarlington to work on plans for 200 homes or more on council-owned land between Three Lamps junction

New: A second Bath Rd high-rise and Totterdown bridge, including a 13-storey tower. The homes would be for sale as well as social rent and shared ownership. The land is currently a green

3 buffer between Bath Road and the New Cut. But it had houses on it until the road was widened after World War 2. Cllr Jon Wellington said he was withholding judgement on the plan until he had met Yarlington to discuss it. But in principle, he said, “I don’t think this area really suits anything more than eight to 10 storeys.” Developer Hadley has plans for a 16-storey tower with up to 159 homes on the opposite side of Totterdown Bridge.

Remember the Totterdown clearances THE IMPACT of Bristol’s aborted ring road plan, which led to the needless demolition of 500 Totterdown homes and businesses, will be the subject of a one-day exhibition. The event is from 12 noon to 5pm at the Totterdown Centre, 142 Wells Road, on Sunday June 24. The Totterdown Road Project is a community history initiative led by Dr Erika Hanna, of the University of Bristol, and Crowndale Road’s Jeremy Routledge, of the Calling The Shots filmmaking company, with funding from the university’s Brigstowe Foundation. They have collected personal stories, maps, photographs and documents linked to the 1960s road-building project. Using wall displays and a performance piece by playwright Mike Akers, they hope to gather new memories and reactions from older residents and those who arrived since the demolitions, which took place on the area now covered by New Walls. Dr Hanna

THE BIG CELEBRATION

Cancelled: The flyover plans said: “When the council revealed its intention to cut a by-pass through what was a closely-knit community with a bustling shopping area, there was an appetite for progress and travelling everywhere by car. But after the bulldozers moved in, without a road ever materialising, people began to wonder what Totterdown would have become if the demolitions had never happened.” Jeremy Routledge added: “Hopefully people will enjoy seeing a bit of Totterdown history in maps and photos as well as sharing their own thoughts and memories about that time in the

Sorrow as craft café shuts DOZENS of customers of crafts shop and café Craftisan have recorded their sorrow at the news that the shop is to close after three years. The shop, run by Emily Sinclair, won friends from the moment it opened in autumn 2015, taking over a long-empty unit that had been a carpet shop and an off-licence. Emily created a relaxed space popular with families, where they could buy art supplies, sample homemade cakes in the café and take part in craft workshops for

children and adults. One of many customers commenting on Facebook said: “Can’t quite bring myself to tell the kids yet, they’ll be so upset!” Emily said: “Due to arrangements in the lease, I’ve decided now is the time to move on and start another adventure. “It really has been an incredible few years and I’ve meet some amazing people and learnt and discovered an enormous amount,” she added. The shop will not be closing for several months yet.

SUNDAY June 24 also sees community group Tresa stage the Great Get Together, where residents are invited to bring food and drink to share, with refreshments for sale. Zone A on Wells Road (next to Firfield Street) will have a pop-up lemonade bar from Banco, tasty treats from Fanny Tingle’s Tantalising Flavours, plus children’s activities, and stalls from Floriography and local artists. There will be dancing with 1960s and 1970s when the community was so radically affected – and how they view the many new developments planned for the neighbourhood.” The event will also be an opportunity to see how the Totterdown Centre – formerly the Harris and Tozer department store – is being restored. Fanny Tingle will be serving refreshments and the courtyard garden behind the centre will

Shynee Ladies and guests, and music from Natalie and Dave, and the Road Zombies. Tresa will also launch the Totterdown Front Garden competition. Best front garden is sponsored by Greenwoods, the Family Fun category is sponsored by Totterdown Canteen, and Designed for Summer by Fig1. “Last year we awarded more than 250 good garden certificates and folk certainly seem to be upping the game!” said organiser Bristol Carolyn Jones. PILATES fitness also be open, selling flowers, plants and local crafts. Jeremy added: “The materials we gather at this event will feed into a bigger exhibition and another theatrical presentation later in the year, hopefully as part of the Totterdown Arts Trail.” To find out more, search Totterdown Road Project on Facebook or Twitter, or email jeremy@callingtheshots.co.uk or call 07710Bristol 775630.

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n NEWS Second big win for Wells Road opticians TOTTERDOWN optician Lynne Fernandes has won Family Optician of the year at the national Opticians Awards – the second major award for her firm in two years. Lynne, who previously won Optometrist of the Year in 2016, and has two other practices on Gloucester Road and in Nailsea, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled.” The latest award is for work at the Wells Road practice to benefit patients of all ages, with special clinics for people with myopia, dyslexia, blepharitis, or dry eye. Lynne and husband Gerard frequently promote the importance of good eye health, visiting schools and talking on local radio. In the past six months, Lynne has been on air discussing how our eyes work, and the value of a new device for low vision patients that projects images onto their glasses. Lynne also appeared on CBeebies, performing an eye examination on a child. This generated lots of business for the firm as it is shown regularly. • A picture of the award is on the Voice website

Gold class café KATE’S Kitchen, the café at Arnos Vale cemetery, has been awarded Gold in the council’s Bristol Eating Better scheme. It recognises the café’s efforts to offer healthier and more environmentally friendly food.

PARKS

Hope for park lodge to help meet council savings plan HOPES are high that the halfderelict lodge building in Victoria Park could at last be on the way to being rescued. The Victorian lodge has been in a poor state of repair for several years and the public toilets there are regularly criticised as a disgrace. Now, however, Victoria Park Action Group (VPAG) has the council’s backing to draw up a plan to renovate the lodge and provide a purpose-built café and community facilities. The aim is to make the project self-funding so that the lodge can contribute to council funds – helping to plug the £2.9 million hole in the parks budget which must be filled by 2020. VPAG chair Shaun Hennessy said it was the most positive move the council had made yet to secure the future of the lodge. Nothing is yet agreed, but VPAG is working with Steve Sayers, the chief executive of Windmill Hill City Farm, to find charitable funding for the renovation, which is likely to cost hundreds of thousands of

BUT NO SIGN OF CAFÉ THE CAFÉ in Victoria Park will not be open for most of the summer – despite the council’s declared intention to raise more money from concessions in parks. Under its previous tenant, Mrs Brown’s, the open-air café opened in March. But the Mrs Brown’s team bowed out last year and the council has still not put the site out for tender. It seems unlikely

the café could open before July. “We are very frustrated that the café hasn’t opened yet,” said Shaun Hennessy, chair of Victoria Park Action Group (VPAG). “We feel they are wasting the summer’s trading.” VPAG has asked if other mobile traders could move in temporarily, but the council won’t allow this. It’s hoped that Mrs Brown’s can be tempted out of retirement to open for a few summer weekends.

June 2018

n NEWS

southbristolvoice

Arena report still on hold

Hopkins cleared on speaking out about chief exec payoff

Teacher reaches the TES finals

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THE REPORT setting out options for where to build Bristol’s arena – whether on Arena Island next to Temple Meads station, or at Filton aerodrome – is still under wraps. As the Voice went to press

delayed by a by-election for a council seat in Westbury-onTrym on May 25. But the council couldn’t explain why a date hadn’t been set to release the papers after the election.

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the council was unable to say when it woud be released. Originally due on May 1, the report drawn up by KPMG looks at which location offers the best value to the city. Its release was

KNOWLE Lib Dem councillor Gary Hopkins has been cleared of misconduct in the row about an alleged £70,000 payoff to Bristol city council’s former chief executive Anna Klonowksi. pounds. Any work is unlikely to Knowle, has been released. It comes as Bristol’s Labour start before next year. Roctagon climbing frames will rulers have been accused of a Meanwhile, work on the new also be installed, next to the power grab by giving more senior shared cycle path through small basketball court in the roles to party members and fewer Victoria Park is ahead of centre of the park. to opposition councillors. schedule, and likely to be The money was promised two Cllr Hopkins has asked finished within a few weeks. years ago but was frozen in late Marvin Rees for an apology after Work still remains to be done 2016 when the council imposed the mayor called him and Tory to the park entrances and a cutbacks. Other parks such as councillor Richard Eddy traffic-calming speed table at the Northern Slopes and Perretts “untrustworthy” and corner of Hill Avenue and Park will also see benefits. “irresponsible” when they spoke which is More developer cash, known out about the terms of Ms Nutgrove Avenue, expected to be finished as CIL, will be available to parks in August. Klonowski’s abrupt departure New fitness equipment such later this year. But councillors last September. as monkey bars will be installed from across South Bristol will A complaint that the pair in Victoria Park now that more have to agree which parks will revealed confidential information thfunds are no longer th than £150,000 from a housing benefit as was made by Labour Cllr Kyle spin-off at Salcombe Road, available for each ward. Dudd. Mr Hopkins then counter-claimed that Mr Dudd • All age welcome -‐ Uhe nder 9’s using parks 10 per cent g ofroups their John’s Lane says was told bytao Under 17’s had tried to ban him and Cllr OFF THE RAILS Eddy from a council committee park-derived revenue. This council official that officers had PLANS to charge fitness instructors discussing c the affair. Receive coaching been from UKCC Lfitness evel 1 & Level 2 qualified oaches includes•balloon operators. photographing and dog walkers for using parks Now the council’s monitoring Questions about how the classes in parks, to identify them. to be starting don’t appear yet officer has cleared all three Cfitness ricket Club affiliated to: council • canKnowle identify all the Theis Voice has been told that amid confusion about how the councillors of wrongdoing. instructors Gloucestershire and dog walkers andCounty when the charges begin for dog plans will be introduced. Cricket Board Cllr Hopkins did reveal enforce the payments remain to be walkers, they will be voluntary – Summer Coaching The council plans to charge confidential information about th Somerset County Bthe oard answered. Fitness instructor andth Cricket raising question why anyone several types of businesses it Ms Klonowski’s recruitment Every F riday!! personal trainer Richard Finch of St would agree to take part. judges are making a profit out of process, but this was in the For further information please contact: public interest, 6.15 –The 8.oo pm the report said. • All age groups welcome -‐ Under 9’s to Under 17’s investigation was done by Steve Windaybank -‐ 07919480159 CH&I Associates, a specialist • Receive coaching from UKCC Level 1 & Level 2 qualified coaches Email: steve@windaybank.co.uk Knowle Cbased ricket lub firm in C Macclesfield, at an undisclosed cost. • Knowle Cricket Club is affiliated to: Broadwalk, Knowle Cllr Hopkins is now asking Gloucestershire C ounty Cricket Board the council’s audit committee to Summer Coaching

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investigate the affair. It comes after the council’s external auditor, BDO, said Mr Rees had ignored advice that the payment to Ms Klonowksi should have been referred to the council’s HR committee. This advice was issued after the council gave a reputed £200,000 payoff to another chief executive, Nicola Yates, in August 2016. Meanwhile Cllr Hopkins – now his party’s deputy leader in the city, after being replaced as leader by Cllr Arthur Negus – has branded Labour’s “power grab” as “disgraceful”. Labour wants more of its own members to chair council committees. It also wants to make the ceremonial post of Lord Mayor an elected position – meaning Labour could out-vote the other parties – and restrict the power of other parties to bring full council motions. It also wants to increase the number of signatures to spark a debate in full council from 3,500 to 4,500. These changes were to be debated in a full council

meeting on May 22, just after the Voice went to press. The Lib Dems, Tories and Greens on the city council all oppose the Labour moves – and Cllr Hopkins said: “This might have to go to the Local Government Ombudsman.” The Voice asked the mayor’s office for comment on these issues but received no reply. Mr Rees has previously said the council has behaved responsibly in its treatment of its departed chief executives and to say more would breach confidentiality.

TEACHER Emma Buckley from Venturers’ Academy will take tea at the House of Commons on June 5 after being named as a finalist in the Times Educational Supplement New Teacher of the Year award. Emma teaches at Venturers’ Academy, an autism special school in Withywood for children from across the area. The parents of one of her class said: “Mrs Buckley is a fantastic educator. She goes above and beyond by encouraging our child to try things that he may not think are possible.” • More on this story on the Voice website.

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PARENTS at Knowle Park primary school have been told about the absence for more than a month of the head teacher and another senior teacher. Head teacher Andrew Dewey is off on long-term sick leave, the Voice was told by the school’s chair of governors, Marie

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June 2018

southbristolvoice

n NEWS Tributes to Knowle’s favourite newsagent couple PETER and Judy Read, who have run Broadwalk News in Knowle for more than 25 years, have sold the shop in order to retire. The couple are well known to almost everyone who shops in Knowle. Cllr Chris Davies writes in his column for the Voice [page 32] “There are other shops in the area that sell a lot of the things

No music fest for Totterdown THERE will be no Totterdown Music Festival in June after police voiced concerns about last year’s event. A police spokeswoman said the festival outside the Oxford pub on June 10 and 11, 2017, attracted several complaints about noise and drunken behaviour. Police also voiced concern that music was played long after the permitted time. The organiser, Oxford landlord Jon Evans, is considering making the event ticketed for next year. The Oxford will also manage the music stage for the Victoria Park festival in September.

New games A NEW maze, hopscotch and other games will be marked out in the play circle at the centre of Redcatch park by early June, the park’s Friends group said. An improved car park on the Broad Walk side is being laid out and should be finished soon, with new beds to be planted with wild flowers.

that Broadwalk News sells, but number of wellwishers. “It’s an they cannot compete with the emotional time for both of us. We commitment to the community. are just so grateful to everybody “As local councillors Gary for being such good and loyal Hopkins and I know most things customers over 27 years,” he that go on in the area, but if we said. The couple live in TO LETWhitchurch, but Peter will stillTel: were to miss something we knew be 0117 984 8400 where to get updated.” active in the Knowle and Peter Read, centre, with new Mr Read said he and Judy St Philips Totterdown history society.St Philips, owner Azim Ahmed and Gate,local Chapel Street, have been “overwhelmed” by the • More on the Voice website councillors Hopkins and Davies

Bristol, BS2 0UL

Detached high bay production warehouse with large secure yard

New outdoor concert venue on South Bristol’s doorstep 28,433 sq ft (2,641.51 sq m) on approximately 1.4 acres (0.57 ha)

A NEW 3,000-capacity outdoor the firm is working closely with concert venue is planned to open Bristol city council. soon on South Bristol’s doorstep. “We are accountable, we don’t To be known as St Philip’s shy away [from our Gate, it is advertising a summer responsibilities],” he said. “The ‘Skyline season’ of nine gigs last thing that we want is to be an featuring mainly 80s and 90s inconvenience to residents.” bands such as Garbage and UB40. Mr Newby said the But while concert-goers of a opportunity to buy St Philip’s certain age will welcome the gigs, Gate came early in 2018 and the St Philip’s Gate, from an advert Totterdown residents group firm saw it as a chance to create a for the site by agent BNP Paribas Tresa is worried about noise from new kind of venue for the city. the shows – which end at 11pm. A planning application is Motion – a larger, outdoor venue The new venue is a former about to be submitted be for a could exacerbate the problems.” warehouse on a large, 1.4 acre 3,000 capacity outdoor venue, a high bay production  8.8 eaves the venue could be height 1,500-space indoor venue with site off Feeder Road, next to the  DetachedHowever, warehouse weeks or even months away from Kia car showroom. It is a short catering, and a separate shared  Central Bristol Location Secure yard opening, because it doesn’t distance from Motion nightclub,  Large office hub  1 have x 20 tonne Morris crane on railsfor rent. 5 tonne Morris overhead cranes or licences permission which is owned by the same firm, 3 x planning Noise assessments have orBristol, alcohol. Estateevents, Portwall Place,music Portwall Lane, BS1 6NA Bristol-based MJR Group. BNP Paribas Real for already been carried out. “Sound Tel: +44 (0)117 984 8400 Fax: +44 (0)117 984 8401 The first two gigs scheduled Tresa chair Simond Hobeck from live music travels for St Philip’s Gate – Echo and said: “We welcome the differently to DJ-driven events the Bunnymen on June 22 and development but would like and is easier to control and direct UB40 on June 23 – have been reassurances around noise levels, to prevent disturbance,” he said. moved to the council-owned and to see a transport plan The Skyline series of concerts amphitheatre on the harbourside, showing it won’t push more is “not a festival, it’s a format to allow more time for licensing. parking into Totterdown. with an elevated food and bar MJR’s marketing manager “Totterdown residents already experience, for the more mature Ben Newby told the Voice that get frustrated by the noise from customer,” Mr Newby added.

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June 2018

n NEWS

southbristolvoice

MP calls for action on missing Metrobus route THE WEST of England’s new metro mayor has been accused of “shrugging his shoulders” and doing nothing to save a vital Metrobus link in South Bristol. Bristol South MP Karin Smyth is furious that the promised route along the new South Bristol Link road from Long Ashton to Hengrove has disappeared from

the Metrobus map. A bus-only spur road at Long Ashton sits fenced off and unused – because no commercial operator wants to run the route, which has no public subsidy. It’s thought private firms will only see the route as profitable once hundreds more homes are built at Hengrove – which will

OFF THE RAILS

to be installed at BCT’s depot in Parson Street, Bedminster. • M2 Long Ashton-city centre Orange buses, starts autumn, operated by First. Guide rails on the concrete busway are up to 20mm out of place in several places and repair work will take until the summer. • M3 Emersons Green-city centre Green buses, starts May 29, operated by First.

