South Bristol Voice July 2020

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July 2020 No. 55

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Former health centre to become affordable flats Pages 4&5 Ad boards removed after protests Our society needs Page 6 to have some uncomfortable conversations Pages 2 and 3

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An uncomfortable conversation we need to have Sherif Uthman from Totterdown, born in Nigeria but a Bristol resident for more than 30 years and now a scientist with Public Health England, talks to Charley Rogers about his hopes for change after the recent Black Lives Matters protests in the city and beyond Did you take part in the recent Black Lives Matter protest?

I didn’t actually go down, for various reasons, obviously one being the Covid-19 pandemic. But I have great admiration for those who did protest – they were putting their lives on the line for this cause.

I passionately agree with the protesters, especially the peaceful protest. I always say pictures speak 1,000 words, and they have got the word out, locally, nationally, and even globally.

How do you feel about the forceful removal of the Colston statue?

I can’t say that what they did was wrong. I have lived in Bristol for a long time, and there have been decades of frustration, of the community asking politely for the statue to be removed, or a historically accurate plaque to be added, and nothing has happened.

It’s a long-standing insult, to ask people whose ancestors were chained to the decks of the Royal African Company ships – of which Colston was the deputy governor

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– to just deal with it. The forceful removal wouldn’t have been the action I’d have chosen. I would have preferred it to be removed officially and placed in a museum.

But as I say, after decades of petitions and appeals, after so many attempts to democratically address the situation, I can see that people’s frustrations just came to a boil.

What are your thoughts on the Bristol protest and statue removal causing ripples around the world? For example – leading

to other statues being removed.

It makes me proud to think that the people of Bristol are driving the way. I just hope the Government take that on board. The conversation is there – the mayor of Bristol is behind us. He’s not encouraging citizens to protest because of the pandemic, but we can see that Bristolians are really getting behind this, and driving the conversation. And not just in Bristol – it’s happening all over the country. Oxford University are now reviewing monuments or statues that they have, and what they

HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH ...

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: Call the above number for an appointment My councillor?

Post: (all councillors) City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR. Celia Phipps Labour, Bedminster By phone: 07469 413312 By email: Cllr.celia.phipps@bristol.gov.uk Mark Bradshaw Labour, Bedminster. By email: Cllr.mark. bradshaw@bristol.gov.uk By phone: 0117 353 3160 USEFUL NUMBERS Bristol City Council www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000 Waste, roads 0117 922 2100 Pests, dog wardens 0117 922 2500 Council tax 0117 922 2900

Stephen Clarke Green, Southville By email: Cllr.stephen.clarke@ bristol.gov.uk Charlie Bolton Green, Southville By phone: 07884 736111 By email: Cllr.charlie.bolton@bristol.gov.uk Christopher Davies Lib Dem, Knowle Email: Cllr.Christopher.

Davies@bristol.gov.uk Phone: 07826917714 Gary Hopkins Lib Dem, Knowle (Lib Dem deputy leader) Email: Cllr.Gary.Hopkins@bristol.gov.uk Phone: 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

Housing benefit 0117 922 2300 Social services 0117 922 2900 Police Inquiries 101 Emergency 999

COMPLAINTS Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the South Bristol Voice, contact the Editor using the details below. We aspire to follow the the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), nuj.org.uk/about/nuj-code.

Further details of the complaints process can be found on our website (below) or can be obtained by contacting the Editor by email: news@southbristolvoice.co.uk or by post: 111 Broadfield Rd, Knowle, Bristol BS4 2UX or by phone: 0777 555 0607.

southbristolvoice.co.uk/complaints-procedure

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July 2020 portray. As I say, the conversation has been there for years, but now we have some action.

What would you say to those that disagree with the protests and/or actions taken?

Like I say, I can’t say what the protesters did was wrong. There has been talk for years about the statue being removed and placed in a museum, because of course we can’t erase history. It happened, and we need to learn from it. But there is a difference between remembering history and celebrating it. When you stood in

southbristolvoice front of that statue, you didn’t learn anything about Edward Colston and what kind of man he was.

There was no information about his extensive involvement in the slave trade. All a statue says is ‘this is a great man’. But Edward Colston wasn’t a great man. In my opinion, he was an evil man. If the statue could go in a museum, we could learn about the important history of Bristol, without suggesting that the slave trade was a good thing.

And that’s the issue here. History needs to reflect the realities of what happened – our children are taught about the industrial

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revolution, but not about the cotton fields etc. We need a broader view. So, I think the removal of the statue would have been better done under discussion, and to explain the history around it, but we are where we are.

What changes have you seen in Bristol (if any), in terms of how BAME people are treated, since you have lived here?

The thing about racism is it tends to be subtle. I haven’t had people come up to me and call me names, or be violent against me, but for example I have seen people less qualified, people who I have trained, being promoted above me at work.

And none of them was a person of colour. It’s all indirect. I have done a degree, a master’s, and training courses, so you would typically expect promotions to happen quite rapidly. But it has taken me years and years to get to where I am – but I’m very driven.

Not all people will persevere like that.

As part of a leadership course, I did some research on the topic of BAME people in leadership, and in the last ten years or so you can see that it’s actually gone backwards.

I’m hoping that the Black Lives Matter protest, and the conversations it’s sparking, won’t die out in a few weeks, but will drive this action that we need.

What do we need to do as a community moving forward?

We need to improve education about history, and issues of race.

I am the son of Nigerian parents who came to the UK when I was five. I have a son of my own, and I have been to his school to talk to his class about Nigerian culture, and to explain things like Africa is not a country – there are many, many countries within the continent of Africa. It’s about

spreading knowledge, and helping people to understand the diversity that makes the UK so great.

But we also need more role models of colour. There is a huge lack of BAME teaching assistants for example.

I looked into it, and in schools in Bristol, there are hardly any teaching assistants of colour. In researching the subject, I had someone come back to me and say ‘I didn’t realise people who look like me could be a teaching assistant’.

So we need those role models, and we have a long way to go.

So I’d say we need to get out there, go into schools, because that’s where it all starts. We learn so much when we’re young, and that’s when a lot of our views are formed.

But we also need the support of white people, and I think that’s starting to happen on a wider scale.

When you look back, for example to the civil rights protests with Martin Luther King Jr, the majority of protesters there were of colour, but the recent protest in Bristol had a lot of white faces, and that’s what we need.

To come together, and realise we all just want to be treated fairly.

That’s how we’re going to move forward at this pace.

The other thing is, just having the conversation. I know it can be uncomfortable, but it’s so important to talk between races. It’s also important for white people to understand that they are born with a certain privilege.

Of course there are many kinds of privilege, economic and so on, but being born black in this society means you’re born on the back foot.

But it’s not about blaming people for that privilege – nobody chooses how they’re born. It’s more about understanding what you can do with that privilege to help make things better, because it’s a huge gift.

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Former health centre to become affordable flats - but only after complaints led to revised plans

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by Amanda Cameron BBC LDRS reporter for South Bristol Voice A disused health centre in Windmill Hill will be knocked down and replaced with a block of affordable flats.

St John’s Lane Health Centre has been empty since Wedmore Practice moved to the nearby Marksbury Road Surgery in 2018.

Now Bristol city councillors have unanimously approved plans by a housing association to knock down the old premises on the corner of St John’s Lane and Wedmore Vale and replace them with a modern L-shaped building

containing 29 affordable flats.

But the decision was not without controversy as members of a Bristol City Council planning committee questioned whether the top floor would overheat and if there was enough space for children to play.

The four-storey building proposed by United Communities will provide a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom homes for social housing, shared ownership or affordable rent.

