southbristolvoice November 2017 No. 30
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• Failings before fatal stabbing Pages 4-5 • Helping wildlife survive the winter Pages 16-17 • Adoption: The pain and the rewards Page 38
Fun in the garden There were new skills to be learned when Redcatch Community Garden held its official launch, and Ivan and Lucy, both 4, enjoyed making their own wooden brooches. Full story on page 13.
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them that a temporary solution needs to be put in place quickly because the road is so dangerous.” Online, one woman called it “so dangerous and stupid to remove and not replace the only
VICTORIA
KNOWLE
Page 3
from ALLSPICE p15
Anger over danger crossing THE CITY council left a busy Totterdown road without a pedestrian crossing for several days after being forced to remove a set of Pelican lights because they were dangerous. A set of temporary lights was installed in St Luke’s Road on Monday morning (October 23), several days after the equipment was removed as an emergency. It was a member of the public who reported the crossing as a hazard, saying the poles were rusted. When the crossing was inspected the electrics were found to be unsafe and the lights were removed. Residents joined community group Tresa, Bristol South MP Karin Smyth and Windmill Hill councillor Jon Wellington in calling for a rapid replacement. Cllr Wellington said: “I told
delays?
KNOWLE PARK
crossing on St Luke’s Road, which is a major artery for rush hour traffic.” The council was unable to give a statement to the Voice Continued on page 3
• Fireworks guide Page 40 • PLUS An offer for booklovers Page 16
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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 MORE THAN A VICTIM IN ALL the horror that has greeted the court case into the killing of Kamil Ahmed, it’s easy to forget that at the centre of the story is a human being who deserves to be remembered for his own qualities, not the manner of his ending. Kamil Ahmed needed a safe haven in Britain. Tortured in Iraq, he tried to build a new life here. He’s fondly remembered by many in Knowle as a gentle and interesting man; and he’s missed by a large extended family, many of them also making new homes in Britain. Let’s trust that the Serious Case Review into the events which led to his death will
You can find South Bristol Voice on Facebook and Twitter facebook.com/ southbristolvoice Twitter: @sbristolvoice Next month’s deadline for editorial and advertising is November 15th recognise that he was let down. Kamil had been threatened by Jeffery Barry, a fellow resident at 246 Wells Road, for many years. He felt unsafe in his home and staff at the Milestones Trust were well aware of the situation. Barry was on a final warning and at risk of eviction. Should steps have been taken well before the killing? At any event staff at Milestones tried to prevent the return of Barry from a mental health secure unit on July 6, 2016. They were unable to do so. But given that, why was Barry able to go out and get drunk, with no supervision at the home? Why was the mental health tribunal which released Barry not given his full medical history? There are many questions to be answered.
November 2017
n BRIEFLY n PEOPLE attending the Victoria Park annual bonfire on November 5 are being asked not to bring fireworks. Organisers say the event will not get a licence in future years if fireworks are let off. • Fireworks guide: Page 40 n FAMILIES who would like to admire some of Knowle’s Halloween decorations are invited to join a walk from the George Inn on Wells Road at 6.30pm on Tuesday October 31. Organisers will supply a trail sheet and there will be prizes for the best costumes. n APOLOGIES: in our item on the death of Betty Utting in the October issue, we said that Betty’s father-in-law was called Alf. In fact, Alf Utting was her husband; his father was called William. Both Alf and William Utting were superintendents of Arnos Vale cemetery. n FED UP with high energy bills? Learn how to save money in your home with Smart Energy GB, an independent
group promoting smart meters for gas and electricity. Experts will be on hand at Zion Bristol, Bishopsworth Road, from 10am to 4pm on Saturday November 25. There will also be tips on keeping your garden winterproof with horticulturalist Emma Moore, craft stalls and demonstrations, plus music, children’s activities and Lego building. There is free tea, coffee and cake for all visitors. • zionbristol.co.uk/ n A TOUR of the historic Underfall Yard follows the annual general meeting of Franc, the Friends of the Avon New Cut, at 2pm on Sunday November 5. The meeting is in the education room at the Underfall Yard, Cumberland Road BS1 6UG. • franc.org.uk n ASPIRING football coaches can take their first steps by joining an FA Level 1 course at Ashton Gate. The course leads to the 1st4sport Level 1 Award and is open to anyone over 18. • participant.co.uk/ bristolcityfccommunitytrust/
CLEVE HOUSE SCHOOL How do I get in touch with ... & LITTLE CLEVE NURSERY www.clevehouseschool.co.uk For boys and girls aged 2-11 years
WE’RE ALWAYS GIVING EACH OTHER A HAND! Come and see us at 254 Wells Road, Bristol BS4 2PN
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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 November 10 and 24. 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
WATCH US GROW AT • nuj.org.uk/about/nuj-code CLEVE HOUSE!
November 2017
n NEWS Totterdown’s legendary weekend of art MYTHs and legends are the theme of the Front Room art trail
Crossing fury Continued from Page 1 before we went to press. The footways on St Luke’s Road are narrow, making it difficult to install the bulky temporary lights without disrupting traffic. The crossing was due to be replaced in 2018-19, but questions will be asked how the council could have allowed it to get into such a dangerous state unnoticed. Any new crossing may also need more space, which may mean the crossing is moved, or a simpler zebra crossing installed.
Christmas dins THE OXFORD pub in Totterdown is hosting a Christmas dinner for up to 20 lonely or isolated people. The pub is opening its doors on Christmas Day to the Marmalade Trust, a charity which organises Christmas meals all cover Bristol. Natalie Wheeler from the charity said: “What a wonderful act of community kindness. Thank you so much to landlord Jon Evans and his wife.” The Marmalade Trust is looking for volunteer drivers and others to help out on December 25 – details on the website. • marmaladetrust.org/volunteer
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– Bristol’s oldest art trail – on November 18 and 19, with 200 artists across 90 venues. Higham Green will also play host to a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party of cocktails in vintage teacups from the Down the Rabbit Hole Bar, with a Bake Off competition to be judged by local legend
Lavender Bloom. The Oxford and the Shakespeare pubs will both be sprinkling some fairy dust as they enter the faery realm through the means of live music. Take a leap of faith on platform 9 3/4 (Totterdown Square) and enter a Quidditch tournament against other
Arena could be delayed yet again PLANS for a Bristol arena look likely to be redrafted – which could lead to more delays beyond the projected 2020 opening. In a heavy hint that the whole project is being looked at afresh, a senior Labour politician has said that the party inherited a “millstone” from previous mayor George Ferguson and the new administration “needs to start from scratch”. Bruce Yates, who is Bristol East campaigns officer and chair of the Labour party in the St George branch, was quoted in the Bristol Post as saying: “The truth is this project, while potentially massive for Bristol, was subject to a number of poor decisions that led to growing costs and underfunding. Decisions that were taken had to be re-thought by the Labour administration.” Mr Yates was responding to a plea from Mr Ferguson for the arena plan to be pushed ahead. Officially, mayor Marvin Rees is committed to building an arena at Temple Meads. Planning permission for a 12,000 capacity venue, with the
ability to stage theatre events and concerts of differing sizes, was granted in April 2016, weeks before Mr Rees took office. But the council could not agree a budget with Bouygues UK, its contractor. It’s thought the cost of £93 million could grow to £120m or more. It is now in talks with another developer, Buckingham Group, while conducting a value-for-money review of the whole scheme. No update is expected before December. It appears that the council is planning a simpler, and cheaper, arena that can still hold 12,000 people. It may lose features such as the ability to stage ice shows. However, if the plans are changed significantly they will need new planning permission which could add a year or more to the timetable. Some of the city’s Tories have called for the arena to be built at Filton instead. Conservative leader Mark Weston described as an “embarrassment” the news that Cardiff is to get a second arena, to open within four years.
3 witches, wizards and warlocks. A stilt walker will stride the streets of Lower Totterdown and a fire ceremony straight from the pages of Norse Folklore will close the weekend. Children’s activities include the hunt for a dragon’s nest and a fairy wing competition. • frontroom.org.uk
Hello and goodbye TOTTERDOWN welcomes another new entrepreneur, Sharon Lowick, who is set to open Frankie Loves Ada at 152 Wells Road (formerly Floriogaphy) on Saturday October 28. Sharon was previously trading in West Street, Bedminster, and will be selling retro and upcycled furniture, cards, gifts and novelties. Sharon also offers event styling for weddings and other events. From mid-November a monthly supper club will be run there by Tim Owen of dinewithi, who has been offering occasional pop-up meals at Totterdown Canteen. Tim will be cooking at home and bringing the food in. • Meanwhile it’s goodbye to Mrs Brown’s, the café in Victoria Park, where proprietors Emily and Elliot will be hanging up their aprons when the venue closes for the winter in midNovember. The couple want to devote more time to family life with their young son. In seven years, the business has grown from a single-handed operation to one that needs four or five staff at busy times. The council will put the pitch up for tender next year. • Facebook: Frankie Loves Ava
It’s O-O-panto!
NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUMS NOTE: These meetings are on hold due to council cutbacks.
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: 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 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 Co. no. 09522608 | VAT no. 211 0801 76
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Seasonal fun: The Totterdown players in a previous production
IT’S PANTO time again and this year there’s a James Bond theme in the Totterdown Community Players’ production, A View to a Hill. The secret agent is called in after the evil Dr Knowle, annoyed that the people of Totterdown are happy and contented, turns all the childen into animals. Can he save the day? Find out at Totterdown Baptist Church, at 7pm on Friday December 1 or 3pm on December 2. Tickets are £5 adults, £3 children over 3; available at the Front Room art trail or on the door.
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November 2017
Murder verdict exposes failings before • Tribunal missed vital data on killer’s psychosis medication • Staff at home tried to stop Barry’s return • He had threatened Kamil over years Road, Knowle, and then in the Long Bar in Old Market. He returned in the early hours, when he knocked on Mr Ahmed’s door and then stabbed him more than 25 times before mutilating his body. Shortly before the killing, he called a mental health crisis line saying he was insane and not responsible for his actions. Barry has paranoid schizophrenia and had previously spent around 20 years in secure mental health wards. Since 2010 he has mostly been living in a flat at the Milestones home, with his condition largely controlled by the powerful anti-psychotic drug clozapine. However, on two occasions, in 2013 and at the end of 2015, he was forced for health reasons to stop taking clozapine. Both times his behaviour deteriorated. In 2013 he attacked Mr Ahmed and made threats to kill members of the public and Milestones staff. He also lost his sexual inhibitions and began to talk inappropriately about sex. In June 2016, he was seen
OffICeS TO RenT The Park Centre, Daventry Road, Knowle, Bristol BS4 1DQ www.theparkknowle.org.uk
5
Kamil was stabbed
Jeffery Barry: Claimed he was in the grip of psychosis and not responsible for his actions when he killed and mutilated Kamil Ahmed. But a jury decided he knew exactly what he was doing. Above, a note left in his flat
Kamil Ahmed: Tried to stay away from Barry in the home they shared wandering the home naked performing sexual acts and making threats. In court, consultant psychiatrist Dr Roger Thomas said the mental health tribunal which agreed to Barry’s release had the wrong information on a crucial point. The tribunal was told that Barry had not been taking clozapine for a year and a half. In fact, he had been off the drug only for a few months, since the end of 2015. Instead he was taking other, less powerful drugs. Dr Thomas argued that in the first half of 2016, the effects off the clozapine were gradually wearing off, leading Barry to slip
into psychotic behaviour. But the tribunal, thinking that Barry had been off clozapine for much longer, “would have assumed that he was well because he was being treated with drugs other than clozapine,” said Dr Thomas. If they had had the true information, “I would have hoped that they would have come to a different conclusion,” said Dr Thomas. He said he did not think the tribunal should have released Barry. Barry will be sentenced on November 1o. • A longer version of this report is on the Voice website.
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n NEWS
n NEWS THE MENTALLY ill man who killed Knowle asylum seeker Kamil Ahmed might never have been released from a secure hospital if the correct information had been given to a tribunal, a court has been told. Jeffery Barry, 51, was convicted by a jury at Bristol Crown Court on October 17 of the murder of Mr Ahmed, at a supported living house for people with mental health difficulties at 246 Wells Road. Barry denied murder, saying he was not responsible for his actions. The Crown Prosecution service said after the verdict that Barry was a racist. “Barry’s long-standing animosity towards Mr Ahmad ... was based in large part on Barry’s racist views,” said John Penny, senior crown prosecutor for CPS South West. Barry had claimed to others that Kamil was a terrorist killer and a paedophile – views for which there is no evidence whatever. Barry killed and then mutilated Mr Ahmed only hours after being released from the Kewstoke mental health unit in North Somerset. Staff at the Wells Road home, which is run by the Milestones trust, tried to stop Mr Barry’s release when they heard it had been ordered by a mental health tribunal on July 6, 2016, the court was told. But they were too late – Barry was on his way home. After being dropped off by his brother, he spent the evening in two pubs – first in Charlie’s bar in Wells
November 2017
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‘You should have been better protected. You were a valued and loved member of our community’ IN THE light of the court case, the tributes left to Kamil Ahmed outside his home in Wells Road shortly after his death in July 2016 are even more poignant. “So sorry and outraged to hear this,” read one message. “You should have been better protected. You were a valued and loved member of our community.” Kamil lived in the home, run by the Milestones Trust, while he applied for asylum in the UK. The gateway to the house was festooned with flowers and messages from friends and family. Last year his brother Kamaran Ahmed, 40, said: “He was a lovely man and everyone liked him. “All we want is for that thing never to happen to anyone else.” Kamil had been living in Bristol for five years though, like many of his family, he had fled Iraq many years before. The family are Kurds from Kirkuk, a community savagely persecuted by Iraq’s
dictator Saddam Hussain. Kamiil was imprisoned for two years and when he reached the UK was diagnosed with severe posttraumatic stress disorder. At a eulogy for Kamil held last year his friends Adil Jaifar and Rebecca Yeo told of his enthusiastic work as an interpreter for Bristol Refugee Rights. Adil and Rebecca told the gathering held to remember Kamil that he had made many friends in Bristol, where he spent every spare minute learning English. They said: “Kamil had a strong sense of justice, objected to any wrongdoings, and highly valued every individual’s need for respect and dignity. He was known for his soft speaking manner and his witty sense of humour.” At an event to improve conditions for disabled asylum seekers, Kamil had said: “In Iraq, people smashed my head by stones, they laughed at me. In this country they don’t hit you, but they do mentally… is it the human right if somebody is a disabled person to be treated in this way?” “This quote is now deeply ironic,” said Adil and Rebecca. ” The news and circumstances of his killing shocked everyone who knew him. The world has lost a gentle, kind-hearted and modest man. He will not, and must not, be forgotten.”
Review will aim to learn lessons A SERIOUS case review by the city’s adult safeguarding board is examining any lessons to be learned from the case. It will involve Bristol city council’s social services
department, the police and the NHS. It is not expected to report until the New Year at least. However, previous reviews have taken two years to produce a report.
A weekend of culture MORE than 75 artists showed off their achivements in more than 40 venues around Windmill Hill on October 7 and 8 – and
the weather stayed fine for some open-air performances in Victoria Park. More pictures are on the Voice website.
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November 2017
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n NEWS HIGHWAY engineers don’t believe a new layout for the Three Lamps junction – to allow traffic to turn right from Wells Road to Bath Road – is justified. But Knowle’s two councillors don’t believe the issue has been studied properly and are calling for more work on the idea. Drivers coming from Knowle and Totterdown wanting to head out of the city on the A4 either have to make a U-turn on Bath Bridge or head up the A37 to join Bath Road via Callington Road or Talbot Road – both of which are frequently congested. Lib Dem councillors Gary Hopkins and Chris Davies have
Objection to later drinking A REQUEST to extend licensing hours at Charlie’s Bar in Wells Road, Knowle, is being opposed by councillors. The pub wants to serve alcohol for an extra hour, closing at midnight instead of 11pm. Knowle councillors Gary Hopkins and Chris Davies have objected to the licence variation, saying they have had “numerous” complaints about the premises from neighbours. The landlady of Charlie’s Bar, Melody Taylor, said the pub worked hard to be a good neighbour and would respond to any complaints. The application is to open late seven days a week, but the intention is only to do so on Friday and Saturday, she said. She pointed out that the George in Wells Road is already open till midnight while pubs in Bedminster open much later.
and the arena, as well the future housing up to Totterdown Bridge, is for some sort of right turn or roundabout at Three Lamps. “There have been no other plans put forward to relieve this congestion, and it’s very sad our proposal has been dismissed.” A report from highways officers sent to the councillors said very little traffic appears to need the right turn. Only 15 or 16 vehicles an hour make the U-turn at Bath Bridge, according to a 2013 survey. Making a right-turn
lane at the junction would mean losing the bus lane and would increase delays for other traffic, said the report. Cllr Davies said he didn’t believe the council had counted the traffic emerging from York Road to head up Bath Road. Cllr Jon Wellington, Labour councillor for Windmill Hill, said he was wary of any changes that would increase tailbacks up Wells Road. That would mean more vehicles idling, which would affect people living nearby, he said.
Mayor adds harbour homes scheme to list of bold ideas A tube plan and homes at Temple Meads also floated THE SWING bridge over Bristol Harbour will be torn down to make room for hundreds of homes if mayor Marvin Rees gets his way. In his State of the City address on October 18, the mayor said the new area could be called Western Harbour. It’s not clear exactly where the homes would go – perhaps near the end of Greville Smyth park and around the Create centre. If so, the idea looks certain to arouse opposition. Mr Rees said: “We are putting
together a proposal that will tear down the old, ugly road network across the western end of the harbour, build a new bridge across the river at a lower point and develop the available land on both sides of the Avon, bringing more affordable housing to the city centre, extending the harbour as a residential area to the west.” Mr Rees also revealed in his speech that he has applied to the Housing Infrastructure Fund for £100 million to build up to 4,000 homes in the enterprise zone which surrounds Temple Meads. He wants the area to have a mix of social housing and homes for private sale. He also wants to bring “a new retail and hospitality offer to
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Three Lamps idea ‘deserves more study’ called for a right turn at Three Lamps to reduce hold-ups, before an arena or the new university campus at Temple Meads brings even more traffic to the area. They were dismayed that council highways officers asked to look at the idea have come up with no plans despite a promise from the mayor that the plan would be examined. Cllr Davies said: “Both Gary and I firmly believe the only solution to relieve congestion to Talbot Road and Callington Road
November 2017
Temple Meads, with a more direct link to the city centre”. Adding to his list of high ambitions, he returned to his hope for a Bristol underground network. The idea was widely derided by other politicians as a pipe dream, because it could cost billions and Bristol’s geology makes tunnelling a challenge. Mr Rees said, though, that outside investment could turn the dream into reality. Sources later suggested the investment could come from China. An early study into ground conditions is encouraging, he said. “Initial feedback is that ground conditions don’t look too problematic and that with the right level of investment, [it] is perfectly buildable,” he said.
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University is about to reveal its plans for £300m campus THERE’S not long to wait until the University of Bristol reveals more of its proposals for a £300m campus at Temple Meads. The university told the Voice it expects to make an outline planning application in early November. A public meeting will be held in Totterdown in mid-November to discuss the plans – though no details were available as the Voice went to presss. Next year will see detailed applications for the campus buildings, including three blocks of high-rise student accommodation. In all there will be 82,500 sq m of floor space including up to 1,500 student bedrooms. The tallest of the student blocks on part of Arena Island could be as high as 25 storeys. The development would be highly visible from many parts of
WOOD PROJECT UPS STUMPS BRISTOL Wood Recycling Project looks set to lose its home of 13 years in Cattle Market Road once the university development gets under way. The BWRP has untiil February to find a new home after the university said it can’t fit the site into its campus plan. The project collects waste wood from builders and sorts it for re-use. Its options for a new home include the Blaise Castle estate.
Eyesore: The old sorting office is about to be demolished by the council South Bristol, especially Totterdown and Wells Road. The old Royal Mail sorting office is to be knocked down by the council and then sold to the university. It will be replaced by teaching facilities for the ‘Future Learning’ campus, which aims to focus on new technologies. The buildings next to Temple Meads will have to avoid overhelming the views of the Grade-II listed Gothic station. Neil Bradshaw, the programme manager for the project, said the university wants to be a good neighbour. He wants people to contact him with ideas about how the new campus can be opened up to the community, perhaps by allowing the public to use conference and meeting spaces, crèche, library, and sports facilities. The university has offered to pay the set-up costs of a residents parking zone. The campus will have very
little parking and visitors will be urged not to drive there. The plan includes a harbourside walkway, cycle routes, and provision for a tunnel link to Temple Meads once the station is redeveloped. Mr Bradshaw can be contacted on 07867 552713 or temple-quarter@bristol.ac.uk
‘Footway must be kept open’ DEVELOPERS building a shop with a flat above on a prominent site in Knowle have been told to keep a safe footway open for pedestrians. Members of the public complained that builders were taking over the pavement at the corner of Redcatch Road and Wells Road, forcing them to walk in the road, without any barriers. A council highways officer visited the site run by Bristol firm Helm Construction on October 20, making it clear that “a walkway must be maintained past the footway closure at all times and ramps are to be installed to ensure wheel chair and mobility scooter users along with pushchair users can safely access the footway at either end.” Cllr Chris Davies asked for the visit following public complaints. Helm told the Voice it had a permit to use the footway and would erect safety barriers whenever necessary.
