N e w r e s i d e n ts ’ h&cca

pa r k i n g p r o p o s a l HOTWELLS & CLIFTONWOOD COM-

MUNITY ASSOCIATION

A preliminary document has been circulated by the Council, to try and

HOTWELLS&CLIFTONWOOD
define preferences for a residents’ parking scheme and a meeting of supported by

CHASE (Cliftonwood & Hotwells Action for a Sustainable Environment)

was convened in November last year to discuss the options.
These included: the hours of operation- 24x7, 7am-10pm or 10am-4pm. One
practical consideration is enforcement and the ability of traffic wardens to cover
an area. The Cost to park a car – should costs relate only to the administra-
tion cost of the scheme? Should households with multiple cars pay proportion-
ately more? What about student cars? special permits for visitors?
A scheme using marked bays is
bound to reduce overall park-
ing capacity because so much

Spring 2008
parking in our area is illegal (at
least 2 wheels on the pavement)

Hotwells, Bristol, BS8 4QW

and the authorities seem to
turn a blind eye at present.
There is a need to understand
where parked vehicles
come from – how many are
commuters from outside the
area leaving cars all day; how
many evening visitors to pubs
and restaurants in Clifton or
Ambra Vale East—how many legal spaces would there be if Hotwells; how many genuine
residents trying to park near

Published by Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association, 3,Charles Place,

a residents parking scheme was introduced?
their homes. Without this in-
formation and an estimate of the ‘legal’ capacity for on-street parking, no one can
predict what effects a residents parking scheme might have, let alone whether it is
beneficial for local people.
When a survey was last conducted by CHASE, it showed that residents of the
three distinct zones in our area –the Hill, the Island and the Harbour each have
very different needs. The problems of traffic on Clifton Vale may be distinct from
those of Ambra Vale, for example and require a different approach. It was the as-
sumption that ‘one size fits all’ and poor consultation that caused so much contro-
versy last time a Controlled Parking Zone was proposed several years ago.
Parking is only part of our traffic problem and other measures like restricted ac-
cess signs, lower speed limits and ‘road tables’ as part of an integrated traffic man-
agement plan might discourage inappropriate parking as well as unwanted through
traffic on residential streets (see ideas in the developing Hotwells Traffic Strategy
reported on page 4).
One thing is clear, with the certainty of increased parking pressure from the new
NEWS

Harbourside development (less than 10 minutes walk from Southernhay Avenue),

and the almost certainty of the introduction of road charging, with a cordon at
Jacobs Wells Road; this is an issue that local people cannot ignore.

CHASE and the Community Association needs your feedback on Residents

Parking and how it might affect you. The results of this discussion will be fed
back to the Council before a more formal consultation process begins. If you have a
contribution you would like to make to this debate, please e-mail or write to the CA
office, for the attention of James Smith. We will be organising more forums at
which this subject will be discussed. Keep watching the noticeboards and the
CHASE page of our website www.hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk
1

