South Bristol Voice October 2024

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CAZ funds to support bus services

Millions raised from Bristol Clean Air Zone to support struggling bus services

MILLIONS of pounds raised from the Clean Air Zone in Bristol will be used to support struggling bus services. Around £4.7 million will be spent over the next three years to keep important bus routes running.

Beginning next April, the money paid by drivers of highly polluting vehicles will be used to subsidise unprofitable bus services. Bristol City Council will pay this cash to operators, such as First and Stagecoach, to keep running

services in areas where passengers rely on them.

The Clean Air Zone launched in an area covering the centre of Bristol almost two years ago, in an effort to bring down levels of nitrogen dioxide, a harmful pollutant.

Councillors on the transport policy committee will discuss how to spend the income on Thursday, September 12.

A committee report said: “One of the Continued on page 3 >

Image courtesy of Freepix

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Cathy Parnham Editor news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

Next month’s deadline for editorial and advertising is noon on 11 October 2024.

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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: Call the above number for an appointment

My councillor?

Post: (all councillors) City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR.

Ellie Freeman Green, Bedminster

Email: cllr.ellie.freeman@bristol. gov.uk By phone: 0738 669 8680

Emily Clarke Labour, Bedminster. Email: cllr.emily.clarke@bristol.gov.uk

Phone: 0738 669 8678

Tony Dyer, Green, Southville Phone: 0758 418 2862

USEFUL NUMBERS

Bristol City Council

www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000

Waste, roads 0117 922 2100

Pests, dog wardens 0117 922 2500

Council tax 0117 922 2900

Email: Cllr.Tony.Dyer@bristol.gov.uk

Christine Townsend Green, Southville Phone: 0758 418 3843

Email: Cllr.Christine.Townsend@ bristol.gov.uk

Cam Hayward Green, Knowle Email: cam.hayward@ bristolgreenparty.org.uk

Toby Wells Green, Knowle. Phone: 07386 698771 Email: toby.wells@bristolgreenparty.org.uk

Ed Plowden Green, Windmill Hill Phone: 07584184577 Email: Cllr.Ed.Plowden@bristol.gov.uk

Lisa Stone Green, Windmill Hill Phone: 0758 418 6535 Email: Cllr.Lisa.Stone@bristol.gov.uk

Continued from page 1 >

impacts of the Covid pandemic was a contraction of the bus network, including the cessation of several services, both commercial and supported. Passenger numbers are continuing to grow back to pre-pandemic numbers, and developing a comprehensive bus network remains an essential part of our transport strategy.”

The three councils in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset pay a transport levy to the West of England Combined Authority each year. A third of this goes toward supporting subsidised bus services, while the remaining is spent on concessionary fares for elderly or disabled people.

Since the pandemic led to a sharp drop in passenger numbers, and therefore income for bus companies, several routes across the region have been axed. The cuts have left many people stranded and struggling to access work, education and health services. The councils have argued with the combined authority about how much they should contribute to the subsidies. Campaigners have previously criticised the lack of

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transparency over which routes would stop receiving financial support, while in January last year the combined authority struggled to communicate which, or even how many, services would continue and

which would be axed.

This autumn a taskforce of Bristol councillors will thrash out how best to spend the Clean Air Zone income. They aim to agree which services are needed by November, and have the contracts with bus operators sorted by the middle of December, ahead of the start of the next financial year in April.

Money from the Clean Air Zone will also be spent on repairing roads and pavements, as well as projects encouraging more people to walk or cycle, such as new bike lanes or zebra crossings. In January this year, the council reported it had received £26 million in income from the CAZ so far.

Separately, the council is also considering a workplace parking levy. Around 9,000 free staff parking spaces in the city centre would be affected by a new £20 a week charge, which could raise £10 million a year. This aims to cut congestion while providing more money for buses.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporter

Image courtesy of Freepix

n PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Welcome, lovely readers

How is it almost October? This year is flying, but luckily we still have lots of Sunshine so enjoy it while you can.

There’s lots of exciting things coming up in our Whats On section this month, so make sure you check it out and put those dates in your diaries.

If you’ve got a story for us please get in touch, and look out for all our independent local businesses selling lovely gifts that will feature in our next

Five-bed HMO gets green light n NEWS

Five-bed shared HMO ‘reluctantly’ approved by councillors, despite impact on parking

PLANS for a five-bed shared house in multiple occupation were “reluctantly” approved by councillors, despite concerns about the impact on parking. The family home in Bedminster has already been turned into an HMO, but now the landlord has planning permission to do so.

The changes caused consternation among people living nearby, with 24 public objections made. The house, on Ruby Street, is in an area with less than average HMOs than other parts of Bristol, and where

parking is particularly an issue, partly as there’s no residents’ parking zone (RPZ).

Councillors at Bristol City Council approved planning permission during a meeting of the development control A committee on Wednesday, September 4. The landlord was already granted an HMO licence by the council’s housing department.

Green Councillor Ellie Freeman said: “People have been campaigning massively for an RPZ on that side of the area. We’ve got RPZs on the other side of North Street, and that area gets heavily impacted by people who don’t have permits or can’t find spaces in the permitted

Emma Vincent and Lisa Pearson

area. The parking that happens in that spot, some of it’s airport parking, commuters, multiple car owners.

“It’s a real issue, even in the RPZ area it’s still an issue, but it’s even worse on that side.”

Tenants have space to store their bicycles in the back garden, although this is through three doorways and a narrow hallway. They won’t be allowed to get a parking permit, if a residents’ parking zone is ever expanded to Ruby Street.

So at the moment, they can park on the street, despite the HMO being technically “car-free”.

The HMO licence restricts the number of people living there to a maximum of six. But this doesn’t take into account if tenants have their partner move in without telling the landlord.

In a written statement, John Rooney, a planning agent representing the landlord, said: “The house is now occupied, and it should be noted that none of the occupants has cars, and so are not adding to parking pressures in the area. The property meets all the licensing space standard requirements, as evidenced by the recently issued HMO licence, and provides a high standard of accommodation in a highly sustainable location.

“The majority of houses in the

neighbourhood, 94%, are occupied by families or individuals. Most people under 35 cannot afford to buy a house or rent one individually, and therefore shared housing is their only option.

Failure to provide this accommodation in the right locations will only drive up rents in Bristol, which are already the highest anywhere outside London.”

But there are lingering concerns about landlords dividing up family homes and

charging much higher rents for each house overall. Some councillors claim the increasing number of HMOs is driving up rents across Bristol.

Labour Cllr Katja Hornchen said: “The space standards in Britain are laughably low. How can you expect someone to have six square metres for their entire life is unbelievable to me. They just make the houses more expensive. Why are we making HMOs so normal in our society? Maybe when you’re a student, but you’ve got nurses and teachers living in HMOs. They’ve got a full salary but they can’t afford to live anywhere.”

But councillors said they were hamstrung by council regulations on how many HMOs can be permitted in certain areas. They said they needed more powers to be able to successfully refuse permission, without the landlord then appealing to the government Planning Inspectorate.

Voting in favour of the plans were Green Cllrs Ellie Freeman, George Calascione, Serena Ralston and Rob Bryher; Conservative Cllr Richard Eddy; and Liberal Democrat Cllr Sarah Classick. Voting against were Labour Cllrs Al Al-Maghrabi, Katja Hornchen and Zoë Peat.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporter

n NEWS

Knowle residents to take part in Your Park Bristol & Bath study

Local residents needed to take part in Your Park Bristol & Bath research to improve the experience of Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in parks

MORE than half of Black, Asian and minority ethnic people visit a local park less than once a week, but local charity Your Park Bristol & Bath (YPBB) is aiming to change this.

In partnership with the University of Bath, the charity is undertaking a research project to understand the experiences of Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups using parks and green spaces and what would need to change for them to use them more.

The study, in collaboration with PhD student Zina Abdulla, will focus on using the results to implement practical action. Results will also be shared with the local authorities to encourage them to update their practices and inform future changes to parks.

Between now and the end of October, the charity is hoping to attract around 400 participants and is calling for people across the region to come forward and share their experiences. Questions focus on frequency of park use, who participants visit parks with and what might draw them in, as well as safety and wellbeing concerns.

YPBB is also holding a series of in-person focus groups for people from different cultures living in some of the areas of highest deprivation in Bristol and Bath, to find out their experiences of using green spaces and what needs to change for them to reap the benefits.

Translators will be on hand for those that require it and there are £30 vouchers as a thank you to participants.

The sessions will take place in

Lawrence Hill, Easton, Knowle, Whitchurch and Southmead.

Zina Abdulla, from the University of Bath, says: “I’m so excited to be working with Your Park Bristol & Bath on this project as part of my PhD, I feel really passionate about green equity and environmental design in urban areas.

“Green spaces have immense benefits to our physical and mental wellbeing, including lowering our stress and increasing natural chemicals that make us feel happy, and there are design changes that are usually quite simple that we can make to increase accessibility to these spaces.”

