Henleaze & Westbury Voice August 2023

Victory in Town Green battle

CAMPAIGNERS have won a significant victory in their fight to keep Stoke Lodge playing fields open to the public.

Bristol City Council’s public rights of way and greens committee has decided to register the 23-acre site as a Town Green.

This is likely to mean that Cotham School, which uses the fields for games lessons, will have to take down the 1.5km long fence it put up in 2019 to safeguard its students. By law, town

and village greens cannot be enclosed. The campaign group We Love Stoke Lodge are delighted at the committee’s decision and have called on the school to work with them to find a way to ensure the playing fields can be used for the good of the whole community.

It is not yet known whether Cotham School will seek a Judicial Review of the decision in the High Court.

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Just Stop Oil protester held

The Rev Sue Parfitt, from Westbury on Trym, was among Just Stop Oil protesters arrested during a week of 'slow marches' and demos in London.

PAGES 8 & 9

Decision nears on flats scheme

Plans for 116 retirement flats at the former St Christopher's School look set to be brought before planners this month.

PAGE 7

Star role on TV

Street scenes in the BBC true life crime drama The Sixth Commandment were filmed in Westbury on Trym.

PAGE 10

We Love Stoke Lodge campaigners won a significant battle and plan to celebrate when the fence is down

Photo: Bruce Quilter

Bristol mourns former MP Doug Naysmith

LABOUR politician Doug Naysmith, who died last month, has been praised as “modest and genuine” and a man of high principle.

Dr Naysmith, who was Labour MP for Bristol North West for 13 years, died aged 82.

His successor in Bristol North West, Darren Jones, said he owed his 2017 victory to Dr Naysmith’s encouragement.

Mr Jones said: “I was very sad to hear that Doug Naysmith has died. We first met when he was my MP growing up and he was always a support to me after I was selected to be the Labour candidate in 2012.”

In a joint statement Mr Jones, and fellow Bristol Labour MPs Karin Smyth (Bristol South), Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East), and Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West), said: “We will miss him, and pay tribute to his many decades of public service. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”

West of England Metro

Mayor Dan Norris, who served as a Labour MP alongside Dr Naysmith, said he was deeply saddened.

“Doug was an honourable, charismatic and charming MP and Bristol City Councillor colleague. Very capable, yet modest, Doug genuinely cared about those he represented, was of high principle, a straight dealing individual and great fun. I will remember him with respect and fondness.”

Doug Naysmith was elected to Bristol City Council in 1981 for the Hillfields seat. In 1992

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he stood for Bristol North West in 1992, losing by 45 votes to the sitting Conservative MP, Michael Stern.

In the 1997 General Election he won the seat by a landslide, and successfully defended it in 2001 and 2005.

Darren Jones said: “Doug knew how to set the political drama. After retiring from Parliament in 2010 he won a council election (for Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston) by the flip of a coin.

“After I lost in the 2015 general election Doug told me to keep going and we were both delighted to have won Bristol North West back in 2017.

“He did say though, that politicians with beards earn fewer votes and advised I shaved mine off! Maybe one day.”

Dr Naysmith had worked as an immunologist and was a research fellow at Bristol University. He campaigned successfully for smoking to be banned in public places.

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He was also a vocal campaigner against fox hunting with dogs.

On retiring from the council in 2014, Doug was made an Alderman of the City of Bristol.

There was a minute's silence at the full council meeting after his death in July and councillors from all parties gave tributes to him. A spokesman said: "The flag of Bristol at City Hall has been lowered to half mast following Doug’s death, as is tradition when an alderman passes away, and will remain at half mast until his funeral."

He had been chair of the City of Bristol Port Authority, and was instrumental in the sale of loss making Port in 1991.

Bristol Port Company's Managing Director, Sir David Ord, said: “His singular objective was to keep the Port open by encouraging new investment and thereby preserving employment for as many as possible. We and all past and current employees, owe Doug a debt of gratitude.”

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Dr Doug Naysmith

Concern as Weca pays two chief executives

COUNCILLORS have expressed alarm that the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) is paying two chief executives at the same time without officially explaining why.

Weca audit committee chairman and Bristol Cllr Geoff Gollop, an accountant, says the reasons should have been disclosed in the authority’s annual accounts.

Instead, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed that Richard Ennis, who received £268,000 in 2022/23, has been paid as interim acting chief exec for the last seven months and counting while the permanent postholder Patricia Greer is on full salary while on long-term sick leave.

Mr Ennis told the committee on July 3, that Weca had been “very open and very public” about the situation, following questions from the LDRS, despite no explanation for the dual payments in the annual draft statement of accounts.

Cllr Gollop (Conservative, Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze) told the meeting at the combined authority’s new headquarters at Redcliff Street in Bristol city centre that he would not accept or sign off the papers, which go up to March 31, without that.

He said: “I would expect, before we have final accounts presented to us, that there would

Rail ticket office closure plan fury

METRO Mayor Dan Norris has urged a government minister to be “flexible and pragmatic” as he raised deep concerns over rapid plans to close rail ticket offices across the West of England.

In a face to face meeting with Rail Minister Huw MerrimanMr Norris explained how residents had contacted him up in arms about the plans.

A 21-day consultation was held last month into the proposed closures, with the proposals apparently pushed by ministers.

be a note explaining what has happened, why we continue to pay a chief executive and an interim chief executive, and the accounts need to disclose that because it’s an event that happened in 2022/23.

“I am surprised that has not been discussed at Weca committee in some form – it may have been privately but it certainly hasn’t been discussed at public meetings and there is nothing on record.”

Weca committee is the combined authority’s decisionmaking body comprising metro mayor Dan Norris and the leaders of its three constituent councils – Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset.

Dr Greer has been on absence through illness since the end of November 2022 and Mr Ennis stepped up to her role on a temporary basis days later from his previous position as interim director of investment and corporate services.

He received £124,467 from the four months between December 1 and March 31 alone while the permanent incumbent was also being paid.

That is as far as the annual accounts go, but Weca confirmed to the LDRS last week that the situation remains the same.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

& HEATING LTD

The affected ticket offices include those at Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Bristol Parkway, Yate, Oldfield Park and Keynsham where an estimated 600,000 paper tickets were sold last year.

After more than a decade of campaigning,

From Page 1

After the committee vote on June 28, the school said in a statement: “We are deeply disappointed by the decision, but nevertheless thank the committee for its consideration of this matter. Our first priority remains ensuring the best possible educational experience for our students in a happy and secure environment, and this lies at the heart of everything we do. We will now carefully reflect on the outcome.”

At the time of going to print, Cotham School had not responded to the Voice’s request for an interview.

Cotham School erected the 2m high fence, and restricted public access in 2019, after being granted a lease to use the field for PE by Bristol City Council.

Now, five years after they first applied for Town Green status for the site, the campaign group We Love Stoke Lodge (WLSL) has convinced the council to

agree to the formal designation, which means the public will have unfettered access.

Some of the debate centred on historic use of the field – WLSL said the fields had been used by local people for decades. A previous application for Town Green status was turned down in 2016.

Since the fence was erected there have been numerous public rows between the school and campaigners, including claims of criminal damage of the fence and gates – culminating last year when the school installed covert CCTV cameras.

WLSL campaigner Helen Powell told the Voice: “We are waiting for the official designation to be registered and then expect the school to remove the fence.

“A lot depends on what approach Cotham School take – we really hope they will work with the community, so we can all make a fresh start. We hope

this will be the start of something new.”

Helen, who led the campaign with fellow resident Emma Burgess, said the battle had taken up much of their spare time, and a lot of money in legal fees.

About 40 WLSL campaigners attended the meeting of BCC’s Public Rights of Way and Greens

Committee on June 28, where after a discussion six members voted in favour of Town Green status, one against and two abstentions.

Two signs put up on either 1985 or 1986 by Avon County Council formed a major part of committee's debate. Barristers advising the council had said

WLSL campaigners at the committee meeting

playing fields are declared a Town Green

decades, with the small signs not visible to most people.

Emma Burgess, from the campaign, told the meeting: “Thousands of kids across the UK use open public land for PE, and Ofsted and the Department for Education have repeatedly confirmed they don’t require playing fields to be fenced."

Cotham School and Bristol City Council objected to the application. The school said the fence was needed to keep pupils safe, both from leaving school during the day and from any dog waste left on the field.

“The school is also under very strict safeguarding duties which makes it impossible to allow the general public to use the land while its students are present. Granting this application would have very serious consequences for the operation of our school.

“It’s essential for our students, the majority of whom live in very deprived areas of Bristol in overcrowded housing with no access to green space at all. In fact the only space they have access to is the pavement outside of their homes or parks in a great state of disrepair.”

they did not need permission and the use of the land was not contentious. This could have been scuppered by the signs in the 1980s, but councillors decided these were too small to matter.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Andrew Varney said: “The key issue is whether the signs were sufficient to render the use of the land contentious. My conclusion is that they were not.

these signs, warning against trespass, showed use of the playing fields was contentious.

Supporters of the school also argued that locals knew use of the land was contentious because of the previous green application and public inquiry in 2016. But locals dispute this and say the playing fields have been used for

Jo Butler, headteacher of Cotham School, said: “The landowner has made it consistently clear through signs that they object to the unfettered use of the land for the public. The school is under a statutory duty to provide sufficient outdoor space for its students. It has no other land available for this purpose.

The committee was advised by a barrister that they should not base their decision on “whether public access to the land was a good thing or a bad thing”, nor the “strength of local feeling”, but instead on arcane and complex law.

The main legal question was whether locals were using the land “as of right”, meaning

“Many people have used the land for decades without being aware of the signs. Stoke Lodge has numerous entrances, well worn footpaths, provision of infrastructure such as bins — and two signs erected by an extinct authority were not sufficient to render the use of the land contentious.”

Meeting report by Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Some of the copious evidence

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Developers 'are getting desperate'

FAMILIES opposed to a planned retirement village on the former St Christopher’s School site in Westbury Park have come to the defence of council officers.

The developers last month criticised a Bristol City Council planning report which recommended refusal of the plan for 116 flats.

They said the officers’ report was “inaccurate, unbalanced, and unfair” and failed to take into account the benefits for the community including providing much needed new housing.

But Westbury Park Community Association (WPCA) defending the planning officers and said the scheme was “a massive overdevelopment, deeply damaging to the character of the site and the area, and detrimental to the living conditions of those living close to the site.”

The proposal is expected to be decided by planners on August 9 – but it has been delayed several

times this year, and at the time of going to print the date had not been confirmed.

WPCA told the Voice the criticism by developers showed they were “getting desperate”.

They said the planning report might not have addressed “all the supposed benefits”, but said: “This does not alter the fact that the benefits are totally outweighed by the overwhelming disbenefits. Some of the benefits cited by the developers in their rebuttal are either overstated or questionable.”

The association says claims the plans will help alleviate the housing shortage should not outweigh the impact on the local area – and in any case what is proposed would not provide the low cost or affordable housing that Bristol needs.

In addition, WPCA rejected developers' claims that the buildings were “leading edge sustainable”, and questioned the need for a “small and hard to

access” community space.

“Hopefully a revised committee report will properly present and address all the cited benefits, but this should make no difference to the overall conclusion that what is proposed is unacceptable overdevelopment. We trust that the planning officers’ recommendation to the committee will still be to refuse the application.”

