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December, 2020 Issue 68

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Schools' Christmas cheer Queues at Sodbury family's food bank

A FAMILY who run a food bank from their Chipping Sodbury home say up to 20 people are queuing before they open each day. PAGE 3

More bike lanes

WORK is set to start on more bike lanes in Yate as the council asks for views on further upgrades. PAGE 5

Hunt investigation POLICE are investigating claims of illegal fox hunting after being sent video of an incident near Wickwar. PAGE 10

The traditional nativity in front of adoring parents may be impossible this year, but schools like Abbotswood Primary in Yate are finding new ways to celebrate. Pages 6&7

'Appalling violence' at rave POLICE have asked the public to help them identify more than 30 people involved in an illegal rave in Yate. Up to 700 people attended the event at the Stover Trading Estate, which police say descended into "appalling violence" when officers who had been called to the scene by residents were pelted with bottles and lit spray cans, leaving some of them injured. So far 12 people have been

arrested in connection with the rave, while two organisers have been given ÂŁ10,000 fines for breaching COVID-19 regulations. Now detectives have published pictures, taken from video footage recorded on cameras worn by officers, as they try to track down more people for questioning. The rave lasted from the evening of on October 31 into following afternoon, at an empty warehouse in Millbrook Road,

which was trashed. Up to 300 were already inside when police arrived at around 10.30pm, and others clashed with officers who tried to stop them reaching the event. Residents reported fireworks being let off at 3am, with music still being heard at around 9am, as the organisers brought a generator to keep their sound system running after electricity to the warehouse was cut off. Turn to page 2

Chef opens his 'dream' restaurant

A CHIPPING Sodbury chef is opening a restaurant of his own, two years after he almost died from a serious illness. PAGE 19

Alfie wins a second racing championship A YATE teenager is celebrating after successfully defending his national motor racing title. PAGE 30

yate&sodburyvoice

January deadline

Our January edition deadline is December 14.

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Local information South Gloucestershire Council www.southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009 Safer Stronger team sscg@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009 Anti social behaviour team asbreporting@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868582 Streetcare/litter/vandalism etc streetcare@southglos.gov.uk Environment/trading standards 01454 868001

Police

www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk general enquiries: 101 Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk General enquiries: 0117 926 2061 NHS Health Call 111 Well Aware health & social care information www.wellaware.org.uk Tel: (freephone) 0808 808 5252

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December, 2020

n NEWS

Police call for help to identify ravers From page 2 As well as the two organisers who have been fined - a man in his 20s and another in his 30s, who have not been named police say they are investigating incidents of assaults on emergency workers and affray in connection with the violence. Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: “It is hard to adequately explain how reckless it was to organise an unlicensed music event during the midst of a pandemic that has claimed so many lives. "The appalling violence and hostility shown towards the police, the like of which I've rarely seen in my policing career, was wholly unacceptable and reprehensible." Police say they will investigate claims by a Bristol woman, Jessica Mae Andrew, that a police dog caused injuries to her leg and foot that needed hospital treatment. A force spokesperson said the incident had been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which had told Avon and Somerset to investigate the circumstances itself and report back. The Voice asked the owner of the warehouse, Royal London Asset Management, how much damage had been caused, and whether the organisers broke in or posed as prospective tenants to gain entry, but the company

declined to comment. The police officer leading the investigation called on people to help identify more than 30 people whose images had been captured by police body cameras. Detective Superintendent Lisa Simpson said: "We have made several arrests but there are still many people we wish to identify as part of our ongoing enquiries. “We’ve made efforts within Avon and Somerset and other forces to try to establish who these people are, in the hope we wouldn’t need to release these images into the public domain. However, despite this we still don’t know who a number of people we want to talk to are, which is why we’re now releasing images of them in the hope the public can help." Do you recognise anyone? Page 13

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December, 2020

yate&sodburyvoice

n NEWS

Daily queues at family food bank A FAMILY who run a foodbank from their Chipping Sodbury home say up to 20 people are queuing for half an hour before they open each day. Aimee Waters, who runs Family Food 4 Free with her husband Daniel, said: “We’re struggling to keep up with demand - some days we only have a certain amount of emergency boxes and we have to put their request on hold for a few days until we get more donations. “We are getting referrals from schools, from those working with vulnerable people, carers for the elderly, domestic abuse organisations, but 90% of people coming are families.” The foodbank in Woodmans Road offers emergency boxes containing freshly cooked meals and surplus food from supermarkets, at no charge. During the school half-term holidays, as a political row over providing free school meals raged nationally, Aimee and Daniel made up an extra 448 lunch packs and 35 emergency boxes. The couple recently went from being open seven days a week to six, to give themselves a planning day, and they juggle their voluntary roles with parenting their four children, Destiny (14), Zain (11), Willow (4) and Aurora (3). Daniel is a full-time dad, while Aimee has been furloughed from her job as fitness instructor, although she is teaching classes online. They were recently nominated by a member of the public for a ‘big thank you’, an initiative by BBC TV’s The One Show. The programme's team surprised them by turning up at their home to congratulate them on live television, an experience which Aimee describes as "mindblowing". The project started at the beginning of the first lockdown when the couple took over Destiny’s newspaper delivery rounds, because her licence was revoked due to the pandemic. They delivered to a residential home and Aimee said: “A guy

there would open a fridge every morning at the same time with just a block of butter in it. It was clear that the people there were struggling.” The family decided they had to do something and began by buying reduced-price food at supermarkets and making meals, cooking over 100 at a time. Now they have a group of volunteers who cook for them. Family Food 4 Free is based on trust. Aimee said: “It feels like a life achievement. In five months of doing it, some people have lost their jobs, then found jobs again and donated food to us…we’ve had that many times. “Long term I would like to get a premises and more volunteers; there’s nowhere where you can get food on the day in our area. "I’m not prepared to stop until we try and find a way of doing this that will help families. It gives you a massive drive when you hear their stories.” Family Food 4 Free is currently asking for donations for Christmas hampers, and for long-life items such as tinned vegetables, cuppa soup, instant noodles, and baked beans. To get in touch you can look them up on Facebook, or email Aimee and Daniel at familyfood4free@outlook.com. The foodbank is one of a host of volunteer groups and organisations helping people through the latest lockdown. They include Acton Aid in Iron Acton, which continues to help villagers with support including shopping and collecting prescriptions. The group's helpline is 01454 300190 and it is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. South Gloucestershire Council also has a list of groups available on its website, or by calling freephone 0800 953 7778. Council deputy leader Ben Stokes said: “These individuals and community groups have made a life-changing difference to the welfare and well-being of so many people in South Gloucestershire.”

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Aimee Waters with some of the donated food to be given to people in need

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n NEWS A NEW COVID-19 testing station has been set up in Chipping Sodbury. The Ridings car park in Wickwar Road is one of two new sites for mobile testing units in South Gloucestershire offering drive-through tests after being approved by the Department of Health and Social Care. The other new centre is at Cleve Rugby Football Club in Mangotsfield. Tests are available by appointment only to people who have symptoms or have been advised to have one, and can be booked by calling 119 or online. The district's first testing centre at UWE's Frenchay Campus has been reclassified as a local testing site and moved to a longer-term venue, where it can stay for at least three months. The UWE centre will now offer only walk-up tests. Testing capacity is being increased as the area continues to have a coronavirus rate above the national average, and the number of people who have died with the virus starts to rise again. Figures released on

December, 2020

Sodbury test site opens as COVID-19 deaths rise again

The drive-through COVID-19 testing site at the Ridings car park in Chipping Sodbury. November 24 showed that, in the four weeks to November 13, a total of 14 South Gloucestershire residents had died following a confirmed case of COVID-19 – three in care homes and 11 in hospital – following six weeks in

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which no-one had died. Six of the deaths came in the seven days from November 7-13. Since the start of the year 185 South Gloucestershire residents have died with the virus. Across South Gloucestershire

there were 710 confirmed new COVID-19 cases in the week to November 25, giving the area an overall rate of 249 cases per 100,000 population – above the England average of 218.4. The latest lockdown has pushed the level of new cases down from more than 900 per week in midNovember. The total number of cases in the district since the start of the pandemic is 5,850, a rate of 2,052 per 100,000 – around one in every 50 people. Localised figures for the week to November 20 show 68 new cases in Yate, 7 in Chipping Sodbury, 20 in Marshfield, Wick & Hawkesbury, which includes Dodington, 49 in Pucklechurch & Westerleigh, which includes Coalpit Heath, 18 in Frampton Cotterell and 8 in Charfield, Wickwar & Iron Acton.

