South Bristol Voice Bedminster July 2016

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southbristolvoice July 2016 No. 9

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LOCAL NEWS FOR LOCAL PEOPLE

LETTERS P19 | MARVIN REES P21 | PLANNING P27

Meet Mr Graff, new figurehead for Upfest EUROPE’S largest street art festival is back on the streets of Bedminster this month – with a new addition to one of the world’s most popular families of children’s characters.

Bristol artist Cheo has created Mr Graff to join the Mr Men family, with the blessing of MMLM, owners of the characters created 45 years ago by Roger Hargreaves.

Stephen Hayles, Upfest founder and gallery owner, said: “We are very honoured to be collaborating with MMLM and Cheo to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Mr Men with a Mr Graff character for Upfest 2016.

It really shows how the festival and the different art disciplines are evolving.”

This year’s Upfest, in and around North Street from July 23-25, will be the biggest yet.

The Voice has been told the target was for 300 artists from all over the world to take part – but so many have applied, the total will be closer to 350.

Highlights will include Dutch 3D floor artist Leon Keer, who

Call to help wildlife in BS3 Page 3 Green Capital: Cost of fog and whales

Page 5

Tobacco buildings: flats plan passed

Page 7

Faithspace: the surprising outcome

Page 8

Pet owners warned after deaths

Taking shape: Bristol street artist Cheo introduces Mr Graff will pick a prominent spot for one of his jaw-dropping false perspective pictures. The line-up also includes 2016 festival artist Gemma Compton and Bristol favourites, Inkie, Jody and

Cheba. With live music, food, and scores of events, the eighth annual Upfest will continue its support for Nacoa, the charity for the families of alcoholics.

• upfest.co.uk

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Lunar attraction at Balloon Fiesta

Page 31

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July 2016

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Intro

Where’s our wildlife gone?

THERE’S a lot to recommend living in BS3. Attractive Victorian streets or more spacious post-war houses, whichever takes your fancy.

Plenty of places to eat, drink and be entertained, and one of the finest collections of independent shops anywhere.

But there’s one issue where Bedminster and Southville in particular fall down: wildlife. As you can see from our story on page 3,

this area scores worse than any in Bristol for the number and variety of birds sighted.

A call went out earlier in the year for sightings of hedgehogs, which are in rapid decline nationally.

“We might as well have asked for sightings of the Tasmanian devil or the great auk!” said Ben Barker, who collected the responses.

The reasons no doubt have much to do with the densely packed houses in much of the area, with small gardens, often paved, which don’t appeal to wildlife.

It’s a wake-up call: if we want to live among a healthy range of wild creatures, we must do something about it.

How do I get in touch with ...

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 8 and 22 at Knowle West Health Park, Downton Road, BS4 1WH, 9.15-10.45 am.

Call 0117 953 3575.

My councillor?

All councillors can be reached by post at Brunel House, St George’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UY Celia Phipps Labour, Bedminster

By phone: 07469 413312 By email: Cllr.celia.phipps@ bristol.gov.uk Mark Bradshaw Labour, Bedminster By phone: 0117 353 3160 By email: Cllr.mark.bradshaw@ bristol.gov.uk Stephen Clarke Green, Southville By email: Cllr.stephen.clarke@ bristol.gov.uk Charlie Bolton Green, Southville By email: Cllr.charlie.bolton@bristol.gov.uk By phone: 07884 736111

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 PARTNERSHIP The Greater Bedminster Community Partnership is the local forum that brings the public together with councillors, council officials and other bodies.

Next meeting September 5, 2016, 7pm Acta Centre, Gladstone Street, Bristol, BS3 3AY

EDITOR’S NOTE: South Bristol Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. Feedback is welcomed: call editor Paul Breeden on 07811 766072 or email paul@ southbristolvoice.co.uk All stories and pictures are copyright of South Bristol Voice and may not be reproduced without permission in this or any other plane of the multiverse.

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Why so little wildlife, BS3?

No hedgehogs, and bird total is city’s worst

ATTEMPTS to gauge the health of wildlife populations in Bedminster and Southville have found that it’s one of the least nature-friendly parts of Bristol.

A call by the My Wild Bedminster project for sightings of hedgehogs drew only a handful of responses.

And a comparison of the BS3 Wildlife Group annual survey of garden birds with other districts shows this area records fewer species than anywhere in Bristol.

The reasons are likely to have much to do with the tightlypacked Victorian terraces which cover much of BS3. Small gardens are not very welcoming to birds and other creatures, and many have been paved over. And

HELPING THE HEDGEHOGS ONE family in Ashton have launched their own drive to boost the hedgehog population.

Andrew and Midge Price believe the gardens in Frobisher, Drake and Smythe roads could be a good habitat for the creatures. They have put flyers through neighbours’ doors asking them to take steps to encourage hedgehogs.

They urge people to leave modern homes have fewer niches for birds like sparrows to nest in.

Members of the BS3 Wildlife Group reported fewer bird sightings from October to March.

Sparrows were the top sighting, with magpies and blackbirds next. There were 28 species in all, including firecrests and greater spotted woodpeckers. But fewer members are taking part in the survey, which may affect the

small gaps in their fences for hedgehogs to pass through, use hedgehog-friendly slug pellets, cover drain holes and make sure all ponds have a hedgehog escape route.

“The response has been really positive,” said Andrew.

“We are hoping to be given some hedgehogs by a Someset wildlife sanctuary to add to the local population.” results. Ben Barker, secretary of the Greater Bedminster Community Partnership, appealled for more people to join the wildlife group and keep a tally of the birds they see.

Referring to the lack of hedgehog sightings, he said: “We might as well have asked for sightings of the Tasmanian Devil or the Great Auk!” Hedgehogs are in decline all

over the UK. The population is thought to be about one million, down from 30 million in the 1950s. Rural hedgehogs are worst affected, with sightings down by a half since 2000, while urban hedgehogs are thought to be down by a third.

Mr Barker said: “This does not mean that there are not lots of mammals, birds and invertebrates about. It does demonstrate that we need to try harder and be more welcoming (pollinating plants – yes; poison pellets –no) if we want to see a wider range of creatures.”

Mr Barker is seeking pictures of all kinds of BS3 wildlife for a possible exhibition: send them to gbcpnewsletter@gmail.com • More trees will improve the environment – and the GBCP’s “tree champion”, Gus Malkerson, wants suggestions about where new street trees could be planted.

Send ideas to lorena.alvarez@ bristol.gov.uk

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Way open for green space homes plan A PROPOSAL for around 130 homes on the former Alderman Moore’s allotments, a green open space near Winterstoke Road, will not need an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

Developer Architype is proposing 131 homes, a mix of bungalows, flats and two and three storey houses, on the 2.5 hectare site off Silbury Road.

The developer asked if an EIA would be required. The council ruled that no environmental assessment is needed because the development is for fewer than 150 homes and on less than 5 hectares.

Architype said the land appears not to have been built on since at least 1884.

The site is bounded by allotments, Colliter’s Brook open space and the railway.

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July 2016

Jailed for 16 months for graffiti tagging A BEDMINSTER man who admitted spraying his tag all over the city has been been sentenced to 16 months in prison and forbidden from carrying any paint spray cans for ten years.

Police say that many people will have seen ‘SESK’ sprayed on at least one building in the city centre.

Jack Keeling, 24, of Graham Road, Bedminster, admitted all 70 offences he faced at Bristol Crown Court on June 6.

PC Stuart King, who leads the police anti-graffiti scheme Operation Block, said: “Jack Keeling caused extensive criminal damage across Bristol to both public and private property.

“The judge commented that he hoped the prison sentence

A real offence: Police say graffiti tags like Keeling’s, pictured, make an area feel less safe

handed to Keeling would act as a deterrent to others and I’d echo that.

“Illegal graffiti and tagging isn’t a victimless crime: not only does it have huge financial consequences, especially if they’re repeatedly targeted, but it causes emotional stress and makes an area feel less safe.”

Operation Block focuses on

identifying and bringing to justice the people responsible for high-volume illegal graffiti and tagging. More than 30 offenders have been investigated for 400-plus offences. All of them have been over 18, with some receiving custodial sentences and others given on-the-spot fines or ordered to put right the damage they caused.

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Accounts reveal the cost of year of fog and blue whales Invoices show how Green Cap cash was spent

THE GREEN Capital accounts have been published after months of controversy.

Among 600 invoices, published on the orders of new mayor Marvin Rees, it’s been revealed that: • £49,200 was spent to create a cloud of fog around Pero’s Bridge on the harbour; • A dinner in the Royal Marriott hotel in October 2015 for 35 people cost £1,120; • 59 nights of accommodation at the Royal Marriott at £119 a night cost £7,021; • £320 was spent on floral table centrepieces in October 2015.

The invoices were released by the council after Bristol 2015 Ltd, the private firm set up to spend £12 million of public money in the Green Capital year, declined to publish detailed acccounts.

Among the payouts in South Bristol, £10,000 went to Knowle West Media Centre for an arts project which recycled old toys.

Another £15,000 went to set up the South Bristol Skyline Walk, paying for maps, booklets and a website to show people how to enjoy some of the city’s best viewpoints.

One of the most expensive

Labour of love: Making the Bristol Whales at Cod Steaks in St Philips projects to have originated in South Bristol also won lots of praise – including some from an unlikely source.

The Bristol Whales were made out of wicker by Cod Steaks, an arts company based in Cole Road, St Philips.

The accounts show they cost £84,000, but the whales have a fan in Jeremy Clarkson, the former Top Gear presenter and famous sceptic of most things environmental. He wrote in the Sunday Times on June 12 that the Bristol Whales were his favourite part of Green Capital year, and one of the reasons why he would vote to stay in the EU. Sue Lipscombe, founder of

Cod Steaks, said she and her staff had pulled out all the stops to create a sculpture that meant something to Bristolians.

