southbristolvoice
February 2020
February 2020 No. 52
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FREE EVERY MONTH in Bedminster, Southville, Ashton & Ashton Vale INSIDE NEW SKATE AREA IN SIGHT FOR THE 'DEANER' P3 Caraboo, the giant bat lantern, wowed crowds as it led over a thousand through the main streets of BS3 for the annual Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade. For more photos, see page 21.
What next for St Catherine's? A decision to refuse the development of a 17-storey tower block in the heart of Bedminster has been deemed by campaigners as a “huge victory for local people”, while developers behind the Bedminster Green project and local business leaders say that the outcome was a “huge blow” and “significant setback” for the area. Major plans for the £50m regeneration of St Catherine’s Place in East Street, which would see a new cinema and refurbished
shopping centre, plus 205 new homes, were rejected at a council meeting on January 22. The application – which attracted 221 objections and 104 responses in support – was deferred by planning committee members in November as a transport plan for Bedminster Green was still unfinished. Issues with transport had since been addressed, however, the case officer still recommended the application for refusal ahead
of the recent council meeting due to its ‘height, scale, massing, inadequate public realm and overall design quality’ and the impact it would have the ‘existing residential amenity’. The plans won the backing of the Bedminster Business Improvement District (BID) but failed to satisfy local campaign group WHaM (Windmill Hill and
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February 2020
southbristolvoice HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH ... My MP? Karin Smyth MP By email: karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk By post: Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA By phone: 0117 953 3575 In person: Call the above number for an appointment My councillor? Post: (all councillors) City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR. Celia Phipps Labour, Bedminster
By phone: 07469 413312 By email: Cllr.celia.phipps@bristol.gov.uk Mark Bradshaw Labour, Bedminster. By email: Cllr.mark. bradshaw@bristol.gov.uk By phone: 0117 353 3160 Stephen Clarke Green, Southville By email: Cllr.stephen.clarke@ bristol.gov.uk Charlie Bolton Green, Southville By phone: 07884 736111 By email: Cllr.charlie.bolton@bristol.gov.uk
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
Housing benefit 0117 922 2300 Social services 0117 922 2900 Police Inquiries 101 Emergency 999
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Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the South Bristol Voice, contact the Editor using the details below. We aspire to follow the the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), nuj.org.uk/about/nuj-code. Further details of the complaints process can be found on our website (below) or can be obtained by contacting the Editor by email: news@southbristolvoice.co.uk or by post: 111 Broadfield Rd, Knowle, Bristol BS4 2UX or by phone: 0777 555 0607.
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February 2020
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n NEWS
'We're well on way to creating new skate area' by Marcus Stone A funding campaign to repurpose an old basketball court to expand Dean Lane skatepark is well on the way to raising its target of £12,000. The campaign – launched by Dan Higginson, who recently created a film about the iconic skatepark – reached £3,000 in the first 24 hours, highlighting how much the skatepark means to the people of Bedminster. At the time the Voice went to print, over £7k had been raised. The film ‘Nothing Meaner’ – celebrating 40 years of the skatepark – went live over the Christmas break and since then Dan started a campaign raising funds to re-surface the unused basketball court to create a new part of the skatepark. Unlike the rest of the ‘nothing meaner than the deaner’ skatepark - as it is often referred - the new area will be the only level part of the facilities. Speaking to the Voice, Dan said: “Much of Dean Lane’s iconic reputation is based on it being all on a slope, much like a black run in skiing. However, this makes it difficult for younger
children wanting to get involved, or even for older skateboarders, who may need to warm up a bit.” The new ‘skatespot’ will measure 32 x 21 metres with small simple skateable objects where skaters can practise without disturbance. It is anticipated that the resurfacing will cost in the region of £6,000 and the remaining £6,000 will go towards creating the small, moveable skate objects.
The resurfacing work has not been tendered yet, but Dan has partnered with local skatepark designers, Canvas, who are willing to provide the skateable forms at minimal cost for the project. They ran a similar project in
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the Bear Pit recently which was a huge success. To donate to the project, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/deanlane-skatepark-fundraiser The ‘Nothing Meaner’ film can be watched at: bit.ly/nothingmeaner-film
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Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk
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February 2020
n NEWS
Sunnier outlook for travel agents as branch re-opens by Marcus Stone East Street’s well know Thomas Cook branch, which closed last year when the company went into liquidation, has now reopened as Hays Travel. Not only have the original long-serving three members of staff been taken-on, but the branch has created two new jobs as well. The team has been busy welcoming back old customers who have known the team for years and relied on them for hassle-free holidays. Senior sales consultant Jackie Miles, who has worked at the branch for over two decades, told the Voice: “Not only have I been here for 25 years, but we’ve had customers who’ve stayed with us for well over 10 years, so we’ve built up some great friendships and a real understanding of what people are looking for. “As part of Hays Travel,
which is the UK’s largest independent travel agents, we can offer an even wider range of holidays. “Obviously we were all really upset when the branch closed as we’ve all worked as a great team for many years and were concerned about our futures. “Now we’re open again there have been a few tears from customers who have been delighted that we are back up and running with the same staff.” The news is a real boost to East Street which is now back to having two travel agents, with TUI being the other one. Danny Marish, Hays Travel’s regional sales manager for Bristol, said: “We are delighted to have opened the Hays Travel branch in Bedminster. The staff have been part of this community for many years and are ecstatic to be back doing the job that they love.”
The Hays Travel team, L-R: Jackie Miles, Penny Buckland, Rachel Harris, Gemma Harris and Sheena Larupay
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February 2020
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n NEWS
Pool to reopen after £200k revamp by Marcus Stone The much-awaited reopening of Bristol South pool in Dean Lane is now scheduled for this month after more work was needed than originally planned. The pool shut in November last year while work to replace leaking pipework and upgrade the ceiling was carried out. During the scheduled four-week closure, contractors uncovered further areas that had deteriorated over time, including the pool walls, which were contributing to leaks and inefficiency at the site. Improvement works have so far totalled £200k. The pool is managed by Everyone Active, in partnership with Bristol City Council. The 30.5m Bristol South pool, which is set within a Grade 2 listed building, is one of the Bristol’s most historically significant and has been in operation since 1931. Some reports that parts of the
ceiling had fallen in before the closure, while swimmers were in the water, have been denied by Everyone Active. The reopening – which is due for February 17, according to the Everyone Active website – comes as welcome news for the many regular users of the pool, which includes many swimming groups, schools and local residents, as well as Bristol Canoe Club. Bristol South Pool has more than 100,000 visits each year.
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This year sees the return of the South Bristol Arts Trail, and it’s back with a bang. The weekend Saturday and Sunday May 16 and 17 will see the streets of BS3 filled to the brim with colourful creativity, and Bristol artists are needed. From churches to cafés, kitchens or back gardens, the homes and community venues of Bedminster, Ashton and Southville will be open for one weekend only. The South Bristol Arts Trail gives the public an opportunity to meet artists, purchase locally created artwork and admire the talent within our local community. Whether you’re a painter, performer, printmaker or poet, the South Bristol Arts Trail needs you. Applications are now open, and you can apply to exhibit as part of the trail online at www. southbankbristolarts.co.uk. Applications are open to all Bristol artists. Any questions? Get in touch with Fiona at contactus@southbristolarts. co.uk
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Cllr Asher Craig, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for Communities, said: “The Bristol South pool is a much loved community facility and this work was vital to ensure that it is maintained and remains fit for purpose. While the extra time needed for the work is understandably frustrating, these improvements were necessary to ensure the pool can still operate effectively and continue to be enjoyed by so many people.’’
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n NEWS
February 2020
Production puts spotlight on elderly
Bristol opts for maximum tax rise
by Marcus Stone A unique theatre production will take place at St Mary's Church in Southville (March 22), which uses elderly actors to bring to life many issues around ageing and loneliness. Based on true stories and experiences of older people living through loneliness in South Bristol, the production was created following research by local charity BS3 Community and the University of Bristol. They first performed at the Tobacco Factory in 2018 and have since staged shows at the Houses of Parliament and Somerset House, as well as toured the South West. Tom Stockley, Creative Producer for Alonely theatre, explained: “It’s not all doom and gloom as the performance uses humour to actually challenge many stereotypes and really encourage discussion. As well as the serious issues, it’s a piece of entertaining theatre in its own right.”
by Adam Postans, LDRS reporter Council tax is set to rise by the maximum 3.99 per cent for Bristol residents from April. It takes the annual bill from the city council for an average Band D property to £1,758.28 — £67.46 more than this year — plus smaller amounts to pay for the police and fire service. Half of the increase will go towards paying for adult social care after a consultation with thousands of householders found a majority in favour of adding two per cent to the charge specifically for that purpose. But the consultation also revealed that the biggest group — 41 per cent — wanted a freeze on council tax and no additional fee for adult social care. The rises will give the council an extra £8.7million to spend on services, plus £2.4million from the 1,567 new households since last year. The budget was approved by cabinet members on January 21, but full council will make the final decision on February 25.
Three actors, all from south Bristol, pictured, perform monologues exploring loneliness and what social isolation means. Tom added: “Although Southville and Bedminster are really bustling, busy places, there is a high percentage of elderly residents, and events and facilities are not always planned with them in mind, which can lead to feelings of isolation. “We want to be thought-
provoking with our performance and get people thinking and talking about real issues. “Around 20 per cent of the UK population is aged over 60 and this is expected to rise in the near future. “Evidence suggests that older age is a time of increased loneliness and it is estimated that about 10 per cent of the UK population over 65 are lonely all or most of the time. Therefore, a significant number of older people in the UK are at risk of loneliness.” After the Alonely theatre performance there will be time for questions and discussion. For more information and tickets www.facebook.com/ AlonelyBristol or email alonely. producer@outlook.com.
