Bath Voice November 2021

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November 2021 No. 21

FREE EVERY MONTH in Bear Flat, Combe Down, Oldfield Park and Widcombe INSIDE

Romance, Covid-19 and Rosie and Guy

Cash to save Gore’s fountain Page 6

Back in the summer we ran the story of a lockdown romance and a Covid delayed engagement. Now Rosie and Guy from Bear Flat have finally got hitched - it all went well on the day - so congratulations to the adorable couple. If you have recently got married or plan a wedding soon then do drop us a line so we can share and spread the happiness. Email news@bathvoice.co.uk

Mongolia to Bear Flat Page 9 Sports News Page 14-15 What’s On Pages 24-27

Consultation: residents finally get a chance to discuss parking The Bath Blitz Page 28

By Harry Mottram. Residents are being consulted on the proposed Residents Parking Zone (RPZ) for Oldfield Park.

The plans are online with the opportunity for the public to write in with their thoughts plus there is a drop-in session in the Main Hall at the Oldfield Park

Baptist Church on the 2nd November 2021, from 4pm to 8pm.

The Council will be consulting residents and businesses in the Oldfield Park area (within Oldfield Park Ward and Westmoreland Ward) on their views on whether to introduce a

new Residents Parking Zone (RPZ) from Junction Road and Oldfield Road in the East, to Linear Park in the South and the Lower Bristol Road in the North.

The consultation began last month and will continue for several weeks in order to see the Continued on page 3

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Harry Mottram News Editor news@bathvoice.co.uk Erica Benson Publisher and sales 07402 441485 erica@bathvoice.co.uk

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Rich Coulter Sub Editor 07775 550607 George Benson Distribution 07970 767606 george@bathvoice.co.uk

Next issue’s deadline for editorial and advertising is Nov 19th

November 2021

on Facebook Bath Voice Bath Voice are members of:

My MP? Wera Hobhouse MP 26 Charles Street, Bath, BA1 1HU 01225 307024 office@werahobhouse.co.uk Jacob Rees-Mogg House of Commons Westminster London SW1A 0AA jacob.reesmogg.mp@parliament.uk My councillor?

Oldfield Park: Shaun Stephenson-McGall 07483 299240 Shaun_Mcgall@bathnes.gov.uk Widcombe & Lyncombe: Alison Born 01225 319188 Alison_born@bathnes.gov.uk Winston Duguid 07899 066440 Winston_Duguid@bathnes.gov.uk Moorlands: Jess David 07977 500804 Jess_david@bathnes.gov.uk Southdown: Paul Crossley 07718 632959 paul_crossley@bathnes.gov.uk Dine Romero 01225 477496 dine_romero@bathnes.gov.uk

Combe Down: Gerry Curan 01225 330349 / 07900684562 Gerry_curran@bathnes.go.uk Bharat Ramji Nathoo Pankhania Bharat_pankhania@bathnes.gov.uk 07464 867554 Odd Down: Joel Hirst 07792 869044 joel_hirst@bathnes.gov.uk Steve Hedges 07971270879 steve_hedges@bathnes.gov.uk Twerton: Sarah Moore 07807013635 Sarah_moore@bathnes.gov.uk Tim Ball 01225 400834 / 07970461674 Tim_ball@bathnes.gov.uk Westmoreland: June Player 07967 920064 June_Player@bathnes.gov.uk Colin Blackburn 07796 807157 Colin_Blackburn@bathnes.gov.uk

USEFUL NUMBERS Bath & North East Somerset Council Guildhall, High Street, Bath, BA1 5AW Bath One Stop Shop 3-4 Manvers Street, Bath, BA1 1JQ Council Connect 01225 39 40 41 Email: council_connect@bathnes. gov.uk Bath & North East Somerset Citizens Advice Bureau 2 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath, BA1 2EE 0344 848 7919 NHS Urgent: 111 / Emergency: 999

Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.co.uk General inquiries: 101 Emergency 999 Fire www.avonfire.co.uk Inquiries: 0117 926 2061 Emergency: 999 Anti-social behaviour team asb@bathnes.gov.uk 01225 842462 Well Aware Health and social care information www.wellaware.org.uk (Freephone) 0808 808 5252

COMPLAINTS Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the Bath Voice, contact the News Editor using the details below. We aspire to follow the the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), nuj.org.uk/about/ nuj-code.

Further details of the complaints process can be found on our website or can be obtained by contacting the Editor by email: news@bathvoice.co.uk or by post: 1 Camerton Close, Saltford, Bristol, BS31 3BT or by phone: 07402 441485 All stories and pictures are © Bath Voice (unless otherwise stated) and may not be reproduced without permission.

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November 2021

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n NEWS Residents will decide on new parking zone with consultation Continued from page 1 public’s views on the potentially contentious issue.

For years residents in the areas closest to the centre of Bath have complained about the amount of so-called ‘commuter parking’ people who do not live in their streets but use them as a car park for work.

It means for many people it is difficult to park close to their home in the their road.

There is also the issue of increased car ownership meaning a large house that has been divided up into flats could have several cars parked outside.

Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall said that it had been an issue for decades but now the residents would have their say.

He said: “For as long as I have been a councillor there have been growing louder calls for extension to the Residents Parking Zone (RPZ) to cover the remaining parts of Oldfield Park. Most people want

Many of the roads in the planned RPZ have no off street parking so space is limited.

Pic: Google Maps to remove the commuter parking out of their local road and street and this consultation exercise given residents their opportunity to have their say on the detailed street by street proposals.

“It is important that any new RPZ takes into account the need for some shoppers parking on and around Moorland Road as well as for visitors to local Churches, community venues and other local businesses.

“Please look out for the consultation letter and survey.

The consultation will close on 18 November 2021.”

Not everyone is in favour as evidence from other cities such as Bristol shows that the RPZs push the problem into the streets just outside the zone. In Bristol the mayor has put a stop to more zones due to this problem.

Businesses also rely on their staff and customers being able to park close by while shops need short stay parking as well to encourage footfall.

Cynics point to the idea that

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the council want to encourage more commuters and visitors to use their car parks in town in order to maximise income while others believe the scheme is another attack on the motorist.

The original plans for the RPZ were put in place under the previous Conservative run council allowing for funding for the scheme to be put in place by the current Liberal Democrat authority.

For those who don’t own or don’t want to own a car the long term vision is a city with far fewer cars and more public transport and safer routes for pedestrians and cyclists.

The council will also point to the need to cut pollution and to encouraging more cycling and walking to improve the health of all citizens.

For more details about the variety of official parking permits visit https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/ services/parking-and-travel/ parking-permits/residents-parkingpermits

November 2021

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n SCHOOL NEWS

Pizzas, pumpkins and changes at the Palladian Trust

By Harry Mottram: With the first half of the autumn term completed it’s been briefly back to normal at the city’s schools before Covid has again interrupted routines this month.

Pupils at Oldfield Park Junior School have been making use of one of the season’s fruits: pumpkins (pictured).

In a post on social media the head teacher David Goucher wrote: “Some cracking pumpkin Jack-o-lantern mini pies made by the culinary geniuses that are Year 6! Great work guys and well done to our own Mary Berry Mrs Warren!”

Meanwhile Year 3, had their first ever school trip to Bristol Aquarium as part of their ‘Under the Sea’ project.

Combe Down Primary School pupils have been enjoying the new timber trail that was installed over the summer holidays after a great amount of fundraising.

Widcombe Infant School Year 1 children have also been making good

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use of the season by harvesting vegetables from their class allotments to make soup. They also made apple crumble in their cookery sessions while Year 2 children made bread.

Widcombe’s Year 2 children had a trip around the local area of Widcombe both to explore land usage in Widcombe Parade and to sketch the Halfpenny Bridge, having found out that it had collapsed in 1877, when the present bridge was built.

Students at Ralph Allen School took part in a sponsored walk along the Bath skyline to raise money for an outdoor urban gym at the school. Year 7 students at the school visited Rainbow Woods for workshops on Arthurian Legends, giving them the experience of toasting marshmallows on the fire and exploring the woodland surroundings.

Before half term Year 8 students had been busy making pizzas while Year 9 and year 10 students challenged themselves with a climbing wall and inflatables in a week of activities which proves for some the old adage that your

school days are the best days of your life.

Donna Tandy, the boss of the Palladian Trust Schools wrote in her newsletter to parents: “We are delighted to inform you that Becky Wilson will become the Interim Executive Headteacher at both

Widcombe Juniors and Winsley Primary School.

“Mrs Wilson is currently the Headteacher at our Winsley Primary School. This is initially for four terms, until July 2022.

“This is a really positive move that will strengthen both schools.”

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n NEWS IN BRIEF

Parks, jabs, HGVs and a home for the Poppy Appeal Flags for parks. For the third year running five of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s parks have been officially recognised as being among the best green spaces in the country. Alexandra Park, Bloomfield Green, Hedgemead Park, Henrietta Park and Royal Victoria Park have all won Green Flags, the international mark of quality for being wellmanaged.

Green Flags are awarded by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to parks and green spaces that feature the highest environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities.

Four out of the five parks have volunteer Friends groups.

No to HGVs: Cleveland Bridge will remain closed to HGVs but will re-open to vehicles under two metres in width from 6am on Monday, October 25.

Traffic light controls and the two-metre width restriction are being put in place as part of the

staged re-opening of the bridge.

Pedestrians, cyclists and cars can use the bridge which is undergoing extensive repairs.

However due to the safety-critical nature of the work vehicles over two-metres wide including HGVs will be kept off the structure.

Temporary supports have been installed under the bridge deck to enable crucial sections of the bridge to be repaired and this means only carefully managed traffic can cross.

An exception has been made for emergency vehicles, which will be able to access the bridge via a gate specifically for their use.

Book your jabs: Residents can book a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination or manage their appointments using an online booking system. There are 2 types of appointments you can book using this service: A 1st or 2nd dose of the vaccine (also known as the primary course) A booster dose of the vaccine You need to be registered with a GP surgery in England to use this

The Poppy Appeal will have a base in Walcot Street service. You can register with a GP if you do not have one. Details and to book at https://www.nhs.uk/ conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ coronavirus-vaccination/bookcoronavirus-vaccination/ Poppy HQ: The Council has offered charity fundraisers for The Poppy Appeal a base for the duration of the appeal this month. Organisers of the Bath Poppy Appeal were looking for a centrally located shop

where the volunteers could pick up poppies and drop off donations.

