Gordon Richard Sydney Haines War Time Memories I

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Gordon Richard Sydney Haines War Time Memories I Gordon Richard Sydney Haines war time memories I was born in Almondsbury Hospital South Gloucestershire on 23 December, 1932. My parents Florence Mabel HAINES and Sydney George HAINES then lived at Box Tree Cottage in the Village of Alveston, Gloucestershire with my sister Jean, two years older than me and my Grandfather, William Ballinger, Mum’s father. Life at home was pleasant; the village was then small and uncomplicated. An outside bucket toilet, no running water, we had our own well with a small pump, no electricity, we used oil lamps and had a coal-burning indoor stove which also provided hot water for the Saturday night bath ! We grew all our own vegetables and had apple and plum trees, raspberry and gooseberry bushes for all our fruit. The fields around provided us with blackberries and mushrooms and there was a small forest named Wolfridge, where the housing estates now exist, providing firewood and adventures for the village boys. My primary education was at the Church of England Elementary School at Rudgeway a mile away over the fields from Alveston but aged 10 I transferred to Thornbury Council School where I took the examination for entry to Thornbury Grammar School on a local council scholarship, at age 11 in 1943 and in September that year began my secondary education. My sister Jean was also studying there. My earliest recollection of doing something as a family was the requirement at the outbreak of war in 1939 for everyone to register at the local council office (opposite the Cross Hands Hotel !) to be fitted for Gas Masks. When they were issued my Grandfather stated firmly that he would ‘never put the damned things on’. I remember that parents with young children were given a full body-covering suit. As the war progressed we were given extra filters to put over the masks, presumably to counter new gases discovered to be in use by the enemy (ie the Germans!) From 1941 to 1944 German bombers could be seen and heard passing overhead on their way to raid British midland cities of Birmingham and Coventry and on the return, if they had been damaged or suffered engine failure they would get rid of unused bombs over the open country around home. Mum’s sister, Aunty Sis (Mary) and her family would regularly come out by bus from Bristol, some 11 miles away and stay overnight to escape the bombing raids on Bristol which so seriously damaged that old historic port city. Sis’s husband, Harry Clarke was a bus driver who continued driving his passengers during the worst of the blitz. The sirens wailed out their warning that enemy aircraft were overhead and with all the Bristol family present suddenly there was an explosion in the cupboard area. Panic all round until we found out it was one of Mum’s potent Elderflower champagne bottled having burst its cork. The sound of the ‘all clear’ meant we could then go to sleep. Most village kids collected ‘shrapnel’ (pieces of bombs and shells that fell on to roads and roofs during air-raids), and other collectibles were there for the looking, including fins of small incendiary bombs. Aunty Sis’s son Don Clarke was a professional soccer player who was a top- scoring centre forward for Bristol City during the post war years. Don’s son Brian was also a professional soccer player for Cardiff City in the 60’s. Another of mother’s brothers, Fred, a bus driver in Bristol was regularly on the Bristol – Alveston –Thornbury run. If he knew that Bristol was being raided he would bring his double decker bus and park it outside the house and come in with any passengers that happened to there. At that time, Dad had joined what was initially called the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) later to be known as the Home Guard (Dad’s Army). Dad was too old to be called up for the armed forces in WW2 but had served in WW1 in the 51st Highland Division, The Gordon Highlanders, a Scottish Regiment, in the Middle East. I was named after Dad’s old regiment. For the first year none of the Alveston platoon had any weapons apart from rabbiting shotguns and farming implements used by the farm workers. Dad would often be sent on top of the water tower overlooking Thornbury apparently to watch out for German parachutists, armed with a pitch-fork ! For us kids it was an exciting time, we knew from the sound of the engines and the shapes of all aircraft, which ones were “ours” and which were “theirs”. There were many RAF airfields in Gloucestershire, the nearest being at Filton about 8 miles away. This was the target for German air-raids on several occasions. During one of these raids, I was home very ill with Scarlet Fever (somewhat less fatal than Typhoid) and confined in the upstairs bedroom quarantined from all- comers. I was able to see the German dive-bombers attacking the airfield at Filton. I also recall very well the return of the remnants of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) having been pulled off the beaches of Dunkirk in June 1940. A number of them were brought to Alveston (and presumably all other villages around) and put in tents on the village soccer pitch. Families went to visit them with food and drink and I remember being given a bar of chocolate (unheard of then) which had been soaked in sea-water. It still tasted good. The army took over an old country house about a mile from Alveston and one of Mum’s brother (Eddie Ballinger from Edinburgh) was posted there. He managed to get hold of an army bicycle and was a regular visitor home, especially at meal times. One day during the spring of 1945 I was cycling back home from school around 5 pm after cross country running practice. Coming up Thornbury Hill (Alveston Hill if you lived in Thornbury!) I noticed smoke and fire coming from an area near Alveston Square and clearly close to home. On arrival home, soldiers, police and firemen were all around. An RAF Mustang fighter had crashed about 300 yards from Mum’s house and was burning in the garden of old Postman Harry Collins cottage. I walked over to have a close look and saw the pilot’s body being carried out. Apparently he had engine failure but managed to keep the plane from crashing directly into the Collins cottage. However he did clip the roof and take off some tiles. This pilot and several others who had crashed during the war near the village were buried in St Helens Church graveyard. Old Ma Collins was inside her cottage asleep at the time and knew nothing of this! The end of the war in Europe was the occasion for Village tea parties with a bon-fire. We did not need fireworks after 5 years of war ! I was a regular visitor at this time to Mumbley’s Farm owned by the King family. John King was a great mate and it was good news to hear that he had also passed the Grammar School exam and would be in the same class as me. He was very clever at Maths and often helped me with my homework. I also learned to drive a tractor, make hay, drink cider and milk and feed the cows with John. The rabbits I regularly brought home were welcome additions to the family larder during those days of strict rationing. Dad had been working at Col. C.E. Turner’s mansion at Oldown, about a mile and a half bike ride away. In the dark of winter and made worse by the official ‘black-out’, Dad had to light up his acetylene light to find his way in the lanes leading to Oldown House in all winds and weather. My Grandfather, William Ballinger was still alive then. This made a total of 5 in the family with a total income of some 5 pounds a week to live on. Grandad has his old age pension of about 10 shillings a week and he received 5 shillings a week rent for the other half of the house next door, occupied by an old woman, and later a Mr & Mrs Gilbert Collins. To supplement the family income, during the summer we picked Blackberries and/or Mushrooms and sold them to a fruit and veg dealer who lived opposite St Helens Church in the village. When Dad was sent away for treatment for TB, Mum went out to work as a cleaner at the Ship Hotel, Alveston. These were the days before social services offered money or help to the elderly or the sick, lame & lazy We did most of our shopping in Mrs English’s store in the village and were visited by mobile shops selling all sorts, from kerosene, meat and occasionally clothing. English’s bread when newly baked was unbeatable and famous around the district. Once a week they made ‘lardy-cakes’, very tasty and probably considered unhealthy nowadays, but well worth a sixpence. Our radio was powered by a ‘wet’ battery which was changed on a monthly basis from another visiting van. Milk was delivered at the door by the local farmer with thick yellow cream lying on the top of the bottles. It was necessary to collect the bottles soon after delivery or else the birds would be pecking at the foil to get at the cream ! I can just about remember the same farmer coming round the village houses in his horse and cart delivering milk from a churn.
