Bishopston Voice July 2023

A phoenix is a key feature of a new mural at Montpelier High School, painted by artist Rory McCann.

Full story: Page 19

Parking zone prices rocket

MASSIVE increases in the cost of permits in Bristol’s Residents’ Parking have been agreed by the council’s cabinet.

Permits for second cars will double in price this summer from £112 to £224, and those for third vehicles will go up from £224 to £560.

In the central parking zone, the cost of permits will leap from £50 to £250. Discounts for low emission vehicles such as electric cars will be scrapped.

The council says it thinks the price rises will

encourage more people in built-up areas to give up their cars.

But Opposition councillors say the immediate impact will be to displace parking issues to residential streets just outside the parking zones as drivers try to avoid the higher charges.

The council will review the whole scheme, introduced a decade ago, in the autumn, giving rise to fears that the zones might be scrapped altogether.

Full story: Page 3

Epic launch for school play area

Alderman Peter Abraham cut the ribbon to launch a play area at Badminton Junior School. It's known as EPIC, an acronym for Explore, Perform, Imagine and Create.

PAGE 17

Flats approved after U-turn

Plans for flats at the former Nailsea Electricals site in Gloucester Road have been approved after a U-turn by councillors.

PAGE 2

Suits you sir: tailor's tales

Ashley Down tailor Tarcisio Paniccia, who's still working at 87, has published a memoir.

PAGE 2

U-turn over apartments near petrol station

DEVELOPERS can build 17 new apartments on Gloucester Road after councillors made a U-turn on their decision to refuse permission. Planning officers warned Bristol City Council would likely lose if the developers appealed the decision, costing taxpayers thousands.

Last month the development control B committee voted to refuse planning permission for the flats on the corner of Gloucester Road and Berkeley Road, due to concerns about road safety and overdevelopment. But the committee has now backtracked, granting permission after all.

The apartments will be built in a converted Methodist chapel, previously home to an electrical shop, with three storeys and some retail space kept on the ground floor. The U-turn was made during a committee meeting on Tuesday, June 13.

Green Councillor Guy Poultney said: “The concern I had was the highway works and that particular spot being an incredibly busy junction on one of the busiest arterial routes in the city, as well as a pedestrian crossing. And then there are two entrances to the petrol station opposite. What would happen to the displaced cars if that on-street parking was to be lost?”

Other concerns expressed during the previous meeting include the impact on

parking. Conservative Cllr Chris Windows said he often drove down Berkeley Road, which was “too busy” for so many new homes to be built. Only one car parking space would have been provided for residents of the new flats, sparking fears of an increase in parking pressures along the road.

Another issue was the petrol station, which councillors were concerned could be affected by drivers parking in front of the entrances. But a council expert said the entrance on Berkeley Road was only used

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twice a week.

Philippa Howson, a transport officer, said: “They are removing some off-street parking, and that makes that footway safer. The movement into the petrol station was tracked — it’s two movements a week. It is one of the widest junctions in our whole city. There would be no grounds for a road safety objection, because everything is manageable within what the approval would lead to.”

Last month the committee resolved to refuse permission, and asked planning officers to come back with reasons for refusal. These have to be carefully worded, in case a developer legally appealed the decision. This month, four councillors were sat on the committee who weren’t there last month, and one councillor who was there last month changed her mind.

Voting in favour of the development were Labour Cllrs Fabian Breckels and Amal Ali; Liberal Democrat Andrew Brown; Conservatives Richard Eddy and Lesley Alexander; and Green Cllrs Guy Poultney, Lorraine Francis and Ani Stafford-Townsend. Voting against was Labour Cllr Katja Hornchen.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Useful numbers

Bristol City Council 0117 922 2000

Citizens Advice Bureau 0844 499 4718

Police

www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk

General enquiries: 101

Emergency: 999 Fire

www.avonfire.gov.uk

General enquiries: 0117 926 2061

Complaints

Emergency: 999

NHS Health

Call 111

Well Aware (health and social care information)

www.wellaware.org.uk

Freephone: 0808 808 5252

We are Bristol helpline

Freephone 0800 694 0184

Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm

Weekends 10am-2pm

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The Nailsea Electricals site in Gloucester Rd

Big increase in parking zone prices

A BATTLE is looming over the future of Bristol’s controversial Residents’ Parking Schemes.

The city council has increased many permit charges and is planning a major review of all 18 zones amid speculation that they could be scrapped after the city’s cabinet member for transport said they were “outdated”.

But residents and green campaigners say the problem is the zones don’t go far enough –and they’ll continue to fight to get them extended.

Green councillor for Redland Martin Fodor told the Voice the new charges will cause more problems in the short term –by pushing parking into areas which are next to an existing RPS, exacerbating problems.

“As soon as a zone starts, the areas next to them have a problem,” he said.

“The minute you are on the edge of a zone you get road safety and parking chaos.

“The income from permits and charges in zones pays for the zone and enforcement within the zone, but outside that, areas are unmanaged and chaotic."

The RPS zones in Montpellier and Redland are said to cause overspill into neighbouring unrestricted parts of Bishopston and St Andrews.

At its northern edge the Redland zone results in increased parking in Westbury Park and Henleaze.

The RPS system was largely credited to Bristol’s first Mayor, George Ferguson, who had a policy of creating more zones from 2013. But in 2016 when Marvin Rees became Mayor he

halted further expansion.

Councillor Fodor says the result is that many neighbourhoods find themselves split, with some streets having controlled parking, and some with a free-for-all.

He wants to see RPS extended further into areas of the city where parking congestion is less of a problem, in order to encourage people to leave their cars behind and take public transport, walk or cycle.

Last month the Bristol City Council Cabinet voted to remove price reductions provided to low emissions vehicles, (currently free below 100g CO2 and half price between 101 and 110g CO2), increase the cost if second permits, from £112 to £224, and third permits from £224 to £560. In the Central Parking Zone, annual permits will rise from £50 to £250.

BCC says the increased charges are projected to bring an additional income of just under half a million pounds a year.

Cabinet member for transport Councillor Don Alexander said he believed higher charges would persuade many owners to ditch their cars.

He told cabinet that the forthcoming major review would gather evidence to see how effective RPS zones actually were.

He said: “We need to know are these working to achieve the outcomes that we want.

“What we do know is that zones encourage short car journeys within them because they allow people to keep their cars, who wouldn’t necessarily

need to keep a car, for rather a cheap cost.

“The growth of development in the city centre creates pressure on the zones as well as discriminating between new residents and old, and traffic levels in the city centre have not been successfully reduced.

“RPZs are an outdated approach and our direction of

travel is liveable neighbourhoods and building homes in sustainable central locations.

“The constant calls for more RPZs without evidence is moving a problem around without a real solution. After almost a decade of the zones being in place it’s important we take the opportunity to re-evaluate the role they play.”

Teacher banned over indecent image

A BRISTOL teacher who viewed an indecent image of a child via Snapchat and then deleted his account to cover his tracks has been banned from the profession for life.

William Nunn, a science teacher at Cotham School, received the photo from someone who had offered to share vile images of youngsters on social media site Reddit.

He later claimed his intention was to “entrap” the person who sent it but he failed to report it to the authorities, deleted the app and kept changing his story to the point that he eventually admitted all allegations.

A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found that Nunn’s conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. He was banned from teaching indefinitely with no review period and cannot apply to re-enter the profession.

The TRA’s report, published on June 9, said the 29-year-old added the individual he saw on Reddit as a friend on Snapchat in August 2020, which the panel believed was in response to a request from Nunn for their username, and the person then sent him an indecent image.

It said the teacher viewed and then immediately deleted both his account and the photo from his phone.

“The panel believed that the discussion between Nunn and the individual who offered to send the indecent image was moved on to Snapchat to utilise a platform that enabled their communications to be deleted without trace, therefore increasing the possibility that he would not be detected and his actions could be concealed,” the report said.“Nunn’s actions were deliberate and calculating in this regard.”

Avon & Somerset Police child protection officers visited the

school on March 24, 2021, and interviewed Nunn under caution at a police station. They seized several of his devices and the teacher was suspended from the school the following day.

In May police told the school they were taking no further action because they could not retrieve the image and there was no other evidence of indecent images on Nunn’s equipment.

Cotham School launched its own investigation and dismissed the teacher in July before referring the matter to the TRA.

The report said: “The panel was in no doubt that Nunn was deliberately dishonest in interviews in an attempt to cover his tracks."

It said the panel considered the teacher’s statement of reflection, explanation and mitigation in which he told them he understood the severity of the allegations and did not wish to excuse them.

“The panel did however note

that Nunn did not appear to demonstrate any concern for the individual in the photograph and appeared more concerned with the impact on himself,” it said.

The case was held in private on May 30 without a full hearing after a request from Nunn who signed a statement of agreed facts and admitted the allegations.

Nunn joined the school in September 2017.

A Cotham School spokesperson said: “We were shocked to learn of this matter and, although it had nothing to do with the school beyond our being this individual’s employer, we acted immediately and decisively in line with our stringent safeguarding procedures as soon as it was brought to our attention by the police.

“We welcome the TRA panel’s decision.”

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Work begins on making Cotham Hill a traffic-free space

CONSTRUCTION work is taking place this summer and autumn on and around Cotham Hill, as part of plans to permanently improve the area for pedestrians, cyclists and businesses.

This work follows on from a successful trial of a pedestrianisation scheme, which saw Cotham Hill close between Whiteladies Gate and Hampton Lane and between Hampton Park and Abbotsford Road, in 2021.

Since then, residents have had more access to walking and cycling, and local hospitality businesses have benefited from outdoor trading.

The permanent changes will:

• make it easier and safer to walk and cycle in the area and encourage active travel

• manage traffic flow and reduce pollution in the area

• support local businesses who will benefit from space for outdoor trading.

Businesses have been asked to remove any structures from Cotham Hill while the works take place. However, for the most part, tables and chairs can continue to be used and the council is waiving pavement licences fees over the construction period.

The programme of work includes:

• improving the pedestrian

crossings

• improving the pavements, including widening and dropping kerbs

• some resurfacing within the pedestrianised areas

• changes to junctions

• new one-ways

• new loading and disabled parking bays

• new cycle stands, benches and bins

• new planters and trees

The £645,000 scheme is being funded by Active Travel England and via the West of England Combined Authority through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement set aside for Liveable Neighbourhood projects in Bristol.

Construction work was due to begin last month and the project should be completed by the end of the year.

Could you become a blood donor?

A BLOOD donor from Montpelier is featured in a national mural as part of a new NHS campaign.

Torkwase Holmes is one of five Black heritage donors honoured in the 20ft work by street artist Dreph at London’s Stockwell Hall of Fame.

The mural was unveiled last month during National Blood Week, in which NHS Blood and Transplant launched an appeal for more donors, particularly those of Black heritage.

While record numbers of people of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage in Bristol are giving blood, more donors are still needed.

The number of regular donors of Black heritage in Bristol reached a record 320 in the year to April while a further 116 gave blood for the first time - also a record. Both figures have doubled since 2017. This year the NHS needs 12,000 new Black heritage donors to meet the

growing demand for ethnically matched blood for sickle cell patients who need regular transfusions to stay alive.

