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1st -July 7th April 20202020

NorthSomerset Somerset Edition North Edition

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So lets all get pissed then shall we? Or so it seems as we move in to further lockdown measures being relaxed this weekend meaning that we can all enjoy a cold beer down our local drinking hole. Just remember to pre-book your drinking slot as pubs are moving towards booking online in advance of your session.

The team EDITOR Michael Davies WEB DESIGNER Matthew Clarke ACCOUNTS Lisa Davies PROOF READER Elisabeth Davies

Personally I can not wait to get my noggin cut this weekend as my hair is getting stupidly out of hand after months of it going out of control. Some say I look like Barry Gibb of the iconic 70s group The Bee Gees either way its time for a short back and sides I think.

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It was such a shame to see a local lockdown come in to force this week as Leicester locked their doors once more, but stupidly allowing people to travel outside the city to shop. I can see this becoming a trend for the rest or the year as we persistently choose to take the piss with the rules that Boris and his team monkeys layout.

Distribution: Direct Local North Somerset edition reaches around 21,000 people each month with weekly updates to our Online interactive magazines

Finally I would like to thank all those that took part in our last competition to win ÂŁ250. As it was such a great success in generating more local subscribers weâ€™ve only gone and done it again with a bigger prize fund up for grabs.

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This month.. 5. Flipper 8. Fairfeild School

12. Nurseries benefit 14. BID Backed 20. Your garden in July 23. Future divorce lak

Issue 14 July 2020

Disclaimer The opinions expressed in Direct Local do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publisher or their agents. Whilst every reasonable care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information included within this publication, the publisher takes no responsibility for errors or omissions in Direct Local. The content of Direct Local is not to be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. Please pass to a friend, recycle or compost. All adverts designed by Direct Local are the property of Direct Local please contact us if you wish to reprint them in other publications as a small release fee Is applied. Use of adverts designed by us will need written permission first.

BEST ENERGY DEALS BACK AT 2016 PRICES

It’s four years since the Brexit vote was held on June 23, 2016 and while a huge amount has changed across Britain since then, household gas and electricity prices are now back at the same level, say industry experts.

“We’re seeing suppliers launching new tariffs offering the lowest prices in years and anyone who has not changed their energy provider this year needs to check immediately to see if they can save money.

While the price of shopping has risen by an average of 11 per cent, house prices by nine per cent, and rail fares by 10 per cent, the cost of the best value household fuel bills - which had risen until November 2018 – are now back at summer 2016 prices.

“Even people on a fixed tariff may find it is more cost effective to pay any exit fees and move to a cheaper tariff while prices are low.

The trend means people who last changed their gas and electricity deal in 2018 are now missing out on huge savings due to the recent plunge in energy prices. “Many people believe that energy costs just go up and up, but that hasn’t been the case over the last six-12 months,” said Mark Gutteridge, managing director of auto-switching service Flipper, which seeks out the cheapest deals for its members. “The price of the cheapest duel fuel deal increased by 30 per cent between Summer 2016 and November 2018 adding more than £200 per year to bills, but since then energy prices have been falling, and following a big drop over the past few months, the best deals available now cost the same as four years ago.

“Anyone who has recently switched will be enjoying much lower bills, but those households who are still on the same deal they were 12 months ago, are now paying hundreds of pounds more than they should be. The average household can save nearly £370 by moving from a supplier’s standard tariff to one of the best deals currently available.” Flipper is the UK’s first auto-energy switcher and prides itself on being truly independent as it does not take commission-based referrals from any of the energy providers.   The site offers a subscription service and manages bills on behalf of its members using an algorithm to scan the market to find energy deals. Members join for free and only pay a set fee if savings of more than £50 can be found. Visit www.flipper.co.uk for more information.

