Frome valley voice pages august 2013

FREE EVERY MONTH for Winterbourne, Frampton Cotterell, Coalpit Heath, Iron Acton & Winterbourne Down

Letters, Page 8 | Sport, Page 22

August, 2013 Issue 2

Solar Flare up No to houses on Woodlands FarmProtesters are celebrating after South Glos Council threw out plans for 350 houses in Coalpit Heath.

Page 3Supermarket for Coalpit Heath?Talks over Badminton Arms site, but pub to stay.

Page 4Fun in the SunThousands turn up to Frampton Festival.

Pages 12 & 13Winterbourne’s sports starsWIA shows off some kids with a big sporting future.

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Battle lines drawn over controversial solar farm.DEVELOPERS and protesters have come face to face in a dispute over the future of Says Court Farm in Coalpit Health.

Renewables group AEE want to build the first solar farm in South Gloucestershire.

The proposed development would cover over 100 acres of green belt land, which protesters claim covers a larger area than the nearby village of Westerleigh.

People living near the farm say it will blight their lives and could cause flooding problems.

The farming family which owns Says Farm maintain it’s a progressive way to use the land.

All sides met outside the farm to put their points to planners, who had made a special trip to inspect the site.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Frome Valley Voice Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Frome Valley Voice is distributed each month to local residents. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please get in touch or collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is welcomed, call Richard On 01454 800 120 or [email protected]

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That difficult second album . . . . .IT’S the problem that all new recording artists face. They put out a critically acclaimed first album, it’s downloaded by hoardes of new fans - and then they have to sit down with a blank piece of paper and think up something equally as good.

I’d like to think that our first Frome Valley Voice was a critical success. Certainly we have had a lot of very positive feedback from readers (see letters, page 8), although perhaps without the rock star adulation of musicians.

The trick now is to make this a monthly feat. I’d like to think the portents are good. People have been in touch to make sure their news is included in the pages of The Voice.

Whether it’s the lady who phoned to say we had to take a picture or two of a neighbour’s glorious flower display in Watley’s End (page4), or Winterbourne International Academy quite rightly showing off its abundance of young sporting talent (page15) we have got around the patch again.

By Frome Valley standards, having lived in Frampton Cotterell for four years makes me a newcomer (the majority of the rest of my life spent in nearby Downend doesn’t count).

But the last four years have given me a real taste of the community life around here, from playing cricket for ‘The Fram’, to being a governor of a local school.

It has to be said though, that helping to distribute the newspaper to people’s homes has really added to my education. I never knew there were so many tucked away houses, so many beautiful gardens, so many friendly people - and so many people who’d gone to Glastonbury.

There weren’t really that many grumpy dogs either. It was hot and sweaty work as summer settled in, but after a spring of moaning about how cold it was, it seemed a little churlish to complain about the tan.

It was a hot one at the Frampton Festival too. If you went, you hopefully came to say hello to us at our stall. The estival was a resounding success, and looks like being an annual event (see page12).

I’d like to think this month we have a lot of hot topics to tide you over the school holidays. From the solar panel farm proposed for a large part of rural Coalpit Heath (page 6) to the fall out from of the rejection of plans for homes on Woodlands Farm (page3), we’d like to thing we’ve got the measure of the Frome Valley.

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Campaigners hail victory over Woodlands farm houses Protesters face wait to see if developer will appealCAMPAIGNERS in Coalpit Heath and Frampton Cotterell are celebrating after planners threw out plans to build 350 new homes on Woodlands Farm.

The news was greeted with delight by local people who had travelled to South Gloucestershire Council offices to hear the decision.

Developer Barratt Homes had

wanted to build a third phase of housing on the site, between the new Meads development and the railway line by Badminton Road.

It must now decide if it wishes to appeal the decision made by the council.

Councillor Claire Young, who represents the area affected, welcomed the decision.

“I’m pleased that the

committee unanamously rejected it, but we are now waiting the next move from Barratts”.

The planning committee decided to turn down the application because it feels it has identified enough alternative sites for development.

South Gloucestershire Council has to find land for 9,000 homes in the next 5 years as

part of a core strategy to provide 29,000 homes in by 2027.

The developer wasn’t available for comment.

If you have something to say about housing development in the area write to us: [email protected]

www.fromevalleyvoice.co.uk August, 2013T: 01454 800 1204 fromevalleyvoicewww.fromevalleyvoice.co.uk


Supermarket talks for pub siteBadminton Arms owners say pub will not closeTHE owners of a Coalpit Heath pub have confirmed that talks are taking place to build a supermarket on the site, but pledged that the pub will not close.

Wadworth, the Wiltshire brewery which owns the Badminton Arms, says negotiations are taking place over building the supermarket on part of the pub’s car park.

Paul Sullivan, the Sales and Marketing Director at Wadworth says patrons of the pub shouldn’t be alarmed.

“We are in conversation with an agent for a supermarket about using some of the space in the car park, which may possibly result in them doing something with that, but until we have confirmation from the agent and his clients that’s all I could possibly say”.

“There is nothing in our plans that affect the viability of the Badminton Arms or indeed the majority of the car park”.

The current pub building was erected in 1968, next to the original pub.

It was known as the Half Moon, a name that only changed in 1998.

Rumours about the fate of the pub raised fears that the area was about to lose another pub, just weeks after The Star pub on Church Lane closed.

A supermarket on the site could fill a gap in provision. Although convenience stores are nearby, the nearest small supermarket is in Winterbourne. Larger stores are around 4 miles away in Emersons Green, Yate or Bradley Stoke.

It’s not known when there may be a result from the discussions. It’s thought the negotiations are at an early stage.

Paul Sullivan, though, has given this pledge; “The pub itself is the Badminton Arms forever and a day as far as we are concerned”.

Summer Sizzler!

