RECEPTION pupils at Woodlands Primary School in Yate have been finding out they can learn as much outdoors as in the classroom. The children's Forest Friday lessons saw them working to achieve their 'stick licences', allowing them to carry den-building wood. Head teacher Rachel Dean said: "They are now experts in transporting the large sticks safely around our forest school. We will be using this skill to make homes for animals and building dens in the future."
YATE'S MP is demanding answers from the Post Office after it announced plans that put the town's main branch at risk of closure.
The Yate Sodbury branch at South Parade in Yate Shopping Centre is one of 115 across the country owned directly by the Post Office.
The state-owned retail company says its Directly Managed Branches, also known as Crown post offices, are loss-making and it is "considering the future" of the operation.
While it insists no announcement has been made about any individual branch, it is talking to unions about "future options" and says it wants to move to a franchise-only model in line with the other 11,500 branches in its network.
That has set alarm bells ringing with people who rely on the branch for a range of services from stamps and parcels to pensions, banking, bill payments and passport checks.
Turn to page 2
A CHIPPING Sodbury-born actor has been living the dream by performing in a four-week run at the Bristol Hippodrome.
PAGE 3
SOUTH Gloucestershire Council is changing its plans for charges at two Yate car parks.
PAGE 3
A DANCER from Chipping Sodbury has been crowned the World Irish Dance Association Under 9 British Champion.
PAGE 7
BLACK bins will only be collected once every three weeks under a new waste contract signed by the council.
PAGE 5
Our January edition deadline is December 11.
Ken McCormick, Editor contact@yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk
Follow
Advertising Enquiries
Richard Drew, Publisher 01454 800 120
contact@yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk
Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com Search for yate and sodbury voice
Letters for publication can be sent to us via email: contact@yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk We reserve the right to edit your letter.
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
From page 1
A Post Office spokesperson confirmed the Yate Sodbury branch was on the list of affected branches, along with those in Stroud and Gloucester, although she insisted no announcement had been made about any individual branch's future.
The spokesperson said: "We are considering a range of options to reduce our central costs.
"This includes considering the future of our remaining Directly Managed Branches, which are loss-making.
"We have long held a publicly-stated ambition to move to a fully franchised network and we are in dialogue with the unions about future options for the DMBs."
Thornbury & Yate MP Claire Young has vowed to fight the closure and has written to Post Office chief executive Nick Read to demand answers to a series of questions about the move.
She said: "It is deeply worrying to hear that the Post Office in Yate is potentially up for closure.
"This would be a huge blow for both Yate and Sodbury, which have seen many banks shut up shop in recent years.
"While the Post Office claims no decisions have been made, many will feel that this decision has already been taken behind closed doors with no public consultation.
"This is especially damaging as the Post Office was supposed to be the fall-back when our banks closed."
Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in Yate & Sodbury Voice, contact the publisher using the details below. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), which holds journalists to a high standard of behaviour. Further details of the complaints process can be found on the Voice website here, or can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Yate & Sodbury Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Yate & Sodbury Voice is distributed each month to local residents. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please get in touch or collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is welcomed, contact@yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk
In her letter Ms Young asks Mr Read when the town's post office was added to the "list of potential closures", whether discussions have been held with the branch manager, how people can go about objecting if the closures "are not set in stone", when a final decision will be made and if the branch does close, what support will be put in place to ensure people can still access Post Office services.
The MP said: "If this branch were to close, this would not only affect those living in Yate, but also Chipping Sodbury and the villages.
"The closure would have far-reaching implications, making it incredibly difficult for businesses and older people to access their money and other services.
"At a time when we've seen bank after bank shut up shop on our high streets, many have come to rely on the Post Office as part of their day-to-day lives. Indeed, many looked to the Post Office as their ultimate safeguard – trusting that they would be able to rely on it when all else failed."
The Post Office is still embroiled in the fall-out from the Horizon scandal, where the company covered up computer system failures that led to hundreds of franchised sub-postmasters being prosecuted.
The DMB announcement is part of a 'Transformation Plan' the Post Office announced in November, which it says will boost revenue to postmasters by up to £250 million a year.
A CHIPPING Sodbury-born actor has been living the dream by performing in a fourweek run at the Bristol Hippodrome.
Rhys Batten, who grew up in Yate, is part of a professional company which has been charming audiences in a Cameron Mackintosh and Disney production of the classic musical Mary Poppins throughout November.
Performing at the Hippodrome has a special significance for Rhys, who said: "I fell in love with performing at the Bristol Hippodrome, which as a child was the first stage I ever performed on.
"Now I am back performing on that very stage as a professional actor for the first time ever, as a part of the ensemble for a multi award-winning musical.
"It’s a real full-circle moment for me."
Growing up, Rhys had a passion for gymnastics but his path changed during a music lesson at King Edmund Community School in 2006, when his teacher told him BLOC Productions needed more children for its production of Oliver! and would be hosting auditions.
Rhys, who was in Year 8 at the time, won a part and after stepping onto the Hippodrome stage for the first time, he never looked back.
He went on to join the Bristol School of Performing arts and Bristol Musical Youth Productions, performing twice a year at the Redgrave Theatre.
Rhys also performed with BLOC Productions in Beauty and the Beast in 2010 and later graduated with a BA degree in professional musical theatre and dance from London's Urdang Academy.
He has performed in a series of musicals in London's West End as well as theatres across Europe, including Paris, Berlin and Vienna, and sung as a backing vocalist at the Eurovision Song Contest Opening and X Factor final.
Rhys was cast for his current role after going through six rounds of auditions and as Adonis and part of the ensemble, he takes on numerous roles and features all the show's big numbers.
He says Mary Poppins is "one of the best shows out there".
Rhys said: "Even in the rehearsals, without the costumes, without the set, the cast have been in tears because it really is so magical.
"It is a fun-filled show that brings you back to your childhood.”
The show continues its run until November 30.
SOUTH Gloucestershire Council is changing its plans for off-street parking charges to be introduced from next year.
The council says there was "helpful engagement" following its initial announcement in September, which has resulted in the changes announced in November.
One of the biggest changes is to two car parks the council owns in central Yate.
Both the Kennedy Way and Leisure Centre car parks were originally intended to be designated as short-stay only once charges are introduced in the spring.
But the council says that following "community conversations with local stakeholders", Kennedy Way will be a long-stay car park, while the Leisure Centre car park will be divided into both short-stay and long-stay spaces.
Both car parks are close to the privately-owned Yate Shopping Centre car park, which is free but has a four-hour limit, as well as the Lidl and Riverside car parks, which also have restrictions.
The other main changes are to the proposed charges.
The short-stay charge for an hour will stay at 70p, but the charge for two hours will be £1.30 instead of £1.50, three hours will cost £3 instead of £3.50 and up to four hours will cost £5 instead of £4.50.
There will still be free 30-minute stays in "at least 10 per cent" of short stay car park spaces.
Proposed long stay charges are also being changed, with a new £4 rate for stays of between four and six hours and a £5 charge for stays of more than six hours. Previously the proposed rates were £6 for between four and eight hours, and £9 for a day. The lowest long-stay charge of £3 for up to four hours is unchanged.
The council has reduced proposed season ticket charges for longstay parking to £20 for a week (from £24) £75 a month (from £90) and £840 a year (from £1,008), with a new six-monthly ticket for £435.
For more details visit tinyurl. com/3vyr5ffv.
PLANS for six plots for travelling showpeople to park mobile homes in the Green Belt near Westerleigh have been approved.
South Gloucestershire councillors voted 8-1 to give permission for mobile homes, trucks and trailers with fairground equipment, to stay on land at Oakleigh Green Farm Lane, south of Westerleigh Road.
Westerleigh Parish Council and 14 residents objected on grounds including inappropriate development in open countryside and traffic safety, because the site is near an oil terminal and a pig abattoir, which have large numbers of lorries and tankers entering and exiting each day. Puma Energy, which runs the fuel storage facility, objected saying there were 300 daily HGV movements to and from its business, an average of one every two minutes over 10 hours.
But transport officers said the application by travelling showman Joe Maggs on behalf of his family, who have lived in the area for more than 30 years, was acceptable because the road access had adequate visibility and that the amount of extra traffic from six plots would not cause congestion.
Council development manager Marie Bath told a planning committee meeting on October 24: "The council cannot meet the needs of travelling showpeople and this is a significant material factor in the determination of the application.
"It is a worsening situation. In 2017 our need was for 31 additional plots. Our need is now 65 by 2042."
She said this was in addition an extra 132 Gypsy and traveller pitches.
Ms Bath said: "This site is immediately available, it’s not isolated and significant weight is given to the fact the site will be occupied by children."
A SENIOR South Gloucestershire councillor says the authority's "first priority" as the town's historic Station Road factory closes is the people who are losing their jobs.
The Voice reported last month that Beko Europe had confirmed that the tumble dryer plant will shut down on December 31, with the loss of 142 jobs.
The council bought the site from the owner Whirlpool in 2021, for just under £10 million. The administration at the time said the purchase would give the council "a degree of control over its future use".
However Yate North councillor Chris Willmore, who is now on the council's ruling coalition cabinet, said helping the people still working there has to come before any plans for the future.
Cllr Willmore said: "The first priority is to focus on supporting the staff involved to get new jobs.
She said the lack of plots elsewhere meant there were "very special circumstances" which meant the benefits of the scheme clearly outweighed the harms.
