Residents Association Report No. 87

Dear Friends and Neighbours,

Those spring bulbs are starting to appear to brighten up our days and even the days are beginning to get a bit longer as daylight lasts beyond 3pm! So many reasons to be cheerful and the thought of spring and summer events is starting to exercise our minds.

One of the biggest occasions this year promises to be the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration weekend from the 2nd to the 5th of June, FRA are working very closely with all Frenchay stakeholder groups to organise a memorable weekend of activities and fun for all ages. If you have suggestions or would like to help FRA please make contact.

Part of those celebrations include the Queen’s Canopy project, designed to support the planting of new trees, in an attempt to arrest our climate emergency and raise awareness of how we can protect and enhance our environment for future generations to enjoy.

FRA are already engaged on such schemes, including ideas about where new community tree planting can be considered around the Voluntary Village Green spaces.

The new walk to school, where the wall has just been knocked through, provides the ideal space either side of the new path to establish an avenue incorporating a community orchard. This would engage all of the children, and parents, using the walk as the trees grow and bear fruit. So watch this space for further developments.

If you would like to see an example of how such a community orchard can be established to complement an existing open space, we urge you to walk into this end of Begbrook Park just over the border into Bristol. To the right hand side as you walk through the park, with the football pitch on your left, you will see where over 20 trees have been planted recently.

Many congratulations to Bristol CC for using actions, rather than words, to convey their commitment to tackling the Climate Emergency seriously.

Nature Reserve Pond Restoration

So with the fantastic support and assistance from BAM we now have the old ‘pond’ completely dug out ready to line this with ‘puddle’ clay when the time is right. All of the existing pond plants are safely stored in a water filled trough, behind the old pond, so that they can be replanted as marginal vegetation before the spring.

The volunteers who have done all of this preparation have had a thoroughly enjoyable time and there will be many more opportunities to get your hands dirty with FRA, we promise.

Play Area Tree Damage

You might recall that FRA promised to replace the memorial tree by the play area with a flowering cherry tree, identical to the species planted by the old hospital buildings that were demolished for the new houses. This was completed in January and the family who lost their daughter Zoe have been kept informed. The tree has been sourced with the help of SGC’s tree expert Neil Gazzard and used the SGC new tree planting discount scheme.

FRA have spent £160 on this new tree and we are aware that some residents expressed an interest in contributing towards this. Contact us if that is still the case please.

Carols on the Common

This event seems to have gone down very well, when we wrote January’s FCN piece some ‘future assumptions’ had to be made as we prepare our articles three weeks before publication. In fact on the FRA Committee, my ‘mystic Meg’ skills are often admired as we compile our FCN features well in advance!

So we think from a quick head count that over 300 residents joined us including many families with young children which was great to see. The cold clear night and wonderful illuminated church as a backdrop made it the perfect setting and thanks in particular to Tony Joiner on our committee who came armed with generators, miles of extension cable and suitable lighting for the band and audience.

Based upon current news events it was just what everyone needed as we approached Christmas with ever more uncertainty.

We also need to thank everyone who attended for their incredible generosity, as we raised over £300 in our bucket collection at the end.

£100 of this will go as a fee to the band who, in turn, use their performance fee money to help train youngsters to play and perform with wind instruments.

After consultation with Charles Sugden and Kate Davison from the Church, we have donated £100 to one of the UK Government’s supported food aid charities for children and families in Afghanistan. The particular importance of this charity is that the UK Government ‘match’ any contributions, so our £100 will double up to £200, equivalent to 100% gift aid!

The £100 balance we will keep in our funds for future projects. Thank you all so much.

Frenchay Parklands - proposed Friends Group

At the time of writing, we are still waiting for the next meeting with North Bristol (Health) Trust which will hopefully confirm that outstanding legal work is progressing towards the planned hand-over of the Voluntary Village Green lands to Winterbourne Parish Council at the end of March. If this date can be achieved, then we are planning to hold a series of ‘drop-in’ events in the run-up to the early Spring Bank Holiday weekend at the end of April /beginning of May.

Just in case Covid is still of concern, some fine spring weather and lighter evenings would make it possible to use outdoor locations such as near the Village Hall, on the Common to connect with school run and by the Museum & Play Area over the weekend. Hugh Whatley’s contact details are 0777 552 2689 or hwandco@aol.com.

Please come to us with any ideas or skills you have to offer, FRA can hopefully make it happen as we will not let up in our determination to enhance our wonderful environment and maintain our great community spirit. ​ Thank you for your engagement and support.

​Adrian Collins
Chair, FRA