h&cca
HOTWELLS & CLIFTONWOOD COM-
MUNITY ASSOCIATION
O117 9291883
Admin@hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk
Redland Police Station
We have received the follow-
ing from PC Nick Shaw, our
Community Support Officer.
“Contrary to what may have
been heard in the local
press, Redland police Sta-
tion has not closed. The en-
quiry office continues to re-
main open from 1000 hrs to
1800 hrs Monday to Friday.
However, the response
teams are now based at New
Bridewell Police Station.
These teams will be re-
sponding to calls for their
specific areas. Units will be
allocated patches to ensure
all areas and members of the
public receive the best possi-
ble coverage.
Neighbourhood Policing
Teams, Police Community
Support Officers and Special
Constables will continue to
work from Redland Police
Station”.
Local Online Forum
Our website has an online
message board for raising
any issues of local interest
and is a more responsive
way of exchanging ideas and
grumbles than through this
newsletter.
Currently our moderator
Trevor George has set up
three boards:
•General Discussion
•Links to Local Websites
•For Sale and Wanted
The last is an easy and free
way of advertising goods and
services to a local audience
To find the message boards
browse
www.hotwellscliftonwood.
org.uk and choose
‘Messageboards’ from the
menu at the top of the page
2
Community News
Community Association AGM The Big Brown Tin shed of
A small but loyal group of members turned Hotwells
out for our Annual General Meeting. Re-
This monstrosity which sits almost opposite
ports of activities of the Association’s vari- the Mardyke pub is in the possession of the
ous groups were given by members. We City Council. The developers at 122 Hot-
were pleased to see our beat officer Nick well Road are hoping to persuade the
Shaw and our new PCSO Richard Yewell. Council to allow them to take it down and
The evening was considerably enlivened by improve the area opposite the develop-
a challenging pub style quiz based entirely ment. In fact there is ideal scope here for
on local knowledge. Three teams enjoyed
quite close scores, but not nearly as close
to the maximum as we would have liked.
We finished with a “should have known
better” feeling. Perhaps we should be re-
examined next year!
Despite the active interest in groups like
Community Links and CHASE we are short
of people to serve as Trustees of the Com-
munity Association. If you are interested in
being part of the team that works to im-
prove the quality of life in this area, don’t
be shy to step up and offer your services.
The workload need not be onerous and
meetings are bi-monthly. Contact the office
for further details using the section 106 monies, resulting
from this development to improve the
immediate vicinity. Apparently, because the
Hotwells’ Identity Crisis tin shed is in a conservation area, it cannot
The leading article in our last edition, draw-
be taken down until there is a firm and
ing attention to the official neglect of Hot-
agreed plan as what should happen to the
wells as a place, in favour of invented but
site. The Council should be consulting with
non-existent places such as ‘Harbourside’
the Community about this. So far we have
sparked an unusual level of interest. It led
heard nothing formally. Representations
to a double page spread in the Evening
have been made through Community Links
Post, featuring Sue Otty and Ray Smith and
and the Association will continue to press
an interview with Star FM radio.
for progress .
We now have an ‘About Hotwells’ page on
Let us have your ideas about how this space
the HCCA website to give the search en-
could be improved/developed and we shall
gines something to crunch (http://
ensure they are discussed with the Council-
www.hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk/hotwells/
lors and the relevant Officers at one of our
hotwells1.htm) This gives any visitor some
regular meetings. If you address suggestions
historical background to the area. A refur-
direct to the Council we would very much
bished online ‘Hotwells Heritage Trail’ will
appreciate a copy for information.
follow later. Dennis Gornall
Test your local knowledge— extract from the AGM Hotwells Quiz:
Identify where the following can be found (answers on page 6)
B. ↓ D. ↓
A. ↑ C. ↑
Community
HCCA & Community
News Links
Cliftonwood Lower Green
We have got Lottery funding to
turn the green area below Cliftonwood Ter-
race into a wildlife area with access for
Cliftonwood residents, and we are now plan-
ning the first stage of activity. We have
cleared a very rough path down into the
area, which has given us a much better idea
about what is there. The amount of work to
do, and the amount of rubbish we will have
to remove is rather daunting! But we have
been taking expert advice, and we hope to
start clearing and planting soon. We expect
it will take a few years to do all the work we
have got planned and for the new plants to
get properly established.
We would like help from local residents in
the task of creating a green area for us all,
but at the moment, access to the land is dan-
gerous and there is an unfenced 40-foot
drop down to the flats, so we need to do
some basic safety work before we dare let
anyone come and help.
Cliftonwood Terrace Residents Assoc.
The Swivel Bridge
The dream of bringing Brunel’s miniature
masterpiece at the Cumberland Basin back
into everyday use has moved a step closer
with the success of Sustrans in winning the
£50m ‘big lottery’ prize. This includes a
commitment to construct a cycling/walking
