Fishponds Voice - March 2024 - Issue 108

New festival for Eastville Park

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The Kinetics Island Festival would be held over two days in September, with up to 15,000 people attending each day.

The event is the idea of Circular Productions, the team behind Bristol venues Motion, the Marble Factory and Document.

Organisers say that, if they are granted a licence by the city council, the first festival would take place over the weekend of September 21-22 this year. The first day would be for electronic, jungle and drum & bass music, with the second dedicated to electronic and world music, with entry to over-18s only.

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March 2024 - Issue 107

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Oldbury Court buses to return

OLDBURY Court will have a bus service again when a new timetable is introduced in April.

The city's main operator First said the 47 service would run every half hour, "serving Oldbury Court Estate with direct links to Fishponds Road, Stapleton Road, Broadmead and the City Centre".

A full route map and timetable had yet to be published as the Voice went to print, but will be available before the service starts on April 7.

First axed the only bus serving the estate, which was also called the 47, last year, only six months after introducing it as a "partial replacement" for the 5, which also served parts of Eastville and Stapleton.

First has also announced a shake-up for the 48 and 49 service between Fishponds and the city centre.

It says every other bus on each route will bypass Easton and travel to the city centre via the M32, adding: "This will reduce journey times by up to 12 minutes."

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LOCAL INFORMATION

Bristol City Council

http://www.bristol.gov.uk

0117 922 2000

Police

www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk

general enquiries: 101

Emergency: 999

Fire

www.avonfire.gov.uk

General enquiries: 0117 926 2061

Emergency: 999

COMPLAINTS

NHS 111

Safer Stronger team sscg@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009

Anti social behaviour team asbreporting@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868582

Streetcare/litter/vandalism etc streetcare@southglos.gov.uk

Environment/trading standards 01454 868001

Well Aware

Health and social care information www.wellaware.org.uk

Tel: (freephone) 0808 808 5252

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 Kingswood Voice, contact the publisher using the details below. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), which holds journalists to a high standard of behaviour. Further details of the complaints process can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Fishponds Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Fishponds Voice is distributed each month to local residents in Fishponds and the surrounding areas. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please get in touch or collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is welcomed, call Brookfield Publishing on 07540 383870 or email news@fishpondsvoice. co.uk. This month 8,000 copies will be distributed in Fishponds and the local area.

First said the 47 is being "introduced following discussions with the West of England Combined Authority and concerns from local residents, after they were cut from the Bristol network in recent years because of underusage and a driver shortage as a result of the pandemic".

Head of network George Burton said: “We’re now firmly in a postpandemic recovery."

Appeal to trace shop robber

POLICE want to trace this man over a knifepoint robbery at a shop in Fishponds.

The Avon & Somerset force says the man "may have information which could aid officers' enquiries" into the incident, which happened at a shop in Lodge Causeway.

A police spokesperson said that an unknown man walked in at around 6.45am on October 26 last year, "threatened people with a bladed article and walked out with multiple items".

The man police want to trace is white, around 5ft 6in tall and of average build, with short, dark hair.

At the time of the robbery he was wearing black-rimmed glasses, a green coat, black trousers, and black boots. He was carrying a backpack.

Anyone who recognises the man in the picture or has any information they think could help the police investigation should call 101 and quote the crime reference number 5223 261 479.

Pilates classes in Fishponds

Suitable for all levels

Mondays 19:00 at The Life Church

Wednesdays 9.30 at Lincombe Barn

Therapeutic Yoga Fridays 9.30 at The Life Church

Please contact Emily to book your place on 07974252486 email: info@teachmepilates.co.uk or find me on facebook and Instagram: Emily Osborne Pilates

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Police knife crime plea: 'This needs to stop'

ONE teenager was killed and two other people badly injured in a spate of knife attacks involving teenage boys and young men.

Four attacks in the space of a month prompted police to apply for increased powers to stop and search people in an area stretching from the city centre through St Pauls and Easton to Eastville and parts of Fishponds.

On February 14, 16-year-old Darrian Williams was fatally stabbed in Rawnsley Park in Easton by two people wearing masks, who rode off on bikes.

He was picked up by a motorist after running out to nearby Stapleton Road. The driver stopped in Old Market, where paramedics tried to save Darrian, but he died at the roadside, at around 6pm.

Two 15-year-old boys, one from Bristol and one from South Gloucestershire, were arrested the following day and later charged with murder.

Earlier the same evening, at

Darrian Williams

around 4.40pm, a 20-year-old man was stabbed in Eastville near the Maytrees building, on the corner of Fishponds Road and East Park, opposite East Trees Health Centre.

Police arrested a boy aged 16 on suspicion of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Less than a week earlier, another boy of 16 suffered lifethreatening injuries when he

was stabbed at the Broadmead branch of McDonald’s, in The Horsefair.

A 19-year-old Fishponds man, Joel Binnings, has been charged with attempted murder and possessing a knife in public in connection with the incident, which took place at 8.15pm.

Police said the victim remained in a critical condition in hospital.

Earlier, on February 4, a 14-year-old boy was stabbed in St Werburgh’s.

Police have not said whether they believe the incidents are linked. But the violence led to them applying for enhanced stop and search powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, which allowed them to search anyone in a designated area without needing reasonable grounds for suspicion.

Announcing the powers, temporary assistant chief constable Peter Warren said: “Children and young people

are being seriously injured and killed on the streets of Bristol, and this needs to stop.

“We do not use this power often and we certainly don’t make the decision to use it lightly."

The powers were in place from February 15 to 17. Police stopped 33 people, finding no weapons. Most searches took place in the city centre and Easton, with none carried out in Fishponds.

The force said 17 of those stopped were aged between 18 and 24, and 12 were aged between 10 and 17. Fourteen were white, 12 were black, six were of mixed race and one was Asian.

Chief Inspector HaywardMelen said: "We know that the disproportionality shown in these figures will be of great concern to many and we'd like to reassure people that every stop will be scrutinised externally by the Independent Scrutiny of Police Powers Panel."

Festival wants to grow at Eastville Park

From Page 1

If the event is a success they hope to put on bigger festivals – with a maximum capacity of 25,000 – as well as smaller, community-focused events at other times of the year.

A licence application is being made to the city council, after months of negotiations between organisers and the authority over use of the park as a festival site.

If it goes ahead it will take place two years after the last music festival to be held at the park, Tokyo World, was staged in September 2022.

Last year Tokyo World was cancelled, with organisers citing "too many growing challenges with using Eastville Park...that cannot be overcome".

Love Saves The Day left the park in 2019 and is now held at Ashton Court.

Circular Productions held an online consultation event held in February, when residents raised

concerns over issues including noise and preventing antisocial behaviour in surrounding areas.

Festival owner Martin Page said: "We've been trying to find a site for a number of years now.

"We settled on Eastville Park because it seems to be a good solid park to do a festival in and we think we can manage it well."

He said Ashton Court had not been offered by the council as a site.

The festival would take up a smaller area than Tokyo World, covering the lower part of the park between Muller Road and the lake. The area around the main stage would have a capacity of 10,000 people, with a 4,375-capacity big top tent and smaller 2,500 capacity stage.

Muller Road would be closed between Fishponds Road and the M32 during the festival –with residents allowed access and shuttle buses laid on for festival-goers.

A noise management plan is being drawn up, with monitoring during the festival and speakers facing away from the most densely-populated areas.

But residents said it was impossible for people living nearby to avoid the sound.

One said: "The bass starts at 11am and it's like a drip torture."

Another said: "There's no escape for residents from the sound. For some it's a nuisance but for others it's distressing, because they can't get away from it."

Residents also stressed the importance of adequate toilet provision, after bad experiences with large numbers of previous festival-goers using front gardens.

Other issues raised included contingency plans to protect the park from damage if the festival was hit by rain.

Many of the letters informing residents of the consultation had not arrived – something Circular Productions said was down to problems with a delivery service

which would not be used ahead of the next consultation meeting.

Event director Millie Devereux said: "We want to grow the festival sustainably in Eastville Park.

"We want to have a real engagement with Eastville as an area and make sure we're putting on a diverse selection of events, as well as a music festival.

"We want to continue to hold events in Eastville Park for a number of years.

"We don't want to wreck the park because we want to come back and it's not in our interests to damage the area we want to come back to in the year following."

A website, with details of ticket prices and the line-up, is due to go live during March, with a dedicated community page with information for residents.

A community hotline would go live in September and be staffed throughout the event.

Volunteer group the Friends of Eastville Park has been contacted by the organisers, and trustees from the group also attended the online meeting.

Chair Sarah West said: "It’s early days yet and nothing has been granted or agreed by the council, so it’s important for residents to engage with the process and get concerns listened to by the organisers.

"There is a safety advisory committee at Bristol City Council that must be satisfied before any approval is given for the festival.

"Eastville Park neighbourhood is a heavily residential area and people rightly have concerns about the growth of any festival that could bring 25,000 visitors per day in future.

"Commercialisation of parks is often a contentious issue and one that needs to be managed carefully. That being said, a properly managed small scale festival in Eastville could be welcome and bring many benefits."

She said some of the £40,000 the Friends spent on play park improvements came from donations from Love Saves The Day and Tokyo World.

Anyone who wants more information about the festival can contact the organisers by email at community@ kineticsisland.co.uk.

A map from the organisers shows where the festival would be held

Mental health unit closes after patient's death

A MENTAL health unit for teenagers in Fishponds has closed temporarily after the death of a young patient.

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, which runs the Riverside Unit at Blackberry Hill Hospital, said it was not currently able to "consistently deliver a safe level of care" after two "serious incidents" in December and January.

The unit is for patients aged between 13 and 18 with "complex and enduring mental health difficulties", including psychotic experiences, depression, extreme anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and eating disorders, whose needs have not been met by treatment in the community.

The trust has not given any further details of either incident, or of the person who died.

It has notified health watchdog the Care Quality Commission and an investigation is under way.

A joint statement from the trust and the South West Provider Collaborative said the "very difficult decision" to close the unit was taken on January 18 with support from NHS England South West.