Torkwase, who is 60, said: “The giving of my blood was the most worthwhile thing I have ever done. There is nothing more rewarding than contributing to saving someone’s life, even more so for those in my community suffering with sickle cell and

thalassemia.”

Sickle cell is more prevalent in people of Black heritage and blood from a donor of the same ethnicity provides the best treatment. Because the NHS can’t collect enough some patients need to be treated with the universal O Negative blood type. This is clinically safe but can put them at risk of serious complications and makes it even

harder in the long term to find blood they can receive.

The new campaign encourages ‘Giving Types’people who give in big and little ways, whether that be giving up a seat on a train, for example, or raising money.

Dr Jo Farrar, of NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “It is fantastic that more people of Black heritage than ever before are saving lives by giving blood. But we urgently need more regular Black heritage donors so that sickle cell patients can receive the best treatment.

• Book your first appointment via the GiveBloodNHS app or at www.blood.co.uk.

Torkwase features on the mural

Fundraising campaign for The Old Library

VOLUNTEERS who run the thriving community hub at the Old Library on Muller Road have launched a campaign to raise funds to complete vital repairs.

Work is starting this summer on £84,000 of alterations, including fixing a leaky roof and installing an accessible toilet and fire escape.

The former Eastville Library, which dates from the 1950s, was closed in city council budget cuts – and taken over by locals in a Community Asset Transfer in 2015. Repairs started in 2020 but the builder left the site and work was never completed.

With work about to re-start, volunteers are appealing to local people to dig deep and help raise enough money to preserve the building.

It is home to dozens of community groups, and is used for activities including a repair café, forest school, after school club and part-time community café.

One of the charity directors, Nicky Sweetland, said the small group of volunteers who run The Old Library are determined to get the building back into shape. They have been running a Crowdfunder campaign, and are having a fund raising garden party at the library on Saturday July 8, with three bands, a bar and a barbecue.

Loft Boarding & Insulation

She said: “It’s really busy and appreciated by local people, they really love the community hub and it would be shame if it was lost.

“The hub is there to enrich the community and bring joy into people’s lives. At a time when everyone is struggling, we want to keep it as an affordable space for people.”

The Old Library has some funds for the work, but needs to raise another £50,000. Volunteers hope the work can be finished in time for the autumn.

Kate, who runs the Bristol Umbrella Singers, an inclusive choir that meet severy Friday in the space, said: “The Old Library is a brilliant, welcoming space, but the current facilities just need improving and modernising. There is only one loo and often a queue!”

Nicky Sweetland said “The lack of an accessible toilet has been holding us back for years. We are really hoping that this Crowdfunder will enable us to finally get the facilities that we desperately need.”

The Crowdfunder runs until July 6 here: www.crowdfunder. co.uk/p/olbuild23

More details about the Garden Party and other ways to help are on the Old Library website: http://theoldlibrary. org.uk/

£1m bridge repairs set to start at last

THE 223 year old Kingsweston footbridge will finally be re-opened next year – nine years after it was hit by a lorry and closed for safety reasons.

The iron bridge over Kingsweston Lane should be open again by the end of 2024 after Bristol City Council confirmed it would foot a £1million repair bill.

Campaigners say they are delighted – but there is some criticism from disability groups that the remodelled bridge won’t include wheelchair access.

Janet Poole, who lives nearby and has been a leading campaigner to get the bridge fixed, told the Voice it had taken years of protests to the council.

The Grade II listed bridge, which links Blaise Castle Estate to Kingsweston Fields, was struck by a lorry in 2015.

But Janet says no one got details of the vehicle, so BCC could not claim on the driver’s insurance. Scaffolding was erected to support the bridge –but as this lowered its height, it was struck by vehicles two more times, causing further damage.

She said: “I am pleased it is at last being repaired and will be able to re-open.

“I have spent so much time trying to get Bristol City Council moving on this. I told them if it wasn’t approved I would camp out on College Green in protest!

“Now we have it agreed in the next 24 months work schedule – and I have been told some of the parts are already being made, and it should be open next year.”

“We have already started making bunting to put on it when it opens and we plan to hold an opening ceremony.”

Kingsweston Lane will be closed to all traffic while the bridge is removed and some

iron parts are reworked.

The bridge will be raised by one metre, to prevent future incidents, with stone steps added at either side.

But plans for ramps for wheelchair users and parents with prams and pushchairs were rejected as unsuitable by Historic England, because they would have to be 30 metres long.

David Redgewell, from Bristol Disability Equalities Forum, told last month’s BCC cabinet meeting that this went against accessibility guidance from the Department for Transport.

He said: “We haven’t even been offered an alternative crossing across the road, so there isn’t an alternative route being provided for mobility impairments.

“If we can’t use the bridge, we should at least be able to cross the road safely but that has not been offered either.”

Mayor Marvin Rees said the debate about ramps had held up repairs.

“The choice we ended up facing was to continue in that hold-up with no bridge or to compromise and get a bridge,” he said. “The compromise does mean that there is no ramp, but it was the only way we could get this project completed.”

In a statement to the meeting, Tory councillors John Geater and James Scott (Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston) said they were relieved the long-delayed project had overcome its final hurdle.

Money for the repairs was agreed by the Mayor as part of an agreement for Conservative support for his 2022-23 budget.

Bristol North West Labour MP Darren Jones had joined calls for the bridge to be mended.

Workers inspect the bridge

One of the protests held by local people about the delay to repairs

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n FROM YOUR COUNCILLORS In Redland this month...

Decision to go ahead with flats on former NE site on Berkeley Rd

The planning committee has now twice discussed the proposed redevelopment of the site at 102 Gloucester Rd into 17 flats. It’s been a long process and the application was ‘called in’ by Martin so the planning decision would be made in public by a committee. This allowed statements to be tabled and made in public forum by residents to be taken into account during the discussion. Two residents and Martin spoke at the May committee about various concerns about overdevelopment, parking, overlooking of the library flats, protection of street trees - inc the one sponsored by residentsand the need to avoiding lengthy closure of the busy pavement during construction.

Committee members were very concerned about space standards and overall density of a seventeen flat development, road safety regarding the access for the filling station opposite, and overlooking. They compared it to the current permission already gained in 2020 for nine flats with retail and office included. After a lengthy discussion the committee would not approve the proposal despite a recommendation from officers to accept the plan. They rejected it despite advice from officers that the concerns had to be balanced around the various government policies and none merited full rejection. There was therefore a follow up report to the June committee meeting to review the decision after a ‘cooling off’ period. This allows officers to comment on the grounds for refusal so they can be strong enough to stand up if a planning appeal gets made to challenge rejection. In the event the officers considered the

merit of the committee’s stated objections and still recommended approval be given. The majority of the committee agreed and the application was approved with various conditions.

Parking charges to go up and schemes under question

Higher charges for permits and a review of all the city’s residents’ parking schemes has been agreed by the Labour Cabinet. We have some concerns about this. While permit fees have not gone up for many years the charges are only meant to be paying for the development and management of the schemes themselves. The much higher fees – double for second cars and 2.5 times for third permits seems designed to make money [which was always denied] and any surplus should be spent on alternative transport to help reduce dependence on vehicles. More club cars or better walking and cycling facilities could be useful. But our area is nowhere on the list to follow the long promised pilot and subsequent second low traffic neighbourhood schemes pledged elsewhere.

Higher fees before we know what the review might conclude is worrying as there will be a new committee-led authority in place from next spring and the new cross-party administration might have their own ideas. So far we see no change at all in the Mayor’s attitude to dealing with parking in areas where it’s not managed at present. He says the RPS areas have ‘failed’ but we’ve been shown no evidence – all were reviewed a few years ago and found to have majority support for the way they are managed; it’s areas outside the zones that do have problems! No new schemes are likely in the short term and despite suggestions that

AN appeal has been launched to find more Homes for Refugees in Bristol.

Landlords and the Bristol Resettlement team have provided homes and support to 225 families and single people since 2016 in a partnership that provides benefits for landlords and their newly arrived tenants.

Now new hosts are being urged to come forward and offer properties to enable families newly arrived in Bristol to find suitable accommodation; in return landlords receive peace of mind by renting through the scheme.

Bristol Homes for Refugees is seeing

in unmanaged areas of the ward the corners could be protected with enforceable double yellow lines where they are missing or out of date there’s no work promised to deal with road safety issues and obstructions, although these are sorely needed in some streets. Because of legal requirements they can be costly and no money has been found to put them in place. As a result services often fail to get access to all the streets eg for refuse or recycling.

The spill over effect of people leaving vehicles where there’s free parking is already worrying residents who’ve had no action to deal with road safety and blocked corners by the Mayor for many years. A rumour that the Mayor might decide to remove the parking schemes and leave a freefor-all just before he leaves office is already causing speculation and councillors in affected areas have not been consulted.

Loose chippings

We’ve had several reports of delays in finishing off road maintenance works, what’s called ‘surface dressing.’ The treatment is used to extend the life of road surfaces by embedding small stones into adhesive bitumen. This often gets applied in summer but the result can be dusty unmarked roads, which are both unpleasant and present a real skid risk. The final sweep is only done after the vehicles driving on the road help press the stone into the new surface. Only after this can lines and marking be put back. There appear to be a variety of problems and this includes confusion due to failure to put out temporary ‘no parking’ cones in time and the delays reinstating double yellow lines and cycle tracks until there are many streets

Homes for refugees

landlords who can offer lodgings, a bedsit or small family home and those who have a family home with two or more bedrooms available to rent for two years or more. The scheme encompasses support to those fleeing Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and other global conflicts, under one banner.

Cabinet Councillor Helen Holland, said: “Bristol has a long history of welcoming people from all over the world.

ready for the marking to be put back. We’ve reported this in previous years but despite taking the issues up it’s happened again. This could be due to the inevitable lack of funds. Do let us now if this is a problem in your area and we will try to help chase action.

Weed spraying

We’ve has some concerned residents after weeds were sprayed in their street, including damage to flowers around street trees. We’re trying to get a clear statement from officers about whether or how a street can undertake to manage its own weeds, eg with hoeing, and what can be done to reduce the use of sprays in line with the council’s declared Ecological Emergency commitment to reduce pesticide use in the city.

We’ve been told that if a street is free of weeds then it won’t be sprayed but we are seeking advice on whether a formal op-out can be arranged.

Cotham Hill changes to be made permanent

The street changes on Cotham Hill and some alterations to adjacent streets are to be made permanent. This will affect access to the area and reduce through traffic from Hampton Rd to Whiteladies Rd. Look out for new street priorities, new loading bays and added disabled parking spaces. The details are on the ask Bristol web pages.

Contacts:

Fi: Cllr.fi.hance@bristol.gov.uk. Martin: Cllr.martin.fodor@bristol. gov.uk

Fi: 0117 3534720. Martin 0788 4736101 Facebook.com/cllrmartin.fodor or / cllrfi.hance

“As a proud City of Sanctuary, the people of Bristol have opened their homes to support Ukrainian families fleeing the war, as well as welcoming those who fled Syria in 2012 and the devastation caused by the fall of the Afghan Government in 2021.

