South Bristol Voice March 2017

southbristolvoice March 2017 No. 22

www.southbristolvoice.co.uk

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LOCAL NEWS FOR LOCAL PEOPLE

FREE EVERY MONTH in Totterdown, Knowle and Windmill Hill • Deadline for the cycleway Page 3 • Two new road plans proposed Page 6

• How can parks possibly pay for themselves? Page 7 • Royal visitor wows the shoppers Page 15 • My waste-free way of living Page 19 • Employers: Do you know new rules on pensions ? Page 25

SAVE OUR POOL!

• History: The prefab genius of Totterdown Pages 30-33

THERE was no mistaking the message from protesters at Knowle’s Jubilee swimming pool. Story: pages 4 and 5

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2 Paul Breeden Editor & publisher 07811 766072 paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk Ruth Drury Sales executive 07590 527664 sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk Editorial team: Beccy Golding, Alex Morss & The Wicked Witch.

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Intro

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Wells Road. These issues will have to be addressed some time.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT THE FILWOOD Quietway cycle route can’t be substantially changed if it is to happen at all.

It’s emerged that the whole scheme will have to be finished

by March 2018 , or lose funding.

It was clearly a plan drawn up too quickly and with inadequate consultation.

Let’s hope agreement can now be reached with communities along the route, and that the result is a safe and simple route that gets people out of cars and onto bicycles.

It won’t, though, solve problems at Bedminster bridge or St Luke’s Road; and it won’t meet the huge demand for a safe cycle route for those using

EX-MAYOR George Ferguson has defended his record over the financial black hole that emerged after he left office.

The Bundred Report blames no individuals, but is damning about a culture among officials that hid the fact that necessary savings hadn’t been made.

Mr Ferguson told the Voice he left the council in a “far stronger financial state”, citing his backing for the Temple Meads enterprise zone which will reap tens of millions for the city in the future.

We all hope that comes true.

Meanwhile, without anyone being held responsible, the deficit has forced 300 council staff out of their jobs – and that’s just the start of the cuts.

March 2017

n BRIEFLY n WANT to see a tidier, litterfree Totterdown? Volunteers from community group Tresa are doing their bit for the Clean Up Bristol campaign on Sunday March 5. Meet at 11am at School Road Park for Tidy up Totterdown. The litter-pickers will then head down Wells Road, tidying as they go, and on to Bushy Park and Totterdown Square. Litter pickers, gloves and bags are provided.

• tresa.org.uk n WOMEN who fancy playing football are invited to female-only soccer sessions at Abbots Leigh every Thursday at 7pm. The venue is Clifton College sports ground, Abbots Leigh BS8 3QD, and the first games free. It’s for fun, and all abilities and fitness levels are welcome. Email Paula at msandps@blueyonder.co.uk n REDCLIFFE nursery school, which draws pupils from Totterdown and Windmill Hill, is looking for new governors.

It’s after people with experience in finance, management, HR

or child protection. Email redcliffe.n@bristol-schools.uk n WINDMILL Hill community centre is hosting Club Marmotte, an after-school French club for primary children. It’s on Wednesday, from 4-4.30pm for four to seven year-olds, and 4.305pm for seven to nine year-olds.

For details call 07900 801416. n WE HAD lots and lots of entries for our wedding-themed competitions in last month’s South Bristol Voice; thank you to all who entered. The winner of the Bristol Blue Glass heart pendant is Bonnie Hewson, and the winner of brunch at the Eating Room is Pauline Sparkes. n A MAN has been acquitted by a jury of raping a woman in a tent he pitched in Victoria Park in August 2016. Jonathan Wade, 27, was also cleared of sexual assault and grievous bodily harm, reported the Bristol Post. After the verdict, it was revealed that Wade had previously been jailed for indecent exposure.

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My councillor?

Christopher Davies Lib Dem, Knowle Post: Brunel House, St George’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UY Email: Cllr.Christopher.Davies@ bristol.gov.uk USEFUL NUMBERS Bristol City Council www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000 Waste, roads 0117 922 2100 Pest control and dog wardens 0117 922 2500 Council tax 0117 922 2900 Housing benefit 0117 922 2300 Social services 0117 922 2900 Police Inquiries 101 Emergency 999 Fire

Emergency 999 Inquiries 0117 926 2061

Gary Hopkins Lib Dem, Knowle (Lib Dem leader) Email: Cllr.Gary.Hopkins@bristol.gov.uk Phone: 0117 985 1491 or 07977 512159 Lucy Whittle Labour, Windmill Hill Post: Brunel House, St George’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UY Phone: 07392 108805 Email: Cllr.Lucy.Whittle@bristol.gov.uk Jon Wellington Labour, Windmill Hill Post: Brunel House, St George’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UY Phone: 07392 108804 Email: Cllr.Jon.Wellington@bristol.gov.uk NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUMS NOTE: These meetings are likely to be the last, due to council cuts Knowle neighbourhood forum Tuesday February 28, 7-8.30pm, Knowle Community Centre, Crossways Road, Knowle BS4 2SS Neighbourhood partnership Wednesday March 8, 6pm, Victoria Park Baptist Church, Sylvia Avenue BS3 5DA

EDITOR’S NOTE: South Bristol Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation.

Feedback is welcomed: call editor Paul Breeden on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk.

All stories and pictures are copyright of South Bristol Voice and may not be reproduced without permission in this or any other plane of the multiverse.

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March 2017

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3

n NEWS

Last call for tea with the Duchess

THE DUCHESS of Totterdown is putting the lid on her teapot for the last time at the end of March.

Owner Leo Townsend is hanging up her apron after five years. The Duchess opened in 2012, a brave move when there were no similar businesses

on Wells Road. Now there are several cafés and restaurants.

But the Duchess has kept its unique charm with rave reviews on Facebook for its afternoon teas, evening meals and low prices.

A new owner is expected to take over the business, probably

with a licence to sell alcohol, and with more tables on the forecourt.

“I just want to say that it’s been a blast, and to thank everyone who’s been so supportive over the five years,” Leo said. “I feel I was a bit of a pioneer, and now I’m moving to a new adventure.”

Both sides striving for cycleway deal – but it has to be built within 12 months TRANSPORT officials have promised to work more closely with local people after a council planning application for a 4.7m wide cycleway through Victoria Park was withdrawn after a barrage of opposition.

Just after the February edition of the Voice went to press, council officers pulled the plug on the £500,000 plan. Part of the £2.3 million Filwood Broadway route from Knowle West to the city centre, it drew more than 600 objections, most of them from people living near the park.

Members of Forward Together, the new name for the Filwood Opposition Group, have held their first meeting with officials from the council Cycling Ambition Fund (CAF) team, to try to find a compromise plan that won’t involve such a large, intrusive route through the park.

But the council faces an uphill battle – because it has admitted it has to get the whole Quietway plan approved and built by March 2018, or the government grant to pay for it will be lost.

Because time is short, officials made clear to the Victoria Park campaigners that there will be no major changes to the route.

Representatives of Forward Together asked if the Quietway could be diverted around the park – on Hill Avenue, for example. They asked if the St Luke’s Road underpass and Bedminster bridge roundabout could be improved for cyclists.

But each time the answer was no. Hill Avenue is not thought to

OTHER OBSTACLES TO THE FILWOOD QUIETWAY • It does nothing for the congested Wells Road corridor; • It faces opposition where it crosses Northern Slopes; • It may still be opposed by

WEDMORE VALE & ST JOHN’S LANE PLANS to bring Filwood Quietway down Wedmore Vale, over St John’s Lane and up Almorah Road have met much less opposition than the Victoria Park route.

But protests at the loss of all on-street parking on Wedmore Vale have already led to changes – some parking will be retained.

Cllr Jon Wellington knocked on doors in the area to gauge opinion with Bristol South MP Karin Smyth.

They found people in Almorah Road largely in favour of the road becoming exit-only onto St John’s Lane. But there was plenty of be a suitable route, and there are no funds for St Luke’s Road or Bedminster bridge as part of the Quietway plan.

However, St Luke’s Road may eventually see changes (see page 6). And work on Bedminster bridge may be paid for by spin-off funds from the development of Bedminster Green.

But a hoped-for cycle and pedestrian bridge over the New Cut opposite Whitehouse Street won’t happen; the £1.9m price is too high.

Andrew Campbell, speaking for the pro-park campaigners, said: “Forward Together proposed some on-road options that would have kept the proposed cycleway out of the park, but it was made clear to us that these were not feasible within the current scheme. We businesses on Whitehouse Street • It does nothing for the bottleneck at St Luke’s Road; • It won’t get a new bridge across the New Cut – too expensive; • Loss of parking on Wedmore Vale • Improvements to Bedminster Bridge unfunded.

opposition to the loss of parking in Wedmore Vale, he said.

A new toucan crossing will be installed next to Almorah Road.

A segregated cycle lane will run the south side of St John’s Lane from Wedmore Vale to Almorah Road, separating cyclists from other traffic with a raised kerb.

The southbound access slip from Wedmore Vale to Marksbury Road would be closed to deter drivers from speeding.

This section of the Quietway doesn’t need planning permission – just a Traffic Regulation Order.

• travelwest.info/projects/cycleambition-fund/bristol/filwoodquietway were very disappointed to be told that there was no prospect of any improvements to the St Luke’s Road underpass, or of a crossing over the New Cut, as part of the Quietway project.

“We feel it is essential that these two issues are addressed in order to achieve a safe and workable end-to-end route.”

Rob Porteous, chair of Forward Together, said he hoped

that several of the paths in Victoria Park could be upgraded, to a 3m width, so that cyclists could choose which route to take.

He wants all the paths to be shared by cyclists and pedestrians, which he says works well at the moment, and reduces the risk of cyclists speeding along a segregated route, with a greater risk of accidents.

“I hope that the outcome will be something that is good for the park, and something that works,” he said. “But if you’re going to do something that’s not beneficial to the park, then I’d rather you didn’t do it.”

Both sides are hoping for better relations after the row over the planning application became heated, with cycling campaigners accusing opponents of the scheme of being anti-cycling.

Campaigners want a public meeting to discuss any proposal that emerges from the talks.

Cllr Jon Wellington, who backed the overwhelming local opposition to the initial plan, said he hoped agreement could now be reached so that the funds could be used to improve the park.

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Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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4

March 2017

n NEWS JUBILEE POOl, COUNCIL CUTS

Protest swells against threat to pull the Swimmers rally to fight second threat to pool in 5 years MORE than 100 people turned out to a hastily-arranged demonstration on February 18 to support Knowle’s Jubilee swimming pool, threatened with closure by council cutbacks.

Residents are adamant that the pool is vital to the health and wellbeing of many in the community.

Shutting the pool would save Bristol city council £62,000 a year – the subsidy it gives to operator Parkwood Leisure.

But the sum is a drop in the ocean next to the £101 million the council must save over the next five years.

Knowle Lib Dem councillors Gary Hopkins and Christopher Davies are confident that the

What do the users of the pool think?

Liz Taylor, Brislington, left: “I use this pool every Saturday.

I’ve been coming for 10 years.

I’m over 50 and I lost a stone in weight by coming here.

Investing in things like pools is an investment in health.

“If it closed I probably wouldn’t go anywhere else – I don’t drive. I wouldn’t go to Hengrove – the pool’s too cold.

“It’s only £2.55 for a senior swim – I’d pay a bit more if it would save it.” pool can be saved – if there is the political will to do it. With a rapidly-formed Friends of Jubilee Pool, they have started a petition – already with several hundred signatures.

“The pool has been successful

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over the last five years but this sudden shock creates the danger of closure. We would urge local people to rally round and support our pool to give confidence to the operators,” said Cllr Hopkins.

Once the petition hits 3,500 signatures, the matter will be debated at a full council meeting.

The pool is popular with families, especially those in Knowle, Brislington and nearby.

The Jubilee pool is kept three degrees C warmer than the

THE FEARFUL TALLY OF CUTS TO COME

Libraries likely to close – but where?

COUNCILLORS met to set Bristol city council’s budget for the next year – and pencil in £101 million of cuts over the next five years – on February 21, after the Voice went to press.

Proposals for drastic cuts to parks, libraries, school crossing patrols, children’s centres and many other services remained on the table.

Also proposed are increased parking charges, reduced funds for meals on wheels, higher charges for dementia care and closing most citizen service points, including one in Hartcliffe. Neighbourhood meetings will end (the final ones are listed on page 2) with no sign of what will replace them.

Council tax is likely to rise by five per cent – including a three per cent rise to help fund increased demand for social

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Hengrove pool, which is used for competitions. Jubilee is also quieter and families seem to prefer its more intimate atmosphere.

Cllr Hopkins hopes to repeat the success of the Lib Dem campaign to save the 51 bus route last year. Operator First said it was uneconomic, and the council announced its closure, until Cllr Hopkins persuaded rival bus firm Wessex to take on the route.

It’s believed Parkwood would be prepared to accept a lower care. It means an average Band D home will pay an extra £1.42 a week, a total of £1,800 a year.

Because the cuts are spread over five years, the impact of many of them is unclear. The libraries budget, for example, is earmarked for cuts of £1.4m – of which £300,000 would be made in the next year. Library closures would appear inevitable, but it’s not clear where.

The figure of £101m to be saved by 2022 has increased from £92m – a symptom of the uncertainty that surrounds the council’s finances.

Mayor Marvin Rees asked for a report into the chaos from former National Audit Office official Steve Bundred.

His report was damning, finding that many of the savings ordered under the leadership of former mayor George Ferguson had not happened.

Last year’s annual budget was passed on the assumption that savings from the previous year had been made – when they had not. After Mr Rees was elected in May 2016, a £29m

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March 2017

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5

n NEWS JUBILEE POOl, COUNCIL CUTS

plug on Knowle’s only swimming pool SECOND TIME AROUND

Kelly Pike of Marston Road, Knowle, with children Rafferty, 3, Bertie, 1, and husband Henry, left: “We come here a lot. We don’t always have a car, and Hengrove is often closed for competitions.

The changing rooms here are really warm and so is the pool – it’s lovely for small children.”

JUBILEE pool closed back in February 2012, when the £25m Hengrove leisure centre opened, and Jubilee was judged by the council not to be needed.