ONE OF the three Metrobus routes was set to begin services on May 29. But the other two, serving South Bristol, are delayed further. • M1 Hengrove-city centreCribbs Causeway Magenta (pink) buses, starts January, operated by Bristol Community Transport. Biogas buses to serve the route are on order, and gas equipment has

take years. Ms Smyth wants the metro mayor Tim Bowles, elected last year with wide powers over transport and housing in the West of England, to find a way of backing the route. She sees Metrobus as vital for opening up the poorest parts of South Bristol. “In place of leadership, the metro mayor has given us a metaphorical shrug of the shoulders. Instead of looking for creative ways to drive the project forward, he is scrambling around for reasons not to. It beggars

TRAIN TO THE AIRPORT? BRISTOL airport wants to be connected to the city and to Weston-super-Mare by railway. A “detailed assessment” is under way and more details will be revealed

Colour coded: Pink buses will serve the M1 Hengrove Metrobus route – but not till 2019

belief,” she said. Some have accused Ms Smyth of playing party politics – Mr Bowles is a Conservative. The MP said the Labour-led city council is being more helpful and is looking at how to save the route, which was touted for years as one of the main benefits of the £230 million Metrobus scheme. A spokesperson for the West of England Combined Authority, or Weca, said the mayor had no control over current Metrobus routes. Weca is only involved in planning new routes. in the winter, the airport said. However, the long-hoped-for rail link to Portishead is on ice after ministers refused a £47 million grant to North Somerset council. It’s not clear if the plan can be saved.

Police in extra patrols to tackle Windmill Hill crime Arrest of 13-yearold after string of sex attacks A SPATE of attacks on vehicles and anti-social behaviour in Windmill Hill has resulted in an increase in police patrols – some of them undercover. Several car windscreens have been smashed and several people have reported youths kicking at their front doors late at night. Police initially told people complaining that no similar incidents had been reported. But police now accept that a group of about four youths is responsible for several attacks on

Smart walking

SMARTPHONE users can use their phones to follow the Bristol Skyline walk, a waymarked route to some of the best views in South Bristol, through parks including Northern Slopes and Perrett’s Park. Walkers are being

cars. Youths have also been seen climbing scaffolding and jumping on cars. The same group, wearing hoodies, is thought to hang around the basketball court in Victoria Park. Meanwhile, a young teenager has been arrested following a series of sexual attacks on women reported in the last Voice. Police said on April 24: “We’ve arrested a 13-year-old boy in connection with a series of sexual assaults in Bristol. “Five women were touched inappropriately in Windmill between March 24 and April 5. “The boy has been released under investigation and our enquiries continue.” invited to try out a new app for the route, and give feedback. It’s available for Android phones – an iPhone version will follow – by emailing info@bssw.org.uk. During Bristol WalkFest in May, the Skyline route attracted visitors from as far afield as Wales and the Midlands.

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

June 2018

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n NEWS

Plans for towers will create a ‘canyon

effect’ in Malago Rd

FIRST sight of plans for a major part of Bedminster Green have been met with horror by campaigners. Developer Dandara unveiled proposals for 340 new flats on land between Little Paradise and Stafford Street including an 18-storey tower. At 700 homes per hectare, it represents a very high density condemned as “Hong Kong levels” by community planning group WHaM. “I think we are all stunned how ugly the proposed Dandara development is. It has absolutely nothing to recommend it as it is reminiscent of the monstrous tower blocks built in the 60s and early 70s, many of which have since been demolished. This will severely damage the local community,” said WHaM chair Howard Purse. “There has been a complete failure to consult. It is far too tall and will loom over everything

Revealing: Dandara’s plan shows the 22-storey St Catherine’s Place, left, in brown. To its right is Plot 4 with an 18-floor tower and two lower buildings. Behind it, to the left, is a sketch of a 14-storey building Dandara is also believed to be planning for the adjacent Plot 5.

A PROMINENT architect has backed mayor Marvin Rees’s drive for tall buildings, claiming that skyscrapers make for a lively community and free up land for community use. Yuli Cadney-Toh helped mastermind the massive Barangaroo waterfront high-rise scheme in Sydney, Australia. She told BBC Points West on May 16 that she returned to Bristol after more than 25 years to find that “the skyline has hardly changed”. She was filmed showing building at St Catherine’s Place. Dandara seems also to be planning 14 storeys on Plot 5, near the station. Deeley Freed, which owns Plot 3, the NCP car park, has yet to reveal plans. The Voice has seen an early picture prepared by the developers working together to

show how the whole area will look. It shows the tallest buildings clustered together towards the middle of the area, leaving the lower blocks – Rollo Homes’ six-to-nine storey buildings alongside the railways – looking relatively small. It’s not clear

when the public will be able to see the whole-site plan. The cluster of skyscrapers will create “a canyon effect” along Malago Road, says WHaM. The new Bristol Campaign Against High Rises, led by Kingsdown resident Matthew Montagu-Pollock, contends that

the drive for tall buildings could make Bristol “an entirely different city” within 20 years. Southville councillors Charlie Bolton and Stephen Clarke are gathering views on the proposals. An online survey for residents of Southville ward is at tinyurl.com/bedsgreensurvey

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Controversial: A model of the new buildings at Lower Knowle Farm. The old farmhouse will now be for communal use, with co-op members living in the new houses

Historic farm plan passed 1

aerial view from south

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ONE OF Knowle’s oldest buildings, the historic Lower Knowle Farm, dating to the 16th or 17th century, can have seven new homes built in its grounds, planners have decided. Neighbours in Berrow Walk and elsewhere had made around 30 objections, claiming the new homes – a five-bedroom house and two terraces each containing three houses – were overdevelopment, out of character and would harm wildlife. They said there was not enough parking and the drive was too narrow to allow

Lower Knowle Farm

site view

emergency vehicles through. But revised plans with three new buildings instead of four, 10 parking spaces and improved access to the site have been accepted, along with a condition that the owners will pay for yellow lines in Berrow Walk to prevent street parking. The farmhouse is owned by a co-operative, Co-Housing Bristol, which wants to expand. The co-op bought the near-derelict farm from the council in 2012 after the death of the last member of a farming family who had rented it for decades.

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colleagues how St Philip’s Marsh – already named by the Voice as a likely area for new housing – could be transformed by high-rise towers. Building 2,500 low-rise homes

would fill the area, she said, while building high would allow three times as many homes “and a lot more besides” in community facilities. “Bristol needs be bold in its vision and create denser centres, including taller buildings in the right places,” she wrote for Bristol 24/7. “Tall buildings are a viable alternative to building beyond the city limits into green belt land and can save and invigorate our vibrant Bristol character. Going up or outwards is our choice.” Her employer, planning agency BDP, has no specific Bristol plans under way.

‘BE BOLD AND BUILD UP’

and be seen everywhere in Bedminster. “This and other tower blocks will create a wall between Windmill Hill and the rest of the city.” Dandara’s site is known as Plot 4. Next door, developer Firmstone proposes a 22-storey

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June 2018

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n NEWS SOUTH Bristol figures heavily in the Bristol Shakespeare Festival. The citywide festival kicks off at Windmill Hill City Farm from June 6-9 when the Handebards perform their versions of Twelfth Night (with an all-male cast) and Romeo and Juliet (all female). Meanwhile 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare, has a community cast from across South Bristol. Like last year’s sellout show Shakespeare’s Worst, it’s performed at the Stackpool playhouse in Southville, the new

name for the former Faithspace in Stackpool Road. It tells the story of the year that transformed Shakespeare’s fortunes – 1599, when his theatre was dismantled and he faced pressure from all sides. Yet he wrote Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It and Hamlet within 12 months. Billed as “the most fantastic, laugh-out-loud funny, illumination of Shakespeare and his plays you’re ever likely to see!” it runs from July 3-14. Arnos Vale cemetery hosts the Shakespeare Heptet performing Death, Love & the Sonnets

Pub to let again

Universal credit expected to bring problems for some

Helping you cut out plastic wraps

WE’RE working hard to help you reduce plastic waste with beeswax wraps and metal straws now in stock. You can also buy our dry foods by weight, and they’re cheaper than plastic wrapped. Need a quick and easy meal? Pick up one of Fanny Tingle’s spectacularly delicious pies to take home for tea as well as our regular meal kits (pictured is Tumeric and Ginger Noodle Broth). Organic veg boxes available – pop in for details.

Lucy and Hannah

THE NEW universal credit regime is rolled out in South Bristol from June 6 – and help is available for those affected. The new benefit is meant to simplify help for those out of work or needing family benefits. It rolls six benefits and tax credits into one payment. It won’t affect everyone at once – only people whose circumstances change may be moved onto universal credit. But it has been widely criticised for leaving some people penniless for weeks at a time – and for being hard to understand. Zero hours workers, for example, whose pay varies from month to month, could find they earn too much in one month and

ARE YOU sure you’re getting all the help you’re entitled to? Bristol South MP Karin Smyth is to hold a free event to give people the chance to talk to experts about entitlements such as tax credits, pensions and benefits. Karin Smyth said: “Most people agree it’s only fair that if you work hard and contribute to society, through taxes and other means, will lose any benefit – and then have to reapply and wait weeks for the claim to be processed. One of the major differences with the new system is that

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Boss’s delight at being named one of UK’s best workplaces

Festival is playing with Shakespeare

THE STAR and Dove pub in St Luke’s Road is to let. Agent Fleurets said here are no plans for the pub to close but it is seeking a new tenant to take it over. The pub was shut for much of last year until new landlords arrived in October 2017.

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on July 14. Among libraries to be staging historical drama Henry V are Bedminster library on July 17 and Whitchurch on July 19. The Natural Theatre Company use various parts of SS Great Britain for comic sketches of Shakespeare’s early life, Shakespeare Undone! from July 25-29. The Southville centre hosts a Macbeth drama workshop for youngsters on July 26. The festival runs from June 6-July 29, including many events we haven’t space to list. bristolshakespearefestival.org.uk

June 2018

Celebrating good food

‘I wanted to create an environment where people want to come to work’

Romeo and Juliet at Arnos Vale in last year’s festival PHOTO: Jon Craig

the system is then there for you when you need it.” Representatives from Bristol Citizens Advice, South Bristol Advice Services, We Care and Repair and the council’s Welfare Rights and Money Advice Service will attend. At similar events Karin has organised, many people found that they had been missing out on some kind of benefit or relief. It’s at The Park Centre, Daventry Road, on Friday June 22 from 1-3pm. claimants have to do everything online. They must have a bank or a credit union account which they manage on the internet. Free sessions in getting online are being offered in June and July. They will show how to set up an email address, how to apply for jobs online, and more. The first workshop is on June 12 and 13 June at The Park, Daventry Road, from 12.452.45pm. More will be run, at different venues including Filwood Community Centre, Barnstaple Road, on June 19 and 20, and July 3 and 4. To find out more, call Lucy Fieldhouse on 07788 353446 or 0117 903 9763. Venues like The Park offer free wifi to help claimants. To find out more about all the help on offer with universal credit in South Bristol, go to tinyurl.com/knowleunicredit

To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

A SOUTH Bristol company which wants its employees to enjoy coming to work has been rewarded with a top 20 place in the UK’s Best Workplaces 2018. Exhibition and event organiser Ignition, whose head office is in Paintworks on Bath Road, was ranked 19 in the Small Companies category, following an in-depth audit which included asking staff what they thought of their employer. Ignition’s founder and chief executive Sam Rowe told the Voice that when she helped set up the company 11 years ago, “I really wanted to create an environment where people want to come to work.” The firm also has an office in the US, and staff travel the world organising events, often working long hours. But the firm is flexible in giving them time off in return, and makes big efforts to help parents work around the needs of their families. Some working mums, for example, squeeze a five-day week into four days so they can spend more time at home. “We also finish work early when we can, and we focus on the quality of the work we do rather than the hours we work.

Workers’ voice: Staff at Ignition were asked their opinion of the firm As long as the work is done, I don’t care,” said Sam. “I believe that’s why we get customers renewing their contracts with us!” Staff get an extra day off for volunteering with a charity of their choice, plus work-fromhome days and a floating holiday day for special personal events. Extra effort is also recognised, from spot awards for going above and beyond, to a monthly hero award and an annual 10 per cent bonus scheme if targets are met. Some people – particularly older staff – find it hard to adjust to such a flexible way of working. But Sam thinks this approach is essential if firms are to attract and keep the best staff. Ignition has kept 41 per cent of its staff for six years or more. “I think the younger generation expect more flexibility, and to work when they want and where they want,” said Sam.

THE CATTLE Market Tavern has been knocked down, despite pleas from Bristol Camra, the real ale group, to save it. A giant demolition machine swung into action on May 3, seen here from a train leaving Temple Meads station. The council is also clearing the derelict sorting office to make way for a £300 million Bristol University campus. The pub was built in 1910 and was later home to Bristol Wood Recycling Project – now moved to William Street, St Philip’s.

“They have a totally different perspective.” The use of video conferencing, screen sharing and other innovations “means we can still do what we have to do” without rigid working hours or being tied to the office, she said.

AN OUTDOOR pizza cooking event that brings together old and young at Windmill Hill City Farm is among dozens of events in the Bristol Food Connections festival from June 11-17. Children from Victoria Park primary school will join over-55s for a pizza decorating competition at the farm from 10.30am-1.30pm on June 15. It’s the culmination of a fiveweek Cooking with Friends course involving St Monica’s Trust care homes and children from schools. Young chefs training at Knowle’s Square Food Foundation will serve a seasonal evening feast on June 14 and 15 at a secret city centre location – tickets from the website below. Other events include street food and music at St Nick’s Night Market off Corn Street from 5-10pm on June 15. bristolfoodconnections.com

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June 2018

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n FEATURES

WILDLIFE CHALLENGE!

Come on, let’s make South Bristol a much

CO-GARDENING, wildlife spotting and habitat creation are very much in vogue in South Bristol right now. Everyone’s at it, from park groups and schools, to Buglife, Avon Wildlife Trust, the Hedgehog Society, Bristol Natural History Consortium, Butterfly Conservation and the My Wild Bedminster team. South Bristol Voice is keen to hear your ideas, so we have set up a competition for this summer for you to share the joy of wildlife and wild flower havens that you create in your little green corner. And here are some ideas. If you take one boring boggy damp patch, any size will do, sprinkle on some magic (I’m talking insect-friendly flower seeds) you’ll soon have a rainbow of pollinator happiness. Or why not make one brick-sized hole in your fence or wall, offer a compost pile, wait til around 11pm and watch Mr or

WHERE ARE OUR WILDLIFE SPOTTERS? HERE’S a lot of wildlife in South Bristol – but few people were looking for it in the City Nature Challenge on the weekend of April 27-30. Amazingly, the Bristol and Bath region came first in Europe in this international competition, which asked local people to go out and record whatever wildlife they found. Bristol and Bath recorded 9,496 sightings and 1,137 species. And yet many of the 305 local participants overlooked what was under our noses in BS3 and BS4. Why didn’t more folk go looking more closely around South Bristol? I recorded more than 100 species in a very short time, wandering

BS3, and a handful of naturalists found a range of plants, mammals, birds, fungi, lichen, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. Knowle naturalist Megan Shersby got national experts excited when she spotted a

rarely-seen Mocha moth in her Knowle back garden. “I don’t catch much in my urban garden, so this came as a shock and wonderful surprise,” she said. Aspiring ecologist Natascha Imlay set off at 4.30am to explore dawn wildlife in Victoria Park area. Others did a night watch, pacing Arnos Vale cemetery to track bats. A few people trekked across Southville, Dame Emily Park and Ashton Court, gathering records. But no-one looked in Perrett’s Park, Northern Slopes, local allotments, Redcatch Park or a vast area of Bedminster gardens. Wild plants were the most recorded group, and the dainty pink flowers of Herb Robert the most frequently-recorded species locally.

Mrs Prickles come waddling through your Hedgehog Highway to munch on slugs, snails and other garden beasts?

Designing-in wildlife is that simple. If you wish to think bigger and have a community space in mind, there is still time

to sign up for Buglife’s south Bristol Urban Buzz project, where you’ll get help creating your own community wildlife

Exciting: the Mocha moth is a rare UK sighting, and Megan Shersby found one in Knowle

June 2018

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n FEATURES

WILDLIFE CHALLENGE!

friendlier place for wildlife

Above, planting the new wet meadow; right, hoverfly spotted by Matt Postles area – contact Hayley.herridge@ buglife.org.uk In May, I teamed up with volunteers from Victoria Park

Wildlife Group, Buglife, local residents and Duke of Edinburgh scheme participants to create an exciting new wet meadow area at

the bottom of Victoria Park. We are transforming a soggy patch of clay and tough turf into an area rich in wetland wildflowers. It should attract a huge range of invertebrates such as bees, hoverflies, grasshoppers, spiders, bugs, butterflies and moths. We have added gorgeous wild flower seeds including yarrow, sneezewort, betony, meadow buttercup, sorrel, great burnet, pepper saxifrage, ragged robin and devil’s-bit scabious. This new meadow adds to other wildflower areas in the park, sown with the help of Victoria Park and St Mary Redcliffe primary schools, kids’ clubs and Butterfly Conservation in the Get Bristol Buzzing project. The bottom of the park sits at the lowest point in a basin and the water table is high most of the year, so it makes sense to replicate the now-rare floodplain meadow habitats that support many declining insect treasures.