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February 2020
n PLANNING NEWS Have your say on Bedminster Green As part of the plans to regenerate Bedminster Green, Bristol City Council is working on a project to significantly improve the River Malago and improve highway infrastructure. The council is now seeking feedback from the local community on initial ideas to improve the highway, the park and the river to ensure the area can be designed to better meet the needs of the community. Officers will be hosting community engagement events on Monday, March 2, 4.306.45pm at Bedminster Library and on Thursday, March 5 and March 19, 2.30-6pm at Windmill Hill City Farm in the John James Room. For anyone who is unable to make the events, information and a survey will be online from Monday, February 24 February at: www.bristol.gov. uk/bedminstersurvey
southbristolvoice
7
Studios would bring continental style by Marcus Stone A planning application for a site on North Street proposes the building of 21 community living spaces – a housing concept more commonly seen on the continent – but it has attracted criticism from neighbouring residents. The application, submitted by developers Bedrock CoLiving, includes demolition of the existing historic buildings at 29-31 North Street and the construction of a five-story development with office space occupying the ground floor. The Voice understands that the office is earmarked for a ‘firm of local solicitors’ but a name cannot be disclosed at this stage. The building has been owned by the family of Laurence Goldberg, managing director of Bedrock Co-Living, since the 1930s and it is next door to the new Picture House Court development. Many locals will remember the familiar red-painted building
An illustration of the coliving space earmarked for 29-31 North Street – which is thought to have been built in the early 19th century – as a busy shoe repair business before it was occupied by Barcan and Kirby solicitors who have now moved to new offices at the Picture House Court.
Mr Goldberg said: “Rather than individual flats, the residents would each have a studio room and share facilities, and live more as a community.” The development is aimed at young professionals rather than students. At the time the Voice went to print, 25 objections had been filed on the council’s planning website – the majority coming from residents living at the neighbouring Picture House Court. These mainly include objections to the size of the building and over-development of the site, with overshadowing and loss of privacy to properties in Picture House Court and parking being big issues. Comments include the wish to see the original historic building retained as part of any development, plus concerns that a ‘roof top terrace’ would become a party destination. A decision is likely to made on the application early March.
St Catherine's refusal: a victory or blow for Bemmy? Continued from pg. 1 Malago Community Planning Group), which has been critical of the height, design and density of the development. Nick Townsend, chair of WHaM said: “This is a significant victory for local people and democracy. “For once it has been shown that developers can’t just move into an area and impose their plans without consulting local people. “WHaM is as keen as anyone to see development, but it has to be of a quality than enhances the local community, not harms it. “We now have an opportunity for all parties to come together to build a proper mixed community. “We therefore invite Firmstone and other interested parties to find a solution together.” Simon Dicken, chair of the Bedminster BID, said the decision was a “significant setback” for businesses on East street. He added: “Yes, the plans weren’t all things to all people,
A CGI of the regenerated St Catherine's Place shopping complex from East Street
but realistically what urban regeneration project is? “Yet there is no doubt that this would have provided a real and much needed boost for the area … this strikes as a case of idealism trumping realism.” Local councillors were also divided over the application, with Windmill Hill councillors Lucy Whittle and Jon Wellington speaking out against the plans, while Bedminster councillor Mark Bradshaw said that he was disappointed about the decision. In a tweet posted by Cllr Bradshaw, he wrote that he was
“disappointed” the proposals were refused. In a separate comment to the Voice, he added: “Design is always subjective but at the heart of the proposals was physical and economic regeneration of our primary local retail centre – which I suspect may now be lost. Has BCC £50m to invest in East Street and nearby?” Cllr Wellington said that he was “delighted” with the outcome. He added: “Lucy and I have been arguing for four years against these tower blocks. “Tower blocks are not the
solution in Bedminster and we hope to see a much better proposal in the future.” Cllr Whittle commented: “I am very impressed with the organisation and power of our local planning group, and look forward to developers bringing forward a better proposal for our community.” Responding to the decision, Francis Firmstone, director of developers Firmstone said: “This is a huge blow after we have worked so closely with council officers on our plans over the past two years and following the clear steer from the committee in November to focus on resolving transport issues, which we have done. “We will go and reflect on the decision but our only real options are either to go to appeal, or mothball the scheme, which would be tragic for the regeneration of this area of Bedminster and the long-term health of East Street.” • What are your views? Email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk
Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk
February 2020
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ADVICE FROM A PHARMACIST Building a healthy community together - lessons from the lanterns
E
vents like the Bedminster lantern parade are aweinspiring. The unique ‘‘Bemmy Spirit” is seeing young and older coming together, working in partnership to organise, participate and support it. Events like this allow us to enjoy and build community together. The World Health Organization says health is not just the absence of sickness. It is physical, mental and social wellbeing. A healthy community is also the same. Inspired by the lantern parade, here are some lessons on building a healthy community together: Increasing physical activity: No matter how tired you felt after grooving your way along the stretch of the parade, walking or cheering, you can rest assured your participation has helped make you
healthier. Why? We know that one of the most effective ways to boost physical and mental health and also reduce the risk of excessive weight gain is to take part in physical activity. Walking is the best and cheapest form of physical activity. Healthy communities provide opportunities for group walks, create safe environments for children to walk around, ride their bikes, protect designated play and walking areas too. Groups and activities that promote and support these are helping to build a healthy community. Increasing community social engagement: Mental and
with Ade Williams Ade Williams of Bedminster Pharmacy shows how pharmacies can help people with a variety of health conditions, and ease pressure on the NHS emotional aspects of health are just as important as the physical. A community that promotes this is healthier. When people are involved in their community, forming friendships and participating in community-wide events, they feel valued and welcomed. Children playing together and sharing experiences helps too, with everyone using and sharing their gifts and time. This togetherness makes us all healthier emotionally and mentally. It is the social fabric that clothes us with dignity and value building resilience. Championing inclusivity and diversity: Just look at all the beautiful colourful lanterns! The
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biggest challenge in the UK today is the widening gaps. Brexit is just another face of it. We know health is linked to income and social status of people. One of the sad facts about this is that many people are excluded – they have limited access to the resources, opportunities and knowledge that is helping others to attain excellent health and wellbeing. They are left behind and even forgotten about. Therefore, to see the efforts that the lantern parade steering committee makes to include every part of the community, encouraging them to not only come and watch but to take part and ‘‘own’’ the event is a message that we all need to embrace. The lantern parade is an example of how we can all play a part in making our BS3 locality a healthier community. At Bedminster Pharmacy, we have a significant role to play, being the local health and wellbeing hub for the community. Do come and talk to us to help us do this work together.
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February 2020
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9
n NEWS
Group shows it's good - and vital - for men to talk Men who find it difficult to open up about their emotions can benefit from a new Talk Club which has launched in south Bristol. Southville resident and film maker Ben Akers is one of the co-founders behind the project which runs sessions once a week at the Bristol Beer Factory in North Street and in Horfield, as well as other venues across the UK. One group has even been launched in Sydney, Australia. Its aim is to tackle stigma around mental health and encourage men to talk openly about how they are feeling. Ben helped launch Talk Club, along with five others – including his wife Claire – after releasing a documentary early last year about his childhood friend Steve, who he tragically lost to suicide aged 38. Ben and Steve were born just four days apart and met one another on their first day of secondary school. “He was like a brother by another mother,” Ben said. The awareness-raising film, which Ben describes as a “trojan horse to get men talking”, was crowd-funded and there have been 47 screenings across the country, in settings ranging from pubs to prisons. Speaking about the film, Ben said: “I wanted to find out why, statistically, the most likely thing to kill me, is me.” After releasing the film, Ben joined forces with others passionate about tackling male suicide – the biggest killer of
L-R, Talk Club co-founders Neil Harrison, Claire Wilkinson, Ben Akers, Tom Watson, Gavin Thorpe and Blue O’Connor. Below, Ben Akers
men aged under 45 – and Talk Club was formed. The focus of the group is on improving or maintaining ‘mental fitness’ – Ben compares it to going to the gym to work on physical fitness – and each session begins with the men
ranking how they feel out of 10. This then opens the door for men to further open up about their problems and discover that they are not alone. Now, almost 1,000 men are part of the Talk Club Facebook group, which has members joining from across the world. The Bristol Facebook group has 186 members with each session at the Bristol Beer Factory attracting between eight and 10 men. Ben says that the response so far to the group has been “amazing” and 100 per cent of the men who have attended would recommend Talk Club to a friend. Ben told the Voice: “There has been lots of mental health awareness over the years, but how is this converting into men helping themselves? We wanted to turn awareness into action. “The group is about taking responsibility for your own
mental health. It’s about owning mental fitness … we know how to own our physical health but not our mental health. “It’s about getting mentally fit and staying mentally fit.” And Ben says this can be achieved through conversation and feeling listened to. Ben added: “My hope in 15-20 years is that my kids turn around to me and say, ‘you didn’t talk about that stuff then?’” The group is currently in the process of securing funding to get 15 new groups set up across Bristol. If interested in setting up a group or joining Talk Club, visit: www.wetalkclub.com and follow @talkclubuk on Twitter and Instagram. A GoFundMe page has also been set up to raise funds for the club. Donations can be made at: www.gofundme.com/f/ WeTalkClub
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Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk
10
southbristolvoice
n THE MAYOR
February 2020
MARVIN REES Mayor of Bristol
“I was homeless, I was you” – our new campaign to help Bristol’s homeless people “A few weeks ago, me and my daughters moved into a council house. Now we can finally put down roots. I feel like I have my life back.” Lola, aged 40, Barton Hill.
A
s you travel around the city, you may notice posters featuring letters addressed to those who are experiencing or facing homelessness. These letters carry voices that are heard too rarely – the voices of those who have experienced homelessness, reaching out to those who need similar help and support. Their experiences of homelessness are all different, but their message to those who are facing homelessness is the same: you can turn your life around. Ending homelessness in Bristol is one of our major priorities – last year we agreed our Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, which will support our efforts to eradicate rough sleeping by 2027. We are also delivering on our promise to provide the homes Bristol needs to tackle our housing crisis. I recently visited one of our brand new council housing developments in Brislington, and met residents and families whose lives are being transformed by having a
safe and secure roof over their heads. We are building affordable homes that will help people like Lola reclaim control over their lives, in every corner of our city. Reading these letters, however, shows that those who are homeless face a range of different challenges and therefore need different programmes of support. One thing is common throughout the success stories shared by those featured in the campaign – it is crucial to get help early. That’s why our work with city partners to provide a range of support services is so important in helping people who are
experiencing homelessness to find and maintain a safe and secure home. Through schemes such as our welfare rights and money advice services and our Youth Homelessness Hub, we helped more than 3,600 people avoid becoming homeless in 2018. In the same year, Bristol City Council and homelessness support services in the city helped more than 900 people who were homeless through support services like the St Anne’s Winter Night Shelter. We are also supporting residents in private accommodation, by cracking down on rogue landlords and introducing licensing schemes to drive up standards and security in the private housing sector. So if you are worried that you or a family member might be at risk of homelessness, seek help now. Information is available on the Bristol City Council website about the ways we and other agencies in the city can help. As homelessness continues to increase across the country, I am acutely aware of the difference that a safe and secure home can make to a family like Lola’s. That’s why I have put delivering new housing at the top of the city’s agenda. Families across the city, facing homelessness or living in temporary accommodation, rely on us to deliver safe, secure and affordable homes across the whole of Bristol. I’m proud of this campaign because it shows that we are hearing their message of hope loud and clear.
