Community Conference - 28th June 2008

Our Community Conference on 28th June will start at 9.30 at Wesley College. One of the workshops will have the theme of “The Future for Henbury and Brentry's Built Environment”. Two developments which will contribute to the lively debate are the possible Aldi supermarket on the old swimming pool site and South Glousester plans to build up to 2600 houses on land immediately adjacent to Henbury and Brentry area. Do come and voice your opinions on these and related subjects.
A mini-bus is being provided to take people to the conference leaving at the following times:
Station Road shops 9.15am
Crow Lane Lay-by 9.05 and 9.20am
Charlton Road shops9.00am
Please ring Richardon 950 4000 to be sure of a seat on the bus.

The Co-operative Invests £300,000 in Bristol

The Co-op food store in Henbury, Bristol has unveiled a smart new look on Thursday (May 1) following the completion of a £300,000 revamp that has created four new jobs.
The Crow Lane store will feature the consumer-owned Co-operative Group's new identity, The co-operative, which aims to highlight improved service standards across its 4,500 outlets in the UK, including its travel, pharmacy, funerals and bank branches, as well as its commitment to supporting local communities and ethical trading policies.
Pupils from Blaise Primary School will performed the ribbon cutting ceremony and accepted a donation of £200 for their school’s funds to mark the occasion.
The community store is being transformed with modern décor and a more shopper-friendly layout. The store’s emphasis will be on fresh foods with a wider range available, while the hot food range is being extended to include pies and pasties. All beers and white wines will now be chilled, and popular services, including the lottery, paypoint and an external cash machine, are being retained.
As the leading supermarket supporter of Fairtrade foods, The co-operative’s popular Fairtrade products will feature and the store will carry the retailer’s own health and beauty range with products that are not tested on animals.
Shoppers will also benefit from The co-operative’s policy on honest labelling which gives the full facts about its food and drink products, while customers can carry shopping home in 100 percent degradable bags.
The Co-operative Group also gives its customer members a share* of its profits in cash. Members can choose to keep the twice-yearly payouts or donate all or part of them to local worthy causes.
“We provide a much valued service for the local community and I am confident our shoppers will be delighted with our improved store and wider selection of goods which will better meet all the community’s daily grocery needs,” said manager Grant Caddick.

Notes *
Unlike many large organisations, The Co-operative Group is owned by its consumer members and seeks to return a share of its profits to the people who trade with it.
Becoming a member of The Co-operative Group costs just £1 and under the profit share scheme, members earn points on their trade with all the Group’s businesses including food stores, travel, pharmacy and funeral outlets as well as the Co-operative Bank and Co-operative Insurance (CIS). points are converted into a share of profits and paid out twice a year.

Media enquiries: Contact Gideon Fireman, senior public relations officer on 0161 827 5283 or 07711 925 839

Young Peoples View: ALDI

Question: Do you think the council are right to make the old swimming pool into an Aldi?
As youths do you think that Bristol city council were right to knock down the old Henbury swimming baths and decide to make a new Aldi?
Answer: “Because all the youths hardly have anywhere to hang about and they are worried about the crime.
And yet they are rapidly knocking down all the places to go for youths of which then is increasing the amount of crime committed on Crow Lane. Now I am not saying that it is all youths because it is not but at the end of the day some youths are going out and doing vandalism and shoplifting etc on shops because they are bored and surely you as youths are fed up of going out with mates and having no where to go. Isn’t it about time the council started to build something where we could hang about. If you would like to share your opinion with me please email talenkennedy@hotmail.co.uk
Thank you.”
By Talen Kennedy (13 years old)

