Charlotte Leslie - MP for Bristol North West

Safeguarding doctor training and patient care

2012-01-21T07:24:00.000-08:00

This week I had a PMQ ( Prime Minister's Question) about the effect of the European Working Time Directive on the NHS. It may sound a bit techie, but it's absolutely crucial.

Growing up with my dad as a surgeon in the NHS ( He worked at Southmead Hospital and the BRI for 30 years, and may well be responsible for any hip replacements or hand surgery of constituents reading this...) has given me a special regard for the professionals working in our NHS, and a particular perspective on the importance of what goes on at the coal-face of our public services.
One of the things that Doctors tell me about again and again is the devastating effect that the 48hour European Working Time Directive has both on doctor training ( the Royal College of Surgeons estimates that because of the Directive 400,000 surgical hours are lost PER MONTH) and also on patient care. ( all the 'clock-on, clock off' handovers mean that important bits on patient notes can get missed, and the poor patient is subjected to a conveyor belt of different doctors, instead of a few familiar faces of the doctors responsible for them.)

The directive limits doctors to working up to 48 hours per week, and takes away crucial flexiblity. No one wants to return to a situation where junior doctors are working silly hours and are too exhausted to practice safely. But there is a middle-way. The Royal College of Surgeons suggests that up to 65-hours a week is suitable, but with flexibilty to meet the unpredictable realities of hospital care.

And guess what: there are no special provisions in the directive for exceptional circumstances like a 'flu pandemic - so it is hard to see how in this scenario, the NHS will have the flexiblity to cope. (More on this in a recent article I wrote for The Times on 20th Jan.)

I presented a bill to Parliament to try to tackle it,

have written in the national papers on the issue, and am working hard to try and untangle this mess of an EU Directive which is putting our NHS, and patient care at such risk. Government is supportive, but it must act quickly. Because whatever the structural reforms, the future of our NHS and the patients it cares for depends on the medical professionals who work there.

Daylight Saving Bill and parliamentary frustrations

2012-01-20T20:26:00.000-08:00

Processes in Parliament can be frustrating. Seldom has it been as frustrating, and , many would say, mis-used as in the debate on Rebecca Harris MP's Daylight Saving Bill.

The Bill, which called for a proper review of the pros and cons of keeping British summertime all year round, to settle once and for all the debate that returns year after year to parliament, but has historically always been stumped down because of internal process, had got further through parliament than ever before.

There was an overwhelming parliamentary concencus for the Bill, and well over 120 MPs had sacrificed time in their constituencies that Friday in order to vote for it. But the Bill was stopped. Why? Not by strength of argument, or through debate, or through numbers of opposition - but because a small group of MPs chose to 'talk it out'. That is, put down huge numbers of amendements, to which they could speak, to literally 'talk it out of time'.

Here's a clip of me being very politely frustrated that people were prepared to do this.

It was a very sad day for parliament. It was a day when the manipulation of internal process by the few, got in the way of getting something done for the many.

I personally am for daylight saving. The evidence is that it will save lives, energy and increase uptake in sport, amongst other things. But we need a proper independent analysis. A tiny number of MPs deprived the nation of that.

I'm working with other MPs to ensure that the Bill is brought back. But it was a good example of Process vs. The People. And it is one of the reasons why Parliament is often held in such low regard. Many would say it is not only the clocks that have to change...

Littlemead School bring Christmas to Dunmail

2011-12-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

Despite the cold, ( and the fact many of us had colds) Littlemead School children gave Southmead a great carol service on Dunmail Fields this afternoon - all under the musical leadership of Snowman Ronda. ( Seen here without her snowman head.)

Santa and his elves turned up, and may have had something to do with the cakes and refreshments we all enjoyed afterwards.

It was great that the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress were able to find time to come and visit - and came prepared with wellington boots to tackle the mud...

Dunmail fields are so much a part of this community in Southmead -and they couldn't be fighting more powerfully for the fields to be saved for the community and generations to come.

Brailsford Lights 2011 on national TV!

2011-12-02T04:18:00.000-08:00

This year, the epic Brailsford Brothers' Christmas lights switch on in Henbury attracted the attention of national TV. And quite right too. I first met the brothers several years ago now, constructing complex Christmas lights arrangements in their Brentry garage on a baking hot day in September. What they do is amazing - at cost to themselves they put on a Christmas Lights display on their mum's house to rival the very best, raising thousands of pounds for Charity. The annual switch-on also kick-starts Christmas for many ( including me. It was my first mince-pie of the year) and lights up a dark time of year, in what are difficult times.

I have been so struck by the personal effort and sacrifice Lee and Paul have made to bring joy to their community, and to those children for whom their Childrens' Hospital appeal raises money. This is Big Society with bells on. ( Well, lots of lights, at least.)

You can watch a documentary about Paul and Lee Brailsford in mid-December on CH4... look out for it!

Bristol Free School - from aspiration to actuality!

2011-11-22T09:55:00.000-08:00

Today, the Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, came to visit one of the country's very first Free Schools - in Bristol. Here we are, with new head , Richard Clutterbuck and one of the parents behind it all - Blair King.

It was a very odd ( in a good way) feeling. Back in Summer 2009, when a group of distraught parents ambushed me while I was having a quiet pint in my local, to demand "What I was going to do about getting a local secondary school for this area", the idea of actually achieving that school was just a dream.

Nevertheless, we formed the group 'Parents Voice' and started the campaign - with some people saying it would "never work", "shouldn't get involved", it was all a hopeless cause etc etc etc.

I tried to get the most intuitive site in the city - the struggling St. Ursula's school - saved as a state all-through school to accommodate our much needed secondary state school provision. That ignited a saga worthy of , ( I wouldn't say East Riding) but Eastenders, maybe! -and alas, despite all our efforts, we were thwarted in the end. ( More of that later.)

But as it was becoming more and more likely that the Conservatives' 'Free School' legislation was to become not just a policy aspiration, but actual policy, the now independent Parents Voice group were really able to get going on a superbly professional mission to create the school parents have long been calling for.

And now here it is: In bricks and mortar - Bristol's Free School. True, it is not on the original site, the St. Ursula's site, we all intended it to be on, and many of us fought so hard for it to be on - the Council bought that site and put a Primary Academy on it; but the school is enormously impressive where it is; the pupils and staff are tangibly proud of their school and determined to make it an excellent school - and as a plaque commemorating the Minister's visit was unveiled, it was testament to the fact that Parent-power, and the voice of the people can be heard, and that against all the odds, and after over 15 years of campaigning, a school can be founded.

Enormous congratulations to everyone involved. Politics is about making aspirations become reality, and in the space of just two years, we did just that. And in the coming years, I have no doubt at all that the school will grow to be a beacon of success for the city.

Abseiling for St. Peter's Hospice

2011-11-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

It was one of those things that seemed a great idea at the time, cooped up in the office with paper-work towering overhead... An abseil down one of Bristol's tallest buildings in aid of St. Peters' Hospice.

I've fundraised for St. Peter's before, because they do simply exceptional work, funded mainly by donations, for local people. They are a charity of which the city can be incredibly proud. Previous fundraising has involved running along the flat, for some miles. This involved just a few feet - but they were vertical. The people at Outer Edge were superb in making us feel, and be, safe. And despite my trepidation, it was a great experience tripping down the Premier Inn at Haymarket. (Especially once I'd landed)...

There's still time to give - This really is a fantastic cause, which deserves all the support it can get. A one off abseil is one thing, but the daily work that the unsung heroes at St. Peters' do is quite another. Even if it's only the cost of that chocolate muffin or Starbucks coffee you're trying to resist, please support the hospice and donate!

Henbury Funday - best ever?

2011-08-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's hungry work, milling about browsing over stalls, resisting the bungee-run, watching live entertainment and chatting to friends and neighbours - so good thing Nick Merrick's culinary BS10 Youth Forum crew were on hand with succulent hot-dogs, with onions and mushrooms... Cllr. Chris Window's evident enthusiasm only begins to do justice to the cooking...

It was also a good chance to catch up with people you've been meaning to see for ages- and it was good to be able to introduce people with similar interests to each other. ( One family had a daughter who was very keen on dancing, so introducing them to Paul Thompson, who runs Emmanuel Chapel's youth activities and Dance Group was the obvious thing to do...) Families and people of all ages were enjoying themselves and even the weather held out.

But stuff like this doesn't happen by magic. Behind every smooth-running community event, there's a hard working team of individuals who very often give up their own time, completely free of charge.

For the last six years, local lady Chris Pratt, with her brilliant team of helpers, has organised Henbury Funday. This year is her last year of doing it. Everyone thanked Chris at the end of the afternoon, and she was presented with a bouquet of flowers as a gesture of the community's thanks. She's got great successors, but she'll be a hard act to follow - thanks Chris, for all the sterling work you've put into Henbury for so long.

Boxing Clever in the Corridors of Power...

2011-07-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

Launching the re-formed All Party Group on Boxing turned out to be a brilliant event. (Click HERE if the video above doesn't work on your screen.) It's no secret that I've enjoyed boxing training ( and watching the sport!) since I was a teenager and trained at Spanniorum Farm Gym, alongside ( but at a safe distance from!..) Champion Jane Couch.

We were really privileged to have boxing legend Barry Macguigan lend his support, as well as Duke McKenzie and commentator-legend, Jim Rosenthal. We were specially proud to have some of our Olympic Team present - and London 2012 will be the first Olympic games ever to hold women's boxing events. Local boxers from Filton college also came along and were superb ambassadors for the benefits of the sport.

I know first hand how it can change lives. I'm currently very lucky to be president of the Avonmouth National Smelting Amateur Boxing Club, but clubs up and down the country do extraordinary work ( often on a volunteer basis) in transforming young people's lives, and instilling discipline, self-respect, self-esteem and the ability to walk away from a fight. If you're squeamish about boxing, I have one message - go to your local amateur gym and see what goes on there.

There's a lot of work for the group to do, and I want the group to be able to support local clubs in Bristol ,and across the country.

I couldn't help including possibly the photo I'm most proud of, below. (I'm desperately trying not to look utterly star-struck! ) Thanks to everyone who made the event such a success, and looking foward to doing more work with the group!

Pub Politics at The Bear and Rugged Staff

2011-07-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

I have to say, as an unrepentant supporter of our community pubs, it's always a pleasure, never a chore, to hold a 'Pub Politics'. They're always lively, lots of issues always get discussed and people often swap contact details and keep in touch if they don't already know each other. Last Friday's pub politics at The Bear and Rugged Staff in Southmead was particularly lively, since the landlord, Richard Porch had organised a surprise performance from the local street dance group D-Streets. (See other blog posts for how you can support them in their bid to go to the World Championships in Blackpool later this summer... ) That's something that's often underestimated about pubs - they are often not only a place where the community comes together, but also a place which does fundraising and supports local causes. In short, pubs are definitely 'Big Society'!
People stayed on after the performance and joined in the discussion. I find it really helpful to make sure I'm listening to what's really going on locally, and also getting a straight, honest opinion about what's going on, what what issues people are facing. That's the only way politicians can really keep an understanding on what's going on in the real world, outside the Westminster bubble. Oh, and half a can of Natch helps as well, thanks Richard!

