Arnos Vale is delighted to announce that £6,000 was raised at Community Run and Toddle sponsored by Puddle Ducks.
Runners, toddlers, volunteers and spectators all contributed to making Bank Holiday Monday 6th May an excellent family day out. Over 100 participants took part in the run and toddle, whilst the sun shone, and helped to raise £6,000.
How will Arnos Vale spend the money raised?
New to the Gift Shop
"Things that Make Me Smile"
If you are looking for that unusual, unique and special gift for someone special then make sure you stop at the Gift Shop in the East Lodge at Arnos Vale.
New in this week we have hand-made Memory Boxes, lovingly decorated by the one and only Belle of Belle's Art.
Runner Times
Thank you to everyone for getting involved in the run and toddle.
Over £5,000 was raised by the event... watch this space for next year's date and confirmation of final total raised. Thank you again.
Please sponsor Me!
Juliette Randall
CEO at Arnos Vale
Firstly, apologies for the slightly impersonal approach! I know you will all understand that I am trying to reach as many of you as I can to help me achieve my fundraising target!
On Monday 6th May we hold our second annual community run and annual toddle at Arnos Vale Cemetery. It is an exciting event for us and the local community as well as an opportunity for me personally to contribute to the Arnos Vale Endowment Fund Challenge!
We need you!
Would you be interested in sparing a few hours on an ad-hoc basis to help us distribute our leaflets and newsletters?
6th May 2013
Bank Holiday Monday
Come and join the fun!
Something exciting is happening at Arnos Vale. We are hosting a 5k run on Bank Holiday Monday 6 May. Do you fancy taking part? It starts at 10am and it is a great route, multi terrain with a few a challenging ups! Also this year, we are hosting a toddle sponsored by Puddle Ducks starting at 9am, which is open to toddlers and their parents.
Amazing Event!
On Wednesday 27th April the Anglican Chapel at Arnos Vale hosted the Nokia Live event for their Lumia Mobile phones with the critically acclaimed and Mercury Prize-nominated Ghostpoet performing.
4 dates to choose from!
Not one, but FOUR Bat Walks will be taking place at Arnos Vale this year!
A dusk-to-dark adventure to see these amazing creatures flitting through the shadows.
Community Run 2013
6th May at 9:00am
Before Arnos Vale Community Run on Bank Holiday Monday, 6 May 2013, Arnos Vale will also host a toddle sponsored by Puddle Ducks for babies, toddlers and young children and their parents starting at 9am.
Sarah Peacock, owner of Puddle Ducks Bristol and Bath, jumped at the opportunity to sponsor the “toddle” this year to encourage all her Puddle Ducks families to come and visit Arnos Vale.
Sunday 10th March
If you are planning on visiting Arnos Vale over the weekend then remember Mother's Day Sunday 10th March. Pop into the Gift Shop where you will find lots of unique gift ideas and cards.
Also available this week we have some beautiful rustic baskets containing primroses and hyacinths priced at only £4.95!
Be quick - at this price they won't be around long!
Easter Egg Cups
Interactive, fun & affordable
Coming this week to Arnos Vale are these delightful Rabbit Egg Cups to decorate at home and make an ideal Easter Gift as well as look absolutely beautiful in your home afterwards. Although aimed at children, these egg holders are an ideal gift for teenagers and adults too so hurry up and buy yours before the staff members do! Availalble this week in the Gift Shop, located in the East Lodge, to the left as you enter Arnos Vale through the main gates off the Bath Road entrance. Also stocking many other gift ideas and cards.
March - May
Spring is in the Air
Welcome to the first Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust & Friends of Arnos Vale Newsletter - Bursting with all the latest news, information and updates.
Calling all knitters…
Are you looking for a knitting project with a purpose?
Join a group of local knitters from Brislington, Knowle and Totterdown, knitting to secure the future of Arnos Vale.
Arnos Vale is a special place in the heart of the community famous for its wildlife; mice, hedgehogs, badgers, foxes and deer. Volunteer, Carol White, has raised £350 knitting and selling creatures found at Arnos Vale.
