South Bristol Voice Bedminster October 2018

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October 2018 October 2018

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No. 36

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• TOWN TEAM WINS VOTE TO CARRY ON 3 • HIGH RISE: OPPONENTS ‘IGNORED’ 4 • JOIN THE BEDMINSTER CONVERSATION 5

Plans include a basketball stadium, two hotels and homes – in 3 blocks (right) and at Ashton Vale. STORY: Pages 6-8

Missing link ‘will be restored’ THE MISSING Metrobus link is back on the map after Bristol South MP Karin Smyth and metro mayor Tim Bowles persuaded First Bus to take another look at its plans.

There was outrage earlier in the year when the route from Hengrove to Long Ashton was quietly dropped – even though the £45 million South Bristol Link was built in large part Continued on page 9

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FREE Smaller: Rubber-wheeled trains as Rennes and Toulouse. Their rubber wheels mean they can cope with gradients, and tunnels and stations can be made more Continued on page 10

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IN

October 2018

southbristolvoice

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

Intro

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR BS3?

WHEN, as seems likely, 2,000-odd homes are built at Bedminster Green, hopes are high it will drive a revival of the East Street shopping area.

But there is much more on the cards for our area.

Already the population is rising and new shops are open.

Set to drive more growth is the £100 million sports arena and homes plan for Ashton Gate (see pages 6-8).

If Bristol City can make the jump from the Championship to the Premier League it could bring £150m a year to the city.

And what if 3,500 homes are built on Bedminster’s doorstep

You can find South Bristol Voice on Facebook and Twitter facebook.com/ southbristolvoice Twitter: @sbristolvoice Next month’s deadline for editorial and advertising is October 17th at Cumberland Basin, as mayor Marvin Rees wants? With an underground link to South Bristol and the airport (page 10)?

What if Bristol’s flood defences are upgraded – which must happen – in a way that makes the New Cut an attractive, non-tidal river instead of a mudbank? Lots of ifs – and lots of possibilities.

Business people are naturally enthusiastic about the prospects for South Bristol.

Even without an arena, these developments could supply jobs and skills to the deprived parts of the area.

But we mustn’t forgot those who live here. Campaigners against tall buildings feel they have been ignored, and the city needs to have a discussion about whether it wants to change its skyline for good.

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: Call 0117 953 3575 for an appointment.

My councillor?

Post: (all councillors) City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR. Celia Phipps Labour, Bedminster USEFUL NUMBERS Bristol City Council www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000 Waste, roads 0117 922 2100 Pests, dog wardens 0117 922 2500 Council tax 0117 922 2900 Housing benefit 0117 922 2300

By phone: 07469 413312 By email: Cllr.celia.phipps@bristol.gov.uk Mark Bradshaw Labour, Bedminster. By email: Cllr.mark. bradshaw@bristol.gov.uk By phone: 0117 353 3160 Stephen Clarke Green, Southville By email: Cllr.stephen.clarke@ bristol.gov.uk Charlie Bolton Green, Southville By phone: 07884 736111 By email: Cllr.charlie.bolton@bristol.gov.uk Social services 0117 922 2900 Police Inquiries 101 Emergency 999 Fire Emergency 999 NEIGHBOURHOOD MEETINGS See page 5

COMPLAINTS Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the South Bristol Voice, contact the Editor using the details below. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), nuj.org.uk/about/nuj-code.

Further details of the complaints process can be found on our website (below) or can be obtained by contacting the Editor by email: paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk or by post at 18 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BX or by phone: 07811 766072.

southbristolvoice.co.uk/complaints-procedure

All stories and pictures are ©South Bristol Voice (unless otherwise stated) and may not be reproduced without permission in this or any other plane of the multiverse.

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n NEWS BOOMING BEDMINSTER? THE LAST year or so has seen some big names pull out of East Street, but there have been many more new independent traders. The

latest includes a new bookshop – Storysmith will open at 49 North Street in the last week of October.

The much-lauded Harry Potter shop opened in September (see page 22), with many more

openings in the last 18 months.

Admittedly many of the openings are in North Street, particularly the Bedminster end, which five years ago was fading.

But East Street also has new

Town centre team gets traders’ backing TRADERS in Bedminster have voted overwhelmingly to support the town’s BID team to carry on supporting the shopping centre for another five years.

It means the team can forge ahead with plans to continue the revival of shops in Bedminster, where vacancy rates have fallen by more than a third since the BID started work in 2013.

It reverses an earlier vote rejecting the BID idea in the spring – caused by Asda, which had a controlling share of the vote.

With Asda excluded, around 70 per cent of the 150 traders voted in favour.

Now preparations are being laid for Christmas celebrations, possibly with reindeer, and other events to support the shopping areas of North Street, East Street, West Street and environs.

A theatre event for Ebenezer

Gate pocket park, off North Street, is being discussed with Bedminster theatre group Show of Strength.

Plans are being laid for a Town Meeting where residents and traders can discuss the future.

New shops are opening all the time, many in North Street. Now the challenge is to extend the prosperity to East Street.

George Grace, manager of the Town Team, which runs the BID, said: “I think we have been successful in North Street.

“We do spend an awful lot of time, effort and money [on East Street] but it’s a much bigger challenge [than North Street].

“We are having a really good conversation with the five developers who are hoping to build 2,000 homes within a few minutes walk of East Street.”

The new homes are essential, Mr Grace believes, if East Street

businesses – cafés such as Toast, the vegan food joint VX and a hairdressers, Miller’s Organic Hair.

Growth is fuelled by the rising population – Bedminster’s rose by 24 per cent between 2006-2016, and Southville’s by 19 per cent.

SHOPS THAT SHUT Argos Bon Marché

is to be reborn as a local shopping centre in the face of the decline that’s hitting major store chains.

The Town Team is hoping the council will make the future health of East Street a priority in its framework plan for the new homes at Bedminster Green.

Meanwhile Purcell architects, which recently moved to Bedminster, is conducting a review of the town centre for free.

“People forget this is the second biggest retail centre in the whole city,” said Mr Grace.

Keep track of town centre events: bedminster.org.uk

SHOPS THAT OPENED Storysmith bookshop Due late October 2018 Magic & Mayhem Harry Potter merchandise Hugo’s greengrocers Zero Green Low-waste grocers Nursery Village Children’s nursery in the old Denny’s bakery Zara’s Chocolates (larger store) Hobbs Bakery in old HSBC bank Toast café VX vegan junk food Casper gallery North Street gallery Oowee ‘dirty’burgers ... and too many to name

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BLOOD & Butchery in Bedminster, the walking tour that uncovers the dark side of BS3, was commissioned by the BID team from local theatre group Show of Strength.

After rave reviews in the SBV and elsewhere, it sold out. Now it’s back, visiting pubs all over Bedminster to tell tales such as the

deadly lion kept in a North Street pub, and Bedminster’s central role in Britain’s biggest bullion robbery.

To win a pair of tickets, tell us: Who commissioned Blood & Butchery? Email paul@ southbristolvoice.co.uk or write to B&B competition, 18 Lilymead Avenue, BS4 2BX, by October 17.

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n NEWS

Call for public poll on tall buildings CAMPAIGNERS against highrise blocks have attacked the council’s latest statement on tall buildings for ignoring the public’s views.

Consultation on the Urban Living draft policy earlier this year found that more than 80 per cent of respondents opposed buildings that were significantly higher than those around them.

Yet the new draft of the policy contains no mention of public opposition. The consultation results are published separately online. They reveal that almost 40 per cent of the 665 responses were from Bedminster – many of them likely to be objectors to the multiple plans for skyscrapers on Bedminster Green. New towers already have permission near Castle Park and at Redcliffe, and

Greens join call to respect public feedback, which was anti-high rise mayor Marvin Rees has said tall buildings “show ambition”.

WHaM, the Windmill Hill and Malago planning group, said the new draft “does not adequately reflect the clear direction” given by the public.

There is no appetite for tall buildings from the public, the group said, despite the document claiming that there is a “renewed appetite to build at higher densities, including tall buildings”.

WHaM chair Nick Townsend told the Voice that the mayor

Bedminster Green: No sign of a framework plan just yet Marvin Rees made no mention of his enthusiasm for tall buildings to solve the housing crisis when he was elected.

“The people of Bristol need to have a say in whether this is the future that they want for their city,” he said.

Matthew Montagu-Pollack, founder of the Bristol Campaign Against Tower Blocks, said the new policy gave much less protection than the city council’s old tall buildings policy of 2005.

The new draft “threatens to

transform Bristol from a mid-rise European-style city to a high-rise North American-style city like Houston or Toronto,” he said, calling for a city-wide referendum on high rises.

Bristol’s Green party gave a broad welcome to the Urban Living policy and the need for high-density housing. But it also called on the council to “respect the opinions of the public who responded to the consultation”.

Cllr Stephen Clarke, a Green member for Southville, said: “Most people I talk to on the doorstep are very wary about the large number of very tall buildings being planned for Bristol. I would urge the council to look very closely at the results of the consultation and really listen to what people say, even if it doesn’t fit in easily with their plans.”

Cllr Nicola Beech, the cabinet member for city design, was unable to respond before our deadline. She has previously said the council is working to persuade developers to build high quality developments that benefit communities.

October 2018

southbristolvoice

n NEWS Parks plea

School cites health concerns at playing field

VIEWS on a new ambition to keep the city’s open spaces free to use are being sought by Bristol Parks Forum. The Parks 2030 Vision includes a call for a legal duty to maintain parks to a good standard. Deadline is October 17. bristolparksforum.org.uk

THE PLAYING field opposite South Street primary school will sometimes be locked during the day to protect pupils’ health, the school has told the Voice.

The field has always been open to the public outside school hours but this year there has

been an increasing problem with litter and dog mess. This has meant the school caretaker has to clean up the field and then lock the gate until the children have finished using it.

The field is now owned entirely by the school, whereas

Join the BS3 conversation WHAT do you love about living in Greater Bedminster – and what do you hate?

Community group Action Greater Bedminster (AGB) is hosting a series of Community Conversations to seek opinions.

“We want to hear about your moans and groans, your ideas and your wishes!” said an AGB spokesperson.

The first event is on Saturday October 6, from 10am-5pm at North Street Gallery, 135 North Street. All are welcome to add

their thoughts and wishes to AGB’s survey, which will feed into a Community Plan for Greater Bedminster.

If you’re lost for words, say it in print – from 2-5pm, Bristol Print Collective will be on hand to help residents of all ages create mini prints of their likes and dislikes, to add to a wall map.

A second Community Conversation will ask: How clean is the air in Greater Bedminster? Air pollution causes around 300 deaths a year

in the city. Parts of East and West streets in Bedminster breach legal limits for air pollution. The city council is developing a plan a for a Clean Air Zone which is likely to include Bedminster and may bring in charges for diesels.

The event, Every Breath You Take, is on Thursday October 18 at 7.30pm in the café at Windmill Hill City Farm, in partnership with clean air project claircity.

Admission is free, but book your place here: tinyurl.com/bedsairmeet

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CAMPAIGNERS against plastic wrapping had their biggest success yet when six Bristol supermarkets were among about 100 targeted nationwide.

The Plastic Attacks movement which started in Keynsham and South Bristol, has spread not only across the UK but around the world – an estimated 25 countries also took part on September 15, World Earth Day. Asda at Bedminster and Sainsbury’s at St Philip’s and Ashton Gate were among the

stores where shoppers were asked to remove all the unwanted plastic from their shopping.

Alex Morss, the Voice’s environment writer and one of the campaign organisers, said: “The supermarkets are being forced to listen. They cannot ignore thousands of customers ripping off the single-use plastic and politely handing it back.”

Lidl will phase out black plastic trays – which cannot be recycled – next month, while the Co-op is to use compostable carrier bags.

previously the council had a share in the land.

In March the Voice described how the council had put up “No Dogs” signs without revealing that they had no legal effect. We will return to this issue in a future edition.

AbolitionShed plan looks lost A PLEA to the city council to turn the last available harbourside warehouse into a memorial to Bristol’s fight against the slave trade appears to have been lost.

As revealed in last month’s Voice, campaigners wanted the museum in an empty Welsh Back building, owned by the council.

The council has now told Bristol Live that the warehouse will be sold. It wants to place a slavery memorial in the Georgian House museum off Park Street.

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n NEWS

ASHTON GATE: THE £100M PLAN

Sports arena, homes and a transport THE £100m PLAN • Wickes demolished • 4,000 seat stadium • Two hotels • 250 homes next to stadium, with parking, in three blocks of up to 17 storeys • Cumberland Village: 500 homes at Ashton Vale • 800-850 space multi-storey car park for visitors • New Metrobus stop • New railway station

TIMETABLE Now Pre-application talks with council, 2-3 months Soon Public consultation February 2019 Detailed planning begins September-October 2019 Planning application made January 2020 Planning decision Summer 2020 Construction begins Summer 2022 Work completed.

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HE OWNERS of Ashton Gate stadium have unveiled an ambitious £100 million plan for a sports and convention centre and around 750 homes.

The vision is to make a new “sporting quarter” for Bristol with a 4,000 seat arena as home to the Bristol Flyers basketball team.

The Flyers sold out all their home games in the British Basketball League last season at their current home, SGS Academy in Filton.

But the vision by Ashton Gate Ltd is for the biggest sporting, conference and events venue in the South West.

One aim is to make the stadium self-sufficient and end the need for subsidies from its owner, billionaire Stephen Lansdown.

It may even bring into question the need for a Bristol arena. The basketball arena with 4,000 seats would be twice as big as the Colston Hall or the O2 Academy.

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n NEWS

Right: The plaza in the new plan, showing Colliter’s Brook opened up plan is being discussed with the council as a “pre-application”.

Mr Griffiths revealed his hoped-for timetable for the project (left) for completion in time for the opening of the basketball season in 2022.

The timing is ambitious, but the scheme will be managed by the same team who oversaw he £45m reconstruction of the stadium from 2014-16 – which took place without disrupting home rugby or football games.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR RESIDENTS

P

LANS for a transport hub at Ashton Gate have been two years in the making, he said. Mr Griffiths sees a new railway station and Metrobus stop as essential, but doesn’t underestimate the difficulty.

“The current Metrobus stop is just in the wrong place, it’s hidden away.” He wants it moved

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to opposite the new blue Access Self Store centre, where bridges could provide pedestrian access.

And a simple rail halt would do the job at Ashton Gate, without waiting for the Portishead line to be funded.

“We have got two major pieces of public transport going right past the door and yet they don’t stop. We have to find a way to get both of those,” said Mr Griffiths.

He is also taking a clean slate approach to the road junctions with Winterstoke Road, to bring new ways of flowing traffic “which we think will make a difference”.

“We want to make the situation better through the development, not worse, but we are going to need the support of the council and transport bodies and it’s going to take a while.”

He won’t support a matchday resident parking scheme, saying that some of the Championship football clubs which run an RPZ want to get rid of it, because it

just displaces parking elsewhere.

But the stadium is prepared to pay for supporter bus routes – there are now four and will eventually be seven.

It’s also paying for yellow lines around Duckmoor Road and Ashton Road to prevent dangerous parking – “but the process seems to take forever. If it was down to me I would get Dan from our grounds staff to go out there with a yellow paint pot and do it tomorrow!”

Ashton Drive, the bottleneck for the 24 bus, is trickier – too many yellow lines will prevent residents parking, he said.

The stadium has identified 4,000 potential parking spaces once Long Ashton Park & Ride is in full use. (The city council’s compulsory purchase of the site is not complete yet, the council confirmed to the Voice.)

These spaces include 1,400 at the Park & Ride, 1,800 identified away from the stadium, and

800-odd in the multi-storey.

Parking problems in Southville and Ashton have not been caused solely by the stadium – the population of the area has risen almost 25 per cent in 10 years, he said. A survey of fans found that 17 per cent fewer are parking on the street now than did three years ago – perhaps because the roads are busier with residents.

Cycling hasn’t been as popular as hoped, but the fan survey showed more fans would cycle if hey had a bike, so the stadium has paid for free yellow YoBikes stationed off Ashton Road.

“I want to make sure that local residents understand that we are doing a lot of work, but there’s no magic bullet,” he said.

A community meeting, more surveys of residents’ opinions and “very wide and extensive” public consultation are promised.

Mr Griffiths also pointed to Continued on page 8

TRANSPORT ‘Move the Metrobus stop, please!’

PART of the ambition is the make a new transport hub for South Bristol, with a new Ashton Gate station.

Surprisingly – given that the M2 Metrobus from Long Ashton has only just started running – the stadium wants a new stop constructed. The current one is too hard to find and is eight minutes walk away at the far end of the new flyover.

