South Bristol Voice February 2024 by South Bristol Voice

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www.southbristolvoice.co.uk WIDEST CIRCULATION IN SOUTH BRISTOL - 12,000 COPIES OF THIS EDITION February 2024 - Issue 98 FREE EVERY MONTH IN BEDMINSTER, SOUTHVILLE, KNOWLE, TOTTERDOWN, ASHTON, ASHTON VALE & WINDMILL HILL Dandara Living’s Zoe Sharpe handing over the keys to The MAZI Project’s Melanie Vaxevanakis

Why not join the Fans to 5k club? Page 8 (pictured above)

Three months until we vote

Youth food charity secures new home in Bedminster TWO housing developers have helped much-loved Bristol food charity The MAZI Project find, part fund and prepare a new home after the charity outgrew its previous Bedminster premises. Started during the pandemic, the charity works to empower and nurture young people aged 16-25, some of whom are victims of domestic abuse,

asylum seekers, care leavers and those recovering from homelessness. The MAZI Project, started by Bristol filmmaker Melanie Vaxevanakis, already provides weekly boxes to more than 80 young people, with cookery classes held in various locations across Bristol. The rise of those struggling to eat a hot meal each day, made

even worse by the cost of living crisis, has seen a huge increase in the number of young people being referred to The MAZI Project for support. Scaling up its work has seen the charity outgrow its North Street home. So, two developers stepped in to help secure new premises which will allow The MAZI Project to Continued on page 4 >

Page 5

Our councillors share their news Page 11

Find out about Making Space Page 14

Website marks the Swinging 60s Page 17

Knowle’s author Lizzie Lane Page 23

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May 2024 2022 February

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Ruth Drury Sales Director Publisher 07590 527664 sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk Jane Williams Editor news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

Next month’s deadline for editorial and advertising noon11, on 12 February 2024. is May 2022

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: sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or by post: 111 Broadfield Rd, Knowle, Bristol BS4 2UX or by phone: 07590527664.

My MP? Karin Smyth MP By email: karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk By post: Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA By phone: 0117 953 3575 In person: Call the above number for an appointment My councillor? Post: (all councillors) City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR. Tessa Fitzjohn Green, Bedminster By phone: 07584182801 By email: Cllr.Tessa.Fitzjohn@bristol.gov.uk Mark Bradshaw Labour, Bedminster. By email: Cllr.mark. bradshaw@bristol.gov.uk By phone: 0117 353 3160 Tony Dyer Green, Southville By phone: 07584182862 By email:

Cllr.Tony.Dyer@bristol.gov.uk Christine Townsend Green, Southville By phone: 07584183843 By email: Cllr.Christine.Townsend@bristol. gov.uk Christopher Davies Knowle Community Party. Email: Cllr. Christopher.Davies@bristol.gov.uk Phone: 07826917714 Gary Hopkins Knowle Community Party. Email: Cllr.Gary.Hopkins@bristol.gov.uk Phone: 07977 512159 Ed Plowden Green, Windmill Hill Phone: 07584184577 By email: Cllr.Ed.Plowden@bristol.gov.uk Lisa Stone Green, Windmill Hill Phone: 07584186535 By email: Cllr.Lisa.Stone@bristol.gov.uk

USEFUL NUMBERS Bristol City Council www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000 Waste, roads 0117 922 2100 Pests, dog wardens 0117 922 2500 Council tax 0117 922 2900

Housing benefit 0117 922 2300 Social services 0117 922 2900 Police Inquiries 101 Emergency 999

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southbristolvoice

February 2024

n NEWS

Youth food charity secures new home in Bedminster

Continued from page 1 quadruple the number of young people it can help. Dandara Living, which owns the new premises at St Catherine’s Trading Estate, has provided a low rent, part-funded business rates and agreed a secure lease to help ensure the charity can continue to thrive, as well as providing free skilled workers to prepare the building and vital needs such as storage racking. Acorn Property Group has been the charity’s adviser throughout, providing free professional help, sourcing the new premises, negotiating and managing contracts. The new premises is on St Catherine’s Trading Estate which Dandara Living owns. The trading estate will be redeveloped as part of the Bedminster Green regeneration. But Dandara Living was happy to see a local charity make good use of the building until it is likely to be redeveloped. “Since we set up The MAZI Project, we’ve had amazing support from a rainbow of fantastic people, organisations and companies. We’ve delivered more than 25,000 meals and 16,490 boxes,” said Melanie. “But we’ve now outgrown our base on North Street. We’re no property experts, so we really appreciate the effort and expertise both Acorn and Dandara Living have given us in finding and helping fund our new place and starting to get it ready for us to move into. And delighted we’re able to stay in BS3. “Dandara Living and Acorn have both been total stars. The Acorn team has held our hand the whole way, and found us a fantastic new place to help even more local youngsters. Dandara Living has been brilliant, helping us financially with some of the kit we need, and by getting its team to prepare our new home for a final fit-out.”

The MAZI Project is fundraising £20,000 to help get the new premises ready, enabling the team to reach more hungry and marginalised young people across the city than ever. Melanie adds: “I cannot overstate how important it is to give these young people a safe place where they can feel loved, nurtured and supported.” Dandara Living’s Senior Development Manager Zoe Sharpe said: “We were blown away by what The MAZI Project has already achieved. It reminds us that everyone can do something to support people who need a helping hand. “We acquired this building as part of our plan to build hundreds of new homes, including much-needed affordable homes at Bedminster Green. Being able to use this space for such an amazing charity is fantastic – and we’re glad to have been able to support The MAZI Project prepare and move into its new home.” Acorn Property Group’s Development Director for Bristol, Simon Gait, said: “The Acorn team supports a number of Bristol charities, but The MAZI Project really struck a chord with us and we wanted to support the work it does in the best way we can. As a property business we felt the most useful thing we could do is all the property stuff – finding the right new building, managing the negotiations, setting up the legal agreements, and – basically – being The MAZI Project’s probono property team. “This meant that Melanie and her team could get on with all the amazing things they are so good at and leave the property stuff to us. We’re delighted with the outcome and wish The MAZI Project good luck in its new home.” Among those supporting The MAZI Project is chef Josh Eggleton and Bristol-born Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams.

NEWS? Email us at: news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

Pictured above, left to right: Acorn Property Group’s Simon Gait, Dandara Living’s Zoe Sharpe, The MAZI Project’s Melanie Vaxevanakis, and Dandara Living’s Dave Merrills at the new premises.

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February 2024

n NEWS

Three months until Bristol voters decide who should run the city

There are now three months to go until Bristol voters head to the polls in the upcoming local elections. The results could see Labour losing control over Bristol City Council for the first time in several years, while the Green party could take power. The next local elections in Bristol will be held on Thursday, May 2. Whichever party wins will be responsible for running public services in the city, including taking major decisions over roads, bins, care homes, parks and libraries, affecting almost everybody living in Bristol. Voters might also go to the polls on the same day across the country for a general election. But it’s still unclear exactly when this will happen, and experts predict that the two most likely dates are either May 2 or at some point in October. Legally it must happen by January 2025. After the local elections in Bristol, the council will switch how it’s governed from a directly elected mayor to a committee model. For 12 years Bristol has been run by two mayors, the independent George Ferguson and Labour’s Marvin Rees, however this will end in May. Several prominent Bristol councillors have already announced they will not be standing at the next election. These include Labour cabinet members Asher Craig, Nicola Beech, Helen Holland and Craig

Cheney, as well as leader of the Green party Carla Denyer, who will focus on her bid to become an MP at the next general election. As well as Bristol City Council, voters across Avon and Somerset will choose which police and crime commissioner to oversee the local police force on May 2. The current commissioner is Mark Shelford, a Conservative former army lieutenant colonel. The next election for the West of England Combined Authority will be held on May 1, 2025. The current Labour metro mayor is Dan Norris, a former government minister who won the seat from the Conservatives in 2021. Local elections were held in South Gloucestershire and North Somerset last May. In South Gloucestershire, a coalition of Liberal Democrats and Labour councillors took control from the Conservatives; while in North Somerset the elections resulted in no overall control. Labour has run Bristol since 2016, but is no longer the largest party on the council. After a by-election last February, the Greens became the largest party with 25 councillors, while Labour has 24. However under the mayoral model, Labour stayed in power.

