South Bristol Voice Bedminster November 2018

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November 2018 November 2018

southbristolvoice

No. 37

www.southbristolvoice.co.uk

1

We Sell and Let Property Like Yours

The best news in South Bristol by quite a long way

FREE EVERY MONTH in Bedminster, Southville and Ashton Flat fares, more buses and a new ‘bus strategy’ – but no dates for when any of it will happen NOT one, but two of Bristol’s mayors declared their determination to get on top of Bristol’s creaking, log-jammed public transport system as bus passengers complained that the Continued on page 6

MAYORS VOW TO ACT ON BUS CRISIS But how quickly can anything be done?

INSIDE

• WHY DID A TRACTOR COME TO BEMMIE? 13 • NATURE: WHY WE SHOULD WELCOME SPIDERS

Homeless campaign goes into overdrive SOUTH Bristol’s groundbreaking project to help the homeless is taking things to another level this winter – but it needs the backing of the public to achieve its goals.

Help Bristol’s Homeless (HBH), which has pioneered making homes out of shipping containers to keep people off the streets, has its eyes on a new home – but it will cost £100,000 Continued on page 9

18-19

• THE FIRST TOWER PLAN IS REVEALED 26-27 • SOCIAL CARE IS IN CRISIS, SAYS MP 46 • Letters 20-21 Planning 41

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IN

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

Intro

AN UNENVIABLE TASK DOES it make it more or less likely that Bristol will solve its transport crisis that we have two mayors on the job?

You can’t envy either city mayor Marvin Rees or metro mayor Tim Bowles the task of sorting out decades of indecision in our urban transport systems.

Though Mr Rees gets all the headlines, in fact it’s Mr Bowles’s West of England authority (Weca) which does a lot of the planning of the regional bus and train services.

One big question Mr Bowles has to answer is whether he will pick up his powers to franchise the buses – meaning he could

Independent Community News Network member Twitter: @sbristolvoice Facebook: southbristolvoice Next deadline for editorial and advertising: November 14th direct companies such as First which services to run, how often and for certain fares.

This is the kind of system which is used in London, where most public transport is under the control of Transport for London. Many campaigners would like Weca to start a franchise. But Mr Bowles will consult the public on his bus strategy in the New Year before taking any decisions.

Many will be amazed that planning for a Bristol underground continues: we are promised an update in December. But like the other measures outlined in our Page 1 story, any action is a long way off.

Bristol city council’s transport strategy is open for consultation until November 2: bristol.gov.uk/transportstrategy

November 2018

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

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

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

Social services 0117 922 2900 Police Inquiries 101 Emergency 999 NEIGHBOURHOOD MEETINGS Action Greater Bedminster For latest events see Facebook: ActionGreaterBedminster

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 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: 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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November 2018

n NEWS Slavery charges for bosses at ice cream firm TWO BOSSES of a Bedminster family ice cream firm will face Bristol crown court on November 2 charged with modern slavery offences.

Robert Lopresti, 45, and Salvatore Lopresti, 74, both of Long Ashton, entered no plea at a preliminary hearing at Bristol magistrates court on October 4.

Both men are charged with requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour contrary to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 between January 2009 and December 2016 at the premises of Lopresti Ice Cream at 70 Bedminster Parade, Bedminster.

Salvatore Lopresti also faces a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm, or ABH.

Man charged with hate crime A MAN has pleaded guilty in court following a hate crime on a Bristol bus.

Paul Austin, 27 of Inns Court, Knowle, charged with assault by beating, was remanded by Bristol magistrates on October 20 to be sentenced on October 29 (after the Voice went to press).

The attack was logged by police as a homophobic hate crime. An 18-year-old man was left badly bruised and cut after the unprovoked attack on a 76 bus in Bristol on October 15. The attacker was said to have left the bus at Parson Street.

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No arrests made after 4am churchyard attack on woman But vicar hopes serious incident will lead to change for the better A SERIOUS sexual attack in St Paul’s churchyard has shocked the Southville community – but the church’s vicar is hopeful that it will eventually lead to positive changes.

Police cordoned off the churchyard on Coronation Road for several hours on October 2 after reports that a woman had been attacked there at about 4am.

The churchyard is used as a shortcut by many local people to get to Gaol Ferry bridge. But it has also become a place for homeless people and drug takers to hang out, and the church has had to organise regular clean-ups of litter and drugs debris.

Police have been looking at several lines of inquiry into the incident, which they described as a “serious sexual assault.”

They have examined CCTV, while specialist officers have been giving support to the victim.

No arrests have been made, but inquiries continue.

However, Rev Nick Hay, the minister at St Paul’s, told the Voice that there are stories circulating about the attack

which are factually incorrect.

“There’s all sorts of rumours going round which are escalating out of control,” he said. “There are rumours that someone was kidnapped and raped, and that’s not true.”

Though the assault appears to be very serious, it does not seem that the attack was on a stranger passing through the churchyard – it is possible that both parties knew each other.

While that does not reduce the seriousness of the offence, it does make it less likely that there is a predatory attacker in Southville who may attack others.

Rev Hay said the anti-social use of the churchyard has reduced since the attack. A regular clean-up after three weeks came up with rubbish, but

no needles from drug users.

Now the church is inviting ideas from the community on how the churchyard can be transformed to make it a welcoming space for everyone.

There will be a meeting at the church at 10am on Saturday November 17 involving councillors and the police to discuss improvements.

“I want to do something positive – already suggestions have been put forward such as solar-powered lanterns to light the place up, some gardening and even graffiti knitting, or yarn bombing,” he said.

Rev Hay is also looking into installing CCTV in the churchyard, though this would cost about £7,000. He is investigating possible sources of funding.

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

November 2018

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n NEWS

WE’RE BACKING BEDMINSTER

Make way – it’s going to be a record Lantern Parade IT LOOKS like being another record year for the Bedminster Lantern Parade, with an estimated 1,500 people taking part – giving the thousands of onlookers lining the streets plenty to see.

The parade takes place on Saturday December 8.

More bands than ever have asked to join in, including Bristol’s Brass Disciples, who

usually play on stage but are taking to the street for the first time. They are joined on the route by regulars the Ambling Band, Bristol Samba and the Scouts’ Ravens Marching Band.

Celebrating with chocolate

Christmas in BS3 will be a real treat

CAN YOU HELP The Lantern parade still needs volunteer stewards to help on December 8 – see page 11.

INSTEAD of a Christmas fair this year, the Southville cente has come up with something different – a Chocolate Festival.

A day of family fun is promised, including children’s creative crafts and stalls from local groups and charities.

Naturally, there’s also the chance to taste chocolate and talk to the people who create it.

Spokeswoman Jo Harrington from Somerset-based organisers Lip Smacking Festivals said: “We have the best from across the South West from chocolatiers, raw cake and chocolate makers, craft and ‘bean to bar’ chocolate, cake and brownie makers, confectioners, dessert companies and drink producers.”

Vegan, diabetic, dairy and gluten-free options will be on sale.

The Southville Chocolate Festival is on Saturday December 8 from 11am-5pm at the Southville Centre, Beauley Road.

Adults £2.50, under 12s free. lipsmacking.co.uk

BEDMINSTER traders are pulling out all the stops in December to show residents that the town is a great place to get Christmas gifts.

Expect to see elves, Christmas lights and a host of adventures to be revealed in the coming weeks.

East Street Christmas Fayre Already planned are events to bring fun to the shopping streets, starting with the East Street Christmas Fayre on Saturday, December 1 from 10am to 5pm.

There will be real live reindeer with a sleigh outside Santa’s grotto at the top (Cannon Street) end, where children can feed them and have pictures taken from 12 noon to 3pm.

Local musicians will be playing from 11am-3pm.

East Street will be lined with food vendors and more stalls

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Providing pre-march music in North Street from about 4pm will be the African Sambistas and the Southville Strings.

The parade will start outside St Francis church and progress up North Street to Cannon Street and along British Road to end with a fireworks display at South Street park. Expect these roads to be closed from 3pm. As usual nine local schools are taking part,

from local traders and artists.

There is free softplay at the Bubble Play Cafe from 3-6pm, as well as kids’ arts and crafts, including a singalong with Kate from Music with Mummy from 12-12.30pm, and face painting.

Take note that, unlike other years, East Street is open to traffic, so customers are asked to take care crossing the road.

North Street Nights Not to be outdone, the traders of North Street are holding three shopping evenings on Thursdays on December 6, 13 and 20, which will see many independent shops opening their doors till 8pm.

With more than 50 businesses taking part, customers will have the chance to get their hands on all their Christmas needs while supporting their local high street.

This year Bedminster theatre company Show of Strength will be presenting a brand new street

some with up to 100 children. It means the tally of participants is expected to be several hundred higher than last year’s 1,200.

It’s one of Bristol’s biggest street events, and attracts thousands of visitors. But it has stayed resolutely local, inviting participants only from BS3.

For updates go to Facebook: Bedminster Winter Lanterns

Visitors: Expect elves to appear performance celebrating Christmas past, present and future at Ebenezer Gate, off North Street. There will also be music and entertainment taking place on North St Green. More details in next month’s Voice.

WHO DESERVES A HAMPER? DO YOU know someone who’s not had a great year? The Voice has got together with a number of our generous South Bristol businesses to put together a Christmas hamper full of treats.

We’ll give it to the person readers nominate who sounds most in need of some festive cheer – details next month. Email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

November 2018

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n NEWS

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WE’RE BACKING BEDMINSTER

What do we want to see in our future shopping centre?

WILL Bedminster shops still be here in 2030?

That’s the sobering question being asked at a community meeting on November 22.

Anyone who cares about the future of Bedminster’s major shopping centre is invited to have their say, at the Hen & Chicken, North Street, at 6.30pm.

The meeting is organised by Action Greater Bedminster, which is seeking public views on all kinds of issues through a series of Community Conversations. The aim is to draw up a Community Plan by the spring of next year, which can be used to focus attention on the urgent issues that need action – such as air pollution (see page 15).

Also involved is Bedminster’s Town Team – a group of traders that takes a levy off business rates to fund activities to boost the whole area, such as Christmas events (see left).

George Grace, manager of the Town Team, told the Voice that new thinking is needed to keep town centres as the heart of the community.

Residents and community groups with ideas for new activities that can sit alongside the shops will be welcome, he said – “It would be good to get an

TOYVILLE TRIUMPH NORTH Street’s independent toy shop, Toyville, has made it to the top 25 in the Best Small Shops

idea of what it is that people want.”

The shopping centre is in clear need of attention. Much of North Street is thriving – new independent businesses are opening all the time.

For the first time in years, North Street has its own independent toy shop, the award-winning Toyville (see below), a record shop, Friendly Records, and now a bookshop, Storysmith.

Storysmith opened on October 27 at 49 North Street, selling fiction, children’s, non-fiction and art books. Its first event, a chance to meet Devon novelist Tom Cox on November 7, sold out before the shop opened.

But while independent traders and new food outlets continue to open, in the neglected shopping area of East Street, trade is not so good. National chains Argos and Bon Marché both pulled out this summer as national retailers competition – which means owners Lindsay and Joel Nicholas have been invited to a reception at the Houses of Parliament in November.

suffer from online competition.

The city council’s draft Local Plan suggests central Bedminster will accommodate 2,200 more homes – at least half of them around Bedminster Green.

This would provide thousands of new residents in the town centre, most of them without access to parking spaces, meaning they will be dependent on local shops and services.

Unfortunately, this scenario has the potential to pit some traders against some residents.

Already news of the first tower block proposed for Bedminster Green – a 22-storey block at St Catherine’s Place – is drawing objections. The scheme will also provide new shops and a cinema – but no social housing.

• St Catherine’s Place: Pages 26-27

Space for the home workers A NEW workspace has opened for people who want to rent a desk, as the number of selfemployed people across BS3 continues to grow.

The North Street Gallery, opened in the summer by entrepreneur Andrew Price, is offering hot-desking by the day.

Andrew’s previous project, Bankspace, in the former Lloyds bank at 145 East Street, is now almost full after opening only a year ago.

The old bank hosts offices and permanent desk space for individuals and small firms, from a flooring company to a marketing consultant.

But whereas Bankspace is for long-term tenants, the new space at 135 North Street is for people who want a desk by the day.

“There’s all sorts of people who work from home but don’t really want to,” said Andrew.

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November 2018

n NEWS

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n NEWS

Continued from Page 1 service was at breaking point.

Readers told the Voice and the rest of the city’s media that buses were not turning up, were full, or arrived far too late bunched up in twos and threes.

Most South Bristol routes were affected – passengers complained of waiting an hour for a 1, 50 minutes for a 90, as well as no-shows for the 2, the 2A and 376, among others.

“Why does the 90 keep not turning up?” asked one despairing traveller. “Waited over an hour for a 1 … meant to be every 10 minutes”, said another.

Parents complained that their children were left at bus stops, while some commuters decided to walk, cycle or drive to work.

The problems reached a peak in early October, when the arrival of the student population – apparently much larger than expected – helped overwhelm the city’s buses – the vast majority of which are run by First Bus. City mayor Marvin Rees promised that he was on the brink of announcing a deal with First that would “bring a huge change to bus services in Bristol”.

Mr Rees said he wants to double the number of bus journeys, and see more public and private money ploughed into the bus network.

He wants a single flat fare for all bus journeys within Bristol, better enforcement of bus lanes and more priority bus routes.

But in Bristol’s tightly-packed road network this is a tall order, and can’t be achieved quickly.

Meanwhile metro mayor Tim Bowles who, as head of the West of England combined authority (Weca), has responsibility for regional transport, said he was in urgent talks with First Bus about

Chance is coming for public to have their say on buses THE ARENA

Left waiting: Bus passengers the recent disruption.

“I will press First to address these challenges as quickly as possible,” said Mr Bowles. “The recent level of disruption is unacceptable and I will raise my concerns directly with First.”

Mr Bowles’ concerns are thought to centre on First’s failure to recruit enough drivers. He is expected to ask James Freeman,

IT WAS A PAYOFF

T

HE CITY council did not have to pay departed chief executive Ann Klonowski half of her £196,000 severance when she left abruptly after seven months in 2017, auditors BDO have ruled. Mayor Marvin Rees had refused to discuss the payoff, saying it was to meet the council’s contractual obligations.

But BDO said half the sum – £98,000 – was discretionary, and has reclassified it in the council’s accounts. Knowle Lib Dem councillor Gary Hopkins said the payoff was to “cover up for the lies”

MARVIN Rees declared in his State of the City address that not only would the Temple Meads arena have been “too small to be world class” it would have been a “security liability” to put it close to the railway station. He did not explain his security concerns.

Stephen Fear, the Bristol businessman who was trying to find an alternative arena site, was not available for comment. managing director of First Bus in Bristol, why the firm could not predict the need for drivers and recruit accordingly, instead of being forced to draft them in from as far afield as Cornwall.

The crisis for Bristol’s buses has a number of causes – too few drivers, traffic jams due to factors such as the year-long delay in that were told about Ms Klonowski’s departure. Green councillor Paula O’Rourke called Ms Klonowski “an employee that was no longer effective and to a certain extent had become very toxic.” The audit committee has asked for an internal investigation.

A WORLD OF MAYORS BRISTOL played host to the World Parliament of Mayors in October – a gathering of mayors from across the planet to talk about migration, urban security, public health and climate change. Full report on the Voice website.

roadworks at Temple Circus, and the temporary closure of Parkway station. Wessex Bus also stopped its services in Bristol in August, leaving First to pick up its routes.

Mr Freeman told BBC Points West that the firm is recruiting 15 drivers a week, and drafting in more vehicles and drivers wherever it can.

An announcement about the flat fare could be made within weeks, he said. But investing in more buses and better routes will take much longer.

An update will be given on a rapid transit system in December, Mr Rees said in his State of the City address on October 17.

Transport officials at Weca are leading work on a possible underground system which could include a tunnel under South Bristol to lead to the airport.

“We’re not talking about the London tube with 200m-long trains,” Mr Rees said in his speech. “We may not even need rails or track – some automated systems around the world just run by following a simple white line painted on the floor.” Also under discussion are “tramtrains” – lightweight trains, as seen in Sheffield.

Mr Bowles and Weca are to consult the public on a bus strategy for the region in the new year. Weca has the power to franchise bus services, meaning it could take control of routes, fares and frequencies in a way Bristol city council cannot.

• The Mayor: Page 25

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November 2018

HE ANSWER is yes, there is a possibility that Brexit could result in changes to pet passports and therefore we are advising pet owners to think ahead.