The sun has shone, and kept shining this summer. People have been telling us about their fun in the sun.

Reader Jackie Faithfull phoned to praise her neighbour Chris Lowe’s stunning flowers behind Salem Chapel in Watley’s End (pictured above and below).

Meanwhile, children at Frampton Cotterell C of E School were learning about Sonkram, the Thai water festival. Looks like a chance for a fabulous water fight!



Keeping the red flag (and hundreds of others) flying over WinterbourneGORDON Blight meets me at the entrance of his Winterbourne house with a mug of tea in his hand.

As we sit down to chat I notice the design on the mug is that of the flags flown for Nelson’s famous ‘England expects’ message to the fleet before the battle of Trafalgar.

This is the Flag Man of Winterbourne, and the flag man is a little distracted.

The royal baby is due, and Gordon has been sorting out his union flags ready to fly in celebration on the twin flagpoles in the centre of the village.

Prince George arrives later that afternoon, and Gordon soon has the Scottish saltire (celebrating Andy Murray’s Wimbledon triumph) and a rugby flag (in honour of the Lions’ win) down with something more regal in their place.

It’s a well oiled operation, as you might expect for someone who has been doing this for 15 years.

Gordon started flying flags to celebrate the 800th anniversary of St Michael’s Church in Winterbourne in 1998.

“It started off as just fun. Nobody was using the pole so I started flying odd little flags up there, then it got more regular so you’d fly certain flags for events like St David’s days and St George’s day”.

Now Gordon has hundreds of flags and when they aren’t being flown, they are kept in the ensuite bathroom of his Winterbourne house.

He tells me it isn’t an obsession by any means, but it is something you can tell he’s

enormously proud of.He tells me he gets a lot of

encouragement from the public.‘If you are doing the flags, it

not uncommon to get toots and hoots from the cars as they go by. By the time you look around they’ve gone. People will come across and speak to you, and say how they’ve enjoyed the flags”.

The design of the flagpoles have come on since he started. They had to change them once, after flags commerating 60 years of independence for India and Pakistan were torn down and the poles broken.

Now the poles are on pivots, which means Gordon doesn’t have to balance on a ladder when gusts of winds can race up Beacon Lane reaching 120 miles an hour at the top of the pole.

Normally the flags flown aren’t controversial, but Gordon admits breaking that rule once.

“The only time I caused offence was when they invaded Iraq. I put up the skull and crossbones with the Stars and Stripes below it. I did get a couple of remarks, asking if I really wanted to do that”.

Gordon spends around £100 a year on flags, a sum that is increasing as organisations copyright their designs.

“I am retired and I have no income at all - I’m 80 next year, so unless someone gives me a flag or gives me a tenner or something, I’ve had it. It will gradually peter out”.

Before that happens, Gordon is hoping an apprentice might step forward to continue the fine traditions of the Flag Man of Winterbourne.

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Green solution or a blight on the landscape?How Says Court Farm is dividing opinionPERHAPS it was fitting that the sun was blazing down on the day the planners came to see for themsevles what was proposed for Says Court Farm.

The Farm entrance is tucked away off the Badminton Road next to the New Inn, but the land owned by the Bennett family, 330 acres in all, stretches all the way to Westerleigh and the edge of Yate.

A third of that will be covered in solar panels if they and the renewables company AAE have their way.

Hundreds of panels will be deployed, with a 2 metre fence surrounding the development.

The fate of the planning application submitted to the council won’t be decided until the end of this month at the earliest, but at the end of July all the interested parties were brought together by the site visit of the planning committee.

Andrew Bennett’s family has farmed on this site for over a century. He runs the business with his sons, Jonathon and David. Jonathon told the voice that solar panels seemed a natural progression for the land.

“It’s something ethically we are quite happy doing. It’s renewable, sustainable. Basically, 100 acres is going to produce enough electricity for 4,000 homes and we can still graze sheep on it and farm it”.

“We’ve been here for 120 years, this is only a 25 year term. From our point of view it’s just

another step in the evolution of farming - we’re farming the sun”.

It’s not a view shared by his neigbours, or the 79 people who submitted objections to the council.

Steve Thornell is a mild mannered man who is quitely determined to stop the development.

“I’m objecting mainly because I’m the neighbouring farmer and it’s going to destroy 50 acres of my land and cause serious problems for me”, he told me before the councillors arrived by bus for their inspection.

He sites a list of reasons why he is against the development;

“We’ve got a flooding risk potential, we’ve got the glare because we are looking directly at it and unfortunately, I’m sorry to say, my farming activity as far as milling oats which is for human consumption will come to an end with the possible contamination”.

AEE Renewables insist they have tested the site extensively and there is no risk of an adverse enviromental reaction, but that doesn’t satisfy Mr Thornell.

”To perfectly honest” he tells me, “if this one goes through, I might as well put my farm into solar panels because it’s not going to be productive for food any more. I’m a farmer, I’m proud of what I do and I like what I do. If Mr Bennett doesn’t want to farm any more that’s his choice, but it’s affecting my farming activities”

He has a willing ally in Hugh Simmons. It’s a landscape he knows and loves, and he doesn’t want it to change.

“I’ve lived here all my life, I was born in the farm that Steve’s got now. My main argument is that I don’t like it being put on good quality farm land. We know what the land is like because we farmed it. My father moved here in 1936.”

Both men contend that they support solar energy, but that the panels should be put on brownfield sites, and ask why such a development couldn’t be put on the roofs of the nearby industrial estates.

Scores of people turned up for the meeting. Many knew each other and took time to catch up before the meeting got underway.

Cutting a slightly more lonely figure was Roland Billington of AEE Renewables. He is the face of the company that wants to install the solar panels on Says Court Farm.

