Advertiser Feature, Simpson Solicitors 15 Advertiser Feature, Simpson Solicitors

Our local Wills experts Simpson Solicitors remain OPEN on the Chipping Sodbury main road (by the war memorial) during the lockdown to help readers of The Boundary .

The Government have identified the importance of having up to date Wills and Powers of Attorney in place during the COVID pandemic. The team at Simpson Solicitors have again been designated as key workers. So please support this local service and “Shop Local”. Georgina Causon, Legal Advisor says “If you became seriously ill or died, having Powers of Attorney and a Will in place is the only way you can make sure your wishes are followed. Not having them in place can cause great difficulty to your family.”

Georgina Causon

To find how they can help you or members of your family, just telephone or pop into Simpson Solicitors to arrange a FREE Review Meeting with a friendly advisor. They will take as long as you need to guide you. They provide a COVID safe environment and you can choose your preferred way to get the ball rolling:

Telephone Meeting Zoom Video Meeting (they can help you set this up) In person at your home In person at their offices

If you then go ahead our readers will be offered 20% off their already competitive charges. Their No Hidden Costs service includes amendments and a supported Signing Meeting. This local, award winning service is designed to give you peace of mind everything has been prepared properly and is legally valid.

Jim Elsworth passed away on New Year‟s Eve. He was one of the most influential figures in local history in the last 50 years and a great servant to the Chipping Sodbury community during that time. Jim was involved in so many facets of Chipping Sodbury life it will be difficult to do him justice in a relatively short tribute.

As I write in 2021 Jim Elsworth had been chair of the Sodbury and District Historical Society since 1979, chair of the Town Lands Charity since the 1980s and an integral part of the Sodbury Festival since the mid 1980s plus a string of other community roles. Yet, it was not obvious that Jim would be so involved in everything. Jim Elsworth came to Sodbury with his wife Mary in 1967. Like so many other newcomers, he came to work on the Concorde programme in the 1960s. The family settled in the Elms Estate in Sodbury, but Jim spent long hours working at BAC in Filton and it took a few years before he became more involved in local, community life.

Jim became a Sodbury man through and through. Although he was always aware of being a “newcomer” compared to the longstanding families around the town, he was at the heart of Sodbury life. Alongside his history work, he was Chairman of the ancient Town Lands Charity, which was responsible for much of the land and property around Sodbury and a source of grants and support for the local community. Jim was also on the committee of the renowned Sodbury Festival, which has run from the 1980s and for which Jim has delivered a talk every year during that time at the Town Hall. Indeed, if there was a history or community project or festival in the Town Jim would be there to offer practical support and advice and probably a talk and walk.

Arguably more than anything else, Jim became the voice of Sodbury History and the “go to” historian for local enquiries. Jim‟s emergence on the Sodbury scene began with Sodbury Historical Society. Although other local historians, notably Percy Couzens were involved in setting up the society, it was Jim who stepped forward as Chairman of the organisation, blissfully unaware that he would occupy this post for over 40 years.

Although Jim had a full-time job at Filton, he was still able to devote so much time and energy to developing Sodbury Historical Society building it up from a core of enthusiasts, to being the largest history group in the area. Over the decades, the society has regularly attracted over 100 attendees to the Friday night lectures. Much of this success has been down to offering popular speakers and sustaining the base of followers through word of mouth.

As Chairman, Jim not only provided interesting speakers for society members, but also brought Sodbury History to life for scores of local groups and individuals. Initially inspired by a gift of a selection of historic slides by the family of the local GP, Dr Casson, Jim developed a prodigious collection of local images, taken as, or transferred to, slides which he took round to local parish halls, pubs and community halls for over 35 years. He subsequently transferred these slides to Powerpoint and, more recently, during the coronavirus restrictions, he gave his „‟Changing Sodbury‟‟ presentations as Zoom talks. He calculated that over 40 years, he was able to chalk up over 1000 talks in the area. Sodbury History was the passion; there were myriad permutations of „‟Changing Sodbury‟‟ as the collection grew (eventually reaching over 4,000 slides) often focusing on local shops, houses, or places while the US Army in Sodbury and Sodbury Charities were other popular themes. Every year since the mid-1980s, Jim has delighted audiences with his annual talk for the Chipping Sodbury Festival. As well as lectures, Jim was always ready and available to a history walks around Sodbury and elsewhere in the area. .....cont‟d 16 Please mention the Boundary when responding to adverts.

From my own personal view, Jim was both a great source of local knowledge and stories and could always be relied upon for good common sense. Throughout 20 years of Yate Heritage Centre, Jim sat on the management committee from 2000 to 2011 and answered scores of my history enquiries I passed onto him. He was also generous in loaning parts of the Sodbury history collection for our exhibitions and collaborating in numerous history projects the last of which was the „‟Sodbury 800‟‟ exhibition project and event in 2018. It is difficult to quantify how much someone like Jim Elsworth will be missed. He remained a popular local man to the end always ready to have a chat in the High Street and whenever possible, always prepared to offer a history talk or walk for any local group approaching him. From my own experience, having Jim do a talk always added extra “bums on seats”. His easy charm, great knowledge and humour will be remembered for years to come.