Charlee Bennett, chief executive of Your Park Bristol & Bath, says: “There’s a solid base of research that shows spending

time in green spaces has significant mental and physical health benefits, but we know that not everyone has equal access to or uses them.

“We want to understand the experiences of ethnic groups that are using them relatively infrequently, and we want to know what the barriers are so that we can really focus on the potential solutions and action them through into our Reimagining Parks campaign.”

The research project follows a report by Groundwork in 2021 which found that people from low-income households or areas, minority ethnic groups and disabled people are among the groups least likely to use parks and are therefore missing out. Locally, these findings revealed that

only 38% of disabled people in Bristol use parks at least once a week, 46% of Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and 40% of people living in the 10% most deprived areas. YPBB undertook its own research the same year to understand the experiences of disabled people and caregivers and is now in the process of actioning the recommendations.

With the cost-of-living crisis, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of green spaces for mental and physical health, and the charity’s message is that parks should be free, easily accessible spaces for everyone to benefit from.

To get involved in the research, go to: https://yourpark.org. uk/news/parks-4-all-2

1500m World Champion to visit new East Street store

Jake Wightman, the 2022 World 1500m Champion, to visit Bristol’s newest running store, Kinisi Run Hub

FORMER World 1500m champion Jake Wightman, who claimed the title in 2022, will be making a special appearance at Kinisi Run Hub, Bristol’s newest independent specialty running store, on 22 September 2024, just a month after the store’s grand opening. Pop along to the store to meet Jake

Wightman on Sunday 22 September 2024 between 1:00 and 3:00pm (this is followed by a ticket only 90-minute Q&A session).

This visit marks a special occasion for Kinisi Run Hub and offers the local running community the chance to meet Wightman who will share his experiences and insights in a friendly and accessible setting. You can find Kinisi Run Hub at 2 Imperial Arcade, East Street, Bedminster, Bristol.

n NEWS FROM BRISTOL SOUTH MP KARIN SMYTH

A new beginning

AS I write this column, the new term is underway in schools and colleges across south Bristol. After a well-earned summer break, I’d like to personally welcome back students and teachers for the coming year.

For students at Merchants’ Academy and Venturers’ Academy in Hartcliffe and Withywood, the new school year marked a fresh start in more ways than one.

From September, these academies have been under new governance. Having previously been managed by the Venturers Trust – part of the Society of Merchant Venturers – both are now being run by E-ACT, a multiacademy trust that manages schools across the country.

The damning Ofsted report of Merchants’ Academy in

May, which downgraded the school to ‘inadequate’, was the culmination of repeated failures in governance with little accountability for poor performance. I hope the new leadership can be a turning point for both students and staff at these schools, and it is important that we focus on supporting them to make improvements. As I do every year, I will be inviting school leaders to meet with me in the autumn, to discuss the issues facing education in south Bristol.

In Bristol South and across the country, it’s Labour’s ambition to reset the relationship between government and the education workforce. It is by working with staff that we can drive change, delivering the best life chances for every child.

Improving education has always been at the forefront of my politics. Every child, no matter where they live, should be afforded the opportunities to get on in life.

My colleagues in the Department for Education have already taken action to achieve this. New report cards for Ofsted gradings have been introduced, making inspections more informative for parents and better at driving improvements in schools. The previous government’s decision to defund certain BTECs has been paused, ensuring these valuable courses are once again on offer for students in Bristol South.

Plans will be brought forward to reform the Apprenticeship Levy, to drive the creation of more high-quality

apprenticeship courses. And work has begun on recruiting 6,500 new teachers nationally, to support thinly stretched staff.

Under a new Labour government, I hope this term marks not only the start of a new school year, but a new beginning for all students and teachers in Bristol South.

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Karin Smyth shares her views with the Voice

n PLANNING

Plans for 435 new homes get backing

Council officers back proposal for 435 new homes opposite Temple Meads

BRISTOL City Council officers are recommending proposals to redevelop the former Peugeot dealership site opposite Temple Meads are approved.

Developer Dandara Living, we are told, is seeking to transform the city centre site and neighbouring Victoria House.

The site forms part of the Temple Quarter regeneration area, which aims to create a ‘flourishing new urban quarter for Bristol.’ Part of creating this new place is building up to 10,000 new homes in the area –2,500 of them to be located next to Temple Meads station.

Dandara Living originally submitted the application in December 2022. Since then it has been working with council officers to refine the scheme, including submitting two sets of significant changes.

The final revised proposal will go before the council’s development control committee on September 18, with officers saying the scheme should be approved.

Dandara Living is proposing 435 new homes, a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes to rent.

The proposal would see two buildings set either side of Chatterton Street. Proposals include a children’s play area, seating areas and extensive planting. This public space, and a new pedestrian through route, will be open to everyone.

773m² of ground floor space –which could include community uses and affordable workspace – aims to enliven the site to make it a safe and welcoming place for people living, working, visiting or passing through.

The planning application includes 43 affordable homes at the lowest cost ‘Local Housing Allowance’ rents. These will be made available to local residents on Bristol City Council’s housing waiting list. Bristol has approximately 21,600 households waiting to be allocated a home.

Currently the site is a hostile

Plans for 435 new homes get support from council officers

environment for pedestrians and cyclists, but the plans include a new segregated three-metre-wide cycle lane, plus a three-and-a-half metre pavement – both running around that section of Temple Gate.

The scheme proposes extensive planting, including 34 new trees, some wrapping around Temple Gate, sensory planting and natural play areas – resulting in a biodiversity net gain of more than 5,000%.

Working closely with council officers and Historic England, the tallest element is 15 storeys (including ground floor), dropping to four storeys with a range of heights to create a visually interesting skyline.

Specialist heritage advisers have been working with the developer’s architects to ensure the impact on important views around the city are minimised. For example, looking towards the site from Harbourside the heights of the proposed buildings were reduced so the silhouette of the spire of St Mary’s Redcliffe is not altered.

All the apartments will meet minimum space standards, will be highly energy efficient, with shared amenities, including social and workspaces, a resident gymnasium, and a 24/7 reception.

Almost 90% of the homes will have balconies or Juliet balconies; all will benefit from shared communal terraces. The total amount of shared outside space – which includes a number of roof terraces – is 1,264m².

The award-winning Bristol architecture team at Stride Treglown and landscape architect McGregor Coxall have designed the scheme for Dandara Living. Stride Treglown’s many Bristol projects include the celebrated Paintworks Phase II.

Stride Treglown’s associate director Jacqui Pollard – who has led the design team –said: “This has been such a collaborative process, working closely with council officers, Design West and Historic England over the past two years.

“Sifting through the design with a fine toothcomb, we’ve managed to create a development that would transform this site into a really attractive place to live, work, visit, dwell in and pass through.

“It’s such a key site, directly opposite Temple Meads, that deserves something really special. As well as safe, green and welcoming public realm wrapping around and within the development, we have carefully refined the design to provide

a striking, visual welcome to people leaving Temple Meads, that also reflects Bristol’s history in shapes and materials.

“There is a range of building heights to create an interesting skyline, with buff and red brick, metal detailing and an archway entrance into the courtyard, all reflecting Bristol’s heritage architecture and local context. Working closely with Historic England, we’ve also been extremely careful to protect key historic views.

“The development will provide a high-quality place to live, with more roof terraces than any other development in Bristol, great shared facilities and spaces, balconies or terraces for most apartments, bright rooms, high levels of dual aspect homes… all the things that nurture resident health and wellbeing.”

Seven per cent of the homes would be suitable for wheelchair users. Other than one car club space, the only parking would be for blue badge holders, 23 spaces in total.

Seven-hundred-and-seventynine cycle parking spaces are also proposed for residents, employees and visitors to the site.

The scheme would connect to Bristol’s district heat network. The council has a target that all new buildings reach a 20% carbon reduction…this scheme would achieve a 56% reduction, almost three times the council’s policy level.

The buildings have also been designed to meet the new fire regulations standards, ensuring the safety of residents. The Health & Safety Executive has reviewed the proposals and says it is ‘content with the fire safety design’.

If planning permission is granted, the developer would hope to start construction in 2025 with the aim of the development being completed and opened in 2027/8.

