South Bristol Voice Bedminster January 2019 by South Bristol Voice

southbristolvoice

January 2019 January 2019

southbristolvoice

No. 39

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Are high-rise developers breaking their own rules? At last, a masterplan for Bedminster Green – but two developers seem to be dodging the guidelines AFTER years of waiting, a Framework plan from the four developers hoping to build up to 1,500 homes on Bedminster Green came under attack as soon as it was published. The developers had to revise their timetable after protests that the time allowed for consultation was far too short. Meanwhile, it seems at least two of the developers are proposing buildings taller than allowed by their own guidelines. Last month, the Voice argued for consultation that gave the public a genuine chance to influence the plans. Yet the four developers announced, with just one week’s notice, two public events on December 3 and 8, followed by a consultation that would end on December 21. Windmill Hill community planning group WHaM, which has led the opposition to the

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INSIDE

• ASHTON GATE ‘COULD BE NEW JOBS HUB’ 3, 15-16

Seen from Church Lane: Blocks of 15 and 11 storeys by A2 Dominion, on a plot that the developers’ own plan says should be mainly 6-9 floors plans, called the move “cynical” and “a travesty”. “It’s brutal the way that they have restricted consultation,” said Nick Townsend, chair of Windmill Hill community planning group WHaM.“This is happening just before Christmas when people will have other things on their minds.” After protests, the consultation

was extended twice, first to January 7 and then to January 13. The new end date allows for a public meeting called by Action Greater Bedminster (AGB) on January 8, from 6-9pm at Windmill Hill City Farm in Philip Street. Its title is “Developing a Bedminster Green manifesto, with people, place and prosperity Continued on page 10

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• METROBUS IS THE CLEANEST BUS IN TOWN 7 • SOUTH BRISTOL WAKES UP TO CLIMATE FEARS 8-9 • PROPERTY: WHAT DOES 2019 HAVE IN STORE? 23 • CITY PAGE: CLUB NEEDS TO HOLD ITS TALENT 37

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

January 2019

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

Intro HAVING A SAY AFTER the Voice went to press last month it was finally revealed how local people could have their say on a masterplan for the Bedminster Green development. Except it wasn’t what was hoped for. The Framework plan, prepared by the four developers hoping to build up to 1,500 homes, was to be unveiled twice, at events in early December, and then put online for comments for just 11 days, ending on December 21. That just wasn’t good enough, and after protests the consultation was extended. It now runs until January 13. Let’s hope the developers

Independent Community News Network member

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: A surgery will be held on Friday June 8 and 22. Call 0117 953 3575 for an appointment.

Twitter: @sbristolvoice Facebook: southbristolvoice Next deadline for editorial and advertising: January 23rd listen now. It’s pretty clear that residents don’t want the collection of 15-storey-plus towers that seems likely. Indeed, consultation shows up to 80 per cent rejection of tall bulidings across Bristol. Yet some developers don’t appear to respect even their own limits on building heights, contained in their Framework. They argue that their height limits allow exceptions for “framing” and better design. In that case, what’s the point of setting limits? Our city design chief, Cllr Nicola Beech, says she won’t pay attention to any “speculative” plans put in before the talks are over. She wants the Framework to be a meaningful set of guidelines, and urges people to make their views known by January 13. Good advice.

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

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

Social services 0117 922 2900 Police Inquiries 101 Emergency 999 NEIGHBOURHOOD MEETINGS Acton Greater Bedminster: Meeting on Bedminster Green, 6-9pm, January 8, Windmill Hill City Farm

COMPLAINTS Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the South Bristol Voice, contact the Editor using the details below. We aspire to follow the the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), nuj.org.uk/about/nuj-code. Further details of the complaints process can be found on our website (below) or can be obtained by contacting the Editor by email: paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk or by post: 18 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BX or by phone: 07811 766072. southbristolvoice.co.uk/complaints-procedure All stories and pictures are ©South Bristol Voice (unless otherwise stated) and may not be reproduced without permission in this or any other plane of the multiverse. South Bristol Voice Ltd | Co. no. 09522608 | VAT no. 211 0801 76

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January 2019

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n NEWS

Lanterns to light up again BEDMINSTER’S Winter Lanterns Parade, which was called off because of high winds and rain on December 9, has been rescheduled. Bristol city council has approved another road closure on Saturday January 19. However, the event will start later, due to the the longer daylight hours in January. Pre-Parade entertainment will start on North Street at about 5pm, with the Parade setting off from the Ashton end of North

Street at 5.30pm. It’s promised to be the biggest Lanterns yet, with four bands, including a marching debut for Bristol’s Brass Disciples. Nine primary schools and several community groups are taking part, meaning the number on the move could hit 1,500 – a record. The march will follow the length of North Street to turn up Cannon Street and British Road and finish, as usual, with fireworks in South Street park. Facebook: Bedminster Winter Lanterns

Ashton Gate could be new jobs hub for South Bristol But only if public bodies get transport improvements under way ASHTON Gate stadium could become the focus of a new enterprise zone for South West Bristol if ambitious plans for a basketball stadium, hotels and conference centre come off. That was the suggestion of Martin Griffiths, chairman of stadium owner Ashton Gate Ltd, as he unveiled new images of the £100 million transformation at a public meeting on December 11. Ashton Gate is already one of the city’s largest employers with more than 1,000 staff. Hundreds more could be added, if not thousands, says Mr Griffith, if Phase II of the stadium takes off. But first the city has to buy-in to plans to make Ashton Gate the centre of a new transport hub – and so far there is no sign of that happening. Mr Griffiths wants to see the Metrobus stop moved so it’s

within sight of the stadium, a new Ashton Gate station built, and the Long Ashton Park & Ride brought into use on matchdays. The stadium has produced proposals for all three – but so far there is no movement on any. “There’s a lot of interest in bringing the Metrobus stop to Ashton Gate and building a railway station. We think it’s a no-brainer,” Mr Griffiths said. But he admitted that there is no sign of the councils in charge of Metrobus wanting to move the stop from its isolated and out-of-sight location at Paxton Drive, which is little used. Nor has Bristol city council made visible progress untying the legal knots that restrict the Park & Ride. And Network Rail shows no signs of approving a new station – even a simple platform for a shuttle service. Feedback to the stadium plans has been mainly positive from councillors and community Continued with pictures 16-17

ASHTON GATE Phase II

TIMETABLE

• 4,000-seat stadium and 2 hotels on site of Wickes • Three blocks of flats & 250 homes next to stadium • 500 homes at Ashton Vale, to be known as Cumberland Village • Multi-storey car park, 850 spaces

February 2019 Detailed plans are drawn up Late summer 2019 Planning application submitted January 2020 Planning permission Summer 2020 Building begins Summer 2022 Work completed

EXCLUSIVE VOICE READER COMPETITION

Win tickets to the Little & Large reunion

ROM the 1970s to the 90s comedy duo Eddie Large and Sid Little were among the nation’s biggest stars, pulling TV audiences of up to 25 million. Their career was cut short when Bristol resident Eddie fell ill. But, after a triumphant reunion on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in 2018, they take to the stage for the Slapstick Festival at Bristol Old Vic on January 18, to talk about their career. It’s their first stage appearance for decades, and we have three pairs of tickets to the evening, compered by Matthew Sweet, worth £36 a pair. To win, just tell us: Who is the director of Bristol’s annual Slapstick Festival? (To find the answer, you may

Reunited: Little and Large need to read our Slapstick feature on page 12.) Email your answer to paul@ southbristolvoice. co.uk, or post to Little & Large Competition, 18 Tim Vine: Lilymead Avenue, another star Bristol BS4 2BX, by at Slapstick January 13. • SLAPSTICK OUTTAKES: Behind the scenes at the comedy fest p12

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

January 2019

southbristolvoice

n NEWS Parking app to aid motorists SOUTHVILLE has been chosen as one of the launch locations for a free app which aims to help drivers find a parking space. Its maker, Parklook, says that in peak hours up t0 36 drivers are looking for a parking space near North Street. Yet typically they park for just six minutes. Users tell the app when they find a space, and when they are about to leave it. Drivers looking for a space are matched with someone about to leave – and given the registration number of the departing vehicle. So far no-one appears to have left any feedback on social media. parklook.com

Litter patrol ASHTON Vale Together meets on January 22 at the Risdale Road community centre, 6.30pm. Litter patrol is at the railway arch on Ashton Drive, 10am January 17.

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n NEWS

Private schools damage state education, says MP SOUTH Bristol’s Labour MP is unrepentant after stirring up a row about private schooling by saying that their very existence is putting barriers in the way of her young constituents. Karin Smyth wrote an article for the left-leaning Fabian Society after taking part in a debate at the Oxford Union in November, when she spoke in favour of the motion: “Private schools are a public disaster”. Her argument was centred on the statistic of which her Bristol South constituency can be least proud: it sends fewer than 20 per cent of its young people to university, less than anywhere else in the country. “This is a shameful situation, and one I am committed to reversing,” Ms Smyth wrote. “It is also, in large part at least, a

January 2019

problem caused by the multiple private schools in and around Bristol; they damage state provision, and by dint of their very existence erect barriers that kids in South Bristol struggle to overcome.” Ms Smyth called for a debate on the issue, saying the seven per cent of Britons who are privately-educated have too much influence. “Seventy five per cent of top judges, 45 per cent of Conservative MPs, one third of

‘By dint of their very existence they erect barriers for kids in South Bristol’ FTSE 100 CEOs, more than 50 per cent of leading journalists and more than half of British Oscar winners attended private schools. This imbalance is really unsettling,” she wrote. She suggested that options should include “taxing [private schools] fairly and looking [at] quotas for state school students in those universities or employment sectors where private school students are most dominant.” Bristol’s state schools have improved their performance in the last 15 years. In the past, it was common to hear middleclass parents in South Bristol talking about private secondary schools as “the only option”. That view is heard less often now. Yet Bristol still has 16 private schools – a higher proportion than most cities.

Plan for BS3 clean air group Karin Smyth

Isabel Tobias, head of Redmaids high school in Westbury-on-Trym, denied the MP’s claims. “Ms Smyth’s opinions of the independent sector are somewhat outdated and misguided,” she wrote in a letter to parents. She said Redmaids offers a number of paid places to state pupils, and denied that private schools are exclusively for the rich, saying Redmaids has parents from all backgrounds. Ms Smyth was unrepentant. She told the Voice: “My focus as an MP has always been early years and post-16 education, which is where you can help people the most – it’s why I organise my apprenticeships fairs and continue to push parliament on investment into local schools, colleges and training. “Anything which highlights the shocking decline in funding to schools is a good thing and I’m pleased that so many people are talking about this now. The majority of people in Bristol South do not benefit from the hidden networks available to those who can afford a private school education, networks which set them up for life. “The 93 per cent who rely on underfunded state schools do not have that privilege. A couple of token scholarships to private school for people who cannot afford it does not address this inherent inequality.” Karin Smyth’s article: fabians.org.uk/for-theprivileged-few

Full Service

CLEANING

SETTING up a Clean Air group for Bedminster will begin in the new year after a series of meetings at which residents heard that air quality in parts of the area is dangerously bad. Action Greater Bedminster heard from Mark Leach, who leads the council’s Clean Air planning group, that Bedminster has several pockets of persistently illegal levels of polluted air, including Parson Street and Bedminster Parade. The cause is mainly traffic pollution – of which the largest portion is caused by diesel cars – but woodburning stoves and open fires also contribute. The results include increased asthma and bronchial problems, plus heart disease and strokes, impaired cognitive development in children – and possibly increased chance of dementia. The council is expected to consult the public in the new year on introducing Clean Air Zones which drivers of high-pollution

vehicles could be charged to enter. Two zones are being considered – a small zone covering the city centre, which would end at the River Avon, and a medium-sized zone which would include Bedminster but not Windmill Hill. The city of Bath is split on news that a congestion charge there might cost drivers of pre-2016 diesel and pre-2005 petrol cars £9 a day. There is no indication what charges, if any, would be imposed in Bristol – but a debate on the city’s Clean Air plan is overdue, and the council will not say why. The council had previously said it was obliged by a Whitehall directive to come up with a Clean Air plan by December 31, 2018. It hasn’t told the Voice why that is not happening, despite being given weeks to answer. In December councillors voted in a Lib Dem motion to introduce no-idling zones, forcing drivers to switch off their

Extra buses may be repeated AN EXTRA 20 buses laid on during December on the four most congested routes in Bristol – the 1, 2, 75 and 76 – may be retained if the experiment is judged a success. First Bus’s Bristol boss James Freeman wants eventually to add 150 buses, doubling frequencies on some routes to every 10 minutes. But Bristol’s chronic traffic jams mean the plan is not viable yet, he told Bristol Live. Bristol South MP Karin Smyth

has told the House of Commons Transport Committee that Bristol should be able to set bus routes, timetables and fares, as in London. “This would mean buses run for passengers, not profit,” she said. Metro mayor Tim Bowles, who would be in line to have the new powers, has not said if he backs the idea. City mayor Marvin Rees wants to double bus usage and is working with First to give buses priority at more junctions.

engines outside locations such as schools. Four pilot zones are planned in 2019. Email greaterbedminster@ gmail.com if you want to find out about the Clean Air campaign for Bedminster – and also about curbing plastic use and waste. • Climate Change focus: 8-9

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THE M1 service is claimed to be carbon-neutral. That is, it doesn’t put any more carbon into the atmosphere, causing global warming. That’s because BCT’s 21-bus fleet is powered by biogas. The methane gas is produced from food and animal waste. Cow dung, for example, is derived from the grass the cows eat, so comes at no extra carbon cost to the planet. Jimmy Sommerville, operations

manager at BCT, said: “The M1 is a real opportunity to serve the community and to provide a genuine alternative to the car. “We’re also proud to be operating the service with a fleet of biogas buses, doing our part to tackle climate change.” BCT is a charity which runs community buses, dial-a-ride and four regular bus routes in Bristol. Parent group HCT runs services all over the country.

