South Bristol Voice Totterdown February 2020

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February 2020 February 2020

southbristolvoice

No. 57

www.southbristolvoice.co.uk

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We Sell and Let Property Like Yours

WIDEST CIRCULATION IN SOUTH BRISTOL – 10,000 copies of this edition

FREE EVERY MONTH in Totterdown, Knowle and Windmill Hill INSIDE Caraboo, the giant bat lantern, wowed crowds as it led over a thousand through the main streets of BS3 for the annual Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade.

For more photos, see page 13.

What next for St Catherine's?

A decision to refuse the development of a 17-storey tower block in the heart of Bedminster has been deemed by campaigners as a “huge victory for local people”, while developers behind the Bedminster Green project and local business leaders say that the outcome was a “huge blow” and “significant setback” for the area.

Major plans for the £50m regeneration of St Catherine’s Place in East Street, which would see a new cinema and refurbished shopping centre, plus 205 new homes, were rejected at a council meeting on January 22.

The application – which

attracted 221 objections and 104 responses in support – was deferred by planning committee members in November as a transport plan for Bedminster Green was still unfinished.

Issues with transport had since been addressed, however, the case officer still recommended the application for refusal ahead of the recent council meeting due to its ‘height, scale, massing, inadequate public realm and overall design quality’ and the impact it would have the ‘existing residential amenity’.

The plans won the backing of the Bedminster Business

Improvement District (BID) but failed to satisfy local campaign group WHaM (Windmill Hill and Malago Community Planning Group), which has been critical of the height, design and density of the development.

Nick Townsend, chair of WHaM said: “This is a significant victory for local people and democracy.

“For once it has been shown that developers can’t just move into an area and impose their plans without consulting local people.

“WHaM is as keen as anyone

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Contacts

Editorial team: Marcus Stone, Paul Breeden, The Wicked Witch, Martin Powell

Becky Day Editorial director 07912 484405 news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

Independent Community News Network member

Ruth Drury Sales director 07590 527664 sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk Rich Coulter Production director 07775 550607 info@southbristolvoice.co.uk

February 2020

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Next month’s deadline for editorial and advertising is February 12.

Deliveries: Greg Champion

n NEWS

‘We want our deposit A dispute has broken out between former tenants of a property in Knowle and its owner after the occupants failed to receive their deposit after vacating the house.

The four renters of 20 Knowle Road say that they have been waiting for their £1,880 deposit to be returned since the end of November, when they left the property, which is rented out through Taylors Estate Agents.

The occupants say that they

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My MP? Karin Smyth MP By email: karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk By post: Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA By phone: 0117 953 3575 In person: Call the above number for an appointment My councillor?

Post: You can write to all councillors at City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR. Christopher Davies Lib Dem,

Knowle Email: Cllr.Christopher.

Davies@bristol.gov.uk Phone: 07826917714 Gary Hopkins Lib Dem, Knowle (Lib Dem deputy leader) Email: Cllr.Gary.Hopkins@bristol.gov.uk Phone: 07977 512159 Lucy Whittle Labour, Windmill Hill Phone: 07392 108805 Email: cllr.lucy.whittle@bristol.gov.uk Jon Wellington Labour, Windmill Hill Phone: 07392 108804 Email: Cllr.Jon.Wellington@bristol.gov.uk

USEFUL NUMBERS Bristol City Council www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000 Waste, roads 0117 922 2100 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

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: news@southbristolvoice.co.uk or by post: 111 Broadfield Rd, Knowle, Bristol BS4 2UX or by phone: 0777 555 0607. southbristolvoice.co.uk/complaints-procedure All stories and pictures are ©South Bristol Voice (unless otherwise stated) and may not be reproduced without permission.

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were informed that it would be returned within two weeks, but the money has still not been received.

The landlady, Misha Simmonite, who owns other properties across Bristol including the Gothic Mansion in Redcatch Road, has contested that the house was left unclean and that the tenants had caused damage to the property.

However, Ayman Zaid, one of the tenants, has argued that the property was left in a “better state” than when they first moved in and cited dozens of issues they had encountered during the sixmonth tenancy.

Mr Zaid said: “Our tenancy has been nothing short of a disaster from the moment we moved in.”

One of the more serious complaints made was that the tenants would sometimes find the landlady and tradesmen in

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n NEWS

back’ say former renters of ‘disaster’ property

the property and garden without any notice given.

Ms Simmonite has disputed this claim, saying that “they were always given notice when tradesman [sic] needed to be in the building”.

She said that the “management company notified the main person, but [the] message didn’t get passed on.

This happened a number of times”.

Some of the other issues highlighted included a leak in one of the bedrooms (pictured, right), which the tenants say they reported in June 2019 but was never fixed, the garden being inaccessible for half of the tenancy and faulty appliances.

Ms Simmonite says that “every repair was attended to”.

The dispute over the deposit has since been raised with an independent party, My Deposits, which is reviewing the landlady’s

The leak in the bedroom. Right, the garden when the tenants finally gained access

and the tenants’ claims.

A spokesperson from Taylors said: “Taylors take these matters seriously and have been working with both the tenant and landlord to reach a resolution.

“This case has now been raised with My Deposits, an independent impartial

organisation, which will act to assess and adjudicate the dispute between both parties.

“Taylors adhere to strict regulation and processes and can confirm that it has followed these procedures throughout.”

The property was previously rented out by Ms Simmonite as

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February 2020

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n NEWS A south Bristol foodbank has thanked the local community for its generosity over the Christmas period.

Volunteers at the foodbank at Victoria Park Baptist Church, in Sylvia Avenue, off St John’s Lane, say that they were overwhelmed by donations.

At the end of term, dozens of children walked from Marksbury Road Primary School to the foodbank with items they had collected. A car-load of food also came from Marksbury Road Surgery.

The foodbank is open every Friday, 10am -12pm.

Temple Island decision delayed amid allegations

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administration “deliberately” withheld information from scrutiny.

A report was set to be discussed at city council cabinet on January 21 but has now been pulled from the agenda because “complex, technical reports” have not yet been finished.

The decision would have been on a proposed partnership with Legal & General over the development of the site, which was formerly earmarked for an arena.

And as the saga rumbled on, Mr Rees mounted an astonishing defence against a “narrative” he says has likened him to Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump to undermine democracy, while saying that while the paperwork was important, many residents “just want us to get stuff done”.

It comes after growth and regeneration scrutiny commission chairman Cllr Paula O’Rourke launched a blistering attack on the Labour-run authority for failing to produce documents about the deal with Legal & General.

Green Cllr O’Rourke was left furious when council leaders and top officers reneged on a promise of providing them with a report detailing the partnership between the organisation and the finance company and accused them of “refusing” to give them access.

As reported, the commission, including some Labour members, voted to call on the mayor to postpone the cabinet decision until they’d had a chance to inspect the papers, although one of them who backed the calls, Cllr Jon Wellington, said he did not believe the administration had deliberately blocked them.

Now, Bristol City Council says that because the reports have still not been completed, Mr Rees is pushing the item back to February’s cabinet.

It is not clear whether this will give scrutiny councillors or the public access or enough time to comment on them before the

meeting on February 4.

A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “Our ambition to bring homes, conference centre and mixeduse space to this important site involves complex technical reports which have not been finalised in time for the January meeting.

“In order to allow cabinet members, councillors and the public sufficient time to review the information supporting the report, the mayor has decided to defer the decision two weeks until the February cabinet meeting and publish papers in the usual timeframe.”

Legal & General’s vision for Temple Island

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February 2020

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n NEWS

St Catherine’s refusal: a victory or blow for Bemmy?

A CGI of the regenerated St Catherine's Place shopping complex from East Street proposals were refused.

In a separate comment to the Voice, he added: “Design is always subjective but at the heart of the proposals was physical and economic regeneration of our primary local retail centre – which I suspect may now be lost. Has BCC £50m to invest in East Street and nearby?”

Cllr Wellington said that he was “delighted” with the outcome. He added: “Lucy and I have

been arguing for four years against these tower blocks.

“Tower blocks are not the solution in Bedminster and we hope to see a much better proposal in the future.”

Cllr Whittle commented: “I am very impressed with the organisation and power of our local planning group, and look forward to developers bringing forward a better proposal for our community.”

Responding to the decision, Francis Firmstone, director of developers Firmstone said: “This is a huge blow after we have worked so closely with council officers on our plans over the past two years and following the clear steer from the committee in November to focus on resolving transport issues, which we have done.

“We will go and reflect on the decision but our only real options are either to go to appeal, or mothball the scheme, which would be tragic for the regeneration of this area of Bedminster and the long-term health of East Street.”

• What are your views? Email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

Forums in South Bristol

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Local Housing Forums for Bristol council tenants

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Continued from pg. 1 to see development, but it has to be of a quality than enhances the local community, not harms it.

“We now have an opportunity for all parties to come together to build a proper mixed community.

“We therefore invite Firmstone and other interested parties to find a solution together.”

Simon Dicken, chair of the Bedminster BID, said the decision was a “significant setback” for businesses on East street.

He added: “Yes, the plans weren’t all things to all people, but realistically what urban regeneration project is?

“Yet there is no doubt that this would have provided a real and much needed boost for the area … this strikes as a case of idealism trumping realism.”

Local councillors were also divided over the application, with Windmill Hill councillors Lucy Whittle and Jon Wellington speaking out against the plans, while Bedminster councillor Mark Bradshaw said that he was disappointed about the decision.

In a tweet posted by Cllr Bradshaw, he wrote that he was “disappointed” the

2020

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At: Tenants’ Resource Centre, Redcliffe Hill, Bristol BS1 6TB

At: Counterslip Baptist Church, 642 Wells Road, Bristol BS14 9HT

Your opinions help us make decisions! Come along and discuss your local housing services with the council. If you’re a council tenant, you can have your say on how the housing service is run and can make suggestions about improvements to shared council areas. Housing Officers will also be there to help you with your individual enquiries. FREE tea, coffee and biscuits provided. For information contact: Tenant Participation (0117) 352 1444 or email tpu@bristol.gov.uk. All details at: www.bristol.gov.uk/LocalHousingForums

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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February 2020

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n NEWS

Music trio to raise the roof in aid of prostate cancer A local music trio is inviting residents to join them for an evening of folk, blues and more at Redcatch Community Centre – all in aid of raising money for prostate cancer research.

Magpies’ band member, Richard Burley, 64, was diagnosed with the disease in 2017, and alongside his bandmates, Mike Bowles and Hilary Pavey, they are hoping to generate funds towards a research project which aims to roll-out improved prostate cancer screening across the UK. Money raised will go to the Imperial Prostate Foundation’s Prostagram initiative, which is led by the surgeon who operated on Richard at Charing Cross hospital.