The company started life in Germany, and has been involved in solar power since 1990. It has been in the UK since 2010 and has an office in Bath. Some of its existing solar panel farms are in Wiltshire.

Mr Billington has been through this process before and he has come to expect opposition.

“You always get a level of support and a level of opposition. I think people don’t like to see

change and are very nervous of change. I think there are also a lot of people who understand or who are more coherent possibly about the need for renewable energy, and the fact that the existing infrastructure is just ageing and unable to cope with future demands. Places like Hinkley Point, Drax, and all the other power stations are all being decommissioned and we need to put something back in it’s place”.

His company spent many months preparing the planning application, and feels confident that all the concerns have been addressed.

“We wouldn’t put these sites forward unless we thought we had a reasonable chance of success. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into a site and its viability, not only it’s connections to the grid but also it’s viability in terms of getting it through planning. We don’t throw money at this unless we feel we can get it through. We feel we’ve addressed all the issues and arguments against the proposals in terms of flooding and archaeology and visual impact”.

He feels that there will be no losers if the solar farm goes ahead.

“For 25 years there will be no pesticides, no herbicides on the site, and we will ensure that it is managed in a way that will enhance the ecology of the site, and hopefully it will be a habitat wildlife almost and that is something we will be very keen

Interested parties had 3 minutes to put their case

The farm entrance, off the Badminton Road



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The main players. (l to r), Farmer Andrew Bennett and son Jonathon; neighbours and protesters Hugh Simmons and Steve Thornell; Roland Billington of AEE.

to promote”.“We’ve approached Avon

Wildlife Trust in terms of using it as a project site to show how renewable energy can benefit the local area in terms of ecological enhancements”.

Once the councillors arrived, the open meeting allowed interested parties 3 minutes each to put their case.

It was clear that AEE’ s PR

offensive hadn’t impressed Eve Carey of Westerleigh Parish Council, who clamed;

“The size of the proposed development is as large of the village of Westereigh. It is industrial development through the back door and of no benefit for our communities”.

Frampton Cotterell and Doddington Parish Councils have also objected, whilst Network

Rail has raised concerns over possible glare for train drivers on the nearby rail track.

Councillors went on to inspect the farm site and view the site from neighbouring properties. It’s possible a decision could be made on 29 August although this could be put back.

Farmer Jonathon Bennett is hoping for a yes vote, not just he says to secure his financial

future.“Everyone wants to turn

the lights on. If you are quite happy with nuclear power. If you are quite happy having all your power produced from coal powered power stations with coal from Australia, then fine. At the end of the day it’s going to be produced here locally for the community, so what more could you want”.



Have a view on a local issue? Let us know by emailing [email protected]

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Church on the upFurther to the article in the

July issue of the Frome Valley Voice can I take this opportunity to thank the people of Frampton Cotterell and the congregation of St Peter’s for their positive and generous response to my letter to the community in March.

As a result of the fantastic turn out of local people to the open day in April and their generous donations, coupled with the commitment of the regular congregation we have really turned the corner and are now in a very encouraging position.

There are so many positive things happening here at St Peter’s, our links with the local school, our work with families and the increased attendance at our family services, our work with

children in the ‘Jesus Shack’, the introduction of our pastoral visiting team and so much more.

Whilst the maintenance of our beautiful church building will always be an important part of our work, we must never lose sight of the fact that the mission of the church, to communicate God’s love for all people, is and always will be at the heart of everything that we do.

Yours SincerelyRevd Malcolm Strange

Praise for the VoiceHi RichardRecently received the first

issue of the Voice, and what a terrific job you (and I presume your editorial team) have done!

Lots of interesting articles and much news of goings on, of which I was unaware.

Congratulations to you and all those who have been involved – hope you are able to pick up lots more newsy items for future issues. Well done!

Mike FordWinterbourne

Dear Richard I just wanted to write to tell

you how impressed I am with the brand new Frome Valley Voice. It is so refreshing to have a publication that focuses so nicely on our area. I thought that the FVV was well written, clear and well presented. I really appreciated the mix of news and the variety of articles.

I also thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the local events coming up and also discovering new facts. I liked learning about the new café’s, clubs and facilities of our area and also the challenges that some of our local facilities are currently facing.

Really well done to all involved.

Caroline HuishIron Acton Dear Richard.I would like to say how much I

enjoyed The Frome Valley Voice which was delivered to my door I found it very interesting and informative and very useful to refer for local events. I will be looking forward to the next issue.

Judy Bailey

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LETTERS

The Coalpit Heath centurian with a firm grip on the 21st Century“I’LL just see if Alice is free; I think she’s Skypeing her niece”. That was the greeting when Frome Valley Voice called to say Happy Birthday.

Alice Witherall might have been born in the early years of the 20th century but she is certainly not afraid of 21st century technology.

The centenarian has just celebrated her 101st birthday at Woodlands Manor in Coalpit Heath, where she has lived since last October

Alice was born in Tipton in the Black Country on July 19, 1912 – the year the Titanic sank and two years before the start of the First World War.

Her father Tom was an engineer and she has many memories of her tender years in the West Midlands.

“It was very industrial, with canals and lots of dust from when there had been mines. There were no parks and not much grass – nowhere to play really. I remember collecting lumps of coal to take home to my mum.”

Tom and his wife Annie moved with Alice and her brother Howard and sister Unita to Wantage in Berkshire at the end of the Great War. When Alice was 14, she got a job in a a drawing office at an engineering works as a draughtswoman/tracer – an unusual role for a young woman.

She left ten years later when she married Stanley Witherall, who was a school teacher.

It was Stanley’s job at a school in Staple Hill that brought the couple to Bristol. They made their home in Montpelier, in a large house off Sussex Place.

But Stanley had to give up work after suffering fits and blackouts and surgeons at Frenchay Hospital discovered he had a brain tumour, which led to his death in 1960 at the age of 53.