Summer Fun for Children at Henbury Library

Go for gold with Team Read, a free children's reading challenge coming to all Bristol libraries this summer. The challenge is to read 6 books during the summer holidays. You'll get stickers for each book you read so you can track your progress and if you complete the challenge you'll get a medal and a certificate. Come and see the staff at Henbury Library to sign up (challenge starts from 21st July)
Henbury Library also has an exciting programme of activities for children this summer. Starting with: -
• Thursday 31st July 10.30 til 12 - Come on you Reds!! Make you own mini table football game.
• Thursday 7th August 10.30 til 12 - Animal Olympics. Animal long jump competition.
• Thursday 14th August 10.30 til 11.30 Mad Science show - make your own slime!
• Thursday 21st August 10.30 til 11.30 Mike Clarke, Fun magic show.
• Thursday 28th August 10.30 til 12 -Slam Dunk Make your own mini basketball game.
All the above activities are suitable for ages 4-10. Tickets priced 50p. Booking is recommended, as places are limited.
In addition throughout the holidays the library will still be running the following weekly sessions: -
Rockin Babies - every Monday at 10.30am
Preschool storytime and craft - every Tuesday at 10.00am.
If you would like any more information please come and see the staff at Henbury Library or phone us on 0117 9038522.

The Anthony Edmonds Charity

The charity was set up in 1634 to provide schooling for poor boys, It still offers Financial help for educational purposes. Applicants must be:
• Under 25 years old
• Resident within the boundaries of the ancient parishes of Henbury, Westrury-on-Trym and Horfield
• Unable to undertake their projects without help.
Parish boundaries have changed since the Charity was set up so residential qualifications will be checked against the Trustee’s official map.
Grants are to provide help with activities of a broadly educational nature. These include apprenticeships, courses, and less formal projects, whether or not they lead to qualifications. They may be academic, artistic, technical, social, or sporting. Let us know what you wish to do so that we can determine whether it lies within our limits.
Application forms are available from The Clerk to the Trustees, 43 Meadowland Road, Bristol BS10 7PW. They should be completed and returned in good time before the grant is needed. All applications are treated in confidence.

Dog Fouling and Littering

Dog fouling in public areas is not simply an anti-social nuisance but a serious public health issue. Dogs act as a host for a parasitic worm called Toxicara canis. This worm lives in the dog's gut, and lays its eggs there. These eggs are passed out in the dog's faeces. If ingested by a child it grows into a grub which may travel to the child's eye and obscure their vision or may even make them blind. SinceSeptember 2002 all public land (ie pavements, grass verges, parks and open spaces) is covered by the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996.
An offence is committed under the Act if a person in charge of a dog fails to clean up after the animal has fouled in public open land, including the public highway. The offence carries a maximum fine of £1,000.
Fixed penalty notices carry an on the spot fine, which the offender can pay within 14 days, or have the case heard at the Magistrates Courts.

How do I report dog faeces that need clearing from public areas?
Waste Service and Street Scene Group have a responsibility to clear dog faeces from the public highway. If you wish to report dog faeces left by a dog owner on the public highway please email customer.services@bristol.gov.uk or telephoning 0117 9223838. You will need to provide a detailed description of where the faeces are located.
The enforcement of dog fouling is another part of the dog warden's role, which constantly promotes responsible dog ownership. If you require any further advice on dog related issues or you would like a copy of their "Dogs in Bristol" leaflet please contact them on: Tel: 0117 977 6004 or email: dog.warden@bristol.gov.uk

Around the Open Spaces in Henbury and Brentry there are dog waste bins please be responsible and pick up after your dog.. The dog warden has been around the Open Space and placed 20 signs on all the pedestrian access points to the open space. The dog Warden has been asked to patrol the open space due to the number of dogs fouling the area.


Litter
It is an offence to drop, throw, deposit or leave litter under Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Litter is defined as including all smoking related litter, such as cigarette ends. It also includes discarded chewing gum.
Street Scene Enforcement Team have the power to take action against those who drop litter by issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice. A Fixed Penalty Notice is an on the spot fine, if you are given a Fixed Penalty Notice you have 14 days to pay the fine.
If you fail to pay the Fixed Penalty Notice of £75, we will take prosecution action against you in the Magistrates Court. The maximum penalty on conviction for this offence is £2,500. If found guilty, you will also be given a criminal record.
What you can do?
Use the litter bins provided in the streets. Do not leave single black bin bags out on the street as this is classed as littering. Store your waste correctly and use the appropriate services for your waste.