“Our Bristol Homes for Refugees scheme is an arrangement which works for both families and landlords, and helps vulnerable people rebuild their lives and find hope again.”

Find out more about the Bristol Homes for Refugees scheme at https://tinyurl. com/3rs6erd5

Tailor's story of a life made to measure

AN 87-year-old tailor who still works five days a week has written a memoir to share his fascinating life story.

Tarcisio Paniccia learned the tailoring trade while growing up in Italy. Since moving to Bristol in 1963 he has run the tailoring business Michael’s Tailoring in Ashley Down, where he still creates bespoke suits for customers today.

His autobiography, A Stitch In Time, tells the story of him growing up in a two-room house in Italy as one of nine children during WWII. The book also covers his move to England, meeting his wife, Patricia, at the Co-op clothing factory in Brislington, and tales of family life with his four children, Richard, Lisa, Daniela and Francesca, plus 10 grandchildren.

The book reveals some of the high-profile clients he has made suits for over the decades,

including England cricketer

Syd Lawrence and Bristol band Massive Attack.

As well as running Michael's

'I can’t imagine I’ll ever stop tailoring, as long as my hand can still thread a needle. I still love doing it every day, even though I’ve done it for 75 years. I’ve got no complaints about my job and, if I had my time over, I’d choose the same career again.'

'When I’m working, my mind is full and I can no longer feel any of the pain in my body. The rest of the time, my legs are hurting, and my hand is hurting from so many years of sewing, but when I’m working I just forget about it.'

Quotes from Tarcisio's life story

Tailoring – he used his middle name for the shop because he didn’t think English people would be able to pronounce

Tarcisio – he also ran Gino’s late-night restaurant on Park Row for several years.

Tarcisio’s children gave him the experience of writing his autobiography as a birthday present. He spent several months talking through his life story with a local ghostwriter, who wrote his memoir ready for publication.

As well as printing copies for his family and friends in England, he had extra copies made to distribute to his relatives still living in Sora, the Italian village in which he grew up and where he still spends every summer.

He said: “I’m very proud that I’ve had the opportunity to put the details from my life in a book.

“The book is filled with lots of stories and memories from my life. I have so many more memories and stories I could write another book!”

Tarcisio and his four children with copies of his memoir

'Cowboy' fly-tippers face tougher penalties

FINES for littering and handing over waste to “cowboy” fly-tippers in Bristol are going up to the maximum allowed by law.

City council leaders approved an increase in fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for dropping rubbish from £100 to £150, with the early payment rising from £65 to £75.

They also agreed to double fines from £200 to £400 for breaches of the “household duty of care”, which requires residents to take reasonable steps to ensure waste produced at home is supplied only to someone authorised to dispose of it.

Cabinet member for climate, ecology, waste and energy Cllr Kye Dudd told a council meeting: “Part of this is sending a clear message about expected behaviour, cleaning the city and taking a robust approach to enforcement.

“Although the cleanliness of the city has improved in many parts, more work still needs to be done, particularly in relation to behaviour change.”

He said the local authority had issued more than 30,000 FPNs since 2017 for environmental offences such as littering, fly-tipping or dog fouling, with 2,500 people

taken to court for non-payment.

Cllr Dudd (Labour, Southmead) said the fines had not been reviewed for four years.

He said: “The household duty of care requirement reduces the chances of waste ending up in the hands of cowboy companies who take £20 off you and then dump it.”

A report to the council’s cabinet on Tuesday, June 6, said: “The cost of environmental crime to the city is high.

“In 2021/22 there were 10,196 reports of fly-tipping to Bristol Waste, each fly-tip therefore costing approximately £50 to remove and enforce, so increasing the penalty rates for certain offences sends a clear message.”

Answering a question from Cllr Martin Fodor (Green, Redland), Cllr Dudd said the council had spent the £220,000 surplus from fines since 2017 on measures to keep streets clean, including removing fly-posting, anti-littering campaigns, equipment to litter-picking groups, clearing graffiti and additional enforcement.

Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said: “I’m pleased about the fines increasing.

“I walked across College Green with my

boy the other day and just the number of piles of picnic bottles, crisp packets from people who have just got up, walked away and left, is beyond belief.

“You’ve enjoyed a public space, that public space is enjoyable because when you got there it looked like a lovely piece of grass with people picnicking, and you leave it a place that people would not want to hang around because it feels filthy, dirty and violated.

“So since the beginning we have talked about how we can have an approach where we need to go out and do better at cleaning up Bristol as a city, but that cannot be done without the city.

“We could spend tens of millions clearing up waste after people but we need a dual approach – we need to collect it better, we need to put the services in place, but we need people to treat Bristol differently, and if we do that then we will get closer to having the quality of city that many of us would want to live in in terms of its cleanliness.”

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Move to cushion city against energy price rises delayed

DELAYS have hit a plan to boost renewable power in Bristol and “take control of the city’s energy supply”.

Rising costs since the war in Ukraine have left council bosses searching for cheaper ways to power public sector buildings, after their energy bills doubled.

Wind turbines and a solar farm in Avonmouth, owned by Bristol City Council, generate about 4.3 megawatts of renewable energy. But with the way the market normally works, this energy is sold to the National Grid, and then later bought back by the council at a higher price.

A new deal, known as “sleeving”, would mean the council effectively using that energy directly, slashing bills for taxpayers. City Hall chiefs would buy the same amount of energy at wholesale prices as was generated by council-owned wind turbines and solar panels.

A small sleeving deal is already in place, powering about a third of the council’s energy supply. The council is trying to set up a much wider deal, which could eventually see local renewable energy generation power other public sector buildings, such as schools and hospitals. This was due to be signed off in September, but has now been pushed back at least a year.

During a cabinet meeting on June 6, Councillor Kye Dudd, cabinet member for climate, said: “The current sleeving arrangement uses the council’s own renewable generation assets — our wind turbines and solar farms — to meet around one third of our current energy demand, using low cost, zero carbon electricity. This has saved an estimated 2,021 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions since August 2022, compared with a conventional supply contract from the National Grid.”

Energy prices have risen dramatically since the war in Ukraine, causing widespread high inflation and the cost of

living crisis, but also hitting local authorities. Bristol City Council’s energy bills doubled from £6.2 million in 2020/21 to £14.5 million in the last financial year. With a sleeving deal, the council would be protected from future energy shocks and sharp increases in prices.

The council’s energy contracts come to an end in September this year. The original plan was to replace these with the broader sleeving deal, but delays have hit the new contract as “technical and commercial details still need to be worked out”. It’s understood that there is a lack of appetite among energy supplier companies to sign up to the deal.

The cabinet has now decided to extend the current contracts by another year, hoping that the new sleeving arrangement will be in place by October 2024.

Cllr Nicola Beech, cabinet member for strategic planning, resilience and floods, said: “It’s not been easy at all to get these things moving in the current market. But the best piece of resilience we can bring to our city is that we’re in control of our energy generation and supply, so we have a closed loop system in the city. That’s essentially what sleeving is doing.

“We’ve just got to ramp up generation across the city and make sure we can power our buildings at a carbon free, low cost option. It’s one of the best interventions we can bring. We have the skills in the city, we have the generation capacity and we have the need. It’s a brilliant incentive but I know it’s been really difficult, we’ve just got to keep going with it.”

The City Leap deal, a renewable energy contract launched this March, will invest in building new wind turbines, solar farms and other generators. Council bosses said City Leap would lead to a massive extra 180 megawatts of renewable energy generation in Bristol.

By Alex Seabrook Local Democracy Reporting Service

Green campaigners demand action over cycle and bus routes

GREEN travel campaigners are calling for changes to construction of the new Ashley Down railway station, amid concerns about the impact on bus and cycle travel.

Building work for the new station, due to be opened in 2024, will result in parts of the Concorde Way cycle route being made narrower. And work to relocate two bus stops is unlikely to happen until after the station is open.

City Council cabinet member for transport Don Alexander said the station construction cannot be held up because related works are not in place.

But Bishopston and Ashley Down Green councillor Emma Edwards is calling for the construction plan to be changed, so all the work can be done as part of the current build.

She’s concerned the Concorde Way cycle route, which is currently closed along this stretch to allow for the station construction, will be narrowed by 90cm where it passes the station. She says delaying widening of the cycle path will cause further disruption and cost at a later date.

She said: “This is a key cycle corridor regularly used by about 1,000 people a day and reducing the width to two metres in places — while significantly increasing the volume of people walking and cycling on it — is bound to cause conflict and problems.

“The administration’s casual dismissal of this leaves me very concerned about their commitment to active travel. Every effort should be made to get it right the first time rather than having to close this busy path all over again for future repairs that will be more expensive and complex to carry out once the

station is complete.”

“I’m pleased the station is progressing but it sems the bus connections and parking have not been worked out fully.”

She has been meeting with local people and says she will continue to lobby WECA and the City Council.

Councillor Alexander said the problem is a very large bank along one side of the cycle path, which the station needs to take up in order to make it accessible.

He said: “There’s absolutely no way we could or would delay the building of this station because of the loss of a small amount of the path.”

He said they were looking at future changes to the bank, to enable the cycle path to be widened later.

“It’s quite expensive and there are some structural things, there are a number of trees and it will need to have a supporting wall.

So it’s not a quick thing. But we’re looking at that now to make sure Concorde Way is the absolute best piece of infrastructure it can be for walkers and cyclists, because we know that it’s very heavily used.”

Councillor Alexander said both the council and WECA were on board with relocating bus stops, but that will happen only after other work on the train station is completed.

He said: “It’s a matter of sequencing: at some point something’s got to happen first, and then something’s got to happen second.”

Christina Biggs, from Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways, said Bristol City Council should work with the West of England Combined Authority to relocate bus stops from the two routes that pass down Muller Road next to the new train station. This would be so people can easily switch from a bus to a train during the same journey.

She said: “We have a rail network that doesn’t cover the whole of the city, but it doesn’t take much thought to realise that if you could coordinate the buses that actually intercept with the railways, then you’ve suddenly extended your network at very little extra cost.”

The new Ashley Down train station is part of the MetroWest 2 project, which will later reopen the Henbury line to passenger trains and build two other new stations: at North Filton by the new arena and in Henbury. These will run regular services to Bristol Temple Meads.

Meanwhile the planned construction of a new train station at Henbury is being delayed because South Gloucestershire Council has not yet granted planning permission.

Call to ban 'high carbon' ads on council-owned sites

CAMPAIGNERS have renewed calls to ban “high carbon” adverts on council-owned sites in Bristol.

Bristol is way off its 2030 target to reach net zero, despite some efforts from the council. A huge part of the council’s plan to tackle climate change is encouraging people to drive less, to reduce carbon emissions.

But car companies and airlines are still allowed to advertise their products on council-owned sites. The council

already bans adverts for alcohol and gambling, and was urged to extend this ban to goods and services that contribute to the climate crisis.

