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southbristolvoice March 2016 No. 10
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ELECTIONS P4 | LETTERS P16 | PLANNING APPLICATIONS P36
Arena to cost £28m more – and there WILL be a car park DAYS before councillors are due to decide whether to grant planning permission to the arena, it has emerged that costs will be £28 million higher than previously stated. And despite insistence that there would be no large car park on the site, plans have been revealed for an eight-storey, 480-space car park to occupy the KwikFit plot on Bath Road. It also emerged that a hopedfor cycle route across Arena Island is not possible because the slope is too great, leading to fears that cyclists will use busy Bath Road. The council says the “extra”
Delivered: Your legal highs Page 3 Council to sell open space Page 5 New life in Wells Rd centre Page 6
Kwik-Fit: Multi-storey car park earmarked for the council-owned site £28m is not an increase – it is to pay for work not yet budgeted on Arena Island, such as the plaza. The arena itself is estimated to cost £95m. But a final budget has yet to be calculated by newlyappointed contractor Bouygues. The council’s assessment is that there is a high probability that “the arena programme is unrealistic leading to further delays and cost increases”. The council may also pay up to £8m towards the arena’s rates bill if the private operators, Live Nation and SMG, face a bigger than expected increase. All these factors are revealed
in the agenda for the council cabinet meeting on March 1. The development control committee will decide on the planning application for the arena building and an outline plan for Arena Island on March 2. “I’m very angry that the ward councillors haven’t been briefed on this at all,” said Deb Joffe, the Green councillor for Windmill Hill. She called the idea for a major car park on Bath Road “mad”. “They are going to get traffic queuing to get into the car park on that very busy road,” she said. It is possible that other city Continued on page 10
WIN Tickets to see top comic Page 14 Happy 40th to the City Farm Page 19 Knowle’s historic club Pages 24-25 Blitz tales of an ambulance driver
Pages 30-32
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Intro
IT’S getting close to D Day: March 2 is when councillors on the development control committee meet to decide whether to grant planning permission for the arena. Given how much work has already taken place, and how high expectations are for this venue and the regeneration it will bring, a refusal seems almost inconceivable. But we trust that councillors do not feel railroaded into a decision. They must satisfy themselves that the plans are carefully
thought out and will result in an asset to the city. Our revelations about how much has changed on the project will make some think it’s time to pause for thought. The cost has not increased, says the council; it’s just that some items had not been calculated. Yet the implications – where the money comes from, and the risks attached to various parts of the scheme – are new to us, and to most people. The plan for a car park is a surprise, to say the least. Councillors have a lot to digest in a short time.
PLAY LAWN GREEN BOWLS AT KNOWLE BOWLS CLUB
With summer almost here, why not keep active and make new friends using our superb green, club facilities and year-round social programme.
Beginners or experienced bowlers of all ages are welcome. Why not have a try and see how much fun you get? Free coaching and use of equipment.
Please contact either of the secretaries:
Ladies Sandra Broome 01179 407929 Men Bill Broome 01179 776913
We are opposite Broadwalk shopping centre and parking is available in the cricket club car park. Knowle Bowls Club, The Green, Knowle BS4 2QN
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Briefly ...
Art trail will be full of clowns TOTTERDOWN’S famous Front Room Art Trail will this year take on a circus theme. Already planned are clowns, street entertainers, children’s workshops and theatre productions. Registration for the event in November will open in April at the address below. Those who register their venue before October will be included on the printed map. • frontroom.org.uk
l SUMMER wouldn’t be
complete without the Totterdown Music Festival, which takes place this year from June 10-13. Organised as usual by Jon Evans at the Oxford pub, it will centre on an outdoor stage in Oxford Street and will embrace nearby venues such as the Shakespeare and New Found Out as well. Headline act will be the bhangra band RSVP, chosen as a mark of solidarity with Totterdown’s
March, 2016
multicultural community in light of the January attack on the Jamia mosque.
l ARE you a wise old bird?
A new group for seniors or retired people is starting this month at Windmill Hill Community Centre. Windmill Hill Seniors Club – or WHiSe – will start on Thursday March 3 at 2pm and will meet on the first Thursday of the month for tea, biscuits and good company. For information call Christine on 07901 874375. • info@whca.org.uk
l A NEW Windmill Hill Scouts
group meets every Friday. Beavers (aged 6-8) meet at Windmill Hill community centre from 5-6pm, while Cubs and Scouts (for 8-14 year-olds) meet at St Michael’s church, from 7-8.30pm. • www.facebook.com/ WindmillHillScouts
l TOTTERDOWN Book Group
will be reading David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas for its next meeting on Tuesday March 22 at the Oxford pub, Totterdown, at 8pm.
How do I get in touch with ... My MP? Karin Smyth MP By email: karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk By post: Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA By phone: 0117 953 3575 In person: Surgeries on Friday March 4 and 18 at Knowle West Health Park, Downton Road BS4 1WH, 9.15-10.45am. Appointments on 0117 953 3575. My councillor? Gary Hopkins Lib Dem, Knowle (Lib Dem leader) By email: gary.hopkins@bristol. gov.uk By phone: 0117 985 1491 or 07977 512159 USEFUL NUMBERS Bristol City Council www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000 Household waste, road maintenance Recycling and waste collections, maintenance of roads and pavements, street lighting, graffiti and fly-tipping, street litter. email: customer.services@bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2100 Pest control and dog wardens Report anti-social behaviour, noise and other pollution, risks to public health and safety (such as food risks), issues with pests or dogs 0117 922 2500
Christopher Davies Lib Dem, Knowle By post: Brunel House, St George’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UY By email: christopher.davies@ bristol.gov.uk Deborah Joffe Green, Windmill Hill By post: Brunel House, St George’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UY By email: deborah-mila.joffe@ bristol.gov.uk By phone: 07469 413308 Sam Mongon Labour, Windmill Hill By email: sam.mongon@bristol. gov.uk By phone: 07884 736112
Council tax
0117 922 2900
Housing benefit
0117 922 2300
Adult care & social services 0117 922 2900 Police www.avonandsomerset.police.uk General enquiries: 101 Emergency: 999 Fire
www.avonfire.gov.uk General enquiries: 0117 926 2061 Emergency: 999
EDITOR’S NOTE: South Bristol Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. Feedback is welcomed: call editor Paul Breeden on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk. All stories and pictures are copyright of South Bristol Voice and may not be reproduced without permission in this or any other plane of the multiverse. South Bristol Voice Ltd | 18 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BX | Company no. 09522608 | VAT no. 211 0801 76
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Laughing gas on sale from late-night firm
A
DRUG which is expected to be made illegal within weeks is being openly sold online by a South Bristol firm which will deliver it along with packs of beer and cigarettes. AfterHours Bristol, which advertises on a website and on Facebook, offers canisters of nitrous oxide or NOx – also known as laughing gas – for sale through the night. The drug is a “legal high”, one of several causing police concern because it can have dangerous or fatal effects – especially if taken with alcohol. AfterHours Bristol advertises NOx as whipped cream chargers. The canisters are used in catering dispensers for whipped cream and are sold by the firm in a box of 24 for £15. Discounts are offered including four boxes of 24 canisters for £30. Pictures of the canisters were, until recently, the first that were visible on the firm’s Facebook page. However, two days after South Bristol Voice rang to make inquiries, the pictures were removed. The product was still listed for sale. When the Voice asked why the firm was selling a dangerous, if legal, drug to a late-night clientele, an employee said: “We sell whipped cream chargers. Customers are making cocktails with them. “It’s a legal product as long as it’s not misused. It’s not against the law to sell it.” Asked if he knew that the law is about to change to ban the sale of NOx, he said, “Yes, on April 6. We will stop selling it.” He drew a parallel with packs
On offer: AfterHours sells NOx canisters as whipped cream chargers of large cigarette papers that are sold to make roll-ups, but can also be used to smoke cannabis. “We have met the police and they said we cannot stop you from selling something that is legal but they said we should control how we advertise it. “We don’t sell that much of it to be honest,” he said. The Voice is not alleging that AfterHours Bristol is doing anything illegal. However, concern about the misuse of NOx has been expressed for years, leading to the substance being embraced by the Psychoactive Substances Act, which takes legal force on April 6. The new law bans the sale of “any substance intended for human consumption that is capable of producing a psychoactive effect”. Drug advice website Frank says nitrous oxide carries a risk of unconsciousness or death. It
affects a person’s judgement and sense of balance and can lead to them taking dangerous risks. The new law will also ban legal highs that mimic drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, including the infamous “spice”, which can leave people who take it dangerously out of control. For the police, Inspector Nigel Colston said: “It’s not currently an offence to possess or sell nitrous oxide, or other so-called ‘legal highs’, though their production, sale and supply (but not possession) will become illegal when the new Psychoactive Substances Act comes into effect. “The biggest mistake people make is to consider such substances safe, purely because they’re not yet illegal. The blanket ban is designed to get around the issue of suppliers continually offering new legal highs to replace banned ones.”
Pupils want to know how long their school’s existed PUPILS at Cleve House School have been trying to establish exactly how old their school is. The youngsters have managed to trace four different headteachers dating back to 1958. Cleve House has been based at its current site on Wells Road
since 1948, but it is believed that the school was formed just after the war and may have even started educating the young somewhere else. Current headmaster Craig Wardle, who joined Cleve House last September, said: “It would be fantastic to find out more
about this wonderful school and the children would be delighted to hear about its history.” If you are a local historian or if someone you knew went to Cleve House School and you think you can help, call 0117 977 7218 or email clevehouse school@btconnect.com.
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Goolden Street sees another housing plan TWO neighbouring vacant plots in Totterdown now look likely to be redeveloped for housing. Holy Nativity church has sold its old scout hut and the land around it, which backs on to Goolden Street, to the Guinness Partnership, which hopes to build six three-bedroom affordable houses. The church’s parochial church council agreed to sell the site for an undisclosed sum. A planning application is expected to be submitted soon. The church took advice from property consultancy Colliers, who handled the sale without putting the land on the market. Chris Dawson, head of development consulting and agency at Colliers International in Bristol, said the church “was keen to partner with Guinness in bringing forward new affordable housing in their parish.” The scheme will also benefit the rather neglected area at the back of the church. The aim is to have the new homes complete by April 2017. Meanwhile, developer Crossman Homes says it is pressing ahead with its plan for 10 homes on the next-door site on the corner of Bathwell Road and Goolden Street. The firm had put forward a controversial application for nine flats behind a coloured fourstorey facade but withdrew it after a tide of objections from residents and a lack of support from planning officials. It says it is reverting to a scheme granted permission to a previous owner of the land in 2005. This plan is of much more traditional appearance. The council told the Voice that it “needs to investigate further to ensure the necessary pre-planning conditions have been satisfied.” However, a spokesman for Crossman said the firm had been sent a letter from the council’s planning department telling them that the 2005 permission was valid. The firm expects work to start in April and last a year. It intends to start with piling work to stablise the ground.
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News WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? SOME think local politics is an irrelevance. But last month’s counci budget meeting voted for: • Increased council tax by 4% • Devoting 2% (or half the rise) to social care for adults • £9m for affordable housing • £250,000 for a new recycling centre in Hartcliffe Way • More staff to combat flytipping and dog fouling
ODDS ON THE MAYORAL RACE George Ferguson Bristol 1st Marvin Rees Labour Charles Lucas Conservative Tony Dyer Green Kay Barnard Lib Dem
1/2 2/1 16/1 33/1 100/1
Odds from Ladbrokes.com
March, 2016
It’s the biggest ever election for Bristol BRISTOL is shaping up for its biggest election ever this spring as, for the first time, virtually all the city’s elected representatives go to the polls at the same time. On one day – May 5 – Bristol citizens will be able to vote for their choice of mayor for the city, plus councillors in all the wards, and the police and crime commissioner. Inevitably the main focus will be on the mayor – the powerful post which became an elected position only in 2012 after a poorly-supported referendum. Elected mayor George Ferguson has achieved wide recognition for the post since then, and is the bookmakers’ favourite to win again. He will point to the city’s
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Green Capital year in 2015, the likely approval of an arena, and popular initiatives such as car-free Sundays as evidence that he has made a difference. But he is also frequently criticised, most often for being allegedly anti-car, and the 14 parking zones now in force in the city have split opinion. Notably, Mr Ferguson has promised that if reelected he will not impose a residents parking scheme on any area where a majority do not want it. Labour has once again selected Marvin Rees, who was favourite to win in 2012 but lost by a sizeable margin. He has pledged to build 2,000 homes a year – 800 of which will be affordable – by the end of 2020. Mr Rees says Mr Ferguson has raised the profile of the city – by meeting the Pope and UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon among others – but questions whether he has tackled Bristol’s serious problem with inequality. The Conservatives’ candidate is Charles Lucas, who says Bristol must end its war on the motorist and remove some of the 20mph limits, while improving public transport and attracting more house builders with a more effective planning service. The Greens’ candidate, Tony Dyer, will be hoping to build on the party’s big success in the 2015 election when they gained seven councillors. He claims that Greens are the rising force in city politics, and says he will tackle the lack of affordable housing, the “chaos” of city transport, poor standards of education and skills, and the city’s need for sustainable energy. The Liberal Democrats lost six council seats last year but will be hoping for a good showing for Kay Barnard, their mayoral candidate. Kay says wealth and job opportunities must be spread more evenly – especially to South Bristol – to combat the city’s alarming amount of deprivation. UKIP has just announced Paul Turner as its candidate; he says he will tackle congestion and encourage more social housing. Paul Saville is an independent
WATCH US GROW AT CLEVE HOUSE!
THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES
George Ferguson Bristol 1st
Charles Lucas Conservative
Tony Dyer Green
John Langley Independent
Paul Saville Independent
Christine Townsend Independent
Marvin Rees Labour
Kay Barnard Lib Dem
Paul Turner UKIP who also stood for mayor in 2012. He says he will expose “shocking” levels of homelessness and argue against gentrification. Adult movie actor and former UKIP member John Langley is standing as an independent. He would like to give voters the right to choose which projects their money is spent on. Christine Townsend is standing as part of Independents for Bristol – an alliance which stands for high principles in public office, and acting according to the best evidence. • Next month’s South Bristol Voice will include coverage of the council candidates.
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Police reassure over new threat to mosque
Cherished space: The community wassail held in January, on the plot the council wants to sell
Picture: Tresa
Outrage as council wants to sell open space in Totterdown A CAMPAIGN has been mounted to try to prevent the sale of a piece of land in Totterdown which residents say has been used by the community for many years. Though the plot in Park Street, close to the bottom of the hill near Bath Road, is councilowned, it is in an area where there is little open space, and neighbours have become accustomed to using it. It is thought the land could be sold for housing, although the council has taken no decision. Simon Hobeck, a director of community group Tresa, pointed out that the plot is used for Playing Out sessions for local children as well as a meeting and picnic area. It includes a walled-off skateboard park and comes in useful when the neighbouring
community orchard holds its annual wassail to mark the turn of the year. It is also used during “Big Lunch” events. Part of it is used for car parking which relives pressure on the rest of congested Park Street. Residents are particularly upset because the plot, and the orchard next door, have been improved as a result of community action when everyone else seemed to have abandoned them. Fellow Tresa member Rebecca Mears said: “The news came only one day after a group of us spent clearing the skateboard park for community use, and only weeks after we started using it for community events. “We don’t want to lose this one and only area for children and residents to salvage for play and events, and we don’t want to
lose the much-needed small car park,” she said on Facebook. Simon Hobeck is encouraging people to write letters of objection to the council – which must be received by March 4. He is asking for the land to be leased to Tresa so it can continue to be improved. “This is not just a derelict site – a very active group of local residents has improved the area, and continues to do so all at no cost to the council”, he wrote. Cllr Deb Joffe opposed the sale, saying: “I think there are far more significant sites in Bristol for the council to be selling for housing and the residents there can surely claim some entitlement.” Bristol city council was asked to comment but was unable to give a response by the time the Voice went to press.
Dance through the decades for Sport Relief
WOMEN and girls from across South Bristol are invited to dance through the decades for Sport Relief on March 20. The organisers, This Girl Can, promise fun dance routines from
every decade from the 70s on at Hengrove Park Leisure Centre. Fancy dress is welcome. Sign up online at the address below. • www.BristolGirlsCan Danceathon.Eventbrite.co.uk
A THREAT on social media to hold a racist demonstration outside Totterdown’s mosque is being kept under review by police – but officers believe the event is not likely to happen. It appears that the promise of a protest on April 23 – St George’s Day – is an empty threat. Neighbourhood Sergeant Dave Deakin said, “We’ve looked into the tweet that generated the concerns and are satisfied that no such protest is planned. “We will continue to monitor the situation and our protest liaison officers will always look to work with organisers to ensure both the right to lawful protest and the needs of the local community are respected. “If necessary, we can and will impose restrictions to achieve this, such as where a protest takes place, or the route of a march.” Officers have mounted daily patrols outside the Jamia mosque in Green Street since an attack there on January 17. Kevin Crehan of Stockwood Crescent, Knowle, has pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court to a religiously aggravated offence which caused Nasir Ahmed harassment, alarm or distress. He was bailed until March 24 on condition he co-operates with the probation service and does not enter any mosque or go onto the pavement outside one. Crehan, 34, was warned in court that he could face custody. The court heard Crehan was among those who abused elderly worshippers, threw a bacon sandwich and hung a flag saying “No mosque wanted here”. Crehan has several previous offences, including a sevenmonth jail term for breaking a football banning order in 2010. Three others are accused of racially aggravated public order. Alison Bennett, 46, and Mark Bennett, 48, of Spruce Way, Patchway and Angelina Swailes, 31, of West Town Avenue, Brislington, were bailed on condition they do not go within 100 metres of any mosque. They were due to face Bristol magistrates on February 25, after the Voice had gone to press.
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Traffic plan for Windmill Hill abandoned after opposition PROPOSALS to limit traffic through Windmill Hill by making some streets one-way and reducing access from St John’s Lane have been abandoned. Bristol city council said it received “a substantial amount of opposition to the proposed measures”. It added: “Unfortunately, there is no other engineering solution which would address the problem of through traffic in the area without causing undue access difficulties for local residents.” The council is inviting suggestions to reduce traffic speeds without roadworks as funds are still available – email highways.traffic@bristol.gov.uk quoting reference RS12036. Cllr Sam Mongon said: I’m disappointed that we couldn’t find a solution that worked but recognise the concerns of the majority of respondents about these proposals. “I am glad that the funding will be ringfenced for the ward and hope we’ll be able to find alternative ways of calming traffic around our streets that local people support.” The subject will be debated at Windmill Hill neighbourhood forum on Wednesday March 9 at 7pm at Victoria Park Baptist Church, Sylvia Avenue. For more details contact neighbourhood officer Lloyd Allen; email lloyd. allen@bristol.gov.uk.
Ask the vet:
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March, 2016
Signs of life at last at neglected shops
TOTTERDOWN’S long-empty parade of shops on Wells Road should have at least one new occupant this year. The former Totterdown Centre, fondly remembered by many residents, is to host an upholstery business in its basement. There was a delighted reaction on Facebook when it was announced that the Bristol Upholstery Collective plans to open workshops there. Upholstery tutor Leigh-Anne Treadwell told the Totterdown Facebook group that she hopes the workspace will open in April. She reported: “The lower level is damaged from leaks and requires a fair bit of work to the ceilings and electrics.” The group is hoping to raise the money to bring the basement back to life. “We have a waiting list for those who practice upholstery in South Bristol that would benefit from sharing an affordable, well-equipped workshop among others with a passion for creative upholstery. If all goes to plan, we’ll be opening on April 1 and be very much an asset to the Totterdown community,” said Leigh-Anne. The Totterdown Centre was opened by Tony Benn MP in the early 1970s to encourage small businesses. It came after the destruction of hundreds of Totterdown terraces to make way for a
Neglected: The former Totterdown Centre has several owners highway which was never built – a move which knocked the heart out of a thriving and important shopping centre. Previously the building had been home to Harris & Tozer, a clothing store and haberdashers. In later years it was home to Totterdown children’s workshop – an out-of-school club that now meets at Holy Nativity church. Until recently it had a Chinese takeaway; about 10 years ago the corner shop was a greengrocers. Earlier it held the Grain Store, a health food shop. Hopes that the
empty units could be refurbished to make a community café have come to nothing. Recent years have seen the flats upstairs renovated but the lower floor, which has several owners, is in need of work. It is still home to Bristol Women’s Workshop, which exhibits each year during the Front Room art trail. Tresa, the Totterdown community group, is monitoring the situation. • www.bristolupholstery collective.com
Are flowers and plants poisonous to pets?
MANY owners aren’t aware that certain plants and flowers are actually toxic to pets and, scarily enough, the list apparently totals more than 700 different species of plants! So here are a few that you may come across this springtime. The most obvious is, of course, lilies. This spectacular flower is beautiful to look at but it is extremely toxic to cats. Whether they have chewed on the plant or brushed against the
pollen and cleaned themselves, it can cause kidney failure very quickly. Did you know that daffodils are poisonous to dogs? Every part of the daffodil, in particular the bulb, is very dangerous if eaten by your canine and can even be fatal. So take care if you have some sprouting in your garden when spring arrives in earnest. Avoid a bouquet of begonias: these are toxic to both cats and
dogs and have been known to cause an intense burning of the mouth and throat. Carnations aren’t the most dangerous but can cause mild digestive upsets, so it’s best to avoid if possible. A lovely bunch of colourful tulips can also be toxic to pets, causing gastrointestinal pain, increased heart rate and breathing difficulties, although please be aware that it is the tulip bulbs that are actually the
cause of the most problems. If you think your pet may have ingested something they shouldn’t, or are unsure if a plant is safe to have around the house, please call Highcroft Veterinary Hospital on 01275 832410 as soon as possible. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry! Highcroft Veterinary Hospital, 615 Wells Road, Whitchurch BS14 9BE
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
When the sun comes shining through, be sure you’re ready Ray-Ban Open Day Saturday 12 March As we head towards spring with lighter and hopefully brighter days, we’re turning our attention to sunglasses! At Lynne Fernandes Optometrists we’re able to select our favourite pieces and react quickly to the latest trends to make sure we have something for everyone. And, on Saturday 12 March we’re holding a special Ray-Ban Open Day showcasing this timeless classic and the latest designs. You are invited to view the new Havana range with its modern twist on Ray-Ban original designs and to take advantage of our Open Day exclusive offers! Our friendly team has extensive product knowledge and is trained to select the best fitting frames to complement your face shape, image and lifestyle. They will be on hand to help you find the perfect frames to suit your style and vision. And, throughout March we’re running a special customer offer. Read on to find out more!
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Can developer and residents WELL over 100 people packed into Windmill Hill community centre to debate plans for one of the largest development sites in the city. The Windmill Hill and Malago planning group, known as WHaM, unveiled members’ own proposals for the area between East Street, Bedminster, and Malago Road – now becoming known as Bedminster Green or Malago Green. Developer Urbis plans around 800 homes on the site as well as a new Bedminster railway station, creation of a walkway along the opened-up Malago river, plus offices, shops and commercial space. However, the Urbis brief calls for several tower blocks of between eight and 12 storeys. This will radically affect the view from Windmill Hill. “We think that there’s a genuine opportunity there,”
Community group wants an urban village: but could it be made viable?
WhaM organiser Howard Purse told the meeting. “It’s a place that’s been allowed to run down.” Development done in the right way it can create a thriving environment and will kickstart the revival of part of South Bristol, he said. He called for an “urban village” approach, with high-density, low-rise buildings instead of a smaller number of tall blocks. Carlton Bodkin, chair of WHaM, added: “Everyone agrees we need new homes, it’s about
the best way to deliver them.” The group unveiled its vision for the Green in a document which shares many features with the brief prepared by Urbis. Both call for the opening up of the Malago river – much of which is underground, while the rest is a neglected eyesore. Both want corridors for wildlife, as much open space as possible, and easy, safe direct routes for walking and cycling. Both want to see public transport made much easier to use – the new station with better train services and the arrival of Metrobus will be an integral part of both plans. And both speak of creating a sense of community in a well-managed environment that includes a wide variety of businesses and community and health facilities. They also share a desire to involve the community in the
process – Urbis is willing to hold a competition for design elements of the new station. However, the sticking point is likely to be the number of homes and the height of the buildings. Urbis has spoken of around 800 homes but has not set a firm target. WHaM believes a high density can be achieved with buildings of no more than six storeys but will not produce a detailed proposal until Urbis reveals its target for home numbers. Richard Clarke, managing director of Urbis, told the Voice he is not sure the development will be viable without the taller blocks. More smaller blocks will mean less open space, he said, and hence a less attractive environment. “This is not about a developer building lots of tall buildings and making lots of money,” he said. “We are both [Urbis and WHaM]
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March, 2016
Bedminster Green
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find their common ground?