Strawberry & Basil Shortcake Slice

Ingredients

125g Unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 100g Icing sugar 1 Co-op British free range egg 1 tsp vanilla essence 200g Plain flour 300g British strawberries, sliced 2 tbsp chopped basil 40g Caster sugar 150ml Double cream, whipped

Method

Cheat’s Cheesecake

Ingredients

Preheat the oven 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4 and For the base: grease a nonstick 17cm x 27cm baking tin 25g Unsalted butter Cream the butter and icing sugar together until light and creamy, then beat the egg and 2 Digestive biscuits, crushed vanilla together 3 Ginger nut biscuits, crushed Stir the egg mixture and flour alternately, a little atFor a the topping: time, into the creamed butter, until 90g Soft cheese fully combined 75ml Double cream 1 tbsp icing sugar Spread as evenly as you can (it will be sticky) over the base of the tin and bake for 15-18 mins, until 1/2 tbsp Strawberry jam golden Remove from the oven and, while still warm, cut lengthways down the middle, then allow to cool fully Put 100g of the strawberries in a saucepan, along with the basil, caster sugar and 100ml cold water, cook, stirring until the sugar has dissolved Bring to the boil and cook for 4-5 mins, until reduced and syrupy, then strain through a sieve, reserving the syrup

Method

Melt the butter and mix with the crushed digestives and ginger nut biscuits Press into the base of two ramekins, and place in the fridge to chill Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the soft cheese, double cream, icing sugar and strawberry jam, until thickened

Once the shortcake bars are cool, top one half with Spread the mix on top of the biscuit base and decocream and strawberries, top with the other bar, then rate with a few fresh strawberries, if you fancy Chill in the fridge until ready to serve drizzle with a little of the basil syrup to serve

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Fairfield School Children Enjoy Virtual Trip To The States

Year 6 pupils at a North Somerset independent school have enjoyed a virtual trip to the USA as part of their remote learning programme during lockdown. The children from Fairfield School in Backwell visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. where they took a self-guided, room-by-room virtual tour of select areas and exhibits. The pupils also planned how they would travel to America, took part in a virtual treasure hunt and enjoyed a workshop drawing dinosaurs. Fairfield School headmistress, Lesley Barton, said: “We love how creative our staff and children have been during lockdown and the Year 6 trip to Washington is a great example. “We have tried to make our remote learning programme as varied, interesting and educational as possible, despite the challenges, and we’re pleased that the pupils had a fantastic time.

“Throughout the crisis our teachers have been working hard to deliver the same high standard of teaching and learning to our pupils remotely. We’ve enjoyed seeing how well the children have responded to the new style of education and are really proud of their efforts. “We have now re-opened for children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 and it is lovely to see how happy the children are to be back in school. For those who have not returned yet, we will also be continuing with our remote learning programme until the end of the summer term.” Fairfield School is an independent co-educational school for children aged 2 to 11. Class sizes are limited to around 20 at Fairfield, with many much smaller, and there is a very wide range of clubs and activities, sport, music and drama to excite the interest of pupils. Fairfield is historically a PNEU School, which means it is affiliated to the Parents’ National Education Union. There are PNEU schools throughout the UK and the world. For more information about Fairfield School visit http://fairfield.school/ or contact secretary@fairfieldschool.org.uk

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JULY HOROSCOPES

Aquarius Jan 20-Feb 18 You may come across a situation or conversation that seems someone is being dealt a rough deal. Try not to get involved in any conflicts, you may find this difficult as your natural way is to try and bring balance and harmony. Work with your intuition in any tricky, or delicate situation. Keywords intuition, balance and harmony

Leo July 23 - Aug 22 There may seem to be a few tricky situations or hold-ups, but they seem to be temporary, and may show you something That could enlighten you. This may open doors for you and bring you new opportunities, which could lead to some positive changes. Keywords opportunities and changes

Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20 You may need to follow your intuition and keep your sensible side very much at the fore. You may be trying to juggle work with some social life, although at present we all know that can be tricky. Try not to allow things to make you feel stressed, try to keep calmness and peace within you as much as possible. Remember balance is a very good thing if you can bring that into your everyday situations. Keywords calm, wisdom and balance

Virgo Aug 23 - Sept 22 If you are feeling a little unclear in your thinking, cut yourself some slack. We are all having to deal with a strange situation Be sensitive to your own needs as well as those of others, and you may find you still have inner strength that will help you through. This in turn may help you to help others. Keywords Sensitivity and inner strength

Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19 You could be feeling a bit fed up, and stuck. Things do seem as though they will begin to move soon, and your social life looks as though it will be picking up. Family and friends are very important to you now, and along with this your home surroundings, which may mean a few small changes or a lick of of paint to your home. Keywords Home, family and friends Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 Relationships and your home environment seem highlighted at this time. There may be some situation that will make you feel you need to address the balance, as somebody or something seems to be being treated unfairly. Clear communication, on both sides seem very important now. Try to bring Clarity and calmness into any tricky situation. Keywords relationships and clear communication Gemini May 21 - June 20 If you have a problem or something bothering you, don’t keep it locked up within yourself, maybe discuss it with someone close, maybe spend some time in quiet meditation, or contemplation. You may be feeling a bit stuck and things seem quite hard going at present. Nothing stays the same and you may find over the next few weeks things begin to slowly become a bit easier and you begin to feel more positive. Keywords meditation or contemplation Cancer June 21 - July 22 You could find that you have one of those wonderful lightbulb moments, when something that has been bothering you, or eluding you, suddenly makes sense. Along with this it may bring some new things or new ideas. It does look as though as much as possible at this strange time, your social life begins to improve. Everyone else’s safety

Libra Sept 23 - Oct 22 Communication seems to be a little challenging at the moment, in some areas. Stay calm and focused, and don’t let things get on top of you. Once these issues have been sorted, you may find Some positive and new opportunities. Keywords communication and opportunities Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 21 You could be feeling that things are being held up, and there seems to be a few obstacles in small areas of your life, that becoming are a little irritating. As much as you can try to find some you time, and use it to bring calm and balance back. Keywords obstacles, find balance Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21 This could be a good time to do an overview of some areas of your life. It may be changing things at home, changing routine, or something else. Clearing things both emotionally and practically may be useful too. These kind of changes can bring new things and ideas into your life. Keywords overview and new things Capricorn Dec 22 0 Jan 19 There could be changes coming your way, seems to be likely with relationships. Maybe it’s these challenging times, that was showing you who your true friends are. Also this time could be useful to try and find balance in many areas of your life. Keywords changes, and balance

NURSERIES BENEFIT FROM RENOVATIONS DURING LOCKDOWN A nursery group in Bristol has used the time during lockdown to improve its settings with a programme of upgrades, re-decoration and new resources. The Mama Bear’s Day Nursery and Pre-School group, which has 16 settings across Bristol, ran a limited service with a reduced number of nurseries open, to cater for the children of keyworkers and vulnerable children, throughout the crisis. During this time owners Tony and Bev Driffield hired a new Facilities Manager and invested in renovations and the latest educational play resources for the business. One of the major changes is an all-new baby room at Mama Bear’s Allison Road, Brislington setting which has benefitted from a full re-decoration and extensive resource upgrade including a role play area, cosy book snug, dressing up corner and plenty of loose parts play resources to encourage creativity. There have also been outdoor works undertaken to paint and tidy the grounds surrounding the nurseries and ensure the environments continue to be safe.

Tony Driffield said: “We’re really pleased with the renovation work we’ve managed to carry out over the past couple of months while some of our nurseries have been closed. “It has been a huge investment especially during this time when we have had very limited income with only some children attending, but we wanted the children to have a nice surprise and a welcoming environment to return to when they could. “We take our commitment to providing a homefrom-home environment with the highest quality resources very seriously, so this programme of improvements led by our new Facilities Manager Matt, will continue to ensure we are at the top of our game.” Mama Bear’s is a family-run organisation with settings across Bristol, Somerset and Devon. Mama Bear’s nurseries provide a nurturing environment for children aged three-months to five years. It offers high-quality early years education to prepare children for the big step up to primary school.