Recommended publications
  • Ms Kate Coggins Sent Via Email To: Request-713266
    Chief Executive & Corporate Resources Ms Kate Coggins Date: 8th January 2021 Your Ref: Our Ref: FIDP/015776-20 Sent via email to: Enquiries to: Customer Relations request-713266- Tel: (01454) 868009 [email protected] Email: [email protected] Dear Ms Coggins, RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST Thank you for your request for information received on 16th December 2020. Further to our acknowledgement of 18th December 2020, I am writing to provide the Council’s response to your enquiry. This is provided at the end of this letter. I trust that your questions have been satisfactorily answered. If you have any questions about this response, then please contact me again via [email protected] or at the address below. If you are not happy with this response you have the right to request an internal review by emailing [email protected]. Please quote the reference number above when contacting the Council again. If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF or via their website at www.ico.org.uk Yours sincerely, Chris Gillett Private Sector Housing Manager cc CECR – Freedom of Information South Gloucestershire Council, Chief Executive & Corporate Resources Department Customer Relations, PO Box 1953, Bristol, BS37 0DB www.southglos.gov.uk FOI request reference: FIDP/015776-20 Request Title: List of Licensed HMOs in Bristol area Date received: 16th December 2020 Service areas: Housing Date responded: 8th January 2021 FOI Request Questions I would be grateful if you would supply a list of addresses for current HMO licensed properties in the Bristol area including the name(s) and correspondence address(es) for the owners.
    [Show full text]
  • NOTICE of ELECTION Election of Parish Councillors
    NOTICE OF ELECTION South Gloucestershire Council Election of Parish Councillors for the Parishes listed below Number of Parish Councillors to Number of Parish Councillors to Parishes Parishes be elected be elected Acton Turville Five Marshfield Nine Almondsbury, Almondsbury Four Oldbury-on-Severn Seven Almondsbury, Compton Two Oldland, Cadbury Heath Seven Almondsbury, Cribbs Causeway Seven Oldland, Longwell Green Seven Alveston Eleven Oldland, Mount Hill One Aust Seven Olveston Nine Badminton Seven Patchway, Callicroft Nine Bitton, North Common Six Patchway, Coniston Six Bitton, Oldland Common Four Pilning & Severn Beach, Pilning Four Bitton, South Four Pilning & Severn Beach, Severn Six Beach Bradley Stoke, North Six Pucklechurch Nine Bradley Stoke, South Seven Rangeworthy Five Bradley Stoke, Stoke Brook Two Rockhampton Five Charfield Nine Siston, Common Three Cold Ashton Five Siston, Rural One Cromhall Seven Siston, Warmley Five Dodington, North East Four Sodbury, North East Five Dodington, North West Eight Sodbury, Old Sodbury Five Dodington, South Three Sodbury, South West Five Downend & Bromley Heath, Downend Ten Stoke Gifford, Central Nine Downend & Bromley Heath, Staple Hill Two Stoke Gifford, University Three Doynton Five Stoke Lodge and the Common Nine Dyrham & Hinton Five Thornbury, Central Three Emersons Green, Badminton Three Thornbury, East Three Emersons Green, Blackhorse Three Thornbury, North East Four Emersons Green, Emersons Green Seven Thornbury, North West Three Emersons Green, Pomphrey Three Thornbury, South Three
    [Show full text]
  • Weekly List of Planning Applications and Other Proposals Received by the Council 02 October 2017 – 08 October 2017
    WEEKLY LIST OF PLANNING APPLICATIONS AND OTHER PROPOSALS RECEIVED BY THE COUNCIL 02 OCTOBER 2017 – 08 OCTOBER 2017 The proposals listed over the page have recently been received by the Planning Department. The application documents and plans may be viewed and commented on via the Internet. Please allow 7 days from the above date for the application to appear on the Council’s web site at www.southglos.gov.uk/planning. The submissions listed are also available online at the following one stop shop offices: • Thornbury Library, St Mary Street, Thornbury BS35 2AA • Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, BS15 9TR • Yate One Stop Shop, Kennedy Way, Yate, South Gloucestershire Some large major applications are also available in hard copy. The Council Offices are open Monday to Thursday between the hours of 8.45 am and 5.00 pm and Friday between the hours of 8.45 am to 4.30 pm. If you have any queries regarding a proposal, please contact our Customer Service Centre on 01454 868004. Any comments on the proposals listed can be made online at the above website or sent in writing to South Gloucestershire Council P.O. BOX 2081 South Gloucestershire BS35 9BP. When commenting please quote the appropriate reference number and site address. All comments should be received within 21 days of the above date. Please note a copy of your comments will appear on the website. ABBREVIATIONS PT = Planning Thornbury PK = Planning Kingswood For suffix abbreviations in application number, see Application Type eg. /ADV = Advertisement South Gloucestershire Council Weekly List of Planning Applications: 02/10/2017 - 08/10/2017 PARISH NAME Almondsbury Parish Council APPLICATION NO PT17/3836/F WARD NAME CASE OFFICER PLAN INSPECTION OFFICE Almondsbury Karen Hayes 01454 863472 LOCATION Field Cottage 2 Gloucester Road Almondsbury Bristol South Gloucestershire BS32 4AF PROPOSAL Erection of outbuilding to form stables incidental to main dwelling.
