August 2013

Delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to all homes in Bradley Stoke

August 2013 • Issue 4

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LETTERS P8-9 | SCHOOLS P10 | SPORT P27 | WHAT’S ON P28-29 | DIRECTORY P30

Death at the duck pond Page 7

Community in fear following “unexplained death” Police: “Incident has in no way had an impact on the safety of the community as a whole.”

Find us on Facebook: BradleyStokeJournal Follow us on Twitter: @TheBSJournal

PLUS , IN YOUR 32-PAGE BRADLEY STOKE MAGAZINE l Lukewarm support for war memorial plan l Bradley Stoke in Bloom starts to make its mark l Get involved in building park’s new feature! l Dame Mary Peters guest of honour at Brook Court

Brazilian carnival

Bank holiday parade P28

New primary school

Govt. confirms funds P4

Gromit Unleashed

Look who’s in town! P16-17

l Brave Jessica aims to visit all 80 Gromit sculptures l BSCS Prom photos l Little Stoke Parkrun l STOP PRESS: Bus services to change from 1st Sep

2

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August 2013

Indepe n Financ dent ia Advice l

Contact Us Editor: Stephen Horton info@bradleystokejournal.co.uk 01454 300 400 83 Snowberry Close Bradley Stoke Bristol BS32 8GB

Find us on Facebook: BradleyStokeJournal Follow us on Twitter: @TheBSJournal

About the Bradley Stoke Journal The Bradley Stoke Journal website and magazine are published by North Bristol Press, a trading name of Snowberry Media Ltd; company number 8451178 (registered in England and Wales); registered office 19 The Park, Bristol.

Our other publications include the Patchway Journal website and the Stoke Gifford Journal website.

North Bristol Press is independent of any other media company or network operating in the Bristol area.

We accept no responsibility for anything stated by advertisers, who are themselves responsible for complying with all relevant legislation.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or article author. © North Bristol Press 2013. Content published in our magazines or on our websites may not be reproduced in any form without our express written permission.

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Reg. in England & Wales 8252963. Reg. office: 19 The Park, Bradley Stoke, BS32 0AP

So who said July would be a quiet month?

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine, the only publication to be delivered free of charge, EVERY MONTH, to all 8,650 homes in Bradley Stoke.

What a busy month July has been! We’ve had an “unexplained death” down at the duck pond, striking fear into the local community; a heatwave, with temperatures up to 31.2 degrees; and the town has been swamped with Gromit hunters eager to ‘tick off’ Bradley Stoke’s very own ‘Two Eds are Better than One’ sculpture in Woodlands Lane.

Meanwhile, the Journal’s online channels continue to go from strength to strength, with our website recording 29,196 visits in a single day on 2nd July and our Facebook fan count surging over the milestone 1,000 mark to stand at 1,460 as we went to print.

The deadline for contributions to our next edition, out on 7th September, is Friday 23rd August. We look forward to hearing from you!

Get involved with your local newspaper!

If you have news that you would like to see featured in the magazine and/or on our website, please get in touch by email, phone or post (see contact details on the top left of this page).

We are also looking for people to get involved in the production of the town’s new local newspaper, so please contact us if you are interested in writing articles or taking photographs for us.

This month we are pleased to welcome Judith Summers (of Bradley Stoke Radio) who will be contributing a regular schools news column.

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August 2013

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3

News

Lukewarm support for war memorial plan

T

own Councillors have given lukewarm support to a plan by the 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group to erect a war memorial in the town, despite the project being ridiculed in the national press because no resident of the town has been killed in military action. But they stopped short of endorsing the Town Square at the Willow Brook Centre as a suitable location for the memorial, with several councillors suggesting that the Scouts should consider a quieter location elsewhere in the town.

Speaking at a meeting of Full Council on 10th July, Beaver Scout Leader Katherine Robinson said there was never a plan to install blank plaques on the proposed memorial, which some media reports had claimed was like “willing servicemen and

women to die in order to fill them”. A new idea that is now under consideration is for a “roll of honour” to be read out at the annual remembrance service, rather than having names carved into the monument.

Responding to criticism that the proposed location of the memorial was inappropriate due to its proximity to a number of fast food outlets, Ms Robinson said other sites had been considered but found to be unsuitable. Jubilee Green, for example, would be too “boggy” for a remembrance event held in November, and its remoteness could lead to vandalism – an argument that also applied to sites within the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve.

Mayor Brian Hopkinson said a lot of people had been in contact

with him to support the idea of a war memorial but added that “a huge number are against where it is [proposed to be located]”.

Cllr Hopkinson said he favoured a location near the junction of Brook Way with The Common, a road which “has links with the past”.

Cllr Andy Ward said the Bradley Stoke in Bloom group had already been considering a location for a “garden of remembrance”, with the grassed area opposite the Hollow Tree pub being seen as a prime candidate.

In a surprising twist to the story, Scott Lahive, of the Willow Brook

Centre, which has offered to fund the Scout’s project, revealed that an objection to the adaptation of the granite pillars in the Town Square to serve as a war memorial had come from the Bradley Stoke Twinning Association.

The structure is intended to represent the relationship with our twin town of Champs-surMarne (France) and members of the association feel that it should not be associated with military conflict because the twinning movement was started after World War II by people who vowed that Europe should never again be torn apart by war.

Support within the wider community for a war memorial of any kind appears to be less than enthusiastic, judging by the results of a reader poll on the Bradley Stoke Journal website. Asked: “Should Bradley Stoke have a war memorial, even though nobody from the town has died in military conflict?” 66% of the 294 respondents said: “No”.

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August 2013

News

Government confirms funding for primary academy at BSCS

A

new primary school looks set to be provided in Bradley Stoke, after the government confirmed successful bids to its £982 million Targeted Basic Need (TBN) Programme, which is funding more school places in areas of high demand.

South Gloucestershire Council prioritised four bids – a new primary academy at Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS), a new primary academy at King’s Oak Academy in Kingswood and the expansion of Mangotsfield and Beacon Rise Primary Schools – and all four have been approved.

Welcoming the news, Cllr John Calway (Longwell Green), Leader of the Council and Conservative Group said: “It’s excellent news

that all four of the bids that the council submitted have been approved by the Department for Education (DfE) because we are determined to ensure that South Gloucestershire parents have access to high quality and local school places for their children.

Having attended a meeting in Westminster with the Schools Minister and Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore to make the case for a new school in Kingswood, as well as wider investment in more school places, I am especially pleased with this announcement.”

In a joint statement, Conservative councillors Rob Jones and John Ashe (Bradley Stoke South), Sarah Pomfret and

Independent – co-educational – all age Lower School 3 -11 Upper School 11-18

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Bradley Stoke Community School, site of the proposed new primary school

Brian Hopkinson (both Bradley Stoke Central & Stoke Lodge) said: “We supported the council’s funding bid because we want to see enough good school places in Bradley Stoke for our town’s kids.”

“From talking to Bradley Stoke parents on the doorstep, it’s clear that a significant number have not been getting their preferred school place and as a result have been left disappointed because of the pressure on school places in our town.”

“We can help put an end to these worries by ensuring that there are enough good school places in our town to meet local demand so this announcement is great news.”

“A number of existing primary school sites have already had extra classrooms installed, but there’s only so much you can do before space runs out.”

Dave Baker, executive headteacher at BSCS told The Journal: “From The Olympus Academy Trust perspective,

the announcement by the DfE about funding for a primary phase to be added at Bradley Stoke Community School is very exciting news.”

Head: “We believe this is good news for the local community.”

“We are delighted to be planning for an educational continuum from 4-18 for local families.”

“Given the lack of availability of suitable sites for much needed additional primary school places within Bradley Stoke, it is good to be able to work with South Gloucestershire Council to provide a solution at Bradley Stoke Community School which will see a one form entry primary facility open in 2015.”

“We believe this is good news for the local community.”

“Obviously we will want to work very closely with our local primary partners to manage the phasing of the school opening to ensure no detriment to other schools.”