Southmead's Ds Streets for world championships!

2011-07-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

As I arrived at The Bear and Rugged Staff for my 'Pub Politics' session, the upper level of the pub had been mysteriously cleared of the pool table... It soon became clear. The landlord Richard had organised a big surprise performance by Southmead's very own Streetdance group, Ds Streets.

Their performance was really impressive - and they are raising money to go to the World Championships in Blackpool later in August.

We all chipped in, and at the pub alone they managed to raise over £400. They need more, and they are also fundraising to afford some basic equipment like mirrors and a proper sound system.

If you can donate, please email Dwain Trivett at martialparts78@hotmail.com - let's take Southmead's Ds Streets to the world championships - watch out Blackpool!

Avonmouth's funday success

2011-07-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

It's the season for looking anxiously at the weather, crossing fingers for sun, booking bouncy castles and holding community fundays. It's the season where I inevitably get carried away and buy far too many cakes and jars of jam and pickle, however hard I tell myself I'm not going to.
On Saturday, it was Avonmouth's funday - and it was well named. There was all sorts going on - from zorbing to information stands from community groups like Friends of Suburban Bristol Rail ( FOSBR.)
I sat in on a session with some young people who had been looking at allocating funds for youth community activities, and caught up with friends. The photo with Cllr. Siobhan Kennedy-Hall says it all. A properly Fun day, thanks to everyone who put so much effort into organising it.

A Right Royal Weekend!

2011-04-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

The world's gaze may have been turned on Pippa Middleton's bottom, but had the cameras pointed to Bristol, they would have found parties and in particular a local lady in a wedding dress to rival the best!

Southmead residents, including Ronda Brace (looking magnificent in a wedding dress!) threw a fantastic party on the old Dunmail School site, demonstrating once again what a valued community asset this piece of green space is.

Southmead's very own D-Streets Dance crew came along and entertained us with some great performances.

Then I went on into Westbury which had more than its share of street parties. What was so striking was that so many people, of all ages, were enjoying celebration-quantities of food (some superb cupcakes were to be had) and drink, but not once did I see any group of people who were doing anything but having a lovely time.

It was extraordinary to see the Nation unite in a sense of such unashamed patriotism. For the Royal Wedding it was as if the whole nation felt it had been given permission to really be itself -unashamedly proud to be truly Great Britain.

Hidden Gardens of Henbury

2011-03-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

It was an absolute pleasure today to take some time out to see a gem of Henbury opened up to the public - at Brook End, Rectory Gardens.

It was a superb fundraising event organised by Sue Parfitt, who also manages to keep the garden so beautifully. The perfect way to start Spring.

HP - Global future on our doorstep

2011-02-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

It all felt a bit Doctor Who, but this is in fact Hewlett Packard just near Filton, and I was looking at the Cloud Technology they are developing. I also came to talk about the science outreach programmes they are doing in our local schools and how crucial it is to inspire our next generation of scientists.

Driving towards the ring road, out of Filton, it is easy to forget that research and development of international significance is going on here, pushing forward with virtual management systems handling ever more data.

If you think back over the last decade or so, the technological advances have been extraordinary. When I first started University in 1997 (hey, it's not THAT long ago!), email was a bit new-fangled and I wasn't sure I trusted it, very few people did anything but hand-write all their essays and my mobile phone was a bit of a brick and did not have a text capacity. By the time I finished in 2001, there was suddenly a whole host of things I couldn't live without - internet, search engines, texting... and it's tempting to think that we've seen the biggest acceleration of technology. There is no reason why this should be the case. At places like HP, research is ever pushing forward.

At the moment I don't have an i-pad. I'm guessing in a few years time, I'll be either wondering how I ever lived without one, or even be marveling at how cumbersome, slow and prehistoric i-pads actually were...

It's incredibly exciting to be living in a digital revolution that is possibly changing the face of our existence as much as the Industrial Revolution, and for some of this research and development to be taking place in Bristol itself.

And particularly fascinating is the effect that all this virtuality, and all the instant-gratification an on-line world brings will have on our society, our ideas of ourselves and reality, our notion of action and consequence... that's an issue which will effect our politics possibly just as much as the effects of the industrial revolution.

We can't give in to crime

2010-11-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

On Friday I joined residents who have set up a petition to get bus services back to normal in Henbury following a spate of attacks to the buses.

I have to say, I was outraged that First Bus services should be re-directed and stopped in Henbury becuase of a spate of crime.

Ok, I know that First Bus has a duty to protect its drivers.

Ok, I understand the police are stretched, and too much of their time is still spent on administration not the front line.

But giving into crime like this is not on because it gives out completely the wrong signal to criminals - that civilisation will give into them, and change its behaviour because of what they do.

That's a dangerous precedent; It's unfair on residents whose travel is severely disrupted, and all-too-often have to put up with the kind of crime and disruption that the buses are fleeing day-in, day-out.

It's not a question of 'whose fault' this is. It's about making sure things return to normal ASAP and that this never happens again.

Therefore I am meeting the Police and First Bus to work out how in future its the criminals who suffer for their crimes, not the public, and that it is law and order, not louts and criminals, that calls the shots.

Fairbridge: Turning around lives ( and making great cakes)

2010-11-19T15:51:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of being an MP is that occasionally it means being forced to sit down to a nice cup of tea and eating some sinfully enormous and rich chocolate cake. I know. Tough, isn't it...

My visit to Fairbridge was one of those tough times: The young people ( some pictured here) many at risk of exclusion, come to Fairbridge for a variety of activities that, in their own words ( and I didn't see any of the staff kicking them under the table to say this!) - really has turned their lives around.

One of my young constituents in Southmead had made an obscenely superb chocolate cake for the occasion - and cooking is one of the activities that the Fairbridge centre offers. It had banana and chocolate goo in the middle, and over cake and tea we discussed what the young people had gained from the scheme, what their future plans were, and I spoke to one young man who had benefited from Fairbridge, who has now come back to help and plans to be a youth worker. That, and the views of the young people themselves, is testament enough to the great work the organisation does.

Southmead takes its protest to No.10

2010-10-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Community Groups up and down Bristol have been protesting about the Council's plans to sell off tracts of our green space which they deem as 'disposable', but in reality, is anything but.

The other week, I joined a group from Southmead, who have been doing brilliant work making the case for the old Dunmail School site to be kept.

The group, led by local people, had compiled a petition of hundreds of signatures, as well as collecting scores of responses to the council's plans, and came up to London to present them to no.10.

I was proud to be there as we handed in the petition to No.10 Downing Street.

Afterwards, we went on a bit of a tour around Westminster and had a cup of tea before the coach back to Bristol arrived. ( Thanks to our superb volunteer photographer for the Big Ben photo!)

If local democracy means anything, it means listening to residents' views on our green space - who have taken the battle to save Bristol's Green Spaces all the way to Westminster. Well done to everyone involved for your sturdy campaign, standing up for local people.

Southmead Green Space: Listen to the people who know best...

2010-10-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

It's such a shame. The Council's parks and green spaces strategy is supposed to improve green space for the people of Bristol. The problem is, that the proposals put forward do not seem to reflect at all the real needs of local people.

I've been supporting dozens of protests and picnics across my constituency, set up by people who do not object to maximizing the benefits of our green space, but who do object to council plans that seem out of touch with what's needed.

I've not spoken to anyone for example who actually supports the so called proposed 'improvements' to Glencoyne Square as local people say the proposals will make things less safe, and the square less usuable... and it's "improvements" like this, which I have yet to find public support for, which are what areas of much valued land are to be sold off for...

This protest was against plans to get rid of the play area at Embleton Park, off the Square. If you feel strongly, sign the petition for saving genuinely needed community green space at www.savebristolgreenspaces.bristolpetitions.com .

Rovers gives a boost to Henbury Streetz Project

2010-09-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

We've come a long way. From an idea I had after seeing a street dance performance at a charity dinner, to getting a new street dance group started at Emmanuel Chapel in Henbury!

The crew at Emmanuel Chapel have been superb in really making it happen, my mum has got involved to raise funds and now we have enough money for street dance every Friday, with beat-box on the cards for the future.

Our new group of talented street dancers and the team all went to the Rovers stadium to collect money. Sporting our new "Henbury Streetz Project" T-Shirts, we raised several hundred pounds on one day, and great fun was had by all. Many thanks to everyone who dug deep: And there was a Rovers victory as well! Thanks to Rovers and our intrepid team of fundraisers and dancers!

Natural England

2010-09-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

It is easy to take things for granted. My meeting with Natural England reminded me what extraordinary natural habitats and features Bristol North West is host to - from the Severn Estuary ( Above, as seen from the superb Kingsweston House. The ideal venue for a coffee-with-a-view!) with its enormous variety of bird life, to The Downs and the Avon Gorge (below) which hosts plant species unique to the Gorge itself.

There is always a balance between preserving what already exists, and making way for progress. Thankfully now there is more emphasis on sustainable progress - changes that are not so detrimental to the world around us that they destroy the environment that makes everything possible in the first place - but that balance is still very hard to get right.

Natural England explained their role in both protecting bird species in the Severn Estuary, and recognising the enormous importance of Avonmouth to the economic prosperity of the city; It was a morning very informatively spent - and it's made me look again at the 'natural assets' our city possesses.

Southmead's picnic protest

2010-08-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

Despite a shabby August, it has been a summer of big picnics. But that's because this summer is the time to respond to the Council's consultation on the Parks and Green Spaces strategy. The strategy's aim was to sell off disposable land in order to raise money to enhance the rest. Nothing wrong with that. Except that much of the land that the Council has earmarked as potentially 'disposable' and up for development is anything but to the communities who live in the area.

The old Dunmail School site on Lanercost Road is a case in point - a school that the area now would much need was demolished, but now the Council have earmarked the land for possible housing or traveler site development.

The community turned out in force to make the point that the site is not of low value or disposable - the community is doing all it can to make its voice heard. The Council has said it is listening to local people - the community is hoping that listening will mean acting on what they have to say.

UPDATE

The good news is that at a meeting with the Council Officer in charge of the process, I asked whether the Council's very impenetrable consultation forms were the only form of response that the Council would accept. Thankfully he confirmed that the Council would accept any form of submission to the Consultation.

The Council told me that the most helpful thing is to look at the strategy ( you can see it at local libraries, and online) and comment on specifics, with your opinion always backed up with facts ( eg. traffic, access, local infrastructure etc) - and also put forward some positive ideas of your own. - That's the best way to get your voice heard.

Upper Horfield's blooming Housing Association

2010-08-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

I have watched the development of Upper Horfield for several years now, and the local housing association, Bristol Community Housing Foundation ( BCHF) have always been at the heart of what's going on in the area. They provide a very good model of what is meant by 'The Big Society' - they are helping to create a good community not by thousands of rules and regulations, but simple things like encouraging people to take ownership of small plots of green space on their street; community clear-ups, and by giving Sue Moon, pictured here, the bulbs, space and most of all freedom to share her gardening expertise with the rest of the street by planting out the communal flower beds. She also makes a mean blackberry jam from local blackberries ( thanks Sue!).
If you want to see an alternative to using thousands of rules and regulations to create a healthy, good community, you could do a lot worse than visit BCHF at 400 Filton Avenue...

