Stoke Gifford
Stoke Gifford is a large village in South Gloucestershire, south of Bradley Stoke in the northern suburbs of Bristol. It has around 11,000 residents as of the 2001 Census. It is home to Bristol Parkway station, on the London-South Wales railway line, and AXA Sunlife. The local church, St Michael's Church, is very influential in running this village, and it is the centre of the community for many of the residents. It runs a small coffee shop in the Old School Rooms across The Green from the church, which itself backs onto Parkway Railway Station, an essential transport link for the local people. Also in the local area are two parks, each with children's play equipment; a pair of tennis courts and two pubs. There are a row of shops of Ratcliffe Drive and another few shops on one of the roads off North Road. There is a large supermarket within walking distance and most of the local children walk or cycle to nearby Filton High School.
Until it undertook rapid expansion in the 80's, Stoke Gifford was just a small village, straggling along the main street, North Road.
The local area is very good at providing for the local school children. As well as the parks and tennis courts, many activities and groups run from the Old School Rooms, including Scouts, Cub Scouts, Beaver Scouts, Brownies (Girl Guides) and a play group. There are also musical activities run in church on weekday nights for young brass and recorder players.