Fishponds Voice March 2023

School shows red card to racism

Fishponds to be transformed

Oldbury Court

axed

Residents suffer 25 years of leaks

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Ken McCormick 07715 770377 news@fishpondsvoice.co.uk

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A FISHPONDS woman has been jailed for kicking, swearing and throwing an object at police officers during a riot in Bristol.

Indigo Bond, aged 21, was sentenced to a year and eight months in prison at Bristol Crown Court on February 24, after pleading guilty to a charge of violent disorder.

Avon & Somerset police said footage taken from police officers' body-worn video cameras, CCTV and mobile phones during the riot in March 2021 showed Bond "attacking officers, including by kicking them, as well as using abusive language".

Indigo Bond

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LOCAL INFORMATION

Bristol City Council http://www.bristol.gov.uk

0117 922 2000

Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk

general enquiries: 101

Emergency: 999

Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk

General enquiries: 0117 926 2061

Emergency: 999

COMPLAINTS

NHS 111

Safer Stronger team sscg@southglos.gov.uk

01454 868009

Anti social behaviour team asbreporting@southglos.gov.uk

01454 868582 Streetcare/litter/vandalism etc streetcare@southglos.gov.uk

Environment/trading standards

01454 868001

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

Tel: (freephone) 0808 808 5252

Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the Kingswood Voice, contact the publisher using the details below. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), which holds journalists to a high standard of behaviour. Further details of the complaints process can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.

A spokesperson said: "Evidence was also found of her throwing wood towards police."

Police said Bond, of Victoria Park, had been drinking alcohol on College Green in the hours leading up to the riot, which broke out around Bridewell police station after a 'Kill the Bill' protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill, which was later passed into law. Sentencing judge James Patrick said Bond had been at the forefront and continued to be aggressive throughout the incident.

She is the 31st person to be sentenced following the riot.

Police say that a total of 96 years and four months of prison time has been handed down so far.

Commenting on Bond's case, Detective Superintendent James Riccio said: “The compelling visual evidence gathered against her was collated in a painstaking review of thousands of hours of video footage and has led to today’s sentencing.

“We continue to work with the Crown Prosecution Service ahead of more people appearing in court in the weeks and months ahead.”

A FISHPONDS man who was seen throwing a cigarette butt down a drain has been ordered to pay £850.

Charles Holly, of Gill Avenue in Oldbury Court, was prosecuted by South Gloucestershire Council after its street enforcement officers saw him throw the cigarette in Moravian Road, Kingswood, and handed him a fixed penalty notice.

After he failed to pay the £150 charge, Bristol Magistrates Court ordered him to pay a £220 fine, £542 costs and an £88 victim surcharge for littering in February.

Speedwell woman Alison Godfrey, of Green Croft, was ordered to pay a total of £708 in fines and costs for a similar offence which happened in Regent Street, Kingswood, last June.

Pilates classes in Fishponds

Suitable

Mondays 18:45 & 19:55 at The Life Church

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Cig butt costs man £850

Huge regeneration plan is unveiled

From Page 1

The initial master plan has been published online by the developers, after discussions with Bristol City Council, to ask for residents' views before detailed plans are drawn up.

They say the first company is likely to move out this year but others could stay for up to five, with the redevelopment completed by 2030.

The area has been split into three different sites.

The first to be redeveloped is likely to be the Graphic Packaging International site on the corner of Filwood Road, Enfield Road and Goodneston Road, where 230 people work for the US-owned firm.

The website says: "The company plans to relocate to a new, modern, fit for purpose premises within the wider Bristol region in 2023."

About 260 homes are planned there, mainly houses but also apartment blocks.

On the opposite side of Filwood Road is a site owned by a group called Central Fishponds Ltd, which could see up to 900 homes, including flats, built alongside "flexible employment/ commercial space".

The site is bound by the railway path on one side but the plan mentions new road access via both Filwood Road and Forest Road, which it adjoins near the Briar Way junction.

Kent-based Central Fishponds Ltd, previously named Frontdoor Properties, bought the site in 2019. It includes Filwood House and two industrial chimneys from the former Robinsons packaging factory, which are understood to be nesting sites for birds of prey.

The third site, owned by Sussex-based Castel Ltd, has been earmarked for a "residential-led development, including commercial and public open space". The number of homes planned for the site is not disclosed but it is likely to be the most densely populated. The figure of "245 dwellings per hectare" is given, about four times as many as on the Graphic Packaging site, so it is likely to include flats.

The Castel Ltd site borders Lodge Causeway, the railway

path, Goodneston Road and Filwood Road, and is currently home to businesses including TGS Automotive Group and Total Access scaffolding.

The consultation website can be found at atlasplacefishpondsfuture.com and comments are being invited until March 20. The developers say there will be a further stage of public consultation and engagement later in the spring, with more detail on what is proposed for each site, before separate planning applications are submitted to the council in "late spring/summer".

The developers say: "Before detailed designs for the site are proposed, we want to understand what local people think of Atlas Place and the surrounding area – what’s good, what’s bad and how could it be improved for residents. Your feedback will help us to understand how Atlas Place could be reshaped in a way that is right for Fishponds."

Comments have already been posted ranging from traffic and road access concerns to provision of parks and schools.

The area was included as a likely Central Fishponds brownfield redevelopment site, capable of accommodating 1,500 homes, by the city council in its 2019 local plan review, and is inside the Hillfields ward.

Councillors Ellie King and Craig Cheney called on residents to have their say.

They said: "The area has long been in need of regeneration;

the prospect of bringing affordable housing, improved green spaces, and active travel routes to ‘Central Fishponds’ is very welcome. We will also work to reduce the impact of

The area to be redeveloped, marked in red, with the railway path in green to the north. Fishponds Road (top left), Lodge Causeway (bottom left) and Forest Road (right) are marked in blue

any increased traffic or parking issues that new developments can cause, and will continue to make the case for additional investment in local schools, doctors and dentists."

Average council tax bills up more than £100

THE average council tax bill in Bristol will rise by more than £100, after Bristol City Council finalised its budget for the coming year.

Councillors also confirmed pay-and-display charges for 10 city car parks that are currently free, including Beechwood Road and Stoke View Road in Fishponds.

And garden bin collections are set to go up from £32 to £50 a year, with new charges for replacing black bins, garden waste bins and recycling containers, and taking DIY waste to recycling centres.

Councillors voted to raise the council tax by 4.99%, the maximum amount possible without calling a referendum, adding an extra £94.87 to the median Band D bill.

Final bills also include charges for the region's police and fire services.

The Avon & Somerset police precept for Band D taxpayers is rising by £15 (just under 6%), from £251.20 to £266.20, and

the Avon Fire Authority charge will rise by £5 (6.4%) in Band D, from £77.95 to £82.95.

When the police and fire charges are added to the council tax, the total bill is up by 5.15%£114.87 in Band D.

When new car park charges were revealed last month, there were warnings that they would affect GP patients, shoppers and charity volunteers who use the Beechwood Road car park, next to Fishponds Health Centre.

Both Beechwood Road and, and Stoke View Road, which is off Fishponds Road near the McDonald's drive-thru and Faizan-E-Madina mosque, will have daytime charges of £1 per hour seven days a week from the autumn.

Amendments by the council's Conservative group to abandon the parking and waste charges failed at the budget meeting on February 21.

But four changes to Labour mayor Marvin Rees’s spending plans put forward by other opposition groups were

approved.

Green amendments to develop plans for a 'liveable neighbourhood' scheme in South Bristol and allocate £4million of unspent developer contributions for improvements to parks and streets were agreed.

A Lib Dem request to cut a fund for legal defences of special educational needs and disabilities tribunals and use the money to employ more caseworkers to resolve disputes and speed up children's assessments was also passed, along with a Knowle Community Party move to ensure funding for improvements in Redcatch Park.

At the end of a five-and-ahalf-hour meeting only Labour voted to pass the budget. The Greens - who have the most members in the chamber - and Lib Dems abstained, while the Tories and KCP voted against.

Former Green group leader Heather Mack said: “This budget is flawed, full of unrealistic

savings, and it’s a result of not just inadequate funding from the Tory government but also the costly mistakes of this [Labour] administration – Bristol Energy and the Beacon to name a few."

Tory group leader Mark Weston said the new parking charges would be "catastrophic to communities" and the recycling and DIY waste charges would lead to fly-tipping.

The Lib Dems had also called for waste charges to be scrapped.

Mayor Marvin Rees said the budget was a “considerable achievement” and contained "plenty of hope for the future".

He said: “We’ve protected libraries, children’s centres and parks. We’re supporting vulnerable people by safeguarding our council tax reduction scheme and local crisis prevention fund for the life of this administration."

Meeting report by Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

A DECISION to axe the only bus serving Fishponds' Oldbury Court estate has been condemned as "appalling" by residents and councillors.

Operator First West of England only introduced the 47 in October last year, as a "partial replacement" for the 5, which also served parts of Eastville and Stapleton, and several other services it had decided to cut.

But the company has now announced that the 47 will itself be axed in its latest timetable changes, which will come into force on April 2.

The changes will see more buses introduced on the 48, 48a and 49 routes, which travel on Fishponds Road between the city centre, Emersons Green, Downend and UWE's Frenchay Campus, with First promising a bus every seven to eight minutes between Fishponds and the centre.

