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The final public meeting of the Sea Mills & Coombe Dingle Community Project will be on Tuesday 4 November at St Edyths, starting at 7:30 pm. |
Community Voice
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| (GS) |
You won’t have to run for the bus or get the car out ever again! The Sea Mills & Coombe Dingle Community Project has teamed up with Yahoo! to create a new online service for our community using ‘Yahoo! Groups’. Visit http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/smacdcf and see the new facilities — and if you join the group you’ll get copies of any email messages sent to the group and be able to add events to the calendar, post messages, and even share photos of local events!
You get the usual online shopping discount, and you’ll be helping your own Sea Mills & Coombe Dingle Community Project at the same time!
The more people use the site, and the more you tell us what’s happening, the more helpful the site will be for the whole community. Also, while you’ve got the computer logged on why not catch up with the latest on our website (see newsletter strapline)?
The group has been set up to let members of the Community Forum communicate with each other more easily, which explains the name of the group: the Forum is one of the more important of the Community Project’s activities.
So why not get your slippers on and check out your favourite products!
| (PH) |
One of the area’s major buildings, the Methodist Church on Sea Mills Square, is expected to be the subject of alterations planned by Methodist Homes for the Aged. 21 flats and a new meeting room take the place of communal rooms and manse. The nave is divided to retain a smaller church area plus further communal space for residents. The frontage remains ‘predominantly’ untouched, say the architects.
There’s already been Planning consultation with neighbouring occupiers, particularly to prevent overlooking, and now the revised drawings can be seen at Sea Mills Library on Saturdays & most weekdays. Comments can be sent in to Martin Seaton, Brunel House, St George’s Rd, Bristol, BS1 5UY (tel 9223434) until 25 August.
| (GS) |
As reported in our Spring issue the Project’s Millennium Stone on the Square was to be framed with planting to soften its outline – particularly at the back where the stone is still raw from several million years in the quarry.
So the Project made an occasion of the June meeting at which a goodly group of members watched five people closely associated with the Millennium Festival (profits from which helped towards the stone’s purchase) transform the blessed plot (see photos this issue).
The ceremony was accompanied by a facetious speech from a committee member and was followed by refreshments in the Methodist Church Hall. New members were welcomed and everyone enjoyed not having to listen to any more speeches!
| (TW) |
Sea Mills Local History Club begs to inform its several Members and All those of an historickal Persuasion that it intends to reconstitute itself into a self-governing Body with the Capability of chusing & proclaiming its own Programme.
To this end, and in consideration of the Desire of all Members present at the Club’s meeting of the xxiijrd June last that such means of inlarging Knowledge & encreasng Enjoyment should be acted upon with due Deliberation & Celerity, it was resolved that those present at the Meeting of Wednesday the xvth day of September next would be urged to ratify & enact a Consitution and appoint customary Officers.
Furthermore, and notwithstanding contrary Viewpoints expressed, the very Title of the Club will undergo Adjustment the better to extract its reinvigourated Purpose, which is to say, to consider and cogitate on all manner of historical Questions that largely derive from, or can be construed as presageful of this Quarter of the Realm.
While it is their earnest Hope that the Municipal Authority will continue to offer & provide some Fraction of Munificence, Members of the Club will consider the defraiement of subsidiary Expenses issuing from the Prosecution of their contemplated Aims & Objects.
And in order more circumspectly to illuminate those Aims, a Representation has been received the which is not intended to evince Punctilio but merely to broadcast Members’ wiser Purposes such that sine Quaere the Name of the Club shall be written down & known as the Sea Mills History Gild.
The Police and Housing Department are setting up new coordinated working methods to improve the effectiveness of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs).
Getting results via ASBOs has been slow up to now, as the level of evidence needed has been too exacting. We hope to report in more detail in a future issue.
| (TW) |
Are you a parent (or parent-to-be) or carer of a child under 4? All families struggle at times, so if you’re feeling isolated or stressed, or if family life seems difficult the Family Network Service may be able to help you.
We are based at Barnardos Family Centre in Lawrence Weston and aim to help parents and young children get the most out of life together. We can help you feel more confident & positive about being a parent. Perhaps you’d like help joining in with local activities & groups?
