Out and About in Bristol

Traveling into and back out of the city (not once, but twice) today, the following sites caught my attention:

• an Orthodox Jewish man walking north on Clifton Triangle. Wearing a tallit, and it being a Saturday, I assumed he was on his way back from the synagogue on Park Row, home of the Bristol Hebrew Congregation. On my return from town (about 40 minutes later) I noticed that he had reached White Tree Roundabout. Driving on the Sabbath, except in a life-threatening emergency, is generally avoided by the majority of Orthodox Jews.
  

• the Whiteladies Road Farmers' Market, which seemed busier than I have seen it for some time, and which has now expanded to the east side of Whiteladies Road, with several stalls now in front of Barclays Bank. I also noticed some live music at the market, in the form of an acoustic guitar and accordion duo.
  

• a protest further down Whiteladies Road by the Bristol Palestine Solidarity Campaign against alleged bias by the BBC in its Death on the Med programme broadcast last Monday. I assume the Jewish gentleman (above) walked past this demo, which had around 20 participants with banners and placards.

• A black-lead gospel music event on College Green. No Greater Love appears to be a grass roots event, organised by a small team of local Christians. The music was cool, but the crowds were small.

• The Bristol Bike Show, organised by the local Motorcycle Action Group, had closed off the streets around St Nicholas' Market this afternoon for a get together, with live music and plenty of, well, motorbikes. Westbury on Trym residents may notice that the event's After-Show-Party takes place at 6.00 today at the Saracens Rugby Football Club at Cribbs Causeway, just up the road. Should make for a quiet end to the afternoon.

All in all, a good vibe and a nice cross-section of city life.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Woolworths Becomes Woolies

Went to the grand opening of the new Woolies indoor market on Whiteladies Road this week - inside the former Woolworths building.

Lots of important-looking men in suits sipping white wine and chatting to each other - and to the Lord Mayor.

Wrote about it here.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Not All Bells And Smells

Without making much of a fuss about its existence, a new church has sprung up in Westbury on Trym in the last year or so. Meeting at Badminton School on Sunday afternoons, Emmanuel is a spin-off of Christ Church Clifton and part of the Anglican diocese of Bristol.

As the following video reveals, however, the new church does not look like many Anglican churches you or I might have experienced in our childhood.

Interested to spot Bristol University's Professor of Jurisprudence, Julian Rivers in the video ,who also features on Trym Tales here.

The first half of the video features another new Anglican church in Clifton, Crossnet, currently meeting in homes and at the Boston Tea Party on Whiteladies Road.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Bring on the New

I am beside myself with anticipation.

For several years now, I have been looking forward to the fulfillment of the promise boldly proclaimed on the side of the former ABC cinema on Whiteladies Road that the art deco building will become the site of "a new concept in entertainment."

This is marvellous news and my mind has been working overtime to imagine this totally new concept in food, music and entertainment hinted at by the enigmatic owners under the working title of "Vanity". Trampolining to Afro Pop while eating spaghetti bolognaise,would certainly go some way to creating such a new concept, though I'm sure the final outcome will l be more creative . Cossack dancing and frozen yogurts, perhaps.

Whatever the final concept, which, like Cabot Circus, has been about ten years in the making, I have no doubt that the fabulous building will burst forth with originality and new paradigms in amusement for the masses.

Which is why I was more than a little puzzled to discover that the licencing application for the former cinema that went before the City Council planning department in December included proposals for eating, drinking, live music, recorded (DJ) music and dancing and for opening hours to run till four a.m.

I am convinced - because the banner I see every day announces "a new concept" - that the owners have not the slightest intention of turning the building into a nightclub and am sure that the nightclub-like application is all just part of the clever PR to rev up anticipation ahead of the final unveiling of the un-nightclub-like cutting edge entertainment concept .

My view was confirmed when I subsequently learned that the application was withdrawn altogether in February. How exciting! Perhaps we will after all be treated to retro arcade games and live Gaelic folk music while being served Sushi by midgets on roller skates. Marvellous.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Letting the Train Take the Strain Through the Middle of Bristol

I cannot tell you how excited I was last week to take my first journey on the Bristol Suburban Light Railway.