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service
on:
or
on:
"This has been a site at which multiple generations of some local families have worked, so the sense of loss extends well beyond the current staff.
"It has been so central to the life of the town that you can tell someone’s age by what they call it.
"Older folk call it Parnall's. Those of us around from the early 1980s call it Jacksons, younger people call it Creda, people who arrived in the last 15 years call it Whirlpool."
A public consultation on the site's future is likely to be launched in the New Year.
Cllr Willmore said: "Locally we are keen to ensure the site retains at least as many jobs as a present, that the heritage is preserved –particularly the unique underground first aid post on the site, as a memorial to its history."
She said opportunities to strengthen community facilities, reflecting the factory's role providing a social club, sports days and other activities, should be taken.
Cllr Willmore added: "We hope it will be possible to do something to solve the parking problems on Station Road, and to contribute to making Station Road somewhere people go.
"It is too early to say what will happen. But it is a large site, so the Town Council is hopeful all of these can be accommodated."
BLACK bins will only be collected once every three weeks under a new contract with the waste firm Suez signed by South Gloucestershire Council.
Leaders say the change, which will come into force in 2026, will drive up recycling rates.
But opposition councillors have warned the changes could create an “environmental health risk”, particularly for some disabled people.
Black bins will be collected every three weeks, rather than two, from 2026.
The new contract, approved at a cabinet meeting on November 11, will be in force for the next eight years, with an option to extend it to 16.
It also includes recycling soft plastics.
Latest figures show that 57% of kerbside waste in the district is recycled, which has recently dropped.
Council cabinet member for communities Sean Rhodes said: "As we’ve come out of Covid, we’ve seen a change in people’s behaviour, and that’s why nationally there’s been a dip in recycling rates. "By moving to three-weekly and by bringing in changes to our plastic recycling, we’re confident that we’ll move recycling rates up."
Cllr Rhodes said analysis of black bin waste showed 12.5% is food waste, 23% is already recyclable and 27.7% is "flexible" plastics, which will be recycled under the new contract.
That means only 36.8% of waste by volume in black bins is nonrecyclable.
Cllr Rhodes said: "By changing how we collect soft plastics, we’re confident that’s going to change our recycling rates. It’s something to be really applauded, I believe.
"This has been a process that’s taken several years and the work began under the previous administration.”
The current nappy collection service will stay fortnightly, although Tory group leader Sam Bromiley raised concerns about the "environmental health risk" posed by adults using incontinence pads having to wait three weeks between collections.
Frenchay & Downend Conservative ward councillor Liz Brennan said: "Residents are still telling me how concerned they are about moving to a three-weekly black bin collection.
"Large households in particular, who recycle as much as possible, will really struggle with three-weekly collections."
Residents will also have to book a slot in advance before visiting a Sort It waste recycling centre. These centres will be brought in-house and managed by the council.
Cllr Rhodes said: “I think the booking system is going to be over time a real boon. I use the sites often and to know that I’m going to be able to turn up at a certain time, having booked it, and I’ll be in and out without having to queue, is going to make the whole process so much more effective and efficient.”
The council has also announced that it will no longer deliver printed bin collection calendars to homes, to remind residents which weeks have black bin collections.
The cards are usually left on bin handles by collection crews in December.
A spokesperson said: "This helps the council save money and reduce waste."
By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Christmas collection dates: Page 25
PLANS to build two new homes that can only be accessed via a single-track drive through the middle of a protected green have passed the first hurdle.
South Gloucestershire councillors approved the redevelopment of Little Croft in Goose Green, Yate, in principle by seven votes to nil, with two abstentions, despite objections from Yate Town Council and 17 residents.
The town council owns the common, Goose Green, and has said it would allow only one of the two new homes proposed to replace the existing bungalow a right to vehicle access along the track, meaning the occupants of the other house would have to leave their cars on the narrow main road, worsening parking problems in the area.
The application by Jerry Smallridge, whose brother used to live at the bungalow, is unusual because instead of applying for full or outline planning consent, he instead asked for “permission in principle” for up to two properties.
That meant the development
The bungalow and its access across the green
management committee could only consider whether the site was suitable for them, with full “technical details” and designs to be decided at a future stage.
Council cabinet member for planning Chris Willmore (Lib Dem, Yate North) told the committee: “There is something about Goose Green that is different from the rest of Yate.
“Goose Green is a quiet haven, it has trees and open
space and it feels tranquil.
“It’s the only place in Yate where you get that feeling of what Yate was like before all the modern housing developments, and that is really special.
“Goose Green and Yate Rocks are two bits of Yate that I would fight to the death to conserve as they are because they are the visible sign of our history.
“This is a special place that requires special treatment.”
She said PiP was a “nonsense process” that did not allow councillors to include any conditions on giving the goahead at this stage.
Residents told the meeting in late October that if the new buildings had two storeys they would have a “massive overbearing impact” on adjacent homes.
Planning agent Emma Jarvis, on behalf of Mr Smallridge, said
the bungalow was in a state of disrepair and needed replacing and that the plot was large enough for two homes.
She said various owners had used the single track access as a right of way without challenge for 55 years.
Council development manager Marie Bath said that at the current stage no conditions could be attached to the application, which had originally been for up to three homes.
Committee chairman Cllr Tristan Clark (Lib Dem, Frampton Cotterell) said this was "infuriating".
Ms Bath said the right of access is a civil matter between the applicants and Yate Town Council.
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Will Writing
Meet with a local professional and receive full guidance and support.
Family & Property Trusts
Ensure your loved ones receive the maximum benefit by protecting your estate with trusts.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
Probate Services
Our specialists help make a difficult time as stress-free and straightforward as possible. Give someone the power to make decisions on your behalf, no matter what happens.
A DANCER from Chipping Sodbury has been crowned the World Irish Dance Association Under 9 British Champion.
Beatrice Wolfenden has been Irish dancing since she was five years old, and trains four nights a week with Stuart Irish Dance School in Fishponds, who also trained previous world champ Rosie Rendell, from Yate.
Beatrice's win means she has qualified to take part in next year's WIDA World Championships, which are due to be held in Belgium.
Mum Marie-Louise Wolfenden within 18 months of competing Beatrice had reached the highest level and is currently ranked fourth in the world in her age group.
She attends extra workshops and has also been selected to train with the cast of Riverdance in Ireland for the last two years.
Marie-Louise said: "It is her greatest ambition to one day be in the cast of Riverdance and perform on stage at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.
"As her parents we are so extremely proud of her dedication, commitment, her passion and her drive.
"She misses parties and events because her focus is on dancing and improving and perfecting her dancing.
"We aren’t entirely sure where her dancing comes from as neither of us can dance, but she adores it and most importantly she is proud of herself becoming British Champion."
A GRANT scheme to bring empty shop units back into use will helped get businesses up and running in Chipping Sodbury.
South Gloucestershire council says at least one new business in the town will be among 15 to be helped to open with a share of £200,000 funding through South Gloucestershire Council’s Vacant Unit Grant Scheme.
Grants have been approved for new businesses from financial services and food to health and beauty and entertainment in high streets across the district. Other high streets in Thornbury, Staple Hill and Downend are also being helped.
The council says businesses across eight high street areas will open over the coming months to "add to the vibrancy and diversity of these high streets".
Council cabinet member for business Ian Boulton said: “It’s fantastic to have been able to support 15 new businesses to open their doors on our high streets through the Vacant Unit Grant Scheme.
“South Gloucestershire Council is committed to supporting businesses at every stage of their journey, whether they are new startups or established businesses looking to expand.
"The Vacant Unit Grant Scheme is just one of the many ways we help businesses grow and thrive.
"By choosing to shop locally, residents contribute to the sustainability and prosperity of South Gloucestershire. I would encourage everyone to visit their local high streets, support these new ventures, and be part of our community’s growth."
The Vacant Unit Grant Scheme, funded by the West of England Combined Authority, offered support to landlords to bring vacant units back into use and new businesses to move into a vacant commercial unit.
More information about business support opportunities being made available in South Gloucestershire can be found online at www. southglos.gov.uk/investsouthglos.
• Re-Felting & Battening
• Complete Roof Re-Fits
• Re-Pointing of Ridges, Chimneys & Walls
• Exterior Painting
• Lead & Valleys Renewed or Repaired
• New Soffits, Fascias, Guttering & Cladding
• EPDM Rubber Roofs - inc Flat Roof Repairs
The Ladden View
Christmas Party
Wednesday 18th December, 6pm - 8pm
Join in the festivities and enjoy warming festive treats prepared by our chef, a live choir from the Ladden Garden Village Community and a Santas grotto offering gifts for children.
Thursday 23rd January, 2pm - 4pm
Listen to dementia specialist Barbara Stephens share insights into how your journey with dementia might unfold following a diagnosis and how to live positively with dementia.
Trusted to care
To attend please call 01454 513 375 or email
daniel.glover-winfield@careuk.com
At Care UK’s Ladden View care home in Yate, our team is passionate about supporting your loved one to maintain independence and make choices, whilst receiving the very best dementia care in a place they can call home.
Care you can trust
We work with academic partners and respected leaders in the field, to ensure we stay up to date with the latest approaches to dementia care. We have worked closely with the Association of Dementia Studies to create bespoke programmes of dementia training. Whilst Dr Nori Graham - a renowned dementia expert and Vice President of Alzheimer’s International – supports the development of our dementia strategy with Suzanne Mumford, a Queen’s Nurse and Head of Nursing, Care and Dementia at Care UK.