Get ready to Vote to Win an Artist for
Arnos Vale
Arnos Vale needs your votes to w
in!
Vote for Arnos Vale to win renowned contemporary artist JULIA VOGL in Museums at Night’s prestigious “Connect10” competition. If successful, Julia Vogl will work with Arnos Vale’s visitors at a night event in May 2013, to create an open-air community artwork incorporating mortuary chapels, crypt, trees and pathways into a meandering trail through the cemetery.
Arnos Vale are delighted to be one of three local businesses who have won an award by the Bristol Evening Post!
Three Bristol firms – Atmosphere Electric Bikes, Arnos Vale Cemetery and 360 Pole Dancing – have won the Local Business Accelerators competition which aimed to find the most promising young businesses in the area.
Wall Removal and Rebuild
The wall adjacent to the archway in the Garden of Rest 1 (near The Spielman Centre) is due to be removed from the 22nd February 2013.
If you have any plaques, vases or commemorations in this area then they will need to be removed by the 22nd February. If you are unable to get here then we can remove them on your behalf and store them for one year.
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust
Fundraising Manager Job Advertisement
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust runs the only fully-restored Victorian "garden cemetery", covering 45 acres, overflowing with stories, monuments and wildlife, all set in a stunning landscape. Arnos Vale is now a national exemplar of how a decaying cemetery can be brought back to its former glory, providing new and exciting ways to engage visitors of all backgrounds and ages with a city’s history. It is a hugely significant place for Bristolians, who value it as a place of remembrance, an important working cemetery, a place of local heritage and historic importance, and a very special and much loved landscape.
Gift Shop
Arnos Vale
'Stuff by Al' is a unique collection of glass jewellery and bowls created by Alistair Reekie. Alistair began working with glass only two years ago, but his peers are already calling his work inspirational and unusual.
He is fascinated by the way light is transformed by clever glass work and is not afraid to experiment with colours and textures. He is equally delighted by experimental mistakes as he is by perfect creations.
Oral History Volunteer
Help us gather a People’s History of Arnos Vale Cemetery
Arnos Vale Cemetery has been awarded an HLF Your Heritage grant to undertake an oral history project in the cemetery. Your Arnos Vale: A People’s History of Arnos Vale Cemetery is a community oral history project which will use community contacts and public roadshows to build contacts with contributors from which to collect contemporary and historic materials relating to Arnos Vale and the late 20th century history of the campaign to save the cemetery.
An exciting community project
“Your Arnos Vale – A people’s history of Arnos Vale Cemetery”
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust has announced the launch of an oral history project, funded by the award of a grant of £35,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and match-funded by the Friends of Arnos Vale Cemetery.
We are currently advertising for 8 volunteers to undertake some research as part of this project - if you are interested in finding out more please click here.
Christmas Memorial Service
Saturday 15th December 2012 at 2.00pm
Arnos Vale Cemetery
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust extends a warm and open invitation to everyone to join us for a memorial service to remember loved ones at Christmas.
The Service will be conducted by Fr Gwyn Owen of Christ the Servant, Stockwood and there will be an opportunity to write a message to hang on our Christmas tree and light a candle in remembrance.
Decadent
Anything but plain chocolate has arrived!
New to the Gift Shop in Arnos Vale is a decadent, sumptuous chocolate range from "Anything but plain Chocolate" and it is as the name suggests, anything but plain!
Christmas at Arnos Vale
Join us for some Christmas Cheer
We look forward to welcoming you at The Atrium Cafe this winter.
We’re open every day, apart from Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, and have just launched our delicious winter menu.
Warm up with a gingerbread latte, enjoy a hearty squash and chickpea tagine or a slice of our warm apple cake with clotted cream. Or all three!
December 2012
This Christmas, if you wish to visit the Cemetery on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Years Day the gates will be open on these dates from 10:00am - 4:00pm.
For all other days please see the chart below.
The Atrium Cafe is open daily from 10:00am-4:00pm except for Christmas Day and New Years Day.