The scheme would create an estimated 207 construction jobs – 119 from the local area – as well as 75 operational jobs once the scheme is built. This includes four new apprenticeships.

n NEWS FROM LOCAL COUNCILLORS

ARE you or anyone you know missing out on benefits to which you or they may be entitled? The Department of Work and Pensions estimates that only around two in five pensioner households that are entitled to receive Pension Credits are claiming them. Some pensioner households will be entitled to Housing Benefit as well.  Claiming Pension Credit for those aged over 65 has become even more important as this benefit is linked to the continuation of receiving the Winter Fuel Allowance. Age UK has set up a helpline for anyone wishing to find out if they might be entitled to Pension Credits and other benefits – the number is 0800 055 6112. Meanwhile, Dame Emily Park has received Community Infrastructure Levy funding to replace some equipment for the children’s play area, plus further investment in the Community Garden. The next stage of the project is now ready to start.  Funding has also been secured for a public memorial and information boards about the 1886 Dean Lane Pit Disaster. Working with the Dame Emily Park Project, we will soon begin our search for a local organisation to work with residents to help provide input into the

TRANSPORT comes up time and again when talking to residents. Hopefully by now you’ll be aware of the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhoods Consultation on improving the area in terms of walking, cycling and public transport. You can find out more about the project at  https://www. ask.bristol.gov.uk/hub-page/ sbln where you can see a map, feed in your ideas and learn about the possible improvements. School streets, RPZs and protected cycle tracks are on the list of options. This is a huge, long-term project that will benefit from as much input from residents as possible. This stage

design and content of the memorial.

We need to complete the design elements of the project by early spring ready to commission an artist to construct the memorial – we intend to hold a public unveiling when the memorial is ready and will publicise the plans for this closer to the time.

Following the success of the inaugural ‘BS3 jamming’ community event last year, hosted by St Paul’s Church, we repeated the event across the first weekend of September.

‘BS3 jamming’ celebrates the local harvest in our area, uses produce that might otherwise go to waste, such as windfall apples and hedge berries, to make jams, chutneys and other locally-sourced produce at minimal cost whilst bringing people together and providing opportunities that encourage local foraging and promotes health eating.

The event also helps to raise funds for our local BS3 foodbank based at the church in preparation for the tough winter months of January and February. Organisers and contributors volunteer their time, energy and skills to make this happen and we thank everyone for their contribution.

Ellie Freeman Green councillor Bedminster

ends on 13th October.

As well as putting your thoughts on the map and filling in an online survey, you can talk to officers at drop-in sessions. The next one in our ward is at Ashton Vale Community Centre on 7 October, 3.30-6.30pm. There are other opportunities, too –do keep an eye out online.

As part of a separate project, a bike hanger is being installed on West View Road. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen.

I know the loss of the 23 bus was a big blow for residents. I raised this at the WECA committee and was told there is nothing they can do. By the time this column goes out, Emily and I will have met with First Bus to share your thoughts and concerns about this and other routes. We should also have an update on the new bus stops on South Liberty Lane very soon.

WE are approaching six months of the new council governance system of committees, which replaced the mayoral system in May. Although the Greens are now the largest party, we fell just short of an overall majority and are now collaborating with the four other parties to run the council. The committee system means that decisions can be a little slower, but it is much more transparent and we believe will make for better and more deliberative decision-making. Sadly, we have found there are a lot of issues that have been neglected in the mayor’s last year of administration. There are also several controversial decisions that were left for the new committee system to wrestle with. For example, Yew Tree Farm, parking, SEND in schools and allotments, to name a few.

I’M writing this in September. I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer and that all those starting new schools and school years are settling in well.

It has been great to hear from so many of you over the summer, so thank you for getting in touch. I have found it helpful to hear your priorities and opinions regarding transport, traffic, parking and the South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhoods Scheme. I’ve also had a number of emails about issues regarding waste, housing and planning. Please do continue to reach out to me with any concerns you have.

Looking ahead to the next six months, I’m particularly looking forward to Bristol Community Festival.

From 22 March – 5 April 2025, Bristol City Council will be partnering with voluntary organisations and

We have also found that the budget was in a worse state than we realised, especially as many of the proposed savings that made the budget balance have not been achieved. After 14 years of government austerity, there is no slack at all left in the budgets, so this makes it even more difficult. Although the new Labour Government talked a lot about “change” when campaigning, since the election we have not seen any real help with Local Government finances, with approximately 20% of councils in England now worried about running out of funds. Working through the legacy of the mayor will take time and we are grateful for your patience as we get to grips with the new system and the inherited problems.

Emily Clarke Labour councillor Bedminster

community groups across the city to host a multi-day event celebrating those that come together to make positive change in their communities and connecting and inspiring residents across Bristol.

It will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our amazing voluntary and resident-led groups, of which I know there are many in Bedminster. Everyone is welcome to get involved and the council is looking for groups who want to run an event. Applications are now open and you have until 21 October to apply. Please let me know if you want any help with your applications – I’d be very happy to help any local groups.

Grants to organise an event of up to £3,000 are available for groups working in priority areas and with city-wide equalities communities, but you don’t need a grant to be able to organise an event.

You can find out more and apply at www.bristol.gov.uk/bcf

NB: Toby Wells and Cam Hayward, Green Councillors, Knowle, were unable to contribute this issue.

n NEWS FROM BS3 COMMUNITY – THE CHARITY THAT RUNS THE SOUTHVILLE CENTRE

October half-term at the Southville Centre

We have a whole week of fun lined up for the October half-term holiday...

Monday 28 October, 9am-5pm

Halloween colouring in the café.

Just drop in. Free babycino or kid’s hot chocolate with any cake purchase.

Tuesday 29 October, 10am-12pm

Half-term Games Fair

Fairground games & stalls. Most appropriate for anyone under the age of 11yrs.

Entry tickets are £2 and come with 11 tokens. After that tokens are 20p. Book through Eventbrite.

Wednesday 30 October, 10.30am-12pm

n LOCAL EVENTS

AND THE CHESSEL CENTRE

Halloween Stay & Play

Family fun for ages 1-7 yrs.

Spooky activities including Halloween games, crafts and sensory play. Fancy dress encouraged!

Halloween refreshments and snacks for the children are included. Adult and child (any age) combined ticket: £5.50

Additional children (12 months+):

£3.50; under 12 months are free. Book through Eventbrite

Thursday 31 October, 1.30pm or 3pm (2 sittings)

Halloween Afternoon Tea. Prebooking required

• Spooky sandwiches

• Terrifying treats

• Scary scones

• and a devilish drink

£12 per person. Fancy dress encouraged! Prize for the best outfit. Book through Eventbrite.

Halloween fun

STEP aboard Brunel’s SS Great Britain this October half-term for fearless adventures this Halloween. From 26 October to 3 November, the ship will be packed with family fun and ghoulish activities for all ages. Back by popular demand, ‘Woeful Wounds’ returns with a botanical twist to continue the ship’s ‘Plants Crossing Continents’ theme for 2024.

During the Victorian period, steamships brought curious new plants to Britain, which found their way into make-up, medicines, food, and even home décor. Shockingly, many of these plants were poisonous, causing terrible symptoms to those who encountered them. Special effects makeup artists from SGS College will be recreating these ailments with realistic cuts, rashes, and blisters for brave young sailors to show off to their family and friends.

For more eerie fun, follow

the family trail, ‘Terrifying Turnips’. Glowing turnips will lead you around the dockyard and ship, each revealing fascinating facts about Victorian Halloween traditions. Or why not settle in for a new spinechilling storytelling experience on board, where a costumed Victorian will share ghostly tales with those who dare to listen?

For more info and tickets, go to: ssgreatbritain.org/halfterm

Friday 1 November, 10am-12pm

Autumn Art Club

A relaxed, autumn-themed, dropin art and craft session for ages 4+. £6.50 for 1 child & adult; £5 for each additional child.

WELLS

Coming up this Christmas at The Southville Centre...

NOVEMBER

Festive Market

Join us for a day of festive fun with local makers stalls, games, face painting, children’s activities, plus a Santa’s Grotto (more information on how to book coming soon).

Our café will be open for festive treats and mulled drinks. Saturday 30th November 10am-5pm. FREE entry.

DECEMBER

Cosy Christmas

Join us for children’s films and festive craft activities. Our café will be open for festive treats and mulled drinks. Friday 6 December, 4.30-7.30pm. FREE entry.

Literature Festival of

18 - 26 October

Pam Ayres, Susie Dent, Shami Chakrabarti, Louise Minchin, AC Grayling, Bendor Grosvenor, Sophie Grigson, Jonathan Coe, Cecile Pin, John Suchet, Paul Sinha and many more...

n ADVERTORIAL

Local chef to host pop-up @ The Park Centre

THE inimitable Tim Owen, renowned local chef patron of Truffled of Totterdown, visited The Park with a view to doing a pop-up.

Tim was impressed by the kitchen facilities available on site and he was amazed by the other organisations based there and the work being done by them supporting differently abled adults and children.

Tim was particularly moved by the Therapy Space when Lauren Barrett, one of the practitioners, explained what they did there – helping children from three-years-old and their families to cope with the challenges of autism, development coordination disorder, dyspraxia and ADHD.

Tim shared that he has ADHD and spoke of the ‘bad time’ he’d had growing up and at school (ironically at Merrywood Boys, the original site of The Park Centre). Tim was blown away with what is now on offer. “If I’d had this kind of treatment when I was a kid, my life would’ve been so much easier. I wouldn’t have grown up thinking I was stupid; I’d have had the skills to help me navigate my life better… to prevent me making many of the mistakes I’ve made and avoid the damage to my self-esteem,” said Tim.