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these spaces more appealing and tailor them to fit the needs of today’s citizens. “We want people to come to these events with suggestions – small ideas that could be started quickly, as well as bigger ideas which will make a significant difference to how a library service is provided. “This is not about saving money, it is about the community finding sustainable solutions and working with us to deliver them.” A spokesperson for the new Bristol Libraries Forum, which aims to represent library users in all parts of Bristol, called on the council to present an “inspirational” vision for the future of libraries across Bristol. “Without this city-wide direction, the engagement promises to be an ad hoc series of meetings with little prospect of generating an adequate longterm model for a sustainable

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At risk? Marksbury Road library

library service,” the group said. Community group Action Greater Bedminster hopes to help create a Friends of Bedminster Library group, which would be part of the Forum. To find out more, email greaterbedminster@gmail.com or BristolLibrariesForum@gmail.com. Marksbury Road library looks particularly at risk, with low use and opening only three days a week. Sarah Murch, chair of the library’s Friends group, has previously told the Voice that the Friends want a fully councilfunded service to continue. Two years ago, the council proposed closing 17 of the city’s 27 libraries to save £1.4 million. Bedminster library and probably Knowle would have been safe. But Marksbury Road, Wick Road, Bishopsworth, Whitchurch, Filwood and Stockwood were all at risk under most options. After three petitions totalling 13,000 signatures, the closures were eventually halted in 2018. Funding to keep all 27 libraries open is only guaranteed until the end of the financial year in April 2019. Despite the mayor’s assertion that the exercise “is not about saving money”, the council would not say if the consultation might lead to closures, or if the library budget might be cut after April.

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CONFUSION surrounds the future of South Bristol’s libraries after the council declined to explain what might be the results of a new consultation exercise. Meetings have been announced for the new year where residents can discuss their local libraries and changes they would like to see. In South Bristol, two meetings will be held at the Park Centre in Daventry Road, Knowle, on Tuesday February 26

and Saturday March 2, both from 10am-12noon, to talk about Bedminster, Wick Road, Knowle, Filwood, Stockwood and Marksbury Road libraries. The aim seems to be to attract community groups to find new uses for libraries and perhaps volunteers to help run them. But it is unclear whether some libraries might be at risk if they don’t attract this extra support. Mayor Marvin Rees said: “We have kept libraries open while we look at finding long-term solutions to the service and to community hubs. We want to use this opportunity to explore how we can work with people to make

longer journeys – though people making short trips can pay more. All-day tickets covering all First services are £4. Tickets must be bought in advance – using the First app, or the iPoint machines at every stop. They can also be bought online at buytickets.travelwest.info or at PayZone or Paypoint stores. The M2 Metrobus, which started journeys from Long Ashton Park & Ride to Broadmead in September, uses a guided busway on a flyover to speed over Winterstoke Road and cross the river on a dedicated bridge at Ashton Avenue. The M1 has no guided busway, using ordinary bus lanes. But it will still cut journey times, by a claimed 15 minutes from Bedminster to UWE at Frenchay. metrobusbristol.co.uk/m1/

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Public are asked to help run libraries – but what will happen if they don’t?

BEDMINSTER will get its first Metrobus service through the shopping area of East Street on January 6, when the M1, the last of the three rapid-transit routes, begins taking passengers. Fares along the route, which starts at South Bristol hospital in Hengrove and runs all the way through the city centre to Cribbs Causeway, will be £2. It will be run seven days a week by Bristol Community Transport (BCT), from its depot in Parson Street, Bedminster, under contract to First. BCT has created 60 jobs for drivers and support staff and has invested £7 million in 21 biogas buses, which are almost pollutionfree. All Metrobus routes will run on biogas within two years. Flat fares now cover the whole city, benefiting those making

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£70 a week under the old ESA system. If they move on to UC, they get this sum temporarily protected for the next year or so. But new claimants won’t get the severe disability premium at all. “Self-employed people aren’t really catered for by UC. If they earn less than the equivalent of full-time minimum wage from self-employment, they won’t be entitled to any UC support unless they prove that they are seeking additional employment,” said a spokesperson for the MP. “This particularly impacts working mums, self-employed so their work fits in around childcare commitments.”

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Claimants being forced to use food banks, says MP with severe mental health issues, saw their UC reduced to £5 for a month after a “sanction” by the Department for Work and Pensions. Sanctions can be imposed when claimants fail to keep appointments or apply for jobs. The claimant was left without money – and had to go to a food bank. Another claimant received some back pay from a previous job. But this took them over a strict monthly limit for UC – meaning they lost at least £198. The MP has seen many other problems with the UC system. Some severely-disabled claimants were getting an extra premium of

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n NEWS struggling with poor health and care duties. The Government has simply failed to ensure people can get by on this new, supposedly simpler benefit.” Ms Smyth shared with the Voice some cases of constituents who have come to her for help. One disabled claimant, who is unable to work, was rejected for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) under the old system. Later, the claimant won an appeal that they were entitled to ESA. But the ESA payment can’t be added to Universal Credit (UC) – and they are now £330 a month worse off. Another disabled claimant

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n NEWS THE ROLLOUT of Universal Credit to benefit claimants in South Bristol is causing increasing hardship, according to the area’s MP. Karin Smyth says she has seen “a notable increase” in the number of constituents seeking help since families in Bristol South started to claim the benefit this summer. “Universal Credit has been plagued with issues since its implementation and we’re starting to see it having a real impact on families in Bristol South,” the Labour MP said. “There are lots of elements which leave people worse off – particularly people already

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Map of part of Begbrook the new Metrobus M1 route, the last and longest of the three rapidtransit routes so far. The first route, the M3 to Emersons Green, which started in May, has been so popular that it now runs seven days a week. The M1 will run a sevenday service from the start. The M2, from Long Ashton to Broadmead, runs MondaySaturday.

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January 2019

southbristolvoice

n NEWS Bristol has become the first city in the UK to vote to become carbon-neutral by 2030. Alex Morss meets a group who are trying to make this ambitious target a reality SCIENTISTS tell us that Bristol – and the rest of the world – will see permanent effects from climate change by 2030. That’s the date by which Bristol city council has now pledged to make the city carbon-neutral – meaning we no longer add any more carbon to the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. But what will we have to do to achieve this goal, and what does it mean? I met the new BS3 Climate Emergency Group, a bunch of residents who aim to find some of the answers. All four political parties, and

CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Climate activists plan local action to change the world mayor Marvin Rees, unanimously supported the 2030 proposal at a full council meeting on November 30, amid cheers from campaigners. The mayor appealed to Bristol to help him find ways to achieve it, warning it would be an incredibly challenging target. In response, Southville Green councillor Stephen Clarke helped set up the first meeting of the Bedminster residents’ group on December 10, at the Hen and Chicken pub on North Street. The group includes residents, environmental researcher Nikki

Jones and members of community groups Rising Up, Extinction Rebellion, Bedminster Energy Group, Action Greater Bedminster, One by One Bristol and Bristol Greenpeace. The latest International Panel on Climate Change report, compiled from the work of thousands of scientists, warned we only have 12 years left to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, if we are to save the world from catastrophic climate warming beyond 1.5C. Above this temperature rise, scientists warn we face

permanent world-changing impacts and mass deaths from floods, drought, extreme heat, poverty, loss of crop land, famine and the collapse of ecosystems that we depend upon. At the UN Climate Conference in Poland in December, 190 nations agreed ways to measure emissions and track progress – but three decades of such agreements have so far brought no decline in carbon pollution. Campaigners believe faster action is needed. On December 15, more than 100 Extinction Rebellion activists

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n NEWS

CLIMATE EMERGENCY

SO WHAT IS THE COUNCIL DOING?

IDEAS FROM BS3 TO HELP SAVE BRISTOL FROM DISASTER • A Citizens’ Climate Assembly; • A city Climate Tzar; • Banning non-essential private cars in the city; • Funding to help people make energy-saving choices; • Carbon reduction in every council decision; • Make all council vehicles electric; • More electric car power points.

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Bristol has declared a climate emergency! Can you help us act?

January 2019

New ideas: Ellie Freeman, Lisa Stone and Mary Rose Clarke come up with PHOTO: Alex Morss carbon-reducing suggestions at the BS3 meeting lay down in Cabot Circus shopping centre in a mock “die-in” to symbolise the danger. Later, five activists were arrested after climate symbols were sprayed on the Bristol offices of the Environment Agency. Nikki Jones warned the Bedminster meeting: “We have a finite window of time to act, otherwise we are eyeballing our own extinction. The next five years are critical. Bristol must peak our carbon use at 2020 and then drop rapidly. The UK and Bristol need to cut by 10 per cent per year. “Dangerous climate change is already coming – the question now is can we avoid catastrophic change above 1.5C? We waste so much carbon at present that these changes do not have to send us back to the Stone Age. “In Bristol, there is a big risk inland of heavier rain combined with more floods, because we are at the bottom of a whole confluence of rivers. “There will be extreme weather whatever we do now. Hot spells will last longer, water shortages are very likely, sooner than 2030. This will creep into our major food producing areas.” Bedminster resident Mary Rose Clarke said it was easy to become overwhelmed by the scale of the problem. “We have to move away from business as usual, to a climate emergency – significant and collective action

to prevent extinction.” Psychotherapist Tarisha Finnegan-Clarke said: “I have worked in mental health for a long time and noticed growing distress in people over climate change. There is not a fit between how people want the world, and how they see the world running in the opposite direction.” Ellie Freeman, who chairs the Action Greater Bedminster community group, agreed: “As a mother, I worry about what my kids’ future is going to look like.” Lisa Stone, a Greenpeace member, said: “I’d like to see system change. On a practical level, one thing I’d like is funding to be spent on creating an urban forest in Bristol.’’ Several people at the meeting said they had started getting involved in action – taking to the streets, door-knocking, staging road blocks, talks and more. One 70-year-old Bristolian, Fi Radford, said that (like Cllr Clarke) she’d been lying on London’s Lambeth Bridge during the Extinction Rebellion protests that closed central London in November. “The older you are, the more you should put yourself up for that kind of direct action, whereas young people still have to think about their jobs.” She added: “But now Bristol’s mayor has asked us for help. We’ve got to give it to him.” Cllr Stephen Clarke said

KYE DUDD, cabinet member for energy, waste and regulatory services, told the Voice: “We have already been taking a lead on our [previous] ambitious target of being carbon neutral by 2050, having decreased the council’s emissions by 72 per cent, and as a city we are on track to reduce our emissions by 40 per cent by 2020. “Much research has already been undertaken to produce statistical studies of emissions in the region. While we see a need for further research we are

determined to press ahead with delivering action to combat CO2 emissions and make strides towards our carbon neutral goal. “This includes developing initiatives such as a City Energy Investment Programme and the Bristol Transport Plan. “However, the council cannot make the city carbon neutral acting alone– we need the Government to step up with support and businesses to be responsible to achieve any targets we make.” The council has asked Bristol Green Capital Partnership to bring different partners together to start making plans in the new year.

afterwards: ‘‘There was a great passion and knowledge in the meeting. I personally found it inspiring and learnt a lot. If we are going to reach this challenging carbon target, politicians need to really listen to local groups such as this.” The BS3 Climate Emergency Group plans to meet regularly and take

their best ideas to the mayor (see panel). Cllr Clarke has asked Mr Rees to report back with an action list by May 2019. “We know that 2030 is a big commitment for the city and to meet this target an awareness of carbon emissions will have to factor in every decision the council takes,” he said.

VOICE OPINION THE VOICE doesn’t take a stand on many issues, but this one is too important. Climate change is happening, and the need to take action is urgent. The scientific evidence is overwhelming: 97 per cent of actively publishing climate

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n NEWS

BEDMINSTER GREEN

Revealed: Plans that breach developers’ Continued from Page 1 at its heart”. Though many residents are opposed to the plans, many traders in Bedminster believe thousands of new residents could save the ailing shopping area of East Street. Ellie Freeman, chair of AGB, told the Voice: “We want to make sure that this works for us, that it creates a community, that there isn’t any sense of ghettoisation. “I feel quite positive about the Framework if we can encourage the developers to stick to it. “We really want to encourage residents to engage, to respond in whatever way they feel right, because that’s the only way they can make any difference.” Cllr Nicola Beech, cabinet member for city design, is anxious for as many people as possible to comment on the Framework. It sets guidelines to help shape proposals from the four developers, and “create a high quality urban quarter and a balanced community”. The Framework aims to show

Student blocks and flats in up to 15 storeys A DEVELOPER which says it aims for “profit with a social purpose” is proposing five blocks of up to 15 storeys on Malago Road, containing 573 student rooms – plus another building containing 64 homes. The plan by A2 Dominion, which manages 750 rental homes

“how a range of new homes and space for community uses, enterprise and health can be provided” and how it can “support the regeneration of East Street”. If the council adopts it as a planning document, it can be used to help refuse plans which fall short of its standards, Cllr Beech told the Voice. She hopes it can be agreed in time to be presented to the council’s cabinet in March – though some developers are itching to proceed. One, Firmstone made a planning

application for a 22-storey tower and a cinema at St Catherine’s Place before the Framework was even published. That plan has drawn 210 objections, and four statements in favour. Two others, Dandara and A2 Dominion, had said they wanted to make applications in December. A fourth developer, Deeley Freed, which wants to build on the NCP car park at Dalby Avenue, has not revealed any proposals yet. Cllr Beech said she had had “very open conversations” with

everyone involved. “My priority is to have acceptable schemes by local consent,” she said. She did not hide her astonishment that Firmstone had already submitted its plan – though it will not be considered until the council has debated the Framework. “I’m not going to be distracted by any speculative applications that are being put in,” she said. Two of the proposals already seem to breach the Framework. Developer A2 Dominion wants to build one block of 15 storeys, and three of 11 storeys, on the former Pring & St Hill factory site on Malago Road. Yet the Framework – drawn up by Nash Partnership, and to which all the developers are signed up – shows the Pring plot as “Mid-High – between 6-9 floors.” The Firmstone plan at St Catherine’s Place has a 13-storey portion in an area that also seems to be zoned for 6-9 floors. The Framework says mid-high blocks can have “additional floors where set back from streets, for

in Bristol and many more in London, is much taller than the previous plan for the same site by Bedminster developer Rollo Homes. Rollo waited almost two years for a decision on its planning application for 215 flats on the plot, which used to be the Pring & St Hill steel factory, before giving up and selling its interest. The Rollo plan was reduced from 10 storeys to a maximum of nine but still attracted around 500 objections to the council (though some may be updates from the

same objectors). The A2 Dominion drawings show a building of up to 15 storeys next to Hereford Street, to have 35 flats for affordable rent and 29 for shared ownership. Next to them are three 11-storey towers linked by two eight-floor gable-fronted blocks, forming the student homes. A2 Dominion showed the plans at a consultation event at the Steam Crane pub on December 5. Windmill Hill resident Robert Edwards gave his verdict to the Voice after seeing the exhibition:

“Too many students in too small a space. The buildings are too high, and there’s not going to be enough social housing.” The bulk and design would fit in with Bristol city centre, but not with Bedminster,” said Mr Edwards, of Cotswold Road North. The developer says the design “builds on an analysis of local industrial vernacular.” The taller, brick framed buildings reflect elements of Bedminster’s Victorian warehouses. tinyurl.com/A2DominionMalago

The Framework height guide. Yellow is 2-5 floors, orange 6-9 floors, red 10 floors; a star is 10 floors+. The numbers – placed by the Voice – show the actual heights proposed. Other plots have no plans yet.