The Family Network Service, parents & carers can work together to decide how life can be improved for the whole family. We offer a range of support to families, mainly by home visits. It’s a voluntary service so you can decide if it works for you and your family. If you want to find out more about the service or if you think we could offer you the support you need please call Sadie Hall on 9824578.
| (TW) |
Grass pollen is the most common cause of Hay Fever (from May to July). Less common are tree pollens (Mar-May) and moulds (July-Sept). In the UK 1 in 10 get hay fever. It usually develops before the age of 20; in 1 in 5 cases it goes, & in half the cases over 5-20 years it improves.
Symptoms are runny/itchy nose, blocked nose, sneezing, itchy/watery red eyes, sore throat or combinations of the above. Not so common are loss of smell, facial pains, sweats and headache, and if you have asthma it may get worse.
It’s impossible to totally avoid pollen but symptoms can lessen if you reduce exposure to it. Check pollen counts on TV, radio, internet or newspaper weather forecasts. And if possible:
Treatment can include antihistamine tablets (older brands like Piriton work well but can cause drowsiness). If you only get one symptom try a steroid spray (eg Beconase) for the nose or drops for eyes (eg Opticrom). Students may need a short course of steroid tablets if sitting exams.
Seasonal asthma may justify an inhaler, or an increased dose if you have it already.
| (MMcG) |
Last September the Sea Mills and Coombe Dingle Youth Action Forum was formed and now meets regularly about every six weeks. Its members are representatives of the Boys & Girls Club, Scouts and Cubs, the Community Centre, Bristol Youth Services, St Edyths and High Grove Churches, and our Community Police Officer.
Our main aims are to work together to ‘promote and support attitudes
and activities within the community which encourage our young people
to
• feel valued as individuals and as a peer group
• develop their own strengths and interests
• take an active part in the life of the community’.
These are long term aims and will take time to realise. However, we
are already finding our regular meetings are a helpful way of co-ordinating
activities & sharing information.
One encouraging development has been our successful bid to BYCA (Bristol Youth and Community Action) for £3200 to spend on summer activities for young people.
£2500 of this is to pay for the Youth Bus to come to Sea Mills on weekdays during the summer holidays. The bus, with its friendly and efficient youth worker, Emma Rigby, has been in the area Tuesday evenings for most of the year and has proved very popular with youngsters (see CV 14). Emma is a member of our Youth Action Forum and her enthusiasm and affection for the youngsters is infectious! The remaining £1000 supports summer activities run by the Scouts, the Boys & Girls Club and SOS.
We hope to involve young people in the Action Forum soon and are working on several future projects. If you have any ideas, comments, or want to help, please contact us.
| (FW) |
It was 7.25am, June 6, 1944 when Michael Brennan of the 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment landed on Gold Beach, Normandy. The Allied invasion of Northern France had just begun and he was one of the first wave of British infantrymen to land on French soil. He was just 19 years old.
The Dorsets were the elite assault troops of their day and had been training for months. They had left Southampton on May 30 and had been at sea nearly a week. However nothing had prepared them for the terror of that day.
‘It was like all hell broke loose when we hit the beach. We were pinned down for at least an hour by heavy machine gun fire and pounding mortars,’ Michael told me recently at his Sea Mills home, ‘Because I was fit I was picked as a runner carrying messages between officers. I zigzagged my way along that beach and at a given time we made a charge en masse to the top of the beach. Our orders were to knock out three positions.’
The German coastal division of mostly elderly soldiers had however been reinforced by a much tougher group. The fighting was fierce and it was not until two o’clock in the afternoon that the first two objectives (an anti-machine-gun position and a German encampment) were captured on the hill behind the beach. The last position was a big gun facing the sea. When they eventually arrived the Germans had disappeared, having run out of ammunition. Everyone was ecstatic.
Michael and his wife have lived in Sea Mills for over 30 years but he has only started to tell his story recently. Channel 4’s Time Team contacted him in April and asked him to help them find the gun emplacements and bunkers used by the Germans.
