South Bristol Voice, July 2017

southbristolvoice July 2017 No. 26

www.southbristolvoice.co.uk

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FURY AT CUTS TO LOLLIPOP PATROLS

• Bristol’s tallest tower down the road Page 3 • New plans for cycleways Page 5

OUTRAGE was sparked among South Bristol parents at news that half of school crossing patrols are to be axed – even those on the busiest main roads.

The move – which is subject to consultation until September 5 – is part of a bigger cuts package which could also close most of Bristol’s libraries, close all the public toilets except those in parks, and slash services to the old and disabled.

The lollipop patrol on Wells

Road, Totterdown, which serves children going to Hillcrest primary school, is one of those affected.

Also facing removal are patrols at Knowle Park primary, Parson Street primary and St Mary Redcliffe primary. The cuts

Let’s help Mattie in his bid for medals

TEENAGER Mattie Reynolds has hopes of winning gold medals for Britain in a Paralympic-style event – but only if the South Bristol community get behind him.

Mattie, from Knowle, has a rare genetic condition that restricts his growth. But he’s not only a great athlete, he’s a soulful singer, and he started his fundraising campaign at the Totterdown Music Festival.

Endangered crossing: Paul Whitmell sees families safely over Wells Rd will save only £90,000 of the £33 million the council needs to save this year. Already there is heavy pressure for the patrols to be saved.

Parents have started a change.org petition to save Paul Continued on page 20

• Artist who took us to the moon Page 15

• Our world-class flight site Pages 22-24

Soulful: Mattie wows Totterdown music festival.

STORY: Page 10

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• History: Knowle’s “verdant meadows” Pages 30-34

Knowle Office Call: 0117 977 3238 Search: oceanhome.co.uk

IN

July 2017

southbristolvoice

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.

Deliveries: Greg Champion

Intro

TOWERING DILEMMA THE WHOLE nation has been moved by the Grenfell tower tragedy, not only by the scale of it, but by the fact that it could apparently have been avoided.

That, however, is not a reason to jump to conclusions.

Bristol city council has assured residents of its tower blocks that it has never used insulation of the type used in Grenfell tower. It has also never used the same contractor.

That is no need for complacency, of course. People living in high-rise council blocks will naturally be worried.

The council will arrange meetings with tenants if they have particular concerns:

You can find South Bristol Voice on Facebook and Twitter facebook.com/ southbristolvoice Twitter: @sbristolvoice Co. no. 09522608 | VAT no. 211 0801 76

Next month’s deadline for editorial and advertising is July 19th

contact your councillor (their details are on this page) if you want more information.

It will worry many people that, here in South Bristol, we are contemplating plans for several new tower blocks – including one that would be the tallest building in Bristol (see page 3).

Again, let’s not rush to judgement. There may be many reasons for opposing high-rise residential buildings.

But new high-rises have sprinkler systems and safety measures far better than those used in Grenfell tower.

Even so, the mayor will probably be thinking hard about how he presents his new policy on taller buildings – which we understand will be revealed to the city soon.

• Your councillor: pages 28-29

n BRIEFLY n FOOTBALLERS fighting to save their five-a-side pitch at Windmill Hill City Farm are hoping plans for a new children’s nursery there will be reconsidered. Representatives of 13 teams who use the pitch will meet farm chief executive Steve Sayer on June 26 to hear if the nursery can be moved elsewhere on the farm. The nursery would earn £300,000 a year and could secure the farm’s future.

Architects have been asked to see whether the nursery could be sited away from the pitch. n A FUN day on Saturday July 8 will raise funds in memory of 33-year-old father Jason Gurgul, who drowned in Bristol harbour after a night out on April 28.

It starts at 2pm at Hungerford community centre, Brislington, with raffles, an auction, children’s games, face painting, a disco, coconut shy and cake stalls. Money raised will go to the Inland Water Safety Group (IWSG), which is patrolling the harbourside late at night looking for people in distress. Mr Gurgul is one of six people to have died

in the harbour this year. Police have said there is nothing to link the incidents, and there is no evidence anyone was pushed.

• Facebook: In Loving Memory Of Jason Gurgul n A GARDEN fete takes place on Saturday July 8 at St Martin’s church, Knowle, from 2pm. On offer are tea and cakes, games, bric-a-brac, toys and plants. n HILLCREST primary school in Cemetery Road, Totterdown, holds its summer fair on Saturday July 8, from 12noon4pm. There will be games, food, music and crafts, and the theme is Festival. n GAINES the grocer is closing – temporarily – from Friday July 7. Owners Jason and Debbie Gaines, who have run the business for more than seven years, will be selling off all the perishable stock, and are inviting customers to join them in a glass of bubbly from 5pm. New owners will take over the shop during August and it is expected to reopen on September 1.

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bedminster pharmacy Cannon Street, Bedminster, BS3 1BN Open 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat

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My MP? Karin Smyth MP By email: karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk By post: Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA By phone: 0117 953 3575 In person: Surgeries on Friday July 7 and 21. Call 0117 953 3575 for an appointment.

My councillor?

Christopher Davies Lib Dem, Knowle Post: Brunel House, St George’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UY Email: Cllr.Christopher.Davies@ bristol.gov.uk 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

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 NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUMS NOTE: These meetings are on hold due to council cutbacks.

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.

South Bristol Voice Ltd | 18 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BX

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July 2017

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n NEWS

The growing has started at new Redcatch garden THE NEW community garden at Redcatch Park is open for business, with plants and produce on sale.

Gardener Steve Griffiths and volunteers are turning the former bowling green into a place where residents can buy garden plants and fruit trees, and learn more

about growing their own produce.

It’s hoped an outdoor café will be open by the end of June. A crowdfunding campaign has already topped £8,000 out of a target of £12,000.

Supporters can donate cash, or buy one of many rewards.

Offers include sausages from

Knowle’s Sausagenius, a bird box made by volunteers at the garden, a haircut by a mobile hairdresser, and many more. Others, including flowers from Totterdown’s Floriography, quickly sold out.

Work has started in the garden’s first polytunnel, where an irrigation system is being

installed. “We’re starting to think about raised beds, our sensory garden and maybe a strip or two of meadow grasses and flowers,” said Steve.

• Facebook: @ redcatchcommunitygarden • crowdfunder.co.uk/redcatchcommunity-garden-1

Uni plans tallest tower in Bristol Student block at Arena Island could be 25 storeys THE TALLEST building in Bristol is being proposed for Arena Island, as part of a £300 million new campus of “digital excellence” for the University of Bristol.

The university told the Voice that its intial plans include a 25-storey tower – part of the accommodation proposed for 1,000 students.

That would make it easily the tallest building in Bristol and will make it dominate the skyline from the south of the city.

The council has been told the tower will be between 75m and 100m tall.

At the moment, the spire of St Mary Redcliffe is the city’s tallest structure at 87m. The highest building is One Redcliffe Street – currently 60m but being extended by a further 4m.

The university revealed its initial proposals for the new campus on Arena Island North and the old Royal mail sorting office on June 19. It will hold several events and exhibitions until July 21 (see panel).

It will revise the plans and consult on them again before submitting an outline planning application later in the year.

Time is tight, though – to win government grants, the new campus must be open to students in autumn 2021.

That means construction must begin in 2019. There is no sign of a deal being announced to build the arena, but if that is delayed further, the two sets of builders could collide on site,

upsetting both timetables. The university’s plans for Arena Island North show student accommodation blocks of 25, 18 and 11 storeys – all much taller than anything in the vicinity.

Other tall buildings may be in the pipeline, though, from other developers in the Temple Meads enterprise zone. Nearby, a 22-storey block planned for Redcliffe Quarter would itself be taller than anything else in Bristol. Patrick Finch, the university’s bursar and director of estates, is aware that the university’s towers will provoke a reaction.

“There is a view that we need to maximise the potential of the brownfield sites in the city centre,” he told the Voice.

“There will be a contrary view, and that’s really what the consultation is all about.”

The university says it wants to make its campus “a welcoming space that belongs to the community, turning a brownfield site into an open campus which will benefit everyone”.

It might have facilities for further education and adult education or spaces for community use.

“At its core lies a desire to develop a ‘Bristol approach’ to innovation which is visionary, transformative and inclusive – building on Bristol’s reputation as one of the world’s leading digital cities,” said the university.

Simon Hobeck, chair of Totterdown community group Tresa, expressed concern about the effect on the iconic views of Totterdown from Temple Meads, but said he wanted to learn more before commenting further.

• bristol.ac.uk/TempleQuarter

Towering: First look at the new campus, above

Consultation open until July 21. Public exhibitions open until July 7: At Engine Shed, Temple Meads, Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm, and Beacon House, Clifton, BS8 1SE, 8am7pm Mon- Fri and 10am-4pm weekends. Consultation events: Paintworks, Bath Road, July 4, 3-7pm, Engine Shed, Temple Meads, July 5, 3-7pm; Email E.temple-quarter@bristol.ac.uk | 0117 977 2002

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

July 2017

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4

n NEWS Let’s stick together

Now that’s what I call a tea party

A Paris boulvard? No, it’s Park Street, Totterdown’s Big Get Together

Cake for everyone: Cleve House pupils celebrate the big anniversary

AROUND 50 people took part in Totterdown’s Big Lunch at the Community Orchard on Park Street on June 18 – renamed the Big Get Together this year, as one of the events up and down the country in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox. Similar events were held in Victoria Park and Somerset Road the day before.

Residents enjoyed a barbecue, live music and games, including

PUPILS past and present were among more than 200 people celebrating the 80th anniversary of Cleve House school on June 16.

The school was founded in 1937 and moved several times around Knowle before taking up its site in Wells Road in 1948.

The afternoon included a huge tea for everyone as well as a performance of the school’s specially-composed song, sung

turnip-rolling down the steep street.

“It’s gone really well,” said Rebecca Mear, a director of community group Tresa.

“It’s good to get everyone together.” As well as having a street party, she added, it helps to promote the community space, which it’s hoped will remain open, despite previous threats by the council to sell it for housing.

by all the pupils. Head teacher Craig Wardle said: “It was wonderful to celebrate such a milestone in the school’s history with so many friends associated with Cleve’s 80 years.”

Cleve House is forming an association for all former pupils and staff to share memories and school history. For details, email clevehouseschool@btconnect.com.

• clevehouseschool.co.uk

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July 2017

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5

n NEWS

Have a say on cycleway plans Northern Slopes route now on show RESIDENTS who live near Northern Slopes are being urged to have their say as the council presents revised plans for a cycleway through the open space.

The Northern Slopes Initiative (NSI) has negotiated several changes to the proposal, which is part of the £2.3 million Filwood Quietway route linking Knowle West to the city centre.

The route through Northern Slopes – from the entrance at the upper end of Wedmore Vale to the lower entrance at the corner of Glyn Vale – has been narrowed to 3m wide at the request of NSI. Just like objectors at Victoria Park, NSI members want the route to be shared so that cyclists do not speed along it and put pedestrians at risk.

The route will also have extra curves along the steep part of the

VICTORIA PARK REVISED NEW PLANS for the Victoria Park section of the Filwood Quietway were discussed at a public meeting at St Michael’s church in Windmill Hill on June 19, just as the Voice was going to press.

It includes most of the changes requested by pressure group Forward Together (FoG).

A narrower, 3m-wide path will be shared by cyclists and Slopes to slow cycles down. The plan was debated by a steering group set up at NSI’s suggestion, involving cyclists, equality, parks and walking groups.

NSI is urging people to agree to the new, narrow width.

But it opposes plans for LED lighting on 4.7m posts. Instead it wants CCTV cameras to make people feel safer and deter motorcyclists or flytippers. NSI says illegal access will be easier if new K-barriers replace the gates

CLEVE HOUSE SCHOOL & LITTLE CLEVE NURSERY www.clevehouseschool.co.uk For boys and girls aged 2-11 years

pedestrians. FoG didn’t want lights along the whole path but this is one of several options for lighting that are presented.

A planning application is expected in July, when there will be more consultation.

Comments can be made until June 26 at the website below or by emailing caf@bristol.gov.uk.

• victoriaparkbristol. commonplace.is that are used now. The group also wants the surface to be the same pale colour it is now, not black tarmac.

And it has asked for a picnic area near the corner of Wedmore Vale and Glyn Vale.

Comments can be made until June 29 – at the website below or by emailing caf@bristol.gov.uk • northernslopesbristol. commonplace.is • northern-slopes-initiative. co.uk/quietway

Support your local farmers on the Slopes THOUGHT farming had died out in Knowle? Think again – Bramble Farm, on Northern Slopes, is opening its gates to the public on July 8 and 9.

The community farm started nine years ago when TV chef and campaigner Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall helped a group of residents set up a small-holding on disused land, which featured in the River Cottage TV programme.

A spokesperson said: “The farm is going strong with a solid group of committed local families who all muck in to make the farm a very special place.”

The open days will feature childrens’ activities, BBQ, a plant sale, soup and cakes. Visitors can also see pigs, sheep, pygmy goats, chickens and ducks. Access is off Beckington Walk, Bristol BS3 5EA. • Facebook: Bramble Farm Bristol

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

July 2017

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6

n NEWS Welcome to the Healing Courtyard A NEW COMMUNITY space is taking shape in the heart of Totterdown.

It’s called the Healing Courtyard, and it’s the vision of Beks Vera Harhat, owner of

Deputy mayor says deal has been struck to keep the pool open for five years KNOWLE’S Jubilee swimming pool will be saved from closure, according to the cabinet member responsible for agreeing a deal with operator Parkwood Leisure.

Deputy mayor Asher Craig says Parkwood has agreed to carry on running the pool, in Jubilee Road, for five years without any subsidy from the council.

As the Voice went to press on June 19, the deal had still not been confirmed by the council, but a statement was expected within days.

The Voice understands that Parkwood, which also runs Hengrove leisure centre, has also agreed to take on maintenance of the Jubilee building.

The council will give the firm a one-off payment of £100,000, Labour members have been told.

The council will make extra payments if maintenance costs top £30,000 in any one year.

Labour Party members have

Wells Road flower shop Floriography.

Beks has been entrusted with the courtyard – a shaded place behind the former Chinese restaurant in the old Totterdown Centre – by its custodian, Bristol Women’s Workshop.

Bex wants to make it a place of coming together for the whole community.

After only a couple of weeks’ work it’s already transformed,

with herbs growing in bright troughs and pots, and colourful signs and candles dotted around.

“Totterdown has a really diverse mix of talented people with really creative ideas and intentions,” Beks told the Voice.

She wanters to help create a space that’s based on an old physick garden, full of flowers and healing herbs, and have it used for all kinds of community functions.

Jubilee pool ‘safe’ – but it was never at risk, says Craig

Jubilee pool: Never at danger of closure, says deputy mayor not waited for the official announcement – they have been congratulating Cllr Craig for saving the pool.

Cllr Craig told the Voice that the pool “was never going to close”. Removing the pool’s £62,000 annual subsidy from September was not the same as closing it, she said.

However, there were

widespread fears that the pool and its mini-gym were for the axe in January, when two council agendas listed closure as an option.

The council also published a garbled disability access statement which appeared to justify closure.

Cllr Asher said the wording of those documents was “unfortunate”.

She said: “The mayor had always made it quite clear that the pool was never earmarked for closure. Officers have been in negotiations with Parkwood and the outcome is that we have agreed an amicable deal with the current operators which includes the removal of the revenue subsidy of £62,000.”

Campaigners who have fought to save the pool have been waiting hopefully for an official

She’s hoping volunteers will help keep it open during the day, perhaps in return for being able to run creative classes there.

There’s already a small marquee that’s cosy with carpets and bookshelves, while outside there is a clay pizza oven which could lend itself to social events.

If it was commercial event, there would be a charge, but if it’s charitable, it may be waived.