Now, of course, he knows that ADHD can be a superpower and that is proved every time he walks into a kitchen and makes the magic happen... creating menus from simple everyday ingredients and making them sing. But it hasn’t been an easy road… Tim was only diagnosed with ADHD in 2022. His life before that was a series of dead-end jobs, before going into the family roofing trade at 23. He always knew he was different. He believed he was worthless. He found it hard to cope, and like many neurodiverse people before him, chose to self-medicate with the

Resident permits to double n NEWS

The cost of a permit in resident parking zones in Bristol will more than double after councillors approved massive increases. The cost for a first vehicle permit will rise from £56 to £124 in the affected areas. The increases proposed by Bristol City Council are still much less than the hike previously put forward by Labour, before the recent local elections when they lost power to the Greens. In January earlier this year, Labour suggested increasing the cost to £178.

Councillors on the transport policy committee voted to approve the increases on Thursday, September 12. The hike is expected to take place after a three-month legal notice, informing affected drivers of the changes.

Green Councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the committee, said: “I’ve asked for this to be based

on a full cost recovery model, for each of the first permits to cover the full cost of running resident parking services. Any excess [income] from resident parking schemes has been ringfenced to re-invest in transport. Second and third cars, plus any income from pay and display, then help the transport budget.”

Resident parking zones were first introduced in Bristol in 2011, as a way to stop commuters driving into the city and parking on residential streets near the centre. Only residents living within the zones are allowed to park in them, with certain exceptions. An ongoing problem has been areas just outside the zones which are now suffering from much higher parking pressures.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporter

exercise and alcohol culture of the roofing industry. He wasn’t happy. But he started cooking.

“I always loved cooking - I made my mum eggs mornay when I was seven and I loved the praise I got. It felt good and I wanted more of it,” said Tim.

His interest in food grew and, as an adult, he became hooked by the early TV chefs like The Galloping Gourmet (Graham Kerr) and that other flawed genius and Bristol chef legend, Keith Floyd.

Following a breakdown, which Tim now knows was ADHD burnout, and a period of recuperation, Tim decided to start a pop-up business with a mate. Together they launched ‘Dine With I’, a humorous Bristol take on the TV programme Come Dine With Me. They did pop-ups all over Bristol, including private homes as well as venues. It was a great success.

Tim had finally found and embraced his ADHD superpower!

Fast forward to 2017 when Tim took a property on Wells Road and Truffled of Totterdown was born. He has since won the accolade of Best Sunday Lunch in Bristol from the Bristol Post in 2020. Tim didn’t

Joe Sims and Tim Owen

Don’t miss the opportunity to visit our school open days. If you cannot make these days we would be pleased to welcome you by appointment too!

even know there had been public voting going on.

He’s since won the award a second time from the Bristol Sunday Roast Club in 2023 and you’ll now have to join the waiting list to get a table at Truffled.

But as well as being a wizard in the kitchen, Tim is a very kind, inclusive and communityminded person. He was bowled over by the work done by Therapy Space at The Park Centre and many others there. He was very enthusiastic, not just to do the Truffled Pop-Up but to put himself forward as an ADHD success story to help draw attention to the amazing work done by organisations like Therapy Space, The Square Food Foundation (the brainchild of another Bristol Chef Barny Haughton), Step & Stone and many more.

The BBC sent along Joe Sims, Radio Bristol’s breakfast show host (and local Knowle resident) to have a chat to Tim about the upcoming pop up and to have a look around The Park. After the

show, Joe chatted to Tim about his life and his ADHD and why he’d decided to do the pop-up at The Park. Tim explained it was to help shine a light on the work being done there. They both agreed it is a very special place.

POP-UP@THE PARK by Truffled of Totterdown

Truffled Pop-Up at The Park is on 11 October at 7pm –Tim has warmly named it ADHDiners by Truffled. Tickets available from 17 September via: https://bit. ly/truffledpopup

£40 per head (Concession price £30 for those on benefits) for three courses. Choose from the meat or vegetarian option. BYOB. Very limited tickets available

Contact: 0117 903 9770 Email: enquiries@ theparkcentre.org.uk

Sian Ellis-Thomas | sian@ theparkcentre.org.uk | 07976 733677

The Park Cafe serves great value food, from breakfast fry ups, to take away coffee and cream tea

Monday - Friday 8.30am-3pm

n ADVERTORIAL

Celebrating age as Age UK Bristol turns 30!

THE 1st October is International Day of Older People and Age UK Bristol will be celebrating this important day in a variety of ways throughout the month. One special announcement is that on 28th October Age UK Bristol will be 30 years old!

The charity was set up in 1994 by a small, dedicated group of Trustees to support older people across the city and it continues today, offering a range of services to support people aged 55+ to stay well – from benefits checks to daytime support and activities. As the weather cools and the days start to get shorter, it’s important to continue engaging with local activities and events and to get out and about. Our health and wellbeing are linked to our social connections and mental stimulation, so we urge you to join us in some of the events we have planned over the next month…

We have free Friends Ageing Better (FAB) cafés throughout the month and a FAB disco on 8th November. If you’re not already a member of our Friends Ageing Better network, then join over 1,900 other Bristolians and sign up today. It’s a community of older people who share what is happening in the city while building friendships with likeminded people.

It’s free to join and you’ll get regular updates about events that are specifically for people over 55 years, along with some discounts or rewards from local businesses. https://bit.ly/4goi4zq

How about trying out tai chi? We’ve been amazed at the appetite for this low-impact exercise and you can join a taster session in various parts of the

city over the course of the month – see our website for details. For those that might struggle to get out and about, why not try our free phone groups where you can chat with others from the comfort of an armchair? Contact the Friends Ageing Better coordinator for more info on 0117 440 4301 or fab@ ageukbristol.org.uk.

We’d love you to join us at our Firewalk fundraiser at Mojo Active in Almondsbury on 12th October from 6pm – 8pm where we’ll literally be walking on hot coals. You can take part if you feel like a challenge, but are welcome to simply cheer us on from the side. Barbecue and raffle will be available on the night.

To finish off the month, there will be a free Celebrating Age concert at the Bristol Beacon on Wednesday 30th October. This showcase event, deliberately programmed in half-term, is designed for older adults, and performed by older adults, but will be enjoyed by everyone –grandchildren and grandparents alike! Tickets are by donation and available on the Bristol Beacon website.

Age UK Bristol is an independent local charity and operates all its services independently although federated to Age UK (as a local partner). The charity now has over 30 staff and over 60 volunteers. We aim to raise £30k for our services over the course of the year, in celebration of our 30th birthday. We will be doing lots of different events over the next year to raise awareness of all things age-related so watch this space!

1st Anniversary Weekend Celebration October 18-20

Based at the bottom of the Wells Road in Bristol, we are Bruhaha, a Brewpub & Social Space. Having been previously based at Windmill Hill City Farm, where we’ve run a regular Friday night taproom since Spring 2022, we took over the former premises of vegan café Eat Your Greens last year.

We are a welcoming, dog-friendly and relaxed place to unwind with drink or two of an evening, offering some of the best local street food pop ups every weekend. Drinks wise we offer great range of local beer and ciders on tap - including our own beers brewed on site underneath the bar. We like to keep everything as local as possible so you’ll also find locally produced spirits, kombucha and non-alcoholic aperitifs as well as a fine selection of wine from local merchants.

The party begins on Friday, October 11th, the last night of our Windmill Hill City Farm taproom this year, before we close for the winter, with Fontmell Smokehouse providing some incredible slow-cooked BBQ style food. Then on Friday 18th, the celebrations kick off in earnest at our Wells Road base.

To help celebrate our first year in Totterdown, we’ve invited Indian Summer Cafe back to provide their incredible Indian street food, just as they did on our opening weekend.

We’ve had great support since we’ve opened from the local community, suppliers, food pop-ups and not to mention our fantastic team of staff that have enabled Bruhaha to grow.

We have more plans in the pipeline too, so if you want to stay updated, scan the QR code below or visit our website www.bruhaha.beer.

Thank you for the last twelve months Totterdown!

Steve, Dave & Sim.

OPENING HOURS: Wednesday - 5-10.30pm Thursday - 5-10.30pm Friday - 5-10.30pm Saturday - 12-10.30pm Sunday - 12-8pm

BRUHAHA - 156-158 Wells Road, Totterdown, BS4 2AG

Preschool - Year 6 Open Day Friday 27th September

Sixth Form Open Evening Friday 4th October

Year 7 - Year 11 Open Day Saturday 5th October

South Bristol bar closes

The Old Bookshop on North Street closed its doors on Saturday, 14 September

NEW owners have taken the keys for the much-loved Old Bookshop on North Street in readiness for a rebrand and refurbishment.

Mike Fenlon and Emily Penney who currently own and operate Alpha Bottle Shop & Tap on East Street have acquired the bar and gave customers a final week to say goodbye to the iconic bar.