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n YOUR COUNCILLORS Southville
S
o I went to a meeting at Littlecross House the other night (in January at the time of writing). This Charlie followed a horrible Bolton event which took Green place there. I don’t Southville intend to comment on the event, because there is a police investigation, however, the meeting covered a number of other issues. These are basically issues to do with the maintenance – well, it’s a 50 year old block of flats, so there would be. There are issues to do with support by the council – tenants felt pretty badly neglected by the council and had doubts about more than one service. And the third big issue concerned anti-social behaviour. It is the neighbours of those who lead ‘chaotic lifestyles’ who are on the receiving end of the chaos. The chaos includes music and noise at all hours, and visits by non-residents, be it for drugs or other reasons.
With this latter, well, it has been an issue for most of my time as a councillor. The problem is quite simple. On the one hand, tenants want these people evicted (or at least to behave in a way which respects other residents). On the other, the council has a responsibility to home people who would otherwise be homeless (and they are at least some of the same group). The process for dealing with anti-social behaviour is a long and protracted one. But even if a troublesome tenant is removed, the problem just goes somewhere else, and someone else may well be housed in the block who also leads a chaotic lifestyle. To put it at its simplest, the council needs a strategy for dealing with anti-social behaviour – one which actually deals with it, rather than just moves it. I don’t know what this is, but minimising the impact on neighbours needs to be part of it. Also – I’d just like to both thank and congratulate Acorn – the tenants union – who have done a great job – both at Littlecross and elsewhere in Bristol.
I
How to contact your councillor: p2
t would be fair to say that the exit poll at 10.00pm on the night of the election was not the best moment Stephen of my life. However, Clarke many people wiser Green than me have said Southville that the best antidote to feeling sad is to do some action and that is what I am trying to do. I think working on local issues is going to become increasingly important; especially if you don't necessarily agree with the national narrative of Brexit and chlorinated chickens! Anyway; talking about local issues, what are the ones that are taking up my time and filling my postbag at the moment? • Clean air zone - still no responses on the practical difficulties of getting from our area to the hospital and/or the motorway network in a diesel car when the zone is implemented. • Bedminster Green - the
present situation is that two large schemes have been turned down by planning for various reasons. Hopefully there will be a scheme that is good enough to be approved soon, as the need for housing continues to grow in our area. • Parking in areas at edge of the parking scheme areas (especially the south side of North St). We all await the results of the recent postcard consultation carried out in the area. Obviously depending on the results I will be pushing for action on this as people’s lives are being made miserable by the current position. • Inconvenience caused by roadworks (especially those around Coronation Rd/Dean Lane at the moment). • Uncollected rubbish and recycling - I suggest going to www. bristol.gov.uk/bins-recycling/ missed-bin-collection as a starting point. Get in touch and let me know your opinion; either on these issues or any other council related issue. Thanks for reading.
Forums in South Bristol
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Local Housing Forums for Bristol council tenants
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Area 5: Thursday 19 March 2020 1.30–4pm
Area 6: Monday 16 March 2020 1.30–4pm
Bedminster, Brislington East, Brislington West, Knowle, Southville, Windmill Hill
Bishopsworth, Filwood, Hartcliffe & Withywood, Hengrove & Whitchurch, Stockwood
At: Tenants’ Resource Centre, Redcliffe Hill, Bristol BS1 6TB
At: Counterslip Baptist Church, 642 Wells Road, Bristol BS14 9HT
Your opinions help us make decisions! Come along and discuss your local housing services with the council. If you’re a council tenant, you can have your say on how the housing service is run and can make suggestions about improvements to shared council areas. Housing Officers will also be there to help you with your individual enquiries. FREE tea, coffee and biscuits provided. For information contact: Tenant Participation (0117) 352 1444 or email tpu@bristol.gov.uk. All details at: www.bristol.gov.uk/LocalHousingForums
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
BD12681 - Local Housing Forums (Jan 2020).indd 3
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February 2020
southbristolvoice
n YOUR COUNCILLORS Bedminster
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any of you have raised concerns about the rising number of homeless Celia people on our Phipps streets and action to Labour reduce this is a key Bedminster priority for the city. A new campaign has been launched, which encourages those who are homeless to take the first step towards turning their lives around with the key message being the importance of seeking help early. A set of posters is available which highlights personal stories under the title 'I was homeless, I was you'. The toolkit is available on www.bristol.gov.uk/ homeless. If you want to help someone who is homeless or rough sleeping, you can make a report to Streetlink, a charity that connects homeless people to local services. Alternatively, volunteers are needed to support a homeless shelter on a regular basis. Contact St Mungo’s on email
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volunteerservices@mungos.org or call 02038566160, Julian Trust email volunteers@juliantrust.org.uk, InHope, call 01173301230 or Caring in Bristol, call 0117 9244444. The People Scrutiny Commission at the council are holding a SEND [Special Educational and Disability Needs] evidence day at City Hall on Feb 3 in order to explore the changes required following the Ofsted report. There is much work to be done to improve both the speed and quality of the assessment process. The report indicated that these changes are being actioned but there continues to be an increased demand on the service. You can read the report in full on the council website. We have changed the date of our councillor surgery and will now meet on the last Saturday of the month at Mezzaluna on West Street. We will be available between 11-12pm on February 29 to discuss residents' issues. We are also happy to receive email, phone call but please leave a message.
n NEWS
Have your say on new 'sporting quarter' plans
Ashton Gate is set to unveil its A spokesperson for Ashton scaled-back plans for a ‘sporting Gate says that architects and the quarter’ this month at an design team have now ‘refined informal open session for local the plans based on feedback residents. from neighbours, councillors and The stadium first announced interested stakeholders’. its ambitious plans for a £100m The informal open session development, which would see will be held at the Sports Bar a new sports and convention at Ashton Gate Stadium on centre, plus hundreds of new February 13, 3-7.30pm, where homes next to the south Bristol residents will be able to view ground, in September 2018. the latest revised plans, plus a Bosses have since been ‘digital fly-through’ which will consulting with locals and the bring the plans to life. overall scale of the development Ashton Gate has confirmed has been reduced and designs that a full planning application have been developed to include is likely to be submitted to the additional ‘public realms’. council by late summer. The stadium’s initial plans outlined a 4,000seat arena, which would be home to the Bristol Flyers basketball team, two hotels, 250 homes next to Ashton Gate, 500 new homes in Ashton Vale and an 800850 space multi-storey car park. There would also be a new Metrobus stop and a A CGI of the original plans. new railway station. Image: Bristol Sport
How to contact your councillor: p2
T
he recent television shows about the future of the high street bring into sharp focus the real Mark problems being Bradshaw faced by local Labour centres across the Bedminster UK. In Bedminster, East, West and North Streets are all important to the identity of Bedminster and for access to retail and other services, including healthcare. More recently, the announcement of Barclay’s Bank, that their East Street branch is closing soon, will reduce access to cash and banking services and follows similar closures. The current plight of retailers is probably the latest phase of a thirty year trend in how we shop and the type of retailers preferred, but higher rents, restrictive leases, escalating business rates and wider changes to banking and the erosion of public transport are all factors. Bristol is a city made up of fifty or so local centres and a major retail
centre, so this debate and any action is crucial in terms of how people are able to shop and for jobs and the economy. Add to that many local neighbourhood centres in council-owned arcades and rows of shops, new developments and standalone retail centres, and a shift from ‘bricks and mortar’ retailing to online has huge consequences. There has been a fightback with retailers working together, as in the Bedminster BID. Better marketing, more innovative approaches to events by encouraging people to see what our streets have to offer and spend, and a more strategic approach to future property, access and infrastructure will help shape how the local streets look over the next twenty years. Part of this is to have a better mix of uses. Cross-party council scrutiny held an inquiry day on high streets and the future of retailing at the end of January. This highlighted and shared innovative work taking place at a local level, such as in Bedminster. It also examined what the council can do, or support, working in partnership with others.
ADVERTISING FEATURE
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Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk
February 2020
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n NEWS
30 years on and Brenda 'Asda' be store's top community champion
Thirty years ago, Brenda Wright took up a temporary role on the checkouts at Asda Bedminster – she only expected to work there for a few months. But fast forward to 2020, and Brenda is celebrating three decades at the supermarket and continuing to make a big difference to her local community. Since 2012, Brenda has worked as the store’s community champion, working closely with local organisations, charities and schools, and has secured tens of thousands of pounds in donations for good causes. The grandmother of two, who is turning 71 this year, said: "I only came to work temporary on the checkouts, but they must
have liked me as they offered me a permanent job." She initially worked on the checkouts as a supervisor before becoming an instore greeter for 18 years. She said: "As a greeter I met lots and lots of people. You used to get the regular customers who would always stop for a chat and then you would get those who would insist on telling you what operations they'd had recently and what they'd had put in or taken out. “I also managed to catch a few shoplifters in my time too. Every day was different!" Brenda, who has been married to husband Bob for 50 years, also volunteers regularly at Redcliffe Lunch Club, where she
serves lunch and calls out bingo numbers, as well as the Lifeskills Education Centre, and Age UK charity shop. She said: "I absolutely love my job, it's just so rewarding. It's so varied – no two days are the same. I get so much satisfaction out of it, especially volunteering for my various groups and charities." Asda Bedminster store manager Stuart Goldspink said: "Brenda is an inspiration to everyone at our store. “She is very proud of what she does and is always helping out in the heart of the community. She is a very committed community champion who works tirelessly for campaigns such as Tickled Pink."