The developers, investment firm FORE, in partnership with developer Socius and care provider Amicala, pulled the proposal just days before a planning committee was due to make a ruling on May 31.

They asked for councillors to be given more time to consider the plan, and issued a sevenpage “rebuttal” in response to the committee report, which had recommended refusal.

The residents’ campaign group SCAN (St Christopher’s Action Network) has since

submitted two reports on Bristol City Council’s planning portal in response to the developers’ “rebuttal”.

SCAN said much of the rebuttal was incorrect or irrelevant. In particular the group criticised the developers’ claims the plan would alleviate Bristol’s housing shortage.

SCAN’s statement to the council said: “The average price of a property on the St Christopher's site will be approx £739,000, with prices varying from £601,000 to £880,0001. In contrast, the average price of a property in Bristol last year was £398,000; for a flat it was £228,000. As such, the average price of a St Christopher's housing unit is more than 3 times the average cost of a Bristol flat and 86% higher than the average cost of a Bristol property.”

At the time of going to print, FORE had not responded to the Voice’s request for interview.

What future for our children? ask Just Stop Oil protesters

A PRIEST from Westbury on Trym has been arrested during climate protests in London, according to march organisers.

Just Stop Oil says 80-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt, a retired family therapist, was in a group of nine women involved in a “slow march” along New Oxford Street in Central London on Monday July 10.

It was part of a week-long series of demonstrations by the protest group which is calling on the Government to end all new exploration for oil, gas, and coal.

A statement from JSO said ten minutes into the march the Metropolitan Police issued a Section 12 notice under the Public Order Act, and arrested several of the women.

They were among 22 Just Stop Oil supporters from Bristol

who travelled to the capital for a week of continuous slow marches.

JSO says Rev Parfitt was charged with breaching section 12 of the Public Order Act, and released on bail.

Another Bristol woman, mental health worker Emma Ireland, aged 39, from Easton, was arrested at the same time, and also charged under Section 12 and released on bail. She is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates on July 26.

Just Stop Oil says two other women from Ashley Down were arrested on Wednesday July 12 at a “mums’ march” in Shaftesbury Avenue, London, as part of the week of protest, , Sophie Holland, 52, a speech and language therapist, and

Sophie Holland, above, and Rowan Tilley, left, during the week of Just Stop Oil protests in London

Rowan Tilley, were among 24 West Country mothers taking part in a 30 minute long slow march protest.

Some held signs saying “Give our kids' hope” and “I am a mother, I won’t look away”.

JSO says police issued a Section 12 Notice and ordered the mothers from the road.

Sophie Holland and Rowan

Tilley were arrested and charged under Section 12, and released on bail. Sophie Holland is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 11. Other mums from the group later travelled to Hamleys Toy Store on Regent Street where some staged a protest outside, while others invaded the store

holding signs saying “What future for our children?” before they were escorted out by security.

Just Stop Oil said in a statement: “These marches are taking place against a backdrop of increasingly rapid climate breakdown. Last week, Earth experienced its hottest ever temperatures, breaking records

four days in a row.

“It prompted UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres to state “climate change is out of control” and that “if we persist in delaying key measures that are needed, I think we are moving into a catastrophic situation.”

The JSO campaign launched on February 14, 2022. There have been over 2,100 arrests.

Reverend Sue Parfitt and Emma Ireland on a 'slow march'

Protesters outside Hamleys toy shop in Regent Street

Westbury's starring role in TV crime drama

TV viewers in Bristol have been gripped by the latest BBC true crime drama, The Sixth Commandment – and not just because it is studded with stars including Timothy Spall, Anne Reid and Sheila Hancock.

The added attraction for city residents is spotting local landmarks such as Blaise Estate and the streets of Westbury on Trym.

The four-part series, which aired in July and can be viewed on iPlayer, was filmed in Bristol, Bath, Clevedon and Keynsham. Circomedia in Portland Square, St Paul’s, features as one of the churches in the drama.

The Sixth Commandment explores the deaths of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin in the village of Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire, and the extraordinary events that unfolded over the following years. It was made with in full cooperation with both families.

The drama tells the story of how the meeting of an inspirational teacher, Peter Farquhar (Spall), and a charismatic student, Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke), set the stage for one of the most complex and confounding criminal cases in recent memory. It also focuses on how suspicions around Field’s relationship with Ann Moore-Martin (Reid), Peter’s deeply religious neighbour, unlocked a series of chilling revelations.

The drama explores the way in which both Peter and Ann were manipulated by Field, capturing the extreme gaslighting, the gripping police investigation and the high-profile trial, while poignantly highlighting the devastating effect of isolation and loneliness, as Field closed in on them. It also celebrates both Peter and Ann’s lives as cherished mentors, much loved relatives and adored friends.

Timothy Spall as Peter Farquhar, Sheila Hancock as Liz Zettl

Anne Reid as Ann MooreMartin in The Sixth Sense on BBC iPlayer

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E-SCOOTERS on the streets of Henleaze and Westbury on Trym will have a new look in the autumn.

The West of England Combined Authority is replacing current operator Voi, which has operated the hire scheme since it launched, with a new contractor, German company Tier.

It means the distinctive pink fleet of e-scooters which has been on the streets - and parked on pavements - since 2020 will be replaced by 4,000 new green 'WESTscoot' e-scooters, 1,500 e-bikes and 20 electric cargo bikes that can be hired by businesses.

Voi says it was "disappointing" to be leaving the region but changes to the new contract for the region would have left it running "at a loss".

Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who announced the changes at the end of June, said the new operator would be fined if parking problems continue.

Mr Norris said the contract with Tier would bring in an estimated £9.7 million for public transport spending in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset.

He said clauses in the contract would address parking concerns, and that 100 new e-scooter parking racks would be provided.

Mr Norris said: “WESTscoot must build on the successes of e-scooters in our West of England region, which has been one of the most successful trials

All change for e-scooter fleet

anywhere in Europe.

“But it must also address the legitimate concerns residents often voice over poor and irresponsible e-scooter parking.

“Given our very ambitious West of England net-zero 2030 target, it is vital that these bright green electric WESTscoot, WESTbike and WESTcargo e-vehicles become a common and welcome sight across our region, for they are an important means to allow residents to reduce car use or give it up completely if they should so choose.”

He said contract clauses included “parking performance monitored on a monthly basis, with penalties on the operator if high standards aren’t met”.

They include stricter requirements to keep vehicles

parked tidily within designated bays, and agreed numbers.

An exact date for the changeover has not been announced.

Tier’s Northern Europe vice-president Fred Jones said: "The expansion of the service to include e-bikes and e-cargo bikes makes it easier for the people of the West of England to choose to leave their car at home and pick the perfect vehicle for their journey, whether that is commuting, going to see friends or even doing the weekly shop.

“We are proud to have been selected as the operator for this UK-leading flagship service and look forward to the full launch this autumn.”

Voi UK, Ireland and France general manager Jack Samler

said: “We are very proud of what we’ve achieved in Bristol and Bath and the legacy we’ve built. It is disappointing to be leaving these cities. There are several differences in the new contract compared to our existing contract, many of which will impact on our overall costs.

“At Voi, we believe schemes must be financially sustainable for operators to allow for continued investment in rider experience, safety and integration with other road users and pedestrians.

“This is critical for the industry long-term.

“We are not prepared to run any shared e-scooter trial at a loss."

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Clean Air Zone help

BRISTOL City Council has secured a further £11 million from government to help provide more financial support for those travelling through the Clean Air Zone.

The additional funding secured will support more people who earn under £30,000 a year and businesses with larger fleets of more than five vehicles.

Financial support can significantly reduce the cost of replacing or adapting vehicles that don’t meet the emissions standards of the zone as set by national government. The council has already allocated almost £15 million to help people change to a cleaner vehicle.

Funding can include a grant, a contribution towards the interest on a loan, or a combination of both. There is up to £2,000 available to help upgrade a car and up to £4,500 for a van.

Vehicles don’t have to be brand new -

replacement vehicles can be second hand as long they meet the zone’s emissions standards. Euro 4 petrol vehicles (roughly 2006 onwards) and Euro 6 diesel vehicles (roughly end of 2015 onwards) are not charged in the zone.

More information about financial support and how to apply can be found on the council’s website.

The Clean Air Zone was introduced in November 2022 after the government required Bristol City Council to meet legal levels of air pollution in the shortest possible time. The zone will help bring harmful nitrogen dioxide within legal limits by encouraging people to switch to cleaner vehicles or change how they travel.

No vehicles are banned from the zone, but older and more polluting vehicles must pay a daily charge to drive in a central area of Bristol.

E-bikes will also be available for hire

The new Green e-scooters

£11m

n FROM OUR MP

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer ...

SUMMER has always been synonymous with music, as the sound of festivals, carnivals and the BBC Proms fills the air.

You mightn’t know this, but music has played an important role in shaping my life. When I was at Portway School (now Oasis Academy Brightstowe), I benefitted enormously from the musical education that I received, and I’m convinced that it had a positive impact on my education more broadly.

I was fortunate to be able to learn to play the saxophone, perform in an orchestra and take exams in music theory for free, thanks to public funding at the time. This all comes at a cost these days, which means many children, especially those from state schools, don’t have these opportunities.

It was therefore music to my ears to hear Keir Starmer announce plans in July for a future Labour government to change the curriculum so that all young people have access to music education.

In other music news, in June I was on stage at Glastonbury! That’s right, the festival isn’t just about muddy fields, great music and camping – there’s a growing demand from festivalgoers for informative talks and debates, too.

I was in The Green Fields area of the festival to lead a panel discussion about the climate crisis: “Why does it always rain on me? Is it because Big Oil lied in the 1970s?” (It seems particularly

apt after such a wet and soggy July!)

The discussion delved into how big oil companies knew in the 1970s that their businesses would cause climate change, but they covered it up and shutdown early-stage innovation into solar and hydrogen power. We are now dealing with a world 1.1°C warmer – and it’s on track to hit 2.0°C above pre-industrial levels.

Our generation must get this right. If we fail, our children’s generation won’t be left to clean up our mess – they’ll be left to live in a world that is harsher, more insecure and ravaged by extreme weather.

Investing in renewables is the way forward to reach Net Zero, so I was more than happy to help launch a community-owned wind turbine in Avonmouth in June.

Against all the odds, the Ambition Lawrence Weston team not only financed and built a wind turbine that is producing green energy and generating profits to go back to the local community, but it’s the largest onshore wind turbine in England! They should feel incredibly proud of their achievement.

In another great example of community power, I would like to congratulate the 'We Love Stoke Lodge' team following the announcement that the Council has decided in their favour to designate Stoke Lodge as a village green.

The evidence was always clear, and it would have been much easier if Cotham School

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had worked with the community on shared access to and use of the field years ago. Regardless, many congratulations to the campaigners, not least Emma and Helen. There is still more work to be done, but I hope all the parties will now be able to move forward with a sense of cooperation, so that everyone can enjoy the use of this important green space.

Talking about making spaces more welcoming for all, in midJune I joined Bristol Dementia Action Alliance as they visited local businesses in another part of the constituency to discuss simple changes that would help customers with dementia.

