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October, 2021 Issue 53
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Our voices must be heard New era at Marlwood THE new head teacher of Marlwood School in Alveston has predicted a bright future ahead for the school and its pupils. PAGE 11
Geronimo killed
AN alpaca at the centre of a legal battle over animal disease testing has been killed - but protests over the government's handling of his case have become louder. PAGE 3 People were left queuing outside Thornbury Leisure Centre as a public meeting to discuss changes to the town's High Street filled to capacity. ANGER at changes to Thornbury High Street erupted as residents had their first opportunity to discuss them in public. People queued to get in to a public meeting at the town's leisure centre, called for the sole purpose of debating the closure of the street to through traffic. And such was the demand that the 100-capacity
room was filled long before the meeting started, with up to 200 people left outside. Those who took part in the debate were united in condemning the changes, while a second meeting has been organised to allow those who could not get in to make their voices heard. Turn to page 4
Sparkle up your day
CELEBRITIES are backing a Thornbury charity's latest event to raise some much-needed funds. PAGE 7
Station plan progress A NEW railway station for Charfield has moved a step closer. PAGE 8
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n NEWS
MP sacked as minister THORNBURY & Yate MP Luke Hall has been sacked from his ministerial job in the latest government reshuffle. Prime Minister Boris Johnson relieved Mr Hall of his job as local government minister on the day after new Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Michael Gove took over the department, with added responsibility for the government's "levelling up" agenda. Mr Hall, who had been a minister for more than two years and held his last role for a year, is replaced by Saffron Walden MP Kemi Badenoch. After the announcement Mr Hall made a short statement on Twitter, saying: "It’s been a huge honour to serve as Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government and am proud of all we achieved. "Grateful to the excellent team in MHCLG and particularly my superb private office. "Looking forward to supporting the Government from the backbenches." He declined to comment further.
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Local information South Gloucestershire Council www.southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009 Safer Stronger team sscg@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009
October, 2021
Environment/trading standards 01454 868001 Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk general enquiries: 101 Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk General enquiries: 0117 926 2061 NHS Health Call 111 Well Aware health & social care information www.wellaware.org.uk Tel: (freephone) 0808 808 5252
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Thornbury Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Thornbury Voice is distributed each month to local residents. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please get in touch or collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is welcomed, call Richard On 01454 800 120 or contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk
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A TRACTOR was destroyed when it caught fire in a field near Thornbury. Three Avon Fire and Rescue Service crews, including one from Thornbury, arrived to find the tractor and a slurry pump "well alight" in a field off Old Gloucester Road, between Buckover and Knap, shortly before 8pm on September 4. They put out the blaze using foam and water. An investigation afterwards found that the fire had started accidentally.
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October, 2021
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n NEWS
Row intensifies after alpaca killed AN alpaca at the centre of a legal battle over animal disease testing has been killed - but protests over the government's handling of his case have become louder. Government vets accompanied by police went to the farm in Wickwar where Geronimo was being held in quarantine and took him away in a horsebox on August 31. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs later said that the alpaca had been put down, in accordance with a court warrant issued following the end of a four-year fight by owner Helen Macdonald to prove that Geronimo did not have bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Defra's action to put down the animal, four days before the deadline for executing the court warrant expired, and the rough handling of Geronimo by the team sent to her farm was described as "thuggery" by Helen, who had been trying to persuade Environment Secretary George Eustice and Prime Minister to look into the effectiveness of testing policy, using him as a case study. Afterwards she said she felt "betrayed" by Defra's actions, accusing the government department of "using bully-boy tactics" when they could be learning lessons. Helen, who argued the original tests which
Helen Macdonald with Geronimo shortly before he was killed. found Geronimo had bTB were flawed, said: "We offered them a research opportunity and they have just fobbed us off. "We've had police and drones and God knows what here today to remove a perfectly healthy animal." Afterwards Helen attended a protest in London and called on Mr Eustice to resign. Lawyers acting for the trained veterinary nurse say the post-mortem results released
to date suggest Geronimo was free of the disease. This is disputed by Defra, which insists that veterinary pathologists from the Animal and Plant Health Agency "found a number of TB-like lesions". Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said: "A number of TB-like lesions were found and in line with standard practice these are now undergoing further investigation. "These tests include the developing of bacteriological cultures from tissue samples, which usually takes several months - we would expect to complete the full postmortem and culture process by the end of the year." Helen is calling on the government to disclose more information from the postmortem examination as well details of where, how and when Geronimo was put down. She said: “The government continue to make this as distressing and as difficult as possible for everyone concerned. They are using every tactic they can to prevent any disclosure, and indeed any closure for myself and everyone who was campaigning to save Geronimo’s life and improve bovine TB policy."
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n NEWS
Residents show anger at High Street closure 'fiasco' From page 1 A vote expressing no confidence in South Gloucestershire Council, which has introduced the changes, and Thornbury Town Council, which was accused of failing to oppose them, was carried unanimously. Also agreed with no dissent were resolutions to ask for bus services to be routed back along the High Street and to form a residents' committee, with a view to launching a legal challenge to South Gloucestershire Council's traffic orders to make the changes permanent. Council consultations on orders – to make traffic accessonly and one-way between
Castle Court and The Close, to introduce a 20mph speed limit, provide designated disabled parking places and loading bays, remove a zebra crossing and restrict parking in the surrounding area – were due to close on September 25. The public meeting on September 9 was called under the town council's constitution by group of residents led by Clive Washbourne, who previously organised a petition against the changes. Mr Washbourne opened the debate by condemning the decision to ban through traffic from the street as undemocratic, which was met with shouts of "hear, hear" from the audience.