Low rise: WHaM’s vision for the Green involves buildings of no more than six storeys, green corridors, use of solar warming and plenty of trees trying to create a really nice place for people to live.” The WHaM meeting heard calls for the development to include as much affordable housing as possible – Bristol city council usually requires 30 per cent affordable homes. But the law has been changed to allow developers to argue they cannot afford social housing – as happened at Urbis’s nearby 16-storey St Catherine’s Place. Will Day, another WHaM member, pointed out that the council may have more leverage
ENERGY DEBATE HEATS UP SOME residents do not support Urbis’s plan for an energy centre at Bedminster Green. A planning application is expected to be submitted in May for a district energy centre able to heat the homes in the scheme plus hundreds more nearby. It would also produce 7.5MW of electricity – enough to power more than 2,000 homes. But one resident told the WHaM meeting, which took place on February 17: “Can we just call the energy centre what it is – it’s a power station, and it’s gas-fired, which I wouldn’t really call a sustainable resource for the 21st century.”
to argue for affordable homes because it owns some of the land to be built on. Representatives from WHaM were due to meet Urbis as the Voice went to press. Cllr Sam Mongon, who was at the public meeting, said: “It’s great to see the local community bringing forward a positive vision and it’s important that the council and developers now listen and respond.” To get in touch with WHaM, search WHaM on Facebook or email whamalago@gmail.com. WHaM member Will Day said the group may have questions about the energy centre. He said major developments in previous generations had made assumptions about energy – such as the availability of cheap oil – that turned out not to be true 30 years later. Richard Clarke, managing director of Urbis, said the gas plant is the most effective and environmentally-friendly solution that is viable. District heating is much more efficient than a domestic gas boiler, he said, and the scheme will be greener because it will run on up to 20 per cent biogas – processed by Wessex Water, from human sewage.
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Arena update
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A new car park after all – Continued from page 1 centre parking spaces may be removed so the city doesn’t add to parking capacity – which would be against its own policy. Cllr Joffe is also angry that the cycle route is being removed, meaning cyclists will have to wheel their bikes down a ramp through the site. Sam Mongon, the Labour member for Windmill Hill, believes the changes announced are too big to be decided by the cabinet next week. “I will be asking that we delay the discussion to allow it to go through the scrutiny process so we can ask more questions before it gets decided,” he said. He asked how councillors can decide on the planning application next week when the new car park is not part of the scheme in front of them. Cllr Mongon said there were a worrying number of caveats in
Arena plaza: Adding to the bill the plans – and asked why the need for the extra works, and the extra budget, had not been spelled out before. If Bouygues comes back in the summer with a higher estimate for building the arena, where is the authority for that going to come from, he asked, and what is the risk to council taxpayers? He also believes the eight-
storey car park could affect views of the iconic Totterdown skyline. Gary Hopkins, councillor for Knowle and Liberal Democrat leader, said there was a real risk that budgets for the project could rise still further, with construction costs in Bristol increasing steadily. “It’s the Bristol tax payer who is taking the risk,” he said. Like the other councillors, he is concerned that £8m of the extra £28m bill is being found in the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – a fund which is meant to spread the benefits of major projects around the city. Instead it appears that Arena Island will swallow a major part of CIL for 2.5 years, leaving less for other projects. The rest of the extra money needed will come from redeveloping the old sorting office site on Cattle Market Road, bringing the council an estimated
£18m. The cabinet papers rate the risk that it will fall short of this target as “medium”. Cllr Hopkins said he will demand that planning conditions are imposed, putting any residents parking scheme around the arena under the control of local councillors on the neighbourhood partnership. He added: “There’s got to be the right policy laid down by the council to encourage responsible use of car parks, for example the sale of parking spaces when people buy their arena ticket.” The Lib Dems will also demand a condition that the Three Lamps junction is remodelled to reduce congestion by allowing a right turn from Wells Road to Bath Road. The council said regular reports will be made on the costs of the project. Actual costs of the arena building will be available from Bouygues in the summer.
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March, 2016
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Arena update
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plus a bill for another £28m Permits ‘could be free to residents’
Name that bridge
P
ARKING in a new parking zone surrounding the arena could be free for residents if power is devolved to local councillors. That’s the claim from the city’s Liberal Democrats after it was revealed that existing parking schemes are making a healthy profit even after paying off heavy set-up costs. But as the proposed arena parking zone will have its set-up costs paid for by the arena, the fees to residents could be reduced, or even removed entirely, according to Cllr Gary Hopkins, Lib Dem leader and councillor for Knowle. He believes that revenue from visitors using pay and display parking could fund the running costs of the new scheme, leaving parking permits to residents potentially free of charge. The Lib Dems will push for control of the new parking zone to be passed from the city council to the neighbourhood partnership, which is run by local councillors and officials on behalf of people living in Windmill Hill, Knowle and Filwood. “You could almost certainly make it free to residents,” said Cllr Hopkins. He pointed to figures which emerged last month about the profits made by other parking zones in the city. [See page 26]
RESIDENTS are being asked to come up with a name for the £11 million new bridge that links Arena Island to Cattle Market Road. The judges will include Mike Norton, editor of the Bristol Post, and mayor George Ferguson. Organisers say they want a name to sum up the spirit of the new venue. The winner will get their name on a plaque on the bridge. Those schemes, started since mayor George Ferguson was elected in 2012, are making a net profit of £125,000 a year. This is after paying for the costs of parking attendants, machinery and software – and after paying off £1.4 million of the capital cost of setting up the schemes. The profit is from residents’ permits and from pay and display parking only – it does not take account of the income from fines
The competition closes at midnight on Sunday March 6. The name must not have a commercial connection; not cause offense or confusion; not be named after anyone local, unless they are dead; not duplicate the name of any street or bridge; and be between 1 and 50 characters. • www.bristolpost.co.uk/schance-Bristol-s-newestbridge/story-28700506-detail/ story.html issued to motorists. Schemes set up before 2012 are even more profitable. The Kingsdown zone which started in 2011, with lower fees to residents, has already paid off its capital costs. Profits made from RPS must be ploughed back into transport improvements after any debt has been paid off. Mr Ferguson has promised that if he is re-elected for a
second term as mayor in May, he will not impose an RPS on any neighbourhood where a majority does not want it. The need for a parking scheme around the arena is now widely accepted, although there have been no firm proposals on where it should cover. Totterdown, St Philips, parts of Brislington and parts of Knowle look very likely to be included. But there may also be pressure for new schemes in Windmill Hill and in Bedminster. Both areas have seen a knock-on effect from RPSs in Southville and Bedminster East, pushing motorists further afield. Cllr Deb Joffe said: “There are a significant number of residents who want an RPS regardless of the arena.” She said Cllr Hopkins’s idea of free permits for residents might be viable. But she warned that the mayor and council officers would be concerned that free permits in one area of the city will cause a lot of discontent in other areas, especially those with other major sites such as Ashton Gate stadium. “I find it hard to argue myself that we are a special case,” she said.
DECISION DAY
COUNCILLORS will decide on Wednesday March 2 whether to grant the arena planning permission. A special meeting of the council’s development control committee takes place at 1pm in @Bristol.
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March, 2016
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News Park in danger of decline
A POPULAR Knowle park is in danger of losing some of its appeal if more people can’t be found to help take care of it. Perrett’s park, sandwiched between Sylvia Avenue and Bayham Road, has won several awards from South West in Bloom in recent years thanks to volunteers from Copp, the Community of Perrett’s Park, building on the work of council contractors. Last year saw £250,000 worth of improvements – a new playground and a new path winding up the steep slope. Copp also organised the installation of a panorama, designed by Totterdown artist Emily Ketteringham, which signposts many Bristol
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Beautiful: Perretts is a favourite place for watching the Balloon Fiesta landmarks which can be seen. Volunteers hold an annual Picnic in the Park as well as regularly clearing up litter, mending benches and looking after raised beds and bird boxes. But several Copp volunteers have had to drop out of regular activities in the past year, due to illness or family responsibilities. The group will also have to find a new chair as the current one can’t find time for the post. Members are hoping that
more residents will be willing to help with bite-sized chunks of work which they can fit in with their regular visits to the park. Copp vice-chair Sue Avent gave an example. “We know lots of parents love bringing their children to the new playground,” she said. “It would only take a few mums and dads to agree to keep an eye on the playground, alert us when anything needs doing, and take care of the children’s
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plants in the raised bed. It would be easy to do – there’s a water supply nearby.” There are four other raised beds elsewhere in the park which need loving care. One was transformed into a sensory garden last year by Copp member Jill Pidgeon, with scented and textured plants to appeal to people with disabilities. “But Jill is sadly moving to another part of Bristol and the sensory garden looks set to decline,” said Sue. Copp is holding an open meeting on Tuesday March 1 at Totterdown Baptist Church. Present will be Sarah Venn from Edible Bristol, who can advise how to use the planters to grow food that anyone can eat. “We hope that lots of people will turn up even if they just want hear the latest park news or to suggest improvements,” said Sue. The meeting is at 7pm on March 1 in the Jarman Hall at the Baptist Church – entrance off Sydenham Road. • www.facebook.com/ Community-of-Perretts-Park
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News
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WIN tickets to Mitch Benn, Radio 4’s satirical songster Mitch Benn can pen a song on any issue and is heard most often on Radio 4’s Now Show. Ahead of his Bristol show, he talks to South Bristol Voice South Bristol Voice: Mitch, each of your live shows has a strong theme. What’s the new one about? Mitch Benn: This is my SCEPTICISM show. As in not believing stuff until there’s compelling evidence that it’s true. I tried to make sure it’s not just a 90-minute rant about religion, so it’s kind of a 60-minute rant about religion with half an hour or so of ranting about other things. With jokes. And songs and at least one dance routine. It’s a fun show but quite intense; we do live in a time when, in society, culture and politics, there’s something of a showdown between evidence and reason on the one hand, and superstition and “belief” on the other. I think the world will be a lot happier and last a lot longer if evidence and reason win. SBV: Previous shows have had memorable themes too but the last-but-one, Reduced
Circumstances, had you confronting your battles with your weight. Do you find it uncomfortable, or therapeutic – or neither – to bare your soul for your living? MB: Not really; I don’t find myself particularly interesting nor do I get why anyone else would. It all comes from somewhere “inside me” I guess, but it’s not exactly confessional or cathartic, it’s just about the
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stuff that fascinates and motivates me. SBV: You’re probably best known as the musician who can create a song in five minutes on any given topic for Radio 4’s topical comedy The Now Show. Do you have any idea how many songs you’ve written? Do you regret that they get one radio airing and then they’re gone? MB: I have NO idea how many songs I’ve written. If it’s not in the thousands it’s in the very high hundreds. It can be a bit deflating that so much of my work has such a short shelf life but you never know which ones will have an afterlife. Sometimes something ostensibly quite throwaway will gain traction and become part of the set for years. In fact at least two of my best loved songs were written during my “half time challenge” interval sessions. I do enjoy those but I’m not doing them on this tour, partly because the dance routine is at the end of part one so I need the interval to recuperate. SBV: Lots of people will recall your homage to the Beatles: Mitch Benn is the 37th Beatle. Did it take courage to take on the world’s most revered pop group? Or did you figure, I’ve done everyone else, I have to do them now? Have you had any feedback from the two surviving Beatles? MB: I haven’t heard from Paul or Ringo; Kate Robbins is a good mate and she’s related to Paul so it’s possible he’s heard about it. I’ve been doing Beatles pastiches for years; I grew up in Liverpool so I absorbed them through a sort of cultural osmosis. SBV: Your songs are often parodies of particular songs or styles or performers. How hard is it to parody without plagiarising? Is it right that you can’t copy more than five successive notes from someone else? MB: I was under the impression it was seven notes but it changes all the time. They relaxed the rules in the UK with regard to writing funny words to other people’s tunes a couple of years
ago but I’m still not interested in doing that. It’s much more fun to create something from scratch. SBV: I asked my wife what she’d ask you. She said: Does he know he’s funny? Deep, that. MB: I know what she means and I guess I usually know when I’m being funny although my kids might beg to differ. SBV: What’s the future hold? You’ve written two sci-fi novels – more of them? You appeared in a stage version of Hitchhiker’s Guide – more stage work? Will the Now Show go on forever? MB: I’d very much like to write more SF novels and I’m working very hard to make that happen. Likewise stage work; there were vague whispers about maybe doing panto this year which I would LOVE to do. The Now Show is, I’ve often felt, a bit vulnerable; it’s been on since 1998 but I don’t know if it’s ever achieved the same kind of national treasure status as The News Quiz, Sorry I Haven’t A Clue etc. I’ll be happy to do it as long as it’s on and as long as they want me to, but that’s not up to me. Surprisingly few things are. SBV: Finally, what’s the question you wish I’d asked? MB: When and where the show’s on? I’m trying to plug my gig here!
WIN TICKETS TO SEE MITCH BENN LIVE
WOULD you like to see Mitch Benn’s latest show? He plays the Comedy Box, upstairs at the Hen & Chicken, 210 North Street, Southville, at 8.30pm on April 7. We’ve got two pairs of tickets reserved for readers of the Totterdown, Knowle and Windmill Hill edition of the Voice. Just answer this question: Q: On which Radio 4 topical comedy show does Mitch Benn appear? Email your answer to paul@ southbristolvoice.co.uk by March 15.
