emersonsgreenvoice
June, 2021 Edition—Issue 53
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We're doing our bit! Diseased ash trees are axed Nine trees alongside Emerson Way have had to be felled after they were found to have been infected with ash dieback disease. PAGE 6
Housing estate plans delayed Children, teachers and parents at Barley Close primary school have won an award for their hard work to cut pollution and congestion, and improve their own health, by reducing car travel on the way to school. Full story: Page 13
Cat shot with crossbow A CAT had to be put down after being shot with a crossbow in Mangotsfield and another lost an eye when it was shot with an air rifle in Shortwood. Police are stepping up patrols in the area and asking anyone who has information to help the investigation to contact them.
The cat owners are appealing for help to track down the "vile people" who targeted their pets. Christine McFarlane, whose cat Loki died in the suspected crossbow incident, said the vet told her it was the worst attack they had seen. Full story: Page 4
Plans for nearly 400 homes at Lyde Green Farm have been held up by a legal challenge. PAGE 3
Mixed results in elections Conservative Mark Shelford won the election for Police and Crime Commissioner while Labour’s Dan Norris was victorious in the West of England Metro Mayor poll. PAGES 8 & 9
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emersonsgreenvoice Publisher Gary Brindle 0117 907 8585 07799 461169
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Journalist Ken McCormick 07715 770377 ADVERTISING sales@emersonsgreenvoice. co.uk Tel: 0117 907 8585 Tel 07799 461169 EDITORIAL news@emersonsgreenvoice. co.uk Letters to the publication can be sent to the above e-mail address or by post to Letters, Emersons Green Voice, 6 Elkstone Walk, Bitton, Bristol BS30 6JT. The editor reserves the right to edit your letter. DEADLINES July edition deadline is June 17. LOCAL INFORMATION South Gloucestershire Council www.southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009 Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk general enquiries: 101 Emergency: 999 Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk General enquiries: 0117 926 2061 Emergency: 999 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 PUBLISHER’S NOTE Emersons Green 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. 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 Gary Brindle on 0117 907 8585 or news@fishpondsvoice.co.uk.
COMPLAINTS Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the Emersons Green 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 found on the Voice website here, or can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.
n NEWS
Three men charged with manslaughter THREE men are due to appear in court in connection with the death of a South Gloucestershire man. Craig Wiltshire, who was 43, died in hospital on December 4, 2019, following an incident two weeks earlier. Avon and Somerset police have announced that three men have been charged with manslaughter in connection with Mr Wiltshire’s death, following an investigation by the force’s Major Crime Investigation Team. Michael Crooks, aged 50, Nathan Barry Smith, 36, and 26-yearold Ben Crooks have not entered pleas to the manslaughter charge. Their case was brought before Bristol Crown Court in April for a pre-trial hearing. Another hearing relating to the case was due to take place at the same court on May 26. Legal restrictions prevent the reporting of further details at this stage.
Boys arrested POLICE arrested four teenage boys in Mangotsfield after a group armed with what one witness described as a “machete” was seen outside the shops. Firearms units were among those called to St James Place at around 4.20pm on April 28. Eyewitness reports shared on social media described youths with a “massive knife” or “machete” running past the shops. They went into a nearby house and police, who arrived soon afterwards, were seen breaking down the door with a battering ram. An Avon and Somerset police spokesperson said officers were called at about 4.20pm by witnesses who reported seeing three teenage boys armed with a large knife. The spokesperson said: “Specialist firearms units were on the scene within minutes and four boys were arrested. “All four were arrested for affray. “One, aged 15, was also arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon in public and possession of cannabis. “The other three, aged 15 and 16, were also arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife in public.” The spokesperson said one 16-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of possessing an electric stun gun. She added: “Officers seized a number of knives and other weapons from a nearby address.” All four boys were later released on police bail and officers say their enquiries into the incident continue. They have asked witnesses or anyone who has dashcam or smart doorbell footage they think could help the investigation to call 101 and quote crime reference number 5221 091 761. Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111. Targeted patrols were being carried out by police neighbourhood teams after the incident.
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June, 2021
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June, 2021
n NEWS PLANS to build nearly 400 homes at Lyde Green are on hold after a High Court challenge. Developer Edward Ware Homes wants to build 393 houses, including 139 affordable homes, at Lyde Green Farm, between the M4, Henfield Road and the Dramway cycle path to Westerleigh. South Gloucestershire Council gave permission for the development last December – almost two years after plans were first submitted in 2019. But now a judge has quashed the consent after the owner of nearby Lyde Green Common, Norft Ltd, claimed a “multi user path” included in the plans was unlawful as it used land that was part of the M4 motorway embankment. Rather than oppose Norft’s claims at a lengthy and costly judicial review, the council has agreed to go back and make the decision again. The council has also agreed to pay costs of just under £10,000 claimed by Norft, which has made its own
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Legal challenge holds up Lyde Green housing scheme
Lyde Green Farm planning application to build an access road and footpath on common land it owns near the development site. Emersons Green Town Council has objected to Norft’s application on the grounds that it involved a reduction in common land.
A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said: “On reviewing the grounds for the intended challenge, we agreed to support an order quashing the planning permission on the basis that one of the submitted grounds relating to a technical issue, had merit. “This decision was taken to enable the planning application to be redetermined by the Council, with the Council thereby retaining control of the process for the benefit of the community and avoiding the potential costs and delays associated with a formal challenge.” Edward Ware Homes must now wait for the council to take its decision on the application again, with a new condition relating to the path. The company’s land director,
Simon Jenkins, said: “We’re frustrated that it’s happened – there’s a huge demand for housing in that area.” Mr Jenkins said the developer was hoping a new permission would be granted soon but said the delay would push back the time for starting work. He said: “We would have hoped that it would have got under way this year and we would have been on site by October. Until South Gloucestershire tell us what their revised conditions are, there’s nothing we can do, but if they had decided to contest (the legal challenge), it would have been a longer procedure.” The council had yet to confirm a date by which it expected to make a decision when the Voice went to print.
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June, 2021
n NEWS
‘Vile’ attacks on cats with crossbow and air rifle POLICE and pet owners are calling for help to track down the “vile people” who have shot at cats with air rifles and a crossbow. At least one family pet died while another lost an eye after being shot by unknown offenders. Investigations are underway and police have appealed for anyone with information about the attacks to contact them. Two cats are believed to have been shot with an air rifle in the Shortwood area. One of them was Georgina Bristow’s cat Louise, who was shot in the face, somewhere near her home. Louise, who is around 11 years old, needed emergency surgery and had to have one of her eyes removed after the incident, which happened between 3pm and 5pm on May 5. George believes the attack probably took place near the cycle path from Emersons Green to Westerleigh, which passes between Shortwood and Lyde Green. She said: “Our best guess is that this happened on or near the cycle track between the ring road and Yate. She likes to explore the cycle track and fields around it. “Cat owners, please be aware that there are some vile people around.” George said she had heard of another cat being shot and killed on Main Road in Shortwood, not long before Louise was attacked, and thinks the two incidents could be linked. Police are understood to have been making house to house enquiries in the area as they
Christine Mcfarlane's five-year-old cat Loki died after being shot with a crossbow bolt
George Bristow's cat Louise lost an eye after being shot in the face with an airgun pellet investigate the incidents. George said: “It would be amazing if we could find who did this, before it happens again.” About a week earlier Christine Mcfarlane’s cat Loki died after being shot with a crossbow near her home in Mangotsfield early on April 29. The five-year-old cat could not get through the cat flap, because what is believed to have been a crossbow bolt around a foot long was lodged in his body, having passed through his lung, stomach, liver and bowels. Christine and her husband took Loki to the emergency vet, Rowe in Bradley Stoke. She said: “They said it was the
worst attack they ever saw.” Loki had to be put down as, despite what Christine described as “amazing” care, the vet decided that trying to remove the arrow would cause further injury to him. Christine said: “What happened to Loki, and the other attacks on our family pets in the area, is very disturbing. “It’s so frightening. I’ve got a dog, and I’m now frightened to let him out unless I’m with him.” Christine believes the attack happened in the Royal Road or Streamside area, close to her home, as they could only find blood from Loki near their house and a neighbour had seen him uninjured at 6am, about half an hour before he came home injured. She said: “Not knowing who did it is the worst thing, and the fact it’s happened so close to home.” Christine is appealing for anyone who saw anything or
thinks they know someone with a weapon that fires black bolts or arrows with metal tips and white plastic flights to contact the police. She said: “Someone must know if there’s a person with a crossbow in the area.” An Avon and Somerset police spokesperson appealed for anyone with information on either investigation to come forward. Anyone with information about the Shortwood incident should quote log number 198 of May 9. The spokesperson said police officers in the neighbourhood policing team covering Shortwood were looking for CCTV footage which could help the investigation and changing their patrol plans following the incident. People with information on the Mangotsfield incident should call 101 and quote crime reference number 5221 092 158.
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June, 2021
n NEWS PUPILS at Pucklechurch Primary School have been showing their creative talents with music and art projects. The school says the children have “relished” a number of musical opportunities, with Reception and Year 1 pupils exploring drumming and Year 6 pupils learning the jSax, a form of saxophone designed for beginners. Year 4 pupils used the Beatles’ song Blackbird as inspiration for some drawing. And some of the best artworks produced by pupils are now being displayed on an online 3D gallery the school has set up with other members of the Ignite alliance - Christ Church Juniors, Christ Church Infants, Marshfield, Beacon Rise and Barley Close. A piece of work from each class is being displayed for the whole community to view. The gallery can be found by searching for Pucklechurch at artsteps.com or at bit. ly/3hAJ829. Pupils have been studying a variety of artists, including Anthony Gormley, Degas and Van Gogh, using a range of skills to create their own
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Music and art bring school community together
Reception pupils drumming interpretations of the artists’ works. Head teacher Alex Capel said: “The arts are important in children’s education as they allow children to express themselves whilst promoting creativity and the use of their
imagination. “We embrace the importance of the arts as we recognise the impact it has on children’s wellbeing.