He speaks about the war with calm acceptance of what happened: ‘My memory of those events is still very strong. We were losing two men every minute in that first hour. I also lost my best friend a few days later when a Panzer tank came round the corner and attacked us.’
After Normandy Michael took part in the Allied advance through Amiens and Arras into Belgium. There were constant battles along the way and he finally entered Brussels just as the Germans left. However his own war suddenly came to an end on 4 October 1944 near Arnheim when a bullet went through his left shoulder. He was transferred to a Brussels hospital and then flown back to Britain to recuperate.
After he was demobbed he met his future wife and settled down to family life in civvy street. Now 79 years old he has four children, 5 grandchildren and a great-grandchild: ‘Out of about 1000 men in the battalion I am one of around half a dozen who are still alive. I must have a charmed life.’
| (GS) |
Comments requested regarding the bus services in Sea Mills: I can only speak of the 41 route and disapprove of the re-routing of the service to via Westbury Lane instead of via Sylvan Way.
| (Ron Sims) |
I was wondering how many people have encountered the ‘phantom tyre slashers’? We’ve been struck about five times so far, having either one or 2 tyres slashed at a time. My sister visited one evening and she fell victim too. The timing is usually quite crucial. The first time was New Year’s Eve 2002. The last time, I’d just had a baby & we were in intensive care when my partner left the house on his way to see us and found the tyres had been cut again. I also had wing mirrors smashed – driver and passenger sides.
The police didn’t appear too helpful and I’m at a loss as to what to do about it. I no longer park outside my own house and I warn visitors not to park outside either, which is a bit sad really.
We fail to see what pleasure people get from slashing tyres. It’s not as if they gain anything from it, or are they just that bored? As to the inconvenience & cost (we replaced 4 one week) we’re lucky to be able to replace the tyres, but what about others not so fortunate? We also have a toddler with asthma & we’ve made a dash to Casualty on many occasions; thankfully phantom slashers hadn’t struck on those nights.
| (Ms V Rowsell) |
Another successful few months with two more very popular educational courses – on self defence and cake decorating.
Don’t forget all the regular clubs: SOS Club school days &
holidays; Camera Club Mon 7.30pm; Judo Club Tues & Fri 6.30pm; Art
Group Thurs 10am; Keep Fit Wed 7pm, Gardening Club 3rd Thurs
7.30pm.
NEXT SOCIAL EVENING IS AUG 14
Don’t forget it’s a great venue for a party.
We’re working hard to make the building comply with disability
laws in October.
Thanks for your continued support.
| (LW) |
SOS received an excellent 1st year OFSTED report of which we’re
very proud. Thanks to the committee & playworkers for their hard
work with after-school (3-5.45pm) & holiday care (8.45-5.45pm) for
4-11 yr olds.
The children enjoy a wide range of activities & go on regular outings.
Seeing 24 children at a bus stop on the Square is a regular occurrence
during school holidays; be warned!
Sea Mills Library staff have been a huge support and regularly provide sessions with the children. Many thanks to them all.
And thanks to SureStart for financial support so we could offer breakfast
at the Club as well as the usual free fun family activities. Also thanks
to the Youth Forum for funding a trip to Court Farm in the summer hols.
SOS is a non-profit organisation & without the support of members
and the local community we wouldn’t survive.
Our AGM is 4pm, Aug 18 with a family BBQ to follow, so drop in, chat with the committee & see what we get up to at Sea Mills Community Centre.
To join the Club or for more details ring our administrator on 07813 761577.
| (LB) |
The Sea Mills History Group felt oddly virtuous when they were thanked for putting up with preparations for ‘Life’ classes during their weekly meetings at St Edyths last term.
The thanks (from Angela, Jane & Lorraine) turned out to be a tasty 3-course lunch for the group on 6 July, followed by speeches, general mutual admiration, and a tendency to sleep it off in the two-hour class that followed!
| (TW) |
On 19th June Little Monsters Pre-school went on a ‘Toddle’ at Blaise Castle, organised by Barnardos & Tumble Tots.
We raised over £100, half of which will go to Barnardos, and half to buy much needed resources for Little Monsters.