The only two three-bedroom homes will sit on the top floor and will be clad in aluminium and have their own outdoor terrace enclosed by a wall.

All of the one and twobedroom flats will be in the lower three storeys made of red brick and each will have their own little garden or balcony.

A planning officer said mechanical ventilation would prevent the metal-clad homes on the top floor from overheating, but Green councillor Carla Denyer said it would have been better for the design to prevent overheating in the first place.

When asked by Labour councillor Nicola Bowden-Jones if there was enough space for children to play, the officer said it would take “two to three minutes” to walk to Victoria Park “just on the other side of the road”.

But Cllr Bowden-Jones shot back that the proposed flats were at a junction of “major roads” and that the city council has a duty to safeguard children.

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77 comments about the original proposals, of which 72 were objections mainly related to the scheme’s size, its impact on parking, and loss of privacy and sunlight for neighbours.

The number of objections dropped to 11 after the scheme was revised to reduce the number of flats and the size of the building, and increase the number of car parking spaces to eight.

Some 54 bicycle spaces will be provided.

Conservative councillor Richard Eddy said the revised plans were a “great improvement” on the original proposals.

“It’s in a sustainable location with a school opposite and very near a park,” he said. “I have no hesitation [in] backing this.”

Green councillor Fi Hance said the derelict health centre was not a place of “great loveliness” and that more affordable housing was welcome.

The development control B committee met remotely via Zoom on May 27.

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Ads boards removed after community campaign Two billboards have been removed in Bedminster following opposition from the local community. Bristol City Council took action against the advertising hoardings after it was revealed that despite being in place for many years, neither had planning permission.

In 2018 the outdoor advertising company Insite Poster Properties applied to replace two billboards on West Street and Winterstoke Road with digital advertising screens.

These efforts are part of a drive by outdoor advertisers to install large numbers of digital advertising screens across Bristol and other cities.

These are brightly lit screens capable of showing six adverts per minute which has led to major concerns over their impact on local residents, wildlife and the distraction to drivers, as well as the negative effects of their consumerist messages on public health, wellbeing and the environment.

Objections from local residents, however, and concerns

over the impact on safety and visual amenity, led Bristol City Council to reject both applications.

This process revealed that neither of the existing billboards had ever had planning permission.

The council recognised that many of the concerns raised by the local community against the digital screens also applied to the existing billboards: that they were visually intrusive, excessively large, distracting and situated in residential areas.

The council issued ‘Discontinuance Notices’ to have both of the hoardings removed[N1] .

Insite appealed this decision, but then a number of statements were submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in support of the council's decision, including from local Councillor Mark Bradshaw.

In April 2020 the appeals were dismissed and the billboards have now been removed.

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group Adblock BS3 said: “Insite argued that there was no evidence that the existing billboards presented any harm to visual amenity.

"This is simply wrong.

"By their own admission the character of the neighbourhood is ‘mixed’ (i.e. some commercial and also some residential buildings).

"But they made no mention of the impact on local residents.

“We’re relieved that these billboards have finally been removed, and that the council stood their ground against these efforts by advertisers to

saturate our neighbourhoods with commercial advertising.

Bedminster is home to many well-loved independent local businesses, but support for them is undermined by the large number of billboards in the area.

This overload of large-scale corporate advertising contradicts the message to shop local as billboards typically advertise junk food, supermarkets, fast fashion and cars.

“There are so many billboards already in this area, which just seems so wrong in this highly polluted neighbourhood busy with schoolchildren.”

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Paradise ... altered

Homes developer makes big changes after community feedback Plans for more than 300 new homes on a brownfield site in Bedminster have been amended following extensive discussions with Bristol City Council and feedback from the local community.

Developer Dandara submitted its original application to build homes for rent in late 2018 on land between Little Paradise and Stafford Street in Bedminster.

The proposed development has faced fierce opposition from local residents and campaigners, with hundreds of objections filed online.

The site, currently occupied by industrial warehouses and car parking, is one part of the Bedminster Green redevelopment, allocated by Bristol City Council for a significant number of muchneeded new homes.

Dandara has now submitted a number of revisions to its application, which would see the developer build and manage ‘Build-to-Rent’ apartments, alongside 21 affordable homes within a separate building which would be owned and managed by a housing association.

The plans comply with the Bedminster Green Framework.

The key amendments to Dandara’s scheme are: 1. Agreeing to Bristol City Council’s request for major changes to the proposals to allow for a new MetroBus stop in front of the site on Malago Road.

2. 21 new affordable homes will be located in a bespoke building on the small Councilowned car park to the immediate north of the site (called Little Paradise North car park); 3. Altering the new pedestrian and cycle route to create a safe and attractive link from Windmill Hill to East Street. The amended route will take people over a new crossing on Malago Road, down a widened and greatly enhanced pavement/cycle path along Stafford Street, continuing on the newly extended Leicester Street before joining Little Paradise through to East Street; 4. Remodelling the scale and layout of the development so the buildings gradually climb in height away from the Bedminster Conservation Area, starting at two storeys (plus ground floor)

for the new affordable homes, and stepping up towards Malago Road. ; 5. Rather than one single taller building on Malago Road, this has now been broken into four parts with different heights: nine, 13, 14 and 16 storeys (plus ground floor on each). This significantly reduces the scale and massing; 6. The changes to the layout and design have reduced the number of homes from 329 to 316; 7. A reduction in car parking spaces from 88 to 71 spaces, of which 17 are disabled spaces and 15 electric vehicle charging points; 8. An increase in the number of secure bike storage spaces from 358 to 419 plus an additional 32 visitor spaces.

In addition to the affordable housing, Dandara would contribute circa £1.5M Community Infrastructure Levy .

As well as building the development, Dandara will continue to manage the scheme once constructed.

Increasing the number of people living and utilising the facilities and services of Bedminster is considered vital to support the economy of East Street. This important shopping district was once the thriving heart of South Bristol but now has dozens of empty stores. A number of major retailers have recently announced closures, including Boots, Argos, Barclays Bank, Nat West Bank, Primark and Bon Marche with the loss of hundreds of jobs.

Bedminster BID’s (Business Improvement District) George Grace said: “East Street desperately needs investment and lots more people living and spending here. It has been a real challenge trying to reverse years of decline.

“Dandara has worked with the Council to agree a scheme that brings huge benefits, with high quality public realm and building design.

"It will make East Street and the wider area much more attractive and safer, bringing spending and investment. This is the catalyst we have been calling for over the past seven years and we welcome the proposals.”

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Southville and Bedminster’s Big Tidy Southville and Bedminster are having a Big Tidy! Part of the Bristol Clean Streets campaign, the Big Tidy will see a dedicated crew of street cleansers working in the areas of Southville and Bedminster where issues are beyond the capacity of regular street cleansing work. They will be followed a few weeks later by a specialist team to remove tagging from the worst affected areas.

The Big Tidy crews have been working to improve wards across the city since October 2019, and next on the list are two neighbourhoods in south Bristol.

Cutting back overgrown footpaths, clearing litter and fly-tips and removing tags is just some of the work the crew will be carrying out in the area.

Since the project launched last autumn, the Big Tidy crew have cleaned over 500 streets with impressive results: • 2,277 tags removed from walls, bridges and benches • More than 3,000 residents and businesses engaged

• 388 legal notices, warnings and fines issued • Over 200 fly-tips cleared and investigated Fritha Voaden, one of the dedicated community engagement officers for the Big Tidy, said: “The crews have been working really hard throughout lockdown to make our streets cleaner and safer for everyone, and residents have been showing their support by making Big Tidy pledges of their own. Whilst group pledges such as community clean-ups are on pause due to the pandemic, there are still plenty of ways you

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can support your street and community, such as individual litter-picks or reporting issues to the council. The Big Tidy pledge online has loads of ideas for how to take part.

