Award for Blagdon police officers

Jackie McDonald, Jackie Roberts and Ray Bradley

PC Ray Bradley and WPC Jackie McDonald have been presented with an award following the Avon and Somerset District team awards. This award is presented annually to a team of officers who contribute the most to arresting offenders and bringing them to justice. The North Somerset team, who came first, included the two prolific beat officers who have arrested over 40 people in the past 12 months.

Many of the offenders have admitted multiple offences and hundreds of pounds worth of property has been recovered. PC Bradley, who covers Blagdon, Churchill and Langford said: "It is nice for beat officers to be recognised in this way, and as a direct result of all our work crime has dropped by 50 per cent in our Parishes."

WPC McDonald, who covers Dundry, Winford and Barrow Gurney, added: "Front line policing is the most important job within the Police service and produces the best results." Both officers are committed to continuing their proactive patrols. They say that high visibility policing and active stop checks of criminals will continue in their fight against crime."

The officers were presented with a certificate and an individual prize by Assistant Chief Constable Jackie Roberts who stated that the constables were a credit to Policing. This is the second time the Officers efforts have been rewarded, earlier on in the year they received a District Commanders commendation after jailing a prolific burglar who had committed 20 offences.

New Mendip nature reserve opened

Opening the nature reserce at Slader's Leigh

As part of the English Nature sponsored fortnight Waking up to Wildlife, a fine local example of an unimproved limestone grassland meadow was designated as a local Nature Reserve (LNR). Slader's Leigh, belonging to the Mendip Society, lies alongside the already designated Strawberry Line Reserve; last month, on a wet blustery evening, representatives of North Somerset Council, the Society, North Somerset Parish Wildlife Wardens, the Hawk & Owl Trust and many members of the public launched the new five year management plan designed to restore the meadow to its former glory. In recent years meadowsweet and bracken, both invasive plants have become dominant and need to be checked in order for the 130 or so plant species recorded there, to flourish.

Cllr Deborah Yamanaka, Executive Member for Environment & Community, opened the short ceremony, followed by Mr Paul Harley, Vice President of the Mendip Society; and Chris Sperring MBE who, much to the delight of the audience, was accompanied by his owl. With local fare and cider available, scavenger hunts, Kim's Game, mask making and quizzes for all the family it didn't seem to matter that it was either raining or just about to.

Very popular were the bird and bat boxes of Keith and Linda Hall of Specialised Boxes; children as young as 3 years old were successful in making one up from a kit, 'with a little help from their friends'. The scheduled bat and moth recording and the glow-worm walk along the railway line had to be abandoned because these creatures do not like such adverse conditions; but there will be many other opportunities to see and record the wildlife of this newest of North Somerset's LNRs.

Words and photos by Judith Tranter

Churchill stages concert at Weston
Churchill Music Society is delighted to have been invited to take part in the forthcoming Weston-S-Mare Arts Festival with a concert featuring professional musicians who have had a long association with the rural village of Churchill. Who could believe that from such a tiny village a humble school boy could become a world-famous classical guitarist.

The Eden:Stell guitar duo join forces with Churchill soprano, Alice Murray and composer-pianist Peter Foggitt for an evening of musical fizz, fantasy and frivolity with a romantic touch from Mozart and Handel. Saturday 17 September 7.30pm The Blakehay Theatre Weston-S-Mare The Eden:Stell Guitar Duo has strong associations with Churchill. Chris Stell was brought up in the village and attended

Churchill School before going on to take up his place at the Royal Academy of Music. In addition to his performance skills, Chris teaches at the Royal College of Music and the Welsh College of Music and Drama. Mark is equally busy at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Birmingham Conservatoire.

Without hesitation Mark and Chris agreed to join forces with Alice Murray and Peter Foggitt. Alice was born and brought up in Churchill before leaving to continue her studies in Cambridge where she was a Choral Scholar until she graduated last year. Tickets: Playhouse box office 01934 64 55 44. Further info: Churchill Music Society 01934 852245.

Threat to future of CV Explorer buses
A Government transport funding scheme ending next March will put the continuation of a vital rural bus service serving over a dozen villages in the Chew Valley in jeopardy. The Chew Valley Explorer has been operating since 2001 with external funding from the Department for Transport.

Despite ongoing criticisms of the way the service has been marketed, it has been popular with those people who have used it, and councillors have already received many representations from those who are concerned for its future. However, over £127,000 of Government funding is set to be withdrawn from funding from March 2006 leaving the future of the bus service uncertain.