If you’re planning to travel to the EU with your pet after March 29, 2019, it is important that you contact your vet for an update of any potential new requirements that Brexit may bring.

We advise that you prepare at least four months before your date of travel. The final arrangements depend on Brexit negotiations, which are still to be confirmed, but

your veterinary surgery will be able to advise you further.

A cat or dog needs a valid pet passport to come back into the UK to avoid going into quarantine. To get a passport, your pet needs: • Microchip Your pet must be microchipped; your contact details on the chip must be up to date.

• Rabies vaccination Taken at least 21 days before you travel. Don’t leave this to the last minute. Regular booster vaccinations will be required for the passport to stay valid.

• Treated for tapeworm Dogs must be treated for tapeworm

24-120 hours before coming back into the UK. You will need to pay a vet in the country you have travelled to, to administer this.

• Age Your pet must be at least three months old to get a passport.

The vet who issues your pet passport must be an Official Veterinarian: this means they are qualified to issue pet passports.

Ticks and other biting insects in Europe can pass on diseases to your pet. Therefore we advise you ask your vet about preventative treatment for these critters before you travel, as well as other factors

When Cary went to see City, he wasn’t the big attraction How Cary Grant was upstaged in South Bristol EVERYONE has heard of Cary Grant, one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, and most Bristolians know that this is his home city.

But how many know that he was always loyal to his place of birth, returning here frequently and even visiting South Bristol?

The irony is that Cary Grant’s visit south of the river was one of the few times in his glittering career when he didn’t get the overwhelming adulation that he was used to.

Exactly when is lost in the tides of history, but some time in the mid 1960s the great actor went to a home game at Bristol City.

He wasn’t thought to be a big City fan – he was born in Horfield in 1904, putting him much close to Rovers territory – but on his annual visits to Bristol to see his mother, he was often invited to events as a VIP. One of his contacts was the

CARY GRANT COMES HOME FOR THE WEEKEND

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OUTHVILLE resident Dr Charlotte Crofts, a lecturer in film at the University of the West of England at Bower Ashton, believes Bristol doesn’t celebrate enough the genius of Cary Grant.

So for the past four years she’s been doing something about it, setting up almost single-handedly a weekend celebration of the actor, running this year from November 23-25. Events include a talk about the Alfred Hitchcock connection, with UWE film lecturer Kathrina Glitre and broadcaster

legendary City chairman Harry Dolman, revered as the man who took the club to the First Division.

When the car carrying Grant, Harry Dolman and his wife Marina pulled up at the Ashton Gate grandstand, the film star winced when he saw a horde of fans leave the turnstile queue and head towards them. Being in cars surrounded by fans eager for autographs was a frequent occurrence for one of the most famous faces in the world.

But when the City fans approached they didn’t head for Grant’s side of the car, but Dolman’s. It was their heroic chairman they wanted a signature from, not the Bristol boy who’d moved to Hollywood!

Not that the film star went unappreciated: a fan recalls on the OneTeamInBristol website that Grant received a cheer from the crowd when he took his seat in the Williams stand.

• This is the only connection between Cary Grant and South Bristol that we have been able to uncover – but readers may know of further links. carycomeshome.co.uk Matthew Sweet. This talk at the Watershed is followed by a screening of Suspicion, in which Joan Fontaine plays a wealthy spinster befriended by the charming but dangerous Grant.

Grant often visited the Avon Gorge hotel, which is the venue for an afternoon tea and talk called Cary Grant in Bristol, including memories from David Brown, who looked after the actor when he stayed at the hotel.

There’s also a Looking for Archie walking tour, which ends at the statue of the actor in Millennium Square which was unveiled in 2001.

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A BOY of 13 from Knowle has been sent to a youth detention centre for 16 months after admitting touching women sexually on five occasions.

The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, faced Bristol magistrates on October 9.

The Voice reported in May that five women had been attacked in Windmill Hill, mainly near St John’s Lane, between March 24 and April 5. None were injured but several were badly distressed.

The boy has been ordered to remain on the sexual offenders register for five years.

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n NEWS Knowle is the preferred site for new school CONFIRMATION has emerged that Bristol city council is looking at a site in Knowle for a new secondary school.

Last month, the Voice quoted Cllr Gary Hopkins, Lib Dem member for Knowle, telling a public meeting that the Oasis academy chain is in talks to build a school on the site of The Park centre in Daventry Road.

It is assumed that any deal would find a home for The Park centre’s community users in new buildings on the site, which used to be Merrywood boys school.

The Voice said Cllr Hopkins had “let the cat out of the bag”, as neither the council nor The Park would comment. However, Cllr Anna Keen, the cabinet member for education, had already said at a full council members’ forum on September 11 that Knowle is the preferred area for a new school.

“We are in commercial negotiations, but we are close to getting there and that’s certainly our priority to have a school in that area,” she said to Cllr Tim Kent (Lib Dem, Whitchurch), who had asked if the new school would be in Knowle.

The Voice understands that Oasis is proposing a 900-place school without a sixth form – that would be provided at another Oasis school planned at Silverthorne Lane, St Philip’s.

The new school’s sports facilities would be open to the community out of school hours.

No dates have been suggested when the schools might open.

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November 2018

PARENTS have backed the actions of Compass Point primary school in closing the school playing field to the public some of the time in order to protect children from dog mess.

The field opposite the school in South Street is now fully owned by the school. Until this year, ownership was shared with the council – which seems to have caused some anomalies in the rules that govern the open space.

Earlier in the year, the Voice revealed that council signs on the field saying “No Dogs” had no legal standing – because there was no Public Space Protection Order in effect.

Our story appears to have had the result that some dog owners felt free to take their dogs in the field and allow them to foul it.

That wasn’t the Voice’s intention

Invitation to council tenants COUNCIL tenants in Southville, Bedminster and Ashton are invited to discuss housing services at the new Local Housing Forum.

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Parents speak out about dog fouling on school field

School forced to keep gates closed for longer because of dog mess

November 2018

– we were trying to expose a situation that appeared bizarre, where a school playing field could not be protected from dog mess.

The school previously closed the field only when it was needed for school activities. Now it is shutting the gates for longer periods, because the fouling has got worse.

Once the school caretaker has cleaned up the field, it has to stay closed until the children have finished their outdoor activities.

One parent told the Voice: “We want our children to be in a safe environment when they go to school. There are serious health concerns relating to dog mess.

“I’m very concerned about dogs being allowed in the playing field, especially as there is a dog park just across the road.

“I have seen someone with a small dog who, when they found the gate was locked, picked up the dog and lifted it over the fence.

“Last term my son went across to the field and didn’t see the dog mess, he fell over and it went up his trousers. Of course then it goes back into the school.”

It’s not just dog faeces that is a health risk, she pointed out – dog urine can carry leptospirosis, a potentially serious infection.

Now that the field is under the school’s full control, it could be closed to the public all the time.

The school appears reluctant to do this, though it’s clear that local people have become used to using the field as public land.

However, there is a segregated dog exercise area next door.

Neighbours have offered to help pick up litter in the field – though understandably they are less keen to pick up dog mess.

The council was unable to explain why it had transferred ownership of the playing field to the school, which is now run by the Gatehouse Green Learning Trust. The trust includes Ashton Park and Redland Green secondary schools plus Ashton Vale, Compass Point and Luckwell primaries.

However, the council said that when the playing field is open to the public, its officials will be able to issue penalty notices to any dog owner whose dog fouls there.

The topic for the first event is antisocial behaviour. Tea and coffee is free, and travel expenses can be paid. It’s on December 12, 6.158.30pm, at the Southville Centre, Beauley Road. Email tpu@bristol. gov.uk or call 0117 352 1444. bristol.gov.uk/ LocalHousingForums

More disruption RAIL services from Temple Meads will be disrupted from October 27 to November 18 while new lines are laid to Parkway.

Temple Meads is already the UK’s fourth worst station for punctuality.

We are specialists in: l Domestic re-roofs and repairs l Grp fibreglass flat roofing l Installation of fascia, soffits and guttering Call: 0117 9113864 Mobile: 07570 579238 Email: staydryroofing2000@yahoo.co.uk To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

£100,000 appeal to provide hope for the homeless Continued from Page 1 to make it happen.

The need has never been greater – not only is the cold weather kicking in, but the number of people without a roof is growing. No one knows how many sleep on Bristol’s streets, or in hostels, or in tents, or (if they are lucky) on friends’s sofas – but it is in the hundreds.

Already HBH, led by ex-soldier and now North Street restaurateur Jasper Thompson, has converted 11 containers into cosy homes, a dining room and a laundrette.

The charity’s home is an empty building plot at Malago Road, Bedminster, donated by developer Paul O’Brien. But Mr O’Brien needs the land back in March or April next year– he has made a planning application to build 215 flats there and a decision is expected during the winter.

The city council has found HBH a new home – a disused, council-owned warehouse at Spring Street, behind York Road.

Jasper told the Voice that he has plans to install 15 containers there in a mini-village for the homeless – but there is a mountain of work to do first.

Part of the old warehouse is unsafe, and demolition was due to start by the beginning of November. That should take four weeks – and then the hard work will begin, sorting out the sewers and providing water and electricity supplies before building a concrete platform for

WHO’S HELPING?

C

OUNTLESS individuals and firms large and small have given time or money to HBH. Currently EDF Energy are hoping to help with utilities to the new Spring Street site. Locally, Selco builders merchant in Sheene Road has supplied materials, while Friendly Records in North Street collected artworks for the auction.

Facilities company Almeda of Keynsham held a fundraising event at Bath racecourse, while

the containers to sit on.

The project will need help from tradespeople willing to give their time, especially groundworkers and fabricators.

It will also require money – which is where the fundraising programme comes in. First up is HBH’s Art Auction on November 8 at Here Bristol, the former ITV studios at Bath Road, Brislington.

Scores of talented artists are donating their work and, if it’s as successful as the last one, it will set the appeal off to a good start.

“We raised £10,000 at the last art auction and we hope to do the same this time,” Jasper said.

That sounds like a lot of money – but it costs £10,000 to create a single shipping container home.

Jasper and the volunteers are celebrating achieving another of their ambitions – as the Voice went to press, HBH’s mobile dormitory, a double decker bus called 360 Winx, was due to welcome its first guests.

Whereas the container homes are built by the people who live in them, who can stay for up to a year, the bus is simply to get people off the streets for a night.

It has comfy beds downstairs for five women, and upstairs for seven men. Each has their own lockable cupboard for their valuables, and everyone is given their own towel and toiletries, “to make them feel human just for a night,” said Jasper.

The bus was donated by First Bus and has taken almost a year’s work to get it finished.

Bristol staff at property firm Colliers International are rolling their sleeves up to build a container home, with help from Longcroft Building Services and Bracey Interiors. And that’s just some of the help given during October.

Other supporters include Bedminster printers Out of Hand, Southville estate agent Urban Lighthouse, Ashton window firm DH Frames, GJC Commercials of Hartcliffe, Paul O’Brien Roofing, Cleverley Builders, and many more.

HELP BRISTOL’S HOMELESS

Original: Artwork made for HBH

Daunting: The Welsh mountain

HOW YOU CAN HELP

studios at Bath Road, Brislington.

Further ahead there is the Fan Dance Challenge on April 6. No, it’s not a Strictly-style dance – it’s a mountain hike fitness challenge based on a recruitment test given to would-be members of the SAS. Those who are really fit can opt for the military-style option of covering 24km up and down Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales at 886 metres (2,907 ft).

Masochists can opt to do the trek in four hours, lesser mortals in 5.5 hours, with a target of £30,000. helpbristolshomeless.co.uk/ events helpbristolshomeless.co.uk/ volunteer

H

ELP Bristol’s Homeless always needs volunteers – and money. People with all kinds of skills can help out most nights with kitchen duties and support, while practical help is needed with making the container homes. Details are on the HBH website and on Facebook.

We’ll be finding out what it’s like to lend a hand – the Voice will be doing a shift on the bus and will report back next month.

Meanwhile, you can donate art, or buy a piece yourself, from the HBH Art Auction, which is at 7.30pm on Thursday November 8 at Here Bristol, the former ITV

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are now safe until 2020.

Library talks Where to enjoy The consultation will ask community groups to give ideas for supporting local libraries and coming soon the fireworks perhaps moving them.

THE FUTURE of South Bristol’s smaller libraries is unclear as users await an announcement on consultation over their future.

In July, mayor Marvin Rees cancelled £1.4 million in cuts which would have closed 17 out of 27 city libraries. All branches

Larger libraries such as Knowle and Bedminster will expect to retain staff.

But other branches may be at risk without community support.

At Marksbury Road library, the Friends group has said the council should continue to staff it.

FIREWORK displays and bonfires in or near South Bristol include: Knowle Cricket Club Wells Road, Knowle. Sunday November 4, 4.30pm, fireworks 6.45pm, food and drink. £5, children £3, family £15. No sparklers.

BTRA Sports Ground Stockwood

Lane BS14 8SJ. Sunday November 4, 6pm, fireworks 7.30pm, bar and barbecue. £6, child £3, family £15.

Victoria Park bonfire. Monday November 5. Food and drink from 5pm, bonfire 6pm. No fireworks allowed.

Compass Point school South Street, Bedminster. Friday November 9, 6pm.

More displays at visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/ bonfire-night-displays-bristol

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IT CAN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU! BEDMINSTER WINTER LANTERN PARADE IS ON DECEMBER 8th WE NEED 50 ROAD SAFETY VOLUNTEERS Training given, fully insured

Volunteer at info@bwlp.org.uk You need only be available from 3-6pm on the day

WE REALLY NEED YOU! ISSUED BY NORTH STREET TRADERS To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

Follow us on Facebook: Bedminster Winter Lanterns Website: bwlp.org.uk Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

n CHURCH NEWS

O

K, SO it’s fireworks night coming up. I used to love it when I was a kid, we did sausages and made the Guy, and my dad lit the fireworks and it was one of those times in the year I really looked forward to.

Now though, I have a dog called Roxie, a big German Shepherd with white fur (you may have seen us walking over Gaol Ferry bridge in the morning). She is a little bit feisty,

Services Bedminster Church of Christ 298 St John’s Lane BS3 5AY Minister Jason Snethen churchofchristbristol.org Sunday 10am Bible Hour for all ages; 11am worship; 5pm worship; Tuesday 7.30pm Bible study; Thursday 10am Coffee morning; Friday 3.45-5pm After-school; 7-9.30pm youth group.

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Bedminster Quaker Meeting House Wedmore Vale BS3 5HX Clerk: Chrissie Williams 0117 923 0020

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November 2018

southbristolvoice

12 Thought for the month: ‘Love casts out fear’ With Rev Nick Hay, St Paul’s Church, Southville

is our dog; if you knock on our front door she flings herself at it like Scooby Doo on speed, bristolquakers.org.uk Sunday Worship 10.45am; 2nd & 4th Sunday Children’s meeting; 2nd Sunday Shared lunch.

St Aldhelm’s Church Chessel Street, Bedminster BS3 3TT hello@staldhelms.org Minister Rev Nick Hay 07534 249338 staldhelms.org Sunday 10am Morning service, informal with mix of traditional and contemporary songs. Creche, Sunday school, refreshments; House groups meet on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, 7.30pm.

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making terrifying noises, like she wants to eat whoever is knocking for breakfast. Roxie is big and brave, but when the fireworks come she is totally terrified. She cowers and shakes and whatever treatments or sounds we use to cover things up, it doesn’t work.

She didn’t used to be allowed into our bedroom, but when the fireworks come she’s in like a shot, cowering by the bed, and she won’t move.

Here’s the thing, perfect love casts out fear, that’s something Jesus said. I kind of know that’s true for me, when things are rough it’s a hug from Linz (my wife) or even a hug with Roxie that works and I’m pretty sure that’s true for Roxie too.

So have a lovely fireworks night, and please buy the pretty sparkly ones!

Cheers and God Bless – Nick

St Paul’s Church 2 Southville Road, Southville BS3 1DG stpsouthville@gmail.com Rev Nick Hay 07534 249338 saintpaulschurch.co.uk Sunday 10.30am Worship is a mix of contemporary and traditional with groups for children and young people. Also: 1st Sunday 9am Traditional Communion Service; 2nd Sunday 7.30pm Praise and Prayer; 4th Sunday Sunday Sessions in Rope Walk pub.