• Facebook: announcement by the council.

Save Jubilee Pool organiser Nicola Skinner said: “I hope that this is just red tape. I would like to think that the council has agreed a deal.”

Gary Hopkins, Lib Dem leader and Knowle councillor, said the deal with Parkwood was “what we have been fighting for”.

He ridiculed claims that the pool had never been threatened.

The campaign to save the pool won 6,000 signatures on a petition. It also brought new visitors through the doors, and boosted Parkwood’s revenue. It was this show of support that persuaded Parkwood to run Jubilee without subsidy, Cllr Hopkins argued.

Some see echoes of last year’s battle to save the 51 bus. First Bus wanted to close the route, and this was accepted by Bristol’s Labour leadership until Cllr Hopkins and colleagues found that rival bus firm Wessex was willing to restart the 51. Labour then negotiated a deal with Wessex, and claimed the credit.

• The petition against the closure was due to be discussed at a full council meeting on June 27, after the Voice went to press.

• Facebook: @savejubilee

ASK A VET: CAN CATS GET TICKS AS WELL AS DOGS?

T

HE ANSWER is yes. Ticks are more commonly seen in dogs, as dogs tend to walk in grassy areas, but cats get them too, particularly if they live near woodland or fields.

September and October is peak tick season, but they are often seen earlier in the summer. Last year saw an increase in these nasty little critters. Ticks can carry infectious diseases, including Lyme disease, which is also thought to be on the increase.

Ticks wait in the grass for warm-blooded mammals to brush

A tick waits in the grass for a warm-blooded mammal to pass past, then attach themselves and feed off the blood. The longer the tick is attached, the greater the risk of infection, so check your pet’s

skin every day. If you find one, don’t pull it off – they should be twisted off with a tick remover tool so that the mouth part is also removed. If the mouth part is left, it can pass on disease or fester and become infected. Ideally, call us for an appointment to see a nurse who will remove it for you free of charge.

The recent humid weather is a perfect breeding ground for ticks and we recommend using tick protection. Your vet will be able to prescribe an effective treatment for both dogs and cats to last three

Rob Parry-Hall MRCVS Highcroft Veterinary Hospital, Whitchurch months. For more information, or to book an appointment, don’t hesitate to call us on 01275 832410.

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July 2017

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7

n NEWS

Anger at latest 18-storey plan for Bedminster Green A DEVELOPER who is proposing an 18-storey tower for part of Bedminster Green has defended the plan, saying it delivers a lot of the elements the neighbourhood needs.

Residents in planning group WHaM called the plan completely inappropriate for the area.

Urbis boss Richard Clarke has shown residents a model of his proposals for Plot 5, the part of Bedminster Green which includes the railway station and the green in front of it.

As well as the 18-storey tower on Hereford Street, it includes a new road layout, a new station, a doctor’s surgery and a car park.

It will also have the 30 per cent of affordable housing demanded by Bristol city council.

“We feel we are going to build a really nice building,” said Richard Clarke, managing director of Urbis, “and we are delivering so many issues that the area needs in terms of housing and parking.”

The height of the building could only be reduced if the council reduces its requirement for affordable housing, he said.

Urbis has been through 14 drafts of the Plot 5 plan. “We have tried to listen to complaints about creating a monolithic building that blocks out the view from Windmill Hill,” said Mr Clarke.

Dianne James of the

ROLLO’S INVITATION A RIVAL developer to Urbis is also showing its plans to the public.

Rollo Homes, owned by Bedminster-based builder Paul O’Brien, has been criticised for failing to talk to local people about its proposals for a 10-storey development of 217 flats on Plot 1 of Bedminster Green, between the railway line and Malago Road.

Now Rollo Homes is inviting residents to an exhibition of a new version of its plans on Thursday Windmill Hill planning group WHaM criticised not only the plan for an 18-storey tower, but the surrounding buildings – a 300-bed student accommodation block and a tall, bulky building above a new Bedminster railway station. It would also mean cutting down the trees on the green to allow construction of an underground car park.

“We don’t think any of that is appropriate for a residential area,” she said. “It’s showing no respect for the people who live here.

“We don’t understand how the people who built Wapping Wharf on the harbourside could afford to build five and six storeys on land that was probably more expensive, and still include affordable housing.”

On Wednesday June 28,

June 29 from 4-7.30pm, to be held in a marquee on the Malago Road plot, which is the site of the former Pring & St Hill steel factory.

The plans for the flats are understood to have been revised after the council insisted it wanted to reserve a strip of land along Malago Road for a future transit link – possibly a tram or bus link to Bristol Airport.

It’s not clear whether Rollo has also revised its plans for a district energy centre at the Sheene Road end of the plot.

Urbis will show off its plan for a district energy centre on the site of the Dalby Road NCP car park, to power 2,000 homes in and around the Green, at a meeting at 8pm in Windmill Hill community centre.

The Plot 5 plans will be shown to councillors on June 29.

Dogs raise the woof for charity DOG OWNERS are invited to join forces on Saturday July 29 for the Bristol Woof Walk to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

It starts and finishes at Just for Pets at the Imperial Retail Park, Hartcliffe, and is organised by staff member Daniel Whitton.

Ninety people and their pets took part last year, under the banner Bristol Dogs Unite, and raised more than £2,600.

This year, with the catchy name of the Woof Walk, Daniel is hoping for even more walkers.

“We set no targets or minimum sponsorship – we just want to raise as much as we can for the cause,” said Daniel.

Walkers can register in advance or turn up on the day.

Pet suppliers are supporting the event along with several local businesses. To find out more email daniel.whitton@ justforpetstores.co.uk or visit • Facebook: Bristol Woof Walk

Malago clean-up takes effect MORE than 50 people came together to clear the Malago Greenway of rubbish on June 10.

From a standing start a year ago, the Friends of Malago Greenway have cleared the river and its surroundings of rubbish, including fridges and mattresses.

This time, they found only a tenth of the waste they picked at their previous event.

Families with children were joined by a team of “wonder women” from house builder Redrow and 10 runners from Good Gym, who jog to places needing community work and then run home again.

The ambitious volunteers

have already won all the funding they need for a Berry Maze of soft fruit, with planters and benches, to be started in the autumn.

Organiser Raluca McKett said: “Unfortunately, some residents decided to dump more belongings at the collection points after the event finished, which raised again the issue of prevention. The Malago Greenway Project and Bristol Waste are working with other interested parties toward solutions which could help residents with their waste needs.

If you can contribute ideas, write to malagogreenwayproject@ gmail.com.”

• Facebook: Malago Greenway

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

July 2017

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8

n NEWS Sunday oasis of calm for mums and daughters A SPECIAL Sunday morning session in Windmill Hill will help mums and daughters come together and look after each other.

Called Creating Calm, it aims to bring girls of 7-11 closer to their mothers – or their grandmothers, aunties or godmothers.

Starting on July 16 at Windmill Hill community centre from 10.30am-12.30pm, it will include creative yoga, mindfulness, crafts, and the chance to learn simple massage techniques.

It’s followed by a picnic in Victoria Park.

Creating Calm is run by Jules Allan, creative wellbeing officer for Make a Move, a movement and music charity.

“The idea is for mums and daughters to learn wellbeing strategies – together – so they can use them afterwards in everyday life,” she said.

Jules was inspired by her relationship with her goddaughter Lola, 8, who lives in Windmill Hill, “Ever since she was little we’re practised yoga, mindfulness and creative story-telling together – it’s been our way of bonding,” Jules said.

“Last year, when her mum was having mental health difficulties, it was a really great way for me to support Lola, offer her some coping strategies and a way for us to look after each other.”

The first session is free but donations are welcome. Places are limited so please book via email: jules@makeamove.org.uk

ON JUNE 9, Bristol woke up as a Labour city, with a clean sweep of the city’s four seats in the General Election.

Karin Smyth took Bristol South for a second time, more than doubling her majority to almost 16,000.

She told the South Bristol Voice she was humbled by the scale of her victory, which came as Labour defied expectations.

She will have the same priorities she has had since first being elected in 2015 – homes, jobs and training for young people, and the NHS, she said.

Voters had made it clear that they “could not countenance” having a Conservative MP for the constituency, she said.

In her acceptance speech after the count at the Action Indoor Sport centre in Hengrove, she said: “Theresa May called this election at your expense, to shore up her support within the Conservative Party, and you have passed judgement on her arrogance.”

Talking to the Voice, she played down her previous opposition to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying she looked forward to working with him.

Her chief rival, the city’s Conservative leader Cllr Mark Weston, had been tipped to win the seat at the beginning of the campaign. But when the results were announced at almost 2.30am, the Tory vote was half of Labour’s.

Labour had feared that if the sizeable UKIP vote – 8,000 in 2015 – all went the Tories’ way, it would win them the seat.

In reality, the Conservatives did gain 4,000-odd votes.

But the UKIP, Lib Dem and Green votes all collapsed, with reports that voters were telling

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THE RESULT Bristol South voting, June 8, 2017

Votes % %

change Labour Karin Smyth 32,666 60.1 +21.7 Conservative Mark Weston 16,679 30.7 +6.3 Lib Dem Ben Nutland 1,821 3.3 -5.3 UKIP Ian Kealey 1,672 3.1 -13.4 Green Party Tony Dyer 1,428 2.6 -8.9 Independent John Langley 116 0.2 +0.2 Elated: Karin Smyth after her win

Turnout 65.5% (2015: 62%)

Landslide for Smyth as Labour takes all four Bristol seats

the Lib Dems and Greens in particular that while they liked their policies, they would vote Labour to avoid a Tory victory.

Mr Weston told the Voice he was buoyed by the scale of the Conservative vote across much of the constituency.

No official breakdown is given of the vote by wards. But the website electoralcalculus.co.uk estimated that Labour won all nine wards in Bristol South, which stretches from the New Cut out to Hengrove, Whitchurch and Hartcliffe.

In more affluent wards such as Windmill Hill, the Labour vote was about three times the Tory

one. Electoralcalculus.co.uk estimated that the closest result was in Bishopsworth, where Labour polled about 2,950 to the Tories’ 2,559.

Ms Smyth left the election count not for an all-night celebration but for some sleep – it was the birthday of one of her three sons.

She is expected to carry on as parliamentary aide, or PPS, to Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary.

• Labour won Bristol East, which includes Brislington – a seat they feared they would lose. Sitting MP Kerry McCarthy quadrupled her majority to 13,394.

• Classes in Knowle and Totterdown for 4-7 years and 8-11 years

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July 2017

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9

n NEWS

S2 design . architects

The new buildings seen from behind, with the farmhouse in the centre 1

view towards Lower Knowle Farm from allotments

LOWER KNOWLE FARM FEW have seen the remains of the ancient Lower Knowle farm off St John’s Lane. It is likely to have been founded when Knowle was a rural group of farms, a tithing, part of the early medieval royal estate of Bedminster. Archeologists who dug trenches in the gardens last year found shards of medieval pottery from the 12th C. The present farmhouse dates

from the last 17th and early 18th centuries. A larger manor house, Lower Knowle Court, survived at least until the 1840s.

The land was farmed until the 20th C, when homes began to be built all around it.

Cattle trading continued until the 1940s, by which time the council owned the farm.

It was rented to the same farming family until the last family member died several years ago.

1321-PlanApp-2-4.vwx

disruption if extra residents move in.

Bristol Civic Society made no objection, but questioned whether parking was adequate. The group also asked that the Redcliffe Pipe should be protected.

The farm co-op say they are a group of Bristol residents seeking a community-focused sustainable life style. They should not be considered like a conventional housing developer, and they will discourage vehicle use, they say.

Building nine new homes “is critical to the scheme viability and for creating a sustainable co-housing community”, they said.

The plan requires demolishing a tumbledown barn, probably built between 1867 and 1881.

In another complication, there may be mine shafts under the site, and these will need to be assessed for safety, according to the Coal Authority.

Cemetery wants to create garden ARNOS Vale cemetery is trying to raise money to transform its top entrance near Cemetery Road from wasteland into a community garden.

If a crowdfunding campaign can reach £4,000, the Better

COMMUNITY groups are banding together to form a common voice for the Arnos Vale area, which is expected to see huge redevelopment in the next 10 years.

A London developer has proposed a tower of up to 12 storeys on the former petrol station next to Totterdown Bridge on Bath Road.

Together with developments proposed or agreed at Paintworks, the Bath Road TV studios, a plot behind Majestic Wines, and the former factory opposite Arnos Park, it is believed an extra 1,000 people could be living along a small stretch of the Bath Road.

Totterdown community group Tresa is working with residents groups in Arnos Vale, Sandy Park and St Phillips to raise awareness of the issues.

Residents want the impact on the area to be considered as a whole, not piece by piece. site view • tresa.org.uk

Bristol group will match it to bring the total to £8,000. It will have several areas designed to be managed by volunteers, local groups and schools.

• crowdfunder.co.uk/the-arnosvale-community-garden

4/5/17

1321 / L22-A

Lower Knowle Farm

studio 2 . st andrews road . montpelier . bristol . bs6 5eh . t 0117 9441006 . mail@s2architects.co.uk

LOWER Knowle Farm, probably South Bristol’s least-known historic gem, could be transformed with the construction of nine new houses in the grounds of the ancient farmstead.

First, however, it will have to overcome the objections of 28 neighbours – and of council highway officials.

The farm has been owned and run for five years by a housing co-op, whose members have restored the farmhouse and now want to make it into Bristol’s first “co-housing community”.

The Grade-II listed farmhouse would become the communal hub of a group of homes, built to sustainable low-energy standards around a shared green space.

They propose one singlebedroom house, six houses of two bedrooms and two of three bedrooms.

However, only 10 parking spaces are proposed. The council highways department says 18 are needed, as well as 17 cycle spaces, rather than the 12 proposed.

Many of the 28 neighbours who objected fear the development will clog up the only access to the farm, the narrow Berrow Walk.

Residents in Berrow Walk said they feared their road would be used for parking.

Others complained that the work would remove trees and harm wildlife, and one called it “wholly unsympathetic to the design and character of the existing Grade II listed building”.

Some also expressed concern for the ancient Redcliffe Pipe – a medieval water pipe which runs under the site and dates from the year 1190. It fed water from a spring higher up in Knowle to St Mary Redcliffe.

Others mentioned noisy parties at the farm and fear more

One voice for Arnos Vale

10cm

Should more homes be built at Knowle’s historic farm?

A weekend of fun!

Castles in the Park

Saturday July 1 Community day in Victoria Park 1-3pm, all ages welcome.

Games, Crafts, Activities Puppets – meet Esther, the valiant queenofwho Join us for an evening songs,saved her people!

hymns and spiritual songs from Harding University Choir Picnic and Praise 2017 from 7pm. on Thursday 18th May

Sunday July 2 1pm Bring your own picnic Then join an informal sports afternoon in Victoria Park.

5pm Praise in the Park.

All welcome!

Harding University is a Christian University All in hosted Bedminster Church of Christ based Searcy,by Arkansas.

They will be John’s visiting Bristol as 298 part St of their UKLane tour.

Bristol BS 3 5AY For more information contact www.churchofchristbristol.org Jason Snethen 07795560990 Facebook: bristolchurchofchrist Church of Christ, 298 St Johns More details fromLane, Jason Snethen Bristol, BS3 5AY on 07795 560990 www.churchofchristbristol.org www.facebook.com/bristolchurchofchrist

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

July 2017

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10

n NEWS Play that shows both sides of mental illness

Mattie takes to festival stage to launch games bid

Heartfelt: Kane and mum Kim A YOUNG Totterdown woman is part of a team taking a unique show about mental health to the Edinburgh Festival next month.

Alice Lamb, 24, grew up in Totterdown and after finishing at drama school she has returned here to live, “after finding out nowhere is as good”.