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June, 2021
n NEWS
Disease claims nine estate ash trees
Before: One of the trees, above After: The ashes had to be axed NINE trees next to a busy road have had to be felled after they were found to be infected by a deadly disease. Trees on Emerson Way, near the Blackhorse garage,
were found to have ash dieback disease by South Gloucestershire Council staff. The council said the disease, which is caused by a fungus, is highly destructive and causes
“The school is a calm and happy place where pupils want to learn.” OFSTED 2016
trees to become a safety risk, as branches or even whole trees can fall. A council spokesperson said: “Sadly, we had to remove nine trees along Emerson Way due to ash dieback being identified during a recent survey. "Ash dieback is a national problem and if left unattended the infected trees gradually die and become unstable. "We have a comprehensive re-planting programme and aim to replace all of the trees being removed because of the disease." Since being introduced to Europe from East Asia about 30 years ago the disease has devastated European ash trees, which have no natural defence against it. It has spread through airborne fungus spores and trade in infected ash saplings. The council said: "The
disease is now found across the UK, including in South Gloucestershire, there is no cure and very few trees are showing signs of long term resistance, therefore control of the spread is no longer considered viable." Fewer than one in every 20 ash trees is expected to develop resistance to the disease, which kills leaves before spreading into the stalks and then branches and crown of the tree. The council has been carrying out a project to remove infected ash trees since last year, concentrating first on felling trees that could be at risk of falling on main roads, then on minor roads, in schools and in public open spaces. The council says it has a policy to replace lost trees but says "it may not always be practical to plant a new tree in the exact location of those removed".
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June, 2021
n NEWS THE father of a cyclist who was hit by a car at the Hambrook traffic lights is calling for changes to the crossing where the collision happened. Thomas Harris was cycling across the three-lane section of the Avon Ring Road, between the M32 and the Bromley Heath roundabout, on March 9 when he was knocked from his bike, then hit by two other vehicles. He suffered fractures to the front and back of his skull and several bleeds to the brain. He was in a coma for seven days and in intensive care for three weeks, and while he has been able to return home, brain damage has affected his memory and mobility. Tom was hit as he crossed the third lane of the road, by a vehicle which his dad Rich understands was travelling at around the 50mph limit. Rich said: "It's a 50mph limit approaching the lights but when you approach the next junction, which is a roundabout, it's 30mph. It's also 30mph in the other direction (from Frenchay and Winterbourne). "They're letting traffic through too quick. There isn't enough time to go across three
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'Unsafe' crossing should be changed, says crash victim's dad lanes on the crossing – it's the same timescale as a two-lane crossing. It needs to be changed or someone else will be knocked off in time." Rich says that signs warning vehicles about the crossing need to be improved and is also concerned that the continuation of the experimental order banning some right turns at the junction, which was supposed to have finished in February, could have contributed to the accident. The family, who lived in Staple Hill until they moved from the area last year, have engaged solicitors to work on possible legal action over safety at the junction. A South Gloucestershire Council spokesman said: “We are aware that a police investigation is in progress and we will review their findings fully once they have been shared with us. “We were required by Government to implement an Experimental Traffic Order
Tom Harris hugs his mum Jean for the first time after the collision. at Hambrook traffic lights on the A4174 to improve air quality in the area. Since then, our monitoring data of nitrogen dioxide levels has been significantly impacted due to Covid-19 restrictions resulting in less traffic on our roads. Because of this we are seeking guidance from the Joint Air Quality Unit as to the way forward with the scheme. “The measures in place at
the junction are fully compliant with legislative requirements, including the signalised crossing facilities which were upgraded in 2018 and have been designed to support the safety of all road users, particularly pedestrians and cyclists.” An online fundraising campaign to fund adaptations Tom will need as a result of the collision can be found at bit. ly/3sK0n3a.
n ADVERTISING FEATURE
BSpoke16 returns to the streets
A YEAR on from the first outdoor trail, BSpoke16 is back in July with another showcase of extraordinary creative talent from our area. Many makers, artists and designers are returning following the first two successful events last summer and winter, which have attracted and inspired more exhibitors to join the collective for the third trail. The event will take place on
July 16-18, from 10am-4pm across the BS16 area at various venues which will be advertised on the trail map, which will be released in early July. A variety of handmade arts, crafts and products will be available to buy, including: drawings, paintings, printmaking, hand cut art, jewellery, needle felt, ceramics, wooden products, cards and unique gifts all by local
bspoke16.co.uk to see this summer’s exhibitors and start planning your route. If you are interested in taking part please email bspoke16@gmail. com for an application form.
craftspeople. The trail will also include makers giving demonstrations of their techniques and will also involve the participation of local schools – more details to follow. Browse the website www.
Outdoor Event...16-18th July...in BS16...
Plan your route in advance and enjoy browsing in a safe environment, outside your local maker’s home.
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June, 2021
n NEWS
Mark is new police commissioner CONSERVATIVE Mark Shelford has been elected Avon and Somerset’s new police and crime commissioner. The former soldier made election pledges to “reassure, refocus and rebuild” and prioritise preventing crime, not just trying to catch criminals. He received 161,319 votes in the May 6 election, 15,000 ahead of Labour’s Kerry Barker, on 146,293, after first and secondpreference votes were counted. Green candidate Cleo Lake finished in third place, with 64,790 votes, Liberal Democrat Heather Shearer received 52,839 and independent John Smith 46,379. Voting took place across South Gloucestershire, Bristol, B&NES, North Somerset and Somerset. Mr Shelford topped the first round poll in every area except Bristol, while Mr Barker received more second round votes everywhere except for three
of the four Somerset county districts. The election was postponed a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Mr Shelford will only serve a three-year term. Speaking after the declaration, he said: “I’m going to have to work quickly, starting tomorrow. “It’s really exciting and quite humbling. "There’s a huge responsibility placed on my shoulders. I’m relishing the opportunity to get started as soon as possible. “The force will grow in stature and be more self-assured. The people of Avon and Somerset will know the police are there for them. “It’s about making the police more efficient and effective. We will do that together.” Mr Shelford had criticised the police for the handling of recent "Kill the Bill" protests in Bristol and said the force should not have allowed a “mob” to pull
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down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston last summer. One of his first tasks will be to appoint a new chief constable, after Andy Marsh steps down in July. Mr Shelford said he would not rush into making an appointment and was looking for “somebody that exudes leadership and command, and has unshakeable belief in the Peelian principles of policing (by consent)". He will also appoint a deputy PCC, and said he will work with the police and crime panel in doing so. Outgoing PCC Sue Mountstevens made Mr Smith, her former chief executive, the first deputy PCC last year. But he was unable to repeat her success at the ballot box. Mr Shelford, a former Army lieutenant colonel, served for four years as a Bath & North East Somerset councillor but lost his seat in 2019 after a boundary change. In his acceptance speech he thanked the election staff, his team, his family and Ms Mountstevens, who he said had "worked tirelessly over the last nine years to keep the people of Avon and Somerset safer". He thanked the “whole police family”, saying: “The public on the doorstep recognise your stoic courage and they all thank you for what you have done over the last years to keep Avon and Somerset safer. “And last, thanks to the public who have lent me your vote. Together we can work to keep Avon and Somerset safer.” In his concession speech,
Mr Barker, who came second to Ms Mountstevens at the last elections in 2016, said: “Mark, we will be with you and watching you, and wanting to make sure this force gets a better share of resources from government, that the other criminal justice services also get a better share of resources and that we see vast improvements under your leadership.” By Stephen Sumner, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Results
First round results: Mark Shelford (Con) – 136,988 Kerry Barker (Lab) 93,495 Cleo Lake (Green) – 64,790 Heather Shearer (Lib Dem) – 52,839 John Smith (independent) – 46,379 Second round results: Mark Shelford 161,319 (24,331 second preferences) Kerry Barker 146,293 (52,798 second preferences) Turnout: 30.7% PCC column: Page 21
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June, 2021
n NEWS LABOUR'S Dan Norris has won the West of England Metro Mayor election. The former MP beat Conservative Samuel Williams by 125,482 votes to 85,389, a majority of just over 40,000 votes, after second-preference votes were counted. Green candidate Jerome Thomas was third, with 54,919 votes, while Liberal Democrat Stephen Williams was fourth, with 39,767. The count went to a second round after no-one received an overall majority in the first round of voting. However, Mr Norris had a lead of more than 10,500 votes after first preferences were counted, receiving 84,434 votes to Mr Williams' 72,415. In the second round, where second preference votes from Green and Lib Dem voters were added to the front runners' totals, Mr Norris received another 41,048 votes to Mr Williams' 12,974. It meant Labour gained the mayoralty from the Tories, who had won by 4,377 votes in 2017. The Metro Mayor leads the West of England Combined Authority, which is responsible for strategic development of business, skills, housing and transport in the region. Mr Norris said: “It’s a huge honour to be elected as Metro Mayor, for an amazing part of the world that I am so proud to call home. "I will show the difference an active Metro Mayor makes for our region. “This role is about collaboration and I will be a Metro Mayor who listens carefully and works cooperatively.