The trust said: "Factors influencing this decision included serious incidents that have recently taken place at Riverside – one of which very sadly led to the tragic death of a

patient. We are in touch with the family and have extended them our deepest condolences.

"Due to the investigations and processes which will take place we are unable to make further comment on these at this time.

"Subsequent close monitoring and reviews on the Unit did not provide assurance that we could consistently deliver a safe level of care moving forward, which led to the decision to temporarily close."

The trust said the closure affects its inpatient beds and day care service. Eight patients in the unit when it closed were either admitted to another adolescent mental health unit or discharged into the care of community services.

It said: "We recognise and apologise for the disruption this temporary closure may cause our patients, families and our staff. We will be working with our staff to reopen the Unit as soon as possible."

A spokesperson said the trust had been in communication with the CQC, and would "maintain dialogue with the CQC on the improvements we need to make".

He confirmed the police were not involved in the investigations into the two incidents.

A CQC spokesperson said: "Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust have notified CQC of two serious incidents which have taken place at the Riverside Adolescent Unit at Blackberry Hill Hospital, between December 2023 and January 2024.

"The trust has taken the decision to temporarily close the unit so they can make necessary improvements, and they have informed us people in the unit have been moved to services appropriate for their needs until the improvements are in place.

"We will liaise closely with the trust regarding the situation, so we are assured improvements have been made before the unit re-opens."

Pharmacy closure: Page 14

The Riverside Unit at Blackberry Hill Hospital. Picture: AWP

Average household facing £115 council tax rise

A MEETING to set Bristol City Council's budget was described as a "pantomime" after ending with no agreement.

The eighth and final budget proposed by Mayor Marvin Rees received 19 votes in favour but 40 against, with one abstention, following three hours of argument at a meeting on February 20.

Councillors were due to make a second attempt to pass the budget after the Voice went to print.

By law, local authorities have to set a balanced budget for each financial year before March 11, or face intervention from the government, who would most likely force through the mayor’s original proposals.

The proposed annual increase for a typical Band D household will be just over £115 – a £99.60 increase in the council's share of the bill, which tops £2,000 for the first time, a £13

increase in the police precept and £2.48 rise for the fire service.

Mr Rees said the budget focused on housing, with a promised 3,000 new council homes planned for construction over the next five years.

But he warned whoever takes power after May's local elections, when the council moves from mayoral rule to a committee system, that social care was taking up ever more cash.

Mr Rees said: "There are some fundamental challenges for local authorities across the country.

"There’s an increase in demand for adult and children's services, and at the same time the cost of providing those services is increasing. Seven thousand adults receive care from the council, costing our taxpayers around £200 million. Eight hundred children receive care packages, costing around £100 million.

“Alongside that we spend £20.4 million on temporary accommodation for an increasing number of people falling on the council for housing, and that number rises every year.

"If we don’t control the spending in these areas, there will be no money to spend on other priorities and we’ll become a social care provider only.”

Much of the debate was on the merits of budget amendments put forward by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

The biggest group on the council, the Greens, were criticised for not putting forward any amendments, but group leader Emma Edwards said: "We felt that we could not take part in a cuts budget proposed by an administration that excluded opposition parties in the process – especially an administration led by a mayor who will not be around to see it carried out."

During the debate there was frequent laughter and jokes among councillors.

Cllr Mark Weston, leader of the Conservative group, said: “This is obviously the highlight of our political year, where no doubt 50 people on YouTube are dazzled by our wit and prose as we indulge in the pantomime that is the budget process."

The councillors' remaining options were to pass the budget unchanged at the second time of asking, agreeing amendments or approving an opposition budget, which would need a two-thirds majority. Failing to do that would see the budget referred to the government to be set.

Whatever the process, the overall increase in the authority's share of the council tax is expected to be 4.99%, the maximum amount allowed without a referendum.

The lowest total bills, for Band A homes, will be £1,640.20 from April, while households in the highest band, H, face bills of £4,920.64.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Empire strikes back at church

WHEN Darth Vader and his stormtroopers landed at a Fishponds church last year there was no resistance from the Rebellion.

In fact the reaction to the friendly invasion from a galaxy far, far away was so enthusiastic that young members of the Fishponds Baptist Church Dads and Tods group demanded a sequel.

Members of volunteer reenactment group the 501st UK Garrison gladly obliged and returned to the church in Downend Road during the February half term holidays.

Dads and Tods group leader Marcus Phillips said:

"Although Darth Vader and his stormtroopers look scary, they're well used to interacting with children and adults (big children) and everyone had a chance for a selfie – some of the adults were keener than the kids!

"As we lined everyone up in front of church for a photo I shouted 'Smile!' All the guys from the UK Garrison responded, as one: 'We are smiling!'

"The knowledge, level of

detail, craftsmanship and number of hours of work which they put in to their costumes is truly staggering. Then they give generously of their time to visit hospitals, schools and various other events to spread

a little happiness to children big and small. Pastor Chris, our Darth Vader from last year, was unavailable, having recently built a remote-controlled screen accurate R2D2 from scratch, as you do! Who knows – maybe he's now hard at work on C3PO?"

The event included displays of action figures and vehicles, although Marcus said: "We had to keep explaining to the children that these were not the toys they were looking for!"

Just like the Jedi, the group plans to return next year.

In the meantime Dads and Tods is open to dads, grandfathers and carers of toddlers from babies to school age, with well-behaved older brothers and sisters, from 10am on the second Saturday of each month, except August.

Regular sessions include play, arts and crafts, bible stories with puppets, with coffee and a bacon roll or a cookie for carers.

Darth Vader, stormtroopers, a shadowtrooper and shoretrooper claim Fishponds Baptist Church for the Empire

School Street system needs a rethink, say residents

PEOPLE living near a Fishponds school where a child was hit by a car are calling for a rethink of road safety measures – and enforcement action against drivers who flout them.

Problems on Abingdon Road were highlighted after a preschool aged child was knocked down at 3.30pm on February 7.

Police said the boy was taken to hospital by ambulance but his injuries were "not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing" and he was later reported to be recovering at home.

The driver of the car stopped and was spoken to by police officers – no offence is believed to have been committed.

Abingdon Road is home to Chester Park Junior School, while Chester Park Infant School is also nearby, close to the junction of Abingdon Road and Ridgeway Road.

Abingdon Road and Acton Road, which connects to it, both have one-way systems and the stretch of Abingdon Road that passes the school is a School Street zone, where traffic is banned at school drop-off and pick-up times.

But residents say the scheme has made parking on other parts of Abingdon Road, Acton Road

and Honiton Road worse.

They say the city council has ignored requests to change the scheme – and there is no enforcement action against people flouting it.

Resident Scott Jacobs-Lange said: "The one-way system never bedded in properly – there was no enforcement and people are flagrantly ignoring it.

"We already had a road safety issue but the School Street has exacerbated the problem.

"The road is chock-a-block with vehicles at school pick-up time. People regularly park with all four wheels on the pavement – in some areas it's blocked

completely, so people have been walking out into the road and, because of the parked cars, visibility is very poor."

Scott said more than 100 people raised issues in the initial School Street consultation but were "completely ignored".

Resident Ali Cross said air quality in the area was suffering as a result of some parents who sat in parked cars with their engines running, to power car heaters or air conditioning.

Chester Park head teacher Mike McNama said staff and pupils were working together to improve safety.

He said: "Chester Park

continues to promote positive driving and parking behaviours within our community.

"Following the most recent incident, in which a car collided with a pre-school child, Chester Park Federation has reiterated the message to parents and carers about the importance of driving and parking safely in and around school.

"The children of Chester Park continue to promote the importance of safety and the environment through curriculum learning.

"The School Council recently met with a community leader about developments within Hillfields and they will be working alongside a community group linked to improving our local area with a focus on the environment."

Mr McNama said he hoped an increase in funding and a change in the council's area committee system after the elections would give people more influence in addressing community transport concerns.

The Voice has asked ward councillors Craig Cheney and Ellie King if they will back the residents' calls to review the current arrangements.

Local residents organise on road safety

PEOPLE living in and around Ridgeway Road are organising to speed up action on road safety.

The Ridgeway Road Positive Action Group held a meeting at Chester Park Infant School at the

beginning of February to discuss how to make change happen.

The meeting, attended by 28 people, was called following incidents where cars overturned following collisions in the road,

which has a 20mph limit.

Hosted by two of the group's founders, Mary Stevens and Joe Watts, people at the meeting discussed action, including increasing pressure on the police to enforce the speed limit and council to make improvements, setting up a speed watch operation, organising fundraising for new signs, and engaging with owners of the Atlas Place development planned nearby.

Last month the Voice reported that a bid made by the group for £12,000 for two vehicle-activated traffic signs, which tell drivers their speed and whether they are breaking the limit, had missed out on funding.

Mary told the meeting the 'smiley' signs were the cheapest option against speeding, with a single speed bump costing £62,000. There was new hope some measures could be funded

from the £10 million allocated for transport improvements from money raised by the city's Clean Air Zone charges.

Residents also shared experiences of problems and hotspots. One resident who lives by the bridge where the road crosses the Railway Path said: "Some people come across it like they're being chased or they're Lewis Hamilton – they actually lift off that bridge on occasions. I've seen mopeds go into the wooden fencing."

A Balaclava Road resident said parking on pavements and double yellow lines was so bad, pedestrians sometimes had to walk in the middle of the road, cars had to reverse on to Ridgeway Road or couldn't get in or out of the road at all.

Residents plan to use May's local elections to ask candidates to commit to action.

Residents of Abingdon Road and Ridgeway Road near the entrance to Chester Park Junior School

Creating a legacy for race campaigners

FAIRFIELD High School was the venue for the launch of a new project to help tackle the "shocking lack of GCSE texts on diversity".

Lit Legacies was unveiled in February following a year of work by teachers and academics to create resources for GCSE students studying the play Princess and the Hustler, by Chinonyerem Odimba.

The play centres on Bristol and tells a story of the experiences of black people living in the UK in the 1960s, including the Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963.