People with dementia experience changes in how they perceive things, so a black mat placed by a store entrance, for example, can be misinterpreted as a hole that should be avoided. If you want to find out more about changes your business can make, please call Bristol Dementia Action Alliance on 0117 968 1002 or email office@bdaa.org.uk.

Ending on some exciting personal news, my wife, Lucy, is due to give birth to our third baby girl very soon. So, while Westminster winds down for the summer recess, I’ll be taking some parental leave. My office will remain open to help constituents (please use the same email and phone contacts as usual), and I’ll still be reachable if there’s anything urgent to deal with.

This means I won’t be running any events until autumn, which made it especially wonderful to

have such a great turnout for my Summer Coffee Morning at Henleaze Bowling Club. Thank you to everyone who came, and to the bowling club for hosting the event – and for giving me a few pointers on how to play lawn bowls!

If you need my help or have a question over the summer, you can get in touch with my office on email at darren.jones. mp@parliament.uk, by calling 0117 959 6545 or by writing to me at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

Darren Jones writes for the Voice

ADVERTORIAL

Warm Up, Skill Up

We are delighted to invite you to a series of workshops in Westburyon-Trym Library every Tuesday 7:30-9:00pm through Sept and early Oct, designed to guide you through the Domestic retrofit process and help you create a greener, warmer, and more comfortable home. The Warm Up Skill Up project aims to support residents to take low-cost shallow retrofit actions to improve your home, and these workshops are perfect for anyone interested in understanding the benefits and considerations of retrofitting, while taking initial steps towards to take low-cost shallow retrofit actions to improve comfort and reduce the energy costs & carbon emissions. From early September, we will be conducting a weekly six-workshop series on Tuesday evenings. Each workshop will cover different topics and provide valuable insights to support individuals on their retrofit journey. While we understand that not everyone may be able to attend all the workshops, they will be presented in a logical order, ensuring that participants gain comprehensive knowledge.

Workshop Schedule: Workshop: Getting Ready for Retrofit: Home Survey

1 Workshop: Home Survey types, identifying low-cost DIY actions you can take in your home "Shallow Retrofit" and "Deep Retrofit" and funding options

2 Workshop: Floors and Loft Insulation Choices

3 Workshop: Wall and Chimney Insulation

4 Workshop: Windows, Doors, and Conservatories

5 Workshop: Damp, Air Quality, and Home Ventilation

6 Workshop: Introduction to Heat Pumps & Renewable Energy in the home

To sign up for these Free workshops, please visit www. bristolenergynetwork.org/ workshops-in-westbury-ontrym. We encourage you to reserve your spot as soon as possible, as spaces may be limited. You can also leave a message on 07421 386113 to express interest if you do not have access to the internet. We will call to confirm if places are still available.

All workshops will be conducted with Rob Smart, Bristol Energy Network Retrofit Coordinator.

We are excited to provide you with the knowledge and resources to embark on your retrofit journey towards a greener and more comfortable home. Whether you are a homeowner, tenant, or simply interested in energy-efficient living, these workshops will equip you with valuable information and practical tips.

If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at Robert Smart robert.smart@ bristolenergynetwork.org or infor@bristolenergynetwork.org or call 07421 386113

We look forward to welcoming you to the workshops and supporting you on your path to a sustainable and cozy home.

The riders complete their ride which was inspired by Liv and Bea, now four years old, who were treated at Southmead NICU

Pedalling 990 miles in a week to say thank you to hospital

A GROUP of cyclists has completed a Land’s End to John O’Groats ride in just seven days to raise money for the care of premature babies in Bristol.

The 1600km (990 mile) LeJog marathon was led by Dorian Brown, who wanted to support the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Southmead Hospital after it saved the lives of his twin nieces. Olivia and Beatrice, known as Liv and Bea, were born 12 weeks early on Valentine’s Day 2019 weighing 4lb 4oz combined.

Dorian, who grew up in Horfield and attended and later taught at Patchway School, flew home from South Korea, where he now works, for the LeJog challenge, in which he was joined by friends Sam ‘Dutchie’ Arts, Jon ‘Baz’ Baron and Kendall Douglass. A fifth cyclist, Ivstan ‘Bullet’ Daek, reluctantly had to give up after the first day. The other members of the international team of riders completed the gruelling 220km a day and were joined for the final 280km by Jon’s 14-year-old son Patrick.

Dorian said the ride had been tough: most cyclists take 10-14 days to complete LeJog. The group pedalled together for 73 hours and each of them consumed 5,285 calories a day.

“It was more challenging both mentally and physically than we thought, but we got it done and saw some amazing landscapes along the way, we also raised some money for a great cause.”

His sister Melody, the twins’ mother, said: “You can always count on my brother to suggest some utterly crazy challenge to tackle, but he is a man of his word and he and the other guys totally smashed it. As a family we couldn't be more proud of them all.”

The riders have already raised more than £6,000 of their target £7,500 to buy three specialist monitors for the NICU so that more premature babies can have the same chance in life as Liv and Bea.

The girls spent 76 and 108 days on the unit before Melody and her husband Tim were able to take them home to Emersons Green. They are now thriving

and are looking forward to starting at Emersons Green Primary School in September.

Melody said: “The 'Angels in Blue' were a complete lifeline to us as a family when the girls were born - as they are to hundreds and hundreds of families every year. There will never be enough words to describe the care, compassion and love they provided to us all during those long and sometimes very dark 3½ months, but it's because of them that I am now able to call myself a mum. This is why we as a family wanted to give back just that little bit, to help them continue with the amazing work they do every day.”

Melody and Dorian’s mum Debbie Laurence and her husband Robert, former Bristol Rovers catering manager, drove a support vehicle donated by Autolyne Ltd at Aztec West.

Support also came from supermarket chain Morrisons, who gifted fruit, food wholesalers Chapple and Jenkins, who donated energy drinks and bars and Nailsea Financial Services, who contributed to the cost of

petrol for the support van.

Riverside Gym in Little Stoke provided two static bikes that Dorian Brown and Tim Russell rode all day on Sunday July 2 in the foyer of Asda at Cribbs Causeway to raise funds and awareness.

Debbie said: “This was very, very challenging and tough, but my lasting memory will be the sheer grit and determination of all the riders to complete the challenge.”

A senior nurse at the NICU said: “We are very grateful to the team for embracing the Land's End to John O’Groats challenge. The money raised will go towards purchasing monitors for our resuscitaires, which allow us to monitor vital signs of the smallest and sickest babies immediately from birth and provide them with the best possible care.”

To read more about the effort, visit Friends of LEJOG for Southmead Hospital NICU on Facebook. To contribute: https:// southmeadhospitalcharity. enthuse.com/pf/lejog

Made it! Dorian Brown, Patrick Baron Kendall Douglass, Jon Baron, Sam Arts

Reception 2024 TOURS

Reception 2024 TOURS

Is your child starting school in September 2024? At Henleaze Infant School we are invested in our children and our families, and we want to meet you!

Reception 2024 TOURS

Is your child starting school in September 2024?

IB success for Redmaids' High

STUDENTS in Year 13 at Redmaids’ High School have achieved strong results in the International Baccalaureate.

The school is delighted with the IB Diploma outcomes for all students, with the average point score across the cohort of 38. This compares with the UK average of 35 and the worldwide average of 30.

For the third year in a row one Redmaids’ High student achieved a perfect score of 45 points. Only 25 students in the UK this year achieved at this level, alongside around 250 =students worldwide. Two other students achieved scores of 40 or over.

The IB is taught in 159 countries and gives students the opportunity to study a wider range of subjects concurrently, demonstrating depth and breadth of knowledge.

To book onto one of our tours, please contact the school office. Henleaze Infant School, Park Grove, BS9 4LG 0117 377 2442 / https://www.henleaze-inf.bristol.sch.uk

At Henleaze Infant School we are invested in our children and our families, and we want to meet you!

school in September 2024? At Henleaze Infant School we are invested in our children and our families, and we want to meet you!

tours, please contact the school office. Park Grove, BS9 4LG https://www.henleaze-inf.bristol.sch.uk

To book onto one of our tours, please contact the school office. Henleaze Infant School, Park Grove, BS9 4LG 0117 377 2442

www.henleaze-inf.bristol.sch.uk

The IB students are looking forward to pursing a range of subjects at university including Popular Music Performance and Songwriting, Spanish and Politics, Psychology with Neuroscience and History or pursuing a gap year adventure.

IB coordinator at Redmaids’ High, Pete Brealey, said: “These are tremendous results for our students and we are incredibly proud of what they have all achieved. The grades they’ve received reflect the dedication and hard work they have shown consistently through their two years of study, and we wish them all the very best for the future.”

ACCELERATE YOUR LEADERSHIP CAREER

with the part-time Master’s in Strategy, Change and Leadership

This programme will enable you to:

• Sharpen your strategic vision and impact

• Learn from our world leading faculty team

• Network with fellow leaders in a diverse cohort

• Improve your ability to manage change and uncertainty

• Earn your degree whilst maintaining a good work-life balance by studying part-time over two years

• Gain your master’s qualification from a Top 10 UK University

LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE FOR SEPTEMBER 23 ENTRY

bristol.ac.uk/strategy-change-leadership-2023

Spreading Black Joy

STUDENTS at Fairfield High School have been taking part in a community project entitled Black Joy Trail.

It has been created to give children the opportunity to learn, through a ‘lens of joy’, about people, places and stories in their neighbourhood.

The six-week project’s aim was to enhance knowledge and widen students’ experiences beyond the stereotypical and thereby empower them to see themselves as ‘agents of change’. The following workshops formed the agenda: joyous words (poetry), joyous nature (horticulture), joyous entertainment (Ujima radio station), joyous technology (robotics), joyous food (cookery) and joyous art (mapping).

A pivotal figure in the project is Tanisha Hicks-Beresford, who says it strives to "redress what feels like a stream of negative stories in the news", describing it as “bringing

‘black joy” into the classroom.

"It's not just about racism, there's so much more to this world. You don't want our students to come out and just feel 'I'm oppressed'. They need to see themselves in the world,” she explains.

Cashan Campbell, assistant vice principal of Fairfield and leader of the project at the school, adds: “The Black Joy Trail has been hugely successful in educating and inspiring our students as they’ve delved deeper into their heritage. I’ve had the pleasure of watching their confidence grow week on week as they’ve experienced a wide variety of workshops.

`'Having lived in Bristol all my life it’s also meant a lot to me personally, as cultural exposure of this nature is integral to helping move Bristol forward in an inclusive and reparative way.”

@_joytrail on social media.

OUR COMMUNITY

A visit to the Bristol Robotics Lab was one of many joyous experiences for students on the trail

Sixth

Lauren, 14, wins karting championship

BRISTOL teenager Lauren

Dunleavy is celebrating after becoming Rookie Champion at the Castle Combe Junior Karting Championships in Wiltshire.

She is the first girl to win this trophy in the championship’s 25 year-plus history.

Fourteen-year-old Lauren started karting two years ago but only entered her first championships at the end of 2022.

Over several months

Lauren has competed across 10 rounds of the Castle Combe championship to secure the most points to win the rookie trophy as well a trophy for Highest Scoring Female. The championship, run by DriveTech, is based at the Castle Combe racetrack and attracts over 70 entrants every year. This year there were 32 “rookie” or “new” entrants, six of whom were girls, all hoping to win a place on the podium.