“One of the simplest ways to help is with litter. As we all start to spend more time outdoors, please be extra mindful about taking everything you bring outside back home with you.

Leaving litter next to a bin is still littering, however carefully it is placed there. If you’ve made plans to enjoy the outdoors this summer, please also plan for carrying litter home afterwards.”

So far, more than 450 residents have made a pledge to help keep their street, local park or front garden clean and free from litter, fly-tip and other issues. You can join in with your own Big Tidy pledge at www. bristolwastecompany.co.uk/ big-tidy-pledge or on social media using the hashtag #BigTidy. Residents are also encouraged to report street issues to the council by phone or using the online forms available at www.bristol.gov.uk/ report-a-street-issue The project is in addition to the regular street cleansing work carried out by Bristol Waste and when the Big Tidy teams move on, Bristol Waste will continue to maintain the areas as part of their street cleansing work. So far, the Big Tidy crews have worked in Lawrence Hill, Easton, Eastville, Filwood, Hartcliffe, Withywood, Hengrove and Whitchurch Park, Avonmouth, Lawrence Weston, Cotham, Central, Ashley, Southmead, Bishopston and Ashley Down.

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Hedge funds Family’s creativity brightens neighbourhood and raises cash for NHS

by Charley Rogers When lockdown hit in late March, the Butler family did what they do best – got creative.

Mum Jennifer, Henry, 7 and Lulu, 5, got straight to work on drawings and paintings to pass the time. But after a few days of painting, entrepreneurial Henry suggested they display their work on the garden hedge as an art display for the rest of the neighbourhood to enjoy.

Jennifer, Henry and Lulu, from Southville, pictured opposite, immediately started getting lovely comments from neighbours about their artwork, and so the hedge gallery was born. Jennifer, who has a fine art degree, said: “We started having neighbours comment on how lovely, colourful and

cheerful the hedge. We realised this could be a thing.”

Because of the uncertainty about when schools would be open, and being a single mother with two children to entertain, Jennifer seized the opportunity. “We thought this would not only give us an incentive to make art daily, but would also give the kids some educational facts while brightening neighbours’ days,” said Jennifer.

At the time of writing, the family has completed a whopping 43 designs, covering themes from ‘music’ and ‘planets’ to a memorial for those who have lost their lives, and a VE Day celebration.

But it’s not only the surrounding streets that are gaining joy from the Butlers’ hedge gallery. After a couple of weeks seeing the

positive impact the art was having on the community, Jennifer decided to share it online.

“I decided to start a Facebook page called ‘Bristol Covid 19 Hedge Gallery’,” she said, “and we have been adding our daily designs to that. We have gained hundreds of followers telling us how they look forward to our daily designs, and that it has been keeping them going during such glum times.”

Jennifer has also taken the opportunity of the gallery’s popularity to fundraise for the NHS, managing to raise over £400 in one month.To see the hedge gallery designs, and for information on how to donate to the NHS fundraiser, search Bristol Covid 19 Hedge Gallery on Facebook. www.facebook.com/ groups/533525930895220/

Coming next month - memories of bygone Bristol

by Charley Rogers Born and raised in Bristol, it would be an understatement to say Knowle-based John Fletcher knows a little about the city’s history.

From being briefly evacuated as a child during World War II to starting his first office job in a pre-digital age, John has many stories to tell.

These stories, covering the history of Bristol from 1932 to 1952, came together in John’s book – Memories of a Bristol Boyhood. Now, extracts will be published in South Bristol Voice beginning next month.

“It started off as a project for my great niece,” John says. “My nephew lives in Australia, and his daughter was asked to do a

project for school where she had to find out about her relatives.

She knew a lot about the Australian side of the family, but not so much about the UK side.”

John put pen to paper and started writing up a family history.

“As the story developed, I thought some of the more general history could be of interest to the public,” he says.

And so the project was born.

Bristol has undergone major changes during his lifetime, says John, many of which he touches on in the book.

He said: “After the bombings in the war, the city centre was almost entirely demolished. It took years to rebuild. Traffic has also changed tremendously. I

didn’t ride in a private car until I was 18 or 19 I think, nobody I knew had a car – there were also trams in the city.”

But the project has not only been for personal interest. John and his wife have also raised £1,000 for charity through book sales, completely selling out of their stock. “We sold the books for £10 each to people we know from church and so on, and donated the money to Children’s Hospice South West,” he said.

Although copies of the book are no longer available, starting with the August edition, extracts from Memories of a Bristol Boyhood will be printed in the South Bristol Voice each month.

Check out your issue for a little chunk of history!

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Arms Around Bristol supports city’s coronavirus response Image by Nathan Hicks

by Charley Rogers Arms Around Bristol, a fund to help Bristol’s charities respond to the impact of Covid-19, has surpassed its fundraising target.

Launched in April, Arms Around Bristol is part of the Quartet Community Foundation’s Coronavirus 2020 Response Fund, and aimed to raise £10,000 to help local charities and voluntary organisations support those affected by the pandemic. The fundraiser currently sits at £13,663 and has provided support to organisations such as FareShare South West, Paul’s Place and Talking Money.

Some of Bristol’s biggest names, including singersongwriter Beth Rowley, left, TV presenter Tony Robinson and mayor Marvin Rees, have supported the project.

South Brist0l-based Beth said: I’m really happy to be able to support the Bristol Quartet Community Foundation and especially The Ark Charity Compilation Album which is now available on all online platforms.

“To date the Foundation has raised more than £250,000 for local Bristol charities and projects. Pauls Place and Talking Money have both received much-needed funds and other grassroots organisations are still applying for support. I also think its crucially important to support local music and art, especially at times like this. We are lucky that in Bristol to have incredible musicians like John E Vistic, Emily Breeze, and bands like Beak and Gonga who have donated their music to the Ark Charity Compilation to raise awareness and funds.”

Fundraising efforts have included projects such as a trampoline bouncing marathon, pub quizzes, and prize draws.

The fundraiser is still active, and full details are available at www.justgiving.com/campaign/ BristolCoronavirusFund

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Picture perfect

Bedminster photographer South Bristol teenager offered socially distant photo sessions for Melanie Vaxevanakis says her project brought people together free throughout lockdown

“

by Charley Rogers Thirteen-year-old South Bristol resident Ruby has been offering a free photography service during lockdown.

A budding photographer, Ruby is due to start her GCSE photography course at Ashton Park School in September, and was keen to practise her skills.

Ruby has used the opportunity of her daily walk to take family photos on doorsteps while standing a minimum of two metres away, in order to comply with social distancing measures.

The photographs are then emailed to the customer.

She said: “I thought this would be a nice thing to do during lockdown as it gives people memories to keep, it’s something different to my school work, and it’s also helping me build my portfolio.”

Ruby is not charging for the sessions, instead suggesting that people donate to the NHS or food banks.

Although she is not yet sure if she’d like to pursue photography as a career, Ruby is interested in media.

She added: “I’ve always enjoyed taking and editing photos and recently completed the skills element of my bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, for which I did photography.”

For more information or to book a session, email emryan1978@gmail.com

My photo project highlights how for many, time has stood still during lockdown, challenging us to find happiness, escapism and a grip on normality in some unexpected ways. For me, taking photos has been the most significant and helpful pastime throughout lockdown. It has focused my creativity and given me a daily purpose, making me wonder what other people’s would be. I asked some of my neighbours.