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March, 2016
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News
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Paintworks flats almost ready but neighbours not happy
HUNDREDS of new riverside flats are about to go on sale at Paintworks in one of the biggest housing developments in South Bristol in recent years. Builder Crest Nicholson is creating 21o homes, from one and two bedroom flats to two, three and four bedroom houses and a number of live-work units. Prices start from £220,000 and a show home will open soon. However, neighbours in the nearby culs-de-sac of Chatsworth and Edward roads says they have been suffering months of congestion from parking by contractors on the site. Eileen Means, the Labour councillor for Brislington West, said residents are fed up. “They have had to put up with
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Wrong-way driver told off
River view: Artists’ impression of the finished Paintworks Phase III huge white vans and other cars belonging to builders, subcontractors, Uncle Tom Cobley and all parking in their small, narrow culs-de-sac,” she said. A Labour survey of residents in the two streets found that many feel they will be forced to accept a restricted parking scheme. “When you add the arena building and roadworks, you don’t need to be Mystic Meg
to foresee that they are in for a tough time trying to park in the street that they live in,” said Cllr Mears. A spokesperson for Crest Nicholson said: “At Paintworks we are operating a strict ‘no parking in adjoining roads’ policy. We are also actively policing the area to remove contractors vehicles and to advise of suitable parking locations.”
Snapped: Errant Range Rover A DRIVER spotted going the wrong way through a chicane in Bayham Road, Knowle, is to get a visit from the police. Officers were given a picture which shows a Range Rover going through the one-way section on February 18. Police said the driver will be given “words of advice”. Drivers are regularly seen dodging jams on Wells Road by abusing the one-way rule.
Comments roll in on cycle routes COMMENTS are coming in on plans to improve two cycle routes through South Bristol. The Malago Quietway aims to be a safe route from Hartcliffe Way towards the Temple Meads area, leading through Marksbury Road open space to cross Windmill Hill and along the bottom of Victoria Park to emerge onto Whitehouse Lane. The Filwood Quietway starts at Filwood Broadway and crosses the Northern Slopes to Wedmore Vale and St John’s Lane before circling around Victoria Park to join Whitehouse Lane. One option is for a new bridge to take the cycleway across the New Cut from the end of Whitehouse Street. However, it’s not clear if the project’s
£2.3 million budget would cover a new bridge – another bridge proposed from Camden Road in Southville was shelved by the mayor last year after the cost doubled to £7m. And cyclists commenting on the scheme’s website have questioned the need for a new bridge when Bedminster Bridge is so close. Other comments include frequent criticism of unlit routes such as Victoria Park, and the need to segregate bikes from pedestrians – also in Victoria Park and elsewhere. A consultation on the Malago route takes place on Thursday March 3 at Marksbury Road from 4.30-6.30pm. • bristol.commonplace.is
Hospital boss backs MP’s request BRISTOL’s hospital boss has supported MP Karin Smyth’s call for more services at South Bristol community hospital. Robert Woolley, chief executive of University Hospitals Trust Bristol, said he was delighted that a survey of Bristol South constituents by Ms Smyth had found support for the
hospital. The trust will deliver services to patients “as close to their homes as we can,” he said. Labour’s shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander toured the hospital on February 22. Ms Smyth said her survey found support for the hospital to start cancer screening – and also for a seven-day GP service.
Wanted for Southville Primary School Assistant Trainee Caretaker Working 37 hours per week Earning BG3: £13,715.00 (before tax and deductions) The new post holder will work to our existing caretaker and be managed by the site manager. The post is initially for 6 months but we see this as an opportunity for someone to train and develop and hopefully progress to a caretaker role eventually.
Please contact the School Office on 0117 353 4444 for more details. Southville Primary School, Merrywood Road, Bristol BS3 1EB
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Ashamed to be a dog owner
S
IT IS no wonder dog owners get a bad press. I feel ashamed to think I may be seen as one of those inconsiderate, unhygienic individuals who choose not to clear up after their dog. I always, always pick up the poo but the green spaces around Totterdown are becoming no-go areas. I stopped using the green running from Three Lamps towards Tesco as it rapidly became a dog poo minefield and it would appear the offenders, having filled that area, have moved to pastures new. We now have plenty of poo on the green outside the gym and much more poo on the green running down St John’s Lane to the mini roundabout. Add to that all the household waste, cans, bottles and so on. I feel ashamed and saddened that we cannot show more pride in our Totterdown. Come on – stop the litter and please pick up the poo! Lynn Totterdown
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Why can’t we recycle bags? DO ANY South Bristol Voice readers know where plastic bags can be recycled? My usual method is now impossible, since Tesco in Brislington have removed their bag recycling box. They told me this was due to fly-tipping, and customer services staff in store would not take them either. I have now discovered that even the council recycling centre at Days Road in St Philips does not take them. I have used “bags for life” for nearly 15 years, and I was
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Have you got strong views about what’s happening in South Bristol? Email paul@ southbristolvoice.co.uk, post to Letters, South Bristol Voice, 18 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BX or call us on 07811 766072. Please keep letters short. We may edit your letter. delighted that the 5p charge has reduced usage by 78 per cent. However, I have not yet managed to eliminate disposable plastic bags from my life, as smaller shops still use them, not to mention wrapping on some food items. In the past I have recycled all of these, but now find this is no longer possible. It’s worrying because scientific evidence shows that plastic that gets into the oceans can come back into the food chain. Given Bristol’s much-touted green credentials, this seems like a backwards step. Graham Southorn Totterdown
March, 2016
Shop workers’ Sunday fears LOCAL shopworkers are very concerned about Government plans to devolve Sunday trading hours to councils and the effects that will have on family life, local shops and the community. The change could lead to large shops opening for longer, even though they are already trading for up to 150 out of 168 hours a week, so shopworkers will have even less time to spend with their families. It won’t help small stores, who are already allowed to open whenever they like, and may put some of them out of business. This is a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist. It isn’t even clear who is actually calling for this change, with many retailers opposing it. We encourage your readers to let their MP know what they think, so their vote in Parliament reflects local views. John Hannett, General Secretary, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw)
Get with the plot: allotments on offer in time to dig in for spring IF YOU’RE looking for an activity to while away the spring weekends, a limited number of allotments are available immediately in South Bristol. “Properly managed allotments can supplement a household’s weekly shop with fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the year, saving money as well as providing healthy, local food,” said the council, which owns the plots. Prices start from £25 a year for smaller, beginner-friendly plots. Some are offered – with no waiting list – at half rent for the first two years. These plots are overgrown so you’ll need to clear the plot and remove any rubbish you find. Plots are available at Whittock Road and Sturminster Road in Stockwood, and Goulston Road
in Bishopsworth. Bifield Road in Stockwood also has a few vacancies. In Whitchurch, Oatlands Avenue, Fortfield Road and Half Acre Lane do not have immediate availability, but there is little or no waiting list for these sites. The National Allotment Society found that those tending allotments reported higher levels of satisfaction, thanks to the fresh air, home grown produce, healthy lifestyle and new friendships the activity offers. To find out more or to enquire about renting a plot, email allotments@bristol.gov.uk or call 0117 922 3719. • How to get started with an allotment: www.rhs.org.uk/ advice/profile?pid=84 • Growing tips for novice gardeners: www.nsalg.org.uk/ growing-advice
Montessori pre-school opens A PRE-SCHOOL has opened in South Bristol using the Montessori approach, which allows children to learn through free choice in a well-planned
setting. It offers 15 hours free early education to 3 and 4 yearolds. It’s at the Family Hub, Gatehouse Way, Withywood BS13 9AN. Details: 0117 978 4401.
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298 Wells Road, Knowle Bristol BS4 2QG 0117 971 1417 www.matthewsestates.co.uk enquiries@matthewsestates.co.uk
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Features Happy 40th birthday to crazy idea of a farm in the inner city
Involving local people means the growth hasn’t stopped
I
NNER city, communitybased farms are part of the furniture now; Bristol has thriving examples at Lawrence Weston and St Werburgh’s as well as Windmill Hill. There was a time when putting animals and crops in built-up areas seemed a crazy idea. Yet this year Windmill Hill City Farm is marking 40 years since its radical first steps. The farm offers a range of activities that’s hard to beat, but what makes the centre such an aspirational spot to build community involvement? In December 2015, the Bristol Evening Post added a visit to Windmill City Farm to its 2016 bucket list, saying the project offers “inner city gorgeousness”. South Bristolians seem to agree, with reviews calling it “An incredible place that provides so much for the community,” and “One of our favourite places in Bristol, my toddler just loves going to the farm.” What’s the heritage that’s led to today’s excellent reputation? Steve Sayers, chief executive said: “Go back 250 years and you’d find farmer’s fields around Bedminster.” But after that the site was used for heavy industry, then slum housing. In the war it was hit by bombs and the site was then lined up to be a lorry park. “It completes a neat historical circle to see paddocks and gardens back”, Steve said. Windmill Hill City Farm was founded in 1976 by a group of local people who had a vision for a green oasis among the industrial zones of inner Bristol. “It’s had its ups and downs and is, to the delight of local people, on a definite ‘up’ for the ruby anniversary,” said Steve. “Through all the changes of the
Plenty of hands: Volunteers are at the heart of the farm’s success past 40 years it has kept community involvement at its heart and has become an asset that is as well loved as it is used.” Steve argues the unique environment built up at the farm allows a range of activities that no other single centre in the city can match. “Over 200 families use the children’s nursery, where under fives can range free, learning in the outdoors. “Another 350 people volunteer each year across the farm, gardens and café; dozens of courses run on topics from making stained glass to keeping pigs; and a vibrant programme of health and social care activities help people with mental health issues, learning difficulties and in
recovery from addiction.” The value of 200 happy children, and life saving addiction therapy is nigh on impossible to measure. And all this is going on in a place that attracts thousands of people to visit and take part in family activities and events. Plus locals can get a bite to eat in the café, which overlooks the farmyard and serves food which has been grown and reared on site wherever possible. The farm’s varied and complex community services remain essential, but it offers something simpler too; fresh, accessible outdoors air. There is a pressing need for this. City centre pollution levels and those on busy roads in
South Bristol continue to breach EU limits. The wider philosophy behind the farm, according to Steve, extends the slogan ‘think global, act local’ into encouraging people to be active citizens. “It embodies the sense of community that so many people in Windmill Hill, Totterdown and Bedminster say is what they like about living here,” he says. “That sense is reinforced by the hundreds of local people who have become members, giving them a say in how the farm is run and a stake in a key asset for the neighbourhood; not to mention a discount in the café. “Wander around the farm and you’ll soon get the feeling that there is a genuine two-way exchange going on, local people inputting to the farm and it being a lens to focus their energy into action, that makes a difference to people’s lives.” This energy is apparent in the rate of change. “In the past two years we have rebuilt the visitor centre, created an outdoor kitchen, two new greenhouses, an outdoor classroom, new nursery spaces and, most recently, a new garden on what used to be a car park,” said Steve. Change is not over yet though, with plans to expand the popular café and to create an indoor animal interaction centre. It’s the expansion of the farm’s membership base that may have the biggest impact however. “The more local people get behind the farm, the greater its ‘lensing’ effect will be, focusing people’s energy so they can change their world and have more control in their locality,” Steve said. • Membership is £10 a year: www.windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk
The numbers behind Windmill City Farm
Help needed, says thie sign on the main farm building 40 years ago
Annual footfall: 120,000 Number of paid staff: 80 Families using nursery: 200 Locals attending events annually: 6,000 Annual turnover: £1.5 million Number of volunteers engaged per year: 350
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Centre pages ... #inmyname festival for refugees, Totterd
Under the hammer: The auction brought in £1,600 for items such as artwork, an iPa
Five make a weekend of giving for refugees
Caring: Shazia Malik of Bristol group WeCare, which last months sent two shipping containers full of aid items to Syrian refugees
Tart with heart: This raspberry dessert in a heart shape for Valentine’s Day won the #inmyname Bakeoff for Dahl Leah
FIVE new friends with one vision tapped into the deep well of community spirit in South Bristol to mount their own festival in aid of refugees. Only a few weeks ago none of the five knew each other well. Public relations professional Jacqui Day got together with mental health carer Gaily Orr, decorator Beth Sanders, GP Alex Shaw and Jon Evans, landlord of the Oxford pub, who provided the venue. It began with Alex asking on BS3 Connect for donations he could take to refugees in Greece. Soon the five began talking online and realised there was enough enthusiasm for something more. “It shows that Bristol is a great community. regardless of your background, people come together,” said Jacqui. Soon the five were working with Shazia Malik, whose WeCare charity in Easton collected tons of aid and sent two containers full to Syria. As Jacqui and Gaily started
appealing to businesses, gifts came in from all over South Bristol and beyond. The event snowballed into a weekend of music, crafts, children’s events and food. Auction prizes ranged from a weekend in Majorca to a hula hooping course from Totterdown’s Cat Hoops. Local artists including Lou Boyce, Amy Vans and Laura Cruttenden donated their work and Jon Evans began to regret donating his own Star Wars Darth Vader mask! Other prizes included a spa day at Bristol Lido, an iPad from estate agents CJ Hole and a course in Krav Maga self defence from Bedminster’s Clint Badlam. Still more included a £75 voucher towards wedding flowers from Floriography, a hamper from the Banana Boat, a haircut and blow dry from Sam Barton and a £25 voucher from Riverside Garden Centre. During the afternoons
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Blak Flame
children ma nightlight h glitter tatto enjoyed fac The Ger attracted M Josh Egglet and Trap in the entries Ash Symon Baked and “It all sh social medi didn’t know before, now friends and what we ca
March, 2016
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down
ad, a Majorca weekend and more The weekend held several events for children including this lantern-making workshop which won several young fans
es: just one of the Bristol bands on the Oxford’s stage
ade felted soaps, holders, origami hats, oos, hair feathers and ce painting. rt Totters Bake Off Michelin-starred chef ton from the Pony n Somerset to judge with master baker ns from Totterdown’s Jon Evans. hows the power of ia,” said Jacqui. “I w any of the others w I have four good d we are looking at an do next.” Alex for
one has not taken a break: he took two weeks’ holiday to fly to Greece, where he provided medical care to refugees in the north of the country. The appeal raised more than £4,000, including: • Saturday entry, donations, cake sales, crafts: £668.66 • Sunday entry, craft workshops and donations: £320.31 • Saturday curry-off: £305 • Sunday raffle: £435.19 • Saturday auction: £1,649 The money goes to Off Track Health, One Nation and Alex’s work in Greece.