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yate&sodburyvoice 28

December, 2020

5 thornburyvo

n NEWS

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Fo m op

Views wanted on new cycle lane plan SOUTH Gloucestershire Council is asking for views on a third phase of its plans to improve cycle lanes in and around Yate. The new scheme involves expanding the existing 1.5 metre (4ft 11in) cycle lanes on the A432 Badminton Road to 2m (6ft 7in) in width between Nibley Lane and Coalpit Heath. The speed limit on the road will be temporarily reduced from 40mph to 30mph, with a view to making the change permanent. Bus laybys at Mayshill, which the council says are "underused", will be removed. It comes as the council prepares to install cycle lanes on Kennedy Way and the eastern end of Station Road, between the Morrisons and Tesco supermarkets, which will involve temporary overnight closures of both roads between 8pm and 6am from November 27 until December 14. The first phase of the scheme saw cycle lanes installed in both directions on the A432 Station Road, between the council's offices and B&Q, at the end of August. The scheme brought opposition as it included the removal of on-street parking spaces in Station Road for 26 vehicles, which had been used by customers to park in front of local shops and by residents and their visitors. Consultations on Phase 2 of the scheme were open for less than three weeks and were announced after last month's Voice went to press. It involves removing a number of lane markings on the road to make way for cycle lanes, including right turn lanes from Station Road into Yate Shopping Centre's car park and into the Glen, near Morrisons. Details of Phase 3 appeared on the consultations section of South Gloucestershire Council's website on November 16. The consultation runs until December 4 and can be found at online bit.ly/3l5ZePA. Anyone who is not online should call 01454 868004 to ask questions or make comments. The council plans to start work in January, with further changes between Stover Road and Nibley Road, and Coalpit Heath and the Avon Ring Road, to be announced. Give bike lanes a chance: Page 29

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December, 2020

n NEWS

Horton Primary School's nativity will be shown online

Year 2 nativity at St Paul's Catholic Primary School

Schools find new ways to celebrate Christmas SCHOOLS in the Yate and Chipping Sodbury area are working out new ways to celebrate Christmas as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect all aspects of life. Traditional whole school nativities and pantomimes with audiences are out. Gone, too, are festive fairs where parents mingle with staff over

a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie. Even within schools, dividing children into bubbles to minimise mixing between year groups means staff need to come up with innovative ways of bringing their communities together. At Old Sodbury Primary School, the Christingle service will move online, and Father

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Christmas will pay a sociallydistanced visit. Head teacher Jenny Jackman said: “Whilst we are having to think about how to do things differently, we are not letting covid stop the fun!” At Woodlands Primary School in Yate, staff will be recording a pantomime based on the story of a mischievous elf to play to pupils. There will also be a virtual advent calendar, with a video of a member of staff reading a story every day. Among the many festive activities at Abbotswood School, whose Tawny Owl Class appear on our front page, a class home corner will become Santa’s grotto and the maths area will become a post office to send Christmas cards to friends. At St Mary’s Primary in Yate there will be a virtual nativity for Key Stage 1 and a 'reverse advent calendar' collection for the town's foodbank. The youngest children at Horton Primary School will have

their nativity shown online as part of the South West Nativity event organised by the Diocese of Gloucester. The method of dividing children into separate year or class bubbles to minimise virus transmission is enabling many schools to continue with some of their Christmas traditions in a different way. At Iron Acton Primary School bubbles will be used for Christmas lunch and parties, with a larger bubble of reception pupils up to year 2 performing a nativity. At Broadway Infant School in Yate a special guest is coming. Head teacher Jodie Tumelty said: “Luckily the North Pole is not in lockdown, and Father Christmas has kindly agreed to do a socially-distanced story and gift session for each bubble.” At Brimsham Green School, Katie Hitchcock runs an enrichment group teaching sixth formers how to crochet. For Christmas, they have made

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December, 2020

blankets for people in care homes. Katie said: “The plan will be to donate the blankets, with a little Christmas card, to Help the Aged, who will coordinate the distribution.” With parents and carers unable to attend any festive events, the challenge is how to involve them. North Road Primary is sharing a school play called Mend the Manger with parents and has a surprise ‘virtual visitor’ appearing online. The Ridge Junior School is

performing a chart show with a difference called Iiit’s Christmas, which will be available on the website. Tyndale Primary School is filming a nativity tableau and a montage of carols and Christmas readings, with the video made available to the community. St Paul’s Catholic Primary School in Yate is hoping to retain a sense of occasion by holding an event via Zoom video link in December, featuring children’s pre-recorded performances.

Sixth-formers at Brimsham Green School have been crocheting blankets to donate via Help the Aged

Teachers at Woodlands Primary School have filmed bedtime stories for a virtual advent calendar.

Pupils at the Ridge Junior School rehearsing their Christmas show

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yate&sodburyvoice

n NEWS

Clouds clear the air at nursery

NURSERY sessions for children with hearing difficulties have been transformed thanks to these sound clouds. The 21 acoustic baffles, which help to cut background noise and reverberation caused by the high ceiling at the Ridgeway Centre in Yate, were installed over the half-term holidays. They were bought after a fundraising campaign for Sodbury Vale nursery raised more than £5,000. Children and staff can now hear each other better, particularly those with hearing loss and difficulties with spoken communication. Nursery manager Julie Norcombe said: “What a difference they have made! The staff have noticed a calmness in the children's behaviour, and noise levels in the room have really been reduced considerably with regards to children and staff speaking.” The fundraising campaign, led by parent Samantha Coleman, nearly hit the rocks when events had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, leaving the nursery £1,000 short of its target. However, a mystery Voice reader who read about the appeal stepped in to push it over the target. Samantha's daughter Olivia, who attends the nursery, is deaf in her left ear and has fluctuating hearing loss in her right ear. She has a bone anchored hearing aid and uses a mixture of sign languages BSL and Makaton to help her communicate. Samantha said: “The sound clouds have made such an amazing difference to Olivia at nursery. "She noticed the benefit of less background noise and reverberation immediately and kept her hearing aid on all day – the first time she has ever done this! "Her confidence has grown, and she is a lot more chatty now, which is lovely to see. A huge thanks again to everyone who supported us and helped to raise the money for this fantastic resource.”

Emily Muntus, Olivia Coleman and Harper Sawyer stand under Sodbury Vale Nursery's new sound clouds, at the top of the picture.

Message from Yate Town Council Mayor This year has been a challenge for us all and has meant that many of our daily lives have been affected in ways that we could not have imagined. We truly appreciate all of the good work that has been carried out in our local community and are grateful for the dependable and devoted support shown by so many people to others. On behalf of everyone at Yate Town Council, we hope you and your families have a very Merry Christmas and are sending our best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Councillor Karl Tomasin.

Yate Town Council Covid-19 Battle Grants Fund Yate Town Council grant funds are still available to local organisations to support the Yate community in the battle against Covid-19 and help the residents of Yate. We will consider applications from groups, clubs, committees or charities based in the parish of Yate. Please read application guidance notes on our website http://www. yatetowncouncil.gov.uk/council-news/covid-19/

Yate and Sodbury Covid-19 Help & Support Facebook Group Looking for help? We have been working hard with this wonderful group to bring a co-ordinated response towards helping our local vulnerable and isolated residents. If you are unable to use your usual network of friends, family and health and social care support already in place, please

visit their Facebook page for details https://www. facebook.com/groups/650869675671695/ The Listening Service was established to help those who would benefit from a friendly chat on the telephone with someone local from Yate or Chipping Sodbury. Trained active listeners are available for anyone aged over 18. All the person or a nominated representative needs to do is email the following address to set up a call: YSNSListeningService@outlook.com. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ ysnslistening/?ref=share

Yate and Sodbury Toy and Activity Bank

North Bristol Foodbank

The foodbank provides emergency meals for 3 days to people in short term crisis. If you or someone you know could benefit from the assistance of the foodbank, please contact them for a full current list of partners to obtain a foodbank voucher. For more information, please call 0117 9791399, email info@northbristol. foodbank.org.uk or visit northbristol.foodbank.org. uk

Mutual Aid groups

The Toy and Activity bank is a community project, developed by Yate and Sodbury Neighbourhood Scheme (YSNS) https://www.facebook.com/ YateSodburyToyActivityBank/ They would love to support the community in spreading some Christmas cheer. Unfortunately, they are unable to take donations during lockdown but they will have a Just Giving page for those who would like