The one-actor show, MENTAL, is performed by Alice’s collaborator Kane Power, and is about his life with a mother who has bipolar disorder.

What makes the show unique is that his mum, Kim, is also part of the show – appearing though her answerphone messages.

Alice met Kane when both were 14 at the Bristol Old Vic Young Company.

They wrote the show together, with contributions from Kim. Alice said: “A big part of my role was making sure Kim was happy with the show. She was concerned about what people might think of her, but she told me she’s found the process cathartic, and that it’s made her and Kane a lot closer.”

The show premiered in London in February, getting excellent reviews. A week at the Wardrobe theatre in Bristol’s Old Market in June was a sellout.

Alice is now raising money to take the show to the Edinburgh Fringe, where it runs from August 2-27. The shows will raise funds for mental health charities.

• kickstarter.com: search MENTAL Edinburgh • More on this story at the South Bristol Voice website.

MULTI-TALENTED Mattie Reynolds could be a contender in an international sporting competition that’s on a par with the Paralympics.

But if he’s to make it to the event in Canada in August, he’s going to need lots of help from the South Bristol community.

Mattie, 15, from Knowle, has a rare genetic condition which restricts his growth, called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, or SEDC for short.

This makes it difficult for him to play team games at school. But he’s been selected for the Paralympic development teams for sailing and swimming, and he competes in all kinds of sports, from football to track and field.

Now he’s got a place at the World Dwarf Games in Guelph, Canada, in August. The problem: he needs £3,500 to get there and pay for fees and accommodation.

Mattie attended the last games for Great Britain in

Michigan, US, in 2013, winning eight gold medals, and he’s really keen to compete again, in as many events as possible.

“I could just specify one sport but I always think I may as well do all of it,” he says. He enters track and field, hockey, badminton and more, “but swimming is my main thing,” he says.

It may be his last chance to enjoy the same success, because he will have an operation on his spine next year, and he’s been warned his mobility may not be so good afterwards.

Generous Totterdown estate agent Greenwoods has already given £200.

And Bristol Rugby are hoping to donate some sporting items to a dinner and auction evening on July 15 – see panel.

Jon Evans, landlord of the Oxford pub in Totterdown, held a barbecue as soon as heard about Mattie’s ambition, raising £100.

He also invited Mattie to sing for

Mattie: Funding a gold-medal bid a second time at the Totterdown Music festival outside the Oxford on June 10, after Mattie wowed the crowds last year.

Mr Evans donated the proceeds of his reusable festival glasses, raising £270, and a collection in the crowd boosted the total by £268 more. More than £1,200 has been collected so far. If you’d like to help Mattie see the Justgiving page, below.

SINGING AND A SUPPER July 1 The Galleries shopping centre – Mattie sings at 11.30am, 12.30pm and 1.30pm; July 1 Arnos Vale cemetery, Spielman Centre – Mattie and friends sing and play, 3-4.30pm; July 15 7 Winton Street (above Patco), 7pm: Mattie’s mum Marilyn cooks a Moroccan/Mediterranean meal, with music, raffle, auction including Bristol Rugby items.

• justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ mattie-reynolds15

Also at the Totterdown Music Festival ...

It was a storming event on June 10-11. Above, Troy Elllis; right, Crawlin’ Kingsnakes. Moreon the website...

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July 2017

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11

n NEWS

Parks may avoid zero-budget option, says deputy mayor THERE is hope that Bristol’s parks budget will not be cut to zero, deputy mayor Asher Craig has told the Voice.

Cllr Craig, who as cabinet member for communities is in charge of council leisure facilities, says she has identified around £3 million of the £4.4m savings needed.

The plans could see the parks passed to a charitable trust, with the help of the National Trust (NT).

“We have have had some early but successful discussions with the National Trust, looking at a new model for delivering parks,” said Cllr Craig.

The council’s proposal to slash parks spending to zero by April 2019 is seen as impossible by the Bristol Parks Forum and many local parks groups. The council was hoping volunteers would step in to run open spaces.

But community groups, including Victoria Park Action Group, one of the biggest in the city, said they hadn’t got the resources or the expertise needed.

Without council staff to do basic maintenance like mowing, and regular safety checks on play equipment, volunteers said many

park facilities would close.

Now Cllr Craig has signalled hope that every park in the city will continue to be maintained.

There are 28 large parks, including Victoria park and Redcatch park, but the council also looks after more than 350 open spaces of varying sizes.

Ownership of parks may pass to a new trust, similar to one set up in Newcastle, with NT advice.

More money would come from staging events – the Downs committee in Clifton is keen to increase the number of events there, said Cllr Craig.

It’s also likely Ashton Court would see more events, with higher parking charges, and more paid-for facilities such as a Go Ape assault course.

Increasing activities at some of the larger parks “will help us invest in some of the smaller ones,” said Cllr Craig. A range of other sources of funds are being discussed. The council wants people to come forward with ideas, she said.

She praised the work of Bristol’s many local parks groups: “They are doing a lot already – they are absolutely

fantastic,” she said. “We don’t necessarily want them to take on the management. If people want to look after shrubs that’s fine, but we aren’t going to ask them to go out and mow the lawns.

“I think it will be a case of negotiating with the Bristol Parks Forum and local groups about what they are willing to do.”

Rob Acton-Campbell, secretary of Bristol Parks Forum, which brings together voluntary groups from most of Bristol’s parks, said members are worried the plans are unrealistic.

It’s a big step up from the £1m a year in parks income now, to the £4.4m needed, he said.

“It seem very ambitious to get to that sort of figure in two years,” he said.

There are also doubts about how many more events parks can take, and whether the council has the staff able to organise them.

There is a limit to what residents will do for their parks, he added. The forum is setting up an e-petition on the council website demanding an end to the idea of a zero parks budget, calling it “impossible” in the timescale.

• epetitions.bristol.gov.uk

The farm table

THE NEW café at Windmill Hill City Farm, now open after months of building work, has twice as many seats as before.

“It’s light, airy and spacious and proving very popular – so popular they’ve had a booking for their first wedding reception,” said a farm spokesperson.

It has a new farm shop selling locally-produced food, including bread from the Old Market Assembly bakery, and homemade preserves.

• windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk

Shakespeare premiere by Simpsons scribe ARNOS Vale cemetery becomes a magical setting for Romeo and Juliet next month as part of the Bristol Shakespeare Festival.

Meanwhile the world premiere of Shakespeare’s Worst – by The Simpsons writer Mike Reiss and Shakespeare scholar Nick Newlin – is in Southville from July 4-8.

The play is set in a small-town theatre, where the play is Two Gentlemen of Verona. This is arguably Shakespeare’s worst play, and one of the cast members isn’t happy, as the story unfolds.

Jacqui Ham, producer of the show and festival manager, said: “We’re thrilled because we know it has universal appeal, whether you’re a Shakespeare veteran or you’ve never seen any of his plays.”

It will be performed at the new St Thomas Mar church in Stackpool Road – formerly the Faithspace community centre.

Other highlights in South Bristol include Romeo and Juliet in Arnos Vale. Butterfly Theatre Company have reshaped the play to suit the setting of the cemetery, where the audience will be led around for different scenes.

Details of these shows on July 19-23 are on page 38.

Windmill Hill City Farm and Arnos Vale both host a children’s version of The Tempest on July 22 and 23, while the City Farm has A Midsummer Night’s Dream on July 23.

Ophelia: Madness (in Blue) at St Paul’s church in Southville on July 18 is a new look at Othello.

• bristolshakespearefestival. org.uk

Star & Dove Airy and bright: The new café at the City Farm also has a farm shop

THE STAR & Dove in St Luke’s Road has yet to reopen. It closed on May 28 after the three former licensees moved on. Owner Enterprise Inns said it hopes to find a new landlord soon.

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July 2017

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12

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July 2017

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13

n FEATURES Dave and Ruth’s two “I didn’t really think about how I’m glad that the husband children were devastated– but long 100 days was.”

Ruth was determined to make Now she is hooked – though positive. she completed the 100 miles (and running is over something Rod was only 62 but died a few more) on Rod’s birthday, suddenly of serious heart June 7, she is now signed up for – now I’m going complications despite the best several more charity runs. Seven efforts of surgeons at the BRI. races by the end of the year “We thought he would be include the 5km Rainbow Run to start again fine,” said Ruth. “My great uncle for Children’s Hospice South IT’S OVER at last – but Ruth Drury is going to keep on running after a 100-day challenge that started as a tribute to her father.

Ruth, from Knowle Park, is the South Bristol Voice’s sales executive. When her father Rod passed away unexpectedly just after Christmas the whole family, including Ruth’s mother Bev,

had one of the first heart bypass operations ever performed in Bristol, back in the 1970s, and he survived for years. It turned out it wasn’t the same for my dad.”

She took up a running challenge from the British Heart Foundation. “We can see that it will help – we know it will pay for new equipment, or research into new discoveries,” she said.

Hooked: Ruth is entering seven more charity running events Raising the money – more than £1,500 so far – meant running 100 miles over 100 days, a real challenge for a novice.

“It seemed like a massive mountain at the start,” she said.

Objections to new loft plan TWO NEIGHBOURS have objected to a senior council official’s attempt to legalise his large loft extension.

Richard Fear, who is property investment manager for Bristol city council – and a chartered surveyor – was forced to make a planning application last year after he built a roof extension at his home at 3 Haverstock Road, Knowle, without permission.

Mr Fear didn’t ask advice from planning officials before building a new room with cedarclad walls that spans the entire height and width of the roof. His application was refused, and in January he also lost an appeal.

The council could take enforcement action and insist the extension is removed, but it has allowed him to file a new application to amend the design.

The objectors say the new plan doesn’t answer the

criticisms made by the planning inspector, who called it a “strident and bulky structure”.

The new plan shows the building exactly the same size and shape, but with a new eaves built out from the roof so that it looks as if the extension is set back from the gutter.

The bright cedar cladding would be replaced by whitepainted render.

“A paint job and the addition of tiles to the eaves will not alter the building overall,” wrote one of the neighbours. “Our concern is heightened because the applicant works for BCC. If your own employees cannot be persuaded to observe BCC’s planning regulations/guidelines, why should anyone?”

Another neighbour said the extension “creates a negative effect on the character and look of the surrounding area.”

Council official’s extension meets more criticism

West on June 20 on the Downs, where the runners are pelted with paint. The others include a couple of 10km events and even a half marathon. Some of them will be virtual runs on a treadmill.

“I’m sure dad would have been proud of me,” said Ruth.

If you’d like to support Ruth: • justgiving.com/fundraising/ runningforrod

Gift shop move THE Fig. 1 gift shop in St Luke’s Road, Totterdown, is expanding the business by turning its premises into an art studio. It will still be open to the public at its new shop in Wapping Wharf.

• fig1.co.uk

New head appointed for Hillcrest HILLCREST primary school in Totterdown will welcome a new headteacher next term.

Gina Lewis takes the reins at the school in Cemetery Road on September 1. She is currently head at Barton Hill primary school, part of the Colston Girls School trust.

Chair of governors at Hillcrest, Francis Philippa, said Mrs Lewis was “hugely experienced” and had impressed the school’s appointment panel

with her vision of how to place the school at the heart of the Totterdown community.

Mrs Lewis will be at an open meeting at the school at 7pm on June 29. Parents will be welcome to ask questions of the new head and the governors.

Mr Philippa said the governors wish luck to the outgoing head, Tim Browse, who has a new job as head of Air Balloon Hill primary in St George.

• hillcrest.bristol.sch.uk

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

n NEWS

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

July 2017

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15

n FEATURES

Art that makes beautiful things happen Beccy Golding meets Luke Jerram, the South Bristol artist whose works are designed to create a response

Y

OU’LL have heard of some of the things Luke Jerram brought into being – the Park Street Water Slide, the Museum of the Moon (working with Cameron Balloons), the boat in Leigh Woods (as part of Bristol Green Capital), the pianos left in public places in his project Play Me I’m Yours.

To date more than 1,700 pianos have been set up in over 55 cities across the world and, to mark the tenth anniversary of the project, at the end of the summer it encores in Bristol, with 15-20 street pianos, each transformed by a Bristol artist. One of them will be at Windmill Hill City Farm, from August 17 to September 7.

Luke said “I came to the city farm a lot when my children were toddlers – to see the animals and drink tea. It’s an asset to the community. I think it’s important that professionals in the city contribute.”

Luke grew up in Stroud, did a fine arts degree in Cardiff, and came to Bristol in 1997. “I’ve lived in Bristol for 20 years, in Southville for 10. I originally moved to Southville to be close to Spike Island, which is where my studio was. Now I have a studio at Paintworks.”

Luke said, of everything he’s done so far, Play Me I’m Yours is his favourite – “because it has

Luke Jerram, inset, and his Museum of the Moon at Ashton Court changed the landscape of the city” – he doesn’t just mean Bristol, he means any city. “Now it is common to see a piano in a public space. It’s become part of culture, and created beautiful moments. There have been marriages and other wonderful things that have happened.”

Luke shows other, perhaps less well known, works in his adopted home city. He is currently Leverhulme Trust artist in residence at the University of Bristol. Working with virologists, he has created glass sculptures of viruses, “one million times larger than the real thing”. They’ve appeared at the Metropolitan Art Gallery in New York, and they are at At-Bristol until September 4.

“I’m also working with St George’s – inspired by the music of Philip Glass, Apollo is a sculpture representing soundwaves, which rotates as a hanging glass chandelier. This is a work in progress and will be installed later this year.”

If you take a look at his website, you’ll see that Luke has a substantial and wide-reaching body of work, exploring many different forms. “I’m juggling 10 projects at any one time.” What he is most famous for, though, is his installations. For some, art is about a fine painting, or a well-crafted sculpture. Often what Luke does is have an idea, and execute it, with the help of his staff of 10. I asked him about his definition of art.

“Whether the audience has seen a delicately-crafted piece of art or an installation, the final result is an experience and a

memory. These installations can change people’s lives – people get married, make contacts, recover – it’s wonderful. Some of it IS crafted and designed, others less so. It’s the experience of the thing that’s more important, from the viewer’s perspective.

“I started with performance art and sculpture. All my work is related to that – time-based installations and sculptures. I created my first installation when I was at art college. It was called Retinal Memory Volume [it uses an optical phenomenon to create a visual sculpture]. It toured

digital art festivals for 10 years and helped launch my international career – it reflects my interest in perception, science and art.” Luke is colourblind, so “I am naturally interested in visual perception, how everyone perceives things differently, how we see, and light. Lots of my artwork reflects this.”

I asked Luke how he actually makes a living from his work. “I sell artwork to museums and collectors. I rent my exhibitions to festivals and museums. I get public art commissions, fellowships and awards.

“I make a good living – but it’s only possible by working nationally and internationally. If I only worked in this city I’d be stuffed!

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years. It took five years after leaving college to work out how.

To start with I was working part-time – doing art and being a technician in a school – but gradually I became full-time, and now I employ 10 staff and have to pay other people’s mortgages!

“I am based in Bristol,” he said, “but I work out of Bristol a lot – I’ve had 30 exhibitions all over the world _ but my family is here – it is what I come back to.

Sometimes it is too much time away but what I’m doing is extraordinary. And you get a different perspective on the city when you go away from it.”

• lukejerram.com

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July 2017

southbristolvoice

n YOUR MP

17

KARIN SMYTH Labour MP for Bristol South

It’s a privilege to have won your backing, and I will work for you all

I

’D LIKE to thank Voice readers who supported me in the General Election.

It is a huge privilege and honour to have again received the endorsement of South Bristol voters, and I assure you that I’ll continue working tirelessly on your behalf, whether you voted for me or not.

Publishing deadlines mean I’m writing this just a few days after polling day, with the dust still settling and the future shape of the Government uncertain. What is clear is that Theresa May’s arrogant bid to strengthen her parliamentary majority spectacularly backfired on her and the Conservative Party.