The council has offered the use of a property in Walcot Street.

This year the event will mark 100 years since the nation’s collective Remembrance traditions were first brought together.

This year’s Poppy Appeal will be launched on Thursday October 28.

Remembrance Sunday will be on Sunday November 14.

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n NEWS

November 2021

At last: Bath’s smallest park is set for a new era

By Harry Mottram. For years the Jubilee fountain on the Wellsway has stood on the corner of Bath’s smallest park: The Gore.

Covered in dust and hemmed in by utility boxes the Grade II Victoria Diamond Jubilee drinking fountain has been neglected and all but forgotten until a group of public spirited individuals banded together to campaign for its restoration.

Their efforts have been repaid - up to a point - as Bear Flat’s least known item of Victorian street furniture has been awarded a grant of £5,000 for repairs.

Bear Flat Environment, a newly formed Charitable Incorporated Organisation, has been awarded the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) grant

by Bath & North East Somerset Council for the works to the fountain at The Gore.

The Gore is home to the

Grade II Victoria Diamond Jubilee drinking fountain which is falling into disrepair. The funding will enable stonework repairs to be undertaken to prevent further deterioration of the fountain and help improve the image of the area.

The Bear Flat Association has championed the area stretching from Holloway up to and past The Devonshire Arms and in the surrounding streets.

Their vision is to see the main thoroughfare past the hotel to Bloomfield become more of a centre for the suburb.

The Gore is at the junction of the Wellsway and Bloomfield Avenue - squeezed in between heavy traffic - but a green island nevertheless.

CIL funding is awarded by the council to projects which will improve existing facilities to benefit local people.

Cllr Jess David said: “Small projects like these improvements

to the Bear Flat drinking fountain are so important in giving local areas a lift for the community to benefit from.

“As part of the wider project it’s going to improve the image of The Gore for residents and for people passing through, and encouraging local trade.”

Constructed to celebrate Queen Victoria’s 60th

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anniversary as monarch in 1897 the fountain is actually a modern addition to the junction.

Bloomfield Avenue and Bear Flat to the Holloway were once part of the Roman trunk road into the city - better know as The Fosse Way. Gareth Somerset of Bear Flat said it was important to ‘preserve this piece of local history’.

November 2021

bathvoice

n NEWS IN BRIEF Cash for travel routes: A new bid for £890,000 in Government funding to improve a 1.5km walking and cycling route between Combe Down and the University of Bath is set for a decision this autumn.

Bath & North East Somerset Council is proposing to create better facilities for pedestrians and cycles along the existing shared use path through Rainbow Wood and Claverton Down.

The plans include improved road crossing facilities at three points with two new parallel crossings. The existing zebra crossing on North Road, near Shaft Road, would be converted to a parallel pedestrian and cycle crossing.

Both junctions at either end of Copseland would be improved, allowing pedestrians and cycles to cross safely between Quarry Farm Lane and the University of Bath.

Designs for these junctions are underway and are likely to include pavement widening and a parallel pedestrian and cycle crossing at the Copseland/Oakley junction.

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The existing 1.3km shared use path through Rainbow Wood and Claverton Down would also be upgraded with a hard surface to improve conditions for both walking and cycling.

The council is also looking at options to provide a direct cycle route to Ralph Allen School, giving more pupils the opportunity to cycle to and from school.

Moorlands School PTA: The parents of pupils at Moorlands Junior School have been busy raising cash to put in cycle racks at the phrontistery. Hannah Cameron-McKenna of the parent teacher association and of the Moorlands Eco Group said following a survey of parents there was a desire to make it easier to cycle to the Oval’s number one place of learning.

She said: “The main reasons why people didn’t cycle was one - road safety and two no cycle storage at the school.

“We have a target of creating storage for 100 bikes but began with fundraising for 30 bicycles.”

With grants from the Council via Cllr Jess David and Curo enough cash was raised to have the first racks installed.

Bicycle Mayor: Bath has it’s first bicycle mayor - a voluntary and independent role to promote cycling in the city. Saskia Heijltjes Saskia Heijltjes’s application was endorsed by Walk Ride Bath chair Adam Reynolds, Avon Valley Cyclery director Luke Ludwell and Green councillor Joanna Wright.

Saskia said: “Bicycle mayors are the human face and voice of cycling advocacy in a city. My task as bicycle mayor will be to work across all parts of the community to identify the most pressing issues, and then bring people together to work on implementing practical solutions.

“Cycling in Bath is safe to a certain extent in certain areas, such as the canal towpath, river towpath, Two Tunnels path, Bristol-Bath railway path.

“These paths are lovely for leisure trips, but do not allow you to cycle safely for everyday trips. These paths are also not suitable for

cycling in the dark for some, including many women and children.

“Most importantly, it is not safe for all ages and abilities to cycle in Bath at the moment. An eight-yearold child can’t cycle safely (with their parent/carer) to many places in Bath, including their own school.

Incidentally Moorlands School has an open day on Tuesday 2 November, when parents can visit with a view to send their children there next year.

Wrong number: A couple have been sent a fine for driving in a bus lane in Bath when a camera mistook a word on a woman’s clothing for their number plate last month.

The BBC reported that Dave and Paula Knight, from Surrey, received the fine for driving in a bus lane despite not being in the city at the time. A camera had registered the word ‘knitter’ on a pedestrian’s clothing as Mr Knight’s number plate KN19 TER. Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) confirmed the fine had been cancelled..

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November 2021

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November 2021

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n NEWS

From Bear Flat to Ulaanbaatar and back again on a Vespa

By Harry Mottram. When vandals smashed up Bloomfield’s latest business in September it seemed that the dark side of Bath had reared its ugly head.

Arty Bakes is a new micro business in Bloomfield Green in Bear Flat selling ‘gluten-free, sumptuous cakes, bakes, tarts, puddings, ice creams, smoothies, savoury dips, teas and coffee’.

Emma Trenchard set up the business this autumn from a little orange and blue garden shed and is attracting attention in Bloomfield with the regular walkers, dog walkers, parents and joggers.

“It gets very busy around when I open at 11am,” she said, “it’s a lovely spot, with great views.

“After the break-in I replaced the glass with safety glass but I can’t make the shed like Fort Knox.”

Instead Emma has relied on the support of locals and hoping that the news shames the culprits into refraining from damaging a new business.

Emma has a fascinating back story having travelled to India solo on her yellow Vespa scooter called Grettle before riding the twowheeled classic Italian motorbike to Mongolia.

There she stayed for a year working as an art teacher and artist in Ulaanbaatar before returning overland with her adopted Mongolian street dog Molly to Bear Flat where she lives.

Clearly she has become something of a celebrity in the scooter world as her exploits in Asia have not gone unnoticed.

She said: “A team of Vespa enthusiasts from America are flying over to film me for an upcoming episode featuring on ‘Vespamania’ and they thought it would be fun for a couple of friends or acquaintances to pop by.”

The Café is open every day from 11am-6pm.

For details visit https://www. artybakes.com/

Monday am Hillside Hall, Oldfield Park Call Sarah on 07881 758292

Wednesday am Leafy Lane, Corsham Call Jane on 07857 147093

Thursday pm The Parish Hall, Weston Call Sarah on 07881 758292

Friday am The Rugby Club, Combe Down Call Cher on 07824 336925

Tuesday pm St Mark’s School, Larkhall Call Jan on 07746 098307

Wednesday pm Percy Community Centre Bath City Centre Call Jane on 07857 147093

Thursday pm The Methodist Church Southdown Call Jane on 07857 147093

Saturday am Odd Down Sports Ground Call Emma on 07886 629496

Wednesday pm Saltford Hall, Saltford Call Cher on 07824 336925

Friday am The Methodist Church Southdown Call Jane on 07857 147093

Tuesday pm St Michael’s school, Twerton Call Sarah on 07881 758292

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Got a story for Bath Voice? Email Harry on news@bathvoice.co.uk

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November 2021

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n LETTERS

Birdwatching, solar power and all that jazz Solar Power in Bath For the last few months we’ve been focusing on trying to help householders in the area to consider getting involved in a Solar Panel Bulk Purchase scheme.

Recently we distributed a flyer across the extended Widcombe area with examples of two potential options.

One was the WECA/Solar Together scheme for which the closing date for registration was 27th September.

The other involved a local Solar Panel installer called IDDEA (based in Westbury, Wiltshire) who has already successfully run similar schemes across this area (including Frome and Marshfield). Ian Dunstone, director of IDDEA, did an online presentation about their scheme on 22nd September. This presentation is available for viewing on the Go Green Widcombe website.

Several local households have already signed up and their offer is still open. Savings of 15% or higher are possible. IDDEA can also offer battery storage and they will install Solar Panels on Listed Buildings (provided the project has the necessary approvals). If you want to sign up to this scheme or you require more information, then email info@iddea.co.uk.

If you have general questions 20.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/2020 about these Solar PV Bulk Purchase schemes, or if you would like to get involved with Go Green Widcombe, please email ggwidcombe@gmail. com.

Steve Cross, Bath

The Jazz Factory welcomes new members writes Andrew Gaulter remains strong because of its fine programme of events aimed at everyone, absolute beginner to real expert.

For the beginners there are trips to many wonderful local nature reserves. All are welcome, especially children though they have to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

A telescope is used to make things easier to identify and there are a number of loan binoculars. A big surprise to many British beginners is finding 08:58 Page 1out that in Somerset WE HAVE BIRDS AS TALL AS A HUMAN WITH AN EIGHT FOOT WING SPAN. Nature has no borders and neither do we as a group. With our inclusive approach we welcome people from all diverse backgrounds.

A full programme of indoor talks by excellent good speakers is run

01225 413 414

Join Bath’s ornithologists The Bath and District RSPB Group is one of the oldest in the country and

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on the third Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm in the Community Church, Hawthorn Grove, Combe Down (parking is available).

Subjects cover many areas and countries but all have nature as a theme.

For those liking the fresh air there is an all year round programme of outings which include field trips by car, bus and boat.