For Newsdesk Or Advertising contact 01454 800 120

to financially support them. If you would like to receive a gift package for your family or someone you know who may benefit email YateSodburyToyActivityBank@gmail.com

Southern Brooks Community Partnership can help put you in touch with other Mutual Aid groups in your area, if you need help. They can help with access to emergency food (along with Foodbank and Fareshare) and make regular phone calls to check on people who may be a bit lonely and isolated. They also provide practical support such as shopping, collection of prescriptions, dog walking etc if it’s not possible for other groups to do this. Between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, contact 0333 5774666 or email communitysupport@southernbrooks.org.uk

Email: contact@yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk

yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n NEWS

Investigation after illegal hunting claim POLICE are reviewing video footage of hounds from the Duke Of Beaufort’s Hunt chasing a fox near Wickwar. Animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports filmed an incident on Hawkesbury Common on October 28 and sent footage to officers. The charity, which has also published a 56-second clip on its YouTube channel, says three professional investigators followed the hunt throughout the day. The hunt insists it operates within the law and says that the hounds were stopped from chasing the fox seconds after the end of the edited footage. An Avon and Somerset police spokesperson said: “We’re investigating a report of an illegal hunt in which dogs were used to pursue a fox on Hawkesbury Common, South Gloucestershire, on Wednesday, 28 October. “Footage relating to the

A hound was filmed chasing a fox on Hawkesbury Common incident has been provided to officers and reviewed. “Anyone who witnessed the hunt who hasn’t yet spoken to police, or who has information or footage which could help our inquiry, is asked to call 101 and provide the call handler with the reference 5220 247 285.” Hunting a wild mammal with dogs was made illegal by the Hunting Act, which has been in force since 2005. Hunts are still allowed to follow specially laid animal-based scent trails.

For Newsdesk Or Advertising contact 01454 800 120

The league says its video shows the fox "running for its life and jumping through a barbed wire fence with hounds following closely behind" and claims that the main body of the hunt was seen pursuing the fox and hounds on horseback. The Beaufort Hunt issued a statement, which said: “The Beaufort Hunt operates within the law by trail hunting but like many other packs, we are regularly faced with spurious allegations about our activities

and reject any suggestion that we are not operating legally. "If the hounds ever pursue a wild mammal, the professional members of hunt staff stop the hounds as soon as possible and return to trail hunting, which is what happened on this occasion, however the edited footage does not show that the hounds were stopped shortly after this video clip ends. "We hunt at least 4 days per week from September until March and have carried out thousands of hunting days since the Hunting Act was enforced in February 2005. "Many of these days have been attended by anti-hunting activists, yet there have not been any Hunting Act convictions of anybody associated with the Beaufort Hunt in that time, although many hours of police time and valuable resources have been wasted investigating false claims.”

Email: contact@yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk

yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n ADVERTISING FEATURE

Christmas Trees bring hope during lockdown

ARLY demand this year at Frenchay Christmas Tree Farm, brought about by the lockdown announcement on Hallowe’en, kept the Frenchay growers on their toes. With a fourday window to take reservations before the lockdown came into effect on November 5th, they were inundated with visitors keen to get their tree reserved in case the farm was forced to shut down. In the event, Frenchay Christmas Tree Farm was allowed to stay open, and began its first day of proper trading on November 21st. The owners are hoping that with all the open space available, visitors will be able to continue to pick their own tree from the field as usual. “Please try and avoid the busy weekends of November 28th/29th and December 5th/6th, and come on a weekday instead,” advises owner Simon Maughan, “but if you have no choice but to come on a weekend, then please no more than two people per household.” Trying to explain the early interest this year, Simon believes that it is not just a case of Christmas

getting earlier each year. “We really did wonder whether there would be any Christmas celebrations at all this year, but of course Christmas is a powerful symbol of hope and joy, and the Christmas tree is very much a part of that.” “Lockdown obviously played a huge part, but we were also getting a lot of interest before that. People are just really looking forward to the year’s end, a new beginning, a celebration of having survived a perilous and odd year, and perhaps a way of celebrating friends and relatives they may have lost, or nearly lost.” “Christmas this year is going to

be very important to us all,” says Simon, “and we want to make it fun for everyone, while keeping the farm as safe as possible.” The site is following Covid-safe regulations and Frenchay Christmas Tree Farm will be open from 9am to 5pm every day until Christmas Eve. Pick and cut your own tree will be running as usual. There will also be an option to to click and collect, to pick-up-and-go, or to have your tree delivered, which can be arranged through their website, via social media, or by phoning the number below. A seasonal twist on socialdistancing guidelines means that

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customers will be advised to stay at least one Christmas Tree apart from other people, and Christmasthemed face coverings will be warmly welcomed! St Peter’s Hospice are also organising a Christmas Tree Collection Service in January, or return your tree to the farm, where it will be chipped and recycled. Finally, to say a big thank you to all our NHS workers who continue to put their lives on the line to treat or support coronavirus patients, Frenchay Christmas Tree Farm are offering a £10 discount on any tree on production of a valid ID. To know that they are there is tremendously reassuring. Frenchay Christmas Tree Farm will be welcoming visitors from late November until Christmas Eve, 9am–5pm every day. “Choose and Cut” runs for as long as stocks last. Prices start from just £25. Stay warm, stay happy, stay well. Merry Christmas! www.frenchaychristmastreefarm. co.uk Instagram/Facebook: @ frenchaychristmastreefarm

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yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n NEWS PEOPLE are being encouraged to take part in socially-distanced Christmas events to replace some of the traditional favourites cancelled because of coronavirus. They include the first ever Chipping Sodbury Christmas Tree Trail, organised by Sodbury in Bloom. The group invited businesses and residents to put a Christmas tree outside their doors or in their windows, and has had an "amazing" response, with more than 50 due to be on display from the Parade to Horse Street. Sodbury in Bloom's Julia Bernau said: "We thought that, in addition to the big town council Christmas trees, it would be a good idea to have a few more round the town to add some more colour and light. "We thought it would also be fun to have a competition, so we suggested a theme of Christmas Songs & Stories, and anyone who does the trail can vote for their favourite tree." The trail will start on December 4 and finish on January 2, with trail maps

Tree trails and pebbles to brighten Christmas Pebbles prepared by the Friends of Kingsgate Park trail. Picture: Kimberley Potter. available to download from the Sodbury in Bloom Facebook page. St Mary’s in Yate also has a Christmas tree trail, which runs from December 5 until New Year's Eve. The trail, with a Wonderful

World of Christmas theme, will consist of individually decorated trees created by businesses, charities, schools and individuals, and replaces the church's usual Christmas Tree Festival. Trail maps will be on sale at

the parish office and available to download from yateparish. org/christmastreetrail, with the proceeds divided equally between St Peter’s Hospice and St Mary’s Church. December 5 is also the start date for Pebbles in Kingsgate Park, organised by the Friends of Kingsgate Park after its annual Christmas Carols in the Park event had to be cancelled. Children are being asked to paint rocks or pebbles with a Christmas theme, then seal them to make waterproof and place them by the Christmas tree in the park's raised garden area by the Yate Town Council compound. The friends will then take photos and post them on their Facebook page.

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yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n NEWS From page 1

Doyourecogniseanyone? POLICE investigating an illegal rave in Yate where officers were pelted with bottles have released these pictures in connection with their investigation. They are seeking the publicâ€™s help to identify 31 people who were at the event at a warehouse on the Stover Road Trading Estate on Halloween night, which lasted well into the following day. A further seven people were identified in the 24 hours after the police appeal was shared online but, as the Voice went to press, police said they were still trying to trace the people pictured here. Anyone who recognises any of the people pictured should call 101, quote the crime reference number 5220 247 128 and the number of the picture.

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December, 2020

n NEWS

All-clear for park and ride Remembrance services transformed by lockdown REMEMBRANCE Sunday events in Yate and Chipping Sodbury took place without the crowds who usually turn out to honour those who have died in war. But the services lost none of their dignity and solemnity as they took place in accordance with lockdown regulations. At St Mary’s Church in Yate, numbers on November 8 were limited to a socially distanced few, including civic and Royal British Legion representatives, with the event made available to view online. Acts of Remembrance were held outside at the lych gates and at the Parnall memorial, with residents invited to add their wreaths later in the day. A recording of the service can be viewed online at www. yateparish.org/remembrance2020. At Chipping Sodbury Baptist Church, people were encouraged to paint a poppy on a pebble and add it to a trail leading up to the church to show their presence.

