Thornbury Voice June 2019

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June, 2019 Issue 27 FREE EVERY MONTH IN THORNBURY AND SURROUNDING VILLAGES

Cup glory for Town Join up to be a firefighter

PEOPLE living close to Thornbury Fire Station are needed to become on-call firefighters.

PAGE 14

Nursery’s ‘ambitious vision’ praised THORNBURY Town capped a fantastic season with some silverware when they beat Wallingford Town 2-1 to win the Hellenic League Supplementary Cup. Photo: Tom Shorey Sport: Page 30

370 homes plan is spiked PLANS to build 370 homes on the edge of Thornbury have been rejected by a government inspector.

Developer Bovis Homes launched an appeal after South Gloucestershire Council refused the plan to develop land near

Upper Morton in 2017.

But planning inspector George Baird said the Bovis proposal would conflict with the overall development plan for the area and dismissed the appeal.

Campaigners and councillors have welcomed the decision, with

South Gloucestershire Council leader Toby Savage saying that the plans were “not right for Thornbury”. Bovis, which could seek a judicial review, is considering its next move.

Full story: Page 2

EDUCATION watchdog Ofsted has given a good rating to a Thornbury nursery.

PAGE 3

Grow your own beer GARDENERS and beer lovers are being encouraged to grow hops which will be harvested to produce a Thornbury beer.

PAGE 7

Local election results round-up

LIB Dems are celebrating a clean sweep of Thornbury Town Council while the Tories kept hold of South Gloucestershire at the local elections.

PAGES 10 & 11

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June, 2019

n NEWS

Inspector rejects plans for 370 homes

A GOVERNMENT planning inspector has rejected plans for 370 houses on the north east edge of Thornbury.

Developer Bovis Homes wanted to build the homes on a site south of Gloucester Road, between Morton way and Crossways Lane.

The planning application was originally rejected by South Gloucestershire Council but the housebuilder went to appeal on the grounds that the council had failed to make its decision within the legally-required time scale.

Among the grounds for rejecting the appeal, planning inspector George Baird found that: • The application site was outside the town’s development boundary, so against the objectives of the area’s core planning strategy.

• The site was too far away from facilities in Thornbury • Insufficient information was

submitted regarding any impact on the road network • There would be a serious impact on the character of the landscape • The hamlet of Upper Morton would no longer be a separate entity • The rural setting of historic buildings in the landscape would be affected He also said that the application was premature whilst the area’s Joint Spatial Plan is being developed and would undermine the “co-ordinated growth of Thornbury and Buckover Garden Village”.

A spokesperson for the campaign group Thornbury Residents Against Poorly Planned Development (Trapp’d) said: “We are delighted with the result of the appeal and the reasons given by the planning inspector.

“However, this still leaves the door open for SGC to press

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Council leader Toby Savage, MP Luke Hall and council cabinet member Steve Reade in front of the Bovis Homes site ahead with the plans to develop Buckover Garden Village within the auspices of the Joint Spatial Plan.”

South Gloucestershire Council’s ruling Conservative group said the authority had successfully demonstrated to the inspector that it now has a five year land supply.

Council leader Toby Savage said: “I am delighted that inspectors agree these plans are not right for Thornbury. This council is focused on a planled approach and it is vital we oppose speculative development that does not offer the infrastructure to support services and facilities in Thornbury.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Maggie Tyrrell, who chairs Thornbury Town Council’s town development committee, said she was “relieved” at the decision.

But she added: “There are some worrying aspects of his

report, as his refusal is based on quite technical details about landscape and heritage.

“The other important issues, of distance from the town and lack of infrastructure, that have been of so much concern, do not feature as reasons for refusal, which may have implications for future applications.”

Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall said the decision was “a win for our town”.

Bovis Homes could still call for a judicial review of the decision.

A spokesperson said: “It is disappointing the appeal has been dismissed, and that muchneeded homes, which would help local families access the housing market, will not be delivered in this sustainable location.

“We will now take time to review the decision in full before deciding on any future course of action.”

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June, 2019

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n NEWS

Nursery praised for ambitious vision STAFF at a Thornbury nursery have been praised by Ofsted inspectors for their “ambitious vision”.

Happy Days Day Nursery in Cooper Road has been awarded a ‘good’ rating by the education watchdog, whose inspector highlighted the “attractive and stimulating” environment for the 173 children on the roll.

The inspection process involves examining key areas: leadership and management, teaching and learning, children’s development, behaviour and welfare, and outcomes for children. Each nursery is then given an overall grading of either outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate, with Happy Days rated good in all areas.

Ofsted inspector Dominique Allotey said children were motivated to learn from the interesting range of activities and experiences.

She said: “Key persons carefully plan from children’s interests to help them achieve what they need to learn next.

Staff build on children’s creativity. For example, staff set out resources and create calm atmospheres for babies and toddlers to explore a range of wooden, metal, real and sensory objects freely.”

Staff and children at Happy Days nursery in Thornbury, which has been given a good rating by watchdog Ofsted.

The inspector said that all children, including those with English as an additional language, had good outcomes.

They were also learning skills ready for school, such as taking it in turns, and building on their maths knowledge by starting to learn the difference between 2D and 3D shapes.

It was noted that staff build positive relationships with the children, which helps them to settle in, and boost their

self-esteem by praising their achievements.

The inspector added: “Staff

promote healthy lifestyles and children delight in outdoor play. Children have very good opportunities to play outdoors in the stimulating gardens. Young children enjoy water play, then watch with interests as water they have poured travels down drainpipes. Older children enjoy group stories outdoors.

“Staff provide children with healthy snacks and meals and children’s individual dietary needs are catered for well.”

Nursery manager Angie Pass said: "We are extremely proud of our recent Ofsted report, which is a true reflection of the hard work and dedication of our fantastic team of colleagues here at Happy Days.”

"We gained ‘good’ across all areas.

“We now look forward to building on this judgement, as we drive forward our vision of providing outstanding childcare for all.”

Social worker struck off A SOCIAL worker has been struck off for fiddling South Gloucestershire Council out of almost £3,500 by falsely claiming 385 hours she did not work.

Jane Rosalind Gordon manually recorded her clocking-inand-out times deliberately incorrectly over a two-year period.

When her boss became suspicious, he told her to use the authority’s automated swipe-card system to register her working hours.

But Mrs Gordon reverted to manually recording her start and finish times, prompting an internal investigation which uncovered the fraudulent hours claimed between 2015 and 2017, totalling £3,468.

A health and care professions tribunal in London ruled that her dishonesty amounted to misconduct and her fitness to practice was impaired, and ordered her to be struck off the register.

Mrs Gordon, who worked for the council between 2001 and 2017, latterly as a social work senior practitioner, had insisted the clocking-in timings were a “data error” and “unintentional”.

But the panel rejected her arguments.

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June, 2019

n NEWS

July deadline

Our July edition will be going to print on June 17. To ensure your news or letter is included, please contact us by June 12. Advertisers are also asked to contact us by the same date.

Firefighters at the barns in Upper Morton.

Picture: Thornbury Fire Station.

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Fire wrecks barns A HUGE fire at two barns near Thornbury started accidentally, Avon Fire and Rescue Service says.

It took crews from seven fire stations, including the town's retained firefighters but also crews from as far away as Portishead and Bristol city centre, to keep the fire contained to two barns.

The fire, in barns used to store wood chippings, was discovered at Old Gloucester Road, Upper Morton, to the north east of the town, at about 4.15am on May 14.

It was feared that another four barns could catch alight but firefighters contained it to two barns.

The fire service investigated the cause of the blaze and confirmed it was accidental.

Be an on-call firefighter: Page 14

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

Complaints Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the Thornbury Voice, contact the publisher using the details above. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), which holds journalists to a high standard of behaviour.

Further details of the complaints process can be found on the Voice website here, or can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.

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June, 2019

5

n NEWS

Ezzy fundraisers hit £20,000 target FAMILY and friends of a Thornbury girl are celebrating after reaching their second ambitious fundraising target in her short five years of life.

The money will pay for a second operation in America to help Ezzy Hodge walk.

Manorbrook Primary School pupil Ezzy was born two months early, weighing just 3lbs.

At the age of two she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and her family was told that she would never walk. The condition affects the muscles and restricts mobility.

The operation which can help, known as selective dorsal rhizotomy, was not available on the NHS at the time. It was available privately, but because Ezzy’s hips dislocate, surgeons in the UK refused to treat her.

So her family and their supporters raised the extraordinary sum of £80,000 for her to have surgery in America.

Mum Angela Hodge said: “They find the nerve endings then they cut them and that helps. She will always have cerebral palsy, but the tightness will have gone.

“We came back and she started taking her first steps at Christmas 2017. She still uses a wheelchair and a walker.”

Over the last year, Angela started to notice further issues Ezzy was having.

She said: “Her hamstring isn’t as long as it should be, her toe is starting to come up again, so she’s walking on her toes, and her calf muscle is starting to grow abnormally.”

The family was told that if left uncorrected, Ezzy would be unable to walk independently.

This month the family is going back to America for another operation, where an incision will be put in the muscle to bring Ezzy’s heel down to enable her to walk.

Angela said: “We are very anxious as well as excited for the operation. We are extremely grateful for everyone’s kind generosity in helping to reach our target, we couldn’t thank everyone enough for all their support.”

“We do still have a few

Ezzy with her family and supporters at Old Down Country Park

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Ezzy Hodge meets a donkey at a funsdraising event at Old Down Country Park events left and any extra money will help towards a wheelchair and gait analysis which will be extremely important to help with Ezzy’s rehabilitation following her surgery. “ A recent fundraising picnic with children’s activities at Old Down Country Park was a success.