Full up: Alex Shaw filled his camper van with donations for refugees several times over
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George Ferguson Unique way to reduce your energy bills
B
RISTOL’S great year as European Green Capital might be over but our work to create a healthier and more sustainable city certainly doesn’t stop here. Our vision for establishing Bristol Energy – one of the first municipal energy companies in the country, and one with a strong social purpose – was just one of the reasons why we were selected as European Green Capital. It is with a sense of immense pride that it has officially opened for business. Fuel poverty is a stark reality for too many households in Bristol. The cost of energy, alongside a property’s energy efficiency and
Design your own computer game in a week DO YOU think you could design your own computer game? The Prince’s Trust is supporting a week-long course for young people at Knowle West Media Centre in partnership with NextGen Skills Academy. The Get Started with Games Design programme is for people aged 16-25 and not in education, employment or training. Taking place from March 7 to 11, it allows young people to gain experience in the games design industry by designing and building a computer game. They will present their game to a wider audience at the final event and each young person will receive up to three months support to move into education, training or employment. Details from the Prince’s Trust on enquiries.bristol@ princes-trust.org.uk or call Julia Palmer on 07436 582 327. • kwmc.org.uk/events
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The Mayor’s view Each month Bristol mayor George Ferguson shares his take on South Bristol life
March, 2016
– whether that’s to Bristol Energy or a different supplier entirely - you may well be able to save money on your bills. I’ve personally switched to Bristol Energy because it saves me money and benefits Bristol citizens – a double benefit. I strongly recommend you take a look at what’s on offer. The company will invest its profits into the local community, supporting worthwhile community and environmental projects to benefit all. By switching to Bristol Energy, people become part of this very special initiative that could really make a difference to the lives of Bristol’s citizens and the health of the city. To find out more about how you could benefit, visit the new website: www.bristolenergy.co.uk. You know it makes sense!
household income, all play an important role. If you’ve never considered switching energy supplier or not done so in recent years
Wanted: Dog lovers to make a show for park
MP takes a look at Metrobus
Karin Smyth and Daniel Zeichner
Lead time: Can you help put on a fun event for pets? Picture: DAVID SMITH VICTORIA Park’s summer fun day would not be complete without its dog show, which has been popular in previous years – but currently there’s no-one to organise it. The show is called Crusts and is held at the fun day in June. Classes have included the dog
with the waggiest tail, prettiest bitch, most handsome dog, best child handler and dog the judge would most like to take home. If you’d like to help organise an event this year, contact Victoria Park Action Group via Twitter @vpagbristol or facebook – search Victoria Park.
Banging time
Market expects Mother’s Day rush
A BROKEN manhole cover on Wells Road has been fixed by BT – after three weeks of misery for people in Bathwell Road. “I don’t think I slept properly for weeks,” one resident told the Voice. “Lorries going over it were like an explosion.”
NEW stalls and a new look are promised for the BS4 market on Sunday March 6 – Mother’s Day. Organiser Debbie KleinerGaines is expecting visitors from far and wide as the market’s fame spreads. Around 25 stalls, many run by Totterdowners, will offer
food, art, clothes, books, crafts and even cacti – this time protected by colourful umbrellas borrowed from St Nicholas Market in the city. The market takes place on Wells Road, near School Road. • www.facebook.com/Bs4market
A SHADOW transport minister has visited South Bristol to see progress on the city’s MetroBus. Labour’s Daniel Zeichner MP was invited by Bristol South MP Karin Smyth to find out more about the rapid public transport project which is set to reduce journey times across the city. They visited the site at Hareclive Road, Hartcliffe, which forms part of the MetroBus South Bristol Link route connecting Hengrove with Long Ashton via Hartcliffe, Withywood, Bishopsworth and Ashton Vale. Karin Smyth said the South Bristol Link would dovetail with Hengrove’s new hospital, leisure centre and Skills Academy, as well as expected new housing. She added: “I know that the current disruption is difficult for many residents, so I continue to welcome local views.”
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March, 2016
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Bristol Dogs & Cats Home The one time a chip is good for your pet
O
N October 10, 2015, Bella, a cocker spaniel, was tied up outside a shop in Northamptonshire for only a minute while her owner went inside. Seconds after she was left, CCTV showed that a passer-by untied her and walked off with her. Bella’s owners were horrified and advertised for her safe return all over their town. On February 9, 2016, a member of the public spotted a dog straying in Southmead, north Bristol. They called the dog wardens at Bristol city council who collected the dog and bought her to RSPCA Bristol Branch. The warden scanned the dog and fortunately she had a microchip. It turned out it was Bella, who had been missing for 123 days! Her owners were contacted and they were over the moon; the
Soon it will be the law for all dogs to have an identity microchip
family travelled down the next day to take her home. When they were finally reunited, Sarah, Bella’s owner said “It was like losing a child. We were completely devastated, but always hopeful, we knew she was out there somewhere.’” Many owners would lose hope after 123 days of their pet being missing, but thanks to microchips, no matter the period of time an animal is lost, once
Police update
O
UR efforts to reduce the harm caused to your community through drugs use and associated crime continue. A number of homes have been searched or warrants carried out over recent weeks across South Bristol and, as long as the information keeps coming, we will keep taking such action. Particularly satisfying for the team and, judging by the response of neighbours, local residents, too, was a warrant my team carried out near Ilminster Avenue. Not only were two people arrested on suspicion of drug dealing, money laundering and theft, but their car, cash, a quad bike and high value electrical items, as well as drugs, were all seized. If you suspect people of dealing drugs or committing other crime to fund their lifestyles, then get in touch. Remember, you can report suspicions anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through their website, www. crimestoppers-uk.org. Perhaps more low key, but no
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Reunited thanks to a microchip: Bell meets her owners again after four months apart they are found they are able to be reunited with their owners. From April 6, it will be a legal requirement for owners to microchip their dogs and maintain correct information on the microchip. We welcome this law as it will serve as a deterrent to dog thefts, like those of Bella.
With Sgt David Deakin, Broadbury Road police station
Confiscated: a car, some cash and a quad bike from suspected drug dealers less important, is work we’re doing alongside the council to try and resolve the issue of people parking on grass verges and footpaths around Broad Walk. This issue has generated a lot of complaints and strong feeling from residents. We, together with council officers, will issue Community Protection Notices to warn people not to park in this way. Breaching such a notice is a criminal offence and can result in a fine or court summons. Separate measures are being looked at to address issues caused by contractors and delivery drivers. Also causing problems at the moment are so-called boy racers
around Knowle who, as well as driving dangerously, are causing noise. We’re aware and are patrolling accordingly, but it’s important people call us when it’s happening on the 101 non-emergency number so we can deal effectively. Our daily patrols around Totterdown’s Jamia mosque continue, which I know are welcomed both by worshippers and local residents. The strength of feeling on social media against a potential demonstration outside the mosque is further proof that January’s mindless attack has only served to strengthen this community. Finally, our force recently took park in Safer Internet Day, aiming to highlight steps parents and carers need to take to keep their children safe online. The advice, including two videos aimed at secondary school age children, is still available on our website (search Safer Internet Day) and covers issues including sexting, digital footprint and cyber bullying. Sgt David Deakin
It will also be easier to identify owners of stray animals, and increase the likelihood of reuniting them with their owners. Details about microchipping events and more information can be found on our website. • www.rspca-bristol.org.uk
Hi-tech sensors to solve the damp problem
ARTS charity Knowle West Media Centre wants to use the latest sensor technology to solve everyday problems for communities. So far they’ve discovered issues including damp and draughts in homes and difficulties in predicting customer flow for small firms. The centre will host a series of workshops in March and April where people will be able to work with artists, technologists and designers to explore whether new sensors could be used to help. A workshop day is expected to be held on Saturday March 5 (though details had not been confirmed when the Voice went to press) where people can start exploring the technology and imagining the possibilities. To reserve a free ticket contact Martha on 0117 903 0444. The Citizen Sensing project is part of the “Bristol Approach”, a new programme that aims to encourage a new way of running community technology projects. • www.kwmc.org.uk
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Features
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March, 2016
Still here: The club that was
“I
CAN remember the first time I walked in … it was such an impressive place. There was plush seating, leather benches on three sides .. it was like a cathedral.” This isn’t a memory of a five-star hotel or historic monument, but of a part of South Bristol’s history that has come within an ace of disappearing – Knowle Constitutional Club. The club is housed in an impressive four-storey building on Wells Road, yet many people will not know it’s even there. The ornate iron arch over the gateway is rusted and forlorn, and the overgrown front yard gives little sign that 30 years ago, this was a social mecca. Knowle Constitutional Club was founded in 1904. It was a place for the respectable man of trade or business, and for most of its life there was a long waiting list of people who wanted to be
The Knowle Constitutional Club was a haven, as long as you were male
members. “To become a member, I went along with the chap who nominated me, and I had to be interviewed by the committee,” remembered Harry Bobbett, 91, who spent his working life with the well-known firm of Spear Bros & Clarke, which made pork products in a factory off Temple Way until the 1970s. “They just wanted to know that you would be a good, responsible member,” added fellow member Tom McGouran,
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Way in: The ornate gateway is a clue to the old club’s former glories who used to run a carpet shop a game of snooker,” recalled Reg few doors up from the club on Sims, 85, a clerk for British Rail Wells Road. for 42 years, who found the club The constitutional club was handily located for his job at founded as a comfortable haven Temple Meads. for the South Bristol man of With so many members, the business – and typically for the club looked after its members by time, it was for men only – to employing a full-time steward relax and enjoy a little recreation and stewardess, who lived in the among friends in comfortable upper floors. They made sure the surroundings. place was gleaming, with all the There was an optional woodwork, mirrors and windows contribution by kept shiningly members to the clean. Conservative Annual awards party, but this was nights were eagerly voluntary. awaited. The Sign of the times at the club Members were snooker tables were often shopkeepers, completely hidden from butchers to bakers, by a great spread – “it wasn’t tradesmen such as builders, and cheese sandwiches, it was quality other professionals such as food,” said Harry. teachers and policemen. As they And trophies were awarded no doubt would have said, “no riff-raff”. There were snooker tables, a skittle alley, and members playing everything from table tennis to cribbage, darts to billiards. Teams were formed in all these pastimes and competed all over Bristol and beyond. Membership was limited to 150 – because of this there was always a waiting list. The watchword was respectability: members were given a book of rules, and no one was to be seen in the club if they weren’t wearing jacket, collar and tie – even at the snooker table. “There was no bad language whatsover,” said Tom. “You had to get in early to put your name on the list to get a Snooker cues still on their racks
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a home from home for men for all the activities members enjoyed, from golf to darts. Harry was pleased when he won the cup for cribbage – as he put it, he proved himself fit enough for cards, though he didn’t win at golf or snooker. Many members were also players at Knowle golf club, which had moved from its original home in Knowle to a site off West Town Lane in Brislington. The constitutional club’s golf match was played there on a Sunday – sometimes enlived by the presence of a member called Mike Beese, who dealt in secondhand goods and turned up in a hearse. Eyebrows were raised – something that happens a lot at golf clubs – when he produced from the hearse, not a bag to carry his golf clubs, but a shopping trolley. Cameraderie carried the club along. “To go down those 14 steps into the bar and to be welcomed by everyone who knew you was wonderful,” said Harry. Quite different from going into a pub where you might no know anyone. Sadly, though the club survived to see its centenary, by 2004 it was not thriving. Although the stewards had kept the windows clean, it wasn’t part of their job to maintain the building. First the skittle alley, which was behind the main building, became obviously in need of work. It ws decided to sell it off, raising £100,000 which could be used to renovate the three flats above the club, which could then be rented to raise some income. But inspection by a builder revealed decades of neglect which £100,000 could barely fix. Rotten joists needed to be replaced by expensive steel braces. And though members helped out as much as they could – Reg remembers decorating all three
WHAT NEXT?