Taster Days Open Day Every Day during Autumn Term (8.15am-4pm)

A school for the family Scholarships and bursaries available For further information contact Denise Sollis (Tel 0117 965 5207) denisesollis@colstons.bristol.sch.uk

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Registered Charity No 1079552

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August 2013

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News

‘BS in Bloom’ workday

By Sara Messenger On Saturday 20th July, Bradley Stoke in Bloom (BSiB) held their first workday session, which was a ‘tidy-up’ on the pathway that leads from Dewfalls Drive to The Common East. At least nine green wheelie bins of green waste were collected that will be recycled/ composted, and another three bags of general rubbish. (A big thank you to all the residents who lent us their bins!)

The day was a success, with BSiB gaining two new members, much interest in the group, a draft logo and thanks to the efforts of a passing postman & delivery man, a few more nominations for the ‘best front garden’ competition, which is now being judged at the end of August.

More notable moments included: replacing a dislodged, occupied blackbird nest, being given, (very welcome) ice-lollies by a passer-by and returning a

lost and very muddy Boxer dog to her sitters!

The end result is a public pathway that looks a lot tidier and is more pleasant to use (in some places 2 foot wider) and with a couple of newly created hibernacula (wildlife habitats).

More work is planned here, including establishing ‘bug hotels’, putting up bird boxes and planting some additional native bulbs (snowdrops, bluebells etc.)

Many thanks to Arco and Wilkinson Sword, who donated (new) tools, the SITA recycling centre in Thornbury, who are collecting old tools for us and the Bradley Stoke Lions, who have generously paid for all our named hi-viz jackets.

Our next session is taking place on Saturday 17th August (meeting 9.30am), working on the garden adjacent to the Doctors’ Surgery on Brook Way – it would be great if you could join us.

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The ‘in Bloom’ tidy-up squad pictured on their July workday

For further information and for registrations/nominations, please contact us at bsib@hotmail.co.uk New borders? Remembrance garden? Planted roundabouts?

Community composting and herb

gardens? Send us your ideas, as we need all the help we can get!

And we need a logo, so if there are any budding designers out there, we would welcome your suggestions too.

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August 2013

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7

News

‘Unexplained death’ at duck pond sends community into panic

A

wave of anxiety spread through the community of Bradley Stoke on Tuesday 2nd July as rumours of a dead body being found near the ‘duck pond’ in the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve began to circulate on social media channels.

Attention was aroused when the police helicopter was seen hovering over the duck pond and ‘tump’ areas of the nature reserve at around 11am.

Rumours that a body had been found surfaced on Twitter at about the same time and there were reports that the duck pond area had been sealed off by police.

At 12.30pm, The Journal’s reporter found that the northern side of the duck pond had indeed been cordoned off and was being guarded by a PCSO. Two police Scientific Investigation vehicles were parked close to the bridge and several other police vehicles and an ambulance were parked in Juniper Way, from where the other end of the lake can be accessed.

A sports day at the nearby Bradley Stoke Community School was cancelled because of the incident and students were told they should stick to the main roads when walking home.

A police statement obtained by The Journal at 2.40pm read: “We received a call from a member of

the public at around 10.30 this morning following the discovery of a body of a man.”

“Officers are in attendance and a cordon has been put into place.”

“The death is currently being treated as unexplained.”

A further police update came the next day: “The post mortem has been completed and has not identified a cause of death, however at this stage we do not believe it to be suspicious” The police cordon near the lake was lifted later on Tuesday, but a Securitas ‘mobile CCTV operational unit’ remained on the track between BSCS and the tump until Wednesday evening.

An operator in the CCTV van said it was guarding a crime scene “on top of the tump, close to the motorway”.

A police spokesperson later explained that it is standard practice for a private security firm to take over scene guarding duties, so that police officers and PCSOs can return to normal duties.

A number of posts on social media channels seemed to link the discovery of the body with reports of a man lying “unconscious” on the verge of Bradley Stoke Way at around 9am the same day. Police have confirmed that they and the ambulance service attended this incident, but report that the man

A PCSO guards the scene at the ‘duck pond’ in the nature reserve

was found to be up and walking by the time they arrived. The man was sent on his way after being checked over by ambulance staff.

The Journal understands that police do not consider the Bradley Stoke Way incident to be linked in any way with the later discovery of a body in the nature reserve.

Police have, however, confirmed an eye-witness report that two men were arrested in the nature reserve in the vicinity of the police cordon. A spokesperson told The Journal: “Two men, who were drunk and abusive to PCSOs who were

staffing the cordon around the scene, were arrested for public order offences.”

“One was given a police caution and the other was found to be wanted for failing to answer bail for another police force and transferred into their custody.”

Police have now handed the case to the Avon Coroner and it is expected that an inquest will be held in due course.

The Neighbourhood Inspector responsible for the Bradley Stoke police beat assures the community that the incident was “in no way suspicious” (see below).

Police Statement from Inspector Robert Evely “As the Neighbourhood Inspector, I’d like to reassure everyone that the sad discovery of a man’s body in the Bradley Stoke Ponds area recently has in no way had an impact on the safety of the community as a whole.”

“Our enquiries have revealed that he was not a local man and

was probably passing through our area on the way to somewhere else.”

“We continue to work with the Coroner’s Office to ensure that as many answers as possible can be provided to his next of kin around his travel and sad death, which was in no way suspicious.”

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August 2013

Letters and Opinions MP challenged to reject pay rise On hearing the recent news of the proposed MPs’ pay rise, the onus is on members to follow the correct guideline given over by the Government, to be alluding that elitism is not happening and setting a grand example of pay rise restraint.

Considering most working class people have seen incomes actually decline or be held at current levels, this action of MPs is now down to the individual.

How will our own sitting MP Jack Lopresti show his solidarity with the working people ?.

Ed Rose, Bradley Stoke

Concern over recent road traffic accidents This past month I’ve found myself glued to The Journal for up to date information on

the recent surge of emergency services racing around Bradley Stoke.

In this past month alone, there have been four road traffic accidents in the local area. Also on Bradley Stoke Way there was an accident involving a dog (this would make it five).

I have contacted the council about this; to say I got a very basic and unhelpful reply is an understatement. In fact they didn’t answer any of my questions as to why there aren’t any further road safety measures taking place. As far as I’m aware there currently isn’t anyone who has lost their life in this recent spell of unfortunate events – but are they really holding off until there is?

I live off Bradley Stoke Way and come a certain time every night there are cars racing down this road because they see it as a clear, straight road to do so.

It’s only a matter of time before someone is killed on these roads because nothing is being done

about it. This is just my opinion I would love to know what your other readers think ….

Vicky, Bradley Stoke

Your Views

A big thank you to Good Samaritans I would like to say a big thank you to all those lovely people who helped my husband when he came of his bike near the Baileys Court roundabout.

There was a lovely lady called Louise who stayed with him until the ambulance came and stopped traffic going into him.

There were two young lads who wheeled his bike back to our house who have restored my faith in youngsters. They left their own bikes at the scene of the accident and rushed away before I could find out who they were.

There was also a man in a car who came to our house to see how my husband was and carried my husband’s bike carefully past our car to put it in the garage.

They all deserve the biggest thank you I could give. My husband and I would like to say thank you personally to them all.

If any would like to get in touch we would be so happy.

My husband is a bit battle scared but has recovered very well.

It has baffled cycling friends how a bike handle bar stem broke causing the accident because just

Do you have strong views about something that’s happening in Bradley Stoke?

Want to pass comment on something you’ve read in The Journal or another publication?

Would you like to take the opportunity to thank someone for a good deed or praise an achievement?

Whatever you want to say, write to The Journal and we’ll get your message to everyone in Bradley Stoke.

Send your letter to letters@ bradleystokejournal.co.uk or post it to: Reader Letters, Bradley Stoke Journal, 83 Snowberry Close, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 8GB. running into a pot hole has never done anything like this before.

Many thanks to you all again.

Christine Tovey Bradley Stoke

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August 2013

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Letters and Opinions Meadowbrook staff support Race for Life I set up a group of people from Meadowbrook Primary School called ‘The Brookers’ who are teachers, teaching assistants, our school’s head cook, also our daughters and son joined us in running the Race For Life 5k in Bristol on 7th July 2013.