Veronica Wignall, from Adblock Bristol, told the overview and scrutiny management board (OSMB) on June 6: “It’s extremely contradictory to be hearing one thing about the climate emergency and the behaviour change we all need to make, and quite another to be seeing

constant adverts for flights, cars, SUVs, red meat and things we know have to be phased out to limit the effects of climate breakdown.”

Several other councils have now adopted controls on high carbon advertising.”

Responding to the calls, the council said it was evaluating its advertising policy, with help from the University of Bristol, and could consider further restrictions on adverts in future.

In a written statement, a

council officer said: “We are currently continuing our initial evaluation of the council’s Advertising and Sponsorship Policy in partnership with the University of Bristol. Once this is complete and when our internal resourcing levels allow, we plan to review and refresh the policy. At this point, we will consider any further restrictions including the potential for those suggested relating to low carbon.”

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Councillor Emma Edwards visits the site Above, how the station could look

Platforms installed at new rail station

NEW platforms have been installed during round the clock construction work at the new Ashley Down railway station, ready for when it’s due to open next year.

Work on a footbridge and station buildings is due to start soon.

Network Rail says the new platforms were built during a two week construction period in June when work was carried out 24 hours a day, including moving the existing tracks.

The station is part of the West of England Combined Authorityfunded MetroWest programme to re-open rails links in the city, and open seven new stations.

Ashley Down station is in Phase Two of the project. It will eventually see the Henbury line reopened to passenger trains, with two other new stations at North Filton and Henbury. They will run regular services to Temple Meads.

Michael Contopoulos, Network Rail’s project director,

thanked local residents for their patience during the round-theclock construction work.

He said: “We worked 24/7 for 16 days, removing and realigning the track before installing the two new platforms, constructed from pre-fabricated blocks. During this period we also worked on the foundations for the footbridge and lifts that will be installed in follow up shifts later this year.

“As with any project of this

scale, some disturbance is unavoidable, however I’d like to assure residents that we’re doing all we can to keep this to a minimum.”

The station is on the site of the previous Ashley Hill Station, which was closed in 1964. It will have an entrance off the Concorde Way walking and cycling route, where it meets Station Road, and on Station Lane, off Muller Road.

Network Rail said the

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upgrades at Ashley Down followed improvements to the existing rail network in recent years, including the installation of a new, modern signalling system in and around Bristol Temple Meads, the addition of two new railway lines between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood, and the upgrade of Bristol East Junction.

WECA says MetroWest aims to improve capacity and connectivity in the region, giving 80,000 more people access to train services.

City Council Cabinet Member for Transport Don Alexander said the MetroWest project was bringing Bristol’s first new train stations in almost a century.

He said: “Expanding the local rail network through the MetroWest programme will increase both the capacity of the network and the accessibility of our local rail services, as we build towards the mass transit system that Bristolians need and deserve.”

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Championing reading

STUDENTS from Badminton School have achieved success in the National Reading Champions Quiz final.

The school’s team, which comprises Lucy, Arisha, Man Yan Cynthia and Holly, took part in the event at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London organised by the National Literacy Trust.

Almost 2,000 students in 500 teams originally entered the competition, which celebrates fiction.

The Badminton team were placed 6th out of 22 teams from across the UK. They received certificates and a regional trophy.

New playground's truly epic!

A HAPPY celebration took place at Badminton Junior School during their annual summer fete.

The school’s new playground area, which has been named The EPIC Patch, was opened by Alderman Peter Abraham. Peter is Bristol’s longest serving councillor and has been Lord Mayor a record three times.

Peter, pictured, emphasised the importance of play for children and fully approved of the acronym EPIC which stands for Explore, Perform, Imagine and Create. Year 3 and 4 girls also performed their very own EPIC rap in celebration of the opening of the new area. The children and parents were very pleased to have a new, creative and all weather area for adventurous play and to help the girls flourish.

After the official opening, Heidi Welch, head of the junior school, said: “The EPIC Patch provides a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to be imaginative in their play. We want our children to be able to explore, perform, imagine and create through their own ideas - this is a powerful way to help children develop socially

and communicate with each other through play. It is fantastic to know that the children’s voices have been heard in developing the ideas for the project as they played a crucial part in the brainstorming beforehand. We are truly grateful to everyone in the school community, through our Parents’ Association ‘Involved’, who made this project possible.”

Hopes high for pioneering oracy project

FAIRFIELD High School is taking part in the Oracy Project, which aspires to challenge and transform the listening and speaking habits of students throughout the school.

The hope is that encouraging young people to be empathetic, confident and mindful will have wide ranging effects not just inside the classroom, but in every walk of life.

The Oracy Project focuses on individuals’ body language, voice projection, tone and use of language to communicate. It also concentrates on social awareness of others including listening to and considering different opinions.

Three Oracy Champions at Fairfield, representing humanities and languages, have so far attended development days, with a visit from Voice 21, the company supporting this initiative, on the horizon before a trial begins in the school.

Sharon Barnes, Oracy lead and assistant director for modern foreign languages at Fairfield, said: “Within the classroom, I’ve seen first-hand the project’s effectiveness for group tasks.”

Lyra, 10, wins poetry prize

A PUPIL at Stoke Bishop Primary School was a prizer winner in Metro Mayor Dan Norris’s Easter Egg Poem competition.

It was part of a campaign to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the chocolate egg which was first made in the West of England.

Ten-year-old Lyra WealeTonkin impressed with her thoughtful poem titled “The Journey of an Easter Egg” –writing from the perspective of an egg being made and waiting to be bought.

Lyra has received a personalised £25 National Book gift voucher and framed certificate - while her poem was read out loud by the Metro Mayor in front of Lyra’s class.

University chief knighted

PROFESSOR Steve West, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) has been awarded a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2023. Professor Sir Steven West is one of the longest serving UK Vice-Chancellors and is president of Universities UK. He has been recognised for his major contributions to education, health, and business, underpinned by a profound commitment to transforming lives.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted and proud to receive this honour, which also reflects the amazing work we are leading at UWE Bristol.

"I have been at the university in a senior leadership position for over 27 years

and president of Universities UK since 2021. I feel very privileged to have worked with brilliantly talented students, colleagues, collaborators, and boards throughout my career. Together we have achieved transformational change in education, health and business. Together we have been bold enough to face the really difficult issues, to engage and to take

action to create positive change.

“Universities play a critical role in shaping local decisions, improving lives in our communities, and boosting the economy and cultural vibrancy across our country. I am hugely proud that through our education, research and enterprise, we create a huge diversity of jobs and opportunities, positively impact areas of local deprivation, transform local services and empower people from all backgrounds to fulfil their potential.

“I am deeply touched to receive this honour and would like to thank everyone for their support, guidance and influence over the many years, in particular my family and colleagues.”

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Wall of wonder

AN inspirational artwork adorns a former dark wall at Montpelier High School.

It has been created by mural artist Rory McCann, pictured, who incorporated ideas from students at the school in Cheltenham Road.

The artwork includes imagery from the school crest including a phoenix, waterwheel, butterflies and trees and aims to reflect the city, the school values, and the many languages and faiths.

One student said: “The mural captures the sense of belonging at our school.”

To view the story of the creation of the mural, visit the MHS website: https://tinyurl.com/3avrudbv

“The

that she

everyone was above and beyond

we could have expected. All the staff who looked after her were brilliant. Really kind and respectful.”

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n NEWS

Slow progress on efforts to upgrade changing rooms

A PLAN to refurbish “atrocious” changing rooms on the Downs in Bristol is making slow progress due to a shortage of cash.

Toilets and changing facilities on the historic parkland are notorious, with football players frequently complaining about cold, faulty showers.

The Downs are run by a committee of Bristol councillors and members of the Society of Merchant Venturers. Questions were put to the Downs committee on Monday, June 12, about when the refurbishment works might finally begin.

David Redgewell, a transport campaigner, said: “If you compare any other public open space in the South West, the National Trust looks after toilets and cafes; and trusts in Cheltenham work with the borough council to look after amenities and facilities in the parks.

“This is an international site, we’ve got the gorge, we’ve got the bridge, and it’s massive for tourism. But it’s also a big facility for residents of Bristol. It’s shameful, the changing rooms are atrocious.”

Previously football players have claimed the poor condition of the changing rooms, with showers that are often cold, have put many off from continuing to take part in the Downs League.

A refurbishment plan exists, but it’s unclear who will pay for the much-needed works.

Councillor Kye Dudd, cabinet member for climate, said: “It’s been a long-term aspiration of this committee to redevelop or refurbish the changing rooms. I think for the first time, we’re probably in a very good position to begin to get funding together.

“We’ve already drafted a potential refurbishment plan in terms of what it looks like. The challenge is finding the funding to get that plan delivered. We are making progress, but we’re probably at the start line now. We’ve taken years to get there, but we are at the start line with

the changing rooms.”

The Football Association could help with some money for the changing rooms, but won’t be the “anchor funder” and the committee will have to find a large chunk of cash elsewhere. However, the FA could also help pay “several thousand pounds per pitch” per year towards maintaining the 30 football pitches on the Downs.

Patrick Despard, master of the Society of Merchant Venturers, added that a shortage of cash was the main problem. Refurbishing the changing rooms could cost up to £1.5 million.

Mr Despard said: “Finance is the key point here. We all

want to improve the facilities, but we’re talking substantial sums, and the rough cost of refurbishing the changing rooms is between £1 million and £1.5 million.”

A similar issue is the “disgusting and awful” condition of the public toilets at the Sea Walls. A long-held plan to replace the toilet block with a new cafe and smaller toilets was thrown out earlier this year, due to a Victorian law protecting the Downs from development. The committee initially wanted to pay for the building by renting out the proposed new cafe.

Cllr Steve Smith said: “As far as the toilets go at the Sea Walls, the ambition here is that they’re disgusting, they’re awful, they’re shameful and they need to be better. We want those to be better but we’re bound by the Downs Act that prevents us from building on the Downs.

“While we all want things to improve, not everybody shares that view and there are people who will challenge us legally — and if we don’t get it right, they’ll succeed. So we have to do it in a way that’s compatible with the law. Unfortunately that makes it extremely complicated when that law is totally unique and 160 years old.”

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Council exit package costs triple to £3m

THE cost of exit packages for Bristol City Council staff tripled last year to almost £3million, new figures reveal.

A total of 106 employees were paid a combined £2.9million to leave the authority in 2022/23 – a huge 58 per cent rise on the 67 workers who collectively received £1million the year before.

It means the average payout has soared from less than £15,000 in 2021/22 to more than £27,000 last year.

The authority says its succession planning policy has allowed staff to apply to leave and receive a severance payment which has resulted in the overall cost increase, but that it will ultimately save taxpayers money in subsequent years.

The rise comes despite a big drop in the number of compulsory redundancies –there were just eight compared with 46 in the previous 12 months, according to the

local authority’s annual draft statement of accounts.

The number of non-compulsory departures involving exit packages –defined as “the cost to the council of early termination of staff employment before normal retirement age”, which includes voluntary severance and early pensions – rocketed from 21 to 98 employees in 2022/23.