Angela said: “It was a fantastic event and we all had so much fun.”

You can donate to Ezzy’s campaign at her page on online fundraising site JustGiving, which can be found at bit. ly/2ElrOtL.

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June, 2019

Hundreds say goodbye to Lee

HUNDREDS of mourners turned out to pay their respects to eight-year old Lee Belgium, who passed away in April after battling leukaemia for the third time.

Lee, whose family come from Thornbury but moved to Lyde Green, was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in May 2016 when he was just six, and had been going to Bristol Children’s Hospital three times a week to have chemotherapy, steroids and a new trial drug.

After being told by doctors that there was nothing more that they could do for him, last December his family decided to do everything they could to raise £90,000 for Lee to go abroad for a treatment trial and a bone marrow transplant, which they hoped would save his life.

After raising nearly £80,000 over the last four months through a range of fundraising events including cake sales,

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body was taken to the chapel in a horse-drawn carriage, and his blue and white coffin was decorated with the words “Shine like a diamond” and “We love you Lee Belgium.” Mourners attended wearing superhero costumes, including Clare who dressed up as Wonder Woman.

Clare said nearly 240 people came to the funeral and added: “It was beautiful. We had fireworks and balloons in the evening, and I have half his ashes at home with me and half are buried.”

Lee’s family are planning to set up a charity called Lee Belgium Lasting Legacy in order to help other families who have lost a child and keep to Lee’s name alive. The charity will Lee Belgium’s coffin arrives at his funeral by horse-drawn carriage provide free haircuts for funerals, as well as items such as teddy family fun days, football matches treatment, but he died on April 6. bears with heart-shaped lockets and discos, Lee’s mum Clare Lee’s superhero-themed of hair and photo pillows, in Boxall had planned to take funeral was held at Westerleigh order to help families remember superhero fan Lee to Turkey for Crematorium on April 27. His their loved one.

Lee’s former primary school, Park Primary in Kingswood, has set up a Just Giving page to buy a superhero bench in his memory. The family and school have donated towards the bench and a public appeal is being made to raise the remaining amount.

To find out more, visit: gofundme. com/lees-memorialbench.

Lee Belgium with his mum Clare Boxall

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June, 2019

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n NEWS

Thornbury’s home-grown beer needs you THORNBURY’S beer lovers and gardeners are being urged to come together to create a homegrown beer for the town.

The idea is that people buy a hop plant, grow it, and then donate the hops to make a beer sold specially for Thornbury in Bloom.

Behind the project is a partnership between town pub the Butcher’s Hook and neighbours the Thornbury Garden Shop. All people have to do is buy a hop plant from the pub and grow it at home until September, when the hops will be harvested and brewed into beer.

The plants have been sourced and potted by the Thornbury Garden Shop which is run by Tony Sansum and Sue Aitken.

Butcher’s Hook landlord Peter Tiley said: "We're really excited about this project, as we think it's a really nice way to engage the town in both brewing beer and the Thornbury in Bloom project. I'm a big believer in encouraging people to produce and grow their own food and drink, as it really enables a better understanding and appreciation of that product.

“Hopefully the project will be mutually beneficial, in that more beer drinkers might engage with gardening and more gardeners might find themselves more interested in beer.

“It's also nice to support the Thornbury in Bloom team, as I think their efforts in making the town look as beautiful as it does each year helps bring people to Thornbury, which in turn

Sue Aitken and Tony Sansum from the Thornbury Garden Shop with butcher’s Hook landlord Peter Tiley. encourages businesses to invest, which in turn creates jobs and improves social mobility."

The hop plants cost just £4 and have been subsidised by the Butcher’s Hook: they usually cost around £16 each.

They have been carefully chosen, so they are English Challenger hops which have a fruity, floral character.

Even people without a garden can grow one in a pot on the windowsill.

A date will be set in September for the harvest, and Tiley’s Brewery in Ham, near Berkeley, will make the beer.

Any residents who donate their hops will get a free pint of the finished product at The Butcher’s Hook, while 30p from every pint sold will go to Thornbury in Bloom.

Plants are available from the

pub, which is open Tuesday to Friday from 4pm onwards, and Saturday and Sundays from noon.

There is also a collection service so that people can buy

hop plants and any other items available at the Garden Shop over the phone before it shuts at 5.30pm, and collect them in the evening from the pub.

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June, 2019

9

n NEWS

Performers show Marlwood’s Got Talent IT’S not just in the classroom where Marlwood School pupils and teachers can perform.

A competition staged at the Alveston secondary school revealed they can light up the stage, too.

An audience of family, friends and supporters was treated to singing, ballet, modern dance, martial arts and gymnastics displays in the very first Marlwood’s Got Talent show.

PE teacher Matt Richards was under the spotlight performing as a rapper, and former student Georgie Hilton, who attended Marlwood 12 years ago, demonstrated the sport at which she is now a world champion: Korean martial art Tang Soo Du. Teachers Ewan Turner and Melissa Morgan were on the judging panel along with two former pupils.

After the judges picked out a singer from Year 9 as the winner the audience had a chance to make their own selection and voted for another singer from Year 7.

Supporters group the Friends of Marlwood School donated a £100 prize to the judges’ winning contestant.

The evening had many small touches to make it feel special - a red carpet, mocktails, a

Marlwood's Got Talent audience winner Harry

Marlwood's Got Talent winner Daisy

Compere Paris Troy with contestants in the Marlwood’s Got Talent competition photobooth, and donuts donated

by Greggs. Heart FM DJ Paris Troy was the compere.

The event was co-ordinated

by FOMS member Lucy Shrimpton, who said: “We are bowled over by the level of talent at Marlwood.

“This was an amazing, feel-good event, bringing together the school community to celebrate all that is positive about Marlwood after a tough few years.”

The event raised more than £600, which is likely to pay for equipment for the drama hall, and was such a success FOMS plans to hold it again next year.

The next event is the musical Oliver! which will be performed on 2 and 3 July.

For more information please contact the school by email at marlwoodschool@cset.co.uk or call 01454 862525.

More information on FOMS can be found at the group’s Facebook page.

Pictures by Imogen Roberts

Your local hockey club, Thornbury Hockey Club is running Back to Hockey sessions each week.

Fun, social and free sessions for beginners and returning players

When: Every Thursday Time: 5.30-6.30pm Where: The Castle School Astro Pitch, BS35 1HT Come down to enjoy fitness, skills, game play, fun and friendships.

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June, 2019

n NEWS

Clean sweep for Lib Dems in Thornbury LIBERAL Democrats made a clean sweep of Thornbury Town Council in May's elections.

Repeating the result for the Thornbury ward on South Gloucestershire Council, the Lib Dems took every seat up for election.

In the town’s Central ward, Lib Dems Robert Griffin, Clare Fardell and Benj Emmerson were elected with between 497 and 520 votes each. Conservative Geoff Chappell missed out, with 240 votes.

In North East ward, Jayne Stansfield, Matthew Stringer, Pamela Shipp and Ashley Bijster were elected with between 655 and 703 votes each. The four Lib Dems were well clear of the single Tory, Quentin Killey, who polled 289 votes.

Thornbury’s North West ward also saw three Lib Dems elected ahead of one Conservative candidate. Shirley Holloway, Helen Harrison and Guy

Rawlinson polled between 661 and 701 votes each, ahead of Graham Lanfear, who received 299 votes.

Two wards – East and South – did not have elections, as there were not enough candidates to force a contest. In both wards, all the candidates to stand for election were Liberal Democrats.

In East ward, the three candidates nominated and elected unopposed were Christopher Davies, Angela Symonds and Maggie Tyrrell.

In South ward, Eva Fielding, Clive Parkinson and Martin Trueman were elected unopposed.

Only one other parish in the Thornbury area saw elections.

In Almondsbury Parish Council’s Almondsbury ward, four seats were up for grabs.

Marion Stooke, Diane Wilson and Stephen Barr, who all stood without a party affiliation, were elected with between 404 and

Thornbury mayor and council chair Shirley Holloway was one of the re-elected candidates for the Liberal Democrats in Thornbury 536 votes.

There were four UKIP candidates but only one of them – Tom Crawley – was elected, with 191 votes.

The council’s Compton and Cribbs Causeway wards did not have elections.

In Compton ward, nonaffiliated candidates Phil Hall and Andrew Segal were elected unopposed and in Cribbs Causeway ward, Conservative Terry Peirce and non-affiliated

Marlene Smith, Alexander Akerman, Lorraine Dalton and Raj John were elected.

Several parish councils serving villages in the Thornbury area did not have any elections because all those who were nominated have been elected unopposed.

They are: Alveston, Aust, Cromhall, Falfield, Oldburyon-Severn, Olveston, Pilning & Severn Beach, Rockhampton and Tytherington.

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June, 2019

n NEWS THE new-look South Gloucestershire Council has been unveiled after the Conservatives held on to power at the local elections.

Of the 61 seats available, the Tories won 33, a majority of five.

The Liberal Democrats took 17 seats and Labour won 11.

But the Lib Dems say their successes in wards within the Thornbury & Yate parliamentary constituency, where they claimed more than half of votes cast, put them in a strong position for the next general election.

In the Pilning and Severn Beach ward, Conservative Robert Griffin was elected with 483 votes, more than 200 ahead of his nearest challenger, independent Olga Taylor, who polled 271.

In Severn Vale ward, where two seats were up for election, Tories Matthew Riddle and Keith Burchell were between 700 and 500 votes ahead of the thirdplaced candidate, Lib Dem Tony Williams, who polled 1,004.