Every other 48 will terminate in Downend and every other 49 in Staple Hill, with half of the services going on to Emersons Green.

Some evening services on the

'Appalling' decision to axe Oldbury Court bus service

17 route to Southmead Hospital, Kingswood and Keynsham will be cut back after losing a subsidy from councils made via the West of England Combined Authority - although First has confirmed daytime services will continue, with a "revised timetable to improve punctuality".

First says it is axing the 47, less than six months after it was introduced, due to "low passenger numbers" and says the 48, 48a and 49 are "nearby alternatives".

But resident Lori Streich, who organised a petition and public meeting last year to protest over the axing of the 5, said the service was "very well used" in Oldbury Court and was often full.

Lori said: "It's appalling - having cut one service, the replacement is going, too.

"Stapleton is already cut off,

and removing the 47 will cut Oldbury Court off completely.

"It's a long way from Gill Avenue to Fishponds Road for people who are older, disabled, or with small children."

"First and WECA need to pay attention to this."

Frome Vale ward city councillor Lesley Alexander said: "I am appalled that this service is being withdrawn already.

"It will leave some vulnerable people without the means to get to work, see the doctor and a host of other things.

"I am very disappointed. I will continue to press for this service to be reinstated as soon as possible."

Metro Mayor Dan Norris said the increase in services on Fishponds Road meant residents could “turn up and go”without needing to check a timetable.

A month before announcing it was cutting the route that runs a stone's throw from their school, First took pupils from Frome Vale Academy on a bus tour of Bristol

Across the region £7 million from WECA's Bus Service Improvement Plan, awarded by the government, is being spent to improve commercial services.

n TURNERS VISION

MYOPIA, also known as shortsightedness, is a very common condition where you can clearly see objects that are close to you but ones further away are blurry and distorted. The good news for adults and children with myopia is that it is relatively easily corrected. You can also slow down myopic progression – particularly for children. With so many different solutions it can be difficult to know which corrective option is best for you and your child.

Here are three options you could consider:

1. Ortho-K. I’m a big fan of Ortho-K and was the first practitioner in Bristol to fit these clever contact lenses.They work by putting specially made, ultra-thin contact lenses onto your eyes before you sleep. Overnight, these ingenious lenses gently and gradually reshape your cornea enabling you to clearly see the following day, without need for glasses or contact lenses. They have been shown to reduce progression of myopia by around 40-60%. Suitable for anyone with myopia, Ortho-K can work well for those with a moderate degree of astigmatism, dry eye and active people who find glasses a pain. We have even fitted Ortho-K to young children, however there are factors to consider including how you support your child with applying at night, removing in the morning and carefully cleaning and storing their lenses.

2. MiSight 1 Day contact lenses. MiSight® 1 day contact lenses with ActivControl® Technology are fantastic. They provide clear vision without the hassle of glasses. In children, they also help slow the progression of myopia. So much so the majority of children who use MiSight® 1 day do not need a stronger prescription at their next eye exam. They’re very child-friendly and easy to use, especially important if your child has not worn lenses before. These lenses have a great reputation and are backed with a seven-year clinical trial.

3. MiYOSMART 1 is a glasses lens specifically developed for myopia management. They have a central optical zone surrounded with tiny defocus segments to help slow down myopia progression. A two-year clinical trial proved these lenses can slow development of myopia by on average 60%. They come with an easy-to-wipe special antireflective, durable coating and UV protection as standard. These are a good alternative if your child struggles with contact lenses. If I was asked to pick which of these is the best myopia treatment, I would say it depends on the individual. All three have delivered proven results for our patients and are at the leading edge of what’s available to help people affected by myopia. The main thing is to choose a myopia specialist, like our team at Turners, who you can trust to care for the eyes of those you love. If you have questions about myopia care, our team would be delighted to arrange an initial consultation and advice on the options best suited to your individual needs. Call into our Henleaze or Fishponds practices, or telephone 0117 965 4434 or 0117 962 2474.

A school children are 'proud to attend'

AN INSPECTOR has praised an "inclusive and welcoming" Fishponds primary school that pupils are proud to attend.

Education watchdog Ofsted visited St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Chatsworth Road in December.

Inspector Ben Jordan's report, published in February, found that the school continued to be good in all areas - the third time in a row it has achieved the rating since 2012.

The inspector said: "Pupils are proud to attend this inclusive and welcoming school.

"They are polite and courteous. Pupils treat everyone equally and with respect.

"They talk confidently about the school’s values and Catholic

ethos. Pupils understand how these values help them to be kind, caring and understanding of others."

The inspector said school leaders and staff have "high expectations", both for pupils' behaviour and their educational achievement, particularly children with special educational needs or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language.

Mr Jordan's report said there was a "calm and purposeful environment" at the school, which has 198 pupils aged from four to 11 on its roll.

He said children are

eager to learn and have good relationships with staff.Outside the classroom, the school's range of clubs and opportunities to be members of the school council or chaplaincy team were highlighted, with pupils saying those roles "make the school a better place".

The "well planned and carefully sequenced" maths curriculum was praised, with clear explanations and routine practise of important knowledge.

Teaching of phonics and support for pupils who fall behind helped build a shared love of reading, with pupils reading a wide range of texts,

including books that help "build their knowledge of diversity and inclusion".

The inspector said pupils learn well in "most of the wider curriculum subjects", highlighting work in geography to identify the important knowledge pupils need to learn and making accurate checks to help children develop a strong understanding.

But he said the school needed to ensure the implementation of the curriculum was consistently strong across all subjects, and assessment used more effectively to ascertain what pupils know and establish gaps in children's knowledge.

Head teacher Jocelyn Baker said she was pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate the tireless efforts of staff in providing a good-quality education for the pupils.

She said: "We all get caught up in the daily routines of school and caring for our pupils.

"It is great to have the hard work of the team and their commitment to all of our pupils recognised by Ofsted."

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School pupils after Ofsted gave their school the thumbs-up

New friends group to improve park

A VOLUNTEER group to help care for one of Bristol's biggest parks is officially launching next month - and inviting people to get involved.

The Friends of the Park (Oldbury Court Estate/Vassalls Park) is bringing people together to look after, improve and celebrate the park, which is used by thousands of people from Fishponds and further afield, and has a Grade II listing in English Heritage's Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

The group was born out of a litter-picking drive started by local resident Tommy Trueman in 2021.

As supporters came together they discussed how many things could be improved - and realised having an organised group could help.

Friends groups in other parks such as Eastville Park and Page Park in Staple Hill have been able to apply for grants and funding not available to councils,

and have mobilised volunteers on long-term projects.

The new friends groupwhose name reflects the fact that the park is known both as Vassalls Park and the Oldbury Court Estate - will hold its official launch meeting on Saturday April 1 from 2-3.30pm, at the Vassall Centre in Gill Avenue.

Friends group co-chair and Oldbury Court resident Kate Spreadbury said everyone interested in the park is invited, to talk about what they would like to see improved, and how they can help.

Kate said: "The park has never had a friends group before and because of that, it's been terribly neglected in terms of grants, so we thought we'd give it a go."

"Everyone who uses the park is a friend of the park, from people who have lived by it all their lives to those who have just discovered it.

"The park belongs to everyone and we're creating this together."

The group has already managed to secure some small community grants but once it has been officially constituted it can apply for more substantial funding such as community infrastructure levy grants.

Possible improvements include repairing the path into the park from Goffenton Drive, revamping some of the equipment in the play area, improving wheelchair access and replacing the pavilion which was badly damaged by arsonists in 2020 and is set to be demolished.

Kate said: "We really want to have a centre in the park for nature talks, work parties and sports groups."

Friends' regular litter-picking sessions are held at 1pm on the last Sunday of the month, meeting at the kiosk near the play area.

The group is setting up as a £1.95 million parks investment plan to improve facilities at Vassalls Park and eight others across Bristol is drawn up by the

city council.

The council is promising "significant investment", and cabinet councillor Ellie King said this would include a new play park at Vassalls.

More details are expected to be announced in March.

Plastic-free Ramadan project goes nationwide

A PROJECT led by a Fishponds campaigner to save tonnes of plastic at Ramadan is spreading across the country this month.

Naseem Talukdar, the founder of Projects Against Plastic, worked with seven Bristol mosques last year to find sustainable ways to serve food and drink to worshippers breaking their daylight fast during the month-long religious festival.

PAP works to reduce singleuse plastic waste in the food and hospitality sector, and set up the project after estimating that a typical mosque can use up to 3,000 water bottles and 2,000 plastic plates and cutlery sets during Ramadan, which is expected to begin on March 22 this year.

They installed dishwashers and reusable crockery at mosques, looked at ways to provide access to drinking water and encourage visitors to bring their own bottles, after a pilot in 2019 found a water fountain and

dishwasher reduced waste in one mosque by 70 per cent.

The Plastic Free Ramadan project is now going nationwide, with a launch event held in the House of Lords at the end of January to encourage as many of the UK's estimated 500 mosques as possible to get involved.

Mosques from the South East to the North West have already responded to the campaign, and organisers hope more will join the Bristol pioneers, which include Eastville's Jalabad

Mosque, Faizan-E-Madina in Fishponds, Easton Jamia Masjid and Greenbank Masjid.

Naseem said: “Protecting the environment is an important aspect of Islam and together we can tackle plastic pollution nationwide.

“If everyone gets involved, we could save around a tonne of waste per mosque. This would benefit those communities directly and the country in general.”