The Lit Legacies project team comprises University of the West of England senior lecturers Amy Saleh and Malcolm Richards, Fairfield High School assistant vice-principal Cashan Campbell and fellow English teachers

Tanisha Hicks-Beresford, of Bristol Cathedral Choir School, and DeMarco Ryans of St John The Baptist School in Surrey.

Working to create lesson plans, activities and example exam questions and answers for teaching to students studying the play, helping to "educate and expose the profound racism experienced in Britain through a unique and enchanted perspective, which contains many moments of resilience, joy and hope".

The resources include advice to prepare teachers for issues arising from talking about race in the classroom – and pupils helped the team to create and

shape them.

Amy, who leads the group, said: "Growing up, I was used to seeing white literature with no black characters, even if the whole of the class was black.

"I’ve always been concerned about the message this sends, but understood the resources were just not available.

"One of the best days of my life as an educator was the day the project team met up, looked at the play, unpicked the issues and put a plan into place."

“We recognised the importance of student voice in the creation of the resources to ensure culture and identity reflection.

"They were amazing! They had so many different questions and ideas which provoked rich

conversations and dialogue, helping to shape the resources.

"Their honesty and meaningful feedback meant they weren’t afraid to say when they didn’t like something. We weren’t sure about the word ‘hustler’ for example, but the students felt strongly that it was a positive connotation, encouraging people not to give up at the first hurdle."

Lit Legacies was launched at an event at Fairfield, which draws many of its students from Eastville.

Some of the people involved in the struggle for racial equality during the 60s were special guests, who shared their personal experiences.

Among them was Barbara

Dettering, a former social worker, co-founder of the St Pauls Carnival and West Indian Parents and Friends Association, which worked for better educational provision for children of Caribbean origin. She was involved in the Bus Boycott protests of the 60s, and is celebrated in the Seven Saints of St Pauls mural project.

Cashan's grandmother Delores was also one of the Seven Saints, celebrated for her role as a foster carer, the first woman on the Commonwealth Coordinated Committee (CCC) set up to tackle racial discrimination in Bristol in the 1960s and a founder of the St Pauls Carnival.

Cashan said: "This has been a considerably rewarding and enriching experience for me.

"I grew up in Bristol, came to school at Fairfield and my beloved Nanny was one of the Seven Saints of St Pauls.

"Lit Legacies represents stories of global majority characters, perspectives and life experiences which we hope will encourage understanding, friendships and an opening for wider discussions."

Tanisha said: “This is the first time I’ve seen myself in a piece of curriculum which will educate and inspire generations to come.

"Talking about race is difficult, however Lit Legacies is powerful and relative. I urge all secondary schools to reach out and pick this up, as part of their curriculum offering."

Bus stop art contest to honour boycott

THE role of the Bristol Bus Boycott in the fight for racial equality will be celebrated at the city's bus stops.

City social justice "think-and-do-tank" Curiosity UnLtd has teamed up with bus stop ads firm Clear Channel UK to organise the Designs4Change competition.

They are inviting artists to create designs that pay tribute to the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott – when a peaceful mass protest overturned a ban on black staff – and its contribution to racial equality in Britain, along with campaigner Paul Stephenson's one-person sit-in at the Bay Horse Pub in 1964 and the passing of the 1965 Race Relations Act.

The three winning designs will be displayed on 45 of Clear Channel's printed screens at

bus stops across Bristol.

Among those launching the competition was veteran Bristol Bus Boycott protestor Barbara Dettering, who said: "I marched because I wanted to right a great wrong. And thanks to those who led and supported the Boycott, we achieved our goal.

"I hope this competition inspires the next generation of activists to learn about the importance of what can be achieved when you protest peacefully and with a positive purpose."

Launched during Race Equality Week in February, the competition is open until July 11, with categories for children aged five to ten, 11 to 17 and adults. For more information and to enter, visit www. CuriosityUnLtd.com.

Lit Legacies team members Cashan Campbell, Amy Saleh and Tanisha Hicks-Beresford

Bus boycott veterans Joyce Morris-Wisdom, Barbara Deterring, Tina Johnson and Bristol's first black bus conductress Cherry Hartley were among those who launched the competition in the city centre. Picture: King Visuals

n TURNER'S VISION

Spring is in the air, and with it comes an exciting update from us at Turners Opticians. We're thrilled to announce the return of our much-loved Dispensing Optician, Billie-Jo, who is back from maternity leave. As a mother of two wonderful boys, Billie-Jo's caring nature has made her a favourite among our patients, both old and new.

Billie-Jo started her career as a trainee with us over 13 years ago and has become an immensely important part of our team. She has become a highly respected and much-in-demand glasses dispensing and lens expert, so feel free to ask her any questions you may have next time you’re in the practice. Welcome back Billie-Jo!

Computer Vision Syndrome: Alongside Billie-Jo's return, we're thrilled to introduce a game-changer in eye care – our computer glasses. Designed to shield your eyes when using digital screens, this nifty eyewear helps to protect your visual comfort and overall well-being.

So why might you need such a thing? With the development of technology, a lot of us spend a substantial amount of time on digital devices. As convenient as these screens are, they can harm our eyes causing Computer Vision Syndrome (sometimes known as CVS or Digital Eye Strain). Many jobs now involve prolonged screen time on computers, but using e-readers and smartphones can contribute to these problems, too.

Extended screen time has given rise to CVS as people use both intermediate and near vision when focusing on these screens.

A study conducted by the National Library of Medicine suggests that 90% of us who use computers for more than three hours a day should be doing more to protect our eyes. When we consider how long we use screens over a 24-hour period for both work and leisure, this statistic is rather striking!

Some common symptoms of CVS include:

• Tension headaches and migraines

• Temporary blurred vision and difficulty focusing on distant objects

• Dry and irritated eyes from reduced blinking

• Neck and shoulder pain from poor posture when using digital devices

Helping You Care For Your Eyes: Our computer glasses are a must for anyone who regularly sits in front of a device or display screen. What sets our computer glasses apart is not just their cutting-edge lens design but also the use of our clear comfort material. This winning combination ensures that our patients experience unparalleled clarity and comfort while looking at their screens.

At Turners Opticians, our priority has always been the eye health of our patients. We use innovative technology to thoroughly assess your eyes and identify any vision problems you may have.

If you would like to find out more about our computer glasses, call our Henleaze team on 0117 962 2474 or Fishponds team on 0117 965 4434, or visit our website www.TurnersOpticians.co.uk.

Peter Turner is an Independent Prescribing Senior Optometrist at Turners Opticians in Bristol, who also works as a Senior Medical Optometrist at Bristol Eye Hospital. Peter has a specialist interest in visual development and visual performance.

Charity cafe gets Connor moving

VOLUNTEERS and supporters of a community charity cafe in Speedwell have transformed another life.

The Barton Hill RFC Charity Cafe in Duncombe Lane raised more than £6,300 to pay for a three-wheeled electric wheelchair for teenager Connor Head.

Connor, who is 18 and lives in Patchway, has congenital myotonia, a rare muscle condition which severely impairs movement and affects about one in every 100,000 people worldwide.

To help him get around, the cafe funded a three-wheeled chair with handlebars and controls.

Connor and his family met with charity cafe volunteers and supporters and Taylor Made Wheelchairs, the company which made the chair to order, in February.

Afterwards Connor’s mum Natalie Lupton described the effect it had had on his life.

She said: "Connor has only had his new chair for a couple of weeks.

"He has gone out so many times already, it has enabled him to meet up with his friends and be independent, without the pain and fatigue which comes with his condition."

Cafe volunteer Mandy Bryant said: "Connor

was only too happy to do a demonstration of his new wheels in the car park, for all the cafe friends to enjoy.

"It is fantastic to see the happiness and difference our cafe makes to someone.

"It is amazing that we can give Connor so much independence and freedom.

"Taylor Made are a family business and ensure every aspect of their wheelchairs are tailored to users' specific needs. They are based in the West Midlands, but Chris and Emma came down to visit our cafe and

personally deliver the new chair."

The cafe is open every Monday and Wednesday, from noon until 3pm, and was founded as a friendly, welcoming place for people to meet.

It is staffed and managed entirely by unpaid volunteers, providing cheap food and drink and an atmosphere to encourage good company and conversation.

The cafe collects donations of clothes, books and other items which are sold on 'bargain tables' at each session to raise money for each target. Supporters also stage sponsored events.

Since the cafe first opened in 2020 it has helped 19 individual children with disabilities and their families enjoy more freedom by buying specialist mobility equipment, and is currently looking to help three more.

Volunteers have also bought a chair for use at Bristol Children's Hospital and raised thousands for mental health charity Mind, as well as funding defibrillators and bleed kits.

Last year the cafe volunteers won the community group category at the BBC Radio Bristol Make a Difference Awards, which highlight people who go the extra mile to help others.

Connor Head picks up his new electric wheelchair from volunteers at the Barton Hill RFC Charity Cafe

Drivers 'screaming and shouting' after road closures

THE closure of a busy Eastville road for around six weeks has led to arguments and threats of violence, residents say.

Royate Hill was closed at its junctions with Fishponds Road and Rose Green Road at the end of January after a gas leak. It prompted supply network operator Wales & West Utilities and Bristol City Council to bring forward planned upgrade works.

Traffic has increased in smaller residential roads including Stonebridge Park, Shamrock Road and Bridge Street, as motorists travelling between Fishponds, Eastville, Whitehall and Soundwell look for alternative routes.

Eastville ward councillor Lorraine Francis said some drivers had been "screaming and shouting at each other", and she had been verbally and racially abused herself as she tried to deal with one incident.

Cllr Francis said: "Residents have been in contact with me to express a range of emotions and opinions.

"Some are angry and frustrated, while others are ambivalent and have accepted it for what it is.

"Other residents have had arguments with people trying to go through the one-way

system, which leads to arguments and threats."

She said a small business owner told her the work had been "devastating" for traders on Fishponds Road, as long delays had led to a drop in sales.

Cllr Francis said dealing with issues relating to the positioning of diversion and closure signs and unsafe use of the road had been challenging.

She said: "I am grateful for residents' patience with the lengthy process, especially as some have had to tolerate arguing and threats of violence."