Two life-size sculptures of blue whales made of Somerset willow were sited last year in Millennium Square, surrounded by a sea of 70,000 recycled plastic bottles – a message about the damage that discarded plastic is doing to the oceans.

“I think it’s the piece of work that we are most proud of,” Sue told the Voice. Her company is more used to making models and designs for TV, film, advertising and theme parks. A recent project was making a Magic Bus for a Shrek exhibition in London.

“Art is a hugely difficult subject to value,” said Sue, “but this took 14 weeks of work, or 350 labour days. They were intended to be temporary sculptures but because of the quality of the craftsmanship, and the overwhelming support they’ve received, have been permanently located in Bennetts Patch, near the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a wildlife and nature reserve.

“We weren’t asked to do any public consultation, but we did – we brought in school children and asked them to give us their ideas, and they all took a sculpture away with them.

“Jeremy Clarkson said in his article that the North has its Angel, and the South has its Bristol Whales.”

Stephen Williams, the Lib Dem MP for Bristol West who led the calls for the accounts to be published, said the invoices showed “a real scandal” of “the trousering of tens of thousands of pounds by lots of consultants”.

He said he was “outraged” at the cost to the Pero’s Bridge fog.

“I’m glad Mayor Rees intends to appoint an independent body to review the year. We need to know the full story and there will be lessons for future big events,” Mr Williams wrote in his blog.

• To see the invoices released by the council, go to bristol.gov.uk/ bristol-green-capital and then to Commonly asked questions.

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Are you missing Pharmacy has UK’s top team your benefits?

RESIDENTS can find out if they are missing out on welfare payments at a free event arranged by Bristol South MP Karin Smyth on Friday July 22.

Research by the Labour MP shows that £16 million a year in pension credit, and £20m in income support, goes unclaimed

by Bristol residents each year.

A similar event earlier in the year attracted nearly 100 people.

It is being repeated at the City of Bristol College, South Bristol Skills Academy (SBSA) in Hengrove from 10.30am-1.30pm.

Organisations including Age UK, Royal British Legion, Care & Repair, Citizens Advice Bureau, South Bristol Advice Services and the city council’s benefits team will be there to help.

The Skills Academy is served by buses 20, 36, 75, 76 and 90.

A BEDMINSTER chemist’s shop has been judged to have the best workforce in the country at the industry’s top awards night.

Bedminster Pharmacy in Cannon Street was named Pharmacy Team of the Year at the Chemist & Druggist awards on June 15.

The pharmacy was nominated for four awards – more than any firm, beating even the national companies such as Boots. The

Winners: The team at Bedminster Pharmacy with their award firm’s owner, Ade Williams, said he was glad they won the Team of the Year award because

YOUNGSTERS aged 8-12 can join a five-day theatre event at the Tobacco Factory from July 25-29. Different tasks on the first four days build to a show at 3pm on July 29. The cost is £150.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Comic winners

Ask the vet:

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it was the most coveted. “It’s a great acknowledgment of how wonderful our team is,” he said.

The pharmacy – which now has column in the Voice every month giving advice on health – prides itself on its efforts to reach out and help the community, from help to stop smoking to private consultations on subjects from men’s health to disability aids.

The judges said they were impressed with “a team philosophy entirely focused on improving outcomes for individuals and the community it serves.”

Sun shines on secret gardens

Drama days

THE WINNERS of our Double Decker comedy competition in the June issue are Linda Palmer, Claire Baker, Emma Barber and Scott Dawes. Each will receive a pair of tickets to the Comedy Box in Southville in July to see a double bill of top comedians preview their Edinburgh shows.

July 2016

Colourful haven: The Mulligans’ garden is small but full of interest

THE HEAVENS smiled on Bedminster’s Secret Gardeners on June 12 as they threw their gates open to welcome the public for their second event of the year.

Among the 25 garden owners who took part were Sarah and Mo Mulligan of Chessel Street, who have transformed a typical narrow Bedminster terraced garden into a green hideaway.

They have lived in the house for over 30 years but started the current re-creation 10 years ago when their sons had left home.

“Before that it was all boys, grass and guinea pigs,” said Sarah. To create privacy they put up trellis, planted a plum tree and removed the concrete flower beds and coal bunker.

Organiser Matthew Symonds said this year’s two Secret Gardens weekends had gone very well and around £1,200 has been raised. The money will be given to local wildlife projects.

What should I do if I find flystrike on my rabbit?

LYSTRIKE is a veterinary emergency and your rabbit should be seen straight away. Flystrike is an incredibly distressing and painful condition caused by flies laying eggs on your rabbit. If left undetected, the hatched maggots will literally eat your bunny alive.

Rabbits that have flystrike are often initially lethargic and reluctant to move around and eat. If you find fly eggs (white clusters on the hair) or maggots on your rabbit, you

should contact your vet as soon as possible and make an emergency appointment.

Do not wash your rabbit as this will make it difficult for your vet to shave the area and could affect treatment. If left wet, it will also increase the risk of further infestations from the smell.

Flystrike can kill very quickly.

We cannot stress enough how important it is to get your rabbit to a vet immediately if you notice any sign of infestation.

Flies lay hundreds of eggs

at a time in smelly, moist areas such as your rabbit’s bottom, and the warmer weather means that the eggs can hatch within 1-2 hours. As the skin is eaten by the maggots it gives off a smell that attracts more flies, leading to even more maggots.

Be sure to check your rabbit a minimum of twice a day for any sign of flystrike. You should also use preventative treatments which are available from veterinary practices.

Contact Highcroft Veterinary

Jenny Hamilton-ible MRCVS Veterinary Surgeon at Highcroft Veterinary Hospital, Whitchurch Hospital on 01275 832410 for more information about flystrike and what you can do to help prevent an infestation.

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COUNCILLORS have given the go-ahead to plans to turn the former Imperial Tobacco offices in Bedminster Parade into 247 new homes – but voiced concern that there will not be a single affordable dwelling in the scheme.

Developer City & Country said that including social housing in the scheme, which will convert the Grade II-listed Lombard House and Regent House, and add new blocks at the rear, would not be economic.

Steve Clarke, Green councillor for Bedminster and a member of the planning committee which took the decision on June 15, said he believed many councillors had felt forced to accept the scheme.

“The planning system has been loaded against affordable housing,” he said.

Planning officers had told the meeting that an appraisal of the site under the official guidelines for imposing social housing had concluded that it wasn’t viable.

However, in an unusual move, councillors imposed a condition on City & Country which means that the scheme will be reassessed after one year and again after three years. If the value has risen, some affordable housing may be included.

Cllr Clarke said new housing was badly needed. “It’s bringing a fine old building into use again, but I’m concerned about this issue of affordable homes,” he said.

He fears that property prices are rising so fast that Bedminster people will no longer be able to

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247 new homes, and not one is affordable How the new plan will look: But flats above the Parade will have their windows fixed shut because of traffic pollution

afford to buy a flat locally.

“One of Bedminster’s greatest strengths is that it really has got a local presence, people who have lived here for generations,” he said.

“You hear a Bristol accent here in a way you don’t in Clifton or Redland, and I’m a bit worried about that being lost.”

Along with other councillors, he is also worried about the strain the new homes will put on resources such as doctors’ surgeries, which are already under severe pressure.

Draft proposals for the nearby Bedminster Green are for 800 homes, and at St Catherine’s Place 188 more. Compensation

for social facilities like schools and health is expected to be extracted from the developers.

Meanwhile, air pollution along Bedminster Parade is so bad that the council’s air quality officer has insisted that the windows of the City & Country flats to be built above the parade must be fixed shut, with artificial ventilation used to cool them.

Nitrogen dioxide levels break annual limits on Bedminster Parade by a large margin, it was revealed.

“This is due to high numbers of vehicle movements combined with the ‘canyon’ street layout here which inhibits the dispersion of pollution,” the

officer’s report said.

The application received support from Bristol Civic Society, which said it was pleased that the design had been revised.

Bedminster Town Team said it believed the plan would create a “sense of place”, kickstart investment in the area and provide much-needed housing in a sustainable location.

Historic England, however, criticised the impact of the new blocks behind the Grade II-listed buildings on views. The plan “would cause considerable harm to the Bedminster Conservation Area,” it said.

The BS3 Planning Group also raised concerns, calling the plan “too intense and too high”.

The group also voiced worries about the impact on parking in the area. The scheme will have 150 parking spaces – far fewer than the number of homes – and 468 bicycle places. There will be electric car charging points and car club spaces.

The plan will also add offices, shops and cafés and alter the historic arcade to let in more light.

• Documents from World War 2 show there may be an unexploded bomb buried somewhere eight metres under the site. An expert assessment will be carried out.

Advice from a pharmacist by Ade Williams, Bedminster Pharmacy

This column aims to show how all local pharmacies can offer help and advice on a range of conditions, helping to ease the pressure on GP surgeries and other parts of the NHS

Men can learn to beat stress

signpost the most appropriate resources based on your preference. Pharmacists are trained experts, able to help with issues such as sexual wellness, energy and vitality, heart health, hair loss, weight gain, dandruff, bowel problems, smoking, stress and much more.

Bladder weakness, which affects one in nine men at some point in their lives, can be particularly difficult to talk about but here at Bedminster Pharmacy we have expert, trained staff and products to restore confidence and maintain dignity.

Men are 35 per cent more likely to die from cancer than

T

HE start of Euro 2016, coinciding with the 2016 Men’s Health Week, with its theme Beat Stress, seems fated. The day England lost to Argentina on penalties in 1998, male hospital admissions for heart attack rose by 25 per cent!

In the UK, one man in five dies before he reaches 65. A recent survey revealed that 42 per cent of men ignore the fact they are unwell rather than visiting a pharmacy or doctor.