RAF cadets

2010-07-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

I was very honoured to be invited to give out achievement awards at the RAFA Club in Westbury on Trym.

I am always struck by the discipline and respect that cadet forces like these display. I've already spoken in Parliament about supporting our cadets, since they are so valuable in instilling those values that made Great Britain, well, Great, and which are still being displayed by our armed forces abroad today.

The RAFA Club in Westbury on Trym also boasts a very good selection of proper British Ales, and has won the the regional CAMRA ( Campaign for Real Ale) Club of the Year award.

Great to see people across the generations working together in a club like this!

Horfield Health Centre

2010-07-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

I was very keen to visit Horfield Health Centre, and talk to GPs about the plans contained in the Government's White Paper, to hand commissioning over to professional GPs. My dad has been a surgeon for over 30 years, so I've got a special interest in listening to what professionals have to say, and the valuable input they can provide in turning a policy into practice. It was a really constructive, encouraging and interesting meeting.

Horfield Health Centre is a real success - and with a growing population on its doorstep, is only going to be getting busier!

Rookie mess-ups!

2010-07-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

It can be quite intimidating for a newbie, Parliament. The air is thick with protocol, and written and unwritten rules. The potential for messing up is gloriously huge.

On Wednesday, I did my first Westminster Hall debate (on Local Education Partnerships, (LEPs) based on the issues I'd seen with them in relation to academies and Elmlea School.)

Hansard records mess-ups beautifully - and I thought you might like to see Hansard's version of one of mine...!

21 July 2010 : Column 140WH
Local Education Partnerships
4.44 pm

Charlotte Leslie (Bristol North West) (Con): Thank you, Mr Speaker. This is my first Westminster Hall debate, so if I mess up the protocol-

Mr James Gray (in the Chair): You addressed me as Mr Speaker, which is flattering, but incorrect. I am not yet the Speaker. Mr Gray is perfectly sufficient.

Charlotte Leslie: Thank you, Mr Gray. That was my first mess-up.

Tea(Street)Dance with mum

2010-07-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the year, I brought a Street-Dance team to Henbury's Emmanuel Chapel to start trial street-dance classes for local young people.

The classes were a huge success, and 9 weeks later, a significant group of young people had put together an excellent street-dance routine which they performed in front of the community (including their parents.) And the young people loved it so much that one of them anonymously, and unbeknownst to us, applied for Aspiring Communities funding themselves to continue it.

And my mum ( Who has always had a bit of a thing for street-dance) took it upon herself to fundraise to get enough money to secure the street-dance classes for the future. A few years ago she took up cycling, and recently won the European Triathlon Championships in her age-group - so she decided to do a big sponsored Bike Ride around the Bristol area to raise money for the street dance group.

This is just one of the fundraising events organised around her Big Bike Ride - A beautiful tea put on by Cynthia Reynolds and Carole Lye ( both pictured behind the tea table!) .

If you are interested in sponsoring my mum's bike ride for Henbury Street Dance, email my mum at janeleslie@hotmail.com for more details.

Proud of Pubs Day

2010-07-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I am quite genuinely very proud of our nation's pubs - so it was a particular pleasure for me to take part in the national "Proud of Pubs" day yesterday.

I paid a visit to the only pub in Stoke Bishop - The Mill House, to chat to staff and the pub's area manager, and to talk about the future of our great British pub trade.

We agreed that cut-price, high-strength drinks like alco-pops and super-strength ciders are a problem, and that supermarkets should not be able to sell them below cost; and that there is a real problem of young people getting very cheap alcohol to consume at home before they go out to the pub.

But when I was at the Mill House, there were a good number of people there, enjoying the sunshine, enjoying a responsible pint and a bite to eat.

But if you're concerned about the threat to our great British pubs, sign up to the campaign to Back our Pubs HERE!

Stoke Lodge Adult Learning Centre Open Day ( or, 'the near death of a parliamentary career')

2010-07-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

My parliamentary career very nearly took a turn for the worse today as I almost enrolled upon a French Speaking course, a course in wine-tasting, painting, life-sculpture and a cake-decorating course after some moments of extreme enthusiasm at Stoke Lodge Adult Learning Centre's open-day.

I was shown around the centre, which had on show exhibitions from a number of its varied adult learning courses.

I saw some really impressive pieces of work, saw work from people who started off as a hobby, who are well on their way to making a career out of their skill, and I also saw how adult learning courses like this can be a gateway to further education for those initially a bit intimidated by the formality of an F.E course.

I had also not previously appreciated how the courses take place across Bristol, from St. Pauls to The Greenway Centre in Southmead - it was fantastic to see the talent of local people from across Bristol under one roof - thanks to the organisers, and congratulations to all the contributers. Your work almost inspired me to drift from my parliamentary focus and pick up paint brushes and old french books!

Maiden no-longer

2010-07-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

I only just found my maiden speech on youtube... here it is for the benefit of anyone who wasn't, er, sitting glued to the Parliament channel...

Bristol's Biggest Picnic - depsite dodgy weather!

2010-07-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

......I must admit, the day didn't start hopefully. I'd managed to organise Bristol's Biggest Ever Protest Picnic on the same day as The Southmead Festival, St. Bernard's School fete - and the first rainy weekend for ages. "Nice one," I thought. "It's going to be an almighty failure." But how wrong I was. I'd underestimated English sturdiness against the weather, and the strength of feeling residents have for protecting their local green spaces. So the four picnics held across Bristol North West, at The Daisy Field, Okebourne Open Space, Horfield Common (thanks to Friends of Horfield Common!) and Lockleaze Open Space were a roaring success.

Fearful of the weather, and in mild drizzle, I'd moved the picnic at Lockleaze down a bit to the Romney Avenue entrance to make sure people came- but I needn't have bothered -dozens of people turned up to preserve that unique stretch of space just as it is for dog walkers, residents and wildlife.

We distributed a petition - www.savebristolgreenspaces.bristolpetitions.com - as well as encouraging people to write to the Council to register their concerns. This is the first stage of enabling people to make their views heard regarding the future of our community green spaces.

Thanks so much to everyone who helped me organise these picnics - stalwart members of the community ( you know who you are!) and all those who braved the threats of rain to come out for a brilliant day of picnics!

Southmead Festival Success

2010-07-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

By pretty much unanimous agreement, this year's Southmead Festival was one of the most successful ever - the sun came out for the afternoon and highlights included a superb Celine Dion karaoke by a local (male) resident, and some very exciting football - as well as live bands which got everybody moving.

I presented the Football Tournament prizes to Southmead Colts, and got briefly caught up in 'riding the train' of dancers to the live band...

I'm hoping everyone else was having enough fun not to notice...

Well done to all who organised the event - I went to the first Southmead Festival meeting many months ago, and I know people had been working for a long time to carry off such a successful, happy event. I can say without doubt: All the work paid off. Thank you!

Okebourne Open Space at the heart of Brentry

2010-07-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

It's not even a particularly nice day, but wandering past Okebourne Open Space, I came accross this group of residents having a community picnic.

It's a simply beautiful piece of space - with views right out over the estuary towards Wales, on a clearer day. And in the time I was there, children ( ahem, and a few adults) were skootering down the hill, climbing trees and generally running about expending energy in a way that they never would indoors, or even in their own garden.

But the madness is, the Council want to designate this piece of land as 'disposable' and surplus to requirement and build houses on it. This is all part of their Parks and Green Spaces strategy, which in theory sounds fine ( sell off useless land to enhance the good bits) but in practice is proving to be appalling.

There will be more about how to have your say over the Council's parks and green spaces strategy on my website and blog to come; But it's just such a dissappointment that a city like Bristol, which prides itself on being a 'Green City', cannot be more long-sited and see the long-term benefits of preserving space like this that builds ( if you want to use 'council-speak') ' community cohesion' and 'positive activities for young people'.

Mini the dog thinks the space should DEFINITELY be kept. "Hands off" she says to the Council. And she looks like she has a nasty bite...

Henbury Students' community funday sets the standard!

2010-07-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here I am with the "BS10 Big It Up" crew, at the superb Henbury Community School Funday, organised entirely by Henbury Students. Now one thing about being a candidate or an MP is that you get to go to a lot, and I mean A LOT of events and fairs. And I can honestly say I have never been to one better organised than this one organised by Henbury School Pupils.

There was food cooked by Henbury school pupils, with the help of the indefatigable ( and looking quite hot) Nick Merrick ; ( There was home-cooked curry as well as fat burgers and sausages), and entertainment and performances by Henbury School pupils.

I managed to get ice-cream all over my face and go berserk on the brick-a-brack stall which was selling off old videos for 10p a go. I spent a humongous £1.10 - and have a large bag of videos I intend to watch at some undetermined point. ( Including an old video of Dangermouse! for 10p! How can you say no to that?!)

Head-boy Ryan told me they'd been working to organise this since before Christmas, and having been behind some event organising myself, I know that something that seemingly flows as smoothly as today requires months and months of preparation. I was just delighted for the pupils that the one thing that couldn't be pre-planned came up trumps :- It was gorgeous weather.

Good biofuel, bad biofuel...

2010-07-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was in the press for having written to Chris Huhne, the Energy Secretary, about my concerns over the re-application for a biofuel plant at Avonmouth. With so much going on to try to prevent that plant, which will burn palm oil ( a renewable, but not environmentally sustainable fuel) from being established in Bristol, it is easy to just think of biomass as a bad thing.

So it was really refreshing to be able to visit Blaise Nurseries with Charles Hendry, Minister for Energy and Climate Change and Henbury's Councillor, Chris Windows. At Blaise Nurseries, they put waste wood products in boilers which generates energy. The wood comes from cast-offs from manufacturing ( with strict quality control) and from waste from woodland management; all genuinely sustainable, renewable sources, and turning waste into a source of energy.

There are also a lot of side-benefits: an expansion in woodland planting and woodland managing - which in turn demands new skills and new jobs. Lots of people talk about how climate change can be an opportunity for renewable technology, and how the South West is so well placed to take advantage of this, but it really becomes an exciting and tangible concept when you visit somewhere like Blaise Nurseries.

We are way behind Europe when it comes to doing this - but it shows that it really can be done and become a mainstream way of generating energy, and of course, we can learn from the mistakes made by our European neighbours without having to make them ourselves!

Preventing a moth-eaten Parliament

2010-07-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

The small white gadget in this inspiring picture is a moth-prevention device.

Apparently the whole of the Chamber-block, where my office is situated, has been infected with moth ever since a Member of Parliament brought a rug back to his office with him after a trip to an exotic location. The rug contained moth, and the offending creatures have been waging a battle with the parliamentary authorities ever since.

Moth vs. MP ... I've not seen one yet, (moth, that is) so I think we're winning...