This election interrupted what I’ve been doing since 2015. Now, having been given the endorsement to continue, I’m re-doubling my efforts as the champion for South Bristol’s various communities. On a national level in

Parliament, the priority has to be ensuring the best possible Brexit deal, whose shape will have a resounding impact on all Bristol South residents. And locally I’ve always been clear about my overall priorities. They reflect what I’ve been hearing day in, day out on the doorstep, in emails and at my regular surgeries: skills, housing and the NHS.

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Numerous conversations with residents during the election campaign assured me these are the right things to focus on, so they’ll remain at the forefront of my work. I will continue promoting jobs and apprenticeships; supporting Bristol’s Labour mayor Marvin Rees in delivering his pledge to build 2,000 homes a year to 2020; protecting pharmacies, and pushing for more services at South Bristol community hospital.

During the election the level of cuts to school budgets proposed by the Tories was a significant concern too, so I’ll do all I can to protect our children’s education here.

I’m also very clear that Bristol South is a diverse constituency, and that different communities and neighbourhoods have differing and specific needs. I’ve been working to address these, for example promoting financial entitlements in some of our most deprived areas, and supporting small traders in those with thriving shopping streets. I’ll continue fighting for a fair deal for residents and businesses right across the whole of Bristol South.

I’ve always been pleased at the way Voice readers have got in touch after reading these monthly articles, and I look forward to this continuing. If you have thoughts, views or if you need help with an issue, please use the contact details on page 2.

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southbristolvoice

LETTERS Extra danger to our children THERE will be lots of protests about the cuts to school lollipop patrols, and rightly so.

But has anyone realised that the reduced work on street trees, will put our children even more at risk?

I have to drive around the streets of BS3 and BS4 for my job, and I’m noticing more and more that there is so much epicormic growth sprouting unchecked from trees that it’s restricting drivers’ vision.

One place it’s particularly noticeable is when emerging from Queenshill Road, Knowle, on to Broad Walk. The growth from the base of the trees which line Broad Walk is now so bad that you have to pull out further and further from the junction to get a good view of the traffic.

The potential for an accident when cars pull out while children are trying to cross is obvious.

George T, Knowle

War memories READING Barry Fox’s superbly researched story of his family during the war years (History, May edition) brought back memories of my family.

When my parents married they left their home town, Hull.

In 1938 they settled in a rented

Send letters to paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk or to 18 Lilymead Ave, BS4 2BX terraced house (£1 per week) in Leda Avenue, Hengrove, where I was born in April 1942.

It is difficult to visualise the way life was then. When war broke out my dad asked his parents to move down to the safety of the Bristol suburbs – having been bombed by the Zeppelins in WWI they knew the damage bombing could do.

Much to our neighbours’ amusement, they also ordered an Anderson shelter for the bottom of the garden – in fact it was nearer John Hall’s paint factory than our house! Dad used to say that for all their amusement, when the bombs dropped, our neighbours were always first in!

From our front bedroom my parents could look across the fields to Whitchurch aerodrome, as it was called. My father and grandfather would watch as the German planes dived down the searchlight beams trying to kill the operators and put the searchlights out of action to protect their bombers.

Eventually, my grandparents returned home, saying they felt safer living near the Hull docks than in the Bristol suburbs.

My dad was in a reserved occupation and became an Air Raid Warden. His tin hat and gas mask were a reminder of those days long after the war was over.

I started school in Petherton Road and later moved on to Tyning Junior Mixed School.

Thinking back, our childhood

was idyllic. We were free to roam wherever we wanted but always remained part of a group of about 10 youngsters. We had to make our own entertainment from street football to hopscotch.

When it rained we gathered in a shed and played Monopoly. We played in twos so the game could continue if one of us was called home for lunch. Mum used to shout and someone would pass the message on. No mobile phones in those days.

At that time, the Hengrove 10A service stopped at the junction with Walsh Avenue and Fanshawe Road. Walsh Avenue didn’t exist beyond there. Happy days fondly remembered.

Eric Burge, Verwood, Dorset

Unappreciated IS SBV getting above itself? If you want to review ‘highbrow’ events such as Welsh National Opera (Madam Butterfly), could you at least find a reviewer who knows something about the subject? I refer to the ignorant and ridiculous review in the May edition. Or is it not important because no-one in South Bristol understands opera, or cares?

JB, Victoria Park • Editor’s note: We thought it was of interest to give the honest impressions of a first-time opera goer. Our reviewer was eager to enjoy the performance and was at pains to explain why she took the views she did.

POLICE REPORT you’d like to talk to an officer Know what about this, get in touch with the team through the ‘Your Area’ your youngsters section of our website or call 101. aware of concerns are up to if they We’re about drug dealing and use at nearby Polden House on Ashton Road and are are out at night and carrying out targeted patrols in

C

OMPLAINTS about antisocial behaviour in and around Victoria Park are starting to increase, which the local team is keeping a close eye on. If you’re the parent or carer of a young person out later in the evening, we’d encourage you to establish who they’re with, what they’re up to and, if necessary, have a frank conversation about the consequences of getting caught up in such behaviour. If

19

response. The more information we have about times and people involved, the more effective our work will be. So please keep the information coming.

D

o you fancy leading the way in keeping your area safe?

We need volunteers for local Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

It’s not about being a nosey neighbour, it really is about being a contact we can share

It works for me I WAS disturbed to see a box headed Budd and the Homeopaths in the June edition History pages. The article about Budd is as fascinating as the previous similar ones.

However, the info in the box is very misleading and I would point out that not only does homeopathy still exist in Bristol but anyone can be referred by their GP to the homeopathic hospital in Clifton. I have found it very helpful during my bout of cancer over the past two years and it has helped enormously with the side effects of chemotherapy!

There are three homeopathic hospitals in the UK and numerous clinics, all endorsed by the NHS. It has been a part of the NHS since its inception and there have now been several studies that have shown that it works.

The problem is that it works holistically and not just by curing individual symptoms. Please be careful to not pass off personal opinion as facts to an unsuspecting readership.

Esmee Woolcomb, Totterdown • Editor’s note: A homeopathic author claimed Dr Budd as a devotee of homeopathy, but he actually seemed to be very opposed to it. We also felt obliged to point out that though some studies support homeopathy, most research, and the weight of scientific opinion, is against it.

With Sgt Caroline Crane Broadbury Road police station information with, who then helps to spread it in your community – whether a burglary spate, warning about rogue traders, or alert about a local crime trend.

It’s about working with us to help prevent and solve crime.

If you’re interested, please contact Katie Brimble on 0117 952 9703 or email katie. brimble@avonandsomerset. police.uk

W

indmill Hill and Totterdown beat manager PC Brett Worthington together with Knowle PSCO Richard Higbey, joined the Great Big Walk as it passed through our area recently.

The event, part of the Great Get Together celebrations inspired by the one-year

anniversary of Jo Cox’s death, passed through Windmill Hill City Farm on its route from West Yorkshire to the Eden Project in Cornwall.

F

inally, the recent terror attacks have left all of us in shock. These were tragic events and our hearts go out to the loved ones of those who were killed and injured. While the threat level remains at Severe, we have no specific intelligence to suggest any cause for alarm in our force area. We’re here to keep you safe.

Please be alert but not alarmed and if you do see anything suspicious call us on 101 or the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency, always call 999. Until next time, Sergeant Caroline Crane

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

July 2017

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20

n NEWS THE PROPOSALS IN BRIEF

LIBRARIES NOW: 27 libraries across the city; PROPOSED: Close 17 libraries; • Central Library open seven days, 54 hours a week; • One Area Library for each of three areas, North West, East and South, open 47 hours a week Mon-Sat, with late opening Fri; • Two Local Libraries in each area, open 22.5 hours, 9.30am-5pm Tues, Thurs and Sat; • Extended Access: Local Libraries may be open via a card system; • Three options for which libraries should close (see p21); • Savings of £300,000 in 2017-18 and £1.2m by 2020.

ADULT DAY SERVICES NOW: Three Community Links centres for 130 people with complex needs; • Three drop-in centres for 120 people with learning difficulties; • Council minibus service.

PROPOSED: Council will pay other organisations to care for people with complex learning disabilities or severe dementia; • Families and carers will be asked if they can take people to centres; • One day centre for people with moderate and mild dementia; • An Independent Living service to help people in the community; • Drop-in centres will be retained.

• Savings of £1.2m by 2020.

SUPPORTING PEOPLE NOW: Sheltered housing, advice and support for people with mental health issues, in their own homes; PROPOSED: Range of options inc.

25 per cent cut to all services.

• Savings of £1.8m by 2018-19.

SCHOOL CROSSING PATROLS NOW: 80 patrols at 56 schools; PROPOSED: Half of patrols cut, leaving 37 at 27 schools; • All patrols axed where there is a Zebra or Puffin crossing; • Safety assessed using system called PV Squared; • Savings of £90,000 this year, a further £65,000 in 2018-19.

PUBLIC TOILETS NOW: 36 public toilets and urinals, including those in parks.

PROPOSED: All 18 public toilets and urinals on streets will close; • Aim to double number of toilets open to public through Business/ Community Toilet Scheme; • Savings £40,000 this year and £400,000 a year from 2018-19; NEIGHBOURHOOD PARTNERSHIPS NOW: Neighbourhood partnership meetings have already ceased.

PROPOSED: Local meetings with limited powers to fund projects; • Area meetings to distribute spin-off money from developers.

The council cuts in focus

We can’t count on an end to austerity, says Marvin in cuts launch MOST of the city’s libraries will close, along with the majority of public toilets, while adult social care will be cut along with half of school crossing patrols.

That’s the likely outcome of proposals made by Bristol city council to save £4.7 million over the next three years.

An extra £1.8m will be saved from Supporting People – a budget for sheltered housing, advice and help for vunerable people in their homes.

All the changes will be subject to public consultation, which runs until September 5.

Also subject to cuts are the neighbourhood partnerships – the local meetings which brought residents together with

the police, the council and other bodies. But mayor Marvin Rees made it clear, as he launched the consultation on June 13, that the savings had to be made.

Mr Rees held out little immediate hope for Bristol to escape the cuts, despite the hung parliament delivered by June 8’s General Election – a result widely seen as a vote against austerity.

“It’s clear that cities voted against austerity,” said Mr Rees.

“Cities across the country are making the case that it [austerity] is essentially a de-investment in who we are, and what we need.

“There is a hope that there will be a more listening ear from central government, but that is

‘We look people in the eye’: mayor Marvin Rees and deputy mayor Asher Craig not the situation right now.”

He hit out at national politicians who pass the blame for cuts onto local councils.

“We make the difficult decisions at a local level,” he said.

“National government says it makes the difficult decisions, but it doesn’t. It makes decisions in the abstract. When we pass our budget we look people in the eye,

Even Labour councillors join protest against axing the lollipop patrols CROSSING PATROLS Continued from page 1 Whitmell, who has been doing the patrol at Wells Road for the past 15 years.

“Without Paul the crossing is very unsafe!” said one parent. “I have seen many cars pass through it at red over the years, and children need a lollipop man like Paul to manage these scenarios for them.”

Another said: “Without a lollipop man cars and cyclists will inevitably try to beat the lights and there will be a fatality. When Paul was away some time ago a child was hit by a cyclist on the crossing. This is one of the busiest Bristol A-roads with huge lorries. Paul makes this crossing safe for our young children.”

Francis Philippa, Hillcrest chair of governors, said “I think it is short sighted to compromise the safety of children for short-term financial gain. We are talking about a major trunk road out of Bristol.

“I would like the council to

LIFE AT THE CROSSING ONE OF South Bristol’s lollipop patrols shared his experiences.

Speaking anonymously, he said he loves his job: “I wouldn’t change it. It keeps you young. The kids have always got something to say.”

He’s out there in all weathers, every school day, and is convinced that without someone doing his job the children will at more risk.

He doesn’t think the official PV Squared rating reflects the real dangers at his crossing. Every week he writes up incidents of cars and cycles passing through the red light at his Puffin crossing.

Often there are three or four day: his record was eight in a 45-minute session.

“They recorded seven offences

in one afternoon.” It’s not just drivers: a minority of cyclists ride recklessly at high speed. “I have seen a cyclist ride into a pushchair,” he said. “They come along at speed and if the lights change they go into the pavement.”

Officially there are no casualties recorded at his crossing.

Several years ago, when the crossing lights were out of action, he saw a driver set off too soon and bump into three children.

Ambulances were called – luckily none of them was seriously hurt.

He also knows the local children, and keeps an eye out for those he knows are liable to dash into the road. Parents tell him they won’t send their children to school on their own if he is not there.

reconsider this.” Several parents are have complained to MP Karin Smyth as well as the council.

Windmill Hill Labour councillor Jon Wellington is opposing the Hillcrest cut even though it is proposed by his own party. “Obviously we have to

make cuts somewhere but doing it on one of the busiest roads in Bristol doesn’t seem like a particularly good idea,” he said.

“I can’t see road safety being risked for children in this area. I will be asking council officers and the mayor to reconsider this.”

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July 2017

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21

n NEWS

and we know the impact that some of the savings we have to make have on real people’s lives, because we live in the communities.”

Cllr Asher Craig, cabinet member for communities and deputy mayor, said local government is being run on an antiquated model. “There are some harsh prospects here but in

many cases we’re supporting outdated, expensive ways of doing things which aren’t really suitable any more.

“We are also looking at whether there are ways that the council can support community groups, volunteers and partners to play bigger roles in the delivery of some services.”

Other parties were swift to

Every South Bristol library under threat from cuts LIBRARIES BRISTOL is unusual in having so many local libraries – many cities have closed most of their branches.

The council says many of the 27 libraries are in bad need of investment, and money may be better spent on ideas like libraries sharing a building.

The council is presenting three options for closures, based on different priorities – deprivation and community need, the state of the building, its location, and how well it is used.

Some libraries score badly on all counts and are set to be axed under all three plans: Bishopsworth, Marksbury Road, Whitchurch and Wick Road.

Bedminster library is retained under all three options.

But Knowle library is saved in only one of the three options.

Lib Dem Cllr Gary Hopkins said: “Knowle library services a very wide area, and is one of the busiest.” Plus, he said, the council has a lease with Broadwalk

shopping centre which wil cost it £46,000 a year until 2030, even if the library shuts.

“The ‘consultation’ asks for which of three unacceptable options should be implemented – a little like the Titanic captain asking from which direction he should charge at the iceberg from,” he said. “There are a huge number of enthusiastic people around the city who could have helped to protect the service, but they are dismissed out of hand.

Costings have not been shared with councillors from other parties.”

Cllr Jon Wellington, Labour member for Windmill Hill, said he was talking to the Friends of Marksbury Road library and hoped to help find a way to keep the building in use.

The council will carry on running the remaining libraries – though it says it will listen to anyone interested in taking on part of the service. This may leave the way open for community groups to keep local branches open with volunteers.

The council cuts in focus

condemn the cuts and point out the irony that they were being imposed by a Labour party that says it is opposed to austerity.

Bristol People’s Assembly, an anti-austerity group, called a city centre protest march for June 21, after the Voice went to press.

Liberal Democrat councillors issued a statement saying :”We are angry about the appalling proposals being put forward by the mayor for the destruction of many vital community services and the shocking disregard for community involvement.

Bristol’s Lib Dem leader, Knowle councillor Gary Hopkins, said: “We have consistently put forward more positive proposals but I am afraid that so far the mayor has ignored our views. We will be encouraging the public to have their say and in particular to write in comments where the sensible option has been excluded from the ‘choices’.”

