SPRA – Sneyd Park Residents Association

By now, Sneyd Park residents should have received the below letter from Team Love. We are sharing a copy of what we have received here with you for your information.

There is lots of detail to digest and possibly action in their letter, as well as contact details should you have queries.

Please click on the image below to access the full letter.

In Sneyd Park, even when the ground is saturated and walking in the woods and Nature Area is not so easy; it is still pleasant to walk around the area on the pavements.

However, this is often difficult when hedges are allowed to grow over the pavement.  It is now the very beginning of the growing season and the time when hedges can be cut back.  If they are cut back now, by the summer they will be green again.

The owner or occupier of a property has a legal responsibility (Highway Act 1980 s154) to ensure that the public highway adjacent to a property is not obstructed by vegetation from their property.  A person pushing a pram or wheelchair should be able to walk unobstructed along the pavement.  When parked cars are added to the equation (sometimes parking with two wheels on the pavement) the situation becomes even more difficult. 

Please do go and have a look at your hedge.  Please encourage your neighbours to do the same.  No one wants a situation to arise when an owner is reported to the Council, who have the powers (and duty) to see that the hedge is cut.

Please help keep Sneyd Park a pleasant and safe place to walk around.

IMPORTANT NOTE:   when trimming back hedges, please be mindful of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Section 1, for example, states that it is an offence intentionally:

• to kill, injure or take any wild bird
• to take, damage or destroy the nest of a golden eagle/white tailed eagle/osprey, or of any wild bird whilst it is in use/being built
• to obstruct or prevent any wild bird from using its nest
• to take or destroy an egg
• We draw this to your attention as a Member of SPRA has kindly pointed out the Act and felt residents should be aware when trimming hedges.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69/section/1

Below is a forward look of events from our friends at the Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife project:

‘Tweet talk’ – native wildlife in depth birdsong workshop – Sunday 24^th March 10am-3pm £30.00:

Ever heard the mesmerising melodies of our native songbirds and been stumped as to what is singing so sweetly? Or out on a walk with friends are you dying to share your expertise on the difference between a song thrush and goldfinch as they flit between treetops?

Ed Drewitt, well-known author and experienced naturalist will share with us his top tips for identifying birds by delving deeply into the make-up of their distinctive songs. Following an aural and visual introduction in the Conservation Centre to the varied patterns of birdsong you are likely to come across, our expert leads us out on a bird walk. We’ll test our new identification skills and put them into practice in the former Bristol Zoo Gardens and on the Downs.

Conservation Education Centre, former Bristol Zoo Gardens site, the Downs

Suitable for adults.

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‘Scrambling among botanical jewels’ – discovery walk in the Avon Gorge – Sunday 7^th April 10am-12pm £10.00

Explore this local spectacular Site of Special Scientific Interest on our doorstep and get closer to our secret floral gems which see the Avon Gorge named among the top 3 sites for plants in England!

Our botanist expert is Libby Houston, the only person who knows where to find each of these hidden spring flowering rarities having built up a wealth of knowledge over her lifetime. She will guide us on a scramble in the Gully to each special location for a memorable experience.

The Gully in the Avon Gorge.

This walk involves extremely steep slopes and uneven ground. Boots with strong grip and a walking pole are recommended.

Suitable for adults.

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‘What floats your goat?’ – family fun Easter holiday session on the Downs – Friday 12^th April 10am-12pm £10.00 per child

Our family Easter holiday fun this year is all about our amazing Bristol environmental heroes in the world-famous Avon Gorge – the wild goats!

We’ll kick off with a springtime stroll that might turn into a steep climb (!), in the timeless Avon Gorge Gully to find our hairy heroes with the Downs Ranger, who knows our goats better than anyone. We’ll discover how the goats are looked after on a daily basis, how they came to Bristol and how they carry out the conservation that humans can’t!

Then it’s on to springtime fun and games where all the family can share the joyful experience with others of springtime on our iconic Downs. You’ll take home a naturally decorated card and there will be an Easter prize for every child.

Family fun holiday session.

Suitable for children aged 6-10 with an adult (maximum 2 adults per child, you may bring up to 3 children per adult).

In the Gully and on the Downs.

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‘Dawn chorus spectacular’ – discovery walk with breakfast – Saturday 13^th April 5.15am-8.00am £22.00

Immerse yourself in nature’s uplifting orchestra before anyone else has opened an eye, with this spectacular dawn chorus walk. Prepare to be enthralled as we welcome back wildlife presenter and broadcaster, Mike Dilger as he shares his encyclopaedic knowledge with contagious enthusiasm.

Mike will explain the patterns and depths of the early morning birdsong concert as well as how to identify individual Downs species. We’ll complete our feel-good session with a delicious spot of hot breakfast and a hot drink of choice in the Downs Café where you can ask our expert any burning questions you may have.

Breakfast is a choice of a hot sandwich such as egg, bacon or vegan, or a pastry and a choice of hot drink. Breakfast included in overall ticket price.

Suitable for adults.

On the Downs.

Please note the early start time!

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Downs Bioblitz – City Nature Challenge 2024 – Saturday 27^th April 10.00am-11.00am Free of charge

Discover more about the local nature on your City’s doorstep. A Bioblitz is a celebration of citizen science at its absolute best where you can get involved in the thrilling recording of how our biodiversity is doing locally! Armed with charts, books, bug pots, trays, sheets, magnifiers, lenses and nets we’ll head off together to see what tantalising species of plant, tree, invertebrate, bird, lichen and mammal we can record.

This year we’re running our Bioblitz on the Downs for City Nature Challenge 2024. We’ll find out with everybody how to use the iNaturalist app and take a stroll over some of the most fascinating parts of the Downs and Avon Gorge to record as many species as we can. These are automatically uploaded onto Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife iNaturalist project so we have a record of our shared species survey.