Fly-tipping
If you dump any waste onto land or highway this is called fly-tipping and is illegal. Leaving as little as two black bags on the street when it is not your recycling and rubbish collection day is classed as fly-tipping.
Fly-tipped waste is a problem in Bristol. A large quantity of the waste dumped contains fridge freezers, builders rubble and mattresses which is littering our street scene, driving down property prices and costing the council tax payer an estimated £231,848 each year.
What can we do?
We will investigate complaints and incidents of fly-tipping where evidence is available.
We use a range of methods to help us identify who has fly-tipped waste in Bristol, including:
• CCTV which we can install anywhere
• We interview people
• can serve Legal Notices requesting information and the receiver of the Notice has a legal obligation to reply
• We work very closely with the Environment Agency and neighbouring Local Authority Enforcement Teams to make sure we catch the offenders.
Convictions for flytipping can carry a fine of up to £50,000 and/or up to 5 years imprisonment.
What can you do?
Please help us combat fly-tipping by reporting any fly-tipping in your area today.Simply complete the online report form that can be found at the Bristol city website.Alternatively you can contact the Customer Services Centrewill be more than happy to help.
Any information you can obtain about who has fly-tipped the waste would be very helpful to our Street Scene Enforcement Team. Information such as:
• Vehicle registration
• Brief description of the vehicle/s seen fly-tipping
• Brief description of the person/people seen fly-tipping
Photographic evidence if possible the above email: customer.services@bristol.
gov.uk
Tel: 0117 922 3838

Avonmouth Recycling Centre, Kingsweston Lane,
Avonmouth, Bristol BS11 0YS
Opening times
Winter time - From Monday 29 October 2007 till Sunday 30 March 2008 Bristol's Household Waste Recycling Centres will be open everyday from 8.00am to 4.15pm.
Summer time - From Monday 31 March 2008 till Sunday 26 October 2008 Bristol's Household Waste Recycling Centres will be open everyday from 8.00am to 6.45pm.

Crow Lane Open Space Clean-up

In response to the never ending problems of fly tipping/dumped rubbish, litter etc on the open space, the Henbury & Brentry SEARCH group organised a clean up. On Wednesday 16th April you may have seen a large group of people cleaning up the the open space from one end to the other. Young People, Residents, Community Members, Police, Local Councillors, Bristol City Council (Waste Management), Safer Bristol (Community Safety), SITA all worked in partnership to clean the area up. There were shopping trolleys, computer screens, hedge trimmers, carpets and even an old fire door was found in the stream, which took 4 people to pull out as it was extremely heavy.

There were many black bags of rubbish, furniture items, household goods dumped in the hedgerow through out the open space. The amount of general litter that had been dropped and the amount of dog faeces found (and walked in) through the open space was quite alarming considering the amount of litter bins and dog fouling bins available. The weather was kind to us and the day was successful in terms of the amount of rubbish removed (1.82 tonnes). A big thank you to everyone that helped and especially to the residents who made the rolls for everyone's lunch.

Although there is a regular 1-day a week contract to litter pick the area and BCC Parks department keep the grass areas cut and tidy, it seems that people still continue to misuse the green open spaces that Henbury & Brentry boast. There are not limitless resources or money to keep clearing the open space and misuse of it will only lead to more problems in the future. Please help keep your green and open spaces clean and tidy for all to enjoy.

SEARCH Group

The SEARCH group meet on the 2nd Friday of each month and start with an hours walkabout every other meeting. We will soon be more easy to identify as the group members will soon be wearing high visibility tabards with SEARCH printed on the back on the walkabouts. If you see us
out and about please let us know of any concerns/issues you may have.
The group continues to address issues of fly tipping, litter, rubbish, Anti-Social Behaviour, Grafitti, Dog Fouling, Untidy gardens, Parking Issues. We had 2 guest speakers at our last meeting talking to the group about Drugs and Hate Crime.
We are always happy to welcome new members to the group so if you are interested and would like more details then contact Cheryl Coles, Community Safety Officer (Safer Bristol) on 07810506846.