I lost my own dad to cancer in October 2012 and know so many people who have been affected in some way by cancer so I was aspired to take part and raise as much money as I could for Cancer Research. Together

we have raised in excess of over £1,000 to date with funds still coming in. Thank you to everyone who has supported and sponsored us!

Photo: Claire Northam (Group Leader), Luke Northam, Alice Henley, Julie Lewis, Chloe Lewis, Brit Beake, Lin Tromans, Amy Palmer, Lin Ward, Naomi Ward, Helen Ireland, Bethany Ireland, Sue Lomax, Jess Lomax, Donna Smith and Emily Smith.

Claire Northam Bradley Stoke

Correction

Audax cycle ride in memory of Martin Dean

A photo in our July edition (p14) of a gymnastics group performing at the Bradley Stoke Community Festival had an incorrect caption.

The group shown was in fact the King Edmund Acro Gymnastics Club. We apologise for this error.

For more information about the

The Stokes Cycling Club is to stage its first Audax (non-competitive long-distance cycling event) on Saturday 14th September.

The ‘Martin Dean Audax’, is being held in memory of a founder member of the club who passed away from CLL, a type of Leukaemia, last year.

club, phone 01454 320662 or visit www.acro-gymnastics.co.uk

The ride starts at Aztec West and the 100km route through South Glos and Gloucestershire includes three stops at Wotton-under-Edge, Stonehouse and Slimbridge.

Entries are open now and it only costs £6 to take part. For more info, visit www.aukweb. net/events/detail/13-806/

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August 2013

Around the schools by Judith Summers of Bradley Stoke Radio Year 6 move on in style

The end of the school year is always a mix of sadness and anticipation as children prepare to change classes and, in the Y6’s case, schools. But the children of Bradley Stoke made sure their primary schools would not forget them as they put on some memorable leavers’ shows.

Both Holy Trinity and Stoke Lodge chose the highly amusing ‘Pirates of the Curry Bean’. A tale of missing treasure and families united, set on the high seas, full of humour and jokes which had the parents hooked from the start. Booty was plundered, shipmates lost overboard, and there were some cut throat performances from both schools.

Stoke Lodge had some ingenious changes of actors mid way to ensure all the children could participate, but comics Scuttle, (Harley Axe) and Slack, (James Gosling) carried the show.

Meadowbrook performed Cinderella and Rockafella, the traditional, happy ending tale bought up to date. Rockafella (Mac Hayatia), a pop superstar looking for love meets Cinderella (Amy Price) who leaves suddenly but true love triumphs.

Some amusing moments and encouraged audience participation made for a memorable performance.

Oliver was on the bill at Baileys Court. A musical with a great chorus line supporting some fine solo performances from Oliver, (Tom Hill), Fagin, (Eleison Battilega) and impressive character acting from Leo Sermulins who played the Artful Dodger.

Despite the temperature in the school hall the evening was thoroughly enjoyed by children and parents.

A superbly confident performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat came from Y6 at St Mary’s. It was sung to an extremely high standard with solo performances throughout. Joseph (Will Laino) was the star of the show but every child deserves praise for a thoroughly polished musical.

The children of Bowsland Green celebrated with a prom-style disco many arriving in limousines, one of which unfortunately broke down! The girls were impressed with the boys, who dressed in style to match the elaborate hair styles and dresses of the girls, who loved the chance to dress up. Karaoke was one of the highlights of the

night but, according to the children, the teachers’ performance left a lot to be desired!

Holy Trinity have spent an amazing few days at The Beacon Centre at Lynmouth where the children took part in endless activities including climbing, beach art, campfires and, what appears to have been a great favourite, a 50ft high zip wire. A primary school experience to remember for ever.

We wish all the Y6 the best of luck and enjoyment as the move to their new schools.

The Bradley Stoke Radio Schools Show covers all schools in the local area and beyond. We play children’s music and have children reading their poems, topic work and stories - in fact anything they feel they want to share. It is aired on Monday evenings during term time, between 6-7pm. To find out how to listen in, visit www.bradleystokeradio.com

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August 2013

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info@bradleystokejournal.co.uk

News

Dame Mary Peters guest of honour at Brook Court opening

F

ormer British Olympic champion Dame Mary Peters DBE was the guest of honour as McCarthy & Stone celebrated the official opening of its Later Living development, Brook Court in Bradley Stoke.

Dame Mary, pentathlon gold medallist at the 1972 Olympic Games, formally marked the launch of the new development, cutting the ribbon alongside McCarthy & Stone’s regional managing director, Shane Paull, during an exclusive ceremony at the Savages Wood Road development last week.

Those who attended the event took the opportunity to explore the development’s new fully furnished show complex and

communal facilities, finding out more about Later Living, and got a unique opportunity to meet and talk with Dame Mary Peters.

Shane Paull, regional managing director for McCarthy & Stone, said: “The official launch of Brook Court signalled an important milestone for the development, so we were delighted to have someone of Dame Mary’s stature here to help us mark the occasion in style. The day was a huge success and we were very pleased with the turnout.”

“Since launching the development in October last year, the sales team has been inundated with enquires from house hunters looking for a more manageable property. We have already sold 80% of the development, so I

L-R: Shane Paull (McCarthy & Stone), Dame Mary Peters DBE, residents Julia Jones and Margaret & Jim Durlacher

would encourage anyone looking to move to the beautiful town of Bradley Stoke to visit the show complex today before it’s too late.”

Available exclusively for those over the age of 60, Brook Court is designed for those who want the independence of retaining home ownership while living in an environment specifically designed for those reaching their later years.

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The development is ideally situated on Savages Wood Road, just a short distance from the popular Willow Brook Centre.

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There is no cash alternative and it cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. By giving us your details you are opting-in to our newsletter email service.

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CJH1592 CJ Hole GROMIT EDITORIAL QXD v3:Layout 1 18/07/2013 09:21 Page 1

CJ Hole’s Five-a-Day Dog! A 5ft high fibreglass sculpture of the animated dog Gromit, painted with an array of fruit and vegetables has been sponsored by CJ Hole.

CJ Hole Bradley Stoke are also running a competition at the Willow Brook Centre where local primary school children have been invited to find Gromit stickers that have been placed around the centre.

This will run during the summer holidays and the winning child will receive a Kindle, courtesy of CJ Hole.

Called the Five-a-Day Dog it has been created by artist Laura Cramer as part of the major public art exhibition in Bristol “Gromit Unleashed”. This fantastic event can see 80 of the 5ft-high fibreglass sculptures of Gromit displayed throughout the streets of Bristol and surrounding areas, with one even as far as Paddington Station!

Each Gromit has been individually designed and created by invited artists and celebrities. CJ Hole’s Five-a-Day Dog is now on display outside our office in Henleaze.

The event started on the 1st July and continues right through the summer lasting a total of 10 weeks.

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News

Mayor’s charity choices

Cllr Brian Hopkinson with some of the Friends of Jubilee Green volunteers

By Nikki Hallur he Mayor of Bradley Stoke, Cllr Brian Hopkinson, has made his choice of Mayoral Charities. He told The Journal: “I have chosen three charities. One based in Bradley Stoke, one serving the South Gloucestershire area, and one national charity.” The charities are as follows: Friends of Jubilee Green: An independent volunteer group which organises a wide range of community activities and events to maximise the use and development of the Beacon Play Scheme and the Jubilee Green.

Fifty percent of money raised will go to this charity.

Heartful Dodgers (Frenchay and Southmead Hospital Cardiac Rehab Group): A group raising funds for cardiac care in and around our area.

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Twenty-five percent of money raised will go to this charity.

Whizz-Kidz: A national charity that is all about giving disabled children the chance to lead a more independent life.

Twenty-five percent of the money raised will go to this charity.

The Friends of Jubilee Green is an important choice for the Mayor as he feels it is a very good example of a community coming together to improve provisions and celebrate occasions.