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Dan becomes Metro Mayor
Dan Norris celebrating with his dog Angel at the ss Great Britain after the results of the Metro Mayor election were announced "I’m determined to hit the ground running, with a Jobs and Skills summit in my first 100 days and my Green Recovery Plan. “I also know that the pandemic has been tough and, as we build back, invest in jobs and our high streets, we must learn key lessons. "Together we can create a society where we keep looking out for each other and value what’s truly important.” After the result was announced, Mr Williams paid tribute to his supporters and volunteers, saying: "Thank you for all your support over the past months. It did not go the way we had hoped but we did an outstanding job." The overall turnout in the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) area was almost 37% – higher than four years ago, when it was less than 30%, and higher than the metro
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mayoral contests in Liverpool, Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and Tees Valley. Mr Norris benefited from the increased turnout in Bristol, where elections for the city council and Bristol Mayor were also taking place on May 6: he received more than 50,000 votes in the city, while Mr Williams' 28,000 in Bristol was behind the Greens. Mr Norris was 143 votes behind the Conservative candidate in B&NES, where he was the MP for the now-abolished Wansdyke constituency from 1997 until 2010. In South Gloucestershire Mr Williams was more than 9,000 votes ahead of Mr Norris, where they received 28,693 and 19,168 first-preference votes respectively. As well as his pledges on jobs and the environment, Mr Norris's manifesto included
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a requirement for 35% of all new homes to be "genuinely affordable", an increase in spending on housebuilding and the creation of a 'homelessness taskforce'. He has also pledged to drive through improvements to transport, including investigating mass transit and bus franchising, smart ticketing and tap-in, tap-out payments, improved rail services and walking and cycling options. Mr Norris started his political career as a Bristol city councillor in the 1980s and also served on Avon County Council in the mid-90s. As an MP he was appointed an environment minister by Gordon Brown in 2009 but lost his seat in the 2010 General Election, when he the redrawn and renamed North East Somerset constituency was won by Conservative Jacob ReesMogg. By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Results
Round 1 Dan Norris 84,434 Samuel Williams 72,415 Jerome Thomas 54,919 Stephen Williams 41,193 Round 2 Dan Norris 125,482 (41,048 second preferences) Samuel Williams 85,389 (12,974 second preferences) Turnout 36.6% Metro Mayor column: Page 25
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June, 2021
n NEWS
Debate due on Fleur plan
A CONTROVERSIAL scheme to redevelop the Fleur de Lis pub in Pucklechurch has been recommended for approval by planning officers. The future of the pub, which has been closed since March last year, will now be discussed by a council committee after Boyd Valley ward councillor Steve Reade referred it for debate by councillors. More than 50 residents have written to South Gloucestershire Council to object to plans to knock down an extension to the pub on Shortwood Road, which housed its restaurant area, and build six new homes. And 19 people have also objected to plans by developer UKS Group to convert the main pub building into a home, while setting up a smaller 'micropub' in what is now the toilet block. A report recommending both sets of plans are approved says that council officers "reluctantly accept that overall, the Fleur De Lis can be considered unviable in its current form". It says that, with plans for a micropub included in the scheme
Paddock homes ruled out
and other pubs still operating in the village, "officers are satisfied that the community would not be unduly deprived of public house facilities". The officers say that "on balance", plans to build six houses on the site "are considered to have a neutral impact upon the character and appearance of the Conservation Area". The pub shut at the start of the first lockdown. In December, seven people were arrested after police found more than 800 cannabis plants there. As well as residents' concerns over issues including parking, road safety and a lack of affordable housing, Pucklechurch Parish Council says the plans "fail to preserve the character of the conservation area" and do not provide enough parking provision for the new homes, which it says are being "crammed" into the site. Cllr Reade has called for the application to be decided on by a council committee on the basis of the developer's "incomplete consultation responses", and "possibly unfounded assumptions". A date for a decision has yet to be fixed.
PLANS for nine homes on a field near Lyde Green have been thrown out. Applicant Top to Bottom Ltd made two applications to build nine homes on the site, which is next to to the section of the cycle path that runs past the Brandy Bottom Colliery site, between the Avon Ring Road and Westerleigh, close to the David Lloyd fitness centre. It appealed to the Planning Inspectorate over South Gloucestershire Council's failure to make a decision on its first application made in May last year. And a second application to develop the site, which would back on to a 120-home development by Barratt Homes, was made in February. But both applications have now been refused – by a planning inspector who said the site was not a "suitable location for housing" and by the council, which said it was "unsustainable" as failed to provide "safe, useable" walking or cycling routes to facilities and was too far from any bus stops to fit in with current planning policy. Agents Stokes Morgan said the site was currently used as a paddock for horse grazing and would need new road access via Cattybrook Road. Emersons Green Town Council and Pucklechurch Parish Council objected to the application on the grounds that it was on a Site of Nature Conservation Interest, was not part of the area's current development plan and was close to the Shortwood landfill site, "which could have a detrimental effect on the proposed new residents".
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emersonsgreenvoice
June, 2021
11
n NEWS
Zac set for 100-mile charity challenge A NINE-year-old pupil at an Emersons Green school is heading off on a gruelling 100-mile walk to raise money for a Bristol homelessness charity. Zac Churchill will tackle the Jurassic Coast walk, from Exmouth in Devon to Studland in Dorset, over five days at the end of July. Zac, who attends Mangotsfield Primary School in Church Farm Road and plays football with Mangotsfield United, is collecting sponsorship for Helping Homeless Believe, a Bristol-based charity which provides emergency help for anyone spotted sleeping rough in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. His mum Mel said Zac, who lives in Downend, will be the youngest person to attempt the challenge, which includes almost 4,000 metres of climbing – the equivalent of going up Mount Fuji or halfway up Everest. Mel said: “We have always been into hiking and have encouraged our children in joining us on our outdoor activities. “We have talked about walking the Jurassic Coast for the past few years and when I asked Zac about it, he jumped at the challenge and said that he couldn’t wait to see the views.
Zac Churchill “He then suggested that he try and raise money for a charity. “He has always shown a great amount of empathy for the homeless and often gives away his pocket money when we are out and about or suggests buying them a sandwich. This past year has been tough, and he often asks what the homeless have done during
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Covid.” Zac said: “I know the people on the streets have nothing, and it’s really sad. “I want to raise money for them so they can get some food and maybe a new sleeping bag. “I have done lots of long walks and climbed lots of mountains. The Jurassic Coast will be the hardest one of all, but I know I can do it. “There are lots of beaches on the walk, so I hope I get lots of ice creams!” Zac will not be letting up when he finishes the challenge, as the family also plans to tackle the “Yorkshire Three Peaks” - Pen-yghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in the Pennines – the following week. Zac has £800 in pledges so far. To donate to his fundraiser, visit gofund.me/c78658be online. Helping Homeless Believe was founded in 2017 and volunteers go out onto the streets offering rough sleepers a “survival pack” of essentials including sleeping bags gloves, socks and a rucksack, and helps them find services that may be able to help them. For more details visit www. helpinghomelessbelieve.co.uk.
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12
June, 2021
n NEWS
Maddie runs for MIND Let us know your views EMAIL US AT:
news@emersonsgreenvoice.co.uk
A VOICE deliverer has run 27 miles in 27 days in solidarity with the 27% of students who report mental health issues at university. Maddie Barnett, of Emersons Green, took part in charity Mind's 27 27 challenge to raise awareness that the number of students reporting a mental health problem is increasing, and is now five times greater than it was ten years ago, while the number of students dropping out because of mental health
problems has trebled. In the process she also raised £123 to support the charity's work. Maddie, a sixth former at Bristol Cathedral Choir School who aims to go on to study medicine, said: "Everyone’s mental well-being matters and it isn’t shameful to reach out for support. "Mind, the mental health charity, supports people of all ages."
“Whoaagh! It’s too early for Christmas!” you say? Well, after the lockdown disappointment of 2020, we are looking forward to Christmas 2021, with the launch of our ‘Design A Christmas Street Light’ competition. We are inviting primary school age children (4-11 years) in the Emersons Green Ward area to design a Christmas streetlight, for entry into our competition. Two winning designs will be turned into real Christmas streetlights that will be displayed in Emersons Green and Lyde Green along with the other streetlights. In order to make sure the winning designs can be manufactured in time for our Christmas 2021 display, the closing date for entries will be Sunday 25 July. For full details of the competition, and an entry form, please see the information on our website, on our Facebook page.