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n NEWS

own guidelines Block plan: An artist’s view by Firmstone of the towers seen from Bedminster station

elements above to create a varied roofline, and/or step up towards framing the Green.” Firmstone pointed to this clause as the reason for the height of its building. Director Francis Firmstone said: “We have worked closely with Nash Partnership to ensure our scheme is consistent with [the] overarching objectives of the Framework. The narrative for ‘mid-high’ allows for some additional height, to create a varied roofline. The proposals for St Catherine’s Place include a stepped design, whereby the height varies, increasing towards the taller element.” The A2 Dominion plan, however, presents 15 storeys at one end and is mainly 11 storeys across its width. In response to the Voice’s query, Simon Potts, director of strategic land planning and projects at A2 Dominion, said: “We have had a public consultation and we will be using the feedback we received to inform our new plans, which we will submit in mid-January.” The Voice pointed out to the firm that this dodges the question about proposing buildings higher than the Framework allows. It also implies that A2 Dominion will be making a planning application before it has assessed feedback from the Framework consultation. We received no response. Also zoned as mid-high is part of the area between Stafford Street and Little Paradise Street, to be developed by Dandara to a maximum of 10 storeys – within the spirit of the Framework. Its 17-storey tower is also within the Framework’s height range. Nick Townsend of WHaM was scathing about the student blocks by A2 Dominion. Windmill Hill residents “are going to be presented with a wall of glass in front of us,” he said.

‘Bristol marches back to the 60s’ Former mayor George Ferguson believes the drive for tall buildings is a return to the bad old days

W Mr Townsend also questioned the disruption likely to be caused when hundreds of parents try to drop their student offspring off at the beginning of term. The site would have disabled parking only, with two drop-off zones. A2 Dominion told the Voice it would issue parents with time slots to arrive in their cars. The same system works well elsewhere, the firm said. Many Windmill Hill and Bedminster residents are angry that their objections to high-rises were not properly reflected in the council’s new Urban Living policy, which covers tall buildings. But Cllr Beech said the new policy gives more protection because it demands high design standards. A plan for a 12-storey block at Redcliffe has been thrown out, on planners’ advice, she said [see panel, right]. “It’s not a manifesto on height,” she said. “It’s a design guide.” The aim is to have incremental increases in height across the whole city. “It’s not to do with huge towers – it’s about how we address our need for affordable housing,” she said. Bristol has a target of finding 33,000 new homes by 2036 – about 19,000 of them affordable. The Framework stresses the importance of good design and “active frontages” at street level. It also seeks to provide safe and easy routes to East Street to link the new community to the old. Mel Clinton of architects Nash Partnership, who is managing the Framework consultation, said that tall buildings do not have to be concrete blocks surrounded by grass – with good design, in cities such as Vancouver, they can create good communities. Comments on the Framework can be made until January 13 at tinyurl.com/BedsFramework

HEN I arrived in Bristol in 1965, the city council was building high blocks of flats in Kingsdown, Easton, Bedminster and in the new council suburbs, that few politicians would deign to live in. It was a deeply patronising attitude and, as a young city councillor in the 70s, most of the ward problems that I encountered were with these blocks – an invaluable addition to my seven years of architectural education! We are still plagued by these post-war monsters, looming over the popular Victorian and Edwardian streets that make Bristol what it is. Over the past three decades or so we have mercifully turned our backs on this crass form of development that has confused high-rise with high density. We need high density in the city to house all those who need to be housed – and I am as one with Cllr Paul Smith, who is building on the start we made with the first council housing to be built in this city for over 30 years, with the formation of a housing company, and encouraging the delivery of a greater proportion of affordable housing in new developments. The danger lies with the current mayor’s simplistic assertion that we should build high – a sad misunderstanding of what makes good community and a good city. The best European

BEDMINSTER GREEN George Ferguson: ‘High-rise buildings should be a rare exception’

cities have high densities, but they are achieved with good streets of three, four, five and maybe six stories – not with blocks of eight storeys or more! The new development on Wapping Wharf is an excellent example of such traditional planning at a scale that is appropriate to Bristol. It produces good community around intimate streets and spaces. When we entered an agreement with a local developer to produce a masterplan for Bedminster Green it was with this scale of development in mind. Unfortunately, more recent signals coming from City Hall have encouraged developers towards a megalomaniac approach that is alien to the area and to our ‘city of urban villages’. I am delighted to see that the agreement I entered with Kevin McCloud’s HAB and United Communities in Southmead is producing the exemplary streetbased scheme that we sought. High-rise buildings should be a rare exception, but sadly this retrogressive mayoral policy, that seems to learn nothing from the disaster that was 60s planning, is in grave danger of making them the rule. It was my intention to work with WHaM & BS3 Planning, who have the local knowledge and professional skills that should be valued, not snubbed. George Ferguson Twitter: People & Cities

TOWER PLAN FALLS

Street, 150 metres from the Grade I-listed church of St Mary Redcliffe. N A MOVE that may bring hope Committee members agreed to those opposed to high-rise with council officers that the buildings in South Bristol, building was so big and so close to councillors have rejected a existing flats that 12-storey block in residents would not get nearby Redcliffe. enough daylight. The 196-home plan Council cabinet is smaller than many of housing chief Paul the towers proposed for Smith, who is also Bedminster Green but councillor for Central was branded a Axed: Redcliffe plan ward, which includes “monstrosity” and Redcliffe, backed the rejected by six votes to scheme. Cllr Smith three at a development control accused council officials of writing committee on November 28. a report biased against the plan. Developer Urban Tranquillity • Report by Amanda Cameron, had wanted to build at the corner Local Democracy Reporter of Somerset Street and Prewett

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

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n FEATURES January’s annual Slapstick Festival is largely organised by a stalwart team of South Bristol folk. They tell Voice readers exclusively of their favourite mishaps in 15 years of comic adventure Bristol’s Slapstick Festival of silent and classic screen comedy presents its 15th annual edition from January 16 to 20, offering more than 30 laugh-out-loud events and a celebrity guest list which includes all three of The Goodies, Richard Herring, an exclusive reunion of Little and Large, Dad’s Army veteran Frank Williams, Jimmy ‘and there’s more’ Cricket, Sally Phillips, Lucy Porter and Tim Vine.

HE FESTIVAL’S founder and director is Chris Daniels, of Somerset Road, Knowle. We put it to him: “Presumably a festival featuring so many pratfalls, custard pies, comedy chases and banana skins hasn’t escaped some slapstick moments of its own?” Here are his confessions. “In the festival’s very early days I was meeting a musician due to play live to a silent film. I greeted him at the station saying “I’ve put the back seat down in the car. Where’s your keyboard?” to which he replied: “I think the question is ‘Where’s the piano you’re hiring for me?’” It was a useful lesson. This year we’ll be welcoming pianists, a harpist, a four-piece band and the Bristol Ensemble, and I guarantee we’ll know exactly which instruments are needed where and when! “We’ve always been incredibly lucky at wooing big name comedians to host our annual gala (moving this year to Sunday February 10 and to the Hippodrome, with Marcus Brigstocke as MC). We were delighted when Dara O’Briain agreed to do it. Then

January 2019

SLAPSTICK FESTIVAL

Barry Cryer: National treasure and expert aimer of custard pies Alice Howell: One of the few female stars of the 1920s silent comedies, recalled for Slapstick on January 17 by Lucy Porter, left

WIN TICKETS TO SEE LITTLE & LARGE – REUNITED ON STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES! Page 5

A festival of banana skins and comedy pratfalls – what could possibly go wrong? Well, since you ask ... disaster – his filming schedule for Comic Relief shifted at the last minute and he had to withdraw. Amazingly, the beloved Victoria Wood volunteered to step in, prompting Dara to tweet “I see you’ve substituted upwards”. “Slipknot/Slapstick? It’s easy to see how the two can get confused – if you don’t know that one is a low budget Bristol festival and the other is a mighty US heavy metal band. And that’s why we once received a consignment of huge Slipknot posters while Slapstick’s more modest order went to Newcastle! It all turned out OK in the end

though, as the ad agency responsible retrieved our order AND gave us a prime billboard site at the London end of the M4 – the kind of exposure it’s unlikely we’ll ever be able to afford. “Screening old films can be tricky and we’re blessed with a brilliant team of technicians. But even their know-how was put to the test when we discovered we’d been sent the wrong lens, just as more than 1,500 people were arriving to watch Charlie Chaplin’s 1931 film City Lights. But, to the team’s credit, they devised a solution and the screening went ahead after only a short delay.

The Goodies: Reunited on January 19. Right, festival director Chris Daniels “Every year, we make big efforts to attract new audiences but our publicist, another South Bristol member of the team, Pam Beddard, went beyond the call of duty after she tumbled, badly breaking her wrist, while on her way to meet a BBC Points West crew, then used the four hours or so she spent in A&E at the BRI handing out brochures and persuading staff to come along to find out how comedians like Buster Keaton perform perfect falls! As further encouragement, we’re making a special offer this year to NHS staff on three of our shows at Bristol Old Vic, with details available via UBHT and North Bristol NHS Trust internal bulletins. “It wasn’t a boob, as such, but very funny, when national treasure Barry Cryer interrupted the tribute Lee Mack was paying to his favourite silent comedy clowns, Laurel and Hardy, to splat Lee in the face with a custard pie.” Slapstick 2019 opens on Wednesday January 16 and continues until Sunday 20. Two extra events – an afternoon show for children with CBeebies star Andy Day, and a Silent Comedy Gala, hosted by Marcus Brigstocke – take place at the Hippodrome on Sunday February 10. For details and bookings, look out for the free brochure or see slapstick.org.uk

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January 2019

southbristolvoice

n NEW YEAR, NEW EXPERIENCES

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n NEW YEAR, NEW EXPERIENCES Bristol Nail and Beauty Training School

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n NEWS Wassail with us Ade is judged DO YOU know what a wassail the UK’s top is? It’s the traditional ancient ceremony held in apple orchards to ask the gods for a good harvest pharmacist – and the Patchwork Community Gardening Group are holding one in Bedminster. It’s at the Myrtle Street orchard, behind Tesco on North Street, on Saturday January 26 from 2-4pm. The Patchwork group revives neglected pieces of land and makes them into community gardens. More information from bemmiepatchwork@gmail.com

Advert protest A PLAN for an LED advertising smart screen which would change image every 10 seconds has drawn 11 objections from the public, claiming it will distract drivers. Applicant Maxx Media says the 6.3m by 3.1m screen should be approved because it replaces an existing screen. However, there is no record of the current screen having planning permission.

ADE WILLIAMS, owner of Bedminster Pharmacy, has added yet another award to his store’s bulging trophy cabinet after being crowned Pharmacist of the Year. The award by The Pharmacist magazine is the 22nd national prize the Cannon Street practice has won in the last three years, and the fourth this year. No other independent pharmacy in the UK has won as many awards. Mr Williams was praised for constantly thinking of new ways to reach patients who might not know they need help, such as a “Pulse in the Pub” drive to take people’s blood pressure. The store runs an annual men’s health campaign called Bemmy Challenge, created a #timetotalk initiative to talk about mental health, and has a weight management service. Ade is always trying to reach

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Ade receives his award from TV comedian and actor Sally Phillips out to the community, including through his Voice column, to advise people how they can take pressure off the NHS and stay healthy, for example by taking the flu vaccine. A well-know figure locally, Ade has been invited to be one of the Community Faces for the Winter Lantern Parade on January 19, and frequently welcomes Bristol South MP Karin Smyth, Bristol’s Lord Mayor, and national figures such as shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth to the store to talk about public health. Ade said of his new award: “It is all testament to the exceptional care provided by the team.”

THE STORY of Parson Street station is the subject of the first January meeting of the Memories of Bedminster group on Monday January 7. Artist Alan May will also talk about a new community project to spruce up the station and record people’s memories of its history. On January 14 members will see Part 2 of the Bedminster DVD made by an acclaimed South Bristol historian, the late Anton Bantock. Elizabeth Rhodes will talk about the early history of the Merchant Venturers on January 21, from the founding of the society in 1500 to 1800. On January 28, Bob Giles brings a selection of slides of Old Bristol. The Memories of Bedminster Group meets every Monday in the South Bristol Christian Centre, Churchlands Road, off West Street, starting at 1.30pm.

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

January 2019

southbristolvoice

n NEWS Entertainment and sport hub, plus homes too

ASHTON GATE PHASE II

January 2019

southbristolvoice

n NEWS

ASHTON GATE PHASE II ... AND WHAT ABOUT THE VALE?