PAP worked with Bristol

Muslim Strategic Leadership Group to develop the voluntary scheme, holding events to raise awareness.

BMSLG environmental task group chair Sheila El Dieb said: “Ramadan is a time when Muslims are reconsidering their individual place in the world, along with their responsibility to the planet, each other and our fellow global inhabitants.

“No step is too small to seek to find ecological ways of making our living sustainable; no person is unimportant in this journey.”

Lord Dick Newby OBE, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, hosted the nationwide launch event in Parliament.

He said: “If we are to clean up the environment, we’ve got to drastically reduce the use of plastic.

"Plastic Free Ramadan is showing how this can be done. It deserves every success.”

For more information on PAP visit www.pap.org.uk.

Representatives from Eastville, Fishponds and Totterdown mosques, including Naseem Talukdar, join Lord Newby at the nationwide launch of Plastic Free Ramadan.

Rapist jailed after victim recognised photo

A 'SEXUAL predator' who raped a teenager in Eastville in the 1980s has been jailed after his victim recognised him from a photo.

A court heard Leroy Hall offered the then 17-year-old girl a lift in his car, before he drove her to Eastville and assaulted her.

In 2017 she recognised Hall as her attacker from a picture in a newspaper report about him, and contacted police to tell them what happened to her.

He was jailed for a total of six and a half years at Bristol Crown Court in January, after jury found him guilty of rape, as well as falsely imprisoning and indecently assaulting another woman in the mid-1990s.

The second victim, who was in her 20s at the time, was offered a lift by Hall in Stokes Croft. He drove her around Bristol before indecently assaulting her.

Police said Hall had previous convictions for rape and called on any victims of sexual offenders to come forward, no matter how long ago the attack happened.

In a statement read out before he was sentenced, the woman Hall raped in the late 80s said it still affected her every day.

She said: “When my daughter was growing up, and even as an adult, I have been overprotective with her. I would organise her taxi, and check with her several times that night that she was OK when she went out, even checking she had got into the right taxi.

“I am still angry I have to go through therapy, and I still think about what happened to me every day of my life.

“I want the person who raped me to understand that what he did all those years ago has affected my life and that I will

never be the same person again.”

Hall is now 66 and was living in Chaplin Road, Easton, before he was jailed.

Investigating officer Rog Ibrahim, of Bristol CID, said Hall's crimes were "horrific".

He said: "Leroy Hall demonstrated sexual predatory behaviour by committing these serious offences against a teenager and a young woman, which has had an enormous impact on them both throughout their lives.

“We would like to thank both women for having courage and strength throughout the investigation and crown court trial, as it has led to a serious sexual offender being brought to justice.

“We’d like to assure anyone who wishes to report any sexual offence that they will be believed – it does not matter if it happened 30 minutes ago or 30

years ago, it will be taken very seriously and we can help victims access any support services they may benefit from."

Victims can contact The Bridge, a sexual assault referral centre available all year round, by calling 0117 342 6999 or visiting www.thebridgecanhelp. org.uk.

Leroy Hall

Church feels presence of the Empire

STAR Wars fans, young and not so young, had a treat when some characters from the hit movies visited a Fishponds church.

The visit by members of the the 501st UK Garrison, a group of volunteer re-enactors who visit charity and community events, launched a series of half-term holiday activities at Fishponds Baptist Church in Downend Road.

Dads and Tods group leader Marcus Phillips invited the villains from a galaxy far, far away (or London, Berkshire and Hampshire) to the event, despite pastor Mark Madavan asking: "Why are you inviting the dark side into the church?"

Marcus said: "The Imperial Forces mingled with the crowd and provided the opportunity for some amazing interactions and epic photos.

"They included Darth Vader, a stormtrooper, sandtrooper, snowtrooper, shoretrooper and their support crew.

"They build their costumes

and props to screen level of accuracy.

"Full of coffee, bacon rolls and chocolate, we all trooped out to the front of the church to stop the traffic!"

Marcus had the idea after seeing the group on the Netflix documentary Heroes of the

Empire, which detailed their charity work.

One of the re-enactors, Cris Rogers, is a vicar at All Hallows Church in Bow, East London, and returned to Fishponds the following day, to preach.

The holiday week also included three days of family

Play Café sessions, a games and pancake evening and an All Ages Service in the church on February 19.

For more details of events at the church visit www.fishpondsbaptist.uk.

Thought for the month: Page 26

Members of the 501st UK Garrison outside Fishponds Baptist Church

Tree felling plan rejected

THE owner of a mobile home park next to the River Frome has been refused permission to fell more trees.

Wyldecrest Parks Management Limited asked for permission to fell 26 trees at the Riverside Drive park homes estate, which sits in a wooded area between Oldbury Court, Frenchay and Downend.

But the plans to remove 15 cypress close to the Frome Valley Walkway, and three sycamores and eight cypress trees next to Frenchay Road, drew objections from more than 75 people, with opponents describing the plans as "unnecessary destruction" and "vandalism".

Wyldecrest had felled up to 39 trees last year without permission, and a city council officers' report said further work had been carried out on the site in September and January, in breach of a Tree Preservation Order.

This included a large mound of "fill material" dumped on top of the roots of trees, which had also led to cracks appearing in the retaining wall around the site.

Rejecting the new application, the council said: "Considering the extensive loss of canopy cover that has adversely affected the character and appearance of this part of the Stapleton and Frome Valley Conservation Area due to the works that took place during the summer of 2022, the remaining trees need to be well considered, and pro-active management undertaken to retain these trees until new planting can be undertaken to re-create the wooded valley character of this part of the conservation area.

"The complete removal of these trees is excessive and unnecessary and will cause further damage to the character and appearance of this part of the conservation area."

Wyldecrest, which said it wanted to carry out the works because of the condition of the trees and the "recognised risks of damage" to caravan residents and road users, can appeal the decision.

Bakery shuts its doors

OWNERS of a bakery have blamed the Covid lockdown, spiralling costs and low customer numbers after it closed for the final time.

The Cottage Bakery, on the row of shops in Downend Road next to the Downend and Fishponds boundary, had been open for many years.

But at the end of January owner Tracy Phillpott issued a statement on the company's Facebook page announcing with "heartfelt sadness" that it was closing for good.

The other bakery operated by the business, in Chipping Sodbury, remains open.

In her message to customers she said: "We have been through some of the most turbulent times for small business in recent years, with Covid-19 and now spiralling costs with supplies and utilities.

"We have unfortunately been left with no other choice than to close the shop, due to low customer numbers and running costs exceeding customer sales.

"We are very saddened to have to take these steps, however we are unable to continue to operate the shop at a loss.

"We thank you for your loyalty and support over the years."

Before the lockdown the bakery had weathered a storm when a dispute with a supplier left the business without electricity.

Tracy brought in a generator which stood outside the business for several months while the dispute, which had arisen because of a case of mistaken identity, was resolved.

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School concert returns

A SECONDARY school has staged its first concert since the pandemic - almost three years to the day since the last one.

Around 30 pupils from Bristol Metropolitan Academy were involved as performers and crews as the school welcomed around 200 parents and relatives to the show in February.

Head of music Kama Miller said the show was a great success.

Mr Miller said: "Since February 2020, the stage at Bristol Metropolitan Academy had stood silent, waiting for the return of the incredible talents of the academy's students at one of the fabled music concerts.

"Covid-19 made live music and singing impossible for too long, but now nothing could hold back the return of a night of singing, instrumental mastery, poetry and the sheer joy that only live music can create.

"I'm proud of all the efforts students have put in to put on a night to remember."

Julian runs to help charity

AN adviser who helps people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis is running to raise money for the charity he works for.

Julien Bristow-Goldschmidt, who lives in Fishponds, will run the Great Bristol Run's 10k race in May for Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire.

The charity has seen a tenfold increase in the number of people it is referring to foodbanks because they can’t afford to eat compared to 2019 – up from around six a month to 60 per month - as well as five times as many people with energy debts over the same time period.

Julien works on the national Help To Claim service, and helps five to ten people each day apply for Universal Credit and other benefits.

Julien, who is 32, was born and grew up in the former East German city of Frankfurt an der Oder, moving to Bristol in 2016.

He remembers having to choose between being able to eat at home in the evening or having a school dinner the next day.

He said: “I was born just before Germany reunited. East Germany was the poorest area in Germany and we were really poor growing up - my sister, my brother, my parents.

“I know how it is when you have next to nothing.

“I feel it’s crazy to see how many people are in employment and still have to claim benefits because they are not being paid enough.”

To sponsor Julien visit bit.ly/3Iz4SHF online.

A performer at Bristol Metropolitan Academy school concert

Julien Bristow-Goldschmidt, from Fishponds

'Wellies on' nursery school remains good

INSPECTORS say a nursery in Oldbury Court is still good, after making their first visit for six years.

Ofsted visited Little Hayes Nursery School last November - the first time it had been inspected since 2016, and following recent changes to the regulator's guidelines.

The inspection team said there was no change to their overall judgement as a result of their short visit. But they recommended a longer inspection take place next time, as "the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a (full) graded inspection were carried out now."

Inspectors Julie Carrington and Emma Jelley highlighted the warm relationships that formed between children and staff, the effective routines and "many high-quality resources" set out for children to use, indoors and out.