Priest-in-charge Rev Andrew Doarks 0117 963 9121 Sunday 10am Communion or Morning Worship; 1st Saturday 10am Open church; Thursday 10am Eucharist.

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St Francis Church 279 North Street, Ashton Gate BS3 1JP staldhelmsandstfrancis.org.uk

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Victoria Park Baptist Church Sylvia Avenue BS3 5DA Minister Rev Brendan Bassett 0117 977 2484 victoriapark.org.uk Sunday 10.30am Service includes groups for all ages, and adults; coffee 11.30am; 2nd Sunday Parade service; 3rd Sunday Communion.

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Children in care want you to know it’s not like The Dumping Ground at all!

BRISTOL’S Children in Care Council meet regularly to represent the voice of 680 children in care in the city. Members include James, aged 10, to Sophie, 17. They want you, the Bristol public, to know that being in care is not like CBBC’s Dumping Ground show at all. Here are what some of the members say: “People think that we live in a care home when we tell them we are in foster care, but we don’t. We live in a family with a mum and a dad, sometimes foster siblings, sometimes our own siblings”.

“Sometimes people think I am in care because I misbehaved and am naughty, but it’s because my mum couldn’t look after me properly. She loves me, she just couldn’t do it.”

What I need: One child’s desires

“A good foster carer is someone who makes sure you are involved in the whole family, not stuck upstairs on your own. My foster family has taken me on holiday.”

“At first I didn’t like people at school knowing I was in care, because I thought they would think I had been bad and that my mum and dad didn’t want me. Now I am proud and I have stood up in front of the whole school and talked about being in care.”

The Children in Care Council would urge you to ‘check it out’ if you are interested in fostering!

www.bristol.gov.uk/fostering

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0117 353 4200

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November 2018

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FUTURE OF ST PHILIP’S

Tractor pull across Bedminster helps fight tragic illness Family want to show impact of cruel disease BEDMINSTER doesn’t see many tractors at the best of times – let alone one being pulled along by muscle power alone.

But that’s just what happened in an epic effort by two branches of a family from across South and North Bristol, to raise awareness of Huntington’s Disease.

Tom Ward and his sister Phyllis Hagan have lost several family members to the brain disease, which is passed down through families and for which there is no cure.

Tom 58, from Redcliffe, organised the event in which 20 people manhandled a tractor from the end of East Street through Bedminster’s shopping centre, and over the bridge for a gruelling pull up Redcliffe Hill, ending with a fun day at the Colosseum pub, on October 6.

They raised more than £7,000, easily beating their target of £5,000, helped by a £1,000 bucket collection at Asda, and an auction at the Colosseum, where a signed England rugby shirt fetched more than £700.

Phyllis, 60, from Filton, is watching her daughter Carley Baldwin, 37, battle with the disease, which leads to a loss of physical abilities and dementia.

If one parent carries the Huntington’s gene, any of their children have a 50:50 chance of inheriting the disease. It usually shows between 30 and 50 years

old. Carley is now in a wheelchair and needs round-the-clock care.

Tragically, she has just lost her own son, Charlie, 21, who died several weeks ago in a possible drugs-related incident.

Charlie was struggling to cope with the plight of his mother and his sister Poppy, 13, who has her own medical problems.

“Charlie wasn’t reacting very well to his mother’s deteriorating health,” said Phyllis. “He was in fear for his own health and I think that’s why he partied hard.”

Phyllis lost her first husband, Michael, to Huntington’s when he was 42, after his own father had died at the age of 32.

One of the cruellest aspects of the disease is the way it first manifests itself. Sufferers make sudden movements and behave oddly for no apparent reason.

“It does fragment families, in the early stages you see mood swings and changes in personality,” said Phyllis.

“It can lead to aggression and a lot of relationships suffer. At that stage, they may not be aware that they are carrying the gene.

“It wasn’t talked about back in the day – people didn’t, back then, you kept quiet about it.

“But we want to talk about it!

We are doing something positive to raise awareness about the disease and raise money for the Huntington’s Disease Association.

“There’s lots of research going on and there’s something that’s been successful in the laboratory that might stop the disease from getting worse.”

There is still no sign of a cure for people affected by the

Can you map the Wanderland?

THE WINTER streets will be brightened over the last weekend in February with the return of Window Wanderland in Southville and Bedminster.

Planning is already under way for the event on February 22, 23 and 24, and organisers are hoping

to find someone willing to draw up a map of the area. Schools, streets and local organisations are expected to choose themes such as dinosaurs, children’s books, exotic fish and space aliens.

If you can help, email Jenny at jbhambri-lyte@sky.com.

Shoppers were amazed to see the 10-tonne tractor pulled up East St Inset: Carley Baldwin, right, and her son, Charlie, 21 when he died disease, though, and Phyllis wants more people to be aware of the impact that it can have.

“We took Carly out in her wheelchair and she was frustrated because she cannot speak very well any more. People were looking at her and backing away, but it’s not her fault, it’s

the Huntington’s,” she said. The family are not finished in their fundraising – they will be back at Asda, Bedminster, for a collection on December 16. And they promise to return with a bigger and better fun day next year. justgiving.com/fundraising/ melanie-carruthers

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A workshop on planning for retirement, led by financial experts. Part of Talk Money Week 2018.

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South Bristol Retirement Fair

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Wednesday 28th November 2018, 18:00 - 20:00 Sports Bar, Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol, BS3 2EJ

Free refreshments provided!

Booking is essential: 0117 353 3042 www.linkagenetwork.org.uk/pro

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

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Shock at health risk from air pollution in Bedminster

HELP BRISTOL WASTE NOTHING THIS HOLIDAY! Get tips on how to enjoy a sustainable festive season & find out when your holiday waste and recycling collection days are.

www.bristolwastecompany.co.uk/festive

THE AIR in our streets is killing us by contributing to all kinds of diseases, even some that weren’t previously linked to pollution, a group of BS3 residents was told.

Dr Corra Boushel, an expert on air quality at UWE’s ClairCity project, told a gathering at Windmill Hill City Farm on October 18 that Bedminster has some of the worst places in Bristol for air pollution.

The one-way system at Parson Street regularly records illegal levels of NOx, or nitrogen oxides, Dr Boushel told the meeting, the first of the Community Conversations started by community group Action Greater Bedminster (AGB).

Yet the gyratory has a large school – Parson Street primary – beside it, surrounded by roads.

No fewer than 11 diseases are

linked to air quality, including lung development in children.

Brain development in young children may also be affected.

About 300 people a year die early in Bristol from air pollution – the second biggest cause of premature death after smoking.

Definitely made worse by road fumes are low birth weights, asthma, cardio-vascular disease, heart attacks, heart failure, strokes and lung cancer. Possibly linked are lung cancers in older adults, dementia and premature births, said Dr Boushel.

The 30 or so people attending the meeting appeared shocked at the health risks.

What can we do to protect schools? asked one, while another called for enforcement to restrict driving, and another said travel by train should be

promoted.

British cities have been suffering illegal pollution levels since 2010, but only now is the Government making it possible for councils to act.

Bristol city council is about to debate its own Clean Air Zone, which could include charges for diesel cars, the main polluters.

Leeds has just announced it will charge older polluting buses and commercial vehicles that enter the city centre – while Bath is likely to charge diesel cars too.

The Bristol zone could include Bedminster, or it may be restricted to the city centre.

• AGB held another Community Conversation, on the topic of transport, on October 24. The group is considering a major campaign against traffic pollution as a way of tackling both health

‘Bomb’ alert GAOL Ferry bridge was cordoned off by police for five hours on October 20 after what was feared to be a wartime bomb was spotted on the riverbank.

Firefighters from Bedminster fire station were called in, with specialised rescue gear for working in mud, to assist bomb disposal officers from the Royal Logistics Corps. But the object was not a bomb. Police did not confirm what it was, though rumours suggested a traffic cone.

Homes appeal DEVELOPERS who wanted to build 20 homes on a strip of former railway land off South Liberty Lane, Ashton Vale, are to appeal against the refusal of planning permission. The plan drew scores of objections, many from residents in Swiss Drive.

The plan would involve knocking down the old railway bridge above the lane. City planners said the road access proposed to the site was not safe.

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In the interest of reducing our impact on the environment we are encouraging residents to download calendars online. If you are unable to do so please email hello@bristolwastecompany.co.uk or call 0117 922 2100.

New & returning members always welcome.

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slimmingworld.co.uk 0344 897 8000 Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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Novel shows there’s more than one kind of abuse

Fixture Calendar 18/19 April 2019

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WRITING novels is all the rage in Bristol these days, but the debut from Bedminster author Mo McDonald is more intriguing than most.

Mo, a grandmother of 75, has written Letters to the Editor – a book full of hidden meanings, which was inspired by the criminal abuses involving several 1970s and 80s celebrities.

“When the scandals about people such as Rolf Harris began to break, I started to think that there must be other types of abuse, not just sexual,” Mo told the Voice.

This was the starting point for the story, which centres on Jack Kelly, a successful BBC arts presenter who is about to end a long career on British TV and move to the US, when his relationship with a fan from the 1980s is suddenly exposed on

social media. Kelly is forced to revisit his contact with Marian, who was a young married woman when she began to write to him.

The TV presenter began to manipulate his fan, who was intrigued by the artistic themes his programme introduced to her.

Kelly manipulated Marian by sending her secret messages in his TV programmes. They also swapped letters about everything from the Thatcherite politics of the 1980s to the psychoanalytical theories of Carl Jung.

As Marian learns more about the culture Kelly awakens her to, she is drawn further under his spell. This isn’t Educating Rita, nor is it a conventional story of a celebrity forcing himself on a vulnerable fan – but we won’t give the plot away.

Mo has only recently moved to Bristol after retiring from

Secrets from the past: A TV star’s dealings with a fan 30 years ago are suddenly exposed to the public decades of working with international fund managers.

She turned to writing partly to fulfil a dream – and partly because her husband was also writing a book, about his career as a policeman, so it became a shared activity.

A lifelong lover of literature and cinema, Mo wondered what Thomas Hardy [author of Tess of the D’urbervilles] might write today if he had the medium of television to play with.

Letters To The Editor is published by the Book Guild at £8.99. bookguild.co.uk

Social group to beat loneliness A COMMUNITY group for anyone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is holding social events in South Bristol. Called BS3 LGBT+, it’s an alternative to the gay scene for people who may be isolated and want to make new friends.

The next event is coffee and a walk at Ashton Court estate at 10.30am on November 3.

Members will also meet at the fireworks at Compass Point primary school at 6pm on November 9. Details on: Facebook: BS3 LGBT+

Litter alert SUPPORTERS of Ashton Vale Together hold their monthly litter pick in Risdale Road on Thursday November 22, meeting at 10am.

The group’s next meeting is the AGM at Ashton Vale Club for Young People, Silbury Road, from 6.30-8pm on November 27.

May 2019

SAT 4 3P M KO FIXTURES SUBJECT TO CHANGE For the most up-to-date lists always visit www.bcfc.co.uk and www. bristolbearsrugby.com Bristol City Home Games BRISTOL BEARS HOME GAMES

S A3PTM KO1 2 Sign up for our residents newsletter.

Visit www.ashtongatestadium.co.uk/residents-newsletter To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

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n FEATURES Our amazing spiders are caught in a web of misunderstanding despite all their mindblowing ecology. Now is a great season for spider spotting. Voice naturalist Alex Morss shares some spider love

I

N AUTUMN, I often stare in awe at our spinning, stalking, scurrying, parachuting, ballooning, leaping, toiling silk artists. Dew-catchers that decorate the dawn and transform light into diamonds, flower ticklers, aerial engineers, house cleaners and, towards their prey, magnificent marvels of menace*.

Spiders are incredibly industrious creatures, serving nature and us with useful ecosystem jobs, being the meaty menu of many food webs, also offering natural pest control, and in between inspiring many a construction engineer, scientist

St

Forget the fear – spiders are our friends, and Bristol has some real beauties and artist. I realise a few folk recoil at the idea of sharing their home or even the garden with spiders and might opt for pesticides instead of welcoming nature’s harmless predators

ospice H s r’ Pete

£1 Entry Kids go free!

Christmas Market

Saturday 24 November 10am to 3pm

Bristol City Hall, College Green

With Father Christmas, 40+ stalls, mulled wine and more!

/stpetershospice

WILDLIFE WATCH

Very rare: But the greenfanged tube web spider is found in Bristol

indoors. Yet none of Britain’s 650-ish native spider species can give us more than a nip.

But this fear can be so ingrained, it feels deeply primitive and incredibly challenging to many people. So I invited Bristol residents to share their spidery sightings and tales over social media. I was flooded with spider fan replies and not one was negative! And I reckon I’ve found the centre of the web of love, in Totterdown.

S

waying softly in the shrubs, a few silvery silks flicker in the lustre of autumn light as I approach an ordinary-looking Victorian house in Knowle. But it’s quickly apparent that I am facing hundreds of pairs of eyes.

Giant creatures with rainbowcoloured leg warmers. Big fluffy arachnids woven in needlecraft, stuffed ones and Lego ones, stained glass arthropods and origami crab spiders. Then some four foot harvestmen or daddylong-legs** threaten to upstage it all.

A tall, friendly-looking man beams out from behind a spiderweb stained-glass window, holding an oversized webby mug and wearing a T-shirt covered in curious arachnid faces, each flamboyantly sporting several pairs of eyes. (Spider eyes help us to identify them: they generally have eight eyes, but sometimes they have 12, 6, 4, 2 or even none.)

We wander into a lounge smothered in dangling, furry, woolly and hairy legs. I half expected to see the iconic

Spider-Man character, but he is missing. “Ah, he’s a bit lame really isn’t he?” teases Garth Bushell in a whisper, children safely out of ear shot. This family are more into the sci-fi world of Children of Time, an awardwinning book starring giant alien spiders, by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

“Some people comment when they walk in that we still have our Halloween display up, but it’s like this all year,” he grins.

Garth’s fiancée Heather Iles even has a spider engraved inside her engagement ring, beside the word ‘love’.

Evidently a gifted seamstress, she knits, weaves, crochets and sews huge spiders in all shapes, colours and sizes, with a big dollop of humour, each one given an affectionate name. The spider theme is threaded through clothes, crockery, furnishings and memorabilia, and even the family camper van.

“People do comment on the amount of spiders,” says Heather. “I made Garth some leg warmers for his spider, for his birthday. As soon as I’d made eight leg warmers for one spider, all the others needed them!”

Garth admits: “I have a rather large collection of toy spiders. I pretty much buy every one that comes out! I also have an amazingly creative partner. I think Heather has made me over 15 spiders.”

What about real spiders? “We love them, the kids love them,” cheers Heather. “At school there was a spider in the classroom and some of the kids were shrieking, but Freddie went up, grabbed it and popped it outside.”

Garth added: “I started liking spiders from an early age. I felt it unfair that such a useful animal should be so maligned. I think the most amazing thing about them is their webs.

“Now is a great time to go in to your front garden or park early in the morning and see if you can find a cross spider, Araneus diadematus. They may be busy building a web – watching the construction and care put into this just astounds me. The strength and durability of spider silk blows me away and humans haven’t even got close to

November 2018

southbristolvoice

n FEATURES replicating such a strong and flexible material.”

Any pets? “I’m not a great fan of any pets that need to be caged, so I don’t have any pet spiders.

But the ones that wander in are welcome,” says Garth. “Spiders are nothing to be scared of in this country. They don’t want to attack you. I like the ones with giant palps [these look like giant boxing gloves, on the males]. We had a massive one in the sink!”

Heather said casually: “A giant one dropped on me the other day when I got out of the shower, it came off my towel.

That one made me jump a bit, but then it just ran off and hid.”

As I leave, a mature and quite beautiful female silver and gold stripy cross spider sails to and fro on her silk scaffold and we ponder whether she will lay her eggs before autumn turns to winter, when her short life cycle will naturally end. We’ll wait until she’s finished before we cut the plants back, promise Garth and Heather.

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ver in Knowle, Ruth and David Drury have always given affectionate human names to all the spiders they find sharing their home.

They reveal: “We do it so the kids aren’t scared. We’ve done this with all insects since our kids were young. There’s no theme.

Mostly old people’s names for some reason. Lots get called Barry, Fred or Bill, also Gladys, Doris and a few Brians.”

Gill Brown of Bristol

WILDLIFE WATCH STILL SCARED? BRISTOL Zoo’s ‘Living with Spiders’ courses can help people overcome any fear. It includes four hours with relaxation, hypnotherapy and optional meetings with ‘friendly’ spiders.

