The Bradley Stoke Journal

Friday (31st October) sees a performance of “Spoonface Steinberg” at Bradley Stoke Community School (7pm start). The event is intended to raise the profile of the performing arts within Bradley Stoke, an aim of the school since it was designated a Performing Arts and Languages College in September 2008. The play is suitable for children over 10 years of age. Tickets cost £8 for adults, £6 for concessions (children, OAPs, students) and £4.50 for BSCS students. Family tickets can be purchased for £25. Phone 01454 868840 to reserve tickets.

The Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group is holding its monthly workday on Saturday (1st November), when volunteers will be felling trees and clearing plantations. Meet at the lake (duck pond) at 10am.

Bradley Stoke Town Council’s annual Firework Display takes place on Sunday (2nd November) at the Jubilee Centre, Savages Wood Road. There is no entrance charge - instead there will be an entry point collection for the Mayor’s charity, the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease (NACC). Gates open at 4:30pm, with the display starting at 6pm. Hot food will be available from 4:45pm.

UPDATE: Tonight’s Bradley Stoke Has Got Talent show has been postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances”, according to information on the Southern Brooks Community Partnership website.

Related Links: What’s on in Bradley Stoke

South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) is inviting further comments on proposed works at the Brook Way/Braydon Avenue roundabout [map] in Bradley Stoke following amendments made to the scheme after the initial public consultation, which ran from 5th May to 13th July.

The roundabout junction has been included in the Council’s “accident concentration list” after four personal injury accidents occurred there in the period 2005-2007 (according to police records).

The scheme has now been altered to include a by-pass lane for cyclists travelling north to south on Brook Way.

The latest public consultation runs from 27th October to 14th November.

Related Links: SGC Consultations - Casualty Reduction - Braydon Avenue/Brook Way

Bradley Stoke has plenty of events to keep the children occupied this half term, with activities on offer at the Leisure Centre, Library and Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve.

Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre’s October Holiday Programme (for children aged four to sixteen) runs from Monday 27th Oct to Tuesday 4th Nov and includes activities ranging from trampolining to short tennis.

Bradley Stoke Library has a “Let’s go Batty ” session on Monday 27th Oct, with crafts and stories suitable for five to nine year olds, while Saturday 1st November sees a football-themed session aimed at “reluctant readers” aged eight and upwards.

There is an “Owl Prowl” in the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve on Monday 27th Oct (meet outside the Leisure Centre at 7pm), followed by a Fungi Foray on Tuesday 28th October (meet outside the Leisure Centre at 2pm).

Less than two weeks after the opening of Bradley Stoke’s new Tesco Extra store in the Willow Brook Centre, the town’s old Tesco store is quickly being reduced to rubble.

Local firm Bath Demolition has the contract to tear down the redundant store, a task that is expected to take six weeks according to a source on site. Once the demolition is complete, the land will be transformed into much needed additional car parking for the Willow Brook Centre.

Many people will see the demolition of a building that is just 15 years old as a sad commentary on the inadequate planning that was a mark of Bradley Stoke’s early days. Backers of the £80 million Willow Brook Centre will probably be hoping that their investment lasts a little longer.

Removal of the old store will clear the way for a new bus lane that is to enter the town centre site from Bradley Stoke Way. Buses will run along the side of the main Willow Brook Centre building before skirting the new Town Square to emerge on the access road that leads from the Three Brooks roundabout.

Related Links: Ready for the scrapheap

Construction of a new footpath/cycleway on the east side of Bradley Stoke Way (close to Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre) has started, following a public consultation on the plans earlier this year.

The new path [map] will link the Pelican Crossing near the Leisure Centre to the end of an existing footpath that runs from Ellicks Close up to Bradley Stoke Way via a footbridge over Patchway Brook.

Once the new path is completed, walkers and cyclists from the Ellicks Close area will no longer need to cross and re-cross Bradley Stoke Way in order to reach the Leisure Centre.

South Gloucestershire Council also hopes the new route will have advantages “in terms of personal security” over the alternative route using footpaths to the east of Savages Wood.

The Journal understands that the works will take three weeks to complete.

The Nationwide Building Society agency, operated by 1st Equity, opened its doors on Monday (20th October) in Bradley Stoke’s new Willow Brook Centre. This means that all tenants of the Centre that were initially intending to be trading on the official opening day of Monday 13th October are now open for business.

Elsewhere in the Centre, a press release put out by Tesco describes the new Tesco Extra store’s first week of trading as “phenomenal”, with more than 30,000 shoppers visiting the superstore in the first seven days.

Tesco Extra manager Oliver Hill said:

“People seem to have voted with their feet and we have been bowled over with the response from the local community. Despite the credit crunch, business in the first week has exceeded all our expectations and we are really grateful for the support from Bradley Stoke.”

Shoppers were treated to a Family Fun Day at the weekend featuring stilt walker and juggler Mr Do and top face painter Michelle Evans [more photos].

Other events planned include a Tesco Price Check game show on Saturday 25th October and a Halloween Fun Day on Friday 31st October.

Bradley Stoke will continue to be served by Frenchay Hospital after the new acute hospital at Southmead opens its doors in 2013.

A report published by the Frenchay Project Group shows Bradley Stoke lying within the “catchment area” for the new community facilities at the downgraded Frenchay Hospital.

The report says:

The catchment area that has been agreed is for locality services, which is larger than, but includes, local services within walking distance. The catchment area is not defined by strict boundaries but sets out, taking public transport and road links into account, from which areas people are most likely to choose to come to Frenchay for services.

More information: Developing community healthcare facilities for Frenchay.