Merry Christmas from your Focus Team

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers from your Focus Team. We hope you have an enjoyable festive season.

You can find useful information about local services over Christmas and the New Year in our recent blogpost and council office opening hours here. 

Westerleigh lights raise money for stroke charity

Once again the people of Mill Crescent, Westerleigh have put on a Christmas light display to raise money for charity. This year they've chosen Different Strokes, a charity run by younger stroke survivors for younger stroke survivors. 

The Mill Crescent lights have become a local Christmas tradition. Why not pop along and see for yourself? You can find out more about the light display, including some of the special visitors they've had this year, on their Facebook page.

Useful information this Christmas

With the festive season getting underway, here is some information you might find useful over the Christmas and New Year period.

Post

These are the last posting dates if you want your UK post to arrive before Christmas:

Wednesday 20 December - 2nd Class and 2nd Class Signed For
Thursday 21 December - Special Delivery Guaranteed
Thursday 21 December - 1st Class and 1st Class Signed For
Friday 22 December - Special Delivery Guaranteed Saturday Delivery

You can find dates for other services on the Royal Mail's website.

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Christmas bin collection changes in South Gloucestershire

Collections will not take place on Monday 25, Tuesday 26 December or Monday 1 January. This means the collection crews will be working on Saturday 30 December, 6 and 13 January to catch up. Changes to collection days for Christmas and New Year are below.

If your collection would normally be:	It will take place on:
Monday 25 December	Wednesday 27 December
Tuesday 26 December	Thursday 28 December
Wednesday 27 December	Friday 29 December
Thursday 28 December	Saturday 30 December
Friday 29 December	Tuesday 02 January
Monday 01 January	Wednesday 03 January
Tuesday 02 January	Thursday 04 January
Wednesday 03 January	Friday 05 January
Thursday 04 January	Saturday 06 January
Friday 05 January	Monday 08 January
Monday 08 January	Tuesday 09 January
Tuesday 09 January	Wednesday 10 January
Wednesday 10 January	Thursday 11 January
Thursday 11 January	Friday 12 January
Friday 12 January	Saturday 13 January

Collections will be back to normal from Monday 15 January 2018.

You can recycle wrapping paper and greetings cards without glitter or plastic embellishments. Put wrapping paper with the rest of your recyclable paper and greetings cards with cardboard. Paper or card with glitter or plastic should go into your black bin.

For more info, including how to recycle your real Christmas tree, click here.

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Trains

The Christmas and New Year bank holiday period (23 December 2017 to 2 January 2018) is traditionally the time when a considerable amount of improvement and engineering work is undertaken on Britain's rail network.

Many train companies will also be making changes to their timetable to match service levels to the number of customers travelling. Please plan ahead and check if your journey is affected as some services will be added, some will be restricted, and some will not be running during this time period. 

For more info click here

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Bus information

Bus services differ depending on who runs them but generally services run as normal up to the 23 December, have special timetables on 24 and from 26 until 31 Dec and then return completely to normal on 2 January. Here are some useful links:

Stage Coach buses
First Group
Wessex Bus
Travel West (scroll to the bottom to see the information for South Gloucestershire)

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Medicine

The Asda Pharmacy in Patchway has the best opening hours over Christmas.

Address: Highwood Lane, Patchway, BS34 5TL
Tel: 0117 3172410
Monday 25 December (Christmas Day): 1000-1200
Tuesday 26 December (Boxing Day): 0900-1800
Monday 1 January (New Year's Day): 1000-1800
Specialist Medicines Service: Yes

To find out more about pharmacy opening hours in your area click here.