Grand opening of the National Smelters Boxing Gym

2010-06-27T14:55:00.001-07:00

This blog has followed the progress of the Avonmouth National Smelters Boxing Club new-gym build. From lowly beginnings ( some girders in the mud) to a superb new facility...

It has all been down to the dedication and work of coach Garry Cave and his team of helpers and volunteers. Today, I was honoured to help open the Gym .

After the club held its AGM and prize giving, I opened the gym with Garry, (left, black T-shirt) and regional boxing developer, Roger Eady (right)

I have blogged incessantly, including an article in the Telegraph, about why boxing is so important for young people. I remember getting cross when one lady told me 'it taught young people to hit' - I'm afraid young people are already perfectly capable of hitting without going to a boxing club. But what boxing does do is channel natural aggression and energy into a disciplined and highly technical sport, and helps young men feel confident enough to walk AWAY from a fight.

But it is also the kind of family that builds up around a club like the National Smelters Club. At the prize giving, every boxer was valued, and I am always so impressed by one particular prize that's handed out: The Boxer's Boxer - the recipient is decided upon by the boxers themselves: They all go into a huddle and within 30 seconds, they have all mutually decided a winner. Try getting politicians to do something similar!

Garry just needs a bit more fundraising done before the gym is completely paid for. I intend to carry on helping and supporting the club, as well as boxing across the city; and now the madness of the General Election campaign is over, there's no excuse for me not to get the gloves back on and get back into the gym!

Sea Cadets today, tomorrow... the world!

2010-06-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

Appropriate, I suppose, that on armed forces day I spent a lot of the time talking to the new chairman of Filton Sea Cadets.
The cadets have done incredibly well, but working from very ramshackle premises at the Horfield TA centre. We discussed fund raising, the possibility of raising enough funds to completely rebuild the existing site - and the enormous potential for reaching out into local schools. As ever, I left thinking... a lot to be done.

Shirehampton Primary goes Turkish

2010-06-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

I could have made all sorts of puns about Turkish delights in the title - and quite appropriately too.

Shirehampton Primary School put on a truly exotic Turkish Evening last night; it was a great success with brilliant performances from pupils and adults, which almost made me consider taking up belly-dancing ( The glamorous outfits could have had a lot to do with it too...)

During the interval we were served with Turkish delicacies - particularly memorable was the pistachio cake made by local mum Ruth, who is with me here. Although by the time we got round to taking a photo, the pistachio cake was long gone...

Well done all, a really great community event, superbly organised and the perfect way to spend a hot mid-summers evening!

Education Select Committee!

2010-06-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

I've just found out I've been elected onto the Education Select Committee! For the first time, Select Committee places have not been determined by the Whips, but by an election amongst the other MPs in the party. I put myself forward for education because of my interest in it, both generally as the area which really dictates life chances, but also because there is so much happening in education here in Bristol; I thought it would be brilliant to be at the heart of things as policy is developed.

I didn't expect to get elected onto the Education Select Committee, but am delighted that I have. What is interesting, is that there is a huge number of new intake MPs elected onto Select Committees- and some really talented new people involved, -There's too many to list here, (and I'd probably mess up by missing someone off!) - but they include people with really valuable experience -including two GPs, which is great.

The great thing about Select Committees is that it is where MPs put aside their party political differences and all come together to work constructively on something. That's my kind of politics. I've always said, if I was into tribalism, I'd have got more into football, not politics!

And on that note, of football and work, I thought I'd share my latest office set-up with you. You can just see the England flag which was waving with gusto yesterday, behind me, and my desk is still relatively clear of stuff. There is suddenly a huge amount of work to do - so I wonder how long that will last...

Horfield Common Forever!

2010-06-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

When I got elected as an MP, loads of people told me to take Sundays off and not do anything. And I tried, I really, really tried. But after my usual lunch in Cookies in Lockleaze, I stumbled upon The Horfield Common Picnic. The sun was shining, there was a live band...and a cake stall. How could I say no?!

And after the cake stall, I stumbled upon Sam Thompson, with her Friends of Horfield Common Stall, and we got talking about the Parks and Green Spaces Strategy. (Watch this space for more on that...)

They are raising concerns about plans to dispose of part of the common and are seeking comments and views from local people as to whether the land is used and valuable to the community or not.

The picnic today demonstrated just how valuable green space is for the community; and so much more could be done with it, especially since the community is so engaged and willing to make things happen.

For more information on the campaign, go to www.friendsofhorfieldcommon.com

Caleb's campaign

2010-06-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you come across a person, or an event, that makes you stop and reassess things completely. Shielmor Twomey, the lady pictured next to me here, is one of those people.
When she came to see me, she explained that her son, Caleb, had committed suicide just months earlier, in January of this year. He was a lovely, bright, popular young man, who was pursuing a career in modeling - as you can see from the photo of him on the bench. But he had started taking ketamin, and he reacted so badly to it that in January, he took his own life.

His mum has bravely soldiered on, and is now starting a campaign, which I am helping her with, to raise awareness about the dangers of ketamin. This afternoon, on College Green, we unveiled a bench dedicated to Caleb, and let fly 28 balloons - one for each year of his life - with his family and friends. I've tabled an EDM ( Early Day Motion) and Caleb's mum is launching her campaign to try to prevent anyone else from going through anything like this.

Elmlea's Fair Field...

2010-06-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

This year, the annual Elmlea School Fair had an added significance. If the Council go ahead with possible plans, it could be the last ever Elmlea Fair to be held on the existing playing field.

The Infant school is in real need of rebuilding and improvement and the Council are looking at rebuilding it on the existing playing field, and using the infant school site as the new playing field.

Anyone who knows the site will know that there will, in effect, be a significant loss of playing field land ( I'm sure some clever people are able to re-categorise things to show that there is no loss of land whatsoever, but back here in Real World, it is fairly obvious that there would be a very significant loss of playing field site.)

Let's just hope the Council see sense, think long term, and preserve this wonderful playing field for the future of the children currently at infant school, and for generations of children, and Elmlea Fairs, to come.

En-ger-land

2010-06-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

This is the view from the main window of the "No" Lobby, which is next to the Chamber in the House of Commons.

Now, whose office could that be, then?!

But at this rate, the flag won't be flying much longer. Come on England.

Sea Mills Am Dram in action!

2010-06-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Around two years ago now, I took part in a day of revamping Sea Mills Community Centre. We painted it and began to clear out the area behind the stage.

But it soon emerged that clearing out the place was far more than a day's task, so we were more than happy to abandon ourselves to simply painting.

But since then, wonders have taken place at Sea Mills. They now have their own Sea Mills Amateur Dramatics group ( SMAD) run by Nick White and Tosh ( Nick is just behind me, Tosh is in pink in the middle.) They are writing plays, putting on pantos, and have around 20 members.

And not only that, they have completely cleared and revamped the Hall. The stage is now usable, and ready for productions!

If you want to find out more about SMAD, get in touch with Tosh: getintouch_amdram@hotmail.com

C'mon England.

2010-06-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

It's not often you can watch the World Cup, (responsibly) enjoy a pint of beer with your friends and watch a sunset at the same time. But at the Mouse's pub beer garden you can do just that.

This is the happy scene just before the USA equalised last night.
There are very many more people who can provide more informed commentary on the match than I can, so I won't even go there; but suffice to say, if you have to watch England do it yet again, the Mouse garden with its outside TV is a very nice place to do it.

One of the great things about the World Cup is that it provides such a boost for our nation's pubs. So I'll use this opportunity to remind you to go to www.backthepub.com to support the campaign to save our nation's pubs. The World Cup just wouldn't be the same without them!

Getting settled into parliament...

2010-06-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hooray! I finally have an office! ... but no computer yet...

This is it. Apparently I'm very lucky to have a window. The view is of some wall, then some scaffolding, but if you lean out perilously far, you can just see Big Ben. That's a friend sitting there, to give you an idea of scale... and just look at that lovely carpet.

Along with all the new MPs, I've been eagerly awaiting the allocation of my office. Apparently it's a marathon task, allocating offices to MPs. Think about it: First it had to be agreed which party occupied which part of the building, then all sorts of hierarchies etc would have to have been agreed , determining who got which office - then now-ex-Ministers have to be coaxed out of their old offices into their new, possibly much smaller, office. No wonder it's taken a while...

Victory for Bristol North West!

2010-06-01T03:32:00.000-07:00

There's a good reason why the last post on this blog is some time ago - the whirlwind of the General Election descended and blogging went out of the window.

BUT! It's back! And now I'm blogging as your MP. All the official stuff will be on my official website - www.charlotteleslie.com - which is still undergoing changes and upgrades, but this is just an informal look at what I'm doing.

At the moment, I still don't have an office in parliament, we are working on a constituency office, and there's still a lot of logistics to be put into place - but it is great to be able to fight for my home with the resources that Westminster can offer to get things done for our area.

Oh, and the picture, if you hadn't already guessed, is me with my very proud and long-suffering mum and dad, on the morning of the count. It was getting on for 28 hours without sleep, so for that, I think we're all doing ok!

A bit of a break from the norm...

2010-03-11T01:07:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know, there has been a scarcity of blog posts recently, for the simple reason that by the time I get back to my computer after a day out doing things, there's a stack of email related stuff to do and updating the blog is always the thing that is next on the list to do at the point when I decide to call it a day and get some sleep.

BUT... this video I got sent prompted me to a quick blog - and a break from the political norm, since we're all going to be getting so much politics over the next few weeks.

It's my mum. She's 60 ( and won't thank me for advertising that fact) but has taken up Street Dancing. I'm not sure what our generation is going to be like when we get to that age, but the Baby Boomers just seem to keep on going! See if you can spot her. ( Hint, she's in the dark t-shirt in the middle and knocks someone in the face by accident at the end. Well done, mum. )

Wassailing to save the Daisy Field

2010-01-17T05:23:00.000-08:00

One thing's certain. I don't have a future in Morris Dancing. The Rag Morris troupe had volunteered to help out with a peaceful ( though noisy) protest-Wassail to help save the Daisy Field. After leading a procession of around 150 people down from Shirehampton Green to the Daisy Field, the Morris Dancers toasted the trees, and gave volunteers the chance to join in one of the dances - which I couldn't resist. It was more tiring than it looks, and I developed a knack for bumping into other dancers.

The entire event was organised by local residents Caroline and Jim Penny, as part of our ongoing campaign to prevent the Council from including the Daisy Field in its list of land at risk of sale and development, in its Parks and Green Spaces consultation document. The Document was due to be published in January this year, but has now been postponed until after the elections in June.

The turn out was huge, and a tangible demonstration of how much the community values this green space. I've said it once, I'll say it again - Council - if you really are listening to the people as you say you are, the message is clear: Please - Hands off Shirehampton's Daisy Field.

Henbury pulls off a Cracker

2009-12-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

Despite the rain and cold, Henbury's Christmas Crackers event on Crow Lane yesterday was a resounding success.

I'm not yet sure how much money was raised, but an array of snowmen, reindeer, christmas trees a- and a Christmas pudding ( seen here with Chris Windows, our Henbury Councillor, looking charming in a hat) , were out shaking buckets and people were giving generously.