VOICE GARDEN WILDLIFE COMPETITION TELL US about your garden wildlife hot spot. We will award prizes for the best. Just send us a photo of a wildlife area you have created in your garden, school or community green space. • Make a butterfly garden with special food plants for their caterpillars and a great nectar supply for the adults; • Plant a pollinator patch with a variety of flower colours and shapes to attract bees, hoverflies and other species, or a solitary bee nesting area; • Create a hideaway for slow-worms, insects and other small creatures; • Make a Hedgehog Highway – a hole in a fence or wall big enough for a hedgehog; • Install bat or bird boxes; • Make a green roof with plants for bees and other insects. Email your stories and photos to Paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk – we’ll print the best each month.

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Holiday fun needs business to back it A PIONEERING youth scheme that will provide a vital lifeline in the school holidays for some of South Bristol’s most challenged young people is asking for support. Break Free is a new name for activities taking place across the summer holidays for around 50 teenagers and younger children each week, and organisers are hoping that local firms will step up to support them. During the Whitsun holiday from May 29-June 1 activities will take place at Bedminster Down school, while during the long summer break there will be at least one week at each of three venues – The Park centre in Knowle, Bedminster Down school and Bridge Learning Campus in Hartcliffe. “People in business might want to support something that is going on at their old school,” said Alistair Dale, chief executive of Youth Moves, the South Bristol charity behind Break Free. “They could sponsor a junior football team sports coach, or pay for the lunches, for example. “We aim to have three kinds of activities each day – sport, youth club activities, or something arts-based like drama

Martial arts at new centre

‘It’s a chance to break free from holiday hunger, from staring at a screen, from having nothing to do!’ or dance.” Also backing Break Free is a local organisation called Community of Purpose, plus the Tobacco Factory, various groups at The Park, Wicketz cricket group, and the police. Break Free costs only £1 a day and is aimed at young people who really need a break – it is not subsidised childcare for families who can afford to pay. “We are providing high quality, low cost childcare for those who really need it. It’s aimed at families who, for example, are receiving free school meals, which aren’t available during the holidays,” said Alistair. The need is great: whereas across the country about eight per cent of children receive free school meals, in Knowle West it can rise as high as 70 per cent. “It’s a chance to break free from holiday hunger, from staring at a screen, from having

Plenty to do: Break Free is fun nothing to do!” said Alistair. Volunteers are welcome to share their skills, whether it’s to help hand out the lunches or if they have an enthusiasm they could share with the youngsters. • If you can help, contact Youth Moves on 0117 903 9796, via the website (below), on Twitter @InfoYouthMoves or Facebook. youthmoves.org.uk

A NEW martial arts group has made its first gradings in aikido skills in the recently opened Bristol South Aikido Dojo in Fortfield Road, Hengrove. Around 40 students from five years old to more than 60 were judged on a range of aikido skills included atemi (striking) and ukemi (falls and rolling). The new dojo opened in January on the site of the former Shiro Kwaido judo club and Hengrove Youth centre, and is available for other groups to hire. Aikido, a traditional Japanese martial art, teaches its students to harmonise with an attacker’s force to control them. It is suitable for people of virtually any age or fitness level. Leader Daren Sims, a 5th Dan, hopes the new centre will become an asset to South Bristol, offering a range of martial arts and other activities. bristolsouthaikido.org

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Garden award is blooming THE BS4 Good Gardens scheme has grown bigger than ever – around 65 streets across Knowle and Brislington are taking part. Residents are urged to make their front gardens into eyecatching, wildlife-friendly spaces, ready for judging from June 16 and July 15. Lots of street winners will get a window sticker and the overall winner receives a meal for two at The Knowle pub. Organiser Ruth Drury said: “There’s lots of beauty appearing around the area and it’s great to hear of so many people getting involved!” In the children’s contest, youngsters are encouraged to make a display in their front window. The child winner gets £10. The scheme is run by volunteers with support from sponsors – the main supporter

John Higgins, 87, of Priory Road, Knowle, sent us this certificate he won in 1937, aged 7, at Knowle Park primary school being Greenwoods estate agents, backed up by Owen IT Solutions, plus Puddle Ducks, Cleverley Builders, Simon Sparkes, Claire Kennedy, Brislington WI and Jon Jarvis Garden maintenance. Facebook: BS4 Good Gardens

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BRING ON THE BEES

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n NEWS

Two families make choices to combat climate change

OHN Moule lives in Knowle with wife Sharon and children Spike and Toby. Two years ago he had solar panels installed on his garage roof, at a cost of £6,500, to generate electricity. He expects to break even on the investment by 2022. John said: “For us, it’s really important that we set an example to the children on being careful with our energy use and the benefits of sustainable energy. “Other actions I am looking into include installing a battery to store the energy from the panels. I am also researching external wall insulation and I’ve found the One Home website to be really useful in pointing me in the right direction so I can find out about feasibility and funding.” John, below: Investment in solar power expected to break even

CLIMATE CHANGE Gaby, top: Decided meat rearing adds too much carbon emissions

ABY Amiel lives in Knowle with wife Sue and children Elodie and Gabriel. Last year he decided to stop eating meat for environmental reasons. Gaby says: “For some years I’d been thinking about becoming vegetarian, and then last year I decided to give it a go for a month. It was much easier than I had imagined so I am sticking with it. “Climate change threatens everything and, for me, it’s a matter of personal conscience that motivates me to take actions that have a positive outcome for the planet, my children and me. “The rest of the family do occasionally eat meat, but as a treat, which is a healthier and more sustainable approach.”

TOP FIVE WAYS TO REDUCE CLIMATE IMPACT 1. Eat less red meat; 2. Get an electric car; 3. Holiday in the UK; 4 Insulate your home; 5 Install solar panels.

greenhouse gas that causes climate change – and that’s why we’ve developed these five clear ways to do just that.” Holidaying in the UK rather than flying is one of the most important changes people can make. A family of four driving to and from Bristol to Cornwall emits 92kg of carbon dioxide. The same family making a return flight from Bristol to Alicante in Spain produces 1,142kg – that’s 12 times more than the Cornwall trip. A long-haul return flight to Florida emits 2,780kg, 30 times more than going to Cornwall and back. onehome.org.uk

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TWO FAMILIES from Knowle are doing their bit to tackle climate change as part of One Home – a new project which encourages Bristolians to make simple lifestyle choices to reduce carbon emissions. Eating less red meat, driving an electric car, holidaying in the UK, insulating your home and installing solar panels are the most important actions you can take to reduce harmful carbon dioxide emissions and benefit your quality of life, according to One Home. One Home – being piloted first in Bristol and the West Country – is a new not-for-profit website which aims to offer a one-stop shop on sustainable lifestyle choices. It is the brainchild of environmental scientist Angela Terry who has spent 20 years working in the renewables industry and was one a pioneer of community wind farms. Angela says: “Most people accept climate change is happening but are sometimes confused and overwhelmed by what they can do about it. “We want to give options that offer the best quality of life while reducing carbon emissions. “For the biggest impact, it’s all about saving energy to reduce carbon dioxide – the main

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n NEWS

Corinne takes the gloss off the beauty industry

‘I vowed never to put another product on my skin without knowing what was in it’: Corinne Thomas, left, has launched her own online beauty store

AN ENTREPRENEUR from Knowle is taking on the global cosmetics industry by promoting ethical natural beauty products. Corinne Thomas discovered several women running small businesses making ethical and eco-friendly beauty products – but which sometimes find it difficult to reach their customers. Now Corrine has launched Rare Beauty, an online store that

completely – Corrine said that mass-market products sold in Europe all claim to be crueltyfree, but they may have a similar brand sold in China which has been tested on animals. Corrine started researching alternatives to the big beauty brands when her mother gave her a book on making her own skincare products. “The author described the processes and ingredients used in mainstream beauty products. I was horrified. I felt I’d been duped by the so-called beauty industry and from that moment, vowed never to put another product on my skin without knowing what was in it,” she said. Later she discovered “how many great women-led small businesses there are out there, and that weren’t getting the profile they needed”. rare-beauty.co.uk

RARE BEAUTY POP-UP RARE Beauty is featuring in Starts With Harts, a celebration of Bristol start-up businesses run by Harts Bakery at Temple Meads station arches on Saturday June 2. Corinne will be taking her range of natural beauty products to several other pop-up events around Bristol over the summer. In future, she hasn’t ruled out getting a shop.

she believes is the only one in the UK to showcase natural beauty products made by female entrepreneurs. Since opening at the start of May, she’s been delighted by the response – all 55 places at a launch event at Craftisan in Wells Road filled in a flash. Already orders are coming in for brands such as Magic Tree body butters from Wales, Bloom Remedies natural oils from Cornwall, and Mallow+White skincare from Hertfordshire. Corinne promises that makers from Bristol will be stocked soon. “I think this is an idea whose time has come,” she told the Voice. “This has clearly struck a chord. The products we feature are much purer [than massmarket cosmetics] and are genuinely natural, using ingredients like oils and butters. “They are pretty much all

handmade in small batches, from ethically sourced ingredients.” The natural face oils, beauty balms, body butters and shampoos are reviewed online by a team of experienced reviewers, so shoppers have a better idea of what they are choosing. They also avoid animal testing

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PEOPLE • COMMUNITY • EXCELLENCE

WASTE NOT!

Bristol Waste wants to show us how much of what we chuck out could still have a life

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HY ARE we still throwing away furniture, toys and bicycles which other people would love to get their hands on? And why are our landfill sites still piling high with items of all kinds that really don’t need to be buried? In an effort to make us all think more about what is really rubbish and which objects really deserve to be saved for someone else to use, Bristol Waste gave the Voice a sneak preview of some of the treasures that are taken to household waste centres or put out with the bins. Many will be amazed that so much useful stuff is being discarded. Second-hand furniture stores would love to get their hands on some of the armchairs, an ornate dresser, stacks of chairs and coffee tables and a tea trolley – just some of the items selected from the dozens which have been brought in to the recycling centre at Days Road, St Philips, and a smaller centre at Avonmouth. A selection of the furniture will be on sale at the council’s waste centre in Albert Road, St Philips, on Saturday June 23. “We want to get more people thinking about reusing some of the stuff they throw away,” said Emma Williams, marketing officer for Bristol Waste. “We have been collecting some really good quality wooden furniture, as well as bikes and mobility aids,” she said. To show the range of uses to which some of Bristol’s “rubbish” can be put, the waste team brought together several members of the Bristol Reuse steering group. Made up of members of the Bristol Bike

We can use it! Members of the Bristol Reuse Network with furniture and bikes thrown away in Bristol. From left, Joanna Dainton of Bristol Waste, Lawrence from Bristol’s Tantric Field, Fern from Makershed, Ellen Jones of Bristol Waste, James from Bristol Bike Project, and upcycler Delphine, who makes jewellery out of cutlery and drinks cans

QUALITY used furniture which has been given to Bristol Waste will be on sale at the Albert Road waste transfer centre in St Philips from 10am-12 noon on Saturday June 23. Before that, some of the furnitur on offer will be on display in a shipping container, sited near Neptune’s statue in the city centre, from June 8. Furniture in decent condition includes coffee tables, lots of chairs, cabinets, cupboards and armchairs. Visitors will also be encouraged to think about finding a new use or a new owner for unwanted items before throwing them away.

Would you really throw all this away if someone could use it? MAKING USE OF ‘RUBBISH’ The Makershed in St Pauls offers workshops and courses in woodworking, upholstery, upcycling or DIY. themakershedbristol.co.uk Bristol Women’s Workshop offers courses in woodwork for women in Wells Road, Totterdown. Facebook: Bristolwomensworkshop Bristol Reuse Network is a group of organisations who promote reuse. Used clothing is sent abroad to people who need it, office waste is used for children’s play. Unwanted wood and household items, are put to use and surplus food is distributed to people in need and used for ethical catering. bristolreuse.com Project, the Makershed, Physionet and other upcycling and bike repair groups, they believe they can turn many discarded items into things people want. Physionet, for example, collects old mobility

WHERE TO ADVERTISE UNWANTED STUFF (and find reused treasures) • reuse-network.org.uk • something-to-give • tinyurl.com/freecycleBristol • gumtree.com/bristol

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TOM’S TIPS TOM Walton, manager of the two council recycling centres and the Albert Road waste transfer station, said: “It’s not just about getting people to bring their stuff here, it’s about thinking if someone could use it. You could advertise it on social media, or give it to a charity shop. “Most charities don’t take electrical goods. But you can put small electrical items out with your recycling, and bring large ones here. “You would be amazed what people get rid of – they even bring in working widescreen TVs after they buy a new one!”

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INTERIOR &Left, EXTERIOR PAINTING Tom shows off dumped bikes and medical equipment FENCING • PATIOS • LANDSCAPING aids, such as wheelchairs and can be returned • toFASCIAS be used LOG STORES •least GUTTERING PROPERTY MAINTENANCE crutches, which are often in again. Wheelchairs and other perfect condition,ELECTRICS but are INTERIOR•items can be refurbished and &DOORS EXTERIOR •PAINTING PLUMBING unwanted when people recover sent to South Africa. FENCING • PATIOS • LANDSCAPING from their injuries. The NHS•did Bicycles are passed to one of SKIRTING BOARDS LOG STORESthree • GUTTERING FASCIAS not previously reuse these aids Bristol bike•repair schemes but it’s hoped that crutches at including Bristol Bike Project. ELECTRICS • DOORS • PLUMBING

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June 2018

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June 2018

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Please keep letters as short as possible, Write to paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk LETTERS and provide your postal address. or to 18 Lilymead Avenue, BS4 2BX thoroughfare for two-wheel mental and Rats tell us the displayed Clean up your traffic. behavioural problems. So, at the same time as you The effects of high-density are building more high density housing for people (especially real impact of exhaust pipe housing, planning to shove us high rise) yield similar results. REGARDING the letter from AG closer and closer together, you Is this the future we want to high rises about the problem of emissions are planning to turn our few create, not only for Bedminster, EARLY experiments on rats informed our drug policies for years. A simple experiment placed a rat in a cage with a bottle of water and a bottle of water with cocaine. Time and again, the rat would go to the bottle laced with cocaine. Except ... if cocaine were that dangerous, then everyone who took it would get addicted. Only, they don’t. So, someone else came up with a better rat experiment. He built a rat park, populated with rats, full of things to investigate. In it there was one bottle of water and one bottle laced with cocaine. Most of the rats didn’t go near the cocaine. Those that did only went to it occasionally. Rat experiments also tell us a lot about high-density housing. Overcrowd the rat park and the rats became antisocial and

but also for all of Bristol? I can’t help but wonder how successful Marvin Rees’s mayoral campaign would have been if this high-density vision had been part of his election manifesto. At the same time, our parks are under threat: budgets have been slashed and the council has plans for ‘low-impact’ advertising (despite a 4,000 strong petition against any form of advertising in parks), more events, business and entertainment in parks and charging dog walkers and fitness instructors to use the parks. Yet the council has just splurged £500,000 on a bicycle and lighting scheme through Victoria Park that few people actually wanted. Parks are meant to be a haven, a retreat from the urban chaos, and yet one of our most beloved parks is now a

havens of mental health and wellbeing into overcrowded, event-driven, advert-laden revenue streams. Daniel Fryer, Malago Road

Sign up to help others in a crisis ACCORDING to a report by the British Red Cross and Aviva, a large majority of people (88 per cent) in Bristol say that if an emergency happened in their community they would want to get involved, yet half (50 per cent) would not know what to do. In partnership with Aviva, we are calling on people across Bristol to sign up to a new scheme called Community Reserve Volunteers, to help create a national network of 10,000 people ready to help in a local emergency. Last year we faced an unprecedented number of major emergencies including in London and Manchester.We also saw remarkable acts of kindness, as people and businesses rallied to help in any way they could. It’s quick and easy to sign up online, you don’t need specialist skills and we need your help now more than ever. So please sign up today: redcross.org.uk/reserves Simon Lewis Head of Crisis Response, British Red Cross

on an old diesel car: I suggest he looks at fitting a fuel catalyst – it’s like a fuel filter. This should give a cleaner fuel burn. However he may still need a new exhaust, to Euro6 standard. It’s not cheap, at several hundred pounds. When the London emissions zones came in, a company I worked for had a large lorry. We had to upgrade it as we could not afford a new one. We fitted a catalyst in the fuel system, and a Euro5 exhaust (at that time that was the standard). After a running-in period it had no emissions on three readings, and 0.001 as the particulate reading, which is below the current standard. The fuel catalyst we used was made in the US. The UK distributor has ceased to trade. But I understand there are UK manufacturers. David Whittern Broad Walk, Knowle

More please MAY I say many thanks for the article in the South Bristol Voice a few months ago about Dame Clara Butt? My mother is 100 years old, born on Redcliff Hill. I read the piece to her twice and I had a long conversation about her, as Mum had a memory of her, so thank you. More please of Bristol’s greats. JE Oldfield, Dundry

The FA cup-holders!

Having some of the muddiest football kit in the UK earned children at Oasis Connaught academy in Knowle the chance to hold the real FA Cup. It was delivered by former QPR player Mark Hill, now a spokesman for washing machine maker LG, which sponsored the initiative.