Said Emily: “We have been big fans and regulars of The Old Bookshop for many years now and recognise the importance of the space within the community. We hope [the] final week [gave] everyone a chance to say farewell and celebrate what the pub has meant to them.”

Mike said: “Over the last three years, we have worked closely with the previous owners of the Old Bookshop, co-hosting events such as the Bedminster Beer Trail and launching beers from the best breweries across the UK with our double pours.

“We share a large number of customers between the two venues and we hope that

the community will be excited to see what we have planned for the bar.”

The Old Bookshop is now closed for a month’s refurbishment, with the intention to reopen mid-October.

The newly rebranded establishment will continue to support local independent breweries and producers first and foremost, whilst still offering a great selection of products from further afield.

Food will be provided by a local trader, with more details to be released over the coming weeks.

Emily said: “The Old Bookshop has evolved over time and its offering has changed dramatically since it first opened in 2011.

“We feel it is now time for a fresh start and a new beginning and we can’t wait to bring our ideas to fruition. The fundamentals will stay the same, of course. We will have a fantastic beer selection, a well thought out cocktail menu and provide a food offering which is exciting and designed to be eaten with good company.

“Watch this space!”

Time to have your say on policing

AS your Police and Crime Commissioner, my role is to ensure that the voices of people in Avon and Somerset are central to the policing strategy.

Today, I’m inviting you to help shape the future of local policing by participating in several key initiatives.

I’m pleased to announce the launch of a public consultation on the draft Police and Crime Plan. This plan will set the priorities for Avon and Somerset Police through to 2029, and it’s essential that it reflects what matters to you.

The plan focuses on five key priorities:

• Strengthening neighbourhood policing: ensuring a visible police presence that actively engages with communities and tackles antisocial behaviour.

• Reducing violent crime: addressing male violence against women and girls, as well as serious youth violence.

• Preventing crime: collaborating with other organisations and the public to build safer communities.

• Supporting victims: ensuring victims receive the help they need, when they need it.

• Improving policing standards: providing a fair and effective police service.

This consultation is your opportunity to comment on the draft plan and suggest how these priorities can be implemented.

Additionally, I’m seeking your views on local police funding, particularly regarding how much extra, if any, you would be willing to contribute through your council tax.

Your insights are vital to ensuring the plan reflects the needs and concerns of your community.

The consultation is open until the end of October.

You can participate by completing the survey online or by attending one of my public forums.

The forums are attended by myself, local policing leads, and my team, providing an opportunity for us to hear from you directly.

To find out more, visit the Police and Crime Plan page on my website,

www.avonandsomerset-pcc.gov.uk.

Your voice matters — I look forward to hearing your views as we address these important issues together.

I recently marked my first 100 days in office. I have really enjoyed them, and I feel privileged to represent all the diverse communities of Avon and Somerset. I have visited police teams, community leaders, charities, community interest companies, commissioned services, local authority leaders, statutory partners and business leaders in Bath & North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Somerset, North Somerset and finally Bristol.

It’s been a steep learning curve, and there has been so much to take on board, but luckily I am someone who really enjoys being in the detail and I’ve been reading reports, meeting people, having conversations and learning in greater depth about the policing issues faced by communities in our area.

Meeting the police leaders and many teams in different departments

has been invaluable in developing my understanding of some of the challenges we face.

Getting out and about and meeting people face-to-face in my community engagement days has been brilliant in helping me to understand how much is being done in terms of supporting victims and working with young people to support their futures.

It has made me realise just how many excellent individuals there are in key roles and organisations, who are using their roles to really make a difference.

ADVICE FROM A PHARMACIST with Ade Williams

IT’S time to come into Bedminster Pharmacy for your autumn Covid booster and annual flu vaccinations. Walk-in appointments are available, but you can book by calling 119 or using the NHS website. We will offer you the opportunity to have both together, which is recommended and safe, or you can pick separate dates and times. We will offer our quick, organised service and extended weekend clinics you can attend. Early vaccination means you start building an immune response that protects you. Who can get these vaccinations?

Covid vaccine doses will be offered to:

• Adults aged 65 years and over

• People with health conditions which put them at higher risk

• Care home staff

• Frontline health and social care workers

• People with long-term health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, breathing problems like asthma

• People who are immunocompromised

• People who are pregnant

• People in long-stay residential care, including

• Carers for older or disabled persons

Why should I get these recommended jabs? It is now well-proven that the flu and Covid vaccinations are safe and work. However, their protection will wane over time, so a top-up vaccination is needed for continued protection and against new emerging variants.

As we saw during the Summer Olympics, even elite athletes contracted Covid-19 infections. Surely, flu and Covid are now mild, just like the common cold?

Flu remains an infection that kills people every year. While we have all lived through the pandemic years, the respiratory distress caused by Covid remains severe and life-threatening. Cases of both pick up over the winter months, hence why the NHS vaccination protection is so important. What will I be getting?

You will receive the NHS-recommended flu and Covid vaccinations based on previously used vaccines in the programme. They are re-engineered yearly for optimum protection.

But I have never caught the flu or COVID before. Many people may not recognise the symptoms

they are experiencing as being caused by the infections or may even have no symptoms. Remember that you will still pass the symptoms on, even if you have no symptoms, putting others at risk.

Bedminster Pharmacy remains determined to protect everyone in our community. We know people want a timely, accessible vaccination experience. To make our clinics more accessible, we also offer extended opening hours over the weekends that you can attend.

Feel free to call us on 0117 985 3388 if you have any further questions.

n ADVERTORIAL

New analysis unearths the benefits of buying a local, organic veg box

THE Community Farm, based just south of Bristol, looked at the impact of buying four of their all-British veg boxes and found a multitude of benefits.

Firstly, they found that they contained 26 different vegetables, encouraging people to cook with a huge variety of produce. Recent scientific research suggests that eating a variety of plants is key to better overall health: greater resilience to withstand infections, better digestion and better brain function. The latest health advice is to eat 30 different plants a week, including seeds, nuts, grains and spices, alongside fruit & veg. Getting a veg box is a great way to get more diversity in your diet. They also found that more than 75 local people benefited from growing the crops, including volunteers, refugees and asylum seekers, and people suffering with mental ill health. It wasn’t just people who benefited either with, on average, 30% more biodiversity on organic farms. With farmland

n ADVERTORIAL

making up 70% of land in the UK and 1 in 10 of Britain’s wildlife species facing extinction, this really does matter.

To celebrate these findings, The Community Farm are offering new customers 10% off their orders for a whole year, when they buy four veg boxes in four weeks. They want more people to reignite their love of cooking and unearth the benefits of organic produce. Find out more at thecommunityfarm.co.uk

H M Foot Care

Need a little help with your footcare? Slightly embarrassed by your feet?

WHY not treat yourself to a little foot TLC with your local foot health professional…

Says Hannah from HM Foot Care: “… our feet are the very foundation of the body... My motto is that you should never be embarrassed by your feet. We all have lumps, bumps and nails that take a bashing from our lifestyles, and instead of hiding them away I would love to help you manage them.

“My aim is to keep your feet happy, comfortable and able to do the things that bring you joy. I manage common foot complaints including painful corns, hard skin, thick, ingrowing and fungal nails. I can provide regular foot care if you struggle to manage your foot skin and nails.

“South Bristolians can find me in our lovely clinic room base

in Bristol Osteopaths on the Wells Road. If you cannot make it to clinic, I also offer home visits in the comfort of your own familiar surroundings. I would be delighted to help you.”

Call or text: 0754 453 5782 Email: hmfootcare@gmail. com Web: www.hmfootcare.co.uk

n WILDLIFE

As time goes by

By Ben Barker, Secretary, BS3 Wildlife Group

Big cities are a new habitat for both humans and wild animals. Let’s get a timeline…

ABOUT 12,000 years ago an ice-covered Britain was largely lifeless. With the ending of the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago, humans, animals and plants began to move in from Europe across the land bridge.

Circa 7,000 years ago, the Doggerland bridge was submerged by rising sea levels and Britain became an island.

The Romans arrive about 2000 years ago establishing the first, quite small, British cities.

Two hundred and fifty years ago large, industrial cities began to develop, eg London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester.

Today, over 75% of Britain’s human population, plus their dogs and cats, live in big cities along with a range of birds, mammals and insects. The wildlife that live with us in our cities may have been around since the Ice Age or they may be more recent arrivals, eg grey squirrels came from America in the mid-nineteenth century; Buddleia is from China as is the box-tree moth which arrived around 2007. All are now resident in Bristol.

Some creatures seem to like their city environment, unless we persecute them either intentionally or carelessly by poisoning or demolishing their habitat. These include frogs, foxes and various birds and insects.

Although there are lots of hard surfaces, there’s also lots to eat, places to hide and buildings on which to nest.

The BS3 Wildlife Group wants to build on this relationship via the Greater Bedminster Urban Nature Reserve. Why not join in?