Well done and thanks to everyone who braved numb fingers and toes and the damp to put on a really lovely event - which is a reminder again that Crow Lane gets a lot of bad press, but that the huge majority of people are incredibly community minded and put themselves out to make events like this come together.

Bringing Christmas to the elderly with the Southmead Carol Bus

2009-12-14T16:18:00.000-08:00

The snow may have been fake, but it was pretty cold, which is why this photographer's hands were shaking so much, no doubt. The picture shows me, Santa and "Santa's Little Helper" , in the hat, towering over Santa.

This evening, I was invited to join Cliff Howell on his Southmead Carol Bus as it visited elderly people's homes in North West Bristol. It really was an honour. Every year Cliff drives the carol bus to a number of homes, and Father Christmas goes in and visits the elderly residents personally.

Although the aim of the evening was simply to bring some Christmas to those who may otherwise not have much in the way of festivities, I was also holding the collecting tin. All money raised tonight and on Friday night's Southmead Tour will go to local community projects and charities.

I've said before that pictures speak 1000 words. I'm not sure in that case how many words videos speak, but I suspect it's a lot more. So since I'm now obsessed with embedding youtube videos into everything, I'll let these do the talking, and leave you with a very fine picture of the Carol Bus's very own Santa's Little Helper. ( sorry, SLH, I couldn't resist!)

Brailsford Brothers Christmas Lights finally switched on!

2009-12-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

I've got a feeling this isn't the last Christmassy themed post I'm going to write - and it's only the 1st December...

Brentry marked the beginning of advent with the now legendary switch-on of the Brailsford Brothers' Christmas Lights display. This blog has tracked their progress, from when I first came across Lee, taking down the lights one chilly January morning, to putting them back up again on a scorching September day, to the switch-on this evening. Getting anywhere near the house this evening was something of a challenge, due to the crowds of people who had assembled.

I had written to EDF Energy to ask whether they would be able to give the brothers a discount on their electricity bill. They pay for all the lights themselves, out of their own pocket, and this year with the credit crunch, it has been harder for them. Sadly, I was unable to get EDF to help, despite some trenchant pestering, but that didn't stop Lee and Paul from putting on a display bigger and better than ever before, this year.

Wallace and Gromit were there, along with Father Christmas, shaking buckets and raising money for Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal for the Royal Hospital for Children - and the collecting boxes are out throughout the Christmas period for donations from passers-by who enjoy the lights display.

So go along and see what is perhaps Bristol's brightest house on Oakbourne Road, in Brentry. And check out their website at www.brailsfordlights.co.uk, HERE

Carols in November with Bristol Brunel Lions Carol Sleigh

2009-11-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, the scary looking character about to hijack Father Christmas's Carol Sleigh is actually me.

To herald in December, The Bristol Brunel Lions Club launched the first night of their Carol Sleigh, complete with tirelessly waving Father Christmas, a new van, and lights.

We knocked on doors, collecting for Elmfield School for Deaf Children. Not only were we raising money for a very worth while local cause, but it was heart-warming, in the cold night, to see how much parents and children alike enjoyed the carols. As one mum said, " In 10 years, you've always come to visit us, you've never let us down." And more than one person said it was, for them, the beginning of Christmas. And so despite the chill, there were quite a few little people to be seen, running behind the carol bus in pyjamas.

The Bristol Brunel Lions Club has raised literally tens of thousands of pounds for local and international charities over the years. Their slogan is "Ordinary People. Amazing Things." Amazing, and often simple things, like a carol sleigh every year, make the world of difference.

If you'd like to find out more about donating, or joining the Lions, call 0845 833 5848

Aladdin Comes to Southmead

2009-11-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

It was filthy weather today. The perfect day for an afternoon pantomime. And dozens of other people obviously thought so too as Southmead Community Hall was absolutely packed full for the performance of Aladdin today.

Local man Cliff Howell organised the event to raise money for the Southmead Carol Bus Appeal, which raises money for local causes and sports and community groups. This year the pantomime was more successful than ever, with extra chairs having to be brought in, and lots of hushed activity at the back of the hall with teas and coffees being served, and light-sticks being sold to the kids.

What was particularly good to see was the complete age-range of people in the hall - from babies to toddlers, teenagers, young adults right up to grand-parents. Everyone was enjoying the show. In truth, I remember thoroughly hating pantomimes when I was little. I used to be dragged along by my parents as part of the Christmas ritual at the Bristol Hippodrome -I think because my Gran loved the panto. But either I've grown into them, or the production we saw of Aladdin was a cut above what I saw when I was tiny - because I enjoyed every minute of it, along with everyone else.

If you'd like to donate to the Southmead Carol Bus Appeal, click HERE!

www.southmeadpride.co.uk

Swinging Sixties at Shirehampton's Christmas bash

2009-11-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

There's always one, isn't there. Most people attending SCAF's superb annual Christmas Dinner at Kings Weston House on Saturday interpreted the theme 'Swinging Sixties' with a sophisticated nod to the decade - perhaps a slightly shorter skirt than usual, with knee-high boots, or a tasteful 'flower-power' motif in the button hole.

Not our elected Council representative for a ward that shall remain nameless- No. They entered into the swing of things in full wig-wearing style. But everyone was polite enough not to notice.

The SCAF Christmas dinner has become a real annual highlight. The picture here shows the braver guests of the evening attempting a group-version of The 12 Days Of Christmas karaoke style.

It is very good to see the whole community enjoying one of the hidden gems of Bristol - Kings Weston House. An historic beauty of a building, resurrected from the near-dead by John Hardy and his team.

Just the day before, Lord Heseltine had dropped in to see Kings Weston House on his way through Bristol and had admired the suspended staircase - one of just two of its kind in existence. Thankfully there were no luminous shirts or awful wigs in evidence on that occasion - but whether it's a grand event, or a more relaxed evening with the community and friends, Kings Weston House is always a unique, and wonderful venue.

Southmead Rugby Club celebrates new changing rooms -with Darth Vader!

2009-11-16T05:22:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, I spent the day at Southmead Rugby Club's celebration of the opening of their brand new changing rooms. I visited the changing rooms only a few weeks ago, and to be honest, when I saw them, I couldn't believe they were going to be ready in time. But thanks to the sterling work of Barry Jakes, Mickey Pierce, Gary Mills, Jason Silcox and the team, I was proved spectacularly wrong! It was particularly impressive because many of those working on building the changing rooms were either local men, or members of the club, working for a reduced fee to get it done for the community.

They laid on a fantastic day; a match with international players, then celebrations in the club house, followed by a superb dinner. Southmead man, Dave Prowse, was the guest of honour - better known as Darth Vader. He gave a speech, including some new words to the Star Wars theme, (which you can see exclusively here thanks to youtube!) and auctioned off his last Light Sabre, which raised well over £2000 for the club.

The dinner was followed by a performance from local band, Hooper - and a good time was had by all.

It was a superb day, and was a good demonstration of the real community spirit of Southmead in action! Well done and thank to all involved.

We will remember them

2009-11-08T15:34:00.000-08:00

At 10.30am, it started to pour down. But the stalwart crowds who were assembled to pay their respects to the fallen brave, and our forces fighting today were not to be put off by a bit of rain.
As we laid our wreaths and sang hymns, and finished with the national anthem, I doubt there were many of us there who were not thinking of the enormous sacrifices our armed forces are taking at this very moment. Our thoughts today go out to all those who have served and fallen in the past, and all those serving in our armed forces today, and their families. Today is a special day of remembrance, but every day is a day to be acutely mindful of the magnitude of the risks being taken, and the sacrifices being made by our armed forces.

Manor Farm Boys Club

2009-10-22T01:57:00.000-07:00

It was an inspiration visiting Manor Farm Boys Club. Not only has it resisted the tide of political correctness in holding onto its single-sex status, and it's original name, but it is also an example of what can be done, not by endless meetings and discussion, but by just using initiative and getting on with it.

The club is a bit of a tardis - much larger on the inside than it seems on the outside. And they have made superb use of space, with a new gym and an art room and store-cupboards in every available corner.

The club also owns a cottage in Wales for community adventure weekends, which it lets out to other youth clubs and organisations across Bristol. When I visited, they were also making use of the demand for parking spaces by people coming to watch the (sadly unsuccessful) Rovers game, and charging for car-parking.

It was really encouraging to see community minded people taking the initiative and making the club work - even more so when you realise that most of those now involved in the club came through it themselves and have grown up to want to put something back in. That's real sustainability.

Filton Sea Cadets - fundraising needed!

2009-10-20T01:35:00.000-07:00

If more children were given the kind of opportunities those at Filton Sea Cadets get, to learn a multitude of skills and discipline, our antisocial behaviour problem would be much diminished.

I went to visit Scott Stevens, ( pictured) of Filton Sea Cadets to see if I could help them raise much needed funds to renovate their premises at Horfield's T.A Centre.

What struck me most was the manners and courtesy of the young people there. I had a bit of trouble getting in, initially - and one of the boys let me in and pointed me in the right direction, and with exceptional courtesy made sure I knew where I was going and how to find the person I had come to see.

Scott himself has invested huge amounts of his own personal time and money in helping to renovate the crumbling premises in which the Sea Cadets are currently housed. They need all the support they can get - and there are few initiatives that are more valuable than this one. So if you can help, get in touch with the Filton Sea Cadets, by emailing Maz: Mazbissell@blueyonder.co.uk

Come to "Southmead's Got Talent" Grand Karaoke Final!

2009-10-14T06:07:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, ( 18th October) it's the Grand Final of Southmead's Karaoke competition. It promises to be unmissable. 7 contestants, aged from 11-65 have gone through the heats to reach this final stage.

We are also luck to have Bristol's former WBC Super Middleweight Champion of the World, Glenn Catley on the panel of celebrity judges. I'll be sitting beside Glenn on the celebrity panel. Now there's a man whose decisions you don't want to disagree with too much...

But that's not all that's happening: There is also a full line up of family entertainment, courtesy of local performers, such as The Southmead Pride Majorettes, and the Ds Streets Hip Hop Dance Troop. These are just some of the groups that Southmead Pride sponsors and supports.

A large amount of Southmead Pride's money for the community is raised through The Southmead Carol Bus Appeal. The whole thing has been more or less instigated by one local man - Cliff Howell, and what he has achieved for the community over the years is testament to just what can be achieved by one man.

So come along for a great afternoon, supporting local community groups at the same time.

WHERE? Southmead Community Centre
WHEN? This Sunday, 18th October, 3pm onwards
TICKETS? Just £5

For more information, go to www.southmeadpride.co.uk
or call Cliff's Florists on 0117 593999

And this is Southmead's Carol Bus in action...!

On the Henbury beat with the police

2009-10-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

Last Friday between 5.30pm and 1am, I joined the local police as they were out patrolling Henbury - and the notorious Crow Lane. I was wanting to see the youth crime problem from the other side- from the perspective of the police. I followed Sgt. Terry Scoble who explained their Zero Tolerance policing policy for parts of Henbury. To be honest, I was expecting riots on the streets, but on the night I was out the place was remarkably deserted.