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June 2018

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It’s time to look out for the carers JUNE 11-17 is Carers Week, and groups in South Bristol are highlighting the work they do to support people who spend their lives looking after someone else. John, in our picture, attends Callington Road Dementia Carers Group, which meets the first Wednesday of the month from 10.30am-12.30pm at The Coppice, Callington Road Hospital, BS4 5BJ. Sometimes speakers are invited. John said: “I like going – I like the people there. It’s good to know that one is not alone and that people have similar and greater problems. It helps to talk with people who aren’t involved – I don’t talk to anybody else.” The Callington Road group is run by carers themselves, with

John, left, looks after his wife Hilda, who suffers from dementia. Without the support group he attends, he says he wouldn’t talk to anyone

help from Bristol’s Carers Support Centre. This provides training, breaks for carers, and a phone helpline, CarersLine. Keith Sinclair, chief executive, said: “Most carers’ first contact us through CarersLine and, when they do, they are often near breaking point. Our support workers guide them through the range of services available to make sure they are getting the best support. Our message to

someone who is caring for a relative or friend is: don’t wait for a crisis. Find out what support is available now.” The Bedminster Carers Support Group meets on the third Tuesday of the month, from 10.15am-12.15pm, at Methodist Hall, British Road, BS3 3BW. Another new carers group is Space for Carers, which meets on the second Monday of the month, from 10am-12 noon, at

CARERS SUPPORT CENTRE For information about all aspects of caring and details of local groups CarersLine: 0117 965 2200 email: carersline@ carerssupportcentre.org.uk carerssupportcentre.org.uk

WHAT IS A CARER? Carers are people who provide unpaid care for someone who is ill, frail or disabled. There were 40,138 carers in Bristol (13.5 per cent of the Bristol population) at the 2011 census. Bristol Community Links, Langhill Avenue BS4 1TN. Activities so far have included cookery demos, an introduction to mindfulness, arts and colouring, candle decorating, hand massage, a talk from a dietician, and nutritional therapy. The next meeting is on June 11 To find out more contact Mandy Panes on 07872 543661 or mandypanes@yahoo.co.uk or call Kelly on 07471 797800.

When a marathon just isn’t tough enough, add an epic cycle ride A SOUTH Bristol heart patient is running seven marathons in seven months across Europe – and cycling to each one. Pete Lamb, 24, who lives at Paintworks in Bath Road, is raising money for Above & Beyond, the charity fundraising for Bristol’s nine city centre hospitals. He is aiming to raise at least £5,000 towards the Bristol Heart Institute Appeal – he was born with congenital heart disease. Pete had his first operation aged just a week old, followed by another when he was one. He has been attending regular check-ups and scans as an outpatient at the Bristol Heart Institute (BHI) for almost 10 years. Leaving his job as a pensions actuary in Bristol to cycle across Europe, Pete is taking on marathons in England, Scotland, France, Estonia, Hungary, Croatia and finally Turkey. He cycled more than 220 miles to his first event, the Paris marathon on April 8. Pete said: “The crowd and atmosphere in Paris were incredible. So many people were

Pete Lamb: Happy to reach Paris before the first of his marathons shouting encouragement and I crossed the line in a sprint!” Pete will also climb the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales on the way to the Edinburgh marathon on May 27. The BHI Appeal is aiming to raise £830,000 to fund the latest treatments, surgery techniques and research. justgiving.com/fundraising/ peter-lamb7

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

June 2018

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June 2018

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CREATIVE TOTTERDOWN

NEWS Artists: Get your name down for Art on the Hill

ARTISTS still have time to register for Art on the Hill – the Windmill Hill and Victoria Park Arts Trail will take place this year on October 6 and 7. Homes. churches, schools and

other venues are turned over to art displays and performances for the weekend. Registration costs £25. Unfortunately, the Unplugged performance day planned for

June 2 and mentioned in the last Voice has had to be cancelled. Raffle prizes are being collected for the weekend – all donations are welcome. artonthehill.org.uk/take-part

Another refusal for council officer’s controversial room at the top Hare today: Karen Akroyd was one of the artists at the Redcatch Art Club spring exhibition at Redcatch community centre in Knowle on April 28. Plenty of sales were made and Karen’s vivid portraits of a hare and her family’s labrador, Spike, attracted attention

Personal Assistants/Carers wanted For young independent disabled lady in the Whitchurch area. I require help with personal care, daily living including cooking and domestic tasks, and travel to appointments and social activities. An interest in animals preferred. Able to drive an automatic car; no more than 3 points on licence. Pay: £10.00 per hour, paid four weekly. Looking for someone who can work Monday evening, Wednesday morning, Saturday and Sunday. Some flexibility required – hours and holiday cover to be discussed at interview. For an application form call WECIL Ltd on 0117 947 9911 and quote ref. BFW17785

THE CONTROVERSIAL roof extension built without planning permission by a senior council officer at his Knowle home has been turned down by planners yet again. The loft conversion at 3 Haverstock Road was built in 2016 by Richard Fear, the council’s property investment manager. It is clad in timber panels and extends to the edge of the roof, though planning rules say it is meant to be set back from the eaves. The conversion was refused retrospective permission, and an appeal to the planning inspector was lost. Mr Fear – a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, said he thought he didn’t need permission as the extension was covered by “permitted development”. The planning inspector ruled

that it is “in awkward and discordant contrast” with its neighbours in the Victorian terrace. Last year he applied to alter it by removing the cedar panels and adding false eaves to make it look as if the loft room is set back from the rood edge. This too was refused, and council issued an enforcement notice in December telling Mr Fear to remove the extension. Mr Fear then put in the same amended application again, earlier this year. This is because, if refused, it gives him an additional chance to appeal. Seven people wrote in support of the latest application, while two objected. Mr Fear has already appealed to the planning inspectorate for a second time, against the enforcement action.

Made In Bristol

WIN A WEEKEND STEAK FOR TWO!

HE TOTTERDOWN Canteen is offering two lucky Voice readers a prize of an evening meal at one of the venue’s sellout pop-up Steak Nights. The Canteen holds a Steak Night once a month and places usually fill up, so watch the Facebook page for details. The prize is for main courses for two (other dishes must be paid for) and can be taken any time before the end of 2018. To win, just tell us:

Totterdown Canteen 141 Wells Road, Totterdown BS4 2BU 0117 908 2124 Facebook: totterdowncanten Twitter: totterdownc

T’S MORE than three years now since Aaron and Becky Wardle took over the Totterdown Canteen on Wells Road and it’s busier than ever. The Canteen is now open seven days a week and extra staff have been taken on to cope with

Firm favourite: Totterdown Canteen is now open every day by demand the workload. “It’s been a very good year,” said Aaron, “we’ve gone from strength to strength.” With the help of two full-time and three part-time staff, the Canteen will be open throughout the summer instead of closing when Aaron and Becky go for a well-earned break. Still popular are the legendary breakfasts, which

HAVE YOU TRIED OUR STEAK NIGHTS?

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come in enough options to keep everyone happy. The popular Buy-One-Get-One-Free offer continues on small breakfasts on Wednesday and Thursday. Plus, takeaway drink are £1.50 all week long. Special events include Steak Nights every month [see our competition, right to win one] Continued overleaf

What can you get at the Canteen at a two-for-one price on Wednesdays and Thursdays? Answers to paul@ southbristolvoice.co.uk or 18 Lilymead Avenue, BS4 2BX by June 12. Please give your name, address and phone number. Residents of BS3 and BS4 only, not open to employees or their families from the Voice or the Canteen. Obviously.

TOTTERDOWN CANTEEN

EVERY MONTH – check our Facebook for dates

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Totterdown is the creative place everyone wants to move to, and that’s partly down to the excellence of its independent eating places and shops

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June 2018

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CREATIVE TOTTERDOWN

Sea of colour: Vera Fallacy makes floral arrangements using what’s seasonal and ethicallysourced

Continued from page 23 – and there’s a plan to bring back pop-up Sunday roasts in future. Open: 8am-3pm MondaySaturday, 9am-3pm Sunday

Floriography

154 Wells Road, Totterdown BS4 2AG 0117 329 2720 Facebook: Floriography by Vera Fallacy and The Totterdown Healing Courtyard LORIOGRAPHY means the language of flowers and Vera and her team prefer to let the flowers do the talking because this is more than a business – it’s a passion. Weddings are naturally a speciality, but Vera, Alice and Amber take equal delight in floral workshops and exhibitions – there was an “arts and flower dialogue for Mental Health Awareness week in May. Flowers are as fresh as possible and ethically-sourced, so if you want something special, it’s best to phone ahead. Floriography also stocks cut flowers, dried botanicals, indoor and outdoor plants, essential oils, cards, jewellery, gift vouchers and other “treasures of the

ADVERTISING FEATURE

heart”. Floriography is now in its third home in a year but hopefully strong roots will be grown at its new prominent spot on Wells Road. The business was in the shop next door, at No 152, until last summer, when owner Vera Fallacy moved a few doors down to the Totterdown Centre to help kickstart its revival. She helped set up the Healing Courtyard, which is now a welcoming flower-filled space behind 142 Wells Road, home to a host of community events, healing activities and to pop-up vegetarian caterer Fanny Tingle [see panel]. Now that the Healing Courtyard has found its feet under a new community interest

company, and a new owner has been found for the empty shops at 42 and 144 Wells Road, Floriography has found new premises. Part of the aim is to welcome back old customers who didn’t find their way into the courtyard, and to welcome new ones, making Vera better able to support the revival of the Totterdown Centre in alliance with the Bristol Women’s Workshop. Open: Monday 8.30am4.30pm, Tuesday 9.30am-6pm, Wednesday 8.30am-4.30pm, Thursday 10am-7pm (1-7pm at the Healing Courtyard), Friday 8.30am-6pm, Saturday 9.30am4.30pm.

June 2018

CREATIVE TOTTERDOWN

` Fresh flowers

` Weddings

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Treats: Eat Your Greens aims to make plant-based food exciting

Eat Your Greens

156 Wells Road, Totterdown BS4 2AG 0117 239 8704 Facebook/Instagram: Eat Your Greens Bristol S THE jokey name suggests, Eat Your Greens is serious about food but welcoming in its ambience. Chef Babs Greaves has designed a menu that’s not only vegan but very largely gluten free too – the aim is to make eating out an inclusive experience for everyone. It’s a café in the day and a relaxed eating space at night, with roasts on Sunday. Interesting evening eats include chickpea, banana blossom and coriander cakes with tartar sauce as a starter, and the EYG burger of smoky sweet potato, roasted red onion and triple beans as a main. Babs doesn’t like the word vegan as it sounds a bit restrictive: “Eating plant-based food is about getting excited about plants,” Babs said. It’s not about eating imitation bacon – there aren’t any dishes here designed to remind you of meat. Simple ingredients have myriad possibilities – take cauliflower, which can make

A cappella

184C Wells Rd, Bristol BS4 2AL 0117 971 3377 acappellas.co.uk CAPPELLA first opened in Totterdown back in the summer of 2007. Ever since then it’s been family-owned and run by Paul and Jennifer Stewart, with the aim of bringing a slice of continental charm to Wells Road as well as serving up truly authentic Neapolitan artisan pizza. A cappella celebrated their 10th birthday last year, and along the journey they’ve received accolades from Bristol Good Food awards and the Guardian just to name a few. In addition the restaurant is recognised as Trip Advisor’s number 1 rated independent pizzeria in the whole of the UK. As A capella starts its 11th year the staff have been busy decorating, ready for the summer ahead. It’s freshly painted outside with new furniture and umbrellas for al fresco dining. Meanwhile, inside it’s been completely redecorated, including the bathroom, and there are new baby changing facilities and improvements to the kitchens. A cappella is a continental cafe by day and authentic pizzeria by night. It’s open for

pizza bases or even buffalo wings. “We are all about fresh ingredients, with everything prepared in-house.” Everything is sourced as locally as possible, with bread from Totterdown’s Baked, fruit and veg from Matter Wholefoods in Easton, and salads from Nibley Leaves. Open: 10am-10.30pm Wednesday-Saturday, 11am5.30pm Sunday.

CREATIVE TOTTERDOWN EVENTS AT ZONE A (corner of Firfield Street and Wells Road) June 24 Big Get-Together and Totterdown Garden Festival (see page 3) AT THE TOTTERDOWN CENTRE Healing Courtyard, behind 142 Wells Road Mondays 9-11.30am Fanny Tingle pop-up breakfast; 7-8.30pm Holistic therapy tasters and session Tuesdays Healing Courtyard open to visitors Wednesdays 10am-12 noon Come and use the courtyard for your creative work or come to workshops or drop-ins Thursdays 1-7pm Floriography pop-up; 1-3pm Fanny Tingle’s pop-up Chilled Lunch; 5-7.30pm Fanny Tingle’s Early Supper; 7-8.30pm Poetry & Creative Expression Group Fridays Open 11.30am-3.30pm 12.30-3pm Fanny Tingle’s Chilled Lunch Saturdays Open 10.30am-3pm 7-9.30pm Fanny Tingle’s Alfresco Supper (fortnightly).

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

A cappella: A family affair run by Paul and Jennifer Stewart breakfast, lunch and pizza in the evenings. And you can bring your own alcohol for a small (£1) corkage charge. Fancy a night in? Don’t forget the lightning-fast order collection and super-friendly home delivery available locally. Open: Monday-Saturday from 8am.

PLANT-BASED FOOD WITH A SMILE

Fully licensed plant-based cafe with day / evening menus. Sunday roasts, local beers & ciders. 156 Wells Road, Totterdown 0117 239 8704 | DOG FRIENDLY Open 10am-10.30pm Wednesday-Saturday 11am-5.30pm – Sunday roasts

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COME AND VISIT US IN OUR NEW HOME 154 Wells Road, Totterdown BS4 2AG 0117 329 2720 To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

June 2018

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June 2018

southbristolvoice

n PLANNING APPLICATIONS

THREE BEDROOM MEWS HOUSE IN SOUTHVILLE £394,950

Knowle ward: Awaiting decision 61 Talbot Road BS4 2NN Change of use to a 6-bedroom HMO (House of multiple occupancy) with all en-suite rooms, communal kitchen and living room.

extension. Granted subject to conditions

39 Somerdale Avenue BS4 2XN Details in relation to condition 2 (SUDS) and 6 (Landscape) of permission 15/06406/F: Two storey house attached to 39 Somerdale Avenue; demolition of detached garage.

51 Melbury Road BS4 2RR Loft conversion with rear dormer roof extension. Granted

115 Queenshill Road BS4 2XG Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear wall by 6m, of maximum height 2.8m with eaves 2.6m high.

128 Broad Walk BS4 2RZ Single storey side extension, front porch and changes to roof structure. Granted subject to conditions

St Barnabas Vicarage, 64 Daventry Road BS4 1DQ Increase height of fence to east boundary to 2.9m and replace existing close-board fencing with precast concrete panel fencing with chainline fencing above.

46 Queensdale Crescent BS4 2TR Erection of single-storey detached dwelling. Refused

93 Queenshill Road BS4 2XG Part double storey, part single storey side and rear extension. Flat, 188 Wells Road Totterdown BS4 2AX Single storey rear and side extension. 12 Copse Road BS4 2HZ Construction of garden summer house.

HELP TO BUY AVAILABLE Here’s an example of how Help to Buy could work for you..... Plot 13 Asking Price 5% deposit 20% HTB Loan 75% Mortgage Monthly Mortgage payment

Stunning 3-bedroom mews house at Bankside, Southville from £394,950 includes: • Dedicated garage • Roof terrace • Stylish specification • Masterclass kitchen with quartz worktops • Walking distance of the city centre

£394,950 £19,747.50 £78,990 £296,212.50 *£981.00

*Based on a mortgage repayment term of 35 years. Prices and terms shown correct at time of going to press. Illustration refers to Mews House 13. Mortgage repayments must be made regularly or you could stand to lose your home. Ability to obtain a mortgage is subject to qualifying criteria. Mortgage payment amount is based on an average 2 year fixed rate mortgage.

Why settle for a flat when you could own a house?

11 Leighton Road Knowle BS4 2LL Single storey infill extension. Knowle ward: Decided 8 St Agnes Walk BS4 2DL Erection of a single storey, rear

17 Melbury Road BS4 2RR Erection of a single storey, side extension. Granted subject to conditions

23 Woodbridge Road BS4 2EX Rear dormer roof extension and insertion of roof lights. Granted

10 Airport Road BS14 9TA Demolish existing extension and build new single storey rear extension. Granted subject to conditions 47 St Martins Road BS4 2NH Demolition of existing extension and construction of new single storey rear and side extension. Granted subject to conditions 48 Rookery Road BS4 2DT Rear and side roof extension. Granted 56 Redcatch Road BS4 2EY Rear dormer roof extension, extension over existing outrigger/rear addition and insertion of front roof lights. Granted

0117 946 9838

86 Dunkerry Road BS3 4LA Rear L-shaped roof extension.

20 Sydenham Road Totterdown BS4 3DF Conversion of basement into habitable space. Enlargement of rear extension. Addition of window on first floor south wall. Alteration of window shape on the first floor north wall. External wall insulation on north and south walls. Granted

32-38 St Johns Lane BS3 5AD Details of condition 10 (noise assessment) of permission 17/00764/P: Demolition of garage and erection of three 4-bedroom dwellings and six 3-bedroom dwellings. Approved, but not formally discharged as submitted after development started

Windmill Hill ward: Awaiting decision 52 Quantock Road BS3 4PE Single storey rear extension to extend beyond rear wall of the house by 6m, of maximum height 3.48m with eaves 2.96m high.