ASK A VET: HOW CAN I HELP MY PET COPE WITH FIREWORKS?
I
NCREASINGLY popular at celebrations, fireworks can be very traumatic for our pets. Some simple changes around the house can help reduce stress for both dogs and cats. Dogs should be walked before dark so they’re home before any fireworks start, and cats should be kept in the house. Make sure identity tags and microchip details are up to date so that if pets do run off they’re able to be reunited with you. When fireworks do start try and act as normally as possible. Keep curtains drawn to block
flashes of light and turn on a television or radio to cover some of the noise. Both dogs and cat may appreciate a den to hide in. A dog crate is ideal; cover with a thick blanket containing a comfy bed
and one or two favourite toys. Make sure outdoor cats are provided with a litter tray when kept inside overnight. Canine and feline pheromone products (such as Adaptil and Feliway) can help relax your pet in strange or stressful situations. They’re available as a spray (great for around a den) or a plug-in diffuser. They’re best used for a few days before fireworks start and can help to encourage your pet to relax. Your vet can recommend a product to help. If your pet is frightened of fireworks and you
Dr Elisabetta Mancinelli Specialist in Zoological Medicine Highcroft Veterinary Hospital, Whitchurch would like more advice, please call Highcroft Veterinary Hospital on 01275 832410.
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November 2017
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n NEWS COUNCIL CUTS IN FOCUS TOILETS FLUSHED AWAY EIGHTEEN public toilets look set for closure, and businesses encouraged to open their toilets for public use. In consultation, 1,093 people backed the closures combined with a Business/Community Toilet Scheme, like the one which already exists in Bedminster. It would mean all the councilrun toilets would shut, except for some in parks. Toilets in East Street, Bedminster; Greville Smyth Park, Ashton; Wapping Wharf and Bridgwater Road would close.
NOT SO LOCAL NEIGHBOURHOOD meetings may return to some areas after funding was cut earlier this year. The Windmill Hill forum which brings residents together with councillors and the police may be revived later this year. But decisions on spending CIL or “planning gain” money spun off from developers look set to be taken less locally. The council looks likely to approve six area meetings for CIL – far fewer than the 14 partnerships which used to do the job across the city.
Demands for an inquiry into departure of chief executive THE ROW over the departure of council chief executive Anna Klonowski in September continues amid claims she was given a £70,000 payoff. Lib-Dem, Conservative and Green councillors have called for an independent review of how Ms Klonowski was appointed, and her departure after only seven months in the job. Several questions put to the council about the affair by the Voice remain unanswered, four weeks after they were submitted. We asked whether the correct process was followed in appointing Ms Klonowski, after claims that a proper vote was not recorded at two successive committee meetings. It has been claimed that one meeting voted against her appointment and a third meeting was called before the vote went in her favour. Unusually, both the Tories and the Lib Dems abstained at a
Marvin Rees and Anna Klonowski vote in full council in February to approve Ms Klonowski’s appointment. Gary Hopkins, Knowle council and Lib Dem leader, questioned if Ms Klonowski was entitled to a payoff, given that she resigned from the council abruptly to look after her elderly parents. He wants the council’s audit committee to look into the matter. The ongoing row saw an attempt to ban Cllr Hopkins and Conservative Cllr Richard Eddy from a human resources
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COUNCIL CUTS IN FOCUS
Hillcrest makes biggest lollipop protest
committee meeting on October 16. Mr Rees has called the pair “untrustworthy and irresponsible” for their comments on Ms Klonowski. Cllr Eddy and Cllr Hopkins deny they have revealed anything confidential. Mr Rees said Ms Klonowski was not paid anything beyond what her contract entitled her to. But he did not give details, and the council has told the Voice the matter is confidential. Meanwhile the council is dealing with a leadership vacuum, with 17 out of 53 senior managers leaving their roles since May 2016. The council is considering doing without a chief executive, sharing the role between three group directors. Axing seven other senior jobs would save £750,000 a year, but could lead to higher pay for the three top roles of up to £165,000 a year.
Now taking children from St Philip’s Nursery 2 years Marsh old
November 2017
LOLLIPOP patrols are safe at least until the end of the spring school term in April, the Voice understands. There was uproar among parents of children at Hillcrest primary school when it was revealed that the cuts threatened their crossing patrol, Paul Whitmell, who guides children across the busy Wells Road. Other patrols at risk are at Knowle Park primary, St Philip’s Marsh nursery, St Mary Redcliffe
CONSULTATION on cuts to Bristol’s libraries has revealed a public preference for an option which would keep open Knowle library, in the Broadwalk centre. Residents were asked to choose from three options, all of which propose closing 17 libraries and leaving 10 open. In South Bristol, Wick Road, Bishopsworth, Marksbury Road and Whitchurch libraries are threatened in each of the three plans. Filwood and Stockwood would also close under Option 1, which saves Knowle. Bedminster library, and the Central library, are kept open under all the options. The council’s survey results showed a majority of respondents – 1,341 – said they didn’t want any of the closure options. A further 1,037 voted for Option 1, twice as many as chose either of the other two options.
• 15 hoursNow free Early Education for from 2 years old taking children all 3-4 year-olds http://stphilipsmarshnursery.co.uk (30 hours free for eligible families) 0117 9776171 PLEA FOR MORE • 15 hours free Early Education for DROP-IN SERVICES eligible 2 year-olds ONLY 1,607 responded to
consultation about community 15 hours free Early Education for all 3-4 olds linksyear services for people with Paying places available dementia, mental health or St Philip’s Marsh Nursery (30 School (2-5free years) disability needs – less than half of for(2-5 eligible St Philip’s Marsh hours Nursery School years) families) the 3,473 who voiced an opinion Albert Crescent, Bristol BS2 0SU about libraries. 15Now hours free Education year Now takingwww.stphilipsmarshnursery.co.uk children from 2 Early yearsfrom old2 years oldfor eligible At2eight publicolds meetings held taking children in the summer to discuss the range of neighbourhood Paying places available whole http://stphilipsmarshnursery.co.uk http://stphilipsmarshnursery.co.uk cuts, the community services
15 hours free Early for all 3-4 year olds To advertise, contact15 sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on Education 07590 527664 hours free Early Education for all 3-4 year olds (30 hours free for eligible families)
(30 hours free for eligible families)
service. It justified the proposal by saying there is already a Pelican crossing on Wells Road. But parents say many drivers disobey the red signal and children are not safe without Mr Whitmell to help them. There are hopes that some of the patrols can be saved, as the savings possible are not great – about £3,000 for each patrol. The council cabinet is expected to make its decision on crossing patrols in December.
Mayor holds out hope for libraries; Knowle looks safe
School (2-5 years)
0117 977 6171 0117 9776171 0117 9776171
primary and Parson Street primary. Holy Cross primary in Southville, which is in desperate need of a safe crossing, will not be allowed one. The Hillcrest parents’ concerted campaign, which involved a march back and forth across the crossing in front of TV cameras, also resulted in the highest number of responses to the consultation. The council received 119 complaints about losing the Hillcrest lollipop
attracted only two questions, or one per cent of the 214 submitted. However, when discussions
The council is studying whether other services can move into library buildings to help keep them open. Mayor Marvin Rees said plans now being studied “could see a library service continue for most areas currently served”. No details of how this might work have been revealed. However, Marksbury Road is one of only two libraries where no other uses have been identified. Cllr Jon Wellington said the news might not spell an end for the library and the council was still looking at options. “I know the people living around there are very concerned,” he said. “We have got to try to keep the building for community use because there’s not much else round there.” Bristol’s Liberal Democrats, whose leader is Knowle councillor Gary Hopkins, said the council is belatedly coming
round to the idea of using volunteers and setting up a trust to run the libraries. At some libraries, including Marksbury Road, friends groups and library users don’t want the responsibility to fall on volunteers. At Wick Road there is also doubt whether sufficient volunteers could be found – it is estimated that 20 volunteers are needed to do the work of one full-time paid librarian. Cllr Hopkins said the council should look at using paid library staff to supervise volunteers and keep more libraries open. An all-party group of councillors, called the “task and finish” group, also back the idea, he said. “But because they are trying to do things in a great rush, they are going to destroy things before they can get around to it,” he said. The cabinet will decide on the library cuts next January.
were held at the public meetings, a third of comments on the service voiced concern about “the cumulative impact the cuts would have on the vulnerable members of society, by increasing disadvantage and isolation”. A council report said: “A theme that was expressed in all the meetings was that disabled people are being unfairly targeted and unfairly discriminated against and that they have been the subject of repeated cuts. This includes cuts to welfare benefits, changes to respite provision, as well as previous changes to day services
in Bristol over the last few years.” In the council’s online survey, the vast majority – 84 per cent – backed plans to keep the drop-in day centres open, with a smaller majority of 61 per cent agreeing that transport to the centres shouldn’t be provided to everyone. Most backed an earlier opening time for the centres of 8am, and a later close at 8pm. Many in South Bristol asked for extra drop-in services. Top of the list was Hartcliffe and Withywood with 160 requests, followed by Bedminster with 109. People in Knowle made 75 requests.
9
n NEWS Crafty ideas in time for Christmas TOTTERDOWN’S craft shop and café, Craftisan, has a host of courses where you can learn new skills and sort out some of your Christmas present problems. You can get ideas on how to make handmade Christmas presents every Tuesday from November 14 to December 5, from 12noon-1pm. The cost is £5 per session or four for £16. There’s a similar theme to the Colourful Minds Christmas Workshops which run on November 30 and December 7 and 14 from 4-5pm at £5 per session or all three for £12. Children can get ideas for making Christmas decorations on Saturday December 2 from 11.30am-12.30pm or 12.451.45pm. The price is £5 per child or £7.50 for two. There are many more classes on offer from making needlefelted mushrooms to snowflake decorating, lino printing, and Sew Your Own Pet Accessories. For more information call Emily on 0117 971 3822 or email emily@craftisan-shop.co.uk • Facebook: Craftisan Shop
Pooch scoot SCOOTER riders are taking a ride out in aid of the RSPCA Dogs and Cats Home on Saturday November 11. The riders will meet at the Last Resort scooter shop in Wells Road, Hengrove, at 10.30am for tea, then ride to the Dogs Home in Albert Road, St Philip’s. Then it’s back to the George pub in Wells Road, Knowle, for music and drinks. Donations of dog food are welcome: call Barry on 0117 300 3714.
Chanson-along LOVERS of French song will be drawn to the Hen & Chicken in North Street, Bedminster, on Friday November 10, when accordion player Jacques and singer Corrine perform songs from the likes of Edith Piaf and Yves Montand, as well as some compositions of their own. The event is organised by Alliance Française de Bristol. For details call 07932 377130. It starts at 8pm and tickets are £10.
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
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n NEWS
November 2017
BEDMINSTER GREEN
‘Don’t sell our trees and green space to be built on’ COMMUNITY planning group WHaM has asked the council to exclude the open space on Bedminster Green from the land to be built on by developer Urbis. The green area between Whitehouse Street and Malago Road has several mature trees and is part of of Plot 5, one the biggest sites slated for redevelopment in the wider Bedminster Green area. The council owns most of Plot 5 and has a development agreement for it with Urbis. Urbis is proposing an
18-storey high rise, a block of 300 student homes and an underground car park, which would mean the trees and the green being ripped up. Urbis would provide other open spaces and restore the River Malago. WHaM’s chair, Howard Purse, has written to Cllr Paul Smith, the cabinet member for housing, urging him not to sell the green for development. “We fail to see how the entire removal of the only green space in the area, including established trees, and a reduction of this
More consultation promised at school and the city farm
Experts struggle to convince residents on energy centre
THE POLLUTION from a proposed energy centre to serve the new Bedminster Green development will be negligible and will pose no risk to residents, a public meeting has been told. The new plant would provide heating, hot water and power to about 1,000 new homes planned to be built around Bedminster Green. It would generate about 2.5 megawatts of electricity and 6MW of heat at peak times, powered by natural gas. A packed room at the Hen & Chicken pub in North Street was told that the new centre will not harm children at the nursery at Windmill Hill City Farm, which is next door to the proposed site off Clarke Street, or pupils at St Mary Redcliffe primary school, a few hundred yards away. Many of those present were not convinced. “The wind is
predominantly from the south west, and it blows towards the school,” said one woman. “It’s already an area that has a high concentration of pollutants. Don’t add to it!” Another woman cited figures from a Danish study of similar combined heat and power plants, which found that they produce tiny amounts of potentially toxic chemicals such as arsenic, formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds. Duncan Valentine, a director of Energy Networks Europe, one of the firms in a partnership behind the plans, said he had studied the Danish paper and had looked to see how much of the toxic chemicals would be released – and said they would be so low
Talking therapies in Bristol Three warm, well-equipped consulting and therapy rooms and a comfortable waiting room in a landmark Georgian terrace with views over the Floating Harbour. Excellent parking and transport links (inc. Temple Meads) and 150 yards from St Mary Redcliffe. Counsellors & Psychotherapists Jeanette Howlett 07789 773995; Olivia Needham 07795 250873; Julia Gresty 0117 963 7285; Renata Königsman (Polski Psycholog) 07962 620011; Kathy Walsh 07737 548274; Rachel Rodgers 07591 911491; Camilla Stack 07816 683479; Sophie Bayley 07342 288183; Sophie Pickering 07929 571979, Laura Irvine 07973 169237, Milena Nikolova 07748 981265; Noemia Ventura Purcell 07724 152136. Clinical Psychologists Joanne Weston 07871 863827; Becky Watkins 07730 586725; Peter Walker 0117 344 5101; Camilla Stack 07816 683479. Addictions Counsellor Sarah Walsh 07854 752749. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Sarah Mortimer 07851 307062. Holistic massage Caroline Girgenson 07963 566887.
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space by nearly 50 per cent … is an improvement to the public realm,” wrote Mr Purse. WHaM is also unhappy that the green would cease to be public and any open space that replaced it would be under private control. “Privately owned public spaces are not subject to bylaws but governed by restrictions drawn up the landowner and usually enforced by private security companies. Our streets and public spaces should not be privately owned and controlled.
as to to be unmeasurable. Far more significant, he said, was lower nitrogen dioxide (NO) emissions from the plant – 30 per cent lower than if 1,000 homes each had their own boiler. In future the plant will be able to run on hydrogen, seen as the clean gas of the future, when fossil fuels run low. It could also run on naturally-produced biogas. It would emit 40 micrograms of NO per cubic metre of air, said Mr Valentine. This is the same as the EU’s legal limit for air pollution. But Mr Valentine said this is far exceeded by pollution caused by traffic on Malago Road and Bedminster Parade, where levels reach an illegal 60mcg/m3, and in the city centre, where NO levels exceed 90mcg/m3. One parent with a child at Windmill Hill City Farm said she had only just heard of the plan. “I just cannot think of a worse place to put it,” she said. Other parents had also not heard there might be a power station with a 31m chimney next door, she said. Mr Valentine responded that in Cambridge, a very similar plant is a few feet away from people’s homes and does not cause problems. And it is quiet – planning regulations say it must be 5 decibels quieter than the background noise level in the area at dead of night. He said the pollution would disperse high above the area, over at least one square kilometre.
These are a legacy too important to be sold off,” Mr Purse said. Cllr Smith told WHaM that he did not want to delay the project further. He said the Urbis plan offered 30 per cent affordable homes and other “substantial benefits” including an upgrade of Bedminster station, and the potential for key worker housing. However, Cllr Smith is reported to have told a meeting hosted by Bristol Labour Party on October 18 that he did not want to see student accommodation on Plot 5.
When it is measured at receptors on the ground it would have dispersed so much it would make a negligible difference, he said. Richard Clarke, managing director of developer Urbis, said the plant would be managed by a new firm, South Bristol Energy, which would offer grants to help with energy saving measures for up to 20 local homes each year. Mr Clarke promised that meetings would be held to consult people at the city farm and the primary school. A planning application for the centre is expected to be made by the end of the year.
THE ALTERNATIVES PEOPLE at the public meeting asked about other ways of generating power at Bedminster Green, or if it had to be produced there at all. • Council rules and government guidance say that large developments have to generate power and heat; • Solar power to generate the same amount of electricity (2.5MW) would cover six or seven acres; • Wind turbines would be needed in high numbers and cover a huge area; • Ground source heat pumps, where deep networks of pipes exploit temperature differences underground, are not practical on this scale in Bristol. The pipes would have to cut through 30-40m of Bristol clay.
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
November 2017
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n NEWS
TEMPLE CIRCUS
Student flats will be built but they do need planning permit, says developer Investors say they can’t get answers; We are preparing a statement, says firm A FORMER hotel near Temple Meads will be converted into student accommodation, insists a property firm, despite the qualms of some of its investors. The Voice has been contacted by a South Bristol investor who ploughed £10,000 into the Grosvenor Student Accommodation, widely advertised online. The project is a proposed conversion of the derelict Grosvenor hotel, one of two old hotels on an island site opposite Temple Meads station. The plan appears to be a joint venture between two London firms – Grosvenor Property Developers Ltd and Earlcloud Ltd. Earlcoud owns the building although, according to a statement made to Bristol city council’s planning department, Grosvenor is in the process of taking over the ownership. Grosvenor promises investors “a 7.5 per cent net return guaranteed for five years” in return for the £99,000 price of a student studio. The studios have been advertised since February 2017, on several websites which still claim the building will be ready by the third quarter of 2017 – which ended on September 30. It’s not clear whether any work has taken place on the building this year. The project appears a long way from completion, with the building shrouded in scaffolding and substantial amounts of greenery growing out of the roof. One
How it is: The Grosvenor hotel, shrouded in scaffolding investor, who does not want to be named, has told the Voice he believes promises made by Grosvenor have been broken. He has asked for his £10,000 back, which he made as a deposit on two of the 144 “high spec student studios”. His solicitors have been unable to get a response from Grosvenor. Grosvenor’s phone number has not worked on the numerous occasions the Voice has tried to call; a recorded voice cuts in, saying “Sorry, there is no reply.” The company provided a statement to the Voice on October 18. Signed by someone calling themselves only “Russ”, the firm said it was preparing a statement to its purchasers “which will be released in the next eight weeks or so”. The Voice had put several questions to Grosvenor, asking whether any work had taken place on the property, whether the proposed conversion was feasible given the condition of the building, and more. Grosvenor said the questions were “hardly objective and are clearly slanted”. “We are not proposing to answer each of your questions,” said the email. The company now accepts
that converting the hotel into HOTELS ON AN ISLAND student accommodation will THE GROSVENOR hotel sits on a need planning permission. It has traffic island next to its Victorian engaged Bath-based architects neighbour, the George & Railway. BBA to prepare plans. Previously The George, which is closer to it had told investors and its own Temple Meads, is the subject of a marketing partners that council-backed plan to preserve permission was not needed, its Grade II-listed facade, and build because the student use was a giant glass cube behind it to covered by the existing planning house the Engine Shed business permission for a hotel. incubator. This application is Grosvenor told the Voice: “Q3 likely to be decided by December. 2017 was a target date but for a The council-backed plan for variety of reasons which will be the Temple Meads Enterprise explained to our purchasers this Zone is also seeking outline has slipped. The investments are permission to later demolish the subject to planning permission Grosvenor and replace it with being obtained. All purchasers are 27,000 sq m of offices. This plan legally represented and have taken claims the Grosvenor is not worth their own advice. We are working saving and casts doubt on the on some extant queries and will condition of the building. respond as soon as we can. The road around the west side “No admissions are made and of the island site is being torn up we deny any misrepresentation. in a year-long project to remove We are not going to conduct a the Temple Circus roundabout. dialogue through the media. This It’s not clear how the council is a commercial matter between plan could succeed without us and a number of high net ownership of the Grosvenor. BBA worth individuals who are legally Architects, acting for Grosvenor represented and we don’t PROPERTY MAINTENANCE Property Developers, has filed an propose to comment further.” objection to thePAINTING plan for offices. The Voice has been in touch INTERIOR & EXTERIOR A campaign exists to save the with a second investor who says FENCING • PATIOS • LANDSCAPING Grosvenor, which is locally listed, he has been unable to speak to which English• Heritage also LOGhis STORESand • GUTTERING FASCIAS Grosvenor and has not had wants to see saved. queries answered.