A ‘Big Thank You’ to all who took part & to those who did the sponsoring!!
| (VB) |
The SOS club need a Senior Playworker from Sept 04. Must be NVQ level 3 in Playwork or min. Cache level 2. After school and school holidays. Pay - £8 per hour. Supportive management committee and great working environment.
Call Liz for application form or informal chat – 0774 8688191
Becky Murray (née Wallis) wishes to thank the many people in Sea Mills who sponsored her trek up the Inca Trail for the National Autistic Society.
She says she was driven by two desires; to lay a small offering on the roof of the world for her stillborn child Nina; and to raise money for the NAS who helped her autistic son Luke.
She made it (just!) having had nasty moments around Dead Woman’s Pass — where the air is too rarified for helicopters to lift casualties off.
Some of her climbing companions got altitude sickness and one nearly went over the edge…
You have helped Becky raise £5,700 for the NAS, & she has written up a day-by-day journal of her challenge on her own website at www.bektrek.org.uk.
[Back...]
Yes! It’s happening again. Our clean up day is set for Saturday October 16. We may be coming down your road taking away household rubbish and cleaning up litter from the paths, parks and streets. No recycling of plastic this year but Tesco’s at Golden Hill will gladly take it off your hands.
Can you spare an hour? Wear old clothes and a pair of thick gloves; meet us at the Community Centre (behind the Library) at 10.00 am — and get Bizzzy.
For more info please ring 9686696. Your community needs you!!
| (GS) |
To coincide with Mother’s Day, Teresa Lloyd arranged a sponsored walk for Breakthrough Breast Cancer Appeal from Sea Mills, thro’ Blaise Castle Estate and back. A merry band of 47 men, women, children and dogs did the walk in the drizzly rain, but everyone said they really enjoyed the walk.
Sea Mills Juniors added to the total with a non-uniform day in aid of the appeal, raising £90. The total raised was a fantastic £1,034!! Well done to all who took part, especially Teresa for organising the event. We all look forward to the next one!
| (VB) |
We’re back!! After a 3-week break in June it’s back down to business for summer. While we’ve been away a new automatic side door & internal system has been fitted as well as a new drop counter. The counter will make it easier for customers with enquiries, and those who are new, to chat to staff about their library and information needs in a purpose-built area.
Secondary work is expected to continue at the front of the building until the end of July. Work has also been carried out behind the scenes which will benefit customer events & activities hosted at Sea Mills Library.
This brings me onto summer children’s events – the summer reading scheme this year is the ‘Reading Roller-Coaster’ and some great prizes are up for grabs including football tickets & fun days out. All you need to join in is to be under 12, come to the library, collect your goodie pack, read 6 books and collect your stickers on the way – simple!!
Kids events throughout the summer take place every Thursday 10.30-12 for 5 weeks from 22 July at 25p per child. Children’s events are pre-book only and early booking is advisable to secure a place as tickets do go quickly.
For further information on any of the above items please don’t hesitate to con-tact myself, Rose, Sandra, Mary or Maxine by popping in, or tel 9038555.
| (Shulah) |
The Community Project’s new improved Handbook for Sea Mills & Coombe Dingle will be published in August. It lists all organizations, shops, churches & transport links in the area, with phone nos.
It’s free and will be available from local shops, schools, the Library, the Post Office, churches &c.
Get one and put it by the phone!
| (GS) |
Our changing rooms in the Rec are being refurbished, with the new fence and roof already completed. All should be ready for the new September season.
For more details of the club, which provides football for around 240 youngsters please tel Alan Bennett on 9620201, or go to www.shirecolts.net
The Annual General Meeting of the Sea Mills & Coombe Dingle Community
Project will be on Wednesday Oct 20 at 7.30pm, at St Edyth’s Parish
Centre.
There’ll be news about youth work, the Bizz, employing a Development
Worker, &c.
Come and join us, and voice your ideas and/or concerns over a cuppa.
| (GS) |
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Comments? Feedback? Let me know what you think. This page last updated: 6 February 2006 Copyright © 2006 Sea Mills & Coombe Dingle Community Project. You are welcome to create a link to this page or to print it for your personal use, but if you would like to use some or all of the content in any other way, please contact me first. |