Pharmacists realise that, like

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most health professionals, we don’t see enough of our male patients, but we continue to work to improve engagement as it allows us to deliver targeted health campaigns, support healthy living and offer effective medication therapy.

Pharmacies offer quick, friendly, informal conversations with no appointment needed.

These can take place in our private consultation room. All our conversations are confidential and our primary concern is your wellbeing. That said, we will always respect your decisions and work with you. You can also ask to speak to a male pharmacist. We are able to

women in the UK. Late diagnosis and treatment are a recognised factor. Almost one in three suicides are by men, making it the biggest cause of death in men under 35.

The Beat Stress campaign message to men is: talk about how you beat stress, talk about what causes it. Talk to your mates, talk to your family. Talk to professionals. Your local pharmacy team is always happy to talk to you. Do drop in and let’s talk about the Bedminster Pharmacy’s Men’s Health display – ask for your free goodie bag!

• Bedminster Pharmacy, Cannon Street, Bedminster BS3 1BN; 0117 985 3388

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Faithspace is saved SOUTHVILLE’S lamented former church and community hall, Faithspace, will not be turned into housing, it has been revealed.

The building has been sold by the Methodist church to another Christian group, the church of St Thomas Mar. The news comes as an enormous relief to many in the community who feared it would be sold to a developer.

The vicar of St Thomas Mar, Rev. Abraham Mathew, told the Voice that his church was willing in principle to open up the large building for community use.

However, the sale process is not complete and the boarded-up building needs a lot of work, which is expected to take at least six months.

The sale of Faithspace sparked a broad-based community campaign earlier this year, sparked by fears that the

Methodists would feel bound to sell it to the highest bidder.

Faithspace was used by dozens of community groups and classes before it was closed by the Methodists in late 2014 because they could not afford the upkeep. Worship was moved to other Methodist churches and the church said it wanted to focus its funds on refurbishing its centre for the homeless in Lawrence Hill.

Matthew Symonds, who runs the Southville community centre next door to Faithspace, said he is hopeful the church will allow community groups to use the building.

And Cllr Steve Clarke, who supported the Keep the Faithspace campaign, said: “We welcome the church to the community and look forward to developing a relationship with them.”

St Thomas Mar is the Bristol

congregation of an ancient branch of Christianity which traces its roots in Kerala, India to its foundation by the apostle Thomas in 52AD. The Bristol community has no building of its own and currently worships at a church in Eastville.

Rev David Alderman, superintendent minister of the Bristol and South Gloucestershire Methodist Circuit, said he recognised that the prolonged closure had created uncertainty, but stressed that the church had said they would take a number of factors into account when deciding on a buyer. “The offer from St Thomas’ church ticked all the boxes, including maintaining a Christian presence in the Southville community for generations to come,” he said.

The building has a covenant restricting its use to religious and educational purposes.

July 2016

Attack on man who tried to break up fight POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a 50-year-old man tried to break up a fight between about 10 people in West Street, Bedminster.

The Good Samaritan suffered a broken leg and severe bruising all over his body during the incident on Sunday April 24 between 10.30pm and 11pm, close to the bus stop outside the job centre.

Officers are also seeking witnesses who saw a man hit by a bus in Dalby Avenue, Bedminster. It is thought the man was hit by a 75 or 76 First bus at 5.45pm on May 12. Police want to speak to passengers on the bus and to a person who went to help the man, who injured his back and foot.

Witnesses to either incident are asked to call police on 101.

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Advice on: • healthy living • medication • minor ailments • incontinence products • mobility products

At Bedminster Pharmacy we pride ourselves on our customer service.

That’s why we are very proud that we are nominated for 4 awards in the C+D Awards 2016, a major award scheme for pharmacies.

This is more nominations than any pharmacy in in the entire UK!

Prescriptions managed and collected from all local surgeries bedminster pharmacy Cannon Street, Bedminster, BS3 1BN Open 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat

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A CAT owner is warning people with pets to be vigilant after she believes her beloved cat Smouse was poisoned.

Meanwhile dog owners are also being asked to be on the alert for stagnant water after three dogs are said to have died from eating poisonous bluegreen algae.

Smouse was put down by a vet at the animal charity PDSA after owner Sarah Jade, who lives off St John’s Lane near Victoria Park, was told he had probably eaten rat poison.

“I just want to earn people to look out for early warning signs,” she said. “Rat poison doesn’t take effect for a couple of weeks. A week before he went missing, Smouse was sick, and I didn’t think anything of it.”

The cat was normally home-loving and would come inside when called, said Sarah.

“He was missing for five days and when he came back he was really weak, dehydrated and foaming at the mouth. I tried to spoon him water and feed him chicken and fish but he was’t interested.”

Sarah, who was short of money because her rent had just gone up, went to the PDSA on Bath Road where Smouse was treated for free. She is so grateful that she intends to hold a fundraising event for the charity.

She fears the poisoning may have been deliberate: four cats belonging to the same family died nearby in Bedminster in 2013, victims of what was thought to be ham laced with anti-freeze.

Vet Paul Vokes at the Avon Lodge veterinary practice in Wells Road, Knowle, said he had not heard of any pets being poisoned recently and said when it did happen, it was usually accidental, not malicious.

“Poisoning is a thing that’s hard to prove,” he said.

Toxicology tests are possible but expensive, and do not always identify a poison.

Pets have been known to eat

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Cat and dog deaths: pet owners warned Sarah Jade with Smouse, who died after a vet said he’d been poisoned.

Losing him was devastating, she said.

She has now given a home to an elderly rescue cat. rat poison, slug pellets and anti-freeze, he said. Each has its own symptoms (see panel).

Dog owners are being warned not to let their dogs jump into or drink from stagnant water this summer after three dogs died from eating blue-green algae.

The deaths were reported to have taken place in South Bristol

by The Vet practice at Hengrove, although the practice was unable to say where.

The algae can kill a dog within 15 minutes, causing muscle tremors, vomiting, diarrhoea or seizures.

Death from eating algae is very rare. “I don’t think I have ever treated a case, but it is a real issue,” said Mr Vokes. “It tends to happen in the late summer when there has been no rain and the water level drops.

“It can happen very quickly – the bloom of the algae can form within a couple of days.”

Still water can also present another fatal hazard, leptospirosis, although this can be prevented by vaccination.

Dog owners are warned not to

let their dogs drink from stagnant or slow-moving water, especially if there is algae present.

THREATS TO PETS

Anti-freeze Causes kidney failure. Some brands now have a bitter additive to deter pets drinking it.

Rat poison Causes bleeding but can take weeks to be fatal.

Slug pellets Tend to cause fitting.

Leptospirosis Bacterial infection which affects dogs much more than cats. Can induce fever and muscle tenderness, then vomiting, eventual kidney or liver failure.

Vaccine effective against certain strains.

Blue-green algae Causes muscle tremors, vomiting, diarrhoea or seizures. No vaccine.

Walk the 2-mile short route or 7-mile long route to enjoy: 

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Idea for a social club for over-55s WOULD you like to get together with other people over the age of 55? A new group, with the initial name of the Bedminster Social Club, is forming in BS3, hoping to organise trips to the cinema, theatre, lunch, and coffee mornings for a natter, as well as

visiting places like Wells, Bath and Portishead.

To find out more, turn up on Wednesday July 20 at 11am in the cafe at the Acta Centre on Palmerston Street, next to South Street park, Bedminster. Queries to Rosemary on 0117 963 5608.

Scan to watch the official walk video:

For maps, booklet and updates, visit http://bssw.org.uk

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July 2016

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New call to expand community hospital MP KARIN Smyth has stepped up her campaign to get more services provided at South Bristol hospital to help reduce the need for people to travel across the city for healthcare.

In a community consultation she carried out during last autumn and winter, the Bristol South MP found nine out of 10 residents of the constituency who responded would like to see a wider range of treatments at the Hengrove community hospital.

In a letter to managers at the University Hospital Bristol NHS foundation trust, Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and the North Bristol NHS Trust, Ms Smyth says the need of local people for expansion of services is more pressing than ever.

“Residents frequently talk to

me about the need for services at Hengrove to be expanded,” said the MP. Ms Smyth added: “Day in, day out, South Bristol people are having to trek across the city to Southmead and the BRI for services they feel could be more effectively delivered at their local hospital.”

The MP’s survey showed that a large majority of people have experience of using the South Bristol hospital, and most are warm and positive about it.

Nine out of 10 respondents think there should be more services there. Two thirds of them said they travel elsewhere in the city for some healthcare.

Cancer screening, followed by seven-day GP care, are the most sought-after additional services.

11

Trailer safety fight wins MP an award

A spokesman for the Bristol CCG pointed to a new Rapid Access Care clinic for older people as an example of new offerings at the hospital.

Starting two months ago, GPs have been able to send elderly patients to South Bristol hospital for a range of urgent checks in one visit, from blood tests to X-rays.

The CCG is committed to building on the hospital’s services, he said.

Already on offer are a children’s outpatients service, chemotherapy, and outpatient clinics including cardiology, diabetes care, a falls clinic, gastroenterology, and speech and language therapy as well as day surgery and endoscopy.

There are also 60 inpatient beds used for rehabilitation, end of life care and stroke care.

SOUTH Bristol’s MP Karin Smyth has been given the accolade of Parliamentarian of the Month for May for her fight for tougher regulations following the death of Freddie Hussey.

The award comes from the road safety charity Brake and Direct Line Group.

Three-year-old Freddie, from Bedminster, was crushed by a two-tonne trailer in January 2014 as he walked with his mother, Donna, in Parson Street.

Ms Smyth put the Husseys’ case to the Government in a debate in January. She also had several meetings with roads minister Andrew Jones.

