The Bradley Stoke Journal

The organisers of Bradley Stoke’s Royal Wedding community ‘street’ party, held yesterday at the Jubilee Centre, say they have had positive feedback from families who enjoyed the occasion despite the failure of the centrepiece big screen TV.

A technical issue with the TV screen’s back projector meant that party goers were only able to view a dim 4′ x 3′ image instead of the 14′ x 8′ one that had been promised in the event’s publicity.

The big screen was not working when the event was officially opened at 10:20am by BBC weatherman Ian Fergusson and, with just ten minutes to go before the start of the ceremony (11am), the crowd of between 100 and 200 was told that the technical problems could not be fixed.

A small number of families packed up their picnics and left the venue to watch the wedding at home, although it is thought that some returned later to enjoy the stalls and rides set up around the field.

Those that stayed were invited to “move closer to the screen”, with the youngest children allowed to sit in a row just feet from the screen.

Michelle Dent, Chair of the Friends of Jubilee Green volunteer group that organised the event with assistance from event management company Re-energize told The Journal:

“We are really gutted about the failure of the big screen contractor and Re-energize assures me there will be a full refund from the contractor.”

“I can only apologise to everyone who attended for the small picture. Helen [North] and I have spent the last four months volunteering our time to organise this event, however we’ve had some really positive feedback from families who had a really good time despite the issues with the screen.”

Organised activities for children attending the party, including puppet shows, decorating a congratulations card for the royal couple, a Prince and Princess fancy dress show, a ‘wedding reception’ disco and play sessions in Jubilee Park, were all well supported and helped keep minds off the embarrassing failure of the big screen.

Read on for more about the big screen failure and its consequences »

“A cloudy start but with sunny intervals developing into the early afternoon” is the weather forecast for Bradley Stoke’s big Royal Wedding community ‘street’ party at the Jubilee Centre complex tomorrow (Friday 29th).

The hyperlocal forecast comes from BBC weatherman (and local resident) Ian Fergusson, who is due to officially open the party at 10:20am.

Proceedings from Westminster Abbey will be shown on a 14′ x 10′ outdoor big screen TV and a beer tent will be open from 11am, “so that people can grab a drink to toast the happy couple”.

The big screen will also be used to showcase local community groups, many of whom will also be running stalls at the event.

Commercial traders will be selling food and providing children’s entertainment.

BBC Radio Bristol’s Ali Vowles will be broadcasting live from the site between 10am and 2pm and the nascent Bradley Stoke Radio will be recording the day’s proceedings for transmission during their live FM broadcasts in June.

Traffic arrangements around the venue will mirror those imposed at the June Community Festival with Savages Wood Road being closed (for all except residents and disabled badge holders) at the Manor Farm Roundabout on Brook Way.

Visitors arriving by car are requested to park at the Willow Brook Centre (Zone I) and proceed on foot to the Jubilee Centre.

Read on for more details of Friday’s event at the Jubilee Centre »

Residents have until the end of the week to lodge comments on proposals by McCarthy & Stone for the construction of 74 retirement apartments in the centre of Bradley Stoke.

The proposed development, on Savages Wood Road, just south of the Tesco Extra store, consists of 50 one and two bedroom private apartments in one building and 24 affordable apartments in a separate unit.

The company announced in January that it had “acquired an interest” in the vacant plot of land, which had previously been earmarked for a hotel and restaurant. A public exhibition of plans was then held in early February before a formal planning application was lodged with South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) on 16th March.

A spokesperson for McCarthy & Stone commented:

“We are proud of our vision for the future of the site which offers an exemplary design whilst introducing a scheme which will be an asset to the town and the local community. We believe this proposal will help satisfy a specific local need for older people in Bradley Stoke. We are especially pleased to be able to provide much needed affordable dwellings within the plans. It is important that local residents have the opportunity later in life to stay close to their home town and their family. At present there is no specialist retirement accommodation in the area and this development would meet this need.”

Read on for more reaction to the McCarthy & Stone plans »

If your royal wedding invite seems to have been lost in the post then the next best place to be on Friday is the Jubilee Centre, Bradley Stoke [BS32 8HL, map].

Having already been listed in The Times’ guide to Royal Wedding celebration events, Bradley Stoke’s community ‘street’ party will be featured on BBC Radio Bristol for four hours and local VIPs will be in attendance throughout the day.

Funded with help from Bradley Stoke Town Council and organised by Friends of Jubilee Green with events management group Re-energize, this community ‘street’ party looks set to be the biggest and best celebration of the Royal Wedding in the area.

BBC Weatherman Ian Fergusson is set to open the event, which starts at 10am, and live coverage of events in London will be beamed to a giant outdoor TV screen ensuring party goers get the best possible view of all the action.

Then, as the future King and Queen of England wave to the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the party will be just beginning with live dance performances and a free wedding reception disco all planned as part of the afternoon’s festivities.

Catering units, children’s rides, community stalls and a beer tent will all be on hand and there’s even a giant wedding cake expected courtesy of the Aztec Hotel. A free puppet show, other commercial stalls and the local Fire Brigade are also expected to attend.

Local ‘celebrities’, also without an invite to the Abbey, will be joining the party and Jack Lopresti MP will be joining South Gloucestershire Council Chairman Janet Biggin to judge a Prince and Princess fancy dress competition.

Read on for details of BBC Bristol’s coverage of the event »

Four former-Mayors are amongst seven current Bradley Stoke Town Councillors who have chosen not to stand for re-election on Thursday 5th May.

Cllrs Julian Barge (Mayor 2003/04, 2005/06 & 2007/08), Ronnie Conway-Haskins (2006/07), Mark Forsyth (2009/10) and Sandra Hobson (2005/06) have all chosen not to contest the upcoming Town Council election that sees a total of 29 candidates fighting the 15 available seats.

Cllr Barge, a Town Councillor since 1999, currently represents the Conservative party, having defected from the Liberal Democrats in 2006 when he accused his former party of “negative and sometimes nasty campaigning”. He was Mayor at the time of the Council’s very public bust-up with the Northavon Bowls Club in 2008, which ended with the club being disbanded and landed the Council with an ongoing £7,200 p.a. bill for the upkeep of the Baileys Court bowling green, previously paid by the bowlers.

Cllr Conway-Haskins has been a Town Councillor since 2003, initially as a Liberal Democrat – until a row in a row over a wrongly attributed quote led to her resigning from the party and becoming independent. She says she is giving up because she feels she has already given enough to the community (having previously been a Councillor in Newton Abbot) and because of deteriorating health.

Cllr Forsyth (Conservative) has been a Town Councillor since 2007. He has chaired the Council’s Finance Committee for a number of years and may be best known to residents for his multi-lingual “meine Damen und Herren” addresses over the PA at the annual fireworks display.

The fourth retiring Mayor is an ex-call girl (BBC, 2004) – read on »