Christmas activities for children in local libraries

If you're looking for something to do with your children during the Christmas holidays, you could try some of the free activities at our local libraries. You can see a full list on the South Glos website, some of the most local ones include:

Monday 18 December
Christmas story time
Thornbury Library, 2.15pm to 2.45pm

Tuesday 19 December
Christmas crafts
Yate Library, 10.30am to 12 midday

Christmas Rhymetime
Winterbourne Library 10.30am to 11am

Explore Learning: Winter wonderland
Emersons Green Library 10.30am to 11.30am

Christmas capers
Emersons Green Library, 2pm to 4pm

Wednesday 20 December
Thornbury Library, 11am to 12 midday
Christmas capers

Thursday 21 December
Winter wonderland
Bradley Stoke Library, 10.30am to 12 midday

Explore Learning – ‘My Night before Christmas’
Thornbury Library, 2.30pm to 3.30pm

Stories around the tree (presented by Yate Library Teen Focus Group)
Yate Library, 5pm to 6pm

Friday 22 December
Explore Learning – ‘My Night before Christmas’
Bradley Stoke Library, 10.30am to 11.30am

Christmas crafts
Winterbourne Library, 10.30am to 12 midday

All activities are free but children must bring a grown-up with them.

Merry Christmas from your Focus Team

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers from your Focus Team. We hope you have an enjoyable festive season.

You can find useful information about local services over Christmas and the New Year in our recent blogpost and information about council services here. 

Westerleigh lights raising money for charity again

Father Christmas last year

Once again people in Westerleigh are raising money for charity with their Christmas lights - and not just in Mill Crescent. This year they are supporting Southmead Intensive Care Unit and Cystic Fibrosis. Don't forget to drop something in the donation bucket at the end of Mill Crescent.

Useful information this Christmas

With the festive season getting underway, here is some information you might find useful over the Christmas and New Year period.

Christmas Last Posting Dates

Tuesday 20 December - 2nd Class and Royal Mail Signed For®
Wednesday 21 December - 1st Class and Royal Mail Signed For®
Thursday 22 December - Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed®
Friday 23 December - Special Delivery Saturday Guaranteed

Waste and Recycling

There are some changes to waste and recycling collection over the Christmas period.

If your collection should be on:	It will instead take place on:
Monday 26 December	Tuesday 27 December
Tuesday 27 December	Wednesday 28 December
Wednesday 28 December	Thursday 29 December
Thursday 29 December	Friday 30 December
Friday 30 December	Saturday 31 December

You can check your precise date and what will be collected on the South Glos website.

Your tree might not even be up yet, but once the festivities are over you can recycle real trees in a number of ways:

• If you have subscribed to the garden waste service, you can put your tree into or next to your green bin.
• You can buy a single use garden waste sack for £2 from your nearest library and attach it to the tree.
• You can take it to one of the Sort It recycling centres and put it in the garden waste (not wood waste) skip.

Whichever you do, don't forget to remove all the decorations, pots and stands first and if it's over 6ft tall you must cut it up into smaller sections if you're having it collected. 

Out of Hours Pharmacies Times

Over the Christmas and New Year period, many pharmacies are closed. You can find out which ones are open here.

Trains
As we posted earlier this month, from Saturday 24th December until Thursday 29th December London Paddington will be closed to all rail services.

This will mean that GWR rail services will start and finish at Ealing Broadway, from where you can take the underground or a bus. However, the station does not have step-free access. So if you are travelling with heavy luggage or find steps difficult for any reason you will need to change at Reading and use services from there to London Waterloo. Unfortunately that will mean a longer journey.

You can find out more on the GWR website.

Bus services
Over Christmas and the New Year some buses will be running to different timetables from normal. You can find out more on the TravelWest site.

Merry Christmas from your Focus Team

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers from your Focus Team. We hope you have an enjoyable festive season.

You can find information about Christmas changes to South Gloucestershire Council services on their website.

Useful information this Christmas

Here's a round-up of links to Christmas opening times and other information you might find helpful during the holiday period.

Contacting the council

• The South Glos customer services contact centre will be closed from Christmas Eve afternoon (from 1pm) until 8:45 am on Wednesday 30 December 2015. The offices will also be closed on 1 January 2016. Please note that the adult care contact centre will be open until 5pm on Christmas Eve. When the offices are closed calls will be diverted to a service which deals only with emergencies.
• One Stop Shops will be closed from Christmas Eve afternoon (from 1pm) until Wednesday 30 December 2015. They will also be closed on 1 January 2016.
• You can continue to report issues or apply for services using the council's online forms which will be dealt with after the offices reopen.

More information on council services over Christmas and the New Year period is available here.