These take in many wonderful, beautiful , exciting and local places to which many Bathonians are totally unaware.

It is a revelation to many that the RSPB is as concerned with animals, insects and plants as much as birds and anyone with an interest is welcome.

To learn more either come along or contact us through our web site: www.rspb.org.uk/groups/bath John Yates

Jazz Factory Rocks The Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon was certainly rocking on Monday 18th October as Jazz Factory, the resident club for jazz enthusiasts, held an impromptu mini-concert and jam session for all its members – from baritone sax, to clarinets, to violin.

Jazz Factory founder from 20 years plus ago Mike Daniels was in his usual engaging form orchestrating the proceedings and tooting on his horn.

Mike’s group kicked off the session with Step Lightly by the acclaimed saxophonist Joe Henderson, followed by fellow tutor and polyinstramentalist Ross Hughes’ group with a pulsating version of the township music classic, Mandela by Abdullah Ibrahim.

After that tutor Rachel Kerry’s group performed a classy rendition of Sandu by Clifford Brown, the late but great trumpeter.

The evening was rounded off with the well-known jazz standard Perdido, written by Juan Tizol, the trombonist in Duke Ellington’s famous band.

The tune was played by the whole ensemble in lively but well-ordered fashion, with maestro Mike conducting and picking out soloists at random.

A great time was had by all.

Unsurprisingly Jazz Factory is now full for the current term, but the new term starts on Monday 10th January 2022, so if you’re interested in joining, please enquire via jazzfactory.co.uk Andrew Gaulter Secretary Jazz Factory and rhythm guitarist Letters to news@bathvoice.co.uk

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November 2021

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nNEWS IN BRIEF Violence Reduction Grants: Cash is available for community groups to improve safety and crime reduction from the Bath and North East Somerset Community Safety & Safeguarding Partnership. Groups can apply for the Violence Reduction Grants from £200 up to £4,000.

Eligible projects must address at least one of these: Work with children and young people under-25 to reduce or prevent their involvement in violence either as victims or offenders; Aim to prevent vulnerable people over the age of 25 becoming victims of violent crime or involvement as offenders; Work in hotspot areas, including Bath City Centre, Keynsham, Twerton and Somer Valley to address violence and improve resilience; Work in new or emerging hotspot areas where there is evidence of violence; Work to support potential victims of knife crime who are overwhelmingly male aged 25-34; Work in communities to address domestic abuse, including awareness raising; Work to support young women and girls at risk of becoming involved in violence.

For more information: visit: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/ apply-serious-violence-reductiongrant. Find out more about the Youth Connect South West graffiti project https://www. youthconnectsouthwest.org.uk/ graffiti-project Online directory: A new Live Well B&NES website has been launched to provide information, support and signposting for parents, families and carers in Bath. Includes Family Information - including types of

childcare, holiday clubs etc.

Supporting Adults to Live Independent Lives – including care and wellbeing information and support to be independent.

Supporting Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with SEND – Rainbow Resource. To access it register at: https://livewell.bathnes. gov.uk/register-your-organisation-us RUH Children’s Garden: The Children’s Ward garden at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (pictured) has

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undergone a complete makeover, creating an improved outdoor area to play and relax in for some of the hospital’s youngest patients. The transformation is all thanks to the ‘Time is Precious’ charity, which raised £33,000 to pay for the improvements. The new-look garden contains a basketball net, football goal, playhouse, play panels, slides, ride-ons and even a wooden bus. There is also a chill out hut, benches and picnic tables for those patients and their families who want to rest or have a snack.

The Time is Precious charity was set up in 2011 by Neil and Nicky Halford in memory of their son Ben, who passed away from cancer aged just five. Ben was treated at the RUH, as well as Bristol Children’s Hospital and the former Frenchay Hospital. The aim of the charity is to help create a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for children and their families in hospital and at home.

To date, it has donated more than £200,000 to the RUH in the form of equipment and refurbishment projects. For more information about Time is Precious go to www.timeisprecious.org

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bathvoice

November 2021

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November 2021

bathvoice

n NEWS IN BRIEF Covid news: All children aged 12 to 15 will be offered a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Parents and guardians will receive a letter with information about when the vaccine will be offered.

Most children will be given their vaccine at school. Some children are being offered two doses of the vaccine if they live with someone who is more likely to get infections.

If your child is eligible for two doses of the vaccine, you’ll be contacted by a local NHS service to arrange their appointments Residents ignored: Planning permission has been granted for nine homes to be constructed on The Hollow. Around 180 objections were lodged citing a loss of green land and road safety.

The land by Bath City Farm has been a de facto wildlife zone but will now be developed despite the ‘Save our Hillside’ campaign. Due to the location of the site there are proposed changes to the road layout on The Hollow which locals say will see road safety compromised.

Toga distancing: Covid controls that push down the capacity of the Roman Baths have been called into question.

The venue reopened in May but missed the Easter weekend and early May bank holiday, and the reduced capacity caused a £4.5million shortfall in the authority’s income from heritage services.

Councillor Winston Duguid said: “We’ve got to protect our staff, we’ve got to protect the citizens, but are we being too robust on that given the government has decided [there will be] no more support for the likes of B&NES Council?”

Celebrity chef: Famous TV person Paul Hollywood is to tell people in Bath how to cook at the Bath Forum on Friday, November 4. He will give

cookery demonstrations, and talk about the programme on Channel 4 called The Great British Bake Off. It is a baking competition, produced

by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other to show who is the best baker.

Farm party: In September the High Sheriff of Somerset, Thomas Sheppard, held his annual Garden Party at Bath City Farm. Farm manager Helen Fisher (pictured) received an award on behalf of Bath City Farm, in recognition of great and valuable services to the community from the sheriff.

The Office of High Sheriff is an independent non-political Royal appointment for a single year. Their main responsibilities are to support the legal and police sectors and recognise those who have worked to help their local communities.

Cop shop: The police have got planning permission to refurbish Bath One Stop Shop on Manvers Street as a police station and Information & Advice Centre. Work started last month and it should be completed in the spring of 2022.

2022.

Funding available for local Community Projects Up to £1,000 is available in grants

13

for Community Groups in Oldfield Park.

Local community groups, charities and schools are invited to contact their councillor with their ideas on how a small grant could help their group and the wider community.

Previous grants through the Councillors Empowerment Fund have included equipment for local schools, sports groups, tree planting and improvements to Green Spaces.

Ideas and applications from residents on how £1,000 could be allocated by should be sent to your local councillor by 30th November 2021, with all projects needing to be completed by 31st March 2022.

Applications should align to one or more of the core Council values.

Details at https://www.bathnes. gov.uk/services/neighbourhoodsand-community-safety/ connecting-communities/ ward-councillors-empowerment Taxi licence: local democracy reporter Stephen Sumner has reported that a Bath taxi firm boss has lost his licence after allegedly

Paul Hollywood is at the Bath Forum on Friday, November 4

failing to pay a driver for more than a year.

Bath and North East Somerset Council’s licensing subcommittee heard that the man – unnamed in official minutes – was taken to court and ordered to pay the £8,405 he owed, plus £410 in costs.

The licensee claimed he had already paid in cash and the complainant was trying to get a lump sum from him.

He said he had not received the invoices until the court judgement came through and he was trying to challenge it.

The licensee told councillors: “Ask yourself a few questions: if you are being paid monthly could you afford to stop being paid for a 15-month period?

“Would you continue working if you were not getting paid? How could you afford to keep your vehicle on the road during this period?”

He said he had paid the complainant in cash but also that he did not pay him because the invoices did not set out sufficient detail and included charges for school holiday periods.

Councillors spotted the contradiction, and also saw evidence the complainant had submitted invoices and chased payments.

Trees and Victorian tragedies: The Facebook site proud of Twerton, Whiteway and Southdown makes for interesting reading. A recent set of articles by Joe Scofield on suicides in Edwardian and Victorian Twerton gives an insight into a tragic human subject that has not gone away.

On the up side there’s an appeal from Cllr Sarah Moore for residents to volunteer to help plant trees in Pennyquick Park on Wednesday, November 24, from 10.30am to 2.30pm. Sounds brilliant.

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November 2021

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14

n LACROSSE NEWS

Bathonians play a team sport of 17th century first Canadians

By Netty Stick: Writing in 1637 the the French Jesuit missionary Jean de Brébeuf describes Huron tribesmen in Canada playing a game he dubbed ‘la crosse’ or ‘the stick’ in the English tansalation.

Historians believe that various tribes of North America had been playing le crosse since Bathonians live in wattle and daub huts.

La Crosse as it came to be know is the oldest team sport with a continuous history - and a history that continues with Bath Lacrosse Club.

Why Sky Sports, ITV and the BBC continue to fail to cover the sport on prime time TV is a mystery as it is one of the most exciting games to watch.

Bath Lacrosse Club (BLC) was founded in 1983 and is affiliated to the England Lacrosse, the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport, and enters one Men’s squad at

senior level into the South of England Men’s Lacrosse Association competitions and one Women’s squad into the South West Women’s Lacrosse Association Competitions.

The club has strong links with Bath University, allowing students from around the world and Bath of course to take up the stick at weekends and joining the various sides put out to do battle with clubs from around the country.

Bath Lacrosse women’s team play their sport at Odd Down Playing Fields, Bath Although the Huron tribesmen of Canada are not amongst their It is now one of the biggest exciting dimension to what is opponents the club have female, tournaments in Europe, already one of the premier male, junior and senior squads for traditionally held on the first tournaments in Europe. the 10-a-side sport.

Saturday in September with a No longer the game of posh Since 2016 BLC has taken the capacity entry of 33 Men’s teams girls in private schools, lacrosse stick and ball game to its spiritual each year, bringing over 400 with its heritage of North American home at Odd Down Playing fields, lacrosse players and numerous tribal contests is the sport of which lie only 3,841 miles (or a lot of supporters to the City. warriors. lacrosse pitches) from Canada.

In 2017 The tournament To join the club or for more One of the highlights on the expanded to include the Bath information visit http:// Lacrosse calendar is the Bath Eights, Women’s Eights, adding another bathlacrosse.com/wp/ started in 1986 to promote the club.