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Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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February 2024

n NEWS

Bank named in Top Ten Support phone line for for roasts across the UK carers is free to acess Totterdown-based restaurant Bank has been awarded seventh place in an independent ranking of the UK’s best Sunday Roasts in 2023. Recognised by @ RateGoodRoasts as the best Sunday roast in Bristol, Bank’s wood fired roast has also achieved the city’s first ever appearance in the Top 10, with an overall score of 92.5%. Dan O’Regan, owner and founder of Bank, said: “We never in a million years thought we’d be named in the top ten roasts in the UK. I’m so proud of our team who have accomplished such an incredible feat since we launched our roasts in March.

We’re all thrilled to be named alongside such an incredible line-up of chefs and restaurants. It’s a pleasure to start 2024 with such amazing news, and we’re really excited to relight our fire this week and welcome everyone back to the restaurant for the New Year.”

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n NEWS

Dogs ‘hit and kicked’ by owner were left unattended and in extremely poor health A man who witnesses said they saw assaulting a Staffordshire bull terrier and labrador he neglected in his care has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after a prosecution by the RSPCA. George Venner of East Street, Bedminster, was convicted of four offences under the Animal Welfare 2006 and appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court in December to be sentenced. As well as disqualifying him, magistrates imposed a 24-week custodial sentence suspended for 12 months. The court heard that RSPCA inspector Kimily Walters went to Venner’s former flat at Strawberry Close in Nailsea on September 14 last year following an earlier visit she had made, so she could check on the condition of the dogs as well as put to him allegations that had been made by witnesses who

had contacted the animal charity. The RSPCA received reports that dogs at the property had been left unattended and that they had also been hit and kicked by the defendant, while one of them was underweight and suffering with a lump on her chest for which veterinary treatment was not sought. Inspector Walters said she found Harley, an elderly brindle and white bull terrier, in a poor condition with her ribs and hips prominent in the flat, which smelt strongly of ammonia and faeces. “I saw she also had a large mass on her chest and overgrown nails. I was also shown Bandit, a black labrador, who was in a lean body condition and had a swollen ear that appeared sore,” the inspector said in a statement read to the court room. She also found a four-month old

crossbreed puppy, who was in a reasonable state of health. “I explained that I wished to have all the dogs examined at the vets as neighbours had seen the defendant assault the labrador cross and bull terrier cross called Harley and they were both in poor body condition,” added the inspector. A veterinary examination confirmed Harley was underweight, scoring two out of nine on a body condition test. There were also concerns about a “pendulous mass” in her mammary region, which she underwent surgery to remove, while Bandit was suffering with an ear infection. A vet said in his expert report that the needs of all three dogs were not met and Harley and Bandit would have been caused to suffer as a result of Venner’s

actions. Venner pleaded guilty to three animal welfare charges and denied four other animal welfare charges, but was convicted of those four offences after a trial. In mitigation, the court was told that the defendant suffered from mental health problems, including a personality disorder, and he had financial and health problems. Magistrates said that the neglect in the case had been “prolonged” and they also ordered Venner pay a £154 victim surcharge and a contribution towards court costs of £1,000. Dexter has been rehomed by the RSPCA, while Harley and Bandit have been signed over to the animal charity who will be looking to find new homes for both of them.

NEWS? Email us at: news@southbristolvoice.co.uk To advertise, contact sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk or Ruth on 07590 527664

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n NEWS

February 2024

Fitness initiative set to create ‘healthy rivalry’ Bristol football fans have a brand new way to get fit while supporting their favourite team. Fans to 5k is an exciting new initiative that couples football fandom with fitness to create a workout plan that helps fans get match-ready. With a quick and free signup to both Fans to 5k and the Strava running app, participants can track their fitness activities, which are then recorded and turned into points for your football team of choice. The points then feed into the Fans to 5k 12-week challenge, which will see teams battle it out to gain the most points as well as bragging rights before the end of the programme. Those who join the initiative also have access to the private Facebook support group, where fans can interact with one another, connect and share their fitness journeys. The Fans to 5k coach will also be in the group,

Football fans have jumped at the chance to run their way to fitness. offering support and guidance over the next 12 weeks to help participants reach their fitness goals. This new programme follows the massive success of the recent Gas to 5k pilot, which saw 63 Bristol Rovers fans cover a total of 2,378 miles over the course of the initiative. A further 1,058 miles was run after the pilot had

finished, further highlighting the positive changes participants had made to their health by signing up. Hoping to repeat this success, Grant Rees, founder of Fans to 5k, said: “The plan is simple. The initiative is unique. The impact and scale could be huge. Let’s use the energy that fans have to support their club and beat rivals

as a positive to get 5k fit.” Also commenting on the initiative, Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “It is brilliant to see initiatives such as this tap into the deep passion and love for the game that Bristol’s football fans have, in order to deliver positive change for health and wellbeing across our city. “Physical activity remains a key tool in not only improving fitness and mental health but in offering a sense of community and comradery to those in need of support. The Fan to 5k initiative offers all of this and more, with an added dose of healthy competition. “I’m looking forward to seeing how Bristol’s passionate football fans do and to see which team comes out on top at the end of the 12 weeks.” To register for the 12-week tournament, visit the website which is available online at fansto5k.co.uk

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February 2024

n NEWS FROM BRISTOL SOUTH MP KARIN SMYTH

The dental crisis needs to be resolved Since I became MP for Bristol South, my aim has always been to provide a voice for local people. While my role as Shadow Health Minister requires looking across the country more broadly, so I can hold the Government to account over its failings in managing the health service, the experiences of people in South Bristol will always be at the forefront of my work. Access to NHS dentistry is an issue where the challenges facing people locally are mirrored by the concerns I hear from people across the country. Numerous constituents with serious dental problems have contacted me in distress in recent months, unable to find an appointment with an NHS dentist. People in pain are being told there is no support available,

with nowhere else to turn but the private sector – which for many families is simply an unaffordable option. Recent data revealed that nearly every NHS dental surgery across the South West has shut its door to new patients, with a number of practices in Bristol being privatised. I’ve heard firsthand from residents that local surgeries say they have no more capacity for NHS appointments. This is a branch of our public services that is failing to deliver a service at all in many instances. It’s unjust that families grappling with the burden of a cost of living crisis are facing a choice between living in pain or paying expensive rates for a private appointment. Children are being denied the free dental services they are eligible to receive, with

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devastating consequences. In Bristol, we’ve seen the effects of the decline of NHS dentistry at the sharpest end. At south Bristol’s local NHS trust, more than 1,000 patients were forced into A&E last year due to tooth decay. People’s conditions are escalating, when regular access to a dentist could keep them healthy and out of hospital. The sector needs more support from the Government. Chronic underfunding and an out-ofdate dental contract has caused thousands of NHS dentists to leave the already thinly stretched service. Labour has listened to people’s concerns and we have raised this issue in Parliament, committing to renewing the service if in government. By ending the non-dom tax status, Labour will

provide 700,000 more NHS dental appointments every year, while offering incentives to get dentists working in areas with the highest need. Alongside reform of the NHS dental contract, Labour’s plans will lift dentistry out of this present crisis and create a service built to last.