PCSO Kim Wrixon

“Hi my name is Kim and I am the new PCSO working from the Avonmouth station, covering the Brentry and Henbury areas.
For the last 10 years I have been doing various customer service roles and hope that this will stand me in good stead for my new role.
I'm looking forward to working along side PC stamp, PCSO Elliott-Taylor
and other agencies, helping to tackle issues that matter to the community. “ Kim Wrixon

Excercise: The New Feel-Good

“I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and resting." - Mark Twain

“Anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit.” - Lillie Langtry

Who do you agree with?
Whichever, I hope to persuade you that exercise is great for your body and mind and that you can find your own sort of exercise, which won’t feel like a chore.

Why should I exercise?
Here’s some good news. Exercise can:
• Reduce blood pressure
• Reduce cholesterol ( making stroke and heart attack less likely)
• Reduce your risk of diabetes- it slims your tummy and frees up the liver to process sugar better
• Make you happier- when you exercise, feel-good hormones called endorphins are released, lifting low mood and raising energy levels, making stressful lives easier to cope with. You may think that when you’re feeling low and tired, exercise is the last thing you want, but if you do give it a go, the positive feedback you get should spur you on to make next time easier.
Reduce the symptoms of, amongst other things, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and morning sickness in pregnancy.

How much exercise do I need?
Aim for 30 minutes of exercise each day- and that can be any sort of exercise which stretches you physically i.e. raises your pulse rate. For most people, the best way to make exercise a daily habit is to build it into your routine- something which doesn’t involve a special time or place or fancy equipment (although some people can’t resist the lure of fancy equipment)- a walk (or even a run) in the lunch break, dog-walking (also good for meeting other people in your community- another really important part of a happy and stable life), not using lifts at work, getting off the bus a few stops early, cycling to the shops. Varying your routine and joining in with other people will stop you getting bored.

Lots of ideas
There’s a good leaflet about ways to get active in Bristol and South Gloucestershire for free, produced for the NHS, and available at doctor’s surgeries, with lots of ideas in it (contact Simon Carpenter 900 2193)

Here are some local activities :
Walking Wonderful walks in Blaise Castle Estate - with changing seasons there’s always something different to see. If you think you’re unfit, try choosing a half hour walk, and speeding up so you go a little further each time. The Henbury Healthy Walking Group, who walk every Thursday, meeting in Crow Lane has been going since 2004 and organise local walks and some further afield. They are graded so you can see how strenuous they might be, but are generally easy walks. (contact Roy Pepworth 962 3768).
Cycling through the Blaise Estate from Coombe Dingle to Henbury has to be one of the best ways to start a working day. You can hear woodpeckers, see owls, and if very lucky, kingfishers along the way. Cycling to work has been shown to boost concentration and productivity, with fewer days off work from illness. If you’re nervous of cycling , Life Cycle UK (based in Bristol 929 0440) run practical courses to boost cycle skills-they’ll even help you find safe cycle routes to your workplace, and show you how to maintain your bike.
Swimming Apparently, we were all once fish, and it’s never too late to re-learn how to swim. Henbury Sports Centre is a good place to start. The staff are friendly, there are swimming lessons available, and special over 50’s sessions. There is also free swimming for pregnant women (you’ll need an Exemption Certificate from your midwife). And then there’s the wonderful Henleaze Lake swimming club.
Gardening is good for mind, body and spirit, and half an hour of digging can burn up 200 calories. If you don’t have your own garden, you could become a volunteer at the University Botanical Garden in Stoke Bishop (contact Nicholas Wray 331 4912). Home-grown vegetables, eaten soon after picking, are bursting with vitamins- much better than something shipped from the other side of the world. Call the Bristol City Council Allotment Office on Tel. 922 3737 to find your local allotment site.

There’s a full-spectrum of exercise classes at Henbury Sports Centre, from Yoga and Pilates, to kick boxing. ‘Extend’ Movement to Music classes for over 60’s, and people with limited mobility take place every Thursday in Brentry and provide free transport (contact Alison Williams 950 0133).
The main message is: Give your life a boost and enjoy some exercise.
Let the Newsletter know your good ideas and meanwhile, you’ll probably spot me out on my bicycle in Henbury.
Dr Marion Steiner
Willow Tree Surgery
Southmead and Henbury Family Practice.