Our dedicated team will work with you and your loved one to deliver a care and lifestyle plan entirely tailored to their unique needs and preferences and our busy activities schedule
is always packed with meaningful activities that support them to live life to the full.
At our purpose-built home, everything from colour schemes, signage, and furniture to the design of our crockery, has been carefully chosen to support residents living with dementia to be as independent as possible.
Each floor at Ladden View is divided into smaller suites that create a calm atmosphere, keeping hustle and bustle to a minimum.
Ladden View also has a Namaste care room and trained Namaste care practitioners, who provide a calming sensory experience using soothing lighting and gentle hand massage, for people living with advanced dementia.
Ladden View care home in Yate is part of Care UK, the country’s most awarded large care provider. We’ve been delivering high-quality, personcentred care for over 40 years. That’s why over 9,000 families trust us to care for their older loved ones.
To find out more about Ladden View, call 01454 513 375 or scan the QR code.
Ladden View Fletcher Road, Yate Bristol BS37 7ER careuk.com/ladden-view
YOUR hearing is a precious thing.
Often you don’t realise that until it starts to go. For the past year I have been wearing hearing aids. My hearing has been deteriorating for a while, so getting them has been a real help.
As useful as they may be, they can also be a bit of a fiddle, in some cases expensive and, for some, potentially dangerous. This was underlined to me in one conversation I had on the doorstep.
The person was telling me that her mother, who has dementia, uses hearing aids.
She told me she doesn’t feel they are safe. This is because the hearing aids that are issued by the NHS use batteries.
These are small and, if you have a condition like dementia, the fear is you could swallow
them, thinking they are pills. If ingested, the batteries can cause severe damage.
Although battery-operated units continue to work for many, a real solution for others would be the option to use rechargeable hearing aids.
Not only would they be safer for vulnerable people, they would be easier to use, reduce waste and be cheaper.
I discussed this recently in parliament at a drop-in event organised by Specsavers.
The company provides hearing tests and hearing aids for the National Health Service, but when I brought up the idea of rechargeable hearing aids, they told me it couldn’t be done on the NHS.
It prompted me to submit a written question to the health
minister who deals with this.
The reply was that the NHS can provide rechargeable hearing aids, so I have gone back to Specsavers for clarification on this matter.
Having rechargeable devices available on the NHS is one battle: actually getting hold of them is another.
The only place to get an NHS appointment to pick up devices and free batteries in the constituency is at Specsavers in Thornbury. It can’t be done in Yate.
Failing that, the nearest options are the Specsavers shops in Emersons Green, Bradley Stoke or at the ENT department at St Michael’s Hospital in central Bristol.
I will push for NHS hearing services to be more widely
available at Specsavers. It would be a massive bonus if it were available in the Yate branch.
Hopefully rechargeable hearing aids will be available to NHS customers. It would make life safer for vulnerable people, and make life easier – and more environmentally friendly – for everyone who uses them.
As we come together to celebrate this festive season, I extend my warmest greetings to each and every one of you
Yate is a place where each of us has the power to make a difference, and as Mayor, I am continually inspired by the acts of generosity I see around us. This year, these gestures have reminded us that true strength comes not from what we have, but from what we give
Gift-giving is a cherished part of the season, yet the greatest gift I’ve received this year has been the honour of serving as Yate’s Mayor In this role, I have witnessed firsthand the strength, resilience, and kindness that make Yate truly great
While many of us will celebrate with family and friends, there are those among us facing challenging times Some may be spending this season alone, while others may be struggling to meet life’s basic necessities I encourage each of us to open our hearts to those who need a helping hand Whether it’s sharing warmth and companionship, offering a meal, or supporting local charities, together we can make a meaningful difference
Christmas is a time for family, friendship, and generosity I encourage you all to connect with loved ones and celebrate the spirit of our community It’s a time to cherish those around us, share joy, and extend a helping hand to those in need The most valuable gifts are not material but are found in the warmth of family, the strength of community, and the joy of giving Through small acts of kindness, we can send forth a tiny ripple of hope that, when joined with others, grows into a wave of compassion that can make a lasting difference
From my family to yours, I wish you all a joyful Christmas and a prosperous New Year
of Yate, Councillor Ben Nutland
YATE Town Council has been given more than £300,000 to improve two sports grounds in the town.
Two clubs in Chipping Sodbury have also received five-figure grants to make improvements to their facilities at the Ridings.
They are among 13 projects to improve sports facilities and public open spaces that will be given share of a total of £1.17 million of funding from developers.
Yate Town Council has been awarded a total of £316,900 - £232,123 towards the conversion of the Howard Lewis Park tennis courts to a Multi-Use Games Area, and another £84,777 towards the building of a 'changing places' welfare facility for people with severe disabilities at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex.
Meanwhile Chipping Sodbury Cricket Club will receive £36,282 towards building a new storage building at The Ridings.
Chipping Sodbury Town Football Club will receive £14,000 towards upgrades to floodlights at its ground on The Ridings. The money has been paid by the
developers of eight building projects across the district, as part of legal deals required to secure planning permission.
The biggest grant is £254,789 to Frenchay Cricket Club towards construction of a new pavilion at the Bob Stone Ground in Common Mead Lane, Hambrook
The money has come from builders behind projects including the redevelopment of land for housing at Lodge Road, Engine Common, and Trinity Lane, Chipping Sodbury.
Council cabinet member Sean Rhodes said: "It’s important that housing developers contribute towards the infrastructure needed by growing communities.
"We have funded everything from facilities for football teams to equipment for an archery club and improved toilets at allotments. These new facilities and public open space improvements will help ensure even more people in the area can be active and enjoy the outdoors. And as well as providing opportunities for improving our physical well-being, sports clubs also play a crucial role in our communities, improving our mental health and well-being by bringing people together to share those facilities."
Yate Town Council is now asking people for their views on play spaces in the north of the town..
Following recent refurbishments of other play areas, including Kingsgate Park and
Eggshill Play Area, which has train-themed play equipment, the town council says it is looking into new opportunities in the north at Brinsham Fields.
The town council has launched a survey for people to have their say about what should be provided.
It can be found online at tinyurl. com/4vn9567y.
For more information about Yate Town Council parks and play areas, visit www. yatetowncouncil.gov.uk, the council's social media channels or call 01454 866505.
1. Look after your boiler. Get it serviced early, so it can keep your home warm.
2. Find your stop tap. You’ll be able to turn the water off quicker in an emergency.
3. Going away? Remember to keep your heating on low (min 14ºC).
4. Check your outdoor tap. Fix any drips, and wrap it up or fit a tap jacket.
5. Protect exposed pipes. Wrap up pipes that are exposed to cold air (e.g. loft or garage) to stop them freezing/bursting.
CHIEF Fire Officer Simon Shilton has announced his retirement following a "turbulent few years" for Avon Fire & Rescue Service.
His successor could come from outside the service, after it was announced that applications from "leaders with comparable experience" elsewhere are being encouraged.
Mr Shilton submitted his resignation with six months' notice in September, and the news was announced in early November.
It came after he acknowledged there was "still more to do" to improve the service, following new criticisms from inspectors.
The cross-party Avon Fire Authority committee, which is in overall charge of the service, has been asked to commit £20,000 for an executive search company to find suitable candidates for a successor in his role, which has a salary of £164,351 per year.
The authority says it is looking for a "Chief Fire Officer/ Chief Executive".
Its recruitment announcement says: "While
an understanding of fire and rescue services and related public safety challenges would be advantageous, AF&RS encourages applications from leaders with comparable experience in managing large teams and budgets in similarly vital public safety or crisis management sectors.
"AF&RS particularly welcomes applications from diverse backgrounds and those from groups traditionally underrepresented in leadership roles, reinforcing its commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace."
Mr Shilton stepped up from the position of assistant chief fire officer in March 2022.
Announcing his retirement, Mr Shilton said: "After fulfilling 32 years of a lifelong dream to be a firefighter, it comes with a heavy heart that I have made the decision to retire from Avon Fire & Rescue Service.
"It’s no secret, it has been
a turbulent few years for the service, but my unwavering goal and focus has always been to ensure the organisation is in as strong a position as possible for a much brighter, sustainable future, a future built on a foundation of achieving outcomes, embedding continual improvements, and doing the right thing, recognising the right thing isn’t always comfortable, takes courage and time."
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has published a series of critical reports on Avon Fire & Rescue Service.
An inspection last year found the service was 'inadequate' in areas including responding to fires, sexist and inappropriate behaviour among staff, and control room computer system “crashes” during 999 calls.
After revisiting in September, inspectors said the 999
mobilisation system had been fixed and good progress had been made over fire prevention and safety work.
But they said senior leaders need to do more to continue improving the service’s culture, following the introduction of an independent reporting line which had been badly communicated and caused distrust.
SERVICES and ceremonies were held across the Yate and Sodbury area to remember those who lost their lives in conflict.
From traditional churches and war memorials to football grounds and care homes, thousands fell silent for a moment's reflection on and around Remembrance Sunday on November 10.
Yate Town Council, St Mary’s Church and the Royal British Legion joined together on the morning of Remembrance Sunday for the traditional parade and acts of Remembrance at the Lych Gate and Parnall Memorial at St Mary’s Church.
The Boys Brigade marching band led the parade from Poole Court to St Mary’s Church.
Members of the Royal British Legion joined members of uniformed organisations, community groups and civic leaders for the event.