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February 2024

n NEWS FROM LOCAL COUNCILLORS Gary Hopkins and Chris Davies

Knowle Community Party councillors for Knowle Well, the council finally issued the formal planning approval for the Broadwalk regeneration scheme before Christmas. So the scheme was approved by planning officers, the cross party planning committee (narrowly), and central government. Residents are now getting very impatient to get their shopping centre rebuilt. They have worked out that ‘Knowle deserves better’ opposition in reality means a derelict shopping centre at the heart of our community with huge negative knock on effects. The majority of residents understand financial reality pretty well and, as well as those that enthusiastically welcome the new plans in total, there are a lot who know that on balance they want development rather than dereliction and decay. The plans approved are outline and we should now be working together to agree important details for planners to consider and approve. Instead we have a further delay while a group of residents apply to

This month, we’ve given our column to Suzanne Audrey, local resident and chair of TRESA. Her petition on Bristol’s planning system reached more than 3,500 signatures, thereby triggering a council debate: I recently presented a petition to full council about loss of confidence in Bristol’s planning system. When Mayor Rees accepted an all-expenses-paid trip to Kuala Lumpur from YTL in 2017, and then cancelled Bristol’s city centre arena, there were concerns about improper influence. Worries about excessive lobbying continue. For example, recent Freedom of Information requests about the Broadwalk scandal revealed meetings between the developer, mayor’s office and planning committee chair Cllr Eddy, which resulted in a decision to reject the proposal being overturned in favour of the developer. Planning committees are crossparty and decisions must not be

the courts to ask them to overturn the council decision on grounds of flawed process. This action is against the council and not against the developers or the quality of the plan. It ignores our community’s majority wish. It is difficult to predict the outcome of this but, if they win the legal battle and the decision is reversed, then after a delay of two or three years, the council would almost certainly face a further £1m bill if it loses the developers appeal to central planners. Even if they do not care about the desperate shortage of housing in Bristol and the huge economic boost Knowle will get, they should look at what local people want and the overwhelming environmental benefits they should cooperate on the best way forward and not continue to seek to wreck our future. We would also say to a couple of the political parties to concentrate on what can be delivered and stop pedalling fantasies as if they were real choices.

made on a party political basis. But observations suggest that some councillors are being influenced to vote on a predetermined party political basis. Furthermore, policies are not applied consistently. The Urban Living supplementary planning document looked promising when published, but was soon breached when the towerblock development at Totterdown Bridge was approved. Similarly, the Mead Street Development brief was undermined when a hyperdense development was approved for the former Bart Spices site. Much of this is justified as addressing the housing crisis, but targets for affordable housing have never been met. Meanwhile, people with legitimate objections to development proposals are characterised as ‘anti-housing campaigners’. As we head towards the May local elections, I hope manifesto commitments will include efforts to restore public trust in Bristol’s planning system.

Christine and Tony joined residents and the Reverend Jacqui Kean for the unveiling of the new ‘Welcome BS3’ permanent sign on the railings of St Paul’s Church, which is visible as people cross our swanky, newly renovated Gaol Ferry Bridge. This is one of the final elements of the Safer Streets projects that have seen various pieces of safety infrastructure installed alongside community events aimed at different groups that were held over the summer months. Other residents, such as those living in Northfield House, received funds to upgrade and purchase gardening equipment that they have since put to good use in shaping and maintaining the communal gardens of their block. As we continue to face an uncertain future, including both the cost of living crisis and uncertainty about the impacts of climate change,

it is good sometimes to remind ourselves that we are part of a wider community. The BS3 area, and especially Southville ward, is facing the prospect of considerable population growth with serious concerns about whether the services and amenities required to support that growth will also be delivered. That is why we sometimes need a gentle reminder that we are part of a wider, caring community - the ‘Welcome BS3’ sign is a bright and colourful contribution to that sense of belonging. We would particularly like to extend our special thanks to our local community development officer Lynn Parfitt who has worked tirelessly on these projects, ensuring a huge number of local people were involved and empowered to influence the projects that were put forward for funding.

The decision by the United Reform Church (URC) to sell their large building on West Street has generated much interest, but also community concern about the loss of such a valuable community space in our area. The URC building is currently being used by several community groups who will now have to find alternative accommodation. The decision by the Church Synod to put the building on the open market for disposal was not a surprise as they have been reviewing future requirements and viability for some time. Working with Way Out West (WoW), we have maintained regular communication with the Synod and its advisers about the important community function provided on the ground floor. Given the strong demand for new residential space in Bedminster, I’ve no doubt there will be considerable market interest in acquiring the building and site, but I also understand that the Synod have placed a condition on any sale to ensure some

aspect of community provision. I will continue to work with WoW (as the current Chair) to discuss various community-led and investor proposals, but also to share with the Synod the importance of retaining some community space in whatever comes next for this prominent site on West Street. During February, the Area Committee of Councillors across Bedminster and several neighbouring wards will be meeting to discuss the local allocation of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds to various projects submitted last year. This is the final public stage in the decision-making. As Bristol is moving from an executive mayor to a committeebased governance arrangement from May, the local area process is most likely to change. Local CIL remains the only consistent and significant funding available to local communities and we all await details of what changes are going to be made by the Council.

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

southbristolvoice

February 2024

n ADVERTORIAL

3 delicious Sunday roasts There’s nothing better on a cold winter’s day than a hearty roast dinner. We check out some of the best Sunday roasts nearby…

• Hereford Cross Beef Sirloin with Yorkshire Pudding & Horseradish Sauce £17.95 • Wye Valley Lamb Leg, Mint Sauce £17.95

The Spotted Cow

139 North Street, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 1EZ 0117 963 4433 www.thespottedcowbristol.com info@thespottedcowbristol.com THE Spotted Cow on North Street lies in the heart of Southville and Bedminster. The pub has a rich heritage dating back to Bedminster’s agricultural past and has stood for over 200 years. The pub aims to provide a quality community pub serving up great food, drinks, and music. The pub also has a large walled garden which is a great suntrap and a perfect oasis to escape from the city. Sunday Roasts are served with Roast Potatoes, Braised Red Cabbage, Seasonal Vegetables & Rich Gravy. (Please advise a member of staff if you have any food intolerances or allergies.)

• Origin Butchers Chicken Breast, Pork & Blue Cheese Stuffing £16.95 • Somerset Pork Loin with Cider Apple Sauce £16.95 • Sweet Potato & goats cheese Bake £15.95 (v) • Walnut & Sweet Potato Nut Roast £15.95 (vgn, n) • Smoked Haddock & Clam Chowder, Guild of Dough Bread £16.95 Kids • Roast Beef, Roast Pork, Roast Lamb, Roast Chicken & Vegetarian Roasts £8.50 (v, n)

• 30-Day-Aged Topside of Beef, Braised Beef Shin £17.50 • Chicken Supreme, Chestnut Stuffing, Pig in Blanket £15.50

The Knowle

Leighton Rd, Knowle, Bristol BS4 2LL 0117 971 6351 www.theknowlebristol.com info@theknowlebristol.com THE Knowle is a traditional neighbourhood pub. We see the pub as the heart of the community, and we pride ourselves on our dedication to our customers (we prefer the term family!). We’ve got something for everyone – a beautiful walled garden, real ales on tap, quizzes, live music and everything in between. Our roasts have built a great reputation over the years and we are virtually always fully booked, although walk-ins are seldom turned away. (Please advise a member of staff if you have any food intolerances or allergies.)

• Roasted Pork Belly, Apple Sauce, Crackling £16.50 • Sweet Potato & Lentil Nut Roast V £15.00 (VG option available) All served with cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, maple-glazed carrots, fine beans, braised red cabbage, sauteed spring greens gravy Extra crackling £3.00, Cauliflower Cheese £4.50, Extra Yorkie £2.00, Pigs in Blankets £4.00 Kids • Junior Roast £7.50 Half portion of any of the above • Tomato Pasta & Cheddar Cheese V £5.00 (VG option available)

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

southbristolvoice

February 2024

n ADVERTORIAL

All Above served with Roast Potatoes, Braised Red Cabbage, Cumin Carrots, Kale, Cheesey Leeks, Gravy & Yorkshire Pudding (GFo)

The Bird In Hand

17 Weston Road, Long Ashton, Bristol BS41 9LA 01275 395 222 www.thebirdinla.co.uk info@thebirdinla.co.uk AS ANY local will know, there’s more to The Bird in Hand than first meets the eye. Yes, there’s all the rustic charm you would expect from a traditional country pub – but with an exotic twist here and there. Liz, born in South Africa, has added a few touches from home in the décor and the menu. The result is a relaxed, yet vibrant place that everyone can enjoy, all year round. • Sirloin of Beef (served pink) £17.00 • Leg of Local Lamb £17.00 • Grilled Halloumi £15.00

• Dirty Bird Burger £14.95 (Buttermilk chicken with BBQ sauce, bacon, cheese) • Crispy Seitan Burger £14.95 (Coated ‘Seitan’ with garlic mayo, jalapeno jam) Both burgers served with Pickles, Little Gem, Tomato, Fries & Slaw Children’s Menu • Kids Roasts £10.00 Above served as smaller portions of mains • Buttermilk Chicken £9.00 (Crispy fried chicken, skinny fries & peas) Please advise a member of staff if you have any food intolerances or allergies. A discretional 10% service charge will be applied to all tables.