A couple of weeks into the lockdown, I was missing capturing peoples stories so I put through a note in my neighbours door asking if they would like to take part in a neighbourhood project (from a distance of course) and had a good response back. Two meters apart, I chatted to neighbours I had never met, nor spoken to about our experience, our ups and downs which, in itself was lovely and grounding.

I asked each person to think of a prop that has given them some purpose during the lockdown and got all sorts of wonderful responses.

From bikes, to musical instruments, to pregnancy books to paintings. I am planning on making it into a book with proceeds going to Above and Beyond.

I am posting them on my instagram page @melanievax and my facebook @melaniesjournalism.” www.instagram.com/p/CAF82vZD22F/

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July 2020

southbristolvoice

n THE CITY PAGE

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BRISTOL CITY ROUND-UP

It was City I was missing, not football!

A

MARTIN POWELL is excited about the resumption of the season even if German games 'looked liked a bunch of blokes kicking a ball around'

few weeks into lockdown and I began to think that I missed football. So, imagine the excitement when it was announced that German Bundesliga games were to be played in empty stadiums and broadcast live on TV. But after settling down to watch it just seemed like a bunch of blokes kicking a ball around and I soon found myself reading something and wandering off. I never did find out which obscure German side won the game.

It turns out that I wasn’t missing football at all – I was missing Bristol City! Now, I am writing this before the Robins returned to action against Blackburn Rovers. At the moment I couldn’t be more excited.

Will the return of Benik Afobe make a difference to the goal-scoring prowess? How have the different sides in the Championship coped with the enforced rest? Will players have

returned to form or lost form?

And the big question – can City scrape together enough points to get into the play-offs and maybe make the Premier League?

There are eight games (well seven as you read this) and all to play for. Supporting your team is not really anything to do with following the sport. I have little interest in Liverpool, Manchester United or Wolfsburg.

Supporting your team is more like being addicted to a soap opera.

If you are an Eastenders fan you are not going to get the same buzz out of watching Home and Away. By contrast if you are an Eastender then you can’t wait to settle down and watch the excitement of the season unfold home and away.

The cast of characters are back. Jamie Paterson, the prodigal son returned; the lovable but slightly underachieving Famara Diedihou; the love him or hate him manager Lee Johnson and those buzzing

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dynamos Andreas Wiemann and Korey Smith.

There are all the sub-plots involving new characters yet to reveal their stories such as Nahki Wells, Filip Benkovic and Markus Henriksen and some fascinating plots involving Mat Taylor, Liam Walsh and Niclas Elliason to follow.

Will Famara go to Turkey?

Will Kasey Palmer get the chance to realise his potential? Settle back and enjoy – real football from BS3 streamed on to a screen in your home.

The greatest soap opera of them all. It is not quite what fans

really want. It’s better when you can be there to join in the thrills and spills, twists and turns. But the TV games at least hint that normal life is beginning to return.

Martin’s shorts The really big news at Ashton Gate is that Han-Noah Massengo has added a headband to his considerable talents. But it also seems the youngster has been working out as his biceps are now nearly as massive as his hair!

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Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Rich on 0777 555 0607 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

July 2020

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14

ADVICE FROM A PHARMACIST

Exploring your options with Covid testing

W

ith the easing of lockdown, many individuals, families and business are having to make tough decisions –literally undertaking their own coronavirus risk assessments as they plan and make decisions on how to best protect themselves, loved ones and employees.

Estimates of how many people in the UK have had coronavirus are sketchy and range from around 17% in London to 5% in places like the South West.

A positive antibody test will tell you whether you’ve previously had the virus that causes COVID-19 and if your body has produced an immune response.

The value of the test is that it helps answer the question – "Have I had the virus or not?" providing peace of mind alongside a better understanding of your experiences so far.

It offers an accurate picture to many people have had coronavirus without knowing it, so-called asymptomatic cases and those who maybe have had mild symptoms and remain unsure.

Antibody tests differ to virus swab (PCR) tests, which test to see if you currently have the virus.

This test is a ‘finger-prick’ type, similar to a diabetes test and is only available through a healthcare professional.

It takes about 10 minutes, and the results will be interpreted with its implications discussed with you by our pharmacist immediately.

The evidence is still emerging to determine if those who have had the virus develop longlasting immunity which would prevent them from getting the virus again.

The results of an antibody test do not mean making changes to personal behaviour, such as easing social distancing measures that protect us all. In fact, it may help reinforce why it is all so crucial as we realise that so many of us still remain vulnerable.

How accurate is the test?

The test is licensed by the regulator MHRA and is CE (EU conformity) marked.

For the specific SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies Relative Sensitivity: >99.9% Relative Specificity: 98.0% Accuracy: 98.6% For the specific SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibodies Relative Sensitivity: 85% Relative Specificity: 96.0% Accuracy: 92.9% The clinical study provides strong evidence of the usability and effectiveness of the test.

The science behind this particular Covid-19 Antibody test we are using, produced by

with Ade Williams

the Belfast-based Biotechnology Biopanda Reagents, was also featured and explained in the Channel 4 Fact-Check programme www. channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-qa-thenew-coronavirus-blood-tests As with all our clinical and vaccination services, the NHS professionals at the Bristol Travel Clinic will make sure it is delivered to the highest standards and at an affordable price, making it widely accessible to all. We are also running an introductory price offer campaign this month.

To book a Test or find out more, please call our freephone number 0800 7723575 or email : info@bristoltravelclinic.co.uk

Need us? Call 01179 853 388, we will be here for you.

Ade Williams of Bedminster Pharmacy discusses how pharmacies can help people with a variety of health conditions, and ease pressure on the NHS

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July 2020

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In witch I embrace lockdown

early every morning is like the film, Groundhog Day. First, I get woken around half six by my neighbour’s kids screeching in their garden. I roll over, squeezing my eyes shut.

Next, Mr Shuffle shuffles up to his car which is currently abandoned near my house and attempts to start it. After the eighth attempt the engine fires up.

Mr Shuffle remains in said car leaving it to idle for about five minutes before turning it off, slamming the door and shuffling back to his far-away house. I growl. Then the sound of panting; a flat-footed jogger, slap, slap, slapping along the pavement. The paperboy’s scooter rattles down the road shortly after and my squeaky gate squeals its annoyance as he pushes through and thrusts the paper into my letterbox. Cue stage right for the greyhounds with bells on their collars being taken for their daily stroll. Then the grand finale, Scrappy, who

sits on her throne not a gardener.

THE WICKED by my bedroom It is wild and WITCH OF window jumps into unloved. I KNOWLE action. Her loud, wrestled down aggressive barking the brambles and fills the air, angry nettles - it felt breath steaming good. I discovered the window as a long lost patio the jingling bells the slabs had sunk. disappear into the Me and the distance. I get up. teen carefully dug I was having a them out, levelled moan about some of the above off the ground and relayed them, to my local shopkeeper Mr Star. creating a couple of rockeries Mr Star is probably the most with the broken bits. laid back person I know, nothing It was rough but we were phases him, I’ve never heard rather pleased. Plants were him raise his voice, he is always bought from the supermarket positive. and I even picked up some seeds.

“Your children were small It was going to be fabulous. once and played out,” he soothed, Growing flowers from seed eyes sparkling. “There was a is tricky. I merrily filled trays, woman who lived near me and watered and watched. It did not every day she complained about take long for hundreds of tiny a builder starting his van to go seedlings to pop up. But now to work.” what? I had to thin them out and He looked at me with a smile: repot into bigger containers.