Continued from Page 3 groups alike. Philip Clark, a Bower Ashton resident visiting the consultation event, praised the stadium Phase II as “brilliant” – but slammed the public sector’s transport planning as “not joined up.” “They put the Metrobus stop miles away,” he said. “It should have been thought through.” Mr Clark is pleased with the 24-hour resident parking scheme in Bower Ashton – something some residents nearer the stadium would like to see. But he admitted that its introduction had split residents in Bower Ashton and some are still not talking to each other, five years after permits were introduced. For the stadium, Mr Griffiths said the biggest issue residents had brought to him was calls for

Cumberland Village: An early vision of the 500-homes envisaged for the Ashton Vale site to the north of the Metrobus route. It’s where Bristol Sport wanted to build its new stadium until the plans got bogged down

High Flyers: The new stadium would be home to the Bristol Flyers basketball team. Basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK. The Flyers sell out their games at the temporary home in Stoke Gifford

more enforcement against dangerous parking on matchdays. This is something the stadium can’t do, he said – it’s down to the council and the police. So far Ashton Gate has not been willing to fund a match day parking scheme, which could

transport improvements. “It’s obviously logical, but I don’t underestimate the difficulty involved,” he said. The Metrobus stop is simply in the wrong place, he said. “At Paxton Drive, you don’t know it’s there, and it’s not lit, when it could be right in the middle of

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lead to resident permits. But it has paid for special supporter bus routes, five for City football games and four for Bears rugby matches. The stadium has also built a cycle stand for bike-sharing service YoBike, and urges supporters via its websites to use

public transport. It also works with Highways England to use electronic motorway signs to point fans towards park and ride services. Mr Griffiths was diplomatic about the difficulties of persuading the council, Metrobus and Network Rail to back the

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residential and employment areas. We will keep pressing to get that done.” He believes the £100m plan could also kickstart investment in the Ashton Vale Road industrial estate, which is underused. The stadium also wants to invest in the road network,

redesigning Winterstoke Road from the flyover to the Sainsbury’s roundabout. “Our consultants think the current layout is very inefficient, and with some design work, it can be made to move a lot more freely,” he said. ashtongatestadium.co.uk/ development

NO, NOT Ashton Vale, but The Vale. It’s a name we may have to get used to – it refers to plans by housebuilder Taylor Wimpey to build up to 4,500 new homes in three villages next to Bristol. Lying mainly between the A38, the A370 and the South Bristol Link Road, the villages would be similar in size to Backwell, Congresbury and Winford. They could also provide 4,000 jobs in up to one million square feet of new business space, as part of a new enterprise and employment hub, says the firm. “There is a real lack of new, high quality business premises in parts of North Somerset and South Bristol. We have had feedback from local businesses that this is a real priority for them,” said Taylor Wimpey project director Gareth Hawke. North Somerset has rejected The Vale idea. But it will be tested by a planning inspector in 2019. thevale-northsomerset.co.uk

Let’s make walking easier WHICH are the key walking routes in Bedminster and how do we make them as safe, easy and pleasant as possible for everyone? That’s the question being posed by the Let’s Walk Bedminster group, which is backing a council drive to identify a city-wide walking network. Volunteers are working out the most important routes for walking – to shopping streets, the river crossings and railways, for example. Some Bedminster roads

already have Street Wardens who watch out for obstructions, such as out-of-place bins, which are a hazard to people with buggies or wheelchairs. Problems like parked cars and overhanging trees will also be tackled, as well as the need for new crossings. The group is working with Action Greater Bedminster as well as the retailers’ Town Team. To find out more, email greaterbedminster@gmail.com

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January 2019

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SEASON’S FROM Please keep letters as short asGREETINGS possible, Write to paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk LETTERS and provide your postal address. or to 18 Lilymead Avenue, BS4 2BX

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January 2019

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ERALD Gannaway’s letter in the last South Bristol Voice (“Don’t blame the motorist”) displays a remarkable level of ignorance as to the causes of different types of air pollution. While there is some transboundary air pollution (ie between countries), this has almost no effect on local air pollution. Historically, manufacturing industry and coal fires in urban areas were the causes, but this is now thankfully a thing of the past and certainly in Bristol there is little industry which causes significant air pollution. By far the largest contributor is the burning of fossil fuels (petrol, diesel) in motor vehicles, of which cars are by far the most numerous. To make matters worse the air pollution caused by motor vehicles is very damaging to human health, in particular nitrogen dioxide,

sulphur oxides and particulate matter. Nitrogen dioxide alone is estimated to cause more than 20,000 premature deaths in the UK per year, including an estimated 300 in Bristol.* This is a staggering impact on human lives, and the sad fact is that the vast majority of this pollution is generated locally by motorists. Gerald is right in one sense: we do indeed need to take global action to tackle climate change. But this has very little to do with day-to-day air quality in Bristol. If he would like cleaner air in Bristol the only way this will be achieved will be by removing the main cause, which means reducing the number of cars on our roads and replacing them with cleaner transport choices, especially walking and cycling. Owen White William Street, Totterdown * tinyurl.com/BrisAirReport • AIR POLLUTION is certainly caused in part by motor vehicle emissions. There is no doubt about that. Diesel vehicles

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

especially spew out toxic pollution, which is often invisible and harmful to children’s lungs and to vulnerable elderly people. And drivers shouldn’t think they are safe in their cars – studies have shown that drivers are exposed to high levels of toxic vehicle fumes as well! This is why South Bristol will benefit from measures to curb air pollution at source. Make the polluting drivers pay for it – they caused it, after all! Cycling and walking are zero pollution, so we should do everything we can to encourage this. The city centre is easily within safe cycling distance now we have the new cycle route through Victoria Park and Whitehouse Street. Buses emit pollution, but because they carry so many people the total per passenger is far less than petrol or diesel cars. So yes, we do need to restrict polluting vehicles and encourage healthy, zero pollution travel. It’s great to see that South Bristol is getting a reputation for this! Address supplied, Knowle

Parking: don’t leave out Vale I AM VERY concerned that residents of Ashton Vale might not realize that the current parking survey includes them, as it doesn’t state Ashton Vale. Ashton Vale is a different area from Ashton. If you go on the survey Ashton Vale is included. There is also no mention that Ashton Vale is having problems regarding parking on match days, and that the No 24 bus is unable to get in and out of Ashton Vale when cars are parked badly. This has been going on for at least two years but unfortunately Ashton Vale seems to be a forgotten area. This is making older people even more lonely as they won’t go out on match days or have visitors visit them. Yet the mayor, BOPF, BAB etc. are supposed to be making older people less lonely. Chris, full name supplied Ashton Vale (not Ashton)

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

southbristolvoice

n TRAVEL

REASONS TO GO TO DUSSELDORF • More fashion houses than you can wave a fancy scarf at; • More bars than you can visit; • More Christmas markets than seems feasible; • First-rate shopping • Excellent, good-value hotels • Easy to walk around • Great public transport • Only an hour from Bristol

GETTING THERE

LYBMI flies to Dusseldorf six times a week from Bristol Airport. December was mostly sold out because of the lure of those Christmas markets, but you could have a weekend return in March for under £170 (at time of writing). Flybmi operates small, 49-seat Embraer RJ-135 and RJ-145 jets, with just two seats one side of the aisle and one the other. Everyone gets a free snack and drink and there’s a generous 23kg hold baggage included. It’s a cut above budget airlines.

Generous rooms at the Maritim

THE CARBON COST LYING is a big contributor to carbon emissions. You may ask why the Voice can print a feature on the global climate emergency, and then swan off for the weekend on a jet plane. I’m trying to balance the major contribution that Bristol Airport makes to our economy with the impact on the planet, so I used carbonfootprint.com to pay £12.90 to plant trees in South West England. This offsets one tonne of CO2, more than the 0.11 tonne of carbon emitted as my share of the flight. Paul Breeden

Josef Hinkel, city’s dynastic baker

Konigsallee, lined with fashion

The Engelchen, or Angel Market

Dusseldorf, a city of surprises Paul Breeden travelled to Dusseldorf and found far too much to occupy him for a mere weekend

’M GUESSING that, like me, most readers won’t have thought of Dusseldorf as a weekend destination. It’s not got the bohemian appeal of Berlin, the architecture or climate of Barcelona, or the cultural fame of other places within a short flight of Bristol such as Pisa or Paris. Well, think again. If you enjoy exploring a historic city, are a fan of visual arts or opera, or you just like shopping, “The Dorf” will have its appeal. From our oh-so-comfortable modern hotel at the airport it’s a 15-minute journey to the city centre where there is far more than a weekend’s worth of attractions to explore. In December the streets are packed for not one but seven Christmas markets. You’ll find Grimm fairytale characters and Santa at the Marchen-Markt, while the Handwerker Markt is full of artisans making wood carvings, glass, paintings and pewter. The variety of Christmas tree decorations must be a world record and displays of intricate lit-up house ornaments, figurines

WHERE TO STAY

STAYED at the Maritim, a giant but stylish 500-room hotel right next to the airport. That shouldn’t put you off: the rooms are absolutely soundproof. There are Classic, Comfort and Superior

January 2019

southbristolvoice

n THE MAYOR

Historic Aldstadt, or Old Town

January 2019

and fairy lights is dazzling, Mulled wine and pastries are on sale everywhere, along with endless street food stalls. Try the reibekuchen, a potato pancake with apple sauce, or a variety of wurst (sausage). Germans love Currywurst, but our German guide was unimpressed with the wurst at a stall we found near the Big Wheel: we got a much better, meatier wurst in an ordinary cafe the next day. The city is the birthplace of Krautrock pioneers Kraftwerk, one of Germany’s biggest musical exports, with hits such as Autobahn and The Model. There’s little visible sign of the band’s heritage, but there is an online guide to Dusseldorf’s significant pop places at nrw-tourismus.de/ soundofurbanana. Better promoted are the fine arts: there are 21 museums, from film to ceramics, but the most famous is the Kunstmuseum, with works by Dali, Warhol, Carravaggio and El Greco. Fashion’s biggest names are here too: the Konigsallee, or King Street, has every big name from Dior to Prada. If partying is your thing, the Bolkerstrasse area has 260 bars in half a sq km, more than anywhere else in the world. Local drinks include the Alter – literally, old-style beer, dark and with more flavour than Pils – and Killepitsch herb liqueur, a sweet and reviving concoction. Service in the crowded taverns can be famously rude: a

waitress bringing our soups got fed up asking who was having what, dumped the whole lot on the table, said, “I haven’t got time for this!” and stomped off. The food was superb, if served in killer portions: my pork knuckle fell off the bone, but was too much to eat. Green vegetables are not much in evidence, sauerkraut (flavoured cabbage) being preferred, but vegetarians will survive if they scrutinise menus. Something that may make Bristolians weep is the public transport. Residents of the Dorf have it all: a compact, walkable city centre, accessible by local trains (the S Bahn), underground (U Bahn), buses and trams. You can even drive into the city centre and park underground, out of sight. Even this relative ease of access isn’t enough. The city is thinking of encouraging more people out of their cars by making public transport free. There’s too much else to tempt you. The stunning architecture, from Frank Gehry’s undulating, reflective offices to stark glass blocks slashed with green balconies. The edgy street art; the sweeping Rhine; the Kaiser’s palace. Just don’t dwell too much on comparing their public transport to ours. • Paul Breeden travelled to Dusseldorf as a guest of Maritim Hotels and FlyBMI. visitdusseldorf.de

rooms, but all are 30 sq m – that’s big – and very comfortable. Superior has a higher ceiling and the minibar is free. Rooms are available online for £80 or less on some dates, and I found late availability for a 50 sq m Junior

Suite for £158. This gives you a separate living room and makes a longer stay more homely – worth thinking about. There’s also a classy pool and wellness centre with sauna and steam room, open 6am-11pm.

MARVIN REES Mayor of Bristol

I want Bristol employers to join me in paying a proper Living Wage to all

WAS delighted that Bristol city council has recently been accredited as a Living Wage employer, joining more than 220 South West employers officially committed to paying the voluntary rate. This means every employee and contractor earns a decent living wage and we are now rolling it out to all our suppliers too. The Living Wage is an independently-set hourly rate of pay for everyone over 18, calculated according to the basic costs of living, and is higher than the current minimum wage for those aged over 25 set by the Government. The Living Wage recently increased by 25p to £9 due to rising living costs. I am proud to be championing the real

Bristol Libraries new ideas created together

Living Wage and I am pleased we can lead by example in promoting employee economic and social wellbeing. I hope that other large employers in the region follow suit and do the right thing. A living wage is part of developing an economy based on inclusive economic growth and ensuring everyone shares in Bristol’s success. Now, working with unions and businesses in the city, we have started the conversation

about making Bristol the first real Living Wage city. This could include a Bristolspecific living wage (probably somewhere between the national real Living Wage and the London weighting). I am writing to chief execs across Bristol to join us in this ambition. I want to make it the benchmark for the employers in our city, not the aspiration. So, because of this commitment, I am concerned about the Post Office’s proposals to close our only Crown Post Office in Bristol, at the Galleries shopping centre, and relocate it to the nearby WH Smith. This will leave Bristol with no flagship Post Office, having a significant impact on services we receive, and also a loss of decent jobs which will likely be replaced by minimum wage roles. It is unacceptable not to have a major Post Office serving our citizens and economy when Bristol has the fastest growing population of any core city, with three quarters of a million people in the city region, and a strong economy which contributes £14.3 billion to the UK economy. I spoke at the recent day of action organised by the Communications Workers Union (CWU) to campaign against this proposal and for decent jobs, and for the services Bristolians rely on. I encourage people to sign the online petition at saveourpostoffice.co.uk

Come and join the conversation! Have you got ideas for your library and its building? Can you or your community help make these happen?