Richard, whose cancer initially went undetected despite blood tests, came up with the idea of putting on the gig to ‘give something back’ to the research project which helped him.

Richard said: “For someone who has experienced the present,

rather hit-and-miss diagnosis procedure, I’m very much in favour of this project which will make the whole process more effective and bearable for the individual patient.”

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men in the UK with around 12,000 deaths recorded in 2017.

Richard added: “In addition to being a way of my giving back and helping sufferers in the future to get a good definitive

diagnosis, the show is also a celebration of friendship in adversity.

“My bandmates stood by me throughout this and other health problems in the last two or three years and never wavered in their support or desire that the three of us should make music together.

“Folk, Blues & Beyond marks our leaving all that dark time behind and making good on our promise to each other to make

some music.”

There will be three acts throughout the evening – all performing for free.

The evening, which will be MC’d by the Bard of Windmill Hill, will kick-off with folk duo Jan Vaisey and Ian Harvey, who, like Richard, has also recently received treatment for prostate cancer.

Blues duo Nobody’s Business will follow, and the evening will culminate with Magpies playing a mixture of folk, blues and original material.

Doors will open at 7pm. Music starts at 7.30pm.

Entrance is £7 (or £6 if you have booked a seat in advance by ringing 01761 241753 or 07743 996975) and must be paid in cash on the door.

Bring your own alcohol or soft drinks. Teas, coffees and snacks will be provided by the Redcatch Club. There will also be a raffle.

All money raised to go to the charity.

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February 2020

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n NEWS

Women’s campaigner given CBE but urges change to honour’s name A Knowle activist and researcher, who has spent over 50 years combating violence against women, has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list.

Professor Gill Hague, 74, has accepted the coveted award in honour of the women she has worked with over the years but says that she is also critical of ‘empire’ still being used in the honours title.

Professor Hague is now being joined by others who have reluctantly accepted the honours to lobby the government to offer alternative names to the traditional titles.

The Commander of the Order of the British Empire honour is awarded to those who have a prominent role at national level or a leading role at regional level.

Professor Hague, who retired in 2012 from her role as professor of violence against women studies at the University of Bristol, told the Voice: “There are people from former British Empire colonies who are now citizens of this country.

“I know people with ancestors who were enslaved in these colonies who find the ‘empire’ term personally hurtful.

“We’re a forward-looking society, so why do we have our honours named after an institution that ended years ago?

“Our proposal is that alternative names are offered to those of deep conviction and conscience, who have been unable to accept the award.”

She added: “Although I am critical of the ‘empire’ name, it is a CBE and I’m very honoured to receive the award.

“I’m accepting it to honour all of those who I’ve had the privilege of working with.”

Professor Hague’s lifetime commitment to tackling violence against women began when she joined the UK Women’s Liberation movement in the early 70s. “We were young and making a change – it was fantastic,” she recalled.

As a result of the movement, Professor Hague became involved in setting up and working in women’s refuges, and in 1990 – alongside Dr Ellen Malos –

she founded the University of Bristol’s Centre for Gender and Violence Research, which has played a key role in conducting pioneering research helpful to women and children survivors of abuse.

Throughout her career, Professor Hague has produced more than 130 publications, including eight books on violence against women and is on the brink of releasing a book this summer about the history of the violence against women movement.

She has also worked across the globe shaping policy and practice, while giving a voice to women and children survivors of abuse.

Join Professor Gill Hague on February 28, 7.30pm for ‘Making Change’ – an evening of international film, poetry and music at The Old Picture House, Totterdown in aid of charities TreeSisters and Milfumi. Co-ordinated by Professor Hague, it features short films and poems by the late Maya Angelou, poetry about women from across the globe, as well as live jazz and blues music. Tickets are £10/£8 and can be purchased by emailing dmerr9226@aol.com.

Have your say on Bedminster Green As part of the plans to regenerate Bedminster Green, Bristol City Council is working on a project to significantly improve the River Malago and improve highway infrastructure.

The council is now seeking feedback from the local community on initial ideas to improve the highway, the park and the river to ensure the area can be designed to better meet the needs of the community.

Officers will be hosting community engagement events on Monday, March 2, 4.306.45pm at Bedminster Library and on Thursday, March 5 and March 19, 2.30-6pm at Windmill Hill City Farm in the John James Room.

For anyone who is unable to make the events, information and a survey will be online from Monday, February 24 February at: www.bristol.gov. uk/bedminstersurvey

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February 2020

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Plans submitted to redevelop the Windy A planning application to redevelop the Windmill pub into flats has now been submitted by the owner.

The popular local has been on the market since last spring, but owner Mike Cranney has so far failed to secure a buyer.

At the time the Voice went to print, a group of local residents were hoping to put an offer in to save the pub from redevelopment. A meeting was due to be held on January 27 to gauge the community’s support for saving the Windmill.

A large number of objections have already been submitted on the council’s website in response to the plans which would see the two-storey, end of terrace pub redeveloped into five flats.

Mr Cranney is supportive of saving the pub, but has previously told the Voice that redeveloping it into flats is the only option if it cannot be sold.

For more information about the campaign to save the Windmill, email savethewindy@ gmail.com or visit facebook.com/ savethewindmillbristol

Why these candidates are standing in this year’s local election Two residents from Knowle have been selected by the Labour party to stand as candidates for the ward in this year’s local election.

Michele Tedder, who has lived in Knowle for 30 years, and Brandon Gage, who grew up in the area, are hoping to be elected as Knowle’s next councillors.

With experience working in housing and homelessness prevention, Michele (pictured left) joined the Labour party as she “felt strongly about continuing cuts to public services and the damaging impact of austerity”.

If elected, she hopes to “ensure good communication channels with constituents”.

Michele, who helped found the Friends of Knowle Library group, said: “I believe the important part of the councillor role is being responsive to individual issues as well as representing the community on major projects.

“I’m aware of the pressure on

our local services - the shopping centre is in decline, there is more traffic and congestion than ever before, and good living wages and decent conditions of employment are vital.

“I believe much of the solution lies in the community uniting on the things that matter to us, having a strong voice and holding decision-makers to account.”

Brandon became interested in local politics, particularly issues around transport, housing and community projects, while studying for his degree at UWE.

He said: “When the council candidate selection opened, I was determined to represent the area I call home. I want to help make Bristol the very best it can be and ensure that all levels of the council are efficient.

“Over the last four years, the Labour council has made efforts to improve and has successfully done so on some fronts.

“However, things still need improving and I hope that should I win one of the councillor spots in May, that I can ensure that taxpayers get their money’s worth from the council.”

A beauty salon with a conscience opens in East Street An eco-conscious beauty salon, which uses only vegan and cruelty-free products, has opened in East Street.

Local resident Rebecca Porter is behind Essential Maintenance, which she started from her dining room table in 2014.

Rebecca had been working as a secondary school teacher but decided to channel her love for providing beauty treatments – waxing hair was something she particularly enjoyed – into a new career and retrained as a beauty therapist.

In 2017, Rebecca moved her business to Windmill Hill City Farm and from there, Essential Maintenance’s customer base grew and grew.

Last year, she welcomed over 1,600 clients through the door.

More than two years on, the success of Essential Maintenance has allowed Rebecca to open her very own salon in the heart of Bedminster and provide treatments ranging from nail and brow maintenance to hair removal.

Sugaring is one service that Rebecca is proud to offer – an alternative hair removal method

which uses a gel made from sugar, lemon and hot water and is thought to be less painful with longer-lasting results.

As a vegetarian, Rebecca has always been passionate about using cruelty-free, vegan products and has dedicated time to thoroughly researching every brand she uses in the salon.

She has also deliberately trained in treatments which are sustainable, and have a low carbon footprint and produce minimal waste - such as sugaring.

For Rebecca, it was important to use quality products that are not only kind to the client but the environment and animals as well.

Rebecca said: “The popularity of clean beauty is really growing, and people know they can make changes.

“The response since we’ve opened has been really good, and a lot of people are interested.

I think people are glad to see things picking up down this end of Bedminster.

“We hope the salon is going to be a hit and is successful.”

She added: “We want the salon to be accessible – people

can sometimes feel intimidated going into a beauty salon. We want people to feel relaxed and like they’re remembered.

“I’ve got to know a lot of people since setting up the business – it’s a real privilege to be part of this community.”

For more information about Essential Maintenance, visit: essentialmaintenancebeauty. co.uk or follow @essentialmaintenance on Instagram and @essentialmaintenancebeauty on Facebook.

Rebecca Porter outside her new salon in East Street

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Pizzeria proves it’s top six in the UK A highly popular and much-loved Knowle pizzeria is celebrating after being ranked one of the top six in the UK. A cappella, in Wells Road, was crowned as gold winners of the Independent Pizza Restaurant Award 2019, as part of the Pizza and Pasta Association (PAPA) awards.

The award is handed out to independent restaurants that ‘set a standard to follow’.

The restaurant was judged by industry experts on its product, service and overall atmosphere. All establishments must have a five-star hygiene rating.

A cappella boss Paul Stewart found out the restaurant was one of hundreds to be shortlisted for the award after being contacted by PAPA. The organisation had approached A cappella, which also runs a cafe during the day, after hearing positive feedback about the restaurant and reading rave reviews online.

A cappella was then visited by mystery shoppers who assessed the restaurant highly enough for it to be ranked gold standard.

Paul said: “We had no idea when they were in, so it was really good that everything fell into place. I’m really happy

for the whole team.”

Paul has ran A cappella for 13 years and owes part of the restaurant’s success to remaining solely independent.

“We’ve had many opportunities over the years to expand but we’ve turned it down as we didn’t want to stretch ourselves.”

Paul added: “We’ve won a lot of awards in the past, but these have all been by the public voting.

“It was very nice to win an award that’s completely judged by industry experts.”

Among the six winners was L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, which is linked the world famous pizzeria in Naples, Italy.

Below, A cappella owner Paul Stewart with the Independent Pizza Restaurant Award trophy

Image, Google Maps

n NEWS

Bristol opts for maximum council tax increase

by Adam Postans, LDRS reporter Council tax is set to rise by the maximum 3.99 per cent for Bristol residents from April.

It takes the annual bill from the city council for an average Band D property to £1,758.28 — £67.46 more than this year — plus smaller amounts to pay for the police and fire service.

Half of the increase will go towards paying for adult social care after a consultation with thousands of householders found a majority in favour of adding two per cent to the charge specifically for that purpose.

But the consultation also revealed that the biggest group — 41 per cent — wanted a freeze on council tax and no additional fee for adult social care.

Of the rest, 35 per cent preferred a two per cent increase in council tax and 23 per cent favoured one per cent.

The rises will give Bristol City Council an extra £8.7million to spend on services, plus £2.4million from the 1,567 new

households since last year.