A Zoo spokesperson said: “Average anxiety levels for participants during face-to-face spider encounters fell by over half after the course.” Courses are on November 26 and December 23. bristolzoo.org.uk/whats-on/ living-with-spiders the crumbling mortar of the chimney. A visiting plant expert showed us how to touch the web with a blade of grass and those black legs would shoot out!”

SPIDER FRIENDS

Naturalists’ Society recalled from her childhood: “I remember christening all the house spiders Maude. I’m still the go-to person for rescuing them from baths.’’

Rachel Heaton in Knowle said: “I never kill them. I avoid sucking them up the vacuum and always feel terrible if I walk through a web on my morning dog walks – so much work ruined in a flash. I love them.”

Sam Wiltshire recalled one seven-legged house spider on Windmill Hill, probably one of the huge Tegenaria species looking for a mate, which kept coming back in the house after

being gently set free in the garden, three times. “Unless there were others with the same missing leg, this one was determined about where it wanted to be!” he laughed.

Did you know Bristol even has a spider living locally that has luminous green teeth? Susan Acton-Campbell revealed she has seen it in the distinctive tower visible on the South Bristol skyline, towards Troopers Hill.

This incredible alien tube web spider, Segestria florentina, has shacked up in Bristol’s industrial ruins after arriving as a stowaway on ships. “We used to find it in

will eat their mother when she dies. A bite from this one can feel like a prick from a needle, but nothing more serious.

in the morning. Egg sacs are hidden around the garden. It paralyses its prey and injects enzymes that dissolve the insect’s insides.

PHOTO: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez, Wikimedia Commons

GREEN FANGED TUBE WEB Pictured opposite page, top The rare, iridescent green-fanged tube web spider, Segestria florentina, hides in a silk-lined tunnel inside old buildings around Bristol. It darts out when its silk trip wires are tugged. The spiderlings

CROSS SPIDER The cross spider or orb-weaver Araneus diadematus is a common garden spider. This pretty creature has a distinctive cross on its body, often with intricate orange, brown or yellow patterns. It creates beautiful wide webs that greet you

A

t least one Bristol pest control company brags that “insects don’t stand a chance” and parades photos of beautiful solitary bees, spiders (which are not actually insects) and other natural wonders being demonised. Too right they don’t stand a chance! That is not a world I want to live in, although it is increasingly heading that way. Many of the invertebrates that prop up the ecosystem we depend upon are suffering severe declines due to too much intolerance of them. * Fans of Marvel films will know that Menace is one of the enemies of Spider-man. ** There’s a myth that daddylong-legs are so venomous that they could kill people. They can’t. woodlice. A similar looking species is more often found in gardens, with a redder abdomen.

PHOTO: Harry Mac

PHOTO: Mohamed Kamardine

CHAMELEON CRAB SPIDER Hiding in flowers, mature females can change colour to match the petals. South Bristol residents can find the cunning crab spider Misumena vatia in white, yellow or green. Males are mostly brown.

PHOTO: Mohamed Kamardine

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UNUSUAL BAKED BEAN SPIDER Nicknamed the ‘baked bean spider’ because of its looks, this is a Dysdera erythrina, spotted by Harry Mac of Bristol Naturalists’ Society.

Bristol is one of a few places in Britain where it is still found. It has powerful jaws for chomping

ZEBRA SPIDER The zebra spider, Salticus scenicus, is a frequently found, rather cute, black and white striped resident in South Bristol gardens. Only 6-7mm long, it basks on dry, sunny places and leaps up to 10cm on prey.

• With thanks to all the Voice readers who responded to Alex’s appeal for spider-lovers, and sent us photos.

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n NEWS You’ve never baked like this A COUPLE living on St John’s Lane are baking along with the Great British Bakeoff – but adding a twist to each bake, from their island home of St Helena.

Robin and Emma-Jane Richards run an art business, Bemmie, selling distinctive prints of Bristol as well as their mid-Atlantic home.

The island has a mix of culinary influences, from Africa to India to Britain, making some

Parking issues started when RPZ came in

Unusual: Baked mackerel dish of their bakes rather unusual.

“This week we made what we think is the worlds first ever ‘Stuffed Mackerel Danish’ as it was Danish week!” said Robin.

You can follow the novel bakes at saintcooks.com

Anger at gun bill delay BRISTOL South MP Karin Smyth is angry that a debate on restricting gun use was pulled in the House of Commons on October 15 because, she says, the Government feared defeat.

Ms Smyth has been trying to tighten rules on young people possessing air weapons after a

tragic incident in Hartcliffe in which 18-month-old Harry Studley of Hartcliffe was left with lasting injuries after being shot by a former family friend.

The Offensive Weapons Bill has been postponed, and with it Ms Smyth’s amendment asking for a report on safe use of air guns.

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

AS A resident of Drake Road, Ashton for many years, I was incensed at some of the claims made in the October issue of South Bristol Voice about the parking issues.

When I moved here, of course we had the football traffic and parking issues, but it was just on match days. The real problems started here the day the RPZ was introduced in Southville. I agree the parking problems in Southville and Ashton have not been caused solely by the stadium but I do not agree it is the population increase, it is mainly due to the introduction of the Southville RPZ. It was made worse when the RPZ was extended to include Saturdays, as this also has an impact for the local shops and

match day parking. Double yellow lines have also been added in Southville and that is something I have asked our local councillor for here.

I do not want a magic bullet but I want a street that is safe for us as residents. There was recently a car parked in the road with a Southville RPZ sticker in the window for six weeks. Residents in the RPZ areas who have more than one vehicle often park them here.

They can park here but we can’t park there; it isn’t fair. Large vehicles often cannot get down the road due to cars parked on both sides and close to and often across corners.

I challenge anyone to visit Drake Road on a Sunday morning and see how clear it is of cars and compare it to a weekday; it is like it used to be, just the odd car, not cars parked across corners, making it hard to drive around, or see what is coming.

I have heard residents say the

Will Writing & Estate Planning

November 2018

southbristolvoice Please keep letters as short as possible,

Write to paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk and provide your LETTERS or to 18 Lilymead Avenue, BS4postal 2BX address.

RPZ should be extended to include Ashton but that would just push the problem on. What we need is double yellow lines down one side of the road, in order to make it safe. We have a good community here but the daily issues of commuters using this road and others in Ashton as a car park is miserable.

Name supplied Drake Road, Ashton

Roundabout is dangerous IS ANYTHING to be done about the roundabout on the A370 feeding to the new bypass? As you leave Bristol, heading south west on the Long Ashton bypass to head south towards the A38, there is a filter lane. Twice in as many months I have had to brake suddenly to avoid idiots coming off that lane and cutting across the white lines. Either drivers in Bristol need to be educated in how to drive properly or

the roundabout needs to be redesigned with a Give Way or a Stop sign.

Name supplied

Please tell us something new AS MUCH as I appreciate South Bristol Voice giving the Mr Rees column inches every month, I would be grateful if his content contained at least some information, preferably about something he has achieved for the city. Something, perhaps, such as a visit to Singapore ...

Mr Rees’s last input to the Voice consisted of an advert for Facebook and a “range of media to engage with you all directly”. I really don’t give a tinker’s cuss that he’s on Facebook. Or indeed, any other mode of communication.

Perhaps on Facebook he’s told his audience that he writes in South Bristol Voice.

Dr Peter Hale Morley Road, Southville

21

n NEWS

photographs set to music. On Memories November 19, Ruth Baker Walton will be bring her programme of African wild animals under revisited the title of Charismatic Hungry.

THE MEMORIES of Bedminster group begins its November programme with a slightly delayed Halloween party on Monday November 5. On November 12, members Sue and Richard will be showing their

The event for November 26 is to be confirmed. The group meets at 1.30pm in the South Bristol Christian Centre in Churchlands Road, off West Street, Bedminster.

Dementia plea to shops CAMPAIGNERS hoping to promote better understanding of dementia are visiting shops throughout Bedminster to boost awareness of the condition.

About half the retailers have already been visited and given a copy of a booklet, A Guide to Understanding Dementia.

The hope is that some of the businesses will want to find out more and become officially Dementia Friendly.

“The Dementia Action Alliance can offer training if needed and we hope these

businesses will commit to treating people with dementia in a civilised way,” said campaigner Ben Barker.

Dementia doesn’t only strike the elderly: anyone who appears confused or has problems communicating may be affected.

Shopkeepers can help by displaying better signs, being aware that people with dementia may find paying for things confusing, and supporting people with dementia to feel valued customers. dementiaaction.org.uk

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southbristolvoice

November 2018

CREATIVEfrom THINKING inside the box

November 2018

southbristolvoice

n NEWS About to give up work? Here’s how to cope ANYONE about to give up work is invited to an event designed to help those aged 55 plus to manage the shift into the next phase of their lives.

Called Post-Retirement Opportunities, it’s in the Sports Bar at Ashton Gate stadium from 6-8pm on November 28.

It’s free to attend, though you need to book a place.

Aimed at people thinking of retirement or facing redundancy, it will focus on the areas of money, work and volunteering as well as learning, leisure, and health and wellbeing.

Retired headteacher and blogger Julia Skinner will share insights from her own retirement journey, and there will be more guest speakers, workshops and representatives from a range of organisations.

It’s organised by LinkAge Network. To book a place, call 0117 353 3042 or visit linkagenetwork.org.uk/pro

MEMBERS of Malago WI are celebrating their 10th anniversary by throwing open their doors to a taster evening on Wednesday November 28 – an evening of arts and crafts, tea and cakes, and the chance to meet some new friendly people.

Malago Women’s Institute was started in October 2008 by friends Karen Bowers and Lottie Storey, who met while pregnant.

Bolstered by eight others, the group has since blossomed and welcomed many speakers and activities over the past decade.

In October, the national WI celebrated 100 years of campaigns to support and empower women.

WI resolutions have often been ahead of their time, including Make Time for Mental Health, End Plastic Soup, Food Matters and Alleviating Loneliness.

Malago members range from working women and new mums to retirees from Bedminster, Totterdown and Brislington. They meet on the last Wednesday of the month (not December) from 8-10pm at Bedminster Methodist Church, British Road.

Over the past year, events have covered fermentation, sugar crafting, keeping bees, women’s

23

Fiddlers Club looks safer

Cakes made for the Pride Festival

WI recipe mixes rights, bees and plastic waste health, and plastics in our oceans. Trips have been made to the Spicery on Feeder Road and the old city, as well as taking a stall at the Pride Festival.

To find out more, email Avril Baker at avril@abc-pr.co.uk or call 0117 977 2002 or 0780 395 4120. malagowi.co.uk • More on the Voice website

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included an exercise bed. In The Bridge, the Bed, the Truth, written by Sheila Hannon with many references to the New Cut, Sarah is played by Kim Hicks.

The play opens at the Hen and Chicken, North Street, on November 6 and 7. Tickets are £10 and shows are at 8.30pm. It then moves to the Create Centre. showofstrength.org.uk

Christmas is turning green PUPILS and parents at St Mary Redcliffe primary school are dreaming of a green Christmas, with an energy-themed Winter Fair. As well as festive favourites including gift stalls, cakes, carols and Father Christmas’s Grotto, there will be an Energy Zone to show families how they can reduce their fuel bills.

It’s on Saturday December 1, 1-4pm. Admission £1 adults, children get in free.

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BEDMINSTER’S Show of Strength theatre company looks set to have another Bristol-based hit on its hands with its show about Sarah Guppy, the first woman to patent a bridge design.

Sarah, who helped a young IK Brunel with his design for Clifton suspension bridge, made a fortune and lived at Arnos Vale manor. Her many inventions

THE FIDDLERS nightclub in Willway Street, Bedminster, has won a planning application which makes it easier for the club to hold live music and stay open until as late as 6am.

The club has few neighbours and there have been no complaints about noise, the council said.

A planning application made in January 2018 for 24 student flats next door to the club appeared to put it under threat.

Music venues in Bristol and elsewhere have been forced to close after new homes have been allowed nearby and the new residents have then complained about noise. But the student application “has a number of concerns” and “it appears likely to be refused,” planners have said Fiddlers has hosted acts from Robert Plant to Lee Scratch Perry. On November 21 it hosts Malian musician Fatoumata Diawara, fresh from appearing on Later With Jools on BBC2.

Chris Brown: 07767 724401 chris@puppetsonline.co.uk www.puppetsonline.co.uk

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24

November 2018

southbristolvoice

n THE MAYOR

MARVIN REES Mayor of Bristol

Our new deal on transport will transform the way we move around the city

T

HIS week was my State of the City annual address. I enjoy the opportunity to speak direct to the city and I hope you saw, heard or read some details of the speech.

In preparing for this, it was worthwhile and rewarding to look at just how much we have achieved in the two years since my election.

I talked about how we have turned around the broken council we inherited, with a £30million financial hole and a report showing a “collective failure of leadership”, to today, when an independent review has concluded we are now fit for purpose and

25

focused on delivery. I also spoke about the way the city is now pulling together towards key priorities and working with partners to deliver a city plan, city office and city fund that will transform Bristol beyond party politics and beyond the electoral cycle.

But, most importantly I was able to reflect

on the major initiatives we have already delivered on. New schools and increased school places, exceeding our housing targets, the children’s charter, the talent pipeline projects, improvements to adult social care, and the work that we are doing on community cohesion and community development and on inclusive growth, so nobody gets left behind by the success of the city.

On top of all that, I added some detail to our plans for the development of the Western Harbour, the housing and mixed use development of Temple Quarter, and the re-development of Temple Meads station.

And, if that’s not enough, I committed to do more to solve Bristol’s chronic transport problems that no administration has ever tackled.

I talked about a new deal we were putting together with First Bus for a standard fixed fare for all, across the whole city, bringing equality to bus travel, along with increased bus services and the development of a mass transit system. The latter will be a segregated, new transport system using infrastructure and tunnels that will transform the way we move around the city.

The speech is available to view on YouTube now, and there is a transcript on my blog. thebristolmayor.com

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n NEWS

November 2018 ST CATHERINE’S PLACE

November 2018

southbristolvoice

n NEWS

A landmark that will help revive Bedminster – or a monstrosity that will deface it?

A PLANNING application has been submitted for the first and largest tower block to be proposed for Bedminster Green – and it’s a whopper.

Developer Firmstone wants to construct a 22-storey high-rise, containing 208 flats. It will be surrounded by lower-rise buildings of up to eight storeys, containing a further 63 homes.

There would also be a cinema,

new shops and a complete transformation from the tired appearance of the current St Catherine’s shopping centre.

There would be just 25 parking spaces – though the council is likely to support efforts to persuade the new residents not to have cars – and more than one cycle space per flat.

Firmstone says it’s come up with “a comprehensive

27

THE REACTION

No missing it: Firmstone justifies the height by saying: “It requires a strong marker building to emphasise this important role in the town.”

Firmstone plan in pink, other developers’ plans in white. Blocks on the left are two schemes by Dandara; those in the centre from Deeley Freed

development with a mix of uses that will transform the centre of Bedminster. It will be the hub of retail/leisure activity in the area, regenerating the existing shopping centre and revitalising East Street. The introduction of residential uses alongside a retail and commercial offer will lead to a vibrant and lively community.”

Traders in run-down East Street may agree – many have said that new homes could be the only thing that would breathe new life into the shopping centre.

Residents, however, are likely to be split in their opinions.

Some will welcome the transformation; others will object vehemently to the height.

There is already anger that the plan includes no social housing. Neil Sellers, of the BS3 Planning group, said the omission was “absolutely appalling”.

The council’s target for affordable homes in this kind of development is 30 per cent.

But Firmstone says it can’t

presented for public consultation.

Mr Sellers criticised the fact the application has been made before the framework is ready.

“Picking things up one by one is not helpful,” he said.

The outline of the Bedminster Green area is clear, though, from drawings included in the Firmstone application.

It shows outlines of the next-door plot at Little Paradise, where developer Dandara is understood to propose 340 flats in blocks of up to 18 storeys. It said in June that it would make a planning application in the summer, but that didn’t happen.

Bedminster-based developer Paul O’Brien has been waiting more than a year for a decision on his application for 215 homes (32 of them affordable) between Malago Road and the railway, in blocks of up to nine storeys.

Yet to emerge are Dandara’s plans for a separate plot which includes Bedminster station and the area around the green. The

afford any – despite hinting earlier in the year that it would include affordable homes. It points to a brief viability statement, prepared for it by consultants GVA, which says that enforcing 30 per cent affordable housing would lead to a “negative land value” of £3.93 million.