The report said: "Every day is a ‘wellies on’ day; children are excited and curious to explore outside whatever the weather.

"Staff help children play alongside and with each other, so that they learn how to become friends. "Staff encourage children to try things out for themselves, but they are always there to provide a helping hand."

The inspectors said children learned to be independent, how to listen and take turns and look after themselves, and were safe and well cared-for.

They said staff and parental partnerships are effective, and parents are "very positive about the school".

But they said some children were not taught the depth of knowledge they need in some areas, which holds them back in their learning and development.

The inspectors said interim executive head teacher Jet Davis is "tightening operations to further improve curriculum quality and care practices", adding: "She is explicit in sharing her reasons for leading the necessary changes with staff.

"She has high expectations of what children should learn.

"There have been recent changes to the organisation of the school day. Staff are starting to implement a better balance between child-initiated play, pre-arranged activities and deliberate teaching."

A "substantial" staff training programme to provide all staff with expert subject knowledge has not yet been completed and there are "some weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum", including in maths, the

report said.

Little Hayes is a council-maintained nursery, with 92 children aged two to five on its roll.

In a joint statement on the report, Ms Davis and chair of governors Jill Gettrup said: "The inspectors identified many positive attributes of the school alongside some areas for development.

"They identified our commitment to building relationships that support children and families.

"At Little Hayes Nursery School we are in the process of implementing an ambitious professional development programme for all staff and leaders.

"The Ofsted Inspectors have reported that although leaders and governors have an accurate understanding of the areas for development, implementation is at an early stage.

"Governors will also continue to develop their role in order to provide effective support and challenge to leaders and staff."

They said the nursery school welcomed expressions of interest from anyone interested in joining the governing body, with support and training on offer.

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Sixth formers help young readers to learn

A PRIMARY school is celebrating its link with sixth formers who have been helping young pupils develop a love of reading.

Glenfrome Primary School in Eastville has been welcoming Year 12 and 13 students from Collegiate School in Stapleton, formerly Colston's School, for more than eight years.

They also help children with maths and science and have helped tidy the school grounds.

The sixth formers work with pupils each week to help them practise their reading, and are trained by the school's reading specialist teacher Claire Banham, who said: "The Collegiate sixth formers enjoy volunteering, some of them using the experience as part of the Duke of Edinburgh award. "This means that both primary pupils and the sixth formers gain from working together.

"Our younger pupils enjoy working with the older students who also provide great role models to them.

"The sixth formers are always a pleasure to have around the school. Even during lockdown they wanted to support Glenfrome children by recording themselves reading stories for them to enjoy whilst at home."

Head teacher Inger O'Callaghan said: "At

Children learn on board

CHILDREN from Minerva Primary Academy in Hillfields found out more about Victorian and their impact on the modern world when they visited the SS Great Britain.

The Year 2 pupils took part in workshops, enjoyed dressing up, and had a guided tour of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's famous ship.

They found out about the different conditions on board for rich and poor passengers, and livestock.

Year 2 teachers Slaney Mitchell and Laura McGuinness said: "The interactive nature of the ship meant that the living conditions could be experienced first-hand. Pupils particularly enjoyed dressing in Victorian clothes to take part in a mock launching of the ship.They found out that there were cows, pigs, horses and chickens on the ship, which were used for food, but were very smelly! We gathered lots of knowledge about travel, trade, and industry to help us understand how Victorian inventions impact on our lives today.”

Glenfrome we believe it is vital to develop a love of reading from an early age. It is the key that unlocks the whole of our rich and diverse curriculum. "We teach our children these skills though a variety of ways and part of this means we welcome volunteers from across

the community.

"The sixth formers build good relationships with the children, and they are a brilliant addition to our school.

"Long may this partnership continue!"

Taxi driver helped robber who kidnapped victim

POLICE have appealed for sightings of a "dangerous" offender who skipped bail after being charged with kidnap and robbery.

Guled Aidid, aged 39, has been sentenced in his absence to seven and a half years in prison after being found guilty of robbery, blackmail, possessing criminal property, kidnapping and possessing drugs with intent to supply at Bristol Crown Court in February.

Co-defendant Issa Farah, of Parade Court in Speedwell, was cleared of kidnapping and blackmail charges but convicted of money laundering in relation to the same incident, which happened in March last year.

Avon and Somerset police said a man in his 20s who was visiting Bristol befriended Aidid during a night out.

But Aidid then threatened the victim and demanded money, taking him to a cashpoint in Cabot Circus and ordering him to withdraw £300, which Aidid then stole.

The victim was then taken to a nearby taxi being driven by 37-year-old Farah, who drove

him away.

After more threats, the victim transferred another £300 into Farah’s personal account.

Farah then transferred £250 of the money to Aidid, keeping £50 for himself.

The victim was then dropped off at a taxi stand, fled and contacted police.

For the money laundering offence Farah was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and to pay court fees.

Afterwards PC Craig Gardiner said Aidid had already disappeared from his home address by the time police arrived to put a tag on him, as a condition of his being released on bail by magistrates at his first court appearance.

PC Gardiner said: “The victim has shown immense bravery in coming forward following such a terrifying ordeal, but there will be no sense of justice until Aidid has been apprehended and imprisoned to serve his sentence.

“Aidid is a dangerous individual who is still wanted by police. He has shown no remorse for his actions on the victim, who was a visitor to our city, and has

Wanted: Guled Aidid Driver: Issa Farah

proven himself to be a menacing and threatening man who went to great lengths for money.

“We have carried out a number of enquiries to locate Aidid.

"It is possible he may still be in the UK, but our working hypothesis is that he is abroad and we are working with our international law enforcement partners to find him as a matter of urgency.”

PC Gardiner said Aidid is a Somalian national, about 5ft 8in tall and slim, with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone who sees Aidid or has information on his whereabouts should call 101 and quote the crime reference 5222 072 328.

A volunteer from Collegiate School sixth form with Glenfrome Primary School pupils.

School stands against racism

STAFF and pupils at Bristol Brunel Academy joined in a whole-school event to stand together against racism.

People were encouraged to wear something red on a day of discussions, activities and fundraising for educational charity Show Racism the Red Card in February.

The charity aims to combat racism via role models, in particular footballers, having been inspired by former Newcastle, West Ham and Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Shaka Hislop.

The Speedwell school held pop-up sessions at the start of each lesson, where students could discuss issues around racism, with themed personal, social, health and economic education (PHSE) lessons for every year group across the academy.

Stalls were set up at break times and lunchtimes to give pupils the chance to visit and talk to groups and organisations about racism.

Cake and sweet stalls raised money for the charity, as did a raffle to win vouchers for leisurewear retailer JD Sports.

Associate assistant principal Joshua Sterling, who organised the event, said: "At Bristol Brunel we stand together.

"We pride ourselves on the ongoing work we do with the Halo Code, which protects and allows all students and staff with Afrotextured hair to wear it naturally, as well as working towards our AntiRacist School Award to improve race equality in schools.

"The day allowed our students to show racism the red card, moving us one step closer to a world free from discrimination."

Bristol Brunel Academy pupils and staff show racism the red card

n ADVERTISING FEATURE

St. Mary’s Church, Fishponds celebrates 15 years of Saturday Lunches

FREE lunches for all have been in place, based at St Mary’s Church in Fishponds, Bristol, for over 15 years. Initially held monthly, within a couple of years this became fortnightly. Attendance varied over this period with a decrease in attendance at times partly to the increase in Food Banks within the area.

In September 2021, following an increase in volunteer numbers the service moved to a weekly provision. This saw a Saturday Lunch relaunch; confident it could manage two additional days each month and any increase in attendance.

With increasing costs around purchasing of food and heating there were concerns it could be threatened, at a time when we were aware that such a warm and free space to eat would be required and welcomed by more people. With this in mind, we also wanted to tell more people about Saturday Lunches.

In 2022 we were blessed with funding through the Frome Vale Community grants scheme for the six-month period, October to the end of March this year. With further funding now being made available through the

Quartet Community Foundation, as well as other church charities this will provide for the lunches into 2023.

We thank Fishponds Voice for helping to promote the service further through this article.

We have steadily seen an increase in attendance to around 28 people each week, with the capacity to expand further.

The lunch provision includes soup, rolls with a range of fillings, biscuits,

cakes, tea and coffee provided in a warm place within the Church. Most people want to sit with others, but we also provide food to take away when requested.

We have a Children’s play space in Church which families find useful.

The atmosphere is always upbeat as those who attend enjoy the company of others. And its great to be able to thank all those who have volunteered on the Saturday Lunch Team over 15 years

in Fishponds.

We know that the lunches are important to the people who come. Older people say that it reduces their isolation, as well as providing hot food in a warm safe place, particularly in the winter. Adults living alone in Hostels and supported community accommodation, and occasionally Homeless, welcome most the feeling of inclusion and care – along with the provision of food. For families, the provision of food has always been an important element.

People say from those who attend.

‘It’s been a life saver, having somewhere to go on a Saturday and feeling cared for.’

‘I have made new friends here and now feel less isolated’.

‘Living on your own, particularly having lost your partner can be very lonely, its good to get out’.

‘I enjoy the banter and having a laugh’.

‘It’s a meal that I haven’t had to find the money for’.

Please do come along and meet us, we welcome everyone and would be pleased to meet you.