But I will try.

From the moment I walked down the ramp from Clifton Down Shopping Centre towards the platform to the time I alighted at Stapleton Road, I was as happy as a sandboy.

For a start, the journey was so quick. Clifton Down to Easton took 11 minutes - a journey which would have lasted nearly 40 had I taken the required two buses via the centre.

Costwise, I had to part with £1.50, which struck me as reasonable. The Severn Beach Line, on which I travelled, is awash with rumours of how easy it is to travel for free on these trains as there are no ticket machines at any of the stations between Severn Beach and Temple Meads. I suspect these urban folk tales have grown with the telling. At any rate, the lunchtime service I took had a conductor selling tickets - a bit like the old days on buses before the drivers took on that task.

The icing on the cake, however, was the experience of seeing Bristol from new and unusual angles. How many of us (gaffiti artists excluded) have felt the frisson of excitement that can only be generated by looking down onto Gloucester Road from the viaduct that crosses it at the point where it meets Cheltenham Road and Zetland Road? Or, have we noticed the extent of the allotments at Aashey Down and St Werburgh's?

The only drawback that I can see is that the trains run only once every 45-60 minutes at present. I estimated there were about 20 people in the train's two carriages as it headed inbound to Temple Meads. If the frequency of journeys were doubled and the service advertised effectively, I would think that the service could go a long way towards relieving congestion in the centre and west of the city.

Friends of the railway maintain an online presence here. Bristol West MP Stephen Williams also thinks the local service is a very good thing and has some things to say about it here.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Credit Crunches Local Businesses

Recent victims of the economic downturn in the north Bristol area have included:

Halifax Estate Agents. The branch on Canford Road in Westbury on Trym has recently ceased trading, though the banking service in the same building remains operational.

Enfields Estate Agent in Gloucester Road has closed. The new kid on the block - with its distinctive bold colour for sale signs and faux-antique font style - had begun to establish its presence in Henleaze and Westbury earlier this year.

The Clifton branch of the Britannia Building Society shut on Tuesday and has transferred its business to its Henleaze branch.

I don't know whether and how many job losses these changes have caused.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Assault on Whiteladies Road

Walking down Whiteladies this morning I saw a woman receiving medical treatment from ambulance staff while being questioned by police who had a CCTV van in attendance.

It appeared to me that the woman - whose arm was in a sling and who had blood spattered on her clothing - had been the victim of an assault of some kind.

I hope they find the miscreant responsible.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Fat Boy Sim

Making my way to work yesterday on the number 1 bus from Somerfield in Westbury on Trym to Whiteladies Road, I found myself sitting just behind two passengers who were having a disagreement.

The larger of the two was waiting at the bus stop on Canford Road and boarded the bus with his mobile firmly placed to the side of his head. His conversation continued from entering the bus through to his departure on Blackboy Hill.

Tension arose when the gentlemen, who was of some girth, adjusted his position in order to fit more comfortably onto the double bus seat he had occupied. The woman next to him - well spoken and silver haired - clearly felt inconvenienced by this movement and proceeded to adjust her own position in such a way as to communicate her displeasure at being in quite such close proximity to her fellow passenger.

The phone man, who was continuing his conversation uninterrupted, expressed surprise through his facial expression at the movement of the senior citizen next to him. This gesture afforded his neighbour the opportunity to make her feelings more explicit:

"You're taking up too much of the seat. I don't want to move for you. You've got a problem," were, I think, her exact words.

Clearly surprised, her fellow traveller proceeded to explain to his mobile what was happening.

After an uncomfortable few minutes, during which my fellow passengers stared hard into their copies of The Metro in that way that made it obvious they were not reading them but were listening intently for the drama to develop, the two passengers exchanged unflattering opinions about one another while the larger (and younger) of the two provided a running commentary on the proceedings to his Motorola.

