A new community drop-in centre called The Point was launched today. You are welcome to call in for a chat and receive free help and advice from specialist groups on a wide range of issues. This is a confidential service and you can speak to an advisor on a one-to-one basis. There is free internet access and a children's area too.

The Point will be held in Southdown Methodist Centre at The Hollow, and Culverhay School on rotating Wednesdays (i.e. at the Methodist Centre one week and at the school the next). It will be open at the Methodist Centre from 10am to 12 noon, and at the school from 3pm to 5pm.

Different groups will be available at The Point on different weeks. Next week The Point will be at Southdown Methodist Centre and the Family Information Service will be there to provide information on childminders, nurseries, activities for families and holiday playschemes etc. The Chronicle will publicise a calendar showing which specialist services will be available and when. You can contact the Southdown Methodist Centre branch on 0797 6954523 and the Culverhay School branch on 01225 473284.

Efforts to initiate the drop-in centre were made earlier this year, but were delayed when it was realised that more planning was needed. The photos are of The Point at Culverhay School and Twerton Councillor Tim Ball who attended in his role as Mayor of Bath.

Joe, 11/09/08

The SPOT is a free health advice centre located in the new community room, just below Twerton Infant School. It is open every Tuesday from 8.30am to 10am in term time. SPOT stands for "Supporting People Of Twerton".

There is a Health Trainer who can advise you on topics such as reducing your stress level, eating heathily and weight-watching, how to stop smoking, sensible drinking, and sexual health. When needed the Health Trainer can put people in touch with someone called a Community Activator who offers one-to-one support to help individuals become more active.

The Community Activator also has the role of helping to set up activity groups in the area. You can find out more about Health Trainers here and Community Activators here.

The photo is of The SPOT when it first opened during Healthy Living Week in May 2008.

Joe, 09/09/08

The White Horse Pub at Shophouse Road, Twerton, will be celebrating the Cornish Beer Festival from 22nd to 28th September, with a selection of real ales brought in from Cornwall.

Boots the Chemist at Twerton High Street has a vacancy for a dispenser, with hours of 2pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Applicants with a dispensing qualification are preferred but staff are prepared to train someone up from scratch. You can contact the shop on 01225 423382.

The Carrs Woodland Forum has arranged a nature trail looking out for owls, bats and moths at Carrs Woodland, Twerton, on 25th September at 6.30pm. Meet by the kissing gate at Pennyquick Park. (In other words, the gate that leads down into Newton Mill Campsite, situated in the playing area at the far end of Newton Road here.)

Joe, 09/09/08

First Steps Children's Centre at Woodhouse Road had an open day on Saturday, giving people the opportunity to meet the staff and see the facilities. I went along and made the video clip below to provide another chance to see what the children's centre is like inside.

There are all sorts of fun things to help babies and children learn through play. Children aged 3-4 years can receive 12½ hours of free day care per week in term time, and a small number of time-limited subsidised places are available (e.g. for families on benefits).

There is also a First Steps Annexe at Dominion Road, which has a particular focus on supporting young parents. Workers can offer advice in areas such as children's behavioural problems, and will visit and walk with those parents who do not feel confident to go to the Annexe on their own. For more information see here.

Joe, 06/09/08

A free 5 week Family Cookery Course will start on Wednesday 24th September at The SPOT health advice room, Twerton Infant School. There will be a free creche for pre-school children and all equipment and ingredients will also be provided free. Sessions will last from 9.30am to 12 noon. To book a place telephone Lucy on 01225 831847 or 07515 190932.

The White Horse Pub at Shophouse Road has received confirmation that for the first time ever, it will be included in CAMRA - The Good Beer Guide 2009. Jase said, "This is a fantastic achievement for us at The Horse." Congratulations the White Horse!

The Ha'penny Bridge behind the Golden Fleece Pub will soon be open after many weeks of reconstruction work. When it re-opens I'll be able to walk across it to get a pizza at the Pizarella in Chelsea Road again.

You can't see much of the bridge from our side but Mr John Rawlings has sent in a stunning photo of the bridge as it now looks from the Weston end, which you can see here. John also took the photo of the pig which greets you on the Weston side. According to the King Bladud's Pigs website this one is called Pig & Ride and was created by artist Alan Booty and sponsored by Herman Miller.

Joe, 04/09/08

Last Saturday, after the football match in Twerton, I walked to the top of Twerton Roundhill to take some photos. The hill is a nature reserve and an example of a limestone grassland, so the grassy area around the top is left unmowed to preserve the wild flowers that grow there.

Some people wonder why the hill is called Twerton Roundhill, when it is situated in Southdown. The answer is that the old parish of Twerton used to extend up as far as the Rose and Laurel Pub at Rush Hill. Until the 1950s the whole area that is Southdown was known as Twerton Hill. An old name for Twerton Roundhill is High Barrow Hill.

Most wild plants have finished flowering by now, but one that continues until late September is called Agrimony. It can still be found growing all over Roundhill at this time of year. It grows from about 25 to 60cm tall and produces a spike of small yellow flowers. In times past, people thought that Agrimony could be used to heal all sorts of ailments. For example the Anglo-Saxons, who called the plant Garclive, considered it a cure for wounds and snake bites. Modern herbalists still use it to treat some internal conditions such as liver disorders.

An attractive purple flower called Greater Knapweed is very visible among the grasses as well. The plant looks a bit like a thistle and is related to them. For insect life it provides a valuable source of nectar, attracting a variety of bees and butterflies. The butterfly shown in the photo is the Meadow brown. These are common throughout Great Britain but tend to stay away from cultivated areas, so you are more likely to see one at Roundhill than in your garden. You can recognise them quite easily from the dark eyespot on their wings.

Joe, 03/09/08