route from Bristol to Nailsea, beginning at
the Portway. The ‘Swivel Bridge Group’ has
been campaigning for 2 years and has suc-
ceeded in getting the bridge included in a
BCC survey of all the Docks machinery now
being undertaken by consultants. A third
source of pressure has come from Hotwells
School parents who have children commut-
ing from south Bristol who badly need a safe,
traffic-free route to school. It seems likely
that some funding is available and if all these
parties can work together, the swivel bridge
might yet swivel again so we can avoid cross-
ing the hazardous lock gates.
For further details see:
www.sustransconnect2.org.uk/
www.brunelbridge.org.uk/
Hotwells Enterprise Network
h&cca
HOTWELLS & CLIFTONWOOD
COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Following a successful Christmas get to- O117 9291883
gether we realised there were lots of people Admin@hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk
working from home, running micro-
New Arrivals
businesses, doing voluntary or paid work,
Whatever we lack as an
with ideas to share and projects to talk
area, we can’t complain
about. wanting to make business contacts or about not having good
just have a chance to get out and meet some places to eat and drink.
people. We’ve therefore decided to rename At least three local pubs
the ‘Hotwells Traders Network’ to reflect have been re-vamped in the
this different emphasis but traditional, retail last few months:
businesses are still very much our concern in The Pump House, after a
promoting the vitality of Hotwells. fallow period, is now under
We have fixed some dates and venues for new management (the chef
future meeting gatherings: who used to work at The
Coffee Morning at the Lion Pub, Albion in Clifton). It is now
Church Lane, Cliftonwood, Friday Feb- a serious option for good
ruary 15th 9am-12pm. The Lion sells a food in a fine location. and
range of tea, coffee and pastries and usual deserves some local pa-
bar refreshments. If you have specific re- tronage.
quirements, please phone them directly on The Grain Barge trans-
01179268492 formed from the former
H.E.N. party at The Rose of Denmark, Shoots Restaurant is the
Dowry Place, Hotwells, Tues. February first fully-owned outlet of the
5th from 8pm onwards. Please let us expanding Bristol Beer Fac-
know if you're interested in eating, so we can tory empire. Much as we
give them an idea of numbers 01179291883. resent Southville capitalists
If you have specific dietary requirements, taking over Hotwells, it has
please phone them directly on 01179405866 to be admitted that the re-
We would like some feedback on the meet- sult is an individual and re-
ing format in which you would be interested laxed setting to enjoy lo-
in participating. We might organise a more cally-brewed real ales and
formal business networking event for local pub food.
enterprises, with short presentations to The Lion, the best kept
spread the word about your skill or service, secret in Cliftonwood but
at the Lockside sometime this spring. Check woefully off the beaten track
our website for dates, or call 9291883. to make an easy living. Now
producing some great food
Cliftonwood Community Garden and an ambience that al-
Cliftonwood residents have applied to make most draws you in off the
the Community Garden (at the junction of street to snuggle by the
Ambra Vale East with Ambrose Road) a open fire. A great place for
Town Green. The application went to Bris- meeting and re-charging.
tol City Council on 30 November.
The purpose is to safeguard this patch of Apologies to any new ven-
green for the community. Local people ues we have missed out.
would continue to have the right to use the Punter or proprietor, give us
land in exactly the same way as now. There a call and we’ll make sure
is no current threat, but Town Green status you get a mention in the
would ensure that none could arise in the next edition.
future.
The application had to show that a significant
number of the local inhabitants use the gar- If you have any ideas, or
den. A total of 148 residents completed comments, offers of help or
statements in support of registration, and need information the con-
various photos and other evidence were sent tact the C.A. at 3 Charles
to the Council. It will be some weeks before Place, Hotwells BS8 4QW.
the outcome is known. tel: 0117 9291883. email:
Don Egginton admin@hotwellscliftonwood
.org.uk
3
 Hotwells Traffic Strategy Update
Thanks to all who returned the traffic questionnaire.
120 have been plotted to create a map of local routes
& modes. Also plotted are the dangers you identified
to produce your top ten Traffic Hotspots across the
whole area –
1. Top of Clifton Vale
2. Avon Crescent & Cumberland Road
3. Tops of Constitution Hill & Goldney Avenue
4. Hotwells Road, bottom of Hope Chapel Hill
5. Jacob’s Wells Roundabout
6. Bottom of Clifton Vale
7. Merchants Road
8. Hope Chapel Hill Crossing
9. Trinity Traffic Lights
10. Jacob’s Wells Road junction with Constitution
Hill
Actions have been identified for most of the Hotspots and
these are relatively easy to propose to Bristol City Council. Cumberland Basin & Cumberland Road
However a number are more complicated and about tackling
the fundamental problem – The high volume of through traffic
being miss-directed off the main roads through our residential
side streets (rat-running).
Below are suggested improvements to the local main roads.
Coupled with side street restrictions the whole area could
have less congestion, less rat-running & better, safer streets
for all.