1 Cotswold Road North BS3 4NL Change of use from light industrial use (Use class B1c) and any land within its curtilage to a dwellinghouse (Use class C3). Granted

32-38 St Johns Lane BS3 5AD Variation of condition 20 following grant of permission 17/00764/P: Removal of brickwork from house types due the use of SIPS panel construction for sustainable upgrade; Plot 7 made bigger to accommodate five-person, threebedroom property.

Windmill Hill ward: Decided 72 William Street Totterdown BS3 4TX Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear of the house by 3m, of maximum height 3.7m with eaves 2.8m high. Granted

15 Hill Avenue BS3 4SH Three storey rear extension and loft conversion. Refused 3 Balmain Street BS4 3DB Single storey rear extension. Granted subj. to conditions 10 Upper Street BS4 3BU Single storey rear extension with balcony above. Refused

57 St Dunstan’s Road BS3 5NZ Creation of new dwelling, associated works and new entrance to the site.

182 Marksbury Road BS3 5LE Two storey side extension to provide a two bed dwelling. Refused

32 Richmond Street BS3 4TQ Conversion of house into two flats and erection of first floor rear balcony.

• The status of these applications may have changed since we went to press. Check for updates at planningonline.bristol.gov.uk

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418 Wells Road Knowle BS14 9AF Single storey wraparound extension with lean-to roof, including re-building existing garage. Replacement of porch. Widening of dropped kerb and driveway to provide off-street parking for two vehicles. Granted subject to conditions

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June 2018

southbristolvoice

n THE MAYOR

LAUN CHI N G 9 TH J U NE 2 01 8

CATHERINE’S HOUSE

BS3 4HH

Exterior finish is subject to change

The first phase of this commercial and residential regeneration

MARVIN REES Mayor of Bristol

We’re creating extra school places to deliver for our young

NABLING our city’s young people to get off to the best start in life and raising aspirations for all is one of my key priorities. My administration, particularly my cabinet lead for education and skills, Cllr Anna Keen, is working hard with our Learning City partners on this agenda. Central to this is increasing school places as demand is reaching an all-time high. In the past few years over 10,000 additional places have been created in Bristol. We are looking to expand existing secondary schools to meet demand, while working in partnership with other organisations to build new schools. One example of this is the plan approved at a recent cabinet meeting to spend £25 million on a new secondary school in Bristol. CST

Trinity Academy is set to be built on land adjoining Stoke Park primary school in Lockleaze. It will be run by Cathedral Schools Trust, which already runs a number of other schools in the region, including Bristol Cathedral Choir School. It is planned to open for Year 7 students in September 2019, growing year-on-year to an eventual capacity of 1,220 students, including a sixth-form. We have also approved £1.7 million to expand Bristol Brunel Academy by 80 places – 16 per year group – at the school in Speedwell Road over the next five years. Both of these initiatives are funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Work is currently under way at Cotham and St Bede’s schools to provide more places by the end of this year. We know that we need new schools in South Bristol and East Central Bristol as a priority, and are in conversation with the ESFA to ensure plans are being developed which are right for Bristol. As well as this, Whitehall primary school has expanded its capacity by a third and is now able to accept 30 extra pupils each year. The project was delivered through a partnership between Bristol City Council, the Local Enterprise Partnership and Skanska, and is a great example of working collaboratively to achieve the best outcome. As well as increasing school places, we are working to raise aspirations in secondary school pupils by ensuring meaningful career and work choices are widely available. Last week, I visited my old school, City Academy, to celebrate the Bristol WORKS programme. WORKS is a Bristol Learning City Partnership initiative, a unique collaboration between employers, learning providers and communities. It is designed to help students experience work in a whole new way, to raise aspirations and help to develop a skilled local workforce. Four new schools are set to take part during the next academic year, which marks real progress in delivering for Bristol’s young people.

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June 2018

southbristolvoice

n COLUMNS In witch I have that sinking feeling

Y EYES are sinking into my head! What is going on? Nobody tells you that this happens as you get older. I only noticed when applying some eyeliner the other morning – purely to make me less scary to the outside world. I carefully drew along my top lids, added some mascara and was good to go. Took the dog out and did some other chores merrily speaking to various people en-route. Got in the car, looked in the mirror and saw that I had moon shapes on my eye sockets just below my eyebrows. Perfect black crescents. I was halfway towards looking like Alice Cooper and nobody had told me! It appears that my eyes have sunk into my head resulting in my

Who is the Wicked Witch? She’s the one casting spells in Boots so she can steal their anti-ageing cream

THE WICKED WITCH OF KNOWLE

eyelids touching my eye sockets not that long ago my eyelids were perky and visible. What was happening to me? I made the mistake of going to Dr Google. Oh my! There is nothing nice about getting old. Apparently, as you get older the bones in your skull shrink and slide around! Slide around? Taking your eyeballs with them. Ewwww. This must be why, when I renewed my passport online, the computer said ‘No’. It could not distinguish my face. What? It must be because my bones were sliding

n NEWS

around too much! In a rage I overrode the objection, typing my reasons in capital letters. This is my face, it may seem indistinguishable to you but this is really me, bendy sunken bones and all. Luckily a human agreed with me and I got my passport back surprisingly quickly. It is not until you renew the 10-year passport that you realise how time is battering your body. In my head I am still that 10-years ago youngster, but my new passport photo tells a different story. It says Hell Girl, you old now, just be grateful you woke up this morning. I have got to reverse this ageing process and get fitter, do some eye-popping exercise. When we got the dog I gave up the gym because I would be walking miles every day with her and getting super fit. What I did not bank on was getting a dog that hid every

Down on the Farm News from Windmill Hill City Farm with Beccy Golding

time she heard the jingle of her lead. Once trapped and harnessed up she refuses to move. Quite often I can be spotted marching along the pavement with her under my arm but most of the time, if she point blank refuses, I don’t bother to go out and reach for some anti-ageing chocolate instead. But chocolate is definitely not anti-ageing – I was chewing on a Curly Wurly when it aged me by 100 years. I was in heaven one moment and the next had a horrific realisation that something was very wrong in my mouth. I had pulled out a tooth, a whole tooth! Bits of me are sinking, sliding south and now falling off. I rushed to the mirror and smiled – my reflection smiled back, a big toothless grin. Evil appeared at my shoulder and recoiled. “Mum!” she cried. “You look like a witch.” How marvellously ironic!

windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk

Pitch perfect

HE FARM have invested £25,000 of the charity’s funds into a new 3G sports pitch which will open on June 1. Work was carried out in May to install the high quality, shockabsorbing surface which will enhance the sporting experience for local teams. The goals and fence have also been repaired. Lloyd James, who plays football for Exeter City and is the son of Vicky James, who used to work in the farm nursery and who sadly died last year, will be cutting the ribbon at an opening ceremony, and will be the new pitch’s patron. The future of the pitch was uncertain last year when Bristol

City Council said there were potential funds for a new nursery. The project proved to be unachievable and the farm decided to improve this popular community resource instead. Not all bard he Handlebards – the cycling acting troupe – will be performing their versions of Romeo and Juliet on June 6 and 7 with an all-female cast, and Twelfth Night on June

Do you know anyone who’d like to read but doesn’t get it delivered? Now they can subscribe, and get every issue delivered by post! It costs £30 per year for 12 issues to a UK address: to find out more, email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk • South Bristol Voice prints 19,550 copies each month in two editions: Totterdown, Knowle & Windmill Hill and Bedminster, Southville & Ashton. If you have a query about delivery, email the above address.

June 2018

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Wanted: 10 young people who seek an arts career THEATRE is only for the middle classes, right? Well, the folk at the Tobacco Factory disagree, and to prove it they are offering 10 youngsters from less affluent parts of South Bristol a year-long immersion in the art world. Called Young Producers, the new scheme is open to anyone aged 16 to 25 who lives in Knowle, Hartcliffe, Bedminster Down, Withywood and Filwood. It’s also open to anyone aged 16-25 from a BAME (black and minority ethnic) background from any part of Bristol. Young people will see lots of live shows, meet important people from Bristol’s artistic community, and learn every aspect of staging a performance – culminating in them taking over the Factory theatre for a show in 2019. It builds on 18 months of community work by the theatre’s Get Involved director Bryony Roberts and producer Ailee Debonnaire. “We want a real mix

COMMUNITY TAKEOVERS

Aiming high: Young Producers, left, learn all areas of stage work

project – a show to be performed at the Factory theatre in April 2019. And in a Schools Takeover show next year, a professional director will work with students from special education centres across South Bristol. There will also be young people’s holiday activities, Play in a Day events, summer schools, and for adults more workshops and Inside events, which give an insight into the theatre’s main shows. • Help with the costs of learning the arts is available to young people who can’t afford to pay, thanks to the theatre’s Dan Hickey Access Fund.

lifelong interest in the arts – whether they want to work as an artist or work behind the scenes, they will have developed skills that are really transferable.” The scheme is being run in collaboration with The Park community centre in Daventry Road, Knowle, where some of the

activities will take place. Those taking part will be able to gain an Arts Award qualification, the arts world’s equivalent of the Duke of Edinburgh programme, which is recognised by employers. Apply at tobaccofactorytheatres.com/ young-producers/ by June 25.

THE TOBACCO Factory is unveiling several other community ventures. A 50-strong community choir began meeting at the Park centre in May, and will take part in one of the theatre’s shows in the autumn. The Young Theatre Makers (YTM) programme is growing – from the autumn there will be two groups for 7-10 year-olds, one for 11-13s, and one for 14-19s. A new group, YTM Perform, will gather 13-19 year-olds to work through the winter on a special

of people so there is lots of cross-learning,” said Ailee. “We want to hear from people who may never have been to theatre on their own.” They may have an interest in acting, backstage work, or being a singer or musician. “We hope they will develop a

Swing high: The new dragon swing was put up with help from volunteers from Ovo 8 and 9, with an all-male cast. It’s part of Bristol Shakespeare festival. Tickets £16/£13 concs. Here be dragons new dragon swing has been erected in the adventure playground, with help from Ovo volunteers. Ovo, the energy company based in Temple Meads, has selected the farm as its charity of the year, and has been sending teams to carry out practical work sessions over the last few months. All fired up oodFireEarth supper is a new regular pop-up food event at the farm. Genevieve Taylor, described as a fire-obsessed food writer, is joined by award-winning chef/ cookery teacher Jo Ingleby. For their first event on June 30, Jo and Genevieve will take over the farm café, outdoor kitchen and wood-fired pizza oven to create a seasonal, spicy feast using plenty of produce from the farm

A F

and its allotments. There’ll also be a chance to see behind the scenes on a mini tour of the farm, gardens and animals. Cost: £35. Dream business or National Freelancers Day on June 28, Freelance Mum and the IPSE (The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed) are hosting a celebration event at the farm, with a mini festival vibe promised. More details in What’s On, page 44. Mind how you go n June 23 there’s a one-day introduction to mindfulness course. Develop tools to help you create more space within yourself and in your home environment. This secular session introduces techniques such as abdominal breathing, mindful movements, and grounding, as well as some pair work. Cost: £42 (+£2.17 booking fee).

To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

June 2018

southbristolvoice

n YOUR COUNCILLORS

RISTOL city council is plumbing even lower depths than I, with 16 years experience as a councillor, Gary thought possible. Hopkins The whole affair of Lib Dem ex-chief executive Knowle Anna Klonowski and her alleged secret payoff of £70,000 is to be investigated by the council audit committee. The administration reacted by firstly trying to bully the Bristol Post out of running that report, which I am glad to say they resisted, and now by trying to undermine and neuter the audit committee. This last is part of the constitutional changes that the ruling Labour group are forcing through without discussion. They have already dispensed with other parties in the cabinet, and are paying themselves record amounts of taxpayer funds. Now they are grabbing all the chairs of the regulatory committees including the audit committee. These are

Knowle

How to contact your councillor: p2

paid positions and have N JANUARY All sorts of community events get previously been shared out to 1991 Peter support and gently-given advice. experienced members from all Reid, with Pete has been a key member of parties. One regulatory chair that support from the Knowle and Totterdown Labour appointed previously is his wife Judy history society, having been paid an extra £6,000 a year and and family, took brought up in Totterdown. has turned up just a fraction of on Broadwalk Despite all the hard work and Chris the time that councillors have. News. Since then anti-social hours, Pete has always Davies The local part of the planning it has become not been good-tempered and his wry Lib Dem levy is also being spirited away so just a shop, but sense of humour brings in, and Knowle that it will be more difficult to a very important keeps, many customers. Special fund community schemes and, of institution in Knowle. There admiration must go to Judy for course, local decision-making has are other shops in the area living and working for all these been undermined. that sell a lot of the things that years with a terrible wind-up Thanks to all those who sent Broadwalk News sells, but they merchant. me congratulations when the cannot compete with the friendly Pete and his family are being standards complaint brought chat and the commitment to the replaced by Azimuth Ahmed, against me by one of Marvin’s community. As local councillors who is an experienced newsagent insiders was thrown out. But, Gary and I know most things from Shirehampton. He already while the independent report was that go on in the area, but if we knows that he has a very hard act thorough, and confirmed that I were to miss something we knew to follow but everyone is very acted in the public interest, it where to get updated. pleased that he will be continuing should not have taken many Over the years BWN has with such an important shop for thousands of pounds of taxpayers helped by collecting signatures so many local people. money to prove that. The on local petitions, such as those Best wishes to Pete and “complaint” was part of the saving Jubilee pool or the 51 bus, family. Gary and I plan to be smokescreen thrown up by the and they were actively promoted, around for some years to come administration around their not just left on the counter. When and look forward to getting to squandering of taxpayer cash and Redcatch community centre puts know Azimuth and his family and is further evidence of declining on live shows, Pete is the ticket warmly welcome them to the Right at Home is one of and the most Right atUK’s Home is onepromotions. of the UK’s mostcommunity of Knowle. standards of behaviour. office helps with trusted care companies. Our local trusted care companies. Our local team of friendly, reliable CareGiver’s team at of friendly, reliable Right at Home is one of the UK’s most Right Home is one of theCareGiver’s UK’s most specialiseOur in assisting people who may specialise in assisting peopleOur who local may trusted care companies. local trusted care companies. 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June 2018

southbristolvoice

n YOUR COUNCILLORS

AVING now been Windmill Hill ward councillors for two years, we are half way Jon through our term Wellington representing Labour our community, Windmill Hill which remains an enormous privilege. The time has gone incredibly quickly and the constant schedule of meetings, phone calls and emails has become a way of life. Given the unprecedented scale of cuts to local authority funds from central government in the last eight years, it has been a uniquely difficult time to be a councillor, as the opportunities to “get stuff done” locally are very limited as, more often than not, this requires hard cash. When I was elected in 2016, the neighbourhood partnership seemed the obvious way to make a difference to the area. Unfortunately, along with everything else, the

Windmill Hill

neighbourhood partnerships and their small pots of cash have been the victim of cuts and we, as councillors, have been asked to pick up the slack for facilitating community decision-making. To this end, along with some local volunteers, we have set up the Windmill Hill Network which aims to bring together local people to identify priorities for spending CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy, which developers must pay to mitigate against the negative effects of development). Following our first meeting in February we identified St Lukes Road as a priority for the area. However, we were unable to apply for highways projects due to the transport team’s backlog of work, so we focused on parks projects instead, which were also identified as a community priority. We will be making the case for projects to be funded at the next CIL committee, which is made up of councillors from eight wards across the northern half of South Bristol.

How to contact your councillor: p2

ITH the wonderful return of sunshine comes the unwelcome return of the flotsam of rubbish washed up Lucy around the bins in Whittle Victoria Park. The Labour sea of discarded Windmill Hill waste lying across the park after a sunny day is a depressing eyesore. But what can we do about it? Council funds are devastated by Tory government cuts, and so there is very little money after covering our statutory duties. Someone on Facebook asked “Why don’t they just put large temporary bins in the park?” I asked the park keeper this when I started as a councillor, he said they have found that when they do this, people bring household waste and leave it in bins provided for picnickers. Another asked “Why don’t they do extra collections?” and I’m told that they do. On average 10 tonnes of litter is collected every day from

Bristol streets, more in summer. Unfortunately we have many people who thoughtfully tidy up their rubbish, put it in a bag and leave it next to the full bins. They think they are helping, but birds, animals and the wind get to the bags, rip them open and disperse the contents across the park. The message I would like all Bristolians to hear is: Don’t use a bin. Take your rubbish home. Think about it; you are happy to carry a packet when it is wrapped around your chocolate or strawberries, but when it’s empty that same material feels dirty and unpleasant, and we want to get rid of it as soon as possible. But it is exactly the same piece of cardboard or plastic. Why not just keep it until you get home, then you can put it in a bin, or recycle it? We may never be able to persuade some people, but if well-meaning picnickers take their rubbish home, that 10-tonne pile of litter will be a bit smaller and our park will be a lot cleaner.