An 850-space multi-storey car park for visitors will add to underground parking spaces for most of the 250 flats on the stadium site.

It’s hoped a new railway halt could be built at the old Ashton Gate station to shuttle passengers from Parson Street – without waiting years for possible funding for the Portishead line.

But Network Rail moves notoriously slowly and plans for Portishead have been stuck in the sidings for years.

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ASHTON GATE: THE £100M PLAN

hub to put us on the map

Chairman tells residents public that transport and travel is a priority

For larger gigs the stadium is next door – its status shown by the announcement of dates by Rod Stewart on May 22, 2019, followed by Take That on May 28.

The plan received a general welcome in the media and from councillors. Online, residents commented “Long overdue”, “Looks fantastic”, and “It looks great and can only be good for the area and Bristol as a whole”.

But where most comments focused on the new development at the stadium, little attention has been given to an equally large proposal at Ashton Vale.

The open land to the north of the Metrobus route – formerly landfill – is proposed to be called Cumberland Village, an estate of 500 homes.

There would be a “significant affordable element” to the housing, Ashton Gate chairman Martin Griffiths told the Voice.

No other details have been released of the new village. The

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n NEWS Ashton Court plan may be unveiled soon A STUDY into the future of Ashton Court mansion has been completed, five years after it was started. Consultants Purcell were asked by the city council and Historic England to consider options for the Grade I-listed building.

Campaigners from Ashton Court Action Group plan to stage a major event in November to launch a community-based bid.

It’s not clear what the council will do, but it may try to market the building for commercial use.

The mansion was hired out by the council for weddings until last year.

“We believe it it should be regenerated as a People’s Palace for the benefit of all Bristolians.

It was purchased 60 years ago by the council and should remain in public ownership and use,” said Simon Birch, chair of the group.

October 2018

October 2018

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9

n NEWS Stadium plans Continued from page 7 the stadium’s record as a major employer of 1,000 people, many of them young. Eighty per cent live within five miles, and 17 per cent in BS3.

REACTION

M

ark Bradshaw, the Labour councillor who was until last year Bristol’s cabinet member for transport, welcomed the idea of a railway halt at Ashton Gate. It could cost £3m or £4m – cheap by railway standards. But it would still cost £750,000 a year to run a train of three or four carriages, he cautioned – and rolling stock is in short supply.

The concept of a travel hub is exciting, he said, “because we don’t really have that in South Bristol.”

He supported the idea of a new Metrobus stop for the stadium – perhaps one that’s only open on match days.

He welcomed the stadium’s willingness to address parking woes, but cautioned that putting

Marina Dolman Way, between the stadium and the new sport arena down more yellow lines could just displace the problem.

To solve the problem of the 24 route, which stops short of Ashton Vale on match days because of parked cars, he suggested talking to the bus drivers, who know where the pinch points are.

The plan also won backing from Bristol businessman Stephen Fear, who is currently trying to find a site for US firm Oak View Group to build a city centre arena (see page 9).

He praised Mr Lansdown for

“putting his money where his mouth is” to build the stadium to a point where City FC now get an average gate of 21,000, while the Bristol Bears get the biggest attendances – up to 27,000 – in the rugby premiership.

“This has been created because people believed and had vision,” he said.

Southville Green Cllr Stephen Clarke said: “I am largely supportive of this plan which brings much-needed jobs and economic activity to the area.

However, I do have serious concerns about the impact this might have on local residents around traffic issues and parking – although I see that a multistorey car park is planned.

“This makes even more vital the increased use of Parson Street railway station, the opening of a new Ashton Gate station and above all the proper usage of Long Ashton Park & Ride for stadium traffic. This is surely now even more of an obvious thing to do and it is completely in the control of the council. Just make it happen!”

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Continued from page 1 directly for Metrobus. Ms Smyth was furious that no operator would run a service until new homes are built at Hengrove.

Now, after Ms Smyth says she “metaphorically banged heads together,” First Bus has agreed with Ms Smyth and Mr Bowles to come up with a solution. “I hope that by bringing people together we can help find a way forward for the residents of South Bristol,” said Mr Bowles.

Meanwhile the Labour MP has shared her views with Voice HOPE for an arena in Bristol city centre now rests on a group of US investors from Oak View Group (OVG) who are actively looking for new sites.

But they did not get the red carpet treatment when three executives flew in from Los Angeles to examine the case of an investment of £150-£200m, the Voice can reveal.

The trio were met at Temple Meads station not by any council representatives but by Stephen Fear, the self-made Bristol millionaire who is supporting their quest for an arena site after being asked for help by his friend, Live Aid promoter Harvey Goldsmith.

And when they got to City Hall they did not meet the mayor, Marvin Rees, who was at a meeting of the Local Enterprise Partnership, but his head of office, Kevin Slocombe, and the council’s interim head of regeneration, Colin Molton.

The Voice asked Mr Fear if the American trio were disappointed at their reception.

Diplomatically, he replied: “It’s fair to say they were disappointed. But we stopped them being disappointed because we filled in – my people made sure that Bristol gave them a good reception.”

Mr Fear and his team gave the OVG investors a tour of Bristol,

GET ON WITH IT, SAY HOTEL BOSSES THE LEADER of Bristol Hoteliers Association has welcomed YTL’s rival arena plan at Filton, and new £100m plans for Ashton Gate, but voiced doubt that the city council can get Temple Island moving.

Imran Ali said: “The BHA is completely behind Ashton Gate and YTL. There’s no doubt these

MP speaks out on arena, Brexit and more readers in an interview on everything from the arena saga, the mayoral system and South Bristol’s building boom to anti-semitism and the future for South Bristol Hospital.

She is “very disappointed” that mayor Marvin Rees has

ruled out a city centre arena.

“The people of South Bristol will want to know that whatever goes on that site now is something

that rebalances the city in terms of jobs and local apprenticeships, and the cultural offer,” she said.

Millions in public money has been spent on clearing the site and building a bridge, she pointed out.

On Brexit, she says she belives Parliament is the place to deal with whatever negotiations throw up – though she does not rule out a second referendum. Sadly there’s no room to print it all but you can see our interview online: tinyurl.com/SBVkarinpart1 • Your MP: Page 46

US investors look like the last hope for a city arena from the harbourside to Clifton and including South Bristol, which he believes could benefit hugely from an arena on its doorstep. It won’t just be city centre shops and restaurants which will attract venue-goers, he said, but those in Totterdown too. Meanwhile there are young people in Withywood and other deprived parts of South Bristol who never go to the city centre. Developments like the arena and the £100m plan for investment at Ashton Gate stadium (see page 6) could create jobs for local people, he said.

Mr Rees ruled at a cabinet meeting on September 4 that the island site was better suited to another use that would provide more investment and jobs.

But a Legal & General plan for 10 towers including two office blocks, a conference centre, a hotel and 500 homes was slated online as ugly by Voice readers.

Many Labour members – exciting developments will progress quickly – largely because they are in private hands and headed by people used to making decisions.” He added: “With its track record, it’s unlikely that the city council will be able to resolve the quandary about what to do with Temple Island any time soon.

“My fear is that leaders at the council will continue to procrastinate.”

including all four for Windmill Hill and Bedminster – wanted to keep the arena locally, and councillors had voted 50-0 in favour of the central site.

But the decision rested with the mayor. This led Voice readers and others online to call the mayoral system “undemocratic”; several said they would vote against having a mayor if asked.

Lib Dem and Tory members claimed the arena refusal broke 18 council rules. But an attempt to get the decision “called in” to the full council was rejected by a panel of councillors on September 20.

Lib Dem Cllr Gary Hopkins of Knowle said Labour had packed

Controversial: The L&G plan the panel with pliant councillors.

Why was the first approach by OVG group in July kept from scrutiny members, he asked? The council has been working with would-be Filton arena builder YTL for 18 months, he added.

Mr Fear said he is still looking for possible five-acre sites within reach of the city centre.

He wouldn’t confirm where he is looking but St Philips, which is set for redevelopment, looks the most likely possibility.

There has been no word from SMG, backer of the Temple Meads arena, which may seek damages now the plan has been dropped.

• Letters Special: Pages 24-25

OPEN: Mon-Tue 9-6, Wed closed, Thur 11-7, Fri-Sat 9-6, Sun 11-4

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

October 2018

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n NEWS FOCUS Congestion and parking fees to pay for a Tube Continued from Page 1 cheaply. A line to the airport could use a tunnel under the harbour – possibly one which also replaces the Brunel Way flyover at Cumberland Basin.

Mayor Marvin Rees is seeking Far East investment of £1bn or so for “Western Harbour”, a 3,500-home scheme that could benefit from its own rail link.

But even with any foreign investment, there is still a funding gap. The council proposes to help fill that with a tax on workplace parking, a congestion charge and fees for entering a Clean Air Zone.

A workplace parking levy in Nottingham charges £1.50 per parking space per day. Bristol claims it could charge more, and cover a wider area than the city centre, to bring in £50m a year.

It claims it could raise a similar sum from a congestion charge. A 2013 study said a daily £5 fee would reduce city centre traffic by up to eight per cent.

The need to cut traffic growth is urgent. Reducing the proportion of people commuting by car from 53 per cent to 43 per cent by 2036 would still only keep traffic at today’s levels.

Consultation on the new Bristol Transport Strategy until 2036 is open until November 2.

The plan also talks about: • New Metrobus, bus and rail improvements (some of them also part of the Weca plan, right); • Reducing freight trips by road in the city centre; • A new cycling strategy and better walking routes. bristol.gov.uk/transportstrategy

THE METRO MAYOR

Meet the mayor who’s trying to get the West to pull the same way

W

HY DOES a city need three mayors? Bristol already has a Lord Mayor (ceremonial), a city mayor (Marvin Rees, taking the place of an old-style council leader) and now, since May 2016, we also have a metro mayor – Tim Bowles, who leads the new West of England Combined Authority, or Weca.

Mr Bowles accepts that Weca’s name, and his own, may not be on the tip of everyone’s tongue.

Indeed, he’s resisted calls to make himself more famous by becoming the “Champion of Metrobus” – a plea made to him when the long-delayed £230 million rapid transit scheme became bogged down in difficulties earlier this year.

But, with some big projects coming across the West of England, there will be reason to pay attention to Weca.

Four new Metrobus routes; tens of thousands of new homes; building in the Green Belt; and new rail and rapid transit routes, including to Bristol airport, are among the projects for which Mr Bowles expects to win hundreds of millions in public and private investment by 2036.

In fact, despite his reluctance to be identified as the figurehead for Metrobus, he has got together with Bristol South MP Karin Smyth to reinstate the “missing link” – the Metrobus route from

The West region needs 100,000 new homes and lots spent on transport and skills. Tim Bowles is the ‘Third Mayor’ whose brief is to get the job done Long Ashton to Hengrove. This route was one of the main justifications for the £45 million South Bristol Link Road until it was quietly erased from the Metrobus map earlier this year.

It has now been restored (though with no date – see page 9).

“I think the important thing here is to understand how different everybody’s roles are,” he says, in his rather austere office in Bristol’s Temple Quay.

He’s not here to do the work done by the three councils that Weca covers – Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset.

That means he won’t get involved in the first three Metrobus routes, which were planned by the local councils before Weca came along. Nor will he influence planning

W

(You may need to pay for a vet appointment if they haven’t had a prescription in the last year.) They will check your pet for fleas and give you advice for a flea-free home.

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

If your pet does have fleas, the first step will be to treat them with veterinary treatments that are

proven to be effective and safe. All pets in your home will need to be treated. Be sure to get advice from your vet as some products can be toxic if given to the wrong pets.

Wash and treat all bedding and use an insecticide spray (available at your surgery) that will kill the fleas and larvae living in your house. This could be a challenge if your pet has the run of the house – you will need to vacuum and spray everywhere. Include their beds, your beds, carpets, floors, furniture and so on. Don’t forget to

n NEWS FOCUS

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THE METRO MAYOR

BIG CHANGES AFOOT ….

HOUSING TARGET The Joint Spatial Plan calls for 105,000 new homes by 2036: Bath and NE Somerset 14,500 Bristol City 33,500 North Somerset 25,000 South Gloucestershire 32,500 Metrobus: more en route

applications or dictate exactly how major projects should work.

Instead, Weca brings all three council leaders together to make plans for the big issues that affect the region – housing, transport and skills training. Mr Bowles seeks consensus, and then goes to Whitehall seeking backing.

Weca’s Joint Transport Strategy calls for four new Metrobus routes by 2036. One route would go to Keynsham along the A4 Bath Road, with another orbiting the city. The latter depends on a long-debated South Bristol ring road, from the A4174 from Hicks Gate to the new South Bristol Link at Hengrove.

The Bath Road plan involves a string of measures – including the controversial use of the Callington Road link, the old rail line between Brislington and Avon Meads, as a relief road to free up space for bus lanes on the A4.

Mr Bowles is talking to potential private partners – including, intriguingly, the East Japan Railway Company (EJRC).

One of the biggest rail firms in Japan, it operates several of the famous bullet lines, or Shinkansen, which travel at up to 200mph.

We’re unlikely to get one of those – but EJRC also operates a futuristic monorail to Tokyo’s Haneda airport. What’s top of everyone’s wishlist for transport in the West? A better route to Bristol Airport, of course. “The

Tim Bowles: Winning backing for major projects across the West route to the airport is vital, and the people I was talking to are interested in that,” says Mr Bowles. “It can help us bring more visitors in to our World Heritage city of Bath, and those coming to work in the aerospace industry on the Northern Fringe, as well as making it easier for South Bristol folk to get to the new jobs that will be created as the airport expands.”

Weca is in talks with the airport and with North Somerset council, which didn’t want to be part of Weca but does cooperate with it.

Will the Japanese investors be interested in Marvin Rees’s idea of an underground network that could form part of a rail link to the airport? That’s not clear, but “Marvin and I work very closely,” on this and other projects, he says.

One of Mr Bowles’s messages to investors is that they will be investing in success, not subsidising a region that needs a handout. “We are the only city region that pays money back to the Treasury,” he says. “Other regions cannot show that level of return. We are not looking for handouts, and we must keep driving that message.”

M

ASK A VET: How can I eliminate fleas?

ITH modern living and mild winters, flea infestations can occur at any time of year. It is much easier to prevent fleas than it is to combat a a flea infestation, which can take weeks to clear. The best way to avoid fleas is by giving your pets regular preventative treatment so that they, and your home, are constantly protected.

If you think you may have a problem with fleas, speak to your vet practice, or book in for a free appointment with one of our nurses.

October 2018

r Bowles’s critics say he’s failed to make a mark in his first year and a half. A former South Gloucestershire councillor and ex-chair of Winterbourne parish

council, he has not sought the limelight so far in his career. On the other hand, he hasn’t put a foot wrong: refusing to be drawn into the Metrobus controversy, which involved plans drawn up years before he took office, may be seen as a wise move.

His low visibility is partly a measure of his limited powers, and the fact that, so far, Weca has had little direct contact with the public. But that’s about to change.

November will see the public consulted on the Joint Spatial Plan, for 105,000 homes, 82,000 jobs and other infrastructure.

In the New Year there will be consultation on the region’s Joint Transport Strategy. Confusingly, this comes after Bristol city council’s consultation on many of the same issues (see left).

The advantage of having a mayor is that they can be a figurehead who can stir debate and get things done. The downside, as Marvin Rees is finding with the Bristol arena, is that the attention can become uncomfortably hot.

Tim Bowles will become the figurehead for the biggest changes to the West’s landscape and transport for decades. It will take a shrewd operator to steer these changes – many of which are undoubtedly needed – without taking the flak for the less popular plans. Life is about to get very interesting for the metro mayor.

HOMES IN THE GREEN BELT Up to 0.65 per cent of the Green Belt could be used for homes: • Bath Road, Brislington 750 • Ashton Vale & Colliter’s Way (in the Bristol Local Plan – no figure) • Yate 1,000 • Coalpit Heath 1,800 • North Keynsham 1,400 • Whitchurch 1,600 TRANSPORT Among the schemes being studied: • Temple Meads masterplan • Mass transit options (see p1)

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THE PLANS Housing (the JSP) tinyurl.com/westJSP Transport (the JTS) tinyurl.com/westJTS • The transport strategy (JTS) is managed by Weca, whereas the housing and infrastructure (the JSP) is managed mainly by the local councils – the three that make up Weca plus North Somerset. Consultation on the JSP comes later this year, and on the JTS in the New Year.

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October 2018

October 2018

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n NEWS

Vale youth club in housing query Musical lament for the Armistice

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ASHTON Vale’s club for young people is waiting for compensation two years after giving up one of its two hard-court sports pitches to the Metrobus route.