In Thornbury there were three seats up for grabs. Liberal Democrats Shirley Holloway, Maggie Tyrrell and Jayne Stansfield, who were also reelected as town councillors, were each more than 1,550 votes ahead of the fourth-placed candidate, Tory Sue Gillett, who received 1,098 votes.

On the council’s ruling cabinet, Longwell Green councillor Toby Savage will continue to lead the council after he was unanimously elected by the Conservative group. Jon Hunt has been reappointed deputy leader.

The other cabinet members are: Erica Williams (Bitton and

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Tories hold on in South Glos

The new Conservative group on South Gloucestershire Council Oldland Common), schools, skills and employment; Ben Stokes (Boyd Valley), adults and public health; Steve Reade (Boyd Valley), planning, transport and strategic environment; Rachael Hunt (Emersons Green), communities and Ben Burton (Frenchay & Downend), corporate resources.

The Lib Dems were due to select their spokespeople after the Voice went to print but have confirmed that Claire Young and Maggie Tyrrell have been re-elected as leader and deputy respectively.

For Labour, Woodstock councillor Pat Rooney is once again the leader of the Labour

group, while Ian Boulton remains deputy leader.

Councillor Savage said: “This election has been hard-fought, with a lot of focus being drawn towards national issues, so I am pleased by the outcome and that the public continue to put their confidence in us and how we have run the council over the past four years.

“I am proud we now have a fantastic team in place, offering a strong mix of fresh enthusiasm and valuable experience, both in the Conservative group as a whole, and in the newly-formed cabinet.”

Councillor Young said: “I am delighted by these results. We

were the only party to increase both our number of councillors and share of the vote. I am particularly pleased to be joined by seven new Liberal Democrat councillors. The Lib Dems now hold 17 out of 61 seats in total, including 16 out of the 20 seats in Thornbury & Yate constituency – putting us in a strong position to take back the seat from the Conservatives at the next General Election.

"A key issue in the local elections was the West of England Joint Spatial Plan, which proposes a garden village at Buckover and more new housing in Thornbury."

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n NEWS Boxes fight period poverty SCHOOLS are being sent free boxes of products to be given to girls at risk of ‘period poverty’.

South Gloucestershire Council says research by a leading global charity has found that 1 in 10 girls in the UK cannot afford to buy sanitary products and an estimated 137,000 are missing school because of their periods.

It has launched a public health period positivity project to ensure girls who are unable to afford the products can access them, placing the boxes in school toilets.

The council says it is also distributing information to help improve understanding of periods and reduce any stigma or embarrassment around menstruating in the school environment.

Schools involved in the project include Marlwood secondary in Alveston and St Peter’s primary in Pilning.

June, 2019

Caravan returned to terminally-ill owner A TERMINALLY-ill man whose caravan was stolen has praised the dedication of a police officer who tracked down and returned his stolen caravan.

Leslie Collison and his wife Lesley were using the caravan for some memorable trips away during Mr Collison’s cancer treatment until it was stolen from a field behind the Plough pub in Pilning last November.

Leslie Collison, 64, said: "The theft was a huge blow and a loss to us at the time. I'm unable to work due to my illness and the caravan was our bolt hole.

At the time, neighbourhood PC Ross Calderwood appealed for information about the theft and described its impact on the family as “devastating”.

But the officer managed to track it down to Avonmouth in April and has now has handed it back.

He said: "I'm delighted to have been able to track down and return the caravan which means so much to Mr and Mrs Collison.

Got News? Call Richard 0n 01454 800 120

Children from First Step pre-school using the Makaton sign for the word ‘lion’, while reading and signing the book Dear Zoo. PC Ross Calderwood with Lesley and Leslie Collison I sincerely hope they are now able to enjoy it."

Equipment including gas bottles and a battery was missing from the caravan but the Collisons planned to replace it and go away to music festivals over the summer.

Describing PC Calderwood's commitment to the investigation as "nothing short of fantastic", Mr Collison said: “We're delighted to get in back after months of frustration and upset."

Enquiries continue into the theft.

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

June, 2019

13

n NEWS

Thornbury cat burglar unmasked SHE may look like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth but Rosie is no innocent.

The young Thornbury cat has turned to a life of crime after finding herself unable to resist the temptation to steal socks from her neighbours.

Rosie’s owner, Natalie Burgess, 35, first noticed a child’s sock appear by her back door last

Some of the socks stolen by Rosie

year. Now her cat has gone after bigger targets and is stealing more and more.

Natalie said: “It’s mornings and evenings. She’s stepped it up a gear and gets adult socks.

“A lot of the children’s socks are from a neighbour. I spoke to him the other day – he puts them out on the back of a chair overnight to dry and then in the morning one of them has gone.

“She’s had seven odd socks in a row. She’s quite a little character.”

Rosie swipes the socks when they are left outside to dry so her escapades stop in the winter, leaving Natalie with the task of reuniting her neighbours with their property.

Natalie is a member of the Lost and Found pets group for

South Gloucestershire, and her friend contacted her about Rosie two years ago.

The little cat was apparently a stray, with no chip, and she was pregnant. Natalie did her utmost to find an owner but had no response.

She said: “I let her have the kittens and was going to take her to the cat’s home but I fell in love with her and kept her. I did all the checks to make sure she didn’t have an owner. I kept two of her kittens and one will play with the socks that she brings in.”

Natalie started out with four cats before Rosie arrived. Now she has 7: plus a large pile of odd socks which need to be returned to their rightful owners.

Rocking Horse will raise money for children and ponies THIS stunning wooden rocking horse, worth around £3,000, has become the focus of a Thornbury charity fundraising campaign.

Handmade by Bristol craftsman Dave Parcell, It was donated as a prize to James Brewer who runs the town’s gift shop Celebration Fairs. He came up with the idea of holding a silent auction with a reserve price and would welcome any interest.

James said: “People can come in and look at the horse and tell me how much they’d like to give. Then on the last Sunday of November, I will announce the winner at my Christmas party.’

The wooden rocking horse will also make an appearance at the Almondsbury Pony Show and Gymkhana on July 7 at Washpool Hill in

Tockington. Money raised will be shared between the Bristol Children’s Charity, which helps

disadvantaged children under 16, and the Almondsbury Pony Show and Gymkhana.

Got News? Call Richard 0n 01454 800 120

Drugs seized in crackdown POLICE have seized 700 cannabis plants, 1kg of pure cocaine and solved at least 30 extra burglaries in the first six weeks of a massive crime crackdown.

Operation Remedy was launched by the Avon and Somerset force in April to target knife crime, drug dealing and residential break-ins, after residents identified them as their biggest concerns to Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh said an extra £15 million for the force after a 12.4 per cent hike in its council tax precept was being spent on recruiting 100 extra officers, some of whom were being assigned to the crackdown.

He said officers had “made a flying start”, going out on visible patrols, recovering many knives and “an awful lot of drugs”.

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Rosie with her owner, Natalie Burgess

T: 0117 431 5132

M: 0797 390 5323

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

14

June, 2019

n NEWS

Could you join Stephen fighting Thornbury’s fires?

AVON Fire and Rescue Service is looking for people to join the team of on-call firefighters who answer emergencies in Thornbury.

On-call firefighters are paid and fully-trained but rather than being full-time they hold down other jobs, answering calls as they are needed.

The service is currently looking for new recruits who live within five minutes’ drive of the town’s fire station in Gloucester Road.

Stephen Hales, 40, has been an on-call firefighter for two years and is urging people to consider the part-time role.

Stephen, who is married with two teenage children, already did a lot of community work with Thornbury Round Table and was

Stephen Hales is one of Thornbury Fire Station's on-call firefighters a cub scout leader for a number of years before taking on his firefighting role.

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In return we offer a great reward package including discounted childcare, free uniform for new starters and extensive professional development.

Please contact our Recruitment Officer on: 07734 384 546 or hradmin@happydaysnurseries.com www.happydaysnurseries.com

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In his early days in the job he was part of a team dealing with an explosion at a hotel in the early hours of the morning.

But it’s the diversity of the work that he enjoys, not just the firefighting.

He said: “You do everything from fires to helping the community and the bit that I get most enjoyment out of is seeing that we’ve assisted a local person.

“There are some people who are in a desperate situation and we can help improve their lives, for example elderly people in their houses. We might gain entry for the ambulance service and assist with lifting them from the floor into a comfortable position.”

There are several stages to the selection process: an interview, a fitness test, written tests, and a physical test. Then there’s the training.

Stephen said: “It was really good varied training – they took you through from the basics of pitching a 13.5 metre ladder, to running multiple pumps, and then on to hot scenarios using breathing apparatus.

“Search and rescue in a smoke-filled environment is a great, challenging exercise to prepare you for the real

thing. Teamwork is the key to completing the job in the best way.”

Stephen took 25 days off from his job as a design engineer at Applied Vacuum Engineering in the town to train.

He said: “I am very grateful to my employer for this flexibility and their commitment to the local community.”

Stephen said it was important for anyone applying to get a feel for the on-call firefighter’s role.

“Go down to the local station and have a chat with the men and women there to find out what the job entails and what impact it’s going to have on your life,” he said. “I got a lot from talking to people about what would be expected of me when I was in the role.”

The service says on-call firefighters provide a lifesaving service to the community and earn a second income.

A spokesperson said: “You can work flexibly around other work and family commitments, while still being an important part of Avon Fire & Rescue Service by responding to emergency calls when you’re needed.”

All the application information is online at bit.ly/2TJ6tzq

News? contact@ thornburyvoice.co.uk Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

June, 2019

15

n NEWS

Outstanding community work recognised SIXTH formers from Castle School who spent eight months working in the community have been recognised for their “outstanding contribution” at an awards ceremony.

