Residents Association Report No. 91
Dear Friends and Neighbours,
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations 4th June Picnic Afternoon
Although the Frenchay Residents Association (FRA) have promoted this as extensively as possible, you should have this June magazine in time for the full details.
On Saturday 4th June, on the common opposite Frenchay Parish Church from lunchtime onwards, FRA are organising a picnic afternoon to which you are all invited. We will have live music from the Concord Band and Church Choir to sing along to, followed by a young jazz band called ‘The Provision’ whose guitarist is a young lad from Frenchay Park.
The live music will start from 2.30pm with about 20 minutes of hymns introduced by the Reverend Charles Sugden, followed by 40 minutes of patriotic and popular songs to mark the Queen’s reign and hopefully introduce a feel good afternoon with ample singing opportunities.
Following that the youngsters of The Provision will be entertaining us with their impromptu jazz act, something we are really looking forward to.
The words to the hymns and songs in the first hour will be put on the FRA Facebook page so that you can use mobile devices to sing along with us. Some printed copies will also be available.
We are planning to provide teas, coffee and cold drinks, but please bring everything that you need for the afternoon.
The famous FRA portaloos will reappear by the Church car park and every attempt will be made to get the psychedelic green ones used for our picnic day last August!
There will be plenty of room for games and other activities on the common, please do not bring BBQ’s unless you are using the safe designated area by the school. We cannot risk injuries or fire damage to people and the common. Thank you for your consideration.
Finally we will do a ‘bucket collection’ to help fund the expenses of the two bands and their ongoing work, but the intention is to support these groups only, not any other causes.
We have publicise this on our Facebook page and all around the village, please feel free to share this information and encourage friends and neighbours to join us. We look forward to seeing everyone on the afternoon and we promise that good weather has been reserved!
Village Wild Flower Projects & Nature Reserve Pond
As we continue to work on the flora and fauna projects around Frenchay, the start of work on the new school playing field and landscaping will herald the pledge by BAM to clay line and prepare the nature reserve pond for planting.
As soon as we have firm dates for action we will request volunteers to help us which should be very enjoyable as we have our ‘puddle clay’ party. Get your wellies ready!
Tucketts Field Proposal
A proposal has been received for regenerating the wild flower meadow, similar to that planned by the National Trust in the adjacent field.
The initiative being put before Winterbourne Parish Council aims to replant the field with local wildflowers, add some replacement native trees and improve the area around Tucketts pond. The plan also aims to implement a conservation grazing regime.
Full details will be provided on our FRA Facebook page and circulated to our email database. A Q& A survey will be circulated in June, but please do let us have any initial thoughts to help with the presentation.
Becks Pool
We unfortunately have a similar problem to last year with rats making themselves very at home around the pond. Consequently we ask that feeding the ducks is stopped until we can resolve the problem please - we will provide an update and put notices at the pond.
Work to establish an information stone plinth, and power for a pond aeration system, is still progressing. We hope to have positive news on implementing these very soon.
Frenchay Speedwatch
Lighter evenings mean that these speed monitoring activities will start again shortly, the usual ‘hotspots’ continue to surprise us with some of the vehicle speeds being witnessed.
Our FRA led group is trained and ready to go, if you wish to be trained to help us please make contact. It has taken a lot of work to get this underway and get the police to train us.
Frenchay Museum
Volunteers from the Museum will be setting-up a stall on The Common near the Church for the Picnic Afternoon on Saturday 4th June. A range of books and publications will be available, together with various activities - for children & adults - so please stop by and enjoy. The actual Museum will be closed over the Jubilee weekend but anyone who would like to contribute a memory of Frenchay in the 1950s (and/or the Coronation!) is encouraged to do so - either on the day or subsequently by handing-in before the end of June. There are plans for an exhibition over the summer which will show-case Coronation memorabilia and a record of those personal, and no doubt, very interesting memories!
Please contact Carol Thorne (956 9963) or Hugh Whatley (956 6378) if you need further information.
Observation Corner
Each month we will pose a question where the answer might surprise you, or at least make you stop and think.
Q Community Hospital facilities on the old hospital site were pledged almost a decade ago now and we know that land is set aside for this project. So are SGC any further forward in fulfilling this pledge and responding to our local healthcare needs from our resident’s surveys?
A We think that a final plan is at last being considered, but there has been no concrete news of how this will be provided nor any public consultation on the possible outcome yet.
Despite the dreadful impact of Covid on local government resources we think that this is very poor, given the time that has elapsed since the pledges were made. Such facilities would have a beneficial outcome for Southmead Hospital, where bed blocking is apparently a major problem.
Look forward to seeing you at the 4th June Jubilee Picnic by the Parish Church, and thank you for your engagement and continuing support.
Adrian Collins (Chair - FRA)