The club, in Silbury Road, which has been there since the 1970s, has been offered a spare piece of land, left over now the Metrobus route is finished.

But it has told the council that the land isn’t big enough for sports, and it wants compensation instead. In order to maximise the

value of the land, it has filed a planning application to change the use of the site to housing.

Lee Andrews, chief executive of Young Bristol, the charity which runs the club, told the Voice there was no intention of moving the centre. The charity owns the freehold.

He said the club is open to discussions about the future of the site, but is committed to delivering services for young people in Ashton Vale.

Could you land a job on a film set?

PEOPLE with all kinds of skills are being invited to a two-day tryout where they can find out if they could work behind the scenes in the film industry.

Bottle Yard studios in Whitchurch Lane, Hengrove – home to TV series Sherlock, Wolf Hall and Poldark– is holding a second Boot Camp for people with skills such as computing, transport, construction, sewing, hair and beauty.

A similar boot camp in January attracted more than 500 applications and has led to some graduates taking further courses or gaining industry experience.

They include Carter Caldwell who said: “After the Boot Camp, I applied for Skillset’s Trainee Finder scheme, and was lucky enough to get a place. As a result, I am working on The Spanish Princess, based on the book by Bristol-raised novelist Philippa Gregory, at the Bottle Yard.”

The Boot Camp on October 25 and 26 will include visits to a

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

songwriter Fred Weatherly is remembered with Bravo Bristol, sung in 1915 by Bedminster’s famous songbird Clara Butt to recruit volunteers.

There are also recruitment marches, soldier’s laments, songs from composers and poets who died in the war, and more recent works. The concert is on October 20, 7.30-9.30 pm. Tickets are £10 adults, £2 under 18s. tickettailor.com/events/ gurtlushchoir

Fake gardeners target couple POLICE are hunting two men who stole money from an elderly couple in Sion Road, Bedminster.

The pair offered to do gardening and while one of them kept the couple talking, the other went upstairs and stole cash, between 11am and 12 noon on Saturday September 22.

Both men are white; one,

30-40, about 5ft 6in tall and of large build, had an Irish accent and wore a shiny yellow top. He had short dark hair. The second man is 5ft 7in, in his 30s or 40s, with light brown hair. He wore a grey jumper.

Anyone with information can call 101, giving the call handler the reference 5218213138.

MATHS AND ENGLISH

TUTORING Camera, action: The Boot Camp includes a visit to a working set working production set and set-building and costume workshops and talks by industry professionals about the practicalities and realities of drama production work and about entry routes.

Applicants for the 50 free places must be 21 or older with a qualifications or experience of the key skills required. Apply by Monday October 8 at 5pm at: callingtheshots.co.uk/skillset

New school shines in first Ofsted OFSTED inspectors have given the newly-built primary school at Marksbury Road a glowing report.

Oasis Academy Marksbury Road was judged outstanding in its first inspection, with high praise for head Clare Robinson and teaching staff.

“In all year groups a higher than average proportion of pupils achieve the standards expected

A MUSICAL tour to mark 100 years since the end of World War I comes to Southville on October 20.

St Paul’s church is the venue for Footnotes to the Great War, 20 songs by the Gurt Lush choir to mark the centenary of the Armistice of November 11, 1918.

It includes a new composition of Wilfred Owen’s poem The Show, by award-winning Bristol composer Phil Dixon, and more arrangements written for the occasion. Prolific Bristol

for their age. A substantial proportion of pupils exceed them,” said the Ofsted report.

The behaviour of pupils was “exemplary”. Disadvantaged pupils “make strong progress”.

Parents declared themselves delighted on social media: “I couldn’t be more proud that my child is here,” said one. The school opened in September 2015.

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

southbristolvoice

October 2018

October 2018

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Luckwell homes split opinion

M TO ON O S D C U AY TO N 1 BE DA 5T R Y2 H 20 8 18 TH

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PLANS for what may be the first major private housing scheme in South Bristol to consist entirely Redevelopment of Land Adjacent to Luckwellare Road expected of affordable homes to be debated councillors in Designby & Access Statement November.

April 2018 The former Kellaway builders merchants yard in Luckwell Road could become home to more than 290 people in 67 homes – eight of them terraced houses fronting the road and the rest flats, with a total of 42 parking spaces.

Builder Crown Developments has partnered with housing association United Communities to make all the homes affordable – a very unusual move given that developers often argue that only a 10 or 15 per cent proportion of social homes is viable.

Neighbours, however, have made more than 30 objections, many about parking.

One resident said: “Congestion on Luckwell Road is significant and this new development will

All affordable: The 67-home plan not add enough new parking spaces to compensate for this.

We regularly have people blocking our drive.”

Bedminster Labour councillor Mark Bradshaw, who lives in the road, welcomed the new homes but said the area was one of the most sensitive in Bedminster for parking tensions.

He asked if the residents of the new homes could be prohibited from parking on Luckwell Road.

He also asked the developers to address overshadowing from the five-storey block of flats and the volume of vehicle movements

funnelled through Lynwood Road. Meanwhile, businesses using six industrial units in the Winterstoke Centre, which shares an access road with the site, said it would be “unfair” to expect the new residents to put up with noise and commercial vehicles which have a right of way.

Adam Phelps, a partner in Crown Developments, said the criticisms could be answered.

A survey of on-street parking, conducted according to council rules, found more than enough spaces in the vicinity, he said.

Changes to the bus stop on Luckwell Road and other requirements from the council can all be dealt with, he said.

He said changes to the road layout would improve access to the industrial units, and said there were already homes close to the industrial units and environmental health officers had made no objection.

Give something up to help battle autism A BEDMINSTER woman is encouraging South Bristol residents to give up something for October to raise funds to introduce a new treatment for autism to the UK. Amanda Sampson is giving up alcohol for the month to draw attention to the Mifne Method, an intensive therapy for autistic children developed in Israel.

It is said to have allowed 88 per cent of autistic children treated to go to mainstream school, compared to 20 per cent of other children with autism.

Amanda said she was really moved by the experience of families who had been helped by the method. The aim is to set up a Mifne clinic in the UK, able to provide support and online help to parents all over the country. transformingautism.org

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LET’S CLEAN UP BRISTOL – ONE PIECE OF LITTER AT A TIME Find new friends and help make your neighbourhood a nicer place to live. Call or visit our website to find out how you can organise a litter pick in your area or join an existing group.

0117 304 9022 bristolwastecompany.co.uk/litterblitz18 #BristolCleanStreets To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

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

October 2018

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n NEWS Lanterns plea for volunteers SO FAR, 17 people have offered to be a road safety steward at the Bedminster Winter Lanterns Parade – but 70 are needed. Chair of BWL Malcolm Brammar said: “Without enough road stewards, we can’t get insurance and the parade can’t take place. If you can spare four hours from 3-7pm on Saturday December 8, please email info@bwlp.org for more info. You will make 2,000 local children very happy!”

Art trail is here AROUND 70 artists will be exhibiting in about 40 venues at the Windmill Hill and Victoria Park art trail on October 6 and 7.

A free guide to the venues will be available on the weekend.

There’s music, dance and poetry in Windmill Hill community centre on both afternoons, and events in Victoria Park. artonthehill.org.uk

October 2018

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Care home has improved but must do better: inspectors

The underground hide for Great War men on the run

A BEDMINSTER care home has been rated by inspectors as Requires Improvement – the latest of several critical reports over the last three years.

Osborne Court in West Street did not always have enough staff on duty, and there were concerns that medicines were not always properly managed, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said after a two-day inspection on August 7 and 8.

But the CQC said the home had made improvements since an unannounced inspection in July 2017 found no registered manager on duty, and four breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The breaches related to management of medicines, management of risks, people’s care and treatment, staff supervision and quality

THE UNTOLD story of thousands of Bristol people who refused to take part in the slaughter of World War I is portrayed in a new show which visits Bedminster in October.

The performance tells the extraordinary tale of the Bedminster cycle shop owner who was also an expert explorer of caves – and who dug a secret hiding place in an old well behind his premises.

George Barker is thought to have hidden up to 30 men on the run from the military at his business in Cannon Street. He was probably part of a secret network of people who helped deserters from the army, as well as those whose conscience would not let them fight.

The new show is called Taking a Holiday and has been put together by puppet theatre company Otherstory.

“We try to show that there was a large support network for people on the run,” said Otherstory’s Trevor Houghton, who lives in Bedminster.

“We show George Barker and the chamber under his shop, and a deserter who goes through George’s hands. He goes to Whiteway, an anarchist community near Stroud, then to some Quakers in Birmingham and to socialists in Derby, before he ends up on a ship across the Atlantic from Liverpool.”

Otherstory uses paper puppets, light and sound effects

There are more than 11,800 people living with and beyond their cancer diagnosis in Bristol and this will double by 2030.

Therefore we’re looking for volunteers to be a buddy to someone who is currently undergoing cancer treatment in the Bristol area. Volunteers visit their buddy once a week for 3 months to provide emotional and practical support, such as taking someone out for a coffee or putting out their bins.

“Every day I see people living with cancer who are a shadow of their former selves as they get to grips with the emotional and physical trauma that cancer leaves behind.

“Very often those who have had

assurance systems. The latest inspection in August found the home, which can give nursing care to up to 55 residents, is now meeting the law. Owner Four Seasons 2000 Ltd has been told there are still worries about record-keeping for drugs.

There were enough staff on duty at the August inspection – but records showed that on 13 days out of the previous 28, the home was not fully staffed.

Four Seasons told Bristol Live that it had improved staffing levels and increased management oversight so that aspects of care that need addressing are quickly acted on. The inspectors had acknowledged that staff were kind and caring, it said, and residents were relaxed and comfortable in their presence.

Three years ago, an inspection

in October 2015 had found five breaches of regulations, resulting in the home being put into special measures. This came after an inspection in March 2015 which rated the safety of the service as “inadequate”. It had improved by the next inspection in May 2016, but was still rated as Requires Improvement.

Osborne Court was then managed by a different firm, Laudcare Ltd. It was later passed to Four Seasons 2000 Ltd. The change in company ownership means that inspections at the home are listed on different pages of the CQC website.

Both firms are registered in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Both companies’ nominated individual for Osborne Court is Dr Maureen Royston, who is a director of 138 active British companies.

cancer don’t want to burden their family, or their family lives far away,” says Clare Davies, Macmillan Volunteering Services Coordinator.

“Consequently they have no one to talk to about their experiences, leaving them to feel isolated. Our volunteers can offer invaluable support and can help clients to get back their confidence, as well as linking them into activities in their local area.”

Macmillan provides training and support to all its volunteers, as well as covering expenses. If you can spare a few hours on a weekday and would like to help, then we would love to hear from you.

For more information please contact Clare Davies, 07458 127754 email: bristolbuddies@macmillan.org.uk website: https://volunteering.macmillan.org.uk/Opportunity/Details/834 To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

UNCOVERING MORE TRUE STORIES

Puppet show: Cycle shop owner Barker hid war resisters in a well to tell the tale. “We also use shadow puppetry to show the bigger picture,” said Trevor, “the size of the war machine and the surveillance that was going on of all these people.”

He’s referring to the enormous efforts made by the police and the secret services to round up the networks who helped the escapees.

George Barker was visited several times by police, and probably by informants trying to catch him. He was suspected of hiding 30 men or more, but none was ever caught at the shop, so Barker was sentenced only to 14 days in prison or a £5 fine (the price then of a cheap cycle).

school French teacher

STARTING next month, the Voice tells the story of the South Bristol resisters to the Great War, starting with three Totterdown brothers who believed God forbade them to fight or even support the army.

Walkabout THE MONTHLY walkabout to pick up litter by members of Ashton Vale Together takes place on South Liberty Lane on Thursday October 18. All are welcome to meet outside Parsons Bakery at 10am. The next meeting of the group is at Ashton Vale Club for Young People, Silbury Road, on Tuesday October 23, 6.30–8pm.

Facebook: Ashton Vale Together

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Taking A Holiday is at Bedminster Library at 7.30pm on October 25.

Professor Lois Bibbings (from University of Bristol and Remembering the Real WW1) will give an introduction.

TUTOR

a qualified secondary

COMING SOON

THE MEMORIES of Bedminster Group hears from Steve Price about his experiences swimming the Channel on October 8, while the following week, October 15, it’s a sing-a-long afternoon with guitarist Esther. October 22 has yet to be confirmed, while on October 29 David Addis will be talking about the Thankful Villages – World War I soldiers who returned home. Meetings are at 1.30pm at South Bristol Christian Centre in Churchlands Road, off West Street.

THE SHOW

LearnFrenchThisWay.com Learn with

OTHERSTORY wants to hear from people who have their own family connections to the anti-war movement. It has Lottery funding to run workshops, starting in January 2019, to show people how to research the history of war resistance. They will work with professional puppeteers and musicians to develop a puppet history walk. otherstory.org/hiding-placesand-hidden-histories

Memory meet

E-LEARNING

• Call in today for your NHS flu vacc ination – free to anyone who is over 18 and at risk of getting flu

ARE YOU GOING ABROAD ON HOLIDAY?

We can provide all your travel vaccinations and medicines at the lowest cost in Bristol, alongside advising on health precautions and how to manage your regular medicines in different parts of the world.

• We can also give a LOW COST vaccination against meningitis B. Ask us for details.

Follow us on Twitter: @bedminsterpharm

PIANO LESSONS

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

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

18

October 2018

southbristolvoice

n MEN’S HEALTH

ADVERTISING FEATURE

October 2018

southbristolvoice

n MEN’S HEALTH

Whether it’s slimming, smoking or talking things through, there’s help out there for men Bedminster Pharmacy

Cannon Street, Bedminster BS3 1BN 0117 985 3388 Open Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-1pm Twitter: @bedminsterpharm

S

MOKING is going out of fashion – but it’s still a big killer, and men are more likely to be smokers than women.

Bedminster Pharmacy have got together with Public Health England to offer advice about how you can quit the habit in ‘Stoptober’.

In England, 17 per cent of men smoke, against 13 per cent

of women. Stoptober is based on research that if you can make it to 28 days smokefree, you are five times more likely to quit for good. If you take part in a supported programme, you are even more likely to succeed!

If you search Stoptober online, you can find a Personal Quit Plan. It will recommend a range of options to smokers including face-to-face support, nicotine replacement therapies like patches, gum or inhalers, and e-cigarettes. All of these are available at Bedminster Pharmacy.

E-cigarettes have become the nation’s favourite stop smoking

19 ADVERTISING FEATURE

Driftwood Counselling

Tony Woolman 0117 953 2972 or 07717 774 083 driftwoodcounselling@outlook.com

M E-cigarettes and nicotine patches: Popular stop-smoking aids aid, with an estimated 3.2 million adult users in Great Britain. Over time, the proportion who are ex-smokers has risen and over half (52 per cent) of current vapers have stopped smoking completely. A further 900,000 people have given up both smoking and vaping.

If you don’t believe it can be done, listen to James Ardron, 40, a Bristol procurement specialist.

James stopped smoking in December 2016 because he and his wife wanted to start a family.

James had smoked for around 25 years, since he was a teenager, and smoked up to 10 cigarettes a day. It wasn’t easy to give up,

especially when he went out with friends who smoked. James’s advice for anyone looking to stop smoking is to have a focal point.

“Set yourself small targets – they quickly pass, and you’re then at the next one. A month soon becomes three, which becomes six months and then becomes a year. Setting these small targets really helped me and wasn’t as daunting as setting larger ones.”

James and his wife Angela now have a six-month old baby girl and plan to put the money he has saved by not smoking – more than £1,000 – towards a holiday or their daughter’s savings.

NOT JUST FOR GIRLS!

EN know that the expectation can often be that they must be able to deal with things in a manly way.

Either sucking it up and being strong for others, or pretending it does not matter.

Counsellor Tony Woolman believes that to talk difficulties over is certainly not a weak thing to do; it can take courage.

However, it can also put us back into control of our proper thinking and actions.

Tony works with all sorts of issues and people, male and female. He says: “I will work with you with respect and in confidence. Don’t sit on trouble – work it out.

“Counselling is a concentrated conversation where you are encouraged to really understand what it is you feel; what you really think, and what you really want to happen to improve things. Sometimes things do not go as we want; we can become

Tony Woolman: It’s not weak to talk problems over, far from it very uncertain, vulnerable, lose our value or perspective; life can begin to make us feel we have little or no worth.

“If this is you, then counselling can be useful.

Driftwood Counselling can offer a confidential, safe and discreet place to talk it over. No magic wands. Just sense.”

Tony has city centre counselling rooms and offers appointments seven days a week.

The first consultation is free; further appointments are £45 or three for £105.

