The Bradley Stoke Journal

Thursday night’s International Women’s Day celebratory event  organised by Southern Brooks Community Partnership (SBCP), once again attracted a large and enthusiastic crowd to Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS).

The evening kicked off with performances from the BSCS salsa band and a musical performance from local girl group ‘Raise Your Voice”.

This was followed by an international fashion show, choreographed by Furo Sefia of African Elegance, and featuring some stunningly colourful African and Asian costumes.

The awards ceremony for the Poetry and Photography competition (a new feature this year) began with a moving recital of four of the poems entered, before Cllr Heather Goddard, Executive Member for Communities at South Gloucestershire Council, announced the winners and presented the prizes.

(more…)

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.

Bowls legend David Bryant CBE, three-times world champion and four-times Commonwealth Games champion, is to perform the opening ceremony of the new Bradley Stoke Bowls Club on Saturday 1st May.

Representatives of  the City & County of Bristol Bowling Association and the Gloucestershire  Bowling Association are also expected to attend the event.

The sport is returning to the Baileys Court green two years after the former Northavon Bowls Club was controversially evicted from the ground by Bradley Stoke Town Council in a dispute over rent.

A spokesperson for the newly-formed club says they have already signed up 62 members and are expecting numbers to grow even more by the time the new season gets underway.

Annual membership of the club has been set at £35 and new bowlers are being offered training from two qualified coaches.

Bradley Stoke Town Council’s Finance Committee recently agreed to set the new bowls club’s first year rent at £1,500, inclusive of maintenance of the bowling green – an estimated £8,000 p.a. cost previously borne by members of the Northavon club.

The deal received cross-party support from members of the Finance Committee, with the notable exceptions of Cllr Julian Barge and spouse Cllr Elizabeth Todd, who both abstained.

The agreement must now be ratified at a meeting of Full Council later this month.

The club is holding its ‘Spring Meeting’ on Tuesday 13th April (7pm start) at the Baileys Court Activity Centre and welcomes enquiries from new and experienced bowlers.

More information: Bradley Stoke Bowls Club (The Journal)

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.

Organisers of the second Bradley Stoke Aquathlon, a swim and run event based at the Leisure Centre, have announced that the race is now full.

Sandra Webber of Thornbury Running Club says that a maximum field of 140 athletes will line up for the event on Sunday 14th March, which represents a 50% increase over the number that contested last year’s inaugural race.

The field includes large contingents from Bristol & District Triatheletes and the Kingswood Triathlon Club. Other competitors are travelling from Yeovil, London and Wales to take part in the event.

The first competitors will begin their swim at 8.30am and the event is expected to finish by 11:30am. A  prize giving ceremony will take place at around 12:30pm.

Sponsors are ZeroG, who co-own the Giant bike shop at the Willow Brook Centre, Easy Runner, Sweatshop, Kudos and Rapid Building Services.

Members of the public are advised that the main and small pools at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre will be closed until noon on the day of the event.

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.

Entries have now opened for the 2010 renewal of the Bradley Stoke 10k Run, to be held on Sunday 13th June as part of the town’s Community Festival.

The increasingly popular event, organised by local ladies-only running club Sole Sisters, will take place over the same route as last year – starting and finishing at the Jubilee Centre in Savages Wood Road.

The race route [map] takes in much of the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve as well as including stretches along Brook Way and Bradley Stoke Way.

Popular with local joggers and fun runners, the race also attracts serious athletes from around the region. Last year’s winner was Gary Hope of Gloucester Club Severn AC, who completed the course in a time of 33:36, while Joanne Heuze of Cardiff club Village Vipers was the first woman home in 41:17.

Karen Walsh of Sole Sisters tells The Journal that the entry limit for the 2010 race has been raised to 500 (from 350 in 2009) thanks to the cooperation of the local police, who will be manning road crossings around the course.

The Nicola Corrie Support Foundation has been nominated as the official fundraising charity for this year’s race.

More information and related links:

• Bradley Stoke 10k Run 2010 Entry Form [PDF]
• Bradley Stoke 10k Run (The Journal)
• Bradley Stoke Community Festival (The Journal)

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.

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

Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre’s February Holiday Programme (for children aged 2½ to 16) runs from Monday 15th to Friday 19th February and includes activities ranging from trampolining to golf.

Children aged 4 to 10 can join an event at Bradley Stoke Library on Monday 15th to celebrate the Chinese New Year (of the tiger). Drop in any time between 2:30 and 4pm to try Chinese crafts and activities.

The Dreamscheme programme (work, points, trips) comes to Bradley Stoke on Friday 19th, when young people aged 8 – 16 are invited to take part in a litter picking exercise around Kemperleye Way. Their hard work will be rewarded with pizza and a trip to the Jump soft play centre. Meet at Christ the King Church, Mautravers Close at 10am. More details on the Southern Brooks Community Partnership website.

Related links:

• What’s On in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)
• Youth Clubs in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.