Green Party leader Eleanor Combley called the plans “neither feasible nor fair” and said: “As Bristol now has a Labour mayor,

HAVE YOUR SAY ... on the neighbourhood plans (libraries, crossing patrols, toilets, Community Links, neighbourhod partnerships) at • bristol.gov.uk/ yourneighbourhood .... on Supporting People at • bristol.gov.uk/supportingpeople Consultation runs until Tuesday September 5.

Alternative formats available by emailing consultation@bristol. gov.uk or on 0117 922 2848.

Paper copies are at libraries and the Citizen Service Point at 100 Temple Street. a Labour majority on the council and four Labour MPs, surely there is no excuse for Labour not to do what they were elected for – they should use the momentum they have now to work across the core cities (the 10 largest cities outside London) and push the Government to accept that the cuts to [council] funding are completely unachievable, and will have a devastating effect.”

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July 2017

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22

n FEATURES

Balloon Fiesta preview

South Bristol’s ballooning dynasty leads As we gear up for next month’s Balloon Fiesta, we take a trip around Britain’s ballooning nerve centre

W

E’RE all proud of the Bristol Balloon Fiesta and its worldwide fame – but how many of us know that South Bristol is the centre of the hot air balloon industry?

While America has Cape Canaveral, Bristol has a former paper bag factory in Bedminster – the base of Cameron Balloons, the dominant force in ballooning worldwide.

Founded by Don Cameron in 1971, the firm moved into one of the former Robinson’s printing buildings in 1983 – this one was

Precision work: This isn’t just stitching, it’s aircraft engineering. Right, Hannah Cameron and a Skyhopper used to print the paper bags.

It has about 40 per cent of the world market in hot air balloons, making more than 100 a year.

But it’s also the maker of most of the special shapes – the cubes, the cartoon figures and all the weird things that look as if they

shouldn’t be able to fly but delight us every year at the August fiesta.

And in Britain, if you’re lucky enough to take a trip in a balloon, it’s likely to be a Cameron – of the 1,200-odd balloons registered with the Civil Aviation Authority,

almost 850 were made in Bedminster.

Ahead of the 2017 Balloon Fiesta from August 10-13, South Bristol Voice was given a tour of the factory with Hannah Cameron, daughter of Don and director of Cameron Balloons. We started on

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

July 2017

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n FEATURES

23

Balloon Fiesta preview

the world in up, up and away

Basket case: Traditional willow is still the best material.

Right, a Minion , one of Cameron’s famous special shapes.

Expect some new ones at the Fiesta this year, from August 10-13 the uppermost of the factory’s three giant floors. With windows on all sides, it was where the Robinson’s printers did their most intricate designs, and Hannah explained it’s ideal for the expert team who use industrial sewing machines to stitch the balloons together from dozens of panels of material.

It’s a skilled job, and some of the Cameron staff have been doing it for 25 years. On the top floor, all the machinists we see are women; it seems men prefer stitching the heavier materials like leather.

Whatever the material, it’s a demanding job: “You have to

have resilience and enthusiasm – there’s so much to do,” said Hannah. “It’s not like stitching a pair of curtains: as well as following a pattern you need a three-dimensional imagination to visualise how the panels will fit together, and the dedication to make sure every stitch is perfect.

“We are, after all making aircraft and it has to be perfect.

We test everything we make here ourselves, which of course focuses the mind. The products we make in our business, people can depend on!”

We stop to look at the pattern card for the latest balloon. It’s no.

Continued overleaf

ANY SHAPE YOU LIKE CAMERON is famed for its skill at making balloons of almost any shape, from Darth Vader to Thomas the Tank Engine.

Hannah Cameron says almost anything is possible as long as it has enough volume to hold the air. A motorbike is difficult – though the firm has made one – and a bicycle very tricky.

The other thing that’s hard is to make balloons see-through – transparent fabric is very heavy.

A real challenge would be a goldfish in a bowl. Even if you could make the bowl, the fish would be suspended right where the burner throws out hot air.

Cameron is always looking at new techniques and materials.

Hannah is very interested in using graphene, the superstrong lightweight form of carbon now being developed.

As usual, there are one or two special shapes set for this year’s Fiesta which Hannah says are going to be “very exciting” – but she won’t spoil the surprise.

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

n FEATURE Continued from page 23 12,098 – that’s how many balloons the firm has made in 46 years, not counting the ones Don made in his basement in Cotham in the late 1960s. Each one is different, and made to the requirements of each customer.

“One of the lovely things about ballooning is that you meet all the customers,” said Hannah, explaining that the buyer of this balloon is from Luxembourg, the son of one of her father’s oldest customers.

“He grew up with ballooning just like I did and when we meet we talk about having dads in ballooning!” she said.

Then it’s downstairs to the middle floor of the factory, where a long shelf holds neat bundles of all the different ropes and cords needed for each balloon.

A balloon is stretched out on the vast floor, ready for checking and its first inflation. This one is a Z90, which means it contains 90,000 cubic feet of air. Though it’s 20m long, this is a small one – it will carry three or four in its

WHAT DOES IT COST? A BALLOON is probably the cheapest form of aircraft to own.

A basic model that could carry two or three people might cost £20,000. It’s well below the cost of an upmarket estate car, and often owners club together to reduce the burden. Slightly cheaper – but trickier to fly – is the Skyhopper, basically a seat and a safety harness dangling from a small balloon. Cameron has sold 14 in the last year or so: it must be the closest thing to feeling like you can fly.

In witch I ponder birthday cheer ...

I

July 2017

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24

AM getting old. I have old friends too. A lot of them are celebrating the big 5-0 this year. It should be a celebration of making it to that grand age but we all deal with birthdays differently. My very good friend has decided to party for the whole year. Pretty much every month she is doing something monumental while singing “Happy birthday to me”. Only half way through the year, she has already climbed the legendary Inca Trail, in her wedding dress (impressive), humming the birthday tune, to renew her vows as the sun rose on Machu Picchu. She enjoyed a crazy

A good stuffing: Cameron staff pack a balloon into an impossibly tiny bag basket. Yet the envelope contains a kilometre of fabric, stitched together with 4km of thread.

The factory isn’t big enough to fully inflate the balloons, so this is done outdoors. Often it’s in a Bristol park – but Hannah is reluctant to say where, because people love sharing photos of the latest designs before the balloon’s new owner has even seen it.

When they were making balloons of the Minions characters, Cameron wanted to show them off, but client Universal Pictures kept them under wraps until the Despicable Me movies were released.

Then it’s back to the ground floor, which is full of specialists making everything from baskets to burners. One surprise is how many of the components are made here. Gas burners, you might imagine, only come in so many sizes, and surely there’s a

factory in China churning out any model you might need?

Not so, said Hannah, each balloon and customer is different. For example, when she flies the same balloon as her husband – who’s 6ft 4in – she’d have to stand on a box if she hadn’t specified an adjustable frame for the overhead controls.

Likewise the baskets – for obvious reasons the lanky Dutch tend to buy baskets that have higher sides than the ones Japanese customers choose.

For people who can’t stand, there are seated baskets with wheelchair access. Most are still made with a stainless steel frame covered by willow and cane – because the natural materials bend under pressure rather than break.

“Baskets are very robust,” said Hannah. “A plastic would tend to degrade over time in sunlight, and recycled materials, although

How old is the witch? If you found out, she’d turn you into a frog.

this big birthday and he would mutter “Nothing”. So we bought him a pack of Nothing from Amazon: “Open the pack and be enthralled when nothing happens”; oh how we laughed. Himself spent his birthday weekend putting a new roof on our house followed by paying for a family dinner out.

What a treat for him. (Stop Press: I have just found out he has sneakily booked a ‘because I’m 50’ trip to Norway with his fishing buddies – Happy Birthday Him).

The roof, dear reader, is a bit of a sore subject. I would love a loft conversion – everyone else on the road is getting one. Himself disagreed: the kids are starting to leave home (really?), it would cost too much (sigh) and it would be a

THE WICKED WITCH OF KNOWLE

time at Butlins with borrowed kids and a trail of birthday balloons; a wild party at the Thunderbolt where she shimmied outrageously, and she has glamping tickets for Glastonbury with birthday bunting galore. She is milking it, big time.

And so she should.

Himself, on the other hand, is the opposite: he refuses to acknowledge that he is now 50. “It’s just another day,” he sighed. We asked him what he would like for

Balloon Fiesta preview ecological, are often unreliable quality-wise, but with a traditionally-woven basket, the maintenance is easy. Some baskets are over 40 years old and are still perfectly airworthy.”

A big part of a balloon’s appeal is the design, which can be intricate. Cameron has a vast machine which doesn’t just print, it bonds ink into the fabric so the pattern stays even after the balloon has been folded many times.

Sometimes patterns are appliqued, and these are cut by a computer-controlled cutting machine. The materials are mainly superstrong nylon fabrics, some of them trademarked by Cameron, and incredibly light. A typical piece weighs 70 grammes per square metre (gsm) – yes, that’s less than the paper you put in your copier. And some balloon panels weigh half that.

Cameron even makes the frames for the giant petrol-driven fans that blow air into a balloon before lift-off. Only a neat pile of Honda engines in boxes, used to power the fans, shows that Cameron know there’s no point in making every component!

• cameronballoons.co.uk • Facebook: Cameron Balloons Ltd • Video case study: cameron balloons.co.uk/inflatable-me

NEXT MONTH: PRIZES! WATCH out for next month’s South Bristol Voice, when we will have a brilliant ballooning competition for you. We’ll also preview all the attractions at the 2017 Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, which is at Ashton Court from August 10-13.

• bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk

massive disruption (boohoo). So I have ended up with a nice but boring new roof with a lonely Velux window; I clamber up the ladder, stand on tiptoes and peer out of said window every now and then.

My birthday was not a biggy, though some friends thought it was (rude). I got loads of thoughtful gifts and a fabulous sparkly homemade card from Goldilocks (Eldest’s girlfriend) who gets super excited about birthdays. I cannot tell you why but I hated them all and spent the day sulking. A lovely friend gave me a cute owl holding a sign saying ‘Welcome’. Snort! That clashes with my ‘Not You Again’ front door mat so I’ve sunk it in a pot facing people when they leave. Birthdays are just not for me and I have decided

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

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July 2017

southbristolvoice

RSPCA UPDATE

25 From Bristol Dogs & Cats Home

Marvellous Max and lonely Leo would love to get the chance to bond with you

A

LONG-stay dog at Bristol Dogs and Cats Home, affectionately known as Marvellous Max, is desperately seeking a new home. Max is a brindle Staffie, aged 3, and would love to find a family, and a home, to call his own.

Bristol Dogs and Cats Home originally opened in 1887 and has been caring for hundreds of animals each year since. In 2016 we found loving homes for 572 animals!

Helen Lewis, animal behaviourist at Bristol Dogs and Cats Home, said: “Max arrived at the home at the beginning of the year. He is a very sensitive dog, and it can take a while to build up a relationship with him.

“We would encourage any

prospective owners to come in and visit him lots of times to begin building up a connection with him. He enjoys meeting other dogs on his walks, but unfortunately couldn’t live with another dog, or children. Once you get to know him Max is truly a marvellous dog.”

Max would suit a quiet home, and owners who can provide him with a routine and consistency.

Another dog who is looking for his forever home is Leo, a bulldog cross who is eight years

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Max is very sensitive and it takes a while to get to know him

Leo is finding life in kennels very hard and has lost interest in toys

old. “Leo suffers from separation anxiety and so is finding kennel life very hard,” said Helen.

“Unfortunately he has lost interest in his toys and isn’t showing himself off well in the kennels. He will require a patient owner, who can give him plenty of exercise. It may take some time to build a relationship but the reward will be so worth it.”

If you’d like to fnd out more about Max or Leo, call 0117 980 3902 or visit the website.

• We are delighted to report that in May we rehomed an amazing 13 dogs! We’d also like to let you know that lots of the animals featured in the June issue of the South Bristol Voice have now also found their forever homes.

• rspca-bristol.org.uk

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July 2017

n PLANNING APPLICATIONS 68 Hill Avenue BS3 4SU Loft conversion with rear dormer.

Granted 257 Redcatch Road BS4 2HJ Two storey side extension and single storey rear extension.

Granted subj. to conditions 2 St Agnes Walk BS4 2DL Demolition of conservatory and replacement with single storey rear extension. Granted 62 Somerset Road BS4 2HY Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear by 4.60m, of maximum height 3.6m with eaves 2.6m high. Granted 4 Springleaze BS4 2TT Demolition of rear extension; new single storey extension to provide bedroom and wet room for two disabled people. Granted subject to conditions 3 Cemetery Road, Totterdown BS4 3DE Details in relation to condition 3 (Contaminated land) of

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permission 15/06146/F: house to be attached to the side of 3 Cemetery Road. Pending consideration 15 The Square Knowle BS4 2ST Two storey rear extension and side roof extension. Refused 6 Woodbridge Road BS4 2EU Single storey, rear extension.

Granted subj. to conditions 248 Wells Road, Knowle BS4 2PN Conversion from dental surgery and one flat to house in multiple occupation (HMO).

Granted subject to conditions 36 Brecknock Road BS4 2DD Single storey rear extension.

Pending consideration 17 Ravenhill Avenue BS3 5DU Rear roof extension; roof lights to front. Pending decision 25 Brecknock Road BS4 2DE Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear by 3.7m,

27 Knowle, Totterdown, Windmill Hill

of maximum height 3.9m with eaves 2.9m high. Refused

storey, rear extension. Pending consideration

378 Wells Road Knowle BS4 2QR Conversion from doctors’ surgery to five flats. Pending consideration

18 Tennis Road BS4 2HG Remove rear conservatory and garage; new single storey rear and two storey side extension.

Pending consideration

39 Stoneleigh Road BS4 2RH Single storey rear extension.

Granted subj. to conditions 18 Nutgrove Avenue BS3 4QE Single storey rear extension.

Granted subj. to conditions 469 Wells Road, Knowle BS14 9AG Conversion from house to three flats with the addition of two storeys. Refused 26 Eldon Terrace BS3 4NZ Details in relation to condition 5 (SUDS) of 15/03320/F: Two bedroom house on land to rear.

Pending consideration 12 Almorah Road BS3 4QQ Non-material amendment from pitched roof to flat roof to permission 16/01803/H: single

34 Beckington Road BS3 5EB Two storey rear extension.

Pending consideration Garages at Greenleaze, Knowle Demolish 6 unuseable garages next to 38 Greenleaze and form two flats. Pending consideration 37 Brendon Road BS3 4PJ Roof dormer and loft conversion.

Withdrawn 30 Gerrard Close BS4 1UH Two storey 2-bed house Granted subj. to conditions • 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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July 2017

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28

n YOUR COUNCILLORS

A

KEY issue in the recent metro mayor election was bus franchising.

This power, as in Gary London, allows the Hopkins transport authority Lib Dem to specify routes, Knowle timetables and maximum fares to operators who bid to run the routes. The present “system” has First raking in profit on major routes and demanding subsidy to run others.

Unfortunately Tim Bowles, the South Gloucester Conservative who got elected as West of England mayor, will not introduce this system, and Bristol’s mayor is not pushing him. Mr Bowles’ priority – new roads in South Glos – will not solve the region’s transport problems.

Readers will remember that as local councillors we had to step in to persuade Wessex to take over the 51 route arrogantly abandoned by First (and agreed

Knowle

to by the council). Eight months later, that is going well, with passenger numbers continuing to increase. We feel that a fares rise is inevitable, but they will still be cheaper than First.

First bolstered up the 50 when competition came in but dropped frequency on other highly profitable routes like the 90, which serves a small part of Knowle.

Spotting the need, Wessex registered a competitor 90 service and started in the middle of June with cheap fares and a lot of customers. Having dropped the frequency, First are now increasing it again. This is not likely to be economic but of course they seek to drive Wessex away.