Events take place across the city January to March 2019, to work together to create community-led activities and partnerships. To find out more and book, visit www.bristol.gov.uk/libraryideas or visit your local library. BD11037

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

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

January 2019

southbristolvoice

January 2019

southbristolvoice

ADVICE FROM A PHARMACIST vaccine that contains extra Time to get ingredients to help develop a stronger defence against flu. your free NHS Each year, in the UK, up to 10,000 deaths are attributable to flu, particularly among the elderly flu jab today population and those with existing THERE is still time to go into Bedminster pharmacy, roll your sleeve up and have your free NHS flu jab. No appointment needed, so you can just walk in. This year we particularly want to reach everyone who is aged 65 years and over (including those who will be 65 by March 31, 2019). You may read every year that the flu vaccine doesn’t work, so why bother? This year, those aged over 65 will receive a new enhanced

medical conditions. Early vaccination is encouraged because it takes about two weeks after the jab to gain optimal protection. Flu strains can change from year to year, so you need to have a flu vaccination every year. You may say, well, I never get flu anyway, so why bother? Even if you only get a mild reaction to a flu virus, you can still pass it on to others. We try to attain what is termed ‘‘herd immunity’’ – vaccinating enough of the

n PROPERTY

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THE METEORIC growth in South Bristol property prices has slowed considerably, estate agents have told the Voice. But despite the Brexit effect, which is depressing house sales and consumer confidence across the country, the local housing market is bearing up surprisingly well, the agents say. Phil Marsh, branch manager at Greenwoods Property Centre in Totterdown, said: “We are not noticing a drop in prices, in fact we are still seeing properties sell quickly, within two weeks.” This is because South Bristol has plenty of properties which are in high demand, particularly well-presented Victorian properties. More “average” homes take a bit longer to sell, he said. George Offer, who with Kalan Smith runs branches of Hunters in Bedminster and Knowle, thinks some homes have risen in price by 10 per cent in 2018 – but these are the high-demand ones, family Victorian properties and good-value ex-council homes. “We cannot get enough ex-local authority properties,” he said. “It’s very specific, it varies road by road, but some have increased from £260,000 to £280,000 this year.” Hunters could also sell more

MARKET WATCH Land Registry sales figures for 6 months to Sept 2018, compiled by Propdex

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BS4 Av price rise 8.6%, £257,748 No. of sales down 26.6% to 391 BS3 Av price rise 6.3%, £291,864 No. of sales down 10.3% to 409

population to protect us all. Your jab counts; it protects you and contributes to protecting everyone else, including the vulnerable. Traditional ‘cures’ such as onions, goose grease and socks (dirty or clean) will not cure you if the flu nabs you! Go and get your jab today. The walk-in service in Bedminster Pharmacy means you can turn up, get your jab and that’s it for this year. No appointments, No delays. Best to bring a partner or friend along so they don’t catch flu either. • This article by Ade Williams of Bedminster Pharmacy aims to show how all pharmacies can help people with a variety of health conditions and ease pressure on other parts of the NHS.

n NEWS Park in plea for volunteers IF YOU enjoy visiting Dame Emily park, would you consider giving some time to help it look its best? The Friends of Dame Emily Park Project (DEPP) need new people to get involved. A spokesperson said: “Some of the old guard are leaving their posts this year and it would be great to have new people. The time commitment is very small.” Volunteers can help with gardening, fundraising, events or whatever takes their fancy. To find out more, email dameemilypark@gmail.com

No dip yet in homes market South Bristol properties still in strong demand, say agents Victorian houses, like those around Victoria Park, near the £500,000 mark. But the largest homes, and those in average condition, are fetching no more than they did a year ago. At Greenwoods, Phil Marsh believes that prices will stay flat for the first half of 2019, against an overall rise of 3-5 per cent during the past year. “The property market is confidence-driven,” he said. “It could start to come up sooner if a Brexit deal makes the outlook more certain. “South Bristol will probably have a better market than other parts of Bristol, particularly North Bristol. We are seeing a lot of people who have been looking the other side of the river and they see South Bristol as a great place to live, with good links to the city centre and a good range of Victorian property,” he said. George Offer agrees that while the coming months may not see prices rise, sales will continue even through the festive period. “We are still selling [in mid-December] and we have viewings booked for the first week of January,” he said. “Mortgages are still arguably the cheapest they have ever been. I think the market will stay much the same – we might see a rise at the tail end of the year.”

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

n YOUR COUNCILLORS

January 2019

southbristolvoice

APPY New Year everyone! Although in the year of Brexit and impending climate Charlie catastrophe, Bolton mounting Green homelessness and Southville a struggling welfare state, we can all do with a bit of help. Still, with any luck, by the time you read this we’ll have a new prime minister or no prime minister, and the Tory party will have split into two. No? Ah well, but maybe soon. Anyway, now the Christmas period is over, I thought I’d share my experiences over the last couple of months. First, I spoke to a market trader (formerly at the Tobacco Factory market). His view was his trade (he sells framed photographs) has dipped significantly in the last two years. Then I spoke to a larger trader on Bedminster Parade who told

Southville

me the store is “turning into a showroom”. Internet sales are good but a lot of people go to the shop to try things on and get advice. The problem – of course – is that you don’t know who they make their purchase from. If people just use a shop for advice, then purchase elsewhere, you wonder how it can survive. Third, I visited a charity shop on North Street – who are doing OK. They are ahead of their sales targets, as a result of the efforts of Sarah the manager, along with a plucky band of volunteers. Finally there is the large non-local department store – which had a bad first half of the year. Results from the second half – along with the Christmas period in particular – will be important. My impression (I worked there over the period) was of mixed results. My conclusion is that my experience reinforces what is being said about the struggles of local high streets. Go niche, or be in trouble. As individuals, what can we do to support our local shops?

How to contact your councillor: p2

School places AM STILL worried about the secondary school situation in South Bristol. The BBC reported Stephen that Bristol will Clarke be short of 683 Green secondary school Southville places by 2022 if no action is taken. I don’t want to alarm people, and I know that plans for three schools are being made; the problem is that that they are at various stages of development and such large projects can take a very long time. I don’t want people to have to travel long distances – perhaps to Brislington – to get their education because it seems important to me that children are educated in their own neighbourhood. Parking continue to receive some desperate pleas for help around parking issues from those living the ‘other side’ of North Street. Our parking survey looking at this issue is running

until the end of January. I am hoping that we get more than 1,000 responses so that we can understand what a broad range of people feel about this emotive issue. So please take a few minutes to complete it if you haven’t already: ratebs3.com/parking Climate Change Emergency good number of local people attended a recent public meeting arranged by myself and others to discuss the local response to the Climate Emergency declared by the city council on November 13. I believe that if we are to stand any chance of hitting the new target for Bristol of carbon neutrality by 2030 then the impetus needs to come from local people. Please contact me if you have ideas. Brexit s I write there is utter confusion about the next stage of the self-harm project that is Brexit. My view is that Remain is the only sensible option and I continue to call for a People’s Vote.

A A

January 2019

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n YOUR COUNCILLORS

S WE start the new year and offer our best wishes for 2019, it is great to hear that the Mark Bedminster Winter Bradshaw Lantern Parade has Labour been rescheduled Bedminster for the afternoon of Saturday January 19. Please see bwlp.org.uk for further updates. Parking survey eanwhile, our survey on traffic and parking in Bedminster ward continues to run and we are receiving completed forms all the time, which adds to the information about issues you experience and potential remedies you would support. We intend to keep the survey open until January 31. You can either complete the short survey form online at ratebs3.com/ parking or fill in a paper copy and leave it at one of the local traders who have agreed to keep hold of returned forms for us to

Bedminster

collect. We will be dropping off some paper copies in areas with less internet access and you can also request a paper copy by contacting Celia or myself (our contact details are on page 2). Football violence ike the majority of local residents, I was shocked by the incident at the Luckwell pub on December 1. The police investigations are ongoing and I’ll repeat the request for anyone with information about what took place to contact the police on 101 (giving the reference 5218266710) or anonymously using Crimestoppers at crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111. This was a violent attack on a family pub in a residential street. I’ve spoken to the landlord and the police and thankfully, this seems an isolated incident. The Luckwell reopened for business very quickly soon after, and thanks to anyone who helped by either reporting the incident to police or helping with the clear-up.

25 How to contact your councillor: p2

WOULD like to wish you all a Happy New Year and anticipate that it will be a busy Celia one. The start Phipps of the building Labour development of Bedminster 133 new homes on Alderman Moore’s site in Ashton Vale is the first of a number of planned and proposed developments in the area. The developers, Wilmott Dixon, will be holding regular community engagement events throughout the year as the build progresses. Many of you attended the community engagement event at Ashton Gate stadium last month to hear about proposals for a multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility, two hotels and a housing development on the site next door to the stadium, currently occupied by retail facilities. The proposals also include plans for additional housing on a

second site between Ashton Vale and the Long Ashton Park and Ride, called Cumberland Village. Both proposals are in the planning process and this marks the beginning of a lengthy pre-application consultation period before they can be submitted. Once proposals are submitted to the planning team, they are open for consultation and comments can be made by members of the public, using the council website. Both proposals will come to one of the planning committees, to which the public are invited to make statements. Finally, the biggest and best Bedminster Lantern Parade will be back on the streets on January 19, with a later start time, 5.30pm. We are always keen to hear from local people, so if you have a query about anything or there is something in your area that you would like improved, do please contact us via mobile or email. Or drop in to see us on the first Saturday each month at Mezzaluna in West Street between 10.30 and 11.30am.

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January 2019

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44 Duckmoor Road BS3 2BW Single storey rear extension 3m in depth. 30 Cannon Street, Bedminster BS3 1BN Roof lights to front to enable loft conversion of second floor 1-bedroom flat to provide extra bedroom. 84 Coronation Road BS3 1AT Fell sycamore, pressed against wall. Repeated reductions leading to poor form. Replant with more suitable species. Plaza Apartments, 133A Raleigh Road External works to improve appearance.

1 Victoria Place BS3 3BP First floor extension over ground floor extension.

Rear of 11 Dean Lane (fronting Murray Street) BS3 1DB Two storey dwelling with cycle and bin stores and replacement tree.

Bedminster ward: Decided

Southville ward: Decided

11 Palmyra Road BS3 3HU Single storey rear extension to extend beyond rear of house by 3.9m, of maximum height 3.6m with eaves of 3m. Refused

16 Mill Lane BS3 4DG Conversion to three flats, and construction of building containing three new flats. Granted subj. to conditions 1 Hardy Avenue BS3 2BP Two storey side and rear extension; single storey rear extension; external alterations. Granted subject to conditions

51 Raynes Road BS3 2DJ Single storey rear extension to extend beyond rear of house by 3.9m, of maximum height 3m with eaves of 2.8m. Refused 106 South Liberty Lane BS3 2TH Retention of driveway and retaining walls. Granted Flat 2, 47 Bedminster Down Road BS13 7AB Conversion to additional dwelling with single storey extensions. Granted subject to conditions 255 Ashton Drive BS3 2PZ Two storey side extension. Granted subj. to conditions Units 3-4 Charnwood House, Marsh Road BS3 2NA Change of use from offices to eight flats (Use class C3). Refused The Bowers, Courtlands Lane BS3 2JS Detached 2-bedroom dwelling, with garden and parking. Granted subj. to conditions

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n PLANNING APPLICATIONS Bedminster ward: Awaiting decision

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Flat 1A Boot Lane BS3 4HR Redevelopment to create one house. Granted subject to conditions 200 North Street Bedminster BS3 1JF Retrospective application for covering of courtyard to provide decking platform at first floor level and shop and storage area below. Granted 63 Coronation Road BS3 1AR Reduce conifer hedge by up to 2m to give height of 3m. Reduce three conifer leaders are reduced. Cut sycamore saplings either side of hedge down to ground level and poison stumps. Granted Windmill Hill ward: Decided

Southville ward: Awaiting decision

17 Shepton Walk BS3 5NU Conversion of garage to onebedroom dwelling. Refused

207 Coronation Road BS3 1RQ Demolition of rear two storey extension and replacement with new two storey extension.

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

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

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co-educational nursery pre-school to sixth form

F YOU are not too strict about the dates, we are at a series of important anniversaries for Totterdown. It’s roughly 150 years since the large-scale building of Victorian terraces established Totterdown as an important suburb of Bristol. It’s 100 years since the end of World War I, which was the beginning of a sea change for the area’s fortunes. And it’s 50 years since Totterdown was afflicted by an almost unique event in Bristol’s history – the clearance of 600 houses and businesses, and 5,000 residents, to make way for a giant ring road. The road was never built. The city council had failed to consult Bristol people about whether they wanted or needed it, and they certainly didn’t listen to what the people of Totterdown said. Worse, even after the plans were abandoned, Totterdown was not restored to its former glory. It had been one of Bristol’s most popular shopping centres, a high street in its own right, with a department store and scores of shops including national chains such as Boots. From the Three Lamps junction at Bath Road, up to St John’s Lane and beyond, was a thriving assortment of shops, pubs and other businesses. People used to say that they rarely needed to go “into town” – they could get everything they needed in Totterdown. But it wasn’t only the shops that disappeared. Whole streets of houses did too. Between Bath Road and Wells Road, homes on New Walls Road, Kingstree Street, Angers Road and Highgrove Street were flattened. Scores more houses were razed

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Long gone: The Falcon House off-licence on Cambridge Street, one of 30 pubs and licensed premises on Pylle Hill in Victorian times. Visitors to the Front Row art trail saw historic images projected onto modern locations in The Missing Numbers project PHOTO: Steve Gear on Bath Road – there was once a terrace on the river side of the road, from Three Lamps to beyond Totterdown bridge. Everything was demolished on both sides of Wells Road from Three Lamps up to Firfield Street. The busy crossroads lined with shops and pubs at the St John’s Lane junction was wiped out, as was Bush Street, which led across what is now Totterdown Square in front of Tesco. Here the new Outer Circuit road was to take a curve towards Victoria Park, and so half of Bushy Park, and half of Oxford Street, were destroyed. Houses on the park side of St Luke’s Road had been flattened in 1962, in advance of the main demolition which started in 1968. The destruction left a wasteland in the middle of Totterdown for more than a decade. But there was another aspect to this blight – the human cost. Five thousand people had lost not only their homes but their community. What was the effect on them, when they were moved to new suburbs such as Stockwood and Hartcliffe? How well did they survive, wrenched away from their friends and extended families? The

Totterdown Road Project was set up to keep alive these memories and to record them before it is too late. The project urges us all to look at the history of our own home and our own street, and to reflect how the lessons of Totterdown’s past might help inform our future. South Bristol is on the brink of the biggest changes to its built environment in at least 50 years. Major developments are planned at Bedminster Green, Bath Road, Knowle Broadwalk, and on our doorstep at Temple Meads and St Philip’s. Tall buildings are planned at each of these locations on a scale never seen before in Bristol. Is there anything about our past that might help us decide what we want for the future?

