Tag Archives: Old Market

Halloween – Peace Angels in Easton

Teams of Peacemakers City Patrols were out and about in the Easton and Old Market areas of Bristol on Thursday 31st October.  as part of their ‘Be Safe Nights’ Initiatives planned for Bristol 2019/20.  They set off from the St. Marks Road at around 6.30 pm, it was dark, wet and cold and the atmosphere outside was charged with the smell of fireworks.

They passed clusters of adults and children dressed in horror costumes going from door to door ‘trick or treating’ along the way, and however innocently this may sound, there is always a chance of danger and ‘bad-will’ so Peacemakers hold that their  visible presence as ‘light’ which will help to ensure a certain amount safety in the areas they patrol.

All Hallows Eve or All Saints Eve was first observed as a Christians remembrance and celebration of the lives of devoted loved ones including saints known as hallows, martyrs and other faithful figures of the day.

The Patrols stopped to pray and to remember the life of taxi-driver Colin Wilson, at the very spot where he was robbed and brutally stabbed and died some years earlier.  At the time Prayer Patrols rallied members of the Easton Community as well people from across other parts of Bristol to join in a Respect4Life March through Easton and St. Pauls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Christians abstain from eating meats on All Hallows’ Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of vegetarians foods such as apples, potato cakes, and soul cakes.

Soulcakes are little cakes, made with allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, other sweet spices such as raisins currants with a little cross on top, these were given to the children and poor that would go from door to door begging, singing and offering to pray for the givers and their families, and some even offer to pray for their pets during the month of November. Over time it became a more commercial and seen more as a secular celebration and the soul cakes were replaced by trick or treating giving of sweets, costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o’- lanterns, playing pranks, telling scary stories, creating haunting attractions and bonfires.

The Patrols aims to be a beneficial visible presence and a source for good during Halloween and Bonfire Nights.  Their Bright Fluorescent jackets can be seen a good distance away, cars. They do not go from door to door offering payers as per the All Hallows Eve Tradition, instead, they are ‘prayed up’ using a modality termed Pre-empt or ‘Operation Presence’.

 

The patrol from St.Mark’s Road, Easton to Pennywell Road, was fairly unconfrontational until they got to the Goodhind Street area. There they found a medium-sized group of boys, some standing and the others sitting on a low wall-fence. They were swearing and speaking loudly, and a member of the group ran across the road, placed something in a letterbox and shouted  ‘come out you cowards.’  Another larger group of young people ran towards the direction of the Patrols. They were hurling fireworks onto the parked cars, shouting, swearing as they randomly threw more fireworks on the pavement and in the middle of the road. The Patrols then gathered in to pray, then formed themselves in a line and stood motionless in silence. Perhaps it was the light from the jackets and the effects of prayers but the older boys scampered and raced towards Pennywell Road, and a short time later the smaller group also fled the scene too. The night ended peacefully as the Teams gathered in at another crime spot along Stapleton Road where a few years ago a Solamilan youth was viciously stabbed to death.

The next ‘Be safe Night’ Patrol will be in the Broadmead area of Bristol Bonfire Night Tuesday 5th November 2019.  To join the Peacemakers prayer patrol or City Patrols please telephone the Commissioner on 075 083 90298.

Peacemakers are also advising people to report any of illegal activities that they are aware of through CrimeStoppers or directly to the Police 999 in cases of real emergencies. See Crimestoppers number below or because you are already browsing our website you can find more information about this service on Our Partner Organization page or view directly on their website.

 

Peacemakers “FOOT PATOLLERS” are back on the streets of Bristol

Global Prayer Mission- November

Once again the Peacemakers Team of hopefuls will take to the streets of Bristol, with much enthusiasm and positive determination, that their Prayer Patrols will be a beneficial presence and great upliftment to these communities.

Prayer Patrols started in the then crime-torn area of St. Pauls, Bristol. There were several street gangs and drugs influencing the peaceful neighborhoods then, making it very unsafe to walk about, day or night. Together with the community policing, and the involvement of other community groups and organizations, along with some residents, Prayer Patrols were at the center of providing a valuable, visible  presence in the area.  At one time they were patrolling the streets almost 24 hours per day.  They also opened an office in the area, the Peace Embassy, for concerned residents,  youths, and local groups.

Today, it is a different story, street crime in St. Pauls is at an all time low in terms of street gangs, community violence, or hostilities. WP_20160325_14_32_51_ProThen, the City Council allocated funding to community groups and projects, regenerated the area with new buildings and other neighborhood improvements, in housing, gardens for residents, and parks, etc. The streets are definitely safer these days, we found new communities have moved into the area, and there are quite a few new enterprises dotted around.

Peacemakers, however, are keen to maintain rapport, as a peace agent and a beneficial presence for good, in these areas. So, from October to December 2016, they will be out again rigorously patrolling the streets of Bristol. **See below for areas, dates and times**

 Autumn 2016 Prayer Patrols in Bristol:

*Fishponds                                  Saturday     22nd October        2.00pm (Meet up outside Morrisons Supermarket, Fishponds, on the forecourt to the side, and by the steps a couple of feet away from the Bus Stop)

*Easton & Old Market          Friday          18th November     6.00pm (Meet up on the street, outside st. Marks Church, Easton,next to the pub)

*St.Pauls & Stokes Croft      Friday          9th December        6.00pm (Meet up outside St. Pauls Learning Centre, St. Pauls)

The 2017 UK Patrols will include Bishopston, Staple Hill, Park Street, Bedminster, Barton Hill and St Werburghs.  Dates and times of these patrols are still to be decided and will be published at a later date.

If you are interested to know more about Peacemakers or wish to join us on any of the patrols, please do get in touch with us via the CONTACT US page.

Peacemakers Motto: Love, Hope, and Peace for all. 
"Reducing crime and building safer, more peaceful communities"

***Click HERE to See our Global Prayer Mission Prayer List for September