    [Show full text]
  • XXXX Helmet Magazine February 2020
    EDITOR’S JOTTINGS St Helen’s Church Alveston Methodist Church www.sthelensalvs.co.uk Once again another month in lockdown has passed, and Rev Simon Edwards 418176 Rev David Moss 415190 although technically and legally things are easing there are Contact Steward still many in our community who don’t feel safe out and Licensed Lay Ministers:- Christine Dugdale 413097 about. So please do continue the good work of passing at Tracey Black 417660 a distance and looking out for your neighbours’ needs. [email protected] Stewards Judith Heybyrne 616725 With this in mind we are still not printing and delivering the PeterJones 412912 ‘Helmet’ and will be reviewing things at the beginning of DoreenStears 850453 Church Wardens:- August to make our decision regarding the September Harry Griffiths 612140 edition. ElaineLee 419322 Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Helmet editors Once we do decide to return to print we will be needing you Children’s activities - or commi�ee. to send in your articles and photos of all the goings on in contact Tracey With thanks to Ken Pearce for the the village so that those who have been shielding without front cover internet access can get to see them. We welcome articles and Advertising Rates This month’s cover is on an optimistic theme of summer sunshine and sports. Having had some lovely weather we news of interest from Per Year - Size Per Issue growers are not going to complain about the rain, and individuals and groups within 10% off the Parish of Alveston.
    [Show full text]
  • Prime Unique Connected
    PRIME UNIQUE CONNECTED DESIGN AND BUILD OPPORTUNITIES UP TO 1,300,000 SQ FT MOUNTPARK BRISTOL XL SEVERN ROAD / CENTRAL AVENUE, BRISTOL, BS10 7ZE MOUNTPARK.COM/BRISTOLXL CHEPSTOW M48 SEVERN BRIDGE THORNBURY Mountpark BristolXL is a new industrial / logistics development situated at the gateway to the south J1 west, Avonmouth in Bristol. M48 A4O3 J23 The scheme has three fundamental benefits: M4 SEC OND SEV ERN A38 CRO M4 J21 SSING J22 M5 NEW J15 / J2O JUNCTION PRIME SEVERN ESTUARY JO1 The site is situated in a prime distribution M4 location, adjacent to the established Central A4O3 M5 A38 Park area of Avonmouth, 10 miles to the M49 A432 north west of Bristol City Centre. A4O3 AVONMOUTH DOCKS FILTON J19 RIVER AVON J18 A4O18 M4 UNIQUE ROYAL A41744 HRS SHEFFIELD PORTBURY J18a DOCKS M32 M1 A38 M6 The proposed scheme can accommodate A4162 NOTTINGHAM a single unit of over 1,000,000 sq ft, which A4 is unique for the area. 3 HRS M42 A4176 A432 A4174 BIRMINGHAM M5 2 HRS M5 M1 A369 M4O CONNECTED A42O A42O BRISTOL 1 HR OXFORD The scheme is strategically located for local and O.5 HRS national distribution via the M49, M4 and M5 A37O M4 M4 LONDON motorways. Accessibility will be further improved in CARDIFF BRISTOL SWINDON 2019 with the opening of a new junction on the M49 A38 A4174 A431 A4174 M3 motorway which is within 1 mile of the site. M4 A37 SOUTHAMPTON PORTSMOUTH A37O BRISTOL AIRPORT CONNECTED ABUNDANT Strategically located, offering Bristol is the economic hub of the south west both connectivity and accessibility, region with excellent labour availability, education resources, and connectivity.