October, 2021
Clive Washbourne addresses the meeting
He said South Gloucestershire Council had decided it could "do as it pleased" to the High Street, but one businesses had moved out, while others had reported income falling by up to 40% and "won't be here next year". Mr Washbourne said Thornbury & Yate MP Luke Hall and Prime Minister Boris Johnson were among the people he had written to and added: "It needs the rest of you to do something as well." He said launching a legal challenge would cost a minimum of £2,400 and could go up to
£150,000 if it went to court. Mr Washbourne said founding a residents' committee would help to give people of the town a chance to organise and have their opinions heard. Jane Mitchell, founder of disability support group Accessibility Thornbury, said people with disabled children who relied on the bus could not get to the High Street, and neither could the two thirds of her members who did not qualify for a blue badge. She said: "If they've done it to make the High Street disabled-
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October, 2021 friendly, they've failed." Liz Slocombe said it was getting "more and more difficult" for blue badge holders to park and said: "The whole thing has been an absolute fiasco." Sue Blick said she was no longer able to drive and could not now make regular visits to a place which was "an important part of my life". She said: "It's the social side I'm missing dreadfully. Some days I'm so angry, other days I could weep. Covid has nothing in comparison to what South Gloucestershire have done." Many speakers felt South Gloucestershire had ignored the will of residents in bringing forward the closure, criticising officers and council leader Toby Savage. Resident Lindsay Hall said: "After the Brexit vote the government didn't want it but they didn't go against the majority. We had a consultation, and two thirds of the people said they didn't want the High Street shut." Former town mayor Charles Eardley-Wilmot said: "This is the first time in my experience that a
thornburyvoice council has invented a problem. "Pre-covid the High Street functioned very well. I've known it for 75 years." Mr Washbourne had invited Luke Hall and Toby Savage to the meeting, but both had sent their apologies and there was no representative of the local authority present. One politician who did attend was West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who told residents he had come to listen. Afterwards he said: “Future public consultations will need to be more sensitively and thoroughly carried out so that this kind of anger can be avoided. “As Metro Mayor I will be looking to see this when South Gloucestershire Council seeks funding from the West of England Combined Authority.” Thornbury Town Council staff took the names of more than 120 people who were unable to get in to the public meeting. They will now be invited to a second meeting on October 6 at 7.30pm, which will be held in a larger room at the leisure centre, Conference Room One, which has a capacity of 850 people.
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Council hails 'constructive' sessions SOUTH Gloucestershire council says almost 70 people attended the 'drop-in' sessions to view and talk about its plans to change Thornbury High Street. The first day of sessions at the Turnberries Community Centre on September 6 was fully booked and a second day of sessions, which had to be booked in advance online, was held a week later. Cabinet member for communities and local place, Rachael Hunt, said: “It has been great to hear about the interest and constructive engagement from local people in this process so far. "I attended one of the sessions to hear first-hand the views being expressed. "Through the measures we want to put in place, Thornbury’s High Street will be centre for people, with access for those who need it, for deliveries to businesses, more disabled parking, public transport links and parking available close by.” Consultations on the traffic regulation orders to restrict vehicle access, introduce disabled parking bays, loading and drop-off points were announced after September's Voice had been published. They were due to close on September 25, with people encouraged to view the orders and comment online at southglos.gov.uk/counciland-democracy/consultations. The council says the plans are part of its long-term vision to "help Thornbury High Street thrive".
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October, 2021
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Thornbury charity needs you to sparkle A THORNBURY charity is calling on people to add some sparkle to their day - and help it raise some much-needed funds. Brain Tumour Support is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to supporting the more than 100,000 patients and families affected by any type of brain tumour. It is calling on people to break out their sequins, glitter and shiny things to dress up and stage events for Sparkle Up Your Day on October 1. The charity is looking for people to glam themselves and even their pets up, then hold events from cake sales and coffee mornings to park runs and Prosecco evenings to raise donations for its work. Brain Tumour Support provides individualised and specialist information, guidance and emotional support at any point from diagnosis onwards, for as long as it is needed, to people with brain tumours and their families. Joel Dommett and Hannah Cooper put on Brain tumours kill more children and the glitz to help Brain Tumour Support adults under the age of 40 than any other Street offices to a smaller site in Bristol Road. type of cancer. With restrictions now eased, Sparkle Up The charity receives no statutory funding Your Day is a chance for individuals and or major sponsorship for its work. businesses to organise events to help the It saw its income plunge during lockdown, WB AW.qxp_Layout 1 15/09/2020 21:14 Pagebuild 1 back. charity had Generic to let staff go and move from its High
Brain Tumour Support's celebrity ambassadors, including Rockhampton-born presenter Joel Dommett and his wife, model Hannah Cooper, are calling for people to join in. They said: “We love the idea of Sparkle Up Your Day. Everyone needs something sparkly in their life, and what better way to support the amazing work that Brain Tumour Support does? “We know first-hand just how valuable and needed the services that Brain Tumour Support provide are. "But the charity desperately needs the funds to be able to reach out to the many people who currently lack any support.” Tina Mitchell Skinner, who founded the charity 18 years ago after she lost her husband to a brain tumour, said: "The Sparkle campaign is a great opportunity to really let your imagination run riot. Whether you get friends round for tea and sparkly cakes, dress up for a walk or run, get your pets involved, or anything else, you’ll be having fun and raising essential funds for Brain Tumour Support.” To find out more visit the website braintumoursupport.co.uk/sparkle or call 01454 414355.
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October, 2021
n NEWS
Rail link for Charfield moves a step closer A NEW railway station for Charfield has moved a step closer. A multimillion-pound bid for the station is being submitted to the West of England Combined Authority and a public consultation is expected to be launched later this month on the plans. South Gloucestershire Council says the new station will improve access to jobs, education and services, and will also enable more sustainable travel to and from the village and surrounding area. The new station would have two platforms linked by a pedestrian footbridge, a public transport interchange, covered cycle parking and car parking. Plans are being developed by South Gloucestershire Council in collaboration with Network Rail and will be funded by the West of England Combined Authority, if the council's business case is approved.
Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall and Cllr Steve Reade at the proposed station site in Charfield. Council cabinet member for strategic infrastructure Steve Reade said the bid submission was a "massive step forward" for the scheme. He said: "Opening a new station in Charfield has been a long-held aspiration for the council, one we have never given up on, and is key to encouraging more sustainable travel in our rural communities and achieving our Climate Emergency goals." Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall said: “I am delighted to see the Council is submitting this fantastic bid to help this
aspiration become a reality. There has been a huge amount of community support for opening the station, which will help demonstrate to the combined authority the need for a new Charfield station and help get the bid over the finish line.” The bid was given a cautious welcome by opposition Liberal Democrats, who said they had been "leading the campaign to reopen Charfield station for decades". Charfield ward councillor John O’Neill said: "Having been campaigning on this issue for
a long time, I warn the current administration that submitting a business case and securing funding for the reopening of Charfield station are not the same thing. "The tone of the administration’s recent publicity makes it sound like the reopening of the station has been given the go-ahead, whereas in reality there will be many more challenges to overcome before we can be sure that the station will be reopening." He said former Charfield councillor Eddie Gadsby and Wotton-under-Edge Gloucestershire county councillor John Cordwell had worked "over decades" for the station. South Gloucestershire Council was due to announce engagement events and unveil a "dedicated project webpage" in October, ahead of a potential planning application being submitted next year.
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October, 2021
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Ex-postie's 26mile charity round A FORMER Thornbury postman is planning to walk round roads in the area, to raise money for a cancer charity. Raymond Daniels is set to take on a virtual marathon from his home in Lower Almondsbury on October 3 - the day of the London Marathon - to support Leukaemia Care, in recognition of his own recovery from the disease. Raymond, who is 70, was a postman for 27 years before he was diagnosed and forced into early retirement aged just 51. Now he wants to give something back and help others, and has Raymond Daniels mapped out a 13-mile route from his home, which he will complete twice. He said: "I had a bone marrow transplant in September 2001 and was in and out of Southmead Hospital and the BRI every day for more or less eight months. "It took a long time to recover but - touch wood - everything is back to normal now. Raymond, a former member of Thornbury Running Club, had run the London Marathon in April 1999, just before he was diagnosed. His first was in 1984 and took 3 hours 27 minutes. He said: "I have done London four or five times, the Bristol Marathon twice and also Kingswood, plus half marathons and ten mile runs in between.” Raymond has not been able to run seriously since his illness but is determined to complete the distance again - this time at a slower pace. He said: "I’m not actually going to try and run this but walk as fast as I can. The charity have given us 24 hours to complete the distance." Thousands of runners around the country will be attempting the virtual marathon, which runs in parallel with the event in London, and break last year's record of 37,000 competitors set during the pandemic. Raymond is planning to tackle his course on his own and admits his experience as a postie will help him cope with the solitude. To support him visit his online fundraising page at justgiving. com/fundraising/Raymond-Daniels.
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October, 2021
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New head sees bright future for Marlwood THE new head teacher of Marlwood School in Alveston has predicted a bright future ahead for both school and pupils. Seema Purewal took up her new post at the start of the current term, aiming to continue the improvement the school achieved under her predecessor, Del Planter. Marlwood was rated “inadequate” by education watchdog Ofsted in 2017 but showed its fortunes were reviving when it left special measures at its next inspection early last year. Since then the coronavirus pandemic has massively disrupted every school. But Miss Purewal said that, while there is still plenty of hard work ahead, the school is making good progress. She said: “Although the last 18 months have been challenging for all schools, teaching staff at Marlwood are really glad to be back in their classrooms, doing what they do best – providing
the best learning experience for our pupils by embedding our research-based practice every lesson, every day, and I have no doubt their efforts will be recognised as we strive towards a good judgement in our next Ofsted inspection.” Miss Purewal comes to South Gloucestershire after 20 years teaching in the West Midlands. She has already begun the task of making changes to improve the student experience, including an emphasis on wearing the school uniform with pride and changing dining space to “ensure a more mindful lunchtime experience for our pupils”. Earlier this year, the Castle School Education Trust, which runs Marlwood, took the decision to reduce the capacity of the school and concentrate on serving local villages, having previously drawn pupils from a much wider area. Current numbers are just over
500 pupils. There are also promising developments in the pipeline with plans to refurbish the school’s ageing buildings, problems with which were highlighted in a BBC documentary in 2018. Miss Purewal said: “The students are very lucky to enjoy such fantastic sporting facilities and outdoor spaces, and I’m very grateful for all the fundraising and volunteering work that Friends of Marlwood have done over the years to ensure that our tennis courts and outdoor areas remain looking very professional. "They are one of the most proactive PTAs I’ve seen in my career to date – and we are lucky to have them. "On the horizon, we await the imminent building refurbishment programme, which will see the classrooms in our main block transformed to include new state of the art facilities.
"Exciting times ahead for Marlwood, as we enter a new era!” In a letter to parents at the start of the new term, Miss Purewal expressed her desire to involve the community in helping the school achieve its full potential, saying she wanted it to be known for "names not just numbers, outlook as well as outcomes". She told parents she wants "each child to have memorable learning experiences both within and beyond the classroom every day", so they can "discover what they truly enjoy and can excel at". Marlwood’s annual open day for prospective parents and pupils was due to take place on September 30 from 5pm to 8pm.