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A £3.5 MILLION park and ride in Yate is set to open by March after planning permission was granted. It will improve public transport links between the town and Bristol and have 190 car park spaces, bus stops both inside and outside the site opposite South Gloucestershire Council’s offices in Badminton Road, a traffic light pedestrian crossing, zebra crossing and bike storage. First Bus has confirmed the Y1 service will stop in the park and ride and discussions are continuing about more services, as well as “future-proofing” metrobus routes. All that remains is for the government to formally sign off the plans, as the council had made the decision on its own planning application. A report by council planning officers, who approved the scheme under delegated authority, said Yate Town Council “strongly supported” the proposal but objected to some details. These include the proposed site being too small and concerns over bus provision, the safety of a crossing, cycling provision and that it might not be used solely by commuters. Council leader Toby Savage said: “It has taken many years of hard work to reach this point in securing this vital facility and I look forward to seeing the park and ride take shape, ready to open next year.” Lib Dem councillor Tristan Clark said it was “long overdue" and added: “The only downside to this application is the limited number of parking spaces that will be deliverable at this site." The park and ride is being paid for by the West of England Combined Authority. By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

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yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n ADVERTISING FEATURE Abbeyfield House in Chipping Sodbury is pleased to be welcoming new residents into its supported housing facility for older people. Managed by the Abbeyfield Sodbury Vale Society, it is home to a friendly community of 10 residents. The last few months have been tough on many people, especially those who have been feeling isolated. Now could be the perfect time to consider moving into a supportive, friendly environment where you can continue to live your life independently but have access to support if you need it from the fantastic house team. Throughout the pandemic Abbeyfield House has ensured that social distancing, frequent testing of staff and residents and excellent hygiene standards are maintained, and so far, has managed to remain coronavirus-free. If you decide to move in, the team will do everything it can to ensure that the process is as smooth as possible and provide you with guidance on how to do so safely. As well as the benefits of safety, security and companionship, the

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house experiences the best of both worlds by being situated in a quiet residential area but close by to the many fantastic shops, cafes and restaurants that sit along the beautiful Chipping Sodbury high street.

Kath Bewley, who chairs the Abbeyfield Sodbury Vale Society, said: “We are extremely grateful to our amazing Trustees and staff team, who have worked tremendously hard to keep all our residents safe and the virus at bay.

“Understandably, the residents have found it frustrating not being able to see their family and friends as much as usual,” she added. “However, donations from the local community have meant there has been no shortage of entertainment. Some residents have also made use of the house’s stunning gardens, both for exercising and growing their own vegetables – a welcome addition to the two homemade meals a day that Abbeyfield House provides.” Ms Bewley said, “We are delighted to open our doors once again to new residents and look forward to welcoming more people into our friendly community.” To find out more about living at Abbeyfield House, please visit www.abbeyfield.com/sodburyvale or call the house manager on 01454 323712.

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Email: contact@yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk 16/11/2020 15:55:27

yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n NEWS

Empty plate protest at MP's office

PROTESTERS left empty plates with messages for Yate's MP after he voted against an opposition bid to extend the free school meals programme. The plates, with messages including "shameful voting" and "how could you vote against feeding hungry children?" were left outside local government minister Luke Hall's Chipping Sodbury constituency office after he voted against an opposition motion to extend the scheme into the school holidays. The protest came before a U-turn from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who announced that the Government would extend support for children from low-income families this winter following a high-profile campaign led by Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford. But South Gloucestershire Council had already stepped in to pledge that it would use Emergency Assistance Grant funding to supply food parcels for the 4,212 children in the area eligible for free school meals, and cards with £20 pre-paid to buy food at supermarkets. Protest organiser Sophie Axford said passers-by had expressed support, adding: "Democracy starts small and we do all have a voice."

Protesters outside Luke Hall's constituency office. Picture: Sue Swanborough The decision of Mr Hall and fellow Conservative South Gloucestershire MPs Jack Lopresti and Chris Skidmore to oppose the motion was criticised by council Liberal Democrat group leader Claire Young, who said: “It seems amazing that, in 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic, in one of the richest countries in the world, saying that no child should go hungry simply because they are not in school, should be controversial."

Mr Hall said: "I did not support the Free School Meals motion in Parliament, I instead supported a different system of providing support to vulnerable children and families, which I believe is much more effective. "We are giving South Gloucestershire Council almost £570,000 in Government funding to provide additional support to vulnerable children and families in our community this winter. "This is a much more targeted measure than just Free School Meals alone and will directly support vulnerable children and families." The council said it the £569,161 it is receiving as part of the new Covid Winter Grant Scheme will provide support with paying for food and bills for vulnerable children and families until the end of next March. Cabinet member for children Sam Bromiley said: "We are pleased to welcome this funding from Government as it will help to make a difference to those in our communities who might be struggling to get by, giving them the vital support they need with food and bills and giving them more opportunity to enjoy the festive season without worries over making ends meet.”

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yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n NEWS Photo courtesy of Marian Gilpin, Yate Rotary Club

Finished mosaic unveiled A MOSAIC which has helped bring together youngsters at a Yate primary school after lockdown has been unveiled. The Voice reported last month that children at North Road Primary School had been working separately in their class bubbles, as part of the school's 'recovery curriculum', to create elements which were combined to create the finished artwork celebrating the school's values and its 170th birthday. The brainchild of head teacher Sarah Stillie and supported by funding from Yate Rotary Club and The Arts Society Severn Valley, via chair Linda Griffith, the school worked with experts from TomatoJack Arts to create the mosaic, which has been mounted on the school's wall.

Metro Mayor bows out REGIONAL mayor Tim Bowles is to retire from politics. The Winterbourne parish councillor was elected the first West of England Mayor in 2017. But he has announced that he will not seek re-election to the £65,000-a-year role, known as the Metro Mayor, when his term ends next spring. Conservative Mr Bowles leads the West of England Combined Authority, which is made up from South Gloucestershire, Bristol and Bath & North East Somerset councils and has a region-wide role in policies such as housing, transport and skills. Mr Bowles said Weca was "getting the region moving with a proper transport system", including the MetroWest rail network and Metrobus, was backing future technology such as 5G, supported businesses and helped more than 700 people through the Future Bright training scheme. He said extra funding brought by Weca had directly created 4,000 new jobs and 13,000 new qualifications. South Gloucestershire Council leader Toby Savage said Mr Bowles had "set our region on a truly positive path." The region's Tories will now pick a candidate to succeed Mr Bowles at next May's elections. In November Labour announced that former Wansdyke MP Dan Norris, who served as a minister during his 13-year Parliamentary career, had been selected as the party's candidate. The former Chipping Sodbury Comprehensive School pupil served on Avon county and Bristol city councils in the 1980s and 90s. The Liberal Democrats chose former Bristol West MP Stephen Williams, who was a minister in the coalition government from 201315, as their candidate in July. He also contested the 2017 Metro Mayor election.

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Celebrate a life! Celebrate a special family event! Sponsor a light on the 2020 Tree of Light The very large tree at the eastern entrance to Yate Shopping Centre, will be lit up with hundreds of lights during the Christmas season! Sadly, Christmas this year will not be normal. We shall not be able to celebrate with friends in the usual way, and even our traditional family parties will be limited. This Tree of Light will help to unite us all, and raise our spirits during this difficult time.

You are still invited to celebrate! You can do it by sponsoring a light on the Tree of Light!

Full details are on the Yate Rotary Club website: Go to www.yaterotaryclub.co.uk and select TREE OF LIGHT Sponsorship costs £6 per person/event celebrated, and you can pay using PayPal via the website or send a cheque, using the sponsorship form below.

The person/event you wish to celebrate, will be included in the ‘Book of Celebration’ on the Yate Rotary Club website.