Drivetech’s Luke Cooper

said: “In her first season racing in the championship Lauren has really stood out, putting in some very impressive results: finishing in the top 10 five times, taking best place of 4th in round 9 and winning the rookie championship.”

Lauren’s mum Ingrid said: “The world of motorsports is not something we know much about but the team at Castle Combe

have been great in helping us understand how it all works. They test and train youngsters to make sure they’re competing at the right level and teach them how to drive safely within the rules of the sport."

Inspired by a chance encounter with professional female driver Jamie Chadwick at the Castle Combe track, Lauren’s ultimate dream is to drive at Formula 1 level. For now she hopes to continue at Castle Combe next season but also to try faster ‘race’ karts which will allow her to gain her race licence so she can compete at a higher level. This will come with a higher price tag as well as higher speed so she hopes to find sponsorship.

Lauren said: “I’m excited to try faster karts as well as electric karts. “I’m trying to learn as much as I can, as quickly as possible, to be in with a chance to compete at Formula 1 or Formula E level when I’m older.”

Lauren’s success comes a few weeks after the UK’s motorsports governing body announced a new Academy Programme to help decrease the gender bias in the world of motorsports. MotorsportUK hopes to seek out and encourage female talent between the ages 8-12 to help decrease the current disparity. At the moment only 5% of senior race licence holders are women.

Ingrid commented: “It’s a real shame that at the age of 14, Lauren won’t be able to make use of the new but we’re hoping that with a combination of talent, sponsorship support and luck, Lauren can still progress quickly through the ranks. It’s great that women are finally getting a look-in in a sport which has traditionally been maledominated. We shouldn’t even be talking about it. It shouldn’t be an issue.”

Follow Lauren on Instagram: Lauren’s Racing Instagram @l.dunleavy35

Get set for the 42nd Westbury Village Show!

PREPARATIONS for the 42nd Westbury on Trym Village Show are gearing up. It will once again be showcasing the interests and talents of local people at the Village Hall on Saturday September 2. Doors will be open to the public at 11am and we are pleased to announce that the show will be opened at 11.15am by Darren Jones MP. The presentation of trophies will be at 4.30pm.

The theme of this year’s show will be Harvest Time.

The Hall will be full of impressive displays of fruit, vegetables, flowers, cookery, art, crafts and photography. Once again, SusWoT (Sustainable Westbury on Trym) are sponsoring a video class. People are invited to submit a clip lasting up to ninety seconds, on the theme of ‘Harvest’.

As always, there will be classes for children and young people, including cookery, art, craft, colouring, handwriting, gardening and photography. This year there will be a new prize for children’s flower arranging entitled The Patricia Smith Award for Children Having Fun with Flowers which will be sponsored by the Henleaze Flower Arranging Club. The schedules contain further details of all the classes plus lots of ideas for creative minds and keeping children entertained during the

summer holidays.

Mindful of this year’s theme, we are delighted to be linked with Family Food Action, which is a non-political community-based charity. The Ardagh on Horfield Common acts as a collecting

Westbury on Trym

C of E Academy

NEEDS YOU!

Have you considered becoming a school governor?

• Would you like to help shape the future for the next generation?

• Do you have valuable skills you can offer?

hub that works with five partner organisations who provide meals and distribute donations to families in the North Bristol area. There will be a stall where there will be information about the charity’s vital work and, should visitors so wish, make donations of items or cash.

They would particularly appreciate donations of:

• Tea, coffee, long life milk, juices and squash

• Tinned foods, sweet and savoury snacks, biscuits, dried fruit

• Toiletries : Soap. Shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary products

• Baby items nappies, wipes, baby food. (Unfortunately, they are unable to accept fresh food, dairy products, homemade products or baby formula).

There will be a wide variety of stalls and games delicious food on offer and the Marshfield Band will add to the traditional atmosphere of the event.

Posters, flyers and schedules are widely available in a variety of locations around the village.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Carole Thorpe (Chairman)

• Would you like to get more involved in your local community? If this sounds like you, please get in touch. We’d particularly love to hear from anyone with a business background and/or experience in areas such as project management, finance, PR or marketing. Full training and support provided.

n NEWS FROM S us WoT

Otters and Water Voles in the Trym?

SusWoT as part of the Trout in the Trym, group commissioned Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) to survey the Trym looking for water voles. Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership kindly provided the funding.

In May an ecologist from BART came looking for signs of voles living in the Trym. Sightings have been reported and they were once common, they are now rare (red listed) in the UK. Spring is the ideal time to survey as the number of voles increases and they will be feeding hard and leaving signs of eating plants and leaving poo in latrine areas.

The riverbanks were thoroughly surveyed in the Sea Mills area and Badock's Wood. No sign of water voles was found. There was evidence of bank voles and brown rats. People may have seen the odd individual water vole passing through looking to find a new territory, but none have settled as the habitat is not quite right.

Good news, there was evidence of otters. These will be individuals passing through. They have big territories and visit different areas before moving on. We may never see them (they're careful to avoid people and dogs) but it's amazing to know they have been here. The trout, eels and roach in the Trym will know that too - and in fact this year there seem to be fewer trout and they are more wary than ever, possibly down to otter activity.

Removing Invasive Plants from the Trym

Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam are both found along the Trym and Hazel Brook. SusWoT can do nothing about Japanese Knotweed as it spreads so easily except report it to the council. The Balsam is now in flower, and it is important to stop it setting seed. Every Sunday through the summer members of SusWoT work to prevent the balsam setting seed by pulling

it up by the very shallow roots, breaking the stem of the plant and stamping on it to prevent it re-rooting. The amount of balsam is now vastly reduced, and it is hoped that all the balsam can be ‘bashed’ this year.

Air Source Heat Pumps and Home Insulation

SusWoT are working with the Bristol City Council, the Centre for Sustainable Energy and the Bristol Energy Network and others to help people improve their home insulation and install Air Source Heat Pumps. SusWoT will work to identify households suitable for the installation of ASHPs.

The Westbury-om-Trym Village Show is on Saturday September 2 and SusWoT will have a stall. There are three SusWoT classes: A plant or produce grown from SusWoT seeds or plants, a vegetarian dish where the main ingredient is home grown and a video maximum duration 90s on the theme of harvest.

To get involved with SusWoT, email suswot2050@gmail.com

Himalayan Balsam is taking a bashing in Westbury

Birds on your doorstep

THE summer months can be frustrating times for the keen birder. Our woodlands seem particularly empty at this time of the year. Where do the birds go?

They are still there but are no longer singing or displaying. Having done their breeding for the season they no longer have to hold territories. Making yourself visible is a dangerous business. They will also moult their worn out feathers ready for the trials of winter or migration. So keeping a low profile is a good idea. However, garden feeders can still attract family parties of Tits and Finches. You will notice their dull plumage compared to the bright colours of early Spring.

Looking up you may be lucky to see Swifts. The numbers over Bristol are far fewer than past years. There are not enough decrepit roofs to provide nesting sites. They leave quite early and they will be gone by the end of the month. Nonbreeding Red Kites are a regular, if infrequent, visitor to Bristol and one was seen over Bishopston not long ago.

Towards the end of the month you might get lucky with the odd migrant heading South. Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler will often pass through gardens with hedgerow cover. You might even get a Redstart or Reed Warbler, even in the middle of the city.

Alastair Fraser

Bristol Ornithological Club Avonbirding.blogspot.com

I ONCE wrote about an article about a 19th century predilection of educators to establish schools in the leafy suburbs of northwest Bristol, a tradition that continues today.

However I missed one of the largest and enigmatic undertakings – the boys' preparatory school called Wayneflete.

Established by the Reverend W.H. Wilkinson, he had named the school in honour of William Patten, alias Barbour, who adopted the name Wayneflete when he became Bishop of Winchester and founder of Magdalen College, Oxford, and Lord High Chancellor of England.

Wayneflete’s birthplace has been ascribed both to St James in Bristol and to the town of Wayneflete on the coast of Lincolnshire; as honoured as Bristol would have been, the latter explanation seems more likely. Nevertheless, whatever the Bishop’s origins, Reverend Wilkinson did build a preparatory school for boys on the site of what had been Vincent Lodge, (which explains the road name ‘Vincent’s Hill’ off Grove Rd).

The house had been built as the private

Mystery of the seventh crest

home of Jacob Wilcox Ricketts, a Bristol entrepreneur. Upon his death it passed first to Daniel Fripp and then in 1884 to Reverend Wilkinson, who demolished Vincent Lodge and built his large and imposing redbrick school on the site.

Opened in 1886, it was obviously intended to attract the sons of Bristol’s great and the good, who aspired to send their offspring to the equally great public schools of England. It was probably with this opportunity for publicity in mind that Reverend Wilkinson named the school, Wayneflete; though it could have been because he had been a member of the alumni of Magdalen College.

Although the name of the school has long gone, another aspect of his school’s publicity remains. Around the seven facets of the main three storey bay windows are terra cotta

crests of England’s public schools, for which the pupils were being prepared. So far Diane, my wife, and I have identified six of the seven crests. Clockwise from the side adjacent to the main entrance they are as follows: Shrewsbury, Marlborough, Rugby, Harrow, Charterhouse, Westminster. Can you identify the seventh? What of the school? After a relatively short time in 1897 it was sold to E.P Wills, who then gave it to the city for use as a convalescent home for Bristol’s hospitals. Opened with much fanfare, (literally) by Queen Victoria in 1899, in the 1950s it became a maternity hospital, then nurses' home and offices for the area health authority and in 2008 regional offices for Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd. (Queen Victoria House Redland No 1 Redland Hill, Bristol BS6 6US). whom I thank for permission to take the photographs.

Rising costs halt annual carnival

ST PAUL’S Carnival made a triumphant return in 2023 with more than 100,000 taking part in the event on July 1.

Organisers said the first carnival since 2019 had received been described by police and emergency services as the friendliest and safest ever.

But they announced that the next carnival would not be until 2025 because of the huge challenges of staging a large-scale free public event.

The 2023 carnival had a Learning from Legends theme, paying homage to its African Caribbean founders and marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush.

Festival executiuve LaToyah McAllisterJones said: “We are all buzzing from an incredible event. I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who came and made the day so memorable.

“We are very grateful for support from the Arts Council, Bristol City Council, and partner agencies across the city together with the community of St Pauls and our sponsors and supporters, without them the 2023 event would not have happened.

“Our attention now turns to the future and, as a fundraising arts organisation, we

still need to make people aware that it is only with public generosity and support that we can put this event on in the future.

“This year’s carnival also helped further test the viability of the current funding model and the challenges faced to generate enough funds year-on-year.

As a result, we now plan to stage a fullscale carnival every two years, with 2024

seeing the return to our community-led Back-a-Yard format which we successfully ran during the pandemic years. We will also continue our ongoing year-round initiatives, including our highly popular schools’ and education programme which forms part of Carnival 365.

“The event landscape has changed in this post Covid era, and we are seeing other nonticket events experiencing similar pressures to us. We thank everyone who donated and supported us this year, however, the reality is that only a very small proportion of people contribute compared with those who attend.

“We have to raise in excess of £250,000 – 50% of the cost to safely run an event of this scale in Bristol. As a free-to-attend street event which gets a small proportion of donations compared to other events in the city, we cannot sustain running the full carnival every year.