Sensible regulation would be better but in the meantime our only hope for competitive fares and better service is to make sure that Wessex are around and getting enough business. If they are bullied out of our area we will be back to the old First regime of rising fares and reducing service.

S

O, hot on the heels of attempting to close down the Jubilee pool, Labour mayor and party Chris leader Rees is Davies now looking to get Lib Dem rid of our school Knowle crossing patrols, close or part-close Knowle library, remove local community involvement and reduce services for vulnerable adults. All announced immediately after the General Election! This might have persuaded you to vote differently.

For the moment the “community consultation” is aimed at a zero budget for all of our parks, abandoning maintenance – possibly including play areas, which would result in their closure – and the planting of any street trees has been missed off the list. These cuts are being “consulted” upon via the council website (if you can access it) and we will be giving full details in coming weeks.

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How to contact your councillor: p2 Please sign the petition at www.bristolparksforum.org.uk to withdraw the parks cut.

It is undoubtedly true that the mayor faces a difficult budget, not least because the previous mayor failed financially, but simply blaming the Tory government for everything does not cover the fact that the Bristol Labour administration has steadfastly ignored suggestions for better ways to achieve results.

After only one year of a four year reign this mayor is already in a bunker. Communication is poor and involvement is even worse. Work keeps being redone because the secretive first attempt has blown up, and the effort is put into avoiding blame, rather than working with others for positive solutions.

Our 5,000+ petition on Jubilee pool is to be presented to the full council on June 27, along with a debate. The full story does not make pretty reading.

Concentrating all the power in one set of hands does not seem to have worked.

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July 2017

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n YOUR COUNCILLORS

A

FTER the optimism of the General Election campaign, and the overwhelming Jon support of people Wellington in Windmill Hill Labour ward for the Windmill Hill Labour Party and for Karin Smyth, our returning MP, it was especially difficult to go back to City Hall the following Monday to learn where some of the cuts imposed on the council by the now discredited Conservative government are to be made.

We know that finding around £33 million of cuts this year to produce a balanced budget was going to involve hardship and difficult decisions, and now some of the cuts that are most visible to local people have been proposed. Plans to close all public toilets in the city, half of all school crossing patrols (lollipop people) and several libraries have been proposed and

Windmill Hill

are available for comment until September 5. This is a consultation and we encourage everyone with concerns about these services to complete the survey and have your say.

The proposed closure of Marksbury Road library and the possible removal of the school crossing patrol at Hillcrest School are the cuts that will be most visible in our ward, and I have already received correspondence about these issues from concerned residents.

We will do everything we can to maintain these services. The crossing patrol in particular is a cut that I strongly oppose, given the traffic on the Wells Road at peak times and the several near misses that people have told me about, as vehicles often run the red light at the crossing. We will speak to as many parents as we can and ensure that this evidence is made clear as to why this crossing patrol is so important to the safety of children walking to the school, and we will do what we can to ensure it is retained.

I

29

How to contact your councillor: p2

FEEL utterly heartbroken witnessing the news of the horrific Grenfell Tower tragedy.

To reassure Lucy council tenants, Whittle letters have been Labour sent outlining our Windmill Hill fire safety standards and detailing the measures which have already been put in place, and the work due to be carried out over the next 12 months.

Bristol city council has spent £2 million a year for the last five years on an extensive programme improving fire safety in our blocks of flats so that they meet fire safety standards, and they will spend at least £1m a year for the next 10 years.

From current information, we know that the cladding used on Grenfell Tower is entirely different to the material used in Bristol, a different design, different materials, and BCC have never used the company which supplied the cladding in

London. The council believes there is no cause for concern about its housing blocks, but as the details of how the Grenfell Tower fire started and spread emerge, they will assess whether any other steps need to be taken.

What struck me so painfully was that the residents in London had already raised concerns about fire safety, and these had been ignored. I want to make sure that none of the council tenants who live in our ward feel that their safety issues will be dismissed.

Over the next few weeks I plan to visit the tower blocks in Windmill Hill to speak with residents and make sure any concerns they have are taken seriously.

I will use this as an opportunity to improve understanding of safety issues, reassure concerned tenants, and raise any issues they have with the council. I also hope this will be an opportunity to improve communications.

The spontaneous outpouring of support for the victims of the fire reminds me that when we work together, good stuff happens.

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n HISTORY How the green hills of Knowle helped spark the Romantic cultural revolution

“O

NE DAY, all this used to be fields.” It’s the traditional lament of the old to the young; who knows, today’s teenagers may be saying it to their offspring in 20 years, when they survey the brave new world of developer “villages” off the South Bristol Link Road.

Many alive today remember when Hengrove and Knowle Park, Bedminster Down and Ashton Vale were built – within living memory these really were the edge of town.

But there’s no one who can recall the days when Knowle was a village a mile out of Bristol; when the Wells Road led from the city gate at St John’s Lane through farm after farm.

In fact, in the late 18th century, Bristolians used to speak off visiting “the verdant hills and emerald meadows of Knowle” for the good of their health.

Usually on these pages we tell the story of one individual. This month’s feature is different: it’s partly about Joseph Cottle, the Bristolian who helped bring about one of the biggest cultural revolutions England ever saw.

It also relates a little about some of the other prominent figures who lived in his landmark residence, Firfield House.

It’s also the story of the great house itself: from its building in the late 18th C by a self-made industrialist, to a grand house in the suburbs, through a plan to make it a library and a park, until it gave way to 20th C suburbia.

It’s also the story of a Bedminster chapel, and a sacred vow, and drug addiction, and dreams of a new society. Read on, or you’ll never know …

FIRFIELD IS BUILT

O

July 2017

southbristolvoice

30

ur tale begins with John Hare. Born in 1753 in Crowcombe, near Taunton, he left Somerset

The country life in Knowle

The story of a country house and its role in bringing fame to the poets Coleridge and Wordsworth for Bristol in 1773. A fervent non-conformist, he may have been trying to escape being drafted into the navy or the army –Britain was then losing the battle with America for its independence.

A widely-repeated story goes that Hare hitched a ride on a wagon which dropped him one evening near Bedminster bridge.

He hopped over a wall – some say into a garden, some into an orchard – and fell asleep.

“On awaking,” related the Bristol Times & Mirror a long time later in 1883, “he was so struck with the beauty of the place that he remarked: ‘If ever I live to be a rich man, I should like to build myself a house here’.”

Reader, you have guessed – he did became a very rich man.

He founded the nation’s biggest manufacturer of oilcloth, a printed cloth that was cheaper than carpet and was very popular in hot climates such as the US and the Caribbean. The Hare business eventually covered 15 acres, with petroleum cellars at Arnos Vale, a huge works opposite Temple Meads, an oil and colour works at Bath Bridge, plus factories in St Philip’s too.

John Hare passed the business to his sons in 1820, and in 1829 he paid for the house he had promised he would build – a house of God, the Zion Chapel at Bedminster Bridge, the spot where he first alighted in Bristol.

The chapel was also known as the

Joseph Cottle: Discoverer of Coleridge and Wordsworth. He lived in a country house and grounds in what’s now the middle of Knowle Church of the Vow after his youthful declaration.

The story is neat, but is it true?

John Hare had also built himself a grand home in the country – Firfield House in Knowle. This grand pile with eight bedrooms stood in extensive grounds, with a lodge and a farm around it. It was then in the countryside, and stood opposite the George Inn – which is still there today.

Nearby was the village of Knowle, clustered around the Talbot Road crossroads, but otherwise there were only isolated farms.

In fact, it was at Wells Road that the 20-year-old John Hare had rested his head in 1773 and vowed to build a house. That was the belief of the Rev George Wood, who became minister of the Zion chapel shortly after the death of Mr Hare in 1839. “I always understood from those who knew [him] that the garden where he slept on his arrival near Bristol was the site of Firfield House, Knowle, which he erected for his own residence,” the reverend told the Western Daily Press in 1882.

It does seem more likely – without wishing to disparage Bedminster – that there was a beautiful garden, or orchard, on

the open fields of Knowle than in the middle of Bedminster, which was already built up in 1773.

Confusion may have been caused because Knowle – then a tiny, insignificant hamlet – was part of the parish of Bedminster.

THE NEW ROMANTICS

T

he late 18th century was the beginning of industrialisation, when landscapes were suddenly disfigured by coal mines and quarries, by tanneries and mills, belching smoke and spilling waste from acids to sewage, all too often polluting the streets.

Bedminster was a prime example. Its mines and tanneries made parts of this semi-rural parish into a filthy slum. It also had its genteel parts – including Carlton Place, a fine Georgian terrace set back from North Street almost opposite Luckwell Road. Living there was Joseph Cottle, one of a new breed of the better-off who turned their backs on the horrors of industry and found salvation in nature.

In the case of Cottle this was literally true. He saw the unspoiled landscape – particularly wild-looking spots such as the Avon Gorge – as the

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July 2017

southbristolvoice

n HISTORY

The country life in Knowle ll We

The fields of Knowle in 1904

31

oa

sR d

Future site of Perrett’s Park

George Inn

Redcatch Farm and orchard

Firfield House

Knowle in a map of 1904, two years before Firfield House (right) was demolished. Note the footpaths (FP) crossing the open land. Redcatch Farm and its orchard is on the left. The convent in St Agnes Avenue is bottom centre, with the original vicarage for Holy Nativity church next door. handiwork of God. When he met a group of young men with high political ideals and a similar reverence for nature, he was hooked.

Cottle was born and raised in Hanham, and was able in 1791, aged only 21, to open a bookshop and publishing house on the corner of Wine Street (where a plaque remembers him).

In Cottle’s own words: “At the close of the year 1794, a clever young quaker, of the name of Robert Lovell, who had married a Miss Fricker, informed me, that a few friends of his from Oxford and Cambridge, with himself, were about to sail to America, and on the banks of the Susquehannah, to form a ‘Social Colony;’ in which there was to be a community of property, and where all that was selfish was to be proscribed.”

Cottle had met the Pantisocracists – a group of friends from Oxford and Cambridge universities who wanted to turn their backs on what they saw as corrupt and decadent England. In his memoirs, Cottle claims he was never taken in by their ideals: he gently ridicules Lovell, who “stated, with great seriousness

that after the minutest calculation” the new colonists could supply their basic wants in just two hours’ work a day.

This was clearly fantasy. Yet the number of Panticrasists grew.

Lovell introduced Cottle to his fellow Bristolian Robert Southey.

Some of Cottle’s friends joined the loose group.

Eventually the one they had all been waiting for arrived – Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was only to share his friend’s lodgings at College Street for a short time while they arranged a ship to take them across the Atlantic.

“I instantly descried his intellectual character; exhibiting as he did, an eye, a brow and forehead indicative of commanding genius,” wrote Cottle in his memoirs, published in 1837. Cottle was not always so generous; of another Pantisocracist, he wrote: “His talents were not conspicuous, but his manners were unpresuming.”

Coleridge was a champion debater, always able to convince his friends that their harebrained scheme would work.

More than that, he was ready to lecture his principles of politics and morality to the people of Bristol. He had already

written poetry, though he had been turned down flat by several London publishers.

Coleridge was also a champion procrastinator. Though he talked a lot about forming their ideal society, he didn’t seem to be doing much about it.

No one was buying up provisions or finding a ship. Nor were the friends thinking how much their project would cost.

Days turned into weeks.

Finally, Coleridge wrote Cottle a note. “Can you conveniently lend me five pounds, as we want a little more than four pounds to make up our lodging bill, which is indeed much higher than we expected.” He helpfully added that another of their friends was even deeper in arrears.

This was Cottle’s decisive moment. He had rightly recognised Coleridge as a genius.

He saw the emigration plans as a dream. He knew Coleridge could not support himself on his own.

Coleridge told him that a London publisher had offered him only six guineas for an entire volume of verse (this was £6 and six shillings, or £6.30, worth about £650 at today’s values). “‘Poor as I was, I refused to accept,’ said Coleridge. ‘Well’,

said I, ‘to encourage you, I will give you 20 guineas [worth £2,200 today].’ It was very pleasant to observe the joy that instantly spread over his countenance.”

There, in a few lines of the memoir, was Coleridge’s delight, and Cottle’s. Coleridge was released from the burden of paying his bills; and Cottle had the joy, and the power, of being a benefactor.

Was Cottle merely a rich young man using his money to buy favour and make himself feel better? Yes, in a sense; but he had the wisdom to spot a genius.

And he proved he knew how to use his money wisely: not just to flatter or to buy friends, but to encourage those he believed could change the English cultural landscape.

SHOCKING YOUNG MEN

T

he 18th century was an age of celebrity almost as much as our own. The numerous newspapers and frequently scandalous pamphlets spread not only ideas about politics and religion, but gossip about the royal family and politicians.

The world was already in Continued on page 32

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

n HISTORY Continued from page 31 uproar after the American Revolution of 1776 and the French Revolution of 1779. To some it seemed the whole world order was changing.

Into this world stepped the Romantics – much more than just poets, many of their lives were full of scandal, drug taking, free love, neglected families, and revolutionary escapades across the Continent.

The Romantics knitted the fervour of the revolutionaries into their poetry as well as their own lives. They celebrated nature as an everlasting blessing, an antidote to the greed and filth of industry and the cruelty of slavery.

Coleridge – and his contemporaries Byron and Shelley – were notorious for their private lives almost as much as they were revered for their poetry. It was a bit like the turmoil of the 1960s; and in terms of impact, they can be compared to Mick Jagger or John Lennon. No pop star of the 21st C combines the Romantics’ ground-breaking artistic weight with their shock value to an entire culture. And, just as in the Sixties, a lot of the art was fuelled by drugs.

In 1794, though, all that was in the future. If Cottle hadn’t played his part, Coleridge might not have founded this cultural revolution – and nor perhaps would William Wordsworth.

Cottle’s offer of 20 guineas for a book of verse from Coleridge was just the start. He offered Southey 50 guineas for his epic poem Joan of Arc – which suited the new Gothic spirit, harking back to a heroic, pre-industrial age.

He learned how to cajole Coleridge into productivity.

Finding that he had fallen in love with the other Miss Fricker, sister to Southey’s wife, but could not afford to marry, Cottle offered

THE BOY CHATTERTON

T

July 2017

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32

HOMAS Chatterton is famous for dying, committing suicide by poison in a London garret before it was realised that he was a teenage prodigy. A reclusive child, he grew up fatherless in Bristol and spent hours alone in an attic full of relics in St Mary Redcliffe church.

Only after his death in 1770 was his poetry recognised as brilliant – including a mass of “medieval” poems which fooled many experts. His hours in the

The country life in Knowle

Cottle’s heroes: The poets Robert Southey, Samuel Coleridge and William Wordsworth, who all met in Bristol him a guinea and a half for every 100 lines of poetry he produced.

Cottle also backed Southey and Coleridge in their public lectures in Bristol. Some were political, “anti-Pitt-ite”, against the Tory prime minister; one was against the ludicrous Hair Powder Tax, which Cottle noted was “a happy union of wit, humour and argument”.

Another was on the evils of the slave trade, to which all the young radicals were opposed, and which had already funded much of Bristol’s wealth. (Had the Cottle family made money in this way?)

Coleridge’s politics were in fact “not the sort to set the world in flames,” according to Cottle.

Coleridge devoted an entire series of lectures to the differences between the French Revolution and England’s Civil War of the previous century.

Mere politics was not enough for human happiness, argued Coleridge; the true patriot would have an eye for eternal truths.

Both Coleridge and Wordsworth at first saw the French Revolution as a battle for reason and liberty. But the savagery the regime unleashed on its opponents, and later the dictatorship of Napoleon, turned muniment room at St Mary Redcliffe had taught him how to forge heraldic symbols to authenticate his works.

Cottle and Southey published Chatterton’s works and gave the proceeds to the boy’s penniless sister and niece – more than £300 (around £335,000 today).