    [Show full text]
  • South Gloucestershire Council Conservative Group
    COUNCIL SIZE SUBMISSION South Gloucestershire South Gloucestershire Council Conservative Group. February 2017 Overview of South Gloucestershire 1. South Gloucestershire is an affluent unitary authority on the North and East fringe of Bristol. South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) was formed in 1996 following the dissolution of Avon County Council and the merger of Northavon District and Kingswood Borough Councils. 2. South Gloucestershire has around 274,700 residents, 62% of which live in the immediate urban fringes of Bristol in areas including Kingswood, Filton, Staple Hill, Downend, Warmley and Bradley Stoke. 18% live in the market towns of Thornbury, Yate, and Chipping Sodbury. The remaining 20% live in rural Gloucestershire villages such as Marshfield, Pucklechurch, Hawkesbury Upton, Oldbury‐ on‐Severn, Alveston, and Charfield. 3. South Gloucestershire has lower than average unemployment (3.3% against an England average of 4.8% as of 2016), earns above average wages (average weekly full time wage of £574.20 against England average of £544.70), and has above average house prices (£235,000 against England average of £218,000)1. Deprivation 4. Despite high employment and economic outputs, there are pockets of deprivation in South Gloucestershire. Some communities suffer from low income, unemployment, social isolation, poor housing, low educational achievement, degraded environment, access to health services, or higher levels of crime than other neighbourhoods. These forms of deprivation are often linked and the relationship between them is so strong that we have identified 5 Priority Neighbourhoods which are categorised by the national Indices of Deprivation as amongst the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England and Wales. These are Cadbury Heath, Kingswood, Patchway, Staple Hill, and west and south Yate/Dodington.
    [Show full text]
  • Tales of the Vale: Stories from a Forgotten Landscape
    Tales of the Vale: Stories from A Forgotten Landscape The view from St Arilda’s, Cowhill A collection of history research and oral histories from the Lower Severn Vale Levels (Photo © James Flynn 2014) Tales of the Vale Landscape 5 Map key Onwards towards Gloucestershire – Contents Shepperdine and Hill Tales of the Vale Landscape 4 Around Oldbury-on-Severn – Kington, Cowill, Oldbury Introduction 3 and Thornbury Discover A Forgotten Tales of the Vale: Landscape through our Tales of the Vale Landscape 3 walks and interpretation From the Severn Bridge to Littleton-upon-Severn – points Aust, Olveston and Littleton-upon-Severn 1. North-West Bristol – Avonmouth, Shirehampton and Lawrence Weston 6 Tales of the Vale Landscape 2 2. From Bristol to the Severn Bridge – From Bristol to the Severn Bridge – Easter Compton, Almondsbury, Severn Beach, Pilning, Redwick and Northwick 40 Easter Compton, Almondsbury, Severn Beach, Pilning, Redwick Walk start point and Northwick 3. From the Severn Bridge to Littleton-upon-Severn – Aust, Olveston and Littleton-upon-Severn 68 Interpretation Tales of the Vale Landscape 1 4. Around Oldbury-on-Severn – Kington, Cowill, Oldbury and Thornbury 80 North-West Bristol – Avonmouth, Shirehampton Toposcope and Lawrence Weston 5. Onwards towards Gloucestershire – Shepperdine and Hill 104 Contributors 116 (© South Gloucestershire Council, 2017. All rights reserved. © Crown copyright and database rights 2017 Ordnance Survey 100023410. Introduction to the CD 122 Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2017. Tales of the Vale was edited by Virginia Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2017. Bainbridge and Julia Letts with additional Acknowledgements 124 editing by the AFL team © WWT Consulting) Introduction Introducing Tales of the Vale Big skies: a sense of light and vast open space with two colossal bridges spanning the silt-laden, extraordinary River Severn.