Wales & West Utilities programme controller Simon Lee said the work was necessary to repair a leak reported in January.

The company had already been planning to upgrade the network to carry hydrogen and biomethane, which had been brought forward a few months "so that we only need to close the road for one period of time".

Mr Lee said: "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect to reopen the road by mid-March.

“Whilst we are doing everything we can to minimise disruption, we would advise motorists to plan ahead and take an alternative route if at all possible.

"We are sorry for any disruption our work is causing and we are doing everything we can to keep the traffic flowing safely.

“We appreciate that working on roads such as these is not ideal, but this work really is essential to keep the gas flowing to heat homes and power businesses in the area, and to make sure the gas network is fit for the future."

Mr Lee encouraged anyone with questions to call the company on freephone 0800 912 2999 or email enquiries@wwwutilities.co.uk.

Royate Hill closed to through traffic in February and was expected to reopen in mid-March

Boots shuts pharmacy

HEALTH giant Boots has shut its pharmacy at the Fishponds Health Centre in Beechwood Road.

The closure of the pharmacy, which served patients at the Beechwood Medical Practice and Fishponds Family Practice on the site, as well as other local residents, is one of 300 being carried out by the US-owned retailer.

February 16 and advised them to use the pharmacy at the Morrisons store or at the Old School House surgery in Manor Road.

Chester

It came two weeks after Boots announced it had joined the NHS Pharmacy First Service, offering people access to advice and treatment for seven common conditions, including some prescription-only medicines, as an alternative to making a GP appointment.

Boots failed to respond to three requests from the Voice to confirm the closure date, the reason for the closure, whether the company was seeking an alternative site, the number of jobs affected and whether staff would be redeployed or made redundant.

Staff at the pharmacy had told customers of the closure date of

By February 25 Boots branding had been removed from above the doorway of the pharmacy at Fishponds Health Centre, although a sign with the company's logo was still mounted on the side of the building.

Boots has not published a full list of the 300 stores, out of 2,200 across the country, it is in the process of closing. Last summer it announced plans to close stores that were "in close proximity to each other", as part of "the rejuvenation of the store estate".

A spokesperson for Bristol, North Somerset And South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, which is responsible for funding health care in the region, said: “NHS organisations are continuing to hold positive talks to try and ensure the continued provision of pharmacy services in Fishponds to support local people."

Community garden saved

A COMMUNITY garden created by Eastville residents has been saved after the city council axed plans to build a

community gardens outside Juniper Gardens will not be used as a recycling centre.

"It shouldn’t have taken an conversation

the council's

Bev shares her love of books

AN author and literary agent is sharing her passion for books with a nearby primary school.

Bev James wrote Sunday Times bestselling coaching book Do It! or Ditch It and runs a talent management, literary and digital agency whose clients include 'Body Coach' Joe Wicks.

She has been working with Glenfrome Primary School in Eastville to build a collection of books not just for children but for parents as well.

Bev lives near the school and has family whose children are pupils.

School reading specialist Claire Banham said: "The Bev James Management Agency has made large donations to the school so that the children have had the opportunity to request books that they would love to read.

"Bev has the most amazing passion and enthusiasm for books and for helping others. It is fantastic to work alongside her and she has made a huge positive impact on the school.”

Bev worked with publisher Harper Collins to set up a lending library for the parents and carers.

Head teacher Inger O'Callaghan said

research from the Book Trust showed a "stark contrast" between those children whose parents did and did not enjoy reading, with 90% of those coming from families of readers consistently encouraged to pick up a book, compared with 70% from non-reading families.

Mrs Banham said: "With Norseman Direct donating the book trolleys and Harper Collins kindly sending hundreds of books, we now have an amazing lending library for the parents and carers at the school.

"With Eastville library having closed in 2016, it's fantastic to be able to provide books to adults in the community as well as the children. Even the staff have enjoyed borrowing books.”

Bev said the school's work on reading is helping to give the children a brighter future.

She said: "Supporting the school is a heartfelt endeavour for me.

"Seeing the school share my enthusiasm for fostering a love of reading in children brings me immense joy.

"It's both a pleasure and a privilege to contribute to enhancing their already commendable commitment to promoting literacy."

Claire Banham and Bev James with children from Glenfrome Primary School

Damien elected MP

ONE of the candidates to be Fishponds' next MP has arrived in Parliament early, after winning the Kingswood by-election.

Labour's Damien Egan was selected as his party's candidate for the by-election after sitting Conservative MP Chris Skidmore resigned in January.

After a campaign lasting just under six weeks, Mr Egan overturned a majority of more than 11,000 to win the seat, coming in 2,501 votes ahead of Tory candidate Sam Bromiley, with Reform UK's Rupert Lowe coming third.

Former energy minister Mr Skidmore, who signed the UK's commitment to net zero carbon emissions into law, quit over the government's Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill, which he said would "cause future harm" through the promotion of new oil and gas production.

Boundary changes mean the Kingswood seat will be abolished at the next general election, which must take place in the next 10 months.

Mr Egan had already been selected for the new Bristol North East seat after beating

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees in a party members' vote last year.

The new constituency will be made up of parts of the Kingswood seat, which is in South Gloucestershire, along with Bristol's Frome Vale, Eastville, Hillfields and Lockleaze wards, as the boundaries of the Bristol East constituency currently held by Labour's Kerry McCarthy are moved.

Another prospective Bristol North East candidate, the Greens' Lorraine Francis, also stood in the Kingswood by-election. The Eastville ward city councillor held on to the party's fourth place from the 2019 general election, while the Liberal Democrats were pushed from third to fifth.

In his victory speech after the count, Mr Egan told voters he promised to repay their trust and "to show you that politics can be different, and it can make a difference".

Speaking to the Voice at the count after his election was confirmed, Mr Egan said his first priority would be to "get to work" quickly on issues that had come up on doorsteps during the campaign, including access to NHS dentists and doctors, crime and the cost of

Amal and Ellie elected deputies

BRISTOL'S Labour Group of city councillors have elected Amal Ali and Ellie King as co-deputy leaders in the run up to May's local elections.

Cllr Ali, who has represented Frome Vale since 2021, is switching to stand in her home ward of Lawrence Hill in the elections.

Cllr King has represented Hillfields since 2021 and was made a cabinet councillor five months after her election, responsible for communities and public health.

The two councillors will share

the role of deputy group leader as the council heads towards a new committee system which will replace the elected mayor.

Cllr Ali said: "Working closely with community organisations and youth organisations over the years has given me the opportunity to support residents and young people in a wide range of issues.”

Cllr King said: "It’s a huge honour to be elected as Labour Group Deputy Leader alongside Amal."

The Labour Group leader is Cllr Tom Renhard .

living.

Mr Egan said: "The fact that there's no NHS dentists (taking on new patients) anywhere in Bristol is huge. People are also finding it really hard to get to a doctor."

The new MP also said people had also raised concerns about policing and feeling unsafe, and the cost of living.

He said: "The cost of living isn't just a slogan, this is people's lives, people telling me how they feel like they're not living but existing. People are working really hard, they're doing extra hours, life is very tough for people at the moment."

Get set for planning hustings

CANDIDATES standing in all three Fishponds wards at the local elections will be put through their paces at a series of hustings being organised by the Fishponds Community Planning Group.

Group co-chair Lori Streich said: "This will be an ideal opportunity for voters to hear what the candidates have to say about the major developments in the pipeline for Fishponds.

"The hustings in Eastville, Frome Vale and Hillfields will help to inform local residents about the changes they can

expect, and ensure that the councillors elected know what is expected of them."

FCPG believes that plans for the three Atlas Place schemes, stretching from Forest Road to the cycle path near Morrisons, and numerous developments on Manor Road, including UWE's sale of their Glenside campus could transform the area, and wants residents to air their views.

Dates and venues will be confirmed once all the candidates are declared. For more information on FCPG visit fishpondscpg.org.uk.

Damien Egan stands next to Lorraine Francis as he is declared the winner of the Kingswood by-election

4x4 drivers urged to join volunteer force

A VOLUNTEER charity that enables 4x4 drivers to help communities and emergency services in times of need is on the lookout for new recruits.

Wessex 4x4 Response is a charity whose members head out on the road to help in flooding, snow and other major incidents. They ensure essential workers such as NHS staff can make community rounds or get to work shifts in the snow and transport teams helping in police searches.

Volunteers' vehicles also provide logistical support at major events like Glastonbury Festival, Race for Life and the Somerset carnivals.

Driver and trustee Norman Dagger, who lives in Fishponds, is encouraging other 4X4 owners to join him.

Norman, who puts his 2015 Land Rover Defender to use for the group, joined in 2012.

He has taken part in the response to several floods in Somerset, where Wessex 4x4 Response spent 90 days on the Levels in 2013, has helped transport district nurses on their rounds around Marshfield during heavy snow and transport search and rescue teams combing the Dorset countryside for a missing person.

He manages the Bristol team and also helps train other drivers.

Norman said: "I just thought it was a good thing to do, to put something back into the community."

Any type of 4x4 vehicle can be useful –members drive a variety of vehicles from smaller Suzuki Skoda and VWs with four wheel drive to Land Rover Defenders, Discoveries and Nissan L200 pick-ups.

Norman said: "As long as it's got fourwheel drive it can be useful – especially

vehicles with a low-ratio gearbox and 'diff lock' (locking differential).

"But you don't need to have a 4x4 to join up – we also have a computer-based control team, media, fundraising and training teams as well as support functions for the charity.”."

The group started in 2002 in Somerset and has grown to cover the whole of the Avon & Somerset police area, as well as Dorset and Wiltshire.

It is split into local teams – the Bristol and South Gloucestershire team has around 24 members, from a total of 226 responders overall.

They work with local resilience forums, which are partnerships involving the emergency services, councils, NHS and Environment Agency, to provide logistical support in emergencies.

Members are given training to help utilise their vehicles and build their own skills, and also hold social events to build team spirit and share their passion for 4x4s.

For more details visit www. wessex4x4response.org.uk, where there is a link to an application form.