Visit our website to find out more

admissions@cliftonhigh.co.uk | 0117 933 9087 Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

southbristolvoice

February 2024

n CHARITY FEATURE

Finding ways to make space Amber, 41, lives in South Bristol and has struggled with hoarding tendencies since she was a teenager. Here, she tells South Bristol Voice what it has been like living with this issue and how the support she is receiving from the charity Making Space is helping her to tackle it, one day at a time. “It all started in childhood. I’ve always been a keen collector of things so I think it’s a natural part of my character to want to keep hold of stuff. I remember when I was about 18 years old, a friend tidied my room for me. It was meant to be a nice surprise but it had the opposite effect and I think it triggered more intense hoarding behaviours. “In the intervening years, my hoarding tendencies steadily worsened. By the time I got some help, I’d got to the point that

managing every day activities had become difficult. Time management had become a real issue so what might take somebody else one hour was taking me five. For instance, the number of clothes I had collected over the years made doing the laundry an overwhelming task. “There were particular items that I struggled to let go of and still do. These include stationery, paperwork, photographs, clothes and ink cartridges. But now I’m learning that it’s possible to go through items in a methodical way and just tackle them bit by bit. “Around five years ago, my support worker recognised that I needed help with this and made a referral to Making Space. They assigned a volunteer to me who visited me for two hours every Thursday. She helped me choose an area to focus on and document what we were getting rid of so it made my progress really tangible.

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It was brilliant to have this weekly routine as it kept me focused on the task. We started with the kitchen and tackled one thing at a time, the first was getting rid of empty bottles so that I had clear surfaces. “I remember, on one occasion, we decided to get rid of some empty photo albums. I find these really hard to let go of as they have sentimental importance. A few weeks later, I regretted having got rid of them but I’m now glad that it happened. Having someone you trust deal with some of those important items is really helpful. “I’ve also made quite a lot of progress with letting go of clothes. Recently, a friend came over and I gave her a whole bag of clothes I don’t wear any more. That was really satisfying. And my friend sends me photos of her wearing my clothes and that makes me feel good. “I’ve also had successes with getting rid of a big box of items that I had labelled as possible gifts for people but I hadn’t got round to giving them to anyone.

It’s really satisfying to see that this box is now empty. “I no longer have my volunteer visit my home but I do attend the Making Space hoarding support sessions. I find the group really useful, as a group where people get together to talk about their experiences and get advice. “We can all share what is working for us and that’s a real motivation. It’s helpful to know we all have good weeks and bad weeks. Having feelings of overwhelm is part of the experience and sharing that is important. “Making Space is a really important part of my life now and it’s brilliant to know that it is receiving more funding so they can help more people like me make positive changes to their lives.” Anyone who would like to apply to become a volunteer can go to the Making Space website or call the team on 0300 323 0700.

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

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southbristolvoice

February 2024

ADVICE FROM A PHARMACIST with Ade Williams

How to succeed at keeping positive changes in 2024 Did you know that the second Friday in January is statistically shown to be ‘Quitters Day’? By this day, for a majority of people, those good new year resolutions that got us dusting our running shoes, on a new diet plan (more greens!), wheeling out our bikes and powering up the treadmill have all fizzed and flattened out. So are things not going as well as you imagined? Please don’t despair or give up. Here are some proven tips on how to succeed. The most significant factor for success is enjoyment. Research proves that immediate rewards from new habits help us stick to them. It is a big step in the right direction for you. Celebrate all your wins, no matter how small. Focus on developing good habits rather than just meeting set goals. Count steps and keep increasing them. Drink more water and aim to eat at least five portions of fruits. Don’t just be

focused on counting calories and the bathroom scale dial. Behavioural science also shows that we place too much emphasis on willpower as a key driver for positive changes regarding our physical wellbeing and diet. The wrong ideas about willpower drive us to work to unrealistic timescales/goals for adopting new behavioural patterns and habits. Take diet changes: every time we exercise self-control, we build willpower. Saying no to feasting on threats, especially when no one is watching, makes it easier for you next time. It is a big win. Keep things fun and achievable. Selfcriticism is linked to less motivation and poorer self-control. Be supportive of yourself and others. You are a unique individual, find your preference, whether it’s doing activities in the morning, being part of a group, or using

gadgets to support you. Choose your own way to success. The positive link between physical and mental wellbeing is now better understood. We also know that for many of us, the challenges we face with mental health may mean we struggle more with adopting positive changes. Please, rather than feeling you are letting yourself and others down, what is most important is getting the right help you need. Remember that the Bedminster Pharmacy team offers access to confidential NHS advice with kindness. We are here for you, just as we know you are for us.

0300 323 0700 info@wecr.org.uk www.wecr.org.uk Previously known as We Care & Repair, we have over 30 years of experience

We specialise in:

Call us on 0300 323 0700

Accessible bathroom & kitchen installations Home adaptations, conversions, extensions & repairs Handyperson service Occupational Therapy

Our aim is to improve the homes of older people and those with disabilities - enabling them to live independently in the surroundings they love for as long as they choose Appointed provider for:

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

southbristolvoice

February 2024

n HISTORY FEATURE

Celebrating the Swinging Sixties The Sixties was a colourful decade of change and activism, which saw a push for equal rights and the beginnings of the peace movement. From civil rights to gay liberation to calls to the second wave of feminism, the establishment of the day was firmly challenged. Local author Richard Graves has documented his experiences. Richard Graves, who lives in Totterdown, has written extensively on the period of the Swinging Sixties and has created a website to mark the people and events of the time. He said: “It was a time of great change and it felt as if anything was possible. The old society was swept away and liberation rushed in.” But Richard, who was studying at the University of Oxford at the time, believes the Sixties did not actually begin for most people outside London until 1968. He added that not all change was positive and it was also a period of great loss. Richard said: “Change had its downsides, too. Sometimes the very thing which brought positive change had a negative and perhaps unexpected effect as well.” Sexual revolution is synonymous with the sixties. But it was Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president in the US, who advocated for people to have the right to love whom they pleased back in the 1870s.

Richard at uni in 1964. The Sixties and the introduction of the contraceptive pill may have helped liberate some women and break down taboos, but it also put pressure on others to always be willing. Richard said: “This era saw the start of modern feminism, where women had the freedom to be themselves. But it was also a time when some unscrupulous men could take advantage of women under the guise of ‘free love’.” Author Virginia Ironside described the flip side of the revolution and how pregnancy was no longer a reason to say ‘no’, which was often exploited. ‘Free love’ also did not end violence against women or inequality. Shortening hemlines marked shifting attitudes as the Sixties gave way to a more casual way of dressing. Designer Mary Quant popularised the mini-skirt and helped bring mass production of affordable fashion to the public. Richard, who has written about Sixties’ heiress and fashion model Nicky Samuel, said: “Suddenly there was a sea of mini skirts on campus. It took us by surprise and made quite an impact.” The boutique scene shot up and people flocked to new stores in London’s Kings Road and Carnaby Street. Granny Takes a Trip, founded by Nigel Waymouth, his girlfriend Sheila Cohen and John Pearse, was one such place young people would shop. As the Sixties site explains, the shop name explained its style of clothing: it sold antique pieces and also fitted the LSD-heavy

Richard with one of the books he has written. counterculture of the time. Richard said: “I think we had been Richard writes in his book, ‘Nicky living in a very hierarchal society. Samuel: My Life and Loves’, how I was brought up not to have my the ‘It girl’ of the time met with hands in my pocket while speaking Waymouth and described him as to someone of a higher social rank. “the most fashionable hippy in the Change brought some freedom, King’s Road”. but some might say also a loss of The Sixties saw the beginnings of discipline. the peace movement and LGBT+ “Traditional values ebbed away rights, alongside the birth of the and divorce was no longer the Beatles and the Vietnam War. stigma it was once. Children of The 1969 Stonewall Riots marked divorced parents had been bullied a historic turning point for gay and ostracised but fortunately this rights and became a symbol of changed.” resistance. While British music saw Richard wants to recognise the the introduction of rock and roll and social and cultural significance of the ‘Beatlemania’, as well as festivals Sixties. He said: “I don’t think we which would go down in history. should view the era with rose-tinted Richard said: “People questioned glasses, some of the change was slow the establishment, calling for coming and not all of it was positive. equality and demanding change But it was a time when many social rock music was the soundtrack to freedoms were fought for and won, this counterculture movement.” for which we should be grateful.” Traditional hierarchies began to For more information, visit dissolve and family values evolved. theswinging60s.com