Portway

Removal of McAdam Way (ramp) & Brunel Lock Road on the

Create double lane and constant turn left feeder lane from
down Bridge Valley Road. This involves realignment of road
markings, some signage and lighting movements, a small sec-
tion of suspended pavement over the river bank and a 30mph
speed limit. Coupled with other actions it would significantly
reduce rat running down the hills.
Hotwells Road
Narrow to two lanes from Plimsoll Bridge to Trinity Church.
Reclaim & ‘normalise’ it with extended paving, parking and
greening of the street especially between shops and Hillsbor-
ough Flats to help sustain and revitalise our shops. Through-
flow on Jacobs Wells Road needs maintaining by BCC NOT
letting developers close traffic lanes for years at a time.
side of Cumberland Basin, realignments of carriageways to
include constant feeder lane southwards across Plimsoll
Bridge.
New traffic light sequencing at Smeaton Road. Upgrade Cum-
berland Road to the main road it has become and close Avon
Crescent to through traffic. These would unify and provide
good access and linkage to enable sustainable regeneration of
harbourhead development sites. Create traffic-calm route
around this end of the harbour by diverting traffic away from
the narrow Merchant’s Road Bridge except when all traffic
would be routed over it to swing the Plimsoll Bridge.
Cliftonwood & Hotwells
(low cost) Homezone – implement a ring of ‘road ta-
bles’ (informal zebra crossing on an extended flat-
topped, speed hump) on all the entranceways from sur-
rounding main roads (many of which are top ten hot-
spots) sign it as a 20mph Homezone where pedestrians
have priority and apply a 7 tonne weight limit.
Richard Walker

4
 We need your help!
The next stage is to produce, and distribute a full (draft) Hotwells
and Clifton Wood Traffic Strategy so we can ensure we have
strong support from the whole community and effectively de-
mand actions by our Council to reduce traffic impacts across the
whole area.
We need help drawing up and communicating the visions of what ma-
jor improvements would be like. Can you help? We are seeking local
(landscape) artists, landscape architects and graphic designers who
can help a small working group design and draw up views and visuals
of how proposed improvements would look.
If you can help please contact Anna admin@hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk,
tel: 01179291883
If you have not filled in a traffic questionnaire it’s not to late, please ac-
cess one via http://www.hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk/chase.htm, or
admin@hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk and return by e-mail or to 3 Charles
Place BS8 4QW.

Will Albemarle Row get the facelift it deserves?

One of the top three ideas for Improving Hotwells as voted for by mem-
bers at the Community Association AGM last year was ‘’Love and Care
for Albemarle Row” (see H&C news, Spring 2007). Now The Traffic Man-
agement Team at the city council has sent a letter to all residents of the
street outlining proposals to extend the pavements directly opposite the
school entrance. Some residents see it as an opportunity, in giving com-
ments, to lobby for the scheme to be the first step in more general im-
provements.
The letter to the residents describing the scheme says that the construction of the
proposed build outs 'will be made in a style which
complements the historic character of the area'. Liz
Mills who lives opposite the school has pointed out
that “The Albemarle Row terrace of houses are
Grade II* listed and in a Conservation Area and the
pavement should be traditional flagstones, as are
widely used elsewhere in Clifton, and in Hotwells on
Dowry Parade”. Emma Peddie on behalf of the
Governors of Hotwells School has also written to
the Council expressing support for this view. It also
seems that a stone rather than a tarmac surface may
not add a huge amount to the cost.
The latest position as described by an engineer in
the Traffic Management Team is that ‘a number of
fairly strong objections’ have been received and they
therefore plan to ‘do further investigations including
a site visit’ in the near future. The efforts of the
Could Albemarle Row (above) benefit
from the same kind of makeover as
Dowry Parade? (right)