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November 2021

bathvoice

n SPORTS NEWS

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Wide selection of sporting clubs to join including cycling Bath Rugby: The team were unfortunate to lose out to Bristol by 25-20 last month and Sale by a single point when the referee may have blown early - preventing a late comeback. Moral victories both. In November the blue, black and whites are away against the likes of Leicester and others with the big match on Friday, 26th in the evening against Exeter at The Rec. A season defining fixture you may say and a chance to bounce back after the 17-71 defeat by Saracens.

Bath City FC: The Romans take on Welling United on Saturday, November 6th at Twerton Park in a Vanarama National League Division South fixture with another match against Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday the 14th at the same ground. The Romans are yet to get into their stride but a win against Concord Rangers on Saturday the 20th could see them mount a charge up the table toward promotion. Top football man Jerry Gill is the ‘stripes’ manager and team skipper Carl Carpenter will take the team forward in all competitions.

Bear Flat FC: Following a 4-3

thriller against Nathan AFC Reserves on October 10, the Bears look to consolidate their position in the third division of the Bath and District Sunday League with an encounter with Two Weir Town on the 14th of November - after the small matter of a Hallowe’en encounter with Keynsham Rangers.

Netball: Eleven members of the Team Bath squad that reached the Grand Final during 2021 have recommitted to the Blue & Golds for another title challenge when the season restarts in February.

They are Imogen Allison, Kim Borger, Betsy Creak, Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, Layla Guscoth, Serena Guthrie, Kirsty Harris, Hannah Passmore, Tash Pavelin, Jess Shaw and Rachel Shaw.

Hockey: Bath Buccaneers juniors have enjoyed a good start to the season. The U10s and U12s are entered into the Avon Junior Hockey League Festivals that run throughout the season. They will also participate in the Avon County In2Hockey tournament on the 7th November.

Swimming: Based at Bath Leisure Centre and established in 1899,

Bath Dolphin Swimming Club (BDSC) is one of the oldest swimming clubs in the South West.

They provide competitive swimming opportunities for young swimmers through to a masters swimming group. As a holder of the Swim England quality accreditation, Swim Mark, they offer a year round competitive swim team with high quality coaching and technique instruction for all ages and abilities.

Tennis: Bloomfield Tennis Club founded in 1927 and is located at 98 Wellsway in Bath. Facilities include three all weather carpet courts, a single junior short tennis court, a practice wall and a modest

clubhouse with electricity, kitchen and running water. Other facilities are shared with the neighbouring Bloomfield Bowling Club, including car parking, toilets and an occasional bar.

Cycling: Bath Cycle Club have reported that their Friday women’s rides are back after the Summer break. These highly sociable rides have groups ranging from steady to medium to quicker. The quicker rides have longer routes to the cafe stop to make sure they all get there at the same time for a good chat.

The club has a long and storied history, dating back as far as 1880.

To join visit www.bathcc.net

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16

n NEWS

November 2021

bathvoice

Mayors fall out war over ‘unlawful’ veto

By Local Democracy Reporter. The uneasy alliance between the region’s political leaders crumbled spectacularly as four council leaders pulled out of a public meeting with metro mayor Dan Norris to discuss hundreds of millions of pounds of investment.

Bristol’s city mayor Marvin Rees and the leaders of South Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset and North Somerset councils – Cllrs Toby Savage, Kevin Guy and Don Davies respectively – refused to attend over claims Mr Norris’s power of veto is “unlawful”.

The bust-up has been widely criticised and vital funding decisions are now on ice.

West of England Combined Authority (Weca) committee, and the joint committee with the addition of North Somerset, was due to take place in the council chamber at Bristol City Hall on Friday morning (October 15).

But when the West of England mayor arrived shortly before 10.30am he was told the booking had been cancelled and what was left of the meeting was moved into a small committee side room, where only a few agenda items that could take place went ahead, including public forum and a report from the scrutiny committee.

But the bulk of the meeting – and crucially the decisions – did not happen because of the breakdown in relationships which is threatening to become a full-blown regional constitutional crisis.

These included approving a £50million green recovery fund, with at least £20million from the combined authority and the rest

“leveraged” from other sources for projects like retrofitting and electric vehicle charging points, and an extra £10million to double Covid recovery aid.

Those big new projects are now on hold, along with a Weca senior officer restructure to create new director roles for environment and transport, while members were also due to discuss a half-billion-pound, five-year government settlement for buses as well as other major bus programmes.

The bust-up follows concerns that Mr Norris vetoed proposals last month at the West of England joint committee, which is Weca committee – the two mayors and Cllrs Savage and Guy – plus Cllr Davies.

Legal advice to the metro mayor said he had a veto on joint committee decisions, but this week a leaked letter revealed the council leaders are disputing he has this power, calling it “unlawful”, and point out that North Somerset residents do not have a say in the Weca mayoral election.

They insist they withdrew from Friday’s meeting because any decisions made could be challenged.

Mr Norris said it may take the Government to intervene to break the deadlock because there are similar tensions between councils and combined authorities across the country.

He opened the meeting by explaining it was not “quorate”, which means not enough members were there to make any decisions.

“That’s clearly disappointing.

No money will be allocated today for some of the really important

projects,” the metro mayor said.

“I’m interested in policies not process. The public hate political game-playing and they must come first.

“We have to get on with tackling the climate emergency.

We have ambitious carbon targets for 2030 and I don’t want our region to get an unfair reputation as climate delayers.

“The COP summit is three weeks away and we are not able to make big decisions about how to spend £50million to make our environment better, which seems crazy.

“These choppy waters aren’t unusual. There is a nationwide issue.

“Combined authorities led by metro mayors are quite new, and the powers which made more sense to be handled at a regional level, like broadband and transport, were taken away from councils and government to create metro mayors, who are the new game in town if we want more resources for our region.”

Speaking afterwards he said the arguments were “all about power and money”.

“The Government has imposed a metro mayor on their region and they don’t like it. The Government is probably going to have to come in and sort this out,” he said.

Mr Norris said the disputed veto on joint committee voting would not have been an issue at the meeting because the main funding decisions required the agreement of Weca committee members only, where different rules apply.

“The leaders should have been here today for the combined

authority meeting, which allocates money for a lot of the essential things for our region, because that committee hasn’t been affected by their concerns,” he said.

“Their issue is with the joint committee. They could have parked that, come today and said ‘we’re not dealing with that but we’ll deal with the Weca committee’, which is where I have power to allocate money if I have the support of the leaders.

“So it was their choice to stop the money. They didn’t have to do that. They could have been just as robust about their argument and put the money through today if they’d chosen to.”

West of England Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Richard Bonner, a non-voting committee member, told the meeting: “The business community and business members of the LEP board are frustrated that the important and strategic business of the combined authority has been unduly disrupted.

“We don’t think that’s acceptable to the business community or the citizens of the region.”

Scrutiny committee chairman and B&NES Lib Dem Cllr Winston Duguid said: “There are 10 combined authorities up and down the country and they all face the same challenges as us.

“There is inherent friction.

Conflict is inevitable but combat is optional, so it’s about how we approach this.”

In a joint statement, the leaders of B&NES, Bristol city, North Somerset and South Continued on page 17

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17

Information for young people and getting a Covid jab The NHS is currently offering the Covid-19 vaccine to: children aged 12 to 15 years old with underlying health conditions or who live with someone who is more likely to get infections.

All children aged between 12

and 15 years will be offered the chance to have the coronavirus vaccine at their school.

It will be administered by a member of Virgin Care’s Immunisation Service team, and both child and parent consent will

The RUH has been at the centre of treating Covid 19 patients Continued from page 16 Gloucestershire councils said: “Our top priority for the region is to bring the homes, jobs, skills and good transport links that the communities and people of West of England need.

“Unfortunately West of England leaders are unable to attend the scheduled meeting today due to ongoing legal concerns.

“These unanswered concerns relate to the governance of the joint committee, specifically the voting arrangements on which policy is decided.”

They said they hoped to reschedule Friday’s meeting on November 5 – fireworks night.

A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “Over a week ago, the unitary authorities raised the point that the Weca and joint committees could not go ahead due to some concerns around the unlawful context of the joint committee meeting.

“The four unitary authorities had received legal advice that raised concerns and jointly proposed that the meetings scheduled for today were rearranged, to allow for the legal concerns to be resolved by the unitary and combined authority legal officers.

“Having received a refusal to rearrange from the combined authority with no indication that the faulty procedural

arrangements would be put right, the unitary authorities wrote to confirm we could not take part in a meeting where essential decisions could be laid open to challenge and proposed a meeting on November 5, to follow the resolution of the legal concerns.

“Bristol City Council is only interested in ensuring our ambitions and decisions on important issues regarding the future of the city and region are robust and lawful, as our citizens would expect.”

Bristol Green Cllr Tony Dyer, who was at the meeting, said: “Clearly there is a serious breakdown in mutual trust and disagreement over the governance and operation of Weca that requires urgent attention.

“Reputational damage to our region has almost certainly already been incurred. Not taking sides but this clearly requires a swift resolution.”

The committee also needed to agree £24million for Bristol Temple Meads’ eastern entrance, £2.2million for Temple Quarter regeneration programme, £3million for high streets and £3million to develop a full business case for Charfield railway station in South Gloucestershire.

While the funding for these is delayed, the projects are long-running and ultimately not at risk.

be required before vaccination can take place.

They will be including all homeschooled children and will provide clinics at different settings not just in schools.

The parents should wait to be contacted and not just turn up in case a vaccination can’t be accommodated on that day.

Young people aged 16 and 17 years can book their appointment via the National Booking Service and also can attend some walk-in clinics such as the one at Bath Racecourse at Lansdown although the NHS says that if you are having your second dose then you should leave eight weeks after having had the first one.

And on getting to Bath Racecourse if you don’t have transport the FirstBus number 32 goes every hour, on the hour from 7am each morning until 8pm from the bus station to the site.

However check online before

going to Lansdown at one stage last month they stopped vaccinating and directed patients to centres such as the The Hindu Temple in Bristol.

Visit https://bswccg.nhs.uk/ your-health/29-public-website/367live-information-about-covid-19vaccination-at-bath-racecourse Ideally you should have your NHS number when you go and you must book online Anyone who is aged 18 or over can have the vaccine as a matter of course.