A report to cabinet on January 21 said: “During this period of continued uncertainty, we are conscious of the impact of council tax increases on Bristol residents.

“Given the growth in demand for our services and the absence of any new permanent funding being made available by government, the council is required to take action to ensure the sustainability of social care, therefore proposes a social care precept of two per cent.”

The cheapest Band A households face a £44.98 council tax rise to £1,172.19, Band B a £52.47 hike to £1,367.55 and Band C go up £59.97 to £1,562.92.

Bills for Band E residents will increase by £82.46 to £2,149.02, Band F by £97.45 to £2,539.75, Band G’s rise by £112.44 to £2,930.47 and the most expensive Band H properties will be charged an extra £134.93 taking their total to £3,516.57.

The cabinet papers say the local authority continues to provide a council tax reduction scheme supporting working-age people on a similar basis to those who previously received 100 per cent off their bills, despite it being abolished in 2013.

They say Bristol is “one of a handful of English councils to do so”.“ Pensioners are protected from any changes under the prescribed national scheme, the report says.

The overall scheme is estimated to cost in the region of £39.5 million in 2020/21.

The budget was approved by cabinet members on January 21, but full council will make the final decision on February 25.

The report says: “Bristol City Council currently spends around £1billion each year providing services to the people of Bristol.

“In 2019/20, a third of the revenue budget was raised locally through council tax (£215million; 20 per cent) and business rates (£134million; 13 per cent).

“The remaining 67 per cent (£705million) funding came in grants from the government (such as schools funding) and other income such as fees and charges we make for some of the services we provide.”

The report adds: “The council is currently able to increase council tax by up to two per cent to help fund general services, without a local referendum.

“An adult social care precept of up to two per cent can be added to support the delivery of adult social care (this is in addition to the permitted increase of up to two per cent in core council tax for general services). These limits are set by government.”

At the time the Voice went to print, the precepts levied by the Avon & Somerset police and crime commissioner and Avon Fire & Rescue Service, which are added to the final council tax bills, are yet to be set.

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

February 2020

southbristolvoice

10

n NEWS

Group shows it's good - and vital - for men to talk Men who find it difficult to open up about their emotions can benefit from a new Talk Club which has launched in south Bristol.

South Bristol resident and film maker Ben Akers is one of the co-founders behind the project which runs sessions once a week at the Bristol Beer Factory in North Street and in Horfield, as well as other venues across the UK. One group has even been launched in Sydney, Australia.

Its aim is to tackle stigma around mental health and encourage men to talk openly about how they are feeling.

Ben helped launch Talk Club, along with five others – including his wife Claire – after releasing a documentary early last year about his childhood friend Steve, who he tragically lost to suicide aged 38.

Ben and Steve were born just four days apart and met one another on their first day of secondary school. “He was like a brother by another mother,” Ben said.

The awareness-raising film, which Ben describes as a “trojan horse to get men talking”, was crowd-funded and there have been 47 screenings across the country, in settings ranging from pubs to prisons.

Speaking about the film, Ben said: “I wanted to find out why, statistically, the most likely thing to kill me, is me.”

After releasing the film, Ben joined forces with others passionate about tackling male suicide – the biggest killer of

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L-R, Talk Club co-founders Neil Harrison, Claire Wilkinson, Ben Akers, Tom Watson, Gavin Thorpe and Blue O’Connor. Below, Ben Akers

men aged under 45 – and Talk Club was formed.

The focus of the group is on improving or maintaining ‘mental fitness’ – Ben compares it to going to the gym to work on physical fitness – and each session begins with the men

ranking how they feel out of 10.

This then opens the door for men to further open up about their problems and discover that they are not alone.

Now, almost 1,000 men are part of the Talk Club Facebook group, which has members joining from across the world.

The Bristol Facebook group has 186 members with each session at the Bristol Beer Factory attracting between eight and 10 men.

Ben says that the response so far to the group has been “amazing” and 100 per cent of the men who have attended would recommend Talk Club to a friend.

Ben told the Voice: “There has been lots of mental health awareness over the years, but how is this converting into men helping themselves? We wanted to turn awareness into action.

“The group is about taking responsibility for your own

mental health. It’s about owning mental fitness … we know how to own our physical health but not our mental health.

“It’s about getting mentally fit and staying mentally fit.”

And Ben says this can be achieved through conversation and feeling listened to.

Ben added: “My hope in 15-20 years is that my kids turn around to me and say, ‘you didn’t talk about that stuff then?’”

The group is currently in the process of securing funding to get 15 new groups set up across Bristol.

If interested in setting up a group or joining Talk Club, visit: www.wetalkclub.com and follow @talkclubuk on Twitter and Instagram.

A GoFundMe page has also been set up to raise funds for the club. Donations can be made at: www.gofundme.com/f/ WeTalkClub

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February 2020

southbristolvoice

n THE MAYOR

11

MARVIN REES Mayor of Bristol

“I was homeless, I was you” – our new campaign to help Bristol’s homeless people “A few weeks ago, me and my daughters moved into a council house. Now we can finally put down roots. I feel like I have my life back.”

Lola, aged 40, Barton Hill.

A

s you travel around the city, you may notice posters featuring letters addressed to those who are experiencing or facing homelessness. These letters carry voices that are heard too rarely – the voices of those who have experienced homelessness, reaching out to those who need similar help and support.

Their experiences of homelessness are all different, but their message to those who are facing homelessness is the same: you can turn your life around.

Ending homelessness in Bristol is one of our major priorities – last year we agreed our Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, which will support our efforts to eradicate rough sleeping by 2027.

We are also delivering on our promise to provide the homes Bristol needs to tackle our housing crisis. I recently visited one of our brand new council housing developments in Brislington, and met residents and families whose lives are being transformed by having

a safe and secure roof over their heads. We are building affordable homes that will help people like Lola reclaim control over their lives, in every corner of our city.

Reading these letters, however, shows that those who are homeless face a range of different challenges and therefore need different programmes of support. One thing is common throughout the success stories shared by those featured in the campaign – it is crucial to get help early.

That’s why our work with city partners to provide a range of support services is so important in helping people who are

n NEWS South Bristol jobs fair returns Job-seekers and school leavers will be able to meet with prospective employers and training and apprenticeship providers at a jobs fair being held in south Bristol this month.

The South Bristol Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair 2020 has been organised by local MP Karin Smyth in partnership with City of Bristol College, Bristol City Council and the Department of Work and Pensions.

It takes place at the South Bristol Skills Academy in Hengrove from 11am-3pm on Thursday, 27 February.

Exhibitors include the college and council as well as some of the city’s employers, such as NHS, Avon Fire and Rescue Service and Bristol Port Company.

There will also be representatives from organisations supporting people into employment, such as the National Careers Service.

This is the fourth year that Karin Smyth has run the free event with City of Bristol

College, which follows National Apprenticeship Week on February 3-9 2020.

She said: “I’m delighted to be bringing you another South Bristol Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair in partnership with City of Bristol College, Bristol City Council and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet the training providers, employers and all those people who are involved in supporting apprenticeships.

“The event is not just for school pupils but for their parents and grandparents as well as older people looking to reenter the workplace or re-train.”

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “This is a great opportunity for people seeking a route into work, and are keen to develop their skills and knowledge on the job. I am delighted that there are so many apprenticeship opportunities on offer across Bristol and that employers are committing to developing our city’s talent.”

experiencing homelessness to find and maintain a safe and secure home. Through schemes such as our welfare rights and money advice services and our Youth Homelessness Hub, we helped more than 3,600 people avoid becoming homeless in 2018. In the same year, Bristol City Council and homelessness support services in the city helped more than 900 people who were homeless through support services like the St Anne’s Winter Night Shelter. We are also supporting residents in private accommodation, by cracking down on rogue landlords and introducing licensing schemes to drive up standards and security in the private housing sector.

So if you are worried that you or a family member might be at risk of homelessness, seek help now. Information is available on the Bristol City Council website about the ways we and other agencies can help.

As homelessness continues to increase across the country, I am acutely aware of the difference that a safe and secure home can make to a family like Lola’s. That’s why I have put delivering new housing at the top of the city’s agenda. Families across the city, facing homelessness or living in temporary accommodation, rely on us to deliver safe, secure and affordable homes across the whole of Bristol. I’m proud of this campaign because it shows that we are hearing their message of hope loud and clear.

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February 2020

southbristolvoice

n BEDMINSTER WINTER LANTERN PARADE

13

IN PICTURES

Winter lantern parade is a soaring success

by BWLP chair Malcolm Brammar Thousands of people lined the main streets of Bedminster on a cold January evening to watch the area’s largest ever lantern parade.

Led by a giant bat lantern named Caraboo, the latest parade of around 1,500 people from BS3 carrying their illuminated lanterns thrilled the waiting spectators.

Lanterns which had been made in local schools and community centres over the last three months came in all shapes and sizes.

Musicians again featured throughout the parade route and in the parade itself, with Bristol Samba’s drummers (pictured, centre right) and dancers

providing their usual colourful and lively spectacle.

This year’s parade even had the local MP Karin Smyth taking part as one of the Bemmy Lantern carriers, alongside a group of Bedminster and Windmill Hill city councillors.

The street collection raised over £1,400 and donations can still be made to make it happen again at bit.ly/DONATE2BWLP Organisers are already thinking about the next community lantern parade project and are contacting local traders and businesses about sponsorship. Any new businesses or organisations that wish to be associated with this very popular event can get in touch via email at info@bwlp.org.uk.

Compass Point Primary created an impressive cake to mark their 125th birthday which they will be celebrating this year

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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B

Ben, BS3 Community Supporter. Age 81. www.agefriendlybristol.org.uk

AGE

We need to relate to one another as human beings.

STO

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February 2020

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15

n ADVERTISING FEATURE

How older people give more than they take

A

ge Proud Bristol is an awareness campaign that challenges perceptions of older people in Bristol and encourages people to feel proud of their age and experiences.

A common misconception about older people is that they do not contribute to society. However, far from being a ‘burden’ or a ‘drain’ on society, older people contribute more resources than they use.

Research carried out by the Royal Voluntary Service identified that nearly half of people aged 55-74 volunteer, while figures from the Office of National Statistics show that over 50s make up nearly onethird of the entire UK workforce.

As a part of the Age Proud Bristol campaign, Bristol Ageing Better has gathered the views of a variety of inspirational people from across Bristol about their experiences and advice regarding later life. This article features Catherine Wescott (65), creator of BS3 Helping Others.

“The average 65-year-old still

Catherine Wescott, 65, founded BS3 Helping Others which links people up with volunteering opportunities in the community

has an awful lot to offer in terms of wisdom, passion, love, care and, most of all, time," says Catherine, who set up BS3 Helping Others after asking in a neighbourhood Facebook group whether anyone needed any help. Within 24 hours, she’d received 350 likes and 60 comments.