Switch-on postponed to 4 December—4pm

The Tree of Light is generously supported by:

The Tree of LIght is arranged by Yate Rotary Club. The proceeds will be used by Rotary to benefit as many projects and charitable good causes as possible both locally and internationally. Registered Charity No.1035477 __________________________________________________________________________________________________cut here___________

TREE OF LIGHT CELEBRATION SPONSORSHIP FORM Your name: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Your phone no:………………………...Your e-mail: ………………………………………………………. Your address: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Name/s of person/s or event/s to be celebrated: ……………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Please make cheques payable to ‘Yate and District Rotary Club’ and mail to: Yate Rotary Club, 2 Wickham Close, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol, BS37 6NH All personal information will be kept securely and used only for communications about the Tree of Light

yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n NEWS

'Dream' new restaurant for transplant chef A CHIPPING Sodbury chef is opening a restaurant of his own, two years after he was left close to death by a serious illness. Within a couple of weeks at the end of 2018 Dave Lawrence lost his job when the town’s Mexican restaurant Amigos closed and became extremely ill. In January 2019 he was told by doctors that his only chance of survival was to have a double lung transplant. Now Dave is celebrating opening his own restaurant with his partner Shamsi Kabbara and her daughter Yasmine. The Mexican restaurant, called Amigos Cocina, is at 58 Broad Street, opposite the town hall and is opening for takeaway meals and cocktails until COVID-19 guidelines allow a return to eat-in bookings. Shamsi said: “We’ve finally made the leap and are opening our dream restaurant! We want it to be a place that transports you away from the mundane, a place where the sun always shines. “People may think we’re mad - maybe we are, a little - but we have received such lovely messages, congratulating us on our new venture. We have such a wonderful, loyal customer base, that I am confident we can make a great success of it. The support we’ve had is overwhelming.” Shamsi says she can remember every tiny detail of what happened in months after Dave fell ill, as their lives started to unravel. She needed to look after Dave full time, and with no income, the family started to struggle.

Dave Lawrence, his partner Shamsi and daughter Yasmine

The Chipping Sodbury community rallied around and raised funds to support them financially, and even found Shamsi somewhere to live near the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where the transplant was carried out. Yasmine was looked after by her grandmother. Shamsi recalls the moment when they got an early morning call to tell them that a suitable donor had been found for Dave. She said: “We were in shock! I woke my mum up in a panic, I called an ambulance, filled the oxygen canisters, filled a suitcase with random clothes. At 8am, we were ready to go, all we had left to do was say the hardest goodbye to Yasmine and my mum, we had no idea what the outcome was going to be.” Dave’s transplant was successful, but he experienced many complications after the surgery. Shamsi describes the journey back to health

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as "a physical and emotional rollercoaster" and says Dave has been an inspiration. She said the family had been "completely humbled" by the support they have had, not only from their own community, but also from the NHS staff they met at both hospitals. In October last year the couple set up a pop-up Mexican

restaurant, The Two Amigos, for one night at week at the Royal Oak Pub in Chipping Sodbury. It did so well that in January 2020 it opened full time, until it was forced to close in the first national lockdown. Although Dave is now well, he’s clinically vulnerable, and protecting him from COVID-19 is a new worry. Shamsi said: “We are obviously scared of the current situation we find ourselves in. We are very cautious. He avoids busy, crowded places and his interaction with people is limited.” But the future for the couple is now bright. Shamsi said: “None of this would be possible without the love and support of our friends and family, as well as our amazing donor and her family. People always say how stressful it is opening a business: this is nothing compared to our transplant journey!”

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yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n MOTORING

A guide to pre-owned cars with Richard Cooke

Second-hand Style This Christmas, give the gift of freedom

LET’S not mention 2020 and instead look forward to 2021: specifically, what that might mean for motoring. The Sunday Times reported recently that fewer youngsters are learning to drive (let alone buying cars) and that only in rural areas that are poorly served by public transport is car ownership growing. I wonder if this trend might stall or reverse, given current fears over using buses and trains. The Times article quotes designer and journalist Stephen Bayley, and I will too: “It ceased to be rational to own a car in the capital a generation ago…it was a glorious adventure but now it’s over." Back up there, Mr Bayley. I ran a car when I lived in central London and then Redland in Bristol, and it felt necessary, and certainly never like an ‘adventure’. The Elephant & Castle roundabout was always more like a bar fight on wheels. For many, driving remains imperative. In the currently fragile

jobs market, the ability to drive to work opens up your options. For the younger generation driving is now more, not less important: remember, it is their employment opportunities that have been hit hardest. So how best to aid under-25s with their motoring future, and by extension their employability? Get your teenager to take and pass the driving test for starters. The proper one, not the cop-out automatic gearbox version. This means adding a nervy 17 year old as a named driver to your insurance (or even worse, an overconfident one). Despite doubling or trebling the premium, this is your cheapest option. The alternative is buying them a car, or at least advising them on what they should buy themselves. Big rite of passage stuff. Try and keep an open mind. The decision, unless you are very wealthy, is likely to be all about balancing a series of

tricky compromises. I’m talking about cost, safety, cost, reliability, cost and a vanishingly small chance of anything approaching what kids probably no longer call ‘street cred’. Enter the Vauxhall Corsa. This is the perennial driving school car, so at least it’ll be familiar. Small hatchbacks are no longer the death traps they used to be, but I still wouldn’t want to roll one into a ditch. It’s a consideration. The Corsa is reliable, plentiful, cheap and under some bright lights, cheerful. I drove the 1.4 petrol with a throbbing 99hp. This felt like just enough performance, which, for a new driver, means plenty. My own date with the ditch was in a flighty Peugeot that weighed the same as a Corsa but eagerly pumped out 130hp. Too much power, a touch of ice and crunch. At the bottom end of the performance scale, you risk

your precious child attempting an overtaking manoeuvre in something tragically underpowered. That’s almost as dangerous as having too much power. As I say, it’s all about balance. If I was in the market for a Corsa, I’d go for the 1.4, which from 2010 onwards benefited from a more efficient ‘VVT’ engine. There’s nothing really wrong with this car, other than heavy steering and wooden brakes (possibly just this example). You should consider it, along with the Fiesta and a slew of other ‘first’ cars. Take a look at the Fiat 500 (smaller, less reliable, infinitely more character), the Renault Clio (more engaging, French build quality) and so on. My pick, however, is the VW Polo. Yes, it is significantly more expensive than a Corsa, and the image has always been a bit Sloaney. But it is reliable and superbly well built. I also like how VW tune their engines for torque rather than power, which makes them learner-friendly. Missed a gear? Don’t worry, the Polo’s flexible little 85hp 1.4 will manage. In the meantime, if you can, hold off buying a used car until February. The government moratorium on repossessions ends on January 31, and the backlog coming onto the used market will reverse some of the current pandemic-induced rise in values. What to pay: Vauxhall Corsa 2010 – 2014; £3k for a 2010 model with 50k miles or VW Polo of the same year and mileage for £5k.

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yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Ann Murray founded the Cooking4 Cookery School based in Chipping Sodbury. She’s teamed up with Frome Valley Voice to pass on her wealth of experience in the kitchen.

A recipe for a Christmas like no other

HERE’S a Christmassy feel about cheese star galette. With the bright orange of the butternut squash and the crunch of walnuts, it’s a real treat for vegetarians or you can add leftover chopped ham, crispy bacon pieces or lardons. We all tend to go a bit wild with a variety of cheeses over the festive season, so why not use them up for this galette? You can use Stilton, Gorgonzola, Wensleydale - with or without cranberries/apricots - or if you’re trying to keep the calories down, why not try cottage cheese mixed with a little sweet chilli sauce, to give it a bit of a zing? Writing this recipe in November is making me feel a bit more in the mood for Christmas, even if it is destined to be the strangest one in living memory. We’ll have to adapt and make sure we still have fun. I try to remember that this isn’t a bad life for ever, it’s a bad time in our lives.

Cheese Filo Star Galette A galette is a free form tart usually made of puff or filo pastry. I’ve used filo because I like the crunchiness and it’s much lower in calories than puff. Makes 4 -6 Note: remove the pastry from the fridge 20 minutes before using, having taken it out of the box, and then use immediately for best results. Ingredients Filo pastry – 1 box -270 g, you’ll need

8 sheets Olive oil- about 3 tbsps, plus extra for brushing on pastry Butternut squash- 1 small one about 400g when prepped. Cheese, crumbled, - see list of suggestions above – 50g Sweetener -eg Agave nectar (found with the sugars in health food shops or supermarkets – a good drizzle Garlic – 2 cloves, peeled and finely chopped Chinese 5 spice powder – ¼ tsp Walnuts – a handful lightly crushed in a pestle and mortar or with a rolling pin

on top. • Fold in the rim of the pastry to make the star. Brush with olive oil. • Bake for about 30-40 mins until the pastry is crispy and a rich golden brown. • Leave to cool slightly before serving. Fine green beans, mange tout or

sugar snap peas go well this this and some crusty brown bread.

Cook’s Tip You can make individual galettes using muffin cups: just cut each filo strip into 4. Offset the pieces as before to create the star.

