Yate & Sodbury Voice January 2025

residents Rob, Luke and Maria Packer

Flood under investigation

SOUTH Gloucestershire Council has launched an investigation into how floodwater deluged around 100 homes in Yate.

People living in roads near Shire Way had to leave their homes as a torrent of water surged in during Storm Bert on the night of November 24.

The council says it will investigate to "establish the cause or causes of the flooding and determine the actions needed" to prevent it happening again.

But it could take up to six months before the report is ready to be published.

Some residents had not returned home weeks after the incident, with one telling the Voice she was living in a care home.

An appeal to help those affected has been launched online.

Full story: Pages 4 &5

Driver admits killing Yate mum

A BANNED driver has admitted causing the death of ‘devoted’ Yate mother-of-four Rebecca Ashmead while over the drink-drive limit.

PAGE 2

Islamic centre plan

PLANS to create an Islamic cultural centre in Yate have been opposed by more than 400 people.

PAGE 3

Aldi plan for cinema

YATE'S former cinema could be turned into an Aldi supermarket.

PAGE 6

Barney's big march

A BOY who had life-saving surgery as a baby has spent 24 hours walking around a shopping centre to raise money for a hospital charity.

PAGE 11

yate&sodburyvoice

February deadline

Our February edition deadline is January 15.

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n NEWS

Banned driver admits killing mum

A BANNED driver has admitted killing a Yate mother-of-four in the town while over the drink-drive limit.

Ashley Billing, aged 39, has admitted three charges in relation to the death of Rebecca Ashmead on Kennedy Way in March 2023.

They are causing death by driving without due care while over the prescribed drink-drive limit, causing death by driving while disqualified and causing death by driving a vehicle while uninsured.

Billing, of Kingswood, was charged in early 2024 over the collision that claimed the life of Rebecca, who was known to friends and family as Beccy or Bex.

He initially denied the charge and his defence team made an application to dismiss the case against him.

However when a judge dismissed the application at Bristol Crown Court in November, Billing changed his plea to guilty.

He is now due to appear at the same court in January to be sentenced.

Billing was subject to a driving ban imposed for a previous offence when he collided with Rebecca, who was 49 and despite efforts by police and paramedics to save her at the scene.

Rebecca worked as a school crossing patrol or lollipop lady at St Paul's Catholic Primary School in the town, and at the time of her death her family said she was "passionate about road safety".

In a tribute issued through Avon & Somerset police following her death, her family said: "Beccy (Bex) was a devoted mum to her four children, and the best big sister you could ask for.

"She was the matriarch of an incredibly close family, and we loved nothing more than being together.

"Bex was the beloved lollipop lady at her daughter's school, a job which she loved, as she could make sure children were safe."

The school said Rebecca had "touched the hearts of so many with her enthusiasm and zest for life".

Following Billing's guilty plea Designated Collision Investigation Officer Tony Hall said: “Rebecca Ashmead was described by her loved ones as being ‘devoted’ and the ‘matriarch’ of her family but sadly she was taken from them too soon because of Billing's actions.

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

"The family have thankfully been spared the additional pain of a prolonged trial through Billing's guilty plea, but his attempts to get the charges dismissed has meant her family has had to endure almost two years waiting for closure."

Drink-drive crackdown

POLICE have arrested more than 100 people in the first fortnight of their annual campaign against drink- and drug-driving over the festive season.

The Avon and Somerset Roads Policing Team started a month of extra roadside checks, engagement with motorists and appeals for intelligence on drivers on December 1.

Over the first 13 days of the campaign, named Operation Limit, they arrested 114 people on suspicion of drink or drug-driving, 20 in South Gloucestershire. In the previous 11 months more than 2,500 have been arrested.

Suspected drink-drivers can be reported to the police by calling 999 if they are out on the road, or 101 at other times.

They can also be reported online at tinyurl.com/3nw678fy or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Rebecca Ashmead

More than 400 object to Islamic centre plan

PLANS to create an Islamic cultural centre in Yate have been opposed by more than 400 people.

The application has been made by Yate Islamic Cultural and Resource Centre Ltd for a vacant site at a row of shops in Wellington Road.

The centre would be built alongside the chip shop, Spice restaurant and Tesco Express shop, opposite Cambrian Green Court between the Farmhouse pub and Mormon church.

Most of the objections have been made on the grounds that there would not be enough parking on the site for the anticipated number of people who would use it.

But one resident who wrote in support said there had been a leaflet campaign against the plans, and accused opponents of Islamophobia.

Agent Studio Yaqub Limited said: "The proposal to create the first Islamic Cultural and Resource Centre in Yate has been well received, considered and developed, with the local Muslim population waiting eagerly for the approval of this scheme.

"The carefully considered design has elements of existing vernacular, namely the use of red brickwork whilst also presenting a new aesthetic, with a modern twist.

"This not only has influences of Islamic architectural flair but is also intertwined with crafts and skills of Great British traditions.

"The proposal will seek to create a high quality development and to create an architectural identity whilst maintaining cohesion with the existing neighbourhood.

"The principles will deliver a considered improvement to this site and provide further vibrancy to this small rank of shops as well as providing a space that is fit for many years to come."

The agents said that at present Muslims in the town had to arrange with other groups and South Gloucestershire Council to find a community space in

Station Road, which was only available for weekly Friday prayers.

They said the majority of the local Muslim community were eager to secure "a more permanent solution to provide continuity of service and a space to call their own".

The agents said the site currently does not have dedicated parking spaces but would share 10 spaces at the front of the shops, with further parking to the rear, "further supported with an agreement to allow parking at the local public house".

However issues with parking were cited by most of the 438 people who had objected to the plans on South Gloucestershire Council's planning website as the Voice went to print.

One opponent said: "Only objecting because in my view the parking is nowhere near adequate. The Tesco Express parking site is already very busy, likewise the Farmhouse pub.

"I would support in principle if adequate additional parking was provided."

Another said: "There truly is not enough room here for this. Two parking spaces for potentially 50 people? I am absolutely in favour of a mosque in the Yate or Sodbury area but not in this particular location."

Another opponent said

"putting a mosque between a church and a pub is simply asking for trouble," adding: "Muslims parking in a place that profits from alcohol does seem strange."

As the Voice went to print, 71 people had written in support.

One resident said: "As Muslims, we feel the need for a

mosque in Yate to practice our religion and come together as a community.

"A dedicated space for worship would provide us with the opportunity to fulfil our religious obligations and promote unity and understanding within the wider community."

Another resident writing in support said: "Yate Muslims have every right to practice their religion, and I'm deeply disappointed in some of the comments from other locals.

"I feel it is also important to note that flyers have been posted through letterboxes (mine included) urging residents to contact SGC to object to the proposal, with 'key points' being spoon-fed to feign legitimacy.

"Let's be real here; it's not about the parking. It's not about congestion. It's about Islamophobia."

The plans can be viewed on the planning section of the council's website by searching for application P24/02486/F.

A computer generated image of how the building would look. Picture: Studio Yaqub Limited

Probe after floods hit 100 homes

AN investigation is underway into floods which deluged 100 homes in Yate during a storm.

Water flooded homes in Slimbridge Close and Littledean, off Shire Way, and swamped parked cars on the evening of November 24 as Storm Bert raged across the country.

Residents, many of whom have lived in the area for decades, said they had never seen anything like the water which cascaded through homes and streets.

The nearby railway line was flooded, with trains between Bristol Parkway and London being diverted for several days afterwards, and there was speculation after the incident that some of the water flooding homes came from the line.

Network Rail has not provided a response to the Voice's questions over the incident.

super-Mare, to search affected homes, working with South Gloucestershire Council, Avon & Somerset Police, South Western Ambulance Service and a team of volunteers from Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue.

Flooding on the railway line at Chipping Sodbury

Gloucestershire councillor Chris Willmore to help them rebuild. It had raised around £2,500 as the Voice went to print, and can be found online at tinyurl. com/yzt665ct.

administered by Yate Parish, which means they will be eligible for gift aid.

South Gloucestershire Council received around 130 out of hours calls on Sunday night relating flooding of roads and homes, and high winds damaging trees.

The council issued a statement following the incident, which said: "As with all serious flooding incidents, we have a duty under the Flood and Water Management Act to investigate and produce a report that will summarise what happened, establish the cause or causes of the flooding and determine the actions needed for remediation.

Avon Fire & Rescue service sent out crews from seven stations, from Yate to Weston-

Firefighters were on the scene until 9am the following morning monitoring the water levels and clearing drainage.

An online appeal was launched by South

Cllr Willmore said: "Vulnerable elderly people, families with young children are affected and have lost their cars and face months of disruption and the need to dry out their homes, decorate and replace things damaged.