Councillor Malcolm Hanney (Conservative. Chew Valley North) said: "The fact the Government will be ending all funding for the Chew Valley Explorer bus service is of utmost concern. It may be possible the Council review planned for September or October could result in the Chew Valley Explorer being eliminated. Over a dozen villages in the Chew Valley are served by the bus, and so is Chew Valley School. More than forty-five thousand passenger journeys are made per year on the Explorer. It provides a vital link between isolated rural areas and Bristol city centre. Everything must be done to ensure a decent bus service for the Chew Valley is maintained."

Those views were full endorsed by Councillor Vic Pritchard (Conservative. Chew Valley South), who encouraged people to write to Councillor Hanney and himself expressing their support for the service. "We wish to gauge the views of local people and ensure these are given appropriate weight in any Council decision. I urge everyone to write to us expressing their view."

Local residents can write to Cllr Hanney at the following address: Cllr Malcolm Hanney, Magna House, Battle Lane, Chew Magna, Bristol, BS40 8PX Or emailing him on mchanney1@aol.com Most recent data suggests that over 45,000 passenger journeys are made each year on the service which has a route which starts at Cheddar and encompasses most villages in the Chew Valley, including Bishop Sutton, Compton Martin, East and West Harptree, Chew Valley School. The route terminates in Bristol city centre. The funding currently received by the Council is allocated by the Department for Transport under the Rural Bus Challenge, which is an annual competition in which local authorities bid for funding for schemes aimed at stimulating innovation in the provision and promotion of rural public transport, improving quality and choice across the country.

Clutton rock band plays the Edinburgh Fringe

Stoyic
Clutton-based band Stoyic were one of only 9 bands chosen to showcase on the PRS New Music Stage out of over 500 bands who originally applied to play. They were chosen to play at the PRS New Music tent at the Edinburgh Festival on August 14, and got a great reception. The band is made up of rhythm guitarist Rob Southwell (Clutton), drummer Rich Mays (Clutton), bass player Mark Rawlins (Emborough) and lead guitar Billy Warrener (Radford).

Stoyic have carved a name for themselves playing gigs across Bristol, Bath, Frome and the surrounding areas for the past two years. Following on from the continued success of current CD release The Akira EP the band have just started to record their new 5 track EP at Rogue Studios in London. Tipped for the top, recent benchmarks in this young band's career include being placed in the top 150 of the 2600 bands who entered the Glastonbury John Peel stage. They reached the final of this year's Under-18 Moles Battle of the Bands as well as the South West regional final of the national Carling Battle of the Bands. For more information see www.stoyic.com.

Great performance by young American singer
Maire Campbell and Mike Adrian from PLEASE joined forces with James Slater of Hard Shoulder Productions to present a night to remember on Saturday July 16 in the function room of the Waldegrave Arms, East Harptree. Jan Smith, an up-and-coming Americana singer/songwriter, on her first British tour, appeared en route from Newcastle to Cardiff to entertain an appreciative audience with a generous selection of her songs, many of them featuring on her debut album,

Tin Heart which she later duly signed for a queue of enthusiastic buyers. Ms Smith appeared as fresh as a daisy although she had driven from Newcastle that very morning, breaking her journey to perform a lunchtime concert in Oxford before driving to Bath to meet up with supporting artiste, Anna Giles, who kindly transported her to the depths of East Harptree. Anna Giles opened the evening, giving humorous and informative introductions to her original songs.

Performed with energy and obvious enjoyment clearly engaging the audience who received her with demonstrative enthusiasm despite the heat of the rare summer evening. Following a short interval where many took the opportunity to stand outside for a breath of air and recharge glasses at the bar, Jan Smith began her first set. From the outset she held the audience spellbound by the sheer understated nature of her presentation. Dressed simply in black, devoid of obvious make-up or intricate hairstyle there was nothing to distract from her performance. Her lyrics were sensitive and thoughtful, the melodies hauntingly memorable and her voice distinctive, clear and beautiful.

The songs were held together by short explanations as to their origins, some poignant, some humorous but all delivered with an unassuming and engaging manner. Ms Smith performed two 45 minute sets ending to enthusiastic applause from a demonstrative and appreciative audience. Despite her long and arduous day and the lateness of the hour she seemed genuinely pleased to sign CDs and talk to people for as long as they wanted to stay. Following this success it is hoped that the two companies concerned will join forces again to promote similar events in the near future. Hard Shoulder Productions is run by James Slater whilst PLEASE (Parties, Local Entertainment And Special Events) is based in East Harptree and run by husband and wife team, Maire Campbell & Michael Adrian. Anyone wishing to enquire about forthcoming events may telephone 01761 221448 / 0777 900 3168.