PRC Redevelopment Project

Background
38 council, unrepaired Woolaway type PRCs in Henbury are to be knocked down and the affected areas redeveloped. The current plan indicates 127 new homes are proposed to be built in Henbury – that is 38 council homes, and 89 private homes for sale.
There are 9 sites in Henbury, (8 garages, 1 disused allotment) which, in addition to the PRC sites are proposed to be used as part of the PRC Redevelopment Project to provide additional housing.
What has been happening so far?
Since the last article, the following has been happening on the
PRC Redevelopment Project:

• Planning Briefs were prepared following feedback from residents at consultation events that were organised in December 2006.
• Initial Development Proposals (IDPs) – were produced, sketch plans of how the new development could look including setting out proposed design, layout and density for the PRC sites.
• Exhibitions were held in the four estates in December 2007 on the IDP’s. These plans were well received, and many comments made have been taken on board and incorporated into the revised plans.
• The feedback from the community, as well as comments from Planning officers have resulted in revisions to the Planning Briefs and IDPs.
• The revised Planning Brief’s and IDP’s will be given to shortlisted developers for their proposals for the PRC sites.
• Further community consultation will take place ahead of any planning applications being submitted.

What will be happening next?
The council have started the selection process to appoint a private developer to deliver the PRC Redevelopment Project and build the new council and private homes.
Over the course of the next year, council officers, working with councillors and resident representatives, will meet with interested developers, ask them to propose their ideas for delivering the scheme, and make sure the council is getting value for money.
The final developer will be selected in Spring 2009.

How does this affect PRC Tenants?
PRC tenants affected by the redevelopment proposals are all aware that they will need to move at some point. We don’t know yet who will be moving where. We do know that:

• Tenants will be moved in small phases
• When a phase has been identified all tenants within it will become top priority for rehousing – we will contact you ahead of this
• We will accommodate all PRC tenants’ needs, and their wishes as far as possible
• The aim is to move people only once, either to a newly built property or an existing Council property.
• All newly built properties will be offered to PRC tenants first.
• A PRC newsletter is due to be published in July 2008 to update all those affected.

How can I find out more?
Visit our web page ‘PRC Redevelopment Project’, on the Bristol City Council Website: www.bristol.gov.uk
Or email the priority stock team :
priority.stock.team@bristol.
gov.uk
If you would like to speak with someone, contact:
Beth Ridley, Project Officer on 352 5253 or
Kaj Parmar, Project Officer on 352 5284

Messge in a Bottle

Message in a bottle is a simple scheme, which involves a small canister, an information form and two stickers, which are given to people with medical problems or allergies. People fill in the form with their medical details, and the telephone number of who to call if they are ill, particularly if they have a pet, who will need looking after. They put the form and a copy of their repeat prescriptions into the canister and put the canister in the door of their fridge, where it is easy to find and protected from fire. One sticker is put on the outside of the fridge door and the other on the inside of the front door. Ambulance Crews and GP’s who do out of hour visits, are part of this scheme and they will look out for the stickers.
This is a national scheme and we have been running it in Bristol Primary Care Trust since 2005. In that time we have given out over 10,000 bottles. Elizabeth Williams from Bristol PCT said “Message in a bottle has been very successful, NHS staff find the information useful and people on medication or with an allergy find it reassuring. The scheme has saved lives”.
We have just received another batch of bottles, so we have lots to give away.
If people would like a bottle for their fridge, they can ask their Community Nurse or contact David Manning, on 0117 9002266 or email him on david.manning@bristolpct.nhs.uk
and he will gladly put a bottle in the post.