"Residents whose properties were flooded in the worst affected areas will be contacted as part of this investigation and asked to provide their feedback on the incident.

"Investigations of this kind can be complex and it will take time to complete but we anticipate being able to publish our findings in three to six months."

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"So many people have said they want to do something to help those whose homes in our town have been flooded."

Donations will be

The council said its staff had visited more than 200 homes in the worst affected areas to offer support.

Volunteers help rescue

A TEAM of 15 volunteers from Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue (ASSAR) was involved in the immediate response to the floods in Yate. Volunteer rescue teams from the Severn Area Rescue Association and Exmoor Search & Rescue Team also helped out.

An ASSAR spokesperson said: "Throughout the night, welfare checks were made on residents in their properties.

"Other team members delivered support roles, all part of a large multi-agency response to support people in our community."

ASSAR is a completely voluntary organisation and relies entirely on public donations to provide its year-round emergency response service, which also carries out cliff rescues.

To support the group visit Assar.org.uk/donate.

Volunteers from Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue helped in the response

'It's all gone'

YATE flood victim Mandy Buckle’s life has been turned upside down since her home was deluged.

Mandy, aged 57, has physical disabilities which mean she was in an electric bed downstairs in her home in Littledean when water came gushing "like a fountain" into her Littledean home on the night of November 24.

Mandy has the debilitating conditions fibromyalgia and functional neurological disorder, which cause problems with movement, and has carers three times a day.

One of the nurses saw a pool of water and Mandy’s husband Dean, who was upstairs at the time, ran down.

She said: "All the water was coming from under the front door and pushed through.

After being lifted to safety by a fire crew who were “up to their knees” in water, Mandy was told that her home was the "worst affected” in Littledean.

Her garden was also deluged.

Since the incident Mandy has been placed living in a care home.

She said: "I have Alzheimer's and dementia patients all around me, stuck in one room.

Her husband, son and his pregnant girlfriend were put up in a Travelodge.

The family's two dogs, her daughter’s dog and a cat were taken in by a neighbour whose home escaped flood damage.

Mandy said: "It’s horrible not being all together.

"I keep crying all the time.

"It’s Christmas time and I want to be with the family – I wanted to do the Christmas decorations and can’t do it now.

"The Christmas presents for the grandchildren and children were under the bed – it’s all gone."

Since the floods Mandy says asbestos has been discovered in her kitchen floor, further delaying her return home.

She was waiting to see if she and her family could move into their first floor after an insurance assessment as the Voice went to press.

EAR WAX REMOVAL

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Water flooding in to homes at Littledean

Pedestrians injured at event

A BABY and another young child were among six people taken to hospital after a car hit pedestrians at Chipping Sodbury's Christmas Sunday event.

Police say the car was involved in "a low-speed collision with pedestrians while manoeuvring out of a parking space" in the High Street at noon on December 1.

Seven pedestrians – five adults and two children – were assessed by paramedics.

The children, including a baby, and three adult pedestrians were taken to hospital, while two other adults did not need hospital treatment.

The driver of the car, who is in his 80s, was also taken to hospital.

An Avon & Somerset police spokesperson said: "We'd like to reassure people that despite the large emergency response, no-one suffered either life-threatening or life-changing injuries."

They called on any witnesses who have not yet contacted them, to call 101 and quote the incident number 5224 315 536.

Police advised organisers to continue with the event, which ended with a visit by the Original Santa Float at 5pm.

Afterwards the organising committee issued a statement, which said: "We would like to send all of our best wishes to those injured, and anyone affected.

"We are so very grateful for everyone at the event who acted quickly, gave help to those who needed it, and who assisted in controlling the crowds to get the emergency services where they needed to be quickly.

"We acted on the police’s guidance to keep the event running, and we thank those of you that continued to attend and make the rest of the day such a huge success.

"Sodbury is truly a wonderful community who know how to come together to support each other through the bad and the good – and that is why we love our town." Christmas Sunday pictures: Page 13

Aldi plan for cinema

YATE'S former cinema could be turned into an Aldi supermarket.

The German discount food retailer has announced plans to take over the former Cineworld at Riverside Retail Park, which closed in October, for a new food store.

It would create up to 40 'fulltime equivalent' jobs.

Plans were announced on the Yate Shopping Centre website today.

Aldi real estate director Simon Glover said: "We are committed to revitalising this empty site and providing people in Yate and the surrounding areas with access to our award-winning range of low-cost, high-quality products.

"This new store will not only improve local shopping options but also contribute to the economic growth of the area through job creation."

Aldi is working with retail park owner Northdale Asset Management, which also owns Yate Shopping Centre, on the proposal.

In their joint announcement they said a planning application would be lodged with South Gloucestershire Council "in the coming weeks".

They said: "The plans do not involve any substantial changes to the building itself: the main alterations will be some minor changes to the car park, a new entrance/exit lobby and the creation of a new delivery bay in the rear service yard."

More information is available online at aldiconsultation.co.uk/ yate.

Aldi's main rival Lidl has had a supermarket in Kennedy Way since 1995.

How the supermarket could look

n NEWS

Lottery wins for residents and charities

RESIDENTS of a street in Westerleigh have shared a £1 million windfall after their postcode came up in a lottery draw.

Coalpit Heath-based charity Paul's Place is also celebrating after being given a £75,000 grant by the People's Postcode Lottery.

Nine residents of Mill Crescent in the village shared the competition's weekly jackpot between them when their numbers came up in December.

The prize was split 11 ways, into shares of £90,909. Two of the residents, who had bought two tickets each, doubled the size of their wins to £181,818.

Among the winners was NHS nurse Luke Packer, 25, who is splitting his prize with mum Maria and dad Rob after going halves on a ticket.

Luke used to split a ticket with his late great-gran Betty Smith, and Maria took over her half after Betty died in 2018.

Luke said: "I’m sure she’s watching over us."

Luke, who has been successfully treated for an aggressive form of skin cancer,

is planning to use the money to finish renovating the house he bought with girlfriend Milly Ford, next door to his parents.

He said: "This has made my life, let alone Christmas. This is the sort of money you don’t come across that often and are unlikely to ever again. I feel fantastic, on top of the world."

IT manager Fraser Clark and his family are planning to use their share to fund a holiday of a lifetime in Canada and the US, and plan to hire a convertible car to drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.

Card Factory worker, mumof-three and grandmother Heather Harding planned to buy

"extra presents" a new hairdo and two bottles of Baileys for starters.

Car auctioneer Matt Hewer is planning to but his wife a new motor and fund a family holiday from his winnings.

Mum-of-four Julie Weaver is planning a Caribbean cruise.

On the day she found out what her share of the prize would be she said: "I’ve been up since 3am. I just didn’t think this would happen to me, it’s amazing."

Sandie Bradley and husband Paul are planning an exotic holiday, upgrades to their home and to help their son, daughter and three grandchildren.

Sandie said: "This will make an amazing difference."

The couple started playing the Postcode Lottery because of the donations it makes to charities.

Under the People’s Postcode Lottery, people pay £12 a month to enter and postcodes are picked at random for daily, weekly and monthly draws, including the weekly Millionaire Street prize won by the Westerleigh residents.

Charity's £75,000 will help it expand

COALPIT Heath charity Paul’s Place has been awarded £75,000 by Postcode Community Trust.

The charity, which supports physically disabled adults, providing a place for them to socialise and access activities and opportunities, is one of three local charities to be given an award.

Paul’s Place currently runs a day centre at Coalpit Heath Cricket Club but is planning to relocate to the former Shire Way Community Centre in Yate during 2025, before its current lease runs out in the summer.

The charity is running a fundraising appeal to support the project, but recently had to spend £6,000 to repair the community centre's roof and ceiling, after thieves stripped lead from the tiles and rain soaked through.

An appeal for help raised almost £2,000 from supporters but the cost of the repair meant it had less to spend on other repairs and refurbishment work.

Paul’s Place was first

formed in 1995 when a group of friends created a social club for physically disabled adults, and it has already had to move premises twice to meet increased demand for its services.

Chief executive Lynda Williams said: "Around 100 adults use our services, but our current premises has a capacity of up to 30 people a day depending on need.

"We are at a point where our

demand drastically outweighs our supply, but next year we will be moving to our biggest space yet.

"It’s an incredibly exciting time for us as the development has everything for our serviceusers – sensory rooms, state of the art gym and a media centre to name a few.

"However, whilst we build plans for that we need to make sure we can keep our current

offering going."

The lottery grant will give its plans a big boost.

Lynda said: "Like most charities, we are feeling the squeeze of the cost-of-living crisis, especially at this time of year.

"The funding will play a key role in moving Paul’s Place forward and allow us to continue to keep our arms open to the community in the meantime."