The Gift Shop is open daily from 10:00am-4:00pm except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
Project Administrator/Assistant
Arnos Vale has a vacancy for an experienced Project Administrator/Assistant working 10 hours a week for 12 months.
Arnos Vale wins Outdoor Learning Centre in
Santander Enterprise award
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust has won £50,000 in Santander’s national Social Enterprise Development Awards (SEDA) to help fund an outdoor learning centre.
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust was one of six social enterprises to win an award in this year’s SEDA which saw a total of £240,000 distributed to organisations across the South West as part of a UK-wide £2 million prize fund.
Thanks to everyone who made yesterday's celebration of the Friends of Arnos Vale Cemetery's 25th anniversary such a great day.
Friends, supporters, trustees and staff were all present to celebrate the Friends' remarkable achievements and to look to the future with two new projects being launched. Read all about it in today's Post. it all started a quarter of a century ago... Evening Post Article
The Trees Are Back!
Available NOW!
This picture on the left was kindly sent in by Simon Tofts last year. Simon purchased his tree in 2011 and picked the biggest one we had!
The trees are excellent quality and available now from our Gift Shop. They are the super premium quality Nordmann Fir Christmas Trees and we have a range of sizes available:
Virtual Tours of Arnos Vale
New to the website this week is the addition of four Virtual Tours of the site.
Kilgore661 visited Arnos Vale in August and fell in love with the beauty and tranquility of the site as well as the buildings and offered to come along one day to film various areas with a Gigapan camera. What's a Gigapan Camera? Well, we didn't really know what it was either but we were intrigued to discover more..... and we are so glad we did!
7th October
The Friends of Arnos Vale Cemetery invite you to celebrate 25 years’ of campaigning for Arnos Vale, on Sunday 7th October 2012.
Join us on Sunday 7th October to pay tribute to the Friends’ past achievements and their commitment to future projects Arnos Vale Cemetery.
Quality Ash and Sycamore seasoned logs are now on sale again at Arnos Vale.
If you want to buy a bag, or two, or three (perhaps stock up now for the Winter ahead) then please contact Nick Bull on 0117 9719117 xtn 209 or email
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bristol Doors Open Day
Saturday 8th September
10:00am-4:00pm
FREE PUBLIC EVENT
Arnos Vale Cemetery takes part in the city’s annual Doors Open Day, this Saturday 8th September.
Saturday 1st September
5pm - 10pm
StrEAT to host the first ever street food market in a cemetery
Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol is the unusual location for a one-off street food festival put on by the StrEAT Food Collective. Vendors will be serving diverse food, from around the world, on Saturday 1st September.
StrEAT is a global street food collective serving food from all over the world. Hot and delicious dishes from countries like Thailand, India, Wales and Ghana will be served. Families, students and local residents will be gathering together to enjoy music and food in an upbeat mardi gras atmosphere.
Meet the Dream Team!
Please note - that due to road resurfacing along Ceremonial Way there will not be any parking available at Arnos Vale for the remainder of this week (until Friday 17th August).
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Caroline Tovey
Caroline doesn't have a garden where she lives but is lucky enough to live close enough to Arnos Vale. Being such a tranquil site Caroline finds it really peaceful and spends many a weekend wandering around Arnos Vale reading the headstones, seeing the hidden stories attached to them all and taking pictures at every opportunity.
Sunday 16th September
Afternoon tea in one of Bristol's hidden wedding venues?
If you are a wedding supplier and would like to discover one of Bristol's best kept venue secrets. then this is an event not to be missed!
Totterdown Arts Trail 2012
For the third year running, Arnos Vale was proud to join in the FRONT ROOM Totterdown Arts Trail and host an exciting range of work by local artists including photography, painting, sculpture, jewellery and live music!
A packed programme was lined up, featuring artists, events and activities running throughout the weekend including painting, sculpture, photography, jewellery, crafts, the written word and live music!
On the Terrace with Whisk!
