NAILSEA
PEOPLE
Our town is a very nice town
THE online community newspaper for Nailsea people, their family and their friends
July 2022
Property Peeps
Our Property Peeps page sponsors HENSONS estate agents sold two featured homes within days of Nailsea People posting details online. Read more HERE about planning applications approved and in the pipeline including this 7-storey tower block for the old Weston College town centre site
What's On 2022
This is the page for the food markets, fairs, fetes and all the fun things in life. In July we have the carnival parade, concerts, beer fest and skate fest. To add event email nailseapeople@gmail.com
Gallery 2022
We have hundreds of images in our galleries (under dropdown menu top) and for 2022 it goes from the wassail to wildlife and more. We have a picture page devoted to the jubilee HERE and the June market slideshow page is HERE. Email your images nailseapeople@gmail.com
Nailsea & Backwell beer and cider festival photos and two videos are on our Gallery June - December 2022 page HERE
eat:Nailsea food and drink festival returns to Nailsea this autumn - bringing more than 100 local food and drink producers to the Crown Glass Shopping Centre, High Street and in a newly expanded area down past the Link Road towards Tesco.
The 2022 dates are Saturdays, October 8 and December 3, both festivals run between 10am-4pm.
The twice a year festival, supported by Nailsea Town Council and North Somerset Council, are the biggest events in the town each year with the shopping centre and High Street filling with people from 10am enjoying the atmosphere and the great selection of produce on offer.
This includes farmers' market favourites alongside street food, artisan makers and entertainment.
Organiser Bev Milner Simonds said: "We love working in Nailsea and it is honour to be invited back again by the town council.
"By expanding the area this year we are staying to create a bit more elbow room and also create space for some new producers too.
"We will have music from our DJs and space for buskers too.
"If you are interested in busking - please drop us an email so we can plan that in.
"Big thank you to the town council for their support and local estate agents, Hunter Leahy for their support this year too.”
Co-organiser Sarah Milner Simonds explained how the new area will work
She said: “The newly expanded area won’t need an extra road closure.
"This means buses can still get through and residents and businesses access their properties at the rear, but the parking bays will be suspended for the day and stalls positioned in them, facing the pavements.”
To get in touch with Bev and Sarah email www.eatfestivals.org.
PEOPLE PROTEST: Villagers held a protest to campaign for traffic calming measures in Portbury (Image: Somerset Live) and the full report by Nailsea People on the delegation from West End who attended the last Nailsea Town Council meeting is HERE
Portbury-style protest at West End, Nailsea
Angry residents of West End, Nailsea, are considering protesting on their lanes on Monday, July 4, after pleas to North Somerset Council for urgent safety action failed.
Last month a delegation to Nailsea Town Council outlined the problems with speeding traffic and dangerous drivers.
Construction lorries from two local building sites are adding to the woes of their rural community, they told town councillors.
However, since then North Somerset Council highways technical support officer Garry Webb has written to Tina Court who led the town council delegation to say there was no accident statistics to support their claims.
Mr Webb wrote: “We are unable to undertake road safety improvements except where the accident date shows evidence of clusters of injury accidents with common causes that can be prevented by changes to the road layout.
“The standard period used for this assessment process is three years.
“I am sorry this is unlikely to be the response you were looking for however, I must remain consistent when assessing all locations for traffic calming measures.”
Yet oldest resident John Perry now in his 90s was clipped by cyclist this month and Tina was involved in a potentially fatal near-miss earlier this year.
And the residents have traffic surveys dating back a decade outlining the problems..
In a desperate attempt to get someone to sit up and take notice some of those living in West End are considering a Portbury-style protest.
A West End resident said: “We are talking of protesting like Portbury did on Monday as the M5 will be closed and we are expecting another siege on our lanes.”Placard-waving Portbury protesters held a demonstration to call for measures to slow traffic ‘speeding’ through their village.
They said they are fed up with the speed of vehicles using Mill Lane which
is making the village a ‘dangerous place to live in'.
Villagers say the 20mph limit is being ignored and often vehicles end up mounting the pavement - narrowly missing pedestrians.
West End lanes don't even have pavements.