But operator Parkwood Leisure reopened Jubilee in October 2012 after deciding that it wouldn’t reduce attendance at Hengrove.

Knowle councillors persuaded the council to invest in a £70,000 revamp of the Jubilee building, installing a 15-station multi-gym.

Attendance has been much higher ever since, and Parkwood has halved its council subsidy – from £131,000 to £62,000 a year.

Mark Seberry of Somerset Road, Knowle, with daughter Poppy, 7, right: “Poppy learned to swim here and we come every weekend.

We always walk or cycle here.

We would be really gutted if it closed.” subsidy than £62,000. If more users could be attracted to the Jubilee pool and gym, and perhaps charges are increased slightly, the gap could be narrowed further, Cllr Hopkins said.

Those opposed to the closure are angry that there was no consultation – either with users of the pool or with councillors.

There is confusion over whether the council really wants to close the pool – closure is mentioned on at least one agenda

– or just to axe the subsidy.

Ironically, the proposal comes in the year Bristol became a European City of Sport.

The Voice asked several of the protesters at the pool whether they would be prepared to pay a higher entrance fee to save the facility. All said they would.

A council statement hinted that the pool could be saved if it can be made to pay for itself.

A council spokesperson said: “The council is reviewing

the Jubilee swimming pool subsidy and is working with Parkwood Leisure to explore options for operating the facility without this money. At present the proposal is to cease this subsidy when the contract ends in September 2017. We remain committed to promoting active lifestyles across the city and this will play a major part of our discussions with Parkwood.”

Also joining the protest was Cllr Jos Clark, a Lib Dem

councillor for Brislington. “This is a community resource,” she said.

“Though it’s in Knowle, a lot of people use it from the surrounding area on a regular basis.

“If we lose this they are going to have to get on a bus and got to Hengrove, which for some people is too much of a stretch.

“I think people would be prepare to pay a bit more if it’s a question of keeping it open.”

• Facebook: @savejubilee and Friends of Jubilee Pool

deficit was discovered. But Mr Bundred puts no blame on Mr Ferguson or anyone else, citing “a serious collective failure of leadership … for which several people, including politicians, must take responsibility.”

A £64m “Change Programme” of cuts was overseen by council chief executive Nicola Yates, and strategic director Max Wilde.

Both left the council last year.

Mr Bundred said reports on the savings were so optimistic that councillors were misled.

Mr Ferguson told the Voice: “Steve Bundred concludes that the whole issue of cuts to services is down to central government squeezing local government, which we all know.

“We had an ambitious

programme of cost cutting aimed at minimising cuts to services, which we largely accomplished, doing more to save libraries etc than most of our fellow core cities, but, it transpires, failed to deliver as much saving as was hoped for via the Change Programme. Everyone knew this although the figures quoted are as much a surprise to me and my

excellent deputy mayor Geoff Gollop, cabinet member for finance, as it was to anyone else.

“In 2012 I took on ... a huge cost cutting challenge. I did not waste time on reviews but got straight down to business, appointing a more streamlined team and cross-party cabinet, from which Bristol greatly benefited in the eyes of the world.”

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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6

March 2017

n NEWS Police don’t believe there will be a march on Totterdown mosque POLICE are downplaying threats by far-right activists that they will hold a march to Totterdown’s Jamia mosque in protest at the death of the Knowle man who was imprisoned for attacking it.

Right-wingers do appear set to gather on March 4 at Bristol Crown Court, where Kevin Crehan, 35, of Springleaze, was sentenced to 12 months for his part in the racist attack on the mosque.

Crehan, a former drug addict, died in Bristol prison on TWO of South Bristol’s worst bottlenecks may be tackled with new highway works – the Three Lamps junction and the St Luke’s road underpass.

However, neither is likely to happen soon, and critics will ask whether the works proposed will make congestion better or worse.

There have long been calls for a right turn to be added at the Three Lamps junction, allowing traffic from Wells Road to reach Bath Road without driving around Bath bridge.

In a surprise move, mayor Marvin Rees has asked Knowle councillors Christopher Davies and Gary Hopkins to look into a roundabout or other options for Three Lamps.

Officials did not include Three Lamps in the road improvements planned for the arena, arguing that the arena will not bring enough extra traffic to justify it.

Highway officers have also been cautious about the benefits of a right turn. It would need more road space on a compact junction, and would add an extra

December 27. Police said the death was not suspicious, but right-wingers swapped conspiracy theories online that he had been “killed by Muslims”.

On January 22 on Twitter, Tommy Robinson, ex-leader of the English Defence League (EDL), proposed a march in support of Crehan, calling his sentence “ridiculous”.

As soon as EDL members proposed Totterdown as the target for the march, local people

responded online with offers of a peaceful counter-protest.

But police have powers to control the route of marches and would be highly unlikely to allow right-wingers anywhere near the mosque in Green Street.

The march on Bristol Crown Court appears more likely to go ahead, and police say they have plans to deal with it. But it may not attract many followers. The last far-right march in Bristol, which set off from Bedminster in

October 2015, had fewer than 35 supporters, who were kept surrounded by police.

Crehan was one of four people who admitted racially aggravated public disorder at the mosque on January 17, 2016. Bacon was left hanging from the door handle, and worshippers racially abused.

An inquest into Crehan’s death was adjourned on January 17. An investigation by the Prisons Ombudsman is expected to take about six months.

Surprise revival of plans at Three Lamps, St Luke’s Rd phase to any traffic light sequence.

Cllr Davies said: “I explained to Mr Rees that he needed to take a fresh look at a roundabout at the Three Lamps.

“He suggested I draw up a plan of the roundabout to submit to highways, and agreed it was a good way to solve access to both major roads, instead of the congestion at Talbot Road and Callington

‘LOCAL CONTROL’ OF RPS A RESIDENTS’ parking scheme for homes in Totterdown and Knowle near the arena could be run at minimal cost, with the help of local councillors. That’s the claim by Cllr Christopher Davies, who says mayor Marvin Rees agreed that an arena RPS could be locally controlled. However, council cuts

Road” [the alternative routes].

Cllr Jon Wellington, who was also at the meeting with the mayor, backed the idea of seeing if the scheme is feasible.

He is also keen to see if St Luke’s Road underpass can be improved. Earlier plans to put a cycle lane under the St Luke’s Road railway bridge were dropped in 2014. Cyclists were are about to remove the neighbourhood forums, and it’s not clear what local officials will be left to run any scheme.

The arena is still without a contractor and its earliest completion date is late 2020, leaving plenty of time for residents to be consulted on parking restrictions.

keen, but motorists were not, because the road would be reduced to a single lane, and there would be traffic lights either side of the bridge.

Now it’s emerged this plan is back on the table. Officials told Victoria Park campaigners (see page 3) that the new traffic lights at the St Luke’s bridge could be synchronised with more new lights to be installed at Bath bridge roundabout.

This could minimise the delays, it is claimed, though motorists are likely to raise objections.

It’s not clear when the St Luke’s work would happen. It would probably be after the year-long project to remove the Temple Circus roundabout, which starts in earnest in May.

ASK A VET: Help! how can I rid my house of fleas?

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O BRING a flea problem under control, you must deal with both the fleas on the pet and the flea larvae and pupae that are in the home environment.

It is estimated that 95 per cent of flea eggs, larvae and pupae live in your home, not on your pet. For each adult flea on your pet, there could be a minimum of 20 developing in the environment – usually in your carpets and furnishings.

Once a flea infestation has been established, it can take weeks to clear.

The first step will be to treat

your pets with the appropriate veterinary treatments that are proven to be effective and safe. All pets in your home will need to be treated. Be sure to get advice from your veterinary surgeon as some products can be toxic if given to the wrong animals.

Wash and treat all bedding and use an insecticide spray (available at your surgery) that will kill the fleas and larvae living in your house. This could be a challenge if your pet has the run of the house – you will need to vacuum and spray everywhere. Include their beds, your beds, carpets, floors,

furniture and so on. Also, don’t forget to empty your vacuum cleaner or change the bag after vacuuming your house.

A female flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day, so over an entire life span, that single flea can be responsible for creating over 20,000 fleas. With modern living and mild winters, flea infestations can occur at any time of the year.

It is much easier to prevent fleas than it is to combat an invasion. By giving your pets regular preventative treatment they, and your home, will be constantly protected. If you think you may

Nic Walton MRCVS Veterinary Surgeon at Highcroft Veterinary Hospital, Whitchurch have a problem with fleas, book a free appointment with one of our nurses who will be happy to help.

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March 2017

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7

n NEWS

Incredulity at plan to make parks ‘self-funding’ by 2020 PARK users and even councillors are struggling to understand how the council can achieve its ambition of making Bristol’s parks pay for themselves within three years.

Suggestions raised by officials have included charging an entrance fee to the annual Balloon Fiesta at Ashton Court, increasing parking charges at Ashton Court and Blaise Castle, and seeking commercial opportunities to raise money.

The council wants community groups to discuss partnerships to run parks and open spaces.

Volunteers who help look after South Bristol parks have reacted with disbelief to the plan.

Sue Davies, who chairs the Friends of Redcatch Park, is angry that funds from the sale of council land at Salcombe Road, earmarked for a new car park and other improvements at Redcatch as well as other South Bristol parks, have now been snatched back by the council.

She fears that even in the short term parks will have less frequent grass cutting, and less maintenance.

Volunteers are happy to help with tree planting and other improvements, “but we can’t do grass cutting or collecting the litter,” she said.

“You cannot expect people to give that much commitment.”

If charges are introduced for community events, such as last year’s successful Arts in the Park

Huge target for savings but how can it be met?

Volunteers planting willow in Redcatch park last year, right day at Redcatch, “you would have to hold fundraising events in order to pay for fundraising events!” she said.

A spokesperson for Copp, the Community of Perretts Park, said the potential for raising income from such a small park was “zero” and called the self-funding plan “unworkable”.

Jon Wellington, Labour councillor for Windmill Hill, said volunteers can help improve parks, “but there’s a difference between tending some flower beds and taking care of the trees and lawns and everything else. I find it staggering,” he said.

VPAG, the Victoria Park volunteer group which is probably one of the bestsupported parks groups in the city, has previously said that it cannot see how its members could take on responsibility for the park.

In talks with the Bristol Parks Forum, the council appeared to recognise that volunteers cannot completely take over parks

maintenance. But with targets to save £425,000 from the parks budget in the coming year, £632,000 in 2018-19 and £2.8m in 2019-20, it is clear that serious cutbacks would be needed.

Parks officials are expected to report on how much of their budget can realistically be saved

by May. It may be that the self-funding approach will be shown to be unworkable.

Talks continue to revive harbour races POWERBOAT racing is a step closer to returning to Bristol harbour thanks to the backing of mayor Marvin Rees.

The races, at speeds of up to 120mph, were a huge visitor attraction from 1972 to 1990 but caused seven deaths, including French ace Francois Salabert in what proved to be the final event.

Racers called the course “the widow maker” because of its steep turns near harbour walls.

However, promoter BRM Racing says that power boats are now much safer, with safety cells to protect drivers if they crash.

BRM met the mayor and harbour officials three times last autumn. But the council stressed that any revival of the races would need several sets of permission and safety licences.

Using the Avon Gorge is not an option, said officials: it would not give spectators good views.

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March 2017

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n NEWS Fountain could be returned to Perrett’s Park PERRETT’S Park in Knowle may get its long-lost fountain back. The AGM of Copp, the Community of Perrett’s Park, will soon hear the latest on plans to restore the fountain after it was rediscovered several years ago.

Copp has obtained a quote for reassembling the fountain on its original site near the main

In pieces: The drinking fountain entrance to the park, at the corner of Bayham Road and Sylvia Avenue.

Originally it was an ornate drinking fountain with brass

9

cups on chains. It was presented by councillor Charles Perrett, after whom the park is named, in 1930.

Unfortunately the brass cups and the ornate urn-shaped centrepiece are missing. Only the bowl and pedestal remain, but Copp members hope these can be made into a bird bath.

Details of the project will be revealed at Copp’s AGM, which is at 7pm on March 7 at the Jarman Hall in Totterdown Baptist church on Sydenham Road. All are welcome.

• Facebook: Community of Perrett’s Park

Costa plan for Broadwalk area attracts fierce debate A LENGTHY debate on social media followed the news in last month’s Voice that Costa are seeking planning permission for a café in Knowle.

The national chain, which has more than 2,000 branches, wants to take over the old Co-op bank at 316-318 Wells Road.

Some people reacted with dismay to news that the premises was targeted by a national firm rather than a local independent.

“A little part of me just died, I may need to move!” wrote one man in one of more than 100 Facebook comments on the issue.

Others complained about Costa’s prices, and another said: “I hate the fact that Costa are taking over the world with their rank coffee and rubbish service.”

Those in favour included a woman saying: “I for one am

happy that it’s at least going to be something other than a tanning shop, hairdresser, estate agent or money shop. Perhaps it will increase footfall.”

Another said: “Some people are trying to make Broadwalk something it’s not. It’s Broadwalk, not Gloucester Road.”

The firm has already been told by planners that it can’t install two illuminated signs because they are too bright.

The main application for a café with 50 seats at 18 tables has yet to be decided. Costa said it will not sell food, except for toasted sandwiches, and will limit deliveries to the front of the shop on Wells Road to one a day.

Three objections, one letter of support and one neutral comment were sent to the council. One objector said people will park

outside, dangerously near the traffic lights, and said drivers already do the same outside Miss Millie’s takeaway nearby.

Another said: “We want a high street that doesn’t look like every other high street in the UK. The Broadwalk area is ugly enough already.”

In support, another resident said Costa would increase footfall to the Broadwalk area, which might help fill other vacant shops.

Costa said attempts have been made to market the building as a bank since April 2014.

It emerged that Tincan Coffee, now in North Street, Southville, had previously wanted to open at 294 Wells Road – now a tanning salon. But Tincan owner Adam White said the landlord of 294 did not want to apply to change the use of the building.

Spring is time to get growing NOW spring is on its way – probably – there are free courses on growing food on offer from Knowle West Health association.

They are aimed at people who experience poor mental health, or suffer from social isolation and loneliness.