The students from the Thornbury school had placements with 17 local organisations, and their roles included charity shop work, befriending, fundraising, and being reading buddies. Some chose to mentor younger pupils at the school.

The programme, known as Castle in the Community, has been running for seven years, working in partnership with Thornbury Volunteer Centre.

Castle head of sixth form Sarah Ockenden, who presented certificates at the ceremony, said school leaders were “immensely proud”, and that the pupils had “made a difference to the lives of others”.

The event was sponsored by

Thornbury Lions Club.

Lions youth officer Kevin Simpson said: "I am always amazed at these young people helping to make such a difference in their community, particularly at such a crucial time in their lives studying for exams.

“Volunteering is a great way for them to gain the necessary life skills, which consequently increases confidence in themselves. These young people emulate a Lion’s motto, ‘where there is a need there is a lion’.”

Testimonials written by host organisations were full of praise for the scheme and the volunteers who took part.

Lisa Russell, Duty Manager at Alexandra Way Care Home said: “They are a credit to Castle School, and we would welcome them back at any time.”

One of the student volunteers at Alexandra Way who helped out during the lunch time, serving residents their food and

Castle School sixth formers who took part in a community volunteering scheme have been recognised for their work talking to them, said it had been “really nice to make friends and get to know each of the residents”.

Isabel Enyon, a photography teacher at Castle School, acknowledged the contribution of the pupil mentors as “invaluable”.

Thornbury Volunteer Centre development co-ordinator Kim Webb said the placements were mutually beneficial.

She said: “The students gain valuable work experience and life skills and the organisations increase capacity and gain additional volunteer help.”

Any organisations which would like to be involved in next year’s volunteering scheme should contact Kim Webb at Thornbury Volunteer Centre on 01454 413392 or email mail@ volunteer-thornbury.co.uk.

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Melford House 6 Oaklands Business Park Armstrong Way, Yate, Bristol BS37 5NA

Tel: 0800 091 32 52

www.orchard-computers.com To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

16

June, 2019

n STROUD AUCTION ROOMS

Steaming away to American collector TOYS and transport made the headlines in Stroud Auction Rooms' May sale, with a Victorian 8in gauge live steam tender locomotive, Empress, taking pride of place on the list of highest selling lots.

The model, dated 1871, went under the hammer at £30,000 and is now on its way to America, having been bought by one of the world's biggest model steam collectors.

A number of pieces in Mark Rozelaar's expanded specialist transport section were also a roaring success, with a 1927 Austin Seven Chummy four seat vintage tourer selling for £9,500.

It was discovered in a Gloucester coach house and did particularly well because collectors liked its provenance, unrestored condition and local connection.

Also popular with collectors was a 1961 Daimler Dart classic car project, which sold for £8,000, and a 1929 BSA 500cc OHV sloper S3013 motorcycle – ridden to saleroom before the auction – which made

This 8in gauge steam engine is heading for an American collection after selling for £30,000 at Stroud Auction Rooms £6,500. An exceptionally rare 1927 Cotton 350cc OHV works racing motorcycle was, along with its parts, on its way to the scrapyard until it was spotted by Stroud Auctions at an address in Cheltenham. Something of a lucky find, given that it sold for £4,300!

Militaria had its usual enormous following and one private collection from Wiltshire received interest from 1,614 online bidders.

A fascinating private collection of playing cards included an incomplete set of English playing cards from the reign of James II (1685-1688), with scenes reflecting

the growth of Protestant reaction to James's Pro-Catholic measures, which made £3,200.

Stroud Auctions specialise in offering large private collections for auction, so please get in touch if you have a single genre collection which you may consider consigning for sale.

Auctioneer Nick Bowkett and toy specialist Stuart Maule always joke before every toy sale that they never sell toys to children, with most being bought by men over 50. This changed at the May sale, when Nick sold a bus stop sign to his youngest ever

bidder – Sebastian Taylor, aged five. Although it was his first bid in an auction, Sebastian has it in his blood because he is the son and grandson of Stroud Auctions’ founders James and Ray. The next auction at Stroud will be on June 12, 13 and 14, when the specialist sections will be jewellery, silver, bijouterie, watches, clocks and coins. Viewing will be on Tuesday, June 11 (10am-7pm) and on auction days from 9am. July’s auction will include vinyl records, stamps, glass and ceramics.

For more information see our advertisement below.

STROUD AUCTION ROOMS Entries now invited for our upcoming auction on August 7th & 8th

including guns, weapons, medals, militaria, sporting, taxidermy, toys, scientific instruments, cameras & binoculars

Royal Air Force/ Royal Flying Corps WWI Distinguished Flying Cross medal group Sold for £12,200

Edwinson Green of Cheltenham and Gloucester 12 bore over and under shotgun. Sold for £4300

A collection of shotgun cartridge re-loading tools Sold for £1400

FREE valuations every Friday (9am-5pm) & Saturday (9am-12:30pm) at our saleroom, at your home by appointment or why not email us a photograph to info@stroudauctions.com We are currently ranked no 1 in the country for the number of online bidders

Unit J, Bath Road Trading Estate, Stroud, GL5 3QF

Got News? Call Richard 0n 01454 800 120

01453 873800 www.stroudauctions.co.uk

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

June, 2019

17

n WHAT'S ON IN OUR AREA June 1-2 n National Garden Scheme opening, Stoneleigh Down, Upper Tockington Road, Tockington, Bristol BS32 4LQ. Open 2pm-5pm each day. Admission £5, children free. South-facing garden was a finalist in BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Gardens of the Year 2018, and filmed for BBC Gardeners’ World and ITV’s Love Your Garden.

Homemade teas available.

June 7 n Thornbury WI quiz night with fish and chip supper in aid of the Memory Café and Phase, a charity for young people to support their mental health and well-being.

Manorbrook Primary School, 7.30 pm sharp. Tickets cost £10 per person, including admission and food. Licensed bar and raffle. Tickets available from Gill Blackborough on 07866 580 608.

June 7 n Thornbury Volunteer Centre AGM, Cossham Hall, 2pm. Guest speakers Pauline Montgomery and Jane Marks from Thornbury Museum with a talk on historic inhabitants of Chapel Street.

Tea and cake will be served. All welcome but please RSVP to mail@ volunteer-thornbury.co.uk.

June 8 n Thornbury Area Youth Music open morning, 9.30am-noon, Manorbrook School, Thornbury, BS35 1JU. Come along to find out about classes and orchestras.

Children can try a variety of instruments: cello, clarinet, trombone, saxophone, violin, cornet, trumpet and more, and those who already play are welcome to come and join in.

June 8 n Thornbury Orchestra 'sea themed' concert supporting the RNLI. Includes Elgar's Sea Pictures, with mezzo soloist Juliet Curnow, Bax's Tintagel and Britten's Four Sea Interludes. Castle School, 7.30 pm. Tickets on the door: Adults £8, under-18s free.

June 8 n Celtic folk quartet MoMac’nMe play Cossham Hall in an Armstrong Arts Group presentation in aid of the Armstrong Hall redevelopment fund from 7.30pm. Light refreshments provided. Tickets cost £10 from Thornbury Town Hall. For more information contact Jane Parfitt on 01454 613581.

June 9 n Downpour Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, in the grounds of Thornbury Castle at 2.30pm.

Hilarity ensues when two sets of identical twins, separated by tragedy, find themselves unknowingly in the same city.

Tickets available from Ticket Source at bit.ly/2ZhtwVP. For more information call 0773 606 7141.

June 9 n National Garden Scheme opening, Hill House, West End, Wickwar, Wotton-under-Edge GL12 8JZ. Open 1pm-5pm. Admission £5, children free. Mature garden originally created by Sally, Duchess of Westminster. Currently under restoration. Gravel drive may make access challenging, but help will be available. Homemade teas.

June 11 n Eastwood Gardeners' Club meets at 7pm at Cossham Hall. Talk: Gardens of the Sun King, by Natalie Mignotte. More information on

the club available at the Eastwood Gardeners' Club page on Facebook.

June 12-15 n Octopus Drama Group present Rumours, a farce by Neil Simon, directed by Nigel Lane. Performances at 7.30pm Wednesday to Saturday at Christ the King Church Hall, Castle Street, Thornbury. Tickets, £8 (£7 concessions) from Chappell and Matthews on Thornbury High Street or call Karen on 01454 413783.

June 14 n St Peters Hospice Severnside Support Group tea, 2.30-4pm at Thornbury Cricket Club, Alveston Hill. Entrance £3, including tea, coffee and cake. Raffle, books and stalls.

June 14-15 n Thornbury Musical Theatre Group summer concert Broadway Lights, West End Nights, a selection of songs from past and present theatre shows, including live band, singers and dancers. Armstrong Hall. Friday performance at 7.30pm, Saturday performances at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets £10 from tmtg. org.uk online or from Lisa Costa Residential Sales and Lettings at 53 High Street, Thornbury from May 18. Discount of 10% on group bookings of 10 or more. Call the box office on 07516 270140 for more details.

June 15 n Thornbury Area Youth Music open morning, 9.30am-noon, Manorbrook School, Thornbury, BS35 1JU. Come along to find out about classes and orchestras.

Children can try a variety of instruments: cello, clarinet, trombone, saxophone, violin, cornet, trumpet and more, and

We would love to publicise your event Send details of your events and activities in the following format:

WHAT IT IS WHERE IT IS WHEN IT IS in no more than 40 words: email us at: contact@thornburyvoice. co.uk

those who already play are welcome to come and join in.