Two other local organisations were also awarded funding: Age UK South Gloucestershire, which supports older people with activities, services and advice, and North Bristol & South Glos Foodbank, which provides emergency food and support to people in crisis.

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised more than £1.4 billion for thousands of charities and local good causes.

To read about the Paul’s Place Hub Appeal and donate, visit www.paulsplace.org.uk/hub.

Paul's Place members react as they are told about their award

Residents of Mill Crescent in Westerleigh celebrate their win.

Thursday 23rd January 2025 2pm - 4pm

Join us to hear Barbara Stephens, CEO of Dementia Pathfinders, share insights into how your journey with dementia might unfold following a diagnosis and offer advice on how to live positively with dementia, while making emotional and practical adjustments along the way.

Trusted

Join Care UK’s nationwide ‘Big Dementia Conversation’

Did you know that more than 944,000 people in the UK live with Dementia, yet 94% of people think it’s common to mistake the early signs of dementia as normal ageing*?

Despite our increased knowledge of dementia in recent years, 71% of people feel there is little awareness around the differences between typical signs of ageing compared with symptoms of dementia. What’s more, 46% of people still think that the risk of developing dementia cannot be reduced *

Let’s get talking

‘ The Big Dementia Conversation’ online advice hub is all about sharing knowledge and real-life experiences to support those who are looking after someone living with dementia.

Often dementia is associated with memory, but it can present differently for many and recognising the early signs is important. Not only can an early diagnosis help you to understand and adjust to the changes your loved one is experiencing, getting the right

support in place can help your loved one to live well and can even slow down the progression of dementia.

Our online advice hub also looks at how you can support someone living with dementia and how just a few small tweaks can make a difference.

We’re here for you

If you’re caring for a loved one with dementia and need a little extra support, why not contact our dedicated advice helpline?

Our friendly support team and dementia specialists will be on hand to provide much-needed advice and support to you and your loved one.

Visit our online advice hub to find out more by scanning the QR code.

*According to a survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted by OnePoll between 25th September and 2nd October 2023.

If you’re considering care, call your local care home Ladden View on 01454 513 375 or visit careuk.com/ladden-view

Did you know?

13% of people surveyed thought that ‘People living with dementia can’t lead a meaningful life’ *

63% of people said ‘Forgetting things they’ve just done or been told’ was one of the first symptoms they noticed, and 59% said this was one of the fastest developing symptoms, yet 57% of these people also put this down to old age initially*

n LOCAL MP for Yate Airbus is focussed on the future

AIRBUS in Filton is one of the biggest employers in the area.

It may be outside of my Thornbury and Yate constituency, but hundreds who live here are employed by the company, and hundreds more by their suppliers.

It provides employment for many, but in South Gloucestershire it also provides a sense of pride and community.

The history of the company in its many guises goes from the Bristol Aircraft Company, back at the start of the last century, through to Airbus today.

There are not many people in South Gloucestershire who don’t have a deep love and affection for the iconic Concorde.

Airbus Filton is home to the world’s largest wing design centre, with more engineers under one roof than anywhere else in northern Europe. The AIRTeC research centre is home to most of them.

I recently visited Airbus and was shown their work as they look to drastically cut back greenhouse

Claire Young MP writes for Yate & SodburyVoice

young people can take advantage of all the hi-tech opportunities on our doorstep.

gasses emitted by aircraft.

Wing design is crucial in Airbus’s determination to provide fuel efficient aircraft. Their latest fleet is around 30% more efficient than their predecessors.

Wing design will also be crucial as Airbus looks to produce a plane powered by hydrogen. Other sustainable aviation fuels are being developed, which can reduce emissions by up to 80%.

With this potential switch to

PEGHILL SKATEPARK PUBLIC CONSULTATION NOW OPEN!

alternative fuels, the wing work at Filton will have to look at different ways of storing and moving fuel around aircraft.

I was lucky to be able to see their impressive testing hall when I visited, and saw not only prototype new wings for the new generation of planes, but also the durability of current wings being tested as their design is also improved.

I’m keen to make sure that our

Around the table when I was welcomed to Filton were two young engineering degree apprentices.

They and their colleagues are very much the future of the company and are thriving at Airbus, which is committed to training and providing a career path.

There are over 500 people involved in the Airbus Early Careers programme at Filton, with around 200 apprentices, 200 graduate trainees and 100 interns.

Airbus is working on recruiting many more in South Gloucestershire in future years. Their programme includes school outreach, focussing on under represented groups and getting 12,000 pupils involved in virtual work experience.

Aircraft building has been part of South Gloucestershire life for over 100 years.

My visit recently has convinced me it will remain part of the area’s DNA for many more years.

Claire Young with Airbus head of aerodynamics Simon Galpin and apprentice Archie West

Barney's 24-hour Mall march helps hospital

BARNEY Thomas was just a month old when he was diagnosed with two holes in his heart and underwent life-saving heart surgery before his first birthday.

Aged six, and inspired by the fundraising of Captain Tom Moore during the pandemic, Barney undertook his first fundraiser for the Wallace and Gromit Appeal for Bristol Children's Hospital, walking 16 miles from Yate to Bath and raising £3,500.

Barney's walks have become an annual event, and to date he has raised more than £13,000 as a thank-you for the care he received, and to help buy toys and gaming gear for sick children.

His efforts saw him crowned the overall winner of this year's Community of Purpose Bristol Young Hero awards and shortlisted for a BBC Make a Difference fundraiser award.

Having walked a marathon, then completed a 12-hour 'Midnight March' around London in 2023, Barney and dad Darren decided to take things up a notch with a 24-hour walk around The Mall at Cribbs Causeway.

Barney completed it between December 13 and 14, walking for 43 miles accompanied by Darren and godfather Bradley Hackett.

Darren said: "I wanted it to take place indoors for safety reasons. Luckily The Mall agreed to accommodate us and were really supportive."

The trio were cheered on by mum Jodene, brother Buster and Ding Crusaders rugby coach Neil Dobbin, and kept spirits up through the night, by passing a rugby ball around and listening to Oasis.

Barney said: "It was tough but, you know, I had a job to do and one thing’s certain – I never want to visit a mall ever again!"

Barney Thomas with godfather Bradley Hackett and dad Darren Thomas

Darren said: “Barney is a kind and caring young man and will hopefully maintain these values throughout his adult life.

"With his age increasing, people are less inclined to support with fundraising, so it’s imperative that the challenges exceed what’s expected of someone his age.

"It’s something that we do as a father and son each year and

one that we look forward to.

"It’s difficult to think of something to top this but we do have a few ideas, such as a 100mile bike ride.”

As the Voice went to print Barney had raised £2,300 from the challenge. His JustGiving online donation page is open and can be found at tinyurl. com/2srs5mwb.

MY 2025 NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

“I’ join a Choir in

2025”

There’s a No-Audition Community Choir near YOU! Star ting back in January, Come along and meet us and our MIXED-VOICE Choir

Yate & Chipping Sodbury

Good Afternoon Choir

WEDNESDAY from 2pm-4pm at St Mary’s Church with SIAN WALTERS

See -

Thornbury Good Afternoon Choir

THURSDAY from 1pm-3pm at Thornbury United Reformed Church with BRENDAN CASEY

H Returning on January 8th H or the GRENVILLE MIXED-VOICE CHOIR

H Returning on January 9th H

EVERY TUESDAY EVENING

from 7:15pm-9pm at Rangeworthy Village Hall

H Returning on January 7th H

Sodbury's Christmas spectacular

CHIPPING Sodbury's traditional Victorian Day had a rebrand and revamp this year.

Chipping Sodbury Christmas Sunday took place on the first day of December and featured a huge variety of stalls, music, entertainment, fairground rides, exhibitions and crafts.

Sodbury photographer Rich McD captured some of the sights and characters on the High Street during the day, while Phil Kerswell photographed the brightly-lit Original Santa Float which paraded through the town to finish the event in the evening.

Picture: Rich McD

Picture: Rich McD

Picture: Phil Kerswell

Picture: Rich McD

School's garden is transformed

A CHIPPING Sodbury school's garden has been transformed by a team of volunteers.

The run-down garden at Raysfield Primary School in finch Road was tackled by a team from Avonmouth company Sisk Rail.

Adrian Freeman, from the firm, said: "We have a social value committee that is always looking for opportunities to support local communities.

"From the first day that myself and a colleague visited Rayfield School, this was a project we had to be involved with."

After several meetings with staff at the school, a team of Sisk Rail workers and their suppliers spent weeks transforming the overgrown space.

The garden now has wheelchair-accessible paths, raised planters, a swing and climbing tyres.

Adrian said: “It’s been a great reward for us to witness the children’s reactions on seeing the garden for the first time.

"I would like to thank Rayfield School staff for allowing us the opportunity and our supply chain partners, BR Rail Ltd & Greenman Environmental Management Ltd."