For information about getting jabbed or a booster or flu vaccine visit https://beta.bathnes.gov. uk/coronavirus-covid-19-latestinformation-and-advice/get-yourcovid-19-vaccine And the same address will give you information on getting tested whether at home or at a test centre.

However things keep changing so always double check the availability first.

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November 2021

bathvoice

18

n NEWS

Telecom firms criticise decision to prevent tall mast

By Local Democracy Reporter: Two telecoms giants have attacked the “not defensible” decision to refuse plans to upgrade a Bath mast to 5G – two months before a taller tower was approved just metres away.

Lodging an appeal, EE and 3 singled out the actions of Bath and North East Somerset Council leader Kevin Guy and his deputy, Sarah Warren.

The Bathavon North ward councillors cited the visual impact of the proposed 20-metre mast in Larkhall Sports Club when they called for the application to be considered by the planning committee.

But when they spoke at the meeting in December 2020 their focus was on the perceived health risks of 5G – Councillor Guy said it would be “irresponsible” to approve a mast so close to a nursery and Cllr Warren said the 343 objectors did not want to be used as “guinea pigs in a global experiment”.

Many of the objectors – who also included Bath MP Wera

Hobhouse – were likewise concerned about the perceived health risks, which took up a significant portion of the planning committee’s debate on the application.

Planning officer Chris GriggsTrevarthan warned councillors against “flying in the face” of government guidance that 5G is safe and said the council would leave itself open to a costly appeal if it was used as a reason for refusal.

Instead the planning committee rejected the application as an inappropriate development in the green belt.

That position was disputed by EE and 3 because the existing 15-metre mast has been in place for more than a decade and a brand new 23.4-metre mast was approved in Charlcombe Lane, some 70 metres away, two months later.

Vodafone and O2’s scheme will replace a temporary mast in a more prominent location in the green belt that has been running on diesel for some two years.

It will not immediately offer 5G

but could be upgraded to host the technology.

EE and 3 said there were clear similarities between the two schemes and there should have been a consistent approach.

The firms said in their appeal statement: “The decision of the local authority’s planning committee was incorrect, and their overall assessment of the appeal submission was flawed.

“The planning committee’s determination of the appeal submission did not afford appropriate weight to the siting and design of the scheme, or the numerous public benefits that would be brought forward by it.”

No other application for a 5G mast has since faced such opposition from the public and some have only received a single objection.

Cllr Warren also raised health concerns about the proposed 5G mast in Charlcombe Lane, and warned about the impact on the green belt and AONB, but Cllr Guy did not comment on the

application.

B&NES Council is yet to submit its statement to the Planning Inspectorate.

Cllrs Guy and Warren said in a joint statement: ““As councillors, we both lead and represent our communities.

“Both of us were talking as ward councillors at the 5G planning meeting in December last year, and were echoing the thoughts of many of our residents.

“The planning committee made its decision to turn down the application on planning grounds, including AONB proximity and overbearing height, and balanced that against the benefits claimed by the applicant.

“We are sure the appeal will concentrate on the reasons given for refusal, and whether or not, as with all planning decisions, competing needs were weighed up correctly against the policies in place at the time.”

Residents can use reference APP/F0114/W/21/3277102 on the inspectorate’s website to comment.

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November 2021

n NEWS

bathvoice

19

Free school meals over Christmas

Meadow maker in hill’s green paradise

By Harry Mottram. Hard pressed families whose children are eligible for free school meals will be able to get weekly £20 food vouchers for each child.

Bath & North East Somerset Council said the vouchers can be used in participating supermarkets and families will be notified by email.

The council said that families with children aged 17 or over attending a sixth form in B&NES will need to make a fresh application.

But families who haven’t claimed the vouchers before can also make a new application although this should have been done last month.

The Council said: “Anyone with children aged 16 and under who has previously received vouchers should not reapply, as it could cause a delay in receiving the vouchers.

“The council has provided the vouchers to families in all school holiday periods since Christmas 2020. During the summer holidays, the council issued more than 12,000 vouchers to families in B&NES.” Councillor Dine Romero, cabinet member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture, said: “I’m delighted that

The Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields have reported on their work to create a green paradise.

They have said the work to produce a tiny forest is beginning to pay off: “Walk along a tiny path surrounded by fully grown trees which opens onto the glade where you’ll see our hardy saplings growing so valiantly. Our volunteers have carefully tended the area since the planting in January and we’re thrilled to see that after the very wet spring followed by very dry periods that 96.9% of our saplings are thriving.”

The Friends will soon begin working to create a second forest in the West Field just on the left by the gate from Beechen Cliff school.

we will be able to continue supporting families in the upcoming autumn and winter school holidays.

“I hope this news takes some of the pressure off parents and carers who may have been worrying how they were going to put enough food on the table, especially looking ahead to Christmas when finances often need to stretch even further.”

The electronic vouchers can be spent in a range of supermarkets and are available to the families of pupils entitled to benefit-related free school meals, as well as parents who receive free childcare for two-year-olds.

When using their vouchers, families are asked to ensure they are happy with their choice of supermarket before they click the relevant store option as the supermarket cannot be changed once selected.

The vouchers must also be downloaded and saved to a smartphone or computer as replacements cannot be issued.

Further information on additional support to families will also be sent to families in receipt of free school meals after the October half term voucher scheme has been completed.

Oldfield School students finally set to get level playing field

By Local Democracy Reporter Stephen Sumner: It might cost them some home game victories but a Bath school is finally set to get a level playing field.

Ishbel Tovey said Oldfield School was letting down its disadvantaged children and students were embarrassed by the sloping and undulating field.

The school has a lot of earth moved during recent construction work that would cost a lot to get rid of but could be used to level out the football pitch.

Its plans were approved this week despite concerns about the impact on the green belt and Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Ms Tovey told Bath and North East Somerset Council’s planning committee meeting on October 20: “I’m here today representing the school but really I’m representing 1,280 school children who have never enjoyed a level playing field.

“We love our school, we’re

very proud of it, but the children are embarrassed by our lack of a smooth, normal football pitch.

“They have a distinct advantage when other schools come to play because it’s not slightly unlevel, it’s hugely unlevel.

“They win their home matches, however this does not translate when they go to their away matches when they place schools who are used to playing on flat pitches.

“For a lot of our children this is the only time they get to play football and it’s always on a slope.

We’re letting down some of our disadvantaged children.”

She said the field looks “like a war zone” and had been out of action for a year, and with the pandemic there are fewer facilities the pupils can use.

Committee members heard that the undulating field is on a significant slope and the proposals would raise the lower end by up to three metres.

In a written statement to the meeting, Weston ward councillor Ruth Malloy said: “The site lies in the green belt and within the Cotswolds AONB. Part of the Cotswold Way is visible on the skyline.

“My concern is that the increased height of the playing field will have a negative visual impact and potentially detract from the area’s multiple designations.”

She said the changes to the pitch could harm Bath’s World Heritage Site setting, threaten neighbours’ privacy and make flooding more likely.

Proposing approval, Cllr Duncan Hounsell said levelling the playing field would do “overwhelming public good”.

Cllr Eleanor Jackson said the slope was “very considerable”, adding: “I think the benefit to them [the students] outweighs what is an intrusion on the Cotswold AONB.” The application was unanimously approved.

Got a story for Bath Voice? Email Harry on news@bathvoice.co.uk

Meanwhile they have attracted potential support from local firms.

They said: “We’re also very pleased to welcome members of Rake Up and Grow to the fields. They will initially be tending Tiny Forest 1.

“And we’re preparing three sites, in three fields, ready to sow Yellow Rattle seed. This is a native species and one of the quintessential wildflowers found in fields and meadows during the summer months. It’s often described as the ‘meadow maker’ due to its ability to weaken vigorous grasses within a meadow so allowing other wildflowers to flourish.”

To join the volunteers email lyncombehillfields@gmail.com

Green success Bloomfield Green has secured a Green Flag Award for the sixth year running.

Clyde Hunter of the Friends of Bloomfield has reported that the awards administered by Keep Britain Tidy, under government licence, acknowledge how the green has been enhanced with trees playing equipment and has become an important community space..

He said: “We were assessed as ‘Advancing’ under the RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme, administered by regional Britain in Bloom branches. The aim of the scheme is to clean and green community spaces, and mentoring and assistance is offered to local groups.

“The assessments are based on community participation, environmental responsibility, and gardening achievement.”

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20 November, 2021

E: richard@filtonvoice.co.uk

filtonvoice

www.filtonvoice.co.uk

21

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hortages of HGV drivers; stories of animals being culled and food going to waste; threats of pigs-in-blankets disappearing from the shelves at Christmas.

These kinds of headlines are increasingly familiar and expose our reliance on complicated supply chains to deliver the food we eat every day. However, such short-term issues pale in comparison to the negative impacts long supply chains have on the climate. As world leaders gather in Glasgow for the COP26 climate change conference, we want to shout about one solution that is right in front of our eyes (or just down the road). Local food.

Short supply chains avoid many of the issues behind those headlines. Choosing to eat locally also minimises transportation, packaging and waste: substantial contributors to climate change.

The UK simultaneously imports and exports millions of tonnes of milk each year. Some food travels hundreds of thousands of miles to get packaged, only to end up on the shelves in the area it was produced. These are two examples

which highlight just how nonsensical the global food system has become.

Here in the South West, we are blessed with so many amazing producers, and delicious, local food. Check out your local farmers’ market; pop into a greengrocers; buy from a local veg box scheme! You won’t just be helping out a local business-owner, you’ll be helping to do your bit in fighting the climate crisis, too.

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To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Richard on 0777 555 0607 or email richard@filtonvoice.co.uk

November 2021

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21

n NEWS

Conservatives criticise the ‘empty car park’

By Local democracy Reporter. “Vital” council income from a new Bath car park that may not open until March is being lost, Conservatives say.

Trees were cut down and public toilets demolished at the former Riverside coach park to make way for more than 100 parking spaces ahead of the redevelopment of the Avon Street car park.

Work finished earlier this year but so far the only users are skaters making use of the vacant, flat space in Green Park Road.