June 28 n Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company presents the Canterbury Tales, 7.30pm in the Armstrong Hall. An Armstrong Hall redevelopment fundraiser. Tickets available from Thornbury Town Hall, High Street at £ 15 or £10 for students aged 14 – 18 (age guidance 14+) or ring 01454 412272.

July 11 to 13 n Thornbury Musical Theatre Group Juniors present Cats at Armstrong Hall, 7.30pm each evening plus matinee on Saturday at 2.30pm. Tickets cost £11 for adults, £10 for OAPs, £9 for children or £34 for a family ticket – 2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children. Available online from www.tmtg.org.uk or by calling 07305 222922.

What's on at Thornbury Library

Opening times Staffed Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm. Saturday, 9.30am to 12.30pm.

Open access seven days a week between 8am and 7.30pm.

Storytime and Rhymetime for babies & pre-schoolers (term time only): Storytime, Mondays 2pm-2.30pm. Rhymetime, Fridays 10.30am-11am. A great way to meet other local parents, new faces always welcome – and it’s free. No booking required, just turn up – we look forward to seeing you!

Sight Loss – Information, Advice

and Support: First Thursday of the month, 10.30am-12.30pm.

Vision West of England offers information, advice and support to anyone living with sight loss. If you, or anyone you know would like more information on services for people with sight loss, then drop in any time between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Craft & Chat: First Thursday of the month 2pm-4pm. A chance for people who love crafting to get together and share inspiration. No charge and no booking required. Just turn up and bring your craft project with you. New faces welcome.

NEW! Repair Café: First Thursday

To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120

of the month, 2pm to 4pm. We are hoping to start a sewing workshop where a volunteer will be available to make repairs and minor alterations, to give your clothes a new lease of life.

Refreshments available.

Carers Support Centre Drop In - Supporting Carers into Employment: First Wednesday of the month 9.30-11am, supporting unpaid carers and former carers who have been out of work for more than 12 months to move closer towards their employment and training goals.

An advisor from Carers Support Centre will be here to give free advice and support.

Computer Support Volunteers: Drop-in without an appointment on Monday mornings 10amnoon to see Mike, our computer volunteer, who can help with quick enquiries.

If you need more intensive support, book in to see our computer volunteer Chris on Thursday at 9.30am, 10.30am or 11.30am. Sessions with Chris must be booked in advance – enquire in person at Thornbury Library or email thornbury. library@southglos.gov.uk.

Find us on Facebook at South Gloucestershire Libraries or @ SouthGlosLibs on Twitter.

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

18

n WHAT’S ON IN OUR AREA We are a friendly club and by no REGULAR means all expert gardeners. We enjoy sharing what knowledge we do have and welcome visitors EVENTS to any of our meetings. For more

Monday n Armstrong Hall Cossham Hall World Dance 7-10pm n Belly Dance classes Beginners 7.00pm, Improvers 8.00pm, Methodist Church Hall (upstairs) with Anna 07971234236 or bristolbellydance@yahoo.co.uk term time only

n Yoga for beginners at Armstrong Hall, 6:30-8pm on Mondays. £6. All kit provided.

Contact Moira 07703 536700 Tuesday n 11.00 am - 1.30 pm Armstrong Hall - Excell Room Recycled Teenagers Lunch Club n Sunbeams toddler and parent group Thornbury Methodist church hall Every Tuesday 1.15pm to 2.45pm in term time Time and space to share themed activities with your children ( 0 to 4 years) Contact janet_mann@ hotmail.com or margaretcrocombe60@gmail. com n Get Singing. A community choir for anyone who loves singing. All abilities welcome.

See www.getsinging.co.uk for more information. Turnberries, Thornbury. Tuesday 7.30 - 9.00pm (term time only). n Thornbirds, Thornbury W.I. meet on the third Tuesday of every month, 7.30pm at the Methodist Church Hall, Thornbury. We are a friendly group offering a range of speakers over the year as well as well as a variety of social activities.

Visitors are always welcome so why not come along and find out about our programme for 2019.

Wednesday n 2.00 pm Armstrong Hall Cossham Hall Tea Dance 01454 412060 n 2.00 pm. Armstrong Hall, Committee Room Lip Reading Classes n Growing Ideas Garden Club meets at 7.30pm on the first Wednesday of the month from September to June (with a break at Christmas) in the Watkins Room in the Old Grammar School Rooms, Chipping Sodbury. Annual Subs are £15.00 and visitors pay £3.

information come to a meeting or phone Naomi Gathercole on 01454 314476. n Support your Self-Care with Monthly Maintenance Shiatsu Clinic in Iron Acton every Wednesday between 3-8 pm.

Naturally restore your energy levels and improve your overall health and lifestyle for just £35 per month.

Contact Anna on 07487 511516 or email anna@wholehearted-health. co.uk for more information and to book your 1-1 treatment session. n Torn Paper Collage for Wellbeing: Turnberries Thornbury Wednesdays12.30-2.30pm. For more information or to reserve a place on these courses or other courses available throughout South Gloucestershire Please contact Jane Thomas, Community Learning Development Worker Tel: 07860 181352 Mob: 01454 864687 Email: jane.thomas2@southglos. gov.uk n South Glos Aspies, a weekly pub social for adults on the autistic spectrum, meets from 7-11pm at the Malthouse, Thornbury High Street. Friends and family of those on the spectrum are also more than welcome. Board games, skittles, darts, informal conversation and outdoor activities, weather permitting.

More information from robert@ southglosaspies.org.uk, george@ southglosaspies.org.uk or at www. southglosaspies.org.uk. n Thornbury & District Townswomen's Guild meets on the second Wednesday of the month at Turnberries at 7.30pm.

Varied programme of events and speakers. Pay a visit and perhaps join to celebrate 60 years of TG in Thornbury.

Thursday n 8.00 pm. Armstrong Hall Ceroc Dance n Avon Harmony are a Ladies A Cappella / barbershop chorus.

We welcome visitors for a no obligation taster session. We rehearse at the dance studio, Fairfield High School, Allfoxton Road, Bristol BS7 9NL. Every Thursday evening 7.30pm 9.45pm. Tel: Mary 07954170532. n Stokes Singers, a mixed voice community choir meet every Thursday during term time at Coniston Community Centre, Patchway BS34 5LP from 7.30 to 9.30pm. New members are welcome to try their first 2

Got News? Call Richard 0n 01454 800 120

June, 2019

n NEWS

rehearsals free of charge. For more information go to www. stokessingers.org.uk or phone Membership Secretary Liz on 01454 614148 n Scrapbooking for Wellbeing.

Turnberries in Thornbury.

Thursdays 12.30pm-2.30pm. n South Glos Art Appreciation Society meets every third Thursday of the month, 7pm for 7:30pm start, at Bradley Stoke Community School, Fiddlers Lane, Bradley Stoke. Lectures on fine art, sculpture, design, architecture and history of art. All welcome to simply come along to a meeting or for further details call Sally Kitching on 01454 774401 or email sallykitching@googlemail.com.

Friday n 2.00 pm. Armstrong Hall Committee Room Canasta Club n Folk Companions meet 7.45pm9.15 pm, term time only, at The Chantry, Thornbury. Call 01454 414952 or email iain.d.gray@ btinternet.com for more details. n 1.30pm Zumba Gold at Thornbury Leisure Centre n Weekly Hatha Yoga, The Chantry, Fridays 1.30-2.30pm.

Improve strength, balance, flexibility, health and wellbeing through this transformational and healing practice.

Drop-in basis, £8 (£6 concession) All Welcome.

There's no need to be bendy!

Contact Selina flourish@ selinaratcliffe.com Saturday n Thornbury parkrun is a free, weekly, 5km run or walk, organised entirely by volunteers and taking place every Saturday at 9am on the Mundy Playing Fields. Register once, print your barcode and just turn up. See www.parkrun.org.uk/ thornbury Sunday n Thornbury Ramblers walk. See www.thornburyramblers.org.uk for details, or ring 01454 413924 n The Alternative Sunday Lunch, Butchers Hook, High Street We provide a smorgasbord of food and ask others to bring in homemade/homegrown contributions to share out with everyone in an informal, open-table style Sunday lunch.

Suggested donation of £6 per person with all profits to charity.

Every Sunday 1pm.

New Universal Credit service A NEW service has been launched by Citizens Advice in South Gloucestershire to help people apply for Universal Credit. It includes help with completing the online application form and assistance with providing evidence such as childcare costs.

The initiative, called Help to Claim, will be available via Thornbury’s CAB branch. It offers individual support either in person, over the phone, or online through webchat. It follows a recent survey by the CAB which found that more than a third of people the charity had helped had struggled to provide evidence for their Universal Credit claim. In this area 340 people have already had help – nationally it is over 230,000.

Universal Credit is a new benefit which has now been implemented across the UK. It replaces six benefits with just one but there have been complaints that some claimants have lost money under the new system.

Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire general manager Chantal Watts said: “Our new service is specifically for those who need help applying for Universal Credit.

“We offer free, independent, impartial and confidential advice to people in the community every day and have developed an expertise in dealing with Universal Credit. We’ve seen first-hand what can happen when people struggle to make a claim and their payments are delayed.

“We encourage anyone who needs help with their application to get in touch with us either in person, over the phone or over webchat via citizensadvice.org. uk.”

The advice line number is 0800 144 8 444.

Advertise your business in Thornbury Voice Contact Richard on

01454 800 120

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

June, 2019

19

n THORNBURY CLINIC

Pregnancy Physiotherapy: What to expect while you are expecting

Sarah West is a Senior Physiotherapist, Pilates and Yoga instructor at The Thornbury Clinic, with over 9 years’ experience in physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation. She has worked as a senior physiotherapist in the NHS and in private practice, as well as with professional sports teams.