Although I was not able to catch every word, I do recall him explaining to his friend on the other end of the phone that he was required, among other things, to attend the local police station that day in order to register his whereabouts with the officers - a detail which sent a frisson of nervous excitement through the attentive passenger body, who had now lowered their Metros and were fully attentive to the proceedings unfolding in suburbia.

The culmination of the discussion was when the portly passenger made his exit from the bus. Both travellers had clearly been preparing their final salvos for just this event. Hers consisted of, "You're a very rude and unpleasant person." His was more double-edged: "Have a nice day; though with a face like that I'm surprised you had the courage to come out."

A murmur of low level conversation around the bus followed the conclusion of these proceedings, during which time the senior citizen explained to a woman behind her that her former travelling companion had announced into his phone that he was suffering from a sexually transmitted disease - a claim I did not hear myself, but one which afforded me just that bit too much detail at that time of the morning.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Another House I Won't be Buying

On the market for a mere £2,000,000, the owners of this 5-bedroom 4-reception room house in Clifton are presumably not overly concerned by the change in the 10% basic rate of income tax.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Was Andrew Ibrahim a Colston's Student?

There is a growing body of circumstantial evidence suggesting that Westbury-on-Trym resident Andrew Ibrahim, currently under arrest under the 2000 Terrorism Act, is a former student of Colston's School in Stapleton, Bristol.

Factors leading to this conclusion include:

1. The financial background. If, as the Telegraph reports, Andrew Ibrahim's father was a consultant pathologist at Frenchay Hospital, and resides in an £800,000 house in Frenchay Village, it is highly likely that his sons would have been sent to independent schools. The alternative for Frenchay residents would be Filton High School, Downend School or Sir Bernard Lovell School. Those familiar with these three local state schools will know that they do not tend to attract the children of hospital consultants - the latter, for instance, being described by a former teacher as populated by "working class kids whose families do not appear to hold education as a high value."

Indeed, the exclusive community of Frenchay, situated on the edge of the River Frome and with its own extensive common, has very few state educated children in it of secondary school age. The high probability is that Andrew Ibrahim was educated in one of Bristol's independent schools. This narrows the field realistically to three - Colston's, QEH and Bristol Grammar.

2. The geographical background. Frenchay is located on the north east corner of the Bristol conurbation, separated from the rest of the city by the M32 motorway. Children who live there and attend an independent school have great difficulty getting to QEH and Bristol Grammar School because of the city's huge traffic problems. A one-way car journey from Frenchay to Clifton (where the other two schools are located) takes over 45 minutes during the morning rush hour. For this reason, many Frenchay families choose Colston's School - a mere ten minutes from the Village. Many families in fact choose the school and then move to Frenchay because of its proximity to Colston's.

3. The Google factor. Trym Tales has received three visits in the last 24 hours from anonymous individuals who reached the site by googling "Andrew Ibrahim Colstons". These visitors were based in York, London and Bristol. Apparently there are individuals who are making the Colston's connection independently and are looking for evidence or confirmation.

4. The Telegraph. Since publishing this post on Sunday night, I have seen the latest Telegraph article, updated on Monday, which states that Ibrahim was a student at Colston's School and includes a quote from headmaster Peter Fraser, who has obviously had his weekend disturbed, confirming that the suspect did attend both the junior and senior schools. Well known ex-Colstonians include rugby player Olly Barkley and former test cricketer Chris Broad.

5. Trym Tales Readers. The comments below add weight to the Colston's link and are much appreciated. Thank you.


Three Footnotes:

1. Everything in this post points to circumstantial factors rather than hard evidence and should be interpreted as such.
   
2. Readers choosing to refer to this evidence elsewhere on the Internet are welcome to do so and are requested to include a link back to Trym Tales.
3. Nothing contained in this post should be interpreted as a criticism of Colston's School.
   

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Bogus Caller at Large in Bristol

The following article is direct from Avon and Somerset Police today, Tuesday 15th January. Please feel free to forward the post to others who would benefit.

Police are urging Bristol residents to be vigilant following a series of deceptions throughout the city.

Officers are currently investigating some 20 offences, possibly involving the same man, in areas ranging from Mangotsfield and Clifton to Staple Hill, Cotham, Redland, Easton and St Pauls.

