Still Telling Tales

Oh my days!

Has it really been six weeks since the last posting from everybody's favourite Westbury-on-Trym blog? Six weeks!

Historically, July and August have always been quiet times for Trym Tales. Since this is also the silly season in traditional print-based media, I take comfort from this similarity - evidence that BS9's leading independent online media outlet is truly rolling with the big boys.

Having said that, I was shocked, horrified and amused at one recent faux pas from a leading media competitor. I refer, of course, to a recent edition of the mid-Bedfordshire Times and Citizen.

As the picture reveals, June 3rd was clearly not the sub-editor's finest day, professionally speaking.






Closer to home, recent low output from Trym Tales cannot be explained away simply by lack of local news.

Post-election, we have had Charlotte Leslie's maiden speech in the House of Commons, the on-off story of St Ursula's transition to an academy (exit Merchant Venturers, enter Oasis Education Trust, with a possible transition date of September 2011) and the strange tale of the council's decision to dig up the magnificent playing field at Elmlea Infants School so that they can move the school building 100 metres north. As if that were not enough, Southdown and Hillsdon Road have had their long-awaited street party on the day England began their short-lived world cup campaign.

All of which augers well for a resurgence of local news and views from the newly resurrected Trym Tales for all loyal readers. I thank both of you for your patience.

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It's All Happening in the Village

Right.

There's quite a lot going on in Westbury on Trym over the coming days. Here are some highlights:

• the Rockleaze Rangers Invitational Football Tournament, Sunday 14th June at the Coombe Dingle Sports Complex. It never fails to amaze me how many people turn up for this massive end of season tournament which sees dozens of teams from across the region compete in age groups from 7-11. Great family entertainment with the usual array of bouncy castles, bar b q and candy floss, not to mention high-energy football from Westbury's premier club. It runs all day and there is, I believe, no admission fee unless you're parking on site.

• Saturday 27th June, 9.00 - 1.00, local produce market in the medical centre car park on Westbury Hill. The home made chicken pies are a particular favourite.

• Village Hall Anniversary Fayre. It's 140 years, no less, since local benefactor Henry St. Vincent Ames built the village hall on Eastfield Road for "lectures, readings, music, exhibitions of art, science, industry, agriculture, horticulture and public instruction, and generally with a view to the promotion of innocent recreation and social and moral improvement." Good for him and good for us in Westbury on Trym who can go along on Saturday June 6th between 12 and 5 for a bit of a celebration fayre (with obligatory "yre" to signify the historic resonance of the event.)

• I believe there are also elections taking place on Thursday June 4th. Polling stations in the Westbury-on-Trym ward are located at the Library on Falcondale Road, the Methodist Church Hall on Westbury Hill and the Scout Hut in the Baptist Church car park on the corner of Reedley Road and Bransfield - which, due to the wonders of Google Street Map can now be seen below in all its glory.

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The results of the last local elections in Westbury on Trym on May 4th 2006 were as follows. Turnout was 54%.

Candidate	Party		Votes	%
Ashley Peter Fox	The Conservative Party Candidate		2319	52.01
Michael Henry Popham	Liberal Democrat		1505	33.75
John Alexander (commonly known as Alex) Dunn	The Green Party		331	7.42
Annia Summers	The Labour Party Candidate		304	6.82

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Failure of Memorial Stadium May Not be the Best Thing for Local Residents

Local residents around the Memorial Stadium on Filton Avenue are said to be "delighted" by the news that the planned development of the ground has been delayed by the withdrawal of a main contractor.

Spokesman for the Residents Opposed to the Stadium Expansion (ROSE) pressure group, said: "We've said all along that it doesn't make financial sense to shell out millions on a new stadium that is in the wrong place. It seems we have now been proved right. It now seems more likely than ever before that this development will never get off the ground, something we have campaigned long and hard for."

The campaigners may want to pause before breaking open the bubbly and think about the consequences of the failure of the Stadium to redevelop.

I lived through a similar story in Brighton many years ago. Although work has now started on a brand new out-of-town stadium for Brighton and Hove Albion, their former ground (the Goldstone Ground on the Old Shoreham Road in Hove) has already been converted into a soulless retail park, housing such wonderful attractions as Toys R Us, DFS, Homebase and Carpet Right.

The fact is that if the memorial Ground is not redeveloped and the clubs which use it have to move elsewhere, the residents of Horfield will be facing much more difficult battles against infinitely more aggressive opponents that Bristol Rovers.