Raysfield head teacher Claire Hill said: “We are so grateful for the volunteer work carried out by Sisk Rail.

"We would never have been able to

Lib Dems hold seat

THE Liberal Democrats have held the seat on South Gloucestershire Council vacated by Thornbury & Yate MP Claire Young.

At a by-election held on November 28 David Goodwin won the Frampton Cotterell ward, which includes Iron Acton and Nibley, with a majority of 201 over Conservative Tim Niblett, with the Greens and Labour third and fourth respectively.

Ms Young stood down as a councillor to concentrate on her work in Westminster in October, after 17 years on the council.

The Lib Dems picked up 49.5% of the votes cast (1,315), down from the 55% they received when all three seats were contested in last year's local elections.

The Tory share was up from 38% to 41.7% (1,114), with the Greens on 6% (160) and Labour on 3% (80).

The turnout was 25.5%.

Cllr Goodwin said: "I am delighted and humbled to have been elected to serve the people of Frampton Cotterell ward alongside my fellow Lib Dem councillors Jon Lean and Tristan Clark.

"I want to stand up for local residents and fight for the issues that really matter to them.

"I will be tackling the various issues that residents have raised with me over the course of the campaign and keeping my election

achieve this on our own. Everyone is now able to use this space – we are looking forward to spring so we can get planting!

"The children now have a period of planting ahead of them, deciding what they want to grow and caring for the garden. The frogs have already moved back into their new pond and, through the unbelievable generosity of Sisk and their contractors, life in the Raysfield garden is blooming."

pledges to fight against bus cuts, fight against cuts to the winter fuel allowance and fight against sewage dumping in our rivers."

The Tories said they were "the big winners" in the by-election and described the fall in the Lib Dems' share of the vote as a "collapse".

Conservative group leader Sam Bromiley said: “Every other Party went backwards as local residents got behind local Conservative candidate Tim Niblett’s positive message to stop car parking charges. And to stop the reduction in black bin collections.

"We will stay on the side of residents and I just hope South Gloucestershire Council pay attention to this result and start listening to local people."

Claire

Young MP

Motion over post office

YATE'S MP has backed a motion in Parliament calling on the government to stop the closure of the town's post office and others that are under threat.

Last month the Voice reported that the Yate Sodbury branch at South Parade in Yate Shopping Centre was one of 115 post offices are at risk of closure.

Thornbury & Yate MP Claire Young said hundreds of people had signed a petition she launched calling for the branch to be saved.

She said: "I have heard from many people across our area who are extremely worried about the risk of Yate post office closing and I will be doing all I can to stop it.

“The branch in Yate is well-used and is at the heart of the high street. It is well regarded by all, and essential for those who travel into town to use it.

“It needs to be protected as, without it, people will lose access to vital services and be left cut off, especially since so many banks have closed in recent years.

“I met with representatives of the Post Office recently to discuss the situation, and made clear the huge blow it would be should it be ripped away from residents.

“This closure cannot be allowed to go ahead. The Government must stop sitting on their hands and join the hundreds of people backing my campaign to save Yate post office.”

Last month a Post Office spokesperson confirmed the branch was on the list of affected branches, 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."

Claire Hill with the Sisk volunteers

The revamped garden

Children are 'inspired' at Yate nursery

A NURSERY has been praised for its "rich curriculum" and hard-working staff.

Ofsted visited Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School, on Dowsell Way in Ladden Garden Village in November, for its first inspection since opening in 2023.

Inspector Gwyneth Keen said the nursery is 'good' in all areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and personal development.

She said children form strong attachments to staff thanks to the nursery's "bespoke settlingin process", adding: "Staff work hard to establish close relationships with key children to foster a sense of trust and emotional security.

"They form caring, warm and secure connections with children, allowing them to feel safe enough to explore and join in with play."

Children are prepared for school as they develop "resilience and curiosity", and "receive lots

of praise and encouragement that helps them to feel valued".

The inspector said: "Leaders have designed a rich curriculum that inspires all children to learn."

Children make good progress with communication and language skills, learn how to use maths during play by counting and measuring, and have plenty of opportunities to learn physical skills.

The inspector said: "Children relish playing outdoors and get plenty of fresh air and exercise."

Parents are complimentary about the care their children receive at the nursery, which has 157 children aged four and under on its roll.

The inspector said: "Staff provide ideas for parents to build on their children's learning at

home, for example, providing books and resources, such as story sacks, to encourage story time through reading at home."

To improve further Ofsted recommended that staff offer children more time to think creatively and experiment independently when problemsolving, to develop confidence in their own abilities.

Nursery manager Zoe Seymour said: "We are delighted with our Ofsted result; after less than a year of being open it really does highlight the hard work, care and dedication from our amazing staff team.

"The bonds the team have built with the children, the emotional security they provide and the praise and encouragement they give were just a few of the things picked up during the inspection and I feel this whole report is a testament to the team.

"We are very proud of this achievement and excited for what is still to come."

Children and staff at Happy Days nursery spell out their Ofsted rating

n RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Gob-smackingly gorgeous trout

AFTER all that luscious Christmas food, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have found that there’s a little more of you to love!

It’s quite depressing that all the magazines are full of diets and are banging on about how to get fit. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for getting fit and eating healthily, but it seems almost hypocritical that a few weeks before we were being deluged with hugely calorific recipes!

I'm not here to make you feel guilty. We enjoyed the Christmas fare, but now let’s move on.

You can always give any leftover boxes of fancy biscuits or chocolates you don't want to the nearest foodbank, to bring a proper smile to some people who may not have had such a great Christmas.

One way to get back on track is to eat more fish, especially those high in omega 3 oils, like trout. It's also good to try something

new to develop your palate – and that’s where my recipe comes in.

If you’ve always thought you didn’t like fennel or anchovies, just give this recipe a go and you may change your mind.

Trout with fennel

Serves 4. Preparation time 10 mins; Cooking time 15 mins

Ingredients

Trout (organic if poss), heads on Fennel bulb – 1, thinly sliced (keep the green leafy fronds from the top)

Extra virgin olive oil- 3 tbsps

For the cooking sauce

Soy sauce – 2tbsps

Thai fish sauce – 2 tbsps

Anchovy puree (available in tubes along with tomato puree, or use

Gentleman’s Relish)

Demerara sugar – 1 ½ tbsps

Onion – ½ onion sliced into thin rings

Lemon – thinly slice into rings

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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.

serve- 4 blocks of medium noodles.

Pre-heat the oven to 180C, 350F Gas mark 4

First, prepare the cooking sauce. Mix together all the sauce ingredients listed, apart from the lemon and onion.

Then make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes along the top of each fish.

Brush a little of the olive oil on the base of an ovenproof dish large enough to take the fish.

Pile the sliced fennel into the dish.

Lay the fish side by side on top of the fennel.

Spoon some of the sauce into the cavity of each fish and then add some of the green fronds from the top of the fennel.

Divide the rest of the sauce between the fish, spooning into the slashes you have made.

Drizzle each of the fish with the remaining olive oil, onion and lemon slices. Roast for about 15 mins. (Check it's done by inserting

the tip of a sharp knife into the thickest part of the fish, just behind the head: when ready, the fish will flake easily and be opaque in appearance.)

Whilst the fish is cooking, get the noodles ready. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and about 5 mins before the fish is ready, add the noodles to the boiling water. Allow the water to come back to the boil and once it has, turn off the heat, cover the pan and allow the noodles 4 mins to cook in the hot water until separated and soft.

Serve the fish with the noodles and a selection of steamed vegetables like mange tout, sugar peas or broccoli (the purple sprouting variety is a particularly good when in season)

Cook’s tip

Cook the fish with the heads on, as this keeps them moist. You can remove them before serving if you don’t like the eyes looking at you!

Other whole fish like sea bass or John Dory also work well.

To

Students rise to challenge

PUPILS at Brimsham Green School in Yate have achieved "remarkable success" in an internationally recognised computer competition.

The Bebras Computing Challenge UK asks students to take on computational thinking tasks to show their problem-solving abilities.

A total of 27 Brimsham Green students who entered the challenge have earned its prestigious Gold Award, which the school

says places them among the top 10% nationwide, based on grade boundaries.

Two of them, Lucas Chamberlain and Robert Grzegrzolka, achieved perfect scores of 220 out of 220.

Head teacher Kim Garland said: "Their incredible accomplishment is an inspiration to all of us. "Congratulations to all our talented students for this fantastic achievement. Your hard work and dedication truly shine, and we couldn’t be prouder!”

Card design chosen

A BRIMSHAM Green School pupil has seen her Christmas card design put on sale after

entering a competition.

Year 10 student, Rabee’a Chan's drawing, featuring a deer snowman and snow animals, was one of the runner-up entries in the contest, run by the Salvation Army.

