Mike Ford: The Bedminster Bigmouth is not a happy bunny
By Bedminster People | Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 07:00
This week, the Bedminster Bigmouth is really not a happy bunny. A couple of things that have happened over the last week have genuinely made me embarrassed to share the same city with some of you.
Initially, the reaction from my fellow Bristolians regarding the closure of the massive cannabis factory that was on Bedminster Parade left me fuming. I actually thought that the paper missed a chance for a cracker of a headline – 'Bedminster Goes To Pot' – but that aside, it was a great little story, seeing a load of criminals and drugs taken off of the streets. Now everybody knows that drugs are for mugs, and users are losers, so can anyone tell me why the comments section underneath the story was populated not by happy residents praising the police force, but by people venting their bigoted, false opinions of the area?
I wonder how these people benefit by saying things like "Bedminster=Scumsville" and dragging out the old 'argument' of East Street being a decrepit wasteland reliant on charity shops and alcoholics to keep open? These people genuinely make me sick to my stomach and in my mind, enforce my view that there are far too many bad apples and doom-mongers in Bristol. People addicted to schadenfreude who should have no place in any of our communities.
What angered me most about this, however, was there was hardly anyone sticking up for their area, as if they were resigned to let people think this about where they live.
It's a good job that we have people like the Greater Bedminster Community Partnership (GBCP) to stand up for our area then, isn't it? Well, no actually – as many of us found out last week when, with the backing of future Southville Green Party candidate Tess Green, they promoted and campaigned to exclude Bristol City from the GBCP and therefore any decisions affecting our (and their) area. Despite this being ludicrous, she is entitled to her opinion and to tell us that "[Bristol City] represents big business and has little engagement with the community". A few people (including Labour councillors) rightly told her she was talking rubbish, but there were many of the usual "I'm against businesses because they represent 'the Man'" brigade agreeing with her. So what happened when yours truly tried to comment? Surprise, surprise – my views mysteriously failed to appear (despite some help from Charlie Bolton).
Now, they may not like what I have to say, but I am as much entitled to my opinion as Tess is hers. I am proud of my area, and have had my right to express my views on a forum designated for local people taken away from me. It seems that the view that "Bedminster=Scumsville" is not just a view shared by internet troublemakers, it is shared by the Southville-dwelling moderators of the GBCP website as well.
Comments
I love Bemmy. I think it has a genuine sense of community. Lots of people look out for each other, stop to chat, that sort of thing, but what I like about it most is it's quite relaxed and tolerant. Unlike the faux community of eg Clifton which seems to consist of posers thinking how marvellous they are, and how wonderful their area is, and looking down their noses at everyone else, while getting together every now and then to put pressure on their mates in the Council and make sure that nothing unwanted happens in their backyard.
The Kaptain's points are true, but Bemmy-bashers don't care or want to admit that the reality is different, that things are no worse here than elsewhere, and a lot better here in some ways! That's why I don't bother commenting on the EP site. It's full of idiots who know nothing about Bedminster yet assume it must be vile. Unfortunately, I think that this sort of attitude has crept in with the Southville elite over the last few years, some of them seem to think Bemmy is scum too.
By LittleBlue1 at 13:04 on 18/02/10
ReportI love Bemmy. I think it has a genuine sense of community. Lots of people look out for each other, stop to chat, that sort of thing, but what I like about it most is it's quite relaxed and tolerant. Unlike the faux community of eg Clifton which seems to consist of posers thinking how marvellous they are, and how wonderful their area is, and looking down their noses at everyone else, while getting together every now and then to put pressure on their mates in the Council and make sure that nothing unwanted happens in their backyard.
The Kaptain's points are true, but Bemmy-bashers don't care or want to admit that the reality is different, that things are no worse here than elsewhere, and a lot better here in some ways! That's why I don't bother commenting on the EP site. It's full of idiots who know nothing about Bedminster yet assume it must be vile. Unfortunately, I think that this sort of attitude has crept in with the Southville elite over the last few years, some of them seem to think Bemmy is scum too.
By LittleBlue1 at 13:02 on 18/02/10
ReportIt's brilliant to see at least some-one who can see my article for what it was trying to be. I get lots of abuse for simply standing up for myself and in the midst of the abuse the message of my articles is often lost.
I will try to contribute much more to this site in future.
Mike
By Mike_Ford at 10:59 on 18/02/10
ReportPersonally I think that Bedminster is one of the better places to live in Bristol. Ok, we all know it has its problems but then so do a lot of other areas and much worse ones than Bedminster. I was a bit too late to comment on the original article but I agree with Mike that the opinions aired seemed bigoted and false and were simply 'Bemmy-bashing' at its worst.
In terms of Bedminster being 'scumsville', I wonder if the people writing the comments have ever looked around them or read the facts. The crime rate in Bedminster is actually slightly lower than the national average in several areas. Furthermore, for certain types of crime the area is lower than other areas of the city (burglary and anti-social behaviour are lower than in the Hanham, Trinity, Southmead and Sea Mills beats, Clifton East has a higher burglary rate. Violent crime is lower than in the Barton Hill and Eastville beat areas). I could quote many more but that would just get boring.
The street drinkers are a problem but so-called 'Posh' Clifton has a similar problem with street drinkers gathering at the corner of Alma Road.
East Street full of charity shops? There are more charity shops between Blackboy Hill and the top of Cotham Hill (a roughly similar distance to top of East St to Bedminster Parade).
I have seen more cars with their windows smashed (ie for purposes of theft from vehicles) in Clifton and Cotham in a year than in Bedminster in the fifteen years I have been back in the area.
On the subject of the GBCP, it does worry me that a few of its members feel that excluding those with views opposed to their own is acceptable. For the group to be of benefit to the area and not just the elite few there has to be discourse and that must include the views of everyone not just the few. Exclusion of this type is simply undemocratic and borders on petty Fascism. Ok, I don't agree with everything Mike Ford writes but at the end of the day, he has an opinion and that opinion should be heard as should the opinions of any others who feel strongly about the area for good or bad.
By Kaptain_Von at 13:21 on 17/02/10
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