grips Hotwells
HOTWELLS & CLIFTONWOOD
COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
HOTWELLS&CLIFTONWOOD
supported by
Summer 2006
Published by Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association, Hope Chapel, Hope Chapel Hill, Hotwells, Bristol, BS8 4ND
Hotwells s in c e The
‘Matthew’ departed for
America (1998 that is, not
1498!).
The area around Sion Hill and
the Observatory was jam- The suspension bridge newly illuminated
packed with revellers enjoying
the concert on a rapidly-erected stage. Highlights included Bristol Choral Society
with a programme of rousing crowd-pleasers and Andy Sheppard conducting a
specially-commissioned work for 200 saxophones.
Then, along with the thousands thronging Cumber-
land Basin and the swing bridge below, we were able
to enjoy a massive firework display as the new sus-
pension bridge illuminations came on, right on cue.
Some of us also enjoyed the childish pleasure of walk-
ing down the middle of Brunel Way (‘the flyover’)
closed to traffic for the first time in living memory,
while The Matthew and the Balmoral and a host of
smaller craft crowded the Cumberland Basin.
Sunday provided some chilled-out relief from all the
excitement with an eclectic multi-media event directly
under the flyover.
‘Triangulation’
Preparing for the firework display combined music,
spoken word and projected images which
made clever use of the outdoor space to in-
voke a slightly surreal atmosphere, while the
traffic (now unimpeded) roared around on all
sides.
Our local contribution to Brunel 200 has been
the ‘Hats-off to Brunel’ exhibition at the Create The stovepipe hat competion at CREATE
Centre which opened on April 4th attended, amongst others, by the Lord Mayor
NEWS
and Peter Lord from Aardman Animation. This was a celebration of the abundant
talents of our local artists and, on a
lighter note, an exhibition of stovepipe
In this edition: hats contrived from a wide range of !
Community News - 2 materials. This description cannot do
ing
Special feature on Transport justice to the ingenuity displayed. All n
issues - pages 3,4,5 credit to Sue Stops and her team for in
Meet Your Neighbour - 6 organising this inspired event (open W
Events & Activities - 7 until April 27th). r d
Who would deny that, at times like a
Aw
Contacts - 8
this, Hotwells is a very special place to
live! Ray Smith
1
Community News
h&cca
HOTWELLS & CLIFTONWOOD
COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Retail Regeneration Bristol Civic Society, Sustrans and The Avon
O117 9291883 Concerns about the decline in local shops Bat Society.
Admin@hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk and services have been mentioned often and Emma Peddie
now your Community Association has man-
Wessex works on Hot- aged to acquire some seed-funding from the Argyle Place Park
well Road St. James Fund charitable trust to enable us A group of Cliftonwood parents are work-
Wessex Water is to restart work to work with local Traders and other busi- ing with the Council Parks Department to
on the Hotwells combined sewer nesses to see what improvements can be improve the children’s play equipment in the
overflow (CSO), shortly after made. We have booked an initial meeting Argyle Place Park next to the Lion pub. The
Easter. The work will take place on May 9th at 6pm when Halina Pasiecznik Council confirmed their funding of this
around the Plimsoll statue and
will speak to us about her experience in scheme in December 2005. Great care is
should take up to 18 months to
complete (see article in Summer helping with the formation of Bristol East being taken with this very small space which
2005 edition). Side Traders in Easton and her work with is enjoyed as much for its grass, views and
The new CSO has been nar- Christmas Steps traders. Anyone who open space as well as its play equipment.
rowed since the original plan- would be interested in helping to set up a New play equipment should not encroach
ning application, and this has Traders Association in Hotwells is welcome on the footballing area or into the centre of
accounted in part for the delay to attend. Call or e-mail the HCCA office the park, blocking the views.
in starting this work. for further details. The Council have already done some land-
Construction work will generally Ray Smith scaping work and will also be replacing the
take place between 7am and
7pm, Monday to Friday. How- current double gate with a less noisy one.
ever, because of tidal condi- Land at Cliftonwood Terrace and new benches will also be put in. Local
tions, there will be times when Bristol City Council is in the process of de- fundraising will contribute to the costs of
work may have to take place ciding on the successful bid for its land be- this scheme and buy some new football
outside of these hours. The foot- low Cliftonwood Terrace. The Clifton- goals.