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

southbristolvoice

February 2024

n NEWS

Local libraries struggling to stay open Council leaders are being urged to scrap a recruitment freeze that has forced every Bristol library except the main Central one to close temporarily in the last two months. All 26 local branches across the city, including those in South Bristol, have shut their doors to residents at least once since the local authority ordered a ban on casual employees from November. There have been 287 full or part-day closures in total, with the worst hit being Filwood which has closed 22 times, followed by Henleaze, Lockleaze, Henbury and Knowle. Only Fishponds has avoided having to shut on fewer than four occasions over the last two months, with a single partial closure. Cllr Tim Kent (Lib Dem, Hengrove & Whitchurch Park) has tabled a motion to full council calling on Labour mayor Marvin Rees’s administration to reverse the decision. The council says hiring casuals has been paused until February to help balance the books, while

Labour has hit back at the Liberal Democrats, accusing the party of “hypocrisy” for starting national austerity under the former Coalition Government with the Conservatives and causing the funding crisis. Cllr Kent’s silver motion, which means it could be debated depending on time constraints, said: “Bristol City Council is proud that it has protected libraries from closure and notes that in many parts of the country many libraries have been lost. “Council is pleased that previous closure plans were scrapped and strongly supports retaining the branch library network as a free, affordable, warm, and safe space where people can access knowledge. Council notes and supports the previous work on welcome spaces in the city – and notes that for many, that is their local branch library. “Council is very concerned that the recruitment freeze, enacted by officers following consultation with Labour cabinet members, has created a stealth closure of branch libraries with many now

being forced to close once or twice a week. “Council calls on the Mayor’s administration to instruct officers to immediately end the recruitment freeze for the library service and ensure they have the staff available to ensure branch libraries remain open.” A Labour group spokesperson said: “Since the Lib Dems started national austerity with the Tories in 2010, a fifth of libraries in the UK have sadly been shut. In Bristol, our Labour administration has protected them all. “One of the Lib Dems’ local election candidates, who served as David Cameron’s Local Government Minister, was held to account for his role in that Coalition Government at the last full council meeting by the Mayor, who pointed out the hypocrisy of [Stephen] Williams cutting local government budgets and then complaining about the pressure facing councils. “That meeting also saw the Lord Mayor correct the contention of the Lib Dem Group Leader

that austerity is somehow unconnected to the rising levels of homelessness seen since the Lib Dems jumped into bed with the Tories to start more than a decade of national decline. “This period has also seen, despite historic progress under our administration in Bristol, too few new homes built nationally.” A council spokesperson said: “The operational decision to temporarily pause deployment of casual staff across our library service until February will help support the council to deliver a balanced budget, in a difficult financial climate for councils across the country. Since 2010, around a fifth of the UK’s libraries (some 800) have closed permanently. “The mayor’s administration is proud to have invested in Bristol’s libraries since 2016, protecting them from national austerity. Casual staff are sometimes deployed at short notice to help us ensure continuity of service, which is also affected by a number of factors including staff sickness and current or future vacancies.” By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporter

nN EWS FROM BS3 COMMUNITY – THE CHARITY THAT RUNS THE SOUTHVILLE CENTRE AND THE CHESSEL CENTRE Connect With Ease

Do you want to know how to get online? We have some new drop-in sessions for people aged 50+ to learn how to use the internet, emails, tablets etc. The sessions are at Bedminster Library on Mondays 12-3pm on February 5, 19 and 26. Then at Ashton Vale Community Centre on Mondays 10-12pm on March 4 and 11. No need to book – just pop in! Free tea and coffee will be available. For more details, contact Jaqui Ham on 0117 9231039 or jacqui.ham@ bs3community.org.uk Thanks to St Monica Trust.

BS3 Community Information Café

BS3 Community Information Cafe launched in January and is welcoming people in our Southville Centre, every Friday between 2.30-4.30pm. We offer support and information on a variety of services and help navigate online resources

and forms. There will be free refreshments as well as free WiFi and phone charging. This is a drop-in session, but if you would like to book in an appointment to talk about a specific issue please contact Leanne on 0117 9231039 or email leanne.purton@ bs3community.org.uk

BS3 Daddin’

As part of our Festival of Voice, and curated by Humankind Festival, we have a free event in our Southville Centre on Saturday 10 February from 8.30am-12pm. BS3 Daddin’ is a hangout for dads and their kids (ages 0-5yrs), to have fun with other dads and

kids. There will be indoor and outdoor spaces with toys, activities and books for kids and adults. There will be breakfast provided, too (pay as you feel). For more more information, contact our reception on 0117 923 1039 or via email on info@bs3community.org.uk

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

southbristolvoice

February 2024

n SPINAL COLUMN

A right pain in the back Low back pain - it’s a challenge many of us face, often making simple activities feel like daunting tasks. But what if this pain isn’t just a nuisance, but a message from your body seeking care and attention? At Kasa, we’re committed to not only hearing this message but also understanding and thoughtfully addressing it with expertise. Low back pain can often seem like a complex puzzle. Is it the result of how we sit, our daily routines, or perhaps stress that’s adding tension to our muscles? At Kasa, our approach is to delve beyond the surface pain to unearth its root cause. We’re focused on interpreting your body’s signals and restoring equilibrium where it’s most needed. Many times, the source of low back pain is a trapped nerve. This might be due to a disc herniation compressing a nerve or a joint that’s not moving properly, leading to nerve irritation and muscle spasms. These conditions disrupt your body’s natural balance, manifesting as pain.

Our chiropractic care at Kasa is designed to address these imbalances. We gently adjust the spine, similar to tuning a guitar, ensuring each ‘string’ or part of your body works in harmony. This precise alignment restores function and eases discomfort in your lower back. In conjunction with chiropractic adjustments, our massage therapy targets muscle tightness often associated with

nerve issues. This dual approach is like a symphony for your body, with each treatment complementing the other, providing a holistic solution to both the symptoms and their causes. Once we’ve restored harmony to your back, we guide you in maintaining this balance. Regular practices, akin to tuning a well-loved guitar, help your body adapt to life’s varied stresses, preventing future pain and maintaining your overall wellbeing. Step into Kasa and begin your journey to conquer low back pain. Together, we’ll navigate this path towards a future where your every move is in tune, pain-free and full of life. Charles Herbert Chiropractor | Director Kasa Chiro 0117 370 2680 www.kasachiro.com

Sciatica | Low Back Pain | Neck Pain | Headaches | Sports Injuries

What’s pain stopping you from doing right now? Get back to feeling healthy and energised, not restricted by injury or defined by illness. With our head-to-toe approach we can relieve your pain, ease symptoms and get you back to being you. Call us today to book your full Chiropractic Consultation including digital x-rays (if clinically indicated) Usually £125, today only £20 Quote ‘Voice Magazine’ to make the most of this great offer 217b North Street BS3 1JL (upstairs above Mon Pote) www.thechirocentre.co.uk

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

southbristolvoice

February 2024

n NEWS

n PILATES

Sona Pilates with Leanne Copley As February unfolds, it brings a perfect opportunity to show some love and appreciation for your own body and mind. Instead of maybe the guilt or crazy resolutions you put it through in January. Amid this season of affection, consider weaving Pilates into your routine, not just as a fitness regimen, but as a means to cultivate a better relationship with your own body. Pilates with its focus on core strength, flexibility and mindful movement aligns with a month that celebrates love and connection. Engaging in Pilates can be a self-care ritual, your intentional act of nurturing your body and mind. As you flow through each Pilates exercise, breathe in appreciation, exhale the stress and find a deeper connection with yourself. This mind-body harmony achieved through Pilates contributes to your physical fitness and will give you a heightened sense of overall well-being. Joseph Pilates called it Contrology, he encouraged control/ awareness of body and mind. This February, let Pilates be your companion on your whole body health journey. Embrace the mindful movements, cherish the connection between your body and mind, and discover the transformative power of Pilates. Join a class or 1:1 at Sona Pilates at Bristol Osteopaths. www.sonapilates.com

School seeks to expand The planning agent behind the Oasis Academy Daventry Road School has contacted residents near to the school, which is located just off Walsh Avenue, to let them know that, subject to planning permission being secured, additional classroom accommodation is required for the school facilities. The extension would accommodate 360 students while the permanent school building in Daventry Road is completed. Planning agent Niall McDonald said in the letter: “The proposal will seek planning permission for a first floor extension to the existing single storey building and further hard play areas as indicated in the site plan below.