    [Show full text]
  • District Centres, Industrial Sites, Trading Estates and Business Parks in South Gloucestershire
    District centres, industrial sites, trading estates and business parks in South Gloucestershire District Centre 15 Industrial Sites, Trading Estates and Business Parks Tortworth Faleld 14 Oldbury-on-Severn River Severn 2 Thornbury Chareld A38 9 Cromhall 1 M5 Tytherington A403 Aust M48 Alveston Wickwar Hawkesbury Upton Rangeworthy M4 A433 22 21 Severn Beach Pilning Almondsbury M49 Iron 15 A46 25 Acton Chipping 16 5 22 28 Sodbury 29 M4 Badminton Frampton 7 4 6 2 Cotterell 1 Old Bradley 3 Sodbury 36 Stoke Winterbourne 8 Yate 17 Patchway 35 M5 The Mall Coalpit Acton Turville 23 33 A38 Stoke Heath A4018 41 40 34 39 Giord 16 31 32 Tormarton 38 A4174 A432 37 M32 Filton 30 1 42 10 Frenchay 43 M4 18 Mangotseld Emersons Green Pucklechurch Staple Hill 11 24 12 16 17 13 18 15 A46 Bristol A420 A420 19 Warmley Wick 14 21 20 Marsheld A420 25 Longwell Hanham 26 27 Green 44 A431 A4174 Bitton ©Crown copyright and database rights 2012 Ordnance Survey 100023410 Industrial sites, trading estates and business parks in South Gloucestershire 1 Hatters Lane Industrial Estate, Chipping Sodbury 17 Station Road Workshops, Kingswood 32 Bristol Parkway North, Stoke Gifford 2 The Ridge Industrial Area, Chipping Sodbury 18 Station Road Industrial Area, Kingswood 33 Cribbs Causeway 3 Badminton Road Industrial Estate, Yate 19 Tower Road North Industrial Area, Warmley 34 Fairway Industrial Centre, Filton 4 Beeches Business Park, Yate 20 Southway Industrial Area, Warmley 35 Grove Estate, Patchway 5 Great Western Business Park, Yate 21 At Stephen’s Business Area, North Common
    [Show full text]
  • Helmet September 2020
    EDITOR’S JOTTINGS St Helen’s Church Alveston Methodist Church www.sthelensalvs.co.uk Hopefully this magazine will have been delivered IN PRINT to Rev David Moss 415190 Rev Simon Edwards 418176 YOUR door and to over 1400 others. We particularly welcome Contact Steward newcomers to our village to this the village magazine which Licensed Lay Ministers:- has been serving the community in many ways for over 40 Tracey Black 417660 Christine Dugdale 413097 years. If you missed the lockdown Helmet magazines they are accessible from sthelensalvs.co.uk. This one has an eclectic [email protected] Stewards Judith Heybyrne 616725 mix of content for you so put the kettle on then sit down to PeterJones 412912 enjoy. I am really pleased that some of our younger people DoreenStears 850453 Church Wardens:- have sent in articles and photos of things important to them. Harry Griffiths 612140 ElaineLee 419322 Views expressed by contributors are not We have more local history – this time on cricket, a clock and necessarily those of the Helmet editors ‘chapels’, and an appeal from the museum. I see that there Children’s activities - or commi�ee. has been quite a lot of exchange of information on local history contact Tracey With thanks to Ken Pearce for the on the Facebook groups. Maybe some of the photos shared front cover there can be included in our magazine providing permission has been obtained from the people in them and and the copyright holder. (The person who took the image - or the We welcome articles and Advertising Rates gorilla should that be the case!).