“We must learn to befriend all those whom we meet in our daily lives and never assume that they

n ON THE BEAT

are ‘OK’. You can do this no matter how old or young you are and no matter where you are - at the bus stop, in a cafe, in a store,” says Catherine. “You’ve got something that someone else needs.”

Many older people develop close, supportive relationships with younger generations: from grandparents who look after their grandchildren, to older people who volunteer through community

groups. Catherine has formed bonds with younger people volunteering as a part of BS3 Helping Others.

“Lots of youngsters are looking for the company and knowledge of adults and lots of adults are looking for the company of youngsters.

We can help each other," says Catherine.

As well as the contributions older people make in the workplace and volunteering, it is also important to recognise the unpaid caring roles that many older people undertake. Research from the national charity, Age UK, has shown that one in three people aged over 80 provide vital unpaid care for loved ones in the UK. This is the second article in a series of three, inspired by older people based in Bristol. Find out more about the Age Proud Bristol campaign by visiting www. agefriendlybristol.org.uk or search #AgeProudBristol on Twitter and take part in the conversation about ageism in Bristol.

With Inspector Paul Bolton-Jones

Starting the conversation about knife crime

K

nife crime continues to hit the headlines, with a number of high profile cases taking place in Bristol recently.

Some of these incidents have involved young people, and it may seem that carrying a knife is normal. Thankfully it’s not – in reality 99 per cent of young people don’t carry knives, and the cases you read about are usually isolated, involving people who know each other.

However young people can face pressure from their peers.

They may start carrying knives to feel safer or because they hear groups boasting about carrying and feel they need to do the same.

But carrying a knife doesn’t keep you safe. If the people involved in recent incidents hadn’t have been carrying a knife then the situations could now be very different.

We are working hard to break down barriers and build relationships with young people

early. In South Bristol, all primary schools now have a designated PCSO who works to build positive relationships with pupils.

Merchants Academy, Bridge Learning Campus and Bedminster Down School also have designated school beat managers – a police officer whose role focusses on engagement and diversion work with students.

The Mini Police continues to help children in selected primary schools to act as role models within their schools, learning how to help others and doing good work in their local community.

Students from a number of secondary schools including Bedminster Down School have been working with Empire Fighting Chance gym in Easton on a boxing project led by PC Westerlink which has improved students’ fitness, discipline and confidence.

We are passionate about supporting our community to

bring positive change as well as helping vulnerable people.

The work of the new Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is an opportunity to not just respond to crime, but to look at the root causes, working with partner agencies and local projects to guide young people and divert them away from crime, towards more positive futures.

If you are a parent, carer or someone who works with young people, you can talk to them about knife crime, offering facts and support to help them make healthy choices.

Here are some of the key facts you could share: - Most people do not carry knives - You are more likely to come to serious harm when carrying a knife – it doesn’t keep you safe - There is no ‘safe’ place to stab someone. If a knife punctures an artery anywhere on your body you can bleed to death within five minutes - The impact of knife crime

goes beyond the victim and the offender. It affects parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and friends. People’s lives are ruined forever.

Talking about knife crime is difficult but it could save a life. More support and advice is available from: • Childline has information specifically about knife crime and young people can also call the confidential helpline for advice 0800 1111 • The Mix has some straight talking advice, specifically aimed at young people already affected by knife crime • You or your child can report knife crime anonymously at Fearless • The #Knifefree campaign has stories from young people who used to carry knives and now don’t as well as information about talking to and supporting young people

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

southbristolvoice

16

n YOUR MP

KARIN SMYTH

February 2020 Labour MP for Bristol South

I'm backing Keir to take the fight to Boris Johnson

W

e’ve had some time to reflect on the General Election result and work is under way in the Labour Party to select a new leader and address some of the issues which saw us losing the trust of many voters elsewhere in the country.

I’m thankful that you returned me as your MP and that Bristol South continues to want and vote for a Labour government.

It allows me to continue the work I've been doing in Bristol South. Following conversations on the doorstep in the election campaign, my prime focus remains on education, healthcare, housing and transport and I'll be looking at further local issues such as anti-social behaviour and domestic violence.

You may have seen from my social media that I’m backing Keir Starmer for leader of the

Labour Party. Lots of you have asked me about this so I thought it would be useful to elaborate some more.

Both Keir and I were first elected as MPs in 2015 and I’ve worked closely with him since – first as his Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Shadow Brexit Team and more recently as Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland.

He’s joined me here in Bristol South several times, helping me with election campaigns.

I’ve seen first-hand what a good leader of teams he is and how wellregarded on the doorstep he is by people here in Bristol South. He is great leadership material - a hard-working, decent man, very supportive of people he works with.

Keir has held a difficult public office before and shown how capable he is in that capacity.

By working closely with him, I've seen how passionate and informed he is about social justice and his clarity on what needs to be done to change things for the better.

While I'd love to see Keir take the reins, I’m optimistic that whoever wins will rise to the challenge and take the fight to Boris Johnson and the Tories. We must be a strong opposition with a vision for a better future for our country.

I will continue to be your voice in Parliament and work, as I have before, with all parties, people and organisations to improve the lives of everyone here in Bristol South.

Please do join me at my free South Bristol Jobs & Apprenticeships Fair, which I run with City of Bristol College, Bristol City Council and DWP. It takes place from 11am-3pm on Thursday 27th February at the South Bristol Skills Academy in Hengrove and brings together employers and training providers with school leavers and job-seekers. Hope to see you there!

You can reach me using the contact details below.

Twitter: @karinsmyth Facebook: KarinSmythMP Website: www.karinsmyth.com

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February 2020

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17

n NEWS

Quickfire chimp helps Sophie reach art final A Knowle artist, known for her exuberant animal portraits, is set to headline a popular Bristol art tournament this month after being crowned winner at a citywide battle at the end of last year.

Sophie Long – whose murals have been showcased at events such as Upfest – took away the coveted Golden Brush trophy at November’s Art Battle Bristol at the Trinity Centre, brushing off fierce competition with two stunning portraits in front of a 300-strong audience.

Her final piece was a painting of chimp which she completed in just 20 minutes and reflects her environmental focus on our draining relationship with animals.

The victory also earned Sophie a spot in the regional final

on March 26 at the Anson Rooms in Bristol. If successful, she will qualify for the national final in August with a chance to go on to the international final in Tokyo in November.

Sophie said: “I didn’t come to Art Battle thinking I had a chance of winning, I was just here to take part in something I know to be really fun with a whole bunch of talented artists, at no point in the run up to painting did I believe I would get to take home the trophy.

“I am really looking forward to coming back to Art Battle on February 6 in a less stressful environment and get to paint with no time constraints, and more so I am looking forward to taking part again in March for the regional finals, I think I’ll

need to do a spot of meditation beforehand to calm my nerves.”

Sophie will be headlining at Art Battle Bristol on February 6 at The Fleece, 7-11pm.

For more information and to purchase tickets, search ‘Art Battle Bristol – 6 February, 2020’ on Facebook.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Young entrepreneur brothers launch new property business Sophie Long painting her chimp at the Bristol Art Battle in November. Top right, the final piece

Meet the brothers from Knowle who have successfully launched their own property management and letting company.

Entrepreneurs Josh (pictured, right), 21, and Jack Knight, 20, are behind J & J Knight Properties and have already successfully let out many homes across the city.

Josh developed his love for property, watching Homes Under the Hammer with his grandparents.

When Josh finished school, he started an apprenticeship with an estate agents where he spent three and half years and achieved a level two and level three in residential property lettings and management.

Brother Jack also joined the

estate agents, earning a level two in residential property and lettings management. He his now on his way to completing level three and once finished, J & J Knight can become a member of ARLA which is a governing body for agents.

After gaining plenty of experience, the pair decided to establish their own business - when Josh was 20 and Jack, 19 - offering property management, let only and inventory services.

The brothers say that the company is doing “very well”. Josh said: “We are young, but very professional and take care of every customer to ensure business with them is repeated.”

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

February 2020

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February 2020

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19

n PLANNING APPLICATIONS Knowle ward: Awaiting decision

Windmill Hill ward: Awaiting decision

37 Greenleaze, BS4 2TL Proposed two storey rear extension and front porch.

24 - 26 Bedminster Road, BS3 5PD Alterations to shop front, with the addtion of two new doors.

20 Queenshill Road, BS4 2XJ Proposed first floor side extension.

The Windmill Public House, 14 Windmill Hill & 3 Eldon Terrace, BS3 4LU First-floor extension and change of use of The Windmill Public House into 5 flats.

Reinstatement of the basement beneath 3 Eldon Terrace to residential use.

316 - 318 Wells Road, BS4 2QG Change of use from offices to 3 bed flat.

3 Greenleaze, BS4 2TJ Proposed two storey rear extension.

Knowle ward: Decision 71 Springleaze, BS4 2TY Proposed erection of single storey rear extension. Granted subject to conditions 100 Kingshill Road, BS4 2SN Proposed erection of 2 bed bungalow, in rear/side garden.

Granted subject to conditions 5 Moss Mews, BS4 2AP Retention of Conservatory.

Granted subject to conditions 2 Springleaze, BS4 2TT Construction of a detached ancillary annexe in the rear garden, used as an extension to the main dwelling. Granted subject to conditions 91 Exmouth Road, BS4 1BD Proposed erection of a 2 bedroom dwelling and all associated works.

Refused

Land to the rear of 159 Wells Road Totterdown, BS4 2BU Demolition of existing garages and construction of single storey, 1 bedroom (2 person) dwelling.

With bin and cycle storage.

154 Marksbury Road, BS3 5LD Proposed alteration of existing detached outbuilding, with reduced dimensions.

58 Windsor Terrace, Totterdown, BS3 4UG First floor rear extension.

49 William Street, Totterdown, BS3 4TY Sub-division of four bedroom house to one bedroom basement flat and four bedroom maisonette.

Knowle and Windmill Hill

32 - 38 St Johns Lane, BS3 5AD Application for variation of approved plans following grant of planning permission 17/00764/P for demolition of existing garage and the erection of 3 x 4 bed dwellings and 6 x 3 bed dwellings with associated works - now proposed external changes to approved dwellings. Granted subject to conditions 22 Malago Drive, BS3 5DR Loft conversion with front and rear flat roof dormers. Granted subject to conditions Flat Above 26 Bedminster Road, BS3 5PD Erection of flat roof rear extension to flat.

Granted subject to conditions Flat Above 24 Bedminster Road, BS3 5PD Erection of flat roof rear extension to flat.