The lifestyle implications of having a retail park at the bottom of Filton Avenue, not to mention the damage this would do to the independent shops on Gloucester Road, seem to me far more damaging than a larger Memorial Stadium, which was of course there long before any of the present residents moved into the neighbourhood.

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Rockleaze Rangers End Season in Triumph

In their first season in the Avon Youth League, Rockleaze Rangers under-12s have won their division with an impressive record: played-16-won-16.

As newcomers to the League, the Westbury-on-Trym based club, who began their life playing on the Downs on a Saturday morning but who are now based at the Coombe Dingle Sports Centre on Coombe Lane, were placed in Division 5 of the League. Promotion by at least one division next season is now inevitable.

Top goalscorer for Rockleaze Rangers was the irrepressible Matthew Taylor (no, not that one) with a tally of 36 goals, contributing to a goal difference for Rangers of 93 for the season.

In August 2007, the club became one of only 13 in the Gloucestershire Football Association to be awarded FA Charter Status Development Club in recognition of the club's own development plan and its commitment to developing football in the community.

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Un Easy Like Sunday Morning

Residents of Warmley and Wick - BEWARE! Your quiet suburban lives are to be rudely disturbed this weekend and next by the presence of what the authorities are mysteriously describing as an "abnormal load" that will be driven through your communities en route to Oxfordshire.

Leaving Avonmouth at 5 am this Sunday, November 11th, the load (which measures a beefy 470 tonnes) will travel slowly along the M5 and the M4, down the M32 to the ring road and then clockwise on the A4174 to the A420 and A46. The whole operation will then be repeated with a second identical load the following Sunday.

Measuring over 90 meters long, 5 meters wide and 5 meters high, the load will be accompanied by the police who are asking motorists to expect significant delays as it will be traveling at a "very low speed".

So low a speed, in fact, that on Sunday the convoy will park overnight in a layby near Tog Hill off the A420 and will continue the journey at 10pm on Monday along the A420, the A46 and then eastbound along the M4 from junction 19. At this point, of course, it ceases to be of interest to this publication as it will have entered a foreign country (Wiltshire).

Two questions remain to be answered: 1) what are these abnormal loads? Answers on an email to Trym Tales, please 2) who will be traveling on the Bristol ring road first thing on Sunday morning? Eager away fans heading to the Mangotsfield United ground at Cossham Street, perhaps?

David James Graces Portishead

England goalkeeper (well, he's still in the squad) David James was spotted on Sunday afternoon at Gordano Service Station on the M5 near Portishead.

According to a reliable source, he was "the tallest man I'd ever seen" and an overall fine specimen of athletic prowess.

When I asked my friend whether the goalkeeper had large hands, he said that in the shop at the service station, the Manchester City and Portsmouth legend - fresh from a victory against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium - picked up three large sports bottles of water from the fridge - with one hand.

Not a man to be messed with - despite the new hairstyle.

Rockleaze Thump Charfield FC

Rockleaze Rangers Under-11s achieved another impressive away victory in their mid-Gloucestershire league match against Charfield Juniors FC this morning.

The visitors were in fighting form and took an early lead in the first minute. With superior pace, strength and vision, the Westbury side were soon camped in the opposition half and running through the central defenders as well as whipping in dangerous balls from both wings - Alex Watkins and Harry Hawkes providing particularly effective service from the flanks.

6 goals later, the halftime whistle brought a chance for Charfield to re-group and focus on competing for the midfield game and being more adventurous in attack. Alas, it was not to be, as the rampant Bristol lads put another 6 past the harried Charfield goal keeper in the following 25 minutes, dominating possession in all areas of the park.

Never allowing themselves to give up, the home team maintained a positive and sporting attitude, working hard for every ball and trying to break through the Rockleaze midfield. Excellent home support from a platoon of coffee-drinking parents kept the Charfield players buoyant, but with a hat trick from Ellis Jenkins and unstoppable runs from pace man and man of the match Freddy Folly, the local lads found themselves outclassed in every department.

A glory goal by Rockleaze goal keeper Danny Sharpe - who had been replaced in goal by versatile mid-fielder Joshua Shaw - was the fitting end to a memorable victory, seeing Rockleaze undefeated in the season so far.


Final score: Rockleaze Ranger 12 - 0 Charfield Juniors FC


Links

Rockleaze Rangers
Charfield Juniors
Mid-Gloucestershire Mini League