OPENING HOURS
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We're walking in a Window Wanderland
Mon: 9.30-16.00 Weds: 9.30-17.00 Thurs: 9.30-20.00 Fri: 11.00-20.00 Sat: 10.00-14.00 Closed Tues & Sun
The south Bristol Window Wanderland is happening this month. Residents are invited to decorate their windows as brightly and creatively as possible while those who 'wander' can walk around the neighbourhood, enjoying the spectacle. It began in Bishopston in 2015 and has spread to other cities and towns across the UK, establishing itself abroad too. Window Wanderland in Southville, Bedminster and Ashton will start on February 28, with displays left up for at least a week. A spokesperson said: "The idea is straightforward and two sided. One aspect is that people decorate their windows and leave their light on and their curtains open between 6 and 9pm for seven days. Decorations can be really fancy, but sometimes simple is more effective. "To get some ideas of what others have done in the past, go to www.windowwanderland. com. This site should answer most of your questions, but if not, the local co-ordinators (all volunteers) can be contacted at bs3windowwanderland@gmail. com "‘Wander’ is the other part of Window Wanderland, so expect to see lots of people walking around our neighbourhoods between 6 and 9pm from 28 February looking into windows. "We are not able to publish a map this year so why not explore the streets near you and tell your friends and neighbours where to find amusing windows and fascinating streets?"
Eco-conscious beauty salon using vegan and cruelty-free products sugaring
nail maintenance
brow maintenance
training
Bookings by appointment only
essentialmaintenancebeauty.co.uk 13 East Street, Bedminster • 01172 900 009
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
February 2020
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n NEWS
Dog ban in park will allow school to use field again
A Bedminster primary school could finally see dogs banned from its playing field, after a consultation was launched by the council last month. South Street Park – owned by Gatehouse Green Learning Trust, which runs Compass Point Primary – is mainly used as a playing field by the school but is also used by the public, including dog walkers. However, following concerns from the school about the persistent issue of dog mess impacting on its use of the field, the council is now considering making the park subject to a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO). This would mean that dogs – even those on leads – would be completely banned from the field. There is a fenced-off area next to the park known as Bark Park, where dogs will still be allowed to exercise and be let off the lead. A consultation ran by the
Image: Google Maps school last year, which surveyed parents and local residents, saw 49 out of 55 respondents support prohibiting dogs from the field. Historically, dogs have not been allowed to use the park. However, a story published in the March 2018 issue of the Voice
revealed that the exclusion of dogs was not legally enforceable because it is one of the city’s green spaces exempt from a PSPO. Compass Point headteacher, Mrs Linda Brown, told the Voice: “Since dogs have been able to use
the field for the past two years, it has meant that the school has not been able to use the field as it wishes. “If the weather is nice, we can’t just pop across and use it, but instead have to organise for the caretaker to do a full sweep and clean of the field before our children can begin. “Even if dog owners are responsible and pick up after their dogs, small traces of dog mess can be left which poses a serious health and safety concern for our young children. “It is really important that we provide an active curriculum for all our children and we are proud and privileged to be one of the few primary schools in the area with a school field. “We would like to be able to use it to its full potential.” The consultation (available at www.bristol.gov.uk/ southstreetPSPO) launched on January 20 and is running for six weeks until March 1.
A beauty salon with a conscience opens in East Street An eco-conscious beauty salon, which uses only vegan and cruelty-free products, has opened in East Street. Local resident Rebecca Porter is behind Essential Maintenance, which she started from her dining room table in 2014. Rebecca had been working as a secondary school teacher but decided to channel her love for providing beauty treatments – waxing hair was something she particularly enjoyed – into a new career and retrained as a beauty therapist. In 2017, Rebecca moved her business to Windmill Hill City Farm and from there, Essential Maintenance’s customer base grew and grew. Last year, she welcomed over 1,600 clients through the door. More than two years on, the success of Essential Maintenance has allowed Rebecca to open her very own salon in the heart of Bedminster and provide treatments ranging from nail and brow maintenance to hair removal. Sugaring is one service that Rebecca is proud to offer – an alternative hair removal method which uses a gel made from
sugar, lemon and hot water and is thought to be less painful with longer-lasting results. As a vegetarian, Rebecca has always been passionate about using cruelty-free, vegan products and has dedicated time to thoroughly researching every brand she uses in the salon. She has also deliberately trained in treatments which are sustainable, and have a low carbon footprint and produce minimal waste - such as sugaring. For Rebecca, it was important to use quality products that are not only kind to the client but the environment and animals as well. Rebecca said: “The popularity of clean beauty is really growing, and people know they can make changes. “The response since we’ve opened has been really good, and a lot of people are interested. I think people are glad to see things picking up down this end of Bedminster. “We hope the salon is going to be a hit and is successful.” She added: “We want the salon to be accessible – people can sometimes feel intimidated going into a beauty salon. We
want people to feel relaxed and like they’re remembered. “I’ve got to know a lot of people since setting up the business – it’s a real privilege to be part of this community.” For more information about Essential Maintenance, visit:
essentialmaintenancebeauty. co.uk or follow @essentialmaintenance on Instagram and @essentialmaintenancebeauty on Facebook.
Rebecca Porter outside her new salon in East Street
Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk
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Ben, BS3 Community Supporter. Age 81. www.agefriendlybristol.org.uk
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We need to relate to one another as human beings. STO
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664
February 2020
southbristolvoice
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n ADVERTISING FEATURE
How older people give more than they take
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ge Proud Bristol is an awareness campaign that challenges perceptions of older people in Bristol and encourages people to feel proud of their age and experiences. A common misconception about older people is that they do not contribute to society. However, far from being a ‘burden’ or a ‘drain’ on society, older people contribute more resources than they use. Research carried out by the Royal Voluntary Service identified that nearly half of people aged 55-74 volunteer, while figures from the Office of National Statistics show that over 50s make up nearly onethird of the entire UK workforce. As a part of the Age Proud Bristol campaign, Bristol Ageing Better has gathered the views of a variety of inspirational people from across Bristol about their experiences and advice regarding later life. This article features Catherine Wescott (65), creator of BS3 Helping Others. “The average 65-year-old still
Catherine Wescott, 65, founded BS3 Helping Others which links people up with volunteering opportunities in the community
has an awful lot to offer in terms of wisdom, passion, love, care and, most of all, time," says Catherine, who set up BS3 Helping Others after asking in a neighbourhood Facebook group whether anyone needed any help. Within 24 hours, she’d received 350 likes and 60 comments. “We must learn to befriend all those whom we meet in our daily lives and never assume that they
n ON THE BEAT
are ‘OK’. You can do this no matter how old or young you are and no matter where you are - at the bus stop, in a cafe, in a store,” says Catherine. “You’ve got something that someone else needs.” Many older people develop close, supportive relationships with younger generations: from grandparents who look after their grandchildren, to older people who volunteer through community
groups. Catherine has formed bonds with younger people volunteering as a part of BS3 Helping Others. “Lots of youngsters are looking for the company and knowledge of adults and lots of adults are looking for the company of youngsters. We can help each other," says Catherine. As well as the contributions older people make in the workplace and volunteering, it is also important to recognise the unpaid caring roles that many older people undertake. Research from the national charity, Age UK, has shown that one in three people aged over 80 provide vital unpaid care for loved ones in the UK. This is the second article in a series of three, inspired by older people based in Bristol. Find out more about the Age Proud Bristol campaign by visiting www. agefriendlybristol.org.uk or search #AgeProudBristol on Twitter and take part in the conversation about ageism in Bristol.
With Inspector Paul Bolton-Jones
Starting the conversation about knife crime
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nife crime continues to hit the headlines, with a number of high profile cases taking place in Bristol recently. Some of these incidents have involved young people, and it may seem that carrying a knife is normal. Thankfully it’s not – in reality 99 per cent of young people don’t carry knives, and the cases you read about are usually isolated, involving people who know each other. However young people can face pressure from their peers. They may start carrying knives to feel safer or because they hear groups boasting about carrying and feel they need to do the same. But carrying a knife doesn’t keep you safe. If the people involved in recent incidents hadn’t have been carrying a knife then the situations could now be very different. We are working hard to break down barriers and build relationships with young people
early. In South Bristol, all primary schools now have a designated PCSO who works to build positive relationships with pupils. Merchants Academy, Bridge Learning Campus and Bedminster Down School also have designated school beat managers – a police officer whose role focusses on engagement and diversion work with students. The Mini Police continues to help children in selected primary schools to act as role models within their schools, learning how to help others and doing good work in their local community. Students from a number of secondary schools including Bedminster Down School have been working with Empire Fighting Chance gym in Easton on a boxing project led by PC Westerlink which has improved students’ fitness, discipline and confidence. We are passionate about supporting our community to
bring positive change as well as helping vulnerable people. The work of the new Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is an opportunity to not just respond to crime, but to look at the root causes, working with partner agencies and local projects to guide young people and divert them away from crime, towards more positive futures. If you are a parent, carer or someone who works with young people, you can talk to them about knife crime, offering facts and support to help them make healthy choices. Here are some of the key facts you could share: - Most people do not carry knives - You are more likely to come to serious harm when carrying a knife – it doesn’t keep you safe - There is no ‘safe’ place to stab someone. If a knife punctures an artery anywhere on your body you can bleed to death within five minutes - The impact of knife crime
goes beyond the victim and the offender. It affects parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and friends. People’s lives are ruined forever. Talking about knife crime is difficult but it could save a life. More support and advice is available from: • Childline has information specifically about knife crime and young people can also call the confidential helpline for advice 0800 1111 • The Mix has some straight talking advice, specifically aimed at young people already affected by knife crime • You or your child can report knife crime anonymously at Fearless • The #Knifefree campaign has stories from young people who used to carry knives and now don’t as well as information about talking to and supporting young people
Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk
February 2020
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n TAKE A BREAK PUZZLE PAGE
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n PLANNING APPLICATIONS Bedminster and Southville Bedminster ward: Awaiting decision Former Allotments (land Adjacent To 65 Silbury Road) Silbury Road, BS3 2QE Install the new substation for UK power solutions UKP next to the existing substation by Western Power Distribution WPD. 11 Beryl Road, BS3 3DH Single storey rear kitchen/dining room extension. 15 Swiss Drive, BS3 2RS Single storey rear extension, to replace existing outbuilding. 77 West Street, BS3 3NU Proposed change of use from Health Clinic to 8 x 1 bed units, including external alterations to windows and doors. Provision of associated cycle and bin storage. 5 Albert Place, BS3 3BN Single storey rear extension and associated works. 29 Sturdon Road, BS3 2BB First floor side extension, over an existing ground floor extension and associated works. 23 Swiss Road, BS3 2RU Double Storey Side Extension above existing garage with Single Storey Rear Extension add on and raised decking. Bedminster ward: Decision 48 Hendre Road, BS3 2LR Proposed side and rear extension, detached garage and associated works Granted subject to condition(s) 82 Smyth Road, BS3 2DP Proposed two storey side/rear extension, and single storey rear extension. Refused The Old Tabernacle, Palmyra Road, BS3 3JQ Proposed fenestration alterations, alterations to bike storage facilities and provision of a first-floor side extension in association with 18/03679/COU. Granted subject to condition(s) 141 West Street, BS3 3PD Change of use ground floor from Hot food takeaway to 5-bed HMO. Granted subject to condition(s)
15 Hebron Road, BS3 3AB Renovation and new mansard roof extension. Granted subject to condition(s) Southville ward: Awaiting decision Unit A & B Baynton Road, BS3 2EB Erection of building four storey building containing 9 residential flats, and associated works. 39 Milford Street, BS3 1EE Proposed demolition of existing rear single storey structure & detached garage. New single storey extension & single storey garage with mansard roof. Vauxhall House, Coronation Road, BS3 1RN Demolition and redevelopment for residential together with associated car parking, landscaping, access, infrastructure and riverside pedestrian walkway, with up to 158 residential units. 77 Allington Road, BS3 1PT Proposed loft conversion with rear roof extension. Alterations/ extensions to rear, at ground and first floor levels.