Brian would like readers to know that, “From time to time you may see collecting boxes for the Charity, please give generously – you can be assured that your contribution will go to the charities I have selected.”

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Computer Corner with Jonathan Thomas of JRT Computing Keep your children safe on the internet Children these days have grown up with IT and the internet, with the majority having no concept of what life is like without it. They’re completely at home with technology: using a keyboard, mouse or touchscreen to navigate is as much a life skill as learning to read and write.

Whatever the age of your child, it’s important to keep them safe when browsing the internet or using social networking such as Facebook, Twitter and instant messaging programs.

Although your children may know more about using a computer and the internet than you do, in many cases, it’s the parent’s responsibility to ensure they’re protected from the parts of the web that present a danger to them.

Much of the internet is a fabulous resource for kids, from Wikipedia for helping with homework, online games, social networks, videos, music and more. However, there are an equal number of websites that you wouldn’t want them going anywhere near.

What can the parent do?

Common sense plays a big part, talking to each child and explaining (in a way appropriate to their age) the dangers that the internet could pose to them, also encouraging them to talk whenever they are unsure of what they are looking at, or looking for.

You should also make it plain what is acceptable and what isn’t acceptable online.

That’s something only the parent can decide.

Many people decide they want to limit their children’s screen time by using parental control software, which can determine when the internet can be used. Checking your child’s internet history may seem an invasion of their privacy, but the safety of your child is paramount when surfing the net.

With an abundance of software currently available, this could be a possible minefield for a parent if they choose to go this route. Any IT professional should be happy to give guidance and advice on the best route to keeping the most important people in your life safe, your children.

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Ask the Doctor with Dr Norman Douglas of Bradley Stoke Surgery I am a local GP and relish the opportunity to be involved in the health, not just of the patients I see, but also the health of the wider community.

I am not alone and know that probably all our local GPs feel the same way in all the various practices.

This column will become a regular feature which we hope to call “Ask the Doctor” and it should address some common medical concerns which are topical at the time of going to press. These may be regarding changes to childhood vaccinations, the introduction of other therapies, or recent outbreaks off specific infections.

There are many general health issues which require better understanding by everyone and I hope this can be a forum where we can reach a larger population. It is important to state that this is not a forum for individual problems as these should be

addressed through your own GP on an individual basis.

This month I am going to very quickly touch on two current issues: sun exposure and hay fever. Both are common at this time and both can cause problems and annoyance.

The risks from sun exposure range from prickly heat to skin cancer so you have to be sensible for yourselves and especially for your kids when enjoying your outdoor activities. Try not to burn, use an appropriately high sun factor protection and build your tan slowly. If you have a family history of skin cancer or are very fair skinned, increased vigilance is necessary. Do enjoy the sun sensibly and remember it is important in developing our Vitamin D levels in the body, so we do need exposure to it in a sensible way. An over the counter antihistamine if often good prevention for prickly

heat which is practically an allergy to the sun or heat.

Hay fever is due to a reaction to various allergens and may be specific to one or many common airborne irritants like pollen, trees, moulds etc. You will know you have it if symptoms occur in response to particular environments. It can cause sneezing, running nose, itchy red swollen eyes, irritant cough and skin irritation also. Your local pharmacy will be able to help you with advice and treatments. It is a good idea if you get hay fever at the same time every year to consider starting an anti-histamine course one month before your symptoms normally occur.

Stay well and be happy.

Dr Norman Douglas Bradley Stoke Surgery www.bradleystokesurgery.co.uk

August 2013

STOP PRESS: All change on the buses As we were going to press, we heard of yet another major change to bus services in Bradley Stoke.

According to advance information received from South Gloucestershire Council, First Bus is to withdraw the 74 service from 1st September 2013.

From the same date, the route of the 73 service will be altered to take in the Willow Brook Centre and the loop around south Bradley Stoke (Webbs Wood Road and Baileys Court Road) that is currently served by the 74.

The revised 73 will operate with a ten minute frequency during the day and half-hourly in the evening.

Three late night journeys will be introduced - running until approximately 2am.

Stops on Brook Way between Savages Wood Road and Orpheus Avenue will no longer be served by the 73 but the route of the peak-hours-only X73 service will remain unaltered.

For more information, visit the Bradley Stoke Journal website.

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August 2013

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News

Come and help build park’s new feature!

Cob building workshop dates Tuesday 6th August 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Wednesday 7th August 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Thursday 8th August 2pm-5pm and 6pm-9pm

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he Friends of Jubilee Green invite the community to be involved in the building of the youth structure. We know that everyone who visits the park will use and enjoy the shelter and we are inviting you to get hands on and help build it.

In August the contractor Touchwood will be hosting a series of cob building workshops where you can learn about the qualities of cob and help design and build the walls and seating areas within the structure.

Touchwood will be in the park on a number of days (see panel, right), so pop along and

Sunday 11th August 10am-5pm (bring a picnic lunch) Monday 12th August 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Tuesday 13th August 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm

remember to bring plenty of drinks with you if the weather continues to be hot.

The building of the structure is progressing at a fast pace and the paths have been improved.

Our brass rubbing project is

also progressing and students at Bradley Stoke Community School were involved in three one day workshops to design and make the plates. The plates will be installed in the park by the end of August.

We are planning a celebration of the completion of both projects and are aiming for it to take place in early September. We will provide more details in the next edition of The Journal, on our Facebook page and our website.

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August 2013

Feature: Gromit Unleashed in Bradley Stoke

Mayor welcomes ‘Two Eds’ to Bradley Stoke

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giant sculpture of the animated film character Gromit (of Wallace & Gromit fame) is drawing the crowds to the grounds of a Bradley Stoke accountancy firm’s office in Woodlands Lane.

Dunkley’s Chartered Accountants and Auditors, based at Woodlands Grange, have sponsored one of 80 Gromit sculptures placed at sites around Bristol as part of a ten-week-long charity fundraising event.

Led by Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal and Aardman Animations, Gromit Unleashed is a public art exhibition in which giant sculptures of Gromit, decorated by invited artists, have been unleashed on the streets of

Bristol and the surrounding area.

At the end of the art trail, the sculptures will be auctioned to raise funds for Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospital charity.

Mayor Brian Hopkinson was invited by Dunkley’s to welcome their Gromit to Bradley Stoke at a launch party on 1st July.

The Dunkley’s Gromit, known officially as ‘Two Eds are Better than One’ was painted by Peter Brookes, The Times award winning cartoonist, well known for his satirical cartoons of Ed Miliband and Ed Balls looking like Wallace and Gromit.

Mr Brookes’ design incorporates numerous instances of the two politicians’ faces.

Mayor Brian Hopkinson welcomes ‘Two Eds’ to Bradley Stoke

‘Two Eds’ will be in Bradley Stoke until 8th September Throughout the period, Dunkley’s will be holding several events and will also be making collections for the Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal as part of

their summer charity work.

“It’s grand to have our Gromit here and, since his arrival, there has been a constant stream of people, and their generosity has been fabulous,” said Mike Dunkley from the firm.

Where to find the Bradley Stoke Gromit ‘Two Eds’ can be found on the front lawn of Woodlands Grange, Woodlands Lane, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4JY. It is about 100m from the junction of Bradley Stoke Way and Woodlands Lane, shortly after the turning for Ash Ridge Lane.

Wheatfield pupils picnic with ‘Two Eds’ Caricatures of Ed Miliband and Ed Balls decorate the Bradley Stoke Gromit

Peter Brookes is an English cartoonist who has produced work for numerous publications, including Radio Times, New Society, New Statesman, The Spectator and most notably The Times, for which he is the leader-page

cartoonist – In which he famously depicts politician Ed Miliband as Wallace. He has won the title of Cartoonist of the Year at the British Press Awards five times. Peter Brookes’ design was painted by Vivi Cuevas.

On Monday 15th July, a group of pupils from Wheatfield Primary School were invited to attend a picnic on Dunkley’s front lawn.

They took along their miniGromit ‘Zennie’ to meet ‘Two Eds’, as did children from two other local schools: Stoke Lodge and St Chad’s.