Under stress, feeling upset?

Could you benefit from talking it over?

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Driftwood Counselling Tony Woolman BSc Email: driftwoodcounselling@outlook.com Phone: 0117 953 2972 or 07717 774 083

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

October 2018

southbristolvoice

20

n CHURCH NEWS

October 2018

southbristolvoice

n THE PROPERTY PAGE Gold award for Ocean Southville NORTH Street estate agent Ocean has won a gold award for its customer service in the British Property Awards, judged to be the best in BS3. The awards are

judged by “mystery shoppers” and claim to assess 90 per cent of eligible agents. The BS4 award was won by Greenwoods in Wells Road (covered in our Totterdown edition).

A spokesperson for Ocean said: “We were very happy to learn we had won the British Property Awards for BS3. Industry

Acres of room: The Copper Building is in the ex-Imperial Tobacco grounds

Be Ambiious

21 NEWS ABOUT SOUTH BRISTOL HOMES

awards are not something Ocean pay to enter, to be honest they are generally industry insiders patting each other on the back, but this award is very different, not least because you don’t know you’re being critiqued!

“British Property Awards are all ex-agency owners – their mission is to provide a useful

award for the consumer on a local level, an award that can be trusted.

“At Ocean we rely on independent customer feedback via Trust Pilot, and so we are confident our team are working hard to exceed our local customers’ needs, but it was great to be recognised by these experts too.”

Lakeside homes to go on sale

at £150,000 – relatively cheap for new property in South Bristol.

The developers are Places for People and Urban Splash, who also converted the neighbouring Grade II-listed former Imperial Tobacco headquarters into flats.

The 10-acre grounds and lake were originally a garden for the Imperial workers to relax and take lunch in. Now they are a private space for Lakeshore residents to sit out, explore and grow vegetables.

The new flats all have floor to ceiling windows, a balcony and an open plan living area.

The first homes will be available for sale from October 6. tinyurl.com/copperbuilding

HOMESEEKERS will shortly have the chance to view flats in a new development with an unrivalled 10-acre garden.

The Copper Building is the second phase of the Lakeshore development next to the Imperial Park shopping complex.

It contains 136 one and two bedroom flats with prices starting

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Urban Lighthouse are proud sponsors of Help Bristol’s Homeless helpbristolshomeless.co.uk

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

southbristolvoice

22

October 2018

Under way: The shopfront for the North Street Nursery Village Vicky Collins and lives in Raleigh Road, was overwhelmed by the support from local people, including former mayor George Ferguson and Cllr Charlie Bolton.

“We have no idea how to thank you all for your patience and support,” he said in a message to the public.

The nursery will have a children’s boutique on North Street, and will serve locallysourced food from the Malago restaurant.

ONE OF the most talked-about of Bedminster’s recent openings is Magic & Mayhem, a Harry Potter-themed shop in Cannon Street that had social media abuzz before its arrival.

Owner Claire McCartney opened her first shop in Cardiff a year ago and found it a runaway success.

The Voice asked the opinion of a young reporter, who told us: “My friends and I were lucky enough to be able to go to a preview of the shop Magic and Mayhem on North Street.

“Despite the owners telling us much of their stock was yet to arrive, there was still a wide selection, from sweets to mugs to cushions and stuffed animals, and of course, the essential wand collection.

“The owners were especially friendly and welcoming, and I

southbristolvoice

23

n CHILDREN’S ENTERTAINMENT

n NEWS: CHILDREN Nursery wins Potter shoppers battle for find a lot of approval magic in store NORTH Street is to get a new children’s nursery after a spontaneous campaign drew more than 100 letters of support to Bristol city council.

Nursery Village has won planning permission to change the old Denny’s Bakery into a large childcare centre with a village theme – with rooms called the Village Shop, the Cottage, the Bakery, the Post Office and the Library.

The ambitious plan was made possible because behind Denny’s was an unused space of almost 4,000 sq ft – about the same as the nearby Hen & Chicken pub.

Planning permission was needed because the whole building was classed as a shop – though it had been on the market for almost a year with no takers.

Adam Llewellyn, who owns Nursery Village with partner

October 2018

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Keeping the kids entertained With the half-term break coming up, here are some ideas for parents on diversions for young ones Spelling test: The new store also sells the authentic wizard look enjoyed talking to them. The shop itself was extremely child-friendly with props that can be used to take photos to make fun memories. I also liked the fact it’s so local rather than going all the way to York or London – finally some Harry Potter magic in Bristol! Personally, I think it’s a great shop for muggles and wizards alike and I will definitely be going again!”

By Alice BS, aged 11 and ¾

Mini Potters Sessions at Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster 07414 230477 @minipottersbristol minipottersbristol.com INI Potters is a pottery painting studio based at Windmill Hill City Farm, where children and adults can paint pottery for fun, and create beautiful keepsakes or bespoke gifts for any occasion.

Their friendly team can help you capture your little one’s hands and feet on pottery and in

M

A Mini Potters party: The perfect birthday treat clay. They also offer hand-painted artwork for that personal touch.

Jess and the team provide pre-fired pottery, paint and advice in a clean, cosy and relaxing environment. Your creations are then dipped in glaze and fired in their kiln for a hardwearing, professional finish.

It’s fun and easy for both children and adults. Either pop in and see them or phone to book an appointment and they’ll be happy to chat about what you’re looking to create.

They’re also a great place for parties for both kids and adults!

The studio is available for

Little Musketeers: A fun way to burn some energy

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You have exclusive use of the studio for 2 hours and you get a free glass of bubbles when you arrive!

excess energy? Little Musketeers introduces children to fencing in a completely safe way, using foam and plastic equipment that won’t cause harm but does give children the thrill of the real thing.

Little Musketeers’ staff organise lots of fun gmes and pretend battles while teaching the basics of fencing.

There are customised invitations and personalised medals to make it a thrilling event they will remember long after the birthday is over.

All staff are experienced in Continued overleaf

Little Musketeers 07724 721308 littlemusketeers.com F YOU are looking for a birthday party with a difference, why not choose an event that’s both well organised and will allow your little ones to burn off all their

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CUTTING EDGE FENCING PARTIES FENCING

n Are you looking for a birthday party with a difference? Little Musketeers will provide you with a fun, CUSTOMER’S memorable fencing party!

REVIEW n Swashbuckling theme FOR CHILDREN AGED 5-10 parties to suit every budget.

My son and hisReview: friend’s 6th Customers n Are you looking for a birthday party with a difference? look no further! At Little Musketeers we can birthday party was a 6th My son andwithout his friend’s n WeThen use foam and plastic provide you with a fun, exciting and truly memorable party was without doubt their Birthday best party ever.

Thea fencingequipment party for all involved! that’s 100% fencing doubt their best party ever (their Little Musketeers team words and mine!).were The Little Our ‘swashbuckling’ themed parties use brightly safe,ncoloured yet gives children thethat real foam and plastic fencing equipmentAGED is Musketeers teamkids, were really FOR CHILDREN 5-10 really amazing with the who 100%fencing. safe and yet hard enough to give children the amazing with the kids, who feel of ranged fromranged 2-11.from Everyone had real feel of fencing. Combine this with our free Little 2-11 year olds.

Customers Review: invitations, personalised medals, n Are you lookingchecked, for a exhilarating birthday party with instructors CRB Everyone had there were fun: there were lots offun: games andlots n AllMusketeer swashbuckling games and expert fencing tuition and of games and battles as well as Then further!

At Little w battles.My Forson me it was a stress-free your child really willlook have ano unique and thrilling event Musketeers to first aid and Child Protection and his friend’s 6th fencing skills. For me it was a you with a fun, exciting and truly me look forwardprovide to! was without party – Birthday I cannot recommend thema stress party free party as Little trained, and experienced in fencing party for all involved!

Musketeers did all the ever (their n Also you can rest assured that you are in safe hands. their best party enough!doubt children’s entertainment. entertaining. Little musketeers is All of our instructors are fully CRB registered and

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PARTIES

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words and mine!). The Little the best and I cannot recommend

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Musketeers team were really this party enough!

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Our ‘swashbuckling’ themed experienced n in running children’s entertainment.

parties use b coloured foam and plastic fencing equipmen

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n They have100% also undertaken all necessary Aid and to give child safe and yet hardFirst enough Child Protection courses. We realise birthdays can be real feelMusketeers of fencing.

Combine this expensive and at Little we offer a number of with our fr different fencing party packages to suit every budget.

Musketeer invitations, personalised medals,

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Everyone had fun: there were lots

swashbuckling games and expert fencing tui

of games and battles as well as your child really will have a unique and thril Call Annie 07724 721308 fencing skills. For me it was a look forward to!

Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 orfree email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk party as Little tostress book now! !!!"#$%#&'()*&+&&,)"-.'

Musketeers did all the entertaining. Little musketeers is

n Also you can rest assured that you are in s All of our instructors are fully CRB registered

October 2018

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24

n CHILDREN’S PARTIES

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Continued from page 23

Arena decision ‘not democracy’

children’s entertainment, and CRB registered, and have taken courses in first aid and child protection.

Fun Warehouse and Halloween Warehouse 0117 926 4703 @Love FunWarehouse www.funwarehouse.co.uk O YOU want to find show-stopping party decorations without the stress?

Nothing says ‘party’ more than balloons, and Fun Warehouse have put together a series of great value balloon party bundles, starting from £30, that take the hard work out of decorating your event.

They’re designed to fit in a car so you can just collect from their Galleries shop to give your party instant impact. They can tailor the bundles to fit your colour scheme, theme and budget. The latex balloons are 100 per cent biodegradable and sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified trees, so you don’t have to worry

LETTERS SPECIAL

D

Stylish balloons: Fun Warehouse about the cost to the planet.

Fun Warehouse is an independent, BS3-family-run fancy dress, balloon and party shop based in the Galleries shopping centre. This October, it is also opening a Halloween pop-up shop in the Galleries, Halloween Warehouse, with Bristol’s best selection of Halloween costumes, accessories and props. Come and join the fun this October!

Open letter to Marvin Rees and members of the cabinet I’M AN ordinary BS3 resident, unconnected to any organisation or political party. I’m dismayed you have shelved the plans for Temple Meads arena, despite overwhelming public opinion and councillor support for it.

Marvin, you know it’s more than just a concert venue: it’s a multipurpose arts and events space for local, regional and national projects all year round.

It will bring invaluable economic benefits to city centre businesses new and old, as well as boosting the surrounding areas. New innovative ventures will pop up around the arena, attracting fresh investment and creation in the tech and creative industries, and in other supportive businesses and feeder services.

The Temple arena will boost our city’s wellbeing, and improve

THE ARENA

mental health and nurture community cohesion. We live in an era of on-going disconnect as the digital world gradually replaces everyday human exchanges. There is nothing quite like a live event to unite in a positive life-affirming way!

I believe Bristol attracts investment and attention because it’s a healthy mix of independent thought, some cultural anarchy, and a lot of awesome hard-working pragmatic people. We deliver.

How could the arena be pitched against building a conference centre, a five-star hotel and some tall towers?

These generate minimal contact with the city and its people.

The decision to halt the Temple Arena is not democracy as I see it. I hope going against the vote of the councillors and the will of the people will be legally challenged. I hope the dealings with YTL will be legally challenged. I hope the lack of contact and regular dismissal of other interested parties’

October 2018

LETTERS and provide your postal address.

Please keep letters as short as possible,

proposals and ideas will be challenged. I hope there will be scrutiny around the hiring by YTL of Barra Mac Ruairi (BCC’s ex-strategic director for the Temple Arena project) in 2017.

I hope the powers given to a Bristol mayor will be reviewed or abolished.

Name supplied, BS3

Eyesore follows broken promise I HAVE been following your reports on the arena saga in SBV with great interest. On September 4 the mayor cancelled the Bristol arena, thus breaking his election promise to the people of Bristol. Instead of delivering the arena, he has delivered failure. The Arena Island site will be wasted on an eyesore that nobody wants. I do not recall Bristol crying out for another conference facility.

Any talk of an arena in Filton is redundant. It will never be

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built. Bristolians who wish to attend arena events will still have to travel to other cities. This is good news for coach companies so, to be fair to the mayor, his failure is not bad news for everyone.

Many UK cities have built arenas for their citizens. They might be wondering why Bristol cannot do the same. A big part of the answer must be that Bristol has politicians who are not fit to hold the offices they occupy. This is a lesson for all of us to remember they next time they ask us to vote for them.

C Hughes, Bedminster

Save our city’s low-rise charm SINCE we now have a vacant Temple Island wouldn’t it be great to have it as a community facility? What about a large square indoor market like St George’s Market in Belfast, which includes stalls from food to

25 Write to paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk or to 18 Lilymead Avenue, BS4 2BX

household, from crafts to vintage, with cafés scattered around, serenaded by folk groups: a vibrant atmosphere for people to meet and do some alternative shopping. Outside could be artisan spaces, studios for artists and craftsmen to practice and sell their work (like at Frome’s Black Swan Arts). Around this a park, with playgrounds and gardens. People could walk to the ferries to reach the Centre and the harbourside, and in the other direction have a link to the Paintworks.

It would be a shame to fill the space with high rise blocks.

Unfortunately the city’s present leadership seems determined to raise the skyline of Bristol, here and in Bedminster. Bristol is not London or New York. It has its own low rise charm, and with its river and interesting centre and accessible countryside it’s just right as it is. Let’s try to preserve its appeal to all ages.

Pat Berman, Lower Knowle • Longer versions of these letters on the Voice website

Some pupils are written off PEOPLE go on about how good their child has done in GCSEs. But does anyone think of the children who try so hard and still fail? My son has worked hard, he has dyslexia and finds it hard getting things down on paper, but he’s not stupid.

He’s got no support from his maths teacher who knew my son was going to fail back in January and gave him no support in trying to get him a grade. Please can we support kids that fail as it’s not all about the brainy kids.

Name supplied, Bedminster

Price isn’t all INTERESTING to see in the last SBV that BS3 is such a house sales hot spot. But what does this mean for rents? They will just keep rising and making this area unaffordable to all but the rich.

FG, Knowle

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

26

southbristolvoice

October 2018

October 2018

southbristolvoice

n INTERVIEW

Meet Beth, Knowle’s down-toearth star BETH Rowley, South Bristol’s home-grown singing star, would prefer to see an arena at Temple Meads.

With a nod to the arguments about whether the city can afford the risk of a £150 million venue, she told the Voice: “There’s probably so much going on and it’s easy to say I would like [an arena] in the city centre – but that would be my preference.

“I love Bristol but I have felt it does lose out, especially on the international front.”

It’s a big year for Beth – on September 15 she played Bristol’s Fleece as she neared the end of a national tour (some

27

BETH ROWLEY lucky Voice readers won tickets in our online competition). And in July she released her first album in 10 years, the follow-up to 2008’s 100,000-seller Little Dreamer.

Why has it been so long between albums?

“It’s been a creative thing – I haven’t had the right combination, the right body of work. There have been so many changes over the last 10 years.

There have been a few attempts with different managers, and you get one thing ready and then another changes.”

But, this year, everything lined up, and Beth went into the studio and recorded the album as live in just three days. Beth is known for crossing musical genres, from soul to R’n’B to jazz and country.

Bristol is Beth’s home town once more, after a seven-year break in London: “I went to London initially for a year or two to do some session work with other bands – that’s where all the work was. I ended up staying, but I did always pine for home!”

Beth now lives in Eastville

Beth Rowley: Homecoming gig with husband Liam – who is from Hull, but didn’t take much persuading to move to Bristol.

Beth, however, found herself explaining to estate agents and others that no, she wasn’t another Londoner escaping The Smoke, she was bred in Knowle.

Admittedly she doesn’t have much of a Bristolian accent – which may have something to do with her mum, who if she heard a local twang in Beth’s voice would ask her to repeat herself. The Bristolian accent is still there, though: “It does come out, if I have a few glasses of wine when

with my friends!” Especially in Bedminster, apparently!

Beth grew up close to the Broadwalk centre. She went to St Mary Redcliffe & Temple school, and some of her earliest performances were at Knowle cricket club pavilion.

But her career started with a bold move. She went to an open mic night at the Old Duke in King Street. “I walked in with my Carole King songbook, I thought, ‘I’m sure I’ll find somebody!’”

Sure enough, she found that barman Pete Rowe was also a guitarist. Before the night was over, they had played almost all of Beth’s Carole King songbook.

Soon she was also friends with bassist Andy Lowe. They all started a band, under Beth’s name, and their careers took off.