Pre heat the oven to 180C, gas mark 4 • Wipe the squash and remove the seeds. No need to peel it, as the skin gives extra fibre. Dice. • Place the pieces into a shallow roasting tin, season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of the 5 spice powder. Drizzle the olive oil all over. Toss to coat. Roast for about 40 mins, until softened. • Line a baking tray with non-stick paper. Overlap the sheets, placing each one on top at an angle so that you create a star. • Brush each layer with olive oil. Work quickly so the filo doesn’t dry out. • Arrange the squash over the base of the galette. Leave a 4cm border all round without any squash as this is going to be folded up to form the rim of the star. • Add the selected cheese, add the chopped garlic, Drizzle the sweetener over the top. Sprinkle the walnuts

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yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n LOCAL MP

As a community, we should be immensely proud THIS past year has been a turbulent time for many of us, and I know there are many people in South Gloucestershire who have made tremendous sacrifices. From spring to winter, I know we all have been amazed and comforted by the perseverance and the acts of care shown by people across our society to those in need. As a community, we should be immensely proud. Local businesses, charities and volunteers have worked together to make sure our vital services continue to run and support the most vulnerable people across South Gloucestershire. Everybody has got involved in the collected effort. From children’s drawings of rainbows, and the way that people came out of their homes as a community to clap for our key workers each Thursday night, to the people who have been out delivering food to shielding people and supporting those in the greatest

need wherever possible. To everybody involved in South Gloucestershire’s remarkable response, I just want to say: thank you. For many of us, it may seem as though our lives have been on hold this past year. I want to assure Voice readers that in the background, vital work has been continuing to make the vital improvements that our community has asked for. We’re building the Yate Park and Ride, with the planning permission granted, the funding secured and the location on Badminton Road next to the council offices decided. We’re continuing to invest in our local schools and push for a new secondary school in Lyde Green, directly benefiting students in Lyde Green, Yate, Coalpit Heath, Frampton Cotterell and the surrounding areas. We’ve ensured the roll-out of phase 3B of Openreach’s

broadband, meaning that homes in Tockington, Petty France, Hill, Little Badminton, Falfield and Cromhall are ready to be connected in the coming weeks and months. We’ve backed local jobs and businesses, through the furlough scheme, Self-Employment Income Support and by administering business grants to closed businesses. The Chancellor vowed that the Government would do whatever it took to get through this crisis, and with recent reports of successes in vaccine trials, it is clear there is light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve continued to work towards getting health executives and council representatives to agree the price for the Thornbury Hospital site so we can get building as soon as possible. Across the country, work has started on building the 40 new hospitals promised at last year’s General Election, and the

Luke Hall MP writes for Yate & Sodbury Voice

refurbishment of our own local service will be invaluable to our community. We’ve secured more electric car charging points across South Gloucestershire, so that we can improve the air quality along our busy roads and do our bit to help the UK reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. I have lived locally all my life, and I could not be more grateful to represent the most beautiful part of our country.

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n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Let’s start the New Year with kindness and tolerance

’M sure many of us will be happy to see the end of 2020, which turned out to be an extraordinarily unusual year and a time that challenged us all. Our personal and professional lives changed beyond any of our expectations, and our communities and businesses have continued to adapt during the pandemic. It has also been a year where people across the country have lost loved ones as a result of this awful virus. My thoughts are with those families who will be having a very different Christmas and I wish them all the best for the New Year. This year has also been a time when we saw steps in the right direction for social change. In response to the horrific events in Minnesota that resulted in the death of George Floyd, we

witnessed powerful protests take place across the world and businesses realising the need to support and empower the BAME community. The global pandemic further highlighted the disparities and divides along racial and socio-economic lines and the disproportionate impact coronavirus has had on many communities. This year has served as a stark reminder that we still have so much to do, but such awareness puts us in a better position to start making these changes. On a positive note, during the global health emergency we have seen acts of kindness and wonderful stories of people and organisations coming together to support each other during these unprecedented times. The pandemic has proven the impor-

tance of working together and supporting each other. I’m sure there are still many challenges ahead, but I am reassured that we will face these together. It is undeniable that we will have a very different Christmas to the ones we usually have. However, there will still be officers, police staff, paramedics and other emergency colleagues who will be working during the festive period to keep us safe. Regardless of coronavirus, it is always an extremely busy time of year for those who work in our emergency services and I know they always go above and beyond to keep us safe. I want to say a massive thank you to those in the NHS, police and other emergency services, as well as those in voluntary and charity organisations, for their

With Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens hard work to support local communities during the festive period and for their efforts in protecting local people throughout this challenging year. Let’s start the New Year with kindness and tolerance towards one another, and continue to bring our communities together in 2021.

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Seeing through the fog

S I write this our topsy turvy times seem to be continuing. We’re all hoping for enough normality to have the family Christmas that means so much to so many of us, as well as keeping safe too! At least the prospect of a vaccine is seemingly nearer each week that goes by, which keeps our hopes alive and now looks more like a light than just a flicker at the end of the tunnel. Our quest for sourcing the latest technologies for you our patients continues unabated. Those of you who regularly wear glasses will understand my excitement at this one. At last, we can look forward to wearing our glasses with the often required face mask or covering and be able to see clearly too! This new lens, our anti-fog lens, is a super and exciting development. Whatever you wear your glasses for, we’ve now the anti fog lens for you. Amazingly even when we hold this lens over a boiling kettle it stays fog free! Now this was just for demonstration of how amazing the lens is of course, and not something we’d recommend you try at home. The hallelujah moment for us glasses wearers is that if the lens can stay fog free in steam it will be amazingly clear going in and out on cold or wet days, as well as when wearing a face covering. These conditions used to be the nemesis of spectacle lenses, but no more! It was road safety week recently, a timely reminder that seeing clearly for driving is of vital importance. I appreciate that the world of routine eye checks has only recently been returning to normal, but it is our individual responsibility that we all make sure we can see clearly whatever we’re doing, particularly if our negative actions, such as driving without clear vision, could have catastrophic consequences for others too.

You & your loved ones are most welcome to come and see us whatever your eye care needs. Whether you’d like regular glasses or anti fog glasses for near, far or both, our expert teams are ready & waiting to help you! We just ask that you telephone first to book a time to come in, to help us keep you all safe. Please call our Henleaze practice on 0117 962 2474 or our Fishponds practice on 0117 965 4434. I’ll end on a cheerful note, I sincerely hope you all have an enjoyable Christmas and a relaxing family time. My thoughts and best wishes are with all of you particularly those who, as we have, lost a loved one this year. Here’s to a bright future and a Happy 2021 for us all!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Peter

Peter Turner is a Senior Optometrist at Turners Opticians in Bristol, and also works part time as a Senior Optometrist at the Bristol Eye Hospital.

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December, 2020

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n NEWS

Park tree is transformed into striking work of art A TREE badly damaged by storms nearly three years ago has been transformed into a work of art by a Yate carver. After the tree was cut back following Storm Eleanor in January 2018, the Friends of Kingsgate Park asked Andy O’Neill to make it into a work of art depicting some of the animals which live or visit. Using suggestions from park users and funded by businesses and groups including Chipping Sodbury Lions and Yate & District Rotary Club, Andy created owls, herons, woodpeckers, reeds and even a castle from the tree.

Andy O'Neill with the tree artwork in Kingsgate Park. Pictures: Sue Swanborough

Choir on YouTube Yate & Chipping Sodbury Good Afternoon Choir performing last year A CHOIR with members from Yate and Chipping Sodbury is performing in an online carol concert which can be accessed by anyone needing to get into the festive spirit. The Yate and Chipping Sodbury Good Afternoon Choir is joining the other 10 Good Afternoon choirs from across the region for the concert, which will broadcast on YouTube from 1pm on December 23. Founder Grenville Jones launched regular Wednesday midday online choir rehearsals after lockdown, with help from fellow conductors Ben England and Matt Finch. Grenville said: "The online choir, from across England and with members from as far

afield as Australia, America and Canada, will be joining in and there will be carols for everyone, with on-screen words, as well as a special performance by the talented Finch Family. "The good thing is, that because it is on YouTube, anyone can watch it over the Christmas period and have their own Christmas Carol Celebration in their own homes." You can watch the online carol concert by visiting YouTube and searching for GoodAfternoonChoir. A new online rehearsal season will start in January: for more details visit www. goodafternoonchoir.org/online. html.

