On Wednesday August 10 and 17 visitors can help staff from M Shed’s archives to identify people and places in some of the hundreds of photographs currently held in store. And visitors can also bring along their own objects and photos that tell their own personal Bristol story for cataloguing and recording.

“We would like local people to come along and help us to uncover the stories behind many of the photographs held in our archives at M Shed,” says Julie Finch, head of museums, galleries and archives at Bristol City Council. “And we would also like to capture many more local stories that people have to tell about their lives and connections with the city – this could be through personal objects or photos. Anything from an old school tie to a football programme or a photograph of the local milkman or park event.”

M Shed volunteers will be on hand to record stories, objects and photos – and these will be added to M Shed’s archives.

The exhibition is open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 6pm and first two Saturdays of month from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free and the exhibition runs until October 8, 2011.

Full details can be found on the council’s website.

In 1972 when he was 23, John Pine asked his grandfather George to write down some of the stories that his grandchildren found so interesting. John supplied the paper and pens, and eight months later, George had jotted down 44,000 words. George died suddenly in October 1972 and never did quite finish his story.

However, in the early 1980s, John’s brother-in-law, Clive Burlton first read George’s manuscript and vowed, one day, to do something with it – to fill in the many gaps in George’s recollections and to finish the story for George and his family.

Clive started his quest in 2000 when, quite by chance, George’s ‘lost’ WW1 medals were found in the vaults of the City Museum and Art Gallery by Curator Sue Giles. George’s medals are now on display at M Shed, along with photos, objects and stories from his Bristol Tramways days.

The discovery of George’s medals was the first of dozens of lucky finds that have helped Clive to piece together George’s Story which also appears in a new book (Trenches to Trams – Tangent Books, £14.99).
The exhibition contains many of the discoveries made over the last 11 years including ‘Edith’s Trunk’ – a case of over 100 items of family ephemera kept by George’s sister and inherited by George in 1947. It had lain undisturbed in a family wardrobe in Bristol for over 30 years. Its contents included early 19th Century photographs, WW1 pay books, a bible returned from Gallipoli when George’s brother Tom Pine was killed in 1915 and many objects from George’s Bristol Tramways days.

Many of the chance discoveries made among the archives at Bristol Record Office are also on show, including a scrapbook kept by Lord Mayor Twiggs in 1919. Within its pages was found a Certificate presented to George by the Lord Mayor in February 1919.

Items loaned from the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum are also on display including a photograph of George and the 1/6th Gloucesters marching off to war down St Michael’s Hill on August 10, 1914 – the framed photo was found in a cupboard in the museum at Gloucester Docks.

Local tram enthusiast and historian, Peter Davey has also loaned many Bristol Tramways objects from his collection, including a destination board last used in May 1938 from a tram on George’s Eastville to Durdham Downs route.

George’s 144-page manuscript, without which there would be no exhibition or book, is also on display.
John Pine commented… “I never believed that after nearly 40 years since first asking Grampher Pine to jot down his memories that there would now be a book and an exhibition about his life. George was not a well-educated man, few of his generation were, but he had the most incredible memory and could tell a wonderful, gripping story. Being the modest man he was, he would wish the exhibition to be considered as a tribute to his generation and to a remarkable group of people whose stories of hardship, heroism and sacrifice may never be told.

And its not just the floral displays that are making a difference, Bristol’s streets, pavements and neighbourhoods have been cleaned up as part of the city’s on-going campaign to work with local people and a host of agencies to promote pride of place and make the city an even better place to live, work and visit.

The city-wide effort to improve the local environment means Bristol will be looking at its best when the South West in Bloom judges visit Bristol next week, on Thursday, July 7.

Bristol is as ever a strong contender in the South West in Bloom Regional Competition and is hoping to once again impress the judges by aiming for the coveted South West Tourism Trophy.

This year, central to Bristol’s entry is the emphasis on neighbourhoods and communities working together to make a difference by cleaning up public spaces and using natural planting and colourful floral schemes to brighten up local areas. Judging of the ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ entries will take place over three days – from Thursday, July 7 to Saturday, July 9.

Chairman of the Bristol in Bloom Community Association, Mike Crook, said: “The Bristol in Bloom competition always generates a lot of interest and enthusiasm. The success of previous years underpins Bristol’s determination to go that extra mile and bring forward new ideas into their entry. Communities and neighbourhoods have been working together with the city council and other partners to showcase the city – and I’m sure they will wow the judges.”