Henbury Healthy Walking Group

The Group began walking in June 2004 with Tom Webb as leader. Tom left Bristol in 2005 and since that time the walk leaders have been Roy Pepworth and Roger Grinham neither who actually live in Henbury, so it is very pleasing to report that in the last few months three Henbury ladies have been trained to become walk leaders. We walk every Thursday beginning in Crow Lane, Henbury. The starting times are dictated by the bus service for walks other than the local Henbury/ Brentry walks. Nearly all our walkers enjoy the benefits of Free bus Concessions for people over sixty years of age. All walks are checked by the leaders for Health and Safety and do not involve difficult terrain. Some Walk Leaders are on each walk as required by Bristol City Council. This is a group to help you exercise easily, see parts of the area in a different light and be amongst friends each Thursday. For more details contact Roy on 0117 962 3768

20th Henbury Flower Show

The long tradition of the Henbury Flower Show was revived by the Henbury Village Hall Management Committee in 1987 and has been held every year but one since then. It is now staged in the Village Hall in Church Close and the Flower Show Committee, under Mrs. Norma Jones, is busy planning this year’s event to be held on Saturday, 19th July.
There are classes for flowers, fruit and vegetables, cookery, wine making, handicrafts, art, photography as well as various children’s classes.The show is open to all in the afternoon from 2 p.m. and, weather permitting, teas will be served in the garden.
Do enter one or more of the classes and even if you do not, come along and support this Village event. Information and entry schedules are available from 0117 950 1102 or 0117 950 7712.

News From the Churches

Communication is very important in our daily lives and the way we do it can vary in so many ways; texts, e-mail, media, facebook, letters, stories to name a few, not forgetting good old fashioned talking. This newsletter is also a great addition in our community in helping us stay informed.
Jesus Christ was a terrific communicator, sometimes by His words and often by His actions and the amazing thing is, He is still influencing people 2000 years after His death. A good example He gave was when He washed His disciples feet, and also His ability to listen.
Let's think about what we are saying to the people we associate with today. Are people pleased to see us or glad to see the back of us?
-Adapted from an Inspirational Piece by Fr Michael Walsh, St Antony's.

Churches Together Summer Social
If you have an interest in the things that Henbury & Brentry churches do together, then do come along to hear of future plans, plus if you would just like to come to meet folk for a social evening you will be very welcome.
Monday June 30th 7.30pm, 18 Woodgrove Road, Henbury. Woodgrove Road is opposite Blaise Castle car park.

Church Services in Henbury & Brentry

• St. Mary's C of E. Church Close, Henbury www.stmaryshenbury.org.uk. Tel: 0117 950 0536. Services Sunday 8.00 am & 9.30am (Holy Communion)
• Emmanuel Chapel, Satchfield Cres. Henbury, www.emmanuelhenbury.org. Tel: 0117 950 1951. Main Service Sunday 10am. If you have an interest in the things that Henbury & Brentry churches do together then do come along to hear of future plans, plus if you would just like to come to meet folk for a social evening you will be very welcome.
• New Kingsland URC, Passage Road, Henbury. Tel: 0117 950 0782. Main Service Sunday 11am
• Methodist Church/St Marks C of E, Lower Knole Lane, Brentry. Tel: 0117 962 1473. Main Services Sunday 11.00am & 6pm
• St.Antony's Catholic, Ellsworth Road, Henbury. Tel :0117 983 3906. Mass, Saturday 6.30pm & Sunday 9.30am
  

Feedback From Our Last Issue

After the last issue and with the launch of the website, we have again had a lot of positive comments about both formats. However, one comment was made on the website and although the newsletter team have responded, we’d love to know what you think too:

“We moved to Bristol just over a year ago from a northern big city. We have been dismayed at the level of crime. Never before have I been afraid to walk alone after dusk or feel afraid just walking to work (through Southmead). In just 15 months I have seen more broken- in and burnt-out cars than in my whole life and had to report more incidents to the police than ever before. I applaud efforts by the community to bring people closer together but doubt whether this will impact on the levels of crime.” – anonymous, via the website.

Although you are undoubtedly experiencing crime first-hand and this naturally affects the way you feel about our area, we would urge you to take a more positive approach towards creating a safer community. Building a sense of community spirit, pride and cohesion does positively impact on crime figures, so community events, the newsletter, after school clubs, etc are worthwhile. Also, the way people behave towards others in the street does affect how 'safe' the streets are: if we all timidly rushed from one doorway to the next, of course the streets would belong to those hanging about in gangs. Crimes such as vandalism and assault are much less likely to occur in a busy street than a quiet one. Lastly, reporting crime is a very important part of this process, so keep doing it. Without witness statements, convictions don't happen, and without a clear picture of criminal activity, the police and local authorities stand no chance of making an improvement. – Editor’s response.

