An evocative part of the Shrouds of the Somme art exhibition is on show at the Aerospace Bristol museum on the former Filton Airfield until Sunday 14th October.

‘The Trench’ is part of the Shrouds of the Somme artwork exhibition commemorating 100 years since the end of World War 1. The exhibition has been touring the UK and has been brought to Aerospace Bristol by South Gloucestershire Council for two weeks before the Shrouds of the Somme travel to London to be laid out at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in November for the Armistice Centenary.

Shrouds artist Rob Heard has built a 2m high free-standing wooden trench in which the tens of thousands of Shrouds are stacked. Visitors walking through, experience the immersive nature of this installation; it generates incredibly powerful emotions, giving a graphic sense of both being in a trench and what the large numbers of those killed really mean. Names and details of all 72,396 Commonwealth servicemen killed at the Somme who have no known grave are displayed on the outer walls of The Trench in alphabetical order, sourced from Commonwealth War Graves records.

Cllr Rachael Hunt, chair of South Gloucestershire Council said:

“We are proud to welcome this exhibition to South Gloucestershire which gives local people a most moving and powerful experience and a chance to remember all those who have given their lives in the name of their country.”

“Many local people will have seen the Shrouds laid out on College Green in Bristol but seeing them like this, thousands upon thousands stacked on top of each other in The Trench, really brings home the scale of the devastation experienced during the Battle of the Somme.”

Entry to view The Trench exhibition is free, however should you wish to also visit Aerospace Bristol, standard ticket prices will apply. For more information, visit www.aerospacebristol.org

More information about the Shrouds of the Somme art exhibition can be found at shroudsofthesomme.com

This article originally appeared in the October 2018 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine (on page 21). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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The last month has been a busy period in the constituency, as the parliamentary recess came to an end. I visited a brilliant local attraction, Aerospace Bristol, to see the great work they are doing to preserve the region’s fantastic aviation heritage and inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists.

I also visited the Compass Project in Staple Hill, which provides a community for people in recovery from substance abuse. It was great to hear about many success stories where people have turned their lives around. I also met with Kevin Hamblin, the executive principal at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, to discuss their future plans. I was very impressed and fully support their plans to bring addition skills to students in our area.

It was a pleasure to join the new defence minister for procurement, Stuart Andrew MP, for the opening of the LiftWorks facility at Rolls-Royce in Patchway. The facility will manufacture part of the new F35 Lightning Vertical LiftSystem, securing jobs for years to come.

In parliament, I took the opportunity to ask a question of the prime minister at PMQs. I invited her to the opening of Airbus’s new Wing Integration Centre in Filton and asked if she would join me in thanking and paying tribute to Airbus for its strong and enduring commitment to the UK. Mrs May congratulated Airbus on the commitment it has made to the UK and the high quality of jobs it provides here. She also said that she would consider the invitation.

My first Senior Citizens’ Advice and Information Fair will be taking place on the 1st November 2018. It will be full of information from a mixture of organisations to showcase what they can offer older people. This will include charities and providers of health and social care needs that unfortunately affect many constituents, as well as groups that provide new opportunities to for people to try something new in later life. I also welcome the families of older constituents to come along on their behalf, and hope that having many different groups together all in one place will be useful. There is a page on my website that will be regularly updated with all the latest information on the event. Alternatively, please do not hesitate to get in touch with my office for further information.

If you would like to discuss anything with me, be it as a resident, organisation or business, please contact my constituency office in Bradley Stoke on 01454 617783 or email me on jack.lopresti.mp@parliament.uk to arrange a suitable surgery time, or to arrange a visit to your premises. For further details, visit www.jacklopresti.com

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Following a state-of-the-art refit to a Bradley Stoke opticians, the team celebrated by hosting a fun day, raising funds for CLIC Sargent.

Customers visiting Specsavers in Bradley Stoke on Saturday 15th September were greeted by special guests, Princess Belle and Spider-Man, as they marked the launch of their new and innovative store refit. People also had the opportunity to get their faces painted and then pose for a picture with the childhood favourite characters during the ‘meet and greet’.

The event offered an opportunity for locals to see the new store layout which provides a more efficient customer experience. The developments have also created more space and the result is a welcoming and modern store which includes the very latest testing equipment.

There was a Specsavers cake for customers to sample, while the official ribbon cutting took place under a balloon arch to mark the launch.

“We’re thrilled with the refurbishments here at Specsavers in Bradley Stoke,” said store director, Ed Stanleigh.

“The customer experience has been revolutionised and that gave us a great reason to celebrate and raise even more funds for our charity partner.”

Specsavers in Cribbs Causeway, Bradley Stoke and Filton have come together and nominated CLIC Sargent as their charity of the year for 2018. In a bid to raise as much money as possible for the children’s cancer charity, staff are taking part in several fundraising challenges and hosting events throughout the year.

More: Charity helps improve the quality of life of families & patients »

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Brian Newman, president of Bradley Stoke Bowls Club writes:

Bradley Stoke Bowls Club celebrated its Captain’s Day on Sunday 12th August. The club has been going for nine years now and has a membership of 107

We still welcome new members whether or not they have bowled before. Free tuition is available.

It was particularly poignant when two benches were dedicated to the memory of Jim Durlacher, the founder of the club, and Jim Humphries, who passed away at the grand old age of 96. Margaret Durlacher, Jim’s widow and several members of her family were there to witness the event.

Although it rained, everyone enjoyed eight ends of bowls and a grand meal afterwards provided by Steve of Henleaze Bowling Club, and the gathering was entertained by quizzes and table games during and after the meal.

The bar was laid on, as always, by Bradley Stoke Cricket Club, who always look after us very well.

My thanks go out to all who attended and to those who worked so hard to make the day a success.

Photo – Standing (l-r) Brian Newman (club president) and Jim Durlacher’s sons Stuart & Graeme. Seated (l-r): Jim’s daughter Helen and widow Margaret.

This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine (on page 38). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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