Yate and District Rotary Club helped police and town council staff marshalling the parade.
At the Lych Gate George Hale, a member of the Boys Brigade, sounded the last post before an Army Cadet read the names of those who had died during the First World War and are named at the Lych Gate.
At the Parnall Memorial a ceremony to remember the 55 people who died in the 1941 air raids on the Station Road factory was held.
In the afternoon Chipping Sodbury's annual Remembrance Parade and Service took place, with participants congregating in Rounceval Street before marching to the memorial in Broad Street.
On the day before, the Last Post was played at Yate Town's Lodge Road ground before the club's game against Westbury United, with players and fans falling silent.
Residents of Ladden View care home joined local residents on a Remembrance Walk through Ladden Garden Village, following a route passing plaques commemorating fallen soldiers who have had streets named after them.
I’D like to start this column by highlighting Poppies to Paddington, a project by GWR and the Veterans Charity.
This year, working with the RNLI, they organised ceremonies on platforms across our rail network on Armistice Day, laying wreaths which were then taken to the Great Western Railway War Memorial in London.
I joined a poignant ceremony at Bath Spa station, once again remembering and reflecting on the service of our Armed Forces, and spoke to the BBC on the train to Paddington about my great grandfather, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the First World War.
The first year of Birthday Buses was an enormous success: 72,000 passengers took an amazing 1.2 million journeys.
On average, people took around 19 free journeys – saving almost £40 in fares.
An independent report found that the scheme was good value for money, providing £2.20 of benefit for every £1 spent.
Birthday Buses have helped people change their travel habits, reduce congestion, and cut carbon emissions by the equivalent of driving five million miles in a petrol car.
So, from December 1, I’m delighted to say that Birthday Buses are back!
This new £4 million investment offers everyone in the wider West of England a whole month of free bus travel for the month of their birthday.
This year, there will also be added retail discounts at shops, restaurants, and attractions across the region for Birthday Bus pass-holders.
If you apply before you turn 21 you will get a second month of free travel. To sign up for your month of free bus travel, visit BirthdayBus.co.uk.
November also saw the launch of our Local Nature Recovery Strategy – a watershed moment.
We were the first place in the whole country to complete this important work, working through the West of England Nature Partnership with organisations like Avon Wildlife Trust and community groups across our region.
That’s to be expected, but also something we should all be proud of.
People from the towns, villages and cities of the West of England love wildlife and nature.
From the majestic kingfishers along the Kennet and Avon canal, to mighty ancient oaks in Pensford and vibrant pollinator patches in Bristol’s parks, our region is home to some wonderful
Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice
species.
This new joint strategy puts our region on the map, with an ambitious plan to support nature to recover and thrive in every corner of the West of England.
With investment from businesses and landowners across our region, and everyone doing their bit, the future looks bright once again.
And finally, I have started official social media channels as the regional mayor to help people stay up to date between my monthly columns in the Voice.
On Instagram you can follow @WestOfEnglandMayor, on Twitter/X it is @WestOfEngMayor and on Facebook you can find me by searching for ‘Dan Norris, Mayor of the West of England’.
THE Conservative and Green parties have announced their candidates to be the next West of England Metro Mayor.
Former Bristol city councillor Steve Smith has been named as the Tory candidate, while Heather Mack, the city council's deputy leader, is the Greens' choice.
Both will stand in the election to replace Labour's Dan Norris, who is unable to stand again after being elected as an MP and banned from having two jobs by his party.
Mr Smith is a former Lord Mayor of Bristol, and represented the Westbury-onTrym & Henleaze ward from 2018 until May, when all three Tory incumbents were ousted by Lib Dems.
He is first major party nominee to be announced, following a meeting of local party members on November 9.
During his time as a councillor Mr Smith sat on the West of England Combined
Authority scrutiny committee, chaired the city council’s health overview and scrutiny committee and was Lord Mayor from 202122.
He has pledged to bring “grown-up leadership back to the combined authority” and boost economic growth.
Mr Smith said: "Our region has huge potential to lead in areas such as innovation, green technology and sustainable growth, but we need strong leadership to unlock that potential for everyone in our
community.
“I am committed to working tirelessly to create a West of England that works for everybody, where political leaders can be trusted to work together and where the West of England is able to reach its full potential and grow our economy for everyone’s benefit."
Heather Mack's selection was announced by the Green Party four days later.
The Lockleaze ward member was first elected in 2021. She previously worked for Oxfam and
on sustainable food systems.
Cllr Mack said: "We’ve seen in recent elections that there is a real appetite for green solutions in the West Country. I hope to add to our Green wins across the region this year and offer a vision of real hope and real change.
"We have been a consistently poorly performing authority, largely due to the lack of a serious commitment to public transport and vocational skills. As WECA leader, I would have the courage to use the powers and funding that go with the role to deliver the mass transit and sustained economic success our region needs."
Labour members were voting on their candidate as the Voice went to print. The two South Gloucestershire councillors originally on the party's shortlist, Sean Rhodes and Ian Scott, were cut by a selection panel before the vote.
Includes reporting by Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Thanks to West of England Mayor Dan Norris, local residents across the Yate & Sodbury Voice area will once again be able to enjoy free bus rides throughout the whole month of their birthdays.
Birthday Buses are back and the Mayor says that he hopes the popular plan will go from strength to strength in its second year, after passengers took almost 1.2 million free journeys during its first year.
The Birthday Buses offer entitles every resident (young and old) in the West of England to take unlimited free bus journeys, at any time, across the 350 square miles of our region, throughout the entire month of their birthday. In addition, young people aged under 21 will receive a second month of free travel. The offer runs for 12 months from 1 December 2024.
Speaking at the Birthday Buses re-launch at a First Bus depot, Mayor Dan Norris said: “Birthday Buses has been a big hit with passengers so I’m delighted to
bring it back for a second year.
“Last year more than 72,000 passengers took, on average, around 19 free journeys each. That saved them almost £40 each in fares – not a bad birthday present!
“Even more importantly, people who tried out buses for free during their birthday month have started to make new habits. They are leaving the car at home and now using our region’s buses more often. That’s always been a vital end goal which is so important during the climate emergency.”
The more people that use the bus, the stronger the future for services in the West of England. A more sustainable and growing bus network has many benefits, including faster journey times for passengers and less congestion for everyone else on the road.
An independent report from auditors KPMG found that the first year of Birthday Buses helped cut an estimated 1,100 tonnes of carbon emissions. That’s equivalent to a petrol car driving more than 5 million miles. And for every £1 spent on Birthday Buses, the region saw £2.20 of benefits.
This year, Birthday Bus passes will also bring more birthday bonuses with discounts at local stores and tourism attractions.
In just the first week of registration, 26,500 people signed up. Yate & Sodbury Voice readers can apply for their free Birthday Bus month pass at BirthdayBus.
Howard: “I made over 20 journeys. It opened my eyes to routes I hadn’t considered.”
Karon: “It was a lovely gesture to have the pass and if I wasn't given it, I would not have done the journey.”
Georgina: “We applied for a birthday bus pass for each family member. We went to Bath, into town shopping, to an appointment and I increased my use of the office. My son and daughters could catch the bus to school everyday and had the freedom to go out with friends on weekends too. I have been using buses much more since.”
Anyone who had a Birthday Bus pass last year will receive an email, which will fast track their application, with no need for a new photo or another form.
and singles.”
A COUPLE from Winterbourne Down are doubling down on their Christmas lights display.
Ricky and Chrissie Fenning have more than 100,000 individual lights in their Winterbourne Wonderland public light show at their home in Down Road – twice the 50,000 they had last year.
They believe it is one of the highest "bulb counts" of any home display in the country, and hope the extra Christmas magic will help push their fundraising total for the Grand Appeal for Bristol Children's Hospital over the £20,000 mark.
Ricky and Chrissie first put on a public display three years ago.
They said: "Winterbourne Wonderland visitors have raised just shy of £11,000 over the past 3 years, of which £8,000 was raised in 2023. That makes this year’s target just over £9,000!
"All contributions, however big or small, will make a huge difference so please give what you can."
The display includes a miniature Santa’s workshop with moving worker elves, a 12ft Christmas tree circled by a Christmas train, a Nativity display, "enchanted forest" with unicorn, a wishing well and colour-changing fountain.
A switch-on event with Wallace and Gromit was scheduled for November 23 at 6pm, and after that the lights are due to be on every day from 4.30-9pm until New Year's Day.
Ricky and Chrissie have set up a secure box to take both contactless card payments and cash donations, as well as QR code to link to their online JustGiving page, which can be found at wbwonderland.com.
They are asking visitors not to block neighbours' drives or side roads, and consider parking further away on Hicks Common Road if they cannot find a safe place to park on Down Road.
Yate's Christmas events kick off early with Chipping Sodbury Parish Church's Crib Festival,
Maria, Bristol “ ”
also known as CribFest24, from November 27 until December 1, from 3-5.30pm on Wednesday and Thursday, 10am-5.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 11am5pm on Sunday.
St Mary’s Church's Christmas Tree Festival is open from 10.30am-3.30pm on November 30 and December 7.
It was hard but I’m so glad we had that conversation.
It was hard but I’m so glad we had that conversation.
December 1 will see celebrations on the streets, with the arrival of Chipping Sodbury Christmas Sunday.