The title of Beth’s new album, Gota Fria, is a Spanish phrase, meaning “cold drop” – a weather event where a pocket of low pressure can stay trapped for days, then drop a mass of rain. A metaphor Beth clearly enjoys …

• Longer version of this interview on the Voice website

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

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

southbristolvoice

28

October 2018

October 2018

southbristolvoice

29

n THE MAYOR

MARVIN REES Mayor of Bristol

I’m going use a range of media to engage with you all directly

SHOW HOME NOW AVAILABLE TO VIEW

A

FEW weeks ago I did my first Facebook Live event to answer questions from members of the public. It’s an engaging feature where people broadcast live to others, encouraging debate and conversation about different topics. I really enjoyed the experience, spending an hour answering questions on transport plans, homelessness, housing developments and the recent decision on Temple Island.

I’m planning to hold more Facebook Live events, at different times of day, so that more people can speak to me directly on issues that matter to them. Details will be on my Facebook and Twitter pages, where you can also find previous exchanges. Anyone can submit a question to me via mayor@bristol. gov.uk or in writing at Mayor’s Office, Bristol

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City Council, PO Box 3176, BS1 5TR. My cabinet members are always approachable on issues in their portfolios, and local ward councillors are also great sources of information and guidance about the council and local communities.

I have my own blog site (see below) which

I use to keep people up to date with what I’ve been doing and share my thoughts and views.

Similarly, these Voice columns (which appear in all the Voice newspapers which cover the city) are an important way to reach people who might not have access to the internet.

In a time of fake news and growing use of social media I am really pleased to have opportunities to communicate with people directly. One part of being a city leader, unlike national politicians, is that I make my decisions while looking local people in the eye. Recently there have been some very wellattended council meetings, with lots of views and questions put forward on a wide variety of subjects. This forum is an important one for local democracy to debate the facts.

As well as these contributions to our city’s conversation, I believe it is essential we have a representative media to ensure the diversity of world views are shared. This is especially important at a time when more people are increasingly finding their own news online and becoming sceptical about what they are being told. I hope that by starting these sessions more regularly I can add another way to engage people with local politics and give that opportunity to openly question and debate about what’s best for Bristol. thebristolmayor.com

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

We warmly invite you to visit, meet pupils and staff and experience our positive, engaging environment that helps every individual perform at their best.

“St Katherine’s brings my passions to life” (Year 7 pupil)

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n PRIVATE HEALTHCARE

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Men need to start talking about women’s cancers

M

ORE than 21,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer every year, but awareness of symptoms is still very poor, according to a leading cancer charity*.

Now, as a follow-on of Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, which ran throughout September, campaigners are calling on people to open up and discuss the subject – and they mean men as well as women.

“Cancer doesn’t just affect the person with the disease – it affects everyone connected to that person.

That means it is much more than just a ‘woman’s problem’,” said Mr Amit Patel, consultant gynaecologist and gynae-oncologist at Spire Hospital in Bristol.

“Women and men need to be more aware of what is normal because this is the only way they will be able to tell when something is wrong. As with all cases of cancer, the quicker it is detected, the better the treatment outcomes,” he added.

“The lack of basic knowledge

about the female body, or conversations around how the female anatomy works, is very worrying. How can we know what to look out for if we don’t know what is normal and what could be cancer?

“A vast medical knowledge is not required to remain healthy.

Being aware of and simply taking time to address any symptoms that could be associated with the possibility of cancer can prevent or detect cancer at early stages.”

The five cancers categorised as gynaecological, in order of how common they are: Endometrial cancer or cancer of the womb: Abnormal vaginal bleeding is the most common symptom. If you have been through the menopause any vaginal bleeding is considered abnormal. If not, then unusual bleeding may include bleeding between your periods. About 8,475 new cases are diagnosed in the UK every year – most in women aged 40 to 74 who have been through

the menopause.

Ovarian cancer: The fifth most common cancer of all among UK women, with more than 7,000 women diagnosed each year.

Because symptoms are not well known, or mistaken for tummy troubles or period pains, it is usually discovered in the late stages when treatment is much more difficult. Symptoms that may require assessment include weight loss, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, bloating, and bowel or bladder problems. Women should seek help if any of these symptoms are noticed, particularly if they are persistent or progressive.

Cervical cancer: Cancer of the cervix (the entrance to the womb from the vagina) often has no symptoms in its early stages. If you do have symptoms, the most common is unusual vaginal bleeding, which can occur after sex, between periods or after the menopause.

Abnormal bleeding doesn’t mean that you definitely have cervical cancer, but it should be

investigated by your GP as soon as possible. Taking part in the cervical screening programme is a very effective way of preventing cervical cancer.

Cancer of the vulva: The vulva is a woman’s external genitals, including the lips surrounding the vagina (labia minora and labia majora), the clitoris, and the Bartholin’s glands (two small glands each side of the vagina). Symptoms can include a persistent itch, pain, soreness or tenderness in the vulva.

You should also look out for ulcers, raised and thickened patches of skin that can be red, white or dark, or any lumps or wart-like growths.

Vaginal cancer: A rare form of cancer with around 260 new cases diagnosed in the UK each year. The most common symptom of vaginal cancer is abnormal vaginal bleeding although smelly or bloody vaginal discharge, pain during sex or pain when urinating can also be indicators, as can irregular or heavier periods. * Figures from Cancer Research UK

October 2018

southbristolvoice

ADVICE FROM A PHARMACIST Those eligible for the free NHS flu Reasons why jab include anyone: • Aged 65 years and over (including those becoming age 65 you might years by 31st March 2019); • With a weakened immune need your free system (eg those with HIV/AIDS, or taking cancer treatment); • With certain medical conditions NHS flu jab (asthma, diabetes, kidney disease,

I

T’S TIME to go into Bedminster pharmacy, roll your sleeve up and have your free NHS flu jab. There is no appointment needed, anyone who is over 18 and at risk of getting flu can just walk in to get protected.

This year we particularly want to make sure that anyone who is a paid care or social worker, as well as anyone who provides unpaid care for an elderly or disabled friend or relative, comes in to get their free NHS flu jab without delay.

liver disease, Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease); • All pregnant women; • All carers for an elderly or disabled person, paid or unpaid; • Paid social care and hospice workers; • Household contacts of a person with a weakened immune system (eg on cancer treatment); • With a chronic liver or kidney disease; • People aged 18 or over living in long-stay residential care homes

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or other long-stay care facilities.

So you read every year that the flu vaccine doesn’t work, why bother?

This year, those aged over 65 years will receive a new enhanced vaccine that contains extra ingredients designed to help develop a stronger defence against flu.

Each year, in the UK, up to 10,000 deaths are attributable to flu, particularly among the elderly population and those with existing medical conditions.

Early vaccination is encouraged because it takes about two weeks after the jab to gain optimal protection. The flu strains can change from year to year, so you need to have a flu vaccination every year.

Well, I never get flu, you say.

Even if you only get a mild

Down on the Farm News from Windmill Hill City Farm with Beccy Golding Proper cuppa coffee

F

ROM October 1 the Farm Café will no longer offer disposable takeaway cups.

You can either take a seat with a proper china cup, or bring your own reusable cup to take away.

There are a range of reusables available to buy in the café, if you buy one there you get your first hot drink in it for free.

Café manager Anna Ralph said: “Although we’ve been using Vegware compostable cups and lids for a while, those that are taken off-site probably end up as litter or landfill. Being an environmental and educational charity, it seems like the right thing to do. We need to be part of the solution and we’re hoping you’ll support us.”

Air your views ACTION Greater Bedminster is partnering with the farm and UWE’s ClairCity project to hold a community conversation called How Clean Is The Air In Our Neighbourhood? The aim is for people to get the facts about air quality in the area and discuss what can be done to improve it.

ClairCity is a project involving six cities across Europe, looking at local options for clean air and

reaction to a flu virus, you can still pass it on to others. We need to attain what is termed ‘‘herd immunity’’ – vaccinating enough of the population to protect us all.

Your jab counts; it protects you and contributes to protecting everyone else, including the vulnerable in our community.

Onions, goose grease and socks (dirty or clean) will not cure you if the flu nabs you! Go and get your jab today and better still, take your partner or friend along too.

The Walk-in service in Bedminster pharmacy means you can turn up, get your jab and that’s it for this year. No appointments.

• This article by Ade Williams of Bedminster Pharmacy aims to show how all pharmacies can help people with a variety of health conditions and ease pressure on other parts of the NHS.

windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk

lower carbon emissions. Its air quality map of Bristol shows that parts of East and West streets in Bedminster break EU and national limits for air pollution.

This event for adults will be followed by a half-term children’s workshop (ages 6 to 10).

Details: Thursday October 18, 7.30-8.30pm Booking: tinyurl.com/cleanairconversation More info: cleanairforbristol.org

more. Cost: £3 per child, suitable for 4 years+. No need to book.

There will also be a Halloween picture trail on all week – free worksheets from reception.

Wild Outdoors Club on Thursday November 1 encourages your kids to leave their computers behind and experience gaming themes outdoors, around the farm. 10am-12 noon, £10 per child, suitable for 6 to 9-year-olds.

Half term Halloween

Play with your food

THE FARM is holding a halfterm Halloween Quest on Wednesday October 31, from 1-4pm. Dare you enter the spooky barn and collect tokens to complete Halloween-themed games? There will be apple bobbing, potion making and

FARM Flavours, the hands-on experience where under-5s get to pick, prepare, play with and eat farm grown food, continues on October 4, 11, 18 and 25. It’s £2, booking essential – contact Nicky Orr on 0117 947 1180 or email pgo@windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk

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I

October 2018

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Better walking AM A member of the Bristol Walking Alliance, and attended a meeting recently Charlie on the subject of Bolton crossings – be they Green pelican, toucan, Southville zebra or whatever.

There were two things which came out of this for me.

First, zebra crossings – the ones without lights – are there for pedestrians. Traffic stops if pedestrians go on the crossing.

The crossings with lights, however – well, if you are a pedestrian you have to wait for the lights to change. They are there to control pedestrians. It had actually never occurred to me before, but it is quite obvious.

So – if you want to change priority on roads more in favour of pedestrians, maybe you should take some of the lights away from the crossings.

Second, the current administration has a stated

Southville

policy of reducing levels of congestion. But if you do this, you just make roads more attractive for motorists, and end up with more of them. Which in turn means you retain the levels of congestion.

Traffic management is therefore, arguably, a selfdefeating concept.

So, as a Green, I have always thought we should try to shift the balance of transport towards sustainable modes – walking and cycling in particular. This can mean all sorts of things – filtered permeability for example (look it up, if interested). Whole cycling routes, certainly. Things like Playing Out and street parties are fantastic.

But it also makes me wonder what we can do to make walking more attractive. The basic thing is “to have something to walk to”, of course – which is why having a thriving local high street is central. But things like shifting the balance of crossings to be more pedestrian-friendly may also be part of the solution.

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REXIT approaches like a tsunami, travelling slowly but inexorably Stephen towards us. Labour Clarke keeps sitting on Green the fence; what Southville is their policy?

Who knows? My view is that we should have a chance to consider the actual deal offered before taking such a momentous step; in other words we should have a second referendum.

Plastics and shopping I had some really interesting conversations at Asda last weekend where I supported residents bringing attention to the unnecessary over-use of plastic by supermarkets. It’s very interesting when you actually strip the plastic off and see how much there is from an average shopping basket. I think the council could take a real lead on this by banning single-use plastics, where alternatives can

be found, in events and buildings that they control. Many of us saw on the BBC’s Blue Planet what a devastating effect plastics are having on our oceans (and indeed our own bodies) and want something done on this issue.

The arena Well; we finally got a decision but in my view having an arena at Filton is not going to help South Bristol economic or cultural life at all. Very poor decision making I would say. I know we might be getting an arena at Ashton Gate but that is a much smaller building. A friend living in Withywood said to me that it is going to be quicker and easier for him to get to the arena in Cardiff rather than Filton (and that’s if we ever get one).

Thanks for reading and please drop me an email with anything I might be able to help you with around council-related issues. I have recently helped with issues such as planning, parking, fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour and the possibility of a new community garden.

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If you’re looking for help with any of the services here, we’re the people to talk to.

October 2018

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n YOUR COUNCILLORS

N

Ashton Gate EWS from Ashton Gate about a proposed new £100m development Mark has been the talk Bradshaw of Bedminster.

Labour Clearly, any Bedminster proposals must follow the proper planning process and many people will be looking at the emerging details, including on transport and housing.

The suggested travel hub, extra sporting facilities and new homes alongside the current stadium (and some homes in Ashton Vale too) will be of great interest to local residents.

Ashton Vale homes Also in the news recently has been the cabinet’s formal green light for over 100 new homes in Ashton Vale. A large proportion will be council homes affordable for local people (who will have some priority over the tenancies on offer). A new council-owned

housing company will help deliver the many new homes needed in our city – this will make prioritising affordable homes a more achievable goal.

The arena I’ve backed an arena at Temple Meads and still hold out hope for a viable site somewhere in the centre. My view remains that a Filton site will do little for jobs, skills and access to facilities for people across South Bristol.

Transport Do try the recently-launched M2 Metrobus route. Hopefully some new bus services can be agreed for the South Bristol Link after Karin Smyth MP and councillors worked together to campaign for this to happen.

There is consultation on a Bristol Transport Strategy – have your say (see page 10). My initial thoughts are to welcome this exercise, but to caution against proposals which are not part of a shared vision with neighbouring councils. This could (and should) initiate the Greater Bristol transport authority we need.

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facilities in parks within one mile radius of the old Megabowl site.

Less good news is that there is a considerable back log of projects to be delivered in both parks and highways, so the project will not start in the next few months.

We are disappointed that the decision was made not to build the arena on Temple Island, but ultimately this was on the basis of not wishing to take the risk of borrowing £150 million. We hope that any new ideas about the Temple Island site are progressed quickly and prove successful.

We are always happy to hear your suggestions about how we can make our community better and ask that you also contact Action Greater Bedminster, or participate in their Community Conversations. We regularly join coffee mornings and sessions at Gaywood House and hold a drop-in surgery (no appointment needed) in Mezzaluna on West Street on the first Saturday of every month, 10.30-11.30am, or contact us on Facebook: @MarkandCeliaforBedminster.

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I am chair of Area 5, which includes Greater Bedminster, Windmill Hill, Knowle and Brislington. Each area will decide their local priorities and make an initial funding application. The good news is that funding to support the replacement of the swings in Greville Smythe park has been agreed, to match that raised locally. The remainder will be applied to children’s play

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n PROFILE

October 2018

October 2018

southbristolvoice

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SARAH JADE: HOMELESSNESS CAMPAIGNER

I want to create a café where buying yourself a good lunch will also help someone in need Beccy Golding meets Sarah Jade, a single mum with a mission to do something for Bristol’s rising homeless population

“

IT’S AN idea I’ve had for a while.” Sarah says, “I became a single mum of two nearly four years ago. I had to use a foodbank for two months. The issue of food poverty clicked.

This was Windmill Hill, quite an affluent area – and there was still lots of need – regular people were using it. And my rent went up twice in two years. It was a scary place to be, and I couldn’t get help.”

Around the same time, Sarah got involved in helping refugees, with a small organisation called Calais Refugee Solidarity Bristol, “In two weeks we raised £20,000 and 40 tons of food, and took it to France. Most people were supportive but some said we should help the homeless here.”

Buoyed by her success, she thought “Right, I can do something, and I will.”

Sarah set up Coats & Jackets Bristol. “It was me and two friends, a van and some clothes rails.” They collected donated clothes and left them on the racks in public places, for anyone who needed them. The racks and clothes were destroyed – but Sarah was undeterred.

The idea for the Humanitea Café was born. “Anyone can use

the café in the day. You buy a meal and you get a token, which you give to anyone you think could need it” – this could be to a homeless person on the street, someone couch surfing, a young person on benefits, anyone who is struggling. “They can use their token anytime between 4 and 7pm, when there will be a choice of nice, filling, homely food.”

The café will “incorporate a food bank, clothing, and social groups to fight against social isolation and food poverty.

Coming to the café is an invitation to everything else we’re doing – choir, drawing, art, a movie, books, nice things to do – haircuts, a shower and laundry service. All free.”

Sarah has the whole thing ready to go. They’ll serve good quality vegan and vegetarian food – the menu is all planned – a “seasonal, local menu - vegan macaroni cheese, sausages and colcannon, kids picnic items and small plates,” to eat in or take away. And a special wonky veg soup, proceeds of which will go into a kitty for one-off needs. The café will be about “bringing people together. You can help just by having lunch. Even if you don’t have time or loads of money – you’ve fed someone else. And it’s giving people aid with dignity, which is important.