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November 2017
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n NEWS
November 2017
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13
n NEWS Fountain finds a new purpose
Restored: Sue Avent, vice-chair of Copp, and Paul James with the fountain made of Balmoral granite. It’s been repaired by Paul as a birdbath
Getting creative with dementia A NEW arts service for people with dementia is arriving in Knowle, as a gardening project nearby continues to thrive. The Good Brain Gang is a new arts, exercise and wellbeing
project opening in November at The Park centre in Daventry Road. It’s open all day on weekdays to people with dementia, their family and friends. It’s a private service and a fee is payable but it’s hoped to get council support. It offers activities from art classes to language learning, yoga and mindfulness, with the aim of allowing people to forget their
THE GRANITE fountain donated to Perretts Park in 1930 is back. The park’s friends group, the Community of Perretts Park, has paid for the fountain to be restored as a bird bath close to its old location near Bayham Road. Stonemason Paul James of Ravenhill Avenue repaired the fountain, which was missing several pieces, after it was discovered in a pond at Ashton Court by local history enthusiast James Little. Originally it had flowing water and brass drinking cups. It was removed in the 1970s. • Full story: southbristolvoice.co.uk
Gift: The fountain was donated by Alderman Charles Perrett
dementia and enjoy creativity. A similar ethos reigns at Growing Support, a gardening group for people with dementia and their carers. It meets every other Friday from 10.30am12.30pm at Bristol Community Links South, Langhill Avenue. “This summer the group have grown their own salads, tomatoes, courgettes, beans,
radishes, beetroot and onions, not to mention a beautiful flower display! Everyone enjoys the activity and fresh air, while socialising,” said a spokesperson. In the winter the group moves indoors for craft activities. It’s seeking more volunteers – details on the website. • growingsupport.co.uk • goodbraingang.com
STAFF and children at St Philip’s Marsh nursery are celebrating after Ofsted inspectors rated the school as ‘good’ and made some highly complimentary comments. “Parents cannot praise [the nursery] highly enough,” said the inspectors’ report. “They report that not only are staff ‘brilliant’, but they ‘are making a huge positive difference to this world’
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through the way in which they treat each child and help them to develop as individuals.” Ofsted, who visited the school on September 19, also praised the school’s efforts to celebrate the diverse community it serves. Pupils speak up to 10 different languages at home, and head teacher Simon Holmes said the school sees this as an advantage,
not a hindrance. “We have books and signs in lots of languages,” he said. “It’s all about respecting all the children’s cultures.” The school has also worked hard to improve the progress of boys. Ofsted said: “They are now progressing at a faster rate than girls because they are provided with a wide range of role play activities, particularly outdoors.
“For example, boys enjoy pretending to be superheroes such as Batman and Robin. They quickly gain confidence with their speaking skills.” Mr Holmes said he was pleased that the inspectors found that pupils felt secure, and had praised “an impressive culture of safeguarding”. • Full story: southbristolvoice.co.uk
Glee at Redcatch Park after a year of major changes SEVERAL South Bristol parks are in the running to become Britain’s Best Park – but they need the support of the public to reach the shortlist. The Friends of Redcatch Park are especially delighted as the last year has seen huge changes, with more to come. The Redcatch Community Garden started to become a reality only in March, but is now thriving, with a host of activities. Led by enthusiastic gardener Steve Griffiths, who also runs the community activities at Springfield Road allotments on Northern Slopes, the garden grows its own fruit, plants and vegetables. Visitors to the open day on October 7 could try apple juice squeezed in the garden’s own press. The apples were picked all over Knowle, including in the garden of the convent in St Agnes Avenue, and it’s aimed to have a batch of Knowle cider ready for Christmas. Eggs and fruit trees are also on sale, there are a host of gardening activities, and the Roots café is now open every day. Sue Davies, chair of the Friends of Redcatch Park, said: “The Community Garden is exceeding all hopes. It’s already very successful with 100 volunteers signing up, with a great coffee cabin and organic produce, and it’s bringing new people into the park. The Friends are going to be working in partnership with them.” Sue is also delighted that the
park won an Outstanding rating for a seventh year in a row in the It’s Your Neighbourhood assessment given by South West in Bloom. More improvements are under way now that the council has agreed to unlock a grant which was halted in last year’s emergency spending freeze. Money from the sale of land for housing at Salcombe Road, Knowle, will allow the Redcatch car park to be refurbished, with planning permission already submitted. “Improving the main entrance and car park has been on our wish list for so many years,” said Sue. The Friends hold their AGM on Wednesday November 8 at 7.30pm in the park pavilion. All park users, dog walkers, tennis players, footballers, residents and anyone else interested in the future of the park are invited. “Join us for a drink to celebrate another very successful year,” said Sue. • How Redcatch was rescued over 15 years: Your Councillors, page 36
NOMINATED AS BRITAIN’S BEST PARK Redcatch Park, Knowle Victoria Park, Windmill Hill Northern Slopes, Knowle Dame Emily Park, Southville Ashton Court estate To vote for a park to reach the shortlist go to • fieldsintrust.org/bestpark
Fantastic: Some of the feedback from visitors to the Community Garden
Happy Thanksgiving!
Join us for an evening of songs, hymns and spiritual songs from Harding University Choir us for traditional 2017 fromAmerican-style 7pm. onJoin Thursday 18thaMay
Thanksgiving Dinner with all the fixin’s!
Thursday, 23rd November 6pm Children’s Activities 7pm Thanksgiving Meal
Bedminster Church of Christ
Harding University is a Christian University 298 St John’s Lane based in Searcy, Arkansas. They will be Bedminster, Bristol BS3 5AY visiting Bristol as part of their UK tour.
www.churchofchristbristol.org For more information contact JasonFacebook: Snethen 07795560990 bristolchurchofchrist Church of Christ, 298 St Johns More details fromLane, Jason Snethen Bristol, BS3 5AY on 07795 560990 www.churchofchristbristol.org www.facebook.com/bristolchurchofchrist
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
November 2017
southbristolvoice
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n NEWS
The winners
WE HAD a terrific entry to all our competitions in the October issue of South Bristol Voice. Not surprisingly, lots of you were keen to get your hands on two VIP tickets to watch a football or rugby game in the luxurious Heineken Lounge at Ashton Gate. The winner is Edward Holloway of Southville. The winner of a night out at Totterdown Canteen in Wells Road is Suzanne Jones of Knowle. The winner of the New Year’s Eve night out at the Thunderbolt in Bath Road, Totterdown, is Leslie Oram. Congratulations to all.
Tea service
VOLUNTEERS are needed for South Bristol tea party groups, to take isolated older guests to Sunday afternoon tea once a month. To find out more please contact Helen by email at Helen. ker@contact-the-elderly.org.uk or call for free 01225 873812. • contact-the-elderly.org.uk
S
ice osp H er’s t P et
Maze is finally set for plants to arrive despite vandalism EVERYTHING is on course to see the Berry Maze at Malago Greenway completed on time – despite the attention of some thoughtless young vandals. The maze, which will feature 232 berry plants, ranging from blackberries to jostaberries (a cross between a blackcurrant and a gooseberry), is now a reality, with posts and planters ready for planting on November 18. Organiser Raluca McKett told the Voice that despite countless hours of hard work throughout September and October, the surprises came one after the other, not all of them pleasant. After the initial shock of finding rubbish buried underneath the weeds, which had to be cleared before the Open Doors Day event September 9, volunteers got down to the almost unending
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We did it! Volunteers from Good Gym with the rubbbish they cleared task of digging. They turned up piles of shoes, wellies, cassettes, car radios, bricks, knives, forks, cables and car parts. As one of the volunteers, Anna, put it: “Anyone thinking of building their own car should apply – we found nearly all the bits you need!” Meanwhile, mulch has been laid, wooden posts driven in, planters built and wires set up to support the plants. The volunteers worked bravely through the most challenging situations (even in the pouring rain), most of the time accompanied by the runners from Good Gym. Raluca said : “Nearly every weekend the Good Gym came to our rescue – they came for one hour at a time and were given the most difficult tasks, but they’ve done brilliantly! One of the children saw them coming and said ‘Here come the superheros!’
I don’t think he was far off from the truth.” Unfortunately, little more than a day after the posts and wires were installed, on October 16, three boys aged about 13 or 14 decided it would be fun to swing from the wires, breaking four of the posts. Despite the upset caused to the volunteers, the vandalism was treated as a minor glitch and the damage repaired. The volunteers will be in Brixham Road Open Space, just between Parson Street and Marksbury Road, between 9am and 4pm on November 18, to plant over 230 berry plants and cover the bedding with mulch. It’s planned to create a banner commemorating everyone who has given time to the maze, and the many South Bristol businesses who have donated funds and equipmment. More information by emailing yourberrymaze@gmail.com.
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November 2017
n NEWS Funny six-pack THE COMEDY Depot at Zion continues on November 24 with no fewer than six comedians. The Bishopsworth Road venue welcomes Jo Public, a 50-yearold guitar-playing songstress who makes funny songs from her
southbristolvoice
life experiences –- “Absolutely brilliant”, said the Funny Women Awards. Londoner Daniel Keilty will bring stories from his life as boxer, hairdresser and bailiff. The night is headlined by multi-award winning Cornish comedian Ann Keirle. Entry £5, food available with table service. • zionbristol.co.uk
Anger at parking restrictions for narrow back lane PARKING is to be banned on a narrow back lane in Totterdown after complaints from residents that they can’t get into their garages. But not everyone is happy about the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) about to be imposed on Winton Lane, a dead-end road that runs between the gardens of houses in Knowle Road and Bushy Park. Cllr Jon Wellington is unhappy that the TRO is to be brought in against objections from him, from several residents and from Totterdown Methodist Church. The church is on Bushy Park but the church hall is entered from Winton Lane. The hall is heavily used by various groups who pay to rent it, and it is also used as a polling station on election days. The council told the Voice that the objections had been “considered and responded to” and the restrictions are expected to be introduced this year. Cllr Wellington said: “I’m very disappointed that the TRO was approved despite opposition from me as the local councillor, several neighbours and from the Methodist Church. The church
has many classes and activities that rely on access via the lane. “The lane also provides some relief parking for Knowle Road and Bushy Park, so we can expect to see more cars and less space on these residential streets.” It’s not clear exactly what restrictions will be imposed, but if a strict no-parking rule is imposed, “it could be very, very difficult for us,” said Aroona Smith, senior steward for the church. The church hosts a regular lunch group for the elderly, which relies heavily on being able to drive people to the door of the hall. A mother and toddler group also requires parking. The church would like to be allowed at least two hours’ parking. A statement from Bristol city council said: “Objections to the proposed changes on Winton Lane to introduce a no waiting area along this very narrow road have been considered and responded to and the terms of the traffic regulation order have now been approved. Depending on weather conditions and availability of contractors we will aim to introduce the new restrictions before the end of the year.”
It’s a real gift
10am-2pm. You’ll learn how to make items such as Christmas cards, tree decorations and gifts using laser cutting machines and software called Inkscape. The course is free for over-16s living in South Bristol but must be booked. Call 0117 403 2306 or email thefactory@kwmc.org.uk. • kwmc.org.uk
WANT to make some funky Christmas gifts? Head along to Knowle West Media Centre for a course on how to make laser-cut Christmas cards, tree decorations and gifts. They’re on Thursday November 16, 23 and 30 from
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WIN a meal for two from award-winning takeaway A SOUTH Bristol takeaway that is determined to do things differently has been rewarded with the regional top spot in a national award scheme. Allspice in Bath Road, Arnos Vale, has been awarded South West Takeaway of the Year in the annual English Curry Awards. The takeaway has been nominated by enthusiastic customers for the award three times in recent years but this is the first time Allspice has won. The management is delighted that the hard work of the team has been recognised. The business began 13 years ago with the aim of making a healthy takeaway using quality ingredients and cooked freshly. They believe Allspice is the only Indian takeaway in the South West not to use food colouring and artificial flavour. “I stick to my principles,” said managing partner Selim. “I wouldn’t want to serve food that I didn’t want my family to eat.” There are no microwaved dishes: everything, including things like samosas and minced meat, is made on the premises. So preparation may take a little
longer than at some other takeaways but customers seem to appreciate the difference. Allspice has a 4.8 rating on Google and 4.5 on Trip Advisor. Set menus are popular as a good-value way of making up a meal for more than one person. A meal for two starts from £17.50 for a vegetarian option and £24.50 for meat dishes. A three-person meal is £32.95 and for four people it’s £43.50. • Facebook: Allspice
HOW TO WIN You could win a set meal for two, worth £24.50, comprising: • 2 papadoms, 1 onion bhaji, 1 chicken tikka (starter), 1 pilau rice, 1 boiled rice, 1 tandoori bread (choice), 1 vegetable side dish (choice), any 2 curries excluding house speciality, 1 onion salad, 1 mango chutney and 1 mint sauce. A vegetarian alternative is available.
To win, just answer this question: How many years has Allspice been open? Send answers to paul@ southbristolvoice.co.uk, or to 18 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BX, by November 17, with your address and phone number.
We are proud to announce that
ALLSPICE
has been awarded SOUTH WEST TAKEAWAY OF THE YEAR 2017
ALLSPICE 389 Bath Road, Arnos Vale BS4 3EU 0117 971 5551 www.allspiceindianbristol.co.uk We believe we are the only Indian takeaway in the South West not to use food colour or artificial flavour
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
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n NEWS Book discount for readers ONE of Britain’s biggest secondhand book businesses which used to be be based in Totterdown is making a special offer to Voice readers. Bookbarn International, which for several years was based at Paintworks on Bath Road, is offering a 10 per cent discount to readers who visit its vast book store, housed just off the A37, with the advert below. Co-owner William Pryor said: “Our business is mostly online but our warehouse in Hallatrow near Bristol is attracting an increasing number of visitors. “They can buy books in our vast secondhand book store, browse antiquarian and rare items in our Darwin Rare Book Room or relax in our Full Stop Café.” The Bookbarn is located 30 minutes south of Bristol where the A39 meets the A37, at Hallatrow. • bookbarninternational.com
n FEATURES
WINTER WILDLIFE SPECIAL
How to help wildlife make it
November 2017
southbristolvoice
WINTER WILDLIFE SPECIAL
through the winter
There’s plenty we can do to protect our non-human neighbours, writes Alex Morss
Explore a labyrinth of books at Bookbarn International We are one of the UK’s largest booksellers, with an in-house cafe, free parking and WiFi. Come to browse our countless reading delights this autumn! Open 7 days a week Monday to Saturday 10-6, Sundays 11-5 Hallatrow BS39 6EX Telephone: 01761 451 333 ENJOY 10% OFF IN-STORE ON PRESENTATION OF THIS ADVERT
cats. Please avoid tipping aquatic vegetation into drains - some pond species are invasive aliens known to clog up wetland areas. It is illegal to allow them to spread. If things go sub-zero, float a ball on the pond to help curtail it freezing over.
BATS
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ITH its cloak of warm colours inflamed in ethereal sunlight, the whiff of bonfires and gardens bountiful with exciting harvests, autumn is my favourite time. It can also be a time of plenty for much of our city wildlife, especially if we have been halfdecent nature guardians. So how welcome are our wild neighbours this season, in our little green spaces? Right now there is a lot you can do to ensure they get the best chance to thrive as harder months approach. Wild creatures need to be well nourished and in
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Beware of hedgehogs curling up wherever they feel cosy, like in a sack good health to help them survive whatever winter will throw at them, so think: food, water, shelter, and safety.
BONFIRES November 5 is the next big challenge, not just for pets but also for those poor hedgehogs who thought they’d found the perfect pyre of wood to snuggle up in and maybe start to hibernate. Our funky frogs, toads, newts and slow-worms are also vulnerable to the bonfire stack. All these species are thankfully still common in our city gardens, allotments and some parks in south Bristol. Even if they escape the fire, the noise and smells will traumatise them and may prevent them foraging for food. Please spare them a thought – don’t burn everything, leave a refuge area of deep leaves, lawn cuttings, wood or logs in your garden so you don’t make them homeless in your quest to build the biggest inferno. Avoid building it until the day of lighting, so nothing has time to sneak in.
HEDGEHOGS What do you do if you find a hedgehog in distress around bonfire night? Kay Bullen, a trustee of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, advises: “Any rescued hedgehogs can be put into a high-sided box or pet carrier with some towelling that they can snuggle into. Make sure they cannot get out of the box.
Some hedgehog food or meatbased cat or dog food can be left in the box, and a dish of water. This can all be put into, perhaps, a greenhouse, shed, downstairs toilet or similar until the noise and heat from the fire has died down. Once calm is restored, they can be released with some more food and water.” There is still a little time before hog hibernation starts to take part in our Hedgehog Highway Appeal with Avon Wildlife Trust, and make an access into your garden for hedgehogs. This will help our prickly friends find a choice of safe places to hibernate over winter. You may find they sneak into your shed or a gap under it and carry off your piles of leaf litter to build a hibernation nest. By opening up your garden, you give them an increased range of places to shelter plus lots of extra habitat in which to find food. This enables them to build up those vital fat reserves without wasting energy on big foraging trips. As the temperature drops, their metabolism will slow down. Their heart rate will crash down from 190 beats per minute to a faint 20, their temperature will fall from 35 Celsius to 10, and they will barely breathe. Once this process kicks in, they will have a better chance of surviving hibernation if they start off at a good weight. You can leave out meat-based cat food (never fish, milk or bread) or buy proper hedgehog food online to help fatten them
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
If you provide birds with food and water in the winter, do it regularly up. Late-born juveniles and hogs with low body weight are at risk of dying. If you find one awake during the day, please immediately contact Bristol’s Hedgehog Rescue’s Yvonne Cox, at: hedgehogrescue@yahoo.co.uk Lots more advice here: • britishhedgehogs.org.uk/ hibernation/
and my favourite creepy crawlies. Spare the ivy and holly. They will be coming into flower to offer a rich autumn nectar source to pollinators at a time when garden flowers have largely finished. Honeysuckle and clematis also offer late-season food and shelter to wildlife, especially thrushes, warblers and finches.
GARDEN TIDY UPS
BIRDS
The big garden tidy up is the next big peril. Many of us give our garden vegetation a shortback-and-sides makeover as we clear away dead growth but remember this is home to important insect garden friends, such as overwintering butterfly and moth cocoons, ladybirds, beetles, woodlice and worms. As well as the valuable compost heap, home to slowworms and amphibians, why not make an impressive insect mansion out of your garden leftovers? Research has shown that increasing insect biodiversity can boost the health of your whole garden. For inspiration, you’ll find some absolute stunners online. Insect hotel builders have turned it into an art form. • rspb.org.uk/get-involved/ activities/give-nature.../build-abug-hotel/
Most berries will be nutritious and vital to winter birds. You’ll often spot wrens, robins, blackbirds and tits happily scrambling through the tangled bushes. It’s a good time to welcome hungry birds with regular bird food hangers. Many are creatures of habit. You will be helping them learn a routine so they know where to come to find food as winter toughens its grip.
POLLINATORS Be patient and modest about hacking back hedgerows and climbers. Some will still be about to flower or fruit, giving vital food and shelter to bees, birds
PONDLIFE If you are doing pond maintenance, do it before amphibians settle down in there for winter. Be aware of overhanging autumn leaf fall, which will change the water’s nutrient status, reduce water oxygen and result in sludge build up. Also, it’s far better ecologically, environmentally and chemically to use water from your rain butt to refill ponds, not tap water. Remember that some amphibians will be relying on surrounding ground cover near your pond just as much as the water itself, for shelter, food and safety from predators such as
Although the bat survey season officially ends by October, I often see a few bats out and about into December in Bristol on mild nights. In autumn and winter, they will choose different roost spaces to the summer maternity roosts. They may use tree holes in your garden, gaps in your loft, roof tiles or a shed. Just like hedgehogs, their metabolism slows as they go into torpor, then hibernation, and they become vulnerable if disturbed. Remember if you are planning winter building work that it is illegal to disturb roosting bats. Seek advice on how to proceed in a bat-friendly way, here: • bats.org.uk/pages/threats_to_ bats.html
n NEWS Sing along with your bump A NEW choir for pregnant women aims to provide a fun space for mums-to-be to sing with each other and their bumps. Starting on November 1, the choir will run every Wednesday from 7-8.30pm at Windmill Hill City Farm in Bedminster. Women at any stage of pregnancy are welcomed and no singing experience is necessary. Studies have shown that foetuses begin to respond to sound by around 18-20 weeks. Singer Rosie Sleightholme, who is herself pregnant, set up the choir after finding there were no singing groups for pregnant women. She believes singing is hugely beneficial for expectant mums’ well-being, and is also a great way for mothers to connect with their unborn child. The drop-in price is £7; to find out more email Rosie at: • rosiesingssomesongs@hotmail. co.uk
ity mun Comearning L
Do you have a view about education in your community? Are you concerned about the character of your local young people?
Do you think your local schools should engage more with the local community? If the answer to any of these questions is YES, then we would love to hear from you! We are looking for local people to act as a key link between the community, our schools and parents, and to join us as members of our Academy Councils. We have Oasis Academies across Bristol Oasis Academy New Oak (primary), Connaught (primary), Marksbury Road (primary), John Williams (secondary) and Brislington (secondary).