Marlwood dads' marathon challenge TWO dads of Marlwood School pupils are hitting the streets in this year's London Marathon to raise money for the school. The Friends of Marlwood School are helping refurbish the school's tennis and netball courts and, having already paid for a clean-up earlier this year are financing their transformation into a multi-sport facility. Chris Kedward and George Evans secured a place in the ballot for this year’s London Marathon, which takes place on October 3, and nominated FOMS as their chosen charity. It will be the first London Marathon both dads have entered. Chris, who has run several marathons before, said: “I first entered the London Marathon in 2019 but had to postpone it due to working overseas. "Then in 2020 it was rescheduled twice and so finally in 2021 I'll be taking part... fourth time lucky! "My goal is to make it round in one piece and obviously raise as much money as possible for my daughters' school." A member of Thornbury Running Club, George has attempted a marathon once before. He said: “I am really looking forward to taking part in the London Marathon. "With two daughters at Marlwood School, we know that some parts of the
Chris Kedward and George Evans with head Seema Purewal on the sports courts. Picture: Melinda Evans school need rejuvenating. "Being able to combine doing something that I love with raising money to improve sports facilities at Marlwood is terrific." Head teacher Seema Purewal said FOMS was once again rising to the challenge of raising more funds towards upgrading school facilities. She said: "This is a prime example of the Marlwood community in action, and Marlwood pupils are so fortunate to have already benefited from such an active PTA. "I look forward to supporting them with
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this event and many more to come. "Good luck. We’ll be cheering you all the way!” Chris and George each have an online fundraising page for anyone who would like to donate towards their fundraising. Chris's page can be found at tinyurl. com/Chris-Kedward, while George's is at tinyurl.com/Soilfix-George. For more information about FOMS visit the Facebook page @Friends of Marlwood School or email marlwoodfriends@gmail. com.
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October, 2021
13
n NEWS
New arrivals settling in at Castle School THORNBURY'S secondary school is welcoming more than 200 new pupils to what staff hope will be a more normal school year than the last two. But while the new Years 7s brought their new uniforms, PE kit and bags in a day before everyone else, work against covid risks at the Castle School had started days earlier. Head teacher Joe Docherty said: "Nothing beats the excitement of a new school year – full of hope, rich in possibilities and young people excited to be moving up to their next stage. "I am hopeful that school life will look a lot more normal than the last two years – but I do so with fingers crossed, like the rest of society. "Yet already we know it isn’t exactly that – our school year actually started earlier than planned, as we had to run five days of lateral flow testing before students could even begin
New Year 7s get straight into life at the Castle School lessons. So aspects of school life still have to be balanced against our need to try to avoid unnecessary risks regarding covid." The school's sixth form, which in the summer saw five A-level students win places at Oxford university, has seen a growth in numbers of over 40 students this year. The school is already looking ahead to next year's newcomers
and has tailored its events to the current circumstances. Rather than holding a single open evening with more than 1,000 visitors at once walking around the school and cramming into a packed hall, Mr Docherty and other school heads decided alternative ways to find out more about the school would be appropriate. The school is currently hosting daily tours between
8.30am and 9.30am, where Mr Docherty and senior colleagues will take people to see the school in action and answer questions. There will be a limit on the number of places each day, so parents will need to book on a tour in advance. The school is also set to publishing a small "virtual tour" on its website. For parents who cannot make a morning tour, Mr Docherty will host a ‘Meet the Headteacher’ session in school on October 6 at 5.30pm. More information can be found on the school website and people can ask questions by email at cas-enquiries.tcs@ cset.co.uk or by calling 01454 862100. The Castle School Friends group has already staged its first fundraising event - a car boot sale - and is planning a quiz night on October 15.
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To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120
Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk
thornburyvoice
14
October, 2021
n NEWS
Show already planning for next year ORGANISERS of the Almondsbury Gymkhana and Pony Show are already planning next year's event after overcoming covid restrictions and bad weather this year. The show at Washingpool Farm, Tockington raised £4,000 for the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity and St Peter's Hospice. Amid what organisers described as "monsoon" conditions, the 77th event took place in early July. But coronavirus restrictions in place at the time meant that
the event's dog show was unable to go ahead, as were the dressage and showing classes. A number of stallholders were also unable to attend because of the restrictions. However, competitors, spectators and supporters still made the most of the show jumping, gymkhana games and demonstrations by an agility and orienteering group. The show was supported by the National Farmers' Union, which contributed £1,000 towards its costs, as well as Almondsbury Community Shop
and NCJ farrier service. Jill Cyphus, from the show's organising committee, said: "A number of other local businesses support this show by sponsoring classes, advertising in the programme or by donating prizes for our raffle and silent auction and for this we are incredibly grateful. "This support enables the committee to not only keep this wonderful traditional event alive, but also raises a lot of money for Great Western Air Ambulance and St Peter’s Hospice, two amazingly
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deserving charities. "This was a truly great day for all concerned and it was so lovely to see people out and about once again, having great fun and catching up with friends and family in a friendly environment. "The committee are delighted to announce that they have raised around £4,000 for the charities. "They hope to be even bigger and better next year, and encourage all local people to come along and support this event." Next year's show will take place on July 3.
Tea room open five days THORNBURY'S Over 60s Tea Room is now opening five days per week. The volunteer-run room at the side entrance of the Town Hall in the High Street, which reopened following lockdown in May, is now able to welcome visitors Monday to Friday, from 10am to 3pm. Volunteer Sandra Doig said: "Thanks to the lovely people who have generously offered to bake for us, we are also able to sell delicious home-made cake at 50p a slice to go with your cup of tea or coffee. "If you have never called in to see us before, why not pop into our attractive little tea room to meet your friends or to make new ones? "If you want to bring your lunch with you, you are very welcome to do so. "If you can spare three hours a month and you like to meet people, why not volunteer to help us?" Anyone who would like to know more should call Sandra on 01454 418690.
Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk
thornburyvoice
October, 2021
15
n NEWS
Armstrong Hall campaigners launch survey A GROUP hoping to save Thornbury's Armstrong Hall complex is carrying out a study to see if its plans can work. The Armstrong Hall Action Alliance has formed in response to the decision of the hall's charitable trust in March to keep the building closed after lockdown. At least £77,000 of repairs would be needed before the hall could reopen “safely", the trust said. There had been long-term plans to demolish the hall and rebuild it but the funding which had been expected before the pandemic is no longer available. But the AHAA says it "continues to be optimistic about the possibility of resurrecting this vital arts and community venue to Thornbury". The group says it has received a" wealth of support and expertise" from the local community, and has set out a plan for what it sees as the potential long-term future of the Armstrong Hall Complex.
Inside Thornbury's Armstrong Hall Helen Cornes, from the AHAA, said: "The first step of this plan is to assess if the group’s aims are viable in the ‘real world’. "As such, the AHAA is undertaking a viability study to test the appetite of the local community for such a venue in Thornbury, as well as to scrutinise the financial and operational needs and
implications of the project. "AHAA is delighted that the Armstrong Hall Trust have agreed to support this viability study, which is expected to be complete by the end of October this year." As the study weighs up the practicalities of reopening the complex, AHAA is asking residents of Thornbury and the surrounding area to take part in
a survey and give their opinions on restoring the venue, to answer some key questions. Helen said: "Will it be popular and well-supported? Will people volunteer to help, or be willing to contribute via donations or subscriptions for services if the project were to go ahead? Do the community still feel there is a need for the Armstrong Hall?" Anyone who wants to have their say can find the questionnaire online at www. surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ XYCWTCP. The survey is open until October 8 and paper copies are available by calling 01454 413850. The group is also still keen to receive memories of the Armstrong Hall and people's impressions of what it means to them. To get involved or keep up to date with the progress of AHAA, email info@ahaathornbury. co.uk or search Armstrong Hall Action Alliance on Facebook.
Classical musicians return to Thornbury PROFESSIONAL chamber orchestra the Bristol Ensemble is returning to Thornbury for a concert organised by the Armstrong Arts Group. Led by violinist Roger Huckle, with guest oboe player Imogen Triner, the orchestra will perform a concert of popular classical music at Thornbury’s United Reformed Church on October 16 at 7.30pm. The concert features Marcello, an Italian oboe concerto of the Baroque period, Piazzolla's Oblivion, by the world’s foremost composer of Tango music, Bach's Concerto for Two Violins,
Piazzolla’s Autumn and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Autumn. Tickets for the concert, which is sponsored by the Joan Hawkins fund at Quartet Community Foundation, cost £18, to include wine or juice, and are available by emailing armstrongartsgroupthornbury@gmail.com or calling on 01454 850933. The group's next production is Michael Lunts' musical Christmas Crackers show at the Methodist Church Hall on November 27.
Roger Huckle
www.filton-central.co.uk To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120
Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk
thornburyvoice
16
n NEWS Bus changes SERVICES on one of Thornbury's bus links to Bristol are being cut back as operator First West of England changes timetables "to reflect customer demand and improve reliability and punctuality". Service T1 to Bristol city centre via Alveston, Almondsbury, Aztec West, Bradley Stoke and the M32, has had Sunday and public holiday services cut back from every 30 minutes to every hour. First says the change "reinstates the frequency of buses pre-COVID-19". The special schools service T1s will no longer operate, but the company says there are journeys on Service T1 timed to suit school journeys to and from Thornbury. First says its service 622 will now also run on Sunday and Public Holidays between Thornbury and Cribbs Causeway via Alveston and Almondsbury, providing three journeys in each direction.
October, 2021
n LOCAL MP
Buses must be allowed to stop on Thornbury High Street IT is good news that South Gloucestershire Council have committed to improving the plans for blue badge parking provision along the High Street. But there is still much more to do to ensure Thornbury High Street is accessible for everyone. Thornbury residents have made it crystal clear that a bus stop and a through bus route must be returned to our High Street. Without this bus stop in the High Street, many elderly residents and people with mobility concerns could lose their only means of actually accessing the High Street at all. Instead, they are left having to cross the increasingly-busy
Rock Street, and walk through the shopping centre, just to access our High Street. Meanwhile businesses have raised concerns about the lack of a bus stop on the High Street, explaining that it has reduced access and has driven footfall away from the local shops and services. Safety concerns have been raised by both motorists and pedestrians about the location of the bus stop on Rock Street. This all demonstrates the clear need for a bus stop to be reintroduced as quickly as possible. Currently, the council doesn’t propose to allow buses back onto the High Street, but they need to think again. We must have a
Luke Hall MP writes for Thornbury Voice
High Street that is attractive and accessible for all. As our local MP, I have written to South Gloucestershire Council, asking that they take immediate action to accommodate bus services along the High Street. Many residents throughout the town have told me that a bus stop would be a lifeline for them, their families and their access to the High Street which many have supported for decades. The council must listen to this strength of feeling on this issue and reinstate the bus stop in Thornbury High Street.