The highest two payouts were £88,000 and £66,000, although the recipients are not named in the accounts. These were in addition to £62,317 given to Bristol Waste managing director Tony Lawless and £65,155 to finance director Adam Henshaw in July 2022 as “compensation for loss of office”.

Forty of the 106 payments were worth up to £20,000, 35 were between £20,001 and £40,000, 29 from £40,001 to £60,000 and one each in the next two bands.

A note in the papers said: “The numbers and costs include packages agreed at the end of the year but not paid.

“Costs include the costs of early payment of pension in the cases of early retirement.”

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “In line with the council’s corporate strategy as approved by full council, the local authority has been making savings over the last couple of years.

“The succession planning policy put in place to enable voluntary redundancies, allowing employees to apply to leave subject to approval and receive a severance payment, has resulted in an increase in the total number and cost of exit packages in 2022/23. This provides a recurring saving within the budget in subsequent years, saving taxpayers’ money.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The "shameful" changing rooms on the Downs

DEVELOPERS behind a controversial retirement village in Westbury Park have launched a blistering attack on city planning officers.

They claim a council report recommending refusal of the scheme is “inaccurate, unbalanced, and unfair”.

Residents who oppose the plan say they are surprised by the outburst, and say the developers are “throwing their toys out of the pram”.

The application to build 116 homes on the former St Christopher’s school site was due before city planning committee on May 31, and was expected to be refused after a highly critical planning officers' report. But it was pulled days before by the developers, and is now due before the committee later in the summer.

Now the developers, investment firm Fore, in partnership with developer Socius, and care provider Amicala have issued a sevenpage “rebuttal” in response to the committee report (CR).

In it they say: “The applicant must raise and put on record their very strong concerns regarding the CR. These concerns relate to matters of fact, missing information and analysis, misleading comments, and an overall failure to provide a balanced review of the application.”

The 75-page planning report said the scheme should be rejected because of the design and scale of some proposed five-storey blocks which would “crowd and overbear”.

It also warned about the impact on local traffic and parking, and the detrimental effect on the green environment including the loss of 38 trees, and it questioned the claimed eco design.

Fore claims the CR presents “a one-sided summary of the perceived harms of the scheme only, and fails to consider properly and robustly the very clear public benefits”.

“It is worrying, deeply frustrating, and fundamentally unfair that so many of the public benefits of the scheme are ignored.”

It says the planners' report only includes two sentences about the scheme’s public benefits.

“We therefore conclude that

Developers hit out over 'unfair, misleading' report

the CR is flawed and misleading and strongly urge officers to provide a full and proper assessment of the benefits in their Amendment Sheet to the committee.”

It also says the planning report’s conclusions regarding the preserving the heritage of the site is “based on a flawed, unbalanced analysis. And Fore says conclusions regarding the scale and density of the new buildings, suggestions buildings could over heat, and querying sustainability are all “flawed”.

“We have set out strong rebuttals to each of these grounds for refusal and we will be respectfully asking that committee members approve the proposals and allow this derelict site to be brough back to life, for the benefit of our elderly citizens and indeed the wider Bristol community."

Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner of FORE Partnership, said in a statement that the developers had asked for the decision to be delayed “to allow officers more time to review their report in light of our feedback”.

“We have worked hard on this scheme for two years, and while a delay is not in our interest, it would have been a disservice to the merits of the scheme and the many individuals, organisations and associates who have supported us to this point, had we gone ahead.

“We’ll continue to work closely with Bristol City Council during this period, while we await the outcome of our application to be determined.”

At the time of going to press the council had not responded to a request for comment.

But Richard Eddy, chairman of the Development Control ‘A’ Committee, said: “Determination of the St Christopher’s School planning application was postponed … since the applicant strongly felt that aspects of the scheme’s evaluation were deficient without further clarification.

“The Planning Officers were convinced this was not the case. It was deemed that a short ‘breathing-space’ whilst these matters were looked at again was desirable.”

A spokesperson for residents’ campaign group St Christopher’s Action Network (SCAN) said they hoped the council officers would stick to their original findings.

“It looks like the developers are throwing their toys out of the pram!

“They just don’t want to accept the council’s recommendations. But no amount of delay tactics are going to change the reality that this proposal is truly horrendous.

“Across the board there

is very little support for this scheme. Countless council departments, from the conservation officer to the nature officer, all agree it’s completely inappropriate.

“It’s hard to see any real merit in it - the 1300 people who objected certainly don’tneither do respected bodies like Historic England or the Civic Society! We trust the expertise and experience of our planning officers to do the right thing for the city of Bristol and continue to recommend refusal. Sadly, this deliberate delay is only causing more stress and anxiety for people living nearby - many of whom are elderly.”

Dial 159 for cyber aid College's 'positive learning environment' is praised

INSPECTORS have praised the "positive learning environment" and inclusiveness of St Brendan’s Sixth Form College.

A team of eight inspectors from the education regulator visited the college over four days in March.

Their report, published at the end of May, found the Catholic college in Brislington, which takes students of all faiths and none from across the city, to be good in all areas: quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; leadership and management; education programmes and provision for students with high needs.

The inspectors said: "Students enjoy their lessons because teachers have created a positive learning environment.

"Teachers value students’ contributions to class discussions and encourage full participation in learning activities. As a result, students become more confident and proud of their learning over time.

"Teachers set high expectations for completion of work and for meeting deadlines. When students fall behind, they are supported appropriately to improve their attitudes towards learning."

Ofsted said most students experienced "high-quality lessons", produced work of a consistently good quality and learned from curriculums that enabled them to "move on to their chosen destinations".

The inspectors said: "Students enjoy the non-judgemental, inclusive atmosphere at the college, where they feel that they can be themselves and are respected as individuals.

"Students from a wide diversity of backgrounds, including those of various faiths, those with special educational needs or disabilities and students from the LGBTQ+ community, feel welcomed and valued at the college."

However the report said the college needed to improve opportunities for work experience and teaching students how to use the skills they learn in the workplace, involve more employers in developing the curriculum, and improve students’ understanding of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism locally.

St Brendan's has around 1,800 students aged from 16 to 18 studying A-levels or equivalent vocational qualifications.

Principal Marian Curran said: "We are delighted that Ofsted have highlighted the strong learning culture that exists at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College.

"We are a highly inclusive college, where individuality and the education of the whole person is nurtured.

"I am pleased that the inspectors have not only recognised our academic standards, but also the high level of support that our students receive and our culture of safeguarding.

"A huge thank you to all our staff who relentlessly support students academically and pastorally to be the best that they can be. A huge thank you to our students who are a credit to our college community, and finally to our parents and carers for their support.

" This Ofsted report is testament to the hard work of our staff and the resilience of our students”.

AVON and Somserset Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford is urging anyone who receives a call or message from somebody claiming to be from a trusted organisation and who suggests money should be transferred to hang up and dial 159.

159 is a short-code phone service that connects people safely to their bank’s fraud prevention service.

The phone service should be used when an individual receives an unexpected or suspicious call about a financial matter, allowing them to report financial scams as the fraud is potentially taking place.

Banks that currently implement 159 include Barclays, Co-operative, First Direct, HSBC, Lloyds (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland), Metro Bank, Nationwide Building Society, Natwest, Santander, Starling Bank and TSB.

When calling 159, you’ll be taken through an option menu in which each bank that has signed up to the service is read.

Customers are then able to use their telephone keypad to be put through to their bank so they can speak to their bank about their concerns and protect their money.

Mark Shelford said: “159 is a safe route to contacting your bank if you have suspicions and concerns about your account.

“To be totally safe, dial 159 on another phone or after a period of time to ensure that sophisticated scammers are not staying on the line and imitating a dialling tone so you think you’re calling your bank.

“No one from 159 will ever call you and only a fraudster will object to you calling 159.”

For more advice on how to stay secure online, please visit cyberaware.gov.uk.

n ADVERTISING FEATURE Special offer this summer from A Cleaning

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Our services are used by both domestic and commercial clients, plus we are members of the NCCA, Trustmark, BESA and many others. Nothing can compare to the pleasure and pride we get every day from hearing so many compliments from our happy customers – we love what we do and look forward to every day.

We know how important it is to listen to the demands and needs of our customers and then to meet and surpass their expectations. We hope you can also join our community of many happy customers too – visit our Trustpilot profile to see our amazing customer reviews! Be sure to take advantage of our special offer this summer where ‘three rooms carpet cleaned for the price of two’!”.

Call the office on 0117 325 9250 for a free quotation or get in contact via email: sales@acleaningservice.co.uk or our website: www.acleaningservice.co.uk.

St Brendan's Sixth Form College principal Marian Curran

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

Celebrating ‘pupil power’

IT was fantastic to see over 150 young people from 60-plus secondaries right across the West of England at my Schools Summit - our region’s first ever.

It was held under the wings of Concorde over at Aerospace Bristol in Filton - and I could tell the moment I walked in this was going to be a supersonic event!

How right I was - local students took part in thought-provoking and really fun sessions designed to get them thinking about what our West of England region might look like in the future, how they want to shape it, and what part they will play in this.

As you might expect, the climate crisis was a big, big topic of conversation, because this region’s youngsters, and young people in general, will be most impacted by our changing climate, and will be taking some very difficult decisions in the future.

If you had seen the session organised by Bristol Energy Network it would have all looked a bit nuts, with students jumping around on a giant Monopoly-style board wearing chicken hats. But I promise you, there was a serious message there about how to cut our energy use!

Another favourite was Atkins’ workshop,

where I saw curious young people finding out about being engineers and planners through a LEGO model of a city.

Other big employers, including Airbus, Deloitte and Firstbus, ran sessions on the future of transport, culture and sport.

The ideas of the young people were all noted down, so as to directly influence the future of West of England policy.

That’s important - the ideas students came up with could, genuinely, change our West of England region for the better. And I’m already taking steps to ensure this is the case, visiting participating schools like Yate Academy and others to update them on how mayoral combined authority policy – like our upcoming plan for transport – will be changing thanks to their awesome ideas.

Meanwhile, at the ‘marketplace’, students could pick up some wildflower seeds to help me in my efforts to make the West the bee and pollinator capital of the UK, meet a robot dog and learn about the routes to becoming an apprentice.

And I got to play Duncan Bannatyne when a dozen students pitched great policy ideas to me in a live Dragon’s Den-style event.

My thanks to all the students for sharing their ideas, which will really help me get on with making our region an even better place to live, study, and thrive. My thanks also to their teachers, and all the local businesses and organisations who helped make it a success.

I came away feeling buoyed by these young people, the true change-makers and system-shakers - their imagination truly has no limits.

I call that Pupil Power. Now I have the task of harnessing this energy and turning these ideas into reality.

I know they’ll be making sure to hold me to my promises!

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice

Is a DIY Will enough?

AMD’s Laura Webber discusses the importance of a properly executed Will and the importance of keeping its location known

the requirements of the Wills Act 1837.

Advertising Feature

The gift that pays for itself

While navigating through periods of uncertainty in our lives, we often overlook the significance of engaging Solicitors to assist in the creation of a Will. Instead, it is viewed as an unwanted expense.

