First hour: news review: Labour councillor for Frome Vale Nicola Bowden-Jones, also Norman Rogers who chairs the charity that runs the Ashton Court Miniature Railway, the Bristol Society of Model and Experimental Engineers (BSMEE). The railway has been based at Ashton Court for 45 years, but is under threat due to Bristol City Councilâs austerity measures. Norman explains: âTheyâve told us they can improve their return from this site. If they can find an appropriate commercial opportunity, theyâd much prefer it to an amateur society and charity. Weâll get priced out.â The Societyâs lease is renewed on a five-year basis but the Councilâs proposition would result in the closure of the site at the end of the 2018 season. âI canât imagine losing the site,â Norman, who has volunteered with BSMEE for 12years, says. âBristol would lose an enormous community asset, loved by so many.â This year, Ashton Court Miniature Railway has hosted visits from Bristol Autism Project, Special Friends Club and Gordano Valley Churchâs Cludo Club. BSMEE is also considered a charity for its educational value: âChildren come and they learn here. Itâs such a wonderful introduction to engineering,â Norman continues. âOften theyâll jump off an American switcher engine and beg their parents for another ticket because they havenât ridden the steam engine.â The money made from rides largely goes to the upkeep of the railway. BRISTOL MAYOR MARVIN REES GIVES HIS ANNUAL STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS: Bristol remains a city of challenges. We remain a wealthy city, the only region outside the south east to make a net contribution to the Treasury. We also have all the challenges of a modern city - air pollution, democracy deficit, education inequalities, health inequalities, congestion, housing shortage and insecurityâ¦Â GLOBAL PARLIAMENT OF MAYORS COMES TO BRISTOL: Bristol is set to host the Global Parliament of Mayors this weekend, an event expected to bring the city to the forefront of international discussions. But it comes with a hefty £150,000 price tag that Marvin Rees will ask the council to underwrite, at a time when funding for public services are being slashed to the bone. Announcing the news during his annual State of the City Speech last month, Rees called it âa huge opportunityâ for Bristolâs global profile and a chance to showcase all the city has to offer, in terms of investability, tourism and trade match-ups. The mayor is planning to underwrite the cost of hosting the event, that will see up to 100 city leaders, plus support staff, from across the globe convene in Bristol in November 2018, from his 2018/19 budget. It is hoped external sponsorship money can then be secured. âThis is an important global event which puts Bristol at the centre of an international discussion on the role of cities and how we can address our shared problems around the world,â said Rees. ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS CONFERENCE IN BRISTOL: Friday, October 19th â Sunday, October 21st, 2018 - Arnolfini Centre for Contemporary Arts - 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol, UK - Join us in the bustling city of Bristol for a highly participatory Economics of Happiness conference, set to coincide with the Annual Summit of the Global Parliament of Mayors. This will be our eighteenth international conference aimed at catalyzing a new economy that works for both people and planet. CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT HOLDS ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN BRISTOL: Towards a nuclear-free future: building change from the grass roots. At a time of increasing global threats and amid an unstable political situation, we will be meeting in Bristol on Saturday and Sunday 20th-21st October to decide our direction for the next year and discuss how we respond to the challenges ahead. On Saturday is our AGM and Policy Conference, and we urge as many groups and members as possible to come and contribute to the discussions.And Sundayâs open public conference is a chance to learn from past and present campaigning techniques, in discussion with other activists, while we look to our future work. Both days will take place in the centre of Bristol at the historic Wills Memorial Building, on Queens Road, University of Bristol, BS8 1RJ. Interview with Bilderberg 2015 attendee and future unelected president of the EU Alexander Stubb.
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