It also cites the long delay in developing the site. Permission was given in 2014 for 188 flats in two buildings of up to 16 storeys.

But the scheme never came off, and the site changed hands – because, Firmstone says, it was not viable. The earlier plan had no social housing either.

There is still no sign of the promised framework from the four developers working on plans around Bedminster Green.

Residents had been told to expect it in September, but it has clearly run into problems. It is understood, though, that none of the five schemes proposed will be given planning permission until an overall framework has been

Firmstone plan shows these buildings having 12 storeys.

There has been no word from Bristol developer Deeley Freed on what it proposes for the area now used as the NCP car park, but the Firmstone drawings show one main block of 11 storeys.

Separate from the current application by Firmstone is the work almost completed on the former office block at St Catherine’s place. It was given permission last year to add two floors to the six-storey building and convert it into 54 flats.

The plans also reveal that the building is on the site of an 18th century watermill straddling the River Malago, which followed a different course at the time. The mill is shown on an 18th C map – near one of today’s roads, which is still called Mill Lane.

Builders will have to be on the alert for any historically valuable remains when they excavate the site – and may have to call in archeologists.

TWO local planning groups, BS3 Community and WHaM from Windmill Hill, both expressed themselves “appalled” at the complete lack of affordable housing.

Nick Townsend, chair of WHaM, also called the scale of the plan “absolutely monstrous”.

“They haven’t listened to the public response to the SPD [the council’s new policy on tall buildings] where 80 per cent of people were against tower blocks,” he said.

“We will make the strongest response to this, and I would urge anyone who is concerned to make their views known to the council.”

WHaM is also appalled that the plan came out before any consultation on the framework, or masterplan, for the whole of Bedminster Green.

Only three public statements had been made about the plan as the Voice went to press.

Two were against – though both were from the same address in Cotswold Road North, Windmill

ST CATHERINE’S PLACE Hill. One of the residents said: “In principle, lots of positive points but a tower block of 22 floors is totally unacceptable! It also doesn’t respect the surrounding buildings or neighbours. New homes are needed but this is horrendous.”

The other resident at the same address said: “The height should be limited to 10 floors at most. The suggested building is totally out of character to the area and ... it would block light.”

The one supporter of the scheme, who lives close to the site in Church Lane, is also not likely to be happy. She wrote: “I am in favour of this being built, happy with high-rise, and happy for renovation with positive outcomes for the community.”

But she added: “However, this is on the condition that affordable housing is provided within the complex to prevent gentrification and ensure a welcoming and living community for all.”

You can find the Firmstone plan, and make comments, at: tinyurl.com/firmstoneplan

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November 2018

SHOW HOME NOW AVAILABLE TO VIEW

November 2018

southbristolvoice

n THE PROPERTY PAGE

29 NEWS ABOUT SOUTH BRISTOL HOMES

Chance to quiz local property experts on how to buy a home First outing for Q&A style event for homebuyers TWO INDEPENDENT property businesses from BS3 have got together to host their own Q&A for anyone who wants to find out more about buying a home.

Property Question Time is being held at North Gallery Workspace, 133-135 North Street, Bedminster, from 6-7.30pm on Thursday November 8.

It is the brainchild of estate agent Urban Lighthouse, run by Laurence Irvine, and mortgage broker Catherine Hope of Hope Mortgage Solutions. Also on hand will be a surveyor, solicitor and accountant.

The aim is to provide a new

kind of event where anyone thinking of buying a property can ask questions about any aspect of the process.

“We are all experienced people so I would be surprised if there is a question we can’t answer,” said Laurence.

“There will be a short introduction from all of us about our respective roles, a Q&A, and then an opportunity to question individual experts on a one-toone basis, in an informal setting.

“I hope many of you will come along and see the very best of our independent property experts.”

Laurence set up Urban Lighthouse last year after 20 years experience in home sales in South Bristol, while Catherine branched out with her own firm after working for a mortgage consultancy.

The pair say they share a fresh approach to their respective industries, with a hunger to provide great service, and a passion for local homeless projects. Laurence supports the Bedminster charity Help Bristol’s Homeless, while Catherine helps various projects inlcuding a soup run.

Laurence said: “I am excited about hosting this event, particularly on home turf, in a vibrant new workspace which reflects our values, offering locals the opportunity to ask questions they may have on any propertyrelated issues.”

More details from Laurence at homes@urbanlighthouse.co.uk or 07576 648422, or Catherine Hope, at Catherine@ hopemortgagesolutions.co.uk, or 07824 634087.

Tenants don’t know their rental rights MORE than half of tenants in Bristol don’t understand their rights or the new laws the government has brought in to help them, according to a study.

The research from online letting agent MakeUrMove shows that Bristolian tenants struggle to get their heads around some of the laws associated with renting.

Worryingly, 88 per cent of tenants in the city don’t understand the upcoming ban on tenant fees, despite widespread coverage of the impending policy.

The survey also revealed that 71 per cent of tenants in Bristol don’t understand the costs they have to pay for reference checks.

More alarmingly, 37 per cent of tenants in the city said they don’t understand the Deposit Protection Scheme, with 34 per cent not knowing their rights for getting their deposit back.

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November 2018

November 2018

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ADVICE FROM A PHARMACIST got asked to join Hugh We’re turning Grant and Dr Hilary Jones as a national ambassador charity Pancreatic purple to wake for Cancer Action.

Any cancer diagnosis you up to an brings great anxiety for a patient and their loved unseen killer ones; pancreatic cancer, the

H

Be Ambiious

ave you heard about the male Bedminster pharmacist wearing the purple luminescent wig? Well, it’s true.

What’s all this about?

Every November, pharmacies across the UK take part in the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness campaign, holding a Turn it Purple event to raise awareness of the disease among local communities.

Last year, Bedminster Pharmacy held a Turn it Purple day, getting a lot of national media attention and yet another national award!

Pharmacist Ade Williams also

fifth biggest cancer killer, is It’s no joke: Pancreatic cancer goes unseen just the same.

The pancreas is found Of those, half will only find out they deep inside your body, have pancreatic cancer when they behind the stomach and in front of are admitted to A&E. Sadly, the the spine. It has two main jobs: it survival rate is very low: 24 of the makes enzymes, which help to 26 will die within five years. digest or break down food, and What causes it? Smoking, hormones such as insulin and diabetes and obesity are known glucagon, which control blood risk factors. People with close sugar levels. relatives (mother, father, brother, Cancer of the pancreas affects sister) diagnosed with pancreatic men and women equally, with cancer have an increased risk. The greater risk from the age of 45. signs of pancreatic cancer include: About 26 patients are diagnosed • Unexplained weight loss; every day, at an average age of 72.

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

Children must be accompanied.

It’s free, but register online.

Breathing space

F

OLLOWING the community conversation on clean air held at the farm in October, Breathe In, Breathe Out is a children’s workshop on November 2, from 10am-12 noon.

Kids can try simple experiments to test air quality, brainstorm solutions and create posters to get the messages across. Soft drinks and biscuits are provided.

Martin’s manoeuvres MARTIN the donkey lives in Liverpool with his human Adam Lee, a photographer and walker.

Together this autumn they are walking the length of western Britain, from Cape Wrath in

windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk

enjoyed an overnight stay at the farm during their 700-mile journey. You can follow them here: adamwalks.wordpress.com

Time of the month NOVEMBER’S monthly menopause social is on Sunday November 4, 10.30am-12 noon.

This is a free event, no booking required, with free drinks and cakes, held upstairs in the training room. Any woman affected by the menopause is very welcome to attend.

• Jaundice – yellowing skin and whites of the eyes; very itchy skin • Mid-back pain which may be eased by leaning forward; • Upper abdominal pain, which may radiate to the back; • New-onset diabetes, not associated with weight gain; • Indigestion not responding to medication; • Pale and smelly stools that don’t flush easily.

This, I assure you, is no purple prose. Our community needs you to help stop pancreatic cancer blighting more families. You can find out more about the disease here: pancreaticcanceraction.org • 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.

Meat market FARM-reared lamb and goat meat is available to buy from the farm shop from November.

Christmas is coming Martin and Adam drop in PHOTO: Christine Higgott

Scotland to the Isle of Portland in England, raising money for youth homelessness charity Centrepoint. At the beginning of October Martin and Adam

IN A CHANGE from the usual Christmas Fair, this year there will be a Festive Farm Evening, held in the café on Thursday December 6 from 6-8.30pm.

There will be carols around the campfire with Windmill Hillbased à cappella choir Break Out Voices, as well as mulled wine, mince pies and homemade stew.

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32

n YOUR COUNCILLORS

I

Oh Brexit, Brexit DIDN’T go on the Peoples Vote demo, but I was impressed with the attendance.

Charlie I was significantly Bolton less impressed with Green the BBC, which Southville seemed to give the same level of coverage to a tiny demo in Harrogate by UKIP as it did to the 700,000 in London.

Anyway, the question has to be, what will it mean for Bristol?

To a large extent, we don’t begin to know – at worst we may face sudden food shortages, although I can’t say how likely this is. There are, however, some things which we can predict.

There is already a huge turnover in numbers of carers in this country, with increasing demand from an ageing population. A substantial proportion of carers are EU nationals. So Brexit will make it that much harder to recruit a full establishment of carers. The

Southville

same applies to nurses – we already have difficulty employing enough nurses, so turning off the tap to a source of supply can only make it harder to recruit more.

We need to see how big a problem this is locally, and ask what the NHS is doing to address it.

Rising food prices will hit the least well-off the hardest. This becomes a multiple whammy, with services and benefits cut and life made just that bit harder when it is already too hard.

The impact on business is unclear, but uncertainty will impact on investment – so in the longer term Britain, and Bristol, will become a less attractive place for business to be. It may also impact on their costs, with an unknown set of tariffs looming, and there may also be difficulties in exporting to our biggest market.

Basically, Brexit is going to impact on every aspect of our lives, and probably for the worse.

And – just in case you didn’t know, I oppose Brexit, and support a People’s Vote, with an option to remain.

I

How to contact your councillor: p2

AM worried about the secondary school situation in South Bristol.

We all know that the population in Stephen our area is growing Clarke rapidly (and that’s Green without the 3,000- Southville odd people who are going to end up living in Bedminster Green).

The local primary schools have dramatically expanded their intake to deal with this and it doesn’t take a genius to work out that this growth-bulge of children will need secondary school education shortly. A new secondary school is planned but details are sparse – “somewhere in Knowle” is about the best info I can get. The problem is that schools take a long time to plan and get built and I am very concerned that there will be a period of some years when pressure on places may mean some local children having to travel long distances – perhaps

to Brislington – to get their education. This is not acceptable; children need to be educated in their own neighbourhood.

Upton Road closure While I am discussing schools, we have had very positive feedback from parents at Ashton Gate primary school about the temporary closure of part of Upton Road, which runs between the school and its playground.

This closure has now been made permanent. This is an issue where we listened carefully to parent’s concerns and managed to get something done about it.

Clean air and recycling Two other areas that local Greens have long campaigned for are cleaner air in Bristol (to help reduce the 300-odd people who have their lives shortened by toxic fumes) and a reuse and recycling centre for South Bristol (to end people having to travel to St Philip’s or Avonmouth). We may have finally had some impact with our campaigns and there may be some movement on both issues shortly – watch this space.

November 2018

southbristolvoice

n YOUR COUNCILLORS

I

T SEEMS that persistent lobbying about South Liberty Lane is paying off.

Earlier in the Mark year I asked the Bradshaw mayor about the Labour dangerous conflict Bedminster between HGVs, other road users and people walking and cycling along this narrow route. He suggested some replacement of the traffic lights might happen.

A new traffic order has just been published that will enable works on this stretch of road (see below). The full version is on the council website.

“South Liberty Lane, Ashton.

Temporary Prohibition of Use by Vehicles; Temporary Suspension of Weight Order Limits.

1. to close, temporarily, to vehicles South Liberty Lane from 44m south-west of Hedgers Close south-westwards for 129m; and 2. to suspend, temporarily, when appropriate signs are covered,

33

Bedminster

the prohibition of vehicles over 5 tonnes in Ashton Drive and Risdale Road, so as to give effect to the alternative route as a consequence of item 1. above.”

The order will enable trial holes to be dug and some reconstruction of the bridge carriageway. Although the technical details are not clear yet, I hope the works will result in a safer environment for residents.

The order lasts for 18 months but it’s expected there will be one five-day closure and one four-week closure, both to take place between November 2018 and December 2019. During the closure, traffic will be diverted along Risdale Road and Ashton Drive.

Traffic and parking: have your say We are about to begin our community conversation on traffic and parking in Bedminster ward and a short survey will soon be available online and on our Facebook page (and paper copies too). The link to complete the survey will appear in the next edition of the Voice.

B

How to contact your councillor: p2

RISTOL city council continues to develop a One City approach and it seems that this is Celia beginning to show Phipps positive outcomes. Labour Bristol has been Bedminster nominated as one of the 12 most innovative cities in Europe, and the Global Parliament of Mayors has been hosted in City Hall.

Sadly, the city did not attract the financial recognition gained by the top six, but the participation was worthwhile.

The One City approach is about working together to make Bristol a fair, healthy and sustainable city by 2050 and has several themes, including Health and Wellbeing, of which the mental health programme Thrive is just one strand.

I sit on the Thrive steering group and we are working with those who have experienced poor mental health, and partner

organisations, to make sure mental health is as important as physical health. We are very aware that the mental health of the children and young people in our city is not good, and we have been working with the Centre for Mental Health to identify priorities.

The Healthier Together programme, the renamed Sustainability and Transformation Plan, is changing the way health services are delivered, with an aim to work towards a more integrated approach including the local authority. We are raising concerns about the potential size and accountability of such an organisation.

We regularly join coffee mornings and sessions at Gaywood House and hope to see you at our drop-in surgery (no appointment needed) in Mezzaluna on West Street on the first Saturday of every month between 10.30 and 11.30am, or contact us via Facebook: @MarkandCeliaforBedminster

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November 2018

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34

n GOING VEGAN

November 2018

southbristolvoice

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Let us show you how exciting vegan food can be Eat Your Greens

Hungry Herbie

156 Wells Road, Totterdown BS4 2AG 0117 239 8704 Facebook/Instagram: Eat Your Greens Bristol

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H

I

T’S NOT any kind of hardship to eat plant-based food, and Eat Your Greens is here to prove it.

Looking at chef Babs Greaves’ colourful and imaginative dishes, even hardened carnivores are known to salivate.

On the regular autumn menu, the mains include homemade gnocchi with sunflower seed, spinach and sun-dried tomato pesto, fresh rocket, crispy oyster mushrooms and locally-grown mixed leaf salad.

If you want a burger, the EYG version is made with smoky sweet potato, roasted red onion and turtle beans, with pineapple rose harissa relish mayo, lettuce, sliced tomato, smoky gouda (vegan) cheese, hand-cut chips or side salad. Daytimes there’s a

Plant-based food should be exciting, believes Babs at Eat Your Greens varied regular menu, from the giant Beasty Breakfast to EYG waffles, a daily lunch bowl with roast veg, and seasonal soup.

Everything is available gluten-free, and queries about allergies and food intolerances are positively encouraged – the aim is for everyone to enjoy. For a different treat, there’s a special three-course vegan menu when the Pitchfork café hosts a pop-up event on November 13. Details will be on Facebook and Instagram – booking is advised.

EXCITING WAYS WITH PLANT-BASED FOOD

Little Kitchen

Cookery School, 153 Wick Road, Brislington BS4 4HH www.little-kitchen.co.uk

D

O YOU want to adapt your diet to avoid meat, but worry that you don’t have the skills?

Little Kitchen provides a relaxed, well-equipped cooking environment with small class sizes and affordable workshops and courses for adults and children. You can have fun, make new friends, and learn to cook delicious new dishes. Whether you’re interested in developing your baking skills, learning how to cook delicious meals or just need a bit of extra inspiration, there is a course or workshop for you.

As well as being able to adapt many of their evening and weekend classes for a vegetarian and vegan diet, there is also a Meat-free Cookery class. This class is perfect for anyone who is vegetarian or vegan, as well as anyone thinking of adapting their diet to cut down on meat and dairy.

AVE you ever wanted to go out to eat vegan but couldn’t think of anywhere to go? Hungry Herbie could be your answer – a new app that allows members to find vegan and vegetarian restaurants and get discounts.