“Our message is clear – if you want St Pauls Carnival back on the streets in all its authentic glory – we need to recognise and accept its true cost and work together to make it happen.”

Donations can still be made at: www. stpaulscarnival.net/donate

Fairlawn School at St Paul's Carnival 2023

125 years as a centre of learning

FORMER pupils of Fairfield

Grammar School have marked the school’s 125th anniversary.

Members of the Old Fairfieldians’ Society gathered at the school in Montpelier, which is now home to Fairlawn Primary School and the Hospital Education Service.

Many memories were shared by the attendees, who enjoyed a tour of the Grade II listed building before having lunch, swapping reminiscences and poring over memorabilia. The afternoon ended with the cutting of a cake decorated with the school badge, its motto -Quanti est sapere: how great is wisdom - and three candles and balloons with the figures, 125, in the school colours.

OFS president Lynda Goss said: “We were awash with nostalgia. Although ages at the event ranged from 51 to 91, we had much in common as many

teachers spent most or all of their careers at Fairfield.”

She also commented:

“Although boys and girls had separate playgrounds when we were at school, it's amazing how many OFs married each other!”

Two days later four OFs attended an assembly at Fairlawn where the primary pupils asked questions, such as ‘Did you have a detention?’ ‘What were the school dinners like?’ ‘Were the teachers strict?’ One of the

visitors dressed up in her school uniform, to the amusement of the children and staff.

The following Saturday three OFs held a mini museum of memorabilia in a classroom at Fairlawn's Summer Fair. Again, this sparked great interest among parents and children, especially when they saw school reports, exam papers, panoramic photos and an Open Day programme from 1914.

The co-educational school, on a triangular site bounded by Falkland Road, Fairlawn Road and Fairfield Road, opened with 180 pupils in 1898 as a Higher Grade School before becoming Fairfield Secondary School in 1904. There were fees of £1 per term, rising to £1.75 in 1930 or £4 for students living outside the city boundary. A quarter of the places in the school were free for those who passed an entrance exam. Fairfield became a state grammar school in 1945 and was renamed Fairfield High School in 2000, by which time it had

become non selective. In 2006 staff and pupils moved to new premises in Allfoxton Road.

Fairfield’s most famous alumnus is Archibald Leach, who went on to become the film star Cary Grant. Leach was expelled in 1918 at the age of 14, for reasons that are open to speculation.

Fairlawn School, a state primary, now part of Venturers Trust, opened in 2015. Its headteacher Julie Molesworth welcomed the OFS visitors.

“It was a pleasure to host the Old Fairfieldians’ 125th anniversary event,” she said.

“We at Fairlawn are so privileged to be able to continue teaching and learning in this wonderful building and it was a delight to hear the stories of happy times spent in our classrooms over the decades.”

The Old Fairfieldians’ Society is holding its annual meeting at Fairlawn on Saturday September 9 at 11.15am. To find out more, visit oldfairfieldians.org.uk

Jouhan Forbes-Coper, who was at FGS from 1975-82, talks to Julie Molesworth, head of Fairlawn Primary School

Old Fairfieldians' Society members swap memories

Give your heart some love this summer

OVER 40? Come into Kellaway Pharmacy for an NHS BP Check to save your life

Kellaway Pharmacy is on a mission to prevent heart attacks and Strokes. We invite all local residents, even if you are not our regular patients, to come into Bedminster Pharmacy as soon as possible for a free NHS blood pressure check.

This NHS blood pressure check is for those over the age of 40 who have not been previously diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) and have not had their blood pressure measured by health professionals within the previous six months.

Takes about 10-15 minutes in the pharmacy consultation room with a trained pharmacy team member. Following this, you may be invited to take home a blood pressure monitor that measures your blood pressure as you go about your daily life.

Depending on your readings, you may be referred to your GP.

We also discuss healthy behaviours and lifestyle choices that help protect your heart.

Why is this new service so important?

Blood pressure is the force of your blood moving against the walls of your arteries. It is expressed as two numbers, one above the other. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a condition where your readings are raised; it needs to be controlled to reduce your risk of a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular disease.

In the UK, there are about five million adults (one in every nine) who have high blood pressure without even knowing it since high blood pressure itself rarely causes symptoms. You can have unknown genetic factors increasing your risk.

One in four premature deaths are

Hearing Checks and Ear Wax Removal

0117 9246579

18 Kellaway Avenue, Westbury Park, Bristol, BS6 7XR

caused in Bristol by Heart disease, and 1.6 million disability-adjusted life-years can be attributed to it. Heart Disease affects seven million people and is the second most common cause of premature death in England, after cancer.

The British Heart Foundation estimates that high blood pressure causes over 50% of heart attacks and strokes.

Together we can save lives and prevent disability. Make sure your friends and family know about this service and come in to access it. It is free, and all blood pressure readings are sent to the general practice so records can be updated and appropriate action is taken.

We know life is busy, and we all face daily pressures, especially as we navigate the high cost of living. Please accept this free offer – call us on 01179246579 or come in to find out more.

Hospice seeks drivers

ST Peter’s Hospice is looking for new volunteer drivers to help with transporting patients and loved ones to their appointments, visits and more.

Volunteer driver John, pictured above, says: “Driving seems a small thing, but it makes such a difference. People are always so thankful that we’re able to help them in this way. You meet some lovely people in this role from all ages and backgrounds – it’s great chatting with them as I drive.”

If this sounds like something you’d like to get involved with please visit St Peter’s Hospice website to find out more and register your interest: https://www.stpetershospice.org/hospicevolunteers

More bus lanes to ease Muller Rd delays

WORK could start next year on new bus lanes on Muller Road, which is said to be one of Bristol’s worst performing public transport routes.

Two sections are planned eastbound between Heath Road and Tackley Road, and between the railway bridge and Elmcroft Crescent. The new bus lanes would only be in operation at peak times.

An extra £388,000 has been pledged towards the project, councillors at a meeting of gthe West of England Combined Authority (Weca) have been told.

Councillor Kye Dudd, Bristol’s cabinet member for climate, said: “Something definitely needs to be done there so it’s welcome to see the funding for the bus lane. The 24 route is, I believe, still the worst performing bus route in the city in terms of punctuality - and goes along Muller Road.

“So it’s really welcome to improve the public transport option but also to alleviate congestion.”

New bus lanes were built further up Muller Road, which links Eastgate shopping centre with Horfield, earlier this year, as part of wider plans to upgrade the road network. A thousand new homes are planned for

Lockleaze, adding extra demand to public transport.

The new Ashley Down train station is also under construction just off Muller Road. It is expected to open in summer next year, prompting campaigners to call for the bus stops on Muller Road to be relocated.

Christina Biggs, from Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways, said: “Let’s make every single suburban railway station interchanged with buses at the railway station. It doesn’t quite happen at the moment, notably at

Filton Abbey Wood there’s a bit of a walk to get to the bus service.

“There are two bus stops near Ashley Down station on Muller Road. You can come in on one and the bus stop is near the station, but going the other way it’s quite a long walk. You’ve got an extensive walk up a long hill. Both routes should have stops in both directions near the station. It’s something you can get going with right now.”

Bristol City Council is responsible for where bus stops are located in its area at the moment, although this power will soon transfer over to Weca.

Metro mayor Dan Norris said the location of bus stops was “complicated”.

He told the meeting: “I was at Ashley Down this week and it’s coming on at pace. The platforms are now in and it’s ahead of schedule, which is fantastic. It’s due to be completed in February or March next year, and then hopefully within three or four months in next May or next summer it will actually open.

“But we do have to have it joined up.”

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Care

Care in your own home

Advice when taking a new lease

AMD’S Nick Middleton considers how saving legal costs when entering into a new lease could end up costing more in the long run

Advertising Feature

The gift that pays for itself

When you are taking the first steps of opening a new business or moving into new premises, it can be tempting to look to save on costs by not instructing a solicitor to help with negotiating the terms of the new lease. Entering into a new lease is a legal commitment for a number of years and is often a large investment of your businesses resources.

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 with AMD Solicitors

The unfortunate reality is that whilst trying to go it alone in the lease negotiations may reduce those initial outgoings by not incurring “unnecessary” legal costs, it could have longer lasting consequences which you may only realise towards the end of the lease term or when you are looking to move premises.

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.

with the lease negotiations they end up with issues further down the line. Whether this is because their lease has not been registered, there are onerous break conditions which need to be fulfilled in order to terminate the lease, a Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) return has not been filed and SDLT has not been paid or the tenant has contracted their lease outside of the security of tenure provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act without realising the implications of this. In the absence of a schedule of condition evidencing the condition as at the date of the lease, if the property is in a poor state of repair, the tenant could also end up with a large dilapidations bill at the end of the term in order to bring the property up to the standard of repair required by the lease. Dilapidations claims can run into the £1000s and as such this could have a damaging effect on a business’s cash flow.

property to make sure you can lawfully use it for your intended use, but we will discuss with you your longer term plan for the property to ensure you are able to transfer your lease in the future or to ensure that you are able to terminate your lease early in the event you no longer need the premises due to business expansion or contraction.

How leaving money to charity can save you Inheritance Tax

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.

We will also work alongside your accountants to make sure the lease is structured properly and obtain their advice as to whether it is beneficial to have the lease in the name of a limited company or a partnership.

members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the leading professional body in this field. We offer a free initial consultation for new clients.

the transaction and to make your move into your new premises as smooth as possible.

Unfortunately, more often than not when tenants choose not to instruct a solicitor to deal

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

Not only will one of our commercial property solicitors be able to advise you on matters you had potentially not considered, but they will also be able to handle negotiations for you to minimise any stress throughout

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.

Our commercial property team will review the terms of the lease and advise you on those matters which could have a financial impact upon your business in the longer term. We will ensure your business is protected and we will help guide you throughout the transaction to make sure you avoid any potential pitfalls. We will investigate the title to the

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.

If you have recently entered into a new lease without taking legal advice, it is still worth having one of our commercial property solicitors review your lease to advise on any potential issues with it and how you can minimise these in the longer term.

If you have any concerns regarding a new lease that you have entered into or are in the process of negotiating, please contact the commercial property team on 0117 973 3989 or email info@amdsolicitors.com or call into one of our four Bristol offices.

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

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.

Copyright AMD Solicitors

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

Free bus travel offer is up and running

HAVE you applied for your free month of birthday travel?

If yes - fantastic - and thank you! If notplease head to www.birthdaybus.co.uk.

There’s nothing to lose and lots to gain.

So, what is Birthday Buses? In simple terms, I’m proud to offer all West of England residents the chance to ride the buses of our region for free throughout the whole of their birthday month. There’s no limit on the number of journeys you can make, or the time of day. So, what are you waiting for?

Importantly, Birthday Buses helps your pocket during this frightening cost-of-living crisis. But it is also a serious plan to get our region moving and tackle the climate emergency.

I’m very keen to see new people become bus passengers.

The latest figures show that the vast majority of people who used to travel on buses before Covid are doing so again.

But - and here’s the catch - they are making fewer journeys.

If you think about it, it makes sense. People are working from home more; doing more online shopping and there are more virtual appointments for things like speaking to a GP.