Thanks to work by the MP and the Hussey family, official guidance on trailer safety is being rewritten and a new video is being developed for drivers.

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Wills, Trusts + Probate

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When’s the best time to write your Will?

There’s never an ideal time to write a Will. But changing circumstances mean there’s a natural time for you to start planning for the future. Angela Thomas of Barcan+Kirby’s Wills + probate team looks at some of the life events that might trigger the need for you to make or update your Will.

You’ve moved in together It’s not uncommon for joint homeowners to be unmarried.

But that makes it doubly important that you protect your financial interests, as well as those of your partners.

It’s a common misconception that your share of the property will automatically pass to your partner if you die. This is because the law of intestacy – or dying without a valid Will in place – doesn’t recognise cohabitation in the same way it recognises marriage.

Your relationship has changed

Your Will is probably the most important legal document you’ll ever own.

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Life changes don’t get much bigger than this! Every parent needs a Will, which is why having children is often the driving force behind couples making their first Will or updating an existing one.

Life circumstances alter periodically and relationship changes are commonplace.

Have you married, divorced (and remarried) or become a grandparent? If so, you may need to update your Will.

As well as appointing guardians to care for your child should anything happen to both parents, you can also invest money in trust in preparation for adulthood or to make provision for higher education.

As well as adding beneficiaries to your estate, you can also remove people if your relationship with them has ended.

Changes in your assets Throughout our lives our personal wealth can go up as well as down.

If the value of your assets or estate

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Arena: I will look at the local impact, says the new boss Safety on Bath Road and dropoff zones among the concerns

PLANS for the Bristol arena and the Temple Quarter will have to be updated to take account of the concerns of people living nearby in Totterdown and Windmill Hill, according to the councillor with oversight of the project.

Safety concerns over thousands of arena-goers spilling into Bath Road also have to be addressed, along with the areas for people dropping off and picking up people at the venue, said Helen Holland.

Cllr Holland, appointed by new mayor Marvin Rees as his cabinet member for place, has special responsibility for the arena and Temple Quarter area.

An ex-Totterdown resident, Cllr Holland supports the arena plan, but is well aware of how dangerous the narrow footways are along Bath Road.

Current plans are for a wider entrance only from the Three Lamps side. Stewards will have to manage any surge of people out of the site.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen. I’m not satisfied with the plan. I just don’t think what we have got at the moment is going to work,” Cllr Holland told the South Bristol Voice.

She is also concerned at plans for drop-offs and pick-ups to take place in the Feeder Road area.

“If there is a boy band on [at the arena] there are going to be 12,000 14-year-old girls, and their mums and dads are going to want to know that they are going to be able to pick them up somewhere safe,” she said.

Marvin Rees’s new Labour administration is determined not to repeat the parking fiasco of Southmead hospital. Reopened two years ago, it led to chronic parking problems for residents; a new parking scheme was announced only in mid-June.

Totterdown Basin: Helen Holland hopes to ape success of King’s Cross “It’s no good finding two years later, as at Southmead, that we have a real problem,” said Cllr Holland. She was due to meet the two newly-elected Labour councillors for Windmill Hill, Lucy Whittle and Jon Wellington, to make sure local concerns are addressed.

She is also concerned there is not enough scope in the arena plan for coach parking which, she said, “is hardly mentioned”.

It will be crucial to give people confidence that public transport will be reliable. Cllr Holland

pointed to the revived King’s Cross area in London as an example of the environment she wants around the Temple Quarter.

“It’s not just about the wine bar culture, it’s got to be childfriendly,” she said. “I went to King’s Cross recently and I thought it was out of this world.

There were lots of families there there’s a new park, there’s a lido, and a wildlife area, all within 500 yards of King’s Cross station.”

The 25-year framework plan for the Temple Quarter envisages

NO PUBLIC VOTE ON DEVO-DEAL THE PUBLIC will not get a vote on whether Bristol and its neighbouring councils get a “metro mayor”.

Instead, councillors in Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire were due to vote on June 29 whether to accept the Government’s devolution deal which could unite regional transport decisions under a new mayor.

North Somerset council has rejected the plan, saying Bristol would grab too much of the cash.

Helen Holland believes the Devo-deal could be good for South Bristol, helping to create better transport, housing, infrastructure and skills. £1 billion is on offer over 30 years, with the prospect of attracting more funds from investors.

It will also bring extra powers, “not those that the Bristol mayor would be giving up, but powers that are currently held by the Government”, said Cllr Holland.

If the three councils accept the Devo offer, the metro mayor would be elected by voters across the region next May. Bristol mayor Marvin Rees will not stand and the roles will not be combined.

Bristol councillors asked for a referendum on whether voters wanted a metro mayor to be added to the EU referendum on June 23. But this was refused by the Government.

waterside cafés on a revamped Totterdown Basin with wildlife areas and public spaces.

But the framework is so far only a vision. An ambitious Bath Promenade, a wide walkway and cycleway from Temple Meads to the arena, is supposed to be in place by 2020.

But the Promenade will require two very expensive new bridges across the New Cut and the Plymouth railway line – and currently there are no detailed plans and no source of finance.

The signs are more hopeful that the scheme will create jobs and skills for underprivileged areas of South Bristol.

“We want more than just warm words,” said Cllr Holland.

“To quote the deputy mayor, Estella Tincknell, when we say local jobs we are not just talking about people who will clean the arena or make the sandwiches.”

She will urge the constructor, Bougues UK, to work with groups such as Hartcliffe’s Gatehouse centre. It used customised training to bring new skills to local people in the creation of Imperial retail park in Hartcliffe.

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News

What dwells in the shadows? Dark trails link Arnos Vale and maybe your loft with a cryptic creature…

Alex Morss reports

I

T’S FRIDAY 13th as we lurk in the blackest, deadest corner of Arnos Vale cemetery. There is a shrill echo, then a glimmer of the moon teases a shy, dancing silhouette over the gnarled and crippled gravestones. Its wings dart into the gloom and we give chase.

Our tantalising quest is a rare and mysterious Lesser Horseshoe bat that dwells among the forgotten crumbling chambers and vaults somewhere in this enchanting Bristolian memorial ground in Totterdown. She has been carefully radio-tagged with a tiny device on her back, attached with great care by a

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July 2016

On graveyard patrol

dedicated team. She will reveal her secret flight paths through South Bristol’s urban green corridors, as she is stalked through the night by 15 Avon Bat Group volunteers, led by bat researcher Dan Flew.

This summer the volunteers have devoted many hours to monitoring the elusive habits of these 3-5cm mammals, which are among the smallest bats in the world. They are mapping where they commute in Totterdown, Windmill Hill and Bedminster and how the species copes in such an urban environment, being so conflicted by disturbance, light and everincreasing development.

Tonight, split into teams dotted about the cemetery, they wait patiently in the shadows, aerials tuned towards a Victorian crypt. If they are lucky, they will pick up each bat’s aliensounding, high-frequency

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Dan, an ecologist and former gravedigger, has inside knowledge about the hidden underground tunnels in this Victorian setting. He is also interested in South Bristol’s above-ground dark ‘corridors’ – flight passages linking historic Arnos Vale cemetery with surrounding green spaces. He hopes to answer a few ecological questions. “It’s amazing that this light-shy, woodland species roosts here in the city, right next to the busy, well-lit Bath Road,” said Dan. “Is Arnos Vale a dark island that the bats are trapped in, or do they leave, braving the

light and noise of the traffic to get to the river and commute to other areas like Ashton Court?”

The cemetery and its surroundings offer one of relatively few refuges in England for this charismatic creature, which is one of 18 bat species native to Britain. They are all rather enigmatic but Dan and the team have found at least seven species in the area: Common and Soprano Pipistrelles, Lesser Horseshoe, Noctule, Leisler’s, Serotine and Myotis. The river, railway and darker city gardens provide a flight route linking green spaces across the city.

The challenge for Bristol residents is keeping these bats welcome. One of their biggest city threats is loft conversions, as well as increased lighting and

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15

with the top bat detectives

Follow that bat: Dan Flew and his radio detector loss of vegetation. It is illegal to disturb a bat or its roost in your loft, but this happens by mistake if people convert their lofts without first surveying for bats.

Jo Ferguson, spokesperson for the Bat Conservation Trust, said city houses have become essential as artificial roosts because bats’ natural habitats have declined so drastically in the past century. Many old houses around Bristol now offer perfect roosts - until the builders arrive. “Converting loft spaces without proper consideration for any bats roosting in the roof structure impacts greatly upon bat populations,” she said.

“Specialist advice is needed to take them into account.”

PICTURE: Alex Morss

She said several bat species use lofts regularly and it is illegal to disturb them. Weighing as little as 4g, they can hide in tiny crevices. “These bats can easily squeeze into gaps no bigger than an adult’s thumb to roost, such as under roof tiles or behind fascia boards, leaving them vulnerable to activities involving building renovation or conversion.”

Even if your loft work does not need planning permission, Jo said, anyone converting their roof space remains legally responsible for covering the cost of expert checks for bats, and people can be prosecuted if they don’t. “Prosecution should be a last resort, as it could turn people against bats, and we want to

encourage greater support for bat conservation,” she said.

Bristol city council spokesperson Amy Jones said that while most smaller loft conversions do not need planning permission, any bat in a loft is legally protected: “Any works affecting bat roosts require a licence from Natural England,” she said. Homeowners should consult an expert ecologist before starting works. They might be asked to adjust works and lighting or put up bat boxes.

Jo added: “Bats are amazing animals that are important to ecosystems. They are inconspicuous, unassuming and delicate creatures. They do not make nests. Their droppings are dry and relatively contained, with no known risks to public health.”