But what if Cottle had met Chatterton before he left Bristol for London? With his nose for talent, he might have made him a success, and saved his life.

them against the zeal of ungodly revolutionaries. Another series of six lectures was titled “Revealed Religion, its Corruptions, and its Political Views”. They were intended, Coleridge said, for two classes of men: for Christians “to give a reason for the hope that is in them”, and for Infidels, or unbelievers, so that they didn’t judge Christianity by the way it had been corrupted by men.

In 1796, Cottle published Southey’s Joan of Arc and Coleridge’s first volume, Poems.

They helped establish Bristol as the one of the centres of the new, free-thinking Romantic culture.

But fame came only after Cottle introduced Coleridge to William Wordsworth. The pair moved to Somerset and rented cottages near Nether Stowey.

It was Coleridge who set the template for their success. It was Coleridge, with his persuasive powers of speech, who first span sublime poetry out of ordinary, conversational English, as spoken by working people – rejecting the priggish, scholarly verse that had gone before.

This is why both he and Wordsworth wrote poems that are still remembered today. That, and the startling images they conjure. In Wordworth’s case,

these mix the rugged landscapes of his native Lake District with his dismay at the slaughter that engulfed Europe.

In Coleridge’s case the images were fuelled by opium, at first taken for pain relief, to which he became addicted.

Cottle published the pair’s Lyrical Ballads in 1798, seen as the first – and most important – volume of all Romantic poetry.

Its landmark poem was Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner. This poetic fable took shape on a walk with Wordsworth in Somerset, and may have been inspired by conversations with sailors in Watchet harbour. It is about a ship that is doomed when a sailor – the Mariner – shoots an albatross, seen as an evil spirit, but shown in the poem to be as much a part of nature as the men.

In killing it, they divorce themselves from God and creation.

Becalmed and dying of thirst, the sailors meet a ghost ship crewed by Death, and in lines of simple Gothic horror, the crew die one by one, their corpses staring at the guilty Mariner who shot the albatross.

The very deep did rot – Oh Christ!

That ever this should be.

Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs, Upon the slimy sea.

Such images were not to be forgotten. Coleridge became a star. Later he came up with the equally memorable lines which open his unfinished work Kubla Khan:

Thomas Chatterton: Killed himself with poison in 1770, aged just 17

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree:

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n HISTORY THE PRISON FIELD Are French prisoners of war buried beneath Knowle’s streets?

NE consequence of the many wars with France in the 18th C was an influx of prisoners of war. Some were kept in Bedminster’s Bridewell, while many ended up at Knowle, in a former pottery in what became known as Prison Field, somewhere near the Firfield site.

In 1759, before Firfield House was built, the preacher John Wesley was dismayed by the conditions for 1,100 prisoners there, who “were confined in that little place, without anything to lie upon but dirty straw… or a few foul rags, so that they died like rotten sheep.” Wesley raised £24 to

O

Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea.

This was the fruit of an opium dream – and incomplete because a “stranger from Pollock” knocked at Coleridge’s cottage and distracted him so much he forgot the ending.

Cottle had launched the career of two of the most famous poets in English. But he did more. He backed Ann Yearsley, then famous as the “Bristol Milkmaid,” a working class woman whose poetic talent he recognised. Yearsley made her anti-slavery politics as much a part of her verse as her evocation of the countryside: How thickly cloath’d, yon rock of sandy soil, Its lovely verdure scorns the hand of Toil.

Here the deep green, and here the lovely plays, The russet birch, and ever-booming bays …

This passage, from the poem called Leigh Woods, shows how Yearsley and the Romantics found unspoiled nature superior to the works of men.

More, it was evidence of the hand of God. Cottle’s home in rural Knowle was a peaceful retreat, but the Romantics loved the wild places God had made for them. Places like Brockley Combe, near Bristol, and Cheddar Gorge were much visited, partly because the conflicts in Europe

provide them with clothing, and persuaded the Bristol Corporation to provide bedding.

Four years later there were 1,800 prisoners.

In August 1906, with Firfield House demolished and its trees cut down, the Western Daily Press reported concern in Knowle about two large mounds which had been exposed in the grounds. The local tradition was that these were the burials of French prisoners.

The paper found that Lady Smyth’s staff, who were already planning for housing there, were unaware that there might be graves on the site. The paper suggested excavations to find out if the tradition was true. It’s not clear if this was ever Does any reader know if this was done? had made holidays to the natural splendours of the Alps or Greece out of bounds.

C

ottle is the most famous inhabitant of Firfield House but though he died there in 1853, he probably only moved in because his sister lived there. Ann Cottle was married to John Hare, the oilcloth entrepreneur, who had built it.

Cottle seems to have moved from Bedminster to live with his sister after Hare died in 1839. He could not have entertained Coleridge at Firfield, because the poet died in 1834, but he welcomed many literary figures there, and kept many portraits of them, which are now in the National Portrait Gallery.

This is how the house was described in a book, Noblemen’s and Gentlemen’s Seats, 1851: FIRFIELD HOUSE, Knowle Hill, on the Wells Road, the residences of Mrs. John Hare and J. Cottle, Esq.; a delightful eminence, surrounded by a fine plantation of oak, beech, and lofty waving pine trees; also by fine pasture and arable land.

33

The country life in Knowle

Somewhere near: Prison Field lay close to Firfield House – but where?

Collett’s Recollections, Chiefly Relating to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in 1837, itemised almost every guinea Cottle gave the poet. He also recounted Coleridge’s drug dependency and his many character flaws. In the end it was more damaging to the publisher than the poet.

Especially so as Cottle had published his own epic poems, to the derision of Lord Byron.

To our eyes Cottle may seem over-devout; it’s embarrassing to read now his explanation of why fossils of tropical beasts like tigers were found in England. It was because of the Biblical Flood, said Cottle, which had swept away the land that joined us to Europe, and stopped the tigers getting here.

Yet perhaps Cottle has a right to his flaws as much as anyone.

Wealthy man Cottle may have been; but not every landowner writes poems opposing slavery.

SPECULATORS MOVE IN

A

fter Joseph Cottle, Firfield passed to the wealthy Leonard family. When Robert Leonard died in 1863, the large estate was split up and sold. Totterdown and Knowle were already being eyed up for housebuilding: the estate was described as “presenting many valuable sites for building, and commanding most delightful views of Bristol, Clifton, and the surrounding neighbourhood”.

The auction at the Commercial Rooms, Clifton, on September 10, 1863, attracted “a very large company of bidders, the salesroom being scarcely able to contain them”. The sale included: Firfield House “with lawn, garden, coach-house, &c, and several closes of land”, in all 24 acres. It fetched £4,000 (about Continued on page 34

Joseph Cottle was widely praised in his lifetime: an anonymous letter to the Western Daily Press in May 1843 calls him “the friend of the bards” and says he did more to foster and encourage rising talent “than any noble patron from one end of the country to the other”.

But this was a defence of a reputation that was already stained. The publication of

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July 2017

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34

n HISTORY Continued from page 33 £3.3 million today).

Lower Knowle Farm with 22 acres, fetched £2,440 (£2m today).

Red Ketch Farm (as it was known then) with house, barn cottage and orchard in 74 acres, sold for £6,000 (£5m today).

Nineteen acres of pasture and garden land known as Ravenhills, off St John’s Lane, fetched £2,620 (£2.2m).

Someone – one of the Hare family, perhaps? – would not sell their rights to a sixth share in parts of the estate, including a large house called Elm Ground on Wells Road, plus a sixth of the lodge to Firfield House, and a sixth of its garden. This sixth share was sold later, in April 1868. The divided properties must have provided complications for the owners.

Firfield House still retained its gardens and even a chapel. A descendant of the Leonards sold the chapel in 1865 to pay for a new one, made of iron, on the site of today’s Totterdown Baptist Church.

In 1865 the house was owned

by Sir Greville Smyth of Ashton Court, who appears to have bought much of the rest of the land for housing. The canny colliery owner kept the rights to any minerals underground even when the houses were sold. He also held on to portions of the land, and rented out the house.

Sir Greville allowed Knowle cricket club to play in the grounds. As housing spread up the Wells Road during the rest of the 19th C, the grounds were occasionally thrown open to Sunday schools, churches, and other community groups.

A Knowle chapel Sunday school outing in July 1864 was forced by rain to retreat to the barn behind the big house, where “an excellent and abundant tea” was provided.

The 1881 census records the occupier of Firfield as another paint factory magnate, Thomas Harding, co-founder of Colthurst & Harding (see panel, What Happened To …?). He had moved by 1888 to an even grander place, Wick House in Brislington.

Firfield was then occupied by Edward Thatcher, brewer, colliery owner and a partner in Colthurst & Harding.

Alderman Thatcher helped establish Holy Nativity church on Wells Road. He also supported

The country life in Knowle

Firfield House: A Victorian illustration reprinted in the Western Daily Press in 1905, during debate about whether it should become a library the Knowle and Totterdown Workmen’s Flower Show and Industrial Society, which from 1888 held its annual show in his grounds.

ALMOST A SURVIVOR

I

f many Knowle residents had had their way, Firfield House might still be with us today.

By the turn of the 20th C its days as a grand house were done and it was clear the house and grounds could soon be swallowed up for housing.

Several residents suggested an alternative: make the house into a library for Knowle, and the grounds into a park. “The estate lies on one of the highest hills in Bristol, and the views to be obtained for it are charming,” wrote a Glena Avenue resident to the Western Daily Press on June 20, 1904. “Both the park and library were promised when

WHAT HAPPENED TO…?

Updates from readers welcomed Lower Knowle Farm The 16th and 17th C farmhouse still exists, off Berrow Walk, and is now the subject of a controversial planning application (see page 9). It was farmed until the 1920s.

John Hare’s company traded on in different guises; John Hare & Co (Colour) was a paint manufacturer in Avon Street until at least 1973.

Zion Chapel In 1862 a lecture room with six classrooms was added. It closed in 1983 and is now offices.

Colthurst & Harding Active from 1859-1963; developed what was

Totterdown and Knowle were added to the city,” said the writer, for there was now a new parish of Knowle, and it was part of Bristol. So, for the first time, was Bedminster.

Victoria Park had opened in the 1890s but there was no park for those up the hill in Knowle.

Councillor Charles Perrett – who was later to give £500 and his name to Perrett’s Park, which opened in 1925 – told a public meeting in 1905 that Lady Smyth was prepared to sell four acres for the reduced price of £4,000 (£2.5m today) if it was “forever used as an open space for the benefit of the citizens of Bristol”.

Alterations could be made to Firfield House if it was to become a library, she said. Other councillors, however, felt they were at a disadvantage: it seems Lady Smyth owned most of the available land in South Bristol, later known as Paintworks, the 12-acre site off Bath Road, later bought by Courtaulds. As paint and varnish-making declined, the buildings fell empty or were used by other firms until the site was bought by developer Verve in 2003.

The Lilly Mead Once part of Redcatch farm; the name survives in Lilymead Avenue.

Ravenhills These former fields gave their name to Ravenhill Road and Ravenhill Avenue.

Firfield The name may suggest a field with fir trees in it. It is remembered in Firfield Street, Totterdown, built in the 1880s.

and her “reduced” offer was only open for a month.

The meeting agreed to pursue the idea. But the ratepayers’ association was against it – this was another period of council austerity. Some councillors felt the park would be too small.

Perhaps the Smyths calculated they would get more for the land by selling it for homes.

That, at any rate, is what happened. Within 10 years, the house was levelled and quarried for hardcore. The houses of Belluton Road were built on the grounds. Woodbridge, Hengrove and Queensdale roads followed.

Knowle Park was built in the 1920s. In the 1930s, Calcott, Norton, Tennis, Rookery, Talbot, Buller and Queens roads were built, completing the obliteration of Firfield and its lands.

The argument resurfaced in the 1920s, when the idea for Perrett’s Park, off Bayham Road, was raised. Many said it would have been better to have bought the Firfield plot. But the steeply sloping Perrett’s was larger (10 acres) and cheaper (the land cost £1,000, perhaps because it would have been hard to build on). And as we reported in our history of Perrett’s Park in September 2016, there were complaints, some calling it “a perfect white elephant”.

Would the residents of Knowle and Totterdown have been better served if Firfield house had become their library, and its grounds their park?

It sounds an attractive idea.

The Western Daily Press in June 1905 agreed that “ the charmingly wooded grounds would provide a park all ready made.” But the newspaper didn’t argue with the councillors, who said the grounds were too small, and too near other parks.

Another fear may have been the cost of maintaining the house.

“The house is a good specimen of a gentleman’s country residence of the old time,” the paper said, but “without any particular archtectural attractions.”

It had historic interest, as the home of Joseph Cottle, where he welcomed “many distinguished men,” and kept his valuable portraits of the Romantics.

If Firfield had survived, we would celebrate it as a crucial link in the story of the Romantics.

But we’d probably also be constantly justifying its repair bills in our age of austerity.

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(8)

7)

n TAKE A BREAK

PUZZLES Adult puzzles sponsored by COLOURFENCE Children’s puzzles sponsored by PARK BAKERY Colourfence fencing is guaranteed for 25 years

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WORDSEARCH

SUDOKU

EASY for children

Can you find 57 battlefields vertically, horizontally or diagonally?

R R U L B R A N D Y W I N E N G O Q V

U B U L L R U N G P B C O M S O M M E

H R I A U P C G O R U R S A O A A Y R

R T B S P N L I O E R E A H L H H M D

Z G E C A C D O S S M C R T I A A H U

S U R A T M K I E A A Y A X X N M C N

J P L L A L P T G T B E T W A Z D O S

K E I O Y W R O R T S W O R D I U R I

L A N N Q U E B E C V I G T E O N U S

A R M A D A S R E S M O A N O E K N O

S L C T U J T U N L H K B R D U I H Z

C H U G S M O K K J O I N A N U R A B

R A L E P A N T O U E N L A S H K S U

A R L K R R B O Y N E A D O S T E Z L

V B O V N E F G P O E W M O H E I M G

E O D S I N Y H M A T A P A N I B A E

N R E L L G U G U E R N I C A Z Z Y Y

N L N G E O A K H N F A L K L A N D S

A E U N A L A M E I N A Y A C T I U M

4 1

1 4 2

Each horizontal row, each 2x2 square and each column must contain all the numbers 1-4.

SOLUTIONS

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35

TXT PERT

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southbristolvoice

Across 1 Raleigh, 4 Alaska, 5 Missouri, 7 Iowa.

Down 1 Richmond, 2 Idaho, 3 Madison, 4 Austin, 6 Utah

u

July 2017

A-MAZEING It’s not easy for the lone ant to join the other other ants by passing through the anthill.

But there is a passage.

Can you find it?

TXT PERT Okinawa

This month: US State capitals Ypres The numbers point you to the letters on a phone keypad Omaha

Clues Patay Across Harbor 1Pearl 7253444 (7) 4Ploetsi 252752 (6) 5Preston 64776874 (8) 7Quebec 4692 (4) Ravenna

2Ruhr is A, B or C 3 is D, E or F Saratoga 4 is G, H or I 5Shiloh is J, K, or L Somme

Down 1 74246663 (8) 2 43246 (5) 3 6234766 (7) 4 287846 (6) 6 8824 (4) 6 is M, N or O 7 is P, Q, R or S 8 is T, U or V 9 is W, X, Y or Z

1

2 3 4

5

6

7

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July 2017

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n THE MAYOR

MARVIN REES Mayor of Bristol

We cannot look to the council to do and run everything

M

UCH has happened since I last wrote for the Voice. The city has gone to the polls twice in two months. There has also been sad news with the attacks in Manchester and London, events that showed we must remain united – both against abhorrent acts of terror but also against any badly informed, kneejerk reaction in the form of hate crime or Islamophobia.

It’s also been a busy time for the council.