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Unicorn raises £600 A MUM who walked from Coalpit Heath to Yate dressed as a unicorn has raised more than £600 for Children in Need. Hayley Tottle, who lives in Yate, started at the Manor fields in Coalpit Heath, walking past the primary school her daughter attends, and along the main Badminton Road so that as many people as possible would spot her, while donations were collected in a bucket. Hayley said: "I can honestly say I had no low points doing my walk, I enjoyed every minute of it, although I did get hot inside my costume.” Hayley Tottle passes the Badminton “I had such a big response Carvery in Coalpit Heath during her to my costume, I lost count fundraising walk. of how many cars were beeping their horns and flashing their lights. I also had people pulling over to say how fantastic my walk was, which was lovely. I cannot thank people enough for their support and their generous donations. “I’ve always wanted to make a difference in children’s lives and this year more than ever they need our help and support.” The walk on November 13 finished three and a half miles away at Little Giggles Soft Play in Yate, where Hayley works.

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December, 2020

n BOOK REVIEW

Theperfect Christmaspresent for theknow-it-all local IF, like me, you are a Bristolian, you might think you know almost everything there is to know about the place we call home. Been there, done it and got the ‘Gert Lush’ t-shirt. However, a new book is challenging people who are West Country know-it-alls. 111 places

HMV’s Nipper - a Bristolian canine

in Bristol That You Shouldn’t Miss is written by local journalist Martin Booth, and the book is brought alive by the images of Bristol-based photographer Barbara Evripidou. It’s not a complicated book, with a page about each place and a picture on the facing page. If you are local, some of the places highlighted may not be a huge surprise; the cross-harbour ferry, Brunel’s Buttery, Bristol Central Library and the County Ground, to name a few. However, Booth digs down into the rich underbelly of the city and surrounding area to highlight some obscure gems. Who knew there was a pub with a picture of Nicolas Cage on its sign, or that there’s a wicker nose stuck on the side of a house in Redland? How about Vale Street in Totterdown, the steepest residential street in the UK? If you like your food and drink there’s plenty to discover, from gin distilleries in Redland, cider houses, chocolate shops and cafes secreted away on the River Avon to the fabulous Bristol Sweet Mart in Easton. Art and culture - even the circus - is well

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represented, as well as historic sites and tales. Apparently Nipper, the dog on the HMV logo, was a Bristolian. For those of you who still feel you know the city better than the book, perhaps put it in the guest bedroom and buy the sister book for Bath, which should keep you equally busy. For the rest of us, the book offers a chance to rediscover a place we may not know as well as we thought. Perhaps the first visit (definitely by bus or taxi) should be to Cheers Drive in Speedwell. Voted for by local residents, it is, as the author says, “Bristol’s very own Boaty McBoatface”. 111 Places in Bristol That You Shouldn’t Miss: £12.99, published by Emons Review by Richard Drew

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December, 2020

n COMMUNITY NEWS Yate Rotary Club CHIPPING Sodbury Rugby Football Club has been fund-raising since August to construct a wheelchair-friendly pathway from the car park, across the front of the clubhouse and onward to connect with the existing public footpath along the eastern side of the pitch. On November 3 the President of Yate Rotary Club, Richard Gilpin, presented a magnificent cheque for £1,500 from Yate and District Rotary Club to help towards the footpath appeal. Recently one of the rugby club members, Lloyd Williams, sustained serious injuries in a motorbike accident, and will be one of the first to benefit from this new pathway. His son Ed Williams received the cheque on behalf of CSRFC, and expressed not only the club’s appreciation, but also grateful thanks from his father, who will soon be able to watch matches from the sidelines, as before. Youth teams chairman Jon Nutt said: "The whole project will cost £6,000 and this generous donation will go a long way towards achieving that total. "We are absolutely thrilled with this amazing contribution."

Rotary Club of Chipping Sodbury DESPITE the ongoing covid-related restrictions, our club has been active in the local community and beyond. We were delighted to be afforded the opportunity to mark World Polio Day by illuminating the windows of Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, accompanied by a number of posters explaining the contribution made by the worldwide Rotary movement since the mid 80s to rid the world of wild polio, with cases remaining in only two countries. Photos can be found on the club Facebook page. Although the traditional Chipping Sodbury annual Remembrance Sunday service and parade had to be significantly curtailed for 2020, I felt privileged, on behalf of the club, to have the opportunity to lay a wreath at the war memorial on Sunday November 8. The club

Rotarians Mike Gauntlett, Marian Gilpin and Richard Gilpin with Ed Williams, Jon Nutt and Neil Forrester of Chipping Sodbury RFC. Richard said: "We have had a long association with Chipping Sodbury RFC. "Every summer our South Cotswold Beer Festival is held on the RFC practice pitch, the club facilities are made available for campers and the rugby players help by lifting some 80 beer barrels onto the stillages, ready for sale.

"We are delighted to be able to assist with this very worthwhile project." It is anticipated that sufficient funds will have been raised for work to start on the pathway early in the New Year. Marian Gilpin

made its customary annual financial donation to the local branch of the Royal British Legion. As one of his sponsors, we were very pleased to learn that local resident Alfie Gendall, had been confirmed as the Junior American Cup Car Racing champion for 2020, winning outright 18 of the 24 races in the series. Congratulations, Alfie! Club members were entertained by Murray Jacobs to a very interesting and humorous talk entitled Must-Sees of Cambridge. Involving some very innovative online graphics, we heard a lot about Cambridge, including how students in times past had managed to get a Mini car on to a college roof and a Father Christmas hat on top of a college spire. Within the local community, the club has agreed to make a financial pledge towards the cost of a suite of five dyslexia assessment tools, so that robust assessments can be carried out by the special needs coordinator at St John’s Mead School.

Separately, the club is helping Brimsham Green School in their initiative to send a number of disadvantaged students to Jamie’s Farm, a charity providing courses focusing on team building, resilience and therapeutic work. The club has also provided financial support to FreeFood4You, an endeavour set up by a local family to provide food to individuals and families in need of help. On the international front, we have made our annual financial contribution to the Rotary worldwide charity fund, which enables many valuable projects to be undertaken each year. Finally, on the social front, our weekly boules matches have had to be suspended during the lockdown, just as our club organiser was busily adopting an innovative interpretation of his own boules rules, thus causing much consternation amongst the members!

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n NEWS THE West of England Combined Authority is asking people living and working in the region for their views to help shape the Spatial Development Strategy, a plan to make sure homes, employment spaces and vital transport links are planned in the right places over the next 20 years. As the region’s population grows and as people live longer, the amount and type of housing that is needed across the West of England is changing. Covid 19 has also altered the way many people are working, travelling and spending their leisure time. The strategy will help make sure residents have the homes they need, where they want to live with the connections to get to job opportunities, education and leisure across the region. It offers an opportunity to plan for a cleaner, greener recovery, ensuring new development is resilient, contributes towards reducing carbon emissions, and brings improvements for nature and sustainability. Residents and businesses can give their views via a survey on

yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

Have your say on development of West of England region the West of England Combined Authority website. West of England Mayor Tim Bowles said: “This Spatial Development Strategy will make sure that over the next 20 years, we are building homes in the right places so that the West of England remains a great place to live and work. Importantly, it will also make sure we are building sustainable communities that are less reliant on cars, improving our environment and connecting our residents to jobs, education, businesses and leisure facilities right across the region.” The West of England Combined Authority is working with Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire councils, stakeholders and residents to develop the plan. Nicola Beech, Bristol City Council Cabinet Member for Spatial Planning and City Design,

said: “As we plan how to build a more sustainable and inclusive Bristol it’s really important that we hear what people value most. This plan will shape the west of England for years to come and so we want everyone to share what is important to them, whether that’s improving travel links, protecting green spaces, building homes, or anything else that will help us to create a more equal, sustainable and diverse region that reflects the priorities of those who live and work here.” The survey closes on 14 December 2020. Once the Spatial Development Strategy is agreed and published, it will form part of the ‘development plan’ alongside council’s own Local Plans and

Neighbourhood Plans which will be considered when determining planning applications across the region. For more information and the survey visit https://www. westofengland-ca.gov.uk/ future-of-the-region/

e p a h s Help RE

U N T U F THE R REGIO U O F O We’re developing a Spatial Development Strategy to create a greener, more connected and inclusive place to live and work. Have your say to make sure new homes, employment spaces and transport are planned in the right places at www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/future-of-the-region For a paper copy or information in an alternative format, contact 0117 428 6210 or planning@westofengland-ca.gov.uk.