The Constitutional Club is till open to members but needs extensive renovation if it is to survive. If you’re interested in helping with the work, or want become a member, email knowleclub@gmail.com
Bowling for victory: One of several pictures discovered at the constitutional club, possibly from the 1940s flats with the help of two comrades – it was not enough to return the club to its former glory. With the skittle alley gone, so were the table tennis tables. There were fewer reasons for people to visit, and a vicious circle of decline began as decreasing membership meant they were unable to keep the facilities going. Even admitting women – a belated concession to changing times first made in 1985 – was not enough. Cut to the present, and the club premises are in dire need of renovation. Plasterboard and bare floors surround the once-grand snooker room. There aren’t enough members to keep the club open every night, and volunteer chair and secretary Nick and Cathy Gibbs give their time behind the bar for free. But times are changing, and a community spirit is once again very prominent in Knowle and Totterdown. A new generation are keen to share their skills to put the club back on its feet. The aim is to make it a family friendly place that’s still owned by its members, a place to socialise and enjoy cheap drinks and bar games, and provide a meeting place for the community. Sound exciting? Want to get involved? We’ll tell you more in a future edition of the Voice.
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southbristolvoice www.southbristolvoice.co.uk Reports from your councillors – Knowle 26
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RGUMENTS regarding parking and the arena have been varied and passionate. I am certainly not Gary in the camp of not Hopkins, allowing a single Lib-Dem, car into Bristol. Knowle Neither is it practical to try to build a very large car park next to the arena as the already busy traffic in the area would clog up. The mayor’s position of having no car parking but failing to protect local residential streets and pretending that car parks on the other side of the city centre would be used instead was transparent nonsense. Pressure has caused a slight improvement in the commitment to park and ride but our call for the remodelling of the Three Lamps junction to allow movement from Wells Road to Bath Road has been resisted. Our argument has been that as well as making life easier for South
Bristol residents this would remove traffic from the Fowlers roundabout which at times now has queues of cars needing to do the U-turn back up Bath Road. This causes congestion and potential accidents as traffic switches lanes. The latest arena plans suggest a multi-storey car park on the Kwik Fit site near Cattle Market Road. This is not projected to be ultra large (400-500 spaces) and around half of it is aimed at arena operators. It appears that council officers had not thought about the access from the south and that this actually makes the argument for remodelling Three Lamps stronger. The impression of more frantic scribbling on secret backs of fag packets grows stronger by the day. If this is progressed car park spaces must be presold with tickets. Cars cruising the streets looking for spaces are the danger. Chris and I are working closely with colleagues Andrew Brown and Nat in Windmill Hill ward on this issue.
R
ESIDENTS parking zones are certainly controversial. The mayor attempted to impose one at Chris Totterdown two Davies, years ago but our Lib-Dem, detailed survey of Knowle residents showed that most did not accept it because of irrelevance, cost and operating hours. The arena arriving on our doorstep, though, creates a very different set of circumstances and residents need to be properly consulted. Our own findings have been that there is support for a parking protection scheme of some kind but the priority hours seem to be very different than previously proposed. Together with colleagues from Windmill Hill ward and Brislington we will be pressing the case for a locally controlled and designed scheme if residents want one, rather than the mayor’s profit driven model. We have won the battle for the
March, 2016
How to get in touch with your councillors – page 2
capital cost of the scheme to be met by the arena, but the mayor still resists local design and charging and we will be pushing for this at the planning committee. A further reminder of what a difference this can make came in a recent report to a council scrutiny commission that admitted that the mayor’s steep rise in charges to residents has resulted in a £2 million a year operating profit for RPZs. Also the Kingsdown scheme, which existed before he came to power, has paid off all its capital cost and makes a net income of about £300,000 a year. The Kingsdown details were hidden and only appeared after a colleague specifically demanded them. The promise made to residents about future charging has been ripped up as the mayor claimed the previous charges were loss-making. The planning mitigation from the arena must be genuine to protect our residents and that is what we are fighting for.
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www.southbristolvoice.co.uk southbristolvoice Reports from your councillors – Windmill Hill
March, 2016
27
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M
EMBERS of the council met on February 16 to approve the budget for the next 12 months. Sam Approval is not the Mongon, right word as there Labour, are few councillors Windmill happy about a Hill budget that will see a continuation of cuts to services, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt by the Tories’ austerity policies, which will have reduced council funding by 35% by 2020. I was disappointed that some councillors felt they could vote against the budget due to their “anti-austerity principles”. I would love to be able to vote against austerity but the truth is if all councillors voted down the budget the mayor would set it, or even worse the Government would impose one on us. How’s that for local democracy? I supported an additional 2% rise in council tax to support adult social care with a heavy
heart. No one should be pleased that we’re having to using a regressive tax to prop up these vital services. However, this is the only option available to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society. I hope residents understand that without this additional funding we would be restricting services even more. This extra £3.4m means we can keep providing care to nearly 400 residents in their homes, helping them to have longer, better and more independent lives. I was proud though of a number of Labour amendments forcing the mayor to support funding for the new recycling and reuse centre on Hartcliffe Way; fly-tipping and dog fouling enforcement; protection of the Diamond Card bus pass for older and disabled people on community transport; support for the Bristol Pride event; and grants for mental health services. Small victories that will make a great difference to people relying on these vital services.
A
T THE budget meeting, councillors tried to make the best of the fact that the Government Deborah is cutting the grant Joffe, to Bristol, meaning Green, that it will be a Windmill struggle to provide Hill a good level of services to the public. Among the difficult choices was the proposal from the Greens to divert £0.5m from the South Gloucestershire Aerospace museum and use the money to make substantial improvements to road safety on routes to schools. I appreciate that the aerospace museum has nostalgic value for many people in the city, but to my mind this does not compare with the daily impact on children of dangerous road crossings. There have been multiple incidents in South Bristol of accidents and near-misses involving schoolchildren and I know that
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many parents have raised their concerns with the schools. Many children have to cross St John’s Lane, Wells Road or St Luke’s Road to get to school, all of which are very busy and hazardous. The 20mph limit makes these considerably safer than they might be (although it is still 30mph on Wells Road), but still children are getting injured, sometimes resulting in longlasting disability. Unfortunately the other parties did not support the proposal to use the funds for road safety. However the Greens will continue to campaign for this issue because we believe that it is vital that children can move safely around their communities. In a separate proposal the Greens called for action to develop a Clean Air or Low Emission Zone in the city. There are increasing concerns about the levels of air pollution in the city and the harm it causes, especially to older people, young children and those with existing lung disease, including asthma.
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News WILD PARK
29
News from the Wildlife Group of Victoria Park Action Group
Cutting back for new growth
I
F YOU’D been up to the woods on top of Victoria Park this month, you’d be sure of a big surprise. People were cutting it down. Well, coppicing it – our annual winter activity. Strictly speaking it’s not true coppicing, because there are too many larger trees, so the smaller ones often don’t re-sprout from their cut stems in the relatively dim light of the wood. So ‘thinning out’ would be a more accurate description: to let more sunlight into the place, encouraging a better ground flora. In a true copse only a few larger trees called standards would be left, and more coppice flowers would be able to develop. Nobody’s suggested that. So thinning it is. Not that the squirrels and birds seem to
mind. As long as there’s something to eat in the canopy, or around the edge of the wood, or in the leaf litter, you’ll find them there. One day I saw a flock of Scandinavian redwings – like dull song-thrushes, but quite noisy, with a splash of red on their wings when they fly. They were present in the park for quite a few days last year, but this year seem to have passed through and gone. In the northern part of the wood, not far from the flowering snowdrops, the first shoots of wild garlic are coming up over quite a patch. Please don’t step on them; their fragrant white flowers will then grace the place. On the grassy steep meadows the much-loved daffodils are already making a
show, and have had no problem with the new regime as the grass is still short after its autumn cut. A few yellow lesser celandines are out, and in the
Picture: DAVID SMITH
dell north of Mrs Brown’s coffee stall (not long now till it’s reopened) cow parsley is pushing up and out. • www.vpag.org.uk
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Dodging bombs and bullets Warning: these wartime anecdotes are faithful to the recollections of a medic in a war zone. Some may find the details distressing.
M
ANY Bristolians have memories of the Blitz. Mike Collins’ recollections are not as clear as some, because he was a toddler at the time. But he’s got something to remind him – his very own portrait, aged four, in the latest wartime fashion – a siren suit. Looking remarkably like a modern onesie, the siren suit was an all-in-one garment. The idea was that if children were asleep when the air raid siren sounded, they could be whisked from their bed already dressed in their siren suit and conveyed, readywrapped, to the air raid shelter. Mike, whose home for many
Bristol Blitzed
Recollections of Bristol under fire in the 75th anniversary year of the worst bombing raids on the city years has been on Bath Road, was then living with his family in his maternal grandmother’s house in Old Park Hill, off St Michael’s Hill. Adults naturally tried to protect children from the horrors of war. And though Mike’s father was an ambulance driver and nurse – what would today be called a paramedic – he didn’t understand the severity of the events when Bristol was being pulverised by the Luftwaffe in 1940 and 1941. What Mike remembers is the humour his family and their
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friends used to deal with the devastation. We have already described in the Voice how, on November 24, 1940, the first big air raid to hit Bristol brought enormous devastation, killing more than 200 people, injuring almost 1,000 and destroying the old shopping centre and many other buildings. In fact, Mike’s house was destroyed by a bomb too, as many were near the centre of the city and around Knowle, Totterdown and Bedminster. But the memory Mike has is different. The family were in their Anderson shelter in the back garden – a slender affair of metal beams and corrugated iron. He recalled his mother’s friend Annie, surveying the scene as bombs rained down, guns were firing and the Luftwaffe attacked the barrage balloons that surrounded the city. “She looked out of the Anderson shelter up at the sky and said ‘Rat-a tat tat! Missed him! Rat-a-tat-tat! Missed him! She was pretending to fire at the bombers. It was comical.” That night was the end of Mike’s Blitz, because, like many other families, they moved out of Bristol – in his case to West Huntspill in Somerset. “Hitler did me a favour there,” said Mike, who loved the years that followed, growing up in the countryside where he discovered a lifelong love of wildlife. “Thousands of others did the
An ambulance driver in the Bristol blitz experienced bleak sights. Grisly humour was the only way to cope same.” But the war was far from over for most Bristolians, in particular for Mike’s father Reg and his ambulance. Reg was the proud custodian of a large American ambulance, part of the US contribution to the war that the nation had not yet joined. This powerful and commodious vehicle was to provide vital transport throughout the war years – and not only for people, as we shall see ...
R
eg had found his way into the medical services almost by accident. Before the war he was, like his father before him, a soldier in the East Yorkshire regiment. (Reg’s father was killed on Christmas Day 1914 when soldiers from both sides called a brief halt to hostilities. But there was no truce for Reg’s
An Anderson shelter in Bristol. They were flimsy, but being made of curved sheets of corrugated iron, they sometimes deflected falling shrapnel which might have punched straight through a flat roof
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History
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31
at the wheel of an ambulance
Fashion that time forgot: Right, Mike Collins, aged about four, in 1940.The siren suit was designed to keep young ones warm when they had to rush from their bed to an air raid shelter. father; as he lit a cigarette to offer it to a German soldier, a sniper saw the glow and shot him.) Reg joined up to escape the poverty of South Wales. served in Ireland during the Civil War, and in India. An independent spirit, he hated injustice. In Dublin he saw two soldiers from the infamously cruel Black & Tans beating a woman in the street. Reg grabbed a rifle from one of them, gave the pair a hiding, and ran off. As he was in civilian clothes, he thought he was safe. But one of the Black & Tans had seen Reg’s tattoos, and he was caught. His sentence was cut on condition he pretended to be a Republican and spied on other prisoners. This he agreed to do; but it further fuelled his sense of injustice, because he thought South Wales was poor, and the deprivation he saw in Dublin appalled him. So when the army sent him home from India to serve in an army prison in Aldershot, he was perhaps too much in sympathy with the inmates. He also served briefly in Shepton Mallet prison, where two prisoners committed suicide. This was too much: Reg quit the military altogether. Hence in 1939, as war broke out, he found a new job, at the wheel of his American ambulance.