THE WHOLE STORY IN ONE STREET

HE TOTTERDOWN Road Project has been gathering facts and reminiscences about the 1960s clearances since the summer of 2018. In November, members presented an exhibition in the revitalised Totterdown Centre, showing pictures and stories. Much of the exhibition

concentrated on the story of just one road – Oxford Street. Road Project co-organiser John O’Connor explained why: “We realised how massive a subject the whole demolition was, and the thousands of people that were affected by it. It was almost too big subject to get your head around and it was better to focus on one street.” Fellow organiser Jeremy Routledge added: “It’s also a metaphor for the whole of Totterdown, because half the street was taken away.” We see the street today as two rows of facing terraced houses from Cambridge Street to the modern shopping precinct, from where a single terrace curves down the hill to end in a cul-de-sac off St John’s Lane. But this isn’t how it was built. It was one of the first roads in the new Victorian Totterdown, and had houses all the way down both sides. It was far from a dead end: it was the main route from Wells Road to Bedminster, hence was wider than the roads around it. Today we think of Totterdown as mainly composed of modestlysized, two-storey terraces with narrow frontages and two or

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

January 2019

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n HISTORY Continued from page 29 three bedrooms. But before the 1960s clearances, our view might have been different. The missing houses on the other side of Oxford Street were larger, and some were taller, more like the grander homes in Montpelier. They also had a back entrance onto St John’s Lane, which gave access for a horse and carriage. To try to reconnect the current inhabitants of Oxford Street with their forebears, in late November a series of unusual blue plaques went up along the road during Totterdown’s Front Room art trail. Painted on blue paper plates were the names of people living in each house when the census was taken in 1871. At No 20, for example, lived Isabella Davis, aged 38, occupation grocer. Living at 23 was George Veale, a wheelwright aged 47. Given that the homes were built around 1868, the names on the plaques are probably the homes’ first inhabitants, so the project, called The Missing

TOTTERDOWN’s 150th ANNIVERSARY

Simmons the butchers: Possibly the only photo surviving of one of Totterdown’s orgininal traders in the 1960s. The shop was on the corner of Cheapside and Oxford Street, where Baked bakery was Numbers and backed by the University of Bristol and film company Calling the Shots, provided a poignant link to the earliest days of the new suburb. Also taking place on the art

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trail weekend was a night-time tour of the streets, where the Missing Numbers team projected Victorian photos of homes, tradespeople and families onto the same addresses (see page 29).

PYLLE HILL BECOMES TOTTERDOWN

N NOVEMBER 2, 1865, an advertisement appeared in the Bristol Times and Mirror: “Pile Hill Estate. To be let or sold, building land.” The advert offered “large or small portions” of the 30 acre estate – previously farmland – for rent or sale. “The whole or a portion of the estate is admirably adapted for a noble Park or Pleasure Grounds for the Citizens of Bristol,” it said – so it is, but those who did buy the land saw more profit in houses than a green open space. “It commands a Southerly aspect and one of the finest Views imaginable over Ashton Vale, Dundry, Failand Hills and surrounding Country,” continued the advert. The seller was Henry William Green, one of the city’s betterknown gentlemen, a Liberal councillor for St Philip’s and a trustee for several charities. His involvement in the development may have been minimal, but he lives on in Henry, William and Green Streets, all named after him. It appears the land was parcelled out to builders to develop in plots of as few as two houses at a time. This may be why Oxford Street jumps from No. 13 to No 16. Builders

sometimes missed out 13, thought to be an unlucky number – but why 14 and 15? Perhaps the builder who had bought the right to build this pair defaulted, and the next builder jumped in to construct his two, using the numbers on his deed. Between 1866 and 1868 a small army of builders made rapid progress, laying out the first four streets – Oxford Street east and west, plus Hampton Terrace, which faced Wells Road, and Osborne Terrace, which was later renamed Henry Street. Who were the first inhabitants? John O’Connor says: “The picture we get from the 1871 census is of a kind of immigrant community. There was a large number of young couples aged 25-30, coming in from the shires around Bristol – Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon, and further afield. “They were more radicalised in the country than in the city. They were bringing in the non-conformist religions – a lot of Wesleyan Methodists, Baptists and congregationalist chapels. “You get a sense that it is comparable to the immigrant community in Brooklyn, USA – they are young, and trying to set up a new life and business.” Wells Road was not yet built up, and Oxford Street was the centre of the new community. An astonishing 25 of its 135-odd addresses were shops. On top of this, there were another 20 or so people trading from their front rooms – people such as haberdashers, tailors, milliners (hatmakers), coat makers, dress makers, smiths and barbers. “It would have been a very busy, thriving thoroughfare – you can imagine a lot of coming and going,” says John. That’s an understatement – the Road Project has found records that Oxford Street also housed an actress, a sculptor, a piano teacher, plus two boarding houses, a private school, nine grocers, two tobacconists, a newsagent, a baker, a dairyman, an ironmonger and two blacksmiths – plus a large United Free Methodist church on the corner of Bush Street. The ambitious young couples were drawn by the healthy location of Totterdown – high on a hill, well away from the crowded and disease-ridden slums only a few hundred yards away in the Temple quarter and

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January 2019

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n HISTORY

TOTTERDOWN’s 150th ANNIVERSARY

Shops on Wells Road, seen from Bushy Park, in a postcard of about 1904. The 87 tram is heading into town. Beyond it is the Phoenix PHOTO: Bristol Archives 43207/9/5/166 Hotel, on the corner of Bush Street Redcliffe. There, families lived crowded into single rooms set in narrow, dank “courts” where cholera spread easily. The new Victorian terraces were relatively spacious and they had running water and a toilet – even if it was in the back yard. A letter writer in Western Daily Press in May 1867 could hardly contain himself in his praise for the new suburb. “Not having been that way for many months, I could scarcely recognise the place, some hundreds of houses having been lately built,” he wrote – indicating that progress had been rapid in less than two years since the land was sold for building. “In fact, hill and vale are being rapidly converted into a considerable town, charmingly picturesque, and most certainly exceedingly salubrious.” It sounds like a press release from a housebuilder, though the letter was signed Salus Populi – Latin for “the good of the people”. Salubrious and picturesque the new suburb may have been, but it didn’t stop the new inhabitants from being very thirsty. Oxford Street alone contained four pubs and three off-licences – which usually kept a barrel of beer. As it happens, it’s about 150 years since some of the pubs we have today were first licensed in 1868 – the Shakespeare, the Oxford (then called the Oxford Hotel), plus the King William (the present Thali), the defunct Cambridge Inn at 1 Oxford Street, and the Bell in Hampton Terrace. The Raglan in Cambridge Street

followed in 1869, the Robin Hood and the Three Elms in Oxford Street in 1870 and the Builders Arms in 1871 – now known as the New Found Out. In all Pylle Hill was to host 18 pubs, plus another 12 off-licences.

GROWTH – AND DECLINE

he new suburb grew rapidly – Stevens Crescent, Windsor Terrace, Green Street, William Street, Hill Street and Richmond Terrace were built from the top of the hill down. An 1874 map shows each street almost complete, with only the crossways roads of Pylle Hill and St Luke’s Crescent yet to be begun. Cambridge Street, Belle Vue Road, Dunmore Street, Vernon Street and Higham Street were also in place. At the top of Belle Vue still stood two large 1820s villas with large landscaped gardens. In the 1880s the Bristol & Exeter railway built a new line which cut into the hill, and the two grand villas had to be demolished. Bellevue Crescent (later named Bellevue Terrace) replaced them, and new streets were built on the east side of Wells Road – Angers Road, County Street, and the rest, right up to Clyde Road. There were as yet no streets on the west side of Wells Road beyond Knowle Road. These roads formed the boundary of Totterdown – every street that came later was classed as Knowle. As the decades turned, the young couples became families. Five or more children was not uncommon in a two-bedroom

house. For many of the traders, times were good as the suburb grew. James Simmons opened his butchers shop in the mid1860s on the corner of Cheapside and Oxford Street (where Baked was until it closed recently). He thrived despite there being eight butchers nearby – it was common at the time to keep similar trades together. Butchers did well in the days before refrigeration, when meat had to be sold fresh. Many families kept a pig in the back yard to eat leftovers; sometimes it was shared with a neighbour and would be taken to the butcher to be killed in time for Christmas. The owners couldn’t eat it all at once, so the butcher might pay them for the rest of the meat, or keep them supplied with cuts from other animals for months to come. Also doing well were Philip and Sarah Carr, whose greengrocers was at 118 Oxford Street, where the Just Ryte takeaway is today. A photo taken in 1903 shows the wedding of their daughter Adelaide, with

everyone dressed in their Edwardian finery. Totterdown then looked very upmarket, reckons John O’Connor. But both the Carrs and the Simmons were to meet tough times. Both fathers passed the business to their sons – and both sons fell into debt and went bankrupt, Simmons in 1900 and Carr in 1905. Frank Carr, Philip’s son, blamed people selling him bad stock and being undercut by costermongers – people selling vegetables cheaply off barrows. The 1901 and 1911 censuses show a changing population. More people were taking in lodgers – even when they had eight children of their own. The 1921 census will not be made public for another two years, but it is bound to show the terrible effect of World War I on the male population. With peace came economic peaks and troughs. The 1939 register, made in a hurry before World War II broke out, shows a different, poorer Totterdown. There were far fewer self-made Continued overleaf

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January 2019

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n HISTORY IT WASN’T JUST TOTTERDOWN THEY TRIED TO DESTROY

TOTTERDOWN’s 150th ANNIVERSARY

HE ORIGINAL 1960s concept for an inner ring road would have devastated South Bristol had it been completed. The plan foresaw a multi-multilevel flyover and interchange near the Three Lamps junction, from where the road would have swept up the hill to swing over St John’s Lane. It might then have cut through Victoria Park – requiring more homes to be lost on the south side of the park – before crashing through Bedminster. An alternative plan had the dual carriageway more or less following St John’s Lane to another major interchange in the vicinity of the roundabout that meets Bedminster Road. From here one new road would have piled

through Bedminster to Bedminster bridge, while another would have sliced into Southville to cross the river in the Allington Road area. The road would then have joined a new interchange at the Anchor Road junction before charging up the hill, across Clifton Triangle, and around the city crossing Clifton, Cotham and Stokes Croft. Any observer of Bristol politics will not be surprised to hear that the destruction halted long before it reached the elegant streets of Clifton. The legacy was the M32, rising on stilts outside bedroom windows in Stapleton and Eastville, and St Philips Causeway marching past Lawrence Hill and Barton Hill. Totterdown was the last place the bulldozers were allowed to savage before the mid-1970s economic crisis – and rising protests by Bristol residents – forced a rethink.

traders and craftspeople: instead there was lots of unemployment, and most of those with work were in low-earning jobs such as factory work and cleaning. After the war came a nationwide desire for renewal. The 1945 Labour government founded the National Health Service and nationalised industries like the mines and railways. But in Bristol the late 1940s saw the first plans for a new road network. The new age of the car was supposed to bring freedom and prosperity – no one thought about traffic pollution then. There was also a widespread desire to sweep away “unhealthy” old Victorian homes and build new suburbs, with broad streets, bigger gardens and indoor bathrooms. Many people wanted these advances, it is true – but none of the planners calculated the human cost of demolishing entire communities and forcing people into new lives away from their friends and neighbours. It was simply assumed that people in Totterdown would see the new dual carriageways and flyovers as “progress”, and be grateful. Yet the homes in Angers Road, County Street and elsewhere which were demolished were the same kind of homes which now sell so readily 150 years after they were built. Totterdown’s colourful terraces are a famous feature of Bristol; those modest houses in Oxford Street can sell for £330,000.

The planners told residents that they were removing them from a slum, but as Jeremy Routledge says: “The response of Totterdown residents was to say, ‘You have turned it into a slum!’” The empty prairie left by the demolitions stretched from Bath Road to Firfield Street. It attracted travellers and flytippers and was a scar for more than a decade. But it isn’t just the physical scars – there were mental ones too. A BBC film shows a woman pointing to the site of her former house and saying her brother was never the same after he left it – he had a stroke soon after. Another woman, from Bath Road, saw her mother shipped out to Hartcliffe, away from her home with its tin bath and outdoor toilet. But she fell into a depression, finding no sense of community on the austere new estate, and only recovered when she moved to Brislington. “I have spoken to people who say that others went into a suicidal despair,” says John O’Connor. The ruin would have been borne better if the road had actually been built. But when it wasn’t, Totterdowners at least hoped for new homes and shops to replace the old. They didn’t get it. In John’s opinion the new shared-ownership housing at New Walls, the new flats on Wells Road and the tiny shopping precinct did not replace what was lost. “The steps they took added insult to injury,” he says. “The

Flyover: The 1960s proposal at East Street and Bedminster Bridge whole shopping site on Wells Road was turned inwards. There was the suburban, inwardlooking housing development of New Walls, then the flats next to Patco, then the hideous Bush pub – a Bavarian skiing lodge completely out of context with Totterdown.” Jeremy Routledge agrees: “People were looking forward to getting their community and shops back, and what happened was that they got houses looking inward and shops that turned away from the community.”

A LESSON?