If you suspect a roost or have found a bat, you can get free advice from the Bat Helpline: 0345 1300 228.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BATS… • Introduce garden features to attract bats and their food, such as night flowering plants, ponds for insects, hedges, trees and bat boxes; * Seek advice from an ecologist before doing loft works; * Get a bat detector and become a citizen scientist, recording species for the National Bat Monitoring Programme run by BCT; * Join Avon Bat Group or sign up for Dan Flew’s guided bat walk in Arnos Vale on July 1 via the cemetery’s website: arnosvale.org.uk

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16

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Features

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www.southbristolvoice.co.uk

July 2016

What a memory: Garth England’s vision of shops on Wells Road, Knowle, in the Victorian villas: Garth recalled from memory scores of homes and shops

Garth brought in a visual mem

W

ELCOME to the bygone world of an author who is, sadly, no more with us. Garth England lived all his life in South Bristol – in Knowle West, Knowle, Hengrove, Totterdown and Bedminster.

He spent his life as a milkman, soldier, railway man and more, but unknown to almost anyone he was accumulating almost photographic impressions of the people – and especially the places – he had known.

Garth died two years ago in 2014, aged 79 when he was living at Hengrove Lodge retirement home – but not before revealing his extraordinary collections of drawings and writings.

The book is called Murdered With Straight Lines, after a comment made to Garth by his art teacher when at school. “He didn’t like the way I always used a ruler,” he said.

Like the famous Northern artist LS Lowry, Garth brings his pictures alive with sparselysketched detail.

Working with coloured pencils, A4 sheets of paper and – most importantly – a ruler –

Milk float: Garth records social changes, su he recalled with incredible accuracy dozens of street scenes and buildings he had known.

The Tozer’s dairy in Jubilee Road, Knowle, for example, and the electric milk float are lovingly remembered, often with a reminiscence (above).

A house on Hillside Terrace, Totterdown, was home of “Bible Punching Bessie”, a customer whose refrain was: “I’m a sick woman.” Another page is of “Garth’s firsts”, from his first

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17

Features

Family life: A sweepstake wins Garth some pocket money

his past back to life moir of South Bristol

uch as the 1950 switch from cardboard milk bottle tops to foil ones

trousers in 1949 – “It was custom then to be made fun rst by other boys” to his first r – at home, 15 Springleaze, wle Park. “I went green,” he rds.

Houses inhabited by family, nds and even his teachers are oduced, from grandmother’s ace in Monmouth Street, to Victoria Park, to his dmaster “Whacker” Taylor’s se in Imperial Road.

Drawings are supplemented

with memories. To a sketch of the 137th St Gerard’s scout troop is added: “A scout smiles and whistles cheerfully through all difficulties. We did too, or else.”

And one day on a paper round in 1949: “‘We don’t pay no paper bills on a Sunday, my boy.’

Slam. 329 Airport Road.”

Often he is recording social change – better houses with bathrooms, the first televisions, his treasured first car.

Throughout there’s the

impression that after the war, life got better. Family was close around, the welfare state looked after people; South Bristol had shops and cinemas aplenty on the doorstep.

Garth’s last full-time job was for British Rail. When he retired in 1993 he took a paper round again, this time for Mr M Slade at 30 St John’s Lane, working until 2001, by which time he was in the retirement home.

At Hengove Lodge, Garth’s drawings caught the eye of Jo Plimmer, a curator for an art project for Hengrove called Future Perfect. She suggested his work could be made into a book, and Garth gave his blessing to the project, but sadly he died before it could be published.

An exhibition of Garth’s work is planned for 2017. Until then, his book is a vivid recollection of a South Bristol which is slowly fading away – of prefab houses, outside toilets, and Austin Sevens; of teachers called Whacker and milk delivered from the churn.

• Murdered By Straight Lines: Drawings of Bristol by Garth England. Redcliffe Press, £8.

Working man: Garth was a telegram boy for the Post Office, where ‘bunking off’ was an art

Wartime: Garth was evacuated to Glastonbury at the age of six

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Protect us from home investors

New homes will overburden GPs I AM very concerned about Urbis’ plans to build nearly 900 new homes in Bedminster, which will mean 1,300 new homes when you add in the other major developments also being

S

IT’S WELCOME news that the new mayor intends to build 2,000 homes a year in Bristol to rent or buy. But I fear that for many first-time home buyers the dream of owning their own home will never materialise in today’s skewed, unfair property market.

There is no easy solution, but one thing a determined government or indeed the Bristol mayor could do would be to slap a 100 per cent property tax on properties purchased purely as a investment, which is what some governments abroad have done.

Gerald Gannaway Broad Walk, Knowle

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July 2016

planned. The local area will see a huge increase in pollution levels and congestion, not to mention parking problems.

One of my main concerns is the pressure the high density of new housing will have on health care facilities. The two local surgeries are already full and it is almost impossible to get an appointment as it is, and it’s getting hard to attract new staff.

In last month’s South Bristol Voice Urbis said that a medical centre was an “aspiration” for the scheme. But how much use is an aspiration when you need to see a doctor? Urbis also claimed the high density was acceptable for “an inner city high rise”, but Bedminster is not inner city,

MP’s plea to Govt on pharmacies BRISTOL South’s MP has put her name behind a campaign to stop up to one in four community pharmacies from closing.

Campaigners including those at Pharmacy Voice say that losing chemist’s shops will push even more people into seeking GP appointments.

The impact will be worst in poorer areas – such as parts of South Bristol – where it is hard to attract enough GPs. Ms Smyth said after a visit to Bedminster Pharmacy in Cannon Street: “We

know from research that significant numbers of people who would normally seek advice from a community pharmacy say they would instead visit their GP if the pharmacy was shut.

“While ministers want pharmacies to be better at relieving pressure on GPs, it is also intent on cutting pharmacy funding.

“The Government must listen carefully to the concerns of organisations such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.”

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Have you got strong views about what’s happening in South Bristol? Email paul@ southbristolvoice.co.uk, post to Letters, South Bristol Voice, 18 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BX or call us on 07811 766072. Please keep letters short. We may edit your letter. neither is it an area of high rise as most homes are two or three storeys high.

Dianne James Windmill Hill

Help our shops in parking crisis

IT’S MOST alarming to read about the decline in trade which many of our shops have suffered since the parking restrictions were introduced.

Will our politcians please take notice and do something about it? North Street and East Street are full of independent traders and we need to cherish them.

HR, Bedminster

19

Sparrowhawk, not a kestrel

Wrong bird? Reader Ian Watt believes this is a sparrowhawk IN RESPONSE to the article in South Bristol Voice (May 2016) about attracting wildlife, I would like to see birdboxes and feeders and definitely more butterflyattractive and bird-attractive plants in public places.

The picture was a jay and a sparrowhawk (male) – not a jay and kestrel!

Ian Watt, BS3 Editor’s note: Our apologies to the bird concerned. Its size looks more like a kestrel but the colouring is certainly more similar to a sparrowhawk.

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July 2016

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Marvin Rees Every part of the city could share if we were Capital of Culture

S

UMMER is here and there is nowhere I’d rather be than spending it right here in Bristol. Our city is full of life at the best of times but it is at this time of year when the streets become alive with sound, music and colour.

Whether you’re soaking up the sun in Victoria Park, enjoying the shade in St Andrew’s or having a wander around the Blaise Castle estate, there are lots of ways to make the most of the warmer temperatures without breaking the bank.

Alongside the great green spaces that we have in the city we also have some of the best

southbristolvoice

The Mayor’s view Marvin Rees tells us his vision following his election as Bristol mayor local urban festivals in the country.

First up, we have the fantastic Bristol Pride festival. Now in its sixth consecutive year, people travel from across the country to join in this celebration of love and pride in

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the LGBT community. After the horrific recent events in Orlando, let’s show the world that hate and bigotry will never win.

Following Pride we have the ever-popular Bristol Harbour Festival, the world-famous Balloon Fiesta and possibly Bristol’s biggest ever sporting event, as the Tour of Britain spends a full day in the heart of our city in September.

All of these will be open for Bristolians around the city to get involved in, mostly for free.

When you put this alongside our challenging art galleries and museums, vibrant art scene and busy night life, this all makes a strong case for Bristol to be a future European Capital of Culture.

I want every part of Bristol to feel the benefit if we’re successful in a bid. It can showcase the diverse and exciting place that I know Bristol to be, while also demonstrating what culture can really mean to all of our city and its communities.

I want this bid to be about preserving and developing the cultural heritage of our city, including the whole city in telling a true and credible story about all we have to offer.

I know from many early conversations that there’s real support for Bristol as a future European Capital of Culture. Together we can make it happen and make it truly matter.

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Karin Smyth We must hear the voice of local business

W

HEN monthly unemployment figures are published, people are sometimes surprised that Bristol South ranks around the middle of the UK league tables. Many expect local jobless figures to be worse. We’re home to some of the country’s most economically deprived wards, and hardly any very large businesses are located here.

But many hundreds of small and medium-sized South Bristol businesses are doing a terrific job creating opportunities for local people to find work.

It’s important to help ensure those firms have the right conditions that enable them to thrive and grow. They need to be able to help their employees – the constituents I represent in Parliament – further develop their skills, their careers and their earning potential.

The House of Commons public accounts

The MP’s view Each month Bristol South Labour MP Karin Smyth gives her perspective committee, of which I’m a member, recently published a report which found smaller business voices aren’t being heard by central government. I know firms don’t sit around waiting for help, but proactive support can play a major part in their development.

So I’m keen for local business people to contact me so I can take up any concerns for

July 2016

them. I’m especially keen to explore issues around skills, training and apprenticeships.

The Government has set an ambitious target of creating three million new apprenticeships by 2020. I support this aim and I’m determined South Bristol gets its fair share. And the fact there are so few large businesses here can’t be a reason for us to be left behind. I’ve quizzed ministers about the issue and will be staying on top of it.