Sitting on the terrace outside the Atrium Cafe in the sunshine, enjoying lunch with a little glass of something chilled, it's very easy to forget that you're a stone's throw from the centre of Bristol. The bird-song keeps you company and the vista is of magnificent Victorian architecture, majestic trees and acres of history ready to be explored. It's easy to see why more and more people are visiting Arnos Vale and we're delighted to welcome them at the Atrium Cafe.
Treasure
23rd July to 16th August
In 2011 Arnos Vale took part in Bristol Zoo's WOW! Gorilla Trail. For the summer we had the Bristol Blue Glass Gorilla on site and hundreds of visitors flocked to Arnos Vale to catch a glimpse and have their picture taken with him.
Thank you!
Arnos Vale was the destination of choice for the Celebration of Tibet and Tashi Lhunpo monks on Sunday 24th and Monday 25th June.
Visitors to Arnos Vale were treated to a very rare evenings performance of sacred music and dance on the beautiful grounds and the sunshine also made a rare appearance and held out just long enough for some of the performance to occur outside.
Saturday 30th June
Arnos Vale’s “Future Cemetery” comes to life in a FREE experimental event, this Saturday 30th June, 2.00pm – 5.00pm
This Saturday, Arnos Vale cemetery premieres four performance pieces combining new technologies and stories, which have been developed by the Future Cemetery, a REACT Heritage Sandbox project.
Rex Rotary 2738
We have a very reliable Rex Rotary digital laser printer/photocopier for sale here at Arnos Vale. If you are looking for a printer for your office or home then please get in contact!
At only £375 it is excellent value for money - it can print in black & white, up to A3 size, duplex, 27 pages per minute and can be collected any day of the week.
£500K Catalyst Match Funded Award
Provides the perfect incentive to build our endowment!
On Wednesday 20th June 2012, Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport announced that Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust was one of just 16 heritage organisations across the nation to be awarded Heritage Lottery Fund Catalyst Match Funding of £500K.
This is fantastic news for Arnos Vale and a true vote of confidence from national organisations and government that our future sustainability really matters.
Awarded to Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport announced today that Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust (the Trust) has been successful in its application for Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Match Funded Catalyst Funding.
The Trust manages
Read more: £500K Heritage Lottery Match Funded Catalyst Endowment
Arnos Vale Cemetery, one of the UK's finest Victorian 'Arcadian' garden cemeteries, has now reached an important milestone in its journey towards long term sustainability, thanks to the signing of a new, 125-year lease agreement between Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust (AVCT) and Bristol City Council.
In the 1980's Arnos Vale Cemetery fell into serious decline and when the owner announced his intentions to close the site in the 1990's concerned members of the community campaigned tirelessly to keep it open. Eventually in 2003 Bristol City Council compulsorily purchased Arnos Vale Cemetery.
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust
Estate Grounds Person Advertisement
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust runs the only fully-restored Victorian "garden cemetery", covering 45 acres, overflowing with stories, monuments and wildlife, all set in a stunning landscape.
Unusual Inscription
Dave Napier, Friends & Trustee, was searching in the undergrowth at Arnos Vale in February 2012 and found a very impressive inscription carved into a great 7' x 3' slab of stone in memory of one John King, who ies in 1846 aged 80 years.
Bank Holiday Monday, 7th May 2012
Thank you for supporting Arnos Vale Community Run.
My name is RME Thornhill and I'm a poet and author based in Bristol. I perform at open mic nights around the city and am published in a variety of print and online journals. I'd always wanted to write a poem about a cemetery; I have visited a lot around the world but never found the right words - it turns out I just hadn't found the right cemetery. I visited Arnos Vale for the first time on a beautiful March day and was blown away; it's a beautiful space steeped in history, and the poem wrote itself. I include it below and wanted to say thank you for the inspiration.
Saturday 19th May
Arnos Vale’s “Future Cemetery” brings stories to life for visitors this Saturday 19th May in a Night to remember in the Cemetery...
This summer, Arnos Vale tests new technologies to augment the visitor experience at the cemetery, as part of the REACT Heritage Sandbox project.
Saturday 19th May
Spielman Centre
Get to Know Your Arnos Vale in a FREE Community Event this Saturday 19th May, 10am-4pm.