“I was able to pay the mortgage off out of the superannuation but I had to go out to work to keep myself,” said Alice.

“I worked in the shoe department at Lewis’s for 14

years. I was busy earning a living and had no time for jollifications. When I got in I was tired out. I used to watch a lot of television.”

After she retired, Alice sold the house and moved to a bungalow in Abbeydale, Gloucester, near her brother where she lived alone until after she received her 100th birthday card from the Queen.

“I have always been a bit of a loner. I did not make bosom friends. My nieces and nephews help look after me.”

Alice celebrated her centenary quietly with family members, some of whom joined her a year later for a party to

remember at Woodlands Manor, with plenty of food, drink and entertainment.

Asked for the secret of her long life, she said: “I have always bought good food and never squandered what I had.”

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A big thank you to everyone who responded to my column in the last edition of ‘Frome Valley Voice’ about public transport to the new Southmead Hospital.

We have had a huge response to the campaign to make sure that we have a direct bus service from the Yate/Sodbury area to the new Southmead once Frenchay ceases to be our principal hospital for the area.

I’m very grateful to the many doctors’ surgeries, including Frome Valley Medical Centre, who have

kindly displayed our petition, and also the many people who have signed online.

There is still time to sign the online petition at www.SouthmeadBusPetition.wordpress.com and I have asked for the paper petitions to be returned by the end of August so that they can be presented to the Council.

The good news is that in response to the campaign, South Gloucestershire Council has delayed a meeting planned for the end of July to consider this issue in order to do more work on the options for a direct bus service.

The issue will now be discussed at a meeting of the Council’s committee on ‘Planning, Transportation and the Strategic Environment’ in early September, and we need to make sure that councillors understand how unhappy we are at the idea of not having a direct bus service to our major local hospital.

Whilst if everything runs smoothly and there are good connections, the occasional visit to Southmead with a change at Bristol Parkway

might not be too bad, what about when the weather is rotten and the connecting bus doesn’t turn up on time? Or if you are going in to visit a loved one day after day and have to do four separate bus journeys every day?

The NHS has made available £1.5 million to fund public transport improvements in Bristol and South Gloucestershire associated with the new development, and it is vital that South Gloucestershire is not the poor relation once again.

Obviously the best answer is for more healthcare to be done locally wherever possible and to avoid the needs for large numbers of trips to an acute hospital.

But with a growing and ageing population there will always be large numbers of people from our area who either work at Southmead, attend at outpatients or inpatients, or go to visit others.

A reliable public transport network is the least we should expect, and there is still time to get this one right.

Steve Webb MP writes in Frome Valley Voice

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Rainbows saved with new leaderGuide leaders are celebrating after an appeal in Frome Valley Voice found a volunteer to lead the 2nd Frampton Cotterell Rainbow unit.

Rainbows are the first step in the Guiding experience, for girls aged 5-7.

When the last Rainbow leader left, the group was taken by a Guide leader doubling up on her duties.

Now the future of the unit appears to be secure.

However Guide and Scout units in the area are still appealing for extra helpers.

Care needed on roads in hot weatherBikers are being urged not to forsake their leathers despite the soaring temperatures this summer.

Senior Road Safety Officer at South Glos Council, Alan Hale said, “Leathers are designed to take the impact abrasion as you slide along the road after coming off and without that protection your skin takes the impact. Equally it is vital that you wear gloves and motorcycle boots”.



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No regrets over pub closure for woman whose whole life has orbited the StarJEAN Mitchell has lived in, or next door to the Star Pub since she was one.

Yet when I ask her if she will miss the pub, she has an astonishing response.

“I know perhaps it sounds funny, but I go by there and I don’t even think I was in there, because I’ve got no happy memories in there whatsoever”.

Jean’s family had owned the pub for decades when her dad took over the running of the pub.

Her early days weren’t happy, with an overbearing father, and a mother who died suddenly.

She says that she can’t remember having a conversation with either her mother or father, and by way of an explanation tells me a wartime story.

“Wives and men in the bar came into our living room. You felt as if you didn’t have a life of your own because you couldn’t talk to these people because that was how it was, you had to be seen and not heard”.

She had started a job and was forging her life when fate intevened. In 1961 her father had a stroke and Jean returned to run the pub.

She says nothing had prepared her for the role.

“We had nothing to do with the bar at all, we were shut away from that. It wasn’t until my father was ill and I had to take over, that was the only time I knew anything about the bar work or trade”.

After three years she was given notice by the brewery and moved next door to the house she still lives in.

It’s only when Jean unfolds

a sheet of paper she’s prepared for me with some memories noted down, does her contagious chuckle emerges.

She tells me about an old Irish lady who rented a room and walked to church in Chipping Sodbury every Sunday because she had no money.

Then there was Reg Holbrook, the one armed coal delivery man; the fish man with a claw hand known only as ‘Mr Claw’, and Mr Skidmore with his ice creams kept in a motorcycle sidecar.

The plums in the garden were so good, people would walk from Kingswood to pick them.

With all these memories, I ask her if there is no emotional attachment at all to the pub.

“I’d like to go in and see it before they start pulling it about, but I suppose if I let my emotions come out, which I don’t do very often, I expect I would cry”.

Jean with her dad in 1961, and behind the bar of the Star in 1963



Festival set for annual dateOrganisers pledge afer perfect day on Frampton’s Centenary FieldTHE sun shone, the crowds flocked to the Centenary Field and the Frampton Festival couldn’t have gone any better.

The Festival facebook page put it like this: “that was pretty good eh?”.

It’s estimated that up to 3000 people attended the event, with the hot and sunny weather drawing people in from all over Bristol and beyond.

It was a long day for organisers, who were at the field by 8am and didn’t leave until 11.30pm, but Michelle Dickson who co-ordinated the event says it was all worth it.