From conversations I have with local business people I know many want to help improve skills and apprenticeship opportunities, but too many obstacles get in the way. I want to properly understand what currently stops some firms getting involved in expanding opportunities to our young people.

I’ve begun circulating a short business survey and will be feeding back the findings to government ministers. You can call my office on 0117 953 3575 to obtain a hard copy, and it can be completed online at karinsmyth.com/askbusiness As ever, you can get in touch by emailing karin.smyth.mp@parliament.uk or writing to Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. The life chances we offer our young people can make or break their futures. We all have a part to play, and I’m determined that local businesses have a voice.

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July 2016

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Arts project brings Jews and Muslims together A SOUTH Bristol art gallery is playing host to what may be the only exhibition in Britain to bring together the work of Jewish and Muslim artists.

The Grant Bradley gallery in Bedminster Parade has opened its doors to the Shared Spaces exhibition, which opened on June 2 and runs until July 4. It was organised by Bristol group Salaam Shalom, which fosters good relations between the Muslim and Jewish communities.

Artists have been chosen from all over the UK but several are from Bristol and the exhibition includes a unique collaboration between Jewish artist Tom Berry and Bristol-based Muslim poet, Shagufta Iqbal, combining a poem by Shagufta with a

Together: Martin Vegoda next to work by Tom Berry and Shagufta Iqbal beautiful woodcut by Tom. Much of the art is abstract, recognising the sensitivity surrounding the use of images in some Islamic and Jewish

Police update

H

ELLO! This is my first column in the South Bristol Voice as I take up the reins of Neighbourhood Sergeant covering the area of Bedminster and Southville. I am really looking forward to getting to know the community and hearing what issues matter to you.

In his column last month, David mentioned that the summer months can lead to a spike in burglaries as people forget to shut and lock their doors and windows.

Unfortunately we are already seeing examples of this, with a recent series of ‘creeper’ style burglaries in Bedminster, where the burglar has gained access to the property and stolen easily accessible items while people are asleep upstairs.

In one of these incidents, the thief came in through an unlocked back door, and in another, a stub handle-style door had not been locked with a key, which meant the burglar was easily able to gain entry.

Please, please, please remember to lock all windows

With Sgt Caroline Crane, Bedminster police station

and doors before you go out and before you go to bed. If you do have a paddle or stub handle then you need to lock it with a key. Simply pulling up the handle until it clicks is not enough.

It’s also worth noting that in these incidents, the thieves were tidy. They didn’t rifle through drawers, they just took things which were obvious and in sight – handbags, wallets, purses and tablets. So it’s worth keeping these things in drawers, out of sight.

O

traditions. The exhibition combines a diverse range of influences and styles including geometric design, calligraphy, paper cuts, ceramics and mixed

n a separate note, road safety is an issue we take very seriously as a force, which is why we are running our See Me campaign, encouraging drivers to see the person behind each vehicle in a bid to reduce collisions on the road, starting with the issue of drink and drugdriving. Last year, 436 people were convicted for drink-drive related offences.

There are real people behind steering wheels, handlebars and on foot, and we shouldn’t choose to do things that put their lives at

risk. We need to learn to see the person and not the vehicle. If we do that, we will drive more safely and courteously, and we can reduce death and serious injury on our roads, which shatters lives and families.

I am looking forward to getting to know the communities of Bedminster and Southville. If you have any concerns or worries in your local area, then please do contact a member of my team by calling 101 or by visiting our website: avonandsomerset. police.uk/your-area Until next time, Sergeant Caroline Crane

23

media works from artists including Louise Block, Maryam Golubeva, Josh Baum and Vaseen Mohamed.

Martin Vegoda, Salaam Shalom chair, told scores of people who crammed the gallery on the opening night that the strength of the group lay “in bringing about dialogue, by a range of events in which people participate and then discuss.”

The event, which won backing from the Arts Council, is part of a series which includes live music and poetry performances, a historical archive of Bristol’s Muslim and Jewish communities, art workshops, talks, dialogue events and film screenings.

Salaam Shalom project manager Rebecca Bellamy said: “This extraordinary exhibition celebrates some of the positive contributions Muslims and Jews are making to British culture.

Our range of events accompanying the exhibition, and the exhibition itself, are spaces for conversation and collaboration between all communities.”

• sharedspacesfestival.co.uk

Smyth’s tribute to murdered colleague KARIN Smyth MP has paid tribute to her friend and Labour colleague Jo Fox, who was murdered in her Yorkshire constituency on June 15.

Ms Smyth who, like Jo Fox, was elected to Parliament for the first time in 2015, said: “After her shocking murder, many people will pay tribute to Jo’s qualities as a politician, and so they should, for she was one of the brightest, but I feel the raw, personal loss of a colleague and friend.

“The 2015 intake is a close group, spending time together in Parliament and outside, and we were together only this week at a social gathering, belatedly marking our first year together in the Commons.

“Following this devastating tragedy I know the thoughts of people across Bristol and the whole world are with Jo’s husband, Brendan, and her two lovely young children.”

Ms Smyth declined to say whether she would be changing her security arrangements.

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

southbristolvoice www.southbristolvoice.co.uk Reports from your councillors – Southville 24

July 2016

T: 07811 766072

B

Y THE time you read this, councillors will have voted for or against devolution. This Charlie is the deal where Bolton we get a metro Green, mayor, some Southville powers, and some money. At the time of writing I am marginally in favour, but may have changed my mind – because there isn’t much in it to me.

The good news is that we get some local control over transport in three areas – Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, and South Glos. We also get some control over adult education, planning, housing, business, energy and air pollution. There is the possibility of increasing business rates to raise extra cash, and there is £30m per year for 30 years.

So the big plus for me – as a transport campaigner over many years – is that we need more power to control transport over a cross-authority area. Control

over adult education could be good or could be a poisoned chalice. The planning thing is more of a formalisation of the process we have now. The other powers on housing or air pollution are things which could probably be done anyway. The money is handy, in an era of cuts.

The downside is the metro mayor. The structure is one which pretty much precludes opposition. It will be run by the metro mayor and leaders of the local authorities. There will be a scrutiny process, but I presume it will be proportional to the political balance of the areas. In others words, it may well favour the metro mayor. So the only people who can oppose what it does are either an isolated local authority leader or people who can afford to spend the time, energy or effort doing so (that is likely to mean the wealthy).

This is not being set up with a view to democracy, but with a view to doing things. If they do things you like, it’s great. If not, well, what would you think?

I

T LOOKS like all the lobbying and letter writing by the community about Faithspace in Stackpool Road Stephen might have made Clarke a real difference.

Green, It is hard to know Southville what impact it had on the selling policies of the Methodists but they have not sold (as we all feared) to a rapacious developer but to a Christian faith community.

I look forward to building a relationship with them and very much hope that there will be some meaningful community space for us all to use. Well done all of you who contributed to this outcome; local action can really make a difference and contribute to better outcomes.

The council cuts look like they are set to continue with horrible figures such as £100m being floated around. We will try to ensure that as few frontline services as possible are affected

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Our client lost

How to get in touch with your councillors – page 2

but much of the ‘fat’ has already been removed and this time there will inevitably be a direct impact on services. When this happens remember the villain of the piece; the Tories and their ideologicallydriven austerity nonsense, not the council.

Ashton Gate continues to loom over us, both physically and metaphorically. The new season is shortly to start and the rugby team are back in the big time. Big crowds will be descending on this corner of BS3 and still the transport position remains unclear. Talks continue about using Long Ashton Park & Ride for supporters but perhaps what it will take is the first 27,000 sell-out crowd and the entirely predictable scenes of chaos to make the decision makers do something. I will continue to bang my head against this particular brick wall.

Contact me or Charlie Bolton if you think we can help with council-related matters and come to our surgery 10.30am-12pm on July 30 near Southville Deli.

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www.southbristolvoice.co.uk southbristolvoice Reports from your councillors – Bedminster

July 2016

E: paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

A

S MARK and I meet local residents, we are aware that many of you do not know about the Greater Bedminster Community Partnership, GBCP for short.

This group exists for, and is dependent on, local residents. The GBCP is one of 14 neighbourhood partnerships or NPs across the city and covers both Southville and Bedminster wards. The NPs are local decision-making structures that consult on and agree community priorities.

Each partnership allocates significant resources to benefit the local community, including new playgrounds, highway changes and grants via the Community Chest. We hold regular meetings, where anyone can come and raise concerns about community issues.

The board is made up of local councillors and nominated members of local constituted groups. There are three sub groups, on the environment and green space, transport, and the Community Chest. The AGM is

Mark Bradshaw Labour, Bedminster

Celia Phipps, Labour, Bedminster

held in June and new members are always welcome.

The NP has eight objectives: • Improving the environment; • Developments which meet the needs of local people; • Encouraging people to walk, cycle or use public transport; • Reducing crime and fear of crime • Improving life for older and younger people and families • Improving the economic health of our retail streets and neighbourhoods • To be a welcoming, inclusive partnership for all who live, work and play in the area; • High quality community buildings to meet local needs.

Community development,

which makes the best use of the skills of local people, is one aspect of the NP that the council seeks to use to the maximum.

This is where local people can make a real difference to the decisions that are made locally.

As councillors, we have delegated powers to take some council decisions, which must be implemented by the partnership officers, Lorena and Andrew.

They will help residents in making funding requests to both the Community Chest and the environment sub-group, as forms can seem complicated.

Councillors endorse any NP funding allocations – in other words, we are in charge of the purse strings, but we encourage residents to come up with the funding ideas. The partnership has helped to fund Bedminster Winter Lanterns Parade, parks and green space projects, community notice boards, minor traffic schemes and many other projects over the years.