The temporary site will continue to be accessible to students via the existing pedestrian access from Walsh Avenue, which has been in use since September 2023. “Subject to planning permission being secured from Bristol City Council, works are due to commence in May 2024, to ensure it is installed and ready for the new academic year in September 2024. “As with the current permission, following the expiry of the temporary consent, the units will be removed and the land reinstated to its former use as playing field space for Oasis Academy John Williams. Permission will be sought for one additional school year.”

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February 2024

n ADVERTISING FEATURE

Brunel’s SS Great Britain: tickets that last a year, memories that last a lifetime Value for money is more important than ever this year, especially for families. At Brunel’s SS Great Britain, buy tickets once and visit as many times as you like for a whole year. With two interactive museums and a Victorian steamship to explore, there’s more to experience than you think. There are hundreds of sights, sounds and smells to discover along with new activities for each school holiday, meaning no two days out are the same. This year’s theme of botany explores the vital role of steamships like the SS Great Britain in the global migration of plants in the Victorian era and the lasting impact on our world today. It kicks off in February half term with Victorian paper flower-making and bookmark-making, with many more family activities to come throughout 2024.

Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

southbristolvoice

February 2024

n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Make this the year you volunteer ARE you looking for a new opportunity - and a challenge? Why not make this the year you get involved in supporting community safety? There are many opportunities to volunteer through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, including several roles we are currently recruiting for. All are crucial in helping me to effectively hold the police to account and support improvement of the service they deliver to local people. I am looking for people from a range of backgrounds, professions and experience who are passionate about ensuring the police are efficient and effective to become members of our joint audit committee (JAC). The roles are voluntary but do attract an annual payment of £2,000, plus expenses. The JAC is independent, and advises on good governance

and providing assurance on the effectiveness of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office. It assesses risks to the organisation, undertakes compliance checks and ensures good financial practices are in place and followed. You can apply for the role online here: tinyurl.com/yc2emtyc. I am also currently recruiting for independent custody visitors, who carry out unannounced inspections of police custody centres to ensure people being held in custody are aware of their rights and what they are entitled to for their well-being while detained. Volunteers sign up to do one visit per month to one of three custody centres located in Keynsham, Patchway and Bridgwater. Being arrested and taken into custody will be a moment of stress, and when people are at

their lowest ebb. These roles are part of my legal responsibility to scrutinise the work of the police, and my custody visitor volunteers are members of the public who ensure the police provide the level of care and respect we expect. You can apply directly for this role online here: tinyurl. com/38ky3pex. February 6 is Safer Internet Day, a campaign designed to remind and empower people to use the internet safely. As the national lead for Economic and Cyber Crime at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), I want to echo these sentiments and encourage everyone to practice secure internet usage, taking back control from cybercriminals. If there’s one action anyone can take, it’s using strong and unique passwords for each online account, a simple step that can

With police and crime commissioner

Mark Shelford

keep you protected. If you’ve fallen victim to a scam, know that there’s no shame in seeking support. Contact your bank immediately, and then report the scam to Action Fraud at 0300 123 2040 or online through actionfraud. police.uk.

n NEWS

Ultimate Quiz final a great success This month saw the ultimate quiz off final at BAWA Filton. Organised by Sam Munnings, the brain behind the quiz company Lets Get Quizzical, 40 teams came together to battle it out to become the champion of champions. Sam and his gang of 14 quiz hosts are seen in more than 40 locations per month, running a wide variety of themed quizzes to more than 100 quizzers per week. Set up in 2018 as an alternative to teaching, Sam has branched out to locations including Bristol, Keynsham, Swindon and Brighton. The Ultimate Quiz off was made up of 40 teams representing the highest scoring quiz teams from each regular quiz location. With great prizes on offer, the teams faced popular rounds, such as the music round, countdown round, snookered round and the dreaded all or nothing round where only the bravest teams will gamble for maximum points. All night, the totals were close with jokers and creativity moving the leaderboard around constantly with very few extra points coming from the bonus Play Your Cards Right round. At the end of the night, with some last-

minute risk taking, three teams pulled slightly ahead and they found the winners In third place, winning £100, were The Sippers representing The Sandringham in Downend. In second place, winning £200, were Bloodbath from The Crafty Cow on Gloucester Road. And in first place, winning a fantastic £500, were Three’s Comany representing The Castle in South Bristol. With funds being raised for Blythe House, who took care of Sam’s mum at the end of her illness, and lots of happy faces all round, a great night was had by all.

1st place - South Bristol Three’s Company

3rd place - The Sippers

2nd place - Bloodbath

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

southbristolvoice

February 2024

n FEATURE

Meet Knowle’s secret bestselling author There’s a bestselling author from Knowle West who has published more than 60 historical novels but you may very well not have heard of her… until now! Jane Williams speaks with Lizzie Lane as she celebrates the publication of her most recent book, ‘Dark Shadows Over Coronation Close’, which is set in South Bristol. After growing up on Glyn Vale and attending Victoria Park School and then Marksbury Road Secondary School, Lizzie Lane has seen first-hand how tough life could be on the new council estates in the 1950s and 1960s. And it is these experiences that fill the pages of scores of her popular historical novels, particularly those in the ‘Tobacco Girls’ and ‘Coronation Close’ series. Lizzie’s father was a foreman at the Bond Tobacco Warehouse on Cumberland Road, her sister had been a cigar girl on Raleigh Road, and her sister-in-law worked at the Wills factory on East Street making Woodbines. And this was where Lizzie herself worked for a while in the 1970s, as a PA to the senior medical examiner. All of these experiences, and more, have helped to shape the stories within the six books in the ‘Tobacco Girls’ series’, which have been bestsellers all over the world. “People from Canada and Australia have contacted me to say their relatives worked in the Bristol tobacco factories,” says Lizzie proudly. “When I was a kid at school, a vast amount of girls left school at 15 and either went into the tobacco factories or Robinsons’ paper bag factory. I’d see them come up

the road in the green uniform for Wills or blue overalls for Robinsons, they were singing coming up the hill, and I used to be so jealous. They seemed such a merry little band. That was the thing that really moved me to write the ‘Tobacco Girls’ series.” The same characters appear across all six books, with two of the girls living on Marksbury Road and another living on the Dings. “The whole point was I remember how girls thought at that time,” says Lizzie. “I had to get into the psychology of Bristol South girls, which was you got a job, you got a boyfriend, you got married, you had kids, that was it. But the series starts in 1939, and what I’ve concentrated on was the huge difference the war made. Suddenly those lives they had more or less planned out didn’t happen. Those girls ended up in the services, and it was the first big incidence of people from working-class backgrounds not just getting out of the city and all over the country but all over the world. It was such a big awakening, and it opened people’s eyes to possibilities.” Meanwhile the ‘Coronation Close’ series is based on a fictional road in Knowle West, and it’s to this series that her newest book belongs: ‘Dark Shadows on Coronation Close’. This series follows people who have been moved out of slum housing into the then-new council homes. As Lizzie says, people now look down at those in council houses but at the time they were luxury accommodation compared to what people had lived in before. “People had been living in two rooms, with kids, the bath hung on the back wall, having to get water from the pump. And suddenly, in 1923, the first council houses were built and it was fantastic. There was a toilet and tap indoors, and it was luxury. And I do tend to get fixated on social improvements and social history in my books.”