Granted subject to conditions 18 Ravenhill Road, BS3 5BW Demolition of existing rear garden terrace and replace with a single storey extension with integrated terrace above. Granted subject to conditions

204 Marksbury Road, BS3 5LF 2 x 1 Bed self built flats.

Granted subject to conditions 35 Fitzgerald Road, BS3 5DG Single storey wrap-around extension with pitched roof. Side extension to have parapet wall on boundary. Remaining side and rear boundary to have new fence measuring 1.8m in height from pavement level. Granted subject to conditions 39 Eldon Terrace, BS3 4PA Addition of second storey to dwelling to provide bedroom, study and shower room.

Granted subject to conditions Land and garage next to 36 Monmouth Street Proposed demolition existing garage and replacement with 1 bedroom house. 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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Windmill Hill ward: Decision 56 St Johns Crescent, BS3 5ER Erection of extension to form 2no. self-contained two-bedroom flats with associated works and landscaping. Granted subject to conditions

Got news or a letter to share? Email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

n NEWS

Update your wardrobe at fun event Fashion conscious south Bristolians who want to update their wardrobe without breaking the bank or costing the earth, are urged to attend a fun clothes swap event.

Amba House’s first ‘swap shop’ event takes place on Sunday, February 23, 2pm-4pm, at Amba House (formally Thali Café), 1 William Street, Totterdown, Bristol, BS3 4TU. The cost is just £5 and this includes a glass of prosecco/non-alcoholic drink.

A spokesperson for the event said: “Just bring along any unwanted items of clothing, shoes or accessories - a minimum of one item but no maximum. Place your items at the table/rail according to size then rummage through the items until your hearts content before taking home any items that take your eye. Feel free to try on clothes during the event.”

Any more questions? Feel free to get in touch via Instagram @amba_arthub or Facebook @ambaarthub, alternatively stephanie.j.todd@ hotmail.com. Please note this event is cash only.

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Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

20

n WHAT’S ON

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GOT A LISTING YOU WANT INCLUDED? Email sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk

Saturday February 1/2 n Star Party, 6.30-8pm at Victoria Park (day depending on weather). Telescopes in the park with Bristol Astronomical Society. Refreshments in the church and from Stuffed in the park. Explorer dome star shows St Michaels Church. Suggested donation, £3-5 per adult. Places must be booked in advance at www.vpag.org.uk.

Tuesday February 18 n Fun animal crafts and stories, 2.30-3.30pm at Marksbury Road Library. Most suitable for ages 4 to 9. All children must be supervised by an adult. No booking required, just drop in!

Thursday February 20 n Fun animal crafts and

stories, 2.30-3.30pm at Bedminster Library. Most suitable for ages 4 to 9. All children must be supervised by an adult. No booking required, just drop in!

Friday February 21-22 n Severn Valley Quilters Exhibition, 2-5pm (21st) and 10am-4pm (22nd) at Thornbury Methodist Church Hall, BS35 2AQ. Stalls, tombola and refreshments. Disabled access.

All proceeds go to Great Western Air Ambulance. Admission, £3.

Sunday February 23 n Clothes swap shop, 2-4pm at Amba House (former Thali Cafe), Totterdown. Bring along unwanted items of clothing, shoes or accessories. Cost: £5 – includes a glass of prosecco/

non-alcoholic drink. Please note this event is cash only. Any more questions? Get in touch via Instagram @amba_arthub or Facebook@ambaarthub Wednesday February 26 n Preparing for retirement at The New Room, John Wesley’s Chapel, The Horsefair, Bristol, BS1 3JE, 6-8pm. A chance to look at your life holistically. Start to work out what is important to you and where you want to go, plus tools to help you get there!

Led by Jim Currie, Reinventing Retirement. To book, visit: bit.ly/ planning-retirement Friday February 28 n Making Change: Standing Strong for Women, the Environment and Social Justice, 7.30pm at The Old

Genuinely hilarious and unforgettable

given the far from dream gig of converting a village in Uganda. One is an All-American jock-type who was desperate to be assigned to Orlando and the other a geeky idealist.

You knew something a bit different was in the offing in the very first number 'Hello' - a neatly written, musically clever song showing the pristine, white shirted Mormons ringing doorbells with limited success.

The bulk of the story is set in Uganda. At times it’s hard to work out who is taking the mickey out of whom. The village is a walking cliché of world-weary residents in mud huts, a bullet-laden ‘General’ who causes much terror and one who had the best line in the show about ‘maggots in his ****’ (go and

see the show).

Family fun it is not. The nightmare sequence featuring Ghengis Khan, a camp Hitler, OJ Simpson lawyer Johnnie Cochran and, worst of all, two caffeine-filled cups of Starbucks - was a joy. It is one of those setpieces taken so seriously in ‘real’ musicals, all glitz and glamour, but with ludicrous touches-a-plenty here.

But the real fireworks start when the villagers re-enact the story of Mormon founders Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Let’s just say there were references to Aids, dysentery, frogs and props perhaps acquired from Ann Summers.

Yet for all this, it is not a show for those seeking to poke a liberal bit of mean fun at organised religion.

The message seems to be that

Review The Book of Mormon at Bristol Hippodrome Theatre The first thing that hit me about The Book of Mormon (Bristol Hippodrome until February 22) was the audience.

Not that I would PERSONALLY engage in stereotypes of course, but anyone expecting a LloydWebber-esque crowd of middle aged couples and youngish stage school types would have been puzzled.

It was like a Southville night out - hipster beards, funny caps everywhere, audience profile young(ish) and although it was the press preview, the audience could not totally be explained by media luvvies. Admittedly I did spot a fair few of them too - they were right at home.

Rather I suspect it was to do with the South Park generation fast forwarded a few years with creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone having collaborated in this riot of offensiveness. In a format where humour is not always the strongest suit, the funny lines in Book of Mormon get more and more outrageous as the show goes on.

One in particular, as Kevin Bridges might say, even had this audience looking for the offside flag.

The story is one of believing that good things can happen as a result of organised religion, even if the truth gets embellished a bit, when two Mormon ‘elders’ are

February 2020

Picture House, Totterdown. A unique evening of film, poetry and music with proceeds going to TreeSisters and Milfumi. Tickets, £10/£8. To purchase, email dmerr9226@aol.com

Regular events NIA DANCE FITNESS A fun, energising mix of dance, martial arts and yoga, with relaxation to end. Simple steps to follow, all set to brilliant tunes.

Everyone welcome, beginners too. Tuesdays, 7.45-8.45pm, Southbank Club, Dean Lane (term time). £7 drop-in/book on MoveGB. T: 07434 964490.

Nia with Helen although a bit cooky, the Mormons are really not all that bad and are genuinely trying to make things better for people even if achieved by chucking the Book or Mormon away and basically just making it all up. In that sense, you leave thinking that it was cutting, but not to the bone and anyway, who really has all the answers?

It will never be in the top 10 of musicals for the best songs, but as a show that is different, genuinely hilarious and which will have moments stamped on your mind for years to come (not all pleasant), it’s one to choose. But be quick, tickets are selling fast.

For tickets, visit: www. atgtickets.com/shows/the-bookof-mormon/bristol-hippodrome/ Review by Richard Coulter

The company of The Book of Mormon. Image: Paul Coltas

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

February 2020

n WHAT’S ON PARACISE A low-impact fitness class set to fabulous music, designed to improve posture, balance, mobility. Gentle on joints, no floor work. Fun and friendly class.

11.15am Tuesdays at the Southville Centre and 10.30am Fridays at The Park, Knowle. First class free! T: 07434 964490.

Paracise with Helen

n Organic fruit and vegetable box collection scheme, BS3 Community, Southville Centre, BS3 1QG. Pop in any Thursday from 4.30-6.30pm to discuss signing up. In association with Leigh Court Farm. n Grandparent and Toddler Group, BS3 Community, Chessel Centre, BS3 3DN, every Tuesday 10.30am-12 noon. Free to attend and there are lots of activities to take part in with your grandchild; craft, singing, storytime and more. No need to book, just drop in. n Memories of Bedminster, every Monday at the South Bristol Christian Centre, Churchlands Road, 1.30pm. New members always welcome. n Shared Reading group Drop in to read and listen to a

southbristolvoice

great story and poem and talk about it. Free, no pressure to read. No prep required. Every Friday at The Park, Daventry Road, 10-11.30am. n Filwood Chase History Society held in our Heritage Centre (free entry). View scale models of local buildings and look at our extensive collection of maps, etc. Browse among, pottery/books/photographs/ coins/fossils, then, look up stored local information, on computers.

The Park Community Centre, Daventry Road. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 1-5pm. For more information, call Ivor Grimsted on 07856769285 or just turn up, and ask questions! n Little Music Makers musical storytelling adventures, featuring live music and hands on activities each week. Perfect for your 18 month - 4-year-old.

THE GEORGE

February live listings 288 Wells Road, Knowle SAT 1ST: DELONZO GEE SAT 8TH: LAST RESORT SAT 15TH: JILTED JOE (SKA TRIBUTE) SAT 22ND: TERRY COLE SAT 29TH: CHUFF

(Siblings under 1 can come for free!). Thursday mornings through to Christmas (closed 31/10/19). Sessions start at 9.45am or 10.50am in St Christopher’s Church Hall, Hampstead Road, BS4 3HN Get in touch to book or find out more: littlemusicmakers.org. n Zumba classes at United Reform Church, Brislington, BS4 3LG, Monday, 10am - Zumba Gold (suitable for 50+ and Zumba beginners) £5. Monday and Thursday, 6.45pm - Zumba Fitness (Everybody welcome) £6 For more details contact Kate: zumbawithkate.bristol@gmail. com; 07988787710.

Library events Knowle Library n Reading Group, first Monday of the month, 4-5pm.

Please speak to the library before attending. n Baby Bounce and Rhyme, Tuesday, 11.30am & Thursday, 11.30am (term time only) n Townswomen’s Guild Knitting Group, last Tuesday of the month, 2-3.30pm. This is an independently run group. Ask at library for contact details.

21

We're walking in a Window Wanderland The Southville, Bedminster and Ashton Window Wanderland is happening this month.

Residents are invited to 'wander' the neighbourhoods to admire windows decorated as brightly and creatively as possible.

The trail began in Bishopston in 2015 and has spread to other cities and towns across the UK, establishing itself abroad too.

Window Wanderland in Southville, Bedminster and Ashton will start on February 28, with displays left up for at least a week.

Windows will be lit up between 6 and 9pm for seven days. Decorations can be really fancy, but sometimes simple is more effective.

To get some ideas of what others have done in the past, go to www.windowwanderland. com. This site should answer most of your questions, but if not, the local co-ordinators (all volunteers) can be contacted at bs3windowwanderland@gmail. com

n CREATIVE COLUMN with Holly Wicks of Zeal Interiors

Creative, original home soft furnishings

F

ebruary is the month associated with love, but are we showing our home interiors enough love? In previous months we’ve been preoccupied with Christmas, followed by the big January clean-up. But to get inspired again, it helps to be surrounded by colour, pattern and design that’s mood-lifting and motivating, especially if life involves working from home or entertaining guests frequently.