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Bristol City Centre BID backed campaign warns of business collapse and mass redundancies #RaiseTheBar campaign calls for threshold for vital grant to be raised to protect jobs when furlough scheme ends The government's furlough scheme is concealing the true picture of unemployment in Bristol, according to the Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District (BID) and greater support must be given to at risk retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. The Bristol City Centre BID, along with BARBIE, the Bristol Association of Restaurants, Bars and Independent Establishments, are backing a nationwide campaign calling on government to raise the threshold for its Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grant (RHLG). Without this, they warn, hundreds of Bristol employees who have been protected by the Coronavirus Job Retention (furlough) Scheme could find no business and therefore no job to return to when the scheme ends.

These include popular, successful venues in the city centre such as the Milk Thistle on Colston Avenue and No 1 Harbourside, which have also backed the campaign along with dozens of others. Bristol City Centre BID and the #RaiseTheBar campaign, set up by Croydon BID (Business Improvement District) are calling on central government to expand the rateable value threshold for eligible businesses to access the £25,000 grant from £51,000 to £150,000. Access to this support, they argue, will be the difference between survival and bankruptcy for thousands of High Street businesses in Bristol and across the UK.

Together the BIDs and #RaiseTheBar partners maintain the furlough scheme is hiding the true picture of unemployment in Bristol and the UK, by providing support to employees whilst their BARBIE is currently working with 60 at risk Bristol employers are facing closure. Adjustments to the businesses which have not been eligible for furloughing scheme have also created an unlevel government grants, 14 of which are at high risk and playing field of support meaning businesses are together employ 200 people. missing out on vital funds to stay afloat whilst their employees are able to remain financially supported Currently businesses such as pubs, bars, on furlough. restaurants and cafés are only eligible for the £25,000 grant if the premises they operate from The situation is likely to reach tipping point this has a rateable value of less than £51,000. This month, with the next quarterly rent due on means large numbers of leisure and hospitality Wednesday 24 June putting businesses at risk of businesses based in larger buildings in Bristol are closure, with overheads and the cost of re-opening cut off from the financial support offered to smaller depleting cash reserves. outlets.

Keith Rundle, operations director at Bristol City Centre BID says: "The furlough scheme has been a life-line for thousands of Bristol employees as we continue to battle all that the covid pandemic throws at us. But it will all be wasted if as the scheme is wound up, staff find themselves with no employer or business to return to. With rents due and costs of putting in protection measures prior to safely re-opening, businesses need access to financial support now more than ever - to ensure they can get back up and running, keep people in jobs and help get the economy moving again." Brendan Murphy, Co-Founder of BARBIE, the Bristol Association of Restaurants, Bars and Independent Establishments, added: "There are so many businesses that have been left out of government grants, some because they are over the £51k rateable value cap and others that don't fit the eligibility criteria which seems to be different depending on which council you are with. We are currently dealing with 14 of such cases that between them employ over 200 staff. Urgent intervention and support is required to stop the industry collapsing and that support is required now, not in 3 months time." Amy Devenish, Owner of The Gloucester Old Spot, Bristol commented: "Simply because a business has a rateable value set at a certain level by the council, It should not immediately assume that the business is any better able to survive a crisis like this. A sliding scale of grants would have been a much fairer solution."

Kwan Voong, Owner, Toro Noodle Bar added: "There are a huge number of Bristol businesses over the £51k RV cap in Bristol and we need urgent support as has been provided by councils such as Camden, Hackney and Lambeth who are using their additional discretionary grants to support the hospitality sector." Matthew Sims, CEO, Croydon BID and co-founder of #RaiseTheBar campaign commented: "The Government is in danger of pushing businesses to the brink of the abyss and in turn leaving businesses with no choice but to make serious decisions regarding their future operation, leading to redundancies and even closure. If this happens, the positive work of the Job Retention Scheme would have been short-lived, leaving the country, long term in a far worse position and having spent millions on financial aid supporting the employee, but ignoring the employer." Set up by Croydon BID (Business Improvement District), leaders of the #RaiseTheBar campaign believe access to the £25,000 is the difference between survival and bankruptcy for businesses on High Streets across England and Wales, which have welcomed an outpouring of support from the public during lockdown choosing to support their local communities. For more information on the #RaiseTheBar campaign please visit https://raisethebarcampaign. com/ For more information on Bristol City Centre BID's support for businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic, please visit https://bristolcitycentrebid. co.uk/corona-virus-covid-19/

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BRISTOL Starts 2nd July

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Private company could start fining people for littering in North Somerset.