Councillor Gary Hopkins, Bristol’s cabinet member for targeted improvements, added: “Bristol is proud of its winning track record. But we are not complacent and won’t be resting on our laurels. We are working hard to build on the strong partnerships we have developed over the years and get more communities and neighbourhoods working with us. It is great to see how the Bristol in Bloom competition brings people together and make us think about what we can all do to improve and enhance our local environment.

Supported by the Bristol Safeguarding Children’s Board, agencies have been working together over the last two years to highlight the issue among schools, midwives, police officers social workers and health professionals. Now communities in Bristol are taking forward their own work to take a stand against FGM before the school summer holidays.

Illegal in the UK, FGM involves the partial or total removal of external genitalia and is a cultural practice carried out in more than 28 African countries, plus some parts of Asia and South America.

Events taking place in Bristol are:

*Saturday 25 June, 1pm – 6pm. Community family day and picnic at Easton Community Centre including workshops, activities for children, traditional songs and dance.

*Thursday 30 June, 4pm. Premier film screening of , “Silent Scream” at The Watershed. The film was produced over the last five months by a group of 27 young women, through a project run by Integrate Bristol and Zed Productions, with the support of City Academy Bristol. ‘Silent Scream’ is a short drama documentary and includes interviews with Detective Chief Inspector Dave MacCallum, Dr Comfort Momoh MBE and Sheikh Abdalla Yassin OBE.

*Saturday 9 July, 1pm. Premier Bristol screening of ‘The Cutting Tradition”. Part funded by the International Federation of Gynaeocology and Obstetrics the film examines the cultural background to FGM across the world. It will be followed by a discussion with the film-maker and a nurse.

Chair of the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board Dr Ray Jones said:

“Genital mutilation is an issue that we need to continue to highlight. It is estimated that around 2,000 girls in Bristol are potentially at risk of either being subject to it here or abroad. This is why it is important that extra focus is raised just before the long summer holidays.

“It’s great to see that this is now being taken forward at a grass-roots level.”

FGM carries the risk of death from bleeding or tetanus, and long-term problems including urinary incontinence, recurrent infections and chronic pain. Reversal procedures are necessary for childbirth.

Naana Otoo-Oyortey MBE, Executive Director of national campaign group FORWARD notes that:

“The family event in Bristol is crucial to raising awareness and enabling practicing communities to protect girls from undergoing FGM. The summer holiday is a very high risk time for many girls, who may be sent abroad or have FGM done in the UK. FGM is wrongly considered to be a religious requirement and an accepted cultural practice, and across the world it is recognised as a profound violation of the human rights of girls and women. This is why the Bristol summer campaign and community programme is needed to change minds and help families say no to FGM and yes to girls’ protection.”

Anyone with information about people who might be carrying out or arranging this practice can call Crimestoppers – 0800 555 111 – they will never ask your name or trace your call.

The museum will be housed in the landmark 1950s transit sheds at Prince’s Wharf on the historic waterfront in the heart of the city. M Shed will be at the hub of a vibrant cultural quarter of Bristol, with the award-winning ss Great Britain located less than a mile away and the Arnolfini and Watershed Media Centre just across the harbour. The whole site – the sheds and their quayside  – is one of the last remaining complete 20th century docksides in the UK.

The £27 million development of M Shed has been funded by Bristol City Council, a grant of 11.6 million from Heritage Lottery Fund and funding from DCMS and a range of individuals, companies and trusts.

The museum will include 3,000 exhibits, drawn from the world class collection of the city, telling the many thousands of stories of the people of Bristol, which have been discovered through working with experts and communities across the city, a process that will continue for the life of the museum.

M Shed, the building which gives the museum its name, has been sympathetically restored, with the aim of preserving its historic character, while also transforming it into a 21st century museum. The work has been carried out by LAB Architecture Studio, perhaps most famous for the design of Melbourne’s Federation Square. The new museum includes three permanent galleries and a temporary exhibition space, a new glazed rooftop extension with spectacular panoramic views across the harbour, workshops, a functioning train shed, a learning suite, and café, book and gift shop.  Entrance to the museum will be free.