A
s young Mike was already beginning to discover, black humour was for many Bristolians the best way to cope with the bombing. Those who lived anywhere near the city centre saw and heard horrific sights – whole streets on fire, bombs falling as those trapped in the rubble called for help, and the bodies of the fallen. Sometimes they were torn apart; sometimes they appeared unscathed, sitting in shop doorways as if waiting for the all-clear – but in fact dead from
the effects of the blast. Mike explained how his father coped: “We were in the shelter behind the house. Dad went to get his car – he had a little Austin Seven.
But when he got there Hitler had bombed it. “He turned round and they had bombed St Michael’s churchyard as well. He couldn’t
run for the shelter – he had to do his job. He turned round and there was a body lying on top of a street light – it had been blown up there. He just said “Look at this mess!” “They made a joke of everything. You just have to cope with it.” Reg realised he couldn’t make it to where his own ambulance was stationed. He commandeered another ambulance and set off down Park Street, which was being pulverised, helping to pull out injured people as he went. And yet, through all the destruction, daily routines went on and new ones became normal. Newspapers and milk were still delivered; and people went to work, even if like Mike’s uncle, their workplace had been partly destroyed. Mike’s uncle worked at the BAC aircraft factory at Filton, one of the Luftwaffe’s first targets. When things looked dicey, he cycled to work with a saucepan on his head for protection. “Ridiculous when you think about it,” said Mike. Mike and his family were settling into life in West Huntspill. His father often stayed in Bristol, for he was effectively on call seven days a week. But the trusty Ford ambulance did more than convey patients: on every trip to the country, Reg took buckets of food waste with him. As older folk remember, nothing was wasted in the war, and the Bristol Royal Infirmary had arranged to supply pig feed from its leftovers in return for fresh food – including the odd pig to augment its supplies. So on the return journey from Somerset Reg often had an extra passenger: a dead pig, strapped in a stretcher to stop it moving about. However on one occasion, as Reg reached Bristol with a pig on board, an air raid started. It was normal to pick up any nurses going to work, or any casualties he found on the way. Reg found a nurse, and put her in the back, telling her with typical black humour that the fellow in the stretcher – the pig was covered with a blanket – was Continued on page 32
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March, 2016
An ambulance driver’s Blitz Continued from page 31 in a bad way. The next passengers were casualties: sadly, both dead. One was strapped alongside the pig. The other had to go up front in the cab, strapped upright. In wartime, needs dictate actions. Next in was another nurse, who had to sit next to the upright corpse. Mike said: “He came to a halt. The body went forward, and the air came out of it. The nurse jumped – my dad grabbed her and told her not to be a fool!” They reached the BRI without further incident. The bodies were taken to the morgue; the pig, naturally, was stretchered to the kitchens.
R
eg was inevitably a frequent visitor to the hospital morgue. His duty was to take the belongings of the dead and parcel them up to be collected by the police. Reg was a well-built man, being a part-time boxer and wrestler. Mike recalled: ”Dad had an apron, which would have had blood on it. In walked a six-foot policeman. He took one look at my father and fainted right there! I suppose it was the darkness, and Dad looked like something out of a Dracula movie.” Reg obviously made a strong impression on this burly policeman. They did not meet again until months later, when the PC was on point duty (for our younger readers, this meant directing traffic at crossroads in
Mike’s father Reg Collins, left, with his fellow ambualnce drivers Arthur White and Bill Boyd. On the left is Reg’s beloved and spacious American ambulance, a Ford; on the right is a British-issue Austin ambulance the days before traffic lights). Reg stopped as directed, and stuck his head out of the ambulance window – whereupon the policeman fainted once more! There were occasionally fringe benefits to the bombing. “They got called down to the docks, which were being bombed,” recalled Mike. “A boat carrying bananas caught on fire. Firemen went in to put it out and they ended up loading the ambulance with bananas! The ambulance returned with injured people but also lots of bananas for the
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hospital.” Bananas weren’t the only unusual cargo. Reg was also employed to go to London to collect radium, the radioactive element that was then beginning to be used to treat cancer. It proved to be a dangerous treatment that killed as well as cured, but this wasn’t understood at the time and Reg was at far more risk from the Luftwaffe. He was driving back from London with his precious cargo when German aircraft swooped in. Firing on ambulances bearing the red cross was against the Geneva Convention, but this didn’t bother the Luftwaffe. Reg “felt a few bumps” as he put it, but carried on to Bristol – where his colleagues pointed out all the holes in the roof that had been made by machine gun bullets! He had been strafed from the air without realising it. “It was lucky he was only carrying radium, and not people,” said Mike.
D
espite frequently driving into extremes of danger – as many others did during the Blitz – Reg survived the war unscathed. And, like many others, he did not dwell on what he had been through. Mike is in awe not just of his
father but of the whole wartime generation. “They had seen a lot of horrible things. But these people went about their jobs, and just got on with it.” They were ordinary people, he said, but they had to live through extraordinary times. Mike, like many children of the wartime generation, wondered how he would cope if he was faced with extreme danger. Would he freeze? Or would he find himself able to do whatever needed to be done? As it happened, he found out. On National Service in the Far East in the 1950s, he was on a live firing exercise when a fellow soldier snapped and turned his gun on him. Suddenly, the world slowed down, Mike said. An officer ordered Mike to put down his own weapon – which was empty of ammunition – and walk calmly towards the disturbed soldier. Mike found himself functioning, not paralysed by fear, and by following orders the soldier was disarmed and safety was restored. Mike went on to a life spent in engineering, as a fitter, and several other occupations, to raise a family on Bath Road, and as a mountaineer and cave diver besides. But that’s another story.
To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Paul on 07811 766072 or Emma or Hollie on 0117 908 2121.
The very best in retirement living
Why not come along to our next open day on Tuesday 15 March? Call 0117 949 4004 for details.
The St Monica Trust holds regular open days at our unique Monica Wills House retirement community where you will be escorted on a guided tour by one of our residents. Offering all the advantages of independent living, but with a strong feeling of community spirit, these well-appointed 1 and 2 bedroom apartments are situated in the heart of Bedminster and provide social activities when you want them, and access to care and support when you need it.
Located just off West Street, Monica Wills House has a fully licensed restaurant, gym/pool, a roof terrace with panoramic view of the Bristol skyline and a host of other facilities. Why not come along and find out more? To book your place, or to join our re-sales mailing list, call 0117 949 4004.
0117 949 4004 to find out more. www.stmonicatrust.org.uk | info@stmonicatrust.org.uk
Delivering well-being Registered Charity 202151
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News
Dinosaur ruiner
Toy library in need of help to expand
SOUTH Bristol Toy Library is now offering balance bikes, trikes and scooters for affordable hire and is currently in discussion with a venue in Bedminster at which to hold library sessions. To support their growth it is seeking volunteer librarians to expand and catalogue the collection of toys. Also needed are committee members, in particular a treasurer and a secretary. All that’s needed is an interest in the benefits of play for children’s development, and enough time to attend monthly committee meetings. More details from Annie at southbristoltoylibrary@gmail. com. There is no age limit and no need to be a parent. Follow Facebook/ southbristoltoylibrary and on Twitter @sbtoylibrary
www.southbristolvoice.co.uk
Prince shows he knows value of cow charity
On the prowl: Andy Council’s Totterdown pictures are distinctive AN APPEAL has been set up to restore a missing dinosaur. The mural of Totterdown’s colourful terraces was painted by local artist Andy Council on the side of the Oxford pub. But after a mix-up with some decorators, the much-loved picture was painted over. Landlord Jon Evans posted on Facebook: “Got a couple of lads in to paint the pub and they have painted over my Andy Council
Local services CHIMNEY SWEEP
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dinosaur mural! I’m gutted.” Within hours a GoFundMe page had been opened to raise £750 to replace the mural. It raised £280 within two days. Mr Evans often organises community events such as the #inmyname festival for refugees. One friend posted: “It’s what you give away that returns to shine upon you, Jon.” • #getmeanotherdinosaur at www.gofundme.com
KNOWLE man Chris Egitto met with the Prince of Wales during a charity visit to Bath. Chris was introduced to the prince during his visit to Send a Cow’s head office. Prince Charles is both president and landlord of Send a Cow – a charity established almost 30 years ago by West Country dairy farmers. Chris said: ‘‘I’m so passionate about the work of Send a Cow and it’s a real privilege to be one of their trustees. It was an honour to be there on the day and to speak to the Prince of Wales about the incredible work our teams are doing with smallholder farmers in Africa.’’ Send a Cow operates in seven countries in Africa helping farmers become self-reliant with training and equipment. • www.sendacow.org
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St Mary Redcliffe Church
Clifton Suspension Bridge St Paul’s Church, Bedminster Royal York Crescent
March, 2016
Cabot Tower Observatory
Christ Church, Clifton
Bristol University Wills Memorial Building
Royal Fort
Bristol Royal Infirmary
Panorama tells story of a park VICTORIA Park is soon to be graced by a new panorama created by Totterdown artist Emily Ketteringham. Emily also designed a similar artwork installed in Perrett’s
Park in 2012. Both show the many landmarks which can be seen from the heights of South Bristol including St Mary Redcliffe and the Royal Fort. The Victoria Park version also
tells the story of the park, which was created after Bedminster people living in Victorian slums pleaded for more open space. The panorama also marks the park’s place on the Bristol
Skyline Walk, a trail around the landmarks of South Bristol. Two marked circular trails are of seven miles and two miles. More on the Skyline walk at: • www.bssw.org.uk
storey rear extension. Granted subject to conditions
rear extension. Pending consideration
117 Ravenhill Road BS3 5BT Proposed single storey rear extension. Granted subject to conditions
149 Broadfield Road BS4 2UY False acacia: Felling of tree subject to tree preservation order. Granted subject to planting replacement
Planning applications 100 Novers Hill BS4 1QT Application to approved details in relation to condition 3 (Sample Panels) of permission 15/00545/F Erection of 14 no. dwellings following the demolition of the existing buildings at the site (Major application). Newgate Construction Ltd. Pending consideration 179 Wells Road, Totterdown BS4 2DB Proposed new parking area. Pending consideration 9 Maesknoll Road BS4 2HF Application for a Certifiicate of Proposed Development: Alterations and extension to existing main roof to create additional accommodation, including conversion of hipped roof into gable end to the side of the property. Overcladding of pebble dash render with insulated render. Conversion of existing single storey pitched roof to rear into flat roof with roof light. Pending consideration 316 St Johns Lane BS3 5AY Application for a Lawful Development Certificate: Single storey rear extension to include roof light and new window. Pending consideration 102 Wedmore Vale BS3 5HY Prior approval for a single storey rear extension to extend 6 metres, with maximum height of 3.6m and eaves 2.5m high. Pending consideration
116 Daventry Road BS4 1DJ Proposed 3 bedroom dwelling adjoining existing property. Pending consideration 40 Marston Road BS4 2JW Rear extension. Pending consideration Ground Floor Flat, 181 Wells Road, Totterdown BS4 2DB Proposed new parking area. Pending consideration 22 Belluton Road BS4 2DW Notification of prior approval for single storey rear extension to extend 5.8 metres with maximum height of 3.5m and eaves 2.9m high. Prior approval not required 32 Morpeth Road BS4 1SS Erection of a two storey side extension. Granted subject to conditions 3A Bushy Park BS4 2EG Proposed roof extension. Refused 36 Wootton Park BS14 9AQ Application for certificate of existing use: Two bed selfcontained dwelling. Refused 39 Somerdale Avenue BS4 2XN Two storey house attached to 39 Somerdale Avenue. Demolition of existing detached garage. Granted subject to conditions 19 Minehead Road BS4 1BL Proposed single and part double
131 Broad Walk BS4 2RT Outline application: One 2 bedroom flat, one 1 bedroom flat and ancillary building to serve 131 Broad Walk. Granted subject to conditions 16 and 16A Hill Crest BS4 2UN Retention of rear raised decking and landscaping (amendments to consent granted under app. no. 13/01714/F). Granted subject to conditions Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bath Road BS4 3EW Widening of doorway in East Lodge, new ramped access to East and West lodges and removal of catafalque wooden box in Nonconformist Chapel. Pending consideration 78 Rookery Road BS4 2DT Proposed lower ground floor, rear extension. Pending consideration 72 Novers Park Road BS4 1RJ Conversion of detached garage into habitable accommodation. Granted subject to conditions 25 Dunster Road BS4 1BU Two-storey and single storey
Priory Surgery 324-326 Wells Road, Knowle BS4 2QJ Application to approved details in relation to conditions 2 (Construction Management Plan) of permission 15/04008/F Two storey extension to doctors’ surgery. Granted Unit 47, Broadwalk Shopping Centre, Redcatch Road BS4 2QU Change of use of ground floor from retail (Use Class A1) to gymnasium (Use Class D2). Granted subject to conditions 53 Windsor Terrace, Totterdown BS3 4UG Three storey rear extension including basement and conversion of house to create one 1 bedroom flat and one 2 bedroom flat. Granted subject to conditions 18 Colchester Crescent BS4 1SG Conversion of 3 bed dwelling into two, 2 person flats as revised 20.01.2016. Granted subject to conditions • The status of these applications may have changed since we went to press. Check for updates at planning online.bristol.gov.uk
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March, 2016
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Karin Smyth Millions goes unclaimed in benefits in South Bristol
R
ECENTLY I’ve been studying data showing the take-up rates of financial entitlements such as Pension Credit, Income Support and so on. According to the charity Age UK, nationally up to £3.7 billion goes unclaimed by older people each year. It’s a staggering amount, made even more striking because this is money that people are eligible to receive, having paid into the system for years. Of course when the rules and regulations for obtaining this money change, as they often do, it can be really difficult to keep on top of things. Getting access to the right information can be tricky for many people, and it’s important that help is readily at hand.