“T

otterdown is emblematic of what happens when council thinks it knows best on behalf of its constituents, and in fact it can have devastating consequences,” says John O’Connor. Jeremy Routledge says: “The project shows what happened when a local council ignored local people and their concerns and thought they knew what was best for the community as far as the road was concerned. There are definite parallels in the current plans for more high-rise buildings. It seems to be a historical problem with councils. Local people’s views can be inconvenient but they need to be listened to.” Now Totterdown faces new challenges, as does much of South Bristol. A 16-storey tower is planned by developer Hadley next to Totterdown bridge, as tall

as the hill next to it. The council is expected to propose a similar-sized tower on its own plot leading up from Three Lamps. Says John: “You are talking about 16-storey tower blocks as real estate, with apartments that will have valuable and scenic views over picturesque Totterdown. That’s not a reciprocated relationship with the people of Totterdown, who will be looking back at these concrete monoliths.” More towers are proposed in Bedminster Green, near Temple Meads and elsewhere. What lessons should we learn from the long history of Totterdown – its foundation by entrepreneurial “immigrants” 150 years ago, its depression after a brutal war 100 years ago, and its devastation at the hands of the council 50 years ago? That, dear reader, is for you to decide. • With thanks to Jeremy Routledge and John O’Connor of the Totterdown Road Project Sources • The Totterdown Road Project Facebook: The Totterdown Road Project • Totterdown Rising: A Story of Endurance and Survival Kate Pollard, Tangent Books, 2006 • Growing Up in Totterdown 1922-36 Elsie Lawrence, Redcliffe Press, 1979 • tresa.org.uk/category/abouttotterdown • Bristol Times and Mirror January 19, 1850

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January 2019

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n WHAT’S ON Until January 6 n Beasty Baby Spielman theatre, Tobacco Factory, North Street. A seasonal show for the whole family – a 50-minute performance that can be enjoyed by anyone three years and over. “Deep in the forest, in a wintry land, lives a gorgeously grizzly Beasty Baby. Mayhem and laughter wait around every corner as three people embark on a wild adventure to bring up this mischievous and totally loveable child.” £12. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Until January 20 n The Borrowers Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street. Mary Norton’s timeless children’s classic adapted for the stage by Bea Roberts. Reviewed opposite. Tickets from £12 (limited availability). tobaccofactorytheatres.com Your event could be highlighted like this for just £5. Email sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk Monday December 31 n New Year’s Eve 80s party Tobacco Factory, North Street. With break dancers, roller skaters, jugglers and acrobats, and heaps of 80s hits. The £40 ticket includes street food voucher, photo booth, face painting and entertainment. tobaccofactorytheatres.com n Retro Electro The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Top UK five-piece 80s covers band playing classics from Depeche Mode, Prince, David Bowie and others, to see in the new year. 8pm-late, £20 on the door, £15 in advance. thethunderbolt.net

You’ll wonder who’s living in your walls! n Review The Borrowers Until January 20 Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street

RRIETTY Clock is a normal 13-year-old. She loves her mum and dad but also wants some independence, and to see the world. Normal except for one thing – Arrietty is a Borrower, about as tall as a crayon, and lives with her mum and dad – Pod and Homily – under the floorboards, hiding from the gigantic Human Beans. Until one day Arrietty meets 10-year-old Human Bean Eddie, and they become friends. This is a beautiful, warm and kind-hearted show, narrated by grown-up Eddie, looking back at what happened to him when his mum was ill and he was shipped out, lonely and unwelcome, to his auntie and uncle. His auntie, Mrs Driver, is cleaning-obsessed and just the right side of nasty – there’s a great bit of audience play with a giant feather duster, and an January 2-March 5 n Torn: Lauren Curl Tobacco Factory bar, North Street. An exhibition of original screen prints, inspired by torn billboard posters, from artist-printmaker Lauren Curl. 10am-11pm, free. tobaccofactory.com/whats-on Friday January 4 n The Detective Project Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road. Join former police officer Jenny on

Hidden story of the Great War n Preview Taking a Holiday Bedminster Library, January 17 THERE’S another chance to see a unique slice of Bedminster history on Thursday January 17 when Otherstory will be performing their puppet show – Taking a Holiday – at Bedminster Library. It’s a true story about the secret hidden beneath George Barker’s Bedminster bike shop in World War I, and the hidden history of the resistance to the war machine. As revealed in last month’s

George Barker: Secret war resister history feature in South Bristol Voice, it unveils a little-known network of people who objected to the violence of the war and did everything they could to protect those who would not fight. Professor Lois Bibbings of the University of Bristol and a member of the group Remembering the

Tiny world: Jessica Hayles and Craig Edwards as Arrietty and Pod in the classic children’s tale interval cliff-hanger involving a vacuum cleaner. The Borrowers borrow objects – never steal them – giant cotton wool buds, sardine tins to hide in, a sugar cube that lasts months. A dolls house chair is the height of luxury: “I can sit on it like the queen!” Clever lighting flickers above us, so we feel we are under the creaking floorboards too, as enormous Beans walk back and forth above. When giant Eddie talks to little Arrietty, he is seen as a giant pair of glasses, balanced on the shoulders of two cast members, who bob and tilt with feeling. Ladders are suspended high up, and the Borrowers climb and dangle off them as they clamber a realistic CSI quest for 8-12 year olds to become an expert in crime scene investigation. Learn detective skills, and keep your CSI suit at the end. 1-3.30pm, tickets £11.37-£16.76. arnosvale.org.uk/events January 4-January 5 n Circus Of Marvels Acta theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster. “Roll up, roll up for a magical, mysterious adventure Real WWI, will give an introduction to the show at 7.30pm. Otherstory is also inviting local residents and young people to help create a history walk in Bedminster which will tell the hidden histories of resistance to WWI in South Bristol. Trevor Houghton from Otherstory said: “You will find out how to research the history of war resistance in South Bristol. We will take the walk out onto the streets of Bedminster, going to places where the history happened, to tell people the stories we have discovered using puppetry and song.“ More on the Otherstory website: otherstory.org

about the house. When Arrietty finally bursts out into the garden, she flies inside Eddie’s folded paper aeroplane. The two lonely youngsters find friendship and happiness, fighting for each other in their own big and little ways. The changing perspectives are beautifully done, creating a world out of very little – just like the Borrowers themselves. It’s impossible to highlight individual cast members – they are all just perfect in the roles they play – human, tender, enchanting. And the live musicians, also very much part of the whole thing, create the perfect soundtrack – a rhythmic argument rapped out between Pod and Homily is a good example of how sounds and voice and characters entwine. Our fellow audience members were wide-ranging – from little children to teenagers, grownups and the grey-haired. We were all pulled in. My companion and I had both had long hard days, our minds full, but within minutes we were transported into this little and large world, and left with our hearts fully warmed – my friend said she went home and found herself wondering who was living inside her walls. Beccy Golding as a rag-tag band of useless acts take on a desperate quest to save the world’s worst circus!” Tickets £5 for 7pm shows on January 4 and 5, £7 for 2.30pm matinée on Saturday January 5. acta-bristol.com Sunday January 6 n Pinocchio the Panto Zion, Bishopsworth Road. A traditional family panto from JDJB Productions. Gepetto the carpenter makes a wish on a star and is rewarded with a son, Pinocchio – but what are they to make of all the new arrivals in Continued overleaf

MB SISTERS WPO REGNANCY CHOIR

£7 drop-in

Block bookings

Starts 17th January Thursdays 7-8.30pm St Michael & All Angels Church, Windmill Hill BS3 4LW

wombsisterspregnancychoir@gmail.com

wombsisters.co.uk

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LOSER Each Day is the longest-running improvised soap opera in the world – meaning this lot have been making it up as they go along for eight years and more than 100 episodes at the Wardrobe theatre in Old Market. The skills that go

into an improvised show are many – setting up a variety of scenarios, using audience suggestions, riffing off other cast members, belting out music hall numbers when you don’t know the next line, quick costume changes – the cast are also juggling created-in-themoment roles – remembering the made-up names, and somehow bringing it all to a resolution where the loose ends get tied off and everyone lives happily ever after. Now add into the mix a new venue – the grand dining room in the belly of the SS Great Britain. We’re in a different era too – befitting the season, our narrator is

Dickens himself, writing the story as we see it enacted before us – costumes are bonnets and top hats, bustles and tailcoats, and the language is… well… Victorian with a modern twang. Every time you see this show, of course, it will be different, so the plot twists, involving silly rich meanies, thieves and bedraggled peasants, not-quite orphans, loves

Continued from page 33 the village? Adults £6, children £4, family (up to five) £20. zionbristol.co.uk Monday January 7 n Theatre groups Acta theatre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster. Sessions for families, young people, adults, schools and adults in communities all take place at Acta from January 7. acta-bristol.com/take-part Tuesday January 8 n John Myers Talk and Signing Martin Parr Foundation, Paintworks, Bath Road. John Myers will discuss his new publication Looking at the Overlooked, which documents the claustrophobia of the suburban landscape in the 1970s. £8/£6, 7pm. martinparrfoundation.org/events Thursday January 10 n LGBT Café Zion, Bishopsworth Road. Zion hosts a pop-up café for the LGBT community, talking about ageing and being lesbian, gay or transgender+. Free tea, coffee and cake, 2.30-4.30pm. zionbristol.co.uk

Friday January 11 n The Lizzy Legacy Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. Thin Lizzy tribute act who “don’t worry about costumes or gimmicks; instead focusing on playing the music authentically”. 7.30-11.30pm, £10 in advance. thethunderbolt.net Sunday January 13 n Athea Tobacco Factory bar, North Street. Paul Bradley, exOrganelles, Bradley Bros, and Three Cane Whale presents his new improvisational duo with drummer/percussionist Emma Holbrook. Free, 8-10pm. tobaccofactory.com/whats-on Monday January 14 n Pablo Escobar – The Real Story Loco Klub, Temple Meads. Escobar was the Columbian drugs lord who gave millions to the poor, but tortured his enemies and lived in a $100 million house with its own zoo. Shaun Attwood, author of bestseller Pablo Escobar: Beyond Narcos, tells his story in this Funzing Talk. 7-9pm, £12. locobristol.com/shows

Saturday January 19 n Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade Rearranged after being rained off in December. Entertainment starts along the North Street route at 5pm followed by Parade from Ashton end of North Street at 5.30pm. Ends with fireworks in South Street park. Facebook: Bedminster Winter Lanterns n Vinyl Brunch Zion, Bishopsworth Road. Browse vinyl records and books, to a soundtrack from JamesBoy Records. Café, 10am-1pm, free entry. zionbristol.co.uk January 19-January 20 n Martin Parr Portraits Martin Parr Foundation, Paintworks, Bath Road. Have your photo taken, with cats, dogs, family, partner or friends, by the acclaimed South Bristol-based photographer. Price £250. martinparrfoundation.org/events Sunday January 20 n Hypnobirthing Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. A two-day course

happy throng, they said it was the only pregnancy choir they could find in the country. Rosie believes singing has many benefits for mums-to-be – in fact the BBC featured the choir to help show how it can help with post-natal depression too. Womb Sisters starts again on January 17 at St Michael’s church, Windmill Hill. One mum, Ellie, said she found the choir “enormously helpful” when she was diagnosed with pre-natal depression and anxiety. “I would highly recommend it,” she said. Another mum, Adriana,

said singing helped her stay active towards the end of her pregnancy. “It made the last weeks’ wait a lot less stressful. I think they also helped me bond with my baby. I am convinced he recognised the tunes once he was born!” she said. A third new mother, Isabel, is pleased that last year’s group have stayed in touch. “We have formed a strong, supportive bond which I have found invaluable, particularly through the tough times,” she said. “These women have become firm friends and we have more than just our babies in common.” • wombsisters.co.uk

n Review Steamed Brunel’s SS Great Britain

Mums sing along with their bumps

HERE are lots of activities that that expectant mums can join in with – but there’s only one choir where they can sing their hearts out. When South Bristol mum Rosie Sleightholme set up Womb Sisters last year, she had no idea it was a unique idea. But when a team from BBC Breakfast arrived to film her

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n WHAT’S ON

n WHAT’S ON A festive soap opera set in Brunel’s marvel

January 2019

All made up: The Steamed show is a festive impro

lost and won, and long-lost families reunited, don’t really matter. But they are played with gusto, and there are a lot of laughs. Special mention should go to cast member and costume sorcerer Alice Lamb – she is an alumni of Hillcrest Primary School in Knowle – along with many others, I watched her play Puck in Midsummer Night’s Dream back when she was around eight years old. Even then we all knew she’d end up on the stage – it was super to see her as part of this very funny, fun, unique experience in an unusual and beautiful setting. Beccy Golding (also on January 27) to help mums-to-be overcome any fears about childbirth, and focus on building positivity and confidence. Run by Little Passengers, it’s taught by an experienced midwife and hypnobirthing mum. Cost: £260. 10am-4.30pm each day. windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk n Olga Koch: Fight Spielman theatre, Tobacco Factory, North Street. Chuckle Busters presents Olga Koch as she retells the most surreal year of her life – when her father was stopped while crossing the Russian border, pitching her family into a real-life spy drama. £12, 8pm. tobaccofactorytheatres.com n Jazz night Windmill Hill community centre, Vivian Street. Jazz with Mark Randall Six on the third Sunday of every month, 8.30-10.30pm. whca.org.uk/whats-on January 21-January 22 n Young Theatre Makers Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street. Start of a new term for young people to learn skills from movement to clowning, storytelling to script work. Sessions for 7-10 year-olds are Monday or Tuesday, 4.305.45pm. For 11-13s, it’s Mondays 6-7.30pm, and for 14-19s, Tuesdays 6-8pm. Fees are £65 or £80 per term depending on age, but help may be available. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Tuesday January 22 n Acting Classes for Adults Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street. The theatre’s first weekly acting company for over-19s is led by artistic director Mike Tweddle and Jenny Davies, assistant director on The Borrowers, and will lead to a performance in the Spielman

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South Bristol proves it’s got talent aplenty

HIS evening of entertainment is the equivalent of “South Bristol’s Got Talent”, quipped organiser Kevin Lindegaard, and how right he was. Who knew there was such a variety of first-first-rate

entertainers on our doorstep? First off were talented young guitarists of Hillcrest primary school, who tackled Deep Purple’s Smoke On The Water and won, to the delight of the audience. The players are led by local guitar hero Hazel Winter, formerly of the Blue Aeroplanes, who also showed her latest band The Jesus Bolt, a duo with Gerard Starkie. Many in Knowle and Totterdown are familiar with the vocal skills of Mattie Reynolds, whose powerful voice has amazed the crowds at the open air Totterdown Music Festival. You can see a clip of Mattie’s performance

on our YouTube channel, along with most of the other performers. Trevor Carter, aka the Bard of Windmill Hill, bemoaned an African wildlife shortage in a poem called Has Anyone Seen The Elephants? The 100-strong crowd showed they were not afraid to join in. Then the piano was wheeled on for Rustom Battiwalla, a Guildhall school of music graduate pianist, who gave a passionate introduction to the music of Scott Joplin. Gypsy folk duo Razzomo are festival favourites and it’s easy to see why. Lucy Razz and James Tomlinson kick up an unfeasible amount of energy. But pride of

place on the bill was given to Allan Schiller, Knowle’s international concert pianist, who gave a virtuoso performance which included Debussy’s Clair de Lune and his own arrangement of Haydn’s Gypsy Rondo. The house was brought down by the finale, a duet between Allan Schiller and Rustom Battiwalla of Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No 1. More than £600 was raised for COPP. Kevin Lindegaard is making plans for another concert and is recruiting acts. Paul Breeden • Videos of most of the performers: tinyurl.com/coppconcert • A longer review is on the website.