Bring your own stories and family histories along to share at the cemetery’s public event to gather family history and memories of Arnos Vale.
The cemetery is hosting one of a series of FREE public events celebrating local community heritage, in association with the University of Bristol and the Know Your Place website.
Friday 6th April
Spielman Centre
There will be lots of chocolate consumed over this coming weekend - but if you fancy something a little bit different and more substantial then head on down to Arnos Vale - our brand new Atrium Cafe operated by Whisk! The cafe will operate full time as of 21st April with a fantastic daily menu available.
Juliette Randall
Everyone who visits Arnos Vale regularly knows that each and every season brings with it spectacular changes in scenery and colour and an array of different plants and wildlife. Also the weather conditions of each season - frost, snow, rain, mist and sunshine somehow all seem so much more exaggerated and atmospheric in our Cemetery setting.
New book at Arnos Vale
Visit the Gift Shop at Arnos Vale Cemetery and discover unique and unusual items for sale.
The latest book on sale is a charity book aimed at raising funds for women in Nepal. Just in time for International Women's Day on 8th March!
Something for Everyone!
Arnos Vale held a series of Evening Talks in 2011 that proved to be really popular. Carrying on with the theme in 2012 we kick start the season with one evening talk and one afternoon talk.
At Arnos Vale Cemetery
Contrary to popular belief Arnos Vale Cemetery is still open as a working cemetery and Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust unveils its phase 1 plan to develop and expand the range of cemetery services available.
Fitness Classes
Arnos Vale has two beautiful venues available for hire for all sorts of events. We currently have instructors for Yoga, Tai Chi and Zumba. All are held in the morning and more information on all the classes available can be found on our Fitness pages or by clicking on the event title above that interests you.
Spring 2012!
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust are pleased to announce that the Atrium Cafe will be open daily from the 31st March.
What an Evening!
Local performer Patrick Duff and Artscare Records hired the venue at Arnos Vale to put on a magical evening of music on Saturday 4th February.
The event completely sold out within days of being available - with many people still ringing on the evening of the performance in case anyone had dropped out.
Activities for kids!
February half-term saw a different kind of fossil at Arnos Vale - that of the Dinosaur! Sessions were organised over two days and we were pleased to see so many families on site taking part.
We need your Vote!
To win Artist Polly Morgan!
Arnos Vale is shortlisted in the Museums at Night's "Connect 10" competition to host a renowned contemporary artist POLLY MORGAN in a unique night time event for FREE, on Friday 18th May 2012.
2K & 5K runs designed for all the family
Bank Holiday Monday, 7th May 2012
Thank you for supporting Arnos Vale Community Run. Sponsors, runners and the volunteers created a wonderful atmosphere.
Over £2,000 has been raised for Arnos Vale Cemetery and local charities with money still arriving daily. The final total will be announced at the end of May.
Limited amount of firewood available
For a short time only!
When it's gone..... it's gone!
Guess what?? It's gone!!! More coming in the Autumn!
Spring to Autumn 2012
Arnos Vale will be running an ambitious programme of public events from Spring to Autumn 2012 to makr the Olympics and celebrate our nation's vital green spaces by searching for species in the cemetery.
Virgin Money Giving
Arnos Vale has now registered with Virgin Money Giving, an on-line not-for-profit company so more of your money goes directly where it's needed most.
Arnos Vale Christmas Trees
Sold out in 14 days!
For the first time Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust sold Christmas trees from the East Lodge Gift Shop, just off the Bath Road entrance.
2011/2012
For the Christmas season our opening hours and availability of some of our services has changed. Please see the revised times/dates below for when Arnos Vale Cemetery is open to the public.
Hand-made Memorial Wreaths
Available from 1st December
Are you coming to the Memorial Service on 17th December in the Anglican Chapel? Would you like to pre-order a beautifully hand-made memorial wreath to place on the grave of a loved one before or after the Service?
Staff and volunteers left devastated
The staff and volunteer team at Arnos Vale cemetery are taking stock after an overnight fire on 14th November had destroyed storage bays and a £2000 store of wood.