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Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk
thornburyvoice
October, 2021
17
n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC
Tackling cybercrime and supporting victims I WAS elected as your Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) five months ago. Over this time, work has continued to gather momentum and there is much more to be done to ensure local people are receiving an efficient, effective and legitimate police service. Recently, I have been reflecting on the key successes my team and I have achieved so far and I wanted to share these with you. I have taken on the role as national lead PCC for the Economic and Cybercrime portfolio. I will be working with representatives from City of London Police to understand the challenges in identifying and bringing offenders to justice. My overall ambition is to make everyone more resistant and resilient to cybercrime and ensure nowhere is safe for criminals who
commit this crime in the UK. I have also taken on the role of the chair for the Local Criminal Justice Board and will be working in partnership with heads of organisations across the Criminal Justice Service, including Crown Prosecution Service, the courts, prisons and probation. We will also continue to work closely with colleagues from the Probation Service to develop a co-commissioned reducing reoffending service for the whole of Avon and Somerset. The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s commissioning team has been extremely successful in a number of bids to the Ministry of Justice to further support victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. The total additional investment received from the Ministry of Justice for victim
services supporting survivors of domestic and sexual abuse in Avon and Somerset is almost £1.6 million this year. Finally, we launched the search for a new chief constable for Avon and Somerset last month. The chief constable has overall responsibility for leading the force, creating a vision and setting direction and culture that builds public and organisational confidence. This will be accomplished by delivering a professional, effective and efficient police service. This is a crucial appointment. The police officers and staff in Avon and Somerset are dedicated and hard-working, and I am looking for a chief constable that can enhance their considerable efforts and skills. I want a leader who is able to inspire their workforce and
With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford meet the needs of different communities across this geographically diverse area. The successful applicant will be in post early November following a police and crime panel confirmation. I will keep you updated as this process continues.
Repair cafe is back ALVESTON'S repair cafe is back, as community events start to return following lockdown. The event bringing expert volunteers together with people who have household items needing repairs, will take place at St Helen’s church Alveston on October 16 from 10am to 1pm. Before the pandemic, Repairing a power tool at the last event Alveston Community Forum organised two repair cafe events, with the second, in February last year, attracting 75 things to be repaired by a team of 17 volunteers. Three further repair cafes were planned for the year but restrictions meant they were unable to take place. Now, with restrictions eased, the event is returning Peter Waller, of Alveston Community Forum, said: "There will be a degree of social distancing, with a one-way system operating, and masks being worn in the church. "Also, some of the repair stations may be outside in gazebo style tents. "The two events which we held before the COVID disruption were tremendously popular and our volunteers can’t wait to get back into action repairing things which the local public bring along. "Once again, we hope to restore broken items so that they can again be used and to reduce the number of items unnecessarily scrapped."
To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120
Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk
18
n THORNBURY CLINIC
thornburyvoice
October, 2021
Dealing with long-term pain
Matt Kinal is a senior physiotherapist at the Thornbury Clinic who specialises in chronic pain. Matt has a master's degree in pain science and uses this knowledge to help people understand what happens in chronic pain.
LONG-term pain, also known as chronic pain, is different to an acute or short-term pain problem. Put simply, chronic pain is pain that has lasted for more than three months, but it is more complex than this. Quite often in chronic pain, the initial injury or cause of the pain has passed but the brain, nervous system and other bodily systems adapt and continue to cause the pain. This may be because they feel that that part of the body still needs protecting, or there may be other factors that lead the nervous system to become more responsive than it usually would be. Pain is our body’s alarm system and when we experience pain, it doesn’t always mean that something is damaged. If you think about it, if we only got pain when we have damaged ourselves it would be a very good system to protect us. We need pain to activate before
we do ourselves damage, in order to protect us from damage. For instance, if you put your hand on a hot radiator, the pain or uncomfortable sensation is there to make you move your hand away, so it doesn’t do you any harm. What can happen in chronic pain is the alarm system becomes hyper responsive or hyper vigilant, and stays in this state most of the time. This means it takes a much lower stimulus than usual to activate pain. Certain things can then reinforce this and make the nervous system stay in this state: things like our thought patterns, uncertainty about whether we are causing ourselves damage, how much stress we are under and the way we change our behaviour because of the pain can all make the nervous system more responsive and, if these continue, it can feed into the vicious cycle of chronic pain. The good news is that by understanding what triggers your alarm system to become more
responsive, you can do things which will help to make it less responsive. Subtly changing the way we think about the pain can help to improve it and allows us to do more activity. Being aware of how changes in lifestyle or increases in stress or pressure can be associated with pain helps us to make changes that can help improve the pain and, by including relaxation techniques into a rehab programme, it can also help to calm the central nervous system, which means the alarm doesn’t go off as easily. As we gradually become more active, it also helps to release chemicals into your system, which in turn can help improve pain. Understanding the pain can help people to feel less anxious about it and to feel more confident being active and moving again. If you have a long-term pain problem or you have a problem that keeps recurring, get in contact or book an appointment and start your journey to becoming painfree.
Welcome to u3a 4 Castle Street, Thornbury, Bristol BS35 1HB
Facilitating Recovery, Preventing Injury
THORNBURY and District u3a is inviting new members to a welcome meeting as the group returns to face-to-face meetings. The organisation exists for retired or semi-retired people to meet likeminded people to share educational, creative and leisure activities to expand their knowledge, share interests and acquire new skills. The local branch is inviting anyone who would like to find out more to come along to their next welcome meeting on October 25 in St Mary’s Church Hall, Eastbury Road, Thornbury, from 3:30pm. Membership Secretary Jackie Gitsham said: "Our groups mainly meet during the day and interests range from archaeology to walking. "Please come along; we would love to meet you." Details of all u3a groups can be found on the website www. thornburyu3a.org.uk. People can also call Jackie on 01454 858438 or chairman Norman Taylor on 01454 418396 for more information.
