South Bristol Voice June 2023

A FORMER rough sleeper who has battled mental health issues and now champions against the stigma has become Bristol’s lord mayor – and then got engaged minutes later to his longtime partner.

Labour backbench Cllr Paul Goggin promised to “recognise the unrecognised” during his year in the historic, ceremonial role as the city’s “first citizen”.

He was sworn in during the annual full council meeting of Bristol City Council on May 9 and, during the interval, proposed to Deborah Griffiths, his girlfriend of 17 years, in the lord mayor’s parlour at City Hall before returning to tell the chamber she had said yes.

The Hartcliffe & Withywood ward councillor succeeds Green Cllr Paula O’Rourke who becomes deputy lord mayor.

In an acceptance speech full of self-deprecating, wry humour he said: “We’ve had a lord mayor in Bristol since 1216. So what is a lord mayor? I guess they’re normally well respected, rich in cultural capital, experts in etiquette, socially connected, genteel, erudite, skilful,

charismatic orators with real gravitas… I’ll get me coat.”

Cllr Goggin said he had been asking himself how he got to

his chequered life, from growing up in London and dropping out

Contacts

Ruth Drury Sales Director 07590 527664 sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk

Jane Williams Editor news@southbristolvoice.co.uk

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HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH ...

My MP? Karin Smyth MP

By email: karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk

By post: Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

By phone: 0117 953 3575

In person: Call 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

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Lord Mayor

From page 1 of school because “life happens to us all” to sleeping rough in Bristol.

“In no particular order, I’ve built motorbikes, sold investment grade diamonds, been a croupier in a smoky casino and gone door to door selling carpet cleaner. I moved to Bristol in 2003 but in 2005 I became homeless through no fault of my own and had to sleep on the streets and sofa-surfed with friends. Then Bristol Council stepped in to help me.

“I lived in emergency accommodation for six months, alongside refugees, asylum seekers and other unfortunate Bristolians. It was a difficult time to say the least and I saw things that would make the devil blush.”

He said local mental health charity Second Step helped him find temporary accommodation before he moved into a council

bungalow in Knowle West where he still lived.

“And, as some of you know from my previous speeches in this room, I live with bipolar disorder and complex PTSD,” Cllr Goggin said. “In a way they don’t hamper me, they enable me to think slightly differently from most others – my secret superpower.

“I also have chronic anxiety, and I can’t put into words how difficult this is today because I’m talking about myself. But we must keep speaking out about our mental health issues, not be ashamed or embarrassed – own it, normalise it to fight against the stigma so many suffer from.”

He said he was a humanist – the first sworn into the office of Bristol lord mayor – whose members rejected the idea of an afterlife and believed in “science, reason and evidence”.

“Don’t be mistaken into thinking this is in any way anti-religious – it’s quite the opposite,” Cllr Goggin said. “The basic tenets are this – we treat all around us with warmth,

understanding and respect regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds. We believe this is our one and only life and therefore concentrate on the here and now.

“I will of course still champion all the faiths in this wonderfully diverse city but also the increasing number of those with none. My theme as lord mayor, along with what I’ve already mentioned, will be to recognise the unrecognised. And by that I mean those that labour away behind the scenes so that we all can do our jobs –those who serve us lunch, work long hours on the doors or clean the offices. Without them there would be no us.”

Tabling the motion for Cllr Goggin to become lord mayor, Labour group leader Cllr Steve Pearce said that for many of the eight centuries the position existed, it was reserved for Bristol’s elite.

“Anyone who knows Paul will know that that label doesn’t quite apply to him,” he said. “He’s been very open about his

past and it’s why there’s nobody better suited to becoming Bristol’s first citizen, someone who truly understands the lives of all Bristolians, especially those that are underrepresented in the council chamber.

“And ‘understanding’ is the word I’d like to use – his understanding of the challenges facing the working class and as lord mayor has promised to work with mental health charities, alcohol charities and to help those organisations that helped him. This is what we need from a lord mayor.”

Green Cllr Tony Dyer, seconding the motion, said: “We all know Paul learned his politics on the streets of Bristol, quite literally, and from working in the trade union movement. Paul is working-class and will bring those working-class sensibilities, understanding and lived experience to the role of lord mayor.”

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents object to youth club due to loss of green space

SOUTH Bristol residents are objecting to plans for a huge new youth club due to the loss of green open space popular with dog walkers. Youth Zone is due to open in 2025 and is set to get planning permission next week.

The giant youth club would be built on the grassland south of the Inns Court housing estate, near the roundabout connecting Hengrove Way and Hartcliffe Way. But locals said the area is well used by children playing and a habitat for wildlife.

One resident said: “Firstly, the land offers excellent natural green space which is constantly decreasing into today’s climate. Local wildlife are losing their environment at an alarming rate. Secondly, the area offers an excellent dog walking and communal area for local residents. I speak with many fellow dog walkers daily who enjoy the safety and size of the green space.”

Another resident added: “The green space is an excellent safe area in which my two children enjoy playing, exercising and looking at the local wildlife such as foxes, hedgehogs, birds and occasionally, deer. This is very

healthy for them both physically and mentally.

“Outdoor green spaces such as those fields are few and far between in these times. Especially with trees being cut down at the back of my home. It’s helpful that the fields are so close to my house for my children as we regularly enjoy our times there as a family and also with others such as the local dog walkers, of which there are many.”

The plans include a twostorey building, disabled and minibus parking, an access road, a five-a-side pitch, and a singlestory storage building. The youth centre will run a wide range of activities such as football, boxing, climbing, creative arts,

music, drama and employability training.

The development will be led by national youth charity OnSide, and the council will pay £7,275,000 towards the plans. The youth centre will be run by local charity Youth Moves. The Youth Zone will cost £5 for an annual membership and 50p per visit, with fees waived for young people who can’t afford this. The centre will open more than 40 hours a week.

In planning documents, architects said: “The site is bounded by Hartcliffe Way to the south-west, Hargrove Way to the south-east and the Inns Court housing estate to the north as indicated by the red line boundary on the adjacent plan.

The site is currently an underutilised open space between the Inns Court estate and the surrounding arterial road network.

“OnSide Youth Zones provide opportunities and challenges that inspire young people to lead healthier and more positive lives, raising their aspirations so they grow up to become happy, caring and responsible citizens, with more to offer themselves, their families, the community and employers.

“Youth Zones are built in prominent positions in the heart of town and city centres. They are landmark buildings which make strong visual statements and are finished to a high internal specification, with the best equipment, and a clear focus on the high quality of the environment and facilities.”

The site is also allocated for new housing. This means that if the development control committee decides to grant their approval, the application would then be sent to the government to have the final say.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporter

Major changes to main road expected next year

MAJOR changes to a main road in South Bristol are expected to be carried out next year including new bus lanes. Extensive roadworks will aim to make travelling by bus, foot, or on bike easier and quicker along the A37 Wells Road.

Bristol City Council is drawing up plans for a wide range of work along the Wells Road corridor, including several smaller nearby streets. This includes blocking off access to side roads, building new segregated cycling lanes, and creating new pedestrian crossings.

Plans include installing 12hour bus lanes along Wells Road, and resurfacing parts of the road where needed. It’s unclear however which parts of the road will have new bus lanes, although more details should become clearer towards the end of this year.

Wells Road runs south from Temple Meads through Totterdown, Knowle, Hengrove and Stockwood. Council bosses

approved plans to move the scheme to the next phase. Labour Councillor Don Alexander, cabinet member for transport, said: “This is a major investment in the city’s main strategic corridors. We want to improve the infrastructure so that our bus services are more reliable, faster, cheaper and more attractive for operators. We need better bus infrastructure in order to have better bus services. Our bus services have really

suffered under the Conservative government all around the country, not just in Bristol. We’re now trying to do our utmost here to improve them in Bristol.”

As well as the works to Wells Road, several smaller streets leading onto the street will also see major changes. Some of these have sparked concerns from local councillors, including the removal of bus stops to make way for cycle lanes.

The junction of Bellevue Road in Totterdown with Wells Road will be closed off to motor traffic, to improve safety for cyclists and motorbikes and prevent rat-running. But the closure will leave many people living in the Bellevue cul-de-sac forced to drive through the very narrow streets of Totterdown to leave the area, either down Oxford Street onto St John’s Lane, or Windsor Terrace onto St Luke’s Road.

On St John’s Lane, an extra pedestrian crossing point will be built, just down the hill from the junction with Oxford Street. At the junction with Wells Road, a new island will be built for cyclists turning right off Wells Road by the former YMCA and onto Bushy Park and the Bayham Road cycle route. Winton Street will also be made one-way, with vehicles banned from driving downhill.

Councillor David Wilcox, the Green shadow cabinet member for transport and active travel, said: “The report at cabinet … was extremely light on detail for a 14-mile bus route that had a consultation run over a year ago. The administration did not even provide a timeline for the implementation of the small sections they do have proposals for. Some of this work - like the proposed separated bike path on Victoria Street - is welcome but

long overdue.

“This is Bristol’s busiest bus corridor and vast numbers of people depend on it - the administration should release more details and information. The public have a right to know exactly what work is planned and when it will be carried out.”

According to Bristol mayor Marvin Rees, the council is “very limited” in building the transport network that City Hall bosses would like to see, due to current laws and a lack of government funding. He added that every change to the network “comes with a price”.

