Bristol Hoteliers

Bristol hoteliers back calls to appoint a Hospitality Minister

Hoteliers in Bristol are adding their names to a petition calling on the UK Government to create a new Minister for Hospitality post to give their struggling sector a voice at the highest level.

An on-line petition calling for the appointment has attracted more than 20,000 signatories, including members of the Bristol Hoteliers Association (BHA).

BHA Chair Raphael Herzog said: “It’s so important for our voice to be heard because hospitality businesses are always among the first to be shutdown, when more attention should perhaps be focused on other sectors, such as universities.

“Having a Government minister representing our industry could perhaps lead to less damaging restrictions being imposed on us, such as around meetings and events, weddings and the 10pm curfew.

“Most hotels have very good practices in place to keep guests and staff as safe as possible from the Covid-19 risk.

“We are managing the risk and monitoring it, ensuring they observe the ‘rule of six’ and regulations around face coverings and social distancing.

“Many hotel general managers have written to their local MPs asking for more support and for our concerns to be heard.”

He said the hospitality sector has been significantly disadvantaged by not having a dedicated voice at ministerial level. “Having someone with specific knowledge about our industry will help the government to truly understand the full impact of the decisions they are making the restrictions they are imposing.

“It can be argued that the restrictions are disproportionate at the moment, when you look at Public Health England data for sites of multiple Covid-19 outbreaks over the past four weeks.

“This shows that the hospitality sector accounts for just four percent of these outbreaks, whereas the education sector has 36 percent, and care homes have 26 percent.

“Yet the restrictions, such as the curfews, seem to be clearly targeted at hospitality businesses, many of which are struggling to survive.

“More than 45% of staff in the hospitality sector are still furloughed and we have concerns about whether the new job retention scheme will be enough to protect jobs in our industry.

“Under the new three-tier system, people won’t want to travel to hotels in any area designated ‘very high risk’ but the hotels will still be open, with low occupancy, with staff in place, but with the Government only paying 66 percent of their pay.

“The UK hospitality industry is the fourth biggest contributor to the UK economy.

“It is responsible for around three million jobs nationwide, generating £130bn in activity, providing the Government with £38bn in taxation and yet, unlike the Arts or Sports, we do not have a dedicated Minister.

“It’s time for our sector to be treated fairly and given the support we need and deserve during these challenging times.”

“If you live your life on an emotional roller coaster, you may end up not living your life.” Clare Davis

We all have ups and downs in life, and we can't merely ‘get over’ our emotions, but we can work on them on a daily basis and learn to take control of them.

In this new book by experienced coach and trainer Clare Davis, there are 26 straightforward ways to increase positive emotions and improve emotional fitness are discussed. This easy to follow and down-to-earth book contains plenty of practical activities to help put theory into practice.

“If we don’t learn to understand and control our emotions, our mental health and even our life is at risk. Poor mental health can become a downward spiral that affects our relationships, our performance at work, and our physical health if we don’t do something about it. This is why we need to use preventative measures.” Clare developed this book after starting a YouTube channel and pod cast called Mental Health Chats with Australian based Peter Dundon.

“What I have been most amazed about are the comments and messages I have received from people telling me that they’ve never thought of emotional fitness and using preventative measures before. People started sharing their stories - stories of depression and anxiety, even suicidal thoughts. When I asked them whether they’d ever had advice about preventative measures, most of them said they were told to ‘get over it’. But we can’t just ‘get over’ our emotions. We need to work on them on a daily basis and take responsibility for them. This is where preventative measures and emotional fitness are key. “

This book is written as an ‘easy to read and use’ book, to help the reader focus and complete the activities. https://www.amazon. co.uk/gp/product/B08KM8YV26?ie=UTF8

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NEW BOOK LIFTS LID ON BRISTOL COUNCIL AND GOVERNMENT

A Bristol City Councillor has written a book lifting the lid on local and national politics, concluding that government is broken.

Clive Stevens, who has represented Clifton Down as a Green Councillor for four-and-ahalf years gives an insight into how political decisions are made in After The Revolution, published by Bristol independent publishers Tangent Books.

In over 400 pages he sets out lessons from local government on designing a dynamic democracy and along the way gives the inside story of many council decisions over the last five years.

