Sam Townend for Bristol North West

Campaign for Bristol and against “Bristol, Avon”

“Why is it when you look up Bristol on weather forecast websites and other search engines do you get referred to “Bristol, Avon”?” says Sam Townend, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Bristol North West.

Avon Council only existed for 20 years.  It was abolished 12 years ago.  The Post Office has not recognised Avon as a postal address for over 10 years.  Yet weather forecast websites and other search engines- all created in the last decade- seem to think Bristol is in Avon!

During the recent awful weather Sam Townend, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Bristol North West, like many of us in Bristol, was regularly checking the weather forecasts on the internet including the BBC Weather website.

Sam says, “When you search for a forecast for Bristol inexplicably you are often presented with an option of “Bristol, Bristol” or “Bristol, Avon”.  I find this infuriating- what is it supposed to mean?  Why does “Bristol, Avon” or, even, “Bristol, Somerset” come up so often?”

Sam is launching a campaign to eradicate “Bristol, Avon” from websites and search engines.

In the first instance, he has asked the BBC to change its weather search engine so that a single Bristol reference simply comes up.   “Bristol became a county in 1373- it was Bristol, Avon for only 20 years- it is time websites caught up!”

He is calling for others to complain wherever they see this on websites and let him know on www.samtownend.com or email sam@samtownend.com.