Premises for Youth Works We are on the search for a local community space that could be used for youth work sessions. Ideally, we are looking for a building, or part of a building, that could be used on an exclusive basis by our young people and youth workers for regular sessions during weekday evenings. A kitchen and some space for storage would be needed. If you know of anything local that may be suitable, please get in touch, by emailing clerk@emersonsgreen-tc.gov.uk
INTRODUCING… Councillor Caroline Johnson “I moved to Emersons Green with my husband nearly 23 years ago and joined the Town Council in 2015. I was initially co-opted as a member and then subsequently elected by residents in 2019 to represent the Emersons Green ward. I joined the Council to help to make it work better for the local community and, as a keen cyclist and walker, I am passionate about creating a greener community for Emersons Green. I serve on the Finance Committee and am Chair of the Personnel Committee. I am a member of the Climate Emergency Working Group and am also the Town Council representative on the Bristol East Cycling and Walking Group.” If you wish to contact any of our councillors directly, all councillor contact details are available on our website: http://www.emersonsgreen-tc.gov.uk/town-council/councillors/ clerk@emersonsgreen-tc.gov.uk
/
www.emersonsgreen-tc.gov.uk
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Due to changes in legislation, Town Council meetings can no longer be held virtually. Emersons Green Town Council plans to return to face-to-face meetings from 21 June, subject to successful implementation of the government’s lockdown exit roadmap. Planning Committee 10.30am 21 June Finance Committee 7.00pm 24 June
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emersonsgreenvoice
June, 2021
13
n NEWS
Barley Close school earns travel award A PROJECT to reduce car journeys to and from a Mangotsfield school has won pupils, teachers and parents an award. Barley Close Community Primary School has achieved the Silver Modeshift STARS Award for work to encourage "active travel" – walking, cycling or scooting to school. The active travel project features 41 different initiatives, including a "walking bubble" five minute's walk around the school, where parents who drive are encouraged park and finish their journey on foot, children recording their daily journeys to school on a 'travel tracker' and receiving badges for active travel, and workshops with South Gloucestershire Council's road safety and Bikeability teams. Head teacher Jo Williams said: "Walking, cycling or scooting to school, even for just part of the journey, improves health and well-being, reduces congestion and improves air quality. "We are so proud that we have met the Silver Modeshift standard. I would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff, pupils and families at Barley Close for supporting us and helping the children to be more active. "The support from Andrew MacDonald
and the road safety team in South Glos as well as Catherine McCoy from Living Streets has been second to none, so thank you to all
of them as well." In 2019 Barley Close became the first school in South Gloucestershire to achieve a Modeshift Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition for Schools (STARS) Bronze Award for promoting sustainable methods of transport. But the need for further work had been highlighted by a police operation in October last year, which found six parents on the school run to Barley Close driving or using e-scooters illegally, including a disqualified driver who had parked on the school's keep clear zigzag lines to drop children off, in a car he had taken without the owner's consent. The council announced plans for an experimental "school street" traffic order to stop traffic entering Barley Close at dropoff and pick-up times last summer, but the scheme was scrapped after it was found that a large number of residents would have been unable to access driveways and garages. The school now has a dedicated active travel page on its website, includes active travel in the prospectus for new parents and regularly updates parents, neighbours, teachers and pupils on its progress to improve sustainability at school.
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emersonsgreenvoice
14
June, 2021
n PETER'S VISION FAMILY EYE CARE FOR GENERATIONS
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Seeing our way out of lockdown So Peter, how’s the last year been for you? We literally haven’t stopped. From March 2020 we have been here when our patients needed us. Whether it was emergency responders or those who found themselves working from their dining room tables urgently needing new glasses we were able to respond quickly and look after them. You’ve made some changes, I hear. Well yes and no. We haven’t changed. Our vision remains the same as always; reassuringly thorough eye care for every patient. It’s the NHS funding that should have changed years ago, and sadly has not! As we set out to survive the pandemic it became clear that we could no longer work without a sustainable NHS fee to cover the cost of the thorough eye care we provide. Don’t the NHS pay you? A sight test with us remained 30 minutes long, despite the NHS only funding 6-7 minutes of the care our patients were receiving. So how did you come to this decision? We had several (socially distanced of course) meetings, to try to find a sustainable way to continue caring for our patients for many years to come. It was a long, and often emotional process. We emerged from lockdown as a practice offering reassuringly thorough eye care to the whole family. For the first time in 70 years this is outside of the NHS. Your Grandfather Harold founded the practice; what would he make of this? Harold started work as an Ophthalmic Optician in the 1930s, years before the NHS was formed. Harold believed in quality care at an affordable price. We hold those values dear to this day. I think Harold would be proud that over 80 years later his family Opticians are very much thriving in Bristol. So how can people come and see you now? To make thorough eye care affordable, we launched low cost monthly Direct Debit Vision Plans for eye care, and also for contact lens wearers too. Vision Plan membership lets our patients access the reassuringly thorough eye care then want, when they need it. We also include accidental damage cover for their glasses bought from us as well as emergency appointments if needed too. Full details are on our website. Do you still see children? Most definitely. As parents of young children, we’re keen to offer the thorough care our children benefit from to others too. For one child it’s just £4 per month, for two or more children in a household it’s £6 for all. We also include a pair of single vision lenses (worth £25) for each child who needs them. Your Vision plan sounds interesting. How can I join? You can telephone the practice, or book to come and see us, and we will be happy to set up your vision plan membership. Although most of us are used to Direct Debits, what about those who aren’t? If patients would prefer to pay for their eye care consultations each time they attend, we also offer a pay on the day option. Well Peter, I wish you the very best. You certainly seem re-energised by your new ways of working. As a final question, what if someone has another question? Thank you! If there’s any other questions we’re very happy to help, just email EyeCareTeam@TurnersOpticians.co.uk. This Q&A session was with Peter Turner, who is a Senior Optometrist at Turners Opticians in Bristol, and also works part time as a Senior Optometrist at the Bristol Eye Hospital.
www.turnersopticians.co.uk Turners Eye Care Ltd T/A Turners Opticians Incorporated in England & Wales Reg No. 8201460 Subject to availability, T&C’s apply.
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emersonsgreenvoice
June, 2021
15
n NEWS
DJ charity marathon raises £1,700 A 24-HOUR live performance organised by a DJ from Emersons Green has given a big James boost to a cancer charity. Stephens James Stephens brought together some on the of the Bristol area’s top club DJ’s to put on decks the show, streamed online, in aid of Teenage during the Cancer Trust. event Staged in collaboration with Pytch, a virtual events venue in Bristol, the show made us of an extensive production set including a huge LED screen, lights and smoke. And clubbers who listened and watched live or caught up with the show afterwards have so far donated £1,700 to the charity. James, who grew up in Emersons Green “Initially it started off as a relatively small and started DJing while he was a student project but turned into something much at the University of the West of England, bigger by the end of it. decided to stage the event to raise money “I would like to thank the thousands of for the Teenage Cancer Trust after learning viewers who tuned in and watched the show, that a friend’s son had been diagnosed with and to everyone who donated. cancer at a young age. “Special thanks goes out to the venue He brought another 17 DJs from clubs host, Pytch, and to all the DJs and audio including the O2 Academy, Pryzm and technicians that volunteered make this event Lakota on board, playing a mix of dance happen – a 24 hour event requires a lot of on theand focus (and energy drinks and music including disco, house, RnB, hip James hop, Stephens preparation the event dancehall, UK garage and drum & bass.decks during food!).” James said: “The DJ industry has been in James is now thinking about organising hibernation for the past year, and I wanted further fundraisers. to show people that the local DJ community He said: “The response to the event has could come together to help a raise money for been brilliant. I think live streaming is here a good cause. to stay and will only become more popular.
“However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a live stream as such. We could potentially host our own physical, ticketed event, with all donations going to charity. “This is something that us DJ’s will talk about further down the line to see if we could make it happen! “The DJ’s that took part really enjoyed themselves, especially as they knew they were doing it for a good cause.” Teenage Cancer Trust South West and Wales relationship manager Tracy Burns said the charity, which supports young people aged 13-24 with the disease, was “incredibly grateful” to James and his fellow DJs. She said: “Teenage Cancer Trust has worked for over 30 years, in partnership with the NHS, to create and build a specialist cancer service for teenagers and young adults across the UK.= We do all that we can to improve a young person’s experience of living with cancer, so that cancer doesn’t stop them living their lives. “This amazing group of Bristol DJ’s have raised £1,700 and this will help us to continue to be there for young people with cancer when they need us most.” Donations can be made until the end of June at www.justgiving.com/ charitydjlivestream, where there is also a link to clips from the show on YouTube.
Speed limits and safety measures for Siston TWO roads are set to have their speed limits reduced and speed bumps introduced to improve safety. Siston Lane currently has a 40mph limit from Shortwood Road through the village of Siston, while Gibbs Lane has a 60mph limit. South Gloucestershire Council says there have been four injury accidents on the roads, which are used by more than 4,000 vehicles a day, in the past five years, with residents reporting more accidents involving damage to cars and 'near-misses' involving pedestrians and horse riders. The council wants to reduce the speed limit on both roads to 30mph, after residents called for action three years ago. It and says that the majority of drivers already travel at between 29mph and
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37mph and it would be "feasible" to lower the limit to 30mph to encourage generally slower traffic flows. The council also wants to install four "speed cushions" - bumps which are narrow enough for fire engines to bypass – on Siston Lane on the approaches to the Gibbs Lane junction. There would be two on either side of the junction to slow traffic in the village. Anyone who wants to comment on the scheme to do so via the consultations section of the South Gloucestershire Council website – the speed limit consultation can be found at bit.ly/3eZlgUv. People who are not online should call 01454 863503 for details of how to respond. The consultation was due to close on May 29.