It’s focused on Bristol and Bath and also aims to include vegan-friendly businesses such as hairdressers which use vegan and cruelty-free products.

The app is launched on November 1, though the discounts don’t start until January. Members pay £20 for a card, which entitles them to discounts such as 10 per cent off at restaurants. Café offers include two cakes for £5 and double stamps on loyalty cards.

It’s the brainchild of Jenny Tame, who has been vegetarian since the age of 13. When she turned vegan three years ago she realised there were no real options for finding discounts from the food businesses she wanted to use.

Starting from scratch, she developed her own app – figuring out what she wanted while she was running her previous business, a home ironing service.

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37

n HISTORY STRIVING FOR PEACE IN THE GREAT WAR Meet the men who would rather face death than raise arms in anger

O

1

6 is M, N or O 7 is P, Q,Zambia R or S 8 is T, U or V 9 is W, X, Y or Z

November 2018

Part I

We remember the hundreds of Bristolians who believed their real duty in World War I was to their fellow humans, not to join any army

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N NOVEMBER 11 the nation will mark 100 years since the end of hostilities in World War I, the war remembered above all others for its piteous and seemingly senseless loss of life.

The Voice has run several history features recalling what was then known as the Great War, focusing on those who fought and suffered on the front line.

Now it’s time to look at those who chose not to fight.

Conscientious objectors (COs) were a new phenomenon. The notion that anyone would refuse to fight for their country for any reason other than cowardice was hard for many to understand.

Nowadays we mainly remember the sacrifice of millions of men who served and died in the trenches. But 20,000 British men refused, on principle, to raise arms against their fellow man. Many did so for religious reasons; many, like our Totterdown family featured here, were Quakers, whose faith encouraged independent thought. Others had political convictions – socialists and anarchists, for example, who would not fight their fellow workers from whatever nation, and believed the real enemy was the capitalist class.

About 400 of the COs who have been identified were from Bristol; 20 or more were from South Bristol (we will publish a list next month). They were supported by a network of sympathisers, many of them women, like Bristol’s Mavis Tothill, who gave advice on the

law and facing the tribunals set up to decide who was to be given exemption when military service became compulsory in 1916.

For those on the run, a network of safe houses existed throughout the country, to hide them and even spirit them away via Liverpool docks to a new life in the US. Some sympathisers also helped deserters – men on the run from the army, who numbered in the thousands.

There were severe penalties for anyone caught helping people to evade military service – as we will see next month when we tell the tale of a Bedminster shopkeeper who seems to have succeeded for years in hiding draft-dodgers and COs in a secret chamber under his shop.

Our thanks go to the Otherstory theatre company, who have held an exhibition and a puppet show telling the story of several South Bristol ‘conchies’ and the people who helped them.

Otherstory is holding events in the new year for anyone interested in finding out more about the 1914-18 anti-war movement in South Bristol, and intends to create a ‘puppet walk’ visiting places connected with COs in Bedminster (see page 31).

T

HERE were many reasons why men refused to fight, but there was no doubt about the motivation of Roland Reinge of Oxford Street, Totterdown.

“I thank God … that I was given strength to bear witness and testimony to the teachings of Jesus Christ, who refused to

Emotional appeal: When tens of thousands of men could be killed in the trenches in a single day, the need for manpower was huge.

Government propaganda tried to persuade men that they owed it to their comrades to share the risks of battle. Few chose to resist establish his kingdom by force. I firmly believe that to engage either directly or indirectly in militarism or war is contrary to the teachings of Jesus.” With those words he ended his (so far) unpublished memoir.

Roland and his brothers, Sidney and Baden Powell Reinge, ignored the considerable moral pressure put on all young men to “do their duty” and volunteer for the army; they not only refused the call-up when it came, but they turned down any alternative work which might in any way support the war effort. Roland, who was 21 when conscription began in 1916, was training as a carpenter. Sidney, 19, was a grocer’s assistant, while Baden, 16, had not yet found a job.

The treatment of COs was often thought of as harsh – and it was. But Roland Reinge faithfully records the opportunities the

brothers were given to reach a compromise.

On their first appearance before a tribunal in early 1916, Sidney and Roland were given an exemption from military service.

This sounds ideal, but Roland wanted a ruling without conditions, so they appealed. The appeal tribunal chairman warned him that an unconditional ruling wasn’t possible, and he could easily lose his exemption.

The military representative at the tribunal said he couldn’t understand why the brothers weren’t satisfied, as they had a ruling “many others would be glad to have.”

The brothers told him they understood, but they were worried that they would be called on to do some job in substitution which would free someone else to work for the war effort. So keen Continued overleaf

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

November 2018

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38

n HISTORY Continued from page 37 were they that they would not support the military in any way that they wouldn’t accept any job they were ordered to do.

Surprisingly, the military representative relented, saying he would not push them into any “substitution work”.

He told the tribunal: “I do not understand these men not wanting to help their country in time of need, neither can I agree with their views, but I am certainly convinced that they are sincere in their beliefs.”

The authorities went to great lengths to tease out possible objections to war work and sometimes tried to find work that was acceptable to COs. But the Reinges would take no “war work”.

At an earlier tribunal the brothers were asked: “In the event of an air raid, would you refuse to help the wounded?”

The brothers answered: “No.” “If the wounded should be soldiers, would you refuse?”

“No.” “Then there can be no reason

STRIVING FOR PEACE IN THE GREAT WAR Part I

Charles Dowden: At Dartmoor prison, 1917 why you should not join the RAMC (Royal Army Medical Corps)?”

“We have a conscientious objection to joining the RAMC.” “Why?” “Because it is a part of the military machine.”

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H Senior Citizens Special H Garden Clearance — Regular or one-off H Patios H Fencing H Tree Work H Turfing H Hedgecutting H Planting (Shrubs etc) H Organic manure delivered — Also applied H Professional and guarnteed work H Brick & Blocklaying

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Charles Dowden, left, was a South Bristol member of the No-Conscription Fellowship. He appealed against his conscription and lost. On August 25, 1916, he disappeared.

He later went to a house in Winscombe, Somerset, owned

by Elizabeth Hutchinson, a Quaker and supporter of the COs. She had invited Dowden, 28 and another ‘deserter’, George Elliott, 27, to spend a week in the house and carry out some decorating – presumably in order to look as if they had a reason for being there.

But Hutchinson was caught and tried before Bristol magistrates on December 12, 1916. The court heard that she had sent Elliott 30 shillings (£1.50, worth about £80 today) on October 10, giving him directions to her house in Winscombe and instructions to decorate “one room as much as possible in case the army authorities sent for them.” In court her solicitor argued she had done nothing to help the men evade military service, merely offered them the use of her weekend home. She was fined £1, while Elliott and Dowden were imprisoned.

Little is known about Charles Dowden except that he lived at Bishopsworth Road, Bedminster Down and worked at Imperial Tobacco.

oland’s memoir begins with his childhood memories of playing with his brothers. He remembered running past Temple Meads station, challenged by Sid to jump over an old boot-black’s box. “One Saturday morning, I missed and kicked the box and tins all over the place. I remember having the sense to duck as a stick flew over my head, and the next moment finding my head securely fast, for I had run between a policeman’s legs.

“Imagine my fear and horror when the policeman, in jest, told the boot-black to lather me well with the stick.”

The Reinges were a religious family but seem to have been faithful to their own beliefs rather than dogmatic followers of one church. They attended meetings of the Quakers, where members are allowed to form their own beliefs, as well as Totterdown Methodist church.

But this latter church was part of the war movement as far as Roland was concerned. Members were urged to support the war effort and when it became clear the Reinge brothers were not going to enlist, “one of the members threatened us never to put our feet over the threshold again” – a threat the family ignored. It struck Roland that

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“religious organisations … were no better than any other body of people” in the way they treated COs and their families. “In fact they were worse, for one might expect it from secular bodies, but not from them.”

And it was a non-believer, Frank Yandel, a plumber who worked with Roland, who always stood up for him “and was always ready to answer those who were taunting me.”

Perhaps later Roland would be less surprised: when he met more like-minded COs, he would have found them to be people with strong personal beliefs, but while some were deeply religious, others were committed to atheism, to socialism, anarchism, or some other belief.

E

ventually, on December 21, 1916, the reckoning came.

A police wagon, drawn by a horse, arrived at Oxford Street and took the brothers first to Knowle police station (at that time in Calcot Road) and then on to the Bridewell before they were brought before the magistrates.

The brothers had already been summoned to military service, and had ignored the call, so they were now technically deserters.

They were taken to the army recruiting office in Narrow Wine Street, where they were offered the chance to be sworn in to the army and “take the King’s money”, the recruiting officer saying, “it would be much better for us, as we had now ceased to be subject to civil law and were purely subject to military law.

If we persisted in our attitude it might result in very serious

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

November 2018

southbristolvoice

n HISTORY

39

STRIVING FOR PEACE IN THE GREAT WAR Part I

TELLING THE STORY OF THE SOUTH BRISTOL COs

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HE NATIONAL Lottery has given Otherstory, the Bristol puppet theatre collective, £4,200 to discover the hidden histories of conscientious objection and resistance to WWI in South Bristol.

George Barker’s cycle shop in Cannon Street, Bedminster, is just one location which Otherstory will weave into a puppet history walk which next year will help commemorate 100 years since the end of the conflict.

Otherstory wants to hear from people who have their own family connections to the anti-war movement. It has already mounted an exhibition which has been seen in Bristol Cathedral, where one woman walked in to see a picture of her grandfather in a group of conscientious objectors held at Dartmoor prison.

Many families did not talk about men who refused to fight; but others were proud of their resistance, which took courage and determination. Many were imprisoned without their families even knowing where they were.

The workshops will show people how to research the history of war resistance in South Bristol around World War I. There will then

consequences. We told him we were sorry we could not alter our views and quite understood the seriousness of our position.”

They waited to be taken to Horfield barracks; then “the officer came to us and asked us how we were going to manage in the barracks with no money in our pockets. He suggested that, at least, we take the money he had offered us. He was very cunning and polite. We replied that it was not our wish to be considered soldiers and we had no desire to accept army money.”

If they had taken the “King’s money”, no doubt they would have been considered to have accepted their military service.

The brothers spent Christmas 1916 in the barracks. The other soldiers were mostly kind to them, even sharing their Christmas presents, and seemed impressed when the Reinges refused to stand for an officer.

They even refused to answer their names to a roll call, but a corporal answered for them.

The charade continued when

George Barker and his cycle shop in the Otherstory puppet show. We’ll tell George’s story next month be an opportunity to work with professional puppeteers and musicians to develop a puppet history walk. The workshops will run from January to March 2019 in Bedminster. Finally the ‘walk’ will

be taken out onto the streets of Bedminster: going to places where the history happened, to tell people the stories discovered using puppetry and song. The Otherstory website reveals more.

The walk will also feature as part of Commemoration, Conflict and Conscience, a national festival at Bristol’s M Shed in April 2019. otherstory.org/hiding-placesand-hidden-histories

they were taken to Chiseldon army camp in Wiltshire. They were taken to the quartermaster’s stores, given uniforms and told to put them on. Of course, they refused. This was taken as their first refusal of a military order, and they were put in detention to await a court martial.

Two days before the court martial, they had a visit from an army chaplain. This encounter confirmed the sharp contrast between the behaviour which the brothers believed was required by their understanding of Christianity, and the conduct most clergy expected.

“It was not long before we were involved in a strong discussion on the Christian attitude to war, which was not at all to his liking. He asked us to seriously consider our position and reflect on our duty to the country and our fellow men. He also dwelt on the general disgrace and the serious position we were now in.

“He said he would like to help us and could exercise some

influence on our behalf. This we strongly resented, saying that Christ’s teaching was that of peace, and that we felt his attitude was that of the ‘false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing’.

Here the visit ended and we did not see him again.”

dressed] in civilian clothes and bowler hats, so there was a touch of comedy about the whole thing,” wrote Roland.

Hard labour could have been worse: it turned out to mean making mail bags. Alternatives were making sandbags and other items for the military, but the Reinges wouldn’t do that.

The regime, though, was hard to bear. The first month was spent in solitary confinement with a short period of exercise each day. During the first two weeks prisoners had to sleep on bare boards; a hard mattress was issued after two weeks.

The food was so bad that at first Roland ate little, spoiled by his mother’s home cooking. But soon hunger won him over and he wolfed down the pint of porridge issued morning and evening with six ounces (170g) of bread. Lunch was potatoes and bread with the addition of a small lump of rancid bacon on Mondays, a small portion of meat in a stew on Tuesdays and Continued overleaf

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o far Roland and Sidney had encountered relatively civilised treatment, and they had certainly been given plenty of opportunities to change their minds. Even the court martial was a fairly restrained affair. The military officers stuck to the facts of the case and – in contrast to the civilian tribunal – didn’t cast aspersions about the brothers’ lack of patriotism.

The sentence was delivered to the brothers on a parade ground full of hundreds of soldiers. The Reinges were ordered to take three paces forward; they didn’t, of course, so they were pushed.

They were sentenced to 112 days hard labour in Wormwood Scrubs jail in London. “The sentence was received [with us

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40

n HISTORY Continued from page 39 Thursdays, suet pudding on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and pea soup or salt fish on Fridays.

Any food uneaten was eagerly traded by other prisoners. “This experience often made me reflect how fastidious I had been at times, causing Mother much trouble in trying to please me,” Roland wrote later.

At the end of the 112-day sentence there was more comedy, when it transpired that a single sergeant was to escort them back to the Wiltshire army camp. He attempted to get the brothers to walk in single file, “but we politely informed him we would not walk in such a way.” The sergeant did not know how to control his unruly but polite charges, and became fractious.

However, once Roland and Sidney convinced him that they would not try to escape, he relaxed, and even agreed that they should pay a visit to the brothers’ Aunt Cathie, who lived in London. The meal with their maiden aunt was a huge delight to the brothers, and as the sergeant seemed to enjoy himself too, they chanced their arm and asked if they could also drop in on Uncle Tom and Aunt Harriet, who lived nearby. This too was agreeable to the sergeant, who was probably having more fun than he had at the army camp, and the trio did not arrive back in Wiltshire until after midnight.

Then the charade started again: the quartermaster handed out uniforms, the brothers refused to wear them, and they were sent for court martial. This time the sentence was one year, served in Winchester prison.

It was the same dreary routine as before, with the prisoners trying to lever every little bit of autonomy they could. On most occasions they were not even allowed to speak to each other, so opportunities for rebellion were limited. On one occasion a sermon about the war at the Sunday service provoked the prisoners to stamp their feet in unison. The governor, enraged, looked for a ringleader, but couldn’t identify one.

Another time, a serving of suet pudding, considered one of the better items on the menu, was replaced by a plate of hard, red herrings. So many refused to eat them that it was reported to the governor, who suspected a conspiracy, and “was not far

November 2018

STRIVING FOR PEACE IN THE GREAT WAR Part I

November 2018

n PLANNING APPLICATIONS Bedminster ward: Awaiting decision

of use from barber’s shop to two 1-bedroom flats. Withdrawn

17 Shepton Walk BS3 5NU Conversion of garage to single bedroom dwelling.

Lynwood House, Lynwood Road BS3 3HH Demolition of building and construction of five 1- and 2-bedroom flats. Granted subject to conditions

5 Hardy Road BS3 2SN Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear of the house by 4.8m, of maximum height 3.1m with eaves of 2.8m.

18 Victoria Place BS3 3BP Details in relation to conditions 8 (Refuse storage), 9 (Cycle provision) and 11 (Sustainability) of permission 14/00826/F: Construction of 4-bedroom dwelling next to 18 Victoria Place.

14 Foxcote Road BS3 2BZ Raised patio at rear with privacy screen.

A rare photo of conscientious objectors at the Home Office work camp at Dartmoor prison in 1917.

Back row: far left Geoffrey Lees, Bishopston; 2nd left Bert Isaac, Easton; 4th left possibly G Boon; far right Charles Dowden, Bedminster Down. Middle: 2nd left, Ralph Toogood, Kingswood; centre Eric Crompton, Hallen; 2nd right Gilford Wolland, Kingswood; far right Percival Chapman, Bristol. Front: far left Frederick Gulliford, Midsomer Norton; centre William Pope, Cheltenham PHOTO: By kind permission of Paul Shotton

26 Risdale Road BS3 2QT Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear of the house by 6m, of maximum height 2.8m with eaves of 2.6m.

wrong”, according to Roland.