The site sits in the second phase of Bath and North East Somerset Council’s flagship Bath Quays North project and had been set for redevelopment in 2024.

The temporary car park was meant to offset the loss of spaces in Avon Street but the scheme has been knocked off schedule by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Conservative group leader Vic Pritchard said a “substantial” number of residents had raised

concerns, adding: “Unfortunately, this temporary car park remains closed.

“This means the council is losing out on vital income and members of the public have fewer places to park their cars in the city centre.

“I call on the administration to find a solution as quickly as possible so the Green Park Road car park can open before the redevelopment of the Avon Street car park takes place.”

The first phase of the Bath

Quays North project will see the Avon Street car park replaced with five buildings housing office space, 92 flats, a 130-bed hotel, shops and a 413-space basement car park.

It had been set for completion at the start of 2024.

Plans for the former coach park, which closed last November, propose “two further new buildings” that will “follow soon after subject to market conditions”.

The temporary car park had

been scheduled to open at the start of the year ahead of the vacant possession of Avon Street over the summer.

Signs up in the Green Park Road site say it would be closed from July 28 until February 28 next year.

An officer told the Conservative group the car park’s opening was delayed by the pandemic but options were being reviewed.

B&NES Council has been approached for comment.

A view from Avon Street looking towards the area set for redevelopment

Concerns over Bath Bike Park Concerns have been voiced over the cost of using the new Bike Park on Entry Hill.

The former golf course is set to become an adventure mountain bike park next year.

Bath Bike Park is to be designed and built by Architrail Velosolutions UK and operated by Pedal Progression. The facility will feature a free access green space as well as a pay to ride bike park and will open next year.

To hire a bike starts at £12 for an

hour rising to £249 for a week for an adult based on the equivalent park in Bristol.

Their Facebook site is full of praise for the company although a blog on the Entry Hill Resident’s Association begs to differ.

Under the title of Money, Money, Money the blog attempts to give an idea of the costs for an average family to use the facility.

With hire costs and a stop off afterwards at the cafe at the park the family will need deep pockets.

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n NEWS IN BRIEF Voices for Life: last month 250 children from seven local schools took part in a concert (pictured) at Bath Abbey.

The Stardust Oratorio was a musical journey through the last 18 months of the Covid-19 crisis for the pupils who were accompanied by the

Bristol Ensemble and narrated by Jon Monie.

Led by Tessa Armstrong and directed by Shean Bowers of the charity Voices For life on October 14-15, the performances were witnessed by the families and friends of the children in a packed

Abbey. The schools were Colerne Primary School Primary School; St Julian’s Church School, Wellow; Oldfield Park Junior School, Bath; Widcombe Junior School, Bath; St Andrew’s Church School, Bath; Moorlands Junior School, Bath; and St Michael’s Junior School, Bath.

Dave Goucher, headteacher at Oldfield Park Junior School said it was an amazing experience and it helped to give children confidence, increase social skills, improve their education and give voice to their free spirits. He also said it had been a joy to work with the various schools who took part.

Englishcombe Lane: BANES have carried out a traffic survey in Englishcombe Lane revealing 60% of vehicles break the speed limit.

The road linking Whiteway and Bloomfield has been plagued in the past as a rat run by commuters.

There are speed bumps in places and a 20mph speed limit but despite this 3,500 vehicles use the road each day. Read the report at https://tufafield.ddns.net/trafficsurvey-englishcombe-lane-part-2/ Covid: as October comes to an end there are anecdotal reports that the virus has been sweeping through Bath’s schools. The RUH has seen around an 11% rise last month with over 307 patients listed as being ill with the illness. For details on how to get vaccinated visit https://bswccg.nhs.uk/

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November 2021

n WHAT’S ON

Magical November with music, comedy and er... magic We can’t be sure there won’t be another Covid-19 crisis this month so do check with the venue before buying tickets.

Thu 28 Oct - Sat 6 Nov. Theatre Royal Bath: Private Lives. A new production of Private Lives, the inaugural show from Nigel Havers’ new theatre company which will be touring the country with a line-up of theatrical gems. Launching the company, Coward’s dazzling comic masterpiece is both a scintillatingly witty and scathingly vitriolic study of the rich and reckless in love.

Nigel Havers, ever suave and thoroughly charming, plays Elyot, the role taken by Noël Coward himself in the original production in 1930.

Tue 2 Nov. The Forum Bath: Country-pop duo Ward Thomas are set to entertain the good people of Bath following a tour with Jack Savorett.

Wed 3 Nov. The Forum Bath: Beth Hart. Singer-songwriter Beth Hart and her band songs from her latest albums ‘War In My Mind’ and ‘Fire On The Floor’.

Wed 3 Nov. The Egg Theatre Bath. Jekyll and Hyde. Students stage Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella in all its horror. This is a

world in which relationships are governed by secrecy, suspicion and doubt; a world of internal and external conflict as one man’s struggles with the duality of his nature threaten to destroy himself and his relationships with those around him.

Wed 3-Sat 6 Nov. Rondo Theatre Bath: Our Man in Havana.

Graham Greene’s novel adapted

by Clive Francis about the hapless vacumn cleaner salesman Wormold recruited by the British secret service in this classic farce.

Thu 4 Nov. Mission Theatre Bath: Kate Bush Stripped. Bristol based Lisa-Marie Walters together with ‘stripped back’ piano arrangements

by Mark Feven celebrate the music of Kate Bush.

Thu 4 Nov. Chapel Arts Centre Bath: Katy Hurt. Katy Hurt is one of those rare talents that can write and perform with equal impact. Her 2019 single Revved Up prompted Roland Monger, Music Blogger, to say “Hurt’s voice takes Dolly Parton’s twang and Beth Ditto’s soul, wraps it all up in a basket with

Then and now. The American soul group The Stylistics are coming to Bath. The Philadelphians charted regularly in the 1970s with hits including I‘m Stone in Love with You. Only two of the original group remain Airrion Love and Herb Murrell joined at their inception in 1968. They play The Forum on November 5.

a bow before setting fire to it and leaving it on your door step.”

Fri 5 Nov. The Forum Bath: Classical Fireworks. The Fulltone Orchestra celebrate November the fifth with classical music.

Fri 5 Nov. The Forum Bath: The Stylistics. Direct from Philadelphia Mondays Essentrics low-impact, therapeutic fitness class for men & women.

St Luke’s Church Centre, BA2 2BD 6.30-7.30pm.

Contact Catherine 07980 595440 Facebook: essentricswithcatherine

Sat 13 Nov. Bath Abbey: Remembrance Concert.

To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485

Wednesdays Essentrics low-impact, therapeutic fitness class for men & women.

Kingswood Sports Pavilion BA1 9BJ, 8.45-9.45am.

Contact Catherine 07980 595440 Facebook: essentricswithcatherine USA, the legends of soul music bring the ‘Phili’ sound to Bath with classics including ‘Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love)’, ‘Lets Put It All Together’, ‘Stop Look Listen’, ‘You Are Everything’, ‘Betcha By Golly Wow’, ‘Sing Baby Sing’, ‘I’m Stone in Love with You’ and many more.

Fri 5 Nov. Chapel Arts Centre Bath: Flats and Sharps. The sounds of bluegrass music plus musical support from the Awkward Family Portraits band.

Fri 5-Mon 8 Nov. Egg Theatre Bath: Josephine. An energetic story about Josephine Baker the dancer and entertainer who broke down racial barriers with incredible performances.

Sat 6 Nov. Chapel Arts Centre Bath: Reuben Richards & The Jezebel Sextet. The music of Otis Redding with classics including My Girl, Mr Pitiful, Hard To Handle, Love Man, Try A Little Tenderness and Sitting on the Dock of the Bay – all performed by an incredible 8 piece band.

Sun 7 Nov. Bath Theatre Royal.

Al Murray: Landlord of the Hope

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n WHAT’S ON and Glory. More comedy from the opinionated publican sending us all up with pint in hand.

Tue 9-Sun 21 Nov. Bath Theatre Royal. Magic Goes Wrong. A hapless gang of magicians are staging an evening of grand illusion to raise cash for charity. But as the magic turns to mayhem, accidents spiral out of control and so does their fund raising target. Comedy drama.

Wed 10 Nov. Combe Down Primary School Hall Bath: Heritage talk. 7.30pm. A talk by Dr. Roger Rolls on The History of infectious diseases in Bath. If you think the pandemic was bad wait until you hear the good medic on the horrors of the past.

Wed 10 Nov. Rondo Theatre Bath: Nhair. Conny Hancock presents a light-hearted one-woman show touching on her lived experience with having polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Wed 10- Sat 13 Nov. Mission Theatre Bath: Abigail’s Party.

Mike Leigh’s situation comedy of manners, and a satire on the aspirations and tastes of the new

middle class that emerged in Britain in the 1970s. The play was originally improvised by the cast with author Mike Leigh’s then wife, Alison Steadman (Pam in Gavin and Stacey) playing Beverly and establishing it as a classic comedy role.

Thu 11 Nov. Rondo Theatre Bath: Tez Ilyas: The Vicked Tour. Comedy show from The Tez O’Clock Show (Channel 4), TEZ Talks (BBC Radio 4) and Man Like Mobeen (BBC Three).

Thu 11-Sat 20 Nov. Bristol Old Vic Studio. Macbeth. Bristol Old Vic Theatre School perform Shakespeare’s tragic Scottish saga with ghosts, witches and gruesome murder.

Sun 12 Nov. The Forum Bath: An Evening With Seth Lakeman.

Westcountry folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Seth Lakeman was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005 for ‘Kitty Jay’. It catapulted Lakeman into the forefront of the new British folk movement and his follow up was the gold-selling ‘Freedom

You Shall Go To The Ball!

MARTIN DODD for UK PRODUCTIONS in association with THEATRE ROYAL BATH proudly presents

CBBC’S TRACY BEAKER

HE’S BACK – BATH’S FAVOURITE!

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Dani Harmer Jon Monie Elly Jay Nic Gibney & Duncan Burt as CINDERELLA

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Rondo Theatre Bath: Scream Phone. Sleepover fun plus horror in a comedy show. 11 Nov

Fields’ which was released twice in 2006.