Her design will be featured inside their Kids Alive magazine, as well as being offered as an e-card in the church's ‘Don’t send me a card’ collection.

Above: Rabee'a Chan. Right: The winning design

Brimsham Green students

Labour picks mayor candidate

THE Labour Party has announced its candidate to succeed Dan Norris as the next West of England Metro Mayor.

Helen Godwin is a former Bristol City Council cabinet member, who won a members ballot over another ex-city councillor, Nicola Beech, and current Bristol Labour group leader Tom Renhard.

The result was announced in late November, shortly after the Conservatives selected another ex-Bristol councillor, Steve Smith, and Greens named current city council deputy leader Heather Mack as their choice for the election, which takes place on May 1.

Current Labour Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who became an MP in July, cannot run again after the party banned its MPs from having second jobs.

Ms Godwin, who grew up in Stapleton and attended Begbrook Primary School, represented Southmead from 2016 until she stood down in 2021, when she took on a job with consultancy firm Pricewaterhousecoopers.

She said: "Our region is brimming with opportunity and promise.

"We have a Labour government with absolute commitment to devolution and to good growth, building on our economic success but making sure success benefits all.

"We need better transport across our region – that will be my priority.

"We need additional and affordable homes, and a better link between education and the jobs that our economy needs to grow."

It’s good to talk...

Maria, Bristol “ ”

'Difficult decisions' in budget

SOUTH Gloucestershire Council is asking residents to give their views on the "unpopular choices" facing it in order to balance its books in future years.

Cost-cutting plans and bigger tax rises are among measures the authority says it will need to take in the future, to plug a looming £16 million hole in its finances.

The council is running a public consultation on its annual budget.

Among the immediate proposals is increasing garden waste collection charges from £60 to £70. Charges doubled from £30 in the last council budget, with residents told that in future they would go up only by the rate of inflation.

The council is also asking residents what they think about a possible rise in council tax above the current 5% cap – including 2% for social care – if the law is changed to allow higher increases without a local referendum. Each extra percentage rise represents another £1.9m to spend.

The council says that in future, it is "likely" to have to withdraw funding from public toilets, playing fields and other open spaces, and may have to hand over more of their upkeep to parish councils.

Council leader Maggie Tyrrell said £134.3m, or 44% of the council's budget, is spent on adult social care for older people, disabled people and people with learning disabilities, and a further £52.1m, or 17%, on children’s social care.

It was hard but I’m so glad we had that conversation.

It was hard but I’m so glad we had that conversation.

Cllr Tyrell, head of the joint Liberal Democrat/Labour administration that took charge in May 2023, said: “The difficult decisions we’re talking about will mean pain for local people, for our staff and for the partners we work with."

Anyone who is not online can call 01454 868009.

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.

The consultation is open until January 8 and can be found online at budget2025.commonplace.is.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

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

Helen Godwin

n YATE HERITAGE CENTRE

Remembering factory's later years

BY the beginning of the New Year, the historic factory site on Station Road will have closed its doors for the final time, ending 107 years of providing employment and a social life for the people of Yate.

As we have tried to reflect in our current display Work and Play – the Factory Way, a wealth of rich oral history has been generated from this site whether under the guise of Parnall’s (pre-1967), Jackson’s (1967-1983), Creda (19831999) or later names.

Regular readers will be aware that many articles have tended to focus on the early history of the Station Road factory site, so our quest has been to redress this imbalance.

With the demolition of much of the Jackson site in 1982 and the end of the vast Newman site in 1988, the physical legacy of the area was transformed.

The Jackson-Creda site was far from the eye of the Station Road traveller. Many visitors might also have inferred that heavy engineering was a thing of the past in Yate.

And yet, the world of the industrial engineer was to remain intact for many years thereafter, borne out by our oral history.

Keith Mainstone was in the maintenance department staff for nearly 40 years, from 1966 to 2005. Although he saw myriad changes to the factory site, he still worked in heavy industrial settings.

The gigantic machines in the metal press shop, several metres high, were breathtaking to those unschooled in industrial presses.

Keith conjured up a world of noise and smell alien to the outside world.

He said: "It was daunting to a young lad, these big, noisy presses, but I got to enjoy this part of the factory more than any other."

Mark Haslam too, a manager at the site since 1999, recalled how different the site was when he began compared to today.

There were many more people working at the plant – several hundred, compared to 150 at the end.

Again, conditions differed markedly to 2024.

Mark said: “What I noticed first was the smell – the smell of the forklift truck with gas engines.

"And you got that exhaust smell at the time. And after a time of

working here, you don't notice it. But for the first few months…"

At the time of closure, the Beko plant was almost entirely devoted to assembling tumble dryers, with only a handful of people involved in traditional engineering practices.

Up to 2005, there was still a foundry, and paint, press and moulding shops.

Much of the tumble dryer product was made on site, including the electric motor to power the machine. During this year, contractors dismantled the entire motor shop machinery to

enable tumble dryer motors to be produced in Romania.

It is clear that the Station Road factory remained historically important into the 21st century, and there remains an important story to tell.

You can find out more by visiting Work and Play – the Factory Way until February 1, or accessing it in our public galleries in years to come.

Yate Heritage Centre is part of Yate Town Council.

Diary dates

Until February 1: Work & Play – The Factory Way. Exhibition marking the end of the Station Road factory site in Yate.

January 28, 7.30pm: Yate Lecture Series – Pirate Raids on Bristol 1400-1700, with Philip Ashford.

David Hardill

Creda foundry and machine shop staff, 1995. Picture: Alex Bell

Parnall's worker on a forklift, 1969

Working a press shop machine.

WILL & PROBATE ADVICE

MPs say why they backed Assisted Dying Bill

Free Legal Stock Take meeting

YATE'S MP has explained why she voted to support a bid to allow terminally ill people to be helped to end their own lives.

Nowadays we all have so much life admin to sort out – it is easy for things to get out of date.

The controversial Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the Assisted Dying Bill, was introduced to Parliament by MP Kim Leadbeater to change the law so that adults who have been given six months or less to live can ask for and receive medication that would kill them if they chose to take it.

A FREE review meeting with our local, friendly team at Simpson Solicitors is like a Free Legal Stock Take meeting. Being a fully regulated law firm there is no pushy follow up as there is no obligation to instruct them. Just the peace of mind that you have received proper legal advice.

The bill has vehement supporters and opponents inside and outside Parliament.

Ms Leadbeater told the Commons that terminally ill people had died "screaming for assistance" because of uncontrollable pain, while fellow Labour MP Diane Abbott warned vulnerable people could be pressured into ending their lives because they "don't want to be a burden".

√ Checking any existing documents are legally valid: Checking your Will or Powers of Attorney are signed in accordance with the complex rules that apply, with advice to make sure they still reflect your current family arrangements.

opinions before voting to send the Bill onto its next stage. She said she did not want it rejected "before it goes through the full process and has a chance to be further refined".

Inheritance Tax and Care

Applying the current rules to your situation with advice so your family don’t receive an avoidable bill for tax or care home

Ms Young said: "I have consistently been supportive in principle of a change in the law to make it possible for those dying in great pain and distress to shorten their suffering, providing there are sufficient safeguards to protect individuals who may be manipulated by others.

John Baden-Daintree

√ Free secure storage service: Offered for your legal documents and the information you might want your family to be able to access.

√ Property ownership: Advice to make sure it’s owned in the best way to prevent problems. There is a £3 charge from HM Land Registry.

MPs were given a free vote, which means they were not told to vote on party lines.

The bill passed its second reading by 330 votes to 275.

It must now go through a committee to examine it in detail before going back to MPs for a further vote.

The Free Legal Stock Take meeting focusses on making sure your legal affairs are in order and if needed they can help you with a new Will or Lasting Powers of Attorney. It is all about making life as easy as possible for those that you care about - if you were to become seriously ill or die unexpectedly.

√ Reviewing what you own: Making sure those you trust can find and are legally able to access your bank accounts, investments, and life insurance if you were seriously ill or had died.

The bill includes a series of safeguards and requirements aimed at limiting those who would be given help to end their lives.

They include ensuring the person who asks for assistance is an adult, has the mental capacity to make the choice, and has made two separate declarations that they wish to die. They must also have been assessed by two independent doctors as having made a voluntary, informed choice, having been shown alternative options, before a High Court judge decides whether they can be given the medication, which they must administer themselves.

"There has been a lot of discussion about the precedent this change would set, and many have said that the focus needs to be on palliative care instead. For me, it is not an either-or situation. We should be improving end of life care, but that does not mean people should be denied choice."

To arrange your Free Review meeting you can pop in to their Kingswood Office or email message@simpsonslawuk.com or call 0117 960 8594

Remember, they offer a FREE home meeting service if you find it difficult getting to their offices.

