Sunday, 7 December 2014

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS FAMILY IN HENLEAZE?

Does anyone know what happened to Althea/Peta Harrigan (Cole) who was a boarder St Margaret's School, Henleaze in the late 1950s/early 1960s?
She was the only the black girl in the school. She came from Tortola in the British Virgin Isles and had a brother who attended day school at Clifton College at the same time. He stayed in Henleaze with their Uncle. 
Several former pupils who were friends with Peta have tried to trace her, but have drawn a blank. 
She may have continued her education and/or worked in the United States of America?
Can anyone provide any further information on Peta, her brother or her family in Henleaze at that time? 
The photo is courtesy of Mary James (nee Weekes)

Sunday, 30 November 2014

HENLEAZE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

JUST 2 DAYS TO GO!

Wednesday, 3 December (4pm - 8pm)

The Christmas Festival is taking place in Henleaze Bristol BS9.
The main Festival can be found on Henleaze Road, Waterford Road, Dublin Crescent and Cardigan Road.

FOR MORE DETAILS: http://www.henleazechristmasfestival.co.uk/




Thursday, 27 November 2014

BRISTOL LOCAL HISTORY BOOK FAIR - SATURDAY, 6 DECEMBER


Join us for the annual Bristol Local History Book Fair. Books and pamphlets on sale from Bristol publishers, authors and societies.

SATURDAY, 6 DECEMBER, 2014 (10AM - 5PM)

Browse a wide selection of local history titles and listen to FREE TALKS in the afternoon.
Booksellers will include Bristol Books, Bygone Bristol, Redcliffe Press, the South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group and Tangent Books, several independent authors – and more.
(Veronica Bowerman will be there!)

10am-1pm
Family history advice from the Bristol & Avon Family History Society

1.30pm – Bristol: the City at War, 1914-1918 (Eugene Byrne, co-author of ‘Bravo Bristol!’)
As a major British city and port, Bristol played a key role in the First World War. Join Eugene for stories of Bristolians on the battlefield, on the Home Front and in the war at sea.

2.30pm – Unmarked Graves: the Eastville Workhouse Project (Dr Di Parkin, Bristol Radical History Group)
Between 1855 and 1895, over 3,000 paupers were buried in unmarked graves near Eastville Workhouse on Fishponds Road. Di Parkin will present a project to uncover the names of the people buried there.

3.30pm – Bristol’s Treasure Island Influences (Mark Steeds, Long John Silver Trust)
Hear from Mark about the pirates and privateers that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to set parts of his classic book in the city.

Photo courtesy of the McNeill/Sleigh families.
(Eric McNeill was Minister at the United Reformed Church in the 1920s and lived in this thatched cottage)

Friday, 21 November 2014

Yesterday I was introduced to a wonderful book by an old girl from St Margaret's High School for Girls which was located in Henleaze until the 1960s. 

If you went to an all girls school you will probably still have strong memories of school songs, teachers, sport etc.
This book is available on Amazon from 1p plus UK delivery charges. It is a fun book to read.
It's called Great Days & Jolly Days by Celia Haddon and has a foreward by no less a person than Joyce Grenfell.
Needless to say there is an interesting entry on page 30 submitted by Miss Jenner, the Senior Mistress.

Wednesday, 5 November 2014

Was there a Roman Villa in Henleaze?

Photo of St Margaret's (late 1950s) courtesy of Trish Johns
Ruby Langdon attended St Margaret's  School during the 1920s and 1930s - exact years not recalled at present. According to her daughter she clearly remembers the existence of a Roman mosaic floor out in the grounds - quite large and well preserved -although not cared for. The girls were taken out to see it.  They were always told it would probably have been the floor of a  Roman villa. She presumes the developers chose not to 'see' it (in the 1960s ) as it would have caused delays or worse when the new housing was built. Nothing has ever been mentioned of its existence since.
Ruby Langdon was a contemporary and good friend of Betty Bastin who, if traceable - or perhaps her family - would also remember the mosaic, and might know more?

Can anyone help with further information including Betty Bastin mentioned above
or her family?

Monday, 13 October 2014

BLUE PLAQUES

This was the second blue plaque in Henleaze. It can be found on the wall opposite the entrance to Old Quarry Park, Henleaze Road dual carrigeway.
Do you know where the other blue plaque is in Henleaze?
Do you think we should have a third blue plaque and if so where?

Monday, 6 October 2014

Cree Indian Beadwork

Micky has recently been downsizing and has now kindly sent this wonderful sample of Cree Indian beadwork which was given to him by previous residents of 7 Carmarthen Road, Henleaze, Grace Theodora Winter and Marjorie Josephine Winter, the daughters of Rev George Smith Winter who were better known as Dora and Josephine respectively.
Micky who was a young boy in the 1950s recounted that the daughters had been brought up with the Cree Indians in Canada and that their father had translated Peep of the Day into Cree in 1898. (Lambeth Palace has a copy). Micky remembers stories of their life with the Indians and being shown their buckskin clothes and snow shoes they had used as children in Canada where they both spoke Cree.
Dora and Josephine ran a group known as the King’s Messengers at St Peter’s Church, Henleaze presumably up until they died in 1965 and 1969 respectively? It was apparently a junior missionary branch that operated on a national basis? We are not sure how long they ran the group. Does anyone know?
For further information on the Winter family see
https://sites.google.com/site/henleazebook/Home/peopleofhenleaze