Southville ward: Decision Land on south side of Herbert Street, BS3 1FJ Erection of a block of 4 flats in a single building. Refused Fowlers of Bristol Ltd, 2 - 12 Bath Road, BS4 3DRProposed two rear storey alterations/ extension and single storey extension. Proposed rear 'dormer' roof extension. Refused Regent House, Consort House, Imperial Arcade and land rear of 36-40 East Street, Lombard Street, BS3 1AL Change use of Regent House and Consort House from offices to residential along with external alterations and retained offices accommodation. Extension of commercial unit in Consort House. Construction of new residential blocks (168 units) and associated landscaping and car parking to the rear of Regent House and Consort House. Construction of new residential
accommodation (4 units) and ground floor commercial units on land at Lombard Street. Alterations to public realm along Bedminster Parade and Lombard Street. Granted subject to condition(s) 66 Beauley Road, BS3 1QF Single storey rear extension and associated works. Granted subject to condition(s) Basement Flat, 15A Dean Lane, BS3 1DB 1 bed, 2 occupant detached mews cottage. Granted subject to condition(s) 16 Mill Lane, BS3 4DG Three new flats on vacant land, build 2 new flats above existing commercial unit, convert existing unit to 2 further flats, retain 1 existing flat. Granted subject to condition(s) • The status of these applications may have changed since we went to press. Check for updates at planningonline.bristol.gov.uk
54 - 56 Bedminster Parade, BS3 4HS Proposed installation of 1 illuminated top sign and 1 illuminated logo panel. 54 - 56 Bedminster Parade, BS3 4HS Retention of an automated teller machine and associated signage. Regent House, Consort House, Imperial Arcade and land rear of 36-40 East Street 2 x Fascia/board signs. Claro Homes, 11 - 16 Philip Street, BS3 4EA Proposed single storey rear extension. First Floor Flat 242, North Street, BS3 1JD Retrospective permission for first floor flat, proposed second floor flat and additional two storey rear extension. Consort House, East Street, BS3 1FU Installation of 1 x temporary banner sign and 2 x associated temporary light fittings. Consort House, East Street, BS3 1FU 1 x externally illuminated temp banner sign.
Selling with integrity Here’s a little of what you can expect when you deal with Urban Lighthouse: - One point of contact throughout - Experience, the kind that comes with 25+ years in the business - No commissions for referrals - A long-term BS3 resident with a genuine interest in the local community
Laurence Irvine Owner, Urban Lighthouse
If you would like to sell, want genuine value for money, and a refreshingly different approach, please get in touch.
homes@urbanlighthouse.co.uk
|
07576 648422
Urban Lighthouse are proud sponsors of Help Bristol’s Homeless helpbristolshomeless.co.uk
Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk
n YOUR MP
February 2020
southbristolvoice
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KARIN SMYTH
Labour MP for Bristol South
I'm backing Keir to take the fight to Boris Johnson
W
e’ve had some time to reflect on the General Election result and work is under way in the Labour Party to select a new leader and address some of the issues which saw us losing the trust of many voters elsewhere in the country. I’m thankful that you returned me as your MP and that Bristol South continues to want and vote for a Labour government. It allows me to continue the work I've been doing in Bristol South. Following conversations on the doorstep in the election campaign, my prime focus remains on education, healthcare, housing and transport and I'll be looking at further local issues such as anti-social behaviour and domestic violence. You may have seen from my social media that I’m backing Keir Starmer for leader of the
Labour Party. Lots of you have asked me about this so I thought it would be useful to elaborate some more. Both Keir and I were first elected as MPs in 2015 and I’ve worked closely with him since – first as his Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Shadow Brexit Team and more recently as Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland. He’s joined me here in Bristol South several times, helping me with election campaigns. I’ve seen first-hand what a good leader of teams he is and how wellregarded on the doorstep he is by people here in Bristol South. He is great leadership material - a hard-working, decent man, very supportive of people he works with. Keir has held a difficult public office before and shown how capable he is in that capacity.
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By working closely with him, I've seen how passionate and informed he is about social justice and his clarity on what needs to be done to change things for the better. While I'd love to see Keir take the reins, I’m optimistic that whoever wins will rise to the challenge and take the fight to Boris Johnson and the Tories. We must be a strong opposition with a vision for a better future for our country. I will continue to be your voice in Parliament and work, as I have before, with all parties, people and organisations to improve the lives of everyone here in Bristol South. Please do join me at my free South Bristol Jobs & Apprenticeships Fair, which I run with City of Bristol College, Bristol City Council and DWP. It takes place from 11am-3pm on Thursday 27th February at the South Bristol Skills Academy in Hengrove and brings together employers and training providers with school leavers and job-seekers. Hope to see you there! You can reach me using the contact details below. Twitter: @karinsmyth Facebook: KarinSmythMP Website: www.karinsmyth.com
n NEWS South Bristol jobs fair returns Job-seekers and school leavers will be able to meet with prospective employers and training and apprenticeship providers at a jobs fair being held in south Bristol this month. The South Bristol Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair 2020 has been organised by local MP Karin Smyth in partnership with City of Bristol College, Bristol City Council and the Department of Work and Pensions. It takes place at the South Bristol Skills Academy in Hengrove from 11am-3pm on Thursday, 27 February. Exhibitors include the college and council as well as some of the city’s employers, such as NHS, Avon Fire and Rescue Service and Bristol Port Company. There will also be representatives from organisations supporting people into employment, such as the National Careers Service. This is the fourth year that Karin Smyth has run the free event with City of Bristol
College, which follows National Apprenticeship Week on February 3-9 2020. She said: “I’m delighted to be bringing you another South Bristol Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair in partnership with City of Bristol College, Bristol City Council and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). “It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet the training providers, employers and all those people who are involved in supporting apprenticeships. "The event is not just for school pupils but for their parents and grandparents as well as older people looking to reenter the workplace or re-train.” Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “This is a great opportunity for people seeking a route into work, and are keen to develop their skills and knowledge on the job. I am delighted that there are so many apprenticeship opportunities on offer across Bristol and that employers are committing to developing our city’s talent.”
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February 2020
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n BEDMINSTER WINTER LANTERN PARADE
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IN PICTURES
Winter lantern parade is a soaring success by BWLP chair Malcolm Brammar Thousands of people lined the main streets of Bedminster on a cold January evening to watch the area’s largest ever lantern parade. Led by a giant bat lantern named Caraboo, the latest parade of around 1,500 people from BS3 carrying their illuminated lanterns thrilled the waiting spectators. Lanterns which had been made in local schools and community centres over the last three months came in all shapes and sizes. Musicians again featured throughout the parade route and in the parade itself, with Bristol Samba’s drummers (pictured, centre right) and dancers
providing their usual colourful and lively spectacle. This year’s parade even had the local MP Karin Smyth taking part as one of the Bemmy Lantern carriers, alongside a group of Bedminster and Windmill Hill city councillors. The street collection raised over £1,400 and donations can still be made to make it happen again at bit.ly/DONATE2BWLP Organisers are already thinking about the next community lantern parade project and are contacting local traders and businesses about sponsorship. Any new businesses or organisations that wish to be associated with this very popular event can get in touch via email at info@bwlp.org.uk.
Compass Point Primary created an impressive cake to mark their 125th birthday which they will be celebrating this year
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n CREATIVE COLUMN with Holly Wicks of Zeal Interiors
Creative, original home soft furnishings
F
ebruary is the month associated with love, but are we showing our home interiors enough love? In previous months we’ve been preoccupied with Christmas, followed by the big January clean-up. But to get inspired again, it helps to be surrounded by colour, pattern and design that’s mood-lifting and motivating, especially if life involves working from home or entertaining guests frequently. There are online purveyors of generic curtains, blinds, cushions and so on, but what if you want soft furnishings that really show off your personality? What if you could create a room scheme that’s 100% bespoke and crafted locally? Holly at Zeal Interiors offers a personalised service - handling every aspect of your commission, from a free initial consultation at your home, through to fabric sourcing, production and installation. Whether you’re already armed with ideas or completely lacking inspiration, she will guide you through the options to make sure you get the right style. Textiles have insulating and acousticsoftening properties, so curtains and Roman blinds are practical as well as characterful additions. Holly also offers made-to-measure
Finance options available! BUY NOW, PAY OVER 12, 24 OR 36 MONTHS .. contact us
co-ordinates, like lampshades, cushions, window seats - to complement your window dressings and achieve a truly original room scheme. Email: holly@zealinteriors.co.uk Instagram: @zeal_interiors_ Facebook: @zealint Website: www.zealinteriors.co.uk
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n HISTORY Dinosaurs PART 2
Our very own dinosaur, Theco
Last month we learned of the discovery of strange fossils in a Clifton stone quarry in 1834. What were they – and how would they help change our world? By Paul Breeden
W
HEN workmen digging up stone in a quarry behind Bellevue Terrace on Durdham Downs turned up some strange-looking bones, they knew where to take them. They trotted down the hill to the bottom of Park Street, where the curator of Bristol’s first museum, Samuel Stutchbury, received them with interest. Stutchbury, pictured, had in fact had a hand in naming the second dinosaur ever to be discovered – although in 1834 that word wasn’t yet in use. While working in the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in London, he had spotted that some enormous fossilised teeth, which had been discovered by the doctor and geologist Gideon Mantell, were very similar to those of the modern iguana. The fossil teeth were about 20 times larger than those of their living relative. This was proof of two ideas which were rather startling for the time. First, it indicated that there were creatures which had died out and had never been seen by humans. This was controversial to those Christians who believed that all God’s creatures had survived the Biblical Flood by sheltering in Noah’s Ark. The Bible said nothing about other kinds of animals which had died out before the age of man. Second, the close similarity between the teeth of the giant extinct animal – dubbed by Mantell Iguanodon – and the modern iguana hinted that God hadn’t created every species separately, but that creatures
had changed over time, gradually becoming very different from how they began. In short, they had evolved. As we learned last month, Charles Darwin did not invent the idea of evolution. It had been around since the ancient Greeks, and by the late 18th century it was being touted by French scientists – though still seen as rather a radical idea in England. Stutchbury, then, realised the importance of these strange new bones from Clifton. But he knew his own experience wasn’t enough to identify them. In those days, surgeons often took an interest in the bones of the dead as well as the living. He called on Henry Riley, a Bristol doctor who had studied in Paris, apparently undeterred by Riley’s first claim to fame – as a graverobber.