11.11.11
On the 11 November 2011, a moving and well-attended Armistice Day ceremony was held at the Great War Memorial in Arnos Vale.
Amazing Moonlit Prowl
on 4th November
Ian McGuire and his partner Jackie held an Owl Prowl around Arnos Vale on the evening of Friday 4th November. There was mist and fireworks galore throughout the evening but our visitors enjoyed their night time adventure exploring 45 acres of Arnos Vale on the hunt for Tawny Owls and even started their very own "Human Owl Choir".
Shakespeare is to return!
2012
Two hugely successful and excellently performed Shakespeare plays took place at Arnos Vale Cemetery in October 2011; Two Gentlemen of Verona and Measure for Measure.
Read more: All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players
Short Story by Judy Darley
Whenever the chance arose, Lorna volunteered to work nights, because it allowed her to run in the cemetery during the day. It was her pay-off for all the junk food consumed during her paramedic shifts – she told her flat-mate Charlotte that the runs were her ‘health insurance’ against all the rubbish she filled her body with, stalling off boredom and smothering stress.
Picture Taken by Dave Napier
Arnos Vale Cemetery!
Arnos Vale - Winner of the prestigious English Heritage Angel Award
We Want YOU!
Are you interested in running a cafe at Arnos Vale?
Do you know someone who may want to start a new catering business or expand on an existing one?
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust will be installing a kitchen into the Spielman Centre within the next few weeks with a view to having a full-time cafe running from March 2012.
John Breillat
1770-1856
John Breillat was a silk dyer who moved to Bristol from London in 1811. By 1816, after seeing a demonstration of gas lighting in Birmingham, he set up the Bristol Gas Lighting Company. By 1820 this company was lighting most of the city's main streets with coal gas.
Hand-made Christmas Wreaths
Hand-made Memorial Wreaths
Available 1st December
Arnos Vale will have fresh, hand-made Christmas wreaths and Memorial wreaths for sale from the end of November!
Model by Beth Carter
This amazing piece of art was created by Beth Carter. One sunny day in September "The Minotaur" was brought to Arnos Vale for photographs outside the Spielman Centre.
Visit Arnos Vale for Inspiration!
On 1st October this year a group of artistic and talented sketchers from Bristol descending upon Arnos Vale in search of inspiration. With so many fabulous and intricate monuments, buildings and tombs to choose from the group were totally spoilt for choice!
Going, Going, Gone!
Sold to a new home!
The Bristol Zoo Wow! Gorillas auction took place on the 29th September 2011 at the Victoria Rooms in Clifton with the zoo expecting to raise over £100K during the auction.
Picture taken by Robert Daw
Sunday 16th October
9:30am-4:30pm
Anglican Chapel at Arnos Vale
If you are interested in photography and want to learn more then this photography workshop is for you! Clive Minnitt is a highly respected photographer in the Bristol area and runs workshops all over the world.
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Glittering Awards Ceremony
Arnos Vale featured on BBC Culture Show - 28th October
Sixteen local groups have been chosen to go forward to the finals of the English Heritage Angel Awards, supported by Andrew Lloyd Webber, in
Filming at Arnos Vale
Arnos Vale Cemetery made a gorgeous guest appearance in last Saturday's Casualty on BBC1. Filming took place here during the summer - both inside our beautiful Anglican Chapel and outside showing off the wonderful scenery and architecture.
by Charles Booth
Red Cross War Memorial - Unveiling
On October 21st 2011 we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the unveiling of the Red Cross War Memorial at Soldiers Corner, Arnos Vale Cemetery.
First Performance of Two Gentlemen of Verona at Arnos Vale
Review of the evening by Sarah Cox
Well the weather in October has been quirky and unusual to say the least. The 3rd of October started with glorious sunshine which lasted throughout the day..... until about half six in the evening when the clouds started to fill the skies and the much looked forward outdoor performance of Two Gentlemen of Verona by the Roughhouse Theatre Group looked very much like turning into a performance of The Tempest!