Motorists are being warned of ‘significant' delays’ on the M5 on Monday as national campaigners plan to block the Severn Bridge to protest at the soaring cost of fuel and environmental concerns.
This will likely affect the M5, M4, M48, M32 and the two crossings to Wales.
Club faces big
roof repair bill
A multi-sports centre in Nailsea faces a huge repair bill for its roof which could cost more than £60,000 to replace.
But without a new roof Mizzymead Recreation Centre fear leaking rainwater would ruin a new £25,000 carpet due to go down in the indoor bowls rink this September.
Paying these bills would take most of its budget for the year.
It has already had a big shake-up in its finances making drastic cuts to staffing and bar rotas.
MRC chairman Steve Curry and treasurer Chris Waller made a presentation to Nailsea Town Council outlining the problems and asking for financial help.
He said: “We aren’t asking for the whole amount and would be happy with a grant towards the costs.
“The roof has come to the end of its economic life and needs replacing not ongoing repairs as it could fail at some point in the near future.”
But grant applications to the town council is a formal procedure started in September and not paid out until the following January or February.
Built on land donated by the Wyatt farming family MRC was opened in 1968 and is a registered charity.
It currently has approximately 650 members who belong to the indoor and outdoor bowls, tennis, snooker and bridge clubs.
On top of that it hosts active classes for ballroom and line-dancing as well as slimming, keep-kit and yoga sessions while Nailsea Musicals and the Rotary Club of Nailsea & Backwell use it as a base.
And as if that wasn’t enough it has hobby groups for stamp collectors, a pre-school and a dementia support memory club.
Mr Curry said: “Pre-Covid MRC was in a precarious financial state and on the verge of closing.
“We now have a five-year plan to stabilise our accounts.”
It is anxious to attract a younger membership and to this aim has been holding coaching and taster sessions.
And he admitted of late they had held more 'wakes' than coming-of-age parties in its large function room.
Mr Curry said: “We have one of only two pool tables in Nailsea, the floodlit tennis courts have been resurfaced and are probably the best in North Somerset.
“The membership of the indoor bowls which attracts people from Nailsea and neighbouring towns and villages is thriving and more than any other sport at MRC and it vital to the survival of Mizzymead."
Councillors Ben Kushner and James Steel meet with Mr Curry at Mizzymead on Monday, June 27, to see the state of the roof for themselves and together with club representatives are due to report back to Nailsea Town Council finance committee on Wednesday, July 6, 7.30pm at the Tithe Barn about possible help with funding towards the refurbishment of the roof.
UPDATE: After going through its finances it became apparent that Mizzymead is doing well, with around £220,000 in reserves. The proposed works have been costed at £50,000 which meant that the reserves were strong enough to cover. The club therefore withdrawn its town council grant request.
Nailsea Town Council is going ahead installing timed floodlights at the skatepark.
Four specially designed directional LED sports lights are going up at Nailsea Skate Park later this summer.
This project has the support of local police and Avon and Somerset Police Community Trust has given a £1,000 grant towards the costs.
The groundworks for the installations have already begun at Millennium Park.
The lighting will be on timers from dusk until 8pm to enable use of the park for after school and early evening sessions when the nights draw in.
Disruption during installation should be at a minimum and the skate park will stay open for use.
Nailsea Skatefest director Phil Williams said: “Getting floodlights fitted at the skate park is a fantastic idea.”
“A massive thank you to not only Nailsea Town Council but also the police and public for supporting this initiative.
“We need to make sure that behaviour of park users during these extra hours as well as during normal daylight hours show the community how much we appreciate this new floodlight initiative.”
Nailsea Town Council has already installed CCTV in the area to monitor any anti-social behaviour.
The 20th annual Nailsea Community Skate Fest was postponed for a month from mid-June as severe weather was forecast.
Although Bristol city centre experienced heavy downpours it remained dry in Nailsea despite ominous storm clouds.
Everyone is looking forward to the re-arranged date on Saturday, July 16, 1-5pm.
Spectators are welcome at the event which includes skateboard, scooter and BMX competitions, stalls, activities, music, compere and refreshments.
LATEST ROAD CLOSURES
More road closures for Queens Road.