community do seem to have suc-

ceeded in shifting the debate from
being purely about road improve-
ments to improve safety around the
school, to a more ‘holistic’ view of
en viron men t a l imp ro ve men t s
around this important heritage site.
Congratulations to all those who
made time to lobby the Council
officers. 5
 Meet Your Neighbour - Peter Copley
For more information on our membership
packages please phone one of our
membership advisors on
0117 9102 880
www.thefitfirm.co.uk
Maya’s
gentle yoga
classes:
Monday, Pavey House, Clifton 6-7pm.
Wednesday, Hotwells Primary School
7-8pm
Tel: 0117 9542212
or 0117 9512371
Answers to Hotwells Quiz
(see page 2)
A. Nova Scotia pub, Cumber-
land Basin
B. House at Hotwell Rd, adja-
cent to Hope Chapel Hill
C. Water pump outside
Haberfield House, Joy Hill.
D. Building beside the lock at
Cumberland Basin
(purpose unknown?)
6 relish. A bored cast at curtain up makes for a bored audience”.
Peter Copley, now aged 92, lives in Cliftonwood with his wife,
writer Margaret Tabor. He is enviably alert with a very clear
memory of his long and distinguished career as a performer for
stage and screen. Although he has made 502 TV appearances he
has been happiest as a stage actor. His debut was in 1932, when
still a student, at the London Old Vic. In 2001 he was awarded
the Honorary Degree of Master of Arts by UWE in Bristol.
As a schoolboy Peter wanted
to go to sea with the Navy
but didn’t pass the test as he
had flat feet. However, as a
student at Westminster
School, he acted in “The Im-
portance of Being Earnest” di-
rected by actor Esmond
Knight. He was supposed to
sit scholarships for Oxford
but failed and instead, found
small understudy parts at
theatres, which his parents
supported. He left school
and joined the London Old
Vic Theatre School in 1932
for two years. Then he was
out in the world. His first
professional part was in a
Priestley play, in Bexhill-on-Sea, on the pier. Lots of parts in different reper-
tory theatres followed. Typically, a new play opened on Monday each
week and rehearsals for the following week’s production started on the
Tuesday! Actors had to provide their own clothes, like dinner jackets,
which were expensive. If it was a West End play the company could be
sent out on tour. He visited South America (in Brazil he rode horses in
the hills above Sao Paolo which he loved) and Yugoslavia. They rehearsed
scenes from Macbeth or London West End comedies on the boat en route.
After the war, the London Old Vic reopened with repertory and Peter was
involved with arranging stage fights (these were the days before profes-
sional stuntmen). Amongst others he choreographed the Australian dancer
Robert Helpmann in Hamlet and arranged the fights for Laurence Olivier in
Richard III. At this time he also married his first wife, actress Pamela Brown.
As a young actor in the 1950’s Peter wanted to do Shakespeare at Stratford
upon Avon. However, he didn’t get an audition because he was, at the time,
an active Marxist and was seen as a likely trouble maker in the theatre
world. However, he was acting at Stratford in his eighties. His favourite of
this period was appearing in “The Cherry Orchard” aged 85. A coachload of
neighbours in Cliftonwood journeyed to Stratford to lend support!
Having lived in London all his life Peter decided to move to Bristol in 1981
concerned at the growing threat of gun crime in London. He was involved
in 30 productions at Bristol Old Vic between 1980 and 2000, with Direc-
tors John David and then Paul Unwin. His most recent stage appearance
was three years ago, when he took over the part of an old retainer in “The
Three Sisters” at the Playhouse Theatre, Charing Cross, from an actor who
became ill. Still working, he appears in a TV adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s
“The Colour of Magic” to be shown some time this year.
Peter’s advice to aspiring actors is “people say they want to go into the
theatre. You can as long as you really want to do it and work with zest and
Helen Smith
Events