As we drove round, meeting and dealing with small clusters of varyingly nuisance young people, one thing struck me: It was Friday night, and the only facility open for young people was... not the Youth Club. Despite reassurances that it would be open on Friday night, the youth club was closed. What about the Youth Bus? The Youth Bus seemed no where to be found. The only place open for young people was the voluntary organisation - where no one was paid to be there- it was Emmanuel Chapel.

For me that spoke volumes, and took me back to David Camerons' conference speech, and what he said about liberating communities from an over-bearing and inefficient state. So often, the best way the state can help the community is to channel all its support and resources into helping other organisations, real, organic, community organisations, do the work.

it was a fascinating and valuable experience coming out with the police. I'd like to thank Sgt. Terry Scoble and his team for being so accommodating, and providing such an informative and educational evening.

One of Britain's strangest pubs ?

2009-10-03T04:59:00.000-07:00

This has little to do with Bristol, but it is so extraordinary, I thought it merited a blog anyway:

On my way up to the Conservative party conference in Manchester, I couldn't resist stopping by at what must be one of Britain's strangest pubs: Somerset House, in Stourbridge.

From the outside, an unremarkable red-brick pub. But Somerset House holds a secret - as yet unexplained by scientists: it is possible to suspend a full pint glass from the wall by rubbing it up and down on the wall until it 'sticks'.

One theory, when the pub was wall-papered instead of painted, was that it was the wall-paper-paste underneath that somehow stuck the glass to the wall: but the wall paper has since been stripped off and the wall painted over. And the pints still stick. A real mystery.

This picture isn't photo-shopped, it's real. Go to Somerset House, in Stourbridge and see for yourself.

Creating a Huge Stir in Henbury

2009-09-29T03:24:00.000-07:00

There are certain landmark events in the year of a candidate - and MacMillan's "Big Stir" coffee morning is one of them. This is the third event I've been to as a candidate, and every year I am bowled over by the energy and determination of the local communities who organise them, with Macmillan.

This year, I was once again at Henbury's coffee morning, with Henbury's new Councillor, Chris Windows. (Seen here causing havoc with the raffle). The Scout Hut on Tranmere Avenue was packed out. There was a seemingly never-ending stream of raffle prizes - testament to the generosity of local people - and some superb stalls of locally hand-made crafts, cards and cakes.

And at time of writing, the Henbury Big Stir alone raised over £800.

And a special congratulations must go to Cynthia Reynolds, Carole Lye and their team for making it such a successful day.

Anyone who has had contact with the work the Macmillan nurses do, will know how valuable the cancer care they give really is. They looked after my gran in her last days, and I will never forget their gentleness and expertise, and how reassuring they were to the rest of the family as well. It's hard to find someone who has not in some way come into contact with the work they do.

Even if you could not make the coffee morning, you can still donate to Macmillan - just click here to support.

Christmas starts now, for Brentry's big lights display

2009-09-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

Some months ago now, I bumped into Lee and Paul Brailsford taking down their magnificent Christmas lights display.

Yesterday, I came across Lee Brailsford again - just beginning the mammoth task of erecting their extraordinary, charity-fundraising lights display.

For the Brailsford brothers, Christmas starts in September. The amount of time and effort - not to mention their own money -these local residents invest in providing a focal point to be enjoyed by all the community at Christmas is astounding.

The Big Light Up is on 1st December, and Lee told me how the traditional elements of Christmas provide so much joy for so many people in the community -particularly the elderly. You just have to read their comments page to see how much it means to so many people.

And last year, the brothers raised over £2000 for the Childrens Hospital. Not bad for a tradition that started out as two boys enjoying decking out their mum's house at Christmas... and just shows what can be achieved with a bit of determination, vision and quite a lot of hard work!

Residents turn out in force for Shire's public meeting

2009-09-02T01:06:00.000-07:00

When I stood up amongst the crowd who had been refused entry to a meeting about the future of the Daisy Field and Lamplighters land, back in June, I pledged to get them a full public meeting to really discuss the issue.

Under the Council's Parks and Green Spaces Strategy, the Daisy Field and Lamplighters Land are amongst plots of land identified as of potential 'low value' to the community, and susceptible for being sold off for housing.

Three months, a petition, a 'write-to-the-council-campaign' and a Big Picnic later, the council officers responsible came to address a packed public meeting, chaired by Avonmouth's new Councillor, Siobhan Kennedy-Hall.

It is a very good thing we did get this meeting: The level of information, sound argument and strength of feeling displayed by residents at the meeting was impressive. The amount of 'new information' that the council officers gained by listening to residents, many of whom have lived in Shirehampton for many years, was significant.

We got some pledges of action by the council, and Cllr. Kennedy-Hall is following that up. Most importantly, council officers were exposed directly to the thoughts and feelings of the general public.

The decision has yet to go to consultation - but hopefully the campaign will have started early enough to prevent the Daisy Field and Lamplighters land from even appearing in the consultation document.

We have been determined to sort this out before the consultation process because residents sadly now have little faith that they are able to sway any decision that has gone to consultation - they fought to save their swimming pool, and the Robin Cousins Centre - to no avail. Let's hope this campaign, having got in early, is more successful.

And you can still do your bit!

1. By signing the petition

2. Writing to the council: Send your letter, with specific comments on why the Daisy Field and Lamplighters should not be built on, to:

Rob McGovern
Area Green Space Plan Project Officer
Bristol Parks
Colston 33
Colston Avenue
Bristol, BS1 4UA

Southmead's Bethany Church arts and crafts exhibition

2009-08-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

...On Wednesday, I fought through the rain to Bethany's art and craft exhibition in Southmead; it featured the work of local artists and cards were on sale, personalised while you wait.

Afterwards, the church put on a superbly organised sit-down-tea for just £1, with sandwiches and a huge selection of cakes. The hall was packed out, and the organisers worked incredibly hard to make sure we were all topped up with tea.

The exhibition was held to raise money for the children's hospice, and as well as providing an superb afternoon out, particularly for many elderly residents in the area, the afternoon also raised £150 for charity. An afternoon well spent!

Shirehampton Hall Celebrates Vaughan Williams

2009-08-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

Bristol North West is full of more literary and cultural history than you might first think; Sea Mills was mentioned in John Betjeman's poetry, and Vaughan William's masterpiece "The Lark Ascending" had its debut in Shirehampton Village Hall on 15th December 1920.

On Wednesday, however, Shirehampton broke its habit of extreme modesty about such things and held a celebration of "The Lark Ascending" debut. There was the unveiling of the plaque by Em Marshall , founder of the English Music Festival and Chair of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society, in the morning, seen here - and a booked out concert in the evening.

It was a delight to see Shirehampton Hall celebrating its historic past in such lively form; and a big congratulations must go to all those who spent so long in organising and planning this superb event.

Henbury Fun-day: What it says on the tin, plus.

2009-08-24T06:11:00.000-07:00

They say a picture speaks a thousand words, so here's a several-thousand-word equivalent on Henbury Fun Day, which took place on Saturday.

It was informative, helpful as well as fun - The fire brigade were there, as were Transition Henbury, Henbury pupils cooking up some delicious and healthy dishes, as well as technicolour beards, name the marrow contests, and much more. I also got the chance to catch up with the police to discuss progress on tackling youth crime. Although thankfully, there was no hint of anything but universal good spirits on the Fun-day. Thanks and well done to all involved.

The sun shines on Shire's Big Picnic

2009-07-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

At 11.55am, things were looking a bit ropey. The sky was threatening rain, and the only sign of anyone coming to Shire's Big Picnic was a mum with a pushchair some way off, and a dog walker.

But I needn't have worried. Pretty soon, local residents were flooding down to the Lamplighters land in Shirehampton to unfurl their picnic rugs for a peaceful demonstration against the Council's possible plans, under their Parks and Green Spaces Strategy, to put The Daisy Field and Lamplighters Land up for building development.

Over 250 people turned up to Shire's Big Picnic, which is a formidable demonstration of just how much this land is valued by the people in Shirehampton. And sitting there on the grass beside the river, it is easy to see why. This land is one of Bristol's beauty spots. For most cities, this area would be the jewel in their crown. It would be madness to build over it.

It was also very good to see people of all ages sitting down together as a community. Shire's Big Picnic demonstrated that although good facilities for play are important, with just a picnic rug, a bit of food and the company of your friends, family and neighbours, a wonderful day can be had by all.

Lots of people have said to me that Shire's Big Picnic should become an annual event. I am hoping that our campaigning will safeguard this land so Shire's Big Picnic can become a stapel part of the local calendar for many years to come.

If you would like to do your bit to protect the Daisy Field and Lamplighters Land from building development, please sign Cllr. Siobhan Kennedy-Hall's petition HERE

Less of the bad language, please!

2009-07-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

Fed up of reading council-speak documents, full of words that seem to mean nothing at all? Read my Daily Mail blog about it HERE

And send me your 'top-ten' awful politi-speak words and phrases...

Westbury Park Community Fair

2009-07-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

There are summer fetes and fairs everywhere at the moment. I love things like that ( which I suppose is a good thing, being a candidate) - and I invariably leave with a bag of stuff I had told myself I wouldn't buy: odds and ends and usually crockery from bric-a-brac stalls and the inevitable home-made cake.

I particularly like the idea of a street-fair, like Westbury Park's fair which was held yesterday. It was absolutely packed, the entertainment -which included what my mum would call a 'good old-fashioned' punch and judy show- was superbly organised and by the looks of things, a healthy amount of money was raised. In fact, I wonder how much money has been raised in total fetes like this across Bristol this year?

I like fairs like this because they always show how much community spirit really is out there, beneath the headlines of recession, an atomised society and family breakdown. And there's something very sturdy about this tradition: I hope and suspect that for many a year to come, regardless of headlines, there will be events like this, with bric-a-brac and cake stalls we just can't resist.

Giving the public the real say on the future of Shire's green spaces

2009-06-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I was at a meeting discussing the future of Shirehampton's Daisy Field and part of the Lamplighters land under the Council's Parks and Green Spaces Strategy. That's the strategy whereby areas of land are identified as 'low value', sold off for housing, in order to enhance remaining areas.

The hoards of people pictured here, however, are not the meeting. They are members of the public who were unable to get into the meeting - and to whom an unfortunate council officer gave an impromptu talk and took questions.

For a full version of what happened, read my Daily Mail blog HERE

But in short the whole thing has ignited great public anger -

1. Because asking the people of Shirehampton to sell off the green space they have left in order to 'enhance' the rest with things like sports facilities and a swimming pool, when there is the scar of the demolished old pool, and the mausoleum of the derelict Robin Cousins centre down the road seems to many absurd to the point of being insulting.

2. Trying to alleviate the public's concern about democratic procedure by asking the public to wait until the formal public consultation to put forward their views does not help: People in Shirehampton have objected in the strongest possible terms to so many decisions about their community to apparently no avail, that , as one lady put it, people wonder "What kind of public objection would it take to change decisions under consultation?"