Formerly known as Victorian Day, the event on the High Street will run from 11am5.30pm and will include live donkeys, 50 stalls, a free craft area and bouncy snowglobe in the grammar school, with funfair rides and Christmas entertainment in the High Street. There will also be a raffle and a craft fair from 10am-4pm in the town hall, before the brightly-lit Original Santa Float arrives at 5pm.
It was hard but I’m so glad we had that conversation.
Together we planned a proper send off for mum, a whole morning to celebrate her life with the music and poetry she loved. In a peaceful natural setting where our family and friends had plenty of time and space to share stories and memories.
Together we planned a proper send off for mum, a whole morning to celebrate her life with the music and poetry she loved. In a peaceful natural setting where our family and friends had plenty of time and space to share stories and memories.
Maria, Bristol
Together we planned a proper send off for Mum, a whole morning to celebrate her life with the music and poetry she loved. In a peaceful natural setting where our family and friends had plenty of time and space to share stories and memories
THIS month Yate Heritage Centre presents Work and Play: The Factory Way – a new exhibition that celebrates the rich social lives of the Station Road factory workforce.
The Beko Europe site, which closes at the end of December, opened in 1917 as No 3 Western Aircraft Repair Depot, and has since been known as Parnall’s, Jackson’s, Creda, GDA, Indesit, Merloni and Whirlpool.
The exhibition will run from December 3 until February 1 next year, featuring a range of photographs, artefacts and oral history recordings.
Together they tell the stories of the people who worked and socialised at the factory, alongside their families and friends, who fondly remember the sports clubs, dances, birthday parties, skittle tournaments and kids' Christmas lunches!
Do you have a story to tell, photographs, or items that capture memories of the factory’s social scene? Contact our team at Yate Heritage Centre and help us celebrate the generations of people who worked at the factory during its 107-year lifetime.
One theme of the exhibition is parties at the factory, a fitting subject for the time of year when work Christmas parties are getting underway.
In its guise as Parnall’s (194567) or Jackson’s (1967-1982), the factory employed far more people, which dictated how holidays were celebrated.
Parnall (Yate) employed up to 2,000 people during the late 1950s and 1960s. Each department of the factory organised their own entertainment.
The toolroom had its own parties and arranged an annual night out at the Top Rank in Bristol in the 1960s.
With the Railway pub close at hand, trips to the nearest hostelry were frequent. In the week running up to Christmas, the Railway was invariably packed at lunchtime, so it was avoided by many people.
Nevertheless, for those that did go, Joan Groves recalled that it was not unknown for senior staff to press-gang employees back to the factory if production targets were not being met.
A factory tradition in December was to enjoy food together on Christmas Eve. Food was often
brought in on trolleys and shared out among staff at their workbenches. This often marked the end of work before the bank holidays began.
The post-war factory culture was arguably more paternalistic than in later years. There was a strong tradition of providing Christmas gifts for staff.
However, this did depend upon the firm’s profits. During the
1970s Joan Groves recalls Jackson’s providing a food hamper for employees in the motor winding shop. During a downturn this was reduced to free washing powder or mini gin bottles from Holland.
By the 1970s, Jackson’s had begun to provide more social and holiday activities for its staff and families. The Newman’s social club had paved the way for this in past decades.
Increasingly, Christmas activities at Jackson’s took place in the old canteen, and an annual party for Jackson’s children was the norm during the 1970s.
By 1976 the factory finally had its own social club, which took on the mantle of organising family events. In the early years, many children of staff could also enjoy a trip to Bristol to see one of the big pantomimes.
If you want to know more about these social celebrations or to see our extensive historic collections, pay a visit to Yate Heritage Centre.
Yate Heritage Centre is part of Yate Town Council. David Hardill
December 3-February 1: Work & Play – The Factory Way. Marking the end of the Station Road factory site in Yate.
December 7, 10.30am12.30pm: YHC Friends Coffee Morning.
December 10, 6-7pm: Carols on the Green accompanied by St Mary’s School Choir and Church.
IT was a sad day when the cinema Yate spent years begging for closed (Voice, November).
My dad was born in Yate in 1938 and remembers the cinema between the YMCA and Yate Community Hall on Station Road, with the clock on it.
There was a rival cinema running at the same time in a large Nissen hut in Hounds Road, Chipping Sodbury, which is also long gone, probably where Woodmans Close now stands.
In my own youth while at King Edmund's School, a trial cinema evening was held around 1977. In 2015 with the help of our great then-MP Steve Webb we finally succeeded and Cineworld opened a six screen cinema –
one screen for each decade of campaigning, I guess!
Six screens was too ambitious in my opinion, and now we are back where we were in the wilderness years, with a huge population.
We need an operator to run this cinema: maybe reduce the screens to four and have two theatres for plays and live music, or seminars. There would be cross overs between these audiences and cinema followers.
If I could afford it I would buy Cineworld myself!
Dale Lewis
LEAVING a gift in your will or donating in memory is an incredible legacy to leave when we’re no longer here.
It could reduce your inheritance tax, while helping to create a world that embraces physical disabilities and includes everybody.
Physical disability charity Paul’s Place has launched our own Gifts in Wills and In Memory Giving web pages.
You can also contact us directly to ask for your free information
pack.
Your gift could impact a small charity massively. It made buying Shire Way Community Centre possible for Paul’s Place, where more space and extra facilities are desperately needed to support physically disabled adults.
Almost 80% of physically disabled people become disabled later in life. Paul’s Place is ready to give vital support and friendship when this happens.
To learn more, please visit www. paulsplace.org.uk/support-us or email info@paulsplace.org.uk
Kayley Waller Head of Fundraising
IF you'd like to make a difference in your community, now is the time to join Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire.
We are helping record numbers of people with cost-of-livingrelated problems, and looking to take on ten volunteer generalist advisers.
Generalist advisers are essential to what the charity does, whether meeting clients face-to-face at drop-ins or taking calls via the local
Adviceline.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to not only use your existing skills to help people in the local community but also develop new ones.
It also involves in-depth training around a range of areas.
You will be part of a really friendly and supportive team with a very worthwhile charity.
The new cohort will start training in January and will soon after be helping those who come to the charity for advice.
It is an exciting time to join the team as this latest group will hopefully be the first to start in the charity’s new premises in Badminton Court on Station Road, as the move is now imminent.
The charity is particularly keen to encourage applications from people with a diverse range of backgrounds.
To apply, please email Amanda Wood at bureau@sgloscab.cabnet. org.uk.
For more information, visit tinyurl.com/3jbujhmk.
Emmanuelle Claverie
Lead Supervisor and Training Officer
Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire.
A CRAFT club has celebrated 25 years of bringing people together in Yate.
Options, previously known as Yate Craft Club, marked its milestone with a celebratory lunch at the Chestnut Room at Ridgewood Community Centre in late October.
Among the 35 guests were Yate Mayor Ben Nutland and Sodbury Mayor Adrian Rush.
Founding member Cindy Sutton said the mayors made the event a memorable party, particularly for some former members who had not been out since covid.
Cindy founded the club with two friends, Gill Rockall and Nancy Dunne, who have both since passed away.
After being widowed, Gill was
“at a loose end”, and got in touch with Cindy and Nancy to form the club, which originally met in Yate Library.
They each put £5 in a kitty and, said Cindy, “had no idea it would do so well”.
Yate Town Council asked the fledgling group to “make something that would represent the Millennium” and they decided to make a special quilt.
Needing extra time to work on it, members had the option to come on a Wednesday fro regular crafts or a Friday to work on
the quilt – which led to the club taking the name Options.
Then MP Steve Webb used to pop in to see how the quilt was coming along and offered to draw a fundraising raffle, which raised £800 for charity and spurred the group on.
Cindy said: “I can’t believe I have been so lucky that the club has kept going, but I wish my two friends could have come with me.”
Since the loss of Gill and Nancy, Joan Groves has stepped in to help and provided transport
for some members.
Joan and Cindy have also been voluntary trustees of Ridgewood Community Centre in Station Road, for about 12 years.
The club has been selfsupporting throughout apart from during covid, when both Yate Town Council and Sodbury Town Council helped with rents.
Options has raised funds for many charities, including the Cornish Autistic Society and air ambulance.
Members have knitted hats for premature babies in Bath and Southmead neonatal units, scarves and hats for homeless charities in Bristol, and quilts for Cancer Research. They are still working for charities today.
At one point the group had 30 members but is now down to 12 – Cindy says problems with the infrequent buses and the cost of community transport have affected attendance.
She is keen to hand over to a new generation, and new members are encouraged to find out more by calling Joan on 01454 314 355 or emailing ridgewood@live.co.uk.
As we approach the festive season, we wanted to take a moment to extend our heartfelt greetings and warm wishes to you all on behalf of Dodington Parish Council.
We look forward to serving the community in 2025 and welcoming you to our facilities. Wishing
Councillors and staff of Dodington Parish Council
THE very first Sodbury Vale Model Railway Club open day held at Lyde Green Community Centre was a success on all counts.
From the venue and layouts on display, to the interaction between demonstrators and the general public, all received positive feedback. The open day in October offered a platform
to get local model railway clubs and societies together so that they could network with each other, with the aim of inspiring future modellers, club members and volunteers.
Kitted out in their new Kelly Green polo shirts sponsored by GallifordTry, SVMRC members were easily recognisable to members of the public and were readily available to answer any questions or discuss any aspect of railway modelling.
Despite poor weather conditions on the day and the weekend closure of the M4 motorway, the event was well supported by over 200 visitors, including many family groups of children, parents and grandparents from the area.
