The Community Play Rangers visited the Brickfields playing area off Lymore Avenue today. They brought with them a piece of mobile play equipment - a big swing made out of a bath tub. The small children at the park thought it was great fun and enjoyed swinging in the tub four at a time.

The purpose of the visit was to find out from children and young teenagers how to make play areas better. The Council has been awarded £2.5 million from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to develop 28 play spaces. The children at the Brickfields said they would like more variety and regularly changing play equipment. One girl thought a strawberry castle would be a good idea.

The Community Play Rangers will be visiting the Brickfields again on Wednesday 20th August, from 2pm to 4pm. They will also be visiting the Pennyquick playing area, Newton Road, on Wednesday 27th August and Friday 29th August, from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

At the Brickfields a group of students used to play football and were joined by lots of youths from the King Georges Road Estate. Since the Council removed the goalposts, this valuable activity has ceased. I made these comments to the Play Rangers.

To find out more, telephone 0800 0731214. For more about the Play Rangers click here.

Joe, 13/08/08

Bath City made a poor start to this year's football season with a demoralising 4-0 defeat at the hands of Welling United last Saturday. Yesterday's away game saw them earn their first point through a 0-0 draw against Maidenhead, a team that they usually beat. City's defence seems to have improved but they still look unconvincing as a side able to put the ball in the back of the net.

Meanwhile it is a different story for Team Bath. They were playing at home at Twerton Park last night. The university side beat Hayes and Yeading United 4-1, which follows their earlier 6-0 wasting of Fisher Athletic.

Come on the Romans, if Team Bath can do it so can you. Maybe a bit more self-belief is needed?

Joe, 13/08/08

The piglets at Bath City Farm have grown over the months and will be sold for meat next week. The photo opposite shows how they looked when they were younger. The piglets were born on 25th December so they have been on the farm about seven months.

Bath City Farm maintains a practical attitude towards its livestock, just like a commercial farm in the countryside. The animals are enjoyed and treated well but when the time comes, off they go. Then the life cycle starts again as new animals are bred. For details of activities at the farm this August, see the article below.

Joe, 09/08/08

I was beginning to think this month seems a bit quiet apart from the holiday clubs that are going on, when I looked at the Bath City Farm noticeboard and saw the stuff happening there.

Family Fun Days

Fun activities for all are held at Bath City Farm every Thursday from 31st July to 28th August, between 11.30am and 3pm. There will be pottery making next week and a wool weaving demonstration the week after. Most activities are free but some have a nominal charge to cover hire or materials.

Bat Walk

This will be on Wednesday 13th August at 9pm. You can explore the night life at Bath City Farm, and use bat detectors to hear the bats in flight. Wear stout footwear and bring a torch if possible. The event is free.

Bank Holiday Fun Day

A Fun Day will take place at the farm on Bank Holiday Monday August 25th, from 12 noon to 4pm. There will be live music, refreshments, a barbecue, a car boot sale, skittles, prizes and more. Entry is free.

Joe, 07/08/08

Here are some points summarised from Councillors Paul Crossley and Dine Romero's e-newsletter for the Southdown Ward. To receive the full newsletter by email, contact Paul Crossley . You can also read their Southdown blog here.

Whiteway Road

A safety engineer will be looking at this road, beginning with the Pennyquick section which has been the cause of many past accidents. The photo below is of the Whiteway Road just above Pennyquick.

Credit Union

Some local people in financial difficulties have accepted loan offers from companies lending money at 180% interest rates. Credit Unions offer much safer and more affordable ways of borrowing money and instil a sense of responsibility about saving and borrowing. The Bath and North East Somerset Credit Union currently has some money available to lend to new members who do not have a savings record with them. For more information telephone 0117 9865888.

New groups

The Southdown Traders Association is now up and running. Its aims will be to raise the positive profile of Southdown and promote the Mount Road shopping area. Residents of Rosewarn Close are starting a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme and residents of Mount Road are preparing to reactivate theirs. For information about these or help in starting up a new Neighbourhood Watch Scheme, contact Paul and Dine. The Whiteway Community Respect Project is holding car boot sales in Rosewarn field on Sunday mornings.

Tesco

Work will start next week on the new Tesco store where the old petrol station at Englishcombe Lane used to be. The store is scheduled to open at the beginning of December. A telephone number will be advertised on the hoardings for residents to report problems.

Haycombe Drive

The new lighting scheme is in progress and the bus shelter at the trees has been repaired. Anyone with information about who is regularly vandalising this shelter can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 with guaranteed confidentiality.

Information from newsletter, 09/08/08

The Bath Male Voice Choir led by choirmaster Grenville Jones, has gone through to the next round of the TV contest Last Choir Standing. Grenville also runs the Twerton and Whiteway Golden-Oldies singing sessions for the elderly, which you can see here and here. The BBC filmed Grenville asking our Twerton Councillor and Mayor Tim Ball for his vote. I took the photo opposite from the TV screen.

Next Saturday, three of the choirs will progress to the semi-final while the bottom two will face a sing-off. Why not watch Saturday's show on BBC 1 at 6.15pm and phone in your vote for Grenville's Bath Male Voice Choir?

Joe, 11/08/08

This news is summarised from the Council's online news which you can access here.

Your say on play areas

The Council has received funding to improve local parks in a project called Play Out, Hang Out. The project aims to give all children and young people better opportunities for outdoor play, and to involve them in the design and development of play areas. The Community Play Rangers will be visiting play areas to construct mobile play equipment and to hear the views of children and young people. In South West Bath these free sessions will take place as follows:

At the Brickfields playing area, Lymore Avenue, on Wednesday 13th August and Wednesday 20th August, from 2pm to 4pm.

At the Pennyquick playing area, Newton Road, on Wednesday 27th August and Friday 29th August, from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

Home improvements

The Council offers low-cost or zero interest loans for vulnerable home owners to carry out essential repairs to their homes. People over 60 or in receipt of a benefit may be eligible. If you think the Council could help you or someone you know, you can telephone the Housing Improvement Team on 01225 396216.

Joe, 09/08/08

The Community Learning Service will be running a free 10 week Community Farming and Gardening Course for adults at Bath City Farm, starting on 17th September. The course is for adults over 19 years of age with few or no qualifications. Paticipants will be learning about wild and domestic animals on the farm, creating and nurturing wildlife habitats, and much more.

There are 12 places available and the closing date for bookings is Wednesday 10th September. If you wish to book a place during the summer, please telephone Elaine Hibbard on 01225 396450.

You can download a flyer about the course here. The photo is of the new Aberdeen Angus cows at Bath City Farm.

Joe, 06/08/08