Confidence

Would you like to:

Feel stronger and more energetic

Feel more physically capable

A lot of people I work with are frustrated that activities and normal daily tasks that they never gave a second thought about before, now feel hard or even impossible.

Various aches and pains and niggles have set in and they feel let down or disappointed by their body

They start to feel anxious about doing certain things which then leads to less movement, which then leads to more aches and pains and it’s a vicious cycle.

Activities may mean being able to run or getting on a paddle board but most often it means keeping up with the kids/grandkids; being able to carry heavy shopping bags or joining in with family walks and activities.

So, passenger journey numbers are down and that means less fare income coming in. That’s not sustainable.

Birthday Buses is designed to encourage new people to hop on the bus and try it out - for a regular commute, to go to the shops, or to spend their weekends enjoying the amazing attractions of our region. Because I think if you try buses, you might like them.

Other places in the UK have tried free bus travel for a day, or a weekend, but this is different. A day isn’t enough to make or break a habit. But a month? Hopefully.

We have thought about this carefully. The month of your birthday seemed a great time to give you a free travel gift, but I’ve also worked closely with bus companies.

The phased nature of Birthday Buses means you won’t face overcrowded buses. We also need to make sure it’s definitely you applying, so please have a passport-style digital photo ready to apply at www.birthdaybus.co.uk.

A staggering 44% of our carbon emissions come from transport, and fewer than one in ten regional commutes are made on public transport.

Worse, there are a shocking 300 preventable

Colin 73yrs, has always been active; hiking, swimming and cycling. However, things were getting more difficult…

“My main goals were to improve my strength, especially upper body, and to work on balance as I have a weakness in this area as a result of surgery many years ago.”

“I have been very pleased with the progress I have made with Polly. I am much more confident around issues of balance. “

The biggest changes I have seen are an improvement in stamina and confidence: I never hesitate to go for a long walk or a long cycle ride because I know I am now capable of it.”

“Polly really cares about her clients. She is endlessly encouraging, constantly seeks feedback from me, remembers what difficulties or pain I might have had. She always has alternative exercises to try if one is too difficult or painful.”

“It is transformative and liberating in a way I would not have expected. Polly pushes you to achieve in the nicest possible way!”

Have you found that you’ve stopped doing the things you enjoyed and not even realised?

premature deaths due to air pollution annually. Getting people to use the car less and use the bus more is key to reaching our ambitious 2030 net-zero target here in the West, and it will reduce traffic and delays that cost our local economy £300 million a year.

Finally, I want to put our region on the map. Birthday Buses is doing just that.

We’re the envy of England, with Bus Users UK calling it “brilliant”.

So please sign up now at www.birthdaybus. co.uk and tell your friends, family and workmates.

And may I wish everyone many happy returns - and singles!

Or want to make sure you can carry on doing the things you love? Do you avoid getting on the floor to play with the kids as you’re worried you’ll not get up again?!

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice

Kids go free this summer at Brunel’s ss Great Britain

This year marks 180 years since the SS Great Britain was launched into Bristol harbour – changing global travel forever.

To celebrate, Brunel’s SS Great Britain are welcoming children 16 years and under for free this summer when you book tickets online.

Highlights include an exciting new food trail – ‘Birthday Banquet Blunder’ – where families can follow a series of clues hidden throughout the ship. The trail will teach children about the food that passengers would have eaten on board.

Iona Keen, Head of Interpretation at Brunel’s SS Great Britain said:

“The new ‘Birthday Banquet Blunder’ family trail is a fun way of showcasing the sights, sounds and smells of a

Victorian voyage. And there’s a culinary twist to tie in with our 180th anniversary this summer – families can help solve party preparation blunders, all based on real life events that happened on board the ship.”

Visitors can also step back in time by peering through a pair of augmented reality binoculars that will transport them to 1843. Created by Zubr, a leading augmented reality studio based in the South West, the experience will allow visitors to see the ship and the floating harbour as they were 180 years ago.

Book a visit between 19 July and 3 September to redeem the ‘Kids Go Free This Summer’ offer. Terms & conditions apply. www.ssgreatbritain.org/

summer

Celebrations of city's culture at the double

THE Duke and Duchess of Gloucester paid a visit to Bristol to mark two important anniversaries: Bristol 650 and the Bicentenary of Bristol Museums.

This year marks 650 years since King Edward III granted important rights and privileges to Bristol by royal charter in 1373.

The museum is celebrating 200 years since the Bristol Institution for the Advancement of Science, Literature and the Arts its doors at 31 Park Street.

The Duke and Duchess viewed a new exhibition, Opulent Origins: 200 Years of Displaying Fine Art, which reimagines exhibitions hosted by Bristol Museum in the 1820s.

They were also guided around other exhibitions that demonstrate the breadth of the museum’s offer.

Bristol residents, artists and supporters of the museum were invited to meet the royal guests, who were also treated to a short dance performance by the South Gloucestershire Chinese Association.

Lord Lieutenant Peaches Golding said: “It was an honour to welcome Their Royal Highnesses to Bristol and to have the opportunity to share the rich history of our glorious city and county.”

Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Paul Goggin, said: “This year marks two important moments in the city’s history that have helped shaped the Bristol we know today. The depth of the city’s history is demonstrated in the 650 year anniversary of receiving our royal charter from King Edward III, whilst the bicentenary of the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery reminds us of our commitment as a city to acknowledge and learn from the past.”

Councillor Craig Cheney, Deputy Mayor of Bristol and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Finance, Performance, Governance and Culture, said: “Our vibrant programme of exhibitions and events demonstrate the broad range of experiences the museum and art gallery offers visitors. This work is made possible thanks to the many vital contributions the museum receives from local people of all ages, universities and our many supporters, and it was a pleasure to offer the opportunity for Their Royal Highnesses to share today’s visit with them.” The original museum, built in 1823 on 31 Park Street, showed natural history, geological specimens and cultural artefacts from all over the world, as well as art exhibitions.

A year later, in 1824, the Institution’s Sub Committee for the Fine Arts was formed. On June 19 their first exhibition, ‘Pictures by Old Masters’ was opened, costing one shilling (around £5 today) for a single entry. The Sub-Committee would come to organise at least six fine art exhibitions between 1824 and 1831.

Today’s Bristol Museum & Art Gallery was built in 1905 to display the growing collection, particularly art and antiquities.

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is one of the most popular attractions in the region and welcomes over 400,000 visitors annually. The museum is free to enter and open Tuesday - Sunday, 10am – 5pm.

Win a free holiday read!

THE paperback edition of local author Emily Koch's third novel has just come out - and one lucky Voice reader will receive a free copy!

What July Knew is described as a moving mystery about family secrets, grief and growing up. The central character is a ten-year-old girl who knows 18 facts about her mother's death - but finds many surprises in her search for the truth.

The story takes place in the summer of 1995 and will stir many memories for those who were around at that time. Emily, who lives in Bristol with her husband and two daughters, wrote it during the Covid lockdown and told the Voice earlier this year that it had been her escape into "a world of lava lamps, Judy Blume novels, Flumps, and The Body Shop White Musk perfume."

Unlike Emily's first two books, If I Die Before I Wake and Keep Him Close, which are both set in Bristol, this one is based in Devon. Whether the West Country or foreign shores are your destination, it is a great holiday read.

Anyone who would like a copy should email news@ henleazeandwestburyoice.co.uk with What July Knew in the subject line and provide a name, address and phone number by August 25. All entries will be put into a draw and a winner will be selected at random.

n BOOK REVIEW

To Throw Away Unopened

by Viv Albertine

Review by Bob Deacon of Bishopston Library

VIV Albertine is a musician, singer, songwriter, director and author. She is best known as the guitarist for the punk band The Slits. To Throw Away Unopened is her memoir. The text is interspersed with passages in bold type containing her thoughts and recollections, as she sits at the hospital bedside of her dying mother Kathleen, accompanied by her daughter Vida and her sister Pascale.

Viv takes the reader back and forth through her life, chronicling her childhood, her marriage and divorce, her cancer diagnosis and recovery, her infertility treatment and her relationships with her mother, her daughter and her sister. We hear about the lovely time that Viv and her mum spend together, celebrating her mother’s

Children's challenge

CHILDREN in Westbury and Henleaze are among hundreds across the city and beyond who are taking part in the 2023 Summer Reading Challenge. It’s a free event that encourages children to read six books over the summer holidays. The challenge is proven to significantly improve children’s reading confidence, making sure they are ready for their return to school in the autumn. Last year, nearly 4,000 children took part in Bristol. This year, The Reading Agency has teamed up with up with children’s charity, the Youth Sport Trust, for the challenge's theme: Ready, Set, Read!, which features 55 diverse titles.

The paperback edition of What July Knew has an eye-catching new design

Register to take part at your nearest library. As children read library books, they will receive stickers, and will be rewarded with a medal and certificate at the end. Young readers can also take part online with the digital challenges.

last xmas, despite having to throw away the turkey which was found to be raw when cut open. We jump back to Viv age 12, when her mum asks her and her sister if they preferred to take in lodgers to the family home or move to a council flat on the departure of her father. We hear how she used the two hundred pounds she received following her grandmothers death to purchase a guitar enabling her to start her musical career. Viv contends that one of the reasons why she and many other women of her generation became feminists was that they were brought up by repressed and unhappy women who had become adults during the war, had learnt new skills, tasted independence and then had to dissolve back into the shadows and watch from behind their ironing boards as the sixties unfolded. She points out that all the members of The Slits had absent fathers, enabling

them to fight every obstacle with a zeal that would have been impossible otherwise. Viv acknowledges that her mother was instrumental in helping her become a strong independent woman by never stopping encouraging her to try, fail and to take risks and by applauding her exploits, instructing her to never rely on a man, to make sure she was financially independent and to never let a man own her. This is a riveting, brutally honest memoir

with Viv detailing her fractious relationship with her sister, her disastrous dates and unsatisfying sexual encounters as well as the joys and challenges of being a single mother. If you are not already a library member, please visit us at 100a Gloucester Road and obtain a library card giving you free access to two million books including this engaging memoir.

Opening Hours

Henleaze Library 0117 9038541

Mondays 11am-5pm

Tuesdays 11am-5pm

Wednesdays 1pm-7pm

Thursdays 11am-5pm

Fridays 1pm-7pm

Saturdays 10am-5pm

Westbury Library (Staffed) 0117 9038552

Mondays 2pm-7pm

Tuesdays 11am-4pm

Wednesdays 11am-4pm

Thursdays 11am-4pm

Fridays 11am- 4pm

Saturdays 11am- 4pm

19 July to 3 September

KIDS GO FREE THIS SUMMER

From 19 July, Brunel’s SS Great Britain are welcoming children 16 years and under for free when you book tickets online. Highlights this summer include a brand new family food trail, AR binoculars and a cricket display. ssgreatbritain.org/summer

19 August

n BLAISE COMMUNITY GARDEN, behind Blaise Museum, open Wednesday and Saturday 10-2. Originally a walled kitchen garden. Free to enter. We’re looking for new volunteers. Our Café serving homemade cakes will be open 10-2 on 19 August and 16 September.

19 August

n EVENING OF MEDIUMSHIP WITH PSYCHIC MEDIUM VAL WILLIAMS, 7pm at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Tickets £10. Tickets on sale at the church or contact Marian Bishop on 0117 977 1629 marianbishop@ talktalk.net.