Norman Dagger with the Land Rover Defender he puts to use in emergencies for Wessex 4x4 Response

n NEWS FROM OUR MP

Knife crime is stealing young people’s futures

THE recent surge of stabbings across Bristol has been truly heartbreaking.

Attacks in Knowle West, Eastville, Easton and the city centre indicate a disturbing pattern of senseless violence between young men and boys.

These attacks are tragic for the victims, their families and friends. It can be hugely traumatising for children to lose their schoolmates in such a way. And the boys who commit such crimes also rob themselves of their futures. Their families will be devastated too.

Knife crime is happening across the country, but this spate of incidents in Bristol means the spotlight rests on our city at the moment. As Mayor Marvin Rees said, we need to take our city back, and we need to get our young people back.

Avon and Somerset Police has

announced a new operation to tackle knife crime, which is a step forward.

Part of this will need to involve tough policing as a last line of defence, but the police are also investing in preventative measures, such as making it harder for under-18s to buy knives in shops and educating children on the dangers of carrying knives.

I was also pleased to hear that the police plan to triple the number of locations with bleed kits from 150 to 450 by the end of the year.

This isn’t just a Bristol problem, though, and change needs to come at the national level too.

The Government finally took steps to ban 'zombie knives' and machetes last year, but that alone won’t stop young people attacking each other.

We need a societal, not just

a sticking plaster approach, to ensure that nobody slips through the net and becomes isolated from mainstream society – that’s when young people are most likely to turn to crime.

As well as putting 13,000 extra neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs on our streets and in our communities to make everyone safer, Labour has proposed a programme called Young Futures, to make sure no young person is left behind.

That means creating hubs to bring together local services and centralise support. It would put youth workers in A&E units, custody centres, pupil referral units and other community spaces. There would be personalised plans for each at-risk young person, and tougher action against the gangs that are drawing them into crime.

I want to hear from my

Kerry McCarthy

MP for Bristol East writes for Fishponds Voice

constituents about your experiences with crime and antisocial behaviour over the past 12 months, which is why I’m currently running a survey for you to tell me what you think.

You can find my survey on my Facebook page, or you can email me at Kerry.mccarthy.mp@ parliament.uk and I will send you a link.

Record label revived for singer's solo album

A RENOWNED Bristol record label is being revived for a one-off album release.

Heartbeat Records boss Simon Edwards set up the independent label in 1979 to record the city's punk and New Wave scene.

Simon, of Fishponds, said: "Bristol had a wealth of musical talent – I just had to record some of these bands and give them the opportunity of releasing their music to the outside world."

One of the bands, Private Dicks, released a single, She Said Go, and appeared on compilation album Avon Calling, a showcase of the city's talent.

Receiving airplay on Radio One and with a live following, Private Dicks – named after the American slang for a private detective – were tipped to make it big, but split up in 1981.

They reformed in 2005 when Simon reissued Avon Calling on CD and asked singer Gavin King to "get the boys back together again" for the launch party.

The band has played gigs and festivals in the UK and abroad ever since.

When Gavin was at home in Downend during the covid lockdown, he recorded songs which he sent to producer and sometime bandmate Neil Taylor, who is Robbie

Williams' long-time guitarist and played on Tears for Fears' hit Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Those songs, based on episodes from Gavin's life story, will be released on Heartbeat Records on March 29 as Skeletons – his first solo album, at the age of 71.

Simon said: "I first became aware of Gavin

back in the mid-70's when he fronted a band called Uncle Po. He came across as the perfect front man, full of energy, charismatic and with a great voice."

After hearing Gavin's solo material, Simon said: "I was so impressed with what he had written, and the reasons behind the songs, I felt compelled to be a part of his plan to release an album. I agreed to resurrect Heartbeat Records from the vaults for this one release."

Gavin said: "People have been trying to get me to write a book. I've got a lot of stories but I write song lyrics, so I've written about certain things that have happened in my life.

"The album is called Skeletons because we've all got them."

Single Profiled, released on March 23, tells how Gavin believes the main character in comedy sci-fi movie The World's End – a middle-aged man called Gary King, who wouldn't let go of his youth – was based on him. Actor Simon Pegg heard about Gavin from his then village bobby, while researching police comedy Hot Fuzz

Skeletons can be ordered from local record shops and online via the Bristol Archive Records website, Amazon and Rough Trade, with tracks streaming on Apple and Spotify.

Fairfield strives to make sure that all talents are shown and not one student is left unseen or unheard.”

Student

Gavin King, who is releasing his debut solo album

Cat Woman: a patient’s story

BRISTOL Lunatic Asylum, founded in 1861, was set up to cure people by appealing to the mind rather than the body.

This ‘moral treatment’ was delivered by providing an ordered environment to encourage a reordering of the disordered mind.

The treatment included timed daily routines of outdoor exercise, meals set at table, a bed to sleep in, and a purposeful occupation through participating in maintaining the hospital.

Reading the medical records in the Bristol Archives, it seems that on admission people were often very disoriented. Many had not slept or eaten properly.

One interesting report was on Mary Ann Wayland, single, aged 47, admitted in 1873. She sounds an intriguing person, evidently a competent needlewoman, described as dressmaker, milliner and furrier, with addresses around Stokes Croft.

Her first admission to the hospital in Fishponds was from the workhouse.

Her medical notes state: "She is a tall, dark woman, much emaciated for a tolerably healthy subject.

"She says the initials of her name being MAW,

Cats featured in the work of Denis Reed, an artist who was a patient at Glenside Hospital in the 1950s.

she is obliged to imitate a cat (meow), which she frequently does. That she has received more unkindness from a cat than anything else and that is the reason she imitates one.

"The nurse from the workhouse says she laps milk from a saucer and mews and spits like a cat."

The notes add that Mary Ann says "she was sent to the workhouse because of low spirits and her friends want her to die to get her property".

At Bristol Asylum she had ups and downs:

case notes describing her as being bad tempered and having the "tendency to injure those about her" are interspersed with being quite orderly and "usefully employed".

By August 1877, her discharge notes say: "She has been tractable and industrious for some time. Her friends are anxious to have her out."

I wonder if those were the same friends she had thought were after her property?

Mary Ann was admitted for a further three short stays: in 1878, after her sister reported she had "…torn up her clothes, talked incoherently and of destroying herself, had created a disturbance in the street and when she went out she attracted crowds of children because she dressed in such a fantastic fashion"; in 1882, after she had tried to set the house on fire, and in 1890, when she insisted a local vicar was her father, rambled incoherently and "sings a greater part of the night and talks to herself in a ranting manner".

Sadly, we have no descriptions or photographs, but I do wonder what her fantastic dress was like.

Anwyl Cooper-Willis Trustee, Glenside Hospital Museum

Boys’ deaths were shocking and senseless n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

I AM deeply saddened by the recent shocking and senseless deaths of two boys, aged only 15 and 16, at the end of January in South Bristol.

The grief being felt by the families of those boys and the impact it will have on their loved ones, as well as the wider community, is unimaginable.

Preventing knife crime and stopping young people from coming to harm must be at the forefront of all our minds.

This is an area of focus for our Violence Reduction Partnership, which provides education, mentoring, and employs a community-based approach to prevent these tragic crimes.

Additionally, to encourage people to safely discard any knives and weapons they are carrying, Avon & Somerset Police have installed weapon surrender bins across the area.

Lifesaving bleed control kits designed to provide emergency

help for someone who suffers a traumatic injury are also being installed alongside defibrillators.

I also want to focus on the process of police misconduct hearings, as this is something many people are rightly asking about this month.

I am proud to have lobbied for significant changes aimed at increasing the chief constable’s power to act on police officers who have been found guilty of misconduct. One of the outcomes of this, which comes into effect from May, is that chief constables will be able to terminate the employment of officers found guilty of gross misconduct. This move marks a pivotal step towards upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism within law enforcement.

One of the most notable adjustments is the composition of the panels responsible for adjudicating cases of

misconduct.

Formerly, only one independent panel member (IPM) was mandated to sit alongside a chief constable in a hearing.

The revamped structure now necessitates the inclusion of two IPMs, bolstering the impartiality of the decision-making process.

Consequently, my office is actively recruiting new IPMs to partake in this crucial aspect of police oversight.

The imperative for these reforms is underscored by the instances of police misconduct showcased in the Channel 4 documentary ‘To Catch A Copper’, which shines a spotlight on the need to addressing such issues decisively and transparently.

If this is an issue you are passionate about, I urge you to put yourself forward. These roles offer an invaluable opportunity to contribute to the integrity of

With police and crime commissioner Mark Shelford

our law enforcement system.

I am also pleased to lend my support to the government’s forthcoming ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ campaign.

As the National Association of Police and Crime Commissioners economic and cybercrime lead, I recognise the critical importance of equipping individuals with the knowledge and tools to safeguard themselves against fraudulent activities.

By fostering awareness and vigilance, we can collectively mitigate the impact of fraud and protect our communities from financial harm.

Players' musical take on a Dickens classic

A THEATRE company founded in Fishponds 65 years ago is taking on a musical adaptation of a Charles Dickens classic this spring.

St Mary's Players will perform A Tale of Two Cities at the Redgrave Theatre in Clifton in April.

A cast of more than 40 people who live locally will take part in the show for the group, which was founded in 1959 by parishioners of St Mary's Church in Fishponds.

It has rehearsed at the Page Community Association hall in Staple Hill since the 1980s.

The group has won regional drama awards for previous productions, and last year's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita also picked award nominations.

A spokesperson for the group said: "Based on Charles Dickens' masterpiece, A Tale of Two Cities is a musical that focuses on the love triangle between young beauty Lucie Manette, French aristocrat Charles Darnay and drunken English cynic, Sydney Carton – all caught in the clutches of the bloody French Revolution.

"Full of sweeping emotion and dramatic musical scoring, this classic story of love, revolution and redemption is what the Associated Press called "the return to the era of big blockbusters such as Les Misérables, Phantom and Miss Saigon'."

Tickets for the show, which runs from April 2 to 6, can be booked by calling the Redgrave Theatre on 0117 315 7800 or online at tickets.smpmtc.co.uk.

Anyone who is interested in joining the group should email membership@smpmtc.co.uk.

