News & Events

Bristol's newest citizens are welcomed to the city in a ceremony where they pledge an oath of allegiance and receive a silver medal from the City to mark the culmination of a three month process to become a British citizen. The Lord-Lieutenant was particularly pleased for her friend, a chaplain, who herself was naturalised in today’s ceremony.  Thirty individuals from four continents and 18 different countries took part in this latest ceremony and demonstrated considerable pride in what they had achieved, as seen in their broad smiles and the many photographs taken by the their sponsors and families. 

The Lord-Lieutenant, Lord Mayor and Colonel Mike Duff revealed a paving stone to commemorate the heroism of Acting Lance Corporal Frederick George Room, recipient of the Victoria Cross. Room was born in Horfield, Bristol. He was recognised for his tremendous acts of courage as a stretcher bearer during a battle at Frezenberg, Belgium, that took place exactly 100 years ago. In November 1917, Room was one of 126 service men presented to King George V at an investiture ceremony on Durdham Downs. After a long illness, Frederick Room died in hospital in Bristol on 19th January 1932, aged 36. He is buried at Greenbank Cemetery and his Victoria Cross is on display at the National Army Museum, Chelsea.

It is possible to run out of superlatives when describing the early morning take-off at Bristol International Balloon Fiesta! 103 balloons wafted upwards over Ashton Court Estate and across the City. Balloons were of all shapes and sizes, some with a small crew and a few passengers, others with large baskets full of people. Rumour has it that, on landing, some of these larger parties cracked open several bottles of champagne in noisy celebration of an exhilarating drift through the skies over Bristol.

Following the launch, solicitors Thrings and Business West held a thought provoking Business Breakfast consisting of a panel discussion challenging the power of the brand attended by 150 business people from across the region. Panelists Rob Law (Trunki), Nick Davies (Neighbourly.com) and Peter Haigh (Bristol Energy) spoken candidly of their experiences of how brands seduce and hold on to customers and whether being ethnical really sways consumer behaviour.

Lord-Lieutentant Peaches Golding today successfully completed a course of treatment of radiotherapy for a primary breast cancer.  She presented each of the radiographers involved in her treatment with hibiscus flowers from a collection managed and grown by her husband, Bob. The team received a flower every day throughout her treatment.

Peaches was diagnosed with breast cancer within days of being appointed Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant. She had surgery as well as three weeks of radiotherapy delivered five days a week in order to cure the illness. Although she is recovering well, her stamina is reduced due to the fatigue she is experiencing as a normal part of the treatment process. The treatment received by Peaches at the Oncology Centre at United Hospitals Bristol has been of the highest quality, delivered with care and compassion.

While she is feeling so fatigued, Peaches is limiting her duties as Lord-Lieutenant to some small extent. However, she is confident that she will soon return to her normal self.

Lord-Lieutenant Peaches Golding and her husband Bob were invited to take part in the last of the international food classes organised by the Bristol & Avon Chinese Women’s Group (BACWG). The theme was "Green food". More than 60 people took part in the event.  Among the guests were Lord Mayor of Bristol Councillor Mrs Lesley Alexander, Councillor Helen Holland, Adam Rees, Director of Bristol Ageing Better and Carly Urbanski, Programme Manage of, Bristol Ageing Better. Both the Lord-Lieutenant and the Lord Mayor presented certificates to the volunteer chefs that led 24 previous cookery sessions held earlier in the year.  The aim of the cooking classes was to encourage Chinese residents in Bristol to learn how to cook tasty foods from countries around the world.  The classes attracted professional and voluntary chefs as well as people living across the City.  Rosa Hui DL is the Managing Director of BACWG.

Lord-Lieutenant Peaches Golding visited the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) of which she is Patron. GWAAC provides life saving emergency care to prople who cannot be reached by road or are in such a critical state that they require specialist skills at the scene of an accident. 40% of GWAAC services are provided to people in Bristol. Anyone can support their operation!  http://www.greatwesternairambulance.com/.

For ten years, Penny Brohn UK has helped people live well with the impact of cancer by offering emotional, nutritional, psychological and physical support. In celebration, the well respected charity held a tea party where supporters, patients, therapists and volunteers could reflect on the ground-breaking treatments pioneered by the National Centre. Two prizes were raffled on the day. HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron of Penny Brohn UK https://www.pennybrohn.org.uk/

It is not entirely clear what was going on when this photo was taken, but apparently Peaches came across some long forgotten little treasures in his top pocket that filled them both with instant and identical delight.

Or maybe it was something to do with the raffle....

SU 2017 celebrated a vast array of achievements by students at the University of Bristol. Professor George Banting and Vice Chancellor Professor Hugh Brady joined the Lord-Lieutenant, dignitaries, academics and students for an evening of entertainment, awards and presentations. The Students’ Union holds The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

The latest group of students enrolled on the University of North Carolina (UNC) Honors Carolina course spent a lovely day in Bristol during which they engaged in a discussion with former Carolina alumna Lord-Lieutenant Peaches Golding OBE.  Meeting Peaches, a graduate from the UNC Chapel Hill, USA, in 1976, was part of a packed, week-long programme of activities for the students, who are recent high school graduates about to start their four years of study at UNC. Students participating on the Honors Carolina programme met a number of Carolina alumni involved in plant genomics at Kew, diplomacy at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, global finance at Barclays; they also attended a performance at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Peaches was instrumental in encouraging the Honors Carolina programme to visit Bristol. The group was based at Winston House in Bedford Square, the London home of UNC Honors Carolina.  During their day-trip from the capital city they enjoyed a cruise along the Bristol docks and ate lunch overlooking the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge. One of the aims of the Honors Carolina programme is to broaden the career ambitions and horizons of the participants. Thus, in a discussion led by Honors Carolina Dean Prof Jim Leloudis, the group held an informal, illustrated conversation on how Peaches’ career had developed and progressed from those heady days in Chapel Hill to her present role as Lord-Lieutenant of Bristol, UK.

The Chineke! Orchestra, Europe’s first orchestra of exceptionally talented black and minority ethnic musicians, staged a concert at St George’s Brandon Hill.  Bristol was chosen as the orchestra’s first concert outside London since its launch in 2015. The orchestra champions change and celebrates diversity in classical music. It comes together several times a year to perform together. Among the musicians taking part was the BBC Young Musician of the Year Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Founder of Chineke! Orchestra, and double bassist, Chi-chi Nwanoku MBE is already known to Bristol audiences as a leading member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.  St George’s has championed BME artists and those with disabilities from across music genres including classical, jazz, and world, and is seeking funding to deliver an education and outreach programme alongside Chineke! Orchestra. St George’s has championed BME artists and those with disabilities from across music genres including classical, jazz, and world, and is seeking funding to deliver an education and outreach programme alongside Chineke! Orchestra. Chief Executive of St George’s Bristol, Suzanne Rolt, commented: “We could not be more excited to be marking St George’s Day with the Bristol launch of an extraordinary new orchestra Chineke! – Europe’s first professional black and minority ethnic orchestra.”