If you’d like to know more, please contact Sam.Russe-Jones@oasisuk.org or call 07977 516 552
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
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n ADVERTISING ADVERTISING FEATURE
AUTUMN EATS AND DRINKS
Warming ideas for food and drink to lift
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HE SEASON has definitely turned, and lots of us are thinking about warm evenings inside with comforting food and drink. We’d like to offer a selection of the best local places to eat this autumn and Christmas time – and offer a selection of the very finest locally-brewed beer. You don’t have to travel far to eat, drink and be merry!
saffron chicken, or slow roast Moroccan lamb, or aubergine yatimcheh, served with mint salad and jewelled rice. It’s rounded off with a dessert of baklava with ice cream – all for £19.50 per head. If turkey just won’t hit the spot when you’re eating out this autumn, just email info@southsidebristol. co.uk to make a booking. • southsidebristol.co.uk
Southside
Desi
172 Wells Road, Totterdown BS4 2AL 0117 971 6185 Relaxed bar and kitchen SOUTHSIDE, the bar and kitchen on Wells Road Totterdown, has gained quite a reputation in the last two years. People praise its atmosphere, the stripped-down yet cosy decor, and the range of drinks and cocktails. They also visit for the distinctively different menu that’s on offer from the compact kitchen, where everything is
Southside: Laid-back and cosy cooked fresh. Especially popular are the Wednesday night deals of a first-class tasty burger with a drink for only £10. Attention is turning to the Christmas menu, now being booked for groups of four or more. It’s a seasonal menu with a difference. It starts with a glass of prosecco and is followed by starters of dips and flatbread. Then there’s a choice of
198 Wells Road, Totterdown 0117 933 2880 Indian dishes served tapas style T’S only a few weeks since the Mall family of Totterdown brought a new idea in casual dining to Wells Road – Indian tapas. Already they have won over lots of friends, and they are slowly expanding their efforts. The restaurant is now open every day, serving morning coffee, lunch and evening meals, with the specials changing five
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All cooked fresh daily – plates from £2.50. CHRISTMAS BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN ... Set menu:
@SOUTHSIDEBAR1 BOOKINGS: 0117 971 6185 INFO@SOUTHSIDEBRISTOL.CO.UK
•Samosas, poppadoms, pakoras & trio of chutneys •Curry, rice & naan •Mango lassi OR Kulfi OR Barfi £18 per person includes small glass of prosecco
the autumn gloom
Canteen: Gearing up for New Year
times a week. The word desi is derived from Sanskrit. It means “one from our country”, and in India, when it’s applied to food, it means home cooking. Many of the dishes are very good value, from around £5 or less, allowing you to sample a few at a time. The philosophy is to keep it simple, using fresh ingredients cooked daily. The Christmas menu has just
been announced, bringing a modern Asian twist to the season. The £18 menu includes a glass of prosecco and starts with a range of samosas, poppadoms, pakoras & trio of chutneys. It’s followed by curry, rice & naan, and is rounded off by a choice of Indian sweets –Mango lassi, Kulfi or Barfi. • Facebook: Desi tapas bar
Totterdown Canteen
141 Wells Road, Totterdown 0117 908 2124 “A greasy spoon with a twist!” HERE has been a café at 141 Wells Road for about 45 years, and under Aaron and Bex Wardle, owners for the last three years, the Totterdown Canteen is more popular than ever. And to add to the regular pop-up steak nights there’s a big celebration to look forward to on December 31, when there’s a special steak night to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Everyone gets a glass of bubbly on arrival (except
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‘desi’ means ‘from our country’ ... it’s Indian home cooking brought to Totterdown.
• specials changed five times a week from the Tandoori oven – meat, fish and vegetarian • small plates such as homemade pakoras and samosas • lunchtime – filled rotis (wraps) • Now open every day of the week
Desi, 198 Wells Road, Totterdown BS4 2AX 0117 933 2880 Desi tapas bar
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
southbristolvoice
n ADVERTISING ADVERTISING FEATURE
Desi: Funky Asian street vibe
desi desi serves delicious Indian dishes served tapas style in small plates.
November 2017
under-18s – they get a soft drink) and there’s free dessert too. But you’d better get your name down, because places are by advance booking only Most days, the main meal is breakfast – the traditional English kind, made with free range eggs and everything from bacon to hash browns. On Wednesday and Thursday there’s a popular special offer of two small breakfasts for the price of one. There are many more café favourites, from children’s meals to paninis, baked potatoes and omelettes, as well as burgers, salads and main dishes from pasta to fish and chips. There’s a steak night every month with BYO alcohol. Check the Facebook page for dates. • Facebook: @TotterdownCanten • Twitter: @totterdownc
19 AUTUMN EATS AND DRINKS
Wide range: From pale ale to a grapefruit IPA to milk stout, the Incredible Brewing Co makes it all
Incredible Brewing Co
214-244 Broomhill Road, Brislington BS4 5RG 07780 977 073 Craft brewery and shop NDER inventive brewer and proprietor Stephen Hall, the Incredible Brewing Company is evolving into the most innovative, creative producer in the West. Its new brews for autumn will showcase the world’s finest hops and use seasonal ingredients to elevate the flavours. Stephen has a dizzying variety of beers and the range is expanding, but the ethos remains to bring fresh, natural hand-crafted beers to a wider market with a strong emphasis on locally-produced and sourced products. Look out for the Continued overleaf
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HAVE YOU TRIED OUR STEAK NIGHT?
TOTTERDOWN CANTEEN
Now taking bookings for Steak Night on New Year’s Eve, December 31
EVERY MONTH – check our Facebook for dates
‘A greasy spoon, with a modern twist’ - Mark Taylor, Bristol Post
All tables must be booked by December 28
•VEGETARIAN OPTIONS • FROM 5.30pm • CHILDREN WELCOME • BOOKING ADVISABLE • BYO ALCOHOL @TotterdownC Totterdowncanten
Free glass of bubbly
BREAKFAST SERVED ALL DAY (soft drink for youngsters) FRESH-GROUND WOGAN’S COFFEE and free dessert! To book a table go to Monday, Wednesday-Saturday Facebook.com/ 8am-3pm; Sunday 9am-3pm totterdowncanten CClosed Tuesdays & Bank Holidays
141 Wells Road, Totterdown BS4 2BU
or pop in to the Canteen
0117 908 2124
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
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n ADVERTISING FEATURE
AUTUMN EATS AND DRINKS Continued from page 19 Incredible Brewery on social media to find out where the beer is available in an expanding array of restaurants, bottle shops, cafés, bars and pubs as well as local producer markets and event bars. The brewery is open for sales of gift packs or cases on request via email from the website. Stephen says: “Our beer is a modern expression of place and tradition. A gift from time honoured cultures.” • incrediblebrewingcompany.com
Home made: The Brewhouse & Kitchen has a microbrewery on site, where customers can try their hand at brewing their own beer
Love to Brew: Fully equipped
Brewhouse & Kitchen
31-35 Cotham Hill, Clifton BS6 6JY 0117 973 3793 Pub, dining, microbrewery OR BEER lovers who want to try their hands at brewing, the day-long experience on offer at Brewhouse and Kitchen in Bristol is a must, not least of all because you will learn under the guidance of award-winning head brewer, Will. The day begins at 10am with breakfast and a full briefing in the lovely pub before starting work in the on-site microbrewery. Try out the different stages of brewing, including mashing in, boiling, adding hops and yeast and the other quirks that go into brewing a quality craft beer. It’s thirsty work, so there are plenty of beer tastings throughout the day plus a tasty pub lunch accompanied with a selection of house brews such as a fruit wheat beer, called Ribeera (named in honour of the famous drink Ribena which was invented in Bristol). This beer brewing day ends with a question and answer session, a beer and a five-litre
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31-35 Cotham Hill, Clifton BS6 6JY 0117 973 3793
Breakfast, lunch and the chance to sample different beers with the brewer, including all of the beers we brew right here on-site in the microbrewery! Then take home a 5 Litre Mini Keg of the beer you brewed!* *Due to 2 weeks fermentation time, Academy students can either take home a mini keg on the day or pick up a mini keg of the beer they brewed 2 weeks later
BOOK ONLINE: WWW.BREWHOUSEANDKITCHEN.COM
mini-keg for you to take home and enjoy. The Brewery Experience Day is an ideal Christmas gift for the beer lover in your life, and Gift Cards are available for this purpose. The Brewhouse is taking bookings for Christmas parties, with a cosy upstairs function room available. • brewhouseandkitchen.com/ venue/bristol
Love To Brew
7 Brislington Hill, Brislington BS4 5BE 0117 971 0925 Everything for home brewing and drinking ANT to brew your own beer at home? Love To Brew in Brislington stocks everything the home brewer needs, from equipment starter packs and microbreweries, to easy-to-make beer, wine and cider kits. You’ll also find ingredients, grains, hops and yeast. Love to Brew is also currently running a home brew competition – the winner will have their beer brewed and sold by the King Street Brew house! The closing date is January 19,
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To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
November 2017
southbristolvoice
n ADVERTISING FEATURE see the website below for more details. If you prefer drinking beer to making it, the store has more than 140 different craft and Belgian beers and ciders to choose from, as well as draught beer to take away. The range includes Boon, Buxton, Cloudwater, Lervig, Magic Rock, Northern Monk, Oddysey and To Øl, as well as Bristol breweries, such as Arbor, Bristol Beer Factory, Left Handed Giant, Lost & Grounded, Moor and Wiper & True! • lovetobrew.co.uk • facebook.com/lovetobrew • Instagram: @lovetobrewbristol
Butcombe Brewery
Cox’s Green, Wrington BS40 5PA 01934 863963 Traditional brewer and pub landlord HE BUTCOMBE name is familiar to any beer lover in the South West. Founded in 1978 in Cox’s Green near Wrington, it’s no longer a small brewer but a major player in the region, achieved by sticking to a simple policy of making firstclass, easy to drink traditional ales. These days the classic Butcombe Original and Butcombe Gold are as popular as ever but there are also more adventurous brews. Goram, for example, is named after Bristol’s very own giant who was partial to a well-crafted ale. It’s an Avon IPA using a blend of American and Worcester hops to achieve the perfect balance between stone fruit, citrus and spicy hop aromas with bitter notes. More seasonal is the Christmas Special ale – not a heavy and overpowering brew, but one to bring cheer to the table, like the Morecambe & Wise Christmas Special. It’s got German crystal and English malts to offer notes of rich, spicy Christmas cake with herbal earthiness. Think of roaring log fires and sweet festive aromas. A perfect partner to turkey, or to balance the Boxing Day cheese board. Inspired a bit further from home is Bohemia, a beer with the soul of a Czech pilsner. Brewed colder and longer with lager yeast and cold-conditioned for four weeks. It’s great with rich, classic British fayre such as chicken and leek pie or suckling pig with dumplings, as eaten in the Czech Republic. • butcombe.com
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AUTUMN EATS AND DRINKS Butcombe: A range of fine ale. You can win your weight in bottles of the Butcombe beer of your choice
WIN YOUR WEIGHT IN BUTCOMBE BEER! INCREDIBLE but true – those lovely people at Butcombe want to give one lucky South Bristol Voice reader an early Christmas present. Yes, you can win your weight in Butcombe beer if you can answer our question – and read the rules below. Q: What TV programme inspired Butcombe’s Christmas Special ale? RULES 1 Open to over 18s only. Prize will be the customer’s choice of
bottled beer, to match their weight, from the Butcombe range. 2 Not open to employees of South Bristol Voice, Local Voice Network, or Butcombe. 3 Entries with your address and phone number to paul@southbristol voice.co.uk or 18 Lilymead Avenue, BS4 2BX, by November 17. A winner will be chosen at random from the correct entries. 4 Entrants must supply name, address and phone number, and must live in the South Bristol Voice circulation area – BS3 and BS4. 5 The editor’s decision is final.
B or n in the 70 s . Still a n o r ig ina l.
BUTCOMBE.COM
n NEWS Churches set to help people deep in debt CHURCHES in South Bristol are being urged to play their part in helping the rising number of people struggling with debt. Mayor Marvin Rees gave his backing to the drive launched by a national group called Christians Against Poverty (CAP), which gives practical help to get people out of debt. CAP wants to set up two debt advice centres in the south of the city, helping people to renegotiate their debts and pay them off over time. “I know that the success rates are quite phenomenal – 90 per cent [of people helped by CAP] are debt free after five years,” the mayor told a gathering of representatives of around 15 South Bristol churches, held at Victoria Park Baptist Church on October 4. He urged churchgoers to use their talents and the assets locked up in their churches to help people in need. Mr Rees, who is a Christian, quoted a passage from the Gospel about the beggar Lazarus, who suffered not because a rich man made him poor, or kept him poor, but because the rich man didn’t see him. He said the churches had an “ongoing calling” which fits with the challenge Bristol faces of stark contrasts in inequality. At present there are two CAP advice centres in the north of the city, but none in the south, where the need is greater. Steve Haines, a relationship manager for CAP, told the Voice that many people’s finances are so tight that one small change can tip them into debt. Even those in work are suffering. Delays in receiving benefits add to problems such as job loss, relationship breakdown, mental health issues and bereavement. Victoria Park Baptist Church is likely to be home to one of the debt centres. It already runs a food bank. • The mayor later made a move which will avoid tipping more families further into poverty: in his State of the City address on October 18, he bowed to pressure not to axe the council’s reduced rate of council tax to people in need.
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk 9263-BTC Somerset Life_87x120mm_Ad 2_v1.indd 1
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n NEWS
REBIRTH OF THE TOTTERDOWN CENTRE
November 2017
n NEWS
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REBIRTH OF THE TOTTERDOWN CENTRE
The building that’s a symbol of the community’s defiance to destruction THE LAST 10 years or so have seen a revival in Wells Road. Where once there were empty shops which no one wanted to rent, now there are thriving businesses, from the Banco Lounge in the former Lloyds bank (opened in 2006) to the just-opened Desi Indian restaurant. In between are not one but four hairdressers, Mackdaddy’s, Musu, Beaux Beauty and Innovations, the now firmly revived Totterdown Canteen, Fox & West deli (replacing Gaines), the Eating Room, and many others. All this revival has made the Totterdown Centre, for years forlorn and faded, stand out. That’s until 2017. Now Floriography, the flower-shopwith-a-difference started by Beks Vera Harhat, has moved in, and started a side project in the space behind the centre, called the Healing Courtyard. The Courtyard, with its marquee and pizza oven, is host to events from storytelling to alternative health sessions, and is the venue for Fanny Tingle’s teas and evening meals. Upstairs, the Bristol Women’’s Workshop, still guided by one of its founders, Anne Harding, continues to offer women courses in practical skills such as woodwork. And finally, after years in which the centre’s shopfronts have been sadly neglected, more change is on the way on Wells Road. Jon and Mary Ross have bought 142 and 144 Wells Road, the two largest shopfronts, which once formed the main entrance to Harris & Tozers, the clothing
THE FUTURE NEW OWNERS Jon and Mary Ross, who live not far away from the other side of Wells Road, would love to see 144 turned back into a restaurant, for which it already has planning permission. Not a takeaway this time, but a fine dining restaurant, along the lines of the much-admired Birch, which opened in 2014 in Raleigh
Once grand: Jon Ross in 142 Wells Road, once part of Harris & Tozer’s
Well stuffed: An ancient corset display, the ‘JB Combinaire’
Teas served by Leo, aka Fanny Tingles, in the Healing Courtyard
Out of date: Coates cider bottles
Welcoming: Flowers in the yard
Potential: New owners Jon and Mary Ross want 144 to be a restaurant
Totterdown’s last eyesore
is about to be transformed
store on site until 1979. Jon – with the frequent assistance of Simon Hobeck, chair of community group Tresa – has spent the past few weeks pulling down old plasterboard, clearing rubble, putting in new floor joists and uncovering what can be saved. It’s been a fascinating experience, with much evidence uncovered not only of the Chinese takeaway which was here until about 2012, but Harris & Tozer’s before that. The Chinese was latterly a takeaway but is thought to have had a dining room at one point. The threadbare carpet remains, behind what was the counter area, and in front of the kitchen which was at the back of 144. A connecting door leads to 142, with a tiny set of steps in
between, leading up to two cramped and decrepit cloakrooms. The space at 142 is much larger – whereas 144 has been turned into one level space, now that Jon has removed the partitions, 142 was divided by heavy doors and a pair of steps. This was once the indoor market of Totterdown, home to artists, a haberdashery stall, a picture frame shop, book stalls and many others over the years. Now it’s a long space begging to be used, well-lit from a pair of lantern roofs at the centre and rear. A heavy gas grill, specially made to heat woks, is a remnant from the Chinese, and Jon thinks it might be repairable. Also at the back is an old leather sofa and an older, possibly 1950s sideboard, a hint
that this was a cosier space than the restaurant. There are stories that in the no-so-distant past this was used for gambling sessions, betrayed by lines of cars parked late at night on Wells Road. It’s rumoured that late lamented singer Amy Winehouse once called in for a flutter on her way to Glastonbury. Entertainers definitely did grace the centre, though: the front part of 142 is still lined with enormous mirrors used when members of the Chinese community used it to practise traditional dancing. Vivid red paint at the back of the shop hints at the Chinese shrine which was there. At the front there is evidence of the old drapers, which had quite a reputation in its day and was referred to by some as a
department store. It’s easy to see why: with its different levels and the quite grand double doors, which survive, it was big enough for several rooms or departments. The doors are not the original entrance, though: Jon has uncovered a black and white tile floor inside the window of 142. This betrays not only the
Road, Southville. Talks are still under way to see if that’s practical, and if someone can be found to run it. Next door, at 142, there is space for a variety of uses, depending how it’s divided. Perhaps space for yoga classes and the like at the front, while the rear could be divided off, with desk space for small businesses or social
enterprises, and room for a kitchenette. Work is still under way to make the structure sound and watertight – until the recent roof repairs, tarpaulins and dustbins were catching water where it dripped through the roof. After years of neglect, tons of damp wood and timber have been removed but much remains to be done.
WANT TO SEE THE TOTTERDOWN CENTRE? THE HEALING Courtyard and 142-144 Wells Road will be open during the Front Room Art Trail on November 18 and 19. Pop in and talk to Vera, Jon and Mary, especially if you have memories of the centre as it was, or ideas of what it could become.
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HOW THE CENTRE CAME ABOUT THE TOTTERDOWN Centre today is a meandering place, full of staircases, blocked-off doors and partitions which break up the old department store that was here until 1979. What came next was deliberately complicated. Residents and social activists were suspicious of both authority and developers after more than a decade of conflict with the council over the destruction of ‘Middle Totterdown’ for a flyover scheme that never took place. (We tell the story in a History Special on the following pages.) Little wonder that many in Totterdown wanted to salvage something to be owned and controlled by the community: the
position of the first door, but also the fact that the shop was at some point extended forward to the pavement. The store used to be narrower, set back several feet, and following the line of the smaller first storey. The treasures uncovered by Jon and his helpers may not be valuable but they tell a story. • A whole collection of fridges
– once one wore out, it’s obvious they weren’t disposed of; • A home-made sign inviting people to join in a community learning event, dating possibly from the 1980s or 1990s; • A collection of ancient cider bottles, still bearing the label of Coates of Nailsea, found in the cellar. Coates was a long-running brand once advertised on TV
Totterdown Centre was the result. The centre had a long and complicated history. Briefly, it was bought by residents Sue Learner and John Grimshaw, along with a co-operative run by locals, and renamed the Totterdown Shopping, Community Action and Exhibition Centre. (John was founder of the Sustrans cycling charity, whose first project was a cycleway along the New Cut near Three Lamps, and which now creates cycle lanes nationwide.) Initially the building thrived, with all manner of small businesses and community facilities. There was the Grain Store wholefood shop, an Oxfam shop, a bike workshop, Poppies café and a host of indoor stalls selling wool, jewellery, key cutting and shoe repairs. But in the heated political times of the 1980s there were
disputes about what the centre was for. Some didn’t want businesses there at all, and the cooperative unravelled. To prevent it being redeveloped, the former Harris & Tozer building was split into five – the Women’s Workshop upstairs; the greengrocer’s shop at 138 Wells Road (with flat) run by
with a jingle which began, “Coates comes up from Zummerset, where the zider apples grow”; • Price tickets in heavy card, embossed with gold, probably used in Harris & Tozer’s expansive window display. One is for 29/6 – for those not familiar with old money, it denotes 29 shillings and six pence, but even in pre-decimal days this was an old-fashioned way of putting it. There were 20 shillings in a pound, so ‘29/6’ was probably a price tag from the days when £1 was a lot of money – equivalent to £50 or more today – and was probably the price of a good overcoat or another costly item; • A fancy wooden packing crate from Paris – original contents unknown; • An ornate Victorian ceiling rose, with its hidden apertures for dispersing the fumes from gas lighting. This was discovered under a modern suspended ceiling, now removed. • A mannequin, ancient and forgotten in the cellar, now oozing its stuffing and crusted with dust; • Most evocative of a bygone era, a mannequin for a corset – the stiff, all-enclosing undergarment that many women wore. Harris & Tozer’s was famous for its corsets and, in the days when a small child was often sent to fetch things from the shops, the store would hand over a corset for Granny to try at home. They would even take it back if it didn’t fit. Try getting service like that at Primark. Rob and Brenda Ferrante; the Totterdown Children’s Community Workshop; and two shop units, 140 and 142-144. Sue Learner kept the children’s workshop going – it has now moved to Holy Nativity church hall – and Poppies and the Grain Store hung on for a time. The building has been neglected for the past 10 or 15 years. The greengrocers closed in about 2003 and the Chinese takeaway, which was the last occupant of 142-144, in about 2012. This left the Women’s Workshop upstairs, and the residents of three flats at 138 and 140, as the only occupants. Now, kickstarted by the arrival of Floriography and its setting up THE STORY OF THE of the Healing Courtyard as an outdoor community TOTTERDOWNspace, the centre is being revived.
OVERLEAF: History special
Neglected: The building today
CLEARANCES
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n HISTORY
Between 1968 and 1972, city planners wreaked more destruction on Totterdown than the Blitz ever did. A community and a shopping centre was destroyed – for a road which was never built.
THE RAVAGING OF TOTTERDOWN
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n HISTORY
25
THE RAVAGING OF TOTTERDOWN
‘The last houses in Totterdown’; just visible, Mr Bradbeer’s house in Highgrove Street, with those either side preserved to prop it up
T
OTTERDOWN is one of the coolest places to live in the UK – in fact it’s the fifth hippest, according to The Times last year. Some longterm residents would say they have always known that. But it’s unlikely that the people who lived in this South Bristol suburb in the mid 20th century would have used the word hip. Busy, thriving, a solid community; those were more likely to be the terms applied by proud Totterdowners to their neighbourhood. But we are talking about almost a lifetime ago; the days before 1968, when the bulldozers and wrecking balls moved in, and the face of Totterdown changed forever.