Recycling and waste

• Check when your waste will be collected here.
• Information on how to recycle your Christmas tree.
• The Sort It centres are open 8:30am to 4:30pm every day, apart from 25, 26 December 2015 and 1 January 2016.

Libraries
You can find the Christmas and New Year opening times for the local libraries here.

Christmas Last Posting Dates

Saturday 19 December	2nd Class and Royal Mail Signed For®
Monday 21 December	1st Class and Royal Mail Signed For®
Wednesday 23 December	Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed®

More information here.

Bus times
Bus timetable information is available from Travelwest.

Train times
The Network Rail website provides information on travel during the holiday period.

Health services and pharmacies
South Gloucestershire CCG provides this advice on what to do if you are injured or feel unwell. They also have details of pharmacy opening times for Christmas and New Year. They advise anyone with long term health conditions to get their medication before Christmas Eve.

Mill Crescent Christmas lights raising money for BUST

Lights in Mill Crescent last year

This year the Mill Crescent Christmas lights will be raising money for B.U.S.T (Breast Cancer Unit Support Trust), established in 1991 at Frenchay by patients and now based at Southmead Hospital. The funds raised by BUST and its supporters enable the clinicians to buy advanced equipment before it is available through NHS funding,with the aim of prevention, early detection and better treatment.

Free Christmas events at libraries

In the coming weeks, there will be a range of festive activities at local libraries. They include:

Saturday 12 December
Festive family rhymetime
Thornbury Library, 11am to 11.30am
Seasonal songs and rhymes for all the family.

Festive family singalong
Yate Library, 11.30am to 12pm
Seasonal songs for everyone to join in and enjoy.

Monday 14 December
Christmas storytime
Thornbury Library, 2.15pm to 2.45pm
Festive fun for pre-school children.

Tuesday 15 December
Christmas storytime
Emersons Green Library, 2pm to 2.30pm
Festive fun for pre-school children.

Christmas rhymetime
Winterbourne Library, 9.30am to 10am
Festive songs and rhymes for pre-school children.

Wednesday 16 December
Christmas storytime
Chipping Sodbury Library, 2pm to 2.30pm
Festive fun for pre-school children.

Christmas storytime
Winterbourne Library, 9.30am to 10am
Festive fun for pre-school children.

Thursday 17 December
Stories and songs around the tree
Yate Library, 5.30 to 6.30pm
Christmas fun for 3 to 8-year-olds.

Friday 18 December
Festive fun at rhymetime
Thornbury Library, 11am to 11.30am
Rhymetime for pre-school children.

Festive stay ‘n’ play
Winterbourne Library, 2.15pm to 2.45pm
Christmas fun for pre-school children.

Monday 21 December
Festive family fun
Thornbury Library, 11am to 12pm
Drop in for stories, songs and craft fun for the whole family.

Tuesday 22 December
Festive rhymetime
Winterbourne Library, 9.30am to 10am
Christmas songs and rhymes for pre-school children.

Just chillin’
Yate Library, 10.30am to 12pm
Winter crafts drop in for 4 to 9-year-olds.

Festive cheer for all the family
Emersons Green Library, 2pm to 4pm
Carol singing and music, free Christmas crafts and stories for children. All ages welcome.

Wednesday 23 December
Stories around the Christmas tree
Winterbourne Library, 10am to 11am
Festive fun for the whole family.

You can find the Christmas and New Year opening times for all the libraries here.

Recycling Christmas trees

If you have a real Christmas tree, South Glos Council say there are a number of ways you can recycle it when the festivities are over:

• If you have subscribed to the garden waste service you can put your real Christmas tree in your green bin for kerbside collection on your collection day. Please cut the tree into manageable pieces and make sure the tree is not wedged into the bin.
• You can buy a single use garden waste sack for £2 from your nearest South Gloucestershire library. Please attach the sack to the tree and leave out for collection on your bin collection day (you don’t need to worry about cutting the tree to fit it in the sack).
• You can also recycle your tree at one of South Gloucestershire’s four Sort It centres. 

Please remember to remove all decorations, pots and stands before recycling your Christmas tree. Recycled trees will be processed with the rest of South Gloucestershire’s garden waste and turned into fertiliser and mulch. To check your collection day please visit www.southglos.gov.uk/localconnection

Merry Christmas from your Focus Team

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers from your Focus Team. We hope you have an enjoyable festive season.