Among the unique displays will be:

• Models and props for Wallace and Gromit, Curse of the Were Rabbit, donated by animator Nick Park, from Bristol based Aardman Animations. Wallace and Gromit have not only established worldwide fame, but have now been officially adopted as Bristolians.
• The original spray painted pink Technics record deck used by members of Bristol band Massive Attack to record their tracks in the 1980s when they were still part of the loose group of musicians called the Wild Bunch.
• A 10 metre long mural of a fantasy landscape of Bristol specially commissioned for M Shed from local graffiti artists Andy Council and Luke Palmer (Acerone). Bristol’s rich history in graffiti including celebrated artist Banksy is illustrated in the museum.
• Documents of the notorious Bristol Bus Boycott, led by a group of Bristol’s black workers, which hit the world’s headlines in 1963 and whose cause was championed by Tony Benn.
• Abolition tokens issued by campaign supporters to gain support for the Abolition movement. Bristol played a major role in the transatlantic slave trade and M Shed tells many stories about those lived it, who profited and ran the slave trade in the city, those who were enslaved and those who challenged the industry.
• Restored, full scale and fully functioning dockside cranes, steam locomotives and harbour boats including the 150 year old Mayflower, illustrating the important industrial past of the area, which lasted until as late the 1970s in Bristol. Access to the public to try out these historic working exhibits will be available regularly throughout the year.
• M Shed will also host live events including debates and discussions around the issues raised in the museum. It will also include hands-on workshops with volunteers from Bristol’s dockside community, who will share their skills with visitors as part of a living archive for the Museum.

Councillor Simon Cook, Deputy Leader and cabinet member for Bristol’s capital programme, sports and culture, says: “Bristol is such a fantastic city, drawing in hundreds of thousands of visitors every year to our museums, exhibitions, festivals, tourist attractions and events. And now we can add M Shed, Bristol’s new museum to our cultural mix. M Shed is a fitting tribute to all the people who have helped shape the city’s history. I share the pride of local people who see this new museum as a bold statement of who we are, where we have come from, what we have achieved and our optimism and enthusiasm for the future.”

Julie Finch, Head of Bristol Museums and Archives, said: “M Shed will be a world class museum. It builds on Bristol’s great heritage to bring experts and the community together in the joint endeavour of building a new narrative for the city. I hope M Shed will become a destination for the understanding and celebration of the history of Bristol and its people and a vibrant learning resource for the future, open to all.”

Carole Souter, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “M-Shed is a significant addition to Bristol’s already exceptional cultural landscape.  For the first time, this dynamic city will have a ‘one-stop shop’ that brings together all the different strands of its unique history.  The Heritage Lottery Fund has invested over £11m to help make this happen – we’re absolutely delighted with the results and confident that Bristolians and visitors from further afield will feel the same way about this special museum.”

M Shed, Wapping Rd, Bristol, BS1 4RN

Opening Friday 17 June 2011

www.mshed.org

Tel: 0117 352 6600

Admission free

Opening hours: Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, and on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from 10am to 6pm.

The Deaf and Hearing Impaired Development Group includes experts from health, education, social care and finance, as well as representatives from Elmfield School for the Deaf, hearing resource bases and the deaf community. It will help develop a strategy for educational provision for deaf and hearing impaired children in the city and work to resolve the future for Elmfield School for the Deaf.

In response to an independent report published last year, the council started an informal consultation about whether the needs of children currently attending Elmfield could be served by two specialist hearing impaired resource bases, one primary and one secondary, within mainstream schools. The development group will take account of this proposal as part of their recommendations for a new strategy for the city.

Executive Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Clare Campion-Smith, said: “With so many more children who are either deaf or have hearing difficulties attending mainstream schools, it is right that we draw on a broad range of expertise to work towards a co-ordinated strategy for educational provision for deaf children across the city.

“This new forum does not rule out big changes in the city’s provision, but it will ensure that a range of different experts and groups are actively involved in shaping plans. Recommendations are expected to take into account the sustainability of proposed models.”

Bristol City Council currently supports the education of 309 children from the city who are deaf or hearing impaired. Of these, nine attend Elmfield School for the Deaf, with the rest in mainstream schools or resource bases attached to mainstream schools.

Early work for the group will include identifying key strengths of current provision and areas for development. An update report will be discussed at a Children’s Services Scrutiny meeting in July, but this will not be a final set of recommendations. These are expected by the end of the year.

New programme launched to improve substance misuse service for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in Bristol.

Research by Safer Bristol has shown that services for people who have alcohol or drug addiction problems and who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans (LGBT), need to be strengthened and made more effective. A new programme has therefore been developed to train some drug service users and service providers from the LGBT community to act as champions to ensure that services that are provided to help drug users are suitable and effective.

“We know from our research that the pressure of feeling different can lead more members of the LGBT community to become negatively engaged with alcohol or other drugs,” said Russell Thomas, diversity and equality officer for Safer Bristol. “With this programme we wish to make sure that their specific needs are championed by service users and staff from voluntary and statutory organisations. We would also like to hear from service users who would be willing to take part.”

Safer Bristol has been working to successfully reach out to diverse equalities communities to take steps to engage, consult, partner and empower individuals and equality communities.