The event was a financial success, too, and enabled SVRMC to make sizeable donations to Alzheimer’s, Cancer Research and Children’s Hospice South West charities.
SVMRC would like to thank all those members of the general public for their attendance, together with community centre staff and all volunteers who helped make the event such a success.
The next SVMRC event is being held at the Parish, YMCA and Community Halls in Station Road, Yate, on March 1 next year, from 10am to 4pm. Hope to see you there!
Alan Simmonds
THE Upper Frome Friends Group has been able to look back at 2024 with a real sense of satisfaction. We became much more established as a group, which has enabled us to complete more river cleans and 'balsam bashing' sessions, as well as publicise our work more widely.
Monthly clean-up sessions of the river all through the year have yielded some very odd items including a VDU monitor, a car engine and burnt-out motorbike.
We have enjoyed opportunities to work alongside Sodbury and Yate Clean Up on joint cleans and hope to continue these next year.
Fantastic volunteers spent hours on regular weekly sessions from April through to the end of September to try to eradicate invasive, nonnative Himalayan balsam.
It was lovely to see some volunteers arranging more ad hoc sessions too.
Because of the mild autumn, balsam was still appearing in the middle of October. We may need to extend the season next year.
If your new year’s resolution is going to be supporting the environment, then come and join us! You can find out more on our Facebook group page or by email at riverfromereconnected@southglos.gov.uk.
Jane Davies
'TIS the season to be jolly – but if you’re the one organising your family’s get together, it can be stressful too.
Part of that is making sure everyone has food they enjoy, that there’s enough – but not so much that food gets wasted.
That’s where my recipe for this month comes in handy.
I love Christmas pudding but not everyone does, particularly kids. So I’ve come up with a chocolatey, luscious alternative.
The bonus is that you can use slightly stale croissants, brioche or even panettone, which we buy as a treat then leave in the bread bin.
Whatever you are doing, I wish you peace and joy, and the chance to make memories with those you love – maybe a few food memories, too!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
6 pain au chocolate, cut into slices
1 cm thick
500ml whole milk
120ml double cream
4 large eggs
1-2 squares 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate, or other chocolate of your choice – cut into small chunks
25g unsalted butter
3 tsps golden caster sugar
1-2 tsps vanilla essence
Here’s what you do
Pre-heat oven to 180 °C, or 170 °C fan assisted oven, Gas mark 4
Grease a medium sized, deepish, ovenproof baking dish with a little butter.
Whisk the eggs, cream, milk and vanilla essence together until well
NHS FUNDED PRESCRIPTION TREATMENTS www pharmacyfirstyate com
Ann Murray founded the Cooking4 Cookery School based in Chipping Sodbury. She’s teamed up with Yate & Sodbury Voice to pass on her wealth of experience in the kitchen.
combined.
Cover the bottom of the dish with the sliced croissants and sprinkle half of the chopped chocolate over the top.
Pour half the milk mixture over the first layer of croissant pieces. Note: The bottom layer of croissants should evenly cover the dish to soak up the milk mixture, but the top layer should be smaller pieces of croissant, layered so they overlap. Then top with another layer of croissants.
Continue until all the sliced crois-
sants have been used. Sprinkle with the other half of the chopped chocolate.
Then pour over the rest of the milk/ egg mixture, Dot the top of the pudding with small pieces of butter and sprinkle with the golden caster sugar.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 mins until golden and flaky.
Serve immediately, with crème fraiche, cream, ice cream with a splash of Baileys for a treat.
Cook’s tip:
Leftovers can be frozen in small microwavable/oven-proof containers, defrosted and reheated at 150C for 15mins.
Panettone, or brioche also work well.
A shake of cinnamon over the sliced croissants gives the pudding a festive touch.
You can leave out the extra cubed chocolate if you like!
EARACHE
(adults and children aged 1 year & above)
SINUSITIS
(adults and children aged 12 years & above)
INFECTED INSECT BITES
(adults and children aged 1 year & above)
SORE THROAT
(adults and children aged 5 years & above)
SHINGLES
(adults aged 18 years & above)
URINARY TRACT INFECTION
(women, aged 16 to 64 years)
BACTERIAL CONJUNCTIVITIS
(children aged 30 days to 2 years)
IMPETIGO
(adults and children aged 1 year & above)
Find us at:
Abbotswood Pharmacy 38 Abbotswood, Yate BS37 4NG 01454 313193
YATE Library is hosting an afternoon with author M J Arlidge on December 7 at 2pm. Tickets, including refreshments, are £5 from sglibraries.eventbrite. com or Yate Library.
A Christmas singsong with coffee and mince pies in aid of Great Western Air Ambulance takes place on December 19 from 10.30am-noon. All welcome.
There will also be special Christmas activities for children: drop-in Christmas craft storytime on December 24 at 10.30am and Winter Wonderland Christmas crafts on December 23 from 10.30am-noon, with a pre-booked Christmas Lego Challenge on December 23 from 2.30-3.30pm.
Book by email yate.library@ southglos.gov.uk.
Children’s craft bags available to collect from December 14.
Storybuilders family friendly story and Duplo session for preschool children takes place on Tuesday mornings at 10.30am.
Stay & play Duplo and trains is on Thursday mornings at 10.30am, during term time only.
Wriggle & Rhyme: Rhymes and songs for parents and babies/toddlers, is on Friday from 10.30am.
Lego Club is on December 6 & 20 from 4-4.45pm and December 14, 10.30-11.30am. Drop-in sessions. Suitable for 4-10 years, children must be accompanied by an adult.
Reading group ‘Have You Read’ takes place on December 20, from 10.30-11.30am.
Craft Group meets on December 14 from 10am-noon, for knitting, sewing or crochet projects.
Computer support with digital champion volunteers is on Saturdays & Tuesdays from 10amnoon – book in advance.
Vision West of England information, advice and support drop-in every second Thursday, 10am-noon.
Legal advice with Wards Solicitors: December 5, 10amnoon; Bevan Evemy, Saturdays by appointment.
Staffed times are 10am-5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9am-12.30pm on Saturday.
The library will be closed on Boxing Day and December 27
Open Access, at times when the library is unstaffed, remains unchanged between 8am and 7.30pm, every day except Christmas Day.
For more information on any event call 01454 868006, enquire at the library, email yate.library@ southglos.gov.uk or visit www. southglos.gov.uk/libraries.
November 29
n APOLLO WIND BAND Christmas Concert in support of St Mary's Christmas Tree Festival. At St Mary's Church, Yate, 7pm. Tickets £7 per adult, includes glass of wine and nibbles. Under-16s free. Details from www. facebook.com/apollowindband.
November 30
n ST MARY'S CHURCH CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL, St Mary's Church, 10.30am-3.30pm. Also on December 7 at same time. Wide variety of music, singing and dancing by local groups on both days. Free entry – donations welcome.
November 30
n SANTA'S GROTTO open at Yate Shopping Centre every Saturday and Sunday, 10am- 4pm and also December 23. Closing at 1pm on December 24. Free with suggested £1 donation to Jessie May children’s charity.
December 1
n CHIPPING SODBURY CHRISTMAS SUNDAY (formerly Victorian Day), High Street, 11am-5.30pm. Original Santa Float arrives at 5pm. Full stage of entertainment, free Santa visit in the courtyard 11am-3pm, don keys, crafts and bouncy snow globe. Stalls, crib fair at St John's. Free event.
December 2
n FRIENDS OF KINGSGATE PARK MEETING, Heron 2 room in Poole Court, Yate, 7-9pm. All welcome. More details from friendskingsgatepark@ gmail.com.
December 3
n CHIPPING SODBURY MUSIC
SOCIETY presents Bone-fide revolutionary trombone quartet, Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, 7.30pm. Tickets £18 on the door for adults, schoolaged children free.
December 4
n SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE MINES RESEARCH GROUP TALK, Miners Institute, Badminton Road, Coalpit Heath, starts 7.30pm prompt. Talk: History of the Capper Pass Smelter in Bedminster, by Dr Richard
Smith. Non-members welcome (£2 each). More details from www.sgmrg. co.uk.
December 10
n SODBURY AND DISTRICT FLOWER ARRANGEMENT SOCIETY wreath making evening, Old Grammar School Rooms, Chipping Sodbury, 7.30pm. Cost £7.50 plus materials. Booking essential. Contact katebryant186@ gmail.com for more information.
December 10
n GREAT WESTERN SOCIETY BRISTOL GROUP meeting, BAWA, Southmead Road, Bristol, 7.30pm. Talk: A Brief History and a Trip over the Somerset & Dorset Railway, by Richard Harman.
December 13
n FILTONES CHOIR CHRISTMAS CRACKERS concert, 7.30pm, St Andrew's Methodist Church, Elm Park. Tickets £10 from choir members or at the door; school-age children free. Supporting charity Jessie May Children's Hospice at Home. Call 07870 984760 for more information.
December 19
n ARTS APPRECIATION GROUP at the Greenfield Centre, Park Avenue, Winterbourne, 2pm. Talk by Callum Weaver: Behind the scenes of Magic. More details from Sally on 07946 508316.
December 20
n SHOPMOBILITY last opening day before Christmas, 9.30am-4pm, Yate Library. Reopens January 2. More details from 01454 868718, 07999 574474 or email shopmobilitysouthglos@yahoo.com.