Heather's 500th run

A MEMBER of Eastville Park's parkrun group has celebrated her 500th run – one of fewer than 1,000 people to have reached the milestone worldwide.

Heather Griffin, an occupational therapist from Horfield, completed her fifth century on February 24 at the park.

She has been running for 13 years, starting in Coventry in 2011, after being encouraged by her sister-in-law.

Paula Brown, one of seven run directors for the Eastville group, said: "She feels the benefits of running at parkrun are the community, friendship and support.

"She's says she hasn't got any faster, so it's not about the running speed for her!

"It's a tremendous achievement, as there are only 928 parkrunners to have completed 500 parkruns worldwide, and Heather is the first woman in Bristol to achieve it."

Heather is also a run director

Join climate project

for Eastville junior parkrun, which starts at 9am on Sunday on the centre of Eastville park.

The main Eastville parkrun, for all ages, runs every Saturday morning at 9am.

For more details about taking part or volunteering, visit www. parkrun.org.uk.

HILLFIELDS residents are being encouraged to join a climate action project for the area.

Hillfields Community Garden is one of six organisations in Bristol taking part in the National Lottery-funded project, co-ordinated by Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership.

Volunteers are creating a plan to improve Hillfields, focusing on themes including nature, food, transport, waste and litter.

The group is running two community drop-in events, on March 7 from 3.30-5.30pm and March 14 from 5.30-7.30pm, at the Hillfields Community Hub in Thicket Avenue.

A spokesperson for the group said: "It's really important that local people are at the heart of conversations about what needs to change, and we want to hear from all Hillfields residents.

"Come and join us for soup, cake, crafts and conversations about how to improve your neighbourhood."

Residents can fill in an online survey, with a chance to win £50, at forms.gle/

Hh2Mtsv9tvz1MDBv9.

A group to keep people up to date with events, the Hillfields Community WhatsApp Announcement Group, has been set up. It can be found at chat.whatsapp.com/ Ihofuqgr2uw50vu3YuKfPI or by texting 0770 905 3290.

Numbers are never be shared and people cannot reply to posts, to limit the number of messages.

Saddle up for hospice

CYCLISTS are being urged to sign up for the area's biggest charity bike ride, the Tour de Bristol.

The event in aid of St Peter’s Hospice, challenges riders to take on one of three different routes – 40km, 65km or 100km – across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, all starting at UWE’s Centre for Sport at the university's Frenchay campus on April 13. Cyclists can also take on a virtual challenge by choosing a route and date to suit themselves.

People can join in by registering at www. tourdebristol.co.uk.

St Mary's Players in rehearsal

Heather Griffin celebrates her milestone

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Bowling green springs to life for new season

IF you happened to walk past the Eastville Park bowling club during the drier days of February, you might have spotted some strange behaviours on the green.

Club members have been preparing it in anticipation of the new lawn bowls season. Their strange rituals included swishing, brushing, verticutting and mowing the green.

They’ve also been spraying nutrients and wetting agents on to the grass and pushing the special rollers, spreaders and spikers across the green.

Around the edge, they’ve also cut the grass surrounds and the hedges and, with the help of the Duke of Edinburgh volunteers, cleaned out the wind-blown leaves from the ditch surrounding the green.

These activities don’t just happen once a year but will continue right through to early October, with the intention of keeping the green in tip-top condition for the enjoyment of the lovely, gentle and social pastime of lawn bowls.

Starting on April 5, Eastville Park Bowls Club will host the first of this years Bowls Tasters.

Sessions start at 5pm and last until the light is too bad to see what we’re doing; the sessions are free and are a brilliant way to learn what bowls is, to meet local people and generally have a nice social evening.

So come along on any Friday in April and have a go.

The game is fun to play at all levels and it’s easy to learn, but can take a lifetime to master.

People of any ability can play,

Bowls is a game for people of all ages

together in roll-ups on any day during the week, and in friendly matches against other local clubs on Tuesday/Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.

If you’re looking for a fun teambuilding activity for your work colleagues or friends group, come and play a game. We can arrange events for groups of up to 40 people, and we won’t charge you the earth.

You can play on your own, which is a good way to practice, or in pairs, threes, fours and bigger groups, any time morning, afternoon or evening.

Unless the green is being maintained it is generally available for play, and as friendly matches only use three or four rinks, there are usually spare rinks available.

For those with more serious intent there are opportunities to play in league matches and

open (mixed), men’s and women’s competitions organised by both Gloucestershire Bowls Association and City and County of Bristol.

In addition to the bowls opportunities, there are now some adult 'Welcome Space' group

sessions available in the Nissen Hut. These are social groups aimed at people residing locally.

Monday evening 6-9pm is our 'Creative Group', Tuesdays 11am-2pm is a 'Food and Nature Connection Group' and Thursdays 11-2pm there is 'Community Connect', an older people's group.

All sessions are free and have free refreshments, thanks to funding from Active Communities and the Grateful Society.

If you would like to join in, please email eastvillewelcomespace@ gmail.com for further information.

If you’re mechanically minded, we also need help maintaining and servicing our machinery and equipment.

There are lots of ways to get involved in our great sport: why not come and meet us?

You can contact us at secretary. eastvillebowls@gmail.com to talk over the possibilities.

The Parkie

WHAT’S ON

MARCH

March 6

n MEETING FOR PARENTS OF POTENTIAL NEW BEAVER SCOUTS, 6.30pm, St John’s Church Hall. For more information email Mark Gollop at mgollop@btinternet.com.

March 6

n HILLFIELDS WILD WOMEN

A monthly group focussed on nature connection, well-being and creative activities, 7-9pm, Hillfields Library. Foot Massage with Dawn. Suggested donation of £3

March 7

n HILLFIELDS COMMUNITY

ACTION PLAN drop-in event, Hillfields Community Hub, Thicket Avenue, 3.30-5.30pm. Also on March 14, 5.30-7.30pm. Soup, cake, crafts and conversations about how to improve your neighbourhood in areas including nature, food, transport, waste and litter. All welcome.

March 8

n BONNER AND BLAKE St. Marys Church. Manor Road. Fishponds. BS16 2JB. 1-2pm. Refreshments on sale 12.301. There will be a retiring collection.

March 9

n AVON HARMONY A Cappella

eat

eat the food you love and still lose weight!

one-day workshop for women: learn a song in a day. Glenfrome Primary School, 10am to 4pm. Cost £15 for the day. More details and booking information at www. avonharmony.com/singday or call 07954 170532.

March 9

n HILLFIELDS COMMUNITY Clothes Rail clothes swap, Hillfields Library, 5.307.30pm. All ages and styles welcome, donation alterations service. Entry £3 cash donation. Drop off unwanted, washed clothes at Hillfields Library on March 4 (2-5pm), March 7 (11am-noon), March 8 (10am-noon).

March 12 & 26

n FOLK AROUND FISHPONDS, 7pm, at the Nissen Hut, Eastville Park. More details from friendsofeastvillepark@gmail. com.

Saturday 16

n FILM NIGHT, at the Nissen Hut, Eastville Park, 7.30pm: Joyland. Reserve a space on Eventbrite or email friendsofeastvillepark@gmail.com.

March 24

n FRENCHAY CRICKET CLUB taster session for Under-9 girls' team, Downend Sports Centre (indoors) at Downend School, 2.30-3.30pm. For further details or to book a place email frenchaycricketclub@gmail.com.

March 24

n PEOPLE'S UNIVERSITY OF FISHPONDS presents: Plan 9 From Outer Space, at the Nissen Hut, Eastville Park, 7-9pm. £5 per person – book in advance at www. peoplesuniversityoffishponds.com.

March 28

n FISHPONDS CE ACADEMY ART EXHIBITION at Fishponds Old Library, Fishponds Road, 3.30-4pm. Year 3 pupils showcase plastic art, with information on the effects of plastic on our world. all welcome.

REGULAR EVENTS

Monday

n BARTON HILL RFC CHARITY CAFE, Duncombe Lane, Speedwell, from noon until 3pm. Food and drink, bargain donated goods, friendly and welcoming place to meet, staffed entirely by volunteers raising money for charity.

n WELCOME SPACE AT HILLFIELDS LIBRARY, 2.30-5.30pm, every Monday – last session on March 25. Free drinks and snacks, activities and WiFi. Food club available. More details from friendsofhillfieldslibrary@gmail.com.

n CREATIVE GROUP at the Nissen Hut, Eastville Park, 6-9pm. More details from friendsofeastvillepark@gmail.com.

Tuesday

n PHOENIX ART CLUB meets on Tuesdays at Stapleton Church Hall, Park Road, from 10am to midday.

n GARDENING IN RETIREMENT CLUB, Every third Tuesday of every month at 10.15am at the Assembly Hall, Salisbury Road, Downend. Non-members welcome - £3 including tea or coffee.

Thursday

n EASTVILLE PARK COMMUNITY HUB Welcome Space for over 55’s, 11am-2pm.

n COMMUNITY CONNECT GROUP at the Nissen Hut, Eastville Park, 11am-2pm. More details from friendsofeastvillepark@ gmail.com.

n EASTVILLE YOUTH CLUB at the Nissen Hut, Eastville Park, 3.30-6.30pm. More details from friendsofeastvillepark@ gmail.com.

n BROMLEY HEATH PROBUS CLUB holds fortnightly meeting with Speakers for ladies and gentlemen on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month from 10:00 am till 12:00. We also enjoy lunches/outings together. Please join us at the Assembly Hall, Downend. More details on 0117 9574583 or see our website.

n SONGBIRDS CHOIR at the Nissen Hut, Eastville Park, 7-9pm. More details from friendsofeastvillepark@gmail.com.

Friday

n EASTVILLE PARK FOODCLUB OPEN FOR COLLECTIONS, every Friday noon1pm. To enquire about membership, email eastvilleparkfoodclub@gmail.com or call 07591 748548.

n BOWLING, Social lawn bowls at the bowling green, Eastville Park, from 5pm.

n FRIENDS OF HILLFIELDS LIBRARY

Silver Explorers social group for retired people living in Hillfields, every Friday, 10am-noon. Activities include talks, music, crafts and history. Free tea and coffee. More information at friendsofhillfieldslibrary@gmail.com or friends' Facebook page.

n IN-THE-PINK Sensible exercise to music for mature ladies every Friday, 9-10am, Hillfields Park Baptist Church, Thicket Avenue. Followed by chat & coffee, pay session-by-session. Get yourself fit & make new friends. More information from Julie on 07903 123793.