Words by Ben Barker, Secretary, BS3 Wildlife Group (mywildbedminster@virginmedia.com)

South Bristol running track move likely

Running track and cycle centre relocating 10 miles away to make space for new housing

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporter

A RUNNING track and cycling centre in South Bristol could relocate 10 miles away to make space for new housing. The project is expected to take three years and could leave some people struggling to access the new location.

The new Bristol Regional Cycling Hub will be built on a former landfill site in Lawrence Weston in 2026 and 2027, costing £15 million. The hub will include areas to learn to ride, a one-kilometre competition track, a car park, and new and improved connections to the local cycle network.

The existing Bristol Family Cycling Centre opened in 2010, and is currently based at the old athletics track in Hengrove Park. The centre will be replaced with the new cycling hub at Henacre Open Space, 10 miles away in north-west Bristol.

Councillors on the transport policy committee were due to approve £813,000 for council staff to draw up a business case and develop a planning application, on Thursday, September 12. A committee report said the new centre would provide training “across a much wider area”.

The report added: “The proposed Bristol Regional Cycling Hub will replace the existing cycling centre in Bamfield. The temporary location at the Old Whitchurch Athletics Track in Bamfield is earmarked for housing development within the next three years.

“The cycling hub will be built on a former landfill site at Lawrence Weston in north-west Bristol, which is one of the most deprived areas of the city. It will deliver an inclusive cycling community, offering programmes for skills improvement, social prescribing, and physical rehabilitation.”

The new cycling hub will offer training and host competitions, as well as deliver classes for disabled people. The council is aiming to increase the number of people who cycle across Bristol, partly to reduce pollution and

greenhouse gas emissions from cars.

Local community groups and cycling organisations are supporting the project, as well as the local Labour MP Darren Jones. He said Lawrence Weston had higher levels of obesity than across the rest of Bristol, on average, and less leisure services for young people.

In a letter to the council, Mr Jones said: “The designs have been developed in close partnership with Sport England and British Cycling and will provide a much-needed new facility for this part of the city. A minority of residents are satisfied with the provision of activities for children and young people, and satisfaction with leisure facilities and services is significantly lower than the Bristol average.”

Funding for the project was initially hoped to come from the government’s Levelling Up fund; however, the government rejected the council’s bid. Instead, cash saved from other regional infrastructure projects that came under budget could be used to pay for the new cycling centre. More details will be revealed next April, when a planning application is due to be submitted.

But public opposition is growing against the plan to build flats on the running track

in South Bristol. Over 3,300 petitioners have urged the council to save the track, which will become part of the massive Hengrove Park housing estate of 1,435 new homes in the next few years.

The Whitchurch Athletics Track opened in 1973, and was formally closed in 2010. However the track is still used by Southville Running Club once a week from April to September, as well as by the Bristol Family Cycling Centre.

The only other running tracks in or around Bristol are in Filton, Yate and Whitehall. The Whitehall track was intended to replace the Whitchurch one, although this is located six miles away in a more affluent part of east Bristol.

The Whitchurch track is located in the middle of three of the six wards in Bristol with the highest levels of obesity: Stockwood, Hartclfife and Withywood, and Filwood. The Hengrove and Whitchurch ward itself is in eighth place, with almost one in four residents there who are obese. Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston ward has the fifth highest levels of obesity, at 28.6 per cent.

The Hengrove Park development is being built by Goram Homes, the councilowned developer. The plans involve creating new sport

pitches and a multi-use games area, but not an athletics track or cycling centre. The Family Cycling Centre currently offers services “used extensively” by disabled people, with a fleet of adapted and specialist bikes, trikes and quads.

Some people living near the current site will be negatively affected, according to the council, including with protected characteristics like disabilities. An equality impact assessment admitted that some people would not be able to afford to travel to the new centre in Lawrence Weston.

The assessment said: “A transport assessment as part of the outline and full business case will be provided which is likely to show that some people who currently attend the site may find it difficult to access the new site, as the current transport links may be too costly financially or time-wise, or they may not have access to other means of transport.

“The negative impacts of service closure and relocation would be extensive for some people, but beneficial to those in the north of the city. It will remove a popular and well-used service in the south of Bristol which may result in fewer people having the confidence to cycle in those areas.”

Bristol Regional Cycling Hub western view

southbristolvoice

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

Bus ser vices designed by you, for you

WHEN it comes to making our public transport better, there’s nothing like real people power.

The people reading this know what you and your community need to get around better than anyone else.

That’s why when I came up with the WESTlocal bus services, I wanted local people to be at the heart of it.

WESTlocal is my scheme that lets communities get their hands on cash to design and run their very own, brand new, not-for-profit bus services.

I am delighted that so many local communities and organisations took up my challenge and put together winning bids.

Because of their involvement, the routes are imaginative and designed with the needs of their communities in mind. They’ve benefited hundreds of local people already, and I’m pleased to say there are now more of them.

Alongside the two existing routes, the new WESTlocals – eight in total – started operating on September 1, and are getting people around in Keynsham, Yate, Charfield, Chew Valley, Winford, Avonmouth, and to SGS College, to name just a few places.

Other WESTlocal routes are being extended

because of the feedback people have given. I have thoroughly enjoyed the stories that have come through from the people involved.

In The Dings, they’ve numbered their WESTlocal 61 in honour of 87-year-old Marilyn, who moved there in 1961 and has been a fierce campaigner for the new service.

The 99 Chew Valley service has been nicknamed the “Cat” because of the shape of its route. This wouldn’t have happened if there wasn’t a real sense of community ownership. How many other bus routes have got their own nickname?

People who use the WESTlocals have told me they really value the service, especially the great community spirit on board. They’re getting people to work, to the shops, and connecting them to the busier routes into our towns and cities.

There’s a big debate happening about the kind of public transport our country needs. Here in our region, we are taking forward these conversations too.

I am determined that, whatever happens, we create public transport in the West of England that is more sustainable and represents value for money for local people, because only by making buses more affordable, reliable, and frequent will we

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice

encourage people to leave the car at home and use other ways of getting around.

I don’t underestimate the scale of this challenge. There’s much more to do.

The success of WESTlocal has shown that local communities want to get involved, so I’m going to be working with the government to get the West of England more money for these kinds of projects.

We’ve shown that there’s demand for them locally and I’m determined to aim even bigger next time.

I’m doing everything I can to make sure the West of England has a bus system we can be proud of – one that’s better for passengers and better for the planet, too.

n WICKED WITCH

In witch friendships are great

I LOVE my friends, well most of them. There are my arty mates, who give me useful critiques on my work, even when I’ve not asked for it; my swimming buddies who make exercising more joyful; the old faithfuls who I rarely see but when I do it’s just wonderful; and then there’s the more complex relationships…

Take my friend Mrs Shrew –she’s the wife of Himself’s fishing buddy. This couple bought a van on our site and became our caravan friends. After three years, Mrs Shrew said: “I’ve got some news. We are selling the van.” This was a surprise, but circumstances change, and it was time for them to move on. “I’ve not stopped crying,” Mrs Shrew snivelled as she hugged me tight. I tried not to be rigid – I’m not a hugger and was desperately trying

to conjure up a sad face because, truth be known, I was slightly relieved.

I know. I’m going to hell. But hear me out. Yes, it’s been nice having another couple to hang out with but there are downsides. I like getting up at dawn and going for an early sea-swim, before the world wakes up. Mrs Shrew likes to swim too but prefers a lie-in. “See you at 9,” she’ll call and I’ll oblige, wasting the day, because I’m a weak people pleaser.

They slowly morphed into us. A dog arrived, the same mixed breed as Scrappy Little Dog; Mrs Shrew started dying her hair with henna; she revived her old Dr Martens: we looked like twins. Sigh, of course this is a compliment, they are really nice people and our weekends together are filled with raucous laughter but I’m looking

forward to being selfish again.

Then there’s my school friend. I don’t actually see much of her but I’ve ended up being best friends with her mum. About four times a year she’ll travel by train to see me. I’ll collect her from the station and drive to Ikea where she talks at me as we wander around the endless maze of home essentials.

I’ll buy her lunch and she’ll tell me how awful everything is, fill me in with all the deaths and terminal illnesses of her family and friends.

I’ll nod and tut in the right places before dropping her back to the station, utterly drained.

I need to end this friendship but as mentioned above I’m weak, so I won’t.

I have doggy friends who come and go. The dog dies and although the humans are very much alive and promises are made to keep

in touch, in reality that’s the end of them. Curly Girl, a dog walker, once told me that she can’t make any new friends because she simply doesn’t have time for her old ones.

Which reminds me, remember that Dorset local I befriended? The one I pushed my stress onto when the seagull had a fishing weight hooked in its beak?

Well good news. I saw her the other day, admittedly she was not particularly pleased to see me, but I am delighted to report that the bird was netted, unhooked and released. Friends are great, most of the time.

n CHARITY

Call companions needed

Make it your business to help lonely older people.