Mr Rees said: “Until we get changes to our financial and legislative framework, then we’ll be very limited in our ability to deliver the transport offering that we would like to make for Bristol. We all in this chamber need to be on the front foot of challenging the national framework in which we have to work, which too often limits our opportunities.

“Everything we do has a price. This is one of the maturities we have wanted to bring to so much of the Bristol debate, whether that be about land use and house building or public transport. Every solution we bring forward to unlock a benefit will come with a price, somewhere.

“Our job is to work out whether the price is worthy of the prize, and then to minimise that price or eliminate it as much as we can. This is never easy, but it is easy for that to turn into bun fights and cheap headlines, the stuff that undermines people’s ability to get engaged with the real challenges facing Bristol’s future.”

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporter

A slide in Victoria Park, with the Bedminster Green development in the background. Picture: Alex Seabrook

Winton Street, Totterdown. Picture: Alex Seabrook Wells Road, Totterdown. Picture: Alex Seabrook

Have you claimed your energy voucher?

KARIN Smyth, MP for Bristol South, is urging residents in the constituency to claim their Energy Bill Support Scheme voucher before they miss out on what they are owed.

Figures show that nearly 5,000 Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) vouchers issued to people with prepayment metres in Bristol South have not been claimed. This is money that people are entitled to and if it goes left unclaimed they will not receive it.

The EBSS is a non-repayable discount of £400 from the Government, that every household with a domestic electricity connection was to receive from October 2022 until 31 March 2023, to help offset the higher energy bills. For many people, this required no specific action on their part, but for those on traditional prepayment schemes, they were issued with vouchers that needed to be redeemed at the Post Office, not at all top-up locations.

In Bristol South, 21,040 vouchers have been issued, but only 16,210 have been redeemed. All vouchers must be redeemed by 30 June 2023.

Karin Smyth MP said: “The cost of living crisis has hit every household in our community hard. Lots more could have been done by the Tory Government to alleviate the pain on your pay packet, but it’s important that you don’t miss out on the support that has been given.

“Don’t forget that if you are on a traditional prepayment scheme, your vouchers are only valid until the end of June and can only be redeemed at the Post Office. If you don’t claim it, you will lose it.”

n FROM THE MAYOR’S OFFICE

£8 million more support with national cost of living crisis

SIGNIFICANT pressures remain for many households across Bristol, in particular our city’s most vulnerable residents and families, with no sign of the national cost of living crisis slowing down or coming to an end. The support from national government has been lacking but we’ve worked hard to target supported funding that we have received to help those most in need. Our Household Support Fund has been instrumental in Bristol’s response to the national cost of living crisis, so we welcomed the news that we were receiving an additional £8 million for this financial year.

There are many people who fall through the gaps and are unfortunately not eligible. We used some of the money last year to top up our £1.4 million Local Crisis Prevention Fund, enabling us to provide around 10,000 households

with emergency payments. Over 2,600 of these were through our Household Support Fund. Additional help included in the Mayor’s budget provides support to almost 33,000 households with up to 100 per cent off their council tax bills through our £41.3 million Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

The spend for this year’s Household Support Fund has been approved by Cabinet to provide:

• Free School Meal Vouchers to approximately 22,600 young people for all school holidays from May 2023 half term to February 2024 half term

• Targeted support to those with No Resource to Public Funds (including Refugee and Asylum Seeker households known directly to us)

• Targeted support to care leavers and foster households to assist with their food and heating costs

• Support for 1,100 low-income

households via Discretionary Housing Payments

• Help to around 4,000 low-income households in need through the Local Crisis Prevention Fund who are not eligible for the other payments outlined above Similar to last year, money is also being allocated to some local support organisations, including Bristol Age UK, Feeding Bristol, Centre for Sustainable Energy and WECIL to help them to continue to provide essential support.

Earlier this year, the government provided us with funding to assist around 13,500 households already receiving partial Council Tax Reduction, allowing us to deduct up to £75 from their remaining council tax bills. This new allocation for the Household Support Fund will enable us to extend this offer for pensioners with up to an additional £25 being taken off remaining bills.

There is no application process for our Household Support Fund and we, or one of the associated charities also distributing funds, will contact people directly if they’re eligible. If you are not eligible and need financial support there is other help available. For cost of living advice and signposting please visit bristol.gov.uk/costofliving or call the We Are Bristol helpline for free on 0800 694 0184, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm.

Guest column from Councillor Craig Cheney, Deputy Mayor

The Zion centre is now saved!

THE Zion Community Space on Bishopsworth Road has been saved after 345 residents in South Bristol clubbed together and raised an astonishing £470,000 to buy the building themselves.

The community and arts centre, which has been operational for 12 years, was threatened with closure when the owner had put the building up for sale. However, residents and centre users joined together to buy shares in

the building to save it from sale and keep it for community use.

Centre manager Emma Moore told the Bristol Post: “The community was given the opportunity to buy the building so the team at Zion could continue the work of the once-derelict chapel, but now a buzzing community space, offering more than 200 activities and events each year, as well as a

popular cafe.”

She added: ““I would like to thank everyone involved in the purchase, the Community Shareholders, the grant organisations involved, local businesses, staff, directors and everyone in Bedminster Down and the wider area who come to Zion and support us daily. We’re all really excited for the future.”

BS3 beyond 2025 project

AS part of Action Greater Bedminster’s BS3 beyond 2025 programme, developers Watkins Jones (WJ) with residents to present their plans for student housing at Bedminster Green.

The development of two plots by WJ will bring approximately 1300 students to the area. The Bedminster Green housing plans have a range of 5-10 storeys buildings, public space as well private outdoor and communal space for students with access to the Malago River. Facilities will include laundry, cleaning services, 24/7 security onsite, maintenance of outdoor areas and study spaces.

WJ have long experience of student accommodation and see themselves as having a long-term presence in the area. Their subsidiary Fresh will be managing the student blocks; they currently manage over 22,000 students across the UK. Fresh manages two buildings in Bristol already and believes their experience delivers for the students and the local community. The programme run by Fresh supports community engagement, wellbeing and sustainability.

At the meeting, they discussed some key concerns around pressure on local housing, noise and disturbance, car parking and impact on infrastructure. More detailed notes can be found on the AGB website, along with the presentation by Watkin Jones.

The impact of student housing on the neighbourhood merits further discussion with the University, Bedminster BID and students. AGB will work on creating another community conversation on the subject.

For information, visit: actiongreaterbedminster.org.uk or hello@ actiongreaterbedminster.org.uk

Future meetings will look at the increased need for healthcare support, how our retail streets may change and how we can support wildlife in our neighbourhood.

As part of the BS3 beyond 2025 project, the group wants to put a plan in place to ensure BS3 remains a vibrant, happy and comfortable place to live. They would love to find out more about how you currently feel about your neighbourhood, how you use local facilities and what you think about the projected 44% rise in homes in BS3 in the next 10-20 years. Share your thoughts on the online questionnaire using the code above.

Bike Nights are back

BIKE Nights have returned to Fowlers, providing an opportunity for motorcyclists to meet and relax at the end of the week.

Held on the first Friday of each month until September, entry is free and everyone is welcome, whatever they ride. Expect an evening of fun with food and music.

Bristol Bike Nights are hosted at Fowlers Motorcycles from 5.308.30pm at 2-12 Bath Road, BS4 3DR. There is no need to pre-book, just jump on your bike and ride down.

n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Stand with us against knife crime

IN May I attended the first ever Avon and Somerset Police Outstanding Policing Awards, a remarkable opportunity to honour the outstanding achievements of the men and women who dedicate their lives to keeping our communities safe.

May also marked the start of Operation Sceptre, a national targeted initiative to reduce knife-related violence, increase public safety and engage communities in the fight against knife crime.

Proactively tackling knife crime is central to my police and crime plan, and I would encourage people to safely discard any weapons or knives they may carry in the ‘weapons surrender bins’ installed by Avon and Somerset Police.

The bins are in areas where we know they are needed, and offer people a safe and anonymous way of getting rid of a weapon. If you know someone who carries a weapon, please encourage them to surrender it. You can find your nearest bin in the crime prevention advice section of the police website.

Avon and Somerset Police and partners already carry out a large range of activities to raise awareness of and combat knife crime, and the Violence Reduction Units’ work is at the heart of this, delivering talks to young people in schools, running Blunt Truth workshops in partnership with the NHS and hosting pop-up information stands.

While we have seen a reduction in street-based knife crime across Avon and Somerset, more still needs to be done to ensure people feel safe in their communities. Let’s raise awareness, educate, and stand against knife crime.

As the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ national fraud lead, I also welcome the publication of the government’s long-awaited strategy, setting out how it plans to tackle fraud and bring more offenders to justice.

This strategy, and the accompanying Economic Crime Plan, is an important step forward. I fully support the Government’s three-pillar approach to stop, block, pursue, and

to educate the public.

I have been able to have a direct impact on two important areas within the strategy, which will ensure there is national central coordination of prevention and awareness messaging, and ensure banks are delaying and doing extra due diligence checks on large BACS payments out of accounts that could be fraudulent.

However, the strategy does not recognise some fundamental challenges, including the highly complex landscape of investigating fraud, which needs to be fully supported.