“You’re not that grumpy old The house was overrun with woman are you?” Yes, I was. babies on every available surface.

In an effort to be less grumpy I could not re-pot all these I have attacked my garden. I am seedlings, so I put the remaining

hundred into the garden to fend for themselves. I swear I could hear them crying.

I now love sitting in my garden, watching my plants grow/die. On one hot day, I was enjoying a moment of blissful silence seated on my wonky patio, reading a book. A scruffy little blue tit fluttered to a stop on a thorny rose branch just above my head. He puffed out his chest and chirped loudly at me.

I put my book down and studied him. He was hopping from foot to foot calling urgently in loud tweets.

“What’s the matter Scruffy?” I asked, “Has Timmy fallen down the well?” I stood up and looked around. Scruffy swooped off. I followed him with my eyes as he disappeared into my neighbour’s downpipe, I wondered what he was trying to tell me.

The next day I heard them.

Tiny tweets of new-born chicks echoing loudly out of the pipe.

He was telling me that he was a Dad. How fabulous was that.

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Rich on 0777 555 0607 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

Getting Bristol moving safely Travelling around Bristol is about to get easier. Major transport upgrades are underway to help you move safely as we emerge from lockdown. Bristol City Council is accelerating several projects offering safer and better public transport, cleaner air and improved walking and cycling routes.

These improvements will help our travel movements, but we’d still recommend avoiding peak times, prioritising buses for key workers and to walk or cycle where possible.

Pedestrianising the Old City area of Bristol

Pavement widening for local shopping areas

We’re fulfilling a long-standing ambition to make this historic part of the city more pedestrian-friendly by restricting vehicles during core business hours.

We are implementing the following upgrades:

The streets included are home to our independent markets, bars, cafes and restaurants. We want to create more outdoor social space, boosting footfall to the area and supporting small traders. Giving more space to pedestrians and cyclists will also help with social distancing.

Around 2,000 views were recorded at the start of the year about the Old City plans, revealing 94% of visitors travel to the area by foot, cycle or bus and 93% agreed there would be benefits from pedestrianisation.

We recognise that the scale of the work will require adjustment and behaviour change, with less car journeys and the removal of through-traffic in the city centre. The long-term benefits for travel around Bristol outweighs the inconvenience of this transition, as we continue to look at options to establish a well-connected city.

There are other travel improvements being made, please visit: www.bristol.gov.uk/streets-travel or travelwest.info

Introducing a bus priority route over Bristol Bridge and at the entrance to Baldwin Street We are putting into motion plans to restrict through–traffic to private vehicles over Bristol Bridge and Baldwin Street. This scheme includes introducing bus gates on all approaches to Bristol Bridge, and at the entrance to Baldwin Street from the city centre. The bus gates would then provide priority to pedestrians, public transport, taxis and cycles.

Once the measures are in place, we will evaluate the benefits and resolve any reported issues. We will also be speaking to communities, businesses and councillors to discuss the most effective measures.

Our team will be engaging with the public over the coming weeks and months to ensure the scheme is designed and delivered in a way that recognises access requirements and the concerns of individual traders and households.

• Bedminster Parade (suspension of parking) • Stapleton Road (suspension of parking and widening pavements) • St Marks Road (suspension of parking and widening pavements) • Clifton Village (suspension of parking) • Henleaze (suspension of parking and widening pavements) • Westbury-on-Trym (suspension of parking and widening pavements) • North Street (outside Tesco) (suspension of parking and widening pavements) • Mina Road (suspension of parking and widening pavements) • Cumberland Road (segregated cycle track) • Merchants Road Bridge (priority southbound and removal of traffic lane).

Interactive transport map A new mapping tool has been launched to record comments and ideas about transport and travel in Bristol. It can be used to identify difficult locations to maintain social distancing and ways to create better spaces for cycling and walking. The map can be used to give feedback.

Have your say at: bristol.gov.uk/covidtransport

Earn a guaranteed rent on your property We want to hear from anyone with a property available to let.

Working with Bristol City Council’s in-house lettings team you’ll enjoy:

Rent guarantee Package of support Quick and easy moves

The right tenants for your property Social distancing processes in place

If you have property available to rent and want to find out more, visit bristol.gov.uk/private-landlords or contact private.renting@bristol.gov.uk

There has never been a more important time to look out for friends, family, neighbours and colleagues.

Bristol residents are being urged to ask a simple but important question – Are you OK?

If you’re worried about someone, or need support yourself, visit the Are you OK? website and get the right help. bristolsafeguarding.org/areyouok

Help us to make your public spaces safe • Wear face coverings in busy shops, and on public transport • Keep your distance from others at all times

• Pay close attention to queuing guidance and one-way systems

www.gov.uk/coronavirus

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southbristolvoice

Devastated lives in war ... and peace

A book by Totterdown author Richard Graves chronicles the life of his uncle, poet Robert Graves, and his experience of shell-shock. South Bristol Voice investigates how the traumas of the Great War have modern-day manifestations for frontline workers and others

O

n July 20th, 1916, during the Battle of the Somme, poet Robert Graves was struck by a shell and was so badly wounded that the next day he was reported to have died.

He did in fact survive and went on to write about the traumatic experience of war in his autobiography Goodbye to All That.

While his physical injuries healed, the psychological impact lingered. He recounted returning to England and trembling at strong smells, akin to gas, and loud noises.

The British Empire suffered 420,000 casualties during that five-month campaign in northern France, which has come to stand for the horror and futility of the First World War.

Shellshock

It is also known for its ‘epidemic of shellshock’, which at the time was generally not recognised as individual psychological trauma, but as a threat to the army as a whole.

But the first steps were taken to look at the effects of what is now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and develop a more sympathetic approach to treatment.

Richard Graves, of digital marketing agency GWS Media in Lilymead Avenue, Totterdown, has written a three-volume biography of his uncle Robert Graves.

Richard, who covers the period of The Great War in his book, The Assault Heroic, said: “I was privileged to know my uncle Robert for almost forty years.

“It is a great tribute to him that he succeeded in overcoming the shellshock that plagued him very severely for at least fifteen years of his adult life.

“He also succeeded, despite his intense suffering, in making such a remarkable contribution to English literature.”

The term ‘shell shock’ was coined by the soldiers but it was first used in medical literature,

The Lancet, by Dr Charles Myers of the British Psychological Society in 1915.

Symptoms included fatigue, tremor, confusion and nightmares. Some soldiers received electric-shock treatment; some faced the firing squad for cowardice.

Graves began showing signs of shell-shock as early as September 1915 when he drank ‘about a bottle of whisky a day' to keep himself 'awake and alive.'

After the war had ended, he described how there were times when 'shells used to come bursting on my bed at midnight' and 'strangers in day-time would assume the faces of friends who had been killed' Shell-shock affected Graves throughout his life. Symptoms subsided after he moved to Majorca, but returned when he began suffering from Alzheimer's at the age of 81.

In Goodbye to All That, Graves wrote about the effect of shell shock and how an officer’s usefulness would decline. He said it had taken his ‘blood 10 years to recover’.

In his poems, Graves recounts waking visions of fellow soldiers who died on the Somme and

survivor’s guilt.

Graves lived to the aged of 90, having written more than 130 volumes of poetry, fiction, essays, criticism and lectures.

His eldest son, David, would serve in the same regiment as his father, the Royal Welch Fusiliers (RWF), during World War II. But sadly, David did not have the same lucky escape as his father, and was shot in action in Burma in 1943. He was just 23 years old.

Richard, who named his eldest son David after the soldier, said: “It is one of the great sadnesses of my life that I never met my first cousin David Graves, who died heroically fighting against the Japanese in March 1943, not long after his 23rd birthday.

