1927
In February the Health Committee reported to the Council their decision not to use Blaise Castle as a convalescent home for tuberculosis sufferers due to the heavy expenditure that would be required to convert the building. The same meeting considered the effects of the Rating and Valuation Act that required all premises to be revalued and made provision for poor rates to be collected in future by Bristol Corporation in place of the overseers. The Council agreed to set up the necessary establishment in the City Valuer's office.
At the beginning of February Miss Emma Saunders died at her home at 6, Sion Hill. She was a pioneer of a national movement to cater for the welfare of railway workers and was known as The Railwayman's Friend'.
The annual licensing sessions took place at the beginning of March and the court was crowded to hear an application on behalf of the trade for a general extension of the permitted opening hours from 10 pm until 10.30 pm. The licensees' solicitor told the justices that his clients considered that a city the size of Bristol should have longer opening hours but the application was opposed by a number of organisations and was unanimously rejected.
In the middle of the month the Bristol Rotary Club heard a talk by Commander H.M.N. Hardy on the work of the Economic League, a body that worked to promote goodwill and understanding between employer and employee. He told his audience that Communists were working hard to establish a branch in Bristol with groups in Bath and Avonmouth. A public meeting of the league took place in the YMCA Hall on 30 March; there were rowdy interruptions including the singing of 'The Red Flag'. At a luncheon held at the Royal Hotel it was resolved to form a Bristol branch.
Miss Helen Drew, the Headmistress of Colston's Girls' School, resigned on the ground of ill health in March and died a month later. The Governors appointed Miss Gladys Mary Morgan in her stead; Miss Morgan was the Second Mistress of Berkhamsted High School and took up her post in September.
At the April Council meeting Councillor Lyne proposed that, in the interest of economy, men other that qualified police constables should be employed to direct traffic in the city. The matter was referred to the Watch Committee who reported in the following month that they did not support his suggestion because the public would not recognise the men as having the same authority as policemen. The committee pointed out that men controlling traffic required an iron constitution and a sound nervous system.
On 11 April Princess Mary, Viscountess Lascelles, visited the city. She inspected 2,000 Guides and Brownies and 1,000 Scouts at the Zoological Gardens before going to the Central Hall to meet members of the Women's Bright Hour; it was estimated that a crowd of some 40,000 people were in Old Market Street when she arrived. The princess later opened the new Docklands Settlement building in Rosemary Street; the premises had been provided by Mr. W. Melville Wills.
Many thousands were present at the Downs during the weekend of 23/24 April to watch a flying display by four Hawker Horsley bombers of the RAF. The machines landed on the Downs so that spectators could see the aircraft on the ground and then gave a demonstration of formation flying.
In May Bristol City Football Club received the Division III Championship Shield and was promoted to Division II. One of the important matches leading to the championship took place on 14 March when they played Swindon and won by 2 goals to nil. The match was witnessed by over 31,000 spectators, some 5,000 coming from Swindon.
At the end of the month the Education Committee heard that of the 96 Lord Kitchener Scholarships (to enable sons of ex-servicemen to undertake higher education) awarded nationally, four had gone to Bristol pupils. One of the boys attended Clifton College and the other three Gotham Secondary School.
On 2 June the Prince of Wales paid a private visit to the city to open the new science building at Clifton College.
At their meeting at the beginning of June the Bristol & District Employment Committee was told that there were currently 10,977 men, 1,631 women, 599 boys and 615 girls unemployed in the city. The committee urged employers to avoid overtime working wherever practicable so as to provide as many employment opportunities as possible.
Bristol's first Air Pageant, organised by the Wessex Flying Club, took place at Filton on 22 June; Air Vice Marshall Sir Sefton Branker, the Director of Civil Aviation, was present. Crowds lining the Gloucester Road witnessed various races, formation flying by four single-seater Bristol night fighters and a display of 'crazy flying'. It was later announced that the Government was intending to spend the sum of £137,000 to establish a permanent RAF station at Filton. The Wessex Flying Club was officially opened in October by Sir Samuel Hoare, the Secretary of State for Air.
There was a total eclipse on 29 June. The weather was cloudy but improved in the middle of the eclipse for about ten minutes so that the spectators (including a group on Purdown) had a good view of the sun reduced to a narrow crescent.