“I’m desperate to get it open. I did a Prince’s Trust course in

Help make Humanitea a reality ALL DONATIONS gratefully received. If you’d like to host a benefit event or have a fundraising idea, email thehumaniteacafe@ gmail.com

Sarah Jade: Talking to possible funders of Humanitea, a self-help café 2017, worked up a business plan and market research – I’m confident it is needed.” The café will be a CIC – community interest company. “I have a sustainable business plan.

Suppliers are lined up. I’ll be employing people, creating work experience opportunities. I need capital funding of £120,000 – I can’t find premises until then.”

So far a crowdfunding campaign has raised £2,500 but Sarah is talking to possible grant providers and is also working with Julie Dempster, a homeless outreach worker, and Fareshare, the charity which saves food from going to waste.

“Jasper Thompson [who runs Help Bristol’s Homeless, making homes out of shipping containers in Bedminster] got in touch. His idea is amazing, the containers are making a difference to the people living in them – it’s a nice community. He’s proof that ideas can become reality.”

How did Sarah get to where she is? “I grew up in Surrey, with a single mum. It was an affluent area, there were lots of celebrities, I had friends in big houses. I didn’t feel how poor we were.

“I used to do ski seasons in the French Alps. I met some • Facebook: search Humanitea Café • Twitter: @humaniteaccafe • Instagram: @thehumaniteacafe fundsurfer.com/crowdfund/ the-humanitea-cafe Down the line Sarah will be calling out for volunteers – keep an eye out on social media.

Bristol people who suggested I come here, plus my brother was in Bristol. In 2010 I moved in to a flat above the Old Duke (the jazz pub in King Street). My entire friendship group stemmed from there.

“I was working at the Old Duke and me and some barmaids started singing – we got booked for a gig – it exploded! We were called the Beau Ties. Then I sang with [Bristol legends] Doreen Doreen for three years.

“I moved to South Bristol when I was pregnant – Beau is six in January, and Stevie is four.

It was when I became a single mum that things changed – it’s not just about you any more.

Something just clicked. I have to do something – make it my living and my life’s work.

“It’s emotionally draining. I’m battling with guilt – time for the kids and time for this. But they’ll be able to help. It’s opening up their understanding – they have far more compassion than me!

They’ve decided Beau will be the fun manager of the café, and Stevie will be karaoke manager!”

Sarah’s been in Windmill Hill for four years. What’s the best thing about living in South Bristol? “It’s super friendly.

You’re never far from bumping into somebody. And I love the Windmill pub. There’s a huge community of people wanting to help each other.

“I struggled in the early days (as a single mum), with anxiety and depression. Having strangers that have got your back – that’s an uplifting thing.”

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This month: US states and capitals

The numbers point you to the letters on a phone keypad

Across 1 6234766 (7) 3 638232 (6) 4 673466 (6) 7 4692 (4) 8 43246 (5)

Down 1 64776874 (8) 2 336837 (6) 5 6446 (4) 6 8824 (4)

1

WHERE’S MY FISHY FRIEND? Each fish has to find his or her way home to their mate – but how?

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

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

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n HISTORY The colonel who wanted to save his men from slaughter in the trenches – then became one of the first fascists

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A WAR HERO ... AND A FASCIST

Daniel Burges VC is an enigma – son of a Bristol dynasty who could have had a cosy life but chose danger in the army, and risked his career in order to spare his men from pointless slaughter

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Alto sax, Anvil, Bassoon, Bell harp, Bin, Buccina, Bugle, Celesta, Cello, Chang, Chanter, Cheng, Chimes, Clarsach, Cornet, Cowbell, Crescent, Crwth, Cymbals, Drum, Dulcimer, Dulcitone, Electric guitar, Electric piano, Fife, Flute, Gong, Lyre, Marina, Moog, Oboe, Organ, Pianoforte, Pibroch, Pipe, Quail, Rattle, Rebec, Regal, Shawm, Tabor, Tamboura, Tenor sax, Timpani, Traps, Triangle, Tromba, Trumpet, Tuba, Vina, Viol, Yamaha, Zither

n TAKE A BREAK

T B B T U B A A S H A W M T G V A F Y

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IEUTENANT Colonel Daniel Burges, who’s buried in in Arnos Vale cemetery, is, to modern eyes, a contradiction.

On one hand, Burges was a hero who led his men without thought of his own safety and, as a consequence, won the highest of British military honours, the Victoria Cross – and got his leg shot off for his trouble.

He was honoured almost exactly 100 years ago, in the closing months of World War I. But it wasn’t in the well-known slaughter of the trenches on the Western Front: it happened in the Balkans, a theatre of the first war which few are aware of now.

But a single act of heroism does not define anyone. There are two other things we know about Lt Col Burges that might sway our judgement on him one way or the other. The first is that he’s believed to have stood up for his men, on the eve of the Battle of the Somme, and refused to send any more of them “over the top”.

The second: he was a fascist – a prominent member, from its foundation, of the first fascist group set up in the UK. What are we to make of such a contradictory figure? Or would

Lt Col Burges not have seen any contradiction at all, but believed of himself that he followed one set of values throughout his life, and tried always to do his duty?

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ANIEL Burges was born in London on July 1, 1873, but he was part of a Bristol dynasty. His father was Bristol’s town clerk and remarkably his grandfather and great-grandfather had filled the same position before him, since the mid-18th century.

The official family home was the Council House in Corn Street, though Daniel grew up in Clifton and in Brislington.

The senior Burgeses were traditionally lawyers but Daniel’s father had helped to found the City of Bristol Volunteer Rifle Corps. He served as quartermaster to the unit until, as the Western Daily Press delicately put it, “meeting with an accident in which he was precipitated from his horse while out with the corps, he felt it necessary to retire”.

Why the young Daniel chose the military as a career is not clear. Perhaps studying law bored him. After leaving school at Winchester College he went to the Royal Military Academy in Camberley, Surrey, and passed

The homecoming hero: Lt Col Daniel Burges, his leg shot off in the action in which he won his Victoria Cross, pictured with his wife Katherine when he was awarded the medal in December 1918 out as a second lieutenant, aged 20, in October 1893.

He joined the Gloucestershire Regiment a year later, and in July 1897 won promotion to lieutenant. Two years later he volunteered to serve in South Africa, on the outbreak of the Boer War, and found a posting with the Dorsetshire Regiment.

The Boer War is deeply unfashionable nowadays. It was the product of a desire to bring all of South Africa under British rule – its most famous proponent, Cecil Rhodes, wanted the whole of Africa to be part of the Empire.

This brought conflict not just with indigenous African people but with the Dutch, German and French settlers who were the first Europeans to colonise the Cape.

When gold was discovered near the Boer capital at Pretoria, the temptation for the British became too much. Its plans to annexe the Boer territories of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State provoked the Boer leaders into buying large quantities of

modern rifles and artillery.

Many Britons genuinely believed that only British rule could bring Africa to its full potential under a more humane regime than any other colonial power. It was true, for example, that Belgian rule in the Congo had led to massacres and horrific exploitation. And the Boers resisted British control partly because they had never agreed with the end of slavery.

The poet Rudyard Kipling called this view of colonialism “the white man’s burden”.

Take up the White Man’s burden Send forth the best ye breed — Go bind your sons to exile To serve your captives’ need; To wait in heavy harness, On fluttered folk and wild — Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child.

Nothing could be clearer – to those who agreed with Kipling, Continued overleaf

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October 2018

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n HISTORY Continued from page 37 these “new-caught, sullen peoples” would benefit from a dose of white man’s rule, even if, “half-devil and half-child”, they didn’t appreciate it.

Was this the view of Lt Daniel Burges, as he rode with the British forces across the South African veldt, as commander of the Mounted Signallers Company?

At first the British forces were outmanoeuvred by the Boers, even though most of them were farmers and only part-time soldiers.

The Boers besieged several British strongpoints, making heroes of the defenders in the London press. But eventually the much larger British forces retook the siege towns one after another. Burges was part of the force that relieved Kimberley, a diamond town cut off for 124 days, on February 15, 1900.

Thousands of British lives had been lost in the process and the British Army had been made to look incompetent and outclassed by a bunch of amateur soldiers.

Even after the whole of South Africa was conquered, the Boers continued a guerrilla war, attacking British convoys. The response was a “scorched earth” policy: farms were burned to deny them to the insurgents.

Infamously, this was when the British invented concentration camps, to inter Boer civilians, women and children included.

They weren’t set up, as the later Nazi concentration camps were, with the intention of killing people. Yet an estimated 26,000 white women and children died in them from disease and starvation. There were separate camps for black farm workers – the number of casualties in these is not even known but could be higher. General Kitchener, in charge of the army, either did not know or did not care that depopulating entire areas meant the camps were overcrowded, and there was too little food.

Was this the price of opposing the White Man’s Burden? Such cruelty, though publicised to some extent in the UK, did not

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A WAR HERO ... AND A FASCIST

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Burges was awarded both the Queen’s South Africa Medal and the King’s South Africa Medal, though both these were awarded for service, not for bravery. In 1903, a year after the war ended, he was made a captain.

In 1905 he married Katherine Blanche, the daughter of another army captain. In 1908 he transferred to the Punjab Volunteer Rifles in India, where he remained until 1913.

He later became a staff officer with the 1st Glosters and by the time the Great War broke out in 1914 he was commanding the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Glosters, based at Horfield barracks in Bristol.

Burges served with the 2nd (Service) Battalion of the Glosters until the Second Battle of Ypres, in April and May 1915. Here he was wounded on May 9 as his company fought off a German attack on Sanctuary Wood. He was mentioned in despatches – usually a reward for bravery.

It’s not clear how he was hurt, but this was the first time the Germans used gas in a major attack on the Western Front.

The Allied troops had never seen gas before, and were first confused, then terrified, as their eyes began to stream and they began to choke. Captain Alfred

MAYOR LEADS TRIBUTE BRISTOL’S Lord Mayor, Cleo Lake, led a ceremony to install a commemorative stone to Lt Col Burges in Castle Park on September 18.

Present was Jill Leyland, Lt Col Burges’s great niece, who said: “I would like to thank the City of Bristol on behalf of my family for acknowledging Dan’s courage. He was enormously proud of his

Pollard, who won a Victoria Cross in the battle, wrote: “The light north-easterly breeze wafted it toward them, and in a moment death had them by the throat. One cannot blame them that they broke and fled. In the gathering dark of that awful night they fought with the terror, running blindly in the gas-cloud, and dropping with breasts heaving in agony and the slow poison of suffocation mantling their dark faces.”

The waves of gas opened up huge gaps in the line protecting the Belgian town of Ypres, and it took great bravery to fight back and hold the front.

Was Captain Burges one of the courageous officers who urged his men to hold fast and wait for the gas to pass?

Did he tell them to try the only protection available – to use their urine, soaked into cotton pads, as a home-made gas mask?

(Proper respirators were not to arrive until July 1915.)

All we know is that it took the young officer several months to recover from his injuries. In November 1915 he was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel and given his own battalion – not with the Glosters but with the 10th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. These were known as the Hull Commercials – like some of the Bristol battalions, a locally-recruited unit with a fierce loyalty to their city. Burges was to show a loyalty to them – at some cost to his career.

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hat happened to the Hull Commercials in the summer of 1916 is still not certain, more than 100 years later.

What is clear is that they were in the front line near Doullens, Picardie, as preparations mounted for the battle of the Somme. A huge artillery bombardment was supposed to Bristol roots and I am sure he would feel truly honoured to know that he was commemorated in this way by his home city.”

Stones have also been laid in the city to three other First War VC winners from Bristol on the centenary of their action.

A stone to Totterdown resident Sgt Harry Wood, who won the VC in October 1918 and featured in the Voice in November 2015, was laid at his birthplace in Yorkshire.

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October 2018

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n HISTORY crush the German front line and break the deadlock of the trenches, allowing the Allied troops to more or less walk in and take over.

The problem was that the Germans were well protected, they could tell what was planned, and they were firing back.

The Hull Commercials were due to be in support when the 31st Division went over the top on July 1. But in the last week of June they were already taking heavy casualties from German artillery counter-fire. In a few days before the battle, they suffered about 100 killed and wounded – more than one in 10 of their number.

Lt Col Burges was clearly devastated to see such carnage, but of course in the army everyone obeys orders. When an officer – unnamed by history but said to be the son of a wellknown politician – was killed in No Man’s Land near Serre, Burges agreed to send out men to recover his body.

However, after two attempts to bring back the corpse resulted in more casualties, Burges had had enough. He refused to send out any more men.

This was close to treason and could not be tolerated. If an enlisted man had refused an order, he would have been court-martialled and might have been shot. But for a senior officer, another solution was found.

Burges’s refusal was dealt with swiftly, according to a single source – a book called The First Day on the Somme by Martin Middlebrook, published in 1971.

Nearly all the published works which mention Burges ignore the incident in No Man’s Land. It’s not recorded in any of the newspaper obituaries after he died, nor in most of the publications about men who won the Victoria Cross.

Even Middlebrook feels unable to name “the well-known politician” whose son had been killed and who exerted pressure to get his body brought home.

Nevertheless, Burges had made his stand, and paid the price. He was removed from the line the same day, June 30. This was the day before the “big push” of July 1, which killed almost 20,000 British soldiers and injured almost 60,000 more.

Indeed, the move might have saved his life. He was posted to Aldershot as an instructor in the

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A WAR HERO ... AND A FASCIST

Well dug in: Bulgarian lines around Doiran, above, were deeply entrenched. From the German state archive Senior Officers’ School. It was to save his face – but he was in disgrace. His temporary rank was removed, and he served as major.

Sometimes instructors’ posts were given to those who couldn’t cope with the front line. That can’t have been the case with Burges, because little more than a year later he was back in the trenches – albeit on quite a different front line.

On September 17, 1917, he was sent to command the 7th Battalion of the South Wales Borderers on the Doiran Front in Macedonia, facing the Bulgarian army. He was once again a temporary lieutenant colonel.

The Balkans conflict was punctuated with bloodshed but was to remain a tense impasse for a further year. But by September 1918, an explosion was inevitable. Germany was facing defeat in France, and both Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire (today’s Turkey) were exhausted.

The Bulgarian forces were 300 battalions strong, roughly the same as the combined Allies, and they had everything to fight for. They knew the Greeks and Serbs wanted not only revenge but to conquer their territory.

The Bulgarian government could foresee eventual defeat and secretly asked the British for peace if they could be allowed to

keep eastern Macedonia. But Greece would not stand for that, and the plea was rebuffed.

The major Allied attack began on September 15, 1918. As on the Western Front, an artillery barrage came first, intended to destroy the Bulgarian defences.

But the Bulgarians were well dug in, with concrete and barbed wire 100 yards thick defending their mountain-top positions.

Burges showed his skill as a leader from the start. He reconnoitred the terrain at night, enabling the 7th Battalion to creep through the scrub of the Jumeaux ravine, shielded by artillery smoke and morning mist. They captured two hills just short of their main objective, Grand Couronne.

It was a major achievement as the battalion was under strength from the effects of malaria and deadly Spanish flu.

But their compatriots, the 11th Welsh and 11th Royal Welch Fusiliers, together with the 3rd Greek Regiment, had been caught in the open. The 11th Welsh suffered huge casualties.

The Borderers were within 250 yards of the summit but they couldn’t carry the attack on their own. Then the haze lifted and machine guns opened up on them from three sides.

In a Welsh soldier’s account published 20 years later, and

quoted by the military novelist Clive Aslet: “No feat of arms can ever surpass the glorious bravery of those Welshmen. There was lingering gas in the Jumeaux ravine (probably ours!) and some of the men had to fight in respirators.

“Imagine, if you can, what it means to fight up a hillside under a deadly fire, wearing a hot mask over your face, dimly staring through a pair of clouded goggles, and sucking the end of a rubber nozzle in your mouth. At the same time heat is pouring down on you from a brazen sky. In this plight you are called on to endure the blast of machine-gun fire, the pointed steel or bursting shell of the enemy. Nor are you called on to endure alone; you must vigorously fire back, and vigorously assail with your own bayonet. It is as much like hell as anything you can think of.”

In these conditions, a retreat can become a rout. Several of the company commanders were injured and Burges was hit. But he kept moving, exposing himself to fire as he urged his men on and kept them in formation. He was leading a resumed attack on the Bulgarian position when finally he was hit again, twice more, and fell unconscious.He Continued overleaf

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n HISTORY Continued from page 39 was captured, briefly, by the Bulgarians, but in the melée was abandoned in a dugout.

Burges was rescued, probably in the nick of time. His left leg was shattered and had to be amputated. He took several months to recover.

The bravery of the Welsh troops was not in vain. The battle was lost, with around 7,000 British and Greek dead. But their efforts forced the Bulgarians to keep reinforcements in the area.