    [Show full text]
  • XXXX Helmet Magazine February 2020
    A MESSAGE FROM OUR METHODIST MINISTER St Helen’s Church Alveston Methodist Church www.sthelensalvs.co.uk I never used to bother washing my cars. When I had cars that Rev David Moss 415190 Rev Simon Edwards 418176 were a bit rough, or old and rusty it never seemed worth the effort, when I was working in a rural area I assumed that the muck would Contact Steward Licensed Lay Ministers:- eventually dry out and fall off, so I didn’t bother. Then as my cars got Tracey Black 417660 Christine Dugdale 413097 a bit more fancy, I started to wash them occasionally, and then I [email protected] Stewards found the local Car Hand Wash place! Suddenly I discovered the Judith Heybyrne 616725 delight of a freshly washed car, shining majestically in the sunlight, PeterJones 412912 DoreenStears 850453 or (more often) being rained on immediately after I’d driven out of Church Wardens the car wash! There is something satisfying about going to have the ElaineLee 419322 car washed when the windscreen is filled with the remnants of bugs Rosemary Boere 615353 Views expressed by contributors are not that flew in the wrong place, or “offerings from above” - if you know necessarily those of the Helmet editors Children’s activities - what I mean! There is something very satisfying about having your contact Tracey or commi�ee. vision restored! But I have noticed something, before the vision is With thanks to Ken Pearce for the restored it gets even more murky and obscured – I could see better front cover before the bloke with the sponge started.
    [Show full text]
  • May2012-April2013
    834 MINUTES OF IRON ACTON PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING Monday 21st May 2012 The Annual Meeting of Iron Acton Parish Council was held in the Marshall Rooms commencing at 7.30pm. Present: - Councillor Sheppard (Chairman), Councillor Bellis (Vice Chairman), Councillor Heal, Councillor. Huish, Councillor Lomas, Councillor Blanchard, Councillor Taylor, Mrs. Roylance (taking Minutes) and Mrs. Beal (Clerk). At the beginning of the meeting it was resolved that Mrs Roylance take the Minutes. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Three members of the public were present. Mr. Chris Wright addressed the Parish Councillors in connection with the quote for a base line survey for all the trees in the Parish Council’s care (excluding Chillwood). The quote covered two different levels of survey, plotting of each tree and tagging or a hazard assessment, the former being the most comprehensive. Mr. Wright stated that Chillwood is a separate issue and a management plan will be required to take any action forward. Councillor Taylor requested this should be an agenda item for the next meeting. Mrs. Geraldine Whittle enquired as to how the new Clerk’s hours would be allocated with regard to people wishing to contact her. She was advised that the principle was that periods when the public could expect a response would be agreed between the Parish Council and the Clerk and then made public, the example being that for the previous Clerk this has been Mon, Weds & Fri from 0930-1300. It was requested that at the next meeting the provision of a dedicated phone number and answer phone for the Clerk would be discussed.
    [Show full text]
  • Co-Located on the Marlwood School Site, Alveston
    Luke Hall MP Member of Parliament for Thornbury and Yate House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA Two Bridges Academy – Co-located on the Marlwood School Site, Alveston Consultation Submission from Luke Hall MP (Member of Parliament for Thornbury and Yate) As we look to Build Back Better and recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, investing in South Gloucestershire’s education is more important than ever. It is an absolute priority to deliver the very best schools for our children. As the local MP for Thornbury and Yate, I would like to confirm my full support for the Two Bridges Academy project, which proposes to deliver a brand new SEN school for South Gloucestershire. I am in full support of South Gloucestershire Council’s bid to see a new 112 place special educational needs free school serving 2-19 year olds, which will seek to educate and support children with severe learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders. The appropriate site for this new school has been identified at Marlwood School, Vattingstone Lane, Alveston, BS35 6LA, on an undeveloped part of the existing school campus. It is important to note that this site, despite being located on the school’s current land, is still in the Greenbelt. Due to the lack of alternative, viable locations, I welcome the very special circumstances case which has been made for the project, and in my capacity as the local MP, consider that the impact on the Green Belt is outweighed by the need to increase SEND provision in our community. I am pleased that the local authority have sought a sustainable approach to these proposals, which will help to mitigate any concerns and issues regarding development in this greenbelt area.
    [Show full text]