The Bradley Stoke Journal

A bike versus car rush hour challenge, which saw a cyclist race a driver between the Willow Brook Centre and the Aztec West Business Park on Tuesday last week, was won in convincing style by the two-wheeled competitor.

Rider Craig Denning of Dream Cycling Club took on Jack fm driver Martin Hiscox over the 1.2 mile route, with the pair departing from outside the Giant cycle store at precisely 8am.

The stunt, carefully conceived to promote the Council’s improved cycle routes in the town, saw the accomplished racing cyclist cover the stretch in an astonishing 3 minutes and 48 seconds.

Car driver Martin, who had to first drive through the car park of the Willow Brook Centre (speed limit 10mph) in order to reach Bradley Stoke Way via Savages Wood Road, trailed in more than eleven minutes later in 15 minutes and 11 seconds.

On arrival at Aztec West, the competitors were met by the Chair of South Gloucestershire Council, Cllr Janet Biggin.

Read on to find out how the cyclist conquered the traffic queues »

Athletes from Bradley Stoke Judo Club proved they were amongst the best in the country by winning two silver and one bronze medals at the British National Judo Championships on Sunday 19th September.

The event, held at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, saw the best 10 and 11-year-olds in Britain compete for Judo medals in their respective age and weight categories.

Competition was fierce and all five Bradley Stoke Judo fighters had to dig deep and show tremendous courage and skill to compete at national level.

Head coach Pete Douglas said:

“This is the first time Bradley Stoke Judo club has competed at this event and we are exceptionally proud of all of the fighters that went along to the competition. They are an inspiration to the growing number of youngsters we have coming through the ranks. Very well done to them all.”

Read on for details of the National Championships medal winners »

Police are appealing for witnesses and information after a car was found ablaze in the car park of the Brook Way Activity Centre, Bradley Stoke.

Police and fire services were called in the early hours of Monday 27th September after a local resident reported the fire.

An Avon Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson told The Journal that two appliances from Patchway fire station attended the incident at 1:25am.

The vehicle was found to be well alight when crews arrived and they used high pressure hoses to extinguish the blaze.

The car, a Ford Focus, was later reported as having been stolen from Bradley Stoke overnight (Sunday to Monday, September 26th-27th).

Anyone with information which could help police enquiries is asked to contact South Gloucestershire police on 0845 456 7000. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 (they never ask your name or trace your call).

Residents are being invited to turn out to help McDonald’s and Bradley Stoke Town Council tidy up the town on Wednesday (29th September) from 10am to 3pm.

More than 20 staff from the McDonald’s restaurant at Cribbs Causeway are due to join Mayor Ben Walker and local MP Jack Lopresti “to target problem areas in Bradley Stoke”, according to a press release put out by the firm earlier today.

By making Bradley Stoke the focus of its annual community project, McDonald’s say they are strengthening the links they have already forged in the town – sponsoring Bradley Stoke Youth FC and supporting the last two year’s Community Festival football competitions.

The clean-up squads will be painting twelve bus shelters, plus cutting-back and litter-picking along a footpath near the lakes in the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve.

Read on to find out how to join the tidy up (and get a free lunch!) »

A roofer from Bradley Stoke, who was recently voted “Bristol’s Next Top Model”, has starred in a prestigious fashion show at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway.

Lee Matthews, 21, was chosen as the male winner of the 2010 Bristol Evening Post fashion contest last weekend, entitling him to make his catwalk debut on Thursday (23rd September) in the Bristol Fashion Week show.

After observing the professional models on Tuesday and taking part in rehearsals himself on Wednesday, Lee took to the catwalk for four performances on Thursday in a show compered by TV style gurus Mark Heyes and Andrew Barton.

Lee, who also plays semi-professional football as a goalkeeper with Almondsbury Town FC, described his first modelling assignment as being “quite hard work with a lot of routines and timings to remember”.

The experience has, however, not deterred him and he is due to return to The Mall for their next big fashion show in March 2011.

Lee’s mum Nikki says her son was inspired to enter the competition by his footballing friend Chris Kite, who won the contest in 2009, although she says it took a great deal of persuasion to get him to go for the photo shoot to qualify for entry.

This week sees Lee back at his normal roofing job with the family firm but he says he’s looking forward to more assignments arranged through  Bristol’s Mustard model agency, with whom he has a one year contract as part of his Bristol’s Next Top Model prize.

Thrifty buyers will be flocking to the Trench Lane Car Boot Sale, near Bradley Stoke, for the last time in 2010 tomorrow (Sunday 26th September).

The immensely popular sale, which attracts hundreds of sellers and thousands of buyers, runs from May to September at the Trench Lane site [map], opposite the entrance to Woodlands Golf & Country Club.

With fine weather forecast, a bumper crowd can be expected for the final sale of the season.

Boot sale regulars need not be too despondent as the same organisers also run a sale at Rodford, between Yate and Westerleigh, starting on 3rd October 2010 and continuing every Sunday thereafter until further notice.

The Rodford sale runs from 9am to 2am; sellers’ cars are charged at £6, vans £10. All visitors are required to pay 50p at the gate.

Related links:

• Markets in and around Bradley Stoke
• Weather Forecast for Bradley Stoke