The Hotwells Pantomime

J H THOMPSON
Snowella and the Seven Dwarfs BA (Hons) DO MRO
Spend some quality time at the last panto in the calendar. It only seems to
get later (and longer) every year. Slow to mature but definitely worth savour-
ing, this authentic Hotwells, home-grown organic production has a foodie REGISTERED OSTEOPATH
theme this year. So when did IKEA start stocking flat-pack magic mirrors?
What was a renowned cook doing, stuck in a cottage in the middle of the 39 Oldfield Road
woods with 7 hungry miners? How can you get 50 people on a stage that Hotwells
size? For the answer to these and many other questions you never thought BRISTOL
you needed to know, book your tickets to participate in a preposterously BS8 4QQ
pun-ctuated pantomonium.
First come, first served. All the profits go to local community projects.
Tel: (0117) 927 2100
Wed March 12th—Saturday March 15th, 7.30pm at Hope Chapel
Tickets £7 adults, £6 concs, £5 child obtainable from 1st February
by telephoning the Southville Centre 0117 9231039

CALLING ALL ARTISTS

Preparations are under way for the first ever West Bristol Art Trail. If
you live in Hotwells, Clifton, Spike Island or Cliftonwood and you are
an artist looking for your first chance to exhibit or already established
and wanting more exposure, this event sponsored by CHIS and sup-
ported by HCCA is for you.
There will be a choice of venue to
suit your style and pocket, from local
churches and schools to private resi-
dences. This is a not-to-be-missed
opportunity to expand those essential
PR skills, collaborate with other artists
and develop your artistic flair.
We are also planning musical and the-
atrical entertainment, collaboration
with local cafes and pubs, walking
routes with map and crèche facilities.
Join us on October 18th & 19th, 2008,
and make West Bristol Art Trail an unforgettable experience.
The deadline for bookings is April 26th. For further information about regis-
tration fees and other artist related queries, contact Anna at Hotwells and
Cliftonwood Community Association, 01179 077 508,
Keep an eye out for brochures, posters and leaflets about the event in your area.

Kick-Off Youth Theatre

KITSCH BALL
Saturday February 16th at Hope Chapel
Dig out that outfit you would never dare to wear
elsewhere and celebrate homecoming of Gill
Loats, intrepid survivor of a trip to Gambia to
deliver donated vehicles to the local fire service.
(see www.lostintransits.co.uk)
For 6 yrs upwards. Theatre Skills,
confidence building, fun and games
led by professional actors and direc-
tors. Free taster session by request.
Monday evenings 4.30-6pm, term-time
only at Hope Chapel,
Contact Anna for more details. Tel:
0117-9291883

7
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Hotwells
0117 925 3611 Bristol BS8 4QD

Tel: (0117) 9290578 Fax: 9144316

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Wednesday to Sat-
urday year round.
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USEFUL CONTACTS
Hotwells & Cliftonwood C.A.
3 Charles Place
Hotwells, Bristol, BS8 4QW
tel: 0117 9291883
co-ordinator: Anna Wilson
e-mail:
admin@hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk

Web site:
www.hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk
Bulletin board:
www.hotwellscliftonwood.org.uk/
forums

H&CCA Management
Committee
Dennis Gornall (Chair) Per- ∗ Class 4 & 7 MOT bays (2)
sonnel ∗ Latest diagnostic equipment
Brenda McLennan (Treasurer) ∗ Fully qualified mechanics, quality
Projects control and chief mechanic
Ray Smith Communications & ∗ Manufacturer genuine parts or
Traders Network quality non genuine
Mike Timmins Open spaces ∗ Free collection and delivery
James Smith CHASE
∗ Free wash and vacuum
Pauline Barnes Community
∗ Evening vehicle servicing (by nego-
Links Servicing - MOTs - Repairs tiation)
Sandra Fryer Planning
www.mastersgarage.com ∗ All vehicles serviced to 3.5 tonne
Trevor George Bulletin Board
Rosemary Stibbon
8