I am calling for more to be done to recognise this crime’s significant impact and harm on victims. Fraud can leave lasting mental and physical trauma, with some victims taking their own lives.

Finally, I am pleased to say that the Commissioner’s Crime Prevention Fund grant has opened for applications.

This grant, set up by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in partnership with Somerset

Dement ia Day Centre Memor y Lane

Communit the in Caring

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford

Community Foundation and Quartet Community Foundation, aims to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour through community projects and activities.

Community groups previously awarded this grant have delivered some fantastic crime-reducing initiatives and activities.

I implore local organisations to apply for this worthwhile funding, to reduce anti-social behaviour and make our communities safe.

Memor y Lane is a new Dementia Ser vice based at Caring Comes First in Kingswood. Our aim is to improve and maintain the wellbeing of those living with Dementia, through person centred activities and social oppor tunities

Our goal is to offer enrichment to the lives of people living with Dementia, which has a positive effect and therefore increasing their wellbeing by engaging in stimulation and activity outside their normal routine.

We offer a fully engaging, interactive experience for all our clients, with activities including;

Live Music & Singalongs | Music Therapy | Crafts | Flower Arranging | Gardening | Aromatherapy | Animal Therapy | Reminiscing Sessions | Tabletop Games | Armchair Yoga Sessions are available Monday-Friday 9am - 12.30pm | 1pm - 4.30pm (Drinks & snacks included)

We are now taking referrals for private and funded clients, to find out more about our ser vices please call

n NEWS FROM BRISTOL SOUTH MP KARIN SMYTH

We need to sort out our dental crisis

13 YEARS of Tory mismanagement of the health service has seen dentists quitting in droves. Some 2,000 dentists quit the NHS in 2021, that’s around 10% of all dentists employed in England.

An estimated 4 million people can’t access NHS care and with some parts of the country now described as ‘dentistry deserts’, because remaining NHS dentists aren’t taking on new patients.

In real terms, net Government spend on general dental practices in England has been cut by over a third over the past decade, with the number of NHS dental practices in England falling by more than 1,200 in the five years prior to the pandemic.

I know from my inbox that the situation in Bristol is no different from the rest of England. There are no NHS dentists taking new adult patients within 35 miles of Bristol South. Moreover, the local NHS has taken over the running of dentistry and is looking at solutions,

particularly for children, but it will take time to repair the huge damage done. It’s simply unacceptable that children are unable to be treated for dental issues which only just get worse without being seen by a medical professional.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We have seen what happens when a government focuses on driving up dental care in the UK.

The last Labour government reduced waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks. The next Labour government will secure the future of NHS dentistry by providing the staff, equipment and modern technology needed to ensure patients get the treatment they need.

When you dig into the data, you see the truly woeful state of NHS dentistry in England. We spend less on dentistry per head of population in the areas with the highest levels of deprivation, and statistics from the British Dental Association suggest that 1 million new or

expectant mothers have lost access to dental care since the start of the pandemic.

Moreover, tooth extraction in hospitals due tooth decay remains the most common reason for hospital admissions in the 6-10year-old age group, with an estimated cost of hospital admissions for children aged 0 to 19-years for this intervention being £33 million per year.

We also know that with 91% of dental practices not able to accept new adult patients in England, and 80% not able to accept new child patients, millions are facing the unpalatable options of waiting for months in agony, resorting to DIY dentistry or coughing up private dental fees they simply can’t afford.

Not enough has been done to recruit and retain both dentists and dental care professionals and a recent BDA member survey showed more than nine in 10 owners of dental practices with a high NHS commitment found it difficult

to recruit a dentist, with 43% of vacancies unfilled for more than six months.

From inadequate support for prevention of oral ill health in childhood to dentistry deserts, net Government spend on general dental practices in England has been cut by over a third over the past decade.

The Tory Government’s approach to dentistry is rotten. It’s time for us to extract them from the government to allow a Labour Government to serve the country and get us back on track to a healthier future.

n NEWS FROM LOCAL COUNCILLORS

IT is great to be able to let you all know that Victoria Park has been allocated £191,000, following work by your Green councillors last year to develop a masterplan. This money will help provide a much needed all abilities play area in the park.Recently, there has been some press coverage suggesting public parks have the tendency to exclude some people, not always meeting the needs of groups such as teenage girls or people with mental health and or learning difficulties. We believe that this needs to be addressed.

Ed Plowden and I would really like to make our parks across Bristol more inclusive, and this is a great opportunity to make a start and take this policy forward.

Ed and I will lead the consultation with local people

who use the park, to find out their views and vision for an all-abilities play area. We would like to take the opportunity to ask you to contact us by email if you have any thoughts or ideas about the subject.

We will also be working with Victoria Park Action Group to consult via their updated website and will be organising a community engagement session at Windmill Hill Community Centre shortly to ask for your input. This is a very exciting project and something the whole community can get behind; I personally am delighted that this money has been awarded to Victoria Park as it is such a vital part of Windmill Hill and the community.

DEVELOPMENT in Southville continues at pace. Residents may have heard that the Diocese of Clifton has put their Church on Dean Lane (next to Holy Cross Primary School) on the market. Meanwhile, the site of the Amerind Nursing Home on Raleigh Road is also being brought forward for development. Christine and Tony will communicate with residents immediately affected or interested in these sites as the process develops and we learn more about the proposals. As with all developments we will pay close attention to how the proposed designs will fit in with the area, and will additionally be keenly monitoring the sustainability elements of what is being proposed. We remain hopeful that lessons from the Bedminster Green proposals have been taken on board.

Gaol Ferry Bridge repairs continue to be carried out, having been further delayed in March. We have not yet been provided with a definitive date for the bridge’s reopening, but as soon as this is available, we will communicate this to residents. This also applies to the Chocolate Path repairs which may be affected by the need for works on the sluice gates at Underfall Yard.

We will also continue to work with residents as the Clean Air Zone implementation settles down, and will lobby to try to ensure all funds allocated to Bristol by the government for mitigations and grants for replacing vehicles, are used as intended – to support Bristol residents. We’re concerned that any funds unused by Bristol City Council may have to be returned to the central government.

PARK enthusiasts have been saddened that, after council voted unanimously to repatriate £56,000 of locally raised parks money for local improvements from council coffers, there is a problem. The funds came from the parks and green spaces strategy passed over 10 years ago and involved local councillors deciding priorities in discussion with local parks groups. The mayor’s administration does not seem to understand this and are trying to put shackles on the spending as if they had granted the funds. Cue extreme frustration from parks groups who rightly point out that parks spending has been absent for over 10 years and a protest from Knowle and Windmill hill Councillors to the council’s lawyers. Meanwhile, although national guidelines allow for planning obligation money (section 106) to be spent on nearby parks, the mayor’s administration blocks this so the desire of practically everybody local to Redcatch to benefit from the

development is being blocked.

The much better news is that, because all opposition parties backed budget amendments, some strategic Community Infrastructure Levy money, that previously went to major projects of the mayor’s choice, will be spent in parks. Should the Broadwalk scheme be approved (and the decision will be known by the time you read this), £4 million strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (development tax) will be paid by the developer and we will be launching a huge campaign to get Redcatch Park put at the head of the queue for funds.

This funding came from the sale of the Salcombe Road Recreation Grounds, which Gary and Chris agreed to but were condemned at the time by the Labour Party for doing so. It has now provided essential housing, a park and play area, and a school games field. A wonderful result for Knowle but we are frustrated by those in power who wished to hide the funding and claim the credit when exposed.

I WAS pleased to learn from council officers that the proposed new pedestrian crossing near Luckwell Primary School has received strong local support after informal consultation. Hopefully this project might now be completed after many years of pressing for this safety measure.

This crossing originated as a community priority and, with the new round of applications for community funding being sought, I am working to encourage Bedminster projects and proposers to come forward. More information on the 2023/24 process can be found here: bristol. gov.uk/residents/people-andcommunities/decision-makingin-your-area/funding-for-localprojects As efforts continue to reconnect Ashton Vale residents to a local bus service, a new report for Local Transport Today has cast doubt on the effectiveness of Demand Responsive Travel (DRT). An example is the new WESTLink service launched in parts of the Greater Bristol area

by the combined authority. The report questions whether DRT is effective in meeting user needs and its cost, including government funding. A better option may be timetabled buses but which have route flexibility based on where passengers want to be picked up/dropped off. See: transportxtra.com/publications/ local-transport-today/news/73603/ failing-drt-schemes-will-have-cost100m?etid=5096825&artid=73603

Lastly, a fresh planning application for West St has appeared following the withdrawal of the previous scheme for a ‘coal themed’ tower. This new proposal looks very similar and includes an eight-storey building next to the historic Rose Cottage. See the planning portal for details (and comment please): 240-248 West Street Bedminster BS3 3NE Ref No: 23/00346/F

Gary Hopkins and Chris Davies Knowle Community Party councillors for Knowle

Sona Pilates with Leanne Copley

HERE comes the sun... we hope! And with it, an opportunity to switch things up. Move in the earlier hours when it’s cooler and comfortable, seek out wild swimming spots, take things down a notch and focus more on mobility or release work.