As the name suggests, the ‘Coronation Close’ series, which begins in 1936, uses the coronations, or not, of several monarchs as jumping off points. 1936 was the year of the coronation that didn’t happen, when Edward VIII abdicated. “It’s about a neighbourhood, about people coming out of the slums and moving in and all becoming very neighbourly, but all with their own individual problems,” says Lizzie. “A young daughter is about to leave school at 14 and thinks she’s being treated like a child. Another woman in the street, her husband joined the army because he preferred to be with boys in uniform, and that was at a time when you kept it quiet if you were gay. I do address subjects with care.” As a child, Lizzie always loved reading and says her mother gave up trying to get her to play with dolls as they were always abandoned and just bought her books instead. Favourite authors for Lizzie as a child included Nathanial Hawthorne, Louisa M Alcott and the ‘What Katy Did’ books by Susan Coolidge. Lizzie is currently enjoying reading lots of books by Charles Dickens, who she says is the ultimate novelist specialising on the lives of working-class people. “Dickens was the first of those authors who concentrated on working-class poor people, So of course I’m inspired by his stuff,” she says. Despite having written more than 60 books, Lizzie only started writing about 30 years ago driven by the need to earn a living during a tough financial climate. “I studied the market, looked at what sort of books were required, who was buying them, and dare I write them?” she explains. “I started in 1992 and I was first published 14 months later by Virgin. Over 30 years, the market has changed so much, though. When I’ve started, you had a typewriter, an electric one if you were lucky, you still had Tippex, and now it’s so much easier.” But while it may be said that everyone has a book in them, Lizzie cautions that there’s a lot more to it than just putting pen to paper: “It’s all very well writing. A lot of self-published authors think you’ve just got to write the book but it’s the marketing that matters. Publishers won’t print anything unless they can make money from it and think towards the long-term. So you can’t just shove a book out there.” What does the future hold for this busy woman? Lizzie laughs and says: “I’m just doing the structural edits on a new series, which is set in a cottage hospital in the Somerset coalfields. It’s about a female doctor qualifying in 1930 and everything that she is up against.” For more information, visit lizzielaneauthor.com

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n NEWS

Dame Emily needs you!

Would you like to use your skills for the good of your community? If so, why not volunteer with the team at the Dame Emily Park Community Garden in BS3? Whether, you’re an accountant or plumber, a builder or teacher, a grandparent or a teenager, the team at Dame Emily would really love to hear from you, so please do get in touch and you can chat about what volunteer opportunities are available or coming up and what would be a good fit for your skills and interests. Additionally, if you are studying for a horticulture qualification, you can volunteer at Dame Emily Park to help with your practical skills. Finally, if your team at work would like some time away from the office to do a bit of volunteering, do consider heading to Dame Emily Park. They welcome groups of between five and 15 people, helping either the garden team or the site management team get some jobs done. For more information, email dameemilypark@gmail.com

February 2024

The Theatre and Entertainment Luvver As hopefully the rain finally stops but the chill of winter still prevails, February finally takes centre stage. In a month adorned with red, pink, hearts and passion, this creates the perfect backdrop for drama, romance and tales of heartache. Setting hearts a flutter and a few sweaty palms is community theatre and performance. This can be embraced in many ways. Through the open mic nights at the Hen and Chicken every first Wednesday, and the open mic jam sessions every third Thursday at the Southbank, let your talent shine if you are musically gifted or have a tune you’d love to share. Alternatively, if your passions lie in treading the boards, then join one of the many community theatre groups at acta or an acting class at the Tobacco Factory. Let your emotions sour, with night of live theatre at Bristol Old Vic with ‘Twelfth Night’ and the premier of ‘Starter for Ten’, or treat yourself or a loved one to Tim Key reading his new poetry anthology ‘Chapters’ at the Tobacco Factory Roses are red, violets are blue, in February you will hopefully find a festival just for you. Bristol once again is offering a rich blend of visual and performing arts festivals. The Bristol Light Festival is back taking over the streets of Bristol with incredible light installations from

2-11 February. And at the Beacon, Watershed and Bristol Old Vic, the Slapstick Festival will be tickling you pink. February weaves a tale of creativity and passion, uniting us in a shared love of everything Bristol has to offer. I for one am in love! Jacqui Ham

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February 2024

n FROM THE MAYOR’S OFFICE

Marvin awarded OBE for services to local government Marvin Rees has been named on His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours List. Mayor Marvin Rees OBE said: “I’m deeply honoured to have been awarded an OBE for services to local government by His Majesty King Charles III. This would not have been possible without the support of my family, my team, and many other fellow Bristolians over a number of years. “Together, we have delivered a lot. Since 2016, to give just two examples, Bristol has built over 12,500 new homes to tackle the housing crisis and secured the world-first Bristol City Leap deal, which plans £630 million of clean energy investment by 2028. “In my final four months as Mayor of my home city, our focus remains on delivering for Bristol as we continue building a City of Hope, where nobody is left behind.” Mrs Peaches Golding OBE, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County and City of Bristol, added: “I am delighted that the National

Honour awarded to Marvin Rees OBE, and to other worthy recipients in the region, recognises the immense contributions made to strengthen the fabric of society. Congratulations to everyone!” Mayor Rees’ two terms as Mayor have seen £95 million secured to unlock 10,000 new homes and 22,000 new jobs in Temple Quarter, one of Europe’s largest regeneration schemes. Some £14.5 million has also been secured for the regeneration of Filwood Broadway. The Mayor also led Bristol’s successful bid to bring Channel 4 to the city, and has prioritised work to make Bristol an accredited Living Wage City, as well as to protect the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and all of the city’s libraries and children’s centres. He led Bristol through the pandemic, steered the city through the aftermath of the toppling of the Colston statue, and supported Bristolians through the cost of living crisis, with 105 Welcoming

Spaces opened across the city’s communities last winter. The Mayor secured Bristol City Leap, which plans £630 million of clean energy investment by 2028, cutting 150,000 tonnes of emissions. As a founding member of both 3Ci and the Mayors Migration Council, he continues to advocate for cities to be at the heart of global policy around climate change and migration – including on a Ted Talk viewed by more than 1.6 million people.

Mayor Rees is chair of Core Cities UK, a grouping of the 11 largest cities outside of London, and represents the UK on the Commonwealth Local Government Forum. A Yale World Fellow and graduate of the Harvard Bloomberg City Leadership Initiative, the Mayor received an honorary Doctor of Letters by Swansea University. He is also an honorary fellow of both RIBA and the RSA, and was listed fourth on the latest UK Powerlist, ranking the most influential Black people in Britain. In 2023, the Mayor ran the London Marathon for Southmead Hospital Charity; having previously supported Empire Fighting Chance’s fundraising, including through the October Club; and abseiled down Castlemead, Bristol’s then-tallest building, for St Peter’s Hospice. He also serves as an Ambassador for Tearfund, the international development charity, and as President of the British Exploring Society.

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n ADVERTORIAL

Back in Balance

February 2024

n WILDLIFE

Parks and recreation By Ben Barker, Secretary, BS3 Wildlife Group

All of us suffer at some point from pain in our backs, right? It’s one of the biggest causes of absence from work. There are many external causes, but there is one over-riding contributor that is common to us all. Gravity. You may not know this, but, as we go about our daily lives, the effects of climate gravity compress our spines and body. Think in turn causes tension, restricts the flow of lymphatic fluid and blood around the body, and can cause problems such as sciatica. And it can be very expensive to put right! Bristol based Back in Balance have the answer! Inversion therapy - a simple, safe and effective treatment for back pain - easing the symptoms of conditions such as sciatica and scoliosis, as well as general soreness. By inverting the body, gravity de-compresess our backs, loosesn tension, and allows our body to re-align itself. Back in Balance was originally set up by Cynthia Goldstien and James Anderson to take inversion therapy around festivals. They are now bringing this wonderful treatment to the Tobacco Factory. “So many people were asking where we practiced and whether they could book in treatments. We’ve now been offered a lovely space at the Tobacco Factory so we can share this amazing treatment with all.” said Cynthia. She was also keen to point out that inversion is not just for those with back pain, “Not only is it preventative, but there are multiple benefits for the body and mind as a whole. And at £15 a treatment it’s accessible to anyone. If you would like to know more about what Inversion Therapy involves and it’s many benefits, do visit our website at: https://www.backinbalancecollecive.co.uk/ ” From Jan 2024 you can book a session at the Tobacco Factory by phone (07585328773 / 07913468679) or email backinbalancecol@gmial.com. Go on give your body a treat!