Failure to adhere to these formalities can potentially invalidate a Will. These seemingly minor errors can lead to a distressing journey fraught with complications for your loved ones, even before your affairs are settled. Not only can this delay the process, but it will likely incur additional costs, ultimately reducing the amount available for your close family.

How leaving money to charity can save you Inheritance Tax

will be. However a Will can be worded to provide that a gift of 10 % of the value of your estate at that time is given to a charity or charities of your choice. The effect of this will be that the rate of Inheritance Tax payable on the whole estate is reduced from 40 % to 36 %.

By Shelley Faulkner, solicitor

Consequently, with the convenience afforded by today's digital era, coupled with the desire to minimise expenses, individuals may consider preparing their own Will using online templates. However, it is crucial to recognize the risks associated with do-it-yourself (DIY) Wills, as the ramifications of errors can far outweigh the expenses incurred by using a firm of Solicitors.

In same circumstances, it has been calculated that this reduction in the tax bill can serve to leave the estate, even after payment of the gift to charity, with a value as high as if the gift had not been made. Thus the gift can in some cases quite literally pay for itself.

Whilst some mistakes can be rectified, it is not always possible to do so and your final wishes may not be honoured upon your passing. It is even possible for individuals you did not intend to benefit from your Will to be legally entitled to the assets, while those you wanted to ensure were provided for may inherit nothing.

for the distribution of the estate, and the estate can then be divided as if the Will had been made in these terms. A Deed of Variation could therefore provide that 10 % of the estate is to pass to a chosen charity or charities, making the estate as a whole eligible for the reduced rate of Inheritance Tax.

with AMD Solicitors

To ensure the validity of your Will and the proper distribution of your estate in accordance with your wishes, it is vital to adhere to

WHILE most of us support a number of charities in our lifetime, it is perhaps not surprising that a smaller number choose to remember a charity in their Will. Clearly the priority for most is to provide for a surviving spouse or children, or to ensure that the family wealth can be passed on to benefit the next generation.

However, government policy is clearly to encourage giving to charity, and a recent development in the law is intended to promote gifts to charity being made by Will. This change may also, on occasion, serve to save Inheritance Tax, or even to create a gift which literally pays for itself.

Reduced rate of Inheritance Tax

Where somebody dies after 6 April 2012 the rate of Inheritance Tax applied to the estate can be reduced from 40 % to 36 % (in other words by 10 %), provided that at least 10 % of the estate passes to charity.

Clearly it is not possible to determine in advance exactly what value the assets you leave by Will will have on your death for Inheritance Tax purposes, or what 10 % of the total value

Even where a Will has not been prepared in these terms, it may be possible to take advantage of this tax break. If the beneficiaries of the estate agree, it is possible to effectively amend the terms of a Will within two years of the date of death. A ‘Deed of Variation’ can be drawn up which sets out the family members’ agreed arrangements

It is essential to keep your original latest Will safe so that loved ones or those who will look after your estate know of its existence. Failing to do so can mean the Will cannot be located or an older Will could be thought to be the most recent.

If a Will cannot be located upon the testator's death, there is a presumption that the Will

This change in the law is clearly very good news both for charities, and potentially for some estates as well. However the detail of the application can be complex. For example, the estate is divided into different ‘components’ depending on how the property will pass to the beneficiaries, in order to calculate whether the 10 % test has been met. Taking specialist advice on the implications for your particular circumstances is therefore essential.

consultation for new clients.

For advice on administration of estates, trusts, wills, powers of attorney and all private client issues, contact Shelley Faulkner, Florence Pearce and the other members of the team on 0117 9621205, email probate@ amdsolicitors.com or call in at 15 The Mall Clifton, or 100 Henleaze Road Henleaze.

was intentionally destroyed and therefore revoked. However, what if the Will has simply been misplaced? The testator who made the Will is no longer alive, and so it is very difficult to rebut this presumption, which could lead to their estate passing under intestacy rules and possibly passing to those the testator did not want to inherit.

Given that a Will is a legal document accompanied by potential legal complexities, it is advisable to involve a legal

AMD’s team of experienced private client solicitors and practitioners includes full

expert in its creation. By doing so, you can mitigate the risk of the administration of your estate causing unnecessary complications and delays for your family and ensure that your final wishes are followed appropriately.

AMD Solicitors takes pride in sponsoring local, Bristol based charities and this year is very pleased to be supporting the Bristol branch of the Alzheimer’s Society, the local branch of this national charity which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in Great Britain. For full details of our fundraising activities visit our website www.amdsolicitors.com.

For advice on drafting your Will please contact the private client team on 0117 9621205, email info@amdsolicitors.com or call into one of our four Bristol offices.

Copyright AMD Solicitors

Extinction Rebellion and cathedral join forces

A POWERFUL art installation entitled Oil Fountain has gone on display at Bristol Cathedral.

It has been created by internationally renowned Bristol artist Luke to provoke discussion of the climate and ecological emergencies we face unless action is taken.

The activist group Extinction Rebellion was invited to the cathedral on June 15 to welcome artwork. Also present were members of Christian Climate Action, representatives of local multi-faith groups, Bristol Climate Choir and performance group the Red Rebels.

Dave Mitchell, member of Christian Climate Action and Extinction Rebellion Bristol, said:

“We are delighted that Bristol Cathedral and the Church authorities have been working with us to undertake this hugely symbolic action, bringing active Christians and active citizens together to celebrate this immensely thought-provoking artwork.

Just having this piece in the Cathedral where the font should be is a hugely symbolically provoking act that is sure to spark a huge number of conversations about what we need to do to address the Climate and Ecological crises we all face.

We have been working in partnership with all these groups to harness the immense power of individuals when they act together in solidarity and unity in the greatest common cause we can ever face, rebelling in the face of horrific consequences if we don’t accelerate beyond the fossil fuel era, into a just transition to a better world for all.”

The Revd Canon Jonnie Parkin, Canon Missioner at Bristol Cathedral, responsible for evangelistic outreach, and deepening the discipleship of the Cathedral congregation is encouraged by this initiative;

“We realise that many people may be nervous at the thought of Bristol Cathedral opening its doors to welcome Extinction Rebellion, but we have worked with many climate action groups in the past and are always struck by their urgency and commitment to countering the Climate Crisis. They [Extinction Rebellion] can be viewed as 'prophetic disruptors', speaking truth to power and encouraging better, more community-minded thinking and behaviours, much as leading figures in many of the great Faiths have done before them.”

The Oil Fountain will be in Bristol Cathedral until July 2.

A RETIREMENT VILLAGE WITH A CRICKET PITCH AT ITS HEART

To learn more about village life book your place on a guided tour now by calling 0117 919 4251, or visit www.stmonicatrust.org.uk for more information and details of available properties.

Registered Charity 202151

Environmental campaigners welcome the Oil Fountain's arrival at Bristol Cathedral

VINEYARD NEWS with INGRID BATES

At last the vineyard is looking leafy and green!

IT feels like it’s taken a long time to reach this point after a very cold and wet start to the year. The vines have produced some huge flowers which means things are already looking hopeful for harvest but we must never count our chickens until they’ve hatched… the shortly approaching two-week flowering period is perhaps the most critical weather window of the whole year and will decide the outcome of harvest all those months away in October.

On the wine front we have lots of news!

Our latest 2021 sparkling white has won a silver medal at the prestigious IEWA awards. This wine is 100% Seyval blanc grapes and features label artwork by world famous photographer Martin Parr. The judges comments always get passed on and caused much amusement when amongst the usual ‘honeysuckle, pears and apples’, one judge said the nose reminded them of ‘jellybabies’.

Last but not least, our new rosé is out and we’ve created an interactive wine label which celebrates Bristol’s music scene…

You’ve heard of food and wine pairing? Well, we wanted to create a music and wine

pairing. We teamed up with five amazing Bristol musicians who have each chosen a piece of music to pair with our new 2022 rosé. Simply click the QR code on the back of the label and listen while you sip!

The labels focus on five, Bristol-based artists: MADLY, Harriet Riley, Stevie Toddler, Alex Garden and Georgie Ward. Hope you enjoy the wine and the music!

hello@dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

www.dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

@DYvineyards (Twitter) dunleavy vineyards (Facebook & Instagram)

Struggling to hear? Book one of our Ear Health checks

NEIGHBOURS, friends, and family always complaining‘’Why is this so loud?!’’ Do you always have to increase the volume or struggle to hear people speaking?

Kellaway Pharmacy can help with our new Ear Wax Removal Service.

Earwax is produced inside your ears to keep them clean and germs-free. It usually passes out of the ears harmlessly, but sometimes too much can build up and block the ears.

Estimates show that in the UK, a significant population that requires help with ear wax removal have no access to NHS provision or have to wait 12 to 16 weeks.

We know that a build-up of earwax in your ear can cause problems like:

Earache, hearing loss, tinnitus (hearing sounds from inside your body), itchiness in or around the ear, vertigo (a spinning sensation) and ear infections.

These will usually improve once the excess earwax has been removed.

Some people regularly get blocked ears because they naturally produce a lot of earwax.Other factors that can increase the risk of too much earwax include:Producing naturally hard or dry earwax, having narrow or hairy ear canals (the tube between the opening of the ear and the eardrum) and being elderly, as earwax becomes drier with age and bony growths in the outer part of the ear canal.

Earwax can also block your

ear if you frequently insert objects into your ear canal, such as cotton buds, ear plugs or hearing aids.

Our trained professionals at Kellaway Pharmacy Have partnered with a world-leading health technology provider and specialist clinicians to use a cutting-edge device that examines your ears, takes high-definition images and videos, and performs a hearing check. This allows diagnosis of conditions, including infections which we can now treat in the pharmacy or referral to an appropriate medical professional. Professional removal treatment is offered where your hearing is impaired by excessive or compacted wax. Wax Removal is done using microsuction, a painless

procedure regarded as the safest and most effective way to remove earwax.

Top tip for good ear health:

- Never use cotton buds or ther objects in your ear, such as matches, hair grips, crochet hooks, knitting needles or scratch with fingernails.

We are offering a £20 introductory price for our Ear Health Check. To book this or a Professional Ear Wax removal appointment, just call Kellaway Pharmacy today on 0117 9246579 to book.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Hugely successful auction at Barrow Court

CLEVEDON Salerooms enjoyed one of its most successful auctions in recent years with the sale of the contents of Barrow Court, Barrow Gurney on Thursday June 1st at the Kenn Road Auction Centre.

The outstanding single owner collection had been amassed over a thirty year period by the late technology entrepreneur Iann Barron CBE. Having purchased a substantial portion of the Jacobean mansion in the 1970s, he embarked on a major restoration of the historic interiors, creating a wonderland of period furniture and works of art, the majority purchased from established dealers in the Cotswolds during the 1980s.

Collections of such provenance and quality are always guaranteed to create a stir when they appear on the market and Clevedon Salerooms maximised the opportunity with a dedicated printed catalogue and a co-ordinated publicity campaign in the regional and national press. This certainly proved effective, generating an unprecedented level of interest in the salewith one keen bidder making the journey to the auction by helicopter – and strong and sustained bidding throughout the sale.