St Marys Saturday Lunch Team

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Residents suffer 25 years of leaks in flats

RESIDENTS of flats in Fishponds are fed up with water dripping through ceilings and even electrical fittings into their homes - as a result of leaks they say have been getting worse for 25 years.

People living at College Court, off College Road, say building owner Sovereign Housing Association has not treated the issue as urgent.

But with an inquest recently linking mould and damp to the death of a child elsewhere in the country, they something needs to be done to protect small children who live in some of the 78 flats on the estate.

Residents Julia and Terry Gilborson said people in the ground and first floor flats suffered rain water coming through their ceilings from balconies in the flats above.

Julia said: "Some of us have had this problem with rain coming in for over 25 years, but it has gradually got worse.

"Sovereign had a programme three years ago to completely reline and repair the balconies but this has only made matters worse. We are living with buckets and bowls, and some people have no lights because of water pouring through light fittings, in both our kitchens and living rooms.

"Sovereign’s response has been that it’s not urgent but they will look into it in the future. We have had this same response over

the years and are at the end of our tether."

Sovereign says it had previously had two separate surveys done to try and identify the source of the leak but these were unsuccessful as the leaks "appear infrequently and on an irregular basis".

However a visit by "specialist structural engineers and water ingress experts" in February appeared to have made a breakthrough.

A spokesperson said: "Our early assessments told us that the leaks only appear to occur when heavy rainfall is accompanied by strong westerly winds.

"The engineers were able to simulate

these conditions and carry out testing. Early indications suggest that they have now identified a likely source of water ingress.

"We are waiting to receive the formal report from the structural specialists. As soon as we receive this and review the findings in full, we will contact our customers at College Court to let them what our next steps will be.

"Engineers will be returning early next month to continue their work and help us bring this matter to a close."

The spokesperson said they were not aware of reports of damp and mould at the affected homes but would "tackle it straight away" if reported.

A bucket left on top of cupboards to catch water leaking into a flat at College Court

Residents Julia and Terry Gilborson outside the flats

Our small businesses are facing a cliff-edge

MOST of us have felt the impact of astronomical energy costs and rising inflation this past year. Whether that’s putting on an extra jumper to avoid having to turn the heating on, cutting back on your weekly shop, or heading to a ‘warm space’ or food bank because bills have exceeded your means, it’s been a really tough time.

For good reason, the focus has primarily been on helping people to heat their homes.

But small businesses need help too. The early-years class your child attends and the coffee shop you pop into for brunch, or the local pub that serves your favourite cider and the music venue you end up at after that: all are staring over the precipice as April 1 approaches.

Businesses have been shielded to a degree by the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), which capped the unit cost of gas and electricity, covering the difference

between wholesale prices and a “government-supported price” of £211 a MWh for electricity and £75 a MWh for gas.

Come April, however, this is being replaced by a reduced package, which will see bills increase by 70-80%.

Local businesses are facing a cliff-edge of support, and it appears the Chancellor is not only unwilling to use the hand brake, he has his foot down on the accelerator!

I’ve spoken with independent cafés in St George and Fishponds, and heard how larger chains can negotiate lower rates through energy brokers on account of their size and status, whilst those who cannot pay the sky-high fees face disconnection.

It’s unfair - a market skewed in favour of big business.

As Emma McClarkin, Chief Exec of the British Beer and Pub Association, argued: "We need the Government to hold suppliers’

feet to the fire on passing on drops in wholesale energy prices."

If we don’t, more Bristol establishments like Newtown Park Brewery will be forced to halt production.

I’ve also spoken to some Bristol music venues who are protected for the moment by fixed price contracts but will see bills shoot through the roof when they come to an end later this year.

With the grassroots sector sustained by a 0.2% profit margin, this could, tragically, spell permanent closure. Communities lose their cultural institutions, while a generation of aspiring artists are denied a local platform to display their talents and live out their dreams.

It is absolutely essential that energy support for businesses continues beyond the April deadline.

If this could be complimented with measures such as reforms

to business rates, more flexibility over the apprenticeship levy and action to tackle late payments, it could set Britain on its way to being the best place in the world to start a small business.

A fairer approach, rooted in the needs of local communities, is the only way forward.

Kerry McCarthy MP for Bristol East writes for Fishponds Voice

n LOCAL HISTORY

Shining a light on the Windrush generation

FEBRUARY saw the first graduates of a new leadership programme for nurses and midwives who are descendants of the Windrush Generation - men and women from the Caribbean who answered Britain's call for workers after World War II.

The Florence Nightingale Foundation's Shine A Light programme, funded by the Health Education England, provided opportunities for 44 participants from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Meanwhile at Glenside Hospital Museum research has started to celebrate the contribution made to mental health nursing by those from the Commonwealth who joined the hospital staff from the 1950s onwards.

Perhaps the best known was Princess Campbell one of some 5,000 Jamaicans who joined the NHS in the 1960s. She arrived in Bristol in 1962, overcoming prejudice to become the first Black worker at the Wills Tobacco Factory. But Princess wanted to be a nurse, and started her training at Manor Park Hospital.

There was prejudice to found at Glenside Hospital too, where she began her career. "The English nurses would have the easiest jobs; we, the black nurses, would be in the sluice cleaning bedpans and vomit boards," she told the BBC. "You couldn't complain because the ward sister made a report. You had to put up or shut up."

Despite losing out at first to a younger, less experienced white nurse, Princess persevered and became Bristol's first black ward sister, at Glenside, remaining in post until her retirement in 1990.

The 1948 British Nationality Act had conferred citizenship on residents of the colonies, and on 22 June 1948 the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury carrying more than a thousand passengers, 80% of them from the Caribbean.

Two weeks later, on 5 July, Labour's Minister of Health Aneurin Bevan launched the National Health Service at what is now the Trafford Hospital in Davyhulme, Manchester. There was plenty of work to do, with an estimated shortfall of some 35,000 nurses in the fledgling institution.

In 1949 adverts appeared in the colonies encouraging more people to come to Britain to apply for work as auxiliaries and trainee

nurses. Enticed with offers of 3-year contracts, applicants had to be aged 18 to 30, literate, and willing to pay their own way. Thousands of young women from the Caribbean responded. Tens of thousands would follow them over the next decade.

The training they got was not what they expected. Whatever their qualifications, they were put on a two-year course to become a State Enrolled Nurse (SEN) dealing with clinical duties, rather than State Registered Nurse (SRN) course, the higher status route to better wages and management roles.

Interviewed by the University of West London one NHS recruit said no-one ever explained why they could not do the SRN training. "I was sent to a psychiatric hospital in Cheshire, when I really wanted to do general nursing," she said.

It was not uncommon for nurses from the Caribbean to be allocated to mental hospitals, and

many found the going tough as both patients and staff could be forthright in their racism. Some reported being spat at as well as verbally abused.

The new nurses were often exploited, working night shifts and shouldering responsibilities beyond their SEN status. One said "[W]e had to get on with all the drugs, the drips, whatever treatment... but our pay remained the same."

In those days life for all nurses was strictly regimented. Matron was in charge, and woe betide anyone who breached her rules, or whose starched uniform was not up to scratch. Patients were to be addressed formally, without the use of first names.

Male visitors were not permitted in the single sex nurses' homes like The Hollies, in Quarry Road, off Blackberry Hill - now student accommodation. Pregnancy out of wedlock would

mean instant dismissal, and matron would inspect potential marriage partners.

Once nurses married they had to leave hospital work, a rule that did not change until the late 1960s. By then up to 50,000 Jamaican nurses alone were working in the NHS.

"Our Answering the Call project is keen to hear from any former nurses from the Commonwealth with stories to tell about those days," says project co-ordinator Stella Man. "We hope to compile an oral history, and encourage them to engage with our work at the museum."

Stella says anyone wishing to be part of the project can call her on +44 (0)7968 869840, or call in at the Museum on Wednesday mornings and all day on Saturdays.

• https://www.glensidemuseum.org.uk/

• Extended versions of these history columns can be found at www.mikejempson.eu

Christmas at Glenside - where are they now?

Nurses Wellington, Stead, Patterson, Gooding and Winter at Glenside, 1968

Princess Campbell awarded an honorary doctorate by Bristol University in 2014

Princess Campbell at Glenside

Players bring Evita to Bristol

A MUSICAL theatre group founded in Fishponds is preparing to bring another West End blockbuster to the stage.

St Mary's Players will perform Evita at the Redgrave Theatre in Clifton in April.

Featuring a cast of more than 50 people, the show follows SMP's successful return from lockdown with Titanic: The Musical last year.

The group, founded in 1959 by parishioners of St Mary’s Church in Fishponds, now rehearses at the Page Community Association hall in Staple Hill.

The show is based on the true story of Eva Peron’s rise to political power and includes the chart-topping hit Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.

The show runs from April 11-15 and tickets can be booked at tickets.smpmtc.co.uk or by calling 0117 315 7800 on Monday to Friday from 3-5.30pm.

Another warm space

EASTVILLE'S first welcoming space has opened to give somewhere for people to get away from the cold.

Bristol has been building a network of places where people can keep warm, socialise with others and access support for cost-of-living problems over the winter.

More than 90 have been set up in venues including libraries, community centres, churches and mosques.

But until now none had been set up in Eastville.

The Friends of Eastville Park have announced the opening of a "warm and welcome space" at the Nissen Hut on Mondays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm, after being given funding from the Quartet Community Foundation to run the project until May.