December 26
n CHRISTMAS BOYS AND WINTERBOURN DOWN BORDER MORRIS DANCERS open air mummers play, Winterbourne Down. Stone Lane 10.30am, All Saints Church Hall 11.15am, Colston Close noon, Cross Hands, Down Road, around 12.30pm. Donations to Paul's Place.
Monday
Send details of your events and activities in the following format:
in no more than 40 words. Send by email, with 'what's on' as the subject, to contact@ yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk
n YATE & SODBURY ART & CRAFT CLUB meets every Monday, 7-9 pm at Ridgewood Community Centre. Painting, drawing, collage and many other crafts in a friendly informal setting. £5 per session. More information at yateandsodburyartsociety.weebly. com or call Roz on 07941 946412.
n BRISTOL BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY holds open meetings at Little Stoke Baptist Church, Kingsway, Little Stoke, at 7.30pm on the second Monday of each month. More details from Ron Ramplin at ronnie.ramplin@btinternet.
com or 07748 740794. Visitors always welcome without commitment or charge.
n FLOW-IN YOGA WITH NAZAMA Weekly yoga classes
6.15pm & 7.30pm in Chipping Sodbury. Become more flexib le, worry less and sleep better with an easy to follow flowing yoga. Book online www.yoga-in.co.uk or call 07804598353
n GENTLE YOGA-IN WITH NAZAMA Weekly yoga class
9.30am. Easy to follow gentle yoga, ideal for back pain relief and joint issues. A slower-paced, mindful and lighter yoga in Chipping Sodbury with experienced teacher. Beginners Welcomed. Sodbury Masonic Hall, 1 Hatters Lane, Chipping Sodbury. From £6.00. Book online www.yoga-in. co.uk or call 07804598353
Tuesday
n YATE POETRY GROUP meets every Tuesday morning. Small, informal and friendly group to share and enjoy poems. For details and to learn more about the venue, contact Tony on 0770 4140682 or email yatepoetrygroup@gmail.com.
n SERENGETI BRASS BAND, small band for improvers, meets every Tuesday from 9.45-11.45am at Yate Methodist Church in Moorland Road. Straightforward pressure-free music making in good company. For more information email SerengetiBrassClass@gmail.com or phone Paul on 07851 239500.
n SUNRIDGE GOLF CROQUET CLUB meets on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in Coalpit Heath and has players at all levels. Learn how to play, club equipment is available to use. To find out more contact croquet@wilko. eclipse.co.uk or call 07977 201440.
n SOUTH COTSWOLD PROBUS GROUP meet every 2nd Tuesday of the month at Masonic Hall Sodbury, 10am. Contact Pete Chaplin for details. 01454 324956.
n YATE CHORAL SOCIETY rehearses at St. Nicholas' Church Centre, Chargrove, Yate, 7.30 - 9.30 p.m. For details call 07833 597114
n PUCKLECHURCH FOLK DANCING CLUB, Pucklechurch Community Hall, Abson Road, every other Tuesday from 7.30-10.15pm. All welcome, with a partner or solo. Call Alan on 07812 508396 or Linda on 07843 240414 Wednesday n YATE AND CHIPPING SODBURY GOOD AFTERNOON CHOIR, St Mary’s Church, every Wednesday
from 2-4pm. New members welcome, especially men, to thriving community choir, with no auditions. First rehearsal free. For more information phone Jody on 01761 472468.
n LINE DANCE CLASSES AT RIDGEWOOD COMMUNITY CENTRE, Wednesdays 9.30am to 12. Cost £5. No partner needed. A fun way to keep fit, reduce stress, improve memory and make new life long friends. Contact Gill 07837 784816, or FB gill.butler.90
n CRAFT MORNING, St Mary's Church, Yate, 10am-midday. Bring a
project, get help learning something new or just come to sit and chat, enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit. Small donation requested to support church heating.
n GENTLE YOGA-IN WITH NAZAMA Weekly yoga class 9.30am (term time). Easy to follow gentle yoga, ideal for back pain relief and joint issues. Book online www. yoga-in.co.uk or call 07804598353
Thursday
n GOLDEN OLDIES SING & SMILE SESSIONS, Cambrian Green Court, Wellington Road, every third Thursday
from 10.30-11.30am. Sing along to hits of the 50s onwards, chat and laugh with friends. £3 donation to attend. Call 01761 470006 for more details.
n YOGA-IN WITH NAZAMA Weekly Flow-in Yoga 6.15pm & Back Care Yoga 7.30pm in Chipping Sodbury. Become more flexible, worry less and sleep better with an easy to follow yoga. Beginners Welcomed. Chipping Sodbury Sports Centre. From £6.00. Book online www.yoga-in. co.uk or call 07804598353
n YATE COMMUNITY CHOIR, Ridgewood Community Centre, Station Road, 7.30-9pm. More details from nicelizmartin@yahoo.co.uk.
n COELIAC UK LOCAL CAFÉ MEET UP occurs every third Thursday of the month, 10-11.30am, at Iron Acton Garden Centre cafe. Join us to share experiences of living gluten free. For further info contact volunteering@ coeliac.org.uk.
Friday
n CHIPPING SODBURY COMMUNITY CHOIR, 10-11.30am, Old Grammar School, Chipping Sodbury High Street. More details from nicelizmartin@yahoo.co.uk.
My collection day should be…
Wednesday 25 December
Thursday 26 December
Friday 27 December
Monday 30 December
Tuesday 31 December
Wednesday 1 January
Thursday 2 January
Friday 3 January
Monday 6 January
Tuesday 7 January
Wednesday 8 January
Thursday 9 January
Friday 10 January
OVER Christmas and New Year there will be no waste and recycling collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The table below shows the temporary collection day changes for the festive period.
Collection dates can also be viewed on the council’s website www. southglos.gov.uk
If you don’t have internet access at home, there are computers free to use at local libraries or you can visit a South Gloucestershire Council One Stop Shop in Kingswood, Yate or Patchway.
Printed calendars are no longer delivered to all households. This helps the council save money and reduce waste. Please help share this information with family, friends and neighbours.
My collection will take place on…
Friday 27 December
Saturday 28 December
Monday 30 December
Tuesday 31 December
Thursday 2 January
Friday 3 January
Saturday 4 January
Monday 6 January
Tuesday 7 January
Wednesday 8 January
Thursday 9 January
Friday 10 January
Saturday 11 January
From Monday 13 January collection days will return to normal.
Check your collection day at ���� www.southglos.gov.uk/collectionday
SHOPMOBILITY South Glos has announced its Christmas and New Year opening times.
Our last day of opening will be December 20, and we will re-open on January 2.
At our recent AGM Alderman Janet Biggin was re-elected as chair, David Bell as vice-chair, Christine Howard as secretary, and Linda Bannister and Steve Major social media and marketing.
Shopmobility South Glos is based in Yate Library at Yate Shopping Centre, and provides mobility scooter and wheelchair hire on a daily and longer-term basis, to help people who have limited mobility to retain their independence, use the facilities of the centre and access other services.
Its opening hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9.30am4pm.
There is free daily hire with a concessionary bus pass.
To contact the scheme call 01454 868718 or 07999 574474, or email shopmobilitysouthglos@yahoo.com. David Bell
OUR second history and social studies group is a lively group of members who enjoy the various and different subjects our speakers bring to us on the second Wednesday of each month.
The talks vary greatly, from 'Lost the Plot' about the role of allotments through the war and beyond to the most recent, 'Magic Lantern' from Patrick Furley, who was most entertaining.
Since reforming following covid, the u3a family history group have gone from strength to strength. Starting out with just six members, the group now has over 50 and has had to start a waiting list. As well as having visiting speakers, members of the group have shared some of their own stories, such as 'a Murderer in my Family' and 'Was my Great Grandfather a Bigamist?'
Finding ‘missing’ ancestors, research sessions and record keeping are subjects covered.
For more information on all our u3a courses visit u3asites.org.uk/yatesodbury/welcome. Jenny Smith
OUR November meeting was 'Chair Yoga', to loosen us up and prepare for the coming festival season which is just around the corner.
On December 17 one of our ladies, Pat Downes, will demonstrate how to make a floral wreath, so we can adorn our front doors with one to impress family and friends.
After our meeting we shall depart for Christmas dinner at a local golf club.
We meet on the third Tuesday of the month at 10am in the Masonic Hall, Hatters Lane, Chipping Sodbury. We also have a lunch club and a regular walk during warmer weather.
Why not come along and see what you think? For more details about our group please call 07809 534 107.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2025.
Sue Bird
FIRST, we at Yate WI would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
We have had our annual meeting, and our committee have all kindly agreed to stand for a further month.
In the last 12 months we have welcomed seven new members to our group and are really pleased to say we have some very interesting speakers and activities lined up for 2025.
Yate WI meet on the second Monday of the month at 7pm for 7.30pm start at Poole Court in Yate. If you would like to join us, you will be assured of a warm welcome.
For more information email us at yatewiavon@gmail.com, or just come along. Sharon Bower
CLUB president Ian Hodgson had the privilege of laying a wreath on behalf of the club during the Chipping Sodbury Remembrance Service in November.
In parallel the club made its traditional financial donation to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
On the same day the Sodbury Slog took place. Ian was at the start to see the runners off
We’re all kind of used to how ears look - but here are 3 reasons why they’re so peculiar!
1. Sound collection and making it louder.
on their gruelling, muddy 10-mile race.
We provided several marshals, and Ian thanked Bitton Road Runners for their continued support to Rotary. He received a cheque on behalf of the club, which will go into our charity account to support deserving causes.
