Pete Douglas, from Bradley Stoke Judo Club, travelled to Lille France with a team masters players from the West Country to compete in the Eurometropole Judo Championships.

This is the largest competition bar the world Champs. Pete had won this comp twice before so the pressure was on to make it a hat trick. Pete rose to the challenge, winning all 4 of his fights with the maximum score and has become the only Brit to achieve this in the history of the competition.

Also fighting on that day From B.S.J.C was Trevor King who won a bronze, only losing to a 5 times world medallist Russian on the way. Nick Brace was edged out of the bronze medal by a small score all three are coaches from B.S.J.C.

On the same weekend the junior players were taking the best in England:

* Jordan Knight won a Bronze in the North West seniors Open in St Helens

* The Midland junior Open over 2 days
Bradley Stoke Judo Club took a total of 12 players – 6 on each day, and they came back with a total of 10 medals – 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 5 Bronze.
In no particular order:
Ben A. Bronze.
Toby A. Silver
Isaac M – no medal but 4 fights – won 2, lost 2.
Eli – Bronze
Hannah – Bronze
Elle Y – no medal but 4 fights – won 2, lost 2
Megan – Bronze (ref withdrew her from the silver medal contest)
Jack – silver
Lele – Bronze
James – Silver
Pete Miles – Gold
Myles Nelson – Gold (very last fight of the weekend) – went all the way to flags.

So an action packed weekend for B.S.J.C

Well done to you all!

A 30-year-old man from the Oaktree Crescent area of Bradley Stoke has appeared before Northavon Magistrates charged with indecent exposure and burglary in connection with offences in Mautravers Close and Courtlands on 20 January 2012.

He was released on court bail to live at an address outside of South Gloucestershire with conditions including an 18-hour curfew between 6pm and midday.

This court appearance follows the arrest of a man in Saxon Way, Bradley Stoke, on Thursday 26 January 2012.

Last month, the Secretary of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, John Hayes MP, granted the final approval for Filton College and Stroud College to merge and become South Gloucestershire and Stroud College.

As a result, the new Corporation required re-branding, involving a new logo which the Corporation decided to give students the opportunity to design.

Learners from both Filton and Stroud Colleges undertaking the Art and Design Foundation Diploma, BTEC Extended Diploma in Graphics and Illustration and Foundation Degree in Creative Practices (Graphic Design) took part in the competition.

There was a specific design brief to adhere to which capitalised on all of the design and artistic attributes which the students have been studying as part of their programmes. Once the designs had been entered, the five top designs were presented to a design panel which consisted of students, members from the Marketing Departments of both Colleges, an external design agency, and an employer representative. Each presentation included concept, rationale, research and design options.

The three best presentations from both Colleges were selected for a final presentation to the new Corporation and members of the Senior Management Team, earlier this month.

Harrison Gates, a second year Graphic Design student from Filton College, had the winning design. Originally from Essex, Harrison initially studied and practised in the field of architecture before embarking on the Foundation Degree in Creative Practices at Filton College.

Harrison now has the opportunity to be involved in work experience with outside agencies to see his design rolled out for the new College identity.

Malcolm Turner, Programme Leader for the FdA Creative Practices course, commented: “This is a commendable achievement and demonstrates the level of progress and standards achieved by the Foundation Degree Graphic students at Filton College.”

Sara-Jane Watkins, Vice Principal comments: “This was a fantastic opportunity to engage our students in the merger process and to ensure that the logo chosen really reflects and responds to their needs as students. It is also an excellent opportunity for our learners to then work with a design agency to see the winning design used on all corporate branding from 1 February 2012.”

The Council proposes to install Toucan type pedestrian crossings across Bradley Stoke Way, Bradley Stoke east of its junction with Wheatfield Drive.

Full details of the proposal, together with a plan, and a statement of the Council’s reasons have been deposited and may be seen free of charge at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre and Library during normal library opening hours.