Free Christmas events for children

Our local libraries are once again running free Christmas events for children including:

Saturday 20 December

Festive fun
Thornbury Library, 11am to 12pm
Drop in to make Christmas cards and decorations.

Stories round the Christmas tree
Winterbourne Library, 2.30pm to 3.30pm
Festive stories around the Christmas tree, crafts and refreshments. Most suitable for two to eight-year-olds accompanied by a parent or carer.

Tuesday 23 December
Help yourself crafts
Winterbourne Library, 2pm to 4pm
Help yourself crafts in the children’s library - using up materials from craft sessions from throughout 2014. Bring a parent or carer to give you a helping hand.

Tuesday 30 December
Stir your senses
Emersons Green Library, 2pm to 4pm
Make your own pomanders, mobiles and shakers.

Help yourself crafts
Winterbourne Library, 2pm to 4pm
Help yourself crafts in the children’s library - using up materials from craft sessions from throughout 2014. Bring a parent or carer to give you a helping hand.

Wednesday 31 December
New Year crafts
Winterbourne Library, 10am to 11.30am
Welcome in the New Year with a craft drop in - making masks, calendars and sharing good memories.

Saturday 3 January
Winter craft fun
Chipping Sodbury Library, 10.30am to 12pm
Seasonal crafts.

Winter crafts and fun
Yate Library, 10.30am to 12pm
Seasonal crafts.

Some libraries will also be holding free storytime and rhymetime sessions for babies and toddlers and their parents or carers to enjoy stories, action songs and rhymes together. These include:

Tuesday 23 December
Rhymetime fun
Winterbourne Library, 9.30am to 10am
Festive rhymetime.

Tuesday 30 December
Rhymetime fun
Winterbourne Library, 9.30am to 10am
Festive rhymetime.
For more information contact the libraries on 01454 868006 or visit www.southglos.gov.uk/libraries

Christmas opening times

Local MP Steve Webb has sent out the following useful round-up of local Christmas opening times:

Constituency Office of Steve Webb MP - Opening Hours

The office will be open as usual over the holiday period, with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and 2nd January. You can contact me on 01454 322100 or steve@stevewebb.org.uk.

Christmas Posting Dates

The last posting dates for Christmas are as follows:
Thursday 18 December    - 2nd Class and Royal Mail Signed For®
Saturday 20 December    - 1st Class and Royal Mail Signed For®
Monday 22 December - Parcelforce Worldwide 48 hours delivery
Tuesday 23 December - Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed®

South Glos Council Services

One Stop Shops

One Stop Shops will be closed from Christmas eve afternoon (from 1pm) and on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and 2 January.

Recycling and waste collections

Recycling centres

All sites are open as usual, apart from 25 December to 28 December and 1 January.

Christmas collections

Bin collections will continue as normal, with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. You will still have the usual amount of collections over Christmas, but the days might change. You can also check the dates using the Council’s collection date checker.

Recycling your real Christmas tree

There are several options to dispose of your real Christmas tree.

a) Using the garden waste service

If you have subscribed to the garden waste service you can put it in your green bin, or alternatively you can purchase a garden waste sack for £2 from your nearest library or Country Stores at 48 High Street Marshfield SN14 8LP. You don’t need to worry about the cutting the tree to fit it in the sack.

b) Taking it to a recycling centre

You can recycle your tree at one of the four Sort It centres

Train times over the holiday period

Network Rail will be conducting essential engineering works over the Christmas period.  Details of changes to the usual schedule are as follows:

Christmas Eve

Timings of trains will start to change from 1700 across the network, and from 1500 in the London and Thames Valley area. The last train will leave Paddington before 2130.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day

No scheduled train services.

Saturday 27 December

Local services into London will start from around 1100 because of work in the Hayes and Harlington area, and long distance services into and out of London will be limited. We are advising customers to use other routes where possible, or to travel after 1100.  Tickets will be valid on other routes.

Saturday 27 December – Sunday 4 January

A reduced timetable will operate and diversions will be in place. Journey times may take longer than normal.