The new Berkeley Cafe in Queens Road opened at the beginning of July. It included a restaurant capable of seating 300 diners with a separate entrance in Berkeley Square to be used for private functions. The builders were R.F. Ridd & Sons and the architect was W.J. Stenner. Before the Council meeting on 10 July the Lord Mayor (on behalf of the French government) presented the Croix' de Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur to Sir Ernest Cook. He had inaugurated the appeal for funds to provide housing accommodation at Bethune.
Knowle Greyhound Racing Stadium opened on 23 July. The first race was won by 'Plunger', a dog owned by Albert Ford, the Chairman of Bristol Greyhound Club. In November the stadium was acquired by the Amalgamated Greyhound Racing Association, an organisation that owned a number of tracks in England.
At the end of July a deputation from the Western Liberal Federation went to see the Chief Whip at Liberal Party headquarters. They complained about the political conduct of Captain Frederick Guest and Sir Beddoe Rees, the members for Bristol North and Bristol South, who had on a number of occasions voted with the Government against the rest of the members of the party. They requested that the whip should be withdrawn from them.
On 28 July a Bristol Badminton aircraft piloted by Captain F.L. Barnard crashed in a field next to the old Gloucester Road at Winterbourne killing the pilot. Captain Barnard was an Imperial Airways pilot and was practising for the King's Cup air race that was due to take place on the following day.
On 7 September Lewis Miller, a licensed boatman, rescued a man who, whilst unloading a ship in the City Docks, was struck by a sack and fell between the quayside and the ship. Miller jumped into the dock and held the man until a rope could be lowered to pull him to safety. It was the 16th occasion on which he had rescued someone from the water and he later received the Edward Medal and a certificate from the Carnegie Hero Fund.
At the September Council meeting Alderman Sheppard proposed that in future aldermanic vacancies should be allocated on the basis of one alderman for every three councillors. The Citizen party opposed the suggestion maintaining that aldermen should be appointed on the basis of seniority and the proposal was defeated. At the same meeting there were two vacancies to fill and in both cases the Citizen party councillor was selected.
At the beginning of October William Burke, aged 19, left Bristol to emigrate to New Zealand. He was sponsored by Bristol Rotary Club who took responsibility for kitting him out and for his fare. On arrival he was to be looked after by the Rotary Club of Hastings, New Zealand who would find employment for him.
Later in the month the Health Committee was informed that a thirteen year old girl (a member of a family that had recently moved to Two Mile Hill from South Wales) had contracted small pox; it appeared that there had been an outbreak in the district from which they had moved. Two men living in the same house also became infected.
On 20 October Sir Kingsley Wood, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, came to the city to open a new block of flats at Orange Street, St. Pauls. The flats had been provided by the Bristol Churches' Tenement Association. The association had acquired five houses that were due for demolition for £100 and converted them into flats for working people. The opening was also attended by the Lord Mayor, Sheriff and Bishop.
St. Peter's Church, Henleaze, was consecrated by the Bishop on 29 October. The church had been designed by A.R. Gough and built by William Cowlin & Sons.
At the municipal elections held at the beginning of November the Labour party gained three seats from the Citizen party.
Sir Edward Burnet James died on 27 December. He served as Sheriff in 1900/01 and as Lord Mayor in 1904/5 and 1907/8 and was a partner in Edwards, Ringer & Bigg, tobacco manufacturers. He was a Conservative and was knighted during the royal visit to open the Royal Edward Dock.
1928
At the beginning of January a foot crossing between St. Augustine's Bridge and St. Augustine's Parade came into use. There was a sign, illuminated at night, showing pedestrians where to cross and warning traffic to slow down.
The Corporation evidently recognised the need for more schools to cater for the expanding population in the new municipal housing estates. In January the Education Committee accepted a tender to build a junior mixed school at Bedminster Down with accommodation for 400 children. Tenders were also agreed for a junior mixed school for 400 children at Knowle Park (in March) and for over 600 pupils and 400 infants at Upper Horfield (in June). A new junior mixed school at Sea Mills was opened by Sir Ernest Cook, the Chairman of the Education Committee, on 15 February. The building contained eight classrooms each sufficient for 50 pupils; it was designed by Holbrow and Oaten and built by G. Slade & Son of Shirehampton.
On 6 February Mr. H.C.M. Hirst, ARIBA told a meeting of the Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society that a seventeenth century chimney piece at 15 Small Street (adjoining Foster's Chambers) had recently been removed to London.
On 10 February there was a demonstration organised by the Bristol Unemployed Association to support seven men who were obliged to go into the Eastville Poor Law Institution as a condition for relief to be granted to their wives and families. About 400 men escorted them and then held a meeting at the Kingsley Hall in Old Market Street; the meeting approved a petition addressed to the Lord Mayor and Council.