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emersonsgreenvoice
16
June, 2021
n NEWS
Van to bring Covid testing to more people A MOBILE testing unit is visiting Emersons Green and Pucklechurch every week as part of the drive to trace coronavirus cases. The specially-equipped van gives people the option of either collecting a testing kit to take home or to take a test with help from trained staff, for people unfamiliar with the process. The government is encouraging everyone over the age of 16 without Covid-19 symptoms to make regular twiceweekly testing, using rapid home test kits, part of their routine. The testing scheme, along with the vaccine roll-out, local contact tracing and continued hygiene and social distancing, is seen as key to keeping safe as lockdown restrictions are eased. South Gloucestershire Council has already made its libraries, including Emersons Green, Downend and Staple Hill, into collection points for home testing kits, which can be picked up during staffed opening hours. The testing van will be at Bottegino’s in Emerson Way every Tuesday from 9am to midday and at Pucklechurch Community Centre in Abson Road every Sunday, from 2pm until 5pm. The scheme is separate from testing facilities for people with symptoms, which are located at Cleve Rugby Club’s car park at the Hayfields in Cossham Street, Mangotsfield. Case rates in South Gloucestershire continue to be low, with 38 cases in the district recorded over the seven
The new Covid testing van, which will be visiting Emersons Green and Pucklechurch once a week days to May 12 – a rate of 13.3 per 100,000 people – but with another new variant of the disease starting to spread, people are being urged to continue to test. Council director of public health Sara Blackmore said: “Testing is a really important tool that is helping us to manage Covid-19. “Every case we can identify helps us stop the spread and bring the virus further under control. “That is why we are so keen to make testing available to everyone; by taking the tests to our communities so that they can take part in the programme and do their part to keep themselves and those around them as safe as possible.” Home testing involves swabbing the tonsils and nostrils
putting the swab into a liquid, which is placed on a strip which produces a result within 30 minutes. Testing has been carried out by secondary school-aged children since March but everyone in England over the age of 16 is now being encouraged to take on twice a week. There were three deaths with Covid-19 recorded in South Gloucestershire over the four weeks to May 15, two in care homes and one in hospital. So far this year, 144 people have died with coronavirus in the area. The NHS in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire has announced plans to carry out extra operations and outpatient appointments this summer in an attempt to restore routine care
after the pandemic. The area’s clinical commissioning group, which is in charge of planning and paying for services, is part of a “national elective accelerator programme” to make up for the millions of non-urgent operations postponed to prioritise treating Covid-19 cases over the past 15 months. Southmead Hospital has already announced plans to carry out routine operations at the weekends in a bid to clear a “phenomenal” backlog of non-emergency surgery that has piled up. The CCG says it will use online consultations for GPs and outpatient clinics, extend surgery into evenings and weekends and expand its “Hospital at Home” service, where patients recover from surgery in their own homes with regular visits from specialist nurses and therapists, to try and maximise the number of operations. North Bristol NHS Trust deputy chief executive Evelyn Barker, who is leading the accelerator programme, said: “Sadly the pandemic has meant many people waiting much longer for planned treatment. However, we have also learned a lot, and colleagues across our area are embracing innovative and creative ways to recover services as quickly as possible. “This is a huge task and will take time, but we are pulling out all the stops to treat more patients whilst ensuring the wellbeing of our dedicated staff.”
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emersonsgreenvoice
June, 2021
17
n COMMUNITY NEWS
Choir hopes to say goodbye to Zoom MEMBERS of the Bristol Military Wives Choir are hoping we can soon say goodbye to Zoom, after 14 months of online rehearsals. We had an emotional night when we thought we had reached our last Zoom rehearsal and said good-bye to some of our former members who had joined us from afar. We were excited to start real-life rehearsals, until the government updated their performing arts guidance and said we could not return to them just yet. We are very disappointed, as you can imagine, but hope to just be Zooming for a little bit longer, until the next update on guidance on June 21. Although conducting a choir over Zoom has not been ideal, we have surprised ourselves on how much we have achieved, and have supported one another through this pandemic in the only way we know possible: Sing, Share and Support. This is our Zoom journey, which we
These are just the highlights.
would like to share: -
Each and every day.
COVID – what a shock to our system How will we cope, We need to make a plan This is our only hope, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom This seems the only way, To help us get though
We painted rocks for relaxation Learnt how to play the spoons, Dressed up on “Thriller night” And sang the odd few tunes, Composing our own “covid” songs Fun quizzes and Bake Off nights, With joy and laughter how much fun
Sing, Share, Support This is our way, We are stronger together So, COVID you just stay away, Hopefully never to be muted again Now we sing out loud, Our friendships have grown stronger Of that we can be proud, So, Good-Bye to Zoom, our faithful friend You helped us through stormy weather, Thank you so very much You kept us “Stronger Together”. Throughout this pandemic I have likened us to the Red Arrows: stronger together, but safer apart. However, as things start to get back to normality, I hope that we can resume our own formation of “Stronger Together” and closer together. If you require any further details about the Bristol Military Wives Choir, please contact us on bristol@ militarywiveschoirs.org. Sue Reason
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emersonsgreenvoice
18
n NEWS FROM OUR MP
June, 2021
We’re building back better
Chris Skidmore writes for
Emersons Green Voice
EVERYONE’S hard work in getting vaccinated and preventing the spread of Covid has resulted in a further relaxation of lockdown rules, as we follow the Prime Minister’s road map out of the pandemic. In the last few weeks, we have already seen more changes to what we are all allowed to do, such as the Rule of Six or two households that has applied outdoors, now applying indoors and the limit for outdoor meetings increasing to 30. We can also now sit inside a pub and inside a restaurant, go to the cinema, and children are able to use indoor play areas. Hostels, hotels and B&Bs are allowed to reopen, as are the doors of our theatres, concert halls and business conference centres, and the turnstiles of our sports stadia can be unlocked, subject to capacity limits.
The advent of elections in May was another welcome sign of our cautious return to normality, and the results of these are important for the Kingswood constituency. First, the Police and Crime Commissioner elections saw Conservative Mark Shelford elected to the role. Mark had already spent a lot of time with me in various parts of the constituency to understand the policing needs and concerns of local people. I know he will continue to be a visible presence locally and look forward to working with him in the area. Another election – the West of England Mayoral election – resulted in the election of Labour’s Dan Norris. Although our politics are different, we are united in wanting to work together in best interests
of the community. My close working with the previous Mayor Tim Bowles and South Gloucestershire Council over recent years has seen us secure major investment locally to deliver MetroBus, the Lyde Green Park and Ride and the Linking the Greens scheme that aims to improve walking and cycling links in the area. All of this work is about helping to make it easier for us to get around the local area and I will continue to campaign for more transport and infrastructure investment locally so we can build back better from Covid. As ever, if anyone is in need of help or support as we move through the road map out of the pandemic, please contact my office on chris.skidmore.mp@ parliament.uk or by calling 0117 908 1524.
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emersonsgreenvoice
June, 2021
19
n MANGOTSFIELD RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
Our volunteers are happy to be back in action
SATURDAY May 1 saw the return of the Mangotsfield Residents Association Hour A Month (HAM), where volunteers get together to work improving the area. It was the first time we’d been able to get together for quite a while. Most of the time was spent catching up, but there was the odd bit of weeding and digging out of old tree roots. It’s amazing what a difference an hour can make. We’ve also started to resurrect old plans. We’ll admit to having to remind ourselves what those plans are, but there is now progress on the Dame School Garden and on some improvements to the base of the war memorial. We also have a plan to add wild flowers to Mangotsfield Common: we just need to finalise which pot of money is going to pay for it. As you'll have seen in last month's Voice, we have presented a community award to Gill Walding. Gill seems to have adopted the Hut Field, keeping it clear of litter
this would be as the Voice went to print, as the original site now seems clear, but if you are interested in taking part in this or future litter picks, please contact us. We’d love more people to get involved in the community so if you’d like to, or you need any help,
then please get in touch by email at MangotsfieldRA@gmail.com, via the ever-popular Mangotsfield Matters Facebook page or by calling 07507 168700. In the meantime, please stay safe, and look out for one another. Chris Amos
WE BUY COLLECTABLES Gill Walding and cutting back brambles to keep pathways clear and all at her own expense. Thanks, Gill. The next Mangotsfield Litter Pick, organised by our local councillors, was set to take place on Saturday May 22. We weren’t quite sure where
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June, 2021
n A DVERTISING FEATURE
New£7mspecialist STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering andMaths) andCreativeCentreat SGSWISECampusisopen THE new Brunel Centre at SGS College’s WISE Campus in Stoke Gifford is designed with sustainability and wellbeing at heart. The Brunel Centre will be home to a variety of Science, Technology, Engineering, e-Sports and the recently rebranded Bristol Academy of Media (BAM) courses. With high ceilings and exposed timber interior walls, the whole building has been designed to provide a cutting-edge learning environment. Kevin Hamblin, SGS Group CEO, said: “The build will provide increased capacity in the area for the next generation of scientists, technicians, engineers and creatives and inspire them to push harder to achieve their educational goals. Credit must be given to the West of England Combined Authority who had the foresight and confidence to make this investment, as it will provide a world-class environment for another 400 students a year to study at SGS.” A new University Centre, accommodating the relocation of SGS’s undergraduate provision will open in September 2021 at the WISE Campus; creating new spaces for the specialist degree programmes in Business, Management, Sports, Media, Games, Specialist Make-up,
Performing and Theatre Arts. SGS has a reputation for delivering quality innovative degrees in a supportive and flexible learning environment. SGS was placed within the top 10% of all universities for overall student satisfaction in 2020. SGS College welcomes you to attend the
launch of the Brunel Centre and Community Open Event (across all Campuses) on Saturday July 3, 2021, from 10am to 4pm and discover the range of college, undergraduate and adult courses. To reserve your place(s) please refer to the website at sgscol.ac.uk or telephone 0800 0567 253.