Sun 12 Nov. Chapel Arts Centre Bath: The Little Unsaid. With John joined by regular collaborators Tim Heymerdinger (drums), Alison D’Souza (strings and FX), Mariya Brachkova (Moog bass and backing vocals), The Little Unsaid signed with Reveal Records and released Atomise in 2019.

Fri 12 Nov. Rondo Theatre Bath: The People’s String Foundation.

The Virtual Orchestra. Violinist Ben Sutcliffe and composer

Zaid Al-Rikabi pack a 32-piece Gypsy Orchestra into a suitcase and using music, puppetry, art, cinematography and animation, this unique show combines many art forms to create one immersive piece – sure to set your heart racing, get your toes tapping and warm the soul.

Sat 13 Nov. Rondo Theatre Bath: Scream Phone. The girls are having a sleepover and you’re like, totally invited! Pillow fights in their underwear, singing into Continued on page 26

Advertising Feature

Jon Monie is back - with Dani Harmer as the fairy Godmother in Cinderella!

The best-loved pantomime of them all is back in Bath! With a brand new joke-filled script by Bath’s own award-winning writer and all round pantomime legend Jon Monie, CINDERELLA promises the best family fun and festive frivolity you’ll find this Christmas.

This spectacular production will delight with its enchanting story, sidesplitting comedy, lavish settings and adorable miniature ponies. BAFTA award winning actress Dani Harmer stars as the Fairy Godmother. Dani who plays the legendary Tracy Beaker in the BBC series of the same name, and was also a Strictly Come Dancing finalist, returned to the role again this year in My Mum Tracy Beaker on CBBC. No stranger to the stage Dani has starred in numerous pantomimes, as well as musical theatre in the West End and on tour throughout the UK. Jon Monie returns for his fifteenth consecutive year to play Buttons and along with a talented supporting cast helps to create all the festive hilarity and tomfoolery that make Bath pantos so much fun for everyone.

Don’t wait for your invitation – get your tickets now and ensure that every member of the family has a ball this Christmas!

“We came away fizzing with festive spirit and it’s the greatest start to Christmas I know”WhatsOnBath “Absolutely top class panto fun at a great venue, and just the thing to put you in the mood for Christmas!” Bath & Wiltshire Parent Magazine

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“A script sparkling with wit… the sets are beautiful, the costumes glitzy… the cast is faultless… this is one classy production”Western Daily Press “A warm-hearted, brightly presented production” Bristol Post (Reviews from 2019/20’s Beauty & The Beast)

Got a story for Bath Voice? Email Harry on news@bathvoice.co.uk

26

bathvoice

November 2021

n WHAT’S ON Continued from page 25

hairbrushes, and gossiping about their crushes, what could possibly go wrong?

Sat 13 Nov. The Assembly Rooms Bath: MF1 Cuarteto Casals. With Abel Tomàs violin, Vera Martínez Mehner violin, Jonathan Brown viola, Arnau Tomàs cello and Paul Lewis piano. The music: Mozart String Quartet No 15 in D minor K 421, Mozart Piano Concerto No 12 in A major K 414, Mendelssohn Five “Songs without words” for solo piano, Schumann String Quartet No 3 in A major Op 41.

Sat 13 Nov. Egg Theatre Bath: Puss In Boots. Your cat might turn you from a pauper to a prince just like the hero of this story. Using smoke and mirrors and hidden trapdoors we’ll show you how this sure-footed feline fools both the King and the Ogre to take his master all the way to the top.

With a host of puppets, a working windmill and an avalanche of fruit and nuts come and see this classic furry tail, it’s the cat’s whiskers!

Sat 13 Nov. Bath Abbey: Remembrance Concert. Join the Abbey choirs as they sing

beautiful and comforting music for Remembrance including the evocative Song for Athene by Tavener, famously sung at Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997. Other pieces include Durufle’s poignant In paradisum from his Requiem and William Harris’ beautiful Faire is the heaven – a setting of Edmund Spenser’s poem. The Girls will sing Schubert’s incomparable Litanei Alle Seelen and For the Fallen by Mark Blatchly, based on the poem by Laurence Bunyon.

Other items include Ireland’s elegant Greater love, the evocative Russian Contakion which Queen Victoria loved so dearly and Lo, the full final sacrifice by Finzi. There will be poetic solos by our talented choristers including Pie Jesu by John Rutter and the ever popular Pie Jesu from Faure’s Requiem.

Director: Huw Williams, Organist Shean Bowers, The Abbey Boys, Girls and Lay-clerks.

Tue 16 Nov. Assembly Rooms Bath. MF6 Sacconi Quartet. Ben Hancox violin, Hannah Dawson violin, Robin Ashwell viola, Cara Berridge cello. The Sacconi’s Bath programme opens with Mozart’s String Quartet in E flat major K 428,

The comedy Blue Orange runs at the Ustinov from Friday 29th October to Saturday 13th November. Michael Balogun and Ralph Davis in rehearsal - Photo by Marc Brenne

one of six dedicated to his great friend and contemporary Haydn.

Then Ravel’s exquisite String Quartet in F major, the composer’s first masterpiece, displaying such skill in combining traditional forms and classical elegance with distinctive harmonic language and texture.

Tue 16 Nov. The Forum Bath.

The James Haskell Show. Top rugby talk from the former England played who knows his rucks from his scrums.

Tue 16-Sat 20 Nov. Mission Theatre Bath: The Sorcerer. The award-winning company that staged sell-out performances of its festive themed Iolanthe back in 2019, Bath G&S returns to The Mission with a brand new production of the famous duo’s first full-length comic opera, The Sorcerer. In the village of Ploverleigh, a privileged but progressive young couple conduct a rash experiment. To help their Continued on page 27

n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Challenge male violence against women and girls AS I mentioned in my last column, I am pleased to announce that I have taken on the role as national lead PCC for the Economic and Cybercrime portfolio. As the new lead, I will spearhead the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ (APCC) work to ensure the police are tackling online crime, fraud, harassment, hacking, economic crime and identify theft.

One in ten people fall victim to fraud and one in three become a repeat victim. It is because of such figures that I was inspired to take on this role as I feel it is an area of work where I can make the most difference to the lives of local people in Avon and Somerset and beyond.

Cybercrime and fraud are two of the most fast-growing crime types in the country, almost doubling every year. In fact, both crimes are growing so quickly that according to the Office for National Statistics, people are more likely to be a victim of fraud

or cybercrime than any other crime. Ultimately, we need to get a grip of it and protect vulnerable people from harm.

Over the coming months, I will be working closely with regional and national partners to improve the police response to this everevolving and complex area of crime.

I also wanted to discuss a matter that I know has been of great concern to many local people, more so in recent weeks: male violence against women and girls.

The threat of abuse, misogyny, intimidation and violence that women face every day has become wrongly accepted in communities as the ‘norm.’

Following the appalling murder of Sarah Everard, I have read with absolute horror on social media and in the news, the precautions and preventative steps that women and girls take every day of their lives to protect themselves and, still, such actions

do not always keep them safe.

A change is needed. Now is the time to put the onus back on the offender and actively challenge their behaviour.

Collaboration of statutory agencies and partners is essential to tackle the attitudes, behaviour and, ultimately, criminal activity of perpetrators who are violent towards women and girls.

Change is also needed within the police and criminal justice system and that is why I am supportive of the Home Office’s inquiry into issues raised

by Wayne Couzens’ conviction.

Sarah’s murder has rightly already raised some difficult questions and discussions for all police forces and the Home Office’s inquiry will continue to do so.

Sustained change is desperately needed and I firmly encourage Avon and Somerset Police to face these questions head-on, reflect and set actions to ensure officers and staff are upholding the highest standards

To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford

of policing for our communities.

I understand that this is a complex, societal issue but this is not an excuse. We need to start somewhere and the police and criminal justice system need to be leading the way to deliver real change.

November 2021

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n WHAT’S ON Continued from page 26

frustrated and less privileged neighbours to overcome class barriers and find their soulmates, Alexis and Aline hire a cut-rate London sorcerer, John Wellington Wells, to concoct a love potion and distribute it amongst the villagers at a tea party.

Wed 17 Nov. Rondo Theatre Bath: Woman Who Gave No F*cks.

Mythic mayhem, human clap-ometers and audience power! Brace yourselves for tales to make you want to rip up the rules and riot.

Thu 18 Nov. Rondo Theatre Bath: Ester Manito and Alex Farrow.

Comedy with work-in-progress preview shows from two acts.

Fri 19 Nov. Rondo Theatre Bath: Eden’s Mouth. A young, disillusioned man as he walks to his local chippy to get some chips, and back to his mum’s house. When he returns home, what he finds changes his life forever.

Sat 20 Nov. Rondo Theatre Bath: Watson The Final Problem. Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Mon 22 Nov. Theatre Royal Bath: David Suchet – Poirot and More. A

Retrospective.

Mon 22 - Sat 27 Nov. Alma Tavern Theatre, Clifton. Doodlebugs and Bogeymen. Bedminster’s Kate McNab and Ross Harvey take a fond look at the lives of Jen and Brian Milton, two evacuees from London who are sent to Somerset with songs and stories of wartime Bristol Tue 23-Sat 27 Nov. Theatre Royal Bath: The Midnight Bell. Matthew Bourne’s story of 1930s London life where ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and bars of fogbound Soho and Fitzrovia. English Patrick Hamilton’s novel Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky. Wed 24-Sat 27 Nov. Rondo Theatre Bath: The Deep Blue Sea. Terence Rattigan’s play of love and loss, passion and desperation set against the backdrop of post war Britain.

Sat 27 Nov. Combe Down Scout Group Jumble Sale. 10th Bath Scout Hall, The Avenue, Combe Down. Admission 50p. 2.30pm jumble@combedownscouts.org.uk Sat 27 Nov-Fri 24 Dec. Egg Theatre Bath: Squirrel. This is a story of new

growth, with a sprinkling of snowy magic and puppetry mayhem.

Mon 29-Mon 6 Dec. Theatre Royal Bath: Six. The hit musical about the six wives of Henry VIII. Tue 30 Nov. Bath Abbey. (Also Sat 4 Dec & Sat 18 Dec, 10am-12.30pm.