Sightings are also viewed by a worldwide community of ecologists so our data is verified and submitted to national database records. Be part of Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife yearly recording community whilst enjoying a beautiful morning ramble!

Discovery walk. Meet in front of the former Bristol Zoo Gardens site. No need to book, just turn up.

Part of City Nature Challenge 2024.

On the Downs.

Suitable for adults.

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‘Tapestry of trees’ – Granny Downs discovery walk – Saturday 4^th May 10.00am-11.30am £8.00

What on earth are the ‘Granny Downs’? Explore this special tree trail with Robin Haward from Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge. Along the way, learn how to identify the trees, find out fascinating facts and folklore, and enjoy luscious laburnums, horse chestnuts and hawthorns in spring flower! This is a flat, short stroll suitable for all fitness levels

Discovery walk.

Part of Bristol Walk Fest.

Suitable for adults.

On the Granny Downs.

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Sunday 19^th May 10.15am-12.00pm £10.00

Highwaymen, colliers and loo ladies; legionnaires, suffragettes and Cavaliers; gibbets, turnpikes and flying machines: all have played their extraordinary part in the fascinating and hidden past of Bristol’s ‘jewel in the crown’ – the Downs.

Join writer and well known story-walker, Clare Reddaway, for a stroll through the past as she weaves stories from the rocks and meadows beneath your feet, and see the Downs through a lens you’ve never before discovered!

Discovery walk.

Part of Bristol Walk Fest.

Suitable for adults.

On the Downs.

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For further information and to book, please see: https://avongorge.org.uk/whats-on/

Plans are afoot to install a 24-hour community access defibrilator at J’s Autofast on Julian Road.

For more information, please see Simon Brookes’ Just Giving page here:

We thought the following information about Bristol 1904 Arts’ forthcoming paintings exhibition might be of interest:

Every year in the last week of April and first days of May, the Bristol 1904 Arts Society hold their Annual Paintings Exhibition. Over the 9 day event around 100 new paintings for 2024 will be on view together with occasional grand piano music and demonstrations of artists at work on the easel.

The paintings on show in the exhibition are the fruits of sketching excursions and many hours of arduous work during the year. Every day at least one of our skilled artists will be available to talk about the medium and complex techniques that go into each painting. All the original paintings are, of course, available to purchase.

Bristol 1904 Arts is a friendly Society with over 200 members that have common interests in the visual and performing arts as well as in good fun and fellowship.There are members who draw and paint, others who play fine music, perform entertaining magic or read poetry and many who simply enjoy the creative talents of their artistic and musical colleagues.

The Society has a number of organised groups covering classic cars, country walking, city history, weekly painting skills workshops, photography club, bird watching and ornithology – and much more.

The society meets during the winter months on Wednesday evenings in the large performance hall built in the style of an old Tithe Barn, situated in the grounds of The Red Lodge in Park Row.

Each week members and guests enjoy piano recitals often accompanied by violin, cello, clarinet or flute – and singing performances.

Everyone is cordially invited to Bristol 1904 Arts’ next Paintings Exhibition, a significant part of Bristol’s art scene.

Please visit the Bristol 1904 Arts Society website for further details: http://bristol1904arts.org or see the image below.

Just a little reminder that on Friday, 8th March 2024, SPRA is hosting an event for our ‘SPRA Road Captains’ to say a massive THANK YOU for the work all Road Captains have done for the SPRA.

Also, if you are new to Sneyd Park or would like to come and spend a convivial time chatting with neighbours and residents of Sneyd Park, you would also be most welcome to join us.

We will be providing drinks and a buffet.

In addition, if anyone is curious to know more about what the SPRA and SPRA Road Captains do, please do feel free to come along and meet us too.

All we ask is that, for catering purposes if you are planning to come along, please do let us know by the very latest, midnight on Wednesday, 6th March emailing us here (along with any dietary requirements):    sneydparkbristol@sp-ra-org.uk

Timing is 7.00pm and venue is Stoke Bishop Village Hall.

We look forward to seeing as many as possible on the day!

Best wishes

The SPRA Committee

On Friday, 8th March 2024, SPRA is hosting an event for our ‘SPRA Road Captains’ to say a massive THANK YOU for the work all Road Captains have done for the SPRA, often,  tirelessly for years.

It will also be a great opportunity to speak to others from SPRA and swap ideas or just mull over stuff in convivial company, as well as to find out ways in which people can help or assist. We will also have time for questions regarding the role so please come along and join us for a couple of hours.

We will be providing drinks and a buffet.

In addition, if anyone is curious to know more about what the SPRA and SPRA Road Captains do, please do feel free to come along and meet us too.

All we ask is that, for catering purposes if you are planning to come along, please do let us know by Monday, 3rd March by emailing us here (along with any dietary requirements):    sneydparkbristol@sp-ra-org.uk

Timing is 7.00pm and venue is Stoke Bishop Village Hall.

We look forward to seeing as many as possible on the day!

Best wishes

The SPRA Committee

SPRA Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday, 15th May 2024 at St Marys church. 7.30pm

Our local Councillors and other speakers will be attending.

A glass of wine will be served after the meeting.

Accounts and last year’s minutes will be available on the SPRA site.

Nominations for the Committee welcomed.

We look forward to seeing you all.

With some of the oldest preserved trees in Bristol in the official Conservation Area that is Sneyd Park, SPRA was delighted, recently, to mark the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II and to celebrate her life by planting an English Oak tree on The Downs, close to the Stoke Bishop War Memorial. 

Here are a couple of photos of the occasion.  There will be a link to a recording of the occasion coming soon.   

For the full story, see our next SPRA newsletter which will be coming out soon.