Contact your local Slimming World Consultant and join a friendly and super-supportive group today!

Contact your local Slimming World Consultant and join a friendly and super-supportive group today!

Mondays 6.30pm & Tuesdays 9.30am

The Beechwood Club, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3TR

Tel: Claire 07791 574 353

Tuesdays 6.00pm & 7.30pm

Speedwell Methodist Church

378 Speedwell Road, Bristol BS15 1ES

Tel: Lesley 07503 524 459

n WOMEN'S SINGING CIRCLE, Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue, Oldbury Court. every Tuesday, 10-11am. Friendly singing circle with songs and melodies taught by ear. No experience needed. All welcome, from grandmas to children. More information from 07872 315975 or email songswithbecca@gmail.com

n FOOD & NATURE CONNECTION GROUP at the Nissen Hut, Eastville Park, 10.30am-2pm. More details from friendsofeastvillepark@gmail.com.

Wednesday

n BARTON HILL RFC CHARITY CAFE, Duncombe Lane, Speedwell, from noon until 3pm. Food and drink, bargain donated goods, friendly and welcoming place to meet, staffed entirely by volunteers raising money for charity.

n DOWNEND FLOWER ARRANGING CLUB meets at 7.30pm on the first and third Wednesday of each month from September to June, at Lincombe Barn, Overndale Road, Downend. Call Genise on 0777 245 1217.

n MUSIC WITH MAYA at the Nissen Hut, Eastville Park, 9.30-10.30am. More details from friendsofeastvillepark@gmail.com.

n FRENCHAY FOLK DANCE CLUB meets alternate Wednesdays, English and American folk dancing to live music, 7.45-10.15pm, Frenchay Village Hall. New dancers always welcome. More details at www.frenchayfdc.co.uk or email FFDCSecretary@gmail.com.

n CONCORD WIND BAND. Friendly, mixed-ability band, playing music for fun. Beechwood Club, Beechwood Road, every Friday 7.30-9.30pm, with tea break. New members welcome. Contact Jayne on 0788 072 4948.

Saturday

n LU LIFE CHURCH 'SHARED SPACES', Fishponds Old Library, Fishponds Road. Every 3rd Saturday of the month, 2-3pm. Singing, dancing and drumming. All welcome. For more details email LULifeChurch@gmail.com or call Rev P on 0750 839 0298.

n VOLUNTEER GROUP at Hillfields Community Garden, every third Saturday of the month, 10am1pm. Meet your neighbours and have fun. Free lunch. More details from hillfieldscommunitygarden@gmail.com.

n FISHPONDS REPAIR CAFE. All All Saints Church on 1st Saturday of the month, 10am-noon. Drop in for advice and help in mending electrical, household or textile items, including toys and computers.

n LEGO AND DUPLO CLUB, Hillfields Library, every 2nd Saturday of the month, 11am-noon. Open to all ages.

n THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

The importance of taking your time

CHRISTMAS, Valentine's, Mothering Sunday and Easter are all moments of the year when we might send or receive a card.

Yet the sending of physical cards is in decline. We are far more likely to reach for a phone app and post an emoji on someone’s Instagram, snap or Facebook page – so easy, so quick, so cheap!

As it becomes less popular to send cards, they seem more precious when they do arrive.

If someone sends me a card, they may have chosen something they know I might enjoy – a picture of a cute dog, a special painting or a funny joke. They have taken the time to write a message and possibly gone to the expense of posting it.

The sending of a card is an act of love and care.

I no longer just keep cards on a shelf for a few weeks and then dispose of them or put them in a drawer. I have cards that are

years old, still out on bookcases and windowsills. Occasionally, I will pick them up and re-read the personalised message, remembering fondly the person who took the care, effort, time and love to choose it, write it and send it.

Easter cards to me are doubly special, partly because my grandmother used to send me one every year and partly because they are hard to come by in shops, so I get an instant “happy” when I do find one to buy.

Easter happens in March this year, along with Passover and Ramadan.

One of the things I notice about the stories of Jesus is that he spent a lot of time with people – wandering around with this friends, eating with people, talking to strangers and generally hanging about.

He took his time over people, especially people that were easy

to ignore or not to notice. And that was costly. It made him look suspicious, unproductive, dangerous even. Who is that guy, just hanging around, talking to people?

The charge of unproductivity is a painful one for most of us. Yet some of the most important times we remember are ones when we just hang out with people. Getting to know, sharing a little of ourselves. Being with others is an intensely productive and important part of being a human.

In those moments which may look idle, so much is going on.

If we walk into the pubs or cafes on the Fishponds Road, there are tons of people just hanging out and spending time together.

It is the binding fabric of relationships, and therefore of communities. Hanging out with people brings some of the hope and joy so needed in a world apparently overwhelmed with

Housing Forums for Bristol council tenants – get involved!

Afternoon:

Wednesday 13 March, 1–3pm

Rev Lizzie Kesteven

Vicar of All Saints Church and St Mary's Church, Fishponds

greed, violence and sadness.

Hanging out together, like card writing, takes time.

I hope that in this season of Lent, that leads into Easter, you find time to write someone a card or hang out with them.

I wonder, if Jesus was to hang out in Fishponds, where that might be, and who with?

And I wonder, if Jesus was to write me a card, what it might say? Or indeed what I might write back?

Evening: Wednesday 20 March, 6–8pm

Your opinions help us make decisions!

If you’re a council tenant, you can have your say on how the housing service is run and make suggestions about improvements. For Spring 2024, we are hosting online meetings focussing on issues we know matter most to tenants.

● Come along and hear from Bristol Waste and find out everything you need to know about your rubbish and recycling, including top tips on how to reduce your waste and make the most out of Recycling and Reuse Centres. All rubbish questions welcome!

● You will also be able to find out about how we are working with residents with additional care

and support needs to help them maintain their tenancies, and the ongoing work we are doing around fire safety in high rise blocks.

● Places must be booked, you can do this online at: www.bristol.gov.uk/LocalHousingForums

● If you are not online but would like to take part, there is also a free dial-in option which you can join using your phone. For more information about how you can access the meetings contact Tenant Participation 0117 352 1444 or email  tpu@bristol.gov.uk

Planning at pace, as time runs

ONE of the latest buzzwords in government is doing things “at pace” - and that is certainly what we are seeing now.

Unfortunately this has the appearance of trying to get things done while time is running out, in an attempt to prove competence and garner votes.

I cannot recall a year in the last 30 when there were so many changes to planning on the cards.

There is also an attempt to galvanise support around longstanding Conservative values.

Green Belt controls have been reiterated, alongside a move to prioritise building on city brownfield, or previously-developed, sites.

Even the biggest cheerleaders for this approach, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, recognise it not necessarily lead to these sites being developed in the optimal manner.

Developing brownfield land has been a priority for over two decades. If everything had happened as intended, there would be very little

left.

Sites that have been developed have shown there are nearly always hidden costs involved, such as dealing with contamination, which then makes it unviable to provide the required percentage of affordable housing.

This latest pronouncement may see more brownfield land developed, simply by reducing alternatives. It will probably result in more market housing, although it's unlikely to be a game-changing amount.

However the affordable element will be reduced. And boosting urban populations then adds pressure to services.

On a related matter, Michael Gove has announced that a new 'Use Class' will be introduced for short-term lets like AirBnB: creating one (or maybe more) might not require planning permission.

The aim is to balance the tourist economy with the risk of communities being hollowed out, as permanent households are

replaced by transient ones. There is no lack of ambition there, although there's possibly a lack of time to get it through parliament before the election.

At the same time, consultation has started on 75 pages of potential changes to permitted development rights, which don't require planning permission.

Many are being proposed because previous changes haven't delivered what was expected, often due to prescriptive detail.

The ideological aim with all of these changes seems to be to “free” people from the constraints of planning, although I am not sure how far it will cut the workload of hard-pressed councils.

The consultations contain some encouraging moves, such as the suggestion that bike and bin stores in front gardens could become permitted development.

This will make cycle storage more practical, and mean people in terraced houses won't face the choice of either having their bins on

permanent display or dragging them through the house on collection day.

The downside is the potential for single-storey shanty towns springing up between houses and the street, distinctly lacking in “kerb appeal”.

Other changes being consulted on are deeper rear extensions, more scope in dormer extensions, wraparound side/rear extensions – the apparent contents of a ‘suggestions box’ that has been filling up for years.

The government looks to be in a rush to prove it can deliver something – anything – before the election.

Whether they have enough time left is another matter. The clock is ticking.

Chrisgoslingplanning@gmail. com

n LETTERS

Nominate a young hero

ALL over this city there are young people doing brilliant things.

The Bristol Young Heroes Awards are open for nominations, and we are calling on everyone locally to think about an inspiring unsung hero who deserves to be recognised and celebrated.

Now in their 11th year, the awards have supported more than 300 deserving local young people, showcasing those who have overcome difficult circumstances, made a difference to others or achieved something extraordinary.

If there is a young person you know who you think deserves to have a light shone on them, then please enter them. The awards are open until March 14, to anyone living in a BS postcode aged 11-19. There are nine categories and it is free to enter.Fill in the form at communityofpurpose.com/ nominate or call 0117 382 5452 if you are not online.

Amy Kington, CEO, Community of Purpose

Help us start new Beaver colony

THE 66th Bristol Scout Group are looking to open a new Beaver Scout Colony.

Beaver Scouts are boys and girls aged from six to seven years old.

We have a couple of experienced leaders to get the colony going, but they will need help.

If we get enough help from Beaver parents, we will open the colony to run term-time on Wednesdays, 6.15pm to 7.15pm.

We would like to invite any parents who would be interested in their children joining our new Beaver Colony to a meeting to discuss how it could run, on Wednesday March 6 at 6.30pm, in St John’s Church Hall on Lodge Causeway.