FOR every mother to be, pregnancy should be a unique time. Whether you are expecting your first child or are a pregnancy expert, over the course of nine months you will experience many special moments.

However, as your body changes it is not uncommon to pick up aches and pains. In fact, the prevalence of low back pain and pelvic pain in pregnancy is 50-70%.

Unfortunately, 14-22% of pregnant women develop serious pelvic girdle pain, which can prevent them from carrying out activities of daily living, work, hobbies and social interests.

Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain is common but not

normal and it can be treated safely and effectively at any point during pregnancy and after birth. It is better managed with prompt identification, as soon as symptoms present.

Common areas to experience discomfort are: the lower back, sacroiliac joint (at the back of the pelvis), groin, thigh, and centrally at the pubic bones.

Why do we develop pelvic pain?

The pelvis forms a strong connection between the spine and the lower extremities. It has extensive fibrous connections in the form of ligaments which provide stability and support to the pelvic joints, namely the sacroiliac joint.

In pregnancy, women produce raised quantities of a hormone, relaxin, alongside an increase in progesterone levels. This causes greater laxity in the ligaments of the pelvic girdle (as well as the ligaments in the rest of the body), which has been shown to cause increased range of motion of joints. Some women can handle the greater range of motion from ligament laxity, while others suffer from decreased joint stability which can lead to pain if it is not compensated by good muscular control.

Alongside this, particularly into the third trimester of pregnancy, women will develop an increased lumbar lordosis (inward curvature of the lower spine) and forward tilt of the pelvis. This puts pressure on the back extensor muscles, tightens hip flexors and can

weaken glutes, hamstrings and abdominal muscles.

How can Physiotherapy help?

An experienced physiotherapist will perform a safe and comprehensive assessment of your posture, movement, joint stability and muscular control to determine the structures that may be at fault. They will consider positional precautions and pain to ensure that you and your baby are not at risk. Physiotherapy aims to promote physical and emotional health by controlling pain, improving range of joint mobility, increasing the strength of the trunk and pelvic girdle muscles, supervising you back to functional activity and preparing you for delivery.

This may include the provision of: • Manual therapy (massage, joint mobilisation, muscle energy

techniques) • Acupuncture • TENS • Equipment (pelvic support belts, crutches) • Recommendations to hydrotherapy (up to 30 weeks) • Postural and positional advice • Taping techniques • Pilates It is important to note that early exercise advice and education can prevent symptoms from progressing so you can enjoy your pregnancy to its finest and fullest.

The Thornbury Clinic offers both pregnancy physiotherapy, pregnancy massage and small size Pilates classes.

Finally, congratulations to anyone who is reading this article whilst currently pregnant. We wish you all the best with the remainder of your pregnancy.

4 Castle Street, Thornbury, Bristol BS35 1HB

Facilitating Recovery, Preventing Injury

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

To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

20

n MOTORING

June, 2019

A guide to pre-owned cars with Richard Cooke

Second hand Style Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost, Mk4: Less is more THE Ford Focus is so much a part of our automotive furniture that it’s hard to remember what a giant leap forward it was from the appalling ‘that’ll do’ Escort. I drove a 1.8 petrol Mk1 Focus in 2001, and it was a revelation. Almost as well built and certainly far better to drive than the contemporary VW Golf, it was positively fun on the roads between Edinburgh and St Andrews. Twenty years after the Focus was first launched, Ford released the Mk4 tested here.

Used models are therefore only a year old at most, so if you’re in the market for a Focus should you pay the extra over the previous Mk3?

First impressions are that yes, you should. The new Focus is lower and wider than its predecessor, and visually at least that’s a good thing. Not many manufactures are doing this at the moment – top

heavy SUVs are the order of the day. So well done Ford for going down this route, as the Focus looks planted and purposeful.

Inside it gets even better. The dash is well built, functional and feels almost premium in quality.

The satnav is simply the best I’ve seen in a car at any price point, Tesla and Volvo included. The resolution is superb, it is intuitive and quick to programme. Full marks here and evidence of Ford’s enormous investment capability versus smaller firms. The seats are comfortable, there is plenty of room front and rear (although the boot is far too small) and the cabin generally feels light and airy.

The only mark against the interior is the stereo, which comes with standard issue Ford speaker covers that they’ve persuaded Bang & Olufsen to glue their badge onto.

The sound is far too boomy, and the cheapness of the materials used is brand stretch gone too far: like scrawling ‘Petrus’ onto a can of Carling.

That aside, it is a case of so far, so good. On the move Ford pull out their ace card: the engine.

This Focus comes with a 1.0 litre 3 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, producing 125hp. It is linked to a 6 speed manual gearbox and it is a tiny, thrummy, zingy marvel. At no stage do you imagine you are driving anything smaller than a 2.0 litre, until you either pop the bonnet and wonder where the engine actually is or when you fill up with petrol and realise you’ve been using no more than a gallon of fuel every 45 miles.

There is no turbo lag at all and, whilst I’d be pushing it to say the Focus is fast, it certainly never feels

short on power. Under load there’s that delightful slightly off-beat 3 cylinder thrum that boring old 4 cylinder engines just don’t offer. I loved it, and that’s good because the 3 cylinder is here to stay, as manufacturers develop smaller more fuel-efficient engines. The last time I tried one was years ago in a Daewoo Matiz, which also had a charm of its own, but Ford have moved the game on tremendously.

Don’t bother with the lower powered 1.0 alternatives though, or you’ll be wondering why you didn’t pay extra for the 125hp every time you climb a hill.

It’s still a bit early to say what might go wrong with the Mk4 Focus longer term, but the previous Mk3 had several issues with this 1.0 engine that you would hope have been properly resolved. This included turbo problems causing the car to go into the dreaded ‘limp home’ mode.

There were also problems with the automatic gearbox option, which I would avoid on this sort of car anyway. Going from the older model to this one, it is clear that the real leap forwards is in the design of the cabin – once you’ve experienced that excellent satnav you won’t want to trade down. As ever, depreciation is your friend, as buying a year-old Focus will save you about £9k over new and that is my recommendation. Great car.

Ford Focus Ecoboost 1.0 125hp: From £18k for a 2018 ‘STLine’ model with 15k miles

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June, 2019

21

n NEWS

Theatre company brings the Bard to the castle AS their name implies, Thornbury’s Downpour Theatre Company are ready to perform in all weathers.

So when they bring one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies to Thornbury Castle, the audience can be assured that whatever the weather, the show will go on. The Thornbury performance of The Comedy of Errors is one of six al fresco dates on a tour of outdoor venues the actors will visit in June and July.

The company’s distinctive name pays tribute to members’ love of open-air theatre – and to a rather damp previous performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

It is a small independent company, founded three years ago by Sarah and Andrew Cullyer, who met through a university theatre society.

They originally called it Merry Mechanicals but changed the name after it was found to be too similar to that of other theatre groups.

Set up as an amateur group, specifically to perform a Shakespeare play at a time

when no other am-dram groups in the town were keen to do so, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was a success. So, just a year after starting out, Sarah and Andrew took the major step of registering as a professional theatre company and changed the group’s name to Downpour.

Sarah said: “Andrew and I have always had theatre bucket list – lists of plays we desperately wanted to be part of or experiences like performing open-air Shakespeare – and we didn’t want to look back in 20 years and say ‘what if?’ and wish we had been braver.”

The company will also perform The Comedy of Errors at Stroud, Thornbury, Dursley, Miserden, Cirencester and Ashton Court as part of the Bristol Shakespeare Festival.

Sarah said: “South Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas have some absolutely stunning open-air venues, and we fell in love with the idea of taking our shows to some of those wonderful places. I mean, really, is there anything better than watching some hilarious open-air theatre

Downpour Theatre Company will entertain, whatever the weather. in beautiful surroundings in the sunshine?”

The play is Shakespeare’s shortest and, some argue, his wittiest. The cast will transport their audience to the Byzantine Empire, where two sets of identical twins, separated by tragedy, find themselves unknowingly in the same city.

Mistaken identities lead to all kinds of mishaps as the story develops.

The play is less than two hours long including the interval.

The performance in the grounds of Thornbury Castle Hotel will be on Sunday June 9 at 2.30pm, is the first of the season.

For information on the summer tour and how to book tickets go to the group’s website www. downpourtheatrecompany. co.uk.

Canterbury Tales come to town THE Bristol Old Vic Theatre School comes to Thornbury in June to present the Canterbury Tales at the Armstrong Hall.

Written by Chaucer, the famous stories feature a colourful cast of characters who set off on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, competing to tell their tales of love, lust, adventure and chivalry.

They represent the social demographic of medieval life, with the Miller, the Steward and the Wife of Bath brought alive by student actors.

The Old Vic Theatre School has trained actors including Daniel Day-Lewis, Patrick Stewart, Olivia Colman, Helen Baxendale and Jeremy Irons, so the cast of the latest production could include some stars of the

future.

The adaptation is by John Hartoch, is directed by Kirstie Davis and designed by Alex Berry.

The performance takes place on Friday June 28 at 7.30pm and is a fundraising event for the Armstrong Hall redevelopment.

Tickets are available from Thornbury Town Hall at £15 (concessions £10 for students aged 14 – 18) or by calling 01454 412272.

The performance is suitable for everyone aged 14 and over.

Right: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School students prepare for their performance of the Canterbury Tales. Picture: Rachel Holman

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June, 2019

n LOCAL MP

Tackling climate change OVER the past fifty years, the average temperature in the UK has risen significantly. Clear evidence demonstrates that this change in climate is occurring due to rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere; the higher the amounts of these gases in our atmosphere, the warmer our planet becomes.