Topics include what to grow, how to grow it, and dealing with pests and diseases. Sessions take place at the community allotment in Springfield Road, where there is a herb garden, hanging baskets and resident egg-laying chickens.

Taking up gardening can lead to better physical and mental health. Allotment coordinator Jess has observed the impact: “We see a lot of changes in people’s personal growth and development by engaging with nature, the environment and being with others,” she said.

Details from 0117 963 9569 or • kwha1.wordpress.com • There’s a longer article about this project on the South Bristol Voice website.

Where’s Eddie?

EDDIE is a shorthaired black cat who has been missing from Glena Avenue, Knowle, since January 20. He’s never gone AWOL before and owner Cerian Selwyn and her three children are missing him badly. “We also have Eddie’s twin, Crash, and he is yowling for his brother,” said Cerian. Eddy has no collar (though he is microchipped) and Cerian thinks someone may have taken him in, thinking he was lost. If you see him, call 07804 298117.

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Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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10

March 2017

n NEWS ‘Nothing to hide’ in Green Capital THE REPORT into Bristol Green Capital Year 2015, ordered by mayor Marvin Rees, has decided that suspicions about its finances were “totally unfounded”.

Ex-Bristol West MP Stephen Williams had wanted more detail of how the arms-length company set up by the council, Bristol 2015 Ltd, had spent £12.5 million.

But a report by former Audit Commission boss Steve Bundred said the company had nothing to hide, and the Green Capital year was a great success.

The company was run by Nicola Yates, the council’s chief executive. She received a separate salary for her Green Capital role, and would not answer questions at a council audit committee last March. She left the council last year.

Former mayor George Ferguson praised the report, saying he had given Mr Bundred a long and detailed interview about Green Capital.

Mansion owner wants new 4-bed house in the grounds THE OWNER of the Gothic Mansion, the Grade II listed Victorian house in Redcatch Road, Knowle, wants to build a four-bedroom house in its grounds.

Misha Simmonite has told Bristol city council that she has rheumatoid arthritis and other health conditions which mean she can’t continue to live on the fourth floor of the building.

With her manager, Andrew Forsey, she lets out the 13-bedroom building for family groups and celebrations, accommodating up to 50 people at a time, from £1,000 a night.

She says she needs a home which is easier for her to access, and accommodation for her live-in carer.

Plans for the new house show a large, four bedroom home with

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The new house from Redcatch Road, with the Gothic Mansion behind a therapy pool on the ground floor, near the corner of Redcatch Road and St Agnes Avenue.

In 2013, planning permission was granted for a smaller four-bed home, also on the same corner of the site, but within a walled-off area used as a car park.

Ms Simmonite did not then own the car park plot – though she has since bought it. She at first asked for her new house to be allowed under the 2013 permission. But that permission has now expired.

The new plan is for a house of 351 sq m in floor area, more than three times the size of the 2013 house, which was 113 sq m.

The Gothic Mansion was previously known as St Elizabeth’s.

It was built in 1888 as the

vicarage to Holy Nativity church on Wells Road and was later part of St Peter’s Hospice until 1985.

Ms Simmonite later bought it and in 2014 she was refused planning permission to use the house as an upmarket holiday home after complaints of noise from neighbours.

But this was overturned on appeal. The Gothic Mansion now has planning permission for holiday use and an agreement with the council on managing noise. It’s understood there have been no complaints from neighbours since 2014.

There have been no objections to the latest application. One neighbour from Tennis Road wrote a letter of support, calling the design “visually appealing”.

Voice joins news debate THE Voice series of magazines – currently 13 across the Bristol area – will be part of a debate about the challenges facing the city’s media in an age of declining revenues and “fake news” .

Representatives from the city’s media, including the Bristol Post, the BBC, ITV, Bristol 24/7 and the Bristol Cable will be present.

Called Local News Matters, it’s on March 7 at the Watershed and is organised by the Bristol branch of the National Union of Journalists.

The debate will ask how well the city is being served by its

news organisations, and look at the many challenges they face.

The number of journalists serving the city has plummeted in the last decade. There have been cutbacks at the BBC, ITV, and the city’s newspapers, which have seen their advertising income shrink in the face of competition from the internet.

Many people now expect their news to be provided for free – leaving news organisations the problem of how to pay for it.

For tickets (£6, or £4 for concessions and NUJ members) go to watershed.co.uk

To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

March 2017

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11

n NEWS It’s not a racket – it’s the way to longer life MEMBERS of Knowle’s longestablished tennis club are revelling in the news that their sport could be the key to a long and healthy life.

A study published by Oxford University found that people who played racquet sports such as tennis reduced their risk of heart disease and stroke by 56 per cent.

“Tennis helps to keep your cardiovascular and muscular system in shape as you age.

Whether you are five or 85, tennis is a great sport and helps you stay fit,” said Karen Stevens, spokesperson for Knowle Lawn Tennis Club (KLTC).

It’s also a good way to boost levels of Vitamin D from sunshine – which another recent study said is good for preventing colds.

Added to the publicity for British tennis after the Davis Cup victory last year, the club means

Wide appeal: The Knowle club welcomes all abilities to its four courts to make the most of the good news by encouraging more people to give tennis a try.

It is the largest tennis club in South Bristol and the only one that is part of the Bristol Bath Tennis Network, which tries to make tennis more inclusive.

This year the club is putting floodlights on all its courts, so play can continue after dark, and

running courses for children as well as adults.

“At KLTC we welcome everybody of all ages and abilities and there are many opportunities to introduce you to tennis with club play and coaching sessions,” said Karen.

You don’t even have to own a racquet to try an adult improver session. These run all year round

for 7.15-8.15pm on Thursday and on Saturday at 5.15pm. The cost is £5 for non-members and £4 for members – wear trainers and comfortable clothes such as a tracksuit or sweatshirt and jogging bottoms.

“They are small groups and perfect for people who may be a bit rusty or lack confidence in their ability. For example, recently an Egyptian Orthodox vicar in his late sixties came along, had never played tennis before and thoroughly enjoyed himself and has been a few times,” said Karen.

Even pre-school children can now learn to play. Thursday morning sessions for for 3-4 year olds with a professional coach cost £2.50. Parents are welcome to use the clubhouse.

Knowle fields three open age mixed teams and two senior teams in the Avon LTA Winter Leagues.

The club also has social activities such as quiz nights, and a licensed bar. The clubhouse can be hired for private events.

• knowlelawntennis.net

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For more information contact Margaret Griffin on 0117 977 7800 or kltcmembershipsec@gmail.com Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

March 2017

southbristolvoice

12

n NEWS Getting ready for Art on the Hill festival DO YOU want to join in one of South Bristol’s most popular artistic events?

The 11th Art on the Hill trail takes place in Windmill Hill and Victoria Park on October 7 and 8.

Every year the weekend attracts around 100 artists and performers across 50 venues.

Thousands of visitors seek out painting, sculpture, photography. ceramics, craftwork, music, dancing and other happenings.

People visit from all over Bristol and find ther waywith a map or a smartphone app.

Artists can sign up from early March until May 31. If you live in the are shown on the trail’s website, you can host an event in your home.

If you’re an artist who lives elsewhere, you may find a local resident who will give you space.

• artonthehill.org.uk

Residents aren’t the only ones A PLAN by Bedminster-based developer Rollo Homes to build 217 homes in two buildings of six to 10 storeys on Plot 1 at Bedminster Green – the former Pring & St Hill steel factory – faces a barrage of obstacles.

There is a tide of public objections to the scale of the development.

Of the 152 objections lodged, many complain that the scheme has no affordable homes.

Others say the building is too high, will block out views all around it, and will cast homes on the other side of Malago Road into shadow.

Mike Wakelam, who lives in Church Lane, told the Voice: “Folks north of the site are going to have no direct sunlight for half the year. It’s quite a nice place to live and a nice atmosphere there, but it’s going to feel like it’s in the bottom of a valley.”

Like many other objectors, Mike also criticised the lack of

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contribution to the community infrastructure.

“The plan says the nearest primary school is St Mary Redcliffe, where my children go,” he said, “but the school had 160 applications for an intake of 60 last year.”

Dianne James, a prominent member of WHaM, said adding so many homes in at all block on busy Malago Road would add to traffic problems – especially as there are only 104 parking spaces for 217 homes.

“There are long tail backs at rush hour. Siting a high density, high rise block here will increase both traffic and pollution. This will be a noisy and polluted place

to live,” she said. The plan would be far too crowded with 400 homes per hectare, she said.

WHaM has put forward its own planning brief, suggesting Bedminster green should be developed along the lines of Wapping Wharf, which manages 200 homes per hectare in buildings of five or six storeys.

An objector from St Catherine’s Place, opposite the site, called the plan “a monster block of soulless flats with no amenities, poor parking and little consideration for the rest of the area.”

Another resident of St Catherine’s Place wrote: “The gentrification of BS3 needs to stop. We are in desperate need of affordable and social housing, not one- or two-bed buy-to-lets.

Rents in this part of Bristol are astronomical and the level of homelessness is deplorable. This development, like St Catherine’s Place, will not enhance the area, but will go some way to its further destruction.”

Charlie Bolton, Green councillor for Southville, which includes Bedminster Green, was also among the objectors. “I regard the lack of affordable

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BEDMINSTER Green can still be developed in a way that will benefit the community, insists the man behind ambitious plans to transform the inner city site.

Richard Clarke, managing director of developer Urbis, says his framework for 800 homes on five major plots plus public works such as a health centre, revamped railway station and new open spaces including a riverside walk, is still on track.

That’s despite the fact that the Green’s first major planning application, for Plot 1, the old Pring & St Hill factory, comes from a developer, Rollo Homes, which doesn’t want to contribute to the framework benefits.

Campaigners against high-density, high-rise buildings on the green are sceptical.

“I think the framework plan is now dead,” said Howard Purse, chair of WHaM, the Windmill Hill and Malago community planning group.

WHaM believes there are now

ANGIE’S PETITION BEDMINSTER resident Angie Palmer has started a Change.org petition calling on the council not to accept the Rollo plan without affordable housing.

“I fear for how long I can afford to rent here,” she says in her petition, organised with tenants’ group Acorn. She fears her children’s schooling, her friends and work are at risk “because we cannot afford over £1,000 a month for a small house to live in.” too many developers involved for the community benefits to be realised.

“There are now five developers if you count St Catherine’s Place [the nearby seven-storey block about to rebuilt as 16 storeys] and Consort House and Regent House [on Bedminster Parade, outside the framework area].

“The framework should be there to look at the need for infrastructure – for schools, for

To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

March 2017

southbristolvoice

13

n NEWS Totterdown protests at – a rival to the one proposed by Urbis. The Rollo plan suggests Bathwell plan using the possibility of using

objecting to 10-storey flats

“A monster block of soulless flats” said one resident of the Rollo proposal housing in this development as completely unacceptable,” he said.

He cited concern over the huge increase in numbers of homes in the area. “There seems to be no consideration of the impact of these on schools, and a whole range of community facilities. It is as though it is Bedminster and no one cares,” he said. He also criticised the lack of consultation.

Windmill Hill Cllr Jon Wellington will also file an objection to the plan. Without some oversight of the whole area,

the Green could be filled with “a set of dormitories” or “tower blocks no one wants to live in,” he said.

Meanwhile the plan faces other potential stumbling blocks.

The Environment Agency has objected to the plan on the grounds that it will obstruct its staff from working on the River Malago. A plan to place a fence across the river could also increase the flood risk, it added.

The council’s sustainability team asked a host of questions about the attached energy centre

biogas – gas made from organic matter – or biomass, which often means burning wood. Much more detail is needed, said the team.

The police did not object to the plan, but made several security requests, including automatic doors to the underground garaging And Network Rail objected to the plan unless it can be convinced that it will not increase the flood risk.

In addition, there is an objection from Acerbic, a Clifton firm which has applied for permission to put solar panels on the narrow strip of land it owns alongside the railway embankment.

Acerbic says its solar panels – which will be 8m high – will be in front of the lower windows of the Rollo block. It “relies on rights to light across the adjacent land which have not been established and therefore do not exist,” said Acerbic.

The Voice was unable to contact Paul O’Brien, owner of Rollo Homes, for comment.

PROPOSALS for nine flats on the corner off Bathwell Road and Goolden Street in Totterdown have won few supporters.

Crosswell Homes wants to build a three-storey block fronting the pavement opposite smaller two-storey terraces in Bathwell Road.

Among the 80-odd objectors is Cllr Jon Wellington, Labour member for Windmill Hill, who called it an “overbearing” design which should be set back from the road.

The surrounding streets are notorious for rat running, he said, and narrow roads, pavements and rows of parked cars mean a risk of accidents involving cars and pedestrians.

The height of the block will reduce light and privacy for neighbours, he said.

Linn Waite, a member of community group Tresa,

community benefits’ says Urbis doctor’s surgeries,” said Mr Purse.

WHaM points to a tide of objections against the Rollo Homes plan for 217 flats up to 10 storeys high. The public comments include a statement from Urbis’s Mr Clarke, who told the council that Rollo cannot claim to have been part of the public consultation that went into the framework planning.

“That is evidence that the framework is dead,” said Mr Purse.

Mr Clarke responded that it had never been envisaged that Urbis would develop all the sites, but would work in cooperation with other developers.

He insisted that Urbis is working with all the developers on and near the Green, except for Rollo Homes. “Rollo were given the opportunity to buy into the scheme but turned it down.

That’s their choice,” he said.

The Rollo plan has no affordable housing. But the other four plots will include affordable

AFFORDABLE OR NOT? BRISTOL city council wants 40 per cent of new homes to be affordable – but builders can sidestep this by saying it would make their plan unaffordable.

Thanks to Southville councillor Stephen Clarke, the council is now drawing up a policy which will force developers to make their sums public.

At the moment, though, this disclosure can’t be forced – and Rollo has declined to give figures.

It says the need for a district energy centre next to the flats makes social housing unaffordable.

Critics say Rollo is chasing a 20 per cent profit margin. homes, said Mr Clarke.

Urbis is also pressing ahead with several joint projects, said Mr Clarke. It is working with several of the other developers on a flood prevention plan, and on a transport assessment of the area.