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December, 2020

yate&sodburyvoice

n LETTER

n NEWS

We need cycle lanes AS a long-term cyclist who also owns a car, l can understand the frustration of some motorists who see the arrival of the Station Road cycle path in totally negative terms. However I respectfully suggest there are bigger issues than the loss of parking spaces at stake. Due to COVID-19 we currently have a unique opportunity to make a contribution towards solving the problem posed because we have conspired in allowing the private motor car to stealthily take away some of the best aspects of the life of our local community. The way that the public coped with its transport needs during the first draconian lockdown demonstrated what was possible. In the absence of much motor traffic, many local residents took to cycling. This demonstrated just how cycle-friendly is the local topography. In particular, the attitude of families with young children was most noticeable. During the decade that I assisted with the Festival cycle rides, the tiebreaker question used in the children’s competition, asking what change would provide motivation for more cycling, always produced the same answer – “more safer cycle paths”. One has only to look over the channel to see how different cultures foster the concept of promoting the advantages of safe cycling. But it has required a change in mindset, particularly amongst private motorists. Holland hasn’t always been as cycle friendly, it took more than a decade for a determined campaign to shift public opinion to its current position. Let’s not miss our own opportunity to grasp the many advantages which will result from a change in attitude here. Bob Keen, Chipping Sodbury

Green Flag for Wapley Bushes WAPLEY Bushes Local Nature Reserve has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award for the ninth year in a row. The Green Flag Community Award is given to green spaces managed by voluntary and community groups, and Wapley Bushes was the only winner in the category from South Gloucestershire this year. Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve is an area of meadows and woodlands between Shire Way and Besom Lane, which is managed by the volunteers of the Wapley Bushes Conservation Group on behalf of site owners Dodington Parish Council. Group committee member Paul Hulbert said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive the Green Flag Community Award yet again. "Our local green spaces really matter to residents and visitors. They make a major contribution to health and well-being, particularly in the challenging circumstances of 2020. "This award celebrates the dedication that goes into maintaining Wapley Bushes to such a high standard - the real credit goes to our hard-working volunteers, and to Dodington Parish Council for their unfailing practical and financial help. "Our reserve is a mixture of flower-rich meadows, ancient woodland and younger plantations. We work closely with South Gloucestershire Council and the Southwold Group of the Wildlife Trust, who provide us with very valuable advice" Anyone interested in getting involved with future work on the reserve can contact Paul on 01454 315851 or email paul.hulbert@ gmail.com for more details.

n SPORT

COVID-19 knocks Yate out of FA Trophy YATE Town’s campaign in the FA Trophy came to an abrupt halt after one of their first team players tested positive for COVID-19. After consulting with Public Health England, the whole of the first team squad had to selfisolate, which meant the club had to forfeit the tie. The news was the latest development in what is turning into a horror show for the Bluebells, who have lost their last five games and are now a point and a place above the relegation zone. The most recent defeat was a 3-1 reverse at Hartley Wintney, despite Town opening the scoring through defender Craig Norman after 13 minutes. The lead lasted just another seven minutes, as the home side scored from the spot courtesy of Tyrone Smith. After the break two more goals from Mitchell Parker and Ben Wright sent Yate back down the M4 pointless. That loss followed a 6-2 drubbing at home at the hands of league leaders Poole Town.

Action from Yate Town's 6-2 home defeat to Poole. Picture courtesy of B.East Photography. You can buy Bill East’s pictures – email billeast@live.co.uk for details. Two top-class strikes from Ryan Beckinsale were the only bright spots in an otherwise utterly dismal afternoon for a Yate side hampered with injury problems. Despite Yate taking a 4th-

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minute lead through Beckinsale, Poole looked dangerous every time they attacked and illustrated clearly why they are unbeaten in the league so far this season.

They equalised just 6 minutes later and by the break were 3-1 up. Two quick goals after halftime saw them kill off the game. Beckinsale scored his second on the hour mark, but Poole rubbed salt into the wounds with a sixth goal deep into injury time. Games against Beaconsfield Town and Harrow were postponed because of the covid situation at the club, and the Bluebells will be hoping the resumption of the league from December 12 will also see a change in their fortunes. Brighter news for fans came with the news that Yate have signed the promising full-back Tyler Ashmead from Bristol Manor Farm. Manager Paul Michael said: “Tyler has been outstanding for Manor Farm over the last season or so and he’s a player I’ve admired for some time. “Tyler has a foot injury at the moment but hopefully if we get back playing when the lock down ends it will only be a few more weeks before we see him in action”

Email: contact@yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk

yate&sodburyvoice

December, 2020

n SPORT

Alfie is junior car champion again

Alfie Gendall is celebrating a new championship title to add to his trophy collection.

Alfie and his Junior American Cup Car on track during the round 8 races at Birmingham. Pictures: Jeff Gendall

YATE teenager Alfie Gendall is celebrating after successfully defending his motor racing title. Alfie won the Junior American Cup Car Racing Championship in his debut season last year - and repeated the feat in a coronavirusinterrupted season. The 14 year old finished in style with a hat-trick of race wins at the Birmingham Wheels track: the fourth time during the 2020 season he has taken all three wins in a round. The latest lockdown meant the last planned round was cancelled, leaving Alfie clear at the top of the rankings, 166 points ahead of his nearest rival. Alfie said: "It feels good to see our hard work over the course of the season pay off, it's been a fun year with some really good close racing.” During the course of the

Chipping Sodbury, Bristol Cameras, Pentax, TopWelds, 29 Design, Powersystems UK, Specialist Motorworx, Nikon and Speed Demon Industries. Junior American Cup cars are powered by a Honda GX390 engine and are limited to around 65mph, with adjustable suspension, disc brakes, a full

season, with 24 races in eight rounds, Alfie has only finished outside of the top two places on one occasion, and its this consistency that he credits with his success this year. He said: "The car has been great this season. We've had great speed and reliability and I've managed to keep out of trouble and bring home a good total of points at every round." Alfie described the final round as "a good successful day's racing in tricky conditions with the damp but drying track," adding: "We made a good call with the tyre strategy and this helped me push the car to get the three wins." Alfie thanked the sponsors whose support helped him to compete in the sport, many of them locally-based: Williams Automobiles of Chipping Sodbury, the Rotary Club of

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LANDSCAPING Hawthorn Landscapes and Tree Care We are a family run business est 1990 we do all types of Fencing, turfing,patios,power cleaning Trees and shrubs topped shaped and felled All types of rubbish removed - cheaper than a skip Email hawthornlandscapes@yahoo.co.uk

Freephone 0800 858 9803 Mobile 07580 260 676

TILING SERVICES

PLUMBING Taps, Washers Toilets, Cisterns Leaks, Blockages Tanks, Overflows Lead Pipes, Stopcocks….etc… OAP DISCOUNTS and NO VAT

0117

957 5092

PLUMBING & HEATING

Boiler installation, servicing and repairs 10 Year Warranty’s available

For Newsdesk Or Advertising contact 01454 800 120

Mosaic, Travertine, Porceline & Ceramic Specialists

Andy 01454 602506 or 07468 791619 Email: arhys-jones@sky.com A Yate business

www.tilingheaven.co.uk TREE SERVICES

Tel: 0117 9676268 info@arheatingservices.co.uk

Finance also available

Bathroom, Kitchen & Floor Tiling

D. ATTWELL

LANDSCAPING & TREE SERVICES For All Garden Works Patios – Decking Gravelling – Fencing Wood Chippings – Jetwashing Foliage Removed – Roots Destroyed Garden Walls & General Building

• FULLY INSURED • LICENSED WASTE CARRIER

For a FREE quote call 07960 681 921 518308

d.attwellgardenservices@hotmail.co.uk

Email: contact@yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk

Weâ€™re always here to help, even during lockdown Despite another lockdown, our developments remain open for viewings with safety measures in place. The Government guidelines are allowing the housing market to continue which means you can still consider a move into a Churchill development. We appreciate that the thought of darker nights with limited company might make you feel anxious so by moving to a Churchill Retirement flat, you could leave your worries behind and discover a new independent, low maintenance lifestyle. We understand just how daunting a move can be, which is why we are offering you an exclusive Move For Free package*. Our services are designed to help you every step of the way throughout the moving experience.

Less than 0.4% of our 10,000+ Owners across the country have tested positive for Covid-19â€ , highlighting how well our developments are managed.

Photo taken pre-Covid-19

NEW RETIREMENT FLATS AND COTTAGES FOR SALE IN YATE TREWIN LODGE & TREWIN MEWS Normandy Drive. Open Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 5pm. Call us TODAY to find out more or to book an appointment

01454 837672 churchillretirement.co.uk

Yate & Sodbury Voice December 2020