This allowed the French to break the line nearby. Within two weeks the Bulgarian army had surrendered.

It was a significant event for the entire war – the Macedonian front collapsed, and the Germans asked for peace talks.

The Victoria Cross – the UK’s highest award for military bravery – was presented to Lt Col Burges on December 21, 1918, six weeks after the Armistice which ended the war. In appreciation of the Welsh unit’s bravery, the French awarded them their highest honour, the Croix de Guerre. Burges was also personally given the award.

Whatever disgrace he may have suffered at the Somme was forgotten. His rank, which had been temporary since 1915, was made permanent on January 1, 1919. He left hospital in February, and was invited to a garden party for VC winners at Buckingham Palace in June 1920.

Despite his lack of a leg, he was given several more postings – as Inspector of QuartermasterGeneral’s services, then the command of a military detention barracks at Cologne, and later at a similar barracks in Colchester.

In 1923, he became governor of the Tower of London, and was given a home in the tower itself.

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t Col Burges lived the rest of his life as a respectable ex-military man. He spent 10 years as governor at the Tower of London. His wife Katherine died in 1931 and the next year he remarried. The newspapers referred to the event as a “quiet wedding” in St James’s, Piccadilly, to Florence Wray Taylor. She already had a son; Burges was childless and this stepson became his only child.

The couple moved to Bristol, making their home at Hyde Lodge on the Downs at Westbury Park, although at some stage they

A WAR HERO ... AND A FASCIST

A FANATIC FRINGE Fascism failed to catch on in Britain HE BRITISH Fascisti claimed it had 100,000 members by 1924. In 1932, when the most famous British Fascist, Oswald Mosley, was about to form his own party, it said membership was almost one million.

But historians are pretty sure that these figures are a huge exaggeration. Two, Robert Benewick and Hilary Blume, believe that the Fascisti’s signed-up members were never more than a few thousand in the mid-1920s. By 1934, they probably had only a few hundred members;

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seem to have lived in Clevedon.

In 1933 he became president of the Society of Bristolians, and in 1936 was master of the Merchant Venturers.

On the outbreak of World War II he was assistant army recruiting officer in Bristol. From 1943-45 he was county director of the Gloucestershire Red Cross.

When he died suddenly on October 24, 1946, at the age of 73, he was given a memorial service at Bristol Cathedral. But there was little fuss: the family requested no flowers, his body was cremated, and there was no memorial at Arnos Vale. That is, until 2006, when a plaque was unveiled by local historian Les Turner, who had raised the funds, and Richard Smith of the Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust.

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owadays “fascist” is a description that is only accepted by a small number of far-right zealots. In 1923, while still a far-flung fringe of politics, fascism was not seen to be as extreme as it is today.

Lt Col Burges was an early member of the British Fascisti, founded in 1923 and inspired by the first fascist to lead a nation, Italy’s Mussolini.

Burges was one of two lieutenant colonels to join the Fascisti, along with other senior military figures – five generals, two admirals and a rear admiral.

Supporters included aristocrats and four Conservative MPs. What was the appeal of Mussolini to so many leaders of the British establishment? Was it the cliché that he had made Italian trains run on time?

In part, yes. Mussolini had campaigned for Italy to enter

Mussolini: Inspired British fascists Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) was more successful, but had gathered no more than about 40,000 members in 1934. Mosley’s World War I to defend Italy and its peoples, who he saw as superior to their Slav neighbours and others. He promoted a strong, one-party state, believing democracy – particularly socialism – too weak to protect the national interest.

This appealed to the British ruling class because they had seen what happened when socialists got the upper hand – to their eyes, chaos. Russia in 1917 had descended into an aggressive anti-capitalist regime, which was funding revolutionaries abroad.

Germany too had its own revolution which overthrew the Kaiser in 1918. Many thought a revolution could happen in Britain, leading to anarchy.

The threat seemed most real during the General Strike of 1926, when the trade unions tried to paralyse the country.

This was well before the Nazi policy of attacking and then exterminating Jews and other “inferior” peoples. This racism was of a more subtle kind.

Barbara Storm Farr, a historian of British fascism, suggested that military men like Burges “mistakenly interpreted their experiences of front-line cameraderie as an esprit de corps which fortified class barriers.”

Military officers in the Fascisti tended to have a paternalistic, ex-colonial military background.

It’s not clear how long Burges remained a member of the fascisti. It clearly did his career no harm, because he remained governor of the Tower of London.

During the General Strike it became clear that socialism was a long way from breaking apart British society, and after the strike ended the enthusiasm for

Blackshirts marched on Cable Street in the East End of London in 1936, it is true, but they numbered a few thousand, and were greatly outnumbered by the tens of thousands who marched against them.

The Daily Mail (and for a while the Daily Mirror) wrote approvingly about the Blackshirts, but after a BUF rally in London turned violent the party lost even more support.

Oswald Mosley and other fascists were imprisoned during World War II. When he was released from jail in 1943, more than a million people signed a petition of protest. Fascism, it seems, is not to British people’s taste. drastic solutions such as fascism waned.

The fascisti were seen by some as ultra-conservative rather than fascist – one supporter, Arnold Leese, called it “merely Conservatism with knobs on”.

Extreme right-wing views in any case attracted relatively little support in Britain despite the publicity attracted (see panel).

Just as today, the most extreme figures in right-wing politics were often seen as violent bully boys – an image which may not have been attractive to a respectable ex-officer like Burges.

In the end, without knowing Burges’s own views, all we can do is speculate about his reasons for joining a fascist party. It’s perhaps no excuse to say that, in his day, it was far more common to view one race as superior to another, and to think that the most “advanced” societies had a duty to those less fortunate.

What was his real aim?

Probably to help prevent Britain falling to a Bolshevik revolution.

The Fascisti had not only senior ex-soldiers but the former head of MI5 in its ranks, and they may have thought that, if an uprising threatened, they could rally support against the socialists.

Not a democratic solution, to be sure. But it doesn’t make Lt Col Burges a Nazi sympathiser.

Sources: The First Day on the Somme Martin Middlebrook, 1971 The First World War Hew Strachan, Simon & Shuster, 2003 vconline.org.uk/daniel-burges-vc NEXT MONTH: The extraordinary stories of South Bristol’s WWI conscientious objectors

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October 2018

n PLANNING APPLICATIONS Bedminster ward: Awaiting decision Glenthorpe, Parklands Road BS3 2JW Remove large Leylandii, large laurel and cypress.

Ashton Vale Club For Young People, Silbury Road BS3 2QE Certificate of appropriate alternative development – residential development.

169-171 West Street Bedminster BS3 3PX Two storey rear extension to accommodate 2-bed maisonette.

Flat 2, 47 Bedminster Down Road BS13 7AB Conversion to form additional dwelling with single storey extensions.

12 Clifton Street, Bedminster BS3 3LP Single storey side and rear extension and replacement of lean-to roof above rear annexe.

42 Silbury Road BS3 2QF Two storey side extension and single storey rear and front extensions. Single storey out building for kennels.

6 Derry Road BS3 3JB Replacement of rear roof extension with one that is wider, with two Juliet balconies.

The Bowers, Courtlands Lane BS3 2JS Detached two bedroom dwelling, with garden, vehicular access and parking.

30 Hebron Road BS3 3AD Rear roof extension and rooflights to front elevation.

Bedminster ward: Decided 42 Silbury Road BS3 2QF Two storey side extension, single storey and two storey rear extensions and outbuilding for kennels. Granted subject to conditions 157 North Street, Bedminster BS3 1EZ Change of use from barber’s shop to two 1-bedroom flats. Withdrawn

10 Tregarth Road BS3 2QS Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear of the house by 4m, of maximum height 4m with eaves of 2.6m. Granted 131 Luckwell Road BS3 3ET Single storey rear extension to

southbristolvoice

41 Bedminster, Southville and Ashton

extend beyond the rear of the house by 5.99m, of maximum height 3.15m with eaves of 2.52m. Refused

1 Osborne Road, Southville BS3 1PR Use of garage as home office. Garage door changed to white uPVC door and window.

20 Ruby Street BS3 3DY Single storey rear extension.

Granted subject to conditions. Non-material amendment to 17/05845/H: replacement of lean-to tiled roof with flat roof. Not agreed

1-3 Ashton Road (The Old Brewery) BS3 2EA Partial demolition of buildings to provide mixed-use development comprising 94 residential units, offices and flexible commercial space (Use classes C3, B1, B1/ A1/A3/A4/C1) with car parking.

(Major application)

The Woodlands, Parklands Road BS3 2JW Extension of lean-to, internal alterations, replacement of uPVC windows with aluminium windows.

Granted 79 Duckmoor Road BS3 2DH Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear by 3.88 metres, of maximum height 3 metres with eaves of 2.8 metres high. Refused The Old Tabernacle, Palmyra Road BS3 3JQ Change of use from offices (Use class B1a) to residential – eight flats (Use class C3). Granted

Southville ward: Decided 4 Stackpool Road BS3 1NQ Single storey side extension, repairs and conversion into two 2-bed flats. Granted subject to conditions St Catherine’s House, Dalby Avenue BS3 4HH Demolition of remaining part of commercial building at St Catherine’s Place.

Granted 21-25 Nelson Parade BS3 4HY Demolition of rear lean-to extensions. Withdrawn

172 Raleigh Road BS3 2AR Change of use from retail to residential. Granted 42 Alpha Road BS3 1DH Basement garage, rebuilding and repair of boundary walls.

Withdrawn 79 East Street, Bedminster BS3 4EX Conversion of second floor from one 2-bed flat to two 1-bed flats. Granted subject to conditions

217 North Street, Bedminster BS3 1JL Change of use from retail to chiropractic centre; rear dormer window, first floor side extension and rear door.

Granted subj. to conditions Land on south side of Herbert Street, Bedminster Nine one and two bedroom single level and duplex apartments in nine storey block. Refused • The status of these applications may have changed since we went to press. Check for updates at planningonline.bristol.gov.uk

Lynwood House, Lynwood Road BS3 3HH Demolition of building and erection of five one and two bedroom flats. Granted subject to conditions Units 3-4 Charnwood House, Marsh Road BS3 2NA Change of use from offices (Use class B1a) to residential (Use class C3) – eight flats. Refused Gaywood House, North Street, Bedminster BS3 3BA Partial demolition of garages to be replaced with external parking, replacement of doors and windows of main building, over clad with EWI insulation and brickslips to match existing facade, replacement of balcony screen and roof edge protection. Granted subject to conditions Southville ward: Awaiting decision 89 East Street Bedminster BS3 4EX Change of use from retail to shops and two flats.

15-21 Bartley Street BS3 4DY Demolition of warehouse and construction of block of six flats (sui generis student use).

26 Ashton Road, BS3 2EG Two apartments.

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October 2018

n WHAT’S ON Wednesday October 3Tuesday October 30 Gabrielle Ruffle exhibition Tobacco Factory bar, North Street, Southville. Bristol-based artist Gabrielle Ruffle makes dreamlike landscape paintings, using oils on canvas and chalk drawings, based on snapshots of places she has visited such as London, New York, Manchester and Hong Kong as well as her home towns of Merseyside and Bristol. tobaccofactory.com/whats-on Thursday October 4 n The Singular Exploits of Sherlock Holmes Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road. Actor Jonathan Goodwin makes an affectionate one-man homage to the world’s greatest detective that includes quick costume changes, humour and audience participation. Presented by Don’t Go Into The Cellar! theatre company. 7.30-9pm, £10. Bar open: 6.30pm arnosvale.org.uk/events n Rose McDowall & Band + New Haunts + Dead Space Chamber Music The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Ex-Strawberry Switchblade Rose MacDowall finds a darker tone but retains her angelic vocals. New Haunts is a vocal/electronic solo project from Bristol while Dead Space Chamber Music are a local trio Gothic with ambient music.

7.30pm, £8.50. thethunderbolt.net Friday October 5 n Fun Quiz St Paul’s Church, Coronation Road, 7.30pm.

Teams of 4, £5 per person including light supper.

Saturday October 6 n Coffee Morning Bedminster Methodist Church, British Road.

Stalls include cakes, books and bric-a-brac. Tea and coffee, 10.30am to 12 noon.

n Kimchi & Sauerkraut Workshop Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster.

Learn the science and health benefits of fermentation with Dr Caroline Gilmartin. Cost: £55 plus booking fee. Includes lunch.

10.30am-3.30pm. windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk n Flossie Malavialle Saltcellar Folk Club, Totterdown Baptist Church, Cemetery Road. Flossie Malavialle is a French-born singer with an eclectic repertoire.

Sadly December will see an end to the Saltcellar folk club if no new volunteers can be found.

Tickets £5, or £3 for floor singers, 7.30pm. Refreshments, BYO alcohol. saltcellarfolk.org.uk n Stand Up For The Weekend with Phil Jerrod & Co Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio, North Street, Southville. Phil Jerrod began his

October 11-27 n Preview: Beautiful Thing Tobacco Factory Theatre THIS acclaimed play about life on a vast South London housing estate tells how something frightening begins when two bullied teenagers get together.

Beautiful Thing was created by Coronation Street writer Jonathan Harvey. Its 25th anniversary revival, directed by Tobacco Factory artistic director Mike Tweddle, is a sharply-observed trip back to the early 90s. It features pop songs from the 60s

and 90s performed live each night by the the theatre’s new Get Singing community choir, created for this show.

After its South Bristol run, Beautiful Thing will tour to Stoke and Lancaster. Tickets are from £12 (limited availability) with most shows at 7.30pm.

Youth tickets for those aged 14-25 are £5 on Friday October 19, when the theatre’s React team of Young Producers dive into the play’s themes of sexuality, bullying, homophobia and love. tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Heavy weather at the battle of Agincourt n Review: Henry V Tobacco Factory Until October 6 ENRY V is a long play. This production clocks in at two and a half hours – enough to notice how uncomfortable the seats are, and for two audience members to nod off for a moment.

That aside, this is classic theatre in the round, with a stark set – metal cages filled with gravel, moved to represent different scenes. The effect is startling in the betweenbattle scenes, soldiers hunkering down into dark uncomfortable trenches. The play’s most famous speech, “Once more unto the breach ...” is delivered here, Henry rallying his exhausted troops.

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n WHAT’S ON This production marks the return of the Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory (SATF) company, who this year started premiering their shows in Bath. SATF are known for making Shakespeare’s dense text come alive, yet I found some sections rather static – long speeches with the cast transfixed on the speech maker. Eloquent speeches full of meaning, yes, but I sometimes lost my way in the dense talk of matters military and political. It is also relentlessly heavy, with few moments of lightness to complement the dark.

The second half was easier to engage with. More movement and action helped, and the battlefield of Agincourt was well done. The ensemble cast manage a number of roles – changing a coat indicating well the change from one character (and side) to another.

The arrangement of marriage between Catherine and Henry is, stand-up career underneath an Angus Steakhouse in 2012. Since then he has failed a PhD, walked out of a publishing job and won an accolade of “casual brilliance” from the Guardian. Plus guests. £12, 7.45pm. thecomedybox.co.uk Sunday October 7 n Solana Tobacco Factory bar, North Street, Southville.

Polyrhythmic folk-world fusion from Solana, a Spanish folk group from Valencia who have settled in Bristol and are making a mark on the music and festival scene. Free, 8pm. tobaccofactory.com/whats-on Your event could be highlighted like this for just £5. Email sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk Thursday October 11 n Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Fiddlers Club, Willway Street, Bedminster. This nine-piece, Chicago-based brass group features the eight Cohran brothers on horns. The brothers started as a street ensemble before performing and recording with Mos Def, Erykah Badu and Maxwell. £14, 7.30pm. fiddlers.co.uk Friday October 12 n We Are Bristol – film preview Filwood Community Centre, Barnstaple Road.

Performing dogs, dazzling singers, tap-dancing Brownies; spot the Knowle West stars in the first screening of a film

Rallying cry: Ben Hall as Henry V PHOTO: Craig Fuller

more importantly, a marriage between France and England.

From our modern perspective, with messages haltingly translated from French to English and back again, this is an uncomfortable scene. Henry asks his bride: ‘Can you love me?’ but all we hear are Catherine’s cries as she struggles with the situation.

A beautiful moment of harmonic singing towards the end created a grave but lovely atmosphere. Joanne Howarth, as the chorus, narrates and holds the whole thing together elegantly.