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Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

June 2018

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BRISTOL ARC UPDATE

From Bristol Animal Rescue Centre

Special cat Frank overcomes the odds on three legs

E’VE got lots of beautiful cats waiting to find their perfect home in our cattery. One particularly special cat is lovely Frank who has overcome extreme adversity. Frank arrived on the evening of April 19. We are a 24/7 clinic which means that we will accept any animal – day or night – who needs our care. Frank was in a desperate situation – his front right foot was trapped in a rat trap. (We have a picture of Frank when he was found but it’s too upsetting to show you.) Frank arrived with an RSPCA inspector, after a member of the public contacted the RSPCA to say that Frank had been seen with the trap attached to his foot for three days, but nobody could catch him. Thankfully, the inspector was able to bring him into our centre for emergency care when he needed it the most. Frank was extremely dehydrated and very hungry, the trap was immediately

Win a e Composit r o Do ze Pri w r Da

Poor Frank had his leg stuck in a rat trap for three days

removed and he was placed on a drip and pain killers to quickly treat the infection and pain. The next day, when Frank was more stable, his leg was removed. Unfortunately it was not able to be saved. Cats on three legs cope remarkably well and he was moving around and eating soon

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THE STORY OF ASHTON VALE

Football, coal and the railways – the forces that have shaped Ashton Vale ASHTON Vale is a curious place – one of South Bristol’s newest suburbs, where most of the houses were built between the wars, yet one with a hugely significant history which has influenced the whole city. Until last year it was almost cut off, with only two roads in, both from Winterstoke Road. Now there’s a through-route from the South Bristol Link Road, which has brought its own problems as well as advantages. Many residents have lived there for decades precisely because they appreciate its peaceful aspect on the edge of the countryside, and the lack of through traffic. But Ashton Vale is changing, and it’s soon about to change much more. The surrounding open space is already being eaten up by new transport links and, if current plans are accepted, even parts of the Green Belt will not be safe. The Ashton Vale of 10 years time could be superficially the same – retaining its quiet residential roads, its school and its church – but surrounded by housing estates, modern transport links and new businesses. Time, then, to look back at the history of Ashton Vale, and then to see what it might look like in 15 years.

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HE Vale of Ashton was once just a part of the parish of Bedminster, for centuries a more important place than Bristol itself. Bedminster Down, just a short skip from Ashton Vale, was settled by the Romans, and West Street is thought to be a Roman road. The Vale is likely to have been cultivated as farmland then – though parts of it would have been marshy, as the River Malago was then prone to flooding, and the streams we now know as Collier’s Brook, Ashton Brook and Longmoor Brook would not have been so well controlled. By Saxon times, Bedminster was a royal manor stretching from the Avon Gorge to Brislington. After the Norman

From this month, after many requests, the South Bristol Voice is being delivered to homes and businesses in Ashton Vale. To celebrate, we’re looking at the history of this hidden district on the edge of town conquest of 1066 the manor passed to the Norman kings. It was sparsely populated – the Domesday Book of 1086 records it had 25 villeins or peasant farmers, as well as three slaves and 27 smallholders. Between them they owned 10 ploughs, one cob (a small horse), nine cattle, 22 pigs and 115 sheep. In 1154 Bedminster was given by King Henry II to the Berkeley family, who built a manor house and kept hold of the estate for 300 years. In 1605 it was purchased by the Smyth family, who had bought the nearby estate of Ashton Court in 1545. The Smyths remained the lords of Bedminster until the 19th century. Throughout the centuries Ashton and Ashton Vale remained farmland, divided into strips much as in medieval times. Only tiny snippets of information have survived – such as the fact Modern miracle: The Newcomen steam engine at South Liberty colliery was installed in 1750 and was kept working for an astonishing 150 years. This photo of the engine’s huge oak lifting beam was taken in 1895 PHOTO: Bristol Archives

that on October 5, 1331, the master of St Katherine’s hospital in Bedminster had somehow obtained land at Ashton from a Somerset noblemen, Alexander de Alneto. This was considered an offence as he had done so

without permission – but he was pardoned anyway. The hospital was a powerful, church-backed institution which owned farmland in Ashton as well as Bedminster. It had been founded by Robert de Berkeley some time before 1219, to care for “the sick

and infirm and the needy traveller”. It stood somewhere on the main route of East Street, near what was then known as Brightbow Bridge. Bedminster continued to be an important Somerset town, on Continued overleaf

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June 2018

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June 2018

n HISTORY A VERY SPECIAL AREA

New age: The primary school built at Ashton Vale in the early 1950s was light and airy, a far cry from its Victorian forebears

“A

SHTON Vale is an often forgotten part of Bedminster, on the very south-western edge of Bristol. It has approximately 650-700 homes, a mix of council and private. There is also a large number of Industrial units on South Liberty Lane. It is served by one school, Ashton Vale primary in Avebury Road. It also has a church, community centre, youth club, social club, a pre-school and Bristol Indoor Bowling Club. A number of families have lived in the area for many years due to the fact that Ashton Vale is a very quiet, special area. There are only two ways into the area, both off Winterstoke Road. Generally, people only come into the area because they live here, they are visiting someone or they work in the industrial estate. It used to have fields around it on three sides and families would enjoy the fields for picnics and watching wildlife. Alas, over a number of years these fields have gradually become less. Part of

PHOTO: Bristol Archives 40826/ SCH/1/3

some of the fields on one side were taken over by South Bristol Crematorium. Recently fields on the other two sides have been taken by the South Bristol Link road and the Metrobus route. The opening of the South Bristol Link in May 2017 meant that the other end of Ashton Vale has

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been opened up. This has caused extra through traffic, some of which doesn’t have any respect for the 20mph speed limit in the area. Extra cars are now parking in the area on Bristol City match days, some of which park near to and on corners, causing our only bus service, the 24, to stop coming into

Ashton Vale. This is happening with attendances of under 25,000 at the stadium, which has a capacity of 27,000. The buses then only run as far as Winterstoke Road, where they drop off and pick up Ashton Vale residents, a number of whom are old, and some disabled.” Alan Pratley, Ashton Vale Together

Continued from page 35 a par with Frome and Glastonbury. But as related in the February issue of the Voice, its prosperity was dealt a fatal blow when it was burned to the ground during the Civil War in 1645. Even the important church of St John the Baptist – the mother church to St Mary Redcliffe – was destroyed. The Vale of Ashton, though was still farmland, and over the next century the citizens of Bristol began to find a more valuable resource in Ashton than

any agricultural crop – coal. Coal was first extracted in the Bristol area by the Romans, so it’s quite possible that isolated workings were made in Ashton Vale during this time. The first written record of coal being extracted in the Bristol area was in 1223, in Kingswood, where coal could be found near the surface. But the coal in South Bristol is mainly overlaid by sandstone, and it’s more probable that it was first discovered in quantity by men digging for iron ore further up

JUST ONE DEATH AMONG HUNDREDS

their feet. A second run of water came an hour later. It was perhaps a miracle that more did not die. Often the deaths were more mundane. Edwin Garland, 29, died at the Ashton Vale colliery on May 1, 1903, crushed when a section of coal weighting a ton or more fell on him. Moses Cowcill, the manager both of Ashton Vale and South Liberty mines, was asked at the inquest whether the the tunnel should have been shored up. But the jury, as they almost always did, returned a verdict of accidental death. Edwin left four children and a widow, Annie, who supported herself by selling coal from the yard at the back of her house in Jubilee Street, Bedminster.

NTOLD numbers died in Bristol mines over the centuries: authors Mike Taylor and Maggie Shapland counted 156 from 1847 on. Of these, 43 were at Ashton Vale colliery, one at Ashton Vale iron works, three at Fraynes Pit, three at New Deep pit, and 28 at South Liberty. Among the horror stories is the Ashton Vale collapse of 1892. Two men died – but 100 survived – when hewers at the coalface suddenly knocked their way into an old and unknown mine shaft. Water gushed more than a mile into the mine, sweeping men off

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THE STORY OF ASHTON VALE

WHITE CITY – THE VALE’S WHITE ELEPHANT

HE TIMING couldn’t have been worse. In the summer of 1914, as Europe tipped towards war, an ornate city of timber and whitewash was designed to celebrate the British Empire and British business. It occupied 30 acres on what was then known as Ashton Meadows, but struggled to attract visitors. On the breakout of war, the exhibition closed and the centre became instead a recruiting station and training ground for thousands of troops on their way to the trenches. Yes, we’ll do a story on this in the future.

Ashton hill. Up to 10,000 tons a year was being extracted in the Bristol area even in Tudor times. Coal was mainly used by blacksmiths, while householders preferred to burn wood, until the huge need for wood for shipbuilding led to a shortage of timber. By the 1680s it was estimated that 100,000 tones of coal a year was being dug out, as new industries such as sugar refining and glass making increased demand. The first pit, later known as the Old Pit, was sunk near Yanley Lane, between the Vale and Long Ashton, in the 1720s. This land was owned by the Gore family of Barrow Court, Barrow Gurney. Other pits bearing the Gore name, Gores Pit and (confusingly) Gores Old Pit, were sunk near South Liberty Lane, somewhere near today’s Ashton Vale town green.

RAIL IN THE VALE

SHTON Vale has been defined by its railway links – it has railway lines on two sides, and many businesses, from the collieries to packaging firm Ashton Containers, have benefited from their own rail links. The irony is that you can’t now catch a train here. The mainline to Exeter, opened in 1841, never had a halt nearer than Bedminster station at Windmill Hill. But the Portishead line, opened in 1867, acquired a new importance when Bristol City FC won promotion to Division 1 of the Football League in 1906. A wooden structure was built next to Winterstoke Road, known as Ashton Gate Platform.

‘Bristol’s Own’, part of the Gloucestershire Regiment, on parade at the White City in 1914-15. The disused, PHOTO: Bristol Archives BRO 43207/8/064 exhibition centre became a recruiting ground and training centre The Gores’ alliance by marriage with the Smyths of Ashton Court was to provide the foundation of the Bedminster coal industry. In October’s South Bristol Voice, we related how an enterprising mining engineer, Henry Bennett, gambled that the rich coal seam which could be found near the surface at Kingswood could also be exploited in South Bristol. When Arabella Smyth married Edward Gore some time before 1742, her dowry included land at Ashton Vale, which contained coal – already seen as a valuable bounty. But it took another, unrelated Smith to marry into the Ashton Court Smyths to found the coalfield dynasty. Jarrit Smith (note the different spelling) was a lawyer who had worked on several cases relating to rights to coal It closed during World War 1, but reopened in 1926. Regular services halted with the Beeching cuts in 1964, but football specials continued to visit until 1977, when fans were instead told to get off at Parson Street. Land has been set aside for a new Ashton Gate station alongside the new council homes at Alderman Moore’s. But, with huge cost overruns on reopening the line to Portishead, plans are well behind schedule. It is not clear that any new service to Ashton Gate could cope with the demands of thousands of football fans. Rolling stock, signalling and platforms would all have to cope with a sudden surge in numbers. Any new station is years away.

extracting in East Bristol, which is where he met the colliery manager Bennett. Jarrit married Florence Smyth, elder sister of Arabella, and inherited the Ashton Court estate in 1741. Before long he was made a baronet and was known as Sir Jarrit Smyth – having acquired the more sophisticated spelling along with his new title. Smyth was convinced by Bennett’s argument that the Bristol coalfield could be profitably exploited from the farmland of Ashton. It was a colossal gamble, and one that could only be made by someone who could afford to lose a fortune. Smyth sunk three deep shafts at South Liberty Lane, close to where the pedestrian footbridge now crosses the railway. In order to reach the Ashton Great coal seam, 460m below, he needed a downcast shaft 13ft in diameter, and upcast shaft 10ft across and a third shaft 6ft across for the pumping gear. These large apertures were needed for the ventilation, and to pump water out of the whole coalfield by use of a then-revolutionary Newcomen atmospheric engine, one of the very first steam engines. The cost of Sir Jarrit’s mining works is not known, but we do know that he paid £1,235 for another Newcomen engine in South Gloucestershire – equal to at least £2.3 million today. Whatever the cost, the gamble paid off. The deep coalfields stretch from Dundry and Bedminster Down in the south, and under the River Avon to the north. The western extent was Long Ashton; to the east they got

to Temple Meads. A story – probably a little embellished over time – says that miners sent in on a Sunday to inspect the latest workings were startled to hear the rattle of wheels on a rail. There should have been no trucks full of coal as the mine was empty; and it took them some time to work out that they had tunnelled directly under the station and it was trains that they were hearing!

n our earlier article on South Bristol’s mines we didn’t have space to mention all the mine workings even in the Ashton area. The first known shafts were the Old Pit, near Long Ashton, as stated above, followed by Gore’s Pit and Gore’s Old pit by 1724. Gummers Pit was sunk in 1844, named after its owner, Mr F Gummer, somewhere close to the corner of Ashton Vale Road and Winterstoke Road. Coal was struck within 10 weeks, winning praise from the Bristol Mercury “for so laudable an undertaking, in causing additional employment for the working classes”. A more major works was the Ashton Vale colliery, opened in 1831, on the site where Babcock Engineers is today, near the junction of Winterstoke Road and the A370. Its Old Pit was opposite the south gate of Ashton Court, where its owners still resided and could see quite clearly the source of their fortunes. The New Pit was closer to Winterstoke Road – soon to be absorbed into a vast complex that also included the Ashton Vale iron works and later a rolling mill, the opposite side of Continued overleaf

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

June 2018

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n HISTORY

THE STORY OF ASHTON VALE

CITY FAIL TO SCORE IN THE VALE

not to drag its heels, and to recognise the opportunities the stadium presented the city. But 200 people packed a meeting against the big new Tesco in September 2009. Soon afterwards, a council report in late

2009 said there was no need for another superstore, given that Sainsbury’s was already at Winterstoke Road. Mr Lansdown urged fans to make their voices heard, and decided to back a nee Sainsbury’s instead of a Tesco.

City councillors backed the plan. But protestors had already asked for the site to be designated a “town green,” meaning that it had been used as a public open space. In 2010, all of Bristol’s MPs declared their backing for the new stadium. But consultants hired by the council said the new superstore would damage local traders. The battle tipped back and forth. In 2011 supporters gathered 30,000 signatures and councillors gave planning permission for the store. The council decided half the site should be a town green, meaning the other half – once used as a rubbish tip – could be built on. But this decision was challenged in a judicial review in 2012. The next year, plans were made to revamp the existing stadium. Work started on the 27,000 seat venue in April 2014, and finished in 2016.

was probably used as ventilation for its larger neighbour. It was disused by 1882. Further west, just off today’s Silbury Road, was the Starve-all or Starvehall Pit, which was worked from 1803 to about 1877. The location of the shaft was revealed in 1979, when work was being done on the grounds of the Ashton Vale Boys’ Club (now the youth club). Excavators uncovered the main shaft – more than 1,000ft deep – a few yards from the entrance to the club. There was also the New Deep Pit, known sometimes as Kill Devil Pit and Nine Bottle Pit, due to the nine bottles set into the stonework of the engine house, which stood just off Gores Marsh

Road until 1949. This was worked from 1833 to 1887. And we haven’t mentioned the two great pits of central Bedminster, the Dean Lane and Malago collieries, which also had several smaller shafts. During the 19th century workers were flooding in to work in the South Bristol coalfield. Many walked in from Bedminster Down and others crowded what rapidly became the Bedminster slums, as the population soared from 3,278 in 1801 to 19,424 in 1854 and 70,107 by 1901. Ashton Vale was the beginning and the end of this industry. For by the end of the 19th century, the coal was mostly worked out, at least profitable

quantities. Malago Vale colliery shut in 1896, Dean Lane in 1906. Ashton Vale closed the same year. Only the South Liberty colliery lasted through World War I, producing coal until 1925. The next-door quarry and brickworks survived until 1930. It was the end of an industry that not only employed hundreds of miners underground – 240 at South Liberty and 170 at Ashton Vale, for example – but laid the foundation for South Bristol’s expansion throughout the Victorian era. The coal came in different kinds: for household use, for manufacturing, and for coke to fuel blast furnaces like the one at

Home from home: An early 1950s Bailey caravan, the Maestro – the first for mass production, with (we think) a Wolseley. Bailey has always been based in South Bristol

1945 the lorry was found in Yugoslavia, repainted by the Germans but with the Patterson logo still visible through the burned paintwork! Bailey – now one of the biggest caravan factories in Europe, Bailey, off South Liberty Lane, supplies one in every three caravans sold in the UK. It makes 7,500 vehicles a year and is midway through rebuilding its 14.5 acre site into one of the most advanced caravan production lines anywhere. Founder Martin Bailey made his first home-on-wheels in his garage in Bedminster Down in 1947, and sold it at Ashton Gate market (on the site of the current stadium) for £200. Yes, there is another Voice feature in the making here …

T’S too long a tale to do justice to here – but Ashton Vale has avoided the prospect of a Premier League-scale football stadium on its doorstep. The story begins in 2007, when Bristol City owner and multimillionaire Steve Lansdown revealed his ambition for a world-class 30,000-seat stadium on open space at the Vale. Perhaps expecting little opposition, Lansdown unveiled plans in 2008, and claimed it could host World Cup matches if it got the go-ahead. But to make it pay, City needed to sell their Ashton Gate site to Tesco for a superstore. This, and the opposition of Vale residents, brought a noisy tide of opinion against the plans. Lansdown urged the council Continued from page 37 Winterstoke Road. Just one trace remains today: a fragment of railway line embedded in the Babcocks entrance. The New Land Pit stood very close to Gummers and probably also became part of the ventilation for the Ashton Vale workings. The opposite site of Winterstoke Road was the Marsh Pit; few of the visitors to Halfords and Iceland in the South Bristol retail park realise they are parking their cars above an old mineshaft. This too was known to exist in 1831 and probably became part of Ashton Vale. The nearby Gummers Pit became known as Frayne’s, and