21 August

n HENLEAZE SENIOR FILM CLUB at 2pm. Ticket to Paradise (12A) A divorced couple team up and travel to Bali to stop their daughter making the same mistake they did 25 years ago. Starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts.Tickets: £4.00 including refreshments. Carers welcome, easy access

For more information, please call 0117 435 0063.

St. Peter’s Hall, The Drive, Henleaze BS9 4LD

Regular events

Various days

n WEST OF ENGLAND BRIDGE CLUB based at RAFA Club, 38 Eastfield, Henleaze. Five sessions every week, catering for different standards. Thursday afternoon is Improvers. Monday and Friday afternoon is for more capable players; this is an EBU recognised session. You may come alone to any afternoon session; a partner will be found. The evening sessions are on Wednesdays and Fridays, and are open to pairs. www.woebridgeclub. co.uk or contact Secretary, Chris Frew, on 0117 962 5281.

Monday

n PLAY BOWLS at Canford Park in a friendly, social atmosphere. Qualified coaches and equipment provided.

Contact: Les on 07305695579

n WESTBURY SINGERS: if you enjoy singing, we invite you to join our friendly, non-auditioned, 4 part choir, in term-time on Monday evenings 7.30p.m. - 9.30p.m.at Reedley Road Baptist Church. Please email the Secretary: gwenalwakeel@yahoo.co.uk.

n DICKENS SOCIETY. 7pm, at Leonard Hall, Henleaze URC, Waterford Rd, Bristol BS9 4BT. Talks, costumed readings, book club and social events. New members welcome. See www. dickens-society.org.uk or phone Roma on 0117 9279875 for further details.

n WESTBURY AND CLIFTON AREA DISCUSSION GROUP meet at Westbury on Trym Baptist Church every Monday 9.45am to challenge ourselves with topical debate on what’s happening in the world. If you would like to help to solve some of today's challenging issues with good company, tea and biscuits - contact James Ball 01454 415165 or Ian Viney 0117 9501628.

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 WESTBURY PARK WOMEN’S INSTITUTE meets on the first Tuesday of every month in the Girl Guide Hut on Westmorland Road from 7.009.30pm. We are an active and friendly group with a varied programme plus extra sessions for craft, coffee, book clubs, walks etc. Visitors are always welcome and for more information do call Sue on 07813795936 or email westburyparkwi@gmail.com

n SCOTTISH DANCING to GET FIT and HAVE FUN with Westbury Scottish Country Dancing Club.

Classes for beginners (Email: maggiekirkup@gmail.com) and more advanced dancers (Tel: Cheryl 0117 4012416) at St Peter’s Church Hall, Henleaze, Tuesdays 7.30 to 9.30 pm. Details at www. westburyscottish.org.uk

n COMPANION VOICES BRISTOL is recruiting new members We are a 'threshold choir' actively 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 soothing and uplifting 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 or support us in this work, contact Valerie on bristol@companionvoices. org. Visit www.facebook.com/CompanionVoicesBristol and www.companionvoices.org.

n WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP meet on Tuesday mornings at Westbury-onTrym Methodist Church, 10.30amnoon. An interesting programme of speakers; come along to make friends. For more details, ring Kate 07905 064720.

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 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.

Wednesday

n BCCS (BRISTOL CATHEDRALCHOIR SCHOOL) CHORAL SOCIETY meets at Henleaze Bowling Club, Grange Court Road, Wednesdays 7.30 to 9pm. A small, unauditioned choir singing varied music. New members welcome. For info, contact Kathy, 0117 949362 www.bccschoralsociety. org.uk/

n BLAISE COMMUNITY GARDEN, behind Blaise Museum, open Wednesday and Saturday 10-2. Originally a walled kitchen garden. Free to enter. We’re looking for volunteers. Our Café (+ homemade cakes) open 10-2, 18 March and 8 April.

n KNITNATTERSTITCH meet on Wednesdays (term time only) 10-12 @ Henleaze United Reform Church’s coffee bar. For more information contact Paula at knitnatterstitch @gmail.com

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 WELCOME WEDNESDAY Friendly and free coffee afternoon on the last Wednesday of the month, 2-3.30pm at The Beehive Pub, Wellington Hill West, BS9 4QY. Meet new people, have fun, and find out what’s happening in your area. Call 0117 435 0063.

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

Thursday

n LOCAL CHOIR ACTIVELY RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS. We meet at Stoke Bishop CE Primary School, BS9 1BW on Thursday, 7.45 - 9.15pm. We are a well-established mixed choir performing both sacred and secular music. See website www.henburysingers.org contact secretary at secretary@henburysingers.org.

n HENLEAZE FLOWER CLUB

welcomes new members for the start of their exciting 22/23 Programme of floral design demonstrations. Annual membership £52. Demonstration meetings on 2nd Thursday of the month 2pm Bradbury Hall,Waterford Road, Henleaze and begin at 2pm. Plus optional Practice Classes on 4th Thursday. Visitors welcome. We meet every month except December and August. Please contact Jenny York, Club Chair yorkjenny2@yahoo.com or phone/text 07880 700270.

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 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 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 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, contact Marian Bishop 0117 9771629 or visit www.westburyparkspiritualistchurch. org

n LADIES KEEP FIT 10am at St Peter's Church Hall Henleaze £7. A full body & mind workout & with a dance element :- a great class to keep you fit, healthy & mobile. Suitable for all. Email laili@tiscali.co.uk to book. Full

information on the website :- www. exercisewithlailibrooks.com

Friday

n HENLEAZE BOWLING CLUB.

Come along at 5.45pm on Fridays to see if bowling could be the sport for you. Coaching available. Experienced bowlers welcome. Situated in Grange Court Road, by Newman Hall. This is a friendly Club with good bowling facilities and social events throughout the year. Phone, Tom Logan, on 0117 962 1669 or email hbcsec@henleazebowlingclub.org.uk for further details.

n U3A SCRABBLE GROUP meets at the Beehive pub , Wellington Hill West, on Fridays from 2 to 4pm. We are a very friendly non competitive group and welcome new members. For more information, please contact Heddy tel 07534717254/ email

Publicise your event

Golden Hill WI opens

A NEW Women’s Institute has opened in BS6.

It meets on the first Wednesday of the month at Golden Hill Sports Ground, BS6 7YA from 1-3pm.

An afternoon slot was chosen to fit with school hours and encourage those who find evening meetings difficult to attend.

The September speaker is Jacqs Graham from Tread Softly Productions. She is also a member of the local Kelvin Players group and an English teacher and will be doing interactive drama.

Visitors are welcome. They can try a meeting for £6. Membership costs £46 for a year.

To find out more email president Pam Scull at goldenhillwi@gmail.com

Unicorns at large!

BRISTOL is going unicorn crazy this summer as a new charity art trail gets into full swing.

Sixty statues of the mythical creatures have been sited across the city for Unicornfest, which is raising money for Leukaemia Care.

They have been decorated by local artists as part of Bristol’s 650th anniversary celebrations.

Dozens of smaller unicorn ‘foals’ painted by school children have also gone on display. Many of these, including those from Sefton Park, Cotham, Elmlea and Henleaze Junior schools, are on display at IKEA.

The trail lasts nine weeks, until early September. Paper maps are available at a number of sites across the city and a pdf copy can be downloaded from the Unicornfest website. There is an app too.

Donations can be made by scanning QR codes on the unicorns or by texting the word UNICORNFEST to 70580 to donate £5.

Here is the unicorn at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. We'd love to see photos of our readers with this and other unicorns in the area. Send your pics to news@ henleazeandwestburyvoice. co.uk and we'll publish as many as we can in our Sept edition.

n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Changing the culture of policing

LAST month, Chief Constable Sarah Crew made an announcement regarding institutional racism in Avon and Somerset Police.

This is about vital work to change the culture of policing, following the results of many reviews and reports, including those conducted by Macpherson and Casey, which also looks at wider issues of misogyny, homophobia and general police conduct and standards.

Culture change is not something that happens overnight: it takes a minimum of five to ten years and involves looking at many areas within the service.

This includes improving our vetting and selection processes, retention, and progression of staff, how police complaints are handled and, crucially, the training given to the workforce within the wider police family.

I have let the chief constable know I support her and have full confidence in her leadership.

This is a challenging issue to face. However, through initiating

and continuing these uncomfortable and difficult conversations, the chief constable is demonstrating openness, courage and willingness to be held accountable by the communities that she and our police officers and staff serve.

It’s important to note that institutional racism is not just about policing alone.

Policing is one element of the criminal justice process and, as the chair of the Local Criminal Justice Board, this is about our joint work with the wider criminal justice system (CJS) agencies like the Crown Prosecution Service, courts, prisons and probation to tackle racial disproportionality within our respective organisations.

Such work is already underway, with the recommendations in the Identifying Disproportionality in the Avon and Somerset Criminal Justice System report.

I will continue to update you on this area of work and, as your PCC, support the scrutiny and accountability of the chief constable on these issues, as Avon and Somerset

Police continues towards its vision to deliver outstanding policing for all of our communities.

Moving on, Avon and Somerset Police has joined all five police forces and PCCs in the South West and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) as part of the region’s ongoing work to target and disrupt organised crime groups harming our communities through drug supply.

Avon and Somerset Police is the top out of all forces for the number of operations focused on drug supply disruptions; all five police services in our region are in the top 10, and have been for the past two years.

In Avon and Somerset, officers have seized over £3 million worth of cannabis and arrested 20 people in relation to crimes linked to the illegal cultivation of the plant.

This operation continues to go from strength to strength. We collectively continue to make our communities safer by targeting the criminals bringing drugs and violence to our region, as well as protecting the vulnerable they seek to exploit, as

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford

workers or as users of the drugs they supply.

Taking a regional approach really does make a difference, so much so that the number of county lines in our region is decreasing, as criminals are having to change the way they operate.

The message is clear: the South West is no place for drugs or drug dealers.

News and views from our city councillors

St Christopher's School

I have written about the St Christopher’s School planning application here for the last few months, so just a quick update to say that we expect the application to be decided by a planning committee on the 9th August. We expect that officers will recommend refusal, and we will be supporting that recommendation. I will report back next month on what happens.

No. 2 Bus Route Project

Readers with long memories may recall a consultation that the Council put out at the beginning of 2022 about some proposed changes along the no. 2 bus route across Bristol. Confusingly they call this the A37/ A4018 project, even though it uses neither of those roads in our ward!

The consultation results were finally published this May, with detailed proposals for the City Centre but nothing to say what was proposed in Henleaze. We

have now had a meeting with officers to find out more. There isn’t space here to list everything, but we’ve been told for example that the proposals to close off the ends of Lake Rd and Henleaze Gardens aren’t expected go ahead, but they are still planning to mostly close the end of Holmes Grove, allowing only the left turn out onto Henleaze Road.

Most alarmingly, discussions about a bus gate on North View, which would stop all non-bus traffic from turning off the White Tree roundabout have re-emerged. This was an idea which we campaigned against and got removed from the original set of proposals in 2022, but it now seems to be on the cards again. We will continue to oppose this, and will keep you posted as we learn more.

If you’d like to know about any other of the proposals that were in the original consultation, please contact me and I’ll be happy to share what I know. We don’t expect any actual decisions to be made until at least Spring 2024, so nothing is

certain until then.