Take time to tune in and move how it feels good instead of sticking to a routine that doesn’t serve you in the summer. Especially when you start saying ‘I should, I could, I haven’t done’. So what to do when all you want is to go to the beach? Or lie in a field riverside or sit in a beer garden with friends?

Go! Say ‘yes’ to the dog walks with friends, games in pub gardens, and enjoy being outside as much as possible. Now is the time to try that water sport or even lawn bowls. All great movements in the outdoors, just wear SPF.

Wait! Aren’t I supposed to be peddling Pilates? Well, get your Pilates into your morning routine and be even more prepared for hikes, paddle boarding and lawn bowls

Each season brings its own exercise challenges, the key is to embrace and adapt. In classes we take it down a notch, add chair Pilates and move out under the apple tree. Join me at Sona Pilates, located at Bristol Osteopaths on the Wells Road.

www.sonapilates.com

The Lantern Parade is taking a break

VOLUNTEER organisers of the Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade have made the decision not to run an event this year. After 11 years, the group felt the time was right to have a break and rethink how to best run the project in the future and involve and reflect the diverse, growing BS3 community.

Ade Williams, Community Pharmacist and Chair of the Steering Committee, said: “We want to reassure people that the Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade will be back to once again bring that wonderful blend of lights, music and community spirit to the streets of BS3. But we need to pause and also explore the future financial sustainability of the project as it’s been a tough fundraising challenge.

“We are grateful for the incredible support and participation we’ve had from schools, community groups, businesses and individuals to make the lantern parade south Bristol’s biggest community event. We’ll update on our plans later in the year. And would welcome anyone who would like to join our team of volunteers.”

n SPINAL COLUMN

Kidney function

I SAW an amazing statistic the other day. You need to have a loss of 80% of kidney function before you even have symptoms or an issue shows up on diagnostic tests.

This got me thinking. Firstly, how amazing our body is at adapting. Many people have the idea that our bodies are weak and vulnerable, that the smallest change will throw out the balance. But the reality is our bodies are incredibly resilient. And the example of how your body can cope with up to 80% loss of kidney function before it even lets you know is a prime example.

The other thing I realised was this statistic most likely transfers to the majority of your body - your liver, your heart, your digestion etc. For how long does your back adapt before you start to get pain? This is something I know a lot more about.

The acute lower back pain that started three weeks ago is rarely a three-week-old problem. Often the clues point back years, and sometimes originate as far back as when you were a child or teenager. The body very cleverly adapts. It adapts to the repetitive strain put upon it by repeated movements and spending hours in poor posture. It adapts and adapts until it can’t adapt anymore. And then it tells you there is a problem in the

language it knows best - pain.

When a patient comes to Kasa, our job is to listen to what the body is saying. Not just the recent story, but follow the breadcrumbs back to the root of the issue where it started. As we work to resolve the issue, the symptoms subside and resolve. As we bring balance back to your body another amazing thing happens. We also improve your body’s adaptability. The ability to cope with the stresses of life. This helps prevent the problem, and others, from returning.

If your body is telling you it can’t adapt any more, perhaps get in contact with us so we can help you get to the root cause of the problem. Give us a call today.

Charles Herbert, Kasa Chiro Telephone: 0117 370 2680 www.kasachiro.com

The Red Cross needs you

THE British Red Cross needs volunteers to step forward and help vital local services to run.

Independent Living Service Volunteers are needed to support people who are leaving hospital, helping them to build their confidence and adjust to being at home again. Volunteers can help by doing things as simple as getting essential shopping items, picking up prescriptions or turning someone’s heating on. The charity is also recruiting Transport Support Volunteers to help people to get to essential oncology appointments. Attending hospital appointments can be a stressful experience for many people, especially when you don’t have the means to get there or return home.

Gemma Wood, British Red Cross Service Coordinator for Independent Living in Somerset, said: “Volunteering with us is a win-win. Not only do you get to help your local community, but you can also get an enormous amount of fulfilment from it.”

ADVICE FROM A PHARMACIST with Ade Williams

Flights booked, passport ready – don’t forget your travel jabs!

TRAVELLING can be such a great adventure, discovering local food and culture. No surprise that the travel industry has been reporting a post-pandemic international travel boom. People are ticking off bucket-list destinations, heading off to exotic holiday destinations, and taking up delayed gap year travel or career breaks to recharge and seek new experiences. For many, it is not the lure of a five-star holiday break or a safari adventure; going abroad is the chance to meet up again with friends and family after the separation brought about during the pandemic years. Whatever the inspiration reason for the trip, it is vital to do so safely.

Discovering your destination country’s health system is not usually on your wish list or a memory to cherish. Still then, worryingly, there could be up to 42 million trips abroad each year where the traveller doesn’t seek any travel health advice before heading off... Putting aside the Channel 4 documentaries, you know, the ones where ‘Unfortunate person stranded on a hospital bed in paradise’; travel insurance was not taken out (‘I knew I had forgotten something’); or invalidated cover (‘I did not know they required me to have travel jabs’)... the additional costs and anxiety could become an endless nightmare.

Many countries will have health risks that require vaccinations for protection. The first thing to do is to contact your local GP to find out about availability for NHS travel health consultation and obtain records of your previous vaccinations.

Many people’s records will now be available on the NHS app. Getting all the information together saves time and ensures you only obtain the required private vaccinations. The recommended time to seek health advice is eight weeks before your trip.

Going on a last-minute? Don’t panic, just get in touch with Bristol Travel Clinic on 0800 7723575.

Our prices reflect our ethos that money should not be a barrier to accessing health services. We also offer treatment to delay periods while on holiday and for help with altitude sickness. If you are not travelling but need vaccinations to protect you from chickenpox, Meningitis B or any other workrelated risks, we can help.

To get advice or book an appointment, call Bristol Travel Clinic on 0800 7723575, complete the online query form at bristoltravelclinic.co.uk or drop into Bedminster Pharmacy today. We’ll get you ready for wherever your journey takes you.

THE BRISTOL SOUTH SPACE PROGRAM

Free Local Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

Changes Bristol is a community led mental health charity which holds peer support groups and befriending for one-to-one support. These services give people living with mental health distress an opportunity to speak through their problems, thoughts and feelings with others who have lived experience of low mental health. Each service is free to anyone without need of a diagnosis or GP referral and open-ended, which means that members can attend as many or as little of the groups as they feel that they need.

Over time members would report better mental wellbeing, with improvement in con dence, resilience and self esteem. A study made by Changes Bristol in August 2022 found that 88% of their members felt the peer support groups helped them to feel less socially isolated and 80% said it gave them the ability to cope with negative feelings. Of the members, 90% also said that the groups increased their con dence.

"Great! It helps destigmatize mental health issues and helps me feel less isolated and less in my own head.”

Changes Bristol groups are safe, condential and inclusive spaces. When you

arrive you will be warmly welcomed and during each session you will have the opportunity to share anything that is on your mind, if you wish to do so. There is no pressure to share if you feel nervous or nd you need time to relax into being part of a group to begin with.

There are 20 in person and online groups that run at di erent times between Monday and Friday.

Ashton Vale: Mondays 1-3pm - Ashton Vale Community Centre, BS3 2QY Bishopsworth: Wednesdays 10am12pm - Zion Bristol Community Café, Bishopsworth Road, BS13 7JW Knowle: Wednesdays 1-3pm - Redcatch Community Centre, Redcatch Road, BS4 2EP

Brislington: Thursdays 1-3pmSt Cuthbert’s Church, BS4 3PG

No referral is required - just show up at the start of the meeting.

Visit the website to view online group times or nd out about volunteering opportunities www. changesbristol.org.uk call on 0117 941 1123 or email info@changesbristol. org.uk to talk about any Changes Bristol services.

Teresa triumphs at the Bristol 10k

THE third annual Visually Impaired (VI) Runners 10k Challenge took place at this year’s AJ Bell Great Bristol Run in May.

Among those taking part was Teresa Cryer, 52, who lost her eyesight in her 30s after receiving a shock diagnosis.

Teresa, who lives in Ashton, had been suffering with headaches that she’d put down to the hours she’d spent looking at a screen for her job in administration.

After being referred by an optician to the Bristol Eye Hospital, she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) on her 36th birthday. A group of rare eye diseases that affect the retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of the eye), RP makes cells in the retina break down slowly over time, causing vision loss.

“It was a real shock, as growing up I didn’t have a clue that I had any problems with my sight and, at the time I was diagnosed, I still had some useful vision,” explains Teresa. “RP is a low progression of sight loss, so even though they told me I had to stop driving immediately, nothing changed straight away and I think I was in denial for many years.

“For a while, I was still able to walk about without a cane, but things gradually became more difficult and, after a few close calls, I realised I couldn’t carry on the way I was. These days, I have some light perception, but I can’t see images. It’s only shadows.”

Teresa always enjoyed sport growing up, but didn’t get into running until she lost her sight: “I used to do gymnastics and then I continued going to the gym, but never got into running. I decided to give it a try when I heard about VI Runners Bristol through the RNIB.”

VI Runners Bristol is a group set up in 2017 by local guide runner Colin Johnson, which allows runners to train as guides to take blind or partially sighted people running.

“I went along to the group in 2017 just to give it a go and I’ve been running ever since,” explains Teresa. “I started with the Couch-to5k and from there I did my first parkrun. I’d never even heard of a parkrun before.”