One day Roland was seen talking to a fellow prisoner and sent to a basement cell for three days on bread and water.

After this Roland’s health began to suffer and Sidney, unable to talk to him, began to worry. But they were comforted by the kindness of a prison warder who, against rules that forbade him from a private conversation with a prisoner, visited Roland in secret one evening. He inquired after his health, passed on a message from Sidney, and promised to take a message back. He was an ex-soldier who had seen horrors in the Sudan and had respect for the brothers’ principled stand.

For Roland, this was proof that “God moves in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.”

Release came early this time: the sentence was reduced to six months, but this only meant a return to the army, the inevitable refusal to obey orders, and a return to prison.

This time it was Shepton Mallet jail, where Roland had an enviable view from his top-floor cell of a cottage, which comforted him – even though looking out of his window was against the rules, and he could be punished for it.

Concern for Roland’s health led the brothers to apply, reluctantly, to a Home Office work scheme at Dartmoor prison

2 Diamond Street BS3 3LF Remove silver birch.

at Princetown. The situation of the jail, high on the fog-shrouded moor, was forbidding, but the brothers were relieved that the work – in the laundry or on the prison farm – was not contributing to the war effort, and they could do it with a clear conscience.

They were no longer technically prisoners, and they had unexpected freedoms. They were allowed to move around the prison in the evenings and talk to the hundreds of other COs there.

Most were determined to do nothing that supported war in any way, but some socialists were prepared to fight if the object was to overthrow capitalism.

They were even allowed to go for walks on the moor, as long as they didn’t enter any village apart from Princetown.

Roland’s memoir, which was typed up in his later life by his daughter Shirley, is exclusively about his wartime experiences, plus his brief childhood recollections. He clearly regarded his time as a CO as the most important period of his life. He doesn’t mention his younger brother, Baden, though he was a CO too, serving time in Wormwood Scrubs.

The Reinge brothers went on to run a successful housebuilding business in South Bristol. The city record office contains their plans for seven houses in Crowndale Road,

Knowle, four houses in Tennis Road, five in Calcott Road and 16 houses in Callington Road, Brislington. Reinge Bros ceased business at around the end of World War II. Baden ran a tobacconist’s shop at the Three Lamps junction. He lived in Crowndale Road, perhaps in one of the houses his brothers built. He died in 1975. Sidney died in 1978.

Sadly, Roland had died in 1970, before Shirley had finished typing his memoir. It’s never been published, but it can be examined in Bristol Record Office, at the Create Centre in Smeaton Road.

Sources Unpublished Memoir Roland Reinge, Bristol Record Office NPM/A/98 Men, Women and the Opposition to War: Bristol Independent Labour Party June Hannam, Bristol Radical Pamphleteer No. 31 The Men Who Said No: Conscientious Objectors 19151919. Includes list of all known COs. menwhosaidno.org

NEXT MONTH: The incredible tale of the Bedminster cycle shop owner who hid conscientious objectors underground

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southbristolvoice

6 Garnet Street BS3 3JT Single storey rear extension.

1 Clanage Road BS3 2JX Willow tree: repollard.

Units 3-4 Charnwood House, Marsh Road BS3 2NA Change of use from offices (Use class B1a) to eight flats (Use class C3).

131 Luckwell Road BS3 3ET Single storey rear infill extension.

The Old Tabernacle, Palmyra Road BS3 3JQ Roof extensions and external alterations to provide five 1-bedroom flats, parking for five cars, cycle, bin and recycling storage.

141 West Street, Bedminster BS3 3PD Change of use from takeaway (Use class A5) to 6-bed HMO (house in multiple occupation).

10 Rownham Close BS3 2JN Remove dying tree, Prunus kiku shidare-sakura. Granted 6 Hebron Court, Hebron Road BS3 3AP Proposed works to a Listed Building: overhaul rear elevation roof. Granted 104 Chessel Street BS3 3DJ Single storey infill extension and replacement of rear single storey extension. Granted subject to conditions 77 West Street, Bedminster BS3 3NU Change of use from Use class D1 (health clinic) to include use classes D1, D2 (entertainment and leisure), B1a (business), A1 (shops), A2 (professional services). Granted subject to conditions 104 Chessel Street BS3 3DJ Rear dormer roof extension and rooflights to front. Granted J Sainsbury, Winterstoke Road BS3 2NS Installation of ANPR camera and pole, Variable Message (VMS) sign, entrance sign, eight Terms and Conditions signs, 18 1.5 Hour Stay signs, six Blue Badge and Parent & Child signs, one No Parking sign.

Granted subject to conditions 4 Bartletts Road BS3 3PL Single storey side infill and first floor rear extension. Granted subject to conditions

9 Gore Road BS3 2LX Demolition of house and erection of 3-bedroom two storey dwelling with roof extension. Granted subject to conditions

79 Duckmoor Road BS3 2DH Single storey rear extension to extend beyond rear of house by 3.9m, of maximum height 3m with eaves of 2.8m. Granted

95 Ruby Street BS3 3DW Side extension. Granted subject to conditions

38 Hebron Road BS3 3AE Single storey rear infill extension and replacement rear extension.

Granted subj. to conditionsl Awaiting decision Southville ward: Awaiting decision

157 North Street, Bedminster BS3 1EZ Change

117 East Street, Bedminster BS3 4EX 5 illuminated fascia

Bedminster ward: Decided

41 Bedminster, Southville & Ashton

signs, 1 illuminated hanging sign, 2 non-illuminated hoarding signs and 3 illuminated signs.

16/05015/F: first, second and third floor extension and external alterations to create six flats.

1 Hardy Avenue BS3 2BP Two storey side and rear extension, single storey rear extension, external alterations and work to dropped curb and front wall.

1 Argyle Street, Southville BS3 1DZ External wall insulation to gable-end wall.

Unit 1, The Old Dairy, Durnford Street BS3 2AW Change of use of Unit 1 from storage (Use class B8) to six houses (Use class C3).

Unit 2, The Old Dairy, Durnford Street BS3 2AW Change of use of Unit 2 from storage (Use class B8) to three houses (Use class C3).

Unit 3, The Old Dairy, Durnford Street BS3 2AW Change of use of Unit 3 from storage (Use class B8) to two houses (Use class C3).

Unit 4, The Old Dairy, Durnford Street BS3 2AW Change of use of Unit 4 from offices (Use class B1a) to a house (Use class C3).

Unit 5, The Old Dairy Durnford Street BS3 2AW Change of use of Unit 5 from offices (Use class B1a) to four houses (Use class C3).

24 Howard Road, Southville BS3 1QE Single storey rear extension 54 Raleigh Road BS3 1QT Rear dormer roof extension and front roof lights 174 Coronation Road BS3 1RF Details in relation to condition 8 (Remediation scheme) and 22 (Unexpected contamination) of permission 15/02607/X: Variation of condition 44 (list of approved plans) attached to planning permission 11/01851/F: mixed use scheme comprising employment floorspace and 78 dwellings (Major application).

Co-op store, Coronation Court, Coronation Road BS3 1FE 3 internally illuminated fascias, 4 non-illuminated fascias. 1 internally illuminated Co-op projector, 1 nonilluminated wall panel.

36 Bedminster Parade BS3 4HS Details for condition 5 (Material details) of permission

1 Vauxhall Avenue BS3 1SU Conversion of house to two dwellings with a rear extension; demolition of summer house.

75 Coronation Road BS3 1AT Replacement front door to basement flat.

Southville ward: Decided 12 Fairfield Road, Southville BS3 1LG Single storey pitched glass roof extension to side rear.

Patio doors in rear wall.

Granted subj. to conditions 16 Park Road, Southville BS3 1PU Single storey rear extension to extend beyond the rear of the house by 3.4m, of maximum height 3.1m with eaves of 2.4m. Granted 1 Osborne Road, Southville BS3 1PR Use of garage as home office with toilet and shower room; replace garage door with UPVC door and window. Granted 298 North Street, Bedminster BS3 1JU Retrospective application for rear roof extension Granted subject to conditions 33 Lime Road BS3 1LS Rear roof extension and balcony/ terrace over rear annex.

Withdrawn 47 Upper Perry Hill BS3 1NJ Single storey infill extension and terrace. Granted subject to conditions 33 Allington Road BS3 1PS Rear dormer roof extension and roof lights in front roof. Granted subject to conditions 244 North Street, Bedminster BS3 1JD Conversion of first and second floor into a small HMO (home in multiple occupation – Use class C4) with roof extension, bin and bike storage. Granted subject to conditions • The status of these applications may have changed since we went to press. Check for updates at planningonline.bristol.gov.uk

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southbristolvoice

42

November 2018

n WHAT’S ON Monday October 29-Thursday November 1 n Half term spooky sessions Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street. Scary stories, creepy creations and hair-raising hijinks. All-day sessions for 5-7 year olds on October 29 and for 8-11 years on October 30. £35, 10am-3pm. Also in Filwood community centre on November 1 for 7-12s, where Filwood residents pay £15. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Tuesday October 30 n Spooky Stained Glass Workshop Creative Workspace, Queens Road, Withywood.

Work with Laura from Colourful Minds to make spooky stained glass window decorations and nightlights. Plus extra activities for little ones. 11am-3pm (drop in). More Halloween and half term activities on the website. creativeworkspacebristol.co.uk Thursday November 1 n Wild Outdoors Club Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. Leave your computer behind and experience gaming themes outdoors around the farm. £10, 10am-12 noon. For 6 to 9 year olds. windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk n White Lion Parade + Agoraphobia + Flowerpot The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Catch 22 productions present awardwinning Spanish garage rockers Agoraphobia on their first UK visit, while Bristol-based headliners White Lion Parade strive to create easy listening for metal fans. £7, 7.30pm. thethunderbolt.net Friday November 2-Sunday 4 n Princess Charming Tobacco Factory, Spielman theatre, North Street. The new Spielman theatre is the setting for this new play looking at gender stereotypes in a fun, questioning way, for over-7s. n The Borrowers by Mary Norton Thursday November 29-January 20 Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street.

THIS Christmas the Factory theatre is turned into a giant adventure playground to tell the story of The Borrowers – tiny people living under the floorboards of a large house in Bristol owned by the giant Human Beans. Adapted by Bea Roberts from the novel by Mary Norton, we see the Borrowers make use of anything and everything they find,

Stand-up for those who’ve yet to toddle n Review Aftermirth Daytime Comedy Club Zion, Bishopsworth Road RONICALLY, compere Angie Belcher doesn’t have her baby – seven-month-old Ulysses – with her. Other than me, the other comics, and Jess and Tanya who run the place, she’s the only one in the room without one.

A group of mums have stormed the comfy sofas, and another cluster sit cross-legged on the floor with their little ones in a play area.

Other than that, it’s rows of chairs in the hall, but with plenty of making room for car seats, carriers, and rugs on the floor for

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“Some girls like football. Some boys like pink …” £10, 10.30am and 1.30pm. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Friday November 2, 9, 16, 23 n Lunchtime Live St Francis’ Church, Ashton Gate, near the Tobacco Factory. Weekly performances in a variety of genres. November 2 Lute songs; November 9 Middle Eastern music; November 16 Singer-songwriter Teri Bramah; November 23 Dame Clara Butt’s greatest hits; November 30 no event. Tea and coffee. Free entry, collection, 1.10-1.50pm. lunchtimelive.co.uk Friday November 2 n Breathe In, Breathe Out: Children’s workshop Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. Experts from UWE’s ClairCity project show children how to measure from cotton buds to crisp packets, string to Subutteo players. The Borrowers are the original up-cyclers. But their quiet existence is torn apart when the Human Beans return, and young Borrower Arrietty longs to see what life is like for the new family of giants. Tickets from £12 (limited availability). tobaccofactorytheatres.com

November 2018

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n WHAT’S ON babies to roll about on.

There are babies who look only a matter of weeks old, up to 18 months – the age limit for small people. That’s because this is a proper comedy gig, with sweary bits, for grown-ups. It just happens to be on during the day, with babies in tow.

There’s everything baby-related here – bottles, breasts, slings, carriers, stand-up jiggling, grizzles and shrieks – and all of it welcome – because everyone understands how it is. There are babies sleeping, feeding, crawling about, looking dumbstruck or intrigued. There is surprisingly little crying – my theory is that the mums (mostly) and smattering of dads in attendance are relaxed, and this rubs off on their offspring.

You have to respect the comedians – Swindonian Ed Pownall had some great takes on the air quality in their park or neighbourhood, then brainstorm ideas to improve their air and make posters. Free, but register first. 10am-12 noon. windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk n CSI Kids – Detective Project Workshop Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road.

Jenny Williams, an ex-police detective, is training up another team of 8-12 year olds in crime scene investigation. It’s an age-appropriate workshop introducing detective skills.

It costs £15 and runs from 1-3.30pm at the Anglican chapel. arnosvale.org.uk/events Saturday November 3-Sunday 4 n Cam Valley Arts Trail Villages of Cam Valley, 10 miles south of Bristol, A37 & A39 – Timsbury, High Littleton, Temple Cloud, Clutton, Tunley, Paulton. More than 40 artists showcasing and selling original, handcrafted work in painting, printing, textiles, ceramics, felt, glass, pastel, silver, wood, batik and more. Free taster art workshops and demonstrations.

11am-5pm, free. camvalleyartstrail.co.uk Sunday November 4 n Sunday market Tobacco Factory, North Street. The famous weekly market with around 40 craft and food stalls, focused on local, ethical and fairly traded products. 10am-2.30pm, with kids activities from 11.30am-2pm. tobaccofactory.com/whats-on

Anna Keirle: Coping with a young crowd

this summer’s hot weather; Welsh bilingual Lorna Pritchard addressed the babies directly, with a shared affinity for big foreheads; and headliner Anna Keirle from Cornwall, whose bits on daytime telly – ‘can you say cadaver?’ – were dead funny. It must be a challenge for them though – everyone’s attention is split – between their own babies, how cute everyone’s else’s are, lunch (great value homemade menu from Zion), and the comedy – if you can play this crowd, a rough Friday night gig must be a doddle. Beccy Golding Thursday November 8 n Quiz night Zion, Bishopsworth Road. The infamous Zion quiz will stretch your brains. Teams of up to six, £2 per person, 7-10pm.

Over 18s only. zionbristol.co.uk Friday November 9-Saturday 10 n The Dark Tobacco Factory, Spielman theatre, North Street.

Award-winning poet Nick Makoha tells the terrifying story of the escape he made with his mother from Idi Amin’s Uganda at the age of four. Tickets from £12 (limited availability), 7.30pm and Saturday matinee 2pm.

Nick Makoha presents a poetry masterclass on Saturday at 11am. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Friday November 9

Saturday November 10 n Tez Ilyas & Co Stand Up For The Weekend Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio, North Street. With trademark cheek, Tez Ilyas presents subversive stand-up – as seen on Mock The Week, Live at the BBC and Channel 4’s The Last Leg. Plus guests. £12, 7.45pm. thecomedybox.co.uk n Saltcellar Folk Club Totterdown Baptist church, entrance off Cemetery Road.

Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne is an award-winning young singer who plays melodeon and anglo concertina. Sadly this is the nextto-last show for the Saltcellar, which closes in December due to a lack of volunteers. 7.30pm, £5 or £3 for floorsingers, 7pm. saltcellarfolk.org.uk Sunday November 11 n Robin Ince’s Chaos of Delights Tobacco Factory, Spielman theatre, North Street.

The Comedy Box presents the co-star of Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage. Robin Ince mashes up art and science in a celebration of the human mind from bohemians to Black Holes, Dali to DNA. Ages 16+, £17. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Monday November 12-Saturday 17 n Rocky Shock Horror Tobacco Factory, North Street.

“When small-time boxer Rocky Featherboa is challenged to the fight of his life, the Italian Stallion must risk it all and learn to float like a butterfly, sting like a bee and sing like a queen!”

Another darkly comic, adult show from Wardrobe Theatre, makers of Reservoir Mogs. Tickets from £12, 7.30pm. tobaccofactorytheatres.com

So much more than big smiles and the splits n Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart Fiddlers Club, Willway Street, Bedminster. Wobble (pictured) was bass player with Public Image Ltd, the band John Lydon formed after the Sex Pistols.

Since leaving PiL in 1983, he’s put out 40-plus albums and is hailed as one of the world’s most influential dub players. 7.30pm, £19.80. fiddlers.co.uk

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n Review No Show Spielman Theatre, Tobacco Factory BLAST of dry ice and a synchronised gymnastic dance display by five young women to the croon of Pistol Packin’ Mama by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters opened the Factory’s new studio theatre.