path and cycleway will be main- wood Terrace Residents Association Hopefully, this will all be finished by the
tained throughout the construc- (CTRA) put in a bid, proposing the creation summer and we can celebrate with a party
tion period. of a wildlife area on the land which would in the park! Residents are keen to have
Key site personnel are Dave
Holmes, construction manager
be accessible to the public. The CTRA another Open Air Cinema which was so
and Simon Watts, site manager. feels that this land is important for wildlife popular last year. We’re talking about a
Dave can be contacted on (including protected slow worms) as well as possible date of Saturday 2nd September –
07771 976065 and Simon on a variety of plants, including the nationally- but watch local press and posters for details
07884 116291. Out of hours, rare Ivy Broom Rape. The land also forms nearer the time…
Wessex Water 24 hour emer- part of the green corridor linking Ashton Emma Peddie
gency number is 0845 600 4 Court and the Avon Gorge to Brandon Hill
600. and the city centre. HCCA Adminstrator
This bid received considerable local support Sadly, Camilla Kesterton, who has been with
Plastics recycling – over 130 local residents signed the peti- us since September has had to leave to
–an everyday story of tion and letters of support were received, spend more time on her college course. She
bureaucratic bungling among others, from the Hotwells and has made a huge contribution in maintaining
A new plastics bin was briefly Cliftonwood CA, Clifton and Hotwells Im- our records and dealing with the day to day
sited at with the other recy- provement Society, Avon Wildlife Trust, admin that is essential to make sure every-
cling containers at Oldfield Colburn Homes (developers of Harbour one knows what’s going on in the commu-
Place in October last year. House on Hotwell Road), Bristol Naturalist nity. We are very sorry to see her go and
Then it vanished! Detective Society, Clifton and Hotwells Labour Party, wish her every success in her academic
work by Community Links work.
and in particular Trevor
George discovered that the
Council / SITA had put it in a Hotwells News wins award
place where the special truck
couldn’t get near enough to At the Bristol Community Newsletter-
empty it –so it was removed Awards ceremony held in February at the
to another area. Negotiations Central Library, Helen Smith (pictured
are continuing about finding right with Richard Wyatt from the Evening
another location and allocat- Post) won the prize for best column (’Meet
ing another bin. For the latest Your Neighbour’) and Ray Smith won best
developments see the topic photo award (massage parlour demonstra-
at the HCCA website forum tion). As well as a certificate, the winners
www.hotwellscliftonwood.org. received an inscribed blue-glass paper-
uk/forums.htm weight. Thanks to everyone else on the
team who have helped to make your news-
2 paper a leader in its field!
Rage about roads continues
In spite of massive effort, cost and
time expended over the years on
h&cca
HOTWELLS & CLIFTONWOOD
various plans the environment in the COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
O117 9291883
area remains dominated by cars, Admin@hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk
and the initiatives for walking, cy-
cling etc. remain stalled, blighted by
the very real fear of injury, blocked Ashton Tram
pavements and inhaling exhaust. The promoters of the Ashton
tram link between Ashton
For many years, traffic has been a prob- Gate and the Industrial Mu-
lem to Hotwells, Cliftonwood and Clifton. seum (see article in Autumn
Early post-war plans, still pasted on the 2005 edition of H&C News)
wall in the bar of Nova Scotia, show are currently carrying out a
broadly the same major road patterns we Transport Plan with many recommenda- patronage forecast and
see today, but it was only in the 60s that tions, supported by facts, figures and sur- would be grateful for your
those plans were achieved. Two bridges vey results. This was “well received” by help. It is hoped to operate
with under and overpasses could easily the city council but subsequent meeting the service along the existing
cope with the traffic of the day. But the minutes show that the local “Sir Hum- railway between the Indus-
subsequent explosion in traffic speeding phreys” got hold of it and came up with trial Museum and a car park
through our community was not antici- sufficient bureaucratic blocking tactics to situated on vacant land in
pated. By the late 1980s people were politely bury the issue once again. the Ashton Gate area, with
beginning to complain - not just about stops at the Buttery Café, on
traffic volumes, but parking and rat- Right up to date now, Bristol has a feast Cumberland Road (midway)
running as well. of transport initiatives, the Joint Local and by the CREATE Centre.