A final word from us, we have experienced quite a few problems getting this issue of the newsletter together, largely due to IT issues. We’d like to thank Henbury Library, Learn Direct Centre (especially Janis and Eve) and Henbury Court Primary School for supporting Marianna in getting the paper version together. The newsletter is new for pages-longer (from 8 pages to12 pages) due to increase in articles and additional potential advertisements.

If you would like to give us an article or your input for the next issue please send your email to mariannapaf@hotmail.com or contact us before the 10th of October .

Eleven Little Piggies

Lawrence Weston Community Farm is very pleased to announce the birth of eleven delightful little piglets. Maddie, the Saddleback sow her first litter at lunch time on the 13th May. The delivery went without a hitch and Maddie did a fantastic job taking only 2 hrs to deliver eleven piglets! The piglets are running around practising their oinking and suckling lots of milk.
Alex Willis the Farm Manager said “We are delighted with the new arrivals. It has been a long time since there were any piglets at the farm and it is lovely for visitors and volunteers to see new life. All are welcome to see the new piglets and welcome them to Lawrence Weston”.
The farm is open Tuesday-Sunday from 9.30-4.30pm. Closed on Mondays.

Blaise Womens Institute

Blaise W.I. meets on the third Tuesday of the month at Henbury Village Hall.The first half hour of the meeting is taken up with business and is then following by a speaker or demonstration of some kind. Occasionally, the meeting is spent chatting with friends over wine and cheese or an American Supper. We have several outings during the year when non-members are welcome to join us.
Blaise W.I. started in 1971 and a number of the founder members are still with us. Blaise W.I. is a good place to meet and make friends, and all new members are made to feel welcome. Come along and try us out.
Contact Jo Lambert, President, tel. 950 7712, or Mary Collar , Secretary, tel. 9624832.

Two Hidden Houses

When you walk up Rectory Gardens towards St. Mary's Church from Henbury Road you may admire the fine stone walls but you will be hard put to catch even a glimpse of the two historic houses behind them.

The older of the two became the home of Woodstock School (50 pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties) in 2000 when £1M was spent on refurbishment and restoration. John Sampson from nearby Charlton* completed the house very much as it is today in 1688 and his descendants lived there until 1947 when Major Sampson-Way** died. Death duties and compulsory purchase orders for the Norton and Westmoreland farms resulted in the housing estates along Crow Lane and Station Road. The house was known originally as Henbury Awdelett but later generations preferred Henbury Manor. Around 1950 Bristol City Council purchased the house and it became a school and towards the end of the century it catered for children with physical difficulties.

The other house, the former Vicarage, has a less authenticated completion date of 1729. It certainly replaces a large rambling building shown in a print Thomas Kip dated 1710. This latter would probably have been timber framed and indeed there is a very large redundant wooden stanchion embedded in the cellars of the current house. John Gardiner was the first vicar to live in the house and he did so for 50 years. In 1830 the first of three generations of vicars of the Way family followed on from Walter Trevelyan, a famed naturalist (Trevelyan Walk named in his memory?). The first vicar Way, John Hugh**, constructed the tunnel leading from the churchyard towards the Royals and Blaise. He did this with the help of gifts from family and friends so that his parishioners would not have to walk past the vicarage windows as they used the right of way through the vicarage grounds.

When the third vicar, Charles Parry Way, retired in 1927 the house was bought by Dr. Kenneth Wills, a medical doctor. Dr. Wills was an early experimenter with X rays as evidenced by a local electrician who was frequently called out to restore the overloaded electricity supply. He lived in the Old Vicarage until the late 1960s when it became the home of the Drs. John and Elizabeth Spencer-Smith with surgeries in Henleaze and Westbury. In 1974 the new owner set about dividing the house and garden into four units. Today these four have been consolidated into two halves of the house each with a separate owner.

* Demolished in the 1940s to make way for the Filton runway
** John Hugh Way had a sister who married Edward Sampson. Hence the change to Sampson-Way.