“It was a fabulous day and everything ran smoothly. It was a brilliant, brilliant atmosphere. It all ran to plan, the weather was perfect and we really couldn’t ask for more. There’s a bit of pressure for next year!”

It looks like the success of the festival has cemented its place as an annual event.

Michelle says that early plans are already in place.

“We’ve had amazing feedback, we’ve booked the field for next year and we will get together after Christmas and start planning”.

She says people have been extremely generous with cash donations on the day, which has helped cover the several thousand pounds of operating costs.



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I enjoy Brownies and I like the festivals (Isla).

The Church because I am in the choir!

Bank holiday trains at Bridge House.

When you are bored there is always something to do. I love Frampton, we have lots of events.

Because I have friends (Emily, aged 6).

Lovely and fun (Ben 8).

Everything, wonderful community to live in.

I like all the friends here (Amber 7).

Fantastic community spirit making you feel welcome.

What I love about Frampton is all the fairs, Love Ellie M (9)

Lovely walking with my dogs (Teresa).

Lovely place, has it all xx

I love playing cricket at the Fram.

I like Brownies, I like playing on the Bridge House train and I like the festival! (Lily.)

There’s lots of fun things going on the whole tiime (Ben P, 8).

I love my friendly village, but council - clean the roads!!

What do you love about living in the Frome Valley area? We asked you at the festival, and this is what you told us

FROME Valley Voice had a stall at the festival and it was great to meet so many people.

Thanks to everyone who popped by to have a chat and say such nice things about the paper

We had a lot of people try our

fiendishly easy quiz about the area (all the answers were in the paper).

The winner of the adult quiz was Rachel Devlin who wins a bottle of wine. The jar of sweets for the kids puzzle goes to Gianni Battaglia.

Meet Winterbourne’s future sporting starsWinterbourne International Academy nurturing a sporting legacyCRITICS may claim that sport in schools is at crisis point, but the WIA seems to be bucking the trend in an astonishing way.

Not only are they thriving in team sports, with the boys football team reaching a national schools final, but the school has nurtured pupis in a whole range of individual sports as well.

The roster of talent includes gymnasts, syncronised swimmers, althetes, Irish dancers, rugby players, orienteers, as well of course as some pretty useful footballers - one of whom is off to Chelsea.

Whilst most pupils will be enjoying a break over the summer holidays, there will be no let up for these talented individuals as they pursue their dreams.

A few of these young people have spoken to Frome Valley Voice. This is what they had to say.

Jacob Maddox (pictured top right) Age 14, Year 9: FootballChelsea have won the race to sign one of English football’s brightest young talents, Jacob Maddox. He was originally on the books at Bristol City but eventually Chelsea managed to lure the player with a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge - Bristol City are due a compensation fee for his services.

“It’s a massive step up for me and hopefully it will help my future career.”

“I haven’t been here long but the school is really good for sport. The year 10’s who I play with recently got to the finals of the nationals, and I like all the teachers; they’re really good and encouraging”.

“I am going to have to move up [to London] in August but its a better opportunity. It’s looking bright, hopefully I can push on in my development and see where it goes”.

Emily Wright (pictured bottom right) Age 15: AthleticsAfter becoming the Under 20 Indoor 200m Champion she became the first 14 year old to represent Wales at senior level.

“I’m currently training in Cardiff four times a week with my coach who was Jason Gardener’s coach. I broke quite a few records recently”.

“It’s the youth Olympics next year and I want to go to that. There’s world youths the year after and then, well, I’d love to go to the Olympics obviously. It’s my main aim”.

“I’ve got to keep myself focused. It’s quite difficult because my friends have parties but I’ve got to control myself so I don’t go off in the wrong direction.

Yes, [I love the sport], it wouldn’t be the same me without it”.





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Elise Denner & Georgia Denner 15 & 13 Synchronized SwimmingElise won a gold, silver and bronze in the National Age Group Synchronised Swimming Championships. Georgia attends on-going training in the England Synchronised Swimming talent programme. EliseI suppose it’s not only just swimming, you’ve got to do ballet, you’ve got to do gymnastics as well, and also there is speed and gym,so you’ve got all different sports combined.I’ve got GB trials in September and if they pick me I will be in the Olympics.GeorgiaI’d like to compete in the Olympics, but my aim from next year is to be able to swim in Croatia [an international youth competition].

Emily Wilkins 14 years old, year 9: CricketEmily is the under 15’s and 17’s county girl’s team wicket keeper and has played for Gloucestershire since she was 10. Her aims are to play women’s cricket professionally and is keen to boost the identity of the women’s game across the nation. Emily won the Under 13 Best Performance of the Year for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club at the end of last season.

“I started quite young because my dad was into it and its a fun game to play outside of school with other people and your group of friends”.

“I think there’s quite a big chance that I could get into the district squad and further on even into the England development squad”.

“I coach the year 7&8’s with my friend, I’ve played in competitions and we have a really nice teacher who helps us do all these things. We get time off school to play and coach”.

Trish Lewis Deputy Head of PE “Since we’ve come to the new sports hall, it seems to have improved the attitude for a lot of the kids, but also most of these children are very well supported at home. What we do in school is foster the interest and then push them towards clubs outside where they can be stretched. I don’t know if it’s the Olympic legacy or what, but its been a very good year. The girls football team took off this year and the boys football team did really well, and all these youngsters doing well in their individual sports, it’s fantastic”.

Sun brings crowds to Frog Lane eventOrganisers of an annual steam rally in Coalpit Heath say they are delighted with the numbers attending this year after rain washed out the event in 2012.

The Bristol and South Gloucestershire Stationary Engine Club have been holding the event for the last 20 years.

For the last 8 it’s been sited in Frog Lane, showcasing vintage small engines.

