CHIS Newsletter Winter 2024-2025
Chairman’s Report.
Autumn is the time for the CHIS AGM and the Remembrance
Service at St Andrew’s churchyard. This year Committee member
Commander Nick Sargent, in glittering naval uniform, laid the
wreath of poppies. Unusually there was no attendance by the local
Guides and Scouts at the ceremony but a score of us, including
Captain Caroline Sargent, also in fine naval fig. paid tribute to the
Fallen and sang heartily enough to be congratulated by the preacher.
Once again we are grateful to Committee member Peter Stanley for
organizing procedures, despite a painful medical condition this year,
and to Paul Main for reading from the bible.
AGM, 15 October 2024. The necessary business went briskly; re-
election to the Committee of Christopher Jefferies and Nick Sargent
as well as the election of Richard Whitburn, all for three years.
In a crisp and optimistic address our Treasurer, Stephen
Bullimore reported a balanced budget for the first time for a few
years, adding however that continuing rising costs meant that the
future balance would depend on a rise in the annual subscription
from £10 to £15. Full details will be in the Spring Newsletter. In our
nearly sixty years this is only our second increase. A number of
appreciative members have for a long time given more than the
standard amount and will, we hope, continue to do so!
All members of the Committee were congratulated on their
tireless work and vigilance on behalf of our area. The handsome
new CHIS leaflet designed by Nick Sargent was already serving to
attract new members – a vitally important matter.
Of course, the decent total of those present was attracted by the
talk ‘The Commerciality of the Wine Business’, by Richard Davis of
DBM, Princess Victoria Street. Their reward was an engaging and
revelatory insight into the wine business, nationally (Bristol and
Newcastle being the only docking places for the country’s bulk wine
imports) and locally — a startling point being that the partial closure
of Princess Victoria Street to motor traffic caused a loss of £100,000
to the Speaker’s firm, DBM.
Afterwards attendees were able to enjoy a brief wine tasting.
Other Talks. To nobody’s surprise, Professor Ronald Hutton’s
lecture on ‘Modern Vampires’ in September drew a goodly audience,
not to be disappointed by his wide range of reference to literature
and film. At question time a number of younger listeners gave the
speaker a run for his money and the rest of the audience a glimpse
into a relatively unknown world.
Gordon Young gave a talk on the early history of printing,
focussing on the so-called incunabula period that started with
Gutenberg (1455–1500). It was enhanced considerably by selections
from Gordon’s own collection of printed pieces, and a short film
Gordon himself made around 20 years ago.
Our 2025 talks season will begin on January 21 with a talk by Ed
Drewitt, another speaker popular for his lively and enthusiastic
presentation.
Streetscape. A member made contact with RoseMary Musgrave to
lament the battered condition of a CHIS-provided seat sited in
Clifton Vale. It is dedicated to Shirley Savage, CHIS’s first Secretary,
and her husband Professor Bob Savage, who was among the first of
our members. Within weeks, action was taken to replace rotted slats
with specially seasoned wood, thanks to the initiative of Simon
Cole, Peter Stanley and Paul Main.
Two fine Victorian lamps have been given to CHIS and are in
store until further deliberation and advice from Christopher
Jefferies and Nick Sargent.
It is a relief to record the Mound by the Children’s Playground is
now no more and the grass is thriving on a smooth level. Ditto the
previous sink-hole in Canynge Square, where work on restoring the
gate and a low retaining wall continues. If only car access to the
Square were made one-way, a thorough improvement would have
been achieved.
After a complicated series of discussions, the proposed
Defibrillator in Clifton Village is in place, affixed to the outside of
the Royal Oak in the Mall. It will be financed by Clifton BID and
maintained by the public house authorities.
Traffic and Parking. On another page there is an important request
for members to comment on one aspect of the One-Way route (an
aspect of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme) at the corner of
Princess Victoria Street and Sion Hill. Please take note in order to
give your view.
Planning. A report on proposed developments in BS8 appears
elsewhere, thanks to the work of our Planning Co-ordinators, Linda
Edwards and Christopher Jefferies.
The Zoo’s North Car Park was ruled by a High Court Judge to be
kept for ever unenclosed for the use of the citizens of Bristol in
compliance with the Downs Act. This Down’s area was gradually
encroached upon as a car park for the Zoo from the 1990s; despite
the court’s ruling, the Downs Committee is intent on returning the
site to commercial use for parking and even more activity. Yet again
there is a strong likelihood of considerable amounts of council tax
payers’ money being spent as a result of legal challenges.
FOOTNOTE. Re-instatement of the long-used right of way by the
North Wall of the Zoo site has been organized by an appeal on the
initiative of Christopher Jefferies. We await confirmation of the
decision. Interestingly, there are in Bristol 14 similar footpaths which
need to be legally affirmed.
Bristol Zoo Gardens. The behaviour of the Bristol Zoo trustees
continues to disappoint. At three auctions in November, the trustees
sold off around 350 items including historic sculptures, signs,
paintings, posters, crockery, Victorian railings and 45 Victorian
benches, this despite the successful application for Judicial Review
of the planning application. We are told that there was no mention
of the imminent auctions at the Zoo’s AGM in October, meaning
even the Zoo’s shareholders were in the dark.
CHIS supported the crowd-funded appeal from a group of
concerned residents in applying for a Judicial Review of the more
than lamentable development plan for the Zoo Gardens site.
Happily, leave to proceed with the appeal through further action has
been granted on all three stated accounts. We intend to give further
aid in support of this vital action to stop a wholly unworthy kind of
architecture in this exceptional suburb – John Betjeman’s “Best in
Europe”.
Plaques. The sun shone on the dedication by the Lord Lieutenant
of our green plaque to Diana Wynne Jones at 7 The Polygon before a
large group of friends and neighbours, with a generous reception
after the speeches, provided by one of her sons in their former
home. Paul Main had once again quietly ensured success with the
proceedings.
Later it was good to see in Clifton Voice a report and photograph
of the participants but on another page the photograph appeared
again, aligned with a brief article on repelling wasps from local
vineyards. All publicity is generally good but I think that the
Committee are busy-bees rather than wasps.
To the surprise of local societies like CHIS and the Bristol Civic
Society, the long-standing London-centred Blue Plaque scheme,
having been taken over by English Heritage, is extending its range
country-wide. We agree with Bristol Civic Society in regretting the
absence of any local consultation and will make our objections
known. Locals know their patch.
I will end by paying tribute not only to the Committee members
mentioned above but also to those who produce and distribute the
Newsletter, RoseMary Musgrave, Jenny Sparkes and Laurence
Penney, as well as those who make sure the monthly minutes are
produced, Vivienne François and Linda Edwards.
A Happy New Year to everyone.
Brian Worthington.