Lockdown 2.0 Diaries: BS15 – Hanham, Kingswood and Longwell Green

Nicola Bartlett was rearranging the shelves of Eclectic Giftshop on Monday afternoon. The physical shop may be closed for a few more days but during lockdown, Nicola has taught herself website design and has now introduced a new deli range featuring producers from the Bristol area and across the South West.

“I’ve been impressed with how people locally have really got behind my business,” said Nicola, who opened her shop on Hanham High Street in 2017 and during lockdown has been doing a weekly dance uploaded to her social media channels to keep her customers entertained.

“They are really trying to support small local businesses and here in particular they understand that I work with around 80 small businesses based in Bristol as well, so it has a ripple affect throughout the economy.”

On the shelves around her shop are gifts including artwork, jewellery and book, with the new deli section featuring the likes of chocolate from Guilbert’s, jars of chutney from Gingerbeards and tea from Bristol Tea Company.

Nicola, who grew up in Kingswood, has been surprised at how far she has been shipping items she has sold. “There’s little bits of Bristol joy dotted all around the world.”

So how has Hanham coped during this second lockdown? “We have got a mix of businesses here. The bakery opposite has been really busy with people queueing outside most of the time during lockdown. The bicycle repair shop has also been operating, serving people from the door through a hatch.

“It has been positive as a whole. We just want to be here for the community while our doors are still closed.”

Nicola Bartlett is the owner of Eclectic Gift Shop on Hanham High Street – photo: Martin Booth

‘The spirit of God is with you’ read a laminated sign pinned to the front gate of Christ Church in Hanham (Psalm 139:7-12 in case you were wondering). Up a ladder propped against a tree to one side of the church, three men were beginning to put Christmas lights up.

At the end of Church Road is a colourful maypole. Opposite the maypole is the Greene King pub to which it gives its name, with Christmas trees already in all 11 ground floor windows.

Nicola had stepped briefly out of her shop to speak to a member of staff from Seymour & Co, the pair almost looked over by a ghost sign for George’s & Co on one side of the Jolly Sailor pub, which is now owned by Wetherspoon.

Between a betting shop and the constituency office of Chris Skidmore, John Wood’s cycle shop continued to do a roaring trade, customers not able to enter the shop but instead talking to staff above a hatch made from a wooden crate.

John Wood’s bike shop on Hanham High Street is next door to the constituency office of Kingswood MP, Chris Skidmore – photo: Martin Booth

AEK Boco FC’s home ground is on Greenbank Road playing fields in Hanham – photo: Martin Booth

Along the road, colourful letters stuck to the windows of Hanham Library marked its recent 40th birthday on November 20.

Further down the road beyond Lidl, AEK-Boco FC‘s home ground is on Greenbank Road playing fields. The club has almost 500 children on their books, playing in the Hanham Minor League, Avon Youth League and Bristol Girls League; as well as four men’s teams and two ladies teams.

Despite the lack of grassroots football during lockdown, the club caught the attention of Manchester United star Marcus Rashford during half-term, who retweeted their offer of free meals, served from their clubhouse.

A short cycle ride away, Aspects Leisure Park felt like something out of The Day After Tomorrow. A couple of people walked their dogs by a closed Vue, Nando’s, Pizza Hut, Frankie & Benny’s and Hollywood Bowl, while friends in three different cars sat in their boots to have lunch on one side of the car park.

An almost deserted Aspects Leisure Park in Longwell Green – photo: Martin Booth

As early as 1658, the Bristol Baptists had swum the River Avon at Conham to preach in the open air to the Kingswood colliers. During the 18th Century, religious revivalists continued this ‘field preaching’ at Hanham Mount – photo: Martin Booth

2020 will be in the history books before too long. For now, an important part of this area’s history is remembered at Hanham Mount, once known to Christians throughout the world as a place famous evangelicals such as John Wesley preached to thousands of people in the open air in the 18th Century.

In the garden of 1 Lower Hanham Road, two large geese were wandering around the garden. Around a mile away is the Creative Youth Network site in Kingswood where, within a former school, Circomedia has six studios and some office space on the Creative Youth Network site on the Kingswood Estate.

The bulk of Circomedia’s activity is formal education, with most of the teaching of the Foundation, BA and Masters courses being based here.

“We are able to do quite a bit of that, socially distanced, on site, which is important in terms of the access to equipment – especially aerial (ropes, hoops, silks, trapezes) – and communicating creative ideas,” said Circomedia’s artistic and managing director, Nicolas Young.

“Add in some online teaching, and it means that 80 full-time students are benefitting from the continuation of education through the lockdown.”

Which way to Hanham? – photo: Martin Booth

An eclectic variety of organisations are based on the Kingswood Estate – photo: Martin Booth

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read more: Learn circus at home with Circomedia