There’s been great progress on issues like housing and transport, with my new Congestion Task Group meeting for the first time this month.

The election showed that people in the UK’s major cities reject austerity and the continuing failure of the Government to properly fund public services or give us the right freedoms to look after ourselves. The

effects of central cuts – past and present – are damaging local communities and I am renewing our case to the Government. There is no doubt the General Election has made it clear that people have had enough of austerity and we will be taking the message to government that cities are at breaking point.

I’m also asking other major UK cities to join me in arguing for a fairer deal for cities.

We now have to make savings worth £33m this year and when the full council set the budget in February we were looking down the barrel of a £104m gap between April 2017 and March 2022, a figure which could easily

go up. We have to make incredibly hard decisions about services you might hold dear.

And while I will take responsibility for that, I want those decisions to be informed by your ideas and views and for everyone to be part of the conversation. We also need to change our city culture. These are city challenges and we cannot consistently look to the city council to run everything, to provide everything, to resolve everything. Communities, voluntary sector organisations and charities all have key roles to play but the council alone cannot sustain them.

We have just launched our Your Neighbourhood consultations on a number of proposals for the future of libraries, public toilets, neighbourhood partnerships, school crossing patrols and services for adults with learning difficulties and dementia. We’re also looking at options for our Supporting People services, which funds the work of many organisations which support all sorts of people to live independently.

The ideas put forward have been designed to give you choice and provide space for your ideas. They also ask what you can do to help your city and each other.

I remain determined to deliver on our priorities and make this a more equal and inclusive city where no-one is left behind.

That’s a challenge we all need to meet.

Soulful show by man with a hole in his hat

Will Writing & Estate Planning

REVIEW Otis Gibbs, Zion, Bishopsworth ’VE SEEN comedy at Zion (rarely miss Angie Belcher’s monthly Comedy Depot) but I hadn’t seen music here before.

Turns out it’s also a great venue for an intimate live experience.

I caught a surreptitious glimpse of Otis Gibbs pre-show – he was out the back door giving Koshkin, the resident Zion cat, a pre-gig cuddle. Great start.

Otis tells us he’s from Wanamaker, Indiana, via East Nashville, Tennessee. Also via the many, many European cities he’s played. He looks and sounds like a travelling man – long grey beard, denims, hole in his cowboy hat (made by a bullet? – though it’s probably just wear), the honey-warm tones of his guitar.

Otis tells stories, through his songs, and in-between his songs, and though he might have had a radical folk, punk rock existence, his stories are nostalgic, romantic even, sharing a landscape of small towns, swing seats on

I

A Will lets you protect your family’s inheritance and decide how your assets are shared out –

if you don’t make a Will, the law says who gets what.

We have a Bristol-based team of trained will writing consultants who provide a home visiting service and can take your instructions in the comfort of your own home.

Standard single or pair of mirrored Wills £99

Please feel free to call us during office hours on 0800 019 4557 or email us at info@elm-online. co.uk

Otis Gibbs: Honey-warm guitar porches, working men, road trips and train journeys. Otis sings songs from the album he made on his 50th birthday. Highlights include Sputnik Monroe, a white wrestler who challenged racial segregation in the deep south; a love letter to weird old America; and a beautiful ode to his tree-planting friend – the line “All my friends pass away” haunting and reminiscent of Johnny Cash.

For his final song, Otis unplugs the PA and steps away from the mike, walking right into the audience, sharing his last story with each one of us in a very special, intimate acoustic performance.

Beccy Golding

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July 2017

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n WHAT’S ON Friday June 30 n Sanga SouthBank Club, Dean Lane, Southville. A night of live African drums and xylophones performed by Sanga, a community-based band. Bar and home-cooked African food to raise money for Aid Box Community (ABC), a Bristol charity giving aid to refugees and asylum seekers. 7pm, £5.

• southbankclub.webs.com Saturday July 1 n Coffee Morning Bedminster Methodist Church, British Road, Bedminster, 10.30am12noon. Stalls include cakes, bric a brac and books. Tea and coffee will also be on sale. n Summer Singaround Open stage night at the Saltcellar Follk Club, held in the basement at Totterdown Baptist Church.

Entrance off Cemetery Road.

7.30pm, £1. Refreshments available, or BYO alcohol.

• saltcellarfolk.org.uk Tuesday July 4 n Translunar Paradise Tobacco Factory theatre, until July 8. Bristol-produced winner of eight international awards.

“After his wife passes away, William escapes to a paradise of fantasy and past memories. From beyond the grave, Rose revisits her widowed companion.” With accordion accompaniment, masks and movement, this play without speech is suitable for hearing and non-hearing audiences. £14/£10.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com n Dream On Acta theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster.

Also on July 5. Miriam’s dream is to go to university, but there are many obstacles in her way.

Will she be able to overcome these barriers to make her dream a reality? Redcliffe Stories present a new show, created and performed by local women, in partnership with Redcliffe Children Centre. 7-7.45pm, £2.

• acta-bristol.com Wednesday July 5 n She Tells Lies + Gina Leonard + Hallelugenia + Emily Magpie Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. AllBristol line-up with folk-pop lullabies from She Tells Lies, dream-like alternative folk by Giona Leonard and electronic rock from Hallelugenia. 7.30pm, £4.

• the thunderbolt.net Saturday July 8 n 90s & 00s Club Night The Tunnels, Temple Meads. For

Why is beauty something to be ashamed of?

REVIEW: 5 x 15 (Five speakers get 15 minutes each), Tobacco Factory OURNALIST Sali Hughes covered politics for the Guardian, among others, until she was offered the beauty column. Then people stopped asking her to do ‘serious’ work. Sali talked about how feminism is not incompatible with an interest in beauty, how it is possible to paint your toenails and watch Newsnight at the same time, and how make-up and self-care can be important aspects of a complex and multi-layered life.

Vashti Seth’s father sponsored a Tibetan refugee for many years.

She wanted to continue but felt just sending money was disempowering. Then she found Muhammad Yunus and the concept of microfinance. Deki the charity enables donors to make small-scale loans to start businesses and boost local economies in developing countries. To date Deki has delivered 7,300 loans, worth £1.2m

and affected 44,000 people and counting.

Dr Kate Lister talked about the C-word – and very entertaining it was too. Her research into the etymology and use of this “most offensive” word found it was never slang or a euphemism – it was what it was, pure and simple, and, other than Yoni, is the oldest word for the female parts. You can read it in Chaucer and Shakespeare (Hamlet and Twelfth Night, if you have uncensored versions). It was only during the Restoration and the rise of the Puritans that the C-word became “a nasty name for a nasty thing” and a form of insult.

Dr Julian Baggini discussed how to be a cheerful pessimist.

There are various ways to deal with a world of tragedy, despair and heartache which inevitably ends in death – including stoicism and the Anglo-Saxon existentialism of Monty Python (‘always look on the bright side of life…’). Secular narratives and ‘bogus optimism’ suggest everything happens for a reason and that difficult times end in redemption. But this isn’t always the case. Dr Baggini suggests we look bleakness in the face and get on with it – embrace the bittersweet nature of life, cultivate appreciative-ness and know that even at the worst of times, good things can still be good.

Bristol-based Vanessa Kissule is the sort of bewitching watchable spoken word and performance poet you have to witness to appreciate. She’s won more than 10 poetry slams, performed to wide acclaim and even appeared on Blue Peter! Her talk explored the contradiction of being a strong independent woman while still worrying if the boys fancy you or not. She’s performing her one-woman show SEXY at the Wardrobe Theatre on 31 July if you want to check her out yourself. I’ll be there.

Beccy Golding

manager at Sustrans, talk about electric cars, cycling, and getting people to change their mode of transport. 7.30pm. Free.

• Facebook: BemmyEnergyGroup Wednesday July 12 n Tensheds Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Gritty bluespunk from the Tensheds duo, who have toured with several big names. “The White Stripes meets Tom Waits via Jerry Lee Lewis.”

7.30pm, £6.

• thethunderbolt.net Thursday July 13 n Quiz Night Zion, Bishopsworth Road, 7-10pm. Test your brain power at the infamous Zion Quiz.

Questions for all levels, cash for winners, booby prize for losers. £2 per person (max six per team). Age 18+. Bar and snacks.

• zionbristol.co.uk n Double Deckers Comedy: John Robins and Ivo Graham Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken, North Street, Southville. First of the Double Deckers shows (more on page 46) where top comedians try out material in preparation for the Edinburgh Fringe in August.

John Robins pokes into the

prison of his own mind, while Eton-educated Ivo Graham cloaks his sharp wit in a gauche charm. £9, 8pm.

• thecomedybox.co.uk Friday July 14 n South African Wine & Food Tasting Night Zion, Bishopsworth Road. Sample the wine and the food of the Cape Town area, cooked by a South African chef. Tickets £25, 7-10pm. Pre-booking essential: email info@zionbristol.co.uk.

• zionbristol.co.uk n Total Who Show The Tunnels, Temple Meads. “Love The Who? Then get ready for two hours of all the classics.”

Featuring the musicians of Johnny Warman’s Magic Bus, who have performed with Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle.

7.30pm, £12.

• thetunnelsbristol.co.uk Sunday July 16 n Jazz night with Mark Randall Six Windmill Hill community centre, Vivian Street.

Third Sunday of every month, 8.30-10.30pm.

• wcha.org.uk Continued overleaf

J

anyone who enjoys dancing to the top tracks from the 90s and noughties, from club classics to disco and reggae. £7, 7.30pm.

• thetunnelsbristol.co.uk Tuesday July 11 n BBC Tour Knowle & Totterdown Local History Society on a guided tour of Broadcasting House in Whiteladies Road, 12.45pm. Photo ID is required.

Tickets £9.25. Email kandtlhs@ yahoo.co.uk • knowleandtotterdownhistory. org.uk n Why the Whales Came Tobacco Factory theatre, until July 15. For ages 7+, adapted from a story by Michael Morpurgo. Stranded on a tiny island with the mysterious Birdman, two children find out why their parents fear him, and why the whales visit. £9. Special relaxed performance on July 13 for those with extra needs.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com n Sustainable Transport and Behaviour Change Tobacco Factory snug bar. Dr Neil Williams, founder of Tilix energy consultancy, and Katie AartseTuyn, volunteer programme

Vanessa KIsuule: Bewitching poet

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

July 2017

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n WHAT’S ON Continued from page 45 Tuesday July 18 n Energy Projects and the Planning System Tobacco Factory snug bar. A talk to Bedminster Energy group by planning lawyer Edward Romaine explains how renewable energy projects can get planning permission. 7.30pm. Free.

• Facebook: BemmyEnergyGroup Wednesday July 19 n Romeo & Juliet Bristol Shakespeare Festival, Arnos Vale cemetery. Until July 23.

Butterfly Theatre Company.

“As an archaeologist guides you through the historic ruins of Verona, he shares the tale of the beautiful love story surrounding the statue of the famous beauty, Juliet. Suddenly the statue breathes with life, along with all the people in the tale. various performance times.” Tickets £14-£16.

• arnosvale.org.uk/events n Tresa annual general meeting Totterdown Canteen, Wells Road, 7.30pm. Help elect the directors of Totterdown’s social and environmental group.

• tresa.org.uk Friday July 21 n Podcasting for Business Networking with Freelance Mum Windmill Hill City Farm, 10am-12noon. Freelance mum’s founder, broadcaster Faye Dicker, advises how small businesses can use podcasts to their advantage. £7.50 includes coffee, cake, and craft activities for children.

• windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk

n The Crows Plucked Your Sinews Acta theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster. Based on real events, using Somali and English, exploring the violence of Empire and the poetry of resistance. In 1913 a woman Dervish warrior searches the body of a British Tommy; in 2001 Suuban sees the assassination of Osama bin Laden on TV. Soon these worlds will fuse … 1.30pm and 7pm, £3.

• acta-bristol.com

Unsettling Sirens in a thrilling cacophony

Six voices: The Belgian ensemble make a shocking, adults-only show out of women’s everyday experiences REVIEW Sirens, from Belgian company Ontroerend Goed, Tobacco Factory IX women behind music stands in an otherwise empty space, dressed like opera sopranos, flicking through the pages of their scores as they perform. But if the audience has any expectation of beautiful melodies and rousing harmonies they are certainly misplaced. The performance starts in silence and blackness and builds slowly into a cacophony of disharmony, uncomfortable yet thrilling, before the lights reveal the performers.

This performance is for over

18s only – and rightly so – the words of this review are chosen carefully so as not to trigger difficult feelings or unsettle younger readers, and are necessarily euphemistic. The 90-minute show is a powerful and moving series of thoughtprovoking vignettes – a section where the cast sing, while behind them is projected a black and white adult film; a section where the elegantly attired women mime making themselves feel good as a man might; a section where a soloist, through noises only, depicts an awful crime. Other pieces use women’s everyday

Saturday July 22 n The Tempest for children Bristol Shakespeare Festival, Windmill Hill City Farm.

A 30-minute interactive storytelling experience based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Help create the storm, explore the island and meet the many characters in this magical tale.

Ages 2-5. Performances at 10.15am and 11.15am. Older siblings welcome. £5 adults, £3 children.

• bristolshakespearefestival.org.uk Sunday July 23 n Midsummer Night’s Dream Bristol Shakespeare Festival, Windmill Hill City Farm. The HandleBards, the world’s first cycling theatre company, present their riotous version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as you’ve never seen it before! All ages. Performances at 2.30pm and 6.30pm. £16, £6 under-16s.

• bristolshakespearefestival.org.uk n The Tempest for children Bristol Shakespeare Festival, Arnos Vale cemetery.

Hammerpuzzle bring their interactive show for 2-5 year-olds to Arnos Vale. Times and prices same as for shows at Windmill Hill City Farm on July 22.

• arnosvale.org.uk/events Monday July 24 n Sam Outlaw and Band The Tunnels, Temple Meads California-based Sam Outlaw’s debut album, Angelino, was produced by Ry Cooder and portrayed a dark streak in the state of eternal sunshine. Sam is in Bristol with his full band.

7.30pm, £14.

• thetunnelsbristol.co.uk n Double Deckers Comedy: Carl Donnelly and Chris Martin Hen & Chicken, North Street, Southville. Start of a week of Double Deckers Edinburgh try-outs at the Comedy Box. Sample fast-rising comic Carl Donnelly, “the nutter on the bus”, and Chris Martin, who went viral in India this year, but not in a good way. £8pm, £9.

• thecomedybox.co.uk Friday July 28 n Spy Workshop The

S

experiences and ordinary language to highlight the daily sexism that often goes unnoticed; the vocalisation of the internal monologue of a woman walking home alone after dark feels like an Everywoman experience; and an extended telling of one-liner jokes “why is a woman like a…?”, “what do you call a woman who…?” elicits a few titters, then groans, then audience silence as the relentless bile takes its toll.

You might be surprised that this show is not about man-hating, at all. But it does remind you that there is still work for feminism to do.

Beccy Golding Detective Project, Arnos Vale cemetery. “One of our spies has disappeared while on a mission in Bristol. We need the help of 7-12 year olds to find our spy and save Bristol from being sabotaged. We’ll use lots of gadgets and code-breaking to solve the mystery.” Tickets £15, 1-3.30pm. Run by Jenny Williams, an ex-police detective.

• arnosvale.org.uk/events n Arnos Vale after dark Explore the ethereal beauty of Bristol’s “Necropolis”, finding out about tragic tales, folk customs and the funeral etiquette of Victorian society. Travel along paths overhung with creeping branches, descend into the mortuary crypt and listen out for things that go bump in the night.

7.30-9pm, £9.

• arnosvale.org.uk/events n Franklin Mint Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown.

Punch-in-the-face riffs from former members of Gargantuant “but this time wearing bunny slippers”. 7.45pm, £4.

• the thunderbolt.net

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

July 2017

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