Since then, Teresa’s running has gone

from strength to strength and in 2019 she took part in the London Marathon. On 4 March this year, she completed The Green Boy, her first ultramarathon, which is a local 30-mile route.

“Running gives me a great sense of freedom,” she says. “If you’re walking around you have to concentrate all the time. Even in a familiar area, there could be something new in the way, like scaffolding that wasn’t there the day before. But when you’re running with a guide, you’re tethered and you’re just running and chatting. They describe the terrain if they need to, but if it’s a more straightforward route you can just enjoy it and let go of any stresses.”

The new community of friends she’s met through VI Runners Bristol has built a new social life for Teresa and even led to her meeting her partner Jeff.

“We’ve all had lots of trips together as a group, including a weekend away in the Cotswolds where we did a 24-hour relay with our guides,” she explains. “We camped overnight and it was such an adventure. Getting up at 2am when it’s your turn to run

seems mad but we had so much fun.”

Colin Johnson is behind the VI Runners 10k Challenge at the AJ Bell Great Bristol Run, an event that Teresa looks forward to every year. Normally, visually impaired runners are expected to compete in the same races as sighted runners, but the VI Runners 10k Challenge at the Great Bristol Run has been the first of its kind that allows them to compete for their own medals.

“My main aim is always to get out there and enjoy it on the day and this year was no different,” said Teresa, who completed the race in 1 hour 12 minutes and 39 seconds.

“It’s always nice to do this in my hometown, with all the crowds cheering you on! The atmosphere was great and I had such a buzz afterwards.”

Entries for the AJ Bell Great Bristol Run on 19 May 2024, including the VI Runners 10k Challenge, are now open at greatrun.org/ vi-runners-challenge

For more information on VI Runners Bristol, visit: facebook.com/ groups/1890506954520150

Stroll and Chat Walking Group

Join us weekly come rain or shine for a gentle stroll and a friendly chat. We meet on Tuesdays at 10.30am outside the Tobacco Factory on North Street and each walk lasts around an hour. Take it at your own pace and enjoy the company. It’s a great way to make friends and boost your confidence at the same time. Everyone is welcome.

For further information, contact jo.langford@ bs3community.org.uk or call 0117 9231039.

BS3 Toddler Groups

BS3 Community runs BS3 Toddlers, a weekly toddler group with sessions suitable for all ages. Here you’ll find a range of fun activities including crafts, singing and sensory

play. Taster sessions £2.50 with further sessions £3.50 for one adult and child and 50p for each additional child. The group runs on Wednesday mornings during term time, 9am to 10.30am at The Southville Centre. No need to book - just drop in.

TAG, our Toddler and Grandparent group, also runs Wednesday mornings, 10.45am to 12pm at the Southville Centre during term time. Sessions are suitable for children aged 1+ accompanied by a grandparent. Free to attend with refreshments included. Donations welcome. Enjoy a range of fun activities including crafts, sensory play. No need to book - just drop in.

Did you know that when our term time toddler groups take a break during the school half terms and summer holidays, we continue offering fun activities for toddlers with our Stay & Play sessions? Sessions run from 10.30am to 12pm on

Wednesdays and are bookable through Eventbrite. Keep an eye on our social media or contact info@bs3community. org.uk / 0117 9231039 for further information.

All of our toddler groups

take place at the Southville Centre, Beauley Road, BS3 1QG. All are welcome. See www. bs3community.org.uk for details on other groups running at our centres.

Bristol’s Get Growing Garden Trail

The Get Growing Trail returns in June with 29 sites opening to the public for the weekend. The trail offers everyone the chance to explore the city’s community allotments, orchards, smallholdings, mini market gardens, city farms, productive parks and even a berry maze. All for free.

In South Bristol, among other events, you can: Visit Herbalists without Borders, Bristol: a community plot growing all kinds of medicinal herbs. The group uses these in medicines for refugees and asylum seekers. The plot is at Ashley Vale Allotments, open Sunday 4 June, 11am-4pm.

Make your mark stencilling on the shed at Knowle West Edible Gardens on Sunday 4 June, 10am-4pm.

Forage berries at the Malago Berry Maze, including - if you are lucky - highly sought after yellow raspberries! Saturday 3 June, 10am-1pm.

Filton Community Garden is adapting planting for dry summers. Meet volunteers on site Saturday 3 June, 11am-1pm to find out more.

Knowle West Edible Gardens

(Sunday 4 June, 10am-4pm) is growing wildflowers to encourage all kinds of insects and birds.

Many of the growing groups are using the ‘no dig’ approach to avoid disrupting the soil structure, for example Redcatch Community Garden are using this approach, along with organic principles and their own compost and liquid feeds. Open Saturday 3 June, 10am-1pm, garden tours at 11am and 12 noon.

Organisers Bristol Food Network (BFN) have been working to highlight the connections between urban growing and good food (food that is good for communities, climate and nature). The Get Growing Trail is part of BFN’s mission to help people navigate, celebrate and participate in the abundance of good food activity taking place across the city.

Photos By Cappel Photography

Age is no barrier for World Champion

SOUTHVILLE-based Anne Dockery, aged 75, has recently become European Standard DistanceDuathlon (completing a 10k run/ 40k bike / 5k run) Champion in March. And in April she travelled to Ibiza and became the World Champion.

“I want to get it out there that old people can do these things and let the youngsters know that old age can be fun,” says Anne.

She started doing triathlons when she was living in Florida, at the age of 63, because all of her friends were doing them. After moving back to the UK in 2018, at the age of 70, Anne qualified for the Worlds Sprint Duathlon in Fyn, Denmark.

“Against all the odds I was utterly thrilled to win my age group,” she says. “I have completed a few sprint duathlons but it felt like a bit of a challenge, so started training

for a Standard about a year ago.

I am basically a runner, so the biking has been the hard part for me as I am a scaredy cat and tend to put the breaks on going downhill!”

With the help of Andy Wadsworth at MyLifePT, Anne has been thrilled to reach high levels of personal fitness and strength that she would not have thought possible and says and her cycle skills are improving rapidly. Rebecca Rees at Bedminster Chiropractic also helped Anne negotiate injuries and stay in peak condition.

“I managed to qualify for the Worlds which was held in Ibiza on 30 April,” says Anne. “It was a warm day and I cannot recall being quite so nervous and excited on the morning of the race. I ran the 10k in 50:37. The bike ride was tough for me and, by the third lap, my body was

complaining! As I approached the transition for the final 5k, I was beginning to doubt that my legs would actually be able to walk let alone run. But once you are off the bike you begin to get

the legs into action again. Our bodies are so amazing!

“The last 5k was tough but the knowledge that I might become a World Champion was incentive enough to push

Windmill Hill Market

There is much to discover at Windmill Hill Market, with many and varied items of hand-made items including ceramics, clothing, accessories, homeware and décor, jewellery, prints and illustrations, books cards and stationery. Plus there’s the new ‘Thrift Avenue’, where you can find vintage & retro clothing, homeware, records and more.

And it that’s not enough, there are street food stalls, the Bruhaha micro brewery tap room, farm café, kids crafts, live music – all in the beautiful setting the city farm has to offer, with many seating areas to be found amongst the trees and community gardens picnic area, the newly created theatre space and the animal fields.

on despite the now very warm conditions.”

She adds: “I cannot describe the elation and the emotions that hit me as I ran up to the finish line and heard my name

announced as a WC 75-79! It was worth all the training, pain and anxiety. Just wow! My final time was 3 hours, 5 minutes and 28 seconds, and I cried when I crossed the line!”

Greater Bedminster Front Garden Walkabout

2023 is the 20th birthday of the Greater Bedminster Good Front Garden Awards. This summer, they’re encouraging you to put on your walking shoes and go for a wander around to look at some nice front gardens.

The joy of the walkabout is that you can wander wherever you like - but if you’re not sure of your way around, they have put together some suggested walking routes.

You will see some nice front gardens on these routes but you’ll also go along some roads with fewer front gardens. Keep going - the nice ones you’ll see are worth the wander! The suggested walking routes are available from bloomingbedminster.org.uk

Good Front Garden Awards celebrate 20 years

THIS month sees the return of the annual greater Bedminster Good Front Garden Awards. Volunteer judges will be out and about between 17 June and 9 July giving thousands of Good Garden Awards to everyone who is helping green and brighten up the neighbourhood.

This year’s award has been designed by Sally Imbert, it was chosen by public vote and will soon adorn windows across BS3. It is supported by Boardwalk estate agents.

Matthew Symonds from Blooming Bedminster, which organises the awards, said: “It’s amazing that we’re celebrating 20 years of good front garden awards this year. When we started the awards all those years ago we couldn’t have imagined how popular and loved they would become. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the awards over the past 20 years and to everyone who’s front gardens are helping to brighten up the neighbourhood.”

n ADVERTISING FEATURE

Spice up Father’s Day with this charity curry fundraiser

A fundraiser to support St Peter’s Hospice promises to serve up Bristol’s hottest event of the year.

The staff at Whitchurch restaurant, Blue Ginger, plan a tasty Indian treat for dads on Father’s Day, and it’s all for a good cause. In a bid to raise £5,000 for St Peter’s Hospice customers sign up for meals, each costing £20, £8 of which goes directly to the charity. Five sittings are offered throughout the day starting at noon, plus the chance to win raffle prizes donated from local businesses, Bristol City Football Club and Bristol Bears Rugby.