Zennie is so called because he is decorated with ‘zentangle’ patterns, an abstract artform that the Wheatfield Year 5 pupils have been studying recently.

Children from different years contributed ideas for the design and the most popular were painted onto the sculpture by Year 5 teacher Mrs Haydon.

The finished Wheatfield mini-Gromit was unveiled to the school on Friday 12th July and has already helped raised money for the Wallace & Gromit appeal.

Top to bottom: Wheatfield pupils Joe, Keremdeep and Jed introduce their mini-Gromit Zennie to Two Eds

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Feature: Gromit Unleashed in Bradley Stoke

Your Gromit Photos Fans of the Bradley Stoke Journal’s Facebook page have been sending in their own photographs of the Bradley Stoke Gromit at Dunkley’s Accountants in Woodlands Lane.

You can see a small selection of the ‘most-liked’ images below. We hope to publish a further selection in our September issue, so please keep your contributions coming in, either via Facebook message or email to gromit2013@bradleystokejournal.co.uk From Charlotte (10): “79 left to find.”

From Dunkley’s Chartered Accountants: “Ello, ello, ello, wat ave we ear then?

Gromit protection force on duty.”

From Rachael Bishop: “Grace (8), Emily (6) & Owen (2) on the hunt for Gromits. xx”

From Mike Dunkley: “Stoke Lodge, Wheatfield & St Chad’s schools bring their Gromits to have lunch with Two Eds.”

From Michael White: “Hi, my name is Bernard.”

From Marco Coppola: “Maria giving Gromit a tickle.”

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August 2013

News

Tri-services military fundraiser in Stoke Gifford DESHI MRA P CO

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local Branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) is celebrating its 85th birthday with a special fundraising event for the Poppy Appeal.

The Stoke Gifford Branch was formed in 1928 and is only seven years younger than the Legion nationally. The Stoke Gifford Branch has, for two years running, won the RBL Gloucestershire County Marling Cup for most efficient small branch.

As part of its 85th birthday celebrations the Branch is organising a special ‘TriServices Military Event’ in Stoke Gifford. The event should be a great day out day for all and will also be a fundraiser for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal/Welfare Fund.

The event is taking place on Sunday 1st September 2013 at the Mile Straight Sports and Social Club, (MSSSC), New Road, Stoke

Stoke Gifford Branch The Royal British Legion

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yrs

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Gifford, BS34 8SF and it will open to the public from 10.30am until 5pm. The club has donated its facilities free of charge. There will be local parking available.

A small entrance fee will be charged, this and all money raised from collections and trade stands will go directly into the 2012 2013 Poppy Appeal which helps to fund the Legion’s help and support for current and ex service personnel and their families.

On display at the event will

be approximately 30 restored military vehicles form different eras, conflicts and countries, supplied by The Military Vehicle Trust.

The event will also have a number of Sea, Marine, Army and Air Cadet Units from Bristol and the surrounding areas.

Each Unit will have their own display with a number of exciting and interesting activities and demonstrations.

Also attending will be members of The Royal British Legion Rider’s branch and their bikes.

The Riders Branch of the Legion raises substantial amounts of money for the Poppy Appeal every year. At the event there will be a number of community groups, and it will also feature a 1940s Trio group singing live.

The Mile Straight Sports and Social Club (MSSSC) is a very successful local club with members drawn from a wide area

including Stoke Gifford, Filton and Bradley Stoke.

The MSSSC has a fully licensed bar which will be providing soft and alcoholic refreshments during the event, and there will also be a catering stand supplying hot food.

Stoke Gifford RBL spokesman David Bell said: “We are delighted that the MSSSC has adopted the Royal British Legion as its charity and we look forward to working with them. The club and its new facilities are magnificent and they are such an asset to the local community. The 85th anniversary event on 1st September should be such a great event and will help us raise more money for our welfare work. Our Poppy Appeal coordinators Terry Webber and John Moloney have set a branch target of £40,000 for the current year’s Poppy Appeal.”

For more information, contact John Moloney on 07802 535591.

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News

Brave Jessica aims to visit all 80 Gromits

Two-year-old from Bradley Stoke embarks on Gromit Hunt despite undergoing chemotherapy

By Nikki Hallur e were touched and inspired to hear the story of Jessica Abrahams and her family, as they raise money for the Children’s Cancer Appeal through a sponsored Gromit hunt.

Jessica is being sponsored to have her photograph taken with all eighty Gromits in the Gromit Unleashed event.

Jessica’s mum, Melissa (pictured below), told us about the family’s motivation to get involved: “We wanted to begin to say thank you to the hospital which has done so much for Jessica since she was diagnosed with Leukaemia in February of this year.”

Melissa also felt that the Gromit hunt was a good opportunity to do something fun with two-year-old Jessica, because she is not able to take part in softplays and nurseries due to her treatment increasing her vulnerability to infections Jessica’s older sister, Zoe, attends Bailey’s Court Primary School, and mum Melissa said that she is very thankful to the school for the support it has shown to her family during this

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difficult time: “the Reception staff in particular have cooked us meals, offered counselling and taken care of Zoe at school. They have gone above and beyond to help us and we are so grateful.”

Jessica was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in February of this year. At present, she is in month five of an intensive period of chemotherapy which continues for nine months in total. Following this, she will receive ‘maintenance therapy’ for around two years which will be at a lower dose and at longer intervals.

Jessica is responding well to the treatment and Melissa tells us that “for the time being at least it looks like her prognosis is good.”

Melissa and husband Martin moved to Bradley Stoke in 2005; although they are from North Bristol, they had lived for a while in the Midlands where Martin had been working.

Melissa says that the community of Bradley Stoke has been very

Jessica visits ‘the ‘Two Eds are Better than One’ Gromit in Bradley Stoke

supportive, and friends in and around the area have helped in lots of ways such as picking Zoe up from school, helping with the shopping and cooking.

To show your support for the efforts of this inspiring family and help them to achieve their goals, please visit Jessica’s JustGiving page (see below).

Donate via: www.justgiving.com/Jessica-Abrahams1

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August 2013

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Feature: BSCS Year 11 Prom The Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) Year 11 Prom was held at Tortworth Court on Monday 1st July.

Students turned out in their finery on a warm summer’s evening, arriving at the venue in anything from a double decker bus to a VW camper van to a stretch limo.

The students had a great time during the evening with a three-course meal, followed by an awards ceremony and finished off with dancing.

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Collage reproduced courtesy of BSCS. Studio photographs are reproduced with kind permission from Dalyn Digital Photography - www.dalyndigitalphotography.com Send us your own Year 6, 11 or 13 Prom photos for our September magazine!

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Prize Puzzle

July magazine wordsearch winner The Bradley Stoke Journal is pleased to announce that the winner of the prize puzzle competition in the July edition of our magazine is: Caroline Charlton Congratulations to Caroline, who found 30 unique Bradley Stoke road names in the wordsearch grid: 1. Ash Ridge Close 2. Badgers Close 3. Berkeley Mead 4. Bradley Stoke Way 5. Champs Sur Marne 6. Coriander Drive 7. Cross Tree Grove 8. Elming Down Close 9. Fern Grove 10. Goose Acre 11. Hales Horn Close 12. Harvest Close 13. Honeysuckle Close 14. Jordan Walk

15. Juniper Way 16. Linden Drive 17. Manor Farm Crescent 18. Marjoram Place 19. Mautravers Close 20. Merryweather Close 21. Ottrells Mead 22. Oxen Leaze 23. Palmers Leaze 24. Penrose Drive 25. Poppy Mead 26. Rosemary Close 27. Rush Close 28. Shepherds Walk 29. The Dell 30. The Park Caroline was one of four entrants to correctly identify all 30 names.

A draw was therefore made to determine the prize winner.

She will shortly be receiving her prize of a £50 Boots voucher, kindly provided by the Willow Brook Centre in Bradley Stoke.

Copies of the winning solution are available on request.

WillowBrookCentre WillowBrookCentre.co.uk A few entrants found ‘Pye’ (for Pye Croft) but this was not accepted because ‘Croft’ was not included in the list of omitted endings shown in the instructions.