A spokesperson for the group said: "The Friends of Eastville Park have worked really hard to transform the Nissen Hut from a derelict and draughty old shed into the warm and clean space that it is today. It is a truly welcoming space which has the added benefit of being right in beautiful Eastville Park, out of the hustle and bustle of city living. We will have the heating on whilst it is still cold, and as the winter eases it’s grip we will see where the project leads.

"Local residents and participants are invited to let us know what you would like to see. We will also be providing free phone charging and a hot soup for those that would like to stay for lunch."

Anyone is welcome to come along for free refreshments and activities, including talks on money and energy saving, crafts, gardening, puzzles, books and games.

People are also welcome to simply come along for a quiet place to sit.

The hut has wheelchair access and an accessible toilet.

The friends are looking for a donation of a working laptop and a lightweight rectangular coffee table for the space.

For more information email Eastvillewelcomespace@gmail.com.

Members of St Mary's Players rehearse for their production of Evita

n THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

Whose plans always come together?

“I LOVE it when a plan comes together” was the classic line you would hear near the end of every episode of the mid-1980’s show The A-Team.

Despite later discovering it was in fact not a reality show, and perhaps a little far-fetched sometimes - well, most of the time - it was still captivating for me as a young teenager (and millions of other people).

For those who have no idea what I am talking about, the show was about four Vietnam veterans who had been framed for a crime they didn't commit, and were on the run from the military police.

Each week they would discover some innocent people facing a bad person’s plan and find their first conflict-resolution attempt resulted in them being captured and imprisoned in a garage or warehouse, which handily happened to contain a broken down car or truck, a load of welding gear and a scrapyard full of junk.

They would then use their hour or so imprisonment to miraculously transform the junk into an armour-plated flying submarine thingy that would enable them to free themselves from their captivity, catch the bad guys and redeem the oppressed.

After this miraculous resolution, their leader, Hannibal, would come out with his catchphrase, everyone would laugh and marvel at his top-rate planning, credits would roll, and we’d wait expectantly for the next episode.

As I have grown up, life has revealed that things don’t always work out like they did in all 97 A-Team episodes.

Bad people are not always stopped, innocent people do not always get freed, cars can rarely be fixed in an hour and spare parts usually need to be orderedand cost more than the car!

But the phrase “I love it when a plan comes together” still triggers something in me.

When something doesn’t quite work out the best it should I wonder: if only I had planned better would the results have been better?

Would my family function better, would my workplace be a better environment, would my finances be more stable, would more people be freed from oppression, would more ‘bad guys’ be stopped, would I have created an armour-plated flying submarine thingy that could save the day? The answer is probably ‘yes’ (apart from the last one).

Planning and working hard on solutions is a good thing to do and I passionately believe the Bible calls us to plan and invest our best for God in everything we do.

However, I also believe there is a greater truth we need to grab hold of tighter.

The Bible's book of Proverbs says to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your

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Mark Madavan Minister, Fishponds Baptist Church

ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight”. Our ultimate success is not down to us - there will always be things we miss, forget or are simply unaware of.

I believe God, however, holds the past, the present and the future in his hands: , He is the One whose “plans always come together!”

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Hugo's hair is a gift to charity

WHEN a Fishponds boy decided it was time to lose his locks, they didn't go to waste.

Hugo Osborne had always had long curly blond hair, until he told mum Emily out of the blue in February that he wanted it cut short.

Emily had already discussed what to do when the day came with the family hairdresser, and eight-year-old Hugo was happy to donate it to The Little Princess Trust, a charity providing wigs made from real hair to children and young people who have lost their own because of cancer treatment or other conditions.

Bristol Rovers fan Hugo was also inspired when players and staff from his team shaved their heads in January, in solidarity with defender Nick Anderton, who is undergoing chemotherapy for bone cancer.

Emily said: "Hugo never liked going to the hairdresser at all and we never forced him to - it was part of his identity.

"It was such gorgeous hair. We had

Evening:

always said that when he made his decision we would look into donating it, as we are aware of how devastating hair loss can be for children and young people."

Hugo, a pupil at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School in Kingswood, had his hair divided into several individual pigtails, each around 12 inches in length, and cut to meet the charity's guidelines at Sage Hair Design in Kingswood, with 10-year-old

Housing Forums for Bristol council tenants –

Monday 20 March, 6–8pm

brother William - who already has short hair - cheering him on.

Hugo has received a certificate thanking him for his gesture.

Emily said: "His hair was so beautiful that knowing it could be made into a wig for another child is so joyful and satisfying.

"Somebody will be really chuffed with a lovely curly blond wig!"

get involved!

Afternoon: Wednesday 22 March, 1–3pm

Your opinions help us make decisions!

If you’re a council tenant, you can have your say on how the housing service is run and make suggestions about improvements. For March 2023, we are hosting online meetings focussing on issues we know matter most to tenants.

● Come along and find out about our rapid repairs response service, which we’ve been piloting across the city over the last 12 months. The team has been carrying out repairs to high and low-rise blocks of flats to improve the look and feel in and around communal areas.

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

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

Hugo Osborne before and after donating his hair

BBC TV experts to host valuation day in Fishponds

On April 13th BBC TV Experts Tim Weeks and Izzie Balmer will be hosting a free valuation day in Fishponds at Bristol Dance Company Studio.

Tim Weeks has been a regular face on Bargain Hunt for 6 years and is well known around the world for his expertise in collectable toys and will be happy to offer advice on diecast cars, model rail, 1970’s & 80’s action figures, Subbuteo, Star Wars figures, games consoles, dolls (including Sindy, Barbie, Sasha, etc.), teddies and more. Tim holds eight two-day auctions every year that attract worldwide bidders!

Izzie Balmer is considered one of the UK's leading jewellery experts and many will know her from her regular appearances on Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt. Izzie holds four specialist auctions for jewellery each year and is inviting entries for forthcoming auctions.

Also in attendance will be vinyl records and music memorabilia specialist Martin Hughes who is regularly cited as an authority on rare and collectable records. Posters, ticket stubs, autographs and tour programmes are always great performers under the hammer and Martin’s specialist auctions have broken many sales records for these items.

Other team members who specialise in watches, coins, military, antiques and other items will also be

on hand to offer advice and consign for auction. The valuation event will run from 10am – 3pm on April 13th at Bristol Dance Company Studio, 4A

Brook Rd, Fishponds (behind the Van Dyck pub). For further information enquiries are welcome via email – enquiries@wessexauctionrooms.co.uk

Izzie Balmer

Tim Weeks

As the damage to nature becomes more visible, saving wildlife has never been more important.

Our plans for a new Bristol Zoo at our 136 acre Wild Place Project site, just 20 minutes from the centre of Bristol, will set the standard for a forward-looking zoo. Home to some of the world’s most threatened species, living in spaces that better reflect their natural habitats, our new zoo will reflect the vital conservation work we do around the world.

We’re a conservation charity and every penny we raise will support our missionWe’re saving wildlife together with the people of Bristol.

Be home to some of the world’s most threatened species

We direct 14 field conservation projects with 31 local partner organisations that conserve and protect some of the world’s most threatened species.

Inspire current and future generations to value and protect wildlife

In 2023 we will engage over 15,000 children through our education sessions. By 2035, we aim to inspire over 90,000 school children and teach 600 higher education students per year.

“I became a trustee of Bristol Zoological Society because I believe its new direction will help tackle the extinction crisis. By focusing on animals that are most in need of conservation, moving to the larger Wild Place Project site, and taking the difficult decision to close Bristol Zoo Gardens, the charity is doing the right thing. It is focusing on how best to save wildlife together – now and into the future.”

Jane Smart, Director of the Global Species Programme International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Earthquake aid

VOLUNTEERS from Fishponds & Downend Rotary Club have been collecting to help victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Members spent two days collecting cash and card donations at Sainsbury's Emersons Green supermarket in February for charity ShelterBox.

The charity is sending aid to the survivors of the disaster, which is believed to have claimed at least 50,000 lives.

ShelterBox sends out boxes packed with a tent that can withstand up to 100mph winds, blankets, mattresses and other essentials.

Rotary treasurer Elaine Fowler said: "People have been very generous.

"So many people have seen what has happened on the television and want to do something - we've given them somewhere they can give something.

"One person even gave £100 via our card reader."

The ShelterBox supplies will be distributed to people who need them by local Rotary volunteers in some of the affected areas.

Anyone who is interested in joining Fishponds & Downend Rotary Club can email daveb@fanddrotary.club for more information.

Row over underground

A ROW has broken out over the future of plans for a Bristol underground.

A secret report to the West of England Combined Authority says a tube train network for the city would cost up to £18 billion - more than four times previous estimates of £4bn.

The revelation came days after Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who is in charge of the region’s transport strategy as head of WECA, categorically said “no” when asked by a BBC presenter whether the city would ever have an underground system.

In response, a spokesperson for Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said his office “totally rejects" the WECA report, and Mr Rees himself accused the combined authority of a "staggering" lack of ambition.

The study by multinational consultants WSP concluded that an overground mass transit network would cost between £1.5bn and £1.8bn, but an underground would set taxpayers back 10 times that amount. The findings have not been made public but have been obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Plans for a mass transit system, with a mix of overground and underground networks, were announced by Mr Rees in 2017. WECA allocated £1.5m in 2020 to pay consultants to look into whether the system was feasible. Mr Rees put links on his blog to two of the studies that were favourable, but the third has never officially been published.