“He was not only the bravest of warriors, but he also wrote fine poems and painted exquisite watercolours.

"Had he lived, he might have achieved much both as a writer and as an artist.”

PTSD

The official view during World War I was that well-trained troops did not suffer from shell shock; only those who were

unwilling or undisciplined.

The outbreak of World War II prompted Dr Myers to publish his findings of shell shock during the first war to create a better understanding of the condition.

Treatment evolved over the years and the documentary Let there be Light shows men undergoing hypnosis to treat ‘war neurosis’.

PTSD was first recognised as a mental health condition five years after the Vietnam War. A group of veterans, aided by psychoanalysts, lobbied the American Psychiatric Association to give a name to the suffering of people overwhelmed by the horrors of war.

PTSD appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders (DSM-III) in 1980. It made way for greater research and attempts at finding effective treatments.

The condition, which is now understood to apply to civilians as well as those involved in combat, may include flashbacks, outbursts of anger and irrational fear.

PTSD in the 21st century

Former Royal Navy Officer Deborah Maddison was medically retired from service at the age of 29.

The mum-of-two was initially diagnosed with chronic fatigue, which has since been found to be a possible response to trauma.

It took many years for Deborah’s condition to be recognised as Complex PTSD, which is caused by repeated experience of traumatic events rather than one major incident.

Deborah, who is now 50, said: “Trauma is not something we can easily see or measure and in the past it was not treated as real.

"But men were changed by war: returning home angrier, more violent or simply numb.

“Soldiers were labelled as shell-shocked - treated as cowards and deserters in a way to keep them on the front line.

“Fortunately, we have come a long way over the last 100 years and PTSD is better understood

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

July 2020 now. Although no one really understood what was wrong with me at the time, I was personally was well supported by my team, including my boss and doctor.

“But the stiff upper lip approach endured, with black humour and alcohol used to keep people going. We are now learning of kinder, healthier ways to heal.”

The Oxford graduate now offers a variety of therapies, looking at the mind-body connection.

Frontline workers

Deborah said: “Trauma is not something which just affects soldiers.

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19

In fact, the bulk of trauma takes place behind closed doors, in people’s homes.

"Often it is not just one major event, but numerous experiences which build up over time.

"Those working on the frontline right now, such as NHS workers and police offers, may start to feel overwhelmed while caring for others.

“Even when someone is taken out of the situation, trauma continues to affect their health.”

Deborah believes people do not need to become ‘stuck’ in the past.

She said: “I have got through a difficult time and come out stronger.”

PTSD and civilians – case study

Owen Morgan, 36, set up Man Cove Wellbeing to help inform and inspire men who have been affected by trauma or mental health issues.

Owen has personally experienced trauma – from physical abuse at the hands of a child-minder, to severe bullying and a life-threatening illness.

His site focuses on men, as it is believed they are less connected to their bodies and experiences, to help them to recognise trauma and ask for help where needed.

The massage therapist and personal trainer at Hanham Physiotherapy Clinic, said: “We share people’s experiences of trauma, as well as insights from specialists in the field, to help people recognise its affects and know that help is available.

“Trauma does necessarily have to be one major incident or be linked to fighting in a war. It can start in childhood or be a build-up of experiences over time."

Owen’s trauma started when he was a young child, when his child-minder physically abused him and force-fed him.

It led him to have an unhealthy relationship with food later on and he was heavily overweight in his teens, then extremely thin and obsessed with fat percentage in his 20s.

At the age of 32, he experienced stabbing pains in his stomach and lost two stone in weight in a week.

Doctors initially struggled to understand what was wrong with him as he was young, fit and healthy – regularly running marathons.

He was diagnosed with Intussusception, which is a serious condition in which part of the intestine slides into an adjacent part of the intestine.

He had multiple organ failure and the dead intestine was removed – to save his life.

The condition is very rare in adults and the doctors said stress and anxiety, which Owen had suffered badly with throughout his life, had affected his digestion and physical health.

Owen said: “It was a terrifying experience but I started to see how interlinked our physical and mental health is. From that moment I decided to take better care of myself, emotionally as well as physically.”

Owen started with mindfulness and finding ways to better connect with his body.

He went on to set up Man Cove Wellbeing to help others.

He said: “We want to inform and inspire until the day comes when people are ready to ask for help.”

Main picture, Robert Graves, World War I poet who experienced symptoms of shell shock. The photo is captioned: 'Ever your loving son Robbie March 16th '15.' Photographer W. Algernon Smith of Wrexham; opposite page, Richard and David Graves; left, Deborah Maddison; and far left, Owen Morgan, of Man Cove · For more information or help living with PTSD, visit www.ptsduk.org or www.combatstress.org.uk · Deborah supports people recovering from PTSD, trauma and stress and has created free online sessions: www. healingspace.co/corporate-and-workplace-breathwork · Man Cove Wellbeing shares free content to inspire people to improve their health and wellbeing www.mancovewellbeing.com · To read more about Richard’s work, visit www.richardgraves.org

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Rich on 0777 555 0607 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

INVITATION

CJ Hole Southville invite you to accept our offer of a free sales or lettings valuation.

To arrange an appointment, please telephone the office or call in personally.

If you have instructed another agent on a sole agency and/or sole selling rights basis, the terms of those instructions must be considered to avoid a possible liability to pay two commissions.

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July 2020

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21

KARIN SMYTH MP for Bristol South

Government must listen to schools

S

ince schools first closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic back in March, I’ve been contacted by parents, teachers, headteachers and governors about the situation.

The initial Government announcement that schools would re-open to certain year groups from ‘June 1 at the earliest’ offered no clear guidance for schools or reassurances for parents that it would be safe to do so. In lieu of a clear strategy, it left it up to individual school headteachers and governors to decipher ever-changing guidance to try and ensure their schools could safely re-open.

The Labour Party repeatedly called on the Government to set up a taskforce of parents, school leaders and education unions, and health experts to agree upon a series of practical safety measures that must be met before any date for reopening was confirmed.

But, like much of the Government’s Coronavirus response, it ignored input from parents and teachers - showing a complete lack of respect for those affected by these decisions. We needed a clear, informed strategy built on consensus but we got some vague, ill thought-out plan which shows little understanding of how schools actually operate.

reasons for this – from stopping children falling behind in their education, to allowing parents to return to work and to identify safeguarding issues and ensure full support is available to those families who need it.

Schools are there for education but are also fundamental to wider society - enabling parents to work and supporting local families. They are essential in tackling child poverty and act as a safety net for many children, ensuring they have access to food and emotional support – as well as learning opportunities.

We know that missing six months of school will hit some children harder than others and we have to look at how we will support those families. We need a package of academic and pastoral support from the Government. But it must also understand that addressing the academic shortfall alone will not be enough without tackling the root causes of child poverty and inequality.

One local primary school governor, speaking to me ahead of the June opening, asked for “a well prepared plan which takes account of the health and safety of pupils, our staff, and all those who work in, or visit, schools."

They added: "The Government repeatedly says it “is led by the science”. In this instance it must be led by the people who know how schools operate, how children behave and what their needs are.”