This consultation will close on 8th February 2012. You can also access the necessary information by following the link below:

https://consultations.southglos.gov.uk/consult.ti/PT.4310BradstkwyToucan/consultationHome

Police investigating reports of a prowler in Bradley Stoke and Little Stoke have arrested a man.  A 30-year-old man from Bradley Stoke was arrested shortly after 8pm last night, Thursday January 26 by neighbourhood PC Claire Fletcher.  He remains in police custody today, Friday January 27 2012.

View the story on the website: http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/newsroom/ViewStory.aspx?nsid=25027

On Tuesday the 24^th of January 2012 two Bradley Stoke judo club players won the top two medals in their categories at the prestigious 2012 ‘Commonwealth Judo Championship’ which this year was hosted by Wales at the millennium centre in Cardiff. The players Steph Walker and Lele Nairne (both just 14 years of age) won first the silver medal and then Lele bagged the gold and tile of Commonwealth judo champion.

Commenting on their performance club coach, Pete Douglas said: “The selection process for this championship started months ago when the best players England had to offer, gathered to fight-it-out to distinguish the top athletes to represent England in this truly International event. These two players proved themselves to be true titans in judo and right at the very top of their game. They are a credit to the club and South West and I know will shortly be going on to represent England again at other internationals at the very highest level”.

Lele and Steph are both members of the elite England judo squad and Bradley Stoke judo club now has more ETD (England Talent Development) judo squad members than any other club in the country! Later this year the club will be taking ALL of their players to Venray in Holland to compete in HIGH LEVEL competition and in 2013 will be taking all of their top players to compete in the US open so we can all look forward to more medals!

What a fantastic result – Well Done to Lele and Steph and to Bradley Stoke Judo Club!

Avon and Somerset Police have announced further incidents of prowlers being spotted in the Bradley Stoke area in the early hours today, Friday January 20 2012. Police enquiries are ongoing and the advice remains to make sure doors and windows are secured. If you see anyone suspicious trying to again access to the rear gardens of homes call police immediately. Anyone with any information which could help police enquiries is asked to contact Filton police station on 101. Alternatively call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They never ask your name or trace your call. For home security advice visit the police website, www.avonandsomerset.police.uk, or contact your neighbourhood team on 101.

Local MP Jack Lopresti is backing a bill to objectively look at the benefits of moving the clocks forward by one hour.  Jack is backing the Daylight Saving Bill which receives its Third Reading in the House of Commons tomorrow (Friday 20th). The bill calls on the Government to conduct a comprehensive review of the costs and benefits of putting clocks forward an hour throughout the UK, resulting in lighter evenings every day of the year.

 “The arguments in favour of clock change are compelling. This one simple low-cost policy could bring wide ranging benefits to the whole of the UK including saving lives on our roads, creating much needed jobs in the tourism sector and reducing the fear of crime on dark evenings.” said Jack Lopresti MP.

Supporters argue that lighter evenings would save lives on our roads by making more of our busiest evening rush hours occur in daylight, create jobs by boosting the tourism sector, and make many people especially older people feel safer going out in the evenings for longer. Lighter Later, the group coordinating the campaign for change, says support for the cause has never been stronger.

“The Daylight Saving Bill is supported by over 90 national organisations from The AA to SAGA and The FA backing lighter evenings. On the year the Olympics comes to Britain, this would be a brilliant legacy for our young athletes” said Daniel Vockins, campaign manager.

If you are interested in learning more about the move check out the website www.lighterlater.org

Police are urging people living in Bradley Stoke and Little Stoke to make sure doors and windows are secured after reports of an early-morning prowler.  Officers were called to two incidents yesterday morning, Wednesday January 18 2012, in which householders spotted a man in their gardens.

A man was seen in a garden in Elm Close, Little Stoke, at about 6.45am. He made off when the householder shouted at him. A second similar incident happened in Oaktree Crescent, Bradley Stoke at about 8.50am. 

Neighbourhood PC Steve Palmer said: “Officers have carried out house-to-house enquiries and patrols in response to these reports. At the moment it’s not certain the incidents are linked, but we are keeping an open mind. There has been no attempt to get into any home, but I’d ask people to be vigilant, make sure side gates are secured and keep doors and windows locked.  Don’t leave the door unlocked when you leave for work or to take children to school, even though another family member is still at home.”