So, the old TF was welcoming in its spanking new Spielman Theatre with a touch of glitz? Well, not exactly. This hour-long show by

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Killer lines and a great curry n Review Alfie Moore: Getting Away With Murder Redcatch Community Centre HO BETTER to explain how to plan the perfect murder than a policeman?

Anyone who has spent any off-duty time with police officers will know that, like doctors, they often have a bleak sense of humour.

Ex-detective sergeant Alfie Moore has made a name for himself with a series on Radio 4 called A Fair Cop. It’s a curious show, popular as much for Alfie’s frank insights (is an unwanted grapple at an office party a sexual assault? Answer: yes, it can be) as for the black humour.

Let loose with a live audience, though, and Alfie is more of a comedian, luring the audience into his traps. “My father died of obesity,” he says, as if about to riff on the perils of over-eating; then

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Monday November 12 n Aftermirth! Daytime Comedy Club Zion, Bishopsworth Road. The return of the comedy club for parents and offspring who are too young to understand the swearing (that is, under 18 months). Toys, food, and live comedy, headlined

by Sally-Anne Hayward, festival veteran and fresh from supporting Sarah Millican.

12 noon-2.30pm, £8. zionbristol.co.uk Tuesday November 13 n Sisterhood Loco Klub, Temple Meads. “Like The director Ellie Dubois, which wowed audiences at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, was a striking critique of the way circus treats its women.

Underneath the fixed grins and staged poses was an aching need to convey that they were capable of far more than this. Impressive displays of body-twisting trickery were accompanied by a constant talkback, informing us of the limitations forced on women.

“Big smiles and perfect splits” was what was expected of them, said one performer, Kate McWilliam, in a powerful section where she related her experiences as a professional acrobat. Each display of cartwheels and backflips ended with a defiant stare at the

adds, “My mother fell on him.”

Later in the evening he apologises for his lack of respect to his dear departed dad, and says, “I can remember the very last thing he ever said to me.” Pause. “He looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘We shouldn’t be in this lane, should we?’” Audience collapse.

The evening is billed as a how-to guide to permanently dispose of an unwanted relative.

Alfie swiftly picks on an unfortunate husband in the audience, and identifies, with the

help of his spouse, some reasons why she might want him dead.

Perhaps it’s a good thing Alfie kept straying from the point and injecting anecdotes and one-liners.

You could dwell on the ideal way to dispose of body parts for too long.

Alfie suggested to the nominally murderous wife that she could contract out the killing. I can’t remember how, but the job ended up with my other half. I should be grateful that she didn’t seem a natural for the job, but she did want £20,000 for it.

But that’s the key to Alfie’s success – he’s not just a natural comedian, but he has the audience involved all the time. Even if you’d rather some of them weren’t quite so enthusiastic about the set-up.

Hats off to Entertaining Local Knowle, who persuaded Alfie Moore to play this small venue, which works very well for comedy.

The inclusion of a fine curry from Knowle chef Sebastien Brochot made it a great evening. Let’s hope there are more.

Paul Breeden

Handmaid’s Tale, but with more hope.” Three women aged 20, 40 and 60, explore the dark heart of patriarchal rule as the scene changes from a 16th C witch trial to the present day. 7.30pm; tickets free; suggested donation £10. locobristol.com/shows Thursday November 15-Friday 16 n The Underworld Acta theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster. In the depths of the Underworld, Hades is in charge – but can he keep control of his naughty demons and unruly souls? A quirky, fun take on

Greek mythology, with a bit of Bristol mixed in. Not suitable for very young children. 7pm, £3. acta-bristol.com Thursday November 15 n Lewis Creaven and Patrick Farrell Duo Zion, Bishopsworth Road. Lewis on guitar and Patrick on double bass perform tracks from Lewis’s debut album Folkstar and choice covers by artists including Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and John Martyn. Over 18s only, bar. £5, 7.30pm. zionbristol.co.uk Continued overleaf

Alfie Moore: “The other night my wife took me to a murder mystery night. Inadvertently, I framed the wrong suspect.”

Circus women: We can aim higher audience, which spoke volumes.

As did the constant shutting down of Alice Gilmartin, who throughout the show tried to make a speech but each time was told to do a handstand and smile, as that was all the audience wanted of her.

As Michelle Ross spun fantastically on the Cyr wheel, a heavy, human-sized ring of iron, we were talked through the myriad

dangers of the discipline – broken toes, cracked skulls and more.

McWilliam tried, unsuccessfully, to break the world record for cartwheels in a minute. She reached 56, and was left breathless. Francesca Hyde hung and twirled from her hair, bouncing playfully, then Bing crooned again as the five oh-so talented acrobats sat in a line, staring at the audience and eating doughnuts. This was a show that was a no-show after all – because for it to be a show they would have to be allowed to perform to the full with no constraints.

A bold and thought-provoking start for an exciting new space.

Elfyn Griffith

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

southbristolvoice

44

November 2018

n WHAT’S ON Continued from Page 43 Friday November 16 n John Hegley: New & Selected Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio, North Street. Performance poet John Hegley made his name in the 80s on Channel 4’s Friday & Saturday Live, weaving poetry and stories out of subjects such as vegetables (some jolly, some melancauli).

“An incurable entertainer” said the Guardian. £15. 7.15pm. thecomedybox.co.uk Saturday November 17 n Sing and Supper Knowle Methodist Church, Wells Road, Knowle, from 7pm. Organ, piano, singers and audience participation. Collection in aid of Brace, the Alzheimers research charity. Admission free.

Tuesday November 20 n Living, Working, Making Together Knowle West Media Centre, Leinster Avenue. An exhibition about bringing art out of city centre galleries and into the community. Find out what happened when five artists took up residence at Filwood Community Centre. Includes KWMC’s annual general meeting for 2018. 6-8pm. kwmc.org.uk n Paul Trevor Martin Parr Foundation, Paintworks, Bath Road. Paul Trevor talks about his arresting close-up street portraits, shot in London between 1977 and 1992. Book signing and discussion, £6/£4, 7pm. Exhibition runs until December 22. martinparrfoundation.org Your event could be highlighted like this for just £5. Email sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk Wednesday November 21 n Fatoumata Diawara Fiddlers Club, Willway Street, Bedminster. Yes, you did see her on Later with Jools Holland in October! From Mali, Diawara now lives in France, and is known for her haunting voice and expert guitar work. £19.80, 7.30pm. fiddlers.co.uk Thursday November 22 n From Me to You: Letter Writing Workshop Knowle West Media Centre, Leinster Avenue. In our digital world, can a hand-written letter change a life? For someone feeling isolated through illness, a letter or card could be the connection they need. A free workshop where you can put pen to paper for a friend,

Cartoon vividly brought to life n Review: Madagascar The Musical Bristol Hippodrome T MIGHT sound like an impossible task, but they managed it – making a live stage show out of Madagascar, one of the most popular children’s animations of recent years.

Our heroes Alex the lion and Marty the zebra live in New York zoo, until an escape plot by the penguins ends with them washing up on the Indian Ocean shores of Madagascar. From start to finish our children were mesmerised by

I

family member, or stranger. kwmc.org.uk Saturday November 24 n Winter Fair St Michael And All Angels Church, Vivian Street, Windmill Hill. Festive attractions from 12 noon-2.30pm. n Rhys James & Co Stand Up For The Weekend Hen & Chicken Studio, North Street.

Catch him quick before the venues get bigger: Rhys James, known as the funniest man on Twitter, is making his mark on Mock the Week. With Alistair Williams and compere Clint Edwards. £12, 7.45pm. thecomedybox.co.uk Friday November 30 n This is Y0ur Land – A Tribute to Woody Guthrie Zion, Bishopsworth Road. Dave Merrick and Clive Mills use live music, multi-media and spoken word to bring to life the original US protest singer, who influenced Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and many others. £10/£8, 7.30pm. zion bristol.co.uk

Regular events n BS3 Repair Cafe Repairs for a donation, plus cream teas and home-made cakes. 1.30-4.30pm, last Saturday of every month, United Reformed Church Hall, West Street, Bedminster.

Facebook: BS3 Repair Cafe 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,

November 2018

southbristolvoice

n THE CITY PAGE the bright colours, the clever scenery and the imaginative costumes. If it were 15 degrees warmer you would have believed you were actually in Madagascar!

Brandon Gale did the king of the jungle justice, with stage presence, rhythm, a great voice and some funny lines.

Gloria the Hippo, played by Timmika Ramsay, used her singing talent to belt out some catchy numbers which had the audience tapping their feet in delight.

King Julien the ring-tailed lemur was brilliantly played by Jo Parsons. His number I Like to Move It had some of the young audience dancing in their seats.

But the star of the show for us North Street, Southville. Sunday: seniors 14-18 years 1.30-4.30pm, Tobacco Factory studio. Call Anne on 07984 069485. danceblast.co.uk

King of the stage: Alex the lion was the cranky, hypochondriac giraffe Melman, played by Jamie Lee-Morgan. His long neck was a puppet extension, but you could easily forget his voice was actually coming from a metre lower than the character’s face.

To an adult, it’s a slightly cheesy, pantomime-style show, perhaps best enjoyed through the eyes of a child. However, this mum thought it was a great night out. Ruth Drury

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

coffee from 9.45am. To register: tinyurl.com/BS3lonelymen2 Workshop 3: Loneliness, older men and caring for others How older men who are carers experience and combat loneliness and isolation. Thursday November 22, 10am-1pm, registration and coffee from 9.45am. To register: tinyurl.com/BS3lonelymen3 • Blue badge parking is available. There is also pay-anddisplay parking right outside the building, 5-10 minutes from a well-served bus route and a 20-25-minute walk from Temple Meads station. The venue is wheelchair accessible. For information on the venue: bs3community.org.uk/about/ southville-centre

n Loneliness and older men BS3 Community and the University of Bristol are hosting a series of workshops at the Southville Centre for older men to explore issues around combating loneliness. The events are free and lunch is provided.

For details, email Ruth.green@ bs3community.org.uk or ring 0117 923 1039.

Workshop 1: Loneliness, older men and sexuality Exploring the experiences of gay men who are single and live alone.

Thursday November 8, 10am1pm, registration and coffee from 9.45am. To register: tinyurl.com/BS3lonelymen1 Workshop 2: Loneliness, older men and place How single older men in rural and urban places experience and combat loneliness and isolation. Thursday November 15, 10am-1pm, registration and

n Can you spare us some time? The Monday Club for older people at the Southville Centre is looking for volunteers.

This social club takes place every week at the Southville Centre.

Could you tell a neighbour or a friend or family member that might be interested in a volunteering opportunity?

Might you be available on Mondays 10am-4pm? We can provide free transport and a free lunch to volunteers.

Do you have the odd hour or two to spare? Can you drop in to help us serve lunches, or escort people on the mini-bus, or do you have an area of expertise you could share by giving a talk, helping with arts and crafts, giving a musical performance?

We’d love to hear from you!

Please email Barbara.Crowther@ bs3community.org.uk or ring 0117 923 1039.

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.

BS3 Community Events

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

45

BRISTOL CITY ROUND-UP

Sponsored by CLEVERLEY BUILDERS

Injuries add to the misery of 5 games without a victory

S

Perhaps we should also be worried abou the size of the squad, says MARTIN POWELL. Oh, and has anyone else noticed Scrumpy’s nose job?

OMETHING strange has happened to Scrumpy at Ashton Gate. I’m not for a moment suggesting that they are watering down the Thatcher’s in the weirdly-named Pint and Whistle or Wedlocks on the concourse inside the ground.

The Scrumpy I am talking about is the amiable mascot who wanders around posing for photos with anyone with a child or not fast enough to run away.

Scrumpy, who I believe is loosley based on a robin, first waddled on to the scene in 2005.

He replaced the previous cat mascot, who had blotted his copybook by getting into a fight with three little pigs and Wolfie

MARTIN’S SHORTS n CITY’S academy coach Graham Muxworthy celebrated his 80th birthday.

Great to know he is still passing on real knowledge to the younger generation.

Although I’m sure there are also a few tales of dubbin, proper tackles, balls with laces and inside rights.

from Wolves. That’s a story that we are all trying to put behind us but if you want to see the full horror of football hooliganism I believe that terrifying half-time scrap is still on YouTube.

Anyway, those geniuses at Bristol Aardman Animations came up with Scrumpy and for some reason he had a nose that resembled a traffic cone. Well, it seems fame has gone to another mascot’s head at Ashton Gate and he recently appeared having clearly undergone some cosmetic surgery. The nose job, like many of Hollywood’s, is not flattering.

No doubt we will soon get used to Scrumpy’s new facial features. In the last game before the international break, defender Nathan Baker had his own DIY nose realignment on the pitch and spent the last 10 minutes against Sheffield Wednesday looking dazed and confused.

With goalkeeper Niki Maenpaa also hobbling, hopes of getting anything from a game that had started brightly fizzled out. A 2-1 defeat was chalked up along with a winless run of five.

What went wrong? The team started brightly, and had enough

Nathan Baker: Injured at Sheffield Wednesday game PHOTO: JMPUK/BCFC chances to win, but small margins are the difference in the Championship between play-off opportunities and mid-table.

With Baker and Maenpaa heading for the treatment room, it is worth reflecting on the size of City’s squad. Sheffield Wednesday boasted 36 first team squad players on the matchday programme, while City had 25.

Of those, seven were out with injuries. That means Lee Johnson had a pool of 18 players to choose from, including Hegeler, who has yet to play a game after long-term injury, and O’Leary, who has barely played at this level. If Baker and Maenpaa don’t fully recover over the break, the squad looks very thin indeed.

In truth it is a skeleton squad with little cover for some positions, such as those occupied by midfield warhorses Pack and Brownhill.

Questions have to be asked about

why so many young players are out on loan when they could be gaining valuable experience at Ashton Gate. You only have to look at how well Lloyd Kelly has adapted this season to see that young players can improve rapidly if thrown in with the first team.

A few wins in November could catapult the club to the upper echelons of the league and the doorstep of the Premiership, but, without strengthening in January, top-flight football seems unlikely to come to BS3 in 2019.

The Championship break was a time to reflect on the season so far. My verdict is that less passing the ball about for no purpose and more getting it forward into the opposition box to create danger is needed to tip some of the results into the City’s favour.

Perhaps then, Scrumpy will have a little more reason to be leading the cheers.

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

n YOUR MP

KARIN SMYTH Labour MP for Bristol South

How are we going to cope with the crisis in social care?

I

F THERE’S an issue which affects everyone but does not get the attention it deserves, social care has to be it. I’d go as far as to say that it’s the biggest domestic crisis we face here in the UK. I’ve previously spoken about care as vital infrastructure alongside NHS, schools and homes.

Bristol South has the highest number of registered carers in the city: 1,935 receive Carers Allowance and many more (mostly women) help loved ones with daily tasks such as help getting in and out of bed, washing and ongoing emotional support – but receiving no government help. Getting support with this can be very difficult to find, secure and pay for – many assume that it’s free of charge like NHS services, but often it is not.

Social care (or lack of) impacts so many

areas of society. Not investing in the social care infrastructure to support an ageing society in a bid to save money is a false economy. NHS beds are often taken up with people who, had they been able to access sufficient social care in the community, would not have needed hospital treatment. Those doing the unpaid caring may have to stop working and often find their health starts to suffer, leading to even more demand on our NHS. Significant government cuts to local authority social care budgets have hit hard and it’s leaving councils with the impossible

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task of delivering basic care to those in need without sufficient funds to do so.

A report from the parliamentary committees on housing, communities and local government, and health and social care, released this summer warned: “In its present state, the system is not fit to respond to current needs, let alone predicted future needs as a result of demographic trends.”

I believe that, just like healthcare, social care should be free at the point of use. The report suggests that a social care premium could be added to National Insurance to help fund this. Research suggests that people would be willing to pay this to know that their social care needs would be met later in life.

We’ve been waiting for a Green Paper from the government for over a year now, a report which looks at how to tackle the social care crisis in England. Health minister Matt Hancock last month pledged an extra £240 million to councils for social care services, but that’s little more than a sticking plaster and, with healthcare professionals warning of a £3.5bn funding gap, we need a long-term plan.

I’d like to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please get in touch. One thing’s clear – the current system is failing and the government needs to step up and address this.

November 2018

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November 2018

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November 2018

INVITATION

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