There are online purveyors of generic curtains, blinds, cushions and so on, but what if you want soft furnishings that really show off your personality? What if you could create a room scheme that’s 100% bespoke and crafted locally?

Holly at Zeal Interiors offers a personalised service - handling every aspect of your commission, from a free initial consultation at your home, through to fabric sourcing, production and installation. Whether you’re already armed with ideas or completely lacking inspiration, she will guide you through the options to make sure you get the right style.

Textiles have insulating and acousticsoftening properties, so curtains and Roman blinds are practical as well as characterful additions. Holly also offers made-to-measure

co-ordinates, like lampshades, cushions, window seats - to complement your window dressings and achieve a truly original room scheme.

Email: holly@zealinteriors.co.uk Instagram: @zeal_interiors_ Facebook: @zealint Website: www.zealinteriors.co.uk

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

n YOUR COUNCILLORS

A

February 2020

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22

busy month or so with progress on a number of issues. Firstly Redcatch Park, Gary where I was able to Hopkins introduce the new Lib Dem officer, in charge of Knowle Bristol Parks, to the Redcatch community garden. As expected he was impressed with the level of activity and progress and he has agreed send a letter to the garden management that will help them with securing larger grants and a lease will be available if they need it. We are also moving forward with developments at the pavilion with The Park football club from The Park in Daventry Rd applying to take on a lease with the responsibility for improvements and repair.

Originally set up to help disabled footballers they now have a variety of teams totalling 17 and although staying at The Park they need room to expand. The Redcatch Community Garden and

Knowle

the football club plan to work together on encouraging the other groups and users in Redcatch.

We now have a meeting fixed to examine proposals from the Lawn Tennis Association to invest in the tennis courts. The original proposal was unacceptable as it would have excluded free play but we will examine the new proposal and consult.

I attended a round table meeting at St Katherine’s School in Pill to discuss the transport problems. With no formal council bus service there will always be a problem for a school that attracts so many of its pupils from Bristol, but the situation had become totally unacceptable. There had been an issue locally as the Knowle school coach service had changed its terms, but even worse problems were caused by the lack of seats on the First bus scheduled service that goes to the school on its way to Bristol. After some discussions the school adjusted timetables for some pupils and First agreed to an extra bus in the afternoon. We need to see how it works in practice.

BRISTOL A.R.C. UPDATE

T

How to contact your councillor: p2

hese days It is not often we can report good news about investment in parks.

Chris Paignton Park Davies will be a brand new Lib Dem facility in front of the Knowle new(ish) shared equity housing, on what used to be Salcombe Rd recreation grounds.

The top third was transferred a couple of years back to Knowle Park School as their brand new playing field (an even rarer event these days).

The housing has worked well and the proceeds, from the sale of land to the housing association, is paying for the new park with a play area and has paid for other park improvements in both Knowle and Windmill Hill.

In recent weeks I have been involved in the detailed process to select the best design and bid from tendering firms, and by the time you read this Gary and I will have met on site with contractors to

confirm the design for the tree and shrub planting.

We have previously had residents’ meetings about the design and have also secured a positive agreement from the school to be involved in keeping an eye on the park.

The playground is for 0 to 12yrs and there will be room for an enclosed dog free grassed area for youngsters and parents. Outside the perimeter there will be tree and shrub planting and seating for other park users.

I understand the One Tree Per Child programme will organise the tree/shrub planting.

We are promised it will all be installed by May and it will be the culmination of several years of work and planning, where we fought off a Labour Party petition opposing the change of land use plus the mayor temporarily seizing the proceeds of the land sale.

Got news or a letter to share? Email news@ southbristolvoice.co.uk

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February 2020

southbristolvoice

n YOUR COUNCILLORS

W

ith the

General Election now done and dusted, it is back Jon to normal business Wellington in the New Year.

Labour Of course I was Windmill Hill devastated at the national result which guarantees five more years of Tory government with more cuts to public services, including local government which provides the services on which many of us rely, directly or indirectly.

The devastating results were offset by success in Bristol, including Bristol South where our excellent local MP Karin Smyth retained her seat with a majority of nearly 10,000.

I was Karin’s election agent and it was an interesting experience to manage the campaign, but also to canvass outside of my own ward, which obviously has been my main focus these last four years.

People I spoke to often say that Bristol South is a ‘safe seat’.

Windmill Hill

While it is true that it has been held by Labour MPs for many years, we saw from the shocking results elsewhere in the country, particularly in the north and the midlands, that seats that have been Labour for decades can and do change hands.

If we take voters for granted, or fail to represent their views, we will continue to lose.

Labour has a long way to go to be in a position to win the next general election, but the only way we can do this is to reflect the communities we seek to represent, with a credible offer of material improvement to people’s lives through building an environment where decent jobs can thrive, where public services are well funded and people feel they have a say in their local area.

The Tories will never do this. The question is now whether Labour party members can elect a leader who is capable of winning an election so that we can build the society that most of us here in South Bristol want to see.

I

23 How to contact your councillor: p2

have had many emails over the years about the rubbish on the land around Holroyd House Lucy Whittle but had thought Labour that with the Windmill Hill consistent removal of fly tipping it was improving. Unfortunately, this is not the case Several residents have contacted me to complain that the piles of rubbish are still there and getting worse.

Jon and I met with concerned residents and looked at the problem and discussed several ways forward.

One of the issues is that as it is housing land, not public land so it is a different department responsible for the up-keep of the grounds. This means the money has to be found from funds that are ring-fenced for housing.

We agreed some priorities and Jon and I will continue to push for resources to be spent on a big

clear-up of all the land around the block.

This requires special equipment as the ground is on such a steep slope, and there may be dangerous items in the waste. Once that has been achieved, several residents in the local area are happy to lead on organising a regular community litter pick, with support and resources from the council. They have started a Facebook group called “Keeping the Green Clean” .

Do join, if you would like to find out more.

I wondered if in the summer months this could include a picnic, and winter months, hot coffee and cake? I would also like to get together with residents and officers from the council to see if there are some longer-term solutions that will help reduce future littering, and I have been enquiring about CCTV to catch offenders. I don’t know what the answers are, but I know the many residents of Holroyd house who must walk past this eyesore every day would be grateful if those responsible would just stop.

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In witch I am big-headed

K

February 2020

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nowle is not what it used to be. I very rarely hear the Bristolian accent on my street as it seems to be filling up with outsiders, young beardy types, mostly men, with the women wrapped in large scarves, all of them poking at their phones and ignoring their kids.

I caught up with one of my favourite familiars recently, the Singing Stonemason, an original Bristolian. We were chatting on the street both admiring his chiselwork whilst dissecting our local residents.

“Have you noticed,” he asked, lowering his voice, “how big the heads of the children are around here? Enormous heads. It’s never right.” We stopped to consider this as a woman shuffled past, sagging under the weight of a large headed baby strapped to her front. “I rest my case,” Stoney whispered. “I’ve worked it out. They are all older parents these days and that’s the problem, past the use by date.”

I sniggered and then thought.

Damn it. I’ve got a big head. This is true. Last year, when Christmas

THE WICKED WITCH OF KNOWLE

crackers were acceptable, I would try and place my crown carefully over my large skull only to hear the depressing sound of tearing. It’s rubbish having a big head. I wore a hat for my wedding. It just about fit but left an angry red rim around my forehead - a nice look for the photos. Yes, my Mum was old when she had me. It’s all her fault.

We then went on to discuss the rudeness of local folk. This man is a skilled tradesman and artist. He transforms the sad, worn-out stone on our Victorian houses into fresh, clean lines with the odd gargoyle thrown in.

Yet some people treat him with such disdain it is shocking. He was working on one house where the

owner never offered him a cup of tea despite them sitting inside their cosy house all day. “They would walk past me and throw the used coffee beans onto the roses. Those roses were treated better than me,” he remarked sadly.

It’s true people around here are rude. A cheery ‘Good Morning’ costs nothing. Crack a little smile maybe. A nod. Lift a hand to wave?

Pah! Not on my road.

Some of them I know. I sign for their parcels, I can tell you the names of their children, I’ve had conversations with them and yet I can get out of my car when they are coming out of their house and they blank me.

They must know I am there because I have a huge head and you can’t miss me. But they will not make eye contact. They will stalk past; my hair will billow in the breeze they create, eyes fixed forwards.

Who is the Wicked Witch? She’s the one lamenting the rudeness of local people (but admittedly pulling faces behind their back) THIS WITCH TWEETS: @witchyofknowle

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Yes, dear reader, I do pull a face behind their retreating backs and I might make a few select hand gestures. It makes me feel better.

I was walking down my road with Scrappy the other evening. A Beard had opened his front door and was talking to his toddler child.

“I’m just putting the recycling out darling,” he squeaked, clocking me but quickly looking away. “We recycle don’t we sweetie because it helps the …”. He paused waiting for the kid to say that big word ‘environment’ purely for my benefit.

The little tot slammed the front door shut. “Darling,” he cried through the letterbox, “that’s not kind to Daddy is it?” I sniggered.

That kid is going to be trouble and it’s because we have a society filling up with Beards and Scarves who are just a bit wimpy, nothingy and rude but not you of course – oh no, not you.

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February 2020

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25

n HISTORY Dinosaurs PART 2

Our very own dinosaur, Theco

Last month we learned of the discovery of strange fossils in a Clifton stone quarry in 1834. What were they – and how would they help change our world? By Paul Breeden

W

HEN workmen digging up stone in a quarry behind Bellevue Terrace on Durdham Downs turned up some strange-looking bones, they knew where to take them. They trotted down the hill to the bottom of Park Street, where the curator of Bristol’s first museum, Samuel Stutchbury, received them with interest.

Stutchbury, pictured, had in fact had a hand in naming the second dinosaur ever to be discovered – although in 1834 that word wasn’t yet in use.

While working in the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in London, he had spotted that some enormous fossilised teeth, which had been discovered by the doctor and geologist Gideon Mantell, were very similar to those of the modern iguana.

The fossil teeth were about 20 times larger than those of their living relative. This was proof of two ideas which were rather startling for the time.

First, it indicated that there were creatures which had died out and had never been seen by humans.

This was controversial to those Christians who believed that all God’s creatures had survived the Biblical Flood by sheltering in Noah’s Ark. The Bible said nothing about other kinds of animals which had died out before the age of man.

Second, the close similarity between the teeth of the giant extinct animal – dubbed by Mantell Iguanodon – and the modern iguana hinted that God hadn’t created every species separately, but that creatures

had changed over time, gradually becoming very different from how they began. In short, they had evolved.

As we learned last month, Charles Darwin did not invent the idea of evolution. It had been around since the ancient Greeks, and by the late 18th century it was being touted by French scientists – though still seen as rather a radical idea in England.