A LOCAL charity is urging businesses in Bristol to encourage its staff to help a lonely older person over the Christmas period.

Re-engage, which runs call befriending services, desperately needs volunteers who can donate just an hour a week to chat to someone over 75 who is isolated.

The charity, which also runs a dozen free tea party and gentle activity groups in the city, has hundreds of older people waiting to be matched with a ‘call companion’ volunteer. And the situation is likely to worsen over the Christmas period.

“It’s a particularly lonely time for those without family or friends,” said Ellie Plummer, engagement officer for Re-engage. “A normal day of the week can really drag if you are by yourself. But for an older person, the Christmas period of isolation will seem like a lifetime.

“There are around 11,000 older people in Bristol who feel lonely and many say just a few minutes of conversation would make a massive difference to their lives.

“Our existing dedicated call companion volunteers spend around an hour a week talking to an older person and we know that both parties get an awful lot from this arrangement.

“Lots of companies are encouraging employees to volunteer and what could be better than making this Christmas one to remember for

an older person.

“We currently have 200 call companion volunteers in the south west but we urgently need many more.”

Patrick, 79, was grieving the death of wife Lily when he was matched with call companion Marta last Christmas.

“I was in a desperate situation and I was beginning to wonder why I was still here. But then I began talking to Marta and she brought me around. I feel completely different now. She’s a saviour,” said Patrick who was married for 58 years.

“There’s no doubt things could have got really bad for me but now I feel so much better. Marta’s

a fabulous lady and does me a lot of good. She brings a lot of

enjoyment to our calls which are really productive for me.”

Jess Baybutt, 29, from Alfa Travel, which specialises in holidays for those aged 65 and over and has chosen Re-engage as its charity of the year, has become a call companion: “I was shocked when I heard how many older people just wanted someone to talk to,” she said.

Jess added: “I want to help and make a difference and the sense of achievement I get from making a call leaves me feeling very happy.”

Re-engage, which has been running free monthly tea parties since 1965, also has call befriending services for people with Parkinson’s and those who identify as LGBT+.

If you’d like to volunteer for Re-engage go to: Volunteer opportunities: supporting older people locally and remotely at reengage.org.uk

Loft Boarding & Insulation

n LOCAL EVENTS

Volunteer at Bristol South Pool

FRIENDS of Bristol South Pool are volunteering again on Sunday 29 September. The areas adjacent to Dame Emily Park and Dean Lane have been transformed since recent pruning, sanding, and painting.

There’s still more to do, including finishing off the new bright yellow safety stripes on the steps and painting the remaining railings.

If you have any time to spare on the last Sunday of September, why not go along to lend a hand, even if just for an hour? Every little helps; all materials are provided.

The next volunteering sessions are: 10am-2pm, Sunday 29 September, and the last Sunday of every month, eg 27 October, at the same time

Public meetings

Public meetings about the future of Bristol South Pool, including further investment in the coming months and a longer-term plan for the site, have been scheduled for Thursday

26 September and Thursday 3 October.

Why not go along to meet Everyone Active and Friends of Bristol South Pool and help shape the future of your local pool? Join Friends of Bristol South Pool’s WhatsApp group for more information about the meetings and volunteering via: tinyurl.com/ BristolSouthPool

The Theatre and Entertainment Luvver

A shared experience

THEATRE and entertainment is a powerful way to connect people, and here in South Bristol, it plays an essential role in building and enriching our community. There’s a certain magic that happens when the lights dim, silence falls, and the curtains rise; it’s a magic that goes further than just the stage.

From local productions at the Tobacco Factory Theatre, acta and Hen and Chicken to live performances in parks, the farm, community centres and pubs, theatre in our neighbourhood is more than just entertainment—it’s a force that brings people closer together.

Theatre has always been a communal experience. From the ancient Greeks gathering in amphitheatres to tell stories of gods and heroes, to the Elizabethan crowds at Shakespeare’s Globe, people have always come together to laugh, cry and think.

Now our new performance spaces serve as modern-day gathering places. These are community hubs where friendships are formed, ideas are exchanged, and stories are shared. People can get involved via local drama groups such as acta and the community pantomime or they can create their own work or highlight an exciting story or particular area.

By engaging with plays, songs, theatre walks and events that tackle social issues, historical events – stories that might not be told or heard are given a voice. These stories can challenge previously held views or perceptions, open dialogue and encourage discussions that might not happen otherwise and can be the starting block to bringing a community together.

At the core this is a shared experience. Whether you are sitting in the audience, providing the tech or performing on the stage – you are all united in something bigger. In a world where digital communication is often replacing face to face interaction –performance and theatre offers an opportunity for positive real human interaction.

Words by Jacqui Ham

n LOCAL EVENTS

Apple Day

THE Patchwork Community Gardening Group will be holding its annual Apple Day on Saturday 19th October from 11am-2.30pm. Bring along your apples, get involved in the pressing and try some delicious fresh juice. There will also be live music and cake.

The event will take place on the group’s Dean Lane orchard (next to The Dame pub).

If you’d like more information, please contact bemmiepatchwork@ gmail.com or find Bedminster Patchwork on Facebook.

n WHAT’S ON

September 19-21, Triggerines & Sentimentos exhibition by Bristol’s Norman Gosney THE PIT, 101 Wells Rd, Bushy Park, Bristol. Opening hours: Thursday 19th: 18:00-21:00; Friday 20th: 18:00-21:00; Saturday 21st: 19:00-22:00

25 September, The Long Run The Tobacco Factory. Direct from the Edinburgh Fringe, The Long Run is a tender, emotionally rich and frequently hilarious story about human connection, cancer diagnosis, and long-distance running. https:// tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/ the-long-run/

27th September Macmillan coffee morning 10-12. At Victoria Park Baptist Church. All welcome

27 & 28 September, Morag, You’re a Long Time Deid The Tobacco Factory. Another from Edinburgh... Audiences are invited on a journey where original compositions are interwoven with electronic loops to tell old stories anew. When her Canadian granddaughter Sam inherits Morag’s piano, Sam also inherits the mystery of her Scottish granny’s story. https:// tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/ morag-youre-a-long-time-deid/

Thursday 26 September & Thursday

3 October, Bristol South Pool public meetings Find out about future plans for the pool. Event details via tinyurl. com/BristolSouthPool

Sunday 29 September, Bristol South Pool volunteering sessions 10am2pm, then every last Sunday in the month. tinyurl.com/BristolSouthPool All materials are provided.

Sat 12 October, eat:Bedminster East Street. Local food and drink direct from the producers, plus entertainment including DJs, buskers, strolling characters and performances.

17-19 October, Slave: A Question of Freedom Lowry, Bristol Tobacco Factory, Tickets: £18 / £16. Age: Advised 9+. Under 16s must be

accompanied by an adult. https:// tobaccofactorytheatres.com/ The true story of a girl’s stolen childhood and her fight for survival... The award-winning play tells Mende Nazer’s inspirational story. Set in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan and London, the story of her joyful childhood and subsequent enslavement is told by an ensemble of eight actor-musicians as a feast of storytelling, music and dance. PLUS Anti-Slavery Symposium, 17 October, 12:00pm, Age: Advised 9+. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. £5 per person for Symposium alone. Free entry to play ticket holders. A thought-provoking round-table discussion will explore the issue of modern slavery and the challenges faced, particularly by women, in negotiating a place of safety through the asylum system.

Stoke Park Sculpture Trail. Free. Look out for a fox, deer, giant conkers and more. Follow the sculpture trail map: https://bit.ly/4cI8GnZ. Park near the entrance by 270 Romney Ave BS7 9TD. NB no facilities.

30 October, Halloween Stay & Play, the Southville Centre, 10.30am-12pm. £5.50 for 1 adult & 1 child. Book on Eventbrite. Fun Halloween themed activities for children up to 10yrs, with kids’ refreshments included.

Mondays 5-6pm, Gardening sessions, Dame Emily Park. Everyone is welcome; no experience necessary! Bring your own gloves.

To advertise, contact

Tea and cake provided! Contact: dameemilypark@gmail.com

Mondays 7, 14 and 21 October, 10.30am, Long Ashton Health Walks Meet at Long Ashton Community Centre. A longer away walk is also available on Monday 28 October. Call Ruth 07814 671369 or Karen 07855 402768 for more details. No need to book; just come along, it’s free! Find out more at: www.betterhealthns.co.uk/ get-active/walking/

Que pasa at El Rincon Spanish bar in October...