Higher Education
SATURDAY 3RD JULY 2021, 10:00 – 16:00 SGS College looks forward to welcoming you back onto all our campuses for our Community Open Event. From Undergraduate, Further Education, Leisure, Professional and Apprenticeships programmes, we have a course to offer you. Whether you are looking for full or part-time study, we have flexible study options to suit all. You will have the opportunity to have a personal guided tour on the Campus of your choice, have the opportunity to get involved with a subject specialist masterclass, or find out more about our courses from our staff and students. We will be giving tours around our campuses, to show you why SGS is the place for you. To reserve your place, please refer to our website at www.sgscol.ac.uk or email info@sgscol.ac.uk
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June, 2021
21
n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC
I relish the chance to make a difference
I
AM delighted to be writing today as the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset. A huge responsibility has been placed on my shoulders and, a week on, I am still incredibly humbled that local people gave me their vote. I absolutely relish the chance to get stuck in and to make a difference in all the villages, parishes, towns and cities across the force area. I thought this would be a good opportunity to let you know a little bit about me and my background; I spent over 30 years as an Army officer and served alongside police across the globe, gaining an understanding of their
role and sharing the risks they faced. As a result, I feel I have a good understanding of service life and the pressures those protecting communities face. Following my military service, I became deputy leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council and also sat on the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Panel, which supported and scrutinised the actions, decisions and performance of PCC Sue Mountstevens. In my role as PCC, I will be focusing on delivering a more efficient and effective police service, and I look forward to explaining in the future how together my office, officers and staff will be reassuring, refocusing
and rebuilding a safer community for Avon and Somerset. This week, I have started to build on my understanding of how the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and Avon and Somerset Police operates, as well as being able to meet numerous policing teams who are based at Express Park in Bridgwater. I want to meet as many officers and staff as possible to understand how I can make their jobs more effective and efficient so you – local people – receive the best police service. Into the summer, I intend to be out and about meeting local people and communities groups to understand your concerns and
with Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford how I can help. If you feel your community group or local service would benefit from me visiting, please do let us by using the general enquiry form on our website www.avonandsomerset-pcc.gov. uk/contact/contact-us
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June, 2021
n LYDE GREEN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
A textile bank for the community
W
E are super excited to have the delivery of our textile bank here at the community centre. This is located outside the centre, to the right of the main entrance on the pedestrian access, towards the centre car park. Everything you donate will mean less clothes end up in landfill, and you will be doing your part in helping the environment, as well as helping raise funds to support Lyde Green Community Association. So if you have any textiles that you need to get rid of, then head down to the centre today: we appreciate your support. As our new website www. lydegreenca.org has been launched we are now able to add more hirer information and more details about each booking to the calendar. Party bookings have also been coming in, so do not miss out on the chance to hire our main hall or meeting rooms for your perfect party venue.
Please visit us online or call the office, where we will help you with your enquiries. We are so excited to have opened back up to the public, so more people can sit inside the community centre. Those visiting Coffee at Lyde are able to now enjoy food and drink inside as well as outside. Orders and information can be found by visiting www.coffeeatlyde.com. As we are able to open again to the general public, we are so glad to see the return of several of our regular hirers, as well as various new classes starting, including Tiny Toes Ballet, V Dance Academy and phonics sessions, to name a few. We look forward to the final stage of the government roadmap, when we can welcome more people into the centre and look forward to a much more positive year. We are excited about the new community garden, a space for the community to come together
to learn, grow and connect at the centre. From a ‘learn-to-grow’ veg patch and seed swap to nature workshops, we can get creative with this space. We’re dreaming up big plans and we’d love to hear your thoughts on the space, what it should look like and what you’d love to see there. We have a very short survey which you can fill in online at surveymonkey.co.uk/r/67TWBZT or access via our Facebook page. Please visit the website to find out more about the Lyde Green Community Association and the
The textile bank at Lyde Green Community Centre Lyde Green Community Centre. Contact can also be made via our Facebook pages @ lydegreencommunityassociation and @LydeGreenCC, by email at info@lydegreenca.org or by calling the office on 0117 957 0410.
n LIBRARY NEWS
Update from Downend, Emersons Green and Staple Hill libraries We are open for browsing, FREE computer use, Wifi and (for a small charge) printing. Click and Collect and Home Library Service is also still available. Call 01454 865022 to find out more. Some libraries are resuming Storytime & Rhyme Times, see www. southglos.gov.uk/librarychanges for more details If you have a baby aged 0 – 12 months pick up a FREE Bookstart Baby Bag by visiting any South Gloucestershire library. We anticipate resuming our Rhyme Time sessions for pre-school children by the end of June. Please email downend.library@southglos.gov.uk for more details. Take part in our FREE book trail and quiz around Emersons Green park. We have a story and quiz for children to follow around the park, with accompanying quiz sheets available from the library.
Foodbank opens its doors
A FOODBANK has reopened its doors for people to collect food for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The Resound Foodbank in Blackhorse Road provides parcels to people in need. The number of people referred for help is still 50% above the level two years ago, and the service is also supporting some schools who are passing on food to families in need. The charity's latest donations list includes tomato based pasta sauce, adult toothbrushes, disposable toothbrushes, toilet rolls, tinned mushrooms and tinned green beans, dog food (wet and dry), Weetabix and Shredded Wheat, macaroni cheese, small bottles of squash and wrapped chocolate biscuit bars such as Penguin or Kit-Kat. Donations can be dropped off on Fridays between 10am and noon. For info call 0117 305 0969.
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June, 2021
emersonsgreenvoice
23
n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR
Thank you for the chance to serve FIRSTLY, thank you. It’s a huge honour to be elected as your Metro Mayor, for this part of the world that I’m proud to call home. And whether you voted for me or not, I’m going to do my best for you and your family. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since election day. The votes were counted up on the Saturday after polling day – and a big thank you to the counting staff who worked so hard to get us a result efficiently and in a covidsecure way. Then the results were announced aboard the SS Great Britain, a magnificent backdrop to take the helm on a new job! On the following Monday, I was officially sworn in as Mayor at Temple Quay and had my first meetings. I’ll be frank, I think we have some catching up to do. Because I’m not sure many people know we have a Metro Mayor at the moment locally, nationally or internationally. I want to change that, and put our area on the map. A woman I met the other day commented that it had been nice to see “from Somerset”
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as a description on my interview on Good Morning Britain. We’re going to have more of that. My job is like Sadiq Khan’s in London and Andy Burnham’s in Manchester. It’s time for Fishponds, Frome Valley or Filton to lead the national conversation! I said during the campaign that my first priority was jobs, and that is why I will be holding a jobs and skills summit in my first 100 days in office. I’m already having conversations with local businesses and education providers about how we can build back better from the pandemic. If you have ideas, do let me know. My politics have always been red and green. We are in the midst of a climate emergency and I plan to bring my knowledge and experience as a former Environment Minister to the table. That’s why later this year I will launch my ‘Green Recovery Plan’. You might have also heard about my plans to make the West of England the bee and pollinator capital of the UK. I know I have a lot of people to meet,
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Metro Mayor
Dan Norris
writes for the Voice
reading to do, budgets to scrutinise and government ministers to challenge. I want to work in a constructive and cooperative way. What matters is that we secure the best for our area. And, just as a final thought, I think my dog might be more popular than me. Angel has also been on TV and got her own hashtag #dansdog – I’ll try not to let it go to her head! This is such an exciting time, but I want to end where I began. For the chance to serve – thank you.
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emersonsgreenvoice
24
June, 2021
n AROUND THE WIs
DOWNEND WI WE are so pleased to welcome back existing members and also lots of new members to Downend WI, we were overwhelmed with such a positive response considering the events of the past year. It has been a challenge as a group to keep things going and organise interesting meetings. We know Zoom isn’t for everyone, and personally I feel lucky to be part of a group who are imaginative and creative, and have so much energy to get things done. Our April meeting was no exception: we were joined by Becky from Bijoux Floral Design, who demonstrated how to make a Floral spring wreath. It was so different from the usual flower arrangements, so refreshing and easy – at least Becky made it look easy! But as we all know, people who are good at what they do make it look so effortless. The base of the wreath was made using moss, as it’s more environmentally-friendly than oasis and also reusable. She used lots of greenery, spring flowers and even flowering bulbs the results were stunning and one lucky member got to win it in the prize draw. For our May meeting we will be having a self-care massage session – sounds very relaxing – and will give us an opportunity to find out how to look after our physical and mental health. As more restrictions are lifted, we are hoping for some good
weather so we can meet outdoors, perhaps a picnic, and subject to the Government guidelines, we could well be back in Christ Church Hall before we know. Anyone interested in joining us, as a member or guest, can contact our president, Julie, at downendwi@yahoo.co.uk for details. We would love to hear from you. Ros, Secretary
than 35 members and six new members have joined us for 2021/22 and are looking forward to our WI experience. If you are not a member but would like to join us, please let me know by emailing carol@applause. co.uk Carol Coombs
BROMLEY HEATH WI MANGOTSFIELD WI OUR April meeting featured a talk by a scene of crime officer. All those of you who have been following ‘Line of Duty’ will immediately know this as a SOCO! She had, early in her career, been one of the pioneers of the use of footprints, in a similar way to fingerprints, which proved a successful tool in determining the identity of suspects and was also involved in the early adoption of DNA technologies. It was a very fascinating and thought-provoking presentation. In May we will be discussing this year’s resolution, which is a call to increase the awareness of the subtle signs of ovarian cancer. In June, after the 21st, we are planning a face-to-face meeting outside. This will be the first time all our members will have had the opportunity to meet up in person for over a year. It is currently in the planning stages, and of course hoping the government roadmap doesn’t change. We are delighted that more
AT our meeting in mid-May we were due to welcome Jessica Gay, the senior community and events fundraiser at Julian House, the Bath-based charity for the homeless, to tell us about their work and the direct support they can provide through their local services and projects. Clearly, they are undertaking very important work – and I promise to tell you more about it in my next article. Meanwhile, I hope to retain your interest by telling you about one of our longest-standing and certainly hardest-working sub groups, none other than BHWI’s very own Allotment Group, who are proud to have been successfully tending and cultivating our allotment for 6 years or more. BHWI rent a plot at the Dial Lane allotment site at the rear of the Co-op car park, and the allotment group members share the joys and labours between them – sad to say not always equally! Liz and Evelyn are by far the most active members of the group, happily out in all winds and weathers weeding the soil, and pruning and transplanting our various fruit bushes and plants. A
truly green-fingered pair, and the back bone of our team. Equally well-intentioned, but generally far less active throughout winter, are Irene, Sarah and yours truly, all of whom are currently growing plants from seeds and will be planting things out over the next few weeks. This year we hope to have a bumper harvest, as last October, and, working on a rota basis, we all spent a few happy hours wheelbarrowing a huge pile of well-rotted manure down onto our plot. Phew – from both a hard work and smell point of view! The remaining but more passive members of our group are all keen gardeners who currently don’t have the free time available to participate fully, but are always keen to hear about our exploits, encourage our efforts and sometimes even enjoy the fruits of our labour. As with everything at BHWI, new recruits to this sub-group are always welcome. Unfortunately, last year’s normal Dial Lane Allotment Group show fell victim to Covid-19, but in previous years we have won many awards in a variety of fruit and veg categories. Watch out other allotmenteers, as next time “we’ll be back”! Notwithstanding the opportunity that Covid-19 has given all of our members to become experienced 'Zoomers', we are delighted to say that Bromley Heath WI anticipate resuming our 'in-person' meetings, at Bromley Heath Junior School, in September. How we are all looking forward to this day – updates will certainly follow. If you would like to give the WI a try, please email us at bromleyheathwi@gmail.com for some further information. Thank you and Stay Safe. Margaret Hanwell
n NEWS
Widow’s cycle ride for hospice
A DOWNEND woman is raising money for the hospice that supported her husband through his final days. Chris Durling was a former Rolls-Royce aero engine design engineer, who died in December of cancer, aged 63. Before his illness, Chris and his wife Janet Blikmans liked to cycle together, locally and on holidays, and Janet is set to ride a 65km circuit from UWE, over the Severn Bridge and through the Wye Valley as part of June's St Peter's Hospice Tour de Bristol event. Janet is determined to raise as much as she can to help the charity, which is the area's
only adult hospice. It urgently needs support after a £2 million funding shortage due to a year of lockdowns forced it to cut beds and jobs. Janet said: "St Peter's Hospice supported Chris and myself throughout his illness and in the hospice, in the last two weeks of Chris's life, with the greatest care, respect
and dignity. It is the most amazing place that needs to keep going to help others." Janet and Chris got married in July, having been together for 20 years, and were able to hold a garden party afterwards. Coronavirus restrictions mean Janet has been unable to hold a proper memorial for Chris, so she now plans to hold one after restrictions are eased on June 21, the week before the cycle ride she has been training hard for. You can support St Peter's hospice via Janet's fundraising page at justgiving.com/ fundraising/janetblikmans.