3. In all the opinion gaining exercises the Council is conducting as to what people in Shirehampton want done with their green space, the overwhelming and simple answer is "Please, please just leave it alone! but reopen our closed facilities and maintain our land better". That's the answer. But it doesn't seem to be sinking in...

If you feel strongly about this issue, you can sign a petition online against the designation of The Daisy Field and Lamplighters land as 'low value' by clicking HERE.

Henleaze Fair success - and over £100 raised for new Youth Group

2009-06-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

I don't often sit down to get my nails painted, but when all proceeds are going toward the new Henleaze Youth group, set up by Henleaze mum Liz Radford ( pictured in the white t-shirt) , and the nail painters were local young people, well, how could I refuse?

They were amongst the many groups, charities and local crafts-people who had a stall at St. Peter's Church community fair in Henleaze, which I opened at the weekend. The fair raised funds for the church and continuing activities in the community, as well as for a variety of local and third-world charities.

It was particluarly good to see young people taking the initiative and raising money for their own venture. There was a water-tattoo stall run by some very young helpers as well as the nail-painting. The stalls raised over £100 in a matter of hours, and provided many happy customers with some very exotic nails indeed.

Please sponsor me and support St.Peter's Hospice

2009-06-22T14:46:00.001-07:00

I've been putting it off and putting it off, since training has been going so diabolically. But I've finally bitten the bullet and committed myself to running the Bristol Half Marathon for St. Peter's Hospice.

The work that St.Peter's does really cannot be over-estimated. They provide support and care not only for those at the end of their lives, but also their families. And in fact, the network of loyal support that St. Peter's has forged through its work is a bit like a family itself.

But St. Peter's needs donations like yours to keep going with its work. So please, even if it's just a tiny amount, please do sponsor me in running the Bristol Half Marathon 2009 for St. Peter's Hospice. Thank you.

June Thunder and good language

2009-06-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

I've just been inching through a particularly dull report. It's full of what I call 'council-speak' - the kind of stuff that is a language all of its own, and leaves you wondering what on earth it actually means - if it means much at all. And leaves you thinking that the same thing could have been said in about 3 pages, instead of 53. And then I thought of this poem, partly because of the month and the weather, but I thought I would post it up as an example of language used well: Saying an awful lot in really not that many words. The photo is one I took when I was out canvassing in Horfield.

June Thunder

Louis Macneice

The Junes were free and full, driving through tiny
Roads, the mudguards brushing the cowparsley,
Through fields of mustard and under boldly embattled
Mays and chestnuts

Or between beeches verdurous and voluptuous
Or where broom and gorse beflagged the chalkland--
All the flare and gusto of the unenduring
Joys of a season

Now returned but I note as more appropriate
To the maturer mood impending thunder
With an indigo sky and the garden hushed except for
The treetops moving.

Then the curtains in my room blow suddenly inward,
The shrubbery rustles, birds fly heavily homeward,
The white flowers fade to nothing on the trees and rain comes
Down like a dropscene.

Now there comes catharsis, the cleansing downpour
Breaking the blossoms of our overdated fancies
Our old sentimentality and whimsicality
Loves of the morning.

Blackness at half-past eight, the night's precursor,
Clouds like falling masonry and lightning's lavish
Annunciation, the sword of the mad archangel
Flashed from the scabbard.

If only you would come and dare the crystal
Rampart of the rain and the bottomless moat of thunder,
If only now you would come I should be happy
Now if now only.

Local Bristol Girl writes and performs play

2009-06-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

I've just come back from watching a rehearsal of a play written by local girl Rae Piper ( That's Rae, in the hoop.)

The play is called "A Sense of Shakespeare" and in fact, it is so good that I assumed it was written by some very well known playwright or something. Until Rae let on it was her.

I'm not going to let on much more about the play except to say it is not Shakespeare as you've seen it before, it is superbly acted ( if the rehearsal I went to is anything to go by), involves some extraordinary acrobatics ( see above) and some very catchy songs and dynamic dance routines. I'm cussing myself for not having the presence of mind to take a video on my digi-camera. But... I guess that means you'll just have to go along and see for yourself!

It's on at : Circomedia, St. Pauls Church, Portland Square, Bristol BS2 8SJ

On 24th, 25th 26th June - that's THIS Wednesday, Thursday , Friday

Tickets cost a bargain £9, £6 Concessions,
you can get them by calling the box office: 0117 922 3686
Or online at www.colstonhall.org

I've got one thing to say about this play - GO AND SEE IT!

Rae Piper and the cast, and me.

If policy is out of touch, should Ministers do work experience?

2009-06-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's not only the expenses row that shows how distant Westminster politics has become from normal life ( although it's a pretty strong example) - it's also the amount of legislation made that bears so little relation to the real problems and how things actually work.

So should Ministers with portfolios of responsiblity have to do work experience?
Read my Daily Mail blog on it HERE.

Academy conference in Bristol

2009-06-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

--I spent this morning at an academy conference, organised by the Merchant Venturers ( who sponsor two very different academies- the Merchants Academy at the old, seriously challenged Withywood School, and Colstons Girls school, an independent becoming an academy.)

Bristol's education situation ( i.e. not good) has meant that it has been a focus for the academy programme, and the city now has 8 academies up and running. Huge amounts of energy, effort, innovation and talent have gone into determining that these academies are a success. I've so far visited the City Academy , Bristol, Merchants Academy, and new Colstons Girls academy and have already blogged about the opening of Brightstowe academy. The thing all these schools have in common is a determination from the sponsors and the heads to make things work, regardless of what has gone before.

Shadow Schools Minister, Nick Gibb (in the middle of me and Trevor Smallwood, the master of the Merchant Venturers) came down to talk about Conservative policy towards academies, to give the sponsors some idea of what they might expect under a Conservative Government. Nick described some of the ways a Conservative Government would halt the erosion of the academy concept by the Brownites ( who always hated Tony Blair's reforms) and return academies to the original model -(which was an idea based on Conservatives' City Technology Colleges) as well as allow primary schools to become academies. Sponsors gave feedback and, most valuably , their perspective on what makes a good school, and what politicians can do to support their efforts.

It was a fascinating day. I have often felt that one of the problems with politics is that policy makers often don't get enough input from the real world, people who live and work in eg. education; and that too much policy is made on bureaucratic theory. Today was a feast of information, experience and expertise for anyone thinking about the future of education - of the city and of the nation.

Resurrection for Shire's Tithe Barn

2009-06-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

It's become a familiar story: Despite local protest, historic sites of enormous local interest get sold off to become yet more blocks of flats. The property developers move in, and gone is a unique heart of a local community - forever.

So it really is a burst of fresh-air when an historic community facility gets bought - not by property developers, but by a community group who want to pump new life back into it, for the community.

That's exactly what's happened with Shire's Tithe Barn. It has been bought from Bristol Charities by the PCC of St.Mary's Church, Shirehampton.

The Barn was opened for the first time in ages, to hold an open day for local people to come in and have an input into how they would like to see The Tithe Barn renovated and put to use.

I escaped from some arduous pre-local election leaflet delivery to have a look round and to have a chat with the dynamic Rev. Canon Christine Froude, vicar of St. Mary's church. She is hoping that the barn will be used to host a variety of community outreach initiatives, including social events, clubs, advice services and counselling, as well as additional church services for the ever growing congregation of St.Mary's.

Good luck - It will be a refreshing to have new additional facilities coming into Shirehampton, instead of watching yet more get stripped away.

Read my Daily Telegraph article on MPs Expenses

2009-05-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

The Daily Telegraph rang up and asked what I felt about the expenses fiasco as a prospective MP. You can read what I wrote about it HERE

Leukemia Research Charity Football Match

2009-05-10T03:59:00.000-07:00

We couldn't have asked for better weather for the charity football match for Leukemia Research, on Sunday at the Port of Bristol Sports and Social Club. The event was organised largely thanks to Liz and Phil Radford and their dedicated team of helpers and was a huge success. Matches took place throughout the day , with the winning team playing an all-star cast of celebrity footballers, including our very own Geoff Twentyman.

But it wasn't all about football. There were refreshments (including superb home-made curry) and the stall was so busy that I was drafted in to help out. Though I'm not sure that 'help' is what the organisers might have called it...

We are still waiting to hear how much we raised, but a huge congratulations to everyone who made it such an enjoyable, and successful day.

Help support David from Brentry in the Special Olympics

2009-05-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

I was tipped off by Rose, who seems to know just about everything that's going on in Henbury, to go into the flower shop on Crow Lane and talk to the lady in there whose son has autism and plays judo with the KoDachi Special Needs Judo Club in Southvill.

So I did. It turns out that David Woodland ( pictured, middle, ) has autism has been offered a place at the Special Olympics. It's a huge achievement and fantastic news - except for one thing: As anyone who has done international sporting competition knows, it can cost. And David and his family really need help to cover the costs of all the kit, travel and accommodation of the Special Olympics GB, in July, and in the international competitions David has to attend in leading up to it. They told me they'll have to raise around £800-£1000. They've already given up holidays, luxuries and going out to support David, and David has done a sponsored judo-throw to raise funds.

But there's still a long way to go. If you'd like to sponsor David, either get in touch with me, (charlotte@charlotteleslie.com) or the KoDachi Special Needs Judo Club secretary Helen Goodchild on 01275 874547. Or alternatively, go into the flower shop on Crow Lane to find out more...

For England...

2009-04-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

The church service celebrating St. George's day was well guarded on Sunday. I'd arrived a bit late and had intended to sneak in un-noticed at the back. But the Knights in Shining Armour were having none of it.

The service was superb. I don't think I could ever get sick of singing 'Jerusalem', although sadly it seldom gets sung in your normal church service. But today, we had license to belt it out patriotically to the rafters.

Then the Knights led us off to a St. George's Day lunch. The whole thing was organised by the Bristol Branch of the Royal Society of St. George.

Organisations like The Royal Society of St. George are incredibly important. Not only to keep the identity, heritage and spirit of our nation thriving, but to articulate the patriotism that many feel about our great nation in the open-minded, tolerant manner befitting of England and St. George.

Informal surgery at Henbury is a recipe for success

2009-04-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

Today Chris Windows, the council candidate for Henbury, and I held an informal surgery at Emmanuel Chapel, Henbury.

The aim was to meet local people and listen to their concerns and have a general chat about the area, without the formality or pressure of a 'surgery'.

It worked very well. Thanks, no doubt, in part to Rose's exceptional cakes. (Rose is the one wielding the large knife. She may make a mean cake, but don't mess!) I'd like to think people came to meet me and Chris Windows. But with refreshments like that, it's hard to be sure...

Bangers and Lawrence Weston Community Farm

2009-04-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

I'm tucking into these little beauties tonight. Honey and mustard sausages from Lawrence Weston Community Farm. It's good to know that the livestock for these sausages have had good, healthy lives with freedom to roam locally. The Farm run a meat club - produce from the farm. It's limited, so early ordering advised!

And this is what they turned into... The reason the mash is a bit green is not because I am a really appalling cook, but because there are leeks and onions and a bit of old left over cheddar in there. Proper job.