The threat of global warming has never been more apparent: our sea levels are rising, polar ice is melting and extreme weather conditions are becoming more frequent. Studies suggest climate change is likely to be the greatest cause of species extinction this century, so it is clear that we must act now, rather than doing so later at a much greater environmental and financial cost.

On a national level, we should be incredibly proud that the

United Kingdom continues to play a world-leading role in tackling climate change and the transition to Clean Growth. We are the first country in the world to introduce legally binding long-term emissions targets and have the best performance on a per-person basis of any G7 nation. We have a new 25 Year Environment Plan, which outlines commitments to supporting and protecting the world's most biodiverse forests, supporting sustainable agriculture and enhancing sustainability, and supporting zero-deforestation supply chains.

We have already made huge progress. Last year, more than 50% of UK electricity came from low carbon sources, making it a record year for renewable energy such as wind and solar. Solar and hydroelectric plants now generate more energy than nuclear power

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stations.

Just last month, the National Grid announced that Britain's electricity system had been operating fully coal-free for an entire week, the first time this had happened in Britain since the Industrial Revolution. This is a major step forward towards our target of phasing out coal by 2025.

There is a huge degree of commitment from our government to leave our environment in a better state than we found it, and I will continue to push to ensure this remains a priority.

I am also so hugely grateful to the fantastic work of local environmental campaigners and activists across South Gloucestershire who have been so important in raising these important issues and ensuring that clean energy is a priority for this government, and South

Luke Hall MP writes for Thornbury Voice

Gloucestershire Council in their mission to create an effective local climate change strategy. As ever, I am hugely grateful for the thoughts of our community on this most important matter. Contact me at luke.hall.mp@parliament.uk.

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June, 2019

23

n INTERCHANGE BLOG

The difference a volunteer can make Volunteers' Week is a chance to celebrate and say thank you for the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. We look at the difference volunteers make in North Bristol…

VOLUNTEERS provide an estimated £22.6 billion every year in the value they provide in the UK but beyond the financial benefits, people, organisations, animals and more thrive thanks to the support offered by the donation of time.

Every year, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations organises Volunteers’ Week to recognise this contribution.

From June 1 -7, hundreds of events and celebrations take place across the country, saying thank you to volunteers.

The West of England MS Therapy Centre in Bradley Stoke utilises the support of dozens of volunteers every year.

Community support development officer Claire Wingate told us: “The West of England MS Therapy Centre could not provide the range of therapies and support to our members without the invaluable support of our volunteers.

“Last year volunteers provided the centre with 10,000 hours in a variety of roles, from admin to supporting our oxygen unit, gardening events and driving members to our centre.

“We are so appreciative of their support and value all their time, experience and expertise that they give us.”

Wanting to do good is considered the most important reason to volunteer and, with more than 166,000 voluntary

organisations in the UK, their contribution is invaluable.

There are literally dozens of organisations in North Bristol that require help from volunteers, including the North Bristol Advice Centre. Individuals help in a variety of roles including admin, IT, publicity, debt and more.

Bristol City Council has details of you can help in your community on its website, whilst North Bristol Food Bank describes volunteers as ‘the lifeblood of foodbanks’ and ‘the driving force behind foodbanks’.

In Thornbury the volunteer centre has many opportunities on its website at volunteer-thornbury. co.uk.

Andy Wynn, manager of the WillowBrook Centre is a governor

at Meadowbrook Primary in Bradley Stoke.

He said: “There are so many people who offer support to the school by way of volunteering their time and expertise. They’re a vital resource and I’m proud to say I’m one of those individuals.”

Volunteer Centre Patchway, Filton and the Stokes helps match people looking for volunteering in the local community with volunteer roles with groups and charities.

It runs drop in sessions for people to talk about volunteering to help understand their options in Patchway, Filton, Bradley Stoke and Stoke Gifford.

Alan Wilcox of North Bristol Running Club set up the group with his wife Sheila. There are now more than 1,000 members,

supported by many volunteers.

Alan explained why they’ve never tried to make a profit from what is clearly a hugely successful group.

“We like to give something back,” he said. “We enjoy supporting the community. If someone gets a personal best in a race or a marathon, we like to think we helped in their development.

“I’m a mental health ambassador and some people come along to talk things out, or even not to talk, just to clear their minds.”

If you want to get involved with Volunteers’ Week, visit the website at volunteersweek.org, where you can download resources, information and details and of events that are taking place.

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n NEWS

Martin Abrahams ran the London Marathon as 'ShoeperMan' for the Children's Hospice South West.

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June, 2019

Martin hoofs it for hospice A FATHER who lost his daughter to leukaemia completed the London Marathon in her memory, dressed as a giant shoe.

Martin Abrahams’ youngest daughter Jess died when she was only 6 years old and the marathon was the latest in a series of fundraising events he has held in her memory.

The shoe represented the Children’s Hospice South West, which provided vital support to Martin and his family when Jess died. His challenge has so far raised more than £6,600 for the charity and he thanked his “amazing supporters” for helping to reach that figure.

Martin said: “I think Jess would have loved seeing me in the shoe and I'm sure she would have been proud of the marathon and the fundraising achievements.

“The figure raised has really blown me away – my target was £3,000 and I thought that would be challenging, so to more than double it has been astounding.

“I want to particularly thank the people of Thornbury, Bradley Stoke, Bristol and employees from the Nationwide Building Society, where we held a successful cake bake raising over £600.”

Martin completed the 26.2 miles in 5 hours 26 minutes and 20 seconds as ‘ShoeperMan’,

and says he was treated “like a minor celebrity” as he ran the course. His wife Melissa and daughter Zoe were there to support him on the day.

He said: “I had enough water and jelly babies to get me round, although the sweets tended to come from the generous crowd rather than the organisers!

The crowd support was pretty relentless and so needed. The costume meant I was out on the course much longer than I would have been without it, but I wouldn't have had so much fun.”

Martin, 41, and his family live in Thornbury, and were supported by the Charlton Farm Hospice near Bristol, which helped them after they lost Jess, and still supports them by holding bereavement days.

Charlton Farm is one of three hospices run by Children’s Hospice South West, the others are Little Bridge House in Barnstaple and Little Harbour in St Austell. Services are free and mainly paid for through voluntary contributions.

There’s still time to donate via Martin’s JustGiving page. It can be found at bit.ly/2FeLb7t on the JustGiving site.

Among the other local runners taking part in the marathon were Thornbury Running Club’s Dave Beard, Sean Underwood and Suzy Cundy.

Sean, a police sergeant, was running for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of family friend and BBC presenter Rachael Bland, who died of cancer last year.

He raised more than £18,000, while knocking more than 20 minutes off his previous marathon best to record a time of 4 hours 58 minutes and 11 seconds – and also got to meet tennis star Andy Murray, who came to offer Sean Underwood with Andy Murray before his support to the the London Marathon Macmillan runners.

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June, 2019

25

n THORNBURY AND DISTRICT MUSEUM

The early years of electricity THORNBURY Rural District Council first announced that it would apply for the necessary powers to generate and supply electricity to Thornbury in 1903. But the ambitious decision does not seem to have brought about any immediate action and it appears to have been left to private enterprise to bring electricity to the town.

The trigger seems to have been the marriage of Helen Garfield Cullimore, daughter Saw Mill owner Edmund Cullimore, to electrical engineer Francis Grace in 1907, which combined the electrical “know-how” with the necessary financial backing and entrepreneurial spirit.

Grace met with many problems as he expanded the electricity supply, not least from Thornbury Parish Council, which in 1915 declined to make a decision either way on his application for permission to carry “electric wires”

over part of the highway, on advice that they had no authority over the application.

However, Grace persevered.

He used electricity when he built the Thornbury Picture House, which opened in 1919, and eight years later applied to the Electricity Supply Commissioners for authorisation “to supply and distribute electrical energy for all public and private purposes”.

The family formed the Thornbury Electric Company and built substations in St Mary Street and Alveston.

By 1933 the Company claimed to have 303 consumers and builders WW Pitcher and Sons had built the Gas and Electricity Showrooms, pictured, in St John Street for the Thornbury Gas Light and Coke Company and Thornbury and District Electric Company.

In October 1934 the company was contracted to supply electricity

to Thornbury District Council “to light such streets and roads in the district of the council as the parish meetings may from time to time vote.” The lamps were only to be lit one hour after sunset until 10.30pm in wintertime, as light was considered unnecessary in the summer.

In September 1939 blackout regulations meant that all street lights were turned off. No lights were to be visible at all: even the glow of a cigarette light was frowned upon. In Thornbury many people were summonsed for a breach of these regulations, including Irene Staite, who was fined five shillings in 1942 for riding a bicycle with an

unauthorised light.

Car accidents increased and we know of at least two such wartime deaths in Thornbury: Frederick Robert Wilcox was knocked down by a motorcycle whilst walking in St John Street and a boy named Sidney Coles was also a victim of an accident in the blackout.

In 1944 the regulations were relaxed and Thornbury’s street lights gradually increased, from 86 to 110 by 1950, with bulbs increased from 60 to 100 watts.

By then nationalisation had seen Thornbury’s own supplier replaced by the Midlands Electricity Board, in 1947, and a new showroom was built at the top of the High Street.

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thornburyvoice

June, 2019

n NEWS

£800,000 raised for cancer research over 42 years THE Thornbury and District Cancer Research UK committee has celebrated raising £800,000 over the last 42 years.

Members of the fundraising group were invited to afternoon tea at Alveston House Hotel, as guests of the Cancer Research UK Management, to celebrate their milestone achievement.