For Sale at Arnos Vale
Nordmann Fir Super Premium Christmas Trees
Order yours now!
From 1st December you can buy a fabulous Christmas Tree from Arnos Vale Cemetery. The trees are Nordmann Super Premium Fir Trees.
10th September 2011
A day of mixed weather this year but that certainly didn't stop people from coming along and seeing what Arnos Vale has to offer - and a lot was happening on the day!
Tuesday 13th October
8:00pm -Channel 5
I trust everyone has had a super summer but if you are in the mood for getting your teeth into something tasty.....
An Interview with Jane Veveris Callan
Artist of the Bristol Blue Glass Gorilla
by Judy Darley
Whenever I visit Arnos Vale I look out for any wildlife that might be springing around, from the magpies bouncing around the lawns to the squirrels speeding up the holly trees. I've seen some truly glorious butterflies and even heard the occasional cuckoo. But Sunday's sighting beat all of that. Standing in a shaft of sunlight, right next to the visitor centre, I spotted a rare Blackbear Silverback gorilla.
Judy Darley
An Introduction
Hello! I'm Judy Darley. I work as a freelance journalist and fiction writer, and began making up storeis as a tiny child long before I learnt to read. Studying journalism at university taught me to edit my ramblings, and I found my first paid writing role on travel magazine, Spanish Homes, in 2005.
Locally Produced Honey
Gift Shop, East Lodge, Bath Road
The Gift Shop in Arnos Vale has some quirky, unique and unusual items for sale. New in this week are some large jars of pure honey supplied by Dick Berry and his legions of honeybees. Dick Berry has over 10 hives in the Ashton Court area with each of the hives amazingly holding up to 60,000 honeybees.
Name the Gorilla & Colouring Competition
The months of July and August are Gorilla months at Arnos Vale.
Arnos Vale has one of the Bristol Zoo 175th Birthday Celebrations Gorillas, sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass and beautifully painted by Jane Veveris. The Gorilla is hiding at Arnos Vale and enjoying the peace and tranquility of its surroundings whilst also taking pride of place!
On Thursday 14th July Bristol Blue Glass celebrated the official unveiling of their Two sponsored gorillas at Arnos Vale Cemetery.
Arnos Vale cemetery is one of the lifesize gorilla venues blazing the trail across the city, along with the mini-gorilla at St Philips Marsh Nursery school, also sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass.
Read more: Wow! Seeing Double on the Gorilla trail at Arnos Vale
Restoration
A story by Judy Darley
I stood wearily, plucking the gardening glove from my right hand so I could wipe the sweat from my forehead. Arnos Vale cemetery was bright in the sunshine, every tomb brought into sharp focus by the intensity of the light. A heat haze wobbled the edges of the non-conformist chapel, and I blinked as I watched two figures walking towards me, wondering if the distortion was playing a trick on my eyes.
We need someone who is willing to work in our cafe during the summer holidays. You don't have to do every day, you can commit to the days/times you are able to volunteer. The cafe is open 10:30am-2:30pm every day but we need your help to open it and meet our visitors at Arnos Vale.
Meet the new wild visitor from Bristol Zoo this July.
A life-size artworked gorilla sculpture moves to its new home at Arnos Vale Cemetery on 5th July, where it will stay throughout the summer, greeting visitors to the cemetery’s exhibitions, cafe and a programme of wildlife-themed family events.
Friday 13th May 2011
Guided Tour of Arnos Vale by Felicia Smith
As the sun set and dusk descended on Friday 13th May, a group of brave souls gathered for a night-time tour of Arnos Vale Cemetery.
Saturday 18th June 2011
Mike Dilger V Mark Horton
Wildlife V Heritage by Felicia Smith
On Saturday 18th June, as Bristol celebrated its Festival of Nature and the opening of M Shed, Mark Horton and Mike Dilger came together for a public rematch at Arnos Vale Cemetery to decide which of their two passions - wildlife or heritage - is the most important to Arnos Vale today, and the in future.
Donating by text is already working hard for charities across the UK and Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust relies almost entirely on donations to sustain its future.