It is due to be closed another three to four times in July.
The dates are:
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Sunday, July 31, 8am-5pm for surface dressing 3RD NEW DATE;
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Sunday, July 10, 8am-5pm for carriage sealing; POSTPONED and
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Monday and Tuesday, July 11-12 9.30am-3.30pm to reinstate road markings. POSTPONED
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The main road between Backwell and Nailsea is to close overnight for water pipe repairs. Station Road in Backwell will close on Wednesday, July 13, from 7pm-6am. While Bristol Water crew is working there will be diversion in place from the A370 to Backwell Bow and along Lodge Lane into Nailsea or across the moors.
A map of all Nailsea roadworks/closures are here https://one.network/uk/northsomerset/.
PARK POISONOUS PLANTS
North Somerset Council parks and open spaces team have been alerted to poisonous plants growing around play equipment at Trendlewood Park. Lords-and-ladies flowers in April and May followed in autumn by a conspicuous spike of orange-red berries. All parts of the plant are poisonous according to the Royal Horticultural Society.
RECYCLING HUB
Nailsea Community Recycling Hub at 26 Somerset Square has broadened items it can take. Currently it has bins for:
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glasses (not cases)
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contact lenses and packaging
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pens
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felt tips
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highlighters
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correcting fluid
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BRITA water filters
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plastic toothbrushes
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toothpaste tubes
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empty medicine blister packs
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Pringle tubes
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British and foreign stamps
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foreign coins (and notes) including obsolete currency
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old and broken jewellery.
The community shop hours are 10.30am-12.30pm Monday to Saturday.
BIKE SHOW
Nailsea Bike Show is on Saturday and Sunday, September 2022. This year it will be at the Ring O'Bells and Grove Sports Centre and Social Club. However, for 2023 the Grove is not allowing its premises to be used as it had become too difficult to move sports fixtures. Nailsea Town Council recorded in its environment and leisure committee minutes that the discussions remain 'private so as not to adversely affect NPFA and Grove's reputation in the town'.
FOOTPATH CLOSURE REFUSED
Despite fears for pupils safety Nailsea Town Council refused to allow a pubic footpath to be closed during school hours at Ravenswood. The route leads from Pound Lane to the church at Tickenham and is an ancient right-of-way.
RAILWAY MAINTENANCE
Homeowners living alongside a railway line in North Somerset could be facing a summer of sleepless nights. Network Rail has written to people living along the train line in Backwell Common and Long Ashton warning them of work to cut back vegetation and trees. The work is due to take place overnight every Saturday in July - between 10.30pm and 8am - and again on dates in August. Network Rail says the work is necessary to ensure the tracks are safe and has already apologised to local residents for any disruption caused.
CLIMATE CHANGE
A new café for people concerned about climate change (it should be everyone) it on the first Monday of the month at 65 High Street, Nailsea. All welcome. One of the recommendations by the town council climate emergency working party chaired by Emily Miller is no new houses being built in the town should be connected to the gas grid - there are 11 recommendations in total.
FREE BUS RIDES
Nailsea bus passengers are being offered a free ride on Tuesday, July 26.
Just turn up and hop on a service near you. No voucher or special code word needed - it's really that simple!
Included in the services are:
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X7 - Clevedon to Bristol; and
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X9 - Nailsea to Bristol.
www.thetekhut.uk
computer techies for the online community
The TEK Hut was started by Ben Parker in the summer of 2018.
For 12 years Ben had been one of the team at The ICT Workshop which provided a wide variety of computer services to Nailsea, Clevedon, Yatton, Backwell and even Weston-Super-Mare.
Ben felt it right to continue the same great service customers had previously experienced but under new branding for a new business and The Tek Hut was born.
Trading at the familiar location in Nailsea, The Tek Hut will continue to offer the same cost effective, new laptops and PCs, upgrades, onsite support for homes and businesses through to a wide range of workshop services and accessories.
FIVE STAR
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Call 0759 532 3274
Togs
school
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Schoolwear: Uniforms, Accessories and Name Tapes
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School Togs
Clevedon Walk, Nailsea, BS48 1RS
01275 857491