Thornbury & Yate MP Claire Young said she had "thought long and hard", examined the fine print and listened to a wide variety of

Neighbouring Filton & Bradley Stoke MP Claire Hazelgrove said she had gone through the Bill "line-by-line", considered a range of evidence and listened to many local people with a range of views, and said "shutting down this important debate straight away didn’t feel right".

Michelle Baden-Daintree

Kings Chase Shopping Centre, Kingswood 0117 960 8594

message@simpsonslawuk.com

She added: "When an amended version of this Bill returns to the Commons, my final vote will come down to the specifics of the Bill and the strength of the safeguards in it."

Free Will Review

Parent Wills: Provide for children & name Guardians to raise them

Claire Young and Claire Hazelgrove

FORMER Badminton Horse

Trials champion Piggy March returned to the scene of her 2019 victory as part of a gruelling charity bike ride in memory of her late sister-in-law.

Residents and event riders turned out at the South Gloucestershire country estate to welcome Piggy and her fellow cyclists and cheer them on to their final destination.

The group of eight took up the 11-day Cycle4Caroline challenge after Caroline March died by assisted suicide in early 2024.

An event rider herself, Caroline had been paralysed after sustaining spinal injures in a fall while competing two years earlier, and went to a clinic in Switzerland to end her life.

More than half of a £500,000 target has already been raised, which will be shared between two charities.

Spinal Research funds medical research into effective treatments for paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury, while the British Eventing Support Trust

Tragedy brings charity bike challenge to Badminton

supports the physical and mental health of event riders.

Covering some 700 miles, the cyclists started the ride in Scotland and finished at the Savoy hotel in London, riding through snow and storms along the way.

Planned stops took in a

Loft Boarding & Insulation

Tom and Piggy March lead the Cycling4Caroline team through Badminton

number of prestigious horse trials venues and Windsor Castle.

Among those cycling with Piggy was her husband Tom –Caroline’s brother – and threetime Olympian Ian Stark, who also won Badminton three times and continued with the bike ride

despite falling and breaking his thumb.

A number of supporters joined the core group for sections of the ride, among them the Princess Royal's daughter, Zara Tindall.

Piggy said: “This is the first time I’ve been affected by a family member having an accident in our sport and I’ve realised it’s important that when things go wrong, people get all the support needed.

"We want to help other families and keep our eventing community as positive as possible.”

The cycling team visited Badminton on November 28, and finished in London two days later.

Donations can be made via the home page of the www. cycle4caroline.com website. Lynne Hutchinson

Meet with a local professional and receive full guidance and support.

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New taxi rules confirmed

NEW rules that mean all hackney carriage taxis in South Gloucestershire must be wheelchair accessible have been confirmed by councillors.

The change has led to claims more drivers could quit and

switch over to private hire vehicles, such as Uber.

From July 2025 all hackney carriages – which can be hailed in the street or from a rank –registered in the district will have to be accessible to people in wheelchairs.

South Gloucestershire Council has been considering the policy for years but repeatedly delayed the new rules, most

recently due to a shortage of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

Councillors on the regulatory committee finally voted through the changes in November.

Transport campaigner David Redgewell said: "There are hardly any buses now to the villages of Wotton-underEdge, Charfield, Wickwar and Hawkesbury Upton. People in those areas are relying on public

taxi services. I often use them from Yate railway station.

"Local transport authorities should be making sure that the network is fully accessible.”

If it's now too short we can add one or two of his other quotes back in;

"Without accessibility, a driver would have to literally take my wheelchair to pieces and put it back together. It’s not acceptable.

"There’s a risk if I fall and can’t get back up."

The change was previously delayed in March 2023. A survey was promised to explore the demand for wheelchairaccessible vehicles in South Gloucestershire, but this hasn’t been done.

Council staff will report back on the impact of the changes after six months.

Driver took

1,000 fares while suspended

A TAXI driver suspended by South Gloucestershire Council after receiving 50 complaints then continued to pick up 1,000 more passengers via a ridehailing app.

Councillors raised concerns about public safety as the law doesn’t stop drivers from carrying on working, pending an appeal.

The unnamed driver appeared before a recent panel of councillors, who suspended him. He carried on working for a ride-hailing app for “at least a month or so”.

Taxi drivers of both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles must apply to their local council for a licence to work.

The problem was raised during a meeting of the regulatory committee in November.

The driver claimed he hadn’t received letters from the council informing him of his suspension – but councillors were told that even if he had, he would have been able to continue driving for 28 days if he made an appeal.

Conservative Councillor Keith Cranney called for suspensions to be made immediate, and for closer cooperation between council officers and app providers.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Young families need your help

CAN you spare two hours a week to make a difference?

Join our friendly team of volunteers at and support local families

Home-Start helps families with young children

This January Home-Start Bristol and South Gloucestershire is looking for volunteers who can spare two hours a week to help families with under-5s who are going through tough circumstances.

Our volunteers are generally parents themselves, so understand some of the pressures of family life and offer families a listening ear, guidance and practical support.

The families we support may also be affected by isolation, loneliness, financial difficulties or

issues affecting their mental or physical health.

Our next volunteer training course starts on January 23 and runs every Thursday.

We are looking for volunteers across South Gloucestershire, but especially want to hear from you if you are close to Yate.

To find out more, visit homestartbsg.org.uk, email admin@ homestartbsg.org.uk or call us on 0117 950 1170.

Cath Potter

Home-Start Bristol and South Gloucestershire

Black bin change makes no sense

WITH reference to your report that black bins will only be collected once every three weeks (Voice, December) - has anyone at the council got a brain?

Anyone that has visited the Sort It centre, which is ultimately run by the council too, will see long queues of petrol and diesel engines, and people dropping household waste into the non-

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recyclable waste area. I would have thought a lot of those journeys are not necessary. The best way to tackle it is to make the supermarkets and suppliers use more eco-friendly packaging.

Tony Morgan

New idea for Job Centre

I AM writing to suggest a use for the old Job Centre on South Parade.

I would suggest a snooker/ pool hall on the ground floor, and karaoke suites upstairs.

In Cebu City in the Philippines I visited a karaoke centre where these suites could be booked by parties of up to 20 people to sing. Food and refreshments could be ordered from the main bar. They even had an open swimming pool outside.

Yate needs snooker and pool tables, and I think combining them with karaoke would be a great draw.

'If I were a Rich Man' I would take on the idea myself!

Dale Lewis

We need your tools

Chipping Sodbury Rotary Club is still collecting old carpentry tools, spanners and socket sets and electrical DIY tools which plug directly into the mains electricity.

These are being handed over to the amazing charity Tools for Self Reliance, where they are refurbished, polished and sharpened and made into complete toolkits, sent to developing countries to enable students to train as carpenters or mechanics.

It's a great recycling/reusing project!

If you are clearing out your shed and have tools to offer, please call Clive Wilmott on 0117 932 2673 or me on 07837 588362. We will collect.

Marian Gilpin

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Yate

Bristol window company named best in the South West

Bristol-based home improvement company, The Window Hub, was named the ‘Best in the South West’ at the recent G24 Awards in London.

The team were narrowly pipped to the ‘Best Installer’ gong, but were able to leave the English capital with a smile on their faces thanks to the ‘Best in the South West’ title.

The winners of G-Awards were announced at a glittering gala dinner at the Park Lane Hotel on November 29.

“Out of 12,500 companies across the UK, we made it to the last six! Best in the South West, narrowly being pipped to the UK title by another family-run independent business in Lancashire,” The Window Hub’s managing director Danny Robb said.

Bristol-based window installation company, The Window Hub, was launched during lockdown in 2020 by seasoned industry professional Danny, who wanted to create a

business that was “built on quality rather than greed”.

From humble beginnings, The Window Hub now operates from a head office and showroom in Staple Hill in Bristol with offices, showrooms and installation depots across the South West.

Danny launched The Window Hub because he wanted to be much more than just a double glazing company.

“We know that choosing new windows and inviting someone into your home can be stressful, so we have introduced as many initiatives as possible to be fair and reasonable in our approach to give our customers the best experience possible,” he said.

“Sales begin and end with treating customers properly. And you know what? It is so easy to be amazing if you don’t cut corners.”

And the Window Hub has the customer reviews to prove it – 90% of reviews for The Window Hub on

Trustpilot are for five stars, with customers celebrating the company’s professionalism, friendliness, tidiness, and attention to detail.

As well as being open and honest,The Window Hub is keen to raise environmental awareness.

“All of our products will help homeowners reduce their energy usage because they are extremely

energy efficient,” Danny said. “We also buy the majority of our products from companies in the South West.

“When we remove old windows and doors, everything is recycled, and we are currently planting a tree for every customer at a wildlife park near where we are based.”