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June, 2021
25
n LOCAL HISTORY
A history of Rodway Hill House David Blackmore of Mangotsfield Residents' Association looks at the history of one of the area's oldest buildings FOR many centuries there were two manor houses in the village of Mangotsfield: one adjoining our village church and one on Rodway Hill. The first was built some time between 1222 and 1228, for Sir William de Putot, who was High Sheriff of Gloucestershire from 1225-1231 and Mayor of Bristol in 1241. Sir William had been granted the land called 'Chulhenerull' (Charnhill), in the village then known as Manegoddesfelde, in return for a rent of one pair of white gloves. The manor house, built on land made available when the Kings Forest was reduced in size to 4,500 acres, had an adjoining chapel, which later became St James Church. Sir William had no son or heir, so his lands passed to his grandson David Blount of Bitton, and it was the Blounts who built the presentday manor house on Rodway Hill, probably in about 1350. During the 15th century Rodway Hill House belonged to William 'The Wastall', the 2nd Lord Berkeley, who was born in 1426 at Berkeley Castle. A supporter of Edward IV during a revolt by the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick in 1470, when Berkeley died in 1492 he bequeathed Rodway manor house and all of his estates to the crown, having disinherited his younger brother Sir Maurice, for marrying a commoner "of mean blood". The house later returned to the Blounts, the last of whom, Margaret, was related through her mother to Jane Seymour, the mother of Edward VI; the Seymours were from Frampton Cotterell and Bitton. After she died her husband John, Lord Hussey of Sleaford in Lincolnshire, sold both manor houses to Robert Dormer, a Buckinghamshire wool merchant, in July 1515. At that point its estate included 20 houses, 20 farm buildings, a water mill and 500 acres of land.
The coat of arms
Rodway Hill House as it is today, seen from Manor Road The first manor, by the church, was sold by Dormer to Sir Jarrit Smyth of Long Ashton in 1558 and would eventually be acquired in 1846 by St James Church, and demolished to extend its burial ground. Sir Maurice Berkeley never gave up the hope of one day repossessing the estate, and sold off other land to buy the manor from Dormer around 1519-20. But in 1520 Maurice died and the Rodway manor went to his brother Thomas, 5th Lord Berkeley, who moved from Yorkshire to Mangotsfield on being made Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1522, altering and enlarging the manor house to its present size. It appears that the house was previously aligned from north to south, rather than its current east to west alignment, and once had a long, lawned terrace for playing bowls. At the foot of present day Manor Road the remains of the stock ponds for coarse fish such as tench, carp and bream can still be found. Two dovecotes at the rear of the house supplied eggs and meat, and the 'pillows', artificial warrens on the opposite side of the road from the house, were for rabbits, reared for the kitchen table. Thomas rebuilt the Charnell's Mill and constructed the Charnell's Pool by diverting the Charnell's brook. He died at Rodway Hill House in January 1532 and was buried at Mangotsfield church in a funeral described as “an imposing spectacle”, only for his body to be removed three months later to the Abbey Church of St Augustine, now
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Bristol Cathedral. His grandson, Henry, was the last of the Berkeleys to own Rodway Hill House and his profligate lifestyle of “cards, dice, tenys, bowling ally and hawking”, saw him sell a large amount of the Berkeley possessions, including Rodway Hill House, a year before his death in 1612, to Philip Langley for £2,225 (around £500,000 now). Langley owned the rights to the coal fields in Mangotsfield and was an MP, Mayor of Bristol and High Sheriff of Gloucestershire. In 1663 the quarry and colliery owner John Meredith bought the estate and set about enlarging and restoring the house, and laying out a vineyard on the sheltered western slope between the house and the 'Charnells'. Rodway House remained with the Merediths for three generations before it was sold to Charles Bragge, who also owned Cleve Hill in Downend, then to some relatives of the slave trader Edward Colston, who owned it for most of the 18th century, latterly jointly with Lord Middleton, a proprietor of the Coalpit Heath Colliery. During the 19th century the manor was owned by Middleton's heirs until it was bought by the banker Daniel Cave between 1857 and 1859. Various elements of the shield of arms above the front porch can be linked to the Meredith and Berkeley families, as well as the de Clares, who intermarried with the Berkeleys, and the Dormer family, but what appear to be 'bulls' heads' have so far eluded all attempts of identification. Speculation that the shield of
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arms is connected to the Boleyn family is unfounded, and there is no evidence to back up claims that Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour or Catherine Parr made visits. The manor once housed a school attended by WG Grace, who played his first competitive cricket match on Rodway Hill in 1857, aged nine, for his older brother Henry's West Gloucestershire team against a side from Bedminster. WG batted at number 11 and scored 3 not out. In 1922 Sir Charles Henry Cave, his wife Beatrice and their two sons left Rodway Hill House, which had already been bought by Henry Young, a land agent for the Caves who combined farming at Rodway Hill Farm with his auctioneering and estate agency business, Young & Howes. Henry's son Edward Alway Young continued in farming and auctioneering but was also a keen sportsman, and had helped to form the Mangotsfield Football Club at a meeting at the Crown Inn, St James Place in August 1888, when he was elected club chairman and team captain. After Edward died in 1948, Rodway Hill House was sold for an undisclosed sum to an unnamed buyer. The east and west wings were converted into at least two residences and made Grade II Listed buildings in 1953. By this time the rapid expansion of housing in Mangotsfield and Downend meant most, if not all of the surrounding farms and farmland were disappearing, with the Charnhill development covering parts of the Rodway Hill estate and the neighbouring Blackhorse, Oaklands and Barley Close farms sold to developers. For well over 650 years Rodway Hill House had been associated with the village of Mangotsfield but it now resides within the recently-created parish of Emerson's Green.
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n NEWS
June, 2021
E-scooters get new safety features E-SCOOTER operator Voi has put new measures in place to encourage safety and better parking. The company's scooters have been available to rent in Emersons Green since March under a one-year trial scheme and are the only way to legally use an e-scooter on roads. After complaints about anti-social riding and scooters being badly parked on pavements, Voi says it has introduced several changes to its rules. It says an "end of the ride" photo aims to tackle bad parking. Users have to take and upload a picture of their parked e-scooter to show it is upright and not obstructing pedestrians, with riders who fail to park correctly receive a warning in the first instance, followed by a £25 fine. A spokesperson said: "Voi has seen a 70% improvement in good parking behaviour since the introduction of this new feature." Voi has also developed a 'reaction test'
in its app to discourage people from hiring a scooter while drunk, a 'beginner's mode' enabling a maximum speed of 10mph to be placed on the scooter by someone taking their first journey, and a 'helmet selfie' feature awarding loyalty points to users who upload a picture showing they are wearing a helmet. The neighbourhood police team in the area around Emersons Green is prioritising e-scooter related anti-social behaviour over other projects, including its Operation Torque campaign against noisy and speeding motorists. A police spokesperson said the majority, if not all, of recent cases involved privatelyowned scooters, which are currently illegal to use on roads and in public spaces, rather than the officially-sanctioned Voi scooter rental scheme, which requires users to prove they have a driving licence. Police seized three illegally-ridden electric scooters and gave warnings to 13 people in
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the space of a single week in May the Staple Hill area. A recent request under Freedom of Information law found that, across the whole of South Gloucestershire in the three months from February to April there had been 18 reported incidents involving scooters involved in the legal trial scheme compared with 83 relating to privately-owned scooters. In Emersons Green there had been seven complaints and there had been four in Downend, six in Staple Hill and eight in Soundwell. The spokesperson said: "We’ve found residential areas such as Lyde Green and Staple Hill to be the most problematic and where reports involve rental scooters, we are working in partnership with Voi to address the issues. "However, it should be stressed that these reports represent a small minority of e-scooter users, with the vast majority complying with the rules.”