Mr Clarke stressed he did not

criticise the plan put in by Rollo for Plot 1. Plans for plots 3, 4 and 5 have yet to be revealed, though Urbis has given early proposals for Plot 5 – which includes the River Malago and Bedminster railway station – to the council.

Its partner on Plot 5 is Generator Group, which was criticised when its plan for the Chocolate factory in Easton included no affordable housing.

The Plot 5 plan will seek to “maximise” affordable housing, said Mr Clarke.

Plot 3 – the NCP car park on Dalby Avenue – is owned by developer Deeley Freed.

St Catherine’s Place is to be built as a 16-storey block of flats for rent by another developer, Longharbour.

• Representatives from WHaM, from BS3 Planning, and Bedminster Town Team are to meet Mr Clarke on February 28 for the first of a series of monthly meetings to provide a forum for discussing the Green proposals.

Before and after: How Tresa says the view of the church will cbange commissioned a drawing which she believes shows how the building will block cherished views of Totterdown and Holy Nativity church.

The nine flats, which could have up to 34 residents, will have no parking.

Sian Titchener, who runs the Eating Room on Wells Road, wants to open up the garden behind her restaurant to customers in the spring. But it will be overshadowed by the new flats, and she is worried about the effect on her business.

Cllr Wellington has “called in” the application, which means it will be debated in public by councillors.

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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March 2017

southbristolvoice

15

n NEWS

Camilla charms Southville IT LOOKS as if Southville is as fond of the royal family as it is of its independent shops, if the evidence of the Valentine’s Day visit by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is anything to go by.

Camilla visited acclaimed delicatessen Southville Deli, award-winning butcher Rare, and equally-accoladed florist Xanthe and chocolatier Zara.

She sampled plenty of their wares and met some of the local producers who supply meat, chocolate, coffee and more.

Everyone seemed pleased to see her, except for a heavily-built young man, clutching a bunch of Valentine’s roses, who was determined to walk straight through the royal party.

He may not have realised what was going on, and he may still be wondering how he became to be so discretely shoved by a royal protection officer into a different direction.

Meanwhile the Duchess of Cornwall was determined to shake as many hands and greet as many children as possible.

One family she met was mum Anna Lavall and daughter Daisy.

Zara shows her craft to Duchess

Camilla shows her posy to Kyra Lillyman, 1, and her mum Amanda

Camilla and butcher Chris Cierpik

Daisy, 5, was very shy but was delighted to meet the Duchess.

Anna, who was visiting Bristol from Derby, said: “Daisy is in love with the royal family. She’s always in front of the TV asking questions about them!”

Chocolatier Zara Narracott showed Camilla how her three-strong team makes handmade confectionery with the best Belgian chocolate.

“I have always been a chocoholic and the Duchess seems like a chocolate fan!” she said.

Florist Xanthe Ivory struck a chord with Camilla when she

award three years running!”

Southville Deli owner Paul Wick said Camilla asked how he came to establish the shop.

“I explained I couldn’t find everything I wanted to buy in the North Street area. I needed a change of direction – I was working in call centres and bars.

It was a steep learning curve!

“There’s been much hard work done in the street. It’s turned itself around in recent years, and it’s really nice to have that acknowledged!”

• More pictures on Facebook: South Bristol Voice

gave her a posy of narcissus from the Isles of Scilly, which is part of the Duchy of Cornwall.

“She said she would have liked to be a florist in another life,” said Xanthe.

At Rare Butchers, Camilla met not only owner Chris Cierpik but some of his suppliers who bring him his all-organic and free range meat.

Chris said: “She was asking where the meat comes from, and how people are now getting interested in free range meat.

And how we came to win the Bristol Good Food Best Butcher

Kids asked to take a swing FREE cricket sessions for children aged 8-11 are under way in Knowle this February. Run by local coaches, and funded by sports charity the Lord’s Taverners, the Wicketz Hub is designed to give children their first taste of cricket.

It isn’t traditional cricket; the Wicketz game is designed to be quick and easy to follow so anyone can get stuck in and have fun at The Park Centre in Daventry Road.

Free sessions take place every Tuesday from 4.30-6pm. It also aims to provide opportunities for girls to play.

Volunteers are welcome, either to assist with coaching or to help behind the scenes.

“These new Wicketz hubs will be shaped by the communities that use them, and the invitation is open for families to get

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Crispin said: “2017 is an exciting year for sport in Bristol, being a European City of Sport, and especially for cricket, with the ICC Women’s World Cup having eight games at the county ground in Bishopston.”

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Buying + Selling

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Speak to a mortgage broker

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Factors as diverse as school catchments, transport links and local history can affect the desirability of an area. Do your research, using property sites like Zoopla to check historical and current prices, and look at other letting agents to get an indication of an area’s popularity.

You don’t want to be left with a house worth less than you paid for it, particularly one on an interest-only buy-to-let mortgage, so consider how well a property will hold its value.

Think about your ideal tenant. Are you targeting young professionals, or would you prefer to attract families? Pinning down your target market will focus your search on properties and locations that best suit their needs.

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To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

March 2017

southbristolvoice

n THE MAYOR

MARVIN REES Mayor of Bristol

B

a perfect time to start thinking about getting active. Bristol is a formally recognised European City of Sport for 2017, and throughout it we will be celebrating the role that sport and recreation can play in our lives.

Across the city we have one of the highest participation rates in sports and active recreation out of any of the major cities in the country, but this is not the case for all our local communities. There are still large areas of the city where people are less active and less likely to join in with sport.

We need to address this. Not only is sport and being active a great way of improving our

physical health but it has also been proven to improve our mental wellbeing. It can improve our mood and outlook on life, developing the aspirations of our children and helping us to focus during the day. It doesn’t have to cost a penny, with our many parks and green spaces within reach of most people’s doorsteps.

There are also many opportunities to get involved in sport around the city, including trying out a new sport with one of Bristol’s many and varied sporting clubs.

To help you on your way, we’ve pulled together a list of sport and activity clubs from every ward in the city. Between them they cater to a wide range of different ages and abilities so there should be something for everyone. You can access all of these on our European City of Sport pages.. You can like and follow the Bristol European City of Sport 2017 Facebook page to get the latest news on sport events that you can take part in.

Bristol is a passionate and energetic city and this year we’ve got a great excuse to channel that in to sport and recreation. Not only can it make you happier and healthier, but in tackling obesity, preventing chronic health conditions and improving mental health it can also help reduce demand for health and care services, something which is vital given our long term financial challenges.

• bristol.gov.uk/cityofsport2017

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If we don’t make hard choices we won’t be able to plan our savings Y THE time this comes through your door, Bristol may well have confirmed a new budget for the coming year. We have had to make some really tough decisions, setting a corrective budget to help us get a grip on our huge financial challenges. There will be an impact on many services and you can still be part of helping us decide how we implement some savings plans, rather than if we should make the saving. Visit our Consultation Hub at bristol.citizenspace.com.

Our future isn’t just about our financial challenges though. We’re still working hard to build a better Bristol which has aspiration and equality at its heart. One of the commitments I’ve made is to make Bristol a place where sport can be accessible to all.

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March 2017

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southbristolvoice

n FEATURES

19

Sustainable living

It’s all very well recycling packaging – but what if you can buy food containers that will last for years? Beccy Golding meets the founder of a South Bristol eco-firm, Eqo

J

YOTI Shaw has lived in Knowle for eight and a half years, since moving south of the river from Montpelier. She can pinpoint the day she moved in because “it was the day I gave birth to my first child!” She now has four children, the three eldest attend Hillcrest primary school in Knowle, with little Arthur celebrating his second birthday soon – of which more later…

Clearly someone who likes to keep busy, three years ago Jyoti also set up a small business. “It started at home,” she told me, “when the kids started school, and I wanted a nicer lunchbox than I could find in the shops.”

Jyoti’s mum had had breast cancer some years before. It left Jyoti with an awareness of plastics leaching (it is feared by some scientists that potentially harmful chemicals can migrate from plastic containerrs and food packaging into food).

“I wanted a stainless steel alternative to plastic lunchboxes, and there was not a lot in the market. I found one, with compartments, designed in the US and not available in the UK.” She started a blog; Kids Lunchboxes (no longer going), in which she featured healthy food and nice lunchboxes. She also started selling that first bentostyle box, under the business name My Clever Box. And the business has quickly grown, from the original range of lunchboxes, to featuring “lots of products to encourage people to live a waste-free life, and promote well-designed, lovely-looking products that you want to use, even love to use!”

Eqo, as the business has been re-named to reflect its wider range, now stocks 180 products.

Jyoti showed me some of them when I visited her at her office cum warehouse, which she shares with her landscaper husband, at Filwood Green

Solid choice: Jyoti has found bamboo cups to replace throwaway ones, among a range of food containers

I’m trying to make a material difference in our food habits Business Park. It’s a bright fresh space, which the couple moved into about a year ago – some of the first tenants. They have a view across what is now wasteland (possibly a nature reserve in future?), right through to Filwood Broadway – somehow a nice juxtaposition against the modern architecture and design of the new building.

As well as lunch boxes there are metal and glass water bottles, baby bottles, toothbrushes, some nifty re-usable sandwich/food bags, tableware and lots more.

Lots of the glass products have this brightly-coloured, funky

BRINGING ZERO WASTE GURU TO BRISTOL

Zero Waste Living with Bea Johnson, Arnolfini, Bristol March 11, 11.30am and 3.30pm.

Tickets: £12.50 + booking fee With Kate Arnell, TV presenter & eco-blogger; Michelle Cassar, director of City to Sea; Lizzy Carr, paddle-boarding eco-campaigner • Facebook: @Eqoliving

silicon sleeve which protects them from occasional drops, as well as being made from very durable glass. Jyoti’s aim is to “find brands and products not widely available everywhere – things that are different.”

All new products are judged against four criteria – everything must meet two, many hit three or the perfect four: healthy, functional, stylish and sustainable.

A year after she started her business Jyoti stumbled across a book called Zero Waste Home.

French author Bea Johnson turned from a consumerist

EQO’S MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS

1. Lunch bots – these stainless steel boxes with internal compartments have been a ‘consistent best-seller’; 2. Glass water bottles; 3. Re-usable sandwich bags and wraps – cut out the clingfilm and plastic food bags.

• www.eqoliving.com

lifestyle in the US to write a blog, Zero Waste Home, about cutting down on waste. Her book of the same name goes room-by-room offering tips on doing it yourself.

Now Bea travels the world promoting a zero waste lifestyle.

“I heard she was coming to Europe,” said Jyoti, “and emailed her, and she’s agreed to come to the UK!” Bea will be doing two dates, one in London, and one in Bristol, which Jyoti is organising.

“Bristol will be a great city for her to talk in – it’s a hub of green and eco-issues.”

With no budget, Jyoti asked the council for a venue. She got a reply from Bristol Waste, which agreed to sponsor the event and pay for a venue at the Arnolfini.

“There’s been amazing support from people wanting to help. It’s not something I’d planned, but I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.” Coincidentally, the event is on little Arthur’s second birthday – which brings Jyoti’s themes of family, and working to make the world a better place, neatly together.

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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southbristolvoice

22

n NEWS It’s always worth getting involved, says Christine WINDMILL Hill activist Christine Higgott has been given a British Citizen Award for decades of work in the community.

Christine was given her award

by TV presenter Bradley Walsh at the Palace of Westminster at the end of January.

Christine was nominated by her friends in Windmill Hill, where for 20 years she has been at the centre of community activity.

She was one of the founders of Art on the Hill, an annual

community arts trai, and helped set up the group that looks after the much-admired flower beds at Bedminster railway station.

Christine has been involved with the Victoria Park Action Group, and with the Bristol South Skyline Walk.

Nominating her, Jim Haywood of Windmill Hill said: “Even now in her 70s, she is still involved in supporting existing groups and creating new ones. Her energy is boundless and her pride in the community is second to none.”

For six years, she was chairwoman of Windmill Hill community centre in Vivian Street, managing bookings, events and fundraising. She still helps with the day-to-day running of the centre.

More recently she has launched WHiSE, the Windmill

Christine with Bradley Walsh Hill Senior Club, which aims to prevent isolation among the elderly. She hopes it will soon be ble to offer a lunch club.

Contacted by the Voice, Christine was slightly embarrassed by the attention she has attracted, but was eager to spell out the benefits of being

March 2017

active in the community.

“It engages the body as well as the brain,” she said. “I have always thought that if something needs doing, it’s a good idea to step up and join in.”

She is a firm believer in people getting involved to solve problems in their community – something that is going to become more important in the coming years, with drastic cuts in council funding and welfare spending. “There are things happening right under our noses that need to be done!” she said.

She pointed to the Malago Greenway Project, a new group set up to improve the neglected open space beside the River Malago in Bedminster. Now in their second year, the group have started to make a real difference to their surrondings.

LETTERS Send letters to paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk or to 18 Lilymead Ave, BS4 2BX other materials. I objected to this flat, but what I would love is to not a year free from cement We deserve a do a tattoo apprenticeship – if I mixing, crane shifting, road scheme because as a regular user can find a “master” to teach me! I laying, bollard spreading and lover of the park for the last wonder if any Voice readers feel hold-ups. Be fair – we have been 30 years I have seen how local year off from the same? very patient but enough is people using the park experience Wendy Day, Address supplied enough! an improvement to their health more works Jean Maloney and well being. I can remember WELL here we go again! Another Address supplied how, before the erection of Local – but still delay and more confusion about barriers, vandals rode motor the arena. I am sure the title cycles in the park to the Why should drive to school ‘planners’ is one to be wary detriment of regular users, and of. I was brought up to make on one occasion joyriders I READ with interest the report sure that any new task was not cyclists prevail? drove in a car, tearing up turf about the catchment area of started until any old had been completed. In this day and age it seems to be let’s get as many tasks on the list and see what happens.

So what does happen? Long delayed Arena, late finish for the new South Bristol link road, (at least it is now open if unfinished), the half bridge for the Metrobus hanging in space and so on. Worsening traffic as a result and a deepening pollution situation proving a detriment to health and safety.

And now the latest – Temple Circus roundabout is to be re-vamped, to create a light controlled junction!!Am I missing something here? I drive through a “light controlled” junction now and can see no benefit to altering it. What do the planners intend that isn’t already in place? More lights, more congestion? More prettying up with plants?