The work has had ringing praise even from “Sadly, that means other groups don’t get their his political opponents with Labour’s Coun- share of the funding as a result.” cillor Paul Smith, who has just stepped down as housing chief on the council saying in an Clive believes as we take stock of a postonline review: “It is a telling study of the lim- Covid world, now is the time to insist on proitations and possibilities of local government portional representation to restore and enable in Britain today, the role of elected councillors, new thinking about democracy. how to navigate the system and importantly how it could be changed to work better for The book has numerous examples from local the people. An essential read for any in local and national government which support his government and anyone trying to work with it theory. (or battle against it).” Clive, who has worked in business and ac- about it, and be involved with finding the ademia and been involved in local activism, solutions. introduces “the mathematics of power” which he says is driving politics at this time. This is “That starts with openness of information, the fact that to gain and stay in power political scrutiny and selecting a representative separties only have to keep 30% of the popula- lection of citizens to be involved in local and tion on board and have fallen into a system national decision making. where they spend their time in power repaying those 30% rather than always acting for the “We will still need elected representatives, greater good. Clive says rewarding self-inter- but in addition the public will be involved in est groups to the detriment of broader society citizens’ assemblies discussing the huge is sadly not new. questions of the day.

“We get the behaviour from politicians we “The public will help determine local issues deserve if we are content with them gaining too. They will be selected to reflect all demoand keeping power when voted in by as little graphics and be paid for their time.” as 30% of the electorate,” he added. “Voters need to see what’s going on, care After the revolution: lessons from local gov“Our leaders have to favour those who have ernment on designing a dynamic democracy put them into that position – whether it be the is available from Tangent Books www.tangentCBI or the unions – and will ultimately have to books.co.uk £20 (ISBN 978-1-910089-94-1). pay them back (with our money). Contact: richard@tangentbooks.co.uk 20

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Microsoft updates app to enable iPhone and iPad users to play Xbox games

Microsoft has released a new version of its Apple currently does not allow users to use Xbox app for the iPhone and iPad which will their devices to play games using cloud allow Xbox gamers to play their consoles computing - having the games run on remotely. hardware the phones are connecting to Unlike the xCloud games streaming service to play higher-quality games on their mobile - which only works on Android devices - the devices. Xbox app allows phone users to stream games which are playing on their own Microsoft has criticised Apple for not console. allowing its users access to the xCloud games Microsoft's xCloud, which lets gamers stream gaming service Stadia. games from Microsoft's servers, has been prohibited from the App Store as Apple says Microsoft said Apple “stands alone as the only the service does not follow its normal review general purpose platform to deny consumers guidelines. from cloud gaming and game subscription The Xbox app is similar to the PS4 Remote Play app developed by Sony, enabling “[Apple] consistently treats gaming apps PlayStation users to stream their games to an differently, applying more lenient rules to Apple device over WiFi. non-gaming apps even when they include However the Xbox app doesn’t depend on both devices being on the same WiFi It comes ahead of Microsoft releasing two network, allowing users to stream their games new Xbox consoles in November, and Apple even when they’re not at home - as long releasing four 5G-compatible iPhone 12 as the device is on and both have a decent models. connection. remotely - which would give gamers the ability streaming platform, as well as Google’s cloud services like Xbox Game Pass”. interactive content,” Microsoft added.

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Home Improvement tips

Tips And Tricks For Successful House Painting

There is more to house painting than just slapping up a coat of paint. The job can be messy, amateurish if the homeowner is in a rush or impeccable and of professional quality if he or she will follow a few tricks of the trade.

This is not a task to hurry through or it will have to be done over again sooner rather than later. Without proper attention, the new coat can flake off in big disappointing peels. Unsuccessful painting can mean that the entire task will have to be done over again or that it will look like a sloppy eyesore for years to come. Here are some tips for the best results:

Tools of the trade: Pros take great pride in their tools and for good reason. Having high quality paintbrushes, ladders, stirring stick and rollers will allow a superior result more easily. Inferior quality paintbrushes may seem like a bargain at the cash register but once the painting begins, it may become a different story. Shedding brush-hairs left in the path of the shoddy paintbrush will be a pain to pick out of the newly applied layer.

Those crummy brushes will shed more than a dog in the middle of summer. Without a retractable ladder, a homeowner will have a hard time reaching various spots. after the can has set for a while. And rollers, like paintbrushes, must be of high quality for proper absorption and distribution. Hauling out a kitchen chair to climb up on will result in slops and streaks on the unsuspecting furniture. Stir sticks are a must or the colors won’t be mixed properly

Preparation: If the surface is dirty and peeling, it must be cleaned and sanded before a new coat of latex or enamel is applied. Paints don’t stick to dirt and instead of a quick cover-up job, there may be layers of wet muck that fall off before a painter knows it. Flakes peeling underneath will cause a new layer to peel away as well. Prep isn’t something to skimp on if a topnotch result is desired. Taping around windows and woodwork is also crucial in order to keep them neat and spot-free.