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August 2013

Bradley Stoke Beat Team I would like to appeal to residents not to let their guard down during the summer as you can be sure that the criminals won’t. Please take simple steps to prevent yourself becoming a victim of crime by keeping windows shut and doors locked when you’re in another part of the house or in the back garden There have been a couple of burglaries in the Bradley Stoke and Patchway areas recently where people have got in through insecure windows and doors. I know we have had some very hot weather recently but I would encourage people to think about their home security.

So when going to bed, don’t forget to secure downstairs windows and check the back door is locked.

Inspector Robert Evely

specsavers.co.uk

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August 2013

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News

Almondsbury Allotment News

Bliss Buggy Push success for second year

By Joan at Allotment No. 8 Well, what amazing weather and how beautiful the countryside looks. The allotments are looking great too and every plot is taken now, and even a waiting list I hear!

Our first strawberry was picked on 21st June ,which is three weeks later than last year, but we had an amazing crop. They are virtually at an end now at mid July, which is just in time for us to start the picking of black and redcurrants. I should also say raspberries but I don’t think my husband thinks we have raspberries because for some strange reason they don’t actually make it home!

I now know which bush is blackcurrant and which is redcurrant, so that will be helpful at pruning time.

The first early potatoes were dug on 6th July and accompanied our first runner beans, baby carrots, purple sprouting and our very prolific crop of broad beans ... delicious! Although , there is a bit of an art in cooking

By Nikki Hallur he Bliss Buggy Push event was a success once again this year, as parents and residents took to the streets to raise money for premature babies. It was the second time that the event has been held in Bradley Stoke, thanks to the hard work and initiative of mum-oftwo, Kerry Robinson.

We spoke to Kerry in June when she told us how she got involved with the charity after her daughter received medical care for a premature birth, making a full recovery.

This month Kerry was delighted to tell us that the event has raised a current total of £2,720.

Kerry expressed her thanks to the all the residents who took part in raising these funds, which will go towards the work of

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special care baby charity, Bliss, providing help, counselling and phone support to families.

Bliss also works towards improving baby care within hospitals and funds innovative research and care practices.

Kerry informed us that, “Bliss gives handbooks, DVDs teaching vital resuscitation skills and other resources to new parents in neonatal units ... all of which have a profound effect.”

The event in June took place around the nature reserve and ended with a teddy bears’ picnic at the Brook Way Activity Centre Participants also held a cake sale, making it an enjoyable and sunny morning. Kerry mentioned that the event will run again next year, for its third time in Bradley Stoke.

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the earlies I chose this year, they are definitely more suited to steaming rather than boiling. We have also harvested the beetroot and continue to pick spinach, chard and lettuce; in fact we are becoming more and more self sufficient!

I think the highlight of the month has definitely got to be the lifting of the onions, shallots and garlic. My husband had to use the wheelbarrow to take them back to the car! I will certainly do another Autumn planting and it was nice to see a bed in use over the winter period.

I did intend to put the kale plants into the vacated onion bed but at the moment it would be like planting into concrete. The soil is very clayey, which is good because it means its got lots of minerals in it and this is borne out by the way most things grow so well in it.

Well, on with the watering!

Allotments available at Horthham Farm: www.

HorthamFarm.co.uk

Buggy pushers ready for the off outside the Brook Way Activity Centre on Saturday 29th June 2013

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August 2013

News

BS Community Singers’ first-ever concert

By Emma Roberts he first Bradley Stoke Community Singers’ concert took place last month at Bradley Stoke Community School.

The choir began back in November, when a few singers attended a community sing day.

Since then, the group has gone from strength to strength, with it now consisting of over fifty members of all ages.

As the group awaited nervously back stage, friends and family took to their seats. The first half consisted of a few solos from the more confident members, as well a variety of upbeat group

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performances. As the evening came to a close, there was a clear theme to the performance, musicals, and in particular, Les Miserables. Ten year old Molly, sung a very impressive version

“It’s not about whether you can sing, it’s about getting together and having fun.”

Bradley Stoke Community Singers in full voice at their first concert

of ‘Castle on a Cloud’, with many other numbers including an inspiring group performance of ‘Do You Hear the People Sing’ from the hit musical, as well as an emotional performance of ‘Stars’ from male soloist Simon.

Bradley Stoke Journal

Managing Director, Ange Kewley, said: “Anyone in the community is welcome. It’s not about whether you can sing, it’s about getting together and having fun.”

Anyone interested in joining the Bradley Stoke Community Singers can get in touch with the group by emailing: bradleystokecommunitysingers @hotmail.co.uk.

Emily’s head shave raises £1,200 for charity

By Nikki Hallur Emily Slocombe, a student at Bradley Stoke Community School, has now had her head shaved to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Last month, Emily told us that the motivation for shaving her head came from watching her grandmother (above) go through cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Emily’s head shaving took place

at Reflections salon in the Willow Brook Centre, and she told us that her hair “has been sent off to make a wig for a little girl” through the Little Princess Trust.

Emily added that she has “had a lot of support from everyone, along with a few strange looks.”

So far she has raised over £1,200, and her web donation page is still active at www. justgiving.com/ emilyslocombe if you would like to make a donation.

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August 2013

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Advertising feature

Kisses and Punches

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ife is a constant barrage of kisses and punches and we must choose in advance which ones we are going to stand in front of, and which ones we are going to try to evade or block. Failing to do so would be like a boxer entering the ring with no preparation, no training, and no-one in their corner to help them succeed. It’s okay to stay in the corner and cover up, but when you do you block out both kisses and punches.

Those most likely to win, prepare. They make the majority of their decisions well in advance and then spend most of their time increasing their capacity to succeed; physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Of course they might end up in the corner, covering up or fighting off the ropes, but when this occurs, they have a strategy to deal with it, or a coach to support them.

An effective Life Management

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Success for Willow Brook staffing provider firm A specialist staffing provider based at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre is celebrating the news that it has achieved accreditation to provide training courses for an important safety certificate required by workers on engineering construction sites.

Logical PS is now able to offer a two-day training course that leads to the award of the Client Contractor National Safety Group (CCNSG) ‘safety passport’, which is essential for anyone wishing to work in, for example, the nuclear construction industry.

In addition to demand from existing nuclear sites at Berkeley, Oldbury and Hinkley Point, the firm is expecting to see a surge in demand for training once construction of the proposed new nuclear Hinkley C power station gets the final goahead from the government.

In addition to its permanent office space at the Willow Brook

Centre, Logical PS has access to a room that can accommodate up to 20 desks for people attending its training courses.

Although most of the attendees on training courses are expected to be already working in the industry, the firm points out that funding may also be available to job seekers through local Job Centres.

For more info, call 01454 279103, email training@logicalps. com or visit: http://logicalps.com

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If you are interested please contact Helen on 0797 087 2677, Tina 01454 633309 or Little Acers Pre-School during term time on 01454 866745

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August 2013

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Bradley Stoke through the camera lens by Becky Ward Popstars play the Bradley Stoke Town Square The Willow Brook Centre played host to Southsound Radio’s ‘Popstars on the Square’ event on 12th July.

Southsound Radio, who are currently in the process of rebranding themselves as Sound Radio, were hosting the concert as a precursor for their appearance at the Southmead Festival the following day. The event saw the likes of boy band M.A.D, Jack Maynard, Ben Pryer, and the headlining act Ronan Parke (Britain’s Got Talent finalist). The event ran from 5pm until 7pm, and seemed to create a bit of a stir amongst the younger members of the audience.

Sound Radio is a small commercial station, which broadcasts on Internet only. They are based in the centre of Bristol on Doncaster Road, and focus on playing current music. It was great to see a live music event coming to the Town Square. Since the centre opened I’ve been lucky enough to attend many events but I have to say, this was the first time that they’ve held a pop concert, and it seemed to be very well received.

