Ways to take part include:
performance (music, spoken word, walkabout)
making decorations
hosting a craft stall
running a skills sharing workshop
sharing your homegrown produce
being a candidate for Montpelier Mayor or Queen Bean in the mock elections
helping to run silly games and craft activities
help to organise a ‘heritage lunch’ for older residents of Montpelier

On the day, we need volunteers to help with stewarding, putting up decorations, assisting with cake/bean/tea stalls and clearing up afterwards.

If you’re able to join this happy team, please get in touch!  You can see the ‘get involved’ flyer here
Sally Jenkins
Event Coordinator
montpelierbeanfeast@yahoo.co.uk
07866 748193

About the event
This community street festival is a resurrection of an annual event from the eighteenth century, which historical accounts say originally featured mock elections of a Mayor and Sheriff, ‘delighted spectators’ and ‘various high jinks’. It is now a celebration of local heritage, local harvest and local genius and features music, mock elections, crafts workshops and procession, local produce exchange, ‘homemade’ stalls and lots of neighbours getting to know each other.
The event takes place in St Andrews Road and Montpelier Park. It is free to attend, although donations towards costs are much appreciated.  All organisers are unpaid volunteers from the local area.

Can you help out with this year's Bean Feast? We need lots of people to make it a success!

One suggestion has been to focus on the ideological “heart” of the neighbourhood – Picton Street and the pedestrianised area from Picton St. to Richmond Road.  We are using the name “Picton Square” for the moment.

The idea is to pedestrianise and upgrade a larger area, from the last 50 metres of Picton St. to the beginning of Shaftsbury Ave., across to Bath Buildings and the Health Centre. It would become a mixed-use pavement,

If this area was upgraded we might well address several of these problems at once:

• Pedestrians, prams and wheelchairs could move much more freely
• Cars and trucks would naturally be forced to drive very slowly through the area, as the sight-lines would be very short;
• Slower traffic reduces the numbers of cars passing through
• Local shops would benefit: better pedestrian access & increased footfall;
• Residents empowered by participating in project’s design and management
• Greenery growing here and there makes environment more pleasant for all
• More local facilities will become available, such as: a street café, well-used notice-boards, a kiosk or two for street vendors;
• Street-art will reduce tagging and increase the desirable “view”;
• Art installations will become possible.

In order to accomplish all of this, some problems will need to be addressed:

• Relocation of bins left permanently on pavement by traders and residents;
• Dog-fouling and rubbish will have to be addressed;
• Residents and traders will have to agree to give up a few car-park spaces;
• Bristol highways will have to re-surface the area with coloured paviers, etc.;
• The emergency services will have to agree the routes and access.

We hope people will find these suggestions intriguing and stimulating.  There are many possibilities ahead; nothing has been decided upon, and nothing has been ruled out.  At this stage a few residents are just putting up suggestions to begin the debate. What do you think?