How it could have been: One of the proposals for a 30,000-seat Bristol City stadium at Ashton Vale. But opposition to a superstore was fierce

HISTORIC FIRMS IN ASHTON VALE Robbins Timber – the timber merchants in South Liberty Lane was founded in 1881 and, as well as supplying builders and DIYers, still does a roaring trade in specialist timber for boatbuilders. It suppled wood for the royal barge used in the Queen’s 2012 Diamond Jubilee. Pattersons – the unusually graceful metal warehouse on Winterstoke Road is the latest home for this historic family firm supplying the catering trade. Founded in 1889 by Robert Patterson in Redcliffe, it used a horse and cart for deliveries until the purchase of a single Bedford

lorry in 1939. The precious lorry was taken by the army when war broke out and was thought lost in the evacuation of Dunkirk. But in

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June 2018

n HISTORY THE FUTURE FOR THE VALE – LOSING ITS GREEN SURROUNDINGS

AST decade, residents of Ashton Vale saw off the prospect of a new Ashton Gate stadium on their doorstep. They can, however, expect soon to see a new training ground for Bristol Sport. Residents already routinely find their pavements and driveways blocked when there are home matches at the stadium and fans look for somewhere to park. They will hope for more enforcement of parking regulations by the police and council – and perhaps, within a few years, for residents’ parking permits. The Metrobus guided busway cuts across Ashton Vale town green, ready – though no one is sure when – to start whisking passengers from this cut-off corner of Bristol into the city centre and beyond. And there are yet more changes to come. The Metrobus route and the South Bristol Link pass through what was green open space, and much of the land they enclose is earmarked for building. The land next to Alderman Moore’s allotments is reserved for 133 homes to be built in a council-led development, 53 of them for rent to council tenants. Even the Green Belt is not safe. If the city’s Local Plan Review, announced in February, is accepted, land to the north of Ashton Vale town green could be Ashton Vale which made iron. Coal could also be burned to make gas for light and heat. And the mines brought up iron ore to go straight in the furnaces, as well as clay to make bricks, tiles and drainage pipes. Vast quantities of red bricks from Ashton Vale, South Liberty, Dean Lane and Malago mines built not only Bedminster but much of Bristol. The iron was cast by smaller manufacturers into gates –like the grand pair at Bristol General Hospital – railings, lampposts and drain covers. Some survive on our streets with the maker’s name still visible.

shton Vale had become an important place. What had been a feudal network of fields was, by the end of the Victorian era, bounded by two railway lines – the Bristol-Exeter

southbristolvoice

ASHTON VALE: WHAT’S NEXT?

THE STORY OF ASHTON VALE NEW SPORTS FACILITIES?

METROBUS ROUTE

PARK & RIDE

THE VALE: proposed Village 1 ASHTON VALE

SOUTH BRISTOL LINK ROAD

THE VALE: proposed Village 2 POSSIBLE HOMES

covered in housing and possibly a new use (not a stadium) for Bristol Sport. Land to the west of the Pavillions office complex off Bridgwater Road could be developed – it’s not clear if the buildings could extend to the railway, which would mean the loss of the green buffer which runs opposite South Liberty Lane. Even more significant is the plan for The Vale. This is the name for developer Taylor Wimpey’s plan for not one, but three new

“villages” on land around the South Bristol Link and containing around 10,000 homes. The land is in North Somerset but at its closest The Vale butts up to Ashton Vale, filling in the gap to the South Bristol Link. Village One is proposed to the west of Ashton Vale town green, cutting off open views to the countryside. Villages Two and Three are to the south of the South Bristol Link road, Village Two between the A38 and the A370, and Village Three (not visible on our map) being

between the south side of the A38 and Bedminster Down. The Vale is in the Green Belt, and is currently opposed by the leadership of North Somerset council. But many politicians – including some Bristol councillors – think it would be more sensible to site thousands of new homes close to the amenities and transport links of the city, rather than building homes in villages such as Backwell and Nailsea, where the infrastructure will struggle to cope.

route alongside South Liberty Lane, opened in 1841, and the Portishead line, opened in 1867. (See panel on page 37 for the railway story.) With the road to Long Ashton to the north, and the Ashton and Collier’s brooks to the west, the Vale had become a kind of backwater – but with excellent communications which encouraged a succession of industries. Ashton Containers is one example. Founded in 1917, on the site of the current Imperial Tobacco headquarters, it began as Ashton Sawmills, making packing cases out of wood, but switched to cheaper fibreboard in 1923. Its own railway sidings were built in 1918 and extended in 1947. The factory was enlarged again and again, until the paper board industry started to decline in the 1960s. The opposite side of

Winterstoke Road was the much-missed 1931 art deco premises of the Bristol Motor Company, one of the city’s first purpose-built car showrooms. (It’s being redeveloped as a self-storage site with the art deco wheel symbols and clocktower rebuilt.) The Bristol Motor Co sold Morris and later Riley, Vanden Plas, Rolls Royce and Bentley. Commercial vehicles were an important sideline and when the former Ashton Vale colliery was rebuilt as a trading estate after World War II, the Morris commercial business moved in there. The main showroom later became the home of Mercedes dealer Charles Cruickshank and the Mercedes star adorned the tower. A more recent innovator in Ashton Vale was British Cellophane, whose subsidiary,

Colodense, made coloured bags for supermarkets at a works off West Street, Bedminster. Then in the 1980s a new technique, Colodense Liquid Packaging or CLP, was given its own factory in Ashton Vale. This was the beginning of the “bag in a box” or plastic wine container – originally sold for cider too. By 1988 it had three factories in Ashton Vale, making cellulose and polyethylene film, and bonded fibre fabric. The Vale’s trading estates are thriving still, as our panel (on the left) shows. Sources Bristol’s Forgotten Coalfield: Bedminster Mike Taylor and Maggie Shapland, South Glos Mines research Group, 2012 Bristol In The Great War Jacqueline Wadsworth, Pen & Sword, 2014

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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CODEWORD

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HAVE YOU GOT A PROBLEM WASP NEST?

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EASY for children

Clues Across

SUDOKU

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This month: Literary terms

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June 2018

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To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

June 2018

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n WHAT’S ON Tuesday May 29 & Wednesday 30 n A Taste Of Your Own Medicine Acta theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster. Three time travellers are sent to help young victims of bullying. What better way than by giving the bullies a taste of their own medicine? A Young Carers Youth Theatre annual production. Tickets £2, 7.30pm. acta-bristol.com Tuesday May 29 n Stomping Story – Pirates Love Underpants Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road. “Join us on the pirate ship Black Bloomer in search of the Pants of Gold! Will you fall victim to the angry crocodiles or scary sharks in fancy pants? When we have successfully nabbed the booty, make a pirate hat to take home.” For ages 3+, £5, at 10.30 am and 1pm. Booking advised. arnosvale.org.uk/events Wednesday May 30 n Den Building Family Fun Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road. Learn how to make a den out of natural and man-made materials. Discover techniques to build a sturdy woodland shelter. Explore ways to tie knots and engineer structures. £6, 10.30-11.45am. Each child must be accompanied by an adult (who doesn’t need to pay). Session led by forest school leader Janine Marriott. arnosvale.org.uk/events n Spring Tea Dance Southville Centre, Beauley Road, Southville. Tickets £5 in advance from Southville Centre reception. Live band, tea and cake included. £6 on the door, 3-5pm. bs3community.org.uk Thursday May 31-June 2 n Garland or Me! Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street. A comedy by Peter Read. Dave, an ardent Bristol City fan, is married to football-hating Holly. It is the 1976-77 season and Dave is determined not to miss one game as the Robins enjoy their first time in the top flight in over 60 years with star player Chris Garland. Holly has other ideas and asks, “Who do you love more? Garland or me?” £14, 7.30pm, matinee Saturday 2.30pm. NB: the performance advertised for May 30 has been cancelled. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Thursday May 31 n Over 55s Lunch club Southville Centre, Beauley Road Café opens at 12.30pm;

Tuesday June 5 & Wednesday 6 n The Damned United Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street. The beauty and brutality of football is brought to life in this adaptation of David Peace’s ingenious novel, The Damned United, about the troubled and brilliant career of Leeds United manager Brian Clough. The year is 1974 and Clough, the enfant terrible of British football, is trying to redeem his career and reputation by winning the European Cup with Leeds, his new team. But it’s a club he has openly despised for years, a team he hates, and they hate him. There is a post-show talk after the performance on June 5. tobaccofactorytheatres.com £4.85 buys soup, quiche or a filled jacket potato, followed by homemade cake and a free cuppa. No need to book. To find out more email ruth.green@ bs3community.org.uk or call Ruth on 0117 923 1039. bs3community.org.uk Friday June 1 n Quiz Night St Paul’s church, Coronation Road, Southville. Teams of four, £5 per person, including light supper. All welcome, 7.30pm. n The Garage Flowers + Velvet Hands + White Parker Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Londonbased dirty-sweet guitar pop anthemists Garage Flowers have “big barnets, bigger ambitions”. Cornish band Velvet Hands are “full of bolshy spirit”, according to NME, and have an album of the week on Radio 1. White Parker are “raw rock and roll from Bristol”. 7.30-11.45pm, £5 on the door. thethunderbolt.net Saturday June 2 & Sunday 3 n Secret Gardens 2018 Bedminster, Southville, Ashton and Windmill Hill. More than 30 private gardens will be open to visit during the weekend. Pick up or download a free guide (below). Suggested £2 minimum donation at the first garden you visit. Get inspiration, enter a world of plants and see creative, productive and beautiful gardens that are normally hidden from the public eye. tinyurl.com/ bedsecretgardens2018 Saturday June 2 n St Mary on the Quay Summer Fayre St Mary on

Rage against the regime: 1970s football cleverly brought to the stage the Quay, 20 Colston Avenue (opposite the war memorial) Summer Fayre including cream teas, international cuisine, stalls, games and more. 50p entry, 1-5pm n Iron and Oak Saltcellar Folk Club, Totterdown Baptist church, entrance off Cemetery Road. Americana-folk duo Sarana and Heather from the US are supported by Saltcellar regular James Slater. £5 entry and £3 for floorsingers, BYO alcohol, refreshments available, 7.30pm. saltcellarfolk.org.uk n Wonderful Women Tour Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road. The cemetery is the place of remembrance for an estimated 160,000 women and girls. This guided tour tries to find the women that history forgot, focusing on the interesting, talented, great and good women from Victorian, Edwardian and 20th century Bristol. 11am-12.30pm, £5. arnosvale.org.uk n Stand Up For The Weekend with Andrew Doyle & Co Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio, North Street. Writer and comedian Andrew Doyle is the co-writer of spoof journalist and internet sensation Jonathan Pie. He has also taken six solo stand-up shows to the Edinburgh Festival. £11, 7.45pm. the comedy box.co.uk Sunday June 3, 10, 17 & 24 n Sunday Market Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Road. Thriving community market, with around 40 food and craft stalls. Kids activities 11.30am-2pm. tobaccofactory.com/whats-on

Monday June 4 & 18 n Life Drawing Tobacco Factory bar, North Street. Life drawing class on the first and third Monday of every month, in the Snug. £5 and £4 (students/ NUS), spaces limited. tobaccofactory.com/whats-on Friday June 8 & Saturday 9 n The Nature of Forgetting Tobacco Factory theatre. Following a sell-out run at the 2017 London International Mime Festival, Latitude and the Edinburgh Fringe, Theatre Re presents a “powerful, explosive and joyous piece” about what is left when memory is gone. Tom is 55. As he dresses for his birthday party, tangled threads of disappearing memories spark him into life, unravelling as a tale of friendship, love and guilt. Tickets from £12 (limited availability), shows at 8pm and at 2.30pm on Saturday. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Friday June 8 n Everyone Create! Creative Workspace, Queens Road, Withywood. Free intergenerational creative event, 11am-12.30pm. Bringing together people aged 55+ and families with pre-school children. “We explore a different art form each month and in June we will be singing favourite songs, making and playing instruments together.” Café selling drinks, snacks and homemade cake. creativeworkspacebristol.co.uk n Bristol From The Air Knowle and Totterdown History Society, Redcatch community centre, Redcatch Road. Mike Hooper will show photos of Continued overleaf

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

June 2018

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All-day party for Zion’s 7th birthday Saturday June 9 n Zion’s Free 7th Birthday All-Day Party Zion, Bishopsworth Road. From 10am to 10pm, there’s music, food and entertainment. Free entry all day, with messy play for kids from 10am, a hip hop Mexican brunch from 12-2pm, drumming with legendary reggae musician Troy Ellis from 3-4pm, open mike and local band slot from 5-6pm, and Bristol soul-jazz band Nightlarks from 7-8pm. From 9-10pm it’s more live music from the Funkinsteins. zion bristol.co.uk including Bristol Old Vic. “A drawing room. We are going to philosophise our heads off! How should I make the most of being alive in this moment? How should I try to enjoy life while also being a good person who makes space for a better future? What is love and where do I find it? Why do the men in this play have all the lines?” Tickets from £12 (limited availability), 8pm. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Tuesday June 12-Saturday 16 n Natural History Photo Exhibition Paintworks, Bath Road. Falmouth University final year students’ Marine & Natural History Exhibition featuring underwater species, successful conservation stories and philosophical views of nature itself. Open to the public each day, 10am-5pm. Film screening in the

A respectable woman who didn’t judge REVIEW: Ladies Mile Acta theatre, Bedminster ROM Victorian times, Ladies Mile, the long straight road which dissects the Downs from the Water Tower across to Clifton, was used for promenading – the rich and beautiful would saunter up and down and perhaps initiate a liaison. Between the wars Ladies Mile was still used, but the liaisons were often of a less

southbristolvoice

n WHAT’S ON

n WHAT’S ON Continued from page 41 Bristol, highlighting Knowle taken from the air. Members £1.50, visitors £3. knowleandtotterdownhistory. org.uk n Hicktown Breakout Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Debut headline show for the Bristol band performing country and southern rock music from artists including Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Blackberry Smoke, The Cadiliac Three and Jason Aldean. 7.30pm, £5 on the door. For YouTube link, see Thunderbolt website. thethunderbolt.net n Benjamin Damage Loco Club, Temple Meads. A threehour DJ set from Benjamin Damage, hailed as injecting soul and warmth into the cold industrial world of Berlin techno with his 2013 debut Heliosphere. With a live art creation by Bristol-based illustrator James Yeo on the big screen. Age 18+, 10pm. Ticket price not stated. locobristol.com Sunday June 10 n Tim Key: Megadate Tobacco Factory theatre. New show from Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Tim Key, who has performed with Alan Partridge as well as in BBC2’s acclaimed Inside No. 9. Expect “poeticals, talking, standing, spotlights, cables, Kronenburg, foot-stamping and old school wistfulness”. Age 16+. £16, 8pm. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Monday June 11 n Daytime Baby Comedy Depot Zion Bristol, Bishopworth Road. Specially for parents and those too young to understand, this is an adult comedy event for those with childcare issues. Mature content, swear words and the odd birth story flashback from West Country comedian Cerys Nelmes. Bar and café for adults, bottle warming and baby changing facilities for young ones. 12-2.30pm, £8 on the door (if available). zion bristol.co.uk Tuesday June 12-Saturday 16 n Three Sisters, by RashDash, after Chekhov Tobacco Factory theatre. A new show from RashDash, who were last in Bristol in September 2017 with their award-winning hit Two Man Show. RashDash reimagine Chekhov’s classic play in a new version commissioned by the Factory theatre, with partners

June 2018

Multi-tasking: Reggae legend Troy Ellis will not only be drumming at the Zion all-day party, he’ll be cooking up some treats in the kitchen too courtyard, June 16, 6-10pm. paintworksbristol.co.uk Wednesday June 13 n Seize It, Mix It, Make It? Harnessing Digital Differently Knowle West Media Centre, Leinster Avenue. An afternoon and evening of events exploring how people relate to digital technologies. Starts at 2pm with a workshop on women and Artificial Intelligence. Discussion and guest speakers from 6-8pm, cocktails and chat from 8-9pm. kwmc.org.uk/events Thursday June 14 Stuart Moxham (Young Marble Giants) + Helen McCookerybook + Steve Bush and Fran Fey Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Stuart Moxham, founder of Young Marble Giants Ladies Mile: A refuge for women PHOTO: © MSP

salubrious sort. Work was hard to find in the 1930s depression. Victoria Hughes took a job as a cloakroom attendant at the pretty Swiss chalet-style Edwardian women’s toilets at the foot of the Water Tower. She soon discovered that many of her visitors were working women – sometimes going through brutal and degrading

and The Gist, makes a rare live performance, backed by South Bristol’s own Bush & Fey and John Peel favourite Helen McCookerybook. 7.30pm, £9. thethunderbolt.net Friday June 15 & Saturday 16 n Farm Flavours Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. From 11am to 3pm on Friday, join local chef Jo Ingleby as she takes the family cooking project Farm Flavours out and about in Bedminster. Jo will be running fun, free and healthy demonstrations and tasting sessions to show how easy cooking can be, using fresh local ingredients. Find her on the corner of Mill Lane and East Street in Bedminster. Bring the family and get tasting! Free, no need to book. Also on June 16 with food blogger and nutrition guru Melanie Rodriguez. windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Saturday June 16 n A Baroque Evening Bristol Cathedral, College Green, with Bristol Choral Society & the Corelli Orchestra, conducted by Hilary Campbell. “Join us for an evening of some of the most invigorating choral music Bach ever committed to paper, including motets and his wellknown Magnificat”. Tickets from £10 to £27.95 incl. booking fee; under 25s £5, seniors 10% discount. 7.30pm. Book online or on 0117 203 4040. bristolchoral.co.uk n Nuttyness The Tunnels, Temple Meads. Acclaimed as the best tribute band to pay homage to Madness. 7.30pm, £10. thetunnelsbristol.co.uk experiences to make the money to feed themselves and their families. She kept the job for the next 33 years, offering tea and a nonjudgmental ear to the women. After her death a blue plaque was installed in her honour. Writer and director Ingrid Jones came across Victoria Hughes’ memoir, and has worked with Acta to create this warm, moving performance. It’s a six-hander, with each character played with humanity and respect, narrated by Sarah Cogzell as respectable but unshockable Victoria. Respect to the cast and team for another important enactment of Bristol social history. Beccy Golding