For more information, please visit TheWindowHub.co.uk

Shining bright for charity

MORE than 16,000 lights are illuminating a Christmas display in Chipping Sodbury resident Natasha Marriott's front garden.

The Christmas Hollow display at 18 Frome Road has become an annual event since 2020, when Natasha decided to set up a display for people out on walks during the winter lockdown.

The display, set up by Natasha and husband Joel with the help of close friend Bruce Hegarty, runs until January 5, from 4-9pm each day, and this year Natasha is raising funds for the Shine Bright Bristol Children’s Hospital appeal.

She said: "We Picked the Grand Appeal because we have five kids and have been in the hospital a lot. The last visit was when my sixyear-old had an asthma attack."

Natasha also has a Halloween display called Creepy Hollow, which raised more than £470 for the Grand Appeal in October.

She is aiming to beat that with a £600 target for the Christmas display, and had raised more than £430 as the Voice went to print.

Donations can be made online at bit.ly/4irJB3O

n WHAT'S ON

January 9

n SING HAPPY IN HARMONY with Fascinating Rhythm at the Greenfield Centre, Winterbourne, 7.15-9pm. Every Thursday for five consecutive weeks until February 6. Free event. Learn a song in 4–part harmony, touch on vocal techniques, meet new people. Book at tinyurl.com/4kvkrjv7

January 14

n GREAT WESTERN SOCIETY

BRISTOL GROUP meeting, BAWA, Southmead Road, Bristol, 7.30pm. Talk: Railway Roundabout - A Pastiche of Railway History Part 2, with Brian Arman. All welcome. Free entry; suggested donation of £3 towards costs. For more details call 07947 246259.

January 16

n ARTS APPRECIATION GROUP meets at the Greenfield Centre, Park Avenue, Winterbourne, at 2pm. Costume presentation: Dressing the Georgians, by Angela Rendell and Kate Peake. More details from 07946 508316.

REGULAR EVENTS:

Monday

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.

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.

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

Friday

n CHIPPING SODBURY COMMUNITY CHOIR, 10-11.30am, Old Grammar School, Chipping Sodbury High Street. More details from nicelizmartin@yahoo.co.uk.

The Christmas Hollow display. Picture: Rich McD

TURNER'S VISION

Happy New Year –Happy New Look!

I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas break, managed to get a rest and catch up with your nearest and dearest.

Now that the party season is over, it’s time to look ahead to 2025.

For me, I was thinking about what to do with my glasses. I’m a lifelong glasses wearer so I’ve had a good few years to try out the many different options – the subtle, the discreet and the bold.

Marta Cutler of Turners Opticians 0117 962 2474 0117 965 4434

www.turnersopticians.co.uk

The same way that I might try out a new hair colour or style, I like to change my eyewear from time to time. For many years I have played it safe, wearing an acetate or titanium frame with just an accent of colour.

However, this year I’ve decided to go for a frame with more panache! What leaps to your mind when I say that – perhaps bright colours, a large frame, an eye-catching style? If so, you got two out of three correct. I’ve chosen a bold, large, black statement frame from our TREE Spectacles collection and they’ve completely transformed my look.

Who are TREE Spectacles – and why should you choose them? TREE Spectacles are handcrafted with high-quality materials like Japanese titanium which give them a strength and durability that’s second to none.

They’re Italian, so luxury is a given, but there’s a lot more to them than that. Their use of innovative technical solutions and advanced materials puts them at the forefront of modern eyewear companies. Their robust frames are bold and intriguing with unconventional colours that catch the eye and complement most outfits.

Their range continually evolves with each iteration building upon the last, resulting in a timeless style of eyewear that endures.

They’re a popular choice with the Turners team While we have different models, my colleagues at Turners, Nikki and Billie-Jo, also wear TREE glasses and they are a hugely popular range with our patients.

Even our boss “Play It Safe” Peter Turner wears them! He first spotted them at a show and brought the collection to Bristol –before that you’d have had to travel to London or Birmingham to see the frames up close.

If you’re after frames that strike the perfect balance between a statement piece and being subtly stylish, you’ll want to consider TREE Spectacles. They really do tick all the boxes.

How about making a new year’s resolution to change up your glasses game for 2025? You might like them, you might love them, or you may choose something else entirely. But you’ll never know if you don’t at least pop in and have a look. Call into our Henleaze or Fishponds practices to try a pair of TREE Spectacles for yourself.

And don’t forget to book an appointment for your next eye exam, if you haven’t already.

Thanks for reading, look forward to seeing you soon!

Marta Cutler is a seasoned eyecare professional, who has been on our clinical optometry team for more than three years and was formerly a physiotherapist.

Marta

n COMMUNITY NEWS

Yate-Genieri Link

IN the village of Geneiri the rainy season lasts from July to October.

The countryside turns green, rice is planted and the malaria-carrying mosquitoes thrive.

Homes and possessions get very wet and by October, buildings need repair and repainting: often items of wooden furniture become rotten and need replacement.

We have built and supported over many years a small primary healthcare centre, which this year was in dire need of refurbishment.

Bats had got into the roof, the smell was terrible and the centre could not be used.

Yate-Genieri Link sent money to block holes in the roof, clear out the bats, complete repainting inside and out, and build a new set of shelves to store basic medicine supplies.

Thank you to all our many supporters for your help!

Join us for our next 'Taste of the Gambia' supper at Rangeworthy Village Hall on February

TURNERS HEARING CARE BLOG

Ear wax factoid: Ear wax is good!

Ear wax factoid: We all have little hairs in the inside of our ears - which produce the oil that becomes wax.

Ear Wax is Good!

8: there will be delicious Gambian food and an update on activities in Genieri.

For more details visit www.yategenierilink. org.uk.

Marian J Gilpin

Yate & Sodbury u3a

OUR cycling group aims to promote cycling both as a leisure activity and to undertake local journeys.

Rides on Monday and Thursday start at 10am from Waitrose car park, with weather-dependent destinations such as Leyhill, Sherston, Bristol and Bath.

Shorter rides for new recruits are featured when possible (notably on the second Thursday in the month), riding five miles or so to Iron Acton, where the coffee break is on the Backfield Farm estate, or to the Deli in Wickwar.

Although road bikes are the most popular mount, riders attend on a variety of different sorts of cycles, several having e-bikes, and there’s sometimes even a tricycle.

The club’s motto is: "You don’t give up cycling because you’re old, you’re old because you have given up cycling."

To promote cycling as a means to keep active we advocate using trailers and cargo bikes for shopping.

There are strong links with other cycling groups, notably the Yate Community Bike Hub,

Having some wax in our ears is healthy and it’s protective for our hearing and the health of our ears. A fine coating of the ear canal helps keep our ear drums protected from particles that might cause a problem to them.

But You Can Have Too Much of the Good Stuff!

An excess of ear wax, if it builds up, can block our ears completely- causing hearing difficulties and discomfort.

Olive oil drops can help soften and possibly shift a blockage- and it might work its way out of your ear eventually. Sometimes this doesn’t clear quickly enough though, and it can be removed by ear wax removal specialist.

If you suspect wax might be causing you a problem- come and see me at Turner’s Opticians, Fishponds, where I can show you what your ears look like inside and hopefully remove any excess wax so you can be more comfortable and possibly hear better.

If you’re a hearing aid wearer, you might also find that you build up a significant amount of wax - and this can cause a problem with your hearing aid. Pop in for a check if you feel that this might be happening and I can have a look for you.

where unwanted bikes can be donated.

For more information on all our u3a courses see u3asites.org.uk/yate-sodbury/welcome.

Jenny Smith

Upper Frome Friends

WE wish you all a very happy New Year – and of course, health and diversity in 2025 for our lovely River Frome.

Clean-up sessions continued in December, despite the weather, although for safety they took place at the river rather than in the river, and away from muddy banks.

We recovered yet more tyres, and a mattress – although it had already been cut into three, it took a lot of effort to move it away from the river.

We have also become expert at pairing up lost wellies, though we do wonder how their owners managed to get home in their socks!

As a supporter said on our Facebook page: "Surely it takes just as much effort to dump rubbish in the river as it does to take it to the Sort It centre?"

If your New Year’s resolution is to support the environment, then come and join us!

You’ll be working with a lovely group of people, enjoying being in nature and helping to keep our river healthy.

For more information, contact riverfromereconnected@southglos.gov.uk.

Deb Campbell

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.

Debbie

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.

The primary health centre after rainy season.

Chipping Sodbury Rotary Club

IT was with great pleasure that our club president, Ian Hodgson, inducted local resident Tony Woodburn as our newest club member at our December business meeting.

At the Chipping Sodbury Christmas Sunday event on December 1 the club had its traditional mulled wine and cider, hot chocolate and mince pies stall, which raised nearly £1500 for donation to worthy causes.