Organiser Steve Thornell said this years event had been a great success.

“We get a number of people who come and see what’s actually on offer and are quite amazed at these wonderful little engines that are 100 years old plus”. There were other attractions at the event, including old farm machinery, vintage cars and military vehicles.

The club meet once a month at the Miner’s club in Coalpit Heath and would welcome new members.

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Community 10k run planned by schoolRUNNERS in the Frome Valley area are being challenged to take part in a 10k race being run this September.

Parents from Watermore School in Frampton Cotterell are organising the run, with any money made being used to provide free after school clubs for the children.

Parent Nicola Ware is speaheading the organisers and is a keen runner herself.

She says the idea stemmed from seeing so many runners pounding the roads locally.

“We’ve got 50 people signed up to date, we can take 200 but there are lots of people who have said they will run it but just haven’t signed up yet. Hopefully it will be popular. There’s no reason it shouldn’t be based on the number of people you see running around the area”.

She’s keen to point out the event is for the whole community, not just those with children at the school.

The course looks like it might be a challenge for runners.

“It starts from here

[Watermore], goes all the way past the C of E school, over Crossbow fields, all the way through Winterbourne onto Cloisters Farm. It goes down Hillyfields and finishes on Clyde Road, which is a nice interesting road to finish a 10k on! So it’s not an easy 10k, it’s a multi terrain 10k. Weather permitting, it will be great”.

There will be a ‘Rainbow Run’ on the school fields afterwards, where, as Nicola puts it, “we get to throw paint at our beloved children, which should be quite exciting!”.

Anxious parents note, the kids will be given a white t-shirt first.

A barbecue will be available on the day, and organisers hope lots of spectators will turn out to cheer the runners on.

The race starts at 11am on 22 September. Organisers are looking to recruit around 40 marshalls to make sure the day runs smoothly.

More information can be found on the events website: www.watermore10k.co.uk.

Up for the challenge: Nicola Ware (2nd left), along with other parents and children from Watermore Primary School.



Wed 7th August Guided Detective Walk (2 miles), 1.50pm St Peters Church. Ideal for kids/buggies etc. Saturday 10th Aug ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ 2.30pm, Winterbourne Medieval Barn. Tickets (in advance only) cost £12.50 (£9 for children/students). Grounds open 12.00 for picnicking. Suitable for all ages.For details and bookings tel. Tony Harding 772285 www.Winterbournebarn.org.uk Wed 14th August Carers’ Club , Zion Church 2 – 4pm. For more information tel. 775786 or 886925Sat 24th August Art Exhibition. St. Peter’s Church. Over 200 paintings (all available to buy) Refreshments (home-made cakes) Raffle. Entry 50p. Saturday 24th 10am til 6pm Sunday 25th 2pm til 6pmMonday 26th 10am til 6pmCountry and Western Night. The Miners Club, Coalpit Heath. 8pm till late. £3. Fancy dress welcome.Sun 25th August.Joint Churches Songs of Praise. St Peter’s church, 6pmTue 27th AugustRural walk (choice of 1.75 or 3 miles) meet 10.20am Golden Heart Kendleshire27th - 30th AugustFree Holiday Club for 5-11 year olds. All Saints’ Church Hall, Winterbourne Down. For further information call 0774 6050607.Wed 28th AugustLitter Picking 09:30 – 12:00, start Truly Scrumptious, Church Road

Regular events MondayDementia Cafe, The Greenfield Centre, Winterbourne, 2pm -

4pm 1st Monday of month.Scrabble, The Community Centre, Winterbourne, 2- 4.30pmNorth Road Ladies, Iron Action Parish Hall, 7.30, every first Monday. Women’s Fellowship Zion Church Hall 2.30p.m.- 3.45 (from the middle of September) Programme of speakers, choirs etc., followed by a cup of tea. 50p per week. For more details ring Pat Lax 886830Iron Acton WI Iron Acton Parish Hall, 7.30, second Monday of month.Crossbow Singers, Crossbow House, Frampton Cotterell. 7.30.Winterbourn Down Border Morris Morris Dancing, All Saint’s Church Hall, 8.15pm

TuesdayWinterbourne Ladies, The Greenfield Centre, Winterbourne, 7.30 -10pm, second Tuesday of month.Crossbow Bridge Club, Crossbow House. 7.30pmCentre Squares (dancing). Winterbourne Comunity Centre 7.45pmFrampton Cotterell WI. Crossbow House, 7.45, fourth Tuesday of monthFolk Dancing. Crossbow House, Frampton Cotterell. 8.30 -10.30pm, 1st & 3rd Tuesday of month.

WednesdayZumba Gold 55+ Class Every Wednesday 10.30 - 11.15am @ The Greenfield Centrecontact Pauline 07788424976 for more info. Winterbourne Police Beat Post. Greenfield Centre 2pm - 3pmWinterbourne Players. Winterbourne Community Centre, 8pm

ThursdayProbus. The Miners Club, Coalpit Heath. 10am, 2nd & 4th Thursdays of month

Manor Day Centre, Greenfield Centre, Winterbourne, 10 - 2pmPraise and Play. All Saints’ Church Hall Winterbourne Down 10-12 during term times. For pre-school children and their parents/carersSt John’s Ambulance. St Saviour’s Hall, Beesmoor Road. 6.15 - 9pm (term time).Steam Engine Club, Miners Club, Coalpit Heath. 7pm, last Thursday of month.Line dancing. Iron Acton Parish Hall, High St, Iron Acton. New beginners, 7.20pm. Improvers, 8.30pm. www.laughterinline.comWinterbourne Musical Theatre. Winterbourne Community Association, 7.30pm.Crossbow Camera ClubCrossbow House, 8pm, every Thursday (from September). Contact Mike Challenger 07833316081

FridaySt James The Less Parent and Toddler Group, The Marshall Rooms, Iron Acton. 10.30 - 12.30 term times.Frome Valley Art Group Greenfield Centre, Winterbourne. 1pm to 4pm and 6.30pm to 9.00pm

SaturdayBrockeridge Quilters, Greenfield Centre, Winterbourne. 10am to 4pm, third Saturday of the month.Pigeon Club. British Royal Legion, Ryecroft Road, Frampton Cotterell. Summer weekends. More info: [email protected]

SundayCar Boot SaleBeesmoor Playing Field, Frampton Cotterell. 9am - 12, weather permitting.Japanese Embroidery Class Greenfield Centre, Winterbourne 9.30am to 4pm, (monthly).Contact: Jo Tripp 01454 850147.