To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

Tragic tangle that deserves its ovation REVIEW: A View From The Bridge Tobacco Factory HIS is probably the most traditional thing I’ve ever seen at the Tobacco Factory. No smoke and mirrors or exploratory theatre – just a straight play performed by an ensemble of actors. Let’s re-phrase that – a 20th century classic by a heralded playwright, immaculately directed and performed by a committed, convincing cast, which received a standing ovation at its close. The performance is carried by

the key trio of lead actors. There are two strong female roles – perhaps unusual for a play which premiered in 1955 and is set in an Italian neighbourhood in 1950s Brooklyn. Katy Stephens is fascinatingly watchable as Beatrice, with a great accent, a splash of comic timing and proving her versatility following her recent role as the disintegrating Lady Macbeth, and Laura Waldren, who only graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School last year (this is her professional stage debut), plays Catherine, with a perfect balance of youthful energy, teenage stubbornness, and confused little girl. Every role has depth and a tangle of human emotions, none more so than head of the

n Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre – Superheroes! Zion, Bishopsworth Road. Catch the footwear superheroes in their latest adventure in this adult show (over 18s only), created by Kev F, before they head to the Edinburgh Fringe. “Had every single audience member laughing until they cried,” said the Edinburgh Evening News. 7.30pm, £10. zion bristol.co.uk Sunday June 17 n Pocket Opera Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road. Mystical and magical music for summer, plus “the Pocket Opera which Mozart never wrote!” With well-known Bristol baritone Martin Le Poidevin; pianist and organist at Holy Nativity church, Knowle, Kathy Gibbs; and Helen Roberts, who has sung contralto in Handel’s Messiah and

soprano in Brahms’ Requiem, as well as creating the music for Borderland, a play based on the writing of Charlotte PerkinsGilman. See Helen perform: tinyurl.com/HelenRobertsMedley Tickets £10, 2.30-4pm. arnosvale.org.uk n Jazz night with Mark Randall Six Windmill Hill community centre, Vivian Street. Third Sunday of every month, 8.30-10.30pm. whca.org.uk Wednesday June 20 n Why We Die & the Science Behind It Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road. Another in the series of Funzing Talks: comedian and science communicator Simon Watt delves into the surprising science behind why we die, and what the alternatives might be. Watt is founder of the comedy night Ugly Animal Preservation Society, which found global

Much more than the story of Take That REVIEW: The Band Bristol Hippodrome F YOU, like me, were a fan of Take That, the musical The Band will leave you buzzing. It took me back in time so eloquently, reminding me of my youth and my boy band crush! I showed up with no expectations. I thought it was a musical telling the story of the band – it was nothing of the sort.

Dark currents: Eddie, played by Mark Letheren PHOTO: Mark Dawson

household and linchpin of the whole thing, Eddie Carbonne, played by Mark Letheren. Overly protective and attached to his niece Catherine, he develops a homophobic hatred of her boyfriend Rodolpho, who he’s convinced is only with Catherine to gain US citizenship. His actions bring tragic consequences. Simon

Armstrong was strong and safe as narrator and lawyer Alfieri – I almost felt he was the playwright himself. There are additional, amateur cast members. 26 people have attended a weekly theatre course since January – each night five of them join the ensemble to play peripheral roles. Beccy Golding

notoriety when it helped host an online campaign resulting in the election of the blobfish as the ugliest animal on the planet. 7.30-9pm, £12. arnosvale.org.uk

Without the aid of Theseus, the leader of the vastly wealthy state of Athens, she doesn’t stand a chance. But Theseus is arrogant, mercurial and motivated by profit. A swaggering opposition circles, impatient for insurrection. Ages 14+, tickets £12 (limited availability), 7.30pm, matinees Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm, no show Sunday. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Friday June 22 n Echo & The Bunnymen, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Peter Hook and The Light Eighties extravaganza scheduled for St Philip’s Gate, a new venue next to the Kia car showroom on Feeder Road, but now transferred to the harbourside amphitheatre. [Story, p6]. Tickets start at £36. 6-10.30pm. Facebook: stphilipsgatebristol Continued overleaf

Highlighted entries in What’s On from only £5. Find out more by emailing Ruth at sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk Thursday June 21-Saturday 30 n Welcome to Thebes Tobacco Factory theatre. The graduating students of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School present Moira Buffini’s Welcome to Thebes, which premiered at the National Theatre in June 2010 to critical acclaim. Faced with an impoverished population, a shattered infrastructure and a volatile army, the first democratic president of Thebes, Eurydice, promises peace to her nation. The boys: Not the only stars of the the Take That show PHOTO: Matt Crockett

In fact, it was an elegant ode to Take That’s musical journey, but the real strength was the story of five girls and their fates. It had it all: teenage boy band crushes, bffs, heartbreak, growing up and a reunion. The audience was drawn in to every emotion, from being

overjoyed to heartache, laughing out loud to silently shedding a tear. It was kept so real we could all relate in one way or another. I’d like to say that the five boys were the stars of the show but I’d be lying. Don’t get me wrong – they were brilliant entertainers and did Take That fans proud (and they

were pretty fit, too!) They sang and danced their hearts out and made us feel like we were actually at a Take That concert more than once. But the five young girls were also brilliant actors and amazing singers, as were the adult versions of the girls. I can’t choose a best bit, neither can I choose the best singer. I was blown away and wanted it to never end. Do yourself a favour and go see it if you can. If for nothing else than to experience the grand finale where actors and audience alike had a blast singing, dancing and cheering, celebrating one of the biggest bands ever, Take That! Britt Andreasen Ryan

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

June 2018

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June 2018

southbristolvoice

n WHAT’S ON

n THE CITY PAGE

A naughty audience can’t put this lot off their stride

We had half a chance of promotion, if we played our best more than half the time

REVIEW: Instant Wit, Redcatch community centre, Knowle NSTANT Wit came to Redcatch community centre by invitation of Entertaining Local Knowle (a group of BS4 friends bringing affordable events to our area). For under a tenner we were entertained and fed – it was a bargain. On arrival I opened a bottle of wine from home and had a go at the just-for-fun quiz left on our tables, giving me and my friends something to argue over while we devoured a delightful soup supper. Twinkling tea lights created a warm comfortable ambience and

Continued from page 43 Friday June 22 n Speaking in Tongues Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Talking Heads tribute act play hits from Stop Making Sense, the seminal concert film. 7.30pm, £10. the thunderbolt.net

n Oli Brown (above) The Tunnels, Temple Meads. Oli Brown celebrates 10 years since the release of his first blues album, Open Road.“The hottest young pistol in British blues,” said the Times. 7.30pm £10. thetunnelsbristol.co.uk n Hopkins-Hammond Trio El Rincon, North Street. Jazzfunk trio led by guitarist Matt Hokins, who has played with the likes of Andy Sheppard, joined by Ruth Hammond on Hammond organ and Scott Hammond on drums. elrinconbar.com/music Saturday June 23 n Mindfulness Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street. From 10am-4pm, a one-day introduction to mindfulness, “giving you the tools to let go of

BRISTOL CITY ROUND-UP

Sponsored by CLEVERLEY BUILDERS – supporting City and the best in building

when the three performers (Chris Grimes, Stephanie Weston and Leah Fletcher together with cheeky young musician James Oram), bounded onto the stage we were ready for them. It takes real talent to think on your feet like this group. Suggested words shouted out by the audience resulted in crazy improvised scenarios which had us erupting in laughter. My favourite, very apt, sketch was when Chris interviewed Stef and Leah (who became one person), the girls took turns to speak, one word at a time; the subject “Where to park your bike in Knowle?” Their hilarious rendition resulted in all the houses in Knowle being knocked down in order to park bicycles amongst the dog poo. Chris Grimes owned the stage, he only had to look at the audience with that face (think Mr Bean) to create a buzz of laughter. Ultraintelligent Stef Weston kept control

of the crowd with her sharp no-nonsense witticisms, leaving tiny, tirelessly bubbly Leah Fletcher bouncing between them perfectly. Accompanying music by the talented James Oram skillfully knotted the show together. The one thing I found refreshing from

this team of comic performers was how clean it was – not once, despite shouted swearwords suggested by the naughty audience, did they utter any rude words, and it was still very funny. A fun night out in Knowle – I can’t wait for the next one. Rachel Heaton

excess baggage” and techniques to help you “create more space within yourself”. A secular introduction to some practices such as abdominal breathing, mindful movements and grounding as well as some pair exercises on support in stressful situations. Cost: £42. windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Saturday 23 June n Stand Up For The Weekend with Markus Birdman & Co Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio, North Street. Edinburgh veteran Markus Birdman is “one of British comedy’s most experienced and well-travelled performers, in demand all over the UK and abroad.” Plus guests. 7.45pm, £11. thecomedybox.co.uk Sunday June 24 n Dexter Selboy and the Shonky Trio Tobacco Factory bar. Formed in 2012, Dexter Selboy and the Shonky Trio “are a quartet of talented yet lazy musicians who may finally have got their act together”. Elements of reggae, gypsy jazz and hiphop. Free, 8-10.30pm. tobaccofactory.com/whats-on Wednesday June 27 n Street Philosophy Martin Parr Foundation, Paintworks, Bath Road. Geoff Dyer will talk about his new book The Street Philosophy of Garry Winogrand, about the US mid-20th century street photographer. Followed

by a Q&A with Martin Parr and a book signing. 7pm, £8/£6. martinparrfoundation.org Thursday June 28 n National Freelancers Day with Freelance Mum & IPSE Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street. A minifestival for those who work for themselves, 10am-4pm. Stalls available. Includes Linda Davies-Carr on being ready for success, entertainment from The Bristol Business Choir in their first live performance and an afternoon session, How to Build Your Dream Team – the value of others as a freelancer, with a guest panel including PR expert and journalist Fiona Scott, Front of Mind Coach Greg Cooper and serial entrepreneur and growth coach Darren Clark. Tickets for morning, afternoon or the whole day from £15 (children free). windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Saturday June 30 n FoodFireEarth supper Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street. New pop-up from Bristol locals and friends of the farm – fire-obsessed food writer Genevieve Taylor and chef/cookery teacher Jo Ingleby. From 7-11pm, at the café and outdoor kitchen, with a chance to see behind the scenes at the farm. An outdoor-cooked seasonal, local feast, with spices and herbs. Cost: £35. windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk

Saturday 30 June n Stand Up For The Weekend with Ivo Graham & Co Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio, North Street. Ivo Graham has had so much TV exposure these tickets will not hang around for long. Eton-educated, he plays on his gauche character and sharp, selfdeprecating wit. Plus guests. £11, 7.45pm. thecomedybox.co.uk

All made up: Chris Grimes, right, leads the Instant Wit impro troupe

Regular events

To advertise your event here from just £5 per month, contact Ruth at sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk n Danceblast “Bristol’s most exciting dance school.” Every Saturday and Sunday at St Francis Church Hall, North Street, Southville. Saturday: juniors, 3-4 years 10-11am, 5-6 years 11am-12 noon, 7-9 years 12 noon-1.30pm, 10-11 years 1.303pm, 12-13 years 2.15-4.15pm. Sunday: seniors 14-18 years 1.304.30pm, Tobacco Factory studio. Call Anne on 07984 069485. danceblast.co.uk n Iyengar Yoga with Naomi General level – suitable for beginners or those with some experience. Thursdays 7.459pm, Totterdown Methodist Church Hall, Winton Lane. £8 drop in. 07970 678872. Bring your mat, or spares are available.

To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

City started the season so well, but they ended it with some results that showed they aren’t yet ready to go up, laments MARTIN POWELL

RISTOL City ended the 2017-2018 season pretty much half-way in the championship table and the word “half” just about sums up everything about their efforts. Half the time the team looked excellent, playing entertaining, flowing football and, during the Caraboa Cup run, holding their own against the best in the business. The rest of the time they were camped out in their own half, allowing sides to dominate them and making elementary errors. The first half of the season saw the team build up a head of steam to give the impression that they could actually make automatic promotion to the Premier League this season. The second half of the season fizzled out with some jaw-droppingly poor results. Conceding eight goals in your last two home games is never going to be good – but the other part of that equation is they scored seven. The crazy 5-5 draw against Hull was both a high point and a low point of this topsy-turvy season. It was fitting that the season ended with a game of two halves against Sheffield United. The Blades walked all over City in the

Lap of honour: The end of the Sheffield United game that marked the end of a very mixed season PHOTO: BCFC first half to end half-time leading 3-0. City dominated the second half and clawed back two goals, helped by repeated loudspeaker announcements inflicting a kind of torture on the Sheffield players by unnecessarily warning fans not to invade the pitch. Those fans who hadn’t gone home to enjoy the sunshine were treated to a suitably half-hearted lap of half the pitch by the players. Shame they couldn’t engage a bit more by signing a few autographs or actually getting a bit closer to the young fans that were applauding them. Meanwhile, for some reason, police in riot gear arrived to make sure that the families enjoying the sunshine at this pointless (in City’s case literally) end of season romp didn’t commit any major crimes. There are lots of things Bristol

City need to improve on next year (well, about half of the things they do) but it would be nice if the club can work out a way for players and fans to celebrate together at the end of a season. Maybe there is some way to get players to appear in the massive new stand while fans get to wander on to the hallowed turf briefly. More importantly, thoughts will turn to which of the players are able to improve next year; which of the huge number of young players can make it at championship level; and what new faces are needed – as well as who should leave in the summer. I’m sure half the players are already enjoying their summer break, and after being on strict nutrition and training regimes for so many months who would deny them the odd pint? Well,

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MARTIN’S SHORTS n CHELSEA paid tribute to Bristol-born legend Roy Bentley, who has died at the age of 93, with the whole Stamford Bridge stadium standing to applaud him and special banners paid for by John Terry. Bentley was skipper when Chelsea won their first ever trophy. Born in Shirehampton, he made his Bristol City debut aged 16 and was transferred for a club record of £8,500 to Newcastle as the club tried to make ends meet after the war. Certainly “one of our own” that got away; and all fans will hope that in future the club are able to hang on to young Bristol talent.

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June 2018

southbristolvoice

n YOUR MP

KARIN SMYTH Labour MP for Bristol South

Saving this vital Metrobus route must be priority for metro mayor

OUTH Bristol Voice readers will be all too aware of the continuing issues surrounding the long-awaited Metrobus system. Launched to great fanfare in 2015, the project has had more than its fair share of challenges since, with technical glitches and increasing costs delaying the launch. Until March of this year there was still reason to be cheerful for many South Bristol residents, with the Ashton Vale to Hengrove Metrobus route promising to transform public transport in an area with historically poor links. These challenges make the unceremonious axing of the route in late March doubly galling. Though there has been some back-pedalling since – the route has apparently not been axed, just removed from the first tranche of announced routes – it

seemed that, once again, South Bristol was at the back of the queue for much-needed infrastructure investment. And while the Metrobus saga has a negative impact on the ground, it has also provided an insight into the peculiar ways that decisions are taken locally – or, as is the case with Metrobus, how decisions are avoided. It is crucial that we secure a guarantee of the promised Ashton Vale to Hengrove line, and at some point there must also be a discussion around how the route was dropped to begin with. Metrobus – a peculiar entity

n LOCAL SERVICES

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itself – apparently operates with little or no democratic oversight or accountability. This is not good enough, especially for a project of this size and cost. I have urged metro mayor Tim Bowles to make saving this crucial route a priority, using his considerable powers to drag the project back on track. The route cuts across local authority boundaries, underpins access to vital NHS and education services, and boosts economic activity in the region – in short, it should tick every box on his “To Do” list. It would also demonstrate tangible value for a role that has yet to make a significant impact on residents’ lives. But instead of rising to the challenge, the metro mayor has shown a staggering lack of leadership and given residents a metaphorical shrug of the shoulders. Instead of looking for creative ways to drive the project forward, he is scrabbling around for reasons not to. It beggars belief. There is cause for some optimism, with the response from Bristol city council more positive. Cabinet Member Mhairi Threlfall has agreed to meet local stakeholders to listen to concerns and see what steps Bristol City Council can take to ensure that this route is delivered. It is my hope that this discussion can act as a springboard to getting this particular problem fixed.

June 2018

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