TOTTERDOWN RISING THIS story about the aborted plan for Bristol’s Outer Circuit Road is largely informed by Totterdown Rising, the book by Kate Pollard, who spoke to dozens of Totterdowners over several months to write the definitive account of the clearances. Sadly Kate died in 2009. Her book is quoted and the illustrations reproduced with the kind permission of her publisher, Richard Jones, of Totterdown’s Tangent Books. This story is dedicated to her memory as well as to the memory of the 2,000 citizens who lost their homes and their neighbourhood for no reason. Richard has recently reprinted Totterdown Rising; it costs £12. • tangentbooks.co.uk
Flattened: 10 streets between Bath Road and Wells Road, pictured in the 1980s, as the new road layout emerges
Desecrated for no purpose – How many recent incomers are completely unaware of what Totterdown used to be, and how a community was nearly destroyed by a tide of concrete? The pride of older residents centred on Totterdown’s commercial life. To sum it up: you didn’t need to go into town, the area around Wells Road could supply all your wants. It had a Boots, for heaven’s sake; that’s not to mean that a high street brand is the ultimate badge of honour for a shopping area, but it shows how much the area has changed. Between the 1930s and the 1960s Totterdown had everything. A cinema. A famous poodle parlour. A Chinese laundry. Two hotels. Banks. Butchers and grocers aplenty. Three wet fish shops. And pubs and corner shops galore – all packed into the maze of up-and-down, hillside hugging streets that still give Totterdown its character. Except that then, there were many more of them. Six hundred more homes, in fact, housing 2,000 people. Whole streets knocked down, family ties broken, neighbours torn apart. A shopping centre and dozens of businesses ruined. And for what?
An unbelievably vast flyover scheme – which was never built.
AVERTING GRIDLOCK
N
owadays we are used to traffic congestion. We complain about it but we arrange our lives around it, aware that Bristol wasn’t built for cars, and its narrow streets and historic road layout are never going to flow freely with traffic. It wasn’t always so. Fifty years and more ago the car was a symbol of progress, something to aspire to, and Britain was working out how to accommodate more of them. From slow beginnings in the 1930s, dual carriageways were spreading throughout the country and motorways followed in the 1950s. In the 1960s a new ease of access was promised to Bristol city centre direct from the planned London-to-Wales motorway, the M4. That this new link, to be called the M32, could only reach the city centre by being mounted on stilts and towering over the terraces of Stapleton and Eastville was, for the planners at least, something to be marvelled at. There was remarkably little protest when the first plans for Bristol’s concrete superhighways were unveiled. This was partly
because many people shared the aspiration for a new age of technology and the personal freedom that the car could allow them. There were fears that roads could grind to a halt because car ownership was growing rapidly while cars themselves were getting bigger and faster. But it was partly because there was far less public debate about what was planned. Today we have plenty of energetic debate involving residents and the various political parties over the major issues that affect South Bristol – the plans for housing, for tower blocks, for the hoped-for arena, the council cutbacks and more. Planning applications all involve some degree of public consultation and major schemes such as the arena involve public meetings. In the mid-1960s a scheme for a four-lane Outer Circuit Road right around Bristol, at a distance of three-quarters of a mile, from the centre was simply announced. Stories appeared in the local press in council publications and in the upmarket Bristol Illustrated. A model was put on show in Quaker’s Friars. But there was no detail: it was impossible to tell exactly which
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Harris & Tozer’s, the last of the big retailers in Wells Road, pictured in the mid 1970s. It closed in 1979, making way for the Totterdown Centre
Totterdown’s lesson of history areas or roads would be affected. What was clear was the intention for the elevated dual carriageway to sweep across the Feeder canal and over St Philip’s, crossing the New Cut on the city side of Totterdown bridge. It would be high enough to carry the road up the hill to the junction at St John’s Lane, from where it would sweep downhill through the middle of Victoria park. (Today such an idea would be quite impossible to propose given that a plan for a cycleway through the park brings hundreds of objections!) From the park the road would cut across Windmill Hill and (possibly, it’s hard to tell) over Dalby Avenue to sweep through Bedminster Parade to a new flyover above Bedminster Bridge. At least that was one version. The plans kept changing. By 1971 a map showed the flyover piling through Bedminster and Southville and crossing the harbour to head up Jacobs Wells Road. From there a tunnel went through Brandon Hill and a flyover across parts of Clifton and Cotham and through Montpelier to link up with the Parkway, as the M32 was then called. Whatever the final plan was, the effect would be devastating.
And it wasn’t a pipe dream – on the other side of St Philip’s, Lawrence Hill had already been designated an Action Area. Streets were knocked down and replaced by tower blocks, allowing the Easton Way dual carriageway and then the elevated St Philip’s Causeway to be built. It was sincerely believed in the 1960s that this was a win-win situation – rows of supposedly unhealthy and unloved Victorian terraces could be removed, and wide highways built which would bring a new age of convenience and prosperity. Yet the Totterdown terraces weren’t the kind of back-to-back slums without bathrooms or gardens that deserved to be swept away. They were solid little houses with sanitation and their own backyards, seen by many as “little palaces”. Was Totterdown really next in line? The proposals were frightening. The dual carriageway would pass through the maze of streets that led off Wells Road between Three Lamps and Firfield Street. Not only that, Three Lamps junction would become an enormous four-level Interchange Centre. It would have slip roads
curving in every direction and also a multi-storey car park and a bus station. As it was officially described, it would “enable drivers to leave their cars outside the congested areas off Bristol’s centre and main shopping area and to carry on by bus … at least the site is intended for this possibility, a fact [for] which those in the next era may be truly thankful.”
A BUSTLE OF SHOPS
W
ell, those of us in the next era are far from grateful at what was proposed, and then not built. Ironically, a plan which was intended to give easy access to the city centre shops destroyed another shopping centre. For those who don’t remember Totterdown in the 60s, it will be hard to imagine. But from Three Lamps to way up Wells Road, certainly as far as Crowndale Road, it was a bustling street lined with shops. There were tall Victorian buildings on the river side of Bath Road, also with shops and pubs, and those who overlooked the New Cut would still see barges being pulled by tugs to be repaired by a shipwright at
Totterdown bridge (you can still see the remains of a wharf below the old petrol station). One pub, the Blue Bowl, backed on to the river: its downstairs bowling alley sometimes flooded at high tide. The trams were no longer running every five minutes up Bath Road and Wells Road – they had been halted during the war – but otherwise the street scene was as it had been for many decades. The two main roads were lined with shops, pubs and businesses, with houses in narrow terraces on each side. What is now green space on the west side of Wells Road, leading up from Three Lamps, was built up; so too were both sides of St Luke’s Road, on the edge of Victoria Park. Oxford Street had houses on both sides, and there were houses on St John’s Lane too, between Wells Road and St Luke’s Road. Kate Pollard quotes the memories of many residents recalling the glory days of Totterdown shops from the 1920s to the 1960s. Elsie Lawrence, who wrote her own book, Growing Up in Totterdown 1922-1936, lived in ‘Middle Totterdown’ between Bath Road and Wells Road. She would be told, “On with your coat, we are going up top,” which meant a trip up to Wells Road, Continued overleaf
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n HISTORY Continued from page 25 where there were chain stores such as the Home & Colonial, Co-op, David Greig’s (the supermarket chain which eventually became Key Markets, then Gateway, and eventually Somerfield), and Kings. There they would also find Greenough’s the draper’s, competitors to Harris & Tozer. Lower down, on the corner of Cheapside – which extended further than it does now, to Wells Road – was Seasons, referred to as the aristocrat of grocers. At the top of New Walls Road, which then ran directly between Bath Road and Wells Road, was Fansons hardware shop, with rows of chamber pots in sizes to suit every bottom. On Bath Road was another hardware store where Elsie eyed up the dolls made of celluloid. The junction with St John’s Lane was the centre of activity, with the Bush Hotel on one corner opposite the YMCA and Lloyds bank – now a gym and the Banco Lounge, though both the old uses are remembered in the stone signs above. There was even a Totterdown Hotel, on the corner of County Street. Vivien Pipping, quoted in Kate Pollard’s book, remembers a seamstress who worked from an old cottage behind the Bush Hotel, now the site of the small green outside the YMCA. Further up was the Knowle Picture House, known to some as the Fleapit or the Bug House, where Patco convenience store is now; this closed in 1961, killed by TV, not by the road plans. Mike Leigh told Kate Pollard that he got a weekend job at the Gateway supermarket which replaced the cinema, and which paid him 15 shillings a week (75p, or about £12 at today’s prices). Clive Clifford worked at Bushy TV at 100 Bath Road as an
‘WE’RE DOING YOU A FAVOUR’ IT MAY sound incredible, but many officials and councillors believed the Totterdowners displaced by the Outer Circuit Road would welcome the scheme. They were being removed from their dilapidated Victorian homes, the thinking went, and could take the chance to move to the new suburbs, where they could have spacious gardens and even a
THE RAVAGING OF TOTTERDOWN Lawrence favoured Flooks, which had roast leg of pork, silverside of beef, and tongue, all displayed on china stands. In the window were loops of black pudding and Bath chaps ready to eat (for the uninitiated, Bath chaps are pig’s cheeks, pickled in brine, then boiled and often rolled in breadcrumbs). In short, you could supply all the wants of everyday life in Totterdown without troubling to go to Broadmead, as evidenced by the recollections of Jean Lucas (in our panel, p29).
YOU’VE HAD YOUR TIME
T
Bye-bye Bedminster: This vision shows a dual carriageway through East Street and passing over Bedminster bridge. Many buildings appear lost apprentice. Nearby was the Glanville Lawrence motorcycle shop. When cars were still a rarity, motorbikes were popular, especially for tearing up and down Totterdown’s hills, and Glanville Lawrence used to tweak the racing bikes used at the Knowle speedway circuit (yes, that’s another story we’ll be telling before long) by the Bristol Bulldogs team. Clive remembered that if a bike made it up Vale Street, the steepest
residential street in Britain, it got a cheer from local children. When threatened by the road, the TV business moved to Green Street, though this was a risk as the plans for the flyover were so vague. Bushy TV was one of the lucky ones: many businesses folded when they were forced out, but by the late 1960s demand for televisions was rising. Meat was part of almost everyone’s diet and there were countless butchers. Elsie
driveway for their car. Kate Pollard wrote: “At the rare Totterdown public information meetings, council personnel appeared to have so much faith in what they were doing, that they presented astonishment that Totterdowners were not reassured by their careful explanations to show why the planning decisions on roads and transport were exciting. They appeared incredulous that locals were not going to lie back and accept these changes.”
THE MONEY WASTED IN 1970, the council estimated the cost of the Outer Circuit Road from Lawrence Hill to Three Lamps to be £10 million (£100m today). Around £1m may have been spent on purchasing the 550 homes demolished in Totterdown, which were generally priced at a cut-rate £1,000 to £2,000 each. In 1980, the later ‘Chiswick Flyover’ plan for Three Lamps was priced at £4.75m (£14m today). When that too was cancelled, a
he Outer Circuit Road was announced in 1966, and demolition began by 1968. It was helped by the fact that two prominent councillors from opposing parties both backed it – Conservative Gervas Walker and Labour’s Wally Jenkinns (to be dubbed “Mr Traffic” by the Evening Post for his enthusiasm for new roads). Both men led the planning committee at different times, and shared a vision that they were dragging the city into the modern age in a way that was supported by the Government. Hence, though there were no detailed plans for the road, and little to no consultation, letters started dropping onto Totterdown doormats in 1968. Home owners were told to put their homes on the market, though they couldn’t sell; tenants were simply evicted. Vivien Pipping, who lived on Bath Road, had barely read her letter before neighbours started arriving with theirs.They all had to get their homes valued – though with the threat hanging over them, values were at rock bottom. Vivien told her neighbours some things the council had not – such as that they could get their homes valued independently, and claim their moving expenses. “Totterdown cheaper scheme was suggested, costing £1.95m (£6m today) which would relieve traffic flows by building a new Angers Road to connect Bath Road and Wells Road. The current layout, with a slip road from Bath Road to Wells Road, the widening of St John’s Lane, and so on, was introduced year by year. It’s not clear what it cost but a Whitehall grant of £360,000 was made. Some parts – such as linking Bushy Park to Knowle Road – were dropped for lack of money.
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n HISTORY people were given no information from start to finish, except for leaflets given out at public meetings,” Vivien told Kate Pollard. There was dissent, of course. The Bristol Evening Post ran many critical articles and gave voice to the residents. Their MP was Tony Benn, the pipesmoking left-winger who had renounced his aristocratic title to serve in the Commons. Though he served as a technology minister in the Labour government of the 1960s, he was sceptical about the liberating potential of the motor car. In 1963 he described the struggle between capitalism and communism as a straight fight between Henry Ford (the car mogul) and Karl Marx. Benn believed the car was a symbol of affluence which was wooing the workers from their loyalty to their class; and car production figures had become an index for the success of an economy, he noted. Benn does not seem to have spoken out against the road, but
27
THE RAVAGING OF TOTTERDOWN
The Bushy Park junction. The site top centre is where Tesco is today he was suspected of trying to put the brakes on it by applying pressure inside the Government. The protest movement and the growth of groups such as the Totterdown Action Group, known as TAG, is a story in itself. There’s room here only to say that in the short term, the protests didn’t work. Despite there being no firm plan, or approval from the Government, 550 homes and 10 streets – a quarter of Totterdown, mainly
between Bath Road and Wells Road, was demolished. The Totterdown Traders Association, representing 50 businesses, could not believe that the evictions would apply to such a large body of important employers. They went to see Cllr Walker, “because no-one from the council came up to Totterdown,” recalled Mr McCloud, who had a newsagents on Bath Road. They were wrong: the traders got the boot too.
With no one knowing where the road would go, hardly anyone in Totterdown could sell their home on the open market – who would want to buy? Hence the council paid tiny sums to owners. Compensation of £300 for the Swan pub on Bath Road for “trade disturbance” was probably one of the better deals. Some small businesses just folded without compensation, while the larger ones who could shout louder did better: well-known Bristol firm Bata Shoes won £5,000. As the plans kept changing, some homes were condemned, reprieved and condemned again. Vivien Pipping saw her house on Bath Road, which her family had left for a home in Bushy Park, redecorated by the council and then let out to tenants. Eventually the tenants were evicted, and it was demolished. Demolition began on the south side of Oxford Street, then the highway route was altered. The houses were given new roofs and let out to tenants before the Continued overleaf
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n HISTORY Continued from page 27 plans changed again and the homes were all knocked down. The 1960s had seen the arrival of an Asian community in Totterdown. The disused St Katherine’s church in Green Street was bought from the parish council and turned into a mosque in 1968. But these recent arrivals were no more immune to eviction than anyone else: at least five of eight evictees in 1970 from four homes in Highgrove Street and County Street were Asian. “Blight was a circular and debilitating condition,” wrote Kate Pollard. “People couldn’t leave if they wanted to; everyone in such a close community felt wretched about the evictees, frightened that they might suddenly join their ranks, worried that there was nowhere to shop now and depressed about the prospect of living in close proximity to a four-level highway interchange and their shortly-tobe-decimated park.” The bulk of the demolition was completed within four years. The new road was supposed to be started in 1972 but it was running late. The Government finally approved the plan in 1973, by which time the highway had reached Lawrence Hill – sparking 900 complaints from residents there about the noise from the new road. Meanwhile blight notices were served in Bedminster and Southvillle in preparation for the expected demolitions there. A few residents held out against the tide. Henry Bradbeer of 22 Highgrove Street refused to budge. He even succeed in getting an improvement grant from the city council at the same time as the new Avon county council, which had taken over the transport brief, was offering him £1,350 for his house plus a tenancy in Bedminster. Once Mr Bradbeer started the improvement work, he argued his house was worth more. The two houses either side of his had to be left in place while the argument went on. Eventually he settled a deal in 1975 and moved out, having become a local hero and being championed by the Evening Post.
THE PROTEST WIDENS
B
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y now there was a concerted campaign against the new road, not only in Totterdown, where it was too late to save the flattened
Comment
Bristolians beware that this never happens again THIS month, we devote more space than usual to our regular history feature – a retelling of the Totterdown clearances. There are several reasons – it allows us to set in context news of the rebirth of the Totterdown Centre, which was born out of anger at the destruction of the 1960s and 70s. The demolitions are also an important story in their own right – surely the most significant event of the last century in South Bristol, more destructive (though less violent) than the actions of the Luftwaffe. This is a story that needs to be remembered, not only by those who lived through it, but by those who have moved to South Bristol in the last 20 years, who may not know the story. Let’s not forget that far more of the area was threatened than the 20 acres of Totterdown which were demolished. If the Outer Circuit Road had been seen through, Victoria Park would have been ruined – cut in two by a dual carriageway. Windmill Hill, Bedminster streets, but in St Paul’s and Montpelier, where residents were determined they should not suffer the same fate. Aided by students from Bristol University, campaigners flooded the affected areas with leaflets throughout 1971 and 1972 to ensure residents were better informed. The Totterdown community had already been devastated. It was widely believed, including by some GPs, that some residents were so affected by the loss of their home that they died prematurely. Others lived the rest of their lives mourning the loss of the tightly-knit community where their family had lived for generations. Yet Cllr Gervas Walker, one of the principal supporters of the scheme, had the gall to accuse the objectors to the scheme of conducting “a consternation campaign that would frighten little old ladies to death.” Cracks were beginning to show, though. The Labour Party in Bristol cooled to the plans, advocating a delay until a full study of transport and land needs
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THE RAVAGING OF TOTTERDOWN and Southville would also have been torn apart. But it’s all a long time ago – why bang on about it now? Many readers will know why: South Bristol is on the eve of the biggest transformation it has seen since the 1960s. Unprecedented development is proposed in two areas: the Temple Meads Enterprise Zone, which extends up Bath Road as far as Paintworks; and Bedminster Green, the area between Windmill Hill and the shopping area of East Street. In both areas all the signals are that both the council and developers are thinking big. The tallest building in Bristol, a 25-storey tower, is proposed by the university of Bristol on part of Arena Island. And on Bedminster Green, towers of 18 storeys and 10 storeys are proposed, with more to come. In both cases, we are being told that we must build tall if we are to provide the social housing that South Bristol needs. It is not only the visual impact of so many tall buildings that many residents are worried about. They express well-argued fears about the density of development – the numbers of new residents needing schools,
doctors, dentists and sports facilities and, yes, even wanting to park their cars here, whether the council designates their new homes as ‘car free’ or not. Local democracy is much stronger today than it was in the 1960s, when Totterdowners were not consulted or even properly informed about the destruction of their neighbourhood. Such a plan would not get very far today. But are the current plans for thousands of new high-rise homes being presented in a similar way? The planners of the 1960s could not understand why the terrace-dwellers of Totterdown would not gratefully accept a new home in a tower block or a suburban estate. Fifty years on, our Victorian terraces are more popular than ever, and command higher prices than the larger modern homes we were supposed to aspire to. It’s the community and the character of these historic homes that so many of us want to preserve, while ensuring that residents of new homes enjoy a similar quality of life. Is that a noble ambition, or a Luddite view that stands in the way of social progress? The same question could have been asked in the 1960s.
was completed in 1974. A group called Joint Action Bedminster was formed to join the many Totterdown campaigning groups, and questions were asked in Parliament. Increasingly angry public meetings were held; at one of them, in Totterdown Methodist church hall, the ceiling fell down. Tony Benn, who was present, seized on this, saying the area needed regenerating rather than a new road. A Housing Action Area was declared in Totterdown and some homes were repaired. But the New Walls area was still a wasteland, deliberately left unfenced by the council, and eventually Travellers moved in, leading to complaints about rubbish and disturbance. Money was slashed from transport budgets and the City Engineer admitted to the Evening Post that the Montpelier section of the road would not be built within 15 years. In 1975 the late, long-awaited transport study concluded that the Outer Circuit Road would
bring only low economic benefits, would harm the environment and would probably not be effective. It should be halted, the report recommended – but only after the Totterdown section had been built. It took four years for the council to agree to cancel the rest of the road. Yet in 1980 a reduced, but still enormous, flyover plan for Three Lamps was presented, dubbed ‘The Substitute Chiswick Flyover’ after the infamous West London concrete interchange. Totterdown had already begun to show its spirit in a cultural fashion – an annual Totterdown Carnival had begun in 1973 and was to last into the late 1980s. This new flyover scheme sparked the Totterdown Action Group (TAG) to arrange a fancy dress march through the streets followed by a mass signing of a petition, with street theatre and music. By now South Bristol’s MP was Dawn Primarolo, and a public meeting chaired by her was told – to much anger – that if the community was to get the
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
‘A BLOODY DISGRACE’ THE Totterdowners forced out of their homes often tried to stay close to friends and family. Many moved to ‘safe’ parts of Totterdown. Others went to the new developments in Stockwood, St Anne’s, Hengrove and Knowle Park. Some were given council housing: 161 homes including accommodation for the elderly and disabled was planned in 1972 in Hengrove and Whitchurch, specially for those who had been displaced.