Bristol Parks Service is the largest landowner in the city. What they do, or not, about wildlife is therefore very significant. Parks are multi-purpose spaces. Many of their features, including sports pitches, skateboard areas and acres of short grass, aren’t very wildlife friendly. BCC’s recently published Parks and Green Spaces Strategy (2024-2039), recognises the complexity of public parks, but inevitably, contains vague aspirations like “… by 2039 all our communities feel that parks are accessible, inclusive, safe, fun and rich in nature…” I’ll be 100 in 2039 so I’m keen to see the outcome. We should see more meadows in our local parks, ie areas of long grass full of flowering weeds beloved by the insects that pollinate our gardens and support mammals and birds. I expect lots more trees, berry bushes and ponds. “Water is life”, but it’s assumed by many that ponds are dangerous to children. There’s no evidence for this and the journey to the park is probably more dangerous. Currently, domestic gardens are the chief water source for most wildlife. The BS3 Wildlife Group is working with park groups including Victoria Park Action Group and Friends of Greville Smyth Park. These and other groups have started to monitor their park’s existing wildlife. We need to know which birds, mammals, insects etc are currently using the space and how this is changing. Park groups are also developing ideas for wildlife improvements. A lot of the digging and planting needed and some maintenance will be down to volunteers. Contact mywildbedminster@virginmedia.com

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February 2024

n WHAT’S ON February 3, Redcatch Community Garden ‘Frozen’ show - dancing, games, photos and cake. £7 for one adult and child. 1.302.45pm and 3-4.15pm. Book via redcatchcommunitygarden. com Half term activities including Lego, craft activities, Happymess and more - visit redcatchcommunitygarden. com for more information.

February 7-8, Tobacco Factory Theatre, A Family Business. We don’t really talk about nuclear weapons much.Even though they accompany us everywhere. Invisible guests in cafés, on the shelves of supermarkets, in line at the cash machine. Guests that could destroy all of that and more in a second. A Family Business is about diplomats, activists, and a journey to change the world. If these weapons could wipe out all our tomorrows, then why aren’t we all talking about them today?

February 12-17, Bristol Old Vic, Black is the Colour of My Voice. Inspired by the life of Nina Simone, and featuring many of her most iconic songs performed live. Apphia Campbell’s acclaimed play follows a successful singer and civil rights activist as she seeks redemption after the untimely death of her father. She reflects on the journey that took her from a young piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church, to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. February 15, acta Theatre, Trapped by Young Carers. acta’s Young Carers Youth Theatre has been meeting online for a few months to lay the foundations for this show. In the three days prior to the show, they will devise it and rehearse it ready to present to an audience. In Trapped, we meet two people who are intent on overhauling the education system. They say it’s too rigid, too ‘one-sizefits-all’, and too outdated to work anymore. Searching for alternatives, they send a group of students on an adventure of a lifetime, learning lessons that couldn’t ever be taught.

Until February 25, Bristol Hippodrome, Wicked. Based on the acclaimed novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked imagines a beguiling backstory to the lives of L Frank Baum’s beloved characters, and reveals the magic that shaped the destinies of two unlikely friends on their remarkable journey to becoming Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. This award-winning production flies back to Bristol complete with all the spectacle and magic that make this an unforgettable and unmissable experience. February 27-March 2, Tobacco Factory Theatre, Beautiful Evil Things. What if there was another take on the Trojan War? Enter Medusa. She was there. Monstrous gorgon? Perhaps. But she was there – as a bodiless head strapped to the shield of a goddess. Her forever-openeyes saw it all: Epic combat. Mighty swords. Giant horse-sculptures filled with men. But as the war raged on, Medusa’s petrifying gaze focused on three extraordinary women who might just hold the key to her ultimate hope.

March 2, City Hall, Bristol Women’s Voice International Women’s Day Celebration. Bristol Women’s Voice is returning with its free annual event from 10am-5pm. Everyone is welcome and there will be more than 50 activities featuring women speakers, organisations and accessible activities that cover movement, art, film, debate, sport, employment, wellbeing and more. 8 March, Ashton Court Mansion, Dereliction Tour of Upstairs. Starting at 11am, 12pm, 1.30pm and 2.30pm, tickets (£5, max 10 people) will be available from 10 February via Headfirst or via famvolunteering@gmail.com 9-10 March, Ashton Court Mansion, Open Weekend. From 10.30am-4pm, the Grade I listed mansion will be open for all to visit for free. Guests can explore downstairs as well as the exhibition about the mansion’s architecture, history and archeology. The mansion is on the Buildings at Risk Register, and described as: “At once exciting, puzzling, neglected and intensely sad.” ashtoncourt.wixsite. com/mansionfriends

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February 2024

n WICKED WITCH

In witch I will not become one I have lots of friends who are grandparents. I like most of them as long as they don’t go on too much about how wonderful their tiny offspring are. Yes, show me the odd cute photo, maybe a short video if it will make me laugh. Feel free to tell me about how awful they are, I’m happy to sympathise. But never tell me that they are superintelligent because I’ll just roll my eyes and stare into the middle distance, I really don’t care. Anyway, I am not going to be one of those worn out beings, we’ve all seen them, 50-60 but looking much older, pushing a pram with a screaming toddler inside. Like my friend Mrs Proud from North Bristol whose house used to be immaculate. She has a grandson who is four and wild. “Oh I loves him so much,” she crooned on a recent telephone call, before my

eardrum was nearly blown apart as she yelled “PUT THAT STOOL DOWN YOU LITTLE *#*!#” and she returned to me sighing “Ahh, I loves him, I do.” No, thank you. You can keep your grandbabies, my life is nice and easy and wet wipe free. Then the eldest boychild gave me the surprising news that I too would be grand. I must admit that I did not take it very well. “We will have to move,” I told Himself as I mournfully saw my future life disappear down a tunnel of plastic toys and soft play. What? I don’t want to do it. I’ve had four babies and it was lovely at the time, from what I remember, but also draining with a large side order of boring. These days new parents demand free childcare from

their own parents. No. Just no. We got messages when Goldilocks (my son’s girlfriend) went into labour and the hours dragged on. Then we were told she’d be having a caesarean so me and my youngest girl child whizzed down to the hospital where we waited in the lobby of St Michaels. Oh, it’s an interesting place, a conveyor belt of fat waddling women coming in and then slightly less fat women shuffling out with the partners carrying their tiny offspring secured tightly in car seats. As we waited, a young girl carefully lowered herself in the seat next to me. A midwife was carrying her baby. She’d had a caesarean two days earlier and her baby was

a gorgeous little girl. I wanted to know more about her as she swiped her phone telling the midwife that her Uber was two minutes away. An Uber? Oh my. Was she going home to an empty house? She seemed perfectly happy but it made me desperately sad. Then the doors swung open and there stood my son, looking shell shocked. I rushed to him, asking if everything was OK? What did she have? He looked at me and uttered the words, “A baby.” And my world has been blasted sideways and my heart snatched by another being and, if you see me in the street, I will be showing you pictures of my perfect and super intelligent grandbaby.

invites you to our

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION Saturday 2 March 2024 Bristol City Hall 10am - 5pm Join us for this free event packed full with more than 50 workshops, activities and discussions celebrating and connecting women and communities from across Bristol.

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February 2024

n NEWS

Bristol Bears join IWD celebrations at City Hall 2024 Bristol Women’s Voice is once again hosting its fantastic free flagship annual event to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), at City Hall and on College Green on Saturday 2 March from 10am-5pm. Everyone is welcome so bring your partners, friends, families and people from the community. There is something for everyone, with more than 50 activities showcasing women speakers, organisations and accessible activities that cover movement, art, film, debate, sport, employment, wellbeing and more. Bristol Women’s Voice’s IWD celebration mobilises more than 300 Bristol women volunteering to make this event truly special.

City Hall is a fully accessible location and, to make the event open to all, there will be a creche, interpretation, BSL and accessibility support. FirstBus have also donated free bus passes, available from info@ bristolwomensvoice.org.uk Panel discussions will include Global Feminisms, Women in the Built Environment, Women and Health, the Caring Economy as well as Breaking the Barriers to Women in Sports. Speakers confirmed so far include Bristol Rovers, Bristol Bears and West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris. You can learn to make a podcast with Ujima Radio, get involved with Black Women’s Theatre with Breathing Fire,

Volunteers at last year’s IWD celebration event at City Hall take part in armchair yoga, get women and the younger women’s involved in crafting as a protest, forums. or have your voice heard at the More information is available open mic space or the older at: bristolwomensvoice.org.uk

NEWS? - Email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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February 2024

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