Transport Plan and the Greater Bristol To Clifton and Hotwells peo-
Transport Study (old joke about buses ple, this would mean a tram
comes to mind!). These have been used stop at CREATE which
as a reason once again to “do nothing would run to Princes Wharf.
pending the report”. We continue to par- Perhaps equally useful to
ticipate in the network of concerned or- readers who live closest to
ganisations trying to get some sense into CREATE is that car storage
the Bristol transport scene. The latest on a new, well managed car
initiatives are the Bristol Transport Alli- park might relieve pressure
of on-street parking in
ance which is supported by many “old
Cliftonwood and Hotwells
campaigners” including the Civic Society,
Let us know:
Friends of the Earth, FOSBR etc. and the
“Doughnut Ring” group of neighbour- ∗ If you would use the
A comprehensive study by Bristol Poly- hoods that will be affected by the Canons tram?
technic (now UWE) resulted in the Marsh and a possible congestion charge ∗ How frequently?
'Clifton Traffic and Parking Study' ( which scheme in the City. ∗ Whether or not in the
included Hotwells and Cliftonwood) being James Smith rush hour?
published. The executive summary's first ∗ Any other comments
words were ' Clifton is facing a crisis.' - a about the scheme?
What views do you have con-
situation that has hardly changed. The cerning local sustainability is-
work and its report, made 14 recommen- Please e-mail your response
sues and what campaigns would
dations, ranging from provision of ade- to:
you support? It is fundamental
quate parking for new build premises, Colin.Jefferson@uwe.ac.uk
that we try to represent the in-
through speed limit restrictions and their and
terests of as many people as
' rigorous enforcement' , and perhaps keithhallett@hphltd.co.uk
possible (although the work al-
most importantly, a residents' parking ways seems to fall on a con-
scheme. Few, if any of the recommenda- cerned few). Let us know if you
Need a stamp?
tions were implemented, and by the late would like to get involved in the Now the Hotwells Post Office
1990s 'Clifton was again 'in crisis'. debate. E-mail is no more, it’s a long walk to
The Bristol Parking Strategy of 1998 iden- admin@hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk Regent Street if all you need
tified “severe parking pressure” and con- or raise a topic on our message- is a stamp. So you may like
sidered that “to avoid overspill board to know that Mr Cook at Hot-
Kingsdown, Cotham, Clifton and Hot- www.hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk/ wells Pine on Hotwell Road
wells must be treated together”. forums.htm . You can also leave a is now kindly selling stamps
In 2002 CHASE (Cliftonwood & Hotwells message on 0117-9291883. All at his shop. Don’t feel shy
Action on a Sustainable Environment) calls will be acknowledged. If about popping in –even if
produced a detailed Neighbourhood you don’t tell us we don’t know!! you don’t want a wardrobe!
3
New times for
new season ferry
Better ways to travel—your guide to
commuter service
Cruise to work on
our new boat with our new morning The information below is by no
times for the Hotwells to City Centre means the definitive list of what is
ferry service. In operation now, runs available to people living in our
weekdays all year round. Departs Hot- area. Timetables, routes and fares
wells: change quite regularly, so there are
also some contact details to find
0740, 0820 and 0900
out the most up to date informa-
journey time 20 mins. tion.
Email: trips@bristolferryboat.com
►BUSES
510 – Bedminster Down – Bedmin- Night Flyers
ster – Hotwells Operate every Friday and Saturday
operated by South Gloucestershire Night, leaving The Centre every hour,
Bus & Coach Company. on the hour, from midnight to 6am. N8
Operates hourly Monday – Friday goes from Centre (stop Ch) and stops
10am-1pm from Bedminster Down to in Clifton
Hotwells via Bedminster Parade.
Stops in our area include Sydney Row First Bus: Fares & Concessionary
Baltic Wharf, Dowry Square, Hotwell Schemes
BRISTOL PACKET BOAT TRIPS Road (stop A), Merchants Road, First Bus offer a number of different
Mardyke Ferry Road. fare schemes including:
Cruise the City Docks
For more information on fares and
or FirstTen – ten single journeys within
Take a leisurely trip along times please contact 0117 931 4340
Bristol Zone 1 & 2 for one fixed price,
the River Avon to Beeses no time restrictions and no expiry
Tea Gardens and 57 – Henbury-Broadmead & Broad-
mead – Henbury date. £10.00
The Chequers at Hanham
Discover the Avon Gorge by operated by First Bus
boat Operates Monday – Friday from Adults Season Tickets & Child Sea-
For details check our website 7.03am-9.25am & 4.35pm-6.16pm son Tickets. These can be purchase
or ring for this year’s timetable from Blaise Castle, Henbury to Bond for 1 week, 1 month, 6 months or 1
year, prices are dependent on zones
www.bristolpacket.co.uk Street in Broadmead and back again.
tel: 0117 9268157 City-bound service stops at Hotwells,
Trinity Church. Henbury-bound stops 2 Months Free Travel!