Stay in Touch

We hold regular monthly community forum meetings via Zoom, which are an opportunity for you to hear a little about what we’ve been doing, but more importantly to ask questions, raise any concerns and share local information. The next one will be on the 6th September. Please visit http://tiny. cc/WandHSep23) to register in advance.

You can contact me by email on cllr.steve. smith@bristol.gov.uk, or phone on 07769 285266. I also try to post regular updates on my Facebook page at fb.com/ CouncillorSteveSmith. We publish regular email updates – please contact me if you’d like to be added to the mailing list for these.

Building Excellence

Our local, reliable, friendly and trustworthy team of specialist tradesmen can manage all aspects of your home from simple refurbishments to complete building projects.

News and views from our city councillors

West of England Combined Authority. I was recently re-elected as Chair of the WECA Audit Committee. The challenges of that role are enormous. WECA has a lengthy list of problems and a Transformation Programme that is challenging in the extreme.

WECA has published its draft accounts on its website. These have not been approved by anybody yet, but they show that WECA employed 2 Chief Executives since December 2022 and appears to still be doing so. I am pressing to find out how much this whole process is costing and when the issue is going to be resolved.

Bristol has its own problems. We are still waiting for a further update on the Bristol Beacon, not to mention a long-term resolution to Bristol Waste's management problems and ongoing staffing problems

I chair the finance task group on the City Council and we have been involved in the back bench scrutiny of the proposal to charge an additional £3m of Council Tax for up to 23,000 of the most financially vulnerable families in Bristol. The Consultation runs until late August, so please take your opportunity to respond. (Search for CTRS Consultation).

Meanwhile, we are making progress on the new Committee system that will replace the Mayor in May next year. There will be 8 committees covering all the main policy areas of the City. Committees will make all the decisions currently made by the Mayor and Cabinet but will be voted on by all members of the committee rather than just one person making the decision. The decision will be taken by a vote of each committee made up of Councillors from across the city.

Get your Garage into Shape!

Terms of reference and procedural rules, which are essential to making the system work, are available if you want more detail. Most of all, Councillors from all parties will have to work together to make this system succeed.

Our next online Zoom Forum open to all is on Tuesday 5th September at 7pm, go to http://tiny.ccWandHSep23. The next date will be on 10th October. If you need help on any matter to do with Bristol City Council, email me Cllr.geoffrey.gollop@bristol.gov.uk or phone me on 0117 9039946

Geoff Gollop (Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze)

n TURNER'S VISION

100 blogs strong

Well, here we are, our 100th blog for the Voice!

If I’m honest, I never imagined I’d still be writing into 3 figures, or that what I’d have to say could run to 50,000 or so words. But the world of optometry is ever-changing so there is always plenty to talk about.

“How can we help you?”

In every town you will always find a number of opticians vying for your business so it can be easy to assume they are all much of a muchness when it comes to deciding who you are going to trust to care for your eye health.

So, for this blog, I thought I’d try to offer some clarity here for you by referring again to my favourite question, ‘How can we help you?’ which is really the best way to understand the different levels of service available. It’s also the question that epitomises the ethos of our Optometry Practice. We’re here to help all of you who choose to book to see us.

So what do we offer that’s different?

We give you time

You should never feel that you have to rush an explanation or that your optician isn’t really interested in what you have to say. At Turners Opticians we value giving you the time to explain any concerns you may have about your eyes and vision. We also give you the time it takes to explain our findings and what they mean to you.

We’re investing in your eye health

In recent years, we’ve been upgrading our sophisticated equipment, to ensure we’re even better placed to continue developing the eye care services you can receive when you visit Turners Opticians. We firmly believe in preventative health care, and deliver this for you through first-class eye care.

Specialist Dry Eye Treatment

Most recently we’ve added Eye-Light, which is a truly revolutionary treatment for those of us who experience dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction. It’s a comfortable, relaxing treatment that takes 5-10 minutes and can give life-changing relief from dry eye from just a few treatment sessions.

Patients' trust

One of the most frequent things patients feedback to us is that they leave feeling reassured about their eye health and vision, which really is a huge thing for us. The satisfaction of our patients does mean so much to each of our team, who genuinely care about our patients & their eyes.

At Turners Opticians, we want to help you, to see as clearly as you can, to understand your eyes & vision and to be reassured that you’ve seen an expert. To book an eye care appointment or view our glasses range, call our Henleaze team on 0117 962 2474 or Fishponds team on 0117 965 4434, or you can visit our website www.TurnersOpticians.co.uk and book your appointment online.

Peter Turner is an Independent Prescribing Senior Optometrist at Turners Opticians in Bristol, who also works as a Senior Medical Optometrist at Bristol Eye Hospital. Peter has a specialist interest in visual development and visual performance.

FINANCE

With Richard Higgs BA (hons) CFP FPFS

Harold Stephens

50 High Street, Westbury on Trym, Bristol BS9 3DZ

T: 0117 3636212

Can my family inherit my pension?

Many people want to leave their assets to their children or other loved ones, and passing on your pension plan is now one of the most tax-efficient ways to do this.

In the UK, your pension does not usually form part of your estate, meaning that it can be passed on to your family without being subject to inheritance tax. For this reason, pension savings are not usually covered in a Will. For other investments held outside of your pension, you can include them in your Will and inheritance tax planning accordingly.

You will need to nominate who you want to inherit your pension by filling out a form with your

pension provider, usually called an ‘expression of wish’ form. You can choose to nominate as many people or charities as you like and decide the portion each of them should receive. It is important to review your nomination regularly, especially if your circumstances change.

On your death, if you haven’t yet accessed your pension, or if you had been taking an income or made lump-sum withdrawals, your beneficiaries will usually have two options for receiving your pension wealth: to receive it as a lump sum or convert it into their own name.

If converting the pension into their own name, they can either

exchange the value of it for a regular secure income called an annuity, or keep it invested. An annuity provides a regular, secure income for their lifetime, while the latter allows them to withdraw an income as needed and pass on any remaining pension savings to future generations on their death.

If you purchased a lifetime annuity, the payments usually cease on death unless you made different arrangements when purchasing it. Sometimes these additional arrangements allow you to pass on your annuity to chosen beneficiaries.

If you die after the age of 75, any withdrawals your beneficiaries

make from your pension will normally be subject to income tax.

Pensions can have many rules which can be complex and confusing. If you have any doubt about what may happen to your pension or questions about making an efficient inheritance tax plan, book a complimentary financial review with our independent financial advisers. Call 0117 3636 212 or email office@haroldstephens. co.uk.

Richard Higgs records regular video updates on a range of later life financial topics - search ‘Harold Stephens IFA’ on YouTube.

If you want a relaxed chat about how to manage your assets in later life, then we are on hand to deliver it the good old-fashioned way – face to face right here in your local community

n NEWS

Struggling tenants tell of frustration and despair

MANY renters living in Bristol are struggling with “frustration and despair” according to a landmark new report on the city’s housing crisis.

Hundreds of renters gave their experiences of rising costs and shoddy conditions to experts on the Bristol Living Rent Commission.

A survey carried out by the commission painted a “grim” picture of the pain facing thousands of Bristolians renting privately. The 720 responses showed many are struggling to keep up with rising rents, while putting up with a lack of repairs and a looming threat of eviction.

The Living Rent Commission and Bristol City Council are now calling on the government for new legal powers to control rents and cap how much landlords can increase them. But the commission’s 104-page report also revealed the real-life impacts of the city’s housing crisis.

The report said: “A quarter of the comments referred to feeling powerless or a lack of security. Searching for or keeping

accommodation creates a lack of security and raises anxiety levels. The testimonies convey a sense of urgency, frustration and sometimes despair among tenants. The most prominent concern is the significant increases in rent.”

Over half of survey respondents said they had issues with repairs and maintenance, and poor communication from their landlord. Repair issues most commonly reported are damp, mould and plumbing problems. But landlords can be unwilling to get these issues fixed, leaving some tenants suffering severe consequences from the lack of any prompt action.

Another issue is rent bidding, where landlords or letting agents ask prospective tenants to bid higher than the advertised rent. Over a quarter of respondents taking on a new tenancy in the last year said they had been asked to take part in so-called “bidding wars”.

Only three quarters of respondents were confident their deposits had been paid into a third-

party protection scheme, despite landlords being legally required to do so. One in 10 said their deposit had not been paid into a protection scheme, while 13% said they didn’t know.

Some renters said it was “impossible” to start a family, while others who were parents said they lived in “constant fear of being made homeless”, due to the difficulty of finding places to rent that will accept children. People with pets can also struggle to find places.

One tenant said: “It’s impossible for a couple to find and afford a suitable flat for themselves to safely raise a family in. This is deeply distressing and has a huge impact on people’s mental health.”

Landlords are legally allowed to evict tenants without giving a specific reason. This lack of tenure security means many renters have to move frequently and not out of choice. The government however is scrapping Section 21 no-fault evictions, with the Renters Reform Bill going through parliament, although campaigners say the

changes do not go far enough. According to the survey, the most frequent reason given for eviction is when landlords are planning to sell the property. Other reasons include a landlord or family member moving into the property, refurbishment plans, or the landlord planning to find new tenants and charge them a higher rent.

A common fear among tenants is that if they ask for repairs, their landlord could retaliate and threaten to evict them. The commission found a growing shortfall in properties to rent, and an expanding mismatch between decreasing supply of homes to rent and increasing demand. The supply of homes is going down as some landlords say new rules and taxes are making it less attractive to rent out their properties on a longterm basis, so some are choosing to sell their properties or let them on a short-term basis instead on AirBnB.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

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NOTE After feedback from readers, we have made The Fiend SLIGHTLY easier!

For younger readers

Find the summer holiday words in this word search puzzle.

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n VINEYARD NEWS with INGRID BATES

I'm on a mission to keep mildew at bay

SO far this growing season the weather has worked in our favour at every turn … … we had a cold start which delayed bud burst and helped the newly emergent vines avoid late spring frosts. After that we had a hot dry spell which meant the vines developed huge flowers which opened to achieve nearly 100% fruit set. Fruit set is where every little flower turns into a grape rather than withering away.

Once set, the tiny grapes have enjoyed a period of wet weather which has allowed them to swell quickly. The vines have also been able to have a nice drink and catch up on growth after their demanding flowering period has ended. The recent wet weather has

been particularly good for our baby vines whose roots haven’t developed yet and sometimes struggle in dry weather on our hard clay soil.

Once the grapes are formed it’s just a matter of making sure nothing eats them or that they don’t suffer from mildew. Avoiding

mildew becomes my mission over the next few months. I do this by stripping out leaves around the developing grapes to make sure the airflow is good. The only creatures that eat the grapes are wasps, birds and badgers. Happily the risk period for this is short because they

only want to eat the grapes when they are ripe and we pick them quickly once they get become tasty.

On the wildlife front, the young the swallows have fledged. We know this because their numbers over the vineyard have suddenly doubled as they swoop around and call to each other overhead. We see different winners and losers every year in terms of sudden increases in numbers of certain plants or wildlife. This year the winners seem to be gatekeeper butterflies, Onthophagus dung beetles and red soldier beetles –hundreds of them!

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www.dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

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