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LOCAL ladies from Vibrocise Studios are going to abseil down the tallest skyscraper in Bristol to raise money for St Peter's Hospice. The charity is close to their hearts since having family and close friends who have been supported by the fantastic hospice. Over the past year at St Peter's Hospice, the need for services and care increased considerably at the same time that delivering care became harder. While their regular fundraising events are on pause and shops have been closed for so much of the year, their fundraising and support is so vital and will care for patients and their loved ones across Bristol during the most difficult of times. Neither Kara nor Linda are particularly fond of heights but believe if you're going to raise money, it's got to be a challenge! Linda quoted Franklin Roosevelt "the only thing to fear is fear itself" If you'd like to sponsor them they have a just giving page; http://www. justgiving.com/fundraising/abseilbristolstallestskyscraper-karapenney
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emersonsgreenvoice
June, 2021
27
n NEWS
Jo says goodbye and thank you The vicar of Christ Church Downend will be retiring at the end of June, after 37 years in full-time ordained ministry and 19 years at Christ Church. Here Rev Jo Vickery looks back over almost two decades of ministry in the community. IT'S been all about life! As I look back over almost two decades of being vicar of Christ Church Downend, that’s what I want to say, and say it with real thankfulness in my heart. The privilege of sharing life with so many people at every stage and age of life has been something I shall treasure, and both Shahne and I want to express our most sincere gratitude not only to the church family but also to the wider community for being agents of change for the good of so many. The way that Downend Voice has carried story after story of courage, creativity, compassion, resilience and hope celebrates these things and is a rare gift for us all; one for which we can be really grateful. Thank you to every member of the Downend Voice team. Along with all kinds of other stories from our locality each month, there have been many from Christ Church which have given a glimpse of the part this church has played in the life of the community, in particular through our engagement with children, young people and families. Partnership with our schools has been incredibly significant, and has grown over the years. We have told stories of how our church-based debt centre, Christians Against Poverty, has worked personally with hundreds
of households to bring invaluable support in the often exhausting journey to becoming debt-free. Beyond our local community we have celebrated, for example, our deepening relationships with a school in one of the poorest areas of South Africa, of a village in Uganda, an arts and crafts project in Tanzania, a home for orphaned children in India and a church community in Moldova. They didn’t have a church building to worship or gather in as a village. Seeing that building being erected and used now, paid for the giving of members of Christ Church as a portion or tithe of their donations to our own building project, has been one of the highlights of our time here. By God’s grace, these partnerships have led to hope-filled lives, both here and all over the world! When I look back at the work that went into the transformation of our Georgian parish church over about eight years, and the generosity that made it possible, I am full of thanksgiving, for now this community has a stunning space which is fit for use in the 21st century. Already it has proved invaluable during the pandemic, as a safe place to gather to worship week by week, and no doubt we shall continue to host concerts, exhibitions, conferences,
community groups and events for families, including that massive bouncy castle, which took my breath away when I first experienced it right there in the centre of the church! Though leaving such a loving and vibrant church community will be full of sadness for Shahne and I, the exciting thing is that the future is in God’s hands. His purposes will continue to be all about life – bringing life to church and community. "I have come", said Jesus, "that
they might have life, and life in all its fullness". (John 10; 10). And he’s not going to change his mind anytime soon! • Harriet Jolly, one of the parents of young children who attends Christ Church, said: "When I first attended a service at Christ Church 10 years ago, I remember meeting Jo, who was so welcoming. "Jo and Shahne are a wonderful couple, reflecting God's love to us all, and have really helped make Christ Church feel like the one big family it is."
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28
June, 2021
n ON THE TREATMENT TABLE
Back on holidays! L
IKE a breath of sea air on a warm summer morning, holidays are back! It’s time to haul those shorts and the swimming gear out of hibernation, dust off the beach towels and get set for some serious R and R. But wait… after more than a year of being cautious, we can’t afford to ruin all that good work. That’s why the powers that be have advised us which countries are considered safe to visit – and we must continue to abide by the rules. In the UK, too, there’s still a list of sensible dos and don’ts that we must follow. As a chiropractor and health professional, it’s part of my job to advise people how to look after themselves, particularly when they’re getting ready for that well-earned break away from the daily grind. So here goes… ON THE MOVE
Remember that there are pitfalls to avoid before you even reach your holiday destination. You shouldn’t be sitting in a car for hours on end without taking a break. For the benefit of both your body and your powers of concentration, it’s best to drive only for a maximum of two hours in one hit. If you’re on a long-haul flight, get up and walk around every two hours – or between films! When it comes to luggage, you should only attempt to lift those heavy bags using your strong legs and clenching your buttocks before you begin. Of course, if you have mobility problems, you can contact the airport or your travel operator in advance to see what help they’re able to offer. How often have you reached your hotel, settled down for a good night’s sleep and wished you’d brought your favourite
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pillow along for the ride? This is a great idea, especially if you suffer with neck problems. Pillows are easy to pack and can also be used as a head rest during the flight. WHEN YOU GET THERE Don’t even think about walking for miles in flip-flops, when you get off the beach put your trainers on! Don’t walk into and around the town in flip flops. This can cause no end of foot, ankle and back problems. Just pack a pair of your most comfortable shoes that you know you can rely on. I’m a serious advocate for the many benefits of vitamin D – an even tan being an important one – but there are sensible precautions to take before throwing down that towel and soaking up the rays. Be careful not to lie on your front with your back arched for too long as this is a common cause of back pain and don’t forget to use natural sun creams from reputable sources – and wear a hat! Carefully study the recommendations for particular skin types, especially if you’re prone to burning easily or suffering from heat rashes and other conditions. ENJOY A PROPER BREAK If you’re a serious exerciser – maybe a three to seven times a week runner or gym nut, all year round – remember that your body will thank you for a week or two
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away from the serious stuff. Why not have a change of routine and get into some swimming, for example? Even professional athletes need to give their bodies a rest, so you should do the same when you’re on holiday. If you’re not into regular exercise but find yourself enjoying a lovely swim or long walk on holiday… don’t stop when you get back home! Hopefully you will have discovered a new healthy routine that you can build into your regular daily life. Extend that holiday feeling by discovering your neighbourhood swimming pool or even braving an open water venue. You could take to the local streets to clock up those 10,000 steps a day – you can still dream of Malta while you’re walking around Mangotsfield!
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June, 2021
29
n SPORT
Carsons and Mangotsfield continue good start
THE good start to the season has continued for Carsons and Mangotsfield Cricket Club. This hasn’t all been down to the pre-season fitness and high levels of attendance at training. A few days before the league season started the club took ownership of covers for the wicket, thanks to the sponsorship of JD Carpentry, SVE Services, Pearce Bros Auto Rentals, First Friends, Obsidian Accountancy, and Lansdown Place Wealth Management. In the first game played at home the second team were at a crucial point when rain came down and, by using the covers, they were able to save the game, which resulted in a home win. The second week of the season, with the first team at home against St George Valley, saw a number of games called off but by protecting the wicket when the rain relented, and some quick maintenance, a 25-over game was started. Carsons and Mangotsfield posted 158/9, with a number of useful contributions with the bat.
First XI line-up and the club's new covers However, the star man was 1st team captain Sam Brayley, who took three wickets in four balls and eventually got a fourth. This enabled the team to win by 50 runs. The second team on the same day played away in appalling conditions at King George V Park, against Coalpit Heath. The home side seemed particularly keen to play and, having lost the toss, were put in to bat. Quickly, thanks to the
SPECTATORS will be allowed back at Mangotsfield United's Cossham Street as coronavirus restrictions are relaxed. With the 2020-21 season scrapped, the Mangos are playing some "end of season friendlies", which have included a 5-2 home win over Thornbury Town on May 8, with goals by Seb Scott (2), Harry Haughton, Owen Humphries and Josh Beadle. This and the away defeat to Bradford Town on May 15 were played behind closed doors. But at the home game against Bitton on May 22, with a 3pm kick-off, spectators were due to be able to attend and watch the game as normal, subject to capacity limits. All spectator facilities were also set to open.
opening bowling of Ollie Catton and Michael Coles, Coalpit Heath were under a lot of pressure at 1-3, before Glyn Flinders finished with remarkable figures of 2-5, as they were bowled out for 47. Carsons and Mangotsfield only lost one wicket in reaching their target, with club newcomer Tom Smurthwaite scoring 30 not out. The Sunday team has also had a great start to the season, winning both league games so far. Their first game saw them win by
Fans to return at Mangotsfield Utd Pre-season friendlies at home to Keynsham Town on July 10 and away to Shepton Mallet on July 17 have also been arranged, but as yet there is no real news on how the Southern League will look when we kick off competitively again in August. Everyone at Cossham Street is pleased for Louis Britton, who scored for Bristol City on his debut against Brentford on May 8. Louis, who is 20, had a spell at Mangotsfield United after signing from Brislington, and came to local prominence when he scored all five goals in a 5-0 win v Cinderford Town three years
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four wickets against Backwell Flax Bourton, thanks to an unbeaten half century from Andy King. In the most recent game, against Blagdon, the star performers were Sam Brayley and Ollie Catton, who both scored 50s. In Under-15 Ollie’s case, this was his maiden 50 in adult cricket. Their efforts saw Carsons and Mangotsfield cruise to a comfortable away win. Ian Coles
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ago. Bristol City snapped him up after he scored further goals for the Mangos, and after loaning him out at several higher-level non-league sides, Louis has finally made it into the City first team. Louis is the son of former Mangotsfield striker Geoff Britton, who played for the club in the 1980s. The club has confirmed on Twitter that the long-awaited repairs to the floodlighting at Cossham Street have now been carried out – that is really good news! Dave Smale
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