Stutchbury, then, realised the importance of these strange new bones from Clifton. But he knew his own experience wasn’t enough to identify them. In those days, surgeons often took an interest in the bones of the dead as well as the living. He called on Henry Riley, a Bristol doctor who had studied in Paris, apparently undeterred by Riley’s first claim to fame – as a graverobber.

Resurrection men

Riley had been caught redhanded in Brislington churchyard in February 1828. With another doctor, George Wallis, he was found filling in a grave with earth after failing to break into a particularly well-constructed coffin.

The pair were hauled before magistrate Thomas Hassell, who fined them £6 each – a hefty £500 at today’s values. Strangely, for two men accused of such a horrid crime, they were not named in a newspaper report; in fact, the writer seemed to have some sympathy for them. “This body snatching is certainly a very dreadful trade”, remarked the Cheltenham Chronicle, “ … but [it] will go on, unless a more enlightened policy among

the Law of Balancing of Organs – the odd theory that one organ will grow at the expense of others. In humans the cranium has grown to accommodate our big brain, but at the expense of our jaw, which is smaller than that of monkeys. The crocodile has a much larger jaw and a much smaller brain.

Riley, who had studied in Paris and wore loud yellow waistcoats in the dashing French style, had just won a major dispute over another fossil in the Bristol museum. Squaloria was found by the celebrated fossil hunter Mary Anning in Lyme Regis in 1831. Riley said it was a fish, related to rays. London experts disagreed: it was a saurian, or lizard-like. The fossil persons of influence should went to London to be examined; take place.” The writer went on and the great Swiss ichthyologist to bemoan the English system, Louis Agassiz visited Bristol to which denied young doctors a tell Riley that he was right and legal source of cadavers on which the London establishment were to learn their trade, in contrast wrong. to France, where a trade in So what had been found on anatomical specimens “would the Downs? Riley and Stutchbury have been no outrage upon the took two years to examine public feeling.” the remains. Their study was The English double standards presented to a grand gathering in continued three weeks after the Bristol of the British Association court case when Wallis won a for the Advancement of Science senior post at Bristol’s Royal in August 1836. Hundreds of Infirmary – with the backing of the nation’s most prominent Hassell, the magistrate who had scientists, in fields from statistics sentenced him. to zoology, took over every major venue in the city, from But back to the bones – what the cathedral to the theatre, and did a graverobbing doctor have to Stutchbury and Riley’s paper on contribute? It was clear that PROPERTY the the Bristol dinosaurs was one MAINTENANCE fossils were of a reptile. But what of the prime local attractions. kind, and what relation were they INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING Bristol was basking in the glow to creatures of the present day? of scientific fame; it was a city at FENCING • PATIOS • LANDSCAPING Dr Riley was an expert on finding sharp end of Victorian progress.

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26

February 2020

n HISTORY Dinosaurs PART 2 Continued from previous page Stutchbury and Riley named their new creature Thecodontosaurus. It seemed to them to be a creature halfway between a lizard and a crocodile: about six feet long from head to tail, and presumed to walk on four legs like a dog. Though parts of the skull were missing, the jaw was there, and Stutchbury and Riley were sure that its small, sharp teeth were for eating meat.

They presented a picture of a nimble hunter, with a body about the size of a Labrador.

The name means “socket tooth” in Greek – Theco’s teeth sat in sockets, unlike modern lizards, where the teeth are fused to the jaw. Riley and Stutchbury had found that this ancient creature had something in common with modern creatures – like humans, which also have their teeth in sockets. Yet the modern equivalents of Theco, the lizards, are different. This is a puzzle if you see animals getting progressively more and more developed over time. Yet this was what the religiously-inspired evolution theories of the time dictated.

Riley was a bit of a radical for Bristol, with his idea that creatures didn’t always get more complex as history moved on.

He and Stutchbury amassed more and more detail about the similarities linking lines of creatures from the ancient fishes to the saurians such as Theco, and newer dinosaurs such as ichthyosaurs and teleosaurs.

But Riley did not rock the boat for those who stuck to rigid religious beliefs. Despite finding so many similarities through lines of related creatures, he didn’t suggest that one had evolved into the next. He claimed

that God had created them, individually, one after the other.

It’s as if the Creator had been trying out different creatures over time, tweaking His designs as a potter might make a new plate with a different pattern.

It was to be another six years, in 1842, when Richard Owen linked three of the fossil finds into a group he called Dinosauria. Among them was Megalosaurus – the first of the saurians to be identified, in 1824.

This was the creature which was to catch the public imagination and cement the idea of dinosaurs as monstrous, aggressive-looking creatures which had roamed the planet in days long gone.

The fame of Megalosaurus was partly to do with the fact that Owen had a life-size model made and placed in an open-air display with other dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park in London. As the name suggests, the creature was enormous – some thought it was up to 60 feet (20m) long, though Owen believed it grew to only 18 feet (9m). Still, there it was, in a South London park, a lumbering, sharp-toothed monster, as big as a horse and carriage.

Thecodontosaurus wasn’t on Owen’s list of the first dinosaurs.

In fact, it wasn’t identified as a dinosaur until 1870. But that doesn’t matter: it was an important part of the jigsaw of prehistoric life that was being built up throughout the 19th century.

Bristol took much pride in Theco, as its own part in the prehistoric story. Samuel Stutchbury and Henry Riley made important contributions to the national debate. They had also found another ancient creature among the Durdham

Thecodontosaurus: A life-size representation by Mario Lanzas. Picture: Mario Lanzas, Creative Commons

Megalosaurus: The giant model in a South London park which cemented the image of dinosaurs in the public imagination. But this 1854 model is inaccurate: Megalosaurus stood on two legs, not four, didn’t have a lump, and wasn’t nearly so lizard-looking. Picture: CPG Grey, Creative Commons

Downs fossils, Paleosaurus.

For some reason Paleosaurus hasn’t achieved the fame of Thecodontosaurus, but it appears to have been a meat-eating dinosaur which darted around on its hind legs – perhaps it was chasing Theco. But Stutchbury and Riley had identified this new genus from just two teeth. It didn’t help that Owen changed the spelling to Palaeosaurus, and because there were so few fossils there was much confusion about how many species there were, and whether they were dinosaurs. At one point some of the remains were confused with Thecodontosaurus; and in 1891 some of Theco’s bones were identified as the first dinosaur to be discovered in Australia. In fact they weren’t: these fossils had come from Bristol, were sent to the Natural History Museum by Stutchbury, then got mislabelled

as having been found in Australia in 1844! This mistake wasn’t discovered until 1999. Such are the blind alleys where science sometimes gets stuck.

Theco, the Bristol Dinosaur, is rightly celebrated across the city and elsewhere. An education scheme run by the University of Bristol, the Bristol Dinosaur Project, has since 2000 taken the story of the Clifton fossils to tens of thousands of school children.

Many school classes have been to Bristol Museum to see life-size displays of Theco in its habitat.

When young children see a real fossilised bone, and realise that it was once a weird and amazing creature, roaming the area where they live now, they begin to get a sense of the wonders to be discovered in the natural world.

Today, Theco is seen as part of the great tree of life that is explained by evolution through natural selection. This is the idea, as first explained by Charles Darwin in 1859, that the myriad different plants and animals we see today are the descendants of species long extinct, with just one common ancestor. Darwin’s breakthrough was the idea of natural selection: that it is the pressures of life itself which cause one kind of creature to thrive and another to die out. It’s an idea often expressed as the survival of the fittest.

Opponents of evolution often say that there are no intermediate species that show

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n HISTORY Dinosaurs PART 2 how dinosaurs evolved into birds, for example, or how something so complex as an eye could arise by chance. In fact, there is plenty of evidence of dinosaurs with feathers, the ancestors of birds.

And there are plenty of creatures with primitive versions of eyes which evolved bit by bit over the eons.

To many, the idea of natural selection leaves no need for a God to create each animal separately. It certainly makes the Biblical tale that every kind of animal came from Noah’s ark look impossible.

As we have seen, the finders of the Bristol Dinosaur were not so radical. Riley actually believed that there were myriad similarities across all classes of animals, alive and dead, but that nevertheless God had created each one separately.

In the 1830s and 1840s, Bristol’s cosy scientific world was not ready to challenge the authority of the church. For example, hopes were high that the new Bristol Zoo, founded in 1835, would become a morallyuplifting attraction for the working classes – a healthy alternative to the riotous fairs that had been banned from the city. Dr Riley wanted to spread the benefits widely: in 1836 he proposed that children living in charitable institutions should be admitted free.

But Bristol’s commitment to working class emancipation only went so far. Working people were kept at their jobs six days a week; therefore the only day most could visit the zoo was Sunday.

Nowadays, of course, acceptance of evolution as a

scientific fact is pretty well universal in Britain. By most, it’s seen as no barrier to religious faith: today, the Catholic church preaches evolution as part of God’s plan.

The mass of evidence for evolution is simply enormous and keeps growing. It’s not only the fossils and the story they tell: there are the geological strata that tell us when these animals lived, showing the course of their evolution. There are the clear biological similarities between different species. There is now the weight of DNA evidence, which reveals the fingerprints of every species, and also acts as another kind of clock to show how long it is since two species diverged in the tree of life.

And yet, for some, the weight of evidence will never be enough.

A few miles from Bristol, in Wraxall, is Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, an animal attraction aimed mainly at families and founded with an explicitly Creationist message by a Christian family.

It contains a large scale model of Noah’s Ark with a display arguing that scientists have it wrong: the Earth is not billions of years old, and evolution is a myth. However, judging by the many rave reviews of the farm online, most visitors don’t notice the Creationist message. This is, after all a country where we can all believe what we want.

Sources Natural philosophy, medicine and the culture of science in provincial England: Bristol, 1790-1850, Michael Neve, dissertation, University College London, 1984 Stutchbury, Samuel (1798–1859), DF Branagan and TG Vallance, Australian

Dictionary of Biography, 1976 Bristol Mercury, August 7, 1836: Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science Cheltenham Chronicle, February 14, 1828: Resurrection Men Bristol Dinosaur Project www. thebristoldinosaurproject.org.uk/

Samuel Stutchbury: Another adventure SAMUEL STUTCHBURY had another phase in his eventful life before he was buried in Arnos Vale cemetery in 1859.

In 1850 he left his post as curator of the museum at the Bristol Institution in Park Street (it’s the big building at the bottom of the street, near the Council House, that’s now home to Bristol’s Freemasons).

Stutchbury took a job in Australia, where he had been on a survey trip in the 1820s. For £600 a year (£63,000 at today’s values) he worked as a geologist advising on finds of gold. He later did a survey of the coalfields, but for some reason got little thanks from colonial administrators.