First Great Western have set out the changes in detail for each route on their website: www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Christmas2014

Emergency Pharmacy Opening Times in South Gloucestershire

Pharmacy opening times for the December and January Bank Holidays 2014/15. 

Asda Pharmacy, Craven Way, Longwell Green, BS30 7DY
Tel: 0117 3012810
Thursday 25th December: closed
Friday 26th December: 09:00 - 18:00
Thursday 1st January: 10:00 - 16:00

*Asda Pharmacy, Highwood Lane, Patchway, BS34 5TL
Tel: 0117 3172410
Thursday 25th December: closed
Friday 26th December: 09:00 - 18:00
Thursday 1st January: 10:00 - 16:00

Boots Pharmacy, Unit 1, Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke Way, Bradley Stoke,  BS32 8EF
Tel: 01454 202327
Thursday 25th December: closed
Friday 26th December: 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 1st January: closed

Boots Pharmacy, 116, The Mall, Cribbs Causeway, Patchway, BS34 5UP
Tel: 0117 9509744
Thursday 25th December: closed
Friday 26th December: 08:30 - 18:00
Thursday 1st January: closed

Boots Pharmacy, Unit 1a, Emersons Green Retail Centre, Emerson’s Green, BS16 7AE
Tel: 0117 9575893
Thursday 25th December: closed
Friday 26th December: 09:00 - 18:00
Thursday 1st January: 10:00 - 17:00

*Boots Pharmacy, Unit D, Gallagher Retail Park, Longwell Green, BS30 7DY
Tel: 0117 9678963
Thursday 25th December: closed
Friday 26th December: 07:30 - 11:30 and 12:00 - 00:00
Thursday 1st January: 07:30 - 11:30 and 12:00 - 00:00

Boots Pharmacy, 15-17, North Walk, Yate, BS37 4AP
Tel: 01454 312589
Thursday 25th December: closed
Friday 26th December: 08:30 - 17:30
Thursday 1st January: closed

Bradley Stoke Pharmacy, Brook Way,  Bradley Stoke,  BS32 9DS
Tel: 01454 612855
Thursday 25th December: 10:00 - 12:00
Friday 26th December: closed
Thursday 1st January: closed

Frome Valley Pharmacy, Frome Valley Medical Centre, 2 Court Road, Frampton Cotterell BS36 2DE
Tel: 01454 773755
Thursday 25th December: 12:00 - 14:00
Friday 26th December: closed
Thursday 1st January: 12:00 - 14:00

Sainsbury's Pharmacy, Emersons Way, Emerson’s Green, BS16 7AE
Tel: 0117 9569849
Thursday 25th December: closed
Friday 26th December: 10:00 - 17:00
Thursday 1st January: 10:00 - 17:00

Sainsbury's Pharmacy, Fox Den Road, Filton, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8SS
Tel: 0117 9793412
Thursday 25th December: closed
Friday 26th December: 10:00 - 17:00
Thursday 1st January: 10:00 - 15:00

Westbourne Road Pharmacy, 26, Westbourne Road, Downend, BS16 6RX
Tel: 0117 9565836
Thursday 25th December: 14:00 - 16:00
Friday 26th December: closed
Thursday 1st January: closed
*These pharmacies have a specialist medicines service.

Christmas lights in Westerleigh

Once again Mill Crescent is lit up for Christmas to raise money for charity. This year the collection will go to St Peter's Hospice.

Merry Christmas from your Focus Team

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers from your Focus Team. We hope you have an enjoyable festive season.

You can find out about changes to council opening times and services over Christmas here.

Free Christmas events at local libraries

There are a wide range of free Christmas events going on libraries locally including festive Rhymetimes, seasonal crafts and stories round the Christmas tree. More information is available on the South Glos website.

Enjoy the festive lights in Westerleigh

If you want some help getting in the festive spirit and you're in the Westerleigh area you might want to drop in to Mill Crescent, Westerleigh. Residents there have once again put on an amazing display for a good cause. This year's charity is the Teenage Cancer Trust, which is devoted to improving the lives of teenagers and young adults with cancer.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers from your Focus Team.