The committee of 12 was set up in 1977, and many members have since had cancer themselves. Over the years they have organised many different events to raise funds, from quizzes to fashion shows, from Alveston Open Gardens to store collections at supermarkets.

Member Betty Cain said: “Much of this could not happen without the support of local business and all the many people of Thornbury, Alveston and district, together with donations from many who wish to support the work of Cancer Research UK. “Everyone enjoys what we do, knowing that the funds we raise brings closer the day when Cancer will be diagnosed and treated that much earlier.

“Many of the Committee have suffered with, and have been treated for this terrible disease, so we are very aware of how important our fund raising is to ensure that Research can continue.”

Volunteers are needed THORNBURY Volunteer Centre has a variety of roles where help is needed for local organisations.

Dr Jenner’s House Museum and Garden in Berkeley needs volunteers for a variety of roles including gardening, welcoming visitors and working in the office for the forthcoming season.

Outreach volunteers for Aerospace Bristol are needed to run a varied programme of events to bring the museum’s experience to the wider community, including creating a micro museum at public events, engaging with dementia patients in care homes and helping children to discover gravity through play.

PHASE, a Community Interest Company, is seeking volunteers for mentoring and book-keeping roles helping young Thornbury residents or pupils attending Thornbury schools who are suffering from emotional, social and behavioural issues to believe in themselves make positive choices and raise their aspirations.

Two local village halls in the Thornbury area are looking for booking secretaries.

For further information on any of these roles contact Thornbury Volunteer Centre on 01454 413392 or email mail@volunteerthornbury.co.uk.

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thornburyvoice

June, 2019

27

n SPORT

Oli wins junior open THORNBURY Golf Club Junior Open attracted 60 golfers from as far away as Droitwich.

Held at Thornbury Golf Centre and organised by David and Carol Weeks, the competition was part of the Bristol & District Junior League Order of Merit, as well as a qualifier for the Daily Telegraph Junior Golf Championship.

Competition was strong with some amazing scores, despite the weather not being at its best.

Winner of the Thornbury Rotary Cup for best gross score was Oli Jenkins from the Players Golf Club in Codrington, near Chipping Sodbury, with an outstanding 66, playing off a handicap of 5.

Second was last year's winner Jack Drury from the Stratford on Avon Golf Club, with an excellent score of 71 (par for the course), playing off a handicap of 1.

Winner of the best Nett prize was Taylor Hodgson from Long Ashton Golf Club, with a great score of 61, playing off a handicap of 35.

A large number of people, including members of the Thornbury Golf Club, particularly the Ladies Section, were involved in making this such a successful day. Thornbury Rotary has always been involved with this event, having donated the cup for the overall winner and provided marshals on the day.

Adrian Dennis

Oli Jenkins is congratulated

by Thornbury Rotary senior vice president Graham Cook.

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Nick and Rae take the plate NICK Mason and Rae Bezuidenhout were the winners when eight mixed doubles pairs entered the Thornbury Lawn Tennis Club President’s Plate tournament.

Divided into 2 groups of 4 pairs, each pair played a set against the others in their group before the winners of Group A played the runners up of Group B and vice-versa to decide the finalists.

Rae and Nick, who only conceded 6 games in their 3 sets, found themselves facing group runners-up Rose Higgins and Malcolm Worster in the best of three sets final but were once again dominant, winning 6-1, 6-1.

This was a charity event with the 50% of profits going to the winners’ chosen charity, the NSPCC.

Club’s debut season a success THORNBURY Netball Club have finished their debut season in the Avon Netball League as runners-up in their division.

The mixed-ability club, set up a year ago to give anyone who wanted to play netball the chance to do so in a friendly atmosphere, entered the league’s Division 10 at the start of the 2018/19 season.

They lost just four matches out of 16 over the course of the season – two of them to eventual champions EMU – and won their last seven on the bounce to claim second place.

Club secretary Samantha Baker-Green said: “Back at the beginning of last year when members sat down to set the club up, never did we imagine in our wildest dreams that we would be finishing our first season as runners-up!

“We are so unbelievably proud of each and every one of our club members. They train

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the Royal George, Turnberries Community Centre, Arobase Creative, 345 Building and KP Fencing and they are looking for more for next season. Anyone who is interested in helping should contact the club by email at thornburynetballclub@gmail. com.

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hard each week, they offer their commitment, they deliver results and, most importantly, have fun.

“Thank you everyone who has been involved, the committee who work tirelessly in running the club, our dedicated coach Jane Sunnucks and our sponsors who we are so very grateful for.”

The club’s sponsors are

“Th e

n SPORT

June, 2019

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June, 2019

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29

n SPORT

Cup final heartache for Thornbury Weston-super-Mare 49-27 Thornbury THORNBURY put in a fine performance before going down to Weston in the final of the Bristol Combination Cup. Thornbury kicked off at Dings Crusaders’ ground in Frenchay but it was Weston who applied the early pressure, with No.8 Brad Talbot crashing over after four minutes. Player-coach Glenn Dickson, in his last game, converted.

Thornbury hit back with a try direct from a set piece. Following a scrum on half way, Dai Matthews burst through midfield and fed Jake Wood, who took play to the Weston 22 before moving the ball to Harry Glew, who cut inside the cover and shrugged off a tackle to score.

Wood’s conversion hit the post.

The Weston pack continued to control the game and Thornbury were on the back foot for ten minutes, at the end of which another converted try put Weston 14-5 ahead.

As the half-hour approached Thornbury’s Louis Ogilvie was put clear down the blind side to run in for the team’s second unconverted try.

Thornbury’s tails were up and

Action from Thornbury's Combination Cup Final defeat.

Picture: Dave Fox after several drives on the line Massey looked to have grounded the ball on the line before it bounced clear but the referee disallowed the try for a knock-on.

Wood kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit to 14-13 but from the restart, Weston scored another converted try to take a 21-13 halftime lead.

The Weston scrum was now well on top and early in the second half former Thornbury junior Richard Bignell scored.

Dickson’s conversion extended the lead to 28-13.

Thornbury answered with the try of the match. Matthews broke through on a powerful drive in midfield and excellent quick passing moved the ball to Richardson, who stepped and swerved through the cover defence and raced clear to score between the posts. Wood converted to reduce arrears to 28-20.

But with twenty minutes to go the Thornbury defence began to show signs of wear and tear, and three converted Weston tries put the match out of Thornbury’s

reach at 49-20, with Dickson scoring every conversion.

However, Thornbury refused to give in and Wood twisted out of a tackle, handed off a defender and scored between the posts, converting the try to make the final score 49-27.

The game was the last of 206 senior appearances – 198 for the first XV – for Thornbury by Dai Matthews, who became the first back to score 100 tries for the first XV, finishing with 107.

Dave Fox

Runners in fine form A TEAM of 12 Thornbury runners were in fine form at the Bristol 10k, with a host of new personal bests recorded. Andrew Darton took full advantage of perfect running conditions to finish an impressive 119th out of more than 13,000 runners, in a new personal best of 37:48 mins.

Phil Lucker was 202nd, in 39:06 mins. Paul Harrod navigated his way through the crowds to reduce his previous best by over a minute and dip under 40 mins for the first time, finishing in 275th in 39:56 mins.

Rachael Underwood was the first Thornbury woman to finish in 3,999th, recording a new personal best of 54:40 mins.

Valerie Knight was 5,188th in 57:30 mins, while Kathy Willott finished 7,960th, in 1 hour 6:43 mins.

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n SPORT

June, 2019

Cup triumph for Thornbury Town a second successive title before being edged into third position, four points behind eventual champions Easington Sports.

Town’s 2-2 draw against Newent Town in their final fixture, in front of a crowd of just under 300, allowed Cheltenham Saracens, who won their last match two days later, to take the runners-up spot by a single point.

As the season ended manager Andy Davies announced he was taking a break from management, after six years in the hot seat, although he is staying with the club in a committee role. He has overseen what has probably been the most successful period in the club’s history, winning four trophies and achieving the club’s highest ever level of non-league football.

The search for a new manager was underway as the Voice went to press.

The End of Season Presentation Evening saw

Craig Lancastle scores Thornbury Town’s winning goal in the Supplementary Cup final.

Photo: Tom Shorey Richard Shorey and Andy Davies pick up the Presidents Trophy and Clubman of the Year awards respectively, whilst Archie Griffiths and Jack Smith picked up Players’ Player and Manager’s Player awards for the Reserves.

The Golden Boot award went to Craig Lancastle for his 32 goals in 34 games. Star of the show was goalkeeper Kurtis Parkin, who collected the Supporters’, Players’ and Manager’s Player of

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the Year awards after a fantastic debut season – the first time ever that one player has taken all three awards.

The committee is now busy behind the scenes preparing for next season and anyone looking to get involved is welcome.

Prospective new players are also welcome as Town start a new third team. Contact the club via thornburytownfc.co.uk online.

Malcolm Carr

www.pearcebros.com

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THORNBURY Town finished their season with a trophy after narrowly missing out on a second successive title.

They won the Hellenic League’s Bluefin Sports Supplementary Cup with a 2-1 victory over Division One East outfit Wallingford Town, at the home of Southern League club Thame United. After a goalless first half, defender Nathan Sage gave Thorns the lead when he headed home a corner.

Wallingford equalised shortly after but Craig Lancastle scored the winning goal six minutes from time. A large contingent of supporters had made the journey and were able to join in the celebrations with the team.

After securing promotion last term as Gloucestershire County League champions, Town’s debut season in the Hellenic League Division One West was a step into the unknown but the players took it in their stride: they were firmly in the mix for

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