UPDATE: 14th of December 2006 To see some of the statements that we presented to the council on December the 5thand our summary of the loss of parking as a result of the proposed changes to our existing bus route please read the comments section below this story.
UPDATE: 28th of November 2006 We love Bristol, we love Star 107.2. A big thank you to Bristol’s ‘STAR FM’ for their excellent report on our local issue.
Fair is fair, the Evening Post has also listened and reported on the issue. We have been in touch and I shall pay them a personal visit.
Did we miss anyone? Let us know.
Watch this blog for our new u-tube 'TAKE FIVE'.
PUT UP OUR POSTERS AND JOIN US ON TUESDAY THE 5th OF DECEMBER IN THE ENTRANCE TO THE COUNCIL HOUSE ON COLLEGE GREEN TO FIGHT FOR YOUR PARKING AND HIGH STREET!
SIGN THE PETITION (in the following shops) At Church Road: STUFF At Summerhill Road JONES THE BREAD bakery and The Pied Horse Pub.
Previously, 18th of November 2006:WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO STOP THE RED DEDICATED BUS LANE STRIPS, EXTENDED, ENHANCED PARKING RESTRICTIONS AND NO TURNING RESTRICTIONS. The Evening Post and its local supplement the Observer have finally caught up with our news even though we posted on the 11th of October. What saddens us the most is that we only have one newspaper and the news we report always seems to end up as a watered down hybrid following the council line.
Steve of ‘STUFF’ centre in the recent EP and Observer photo above has complained bitterly of his objections, praised our support and spoke of over 1000 signatures collected in only a couple of weeks many at his own store.
St George Library is closing for refurbishment from November the 15th to February the 19th 2007 (provided that the work goes according to schedule).
During this period the library service will be operating from ‘Summerhill Senior Citizens Club’ (opposite St George Baptist Church, Summerhill Road).
Opening Hours for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4 pm and on Fridays 10am to 1pm only. Please support the library while it’s at the SSCC.
Known as ‘The Black Farmer’ a title he himself espouses, google it and see, Wilfred had many interesting things to say about his humble origins and the courage and tenacity needed to succeed.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones came with his family from Jamaica when he was 4 years old. In his early teens, as the oldest child, whilst working on his father’s allotment in Birmingham, he dreamed of becoming a farmer to escape the concrete jungle and the two up two down in which he lived with his rather large family. After a lucky chance due to some tenacity resulting in a career in television working on programs such as ‘Food and Drink’ he finally achieved his early goal.
I empathise with the perspectives that make this man an excellent conservative ‘A’ list choice, a man that like myself was a young rebel and can therefore understand many of the issues confronting some of our disaffected youth but also a successful business man from scratch. We may be looking at the future party chairman and I for one wish him good luck.
Talk of the importance of the family and the extended family young and old was a hot topic and in this regard I reiterate the message that we need generally champion the whole family, grandparents, parents and children in equal measure and reverse the trend and the parameters that exist and are causing its current disintegration.
Regarding the family I declare a personal interest. The abolition of slavery and votes for women were both great Conservative achievements. The present human rights movement concerns the disenfranchisement of men from the family. (Click on Sir Bob Geldof FNF Insight for more.) I hope that equality for fathers, an issue that our conservative party has recognized and put on our agenda for change is realized if not in the next parliament, sooner, to stop the tragedy facing over 150,000 children and their fathers every year!
Furthermore, people, men and women should not be made to feel inadequate because they want to raise their children and not hand them over to our nation of underpaid nannies and find this untenable whilst simultaneously working. Money is not everything, it should be about choice and quality of life! ‘The traditional family’ is statistically by far the best environment for children, it should not be considered a dirty phrase and above all there should be equality between mothers and fathers, the foundation stone for a new golden era.
(Alderman Gwyneth Hebblethwaite between Wilfred and myself in the lead caption reminded us not to forget the needs of her peers. I explained that culturally, to me at least, this notion was anathema.)
The proposed alterations to our bus route were the trigger.
We did not realize the severity to the traders of the effects until we began to enquire and found out how many were planning to close down with the resulting losses in both jobs and local services.
At the B.E.S.T. (Bristol East Side Traders) meeting in the ‘Old Bank’ on October the 11th (see previous post) we found certain things difficult to stomach, e.g. Redfield traders told us that they have been blackmailed by council officials with the backing of the ruling Liberal Democrat cabinet on the council.
They have been told that they will not get ‘matched funding’ to renovate their shop fronts unless the so-called showcase bus route goes ahead. This was to keep them quiet about the detrimental effects that they could see would obviously result to businesses along Church Road and Summerhill Road.
As we go to press some shops on Church Road have reported to us that they have had intimidation from people claiming to be officials, to take down posters in their windows protesting against the dedicated bus lane. Posters that they have a perfect right to display, after all this is supposed to be a free country. I am outraged by this incident! It was all giving me a headache until I suggested to our traders that we form our own association. Let us not forget that B.E.S.T’s (who refused to comment about the meeting to the Evening Post) remit falls into a geographical area that excludes St George completely and anyway only includes part of the bus route.
I propose ‘R.E.S.T.’ as our title, this stands for Real East Side Traders and the real is for the point of view it will give, It voice will certainly be uncensored and hopefully independent of local bureaucratic sanctions. On a lighter note another suggestion has been B.R.A.T. ‘bus route association of traders, ha, ha, ;-)
Please post your ideas for this new association. If you own a business in St George West or St George East and would like to join, please contact either Nik Jethwa on 07909570919 or myself on 01179736812.
Previously, 18th of November 2006:WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO STOP THE RED DEDICATED BUS LANE STRIPS, EXTENDED, ENHANCED PARKING RESTRICTIONS AND NO TURNING RESTRICTIONS.
