A photo taken from the back of a cinema showing people watching Darren on the big screen

Village matters

In this collection of short films, experts from Historic England and a local historian share with me the historical context of issues that are important to constituents today.

The issues covered in these seven films were raised by people in the Village Meetings that I held in 12 neighbourhoods across Bristol North West in late 2023 and early 2024.

The films were first shared with constituents at two free screenings at Scott Cinemas in Westbury Park (pictured above).

Village matters: Affordable housing

Hear about Sea Mills' proud history in being home to some of the first council houses in the country, with houses built for soldiers returning from war – and how social housing may have prevented a revolution.

Village matters: The River Trym

Delve into how the River Trym has been enjoyed and protected by local villagers since the Bronze Age – and how Southmead might be the oldest village in Bristol!

Village matters: Community spaces

Uncover the fascinating story of how repurposing a shelter for WWII soldiers manning anti-aircraft guns in Purdown gave Lockleaze its first community centre.

Village matters: High streets

Discover why high streets offer a window into our local history, and what Historic England learned in its project about Shire High Street.

Village matters: SEND education

See how the beautiful architecture of Grace House in Westbury Park was designed to mirror the school's educational philosophy that expressive movement is therapeutic, and explore the rich history of SEND education in Bristol North West.

Village matters: Transport

Learn how Gloucester Road benefitted from a Bristol-based innovation that was the biggest advance in road construction since the Roman times.

Village matters: Public footpaths

Travel through a 'secret' listed tunnel in Henbury and explore the vast network of public footpaths connecting the villages of Bristol North West.

FAQs

  • In April 2023, 50 constituents from across Bristol North West were selected to take part in a ‘Constituency Assembly’. The 50 participants were selected based on area, age, gender, race and other demographics to reflect the constituency as a whole.

    The Constituency Assembly revealed distinct differences in how people from different areas in Bristol North West feel about where they live and what changes would make the biggest difference to them.

    Building on this, I hosted a series of Village Meetings in 12 neighbourhoods across Bristol North West.

  • I wanted to continue the discussions started at the Village Meetings and to create something that could be shared more widely with constituents who weren’t able to attend the meetings.

    Please join the conversation using the comments box for each film on YouTube or email me.

  • For details of future events, please follow me on Facebook or sign-up to my monthly newsletter.

    You can also explore my current Bristol campaigns on this website.