Resurrection men
Riley had been caught redhanded in Brislington churchyard in February 1828. With another doctor, George Wallis, he was found filling in a grave with earth after failing to break into a particularly well-constructed coffin. The pair were hauled before magistrate Thomas Hassell, who fined them £6 each – a hefty £500 at today’s values. Strangely, for two men accused of such a horrid crime, they were not named in a newspaper report; in fact, the writer seemed to have some sympathy for them. “This body snatching is certainly a very dreadful trade”, remarked the Cheltenham Chronicle, “ … but [it] will go on, unless a more enlightened policy among
the Law of Balancing of Organs – the odd theory that one organ will grow at the expense of others. In humans the cranium has grown to accommodate our big brain, but at the expense of our jaw, which is smaller than that of monkeys. The crocodile has a much larger jaw and a much smaller brain. Riley, who had studied in Paris and wore loud yellow waistcoats in the dashing French style, had just won a major dispute over another fossil in the Bristol museum. Squaloria was found by the celebrated fossil hunter Mary Anning in Lyme Regis in 1831. Riley said it was a fish, related to rays. London experts disagreed: it was a saurian, or lizard-like. The fossil persons of influence should went to London to be examined; take place.” The writer went on and the great Swiss ichthyologist to bemoan the English system, Louis Agassiz visited Bristol to which denied young doctors a tell Riley that he was right and legal source of cadavers on which the London establishment were to learn their trade, in contrast wrong. to France, where a trade in So what had been found on anatomical specimens “would the Downs? Riley and Stutchbury have been no outrage upon the took two years to examine public feeling.” the remains. Their study was The English double standards presented to a grand gathering in continued three weeks after the Bristol of the British Association court case when Wallis won a for the Advancement of Science senior post at Bristol’s Royal in August 1836. Hundreds of Infirmary – with the backing of the nation’s most prominent Hassell, the magistrate who had scientists, in fields from statistics sentenced him. to zoology, took over every major venue in the city, from But back to the bones – what the cathedral to the theatre, and did a graverobbing doctor have to Stutchbury and Riley’s paper on contribute? It was clear that PROPERTY the the Bristol dinosaurs was one MAINTENANCE fossils were of a reptile. But what of the prime local attractions. kind, and what relation were they INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING Bristol was basking in the glow to creatures of the present day? of scientific fame; it was a city at FENCING • PATIOS • LANDSCAPING Dr Riley was an expert on finding sharp end of Victorian progress. LOGofSTORESBut • GUTTERING FASCIAS similarities between bones was this glow•to last? different species. He believed in ELECTRICS • DOORS • Continued PLUMBING overleaf
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February 2020
n HISTORY Dinosaurs PART 2 Continued from previous page Stutchbury and Riley named their new creature Thecodontosaurus. It seemed to them to be a creature halfway between a lizard and a crocodile: about six feet long from head to tail, and presumed to walk on four legs like a dog. Though parts of the skull were missing, the jaw was there, and Stutchbury and Riley were sure that its small, sharp teeth were for eating meat. They presented a picture of a nimble hunter, with a body about the size of a Labrador. The name means “socket tooth” in Greek – Theco’s teeth sat in sockets, unlike modern lizards, where the teeth are fused to the jaw. Riley and Stutchbury had found that this ancient creature had something in common with modern creatures – like humans, which also have their teeth in sockets. Yet the modern equivalents of Theco, the lizards, are different. This is a puzzle if you see animals getting progressively more and more developed over time. Yet this was what the religiously-inspired evolution theories of the time dictated. Riley was a bit of a radical for Bristol, with his idea that creatures didn’t always get more complex as history moved on. He and Stutchbury amassed more and more detail about the similarities linking lines of creatures from the ancient fishes to the saurians such as Theco, and newer dinosaurs such as ichthyosaurs and teleosaurs. But Riley did not rock the boat for those who stuck to rigid religious beliefs. Despite finding so many similarities through lines of related creatures, he didn’t suggest that one had evolved into the next. He claimed
that God had created them, individually, one after the other. It’s as if the Creator had been trying out different creatures over time, tweaking His designs as a potter might make a new plate with a different pattern. It was to be another six years, in 1842, when Richard Owen linked three of the fossil finds into a group he called Dinosauria. Among them was Megalosaurus – the first of the saurians to be identified, in 1824. This was the creature which was to catch the public imagination and cement the idea of dinosaurs as monstrous, aggressive-looking creatures which had roamed the planet in days long gone. The fame of Megalosaurus was partly to do with the fact that Owen had a life-size model made and placed in an open-air display with other dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park in London. As the name suggests, the creature was enormous – some thought it was up to 60 feet (20m) long, though Owen believed it grew to only 18 feet (9m). Still, there it was, in a South London park, a lumbering, sharp-toothed monster, as big as a horse and carriage. Thecodontosaurus wasn’t on Owen’s list of the first dinosaurs. In fact, it wasn’t identified as a dinosaur until 1870. But that doesn’t matter: it was an important part of the jigsaw of prehistoric life that was being built up throughout the 19th century. Bristol took much pride in Theco, as its own part in the prehistoric story. Samuel Stutchbury and Henry Riley made important contributions to the national debate. They had also found another ancient creature among the Durdham
Thecodontosaurus: A life-size representation by Mario Lanzas. Picture: Mario Lanzas, Creative Commons
Megalosaurus: The giant model in a South London park which cemented the image of dinosaurs in the public imagination. But this 1854 model is inaccurate: Megalosaurus stood on two legs, not four, didn’t have a lump, and wasn’t nearly so lizard-looking. Picture: CPG Grey, Creative Commons
Downs fossils, Paleosaurus. For some reason Paleosaurus hasn’t achieved the fame of Thecodontosaurus, but it appears to have been a meat-eating dinosaur which darted around on its hind legs – perhaps it was chasing Theco. But Stutchbury and Riley had identified this new genus from just two teeth. It didn’t help that Owen changed the spelling to Palaeosaurus, and because there were so few fossils there was much confusion about how many species there were, and whether they were dinosaurs. At one point some of the remains were confused with Thecodontosaurus; and in 1891 some of Theco’s bones were identified as the first dinosaur to be discovered in Australia. In fact they weren’t: these fossils had come from Bristol, were sent to the Natural History Museum by Stutchbury, then got mislabelled
as having been found in Australia in 1844! This mistake wasn’t discovered until 1999. Such are the blind alleys where science sometimes gets stuck. Theco, the Bristol Dinosaur, is rightly celebrated across the city and elsewhere. An education scheme run by the University of Bristol, the Bristol Dinosaur Project, has since 2000 taken the story of the Clifton fossils to tens of thousands of school children. Many school classes have been to Bristol Museum to see life-size displays of Theco in its habitat. When young children see a real fossilised bone, and realise that it was once a weird and amazing creature, roaming the area where they live now, they begin to get a sense of the wonders to be discovered in the natural world. Today, Theco is seen as part of the great tree of life that is explained by evolution through natural selection. This is the idea, as first explained by Charles Darwin in 1859, that the myriad different plants and animals we see today are the descendants of species long extinct, with just one common ancestor. Darwin’s breakthrough was the idea of natural selection: that it is the pressures of life itself which cause one kind of creature to thrive and another to die out. It’s an idea often expressed as the survival of the fittest. Opponents of evolution often say that there are no intermediate species that show
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n HISTORY Dinosaurs PART 2 how dinosaurs evolved into birds, for example, or how something so complex as an eye could arise by chance. In fact, there is plenty of evidence of dinosaurs with feathers, the ancestors of birds. And there are plenty of creatures with primitive versions of eyes which evolved bit by bit over the eons. To many, the idea of natural selection leaves no need for a God to create each animal separately. It certainly makes the Biblical tale that every kind of animal came from Noah’s ark look impossible. As we have seen, the finders of the Bristol Dinosaur were not so radical. Riley actually believed that there were myriad similarities across all classes of animals, alive and dead, but that nevertheless God had created each one separately. In the 1830s and 1840s, Bristol’s cosy scientific world was not ready to challenge the authority of the church. For example, hopes were high that the new Bristol Zoo, founded in 1835, would become a morallyuplifting attraction for the working classes – a healthy alternative to the riotous fairs that had been banned from the city. Dr Riley wanted to spread the benefits widely: in 1836 he proposed that children living in charitable institutions should be admitted free. But Bristol’s commitment to working class emancipation only went so far. Working people were kept at their jobs six days a week; therefore the only day most could visit the zoo was Sunday. Nowadays, of course, acceptance of evolution as a
scientific fact is pretty well universal in Britain. By most, it’s seen as no barrier to religious faith: today, the Catholic church preaches evolution as part of God’s plan. The mass of evidence for evolution is simply enormous and keeps growing. It’s not only the fossils and the story they tell: there are the geological strata that tell us when these animals lived, showing the course of their evolution. There are the clear biological similarities between different species. There is now the weight of DNA evidence, which reveals the fingerprints of every species, and also acts as another kind of clock to show how long it is since two species diverged in the tree of life. And yet, for some, the weight of evidence will never be enough. A few miles from Bristol, in Wraxall, is Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, an animal attraction aimed mainly at families and founded with an explicitly Creationist message by a Christian family. It contains a large scale model of Noah’s Ark with a display arguing that scientists have it wrong: the Earth is not billions of years old, and evolution is a myth. However, judging by the many rave reviews of the farm online, most visitors don’t notice the Creationist message. This is, after all a country where we can all believe what we want.