L & J Gulwell Treatments we offer include: Sports injury treatment Injury assessment & treatment Sports massage • Relaxation massage Pregancy massage • Clinical Psychology
Tel: 01454 838 366
info@thethornburyclinic.co.uk www.thethornburyclinic.co.uk
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Family Funeral Directors 1 Quaker Lane, Thornbury Bristol BS35 2AD Tel: 01454 418779 Fax: 01454 419764 Email: info@funerals.uk.net Web: www.funerals.uk.net
Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk
thornburyvoice
October, 2021
19
n NEWS
Afghan refugee families arrive as council looks for homes FOUR families of Afghan refugees have been offered homes in South Gloucestershire. The local authority says it is working with a community organisation to prepare for their arrival and hopes to make further re-settlement offers as soon as possible. South Gloucestershire Council asked private landlords to come forward with homes for Afghan families after Kabul fell to the Taliban last month. At that stage, it said it had found at least three homes for families fleeing militant rule but was hoping to identify more. In September, a spokesperson said: “So far we have offered to re-settle four Afghan families and have been in discussions with our contacts in social housing and the private rented sector, where we hope to identify further placements. “We are working with our partners at Southern Brooks Community Partnerships in preparation to welcome these families and help them to integrate within our local communities, as they re-build their lives. “Southern Brooks have already received generous offers of help from communities and will be in touch with people in due course.” In August council cabinet member Franklin Owusu-Antwi, who is an Afghanistan veteran and the council’s Armed Forces champion, said the authority was "standing by to play our part in supporting those who are resettled from Afghanistan following the recent, dramatic changes there".
He said: "We stand by our own Armed Forces veterans and others who risked and sacrificed so much to help in Afghanistan; so it is right that we also now stand by those local people who worked alongside them, often sharing the same risks, and who now need our help.” Writing in the Voice last month, Filton and Bradley Stoke MP Jack Lopresti, who also served in Afghanistan, said: "I cannot help but keep remembering the ordinary people of Afghanistan and the locally employed civilians who not only risked their lives but, by helping NATO forces, risked the lives of their families, friends and villages to Taliban reprisals. "I was delighted and relieved beyond measure when the Prime Minister announced the resettlement and evacuation programme for refugees, which is a fantastic thing." A total of 61 Afghan refugees have already arrived in Bristol, with over 100 more are expected in the coming weeks. They will be put up in temporary accommodation before being resettled permanently, either in or outside the region. The Home Office is paying for emergency hotel accommodation for new arrivals in the biggest evacuation operation in recent history. The figures were confirmed at a meeting of Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group in September. Medical director Peter Brindle said: “The refugees arriving have
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been in a managed quarantine centre up until now, where they have received very little if any healthcare intervention and no healthcare screening." Bristol City Council director of public health Christina Gray, who is leading a multi-agency team managing the refugees, told the meeting: “What we are dealing with in Bristol is the arrival of a large number of people in transit. “Every local authority has been asked to do permanent settlements, so alongside the management and welcome and holding of people in transit we have the work to do to make sure people are permanently settled. “That will be going on across all our authorities. “Bristol is a City of Sanctuary. We all feel proud to be part of this global response and do our local bit." She said the response from the public had been “absolutely phenomenal”,
Franklin Owusu-Antwi adding: “People have already been coming forward to respond to our request to provide accommodation, people have made financial donations, clothes, volunteering." South Gloucestershire Council is inviting local landlords or property owners who believe they may have suitable accommodation available to contact sghomes@southglos. gov.uk. By Amanda Cameron and Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service
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thornburyvoice
20
October, 2021
n COMMUNITY NEWS
Why I work for Oxfam - and need your help Thornbury Oxfam Shop Manager Josie Sucu on what volunteering and volunteers at the charity's shop can offer. SOME of you may know me through my various well-being groups and projects in Thornbury in the past. I have long been an advocate of self-empowerment being a primary key to nurturing your overall well-being and to having a positive outlook about life. This idea is even more important after the last year of the pandemic and all the challenges, both emotionally and socially, that we have all been experiencing. Anything that can bring back that feeling of hope and engagement about the future is even more important now. I started working for Oxfam as the shop manager on Thornbury High Street in 2018, having been
Josie Sucu with Oxfam shop volunteers. Picture: Jacob Sucu drawn to its guiding values of empowerment, accountability and inclusivity. Oxfam operates in over 65 countries in some very challenging environments but its focus is always to support and build communities based on these fundamental values. The same is true for all the UK Oxfam Shops that raise the much-
Are you over 50? Do you want to meet local people and do things in your community? It's now more than ever we need to reestablish our local connections as we come out of lockdown. Give me a call I would love to hear from you.
For more info contact Sato, Community Development Worker 07971 670880 satoblack@southernbrooks.org.uk
Got News? Call Richard 0n 01454 800 120
needed funds for all these projects: each is a community in itself, each volunteer giving their time, sharing their skills, learning something new, supporting each other and this is why I work for Oxfam. It is not just a retail charity shop. Volunteers may be seeking training, support back into the workplace, some social time in a safe environment or may be school
and college-age and seeking work experience for their selfdevelopment and future careers. We need more volunteers to enable us to open our full hours every day, but especially those of you who would be comfortable as the responsible lead volunteer. Maybe not straight away but with appropriate training you would like to help others in your community gain experience and know what it's like to be part of a friendly, supportive team. You may have previous experience in supervisory positions or teaching, where you could support our under-18s or less capable volunteers? Perhaps you were in a caring profession or a management role, or have the confidence to try something new, more peoplecentred or creative? If you would like to find out more, please do pop in and see me at the Oxfam Shop, 39 High Street, Thornbury or give me a call on 01454 414846.
Two shows for picture house THORNBURY Picture House is showing two movies at the Thornbury Methodist Church Upper Hall this month. The first, on October 2, is Woman at War, an Icelandic drama about an environmental activist's one-woman-war on the local aluminium industry. On October 23 the club returns with Portrait of a Lady on Fire a drama exploring forbidden love in 18th century Brittany between a portrait artist and the daughter of a countess, whose wedding portrait she has been commissioned to paint. Both film nights begin at 7pm and are free to members, with guests paying £5. For more information about membership visit www. thornburypicturehouse.org.