Busy planning the event is Blue Ginger Manager, Jay, who says: “I do a lot of charity work, and having raised £500 for Bangladesh at Christmas, I know this event is a numbers game. The more people we feed, the more we raise for the Hospice.

“People will be going out anyway on that day so why not have some fun and go out for a curry knowing that the money’s going to a good cause.”

Owner, Fayzul Hoque adds: “St Peter’s Hospice is a local charity. It helps a lot of people and is very close to people’s hearts. They’re also our local shop, close to us on Gilda Parade and we want to give back to the community.” To book a table call 01275 837 865.

Blue Ginger owner Fayzul Hoque and manager Jay

Let’s Walk Bedminster

LET’S Walk Bedminster is a community group, established in 2015, campaigning to make it easier, safer and more pleasant to walk around BS3, especially if you are with children or have a mobility, sight or balance impairment. We are aware of two projected developments that will make a difference to our neighbouhood’s walkability over the next few years. One is the expected increase in population of around 40% arising from planned house building and the other is that Bristol City Council has designated Greater Bedminster (or part of it?) to be Bristol’s second ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’.

Details of both of these developments are still uncertain and both will certainly present challenges. However, both will also offer opportunities, if we are prepared enough to seize them. Among these opportunities will be extra resources focused on our area.

Hopefully some of these resources can be used to improve walkability.

Hindrances to walkability fall into two main groups: temporary and permanent.

Temporary issues include cars parked on pavements, overhanging bushes and, a major one, recycling containers left on our narrow pavements. A-board adverts on our shopping streets can be a problem too. These issues are probably best addressed by raising public awareness rather than by spending public money.

More permanent issues are the conditions of the footways themselves which are sometimes trip hazards. Also, although there are dropped kerbs in many places, these are often of poor quality having been installed many years ago.

In other parts there are no dropped kerbs which creates problems if, for example, you are a wheelchair user.

Another problem arises from crossing busy roads. Are our zebra crossings enough or are there gaps? What about timings at traffic lights? Are pedestrians made to wait too long for the right to cross and do they then need to hurry across in ways inappropriate for older residents?

Let’s Walk Bedminster would like to hear from you about all these issues and others linked to walkability.

During 2023, we intend to create a map showing existing and potential dropped kerbs and comments upon their quality as well as suggestions for new crossing points and other

improvements. If you do not tell us, how will we know? If you would like to make a comment on the quality or absence of a dropped kerb, zebra crossing etc in BS3, please contact us at letswalkbedminster@ virginmedia.com or contact us via Southville Centre, Beauley Road (telephone: 0117 923 1039).

Eurovision fever comes to Bristol care homes

Residents at two Bristol care homes; Bishopsmead Lodge in Bishopsworth and Osborne Court in Bedminster, are embracing Eurovision fever and bringing the house down with their own take on some of the contest’s most famous performances.

More than 100 Four Seasons Health Care Group care homes across the UK are taking part in the event with residents and carers taking inspiration from previous winners including Abba, Brotherhood of Man and Bucks Fizz. Those who are a little too shy to take to the stage are representing the judges from different countries and scoring the acts, who will be trying their best to avoid nil points!

As well as some spectacular shows, residents are enjoying a culinary trip around some of the contest’s participating countries and spending time reminiscing about past Eurovisions, dating back to the inaugural event in 1956, won by Switzerland.

Resident Peggy Batchelor, aged 94, said: “I was lucky enough to be in the audience at the 1972 Eurovision Contest in Edinburgh as a family member was in a local band and was given tickets. We got all dressed up and my husband wore a tuxedo. It was such a memorable night; The New Seekers came in second place.”

Steve Gardner, who heads up the Magic Moments activities programme at Four Seasons Health Care Group, said: “Our residents and team members have really embraced everything Eurovision and have been putting on some amazing performances of their own. We’ve also enjoyed sharing our memories of some of the most famous Eurovision entries over the years which has got us all singing along. Douze points all round!”

Housing Forums for

Bristol council tenants –

Evening: Tuesday 13 June, 6–8pm

get involved!

Afternoon: Thursday 29 June, 1–3pm

Your opinions help us make decisions!

If you’re a council tenant, you can have your say on how the housing service is run and make suggestions about improvements. For June 2023, we are hosting online meetings focussing on issues we know matter most to tenants.

● Come along and find out about the action we are taking to ensure fire safety for residents in our high rise blocks of flats. At the meeting you will also be able to hear about how we are shaping our plans to improve energy efficiency in our homes.

● Places must be booked, you can do this online at: www.bristol.gov.uk/LocalHousingForums

● If you are not online but would like to take part, there is also a free dial-in option which you can join using your phone. For more information about how you can access the meetings contact Tenant Participation 0117 352 1444 or email  tpu@bristol.gov.uk

Calling all artists in Windmill Hill

ART on the Hill, South Bristol’s premiere arts trail, is set to return to Victoria Park and Windmill Hill this autumn, with artists from across the city being called on to sign up.

Taking place on October 7-8, the trail features artists of all disciplines and experiences, actively encouraging participation from professional and non-professionals alike.

The weekend’s programme is set to include a wide range of exhibitions, workshops, and activities in venues, showcasing some of the city’s most creative people.

Whether you’re a budding photographer, a part-time knitter, a seasoned sculptor, actor, painter or musician - or do anything else at all that could be considered art - you can get involved. This year’s event follows the trail’s return to inperson showcases in 2022, with 63 artists having their work on show in more than 30 venues across the community.

Registration opens on June 1 and will be open throughout the month. The entry fee is £35 per artist but is reduced to £30 for anyone signing up before June 18. Signing up is done via

artonthehill.org.uk

You can also sign up to the mailing list to find out more about this year’s trail as it is

confirmed, including what artists and venues are taking part and how you can get involved.

Arts trail scores big sponsorship deal

ONE of our local arts trails is excited to announce their new lead supporter this year, local estate agents Boardwalk.

Gaining support and sponsorship for community events can often be a challenge. The behind the scenes costs add up, from marketing and administration to website fees and printing costs, the list goes on. This year, Boardwalk are stepping up and are the lead supporter for the South Bristol Arts Trail, bringing with them local knowledge, an excellent marketing team and heaps of enthusiasm for supporting local creatives.

Tom Lack, Creative Director at Boardwalk Property Co, said: “We are thrilled to be lead partners for the 2023 South Bristol Arts Trail. Creativity is the lifeblood of our city, and community events like this wonderful arts trail are integral to giving artists and creatives alike the platform to showcase their talents to a wider audience. We are immensely proud to be able to play a small

part in fuelling creativity in Bristol and are really looking forward to seeing how the event brings more inspiration and creativity to our homes across Southville, Ashton, Bedminster and beyond.

“As a resident of both Southville and now Ashton, I have loved exploring the trail on a number of occasions and can’t wait to see the diverse range of talents on display in September. Of course, peeking into the homes for inspiration is always a treat as

Patchwork Group celebrates 20th birthday

SINCE 2003, the Patchwork Community Gardening Group has identified and worked on nine small patches of land in Bedminster and Southville, clearing them of rubbish and planting shrubs, trees, flowers and edible plants. Gardening sessions happen monthly and the group also organises an annual apple pressing day and a wassail.

To celebrate their anniversary, Patchwork Community Gardening Group is holding a fundraising event on Saturday, 24 June from 12-4pm. This will be on the Myrtle Street Orchard (off North Street), which the group planted in 2011. There will be stalls including cakes, plants, books, crafts and bric-a-brac.

There will also be live music and you are welcome to bring a picnic and sit and enjoy the afternoon. For more information, please contact bemmiepatchwork@gmail.com

well.”

Securing this support from Boardwalk is a great step forward in making the trail more sustainable. It also means the trail will be able to hire more local creatives to run freeto-participate workshops as part of the trail.

Fiona Clabon, Project Manager at South Bristol Arts Trail, said: “We are delighted to have gained support from Boardwalk this year. After meeting with Tom after the 2022 trail, we’ve spent the last few months putting a plan in place and are now both excited to be working together to make this year’s trail even better.”

Join the celebration of our local area and apply today. Whether you’re a sculpture, ceramicist, sketcher or singer, they would love you to be a part of the South Bristol Arts Trail. Apply by Sunday 4 June. You can find the full details and apply online at southbristolarts.co.uk

Share Bristol is no longer the city’s best kept secret!

SHARE Bristol is fast losing its reputation as Bristol’s best kept secret, thanks to a flurry of publicity and support from local people over the last few months.

April was a great month for the volunteer team behind the not for profit Library of Things, currently based on Kingswood High Street. Their Crowdfunder raising money to open a second library in South Bristol raised over £7,000, giving them the confidence to press ahead with their plans.

But alongside that, April saw a record number of new members, with 43 new people signing up for an annual membership, on top of the 63 who donated through the Crowdfunder. All this kept the team very busy, with 168 of their 673 things going out on loan during the month.