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Have you got an event you would like to publicise?Do you run a club or society in the Frome Valley area?

Send details of your events or activities [email protected]

or call us on 01454 800120

We will make sure thousands of people in the area get to hear about it

?WHAT’S O

NKeep up to date with the latest happenings in the Frome Valley area by visiting our website:

www.fromevalley voice.co.uk



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AMY Cook is celbrating after winning an Outstanding Apprentice of the year award.

She beat the competition in the health, public services, education and care category.

The 18 year old from Winterbourne has just completed a Supporting Teaching and Learning Apprenticeship which she started in September 2012 at St Bonaventures Primary School.

Here she worked with years 1 and 2 children and with a child with special educational needs, whilst also helping out at the breakfast club two mornings a week.

She originally began the course at Level 2, but after a couple of weeks the school suggested that she go straight onto Level 3.

Since undertaking the programme

Amy has been accepted to start a Degree in Educational Support at UWE which she will start this September.

Amy says: “I am over the moon and couldn’t believe it when I won. I really am thrilled.”

“St Bonaventures has been such a good setting to start my career. Everyone was so friendly and I learnt so much whilst being there”.

“The school has put me through so many additional courses since I started and I am walking away not just with my apprenticeship but with many other qualifications under my belt.”

Winterbourne woman wins apprentice accolade

Amy (left) with Head Teacher Lucille Charles

Triathlon trial for school fundraisers

FOUR parents are celebrating after raising over £2,500 pounds for Frampton Cotterell C of E Primary School.

Ian Kelly, Bryn Case, Andrew Beckhaus & Aimee Knott ran in the Bowood House Triathlon, completing the sprint event.

That meant finishing a 750m swim, a 21k cycle ride and a 5k run.

Ian, who has two children at the school told the Voice,

“For a 48 year old who has not done a lot of exercise it was a challenge. It was a great way to get fit though, and I will be doing another one, hopefully at the full distance”.

The money raised will go

toward the cost of re-surfacing the school’s Key Stage 2 playground.

Journey’s end: the quarter at the finish line with medals

Winterbourne Down ready for cancer research fundraiserA man who has beaten cancer is hoping to raise money to help the search for a cure for the disease. Steve Day is organising an evening at the Cross Hands pub in Winterbourne Down on 6th Sept.

Steve says, “When three people in a close group of friends (including myself) were all diagnosed with cancer it felt right to try and give something back to a charity that helps so many”.

For more information contact Steve: [email protected]>



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By staff and reading groups at Winterbourne library.

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (translation by Rod Bradbury)

Allan Karlsson lives in a residential home and it is his 100 birthday. He is in his room dreading his upcoming birthday bash with local dignitaries and the press, a party that he never wanted. On the spur of the moment he opens his window and slowly but surely climbs out, still wearing his slippers, to make his getaway.

At that point he has no idea as to where he is going or what he is going to do next.

As he reaches the local bus station he decides that he will get on the next available bus and travel as far as 50 Kronen will take him. As he waits he is asked to look after a suitcase by a young man who is in need of the facilities. The bus arrives, the man has not returned and Allan decides not to abandon the suitcase and therefore gets onto the bus with

the suitcase in toe.And thus a most amazing

journey starts involving a small time burglar, a drugs baron, a gang of thugs, the proverbial eternal student who knows a bit about almost everything but has no qualifications, a redhead with a rescued elephant and a frustrated police inspector.

Alongside the present journey the book also covers the life of Allan Karlsson so far. Another amazing yarn which reads like a series of unfortunate events which invariably turn out to be fortunate. Allan meets Franco, Johnson and Roosevelt as well as Stalin and Mao Tse-tung.

The book is very funny; at times you will laugh out loud. It’s wacky but written quite matter of fact which almost makes it believeable. Allan has had and is still having a truly interesting life. I would recommend that you join him on his journey.

“Cold to the Touch” by Francis Fyfield

June 2013

Review by Winterbourne Library Reading Group No.2

We are a Reading Group meeting in Winterbourne Library and formed about three years ago. We have read a very wide cross section of books and thoroughly enjoy discussing them at our monthly meetings.

Francis Fyfield – as well as being an authoress is a criminal lawyer. She has won several prestigious prizes and is also a presenter on Radio 4.

We all enjoyed reading Cold to the Touch which, although described as a crime fiction, did not reveal any plot until halfway through and dealt primarily with dysfunctional relationships. The characters were very well drawn throughout the book and

described urban versus rural life and city versus seaside. The descriptions of places were very vivid, especially the scenes at Smithfield Market in London and in the secret seaside village.

The main character, Sarah, was the link between all the disparate characters but was deliberately left mysterious and ill-defined in this book allowing the other characters to each appear to be more important at various times in the many sub-plots.

We all found the ending a bit of a let down in terms of whether or not there had indeed been a murder committed. The ending left lots of room for a further book involving the same characters.

All in all a very good read if a slightly disappointing end.