With some 98% sold and a total well above expectations, the Barrow Court sale was another

resounding success for a saleroom going from strength to strength.

Attention now turns to the Autumn Specialist sale on September 14th which is

already looking very promising with strong showings of jewellery, furniture, paintings, clocks, ceramics and modern design for which entries are invited.

n NATURE WATCH

With Dawn Lawrence

I HAD literally just sat down to write, about cornfield weeds since you ask, when a honey bee tacked into the room and began agitating at the window. The buzzing was both distracting and pitiful. I should have been more focused, or less ruthful, but I took up a handy moth pot and sprang to the rescue.

I tried to inveigle the bee into the pot. Cupping it onto the window was a doddle for an experienced insect wrangler like myself, but I was too confident with my capping technique and the bee made a sudden, but misguided, bid for freedom. In its anguish (and not a little wrath, in my opinion) it shot up and down the window finally stopping in the bottom corner. Ah well, I thought, I’ll get it now. Reaching down I saw a daddy long-legs spider, who was obviously thinking the same thing. However, before either of us could make a definitive move a chunky, hairy, coalblack creature shot out of the depths of the woodwork and grabbed the bee from under our noses (well, my nose anyway, the daddy long-legs doesn’t have a nose since spiders detect smells via small hairs on their legs and palps - leg-like appendages attached to their heads).

This piratical newcomer had enormous chelicerae - external mouthparts, or fangs,

which in some spiders can inject venom. From the almost instant pacification of the bee it was clear that this spider was packing venom and was not afraid to use it. Now, I don’t spend much time looking closely at spiders and am not what you might call an enthusiast. But I had to know what this one was. I managed to hook it into the moth

pot and took some rather awful photos. Identifying spiders is quite tricky, especially for utter novices like myself. I briefly flirted with the exciting idea that I might have found an Atypus affinis – our only member of the group that includes tarantulas. Trawling through pages of enlarged and detailed drawings of spiders I began to feel spider’s webs tickling my arms and head and had to stop. At last I realised it was a spider that I knew quite well, Segestria florentina, the green-fanged tube web spider. Well, it had certainly come out of a tube-like web, but then Atypus makes a similar structure, hence its common name of purse-web spider, and it also launches darting attacks at its prey. But what made me miss the (relatively simple) identification was the lack of green chelicerae; they were black and hairy. I reached my conclusion not before embarrassing myself by asking an expert if I had acquired an Atypus! He did kindly remark that the purseweb is to be found in the Avon Gorge, whilst the Segestria’s fangs only look green when reflecting bright light. So, a wildlife drama, a mystery solved and now I am going to have to go and find a purse-web for myself – they have quite a different body shape, apparently.

Wildlife drama as a venomous spider attacks a bee

n NEWS FROM OUR MP

Privileges committee reportThe Privileges Committee report on Boris Johnson found the former PM intentionally misled Parliament. In my Business Questions speech and on the media on the day, I spoke about why this mattered to people like you, who sacrificed so much during the pandemic.

Fighting for dental care

People have been telling me about difficulties in finding an NHS dentist for months.

It is shocking that there appear to be no dentists in Bristol West accepting new NHS patients. Some dentists such as the one in St Paul’s are closing altogether. As a result, many people no longer have access to an NHS dentist. I’ve taken this up with the local NHS and with government ministers. Locally the NHS is setting up some emergency provision but it’s nowhere near enough. The real problem lies with the government. Years of mismanagement led to dentists leaving the NHS in droves. Visit my website to read my letter to the Health Secretary. I will update the page as soon as I get a response.

Backing stronger animal welfare standards

Animal welfare is so important to so many of you. In my weekly Shadow Leader of the House speech in the Commons (Thursday mornings), I recently called out the government for failing to bring forward the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill.

This Bill started in 2021 but has been allowed to grind to a halt. It includes important protections for dogs and cats and would clamp down on the cruel practice of puppy smuggling.

I’ve raised this five times over the past eight months and pushed for a proper plan for stopping unscrupulous breeders cashing in by bringing puppies and kittens into this country with no care.

Visiting a battery storage plant In June, I visited Thrive Renewable’s 20 MW Battery Storage plant on Feeder Road. The site stores electricity and exports it back to the grid during peak demand when carbon intensity is highest.

This site had been proposed for a diesel-fuelled plant. This would

have been dangerous not just for the pupils of the neighbouring nursery but also the hundreds of people who work on Feeder Road. At the time, I supported groups who successfully fought against the plan resulting in developers proposing a battery storage project as an alternative.

It was wonderful to meet representatives again from groups such as RADE, and Bristol Energy Collective, who have done so much to engage with communities while helping Bristol make the transition to cleaner power.

Defending legacy EU environmental protections

Protecting biodiversity and restoring wildlife habitats is a priority and I want to see the UK’s environment and food regulations strengthened. However, the government’s Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill weakens them.

I agreed with amendments made by the House of Lords. The Bill returned to the Commons on June 12 and I voted against the government’s motions to remove the above amendments.

Unfortunately, the government used their majority to remove these measures.

I will continue to support efforts to ensure the government does not water down hard-won workers’ rights, undermine business confidence, or give ministers unaccountable powers.

Thangam Debbonaire writes for the Voice

n WHAT'S ON

REGULAR EVENTS

Monday

n REDLAND WIND BAND has vacancies for some woodwind, brass and percussion players. This friendly group meets 7.30-9.30pm at Redland Church Hall, Redland Green. Contact via email on redlandwindband@gmail.com

n DICKENS SOCIETY. 7pm, at Leonard Hall, Henleaze URC, Waterford Rd, Bristol BS9 4BT. Talks, costumed readings, book club and social events. See www.dickenssociety.org.uk or phone Roma on 0117 9279875.

n PLAY BOWLS at Canford Park in a friendly, social atmosphere. Qualified coaches and equipment provided. Contact: Les on 07305695579

n WESTBURY AND CLIFTON

AREA DISCUSSION GROUP are a merry band of retired people who meet at Westbury on Trym Baptist Church every Monday morning (9.45) and like to challenge ourselves with topical debate on what’s happening in the world. If you would like to join and help to solve some of today's challenging issues, contact James Ball 01454 415165 or Ian Viney 0117 9501628.

n BRISTOL COMMUNITY

GAMELAN play the music of Java at Cotham School from 6.30-8.30. We play by numbers – only 1-6, without the 4 ! So no auditions, no need to read music.

If you fancy a different musical experience, contact us via email on keithripley27@gmail.com

n WESTBURY ON TRYM

WOMEN'S INSTITUTE meets on the third Monday of the month in the Westbury Village Hall, Eastfield Road, BS9 4AG, from 2.00 - 4.00 pm. We have interesting speakers, and extra activities of crafts, lunch club, skittles and outings. Our lively, friendly and inclusive group welcomes visitors at any meeting. For more information call Sascha on 07961619806 or Traci on 07766073917

Tuesday

n THE ARTS SOCIETY BRISTOL

LECTURE welcomes new members. Our lectures, given by specialists in their own field, take place on the second Tuesday of the month from September to May at 8pm at Redmaids' High BS9 3AW and by internet. For more information visit our website www. theartssociety-bristol.org.uk

n BRISTOL HARMONY WEST

GALLERY CHOIR and band sing and play lively church and village music from the 18thcentury. St Edyth’s Church Hall, St Edyth’s Road, Sea Mills, 7.30 pm on the

bishopstonvoice

1st and 3rd Tuesday each month. All voices (SATB), string, wind and reed instruments welcome. No auditions but ability to read music helpful. www.bristolharmony. wordpress.com or call Fritjof 0117 924 3440. Contact before attending.

n POETRY UNLIMITED – poetry circle meet on the First Tuesday of every month 11am - 12 midday. Basement Room, Café Kino, 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RU. £2.50 - £3.00 donation towards the cost of the room. Bring a couple of poems to share, other poets or your own. Contact Dee: wetwo@ gentlyblown.co.uk Web: www. poetryunlimitedbristol.weebly.com

n COMPANION VOICES BRISTOL We are a 'threshold choir' looking for new people to join us. We meet in Easton on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7 to 9 pm to learn songs by ear and build skills in sensitivity/compassion/ loving presence to sing at the bedsides of people nearing the end of life. To join/support us in this work, contact Valerie on bristol@companionvoices. org. Visit www.facebook.com/ CompanionVoicesBristol and www. companionvoices.org.

Wednesday

n BRISTOL SCRABBLE CLUB meets every Wednesday evening at 7pm until 10pm at Filton Community Centre, Elm Park, Filton BS34 7PS. New members welcome- first visit free so come along and give us a try. For further information contact Tania by email at tanialake@yahoo.co.uk

n HEALING SESSIONS run by accredited healers take place 2 til 3.30pm at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Just turn up, or for info contact Marian Bishop 0117 9771629 or visit www. westburyparkspiritualistchurch.org

n BRISTOL VOICES COMMUNITY CHOIR welcomes new members at any time. We meet at 7.30pm in St Werburghs Primary School during term time. See www.bristolvoices. org.uk for details.

Thursday

n HEALING FOR WELLBEING Feel more relaxed, peaceful, calmer. Drop-in 3.00 - 4.15 pm at Redland Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, BS6 6JE. Donation basis. Supported by members of The Healing Trust. Selina 0117 9466434 or selinanewton@yahoo.co.uk.

n BISHOPSTON COMMUNITY CHOIR Meet on Thursday evenings, 7.30pm to 9.00pm at St Michael's and All Angels Church on Gloucester Road. Everyone welcome, no audition necessary. Contact us via email on bishoproadchoir@gmail.com

n HENLEAZE LADIES’ CHOIR

Come and join us as we fill St Peter’s Church Hall in Henleaze with a diverse selection of music. We are a friendly choir and meet on Thursday afternoons in term time from 1.45 to 3.45. There are no auditions, and the ability to read music is not necessary. Contact Jeanette on 9685409 or Jane on 07752 332278

n BRISTOL MALE VOICE

CHOIR Always been keen to sing? Come along to our rehearsal nights, 7pm - 9.15pm on Thursdays in St Andrew's Church, Elm Park, Filton, BS34 7PS. No need to read music, no audition, just a voice test to establish whether you are tenor, baritone of bass. We cover many musical styles, enjoy singing in a great social vibe as we prepare for our regular concerts in local and national venues. From the Beatles to Mozart, from classical choruses to classic pop. Ffi : www. bristolmvc.org.uk ; facebook; or contact Steve: secretary@ bristolmvc.org.uk;or ring 07776447699; or 07587143220

n LOCAL CHOIR. We meet at Stoke Bishop CE Primary School, BS9 1BW on Thursday, 7.459.15pm. We are a well-established mixed choir performing both sacred and secular music. See our website www.henburysingers. org or contact the secretary at secretary@henburysingers.org.

n HIGHBURY BADMINTON

CLUB: Pete Stables 0117 950 1524 or www.pete4458.wixsite.com/ highburybadminton Thurs 7:30pm mid September to End April, Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall

n OPEN DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE

For those interested in developing their spiritual awareness and mediumistic ability. 7.15 for 7.30pm start at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Just turn up, or for info contact Marian Bishop 0117 9771629 or visit www. westburyparkspiritualistchurch.org

n ENJOY SCOTTISH DANCING at St. Monica’s Oatley Hall, Cote Lane, BS9 3UN on Thursdays 7.30 – 10.00 p.m. £6.00 per session. Phone Trish 0788 052 8925/www. rscdsbristol.info

n THE STEPFORD SINGERS WOMEN'S COMMUNITY CHOIR meets at St Michael & All Angels Church, Bishopston on Thursday afternoons, 1pm to 3pm. No auditions and no need to read music - just come and sing, laugh and have a cuppa! For info, contact Fran franbolton66@gmail.com

Friday

n THE SINGING TREE. Fun kodály inspired music sessions for under fives. 1011am Redland Church Hall. Refreshments included. Contact Kate on singingtreewithkate@ gmail.com for further details.

n SINGING FOR WELLBEING. Women's group. 11.15am12.30pm Redland Church Hall. All ages and stages, incl. babies and children, welcome. Refreshments included. Contact Kate on singingmamasbristolkate@ gmail.com for further details. Refreshments included.

n CALLIGRAPHERS wanted to join us at St Edyth’s Church Hall, Sea Mills, on Fridays 1000-1200. Come and meet us or call Peter at 0117 329 4516.