Mondays – Spanish classes

A new three-week Spanish course starts 7 Oct

Absolute beginners at 6pm

Improving beginners at 7.30pm

Every Tuesday

El Rincoro (Spanish choir) from 7-8pm

Spanish Amigos – Spanish language socials 8-10pm

Wednesday Activities

9 Oct Toyville Games NightFree event

16 Oct Poetry Evening - Ticketed

23 Oct Comedy Evening, Ticketed

30 Oct Bridge Club - Free Event

Thursdays – Live music nights

10 Oct Medicine Creek (tickets £10)

17 Oct Carmina 3 (tickets £10)

24 Oct Djammy Dodgers (tickets £8)

Friday – DJ Pop ups

11 Oct Funk DJ - free entry

31 Oct Halloween Disco, free entry

To purchase tickets, tuition spaces or for more info visit our website. El Rincón, 298 North Street, www.elrinconbar.com

12th & 13th October, Ashton Court Mansion, Friends of Ashton Court tours and open days. Ground floor rooms & displays are free to all. Tickets for upstairs dereliction tours are available on Headfirst from midSeptember. ashtoncourt.wixsite. com/mansionfriends OR www. facebook.com/mansionfriends/

First Wednesday of the month, South Bristol Gardening Club. St Paul’s Church, Coronation Road, Southville. Annual membership £25. A friendly club and new members are very welcome. The club has a varied series of talks and visits planned for 2024. Club members enjoy free regular talks from expert speakers and subsidised visits to gardens throughout the year. To join, go to https://bit.ly/3w6xjKB

Metamorphosis Meditation classes for women. Wednesdays 5.15-6.15pm at the Southbank Club, Dean Lane. £12 each session or term bookings for a discount. Email farrahfortnam@gmail.com to book and for more info. Get ready to transform your life and fly!

University of Bristol Botanic Gardens, Stoke Bishop. Wednesdays are DAISY days – donate as it suits you, £1, £3, £5 or £7. Open every day from 10am until 4:30pm until November. Explore the beautiful gardens or take part in the children’s scavenger hunt. Café, baby changing, toilets. https://bit.ly/3LreVAv

Thursdays, 2-4.45pm, Forest school, Dame Emily Park. Developing a sense of awe and wonder about nature, so together we can save it.

Contact info@forestchild.co.uk

Last Thursday in month, Jazz@The Park. If you fancy a couple of relaxing hours listening to music, dancing and eating cake, then visit The Park Centre, Daventry Road, 2.30-4.30pm; £3.50. Listen to the exquisite vocals of Rachel Lawrence and her Barrel House Vipers as they take you on a musical trip down the lazy river. Upcoming dates for your diary: 26 Sep; 31 Oct; 28 Nov; 19 Dec.

Fridays, Women’s Craft Club. FREE, 11am to 1pm, Arnolfini, Second Floor, Reading Room. Run in partnership with Bristol Refugee Festival at Arnolfini where women from all backgrounds are welcome to go along, have a cup of tea and get crafty. All materials are provided. community@arnolfini. org.uk

First Saturday of the month, Windmill Hill Market, 10.00am til 3.00pm, now til December. Showcasing a variety of handmade items from local crafts people, including ceramics and pottery, clothing, accessories, homeware and décor, jewellery, prints and illustrations. Plus, street food, local food and drink produce, slow fashion, kids’ crafts and more.

n LOCAL SPORT

Bedminster just miss out on title

CRICKET: A seven-wicket win over Bath in their final West of England League match of the season was not quite enough to snatch the Premier One title for Bedminster.

Paul Muchall and Muhammad Nasir took three wickets each before a 110-run second-wicket stand between Max Tryfonos (64) and Dylan Church (76no) propelled them to a winning 199/3. Alas, the 20-point haul saw them finish third in the final table, three points adrift of champions Potterne.

Knowle finished second in the Bristol & North Somerset Division, 45 points behind champions Old Bristolians Westbury.

Bedminster Seconds were fourth, with Brislington seventh in the final table.

Come and try it!

BOWLS: Bristol Indoor Bowls Club is holding a free open day on Sunday, September 15, 10am-4pm. It offers chance to try indoor bowls. All you need is a pair of clean, flat, smooth-soled shoes. Food will be available and the bar will be open. Book in advance or just turn up – 0117 963 3460. The club is in Ashton Vale, BS3 2TY.

Long wait is over

GOLF: There was a home winner of the Knowle Gold Medal for the first time in 13 years. Sam Sullivan emerged triumphant in the 36-hole competition following a play-off victory against Josh Millington. Recently crowned club champion Sullivan shot rounds of 68 and 67 for a five-under score, matched by Millington, of the Players Club, and two ahead of Long Ashton’s Nathan Moore.

Holly shines for England

RUGBY UNION: Bristol Bears’ Holly Aitchison kicked four conversions in England Women’s 38-19 victory over France as they continued their warm-up for the 2025 Six Nations and World Cup in Canada.

The Bears’ first match of the new campaign is a friendly at Exeter Chiefs on Sunday 15 September before welcoming

Riding

Gloucester-Hartpury to Shaftesbury Park on 21 September. Their Premiership season starts at Loughborough Lightning on Saturday 5 October.

n Bristol Bears men’s team open their new season at Newcastle Falcons on Friday, September 20 with Gloucester the first visitors to Ashton Gate a week later.

to the rescue

CYCLING: A public appeal to replace tools and a horsebox stolen from Ride Bristol has resulted in a £5,200 target being smashed.

A horsebox, used to store the tools, which were used for maintaining their trail routes, was taken, leaving the club bereft.

A club spokesman said: “They were locked up securely but someone simply towed away the horsebox and all the tools, including wheelbarrows, rakes, spades, wrecking bars, saws, trimmers and high-viz vets.

“We spent a few weeks trying to track them down on CCTV, speaking to the police and pursuing various insurance options, but no luck.

“We were left with nothing.

“The summer has given Bristol’s mountain bike trails a

hammering and winter is just around the corner, the time when the trails really need some love.”

Amazingly, a donor box appeal quickly passed £7,228 from almost 200 donors and the spokesman said: “We smashed our first target of £5,200 and also the second one of £6,200 meaning we are now able to replace out stolen tools and go above and beyond what we had before.

“Thank you everyone, your support and donations have saved Ride Bristol and helped make sure we can continue out work for years to come – and now with Fort-Knox-strength locks for the new container!”

Ride Bristol is the volunteerrun organisation in charge of maintaining Bristol’s off-road cycling trails.

Tickets fly off shelves

BASKETBALL: Bristol Flyers sold out their season ticket allocation for the new season within an hour of them going on general sale.

Due to a limited capacity at the SGS College Arena, the number of tickets available was capped and sold on a first-come, first-served basis, once existing holders were given the chance to buy.

The Flyers completed their roster for their 20th anniversary season with the signing of British guard Ebuka Ekwegh from Essex Rebels.

The 25-year-old was previously with UWE Bristol when they reached the BUCS

Men’s Championship final in 2023. He joined other recent signings Kendall Lewis, Demond Robinson and Owen McCormack in head coach Andreas Kapoulas’ squad.

The pre-season campaign starts on September 16 with a tournament at Newcastle Eagles against Surrey 89ers, Cheshire Phoenix and the hosts.

The Super League season starts at the end of September with nine teams from England and Scotland so far entered.

The competition replaces the former British Basketball League as the top-level men’s competition in Great Britain.

RUGBY UNION: Tom Bryan took the player of the match honours as Old Redcliffians opened their National League Two West campaign with a 38-31 victory over Cinderford. Bristol Harlequins also enjoyed a first day victory with a 47-5 success at Winscombe Seconds in Counties Three Tribute Somerset, while the boot of George Preece proved the winning difference for Broad Plain in their 31-27 success against Barton Hill in Counties Three Tribute Gloucestershire South.

Golden beginning

NETBALL: Goalden Girls have continued to set the pace in the Play Netball Tuesday League at Merchants Academy. With new players in tow, they have continued their winning streak from last season, winning their first six games, scoring 107 times in the process.

Nets Be Friends are second, with five wins from five games, matched by Hot Shots.

If you’d like to get your team or club included, please send your reports and club news to: sbvsport@outlook.com The deadline for the next edition is Monday, October 7 but the earlier you can send, the better.

Holly Aitchison

Police seek man following assault

Can you help the police find this man?

AVON & Somerset Police is appealing for help to identify a man they wish to speak to in connection with an assault.

The man pictured is white, aged in his 60s-70s, with white facial hair. He is shown wearing glasses, a light blue shirt, a navy coat and black trousers, with brown shoes.

The police believe he may have information which could aid their enquiries into an incident which

● TV Aerials & Satellites

● Extra Points ● Repairs

● Sky Work Undertaken

● Telephone Extensions ● TV Wall Mounting

● CCTV ● Data Points & Wi-Fi Extensions

● TV/DAB/FM Multi Point Systems

Call Nick on 07970 529787 Email: theaerialco@yahoo.com

happened on Tuesday 30 July at around 10.20am.

Officers are investigating after an unknown suspect sprayed cleaning formula in the face of a woman while in a shop in East Street, Bedminster.

The victim sought treatment at an eye hospital following the incident and is now recovering at home.

If you witnessed the incident or recognise the individual pictured, please call 101 and quote reference 5224198709