Come on planners – give the people of Bristol a rest before starting this new project. We deserve at least a few months if

AS SOMEONE who opposed the Sustrans-backed Filwood Quietway through Victoria park, I am, sadly, amused by the accusation by the Bristol Cycling Campaign and others that I plus every other objector is anti-cycling. This sweeping generalisation echoes Stalinist rhetoric and the trumpeting of the current American president that anyone who does not agree with me is against me and should therefore be discounted as I am the only one in the right.

This is typical of the self righteous statements of the more extreme pro-cycling lobby. They wear their self anointed halos proudly as the only supporters of the green message.

But what could be greener than a pedestrian? My only carbon footprint is the one I leave at home. Cyclists tend to forget the cost to the planet of the manufacture of their bikes, the deforestation of local food species to grow rubber trees, the energy required to process it and

and damaging newly planted trees. The barriers do not prevent access to people with disabilities: there is at least one man who rides his disability carriage in the park daily.

Why should cyclists prevail over pedestrians in the park? Not so many years ago cyclists were banned in the park. Now they want preferential treatment. Are the Windmill Hill roads that dangerous? Do hordes of marauding motorists hurtle down Nutgrove Avenue?

Incidentally,how many people in Filwood ride bikes?

MB, Windmill Hill

I’m an eager apprentice I DO NOT live in Karin Smyth’s constituency, but I read with interest her article about a lack of female engineers, builders and IT workers.

I have always been interested in computers and have one in my

Hillcrest School being reduced from just over 500 metres to just over 300 metres. I walk past the school most mornings and some evenings on my way to the cemetery. What I always wonder is, why are there so many people in cars dropping children off when the catchment area is so local? Have they moved away?

SD, Knowle

Parks can’t pay for themselves I CAN’T be the only one to think that the council’s proposal that all parks in the city will pay for themselves is absolutely crackers.

How can parks be maintained without a budget? We can’t line them with shopping malls. Small parks like Perrett’s wouldn’t even keep a tea stall going.

And what hope of volunteers doing even a fraction of the maintenance work? This so-called “plan” is unworkable.

FR, Knowle

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March 2017

southbristolvoice

RSPCA UPDATE

23 From Bristol Dogs & Cats Home

Become a Nightrider, and help Jessica out

W

E ARE are now well into the New Year, and we have already seen success after success at Bristol Dogs and Cats Home. Our Winter Warmer Appeal raised over £7,000 as well as countless donations of food, towels, blankets and toys which all kept our animal residents happy and healthy over the winter season.

One such animal was Jessica, a young puppy who was brought into us as a stray on January 4.

Luckily thanks to the expert care of our hard working staff, she was soon a much happier puppy and has found a new home already. However, before she left she wanted to ask you all to get involved with a challenge event with a difference.

On the night of July 1, 2017, a team of RSPCA Bristol cyclists

Discover hidden gems by starlight

will be taking Bristol by storm and you could be one of them!

Nightrider is a 50km or 100km route through our amazing city by moonlight, taking in major landmarks and hidden gems.

Unlike Jessica, you will be limited to two wheels but you will receive fundraising support and training tips, and an invitation to a dedicated thank-you event. The route is fully sign-posted and GPS points are released before the race. There will be regular

Jessica wants you to take to two wheels – she can’t manage pedals break stops throughout the night and a well-deserved breakfast and medal at the finish. There is a minimum fundraising target of £175 and with our one-to-one advice and resources, we are confident you will far exceed this!

You can enter as an individual, or join forces with

POLICE REPORT Arrests follow spate of bike crime – here’s what you can do to prevent it

W

E’VE had a problem over recent weeks with motorbikes and mopeds being stolen.

A 17-year-old from Southville has been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods in connection with this series and parts from three bikes, all confirmed stolen, were seized from his address.

In response to the thefts, local police teams carried out extensive crime prevention work, including putting advice letters through doors where bike owners were out. We also carried out extra patrols.

Despite the arrest, I’d still advise extra caution around securing motorbikes and mopeds

and ask for any suspicious activity to be reported to us – use 999 if it’s happening there and then. Advice includes: • Always set the alarm and immobiliser. If you don’t have one, get one professionally installed; • Use a good quality chain, disc lock or D-lock to secure your vehicle to an immovable object; • Always put the steering lock on; • If possible store it in a secure shed or garage at home. Make sure the building is fitted with good quality locks and an alarm, and don’t forget to chain the bike up to a ground anchor inside; • Use a bike cover; • When out and about, park in a motorbike or scooter bay with a secure stand to lock your bike to; • Use a security marker or etch your bike and its parts with the registration number; • Fit an engine cut-off switch; • Fit a tracking device.

Another success was the arrest of three people in connection with a number of reports of petrol bombs were thrown at vehicles. No further incidents have been reported.

friends and family and enter together. Take on this challenge to raise money so we can keep helping animals like Jessica who, without us, would have had nowhere to turn.

To find out more email grace@rspca-bristol.org.uk or call 0117 980 3901.

With Sgt Caroline Crane Broadbury Road police station of the local community are respected. If necessary, we can and will impose restrictions, such as where a protest takes place or the route of a march.

T

Extra patrols: Police are on the lookout for bike-related crime

Y

OU may have seen reports of claims by an EDL co-founder of a planned protest march to Totterdown mosque. We’re monitoring the situation, but at this stage are sceptical that there will be a march to the mosque.

Latest reports suggest that a march may take place on March 4 near Bristol Crown Court, and we will have plans in place should it go ahead.

We’re in close contact with representatives from the mosque and our protest liaison officers will always look to work with organisers to ensure both the right to lawful protest and needs

he UN International Day for the elimination of racial discrimination takes place on March 21 and will launch the next stage of our hate crime awareness campaign. More than half of victims and half of offenders are within 2km of their homes when a hate crime takes place. So, this year we are calling on all communities to work together to celebrate diversity and look out for others. There are some fantastic initiatives already happening, so please do get involved. Find us on social media and help us share your story. #hello

D

on’t forget, you can follow what the team gets up to on Twitter @ ASPBristolSouth or you can contact us on the Avon and Somerset Police website.

Sergeant Caroline Crane • avonandsomerset.police.uk

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

March 2017

southbristolvoice

24

n NEWS In witch I become one of them

I

DO NOT like cyclists. I frequently give way to them when in my car, leaving lots of space, a friendly smile on my face (although it hurts), hand raised to wave only to watch them sail past, grim faced, eyes front with no acknowledgement whatsoever. Rude! Then I became one of them.

Himself had bought (obviously) an electric mountain bike. Oh it was so cool. Not an old-fashioned bulky twist-and-go relic but a trendy, cutting edge pedal and assist beast. “Pah!” I cried, eyeing the bike jealously. “I do not need one of those, I am fit and youngish, I will leave you for dust.” (On my borrowed-from-son fancy mountain bike with a zillion gears).

Who is she?

We don’t know – she travels too fast for the eye to see.

THE WICKED WITCH OF KNOWLE

Our first outing was in hilly Dorset. It was not enjoyable. Me pushing zillion-geared bike up the hills, red faced and sweaty, crossly watching Himself’s builder’s bum disappearing into the sunset. He even swooped back a couple of times to mock me. I had to have one.

My bike arrived, it was black with slashes of white and gorgeously mean. In our matching hi-viz yellow jackets and bright orange helmets we looked good (cough) and were ready to hit the road.

I am not keen on riding our Bristol roads – you have to deal

with car drivers that are not as patient as me. I did make sure that I waved my thanks, causing a dangerous wobble, quickly resorting to a big smile and a head tilt (all the cool cyclists do the head tilt). My tilt was in no way cool, in fact I drew some questioning looks.

You don’t have to dice with death for too long before finding a cycle path. A quick whizz (within the speed limit) down Talbot Road, cutting past Tesco through the rat-infested underpass and you are on a cycle route with very few busy roads to contend with.

I loved it. We ventured down quiet country roads I never knew existed, at one point coming face to face with a large deer that leapt over a six-foot hedge, leaving us staring in awe. Pheasants sped by, trying to outrun us before beating their wings, squawking out of sight.

And the views. Hard to believe we were only a few miles outside the city – it was liberating. A quick coffee at Chew Valley lake watching all the men (always men) checking out our bikes, and we headed back.

On a long steep hill we spied something I had long wanted to see – strange creatures, sleek, cool and fast, often seen in a flock. The only chance of getting close is catching one on a hill. Me and Himself grinned at each other. It was easy; we snuck up and overtook the creature who was panting hard, padded bottom bobbing, calf muscles bulging. It was a fine example of a Road Bike Lycra Boy. “Morning,” we cried joyfully, revelling in his surprise.

“Hey! Battery? That’s cheating!’”I heard him cry from way behind. I cackled loudly: “Eat my dust sucker!’” Oh I really loves my bike.

Arnos Vale invites us to confront death WHY don’t we talk about death?

It happens to us all eventually, and one of the places we end up is Arnos Vale cemetery, which is hosting an event called Life, Death and the Rest from March 30 to April 2.

Four days of talks, walks, theatre and film culminate in a Sunday showcase with stalls offering practical advice in dealing with death, dying and end-of-life choices.

“We aim to support a growing social movement of talking about death, and how we remember our loved ones,” say the organisers.

The event kicks off with Outside the Box, on Thursday March 30, a one-woman show

by Liz Rothschild. Using humour

Steampunks have reimagined the Victorians’ spiritualist gizmos confront our taboos, Liz asks the audience to embrace mortality and look on the bright side of life, using stories, history and tales from the funeral inustry.

On the Friday night is When Harold Met Maude’, a talk by

Lucy Coleman Talbot about the famous 1971 black comedy about a young man intrigued by death who is drawn towards 79-year old Maude. After the talk the film will be shown in the atmospheric Anglican Chapel.

Other events on the same day include a Magical Circle of Life, a chance to learn how to make wreath with Vera from Totterdown florist Floriography.

Children can enjoy Always and Forever, a Stomping Story read outdoors on Saturday April 1. It tackles the feelings of Mole, Otter and Hare when their friend Fox passes away.

On Sunday, April 2 you will find a showcase of funeral exhibitors throughout the

cemetery. These include hand-carved memorials from the Stoneletters Studio, and cremation ash jewellery made from a loved one’s remains by Tree of Opals. In addition there’s an electric hearse, environmentally friendly coffins and more.

There’s also a quirky display from Bristol Steampunk Museum in the Anglican Chapel on the Sunday. The Victorians were a superstitious bunch, and were often conned by charlatans using bizarre instruments to contact the dead. Steampunk artists have made their own gizmos inspired by these contraptions.

For details of the events visit: • arnosvale.org.uk/events

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March 2017

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n NEWS

25

Small employers told they have to provide pensions SMALL employers in Bristol are to get a helping hand from South Bristol Voice, a city MP and the Pensions Regulator as they prepare for major pension reforms that will see most workers enrolled into a workplace pension scheme.

The 13 monthly magazines in the Voice network across Bristol have joined together to arrange a expert pensions advice for small firms on April 10, 2017.

Whether you’re a shopkeeper, a plumber or employ someone in the home, if you employ at least one person you are an employer and you have certain legal duties.

All employers are invited to come along to Orchard School Bristol in Horfield, BS7 0XZ at 1pm on Monday, April 10 to learn more about preparing for automatic enrolment and to pose questions to pensions experts.

An official from the Pensions Regulator will be attending to provide guidance.

The event is free and refreshments will be provided.

Alone: With one employee, you can to be liable to pension law Failing to comply with the new duties could lead to a fine, so it’s important that each employer understands what they have to do and when.

The event will help small employers understand what’s required of them, and the automatic enrolment right for their workers. There will also be

Property Campaign to clean the Greenway Services goes from strength to strength

PEOPLE living near the Malago seems to have deterred further Greenway made Work big inroadsUndertaken damage.

Fixed have Price in the last year into cleaning up “We have noticed a massive Quotations the neglectedFree open space next to improvement since the first clean Brigham Road. up,”Service Raluca added. “There hasn’t Professional, Reliable Now they are aiming to been any major fly tipping since, continue the good work with just minor littering. So we hope another day of action on that if we keep up the good work, Saturday march 11 from things will improve permanently.”

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Bedminster’s East Street Fruit “It is a work in progress, due & Vegetable Market will provide to the left side of the riverbank some well-earned fruit for being heavily affected by years of everyone involved. fly tipping and anti-social People will be encouraged to behaviour,” said Raluca McKett, bring unwanted items, perhaps who helped set up the Malago in need of some TLC, and leave Greenway Project last year. them under a gazebo one the day.

The event has the support of Those taking part can drop off or Bristol Waste Company as part of pick up any items they like and mayor Marvin Rees’s challenge give them a new home. to clean up Bristol.

If you want to join in, bring Raluca said: “When we first gloves and wellies and a bit of came here, back in June, it was good will! Children welcome. an absolute tip. We found road For more information search signs, broken bicycles, even a Malago Greenway on Facebook rusty axe.” or email malagocommunity@ But the clean-up already Info@TKHeat.co.uk gmail.com. www.TKHeat.co.uk

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The event will be hosted by Charlotte Leslie, MP for Bristol North West, whose constituency includes Horfield. She said: “Failing to get it right could lead to a fine, so it’s important that every small business understands that automatic enrolment applies to them, what they need to do and by when.”

The website of the Pensions Regulator includes a Duties Checker, so firms can check what they must do.

Register for the event at: • tinyurl.com/hhnp9tv • thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/ en/employers

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n BRIEFLY

New authority THE NEW West of England Combined Authority (WECA) holds its first public meeting at 1.30pm on Wednesday March 1 at the Watershed, Bristol. It will have influence on issues on issues including transport, housing and skills across Bristol, Bath and South Gloucestershire.

A new ‘metro mayor’ to run the authority will be elected by the public in May. • westofengland-ca.org.uk n THERE are still 1,000 former patients of the St Martin’s surgery who have yet to sign up to a new practice, said NHS England. The Knowle GP practice closed on December 30. n SHAKRUM Islam, the man charged after Kyle Clark, 27, died under a car in Hengrove on January 10, will face Bristol Crown Court on March 17. It is understood the charge against Islam, from Chipping Sodbury, will be changed from murder to manslaughter.

