The Bradley Stoke Journal

Two more businesses are set to begin trading soon at Bradley Stoke’s new Willow Brook shopping centre.

Explore Learning and Curves are on schedule to open in mid-January and will occupy units on the first floor of the main building. The new units are located close to the public toilets and are accessed via the staircase from the centre of the mall.

Explore Learning, a maths and English tuition centre for children aged 5-14, plans to open on Thursday 15th January in mall unit 11. This will be the group’s fourth site in the Bristol area, following the success of other centres in Emersons Green, Cabot Circus and Clifton Down.

Lauren Holliday, Centre Director, told The Journal:

Explore Learning is an Ofsted registered tuition centre for 5-14 year olds where inspiring tutors work with children on maths and English courses that are created to meet and adjust to the individual needs of every child. Explore Learning caters for children of all abilities, as our individualised learning programmes allow our members to work at a level and pace best suited to their needs; stretching and challenging them where appropriate. During a normal Explore session your child worked with some of our excellent tutors, who make our centre a fun and friendly place where children boost their confidence, make academic progress, and enjoy learning!

The company will be holding festive literary workshops at local libraries and plans to visit local schools in the New Year.

Explore Learning is currently seeking part-time maths and English tutors to work at the new Bradley Stoke centre. Candidates must be able to demonstrate a natural talent for inspiring, motivating and bonding with children aged 5-14 and have a minimum grade B in GCSE maths and English. More details can be found on our New Town Centre Jobs page.

Curves, described as a ladies-only “fitness and health facility” (rather than a gym), is scheduled to open on Monday 19th January in mall unit 12. The group is said to be the largest fitness franchise in the world, with more than 10,000 outlets in over 60 countries.

A 30 minute session that burns 500 calories is the centrepiece of the Curves offering. No appointments are necessary and members can simply turn up and join in the continuously running programme.

The Curves website explains:

The Curves 30 minute workout exercises every major muscle group and burns up to 500 calories through a proven program of strength training, cardio and stretching. In addition, club promotions and events encourage women to support charitable causes, learn about health-related issues and forge lasting friendships as part of the global Curves community.

The company said it has already recruited three members of staff to work at the new facility.

Contact Details:

• Explore Learning – Email: bradleystoke@explorelearning.co.uk
• Curves – Tel: 01454 270875

The coming week sees a full programme of Christmas-themed events in Bradley Stoke.

Tuesday (16th December) sees Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) hosting a European Christmas Market from 5pm to 7:30pm. The event has been organised to celebrate the school’s designation as a specialist Performing Arts and Languages College (effective since September 2008). Students will plan, run and produce stock for their market stalls, with a range of cultural influences. On offer will be foreign language Christmas cards, a variety of European sweets and cakes, decorations, candles, jewellery and stocking filler stalls, along with mulled wine, hot drinks, mince pies and chestnuts. Music will be provided by the BSCS brass band and choir.

Bradley Stoke Library is running a Children’s Christmas Crafts Session on Saturday (20th December) between 10am and 12 noon. The event, at which which children will make Christmas cards and decorations, is aimed at four to nine year-olds.

A Christmas Novelty Orienteering Event takes place on Sunday (21st December) in the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve. The event, organised by Bristol Orienteering Klub (BOK), starts and finishes from Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre (start any time between 10am and 12 noon). People of all ages and abilities can enjoy an hour or so of lighthearted sporting fun, running or walking around the paths and woodland areas using a map (supplied) to navigate to a series of control points, where pre-placed markers can be found or clue questions can be answered. Santa Claus himself will be trying out parts of the courses and any competitor who punches their map using Santa’s special punch will receive an Christmas treat at the finish! Treats are also available to anyone wearing a festive or festively-decorated hat! More details on the BOK website.

Santa Claus has already been spotted around Bradley Stoke in the past couple of weeks. Our pictures (below) show him in the aisles of the Tesco Extra store and out and about on his sleigh, kindly provided by the 1st Bradley Stoke Scouts, who are raising funds for new camping equipment.

Scott Lahive, manager of the Willow Brook Centre, is set to address a meeting of Bradley Stoke’s Safer & Stronger Community Group this Tuesday evening.

Local residents are expected to quiz Mr Lahive about parking facilities at the new town centre site following a flood of negative comments in the Bradley Stoke Examiner’s forums.

Also due to attend the meeting is  Jim Daniels of South Gloucestershire Council’s Highways and Transportation department, who will address “parking issues” in the town. It is thought that the police crackdown on inconsiderate parking around Meadowbrook Primary School will feature in Mr Daniels’ contribution.

There will also be the opportunity to see and comment on the latest plans for a new play park at the Jubilee Green in Savages Wood Road. The so-called “Beacon Playground” is being funded via a grant from the Big Lottery Fund and could be open as early as Easter next year, according to information disclosed at a recent Bradley Stoke Town Council (BSTC) meeting.

Anti-social behaviour associated with the Manor Farm Crescent pedestrian access route into the Willow Brook Centre, agreed as a priority issue at the last SSCG meeting in September,  is also likely to be discussed at the meeting. Local residents have reacted angrily to BSTC’s recent decision to postpone for six months any action on potential closure of the access point.

The SSCG meeting takes place at 7pm on Tuesday (9th December) at Brook Way Community Centre.

A street dance teacher from Bradley Stoke’s Fahrenheit Dance Studio is to appear on stage at next week’s Royal Variety Performance in London.

Kane Silver, who teaches children in classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Bradley Stoke Leisure, has been chosen to dance with Britain’s Got Talent winner George Sampson at the prestige event.

Having been successful in the highly competitive auditions for the role, Kane is currently taking part in a week of rehearsals prior to the event, which takes place this Thursday (11th December) at the London Palladium, in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

Kane also coaches three of Fahrenheit’s dance troops, who compete regularly at venues around the country. The troops recently claimed second and fifth places at the Welsh UDO competition in Newport.

Television viewers will be able to see a recording of the Royal Variety Performance on Wednesday 17th December at 7:30pm on BBC1.

Bradley Stoke Town Council (BSTC) has received a petition from a group of electors calling on it to provide allotments for local residents, as required by the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908.

The petition was received at last month’s Full Council meeting and has been backed by local LibDem MP Steve Webb, who has written to the Council in support of the campaigners.

Under the 1908 Act, a Council is obliged to take such a petition into account when deciding if there are sufficient allotments available to meet demand.

With no current allotment provision in Bradley Stoke, residents have traditionally taken allotments in neighbouring areas such as Patchway or Stoke Gifford. However, both of these areas now have a policy of giving priority to their own residents when assigning available plots.

A recent decision by Patchway Town Council to charge non-residents three times the standard (residents’) rate for use of its allotments is understood to have triggered the Bradley Stoke petition.

BSTC Clerk, Davd Chandler, reported to last week’s Planning Committee that there are currently 16 Bradley Stoke residents leasing allotments in Patchway with a further 15 residents on the waiting list in Stoke Gifford (where there is currently no surcharge for non-residents). Taking 32 tenants as the minimum potential demand gives a requirement for at least two acres of land, assuming a standard plot size of 1/16th of an acre.

With no suitable land available within the boundaries of Bradley Stoke, the Council is going to have to look further afield. Councillors expressed the hope that South Gloucestershire Council might be able to provide an appropriate parcel of land at a “peppercorn rent”, with sites at Old Gloucester Road and Trench Lane being suggested as possibilities.

Related Links:

• South Gloucestershire Council – Allotments
• Allotment Growing