Beccy Golding made by Back to Back Theatre in summer 2018. Featuring over 140 people, it is part of We Are Bristol, a new project that brings together residents and international artists. Free, 6.30pm. kwmc.org.uk/events n Knowle From The Air Knowle and Totterdown Local History Society, Redcatch community centre, Redcatch Road, Knowle. After a brief AGM, Mike Hooper and Peter Read will show aerial photos, highlighting Knowle. £1.50 members, £3 nonmembers, 7.30pm. knowleandtotterdownhistory. org.uk n Brazilian Night Zion Bristol, Bishopsworth Road. The sounds of Latin America reach Bedminster Down! Music, smells and tastes of Brazil. Brazilian food and music from Brejeiro.

7pm, adults £6, children £3. zionbristol.co.uk/events Never Too Old To Disco Love to dance, but don’t know where? Feel the disco beat once more and reconnect with the old tunes you know and love at this fun, relaxed class.

Charles Padfield Centre, Victoria Park Baptist Church, Sylvia Avenue, BS3 5DA. Second and fourth Saturday of the month, 10.45-11.45am. £7, no booking!

Find out more from Zoe at: nevertoooldtodisco@gmail.com

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

Saturday October 13 n Autumn Art Exhibition Redcatch Art Club, Redcatch community centre, Redcatch Road. Your chance to buy quality artworks by local artists.

Donation to Children’s Hospice South West. 11am-4pm, free entry, refreshments. n Alfie Moore: Getting Away With Murder Entertaining Local Knowle, Redcatch community centre, Redcatch Road. Ex-homicide detective Alfie Moore is known to listeners of BBC Radio 4 for his gallowshumour series It’s A Fair Cop. His new show is about making the perfect killing – from choosing a weapon to disposing of the body.

Tickets at £15 include curry cooked by acclaimed Knowle chef Sebastien Brochot. Tickets from Broadwalk News or email elknowle@hotmail.co.uk. elknowle.wixsite.com/elknowle Tuesday October 16 n New Singers Evening Victoria Methodist Church, 1A Whiteladies Road, BS8 1NU 7.30-10pm. Join Bristol A Cappella, Bristol’s premier close harmony mixed a cappella chorus, focusing on pop, rock and show tunes through the decades. The choir perform all year long and also compete. bristolacappella.co.uk/visit Wednesday October 17 n Baloji + support Fiddlers Club, Willway Street,Bedminster.

A Colston Hall Presents gig with the charismatic Congo performer. £13.75, 7pm. fiddlers.co.uk Tuesday October 16 & Wednesday 17 n Plastic fantastic? Acta theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster. “‘All we wanted was a new washing machine!”

What happens when you mix a multinational plastics firm, an eccentric inventor, innocent bystanders and dodgy geezers? A new play from The Thursdays, billed as a funfilled family laugh-fest with an ecological message. 7.45pm, £3. acta-bristol.com Thursday October 18 n Every Breath You Take: Community Conversation on local air quality Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. Organised by Action Greater Bedminster in partnership with UWE and Windmill Hill City Farm.

Peak thrills as we relive agony on a mountain n Review: Touching The Void Bristol Old Vic Until October 6 HERE’S been a book, and an excellent film, so it was intriguing to find out how this true story – in which one climber is driven to the extreme of cutting the rope holding his climbing mate – could be portrayed on stage.

The cast of four young actors carry this heavy story, full of pain and emotional hurt, brilliantly – there are moments of jeopardy and horror, of course, but there are also many chuckles, a little light music and even a bit of synchronised dancing. We grow to like and admire them all, for all their quirks and challenges.

So, how do you create a mountain in a theatre, stage terrifying falls and precarious

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Admission free, 7.30pm, pay bar.

Limited to 60 places: book at tinyurl.com/bedsairquality Further info: greaterbedminster.org.uk Saturday October 20 n Bats Ball Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road. The second annual Bats Ball is an evening of Gothic entertainment from 7-11pm. Choice of an after-dark cemetery tour, or a talk by Kate Cherrell on Victorian fashion and etiquette. Followed by gothic disco and bar. Art on sale by local artists, plus Victorian photo studio. Hosted by Dan Flew, bat expert and former grave-digger.

Tickets £20. arnosvale.org.uk/events n The Regz 10th Anniversary Party The Tunnels, Temple Meads. One of Bristol’s favourite bands, the Regz bring their energetic brand of soul, ska and surprises to their own birthday party. (The band has existed for almost 15 years, but their excuse is that the nine current members have been together for 10 years.) £10, 7.30pm. thetunnelsbristol.co.uk Wednesday October 24 n Don McCullin in conversation Martin Parr Foundation, Paintworks, Bath Road. The famous documentary photographer Don McCullin talks Continued overleaf

Fall guys: Edward Hayter and Josh Williams PHOTO: Geraint Lewis clambering? It starts with Joe (Josh Williams) hallucinating his own wake in a pub in Scotland. The tables and chairs become objects to climb, and Joe’s sister Sarah (Fiona Hampton), actually ascends the proscenium arch, right up to the ceiling of the Old Vic, roped and belayed by Simon (Edward Hayter).

Later a massive metal structure, like a flattened dome, with cavities of paper, becomes a structure to climb, at times lying flat, or hanging from wires; slowly, like a glacier, it twists to create changing perspectives, facilitated by a

troupe of faceless stage hands, all in orange hooded parkas.

There are some very clever effects – one moment Joe falls, not from above, but from the front, to the very back of the stage. Another fall is from the roof. A kind of magic trick has us thinking Joe is in a sleeping bag, exhausted, then he turns up at a table, drinking with his friends. We feel Simon’s awful dilemma, and his eventual decision to cut Joe’s rope.

Spoiler alert – Joe isn’t dead (he wrote the book). He’s imagining his wake while lying at the bottom of the crevasse he’s fallen into, his leg smashed to bits. His mind conjures up his big sister to bully and cajole him along as he crawls relentlessly back to basecamp. As Joe tells his story in flashbacks and imaginings, actor Josh Williams has a superb repartee of pain: shrieks, cries, whimpers and exhaustion are all very convincing.

By the time you read this the Old Vic’s swanky new front entrance will be open.

Beccy Golding

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October 2018

n WHAT’S ON Continued from Page 43 to Martin Parr. He discusses his latest photobook The Landscape.

Followed by Q&A and book signing. 7pm, £8, students £6. martinparrfoundation.org Thursday October 25 n The Future for Organic Growing? Avon Organic Group.

A talk on opportunities and challenges with James Campbell, chief executive of Garden Organic. The Station, Silver Street BS1 2AG, 7-9pm. Details from secretaryaog@gmail.com.

Visitors £5, members £2. facebook.com/avonorganic Friday October 26 n Quiz and Supper Night Windmill Hill community centre, Vivian Street. Quiz and supper held the last Friday of every month, 8.30pm until late. whca.org.uk/whats-on n Abandoman (aka Rob Broderick): Pirate Radio Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio, North Street, Southville. New show from Ireland’s finest hip-hop musical comedian transforms the audience’s likes, loathes and daydreams into songs and stories. 7.45pm, £15. thecomedybox.co.uk Saturday October 27 n Farewell to Arms, Bristol Choral Society Bristol Cathedral, College Green. Marking the centenary of the end of the First World War, a programme of moving works by 20th century British composers, including Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem.

Bristol Choral Society and Westminster Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Hilary Campbell, 7.30 pm. Tickets £11 to £28 (under 25s £5 & seniors 10% off).

More details: 0117 203 4040. bristolchoral.co.uk Sunday October 28 n Just 3 Tobacco Factory bar, North Street, Southville. “Pitch perfect, rapturous vocal harmony trio singing soul, Motown and modern pop classics.” Free, 8pm. tobaccofactory.com/whats-on Monday October 29 n Halloween Disco Tots!

Zion Bristol, Bishopsworth Road.

Halloween disco for ages 5 and under. A chance for little ones to dress up in their best costumes and take part in lots of games and musical fun. £3 for all ages from 18 months-5 years. Free for adults and children under 18

A raucous and tender pub tale n Review: Horses, Horses At Bristol Beer Factory Tap Room, October 1 HE BARTON Inn at Barton St David in Somerset is almost exactly an hour from Knowle.

It was a nice, autumnal, windswept drive to get to a cosy country pub for this play that’s also a pub quiz.

Johnny, our host at the fictional Nag’s Head, is also the quiz master. He’s a bit snarky, seems to get drunk rather quickly, and makes pointed remarks about his absent wife – slightly awkward.

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months but please book a ticket for each member of the family.

10.30am-12 noon zionbristol.co.uk Wednesday October 31 n Halloween Quest Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. Half-term fun from 1-4pm. Do you dare enter the spooky barn and collect tokens to complete fun games? Apple bobbing, potion making and more. £3 per child 4 years+. No booking. A Halloween picture trail will be on all week – free worksheet from reception. windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk Thursday November 1Saturday November 3 n All You Need is LSD Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street. World premiere of a play about real-life experience as a drugs guinea pig. Playwright Leo Butler accepted an invitation from former Government drugs tsar Professor David Nutt to take part in the world’s first LSD medical trials since the 1960s.

The result is a comedy with echoes of Monty Python, as well as the story of LSD. For ages 14+; tickets from £12. Post-show talk on November 1 with Prof Nutt. tobaccofactorytheatres.com/ shows Friday November 2 n Phil Nichol: Your Wrong Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio, North Street, Southville. Veteran performer Phil Nichol tours his latest acclaimed show. “A show that makes you laugh and think while you are watching, and then wakes you up in the night to laugh and think again,” said the Scotsman. 7.45pm, £15. thecomedybox.co.uk

October 2018

southbristolvoice

n THE CITY PAGE Then Susan arrives carrying a suitcase. She’s a bit ground down – and talks in rhyming couplets.

We realise that we are at once having fun down the local – the quiz a fundraising rally to save the pub – and witnessing the downward spiral of a marriage.

George Williams is excellent as the disintegrating Johnny – his karaoke with an Elvis wig is the finest tragi-comedy, his shirt buttons unravelling as he does.

Kesty Morrison as Susan has a strong direct gaze, a gentle air and a clear mellow tone when she sings. She’s staying with farmer Ted (Eoin Slattery) who keeps horses, including Susan’s beloved steed.

The atmospheres chop and

change, from down the pub, to the farm with the horses, from bickering to intimate moments to sweet harmonious singing that brings a shiver into the air. There’s even a spot of Morris dancing. And all performed in the middle of the pub – actors squeeze between chairs, climb onto tables, dance and sing and interact with the punters – it’s a job to know who’s who – but we’re all in it together.

It’s raucous, tender and enthralling.

This very entertaining evening is touring pubs in Somerset until October 21. Pub shows are free, including the Beer Factory one on October 1. Venues include Bristol Improv Theatre.

Beccy Golding wassailtheatre.co.uk

Regular events

BS3 Community Events

To advertise your event here from just £5 per month, contact Ruth at sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk n Iyengar Yoga starting Monday October 1. Initially for beginners but will progress to a general level. Qualified teacher, equipment provided. Centre for Whole Health, 12 Victoria Place, Bedminster BS3 3BP. Class held Monday 7.30-8.45pm. Contact: 07984 039737. n Dancefit, fun fitness for over-50s. Monday 11am-12pm at The Park centre, Daventry Road, Knowle and Wednesday 10.3011.30am at United Reform Church, Wick Road, Brislington. Basic steps in line, waltz, Bollywood and more. Details from Cressida: 07808 581739 or 0117 939 1672. clubcubana.com n A unique form of dance exercise using Margaret Morris Movement and inspiring music from around the world.

Dance Studio @ Workout, Baynton Road, Ashton BS3 2EB. Monday 11.15am-12.15pm, £4 drop-in. Contact Tricia Mason, qualified teacher, 07896 346486. n Danceblast “Bristol’s most exciting dance school.”

Every Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday: juniors, 3-4 years 10-11am, 5-6 years 11am-12 noon, 7-9 years 12 noon-1.30pm, 10-11 years 1.30-3pm, 12-13 years 2.154.15pm at St Francis Church Hall, North Street, Southville. Sunday: seniors 14-18 years 1.30-4.30pm, Tobacco Factory studio. Call Anne on 07984 069485. danceblast.co.uk

For the young and older members of our community and everyone in between

n Free Food Workshops every Wednesday Your Food –Your Health happens every Wednesday, 2-4pm, at St Catherine’s Court in Bedminster.

Free and open to all, with free resources and free refreshments.

In the last session attendees planted salad and herb seedlings.

Sessions for October: October 3 Snack time – Swapping out less healthy options for delicious alternatives.

October 10 Puddings galore – Baking together and sharing over a cuppa.

October 17 Let’s celebrate!

Time to celebrate together with an afternoon tea.

October 24 Food memories and stories – A piece of cake and a chat about favourite childhood meals, food that we celebrate with, national dishes and more.

Future sessions will include a food quiz, a trip to St Nicolas Market, a recipe swap and more.

For more details email claire. stone@bs3community.org.uk n Half term playscheme at the Southville Centre BS3 Community’s half term playscheme will be running from October 29-November 2. For more information or to book please email family.services@ bs3community.org.uk n Autumn Tea Dance at the Southville Centre November 1, 3-5pm. Tickets available in advance from our reception £5, or £6 on the door. Live band, tea and cake included.

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

45

BRISTOL CITY ROUND-UP

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Bromwich Albion, the team An exciting night at Ashton conspired to slump to their Gate is promised on September 28 second defeat of the season, (just after the Voice is published), running out 4-2 losers in an with familiar faces lining up for entertaining game.

Aston Villa. Jonathan Kodjia and It just goes to show that there Tammy Abraham were City’s is no point in getting too carried goal-scoring heroes in recent away about a good run in the seasons, while Yannick Bolasie Championship – and there is no showed a lot of promise while in point in getting too bitter and City colours. But number 37, twisted when the opposition are Albert Adomah, holds a special the winners. If Bristol City can place in the hearts of City fans and keep themselves in or around the will no doubt get a good welcome. top six in the table then that will The City class of 2018 need to be a real achievement. show fans that they are making Before the West Brom defeat real progress by defeating their people were coming up with former stars. Lloyd Kelly, who crazy superlatives to praise the added goal-scoring to his team; apparently only Liverpool defensive qualities at West Brom, and Chelsea were in better form has certainly given the fans (not sure how that worked as something to cheer, as has his there were two teams above City defensive partner Tomas Kalas. in the Championship).

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Successful sides are built on firm foundations and I still think n Sheffield United turned up that despite all the glamour and in luminous lime green shirts. star names in the Villa side they A great move as it made it could still find themselves look as if they had massive beneath Bristol City when May support – from the Ashton comes around. But then that is Gate stewards. the season for gathering nuts.great value motor and home insurance

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We must make sure that new developments work for all of us

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OW THAT conference recess is over, MPs are back in Parliament and gearing up for an autumn that will be dominated by Brexit. As ever, I am happy to hear from constituents on this as things evolve and will do my best to keep you updated on key issues.

I was pleased to invite Sue Hayman MP, shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, to join us at the Southville Centre in September. We had a really good turnout from local people keen to discuss their concerns on issues such as air pollution, fracking and transport.

Specific topics raised included the proposed Clean Air Zone in Bristol and how a more extensive and greener public bus service could have a really positive impact on

our local environment and public health.

Also locally, we have had the decision not to build an arena at Temple Island and, more recently, the announcement of a proposed £100 million development at Ashton Gate stadium. For constituents in Bristol South, both of these developments have particular significance because they fall within our constituency and have the potential to hugely

n LOCAL SERVICES

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October 2018

October 2018

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n LOCAL SERVICES

impact lives. Moving forward, I believe it is critical you are involved in discussions in order to influence the future of these sites and, as your MP, I will continue to work with all concerned to make sure that happens.

I’ve talked before of how crucial it is that we rebalance the city of Bristol. It is my view that a 12,000 capacity arena to the south of the city centre would have provided South Bristolians with improved opportunities and an easily-accessible cultural venue. I am disappointed at the decision, as I know many of you are, and we must now make sure that local people are able to influence the proposed alternative development at Temple Island to ensure it is one that offers significant job and apprenticeship opportunities. It must be a development that contributes to the rebalancing.

I am also encouraged by what the proposed £100m development for Ashton Gate could mean for the area, and think plans for a 4,000-seater sports stadium and events space has the potential to really add to our cultural offering. I look forward to working with the club and local people as plans develop.

I will do all I can to ensure local voices are heard by city leaders and investors, and that these developments are good for the area, and good for local people.

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INVITATION

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MEDIUM SOUTH WEST

268 North Street, Southville, Bristol BS3 1JA

t: 0117 963 4373 southville@cjhole.co.uk With 17 offices covering Bristol, Gloucester and Somerset

OPENING HOURS Monday - Friday 9am - 7pm Saturday 9am - 5pm

SOUTH WEST

MEDIUM AGENCY ESTATE AGENCY YEAR 2011

The Multi Award Winning Agent