In February the new crematorium at Arnos Vale was completed.
Greyhound Racecourse (Bristol) Ltd. had launched a share issue to fund a new track at Eastville Stadium. The prospectus envisaged that kennels would be constructed as part of the scheme and in February the Town Clerk felt obliged to inform the public that no application for planning permission had been received.
The annual delegates' meeting of the Bristol Miners' Association took place on 11 February. The meeting heard that a considerable number of members were out of work, that at one colliery men were only able to work one week in two and that some miners were forced to take dry bread with them as their 'snap'.
Thomas Watkins died on 2 March. He was a director of Walter Reid & Sons Ltd. and for nearly 40 years the editor of Bristol Evening News.
Pang Hang, whose laundry was at 361, Gloucester Road appeared before the magistrates in March charged with possessing a quantity of prepared opium and utensils for smoking it, being in possession of an automatic pistol and 44 rounds of ammunition and corruptly giving £5 to a police officer. The justices fined him £90 but declined to order his deportation.
The Baptist Union Conference took place in May and concluded with a resolution welcoming the growing influence exerted by the League of Nations. The delegates took the opportunity to visit historic ground at Hanham.
On 8 May the Council had a further debate about the method of filling aldermanic vacancies. A motion repeated the previous proposal that they should be appointed on the basis of one alderman for every three councillors but was opposed by those who maintained that the appointments should be based on seniority. Aldermen Edward Robinson and William Howell Davies, both Liberals, suggested a compromise amendment whereby the 'seniority' system should be suspended for a while to enable the Labour party to have more representation but both the amendment and the original proposal were defeated.
The Prince of Wales visited the city on 23 May. After arriving at Temple Meads he was taken via College Green, where 2,000 women and children cheered him, Bridge Valley Road and the Portway to Avonmouth. The purpose of his visit was to open the Eastern Arm Extension; he boarded the Bayano at R Shed and the vessel steamed into the extension breaking the ceremonial ribbon. 1,300 guests sat down to lunch in V Shed and the Prince then left by car for Dorchester.
Sir George Alfred Wills died on 11 July. He became chairman of the Imperial Tobacco Co. Ltd. and retired in 1924. He made many gifts to the city.
The Duke and Duchess of York visited the city on 7 July. They saw the East Street factory of W.D. & H.O. Wills and the Dockland Settlement in Rosemary Street. The Duke then laid the foundation stone at the open-air school at Winford which was being built to cater for the treatment and cure of crippled Bristol children.
The Housing Committee reported to the Council in July that they proposed to acquire 420 acres in Southmead and 394 acres in Bedminster. This would enable them to build 5,000 houses in Southmead over a period of 10 to 15 years and 3,000 in Bedminster over six to seven years. In October the committee announced the commencement of 50 more houses in Fishponds.
In July the Council decided to set up its own printing and stationery department and in October they agreed to inaugurate a development and publicity committee.
Viscount Haldane died on 19 August. He was Chancellor of Bristol University from 1911 until his death.
Horace Livermore died on 26 October. Born in 1851, he spent his life in the theatrical profession from the age of four until his retirement in 1920. He built the People's Palace in Baldwin Street and ran it for many years as a music hall before it was converted to a cinema. He was a councillor and his death prompted a bye-election in St. Augustine's ward; it resulted in a Labour gain.
At the municipal elections held at the beginning of November all 23 wards were contested. Labour gained 2 seats.
A gale hit the city on 16 November. A man was killed by a falling tree in St. Werburghs and a chimney stack crashed through a glass roof at Chappell & Allen's factory in Redfield. The side of a house at Beaufort Road, Kingswood was completely cut away and the Mardyke ferry was held up because of 'heavy seas'.
Arthur William Page died on 28 November. He was a solicitor and a Gloucestershire County Council alderman. He made many gifts to the Staple Hill area including the Page Institute and Page Park.
Samuel White died on the following day. He was Sir George White's brother and associated with him in his many business enterprises.
Dame Clara Butt opened the Salvation Army Mount Hope maternity home at Ashley Hill on 10 December.
The Bristol West Liberal Association held a meeting at the end of December at which the members unanimously resolved to withdraw from the North Bristol Liberal Association (which supported Capt. F.E. Guest, MP) and to affiliate to the newly formed North Bristol Liberal and Radical Association.