Though the new homes there were often more spacious, with bigger gardens and better bathrooms, the sense of community was not the same. Jean Lucas, 93, was one of the 2,000 people forced out of their beloved Totterdown homes for what turned out to be no reason. “We never had anybody come to the house to tell us what was happening. Nothing was discussed, we didn’t know they were going to pull our house
down,” she told the Voice last year. “Everybody had to get out and nobody knew why.” She missed the old Totterdown, with its tight-knit community and huge range of shops. “We lived on New Walls Road where we had a beautiful Victorian house we bought off an old lady in the 1950s. It had four double bedrooms, two lounges and a huge cellar. “It was very upsetting, especially for the elderly people.
Some of them never got over it. I am still angry about it.” She moved to Broad Walk, Knowle and, like many, she still lamented the loss of Totterdown’s marvellous shops. “There were shops right up the Wells Road from Three Lamps as far as the bottom of the George hill. You never had to remove yourself anywhere else [to go shopping].” Knocking the heart out of Totterdown “was a bloody disgrace” she said.
put the Three Lamps flyover on hold for six months. Later, in 1980, Avon was forced to scrap the flyover for lack of money. The fight was over, and Totterdowners could focus their attention on getting the area rebuilt.
Bushy Park. Eventually, the bare ‘prairie’ – the core site of 20 acres – was rebuilt as the New Walls development in the 1990s. There was supposed to be a community hall on Zone N (in front of the YMCA). Later there were hopes it could be built on Zone A (next to Firfield Street). Neither plan has materialised. The hoped-for shops were a shadow of what Totterdown once had. A convenience store on a small paved plaza next to Oxford Street, at first tenanted by Dillons, later Tesco. Next to it, a row of small shops which have had varying fortunes but are at least now all occupied. But the new core site, New Walls, wasn’t a community for displaced Totterdowners. The homes were shared ownership, intended for young, first-time buyers. Margaret and Jim Dudbridge had moved from Angers Road, when it was knocked down, out to Hartcliffe, then returned as soon as they could to Stevens Crescent. Jim asked an estate agent if they could buy a house in New Walls. “He was told firmly that they were ‘not for Totterdown people’,” Kate Pollard recorded.
THE AFTERMATH
A
Symbol of hope: Tony Benn, MP for Bristol South East and also energy minister, opens the Totterdown Centre in 1979. He was given a sweater knitted by the centre’s knitting group but sadly it didn’t fit him. children’s play areas they wanted, even more homes would have to be knocked down. The TAG petition was just the
spearhead of a broad front of opposition – all of it reported in the Evening Post. It helped persuade the Avon councillors to
Need more space? You’ve already got it -
community, however, cannot be reconstructed with bricks alone. Nor was any attempt made to rebuild Totterdown as the important shopping and commercial centre it once was. Were councillors concerned that to do so would threaten the newer shopping areas of Broadmead and out-oftown retail parks? Even building new homes proved an interminable process. Though the community was consulted, residents were often told their desires were impractical, or too expensive. The shops couldn’t go where they had been; developers wanted a shopping centre, not streets of shops. Eventually the site of the Bush pub was agreed, next to County Street. The flats of Barrington Court were built, part-financing social housing at Bush Court in
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November 2017
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n THE MAYOR
INVITATION
MARVIN REES Mayor of Bristol
We need to get a grip on the street litter problem which costs us so much
D
URING my annual State of the City speech last month I announced plans to get tough on fly-tipping. We know that Bristol still has a serious problem with litter and we are working hard to try and get a grip on this. I launched my Cleaner Streets campaign last year and we had a great response from schools, community groups and individuals. But it is not right that these groups should have to try to combat the problem alone. To keep Bristol tidy we need to realise that we all have a part to play. I was glad to be able to announce our plans to introduce a new enforcement team in
Bristol so that we can get tough on those people who are thoughtlessly spoiling the city for the rest of us. People who continue to drop litter, deface property with graffiti or let their dogs foul will face up to £75 on-the-spot fines. The new team is to be delivered at no cost to the council because it is predicted to be able to recover any costs through the payment of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs). Any profit from on-the-spot fines will be put back into
tackling environmental issues around the city. This team will work alongside the educational and community work that already takes place to try and ensure that we are finally able to get a grip on this problem which costs the council huge amounts of money to deal with. If you see someone on the street dropping litter, fly-tipping or damaging property with graffiti you can help us do something about it by reporting it on the council’s website – see below for the link. You can also get involved with the efforts to clean up our streets and be a part of my Cleaner Streets campaign (another link below). Together I hope we can work in harmony to clean up Bristol and show how proud we are of our city. I’d like to thank everyone who came to my State of the City speech this year. It has been a chance to look back at my past year and see how far we’ve come. While it has not been without its challenges I am really proud of the things me and my cabinet have been able to achieve over the year. I am sure the coming year will hold many more challenges but I look forward to seeing what we can achieve by working together. • bristol.gov.uk/report-a- street-issue • bristol.gov.uk/cleanstreets
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n COLUMNS In witch I am deprived
I
November 2017
southbristolvoice
32
AM GOING plastic- and alcoholfree for a month. It is day four and I’m wobbling on both counts. I am in receipt of my bamboo toothbrush, delivered by Amazon packaged in a paper bag, inside a small box, which was packaged into a larger box with three other boxed brushes, and that box was inside an even larger box with my address on the front. Seriously? I popped to Tesco, stood in the aisle with my plastic basket and had a little cry. “Are you OK love?” asked a concerned employee. “Nooooo” I wailed, stamping my foot and waving my arms, “Look at all the plastic, a sea of plastic rammed in every corner. I’m not
OF KNOWLE
going to survive this, it’s going to kill me.” She backed away and called security. Virtually nothing is plastic-free in supermarkets. Even a hardened swede was shrink-wrapped. This is going to be tough. I left with a cotton bag for life filled with jacket potatoes, apples and bananas. I did plan to have some tuna but even those tins are covered in plastic! I needed to plan for this better. I did go to a plastic meeting with my fellow neighbours who are also embarking on this adventure and discovered that milk can be
delivered in glass bottles, veg can also be delivered in a paper bag, and I can make my own cleaning stuff from vinegar and bulk-bought bicarb of soda. Bamboo sanitarywear, cotton wraps for sandwiches, metal tubs for packed lunches, bamboo cups for coffee on the go. Oh yes, it’s initially a bit pricey and involves effort – which is why plastic is such a winner, it is cheap and easy (in fact a lot like me!) But we need to do something, landfill is pretty much full and plastic never dies. Of course this impacts on my plastic-loving family. They are not impressed. “What is this?” questioned Evil, emerging from the bathroom holding a bar of soap between two fingers and pulling a disgusted face. Wait till she sees the shampoo bar in the shower! “Why are we having jacket potatoes
Down on the Farm
again?” huffed Himself. “And why does the house smell of vinegar?” Oh take me back to the 80s. Patting the bottom of the glass tomato sauce bottle, taking glass bottles back to the shop and collecting your deposit. Playing outside. No mobile phones. Not many fat people. A much simpler life without so much plastic clogging up our sealife. I can do this. The new deli, Fox and West on Wells Road, are big supporters. I will go get my biodegradable poo bags from them and cheese not wrapped in plastic. As for staying alcohol-free; well. I am hanging in there, just. Ironically wine is pretty much plastic-free. I pause by those shiny glass bottles in the many local shops I now visit (the other positive of this process) and stare at them longingly.
Farm news this month has a bit of a foodie focus, to celebrate ...
News from Crumbs! THE FARM café won the Crumbs Windmill Hill City Farm, Right at Home is oneRight of the most atUK’s Home isfor one of the Magazine award Best CaféUK’s in most Philip Street, Bedminster trusted care companies. Our trusted carelocal companies. Our local Bristol & Bath. Café staff accepted team of friendly, reliable CareGiver’s team of friendly, reliable Right at Home is one of the UK’s most their prize at a swanky awards Right at Home is one of theCareGiver’s UK’s most specialiseOur in assisting people at who may specialise inBristol assisting who local may trusted care companies. local ceremony Oldpeople Vic on trusted care companies. Our at Home is one of the UK’s most need a helping hand withaof day-to-day need helping hand with CareGiver’s day-to-day team of friendly, reliable CareGiver’s October 1. Right at Home is one of the UK’s most Quality care and Right team friendly, reliable trusted care companies. Our local tasks in their own home. tasks in their own home. The 421 nominations werewho may specialise in assisting people who may team of friendly, trusted reliable CareGiver’s care companies. Our local specialise in assisting people Companionship specialise in assisting people who may whittled down to hand 104 finalists in the farm’s gardens includes need aofhelping with day-to-day team friendly,hand reliable CareGiver’s need a helping with need a helping hand with day-to-day Our services include: Our services include:The day-to-day in the comfort of tasks in their own specialise 17 tasks different categories. café pumpkins, chillies, herbs and home. tasks in their own home. in assisting people who may in their own home. care Specialist dementia care Specialist dementia is open Monday to Sunday, eggs, all available from the farm Our services include: your own home need a helping hand with day-to-day Companionship Ourcare services include:Companionship Specialist dementia serving food from 9am – 3pm. Our services include: shop in the café. tasks in their own home. Companionship and errands Transportation andproving errands Specialist dementiaTransportation care Weekend breakfasts are Specialist dementia care Transportation and errands dressing Help with washing, dressing particularly popular. Help with washing, Companionship Ourdressing services include:Help with washing, Dairy goodness Companionship and personal care and personal care and personal care There is a new indoor space at the Transportation and errands Specialist dementia care Transportation and errands Light Housekeeping Glad tidings Housekeeping farm. The Old Dairy has now reMeal preparation Companionship Light with Housekeeping Help with washing,Light dressing Help washing, dressing Medication reminders The caféMeal is now taking bookings opened as an interaction centre. Meal preparation preparation and personal care Transportation and errands and personal care Post-operative support for Christmas parties in December It houses a small toddler play Holiday and respite cover Medication reminders Light with Housekeeping Help washing,Medication dressing reminders Light Housekeeping and much more... – a rarePost-operative chance to enjoy an space – always open, free to use support Mealpersonal preparation and care Post-operative support Meal preparation To find out how we can help care for you or your family, call eveningcover at the farm, with farm and a great space to shelter from Holiday and respite Holiday and respite cover Medication reminders Light Housekeeping Medication produce, seasonal,reminders local and tasty the showers. and much more... Post-operative support 01793 602502 and Meal preparation goodies,Post-operative andmuch plentymore... ofsupport good cheer. There’s also an ope-access Or visit www.rightathomeuk.com/swindon Holiday andreminders respite cover Medication Holiday and respite cover Ring Anna, café manager, for petting area with guinea Registered with the Care Quality Commission. Each Right at Home office is independently ownedTo and operated find out how we To can help care for you orhelp yourcare family, find out how we can for call you or your family, callpigs and Right one is ofone theof UK’s most Right atRight Home is one of the UK’s and much more... Post-operative support more info 0117 more... 947 1185. andonmuch rabbits. at Home themost UK’s most trusted care companies. Our local trustedtrusted care companies. Our local Holiday and respite cover care companies. Our local team of friendly, friendly, reliable reliable CareGiver’s CareGivers out how we can help care for you or your family, call team of To find outfood how welove… can help care for you or your family, call at Home is one ofTo the find UK’s most team of friendly, reliableRight CareGiver’s If music be the of Tree tops and much more... Quality care and specialise in assisting people who may trusted specialise in assisting peoplepeople who may specialise in assisting whocare may companies. Our local Following the success of the need a helping hand with day-to-day You will be able to buy locallyteam of friendly, reliable CareGiver’s Or visit www.rightathomeuk.com/swindon Or visit www.rightathomeuk.com/swindon need aneed helping hand with a helping hand day-to-day with day-to-day Companionship To find out how we can help care for you or your family, call tasks in their own home. specialise in assisting people who maywith the Care Quality session in theis independently summer, Commission. Each Right at Home office and operated Registered withfirst the Care Quality Commission. Each Right at owned Home office is independently owned and operated grown Christmas trees at the tasks intasks theirinown theirhome. own home. need a helping hand with Registered day-to-day there will be an open mic night in the comfort of farm from December 1. All profits tasks in their own home. Our services include: Or visit www.rightathomeuk.com/swindon Our services include: Or ison visit www.rightathomeuk.com/swindon November 10 from 7-10pm. will go into the farm’s health withinclude: the Care Quality Commission. Each Right at Home office independently and operated Specialist dementia care Registered Our services Specialist dementia care your own home Registered with the Care Qualityowned Commission. Each Right at Home office is independently owned and operated Entry is free. Sign up on the night and social care programme, Specialist dementia care Companionship Companionship Or visit www.rightathomeuk.com/swindon Companionship to play – all styles and abilities Transportation and errands Transportation and errands which supports groups including Transportation andQuality errandsCommission. Each Right at Home office is independently owned and operated Registered with the Care Helpwashing, with washing, dressing Help with dressing welcome – from 7pm, or just people with mental health issues, Help with washing, dressing and personal and personal care care come along to enjoy the music, and personal care learning difficulties, or recovering Light Housekeeping Light Housekeeping Light Housekeeping food and ambience - there’s also from addictions. Meal preparation Meal preparation Meal preparation a chance to win a meal for two in The farm’s Christmas Fair is Medication reminders Medication reminders Medication reminders the open mic raffle. Post-operative support Post-operative support coming up on Saturday Post-operative support Holiday and respite cover and respite December 9, 12-4pm. As well as HolidayHoliday and respite cover coverand much more... and much more... What’s in season? the usual festive fun the event and much more... To find out how we can help care for you or your family, call You can buy farm-reared lamb To find out how we can help care for you or your family, call will be focusing on sustainability, To find out how we can help care for you or your family, call and goat meat throughout environmentally-friendly gifts 01793 602502 Or November and December. Other and waste reduction. Orvisit visit www.rightathomeuk.com/bristol www.rightathomeuk.com/swindon Registered with the Care Quality Commission. Each Right at Home office is independently owned and operated beautiful autumn produce from • windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Or visit www.rightathomeuk.com/swindon
Quality care andcare and Quality Companionship Companionship Quality care and Quality care and in theand comfort in theof comfort of Companionship Quality care Companionship your own home your home in the comfort of in Companionship theown comfort of your home in theown comfort of your own home your own home
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southbristolvoice
RSPCA UPDATE
Who is the THE Wicked Witch? WICKED Watch out for WITCH the dog that winks at you ...
November 2017
01793 602502 01793 602502 01793 602502 01793 602502 01793 602502
0117 370 1710
01793 602502 01793 602502
33 From Bristol Dogs & Cats Home
Help us keep paws safe and warm this winter
C
HRISTMAS is fast approaching, and we’ve got the perfect festive date to pop in your diary! Our ever-expanding Christmas fair will be here on Sunday November 19. Expect fun games, a vast array of stalls, handmade gifts for humans and animals, yummy festive foods and of course – Santa! It’s the perfect opportunity to skip the high street Christmas mayhem and bag yourself a bargain while helping animals in need at this festive time of year. The Christmas fair is a crucial event for us because it helps us to raise vital funds to keep our doors open. Every penny goes towards meeting the over £5,000 we need every day to care for the thousands of animals that require our care and support. The Christmas fair will be
Our Christmas fair will have treats and gifts for everyone
taking place from 10am to 3pm on November 19 at 1 Victor Street, St Philip’s (opposite the entrance to our clinic, off Allbert Road). Entrance to the event is £1 for adults, and children get in for just 50p! Disabled parking spaces only are available at the Dogs and Cats Home car park; other parking is available close by. Please note that visitors are unable to bring their own dogs to this event. Any donations of goodies for our Christmas raffle, or cakes for
Attractions galore: We also welcome donations for the annual fair our festive cake stall, would be very much appreciated, if you are able to help with goods or delicious cakes please do let us
know - thank you. Give us a call on 0117 980 3901. • rspca-bristol.org.uk/events/ id/106
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n PLANNING APPLICATIONS 54 Ravenhill Road BS3 5BP Hip to gable and erection of rear dormer roof extension. Pending consideration 11 Kenmare Road BS4 1PD Retention of outbuilding. Pending consideration 69 Hartcliffe Road BS4 1HD Two storey detached house, with parking. Pending consideration 25 Bushy Park BS4 2EG Minor external alterations including removal of external staircase and conservatory, works to level part of the garden and new fence and railings. Pending consideration 56 Redcatch Road BS4 2EY Single storey side and rear extension with loft conversion. Granted subject to conditions
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3, 4 and 5 Hill Avenue BS3 4SF Details in relation to condition 3 (Drawings) of permission 17/02463/F: Removal of roof over 3, 4 and 5 Hill Avenue and addition of second floor accommodation in roof extension. Granted
southbristolvoice
35 Knowle, Totterdown, Windmill Hill
garages and form two flats. Granted subj. to conditions
extension. Granted subject to conditions
47 St Johns Crescent BS3 5EL Single storey rear extension. Granted subj. to conditions
121 Glyn Vale BS3 5JE Two storey side extension with roof works and porch. Refused
68 Queenshill Road BS4 2XQ Two storey side extension to create two bedroom house. Granted subj. to conditions
3 Somerdale Avenue BS4 2XH Two storey side extension and single storey rear extension. Granted subj. to conditions
74 Melbury Road BS4 2RP Dormer roof extension. Granted
35 Somerset Road BS4 2HT Two storey rear extension. Granted subj. to conditions
60 Kingshill Road BS4 2SN Two storey and single storey rear extension. Granted subject to conditions 38 Beckington Road BS3 5EB Single storey side and two storey rear extension including raised deck overlooking garden. Granted subj. to conditions 93 Hawthorne Street BS4 3DA Rear single storey infill extension and replacement of lean-to extension. Granted subject to conditions 27 Somerset Terrace BS3 4LJ Single storey extension to rear. Granted subject to conditions
7 Winton Street BS4 2BW (above Patco) Details in relation to condition 2 (Sound insulation) and 3 (Cycle parking) of permission 14/02187/F: Change of use of first floor storage area (Use class B8) into community café (Use class A3). Removal of condition 4 (Extraction & ventilation). Granted subject to conditions
First Floor Flat, 299 Wells Road, Knowle BS4 2PP Single-bedroom flat above double garage. Withdrawn
Garages at Greenleaze, Knowle Park Demolish six
51 Talbot Road BS4 2NN Single storey side and rear
19 Rookery Road BS4 2DS Loft conversion with Velux windows and ground floor rear extension to extend entrance into new utility room. Granted subject to conditions
27 Somerset Terrace BS3 4LJ Second floor roof extension. Withdrawn 23 St Martins Road BS4 2NQ Single storey rear extension. Granted subj. to conditions 6 St Agnes Gardens BS4 2DQ Loft conversion with rooflights to front and flat roof dormer to rear. Pending consideration 56 St Johns Lane BS3 5AF Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear by 4.15m,
of maximum height 2.45m with eaves 2.45mm high. Pending consideration 45 Hill Avenue BS3 4SR Hip to gable roof extension, dormer at rear and second floor extension. Pending consideration 111 Ravenhill Road BS3 5BT Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear wall by 3.16m, of maximum height 4m with eaves 3m high. Refused 71 St Dunstan’s Road BS3 5NZ Two storey side extension with alterations to main roof. Pending consideration 28 William Street Totterdown BS3 4TT Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear by 4m, of maximum height 3.4m with eaves 2.3m high. Pending consideration • 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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November 2017
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n YOUR COUNCILLORS
T
HE FIRST news is that following the disgraceful “consultation” on Bristol’s library service, the Gary mayor is going to Hopkins do what he planned Lib Dem to do anyway and Knowle ignore the many thousands of comments and submissions. This involves shutting 17 libraries and, of the 10 left, six will be open only for three days a week. The consultation presented three awful choices of which six libraries to save, and the majority voted for the one which included saving Knowle. So Knowle library should be safe, but that is not certain yet. The tragedy is that alternatives are available and viable but are being wilfully ignored. Nearly 4,000 people responded to the council’s consultation and over 10,000 people have signed petitions to
Knowle
protect their local library. An alternative plan which involved having trained staff supplemented by volunteers and moving to a charitable trust over a period of two years was put forward by the Liberal Democrats A staggeringly similar plan was put forward by the all-party group of councillors charged with finding an alternative. This model has been successfully delivered elsewhere but has been wilfully ignored here. In one of the most cynical moves ever seen from Bristol city council, the report from the all-party committee was pre-empted by a prepared “plan” from the administration which claimed to be a response. The many hundreds of people who have written in to volunteer are being told they are not wanted. In November the libraries situation will be debated in council, but we know the hatchets have been sharpened in advance of the formal cabinet decision.
