Kingsdown Conservation Group

Here’s the letter we have sent to the UBHT Director of Estates (Bob.Pepper@ubht.nhs.uk):
My colleagues and I on the KCG committee are having some difficulty understanding the Trust’s position on the hoardings. We recognise that on some other issues there has been a welcome attempt to keep Kingsdown residents better informed, but your statement that the hoardings were erected “to minimise health and safety risks” feels like a return to the bad old days of UBHT ignoring local concerns and only providing minimal information even when pressed, in the apparent hope that we will just get tired and give up.

‘Health and safety’ often serves as a convenient coverall for whatever arrangements large organisations or public bodies want to impose on the public. You do not give us even a clue as to what the risks might be, or who has advised that these ugly hoardings are the only possible protection against them. As you know, the small area of greenery has been without any hoardings for many years, and you do not say what, if anything, has suddenly changed.

Despite two reminders, you still haven’t answered what we feel is a perfectly reasonable question about how long you intend to leave these eyesores in place (though earlier correspondence about sites for disposal suggests you might be planning to leave them for at least a year or two).

As you know, KCG exists to conserve and enhance the Kingsdown area, and we feel that in this case the Trust’s action directly counteracts and undermines what we are trying to do on behalf of all residents. We know you will be aware of the widespread local antipathy to, and cynicism about, the Trust’s past behaviour towards its near neighbours. We felt that until recently you had been working with us on the inevitably long-term task of building up a more positive atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding. We hope we can quickly return to this

Just to be completely clear, we want to see the hoardings removed as soon as possible. As we do not know what ‘health and safety risk’ they are meant to protect us against, we cannot judge whether there is a case for erecting some visually less prison-like alternative, but in any event we intend to pursue this matter.

We would be very grateful for a reply by Monday 5th October, as the item is on the agenda for the Committee meeting on Tuesday 6th, after which we want to inform residents, through our website, email circulation and noticeboard, of progress (or otherwise).

Tile in St Matthew’s road

Originally uploaded by Kingsdown.

So where is this tile to be found?

The Lord Mayor of Bristol makes friends with some of the Basque refugee children after he had welcomed them on their arrival in Bristol. They are staying at the old Training Centre in Kingsdown.

Reproduced by kind permission of the the Visual Studies Workshop Collection
(Soibelman Agency News Picture Archive) .

Anyone know more about this?

Josh Hart from www.chooseday.org wrote to explain this “new grassroots movement in response to climate change” that is being launched on Tuesday Oct 4th at 645 (food) for 730 at the Southville Centre. It is designed to make Tuesdays each week a focus for “lifestyle reinvention” that will allow us to choose lower carbon footprints and a better quality of life.

Chooseday begins this October with ‘Tuesdays without cars’. Other campaigns will follow.

More information about Chooseday can be found at www.chooseday.org or phone Chris Sunderland on 0117 9574652 or email enquiries@agoraspace.org

Here it is - the full programme.
9.30 am Doors of St Matthews’ Church open to receive entries for the competitions. Get your minature gardens and your Victoria sponges ready.
12 am Judging begins. No more entries accepted.
1.45 pm Bell Ringing practise and demo.
2 pm Start of Fancy Dress Parade
Old and young, meet by 1.45 dressed in your ‘Garden’ themed outfits or Fantastic Fancy Hats at the junction of St Matthews Road and Clevedon Terrace. Here The Ambling Band will be waiting to lead us merrily down St Matthews Road.

On St Matthews’ South Side
The Ambling Band continues amongst the many and various Display Stands, Foodie Stalls and Sideshows.
3 pm Local Band Better Than Sax will be playing. They are the winners of the 2007 Unsigned Song Contest and are due to receive recording weekends in Bath and London.
4 pm Another Young Band The Cut Outs will join in and entertain us with their mixture of experimental and versatile music making.

In the North Corner
All afternoon. On the forecourt will be our Cupboard Clearout Sale, with Teas served in the Really Posh Tea Garden with music at -
4.30 by Lu - Ami, a Jazz/Soul Singer, accompanied by her guitarist
5 pm There will be a Community Busk led by Vic Love. So collect your musical instruments and everyone join in.

Inside the Church Hall
Our wonderful display of Garden Produce, Cookery and the Craft Competitions will be on show with comments by our judges and awards for each of the categories.
There will also be an Exhibition ‘Here We Are - Photographing Kingsdown’ A joint show of a selection of photographs from the Kingsdown 250 Exhibition of 1987 and new, present day work

Evening Party
8 pm - 11 pm Doors open. Ticket price includes a delicious stuffed pitta with barbequed lamb and various salads. The entertainment includes Gypsy Kiss a local Ceilidh Band. Prices £5 adults, £3 under 11’s. There will be a licensed bar.
Tickets available on the door to door sale or from the Church Office between 9 - 12 Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri. on the week before the festival. Tel. 9441598

The Great Cupboard Clearout There will be trestles or space to rent for £10 on the forecourt of St Matthews’. Share one with a friend and get rid of your summer junk or unblock your attics and cupboards. If you can bring your own table that is even better. Ring Helen on 9422922 to book a space.

The Really Posh Tea Garden
Throughout the afternoon the marquee in front of the church will serve a choice of Full and Proper English Teas of sandwiches and scones and cakes with lashings of tea. So sit down and relax with waitress service.

And…… to further tempt you, there will also be opportunities to sample exotic teas, wines or chocolate…..or try the best of Indian foods.

