COLSTON'S TREES THREAT: POPLAR FRONT TO REUNITE 26 SEPTEMBER 2009 AT 10.30AM: BE THERE TO SHOW YOU CARE
Colston's Girls' School is the subject of a planning application submitted in May 2009. Supplementary documents have been posted in September which include felling the remaining black poplars, the very same trees which were saved by protesters in 1989. They omitted to mention this tree felling in their original exhibition leaflet too.
The application also includes felling the plane tree on t…
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Added by Des Bowring on September 24, 2009 at 6:16pm —
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What does everyone think of the Tudor look? I think it's too kitsch to be true and really out of place. What is it saying? That we'd all rather be living in a quaint old village than good old 'vibrant and diverse' Monty? Hmmm....
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Added by Des Bowring on December 1, 2008 at 5:00pm —
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I recently submitted the following comments regarding proposals for the refurbishment of Montpelier Park.
The proposals are fine as far as they go, but have completely ignored the biodiversity issues which were raised in the original public meeting.
The interests of wildlife can be served within the existing proposals. I have recorded thirty-four species of bird using the park - I’m sure that this diversity can be sustained or improved if we take account of the natural assets of the par…
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Added by Des Bowring on August 24, 2008 at 2:02pm —
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If anyone hasn't yet had a gander at the refurbished park behind Circomedia, Portland Square, go see.
It seems to have a good balance between concrete and grass, and lots of planting (albeit slightly more formal than I'd like) will keep us nature buffs happy once it is established. The park possesses plenty of standard trees and yet retains a pleasingly open aspect.
The park might serve as an inspiration for ideas about the development of our own Montpelier Park.
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Added by Des Bowring on May 23, 2008 at 11:46am —
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What the fuck is happening at the top of Station Road? Some petty bureaucrat at the council obviously thinks that if the grass grows higher than a millimetere it has to be cut.
As happened last year, a whole micro-habitat is being systematically destroyed in the name of 'tidiness' or 'crime prevention'. There's a brilliant, beautiful and rare plant, the Guelder Rose, which will no doubt be chopped down in the next day or two. Whole plant and animal communities are unable to thrive because of a…
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Added by Des Bowring on May 16, 2008 at 9:30am —
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There is shocking evidence that Montpelier Park is the victim of an infestation of split red lentils. Scientists say that split reds are more resistant to lentilocides than the closely related brown and green varieties. A local spokesman said 'this could only happen in Montpelier - it's like a scene from 101 Dal-mations'.
lentilattack.JPG Continue
Added by Des Bowring on April 25, 2008 at 12:00pm —
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Last summer local people succeeded in forcing Network Rail/Severnside Community Rail Partnership to back down over their plans for a 'community tidy-up' which would have destroyed trees, shrubs and other vegetation along the trackside at the station. It is therefore highly ironic that this week's engineering works have resulted in a mass clearance of valuable wildlife habitat along the disused platform.
Network Rail and their partners are to the environment what George Bush is to world peace..…
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Added by Des Bowring on February 23, 2008 at 11:47pm —
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What a fabulous morning in the park! The sun was shining, a Song Thrush was singing and some Colston's girls were enjoying a pre-school natter on one of the benches. It was great to see a scarce bird apparently enjoying a revival in fortunes, and the park being used by the community.
So if you want a little break from the stresses of the day, take a quick circuit around the park while the weather is being kind - highly recommended!
Des
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Added by Des Bowring on February 8, 2008 at 2:05pm —
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I enjoy reading the monthly crime reports from St Werburghs on
the excellent 'burgh website, and was wondering if a similar service
might be provided for Montpelier, possibly on this site? Is there an
existing source for such information that I don't know about?
Des
www.wildmonty.co.uk
http://www.stwerburghs.org/index.php?section=news&story=st_Werburghs_-_December_2007_Crime_Report.txt
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Added by Des Bowring on January 28, 2008 at 4:48pm —
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Family Bird Box Bonanza!
As part of National Nest Box week, a free ‘Family Bird Box Bonanza’
event is being held at Narroways local nature reserve on Sunday 10th
February from 1pm – 3pm. This event is being organised by the Nature in
the City Project and the Forest of Avon Wood School Project in
partnership with the Narroways Millennium Green Trust.
A wide range of exciting activities will be on offer.