A spokesperson for Mr Rees said the latest cost estimates were the result of a "flawed approach" within WECA.

Mr Rees, who will call on WECA for another £15m to be spent developing mass transit, said: "I remain committed to the mass transit system, including the use of underground in central areas. We created the combined authority to find and build big solutions to transport and regional housing, and it is currently failing on both."

By Adam Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

G gnidiuglrilotsirB& htuoerihsretsecuolGS

with

‘I enjoy it so much.

The girls are lovely and I feel I’m doing something worthwhile. It’s amazing!’ Tayba, leader

Ron Aspbury, Margaret Aspbury and Elaine Fowler collect donations at Sainsbury's in Emersons Green

n GARDENING Gardensand people - come out of hibernation

IT never ceases to amaze me how quickly the months come around, and here we are, in March again.

We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief, not just that winter is over, much as I like the cold bits, but that there is the greatest season of change just around the corner.

As the plants are starting to come out of hibernation, so are we, and with that we need to remember the joy that comes from the simplest social interaction, as we start bumping into people when we’re out and about again.

Each time I’ve walked past my pond recently there has been a flurry of activity as an army (the official collective noun) of frogs all make a dash for cover. This means that in a matter of days there’ll be a pond full of spawn, another seasonal marker.

Over the winter I took the time to clear the yellow flag iris that had been left to its own devices as well. This is a common plant that, when it gets going, will fill the space that it’s given, in our case crowding out the nymphaea that looks so lovely over the summer.

Apart from the work to clear the pond I’ve left the garden to its own devices for the last few months, and the really cold snap has done for many of our plants that can usually take a bit of a beating.

We have a large euphorbia characias that was due for a heavy prune this year anyway but has no foliage left at all. And several grasses look like they’ve taken a turn for the worse.

This, however, is an opportunity, not a loss. A garden is an evolving thing, and something that we need to expect to drastically change; nothing lives forever.

One of the hardest things can be to remove an established plant, but if the vision is there then the act will only be for the better, and you’ll often wonder why it took you so long.

As I sit here enjoying the last of the dark evenings, listening to the radio, I have time to think of the jobs that are ahead of me when I can finally work outside again this month:

• Mulch and hoe or hand-pick weeds, as they’ll be starting to grow with vigour

• Deadhead daffodils as they fade, but leave the foliage to die naturally.

City Gardener with Tim Barton

• Remove netting from ponds left to protect against leaf fall

• Plant roses and to prune established ones before the leaves unfurl

• Sow broad beans, celeriac, leeks, onions, lettuce, spinach, peas, early brassicas, coriander. Why not try something odd? You never know what might happen.

• Divide overgrown perennials

• Give your lawns a first cut - make sure you start on a long setting

• If you’ve cornus (dogwood) or salix (willow) then cut them now, so that you have fresh growth for a good winter display later

• Slugs and snails are going to be on the hunt for food, so keep an eye on fresh young seedlings.

Bike Repairs

Bike Servicing

n FRIENDS OF EASTVILLE PARK

THE keen-eyed park goers among you will have spotted signs of spring popping up here and there in Eastville Park, from the first buds on the trees to the snowdrops in the play area, and greenery preparing for March flowers.

Winter can be a tough time; the dark evenings and chill in the air can leave us feeling drained, but the return of light and flowers in early spring certainly lifts my spirit.

Volunteers to regular social prescribing Parkwork sessions have planted bulbs along the park near Fishponds Road, renovated the tired Old Swimming Pool garden, and picked up some of the litter the less responsible park users leave behind.

Working together and getting outside helps people tackle mental health struggles and, in doing so, creates a welcoming park for all.

We all need a bit of greenery, a break from the city to ease stress, escape the air pollution and calm the mind, so look out for the new trees that have been planted in Everest Road field on your next walk or commute.

The trees were planted through the One Tree Per Child scheme and help build a connection to nature, provide habitat and resilience to a changing climate.

You can find more information on the Bristol City Council website at bit.ly/3xQzYWb.

Many people make their cycle commute through the park to escape the air pollution, especially now the clean air zone has come online.

However, be aware of a spate of bike thefts from around the park area, with the thieves escaping through the park on stolen bikes.

Check your bikes are locked to something secure, even inside a bike shed or garage, register your bike on Bikeregister.com and consider further security, such as CCTV or alarms.

Night patrols have increased, but do pass on any helpful information to Avon and Somerset police.

In happier news, the play area renovations have attracted multiple bids and the council are now busy sorting through contracts.

As soon as we hear more, including the installation dates, we’ll let you know - but it’s great to finally turn the CIL funding bid from five

Springtime signs of hope

years ago into play equipment.

The aim is to make the play area more attractive to older children, aged 8-14, and improve the damaged facilities that are at the end of their usable life.

We’re also in the process of installing more benches to replace ones lost to vandalism and improving the facilities at the bowls pavilion, so more people can enjoy the game.

It’s a great way to meet new friends, get active and enjoy some time on the green. To give lawn bowls a go this spring, contact Eastvillebowls@gmail.com.

The Community Hub (in the Nissen hut) has a vibrant calendar of regular activities planned for 2023, but we’re proud to support the warm spaces initiative, giving people a warm place to

come as the cost-of-living increases.

Our committee was successful in getting a grant to run a warm space for people to enjoy activities over a hot drink and meet with others in the community.

We’re keen to hear from all park users, about ways you would like to see the park improved or to volunteer your time.

We’re particularly looking for people who would like to help produce the 2023 Friends of Eastville Park calendar, so if you’re a keen fundraiser or photographer, or just willing to learn a new skill, please get in touch.

To find out more about Friends of Eastville Park and how you can help, please email friendsofeastvillepark@gmail.com for our latest newsletter. Sarah West

Snowdrops are a welcome sight in the park after a long winter

n PLANNING MATTERS WITH CHRIS GOSLING

How social media amplifies planning rows

THERE'S no denying that social media is a growing part of modern life.

The opportunities to connect people up are immense but the trouble is, algorithms and the overriding need of providers to make a profit have encouraged divisiveness, which can overshadow everything else.

It's something that affects planning as much as any other area of life: in one recent well-publicised case, a leading Conservative politician is facing a libel action for a Facebook post alleging corruption in a local planning application.

Then there was the online rumour that 15 minute cities - the concept of ensuring daily necessities such as work, shopping, education and healthcare can be found within a 15-minute walk or bike ride of any city home - will lead to a “green tyranny”, where we will be prevented from leaving a our own 15 minute zone. This recently brought 2,000 people onto the

streets of Oxford to protest.

In a recent survey of planners in Wales on how social media has affected their working lives, the vast majority said social media has had a negative influence. Perhaps that should not come as a surprise.

Dealing with planning applications is a process that has to be transparent. Every application has a named person dealing with it and every application carries the likelihood of support or objection.

This is, by its nature, polarising. Involving social media can multiply the numbers on both sides. Applicants can use it to drum up community support for a proposal. For objectors it can give them the feeling that they are part of a wider campaign, rather than just responding to a consultation letter.

For the planning officer, it can turn a couple of neighbours' letters into a reading marathon, which gets in the way of their real work.

A campaign on one side can lead to a counter-campaign, with people taking the opportunity to criticise the 'other side's' comments.

Having been involved with a few controversial applications myself, I have seen how simple matters can escalate.

Because it is all so transparent, I have to spend time reassuring clients which of the wild claims are valid and which are not.

While everyone is entitled to their opinion, and this can sometimes include wild flights of fantasy, I can sympathise with the poor planning officers who have to work their way through a bulging file, partly made up of nonsense and wild aspersions.

The classic cases are those who rail against the health effects emanating from telecoms towers, submitting their comments on their mobile phones and failing to see any connection.

Even if the response doesn’t make sense, for engagement to mean anything, everybody must

be entitled to air their opinionleaving people out altogether is no good for anyone.

Love it or loathe it, social media amplifies the things that bother people in modern life.

It does not have to divide everyone into one group or the other, even though people in the middle have less to shout about.

It's up to the companies that run platforms, the regulators and everyone who uses it to decide whether it is our tool or our oppressor.

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Volunteers transform outdoor play space

VOLUNTEERS from Cabot Learning Federation schools joined together to transform a neglected play space for children.

The team fixed rotten raised beds, cut grass and put in plants at the Snowdon Village Nest, a centre for primary school-aged pupils who are struggling with mainstream school due to social, emotional or mental health problems based on the Frome Vale Academy site in Frenchay Road.

Members of the federation's estates and professional services took part in the one-day project which is expected to be the first in a series of CLF volunteer days, where people take a break from Nest centre lead Hope Allen said: "Many of our disadvantaged learners have limited access to outdoor spaces.

"The work that has been carried out by the volunteer team will ensure our children have a safe and inviting outdoor area.

"It will provide opportunities and learning that lots of our children are not able to experience outside of school."

Bristol residents less satisfied with life

A QUALITY of life survey suggests Bristolians are less satisfied now than before the pandemic, with many worrying about inflation and rising bills.

Thousands of people selected at random are surveyed by Bristol City Council for its annual Quality of Life survey, to measure how their experience of local life and public services is changing.

Three quarters of people living in Bristol surveyed in 2019 said they were “satisfied with life” - but the proportion dropped to 62% last year.