It’s not too late to donate to the Crowdfunder - your donation will be doubled and you will receive a gift voucher for the value of your donation that you can put towards membership of Share Bristol whenever it suits you. Find out more here: avivacommunityfund. co.uk/p/bringsharebristoltobs3

n LETTERS

Questioning our councillors

WHILE I currently have no criticism of the ward performance of my councillors Gary Hopkins and Chris Davies - who defected from the Bristol Liberal Democrats to form their own party, Knowle Community Party - I think in the interests of transparency and fairness to future local council candidates campaigning at the next city council elections, Gary and Chris should inform constituents exactly the set-up of their fledgling new party, bearing in mind Knowle constituents to date have not had an opportunity to vote for their party.

I would be interested to know, for instance, does the Knowle Community Party have a written constitution, and is it a registered political party? Is the party open for general membership, and are the party accounts open for inspection by ward residents? And can constituents inspect minuted reports of party meetings?

Also, is Knowle Community Party a legal entity as a political party, or just two independent councillors claiming party status, and have the councillors claimed the additional £13, 551 allowance for an independent Bristol party? A question raised in the Spring edition of Labour in Knowle.

I would be grateful if Gary and Chris could respond to the above points in the next issue of South Bristol Voice.

Gerald Gannaway, Knowle

Protecting green spaces

AS part of the response to the expected human population growth across BS3 and the continuing decline of wild animals and nature, the BS3 Wildlife Group has started conversations with allotment associations and park support groups in Greater Bedminster. Most of the larger spaces have support groups and these are already looking at how they can maintain their range of community activities such as sport, children’s play and an opportunity for everyone to enjoy the sight of trees on your doorstep with the promotion of better habitats for insects, birds and wild mammals.

The wildlife aspects of these plans will make these spaces an important part of the emerging Greater Bedminster Urban Nature Reserve alongside hundreds of community and domestic gardens.

However, some of the smaller spaces, eg Gores Marsh Park, Luckwell Park and North Street Green seem not to have a support group. In the case of Gores Marsh, we are already talking to locals to put that right, but we need your help.

FIRSTLY, can we say that among the many dozens of emails we get every week, questions about the technical administrative status of the Knowle Community Party do not feature at all.

Residents know that we are getting on with the job they have elected us to do for the last 20+ years, namely looking after Knowle and its residents, and supporting and protecting from the Labour mayor our valuable voluntary organisations that mean so much in our area.

Apparently, though, a couple of South Bristol Voice readers have been inspired by the malicious and inaccurate article put out by the Labour Party to enquire indirectly through South Bristol Voice. Perhaps they should check with the electoral commission. We have!

We delayed our formal leaving of the Lib Dem group on Bristol City Council for a while so that I could finish off the job of exposing and reporting on the scandal of Labour’s Bristol energy company that I had started some while ago and completed as chair of the audit committee that I had been elected to by the Lib Dems.

One of our reasons for leaving the local Lib Dems was so that any successors to seek office could be selected as local champions and not following party dogma. We have planned accordingly.

Council democratic services officers were consulted in advance to arrange a smooth transition and job descriptions etc were changed as they would be for any group.

We are glad to report that every penny that is spent by us on leaflets etc as always is paid for by us, and we are glad that Knowle councillors are no longer subsidising failing parts of Bristol Lib Dems.

We will, as you would expect, be communicating through leaflets, newsletters and our website with all relevant details and are happy to take questions and welcome fellow workers as always.

If we are to reach our goal of a strong, local support group for every public green space in BS3, we need people to come forward and do their bit. If you are a doer rather than a watcher, please contact us at mywildbedminster@virginmedia.com. We can put you in touch with existing support groups and work with you to establish new ones.

We are also talking to some church and school groups about how their green spaces can be developed to protect wildlife. It’s much better when lots of people do little things rather than expecting a few people to do lots.

Councillor Gary Hopkins, Knowle Community Party

The Theatre and Entertainment Luvver

Get yourselves outside!

AS the sun starts to shine, I am excitedly awaiting the arrival of outside theatre in Bedminster and Bristol once more. Outside theatre is exciting for everyone but it is a fantastic way to introduce children to theatre. It is more interactive and there is no need to sit still - so it is a great first experience to the wonderful world of theatre.

Heartbreak Productions will be bringing David Walliams’ Bad Dad’ to South Street Park on June 15, so I spoke to tour manager Izzie James about touring family theatre.

What’s the best thing about family theatre?

At Heartbreak, we strongly believe that theatre is for everyone. We want to make every production we do entertaining for all ages, from youngsters to grandparents! We also like to combine the silly with the serious. Hopefully our production of ‘Bad Dad’ keeps people laughing whilst also portraying an important message about the ups and downs of family life.

What makes Heartbreak Productions different from other theatre companies?

Audiences at a Heartbreak show do more than just sitting and watching. Our actors love interacting with the audience and are keen improvisers. We always set our productions as a play within a play, which gives a fresh perspective on the stories we tell. We often ask audiences to sing along, shout-out, and sometimes even take on a role or two in the show.

Why do you like to perform your shows outdoors?

Our Heartbreak style suits the outdoors as it offers a whole experience rather than just a seat in a theatre. We encourage picnics and love to watch our audiences enjoy the show while munching on sandwiches or with a glass of something fizzy. Indoor theatre can be quite a formal affair, while a Heartbreak show is much more relaxed, even when it rains, it just makes the show more fun in our eyes.

How difficult is it to take multiple plays on tour?

Very difficult! We usually have three or four shows touring across the UK and Ireland and in peak summer, we can have a show in all four corners of the country. Our teams of actors are amazing and not only do they perform, they also: drive the van, build the set, rig the technical equipment, pack it all up and do it all over again the next day. They are superheroes!

Why should our readers come and see ‘Bad Dad’?

‘Bad Dad’ is a story for our time. It is mostly very silly and has lots of funny parts (we hope you don’t mind toilet humour) but also contains a strong message about family, love and perseverance through hard times. We hope you will boo our baddies and cheer for our goodiesand an extra bonus if you love fast cars!

Has David Walliams ever come to see one of your shows?

He has! He came to see our production of ‘Mr Stink’ a few years ago and even bought our actors a very lovely bottle of champagne.

Thanks Izzy. And if you want to see a great show, and possibly to meet David Walliams, book now: tinyurl.com/Bad-Dad-Bristol

Jacqui Ham

Theatre, comedy and so much more for all the family

June 5, Tobacco Factory Theatre, ‘Laura Belbin: Knee Deep’. Author and social media sensation Laura Belbin is on a mission to make people laugh. Laura’s content offers a brilliant antidote to the unrealistic, sugar-coated portrayal of perfect motherhood and she is no stranger to going viral. Laura’s favourite saying is “you are more than enough”. She is a mum, wife, daughter, sister, friend and that person you avoid eye contact with in the playground.

June 7-24, Bristol Old Vic, ‘Anna Karenina’. When her brother’s affair is discovered, Anna Karenina crosses the country by train to help save his marriage. But on her arrival at the station, a charged encounter with a dazzling young cavalry officer sends Anna on a course of action that could destroy her own marriage and tear her life apart. In a world of fakery, public shaming and patriarchal oppression, they are compelled to live truly or not at all.

June 10, UWE Bristol City Campus, Degree Show. The varied talents of graduating students at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) will be celebrated at the annual Degree Show across the University’s City Campus – at Bower Ashton, Arnolfini and Spike Island. The exhibitions will be open to the public on Saturday 10 June (no need to book).

June 13-17, Tobacco Factory Theatre, ‘Family Tree’. This is a beautifully poetic drama about race, health, the environment, and the incredible legacy of one of the most influential Black women of modern times. Fearlessly honest, hilarious, and ultimately transformative, this award-winning play is both a remembrance and a celebration.

June 17 Bristol Bach Choir presents a celebration of British Choral Music. 7.30pm in St Mary Redcliffe. Including music by Byrd, Handel and Britten. For information, visit bristolbach.org.uk

June 28 - July 1, Tobacco Factory Theatre, ‘Godot is a Woman’. Since Beckett wrote ‘Waiting for Godot’, he and his estate have notoriously challenged – often legally – nonmale companies that wish to perform it. Silent Faces return with their trademark style of playful and political physical theatre, in a whipsmart interrogation of authorial copyright, gender barriers in the arts and the cultural significance of Madonna’s 1989 album, ‘Like a Prayer’.

Go Greased Lightnin’, Go!

Bamfield Lodge in Bristol decided to celebrate their special new monthly drama club by kicking off with the musical Grease Lightnin’.

Residents, their relatives and staff all got involved with the spirit of drama club and dressed up in regalia from the film, they had an American diner themed lunch, and put together their very own music video. Anyone who wishes to watch the full video can see it via Bamford Lodge’s Facebook page.

The General Manager at Bamfield Lodge care home said: “This has been a huge amount of fun and sparked amazing memories from the era, there was lots of dancing and movement, laughter and fun. The wigs went down a storm, and all the staff, relatives and residents enjoyed a makeover in our on-site salon to become a

Until July 1, Bristol Hippodrome, ‘The Lion King’. Set against the majesty of the Serengeti Plains and to the evocative rhythms of Africa, Disney’s Lion King follows the powerful story of Simba and his epic adventure to his destined role as King of the Pridelands. Based on Disney’s beloved film, the theatrical productions has been transformed into a spectacular experience that explodes with glorious colours, awe-inspiring visuals and enchanting music.