PC Palmer said police had a arrested a man in connection with a similar incident in Bradley Stoke in November, but following further enquiries he had been released without charge.

Officers are increasing their patrols of the area at the relevant times and are circulating a warning through Neighbourhood Watch.

The man seen in Elm Close was described as white, aged 30 to 40, about 5ft 11ins tall, of medium build. He wore jeans, a blue top, black jacket and a balaclava.

The description of the man in Oaktree Crescent was of a man wearing a dark hoodie.

The man seen in the incident in November was said to be white, in his late 20s or early 30s, about 5ft 11ins, of muscular build, wearing a raised hooded top to cover his face.

Anyone with any information which could help police enquiries is asked to contact Filton police station on 101. Alternatively call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They never ask your name or trace your call.

For home security advice visit the police website, www.avonandsomerset.police.uk, or contact your neighbourhood team on 101.

Filton College and the West of England Sport Trust (Wesport) will be launching the 2012 School Games this month.

Held at the WISE Campus in Stoke Gifford the event will commence at 10am on Thursday 26^th January with a spectacular dance display from the South West Academy of Dramatic Arts. The sporting events will then begin at 10.30am with pupils taking part in four different activities including; Tag Rugby, Pop Lacrosse, Table Tennis and Fencing.

The School Games is the government’s new strategy for school sport, using the inspiration of London’s Olympics and Paralympics to help transform competitive sport in schools and get more people playing sport. Open to all schools, there are three levels of competition. Level 1 is class versus class, Level 2 is school versus school and Level 3 is county sports festivals. It also offers opportunities for pupils to volunteer, be a reporter or a photographer.

Sara-Jane Watkins, Assistant Principal, comments: “This event provides a great opportunity to welcome many young people into our College, enabling them to use the facilities we have on offer whilst encouraging young people to get involved in sporting activities.”

Following the success of the last Netball Fun Day held in October, Filton College’s Netball Academy are now holding another Netball Camp for children during the February half term.

The event, aimed for those aged 8-13, will take place on Tuesday 14^th February and Wednesday 15^th February, from 9am-3.30pm at the WISE Campus in Stoke Gifford, costing £10 for the day or £18 for both days. It is designed to enhance the skills of the next generation of players.

The fun day will teach children interested in the sport the skills needed on the court, incorporating training drills, ball skills, netball related games and match play. There will also be the opportunity to train with the current Bristol Academy of Sport Team.

Alexandra Hucker, Assistant Coach, comments: “This event will be an ideal opportunity for budding netball players to train with the current Bristol Academy of Sport netball squad, with a fun element to encourage the development of basic ball skills and team play. Hopefully we can pass on skills that will encourage young people to take the sport further.”

 For further information please contact Alexandra Hucker or 01179 196615 or e-mail alexandra.hucker@filton.ac.uk

Get active and do your bit for the local environment by learning the country craft of hedgelaying. 

Free training is taking place in the grounds of Wheatfield Primary School on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th January, from 10.30am-2.30pm.  The days are suitable for beginners and those with some experience who want to learn the traditional skills of hedgelaying. 

You are welcome to go along on one or both days, but please call the school in advance to book your place on 01454 868610.

Jack Lopresti MP is supporting the second annual Parliamentary live music competition, Rock the House, and invites under-18s, solo artists, bands and live music venues in the Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency to write and nominate themselves.

The competition was founded by Mike Weatherley MP in support of the UK live music sector to raise the profile of intellectual property rights issues and counts rock legends Alice Cooper and Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan as Patrons.

Musicians and live music venues within the Filton and Bradley Stoke area can find all forms and information on the competition at www.rockthehouse2012.com and can send in their nominations to Jack at loprestij@parliament.uk.

Any musicians outside the constituency can still write to their own MP to nominate themselves to take part.

Prizes include music equipment; a chance to play at high profile festivals; and mingle with the great and the good of the music industry. Successful nominees will go forward to the national competition which will be judged by a panel of international music industry experts and musicians and the finalists will be announced on Friday 18^th May. The finalists will take part in a battle of the bands to determine the winner on Wednesday 30^th May and the winner in each category will perform live at a final competition reception on the Terrace at the House of Commons in the evening.