Football is more than just a game

2009-04-03T15:47:00.001-07:00

I went up to London for the day yesterday to visit The Football Foundation and The Premier League, to see if they can offer any help to Shirehampton Football Club. Here's me, slightly overwhelmed, with the English Premiership Cup.

Apart from the high-light of seeing the cup, we had an interesting meeting. As expected, there's a lot more work to do to see how they can best help. But while I was there, Alistair Bennett from the Football Foundation ( left) and Dan Johnson from the Premier League ( right) told me about some of the social inclusion work that they do through football.

It's all really simple. If young people are doing something they can engage with and become good at, it changes every aspect of their lives. They told me about one of their boys who was a young offender. He got into football, now earns money coaching his local club and goes back to his old estate as a powerful role model for boys and girls growing up as he did.

I sometimes worry that as the credit crunch bites, schemes like this that use sport ( or music, or drama or anything like that ) will get sidelined. That would be a very false economy. It costs thousands to keep a young offender locked up, and in their lifetime they will cost society hundreds of thousands through lost potential earnings and episodes with the criminal justice system. Social inclusion through sport is not a fun optional-extra. It really works. And as we tighten our purse strings for the future, it makes more sense than ever before.

Henbury Crime Public Meeting

2009-03-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

I had become sickened and frustrated by the apparently huge discrepancy between what was officially the state of youth crime in Henbury, and what people actually living in Henbury were telling me.

I'd spoken to Charlie Barron, who's resigning from Henbury Football Club because he is simply tired out of coming to the club to find it vandalised again. I'd spoken to people who'd had kids taking drugs in their back garden who were too afraid to do anything. I've been trying to help vulnerable residents get rehoused because they are bullied to the point they are prisoners in their own homes...

Against that back-drop, I'm afraid I find it hard to believe that home-secretary Jacqui Smith had fully understood what people are going through when she came to Henbury, trailed by the local Labour party, last Autumn to say how great everything was.

I know people are working hard - I work with them where I can. I know lots of good stuff is being done - but that does not mean that the views and experiences of people living in Henbury can simply be white-washed over with statistics, initiatives, Ministerial visits, and official reassurances that Henbury is an 'inspirational example' ( as Jacqui Smith said.)

That's one reason why I called a public meeting - to get out in the open what is really going on. The other reason was to pool all the suggestions and comments together to come up with a plan of action.

When I asked the audience how many of them thought the underlying causes of the problem was that discipline seems to have become a dirty word; police don't have the powers they need, but all the paperwork they don't need; and that human-rights legislation has been absurdly abused to place the welfare of the criminal about that of the victim, nearly everyone raised their hand. But changing that culture and in places the law, is a job for government. In the meantime, there are things we can do:

1. Get the Youth Centre reopened, every night, offering diverse and exciting activities. Ensure that local young people are responsible for decorating and building the centre, so they feel they own it.
2. Press for more police, out on the streets more - not just around Crow Lane, but around other trouble spots as well.
3. Really clamp down hard on alcohol outlets that sell drink to underage kids.
4. Whatever happened to real zero-tolerance? We need it back.

And we haven't got time for all this to be done through a cloud of initiatives and a jungle of agencies and a confusion of a proliferation of partnerships. It needs to be done swiftly and decisively.

Something that's often forgotten in all this, is that it is a minority of young people who give a bad name to all the rest. Two young people from Henbury school - Amy Hillier and Joel Bowd, spoke to the meeting about how fed up they were with a minority wrecking everything for the majority, and how many young people are as afraid of the antisocial behaviour as the adults. It's worth remembering that although a minority of young people are the problem, the majority can be part of the solution.

Bristol's transport challenges taken to Shadow Minister

2009-03-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I contacted Stephen Hammond, the Shadow Minister for rail , and asked him to come down and have a look at the success of the more frequent Severn Beach line service - and told him all about our campaign to get Henbury Station and the Henbury Loop line open.

So here we all are, Stephen Hammond MP,with Avonmouth Council Candidate Siobhan Kennedy-Hall, Bernard Lane, Julie Boston, me, Rob Dixon ( members of FOSBR ) outside Angels Transport Cafe, at Avonmouth Station, having enjoyed a proper fry-up. (well, one of us.)

Stephen traveled up to Temple Meads on the line, and in discussion assured us that a Conservative Government would put a moratorium on the sale of railway land - so that the sale of the Henbury station site would be prohibited. Too late for Henbury. But it was good to hear Stephen so supportive of getting local rail services up and running again. The campaign goes on...

Almost the final installment?

2009-03-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

You're not going to be given the chance to get bored of seeing pictures of the ever-developing new Avonmouth National Smelting Boxing Club... because it's almost done.

Ash Bearman, from the superb community group SCAF, Garry Cave the coach and I are standing in the almost-completed new gym. It's got a training ring, punch bags and weights equiptment all installed. All that's needed now is a few finishing touches here and there, some mirrors so the space can be used for other activities like dance and aerobics - and it will be done.

Worth bearing in mind: In the time it's taken for Garry to fundraise and build an entire brand new gym from scratch ... despite all the campaigning, the Government quango The Highways Agency and Bristol City Council STILL haven't come to an agreement on opening the Robin Cousins Centre...

The Royal British Legion Club - about Remembrance and more

2009-03-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

I was at the Westbury on Trym Royal British Legion Club's AGM last night ( This isn't it. This is me pulling the world's frothiest pint behind the bar. I blame the fact I was worrying about my camera, but my old employees at The Fox pub in Easter Compton will testify what a rubbish barmaid I was. I was mortified to find little had changed.)

I've been to a lot of AGMs in my time, but what was particularly poignant about this one was that after AOB, the last agenda item was 'Homage'. The chairman cited those words which always bring a lump to my throat

"When you go home, tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow, we gave our today"

and finally

" They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them. "

and we had a silence while we remembered the real significance of The Royal British Legion.

The Westbury Royal Legion Club is a remarkable place. It is run completely by volunteers, which is, as I discovered, why the beer is cheaper than usual. Previously, only servicemen and ex-servicemen could be members, but now it is open to anyone ready to join the club. I can't recommend it highly enough - not only because of the great facilities and good company, but because it is a very good and appropriate way to Remember.

Shire FC victory - but we want more!

2009-03-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

What better way to spend the first really springlike afternoon of the year than watching Shirehampton Football Club romp home 3-1 against the Stockwood Cutters? After the match, we all went back to the clubhouse to celebrate. The clubhouse is another one of those testaments to what a group of volunteers with ambition can achieve - it was built mainly by members of the club and is a superb facility, with a big screen for watching Premiership action after the match.

But Shire FC have ambitions for more. They want to raise around £120,000 to upgrade the facilities at their pitch so that they are able to compete in the Western League. It's a tall order, but watch this space.

Lunch for a song

2009-03-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

Disaster struck yesterday - it looks like I've properly lost my wallet. Not temporary loss, the real thing. Card canceling loss. I'm waiting to see what horrors of identity theft await me...

But luckily for everyone at the Upper Horfield Community Trust's weekly lunch, I didn't have to sing for my lunch. A determined rummage in coat pockets and former handbags revealed enough change to buy a superb lunch at UCHT. We had hearty helpings of roast beef and many had apple tart and custard followed by tea and coffee for little over a fiver. Brilliant value and as you can see from the photo, a lovely way to spend a lunchtime.

Modern Liberty Convention

2009-03-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

Here I am with Rosaleen Brennan from Bristol NO2ID, having spoken at the Bristol branch of the Modern Liberty Convention - ( see photo below) - part of an event held up and down the country, designed to highlight the stealthy erosion of our liberties under this government.

Although Trinity Hall was a tad chilly, the meeting was well attended.

I can heartily recommend reading "The Abolition of Freedom Act 2009" document, prepared by the Convention for an overview of issues, and a disturbing account of freedom-theft by stealth...

2009-03-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

The Garden of Eden Grove

2009-03-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

The garden of Eden probably enjoyed nicer weather than the garden of Eden Grove. But good old English weather is not putting off Ray Hulbert ( pictured) nor the residents of Eden Grove and Upper Horfield from turning this patch of land into their own garden.

The progress is actually more impressive than my amateur photography suggests, and by the time the annual Upper Horfield Festival takes place in the summer, the hope is that the garden will be complete.

I never cease to be amazed at how much goes on at Eden Grove Community Centre and church. Below are just some of the things I've seen this week...

2009-03-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

This is the new market at Upper Horfield Community Trust - which sells an enormous range of groceries and fresh produce, as well as offering teas and very tempting home made cakes.

2009-03-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

..............No, it's not Richard Dawkins fighting religion.

It's Lee Cummings from Southmead Boxing Club, taking some youngsters aged between around 9-12 from Upper Horfield for boxing lessons in Eden Grove church.
( you can just see one of their legs in the corner.)

It was amazing seeing the energy released from these young people and it made me realise afresh just how important exercise and activities are for youngsters.

Boxing is slowly but surely becoming more popular in schools and youth clubs across Bristol. I've said it once, I'll say it again: If you get the chance, go along and see what kind of work boxing coaches like Lee do. It's impressive.

TS Cafe - putting the 'T' into, er, tea

2009-02-19T16:11:00.000-08:00

Starbucks may be losing megabucks, but TS Cafe, on the high street in Shirehampton, just opposite the bus stop on the triangle was crammed full when I went in for a sneaky cup of tea before a SCAF meeting today.

And little wonder. The cafe offers a wide range of food from proper hot dinners to breakfasts and salads in a clean and friendly environment at really reasonable prices.

Shirehampton has been stripped of so many community facilities in recent years - and shutters are going up on so many of the stores in the high street - including of course, Woolworths. It is hugely encouraging to see a business like TS Cafe doing so well, and justifiably so.

Keep it up, TS Cafe team!

From Girders to .... this!

2009-02-19T15:50:00.000-08:00

Remember those girders I showed you back in July?

This is what they turned into - an almost completed brand new boxing gym.

But as with all things, it didn't happen by magic. It happened through the grit and determination of the National Smelting Boxing Club and Garry Cave, its coach.

There's still a few things to d0 - and Garry needs about £6000 to finish it all off... so if there's anyone out there reading this who's not been crunched by the credit crisis and has a few grand they can spare... get in touch with Garry today! This isn't just about building a gym, if the boxing I've seen at the club is anything to go by, this gym will help change lives.

Smelters' new boxing club on the brink of completion

2009-02-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

The National Smelting Boxing Club's new gym is on the brink of completion. The club has raised over £60,000 for the new gym, so that it can offer boxing to the ever growing number of young men ( and women!) who want to take up the sport.

On Thursday night, as President of the Club, I went to the Smelting Club's big amateur boxing tournament which the club put on to raise the final few thousand left to complete their new gym.

It was a brilliant evening - everything was superbly organised and the evening was a real success. Pictured, is Tom Connors from the National Smelting Club taking on Dean Dodge from Yeovil. At half time, we were treated to a very professional performance from a local dance group. There was something for everyone.

We're yet to hear what was raised, but it's another step towards completion of a building that will not only house a sport, but will help build young people's lives.