Of all the artistes, the four members of M.A.D appeared to receive the most attention, with many fans having travelled quite a significant distance to see their live performance. Special mention should be made for the one super fan that came to the concert, having travelled from Belgium to see the

Ronan Parke (right) poses with fans after his performance

headline act. It was good to see that most of the artistes seemed to be accomplished musicians also, which in this day and age is unusual, as all too often events such as these are marred by the inability of the artistes to sing well in anywhere other than a recording studio. The atmosphere in the Town Square was brilliant, with many people taking the time to sit and relax outside local establishments, soaking up both the sunshine and the atmosphere!

After talking to numerous people attending the event, all age groups seemed to have enjoyed the concert, especially the screaming younger fans at front of the stage! The general consensus was that hopefully an event such as this would be repeated in the near future.

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27

Sport

Little Stoke Parkrun: A weekly 5km timed run

A

free weekly running event held in Little Stoke Park that started less than a year ago now regularly attracts over 100 entrants of all shapes, sizes and abilities.

Parkrun is a free, weekly 5k timed run, which takes place all over the UK and beyond, every Saturday at 9am, all year round. The events are open to everyone and are safe and easy to take part in.

Entrants simply need to complete a one-time online registration before their first run, which allows them to print out a unique parkrun barcode that can be used at any Parkrun event across the country.

Each runner’s barcode is scanned after they cross the finish line to record their time and position. Results are then published online within hours of the run taking place.

The Little Stoke Park Run started on 3rd November 2012,

and has taken place every Saturday since then, save for two occasions when snow and ice caused the event to be cancelled.

By the end of July this year, 979 different runners had taken part, completing more than 3,000 runs between them.

The 5km course at Little Stoke consists of three laps around the perimeter of the park, on a tarmac path, followed by a further half lap on grass.

The event is run entirely by

Fitness Focus with Craig Rimmer Where has this weather come from?! We are enjoying some really great temperatures of late and a lot of my clients are struggling with their training and a few feeling a little sick.

My first question has been: “How much water have you consumed today?” and I’m normally a little disappointed with the answer. After a few mouthfuls of water people usually start to pick up!

Most people know that hydration is important but they often don’t realize how detrimental heat exposure can be on their performance.

Avoiding dehydration and heat exposure are most important for muscular endurance and the maintenance of peak power levels during repeated anaerobic exercise bouts. A recent study showed that men drinking five glasses of water

a day vs two glasses a day, had a 54% lower risk of dying of a heart attack!

Hydration is the greatest determinant of strength. A drop of 1.5% in water levels translates in drop of 10% your maximal strength. The leaner you are, the worse it is. Make sure you weigh the same or more at the end of your training session.

High water levels = more sets & reps= greater changes. Have a great workout.

Here is how much you should drink: 39 ml per kg of bodyweight. Therefore, 3.55 to 4.14 litres for a 91 kg man.

Craig Rimmer is a Personal Trainer from Filton who works at Anytime Fitness Bradley Stoke. t: 07841 712955 e: info@theptacademy.com w: www.theptacademy.com

volunteers, with a team of around ten helpers required each week. A core group of five ‘run directors’ take it in turn to manage the event each week. The remaining helpers are drawn from the regular participants, who are each asked to volunteer three times a year.

Organisers say the weekly runs are less intimidating than a regular running race and they welcome participants running with their dogs or pushing

buggies (these are asked to start at the back to avoid conflicts during the initial stages).

There is a friendly atmosphere at the event and post-run refreshments are provided by Cafe2U and Sweet Tracey Cakes.

For those that wish to run in the park at other times of the week, a series of 1km marker posts have recently been installed as part of Run England’s 3-2-1 project, which aims to provide a meaningful challenge to encourage more people to get running when it best suits them.

For more information, visit: www.parkrun.org.uk/littlestoke Another recent development is the formation of a recreational running group known as the Stokes Striders. This meets in the car park at Little Stoke Park on Mondays at 6pm and provides coaching for runner of all ages and abilities. Further information can be found on Facebook.

Successful month for local Taekwondo athlete Phil Whitlock is celebrating one of the most successful months in his martial arts career.

The 25-year-old from Frampton Cotterell won the English Full Contact Kickboxing Title, the Holland International Cup and was awarded a distinction in his 4th degree black belt grading all in the short space of four weeks.

He has been training in Taekwondo since he was seven years old, under the instruction of Yate PUMA Taekwondo Instructor Master Ray Gayle.

Whitlock, whose next competitions are next month’s PUMA British Open and the UITF World Championships, represents the PUMA Taekwondo squad internationally and competes in kickboxing regularly.

He said: “It has been an unforgettable month, with some memories that will stay with me.

Onwards and upwards to the next set of challenges! I’m going to focus more time on growing our Taekwondo school in Bradley

Stoke, we have some up and coming superstars there and we need more people to join them.”

Whitlock runs PUMA Taekwondo classes for 4-yearolds to adults at Bradley Stoke Community School. He also runs an adults’ kickboxing class at Bristol Sports Centre. For further information visit www. whitlockmartialarts.com or call 07766 491451.

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28

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August 2013

What’s on

Carnival comes to Bradley Stoke on 26th Aug

I

n response to the comments from the residents of Bradley Stoke for the current community activities of the June Festival and the Fireworks Display in November, both held at the Jubilee Centre in Savages Wood Road, Bradley Stoke Town Council is now supporting a Brazilian Carnival Parade to be held on Summer Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August 2013.

You may ask what is a Brazilian Carnival Parade? Carnival is colour, carnival is inspiration, carnival is music and dance by and for the community.

Most importantly, carnival is inclusive and is open to anyone and everyone who is interested.

Come and make costumes, learn samba and meet new friends.

All sessions are free of charge to enable everyone to participate.

In keeping with the other Festivals, the Summer Carnival will be based at the Jubilee Centre with the parade departing at 1pm and returning approximately one hour later.

A Samba band will drive the rhythm for the parade and revellers are encouraged to join in the fun during the procession to the Town Centre and back again.

There will be samba dancers from all over the country joining in the parade so come down and watch the spectacle even if you don’t want to join in the parade.

Come and join in with the three free carnival preparation sessions at the Jubilee Centre on Sundays in August. These

Cllr Brian Hopkinson (left) with students at Bradley Stoke Community School

sessions will be open access, meaning it is possible to just turn up and try your hand at costume making or dance without prebooking. It is advisable that any large community groups wishing to participate as a group contact us in advance to organise a time slot so that they can make the most of their visit. Members of the general public can attend on a drop-in basis.

Carnival preparation sessions have already begun in two Bradley Stoke schools and were received well by local children who have caught the carnival bug. Bradley Stoke Community

School (BSCS) students enjoyed a brief history of Brazilian carnival, its geography and the sociopolitical environment within which it occurs.

Students were quick to jump upon the political message present in developing a carnival theme and costume designing and were truly inspirational in their intelligent and articulate responses to the project they were set.

One student, Ellie, designed and made a ‘phoenix’ costume to represent Brazilian people’s rise from the ashes and rebirth, a political theme that shows the amazing insight of the young people of Bradley Stoke, while another, Alice, questioned the theme of carnival as being about the geography of Brazil and wanted to represent the geography of her own community. She did this by designing a costume based upon the kingfishers that she’d seen in her local environment.

If the message that these young people have developed of inclusion of different cultures, the rebirth of hope and care for the local environment inspires you, then you can come and join in the making of these two costumes, the kingfisher and the phoenix and parade down the road with us representing the ideals and aspirations of your local youth.

Bradley Stoke carnival welcomes the participation of all its community members and positively encourages members from all ethnic backgrounds to come and participate. We can

design and build costumes that are representative of the different cultures present in Bradley Stoke, so please do not hesitate to join us as we are aiming to have a carnival that is as diverse and wonderful as the residents of Bradley Stoke.

We are also able to cater for participants with additional needs and our workshops are accessible for all ages.

They are open to all Bradley Stoke residents and community groups between 11am and 5pm on Sundays 11th, 18th and 25th August.