If you have any questions, contact me by email at mgollop@btinternet. com – otherwise we’ll look forward to seeing you on March 6.

If we get enough support, we're looking to open the new Beaver Colony on March 20.

Mark Gollop Group Scout Leader

COMMUNITY NEWS

Bristol u3a

A LOCAL author has set up a u3a group to inspire and encourage people to write up their family stories, recipes or gather and name their photos for their community, living family or descendants.

Called Writing Family History, it meets monthly in the local area –contact Helen Parker-Drabble at h_parker_drabble@hotmail.com for more details.

Have you been researching your family? For many, exploring family history is a journey of selfdiscovery and connection.

It links us to the broader human experience and provides a context for our challenges and triumphs.

It can give us a sense of place, purpose, and continuity.

Understanding our family allows us to appreciate the resilience, experiences, and cultural heritage that have shaped our existence and can help us find peace with our own story.

It's like sitting down with a photo album and realising every picture, every memory, contributes to the

person you've become.

But why stop there? Leaving a legacy can enable us to contribute meaningfully to our community, or family narrative, creating a bridge between past and future generations.

Your legacy could be a printed photo album, including family stories, recipes, mini biographies of your ancestors, a collection of your memories, or a quilt made up of your late parents' clothes.

You can make your legacy as simple or as complicated as you choose.

Bristol u3a (you in your third age) is a local charitable organisation dedicated to life-long learning and is open to anyone with some time to spare.

Writing Family History is just one of the 150-plus diverse interest groups running across Bristol. Annual membership is just £20, with no additional costs for joining multiple groups.

Find out more by contacting learnlaughlive@bristolu3a.org.uk.

Lindsay Gough, East & North-East Bristol group

Frenchay 10k is back

THIS year's Frenchay 10k race, sponsored yet again by Star Legal Fishponds, is taking place on Sunday April 14, at UWE Blackberry Hill, with the race starting at 11am.

Our two nominated charities are suicide prevention UK and Freewheelers EVS (blood bikes).

Entries are now open online at Frenchay10k.co.uk.

Our first 500 finishers will receive a much sought-after commemorative mug!

The race, we believe, is the oldest of its kind in the UK, and is very popular with runners of all abilities from across Bristol and the wider area.

We look forward to yet another successful race, raising thousands of pounds for our charities in the process.

Dave Guyatt, Race Director

Shocking child poverty

I WAS shocked to learn, via new research from the End Child Poverty Coalition, that in Bristol East there are 6,465 children living in poverty, which equals 28.8% of all children. Across the UK this figure is 29 per cent.

It is concerning to me that UK children are growing up in homes where they go without meals, appropriate clothing or heating.

The End Child Poverty Coalition are calling for an end to the twochild limit to benefit payments, as part of their All Kids Count campaign. If the government were to scrap this policy, which prevents larger families from claiming child related benefits for their third or subsequent child, 250,000 children would immediately be lifted out of poverty.

Rebecca Woodward

Avon Harmony A Cappella

AVON Harmony A Cappella, a vibrant female vocal group, is excited to announce a special oneoff event.

The Learn a Song in a Day workshop, open to women of all ages, aims to introduce participants to the exhilarating world of A Cappella singing.

The event will take place on Saturday March 9 from 10am to 4pm at Glenfrome Primary School, offering a unique opportunity to learn a song from scratch and perform it to family and friends by the day's end.

With a repertoire that spans various genres, from contemporary hits to classic tunes, Avon Harmony A Cappella currently has 17 female singers, from the age of 18 to retired women, from all walks of life and want to grow their membership to pre-pandemic levels to participate in extra performance opportunities.

They are passionate about singing and making a difference – regularly performing at charity events, music festivals, care homes and community concerts, and always aiming for musical excellence.

The Saturday workshop will include sessions on singing technique and style, and learning materials like singalong tracks and sheet music will be provided. You don't even need to know how to read music!

This workshop is an ideal start for those interested in exploring the world of A Cappella singing and looking for a fulfilling, joyful hobby. The fee for the workshop is low cost at £15 as they are a non profit making community group. More details and booking information are to be found at www.avonharmony.com/singday

To learn more about Avon Harmony A Cappella and their upcoming events, visit their Facebook page or website www. avonharmony.com

Mary Williams Music Director

The importance of self-care in preventing pain

THROUGHOUT my years as a chiropractor, I've encountered numerous cases where people have ended up with neck and arm pain from seemingly small incidents, like awkward sleeping positions or even just picking up light objects.

Let me share a story about Liz, who lives locally.

Immersed in her desk-based job, she spent hours hunched over her computer.

She adored her work, but she didn’t anticipate the unwelcome arrival of some worrying neck and arm pain.

Liz had always been mindful of her posture, striving to sit upright all day. However, extended periods spent glued to her screen gradually took a toll on her physical well-being.

Initially, there was a slight neck soreness, an annoyance she dismissed as stress or the result of a restless night.

But as days turned to weeks, the discomfort spread, encroaching down her arm.

The pain escalated, affecting Liz's everyday life. Simple tasks,

like reaching for a cup of coffee or turning her head to chat with colleagues or family, became unbearable. The persistent throbbing in her neck and shooting pain down her arm made her worry and look for answers.

Feeling anxious and frustrated, Liz took up a friend’s suggestion to visit me.

She shared her concern about becoming short-tempered due to the pain, which I reassured her was a common reaction – pain can certainly fray one's patience.

I listened intently to her story, delving into her work habits, lifestyle and any past injuries.

Following a comprehensive examination, where I could replicate her symptoms by applying pressure to specific areas, I came to a familiar conclusion.

I explained to her that, while I could help alleviate pain, the crucial person in preventing its recurrence was Liz herself.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is empowering patients to take charge of their

well-being.

I emphasise that we're all human, often forgetting to keep up with exercises, or falling into bad routine habits, like slouching on the sofa.

What's important is realising that a little effort can go a long way. Many, like Liz and perhaps yourself, tend to swing between extremes – either doing too much or nothing at all.

I encourage patients to incorporate small, frequent stretches into their day, associating them with routine activities like making tea or taking bathroom breaks.

Our patients have found great results with an exercise device called the OptiNeck Balance Wedge. By adopting some easy lifestyle changes and topping up with our assistance, you can bid farewell to those pesky aches and pains.

After incorporating more regular stretching breaks, aided by increased water intake, Liz returned to work with renewed vigour and a fresh appreciation for self-care.

Thanks to her commitment to adopting better habits, she reclaimed a pain-free life and understood the significance of self-care.

But Liz is human, like you and I, and slips off the wagon from time to time – I’m here to help her to reset those good habits.

If you're looking to establish a self-care routine, our fantastic team is here to chat, set goals and help you achieve them.

We look forward to welcoming you to the clinic when you need us most.

n SPORT

Boxers shine in two championships

DOWNEND boxers won medals on both the national and international stage in February.

On the first weekend the Bristol University and UWE teams, many of whom are registered through the club, travelled to Portsmouth for the British Universities and Colleges Sports Championships, one of only two remaining annual championships to bring together boxers from all over the UK.

Victor Griffiths, Ben Rivers, Vibishan Lingarajah and Joe Kneen all boxed well in their respective novice categories, but missed out on the finals.

However, Sunday saw three possible golds up for grabs for Bristol students.

Ava Duis progressed to her final in the 63kg 0-5 bout category by way of a first round stoppage victory over Jessica Parsons, of Bournemouth University, who had competed previously in MMA.

Ava used her height and reach advantage to pepper her opponent with long, straight shots, prompting the referee to issue two protection counts and call a halt to proceedings towards the end of the first round.

The final, against Joanna Livesey of Liverpool University, was a much closer affair, but after three tough rounds Ava took the points victory to become BUCS Champion 2024.

Riley Catley also opened his account with a stoppage victory, in his 63.5kg 0-7 quarter final bout against Varun Sharma of Exeter University.

After a slightly nervous start, which saw Sharma edge the first round, Catley warmed up to the contest and was ultimately too powerful, stopping his opponent in the third round.

Riley then scored a unanimous points decision against Max Finnerty of Oxford Brookes, to set up a final with Sheffield University’s Yuui Heya.

This was Riley’s first time boxing in a three-day format competition, and the two previous bouts had taken their toll.

Both boxers were still there at the final bell, but Heya’s slick style had caught the eyes of the judges and he took the gold.

Joe Bryant, representing his home club of St Pirans, Cornwall, took gold in the 86kg 8-15 bout category by way of a points victory over Jack Peckett of Hallam University.

Attending Downend coaches

Conor White, Bailey Phillips and Matt Powell were impressed by the team and potential they displayed.

Matt said "We have been working full time with the Bristol team for 18 months now, and the progression has been great to see.

"The city of Bristol has not been represented at the BUCS boxing championship for a number of years now, so to have entered a team capable of bringing back medals is really pleasing.”

At the same time, Jasmine Poole was representing the Fishponds-based club at the Golden Girl Championship in Boras, Sweden.

The largest all-female boxing competition in the world drew more than 350 competitors from 18 different countries, including national champions, European, World and even Olympic level competitors.

Jasmine won gold last year in the intermediate category but is now in the open class.

In her quarter final, Jasmine came up against Finnish national runner-up Lida Niskanen, who was representing her country, taking the win on points following three technical rounds.

Up against the tallest competitor in the group in Manchester’s Michelle Cox, Jasmine had to change her tactics significantly to get past

Cox’s significant height and reach advantage in the semifinal, but did so to win on points.

Jasmine’s opponent in the final was Carlisle’s Brodie Stephenson.

Brodie had taken national honours as a junior and youth and is known to be a tough competitor.

Jasmine gave it her all, but at the end of the three hard rounds, and a long weekend of top level competition, the judges awarded the victory to the aggressive Stephenson.

Coach Andy Whitehall said: "Jasmine did herself and the club proud.

"She boxed three days on the bounce, against three very different opponents.

"Each day she adapted and followed a game plan."

Jo Turner

Members of the Downend-trained Bristol University and UWE teams at the BUCS Championships