Our second tea dance was held in November. With the support of the Alzheimer’s Society and the ladies of the Inner Wheel club of Chipping Sodbury, over 80 guests attended for an afternoon of musical entertainment and dancing with some £250 received in donations.

The next tea dance is on January 28.

The club was very pleased to support the Blonde Angel Street Team ‘Christmas Spirit Bag Appeal’ with 46 bags of winter warm clothing and festive treats donated by club members and friends for distribution to the homeless.

On the international front our club funded a water purification plant for a school and residents in Ukraine, and members loaded a container with surplus medical equipment destined for Ethiopia.

Overall 2024 was another very busy and successful year for the club, including five fundraising events, five tea dances, two events for students at local secondary schools and support for a dozen or so charities.

We would be delighted to hear from anyone who would wish to know more about the Rotary movement and membership.

Contact us at csrotaryapplication@ gmail.com.

Stuart Fraser

Chipping Sodbury WI

The WI donation is handed over

OUR November meeting was our AGM, with the handover of a cheque for £400 to the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity.

The organisation receives no funding from the government.

Our December meeting was a Christmas fun murder mystery evening, where we were tasked with revealing the murderer. There were six characters from the Red Herrings Group performing, with one narrator and one murderer.

Each WI member was given a sheet of paper on which we had to circle who did the deed and the reasons why – ten amateur detectives in our WI worked out who the murderer was.

The theme was Alice in Wonderland and a number of WI ladies dressed up for the occasion.

We also had an outing to

Tyntesfield Manor to see the Christmas decorations.

Our next meeting is an American supper in the Town Hall on January 2 at 7.30pm.

Make a New Year's Resolution to do something different, and give us a go!

Jeanette Oakley

Chipping Sodbury Inner Wheel

DECEMBER is always a busy month for the members of our club. This year it began with our stall at the Sodbury Christmas Sunday event, where our chocolate tombola proved very popular raising money for the local Alzheimer’s Society.

The following week saw us in the Town Hall greeting Inner Wheel members from around our district, some of whom had travelled a good way – the Forest of Dean, Pershore and Clevedon to name just a few. In total, 77 sat down for lunch.

The meal was made, prepared and served by members and we were very lucky to have the services of some Rotarian friends as wine waiters and washer-uppers.

We ended with a very interesting talk from Jo Wright of Organic Blooms, which included some royal name dropping!

Visitors are always welcome at our regular meetings on the second Monday of the month from 2pm at the Town Hall.

Liz Pattison

Yate WI

HAPPY New Year everyone – welcome to 2025!

Here at Yate WI we are looking forward to a fun year, with lots of interesting activities planned for the year ahead, so why not come and visit us?

Yate WI meet on the second Monday of the month at 7pm for a 7.30pm start, at Poole Court in Yate.

Our committee works hard to ensure that we have a variety of activities, from speakers to quizzes, games and demonstrations.

We always enjoy a hot drink, biscuits and chit chat.

We meet in a small cosy room, which means no-one is left out: making friends is our aim.

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 to our next meeting at Poole Court.

Sharon Bower

Sodbury and Yate Sewcial Club

Christmas scrubs

OUR members have been making a number of Christmas projects, including some tiny knitted Christmas jumper decorations to hang on a tree and Christmas scrubs that will bring a smile to patients and hospital staff this festive season. Experienced, intermediate or a beginner, why not come along with a project and give it a go?

Dressmaking is popular, and we have members of all ages who We meet weekly to make dresses, knit, crochet, felt, embroider, cross stitch and sew quilts.

Bring your project and a machine/equipment. We have club supplies to share such as cutting mats, haberdashery, irons and ironing boards, and charge £5 to cover costs.

We also arrange regular Sewing Saturdays throughout the year: A whole day to immerse ourselves in being creative whilst we chat!

We meet every Thursday night in the Chestnut Room at the Ridgewood Community Centre, from 7-10pm.

Come along and beat the winter blues!

Jeanette Oakley

Chipping Sodbury Cricket Club

CHIPPING Sodbury Cricket Club are launching an informal new group aimed at bringing together cricketers of all ages for leisurely strolls and casual chats.

SODS – Sodbury Old Distinguished Seniors – will assemble for the first time at The Ridings on Friday January 10, from 10am to noon.

And members of Gloucestershire's triumphant T20 Blast squad are set to play their part in getting the group off the ground by attending with the trophy and taking part in a question and answer session.

Andy Shield, a life-long member of Sodbury Cricket Club, said: "We're hoping that this is going to be a great opportunity for people to meet out of season in a pleasant environment, enjoy refreshments and nibbles, stroll around the Ridings and have a relaxed chat with old and new friends.

"There are no age barriers involved with SODS, and we will

welcome anyone who would like to attend.

"We're absolutely delighted that Gloucestershire are doing their bit to help by sending along a couple of their lads from that fantastic day in September to chat and share their memories of a very special win.

"Best of all, the day will be free for anyone who would like to come along, and we're hoping that SODS meetings will become a regular

Chipping Sodbury Morning WI

A HAPPY New Year to all our members and fellow WIs.

We met as usual in December before most of our ladies headed off to a local golf club for a preChristmas dinner.

At our January meeting, on the 21st, we shall debate and vote on the NFWI Resolutions for 2025.

This is a chance to achieve real change for women in the coming years.

On February 18 our speaker will enlighten us about a day in the life of a tour guide, I am sure there will be some amusing tales told.

Very soon we shall be pulling together our programme for 2025-26, with a mix of speakers and activities, as well as a couple of day trips.

We meet on the third Tuesday of the month at 10am in the Masonic Hall, Hatters Lane, Chipping Sodbury.

The building is fully accessible, with plenty of parking.

Meetings last for two hours, with a tea break to chat to existing friends or make new friends. We also offer the opportunity to get together between meetings.

Why not make it your New Years Resolution to join a friendly group of ladies, and see where it takes you?

For more information please call 07809 534 107.

Sue Bird

occurrence." Steve Hill

Pic caption: Sodbury members Steve Hill, Phil Rendell and Andy Shield will be amongst those attending the first SODS get together on

Yate set fair for second half of season

YATE Town have now played half of their fixtures for the season – and there's a lot to look forward to in the second half.

Resuming their league campaign against an in-form Evesham United on the weekend Storm Bert crossed the country, a Joe Guest header secured three more points and maintained the club’s position at the top of the Southern League Division One South table.

Kit manager James Hicks had a massive job in getting the kit clean after this game but his perseverance saw this task eventually achieved.

The close-fought 1-1 draw at Melksham, in which Ross Stearn scored with a spectacular overhead kick, was the Bluebells' 25th of the season – 17 in the League and eight in the cups.

With both the FA Trophy and FA Cup campaigns now over, it left Yate with another 25 to be played, excluding County Cup games – and there are some interesting statistics from the first half of the season.

The first 25 games have included 13 clean sheets, with just 16 goals conceded and only 10 of those in their 17 league fixtures.

The Bluebells have conceded an average of just 0.64 goals conceded per game, but have scored an average of 1.6 per game – 40 in total.

The average home attendance for the first eight home league games this season has been 467, up from last season’s average of 316 and 250 in the previous season.

It shows that all the hard

work going on, both on and off the pitch, is reaping dividends.

Since the Melksham game the Bluebells have had a dip in form.

An unexpected 2-1 home defeat to Cribbs was followed by a resounding 4-0 win at Shaftesbury with James Byrne getting a hat-trick.

But the Bluebells then lost 2-1 away in a close encounter with much-improved Bemerton.

The club hopes that the big crowds and first half form continues into 2025.

There is a lot going on in the clubhouse, including a New Year's Eve event, details of which are on the website.

The club is still promoting its schools' tickets, which allow adults to enter at half price, with accompanied children free.

Any schools or youth football clubs interested in these tickets should contact the club at accounts@yatetownfc.co.uk.

Club officials have also continued to support their charity of the season, St Peter’s Hospice, and held a collection at Tesco on December 6.

Work continues supporting a group of media studies students from SGS College.

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 home games played on a Tuesday night.

Fixtures and reports are available on social media and the club's website, www.yatetownfc.co.uk,

Ross

scores with a spectacular overhead kick against Melksham.

which contains all the latest information about what is happening at Yate Town FC.

The club would like to thank businesses and fans for their support in 2024 and to wish them a happy New Year.

Bob Chester

Upcoming fixtures

(3pm unless stated):

January 4: Bashley (home)

January 11: Willand Rovers (H)

January 18: Larkhall Athletic (away)

January 25: Malvern Town (H)

January 31: Cribbs (A –7.45pm)

Stearn

The Heathers Nursing Home

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.

First Class Facilities and Support

• 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