I didn‟t know Jim before I started the magazine in 2008 and even so, Jim very generously said he would write „a few articles‟. 12 years later and I know from readers that his regular page became a must-read every month. So knowledgeable, with a wry sense of humour and the ability to convey the fascinating and long history of this area. The first book of Jim‟s articles, called „Sodbury Tales‟ (pictured on the front cover) was published in 2013 and was a sell-out. I look forward to compiling more of Jim‟s writing this year into book number 2, which, in a gesture of Jim‟s thoughtfulness, will be raising funds for his favourite Charity, Guide Dogs For The Blind. David has highlighted above the many groups that Jim helped over the years, I would like to add the Chamber of Commerce to that long list. I am sure readers will wish to join me in sending Jim‟s family our heartfelt condolences. Jim was a true gentleman and a valued friend who will always be remembered with the greatest affection. Tel 01454 774061 or Email theboundaryonline@gmail.com 17 17

Throughout my life friends and family would always say “you look great, you don‟t need to lose weight, you are worrying about nothing” . But I always knew I was the “larger” friend, the one who didn‟t dress up for big events, the one who didn‟t want to have photo‟s taken but would happily take the photo‟s for people. I was shy, with drawn, insecure and uncomfortable in my own skin even though I didn‟t come across that way to others. The ultimate turning point for me was going on holiday to Turkey and friends showing me the pictures they had taken on an exciting day trip. I was horrified and heartbroken, I just wanted to crawl away back to my hotel room and hide. Was that really me in the photo? It certainly wasn‟t the me I wanted to be. The whole holiday I saw ladies on the beach and in restaurants beaming with confidence and wearing clothes I loved but would never dream of wearing. Thinking that It wasn‟t fair I indulged deeper into food for comfort, more than I had ever really realised. Why could they do it but I couldn‟t? I felt like I was trapped in a body I was stuck with - until I found slimming world in 2019.

After a quick search online for weight loss groups near me, slimming world popped up. I spontaneously grabbed my bag and headed on down as quickly as I could. Even though I knew it was what I wanted, walking through the doors of group was the hardest thing to do. To admit to myself I needed help to lose weight took everything I had within myself and I was embarrassed. I took a deep breath, and opened the doors, not knowing what to expect. The immediate atmosphere was so warming, like a safety net that just scoops you up as soon as you step in. Everyone was smiling and talking with each other while in the queue to weigh. The consultant came up to me with the biggest smile on her face and welcomed me. Going through the plan with my consultant and I quickly realised nothing was off limits! Amazed by the things you could eat and that I had the freedom to choose filled me with relief. I am not a fan of fish and knowing they were not going to make me eat it made me feel so much more relaxed! I swiftly went on to read through recipes books on the tablet, the app and website for idea‟s and I found myself excited to lose weight! I left feeling refreshed with a tight grip of my member pack to my chest and a list as long as my arm for new recieps to try for the week thanks to the other members in the group and for the first time in a long time I felt relief. I had been handed my life jacket from the sea of upset, comfort eating and self doubt. I lost 5lb in my first week! The feeling of achievement was amazing. I sat down to group, cup of tea in hand, everyone was so supportive and celebrated with me. It gave me a sense of belonging and the determination to carry on and the rest is history and I have never looked back.

What I love is all the meals always look so colourful. I still enjoy a chocolate biscuit from time to time but what amazed me was the fact I could still eat pasta!. I have a BIG love of pasta dishes that include butternut squash mac „n‟ cheese, pizza pasta bake and carbonara . I also enjoy chilli con carne with rice, lasagne with chips (yes chips!)and garlic bread and honestly the list could go on! Simple changes make a huge difference to not only your health but also the way you feel and I am proof.

Everyone at Slimming World wants to see you succeed and to have that support is just what my insecure self needed. My consultant wouldn‟t just support you on weigh day though, she would sometimes text mid week to check how I was and lift my spirits. On more than one occasion my consultant Bonny would text me just as I was about to put a chocolate biscuit in my mouth, I swear she had a sixth sense or something?!. It‟s that kind of support that got me to where I am today and I am so very grateful.

Since joining Slimming world I have achieved more than I ever thought possible. I have never been big into exercise, in school or in my adult life, but I found myself wanting to do something - so I started small, walking round the block to get fresh air, cycling to the shop instead of driving and hikes in the woods at my own pace with family and friends. Then I did the unthinkable. I walked 10 miles with my best friend for St Peters Hospice. The biggest smile hit my face at the 10 mile sign and it was all thanks to slimming world giving me the confidence to do it that I achieved it. I found myself not being able to contain my excitement at group. When I told them they were amazed, mainly because they knew I hated exercise but also because I enjoyed my sleep but were so proud of me, and I for the first time in a long time I felt proud of myself.

To this day I still attend my group, I still hike in the woods and I still treat myself to a choccy biscuit because I can! Slimming world gives you the reason and opportunity to choose! No more breathlessness running up the stair, reduced pain in my knee‟s, not so tired all the time but 10X more confidence and energised. I no longer look at ladies in the street wishing to be” her” because I finally am me!

Trust me when I say weight loss doesn‟t need to be strict, boring and impersonal, not with Slimming World. I‟ve enjoyed my journey so much that I want to share and inspire others to feel the same so am becoming a Slimming World Consultant myself and will be looking after members on a Tuesday evening at Yate Academy from 26th January 2021. Why not come along or get in touch if you‟d like to know more. Jasmine ` Slimming World Consultant

Monday afternoon/evening Contact Emma 07977 552958

Tuesday morning Contact Emma 07977 552958

Evening Contact Jasmine 07758298431

Wednesday morning/evening Contact Sue 07967 150283

Thursday morning/evening Contact Maria 07980 459533

Saturday morning Contact Bonny 07544 731250

By supporting a local business, you are supporting local people. These companies are part of the Sodbury & Yate Business Association. For more information please visit: www.sodburyandyate.biz If you own a business and are looking to join a local group that share ideas, collaborate and support each other, then please get in touch:

enquiries@sodburyandyate.biz

Each month we highlight two SYBA member businesses:

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