Bristol city council’s website has a Neighbourhood page, and

25

points to the Neighbourhood Charter: bristol.gov.uk/ neighbourhood-partnerships This explains areas of council responsibility and has a helpful list of services.

Mark and I are always happy to hear your suggestions about how we can make our community better so why not drop us an email (see page 2 for details). We join Ashton Vale Hub on the second Saturday of each month at Ashton Vale community centre and regularly drop in to Acta community theatre.

E

veryone will have heard that Jo Cox, a Labour MP in Yorkshire, died following her constituency surgery. As local politicians, we will not stop meeting members of the local community, indeed it is part of our role to make sure we meet as many of you as possible.

We pass our deepest condolences to her family and friends and hope that such a tragedy will never happen again. Violence is never the answer.

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July 2016

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Planning applications 32B Allington Road BS3 1PT Conversion of ground floor garage below a maisonette into a self-contained, two bedroom flat.

Granted Land on south side of Herbert Street, Bedminster Proposed erection of 12 single and duplex, 1-bed and 2-bed apartments with parking, secure cycle storage and bin store.

(Major Application). Refused 49 North Street, Bedminster BS3 1EN Erection of a new dwelling to the rear.

Withdrawn 148 East Street, Bedminster BS3 4EW Notification for prior approval for a change of use from use class A1 and A2 (Shop/office) to Use Class A3 (Restaurant and café). Granted 4 Clyde Terrace, Bedminster BS3 3BL Single storey rear extension. Granted subject to conditions Storage Yard, South Liberty Lane, Bristol Erection of 2.5 storey building to accommodate six residential units.

Withdrawn Land adjacent 30 Islington Road BS3 1QB Construction of a block of three garages with living green roof on land previously used as garages.

Pending consideration Basement Flat 49 Vicarage Road, Southville BS3 1PD Existing outbuilding (old stable) to be converted to flexible studio and guest accommodation.

Existing masonry walls and roof to be retained. Pending consideration 8 Buckingham Street, Bedminster Application for Lawful Development Certificate for an existing use or operation: Use of loft as self-contained flat.

Pending consideration 21-23 Cannon Street, Bedminster BS3 1BH Prior approval for change of use from shop (Use Class A1) to Restaurant and café (Use Class A3). Granted Riverside Garden Centre, Clift House Road BS3 1RX Extension to existing cafeteria.

Replacement of toilet block

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and play facilities. Pending consideration

flat and external stairs. Pending consideration

7 Warden Road, Bedminster BS3 1BU Conversion of existing single dwelling house into three self contained flats. Pending consideration

1 Melville Terrace, BS3 1EU Change of use from store to single bed dwelling with the addition of a 1st floor extension.

Pending consideration

6-14 Stafford Street BS3 4DA Application to approved details in relation to condition 6 (Further details) of permission 14/04839/P: Demolition of building and erection of nine 2-bedroom apartments with bin and bicycle storage. Pending consideration

4 Avonleigh Road BS3 3HP Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear wall by 4m, of maximum height 3.75m and eaves 2.5m. Pending consideration

6 Duckmoor Road, Bristol BS3 2BY Construction of attached three-bed house.

Pending consideration 127-129 East Street, Bedminster BS3 4ER Single storey roof extension and change of use of to provide nine dwellings (Class C3), together with minor external alterations.

Pending consideration 282 North Street Bedminster BS3 1JU Prior approval for single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear wall by 3.43m, of maximum height 3m and eaves 3m high.

Pending consideration 2A & B Dean Lane, Bedminster BS3 1DF Maples x3 – fell. Pending consideration Land to rear of Redcliff Crescent 144-152 York Road BS3 4AJ Application to approved details in relation to condition 15 (Land Affected

by Contamination) 16 (Refuse and recycling) 17 (Parking) 18 (Completion and maintenance of cycle provision) 20 (Implementation/installation of all boundary treatment) 21 (Sustainability Statement) 22 (Obscured glazed windows) of permission 13/04143/F Proposed 10 apartments and car parking.

(Major application). Pending consideration 20 Blackmoors Lane, BS3 2JJ Two storey side and single storey rear extension. Pending consideration 189 Ashton Drive, Bristol Single storey rear extension, including roof terrace to top floor

36 Birch Road BS3 1PF Single-storey extension to side alley only. Internal refurbishment. Pending consideration First Floor Flat, 101 Coronation Road BS3 1AX T1 = Ash to be crown reduced by 2.5m. Preservation order not required 37 Jasper Street BS3 3DT Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear

27

wall by 3.4m, with maximum height 3.11m and eaves 2.95m.

Granted Gala Social Club, North Street, Bedminster BS3 1EN Application to approved details in relation to condition 2 (Approval of road works) of planning permission 13/03536/X for the erection of 4 selfcontained townhouses with associated parking and access.

Granted 6 Bartletts Road BS3 3PL Single storey rear ground floor extension. First floor rear extension to create an additional bedroom. Granted subject to conditions 7 Clift House Road BS3 1RY Creation of off street parking in front garden of property.

Refused

• The status of these applications may have changed since we went to press. Check for updates at planning online.bristol.gov.uk

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News

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Secrets of the city revealed in new book

T

Forgotten: The Malago river was once dammed for Christian baptisms

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HE HIDDEN stories of our city have been uncovered and collected together in a new book by a Bedminster author, James McVeigh.

In Secret Bristol he admits that he’s not Bristol-born – but as someone who has lived here for several decades, he reckons he has picked up on some stories that local have grown up with and not noticed.

He uncovers little known sights such as the local prison cells, known as Charley Boxes, which were used by nightwatchmen to lock up drunks before taking them to the magistrates the following morning. These existed all over the city and can still be found in Picton Street and Westbury Hill – more locally the Ostrich pub at Bathurst Basin has its own historic -lock-up.

The watchmen were known as Charleys and they were the main means of keeping order until Bristol became one of the first British cities to set up its own police force in 1836.

Bedminster led the way – its purpose-built police station was one of the original four opened in the city. Now awaiting renovation, it retains its tiled cells and until recently was a restaurant. It was the first building in Bedminster to have a flushing toilet.

The story of Secret Bristol begins in the area’s Palaeolithic

July 2016

past when the Bristol Channel was a plain inhabited by bands of hunter gatherers, hunting hares, hyenas, and woolly rhino.

In the Iron Age the area became settled by the Dubunni, a tribe which stretched from Somerset to Worcestershire.

Settlements are known in Blaise Castle and Kings Weston – both later taken over by the Romans – but also in Filwood.

The Romans did not found the city but made the port of Sea Mills and left several great houses – one still partly visible at Long Cross Road, Kings Weston, and one under what is now Winchester road in Brislington.

In early medieval times Bristol was still little more than a settlement around its bridge – while across the river Bedminster was an established town, possibly founded on the site of an Iron Age village around West Street and East Street.

Mills were built on the sides of the Malago river, which could be dammed to make it flow faster, and also made it the site of early Christian Baptisms.

“The ancient word for baptism, beydd, may be the origin of Bedminster’s name, while the name malago also has its roots in pre-Roman Britain, since melis meant mill and agos meant place in the Celtic language of the ancient Britons,” writes James.

By 1373, though, Bedminster was little more than a suburb of Bristol and was absorbed into the city along with Redcliffe.

Much of Secret Bristol, of course is taken up with happenings on the north side of the river – but South Bristolians will still find plenty to fascinate in this book.

• Secret Bristol, Amberley Books, £14.99

Top cycle event passes through THE TOUR of Britain – the nation’s largest cycling event – is coming to Bristol and residents in the south of the city will have some of the best views.

The world’s top cyclists will be competing in the city on

September 10, and the route includes Cumberland Road, which will be closed. Also shut will be roads around the Downs, the Avon Gorge and Cumberland Basin.

• bristol.gov.uk/tourofbritain

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July 2016

Entertainment Staging the extraordinary

REVIEW Moonshine Nights Acta theatre, June 13 THE week-long National Festival of Community Theatre At Acta in Gladstone Street, Bedminster, was launched with two fantastic groups of ordinary people sharing extra-ordinary moments.

Acta’s community choir

Me and Wonderful World, and rocking versions of Elbow’s Beautiful Day and Massive Attack’s Teardrop. The choir, from primary-age children to OAPs, was the very essence of South Bristolian – informal, jokey, self-effacing and lovable – but at moments created gorgeous harmonies that made your hair stand on end.

Moonshine Nights, created and performed by the Malcolm X Elders Theatre Co, was a collection

Moonshine: Malcolm X Elders (meets Wednesdays, free) sang an A Capella programme including classics Stand By

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LOCAL PLUMBER

I WILL FEEL BETTER. Stop negative thinking and habits, fast

of songs and stories from eight women reminiscing about their childhoods in the Caribbean.

They entered the stage dancing, with vibrant skirts and colourful headwraps, and shared memories including supping on ripe mangoes straight from the tree; wives getting their own back on lazy husbands; and a whole tranche of ‘true’ stories of duppies (ghosts), all told with warmth, relish and humour.

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

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What’s on

Wednesday June 29 Into The West Tobacco Factory theatre. “Beginning in the tower blocks on the outskirts of Dublin, where two Traveller children are living with their widowed father, the play tells the story of the magical white horse that appears in their lives, brought to them by their Grandpa who still travels the land and follows the old ways.” The Travelling Light theatre company mark 20 years of this acclaimed production for children. Until July 17. 7.30pm, 6.30pm and 1.30pm. There will be a sign-language performance and a relaxed performance suitable for those with special needs – call for details.

Tickets from £28 family to £9 concessions.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com The Underdog Bristol’s battle of the bands competition with a top prize of £1,000 cash has heats at the Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown, until late July. Heats also on June 30, July 6, 7, 13, 15, 20, 21, 22, 27 and 28.

