The Bradley Stoke Journal

“Where fashion can be affordable without costing the earth”

[Advertising Feature] South Gloucestershire residents interested in clothes, fashion and reinventing their wardrobe are encouraged to attend Bradley Stoke’s very first Fashion Fayre on Saturday 5th November.

The event will be held at The Jubilee Centre, Savages Wood Road in Bradley Stoke and will run from 10am until 3pm. It has been organised by SITA UK and South Gloucestershire Council’s SORT IT!* Team.

Sarah Ottaway, Waste Minimisation Manager, at SITA UK said:

“Regular catwalk shows will be showcasing an array of styles and inventive ways of making the most of your wardrobe, a range of charity shops and vintage retailers will be selling great clothes at prices to suit any budget and you could even breathe life into that old pair of jeans, by turning them into a new shoulder bag in one of our great workshops!”

The whole family can join in, by turning an old t-shirt into a work of art using the pedal powered painting machine, (please bring along a t-shirt to create your masterpiece). Then they can jump on a pedal powered sewing machine and make some fabulous bunting to decorate the event or their home (materials provided).

More: Charities and other groups supporting the Fashion Fayre »

Everyone had great fun on the Stokes Cycling Club’s first mountain bike ride last month, and after requests for more, they are running another on Saturday 22nd October, starting at 2pm from Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre.

It will be about 12 miles long, goes to Tockington and Old Down, and is mainly on tracks and bridleways, so a mountain bike is required, but it won’t be too technical for beginners.

The ride leader, mountain bike coach Andy Parker, said:

“The first ride was great fun, everyone had a good time, and I was able to help some people with their technique.  Everyone came back with a smile on their face!”

“If you want to get into mountain biking, but you’re not sure where to ride, come out with us and find out about the local tracks that you can ride on.  There are lots of them, but finding them can be tricky.”

Rider Richard Burton said:

“Andy knew about tracks that I didn’t even know existed, and helped me improve my riding.  It was a great ride and a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to the next one.”

“If you fancy some fun riding with a friendly local bike club, come along.  And if you aren’t into mountain biking, check out our web site for our other rides, with everything from family rides to fifty milers and everything in between.”

Photo: A rider negotiates a hazard on the club’s first mountain bike ride.

Bradley Stoke Netball Club has been awarded the Bronze CAPS Clubmark Award.

The prestigious recognition from England Netball is given to clubs who can demonstrate that they offer a good quality netball provision within their community.

The Club Action Planning Scheme (CAPS) is part of the Sport England Clubmark accreditation system, the only national cross-sports acknowledgement for clubs with junior sections.

It is built around a set of core criteria which ensures accredited clubs operate to a set of consistent, accepted and adopted minimum operating standards.

Sophie Warner, Bradley Stoke’s Clubmark Officer, said:

“This is a great achievement for us as it’s an award the club has aspired to hold for a long time. To get the recognition from our national governing body for the hard work the volunteers at our club continue to put in is priceless.”

“We are proud to offer a great starting point for youngsters in the area to play netball, and it is fitting that Clubmark now recognise that our sessions are safe, fun, well structured and delivered by some of the best coaching staff in the region.”

Read more: Junior Club goes from strength to strength »

Thrifty shoppers have their last final chance of the year to grab a bargain at the Trench Lane Car Boot Sale this Sunday (25th September 2011).

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 last week’s sale having to be cancelled due to poor weather, the final sale of 2011 looks set to attract a bumper crowd.

Organisers have told The Journal that they are confident the event will go ahead after several days of drying weather this week.

UPDATE (Sunday 9am): Sale is ON, despite some showers this morning.

The Trench Lane sale is expected to resume in May 2012, subject to the event’s licence being renewed by South Gloucestershire Council.

Car boot sale addicts unable to wait until next year have the option of attending other regular sales over the winter months at Bristol Wholesale Fruit Market (Saturdays) and Easter Compton (Sundays). More details of these and other car boot sales in the Bristol area can be found on the Markets page of our online Directory of Local Services in and around Bradley Stoke.

Know of other car car boot sales going on in the Bristol area? Drop us a line to let us know!

[Advertising Feature] Do you want to tone up, burn off body fat and get fitter? Not finding the time to exercise when you get home? Do you prefer to exercise in the morning? How about a ‘bootcamp’ that gives you a money back guarantee?

The Bristol Bootcamp Company has recently started early morning bootcamp sessions in Little Stoke Park [map] and the next four week bootcamp starts this Monday (26th September).

Dave Lewis, a Bristol personal trainer and owner of the Bristol Bootcamp Company, explains:

It’s 12 sessions spread over four weeks and is suitable for all levels of fitness. The sessions are varied, challenging and fun and really do help you to reach your fitness goals. It’s also a great way to get some fresh air and meet new people.

The bootcamp is run all year round and in all weathers. You sign up for a four week block and attend each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sessions start at 6:30am and finish at 7:15am.

The bootcamp is run by a fully qualified and insured personal trainer and costs £60 in total. What’s more is if after attending all 12 sessions you’re not satisfied then there is a money back guarantee. So you have nothing to lose!

More: See the bootcamp in action and find out how to book your place »

Bradley Stoke Town FC (BSTFC) celebrated the official opening of its new clubhouse at the Jubilee Centre on Saturday with a quiz and race night.

The clubhouse aims to provide players with an environment to relax in and enjoy a drink following games on Saturday afternoon.

Up until now, the club has not had an exclusive clubhouse, instead using the local pub as a venue to meet. Members of the committee hope that the clubhouse is just one of the steps that will help push the club forward in their ambitious development plans.

Club Chairman Ian Drew explained to The Journal that the eventual aim is for the first team to play in the Gloucestershire FA County League, five levels above the outfit’s current status in Division Two of the Bristol and District League.

Recognising that their ambition requires a series of improvements to the facilities at their home ground, including a clubhouse, pitch improvements, railings around the pitch and ‘dug outs’ for both teams, the club has now cleared the first of those hurdles.

Four promotions in the past six years and two league cup final victories suggest that the club’s lofty aims might well be achievable, says the Chairman.

The ‘clubhouse’ consists of the foyer, conservatory, bar and kitchen areas of the Jubilee Centre in Savages Wood Road.

More: Defeat for first team following mass scuffle and sendings off »