The Concorde Book AwardWonder by R.J Palacio

The Concorde Book Award was started by a group of librarians from South Gloucestershire schools. It is a prize for works of children’s literature published in the UK and has been given annually since 2007.

The idea behind the scheme was firstly to encourage students to join reading groups, which in itself provides an enriching experience, but also to provide an award that takes account of the students’ views, as distinct from the many children’s book awards which are judged solely by adults.

During June and July 2013 students in Years 7 and 8 are asked to nominate books for the

award. They must choose a book of fiction they have enjoyed reading and want to recommend to other young people. Books eligible for the award must have been published since January 2011, be available in paperback and be an excellent standalone read. The students’ nominations determine a long list of the most popular titles.

From this long list a small panel of librarians select a shortlist of 5 or 6 books, judged to be high quality fiction and wide ranging in interest. This shortlist is announced in the autumn 2013

I have just finished reading one of the nominated books, “Wonder” by R. J. Palacio.

August Pullman wants to be an ordinary ten year old and, indeed, he feels ordinary inside. But he is far from ordinary. Auggie, as he is known to his family and friends, has been born with a terrible facial abnormality and has been home schooled his whole life. Now he is to start real school and is absolutely terrified.

The story is narrated by Auggie himself, as well as by friends and family on whom his physical disfigurement impacts in very different ways. It’s a tale of overcoming adversity in the face of terrible odds and a lesson in the true meaning of kindness. This is a thought provoking page turner aimed at young adults, funny, frank and moving. Whether you are a young adult or an adult, you couldn’t fail but be touched by Auggie’s plight and his bravery.



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A teenage golfer from the Kendleshire Golf Club has gained international experience after playing at the Callaway World Junior Championship in

the United States.Haider Hussain, 17,

practises every day, notching up 60 hours a week. He is coached by George Ryall, who is currently on the European seniors tour.

Haider qualified at the Belfry through the British Junior Golf Tour for the World Junior Championship, which took place last month at the prestigious Torrey Pines Golf Course.

Although he did not make the cut for the final round, Haider was thrilled to have had the opportunity to play the first three rounds at the course, where the 2008 US Open was held.

The teenager, who is a post-16 student at John Cabot Academy in Kingswood, said: “Inspired by my dad I started playing golf at the age of 12. In the future I am hoping to be offered a golf scholarship to study in an American university, with the aim of becoming a professional golfer.”

Kendleshire golfer takes on the world

COALPIT Heath Cricket Club are celebrating a hot streak of form in July.

The 1st and Sunday teams top their respective divisions and the 2nd team are in the hunt lying in third place.

The 1XI continue to top Div 2 of the Bristol and District Cricket League, despite suffering only their second loss of the season at home to third placed Lympsham.

Young player Jake Reed has

been the star performer of late, having stepped up to the 1st team and has averaged 45 runs in 3 games.

The 3XI have also had a good run of results and have climbed up to mid-table.

With only a few matches left The Heath are encouraging their followers to come and support the teams while enjoying the fine British summer.

Coalpit Heath turn up the heat in July

Celebrating 25 Years at Ram HillCoalpit Heath Cricket Club are celebrating 25 years at their Ram Hill ground on Sunday 25th August.

Social and playing members past and present are invited to come along and join in the fun. On the field there will be a match between players past and present and off the field a BBQ and live band will be on hand. The club was established

in 1845 making it one of the oldest clubs in the Bristol area.



Winterbourne take under-13 title as Frampton host cricket youth finalsTWO local cricket clubs claimed a successful day after the culmination of the Bristol and District Youth Cup Finals

Winterbourne Under-13’s beat Bitton to take the Frank Benner Memorial Cup.

Played over 20 overs a side, Winterbourne batted first and made 128-3. Peterson was named man of the match for his 37, and fellow opener Slade made 35. Both had to retire after making 35.

In response, Bitton could only muster 98-2 in their 20 overs.

There wasn’t such good news for Winterbourne’s under-15 side who lost to Bedminster.by 15 runs. Aaron Blake picked up the Achievement award with a knock

of 17 and frugal bowling figures of 0-27.

Although they didn’t have a team in the finals, Frampton Cotterell Cricket Club were also celebrating after successfully hosting the event for a third year in a row.

There were concerns the finals would have to be pushed back a week after heavy rain the day before, but both pitches at The Park in Frampton drained well.

On the day, the ground dodged the most serious of local showers to get all games finished.

The club is now hoping to host the event next year. Club Secretary, Phil Cordy, told The Voice; “It’s been a great day of cricket and the club volunteers have worked very hard”.

There were several other finals in the day long event. In the Under 11 competition, Old Bristolians Westbury beat Bristol YMCA, and in the Under 17 Cup final, Whitchurch overcame Rockhampton.

Frampton Cotterell eye triple promotionFrampton Cotterell Cricket

Club’s first and second XI both went through July unbeaten and find themselves in the promotion zones in their divisions, while a good finish to the season for the third XI will give them a chance of promotion as well.

The stand-out performance of the month came from first-team bowler Ife Malik who returned excellent bowling figures of 7 for 30.

A club cap is awarded to any player who scores a century, takes 7 wickets or claims a hat-trick, and Malik became the third player this season to receive the award, alongside Sam Coleman (120 not out) and James Tomlinson (102).

Club captain Jimmy Dickinson puts the club’s current success down to a strong team spirit:

“We try to place an emphasis

on enjoyment. There is a relaxed atmosphere at The Fram which allows our players to play with freedom”.

“We are also seeing several younger - and a couple of older - members fulfilling their promise this season”.

“The club achieved a double promotion in 2000 and we are quietly hoping that this year we can make that a triple”.

The first XI had the chance to overtake the league leaders on July 27th but

rain forced the abandonment with Frampton well on top.

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James Tomlinson and Ife Malik receive their Fram caps

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Frome valley voice pages august 2013

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