Ages 5 and over. Join us for some family fun including listening to magical stories while sitting under the Moon and making Cosmic Christmas decorations in our new

Kate McNab and Ross Harvey appear in Doodlebugs and Bogeymen at the Alma Tavern Theatre, Bristol, from 22-27 November with stories that will chime with older residents

Learning Room down in the Abbey vaults. Drop in. Free.

Sun 12 Dec. St Mark’s Community Centre, Lyncombe: Christmas Lunch. 12.30-4pm. St Mark’s Community Centre, St Mark’s Rd, Bath. This is a ‘bring and share’ lunch with mulled wine and Christmas Carols. See https://widcombewest. uk/news/ Wed 15 Dec. St Michael’s Without Bath: Passamezzo – Old Christmas Returned. Christmas celebrated, banned and restored in 17th Century England. A seasonal programme following the calendar from Advent to Candlemas and showing how Christmas was celebrated, banned and restored in 17th Century England. Carols, ballads, consort music, lutesongs, dance melodies and readings. Includes music by Gibbons, Locke, Peerson and Purcell; readings by Breton, Herrick and Shakespeare. Performed in Period costume by Passamezzo.

Thu 16 Dec-Sun 9 Jan. Theatre Royal Bath: Cinderella. John Monie returns as Buttons in a classic seasonal pantomime and is joined by mum-to-be Dani Harmer as the Fairy Godmother.

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

Learning new skills for the future

WHEN I was growing up my grandfather and uncles were miners, my aunt was a factory worker, and my uncle worked on the railways – and that was that.

In those days many people spent their whole life working in the same job, for the same employer. It was how it was.

Over the years that’s changed. I had a range of roles before becoming metro mayor: a child protection officer, an environment minister and a scaffolder’s assistant.

For children growing up today it will be even more varied, so it is important they always have the opportunity to reskill and retrain. A child born today will have seven or eight different careers in their lifetime, and two-thirds of children entering primary school this year will ultimately work in completely new types of jobs that simply don’t exist yet!

Skills and training are an exciting part of my metro mayor role. Recently I opened two fantastic new facilities with funding from the West of England Combined Authority that I lead: the Brunel Centre on the SGS WISE Campus in Stoke Gifford and the City of Bristol College Advanced Construction Skills Centre.

The Brunel Centre is a particularly stunning £7 million building, with a great name. I know the next generation of world leading engineers, scientists, technicians and creatives are raring to

Dan Norris with Owen at the City of Bristol College Advanced Construction Skills Centre

go there – I could sense everyone’s enthusiasm as I cut the ribbon.

Meanwhile in Bristol I met Owen, who is doing a carpentry course, learning what’s needed to build a better future – literally! He is getting equipped with skills to build new homes and retrofit existing ones in our cities, towns and villages.

But it’s not just about young people. I met MakeUK, the manufacturers organisation, as they launched their plan for skills. They explained to me how the average age of people working in manufacturing is over 50 – but they also need to reskill as new manufacturing techniques and machinery emerge. Lifelong learning matters.

Here in the West of England we’re at the forefront of innovation, and we need to keep it that way. Our brilliant locally-based scientists, researchers and engineers hold so many of keys to meeting important challenges of tomorrow.

Got a story for Bath Voice? Email Harry on news@bathvoice.co.uk

Metro Mayor

Dan Norris

writes for the Voice That includes those working in highly skilled unionised jobs at Airbus in Filton who I met earlier this month and whom Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer gave a shout-out to in his recent conference speech.

We have just passed a significant landmark on skills funding. We have a special scheme here in the West of England to stop money raised by local companies via the “apprenticeship levy” disappearing up the M4 and being banked by the government. Instead we are keeping it local, with bigger firms passing their unspent levy money to smaller local ones. We’ve just passed £1 million – a great collective effort. So thanks a million to all involved!

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n LOCAL HISTORY

Blowing up Bath: how the city was terrorised with hundreds of tons of high explosives killing 417 residents and injuring as many as 1,000 people in 1942

By Harry Mottram. More than 400 Bathonians died due to one the Second World War’s pettiest episodes in the global conflict.

Following the bombing by the RAF of the German city of Lübeck which destroyed its ancient centre during 1942 at the height of the war the Nazi high command decided to punish Britain by deliberately bombing cities they considered to be of historic interest.

The cities of Bath, Exeter, Norwich, Canterbury and York were chosen from the Baedeker tourist guide books to England despite having little or no strategic importance.

Because of their lack of importance in the war effort unlike for instance Bristol or Southampton - they were lightly

defended with anti-aircraft guns.

On the night of Saturday, April 25, 1942, the first of three bombing raids took place over the weekend leaving damage to 20,000 buildings and 417 people dead.

Around 1,000 people were injured with massive damage to homes in Oldfield Park, while the Assembly Rooms were hit and the East Window of Bath Abbey, the Lantern of the West, was shattered.

Second Avenue in Oldfield Park took a direct hit destroying 20 houses while the Royal Crescent suffered significant damage.

Such was the terror inflicted on the population that thousands of people fled the city to camp out in the fields of Englishcombe, Batheaston and Newton St Loe becoming known as the ‘trekkers.’

They slept out in the open for

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The damage was very widespread from Lansdown to Oldfield Park

the most part while many sort shelter in farms, or relatives in Somerset and village halls.

Peter Dickinson related to the BBC in 2006 the experiences of his father who lived through the blitz.

He reported: “As we were sheltering we could hear the bombs exploding as the raid continued, then finally the raid finished, the aircraft left and the all clear went.

We came out of our shelter to discover a stick of half a dozen incendiary bombs had fallen in our garden, including one that had hit

a large greenhouse and set it on fire, so I grabbed a stirrup pump and put the fire out. Fortunately our house had not been hit directly but a high explosive bomb had dropped in the next door garden belonging to a Commander Percival. Very luckily it had dropped into a deep dell so the explosion went mostly upward; the only damage to our house was to some leaded light windows, which, although not broken, had all buckled outward, sucked out by the force of the bomb blast.”

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Making Secure Plans for Uncertain Futures The Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Bath to inspect the damage Please feel free to call us during To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485 office hours on: 0117 952 0698

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November 2021

n BATH LIBRARY BOOK REVIEWS AND NEWS Adult Fiction Goldfinger – Ian Fleming James Bond, with two double bourbons inside him, sat in the final departure lounge of Miami Airport and thought about life…” and so beings one of the classic James Bond books. To coincide with the new James Bond film in the Cinemas at the moment – why not try one of the original stories. James Bond is in a Miami and wondering how Auris Goldfinger is cheating at canasta and it also seems the Bank of England are interested in him too. Also what is his connection with SMERSH, the USSR spy-killing organisation.

Of course, Oddjob makes a menacing appearance and there are many glamorous locations. A classic

spy fiction with loads of thrills, however, please note that this is an Adult themed book and was first published in 1959 so some of the attitudes and language may be old fashioned.

The Thursday Murder Club Richard Osman, as reviewed by Kerri Brain, Keynsham Library Assistant Joyce has moved into Coopers Chase, advertised as ‘The first luxury retirement village’. It is situated in the Kentish Weald and built on land that was previously a convent.

The catholic church had sold it to developers 10 years ago and with the success of the venture, the same developers were planning to extend the village, disturbing the ancient cemetery, final resting places of many nuns. When she is

invited to join Elizabeth and a select few residents for a Thursday Group (Booked in the Jigsaw room diary under the deliberately unappealing title ‘Japanese Opera-A Discussion’ to dissuade casual interest) she is quickly a valued member of ‘The Thursday Murder Club’.

Adult Non Fiction The Olive Tree – Carol Drinkwater, on audio CD or use the app Borrowbox for the free eAudiobook Narrated by the author herself, Carol Drinkwater, this audio book charts her journey in search of the routes that the olive cultivation has taken over the centuries.

Set during a springtime in the Mediterranean, it is above all a tale of our time.

Troubled by challenges her own South of France farm is experiencing, Carol realises new approaches to farming are becoming essential, so she embarks on a quest which takes her south through Spain, Morocco, Algeria and Italy before she finally returns to her farm.

Through her travels and vivid encounters, Carol confronts some of the critical issues of our time land-care and the harsh realities of diminishing water reserves - and ends her momentous journey in the company of olive growers whose vision for the future is remarkable and ingenious. This is the first book of the series set in the Olive Farm.

A delightful audio bringing a bit of sunshine into an Autumnal day.

Children’s Fiction Here are two delightful children’s book review by Emilie Bioud, Keynsham Library Assistant We’re going on a bear hunt Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury, I would say you’re very unlikely to find a bear in England in the wild those days, but the oneirism brought by this little story is definitely something.

The sentences

To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485

are like a song, and you’ll find yourself using those words even after you closed the book and put it back on the shelf.

I like the adventure setting and the weather battered landscape is really realistic of England coastal areas. The relationship of the siblings who help each other and the scary encounter make it an exciting read.

Guess how much I love you - Sam Mc Bratney & Anita Jeran Timeless classic, Priceless as well, the first time we read it at home, we ‘ve got a wave of warmth and love that engulfed us.

Little Nut Brown Hare knows it’s time to go to bed but tries to delay it by asking questions to Big Nut Brown Hare, all revolving on “how much I Love you”. We love coming back to it again and again, you’ll never be tired of it. The pictures are beautiful and match the story perfectly. Do you know the expression “To the moon and back” comes from this little gem? To all the new parents: this should be on your must-read list. Enjoy.

Library News Always remember the two super free apps: Libby and BorrowBox where you can download newspapers, magazines, ebooks and audio books all with the use of your library card.

The Bath and North East Somerset ‘Virtual Library’ is still offering something for everyone. We are sharing facts, Baby Bounce and Rhyme, competitions, Storytime and crafts for children in the mornings and information, support, news and recommended reads for adults in the afternoon.

Never miss a thing by following us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ bathneslibraries1, Instagram www. instagram.com/bathnes_librarie, and Twitter www.twitter.com/BathnesL

Moorland Road Community Library Check out our opening hours - Tues, Thurs, Fri 10 - 12, and Sat 10 - 1pm.

Email us for more info at Moorlandroadcommunitylibrary@ gmail.com

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nLOCAL SERVICES

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