Sources Natural philosophy, medicine and the culture of science in provincial England: Bristol, 1790-1850, Michael Neve, dissertation, University College London, 1984 Stutchbury, Samuel (1798–1859), DF Branagan and TG Vallance, Australian
Dictionary of Biography, 1976 Bristol Mercury, August 7, 1836: Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science Cheltenham Chronicle, February 14, 1828: Resurrection Men Bristol Dinosaur Project www. thebristoldinosaurproject.org.uk/
Samuel Stutchbury: Another adventure SAMUEL STUTCHBURY had another phase in his eventful life before he was buried in Arnos Vale cemetery in 1859. In 1850 he left his post as curator of the museum at the Bristol Institution in Park Street (it’s the big building at the bottom of the street, near the Council House, that’s now home to Bristol’s Freemasons). Stutchbury took a job in Australia, where he had been on a survey trip in the 1820s. For £600 a year (£63,000 at today’s values) he worked as a geologist advising on finds of gold. He later did a survey of the coalfields, but for some reason got little thanks from colonial administrators. His job was terminated in 1855 and he returned to England, settling again in Bristol with his wife, Louisa, whom he had married in London in 1820. It seems the Australian colonial office wanted a prospector to find them gold and coal, rather than a respected scientist such as Stutchbury. In England he found a little work doing surveys of coalfields but he died on February 12, 1859 in his adopted city. His reputation has only been restored this century, and a number of mollusc species in Australia and New Zealand have been named after him. Perhaps that’s the tribute that would please him most.
Links To find out more about the Bristol Dinosaur Project, or arrange a visit to a school, go to www.thebristoldinosaurproject.org.uk/ www.facebook.com/Bristol-DinosaurProject
Life size: Bob Nicholls sculpts a model of Theco for Bristol Museum Picture: Frazer Reed, Creative Commons
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n WHAT’S ON Saturday February 1/2 n Star Party, 6.30-8pm at Victoria Park (day depending on weather). Telescopes in the park with Bristol Astronomical Society. Refreshments in the church and from Stuffed in the park. Explorer dome star shows St Michaels Church. Suggested donation, £3-5 per adult. Places must be booked in advance at www.vpag.org.uk. Thursday February 6 n Ashton Vale Together litter pick meet at the corner of Swiss Road and South Liberty Lane, 10am. Everyone is most welcome. ashtonvaletogether@ gmail.com Facebook: Ashton Vale Together 07840680516. Sunday February 16 n Horses! Horses! touring pub play, 8pm at Bristol Beer Factory, 291 North Street. A co-production by Theatre Orchard and Somerset's flagship Wassail Theatre Company, in association with Bristol Old Vic. Free show, no booking required. Donations welcome on the night. More information, www. theatreorchard.org.uk
Genuinely hilarious and unforgettable Review The Book of Mormon at Bristol Hippodrome Theatre The first thing that hit me about The Book of Mormon (Bristol Hippodrome until February 22) was the audience. Not that I would PERSONALLY engage in stereotypes of course, but anyone expecting a LloydWebber-esque crowd of middle aged couples and youngish stage school types would have been puzzled. It was like a Southville night out - hipster beards, funny caps everywhere, audience profile young(ish) and although it was the press preview, the audience could not totally be explained by media luvvies. Admittedly I did spot a fair few of them too - they were right at home. Rather I suspect it was to do with the South Park generation fast forwarded a few years with creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone having collaborated in this riot of offensiveness. In a format where humour is not always the strongest
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February 2020
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Tuesday February 18 n Fun animal crafts and stories, 2.30-3.30pm at Marksbury Road Library. Most suitable for ages 4 to 9. All children must be supervised by an adult. No booking required, just drop in!
Thursday February 20 n Fun animal crafts and stories, 2.30-3.30pm at Bedminster Library. Most suitable for ages 4 to 9. All children must be supervised by an adult. No booking required, just drop in! Friday February 21-22 n Severn Valley Quilters
Exhibition, 2-5pm (21st) and 10am-4pm (22nd) at Thornbury Methodist Church Hall, BS35 2AQ. Stalls, tombola and refreshments. Disabled access. All proceeds go to Great Western Air Ambulance. Admission, £3. Sunday February 23 n Clothes swap shop, 2-4pm at Amba House (former Thali Cafe), Totterdown. Bring along unwanted items of clothing, shoes or accessories. Cost: £5 – includes a glass of prosecco/ non-alcoholic drink. Please note this event is cash only. Any more questions? Get in touch via Instagram @amba_arthub or Facebook@ambaarthub Tuesday February 25 n Ashton Vale Together meeting at the Young Persons Club on Silbury Road, 6.30-8pm. ashtonvaletogether@gmail.com Facebook: Ashton Vale Together 07840680516. Wednesday February 26 n Preparing for retirement at The New Room, John Wesley's Chapel, The Horsefair, Bristol, BS1 3JE, 6-8pm. A chance to look at your life holistically. Start
suit, the funny lines in Book of Mormon get more and more outrageous as the show goes on. One in particular, as Kevin Bridges might say, even had this audience looking for the offside flag. The story is one of believing that good things can happen as a result of organised religion, even if the truth gets embellished a bit, when two Mormon ‘elders’ are given the far from dream gig of converting a village in Uganda. One is an All-American jock-type who was desperate to be assigned to Orlando and the other a geeky idealist. You knew something a bit different was in the offing in the very first number 'Hello' - a neatly
written, musically clever song showing the pristine, white shirted Mormons ringing doorbells with limited success. The bulk of the story is set in Uganda. At times it’s hard to work out who is taking the mickey out of whom. The village is a walking cliché of world-weary residents in mud huts, a bullet-laden ‘General’ who causes much terror and one who had the best line in the show about ‘maggots in his ****’ (go and see the show). Family fun it is not. The nightmare sequence featuring Ghengis Khan, a camp Hitler, OJ Simpson lawyer Johnnie Cochran and, worst of all, two caffeine-filled cups of Starbucks - was a joy. It is
PARACISE A low-impact fitness class set to fabulous music, designed to improve posture, balance, mobility. Gentle on joints, no floor work. Fun and friendly class. 11.15am Tuesdays at the Southville Centre and 10.30am Fridays at The Park, Knowle. First class free! T: 07434 964490. Paracise with Helen
The company of The Book of Mormon. Image: Paul Coltas
NIA DANCE FITNESS An energising mix of dance, martial arts and yoga, with simple steps to follow and brilliant tunes. No dance experience needed, all fitness levels and complete beginners welcome. Tuesdays 7.45-8.45pm, Southbank Club, Dean Lane (term time). £7 drop-in/ MoveGB. T: 07434 964490. Nia with Helen to work out what is important to you and where you want to go, plus tools to help you get there! Led by Jim Currie, Reinventing Retirement. To book, visit: bit.ly/ planning-retirement Friday February 28 n Making Change: Standing Strong for Women, the Environment and Social Justice, 7.30pm at The Old Picture House, Totterdown. A unique evening of film, poetry and music with proceeds going to TreeSisters and Milfumi. Tickets, £10/£8. To purchase, email dmerr9226@aol.com
one of those setpieces taken so seriously in ‘real’ musicals, all glitz and glamour, but with ludicrous touches-a-plenty here. But the real fireworks start when the villagers re-enact the story of Mormon founders Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Let’s just say there were references to Aids, dysentery, frogs and props perhaps acquired from Ann Summers. Yet for all this, it is not a show for those seeking to poke a liberal bit of mean fun at organised religion. The message seems to be that although a bit cooky, the Mormons are really not all that bad and are genuinely trying to make things better for people even if achieved by chucking the Book or Mormon away and basically just making it all up. In that sense, you leave thinking that it was cutting, but not to the bone and anyway, who really has all the answers? It will never be in the top 10 of musicals for the best songs, but as a show that is different, genuinely hilarious and which will have moments stamped on your mind for years to come (not all pleasant), it’s one to choose. But be quick, tickets are selling fast. For tickets, visit: www. atgtickets.com/shows/the-bookof-mormon/bristol-hippodrome/ Review by Richard Coulter
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n WHAT’S ON LUNCHTIME LIVE Every Friday, 1.10-1.50pm St Francis' Church, Ashton Gate (nr. Tobacco Factory) 7th Feb: Flute music 14th Feb: Piano solo 21st Feb: Piano solo 28th Feb: Jazz duo Tea and coffee available before each performance. Free entry, retiring collection. lunchtimelive.co.uk
Regular events n Memories of Bedminster, every Monday at the South Bristol Christian Centre, Churchlands Road, 1.30pm. New members always welcome. n Organic fruit and vegetable box collection scheme, BS3 Community, Southville Centre, BS3 1QG. Pop in any Thursday from 4.306.30pm to discuss signing up. In association with Leigh Court Farm. n Grandparent and Toddler Group, BS3 Community, Chessel Centre, BS3 3DN, every Tuesday 10.30am-12 noon. Free to attend and there are lots of
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activities to take part in with your grandchild; craft, singing, storytime and more. No need to book, just drop in. n Shared Reading group Drop in to read and listen to a great story and poem and talk about it. Free, no pressure to read. No prep required. Monica Wills House, Cromwell Street off West Street. 2-3.30pm 1st and 3rd Monday of the month & every Friday at The Park, Daventry Road, 10-11.30am. n Bedminster sight-loss clinic at Bedminster Library, 2-4pm every 2nd Friday of the month. Appointments can be made between 10am and 1pm. Sight loss advice, signposting, equipment demonstrations, tech training and more. We are here for all your sight loss needs. For more information, call 01173224885. n BS3 Repair Cafe Repairs for a donation plus cream teas and homemade cakes. 1.30-4.30pm, last Saturday of every month at the United Reformed Church Hall, West Street, Bedminster. Facebook: BS3 Repair Cafe
n IN BRIEF n Fashion conscious south Bristolians who want to update their wardrobe without breaking the bank or costing the earth, are urged to attend a fun clothes swap event. Amba House’s first ‘swap shop’ event takes place on Sunday, February 23, 2pm-4pm, at Amba House (formally Thali Café), 1 William Street, Totterdown, Bristol, BS3 4TU. The cost is just £5 and this includes a glass of prosecco/nonalcoholic drink. A spokesperson for the event said: "Just bring along any unwanted items of clothing, shoes or accessories - a minimum of one item but no maximum. "Place your items at the table/ rail according to size then rummage through the items until your hearts content before taking home any items that take your eye. Feel free to try on clothes during the event.” Any more questions? Feel free to get in touch via Instagram @amba_arthub or Facebook @ambaarthub, alternatively stephanie.j.todd@hotmail.com. Please note this event is cash only. n Could you make a big difference by giving a small
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amount of time? Local charity BS3 Community is looking for volunteers with a few hours to spare on a Monday or Tuesday evening to support the fantastically popular Bedminster Youth Club. Get in touch with volunteer coordinator kate.kings@ bs3community.org.uk or register directly bs3community. volunteermakers.org/ n Put a spring in your step at the social tea dance being hosted by BS3 Community. The Valentine's themed dance will take place on February 20 at the Southville Centre, 2-5pm. There will be music with DJ, Derek (of Lion Stores), plus dance tuition. Tea and cake is also included in the price: £5.50 in advance or £6.50 on the door. Tickets are available now from the Southville Centre reception or by calling 0117 9231039 or by emailing Barbara.crowther@ bs3community.org.uk
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Library events Bedminster Library n Storytime, Monday, 10.30am (term time) n Baby Bounce & Rhyme, Wednesday, 10.30am-11am and 11.15am-11.45am and Friday, 10.30-11am. Term time only. n IT support, Wednesday, 3.30pm-5pm. Booking essential. n Natterbooks, third Saturday of the month, 10.30-11.30am. A reading group for children. Please speak to the library before attending. Marksbury Road Library n Knit and Natter, Tuesday, 3pm n Storytime, Tuesday, 10.30am n Baby Bounce and Ryme, Thursday, 10.30am (term time) n Reading group, third Thursday of the month, 2.30pm. Please speak to the library before attending. n Chess Club for adults and children, Saturday, 12.301.30pm.
VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES IN BS3 with BS3 Helping Others Tobacco Factory cafe/bar (on the big table by front door) Mon 3 Feb, 6.30-8pm Volunteer recruitment drive Tue 4 Feb, 10.30am-12pm Guest speaker from the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) Mon 10 Feb, 6.30-8pm Speaker from Carers Support Centre, plus volunteer recruitment drive Tues 11 Feb, 10.30am-12pm Speaker from Carers Support Centre, plus volunteer recruitment drive Monday 24 Feb, 6.30-8pm Speaker from Read Easy Bristol, plus volunteer recruitment drive Tues 25 Feb, 10.30am-12pm Speaker from Read Easy Bristol, plus volunteer recruitment drive BS3 Helping Others
• Have you got an event you would like listed on this page? Get in touch with Ruth at sales@ southbristolvoice.co.uk
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n THOUGHT OF THE MONTH
I
by a member of Victoria Park Baptist Church
t is really hard to feel good about yourself in the world we live. We feel bad for not being vegan, for not walking often enough, for being obsessed with appearance, for not being body positive, for not adopting pets, for not giving enough to charity, for using plastic, for wasting food, flying, for not supporting local businesses, for excessive food miles, for unintentionally using incorrect pronouns, for offending
people, for being part of a privileged majority, for not being part of a privileged majority, for being relaxed parents, for being uptight parents. The list goes on and on. Being a human being is a tricky business and it is pretty clear that none of us can get it right all of the time. So, be kind to yourself and do what your parents expected of you. Just try your best. None of us can give more than that so if your
best is lots of car driving but sustainable groceries, fantastic. If it is veganism, brilliant. If it is none of the above but you try hard to be a good person who does good deeds, well done to you. We as a family have been trying to do more good deeds to be kind. I let people out whilst driving and I even bought a builder a coffee - he didn’t understand and thought I was trying to pick him up, but it was a kind deed regardless!
Everyone can do something extra and make changes to this world and lovely area we live in, but NO ONE can do more than their best so why not try some good deeds out and feel great about yourself, spreading kindness and doing your best? If all of us keep doing this then this society will be a much nicer place.
Regular services
n St Aldhelm’s Church Chessel Street, Bedminster BS3 3TT hello@staldhelms.org Minister Rev Nick Hay 07534 249338 staldhelms.org Sunday 10am Morning service, informal with mix of traditional and contemporary songs. Creche, Sunday school, refreshments; House groups meet on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, 7.30pm.
Sunday 10.30am Worship is a mix of contemporary and traditional with groups for children and young people. Also: 1st Sunday 9am Traditional Communion Service; 2nd Sunday 7.30pm Praise and Prayer.
0117 977 2484 victoriapark.org.uk Sunday 10.30am Interactive service with all ages together (Communion every 3rd Sunday). Friday 10.30am Coffee morning and food bank for those in food poverty. See website for all other groups and hall hire bookings.
n Bedminster Church of Christ 298 St John’s Lane, BS3 5AY Minister Jason Snethen 07795 560990 churchofchristbristol.org Sunday 10am Bible Hour for all ages; 11am worship; 5pm worship; Tuesday 7.30pm Bible study; Thursday 10am Coffee morning; Friday 3.45-5pm After-school; 7-9.30pm youth group. n Bedminster Quaker Meeting House Wedmore Vale BS3 5HX Clerk Gillian Smith 0117963 4712 bristolquakers.org.uk Sunday Worship 10.45am; 2nd & 4th Sunday Children’s meeting; 2nd Sunday Shared lunch.
n St Paul’s Church 2 Southville Road, Southville BS3 1DG stpsouthville@gmail.com Rev Nick Hay 07534 249338
saintpaulschurch.co.uk
n St Francis Church 279 North Street, Ashton Gate BS3 1JP staldhelmsandstfrancis.org.uk Priest-in-charge Rev Andrew Doarks 0117 963 9121 Sunday 10am Communion or Morning Worship; 1st Saturday 10am Open church; Thursday 10am Eucharist.
n Salvation Army Padstow Road, Bristol, BS4 1EN Lieutenants Clare and Matthew Kinsey salvationarmy.org.uk/bristolbedminster Sunday 10.30am Morning Worship
n Victoria Park Baptist Church Sylvia Avenue BS3 5DA
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n THE CITY PAGE
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BRISTOL CITY ROUND-UP
Shrewsbury cup misery compounded by draw MARTIN POWELL laments the chance (missed) for City fans to welcome the best team in the world ... while hoping the season may still hold some promise
A
sk people what the most exciting thing about attending a football match is and many will give you the answer “atmosphere”. There is nothing quite like that electric buzz of the crowd. The “oohs” at the near-misses, the roar as a goal goes in and the chanting - even if some of it is not for the vicar to hear. Never is the atmosphere better than at a big cup game against a top side. The stadium is packed, big name stars strut their stuff and the chance to see your team compete against the giants of the game creates memories that live forever. So, you would think when playing in the FA Cup early rounds, the knowledge that one of those big nights could be in prospect might be a great motivator. Wind back to January and City’s FA Cup match saw a few thousand City fans sat like Terracotta Warriors watching the team pass the ball about
ineffectively while grown men at the other end sang “I’m Shrewsbury until I die” without a hint of irony. Never mind. It ended in a draw then some people rattled some balls in a bag and City got the dream tie. Liverpool at Ashton Gate. The European Champions; the best in the country on current form; the best in the world according to some odd recent tournament. Liverpool! Imagine Jurgen Klopp in BS3 bringing his all-stars - or even his stars of tomorrow. What a treat. What an atmosphere. Well, it wasn’t enough to inspire the City team and they bowed out 0-1 at Shrewsbury, prompting a plummet in expectations and calls online for various people to be sacked, transferred, hung-drawn-andquartered, kicked out or sent to Coventry like Liam Walsh. At the next home game against Barnsley there was little sign of a good atmosphere. Famara Diedhou waved his arms at the crowd a few times in
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Niclas Eliasson celebrates last-minute goal against Barnsley the hope of getting them going, while squandering goal-scoring chances that might have got them excited. A group in the south stand started singing songs to create some kind of atmosphere. They sang about Jacki Dziekanowski (who left in 1993). They sang about “super” Bob Taylor (who left in 1992) and even Chris Crowe got a mention (he left in 1969). Maybe conjuring up the spirits of the past helped because just before everyone trooped home Niclas Eliasson slotted home the only goal of the game taking careful aim from exactly the same spot where earlier he had ballooned one over the bar. The atmosphere picked up. People began to smile again. Maybe, just maybe, there are still some big games ahead this season. Perhaps some exciting nights where a play-off spot is in prospect.
Image by @jmpuk
Maybe even a trip to Wembley with the prize of the Premier League at stake. Players need to keep those thoughts of the big games they can create in their heads during tough afternoons and evenings ahead. Bristol City have missed out on what could have been one of the great nights in the club’s history - but there is still something to hang on to this season as the league twists and turns continue.
Martin’s shorts If you are looking for significant dates coming up for Bristol City then the consecutive games away to Leeds on February 15 and home to West Brom on February 22 should be in the diary. A crunch week against the current top two will make or break the season.
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BRISTOL A.R.C. UPDATE
Bristol Animal Rescue Centre
Fall in love this February Looking for that special someone to put the spring back in your step? Well, how does someone who is affectionate, playful and loves long walks sound? You’re in luck! We have plenty of animals matching that description and they would all fall heads over paws for you. Visit our website www.bristolarc.org.uk/rehoming/ or call our Rehoming Team on 0117 9776043 to see our animals looking for love and find your purr-fect match.
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n LOCAL SERVICES Griffin Electrical Established 1984
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WIGS
Wigs Bristol
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We have been supplying all types of wigs and hairpieces for fashion and medical purposes for 45 years. Wigs can be purchased off the peg or made to measure in hair or synthetic fibre. We stock many styles and makes.
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INVITATION
CJ Hole Southville invite you to accept our offer of a free sales or lettings valuation. To arrange an appointment, please telephone the office or call in personally. If you have instructed another agent on a sole agency and/or sole selling rights basis, the terms of those instructions must be considered to avoid a possible liability to pay two commissions.
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268 North Street, Southville, Bristol BS3 1JA
t: 0117 963 4373 southville@cjhole.co.uk With 17 offices covering Bristol, Gloucester and Somerset
OPENING HOURS Monday - Friday 9am - 7pm Saturday 9am - 5pm
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