theatre. Tuesdays 8-10pm until May, £180, bursaries available. tobaccofactorytheatres.com January 24-27 n The Paper Man Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street. “An intriguing true story of political protest, power and football.” The anarchic Improbable troupe take as their backdrop the story of an Austrian football star who, in 1938, refused to throw a match, humiliating the Nazis. Months later, he was dead. Now a middle-aged football addict wants to explore the story in a part-impro show that promises to unsettle and entertain. Tickets from £12, 7.30pm, Saturday matinée 2.30pm. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Friday January 25 n Networking with Freelance Mum Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bedminster. Guest speaker Lisa Cadd, The Fuss Free Foodie, talks about her business “helping you shop, cook and eat delicious

food without the fuss”. £15 members, £20 non-members, 10am to 12 noon, children free. windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk n Mindful photography Arnos Vale cemetery, Bath Road. A day of learning to look at the world around you, with professional photographer Ruth Davey, who has uses mindfulness techniques to improve mental health. 10.30am-3.30pm, £80. arnosvale.org.uk/events n Battlemoose charity gig The Thunderbolt, Bath Road, Totterdown. The Bristol rock covers band perform in aid of Paul’s Place, the centre for disabled adults in Coalpit Heath. 7pm, tickets £2.50 in advance. thethunderbolt.net Saturday January 26 n Zion Bake-off Zion, Bishopsworth Road. If you fancy yourself as the next Nadiya, enter your best cupcakes, favourite cake or party piece. Classes for adults, under 7s and 7-16s. 11am-1pm. In aid of the Freya Foundation, which raises funds

to fight the rare childhood disease PDH, or pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency. zionbristol.co.uk Wednesday January 30 n Graham Fellows: Completely Out of Character Comedy Box at the Tobacco Factory theatre, North Street. Graham Fellows has performed as hapless musician John Shuttleworth for more than 25 years (and before that he was Jilted John, for those with long memories). Now he’s singing his own story, from the time he bought a packet of bread sauce with a Hollywood actor, to the time jazz legend George Melly broke into his bedsit. £16, 7.30pm. thecomedybox.co.uk n Pamper Night Zion, Bishopsworth Road. Treatments include reiki, Indian head massage, reflexology, and nails and hand massage. Treatments from £5 upwards, women only. Entry £3 includes glass of bubbly, bar, 6.30-9.30pm. zionbristol.co.uk

BS3 Community Events

Regular events

n Folks & Bairns parent and baby choir Wednesday, 1-2pm. £5 drop in or block bookings. Starts January 16. The Milk Shed, Southville. Email folksandbairns@ gmail.com

home-made cakes. 1.30-4.30pm, last Saturday of every month, United Reformed Church Hall, West Street, Bedminster. Facebook: BS3 Repair Cafe

n Review Concert of Music and Spoken Word in aid of the Community of Perretts Park Totterdown Baptist Church

n Iyengar yoga classes. Beginners welcome. Qualified teacher, equipment provided. £8 (£6 concessions). Centre for Whole Health, 12 Victoria Place, Bedminster BS3 3BP. Class held Monday 7.30-8.45pm. Contact: 07984 039737. n Womb Sisters pregnancy choir Thursday, 7-8.30pm. £7 drop-in or block bookings. Starts January 17. St Michael & All Angels church, Windmill Hill. Email wombsisterspregnancy choir@gmail.com to find out more or visit wombsisters.co.uk

n A unique form of dance exercise using Margaret Morris Movement and inspiring music from around the world. Dance Studio @ Workout, Baynton Road, Ashton BS3 2EB. Monday 11.15am-12.15pm, £4 drop-in. Contact Tricia Mason, qualified teacher, 07896 346486. n BS3 Repair Cafe Repairs for a donation, plus cream teas and

n Danceblast “Bristol’s most exciting dance school.” Every Saturday and Sunday. Saturday: juniors, 3-4 years 10-11am, 5-6 years 11am-12 noon, 7-9 years 12 noon-1.30pm, 10-11 years 1.303pm, 12-13 years 2.15-4.15pm at St Francis Church Hall, North Street, Southville. Sunday: seniors 14-18 years 1.30-4.30pm, Tobacco Factory studio. For details call Anne on 07984 069485. danceblast.co.uk

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

New intergenerational group for grandparents and grandchildren n BS3 Community is launching a new weekly Grandparent and Toddler group starting on Tuesday January 22 at the Chessel Centre, Bedminster BS3 3DN. The group is free to attend. No need to book, just drop in. 1.45-3pm. Activities include crafts, singing and story time. For more info ring 0117 923 1039 or email family. services@bs3community.org.uk Call for Artists n The Southville Centre, run by BS3 Community, has a free exhibition space for local people to display artwork and is looking for new artists to exhibit in 2019. For more information, contact Nadine Bright on 0117 923 1039 or email Nadine. bright@bs3community.org.uk Lunch Club for 55+ n As a new year gift, BS3 Community are offering £1.50 off the lunch club (usually £4.85) for anyone attending older people’s activities including Monday Club, Dementia Supporting, Golden Memories, Sporting Memories, Qui Gong 50+ or Zumba Gold. Lunch Club runs on Thursday 12.30-1.30pm. No need to book. Enjoy a bowl of soup or quiche or a filled jacket potato followed by homemade cake and a free cuppa. info@bs3community.org.uk 0117 923 1039 bs3community.org.uk

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n CHURCH NEWS

HOPE that you enjoyed Christmas and that you found time to celebrate and acknowledge Jesus, who is the real reason for the season – God loving the world so much that he chose to come amongst us as a small defenceless human being in order to bring each one of us back into a good relationship with God. Just as you can’t have mince pies without mince meat so you cannot have Christmas

Thought for the month

Regular services

Bedminster Church of Christ 298 St John’s Lane BS3 5AY Minister Jason Snethen churchofchristbristol.org

Sunday 10am Bible Hour for all ages; 11am worship; 5pm worship; Tuesday 7.30pm Bible study; Thursday 10am Coffee morning; Friday 3.45-5pm After-school; 7-9.30pm youth group.

Bedminster Quaker Meeting House Wedmore Vale BS3 5HX Clerk Chrissie Williams 0117 923 0020 bristolquakers.org.uk

Sunday Worship 10.45am; 2nd & 4th Sunday Children’s meeting; 2nd Sunday Shared lunch.

With Rev Andrew Orton, Totterdown and Knowle Methodist churches without Christ. All you have is winter and a Mass – a mass of debt and worry about how you are going to pay for it all! I wish you all a happy and St Aldhelm’s Church Chessel Street, Bedminster BS3 3TT hello@staldhelms.org Minister Rev Nick Hay 07534 249338 staldhelms.org

Sunday 10am Morning service, informal with mix of traditional and contemporary songs. Creche, Sunday school, refreshments; House groups meet on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, 7.30pm.

St Paul’s Church 2 Southville Road, Southville BS3 1DG stpsouthville@gmail.com Rev Nick Hay 07534 249338 saintpaulschurch.co.uk

peaceful new year. New year is a time to make resolutions and promises to ourselves and to others to be different. Your resolution might be to lose weight or to make new friends or something else along those lines, but what about a new year’s resolution to keep Christ at the very centre of things and keep him part of our lives? Imagine the difference that could make to have the Emmanuel, God with

us, living and walking with us in everyday situations. Did you know that God is Dog spelt backwards? It reminds me of an anonymous poem about this and of trying to make a resolution we have difficulty keeping – it ends “A God is for life, not just for Christmas.” And so I pray God’s richest blessing to be upon you as we journey into this new year together.

Sunday 10.30am Worship is a mix of contemporary and traditional with groups for children and young people. Also: 1st Sunday 9am Traditional Communion Service; 2nd Sunday 7.30pm Praise and Prayer; 4th Sunday Sunday Sessions in Rope Walk pub.

Victoria Park Baptist Church Sylvia Avenue BS3 5DA Minister Rev Brendan Bassett 0117 977 2484 victoriapark.org.uk

Sunday 10.30am Service includes groups for all ages, and adults; coffee 11.30am; 2nd Sunday Parade Service; 3rd Sunday Communion.

St Francis Church 279 North Street, Ashton Gate BS3 1JP staldhelmsandstfrancis.org.uk Priest-in-charge Rev Andrew Doarks 0117 963 9121

Salvation Army Dean Lane BS3 1BS Officer Ben Ellis 0117 966 4952 salvationarmy.org.uk/bristolbedminster

Sunday 10am Communion or Morning Worship; 1st Saturday 10am Open church; Thursday 10am Eucharist.

Sunday 10.30am Morning Worship; 11.30am Kids Alive!; 5pm Evening Worship.

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n THE CITY PAGE Sponsored by CLEVERLEY BUILDERS

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BRISTOL CITY ROUND-UP Supporting City and the best in building

Now it’s time for City to show more drive for the top

T IS time for Bristol City fans to take stock and realise just how far things have progressed at their club. But it is also time for the club to realise it is mission accomplished as far as getting established in the Championship, and to press on to greater things. A fortuitous away win at Ipswich in November brought a welcome three points but also demonstrated what’s been achieved at Ashton Gate. Once a top flight side, Ipswich are anchored at the bottom of the table and have a run-down ground and poor prospects. For years they were seen as a bigger club than City – not any more. A hard-fought win away to Birmingham was also a milestone – the first time City have won at St Andrew’s for 25 years, against a team boasting months unbeaten at home.

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MARTIN’S SHORTS n CITY’S FA Cup game against Premier League Huddersfield Town has been selected to be shown live on television ... everywhere except the UK. Anyone who wants to catch the game on January 5 can take a flight from Bristol Airport and tune in live. The match has been moved to 5.30pm for the inconvenience of Huddersfield fans, who love driving up the motorway in the dark. Such is the craziness of television’s hold on football.

A few new faces could make all the difference, says MARTIN POWELL On January 19, City travel to Nottingham Forest. The former European Champions are one of the sides within hailing distance of City and on today’s rankings they are on a par with their Bristol rivals in that game. Sunderland – for years a bigger club than City – are a division below, fighting to hold on to their players as they attempt to get into the Championship. City are well-established in mid-table. But fans are never going to settle for mid-table obscurity and that is why the club now needs to be bold in the transfer market and take things to the next level. It has been fantastic to see Lloyd Kelly develop into a top class player and it would be even better if he realises his ambitions of playing in the Premier League with Bristol City. With more players coming through, such as Joe Morrell, and a first team squad full of fast developing talent, it is time for some strategic purchases – and strong resistance when so-called richer

Lloyd Kelly: A developing talent City must hold on to PHOTO: JMPUK/BCFC and bigger sides come knocking for players. Aston Villa, with former City strikers Abraham and Kodjia, have real ambitions for the top flight. The fact they are only a few points better off than City at the half-way stage of the season – despite spending millions of pounds on their line-up – shows the progress being made at City. There has been a slow and careful building of the current side over recent years but it is frustrating when promising young players go elsewhere, and when players who City fans perceive have a passion for the club ply their trade elsewhere. The best goalkeeper in the division is Bristolian Jack Butland, playing for Stoke; Abraham and Albert Adomah clearly have love for Bristol City but can earn more at Villa.

Liverpool have loaned another talented young Bristolian, Herbie Kane, to Doncaster not City. Just a few carefully selected new faces could make all the difference to this season, lift the mood among fans and see City challenging at the top. This season has seen some dreadful runs followed by purple patches of good results – well, more mauve if we are honest. Some fans have blamed Lee Johnson for the bad results and put the away wins at Ipswich and Birmingham down to wearing white shirts and a robin badge. In truth the current Bristol City side are a work in progress, but the January transfer window is the opportunity to show fans – and the rest of the league – that the club mean business and are ready to seriously compete for a top six finish.

CITY GAMES: Dec 29 H Rotherham Utd; Jan 1 A Stoke City; Jan12 H Bolton Wanderers; Jan19 A Nottingham Forest; Jan 26 A Middlesbrough

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n YOUR MP

KARIN SMYTH Labour MP for Bristol South

I won’t support a Brexit deal that makes South Bristol worse off

HOPE you all will have, or have had, a good Christmas and a Happy New Year, depending on when you are reading this. 2019 will be busy, with Brexit continuing to dominate proceedings in Westminster. It features heavily among the phone calls, emails and letters I get and the conversations I have with people. With only weeks to go until March 29, when we are due to leave the EU, people – regardless of which way they voted in the referendum – are understandably anxious about what this means for them. Many people are holding off on moving home, buying a car, booking a holiday or changing jobs. We don’t yet know how Brexit will impact us but neither the Prime Minister or the Chancellor has said we’ll be better off; and I cannot

support anything which makes people in Bristol South worse off. Brexit was just one of the concerns that came up in my survey last summer. Other issues you raised were housing, transport, education and the environment. Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill in the survey – it’s really helpful to know what matters to you. This year (2019) will see more homes built in Bristol South. This will inevitably affect the need for better local services – from regular and affordable public transport to access to

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GPs and other healthcare provision, nurseries and schools. I’ll be working with the relevant organisations to ensure that communities have what they need to live and work in Bristol South. As mentioned in last month’s column, I’m seeing more people coming to me for help with Universal Credit issues – something which I expect will continue into 2019 as more families are migrated onto the new single benefit. Once again, I’ll be organising more Money Entitlement events across the constituency to help people make sense of the changes and access funds owed to them. I’ll be hosting another South Bristol Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair at the South Bristol Skills Academy in Hengrove from 11am-3pm on Thursday February 28. Working with City of Bristol College, Bristol city council and the Department for Work and Pensions, I’ll be welcoming local businesses and organisations which help people secure quality apprenticeships. Post-16 education and training continues to be a key focus for me and quality apprenticeships have a big role to play in creating opportunities which lead to well-paid, reliable work. As always, you can reach me via the contact details given on page 2 if you need help with anything.

January 2019

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January 2019

INVITATION

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