A private company could be drafted in to fine people for littering, fly tipping and dog fouling in the North Somerset area. Posters have been put up and bigger bins installed but Councillor Bridget Petty said residents had been calling out for tougher action to be taken. She added North Somerset Council would learn from the mistakes of other authorities amid previous concerns companies were “private litter armies” picking on easy targets. Speaking during a Facebook Live video last week, the executive member for the climate emergency and the environment said: “If people choose to break the law they probably should be fined. We need to look seriously at how we make that happen. “Some people might not like it but right now everyone is suffering from the litter being left. We’re putting up some additional signage, quite an amusing sign. Hopefully it feels like a bolder statement. “We really want to see a positive change and might have to take some more significant action.” Councillor Petty added the littering problem has got worse since the lockdown but the issue is not a new one - A consultation launched prior to the coronavirus crisis showed that 90% of residents wanted the council to issue more fines for dog fouling and fly tipping, in the area and 77% wanted tougher action to be taken on littering. She also added: “The community is unhappy with people disregarding the rules. “The litter in our seas, watercourses and rural environment is also awful for the wildlife and the planet."

Facing similar problems in Bath and North East Somerset their Council brought in a enforcement company 3GS to clean up its streets last year but ended the contract 12 months later. The firm did not hand out more than 1,800 fines in the first 10 months and was reportedly worth more than £200,000. More than 96% of them were for dropping cigarette butts and only two fines were issued for fly tipping. The council also faced a backlash when 3GS fined an OAP for feeding the pigeons crumbs from her sausage roll. This attracted unwanted national headlines for the area. Bristol City Council hired another firm, Kingdom, to issue fines for littering in the city centre. The scheme was then dropped after the 18-month pilot scheme, when 90% of the 13,000 fixed penalty notices issued were related to smoking. 3GS was brought in to cover a wider area of the city and tackle fly-tipping and dog mess as well as litter. Councillor Petty said: “if North Somerset Council followed their lead and brought in a company it would sign a contract with strict terms on what it would allow”. She also added: “Most councils have the best of intentions regarding this subject. I can reach out and ask their experience, what not to do. I’m open to learning lessons from neighbouring authorities. “We wouldn’t launch anything unless we were happy with it and may consider it as a trial run. She also added: “We don’t want this to be something we have to have forever though. We want to solve this, so we don’t have a problem in the future.” You may however no know that people can already be issued with a £75 fine for dog fouling, littering and antisocial behaviour and other breaches of a public space protection order that covers the whole of North Somerset.

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Your Garden In July

Fling the doors open to the garden and head outside! Summer is here and what better way to spend your free time than being outside and enjoying your beautiful flower filled garden. Keep plants looking good by regularly deadheading and you’ll enjoy a longer display of bloom. Make sure you keep new plants well hydrated to get them through those long, hot days and hoe off those pesky weeds, which can thrive in the sunshine. Although this still can be a busy time in the garden, don’t forget to find the time to sit back and relax so that you can enjoy all the hard work you’ve put in to achieve your beautiful display.

The essential gardening jobs for July FEED, WEED, AND DEADHEAD Adding a liquid feed to your weekly watering regime will give a much needed boost to hanging baskets, container and borders helping them to produce more flowers and, in some cases encouraging a second flourish of flowers late in the season. Bedding plants, roses and many other perennials will also benefit from regular deadheading.

With Hanging baskets a bit of common sense goes a long way. Try lifting a container or basket. Does if feel light or under watered? How does the compost look? Is it pale and shrunken away from the sides? Dig into the compost with your fingers. Does it feel dry? It should be moist but not dripping wet. During prolonged dry spells, water at least once a day.