As this is the first year for the Summer Bank Holiday Carnival, the event is being facilitated by local community radio station – Bradley Stoke Radio (BSR) with a Community Development Grant from Bradley Stoke Town Council and organised with the help of local community groups, schools and businesses. Militsa Stojanovic, BSR’s Carnival Creative Project Lead, has a great a great deal of experience with Carnival, having spent many months in Brazil at Brazilian carnival and samba schools both in Salvador and Rio and has taken part in many other carnivals throughout the UK and Europe.

Bradley Stoke’s Mayor Cllr Brian Hopkinson, who has also taken part in Carnival in Brazil, chose the theme for this year’s Bradley Stoke Carnival and would like to see this event become firmly established in the town calendar. Brian says that Salvador in Brazil hosts the largest Carnival in the world with some 2 million people taking to the streets and joining in. He goes on to say that hopefully, we will have great weather in Bradley Stoke, although even in Brazil it often rains and still people come out to enjoy themselves. The Mayor says that Carnival enables everyone to take part whether you are young or old, wheelchair bound etc. take part or watch just turn up and enjoy yourselves.

BSR supports the Mayor’s charities; please give generously.

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August 2013

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29

What’s On Sunday 4th August 7am - 5pm: Car Boot Sale (Trench Lane). One of the west’s largest car boot sales.

Summer Sundays (May-Sep) 7am-5pm. Charge for sellers: Car £7; Van £10. Charge for buyers: Car: £1; Pedestrian: 50p. More info: http://bit.ly/dymNI0 [Further sales on 11th, 18th & 25th August and 1st September] 9.30am: SCC Long Distance Cycle Ride. A long ride along the south section of Avon Cycleway. About 57 miles. Meet at the Leisure Centre. More info: http://bit.ly/bsj-scc [Further rides on 10th, 11th, 14th, 18th, 25th & 28th August and 1st & 7th September] 10.30am: Severnside Ramblers’ Walk: River Avon/ St Annes. Going east from Cotham along Avon, cross bridge to St. Annes and then several green stretches to Bees Tea Gardens. A walk of about 4.5 miles. Meet in the Aldi car park – a car-sharing scheme is operated.

More info: http://bit.ly/bq1Hxd [Further walks on 9th, 11th, 15th, 17th, 18th, 23rd, 25th August and 1st & 6th September] 11.30am-4pm: Fun Dog Show at the Willow Brook Centre.

Organised by the Bristol Dog Action Welfare Group (DAWG), the show includes a total of 14 classes, ranging from ‘best puppy’ to ‘dog the judge would most like to take home’. Cups for ‘best in show’, ‘reserve best in show’ and ‘best puppy’. More info: http:// bit.ly/18GDkMl

Tuesday 6th August 10am-1pm & 2pm-5pm: Cob Building Project on Jubilee Green. Come and help to build and decorate an exciting new structure for the community.

Learn to make walls, sculptures and seats from cob, an ecofriendly building material.

More info: http://bit.ly/bs-fojg [Further sessions on 7th, 8th, 11th, 12th & 13th August]

Thursday 8th August 10.30am-12noon: Creepy House Craft at Bradley Stoke

Library. Craft activity for children with a spooky theme. Children must be accompanied by an adult. More info: http://bit.ly/ X2LpPJ 7.30pm: Willow Brook Townswomen’s Guild meets at the Jubilee Centre.

Make new friends, get to know our area and get involved in local events and activities.

We have interesting speakers, demonstrations, outings, arts and crafts and much, much more. This month: Talk Tyntesfield. More info: 01454 617645; http://bit.ly/17LsCDQ

Friday 9th August 1.15pm - 7.15pm: Blood Donation Sessions at the Jubilee Centre.

Give blood – please don’t leave it to someone else. More info: http:// www.blood.co.uk/

Thursday 15th August 7pm: Safer and Stronger Community Group Meeting at Brook Way Activity Centre.

Opportunity to discuss local community issues and hear presentations on topical matters.

Attended by representatives from South Gloucestershire Council, Avon and Somerset Police, Avon Fire & Rescue, Primary Care Trust and Bradley Stoke Town Council. More info: http://bit.ly/ bs-sscg

value’. Agenda: http://bit. ly/8y63mM

Thursday 22nd August 10.30am-12noon: Hide and Spook at Bradley Stoke Library.

Children’s craft activity with a spooky theme. Children must be accompanied by an adult. More info: http://bit.ly/X2LpPJ

Friday 23rd August 9am-2pm: Bradley Stoke Farmers’ Market at the Willow Brook Centre. Producers from the surrounding countryside bringing a wide selection of locally grown/produced wares.

More info: http://bit.ly/aZSWPA

Monday 26th August 1pm-2pm: Bradley Stoke Carnival Parade. Brazilianstyle carnival parade leaves the Jubilee Centre at 1pm, accompanied by a samba band, and returns after a walking

parade around the centre of Bradley Stoke. More info: http:// bit.ly/14iTQtl

Tuesday 27th August 2pm-4pm: Volunteering Drop-in Session at Bradley Stoke Library. Interested in volunteering? Then why not pop in for an informal chat with a volunteer advisor? More info: http://bit.ly/u8CsVN

Saturday 7th September 10am - 4pm: Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group Workday. Marsh clearing and maintenance of irrigation channels. All workdays start at 10am and finish at 4pm, but you are welcome to leave earlier if needed. Wear old clothes and stout boots and bring a packed lunch. We provide all the equipment needed plus the essential tea, coffee and biscuits!

More info: http://bit.ly/bOxe9s

Saturday 17th August 9.30am-11.30am: Bradley Stoke in Bloom ‘Tidy Up’ near the Doctors’ Surgery in Brook Way. Tidying up flower beds and pathways to make a lovely Peace Garden. Anyone interested is invited to come along. Please bring gardening gloves; tools will be provided. More info: bsib@ hotmail.co.uk

Wednesday 21st August 7.30pm: BSTC Finance Committee Meeting at the Jubilee Centre. The Finance Committee meets approx. six times a year and makes decisions and recommendations to Council on all financial and policy matters. This committee also is responsible for personnel matters and will be responsible for ‘best

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DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS Accountants TJS Business Solutions, Page 17 Builders Advanced Build Concepts, Page 29 Business Services Time and Life Management, Page 25 Cake Makers & Decorators Sweet Tracey Cakes, Page 30 Carpenters & Joiners Stowells Carpentry & Joinery, Page 30 Carpet Cleaners B Clean, Page 30 Child Care Little Acers Pre-School, Page 25 Chiropractic Cool Green Planet, Page 5 Cleaning & Domestic Services Felina Contract Cleaning, Page 24 Computer Services JRT Computing, Page 17

Domestic Appliance Repairs Kitchen & Laundry Appliance Care, Page 13 Double Glazing JDC Windows, Page 1 Driving Schools Visit directory on BSJ website Education & Learning Colston’s School, Page 4 Kumon Study Programme, Page 23 Electricians Visit directory on BSJ website Estate Agents CJ Hole, Page 12 Ocean, Page 1 Fostering & Adoption Advanced Foster Care, Page 18 Garage Services Filton Central Garage, Page 10 Garden Centres Almondsbury Garden Centre, Page 32

Hairdressers Visit directory on BSJ website Home Improvements Dream Doors, Page 26 Quality Bathrooms & Kitchens 4U Page 9 Richard Joseph Builders, Page 28 Landscape Gardeners Visit directory on BSJ website Launderettes & Dry Cleaners Wash Shop Plus, Page 30 Legal Services Hutchinson Legal & Associates, Page 7 Mortgages & Financial Advice Aspirations Financial Advice, Page 2 Nails & Beauty Beauty Secrets, Page 30 Opticians Specsavers, Page 22 Physiotherapy Bradley Stoke Physio, Page 14

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Royall Framing, Page 8 Plumbing & Heating Phil Ashton Plumbing , Page 23 Pubs & Restaurants Harvester, Page 11 Shopping Costco, Page 20 The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Page 31 Willow Brook Centre, Page 3 Slimming Clubs Cambridge Weight Plan, Page 8 Sport and Leisure Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre, Page 6 Taxis Visit directory on BSJ website Website Designers Fortyfour Creative, Page 2 Wedding Services Little Miss Thingz, Page 13

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