How to contact your councillor: p2
T
HAT’S the way to do it: 15 years ago Redcatch park had a long list of problems, but now it is muchChris loved and actively Davies used by thousands Lib Dem of people. What Knowle changed? Well, the first thing was setting up the Friends of Redcatch Park, the second to get the police to pay attention, and the third to get the parks department to start responding to local wants and not wasting time and money. In the years since, there has been much renewal and new facilities, obtained through grants at no cost to the council. Councillors and parks enthusiasts from as far afield as East Anglia have come to see how it is done. It became a Gr een Flag park and always wins the highest award from the In Your Neighbourhood RHS judges. Fun days and arts in the park events have been well attendedand, in a recent test of
local popularity, Redcatch won the top £4,000 prize from Tesco Bags for Help sponsorship, to be spent on outdoor gym equipment. This follows many other awards, including five stars for Best Parks Award. The secret really is that we have a wide variety of users that are encouraged to get along and work together. The latest addition is the Redcatch Community Garden who now use the old bowling green. Successful crowdfunding and grants have allowed a rapid development of activities and have attracted a huge new wave of volunteers and activities. The high quality coffee, drinks and snacks,served from their cafe van,has been a great extra facility. Now a park user has just nominated Redcatch as Britain’s Best Park. Very difficult to win when up against national icons such as Plymouth Hoe but if we all get behind it you never know. Please follow the link and vote! • fieldsintrust.org/bestpark/ southwest
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southbristolvoice
n YOUR COUNCILLORS
L
AST month I attended a discussion and presentation held by Bristol Walking Alliance Jon on pavement Wellington parking. This was Labour based around their Windmill Hill petition to ban pavement parking altogether in Bristol. I have not signed this petition, but I agree with the principle behind it, which is to prioritise pedestrians over vehicles in urban areas like ours. If people park on the pavements in such a way that it stops people with disabilities, or people with pushchairs and prams from getting past, then it should be an offence that is enforced. We have a duty as a local authority to ensure that there is access to pavements and safe pedestrian areas for people with disabilities. The importance of this was brought home to me at this event by the insights of a
Windmill Hill
wheelchair user who said that if a car was blocking his path on the pavement, he had to turn round and go back to the nearest dropped kerb, cross the road, go along the other side of the road and then cross back over again at the next dropped kerb, simply to get past a single vehicle parked in an inconsiderate manner. As an able-bodied man who tends to just walk down the middle of the road in Totterdown, where I live, to avoid wing mirrors and recycling bins, I found this a powerful insight into the genuine problems this can cause. On the other hand I recognise that parking on the pavement in our area is often a necessity in order to allow parking on both sides of the street while still allowing cars to pass. An outright ban could potentially remove 50 per cent of parking spaces, which seems impossible to achieve given the high density of housing here, and the need people have for personal transport. What do you think? Let me know.
M
37
How to contact your councillor: p2
AYOR Marvin Rees spoke of his vision for the future of Bristol, and shared the Lucy achievements Whittle of his first 18 Labour months in office, Windmill Hill in his annual State of the City address on October 18. I felt excited for the city, and the things we can achieve by holding on to our values, while managing the biggest cuts that Bristol has ever had to face from the Government. He put tackling deprivation at the heart of his approach, which is why I feel so hopeful: “Eradicating poverty means putting transport, housing and jobs at the centre of a thriving, inclusive and sustainable economy that provides jobs, opportunity and hope for all”. And so it was fantastic to hear that he will be recommending that we retain the full council tax
reduction scheme. We are now the only core city that protects its poorest people in this way. This is an amazing result and was possible because many people and groups came together to argue the case and persuade the mayor this was the wrong direction for Bristol to take. I was inspired by the grassroots campaign by Acorn, the tenants union and antipoverty group, to put pressure on the council to retain the council tax reduction scheme. Acorn argued that the cost of administering this policy would outweigh the money saved. And would cause more suffering to those already struggling. Green councillors were also speaking out against the plans alongside residents, and many Labour councillors and Lib Dem councillors felt the same. Marvin listened, and he responded to the concerns of the people of Bristol. To find out more about Acorn or get housing advice go to: • acorntheunion.org.uk/about/
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15/12/2016 Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
South Bristol Voice ad puppy kitten 120 x 178.indd 1
17:11
November 2017
southbristolvoice
38
n FEATURES
THE PROS AND CONS OF ADOPTION
It’s World Adoption Day on November 9. With increased numbers of children needing a new family, we asked a South Bristol mum with adopted children to talk about her experiences
“I
THINK the pros of adoption are very similar to those of birth families. We all love to see growth, improvement, achievement, happiness and determination in children, and this is no different in adopted families. Our targets and goals may be very different, even years behind a child’s expected age, but they are generally similar. But the cons of adoption … having Googled this topic, I am proud to say I disagree with most of the people voicing an opinion. Among the problems they suggest are the length of time it takes to be approved as an adoptive parent; having social services nosing in your home; that the child might not match your appearance; and paperwork issues. None of this bothered me. I think the cons of adoption are more emotional. I feel that I’m not good enough in my
Hidden fears: Some children feel they don’t deserve to be looked after
Adoption: the pain, and the rewards children’s eyes because I’m not their “real mum”. I stand out in the parenting crowd and get frowned upon by the school playground cliques for being stricter than them. I worry the kids won’t ever love me. These fears cause me real anxiety. On a good day when things have gone well, I sit and contemplate them in a calm and logical fashion over a cuppa and a biscuit. But on a day where nothing has gone right, where
I’ve been under attack, pre-and post-school, with the most hurtful and unfair comments screamed at me with venomous rage, I berate myself and reaffirm every rubbish thing anyone ever said to me. Only last night, when I was told that I was a rubbish mum who no one loved, I agreed, while sobbing in to my cup of tea that yes, I must be, because clearly these kids aren’t improving and it must be down to me. However,
POLICE REPORT We’ll be staying on patrol after reports at parks
I
T’S HARD to believe that we are already a month or so away from Christmas. Nevertheless, our work still continues. Unfortunately, we have had a report of anti-social behaviour in Redcatch Park. On the plus side, this is just one report that police have been made aware of. This particular incident revolved around a large group of youths acting in a manner that was described as intimidating to park users. We would like to thank
you for your continued support with this matter and we assure you that patrols will continue throughout the winter period.
T
his month, we have also dealt with further parking issues around the St Agnes Walk area. Although these vehicles have not been causing significant obstruction, I would again advise drivers to be mindful of vehicle size and try to park in a manner which isn’t going to hinder local residents.
A
nother local issue revolves around Bayham Road. Concerned residents have called in to report some males acting suspiciously close to Perretts Park. Unfortunately,
having thought about it, although my emotions take a battering hourly, I truly believe the cons of adoption all belong to my children. Always feeling slightly different – yes, they do feel that. Worrying about being loved – definitely one of the most frequent comments out of their mouths. Not being able to handle tricky situations. Yes – any time they are challenged with situations that typically make adopted children feel insecure, they panic about how best to handle themselves. More often than not, they choose flight mode out of the alternatives – fight, flight or freeze. Their anxiety gets the better of them on an almost hourly basis some days. And finally, there is the fear of never being good enough. This is 100 per cent a fear for my kids. Imagine feeling you are not good enough for your family, these people who have taken you in and tried their best to help. How can you be good enough for the toys and warmth and food they give when no one ever thought you were before? That must be a dark and lonely place to live. Of course my kids are more than good enough for me – they are wonderful, crazy, annoying, frustrating, exciting, happy, loving people who will always be a credit to this family no matter what – because they try their best. And surely that’s all anyone ever wants from their children, isn’t it?”
With PCSO Richard Higbey Broadbury Road police station by the time police attended, the men had left. Our patrols will continue and we seek any further information that the public may be able to provide.
W
e are once again opening up our popular Cop Shop in the Galleries this Christmas, to help shoppers stay safe. Our shop will be on the ground floor, next door to Thornton’s, and this year we are sharing the space with our partners in Avon Fire and Rescue Service, as well as with Cycle Republic, Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal and Wessex 4X4 Response. As well as crime prevention advice, we will be running competitions for both younger
and older children and will be inviting shoppers to become detectives, following the clues through a mocked-up crime scene. Shoppers can also spread a bit of festive cheer, by leaving a present under our tree for young people spending Christmas in hospital, as part of Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal. Last year we had nearly 4,000 visitors to the shop and we hope to see even more people this year. The Cop Shop opens on November 27 and closes on December 23. Opening hours are 9.30am-6pm. Follow #CopShop on Twitter and post your #PoliceSelfies with officers at the shop! Until next time, PCSO Richard Higbey
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
November 2017
southbristolvoice
LETTERS
39 Write to paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk or to 18 Lilymead Avenue, BS4 2BX
Council should call the bluff on developers’ gamble NICOLA Beech, cabinet member for urban design, was quoted in the October issue of South Bristol Voice as saying that people (like myself) who have their own home might want to think about “the thousands of people in this city living in poor accommodation or still living with their parents because they cannot get a foot on the housing ladder”. Has she not read the Community Planning Brief for the Bedminster Green area drawn up with considerable effort and expertise by WHaM, the Windmill Hill and Malago planning group? Believe it or not, we also have children who need somewhere to live. There is nothing we would like better than this area being densely developed with a good variety of different sizes of flats – family homes as well as one and two bedroom flats (she knows perfectly well that a “two-bed flat” in a modern private development means one small double bedroom and a box room – not suitable for families.)
And there should be a variety of tenures available – social housing, affordable both to rent and buy (though we all know what “affordable” means.) If the council does not get a grip on this area it will become a barren estate of transient professionals with no desire or possibility of putting down roots. Cllr Beech, of all people, as cabinet member for urban design, should know this. Urban design can be so much more intelligent, varied and inclusive, and still provide for high numbers of units. And history tells us that high-rise only works if it is built to a very high standard and maintained as such, at considerable expense to the tenants. Who are these poor people you say you care about so much who will be able to afford to live there, Cllr Beech? In the long run, these uncontrolled private developments, not built to the highest standard, will be soulless and sterile. Those who stay, and those of us who live on Windmill
Hill and in the flats on Malago Road, will not thank the council in 10 years time for caving in to developers now. Make them show their calculations – why only 10-plus storeys can be profitable here, when 4/5/6 storeys have been enough on other sites in Bedminster. They are exploiting the council’s admirable declared policy to build lots of houses, and the very real social misery of a housing crisis, to obscenely maximise their profits. The council should call the bluff of these developers. They have gambled. But gamblers have to accept that sometimes they lose. They must have overpaid to get their hands on these plots; now they expect us to bail them out. Believe it or not, this is a well-loved area. If the council wants to hit its housing target in one go, surely it would be better to erect tall tower blocks on part of the Downs – a much larger area of open space. A few acres could be spared. The local inhabitants have other parks and generally much larger gardens
than we do. But perhaps they and the developers have more influence than we inhabitants of Bedminster do, even with a left Labour council. Finally, a comment on the energy centre proposed for the site. At the consultation meeting on October 19 it was stated that on a still day the nitrogen dioxide emissions plume from the chimney, cleaned up as much as possible of course, will fall over an area of about one square kilometre. That means about half a mile in all directions from the chimney, having been ejected to a good height. We all know what happens in the summer when high pressure settles over the city. Bristol is down in a hole (and the proposed site is as low as you can go). A lid gets put on the pollution. It doesn’t get dispersed and levels rise alarmingly. From Windmill Hill the dirty soup of pollution is visible on sunny summer days. Do we have to pray for permanent low pressure and wind? Gareth Jones, Windmill Hill
Drugs policy isn’t working
regularly see piles of laughing gas canisters enjoyed by youths the previous evening. I thought they were banned as well? M Arkee, Knowle
any qualification at Level 4 and above ... Most courses are taught in universities, but plenty are taught at colleges and specialist course providers …” This important issue aside, I fully support any effort to create equality of opportunity for our children, but it is condescending to automatically conclude from the low university entrant figures alone that there remains a lack of opportunity. There are plenty of families, including my own, who know university might be an option for their children but do not regard it as an opportunity too good to pass up. Karin Smyth’s hand-wringing reinforces the decades old two-tiered view – that university is better, and those who could go, should go, to better themselves. It is high time we start to recognise equality in post-school choices, view the options as lanes of equal value rather than tiers, and applaud and encourage those who do not go to university as much as those who do. If our low figures can be shown to be due to a lack of access then we should certainly attempt a fix, but we must respect people’s
choices, and in our language we must avoid the damaging connotation that university is always the superior path. Ed Pitt Resident, Bristol South parliamentary constituency
I NOTE your article about the impact of drug dealing in our neighbourhood in the last issue. You make the point, or rather the police do, that so-called soft drugs can have very severe consequences, both in terms of dangerous side-effects and the criminality that results. Since your piece was published, I see that no fewer than four homeless people have died in the city centre after taking spice. The police made the point in your article that you never know what you are buying with spice – its ingredients and its strength are a lottery. This, surely, makes the case for legalising the drugs trade. Then we might get some quality control, and future tragedies could be avoided. That the current policy is useless is shown by the fact that though spice was supposedly banned last year it is still readily available. And on the streets round me in Knowle I still
Not everyone has to go to uni IN YOUR most recent edition Karin Smyth laments that we “send” the fewest schoolleavers to university of any UK parliamentary constituency. She intimates that the proportion of “white working class” families in Bristol South is a significant factor. She states that “huge sums have been spent … to improve access to higher education from groups that are traditionally under-represented” and then that “things still haven’t shifted as they should”. Higher education and university are not synonymous. UCAS defines higher education thus: “UK higher education offers a diverse range of courses and qualifications, such as first degrees, Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), and foundation degrees. It includes
Your stamps can save sight RETINITIS pigmentosa (RP) is a group of hereditary disorders that affect the retina, situated at the back of the eye. RP leads to a gradual loss of vision, and it can affect any age group, from children to adults. RP Fighting Blindness and the Macular Society have a new collaboration to fund talented young PhD students to carry out research in the field of genetic macular diseases. You can help us by sending us your used postage stamps. Stamps cut outside the perforations will earn the charity more. We are also grateful for any unwanted stamp collections, old and foreign coins. Ron & Gina Pritchard 22 Huckford Road Bristol BS36 1EA
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
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Friday November 3 n Knowle Cricket Club Broad Walk, Knowle BS4 2QN. The tenth anniversary for the KCC bonfire and fireworks. Hot food, hot and cold drinks, tuck shop. Gates open at 4.30pm; fireworks at 6.45pm. Adults £5, children £3, family (two adults and two children) £15. Details: 0117 977 5255 n Compass Point school South Street, Bedminster. Gates open at 6pm and the fireworks start at 7pm. Entrance is £10 for up to five people, or £3 each. Under fives are free. There will be games, stalls and food. n Perry Court E-Act Academy Great Hayles Road, Hengrove BS14 0AX. Gates open 4.30pm, display at 6pm. Family tickets £14 for up to four, single ticket £6. Food and drink. • perrycourtprimary.co.uk. Sunday November 5 Victoria Park Bonfire Organised by VPAG, the Victoria Park Action Group. Volunteers build the bonfire from 3pm, refreshments and beer stall from 5.30pm, Guy competition 6pm, fire lit at 6.15pm. No fireworks allowed; refreshments. • vpag.org.uk
Hearts Hereford Hull Ipswich Jays Lincoln Luton Millwall Owls Partick Pensioners
The Victoria Park bonfire
Preston
Raith n Bristol Telephones RFC Annual Fireworks Display, BTRA Rams Sports Ground, Stockwood Lane, Red Devils Stockwood BS14 8SJ. Fireworks, BBQ food and bar. Gates open at Reds 5.30pm, fireworks at 7pm. Adults £6, children £3, family (twoRobins adults and two children) £15. Ross County n Festival of Light Trinity Saints Centre, Trinity Road, BS2 0NW. Gates open at 6pm. InvisibleSeagulls Circus, outdoor activities, bonfire, fireworks and winter treats. From 8pm, move inside fro music from the likes of Evil Usses plus DJs. For more firework displays across Bristol see: • visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/ bonfire-night-displays-bristol
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
WORDSEARCH
Looking after your pet the same way you do
This month: Football teams
Can you find 53 team names or nicknames hidden vertically, horizontally or diagonally?
I M I L L W A L L T W B U R N L E Y H
F P E N S I O N E R S Y N S C H Z A P
O R S H A M I L T O N O I R E F M D T
R E G W L S P J V F D R T R O M B O N
E S P U I A Y G U E L K E D E B R X P
S T T T R C A L S A S F D R J Q I V R
T O T T E N H A M H O T S P U R B N O
N N I Z R A G U L R U S E A G U L L S
B C G H M C L Y D E A L Y X R W U F S
TXT PERT
K O E C J T R A I T H M L Y E J E A C
P H R O R E D D E V I L S K A T S R O
S E S O K O K D W I G A N Y O T E F U
W A W A N D E R E R S F S T O W N R N
I R I S O U T H A M P T O N E G L E T
N T Q N A L B I O N O Q V T O F F S Y
D S O U T H E N D K L I N C O L N A S
O G R I M S B Y E L L N K E G C I T Y
N P O X X K D A R L I N G T O N X Z Q
A L L O A U T R A N M E R E K R E D S
SUDOKU
EASY for children
Each horizontal row, each 2x2 square and each column must contain all the numbers 1-4.
1 2
3
ALL4PAWS Aug 2011.indd 1
30/06/2011 15:43
4
2
SOLUTIONS
You may recall the case of a Bedminster family, eager to improve the safety of towed trailers on our roads. Their lives were devastated by the death of their three-yearold son after a trailer came loose from a Land Rover. Donna and Scott Hussey asked me to help them bring about change and, as you may have read in the Voice in recent months,
thousands of people living in South Bristol do Bury so. But still too many don’t get involved, and City a great deal of cynicism remains about the potential of democracy to transform lives. Clyde I want representative democracy strengthened further, with the lowering Crewe of the voting age to 16. In November MPs are Darlington scheduled to debate a Bill that if successful Dons would do just that, and I’ll be in the Commons supporting Labour MP Jim Exeter McMahon’s Representation of the People Bill. Forest Our politics must connect and engage with the public and I believe allowing 16 and Fulham 17 year-olds to vote will help energise and Grimsby engage young people, and ensure their voices are heard. Hamilton
Craftisan – Totterdown’s craft shop and café
VEGETABLE CROSSWORD
I
FERVENTLY believe in representative democracy. Our system isn’t perfect, but it ensures every citizen has a route into the decision-making process. That shouldn’t be limited to voting at elections. People can lobby their elected representatives, to have their voices heard on things that matter to them. Here are some examples. Last year the father of a toddler shot in the head with an air weapon in Hartcliffe started campaigning to prevent further tragedies, seeking changes to regulations governing their use. Ed Studley saw his route to influencing change as his local MP. So he talked to me, and I took up his cause with the Government. In no small part thanks to his work, last month the Government announced an air weapon review. That’s representative democracy in action.
PUZZLES Adult puzzles sponsored by CRAFTISAN Children’s puzzles sponsored by ALL4PAWS
Across: Cauliflower, Tomato, Pepper, Carrot, Onion. Down: Cucumber, Eggplant, Beet, Potato.
we’ve made significant progress together. But our representative democracy is under threat. In my new role as Shadow Deputy Leader of the House I get a ringside seat – in the Chamber and behind the scenes – seeing how the government is ripping shreds through our democracy, using Parliamentary Albion processes to try to stifle debates. So called Henry VIII clauses, echoing 16th centuryAlloa proclamations to enable laws to be changed Aston Villa without ministers needing to bother with Blues Parliament, as part of the EU Withdrawal Bill, are one example. Boro All residents have a role in influencing Burnley decision-making. I’m pleased many
n TAKE A BREAK
TXT PERT
The system’s not perfect, but you do have a voice – if you use it
41
Across 1 Cot, 3 Mop, 5 Crib, 6 Washer, 8 Tile. Down 1 Car, 2 Tub, 3 Mow, 4 Pantry, 5 Closet, 6 Wall, 7 Hall.
KARIN SMYTH Labour MP for Bristol
southbristolvoice
WORDSEARCH
n YOUR MP
November 2017
Albion, Alloa, Aston Villa, Blues, Boro, Burnley, Bury, City, Clyde, Crewe, Darlington, Dons, Exeter, Forest, Fulham, Grimsby, Hamilton, Hammers, Hearts, Hereford, Hull, Ipswich, Jays, Lincoln, Luton, Millwall, Owls, Partick, Pensioners, Preston, Raith, Rams, Red Devils, Reds, Robins, Ross County, Saints, Seagulls, Southampton, Southend, Stoke, Swindon, Tigers, Toffs, Torquay, Tottenham Hotspur, Town, Tranmere, United, Wanderers, Wigan, Wolves, York
November 2017
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VEGETABLE CROSSWORD The pictures are the clues – can you recognise all these different kinds of vegetables, and do you know how to spell them? Answers above – but no peeking yet!
This month: Around the home
The numbers point you to the letters on a phone keypad Southampton
Clues Southend Across 1.Stoke 268 3.Swindon 667 5.Tigers 2742 6.Toffs 927437 8. 8453 Torquay
Down 1. 227 2. 882 3. 669 4. 726879 5. 256738 6. 9255 7. 4255
Tottenham Hotspur 2 is A, B or C 6 is M, N or O 3 Town is D, E or F 7 is P, Q, R or S 4 Tranmere is G, H or I 8 is T, U or V 5 is J, K, or L 9 is W, X, Y or Z United
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
7
© www.123rf.com/profile_ankudi
Wanderers Wigan Wolves York
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
November 2017
southbristolvoice
42
Wills, Trusts + Probate
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Do I need a Lasting Power of Attorney? Anna Molter, Associate Solicitor at Barcan+Kirby, explains the benefits of planning for the future now. What is a Lasting Power of Attorney? A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) enables you to appoint someone to act on your behalf should you lose the mental or physical ability to make your own decisions. It can also give this person specific instructions on important matters such as selling your house or arranging your care.
How do I make an LPA? Like a Will, an LPA is made with the help of a solicitor. There are two kinds of LPA – one for Health and Care Decisions, and another for Financial Decisions. The nature of an LPA is to be flexible according to your needs, so you can choose how much control to give your attorney when you draw yours up.