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The MP’s view Each month Bristol South Labour MP Karin Smyth gives her perspective That’s why I’ve organised a special community event for Bristol South residents this month, at which I’ll be bringing together some of the city’s financial specialists to give first hand advice and information about claiming these entitlements. Organisations that are sending staff along to help include Bristol Citizens Advice Bureau, South Bristol Advice Services, Age
37
UK, Care & Repair, the Royal British Legion and the council’s benefits team. They are experts at navigating the processes and are very keen to help, so I felt it would be a good idea to get them together and invite local people to come and have a chat. They’ll be there to guide you individually, over a cup of tea or coffee. Everyone is invited, and there is no need to book a place. It’s at The Park centre, Daventry Road, Knowle, from 10.30am12.30pm on Friday March 11. If this isn’t of interest to you personally, do please feel free to let a friend or neighbour know if you think they might want to attend. Here in Bristol, it looks as though around £16m per year in Pension Credit goes unclaimed each year. And the figure for unclaimed Income Support across the city looks to be higher still at over £20m annually. Just think what that sort of money, if claimed, could do to help the lives of those who are entitled to it. Think too of the positive impact it would have on the local economy when people spend that cash. I think it’s got to be worth trying to boost take-up. As ever, do please let me know your thoughts, by email karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk or by letter to Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.
at Redland High
Visiting Morning: Friday 11 March 9.30 – 11.30am
Call now to book your place Redland Court, Bristol BS6 7EF 0117 290 2916 | admissions@redlandhigh.com www.redlandhigh.com
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What’s on
Tuesday March 1 Hamlet The world’s most famous play, directed by Andrew Hilton, founder of Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory, to mark the 400th anniversary of the playwright’s death. “The choices the play offers are legion. How old should Hamlet be – 18, 20, or a man in his late 30s? Is he ever truly mad? Was his mother complicit in the murder of his father? Questions like these, and many, many more, ensure that no two productions of this enthralling play will ever be alike.” The production will tour in the UK, and also visits Romania. Tickets £19-£24. Performances until April 30. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Thursday March 3 Word of Mouth Presents Bath Spa university poetry night, 7.30-11.30pm, The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Bath Spa marks 10 years after becoming the first university in the UK to run a module in performance poetry. Many of its students now feature on the UK spoken word circuit. Free entry. • www.thethunderbolt.net Saturday March 5 Spring trees tour, Arnos Vale cemetery. Starting at 2pm, join an expert ecologist in this atmospheric tour of meadow and woodland habitats in search of spring species in all their glory. The tour includes the elegant evergreens and vibrant spring foliage of the garden cemetery, to the varied habitats that make it a Site of Nature Conservation Interest. Tickets £6.08. • www.arnosvale.org.uk Junior Jungle Party, Southbank Club, Southville, 2-4pm. Dancing to jungle music (vetted for age appropriate content) mixed live by Nick Terrific. With dance offs and battles. Free jungle masks, Polar Pop healthy lolly and glo sticks. Face painting available. Suitable for under 8s but older siblings are welcome. Tickets £5.50 online, £7 on the door. One adult free with each child; extra adults £3 online, £5 on the door. • www.wegottickets.com/ event/350444 • southbankclub.webs.com Saltcellar folk club: Mischief Afoot Jeff Gillett, Becky Dellow & John Davis play an exciting mix of English and Irish folk music. 7.30pm, Saltcellar, Totterdown Baptist church,
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Master of the acoustic guitar A WORLD-renowned guitarist comes to the Thunderbolt in Bath Road in March. Peppino D’Agostino has been called “the guitarist’s guitarist” by Acoustic Guitar magazine and he was voted Best Acoustic Guitarist by readers of Guitar Player magazine. He emerged in the early 1980s as a young Sicilian with an ambition to play with the world’s greatest guitar players; now he has built an international career and has performed at some of the top international venues. He has recorded with the classical guitarist David Tanenbaum, chair of the classical guitar at the Conservatory of San Francisco, and with Jeff Campitelli, rated one of the 100 greatest drummers of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. D’Agostino’s composition “Stammi Vicino,” written with electric guitarist Stef Burns and Italian rock star Vasco Rossi, reached number one in the iTunes rock charts in Italy. He plays at the entrance on School Road. £5. • www.mischiefafoot.co.uk • www.saltcellarfolk.org.uk Sunday March 6 Vintage Kilo Sale Paintworks, Bath Road. The UK’s largest vintage clothing wholesaler will be bringing five tonnes of vintage, including accessories and jewellery. All sold by weight: £15 per kilo. • www.paintworksbristol.co.uk Oh, Whistle: Two ghost stories by MR James. “This thrilling one-man show brings to life two of the greatest ghost stories in the English language, in a performance from Bristol’s much-loved Robert Lloyd Parry. Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad – a tale of nocturnal horror on the Suffolk coast – is considered by many to be James’s masterpiece. It is complemented here by The Ash Tree, a story of witchcraft and vengeance.” Recommended for ages 13+. £12/£8, 8pm • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com
Master: Peppino D’Agostino Thunderbolt, Totterdown, at 8pm on March 23. Tickets, at £8 and £6 concessions, are available from Dave on 07505 461892 or email dmerr9226@aol.com Monday March 7 Meeting of Victoria Park Action Group. The Bowling Club, 7.30pm, everyone welcome. • www.vpag.org.uk Take it on – ensemble singing. One of a series of skills classes for ages 10–13. Sessions are on selected Mondays each month, 4.30-6pm. £3, Tobacco Factory studio. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Tuesday March 8 1972: The Future of Sex “Award-winning company The Wardrobe Ensemble bring their Edinburgh smash hit to their home town of Bristol. It’s “a brisk romp through the ins and outs of those awkward first sexual encounters” from the company who brought you 33 and Riot. It won The Stage Award for Acting Excellence at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Contains brief nudity. £8/£7; Presented by the Tobacco Factory at Wardrobe Theatre, The Old Market Assembly, 25 West Street, Old
March, 2016
Market, BS2 0DF. 8pm, matinees Saturday March 12 & 19, 2pm. Until March 26. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Thursday March 10 The Derella + We Will Have Victory + The Setbacks, The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. 7.30-11-30pm. “The DeRellas (ex-Vibrators) pogo into Bristol ... a night of snotnosed reprobate rock ’n’ roll.” Admission £5. • www.thethunderbolt.net Friday March 11 Arnos Vale after dark Soak up the ethereal beauty of Bristol’s “Necropolis” in an after-hours tour at 7.30pm which reveals the darker side of Arnos Vale cemetery at dusk, in an atmospheric exploration of tragic tales, folk customs and funeral etiquette of Victorian society. You’ll travel along paths overhung with creeping branches, descend into the mortuary crypt and listen out for things that go bump in the night. Bring a torch. Check for returns: tickets were sold out at time of going to press. • www.arnosvale.org.uk Tango night: Alchemy Milonga 8pm, Southbank Club, Dean Lane, Southville. A monthly tango night on the second Friday of every month. • www.tangoalchemy.co.uk. Kid Carpet, The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. 7.3011.30pm. A pioneer of lo-fi electro-pop who has toured with Arcade Fire and worked with film director Alec Cox. “He makes peculiar disco punk with Casio keyboards, things that other people have thrown away, and cardboard.” £7 on the door. • www.thethunderbolt.net Saturday March 12 International Women’s Day tour Discover some of Bristol’s many wonderful women of the past, and the contributions they made to our history, at Arnos Vale cemetery. Guided tour at 11am focuses on the great and good women from Victorian, Edwardian and 20th century Bristol. Tickets £6.08. • www.arnosvale.org.uk Sunday March 13 Tom Stade: You’re Welcome “Brand new show from the UK’s favourite Canadian resident. Candid and alluring, join Tom Stade as he ruminates on life’s oddities and revels in his own perpetual shortcomings.” For ages 16+. £17, Tobacco Factory
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March, 2016
E: paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
What’s on
theatre, Raleigh Road, at 8pm. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Friday March 18 Quiz and supper night, held on the last Friday of every month, 8.30pm-late at Windmill Hlll community centre. • www.whca.org.uk Saturday March 19 Litter clearance by the Friends of the New Cut, also know as Franc. Takes place at Coronation Road near Asda; meet at Bedminster Bridge. 10am-noon, followed by hot drink and cake. • www.franc.org.uk Hamlet: Lunchtime talk with Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory director Andrew Hilton and members of the cast, as they discuss the theatre’s production of Hamlet. You need to have seen the play first. Running time two hours; £15 entry includes buffet. Factory theatre, 11am. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Ska band Natty Daps host fundraiser for Victoria Park Action Group. 8pm, the Oxford, Oxford Street, Totterdown. Suggested £5 donation. Prizes for best park-themed costume. • www.vpag.org.uk
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Sunday March 20 Paul Sinha: Postcards from the Z List Tobacco Factory theatre. Award-winning stand-up comedian Paul Sinha juggles the responsibilities of being an uncle, being in a relationship, and being that bloke, from that quiz, in that poorly-fitting white suit. £14.50. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com Wednesday March 23 Fatima and Sumaya Acta theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster, 7.30-8.30pm. “Living in a new country can be tough – challenging stereotypes, making hard choices, meeting the expectations of your family. In this original show, two women show how they face these challenges and come out on top. Performed by mothers from Hannah More School, many of whom have English as a second language. Also on Thursday March 24. Tickets £3. • www.acta-bristol.com Thursday March 24 John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett 7.30pm, The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. A hero to those of a certain age, Otway calls himself
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Wild: Otway and Barrett live rock and roll’s greatest failure. With Barrett, he had a hit in 1977, Really Free. Notable tracks include Beware of the Flowers Cos I’m Sure They’re Going to Get You Yeah, and Oh My Body is Making Me. Hysterical, probably. Admission £14 on the door. • www.johnotway.com • www.thethunderbolt.net Wednesday March 30 The Best Easter Egg Hunt Ever at Arnos Vale cemetery. Have fun, play games, get out and about with this popular story and a crafty activity at 11am. Join the little rabbit on an Easter Egg hunt with all his friends as he helps other creatures find their eggs. Find out what other treasures nature will provide. £4 per child aged 3+; babies,
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toddlers and parents go free. • www.arnosvale.org.uk Den building family fun at Arnos Vale cemetery. Families can learn how to make a fantastic den out of natural and man made materials. Starting at 1pm, discover techniques to build a sturdy woodland shelter and explore ways to tie knots and engineer structures. Tickets are £7.13 per family – up to two adults and three children. • www.arnosvale.org.uk Thursday March 31 All’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare, until April 30. A Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory production. “A romantic comedy, yet with echoes of the much darker Measure for Measure, All’s Well that Ends Well belongs to its women: to its central character, Helena, and to her guardian and mother of her object of desire, the extraordinary Countess of Rossillion. Class, unrequited love and disingenuous passion all play their part against the backdrop of an Italian civil war.” Tickets £18–£24. • www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com
Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk
T: 07811 766072
southbristolvoice
March, 2016
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branches Opposite Temple Meads Station, | Bristol | BS1 6PL Opening Times: Mon - Sat 9.30am - 5.30pm | Sun 10.30am - 4.30pm Free parking at rear | Tel: 0117 934 9200 | www.branchesofbristol.co.uk