Wapping Wharf (SS Great Britain Car Park)
at Merchants Road in Hotwells. Call the Customer Service line on
0845 600 1804 or visit any First
8 – Temple Meads - Clifton – White- Travel Shop to find out how to gain 12
ladies Road - Redland – Temple months unlimited bus travel for the
Celebrate your special occasion Meads price of 10 when you pay by debit or
with a cruise aboard Bristol’s most 8A – Temple Meads – Clifton – credit card payments
spectacular ship “Matthew”. It’s Whiteladies Road – Blackboy Hill
her 10th birthday and we’ve Top Free Travel for Concessionary
planned an exciting programme of operated by First Bus Pass Holders
harbour events and offshore sail- Operates Monday – Sunday and pub- People over 60 and the disabled are
ings – Individuals and groups wel- lic holidays except Christmas and now entitled to free travel on their lo-
come. phone: 0117 – 9273416 Boxing Day from 6.38am-11.20pm. It cal bus services at off-peak times us-
email info@matthew.co.uk . stops in Clifton Village approximately ing a concessionary travel pass. This
See our cruising schedule at every 10 minutes. is a Government- led scheme and the
www.matthew.co.uk local council is responsible for its im-
Matthew is operated by Shipshape and
9 – Temple Meads – Redland – plementation. For more information
Bristol Fashion Ltd about free travel for concessionary
Whiteladies Road – Clifton – Tem-
ple Meads pass holders or to find out how to ob-
9A – Blackboy Hill Top – White- tain a concessionary pass, please
ladies Road – Clifton – Temple contact
Meads The Travelcard Office, Bristol City
Operated by First Bus Council, PO Box 375, Bristol BS99
Operates Monday – Sunday and pub- 7GX
lic holidays except Christmas and Open 8.30am-5pm Monday – Thurs-
Boxing Day from 7.13am-10.35pm. day 8.30am-4.30pm Friday
Stops in Clifton Village approximately Tel 0117 922 4100 for an application
4 every 10-20 minutes. form
local public and shared services
►PARK & RIDE SCHEMES Please note boat times may be
changed at any time without
notice, due to unforseen circum-
There are 2 park & ride schemes that stances please telephone if unsure.
go through our area: A4 Portway
(Service 902), stops at Trinity Church Fares
(set down only), Anchor Road (stop SINGLE Adults £1.30 Child/Seniors/
PA set down only, stop PI pick up Students £1.00
only) Merchants Road (pick up only),
Long Ashton Park & Ride (Service RETURN Adults £2.20 Child/Seniors/
903) stops at Trinity Church (set Students £1.80
down only), Anchor Road (stop PA
set down only) Anchor Road (stop PI HOTWELLS ROUND TRIP(40MINS)
pick up only). TEMPLE MEADS ROUND TRIP
(1HR) Adults £4.00
►FERRY/WATERBUS Child/Seniors/Students £2.50
O N
NOW
USEFUL CONTACTS
Hotwells & Cliftonwood C.A. Security
Hope Chapel, Hope Chapel Hill, Anti-Social Behaviour—24 hour action line – this is
Hotwells, Bristol, BS8 4ND council run but they keep records and this can be
tel: 0117 9291883 used by the Police to take action – 0845 605 2222
e-mail: admin@hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk
Web site: www.hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk Nick Shaw is our local Police Constable based at
Bulletin board: Redland Police Station
www.hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk/forums 0117 945 4453.
e mail – Nicholas.shaw@avonandsomerset.police.uk
Hope Market – to book a stall
0777 337 0698/ 07840 290225 Bobby Van Scheme – Free police security assess-
Hope Chapel – to book the hall for meetings par- ments for the over 65s
ties etc – 9215271 0117 927 7777