Pop up Restaurants

n MARISCO, BRISTOL'S NEW POP-UP SEAFOOD RESTAURANT now open for business on the following Friday nights @ La Ruca, 89 Gloucester Road : May 5th, May 19th, June 2nd, June 23rd, July 7th, July 21st.

Sergio, a Chilean chef, prepares delicious seafood dishes from Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean.

Great selection of tapas / platters - spicy prawns, scallops and morcilla, sea bass ceviche, Galician octopus, Goan mussels and patatas bravas. www. mariscobristol.com for updates/ menu, or our Instagram, @ marisco_bristol. For bookings call/text 07794766971

freed of charge.

For information on special rates for lisitings adverts, call us on 0117 9082121

Bring on the Aussies

GLOUCESTERSHIRE Cricket will host an England Men vs Australia ODI in 2024 and 11 England Men and Women internationals between 2025 and 2031.

The ECB has awarded Gloucestershire seven England Men IT20s – one for each yearincluding fixtures against India in 2026 and Australia in 2028.

Bristol will also host England Women’s white ball fixtures in 2024, 2025, 2028, 2030 and 2031, further consolidating the Seat Unique Stadium’s status as a home-from-home for both England Men and Women’s white ball sides.

Musical celebration of Windrush 75

SCHOOL children joined with a gospel choir for a special concert to mark 75 years since the arrival of HMT Windrush.

Renewal Choir Bristol, in partnership with Venturers Trust and Clifton College, staged the Windrush 75 Showcase event at Clifton College Chapel on June 22.

Vernon Samuels, project manager and one of the leaders of Renewal Choir, said: "This partnership with Clifton College alongside Venturers Trust significantly enhances the reach of the benefit of our project. By holding our event at Clifton College Chapel, we're creating a vibrant cultural exchange platform, connecting Bristol's younger generation to the rich legacy of the Windrush generation and fostering a sense of community and connection."

The choir is also staging a series of gospel music workshops at local sdchools, giving children the the opportunity to learn about the Windrush

generation's journey and their profound impact on British society.

Vernon Samuels added: “At a time when unity and mutual understanding are more important than ever, the Windrush 75 Showcase event serves as a beacon of inclusivity and cohesion. It's an opportunity for Bristol's school children, their families and the wider community to learn about, appreciate and celebrate our shared history and the importance of diversity.”

David Watson, CEO of Venturers Trust, said: “We’re honoured to take part in this communityfocused celebration event that helps to raise the profile of the Windrush generation and their significant contribution to the UK.”

Dr Tim Greene, Headmaster of Clifton College, said: “We are delighted to host the Windrush 75 concert, welcoming people from across Bristol to share an evening of wonderful music and celebration.”

Australia's fixture at Bristol in 2024 comes three years after a scheduled match between England Men and Australia in July 2020 was cancelled due to Covid.

Tickets for the England Men vs Australia ODI will go on-sale in late summer.

Will Brown, chief executive at Gloucestershire Cricket, said: “We’re delighted to have secured our status as an international venue for the next eight years and are equally thrilled to be bringing the biggest names and the best players in world cricket to the West Country.

“Both England Men and Women have enjoyed big wins in Bristol in recent years and everyone associated with the Club is excited for what promises to be an exciting period of international cricket at the Seat Unique Stadium."

The Renewal Choir is taking part in a series of events in Bristol to mark Windrush 75

It’s The Ashes this summer. Cricket has lots of unique words... how many can you find?

8 Hurlingham Road - £825,000

No.8 Hurlingham Road is a beautifully presented property, enjoyed and lovingly maintained by the current owners for a number of decades. Properties with such an established feel and finished with such quality are rare to find and this home in particular needs to be viewed to fully appreciate.

This position is already elevated but being set up further from the road, gives even more commanding and far reaching views. These can be enjoyed throughout the property, but no better than from the first floor balconyaccessed from the front and master bedroom. The southerly aspect makes this the perfect place for a morning coffee or an evening G&T.

n BOOKS

Factory Girls

by Michelle Gallen

Review by Bob Deacon of Bishopston Library

It is 1994 and over in England, Fred & Rose West are being charged with the murders of 12 women. Meanwhile, in a shitty wee town in Northern Ireland, Maeve Murray is eighteen and anxiously counting down the days until her A level results, which she hopes will enable her to move away to university and a new life in London. Maeve and her two best friends, Aoife and Caroline decide to take jobs in the local shirt factory, to earn some money whilst they await the outcome of their exams. Maeve and Caroline rent a flat together with Aoife opting to continue to enjoy home comforts with her family on the posh side of the town. This being Northern Ireland , the Troubles and the sectarian divide are never far away. Maeve’s bedroom poster collection includes Smash the H block alongside Che Guevara and Rosie the Riveter. Thanks to segregated housing, schools, churches, shops and pubs, Maeve and her Catholic friends have had limited exposure

to the Protestants on the other side of the town. This all changes when Maeve and her friends start working at the factory , which is financially supported by a grant from the UK Government, as it provides much needed local employment for both Catholics and Protestants. Whilst there is initial distrust and suspicion between the Prods and the Taigs, they learn the benefits of working together to fight for better pay and conditions against their unscrupulous and slimy English boss, Andy Strawbridge. Maeve makes friends with a work colleague, Fidelma, and together

they stand up to Andy, demanding overtime on double time to finish a consignment of shirts for a local buyer, as well as sharing a burning desire to get away to a better life. I highly recommend this wickedly funny and in your face black comedy of a novel whose characters are skillfully drawn and brilliantly observed. Michelle Gallen ably demonstrates the importance of community and place, and depicts the realities of working class life in nineties Northern Ireland with humour and wit galore. If you are not already a library member, please visit your local library at 100a Gloucester Road and obtain a library card giving you free access to over two million books including this novel.

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n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Tragedy shows importance of tackling knife crime

I HOPE everyone has been enjoying time outside in the sunshine and stayed safe whilst doing so during our recent spell of glorious weather.

Earlier this month, I put questions relating to knife crime and increased summer demand for police support to Chief Constable Sarah Crew at the latest Performance and Accountability Board (PAB), which livestreams every month on Facebook.

I know that the police get exceptionally busy in the summer, but local people still rightfully expect a high level of service.

During PAB I asked the Chief Constable how she will ensure that officers respond in a timely way and improve on what they did last year.

I also asked for an update on the week of awareness tackling knife crime – and how officers work with Violence Reduction Units to prevent knife crime.

This was particularly important following the tragic death of 16-year-

old Mikey Roynon, from South Gloucestershire, at an incident in Bath on June 10.

Two teenage boys, one from Dorset and another from Wiltshire, have since been charged with murder and possessing an offensive weapon.

At the PAB we also discussed the amazing work of police volunteers, as well as rape and sexual assaults in hospitals.

If you would like to listen in to the conversation, you can view our Facebook live video that was recorded and has been posted to the OPCC Facebook page.

I would like to take some time to highlight the 159 service, launched by Stop Scams UK. If you think someone is trying to trick you into handing over money or personal details, I urge you to stop, hang up and call 159.

This is a short-code phone service that connects people safely to their bank’s fraud prevention service.

This free phone service should be

used when either you or someone you know may have provided an unknown person with your bank card or banking information over the phone, to report fraud potentially taking place.

I would like to mention the work of Crimestoppers and the South West: No Place for Drugs campaign.

Currently, Crimestoppers is appealing to the public to speak up and report cases of property being used as a grow house or farm to cultivate cannabis.

Organised crime gangs are renting properties in both urban and rural parts of the country and setting up cannabis farms. This illegal activity often brings serious violence, victims of modern slavery, and increased risks of building fires and explosions.

If you are a landlord, I implore you to become aware of the signs of cannabis cultivation: barricaded windows and doors, unsafe electricity wiring, and mould and water damage

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford

from hydroponics and irrigation systems.

I urge you to learn the signs of cannabis cultivation, which can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk. org.

I would like to thank everyone for their continued contribution to keeping our communities safe and wish you all a safe and happy week.

n HISTORY with JULIAN LEA-JONES

When the spirit of the Golden Hill Phoenix watched over Russell Grove and saved a Henleaze enterprise

I refer to the fire that (from memory) in January 2010 almost destroyed the ‘Bristol Morris Centre,’ where classic Morris Minor cars were bought for TLC and restoration. The buildings, tucked away at the top of Russell Grove, once Claremont House store blocks, had been garages since the 1930s. After being relinquished by Claremont House the buildings were firstly run by Edward Bartlett, motor engineer, and later as ‘Springfield Garage’ In 1962, when many houses had paraffin heaters, it also sold paraffin, (our heater was the popular ‘Beatrice’ make). Remember the advertising jingles ‘Esso Blue!’, and that of their competitors – ‘Aladdin Pink’?

Then in the 1970s two brothers arrived each with their own business. Tony Pritchett still called his ‘Almondsbury Autos’, whilst his brother operated as ‘Russell Grove Garages’. Tony’s

sons Chris and Nick took over in 1982, Earlier in 2010, Nick went off to set up as a plumber while Chris continued running his Morris garage. The end almost came when the garages caught fire. Possibly a faulty battery charger that self-incinerated and planned to take its charges with it, (or perhaps it was just suicidal)? Fortunately, the garage

was still housed in the series of storerooms, there was time to move nearly all the cars to safety. The opportunity was taken to rebuild the garage on more conventional lines whilst keeping the external profile much the same. Thanks to kindly neighbours, the rescued cars had a holiday in front gardens and driveways.

As well as rescuing cars and equipment Chris saved two of his predecessor’s forecourt pumps. The oldest of which still had the price flag; four shillings and six pence three farthings a gallon –(just under 23 pence)!

Lastly who also remembers the garage in Etloe Road, Westbury Park, (no business connection) where an automobile even acted as an advertising weathervane!

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