Recently work by the Diversity Trust, commissioned by Safer Bristol, has helped to identify the prevalence and patterns of drug use amongst Bristol LGB&T communities.

”We have also consulted people on what would help them feel more comfortable and confident in using services to help them recover from their dependency,” said Russell Thomas. “We are now taking steps to strengthen support and services for LGB&T communities”.

A trainer from the Diversity Trust, Berkeley Wilde, will be facilitating a programme of free training programme to support people to become effective champions and possible mentors for service users.

• The programme is as follows:
• 22/06/11 – 9:30am – 12:30pm ‘Introducing leadership’
• 29/06/11 – 9:30am – 12:30pm ‘How influential are you?’
• 06/07/11 – 9:30am – 12:30pm ‘Focus on facilitation’
• 20/07/11 – 2.00pm – 5.00pm ‘Focus on mentoring’
• 27/07/11 – 9:30am – 12:30pm ‘Focus on coaching’

Any service user as an LGB or T, who would like to take part in this exciting free training opportunity please contact Berkeley Wilde direct.

Phone 07747 752 454

Email berkeley.wilde@diversitytrust.org.uk

The theme for Carers Week 2011 is ‘The True Face of Carers’. It calls for greater recognition for the diverse range of people who have caring responsibilities. The work they carry out is vital for their families and friends, and for their communities.

Kerry  and Angela have joined together to pay tribute to carers, and to urge that they receive more support in their caring roles. Kerry said:

“Thousands of people in Bristol sacrifice not only their time, but also their money and their health in order to care for a loved one. Together they save this country an incredible £119 billion every year and deserve to be recognised for their contribution to both our local community and to wider society.

“I am backing Carers Week to show my respect and appreciation for our carers. I also want to let them know that there are services out there to help them. Caring can be so incredibly demanding. It’s important that carers know that they don’t have to struggle on alone.”

Angela Rippon has personal experience of being a carer. She says:

“For a number of years now I’ve become aware of the extraordinary job that carers do throughout this country. I feel that it’s important that anybody who has any knowledge at all stands up and be counted for them and make the job that they do public, because they should not be invisible, they should be out there and being seen as the heroes and heroines that they are.

“It’s a strain that people accept willingly and lovingly, and if they’re prepared to do that, I think that as a civilised nation we should be prepared to do something in return.”

Other celebrities supporting this campaign include Dame Judi Dench, Sir David Jason OBE, Jack Charlton OBE and Martin Lewis. Carers Week is organised by a partnership of 9 national charities: Age UK, Carers UK, Counsel & Care, Crossroads Care, Dementia UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, MS Society, Parkinson’s UK, and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.

For more information about local events and activities taking place as part of Carers Week, visit www.carersweek.org.

A recent council survey showed that over 30% of the blankets checked had potential life threatening faults such as defective overheat protection, and exposed wires.

National figures also show that 95 per cent of electric blanket fires are caused by blankets which are over 13 years old.

Modern designs are also potentially dangerous as although they are made to fail safe, problems can still arise through misuse, such as poorly wired plugs and broken switches.

“Our advice is get your blanket checked now, minor faults will be repaired free of charge”, said Phil Parkyn.

To find out more or to book a session Bristol residents should ring 01179 223522

With over 300 hands-on exhibits, live science shows and a Planetarium, At-Bristol is one of the UK’s largest and most exciting science centres providing an interactive day out for all the family, while also welcoming over 40,000 educational visits every year.

At-Bristol will be bringing some of this interactive fun to the Cheltenham Science Festival, when it joins the likes of Brian Cox, Alice Roberts and other line ups to engage new audiences in science.

The At-Bristol team will be in the Discovery Zone, where the attraction’s in-house science communicators will be bringing science to life with hands-on activities and experiments.

Among the activities, visitors will be able to explore the fantastic world of forces with At-Bristol’s portable exhiblets – discover all about the force of pressure and electrifying effect of electricity!   You can explore more about yourself with At-Bristol’s Power Lab, where you can take a look at the electrical activity of your heart with your own ECG (Electrocardiograph).  Visitors can also put themselves under the lens with the Proscope. This special handheld digital microscope allows you to take a closer look at yourself – find out what your skin, hair or nails look like magnified!

To celebrate the opening of At-Bristol’s latest All About Us exhibition, which contains over 50 new exhibits all about the human body and the brain, At-Bristol will also be out and about around the streets of Cheltenham with clean streaking body suits.  These special suits have illustrations of the human anatomy, showing what your insides look like on the outside!