• thethunderbolt.net Friday July 1 Spark the Sail + THC Dreams + Idlside + Fabrics +Summoned By Ash Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Spark the Sail are tipped to become festival favourites with spiky rhythms and dual vocals. 7.30pm, £5.

• thethunderbolt.net The VeroNika Big Band SouthBank Club, Dean Lane, Southville. Swing dancers welcome. 7.30pm. £7.50.

• southbankclub.webs.com Saturday July 2 Big Park Draw Victoria Park, 12-5pm. The aim is to encourage people, young and old, who visit the park to discover or rediscover the joy that can be had by drawing. Materials provided at gazebo near Mrs Brown’s café.

• bigparkdraw.org View from the Pen Short drama about Windmill Hill City Farm and its animals, written by local people and performed by professional actors with the help of Bedminster’s Show of Strength theatre company. Performances every 20 minutes from 10.30am to 4.30pm on July 2 and July 3 as part of the farm’s 40th birthday celebrations. No need to book. Suitable for all ages.

• windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Singaround evening at the Saltcellar Folk Club. Folk music evenings at 7.30pm on the first

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Reimagined: Shakespeare is recast with roles reversed in gender

Barded Ladies reverse roles in open-air Shakespeare at the Farm ONE OF Shakespeare’s least performed plays, Henry VI Part III, gets an airing in the unusual setting of Windmill Hill City Farm.

From July 21, the Barded Ladies will revive the play with a twist as part of the Bristol Shakespeare Festival 2016.

Shakespeare’s infamous Queen Margaret is reimagined as King Margaret, her adversaries Richard of York and Richard of Gloucester transformed into bloodthirsty women.

With a bedrock of Cold Saturday of each month in the basement (or salt cellar) of Totterdown Baptist Church, Wells Road, Bristol, BS4 2AX. All are welcome to come along.

Admission £5.

• saltcellarfolk.org.uk Sunday July 3 Story Sundays SouthBank Club, Dean Lane, Southville.

Writers Unchained present readings with theme of Midsummer Madness. 6.30pm.

• writersunchained.wordpress. com Monday July 4 Meeting of VPAG, the Victoria

War-like tension, this production draws on the current political battles between man and woman in an examination of the roles gender can play in martial politics and war.

The outdoor performance is suitable for adults and children aged 10 and over.

Tickets cost £12 for adults, £8 for concessions and £5 for children.

Performances are on Thursday July 21 at 7pm, July 22 and 23 at 2pm and 7pm, and July 24 at 6pm.

• windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Park Action Group, volunteers who help look after the park. The Bowling Club, 7.30pm, everyone welcome.

• vpag.org.uk Tuesday July 5 The Henhouse Prowlers The Tunnels, Temple Meads.

Progressive bluegrass band.”

7.30pm, £10.

• thetunnelsbristol.co.uk Friday July 8 Alonely Exploring the voices of isolated older people at the Tobacco Factory theatre, from a project by Southville Community Development Association

July 2016

and the University of Bristol.

12.30pm. Performance lasts 45 minutes and is free, followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com Voodoo Room Tribute to Jimi Hendrix and Cream, The Tunnels, Temple Meads. Formed in 2011, London-based classic rock trio pay homage to the 60s superstars. 7.30pm. £10.

• thetunnelsbristol.co.uk Saturday July 9 Bench mending in Victoria Park. Volunteers meet to refurbish one or two of the park’s benches. Meet at 10am at Mrs Brown’s café, near the Somerset Terrace entrance.

• vpag.org.uk Community lunch at Marksbury Road library. Bring a dish and any garden games you might have, 12-3pm. Call the library for more information: 0117 903 8574.

Summer Garden Fete from 2pm, St Martin’s Community Hall and church grounds, St Martins Road, Knowle.

Afternoon teas and cakes, games, bric-a-brac, toys and plants.

The Big ’Uns Saturday night music with DJ Barry the Bull, tonight featuring hits from the 60s and 70s, at Windmill Hill community centre. Second Saturday of each month. 8pm, with music, quiz and food.

• whca.org.uk Thursday July 14 Quiz Night at Zion Test your brain power at the quiz at Zion Bristol, Bishopsworth Road BS13 7LW. General knowledge questions for all levels, cash prize for winners, booby prize for losers. £5 per team (max six per team), no under 18s, bar and snacks. 7-10pm.

• zionbristol.co.uk Saturday July 16 Spoon carving at Windmill Hill City Farm. Two-day course from 10am to 3pm, continues on July 17. Learn how to use edge tools to make spoons and to learn the craft of green woodwork. “You will learn how to use knives, axes, and hook-knives safely.

Beginning with simple cuts and techniques, you will be guided through various projects and will learn new tool techniques after you have mastered the basics. Make a variety of spoons, spatulas and pot scrapers.” All materials and tools provided.

Suitable for beginners and intermediate learners. Cost: £110 • windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk

To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Paul on 07811 766072 or Emma or Hollie on 0117 908 2121.

July 2016

E: paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

What’s on

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The moon is quite literally a balloon

ARTIST Luke Jerram may have made his most eyecatching exhibit yet for the Balloon Fiesta from August 11-14.

Called the Museum of the Moon, it’s a 7m recreation of the moon, made by Bedminster’s Cameron Balloons.

Floating above the fiesta, it will also feature in the nightglows. Luke said: “Like the moon, this artwork acts as a cultural mirror that allows us to contemplate cultural differences around the world. As it tours, new stories and meanings will be collected and compared.”

Bristol-based Luke installed a giant waterslide in Park Street in 2014 and last year put fishing boats in Leigh Woods for European Green Capital year.

Saturday July 9 Bench mending in Victoria Park. Volunteers meet to refurbish one or two of the park’s benches. Meet at 10 am at Mrs Brown’s café, near the Somerset Terrace entrance.

• vpag.org.uk Summer Garden Fete from 2pm, St Martin’s Community Hall and church grounds, St Martin’s Road, Knowle.

Afternoon teas and cakes, games, bric-a-brac,toys and plants.

The Big ’Uns Saturday night music with DJ Barry the Bull, tonight featuring hits from the 60s and 70s, at Windmill Hill community centre. Second Saturday of each month. 8pm, with music, quiz and food.

• whca.org.uk Thursday July 14 Quiz Night at Zion Test your brain power at the infamous quiz at Zion Bristol, Bishopsworth

All lit up: The Museum of the Moon is created from NASA imagery Road BS13 7LW. £5 per team (max six), no under 18s, bar and snacks. 7-10pm.

• zionbristol.co.uk Saturday July 16 Spoon carving at Windmill Hill City Farm. Two-day course from 10am to 3pm, continues on July 17. Learn how to use edge tools to make spoons and the craft of green woodwork. Cost: £110 • windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Sunday July 17 Browns to Browns walk A 3.5 mile circular walk starting and ending at Mrs Brown’s café in Victoria Park, and taking in some of South Bristol’s best views from the Northern Slopes.

• vpag.org.uk Monday July 18 The Hug Tobacco Factory until July 21. In this “choral sound bath”, each audience member is blindfolded and hugged by a singer. Participants experience

The Hug: A choral sound bath the performance through sound, breath and vibrations of the body in Verity Standen’s critically acclaimed production. Suitable for the visually impaired. Call the box office before booking for young people on 0117 902 0344.

Shows are at 6.30pm, 7.15pm, 8pm and 8.45pm. Tickets £7.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com Wednesday July 20 What Would Beyoncé Do? “Luisa Omielan is a comedian

Why Margot is a role model ANOTHER varied line up takes to the Tobacco Factory stage on Monday July 11 for the latest of the popular 5x15 series in which five speakers get 15 minutes each to expound on one of their passions. Comedian Viv

Groskop explains why Margot from The Good Life is the ultimate female role model, MC

Joe Peng discusses his youth work in Bristol and the trials of growing up as a mixed-race

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who lives by one rule and one rule only: What Would Beyoncé Do? She has written a book detailing how following that one mantra changed her life. Strong language. Tickets £14.50, £25.50 with a copy of the book included.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com Thursday July 21 South Bristol Wellbeing Choir Summer Concert.

7.30pm, St Michael & All Angels Church, Vivian Street, Windmill Hill. “Always a lovely night of great music.” Refreshments.

Donations welcome.

• facebook.com/SouthBristol WellbeingChoiroldpage Friday July 22 Picnic in the Park Victoria Park. Just turn up at any time in the afternoon and meet other families enjoying a picnic on the last day of term.

• vpag.org.uk Wednesday July 27 Animal comic workshop at Windmill Hill City Farm, 10am to 3pm. Illustrator Rosie Faragher will lead a day of drawing, inventing characters and making comic books. Meet the animals of the farm and make up stories before drawing your own comic.

Cost: £24. For 8-12 year-olds.

• windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Double Deckers: Lloyd Langford & Jimmy McGhie The Tobacco Factory theatre hosts the first of four nights of double bills featuring top-rate stand-ups previewing their shows for the Edinburgh Fringe. Tickets £10. July 28: Sam Simmons & Carey Marx; July 29 Mitch Benn & Ellie Taylor; July 30 Zoe Lyons & Geoff Norcott.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com Friday July 29 Trip The Switch The Tunnels, Temple Meads. “An actionpacked night headed by Bristol soul/pop band Trip The Switch, giving rise to some of Bristol’s youngest up and coming bands.”

7.30pm. £6.

• thetunnelsbristol.co.uk gypsy, Ed Gillespie talks sustainability and the story of our future, Guardian writer Lucy Mangan explores the curse of female guilt and the mercurial Professor Jerry Brotton reveals the incredible Elizabethan alliance with the Islamic world. Tickets £15 and £12. 7.30pm.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com

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

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T: 07811 766072

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July 2016

INVITATION

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