Color choice: Choosing the color will take a bit of time. It’s not as easy as it may seem. There are zillions of shades of a hue as simple as white. Taking swatches and samples home from the store will be an important step. Looking at tones next to existing furnishings, lighting and woodwork will help with selection. Once a hue has been settled upon, painting a sample area and living with it for a few days will be a good idea. This will allow a homeowner to see what it looks like at various times of the day and in certain lighting.

When a homeowner decides to do some house painting, he or she must take the time to do it right. Proper tools , preparation and color choice will be steps on the path to enhanced curb appeal. The interior and exterior of a house can be greatly improved upon with a product as seemingly simple as a can of paint. 25

New plans submitted for Designed by Bristol architects Stride Treglown, the development will offer a full range of one, residential-led redevelopment two and three-bedroom homes in three new of St Catherine's Place buildings on the site, including a 14-floor building on the corner of Dalby Avenue. This Bedminster is three storeys lower than the previously proposed building, smaller in footprint and set New plans to kick start the long-awaited regeneration of East Street, Bedminster and deliver 180 much-needed new homes have been submitted to Bristol City Council for further back from the road. The height of the adjacent building to the rear is also stepped down to match the level of the existing Cather ine's House. approval. The new pedestrian Mill Lane Greenway will St Catherine's Place Shopping Centre and its East Street home have long been in need of refurbishment and investment but proposals for a full-scale mixed-use redevelopment of the site, along with 205 new homes, were reinstate a historic route through the site. Designed to celebrate the area's industrial heritage, it will include planting, cobble stones and historic mill stones recovered during archaeological investigations on site. rejected in January this year. The revised scheme will offer larger areas Since then, Bedminster-based owner and developer Firmstone has worked with an entirely new team of Bristol architects and planning consultants along with local stakeholders to design and develop new proposals that of public open space including a new pocket park on Mill Lane, providing accessible green space to rest, play and socialise. There will be increased private amenity space for the new homes including a new courtyard garden. directly address the concerns of planners and a group of local residents. A new and inviting public entrance into St Catherine's Place will be created. The East The new proposals will deliver 180 new homes, newly-refurbished retail units on East Street and increased public open space including a new, landscaped walking and cycling route through from Dalby Road to Mill Lane. Street shops will be replaced with new, modern shops and the historic façade refurbished or rebuilt, breathing new life into the area and marking the start of the area's retail revival, particularly given the increased footfall to and from the new development.

Once this first phase is complete, Firmstone Francis Firmstone, director of Firmstone said: will continue with the Mill Lane and Dalby Avenue buildings whilst refurbishing the retail "Bedminster is a hugely popular, vibrant and units inside the shopping centre. Outline exciting area of Bristol but it is in dire need of planning permission is also being sought to new homes and investment. Within walking potentially convert the redundant vacant retail distance of the city centre and home to a units in the centre of the site for alternative diverse community of residents and uses including residential in the longer term, businesses, it is an important gateway to the should retail demand continue to decline. wider Bedminster Green area, long This will ensure any additional homes are earmarked for regeneration and development. effectively integrated in the wider design and "The long-awaited redevelopment of St Catherine's Place is crucial to the wider regeneration of East Street and Bedminster. These proposals will help make this a thriving, vibrant shopping and leisure area once more, close to the city centre and serving the local community. "As well as rebuilding or refurbishing the East Street shops and shopping centre entrance, the scheme will also deliver much-needed new homes and bring additional footfall to Bedminster's businesses. The new Mill Lane Greenway is a really exciting way to better connect East Street with the wider area, and along with the pocket park, will encourage people to spend time here." regeneration. "Our proposals for 180 much-needed and thoughtfully-designed new homes, along with Bedminster BID, which represents 350 local the development's newly-refurbished retail businesses, has also expressed its strong units and shopping centre entrance, will help support for the proposals return East Street to its former glory, making Simon Dicken, chair of Bedminster Business hospitality as we have seen on nearby North Improvement District (BID) said: Street.

it a thriving area for shopping, leisure and "We are very grateful to residents from the local area who have helped us to shape these new proposals. We have significantly reduced the height of the tallest building, moved it back from the road and added lots more public green space including a pocket park and courtyard garden. We're particularly excited about the newly-revived Mill Lane Greenway which will create an attractive, landscaped traffic-free route through the development connecting East Street with the wider Bedminster Green area and further increasing footfall."

The proposed scheme is in line with the parameters set out in the Bedminster Green Framework which was supported by Bristol City Council's Cabinet in March 2019 and identifies St Catherine's Place as a site for new homes, including a tall building, to help solve Bristol's housing shortage.