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March 2017

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26

n YOUR MP

KARIN SMYTH Labour MP for Bristol South

Let’s show there are opportunities for South Bristol’s young people

O

NE OF my priorities as South Bristol’s MP is improving the quantity and quality of training and apprenticeship opportunities available here. It’s an issue that’s raised time and time again by parents and grandparents when I’m listening on doorsteps and in shopping centres.

Together we face a number of challenges.

Fewer young people living in Bristol South go to university than from any other UK constituency, so there’s a vital need for other avenues. We’re also home to some of the most deprived wards in the country. And we have hardly any large employers, the type of which offer apprenticeships on a large scale.

There are things going for us, though. For example, we have many small and medium sized firms which are often open-minded

about offering apprenticeships, but often just need more support and information about how to go about it.

So as part of my local work I’ve organised the South Bristol Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair, which I understand is the first of its type aimed specifically at South Bristol people. It takes place on Friday March 10, from 12noon to 5.30pm at the South Bristol Skills Academy, BS14 0DB – an excellent local

facility that’s located in Hengrove, right by the leisure centre and hospital.

It’s free and everyone is welcome to attend: secondary school and sixth form students; adults looking to get back into work; parents and carers too. There’s no need to book a place or to let me know you’re coming.

A range of employers, training providers and others will be there to help you: • Find out what apprenticeship opportunities are available; • Learn what employers are looking for, how they recruit and what training they offer; • Find out about training, and what employers look for when they’re recruiting; • Strengthen your CV by showing it to employers for advice.

And you’ll be able to talk to current apprentices about what life’s like for them.

For the reasons explained earlier I’m also inviting people who run small and medium sized businesses to come and learn how to take on an apprentice without bureaucracy, how to pay, and how to recruit.

Like the free finance events I organise to help residents with any entitlements they might be missing out on, I hope you agree the South Bristol Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair on Friday March 10 is exactly the type of thing I should be prioritising as your MP.

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March 2017

southbristolvoice

n PLANNING APPLICATIONS 33 Alard Road BS4 1HZ Two-bed dwelling adjoining existing house. Refused 1 Green Street BS3 4UA Two storey building plus basement to replace garage, to provide a 3 bedroom house. Refused 1 Green Street BS3 4UA Nonmaterial amendment to planning permission 16/01459/F: Change of use of ground floor from retail unit/bedsit to self-contained flat and new external steel staircase within courtyard. Granted 182 Marksbury Road BS3 5LE Erection of two storey rear and side extension. Pending consideration 41 Imperial Walk BS14 9AD Outline application for 3-bed dwelling on land next to 41 Imperial Walk. Pending consideration 37 Kensal Road BS3 4QU Loft conversion with rear flat roof dormer. Pending consideration 9 Hurst Road Knowle BS4 1HF Two storey side extension.

Pending consideration Filwood Park, Hengrove Way Reserved matters following outline approval 12/00352/P for 150 residential units and new park. Appearance, landscaping, layout and scale to be considered.

(Major application). Pending consideration 15 Brecknock Road BS4 2DE Single storey rear and side extension; enlarge rear dormer

window. Pending consideration 3-5 Hill Avenue BS3 4SF Removal of roof over 3, 4 and 5 Hill Avenue; addition of second floor accommodation in a roof extension. Pending consideration 32 Creswicke Road BS4 1UD Two storey side extension.

Pending consideration Land at St John’s Lane, adjacent to south-east corner of railway bridge, BS3 5BE Replacement of 48-sheet advertising display with a 48-sheet LED display.

Pending consideration 36 Beckington Road BS3 5EB Single storey rear extension and two storey side extension.

Proposed hip to gable and rear dormer roof extension at loft level. Pending consideration 74 Somerset Road BS4 2HY Roof extension to rear. Pending consideration 8 Spring Gardens BS4 2TZ Amendment to 16/05868/H: Part one and part two storey rear extension. Granted 44 Lilymead Avenue BS4 2BX Single storey extension to extend beyond the rear by 4.3m, of maximum height 3m and eaves 2.7m high. Granted 111 Cotswold Road BS3 4PD Single storey extension to extend beyond the rear by 5.2m, of maximum height 3.1m and eaves 2.9m high. Granted 6 Brecknock Road BS4 2DD

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Rear dormer window and roof lights in front roof slope. Granted 30 Gerrard Close BS4 1UH Detached two-storey 2-bed house. Withdrawn 10 Raymend Road BS3 4QP Dormer roof extension to rear. Granted subject to conditions 4 Langham Road BS4 2LJ Single storey ground floor side and rear extension. Granted subject to conditions 129 Leinster Avenue BS4 1NN Detached two-storey house.

Refused 75 Bayham Road BS4 2DP Single storey rear extension.

Pending decision 6 Langham Road BS4 2LJ Single storey side extension, rear dormer window roof extension and insertion of roof lights in front roof slope. Granted subject to conditions 11 Harrowdene Road BS4 2JD Approved details in relation to conditions 2 (Construction environmental management plan) 3 (Tree survey) and 4 (SUDS) of 15/02760/F: Single storey 2-bed dwelling to rear of 9-13 Hampden Road, accessed off Harrowdene Road. Granted subject to conditions 16 Tennis Road BS4 2HG Single storey rear extension.

Pending consideration 34 St Martin’s Road BS4 2NG Two storey side and single storey rear extension. Pending consideration

248 Wells Road Knowle BS4 2PN Conversion from former dental surgery and one flat to six flats. Pending consideration 46 Bristol South End BS3 5BH Single storey conservatory to rear. Pending decision 126 Cotswold Road BS3 4NS Lawful development certificate for existing use of balcony and stairs. Granted 56 St John’s Crescent BS3 5ER Outline application for 3-storey building containing six flats. Withdrawn 358 Wells Road, Knowle BS4 2QL Extend drive, remove portion of front wall, extend paved area and extend dropped kerb to full width. Refused 134 Broadfield Road BS4 2UZ Two-storey house attached to No 134, with parking.

Pending consideration 16 Oxford Street, Totterdown BS3 4RQ Appeal against an enforcement notice for the erection of canopy/porch to front of dwelling. Pending consideration St Martin’s Court, St Martin’s Close, Knowle BS4 2ND Installation of mobility scooter store. Pending consideration 41B William Street BS3 4TT Extension over garage to provide additional bedroom. Granted • The status of these applications may have changed since we went to press. Check for updates at planningonline.bristol.gov.uk

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Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

March 2017

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n YOUR COUNCILLORS

A

FEW months ago, I wrote that the new mayor was under scrutiny. It is very much the case Gary that the new mayor Hopkins is a more pleasant Lib Dem individual than his Knowle predecessor, but is his administration working and delivering for Bristolians?

When Mr Rees was told by officers that the financial position was worse than previous reports had claimed, he brought in a former head of the Audit Commission to write a report.

The report was damning, and confirmed what many of us knew: that councillors and the public had been lied to and misled.

About £30 million of claimed savings had not been made.

There was a systematic failure, but there were three people who should have known what was going on: the chief executive who was paid off by the present mayor; the previous mayor; and

Knowle

the deputy mayor, Cllr Geoff Gollop, a Conservative, who had regular updates but failed to question deeply enough. Because of the way the mayoral system works, it was difficult for councillors to get at the facts but suspicions were high, in our party in particular.

On December 15 we voted against the expected council tax income for the year ahead, because we did not believe the low figures. Cllr Gollop derided our stance, backed by Labour and Tory councillors. When the figures came in, we were shown to be right to the tune of £10m, a sum studiously ignored by the mayor as he overstates the size of his inherited problem for this year.

This scale of mismanagement could not have happened before the mayoral system. Unfortunately now the system is being exposed again as budget decisions that fly in the face of common sense are being imposed. Having everything run by one person from the centre is continuing to produce disastrous consequences.

T

HE GOOD news is that after a meeting with a Windmill Hill councillor and mayor Marvin Chris Rees, the mayor Davies is prepared to Lib Dem reconsider the Knowle remodelling of the Three Lamps junction to allow traffic to turn right from Wells Road to Bath Road.

Mr Rees also said he is happy for us to control any potential parking scheme made necessary by the arena. The first stage would be a genuine consultation on whether we need a scheme; if we do, what hours it operates; and that charges are not set for profit making. There is a very long way to go because the start date for the arena has been put back yet again (to 2020).

The bad news is that the mayor has come up with budget proposals that are unrealistic and unworkable and will cause huge damage to many communities.

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The chaotic approach to Jubilee swimming pool is another disaster. There has been no consultation with councillors or the community; no clear plan for its future; no officers are available to answer questions, and it seems Mr Rees is not concerned about our local facilities.

We saved the pool five years ago with an investment into the mini gym after Labour and Tories said it was not needed. We have yet another fight on our hands but local people are rallying around and signing our petition.

Meanwhile our prodding seems to have brought action at Woodbridge Road and Redcatch Road. The police have finally responded to the many calls for action on speeding on Redcatch Road, so be warned – they will be out with speed guns again.

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southbristolvoice

n YOUR COUNCILLORS

A

S YOU will see reported elsewhere in this issue, the application for the plan for a segregated cycling route through Victoria Park has been withdrawn, with a new plan to be produced that takes local residents’ views into account much more closely.

We support provision for cyclists in Victoria Park, and we are keen to retain the funding from the Department for Transport which will bring the park investment for lighting, drainage, paths and entrances.

However, it was clear that residents in our ward felt that the plan in its original form would adversely affect the park and its environment. Shortly after the application was submitted, Jon asked that it be referred to the council’s planning committee, citing the many and varied concerns that people raised, mainly around pedestrian conflict and issues surrounding the entrances to the park. At the end of the consultation period, we indicated that we would

Jon Wellington Labour Windmill Hill

29

Windmill Hill

Lucy Whittle Labour Windmill Hill

support local objections and called for the plan to go back to the drawing board.

As a result of this and the huge local opposition, the cabinet member for transport, Cllr Mark Bradshaw, withdrew the application. He has asked officers to develop a new plan, working much more closely with local people and with members of local groups. Most people who contacted us told us that they were in favour of a cycle route in or near the park, but opposed this particular plan. We’d like to know your thoughts on what an alternative proposal should look like, and we will ensure that they are included in the consultation.

T

How to contact your councillor: p2

he other major issue affecting residents in the ward is the proposals for Bedminster Green. Last month, Rollo Homes submitted a plan for a large 10 storey development on the old Pring and St Hill site.

There is much to oppose in this plan – most obviously the lack of affordable housing in the 217 units. This is despite Bristol city council’s guidelines suggesting that 30 per cent affordable housing should be the aim on large developments. There is also the fact that this application has been made with no reference to the proposals developed by Urbis, who were contracted by the council to produce a framework for the area.

Jon recently met representatives of the Windmill Hill and Malago Planning Group (WHaM), Marvin Rees, mayor of Bristol and Cllr Paul Smith, cabinet member for homes, to discuss the many concerns they and other local people have about the Bedminster Green site.

Most important is the lack of

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any oversight of the site beyond the framework released last year, which is now arguably obsolete given the number of developers involved in the area. We support the building of a high density area of a mixture of residential properties and tenure types. We also believe that this can be done while still making Bedminster Green a pleasant area in which to live. However, without an overall plan, we could end up in a situation where around 3,000 people move into the area with little in the way of infrastructure or amenities, or a plan for any kind of community cohesion.

While we of course want to see homes built, it is important that these are not simply dormitories with a transient population. Bad developments have an effect not only on the people living there but surrounding neighbourhoods. I’d urge anyone interested to take a look at WHaM’s site brief which is available on their website, and get involved with their work.

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March 2017

n HISTORY The story of William Brock William Brock, the unknown man behind

W

ELCOME to the story of the most important man from Totterdown you’ve never heard of – William Brock.

Brock was a towering figure in 19th century industry in Bristol; he was innovator, an inventor, and his work could be seen all over the West Country as well as being exported as far as South America.

As befitted his wealth, he had probably the most prominent house in the area, an imposing Victorian home on top of the Totterdown ridge, with a huge garden overlooking Temple Meads and Redcliffe.

But it seems his talents were more for engineering and innovation than they were for business. Despite decades of success, once his long-term business partner retired, his company failed, dragging Brock into bankruptcy and years of

Once he had the finest house, the biggest garden and the best view in Totterdown – overlooking his vast industrial site

Willliam Brock: The Victorian pioneer who once employed 250 men litigation.

He would probably have been all but forgotten, had it not been

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for the efforts of his two great-great granddaughters, and members of the Knowle and Totterdown History Society.

After their researches showed them what an important figure Brock was, last year they saw the chance to get him the recognition he deserved.

They entered William Brock in a competition to find a fitting name for the new bridge, now completed, which links Arena Island with Cattle Market Road.

Many of the panel of local historians who were asked to judge the nominations hadn’t heard of Brock – but once they’d looked him up, they agreed there was no more fitting figure to be remembered in the revival of the Temple Quarter, an area that was once the heart of Bristol’s Victorian hi-tech industry. This is William Brock’s story: how one innovator came to be commemorated at the moment the very area where he made his fortune is revived for a new industrial revolution.

railway heritage, and designer of one of the first patented flooring systems?

Little is known of his early years. But perhaps there was a hint that his family saw the new steam technology of the early 19th C as the way out of rural poverty. There’s a record in the 1851 census that his younger brother John was living with an uncle, Isaac Dore, in Exeter, where he was an apprentice machine maker.

Perhaps this was the path that William followed too. Certainly he was an apprentice of some sort, and he must have grasped that there were possibilities in steam power that remained to be tapped. As a child, he would have been in awe of steam locomotives, the rocket ships of their day, the first opportunity for a man to travel faster than a horse.

He would have known that steam engines were at work powering looms and machinery in factories, and allowing coal mines to be pumped dry of water.

But it was as a builder that he first made his mark. Perhaps he got his inspiration from one of Britain’s most famous men, Samuel Morton Peto.

Peto also began as a builder working for his uncle’s firm in London. When his uncle died in 1830, Peto saw the fortune to be made in building railways, and

B

ORN in Okehampton, Devon in 1830, the son of a cordwainer or shoemaker, William Brock was an unlikely entrepreneur.