In recognition of World Polio Day in October the club held a bucket collection in Yate Shopping Centre, which will go to Rotary International’s support for work to eradicate wild polio in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Gaza.
Club members donated 20 coats to the Blonde Angel Street Team for distribution to the homeless. We are also supporting the Blonde Angel appeal to collect ‘Christmas Spirit’ bags, filled with warm winter clothing and festive food for distribution.
Our speaker in October was Will Jackson, district Rotary lead working to provide aid to Ukraine. He has made six trips there and gave a vivid presentation on the plight of citizens affected by the Russian invasion.
In November, 15 teams enjoyed a fun-filled quiz evening, organised and executed brilliantly by Tim Osborne. The champions for the second-year running were the semi-professional quizzers led by Rotarian Steve Young.
The club will be present at the Chipping Sodbury Christmas Sunday event in Chipping Sodbury High Street with its traditional mulled wine and mince pie stall. Our third tea dance of the season will take place in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall on December 17. All are welcome.
All those ridges and folds are especially good at capturing speech sounds and funnelling them into the ear canal. Bigger ears are better at catching the sound waves, but it doesn’t necessarily mean your hearing is better than if you had smaller ears.
2. Sound direction
We have two ears so we can detect where the sounds are coming from. Each little fold plays a hugely important role in this ability to navigate our surroundings effectively. This is why you might feel a little off-kilter when one of your ears isn’t hearing as well as usual.
3. Protection
These folds and the overall design of our outer ears help reduce the wind and dirt and anything else that might otherwise get near to the delicate ear drum.
If you’re not sure if you’ve a little too much of that waxy build up and it’s causing you any problems - do book a visit to see me, Debbie at Turners Opticians in Fishponds, where I can use the latest technology to help you and also show you how your ears look on the inside!
Hope to hear from you soon!
We would like to wish everyone an enjoyable festive period and a healthy 2025.
Stuart Fraser
WE had a few changes to our committee at our AGM in November, welcoming new members on and saying goodbye to some of our longserving ones.
It was especially poignant as we said farewell to our president as she retired, and a new one was elected.
One of our members shared with us her work in the occupational therapy department at Southmead Hospital, along with some of the gadgets that make life easier for patients.
Who would have thought you could get baby grows with magnetic fastenings for mothers who have trouble with fastening conventional ones?
It was a fascinating insight into the work they do.
We meet on the first Wednesday of the month in Old Sodbury village hall – visitors welcome.
We are looking forward to our Christmas Party in December and wish you all a joyous holiday season, and a happy and healthy new year.
Linzie Clark Old Sodbury WI
Debbie Campbell is a qualified and experienced Audiologist, who has joined the clinical team at Turners Opticians in Fishponds having worked for many years in NHS Audiology clinics.
Ladden View care home, Care UK’s purpose-built care home in Yate, offers tailored residential and dementia care in truly luxurious surroundings.
Purpose-built facilities, with luxury in mind
At Ladden View, residents enjoy purposebuilt facilities where every luxury has been thought of. We also have our very own hair and beauty salon, and visiting beauticians are always available for your loved one to visit and enjoy an afternoon of pampering.
Our cinema and bar is perfect for moviegoers or those wanting to enjoy a favourite tipple with friends of an evening.
Our inviting café and lounge area offers a comfortable social space for residents to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the home and is the place to be when we have entertainers visit!
Quality care, led by experts
Your loved one’s care is our top priority. Our dedicated team delivers the highest standard of person-centred care, staying up to date with the latest approaches to care and using the latest technologies to ensure your loved one’s safety and comfort. Every team member at Ladden View has undertaken Care UK’s experiential dementia training, created in partnership with the University of Worcester.
Trust us to care
At Care UK, we’ve been delivering high quality, person-centred care for over 40 years. That’s why over 9,000 families across the country trust us to care for their older loved one.
To find out more about Ladden View, call 01454 513 375 or scan the QR code.
Ladden View Fletcher Road, Yate, Bristol BS37 7ER careuk.com/ladden-view
A TEAM of electric car drivers and engineers from Chipping Sodbury raced at the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit in the Greenpower International final.
The Chipping Sodbury Secondary School Rotary Racer Greenpower team competes in two categories in the competition – F24 for students aged 11-16 and F24+, for older drivers aged 16-25.
Greenpower Education Trust is a UK-based charity which inspires young people around the world to excel in science, technology, engineering by designing, building and racing an electric car.
The team competed throughout the year to reach October's final with both of our cars, RRX and RR9.
After a quick practice session, the team prepared for the first F24 race of the day, lining up 8th and 18th on the grid thanks to their strong results through the year.
After the 83-car grid was assembled, the first race of the day got underway and both cars had strong starts. RR9 maintained its starting position in the first few laps before an early pit stop to keep out of the way of the busy pit lane saw us drop down the order.
RRX pushed on and was up 9
places after 5 laps before its first pit stop.
RR9 got back up to 10th just before its final pit stop of race 1 and came out in a very respectable 14th with 35 minutes left to race. RRX completed its final stop and re-entered the race in 15th. Unfortunately, both cars then suffered battery issues in the last five minutes of the race due to the cold weather, causing us to stop on track and finish in 29th and 47th place.
The team regrouped to turn the cars around for the F24+
final, where a strong effort over the hour race meant RR9 finished in 9th place and RRX in 10th place out of 41 teams.
All focus then shifted to the final F24 race.
Starting near the front of the grid, RR9 jumped to 9th place off the start whilst RRX battled hard on the opening lap to get up to 16th.
A red flag stopped the race for about 20 minutes, which gave the team great confidence that their cars would definitely be able to finish the race with no battery concerns.
RRX exited the pits in 19th place, moving up to 15th by the end of the race, and RR9 finished in a very respectable 10th place.
The Rotary Racer Greenpower team would like to thank our sponsors (including Chipping Sodbury Rotary Club, Chipping Sodbury Town Lands Charity, Dodington Parish Council, Beam, DS Machining, EDF and Goskippy) and parents.
For more details and sponsorship offers contact rotaryracergp@gmail.com.
Alfie Gendall
YATE Town secured a mouthwatering tie against National League South side Hampton and Richmond in the FA Trophy after beating higher league opposition.
Their 3-2 away win over Southern League Premier Division South side Hungerford Town set up the second round home tie on November 16.
The Bluebells performed really well in front of a crowd of 525 but two uncharacteristic mistakes near the end of the game, both leading to goals, saw the London club through to the next round.
Meanwhile Yate still sat proudly at the top of the Southern League Division One South league table with just over a third of the campaign completed, having amassed 36 points from 15 games of which they have won 11, conceding just 9 goals.
October saw six wins and a draw in seven games in all competitions, with 14 goals
scored and only three conceded, earning the club the division's Team of the Month award for the second time this season, having also won in August.
Town's Player of the Month for October was young forward Ollie Dewsbury, who is on loan from Bristol Rovers and scored a total of five goals, including a brace against Hungerford in the Trophy first round match at the end of October.
The half-term Tuesday
Ollie Dewsbury takes on the Hampton & Richmond defence in the recent FA Trophy game.
evening home game against Thatcham Town saw a good crowd of 459 turn up, as the club promoted its schools tickets that allow adults to enter at half price, with accompanying children free as always.
The fans saw a 2-0 home win, including a stunning free kick from Lucas Tomlinson.
Any schools or youth football clubs interested in these tickets should contact the club at accounts@yatetownfc.co.uk.
November started with an excellent 3-2 win at Falmouth, then a 1-0 win at home to Westbury United.
Prior to that game on November 9 the Last Post was played by a bugler, with a standard bearer and a bucket collection for the Royal British Legion. Service personnel, both past and present, were allowed free entry to the game, which drew a crowd of 576.
An excellent Tuesday evening game against Mousehole on November 12 saw the Cornish side share the points in a 1-1 draw, ending a sequence of nine successive home wins for the
Yate Town manager Darren Mullings, is presented with the October “Team of the Month” award by Southern League Chairman, David Martin before the Hampton game.
Bluebells four days before the Hampton game.
The three Under 18 teams continue to make good progress, and the Western Counties Floodlit League team would appreciate as much support from local fans as possible, with their home games being played on a Tuesday night.
For fixtures and reports on the Floodlit League side, see social media and the club’s website, www.yatetownfc.co.uk, where you can find the latest updates on what is happening at Yate Town.
Bob Chester
Upcoming fixtures (all 3pm):
November 30: Melksham Town (A)
December 7: Bideford (H)
December 14: Bemerton (A)
December 21: Helston Athletic (H)
December 26: Bristol Manor Farm (H)
December 28: Bishops Cleeve (A)
Our aim is to give a high standard of nursing and personal care in a traditional, homely and friendly environment. The Heathers is a home of great character and charm. The interior architecture, with many of its original features, gives a perfect setting for the home comforts we aim to provide.
The Heathers Nursing Home is a privately owned, Grade 2 Listed Georgian manor house, situated within walking distance of the town centres of Chipping Sodbury, and Yate.
• A history of providing 24 hour, high quality care in South Gloucestershire
• Each resident is unique to us and treated as such
• The home is small and family run, offering a highly personalised service
• Exceptional standards of cleanliness and hygiene
• Respite, residential care and day care available
• Special diets catered for by our expert Chefs
Get in touch and speak with our team, or arrange a viewing to see our facilities for yourself.
Aneesh – Registered Manager • Julie – General Manager