Volunteers needed THORNBURY Volunteer Centre several volunteer opportunities which can be carried out online or from home to help charities and voluntary organisations. Roles which currently need to be filled include maths and English tutors, advice support volunteers, telephone befrienders, dementia mentors, social media and PR work and an IT manager. Anyone who is interested in taking on a role should contact the centre for details of how to apply. Its offices are open 10.30ammidday Monday to Friday at Thornbury Town Hall, with no appointment necessary. Alternatively people can call 01454 413392 or email mail@ volunteer-thornbury.co.uk.
Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk
thornburyvoice
October, 2021
21
n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR
Bus services need more government cash MY nephew rang me last week, shocked when he heard my voice booming out across the bus he was travelling on. Confused, he had searched for his uncle among the passengers until he realised I was not there in person, but only as a recorded message thanking people for wearing masks! I want to say a big ‘thank you’ to First Bus for supporting my campaign to encourage passengers to wear masks so we can keep everyone safe – and apologies to everyone who has to put up with my voice! I believe mask-wearing continues to matter on public transport as one way of encouraging more people back onto buses, which is vital to meet our ambitious net zero targets. But currently we only have about 60% of pre-covid passenger numbers, and that’s caused a problem. The government rightly subsidised buses during the pandemic but they figured passenger numbers would quickly recover from their covid nosedive once people started venturing out more. They fixed on a number of 80% of people travelling again. So with that over-optimistic figure in mind, at the end of August the government suddenly slashed two-thirds of its support for West of England bus services! The result was to be expected: bus companies cut back routes, leaving people frustrated
and angry about being unable to get to work or study, get to hospital or go shopping. I have some pots of money – but they are limited and can only be spent once. So I am having to see if there are some routes I can help save. But without more government cash many people will, I’m afraid, be left disappointed. Government needed to take a more measured approach that would adjust the funding to help our bus services recover to properly reflect gradually-rising passenger confidence and numbers. Across parties, MPs agree with me. I was delighted that Conservative MPs Chris Skidmore and Jack Lopresti, Lib Dem Wera Hobhouse, plus all Labour’s local MPs co-signed a letter I wrote to the transport minister calling for a rethink. I’m certain that bringing decision-makers and influencers together – to work in the interests of local people – is what’s needed if we’re to solve our region’s big challenges. It’s not just about saving buses. We also need to improve our public transport. Having lived all my life here, I know the problems well. And efforts to improve things haven’t always worked. Successes like Metrobus are easily overshadowed by major projects that never got off the ground, despite lots of talk. Across our region there are infrequent bus services. Often they don’t go where you need them to. Sometimes you have to sit and take
Metro Mayor
Dan Norris
writes for the Voice
detours to places you don’t want to go, in order to finally reach somewhere you do! None of this will be solved overnight, but I’m pleased to have secured half-a-billion pounds for transport improvements, which will start kicking in next year. This will allow me to act more quickly to sort local transport challenges now and in the medium-term, as we build the high-quality West of England transport system of the future. A reliable, affordable, environmentally-friendly way of getting around our amazing region is what we all need and deserve.
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Collection of Royal Worcester Fruit Pattern
COLLECTION TOTAL: £15,000
Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk
thornburyvoice
22
October, 2021
n SPORT
Thorns are back in league action THORNBURY rugby club completed an encouraging preseason as they got back to playing after 18 months locked out of the sport. They narrowly lost to Drybrook and Hornets, both from the league above, and gave the new coaching team plenty to work on and work with. The playing squad has been boosted by the arrival of several new players. The league campaign started in early September with a heavy defeat at Chew Valley, one of the best sides in the league. The team was far from at its strongest and were not helped by a couple of refereeing errors that cost Thornbury a try bonus point and gave the 41-19 result a scoreline that flattered Chew Valley. However, it was good to see James Wood back playing after a period out injured prior to lockdown, and the second row helped himself to a brace of tries. He should have had a third,
A WORLD OF
Quality
Prop Luke Panting shrugs off the attentions of a Chew Valley opponent during Thornbury's league opener. Picture: Dave Fox but the referee saw fit to deny him the opportunity to buy his team-mates a jug of beer. Thornbury then secured their first win of the season at home to Devon side Crediton. They scored three tries, undoubtedly should have had more, but the trend is upwards
in terms of performance and results. The rest of September sees a difficult away match at Devonport Services followed by a home tie with Keynsham on September 25, followed by another very difficult match at Lydney on October 2.
Then they welcome Newent to Thornbury for what is frequently the game of the season before travelling to Weston-super-Mare to play Hornets again, this time in the semi-final of the Bristol Combination Cup, a tie held over from the end of the 2019/20 season. Dave Fox
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October, 2021
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Hockey club needs new recruits THORNBURY Hockey Club is on the lookout for new talent as it aims to field its first ever men's team. The club has been running since 1966
and was solely a women's club until last year, when men were invited to create a mixed hockey team. In 2021 the club, which now has around 80 members from across all ages and genders, ran its first mixed hockey league. Joanna Deas, from the club, said: "We now have growing numbers in all sections – Juniors, Ladies and Men. "Our aim is to have Thornbury's very first men’s team to enter a league next season. "We would love to hear from any one who might be interested in joining the club. "We welcome beginners through to more experienced players, including those who
have not played for a while and would like to get back into hockey." Juniors (boys and girls from Year 5 to under-16s) train on a Monday night from 6.30-7.30pm at The Castle School in Park Road, with adult training following from 7.30-8.30pm. The club is also looking for sponsors to support the junior team and bring in coaches to develop the players. Anyone who would like to get involved should email thornburyhockey@gmail.com or visit the website Thornburyhockeyclub. weebly.com.
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