PLANT OF THE MONTH: Salvia

SPEND SOME LAZY HOURS IN THE GARDEN

How should you plant them? Plant in full sun, with very well drained soil, and water well when it’s dry. Trim in the spring to maintain shape and deadhead once the flowers start to fade.

A member of the sage family. Salvias are diverse group of plants ranging from annuals to herbaceous perennials and herbs Why should you plant them? With flowers that are popular with wildlife, they not only deliver colour and fragrance but are also great at attracting bees and butterflies. Salvias are long flowering with the potential to put on a great show from June through much of the summer and in to autumn.

This will prolong the flowering period making the garden more attractive and will also prevent the plants from putting their energy in to seed heads. Simply pinch off the fading flowers, or for tougher branches use secateurs. Don’t forget to keep weeds down they steal vital moisture and nutrients. Kill them by regularly hoeing borders and vegetable patches. Larger weeds should be dug out or pulled up by hand.

After all your hard work, enjoy the sunshine and laze in your garden.

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LAWYERS PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE OF DIVORCE LAW The landmark ‘No-Fault’ divorce Bill could complete all of its Parliamentary stages this week after receiving a huge backing by MPs in its second reading in the House of Commons. The proposed legislation will overhaul the 50-year-old system and lawyers are now preparing for the future of divorce law. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill proposes to implement a number of changes to divorce law in England and Wales, most significantly removing the requirement for one spouse to blame the other for the breakdown of a marriage in order to obtain a divorce. Currently a petitioner for divorce has to prove that the marriage has broken down ‘irretrievably’ due to one of five reasons. It is not possible to obtain a divorce swiftly without accusing the other spouse of adultery or unreasonable behaviour. Partner in the family team at Clarke Willmott, Alastair MacLeod, said whilst they do not yet know exactly when the new law will come into effect, his firm is already getting enquiries from couples considering divorce. Alastair said: “The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill is a short piece of legislation, but its effect will be enormous for thousands of families in the future. “The requirement under the current law for one spouse to blame the other in the divorce petition has always risked poisoning the atmosphere between divorcing couples. “In cases where people have not wanted to wait for a period of two or five years to elapse before seeking a divorce, the most common way forward has been for a divorce petition to be presented to the court based on allegations of unreasonable behaviour by the other spouse. This has, of course, been unpleasant both for the petitioner who has to make the allegations in the divorce petition and for the other spouse who has to read them.” Under the proposed legislation, a husband or wife seeking a divorce will simply need to state to the court that their marriage has broken down “irretrievably” and there is no requirement to prove that statement by submitting evidence. Except in very unusual circumstances, the court will simply be required to take this statement as conclusive proof that the marriage has broken down irretrievably and that a divorce order should be made.

The spouse who applies for the divorce will have to wait 20 weeks from the start of proceedings before applying for a conditional divorce order. After a further six weeks, an application can then be made for the final divorce order and once it has been made by the court the marriage will be at an end. The purpose of the 26-week waiting period before a divorce can be made final is to give the parties space to reflect and to give them an opportunity to turn back. It will also be possible under the new law for both parties to make a joint application to the court for a divorce so that one party does not have to make the application “against” the other. Alastair continued: “In my experience the current system often makes it far more difficult for couples to reach an agreement amicably with respect to financial settlement, and most importantly, the future arrangements for caring for their children. “It has also led to some decisions which seem to fly in the face of common sense, most notably the 2018 case of Owens v Owens, where the Supreme Court unanimously and famously rejected Mrs Owens’ appeal for a divorce because it decided that her husband’s behaviour had not been sufficiently unreasonable. Therefore, the court would not allow the marriage to be terminated on the basis of Mrs Owens’ divorce petition, even although it was perfectly clear that the marriage had broken down irretrievably. “We are already getting enquiries about the proposed new legislation and how it will differ from the current system. I believe it is in the interests of everyone for this new divorce law to begin operation as soon as possible.” Clarke Willmott is a national law firm with regional offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton. For further information on divorce or family law, please contact Alastair MacLeod on alastair.macleod@clarkewillmott.com or 0345 209 1696 or visit www.clarkewillmott.com

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