How did he come to be one of Bristol’s most successful innovators, inventor of his own steam-powered tooling, the maker of ground-breaking prefabricated buildings, builder of much of the West Country’s

Morton Peto, builder of Nelson’s Column, gave Brock his first break

To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

March 2017

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31

n HISTORY The story of William Brock the expansion of railways across the West

Two of Brock’s creations: Left, Alpenfells, the house he built for his patron Francis Fox. Right, one of his many railway stations: this is Sandford changed direction – though he still built many national landmarks, including Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square.

We don’t know how Brock met Peto, or why they got on.

They did both share a nonconformist background – Peto was a Baptist while Brock’s family were Unitarians. Perhaps like many religious dissenters from the established church, they believed that businessmen had a duty to improve national life, not exploit people.

All we know is that in 1854, during the Crimean War, Peto was building the Grand Crimean Central Railway between Balaklava and Sevastopol to transport supplies to the troops at the front line.

While he was away he had entrusted some of his other projects – which presumably were not minor – to an unknown 24-year-old, William Brock.

We don’t know what Brock

BANGED UP IN COURT

I

N 1877 William Brock and his business partner Robert Bruce found themselves in Bristol magistrates court. A former employee had told the police that the company had large quantities of explosives stored at its Albert Road premises. When police visited, Brock admitted it was true, and showed an Inspector Smith 200 lb of blasting powder and 10.5 lb of dynamite in a room

did for Peto; he may have worked on the Cornwall and Severn Valley railways. He might have been involved in Bristol’s wagon or locomotive works.

Whatever he did was clearly a success. The young Devonian was showing skills not only in civil engineering but in managing large teams of people to complete complex projects.

Perhaps his religious background had a bearing. Peter Read of Knowle and Totterdown local history society explains: “There was an awful lot of railway contracting going ion at this time, and an awful lot of it failed.

“Brock was regarded as a very fair minded employer. he took the view that if you had a good workforce you got the job done.”

This was in contrast to the more famous Brunel, who was well-known for withholding money from contractors and mistreating them.

Brock built his reputation above the factory stables. It turned out that Brock and Bruce had a job in Midsomer Norton that involved blasting. They had no idea that they should have had a licence for the explosives, their solicitor said, and asked for a nominal penalty.

The bench disagreed: Mr HJ Mills said he thought the case a serious one, “an act of great carelessness”

by Brock and Bruce. The pair were fined £21.10s, but were allowed to keep the explosives.

working for Peto; but he must have wanted to be his own boss, because by the end of the 1850s he was in business in Bristol, with premises in the arches under Temple Meads station. He had married Maria Ferrett in Bath in 1857.

At first he appears to have been a general builder, but in 1859 he founded the Temple Meads Steam Joinery. Brock saw that not only could steam power do the heavy cutting and lifting of wood, it would also be used to mould and cut fine detail, making quality joinery and furniture in a fraction of the time it would a man with a chisel.

He started with a small steam engine which powered a circular saw and a moulder. Within five years he had outgrown the arches and moved to an acre-wide site by the Floating Harbour at Temple Meads, next to Totterdown Lock. Here he added a much larger steam engine of 60 horsepower and more sawing machines and moulders.

This site too had to be given up when the land was needed for the expansion of the station. In 1872 he moved onto two and half acres at Albert Road, St Philips, near the current Dogs’ Home.

Here the Steam Joinery, which from 1871 was a partnership with Robert Bruce, really got into its stride. But only after an initial disaster: in December 1872 the almostcomplete but windowless

building was struck by the same great storm which sank many ships in the Bristol Channel (the subject of our history feature in November 2016).

The great wind tore through the building and the roof fell in, bringing down 40 tons of concrete. Luckily it was hours before the working day had started; and repairs were rapidly started at a cost of £200.

The Bristol Times & Mirror, given a tour of the premises in 1883, found 40 joiners working in a row, each at his own bench.

Under their 120ft (40m) workshop were the saw mills, where some of the circular, vertical and band saws were of Brock’s own design. One saw could make a cut 7ft (2m) deep.

A second building of a similar size housed the three boilers which powered the site, one of them 27ft (9m) long. Above them were the painters’ shop and the clerks’ offices.

Huge timbers were unloaded from the river, and the site was so big that a tram transported the materials across the yard.

But it was the third building, the moulding mills, that most impressed the Times & Mirror.

“Here it is that most of the important and, we might truthfully say, wonderful machines in the factory are at work,” gushed the newspaper.

“There is one machine which receives a piece of timber in its Continued on page 32

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

March 2017

southbristolvoice

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n HISTORY

The story of William Brock

The swimming pool was literally a lifesaver – “men working on the Quay are drowned because they never learned to swim”

Continued from page 31 rough state, and, before leaving, it is so beautifully smoothed, and the angles so accurately cut, as to be quite ready for the joiner to put together.”

Combining the speed, the power and the accuracy of machine power enabled Brock to produce fine woodwork much more quickly and cheaply than by manpower alone. The pews at Bath Abbey, for example, are his firm’s work – no doubt many visitors today mistakenly admire the “handmade” craftsmanship.

His fittings also adorn several London churches.

It also enabled the first machine-made prefabricated buildings – a real revolution.

“This was the equivalent of landing on the moon,” said Peter Read. He showed the Voice a catalogue of the factory’s work, including handsome wooden greenhouses which looked permanent but actually slotted together so easily that they could be taken apart and reassembled if the owner moved house.

Not only greenhouses but all kinds of furniture and fittings, including complete staircases, were sold. Brock’s was the first factory to make the “strings” for staircaes, where accuracy is vital, with a carving machine. Several of the machines were of Brock’s own design. He even had his own patent wooden flooring, called Pavilidos, which locked together in a patented system.

And the buildings were not necessarily small. An entire mainline railway station was produced at Albert Road for the city of Caracas in Venezuela.

And there were many more projects in the South West. Many stations on the London & Exeter railway were Brock’s, including Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Chard and Cheddar.

As well as Morton Peto, Brock had impressed other important people. The work in Bath Abbey

Whatever you want: Brock’s Steam Joinery offered prefabricated buildings, greenhouses and staircases came from the famous architect Sir George Gilbert Scott.

Francis Fox, who had worked for Brunel and was engineer for many railway lines in the West and Wales, entrusted him with a great deal of work. “Brock seems to have been his first call,” said Peter Read – for example, when Fox was charged with diverting the River Frome in Bristol city centre, Brock got the job.

Fox gave him contracts on the Chard railway and the Strawberry Line from Yatton to Witham, the railway which enabled Somerset’s summer fruits to reach the cities. Brock even made the wooden baskets for the fruit pickers.

And it was for Fox that Brock built the still-admired Alpenfells, on the Leigh Woods side of the suspension bridge.

Brock & Bruce also built new piers to widen Bedminster bridge; they built St Philip’s bridge (since destroyed); they widened Bristol bridge; they built the approaches to Temple Meads, and the trade school in Denmark

A DAY AT THE SEASIDE

I

t was the custom for successful employers to take their workforce on a day trip each summer – the only holiday most of them would have. William Brock, who valued the respect of his workers, was a believer in the practice. But in July 1869, as the Western Daily Press recorded, not all the employees could join William and Maria Brock on their outing to Teignmouth, as the Cheddar Valley railway was almost complete, and Brock’s men were building all the stations.

A reduced party of around 200

Street, later known as the Merchant Venturers school, which burned down in 1906.

illiam Brock enjoyed the fruits of his success.

He had one of the finest houses in the area with one of the best views – Bellevue House, at the top of Pylle Hill in Totterdown, overlooking Temple Meads. It certainly had one of the finest gardens in the city – no picture survives but a map (above), shows how large lawns were laid out with paths, no doubt enjoying spectacular views.

Sadly Brock wasn’t to hang on to his hilltop splendour. The very railway that he worked on, the Bristol & Exeter, built a new line that cut deep into the embankment beneath the Bellevue garden. The house was demolished, and by 1891 Brock moved to 10 Knowle Road.

It was the beginning of his difficulties. In 1894 his proud firm with its 250 employees fell apart. His great-great granddaughters are still trying to

piece to together the details, but it seems that Robert Bruce retired in 1887, taking his investment with him. This left the firm, the official receiver was to note, in rather an impoverished condition.

Brock’s eldest son Frederick, known as Frederick Willie, joined in 1888 but brought with him only £100 in capital, when the company owed £1,500 secured on its property.

In 1894 an attempt was made to offer shares in a new company, but there were no buyers. The expenses of the share offer, around £550, had been paid by a mysterious female investor, Miss Mellows. She also claimed to have a stake in the firm worth £4,000. This tallies with the account passed down in the family (see panel, right).

The picture was complicated and dragged on in the courts for 10 years. Mortgages had been taken out on the Albert Road premises. There were several claims on the business and it wasn’t clear that it could meet

staff, their spouses and the Brislington Brass Band made the trip, leaving Bristol at 6.30am and arriving at 10.30am. “Many of the party had a ‘dip’ before dinner”, noted the Western Daily, before gathering at the Devon Arms at 12.30pm. “After the repast a few toasts were drunk, and but few, for the weather was most insufferably hot, and the party were anxious to leave the hotel in order that they might enjoy the beautiful scenery.”

Mr Brock, acknowledging the toasts, remarked “that the success of his business depended very much upon how the men and the employer pulled together.” A Mr

Fry, of the timber department, responded that “their own employer was one who mixed up a good deal with his men, and gave them a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, and he considered that a firm was almost bound to get on when the master and men worked cordially together.”

The party took a steamer to Torquay, where they strolled for an hour, then returned to Teignmouth for “boating and other amusements”.

Finally it was on to the mail train to Bristol, arriving at 12.30am, ”having spent a delightful day, the pleasure of which was not marred by a single untoward event of any description.”

W

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33

n HISTORY

The story of William Brock

AT LAST, A MEMORIAL

W

ILLIAM Brock will be remembered to future generations of Bristolians thanks in large part to the efforts of his great-great-granddaughters, Jan and Shirley Packer.

They were told by their family from an early age that they had a famous forebear.

Among the Brock-built landmarks pointed out to them were Holy Nativity church in Knowle – sadly much damaged in the Second World War – and the “Swiss cottage”, Alpenfells, next to Clifton suspension bridge.

“The buildings he made were pointed out to us when we walked past,” said Shirley, who lives in Whitchurch. “But we were young so we didn’t take enough notice!”

The family would say to us, ”That’s one of grandpa’s, and that’s one of grandpa’s!” said Jan, from Brislington. “We thought everyone had grandparents who did that!”

It’s only since their parents died that the sisters have done their own research into their great-great

grandfather. They have found out a lot, but believe there is more to be unearthed. Was the Pensford viaduct, for example, one of his works? They believe he was also the builder of a lighthouse – could builder’s clerk, and Maud, 38, an “artist sculptor”.

He ended his days in 1907 at a home for retired businessmen in Portsmouth – poorer but apparently not penniless.

Two things survive of William Brock (apart from his buildings).

One is his reputation as a good employer. The other is the fact that he’s now got a permanent memorial, thanks to his family members and our local historian.

Brock’s Bridge is a fitting legacy to a Victorian pioneer.

• With thanks to Jan and Shirley Packer, and Peter Read of Knowle & Totterdown Local History Society.

Ù

them all – even though it had been valued at £21,500 (£2 million today).

William Brock carried on working as a builder, but he seems to have left the attempt to salvage the business to his son.

Frederick Willie kept fighting the bankruptcy until 1904, though in 1901 he was reported to have won the job of clerk of works to Sheffield Corporation at a salary of £400 (now worth £34,000).

In 1897 Brock’s wife Maria died and in 1901 the census finds William listed as a clerk of works and living at 15 Kensington Hill in Brislington with two of his daughters – Fanny, 46, listed as a

Tribute: Former mayor George Ferguson unveils the Brock’s Bridge plaque in March 2015 with Brock’s descendants Jan and Shirley

Brock’s house and garden

Ù

Ù

Ù Railway

Three Lamps junction

Location of Bellevue House on Pylle Hill, Totterdown, above the railway

it be the one in Portishead? They are still combing archives to find out but family memories have provided them with clues.

Mystery surrounds Brock’s fall into bankruptcy in the 1890s, after

his business partner, Robert Bruce, retired. Jan and Shirley think it’s possible Bruce supplied the business acumen, while their forebear was the innovator. Maybe with Bruce gone, Brock could no longer manage the finances.

But the two men may have fallen out: Jan and Shirley’s grandmother told them there was an argument about money, perhaps with a woman involved.

But Brock’s personal reputation lived on in the family. He was known as a fair-minded employer who wanted a happy, well motivated workforce – unlike many of his competitors, who worked their staff into the ground.

Perhaps some of his traits were passed to his youngest son, Oscar, who died in 1960 and is remembered by Jan and Shirley.

Oscar became a clerk for his father and later a surveyor for the Bristol harbour authority. Jan remembers him as a lovely man who became blind and deaf in his old age. “I remember he used to love holding our hands,” she said.

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n NEWS Duncan’s bear is delighting the judges SOUTH Bristol artist Duncan Beedie is in the running for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017, one of the most prestigious accolades in the world of children’s books.

Duncan, who works from a studio at paintwork in Bath Road, is shortlisted in the Illustrated Books category for his first picture book The Bear Who Stared (Templar, £6.99) Now a freelance illustrator, Duncan Beedie began his career as an animator on children’s TV before branching into design for websites, games and apps.

He said: “When I received news of my nomination for the prize, my first response was to contact my editor and check that it wasn’t a cruel prank. Thankfully it wasn’t, and while my inner pessimist still harbours a

Shoppers can’t get in car park

First attempt: The Bear Who Stared is Duncan’s debut picture book smidgeon of disbelief about it all, I am honoured and ecstatic in equal measure.” Tessa RobertsFear, manager at Waterstones in Bristol Galleries, said: “Duncan Beedie is an exciting new talent, and one which we are proud to champion. His picture book debut The Bear Who Stared is delightful, funny and engaging.”

Are you missing out on unclaimed benefit £ms?

RESIDENTS of South Bristol have a chance to to check they are receiving all their financial entitlements, when MP Karin Smyth organises the latest of her free one-stop-shop community events at The Park centre in Daventry Road, Knowle, from 10.30am-12.30 pm on Friday March 24.