This man visits properties claiming to be a neighbour or to have recently moved into the area and has problems with his electricity.

He usually then asks to borrow an extension leads and says that his keys and money are in an electric safe which he cannot open.

He then declines the offer of an extension lead, saying that the wattage is not sufficient, and produces an electricity top up key and asks for some money to top it up.

He has been given small amounts, of between £5 and £30, and leaves, promising to return.

He sometimes says he has links with a curry restaurant and offers a free meal in return for some money at the doorstep.

This man is described as of Asian appearance, slim to medium build, sometimes with a well-trimmed beard.

He has been wearing glasses, a Beanie-style hat, is reasonably well-spoken and wears smart/casual clothing.

Anyone with any information about the identity of whereabouts of this man should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

People are being urged to be vigilant and in particular keep an eye on elderly and vulnerable friends, relatives and neighbours for unexpected callers.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

The Southville Problem

As mentioned in an earlier post, I have noticed a growing tendency for Ashton to find itself called Southville, especially by newcomers to the area.

At one level, this is an understandable mistake. The three neighbourhoods of Southville, Bedminster and Ashton do have convoluting boundaries - similar to those dividing Bishopston, St Andrews and Horfield in the Gloucester Road area of North Bristol.

Confusion cannot be enough, however, to explain this phenomenon. There is a more sinister cause of this geographical confusion.

It started about three or four years ago when property prices were racing ahead and when estate agents in Clifton started to take on properties outside their normal areas to respond to the demand from buyers for city centre homes at affordable prices. One day someone in an estate agent's office somewhere on Whiteladies Road thought aloud and suggested referring to this neighbourhood as "Lower Clifton."

Apart from being an outrageous piece of marketing, this action also set in motion a trend that resulted in Southville being pushed south and west into Ashton (in the minds of first time buyers considering relocating there. )

The rest, as they say is history and now we have North Street Ashton regularly described as being in Southville, when for at least a century it has been in Ashton.

View From a Rubbish Skip

I had a rather sobering experience this evening.

While waiting for some work colleagues to buy a take away from Budokan on Whiteladies Road, I parked at the back of the building, in the access road that used to lead to the car park next to Clifton Down Station. I hadn't realised that the site had become a building area, so I was forced to turn the car round and wait in the service area near the skips where the restaurants and shops place their daily rubbish.

While listening to the radio, I was surprised to see a young man in his 20s walk over to a skip and climb in. Proceeding to take out various items, I could see his smile as he discovered and pulled out what he obviously regarded as good finds - some hardback books, a china ornament and a few other wood and wicker items.

At almost the same time, another man walked towards the service door at the back of the building. Assuming he was turning up for work in one of the kitchens, I was surprised to see him stop by the door and start pulling out some of the cardboard sheets from the adjacent skip.

Within a few minutes, this man had made a makeshift shelter, using the cardboard as the roof of a structure which had the skip and the back wall of the building as its two walls. Since there was no further movement from the area, I concluded that he had settled down for the night.

Perhaps it was because I was in Clifton, home of students and many successful professionals, that I was taken aback by what I had just seen. Perhaps it was because it was early in the evening - about 6.30. Maybe it was because I have become used to only seeing homeless people in certain environments and that like many Bristolians, I don't often see my fellow-citizens settling down for the night or climbing into commercial skips.

The Bristol Soup Run Trust estimate that they serve "up to 60 people a night". Beyond that, I have not been able to find any reliable figure as to the number of people who will be sleeping on the streets of Bristol tonight.

Other local organisations providing practical help in this area include The Julian Trust who run an emergency night shelter in Dean Street, Crisis Centre Ministries (the Wild Goose Coffee Shop, Life Training, etc.), The Big Issue South West (the magazine is its best known project) and The Cold Weather Group (as the name implies, actively co-ordinating provision of shelter during the winter months) .

All of the above groups provide information about volunteering and giving.

For the background to the wider issue of homelessness in Britain, Shelter's chief executive explains why it is so prevalent.




If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.