Jack said: “There is a wealth of live music talent in my constituency, and I would urge all musicians and live music venues to fill in an application and send it to me. The recognition and contacts entrants can get from taking part is priceless and it would be great to put the constituency on the map for its artistic talent.”

Founder, Mike Weatherley MP, said: “The UK has a world-leading music and creative industry and this competition aims to celebrate the very best up-and-coming artists; and to raise the profile of intellectual property rights among politicians. I urge all unsigned musicians to fill in an application form and send a copy of their music to their MP.”

The competition’s key sponsors include UK Music; Future Publishing; and ICOMP.  Other sponsors include Yamaha; Caffe Nero; Gibson; Eventim; ISM; Musician’s Union; the BPI; and Universal Music.

Musicians and live music venues can find all the material they will need to write to their MP and enter the competition by visiting www.rockthehouse2012.com; and can get daily updates on the competition by following the competition on twitter @RockTheHouseHOC; or on Facebook.

Do you know a special woman who lives in Bradley Stoke, Patchway, Filton or Stoke Gifford?  As a part of the International Women’s Day celebrations the nominations for the 2012 Outstanding Women’s Award are now open and nominations are invited for the following categories:

• Community Award  For women who have taken on the role of community leaders either through their volunteering efforts, examples include running a toddler group, youth or ladies group etc, or by going beyond their work specification or leading a pressure campaign to make changes benefiting their community. For woman who have demonstrated leadership activities that have benefited their communities.

• Business Woman’s Award For women who have either set up or managed a local business which has grown significantly; or have developed their employees, or women who have mentored others in business and are role models in their fields. For women making a positive impact on the communities that they work in.

• Young Woman’s Award For young women and girls aged between 11- 18yrs who have taken on leadership roles whether as carers, or running their own businesses, or peer mentoring or leading a community group or volunteering or have made a significant difference to their own lives that has impacted positively on others. They have made a difference to the lives of those around them.

Download the application form from www.sbcommunitypartnership.org.uk or pop into either Bradley Stoke, Patchway or Filton library. Closing date for nominations is Friday 10th February.

Feeling a little jaded now the festive season is over? We have just the solution, the perfect pick-me-up. How about taking the whole family to a local pantomime? Not just any pantomime (and we’re not talking about THE HOFF) but Babes in the Wood which will be performed by Thornbury Musical Theatre Group at the Armstrong Hall, Thornbury from Wednesday 15th February until Saturday 18th February.

No need to travel far for first class entertainment; we have it all here in Thornbury with this award winning group. Tickets are reasonably priced and the parking is free! With just a few weeks until curtain-up every department is gearing up and will be pulling out all the stops to ensure that everyone has a fantastic time.

Scriptwriter and director, Lizzie Lindsell, is promising lots of fun with a pantomime full of traditional elements to entertain the whole family. Local audiences will be delighted to welcome back David Wrench as he once more dons his frocks and struts his stuff on stage as the dame. The cast will be joined by four local youngsters Lizzie O’Brien and Bethany Wong who will play Polly along with Joe Bennet and Joe Baldwin who will play Ollie; other youngsters will also be joining the chorus.

The pantomime will be performed at the Armstrong Hall, Thornbury from Wednesday 15th to Saturday 18th February 2012; evening performances are at 7pm with matinees on Friday and Saturday at 2pm. Why not give yourselves a treat and book some tickets – give Karen a ring on 01454 853947 or visit the website www.tmtg.co.uk., where you will find lots of information about the group. Make sure you bring big voices so you can cheer for the hero and boo the villains! Tickets are £11/£9 raised seating, £10/£8 on the flat, family ticket for 4, £35 raised, £30 flat. Group booking concessions are also available. We look forward to seeing you at the show and guarantee you will have lots of fun – oh yes you will!

What is The Marriage Course?

The Marriage Course gives couples the opportunity to take time to relax, eat, drink and invest in their relationship. Each couple has their own candle-lit table where they enjoy a cold buffet meal, watch DVD presentations and discuss their relationship in private while enjoying tea / coffee and cake, all for a modest charge.