His job was terminated in 1855 and he returned to England, settling again in Bristol with his wife, Louisa, whom he had married in London in 1820.

It seems the Australian colonial office wanted a prospector to find them gold and coal, rather than a respected scientist such as Stutchbury. In England he found a little work doing surveys of coalfields but he died on February 12, 1859 in his adopted city.

His reputation has only been restored this century, and a number of mollusc species in Australia and New Zealand have been named after him. Perhaps that’s the tribute that would please him most.

Links To find out more about the Bristol Dinosaur Project, or arrange a visit to a school, go to www.thebristoldinosaurproject.org.uk/ www.facebook.com/Bristol-DinosaurProject

Life size: Bob Nicholls sculpts a model of Theco for Bristol Museum Picture: Frazer Reed, Creative Commons

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n THOUGHT OF THE MONTH

I

by a member of Victoria Park Baptist Church

t is really hard to feel good about yourself in the world we live. We feel bad for not being vegan, for not walking often enough, for being obsessed with appearance, for not being body positive, for not adopting pets, for not giving enough to charity, for using plastic, for wasting food, flying, for not supporting local businesses, for excessive food miles, for unintentionally using incorrect pronouns, for offending

people, for being part of a privileged majority, for not being part of a privileged majority, for being relaxed parents, for being uptight parents. The list goes on and on.

Being a human being is a tricky business and it is pretty clear that none of us can get it right all of the time. So, be kind to yourself and do what your parents expected of you.

Just try your best. None of us can give more than that so if your

best is lots of car driving but sustainable groceries, fantastic. If it is veganism, brilliant.

If it is none of the above but you try hard to be a good person who does good deeds, well done to you.

We as a family have been trying to do more good deeds to be kind.

I let people out whilst driving and I even bought a builder a coffee - he didn’t understand and thought I was trying to pick him up, but it was a kind deed regardless!

Everyone can do something extra and make changes to this world and lovely area we live in, but NO ONE can do more than their best so why not try some good deeds out and feel great about yourself, spreading kindness and doing your best?

If all of us keep doing this then this society will be a much nicer place.

Regular Services

Pastor: Matthew Norris 07967 199995 bristolnazarene.com Sunday 10.30am Sunday Service; Wednesday 6pm Kids Klub; Thursday 7pm Youth club.

Henwood 0117 983 3924 • bristol. stgerardmajella@cliftondiocese.com gerardmajellaknowle.co.uk Sunday Mass 9am & 5pm Tues, Weds, Fri Mass 10am Sat Exposition 9.30am Benediction 10.15am Mass 10.30am Confession 11am

Sunday 10am Family Service; Wednesday 10am Family Communion

n Bedminster Church of Christ

298 St John’s Lane BS3 5AY Minister: Jason Snethen 07795 560990 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.

n Bedminster Quaker Meeting House Wedmore Vale BS3 5HXClerk Gillian Smith 0117963 4712 bristolquakers.org.uk Sunday Worship 10.45am; 2nd & 4th Sunday Children’s meeting; 2nd Sunday Shared lunch.

n Church of the Nazarene

n Holy Nativity Church Wells Road, Knowle BS4 2AG Fr Steve Hawkins 07834 462054 Facebook: Holy Nativity Knowle Sunday 10am Parish Mass; Friday 10.30am Weekday Mass.

n Knowle Methodist Church

Redcatch Road, Knowle BS4 2EP Rev Sally Spencer southbristolmc.org. uk Sunday 10.30am Worship and Junior Church (Minnows for pre-school children).

n St Gerard Majella

Talbot Road, Knowle BS4 2NP Parish Priest Fr George

Broad Walk, Knowle BS4 2RD

ADVICE FROM A PHARMACIST Building a healthy community together - lessons from the lanterns

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vents like the Bedminster lantern parade are aweinspiring. The unique ‘‘Bemmy Spirit” is seeing young and older coming together, working in partnership to organise, participate and support it. Events like this allow us to enjoy and build community together.

The World Health Organization says health is not just the absence of sickness. It is physical, mental and social wellbeing.

A healthy community is also the same. Inspired by the lantern parade, here are some lessons on building a healthy community together: Increasing physical activity: No matter how tired you felt after grooving your way along the stretch of the parade, walking or cheering, you can rest assured your participation has helped make you

healthier. Why? We know that one of the most effective ways to boost physical and mental health and also reduce the risk of excessive weight gain is to take part in physical activity.

Walking is the best and cheapest form of physical activity.

Healthy communities provide opportunities for group walks, create safe environments for children to walk around, ride their bikes, protect designated play and walking areas too. Groups and activities that promote and support these are helping to build a healthy community.

Increasing community social engagement: Mental and

n St Martin’s Wells Road, Knowle S4

2NG Rev Becky Waring 0117 977 6275 Facebook: stmartinschurchknowle Sunday 8.30am Holy Communion; 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays 10.30am Holy Communion; 2nd Sunday 9.30am Rise and Shine: informal service, breakfast; 6pm Holy Communion; 4th Sunday 10.30am Family Communion.

n St Michael & All Angels Vivian Street, Windmill Hill BS3 4LW Rev Andrew Doarks 0117 977 6132 stmikechurch.co.uk

Photo, Google Maps

n Totterdown Baptist Church

Wells Road BS4 2AD tbc.org.uk Sunday 10.30am Morning Service; 2nd Sunday All-age Service; 6.30pm Evening Service (entrance Sydenham Road).

n Totterdown Methodist Church

Bushy Park, Totterdown BS4 2AD Rev Sally Spencer southbristolmc.org. uk Sunday Family Worship 10.30am; 1st Sunday Sunday School.

n Victoria Park Baptist Church Sylvia Avenue BS3 5DA 0117 977 2484

victoriapark.org.uk

Sunday 10.30am Service with groups for all ages; coffee 11.30am. 2nd Sunday Parade Service; 3rd Sunday Communion.

with Ade Williams Ade Williams of Bedminster Pharmacy shows how pharmacies can help people with a variety of health conditions, and ease pressure on the NHS emotional aspects of health are just as important as the physical.

A community that promotes this is healthier. When people are involved in their community, forming friendships and participating in community-wide events, they feel valued and welcomed.

Children playing together and sharing experiences helps too, with everyone using and sharing their gifts and time. This togetherness makes us all healthier emotionally and mentally. It is the social fabric that clothes us with dignity and value building resilience.

Championing inclusivity and diversity: Just look at all the beautiful colourful lanterns! The

biggest challenge in the UK today is the widening gaps.

Brexit is just another face of it. We know health is linked to income and social status of people.

One of the sad facts about this is that many people are excluded – they have limited access to the resources, opportunities and knowledge that is helping others to attain excellent health and wellbeing. They are left behind and even forgotten about. Therefore, to see the efforts that the lantern parade steering committee makes to include every part of the community, encouraging them to not only come and watch but to take part and ‘‘own’’ the event is a message that we all need to embrace.

The lantern parade is an example of how we can all play a part in making our BS3 locality a healthier community. At Bedminster Pharmacy, we have a significant role to play, being the local health and wellbeing hub for the community. Do come and talk to us to help us do this work together.

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n THE CITY PAGE

29

BRISTOL CITY ROUND-UP

Shrewsbury cup misery compounded by draw MARTIN POWELL laments the chance (missed) for City fans to welcome the best team in the world ... while hoping the season may still hold some promise

A

sk people what the most exciting thing about attending a football match is and many will give you the answer “atmosphere”.

There is nothing quite like that electric buzz of the crowd.

The “oohs” at the near-misses, the roar as a goal goes in and the chanting - even if some of it is not for the vicar to hear.

Never is the atmosphere better than at a big cup game against a top side. The stadium is packed, big name stars strut their stuff and the chance to see your team compete against the giants of the game creates memories that live forever.

So, you would think when playing in the FA Cup early rounds, the knowledge that one of those big nights could be in prospect might be a great motivator.

Wind back to January and City’s FA Cup match saw a few thousand City fans sat like Terracotta Warriors watching the team pass the ball about

ineffectively while grown men at the other end sang “I’m Shrewsbury until I die” without a hint of irony.

Never mind.

It ended in a draw then some people rattled some balls in a bag and City got the dream tie.

Liverpool at Ashton Gate. The European Champions; the best in the country on current form; the best in the world according to some odd recent tournament.

Liverpool! Imagine Jurgen Klopp in BS3 bringing his all-stars - or even his stars of tomorrow. What a treat. What an atmosphere.

Well, it wasn’t enough to inspire the City team and they bowed out 0-1 at Shrewsbury, prompting a plummet in expectations and calls online for various people to be sacked, transferred, hung-drawn-andquartered, kicked out or sent to Coventry like Liam Walsh.

At the next home game against Barnsley there was little sign of a good atmosphere.

Famara Diedhou waved his arms at the crowd a few times in

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Niclas Eliasson celebrates last-minute goal against Barnsley the hope of getting them going, while squandering goal-scoring chances that might have got them excited.

A group in the south stand started singing songs to create some kind of atmosphere. They sang about Jacki Dziekanowski (who left in 1993). They sang about “super” Bob Taylor (who left in 1992) and even Chris Crowe got a mention (he left in 1969).

Maybe conjuring up the spirits of the past helped because just before everyone trooped home Niclas Eliasson slotted home the only goal of the game taking careful aim from exactly the same spot where earlier he had ballooned one over the bar.

The atmosphere picked up.

People began to smile again.

Maybe, just maybe, there are still some big games ahead this season. Perhaps some exciting nights where a play-off spot is in prospect.

Image by @jmpuk

Maybe even a trip to Wembley with the prize of the Premier League at stake. Players need to keep those thoughts of the big games they can create in their heads during tough afternoons and evenings ahead.

Bristol City have missed out on what could have been one of the great nights in the club’s history - but there is still something to hang on to this season as the league twists and turns continue.

Martin’s shorts If you are looking for significant dates coming up for Bristol City then the consecutive games away to Leeds on February 15 and home to West Brom on February 22 should be in the diary. A crunch week against the current top two will make or break the season.

n IN BRIEF n Could you make a big difference by giving a small amount of time?

Local charity BS3 Community is looking for volunteers with a few hours to spare on a Monday or Tuesday evening to support the fantastically popular Bedminster Youth Club. Get in touch with volunteer coordinator kate.kings@bs3community.org.uk or register directly bs3community. volunteermakers.org/ n Put a spring in your step at the social tea dance being hosted by BS3 Community. The Valentine's themed dance will take place on February 20 at the Southville Centre, 2-5pm. There will be music with DJ, Derek (of Lion Stores), plus dance tuition. Tea and cake is also included in the price: £5.50 in advance or £6.50 on the door. Tickets are available now from the Southville Centre reception or by calling 0117 9231039 or by emailing Barbara.crowther@bs3community.org.uk

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