The Labour MP said that her research shows that around £16 million per year in pension credit, and upwards of £20m in income support, goes unclaimed

by Bristol residents each year.

It will be the fourth time that Karin Smyth has organised an event to help people she represents in Bristol South check they are not missing out.

Karin Smyth said: “It’s only fair that if you work hard and contribute to society, through taxes and other means, the system is there for you when you need it.”

Organisations including Bristol Citizens Advice, South Bristol Advice Services, the Department for Work and Pensions, Care and Repair and

Up to £36m in pensions and income support not claimed in Bristol each year Bristol city council’s Welfare Rights & Money Advice Service will be present. They will help guide people through the processes to claim what’s theirs.

“Sometimes people are not fully aware of what they should be able to receive, and when the rules and regulations change it can be really difficult to keep on top of things,” says Ms Smyth.

“Staggering amounts are involved. Just think what it could do to help the lives of those who are entitled to it. Think too of the positive impact on the local economy when people spend it.”

• One stop shop for unclaimed benefits, The Park centre, Daventry Road, Knowle, Friday march 24, 10.30am-12.30pm.

The winners of the prizes will be announced at a London reception on March 30. The winner of each category will receive £2,000.

The winning authors can expect a big boost in sales.

The Bear Who Stared is published by Templar at £6.99.

• duncanbeedie.co.uk

PEOPLE are being deterred from visiting Totterdown shops because the car park next to Tesco is being used by commuters and others who leave their cars there.

The car park has a sign warning drivers that it is for the use of shoppers only. It is privately run on behalf of the shops in the Oxford Street precinct, including Tesco, but is rarely patrolled, meaning some motorists have realised they run little risk if they leave their car there all day.

Jo Pace, co-owner of the Banana Boat greengrocer opposite Tesco, said: “It’s always been like that. People do park there and go into town.”

In a heated debate on social media, one resident said: “It’s a shame as it puts off people going to the local businesses.”

Another said they were unable to park, so drove to Asda instead.

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n WHAT’S ON Thursday March 2 n Shoun Shoun + Landside Purist + Iyabe Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Annete Berlin’s new band channel the spirit of Marlene Dietrich and Siouxie Sioux. Landside Purist are a Bristol threepiece “performing piano-based songs and sonatas for the end times”.

7.30pm, £4 • the thunderbolt.net n We Are Ian Rave on as Ian remembers Manchester, 1989: a frenzy of drugs, beats, illegal raves and acid parties. This sell-out Edinburgh 2016 show is a Tobacco Factory theatre Beyond production at the Wardrobe Theatre, Old Market. £8, 8pm. Age 14+; contains strong language and adult themes. Until March 4.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com Saturday March 4 n Winter tree walk Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road, 10.30am12noon. Take a walk with an ecologist to discover the art of tree identification using subtle clues in buds, branches, bark and more. £5.

• arnosvale.org.uk/events n Bristol Women’s Voice celebrate International Women’s Day, M Shed 10am-5pm. This year’s theme is Take Up Space, with celebrations, fun workshops and activities. All women are welcome. Free creche as well as free pre-arranged transport services to collect and take home groups of women from across the city. Email info@ bristolwomensvoice.org.uk • Facebook: Bristol Women’s Voice n Saltcellar Folk Club Basement of Totterdown Baptist church, Wells Road. Ninebarrow, “an award-winning duo in great demand from venues, bring beautiful harmonies and engaging performance”. 7.30pm, £5.

• www.ninebarrow.co.uk n Stand Up For The Weekend with Dane Baptiste and guests Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken, North Street, Southville. “Observational comedy at its finest,” says the Independent of Dane Baptiste, who’s familiar from Sweat the Small Stuff (BBC3), Virtually Famous (E4) and Celebrity Squares (ITV1), as well achieving sell out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014 and 2015. £11, 7.45pm.

• thecomedybox.co.uk

Where friends meet for music in the cellar REVIEW: MIke Silver, Saltcellar Folk Club, Totterdown ANOTHER little gem hidden right under our noses, the Saltcellar is a monthly Saturday night happening, held in a room that’s by day a playgroup venue, this evening a room with great acoustics and a welcoming, English-folky vibe.

There’s not a lot of dancing but there’s some gentle seated swaying, subtle foot-stomping and spontaneous harmonising.

It feels like these people are old friends, yet are delighted to welcome newcomers.

It’s an evening of two halves.

The first part is for ‘floor acts’ – anyone can sign up on arrival to sing a song or play a tune.

The compere, Alan Kirkpatrick, discretely wanders through the audience, tapping the shoulder of the next person to play.

Sunday March 5 n Jonny & the Baptists: Eat the Poor Tobacco Factory theatre. Exploring the gap between rich and poor, Jonny & the Paddy’s lives turn upside down when one betrays the other for financial gain. A preview of the 2017 tour from the acclaimed stars of Radio 4’s The Now Show and the BBC’s Live at Television Centre. Ages 14+, £11, 8pm.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com Monday March 6 n Monday Funday Acta community theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster. Join elders from the Malcolm X Theatre Co for fun improvisation, games and laughter. All welcome. 1.30-3pm.

Also on April 3.

• acta-bristol.com Friday March 10 n Bristol Castle Knowle & Totterdown Local History Society hosts a talk by Professor Peter Fleming on the hidden history of the middle ages behind Bristol’s invisible castle. Redcatch community centre, 7.30pm.

Members £1.50, non-members £3.

• knowleandtotterdownhistory. org.uk Friday 10th March n Oasiz The Tunnels, Temple Meads. Oasis recreate the Oasis

Some of these people I’ve walked past on the street, with no idea how beautifully they sing, write lyrics, or how sweetly they strum – there’s something very special about watching people share their creativity this way!

After a break, to grab a hot drink and homemade cake from the coffee bar, or top yourself up if you’ve Brought Your Own, we have the main act. This month it’s Mike Silver, a professional musician who lived in Bristol

before he moved to Cornwall some decades ago. He has a grand fruity voice, plays fantastically and tells great stories in his songs – some mischievous or uplifting, some thought-provoking and powerful. Mike invites us to join in the choruses, which we do, and it sounds fantastic.

After several encores he looks moved at the warmth he’s created, tells some jokes, and reluctantly steps away. The fluorescent lighting comes on.

Suddenly we’re back in a church hall in Bristol, where before we were in an inn on a Cornish moor, sharing a dram.

Laurie Burn, minister at Totterdown Baptist Church, and his wife Karen, set up the club in 2011. Later this year he’s moving away. A committee has formed to keep the club going – gigs are the first Saturday of every month and are always listed in the Voice.

To find out more email stella-terry@hotmail.co.uk Beccy Golding • Facebook: Saltcellar Folk Club

live gig experience. Their aim is to play every Oasis song ever written – though not all in the same show. 7.30pm, £8.50.

• thetunnelsbristol.co.uk Monday March 13 n Totterdown gardening club 11.45am-12.45pm. Meets in Totterdown Square outside Tesco on the second Monday of each month to tend to the raised beds.

• tresa.org.uk Tuesday March 14 n The Road to Huntsville Tobacco Factory theatre.

Acclaimed writer-performer Stephanie Ridings grapples with why British women fall in love with men on Death Row. An exploration into unconventional love, state homicide and cats; winner of the Arts Award Voice at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe.

Until March 17; shows £10 at 7.15pm and 9.15pm but 7.15pm only on March 17.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com Wednesday March 15 n Tresa public meeting the Totterdown community and environmental group meets at 7.30pm at the Star & Dove, St Luke’s Road, with a guest speaker from CASS, the Bristol mental health support charity.

• tresa.org.uk

Thursday March 16 Little Cooks Hands-on cooking classes for pre-school children at Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. 10am12noon, £10. Enquiries: hollynredfern@gmail.com • windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Friday March 17 n The Vibrators + The Wrong ’Uns + UK’s Lowest Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. The Vibrators are one of the original punk bands, formed in 1976 and still performing more than 100 gigs a year. Supported by Bristol punk outfits The Wrong ’Uns and UK’s Lowest. 7.30pm, £8 • the thunderbolt.net Saturday March 18 n Introduction to hula hooping and circus skills Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster, 10am12noon. £25 per ticket Organised by the WEA: 0845 458 2758 • windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk n Othello: lunchtime talk Join the director of this Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory production, Richard Twyman, and cast members. Not intended as an introduction to Continued on page 38

Mike Silver: Mischief and more

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March 2017

n WHAT’S ON Hitting the blue notes every time PLAYING every week in South Bristol are the longest running band in the South West – the The Blue Notes.

Formed in Bristol in 1956 as the Blue Note Jazz Band, the ensemble has survived the inevitable personnel changes over the years, most notably that of Roger Bennett who led the band on soprano sax and clarinet from the start until his untimely death in 2005.

Having been resident at Bristol’s world famous Old Duke pub in cobbled King Street for over 20 years, the Blue Notes now play every the show; best enjoyed if you have already seen the play.

11am-1pm, £15 includes lunch.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com Sunday March 19 n Vintage Furniture Flea Paintworks, Bath Road.

Furniture and homewares from the mid-20th C. Featuring everything from Ercol to cocktail shakers. Earlybird Entry £3 10.30-11am, £2 11am-4:30pm.

Under 12s free.

• paintworksbristol.co.uk n Wedding Fair Arnos vale cemetery, Bath Road, 11am-3pm.

Free entry to meet a hand-picked selection of local wedding suppliers. Arnos Vale wedding coordinator, Kat, will be on hand and Kate’s Kitchen will be open.

• arnosvale.org.uk/events n Sara Pascoe: Animal Tobacco Factory theatre at 7.30pm and matinée at the Comedy Box, Hen & Chicken, at 3.30pm. Sara considers whether humans are naturally bad? How do we become better? Do we really have to die? And gulp, should she have a baby?

• thecomedybox.co.uk Tuesday March 21 n Letters to Windsor House Wardrobe Theatre, Old Market: a Tobacco Factory theatre Beyond production. A howl of protest from a generation left behind by the property market.” With songs, politics and dodgy landlords, the housing crisis gets personal. Ages 14+, £8. Until

Residents: The Blue Notes, the longest-running band in the South West Wednesday evening at the Undercroft, St Mary Redcliffe Church from 7.30-10pm. Hot meals are served from 7pm, together with a licensed bar.

The Blue Notes continue

to play at the Old Duke on some Friday nights and Sunday lunchtimes throughout the year, as well as performing at weddings, birthdays and parties.

They have an extensive

March 25; 8pm, matinée Saturday 2pm.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com n Nathan Grisdale Fiddlers Club, Willway Street, Bedminster. Singer Nathan Grisdale, 22, is on his first national tour after he got a deal thanks to 800,000 followers on YouTube. £10 adv, 7.30pm.

• fiddlers.co.uk Wednesday March 22 n Paul Gilbert guitar masterclass The Tunnels, Temple Meads. Learn from one of the founders of rock group Mr Big. Paul and his band will play different techniques and styles, with Q & A. 7pm, seated £20, standing £15.

• thetunnelsbristol.co.uk Thursday March 23 n Caring for your organic garden Avon Organic Group talk by Maggi Brown, former head of education and senior advisor at Garden Organic and lecturer at Pershore College.

7-9pm, Dance Studio at the Station, Silver Street, Bristol BS1 2AG. All welcome. Visitors £3 members £1. email secretaryaog@gmail.com n Kaz Hawkins The Tunnels, Temple Meads. Multi-awardwinning Kaz Hawkins is Northern Ireland’s blues and soul darling. “Her high-energy, original shows with her 1950s swing-dress-meets-Dr Martens look make Kaz one of today’s most popular blues artists in the

UK and Ireland.” 7.30pm, £10.

• thetunnelsbristol.co.uk Friday March 24 n Networking with Freelance Mum Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. Monthly businessfocused networking in a family friendly environment. 10am-12 noon £7.50 per ticket • freelancemum.co.uk n Love4Salsa Party SouthBank Clib, Dean Lane, Southville, 7pm-midnight.

Every month on the fourth Friday, SouthBank gets into salsa – £7 with class included. Contact Vava on 07779 850608 or bristolsalsa@gmail.com.

• darranvava.simpl.com n Love/Hate + Knock Out Kaine Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Jizzy Pearl marks the 25th anniversary of his album Wasted In America by playing it in its entirety. Songs and memories and a meet and greet afterwards. 7.30pm.

• the thunderbolt.net Saturday March 25 n Jumble Sale Totterdown Methodist Church Hall, Bushy Park, 10am-12noon.Plenty of bargains. If you have any contributions please bring them to the hall on Friday March 24 from 10am.

Friday March 31 n Beats at the Farm Fridays Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster, last Friday of the month with street food, bar

repertoire embracing early Armstrong, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Bix Beiderbeck and Hoagy Carmichael.

The rhythm section features Geoff Roberts, aka Ivor E. Tinkler, on piano, Grant Raynor on bass, with Bob Watkins on drums. The three front line members vary, but include Swindon’s Alan Bateman on trumpet, soprano sax and vocals, together with the trumpet and vocalising of Bradford on Avon’s Martin Williams.

Ron Brown features on trombone with Hugh Roberts on clarinet and tenor sax.

Hannah Wedlock on vocals is described as the youngest member of the band “and by some measure the prettiest”. and music. 5-9pm, are entry, no booking required.

• windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Quiz and supper night Windmill Hill community centre, Vivian Street. Last Friday of every month, 8.30pm-late.

• whca.org.uk n Charlie Baker: The Hit Polisher Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken, North Street, Southville. With Sean Hargreaves on Hammond organ, Charlie Baker (Harry Hill’s hunchback assistant on Sky 1) sings terrible pop songs, polished up to become groovy. £12, 7.45pm.

• thecomedybox.co.uk

Mark Smith: Veteran of disdain n The Fall Fiddlers, Willway Street, Bedminster. Since 1976, The Fall have been a vehicle for Mark E Smith’s coruscating, funny, vicious lyrics. His disdain is unequalled but no one else has gone on from 70s Manchester to score a Sadler’s Wells ballet. Or appear on Later with Jools Holland on condition that Jools didn’t play piano with them.

8pm, £22.50 advance. their 32nd studio album is imminent.

• fiddlers.co.uk

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