We all want children to return to school as soon as it is safe to do so. There are so many

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TheVoice Bristol South advice ad AW2.pdf

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July 2020

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Bristol advice agencies are open for FREE phone advice

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Call 0117 922 5353 advice@ageukbristol.org.uk www.ageuk.org.uk/bristol

Call 0117 924 8662 mail@bristollawcentre.org.uk www.bristollawcentre.org.uk

Call 0117 352 1888 welfarerights@bristol.gov.uk www.bristol.gov.uk/beneďŹ tsďŹ nancial-help/welfare-rights-andmoney-advice-service

Bristol

Call 0117 935 1260 advice@chasbristol.co.uk www.chasbristol.co.uk

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General advice: 03444 111 444 Initial Universal Credit claims: 0800 144 8444 www.bristolcab.org.uk

Call 0117 954 3990 mail@talkingmoney.org.uk www.talkingmoney.org.uk

Call 0344 515 1430 Urgent help out of hours: 0808 800 4444 https://england.shelter.org.uk

Call 0117 947 9922 disabledpeopleshelpline@wecil.co.uk www.wecil.co.uk

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July 2020

southbristolvoice

Former South Street pupil celebrating after publication of her first novel

23 Below left, Tina M Edwards and below, the cover of 'The Secret of Creek Cottage'

Tina M Edwards, poet and author, hasn’t forgot her roots.

Born in Greville Road she attending South Street school and then Ashton Park…fast forward to lockdown 2020, and she is celebrating the publication of her first time-slip novel The Secret of Creek Cottage, available from the 10th July.

Set in 1916 and present-day Bristol/Cornwall, it follows the lives of two families almost a century apart. It is published

by Bristol-based publisher, SilverWood Books and bridges the gap between historical and contemporary fiction. Steeped in Cornish folklore and the supernatural, it is the perfect read for fans of Stacey Halls’s The Familiars and Bellewether

by Susanna Kearsley. You can order direct from the authors website, SilverWood Books, as well as from your local independent bookshop.

For more, visit www.tinamedwardswriter.com

BS3 Wildlife News and My Wild South Bristol

Bristol Future Parks programme You may know that Bristol Future Parks is trying to work out a strategy for parks and other green spaces in what are likely to be increasingly difficult economic times. It’s been slightly knocked off course by covid-19, but is trying to get underway again. Go to facebook.com/ BristolFutureParks for more background. They are trying to get ideas and reactions from across the city to help determine the future and as we went to press, were considering Southville/Bedminster on Tuesday, 30 June. More next month on how it went. Consultations for Windmill Hill, Knowle and Filwood wards (the Ghost of Neighbourhood Partnerships gone by?) will be on July 27 and proper invitations will follow. For other ‘neighbourhood partnerships’ contact hayley.ash@ bristol.gov.uk .

Oh no, not another one We’ve said before that the four white butterfly species that are often seen in Bedminster are hard to tell apart because they move quickly and rarely settle. But, there may be another on its way. The Southern Small White looks very like our own Small White, but mainly lives in South-East Europe. Or did! According to the latest Butterfly Conservation magazine, it’s been spreading north recently and seems to have crossed the Alps in 2008 (no elephants were involved) and was recorded around Calais last year. It will probably cross the Channel at some point. Indeed, it may already have done so.

More trees?

It’s generally accepted that lots more trees would be a Good Thing, not just for wildlife, but also to reduce air pollution and slightly mitigate some of the problems arising from climate change. Bristol has set itself the target of doubling tree cover by 2050. It’s disappointing therefore to see that a recent central government proposal is to increase tree cover from 10% of England to a mere 12% by 2050. A move in the right direction, but totally inadequate.

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Rich on 0777 555 0607 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

July 2020

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24

Views from your local councillors Charlie Bolton Green Southville Bloody hell I mean, a virus. A once in a century event of awfulness.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse. Brexit.

Johnson. A Tory majority of 80.

Now this. OK, we haven’t had the full horror of Brexit yet.

Then there is an enormous £80m hole in council finances due to the virus. I believe the council is thinking of borrowing to cover it this year. But who knows about next.

So first off - a big thank you to all those on social media who have been supporting others during the virus. You are the heroes of the piece.

Second - well I thought the government had blundered its way through like a bunch of incompetents, but didn’t really think any other party would have done it any better.

Or at least, that was until the

Cummings debacle. It reminds me of the sort of hypocrisy Tories are capable of.

Third, as I write, it seems like the social distancing rules of lockdown are breaking down.

A pity that the council didn’t act quicker to take advantage of the requirement to cater more quickly for the cycling and walking community of the area.

Finally, in the midst of all this. Colston’s statue in the harbour.

Good bloody riddance.

For details of how to contact your councillor, please turn to our information panel on Page 2 Got news or a letter to share? Email news@ southbristolvoice.co.uk

Celia Phipps Labour Bedminster The Government advice changes weekly but to stay safe, reducing your contact with others will continue to be good advice for some time. BS3 Covid Response Hub, in partnership with BS3 Community, continues to work hard to support anyone with practical needs and provides volunteers to carry out a range of activities, from collecting shopping, picking up prescriptions and delivering food parcels. If you do need support, please ring 0117 3812181 and they will be only too willing to help. If you have other queries, perhaps about your business or housing , please use coronavirus@bristol.gov. uk or sign up for the Council’s Covid Newsletter or ring 0800 694 0184.

Traffic was much reduced in the earlier months and the effect on our neighbourhoods

was welcome. Some of the wider pavements have been altered to allow for social distancing but we are aware that this only goes a small way to improving the pedestrian experience. The Council has moved, albeit slowly, to look at low car areas across the city and suggestions have already been submitted for The Chessels and an area in Ashton Vale.

We support the removal of the statue of Edward Colston and the plan to place it in the MShed , with placards, as one way of encouraging much greater understanding about the city’s links to slavery and the ongoing fight for racial equality. The response made by the Police at the Black Lives Matter demonstration was proportionate and carefully considered. The Council was required by the Police to put in a factual statement and did not make a formal complaint.

The CPS will decide if action is required.

While we are not able to hold our surgeries, please continue to contact us either via email, phone, or our Facebook page.

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July 2020

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25

Views from your local councillors Gary Hopkins Lib Dem Knowle A busy time over the last three months for Chris and I as residents found the time to raise issues that had previously been put to one side. More time was devoted to phoning more mature constituents offering help with shopping and prescription collecting where our band of volunteers could help. Great news was that, because of the large number of street groups and helpful family members, the unmet demand was much lower in Knowle than other parts of the city. Great to hear how many people love the area and how many people care for our community and each other.

Parks have been very important for exercise and relaxing and it is great that Paignton Park is now adding to the list. The former Salcombe Rd Rec is now in three parts. The Knowle Park School playing field

and the successful shared equity housing has been added to with pathways, planting of trees and shrubs and a new playground.

The completion was delayed but is now almost there. We are supporting the forming of a ‘Friends of’ group so please get in touch if you can help.

There was considerable frustration from regular users as Redcatch Park tennis courts were kept locked longer than necessary while council officers tied themselves up in red tape re covid19 requirements while we had promise after promise they would be opened.

A special meeting of Bristol City Full Council was called and saw every opposition councillor demand an independent inquiry into the massive losses (£50m +) made by the council-owned Bristol Energy but was blocked by every Labour councillor and the mayor. With the elections postponed until 2021, miraculously they have now decided that it must be sold.

Coronavirus has put pressure on the council budget but the energy company is the killer for services.

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Jon Wellington Labour Windmill Hill It feels like a long time since the last column which was written just as the lockdown was put in place. In line with all public sector organisations, the council’s services have continued as much as possible and no staff have been furloughed, with many staff being redeployed to Covid-19 specific roles.

Council staff have worked incredibly hard to keep services going, and councillors like ourselves are continuing to work through by dealing with casework and attending meetings and committees remotely.

A concern for many people is the issue of when schools would reopen more widely.