Bring along the family and take part in our birdlife trail or try
mak…
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Added by Des Bowring on January 18, 2008 at 9:11pm —
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I've added a review of some wildlife highlights on the Wildlife Group page for your delectation and delight.
Happy New Year everyone!
Des
www.wildmonty.co.uk Continue
Added by Des Bowring on December 29, 2007 at 9:42am —
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For the last couple of mornings, contractors have been busily eradicating any trace of that scourge of Montpelier Park, leaves. Yes, folks, it is indeed comforting to know that our council tax is being spent on a truly worthwile project. No longer will little Imogen and Alexander be threatened by the danger of leaves lying in wait for them. The family dog will be able to run around unmolested by mouldy leaf-litter.
It is a relief to know that the Parks Department is choosing to ignore
…
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Added by Des Bowring on December 19, 2007 at 12:46pm —
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Many thanks to the young couple who stopped by yesterday when my cat
was savaged by my neighbour's two large dogs. I was extremely
distraught at the time but they succeeded in coaxing the dogs back
indoors and I was able to comfort my traumatised but otherwise unharmed
cat.
Although I've been cynical about bourgeois notions of 'community' in
previous blogs, the couple in question demonstrated that we can all
lend a hand when it is needed so thanks again guys!
…
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Added by Des Bowring on December 9, 2007 at 10:46am —
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I think it would be great to have an African Drum Circle in the
park next summer. Presumably there needs to be permission from the
Parks Dept or some kind of event licence, but a one off event using a
Drum Circle Facilitator would I think be popular with people of all
ages. The acoustics are likely to be amazing expecially if the drums
are played on the tarmacked area with the sound bouncing off
surrounding buildings. Just imagine transforming Monty Park into
a Ghanaian village for an afternoon…
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Added by Des Bowring on December 6, 2007 at 8:31pm —
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When I came to Montpelier to live way back in 1979 my parents were
horrified. I was raised on a council estate in Henbury, and Montpelier
seemed like some den of iniquity, its (then) racial mix signifying
danger, crime and violence.
One of the less attractive features of working class culture is a
remarkable snobbery about 'other' places and people. It seems amazing
that Montpelier and St Pauls were viewed with such horror by my family
when our estate was in a state of permanent war…
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Added by Des Bowring on November 24, 2007 at 2:00pm —
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It seems to me there is a desire for ‘community’ in Monty which can never be satisfied. The things that work against ‘community’ are the very things we cannot change nor want to change - the mobile phones that hermetically seal us from the seemingly insignificant interactions between each other on the street, or the car that provides us with an environment uncontaminated by strangers. We sell our souls to Somerfield in exchange for convenience and cash-back and wear our I-pods on the train to de…
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Added by Des Bowring on November 17, 2007 at 12:24pm —
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God knows how Princess Anne will get up Richmond Road today what with the parking etc. Cars are parked all over the pavement. This morning I was very nearly felled by a car actually DRIVING on the pavement in St Andrews Road and no other traffic on the road at the time - I was just coming out of Monty park and he was only inches away. I shouted at him and he seemed annoyed that I should venture to criticise his driving! Motorists, eh?
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Added by Des Bowring on November 13, 2007 at 11:56am —
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The new website is finally up. Check it out at www.wildmonty.co.uk
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Added by Des Bowring on November 10, 2007 at 6:39pm —
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During my wanders in pursuit of rare wildlife I have increasingly
encountered some interesting specimens of low-life hanging around the
station incline on a weekend. They seem harmless enough but there may
come a time when my presence is, shall we say, inconvenient to them.
I'm just a sad old birdwatcher but my hobby involves a lot of standing
around, binoculars and camera in hand, and looking altogether like
someone you tell your daughters to stay away from. There's a teeny
weeny fe…
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Added by Des Bowring on November 4, 2007 at 4:39pm —
3 Comments
The Monty fireworks season usually starts in about August and ends in
April but touch wood there haven't been quite so many pyrotechnics
waking me up at 3 o'clock in the morning so far this year. Pet
owners are most affected by the random letting off of these devices -
my cat ages visibly at this time of the year and has to be sedated,
wrapped in blankets and provided with large brandies on a regular
basis. I shall always regret having to miss an Orchestra Baobab gig at
the Colston Hall as it fe…
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Added by Des Bowring on October 28, 2007 at 11:46am —
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