Results from the latest survey, which had 3,905 respondents, show people are becoming less healthy and more unsatisfied.

Writing on his blog, Mayor Marvin Rees said: “Results from 2023’s Quality of Life survey highlight the impact the national

cost of living crisis is having on Bristol residents.

"Unfortunately, there are increases in residents’ worries about everyday life and costs. Almost half of participants are extremely worried or moderately worried about keeping their home warm this winter.

“Across Bristol there are many people having to choose between putting food on the table and heating their homes, a choice that no one should have to make in 2023.

"Our city’s advice services are incredibly busy with people asking for help and advice on managing money and debt, and there are so many people concerned with how they will pay their rent or energy bills next month.”

People saying they were 'satisfied with life' dropped from

75% in 2019 to 62% last year, while the number of people who said they had a 'below average mental well-being' increased from 15% to 21%.

Fewer people also get enough exercise each week, dropping from 71% to 64%.

With heating bills rising, 48% of respondents said they worried about keeping their homes warm.

Satisfaction with local bus services dropped from 48% in 2019 to 38% last year.

The number of people satisfied with the cost of their rent or mortgage payments dropped from 59% to 49%.

Analysis of residents living in the most deprived areas of the city showed 62% worried about keeping their homes warm, only 46% said they were satisfied with life and 34% said they had below

average mental well-being, with only 52% saying they get enough exercise each week.

Mr Rees added: “If you are struggling to put food on the table or to pay your energy bills, please reach out.

"You do not need to be in a crisis before asking for support - it’s better to ask the questions and get advice before you get to that point.”

People seeking help with housing, mental health, food, money, jobs, heating bills and other cost of living support can find out information and signposting on the council’s website at bit.ly/3m83yEd.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The volunteers at the Nest

n WHAT’S ON IN OUR AREA

March 1

PILATES - NEW CLASSES

Starting 1st March Tuesdays 9.30 & 10.45am & 12pm Bristol Dance Studio, Fishponds. Wednesdays 9.30am Wellness Centre, Chipping Sodbury

Thursdays 9.30am & 11am The Unitarian Chapel, Frenchay

Small, friendly & warm classes. Beginners, refreshers, a little rusty, Full on enthusiasts or just intrigued Everyone welcome.

Debbie 07771 544549 bristol@mm-pilates.co.uk

Mindful Movements Pilates

March 18

n FREE NORDIC WALKING TASTER, Vassalls Park, 10am. Poles provided. Priority places for people who live locally and cannot afford to sign up for a commercial group. More details at bit. ly/3EC7jrH or from Subitha of Lets Walk Bristol on 07721 711687.

March 21

n MINI EXPLORERS at Hillfields Community Garden, 10-11am, pre-school nature group for children aged 2-4, parents/carers and siblings. Gardening, songs, crafts and activities, with teas, coffees, squash and biscuits. Free - all welcome and no booking needed.

April 1

n FRIENDS OF THE PARK (Oldbury Court Estate/Vassalls Park) official launch meeting.

Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue, 2pm. All welcome.

REGULAR EVENTS

Monday

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

n WELCOME SPACE at Hillfields Library, Summerleaze, Hillfields 12.15-6pm. Open to all, with free hot drinks, food, newspapers and magazines, games, information on support services and after-school homework club. Every Monday until April.

Tuesday

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

Wednesday

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

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

Friday

n EASTVILLE PARK FOODCLUB OPEN

FOR COLLECTIONS, every Friday 121.30pm. To enquire about membership, email eastvilleparkfoodclub@gmail.com or call 07591 748548.

n FRIENDS OF HILLFIELDS LIBRARY Silver Explorers social group for retired people living in Hillfields. Weekly group running until April, 10am-noon. Activities include talks, music, crafts and history. Free tea and coffee. More information at friendsofhillfieldslibrary@gmail. com or friends' Facebook page.

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

Saturday

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

n VOLUNTEER GROUP at Hillfields Community Garden, every third Saturday of the month, 10.30am-noon. Help look after the garden, with activities for children. More details from hillfieldscommunitygarden@gmail.com.

Sunday

n FRIENDS OF THE PARK (Oldbury Court Estate/Vassalls Park) litter pick. Last Sunday of every month - meet at 1pm, at the kiosk by the play park.

Quarry House in Fishponds offers safe and nurturing care

We are now enabling close contact visits in the home, every resident is able to have an essential care giver, and there is no isolation required for new residents from the community. We still have a varied activity schedule which keeps life interesting and happy.

We also ensure:

• Strict Infection Control measures approved by Public Health England are fully implemented

• Care staff wear PPE at all times and we have ensured a high volume of supply

• Skilled nurses are on site 24/7 and respiratory equipment is at hand

• Safe face-to-face visits where possible

n ON THE TREATMENT TABLE Marcus Stewart, MND and a marathon

YES, I could talk the talk…now it was time to walk the walk.

A walking marathon to raise funds for a very worthwhile charity seemed like a great idea at the time but, as the big day moved closer, I began to question my sanity.

In the past, I had always shied away from participating in events of this type. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to raise money for good causes, it was more that I couldn’t face the prospect of letting anyone down.

So what changed my mind? I have previously shared with you the plight of our patient, friend and former Rovers and City striker Marcus Stewart, his diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease and how he plans to raise £100,000 for the Darby Rimmer Foundation, which is raising awareness and funds for research into a cure for MND and support for those it affects.

When Marcus and his wife

Louise told us they were taking part in the marathon-length London Winter Walk, I couldn’t say no.

How could I plead that I don’t have the fitness or endurance to my friend, who would be doing the marathon himself while suffering from MND?

I roped in my wife Jenny and fellow chiropractor Catherine and actually started training in November – then it all stopped in December.

To be fair, the week before the marathon at the end of January, I did a quick 4k.

The ‘preparation’ continued the night before, with a nice meal and a bottle of wine or two in London.

When we arrived at The Oval cricket ground for the start of the event, we met the others – 18 of Marcus and Louise’s nearest and dearest, one dressed as an aubergine!

It was then I realised I was the only person to have done the equivalent of no training.

The first 10k was not too bad and, when we got to the first rest stop, everyone was in buoyant mood, with smiles all around.

The only thing I remember about the next 10k was the sights – Big Ben, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge came and went in a haze.

The lunch break marked the halfway point, and I could feel

myself starting to limp.

We got up after just 20 minutes so we wouldn’t seize up…but it was too late for me. My mind couldn’t comprehend walking away with seizing, painful legs after already completing 21k.

I started to moan, firstly to Jen and Catherine, then to others in Marcus’s group and then simply to strangers. It made me feel a little better!

Finally, after eight hours and 42k, we crossed the finish line.

All the pain and agony was worthwhile, as we discovered the huge effort by everyone involved had raised more than £30,000, the largest sum ever recorded by a single group doing the London Winter Walk.

I’m not saying I would do it again but, in a masochistic sort of way, I think I may have enjoyed the experience. The three of us raised £2,250 towards a wonderful charity.

For anyone who would like to support Marcus and Louise raising money and awareness for MND, a huge charity game is planned at the Memorial Stadium on May 13. There will be some superstars playing!

with Tim Button, Doctor of Chiropractic at Cleve Chiropractic and Next Step in Mangotsfield

My good friend Marcus Stewart and myself

Golden Girl title for Downend's Jasmine

DOWNEND Boxing Club took a team of four to Boras in Sweden to compete in the Golden Girl Championships.

Lacey Holloway, aged 11, Mya Das, 16, Alexa Smith, 18, and 22-year-old Jasmine Poole all put in great performances, with Jasmine winning her class.

Lacey had three contests in the 34k diploma class, beating both Destiny Jackson (Priory Park) and Ebony Issacs (Crewkerne) on points before missing out on a split decision against Fatima Salame (Nova, Sweden).

In the 60k youth class, Alexa stopped Freya Sheppard (Derby) in the second round, before having to withdraw from the

final due to illness.

Mya gave a great performance in defeat to French champion Aya Baadi in the 48k youth class.

Jasmine took gold by beating Ajlina Bucaliu (Majorna, Italy) in the 63k elite class then beating Veronica Greggio (Sweden) on points in the final.

On the same weekend, 17-year-old Arthur Tipping represented a Western Counties team in Guernsey.

In a great contest against local lad Arnie Watson, both guys boxed at a blistering pace, with the points win going to the home boxer.

Straight from Sweden Mya Das travelled to Solihull in the Midlands to contest the National Youth Championships and looked to be pulling ahead in her semi-final contest against Hunter Lambert (Wath upon Dearne) before sustaining a nose

injury in the final round that left the referee with no option other than to stop the contest.

Coach Bradley Smith said: "Mya was so mature in her reaction to the stoppage, realising that these things happen.

"She is keen to box again once the injury has healed."

February also saw 13-year-old Carter Slocombe make his debut at Broad Plain Boys Club in a skills contest.

March will bring a return to competition for 15-year-old Vinnie Bush.

He commences the National Junior Championships on the 5th in Timsbury, where clubmate Riley Catley, 19, seeks to avenge his only defeat to Norton Radstock's Jacob Moon.

The same event will see the competitive debut of Christopher Richardson, 19, when he meets Yeovil's Liam Fouracres. There will be second appearances for Caleb Rees and Issah Zaman in contest skills bouts at Hanham Folk Centre on the 12th.

Craig Turner

The Downend Boxing Club Golden Girls squad