Why should I get an LPA? Making an LPA is arguably as important as writing your Will. In the same way that a Will appoints executors to handle your affairs after you pass away, a Lasting Power of Attorney appoints an attorney to make decisions on your behalf while you’re still alive if you can’t do so yourself.
When should I make one? The short answer is “now”. An LPA can only be made while you have mental capacity.
What if I don’t have one? With no LPA, if you lose mental capacity in the future then your family would have to apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed as your deputy. This would give them some control over your affairs.
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A Lasting Power of Attorney appoints an attorney to make decisions on your behalf while you’re still alive. In my experience however, having an LPA in the first place is usually less complicated and less expensive, and it gives you control over who may handle your affairs. Barcan+Kirby has six offices across Bristol and Gloucestershire and a team of solicitors experienced in all areas of Wills, trusts and probate. Professional advice, simply stated.
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To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
November 2017
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43
n WHAT’S ON New theatre to raise curtain next autumn SOUTH Bristol’s pioneering theatre at the Tobacco Factory has announced plans to open a new studio theatre costing £1.5 million, to open in October 2018. The plans will “completely transform” the first floor of the building, creating an 86-seat performance space alongside the existing Factory theatre. It comes after the Factory’s former studio theatre, housed the other side of North Street above Mark’s Bakery, closed in January 2016 because of issues with insurance and licensing. It meant the Tobacco Factory Thursday October 26 n Waiting for Godot Tobacco Factory theatre. Still time to catch this vibrant revival of Samuel Beckett’s 20th C classic, this “iconic play about the struggle for purpose, the power of friendship and the hunt for a pair of decent boots”. Until November 4. BSL signed performance on November 3. Tickets from £12 to £18. • tobaccofactorytheatres.com Monday October 30 n Moonshine Nights Acta theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster. The Malcolm X Elders Theatre Company bring back the show they created last year with more stories and songs from a Caribbean evening. 7-8.15pm, £3. Also on October 31. • acta-bristol.com Wednesday November 1 n Arnos Vale Business Networking Arnos Vale cemetery, 5-7pm. Collaborate
New look: Artist’s impression of the new bar and front-ofhouse at the Tobacco Factory
had to look elsewhere for its second performance space, and since then productions have been mounted at several places including the Wardrobe theatre in Old Market and Circomedia in Kingswood. The new facilities are expected to pull more than 30,000 extra people through the doors of the Tobacco Factory, with an extra 360 performances staged by 50
additional companies. There will be three new dressing rooms, a kitchen and technical areas, with soundproofing so that both stages can be used at the same time. The front of house and bar space will be extended. Mike Tweddle, artistic director, said: “This project is an enormously exciting step for Tobacco Factory Theatres. It builds on the great
WOMB SISTERS
want to live in? Debating a new future for Bedminster’s biggest community organisation. • greaterbedminster.org.uk n How to Win Against History Tobacco Factory Beyond – at the Wardrobe Theatre, Old Market. Seiriol Davies’s “tragi-gorgeous” musical about the 5th Marquis of Anglesey, who blew his family’s colossal fortune on diamond frocks, lilac-dyed poodles and putting on plays to which nobody came. Winner of an Edinburgh Fringe award from The Stage. £12/£10, until October 11. • tobaccofactorytheatres.com n Helen McCookerybook + Karen + Charlie Tipper Conspiracy The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Once a John Peel favourite in bands such as Helen and the Horns, Helen is playing songs from her new album, The Sea. Karen play a dreamy atmospheric pop, led
New choir for pregnant women No experience necessary
Wednesdays 7-8.30pm Starts November 1, Windmill Hill City Farm, £7 ) rosiesingssomesongs @hotmail.co.uk with like minds from local businesses and take park in the Ceremonial Way Netwalk. • arnosvale.co.uk Thursday November 2 n Greater Bedminster Community Partnership AGM Acta Centre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster, 7pm. What sort of neighbourhood do we
November 10-19 n Carol Peace 25 Year Anniversary Show – A Bristol Celebration Paintworks THE celebrated sculptor chooses Paintworks, Bath Road, for a mini-festival which showcases her works in an 11-day extravaganza of sculpture, drawing, painting, words, food and music. Sculptures from the life-size to the minuscule are on show in Paintworks ‘ Event Space daily from 10am-6pm, admission free. Highlights include a musical
Public: Carol’s work in Portishead evening with Bristol acoustic trio Three Cane Whale on Tuesday November 14. Tickets £12, 7pm. On Thursday November 16,
Carol joins the Bristol 24/7 Autumn Feast as the Bristol arts and news magazine – based at Paintworks – hosts a banquet designed to bring people together. The food is from 12 young chefs led by the acclaimed Barny Haughton, founder not only of restaurants such as Bordeaux Quay but Knowle’s Square Food Foundation. On Friday November 17, from 6pm, Carol will be in conversation about the importance of drawing, with Alison Beaven of the Royal West of England Academy. • carolpeace.com
success of the organisation to date and enables us to look ahead to a bright future.” It will allow the theatre to involve more young people and residents of South Bristol in performance-making. It follows last month’s announcement that the Factory theatre is recruiting its own professional drama company for the first time. George Ferguson, the owner of the Tobacco Factory building, has agreed to give the theatre a 999-year peppercorn lease. Most of the money – £1.2m of the £1.5m needed – is already secured. Donors include Arts Council England, the Foyle Foundation and businesses including law firm DAC Beachcroft. • tobaccofactorytheatres.com/ reimagine-with-us by the founder of the Brilliant Corners. £5, 7pm. • thethunderbolt.net Saturday November 4 n Stand Up For The Weekend with Matt Green & Co Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken, North Street. Matt Green’s intelligent act is a mixture of high energy observational and topical jokes combined with more personal stories. Plus guests. 7.45pm,£11. • thecomedybox.co.uk n Sgt Pepper’s Magical Mystery Tour The Tunnels, Temple Meads. All You Need Is The Beatles celebrate 50 years of The Beatles’ seminal LP Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the songs written for their 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour. 7.30pm, £12. • thetunnelsbristol.co.uk Monday November 6 n Control-Alt-Delete Knowle West Media Centre. The weekly Minecraft and computer coding sessions for ages 9-16 run from 4.30-6pm. This week: create designs for a robot and get pieces laser cut. Details from dot@ kwmc.org.uk or 0117 903 0444. • kwmc.org.uk Friday November 10 n Open Mic evening Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. From 7-10pm, enjoy an evening of music in the farm’s new expanded cafe. A range of local beers and ciders, homemade sausage rolls and other treats on sale. Free entry, all styles and abilities welcome. • windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
November 2017
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Stand-up is for spaniels too REVIEW: Stand Up for the Weekend without Rhys James, Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken, October 14
T
HE BILLED headliner Rhys James, recent young entrant to the Mock the Week, TV panel show gang, was unable to attend. Which was a shame – I’d heard good reviews and was looking forward to seeing him live. However, the beauty of Comedy Box nights is that you are guaranteed a great line up of national comedians, and if you haven’t heard of the acts before, you’ll always keep an eye out for them afterwards. Welshman Clint Edwards, our lanky compere, warmed the
n Jim Causley Saltcellar Folk Club, Totterdown Baptist Church, entrance off Cemetery Road. Jim sings songs from his native West Country with a relaxed and playful stage presence. £5. 7.30pm. • saltcellarfolk.org.uk n Speaking in Tongues: Talking Heads Tribute
Much more than a war story, this will move you REVIEW: War Horse, Bristol Hippodrome T’S A decade to the day since War Horse, adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s book, first opened. At the end of tonight’s performance Tom Morris who, along with Marianne Elliott, conceived and directed the play and who now happens to be artistic director of Bristol Old Vic, gave an inspiring speech, calling on us to not forget the importance of playfulness and storytelling, and urging the 34-strong cast (who are all new for this tour, with Bristol only the second venue) to applaud us, the audience, for having the imaginations to make their creations of cloth and wood into reality. And indeed, ‘puppet’ seems a trite word for the strong, solid,
I
Waggy: Spaniel-like Adam Hess audience up nicely. He’s a relaxed, likeable chap with a twinkly smile and good crowd-banter – but woe betide the heckler who takes it too far – nice Clint knows how to lay down the law. Opener Tom Ward took the mickey out of his hair cut – pudding bowl 80s Oasis/Blur – so we didn’t have to. His act is rooted in a love of music it seems – from The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Chris Apthomas and band pay tribute to the New York art-punks with songs from the legendary live film Stop Making Sense. £10, 7.30pm. • thethunderbolt.net Sunday November 12 n Sculpture Tour Arnos Vale cemetery, 10.30am-12noon. Unbelievably real: When the horses start to snuffle and stamp, it’s hard to remember that they are not living animals
life-size horses that are the stars of the show. It’s easy to forget they are not real. We see the performers within, holding up their backs, controlling their legs, and the actor standing to the front, who manipulates the head, yet still, the ear-twitches, the foot stamps, the fear, skittishness and strength, the snuffles and snorts, are utterly convincing. It feels like the players must have lived with horses for ever to embody them so entirely. Over 10 years, seven million people have seen this marvellous creation. Ten million soldiers died in the First World War – the war of the title. This production is beautiful and magical, yes – the torn-strip-of-paper backdrop where sketches of landscapes appear, the simplest of stage
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n WHAT’S ON
n WHAT’S ON Friday November 10 n Vice and Virtue: Old Market Through the Ages A talk for Knowle and Totterdown Local History Society by Mike Manson. Redcatch Community Centre, Redcatch Road. £1.50, visitors £3. • knowleandtotterdownhistory. org.uk n Jesuits Fiddlers Club, Willway Street, Bedminster. The Bristol trio’s first headline show. “Jesuits use ethereal drones and loops to create a blank canvas for repeating noise, choral melody and pulsing patterns.” Support from local acts including E B U, Heavy Petting, and DJ sets from Silver Waves & Homo Duplex. £12, 8pm. • fiddlers.co.uk Saturday November 11 n Never Too Old To Disco Charles Padfield Centre, Victoria Park Baptist Church, Sylvia Avenue. Second Saturday of the month, 10.45-11.45am. Love to dance but don’t know where? Come and feel the disco beat once more. Details from Zoe at nevertoooldtodisco@gmail.com n Annual Bazaar Totterdown Methodist Church 10am2.30pm. Various stalls with lots of bargains. Delicious food. Children’s activities.
November 2017
furniture summoning houses, fences and more, the voices and seamless choreography and timing of the cast – but it is also brutal, shocking and devastating – depicting war in all its fear and ugliness. A scene where a tank blasts across the stage, black and stark against flashes of smoke and light, is overwhelming. A horse falls and dies, its three puppeteers withdraw, stepping back from the carcass – it’s as if we’re watching its very soul depart. This is powerful stuff. Many of the audience, including me, were moved to tears. But it is lifeaffirming and astonishing too. And on at Bristol Hippodrome until, fittingly enough, November 11. So there is still time to witness it for yourself. Beccy Golding
his samples of the most sexy bits of Prince songs, played on a tinny synth, to his re-discovered love of nightclub dancing, topped off with funnily accurate impersonations of Jools Holland and late-90s vocal-tuner Cher. When Adam Hess began his set I thought – oh he’s started fast, he’ll slow down when he settles in – but no. Frenetic stream-ofconsciousness is his style: he’s like a King Charles spaniel – all breathless and tail-waggy, it’s adorable. As he tells us about himself and his life he seems to be having lots of fun, and his story-telling is, most importantly, really funny. It turns out Adam’s housemate is the missing Rhys James. Apparently Rhys sleeps on the sofa a lot. I was dead chuffed that we’d enjoyed Adam’s frenetic puppylike energy this evening. Beccy Golding “Discover beautiful carved memorials, their symbolic meanings and the stone-carvers behind them.” £5. Monday November 13 n Simon McBride The Tunnels, Temple Meads. McBride, “the man who everyone wants in their band” turned pro guitarist at the age of 16 and has played with various members of Deep Purple. Touring in his own right he has supported Joe Satriani, Jeff Beck and Joe Bonamassa. 7.30pm, £15. • thetunnelsbristol.co.uk Thursday November 16 n Flower arranging with Lizzie Valentine Zion Bristol, Bishopsworth Road. A modern take on flower arranging: this month, Terrarium Baubles For a Xmas gift. £25, 7.30-9pm. • zionbristol.co.uk Friday November 17 n An evening with Kate & Keith Zion Bristol,
Bishopsworth Road. Singer Kate Dimbleby and Keith Warmington on harmonica, guitar and vocals return to Zion with guest Rebecca Hollweg. Songs by Bonnie Raitt, Kirsty MacColl, Leonard Cohen, Etta James and Richard Thompson as well as original material. 7.30pm, £11. • zionbristol.co.uk Saturday November 18 n 3 Daft Monkeys The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. With influences from Celtic music to Eastern sounds, 3 Daft Monkeys’ infectious worldfolk rhythms provoked the BBC’s Mark Radcliffe to call them one of the highlights of Glastonbury. 7.30pm, £10. • thethunderbolt.net Sunday November 19 n Jazz night Windmill Hill community centre. With the Mark Randall Six, on the third Sunday of every month, 8.30-10.30pm. • whca.org.uk Monday November 20 n Shakespeare Schools Festival Tobacco Factory theatre. One of a host of events nationwide in which 30,000 young people from primary, secondary and special schools will unite for performances of the Bard’s plays. Until November 24. £9.50/£7, 7pm • tobaccofactorytheatres.com Wednesday November 22 n Pamper Night at Zion Zion Bristol, Bishopsworth Road. Women only – treatments (from £5 each) include reiki, Indian head massage, reflexology, feet and nail treatments, and massage. Entry, at £2.50, includes glass of bubbly. Bar open 6.30-9.30pm. • zionbristol.co.uk Friday November 24 n Networking with Freelance Mum Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. Zoe Hewett advises on how to create the perfect
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Bringing to life the real drama of life of grime in our mines REVIEW: Blood on the Coal, Acta theatre ECAUSE I’d read October’s SBV history feature on the mines of Bedminster, I came to this show with a pretty good understanding of the facts. This performance at Acta, as ever, put flesh on the bones – making the factual personal. Blood on the Coal told stories of the human cost; the day-to-day realities of the people who lived through the final years, in the late 1800s, of the Bedminster coalfields – life (and death) at the Malago pit. The show has been devised by The Thursdays – Acta’s community theatre group – and combines dramatic short scenes from them
Shining a light: The miners’ story with stirring songs, some traditional, some specially written, from Bedminster Community Choir – in all more than 60 people have been involved, and many of them appear on stage. There were some first night stumbles – slight gaps while the cast grasped for their words, or glanced around to see who had the next line. But it didn’t matter. Special mention must go to young Izzy Tippett, the 10-year-old soloist who sang with confidence and clarity. It seems accepted lore that the South Bristol accent has a Somerset twang, and now I know
why. Many of those who toiled in the local coalfields came from rural Somerset seeking work and a better life. In historical terms, none of this was so very long ago. I found myself wondering how the displacement of thousands of country folk into grime, hardship and poverty might still be having an impact today. We hear the story of an underground explosion where several miners were killed – the company claimed worker negligence, the unions blamed working conditions. The ensuing strike, lasting 15 months, left miners and their children starving, until eventually, having gained no concessions, the miners were forced back into an industry that was ironically, on its way out. As with previous show Gas Girls, Acta have done an excellent job of documenting the social history of Bristol – taking facts and statistics and finding the humanity in them; creating effecting, powerful drama that tells the story of our community. Beccy Golding
workspace when working from home. Children are welcome. £9 members, £12 non-members (children free). Includes coffee, cake and crafts for the little ones. • windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk n History of Alcohol Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken, North Street. The Thinking Drinkers set out to prove “that alcohol has influenced everything that has happened. Ever.” 7.45pm, £14.50 (includes five free drinks, it says here, but that seems unlikely). • thecomedybox.co.uk Saturday November 25 n Lantern making workshop Ashton Vale Community Centre, Risdale Road BS3 2QY. Help make lanterns for the annual Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade, 1.30-3.30pm. £5 for 1
adult and up to 2 children, tickets via Eventbrite or on the door. • facebook.com/bemmylanterns n Christmas Fair Knowle Community Centre, Greenwood Road. 12noon-4pm. Tables can be booked at £5 each by phoning 0117 971 6667 or 0117 949 9342. Refreshments available. n Geoff Norcott & Co Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken, North Street. Stand Up For The Weekend is headed by Geoff Norcott, the ‘Conswervative’ comedian recently seen provoking Nish Kumar on BBC2’s Daily Mash. 7.45pm, £11. • thecomedybox.co.uk n Doreen Doreen Fiddlers Club, Willway Street, Bedminster. The Fiddlers reunited with the venue’s
favourite band. £10, 8pm. • fiddlers.co.uk Sunday November 26 n Pocket Opera Arnos Vale cemetery. The Pocket Opera company return to Arnos Vale after a visit in June, with a programme ranging from English, French, German and Welsh songs to Italian opera, including Mozart. 2.30-4pm, £10. • arnosvale.co.uk Monday November 27 n Delve Into Devising Tobacco Factory theatre. Children 6-9 years-old come up with wonderful and weird ideas and create their own miniature plays. 4.30-5.30pm on successive Mondays, £6 per session or £15 for all three. • tobaccofactorytheatres.com
B
November 30-January 14 n Beauty and the Beast Tobacco Factory theatre THE FACTORY’S Christmas show retells the French classic fairy tale to remind us that beauty – and beastliness – are only skin deep. Theatre company New International Encounter, creators of acclaimed versions of Hansel and Gretel and Around the World in 80 Days, bring a “mischievous and music-filled marvel” of a Christmas show. Deep in the forest
Daring: Belle enters the forest lives a very unusual figure, suffering under a terrible curse. Meanwhile, in a poky farmhouse on the edge of town,
three remarkable daughters and their weary father are struggling to make ends meet. But everything changes beyond their wildest dreams when Belle, the youngest of the daughters, dares to enter the forest … The show played to packed houses at Cambridge’s Junction theatre last Christmas. Tickets are priced from £9.50 for schools at midweek matinées, to £62 for a family of four. Prices are lower after January 3. • tobaccofactorytheatres.com
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
November 2017
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n THE CITY PAGE
BRISTOL CITY ROUND-UP
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HERE is an unwritten rule among sports writers that at some point you have to mention the word hoodoo. For readers who have rushed off to Google the word, I must explain that I’m not talking about a spike of rock in the USA but that almost tangible bad luck that afflicts certain events in football. Bristol City buried the
MARTIN’S SHORTS • THREE City players, Taylor Moore, Joe Morrell and Freddy Hinds, are getting regular games on loan at Cheltenham Town. It is fantastic that they can play together and build an understanding at League Two level. Let’s hope these are stars of the future at Ashton Gate. • City travel to Hull on November 25. Since beating City in the play-off final in 2008 Hull have become a yo-yo club, bouncing between the Premier and Championship. A good win for the City could snap their string.
Ipswich hoodoo with a magnificent 3-1 away win at Portman Road. This particular hoodoo of not winning away against Ipswich had hung around for 39 years so it was a fantastic way to round off a magnificent series of games in September. Unfortunately the win meant that manager Lee Johnson won the Manager of the Month Award, which everyone knows comes with its own hoodoo, causing any manager to immediately suffer a dip in form. Johnson sensibly said he was dedicating the award to his staff, the players and fans – obviously hoping he could spread the hoodoo thinly and ensure results stayed on track. It also coincided with an international break. Now some teams have an International Break hoodoo, so it was a little worrying that it might mean City lost momentum. As an attempt at an antidote I did my bit by buying a new winter hat in the hope it might ensure good fortune. In truth the current City team look capable of laying to rest
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When Lee Johnson won Manager of the Month, fans started wondering PHOTO: JMP what misfortunes would befall the club in recompense many hoodoos this season. Although most commentators remain surprised, City’s record of only losing one of the first 11 league games and defeating two Premier League teams in the cup is down to more than luck. A strong defence has been at the heart of things, allowing the more forward players to express themselves with confidence and cause real problems for the opposition. I wore my hat for the first time against Burton Albion at Ashton Gate. Now, Burton haven’t been in the league long enough for any hoodoo to be in place. In fact City had won one and drawn one in the previous two encounters. But with all these hoodoos flying about there was a fear that a surprise defeat might even it all up. Despite having 74 per cent of the possession and ensuring Burton didn’t have a single shot on target or a corner, the game ended in stalemate 0-0, which I’m sure pleased Burton’s manager Nigel Clough more than it did Lee Johnson. A lesson
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learned by this young side that dominating a game is all very well, but you have to take your chances when they come. The result means the new hat verdict is a tricky one. Did wearing it prevent an ignoble defeat that had been inevitable since the Manager of the Month award, or would we have won if I hadn’t worn it? The jury is out. The jury, in the form of the City crowd, was pretty unanimous in its verdict on referee James Linington, who somehow saw 32 fouls, awarding free kicks every couple of minutes, breaking up the rhythm of the game and rather ruining it as entertainment. To make matters worse, when Bobby Reid lashed the ball into the net from 12 yards, the referee was just about the only person in the ground who believed an innocuous nudge by Josh Brownhill on the edge of the box merited ruling out the goal. From then on, the crowd sang their opinion of the referee’s performance. They declared his officiating was doo-doo.
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AERIALS
Did my new lucky hat save us from defeat, or stop us from winning? MARTIN POWELL debates the dangers of dicing with hoodoo, the affliction dreaded by every football club
November 2017
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