Games and Sideshows -
for all Ages!
Sticky fingered fun for the very littlest with Fairy Cakes to decorate and juicy Fruit Kebabs to make…..and more besides. If you are older then there is a Silly Bikes Course to manoeuvre or a Human Fruit Machine to out guess - amongst many other fun events.

Stalls and Displays to show off your creativity with local Handicrafts to admire and some to buy. Toys and T-shirts; collectibles and jewellery. Sign up for your nearest fruit and veg. box scheme with fresh local produce to buy

WANTED

Plants from your garden. Please dig up and divide surplus or unwanted plants for our Plant Stall. Also any extra bunches of flowers or herbs or excess fruit not in the competition can be left (with a plant label) the week of the Festival at the gate end of 69 Kingsdown Parade - or brought to the stall on the morning of the 22nd.

Cakes large or small, for the Cake Stall - if you haven’t entered them all in the competitions. Please bring them to the stall on the day.

Furniture Do you have any for loan on the day? We need trestle tables and garden benches. We can arrange to pick up in the morning and deliver safely back after 6pm

Books Bring your old books along and refresh your library. Books can be left in boxes in the shed at the bottom of 73 Kingsdown Parade, before the Festival.

Help on the day -to share the running of stalls and sideshows and move furniture and put up banners and marquees. Contact Helen to offer help. 9422922

If you have a other fun ideas for a sideshow or if you have a local business and would like to have a stall or showcase for your work at the Kingsdown Homegrown Festival or if you have anything on our Wanted List then contact
Helen on 9422922

Any surplus money made from the day’s events will be donated to The Joliba Trust, a charity working for sustainable development and environmental work in Mali and alleviating the effects of global warming by tree planting.
See www.jolibatrust.org.uk

Join in the Competitions!!

You don’t have to be greatly green fingered or a fantastic cook or an amazing artist to find a category to exhibit and join in the fun. Have a go! Come and see what your neighbours have tried. Please bring your entry to St Matthews’ between 9.30 and 12 am on Saturday 22nd.

Gardening Section
The best basket or container of Homegrown Produce.
A display of a variety of produce from your garden or allotment - the best of our locally grown fruit, nuts, vegetables and edible flowers, attractively presented.

The best container of herbs
Everyone has some of these on their doorstep or in their window box. Exotic or Simple. Useful and Pretty.

The tallest sunflower
Obvious really, but we want to see and measure the sunflower in the Hall. If it hasn’t a great height the judges could be impressed by the largest head.

The best bowl of Homegrown Tomatoes
Everyone grows these but it’s been a bad year for ripening, so quality and variety and scent will be very important to the judges.

8 Perfect Homegrown Beans
Show off your French Beans; Runner Beans; Broad Beans; Borlotti Beans or a mixture of all.

The best Pumpkin or Squash
It could be the biggest or heaviest or the most colourful or most attractive or the most unusual but will it be The Best.

A Glorious Bunch of Garden Flowers
Late summer flowers and early autumn foliage will make a wonderful informal display. The vase or container should suit the posy.

Craft Section
The cosiest Tea Cosy or Baby’s Hat
Similar in size and shape, both can be very imaginative. Get stitching and knitting
The most imaginative egg cosy
You don’t have to use needles or thread. Any material; any shape; the more wacky the better

A Vegetable Monster
Amalgamate any fruit or vegetable in a weird and wonderful way.

A Perfect Minature Garden
Set in any container - but no bigger than a seed tray or 300 x 400mm. If you never made one as a child - now is your chance!

Kingsdown Photograph
A modern take on Kingsdown to sit alongside those of 1980’s and before. Mount your entry on A4 card for easy presentation

Cookery Section
The most Fantastic Celebration Cake
Any type of cake but presentation and display is all important.

The Perfect Victoria Sponge Cake
The traditional 8 jam sponge cake. Say no more.

The best use of Chocolate
Sweet or savoury? Stretch your imagination. How good can it be?

The most Wholesome Loaf of Bread
Try out a new combination of ingredients or a new shape. Aroma, texture and taste will be crucial.

The best use of Surplus Produce
Excess apples or courgettes? Sweet or savoury. Pie or Flan. Please label with the surplus ingredient

Best jar of Jam
Locally grown fruits and a well presented jar

Best jar of Chutney or Pickles
Any fruit or vegetable. Spicy aromatic or spicy hot. The jar must look as good as it tastes

Please let us know if you wish us to sell these entries at the end of the day.

These ugly hoardings have been placed round the UBHT property on Horfield Rd. We wrote to the Trust to ask:

* why is it necessary to erect these hoardings?
* when can we expect them to be removed to that we can again see the small park (which was hardly beautiful, but not bad compared with the hoarding)?

The Trust said they will tidy them up, but did not answer either of our questions. We will continue trying to get an answer. So much for being ‘good neighbours’.

Anyone who wants to come along to see the progress on the new Cardiothoracic Unit (halfway down Marlborough Hill) is very welcome. Meet at the site office this coming Monday, Sept 10th at 2pm. It’s combined with the launch of the ‘Heart of Bristol’ appeal about which we don’t yet know very much…

Congratulations to the Hillgrove Tavern, whose sprucing-up and better range of beers have paid off with the award of Bristol CAMRA’s ‘Pub of the Year 2007′.
See http://www.camrabristol.org.uk/poty.html for details.