Saturday 8th July & Sun 9th July, Ashton Court Mansion will be open from 10.30 –4pm. Many downstairs rooms & displays will be accessible & free to explore. Tickets for 8 Upstairs Dereliction Tours will be released from 1st June on Headfirst. facebook.com/mansionfriends/ friendsoacourt@gmail.com

July 10-11, acta Theatre, ‘Wild Camping’. When a group of co-workers are forced to spend a

weekend in the great outdoors, they quickly realise that they are in for more than just team building group exercises. As the weekend unfolds, tensions rise and personalities clash. Can some time in the wilderness really unite this disparate group of people? Taking the lead from nature and following the wisdom of the animal kingdom, this show will have you laughing, crying and reflecting on what truly matters in life.

July 13, Action for Greater Bedminster. You are invited to join the group to reflect on their activities throughout 2022, supporting many brilliant local projects and the start of their current project’ BS3 beyond 2025’. Connect with residents and meet your local councillors from Bedminster, Southville and Windmill Hill Wards.Find more details online at actiongreaterbedminster.org.uk

You are invited to the Degree Show at UWE

Greased Lightnin’ tribute. A resident at the home said: “It was the

best day ever and I am looking forward to next month. We are going to vote on the theme.”

Bristol’s first dedicated Asian arts platform launches in Totterdown

WOW Asia, Bristol’s first platform dedicated to supporting Asian culture in the city, celebrates their launch with a series of summer events: Asian Summer Sundays.

The self-funded platform has been created with the aim of providing support for Asian creatives from Bristol as well as widening the understanding of Asian cultures in the city.

Asian Summer Sundays monthly events, sponsored by Jinro, will be held at The Thunderbolt in Totterdown every first Sunday of the month from now until September and will be the first public events hosted by WOW Asia. Visitors can expect to be immersed in a monthlychanging roster of food, drinks, art, music and activities from countries including China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand, held from 1-8pm with free entry.

“We are very proud to launch WOW Asia, Bristol’s very first

creative platform dedicated to promoting Asian cultures in the city,” says co-founder Natalie Leer. She adds: “Bristol has always been a diverse and open-minded place to live and Asian cultures are well represented within the restaurant industry yet there is a huge amount of talent in the city that doesn’t have a platform. WOW Asia was created to support and nurture the emerging Asian creative scene in Bristol that has been developing in recent years.”

Natalie Leer and Kari Simpson founded WOW Asia in 2023 following extended planning since 2020 and being delayed by the pandemic. The platform acts as an umbrella for Asian creatives within the Bristol area and offers support on an individual basis, currently with five ‘Featured Creatives’ and two ‘Supported Creatives’, the latter receiving more guidance for development and the aim is for this number to grow.

“Inclusivity is at the heart of WOW so as well as promoting Asian culture is important to us to make our events as welcoming and accessible as possible. WOW support LGBTQIA+ and people with disabilities and we are proud to showcase artists within these groups at the Asian

Summer Sundays event,” says Kari Simpson. “We would welcome any creative working within the Asian cultural arts to contact us to learn more about WOW Asia support and invite them to take part in the Asian Summer Sundays programme.”

Young people’s films premier at Hengrove cinema

BRISTOL City Council, Crimestoppers in the West Country, and Unique Voice CIC hosted the premiere of two brand new films created by the talented young people of South Bristol at the end of April. The premiere was held at Hengrove Cineworld for an audience full of family, friends, and students involved in the project.

The films were produced following the young people’s participation in creative and explorative workshops with Unique Voice CIC as part of the ‘Safer Streets - What Would You Do?’ project, which was generously funded by Bristol City Council and Crimestoppers in the West Country. The project aimed to empower young people to make informed choices when faced with difficult challenges or decisions and raise awareness of the independent charity Crimestoppers, which gives people the power to speak up and stop crime - 100% anonymously.

The premiere event was an exciting opportunity for community members and organisations to come together and celebrate the achievements of these young people. The project was enlivened by the spirited involvement of year 5 and year 8 students from Merchants Academy and Bridge Learning Campus. Merchants Academy created a film on community and equality, while Bridge Learning Campus developed a film on violence against women and girls. The films showcased the creativity, empathy, and critical thinking skills of the young people involved.

The event was a great success, with attendees praising the young people’s efforts and creativity. One audience member remarked, “I am amazed by the quality of these films and the level of thought and care that went into creating them. The young people involved have

done a fantastic job, and I am inspired by their vision for a safer community.”

The Safer Streets project continues to make a positive impact in the community, thanks to the support of Bristol City Council, Crimestoppers in the West Country, and Unique Voice CIC. The event was a testament to the project’s success in empowering young people and raising awareness of the importance of making informed choices to build a safer and better community.

Unique Voice director, Krystal Keeley, added, “the legacy of this project is enormous, it isn’t just about a premiere of two films - it’s about feeding these messages into future decisions and the way we look at issues. Our hope is that these films will be used as a tool for many years to come.”

Stars from Safer Streets secondary film and UV facilitator Hannah

Safer Streets Primary Film about community and equality Representatives from UV, Crimestoppers and Bristol City Council

Students from Safer Street’s primary film with UV facilitator Molly

n WICKED WITCH

In witch it’s nuts

THERE’S a pub near our caravan by the sea that is one of my favourites. It’s perched on the edge of the beach with stunning views of the Jurassic coast. I am not telling you where it is because Jamie Oliver was there recently and now it’s popular, which is annoying.

At the beginning of this year’s season, when there was still a chill to the air, me and Himself strolled down to this pub. The bar was empty. We were greeted by a woman who smiled one of those stressed smiles, she asked briskly if we had a booking. We did not. We just wanted a drink. “Oh dear,” she said, flicking across her tablet “we are fully booked I’m afraid.” We looked around at the empty tables. “Hang on I might be able to squeeze you in” and she showed us into a side room where a solitary couple were enjoying a meal, despite the room being otherwise

empty we were seated at a table directly adjoining them. We obediently sat down and smiled apologetically for our invasion.

We had a few drinks and chatted, trying not to listen to the other conversation drifting across the table. The barwoman walked by, and I asked for a packet of peanuts. She frowned. “I’m sorry” she said, in a not sorry way “we no longer sell peanuts, or any nut. We are a nut free pub, a safe space for everyone.” We raised our eyebrows. Seriously? A pub without nuts. Is that a step too far? Don’t they come in little packets? Aren’t they eaten safely by nonallergic people? The barwoman

Southville Primary Preschool

matched our raised eyebrows with narrowed eyes and hands on hips. She was daring us to question her and how could we? Her response would be “Really? You are happy for someone to die?”

So we waited until she had left the room and raised our eyebrows at our companions. Who raised theirs back at us. We chatted together about how mad the world was. I mentioned that we are not allowed to call the ladies loo ‘ladies’ anymore down at the swimming pool I’m involved with (offensive to us commoners apparently). I also mentioned that I wrote a column for a local paper which sometimes got me into trouble. One time I

wrote about babies with huge heads usually born to older mums. Oh stop it, I can say this because I have a huge head and my mum was old. But people took offence and the editor received a flurry of emails from old parents venting their rage (it was quite exciting). This couple exchanged glances then leaned closer and whispered, “you’re not the Witch are you?” For one glorious moment I thought I was famous across the counties and my head got even bigger. Turns out they live a few streets away from us in Bristol. How nuts is that?

Places available in September 2023 for 3 and 4 year olds

Open evenings on Tuesday 4th July - 16.00-17.00pm Please

Our wonderful preschool offers:

• A fully qualified and highly experienced class teacher.

• Staff who care for and develop each child as an individual.

• A stimulating and creative environment where children’s interests lead the learning and independence is built.

• A wonderful community of supportive parents.

• A childcare setting within a high -performing school.

• 15 and 30 hours free childcare during term time

• Wraparound care available through our trusted provider.

www.southville.bristol.sch.uk

Winter garden birds

Ben Barker, Secretary BS3 Wildlife Group

THE Greater Bedminster Urban Nature Reserve is monitoring its inhabitants, including our annual report on garden birds observed by local people between last October and this March.

Most of the birds that visit our gardens are woodland varieties. Once, most of England was covered in forests. Birds (and some other animals) probably see

our gardens as a substitute forest with trees and bushes. Even better if humans add water features and offer peanuts.

Bristol birds have declined, especially recently. Once common sightings like starlings, chaffinches and greenfinches are now rare as are summer visitors like swifts and swallows.

Robins, dunnocks, wrens, goldfinches and house sparrows are fairly common. Three tits, blue, greater and long-tailed,

are still around as are blackbirds. Bigger birds are carrion crows, magpies and, sometimes, jays. Greater spotted woodpeckers and sparrowhawks were occasionally reported.

Our nature reserve boasts three pigeon species. Feral pigeons are more likely to be seen in streets and on roofs than in gardens. These are the descendants of escapee domesticated birds which accounts for their range of colours. More likely in gardens are wood pigeons, first becoming common in Bristol in the 1960s. The elegant collared dove is less frequent, but is also a fairly recent arrival. A century or so ago, its nearest base was Turkey. Since then, it spread westward, reaching

Norfolk in the 1950s. Which of these species will still be around in 2050?

Contact BS3 Wildlife Group via mywildbedminster@virginmedia. com