The three primary schools in Windmill Hill ward have all begun admitting more year groups since the beginning of June, but with the need to maintain safe distancing it is a

huge challenge for the staff. It is important to remember that schools have remained open throughout the lockdown period for the children of key workers and vulnerable children.

Furthermore, teachers have been working harder than ever delivering teaching and support to children working at home. It is important that we recognise the hard work of all teachers in our local schools who have worked so hard to keep things going in the most difficult of circumstances.

We also want to alert people to the walking consultation.

Increasing pedestrian space to ensure social distancing is an important issue for all of us.

We have several busy roads in the ward including Wells Road, Bath Road and St Johns Lane where it is difficult for pedestrians to keep a distance.

The council has opened an online form where people can submit areas where new measures could be implemented.

You can find it by searching for ‘Bristol COVID-19 transport request form’, or feel free to contact me or Lucy Whittle.

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July 2020

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July 2020

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Mike uncovers ‘the hidden corners of Bristol’ One of Mike's walks covers 'the best-kept secret of south Bristol, the Northern Slopes'. Perrett Park, left, offers excellent views of South Bristol. Below, the view from the Northern Slopes at Glyn Vale / Kenmare

by Charley Rogers South Bristol-based Mike Wilberforce is exploring the city on foot, and cataloguing his findings Mike has lived in Bristol his entire life, and has been developing a keen love of walking the area since childhood.

In a project that began as a book proposal and has since transformed into an everexpanding website, Mike lists his walking routes on his site, including information on terrain, main attractions, available refreshments, and approximate distance and time taken to complete.

“It turns out that Bristol is great for walking,” says Mike on his website. “A city defined by its hills and steep-sided river valleys, there are many places where nature creeps into innercity neighbourhoods.”

There are, of course, many books of country walks available,

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He explained: “What makes my project different is that it is based on the city instead of the countryside, looking for attractive and/or wild places within the city itself.”

Mike plans to chart a total of 31 walks throughout Bristol, and has already published six, including a route through Upper Knowle and Kensington Park.

“I set out to provide decent coverage of all Bristol’s compass points,” said Mike. “There's a full list of my planned walks on the website, including a map showing roughly where they're going to be.”

Walks can be followed live via the website, and routes can be downloaded via PDF. More information is available at mikesbristolwalks.wordpress. com

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southbristolvoice

Artist explores green space through lockdown sketches

by Charley Rogers “When lockdown happened it felt like my life just stopped,” says local artist Victoria Willmott, who is used to spending her time “rushing across the city” between various jobs, studio meetings and private viewings.

The sudden change brought with it a sense of uncertainty and the acute realisation of the risks of freelancing, but Victoria chose to use the situation to her advantage, and has created a book of her lockdown sketches featuring pastel drawings of Bristol’s green spaces.

“I recognised how lucky I was living here in Long Ashton,” she says. “I spent my days sketching the view from my window and kept taking my sketchbooks out with me on my daily walks.”

As the collection of sketches grew, Victoria realised that they may be of interest to fellow Bristolians. “The more I explored, the more I felt an urgency to share my experience, she says. “Especially for the city-dwellers that may be longing for a walk to the bluebell forest or to just breathe in the fresh open air.”

Victoria decided to put together the book in full colour, and in A5 size to replicate her original sketchbook drawings as closely as possible. The book contains 16 double-page sketches, and Victoria hopes to produce more in the future. “I haven’t stopped drawing the views,” she says, “and whilst the freelance city life is still on pause I’ll continue with this slower pace of daily sketches.”

The books are available to purchase for £12 from victoriawillmott.com.

You can also follow Victoria on Instagram @victoriawillmott

29

BS4 Good Gardens update I have loved taking over the reins of BS4 Good Gardens from Ruth Drury, who has done an amazing job for the last few years. We’ve had to rely on the Facebook group and word of mouth for letting people know it was still going ahead this year, for obvious reasons, but it's been a great success.

Each road is judged by a volunteer and a favourite picked. Once the judging finishes, one of the favourites is picked randomly to win a meal for two, kindly donated

by The Knowle pub on Leighton Road. Big thanks also need to go to Greenwoods Property and Kennedy Chiropody & Podiatry, as well as everyone who donated via our crowd funder, and Maisie Pickering who designed the wonderful gnomes window stickers.

Without all of these, BS4 Good Gardens would not take place – THANK YOU ALL! I’d also like to give special thanks to Nigel Sargent for his generous donation in memory of his wife, Christine. I never had the pleasure of meeting her, but I know she loved BS4 Good Gardens and will be greatly missed.

Laura Chamberlain

Little Kitchen Meal Kit Review Meal Kit - Pad Thai with Sweetcorn Fritters 5 *****

I was given a Little Kitchen’s Pad Thai with Sweetcorn Fritters meal kit to try out and review. These are great little meal kits that give you an opportunity to try out something that you might not ordinarily, either because you are not a confident cook, you don’t think you have the time or the money or because cooking something like that from scratch is just not something that you do.

The great thing about these kits is that they show you that you can make enjoyable, tasty and healthy meals, on a very reasonable budget and without a great deal of fuss. The pre-weighed, fresh ingredients came cleverly packaged up in mostly compostable packaging with a well-laid out instruction guide.

The key to a fuss-free meal with these kits is to read the recipe through before starting. Doing this meant that what initially looks complicated was actually remarkably easy and enjoyable to prepare and cook. The instructions are cleverly separated into preparation and cooking which works really well. So off I went; I sliced, crushed and chopped all of the various bits I had, prepared the noodles and then took a deep breath and started the fritters.

They cooked so well and, so much easier than I thought, ready in minutes.

Once these were done I fried up my veg, dropped in the noodles and sauce and hey presto, a two-course meal in minutes.

I really didn’t know what to expect when sitting down to try the food but I was so surprised. The flavours were spot on, get me!!! The sweet flavour of the fritters were balanced really well by the spicy dipping sauce that they came with and even the kids liked them, a good sign indeed. The Pad Thai itself was a delicate balance of flavours that lasted for ages after touching the tongue, not overpowering as perhaps I was expecting. I went for seconds... and thirds.

This was without doubt a success. I will be making it again!! DD

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Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Rich on 0777 555 0607 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

July 2020

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30

MARVIN REES, Mayor of Bristol

We can bounce back from Covid-19

C

oronavirus, and the measures we’ve put in place to tackle it, have changed our city in countless ways over the last three months.

We were physically separated from our friends and family, often at the worst imaginable times. Eagerly-anticipated weddings, holidays, family gatherings and festivals have been cancelled. Our children and young people have been cut off from school and friendship groups. Many of our citizens who are severely vulnerable to the virus have been confined to their homes.

Hundreds of people lost loved ones, and have been unable to say goodbye or grieve in person.

Amid this loss, we have also seen Bristol shine as a city of hope. Key workers in the NHS, in Social Care, in our food retail stores and our distribution workers have put themselves in harm’s way to provide care and keep essential supplies on the shelves.

Teachers have adapted to the circumstances to create lessons so they can be delivered at home. People have embraced a volunteering spirit, evidenced by the thousands who signed up for CanDo Bristol, checked on neighbours and joined mutual aid groups.

As we come out of lockdown and our city takes tentative steps towards recovery, we need to harness this energy and this hope.

We must be clear about the scale of the challenge. The virus is still with us, and we need to be prepared for further disruption if further outbreaks occur. Our economy too is in a precarious position. Many have already lost their jobs, and a survey from Business West indicates that 88 per cent of firms in the region are concerned for their future.

The pandemic has also accelerated existing inequalities in our city: BAME communities and the lowest paid are most likely to contract and die from the virus.

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