There are seven sessions covering: Building Strong Foundations, The Art of Communication, Resolving Conflict, Forgiveness, The Impact of Family – past and present, Good Sex and Love in Action.

Who is The Marriage Course for?

The Marriage course is for any couple who want to invest in their relationship, whether you’ve been together for one or sixty-one years, whether you feel you have a strong relationship or are struggling and whether you are married or living together.

Why attend The Marriage Course?

Regular check-ups help a car run smoothly and reduce the risk of breakdown. It’s the same with marriage. A strong, loving and lifelong relationship doesn’t happen by chance. It takes effort and dedication to keep the fun and romance alive. The specific topics covered will enable you to discover new things about your partner and grow in your understanding of each other. We can all learn how to make even the happiest marriage better.

Where and When?

The course is being run by Bridge Community Church on Sunday evenings at Little Stoke Community Hall. The next course starts on 22^nd January 2012.

For more information or to register an interest visit The Marriage Course or call 0117 230 3330

The team at Bradley Stoke Community Radio are holding a competition, looking to find Bradley Stoke’s ‘best eatery’, and needs YOUR vote.

The competition has been split into  2 different categories: Best ‘sit down’ pub/restaurant and ‘Best take-away’.

Residents are being asked to name their personal favourite for each of these categories, and to send their votes to studio@bradleystokeradio.org.uk  with the subject line of ‘Bradley Stoke Best Eatery’.

Bradley Stoke Radio will collate and announce the winners on their breakfast show on Sat 17th Dec, which is the last day of their current fm broadcast.

There are no prizes other than the honour of being voted Number 1 in Bradley Stoke. We would encourage all our viewers to have their say!

Bradley Stoke Radio in association with the Mercure Grange Hotel, would like to give one deserving person and their partner an early Christmas present of one night’s dinner, bed and breakfast for two at the Mercure Grange Hotel in Winterbourne.

In addition to the break, they’ll include a spa treatment, all beverages consumed and upgrade to an Executive room which includes the latest movies and media package.

Do you know anyone who has maybe not had the best of years in 2011 and could do with a treat to cheer them up? Or perhaps an unsung hero from the community working tirelessly to help others?

All you need to do is nominate them giving the reasons by email to studio@Bradleystokeradio.org.uk

Please send in your nominations as soon as possible as time is short! The closing date for entries is this Saturday the 17th of December at 5pm.  The worthy winner will be announced between 6-7 pm live on air at 87.7 FM or bradleystokeradio.org.uk

Terms and conditions apply.

South Gloucestershire Council and Bradley Stoke Town Council want to find out what young people want in their area. Check out the website www.youthunltd.com to complete a survey to have your say on future provision for young people in Bradley Stoke (I believe there is also the chance to win an ipod nano or cinema tickets!).

Police are appealing for information after a man made indecent remarks to a teenage girl in Bradley Stoke. It happened in Ormonds Close just before 7pm on Thursday December 8 2011, as the 14-year-old was walking home after meeting a friend. She was approached by a man who grabbed her arm and made indecent comments to her. She broke free and police were called when she got home.

The man was described as white, aged in his late teens or early 20s, tall and ‘really skinny’ with short hair. He wore tracksuit bottoms, trainers, and a red waterproof coat. Police immediately carried out a patrol of the area and made house-to-house enquiries which are continuing.

Neighbourhood PC Steve Palmer said: “This young lady is understandably upset by this incident and we will be carrying out a video interview. This sort of incident is unusual for Bradley Stoke, but the neighbourhood team will be visiting local schools to reassure pupils and their parents and give personal safety advice. I would always urge anyone who is approached in this way to call police as soon as possible – remember 999 calls from mobiles are free, even if your pay-as-you-go phone is out of credit.”

Anyone who saw a man matching the description in the area on the day, or who has any other information which could help police enquiries, is asked to call the South Gloucestershire Crime Enquiry Unit on 101. Alternatively call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org. They never ask your name or trace your call.